A monument for Pacquiao?

Okay, I am not totally surprised. PacMan is a political hotcake, a bonanza, a supernova. Politicians call him a hero. People in the boxing world called him People’s Champ. Some may call him, “Manny the Great.”

I call him a boxing champ. Number 1 pound for pound king in the boxing world. The most exciting and entertaining boxer in the world at the moment…. and I like him.

But a monument for Manny? Whoaa… This must be too much. Sorry PacMan fanatics, it’s just too much for me.

Let me say, a monument for Gat Jose Rizal was built years after he was martyred. A monument for Gat Andres Bonifacio was built years after he was martyred. What else? Ninoy Aquino’s monuments were built years after he was killed. What’s common in them? Their imprints in Philippine heroism had been established. They were killed for a patriotic cause. Became rebels for a patriotic cause… Manny maybe have a patriotic cause, but there are still some issues that need to be settled for Manny and some are questionably personal ones. It was in the news…

Does being an inspiration to the Filipino people deserve a monument? Does winning boxing match deserving of a monument? Okay, who inspired us before Manny? Billiards king Efren Reyes; I’m not sure if a monument was built in his honor. 4-time world cup bowling champ Paeng Nepomuceno… Flor Contemplacion, an OFW who made a mark on Filipino’s hearts when she was sentenced and hanged in Singapore in the 90’s… .to mention a few. How about the OFW’s. How about building a monument for the so-called “Bagong Bayani”? OFWs maybe more deserving, they are one of the drivers of Philippine economy.

I have doubts in my mind, as I have always been doubtful about all this madness. It’s just all about politics and one can’t think of a justification of using Manny as a bait to what really this politicians are up to… political nonsense. Sadly, Manny is just being used… but it doesn’t really matter for him anyway, he has good intentions.

Manny inspired us, no doubts about it. But let’s just go back to reality. He may have united us Filipinos to cheer for a Filipino fighting for money and country’s for less than 15 minutes… And days after all the victory parades and cheers and handshakes and celebrations and congratulations… did we ever think that all these are temporary? Did he really unite the Filipino people?

Come on guys. Let’s go back to our senses.

Read the news clip here from MB online.

Great day for World Boxing!

I was excited today. Woke up at 7am, had a hot shower and took off to 7-eleven to buy a loaf of classic gardenia.

Ella called me just want to ask when the boxing starts… like all other pinoys out there, she’s excited. I just can’t imagine how peaceful the Philippines is right now. I hope nobody dies of heart attack today when Pacquiao fights. Lol!

Viloria technically lost the fight although it was a majority draw. He fought quite well as far as I am concerned. He just lacks the follow-ups especially when he downed Nino on the 9th. I don’t call 5th a knockdown. The last round was supposedly his last chance but he didn’t do it well. But he fought better than the last time they met last August and faster, too.

But that is boxing. Somebody has to lose. Unfortunately, it has to be Viloria and Erik.

Manny is just too good for Erik today. I feel sad in a way because I am fan of Erik as well. He was a great fighter and it saddened me that he has to go this way. I thought he doesn’t have to end his boxing carrier like that. He’s this guy who outboxes all his opponents and now he was downed 3 times.

“I think it's time to go home now and forget all this…” Erik Morales

PacMan is just too good of a boxer today! Not only that, Manny has just lifted our spirits today and nobody can take that away from a nation looking for a lift right now. I never saw PacMan fight that fast before, even in their second meeting last January or even with Barrera about 3 years ago.
Kudos to PacMan. All the best! Mabuhay ka, Manny… You gave us a hell of three rounds! Thanks man!

Who’s next? Hmmmm… Barrera, Marquez… line ‘em up!

Thank you Astro for the opportunity to watch PacMan boxed El Terrible live… I just hope that someday Dream TV will wake up and make some noise in the Philippines like you do here in Malaysia.

But wait!!! I just can’t believe Chavit Singson was there inside the ring, waving his hands with the mighty PacMan like he just won the presidency. Shit! That sucks!!!

A week that was...

Sunday was the usual long travel day for me from Manila to Clark to KLIA to Melaka… just a 13-hour trip. How I wish Cebu Pacific starts its operations here too soon… But hey, starting December, 5J will start flying from KLIA direct to NAIA. That would be easier and less stressful. Can’t wait!

Monday, 13November.
Nothing much happened. Had our sales meeting, we call it international sales meeting hahaha!!! An Indian, a Thai, a Japanese, a couple of Malaysians and of course me, Pinoy. It was a good meeting. Lots of thinking and strategies to consider. Well, we guys hoped that all these will be taken into a reality.

Tuesday, 14November.
We set off for Perak, North of Malaysia to meet a supplier. We were supposed to go Penang but we had to rush bak to Melaka due to an incident in the factory. Wow man, the place is cool. A 200km stretch of forest cover from KL to Perak. Nature at its best, guys! Two waterfalls down the stretch, caves, hills, forest, marble quarries. I was really disappointed of myself not bringing my camera. But anyway, I had my camera phone with me but it would have been better if I bring the better one. It's a lesson for me. I should have thought of being an accidental tourist that day.

At the end of the day, I was totally drained from traveling almost 18 hours. But I had fun. With much optimism also with this potential supplier. Hope things gets better though.

Wednesday, 15November
Nothing much happenings in the office but all about yesterday’s incident was the talk of the town. Sorry guys, I can’t talk about it for now. I think it’s too complicated…

When I came back to my flat, damn! I can’t use my shower room!

Thursday, 16November
Seellan brought me to Shin Etsu in Shah Alam. Good experience for me in a way. I went inside a Silicon Wafer processing plant for the first time. It was cool… Oh, how I missed working inside… L

Back in the office at around 5:00 in the afternoon and I saw him and my boss arguing about something. Hahaha! What a day. I’m with you, Seellan . Just don’t be too wrecked out about it.

I came back to my flat just to find out that the house cleaner didn’t return the key to the warden. It was raining that night. Dr. Panchal called me and invited me to his house for dinner. Thanks goodness… I just love Indian food. This time, his wife cooked something like a hotcake made from rice flour, potato “cake”, and “Kuri”, a sauce made of yogurt with flour and spices. Really nice.

Friday, 17November
My goodness, they were arguing again. Jeez… Fortunately, my boss left for a business trip and the office was silent again.

Then suddenly, Seellan asked me if I know how to blog…. Great!!! “Ok, man. Settle down. We have a lot of time this afternoon but promise me, don’t ever blog about boss otherwise we’ll be in a hot pan..” It was a simple piece of advise from me.

Voila! He’s a new blogger… Well, it’s Ate Melai's legacy to share. I just saw Seellan's face transformed from an angry son of a bitch to a happy and excited Indian!!! Hahahaha!!! Shit! I can see Dominic a future blogger next week. I hope boss doesn’t catch up with us.

Saturday, 18November
We were transformed from being office guys to movers for about 3 hours. But there was no way we’re going to wear a tie…

Later, boss told me to postpone our travel to Vietnam on the 27th and that I might as well got to Singapore with Dominic. Damn, I already had an appointment with these Viets… but it’s ok. I was able to change the sched though. Thanks for my wits! Hahaha!!!

It was sad. I won’t be able to come back to Philippines next week… I missed my kids, I missed Ella…. But the heck, it’s the price to pay for working abroad….

And suddenly I got pay-per-view of the Grand Finale!!! Our HR manager is just too kind to give me a break, hahaha!!! Thanks, Mr. Shahrudin. This is surely a blast! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

A hesitant heart

Wednesday, about 2 weeks ago, Ella confided with me about her conversation with her boss that day. It was about her being appointed as an OIC Chief of one of the divisions of the agency. In one way, she was quite hesitant to accept the offer because of the fact that there are other seniors at her level who could definitely do the job and that definitely she'll probably be able to demoralize some of her colleagues (the seniority thing which is now a mere backward thinking for me...).

Second, she was hesitant because she is too young to accept the offer. Then, she thinks she is not yet ready to do the job and that other seniors can do better. But on the other hand, she was glad that day knowing that her boss has the trust on her all the while.

"That's the point!"

Anyway, I told her that these days, though still considered, seniority is no longer at the top of the list of corporate mindset in terms of human resource and she and all her other collegues should understand that. Then most of the time, the boss sees more of her than herself and that may be one of the reasons why she picked her despite having other seniors to look into. And of course, she can't question her boss' decision in one way or the other. She can ask all the 'whys' and 'what ifs' but if she's rejecting the offer, it may be sending a wrong signal to her superiors; that she is weak! And only a few people have that opportunity and she should be lucky to be one of the few...

I suggested to accept the offer. Though it is not promotion, it is an opportunity for her to do more and better out of her job. "Don't mind the rumors! It is normal in corporate environment. It will subside in a few weeks. Just do what you are suppose to do!" I insisted. Afterall, it is for her to prove the rumors wrong.

The papers were signed last Wednesday. There were well wishers, there were sourgrapers. Some minds congratulated her, some minds were not so welcoming. Some are happy for her, others could be mad. Some smiled, some frowned.

I told her... "Hon, it is not your fault, could be theirs... congrats!"

Then the hesitant smiles...

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Want to know Pareng Edwin's text today? click here...

Medical malpractice, can you believe that???

"Wrong blood type kills woman, baby."

"Wrong injection kills 3-year old girl..."

Medical macpractice in hospitals... wtf!

I heard the good secretary of health this morning in a morning show saying "the baby is already in a severe condition, with sepsis..." What??? Wow, I just can't believe he said that kind of excuse! The fact of the matter is, the hospital staff used the wrong injection to the poor girl at hindi pinag-uusapan dito kung gaano kalala ang kondisyon ng pasyente.

The same with Ms. Victoria who was supposed to give birth died because of a wrong blood type given to her during the transfusion. Imagine, type B blood was used instead of type A??? She and the baby died!!!!

It is understandable that definitely these incidents were uncalled of. Nobody in the medical profession wants this to happen. However, these incidents should have been avoided if these guys are too careful in carrying out what they are supposed to do. Pucha, hindi kagaya ng mekaniko ang pagkadoktor o pagka nurse na pwedeng palitan ng hex screw ang phillips screw!!! Buhay ang nakataya dito. They have no choice but to be careful in what they are supposed to do.

Come on, Doc. Secretary, please don't say that excuse naman. Please...

Calling on the Philippine legislators... yung Patient's Rights Bill po baka pwedeng basahin na jan sa congreso at ipasa na. Wag na po natin hintayin na ang isang kamag-anak ng congressman o senador na makaranas ng ganito, at magmamadali nang ipasa ang bill para makabawi sa nagkamali. Ganyan naman dito sa Pinas, di ba? Kung hindi maapektuhan ang mambabatas, ok lang.

One example, Dr. Loi Ejercito authored a bill in the senate to release more funds for dengue researh after one of her grandchildren (or great grandchildren) was infected with the terrible desease. I'm not bluffing, this was in the news about 2-3 months ago...

Classic example, Sen. Revilla (Sr) filed a bill to revise the family code so that the illigitimate children can use the father's surname... I just can't remember what incident triggered him that time but it was in the news about 6 years ago... to protect his other children...

Nakupo, yung nursing exam contreversy pala... what more can I say??? Well, the review centers are now monitored... duh!

2006 budget for health pala ay 0.25 cents per filipino according dun sa dokyu ng Probe ata yun o yung sa i-witness early this year. Biogesic costs 5.00 pesos a piece. Could you belive that???

I'm not saying that because of all this medical malpractice issues, we don't want to trust the doctors of these hospitals. In fact, in engineering terms, it's only a 'spike' in the data and is negligible. But medical profession can't simply accept spikes as part of their profession. Spikes like this can lead to death!!!

No excuse or whatever!

When I grow up, I want to be a...

"Class, I want you to write a formal theme with the subject 'What I want to be when I grow up'..." Si Mrs. Chavez, grade 3 adviser namin.

Naalala ko lang nung una kaming pinagawa ng formal theme sa grade school. Si Shaira kasi, pinsan ni ella, nagpatulong sa kin gumawa ng isang story summary tungkol kay Ramon at Jose. yun nga lang, parang kwentong bisaya naman daw yung summary na ginawa namin sabi ni ella. Eh ano ba naman expectation nya e bisaya ako!!!

Naalala ko nun, tuwing mga ganitong gawain sa eskwela, ang nanay ko ang aking karamay... maraming beses sya ang gumagawa at maraming bese din akong may 'very good' na marka at may pirma ng maga adviser namin. Naman! Nanay ko ang gumawa e... hahahaha!!!

Di ko din masyado maakukuha kung bakit 'My ambition' ang pinaka common na subject pag formal theme writing. Mula nung grade 3 hanggang nung sa grade 6 ako e yun at yun ang pinagtrtripan na subject ng maga guro namin. Bakit nga ba? Di ko natanong kay Ms. Zamayla (grade 6 adviser namin) kung bakit. Siguro di pa ako maruning magtanong nun...

So ito yung mga naging ambisyon ko nun mula nung natuto ako sumulat ng formal theme:

Grade3 - "My ambition in life.... My ambition is to become a teacher someday..." Oo, gustong gusto kong maging maestro nun. Gusto ko lang siguro maging katulad ni mama na magaling magturo. Frustrated, tinuruan na ako ni mama matutong magbasa at sumulat nung apat na taon pa ata ako nun... Kung sablay, lagapak abutin ko.

Grade4- "I want to be a Doctor someday... I want to help the sick..." Pucha, sabi kasi ni papa na gusto nya akong maging doktor kaya inisip ko na yun bago magpasukan sa grade4. Pero nung sumabi baba ko sa barbed wire, ayoko na... Hindi ata humanga sa akin si Mrs. Pongo nun kasi 85 lang nakuha kong marka.

Grade5- "I want to be an Engineer someday... I want to build buildings and bridges..." Gaya ni Mrs. Pongo, hindi din ata humanga sa akin si Mrs. Nunag nun at 86 lang marka ko.

Grade6- Eto yung pinaka memorable ko sa lahat ng formal themes. Pucha, 90 nakuha kong marka nun. "My ambition in life is to become a ood father, a good husband, and a better person..." Siguro nung time na yun e nagsawa na akong mag-sip ng kung anu-anong ambisyon at maliit lang naman pala nakukuha kong marka... Big time ako nun, pinabasa pa ako ni Mrs. Zamayla sa harap ng mga kaklase ko at yun daw ang pinakamagandang formal theme na nabasa nya. Mula din nun, naging magkaibigan kami ni Mrs. Zamayla hanggang nung nasa trade school na ako. Hanep! Sa totoo lang naman kasi, naging inspirasyon ko nun si papa na walang trabaho at si mama na nagkakayud para lang kami mabuhay...

Wala na ata ako ambisyon nung unang dalawang tatlong taon sa high school nun o baka hindi lang napag-usapan sa formal theme ang 'I want to be someday' na tema nun. Pero ang pinaka ultimate ko na ambisyon at yun talaga nakatatak sa utak ko sa loob ng apat na taon ay ang pagpapari. Syet! Gustong gusto ko talaga maging pari nun. Pumasa pa ako sa isang semenaryo sa may Cainta nun, Barnabites ata ang seminaryong yun... pero di na ako tumuloy. Nahihiya ako sa mga magulang ko at umaasa sila sa kin na kahit papano ay makatulong naman sa kanila kahit pa nag-aaral ako... Ayun, di ako naging pari. Buti na lang!!! Pucha!

Pero kahit hindi ako naging doktor, o titser, o engineer, o pari... kahit papano naging asawa at naging ama naman ako. At kahit papano, isa sa mga naisusulat ko sa mga formal themes na yun ay nagkatotoo naman... Di ko pa nga lang sigurado kung talaga bang mabuting asawa ako kay Ella o mabuting ama sa mga anak ko, but I'm trying to be one.

Accidental tourist

It was the first time, for almost a year of travelling to Malaysia, that I was able to roam through the trails of Historic Malacca one hot Sunday, 22Oct2006. My brother-in-law asked me to buy for him a 100Gig external hard disc, which is way cheaper in Malaysia than in the Philippines.

So I took the chance and brought with me my camera... and now I'm sharing the pictures through this blog...

Above is the Maritime Museum of Malacca located along the Malacca River, which is the replica of the Purtugese ship called "Flora del Mar" which sank off the coast of Malacca on its way to Purtugal. I am not sure, however, if it is the old Malacca Harbor. I took the picture on top of the St. Paul's Hill where the old St. Paul's Church is located. Historically, the Purtugese were the first westerners to settle in Malaysia particularly in Malacca.

Entrance fee here is RM30.00 or around PhP400.00 and voila! You're inside a Purtugese Ship! Like all other museums, no picture taking is allowed inside. Sadly, I wasn't be able to go inside the ship... :(Opposite the Maritime Museum is the Old Purtugese Fortress. This is famously called as "A' Famosa". This was once a symbol of Purtugese supremacy in the Straits of Malacca. A' Famosa was destroyed by the Dutch in 1641 after 130 years of Purtugese occupation of Malacca.

Behind A' Famosa is the St. Pauls hill where the famous St. Paul's Church is located. The famous Jesuit Saint, St. Francis Xavier, was interred here for 9 months in 1553 before his body was finally transferred permanently to Goa, India.

The church was built by the Purtugese and was later turned into a burial ground of the noble dutch such as the Harbor Masters. To this date, Tombstones are still left intact inside the church.

At the base of the St. Paul's hill is the Stadthuys, which was the seat of the Dutch government at Malacca built in 1650. Inside the Stadthuy's complex is the Christ Church built in 1753, which is one of the oldest Christian churches in Mallaca.

It took me almost an hour and a half following the trail but I ran out of excitement visiting other museums due to the heat that day adding up the haze caused by the Indonesian wild fires. I had a day though.

I never thought I'd be a tourist one time to the fact that I travel to Malaysia for work. But the heck, I realize that It's also a chance for me to be enjoy the places I going to...

Next stop... Vietnam!