Friday, October 16, 2009

Bambee dela Paz, 9 months after

I really wonder whatever happened to the case that Bambee dela Paz' father and brother filed against Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and his son Nasser Jr.

I did look her up and the latest news about her is this bit of information in an article titled "Women's golf team takes 1st at Fall Classic" from www.newsrecord.org:
"Junior Bambee Dela Paz, the UC Scholar-Athlete of the month award winner, finished in a tie for 16th place individually and shot a final score of 82–78–76=236."
I wonder if people in the golfing circuit and at UC know that Bambee had taken part in attacking a government official and his son at a golf course in Antipolo?

Camille Villar as anchor of TV5's The Evening News may be a violation of KBP Broadcast Code Section 8

Martin Andanar's status update this morning had me blowing coffee out of my nose.

Martin said, "Camille Villar, our guest news anchor tonight (October 16) Live on TV5's TEN The Evening News at 11!"

This latest status update from Martin comes right after he announced that TV5's The Evening News would begin having guest news anchors.  It is, perhaps, a logical progression of sorts in a stream of never been done before innovations that began with its MTV-ish OBB and CBB, Lourd de Veyra inspired sound bed,  the coffee shop  look of its news studio, and its reversed news line up (with the least important news being reported first and the most important news being reported last).

I personally have to congratulate Senator Manny Villar for pursuing the Presidency in a manner that consistently challenges my ability to keep my food down in my gut where it belongs. 



Between Martin Cervantes screaming about how he was made to wait for PNRC Chairman Richard Gordon before he could distribute relief goods and Senator Manny Villar's relief operations, I think the latter is more despicable.



Do you think, that for the amount of money he is spending, he won't be asking for anything in return?

I didn't mind it so much when I heard Camille, Gilbert Remulla, and Adel Tamano hawking some event or other on Magic 89.9 where it seems Villar's presence is felt rather strongly.

But having a Presidential candidate's daughter as the anchor of a news program has prompted some people to ask if TEN has any idea of why this may be wrong.

Do you think people won't be asking if the JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY of the key movers behind TV5's TEN has been put up for sale?

I have friends at TV5 and I am raising this issue because I have a feeling that the better judgment that should guide a News Department in making decisions such as this was probably ignored.

Moreover, has TV5's TEN even considered what the KBP has to say about this? My view is that  having Camille Villar, a known campaigner for her father and being strongly identified with Senator Manny Villar,  as an anchor of a news program is tantamount to putting out propaganda for a candidate in the 2010 elections. Here is SECTION 8 of the 2007 KBP Broadcast code:
Article 8. POLITICAL PROPAGANDA
(Note: The provisions under this section have been adopted
from R.A. 9006 or the Fair Election Act.)

Sec.1. Equal opportunity in the access of airtime shall begiven to candidates and political parties. ( S )
Sec.2. No program or sponsor shall be allowed to manifestly favor or oppose any candidate or political party. However, the right to responsibly inform the public on significant issues and events and the duty to provide a forum for the discussion of such issues and events shall be respected.(S)

Sec.3. The amount of airtime allotted to political propaganda and the rates to be charged for it shall be consistent with existing laws. ( S )

Sec.4. When a person employed or engaged in any capacity in a station becomes a candidate or is employed or retained in any capacity by a candidate or political party, he shall go on leave for the duration of the election period or his employment may be terminated by the station. (G)

Sec.5. All broadcasts of election propaganda shall be identified as such and shall be identified through the words "paid for by" followed by the name of the candidate or political party for whom the election propaganda is being broadcast. If the broadcast is donated by the station, the words "airtime for this broadcast was provided free of charge by this station for…", followed by the name of the candidate or party, shall be used.(S)

Sec.6. All programs related to the campaign and the elections shall be subject to the relevant provisions of this Code and all Election Laws. ( S )
There is a reason why leading news programs have never ever done things that TV5 has done with the news format and I don't even know where to begin telling you about it.

Watch TV5's The Evening News tonight.

Bloggers' Code of Ethics

I got a chance to catch up with Patricio Mangubat who writes the blogs New Philippine Revolution, Pinoy Observer, and Filipino New Network at Annabels a while back. 

During a brief smoking session at the gathering sponsored by Joey De Venecia III, we had a little chat about coming up with a Code of Ethics for bloggers and putting up an organization of bloggers just like the National Press Club, which I assume will persuade the Filipino blogging community to blog more ethically.

Patricio, having studied law at the University of the Philippines, said that he was already in the thick of crafting a Code of Ethics for bloggers and was already organizing a group that would promote this Code of Ethics.

I praised him for his efforts and it is actually a good idea to do this, but also said I don't think a Code of Ethics for bloggers needs to be written at all since there are already a vast number of such codes available out there. 

Besides, you already know of my aversion for words and phrases that tend to give off  an impression that the writer is trying to look smarter than he or she really is.  I have a more folksy idea of "ethics", and I describe it as behavior that one needs to adopt in order to function as part of a community.  Sure, it might be too simple, but I think that is the heart of it.

Anyway, just to prove the point that a Blogger's Code of Ethics need not be written, I'd like to point you to a Code of Ethics for bloggers in a post shared by Ding Gagelonia on Facebook which comes from the blog of Danilo Arao. (How's that for source attribution?)
This Code of Ethics came from Cyber Journalist dot net

Be Honest and Fair
Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Bloggers should:
  • Never plagiarize.
  • Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
  • Make certain that Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
  • Never distort the content of photos without disclosing what has been changed. Image enhancement is only acceptable for for technical clarity. Label montages and photo illustrations.
  • Never publish information they know is inaccurate -- and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it's in doubt.
  • Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context.
  • Distinguish factual information and commentary from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

Minimize Harm
Ethical bloggers treat sources and subjects as human beings deserving of respect.
Bloggers should:
  • Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by Weblog content. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
  • Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
  • Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of information is not a license for arrogance.
  • Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
  • Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
  • Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects, victims of sex crimes and criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.

Be Accountable
Bloggers should:
  • Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
  • Explain each Weblog's mission and invite dialogue with the public over its content and the bloggers' conduct.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest, affiliations, activities and personal agendas.
  • Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence content. When exceptions are made, disclose them fully to readers.
  • Be wary of sources offering information for favors. When accepting such information, disclose the favors.
  • Expose unethical practices of other bloggers.
  • Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.
I am all for ethical conduct, but just how do you enforce it?

The reality is that even the KBP and the Philippine Press Institute are challenged when it comes to enforcing the standards of ethical behavior.  They actually have very specific rules that govern the practice of ethical journalism, they have people whose main job is to make sure people follow rules, and they actually have a pretty small number of organizations to look after.  And yet certain members of the media persist in practices that imperil the reputation of their company as well as their personal reputation.

So, what do you do when you are attacked by a malicious blog?  There are ways of dealing with this and that will be the subject of my next post.

Bloggers' Code of Ethics

Try not to read this while drinking coffee.

I got a chance to catch up with Patricio Mangubat who writes the blogs New Philippine Revolution, Pinoy Observer, and Filipino New Network at Annabels a while back. 

During a smoking session at the gathering sponsored by Joey De Venecia III, we had a little chat about coming up with a Code of Ethics for bloggers and putting up an organization of bloggers just like the National Press Club, which I assume will persuade the Filipino blogging community to blog more ethically.

Patricio, having studied law at the University of the Philippines, said that he was already in the thick of crafting a Code of Ethics for bloggers and was already organizing a group that would promote this Code of Ethics.

I praised him for his efforts and it is actually a good idea to do this, but also said I don't think a Code of Ethics for bloggers needs to be written at all since there are already a vast number of such codes available out there.

In fact, I just came across a Code of Ethics for bloggers in a post shared by Ding Gagelonia on Facebook which comes from the blog of Danilo Arao.

This Code of Ethics came from Cyber Journalist dot net:

Be Honest and Fair

Bloggers should be honest and fair in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
Bloggers should:
  • Never plagiarize.
  • Identify and link to sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
  • Make certain that Weblog entries, quotations, headlines, photos and all other content do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
  • Never distort the content of photos without disclosing what has been changed. Image enhancement is only acceptable for for technical clarity. Label montages and photo illustrations.
  • Never publish information they know is inaccurate -- and if publishing questionable information, make it clear it's in doubt.
  • Distinguish between advocacy, commentary and factual information. Even advocacy writing and commentary should not misrepresent fact or context.
  • Distinguish factual information and commentary from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.

Minimize Harm

  • Ethical bloggers treat sources and subjects as human beings deserving of respect.
  • Bloggers should:
  • Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by Weblog content. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
  • Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
  • Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of information is not a license for arrogance.
  • Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy.
  • Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
  • Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects, victims of sex crimes and criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.

Be Accountable
Bloggers should:
  • Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
  • Explain each Weblog's mission and invite dialogue with the public over its content and the bloggers' conduct.
  • Disclose conflicts of interest, affiliations, activities and personal agendas.
  • Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence content. When exceptions are made, disclose them fully to readers.
  • Be wary of sources offering information for favors. When accepting such information, disclose the favors.
  • Expose unethical practices of other bloggers.
  • Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.



I all for ethical conduct, but just how do you enforce it?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Updates on the devastation brought about by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng

I don't have the energy nor the inclination to throw phrases like "planetary homeostasis" and development aggression or launch into semi-poetic lines like "The abuse of Nature is the abuse of man, and in the end, it is man who suffers."

I don't want to pretend that I am more intelligent than I really am or more concerned about this than I really am.  The thing is, I never really listened to my teachers in college and never really got high grades, either in English or typing -- which most people merely I assume I am good at because they think I write well.

Anyway, the reason why I am writing this post is because Maricar and Dawn wrote a comment on this blog asking me to put up pictures and videos of the flooding brought about by Typhoon Pepeng.Other bloggers have been doing their part and I feel rather guilty right now for not devoting enough posts on the effects of Pepeng.  But feeling guilty is not enough, I know I have to join others and try to help out.  I don't think I am being a hero by doing this and I am not going to fold paper cranes so that Filipinos will realize that their over-riding priority in the next 10 years should be to adapt to climate change.

With that said, let me address Maricar and Dawn's requests.

Here is video from some guy at the Mangatarem Foursquare Gospel Church preparing for the Victims of Typhoon Pepeng for Dorongan, Mangatarem, Pangasinan



Here is another. Information on this says "This video was taken last October 10, 2009 at 10:29am during the height of the flooding in the central district of Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines."

For some reason, it looks pretty sunny.




And here's a more interesting video from a fool who should have been scurrying over to a more safer place.



I really do hope this doesn't encourage people to go out in the middle of a typhoon just to act out a fantasy of being a TV news cameraman.  It is really stupid and doesn't help anyone.

Now, I really don't find videos as well as pictures very useful.

What I do find useful is folding paper cranes and waxing poetic about how I use pantene on my long hair... Er... No, not really...

But seriously, what is most useful is information from a reliable and credible source -- and I am not talking about GMA7 or ABS-CBN.  I am talking about the Philippine National Red Cross and its chapters all over the country.

You can find information about the effects of any disaster on the PNRC website and another website that seems to be doing a good job of informing people about disasters is www.reliefweb.nt.  Here is a report  sourced from WHO which they posted.

Philippines: Tropical Storm Ketsana ("Ondoy") and Typhoon Parma ("Pepeng") Health Cluster Situation Report 12


Main points

Tropical Storm Ketsana
 
- 880 175 families / 4 320 699 individuals have been affected in 1 902 barangays. 45 129 families / 216 941 individuals remain in 447 evacuation centres

- Casualties: Casualties: 437 Dead, 3 769 injured

- Confirmed acute watery diarrhea outbreak in 2 municipalities (San Pedro, Laguna; Marilao, Bulacan)

- Confirmed Leptospirosis outbreak in 3 barangays in Marikina (Tumana, Concepcion, Malanday)

- More than Php 1B (USD 21 M) in damage to health facilities reported

- The top 5 morbidity cases in the evacuation centers according to 3-day running average by National Epidemiology Center are: acute respiratory infection (53%), skin infection (19%), diarrhea (15%), fever (9%), influenza-like illness (4%), pneumonia (0.3%)

- As of 13 October 2009, mobile missions have been conducted by 187 Medical, 25 Psychosocial, 33 WASH, 5 Nutrition, 2 Disease Surveillance, 13 Assessment, 54 Public Health teams, and 6 international teams deployed by DOH to 452 sites

Typhoon Parma
- 675 681 families / 3 136 965 individuals have been affected in 4 472 barangays in 356 municipalities. 17 506 families / 83 432 individuals remain in 179 evacuation centres

- Casualties: 375 Dead, 185 injured

- The top morbidities based preliminary data from consultations in 2 Municipalities affected are: wounds, upper respiratory tract infection, skin infections, hypertension, and others (muscle pains, headache, acute gastroenteritis)

- More than Php 498M (USD 10.3 M) in damage to 13 health facilities has been reported

Tropical Storm Ketsana

Health Situation Assessment
- NDCC reported that the number of evacuees decreased to 45 129 families / 216 941 individuals in 447 evacuation centres. Total number of affected increased to 880 175 families / 4 320 699 individuals in 1 902 barangays.

- Access to essential health services: DOH estimates at least Php 1 B (USD 21 M) in damage was sustained by 17 Government Hospitals, 110 Municipal Health Centers, and 7 LGU Hospitals.

- The top 5 morbidity cases in the evacuation centers according to 3-day running average by National Epidemiology Center are: acute respiratory infection (53%), skin infection (19%), diarrhea (15%), fever (9%), influenza-like illness (4%), pneumonia (0.3%)

- The National Epidemiology Center (NEC) has confirmed an outbreak of acute watery diarrhea in one barangay in Marilao, Bulacan and one evacuation center in San Pedro, Laguna. 97 cases have been reported by DOH hospitals (1 adult, 96 pediatric). Two deaths have been confirmed in Marilao, both of female children (1 year-old and three year-old). Cases have been confirmed by The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Reports from San Pedro are still incoming. New cases down from 50 cases per day to 1-2 per day.

- NEC has also confirmed an outbreak of Leptospirosis in 3 barangays in Marikina (Tumana, Concepcion, Malanday). 230 cases of Leptospirosis (197 adult, 33 pediatric) are reported from DOH hospitals and reports from private hospitals are still incoming.

Health Cluster Response
- In response to the acute watery diarrhea outbreak, rationing of water and water disinfection is being done by the LGU in Marilao. In San Pedro, an infirmary within the evacuation center has been established to treat cases of acute watery diarrhea.

- DOH will meet with local chief executives of affected areas and has increased logistic support to hospitals to enhance surge capacity. Details of government intervention measures will be seen in the coming days.

- NEC has given contact information for event-based reporting where cluster agencies and other partners can share information obtained from their mobile clinics or assessment efforts (see below).

- WHO has procured and will donate 20 diarrheal kits that can treat up to 10,000 cases to DOH HEMS and NGOs that are responding to the disaster. MSF has sent a medical team to Marilao. The surveillance system, case management, and preventive measures need to be reinforced in all evacuation centers and flood affected areas. More resources are needed to contain the potential spread of water-borne diseases.

- As of 13 October 2009, 227 portalets have been distributed for 8 evacuation centers in Marikina (80 units), 6 evacuation centers in Quezon City (36 units ), 4 evacuations in Pasig (29), one evacuation center in Pateros (3), 5 centers in Muntinlupa (26), 9 centers in Cainta (29), and 4 sites in Laguna (24). For a detailed distribution list, please visit: http://www.un.org.ph/response14.html.

- WHO is providing continued technical guidance to DOH and the health cluster by providing case management guidelines for Leptospirosis and acute watery diarrhea in the WHO Philippines Website (www.wpro.who.int/philippines), UN Health Cluster Response Page (link below), as well as through cluster communications. Health Cluster Toolkits are also being distributed to cluster agencies.

- Communicable disease risk analysis has been done by WHO and the results have been shared with cluster agencies through the publication of the document "Public health risk assessment and interventions: Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma: the Philippines" available in http://www.who.int/diseasecontrol_emergencies/publications/philippines_20091009_en.pdf.

- WHO will provide 2 generator sets to Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center.

- CFSI continues to provide psychosocial care for 6 barangays in Marikina, 2 barangays and one relocation site in Cainta, and in the major evacuation center in Pasig

Critical Constraints
- Several areas have limited access to health services and aid

- Fluidity of evacuation camp situation hinders accurate mapping, assessment, and disease surveillance

- Prolonged high-risk exposure due to retained flood water in many areas is expected

Urgent Needs
- Scaling up access of essential health services to all affected

- Improve case-based disease surveillance for communicable diseases and health and humanitarian service coverage in evacuation centers

- Increase resources aimed at containing the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases

- Ensuring a return to functionality of primary care facilities and re-establishment of essential health care activities, including vaccination

Typhoon Parma
Health Situation Assessment
- Rapid needs assessment by UN-GOP team still ongoing.

- The top morbidities based preliminary data from 74 consultations (58 adult, 16 pediatric) in 2 Municipalities affected are: wounds, upper respiratory tract infection, skin infections, hypertension, and others (muscle pains, headache, acute gastroenteritis).

- Php 498M (USD 10.3 M) in damage to 6 hospitals, 1 Regional office, 4 rural health units, and 2 barangay health stations have been reported. Region 1 Medical Center, the main trauma center for the region, reported damages amounting to more than Php 456M (USD 9.5M). Damage to records, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, OR, ER, DR, blood bank, OPD facilities and equipment amounted to more than PhP 453M (USD 9.4M). Emergency room operations and ward admissions have resumed but serious cases and those requiring surgery are referred to private facilities or to the provincial hospital.

Health Cluster Response
- The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, together with representatives from IOM, WFP, WHO, UNFPA, and DOH will conduct a rapid needs assessment of the affected areas in Regions I, III, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

- DOH has deployed 1 medical and 1 assessment team to 6 Evacuation Centers in CAR.

- More than Php 2.72 M (USD 566 679) has been given by DOH in augmented drugs, medicines and supplies.

- UNFPA has distributed 430 hygiene kits to Region III and is doing rapid assessments in Baguio City and the Province of Benguet.

 Critical Constraints
- Massive flooding in the affected areas from the collapse of dikes and release of water from major dams in the affected regions is expected to continue early into the coming week.

- Thirty eight (38) municipalities and three (3) in Region I are still flooded as of 10:00 PM, October 11, 2009: 23 and 3 cities in Pangasinan; 9 in La Union, 1 in Ilocos Sur and 5 in Ilocos Norte.

- A total of fifty six (56) road sections and nine (9) bridges were affected which were rendered impassable or hardly passable.

Urgent Needs
- Continued assessment of the health situation in the affected communities and in evacuation centers to determine the most urgent health needs

With contributions from:
UNICEF
UNFPA
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
MSF
Philippine National Red Cross
USAID
Save the Children
Handicap International
Australian Aid International (AAI)
Plan International
Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR)
Community and Family Services International (CFSI)
Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP)
Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP)

References:
1. Department of Health – Health Emergency Management Staff (DOH-HEMS) - Health Emergency Alert Reporting System (HEARS)
2. National Disaster Coordinating Council Update – Situation Report No.23 (6 October 2009, 2300 hrs)
3. Daily updates from health cluster agencies and health cluster meetings

For more information, please contact:
WHO Country Office
Dr Paul Andrew Zambrano
Email: zambranop@wpro.who.int


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Every wonder why your Meralco electric bill is so high?

It was Ding Gagelonia's post about Meralco's voltage that got me writing this post.

According to Ding's post about the complaint of a certain Robert Young.

"Do you know Meralco is allowed to supply us power with voltage range of 207-253 volts?  One time a Whirlpool technician tested thee voltage at my place and it registered 265 volts. Appliance can get fried at high voltage, specially electronics like computers. Attached is a letter from Meralco regarding my complaint."



For some time now, I've been using voltage regulators for a number of appliances and I've noticed that the voltage in our house swings between 200 volts and 250 volts instead of remaining at 220 volts.

Most of the day, our voltage at home hovers between 230 and 240 volts.

Now, the question on my mind is whether this has an effect on our electric meter.  Does a higher voltage make our electric meter run faster?  If so, isn't this a rather bad way for Meralco to make money by getting its consumers to consume more electricity unintentionally?

This, of course, is not to mention the number of appliances in our house which have already conked out.

I wonder if the electric meters at ABS-CBN run as fast?

Pinoy Buzz soon at Asian Correspondent!

In a few days, Asian Correspondent will be the new home of Pinoy Buzz and this blog will be read by more readers all over the world.



Asian Correspondent is a news website that focuses on developments mainly in Asia and other parts of the world. This pioneering website is unique as it matches up news from various countries in the Asia with the perspective of bloggers. This is probably why the name of the company behind this online publication, Hybrid News, seems so apt.



Sanj, my content manager at Asian Correspondent, tells me that the website is still  in “Alpha mode,” meaning that the site is constructed and undergoing vigorous testing to ensure that we provide the smoothest and most efficient visiting experience. Sanj says that the site will have its“Beta” launch on Monday, 19th of October, which is centred around user testing.

I think, in a way, Asian Correspondent will be a successful attempt at a fuller, richer reportage by fusing the strengths of traditional journalism and citizen journalism.


In the Philippines, it is becoming more apparent that citizen journalism in the form of blogging has become more and more influential.  Recent events have born this out, with bloggers leading traditional news organizations in spotting the developments that become the day's headlines.  Bloggers have become somewhat of a barometer and compass that tells news organizations what developments really matter.

However, bloggers in the Philippines have also had a somewhat strained relationship with traditional media, especially with regard to plagiarism -- where content generated by bloggers have been used by traditional news organizations without the proper source attribution.  This door swings both ways as certain bloggers have consistently come out with skewed and sometimes completely false accounts -- which is also seen as a recurring problem with certain news media organizations.


Asian Correspondent presents news developments culled from various perspectives and gives its readers not just information but a richer, fuller EXPERIENCE of what is happening in the world around them.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Ondoy and Pepeng didn't kill people, complacency and lack of disaster preparedness did

The idea of suing government officials for the disaster that happened when Typhoon Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng ravaged Luzon is a typical knee jerk reaction that will solve nothing.  Next year, if such a case is actually filed and progresses through our court system which Sen. Noynoy Aquino promises to fix, we will still have more or less the same number of casualties, property damage, and loss of investments.

I'm all for holding government officials accountable, especially if there is actual proof of their wrong doing.  Suing them will probably serve as a warning to others not to do as they did and even if the suit doesn't lead to a speedy resolution, it will keep other government officials on their toes.

And, perhaps, while were at it, we might as well heap all the blame on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

But it won't give us accurate weather prediction systems, flood monitoring and control systems, an infrastructure/urban growth plan that takes into account climate change, the implementation of better engineering standards,  an agricultural development plan that is in tune with seasonal weather patterns, and a whole gamut of other changes that will enable us to adapt to more destructive weather cycles.

Every Filipino being a hero, folding paper cranes for clean elections and other crap

Better Philippines post yesterday resonated with my own sentiments. And much of the thinking that I have nowadays somewhat reflects the thinking of other Get Realists.

The title "hero" or "bayani" has been bandied around and used like cheap perfume on everything ranging from paying taxes to going overseas where our people are treated like crap.

The reason why it gains currency and will continue to gain currency is because of the Filipino mindset that sees itself as a victim in need of being rescued all the time.

Belief in magic, or even symbolic actions aimed at conjuring something, is another facet of the Filipino mindset that leads many to pray for things to happen instead of actually doing things to make things happen.

Folding paper cranes and maybe even dancing around a red candle while smothering both arm pits with peanut butter jelly may sound interesting and poetic, but what does it really do?

Being a Filipino is hard and it starts being tough from the moment you are born a Filipino.  It continues to be tough till the day you die and even the process of dying places a burden on one's family, therefore adding more hardship to an already tough life.

If people had a choice between being born Filipino and being born a Swiss, I'd guess that people would choose to be Swiss -- you'd be white, most likely blond as well as blue eyed, you'd have the best public education, the state would spend for all of your needs, and you'd be assured of a high paying job.

One thing that salves the badly battered Filipino psyche is the idea that they can change their circumstances by simply willing it.

Hope, just like shabu or rugby, numbs the mind as well as body and makes people willing to bear enormous hardship.  And things remain the same.

Noynoy Aquino's story about the Customs employee is perhaps a perfect dramatization of how Filipinos cling on to the idea of a need for a hero and the power of magic.
Mayroon isang tauhan ng customs na nakausap ang ating isang kasamahan (Na matagal na tayong inuudyok tumakbo.) Tinanong niya, “Tatakbo na ba?” Ang sagot naman ng ating kasamahan ay, “Tatakbo na nga!” At ang sinabi ng taga-customs ay, “Salamat!” Tinanong siya kung bakit siya nagpapasalamat. At ang kanyang sinabi ay, “Salamat naman at pwede na po muling mangarap.”
The story is an obvious play at people's imagination and implies that when Aquino is elected as President, the customs employee's wish for a better life will be automatically fulfilled.


What happens when that customs employee realizes that Noynoy Aquino can't provide the solutions to the problems that he faces everyday on the job?  Oh the usual protests, if at all customs employees can be counted on to march against corruption.

The better message and certainly the one which will really help is this, "If you want a better country, you have to work for it and sacrifice for it."

Monday, October 12, 2009

Pretty girl talking about beer

Oh man! Two of my most favorite things.

An indecent proposal for Ellen Tordesillas

I can imagine Ellen Tordesillas screaming and tearing out her hair as she wrote this blog entry:
Smartmatic’s indecent proposal

Last Friday, I got this strange letter from a certain Samira Saba of Smartmatic, the Dutch-Barbados-Venezuelan firm that partnered with the local Total Information Management and won the P7.2 billion contract for the nationwide automation of the 2010 elections.
If it involved sex, perhaps there's be enough reason to call it an indecent proposal.

But Ellen is a far cry from Demi Moore and the letter didn't come from a man who looks like Robert Redford, moreover, the proposal was not for sex but for a writing job.

I am old enough and experienced enough to know the difference between being offered a writing job and being offered sex.

The thing is, I also got a letter from  Samira Saba and it appeared to be a proposal to write articles for Smartmatic as a freelance writer.
I would like to know if you have the time and the interest of writing some articles regarding the following subjects:

1) Election automation worldwide, and positive experiences in various countries.

2) Election automation in the Philippines, past and present.

3) Different technologies to automate an election. Perspectives and comparisons: shortcomings, advantages, political implications.

4) Smartmatic technology in particular (in this case, we would of course furnish appropriate materials to the required depth).

If you are interested in adding our organization as a regular client for your freelance writer services, we can define the extent and number of articles you could write monthly. I will be glad to give you more details and answer the questions you may have.
Nothing strange here.  In fact, this is not the first time that I have received e-mails of this sort asking if I could do one kind of writing job or another.  This is the good thing about blogging, it advertises your skills as a writer.


At the end of her entry, Ellen says:
I find the letter insulting. It smacks of bribery. I had to take several deep breaths and reminded myself that I should not write anything when I’m angry.


Saturday, I replied, asking her “What and where in my articles gave you the idea that my services are for sale?”
What circumstances in Ellen's life has conditioned her to mistake an offer for a writing job as a bribe offer? By the way, who spent for her trip to Macau?

And she actually wrote about this on March 12, 2009:
Jullie Yap of the Manila Bulletin, Mandy Navasero of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and myself had a magical experience last weekend courtesy of someone we don’t know and we haven’t met.
Through a friend who want to remain anonymous, we were extended an invitation for a three-day visit to Macau. Accommodation: The Venetian.
Off we went last Thursday. I’ve never been to the The Venetian Las Vegas but those who have been there say the one in Macau is much, much bigger.

“Big” is too small a word to describe the The Venetian. Inaugurated two years ago, it’s grand, sprawling, overwhelming. It’s website describes the area as “equivalent to 56 football fields and large enough to hold close to 100 Boeing 747 jumbo jets. “
The Venetian is actually a make-believe city of Venice in Macau complete with the famous canal. And of course, the gondola. If you take the gondola ride, you will be serenaded by a baritone accompanied by a guitarist. I noticed it’s a Filipino (one of the more than 2,000 Filipinos employed in the hotel) who was the gondola entertainer. But if you want an Italian singer, the hotel can accommodate you as what one Filipina did. All throughout the day, Vivaldi’s music is played.


Just to be sure about if a writing job offer is the same as a bribe offer, I looked up how theKapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) defined bribery.
Asking or receiving money or any gift, present, benefit, or privilege to favor or put in bad light any person, group, or institution in the course of a broadcast is prohibited. Any act that may harm the public interest, damage the station, or put its credibility in doubt should be avoided.
This is much better than what the Philippine Press Institute has in its Journalist Code of Ethics, which merely admonishes:
I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.
Now, I ask you dear readers, does anything in the letter of Smartmatic come close to what could be construed as a bribe offer?  I would say no.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

All about asses, jack asses, and the Nobel Prize for blogging about ass

Noelle De Guzman tweeted that I took a picture of her ass and the conversation I quoted about Kanye West at the blog awards never happened.



Below is the whole picture. There's Marocharim, there is Noelle De Guzman, the guys in the brown short sleeved polo is the secret assassin that Senator Jamby Madrigal hired to kill Good Times Manila, off to the side of the picture is Kanye West and some of the guys from Nobel who thought it would be cool to give US President Barak Obama the Peace Prize.



Just to be clear, I was really taking a picture of Marocharim.  But Noelle was in the frame, so I snapped away anyway before the guys from Nobel walked into the frame and started talking to them.

If I were indeed taking a picture of Noelle's ass, it would look like this.



Or perhaps this:




I don't know if anybody would find this even mildly interesting, compared to this picture.



The whole is much more interesting than the parts, in my view.

Noelle, I am sorry if this offended you and I plan to make amends.  Here's a picture of my ass just in case you want to return the favor and post it on your blog.



Of course, this is not really me but Mel Gibson who is rather famous for showing his ass in a number of his films.

But anyway, here's what I really wanted to say.



Because, as far as I am concerned, there are so many ways of getting attention for a blog.  Among the most popular ways for most people is to get hits on the internet is to go apeshit and scream bloody, fucking murder like this girl here.

Remember this paragraph?

"At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course."

As it turned out, Bambee neglected to say that it was her father who charged at the Pangandamans and attacked them.

And lastly, I stand by my allegation that Marocharim and the guy with the white Dutch cap talked about doing a Kanye West as well as a redux of Britney Spears and Madonna!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Philippine Blog Awards 2009

UPDATED AND REVISED FOR NOELLE.


It was my first time to join the Philippine Blog Awards and in its third outing, I was rather happy to have ended up as a finalist in the commentary category -- the only category I joined.

As a rule, I do not join contests of any sort because I am -- like other writers -- insecure about the way I write and even more insecure about how my thought processes as well as my sentiments would be viewed a critical panel of judges. In a way, I am an arrogant SOB because I don't like submitting my personal works to other people's judgment. In my mind, I am always and forever right. That is how insecure I am.

(IMAGINE CANNED LAUGHTER HERE.)

When I arrived at the PETA Theater in Quezon City around thirty or forty minutes late for what I thought would be the actual start of the program at 5:00PM.

I was immediately confronted by what seemed to be a sea of young people.  I think most of them were not even thirty years old.  They all looked like the sort that you'd find hanging around in coffee shops, rock concerts, or other places which I imagine would be a cool place.

Some of the people there were not at all bad looking, like this chick here:



Misery loves company and I had hoped that Better Philippines would be with me but my kumpare had work to do.  So, pakshet to that!

(IMAGINE CANNED LAUGHTER HERE, AGAIN.)

And so, there I was with so many people I didn't know.  Listening on their conversations.

I actually was smoking near at the entrance of the PETA theater when Marocharim and a couple of his friends came out to smoke too.  I caught them laughing about doing a Kanye West and how cool that would be like.

"Pare, if I win pare! I'll do a Kanye West!"

"Yeah pare, I'll do a Kanye West too!"

"Everybody is doing a Kanye West! That rocks!"

"Kanye west, yeah! Let's do that."

"Cool!"

"Yeah."

"Kanye."

"West."

"Cool!"

"So, are you going to do a Kanye West?"

(YOU GUESSED IT! CANNED LAUGHTER AGAIN.)


I was distracted.

I really didn't understand most of whatever else was said because I was kind of distracted by something.

After smoking three cigarettes in rapid succession, I checked out the booths and the Nokia booth was a definite winner -- what with its super tall models!

(CANNED LAUGHTER.)

Globe Tattoo also had a booth, which I ignored.  For some reason, Globe Tattoo doesn't work much faster than dial up where I live and I gave away the one I bought.  I wasn't interested in getting another one or registering on their booth to win one.

There were a couple of other booths giving away magazines in return for registering.  I didn't register for that too as the only magazines I read are the ones I find in my barber shop and for some reason, the February 1998 Times magazine I read there gets better every time I read it.

Anyway, the whole thing got underway, eventually.  Awards were given out, despite the minor glitches -- like the awardees not being present to accept the award.  Good Times Manila wasn't there and neither was Smoke aka Rom Sedona, who I wish I could have seen.

(CANNED LAUGHTER.)

I saw Professional Heckler accept his award but really doubted that he really should have won over Good Times Manila, who is actually fresher and funnier.  But hey, what do I know about Blog Awards, anyway?

I saw Manuel L. Quezon III and I actually tried to approach him to shake his hand.  But just before I could reach him, he sort of just left and walked past me.

I wanted also wanted to say "Hi!" to Ellen Tordesillas too and I actually struck up a conversation with someone who I thought was Ellen Tordesillas.  Then, it dawned on me, it wasn't Ellen but just some old lady hanging around at PETA -- apparently for the free food and magazines.

(VERY LOUD CANNED LAUGHTER. THE SOUND OF SOMEONE CHOKING ON THEIR FALSE TEETH.)

During the program, much was said about bloggers and facebook users helping out by spreading the word about Typhoon Ondoy. Everyone kept saying it was great that bayanihan was present and that we had become somewhat united... blah... blah... blah...

I waited for someone to do a Kanye West, just to find out what that really meant.  No one did.

So, pakshet to that.

(CANNED LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE!)

Friday, October 09, 2009

Pangasinan needs help!

Atty. Raul Lambino wrote me on Facebook with this appeal:

We are now experiencing the worst disaster in Pangasinan, after the 1990 killer earthquake, due to typhoon Pepeng that continue to batter Northern Luzon for a week now. More than 80% of Pangasinan is now inundated with flood waters and tens of thousands of ou provincemates are now in need of help.

The big rivers, like Agno River that traverses Eastern Pangasinan from San Manuel and Central Pangasinan to Lingayen and Bued form Sison to San Fabian, and their tributaries like Angalacan River that passes in Pozorrubio, Manaoag, San Jacinto and Mangaldan; Sinocalan River that passes through Asingan, Urdaneta, Sta Barbara, Calasiao, down the Pantal River in Dagupan City; Aloragat River from Sison, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Laoac, Manaoag, San Jacinto, Mangaldan; AMburayan River and other tributaries have overflown.

We urge everyone to please extend assistance to Pangasinan and our provincemates.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Call me WIGBERTO AQUINO

Thanks to Tandang Sora, I discovered a stash of Lourd De Veyra's reports on TV5's The Evening News.

So far, this one is my favorite.

I tried coining NOOynoy Aquino, but WIGBERTO Aquino seems more catchy.



Great work Lourd!

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Getting paid to blog about politicians?

Facebook buddy and fellow blogger RJ Marmol wrote about a reaction to my post yesterday about the US Federal Trade Commission now requiring writers on the web or bloggers to disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

The article from Fox News said that the FTC: 
...voted 4-0 to approve the final Web guidelines, which had been expected. Violating the rules, which take effect Dec. 1, could bring fines up to $11,000 per violation. Bloggers or advertisers also could face injunctions and be ordered to reimburse consumers for financial losses stemming from inappropriate product reviews.


The commission stopped short of specifying how bloggers must disclose conflicts of interest. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising practices division, said the disclosure must be "clear and conspicuous," no matter what form it will take.

Bloggers have long praised or panned products and services online. But what some consumers might not know is that many companies pay reviewers for their write-ups or give them free products such as toys or computers or trips to Disneyland. In contrast, at traditional journalism outlets, products borrowed for reviews generally have to be returned.
The FTC ruling clearly seeks to regulate how people and businesses use the web to sell products in order to, perhaps, protect consumers from misleading or false endorsements.  And perhaps, ensure that accountability for whatever claims or endorsements are made clearer.
FTC will more likely go after an advertiser instead of a blogger for violations. The exception would be a blogger who runs a "substantial" operation that violates FTC rules and already received a warning, he said.


Existing FTC rules already banned deceptive and unfair business practices. The final guidelines aim to clarify the law for the vast world of blogging. Not since 1980 had the commission revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials.
I think it is a positive development, considering the amount of stuff that gets put out by companies in the US and the number of times that false, erroneous, or misleading claims have caused people considerable trouble.

For most of us in the Philippines, the SPAM we get in our inbox is automatically mentally marked as irrelevant and is either ignored or deleted outright. 

A friend had once remarked that he kept getting SPAM from a company marketing penis enlargers and he was actually amazed at how the company that sells the product found out that he needed it.

In the US, however, there are a lot of bloggers who make regular endorsements of products and they get paid for endorsing products, but such arrangements are not disclosed -- leading readers to have an impression that the blogger's endorsement is not paid for.  Now, of course, there are a number of ways in which this can go terribly wrong and the challenge that the FTC may be responding to is the need to establish who should be held accountable.

Given this FTC ruling, bloggers will now have to say that they got a freebie or got paid for writing a product review.  Admitting that one is being paid, of course, makes an endorsement less credible and therefore, less effective in moving the sale of products.

Anyway, in the Philippines, a similar law would probably get bloggers indignant -- as what happened when the Philippine Congress tried to push for the Right of Reply Bill and the DoTC tried to come up with rules that affected publications on the internet.  Even a hint of any law or rule that would try to hold people to a standard of behavior on the internet would be met with widespread criticism, even from people who know nothing about the internet.

So far, the only deterrent against bloggers in the Philippines are libel suits, which only have a tendency of making the blogger even more famous. 

As my older brother would say, "They're all drama queens..." and I am not referring to Martin Cervantes who made a big stink about being made to wait before distributing relief goods at an evacuation center.  But his case can make for a good discussion.

Right now, his apology to an undisclosed person for undisclosed reasons has created a rather long thread of comments with certain Facebook users arguing that what Martin Cervantes did was an exercise of free speech -- when it was clearly not an issue of free speech.

A reporter from the Philippine Daily Inquirer even got into the fray and wielded the free speech argument, even commending Cervantes.  The reporter, whose job is to report the facts, ventured into an opinion that had nothing to do with the incident, ignored the facts, and merely betrayed his bias against Senator Richard Gordon. 

Great going dumb ass!

Why is it that whenever people get into trouble for what they say, they automatically resort to the Free Speech argument?  They do say or do something that offends people and then scurry for protection under whatever law is convenient -- they plead the right to remain silent, they plead free speech, they say that what was said was part of a private conversation, anything at all just to avoid being held accountable.

The best recourse is just to apologize for offending people, either that or just own up to the consequences.

Anyway, as far as the FTC ruling is concerned, there is a wide gulf between having to disclose that a product endorsement is paid and any kind of ruling by a Philippine government agency requiring political bloggers to disclose their relationship to the politician that they favor or disclose any financial arrangements with the politician they favor.

I don't think there is any need for such a ruling or a law, anyway.  I really doubt that politicians will pay good money for something that may only be marginally effective.

Why?

Political blogs, at least in the Philippines, don't get that much free traffic -- not as much as entertainment blogs, gadget blogs or porn blogs.  Neither do political campaign websites -- unless you promote it intensively using Google ads and Facebook ads or advertise it in mainstream media.  The reality is that if you really want to get huge traffic, your content has to be relevant to the searches on a global scale and very few people are interested in anything "Philippines".

Even the highest ranking political blogs get just 10 to 20 percent of the traffic of Filipino top entertainment and top technology blogs.



Above is the Google Keyword result for Philippine Elections. Below is the result for Wowowee.



If  a political blog were to be used as a tool for promoting or attacking a candidate, I doubt it would be of much use because the only ones who would bother to read it are either already supporters of the candidate or detractors of the candidate -- both segments constituting just 10 percent of the total volume of an already small mass of readers of political blogs.

If you wanted to use a political blog, you'd have to use it as an outlet for seeding the very few readers that you get with a viral manifesto who will in turn propagate the message.  You don't go for volume of readership, you go for quality readership and sadly, this is something that needs a lot of study in order to execute effectively.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

FTC to Regulate Blogging, NTC to follow suit?

There are so many political bloggers out there hawking one candidate or another. I am one of them, but I am not getting paid for it.


However, there is a bit of development in the United States that may in all likelihood get copied by the Philippine government.


The Federal Trade Commission will now require writers on the Web to clearly disclose if they are getting anything in return for whatever it is they write about.


Anyway, here's the full article which I re-posted from Fox News


FTC to Regulate Blogging

Monday, October 05, 2009

The Federal Trade Commission will try to regulate blogging for the first time, requiring writers on the Web to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

The FTC said Monday its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final Web guidelines, which had been expected. Violating the rules, which take effect Dec. 1, could bring fines up to $11,000 per violation. Bloggers or advertisers also could face injunctions and be ordered to reimburse consumers for financial losses stemming from inappropriate product reviews.

The commission stopped short of specifying how bloggers must disclose conflicts of interest. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising practices division, said the disclosure must be "clear and conspicuous," no matter what form it will take.

Bloggers have long praised or panned products and services online. But what some consumers might not know is that many companies pay reviewers for their write-ups or give them free products such as toys or computers or trips to Disneyland. In contrast, at traditional journalism outlets, products borrowed for reviews generally have to be returned.

Before the FTC gave notice last November it was going to regulate such endorsements, blogs varied in the level of disclosures about these potential conflicts of interest.

The FTC's proposal made many bloggers anxious. They said the scrutiny would make them nervous about posting even innocent comments.

To placate such fears, Cleland said the FTC will more likely go after an advertiser instead of a blogger for violations. The exception would be a blogger who runs a "substantial" operation that violates FTC rules and already received a warning, he said.

Existing FTC rules already banned deceptive and unfair business practices. The final guidelines aim to clarify the law for the vast world of blogging. Not since 1980 had the commission revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials.

Cleland said a blogger who receives a freebie without the advertiser knowing would not violate FTC guidelines. For example, someone who gets a free bag of dog food as part of a promotion from a pet shop wouldn't violate FTC guidelines if he writes about the product on his blog.

Blogger Linsey Krolik said she's always disclosed any freebies she's received on products she writes about, but has stepped up her efforts since last fall. She said she adds a notice at the end of a post, "very clear in italics or bold or something — this is the deal. It's not kind of buried."

Monday, October 05, 2009

Raymond Gutierrez raves about party boy Noynoy!

Raymond Gutierrez raved on Twitter about Senator Noynoy Aquino at a party that was thrown for him. This is a true account, unlike the Tweets of sister Ruffa Gutierrez about Richard Gutierrez saving Christene Reyes.

Gutierrez, who is very much single just like the aspiring Presidential candidate, tweeted that Senator Noynoy was so cool and even gamely wore a pair of Ninoy glasses that he brought along.  Raymond was probably thrilled to play dress up with a human dolly.



Talking about dolls, which are usually stowed away IN CLOSETS when young girls grow up, I wonder if these two bachelors are really tired of playing the field.

Raymond had once declared that he was just happy being single, just like Senator Noynoy.  However, an article on PEP peeks at what he is hiding in his closet:
Asked what he's looking for in a partner, Raymond said: "Ayoko ko na mag-set ng standards e. Kasi pag may standards ka, ang dami mong hindi sinasali. For me, you don't look for it. They don't look for love. It just comes."


Raymond's name was included in the list of closet gays in DJ Mo Twister's controversial radio show, Good TimesSince then, Raymond has yet to see the controversial DJ. In the program, KC Montero dropped the name of Raymond when he was asked about closet gays.

After that incident, Raymond said about KC: "We used to be okay. Marami naman kami sa SOP e. Minsan, hindi naman kami nagkikita."

Raymond continued, "Kanya-kanyang diskarte. I also have personal opinions about other stars but I don't say that in public."

He added that the issue on his sexuality is just one of the few drawbacks to being a celebrity. "They tend to judge you."

Anyway, Senator Noynoy didn't seem to mind Raymond's attentions and was just happy to take the edge off a very tiring week of watching his, Kris Aquino, ask for donations.

Oddly enough, Ruffa Gutierrez was at the same party with Noynoy.

She has apparently stopped tweeting about her brother's false "heroic" exploits in the flood waters of Provident Village.  Apparently, Ruffa Gutierrez supposedly tweeted that brother Richard Gutierrez hopped on a speedboat inside Provident Village Marikina, braved raging flood waters, and saved Christine Reyes!  However, Ruffa had to delete her tweets when the real story got out.  Here's an account I found on Access Pinoy.
Richard Gutierrez’s grandstanding and false heroism is really offensive. He didn’t even rescue Cristine Reyes. He had to be rescued by the Navy men because his speedboat supposedly “conked out”.

He claimed he went on speedboat and rescued her. But even Cristine says:

“An Army rubber boat finally came early Sunday and, to her surprise, actor Richard Gutierrez was part of the rescue team.” Yahoo

How could he possibly claim to rescue her at around 1am? The Navy men didn’t start rescuing till past 3am because that is when the current subsided in Provident Village.


And here’s an actual shot of the Provident Village entrance around 1am Sunday taken by my sister from her camera phone. It’s not a very good shot but it will give you an idea how pitch black it was there.

Yeah, he claims he followed Cristine’s multicolored lights to get to her house. Does he know Provident Village by heart to be able to navigate through the 3m high water in total darkness to find some multicolored light deep in the village? To get past the debris? The sunken houses? The power lines? The trees? The poles? The cars bumping and piling up against each other?

Apparently Ruffa G. has deleted her tweets and locked her twitter. Why? Because it’s about to come out who were the real rescuers.

Give credit to the real heroes! The Olongapo Navy Volunteers! They saved his sorry ass and he had to take space on the rescue boat which should’ve been for other people who really needed rescuing!

Noynoy is CERTAINLY IN GOOD COMPANY.

Just to be fair, good ole Senator Noynoy Aquino was busy all week handing out relief goods in yellow plastic bags to people affected by Typhoon Ondoy.  The yellow plastic bags didn't have his name on it and they didn't make people wait before it was distributed, unlike some candidates!

And at the end of a rather tiring week, Noynoy Aquino was seen partying with the stars on October 3.  It was at this time that people in Metro Manila and Northern Luzon were hunkering down and preparing for Typhoon Pepeng.


Everybody feared that it would bring even more destruction than Ondoy with PAGASA describing it as a Category 5 hurricane -- in a land where typhoon signals only reach 3, calling anything Category 5 makes it impressive.

Not to be fazed by the second typhoon to hit Luzon in a span of a week and the suffering of nearly quarter of a million people, Noynoy went ahead with the party.

Kris Aquino was there with the Ruffa, Richard, and Raymond Gutierrez.  Piolo Pascual was there too! Huwaw!

Raymond Gutierrez raved about how cool Noynoy was on Twitter.


  http://twitter.com/mondgutierrez

Noynoy was asked what he'd do as President, if and when elected.

In Raymond's twits, Noynoy was supposed to have said:

"First plan--improve the justice system. What inspires him to run--the youth. Plans for typhoons--get better equipped including new radars."


Oh! I am certain having brand new radars will be a good thing to have but it is still a solution that is as shallow as Noynoy's intellect.
If you really, really thought about it, getting a thousand doppler radars won't do this country any good.  You'll certainly know that a godzilla-like typhoon is going to thrash the entire country, but you won't be able to do anything.
It'll be very much like having a powerful brand new pair of binoculars for viewing an inevitable car crash.


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