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A work in progress

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Kinikilabutan ako!



I wonder kung ano ang dinadasal niya? Asking for forgiveness perhaps?



**Photo taken from inq7.net

Posted by nikki:: 2/26/2006 06:17:00 PM
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Saturday, February 25, 2006

Random thoughts on the country's state of emergency

Disclaimer: Everything written here is MY OWN opinion only and nobody else's. These are just the thoughts of a Filipino on the recent happenings here in the country. Anything written here cannot be construed as urging the people to be in open hostility to the goverment.


I was really surprised last Friday that upon arriving at the hospital, a friend told me that a coup was starting (only to be told several minutes later that it was foiled by the government). I didn't see anything unusual around my neighborhood nor in EDSA but that explains why Erap was being ordered to go back to Tanay which I saw briefly on TV while I was going out of the door! I was excited and scared at the same time. Excited because I couldn't wait to find out if at the end of the day the country will have a new president and scared because I know the President will do everything to stay in power. Like most Filipinos that day, I was glued to the TV almost the whole day. When I heard that the President declared a state of national emergency, shivers went up my spine and I had goose bumps all over.

Just when the police were dispersing the group of rallyists in Santolan with water hoses and sticks (hitting the rallyists even when they were running away and on their knees already), I was actually driving along EDSA on my way home. I saw on TV how they arrested Prof. Randy David while he was trying to talk to them amicably. I also saw how the police hosed down the people at the EDSA Shrine and how they advanced on the rallyists in Makati, putting women on the frontline. And even when the rallyists were already walking home, the police still advanced on them with their shields and sticks. Today, the news is full of stories about several key people in the opposition who are openly critical of the government (some of them was even in the Makati rally yesterday) being arrested, the house of Sen. Gringo Honasan searched, media warned on airing things against the government, newspaper offices/printing presses visited by the police and other government agents (the Daily Tribune which is pro-opposition was "temporarily taken over" by the government) and arrests left and right of people who are being accused of inciting to rebellion. Hmmm.... sounds familiar? Kaya nga ba natatakot ako eh!

I am really in awe at the President's political advisers. They are one very intelligent group! They always have an answer to every thing. When asked what is the significance of this state of emergency and what powers are given to the President by this declaration, they wouldn't give straight answers and would very wisely evade the questions (basta, the President would be given special powers daw). I was also confused when one Cabinet member said they declaration was for economic reasons only. Huh??? Hindi ko yata gets.

They said that the declaration was because of the threat to the government, because the Magdalo group was aligning with the Communists already and are planning a coup. Who says this is true? Where is their proof? They are accusing this and that person of being with the Magdalo-Communist group but the person talking doesn't even have the balls to show his face on TV! Oo nga naman, baka nga naman balikan ang pamilya niya ng mga Magdalo at mga Komunista. Yeah right!

They said this military officer is one of the coup leaders but he belied this in an interview saying that he was inside the military camp all along, this was even attested by his commander. They said these group of military personnels were on their way to Manila to join the coup attempt but one opposition group was interviewed as saying that yes, they were on their way to Makati because they want to express their sentiments by joining the rally but not to participate in a coup attempt.

When asked for his reaction to Hongkong's warning to their citizens to "exercise caution when travelling to the Philippines", Cong. Mike Defensor said that this is because foreigners are afraid of the threat being posed by the coup plots against the government not because of the declaration of the state of emergency. If this is true then the Hongkong government should've issued this advisory earlier this week when they arrested Lt. San Juan earlier this week or even last year when news of these coup attempts first surfaced. I think the Hongkong government reacted to the declaration of national emergency because for me, that declaration is almost tantamount to saying that "yes, there is a coup attempt and I am afraid that if I do not declare a state of emergency, they will succeed".

Just my two cents worth: This declaration is a strategy as well as the news of the coup attempt and the alliance between the Magdalo and the Communists. The government wants the people to hate the Magdalo group because of the alliance so that if a the group will lead a coup attempt, the people will not support them (who would want to support nga naman the Communists?). The alleged threat to the government, i.e. the coup attempt gives the government a reason to declare a state of national emergency and in turn would put a stop to the rallies in Metro Manila because if the rallies will not be stopped, it can become Edsa 3 and the President will be ousted. Hindi nga ba't isang rally sa Edsa ang nagpaalis at nagpakulong kay Erap?


PUNYETANG EDSA YAN!


Posted by nikki:: 2/25/2006 11:51:00 PM
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Thursday, February 23, 2006

Down ang pinoyatbp.!

Sorry guys if you can't access the site. We also do not know what is wrong but we think it might be the server. We just hope it will be fixed soon. Sana huwag po kayong magsawa sa pagdalaw sa amin.

Take care everyone and God bless us all!


Posted by nikki:: 2/23/2006 10:14:00 PM
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006

"We can never turn back the pages of time, though we may wish to relive a happy moment or say goodbye one last time, we never can...

I went back to my former medical school this morning to apply for some documents at the registrar. After trying to look for a parking space for 15 minutes under the sweltering sun, I was ready to swear off my former school. Entering the building, I didn't think I would be nostalgic. After all, it wasn't even our building back then because the school transferred to another location a few years ago. But going up the unfamiliar stairway beside medical students who were worriedly discussing their research presentation later today; walking behind a former teacher in the hallway; seeing the name of my former laboratory instructor beside the title "Head, Clinical Microscopy"; seeing the manongs outside the laboratories, seeing the all familiar cork board outside the Pathology office with the words "For removal exams" and meeting the same old familiar faces at the Registrar's office, I couldn't help but smile. Yes, the guards, the ambience (they now have a very nice looking fountain on the 1st floor) and a whole lot of things may have changed but the spirit of the people there and the drive for excellence will never change.


... because the sands of time continue to fall and we can't turn the hourglass over."


Posted by nikki:: 2/21/2006 06:18:00 PM
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Huh? Ako, judge?

Dahil sa talaga namang ako ay pinagpala (kasi kamag-anak ko ang organizer), naatasan akong maging isa sa mga hurado noong nakaraang fiesta sa amin. Hindi naman big time, pang campus king and queen saka talent search lang naman ang aking "judging" ability.
Sa totoo lang, kinabahan ako. Di nga ba't may question and answer portion sa mga ganitong mga contest? Hindi ko kasi alam kung ano ang itatanong ko. Baka kasi batuhin ako ng mga tao doon kapag tinanong ko sila ng kung ano-ano. Ayoko din naman syempre tanungin sila ng "what do you think is the essence of being a woman?". Mabuti na lang at isang question lang sa lahat ng mga finalists at iyon ay tanong na gawa ng mga organizers. Naisip ko din, baka hindi ako marunong mag-judge. Pero ang pinaka-nakakakaba sa lahat, covered ng isang local tv station yung contest at mga local TV talents ang iba kong mga kasama!
Sabi sa akin, kelangan daw alas-syete, nandon na ako sa upisina ni vice mayor kasi may dinner daw. Hmp! Akala ko naman buffet style, yun pala styro style lang! Hindi din masarap yung pagkain tapos ni wala man lang juice o softdrinks, NAWASA juice lang ang meron. Nag-umpisa ang contest ng alas-nuwebe ng gabi, syempre hinintay pa kasi ang mga VIPs na natural fashionably late sa pagdating. Mag-aalas onse pa lang, masakit na ang ulo ko. Nakakahilo naman kasi yung 33 na mukha ang dadaan sa harap mo ng paulit-ulit. Masakit din sa mata yung mga ilaw. Mabuti na lang at may pre-judging sila dun sa contest na yon at hindi na kami masyadong nahirapan. Maski dun sa talent search, tig-limang finalist na lang ang nadinig namin kumanta at nakita naming sumayaw. Sa totoo lang, magagagaling iyong mga bata lalo na yung mga nagsayaw.
Magaganda at guwapo din yung mga kasali sa beauty contest. Kaya nga lang, sabi nga ng kapatid ko, "beauty and brains do not really go together". I'm sure hindi lahat ng tao sasang-ayon dito. Hindi din naman sa lahat ng pagkakatao ganito pero nung gabing yon, napatunayan ko na tama nga ang kapatid ko. Noong unang labas pa lang ng mga contestants, meron na akong nagustuhan, magaganda kasi ang mukha at tindig. Para hindi ako mahirapan sa pagbigay ng puntos, sa mukha at katawan muna ako tumingin. Noong natapos na lamang yung question and answer portion, saka ako nagbigay ng puntos para sa katalinuhan. Kaya ang ending, yung pinaka-gusto kong mukha sa mga lalaki, naging 3rd runner up lang at yung sa babae naman ay naging 1st runner up lang sa akin.
Siyam kaming judges kaya syempre, iba-iba ang aming mga napili. Sa talent search, dun lang sa sayaw ako tumama (pero kasi unanimous decision naman yon). Dun sa kantahan, ni isa hindi ako tumama. Mahilig kasi ako manood ng mga singing contest sa TV kaya naman nasanay akong makinig sa ultimo kaliit-liitang notang kinakanta ng mga kasali. Pero kung pagbabasehan ko yung reaksyon nung katabi kong judge, hindi ako nag-iisa. Dun sa beauty contest, yung mga gusto ko ang nanalo sa mga babae pero sa mga lalaki, yung grand prize at 1st runner up winners lang ang tama ko kasi may alam akong sikreto nung isang pinili nila. Pero dahil sa sikreto yon, tatahimik na lang ako....


Posted by nikki:: 2/14/2006 01:07:00 AM
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Tuesday, February 07, 2006

What now?


A lot has been said about the Wowowee incident at the ULTRA. Both my blogger friends Ella and Karen have written the best viewpoints. But aren't we missing something?

Maybe ABS-CBN was at fault because they should have anticipated the huge crowd and should've done something about it. Maybe Willie should be liable because he is the host and he did say he has a say in what goes on in the show, he saw the huge crowd already, he should've talked to the management about it. Maybe the victims should be blamed, they only want the easy way out. The government already said it is "too much" because people are blaming them for what happenned last Sunday. Okay, so an investigation was done and a case maybe filed against the organizers. I really don't believe that someone will pay (in jail) for what happenned.

The tragedy has occurred and everyone has been pointing fingers at each other. The other networks are banking on what happenned to get ratings. Hopefully people have learned from their mistakes. But did we bother to look into the cause of what made this huge crowd to brave the sun and the rain for 2 days to be able to get the chance to win 1M but instead ended up in the freezers of Arlington?

Look at it this way:

I am a 36 year old housewife with 4 children, my husband is a security guard but his pay is always late. We haven't eaten a decent meal in 2 days. I need to buy TB medicine for my mother-in-law. I want to augment my husband's income by putting up a sari-sari store but I don't have enough capital because just obtaining a permit to open up one would already cost me almost 1T. What am I to do?

We cannot undo what has happenned, we can do something so this will not happen again but we should do something now so that people will no longer need to push each other just to get the chance to have a better life.



Posted by nikki:: 2/07/2006 11:52:00 PM
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