I had another chance to visit Cebu and this time, I was able to visit Sto. Niño Church and Magellan's Cross in broad daylight. As a fan of Philippine History, I personally made sure that I visit this place again. For me, this cross is the most significant and important cross in our nation's Christian history. Because of the cross, we were introduced to the teachings and preachings of Christ. We were enlightened, we were saved.
We were also put in bondage and enslaved, but later on freed and became independent. The colonizers ruled and left, but their most precious gift is still ever present in our daily lives, with this cross as the symbol.
There are lots more to see in Cebu, and I'm definitely coming back to see them.
Barangay elections are looking even more glamorous lately. I could recall a few years back during barangay elections, you can only see posters of candidates near the barangay halls. Some were mere handwritten signages in Manila Paper, some printed artwork in cartolina, or painted writings in sacks. Now, times have changed. People, candidates now spend thousands of pesos printing tarpaulins, posters, calendars, flyers, etc. People spend for the barangay elections now! The question is what is their motivation for spending such money? I just hope that it is for simple and pure sense of service and nothing more.
Days have become busier lately. it's less than ten weeks to go before the big day! And this is on top of things coming up in work and personal. Thus, the lack of time to exhaust nerve cells in writing an entry. Thank God I was given the time, at 1:27am on Barangay Elections day, to write a few notes. For October, I was always on the go:
1. Office. I physically transferred office from one to another. Same department, though.
2. Cebu. I was able to go to the Queen City of the South for the Second Time! I, along with a few officemates held a Chinese Mooncake Festival forum sponsored by no less than Philam Life. :) Thank God I was able to see the Magellan's Cross in broad daylight!
3. Hong Kong. I experienced my first-ever Out of the county trip! It was a day to remember! 10/10/10 was the date! Ayos!
4. Batangas. I went to Batangas City for a OFW Family Day event sponsored by Philam Life. We can see the Power of We going the extra mile to reach several sectors of the society, to make them more aware of the power of insurance, and the sustained power of Philam Life.
Why doesn't the church like families have an extra choice called the Reproductive Health Bill?? Why does the church hate it so much that even the son of an all-out devout Catholic, who had no other intentions but the welfare of his countrymen, will be subject to excommunication?
I haven't read the entire text, but as far as I have read it, there is nothing highly contentious with the bill. It simply gives the family the freedom to choose more options. What is wrong with that??
And since when did we forget this particular text from the Constitution:
Article II, Section 6. The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.
What part of this text is difficult to understand?
It's about time we start opening up our options. Time is running out. We need to make a change. Noynoy is trying to infuse some changes, and one of the major groups that pledged to support him in this change is turning against him.
So when do we pledge to start with our development?
Thank God I had two bets in the UAAP. Both of them stepped up to bring out the best in them. And they both were successful.
University of the Philippines Maroons showed that they are indeed the country's best cheerdance team as they took on another year as champions of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition. Thanks to them they did not bring back last year's Blue Book. :) I know that the concept is good last year, with the Blue Book and all. But if you have foreign judges who don't even know what a Blue book is, they would simply ignore the concept. Good thing they injected a few acts about festivals, some points that made us famous worldwide. nice act! See the embedded video below:
And of course, my other team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, won their first-ever UAAP Men's Basketball 3-peat Championship! They joined the ranks of La Salle, UST, UE and FEU as one of them team that have already won grandslam championships.
It was a very difficult season for Ateneo as three of their starters, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Jai Reyes, graduated last year. But the guys stepped up as Kirk Long, Nico Salva and Ryan Buenafe took on their respective leaderships roles alongside Team Captain Eric Salamat. Salamat showed his dribbling and passing prowess, while Salva and Buenafe had their of outstanding plays. With a youthful supporting casts headed by sophomore Justin Chua, big men Jumbo Escueta, Art de la Cruz and Frank Golla, and the maturity of mainstays Bacon Austria and streak-shooting Emman Monfort, the Blue Eagles are indeed up to the challenge of bringing back home the championship and gain their first-ever three-in-a-row. They showed critics that they are really a team to beat, despite the lack in size.
FEU had their share of superstars, headed by Season 73 Most Valuable Player RR Garcia, Smart Gilas trainees JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos, veterans Paul Sanga and Reil Cervantes, and rookie phenom Terrence Romeo. But in the end, the team with the bigger heart and the greater will to win prevailed. And it showed in the finals season.
FEU cruised the regular season as they only registered two losses, one from Adamson and another from La Salle. But in the final four, it was a strange surprise that this team, who was perceived to be inevitable, almost lost to the 4th-seeded young squad of La Salle. They still won in the overtime. In that game, it showed that they had their weaknesses. And with the seen weaknesses, Ateneo stepped up.
Ateneo, on the other hand, showed that they wanted to go back to the finals and face the team that beat them twice in the regular season. The Blue Eagles defeated Adamson in a commanding, power-packed game. Adamson had an equally powerful cast with Lester Alvarez, Alex Nuyles, Jan Colina, Jerrick Canada, and Eric Camson. In the end, the championship experience in Ateneo prevailed.
The finals began last week, Saturday. I was in Cebu so I wasn't able to watch the entire game. Thank God to Cebu Airport's free wifi I was able to watch the final minutes of the game, with Ateneo leading by at least 23 points. The game ended 72-49. I thought maybe the FEU squad was just warming up for the finals, that's why the first game turned into a blowout.
The second game last Thursday was more intense. I thought in the first quarter that Ateneo became too confident, as they trailed 22-13. Looks like Coach Norman gave them inspiring words as the first quarter ended, and their intensity wnet back to normal, making the game a certified nailbiter. The game was not decided until the last 50 seconds or so, with Ryan Buenafe hitting the long-distance dagger from at least 1 feet away from the professional three-point line. FEU tried to come back with Reil Cervantes' long distance bomb, however, it was just 1 second away from the game. The game was decided at 65-62, with Ateneo taking home the third championship in three years! Go Ateneo!
Here's a glimpse of the final minutes of play, including Buenafe's three-point bomb. Boom!
Now, Ateneo has three years of bragging rights with its three magnificent championships, its first-ever three-peat performance.
As for UP, it needs to have major overhaul of its basketball program. I hope they get it going soon. But for the cheerdance, it has yet again redeemed the State U after having ended the basketball competition with a winless record.
As for me, Thank God I am rooting for two teams in the UAAP. And both of them became champions.
Setting: Corregidor (in front of the Corregidor Inn, just few steps from the Philippine Flag), November 29 , 2010, 8:30pm.
After a wordy and stuttered background speech, I knelt down in front of her, under the stars and beside the Philippine flag. As I was kneeling down, I asked her: "Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"
And she uttered the teo most beautiful and memorable words of my life: "Of Course!"
And the rest is history. On November 29, 2009, I was engaged to my best friend, my dancing partner, my duet, my partner in crime, my soul mate. I thank God everyday for that day. I thank God everyday for bringing her to me. :)
Preparing for the Right Words to Say (Under the Malinta Tunnel)
After the speech, the kneeling down, the tears of joy and the "Of Course." :)
Lady of the Ring. :)
Enough cheese. :) If I was a 5-year-old kid, I'd say "Ewwwwww!" hehe
I always admired how Mr. Pure Energy, Gary Valenciano, still does it on the dance floor. After 25 years of being onstage, the energy is still strong and very much alive! I always wanted to watch him live so that I could witness how much energy he puts in on that stage. Last Thursday, September 16, I was finally given the opportunity to watch Gary V. live at the Music Museum. The concert is called Soul in Motion, a benefit concert for three beneficiaries, which includes UNICEF and Compassion for One. The concert will run for three consecutive Thursdays and Fridays starting September 16.
Thanks to my officemate who gave me VIP passes, I was able to watch Gary V in the front row of the Music Museum! I was at least three feet away from the bassist! Whew! :) The energy of Mr. Pure Energy is very much felt throughout the stage!
Thank God he sang most of my favorite songs of him: Oldies like Take me out of the Dark, Sana Maulit Muli, Shout for Joy, and Eto na Naman. New revivals like Tayong Dalawa were also sung as a medley to reminisce the songs that were used in both TV series and Blockbuster Movies.
Special guests were his prodigy, Duncan Ramos, and one of his closest friends in showbiz, Jericho Rosales.
I had a great time singing along with his repertoire. I personally loved his rendition of Al Jarreau's "Spain!" Galinggggggggg!
In the concert, Gary V. asked for some requests if ever we wanted to hear some of his old songs. I shouted and requested for my personal favorite, Each Passing Night! He then looked down to me and pointed at me and he said, "I hear a lot of requests around, but this young man wanted me to sing an oldie. Hear goes." And he did a few lines of Each Passing Night! Thanks, Man! :)
Cheers to Mr. Pure Energy! May you have many more years of soulful and lively concerts!
Have you tried this sumptuous, juicy, oily, crunchy Tasty Dumplings breaded pork chop? I've been looking for porkchops similar to this but nothing matches its tastiness and its crunchiness. And for it's price, it really provides good value for your money. For less than P150, you already have a complete meal of Pork Chop, soup (comes for free), and their famous thirst-quencher Winter Melon juice.
My dad got the Hongma Rice, while my brother ordered the Spareribs Rice. All were good pork! :)
I know of two Tasty Dumplings branches, one in Binondo and another near Banawe. If you're looking for an oily afternoon of fun, crunchy pork chop, try Tasty Dumplings' breaded porkchop! For me, this is one of the best pork chops in town. :)
Finally approaching the Ber months... As early as now, radio stations have already started playing the familiar Christmas tunes, and my dad is starting to hum them over breakfast! We are fast approaching the 100-day countdown of the world's most-awaited holiday. Time has been very cooperative and he gave me a breezing 2010, special thanks to a flurry of events that transpired this year. Now, on to the next 100 days. This will be the fastest 100 days of my life, methinks. :)
Lots of things to do, very little time. This is it! hehe
