MKDL Studios

Pasalamat kayo na binabalaan ko kayong mga kababayang Pilipino tungkol sa Luisita, Maguindanao, Quirino hostage crisis, at kung ano-ano pa.

2010-09-12T21:23:00.012+08:00

Ito dapat ang naging State of the Nation Address ng ating Pangulo.

Magmumukha ba akong ganito ngayon?

Alam na alam na ninyo ang magiging kasagutan kung binasa ninyo ang mga natitirang bahagi ng aking pahayag. Ayaw kong magpasikat sa harap ng aking mga kababayan; maari ninyo akong tawaging pesimistiko dahil sa tono ng aking pananalita, ngunit hindi ko hinahangad ang tuluyang pagkabaliw ng aking mga kababayan!

Ang mga kababalaghang ipinakita sa Midnight DJ ay kathang-isip lamang, ngunit mas malala pa doon ang mga makatotohanang suliraning kinakaharap natin!

Bakit hindi pa rin nakalaya ang mga inosenteng aktibista na tunay na naglilingkod sa sambayanang Pilipino na tulad nina Jonas Burgos, Sherlyn Cadapan at Karen Empeño, at ang Morong 43? Bakit ang tunay na mga makabagong bayani ng Pilipinas ay patuloy na idinadakip at ipinapatay?

Sina Manny Pacquiao, Venus Raj, Charice Pempengco, Efren Penaflorida, Arnel Pineda, ang Pangulo na si Benigno Aquino III, mga nanalo sa StarStruck, maging ako mismo, sila lang ba ang sumasagisag sa buong bansa?

Ang tunay na bida ay ang karaniwang mamamayang Pilipino na binabansangan nating "Juan de la Cruz!" Mga magsasaka, mangingisda, mga guro (lalo na ang mga professor ninyo sa kolehiyo), inhinyero, siyentipiko, doktor, nars, abogado, at kung sinu-sinong karaniwang nakikita mo sa inyong mga pamayanan.

Bakit wala pa ring katarungan para sa mga namaslang sa Maguindanao, sa Mendiola, ang Escam, at sa Hacienda Luisita mismo?

Tingan mo ang isang screenshot mula sa pelikulang Back to the Future:

Ihambing mo sa kasalukuyang Republika ng Pilipinas. Is it really a nice place to live?

Mapapansin mo na halatang hindi baguhan ang isyung Hacienda Luisita at ang kung anu-anong peligro na dumadating sa ating mga magsasaka. Hindi ba noong high school at college kayo, pinag-aralan ninyo ang Ikaapat na Kabanata ng El Filibusterismo (Kabesang Tales)? Parang magkahawig ang mga suliranin ng mga magsasaka sa Luisita at ang pamilya ni Kabesang Tales!

Tapos iismolin ninyo ang kanilang pagdurusa para bigyan kayo ng mga masasarap at masustansyang mga pagkain?

Wala tayo sa FarmVille.

Pasalamat kayo na nakakabili pa kayo ng mga prutas at gulay sa abot-kayang mga halaga. Mas maganda para sa atin ang kumain ng ampalaya't okra kaysa uminom ng mga mamahaling alak!

Pasalamat kayo na nakakakain pa kayo ng mga lutuing parang nililok ng mga Iron Chef katulad yung video sa ibaba:

Hindi ninyo ba alam kung saan nanggaling ang mga lutuing inihanda sa inyong mga kaarawan, sa Noche Buena at Media Noche, maging sa mga pagtitipon ng inyong mga pamilya, lalo na kapag tag-araw? Halatang alam na ninyo ang kasagutan.

Magpapalimos ba lamang tayo sa mga banyaga upang mapuno ang ating mga sikmura?

Hindi lang mataas na sahod ang hinihingi ng ating mga naghihikahos na magsasaka sa Hacienda Luisita! Dapat mayroon silang sariling lupa bilang kanilang pangkabuhayan!

Tungkol sa masaker sa Maguindanao (at mga kahawig na pangyayari) : bakit kokonting mga suspek lang ang nabibigyan ng katarungan? Paano na ang mga pamilya ng mga nasawi, pati ang mga mamamahayag?

Ngayon... ano para sa inyo ang kahulugan ng isang mamahayag? Mga nagtatrabaho lang ba sa mga news department (kagawarang-balita) ng ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5, at maging ang mga pinakasikat na media companies gaya ng Philippine Daily Inquirer? Pati na rin yung mga mahilig mang-baboy ng mga totoong pangyayari (katulad ng mga nakikita mo sa mga tsismis na palabas) upang maging papansin sa harap ng masa??

Puro lang ba "good news," "chikahan" at "katatawanan" ang gusto ninyo sa buhay? Pesimista ba ang tingin ninyo sa mga nag-uulat ng "bad news?" Ikatutuwa ba ninyo ang inyong mga maling konsepto ng "pagmomove-on" sa mga kasawian katulad ng nangyaring pambibihag sa Maynila?

Pasalamat kayo na may mga taong tunay na nagbababala sa ating sambayanang Pilipino tungkol sa katiwalian, sa mga krisis sa edukasyon at kalusugan, at sa mga karumal-dumal na krimen katulad ng nangyari sa Maguindanao! Kung wala sila, paano tayo matututo sa ating mga pagkakamali bilang sambayanang Pilipino?

Ang hubad na Katotohanan ay hindi inaangkin ng mga maykapangyarihan. Parang itinapon mo lang ang sarili mong dunong sa kasilyas kapag patuloy mong lilinlangin ang inyong mga kababayan ng puro "good news" lang.

Tungkol sa mga pagdakip at pagpatay sa mga estyudanteng pinuno, abogado, at mga aktibistang tunay na naglilingkod sa ating mga kababayan (katulad sa Oplan Bantay Laya), at sa nangyaring pambibihag sa Maynila: Ano ba ang iniisip nila? Gusto ba natin na ang mga elitista ang palaging bida sa paglilingkod sa bayan? Sila na lang palagi? 'Ika nga ni Rizal: Ang kabataan ay ang pag-asa ng ating lupang tinubuan (tama ba ang aking sinabi?) Ngunit, nasaan na talaga ang kabataang iyon?

Ano para sa inyo ang kahulugan ng isang mag-aaral? Mga taga-Ateneo, La Salle, UST, UP, Letran, San Beda lang ba, o mga tipong pasaway na mahilig magpasikat sa klase kahit sila'y nakakuha ng mga mabababang marka, kahit binababala sila sa mga kung anu-anong atrasong ginagawa nila sa kanilang paaralan (halimbawa: cutting classes, palaging late/absent sa klase nang walang makabuluhang dahilan, pandaraya sa mga pagsusulit) sa halip na magsikap sa kanilang pag-aaral? Dahil gusto nila ng "no rules"/laissez faire ang pagiging buhay-estyudante nila?

Hindi lang sa Sandatahang Lakas itinuturo ang disiplina! Maging sa ating mga tahanan at paaralan, itinuturo ang disiplina. Tandaan ninyo, ang dunong ay hindi basta-bastang nakukuha sa mga diploma. Sa common sense nanggagaling ang ating karunungan.

Ilan kayang Pilipino ang maiintindihan sa aking pahayag kapag sinulat ko ito sa paraang jejemon?

Ano para sa inyo ang mga kahulugan ng abogasya, katarungan, at karapatang pantao? Mga nagtatrabaho lang ba sa Mataas na Hukuman, ang Komisyon sa Karapatang Pantao, sa Public Attorneys' Office mismo, at sa pinakatanyag na law firms sa buong Daigdig? Ang Kalihim ng Katarungan lang ba?

Pasalamat kayo na mayroong mga taong nagbuwis ng kanilang mga buhay upang ipaglaban ang ating karapatan bilang mamamayang Pilipino. Pasalamat din kayo na mayroon tayong Saligang Batas at ang Pandaigdigang Pamamahayag sa Karapatang Pantao.

Ano para sa inyo ang kahulugan ng isang doktor o nars? Mga nagtatrabaho lamang ba sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan, pati ang PhilHealth, sa mga "mamahaling" ospital katulad ng Makati Medical Center at St. Luke's, o sa Gitnang Silangan, Hong Kong, at Estados Unidos bilang mga domestic helper at caregiver?

Pasalamat kayo na mayroong mga taong naghihilom sa inyong mga sugat, naghahayag ng magandang balita tungkol sa pagkasilang ng inyong mga anak at apo, at nagbibigay ng mga kalasag laban sa mga pinakakadiring mga sakit katulad ng influenza A-H1N1, dengue, at tuberculosis! Kung wala sila sa inyong buhay, sino na ang mag-aasikaso sa inyo kapag may karamdaman ka, maliban sa inyong mga kamag-anak at kaibigan?

Ang tunay na pananampalataya sa Diyos ay hindi nasusukat sa panonood lang ng May Bukas Pa o Pilyang Kerubin. Tayo'y nagsisimba bawat Linggo at nakikinig sa Mabuting Balita at sa mga homilya, ngunit isinasabuhay ba natin ang mga pangaral na nakasaad doon? Hindi natin maaring magpanggap na bulag, bingi, at pipi sa mga nangyayari sa ating lipunan. Hindi maaring tumakas sa mga pananagutan at tungkulin bilang mamamayang Pilipino!

Mabubuhay lang ba tayo sa salapi?

Hindi!

Ginagamit lang natin ang salapi upang bumili ng ating mga pangangailangan!
Ngunit mabibili ba natin ang Karapatang Pantao, Katarungan at Pag-Unlad na parang isang showcase sa The Price is Right o isang kaha (briefcase) sa Deal or No Deal?

Mas mainam ba para sa inyo ang ipamigay ang inyong sariling dangal, pagkatao, at mga karapatan bilang mamamayang Pilipino kapalit ng ginintuang mga tanikala at rehas (at mapasakamay sa mga tunay na nag-aapi sa ating mga kababayan) katulad ng makikita mo sa The Sweet Escape nina Gwen Stefani at Akon?

Kahit nakangiti ang mga bayaning nasa PHP1000 bill, tuluy-tuloy ang pagdurusa ng ating mga kababayan.

Kung ako na lamang ang natitirang matinong tao sa mundo, at ang lahat maliban sa akin ay naging terano, halimaw, luku-luko at baliw, ano na ang magiging kabuluhan ng aking buhay sa Daigdig? Paano ako mabubuhay kung wala ang mga kauri kong matino at may tunay na matuwid na landas?

Sambayanang Pilipino... hindi kita kinakamuhi kahit kailan!

15 Setyembre 2010
MKDL Studios

Quirino Grand Standoff

2010-09-12T12:41:00.002+08:00

by Mark Kevin "MKDL Studios" Limkinglam
14 syllables/line, 8 lines/stanza, 5 stanzas

A deadlock has mystified my countrymen one evening
As I came from a tourney loaded with jubilation
While at my abode I saw a scene so horrifying
That an ex-lawman went amuck out of desperation
August 23, that was the day I find demeaning
Where the madman had seized a tour bus in broadest daylight
Its passengers include folks from Hong Kong, and it's shocking
That once they became hostages, they were showered with fright

The hijacker was once a captain in the police force
Renown for his valiance and industry for three decades
Until an extortion racket threw his job off course
Negating his retirement benefits and accolades
Along with four other officers on active duty
He desired a fair hearing to reopen the case
But was ignored; he had to face many a jeopardy
That stained his honorable career in a cloudy haze

Now this man asked for a free ride at Fort Santiago
Inside the bus, where some two dozen Chinese were boarded
Armed with a rifle, he announced his deadly embargo
That he want his job back or else all those with him are dead
Because he was framed for the misdeed of his fellow mates
The city mayor would grant his wish if his proofs were right
But that dilemma had reached the stately, grand Hong Kong gates
Telling the man to put an end to this disgraceful fight

For almost half a day, the skirmish startled everyone
With gunshots and screamings, as the tour bus goes round and round
This was a Mexican standoff, nobody would have won
Rizal himself had witnessed how the victims have been downed
The police had arrived, ill-prepared for such situations
Stood ready with only a hammer and assault rifles
No el'ment of surprise and peaceful negotiations
Have caused the operation to fail and end in shambles

As the whole world's grieving for the victims of the standoff
Some cops and students posed in front of the bus
Even when smiling, that's a disgrace that would piss me off
My countrymen's trustworthiness falls as we bite the dust
This is one of the most shameful moments in our nation
But whoever makes fun and insults my lamentation
Well then, forever I'll express my indignation
Until he or she has truly learned from that transgression.

August 31, 2010

My Thoughts to End the Naughts

2009-12-26T11:38:00.001+08:00

My Thoughts to End the Naughts
(A Year and Decade-Ender Special by Mark Kevin "MKDL Studios" Limkinglam)
Four sonnets written in Shakespeare's style

Take heed, everyone: Listen to those sounds
Of mechanized chariots rushing forth,
Of steel birds of war swooping like greyhounds,
Of flying comets, too late to abort.
It all started with a giant pigeon
Which crashed into a pair of concrete spires,
Another one struck the five-faced dungeon;
Many people were perished in the fires.
The lands of East and West begun blaming
Each other, on who started the terror
Between our brothers, the grudges flaming
For decades, ever since the cold horror.
Yes, that time when the World was divided
By superpowers that most of us dread.

Then the bald eagles invaded the lands
Of the Middle East, its mysterious cause
Was it really done to protect the sands,
Or they just wanted to show them who's boss
Of all the deserts' natural riches?
Why couldn't I explain this whole garbage?
Was my life so full of fatal glitches
That shroud me from learning the present age?
Was I created to become perfect,
To render every person obsolete,
And replace mankind with slaves so erect
That their identities look so discrete?
Why did we let the world be ruled by crooks
Some of them greedy and merciless spooks?

Many banks and factories have closed down
All because of the financial crisis
Many merchants had to go out of town
To find for themselves a new oasis
Plagues much worse than those of past centuries
Have struck down men and animals alike.
Swine flu has been marked in our memories
Anthrax and SARS come with a deadly strike
Many a typhoon has struck our homeland
Ondoy and Milenyo were destructive
Causing massive floods when they came offhand
As seen from my very own perspective
Does Science bend its own factual decrees
To make room for "magic" beyond our knees?

I don't have the legendary power
To bring back my countrymen from their graves
Even those in the Mindanao murder
Committed by a warlord and his knaves
Before I end this decade with a smile,
Let me tell you a gem's worth of advice;
A proverb that I wrote in my own style,
Inspiring those of Solomon the Wise;
"The man who walks the righteous way of life,
His glory shall be worth more than silver;
But the man who incites greed, lust, and strife,
He shall truly be denounced forever."
With the next decade approaching, we must
Learn the lessons the past ones have taught us.

Mayhem in Maguindanao!

2009-11-26T05:00:00.000+08:00

Mayhem in Maguindanao!
(a poem by Mark Kevin "MKDL Studios" Limkinglam)

A reign of chaos was sensed in the south
Of this beautiful archipelago
Maguindanao was the scene of the bout
That ended up in a fiery fiasco

The wickedest people of this nation
With guns, gold, and goons, Maguindanao was
Turned into a playground of destruction
Dozens of people were killed in a flash

It started when a vice mayor of his town
Wished to become governor of his land
The villains thought a plan to hunt him down
They sent a mob with many a brigand

The solon was on his way to the keep
Accompanied by newsmen and his friends
His rival's deadly mobsters made him weep
When his convoy met their untimely ends

A state of emergency was declared
In two provinces and a big city
The names of the goons must be truly bared
To pay for their gruesome atrocity

The World has truly condemned this event
Despised by almost of everybody
As I end my own sorrowful lament
Will we ever learn from this tragedy?

The Philippines and Retro-Futurism - Talk Up!

2009-11-06T03:40:00.000+08:00

If First World countries like Japan and the United States are able to come up with their own expectations of the future in the mid-20th century, then what about the Filipinos? Did they come up with their own vision of the future back then?

Adios, Isang Dekadang Naagnas

2009-10-18T04:33:00.000+08:00

Adios, Isang Dekadang Naagnas
ni Mark Kevin Limkinglam aka "MKDL Studios"
Malayang taludturan at malayang tugmaan

Hindi ako si Superman
Maging si Spock man o si Dr. Manhattan
Ngunit isa akong ordinaryong mamamayan
Na hindi kayang manghula ng kinabukasan

Bakit kami-kami lamang ang natutunan
Sa mga pagkakamaling nagdaan
Hiling ba natin ang isang perpektong pamayanan
Katulad ng Metropolis na gawa ng isang Aleman?

Tama ba sa akala mo
Ang sirain ang dangal ng isang tao
Na may tunay na matuwid ang daan
Kahit mahirap man o mayaman

Tatanda ba tayo bilang isang bansa ng mga mangmang
Pinapahirapan ang ordinaryong mamamayan
Ang mga manggagawa'y pilit na tinatratuhan
Pawang mga ari-arian lamang?

Matatapos ba ang dekadang ito ng maganda
Kung maraming mga trahedya ang dumadagsa
Nang dahil sa kamangmangan ng taong-bayan
O di kaya sa tuluyang kagaguhan?

Commend the Magellan's Cross as a World Heritage Site

2009-10-08T20:24:00.003+08:00

I suggest that this artifact of Filipino history be added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. I hope the Filipino people (especially fellow Cebuanos) will love this.

Here's the link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/magellans-cross-as-a-world-heritage-site.html

The Raging Tempest called Ondoy

2009-09-27T10:21:00.000+08:00

by Mark Kevin Limkinglam aka "MKDL Studios"
12 syllables, 6 stanzas

It happened on the twenty-sixth of September
A tragic and sorrowful day to remember
The year is the ninth of the third millenium
Where a storm have brought us into a conundrum

The tempest named Ondoy rushed into the cities
Even the country's biggest universities
It struck the realms with heavy rains and lightning blasts
Passenger ships had to abandon their own masts

Vicious, massive floods had reached as high as ten feet
Shelters were set up for the refugees to meet
Many had climbed to the roofs of their ravaged homes
Rescue fleets have rushed to the aid like garden gnomes

Scores and scores of my countrymen had been perished
Automobiles, trees, and buildings have all blemished
The rainfall was gauged as the worst in our times
Major roads and highways had played their warning chimes

Tens of thousands of my fellowmen were displaced
Waiting for their broken shelters to be replaced
The country's bar exams were shifted to the fourth
Of October, as declared by the Supreme Court

Ondoy's day is a day we will never forget
Even though we have lost the loved ones we have met
Whether living in the plains or on a mountain range
Are we going to blame all this on climate change?

What's the use of the Citizen's Army Training today?

2009-09-24T12:29:00.000+08:00

(Originally posted on my 1st Multiply account on August 28, 2009 9:20 AM)

As far as I know, the Citizen's Army Training was established as part of the 1973 Philippine Constitution in response to civil unrest (particularly the First Quarter Storm).

Article XV, Section 13 of the 1973 Constitution states that:

(1) The armed forces of the Philippines shall include a citizen army composed of all able-bodied citizens of the Philippines who shall undergo military training as may be provided by law. It shall keep a regular force necessary for the security of the State.

(2) The citizen army shall have a corps of trained officers and men in active duty status as may be necessary to train, service, and keep it in reasonable preparedness at all times.

(retrieved from http://www.chanrobles.com/1973constitutionofthephilippines.htm)

I remember that all 4th year high school students are required to take CAT as part of the secondary education curriculum. I remember the times CAT officers are reporting and saluting to their teachers (and in the case of the COCC - Cadet Officer Candidate Course, the CAT officers). Fingernails had to be trimmed, women had to wear hairnets, and men had to trim their hair to a barber's cut (or somewhat more similar). Yes, all those salutes everytime the Philippine flag is raised, turns (humarap sa kanan, talikod harap, etc.) marches, and rifle exercises. But our rifles were just wooden dummies, and even worse, in my high school, we were not able to shoot with a real rifle, and haven't learned much about the history and operations of the Philippine military system. Kind of reminds me playing the video game Operation Flashpoint (it's my favorite first-person shooter) and watching the first episode of Band of Brothers and the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket.

I joined the COCC during my 3rd year (SY2005-2006) but left the course just before the initiation. The Commandant, who just happens to be my MAPEH teacher, gave me an opportunity to serve as a Medic. Most of the CAT officer batches in high school contained unusual (like "Pasaway" or "Walang Kwenta"), and a cadet officer candidate is called a "damnguard" (no joke). Our uniforms were of three types (and resemble those worn by American soldiers in the Vietnam War):
Type A: fatigues (with the coat)
Type B: fatigues (without the coat)
Type C: uniformed shirt + jeans

CAT officers, in addition to wearing caps, had to wear black T-shirts as part of their uniform (with their names and ranks inscribed on the back) just like this pattern:

CDT. LT. COL. LIMKINGLAM, M.K.D.
CORPS S6

(I was just making this up. The Corps S6 was a non-existent staff during my life in the CAT; I was just a private. If I were a CAT officer, that would be my rank (communications officer), because I was excellent in doing a lot of research. If there were non-commissioned officers, this would be more fun, but there were about sixty 4th year students (all sections combined, including CAT officers) during the SY of 2006-2007)

It was in my 4th year of high school that I enjoyed became a medic for the rest of my CAT (good thing there's also another medic, so that makes two). At one time the officers spoke the drills in the English language (I was the one who researched the English-language commands), but this only lasted for a short time. I had to carry the medikit every CAT session, but however, I have not learned the basics of first aid (now that's what a combat medic is all about).

The staff assignments during my CAT are like this (I even compared some of them with NATO's general staff system as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_(military):
S1 - Administration
S2 - Intelligence
S3 - Operations
S4 - Finance (its supposed to be Logistics)
S5 - Information (as far as I know, this should be the plans office)
S7 - "Rifle keeper" (must be Information Operations)

There's a provost marshall, a color officer, and a medical officer. There are two companies (Alpha and Bravo), each headed by a commander and a platoon leader.

We had to memorize the phonetic alphabet, which looks like the actual NATO version, but with a few differences: the "M" stands for "mama" not "mike", and the "V" stands for "victory", the military time (which is 24-hour time), general orders (General Orders for Sentries to be exact, the one used by the United States Marine Corps), and the "I am a Filipino soldier" creed (I forgot what it actually means).

Try searching for "philippine citizen's army training" in a major search engine and you'll get only a few chunks of information regarding the CAT. I guess our technology level is outdated by today's standards when it comes to researching about the CAT.

I guess this is the end of my story regarding my experiences in the CAT. Wonder whatever happened to CAT today.

MKDL :)

Tara Santelices was an inspiration to me.

2009-09-24T12:20:00.000+08:00

(Originally posted on my first Multiply account on July 28, 2009, at 9:12 AM.)

I first heard of Antonia Marina Santelices (also known as Tara to her friends and family) when I watched a story about her on Unang Balita (last August 26, 2008). It was 20 days after the tragic holdup incident where she was shot in the head by a robber while defending her belongings from being stolen.

When I visited her Multiply site (http://tarxz.multiply.com), she was working on an independent film called "Undertow" prior to the holdup incident. The motion picture was set in the last decades of the 21st century, and envisioned a dystopic version of our country wherein the majority of our people are living in a highly capitalist society, with most of our workers are being exported to other developed countries. The story is centered on Inam, who comes from an coastal indigenous tribe. He desires to escape poverty by becoming a domestic worker while trying to discover his own identity.

As a concerned citizen of the Philippines, I wanted to contribute to her last project by making an unofficial and proposed poster for the independent film (http://binarykevz.multiply.com/photos/album/11).

Tara exhibits all the qualities of a good Filipino citizen. She cares for the environment and performs with a band named Saffron Speedway. May her legacy live on to the newer generations of the peoples of the world.

Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino: An inspiration for building democracy

2009-08-01T08:43:00.001+08:00

While I was sleeping at 3:18 AM today, a heroine for our country has passed away.

On the day I was born, she was the incumbent President at that time.

Her contributions to building a genuine democracy will never be forgotten for generations. Her husband Benigno Aquino, Jr. was another symbol for democracy.

In this day and age, with crime and corruption running rampant in our country, globalization being commonplace in daily life, let us remember her greatest achievements in world history.

We are the World

2009-06-26T09:22:00.002+08:00

As a response to the demise of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, here are the lyrics to this song that he wrote along with Lionel Richie:

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know, love is all we need

Chorus:
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

There's a choice were making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

Chorus:
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When youre down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well let us realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one

Chorus:
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

There's a choice were making
We're saving our own lives
It's true well make a better day
Just you and me

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

There's a choice were making
We're saving our own lives
It's true well make a better day
Just you and me

We are the world......

Cosme Production Notes #1

2009-06-09T17:22:00.007+08:00

Cosme, my first film project which is an adaptation of Dr. Jose Rizal's 1st novel (Noli Me Tangere), will take place in an alternative present day in which the Third Republic still exists (no 4th or 5th Republic yet). Just like a future imagined from the postwar era sans the campy ideas, rayguns, and flying cars, to save on production costs (think of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the RoboCop film series). This alternate present day is a vision of the future had I existed in the 1960s.

The death of the Don Rafael Ibarra character would be based on the recent murder of Mr. Rene Penas, a Sumilao farmer (although my version of Don Rafael would be a labor lawyer). The Padre Damaso character would be a landlord and head of a major political family. The counterparts of Basilio and Crispin would be based on Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno (UP students who disappeared in June 2006), but they can be either both males or both females. The Pilosopong Tasyo character would be much younger than his original counterpart in Noli Me Tangere.

My version of the Maria Clara character (Gregoria Resurreccion, named after Gregoria de Jesus) will be portrayed by a beauty queen. Most of my tentative cast will be a mix of veteran and newly-introduced actors and actresses.

The Sugus Rumor is a Bogus Chain Message For Real

2009-03-27T17:47:00.004+08:00

I spent about 2 hours making this up, although I'm just a 17-year old blogger and college student. Recently, there was this chain message rumor mentioning a gentleman named Ronald "Sugus" Legaspi, who is a host for kids' parties. The problem is, he is allegedly accused of child molestation (I do NOT intend to defame him). Based on what I found on the Internet, according to the web page http://dennismarasigan.blogspot.com/2007/03/shortlist-for-tanghalang-pilipino.html, there is a person named Jose Ronald "Sugus" Legaspi, who was one of 21 qualifiers for an intermediate acting workshop in the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors' Company. There are at least two versions of the message, based on the age of Mr. Legaspi (41, and later 42). This is one of the earliest instances of the message in its unaltered form, which was sourced from http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/eCulturalCenter/message/9290, with the title of "CLOWN FROM HELL: Pass to others 4 d sake of ur kids", and sent by a certain "Mommy Elen" (mom_elen@yahoo.com) on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 3:00 PM:

Message:

FYI in case you guys are hiring a PARTY HOST or CLOWN

Got this forwarded to me. Please be guided accordingly.

I hope you get the photos this time...and yes, this was my own experience. Something that I thought will never happen to me.

Dear friends and family,

I have pondered for almost 6 months whether I should do this. At first, I was prepared to let this awful experience just slide. However, as new information about misbehaviors of this host unfolds, I can no longer endure the thought of another kid being abused.

So here it is: his name is RONALD LEGASPI but known as SUGUS in the kiddie party planning and entertainment and the theater industry. He is a 41-years old and has continuously said to be unhappily married. He is a great womanizer claiming to have had sex with over 100 women to date. He had a couple of mistresses who were used abuse and hurt.. My private agent has also reported that he was reprimanded by a police officer having oral sex at a Makati parking lot and he bailed out for 7,000.

Anyways, my bad experience happened in March this year 2008 when I threw a party for my son at a clubhouse in Greenhills in San Juan City . Guests observed that this host Sugus was always staring at my other kid, my daughter who is 10 years old. During parlor games, she was touching the hair of my little girl, the yayas present there that time reported. What came as a shock of my life was when after the party, behind the backdrop, this host unzipped his pants and showed his “birdie” to my daughter and was signaling for her to touch it. My daughter ran screaming but when I called his attention, he appeared to be innocent of the crime. I sent him away at once. I reported the matter to the police at once and had file a case against this immoral person. Case is now with the trial court.

Even if the magicians deny and defends him, I think that they know that this host SUGUS has a bad character, loose morals and poor values. They continue to talk about it and posted it in the forum for everyone to see.

Aside from molesting my daughter who has suffered trauma from this horrible experience, I found out that he also maltreated a little boy after a party after the boy called him an old, ugly monkey. He bullied the boy and pinch the ear. Even if there were some who say he is a good host, people should be careful because such behavior may be only manifesting now. For what reasons, we do not know. But this host Sugus is definitely sick and needs psychological help. I am not out to destroy a person reputation, because it is a waste of my time and energy to write this if my intention is not pure. It is a moral obligation to make people aware of other people wrongdoing.

Hiring your host is still your decision, this is just a warning. Better be safe than sorry. There are many other good hosts to choose from.

I am attaching the photos of Sugus for your information. Please, please beware of this person because he could sweet talk you and act very charming to deceive people. Please pass this message so that we can help in our own little way to prevent the abuse of innocent kids.

Please help me circulate this.

(Sgd) Mommy Elen Dy

My Commentary:

1. "March this year 2008": Has Mr. Legaspi met "Mommy Elen Dy" at a party that exact time period? And also, why "March this year 2008"? Wrong grammar, it should be either "March of 2008" or simply "March 2008".
2. "41-years old" : Bad use of numbers. It should be "41-year old".
3. "He had a couple of mistresses who were used abuse and hurt.": Do you think Mr. Legaspi has at least one mistress?
4. "and he bailed out for 7,000.": 7,000 what? United States dollars, Philippine pesos, euros, or U.K. pounds sterling? The exact currency should be specified when someone is making a complaint regarding or mentioning money.
5. "During parlor games, she was touching the hair of my little girl,": Who is the "she" being referred to? Is it Mr. Legaspi? Actually, when filing a complaint, you have to swear that all the information in your complaint is true and correct to the best of your knowledge.
6. If Mr. Legaspi has molested at least one person (either someone mentioned in the rumor or not), then why on earth is he still free? And if the rumor is true, it should have been featured on news articles on radio, television, and the Internet. And so far, there are no major news articles yet about this one.
7. Try looking for "Mommy Elen Dy" in a search engine and obviously the Sugus rumor or anything related to that appears in the results.
8. I visited the blog page http://dontwishimyourguru.blogspot.com/2009/02/sugus.html. I got a clue about that culprit and more info on Mr. Legaspi.
9. Mr. Jervey Capili, a friend of Mr. Ronald "Sugus" Legaspi with the Multiply ID flooch, sent a personal message to me stating that Sugus was one of his friends, and all versions of the Sugus rumor was not proven and therefore BOGUS.
10. The December 12, 2008 version of the chain message contained 100 recipients, some of them come from the local showbiz industry.

Bottom line: The rumor is obviously a chain message intended to destroy the dignity of Mr. Jose Ronald "Sugus" Legaspi. Is this some kind of dirty competition so that his future clients would not trust him anymore and instead hire his competitors? Also, it's poorly done based on the numerous grammar and punctuation flaws it has. After all, it's FALSE. False indeed!

Commend Francis Magalona as a National Artist for Music

2009-03-09T21:17:00.003+08:00

Francis Magalona, also known as the Master Rapper, FrancisM, Kiko, The Mouth, and the Man from Manila, is a Filipino rapper, songwriter, actor, photographer, and film director who was born on October 4, 1964 and passed away on March 6, 2009.

He is the son of Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, who were popular film stars of the postwar period. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows like Bagets 2, Eat Bulaga, Philippine Idol (as one of the judges), Student Canteen, and That's Entertainment, and produced 15 music albums.

We would call on the government of the Republic of the Philippines to commend Mr. Francis Magalona as a National Artist for Music. Most of his songs attribute to Filipino nationalism.

Here is the link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/francis-magalona.html

What if the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant had been operated?

2009-03-05T09:38:00.007+08:00

From a friend of mine, originally posted at The Finn Society's Multiply site:

What if the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant had been operated? (A Brief Report for Mark Kevin) by Carlitos

This period in history confronts the most crucial challenge in our times: the environmental crisis, brought about by the governments' obsessive rapid industrialization that has minimal regard to the environment.

Environmental problems have never been so threatening than it is now. Since the Industrial Revolution that erupted in the 1850s the world has concerned itself solely with the material gain of production and the advancement of technology for production, that environmental consequences were either suppressed by the governments and corporations or were totally disregarded.

In every society: farmers, workers, and the environment bore the costs of high-speed industrialization. In short, the people bears the burden of a catastrophe which was scientifically predicted but discarded by powerful institutions.

The environmental crisis that we face at the moment is unprecedented in history and very complex. We are faced with an impending shortage of the source of energy which is hardest to replace - liquid fossil fuels.

"The key factor seems to be that the demand for oil is rising much faster than its supply, and this is due fundamentally to the fact that the few old oilfields on which the world relies for most of its oil are being depleted and no new fields have been discovered that can match their production and reserves. Peak oil, which was viewed just a few years ago as a outlandish theory, is now being treated as fact. The second factor pushing up prices is the rush to buy oil futures contracts, a development that is partly determined by the fear that available oil will increasingly become scarce, partly by the desire of investors to park their wealth in oil instead of the declining dollar."
And everything we see around us results from that. We have been able to develop a ingenious way of utilizing this entity that we are here right now enjoying certain freedom and comfort. But we are rapidly losing it.

There have been suggested proposals in replacement of our dependency on oil. Environmental movements around the world have laid down more sustainable alternatives than the use of Nuclear Power Plants for strict environmental reasons.

Kevin S. Rodolpho stated, "The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP)... has an unacceptably high risk of serious damage from earthquakes, volcanism, or both, should it be activated in accordance with a bill currently being considered by the House of Representatives."
The controversial creation of the BNPP was an answer to the first serious energy crisis that happened in 1973 as Middle East oil embargo had put a heavy strain on third world countries. "Under a regime of martial rule, the Marcos government announced its decision to build a nuclear power plant, to be constructed by Westinghouse. Westinghouse clinched the contract through Herminio Disini, a Marcos crony acting as a "special sales representative". Westinghouse bribed Disini and Marcos with at least US$17 million to secure the contract."

It is conspicuous that the creation of this energy supply is more than an answer to a energy crisis. Business comes hand in hand with politics.

When Marcos was overthrown by the so-called People Power Revolution in early 1986 a team of international inspectors visited the site and declared it unsafe and inoperable as it was built near major earthquake fault lines and near the Pinatubo volcano which at the time was dormant. Now, more than 20 years have passed the issue of activating the site is even more precarious. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes is pushing for its activation even amidst the cacophonous refusal of environmental movements, activists, farmers and students.

The government is obviously blind to the geological hazards that this power plant might bring. It should suffice to look back the early concerns that brought this issue:
"In the 1970s, the volcanic nature of Natib was virtually ignored, but technicians were quite concerned about how earthquakes might affect the plant. Recognition of the dangers that earthquakes posed to the BNPP was recognized very early, but apparently was ignored. A year after construction began, nuclear technologists Elmer Hernandez and Gabriel Santos submitted an alarming eight-page “Report on the evaluation of the geological and seismological studies made on the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant — I Site” in which they said that the probability of an earthquake occurring there “is unacceptably very high,” and that 49 significant earthquakes had occurred in the area over 74 years, one within one to two kilometers of the proposed site itself. They also noted the presence of a possible fault in satellite photographs, which they confirmed on the ground with a magnetometer survey.

"But construction continued anyway.

"Nevertheless, the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission was concerned enough to send Prof. Ernesto Sonido, the geophysicist of the UP-Diliman Department of Geology and Geography, to investigate the site further in early 1979. On Jan. 25, Dr. Sonido reported that he and a Mr. John Palmer, the groundwater geological consultant of the contractor firm Ebasco, agreed on site that a fault zone existed in the vicinity of Napot Point. Faulting of otherwise impermeable rocks had made many fractures from which water was seeping. Palmer said that he had drilled more than 30 holes at the plant site. The boreholes encountered a particular rock at different depths, suggesting … 'that the area had been tectonically active.'

"When the plant was designed and built, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations had not yet made rules governing what must be done to build a plant on volcanic terrain. IAEA announced those criteria only in 1997, three years after volcanologists began to develop them, in the document 'Volcanic Hazard in Nuclear Power Plant Siting — An IAEA Guidance — Provisional Safety Standards Series No. 1.' Had those standards existed in the 1970s, the BNPP would never have been built. And if applied today, the site would be unacceptable to the IAEA."

Now the IAEA made two primary recommendations. "First, the power plant's status must be thoroughly evaluated by technical inspections and economic evaluations conducted by a committed group of nuclear power experts with experience in preservation management. Second, the IAEA mission advised the Philippines Government on the general requirements for starting its nuclear power programme, stressing that the proper infrastructure, safety standards, and knowledge be implemented."

We are in a stand still. We are in a state of turmoil whether this power plant will bring a real source of energy and boost the country's economy. But one thing is clear: whether it will bring a "good" source of energy or it will boost the country's dying economy (and I doubt), the question is: WILL IT NOT COMPROMISE NATURE?

I am not interested in what the fucking government would like to see. I am interested in what the science says.

The future of Philippine license plates

2009-02-18T09:35:00.002+08:00

I think the 1981 series of license plates are going to be discontinued in the next decade because there is already a license plate that starts with the letter Z. With so many new vehicle models introduced every year, I decided to make a new version of the license plates, to be introduced around 2010.
The format is AB 12345CD, which is inspired by the license plates of California, which has a 1ABC234 format. The space between the AB and 12345CD is reserved for the Rizal Monument graphic seen on 2003-present Philippine license plates. Instead of "Matatag na Republika" or "Pilipinas", the official name of the Philippines ("Republika ng Pilipinas") and a generic slogan ("Perlas ng Silangan") will be displayed on the plates.
The characters consist of the following, from left to right:
1. A two-letter area code: The first letter is related to the region, the second one is the licensing center (I think licenses can be renewed at any registration office). The region codes carry over from the 1981 series, so any vehicle plate that starts with S is designated as a government plate, and I think in the future will be registered only at the LTO head office.
2. A five digit number sequence starting from 10000 to 99999.
3. A vehicle type-identifying letter. Letters U and Z are reserved for trailers, and letters V, W, X, Y are reserved for public transport vehicles.
4. An arbitrary letter with no specific meaning.
For the area code, vehicle type, and arbitrary letters, I, O, and Q are not used. So that makes 23 available letters. This proposed license plate system has a range of 25,185,690,000 vehicles (23 x 23 x 9 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 23 x 23).

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Remake Survey

2009-01-09T11:24:00.002+08:00

Hello there. I recently posted a survey about a film remake of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. It is for the "Tatsulok: Pangako sa Inang Bayan" (no, it's not another project). The survey contains vehicle and actor/actress suggestions to determine which of them are very suitable for the film.

The link to the survey is http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/377460.

Have fun!