remember the '...bisikleta ang kailangan' guy?

ariel ureta -- that's him. and i just read that he has been hosting a talk show on ANC21 for two months now. has anybody seen it? it's on mondays and wednesdays, 6pm, "while the rest of Philippine television is on an adrenaline rush reporting the latest on the Garci tapes and Kris Aquino’s love life.." as the Sunday Inquirer story goes. watching comfortable tete-a-tetes between the easygoing host and non-controversial guests is not a bad option at all. =)

--------------------------------------------------

SEEN ON TV
Still Gabbing After All These Years

First posted 05:26am (Mla time) July 31, 2005
By Pennie Azarcon de la Cruz
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page Q4 of the July 31, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

HE was so big in the ’70s that martial law authorities used him to start a rumor meant to quell dissent. But no, says Ariel Ureta, of late the host of ANC’s “My Favorite Show,” there’s no truth to the “bisikleta” (bicycle) story that had him cycling around Crame, allegedly because he made fun of the New Society slogan on television.

What eventually became an urban legend started when the then popular noontime show host heard a small boy utter those infamous words: “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, bisikleta ang kailangan,” (For the nation’s progress, use a bicycle) a send-off of the era’s paean to discipline as the way to progress. “I whispered the story to (newscaster) Bong Lapira at the ABS-CBN canteen and soon enough, it was on everybody’s lips,” recounts Ariel.

Full story

a slow 'bye to DVDs and LVs

It's about faux DVDs, intellectual property rights, raids and catching the big fish. And handsome rewards of legal tender.
Read on.

------------------------------------------------

RP may soon be off pirates list

First posted 09:47pm (Mla time) July 30, 2005
By Marinel R. Cruz
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A23 of the July 31, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

THE MOTION Picture Association-International (MPA) has recommended that the Philippines be stricken off the United States’ watch list of intellectual property rights violators.

Inquirer Entertainment got this piece of good news from Optical Media Board (OMB) chair Edu Manzano on Friday, a few hours after his group conducted a raid in Quiapo, Manila.

Full story

of Captain Hook and Juan de la Cruz's choices

THE FILIPINO DESERVES BETTER.

Expressions have been varied, but the idea is more or less the same. And that idea has crossed the minds of those who hold cynical views, idealistic principles, ambivalent attitudes, those who act more and talk less, those who complain and act at the same time, those who work quietly, those who complain much and rest on their laurels...dreamers, realists with high ideals, high-profile individuals, brilliant minds, not-so-brilliant minds...even the one who stares at the images on the big screen minutes before the Last Full Show begins. He probably gives no serious thought to the struggles of the everyday Filipino, except while the Lupang Hinirang blasts over the theater's speakers accompanied by dramatic images from our country's history on the screen.

The Filipino deserves better.

That's what many of us believe -- some, fervently; others, with a faith that needs to be inflamed more constantly. Still, I think that there are much more who believe in something else more strongly, and that is:

The government sucks.

So what's the plan? Simple. Stop complaining (if it leads to nothing good, that is; if you're one whose bemoaning pushes you and those around you to work positively, by all means, complain to high heavens) and start doing your part to put this country back on its feet.

In other words, be part of the solution and not the problem. After all, it is we who determine our future, right? It's up to us to carve the path leading to our financial stability, intellectual development and professional progress (personal level) as well as our cultural preservation, national development and -- what seems to be on the minds of the majority -- economic recovery (societal level).

Now who in his right mind wouldn't want to achieve that? Fulfillment of one's goals as well as pride in a country that is succeeding to overcome serious obstacles.

What I'm saying is: the future rests basically in each of us -- particularly, in the choices we make. We can't go around blaming others for our personal miseries if we keep choosing bad company or laze around day in and day out. In the same way, we don't have the right to complain about the sorry state of our society if we don't at least try to do our part and instead continue violating rules or turning a blind eye to error when we see it -- which affect not only ourselves but the rest of society as well.

With this in mind, let's say you were to choose between lending a hand to pirates who steal goods from our island and cheering on the "good guys" who go after the crooks, which would you pick? Or, let's say there were no good guys to catch the thugs -- would you at least try to stop the pirates, watch them carry on with their monkey business, "promote" them in some way, or join them?

If Captain Hook and his cohorts were having a field day ripping off hardworking fellas on OUR island, would you give them a hand? Okay, so you may not be Peter Pan material -- standing up to the bad guy and making fun of him is not your cup of tea. But do you aspire to ditch Captain Hook and rid the island of pirates altogether? Whatever your answer is, your choices and actions will reflect it.

Why am I talking about pirates and Peter Pan? Check out the next post.

it's really up to you

one can make a difference -- that's all i can say.

that, and that the desire to do the right thing -- when taken to the next level and actually translated to working to do the right thing -- reaps rewards in forms that can't ever be quantified.

here's something i dug up from an old issue of Woman Today magazine. the advice column tackles an oft-ignored issue nowadays. for others, it's not an issue.

i'm posting it here hopefully to provide other perspectives on the matter of piracy.

--------------------------------------------------

Dear Trixie,

I have seen many ads; even MTV VJs speak out against piracy. There was even a feature on TV showing a local band talking about the issue and how artists lose money when people buy fake CDs. I have some pirated CDs in my collection because it’s the only way I can buy CDs with my allowance! I’m confused about this piracy issue and I would just like to ask your opinion. Thanks a lot!

- MB20 4evr

Dear MB20 4evr,

Hi! I know what you mean about how buying those cheap CDs can seem logical. When a CD is available for P50, why buy one that costs P375, right?

Instead of telling you what to do, let me just point out a few things:

Laws are made for a reason. Traffic lights and pedestrian lanes, for example, are established not to make life harder for us, but to facilitate activity on the road. Traffic lights…what for? For the purpose of smooth flow of vehicles going in different directions. Without lights: utter chaos (especially in Manila)! Pedestrian lanes…what for? So people can cross streets safely and motorists know where they should be especially cautious. Without lanes: people crossing anywhere, motorists stopping every few meters to let people cross, and lives being put in danger constantly!

But we know that there will always be violators of these rules, or else it would be a perfect world. Jaywalking, speeding, beating the red light and the like are bound to occur from time to time. This doesn’t change the fact, however, that rules are made for the purpose of putting some order into society in the first place.

In the same way, rules regarding manufacturing, property rights and running businesses have been set down…simple as that. But some people prefer to take shortcuts especially when it comes to making profits. I’m referring to pirates who reproduce merchandise with no regard for the law and no respect for the intellectual property they are making money out of. Besides breaking the law, these pirates are draining the legitimate establishments—the music industry, video rental shops and every worker involved in such ventures. Which would you rather support—a legitimate or an illegitimate business?

Another thing: consider the nature of these CDs, VCDs and DVDs. Are they basic necessities? Does our survival depend on having them in our possession? If you answer in the affirmative, you may have to do some rethinking; differentiate between ‘needs’ and ‘wants.’

When a CD is so cheap, it’s easy to buy one after another without giving it a second thought. And you know what you deprive yourself of when you develop this habit? A virtue that never goes out of style—one that you need in order to find ultimate peace and happiness in the long run: temperance. If you don’t know what that is, well, it’s never too late to learn. Look it up and take steps to develop it. A suggested first step: stop thinking that you need to buy all those CDs, VCDs (original or otherwise) and other things to survive. YOU DON’T.

Personally, it was the cover story of an issue of Time magazine that opened my eyes to the global magnitude of the piracy problem. When I read how members of international law enforcement agencies were getting killed in the process of tracking down the outlaws, I told myself I’d rather be part of the solution than part of the problem. What about you?

- Trixie

- from Woman Today (Sept. 25, 2002)

RockEd Philippines

RockEd Philippines is a group of volunteers.

RockEd stands for "Rock Society Through Education".

RockEd's motto: No more excuses, Philippines!

RockEd also refers to the group's 10-year series of alternative education projects.


RockEd was featured recently on the Phil. Daily Inquirer, making front page news when different sectors of society were somewhat fired up by talk of presidential resignations, impeachments, coup d'etats and street demonstrations. Everyone seems to have his own ideas of how the situation should be dealt with, what the President should do or why the country is hopeless. News of young people banding together -- without brandishing arms or reflecting cynicism -- is therefore a breath of fresh air, at least for me. Here's the story:

‘No more excuses’ is battlecry of youth group

First posted 03:10am (Mla time) July 24, 2005
By Volt Contreras
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the July 24, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THEY are the youngblood who will inherit the country and their plea is: “No more excuses, Philippines!”

It’s the motto of “RockEd Philippines,” a movement cited by the United Nations’ Millennium Development Campaign and launched three weeks ago by a circle of professionals in their 30s who tour campuses giving pep talks aimed at sparking patriotism and good citizenship among the youth.

RockEd stands for “Rock Society Through Education.” As the name implies, it integrates rock music, visual arts and other unconventional teaching mediums that can make discussions of social issues more appealing to the so-called MTV generation.

Full story

Plus, you can get more of the lowdown on RockEd Philippines.

a composer gives the commencement address!

"Minsan sa isa o makalawang linggo, may dumaraang truck ng DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) na nag-bubuga ng makapal na usok pampatay ng lamok na nagdudulot ng malaria. Lahat ng bata sa Area 1, at sa buong campus ay sinasalubong itong truck, at kung kaya lang naming magsiawit ng Haleluya noon ay ginawa na namin dahil para kami lahat nasa ulap, nagtatakbuhan, hinahabol at nilalanghap ang maputi at mabangong usok ng DDT truck. Napakasaya namin. Walang nagsabi sa amin na hindi lamang lamok ang pinapatay ng DDT. Ngayong malalaki na kami at nagbibiruan ang aming egroup na Area 1, napagkasunduan namin na dahil sa DDT na yan, bawat isa sa amin ay may bahid ng kabaliwan, depende sa dami ng nalanghap na DDT. Marami kaming laro noon sa Area 1 patintero, tumbang preso, siyato, lastiko, gagamba, luksong tinik, step-no, habulan, taguan, teks at holen, na sa palagay ko ay sasabihin ninyong napakalow-tech kumpara sa mga laro ninyo nung kayo'y mga bata..."

That's part of the commencement address given to the graduates of 2005 at UP Diliman in April. Who gave it? Composer Ryan Cayabyab. I have no idea who gives the address every year but I imagine them to be illustrious figures -- graduates of the State University, but maybe practitioners in fields like business, economics, the sciences and the like (my assumption only). Was I delightedly surprised when I heard that someone in the field of arts spoke to the graduates this year, and that his message was humorous, thought-provoking and inspiring. That's why I'm posting his words in full -- and that includes the song he and a former schoolmate composed specifically for the occasion. Here it is:

Pitong bagay sa buhay na natutunan ko sa U.P.
PROF. RYAN CAYABYAB
(Commencement speech given on April 24 before the Class of 2005)

Maraming salamat po, magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. UP President Emerlinda Roman, former presidents Jose Abueva and Noel Soriano, UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Sergio Cao, the Board of Regents, U.P. faculty and administrative staff, co-professors from the College of Music, classmates from UP High 1970, fellow alumni, graduates, and friends:

Malugod kong binabati kayong mga nagsisipagtapos ngayong taong 2005. Isang karangalan ang pagtayo ko dito upang maghatid ng isang talumpati para sa inyo. Huwag kayong mag-alala, maiksi lamang ang aking sasabihin. Kinikilala kong ako ay isang mamamayan ng UP. Unang nasilayan ng aking mga mata ang sinag ng araw sa Area 1, UP Campus, sa may likuran ng Infirmary, kung saan din nanirahan sina Wilfrido Ma.Guerrero, si NVM Gonzales, si Jovita Fuentes, si Jose Maceda, at ang mga Lansang, mga Manalang, mga Daza, Cailao, Lesaca, Estrada at marami pang ibang mga pioneering faculty members ng UP Diliman. Ang nanay ko ay nagturo sa UP College of Music. Apat kaming magkakapatid na lumaki sa sariwang hangin ng Area 1, nanghuhuli ng tutubi at kuliglig sa araw, kulisap naman sa gabi. Diyes ang Coca-cola, singko ang Cosmos.

Minsan sa isa o makalawang linggo, may dumaraang truck ng DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) na nag-bubuga ng makapal na usok pampatay ng lamok na nagdudulot ng malaria. Lahat ng bata sa Area 1, at sa buong campus ay sinasalubong itong truck, at kung kaya lang naming magsiawit ng Haleluya noon ay ginawa na namin dahil para kami lahat nasa ulap, nagtatakbuhan, hinahabol at nilalanghap ang maputi at mabangong usok ng DDT truck. Napakasaya namin. Walang nagsabi sa amin na hindi lamang lamok ang pinapatay ng DDT. Ngayong malalaki na kami at nagbibiruan ang aming egroup na Area 1, napagkasunduan namin na dahil sa DDT na yan, bawat isa sa amin ay may bahid ng kabaliwan, depende sa dami ng nalanghap na DDT. Marami kaming laro noon sa Area 1 patintero, tumbang preso, siyato, lastiko, gagamba, luksong tinik, step-no, habulan, taguan, teks at holen, na sa palagay ko ay sasabihin ninyong napakalow-tech kumpara sa mga laro ninyo nung kayo'y mga bata. Meron kaming mga sikretong tawagan, sipol at huni. Ang dami kong nais ikuwento tungkol sa aking pagkabata ngunit mauubos ang ating oras.

Nag-aral ako sa UP Elementary School at sa UP High School. Matagal na panahon ding diyes lamang ang bayad sa IKOT. Saan pa ba ako magkokolehiyo kundi sa UP rin. Una akong pumasok bilang accounting major sa UP College of Business Administration. Sa kabutihang palad, nauntog ako at na-realize ko na ako ay hindi pala maalam sa pagbibilang ng pera.

Tinanggap ako at lumipat sa UP College of Music bilang isang piano major. Nauntog na naman ako at natanto ko na ako ay nagpapanggap lamang na isang Cecil Licad. Mabuti naman at tinanggap ako ng Department of Composition and Theory. Sa maniwala kayo't hindi, tinapos ko itong kurso, Bachelor of Music Major in Composition suma-suma sampong taon bago ko nakuha ang aking diploma. Aba! Naniwala pa sila sa akin at kinuha akong guro. Dito ko nakilala ang isa kong estudiyanteng napakaganda na una kong naging barkada sa kainan at kantahan, nauwi rin sa simbahan. Halos dalawampung taon din ako nagturo sa UP College of Music.

Wala pang tatlong taon na ako ay nagbitiw bilang isang assistant professor; akala ko'y doon na ang katapusan ng aking koneksyon sa UP. Hindi pala, dahil ngayon ang aking panganay ay kasalukuyang isang university scholar sa College of Music. Mababaw at maikling kasaysayan lamang ito. Gayon pa man, kasaysayan pa rin. Para sa akin, napakahalaga ng aking nakalipas at ito ay lagi kong babalik-balikan. Habang ako ay papalayo ng papalayo sa aking pinanggalingan, palalim nang palalim ang mga ugat na aking tinatanim, sinisiguro ko lamang na hindi ako maitutumba ng kahit ano mang malakas na bagyo o delubyo na sa buhay ko ay sasapit. Ngayon, nakita n'yo kung bakit napakahalaga ng UP sa aking buhay, sana ay maging sa inyo rin. Kahit hindi nyo na nasisilayan ang oblation, at hindi na naririnig ang karilyon, nawa'y nasa puso at isipan lagi ang paaralang kumupkop at nagpalawak ng isip ng bawat isa sa inyo. Naituro na lahat ng maituturo sa inyo ng inyong mga guro. Alam naman natin na ang bawa't isa sa atin ay may natatanging angking galing. Walang halaga ito kung hindi ninyo gagamitin para sa ikabubuti at ikauunlad ng inyong komunidad, ng inyong pamilya at ng buong sambayanan. Itanghal ninyo ang inyong pagiging Pilipino na nag-aral sa U.P. kahit saan kayo mapadpad.

Meron lang akong dagdag na pabaon sa inyo para lalong di nyo malimutan ang UP nating mahal. Ito ang pitong mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa buhay na natutunan ko sa U.P.

1. Ang buhay ay parang IKOT jeep. Ang iyong patutunguhan ay siya ring iyong pinanggalingan.

2. U.P. lang ang may TOKI, sa buhay wala nito. Pero nasasaiyo na yon kung nais mong pabaligtad ang takbo ng buhay mo.

3. Sa IKOT, puede kang magkamali ng baba kahit ilang beses, sasakay ka lang uli. Sa buhay, kapag paikot-ikot ka na at laging mali pa rin ang iyong baba, naku, may sayad ka.

4. Sa U.P., lahat tayo magaling. Aminin nating lahat na tayo'y magagaling. Ang problema dun, lahat tayo magaling!

5. Kung sa U.P. ay sipsip ka na, siguradong paglabas mo, sipsip ka pa rin.

6. Sa U.P., tulad sa buhay, ang babae at ang lalake, at lahat ng nasa gitna, ay patas, walang pinagkaiba sa dunong, sa talino, sa pagmamalasakit, sa kalawakan ng isipan, sa pag-iibigan; at kahit na rin sa kabaliwan, sa kalokohan at sa katarantaduhan. At ang panghuli:

7. Sa U.P. tulad sa buhay, bawal ang overstaying.

Maraming salamat po! Mayroon pa akong isang huling pabaon, galing sa puso ko
- para rin sa mga puso ninyo, ito ang napili kong paraan upang maisalarawan ang tema ngayong hapon: "Angking Galing Para sa Sambayanan". Ito ay isang awiting nilikha ko at ng aking kakaklase sa high school na nagtapos din ng kolehiyo sa U.P., aking musika sa titik ni Ome Candazo, sa tulong ng mga kaibigan ko sa San Miguel Master Chorale at San Miguel
Philharmonic Orchestra na pawang mga alumni ng U.P .

Sa 'yo UP maraming salamat
Ikaw na aking tahanan
Mula sa aking pagkamulat
Hanggang sa aking huling hininga

Sa 'yo UP maraming salamat
Ang iyong mga aral ang aking gabay
Baon ko ito sa paglalakbay
Hanggang mapanaw ang buhay

Kami'y lumaki sa iyong pag- iingat
Natutong mag aral, natutong magsaya
Dulot mo ay init tuwing kami ay nagiginaw
Sa lahat ng panahon bigay mo'y pagasa

Sa 'yo UP maraming salamat
Ang iyong mga aral ang aking gabay
Baon ko ito sa paglalakbay
Hanggang mapanaw ang buhay

3 things

Zagu -- watermelon flavor!

Hotshots -- Real bleu? Real blue? Can't recall the flavor's correct name right now but it's the one that has lots of melted blue cheese in the burger!

Courteous cashiers at the mall -- the ones I noticed recently were those at SM. What did they do? Well, they gave genuine "good afternoon, ma'am" greetings while looking me in the eye, instead of 1) poker-face-no-words-and-no-eye-contact greeting or, 2) cheerless and impersonal-sounding "good afternoon, ma'am" wherein I could've replied "what's good about the afternoon?!" and she wouldn't have even noticed it.

Life in the Philippines nowadays may be a bit rocky, and I guess that's why it's easy to notice the little things that are to be thankful for -- even though they're mere palate pleasers and 2-minute transactions at the mall.

no more 'must-have' endorsements of the vain kind, pls!

"must-have" sunglasses. "must-have" bag. "fashion accessory of the moment."

it's about time we got rid of labels like these (or at least took a break from them). must we really acquire one of those "hot" pastel duffel bags that are the rage this season (i forget which season that was)? do we really care that "Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen wear their vintage oversized sunglasses with their Balenciaga bags"? since pages and pages of fashion spreads are featuring lace-up sandals, does that mean we MUST have a pair of our own?

you know that the answer is NO.

and you know that just because some columnist labels such items as "must-haves," that doesn't mean you really have to hyperventilate in your desire to be in the loop and snag one of those "must-haves" for yourself.

and you know that most of those columnists who explicitly feature "must-haves," "the-place-to-be-in" endorsements, "it-girl" pontificating and other such product-, place- or person-pushing are paid for those "anointments" in one way or another (money talks indeed). if you didn't know that, now you do.

besides, what's happening is much like what "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" has done to a below-the-poverty-line populace in the 1980s: the sight of luxurious homes and endless hedonistic pursuits made the average Juan dela Cruz simply salivate but not necessarily work hard for the money.

during these hard times, it's not glossy photos of P15,000-bags and captions that read "want to look like a celebrity? wear oversized glasses" that our people need. escapism may work for a time -- and for some people. but bottom line: facing the problem, not escaping it, is what we try to motivate everyone to do. being bombarded with the "must-have" mentality is not the way.

grass instead of the mall pavement

There's something thrilling about walking on the middle of a street, which is exactly what anyone can do in parts of the UP Diliman campus on any given Sunday without fear of getting run over by jeepneys or cars. It's still a car-less oval every Sunday around the academic oval. And yesterday I spotted some dudes near Palma Hall working their skateboards and making like x-games competitors on a wooden beam -- sans knee pads and helmets. Watching them, then, was accompanied by a bit of anxiety.

Still, walking around the campus and plopping on the grass to watch kite-flyers and soccer players in action at the sunken garden was a welcome respite from mall-roaming and..net-surfing, hehe. Too bad I don't have a photo of the campus to accompany this post. Maybe next time I'll take some pictures...

Have a good week, everyone.

don't just curse the darkness; light a candle.

From the Galing Pilipino Movement (GPM) site, some points to ponder...

Hindi kailangan trabaho mo'y sikat upang galing mo'y sumikat.

May ibang paraan pa sa nakasanayan na.

And my personal favorite, and one which I direct at anyone who hasn't realized or doesn't appreciate enough his own strengths...strengths that have the power to positively influence not just his own life but the life of those around him and the situation of a society in dire need of change:

Ang Galing sa sarili manggagaling.


Another site worth visiting is Talsik!, whose group statement contains the following:

"We are Filipinos who believe that there is hope for our people, that the solution to pervasive corruption, incompetence, poverty, and underdevelopment is not cynicism and despair but a deep understanding of the issues and a moral decision to take action..."

marketing ourselves to ourselves

That's the title of an article I came across as I navigated the Galing Pilipino Movement site. I'm putting it here in full and providing the site url at the end. I haven't even read the article in its entirety, but I'm too busy looking for sites and other materials that could continue feeding me (and others) with inspiration and diffusing the cynicism and hopelessness that are bound to come and go in the months to come, considering the latest happenings in the political scene.

Anyway, here is the article penned by Galing Pilipino President and co-founder Erly de Guzman:

--------------------------------------------

Marketing Ourselves to Ourselves
by Erly de Guzman

(This article was published in the View from Taft column of the Business World
on June 17, 2004).

Yes! WE did it again! Just when the world was marveling at us for having a Tony Tan Caktiong as World Entrepreneur of the Year; a Patricia Evangelista, international public speaking world champion; a Cheryl Diaz-Meyer, Pulitzer Prize photojournalism winner; a Manny Pacquiao, one of the world’s top-rated super bantamweight boxing champion; Filipino nurses like Nelia Laroza (who died in line of duty) as well as doctors staying on the job to treat SARS patients in foreign lands; a Roselle Ambubuyog, blind summa cum laude Ateneo graduate, now consulting for a Florida-based firm to develop talking computers and blind-friendly IT systems; a Dr. Josette Biyo, former biology professor at, and Master of Science and Ph.D. graduate of, De La Salle University, who was the very first Asian to receive the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award and who now has a planet named after her… oh, the Galing Pilipino list could go on and on.

As I was saying… just when the world was marveling at Filipinos…another ‘blooper’ trips the glad scene. This time, it’s the election protest and counter-protest, proclamation and un-proclamation, the unending canvassing and speechifying. At one time, it was a “cosmopolitan” coup that arrested our fledgling turnaround. A few presidencies ago, it was brownouts, blackouts and cop-outs.

Why do we keep doing these things to ourselves? To ensure that the why question is not merely rhetoric, let’s focus on how we should keep from doing these things to ourselves. How should Pilipinos market themselves to themselves?

By putting the focus on what we are good and excellent at, recognizing that in ourselves and in others, affirming that and propagating the same. Focusing on strength and not on weakness. Building up rather than putting down.

Tall order. Mammoth task. Impossible dream? Nay. It can be done. One step at a time. One by one. Each one doing his or her part. Because we believed this to be so, we started the Galing Pilipino Movement to get this advocacy going. And two years into it, we are getting somewhere. From 12 members at its onset, GPM has grown to 1,494 as of June 7, 2004. Even the national government has adopted the thematic tag “Ang galing mo! Galing ng Pilipino” for this year’s June 12 celebration.

We turned two years old on June 12, as the entire nation celebrated the 106th anniversary of our Philippine Independence. We spent this day celebrating our freedom to be galing by featuring 36 Galing Pilipinos in simultaneous Galing Pilipino Kapihans in 13 sites all over the country. Julie Gandioco of Julie’s Bakeshop shared how her Cebu-based enterprise has become a business success with pan de sal scholars nationwide. Cebu housewife Ching Ten Co shared in the GPKapihan-Cebu about how she hated trash, developed a solution, and won a fund grant from World Bank/Aus-Aid for her innovative plastic waste recycling project in the Lapu-Lapu City Dumpsite community.

In the GP Kapihan-Laguna, jeepney driver Ruben Opis revealed his plans of doing an information campaign on traffic safety and road discipline together with his Caltex co-awardees as outstanding public transport drivers. Cancer-stricken Selina Sayong, in the GP Kapihan-Cubao, presented how she developed and marketed the extra-virgin coco oil as an effective health food supplement, and how its processing can be a potent income opportunity for coco-farmers. They are Galing Pilipinos, ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. They shared brilliant examples of how to fight negativism and complacency by forging ahead into a proactive solution mode. They left behind their mediocre past. They ushered in the Galing generation. We can do the same. They have shown the way. And we know that time and again, crises bring out the best in the Pilipino.

GPM is a purposive counterpoint to the pervasive helplessness and hopelessness felt by many of our countrymen today. It is about time that we take action to change our destiny. To forego active civic engagement at this crucial juncture in our country’s history is treason. To keep to the sidelines and watch the parade is to miss making a defining moment in our history. We cannot afford to merely engage in talk or to go with the flow. It is squandering our opportunity to make a change for greatness. This nationwide movement, composed of the rich and the poor, the depressed and the inspired, has continued to teach us that we Pilipinos have what it takes to overcome the overwhelming odds that confront us by focusing on what is good and excellent about us.

I am sure that each of you can come up with something ‘Pilipino’ that you can truly be proud of. Your neighbor who cooks the best-tasting adobo in your whole province. Your ate who gave up marriage and decided to go overseas to support your studies. The jeepney driver who gave up pasada earnings to rush your passenger-seatmate to the hospital because she was about to give birth. Your best teacher who decided to stick it out in her barrio high school instead of going to Texas to teach blonde and blue-eyed kids.

There’s a lot to get inspiration from if we look for it … if we focus on the best in each of us… if we choose to look for what is good and galing, instead of going “Oh no, not again.” Today, we are either at the brink of an economic-political disaster, or at the threshold of a golden moment, when, by the choices we make – or do not make – we are writing Philippine history.

What legacy will we bequeath? Let us keep to the noble course of our past. Let us make galing the brand mark of being Pilipino today. Our circumstances today challenge us to renew the spirit of the Pilipino with a brand of excellence that is Galing. We can turn what is a “woe” into a “wow.”

It all depends on the galing that we do today.

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Check out Galing Pilipino Movement.

if you're going to talk, then walk your talk

Stop talking.

Start working.

Improve the economy.

These words are on a banner plastered on a street post on Edsa in Mandaluyong which I came across today. The logo and name of the group were too small to make out. Anyone know who's responsible for the ad?

I think we need more of these until people actually stop blaming and start working.

Or talking may be okay BUT the more a person talks, the more he has to work.

gyrating his way to applause. ho-hum.

Why is it that when someone does or says something lewd, obscene or offensive in any other way, some people express delight or even admiration? The positive reaction ranges from a subtle smile, a quiet nod, unbridled laughter, to wild applause with fist-in-the-air approval. Why?

What's deserving of appreciation in a vocalist that makes like a macho dancer in mid-song? What's to gush about when he grabs his crotch or teases the crowd by pretending to insert his hand down his pants? He's not even...uh, cute -- though cuteness has no bearing on the nature of an act such as what I'm talking about here. (The "he's not even...uh, cute" is my flimsy attempt to momentarily joke about a matter that -- if you really think about it -- is no joking matter)

I "accidentally" watched part of a concert last Friday, a gathering of Pinoy bands to welcome the college freshmen (admission was free for the freshies). I, for one, appreciate the onslaught of Pinoy artists into the local music scene in the past few years and the prevalence of Tagalog songs of late. But seeing singers execute sexually charged moves and bask in the screams of delight from the audience is some kind of a letdown for me. Why? Probably because in front of me, I saw the future of the youth -- I must say, "the future's so bright I gotta wear shades" doesn't apply. I saw the, uh...hope of our nation -- screaming and jumping, with arms extended toward the macho dan...um, singer onstage, reminding me of the adulation that the Beatles generated from hordes of female fans during their early moptop days. This is not to imply that this vocalist displayed artistic talent. And believe me, his looks are nowhere near John, Paul, George or Ringo when it comes to eye-candy quality.

Okay, Elvis and his pelvis raised more than a few eyebrows in the 1950s; John Lennon generated hoots with his toilet-seat-around-his-neck brand of antics; Madonna ushered in a downfall of sorts in the music industry (need I explain?) and in the process became the icon to ape for many girls worldwide. There's the Britney-Christina-Ashanti mold; there's Howard Stern, the foul-mouthed, brashly irreverent radio personality who used to enjoy a following, too (probably still does). The list goes on but there's no need to go by it one by one.

This seeming adulation, among the youth, of individuals who have a propensity for the distasteful is both amusing and disenchanting. Some may say that the "adulation" stops with the concert's end, or that the fella forgets about the songs and the artists when the remote control switches off MTV, or that those are just rock stars or alternative artists who have absolutely nothing to do with what and how young minds think. Uh, yeah.

I'm through ranting. I can't even remember the final premise I was supposed to write here. All I know is that Pinoy music and Pinoy talent are not reflected in that singer I unfortunately got to watch.

I also know that the people whom a young person admires -- whether up close or from afar -- don't remain mere slum-book-favorite names for that person, detached from the things he considers important, the values he chooses to live by, and the causes (if any) he will eventually advocate.

Who ever said that it's only about music and nothing more?

Ang mangga

Only in the Philippines
will we find
mangoes
that can't possibly be beaten
or even equalled
anywhere else
in
the
world!

And it's amazing how, sometimes, it takes foreigners to remind us of this. No, they don't usually volunteer the information as far as I'm concerned. In my case, dealing with Koreans regularly prompts me to weave "Filipiniana" in and out of our conversations, and of course, you can't talk about the Philippines without talking about its culinary treats.

"The most delicious mangoes come from the Philippines," I state with delight everytime. And some of them agree, having had the good fortune of sampling a few.

It doesn't end there. Due to the regular conversations that dwell on the country's customs and traditions, the people's norms and nuances, and the everyday things that go on on our shores, I've come to notice that, yeah buko juice tastes great, Pinoys walk slowly and hardly move about with a sense of urgency, and yeah Pinoys have that natural smile that's hard to wipe off.

You do the ranting and raving regarding those things; I, on the other hand, am sticking to what this post is really supposed to do in the first place and which I haven't even touched on yet -- which is to say how unbeatably yummy the MANGO CREAM PIE of Red Ribbon is. So I'll say it...

ANG SARAP NG MANGO CREAM PIE NG RED RIBBON!!

:-D