Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

Perhaps, if one doesn’t know anything about jazz music, the title of this article will keep you thinking what does it mean or will perhaps Google it on the web. Moreover, since we are here in the Philippines, one might be thinking about the comedy king of the Philippine Entertainment.

But actually, it is not the comedy king actor Dolphy that is been channeled rather it is one of the jazz genius in the world that is being channeled by a true Filipino jazz saxophonist through his own jazz musical style; that is the jazz genius Eric Dolphy and Eric Dolphy jazz music is somewhat channeled back by the Filipino-American jazz saxophonist – Jon Irabagon. In other words, Jon Irabagon sounds like Eric Dolphy.

Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American accomplished jazz artist popularly known internationally but not in the Philippines though he has a Filipino blood. His popularity and established name on music industry is not brought by Charice-style success, rather his name on the jazz music is indeed his own hard work and toiling through the years. For Jon Irabagon is fully aware that after he gained his jazz diploma then that among a million saxophone players in New York, how can he stand out and shine.

“There are a million saxophone players in New York. How can I differentiate myself from other 999.999?”

His secret is that according to him is to continue what one want to do and stop pleasing what others want to you and from you, for there will be people out there that will listen or pay attention to what you are doing. In case of him, his style of jazz music. “Don’t change what you play in order to fulfill what someone else thinks you should play. If you pursue your own thing, as long as you’ve worked hard at it, you can have an audience.”

Actually, Jon Irabagon was here in Manila Philippines earlier this year at Philippine International Jazzfest last February in Rockwell Tent, The Power Plant Mall, Makati City; to give Filipinos here in the Philippine a taste of his own jazz. And indeed the Filipinos jazz aficionados were swayed in wow on his jazz music.

He has actually four jazz albums which have no local music distributors in the Philippines. His four jazz albums are :

(1)Jon Irabagon, “Outright!” (Innova) 2007

(2) Jon Irabagon with Mike Pride, “I Don’t Hear Nothin’But The Blues” (Loyal Label) 2009

(3) Jon Irabagon “The Observer “ (Concord)2009 – this is his breakthrough album that gaves him a name on jazz music industry; a prize album for winning the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition with major jazz label Concord and with legendary producer Rudy Van Gelder. Rudy Van Gelder is the man behind the successful jazz artist including Eric Dolphy.

(4) Jon Irabagon,”Foxy”(Hot Cup) 2010

Seems, the Philippine economy is fast declining that industries in the Philippines must and should create an idea that will not let them succumb into straight path(“daang matuwid”) toward disastrous ending for another industry in the Philippines is in the brink of extinction if the industry would not do nothing about its impending demise. That Philippine industry is the Furniture industry in the Philippines.

“Realistically speaking, the furniture industry is on life-support. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll take that lying down..”, said by Eduardo Zuluaga, national exhibit chairman of the Chambers of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP).

According to Mr. Zuluaga, the Philippine furniture is almost dying on its sick-bed but they would not let it succumb to where the industry is heading to now; they must face the challenge to bring back the good health the furniture industry in the Philippines have it before.
Local furniture industries in the Philippines has come up an idea to co-exhibit with the bigger one, that is the synergy of all local furniture industry in the Philippines with Manila FAME International in exhibiting shows of their furniture masterpieces to gain larger audience and visitors that will behold what they created and eventually buy their furniture products. It is a way to extend their local markets and increase profits.

Among the local furniture industry in synergy with Manila FAME International are the CebuNext with Cebu Furniture Industry of the Philippines (CFIP),Pampanga One with CFIP-Pampanga chapter, the Manila Now and with Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM);together they will showcase their masterpieces on the exhibit show of Manila FAME. Actually, they have already made a showcase of their furniture products at the recently concluded Manila FAME exhibit at SMX Convention Center Pasay City last October 16 and 19; will have another one on March 14 to 17,2012.

“Having two shows a year will be beneficial to the industry. Exhibitors will get more face time with buyers, instead of relying on a one shot deal..” said by a chair person of Chambers of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP).

Their target buyers are those who own a condominium and those who own real estate properties and even as well as the Real Estate industry itself.

With this another synergy of industry in the Philippines just to make it through the Philippine economy all by themselves is a living proof that the new Philippine government do nothing as what it promise but only babbling senseless mumbo jumbo allegations against the past GMA administration and their bias double standard anti-corruption drive.

Suicide as we all know are brought by a very depressed suicidal person who could no longer bear the problems one has. Problems vary from person to person and how one could cope or how one face it.

But lately, the Filipinos seems to break the previous reports that Filipinos are happy people that do not surrender to life’s challenging problems but face every problems and adversities with a cheerful happy heart. “Tinatawan lang ang problema” (Filipinos just laugh at the problems)

For Lately, the Philippine has been plague with suicide cases and what is more disturbing is some of these suicides were done on public places just what happened lately on two consecutive suicide incidents on SM Malls perpetrated by a couple who suppose to love each other but end up killing the beloved one on open public. Moreover, infidelity and depression seems to be the two reasons why one wanted to kill the beloved as well as oneself from the two consecutive incidents at SM Malls.

However, not only the depression brought by a wayward love-partner cause a Filipino to commit suicide and killing the beloved one but also depression brought by a loss of job and nagger mother[?].Reports said that a lay off policeman shoot his own mother before shooting himself on a public place just only because he loses his job and was scolded by his own mother. Then similar news followed after one another.

But most recently is the suicide incident, this time around at Robinson Mall last October 20,011 at Robinson Mall Imus Cavite branch. The report says that the suicide victim jumps from the 4th Floor of the mall at around 1 pm with no yet accurate reason why he commits suicide. The angle being seen is depression brought by love life again because the suicidal victim is said to be a gay man because he wears female clothing.

Actually, these suicidal incidents is not something new in the Philippines but only become a recent sensational issue because the place of suicidal death is on public places where everyone could see, for there are many suicidal cases out there perpetrated by very depressed Filipinos which were not reported on mainstream media. For the mainstream media are just bias and selective in their reports.

Truly, the survey reports that Filipinos are very happy people and problems in life could not bring them down is definitely not true but somehow deceitful in its essence just only to allure foreign tourist people to visit the Philippines and to project hypocritically to the world that Filipinos are one of the most beautiful races in the world.

When an industry is in the brink of the forthcoming downfall due to subsequent declines and snail moving status, what will you do to save it? Most likely, one will experiment a brand new concept and ideas and if it works, one have succeeded in saving the beloved industry. In business, it is enterprising on brand new products ideas to keep the product up on customers.

Now, since the Pag-IBIG have stipulated a new strict rules before one could get a housing loans; and the real estate industry have experienced a declining effect on its revenues due to it, a brand new concept should be done in order to counter the bad effect the new Pag-IBIG rules has been damaging the industry.

The new idea convened at the recent annual convention of real estate developers, contractors, brokers, appraisers, financiers,architects,urban planners, construction suppliers and distributors, engineers, urban planners, economist and even social scientists of the Philippine at the 20th Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) National Convention is a synergic cooperation of the real estate industry and the Philippine tourism industry that will bring national economic growth.

The convention have consentient thoughts that housing with tourism power will bring forth a powerful growth on the national economy that will trigger multiple increased of revenues and business ventures among the related industries in the Philippines aside from real estate and tourism industry.

Thus, consequently, they urged the government by uplifting and upgrading the Philippine tourism industry into a world class standard in regards to amenities and facilities and service.

Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) national president Charlie Gorayab even says that if the tourism industry of the Philippines will be able to establish its industry into a renewed leadership or into greater heights, there are plenty of reasons why visitors will be interested to invest in residential buildings and real estate ownership; For there would be opportunities then for business and employment.

Actually, Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) is lobbying legislators in the Philippines to pass a bill that will create the Department of Housing and Urban Development bill that will realized and materialize what they have envision about regarding the synergy between real estate industry and tourism industry of the Philippine in order to increase effectively their annual income by generating at least 300,000 new houses yearly.

Present in the convention is the current chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC),current vice president of the Philippine republic VP Jejomar Binay as the convention keynote guest speaker; as well as two of the world’s largest international real estate bodies from United States and Europe, namely the National Association of Realtors(NAR) and the International Real Estate Federation FIABCI to support what the Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) have envisioned.

Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) by the way is the umbrella organization in the Philippines that composes 3,000 professionals, associations and companies dealing with housing or real estate industry and allied and related groups and industries like architects, engineers, real estate developers,brokers,appraisers,financiers,builders,contractors,suppliers,housing programs experts, subdivisions and community developers, etc. It is the largest known real estate and builder organization in the Philippines today; moreover, that is non-profit, on-stock and a non-governmental organization. It is the smaller version of the world’s real estate and builder organization in the world – the International Real estate Federation or popularly known as the FIABCI.

Chamber of Real Estate And Builders Association Inc.(CREBA) is the only real estate organization in the Philippines that actively coordinating or have connection to National Association of Realtors(NAR) – a “ voice for global real estate” which is United States based or owned.

Recently, international design consultant Mihai Craciun has come into the Philippines to grace this year the 8th Green Forum of Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines event to give consultations and advise about constructing a responsible and sustainable building on this current generation.

He emphasizes the Green concept infusion on modern urban dwellings in order to improve and sustain urban living. He says: “Green construction is a long term commitment that owners and every member of a construction team must understand from the inception of a project in order to achieve maximum benefits and improve the daily life of the urban community. This commitment does not end with the completion of a project; in fact, that’s when it becomes operational”
Moreover, he implied that building a building green is not going on the flow of the modern trends of green concept but building a building green should be a necessity coming from the heart and not just riding on the green hype.

He cited the 33 stories Zuellig Building situated in the midst of intersection between Makati Avenue and Paseo De Roxas to be the best example of green building in the Philippines that exemplifies world class design and the usage of green technologies in building construction that has awarded Gold Level by Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) or have received a pre-certification at Gold Level for the Zuellig Buildings green standard and policy which every building in the Philippines should imitate or follow. But actually, there are already Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified structures in the Philippines, headed by the Net Lima Tower located at the Fort Bonifacio Central Business District as the very first certified Green Building or Green Mega Structure in the Philippines and the Net Lima Tower is followed by three other towers of Net Metropolis which are also certified Green structures in the Philippines approved by Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design(LEED).

The Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an international green certification system in the world that gave ratings and approval or recognition on regards to green building construction and maintenance of a green constructed building. Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) was developed by United States Green Building Council (USGBC).It has five categories, namely : (1) Green Building Design & Construction (2) Green Interior Design & Construction(3) Green Building Operations & Maintenance(4) Green Neighborhood Development, and (5) Green Home Design and Construction. Moreover, it has also four levels of certification in order for someone’s green building to be certified, that is,(1) Certified – 40 – 49 points (2) Silver – 50 – 59 points (3) Gold – 60 – 79 points, and (4) Platinum – 80 points and above.

Aside from the Zuellig Building, Net Lima Tower and the three towers of Net Metropolis, there are so far 27 structures in the Philippines that is waiting certification by Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

According to Mr.Craciun, the Zuellig Building with its mass and size redefines the intersection on the Makati city cityspace which enhances the Makati city itself. For the design of Zuellig Building is really distinct and attracting basically due to Zuellig Building’s bamboo screens on its glass exterior walls that acts as windows also.

On regards to building green building in the Philippines Mr. Mihai Craciun complained that the hot and humid weather conditions in the Philippines makes for every green designer a difficult times to design a comfortable and sustainable rooms or work spaces that really works and last as the green design of it is intended to be. But he quickly clarifies that hot and humid weather in the Philippines is not a major problem but rather a big challenge for a green designer like him. However, that was his own observation and opinion.

Will the anti-corruption campaign of this current administration will lead us into the right path or will only lead us more into another level of corruption – that is no development and progress at all which tempt only many to do more nasty things because of economic retardation- ; since, the current Philippine government is very thrift in disbursing collected government funds.

This current government policy has also affected the revenues of real estate developers in the Philippines when the government controlled Housing loan agency – the Home Development Mutual Fund Or PAG-IBIG Fund has tightened its loan disbursement because of the alleged corruption on the developer Globe Asiatique which gives worries to private real estate developers because Filipinos who are in dire need of house could not easily make housing loans and have loan disbursed.

According to the Housing Development Association (SHDA),so far, there are already thousands of loan applications that has been disqualified and severely delayed for approval due to tighter new rules of PAG-IBIG and this cause them so much alarm.

For if there would be no loans to buy their private estates, there would be no revenues for them. Thus, according to Housing Development Association (SHDA), they were making already diligent dialogues with concerned government agencies and to the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council to avert the impending demolition of their industry due to PAG-IBIG tighter rules.
Since the middle quarter of year 2010, according to Housing Development Association (SHDA), there is already a great severe decline of loan takeouts. According to them, it has drop by 37 % to about 2.4 billion pesos a month this year 2011 from about 4 billion pesos a month in year 2009.

However, the Housing Development Association (SHDA) could not blame Pag-IBIG for tightening its rules since the globe Asiatique scandal, for a lots of money has been lost from the funds of Pag-IBIG due to alleged fake or ineligible borrowers allegedly purported by Globe Asiatique by tricking namely employees Joel and Gloria for signing a document of loans, which Joel and Gloria ignorantly do not know the documents they have signed in.

The new Pag-IBIG rules makes a pre-validation first of the borrowers from list of the real estate developers by Pag-IBIG itself if the borrower from the list of real estate developers is indeed real and true people and then Pag-IBIG will check if the borrower have the financial capability for the loan; wherein in the past, borrowers were quickly approved and the loan disbursement is not too slow.

Crocodile have been known in the world to be the monster on the still waters of a lake, swamp and marsh that attacks anyone who step in their body on the waters they dominated similar to killer sharks that king over the deep oceans; the Philippines is not spare from having such reptilian animal of course. But what is now shocking is the latest news about the discovery that the Philippines so far have the largest crocodile in the world.

Who would imagine that the largest crocodile species in the world so far can be found in the Philippines? Is not it?

The discovery was led by the handful reports of attacks on a schoolgirl, a fisherman and grown Carabao from the town of Bunawan Agusan del Sur through which the town mayor was prompted to ask assistance from Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) to capture the big predator on the shallow waters of Agusan marsh.

The Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) team was headed by a veteran crocodile hunter Mr. Ernesto “Lolong” Conate who later dies because of too much stress on waiting to catch the big predator before he and his team have caught finally the big crocodile wherein the big pinoy crocodile was named after him – Lolong.
Lolong, the largest Pinoy Crocodile and the largest crocodile in the world so far measuring 6.4 meters of 21 feet was captured at the Agusan marsh the day the “Lolong” man died or the day Ernesto “Lolong” Conate was then turn into the cage and care of Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC). Shortly, after Lolong, the largest Pinoy crocodile have caught; another two more crocodiles have been spotted on the marsh of Agusan. Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) later said that the marsh of Agusan is a home or sanctuary of wildlife thus another crocodiles have appeared on it.

The Philippine Wildlife also clarifies that crocodile attacks in the Philippines is seldom to happen because according to them, crocodiles are not aggressive reptilian animals contrary to the public consciousness or public perception about crocodiles; crocodiles just attack when they felt threaten or under attack by humans or by other being that provokes them to do the attacks.

According to the Philippine Wildlife, crocodiles actually have no any willful inclination and intention to attack humans for food. For according to their records, there are many wildlife sanctuaries in the Philippines wherein crocodiles live peacefully together with humans there. It is just the human versus wildlife species like crocodiles conflicts brings forth the onslaughts of crocodiles on humans as some cases of crocodile attacks on humans.

Actually, there is a request of Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to bring back “Lolong” the Philippine largest crocodile so far on its sanctuary at Agusan marsh but there are also some who opposes this request.

However, the people of Agusan town themselves though opposes the killing of “Lolong” refuse to bring back “Lolong” to the Agusan marsh but rather instead the local government of Agusan wanted to erect a wildlife park if in case “Lolong” will return. For they do not wanted anymore the fear they had when “Lolong” was still at the Agusan marsh.
Actually, some people also there wanted to catch more the other crocodiles lurking on the 13,910 hectare Agusan marsh which they believe to be more bigger than “Lolong” and though relived temporarily, the town people of Agusan still believe that “Lolong” could not be the man eater crocodile which have victimized handful of people in their towns and there could be another crocodiles on the marsh which needed to be caught.

If Philippine Movie industry is said to be in the brink of dying soon but only because of the sudden surge of independent films produced by independent producers on local cinemas as well some handful of out-of-the box creative story plots of mainstream leading film production, as well as the full force drive and campaign against movie piracy, the Philippine movie industry have perhaps lost its standing and its ground vanish from the Philippine entertainment industry. Thanks that it gives way to the freedom of expression to amateur directors and actors to express and show their artistic inclinations on film making.

But if Philippine movie industry have survived the test of times by giving its trust to young and amateurs, what about the Philippine theater industry?

Does the Philippine Theater industry is still alive and breathing well that it could still stand on its grounds at the Philippine entertainment realm?

For sure Filipino theater artists will say, it still does since there are still theater plays being staged and patronized by Filipinos. Yes, it does but the reality bites that only financially capable Filipinos could watch a beautiful theater play compare to films which every class of Filipinos could watch.

Theater plays unlike films or movies are only sometimes known by the friends and relatives of the theater artists unless the theater play is widely promoted similar to how movies are promoted like to movies or films is promoted, only few Filipinos will be interested to watch the play or the theater acts. Is not it?

Actually, most theater companies in the Philippines get their “moola”(money source) from “friends of this and that” of a particular theater artists producers and directors. Some get financial revenues from a fund raising campaigns, grants, invitation from a particular school plays and workshops.

Theater industry in the Philippines is a non-profit industry or like a foundation that is exempted from government tax because it has no fixed revenues but only gain occasionally.

However, theater plays are the liveliest and load kind of entertainment quite similar to circus plays because the actors of the play or story were acting on the spot right in front of the audience compare to movies or film that is already recorded. But films are the most comprehensive form of entertainment because you get to understand and comprehend the story plot being acted by the actors in a clear way without any distracted noise.

There are of course successful theater plays in the Philippines that somehow make noise on the elite circles like the “Penis Talks”, “The Vagina Monologues”, ”Bongbong at Kris” but not to ordinary financially destitute Filipinos.

Book industry in the Philippines then is a lethargic industry wherein Filipinos then are not much inclined on reading books and less intelligent on digesting the contents of a non-fictional books and most aspiring Filipino writers then have no financial capability to publish their own ideas or their own books because of the high cost of publishing one.

But nowadays this modern times, things have change, almost Filipinos today who would like to express and share their ideas and insights in a published book, could already able to write their own book. Thanks to the top leading low cost publishing program of the publishing company Central Books that give chance and opportunity for not financially rich aspiring Filipino writers in helping make their ideas published in a book form.

Not only this top Philippine publishing company make every ideas of aspiring Filipino writers published but thanks also to modern way of exchanging information we have today, that is the internet. Through the internet one can express and share his own ideas and insights freely and for free using web platforms like websites, blogs and forums.

Consequently, this big development on sharing ideas and insights to other people or to the public has given many a chance to be heard and to earn an income just by sharing their thoughts and ideas; and have started the annual book exhibit in the Philippines – the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) – that helps more Filipino writers and Philippine publishing companies gain revenues from their published books.

Actually, the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) has staged a recent book fair at SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay city which celebrates its 32nd year on its annual book exhibit.
According to the organizers of Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), the recent book fair is the largest book fair they ever staged so far. For it is the most varied gathering of collection of reading materials, more book launches and author signings as well as dialogues with readers and book related activities over 85,000 visitors who visit their current year book exhibit.

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) have become one of the major force why the Philippine book industry has flourished abundantly nowadays and have gained a larger readership for the published books of Filipino writers; since its first exhibit during 1980s at the Philcite grounds.

The annual book fair exhibit staged and organized by Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is supported by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc, Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc,, and Overseas Publishers Representatives Association of the Philippines.

Police in the Philippines has been on the seat of controversies nowadays; from police brutality into police/military hazing into AFP’s alleged graft and corruption, now recently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) have discovered so-called ghost retirees in their department that receives retiree pensions which consequently drain the police department of 1 billion funds due to it, according to the report.

According to PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, there are 2,150 pensioners that claimed to be spouses of a deceased police men and women which he found dubious and could be part of an inside syndicate activity within the department.

Yes, the PNP have recently found that the pensioners uploaded on their database were fake pensioners which were uploaded by a dismissed PNP policeman Marlon Reyes which the PNP police are now on full alert on hunting this dismissed PNP policeman.

Senior Supt. Rufino Manere, PRBS director, said that Marlon Reyes was able to encode fake entries on their database when Marlon Reyes was assigned then to the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) before he was dismissed on service in 2008.

They have tracked his handwriting on 530 suspected falsified index card records of pensioner’s accounts on their database and have already deleted 1,000 fake entries encoded on their database.
Marlon Reyes alleged fake PNP pensioners syndicate was discovered last July 20, 2011 when 30 women were caught having a fake pensioner’s ID while claiming a pension checks.