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10 Things I Learned from the Philippines 2016 Election

1. Why a popular channel has a much hated news and current affairs program?

Because this popular channel is truly and utterly bias. I used to wonder why a lot of people do not like the way they deliver their news. Thousands of people witnessed it during the Presidential Debate when they slanted and wrongfully phrased what a candidate actually said. So now, Filipinos should have learned their lesson and should never again trust this station. I'd rather choose and watch CNN Philippines.

Photo taken from Facebook

2. Why the Philippines has a lot of rebels?

Photo taken from emzae.com

It's because of the government who is corrupt and has not given justice as promised. These rebels saw more than what the ordinary men did. They must have wanted to be heard and to be understood. But in contrast, they were shunned and judged. Duterte has promised to talk and sit down with these guys to once and for all get a compromise with them or even more, lead the way to peace with them.

3. Why China is confident to take Scarborough Shoal?

image taken from nextbigfuture.com

Because of a traitor of a Senator who met with Chinese officials and was rumored to have sold the territory to them in exchange for a large amount of cash. The current Philippine President is said to be behind him for the dealing. I do hope this will be investigated further.

4. Why Mar Roxas is hated by most people?

image taken from trendingnewsportal.com

Because he has claimed to help the Yolanda victims, claimed to be the reason why call centers or BPO companies are flourishing in the country when in fact it is not true, because he himself cannot follow simple election rules and because of his "pabida" moves wherein he drank from a plate and ate from a cup, not to mention directing a traffic and saying "bahala na kayo".

5. Why people are afraid of Duterte?

image taken from youtube.com

Because he vows to kill those who are drug addicts, enforces strict rules such as curfews and promises to fix the government from these traditional and useless corrupt officials. Thanks to his opponents, it is  also mostly because of the black propaganda that they are circulating.

6. Why Grace Poe was questioned a lot but is now admired?

photo taken from aboutstuff-stuff.blogspot.com

Because she still does not have enough experience to handle a higher position. Further, she always says that she will continue her father's legacy, exactly what legacy is she talking about? As far as I can remember, her father was a famous movie star and that's all. And who could ever forget how she was allowed to run even if she once denounced her Filipino citizenship to be an American.

Last night, after seeing partial and unofficial results, she has called on an emergency press conference to let people know that she has conceded to Mayor Duterte. I admire her for being a graceful loser. She can be a really good leader but now is not yet the time.

7. Why Miriam Defensor-Santiago is pitied (for me)?

photo taken from rappler.com

I agree, she would have been the best president we never had. I admire how she stands up for righteousness and exhibits bravery against those who do not follow the rules. However, she is currently sick with cancer although she claims to have healed from it. I would like her to live longer and enjoy the remaining days of her life with her family. She will be a good adviser to the President, if ever.

8. Why is President Aquino being abhorred?

image taken from newsflash.org

He truly has done quite a number of improvements in our country but the rantings and blaming toward the previous government position is so irritating. He actually worked hard to campaign for his presidential candidate instead of facing the current issues especially that he is coming out of the office soon. 

9. Why is Philippine Politics still dirty?

image taken from philippinereporter.com

Because of the never ending vote buying from voters. Envelopes containing cash are given during campaign sorties and especially the day before election when these are are made to be delivered the voter's houses. 

10. Why is change coming to the Philippines?

image taken from test.payserv.net

Because the people are tired of the same old brand new promises of the traditional politicians. They promise the moon and the stars before elections but become indifferent after they have gotten the votes. Secondly, because the Filipino people is not stupid anymore to believe the lies and the in-competencies of the previous administration and their bets. And most of all, because there is a clamor for change and all are willing to see and work hard for it.

Last night, I prayed hard before going to bed. I almost did not want to sleep because I am afraid to wake up learning that my bets were cheated. But I gave it all to God and His will. Election has ended, let's all be friends and support the ones that the majority chose.

#changeiscoming #GodblessthePhilippines

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

God Bless the Philippines

This 2016 Philippines Election has brought out a lot of attitudes and faces of Filipinos. Some are being fierce, others become master diggers of past happenings, people were either informed or misinformed, hypocrites, blind believers, paid promoters, and black propaganda all around in black and blue.

My country has been a pity for a long time already. I'm tired of the never ending issues that the Philippines has been facing and yet the government is still having blind eyes and deaf ears. My heart goes out to the persons who were planted with bullets on our airport. Instead of being happy to come home or being happy to go to the airport to travel, anxiety and fear comes because of this risk. 

The opposition has thrown a lot of black propaganda towards my Presidential bet, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte. From digging up the rape joke (that was not even a rape joke) that Duterte made in 1989, to his expressive use of foul language, to the accusations that he has a lot of money in the bank (211 Million Pesos) which he did not declare in his statement of assets and the latest one is that he has 11,000 ghost employees in Davao.

The greatest one of these black propaganda was a television advertisement involving children saying out scripts which pointed out that Duterte is not a good model for them. This is such an unbecoming act of the opposition, going so low as using these innocent children all for their political ambition. I pity these children and their parents. They will be bashed and remembered forever for being paid and used by politicians hiding behind them and using them as a pawn. 

I regret the day I voted for Senator Trillanes, the one who paid for the controversial ad. I thought he was a man who would fight evil politicians but it seemed he has come to side with them. I wonder why he does not face all the accusations thrown at him and instead makes it his business to ruin Duterte. 

Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte may not be a graduate of Wharton nor a son of a wealthy elite person. He is not pretending to be poor because he came from it and still is. He is a reluctant candidate from the beginning but because no one is promoting to fix or improve Mindanao, he decided to run for the position. I am from Mindanao and it has always been unfair that Manila or Luzon have been getting more from the government budget. They are not the only ones in the Philippines, nor the only Filipinos. Mindanao is the land of promise and it should only be right if we are given a fair chance to improve our land and facilities. 

Now I understand why the Philippines has rebels. They are sick and tired of the people in position. The government has not been true to its word of bringing us out of darkness and leading us to that straight path. They always talk of peace for our land but no steps have been taken, no talks have been done how to achieve this. 

I'm especially disheartened with the current President Aquino for siding heavily with another candidate. He is actually working hard now that he is incumbent. Even to the point of spreading lies just to make his candidate look good. Well, as the adage says: If you want to look white, paint your opponents black. They are promoting hatred and division instead of unity and peace. I see that they are dying to hold their positions. I wonder for what? Are they hiding something so grave it must not be found out by the people? There are rumors about the massive Philippine debt that has been withheld from the people, about the Scarborough Shoal that has been sold to China. People are clamouring about what really happened with the Yolanda funds that other countries have donated but mysteriously disappeared or is unliquidated, about the poor military men who died because of the negligence of their superiors (SAF44), the trains that were promised but is still a dream and much more. 

Thank you for promising us a comfortable and safe life, Mayor Duterte. I trust that deep in your heart, you would like to serve our country and your fellow men because you are true to your duty and because of your loyalty. I pray the evil beings will not succeed in pulling you down but instead it will come back to haunt them. Mayor Duterte, I will support you all the way!

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Dinner at Big Chicken

This is a #flashback #Friday post of our dinner at Big Chicken Restaurant in Phuket. It's been exactly a year after the last time we ate there (6 May 2015). Browsing through the photos of my phone, I realized I've originally planned to blog about our quick dinner at this place. Although it's been a year since we've been there, I know the restaurant is still a good place to eat.

The original name of the place is Krua Tungtong and is nicknamed as Big Chicken because of the big chicken statue that stands in its facade. My friend, Mel, recommended this place because of its grilled chicken that tastes almost the same as our favorite chicken dish in the Philippines. After work, we headed to the place and seated ourselves inside the airconditioned part. Other guests can choose to stay outside.

The staff immediately gave each of us a menu. It was more than 10 pages detailing the dishes they can offer which ranged from pork, chicken, seafood, some vegetarian dishes and desserts.

Having eaten here way before, it did not took us a long time to decide which items to order again. While waiting for the dishes, the staff gave us something to munch on. Nope, this is not a table design. These are leaves and some cucumber sticks for "appetizers".

What I like about Thailand and it's restaurant service is that you'll feel as if your a VIP. They position the drinks on another table and put ice and drinks on a glass for you. The staff is ready to pour more if they see that your glass needs refilling.

Our main orders were then served. I forgot to take a photo of our Tom Yum soup because we were starving. The chicken pictured here is not that enticing but it surely tasted good.

Som Tum Mamua or Mango Salad. Our restaurant meal will never be complete if this one is missing. 

And a chocolate brownie for dessert.

I'm sure there is still a lot on the menu worthy to be tasted and discovered. Hopefully we'd come back here soon and enjoy their tasty dishes and good service. Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog! 

Afternoon and Evening Walks in Penang

It's time for that yearly business trip to Penang. As usual the travel was long because it was overnight by mini bus and tiring because we had to attend to the official business before sleeping. The moment I was able to regain some strength, I met with a friend who was also having a holiday in Penang. The air was so humid and I felt it the moment I stepped out of the hotel. Our hotel was in another part of Penang this time and it was a great opportunity to discover the other side of town. Most photos on this post are taken by my good friend P. Jose. 

First, we reached a part of Penang with this view. Honestly, I did not know what part this is but the view of the cruise ship somewhat hiding beyond is interesting. 

We walked through a park and reached Fort Cornwallis. It was so hot I was literally drenched with sweat on my back. We were not interested in paying quite a big amount to see what is inside so we just took some photos of the facade. 

We headed to a mall to cool ourselves and when it was nearly sun down, we went back to my hotel to get our other friend to join us for dinner. On the way, we passed by this street art on a wall beside a parking lot. I wrote about Penang's street art and steel art before and you can read it here.

Rax, PJ and I then went to Red Garden Food Paradise to fill ourselves with a delicious dinner. I chose to be adventurous and tried the nutmeg shake. Much to my dismay, it felt like I was drinking an ointment. I didn't like it so I ordered another drink, this time a watermelon shake. 

The night was still young but still humid so we chose to walk around. We found a lovely place near the park showcasing mini air balloons made from paper with drawings on them. It was a cute sight to behold. 

Their air balloon event is also coming up, thus this sight. I didn't expect that a few weeks later, huge and real air balloons were present during the Thailand Balloon Music Festival and I did get to see them for real.

The following day, we just lazily stayed in the hotel and left back for Phuket in the afternoon. That was again a short and sweet trip to Penang. The place never ceased to surprise me. Thank you and 'til my next blog!

Philippine Presidential Debate 2016

Last Sunday 24 April 2016, I bet most and if not all Filipinos were glued on their television screens to watch for the final Philippine Presidential Debate. 5 candidates vying for the country's highest position were in one stage to discuss their platforms and answer critical and current issues in the Philippines. Although I am currently abroad, local news media as well as Facebook and You tube has been a great instrument for me as well as my colleagues to know and watch it live. I was able to witness it as if I am in my country.

Never have I seen the Filipino people clamor for a better change and good governance. Maybe I am just on Facebook too much. I'm sad to note that almost half of the country is still not connected to the internet. Those on the far flung mountains will still hear news on the radio or the television and the medias biases on a certain candidate. I'm disappointed to see such a well known television broadcasting company side with another candidate and erroneously quoted another candidate of his responses during the debate.

This election will be a tough one. I just hope it's not a bloody one. Every Filipino has the right to vote, I just wish they be true to their hearts and not be swayed by the black propaganda nor the bribery that traditional politicians have been doing over the years. It's really time for the Philippines to rise up from the grips of these corrupt politicians. I'm continuously praying and looking forward that #changeiscoming. 

Thank you and 'til next blog!

Can travel dreams really come true?

Last April 3, I blogged about my travel goals and you can read it here. Oh, how sweet it would be if I can do all of them. I know that would be dreaming a lot but anyways, its always free to dream.

I received an email from KLM Philippines inviting me to share my dream and possibly to win a dream trip. It was a very busy time at the office and so now that I am on a rest day, I chose to put some time and attention to the email. Their promotion entails for travelers or adventurers like you and me to share our top 3 favorite travel destinations and who knows, they might take us there someday! I have joined in some contests like these before and did not win but my fighting spirit pushes me to still try my luck.

So I've chosen 3 ultimate destinations that I want and picked the top priority. I also sent a few invites to my friends to join. I want to try and ride this airline of which I've heard there is good and wonderful service. I certainly wish for my travel experience delivered by no less than a pleasant crew.

Let's see if lady luck will shine her smile to me this time. Come and join, too and get a chance to make your dream trip come true. Thank you and 'til my next blog! :)