Who is your hero?

There are approximately 90 million Filipinos.
And mobile users in the Philippines is expected to reach 73 million by 2010!

Quickly analyze the stats and you can picture a country of hardworking people addicted to their phones and its services!

I, for one own 2 phones and using 3 active sims.

My reliable Nokia E71 for work. Currently being threatened to be dethroned by a Blackberry.


MyPhone (from my country).

Photo courtesy of filgifts.com

Which houses my Malaysian and Philippines numbers. I just love its core function of dual active sim. Call quality is of course not at par with Nokia but it's not my primary phone, therefore, it's ok :). Plus, myphone is a Filipino brand!

Now, here comes myhero...
Photo courtesy of philstar.com

This is the 'ninoycory' myphone version. MyHeroes is a series of phones from myphone who honors Filipinos who made a difference and served as an inspiration to others.

An article at Philippine Star stated "The mobile phone comes in Cory yellow, with the signature Ninoy eyeglasses in front and images of Ninoy and Cory at the back. When one clicks the yellow ribbon icon on the phone's menu, a number of items would appear, including prayers, an Aquino biography, Ninoy and Cory trivia, Ninoy and Cory inspirational messages, Ninoy's letters and poems, Cory's personal prayers, Aquino speeches, the Aquino library, and the Aquino gallery. "

Talking about ingenuity combined with nationalism = proudly Pinoy innovation.

I can't wait for the Jose Rizal version...

the good ol' shirt

A t-shirt is a t-shirt is a t-shirt.

It ceases to become a t-shirt though when it advocates a positive feeling about your country. That's what sets this retail shop apart from everyone else.

Photo courtesy of www.shopcrazy.com.ph

The graphic designs will blow you away. The team lends a twist to the usual iconic illustration such as this.

Photo courtesy of dibuho.wordpress.com

He used to look like this in the history books. What a transformation!

When you're in Manila, you must, must visit this place.

Lifted from their website:
"Graphic Designed Lifestyle draws inspiration from the urban lifestyle, culture and imagery of the city of Manila. From the graphic interpretations of national icons to silhouettes of odds and ends of everyday life on the street, Graphic Designed Lifestyle incorporates anything and everything that exemplifies life in Manila."

And the winner is...

Efren Penaflorida! 2009's CNN Hero of the Year!!!

A couple of days ago, I just posted here his journey. And now this...

I'm so proud of you. So, on behalf of Efren, I would like to thank everyone who believed in his

cause and voted for him.

You might ask though if we're related because I'm thanking the people on his behalf. Nope we're not relatives at all, BUT this is my blog! hahaha!

More stories here and here.

Mabuhay ka Manny! You made us all proud!

Photo courtesy of gulfnews.com

What do Boxing Greats Erik Morales, Hector Velasquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton, Oscar Larrios, Jorge Solis, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Miguel Marquez, Lehlohonolo Ledwaba and Miguel Cotto have in common? Well, they were all beaten to pulp by the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world -- Filipino Boxing Champ Manny Pacquiao!

Manny just knocked down Cotto in the 12th round and cemented his stature in the world. The entire nation rejoiced!

What's great about this guy, even when he retires from the profession that ushered him to the world stage, he'll never go bankrupt again. He dons different faces of celebrity-dom. There's Manny the actor, Manny the singer, Manny the megawatt endorser, Manny the aspiring politician, Manny the guest of Jay Leno, Manny the husband of the now super sexy wife Jinky and of course, Manny the son of Mommy Dionesia!

Of all the things that Manny has done for the country, he is first and foremost the symbol of a united Filipinos. No geographical location is too far, he bridges the gap between the rich and the poor, rebels and soldiers are always on ceasefire during his boxing bouts, the nation sees no difference in religious belief.

Manny, you're the best!

Blog...log..lagging behind...

The truth is, I've been putting off blogging for quite some time. I have so many things to say BUT as you well know, the couple of weeks, our country has been battered left and right with natural calamities.

I know it's a fact of life. But I also knew in my heart that I don't want to write about these disasters that devastated thousands of lives in this blog. I want something more uplifting, happier thoughts. Well, perhaps one day, I can come to terms with these typhoons and disastrous effects of climate change. Perhaps one day, but definitely not now.

My blogging spirit was suddenly jolted when I was able to sniff one tremendous good news. A fellow Filipino is nominated in the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009!!! Imagine, out of the 9,000 nominations from 100 countries, he's one of the 10! How can you beat that!

Here's the article published at

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/10/01/top.10.cnnheroes/index.html

CAVITE CITY, Philippines (CNN) -- At 16, Rhandolf Fajardo reflects on his former life as a gang member.

"My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life," says Fajardo, who joined a gang when he was in sixth grade. "We were pressured to join."

He's not alone. In the Philippines, teenage membership in urban gangs has surged to an estimated 130,000 in the past 10 years, according to the Preda Foundation, a local human rights charity.

"I thought I'd get stuck in that situation and that my life would never improve," recalls Fajardo. "I would probably be in jail right now, most likely a drug addict -- if I hadn't met Efren."

Efren Peñaflorida, 28, also was bullied by gangs in high school. Today, he offers Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education.

"Gang members are groomed in the slums as early as 9 years old," says Peñaflorida. "They are all victims of poverty."

For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom.

Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump.

Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future.

"Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best."

"I felt the social discrimination. I was afraid to walk down the street."In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang activity was rampant; they terrorized the student body, vandalized the school and inducted members by forcing them to rape young girls, he says.

Peñaflorida remembers standing up to a gang leader, refusing to join his gang. That confrontation proved fateful. At 16, he and his friends "got the idea to divert teenagers like us to be productive," he says.

He created the Dynamic Teen Company to offer his classmates an outlet to lift up themselves and their community. For Peñaflorida, that meant returning to the slums of his childhood to give kids the education he felt they deserved.

"They need education to be successful in life. It's just giving them what others gave to me," he says.

Today, children ranging from ages 2 to 14 flock to the pushcart every Saturday to learn reading, writing, arithmetic and English from Peñaflorida and his trained teen volunteers.

"Our volunteers serve as an inspiration to other children," he says.

The group also runs a hygiene clinic, where children can get a bath and learn how to brush their teeth.

Since 1997, an estimated 10,000 members have helped teach more than 1,500 children living in the slums. The organization supports its efforts by making and selling crafts and collecting items to recycle.

Through his group, Peñaflorida has successfully mentored former gang members, addicts and dropouts, seeing potential where others see problems.

"Before, I really didn't care for my life," says Michael Advincula, who started doing drugs when he was 7. "But then Efren patiently dug me from where I was buried. It was Efren who pushed me to get my life together."

Today, Advincula is a senior in high school and one of the group's volunteers.

Peñaflorida hopes to expand the pushcart to other areas, giving more children the chance to learn and stay out of gangs.

"I always tell my volunteers that you are the change that you dream and I am the change that I dream. And collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

-----

Don't we all love NEWS like this?!

Go, go Efren! You made your countrymen so proud!

Street Life

Our daily heroes... come rain or shine.

They brave the streets to bring home meager sum to their families so there's food or atleast rice to eat. I salute these people because it goes to show, that Filipinos are diligent lot and would do everything in their capacity to earn a living.

Heroes aside, another thing that's worth mentioning is the word "shopping" -- a universal term whether you're from asia, north america, africa, europe, australia & new zealand, even the Arctic Ocean!

Metro Manila is dotted with malls, supermalls, megamalls and mall of asia. BUT, did you know that you can also do your shopping in the street? Take a look at a day in the life of a road warrior.

MORNING...

Forgot your breakfast? No need to worry, you can grab some rice cake (puto & kuchinta).

Traffic s**cks! Need to while your time away... How about reading a newspaper and be updated with the latest drama in politics?

While you're at it, you just remembered that you forgot again to go to the carwash last weekend. Dirt is building up and it's about time to give your car a tender loving care. Here's someone who can wash it with a sponge and a soap. And he can do that while you're stuck in the traffic.

Of course, you don't stop at just having your vehicle cleaned. Cleanliness is next to Godliness... so, how about buying a broom and a dustpan (in stainless steel! ) along the way.

LUNCHTIME...

You can hear your stomach growling...as much as you'd like to eat rice, you just can't do that while driving, right? So the next best thing is to devour fruit instead. Guava is in season.

Oh my, you're so thirsty with all that fruit. Don't worry, the guy with a styro carries your fave drink, be it a cola, water, juice or even an energy drink!

AFTERNOON...

* Getting bored texting, reading the newspaper, listening to the music, looking around...

ah... how about some warm peanuts for snack.

Or candy perhaps from the "takatak boys"? That's how we call in general the street sellers of cigarettes and candies. Takatak is actually the sound of the wooden container when these men move it up and down to attract attention from the motorists.

Finally, home sweet home.

P.S. I have to tell you that the highway market follows the season's trend. I once purchased a Santa Claus hat during Christmas time. Every summer, they sell life jackets and goggles. Long stemmed red roses are available during Valentines and I'm sure with the upcoming Halloween, Trick or Treat costumes will be the rage.

Christmas in September

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow"

Photo courtesy of makefive.com

This tune greeted us when we went to the kitchen for a super early breakfast late last week. Hubby can't believe his own ears... "*%&(#*! The neighbors are crazy. Who would play Christmas carols in September?". Little did he know that the music in fact came from my parents' room. You see, my mom loves Christmas so she likes playing the music as she gets dressed for work.

That afternoon on the way to the immigration office, we passed by those grass with white cottony flower. Told him again that, that's a sign that Christmas is in the air because eversince I was a child, my parents told me that you can only see those during the BER months.

After attending to some errands, we then dropped by a mall and yes, you guessed it right. Christmas trees and trimmings were now on display and even the guy selling karaoke microphone was belting out Christmas tunes.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Photo courtesy of in-cebu.net

And on the way home, colorful lighted reindeers were being sold in the sidewalk.

True, true... nowhere else in the world can you find Christmas as early as September. That's only here...in the Philippines.

Philippine Product Depot

I will scour the corners of the earth (in this case Metro Manila) to locate that worldclass Filipino products. I have to admit, when I was younger, using Philippine-made was not a passion. The more I became wiser and farther from my home country, my appreciation for local produce became an obsession.

It was really a pleasant surprise to stumble upon the first ever Philippine Product Depot (HK Sun Plaza in D. Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City - near the Mall of Asia) considering that the location was not really that accessible and comfortable versus the other malls in the city.

Brace yourself for this trip though. Don't expect full blast airconditioned rooms nor well lit environ. The products on display somehow compensated these conditions. I was in awe looking at those stunning Cebu-made furnitures, food / deli from all over the region and handcrafted mother-of-pearl vases! What's more amazing is the reasonable price. They didn't rip our already empty pockets.

I learned that this is a Department of Trade & Industry initiative. Thumbs up DTI. When you have time, visit the showroom and support the proudly Philippine made products.

P.S. I suggest you wear light clothing and bring a hankie to wipe off that sweat :)

All photos courtesy of www.pia.gov.ph

You haven't been to the Philippines, if you've never been to Boracay!

I've been to countless beaches all over the region, I must say, nothing beats Boracay. I'm not being biased here folks, I'm just blatantly honest.

Boracay compared to the other beaches in Asia is not that popularly known. Mention Bali or Phuket and you can immediately imagine it. Boracay seems to be getting blank stares but I tell you, once you've been there, you will always come back. Always.

This paradise island has a certain charm. For the Filipino youth and young at heart, it's a party place. For the newlyweds, it's a honeymoon getaway. For the newly grads, a week in Boracay is a much anticipated gift from their parents.

Imagine this...white sand that never gets warm even during summer months, pristine beaches the color of turquoise jewel, the most hospitable people on earth (that's us :), activities for every type of personality and so much more.

I still remember my first Bora trip with my former colleagues..It was a blast! Major! We were stranded in the island for a couple of days because of the airline strike and we just loved it! Of course, we got the necessary shampooing from our superiors when we reported back to the office. Hahaha!

My Best Friends...

Ah...a woman's bestfriend. I'm not pertaining to the 'D' (as in De Beers = diamond) but to the other 'bestfriends' that a fashionable woman can't live without.

How do accessories, bags and shoes sound to you? Isn't shopping one of the activities in a travel bug's itinerary when they travel abroad? The Philippines is a treasure trove of amazing finds that are both locally adored and internationally admired.

One of the two women that I will feature here is a well-known business chameleon. She started out strutting her stuff on the runway and eventually became a retailer, restaurateur, and now, as an internationally acclaimed bags and accessories designer.

Photo courtesy of blogs.stylebible.ph

Tina Maristela - Ocampo sealed her uniqueness by initially concentrating on minauderes. Not only this compact style case stole the hearts of women all around the world (mine included), it also showcased traditional Filipino materials in her pieces.
Photo courtesy of www.handbagsenvy.com

The other woman in this style feature is Bea Valdes. This fashion maven has an amazing eye for details.

Photo courtesy of www.chuvaness.livejournal.com

It is not a piece of cake at all to do beadwork. Trust me. Since I've started my creative endeavour, one of my goals is to be able to do decent beadwork, something to this effect (wishful thinking :)

Anyway, Bea's work was recently seen on the neck of Kate Moss on the the latest British Vogue edition. How's that for an endorsement!

In her webpage, it was mentioned that artisans from the Philippines were the creative hands behind the fabulous pieces of art.

Photo courtesy of www.tuffochsnorkig.blogspot.com

Now for the most important part (the asterisk in advertising lingo). The price is not for everyone's pocket. In fact, I have to work and work and work for such a long time to be able to purchase one of these :) But I assure you, it's worth every penny. Quality and craftmanship are priceless qualities.

Enjoy life. Enjoy the Philippines!

Well, again I got caught up with this thing called 'life'. I'll try my best to blog regularly from now on.

A brief personal fact : I've always been intrepid with my choices in life. In a way that I already question where all of these preferences were coming from. Who am I in my past life? Was I Columbus who proved to everyone that the world was round and to give credibility to his hypothesis, he embarked on a very treacherous journey.

On the contrary though, my lust for food is purely conventional. That's also the reason why I can't be a full-pledged globetrekker 'coz you can't make me eat exotic food. Period.

It was then such a relief that the Philippines offers 'Enjoy'. This is a privilege card where I can still be experimental by having access not to mention freebies (!) to a myriad of fine dining establishments.

Photo courtesy of enjoythebest.ph

'Enjoy' is quite reasonable to my pocket. Imagine forking out only USD 32 for USD 3,125 worth of privileges, discounts and freebies!

When you want to discover the finer side of life in this country, 'Enjoy' is the card to own,

music to my ears

Filipinos are musically inclined by nature. My instinct tells me that there’s atleast one hotel in each country that employs a Filipino showband. I can vouch for that here in Southeast Asia. Singing and performing are innate to us. We grew up watching musical variety shows on tv. We were ushered on stage to perform for our own families. We have our own karaoke system…and now our own karaoke microphone (with chip) – ok, I admit it, I have. Used to spend my very very limited free time in KL singing my heart out to the point that hubby thought I lost a screw in my head. My point is, we love to sing and basically give the best performance of our lives without being egged to do so.

It is therefore not easy for me to feature one group of performer because in reality, Philippines is abundantly blessed.

A personal favorite though would be The Philippine Madrigal Singers (MADZ). This highly acclaimed choral group has won every imaginable competition in Asia and beyond. In fact, in 2007, they cinched the much coveted European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Italy – this competition is considered the Choral Olympics. This was their second time having won the same award a decade prior.

Photo courtesy of philippinemadrigalsingers.com

The group’s name was derived from the style of their performance. Though it performs a multitude of styles, it specializes in the Madrigal, “a polyphonic and challenging musical style popular during the Renaissance period where singers and guests would gather around the table during a banquet to sight-sing and make music together. This served as the inspiration for their unique style of singing - singing seated in a semi-circle without a conductor”.

The year 1963 gave birth to the MADZ (formerly known as the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers) under the tutelage of Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion. After four decades of leadership, the baton was passed on to Mr, Mark Anthony Carpio.

Throughout the years, they have wowed illustrious audiences such as Pope John Paul II, President Richard Nixon, Queen Sofia of Spain and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to name a few. When you have the chance to do so, do watch their riveting performance. A must do.

my kind of artists

When I was younger, I would dream of owning branded fashion stuff. Of course, the kind of brand that my mere allowance could afford. Guccis and LVs unfortunately were not part of my list. Who in her right frame of mind anyway would covet these brands at age 14?

I still dream until now. The only difference is, the material possessions in my mind go beyond fashion. It’s not about owning the latest designer watch and bag. Currently, I’m obsessed in having world class Philippine-made home decors. I bet you will too once you get acquainted with the works of the artists that I’ve been eyeing for quite sometime now.

Applause, applause… here we go…

In my imaginary world, I’m spending a lazy weekend lounging in my Kenneth Cobonpue chair. This 41 year old award winning furniture designer is known for combining traditional material with innovative production method and a modern aesthetic.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com

Photo courtesy of via.fr

He uses a vast array of native, natural material in his work including palm, seagrass, bamboo, hemp and rattan. He hailed from Cebu (south of Manila, Philippines’ capital). Years ago, he left the country to study at Pratt Institute for Industrial Design in New York. Words are not enough to describe this guy’s design ability. Just visit his site and you’ll know what I mean.

Photo courtesy of metropolismag.com

Going back to my imaginary world, while still seated at THE CHAIR on that same weekend, I started admiring the furnishings in my house. I was suddenly drawn to the gleaming object on top of my table console. For a moment, I was mesmerized by the sculpted glass by Ramon Orlina. The works of this artist has graced several prestigious institutions having been in the business for more than 3 decades.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

It’s even astonishing to know that he was self-taught, no predecessor nor mentor.

Photo courtesy of masterpieceauction.com.sg

And just like Kenneth Cobonpue, he is also a world class talent with various awards tucked under his belt.

Photo courtesy of orlina.com

Ok guys, I need to get back to reality so I can start working my way in owning the works of these Filipino greats.

-r-

The Seat of Power -- on display.

Pardon me for the long absence. It’s been hectic for the past weeks doing all sorts of things. Hey, I need to prioritize my life right? Anyway, aside from that, I can’t find the perfect material to blog about. What’s important is I’m back and that’s all that matters now.

I’m a big fan of cable news. During the recent US Presidential election, the White House was featured over and over again. There’s always a sense of awe and wonder on the activities being held there. I then started thinking of our very own Malacañang Palace. Then it struck me, I haven’t even been there! Oh my… tsk..tsk. I need to do something about this. How embarrassing to be a tourist in your own country.

I then had this bright idea of visiting the Presidential Museum in Malacañang Palace (the closest I can get). The Presidential Museum was built in 1921 during the American colonial era. The building was designed by Ralph Harrington Doane in elegant revivalist Renaissance style.

I initially noticed that in some writings, it says Malacañan (without the ‘g’) while in others Malacañang. I was told that ‘Malacañan’ in Spanish means the fisherman’ place because it is situated beside the Pasig River. When it was originally built, it served as the Executive Building (Malacañan). Later on, it was used as well as the official residence of the President of the Philippines thus (Malacañang with the ‘g’) was used to refer to the abode.

Filipinos in general are not museum goers. My appreciation for art and history was fueled to the nth power after I got married. Inside the museum, you can find the use of narra wood in abundance (our national tree – an expensive hard wood used mainly for furnitures). This table alone needs atleast 20 men just to nudge one corner. Notice the chandelier, you can find quite a number inside the museum and they were purchased either in Austria or Czech Republic (mental note to myself for my future abode – narra (check), chandelier (check)!).

Found this spectactular narra sculpture. The one who made this deserved a standing ovation from everyone.

I met as well General Taft of the Taft Avenue fame. Of course now, he can only be found at the commemorative plate!

For the non-Filipinos, this is our flag. For my countrymen, did you notice something peculiar in the photo below? Well, it’s upside down! This flag was seen this way during the Japanese occupation. The red was on top (instead of the usual blue) because it was war.

Did you know that the Independence Day was originally celebrated in July 4 (same as the Fil-American Friendship Day).

It was then re-set to June 12 in commemoration of the 1^st Independence Day during Aguinaldo’s time in the late 19^th century. That was the first time that the Philippine flag, the one that we are currently using was raised and waved proudly.

More historical facts coming your way. When Martial Law was declared in 1971 (years before I was born -- I’m not that old you see, just a year wiser), Marcos declared it on national tv sitting on this chair.

There was a room full of state gifts. From jewelries, books, paintings, ceramics. What caught my eye was this mountain climbing contraption given to President Gloria Macapagal 2 years ago by the first Filipino who climbed the top of Mt. Everest. For a moment, I was transported to my imaginary world where I am as famous as these people and have the opportunity to present the Chief Executive a state gift. Hmmm.. what will it be?

Now we go to my favorite room, the Main Hall. It was once the location of eight guest bedrooms during the American era. It was then renovated and served as the site for State Dinners and Citizens’ Assemblies during the Marcos administration. Today, the hall serves as the core of the museum housing the Gallery of President of the Philippines. The gallery featured personal memorabilia of the 14 Heads of State. Aside from the gallery, this hall contains thousands of books which belonged to former President Marcos. Wow, I wish I have this kind of library as well. The unique thing about this whole collection of books, you can even touch and open the pages. I think, If I did just that, it might take me 5 years to devour the entire contents!

President Magsaysay (1953-1957) had a unique showcase of business attire. Instead of the Barong Tagalog or suit, he is being represented by this peasant attire because during his term, he was known as the President of the Masses / common people. Too bad, his tenure was cut short when he died in a plane crash.

Last but not the least, I know.. I know.. you want to ask me something about the shoes right? Not mine I’m sure but that of First Lady Imelda Marcos. Well, I thought I’ll have a chance to try atleast 100 of her vast 3000+ collection. Well, only 2 were displayed! Yes, T-W-O! What a shame no? These two pairs were even normal pumps made locally (Marikina). Hay, hay..

So guys, I suggest make time to be here. Remember, you need a week to make your reservation. You can’t just show your face and expect royal treatment. It’s for security reason . Definitely, this is worth your time.

-r-