EAST MEETS WEST (June 21, 2010)

Ever wondered where outgoing Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was when incoming Pres. Benigno Aquino III and Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay were proclaimed officially during the 14^th Congress led by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles?

Last June 9, GMA was reportedly with other distinguished guests celebrating the 35^th year of Philippines-China diplomatic relations in China through a gala performance .

The theme Better City, Better Life rings aloud in all the pavillons.

And the Philippine pavillon's theme is Performing Cities.

“The Philippine delegation of 114 artists and staff came with one intent,” Dr. Alexander Cortez, its director, revealed: “to show to the world the artistry of the Filipino people, that Filipinos can stand side by side with the world's best in the performance arena. The predominantly Filipino-Chinese audience at the huge exposition hall (as all buildings are in Shanghai) caught a glimpse of how professional Filipino artists are. In the absence of English-speaking crew members, the Filipinos managed to present a seamlessly woven show of the old and new, modern and traditional and classical showing various influences of China and Spain in our cultural life.”

Two Wednesdays ago, while MYX – our country's top music magazine --was launching its latest special issue on the The Land of the Morning Calm's K-Pop artists, our Filipino artists, the so-called serious ones, were in the Land of the Big Exports!

Sad to say, all the Pinoy fans of 2AM, 2PM, 2NE1, 4Minute, After School, BEAST, Boa, BEG, f(x), FT Island, SNSD, Kara, Rain, SHINee, SS501, T-Ara, TVXQ, UKiss, WG, Wheesung or BIG BANG would not even care about our very own Cecile Licad and the rest of the delegation who wowed the crowd at the Great Hall, Expo Center in Shanghai.

Hats off, no matter what, to each and every star and staffer of Two Rivers, Two Hearts: Philippine Philharmonic orchestra with Maestro Chino Toledo, UNESCO Ambassador Philippine Madrigal Singers led by Mark Anthony Carpio, Ballet Philippines with its Artistic Director Paul Morales, Philippine Folk Dance ensemble (from Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group) guided by Marciano Viri; violinist Joseph Esmilla accompanied by Rudolph Golez; kulintang soloist Kanapia Kalanduyan; sopranos, Rachelle Gerodias, Joanna Go and singer Jon Joven; guitarist Butch Roxas; Edru Abraham's Kontra Gapi who all brought the Red Hall down.

Even CNN News Bureau (Beijing) Chief Jaime Flor Cruz and Annie Luis, a Peking opera scholar in Beijing, did great as their masters of ceremonies in the said Shanghai Exposition for the Philippine National day.

Shanghai Expo is presently the biggest event in China next to Beijing Olympics.

However, we will never really run out of world-class performing artists.

One vendor of a Chinese street food, for instance, can attest to it.

Jovit Baldivino, not a lumpiang Shanghai but a siomai sensation, triumphed over Baguio Metamorphosis, Sherwin Baguion, Keith Delleva, Allan “Alakim” De Paz, Ezra Band, Luntayao Family, Jeline Oliva, Ingrid Payaket, Markki Stroem, Ruther Urquia, and Velasco Brothers to become the first ever Pilipinas Got Talentgrand winner.

More so, in the field of dance alone, Agnes Locsin, our foremost Filipino neo-ethnic choreographer, can brag about her babies in dancers Christine Crame, Annette Cruz-Mariano, Judell De Guzman-Sicam, Gaye Galiluyo, Sony Locsin, Alden Lugnasin, Ernest Mandap, Ryan Ocampo, Camille Ordinario-Joson, Georgette Sanchez, and Perry Sevidal. In her newest dance creation -- Sayaw, Sabel inspired by National Artist Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera’s painting, Sabel – Locsin promises to show how Filipinos go through life in the midst of all their troubles and tribulations with shining resilience with a big help from some of the biggest names in Philippine theater: Maribel Legarda, Melvin Lee, Shamaine Centenera Buencamino and her husband, Nonie. You can still catch East West Danse, a three-week series of refreshing dance performances complimented by workshops which aim to host a dynamic exchange of ideas between local and international artists on Saturday, June 26, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) Theater Center at #5 Eymard Drive in New Manila, Quezon City. Also made possible by Bellyfest 2010 and the French Embassy, this is not just a showcase of Filipino and French contemporary dance but an encounter with Middle Eastern dance, too.

Speaking of French, one ballet dancer we discovered is the Mystery Sister of our former student at University of the Philippines last year, Julliano Fernando Guiang, a student leader who had been a part of Claret School of Quezon City's Claretian Peace Weavers and a part-time host of National Commission for Culture and the Arts and NBN-4's Sining Gising and Art Alright.It is for us to know who Ms. Guiang is and for you to find out when the Guiang siblings collaborate with us in performing our poem An Immense Difference Is The Power after Heber Bartolome’s painting calledFilipina. Translated by Francis Paolo Quina, our poem will be interpreted by her dancing to tune of Baz Luhmann's Moulin Rouge's music for closing credits – Bolero.

It will be on June 23 in an annual poetry reading, Le Printemps des Poètes 2010 – The Spring of Poets 2010 – produced by the Alliance Française de Manille with the participation of the Embassy of Switzerland and the Embassy of France.This year's theme is Couleur Femme… Color Of Women. This annual French poetry festival will be held this coming Wednesday at the AFM itself at #209 Nicanor Garcia Street in Makati City.

According to AFM's Board of Directors president, Deanna Ongpin-Recto: “We can say dispassionately that in poetry as well as in other artistic fields, women have been confined to subordinate roles as muse, confidant and sympathizer. A lot can be said about the derogatory connotations of the word “poetess.” Whether or not “women’s poetry” exists is not an issue here. Instead, the aim of the project is to illuminate the contribution of women poets throughout history and their remarkable presence in contemporary writing. This could also be the occasion to consider the representations of women in the poetic imagination far beyond the stereotypes of celebratory romance.”

By the way, another European Union member, Instituto Cervantes, will be launching -- with the Embassy of Spain and Biblioteca Clásicos Hispanofilipinos -- Jesús Balmori’s Los Pájaros de Fuego (Birds of Fire). Born in Ermita, Manila on 10 January 1887 – Balmori was a Spanish literary prodigy who at age 17 already published his first book of versesRimas Malayas. As a lyric poet, Balmori garnered different national awards for his poem Gloria (1908) which won first prize in a contest sponsored by El Renacimiento and A Nuestro Señor Don Quijote de la Mancha (1920) which attained the major award in a contest promoted by Casas de España. However, some of Balmori’s greatest poems are in the collection Mi Casa de Nipa(1940), which won the grand prize for poetry in the national literary contest sponsored by the Commonwealth government. Before the war, Balmori – under the penname “Batikuling” – had his journalistic stint for the La Vanguardia where he wrote about the society’s oligarchs – showcasing his talent as a creative writer. He often engaged in a Balagtasan with fellow poet Manuel Bernabe.

Mike Coroza, defended his dissertation about his translation of justa poetica from Spanish to Filipino -- Gunita at Paglimot: Salin at Suri ng Unang Balagtasan sa Espanyol nina Jesus Balmori at Manuel Bernabe – at U.P. College of Arts and Letters. Yesterday, Mike, one-third of our Balagtasan Team MTV (or Mike, Teo, Vim), laid his mom, Salud Modina Coroza, to rest at Himlayang Pilipino. Last Saturday at the Bonita Memorial Homes in Marikina City, we hosted a program featuring no less than the Mabuhay Singers.

TEXT SUPPORT:

Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

CONSIDER THIS:

Life always involve a fight, a race, and a test. When things get tough, remember your identity. You are a fighter. You are a finisher. You are a faithful conqueror of God.

WEATHER THE STORM (June 14, 2010)

It's official.

L.P.A. is here!

Politically, it could mean Liberal Party's Aquino.

Our hope!

But for PAGASA, or Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, it is nothing but Low Pressure Area.

One was spotted 40 kilometers northwest of Basco, Batanes last Friday.

June 4 witnessed another rainshowers scattered during the inauguration of The Gallery, the visual component of theBonifacio Arts Center in Global City complex. Right within the FVR Park, The Gallery opened with an exhibition of photography, painting, sculpture and installation art by 22 artists making cloudy skies reminiscent of Andy Warhol's taupe canvas or Kelly Hoppen's gray interiors.

Thunderstorms of claps and clamor deafened Humanfolk -- composed of guitarist-composer Johnny Alegre with New York-based Pinay percussionist, Susie Ibarra, and her drummer husband, Roberto Juan Rodriguez, and poet/instrumentalist Cynthia Alexander and electronica expert Malek Lopez. Flashfloods of applause was caused by theUniversity of the Philippines Guitar Orchestra, featuring National Music Competitions for Young Arts Foundation (NAMCYA) winner Franco Moscardon Maigue and Adrik Cristobal, both members of the guitar ensemble. The pioneering improvisation comedy troupe -- SPIT -- or Silly People’s Improvisational Theater succeeded, as ever, in triggering or intriguing landslides of laughter.

Entitled Ulan sa Tag-init, the show features 22 artists from as far as Cebu like Sio Montero and the U.S. of A such as Julian Oteysa, Marvin Santos, and Marielle Mariano. Other future National Artists taking part include Arnel Agawin, Alex Aguilar, Pandy Aviado, Maxbal Balatbat, Joe Bautista, Ruel Caasi, Ross Capili, Fitz Herrera, Nap Jamir II, Jethro Jocson, Red Mansueto, and Eghai Roxas.

Salvador Ching, the pride of Bulacan, failed to make it to their ribbon-cutting since he was with us during the culminating activity of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Department of Education's Summer Camp on Culture-Based Citizenship Building and Good Governance for Teachers, Youth, and Students in Bago City, Negros Occidental. Buddy, our Buenos Aires Mountain Resort roommate, had been contemplating on staging the greatest performance art in Lapu-lapu City on October 20, his luckiest day according to his personal Chinese calendar!

Perhaps, he will dare doing a Cesare A.X. Syjuco, raising an artistic family, with his equally versatile wife, performance artist and painter Jean Marie Syjuco, who reared brainy and beautiful daughters – Maxine, Michellene, and Trix Syjuco – making waves for themselves! The Syjucos' works can also be viewed in Full Circle: Creativity Moving Through Generations, running until June 30 at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. They are featured with other family teams of Anita, Doris and Robert Alexander Magsaysay Ho; Agustin, Abi, and Anna Marie Goy; Salvacion and Lewis Lim Higgins; Betty and Kenneth Cobonpue, our Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) batchmate.

Likewise, siblings – Monnar and Mailah – son and daughter of internationally popular and prolific artist Manuel and Delia Baldemor, will open their show Sensibility on June 18, at the 2/F floor, Ortigas Building, Ortigas Avenue,Ortigas Center in Pasig City where their homes at Green Park were greatly affected by super-typhoon Ondoy last year.

Compared to his father (or his elder brother Marvin who had his solo exhibit Migration Of My Vision last year in Donegal, Ireland where he is based) -- whose trademarks are both re-creating what can be seen outside – Monnar loves to look inward, leaning more towards the direction of Bosch, Dali, and Degasperi objectifing human thoughts and feelings, exploring the depths of dream and despair, exploiting the criminal mind, for instance, to the point that you will be convinced to forgive his or her sins. Where is this angst coming from? “From my observations of society,” he reveals, “I learn to abhor those who pretend to be blind, credit grabbers, procrastinators. But nothing about my work is obvious. Mainly, I want people to think. I want people to like my works not just to hang in their living room, but to spur their intellectual curiosity.” Majoring in advertising, Monnar obtained his degree in Fine Arts from the University of the East-Caloocan where he joined the Pinsel Artist Group. Then he became a member of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) and Samahan ng mga Kartonista sa Pilipinas (SKP). Yes, he is a cartoonist, too, maintaining cartoon strips for such publications as Sun Star Manila, Diyaryo Filipino, Manila Times, and Malaya for almost two decades. At present, he is the design director for the weekly magazine Women’s Journal. He has won in the Artist Association of the Philippines -- where his dad's career began – and in the Phillip Morris Group of Companies' Philippine Art Awards.

On the other hand, Mailah is the kind of artist whose style can be compared to de Nerval's “Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.” She has the power to transport everyone to the magnificent sceneries she has been to here and abroad. Her deliberate use of softness in tone radiates her take on Mother Nature via acrylic and watercolor. Yet a far cry from, say, Klimt's yonic symbology, still her flowers, defined and thick, are elaborated with breadth and depth that leave a cool and comfortable, thus healing, effect.

The incumbent chair of University of Santo Tomas, College of Fine Arts and Design's Painting Department, Mailah made it big early in 1993, when at 19 she placed second – both in the watercolor painting category -- during the 10^thMetrobank Foundation National Painting Competition and during the 26^th Shell National Student Art Competition. After two years, she took the honorable mention, again in the watercolor painting category, during the 12^th Metrobank Foundation National Painting Competition. At 23, she had her first one-woman exhibit in 1997 entitled The Blessed Mother at the Galerie Y. In between group exhibitions and art competitions in and out of the country, she has been involved in both formal and non-formal education, including her art workshop for kids with cancer at the National Children’s Hospital in 2006 with our colleague, Fatima “Girlie” Garcia-Lorenzo, and the Kythe Foundation. She won in the Kulay at Tubig Watercolor Invitational Competition for the Gallery Genesis in 2000 and 2008. Last year, she was part of Balik-Tanaw 2009: A Grupong Tomasino Annual Art Exhibition at the University of Santo Tomas's Beato Angelico Main Gallery as well as of Art Spectrum sponsored by the Intellectual Property Office and the Guro ng Sining on at the Alab Art Space Gallery and Innovation Gallery in Makati City. If you want to catch the cocktails during Monnar and Mailah Baldemor's Sensibility – please be early at the Ortigas Foundation Inc. For details, please call # 631-1231 to 38 or email at ortigasfoundation@ ortigas.com.ph.

Also opening on June 18, but earlier at 4 p.m., at the U.P. Jorge B. Vargas Museum are the three exhibitions: (1) Boundby Roberto Feleo, Jose Tence Ruiz, and Gaston Damag; (2) Bomba by Kawayan De Guia; (3) Yari by the Anino Shadowplay Collective. Yari runs until 3 August 2010, while Bomba and Bound will be on show until December 2010. For more information, kindly contact # 981-8500 loc. 4024 or write vargasmuseum@gmail.com.

At the Asia Arts Net Creative Exchange Project in Taipei in 2001, we were asked why we had so many stuff to say in our 15-minute performance art piece. Last Saturday, during our 112^th Independence Day celebration, we again realized that we still had a lot of unsaid things, artistically or not -- while we weather the storm -- past, present, and future!

TEXT SUPPORT:

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

CONSIDER THIS:

Things in life move with twists and turns and they happen with valid reasons. So if you doubt some things happen to you, stick to this: WE CAN NEVER LEARN TO BE BRAVE AND STRONG IF THE ONLY THING IN THIS WORLD IS HAPPINESS.”

THE OTHER NEGROS (June 07, 2010)

We had too many extra-curricular activities for the Summer Camp on Culture-Based Citizenship Building and Good Governance for Teachers, Youth, and Students. Right on the day we arrived last Tuesday, June 1, at the Buenos Aires Resort in Bago City, Negros Occidental – our gracious hosts tendered a welcome dinner wherein we, with everybody were all in Hawaiian getups with the young ones (and the young once too) who did not even know where in the world the 50th state in the U.S. of A. is or why did they have to spend just to like Lito Atienza or Nora Aunor when she was still allowed to sing by her doctors and devotees including Tirso Cruz III and their “daughter” Maria Leonora Theresa. After we already got into groove of sharing, our facilitators had to sweetly ask us cut short our lecture on fiction since they had to rehearse their pieces for an intermission number or to re-construct the image of their kid contestants for the very first Gabi ng Reyna at Diosa ng Sining. However, we could not turn them down, since our Creative Writing class had produced poems about themselves and children's stories about others, we easily melted to their “Sir, please...”and promises to eventually finish their collaboration the Visual Arts group in charge of illustrating their works. And to our surprise, with Ma-ao Sugar Central Elementary School's Angel Dee Corpez as the Reyna ng Sining -- it was our student, Ramon Torres Taloc National High School's Phoebe Lynne de Jesus, who was proclaimed the Diosa ng Sining 2010. Phoebe, who was still in Cloud 9 until 1 a.m., was able to finish her business ahead of everyone who crammed to do the same. Out of the estimated 200-plus participants – we had 100 students and 100 teachers, both stay-in and live-out – who survived all the brownouts. Aside from us – who were invited by National Commission for Culture and the Arts Commissioner Elmar Ingles – we had other resource persons: Novy Bereber for Dance, Salvador Ching for Visual Arts, and Director Alice Panares for Creative Arts and Crafts. The Choral Music class gathered the poems we produced and picked – Merilyn Gonzaga's Heart In Flight, Vivian Feratero's Rosas, Fritz Gulmatico's I Am A Coconut Tree, and Lalaine Tanaman's Ang Buhay -- to turn them into songs. It was under the watchful eye and ear of Jed Balsamo who was recently inducted by Cultural Center of the Philippines Vice-President/Artistic Director as Public Relations Officer with Anthony Say (President); Mary Anne Espina (1st Vice-President); Evelyn Ronquillo (2nd Vice-President); Melissa Taqueban (Secretary); Eloise Gonzalo (Assistant Secretary); Aristotle Molina (Treasurer); Dr. Meriam Macalisang (Assistant Treasurer); Albert Bactong (Assistant PRO); and board members Lourdes Guillen, Nerilyn Beratio, Mylen Macasado, and Arit Silvestre of the Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines. During the closing ceremonies called Bagonhon Gems In Motion last Friday at the 3,000-seater Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center, we could say that we succeeded based on poems performed such as Joy Grace Jara's I Am A Cactus, Roger Raymundo's Kapara ng Niyog, Kenny Jane Damaso's Taste The Ampalaya and Cherry Anne Emilia's Ang Makahiya. Or on stories told such as Eva Gareza's Blanca The Brush that tickled our funnybone or Sahara Macarampat's Ang Magkaibigang Shirty The Shirt at Painny The Pants that made her mom Eden, her classmate in our Creative Writing class, cry a river. Bago City Mayor Ramon Torres did not make it to their graduation like Dr. Milagros Gonzales, Dr. Portia Mallorca, but it was compensated by the wide grin of our Project Director, Mrs. Charisse Asencio, putting a special meaning on our short stay in Ilijan. Even the kind words of Boy George Benavente who gave their impressions on behalf of all the students including our facilitator -- Tessie Villanueva -- who could niot help but wax poetic with her praise: Samo't saring pangamba ang aming naramdaman,/ Lalong-lalo na sa iba't ibang disiplinang pinasukan./ Ang mga tagapagsalita'y may angking kagalingan / Na hindi mapapantayan ninuman magpakailanman. From there, we stayed overnight in Bacolod City, the capital city of smiles where our team parted ways after having a dinner-cum-concert courtesy of Jed who jammed with the Blind Diva, Annie Rose Britania, in Dr. Marichi Ramos' RestoGrill sa Baybay. Then, we were fetched at Kundutel to go to Talisay City for Camp Blog 1C. The venue is called Nature. But, we were there to deal with Culture. Literally, we were in the thick of things. Under the Office of the President, Commission on Information and Communications Technology's flagship project – iSchools -- headed by Antonette Tirona-Torres who run its Camp Blog last year at Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Field in Pampanga: 1A was held in May while 1B in November. 1C started since May 31 when the walking the walk took off after the talking the talk: Alex Sta. on Social Networking; Christian Placido Calma on Online Research; Jimmy Domingo on Basic Photography; Ramon Hofileňa on Negros Heritage; Rodel Sinapilo on Blogging, Modesto Saunoy on Negros History, Arts, and Culture; and the Torres couple, Joe and Toni, on Online Writing as well as Site and Resource Planning respectively -- before nine students and 10 teachers who were there to produce culturally sensitive blogs! In the past, the covered subjects were limited to English, Mathematics, Science, and Technology Livelihood Education (TLE). This time, Filipino is the focus. Our job was to help improve the participants' blog entries by commenting on their work after they consulted us before their final presentation on June 8. Dr. Rosella “Bambi” Torrecampo, the CICT iSchools consultant, explained to us everything: “The iSchool's camp blog training program is about integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICTS) in education by teaching high school students and teachers from public schools all over the Philippines to learn to blog about topics that can be used as lesson/material supplements in their classes.” Carlos Hilado Memorial State College -- the only state college in the province of Negros Occidental with 19 towns and 13 cities -- was tapped to host this event since it has been providing advanced technological, professional and vocational instruction and training in science, agriculture, and industrial fields. Parallel with Camp Blog 1c (1 because basic, c because the third) was Camp Blog 2A, the first advanced-level course offered by Project in its Camp Blog series wherein teachers, who were particpants of Camp Blog 1A and 1B, get to develop learning objects. More so, there was Framework Planning Workshop on Capability Building for Teachers (ICT4BE), too, in which the participants, who are mainly school adminstrators, drafted a framework that integrates ICT in the overall improvement of teachers in their various capacities be it teaching, classroom administration, development of education materials and even their own personal development. No wonder why iSchools Project – now on its fourth year in helping 1,000 public high school students nationwide with annual budget of P350 million -- won in the Digital Inclusion Category at the 3rd Government Technology Awards in Bali, Indonesia in 2009! TEXT SUPPORT: Learn from it and then let it go. If people cannot accept you at your worst. Then they don't deserve you at your best. CONSIDER THIS: The best age is encour-age. The best mile is s-mile. The best stand is under-stand. The best end is fri-end. The best day is to-day.

HISTOURISM IN HONGKONG (2) (May 31, 2010)

Thirty days ago, the Asian Domestic Workers’ Day was celebrated through a solidarity march by the domestic workers’ groups, trade unions, migrant organizations, women’s groups, civil society, and advocates all over Asia.

Called May Day 2010, it was a call for the recognition and respect of rights, value, contributions, and status of domestic workers as workers and equal members of society

It was the 124th anniversary of that day when 300,000 workers first walked out of their jobs demanding an eight-hour workday.

Glocal -- global yet local – was that historic walk.

Two Sundays ago, we with the Running Priest himself, Fr. Robert Reyes, did something like the fight for the eight-hour standard work.

But with a difference.

Yes, it was the second leg of our Lakbay Dangal, a move (or is it a movement?) to train our domestic helpers as tour guides that began last March 14.

While we were here in the Philippines, Haensel Textiles' Global SalesManager Sonia Zerrudo took over, or took care of it.

According to ever-active activist Soosot, Fr. Robert's term of endearment since Martial Law days: “Every Sunday since March 14, we have been giving orientation and training to those who have responded to the article by Carina Roncesvalles that came out in the Hongkong News.”

Last May 22, all 30 or 35 of them were present, ironically, except for The Dynamic Duo -- Liza Paje and her -- who both attended to personal matters separately!

From Chater Garden at 9 a.m., we traced or re-traced the trail where Dr. Jose Rizal had his clinics -- from Duddel Street to D’AguilarStreet – but had to end up at the Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre.

There, in an all-white building at Oi Kwan Road in Wanchai, we had a halal lunch upon the invitation of Wael Ibrahim, Fr. Robert's Muslim friend, at its Islamic Centre Canteen where Madeenah Molina from Pasig City served us Chinese cuisine, too!

After a very informal and informative forum that could pass as Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Islam (But Were Afraid to Ask), a Woody Allen-ish Muslim – Wael, an Egyptian ex-club singer married to a Pinay -- gave us such summer readings as Prof. K.S. Ramakrishna Rao's Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam, Hafiz Ibn Al-Quayyim's A Handbook of Islamic Prayers, Admed Deedat's Who Moved The Stone? and Resurrection or Resuscitation?, Dr. Naji Ibrahim Arfaj's Have You Discovered its Real Beauty? and Just One Message.

What seized our consciousness, so to speak, were the books written by unknown authors: a certain “German Diplomat” who wrote Islam's Answerto the Racial Problem as well as Islam and Muslims or the Issue #1 of theDiscover Islam Series published by The Centre that also offers introductory literature via audiotapes and compact discs.

We just remembered those Filipino-looking youth we met, wearing rebellious hiphop getups, with blingbling and all, as if they are posses of MC Yan of the now defunct LMF --the first rap/rock group signed by a major record label Warner Music in Hongkong.

The Examiner's Anna Liza Torralba-Espiritu whispered: “They're Indonesians!

Asian Migrant Centre's Maribel Prudente informed us that according to the Hongkong immigration as of June 2009, there were 129,612 domestic helpers from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Ate Maribel was also with us during the first part of Lakbay Dangal and she is part of what Soosot would call core group in her report: “They have become really dedicated volunteers and are extremely committed to learning about Jose Rizal, his significance, his life,and that, against the backdrop of 1800-1900 Hongkong. Most of them
have already given tours on their own.”

Soosot believes that it is not enough that they point out Jose Rizal markers: “They should also inform their guests on why or who streets were named for. Chater, Duddell, D'Aguilar, Shelly, Lan Kwai Fong, Hongkong historical figures, mode of transportation in those days,imagining how Jos e Rizal maneauvered his way around the area. In essence, life in Hongkong when Jose Rizal was here. We also touch a little bit on Sun Yat Sen. During our review day last April 25, we decided to have a day of games whereby we can "test" their knowledge and understanding of Jose Rizal and the History of Hongkong around the time when Jose Rizal lived here.”

At the St. Clare's Convent School along Bonham Road, around 3 p.m., we, together with Fr. Robert's lecture-demo on Buddhism, delivered a paper entitled Was Rizal Selfish or Selfless? highlighted by our community singing of Willie Cruz's Doon Lang: “Kung natapos ang aking pag-aaral / Disin sana'y mayroon na akong dangal...”

Before we parted ways, Victoria Reyes Munar recited her acrostic poem that summarizes her journal entry as Lakbay Patnubay: “That's what Lakbay Dangal promises us – fulfillment and contentment – we shared with our guests who thirst for more knowledge despite all the situations we have in our present work. Great!!!”

Indeed, May Day 2010 is at the threshold of the global labour landscape.

Well, when the 2011 International Labour Conference adopts the ILO Convention on Domestic Work – it will put a legal face to all the domestic workers around the world.

This new international treaty will formally define domestic work as work, and will make all the fundamental labour rights and decent work principles equally applicable to Helen Baldemor, Jessielyn Beluan, Gemma Calingasan, Agnes Chung, Ely de Castro, Sherly Edralin, Cecilia Eduarte, Janeth Floro, Rosalie Gayo, Mirasol Jadia, Naneth Leonador,
Rowena Lubrico, Maricel Lukban, Jocelyn Mallorca, Maritess Mapa, Arlene Marallog, Marivic Mateo, Ma. Socorro Mendez, Lucy Onsal, Emma Orilla, Solita Paderagao, Angela Sacayle, Roela Talingdan, Genely Villaloba, Vennit Villamin, Michelle Zape, and other Filipino domestic helpers, who, although around 128,630 as of last year, were regarded as invisible.

For more than a century, domestic work was not considered as a form of employment but some sort of slavery.

Lakbay Dangal, as envisioned by Fr. Robert, is there to regain that lost dignity.

And Inday Son cannot help but agree in her poetry: “Gat Jose Rizal ang modelo ng Lakbay Dangal na grupo.

Sana mamulat ang sangkatauhan

Na ipamalas sa kapuwa ang kabutihan

Bilang mabuting mamamayan

Upang maging halimbawa ng mga kabataan.”

Before we came back to Manila, we tried to draw energy from Joey deLeon's favorite halo-halo at Ramaliel Soabas' Mang Ambo Restaurant, with Jun Carlos, Jonathan Inocencio, and Sally Ng who all looked forward to our return in July.

Dusk saw us got treated to congee-and-noodle dinner by cancer warriors – Melina Lagarbe, Arleen Belen, Rose Pineda, Thelma Gelecame, Zenaida Dyogi, and their therapist Lota Reyes, among others – who were re-elected as the officers of another Fr. Robert baby named BUHAY KA!,or Buo, Bukas, Laging Handang Umalalay sa Kapuwa.
The following morning, the founder of Porta Coeli Center for Continuing Education – Sr. Mary Anne Sevilla and her angels – were waiting for us to welcome brand-new day when heard the news that it is a status symbol to have a Filipino domestic helper in China!

TEXT SUPPORT:

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

CONSIDER THIS:

Avoiding something does not always mean that you hate it. It could
also mean that you want it, but you just know that it is not right.

OF KIDS' CHOICE AND CHOICE KIDS (May 24, 2010)

By July 28, the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), an attached agency to the Office of the President, will celebrate its 13th birthday with its proud parent, Republic Act No. 8370, more popularly known as the Children’s Television Act of 1997. Last May 5, NCCT turned seven under the Department of Education when it adopted the former from the Office of the President by virtue of Executive Order No. 203. But, right between those memorable months, writer-director Frank Rivera, the incumbent NCCT executive director, decided to another historic move via its Dialogue with Media Practitionerslast May 18. At the New Horizon Hotel in Mandaluyong City, he stressed the importance of our role in fulfilling the NCCT mandate: “We need you, media men and women, to help us develop a comprehensive media plan that initiates, promotes, and supports quality television programs to develop the Filipino child’s critical thinking and communication skills, moral values, and strong sense of national identity. Together, we can ensure that all children in the Philippines will have access to quality television programs that are creative, informative, educational, and entertaining wherever they are and in whatever circumstance they are in.” And our Frank did it his way! Barely three days after his oath-taking, officiated by Dep Ed Secretary Jesli Lapus last November 6, he was able to create with C.J. Andaluz as its director and Pixel Art Media Inc. as its producer -- a Bantay TV Informercial -- featuring actress Jodi Sta. Maria and son Thirdy who called for responsible viewership. Seven days after, there he was again already signing a memorandum of agreement with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) and the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA). NCCT joined forces with KBP and PANA to closely monitor and manage complaints against children-unfriendly or undesirable television programs and promotions. Of course, with our help, as the viewing public, we can make things happen by way of texting BantayTV(space)Message and sending to 700-6228 (NCCT) for Smart subscribers only; calling NCCT Hotline (+02)-637-2306 from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or emailingbantaytv@ncctph.org. He initiated the 1st Dep Ed-NCCT Dialogue with Scriptwriters last 18 December, wherein the participating writers – led by celebrity directors Joel Lamangan and Mario O'Hara with Lovers In Paris' Generiza Reyes, PBB Double Up's Paolo Rivera, Darna's Dode Cruz, Fullhouse's Denoy Punio, Panday Kids' Suzette Doctolero, The Last Prince's RJ Nuevas, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire's Allan Enriquez, to name a few -- agreed to support more child-focused primetime shows. After 10 days, the NCCT, in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' Kalahi Cultural Caregiving Program made the Street Children's Day (or Niňos Inocentes) special via the 1st Cine Pambata Festival at the NCCA Auditorium in Intramuros. Since November, too, NCCT became a raging bull in its commitment to change, the staff included, when they all underwent the Creative Leadership and Team Building Workshop and the like facilitated by the Think Team Consultancy Inc., among others. Last Tuesday, they welcomed us with their loud fuchsia shirts and smiles as Dep Ed Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya and the rest drew the bigger picture of what NCCT had been doing, even during directorship of art consultant Alice Paňares. World Vision's Filomena Portales reported the Situationer on Filipino Children from combined sources revealing that among the children in need of special protection, an estimate of 30,000-50,000 kids are displaced by armed conflict every year for the last four years. And that aside from taking care of the welfare of children in various circumstances of disability and child trafficking, Ms. Minnie introduced to us their Child Rights Network (CRN) that pushes for such bills as (1) Anti-Corporal Punishment; (2) Foster Care; (3) Anti-Child Pornography; (4) Increasing the Age of Statutory Rape. Philippine Olympic Committee executive assistant, Gina Calaguas, was one of the reactors who reminded us about the significant role of sports in properly channeling youthful energy that might otherwise end up into impulsive sexual or violent acts. After lunch, an enlightening panel discussion entitled How Do You Translate Data to Drama?followed and flowed towards a workshop with ABS-CBN's Gina Marissa Tagasa and her Kapamilya pals on one side while GMA 7's Tina Samson Velasco and her Kapusa partners, on the other, with Benedict Carandang, the co-founder of Tuldok Animation Studios Inc.; journalist Amadis Ma. Guerrero; Noel Mallonga, the L'Event Management big boss (or boses); and our student, Donnie Ray Cruz, now a TV5 Executive Producer, who noticed that this time, it was filled with not just school officials and teachers but students, from urban to rural areas, who made a big difference since, after all, they are real stakeholders here. The next day, we went up to the Pine City for the 1st Summer Writers Workshop in Creative Writing with 30 students, 19 mentors, six facilitators, and two National Artists -- Virgilio Almario and Bienvenido Lumbera. When Prof. Castillo said yes to our proposal to have a filmshowing, we screened indie filmmaker Arnel Mardoquio's Hunghong sa Yuta and it turned the participants' lives around upon learning about the Muslim's plight and fight for freedom. We were supposed to teach performance poetry, however, after the screening we were told to share our experience in reviewing or writing criticisms instead. Mardoquio, via the said Cinemalaya-winner in 2008, touched the core of these would-be young critics who still cannot tap their knack for reading between the lines. After watching, conductor and consultant Rolando Garcia, felt the urge to advise Dep Ed in endorsing Mardoquio's peace advocacy through his art! After two years of holding the Sining Pambansa for the 17 pilot high shools with Special Program in the Arts (SPA) in different parts of the country -- Dep Ed Asec. Malaya, once more, and his consultant, Prof. Florina Castillo -- gave us the rationale behind involving choice kids to theworkshop from May 17 to 24: “This is purely Creative Writing!” Also at the Baguio Teachers Camp, Philippine Association for Language Teaching, Inc. will observe its 50th anniversary with its convention on May 27-28, three days before another training for SPA implementors or mentors under Lilian Luna. During the eight-day workshop, we got an email from Asia–Pacific Broadcasting Union and Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia, through UNICEF. Well, it is an invitation to all Asia-Pacific broadcasters and producers to submit entries for the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award 2010. Programs both for children and about children are eligible and can cover any child rights issue. Entries -- whether documentaries that detail the plight of children or dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination, or animation that teaches and entertains -- must have been broadcast between June 2009 and May 2010 and must be received by 25 June 2010. Past winners include I-Witness: Child Beasts of Burden (2008) by GMA Network Inc., Juvenile Injustice (2005) by ABS-CBN Channel 2, and Angels in Prison (2003) by GMA-7. About the Convention on the Rights of the Child, just log onto www.unicef.org/crc. Arriving home last Thursday, our kids' playmate hit her head on a window's metal frame. While our Ina was giving her first aid, all her friends stood around her to pray. Do we have to interview them about what television shows they love watching? TEXT SUPPORT: SHOPPING MATH A man will pay P20 for a P10 item he needs. A woman will pay P10 for a P20 item that she doesn't need. CONSIDER THIS: If ever we feel God is taking away something from our hand, don't get sad, He is only emptying Our hand so we can receive something better.