Launch of Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio’s Blog
Where: Executive House, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
When: June 7, 2008, Saturday, 10:00am
Bloggers’ Kapihan will participate and help in the launching of Pampanga Governor Among Ed Panlilio’s blog this Saturday.
The blog will be a platform to promote good governance in the province. Among Ed will also report his accomplishments as governor of Pampanga.
Bloggers, journalists, students and other interested individuals and groups are encouraged to join the activity.
Free transportation and food will be provided to thirty (30) Manila-based bloggers. If you’re interested in joining the trip to Pampanga, and for more details (itinerary, cultural tour options, and program), visit the Bloggers’ Kapihan website.
On a completely different note, happy birthday mom! 
Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0 Event at Kape Tasyo Today!
See you all later today at Kape Tasyo for the much-awaited Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0 Event! Simpleng kwentuhan lang with other bloggers and People Power 2 veterans. There’s gonna be unlimited coffee and Wi-Fi access for free!
Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0
Jan. 19, 2008, Saturday 2:00-5:00 pm
Kape Tasyo (Freedom Bar)
2/F Anonas Commercial Complex
#3 Anonas St., Project 3, Quezon City
Map of the venue available at the Bloggers’ Kapihan website. Kitakits!
Philippine Universities Drop Ranks; UP Now 398th
Last year, University of the Philippines barely managed to grab a spot in the Top 300 universities in the world according to a study conducted by Times Higher Education Supplement and QS Top Universities.
- 299 – University of the Philippines
- 392 – De La Salle University
- 484 – Ateneo de Manila University
- 500 – University of Santo Tomas
Although I’m not exactly very fond of ranking anything, I’m still disappointed in this year’s world ranking result, released early this month.
Pardon Erap? Pardon Me?!
Perhaps I will never ever understand the world of politics. Philippine politics, specifically. But, come to think of it, I don’t think the politicians do either. That’s why if they’re not at each other’s throats, they “unite” to get at another’s.
Former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada was unseated during the People Power 2 amidst all the numerous allegations against him. Some people questioned the legality of the process, but I believe the Filipinos (well, some, if not most) had spoken their displeasure over his presidency. Then a few weeks ago, the Sandiganbayan found Erap guilty of plunder after a 6-year long trial. He was sentenced to a penalty of reclusion perptua.
Bloggers’ Kapihan 2.0: Blog Ed 101
After the resounding success of Bloggers’ Kapihan 1.0: Blogging Beyond the Basics, the BK crew once again comes around for yet another virtual-becomes-real venture.
The BK Crew presents Bloggers’ Kapihan 2.0: Blog Ed 101. This time around, let us tackle the importance of blogging in learning, learning in blogging and blogging as a tool for alternative education. The event will be held on October 13, 2007, 1:30PM at the Ramon Magsaysay High School in Quezon City.
Blog Ed 101 is in cooperation with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, a nationwide network of educators from different schools, colleges and universities.
Blog Ed 101 will feature some of the country’s most prominent teacher-bloggers as resource persons: Sir Martin Perez, Social Studies teacher of the Philippine Science High School; Prof. Danilo Arao, Department of Journalism at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication; and Mr. Tonchi Tinio,chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers. Lalon dela Rosa will be the student-reactor of the event.
For more information, please visit the Bloggers’ Kapihan website.
Reflections on the Desperate Housewives Issue
Amid all the complaints and violent reactions, the producers of the show Desperate Housewives have issued a statement of apology for the “racial slur” made on the show’s season premier, aired on September 30, 2007.
“The producers of ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere. There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines,” the statement said.
Some people went to my website to air their grievances and feelings, some just countered what the others said. A lot of views clashed, but I’m glad that only a few have resorted to argumentum ad hominem, which could’ve made the situation worse.
I thought twice about posting this on my blog, afraid for my statements to be misconstrued by some people. I know I have also expressed my offense over the remark, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I agree with the way some people have expressed theirs. I understand that feelings, pride and reputation have been hurt and tainted, but I think that a reflection is in order in times like this.
Desperate Housewives Producers and ABC Network Apologize
Many Filipinos have expressed outrage over a dialogue in the hit TV show Desperate Housewives. The remark has drawn a lot of attention from the Filipino community, tagging it as “racist” and “offensive.”
Now, ABC and the producers of the show have issued an apology to the Filipino people amid the complaints they got.
Desperate Housewives’ Rather Insulting Remark about Medical Schools in the Philippines
I got an email from Rob Klaproth this morning that points to a scene in a recent episode of well-known TV show Desperate Housewives, which he and his Filipino boyfriend found offensive and racist.
In this particular scene, Susan Mayer Delfino, played by actress Teri Hatcher, is talking with her doctor, which, I presume, is her OB-Gyne. She then tells him this line which marked the spot:
Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Coz I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines.
You can listen to the 56-second MP3 of the dialogue that Rob sent me, which I uploaded on my Multiply.
It’s All Fun and Games Until Houses Burn Down
…and someone, namely me, gets burnt out.
The petty thefts (if you can call them that) stopped when we installed a gate. The bakal boys went out of business when we padlocked and cemented the damn water meter. The rowdy crowd lessened when we got a fierce guard dog. We couldn’t stop power theft, however, but we let it pass and still pay for the ridiculously high bill. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
Hell, no!
Really, I live in such a bad neighborhood that even my father thinks of moving. Again. I know the meaning of pakikisama, just as people here don’t even know that there exists such a word. I try hard to keep my temper (though I fail most of the time) whenever our next door neighbor splashes hot water on, and hurt our dog. And after almost 10 years of screaming marathons, dealing with malicious drug addicts, suicides and murders, gang wars, flying bottles, and crazy bastards, I’ve officially given up on this place. It’s now filed under my Hopeless Case folder.
Never Again! The 35th Martial Law Commemoration
A repost from last year. Changed, added, and deleted some details here and there.
Exactly today, people would look back 35 years in the past, and remember the pains and hardships they had to go through in the hands of a fascist leader. Exactly today, people would again experience – in monochromatic lens – the violations and abuses made by the military and the state against them. Exactly today, people would remember that it has been 35 years since the declaration of (the first) Martial Law here in the Philippines.
Thirty-five years. That should mean something. Feelings of suffering, loss, pain. Basically feelings of despair – whipped up and sliced and mixed, all in the span of 35 years. But then, maybe, maybe we kids do not really feel anything about it at all. Maybe we’re apathetic to this fact because we haven’t been born yet that time. Heck, I know I existed not even in dreams. Maybe we blow this off because we think we do not experience the same tyranny and repression our elders have experienced during the Marcos regime.
Oh, wait. We do not?
