This was sent to me via email. I have no idea who the author is but i know what s/he's talking about. I edited out some names though. 

Read on... 

"Whenever I chance upon our Sunday noontime shows on tv, I felt like I just wanna kill myself. Whether ASAP or SOP, the disgraceful display of talent, or lack there of, plus the regurgitory type of programming stir the living hell out of me more than it amuses. Sadly, the entertainment value of these variety shows is relegated on these neuron-depleting crap:

1. THE BIRIT CRAP

In a country where people are overfascinated with ear-shattering vocal prowess, it is no wonder that song number of biritan is such a hit. The further a singer inflicts punishment to her vocal cords, the more mind blowing. The further a singer deprives herself of oxygen, the more fascinating. Regrettably, these generic breed of singers who subject themselves to laryngeal torture have always been regarded as great musical talents. Yet I beg to disagree.

2. THE HOST SINGING WITH THE GUEST BAND CRAP

It is just pure evil--letting a great local band play alongside with the most-often-than-not untalented musically clueless hosts, thereby murdering the overall performance. This poignantly lame noontime show tradition dates all the way back to Kuya Germ's GMASupershow. Makes me wonder who is the wicked brainchild of this pathetic scheme. Perhaps, even Satan himself will sell his soul to the evil mind who perpetuated this evil tradition.

3. THE NON-SINGERS SINGING AND NON-DANCERS DANCING CRAP

The oblivious lipsynching and uncoordinated dance movements makes me wanna think I'm timewarped to some kindergarten juveniles doing their school program. But these are professional tax-paying celebrities performing at their best--or worst. This shameless display of lackluster talent can be compared to a man-made disaster created for tv.

To escape moronic overload and possible mental retardation, I have ceased in watching these shows. The sad part is, there is no denying that there is a wide audience for these noontime shows. An audience that would go into their schoolgirl kilig frenzy everytime a hearttrhob dances with his two left feet. An audience that would shrieked everytime matinee idol does a digitally-enhanced prerecorded song number. Call me cruel. Call me brutal. But the constant top-rating performance of these programs, as well as the telenovelas, just reflect currently what type of society we live in. This article is not to degrade the followers of these shows. This is more of a call for these programs to change--at least for the better."

So, what do you guys think?

An accomplished composer and one of the fathers of Philippine hip-hop, he recently joined the International Mariah Remix Competition.  Please pray and vote for him.


I joined the INTERNATIONAL MARIAH REMIX COMPETITION,  with some 3,000 entries from all over the globe.  Votes are very important to advance to the top ten slots; only the top ten finalists shall be given the opportunity to be judged by the elite board of judges, to eventually determine the one winning entry.

So far my entry's been blessed with really good ranking, within the top 30 (this is quite good already considering the spectrum of standings that actually go down to the thousandth position).  That's why we need as much votes as we can get to push it to the top slots.
We have until September 12 (friday next week), cut-off of votes at midnight EST USA time.

Plain and simple, voting is as easy going to the site & selecting "vote for Jungee Marcelo".
Just click the following link to vote:
http://www.indabamusic.com/submissions/show/2529

Again my bro, thanks for your support!

God bless,
Jungee

Yo! we got anotha brotha reppin' Pinas in an international contest.

Hi our company is in need of Interior , architectural, or industrial designers, for design and product development. The office is along N. Garcia St. (formerly Reposo) in makati.

Must be good in drawing and must have a good eye for measurements .

Let me know if your interested or anyone who is interested.

Just PM me here.

Got this from the Allstars site:
http://allstars2005.multiply.com/reviews/item/8/8

Crowd flips for Philippine All Stars — and vice versa

By Sarah Feldberg


The Philippine All Stars' choreographer Ken Jhons holds a fellow dancer aloft during their performance at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships.
Photo: Sarah Feldberg

In every Olympics there are defining moments – performances that make such a strong statement any competitor preceding them is immediately forgotten and any who follow are watched with unavoidable skepticism. Nothing compares. Game friggin’ over.

On Sunday, Aug. 3 at the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood, I watched as hip-hop crew the Philippine All Stars created just such a moment. Before a crowd of approximately 2,000, they rocked, jumped and flipped with unmatched intensity. The audience literally gasped as choreographer and crew leader Ken Jhons plucked a dancer from the ground and raised him above his head on a single arm, holding him aloft like a hunter with a prize kill, before discarding him back onto the stage. With silver-lined black vinyl trench coats flying around them, the All Stars looked like a comic book street gang, ready to throw down a dance battle at the slightest provocation. If a hip-hop crew can be intimidating, they were and then some.

It was a viciously show-stopping performance towards the end of an exhilarating night of street dance. Performing in front of an international panel of judges including Vegas’ own Natasha Jean-Bart, the original Lady Madonna in Cirque du Soleil’s Love, and America’s Best Dance Crew judge Shane Sparks, crews from 11 countries battled for the World Hip Hop Dance Championships’ bronze, silver and gold medals presented by MC Hammer himself.

Now in its seventh year, the competition is everything you’d expect from a new a competitive art form. Judges are critical but enthusiastic, dancers supportive and outgoing. During the preliminary round of international competition, younger b-girls already cut from the finals held an impromptu dance lesson off stage while dancer and choreographer Mr. Suave spoke to the crowd.

“Every single year inspires me. I go home and say, ‘How can I emulate them?’ They are ri-dic-u-lous. It’s not about who you beat, it’s about who you inspire.”

After exiting the stage, Suave greeted one of the young dancers and asked her how she was doing. Looking up from waist high with an exaggerated frown, she told him her crew hadn’t advanced to the next round.

“Did you hear what I said?” Suave asked.

“No,” she replied, “I was too busy dancing.”

The finals themselves stretched 30 crews and nearly five hours long. Tiny Japanese girls flicked traditional fans open and closed as they popped and locked in perfect coordination. Teens from New Zealand stomped through an aggressive high-energy routine. An all-male Mexican crew switched from powerful breaking to hip-swishing pantomime and back again in the span of half a minute. Canadians Xtreme Soul Style sauntered on stage like an Olympic soccer team in red and white warm up jackets before executing a performance with military precision to a machine gun beat.

But it was the Phillipine Allstars that elevated the evening with a routine based on Jhons’ thrilling choreography, work he attributes to God. “Straight up,” said Jhons pointing skyward. “We ran out of creativity; we had to pray for it.”

Standing on the uppermost step of the championship podium, flanked by the United States’ Kaba Modern in third place and 2007 champions Eklectic from Trinidad and Tobago in the silver spot, it seemed his prayers were answered. Jhons and his dancers pointed towards the sky once again. Still in the oil-slick trench coats, but now smiling out at the cheering crowd under the red, white, blue and gold of the Filipino flag, the crew looked like less like a hip hop army and more like Olympic victors. The audience, the judges, even their fellow competitors chanted together, “all-stars, all stars.” Nothing had compared to their performance. Game friggin’ over.

Last month, the World Championships of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) - better known as the Hollywood Olympics - was held in Los Angeles. A Filipino singer by the name of Catherine Loria bagged  the title of 2008 Junior Grand ChampionPerformer of the World.

http://www.pep.ph/news/18453/Filipina-singer-Catherine-Loria-wins-in-WCOPA-2008

And this past week saw the Philippine All Stars dominate the 2008 World Hip Hop Championships. Once again, they bagged the top spot to reclaim their crown .

Congratulations to Ms. Loria and the All Stars.

Pinas Represent!

God bless the Filipino artist!

none. if you don't try. 

been thinkin' about this one this past week. it's been one helluva week for me. roller coaster week, actually. but mostly, what really caught my attention this past week were concerns about young ones - children, kids.

an abducted 3-year old boy used by a syndicate to beg for money; a kid maltreated and abused by hier own grandmother; a street urchin notorious for "bukas-kotse' in their village (will blog about this one some other time).

where is this nation going to?  why do these to children? where now is our compassion on the next generation?

To rephrase the title of this entry, ? how much difference can WE make?!

I do hope we take some time to ponder on this question and act upon it as well. not just for you or me but for our children.

The ball is now in our hands. Watch'all gon' do now?

I don't know if any of you have heard about the 3-year old boy who was missing for three days and was reunited with his dad last thursday evening.

I reposted the father's (Michael Samudio) letter earlier today. http://alfredlauzon.multiply.com/journal/item/122/A_Letter_from_a_Grateful_Father_Reunited_with_his_Missing_Son.

It's a heartfelt letter from a father reunited with his child. very emotional. most especially for me because i am also a father. Ithough not placed int he exact same situation he faced, i can imagine, almost feel, the hurt and the longing Michael felt during the past three days.

When i'm out and i don't get to spend the day with Amanda and Keon, my arms are aching to hold them, to see key/'s smile, to hear him talk gibberish, to feel his pokes and slaps on my face and hands. Imagine how it must've been like for Michael who had no idea where his son is and how he is surviving out in the jungle we call the city.

And when news that little Matthew was found and was already safe in the arms of his dad, i was very much relieved.

Then it reminded me of how i was once lost for the longest three days and how i was found and was brought into the safe and loving arms of my Father. 

It made me realize how God was really very hurt that i was apart from Him, "abducted" if you will, and how he did everything within His power to get me back, even sending Jesus Christ, His son to die on the cross for me.

It reminded me how much God loves me and how he has been aching for the longest time to have me back and tell me how much He loves me and assure me that i am now in good hands.

And all i can say  right now is that I am very thankful that the lost little boy that was Alfred is now, and will forever be, with  his Eternal and Almighty Father. And if He took His time in doing all of that for me, He definitely will do the same thing for you because just as He loves me, so does He love and long for you.

Thanks, Dad.

Taken from http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/349.

This letter is from the father of Matthew "ChuChu" Samudio, one of thanksgiving and rejoicing. This is for everybody who took the time to pray for them and get the word out about what happened.

Read on.

"For almost 3 horrifying days, I thought I would never have the courage to look at Chuchu's photos without shedding buckets of tears. Whenever I scan my laptop for photos of him to be used for the flyers we distribute all over Metro Manila; I can't help but to burst into tears; no make it sobs which only provide temporary relief to the agonizing pain I felt every time I think of what could have happened to my precious little boy.

Whenever I close my eyes, which have denied me of sleep for 3 days, pictures of my Chuchu would appear, his disarming smile, his funny antics, the way he makes this hand sign and shout "OCK ON" which he actually meant "ROCK ON!" I could still hear him call me "YEYE", his own funny way of calling me "DADDY".
The way he would wake me up in the middle of the night for his usual midnight treat "FRIME FRIME". (An instance when his infant formula was all consumed up, so to pacify him, I gave him a small dose of my mom's ENERVON PRIME in choco. Yes go ahead and sue me! hehe!). Apparently, he liked it even better than his usual milk drink. So I bought him a chocolate flavored formula...formulated for kids this time. He was there with me, all mine to love and nurture.

Until he was abducted.

Believe me, you don't want to go through what I have gone through.

Waking up at night imagining where your kid is, where is he sleeping. What is he eating? Who will wash him after taking a poo? What would have been on his young mind waking up and suddenly everything is different. Would he cry and call our names? Or would he just keep still and accept the fact that this is his fate. That this is how life is supposed to be. Imagine a 3 year old kid absorbing all those confusing, horrible thoughts. Kids his age shouldn't be exposed to such cruelty. They are supposed to play, eat, sleep and then play again.

Up until now, the past 3 days will be a complete mystery for me. Because he can't even speak straight, I wonder, where did he sleep? Did he take a bath? Was he maltreated? Abused? What was going on in his mind all those time? Did he feel that we abandoned him? It kills me every time I imagine my precious child walking on dark alleys, begging for food and drink. Alone and no one to protect him...

If only I can, I would make him forget those horrible 2 and a half days. If I have the power to clear off his mind, I would not even bat an eyelash. His physical state might be perfect, but what about his emotional and mental state? \
In his usual "kastitaloy" language, he told me that every time he would walk away from the group, THAT girl would pull his ears so bad that when I looked at it, it is still swollen and red. He was picked up on the markets of Sta Rosa Laguna, almost falling asleep, as one witness say. Apparently, they start begging as early as 5am.

I still cry whenever I imagine him being subjected to such cruelty. He hasn't done anything wrong. He is still an angel.

I still have to deal with the demons of those cruel 3 days.

But inspite of the traumatic experience, FINALLY, Chuchu is with ME.

And I want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for helping Chuchu find his way back home. For the prayers, reposting, linking of this blog, your connections with the media and government agencies. People from all walks of life united in goal. To bring back my son safe and sound. Looking on the bright side of things, Chuchu brought out the good that was hidden in all of us for so long. Suddenly, we remembered praying, Suddenly, we began caring for people we don't even know. We became compassionate, understanding and vigilant.

If not for you people, he could have ended as a beggar all his life.

A drug addict.
A denizen in the street.
A pickpocket.
Or it could have ended a life of an innocent child.

If not for your unwavering support, Chuchu will not be here with us.

So in gratitude, I will make sure, that Chuchu, will have the best that life could possibly offer. I will make sure that he gets the best education, the skills. I will hone him to become a good member of the society. I will shower him the love, care and most of all PROTECTION from evil. You can mark my word on that.

Those past few days was a nightmare for me, I often thought that, people have really, really gone bad this time. But seeing Chuchu sleeping so comfortably in his room with his stuffed toys and what-have-yous; I thank God that there is still GOOD in this world.

And it was shown through you guys.

So let me thank you from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the chance to provide my son with the best future that I can offer.

And together, let's all look at his photos. But this time, with HAPPINESS and LOVE in our hearts.

THANK YOU DEAR GOD,

AND THANK YOU... MY SON'S HEROES.

Best Dad In The Making,
MICHAEL KENJI SAMUDIO"

Note: Photos can be found on the link above.  Prayer is indeed powerful. I do hope we all realize that. Pray always. Be blessed.

Got this from ABS-CBN's site.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=126282

"Matthew David Samudio, the three-year-old boy who was reportedly abducted inside a video arcade at a mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, was reunited with his family Thursday.

A security guard found the boy walking around the Sta. Rosa Commercial Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

He was seen with the same girl who tagged him at the Festival Mall last Tuesday.

Jonathan Estema said when he and other security guards accosted the two, the girl ran away and left Samudio.

Estema said that Samudio was wearing a new set of clean clothes.

Security guards turned over the boy to the Sta. Rosa police, who then alerted counterparts in Alabang.

Samudio and the still unidentified girl were earlier reported to have been spotted begging for alms near Festival Mall.

Police said that the two used the money gathered from begging to take a jeepney to Sta. Rosa.

Relatives, however, said the syndicate that abducted the boy took him to Laguna since authorities in Muntinlupa have already been searching for Samudio.

The abduction nearly placed the boy's life in danger since he is supposed to undergo an operation next month for an intestinal ailment."

With a report from Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News

If anybody has any knowledge on this little boy's whereabouts, please get in touch with these people ASAP!

http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted

My pamangkin, Kuya Ken's son Matthew, where we took the other half of the business namesake was abducted last night at Festival Mall in Alabang.

Name: Matthew" Chu-chu" David Samudio
Age: 3 Years Old, Can barely speak straight.
Address: 16 guyabano st umali rd. summitville subdivision putatan muntinlupa city 1770

He was last seen at Tom's World Arcade in Festival Mall Alabang, around 8pm yesterday July 22, 2008 wearing Green Checkered Polo, Maong pants and Green Mr. Bean Slippers.

When we reviewed the surveillance camera in said mall, there was this chubby impoverished looking girl around 12-13 years old wearing a dirtied pink top with floral design and a reddish jogging pants who summoned my nephew and then whispered something to him, then my pamangkin who is very "bibo" readily took her hand as they went out of the said premises.

Guys, I need your help with this, if you know people in the media, police or government agency who might be able to HELP us locate my nephew, I'm begging you, please, please help us. Or at the very least, please pass this message to as many people as possible, who knows where the abductors might have taken him... Matthew is a very sickly kid, he rarely eats unless his yaya feeds him and he was about to have an operation for fluid in his right testis.

If there are any news or lead that can locate my nephew, please help us... Sobrang kawawa ang pamangkin ko, who knows how they are treating him...I dont want this thing happening to any kid so please help my nephew. PLEASE. You can contact my brother at 0923-638-4632.

Thank you so much and God Bless you!

One of my faves right now. Definitely speaks to me and the situation I am in. Thought I'd share it with everybody. Hope y'all get recharged by reading this and meditating on it.

I will extol the LORD  at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD ; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. 

Sarap no?=)

Hallelujah.

Y'all should read this.  This here's from a young lady whose walk with Christ i respect and admire.

http://dorothyjean.multiply.com/journal/item/320/Sorry_guys_Im_already_TAKEN

'A lot of my single friends are now in relationships, and when i'm on a jeep or walking around UP i can't help but notice that there are a lot of couples.....

Have you ever wished that you had a special someone? Someone to get all "kilig" with? Someone to share special moments with? An arm to cling to at a dance? A hand to hold while walking? Hahaha... i once felt that way. But not  anymore...

...cause i'm already TAKEN!

Yeah you heard me right, i'm taken... in a relationship...

*boom*

hahaha...

I guess the sweetest thing is waking up and reading his messages of love, knowing he's always willing to listen to all my petty stories,that he's ready to just be there when i need a companion,and then he assures me that he'll never leave.... *sigh* :) it goes on....and on and on...

honestly... when you're loved THIS much, you wont have to look elsewhere.

So i bet you've been reading this whole blog to figure out who i'm talking about eh? Well, like i said, sorry i'm taken, cause i belong to Jesus. (now keep reading...there's a point to this ok? )


A relationship between a guy and girl is sweet and all, but when they rush in, it all ends with unnecessary pain. How many people do you know that had a gf/bf during high school ended up together as husband and wife with no other relation with another person in between that time? Can't think of anyone? Maybe if you did think of someone, maybe just one or two couples?

Point is: there's NO POINT rushing!

And i'm not judging others that are in a relationship, for all i know that's their GB and all.
What i'm trying to say is, IF you get into a relationship that was never meant to be, there will be consequences for your actions and painful breakups.BUT You CAN avoid that if you can wait for God's best in God's time. :)

So wait..."

So what do you guys think about this?  Me? I'm just glad I waited.=)

Got this from Pastor Rice Broocks.

http://ricebroocks.multiply.com/journal/item/45/When_a_Father_Prays

This Sunday we honor fathers around the world. There are so many things that can right or wrong depending on the decisions father's make. When fathers:

Stay. When fathers stay faithful to their commitments, it produces a stability in their families. Regardless of the setbacks, disappointments, and the failures we may experience, eventually things will turn around if we stay faithful. So many times men can quit right before the breakthrough comes.

Obey. Obeying God means we as fathers have to do what we ask our children to do. We tell our children: "You must obey your Mother and me regardless of what you feel like". In the same way we must obey the Lord's commands. When we diligently obey the Lord, the Bible says " ...all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you."(Deut 28:1)

Pray. When a father prays, tremendous things happen. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that there is nothing higher that a father can do than pray for his family, as well as his friends and the world around him. At times, we can feel helpless with all the pressures surrounding our lives. Yet, we are never without hope when we pray.

We are thankful for the fathers in this season and remind them to not forget to utilize the greatest privilege and opportunity at their disposal: prayer.

So to my dad, my in-laws, Papa Raul and Daddy Louie and to all the dads (guess that includes me now, huh?), you are all modern day heroes to us, your children. We appreciate everything you've done for us. And now that I myself am a father, I hope and pray that God give me the grace to be a great father to my son as well.

Advance Happy Dads' Day to all dads.

Got this again fro Pastor Michael Paderes.

http://michaelpaderes.multiply.com/journal/item/59/On_Being_Filipino

Came across this essay (thanks Mae), written by a well-known Filipino pastor, on "Why Filipinos Are Special."  It is insightful, lengthy, and full of wisdom.  Read it and laugh (or weep).  It's right along the lines of that book "You Know You Are Filipino If..."  Let me know what you think.

Why Filipinos Are Special
by Ed Lapiz

Filipinos are Brown. Their color is in the center of human racial strains.

This point is not an attempt at racism, but just for many Filipinos to realize that our color should not be a source of or reason for inferiority complex. While we pine for a fair complexion, the white people are religiously tanning themselves, whenever they could, under the sun or some artificial light, just to approximate the Filipino complexion.

Filipinos are a touching people. We have lots of love and are not afraid to show it. We almost inevitably create human chains with our perennial akbay (putting an arm around another shoulder), hawak (hold), yakap (embrace), himas (caressing stroke), kalabit (touch with the tip of the finger), kalong (sitting on someone else's lap), etc.

We are always reaching out, always seeking interconnection.

Filipinos are linguists. Put a Filipino in any city, any town around the world. Give him a few months or even weeks and he will speak the local language there. Filipinos are adept at learning and speaking languages. In fact, it is not uncommon for Filipinos to speak at least three: his dialect, Filipino, and English. Of course, a lot speak an added language, be it Chinese, Spanish or, if he works abroad, the language of his host country.

In addition, Tagalog is not 'sexist.' While many "conscious" and "enlightened" people of today are just by now striving to be "politically correct" with their language and, in the process, bend to absurd depths in coining "gender sensitive" words, Tagalog has, since time immemorial, evolved gender-neutral words like asawa (husband or wife), anak (son or daughter), magulang (father or mother), kapatid (brother or sister), biyenan ( father-in-law or mother-in-law) , manugang (son or daughter-in- law), bayani (hero or heroine), etc. Our languages and dialects are advanced and, indeed, sophisticated! It is no small wonder that Jose Rizal, the quintessential Filipino, spoke some twenty-two languages!

Filipinos are groupists. We love human interaction and company. We always surround ourselves with people and we hover over them, too.

According to Dr. Patricia Licuanan, a psychologist from Ateneo and Miriam College, an average Filipino would have and know at least 300 relatives.

At work, we live bayanihan (mutual help); at play, we want a kalaro (playmate) more than laruan (toy). At socials, our invitations are open and it is more common even for guests to invite and bring in other guests. In transit, we do not want to be separated from our group. So what do we do when there is no more space in a vehicle?

Kalung-kalong! (Sit on one another). No one would ever suggest splitting a group and waiting for another vehicle with more space!

Filipinos are weavers. One look at our baskets, mats, clothes, and other crafts will reveal the skill of the Filipino weaver and his inclination to weaving. This art is a metaphor of the Filipino trait.

We are social weavers. We weave theirs into ours that we all become parts of one another. We place a lot of premium on pakikisama (getting along) and pakikipagkapwa (relating). Two of the worst labels, walang pakikipagkapwa (inability to relate), will be avoided by the Filipino at almost any cost.

We love to blend and harmonize with people, we like to include them in our "tribe," in our "family"-and we like to be included in other people's families, too.

Therefore we call our friend's mother nanay or mommy; we call a friend's sister ate (eldest sister), and so on. We even call strangers tia (aunt) or tio (uncle), tatang (grandfather) , etc.

So extensive is our social openness and interrelations that we have specific title for extended relations like hipag (sister-in-law' s spouse), balae (child-in-law' s parents), inaanak (godchild), ninong/ninang (godparents) kinakapatid (godparent's child), etc.

In addition, we have the profound 'ka' institution, loosely translated as "equal to the same kind" as in kasama (of the same company), kaisa (of the same cause), kapanalig (of the same belief), etc. In our social fiber, we treat other people as co-equals.

Filipinos, because of their social "weaving" traditions, make for excellent team workers.

Filipinos are adventurers. We have a tradition of separation. Our myths and legends speak of heroes and heroines who almost always get separated from their families and loved ones and are taken by circumstances to far-away lands where they find wealth or power.

Our Spanish colonial history is filled with separations caused by the reduccion (hamleting), and the forced migration to build towns, churches, fortresses or galleons. American occupation enlarged the space of Filipino wandering, including America, and there are documented evidences of Filipino presence in America as far back as 1587.

Now, Filipinos compose the world's largest population of overseas workers, populating and sometimes "threshing" major capitals, minor towns and even remote villages around the world. Filipino adventurism has made us today's citizens of the world, bringing the bagoong (salty shrimp paste), pansit (sautéed noodles), siopao (meat- filled dough), kare-kare (peanut-flavored dish), dinuguan (innards cooked in pork blood), balut (unhatched duck egg), and adobo (meat vinaigrette) , including the tabo (ladle) and tsinelas (slippers) all over the world.

Filipinos are excellent at adjustments and improvisation, managing to recreate their home, or to feel at home anywhere.

Filipinos have Pakiramdam (deep feeling/discernment ) . We know how to feel what others feel, sometimes even anticipate what they will feel.

Being manhid (dense) is one of the worst labels anyone could get and will therefore, avoid at all cost. We know when a guest is hungry though the insistence on being full is assured.

We can tell if people are lovers even if they are miles apart. We know if a person is offended though he may purposely smile. We know because we feel. In our pakikipagkapwa( relating) , we get not only to wear another man's shoe but also his heart.

We have a superbly developed and honored gift of discernment, making us excellent leaders, counselors, and go-betweens.

Filipinos are very spiritual. We are transcendent. We transcend the physical world, see the unseen and hear the unheard. We have a deep sense of kaba (premonition) and kutob (hunch). A Filipino wife will instinctively feel her husband or child is going astray, whether or not telltale signs present themselves.

Filipino spirituality makes him invoke divine presence or
intervention at nearly every bend of his journey. Rightly or wrongly, Filipinos are almost always acknowledging, invoking or driving away spirits into and from their lives. Seemingly trivial or even incoherent events can take on spiritual significance and will be given such space or consideration.

The Filipino has a sophisticated, developed pakiramdam. The Filipino, though becoming more and more modern (hence, materialistic) is still very spiritual in essence. This inherent and deep spirituality makes the Filipino, once correctly Christianized, a major exponent of the faith.

Filipinos are timeless. Despite the nearly half-a-millennium encroachment of the western clock into our lives, Filipinos-unless on very formal or official functions-still measure time not with hours and minutes but with feeling. This style is ingrained deep in our psyche. Our time is diffused, not framed. Our appointments are defined by umaga (morning), tanghali (noon ), hapon (afternoon), or gabi (evening).

Our most exact time reference is probably katanghaliang- tapat (high noon), which still allows many minutes of leeway. That is how Filipino trysts and occasions are timed: there is really no definite time.

A Filipino event has no clear-cut beginning nor ending. We have a fiesta , but there is bisperas (eve), a day after the fiesta is still considered a good time to visit. The Filipino Christmas is not confined to December 25th; it somehow begins months before December and extends up to the first days of January.

Filipino s say good-bye to guests first at the head of the stairs, then down to the descamo (landing), to the entresuelo (mezzanine), to the pintuan (doorway), to the tarangkahan (gate), and if the departing persons are to take public transportation, up to the bus stop or bus station.

In a way, other people's tardiness and extended stays can really be annoying, but this peculiarity is the same charm of Filipinos who, being governed by timelessness, can show how to find more time to be nice, kind, and accommodating than his prompt and exact brothers elsewhere.

Filipinos are Spaceless. As in the concept of time, the Filipino concept of space is not numerical. We will not usually express expanse of space with miles or kilometers but with feelings in how we say malayo (far) or malapit (near).

Alongside with numberlessness, Filipino space is also boundless.

Indigenous culture did not divide land into private lots but kept it open for all to partake of its abundance.

The Filipino has avidly remained "spaceless" in many ways. The interior of the bahay-kubo (hut) can easily become receiving room, sleeping room, kitchen, dining room, chapel, wake parlor, etc.

Depending on the time of the day or the needs of the moment. The same is true with the bahay na bato (stone house). Space just flows into the next space that the divisions between the sala, caida, comedor, or vilada may only be faintly suggested by overhead arches of filigree. In much the same way, Filipino concept of space can be so diffused that one 's party may creep into and actually expropriate the street! A family business like a sari-sari store or talyer may extend to the sidewalk and street. Provincial folks dry palayan (rice grain) on the highways! Religious groups of various persuasions habitually and matter-of-factly commandeer the streets for processions and parades.

It is not uncommon to close a street to accommodate private functions, Filipinos eat. sleep, chat, socialize, quarrel, even urinate, nearly everywhere or just anywhere!

"Spacelessness, " in the face of modern, especially urban life, can be unlawful and may really be counter-productive. On the other hand, Filipino spacelessness, when viewed from his context, is just another manifestation of his spiritually and communal values. Adapted well to today's context, which may mean unstoppable urbanization, Filipino spacelessness may even be the answer and counter balance to humanity's greed, selfishness and isolation.

So what makes the Filipino special? We are brown, spiritual, timeless, spaceless, linguists, groupists, weavers, adventurers.

Seldom do all these profound qualities find personification in a people. Filipinos should allow - and should be allowed to contribute their special traits to the world-wide community of men- but first, we should know and like ourselves.

Got this from Pastor Ferdie Cabiling.

http://fcabiling.multiply.com/journal/item/99

A pretty good collection of Filipino inventions. This will make you proud in a good sense.

Name any major invention in the world today and there is a good chance that it came from the creative and productive mind of a Filipino.

Indeed, the world would not be what it is today without the contributions made by Filipino scientists, doctors, engineers, computer experts and other professionals.

Can you imagine a world without fluorescent lamps, fast Internet connections, incubators for sickly infants, antibiotics, karaoke, videophone, vehicles that could roam the surface of the moon and other high-tech machines and devices? These were just some of the tools of modern civilization whose discovery or invention the world owes to the Filipino race. In the long list of Filipino inventions, one thing stands out: The Filipinos’ inclination to tinker with machines that move – either here on terra firma or even in some alien landscape.

The jeepney
At least five of the known Filipino inventions are transport-based. Needless to say, the biggest of these transport-based inventions is the Philippines’ pride – the jeepney. The word "jeepney" is believed to have come from the words "jeep" and "knee" because of the crowded passenger seating arrangement inside the vehicle.
No individual name has been credited for the invention of the jeepney in the 1940s after World War II. The first jeepney was manufactured from the leftover general-purpose or GP jeeps left by the Americans after the war. The American jeep was powered by a four-cylinder engine and was classified as a quarter-ton truck in carrying capacity. It served as a command vehicle, reconnaissance car, and ammunition carrier. When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of the war, hundreds of surplus jeeps were sold or given to Filipino residents. Some of these beneficiaries then extended the jeeps to accommodate more passengers, added metal roofs for shade, and decorated the exterior with vibrant colors, intricate paintings, fancy adornments, and metallic decors reflective of Filipino sentiments, values, and culture. Thus the jeepney was born. It quickly emerged as a popular and creative way to reestablish inexpensive public transportation, which was virtually destroyed during the war. Although the original jeepneys were simply refurbished military jeeps (Willys), modern jeepneys are now produced by independently owned workshops and factories in the country mostly concentrated in Cebu City, Las Piñas City and Cavite. Since the jeepney serves as the primary means of transportation all over the country, it came to be known as the "king of the road." At the same time, the Philippines came to be known as the "land of the jeepneys."

Air-con jumbo jeepney
Recently, the jeepney was renovated into a world-class airconditioned "Jumbo Jeepney." The 25-seater coaster-type jumbo jeepney was invented by Orlando Marquez, president of the Makati Jeepney Operators and Drivers Alliance who is a mechanical engineer by profession.  The project was one of the moves to enhance or give a facelift to the jeepney.

E-jeepney
More recently, another innovation was made to the "king of the road" following the introduction of the electric jeepney in Makati City and Bacolod City. The latest jeepney facelift promises to revolutionize the transportation industry in the country since it hits three birds with just one stone: It addresses the pollution problem in the country since it is noiseless and smokeless; it eases demands for expensive diesel or gasoline fuel since it runs on electricity; and it increases the take-home pay of drivers since the electricity it consumes is much cheaper than the cost of diesel or gasoline fuel.

Moon Buggy
Remember Neil Armstrong exploring the moon in 1969 aboard the Lunar Rover? That vehicle, called the Moon Buggy, was conceptualized by Eduardo San Juan, a graduate of Mapua Institute of Technology who worked for Lockheed Corp. The moon buggyHe is credited with designing the Moon Buggy that the Apollo astronauts used while in the moon. As an engineer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), San Juan reportedly used his Filipino ingenuity to build a vehicle that would run outside the Earth’s atmosphere. He constructed his model using homemade materials. In 1978, San Juan received an award as one of the Ten Outstanding Men (TOM) in science and technology. San Juan, however, was not listed as the inventor of the Moon Buggy in American scientific journals. It said the vehicle was designed and constructed by a group of space engineers.
In Poland, the Moon Buggy is attributed to a Polish inventor.

Revolutionary fuel
In 1996, Rudy Lantano Sr., a Department of Science and Technology (DoST) scientist, won the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) gold medal for developing Super Bunker Formula-L, a revolutionary fuel half-composed of water.
The mix burns faster and emits 95 percent less pollutants than those released in the air by traditional fuel products.
Lantano said his invention was the result of blending new ingredients and additives with ordinary oil products through agitation and mixing. The initial plan was to commercially produce two million liters of Alco-Diesel, two million liters of Lan-Gas and an unlimited quantity of Super Bunker Formula-L each day for customers in Luzon.

Natural gas vehicle
The Department of Energy has developed a vehicle that runs on natural gas, whose rich deposits remain untapped under the Philippine seabed. The natural gas vehicle (NVG) has been road-tested in Isabela where an existing natural gas supply from the Philippine National Oil Company Gas Plant is located.
Test runs have also been made in Cagayan, Ifugao and Mountain Province. The test vehicle used was the Isuzu Hi-Lander 4JA-1, direct injected diesel engine. The use of natural gas as a fuel is cheaper. On a gallon-equivalent basis, natural gas costs an average of 15 to 40 percent less than gasoline and diesel. There are over one million NVGs in the world today, according to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles.

Water-powered car
A Filipino inventor once stunned the nation with his announcement of his invention – a car that can run with water as fuel.
Daniel Dingel said he built the engine for his water-fuelled car as early as 1969. He said the engine includes a car reactor that uses electricity from a 12-volt car battery to split the ordinary tap water into hydrogen and oxygen components. The hydrogen can then be used to power the car engine. Dingel claimed that a number of foreign car companies have expressed interest in his invention.
However, the DoST have dismissed Dingel’s water-powered car as a hoax. In return, Dingel accused critics of conspiring with oil-producing countries to prevent his invention from being mass-produced.

Faster computer
Computers and Internet connections would have been operating in slow-motion were if not for the invention of Diosdado Banatao, a native of Iguig, Cagayan and an electrical engineering graduate from Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila. He is credited for eight major contributions to Information Technology, foremost of which is the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator which makes computers run faster. He also helped develop the Ethernet controller chip that made the Internet possible.
In 1989, he pioneered the local bus concept for personal computers. The following year he developed the First Windows accelerator chip. Intel is now using the chips and technologies developed by Banatao who now runs his own semiconductor company, Mostron and Chips & Technology, which is based in California’s Silicon Valley.

Erythromycin
Countless lives have been saved and are still being saved worldwide by the antibiotic known as erythromycin – and every life saved is due to the pioneering work of Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, the Filipino scientist who discovered erythromycin in 1949.
Aguilar died in 1993 without being recognized and rewarded for his discovery. Reports said Aguilar discovered the antibiotic from the Aspergillus species of fungi in 1949 and sent samples to Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly Co. The drug firm allegedly registered the propriety name Iloson for the antibiotic in honor of Iloilo province where Aguilar discovered it. In 1952, Eli Lilly Co. began the commercial distribution of Iloson, which was sold as an alternative to penicillin. Erythromycin, the generic name of Iloson, was reportedly the first successful macrolide antibiotic introduced in the US.

Incubator
High-risk new-born babies worldwide would not have lived for long were if not for the invention of another outstanding Filipino doctor – the world renowned Dr. Fe del Mundo who is credited for her studies that led to the invention of incubator and jaundice-relieving device. She was first credited with devising an incubator for use in rural areas without electricity, as well as a cloth-suspended scale to weigh infants and a radiant warmer made of bamboo to maintain the baby’s body temperature. Del Mundo’s makeshift incubator consisted of two native woven baskets used for keeping laundry. These were of different sizes; the smaller basket was placed inside the larger one. "I put in hot water bottles all around between them. I put a little hood over the entire contraption and attached oxygen for the baby," she said in one recent interview. "We had to do with whatever was available," she added.
Del Mundo is the first Asian to have entered the prestigious Harvard University’s School of Medicine. An International Pediatric Association awardee, she is an alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. Since 1941, she has contributed more than 100 articles to medical journals in the US, Philippines and India. In 1966, she received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award, for her "outstanding service to mankind." In 1977, she was bestowed the Ramon Magsaysay Award for outstanding public service.

Karaoke
The global entertainment scene would have been less fun without the karaoke and its spin-off, the videoke machine. Thanks to Roberto del Rosario, people all over the world could enjoy themselves singing their hearts out like they’re in a stage and performing in a concert inside a private room or right in their own home. However, it was actually a Japanese musician named Daisuke Inoue who first made a tape recorder that played a song for a 100-yen coin in 1971. But instead of selling his machines, he leased them out, so that stores did not have to buy new songs on their own. Inoue’s machine lacked the "live atmosphere" of a real performance and was also regarded as somewhat expensive since 100 yen in the 1970s was the price of two typical lunches.
Despite this, the first karaoke machine became a hit in Japan.
Karaoke is a Japanese term for "singing without accompaniment." Karaoke machines were initially placed in restaurants or hotel rooms. Soon, new businesses called karaoke boxes, with compartmented rooms, became popular. Despite his success, Inoue never bothered to patent his invention. This enabled Del Rosario to develop his Sing-Along-System (SAS). He now holds the patent for the device now commonly known as the karaoke machine. A Chinese company also claimed to have invented the karaoke. But the controversy was settled when Del Rosario’s patents were issued in 1983 and 1986, more than a decade after Inoue’s original unpatented invention of the device in 1971.
Among Del Rosario’s other inventions are the Trebel Voice Color Code, the piano tuner’s guide, the piano keyboard stressing device, the voice color tape, and the one-man-band which was later developed as the SAS.

Videophone
It used to be science-fiction stuff: A phone with a view – a device wherein a person could see the face of the person he’s talking to.
But Gregorio Zara of Lipa City turned fiction into fact with his invention of the Videophone way back in 1955. His two-way videophone was first called "photo phone signal separator network." He also invented an alcohol-fuelled airplane engine that was successfully flown on Sept. 30, 1954. Zara, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also worked on alternative energy sources and was responsible for improvements to the methods used to produce solar energy. He also created new designs for a solar water heater, a solar battery, and a sun stove.
He also developed the Zara Effect or Electrical Kinetic Resistance.
Zara received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1959 for his work in solar energy, aeronautics and television. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1926. He received his Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1927 and in 1930 his Doctorate of Physics.

Fluorescent lamp
The world would have been a darker place were if not for Agapito Flores – the alleged inventor of the fluorescent lamp, which is the most widely used source of lighting in the world today.
The name "fluorescent" was reportedly taken from his surname Flores. However, other inventors claimed credit for developing the fluorescent lamp. They included French physicist A. E. Becquerel (1867), Nikola Tesla, Albert Hall (1927), Mark Winsor and Edmund Germer. French inventor Andre Claude was recognized for developing the fluorescent tubular lighting systems. Yet, he was not officially recognized as the inventor of fluorescent lamp.
It was reported that the General Electric and Westinghouse obtained Claude’s patent rights and developed the fluorescent lamp that we know today. Other Filipino scientists also expressed doubts on Flores as the inventor of the fluorescent lamp. They said the lamp was not invented in a particular year but was the product of 79 years of the development of the lighting method that began with the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison. The National Academy of Science and Technology also dismissed Flores being the inventor of the fluorescent lamp as a myth. "No scientific report, no valid statement, no rigorous documents can be used to credit Flores for the discovery of the fluorescent lamp. We have tried to correct this misconception, but the media (for one) and our textbooks (for another) keep using the Flores example," a Filipino scientist once wrote in a newspaper. Fluorescent lamps were introduced into the US market in 1938. Despite the doubts, however, many Filipinos recognize Agapito Flores as the inventor of the product.

Lamp-fixing technology
A Filipino inventor has developed a technology which could revive a busted lamp and give it more years of functional life. Acclaimed by the Filipino Inventors Society as timely and revolutionary, the Nutec system can prolong the life of fluorescent lamps up to seven years. Nutec was developed by New World Technology, headed by president Eric Ngo and chosen as the "Product of the Year" at the Worldbex 2000 Building and Construction Exposition held at the Manila Hotel. Engineer Benjamin S. Santos, national president of the Inventors Society, called Nutec a timely invention.

Modular housing
Edgardo Vazquez won a World Intellectual Property Organization gold medal in 1995 for developing a modular housing system. The system, called Vazbuilt, allows for the construction of a building within weeks using prefabricated materials that can withstand typhoons and earthquakes.

"Tubig Talino"
The DoST claimed that it has developed "Tubig Talino," an iodine-rich drinking water that treats micronutrient deficiencies responsible for goiter, mental and physical retardation, and birth defects. "Tubig Talino" is actually a mixture of 20 liters of water and 15 ml of "Water Plus + I2". Consumption of five glasses a day of this iodine fortification in drinking water is expected to provide 120 micrograms of iodine, which meets 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of a male adult.

Space engineer
On June 25, 2002, the provincial government of Cavite awarded Edward Caro a plaque of recognition for his 42 years of service at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States where he helped launch the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission or the Explorer. Caro, a native of Cavite, retired from NASA in 2001. In return, NASA during the same year conferred Caro the Distinguished Science medal, reportedly the highest honor it gives to its employees.

Mole remover
Rolando dela Cruz developed a formula in 2000 that could quickly remove deeply embedded and large moles or warts on the skin without leaving scars or hurting the patient. His formula was extracted from cashew nut (Annacardium occidentale). The formula won for Dela Cruz a gold medal in International Invention, Innovation, Industrial Design and Technology Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in September 2000. In March 1997, Dela Cruz established RCC Amazing Touch International Inc., which runs clinics engaged "in a non-surgical removal of warts, moles and other skin growths, giving the skin renewed energy and vitality without painful and costly surgery."

Feminine hygiene product
Dr. Virgilio Malang won a gold medal for his invention "Psidium Guajava Effervescing Gynecological Insert," a silver medal for his "Patient Side-Turning Hospital Bed," and three bronze medals for such inventions as the "external vaginal cleanser," "light refracting earpick" and "broom’s way of hanging" at the Seoul International Fair in held South Korea in December 2002. There were 385 inventions from 30 countries that joined the competitions.

Patis maker
Patis became part of the Filipino diet only after the Japanese occupation in 1945 when the family of Ruperta David, or Aling Tentay, started a dried fish business. One day, Aling Tentay stored in jars some salted fish that turned broke into several pieces even before they dried. While in jars, the pieces of fish turned into a salty liquid substance. Thus began the thriving patis business of Aling Tentay. Patis was officially registered in 1949 and is known today as Tentay Food and Sauces Inc.

Other noted scientists
Among the other noted Filipino inventors and scientists are Benjamin Almeda who was acknowledged for his food-processing machine; Teodula Afrika for nata de coco; Ramon Agpoon for dragon fire stove; Adriano Alfonso for cultured cement; Laurelio Anasco for "dormitron"; Arturo Baluyot for Philippine-made airplane; Guillermo Barredo for Maharlika water heater; Pelagio Bautista for hydrosil; Dr. George Camara for experiments on teleophthalmology; Carlos Casas, for stand-alone amplifier called Voca CDX 1001 Superamp; Gonzalo Catan Jr. for green charcoal; Roberto Celis for multipurpose portable survival kit; Rolando Cruz for emergency water heater; Ernesto Darang for shake-and-serve nurser; Armen Dator for magic street sweeper; Maria Carlita Rex Doran for ampalaya solution against HIV; Jaime Escolano for fiber-processing machine; Pepito Fajicular for multi-purpose routing machine; Leonardo Gasendo for salt evaporator; Ramon Gustilo for artificial bone replacement systems; Oscar Ibarra for studies on algorithm and computing; Samuel Ignacio for early warning device for vehicles; Marc Loinaz for one-chip video camera; Jacinto Ledesma for rocking dental chair; Cipriano Lim for safety switch box; Dr. E. V. Macalalag Jr. for universal urinary stone solvent; Antonio Madrid for charcoal furnace; Felix Maramba for coconut oil-fueled power generator; Jose Navato for digital fever detector; Maria Ylagan Orosa for developing banana catsup and pineapple vinegar; Francisco Quisumbing for Quink pen ink; Jose Rodriguez for research on leprosy; Felipe Santillan for rotary dryer; Cornelio Seno for "Pressure Fluid Machine"; Manuel Silos for siloscope; Juanito Simon for Tribotech; Camilo Tabalba for telephone electronic; Ned Teves for endotracheal tube cardiac monitor; Juan Urbano for fountain pen; and Carmen Velasquez for research on Philippine fish species.

(Friday, November 23, 2007
Manila Bulletin,  special thanks to Winston Reyes- future inventor of practice shooting range using live pets and pests, for the contri)

Got this from Pastor Michael Paderes

http://michaelpaderes.multiply.com/journal/item/64/Filipino_F1_Drivers

Finally!  An article which psychoanalyzes the psyche of the Filipino driver.  Read this two days ago in the Inquirer.  Read it to check if you can see yourself in it.  I now have the perfect excuse for my poor driving, “It’s the F1 driver in me!”  Quick, someone give an altar call for Pastor Winston...



For Filipino Drivers, Traffic Lights are Mere Suggestions
By Tessa Salazar
Inquirer
Last updated 05:13am (Mla time) 11/18/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- As the story goes, when Formula 1 driver Jenson Button visited Manila a few years ago, he quipped: “I can see lots of Formula 1 driving out here.”

Button’s wry observation has been echoed by many first-time visitors to Metro Manila. How can Filipinos, known for being hospitable, generous and caring, be transformed into road bullies when behind the wheel?

Mandy Eduque, Automobile Association Philippines director, likes to quote an Australian traffic consultant of a public works project who made this stunning observation: For Filipino drivers, traffic lights are merely “a suggestion.”

Dr. Jose Regin Regidor, director of the UP National Center for Transportation Studies, blames it on impatience. Combined with the “Filipino time” attitude of doing things at the last minute, this forces drivers—of both public and private vehicles—to resort to overly aggressive driving.

Lack of education and training could be another factor, he adds. “There’s this misconception that only public transport drivers are at fault. But in reality, the public utility and truck drivers are more predictable in their behavior [compared] to many private drivers who are barumbado (reckless).”

Regidor adds that road bullies exist because other drivers allow themselves to be intimidated. “If you see a luxury car or an SUV tailgating you, you would most probably give way. And that car wouldn’t even have to flash his headlights.”

Surprisingly, these bully drivers are usually educated and accomplished individuals. “But once they get behind the wheel, their personality changes, they have an alter ego. I agree, some people imagine themselves as F1 drivers [on public streets],” Regidor says.

He adds that aggressive driving also applies to motorcyclists who express their “impatience” by weaving in and out of lanes.