GROUPON Deals in Manila, Take your Pick!

Groupons or Group Coupon deals are becoming the new online buying craze here in Manila. I for one, have registered to most of these sites, subscribing to their email alerts so as not to miss any great deals these websites have to offer. I think these different groups just started almost simultaneously this last quarter of the year and so far based on my experience, these are the ones offering legit deals that are quite a steal. 

ENSOGO PHILS.

I came across ENSOGO via one Facebook Ad that appeared on my side bar. There started my affair with GROUPONS, I clicked it and then right after that just found myself registering to avail the deal of that day which is the CLAWDADDY 60% discount deal. Read my Clawdaddy account here.

Click photo to direct you to ENSOGO

Of course before finalizing my first groupon purchase, I did some quick research about the group behind these company and check some actual accounts of people who already availed their services. I'm glad that my first transaction with them went smoothly without fail. Mode of payment can be through credit cards and bank deposits but the most preferable is via Paypal, more hassle free, secure and you'll get your vouchers in your account as soon as payment is made.


CASHCASHPINOY

CashCashPinoy works the same way as ENSOGO. Different deals will be offered for a limited time. Subscribed to their email alerts so as not to miss a great deal. I bought their 70% off  90 min Hilot Body Massage with Foot Therapy from Shui Hilot Spa.  Already called the merchant and I'm scheduled to have this next week =)

Click photo to direct you to CASHCASHPINOY

BUYANIHAN

These group were the first to offer group coupon deals here in the Philippines. The only requirement here to make your purchase final is for certain number of people to join the deal. If they meet the number, you'll get your vouchers, if not, the deal is off but you will not be billed.

Click photo to direct you to Buyanihan

My first Buyanihan purchase was the KAMASUTRA CAKE from Good Spirit . This deal is still ongoing as of the moment, I bought some pieces to give to some of my colleagues this Christmas.


LOCALROAM

This is the newest groupon deals I've seen lately and works the same way as BUYANIHAN.  I already registered and just waiting for a good deal to come up. Their very first deal is still up, a 50% off BELO Facial Service with Doctor's Consultation for only PhP 810.

Click photo to direct you to LOCALROAM

These are just among the notable e-commerce website offering groupon deals that I have registered and transacted with. I'm always excited to see each one's next deal, they are always trying to outdo each other and that's really good news for every consumers like us. Just a word of advice. always read the FINE PRINTS for each deal before making a purchase and don't be too excited but wait for a while before clicking BUY, just be aware of the time the deal will end so as not to miss it.  If you have credit cards, sign up for a PAYPAL Account, it will only take you a few minutes to have one. Paypal is the more reliable, convenient and more secure mode of payment for these Groupon Deals.

Happy Groupon Deals hunting everyone!

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BEAUTY BIN's 6F Aesthetics GC Giveaway

Beauty Bin is giving away 2000 pesos worth of  6F Aesthetics  Gift Certificates to two of her lucky followers. I don't usually join blog giveaway contest because of my busy schedule but this one is hard to resist coz 6F Aesthetics is where I go to for my derma concerns and getting a GC would mean derma savings for a month =) .

I've been following Beauty Bin's blog since I started Shie's Asylum. It's also thru Beauty Bin's blog entry,  Acne and Pimple Treatment Review: TCA Peel and Steroid Injection that got me interested to have a derma procedure again after a long time. Her good reviews about how much Dra 6F greatly helped her achieved that almost flawless skin she wanted got me convinced to schedule a visit to 6F. I already made 3 trips there since Aug this year and my skin condition is improving by the day, thanks to the facials, TCA peel, Glycolic peel, Diamond peel and the meds they prescribed and by the way they're prices are very reasonable too. Haven't met Dra 6F though, its always Doc Mayla who's attending to me eversince and no regrets coz she's good too and very friendly.

How to Join this Giveaway :
1. Follow The Beauty Bin via Google Reader
2. Add The Beauty Bin to your blog roll
3. Blog about this contest by:

• telling her which of her blog post/s inspired/struck you.[note: mention the title of the post in your entry and link the title to my article]. If there ain't any, tell her what would (that sounds easier).
• telling her which service/s from Doc Six Foronda's clinic would benefit you (6F Aesthetics Services)
• add a brief note about the giveaway and link to it

4. Leave a comment on her post containing (1) your email address and (2) the link to your blog entry.

...... read the rest of the giveaway mechanics here.  Contest ends November 30, 2010, 11:59pm. 

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A Rain Drenched Night with John Mayer

October 1, 2010 on Mall of Asia grounds, a memorable date with John Mayer while drenched in rain, oh I just love it, sans the umbrellas it could have been a perfect party under the rain if all came with their raincoats/ponchos instead.  I admit it was "BITIN" having waited for him10 years  to come over and entertain his Pinoy fans but nonetheless it was an awesome night. Hats off and two thumbs up to his musicianship, excellent guitar skills and that raspy sultry voice that makes girl fans scream for more.

Aiza Seguerra opened the show at exactly 8pm, she's good but not much were paying attention 'coz everyone went there for John Mayer and the rain stopped during her set but fans wished her act would end soon so John can came in sooner. It took a while, maybe almost an hour before John finally showed up to a thousands of  screaming fans while heavy rains started to pour. Wearing a Motley Cure shirt, jeans and sneakers and armed with two Tagalog words "Kumusta Ka", fans went crazy seeing and hearing John Mayer right before their very eyes. It felt surreal, like a dream come true being  a big fan of his music.

Me and my siblings were seated at the Bronze section, not an ideal spot for a die hard Mayer fan, umbrellas were blocking our line of sight, and everyone was standing on their seats, hassle talaga but if  I came alone, I'd be seated at the VIP section (yeah right that's 12k, girl!)  or probably in the Gold section but since I already promised my siblings I'd pay for the tix, me gotta sacrifice!!! Anyway Mayer  promised to be back sooner, I really hope he meant it.

These were the ticket prices by the way, expensive huh :)  FYI, VIP and Gold section were sold out while Silver and Bronze were almost full.

VIP - 12,000 pesos
Gold - 8,000 pesos
Silver - 5,000 pesos
Bronze - 2,000 pesos
GA - 600 pesos

The rain was at its heaviest when he started the show, a sea of umbrellas was all we could see blocking even the video wall while already standing on our seats but the sound of his voice plus that guitar mastery are enough to make us all ecstatic. He opened the show with the song  VULTURES from his Continuum album and the list goes on below.

John Mayer's setlist:

• Vultures
• No Such Thing
• Ain’t No Sunshine(Cover from Bill Withers)
• Slow Dancing In A Burning Rooming
• Perfectly Lonely
• Your Body Is A Wonderland
• Stop This Train
• Heartbreak Warfare
• Who Says
• Gravity
• Why Georgia
• Do You Know Me
• Half of My Heart - Don’t Stop Believing(Cover from Journey)
• Last song: Edge of Desire

Halfway through, the rains started to trickle down, I gave up the umbrellas and almost everyone followed suit, that's when everyone had a blast while soaking wet. We then have a clear view although my digicam in full zoom was already wet but I'm glad it didn't give up on me, still working well.

There were songs that I wished he included in his setlist like Back to You, Neon, St Patrick's Day, Love Song for No One,  Friends, Lover or Nothing, Assassin  just to name a few.



The show ended on a high note with his encore performance "EDGE of DESIRE". It was a night like no other night. Everyone was still on their seat for sometime hungry for more and hoping John Mayer would show up again for one more song but that was it and we still went home with a big smile on our faces. Please be back soon John Mayer. I really don't care if  there's a truth to the rumor that you trashed your presidential suite room in Shangrila just continue to give us good music. You had me at Kumusta Ka, lol  ;-)

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I ღ♥ღ FREEBIES !!!

Who doesn't ??? I heart freebies especially when I'm not expecting to receive any ღ♥ღ!!!

Just this week, I got two, one from Femalenetwork.com, a Gift Certificate worth 1000 pesos of eyelashes services from Lavish Lashes and another one from Canon Pixma, a Calvin Klein sunglasses worth 6000 pesos. Thank you so much!!!

Curious how I got them?

I've been a regular reader of  Femalenetwork.com and a senior girltalker at their FN forum Girltalk though I dont normally join their promos that require extra effort but this promo got my attention coz that eyelash extension looks gorgeous and the promo only requires me to leave a comment on that article and so I did, just one comment! After a week, I checked my email and opened my spam folder and to my surprise got a congratulatory letter from FN and not a spam mail that needed to be trashed. I checked their website to be sure and my name was included in their list, thanks a lot FN, my name was there. The list is here ... http://www.femalenetwork.com/promos/winners-of-lavish-lashes-promo. I'll be scheduling my trip to Lavish Lashes within this month and have my eyelashes done, hopefully it will look good and you'll see me posting my eyelashes here soon... :-)

The sunglasses freebie from Canon Pixma was unexpected as well. I was supposed to have my old Canon printer converted to Continuous Ink System and pay 2,300 pesos for the services. I went to Ink Rite to have it done but I was so unhappy with the print quality when I had a print test. Ink Rite said that the problem was the print head coz its 1yr old already, I didn't agree with them since I just printed good quality of 2 A4 size photos  to empty my original ink cartridge just before I sent it for CIS conversion. In short, after so much ado, CIS does not go well with photo printing, so I had it removed and just spent the money to buy a new printer. I scouted instead for a new printer and decided to get the Canon Pixma MP258 printer, a 3 in 1 printer that has scanner and copier for 3,195 pesos at PC Gilmore. Surprising enough since the sales personnel at PC Gilmore didn't even mention about this promo, when I opened the printer box at home, it included an envelope that says you can claim your free branded shades by just completing their requirements and have it sent to their main office. Without exerting too much effort, completed the requirements, choose and rank my preferred eye wear then mail it to Canon and after 10 days, I have a new sunglasses sent to my address, the price of which is more expensive than the printer I bought. Isn't that a treat and you have no idea how I love Sunglasses!!!

You can still get hold of the Canon Pixma Back to Cool Promo until Aug 31. Grab it now if your planning to buy a printer....

 And this is my new shades to add to my collection :D

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Personal Stuffs FOR SALE (Updated)

Hey guys, you might be interested with some of these items I'm letting go that I barely used. I'm selling them now for a fraction of their original price. All are authentic, some were not yet used and some slightly used but still looks brand new.

This RayBan eye-wear was originally priced at 7K+, 
slightly used selling it now for PhP 3,500.00

(reserved to FLOR)

Mango eyewear original price is 2K, slightly used, 
selling now for PhP 1,000

(SOLD to YAMI)

ESPRIT Shoes - Size 38 (8) still unused, original price is 1,500 
selling now for PhP 800

(SOLD to YAMI)

Wimpex Air Cooler, used 5 times only. Original price is 4,500, 
now selling it for PhP 2,800 only.

(SOLD to YAMI)

All quoted prices are the final price. For interested buyers, please leave your message and your contact details.

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P-Noy and V-Nay

Whether we like it or not, P-Noy (that's how he wanted to be called) and V-Nay (goes well with PNoy, hehe)  will be the tandem that will lead this country in 6 years. Will PNoy deliver all his campaign promises and eradicate corruption and can VNay replicate his "accomplishments" in Makati and do the same to the entire country? Well, If they can do it then I really wish them well!

To PNoy, you will soon be inaugurated but even if you won by a big margin and 15.2 Million Filipinos voted for you, its also a fact that 20.9 Million Filipinos (me included)  didn't choose you as their president. But since you are now the President elect, it's only common sense that you start acting like the leader of these nation and work towards unity and healing rather than continue being divisive and act like you are just the leader of the yellow armies. Remember all of us taxpayers will be paying for your salary once you are in office. I would love to see you act and speak like a true statesman. A quality very much lacking from you that you have to learn soon and fast. I would also appreciate a more decisive persona who doesn't dilly dally on basic issues and knows what he wants and will not let his fate be dictated by Kris and her feng sui masters or Madame Auring. Having said that, I hope you stay away from your sister Kris or send her to a far flung country where she cant be of much influence to you to minimize the damage she can possibly bring into your administration.

And since you mentioned in your interviews that Nelson Mandela is the leader you look up to, it will only be fitting to remind you of Nelson Mandela's legacy of  true healing and reconciliation. Just take your cue from him and take this words of wisdom as your guidelines for governing. (I hope you also wont get irked easily receiving unsolicited advice like this ^^. We also mean well for your own good and for the good of all the Filipinos.)

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” - Nelson Mandela

“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” - Nelson Mandela

“As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a con-sensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the axiom: a leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” - Nelson Mandela

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If You're Not The One

Just happened to get across today this once meaningful song that left me emotional then and surprisingly still affects me a bit now. Is it just the rainy weather? hehehe, whatever! The lyrics are beautifully written but depressing and moving at the same time. Just a word of advice, don't listen to it if you're nursing a broken heart and needed badly to move on .... ^_^

This acoustic version will surely hit the sore spot but you'll love it nonetheless .... :-))

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A Legacy of Greed and Betrayal by Arillo

When I heard of this book through my newspaper readings, my urge to grab a copy became more heightened. I was already planning to purchase it online since most National Bookstores I've checked had run out of copies. I made one last effort to check National Bookstore when I happened to pass by Megamall while waiting for a friend, and lucky for me, fresh copies have just arrived selling for 200 pesos each.

My objective here is to be more informed of the factual happenings during the Aquino regime. Is CORY really the ICON of DEMOCRACY? That has been my question since I don't share the popular opinion that her regime brought back democracy, unity, reconciliation and progress to this country. I was in high school when she assumed power and I can still recall some major events that happened during her time that totally contradicted that public notion. She overthrew Marcos but she didn't uplift the lives of the Filipinos and much worst the country is still divided and poor. The economy was in disarray and I will never forget the power crisis that resulted in 10 to 12 hour daily blackouts. Add more to the fact that it was during her regime when major disasters hit the country that claimed the lives of thousands of people. Remember the devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake, the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the massive flooding due to a strong typhoon in Ormoc City that claimed around  6,000 lives and the sinking of the MV Dona Paz. Her regime is for sure one that will never be forgotten.

Greed and Betrayal is written and published in 2000  by veteran journalist Cecilio Arillo as a sequel to his earlier publication, the bestseller and award winning book, Breakaway, The 1986 Edsa Revolt. He is a columnist and reporter of Manila Times who exposed the corruptions, human rights violations, gross misgovernance, hatred and vengeance of the Marcos, Aquino and Ramos regimes. He had his travails under the three administration, was incarcerated during Marcos rule, arrested and charged with rebellion during Aquino administration and was implicated with kidnapping and murder during Ramos regime. When his name was finally cleared of all these charges, he started what a journalist ought to do, write a book!

The book chronicles the events that took place during the Aquino administration. It details the sins of a vindictive regime, including well-documented instances of greed and betrayal of those who brought Cory to power in 1986. It also documented how the so-called “Kamaganak Inc.”  tried to surpass the Marcos plunder in scams and anomalies. The cannibalization of so many Cory administration-sequestered corporations by the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s fiscal agents also came to light. The betrayal of the tenants of the farmers of Hacienda Luisita and the infamous Mendiola Massacre. The heavy influences of the oligarchies, the powerful and wealthy families represented by the Lopez Family, etc. and the several "coup d'etats" that occurred during that time. It has several pages of "Notes and References" that will prove that this is not a black propaganda meant to destroy the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino.

Reading this book felt like a  breath of fresh air from the usual "hallelujahs" that the yellow camp continually feed the unsuspecting public.

The late President Cory Aquino for me is no doubt a good person but being ill equipped to lead a country proved to be disastrous during her regime because she was helpless and clueless against the factions, the mighty oligarchies, the Kamag-anak Inc. included, that maneuvered for positions of power behind the throne. She became more of a Cult Leader rather than a President. Now, my biggest realization is that Noynoy is following the same route her mother took and surrounded by the same people that controlled her mother's administration. If only Noynoy has half the intellect and the leadership qualities of his father Ninoy Aquino, only then will I agree that he has the capability to govern this nation and stand up against the maneuvering of the powerful but that is evidently not the case with Noynoy.

It only goes to prove that Presidency is no joke and installing a popular candidate with a good heart but lacks competence to lead a nation is a  sure road to failure. I strongly believe that the most important qualification of a President is COMPETENCE above all, followed next by integrity. If competence is deficient no amount of integrity will compensate for the  lack of it especially  if one is surrounded by powerful people with greed and vested interests.  

As one columnist wrote, "A government by the elite is for the elite leaving the rest of us to scramble for the crumbs that fall  from their tables. Let us not betray ourselves by continuing to put in power those who represent the interests of the elite."

Having read this book, I can safely say, I'm 100% was never and will never become a victim of the yellow fever.

Greed and Betrayal is an interesting and must read for every Filipinos.

http://www.greedandbetrayal.com/

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Kamag-anak Inc et al

I've been hearing about Kamag-anak Inc. lately and it just piqued my curiosity on how the legacy of former president Aquino was tainted because of  Kamag-anak Inc. Getting across this article is a real eye opener. Now I understand why my father's blood boils whenever people refer to CORY as saint and  then call MARCOS as evil.  It's a scary thought that there's a possibility that this group will make a comeback with a NOYNOY win. Help us GOD! What have we done to deserve this!

This is an interesting read so I'm re posting it here.


NOT GETTING MAD BUT GETTING EVEN WITH, TITA CORY

Sections - Philippine Presidency
Written by Bobby Reyes
Friday, 07 September 2007 05:27

Prologue. I was a member of Dr. Doy Laurel's UNIDO (political party) during the February 1986 presidential "snap" election. Our party founder and president was the running mate of then presidential candidate Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. All of us called her "Tita Cory." I asked the permission of Dr. Laurel to join the "Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM)," which was organized by Don Chino Roces. So, I joined the CAPM and was reporting directly to Don Chino. We won the election but it took the so-called "EDSA (Uno) Revolution" for Tita Cory to be proclaimed as the duly-elected President of the Philippines. As alas, as I wrote in my 1993 political novel, "One Day in the Life of a Filipino Sonova*****," many Cory Crusaders became the "Sorry Crusaders." We became so sorry for helping elect a leader who performed worse than her predecessor.

On March 30, 1995, I wrote a "confidential letter" to the Board of Trustees of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation. Hereunder is my letter in its entirety, warts and all. For all the frustrations that I had as a "Sorry Crusader," the said letter made me feel vindicated. I never got mad at the person of President Aquino. But my letter got me even with Tita Cory.

This is the first time that the said letter is published. Copies of it were sent to several national leaders of the Philippines and quite a few Filipino diplomats and tourism officials. After more-than 12 years, this writer has decided to publish it as part of the articles in the "Philippine Presidency" section of the www.mabuhayradio.com. After all, it is now the intention of this writer to eventually become one of the country's leading "Philippine Presidents'" historians.

QUOTE.
The Board of Trustees
The Pearl S. Buck Foundation
P. O. Box 181
Perkasie, Pennsylvania 18944

Gentlemen and Ladies,

This is about the Pearl S. Buck Woman's Award that you plan to give to former President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. We understand that you have scheduled the awarding on June 5, 1995, at the United Nations in New York City.

We most respectfully request you to withhold the giving of the award. For Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino to qualify for the award, she must first address the Filipino people and the Overseas Filipinos the following issues that we raised from 1992 up to the present:

1.0 Why did she approve in January 1992 the sale of 67% of the stocks of the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) to an investment group headed by one of her Tanjuatco, and three Cojuangco, nephews? We argued that the sale resulted in a $300-million, or more, loss to the Filipino people. The Philippine government, through the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), owned the shares. And worse, her nephews did not have the money to pay for the airline stocks. They borrowed the money that they used to pay the GSIS from three Philippine government-owned banks, using the PAL stocks as collateral. Please find attached, as Annex One, a copy of my expose called, "The PAL Scandal," for your perusal and evaluation.

1.1 I have publicly stated that if they found my publication libelous, Mrs. Aquino and her nephews could sue me for libel in Los Angeles, California. Up to now, they have not filed any libel suit. On the other hand, reliable reports have reached me in California that I should not go back because the kin of Mrs. Aquino would "bury me alive" once I land in Manila.

1.2 As part of "The PAL Scandal," I reported later that it was Mrs. Aquino who authorized in 1992 the sale of the PAL Building in San Francisco, California. It resulted, according to the column of the late journalist, Louie Beltran, into a $6-million loss to the national airline. She did not charge Mr. Beltran with libel on this issue about the PAL Building. She, however, filed a libel case against Mr. Beltran and his publisher, Maximo V. Soliven, when the late columnist wrote that Mrs. Aquino "hid under her bed during a coup d'etat attempt at the presidential palace in Manila."

2.0 Why did she permit, during her first month in office, the transfer of the 38 companies that Marcos's brother-in-law, Kokoy Romualdez, owned? The 38 firms were transferred to her brother-in-law, Ricardo "Baby" Lopa. The assets of the Marcoses, the Romualdezes and their cronies were supposed to have been sequestered by the new Aquino administration. But Kokoy Romualdez's 38 companies, which were worth billions of pesos, were not turned over to the Presidential Commission on Good Government. I narrated the illegal and immoral transfer of the ill-gotten wealth in my political novel, One Day in the Life of a Filipino Sonova*****. Please find with this letter a copy of the book, as Annex Two. My book describes the details of Baby Lopa's caper in Chapter XVI.

2.1 The same case happened in the matter of the Philippine Long Distance Company. Instead of sequestering the company for the Philippine government as it was then controlled by the Marcos cronies, she returned the billion-dollar company to her Cojuangco nephews. She claimed that her nephews were illegally eased out by Mr. Marcos. The truth was that the Marcos cronies, whether their moneys were ill-gotten or not, paid the Cojuangcos the prevailing market-stock prices during the sale of equity that happened between them at the time when Marcos was still president.

2.2 I dared, again for the nth time, when my book was launched in December 1993, for Mrs. Cory Cojuangco-Aquino or any of her relatives to file a libel case in the United States, where the book was published. Up to now, not even a demand letter from any lawyer has reached me. We consider their silence a golden admission of guilt.

3.0 Why did she approve the re-negotiation of the loans that her predecessor obtained from Japan? The administration of Mrs. Aquino agreed that the loans would be paid in Japanese yen, rather than in U.S. currency that former President Ferdinand E. Marcos negotiated. Please find a copy of our September 2, 1994, letter to Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama that brought the matter to his attention. The self-explanatory letter is submitted as Annex Three. The error of Mrs. Aquino and her financial advisers has, so far, resulted in a $5-billion (spelled with a "B"), minimum, increase in the loan principal. It added insults to the financial injury that the poor people of the Philippines now shoulder as a result of the currency-exchange difference.

4.0 Why did she tolerate, during her tenure, destitute Filipino women from leaving the country to become maids, bar hostesses, mail-order brides and prostitutes in different foreign countries? For a write-up on the plight of the Filipino women, please read Annex Four. It is called, "Frasier's Joke on Filipino Brides-for-sale Turns into a 'Slaughter in Seattle.'" Statistics would show that more impoverished women left the Philippines for foreign destinations during the six-year term of Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino than during the 20-year reign of President Marcos. Yet Mrs. Aquino's much-vaunted publicists painted her the Filipino version of "Joan of Arc" and Marcos as the personification of evil.

4.1 During her administration, Mrs. Aquino did not bother to protest to the Japanese government the abuse of Filipino women in Japan. She did not ask the Japanese for the redress of the wartime and modern-day Filipino "comfort women's" grievances. Please refer, for more particulars, to the letter to Prime Minister Murayama (Annex Three).

4.2 Mrs. Aquino was so indifferent to the plight of the Filipino women who were working abroad. Please refer to my open letter to Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos. Submitted as Annex Five is the open letter called, "The Filipino 'Wonder Woman' Could Have Saved Flora Contemplacion in 1991." (Editor’s Notes: Excerpts of the said letter were published too in this online publication; to read them, please go to this link http://www.mabuhayradio.com/content/view/444/51/ .)


4.3 On Mrs. Aquino's track record on Filipino women alone, it is incomprehensible why she would win the "Pearl S. Buck Woman's Award?" In fact, the award to Mrs. Aquino is an insult to the Filipino womanhood. It is like awarding Judas the Nobel Prize for Economics, if the award was available then, for selling Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Would you call Judas' transaction an award-winning entrepreneur's act?

5.0 There are other instances of abuse that Mrs. Aquino and her Cojuangco kin had perpetrated. I could practically write about them, ad infinitum. Please just read my political novel. You will read some of the facts about the Aquino administration. An example is the continued defiance of Mrs. Aquino's clan of the Land Reform Code. They refuse to divide their Luisita Hacienda among the tenants. The irony was that the Congress enacted the Land Reform law during the administration of Mrs. Aquino.

The American people never tolerate injustice, greed and the abuse of power. Americans will condemn your choice for the 1995 Pearl S. Buck Woman's Award once they get to know the truth about Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino and her clique. Americans never like to see acts of injustice committed against the impoverished people of the Philippines, where a majority earns less than an American dollar a day.

We most respectfully urge you not to give the award to Mrs. Aquino until she complies with the demands stated in this letter. Mrs. Aquino's record is slowly, albeit surely, becoming a socioeconomic and political minefield.

If you proceed with the award ceremony in New York on June 5, 1995, please expect a public demonstration, coast to coast, against your decision. If you and Mrs. Aquino are callous enough, then you all end up in the dustbin of history as some of the coldest, heartless, insensitive, apathetic and soulless creatures the world has known.

I have labeled this letter "Confidential." This means that I will not leak the letter to the public, yet. For I do not want to embarrass your foundation nor put Mrs. Aquino to more public ridicule. Her reputation, after all, is already soiled. If within five working days after receipt of this letter, you do not confirm the cancellation of the award to Mrs. Aquino, we will go public. This means that when we do come out in the open, it will be a total mainstream media offensive. You can ask people, especially Filipino diplomats, in New York and Los Angeles, to confirm that we fight long and hard. We engineered several media campaigns in the past year. We took credit for the poor television ratings of the 1994 Miss Universe broadcast in the United States. We forced a mainstream television station in Los Angeles to delete, for its nation-wide broadcasts, the phrase, "Suspect was an Asian, possibly Filipino" that was used to describe the killer of Manhattan Beach Police Officer Martin Gantz. If we come to clash, please expect a boycott of your office in Perkasie and your activities anywhere in the United States.

Many Filipino Americans like our advocacy and our idealism. So please spare yourselves brutal, costly media and public relations wars. You can devote your resources to better uses, such as helping the Amerasian children, rather than become the American defenders of Mrs. Aquino. Likewise, on our part, the resources we will expend fighting you can be put to use helping your foundation. We have aided efforts to help the Amerasian children in the Philippines. Mrs. Aquino's position is indefensible. It's like fighting for a lost cause. It's like trying to become a stowaway on the SS Titanic. You know, it's hard to beat an army of Dons Quixote that eats controversial causes for breakfast. We do not think that too many bureaucrats can match our zeal and dedication to causes we believe in. We bet that not even one member of your Board of Trustees will put his or her life on the line for the sake of corrupt leaders like Mrs. Aquino. On the other hand, we have been risking our lives for Philippine and American causes. We also have put our wallets into our mouths.

We finally want to tell you why are activists. Please find a copy of our report called, "Connie Chung Now Knows the Plight of the American Veterans of Filipino Ancestry." It is submitted as Annex Six. In it, we said that we live Ms. Jessica Mitford's motto, "'You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty.' . . .I said that if I could put to shame the corrupt bureaucrats, then my writings would have mattered. If my writings could publicize the wrongdoers, then my efforts would not have been in vain. Indeed, I feel great if my writings can make the Filipinos, and Overseas Filipinos, look good and their oppressors look bad." Thank you for the attention.

Defiantly yours,


BOBBY M. REYES
Conscience of the Filipino Nation

UNQUOTE.

Epilogue. According to Ernesto (Apo Ernie) Gange, a Filipino-American member then of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation's Board of Trustees, the Board nearly panicked and wanted in fact to cancel the awarding ceremony. But several Filipino diplomats and tourism officers in New York City appealed to me to cancel our planned picketing of the ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The Filipino officials told me that I had made my point(s) and it was to the best interest of the country to just ignore former President Aquino. They said that historians would just deal with her record as President of the Philippines. Apo Ernie Gange is now the chairman of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA). Even if I happen to be the number-one critic of the NaFFAA national headquarters for its failure of observe the ATIC slogan that I coined, Apo Ernie and I maintain cordial and business-like relations. By the way, ATIC is the acronym for accountability, transparency, integrity and credibility.

http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/philippine-presidency/455-not-getting-mad-at-but-getting-even-with-tita-cory.html

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another article from EMIL JURADO 

I have been asked by friends why I’m so hard on Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Noynoy Aquino. Why do I often criticize him? To be honest, I have nothing personal against Noynoy, although I cannot forget what happened during the incumbency of his late mother, President Cory.

I cannot forget the plunder of Kamaganak Inc., of which I was a victim. Erectors Inc., a company founded by the late transportation minister Totoy Dans and of which I was a founding director, was one of the 39 firms given on a silver platter to Cory’s in-laws. I never heard of my investments again.

I also cannot forget how vindictive the Aquino government was, going after everything and anything that smelled of the Marcoses. Thus, after several years, Cory had nothing to show for her performance.

In fact, while many say she is the icon of democracy, I say instead she was a mere beneficiary of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

Noynoy now says that if he gets elected President, he would review all infrastructure contracts of the Arroyo administration. Santa Banana, here we go again!

I say Noynoy is truly his mother’s little boy. He campaigns under the shadow of his famous parents. He shows the tendency to run a vindictive and regressive government.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/february/24/emiljurado.isx&d=2010/february/24
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Just Updating ......

I can't seem to get my groove back in blogging. Is it a simple case of writer's block or just plain laziness??? There are plenty of subjects I can talk about like the last movie I've seen in 3D format, Avatar, which is visually stunning that literally took my breath away, the start of the national campaign period coz  I'm rooting for GIBO or the guys I've spent time with at night .... well its not what you think, you dirty minds! ^^ Since I've discovered the website AZNV.tv, my blogging and sleeping patterns have changed. The historical epic drama series, Queen Seon Deok started it all and right now having fun watching the movies of Kim Nam Gil and Kim Rae Won, my two most loved Korean actors. But going back to QSD, this excellent historical drama series from Korea is currently being shown at Kapuso station, GMA7 but each episodes left me hanging everyday so I have to find a way to watch it continuously and without commercials. It took me two weeks to finish the 62 episodes, spending an average of 4 hours everyday from 11pm to 3am. I usually fall asleep upon arriving from work and widely awake during those wee hours. Although I'm done watching the entire series at aznv.tv, I'm still catching it regularly at GMA7, the tagalog dubbing is more entertaining than the english subtitles. Girl power rules in Queen Seon Deok and the loyalty of the Hwarang boys are admirable aside from being eye candies. Watch out for the character of  BIDAM, it would probably take a month or more in GMA7 before making his first appearance, a complex persona, an  a**hole at first but would capture your heart in the end.... Watch it and be awed, excellent storyline, excellent cast and excellent production!!! ♥♥♥

Just updating.... maybe that will do for now. I'll be blog hopping and entrecard dropping  in the following days, I definitely miss my friends in the bloghosphere .....

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Photohunt : JIGGLY

This is actually a Korean dish called Japchae that I tried making for  New Year to deviate from the usual pancit, we usually prepare during New Year's Eve. When you fork out the glass noodles, it definitely gets jiggly!!!

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Long Holidays for 2010

This is good news for people like me, who this early are planning their travels for this year. Malacanang has declared the regular and special working holidays for 2010 as stated on RA 9492 and Proclamation 1841.

Philippine Holidays for 2010

February 20 - 22 ; Saturday-Monday  ; February 22 - Edsa Day

April 1 - 4  ; Thursday-Sunday ; April 1 - Holy Thursday, April 2 - Good Friday

April 9 - 11 ; Friday-Sunday  ; April 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan

May 1 - 3  ; Saturday-Monday ; May 1 - Labor Day moved to May 3

June 12 - 14  ; Saturday-Monday ; June 12 - Independence Day moved to June 14

August 21 - 23 ; Saturday-Monday ; August 21 - Ninoy Aquino Day moved to Aug 23

August 28 - 30 ; Saturday-Monday ; August 29 - National Day moved to Aug 30

October 30 - Nov 1 ; Saturday-Monday ; November 1 - All Saints Day

November 27 - 29 ; Saturday-Monday ; November 30 - Bonifacio Day moved to Nov 29

Dec 24 - 27 ; Friday-Monday ; Dec 24 -Non Working Holiday ; Dec 25 -Christmas Day, Dec 30 - Rizal Day moved to Dec 27

Dec 31 - Jan 2 ; Friday-Sunday ; Dec 31 - Non Working Holiday , Jan 1 - New Year's Day

The observance of Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha  will be issued by the government upon the advice of the Office on Muslim Affairs.

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May Blessings Abound this 2010

After relentless trips to shopping malls, bazaars, tiangges and the like, draining my wallet and my savings, attending reunions, parties and get together, eating, eating and eating with my waistline ever increasing, braving heavy traffic and heavy volume of crowd, now everything is back to normal!!! While holiday season is fun, crazy and cheerful, for me nothing beats a peaceful environment where I can get back to my comfort zone and do my usual stuffs like blogging. Its been a month since my last post and this will be my first entry for 2010. But before anything else, here's wishing everyone, a blessed 2010!!! May every Filipino enjoy 3 meals each day and may we be spared from the threats of natural and man made calamities!!!

Based on experience, it's futile for me to make resolutions, so I didn't make one. But there's a guideline which I posted earlier in this blog that I really would like to cultivate.

Just sharing, here's a video of our fascinating countdown celebration to 2010. We deviated from our usual out of town celebration of new year and went right into where the real action is, getting away from the hazardous noise and air pollution in our neighborhood, the reason why we always go out of town on New Year's Eve. Now we've found a perfect alternative, its the GMA7 countdown party at the bay area of SM Mall of Asia with awesome fireworks, good show, good food and very organized event!!! KUDOS GMA and SM!!!

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I ♥ Faces Photo Challenge

Happy Anniversary I Heart Faces!!!

It's been ages since my last entry at i heart faces but surely wouldn't want to miss this one. The challenge is to incorporate their logo into your pictures. While I don't think my entry would make it to the cut, it was definitely fun looking at the other entries, their creativity is really flowing and I got to learn in the process.







Go check their site and see how others played. The contest will end this Friday, you still have time to join....

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