Bicameral committee approves new UP Charter - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080128-115311/Bicameral-committee-approves-new-UP-Charter
For info.

My wish for Mommy

Mommy just turned 44 this January 27. Although she insisted on not having any gift, I still treated her to a shopping spree hehe :) But seriously, if I could only be granted a wish for Mommy, I want that she would soon find her real prince charming.

Well, not that I'm in a hurry for her to have a lifetime partner. I just want her to be happy knowing she has someone to grow old with. Of course, I would someday settle down and I would want to have my own home to make. I will still and always be there for her but I know, deep in her heart, she still wants to walk down that promised aisle.

To say that my mom is brave would be an understatement. She's the strongest woman I have ever met, given the fact that she raised me on her own; definitely not a single centavo from my father.

My mom was 21 and my father was 15 when they had me. (Imagine!!) But I guess they were simply not meant to be and had to part. Mom went through the pregnancy alone, getting the food she craved for on her own; taking the pain of labor alone; and waking up to feed me milk in the middle of the night alone. She had her family to help her through but it still isn't the same if she had a husband.

Until I was five years old, I had no idea what my father looked like. But all those years I was aware Daddy was not that bad--because Mommy never said bad things about him. When I first met Daddy, I looked at Mommy and saw in her eyes not a single sign of anguish, pain, or regret. And I loved Mom more for that.

Three years later, Mom went abroad to work and had to endure thousands of miles being away from me on my birthdays and all those important days of my life. She also missed my first communion, she missed most of the declamation contests I participated in, and she practically missed a lot in my growing up years. She did all those just to never make me feel deprived of all my basic needs.

Mom went home for my gradeschool graduation but had to continue working in Manila while I stayed with my grandparents in Bicol throughout highschool. Come college, I stayed in UPLB while she worked in Bicol. And all those years, I know she worked very hard for the both of us; she worked hard to give me everything I have now.

While writing this, I see Mommy lying in her bed, deeply asleep. I wonder what she's dreaming about, if there was any. I can see she aged a bit, gained more pounds and started getting some wrinkles (she'd hate me for saying that). And after all these years, I still don't know how to thank her enough.

A gazillion thank you's will never be enough, I'm aware of that.

Hay. I love you Mommy. And I want the world to know that. :)

Pinoy humor... kakatuwa :)

(copied from Emman)

1. Black Hawk Down — Ibong Maitim sa Ibaba

2. Dead Man’s Chest — Dodo ng Patay

3. I Know What You Did Last Summer — Uyy... Aminin!

4. Love, Actually — Sa Totoo Lang, Pag-ibig

5. Million Dollar Baby — 50 Milyong Pisong Sanggol (depends on the exchange rate of the country)

6. The Blair Witch Project — Ang Proyekto ng Bruhang si Blair

7. Mary Poppins — Si Mariang May Putok

8. Snakes on a Plane — Nag-ahasan sa Ere

9. The Postman Always Rings Twice — Ang Kartero Kapag Dumutdot Laging Dalawang Beses

10. Sum of All Fears — Takot Mo, Takot Ko, Takot Nating Lahat

11. Swordfish — Talakitok

12. Pretty Woman — Ganda ng Lola Mo

13. Robin Hood, Men in Tights — Si Robin Hood at Ang Mga Felix Bakat

14. Four Weddings and a Funeral — Kahit Apat na Beses Ka Pang Magpakasal, Mamamatay Ka Rin

15. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly — Ako, Ikaw, Kayong Lahat (He, he, he!)

16. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone — Adik Si Harry, Tumira ng Shabu

17. Click — Isang Pindot Ka Lang

18. Brokeback Mountain — Bumigay sa Bundok

19. The Day of the Dead — Ayaw Tumayo (ng Mga Patay)

20. Waterworld — Basang-Basa

21. There’s Something About Mary — May Kwan sa Ano ni Maria

22. Employee of the Month — Ang Sipsip

23. Resident Evil — Ang Biyenan

24. Kill Bill — Kilitiin sa Bilbil

25. The Grudge — Lintik Lang ang Walang Ganti

26. Nightmare Before Christmas — Binangungot sa Noche Buena

27. Never Been Kissed — Pangit Kasi (Ha, ha, ha!)

28. Gone in 60 Seconds — One Round, Tulog

29. The Fast and The Furious — Ang Bitin, Galit

30. Too Fast, Too Furious — Kapag Sobrang Bitin, Sobrang Galit

31. Dude, Where’s My Car — Dong, Anong Level Ulit Tayo Nag-Park?

32. Beauty and the Beast — Ang Asawa Ko at Ang Nanay Nya

33. The Lord of the Rings —Ang Alahero

What would you do..

...if you always wake up to a text message saying you are very much loved? And it's been like that for the past three and a half years? :)

I guess that's more than enough to keep me smiling throughout the day. :)

Hay. This is life. Lovelove. :)

Happy day everyone! :)

shooting with your heart

http://www.beached.multiply.com
John Javellana started as a trainee of PDI. Now he's an intern of Reuters and has since produced wonderful photos! I'd love to marry Nixlove this early because of John's wonderful wedding photos! :) haha :) See his site for wonderful photos! :)

To join or not to join the class suit vs PNP?

I still have not decided yet, although I think my not going to the meeting the other day somehow said it all.

Oh, my non-attendance at the meeting in UP Masscom wasn't really intentional. I was out for a coverage and it would be too impractical for me to go to Diliman after covering for two major beats (Crame and AFP).

The meeting of the journalists, most of them my friends, who were arrested during the Manila Peninsula siege reportedly (since I wasn't there) tackled the filing of a class suit against the Philippine National Police for the 'warrantless arrests and the maltreatment' against us/them.

The question is: Were the arrests really warrantless?

Yes it is, if we pertain to the absence of proper documents. BUT if we think of it this way: media stayed in a crime scene (which is prohibited, we know) despite an order from police and while police operations were ongoing, then I guess the arrests could be justified.

I know I could draw flak for this kind of thinking. After all, just like them, I'm a member of the media, I was inside the Manila Pen, I was also maltreated although I fortunately evaded arrest. Still, the fact remains: there were laws and there were law enforcers and we had to follow orders.

When police Director Geary Barias, NCRPO chief ordered the media to vacate the area, my first instinct was to hide. haha :)) I was afraid they would shove me out of the hotel and I would lose what turned out to be the biggest story of the day and of the year. Of course my first instinct was to stay. Why would I let go of such a big story?

But after all the hullaballoo, I realized the media was 'somehow' wrong in staying inside the Pen. If everyone left, things could have turned out differently. I can't believe I allowed myself be used as human shield by those rebellious soldiers.

I think the media had been repressed if the government ordered a news black-out, but it didn't. They still allowed us to cover the event at our own risks and eventually they had to carry out arrests because the situation called for it.

The handcuffing, however, was unnecessary. So if that's the only basis for the class suit, I would have signed myself in.

Hay, it seems like I'm torn between advocacy and law. Where should I go?

Ode to my friends :)

From The Beatles :)

What would do think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
He gets high with a little help from his friends,
Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

What do I do when my love is away.
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I'm gonna to try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody?
I need somebody to love.
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love.

Would you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time.
What do you see when you turn out the light?
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody?
I need someone to love.
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love
Oh...
I get by with a little help from my friends,
I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends
I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
with a little help from my friends

Padingtun's 2nd bday! :)

Start:

Jan 20, '08 12:00p

we love you baby! :)

I hate spending

Well, who doesn't? Unless you're the son of Bill Gates or you're the sole daughter of an Ayala.

I like it when I have additional savings in my account. But tonight, I blew it. Well, I've been messing up on money the past few days actually. Since January, I think I withdrew a lot (5 digits!! argh) and I don't know what happened to my money. I wish I bought a decent digital camera instead--at least I know where my money went.

Argh. I shouldn't be talking about money in my blog but I can't help it. Tonight, I bought two pairs of (really adorable) flats from a boutique in Galleria and from People are People. I should have went home earlier instead. Promise, no more window shopping next week!! Last week, I bought another blazer (don't ask me how many I have) and the other week I bought an off-shoulder top and I don't think I'll use them often.

I am again tempted to buy a book but the book I want so badly would cost me another thousand. There, my other addiction. Books. And some from my growing bookshelf are yet to be read!

And mom's birthday is coming up too. I want to give her something memorable but if I don't control the shopper in me, I might end up treating her to Mcdo. hahaha :)) Kidding. :))

Oh, I must not forget too that prices have gone high! (Hmm maybe that's why and not because I'm spending too much hehe).

A pancit canton pack (my favorite!) costs around 4.50 php when I was in college--and that was just two years ago. Now a regular pack costs 7.25! Peso has gone up but the prices of basic commodities are also at its all time high! Tsk tsk.

I've improved in handling money after my first few months at work. But I'm afraid I'm returning to my old happy-shopper-ultimate-spender self. Tsk tsk.

Hay. No more shopping for me for the next two months! I'm so going to kll myself if I bought another unnecessary item. :p

The Kite Runner

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	History
Author:	Khaled Hosseini

Five stars for Khaled Hosseini.

The book lover that I am, only in Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" was I able to feel the 'real' presence of the novel's characters. Until now, barely a day after I finished reading the book, I still feel the characters--two Afghan boys who had to separate because of the nation's and their inner wars.

Hosseini is a master of words, and each letter in his novel had been perfectly patched together--perfect and powerful enough to haunt and even kill your peace.

The Kite Runner is not a delightful read because it would only break your heart into the tiniest pieces possible but it will help you appreciate life, love, and friendship.

'The Kite Runner' soars high and I think it will continue to do so until I am long gone.

'For you a thousand times over.'

‘Reporter helped Faeldon flee’--PNP chief - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080116-112800/Reporter-helped-Faeldon-flee--PNP-chief
Who could that be? Any guess? :)
________________

By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:25:00 01/16/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- A reporter helped Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon escape during the failed uprising in November when mutinous troops occupied the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati City, police Director General Avelino Razon said Wednesday.

(Click on link to view full story)

Why I love UP

I wanted to be a journalist because I wanted to be "as close as possible to the heart of the world." But before I was even able to fulfill that dream, UP already gave me the opportunity to find my way to the heart of the world by letting me see things not as they were, but by showing me how things should be.

First, UP's diverse populace and culture made me see that Catholicism was not the only religion there is. Having spent my entire gradeschool and highschool in a highly-Catholic institution, I never really bothered to see other forms of faith like Islam or Buddhism, among others. However, my first day in the University was truly an eye-opener. The invocation had to give way to at least seven religions and that was the first time I ever witnessed a muslim ritual, or to even hear a prayer by the Iglesia ni Cristo.

I eventually had college friends and diverse--really diverse--my 'groups' of friends were. I had 'filthy rich' friends who drove cars to school and spoke english on normal conversations; I had friends who lived in poverty-stricken provinces, those who went to class in their 20-peso worth rubber slippers; I had buddies who weren't used to being greeted on their birthday because their religion prohibited that; and I even had friends who openly talked about sex when I was still a naive, innocent freshman.

And all of them allowed me to interact with people of great intellect and showed me a part of the world I never knew existed.

Then there were teachers, most of them cruel but nonetheless excellent. Instructors or professors who belonged to the ruthless race told me I never did enough, although I knew I stayed up all night, munching apple (that fruit has caffeine and it helped me stay awake), understanding a 20-page reading that has a size 11 font. And for all those sleepless, tiring nights, all I needed was at least a 3.0 mark in my class card. Oh that heaven-sent number.

It was an unforgettable experience too to learn a lesson while inside a dilapidated room in an almost-Century old building or under the fertility tree. Lucky me, I was under one of the improved colleges (College of Development Communication) that I was also able to go to an air-conditioned classroom.

But as they always said, learning wasn't confined to the classroom.

The school paper I joined (UPLB Perspective), my DevCom subjects and other courses I took in UPLB gave me chance to see how poor the country was (is?) and that how I was supposed to help. I went to places and found out that there's more to life than just all these theories and facts. I realized that UP wanted me to understand the best and the worst of this ungodly world, and to be bold enough to go against the tide if need be.

In those short four years I stayed in UPLB, I saw who I really was and what I had to be. I unearthed the priceless treasures of the mind and of the heart, and I found lasting friendships and even met there my lifelong partner.

If there was any gift I could give UP for its centennial anniversary, then it would be this promise: To keep in my mind, heart and soul that what I am today, I owe to those who paid their taxes, to those who had to shed blood and even lives to give the freedom I have been fortunate to have until today; and to those who unwaveringly served the country in any way possible.

Thank you, UP. I hope to do you proud someday.

A life-changing moment

If somebody asked me today If I already witnessed a miracle, I would have said yes. In fact, I would have said yes over and over.

Today, I learned that probably the greatest thing on earth, aside from love, is faith.

I had been tasked to cover today's Black Nazarene feast at Quiapo, Manila. I knew it would be yet another tough coverage. All of the elements of a tough coverage were there: rowdy crowd, pick-pockets, stinky surroundings. But I must have underestimated the power of faith.

True, it was a tough coverage. I thought I would die! I was situated near the pillars outside the church, holding a camera, carrying a 3-kilo backpack (containing a laptop, recorder, extra clothes and gatorade) and sharing the stinky air with thousands of barefoot devotees. Then some of the devotees looked like notorious criminals (but they weren't. They were instantly transformed when the statue came). When the Black Nazarene was finally brought out of the church, well, I was crushed! Crushed is an understatement, actually. I thought my ribs would break!

But when everyone started shouting "Viva Nazareno!!' and as the priest started saying the healing prayer, I found myself humbly letting the power of faith take over. I felt renewed, I felt I was back home. Then I started to shout 'Viva!' along with over 2 million devotees, my arms raised and my heart fulfilled.

The Black Nazarene sent me a miracle today, but I guess the good Lord already sent me a lot in the past, all of which I failed to acknowledge until today.

Life has been good to me. Life is good to me. And I owe it to God, and to my loved ones--his angels here on earth.

Viva Nazareno! :)

So much for UP Centennial!

UP worker jumps from top floor of library

By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 03:31pm (Mla time) 01/07/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- An employee of the University of the Philippines (UP) jumped from the top floor of the university library in Diliman, Quezon City on Monday, a police official said.

Read full story here: INQUIRER.net

_____________

Have a nice week ahead everyone! :)

Facebook

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Other
Manufacturer:	I dunno

Who's got a facebook account? Add me up! haha. :)) Pity me, I joined the bandwagon. If friendster is fun and multiply is cool, well facebook is...oh that's something I have yet to find out. ta-ta.