Sunrise is the beautiful sign of hope and was created by God to let us know that life does not end after sunset.

Morning rush in Panabo on our way to Governor Generoso (July 27, 2011)



A new start in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur (February 14,2011)

We sleep, but the loom of life never stops and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up tomorrow.~ Henry Ward Beecher

Ending the day with joy in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao de Norte (February 15,2011)



I wish I could paint the sky with colors like this. Sunset in Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte (February 14, 2011)

"Itong frontal nudity, Check! Itong sex scene na may actual penetration, Check na check! Gagawin ko ang lahat… wag nyo naman akong palusungin sa tae.”

The attention grabbing line of the hilarious Eugene Domingo in the Cinemalaya 2011 winner Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. One would wonder, will she do it and be shown on screen? :)



I was invited by my sorority sis Emyat to watch the movie. "The movie is hilarious sis!"she assured me. I went without any idea what it is all about except that it won awards.

From Cinemalaya's website, here's the synopsis of the movie:

"It chronicles a day in the life of three ambitious, passionate but misguided filmmakers as they set out to do a quick pre-prod at Starbucks, a courtesy call to their lead actress, Eugene Domingo, and an ocular inspection of their film’s major location, the Payatas dumpsite. Director Rainier (Kean Cipriano), Producer Bingbong (JM de Guzman) and Production Assistant Jocelyn (Cai Cortez) are well-to-do, well-educated film school graduates who are dead set on making an Oscar worthy film. They believe they have a winning script, the energy and the drive to make their dreams come true. Like most filmmakers they know, they have devised a screenplay that will show the real essence of our culture: poverty. In the course of one day, they brainstorm and exhaust all possible treatment of their project: the story of Mila (Eugene Domingo), a mother from the slums, who out of desperation to survive, has sold her child to a pedophile. As they discuss the possible executions of the story, the movie-within-a-movie gets reborn in Jocelyn’s imagination several times. As a gritty no frills neo-realist film, as a glossy musical, as an over-the-top melodrama and as a docu drama using non-actors. For their last task of the day, they visit the dumpsite for the first time. As filmmakers gunning for authenticity, they get excited with the ”beauty” of the squalor around them. Soon enough, they are faced with reality as they come face to face with the real effects of their chosen subject. Babae sa Septic Tank is a comedy about misguided ambitions, the art of making art and the romanticization of poverty."

Coming from the writer of humorous Here Comes the Bride and Kimmy Dora, this is humor on another level. A parody. Uge (Eugene Domingo) played a larger-than;life version of herself. She played a caricature of herself; a celebrity who wants to do " something for the soul", an actress who wants to make a movie that will not earn her lots of money. This is a parody of many celebrities who feel that they are worthy of being called as "actor" when they appear in an “indie” film regardless of how bad the material is.

The story revolves about three friends who goes through story-telling process of wanting to tell a story about poverty but knows nothing about the subject itself. Poverty is how they see it in "indie" films. Poverty that abounds "indie" films and being picked for international festivals because that's what the festival organizers wanted to see.

As Cris Martinez said in one of the interviews, the idea came up when he do rounds of "100" (another indie movie he directed) about a 100 things a middle class woman wants to do before she dies. The woman was played by beautiful Mylene Dizon, lives in a posh condo and owns SUV. The audience abroad was surprised to see "beautiful" things about the Philippines. They expect movie of poverty porn! It's the movies that filmmakers do because it's those kind of movies being picked up.

Harsh reality here is, you'll never make it here in the country not unless your film/s is screened abroad!


And Babae sa Septic Tank showed these ironies. Budding filmmakers dream of making it big by writing about poverty. Except they really know nothing about poverty, Poverty for them is like what they see in the news and "indie" films they wanted to emulate (or even surpass! Oscar material, they say!). These people who talked about poverty in the comforts of Starbucks, whose problems are about iPad charger and fellow directors who made it to Venice festival yet could not differentiate "expresso" from "espresso", new famous director colleagues making the rounds international festivals abroad yet doesn't know where Vesoul is. What these filmmakers want is just to be famous abroad. To f*ck with poverty and depression of the poor!


The movie started with seriousness that you'll ask, "did I come to the right movie?" but as the story unfolds, the moviegoers howled with laughter at the right parts and feel silent while pondering at the parts that made us wonder, "what is the state of the Philippine cinema? What is "indie"? " Indie films wanted to break away from commercialism of mainstream movies only to be trapped by new set of conventions.

Maybe we should no longer ask what differentiates "indie" from 'mainstream'? But rather filmmakers should ask, "what makes a good film"? We have to make compelling stories; good films that our audience can truly think AND enjoy! Babae sa Septic Tank is one of those films.



PS. I hope more Cinemalaya movies will be shown nationwide! Hail to the rebirth of Philippine cinema. Hail to more thought provoking films! :)

All work and no play makes one dull. So for this year, our office have our much deserved rest and recreation in Lake Sebu.This is one of the most memorable trips of crazy people.


Here's our iterinary prepared by our IT personnel, inhouse corny joker Kuya Jorge:


PS: Notice that our main stops in different municipalities are for resting and EATING!! Me gusta. :))


Day 1
8:00am Davao - GENSAN
9:00 Breakfast at MERS (Digos)

Try their hot choco and puto. Best way to perk up your day! :)


12:00nn Lunch at Nadie’s Chicken House (Tupi)


Must try chicken inasal.

Wala ng usapan during lunch. Tom Jones na sobra! :)

1:00pm Travel to Koronadal City
1:30 Break at Ojie’s Ice Cream Station (Banga)


2:00 Courtesy Call with Surallah Mayor

This not solely a trip. It is with a purpose. We met the Municipal Agriculturist and discussed Mayor Romulo "Mulong" Solivio's Program on Local Economic Development through Organic Agriculture and co-management (with DENR) of Watershed System. I salute Mayor Solivio for winning the 2009 Galing Pook with its Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Medicine Program. I salute the Leaders who truly find innovative ways to connect with private sectors without compromising his/her constituents. Padayon Surallah! :)


we went to the Surallah Organic Center near the Municipal Hall ground and bought organic products produced locally. We call for support of small farmers. :)


Ate Tess supervising the planter. hehe. This is at the Surallah's vegetable demo farm.


Talking to several organic rice farmers and the struggles they have to go through like the resistance even of their own siblings on their advocacy to stop the use of synthetic fertilizers. KUDOS TO THE STEADFAST FARMERS! YES to HEALTHY LIVING! :)




3:00 Travel to Lake Sebu



6:00 Dinner at floating restaurant and Videoke at(Punta Isla)


The wacky AFRIM peeps at Punta Isla Resort.


Day 2
7:00am Breakfast
8:00 Trekking to SEVEN FALLS aaaaaaaaaaaaand ZIPLINE


At FIRST FALLS with Ate Lizzy. We've been here before!


At the 2nd Falls. The HIGHEST FALLS.



Overlooking 2nd, 3rd (hidden), 4th and 5th Falls!


ZIPLINE. THIS IS THE ONLY THING I've been looking forward to! Try the highest (1,200 ft) ride of your life! Pay P250 on weekdays (P300 on week-ends) to be scared and to shout your hearts out. Ate Lizzy, my perennial partner and I had the time of our life, watching Fall 2 to Falls 5. Exhilarating experience. Here's the proof! :))




12:00nn Lunch at 2nd Falls


Eat all kinds of tilapia dishes. Try the chicharon tilapia, deep fried, sinugba, paksiw, sinigang, fillet,nilasing na tilapia. After 2 days, you'll never look at tilapia again! LOL! Hey! Don't worry. They do serve other dishes. Try the nilagpang na manok. :)

1:00pm Boating around the Lake

Ang inulang boating na hindi nagpatigil sa kakiatan ng lahat! :)

6:00 Dinner
7:30 Midyear Assessment (All tired. But we have to do this. Or else! )



Day 3

7:00am Travel to Surallah
7:30 Breakfast at Kipot Hito Farm (Surallah)
8:30 Travel to Kablon Farm for exposure(Tupi)

We met Eunice, the HR/ Admin Manager of the farm. it was enriching talking to her experiences- about working in a corporation and going back to help in the family business. She's a young professional with a vision.:)

12:00 Lunch at Sarangani Highlands



Ang pag-eemote ng inyo pong lingkod! Patawarin naman. hehe

1:00pm Shopping for Tuna products/ Dried Fish
2:30 Halo-halo at Razon’s
3:00 Travel back to Davao for other staff while I went hoem again to attend the National IP Women Gathering in Koronadal City.


It is one of the best lakbay laag! :)) I'm still floating.

To my dear readers, you might want to use the above iterinary when you want to travel to Lake Sebu and Gensan.

BOOST LOCAL TOURISM. SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY! :)

Proud to be part of the Harry Potter Generation

1090739 words. 3363 pages. 199 chapters. 7 books. 17 hours and 14 mins. 8 movies. One generation: The Harry Potter Generation until the end.

Rowena Angela Salanga (Roan) was the culprit (in a good sense!). We were in second year high school when she gave me a book. "Maych basahin mo. Maganda ang story. Wizard ang bida. It's addicting, " she told me. She knows how I devour books. Her aunt sent her a copy of that book that changed the landscape of my (and yours!) adolescence.

The first book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was already famous abroad and Warner Brothers got the rights of adapting it into the silverscreen. It was one of the most successful movie franchise that involved our generation.

Came December 2001, Harry, Hermione and Ron debuted in the movies and we felt like we were part of that magical world. Many got interested to read the book. Roan's book suffered the eagerness of students from two classes. It passed from one hand to another until it got lost.

We were bewitched. Every time the new book was released, I watched out who got it first and has to ask him/her to let me borrow it first. I offered Roan to cover the second book for her. We were poor and I could not afford to buy the books, so I have to be a good borrower. :))

When a friend got the Chamber of Secrets, I only got one day (and it's a school day!) to read it since the list of borrowers are loooooong. Instead of listening of Ma'am Ocate's lecture on how to name the organic chemicals, I accompanied the trio in their adventures to find the basilisk.

J.Rowling is a master story teller, weaving a new magical world for our generation. We feel like we are Muggles who wanted to have a taste of Hogwarts. Harry Potter is not only for children. I knew a professor who got hooked on it too. And I was not surprised that even one of my boss, is also a fan.

It's a book that crossed beyond borders, age and religion. Some said, HP encourages witchcraft and occultism. Nah! While the previous generations had Star Trek, Star wars, Lord of the Rings, well, our generation enjoyed Harry Potter.

So when Twilight by Stephanie Meyer was released, comparing it to HP is inevitable. And Stephen King (one of the best suspense writers) compared both authors. He wrote: "Both Rowling and Meyer, they're speaking directly to young people... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good." (emphasis mine)." And this picture also circulated.

(He got a point somehow! hehe)


I wrote about this on my other blog and my friends and I had an interesting discussion. Harry is Harry. And Edward the vampire is another matter. For as long as this generation will read! :))

Harry Potter spans years of waiting - from high school to college. I even saved my allowance (that entails no merienda and just writing notes, no photocopying just to save! hahaha!) just to buy my first ever HP book- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I awaited his adventures and transformation. I feel like they were our friends I grew up with. I cried when Dobby was killed. I cringe at the thought that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will rule again. I analyzed and speculated who'll probably be Harry's love interest in the end- Luna or Ginny? I giggled when Harry and Ginny finally kissed. (And I know you have felt these too!)




And last night, was the second part of the last movie. As early as Monday, we booked our tickets at Abreeza. And as expected, it was almost full. While lining up, we were surprised that the ones on the line were already grown-ups. No High school students in sight. And then we laughed. Of course. The loyalists remained, it was our generation, most are now working or even have their own families.



The thought that we would be saying adieu to this wonderful trio made us all sad. Tears started to fall when professors were muttering spells to protect Hogwarts. It was the start of the Ultimate battle between good and Evil. As the credits roll, I cried as if I'm losing a friend. OA na kung OA.



To JK Rowling, Thank you for making us experience the magic. For the actors, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe, thank you for growing up with us. As you leave Harry, Hermione and Ron behind, it is not the end. The magic continues. :))


And to my perennial date, Ate Lizzy thank you for being a good company. Thank you for the donuts that cheered me up.

It was the first ever flashflood in the history of Davao. The bridge just cracked. The First Elected Woman Mayor's hands are full. And as if it's not enough,an impending demolition was set in Agdao. And her punches akin to pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao's punches, put Mayor Inday Sara Duterte in the headlines! Ang Bagong Pambansang Kamao, Korina Sanchez said.


Photo from realinspace.blogspot.com

Then the lines were drawn. Non- Dabawenyos, those in Manila especially viewed how rude the Mayor is. How she put the law into her hands immediately. The gender aspect were analyzed. "If Inday is a male, would the people react differently?" Dabawenyos (and its adopted children) particulalry those in the demolition area, on the other hand cheered.

It is true that Inday Sara knew and approved of the demolition. What she wanted is only a two-hour extension. Will it make a difference? The Sunstar editorial wrote it well:

And that is what is lost in a lot of bureaucrats: the understanding that most of the time, the people, especially the masses, would just want their leader to be there when the worst hits them. Their leader need not even have to cause a demolition order to be stopped, and their leader may even just watch on the sidelines with them while their houses are ripped to pieces. For them, that is enough. Mere presence of a respected person, sometimes, is enough because in that mere presence, they find some assurance that somebody in authority has seen their situation, and thus will be able to think up of some concrete actions.

This was what was lost on President Benigno C. Aquino III when he arrived to visit the flood victims of Cotabato City more than two weeks after tens of thousands of evacuees have already been suffering from the floods. Thus, by the time he arrived, the people no longer saw in him the leader they believed in. No wonder both the Cotabato city mayor and the people did not have anything good to say about his visit. Apparently, still clueless about the nuances of leadership, Malacañang attacked the Cotabato city mayor instead and enumerated what has already been given - including the heavy equipment that was removing the water hyacinths from Rio Grande de Mindanao coursed through the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the sacks of rice coursed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Much like a father making up for his absence by delivering all that a child wants, when the child only needs his presence.

There are nuances of leadership for a people to respect and follow their leaders, and most of the time, these are not about material things and sweet promises. Leaders after all, are looked up to for their vision, guidance, and reassuring presence.

When Mayor Inday called for a two-hour hold so she can be there with the people, even after she said she can no longer do anything to stop the demolition, she demonstrated an understanding of this kind of leadership, and thus we can only applaud, but, let us make this very clear: not for the punches thrown but for the understanding.

What was also lost in the discussions are the guidelines on conducting demolitions. Who really violated the law? There is a 30-day allowance before the demolition will be conducted.

Manong Alex, the taxi driver I talked to from the airport has valid questions raised too! "Why is the piece of land bought by a Chinese businessman when the other side was already distributed to its settlers (or squatters, if you prefer)?" Why it was not checked that there are about 3-4 families who had titles on that area?" Questions that no one dared to scrutinize. Also, when Mayor Sara was punching him, she was muttering, "Kabalo ko naay nagpaluyo nimo nga dagkung tawo, usa ka negosyante...(I know there is someone behind your back, powerful people, a businessperson...).." but it was already lost in translation. Frenzy ensued and judgments were hurled.

Manong Alex' point of view is something to think about too. "Pag dili ka adunahan, kaluoy ra jud ka tawon. Ang atong balaod dinhi murag para ra man sa adunahan. Mulihok jud ang hustiya para nila. Kitang pobre maghulat ra tawon." (If you are not rich, you are pitiful. Our law it seems is only for the rich. Justice works for them swiftly. For us poor, we have to wait long)."

He has a point. And I could not argue for we know how excruciatingly slow our justice system is. Look at the Amptuans. And look what happened to the Vizconde case.

Manong Alex is even critical at how the case is shown. Look at how they treat the "news." Sensationalism at its core! Footages were shot by Davao-based reporters but the ones who report are their colleagues from Manila. And we know the power play in media. A Davao-based reporter declined when he was asked to make "an angle" and point the Duterte mafia-like rule. The "Dudirty finger" was one of those antics, perhaps?

No I don't say that punching Abe Andres justified Inday Sara. Not even the dirty finger. But when context and everything is blown out of proportion, we will be at loss.

Kuya Blogie Robillo also cried foul on the misleading news report from Inquirer about the demolition incident.




To have a better understanding on this morality vs legal ethics vs governance, try to read Randy David article on this. Or maybe Lourd de Veyra's funny, sarcastic way of seeing Sara as TNL would be better read.

Sana mas makakita pa tayo ng maraming ganito sa gobyerno. Sapakan. Mukhang mas may resulta pa ‘to kesa sa mga walang katapusang mga imbestigasyon at hearing (in aid of lecheng legislation). Wala namang pinupuntahan. Hindi sibilisado? Sa panahong ito, ano na ba ang depinisyon ng “sibilisado?” Ang magpakapormal na pakikipag-usap (malalim ng Ingles) sa lobby ng Manila Pen, pag-suot ng Amerikana habang ninanakaw mo ang pera ng taong bayan? Ang magkaroon ng bwarsh-bwarsh na accent sa korte habang pinagtatanggol mo ang isang pamilya ng mamamatay-tao?

And I presume, many reechoes Lourd's sentiments (as quoted above). And as Prof. Randy said, a new folk hero was born.