Somebody That I Used to Know

Wouter "Wally" De Backer

aka Gotye

Amazing! They are using two instruments lang. Their vocals and a guitar.

Pentatonix

I like their version because it's A CAPELLA. 

O, diba, feel na feel mo ang hagod!

At first I thought, same sex relationship nanaman ang peg ng Glee. WRONG!

Hahaha. Brotherly pala. Nice rendition. Moving and touching. 

Feel mo?

I don't know kung bakit gustong gusto ko ang kanta na 'to. 

Siguro nakaka relate lang ang puso.

Mahirap eh. Mahirap yung dati, okay kayo

tapos bigla na lang - wala na. 

Ma ma ma MY SIruma

 

Finally! Got the chance to enjoy the summer vacation. Our destination: the beautiful paradise of Siruma, my hometown, my hiding place, my love.

 

It was Friday the 13^th when we decided to finally leave Naga. Original plan was to take the fuso (boat) to Siruma via Tinambac port but for some mystical and dark reasons of this superstitious day, we were convinced to ride the jeep to Siruma which took 8 lovely hours from our supposedly 2-hour trip.

 

 

The powerful jeep. 

 

It was a fun and exciting 8-hour trip. We got the chance to see the beautiful view of Tinambac and Siruma. More than this, the trip made me realize how inefficient and ineffective the government of the 3^rd district was in implementing road construction projects.

 

 Ralph's EPIC FAIL moment.

 

 The road may be exciting for us but I know this is a serious issue to the locals of Tinambac and Siruma.

 

 Nonetheless, Ralph, Marlon and I had fun riding the jeep on the "topload".

The 8-hr rough road trip was all worth it! We were welcomed by a beautiful view of 

San Miguel Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

San Miguel Bay (LEFT) - Pacific Ocean (RIGHT)

DAY 2

Devoted the whole day to have an intimate bonding with the SEA.

I've been always proud of our beach. As soon as we arrive at Amuris Resort

 (government-owned - open-to-all resort) I heard my friends saying - WOW! Beautiful! etc.

Ahhh. Ayos! Nagustuhan rin nila.

 

 

 

Say what? This isn't Boracay and will never be Boracay. This is only in SIRUMA! :)

Marlon and Ralph

Me and Edda

 

Marlon, our beautiful mermaid. 

LOVELY SEA! Good thing about this place: UNTOUCHED by irresponsible tourist.

Ended the night with some sort of a meeting with the Mayor. Happy to know that she's pro-environment.

Would be helping her implement some environmental programs for Siruma. I'm excited!

Gin and Chippy accompanied us all night.

 Kuya Joan (Mama's powerful right hand) was so strict. He didn't allow us to HOHOL outside the house.

DAY 3

Again, a special reunion with the sea. 

 

 So sad. We didn't got the chance to visit the other resort, Angelica, which is managed by my kinakapitid.

Siruma is giving us more reasons to really go back.

After this, we went home and had a feast! Edda and Kuya Joan (oooy <3) cooked ginataang bangkulis, prinitong bangkulis,

and pancit. We also got a special package from Coke. Haha. Thank you Coke! #Chos

We took the 1.5-hr fuso trip back to Naga, way way way shorter than jeep trip.

Some notes:

 1. You don't need a lot of money to enjoy the lovely Siruma. 

2. People are very nice especially Kuya Joan (nice Edda), Patrick (nice Marlon), Phillip (nice Ralph) and more.

3. Ginebra San Miguel is an awesome drink. It drives the locals crazy! HAHAHA

4. Bring toothbrush. You can't HOHOL if KWAYTIANGMAWTMELCH. (mabaho ang bibig mo) :))

5. Love the environment. Mother Earth has special ways of saying THANKS to those who love her.

Will miss you, Siruma! Until we meet again. I will always be proud of you! 

  

Nagmamahal,

RAMBOY :D

(Ramboy is my nickname in Siruma. It is the only place where I openly appreciate this "manly" nickname")

Photos: Marlon Martirez

Save Baguio Pine Trees

Since January this year, Baguio residents have been campaigning against the decision of SM Development Corp to remove 182 trees from Luneta Hill as part of its expansion plan.

SM intends to convert the area into a parking lot and entertainment plaza.

I guess, SM Development Corp doesn't know meaning of "common good". 

Yah. Common, most of the time, is not common at all.

In one of our usual conversations, I told my little sister, Kimmy about the plan of

 SM  Development Corp on Baguio Trees. 

Kimmy: Ah. Talaga? Bakit nila puputulin ang trees?

Me: Gagawa kasi sila ng parking lot and entertainment plaza.

Kimmy: Bakit kailangan pa putulin ang trees?

Me: Kasi wala ng space sa Baguio.

Kimmy: Ahhy. Talaga? Siguro ang laki-laki na ng SM sa Baguio kaya hindi na kaysa ang mga tao.

(Hindi katulad dito sa Naga) [may laman ang statement na 'to]

Me: LOL. Payag ka ba gawin nila yun?

Kimmy: Hindi! 

Me: Bakit? Di ba, nag eenjoy ka sa SM?

Kimmy: Oo. Gusto ko kasi mag bake tska bumili ng toys. Pero kawawa naman sila.

Me: Sinong SILA?

Kimmy: Kawawa naman yung mga baby birds, wala na silang matitirahan. Malaki na naman na ang SM.

Di ko nga kayang bilhin lahat ng toys dun. 

How can we tolerate this act? SM Development Corp said that trees

 would be balled and not cut down. Earth-balling involves cutting down

90%-95% of the roots. This means = VERY LOW 

chance of survival of trees. 

As a protest, I made the shirt above. 

I'm planning to go to SM in awhile so that they would know that 

this issue is not just among the people of Baguio, this

is a national issue which needs to be stopped!

Despite temporary environmental protection order, the digging continues.

(As of 2PM today)

‎"Only when the last tree has been cut down, 

Only when the last river has been poisoned, 

Only when the last fish has been caught,

Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten." 

 Cree Indian Prophecy

Para sa mga KABABAIHAN

This Lent, the Filipino women are being doubly persecuted with the impending passage of an anti-women bill. President Noynoy Aquino is not bent on vetoing a law which targets women in prostitution as criminals/vagrants! 

For nine years, women’s groups, survivors and advocates have been pushing for an anti-prostitution bill that will shift the accountability away from the bought and onto the buyers as well as the profiteering business. Thus, for legislators to pass a bill that keeps the women criminalized, while the pimps are decriminalized, is sheer callousness and misogyny. It is nothing but early and crass electioneering in the guise of being pro-poor.

PNoy has signed RA 10158, a law amending the Vagrancy Act, but singling out women in prostitution to remain as criminals. Highly unconstitutional. Contradictory to the Magna Carta of Women, the Anti-Trafficking Law, among others. The height of betrayal this Lent.

Together with some Non-Government Organizations, Socio-Civic and Youth Groups, the Coalition Against Women Trafficking - Asia Pacific organized -

The 14 Stations of the Cross of Women in Prostitution.

Station 1.  

Magdalena was born to poverty, in the rural areas.

Station 2.  

Magdalena was sexually abused by her own uncle and grandfather.

Station 3.  

Magdalena escaped to the city and worked as a domestic worker.

Station 4. 

Magdalena was sexually harassed by her employer.

Station 5. 

Magdalena was recruited by a pimp to earn in Cubao.

Station 6. 

Magdalena was raped by her pimp.

Station 7. 

Magdalena was raped by her first customer.

Station 8.  

Magdalena was bought for 250 pesos by her customer, the pimp took half of it.

Station 9.  

Magdalena was forced to use drugs by her pimp, she took it to numb herself.

Station 10.  

Magdalena was used by more than 5 customers in a night.

Station 11.  

Magdalena contracted sexually transmitted infection, severe anemia and tuberculosis.

Section 12. 

Magdalena was arrested by the police. She was asked: “in bed or in jail?”

Section 13. 

Magdalena’s head was repeatedly hit by a customer, she had to escape death by running out of the motel naked.

Section 14. 

Legislators of the 15th Congress and earlier terms want to keep Magdalena criminalized, refusing to criminalize buyers and pimps instead of her, refusing to give services and support to more than half a million more Magdalenas in the Philippines.

 

Texts: Jean Enriquez - Executive Director of Coalition Against Women Trafficking - Asia Pacific 

Photos: Coalition Against Women Trafficking - Asia Pacific

Decriminalize the women in prostitution. Shift the accountability 

towards the buyers and the business.

 RA 10158

(verified by yahoo! phils writers with malacanang records. the only difference is now, it has PNoy's signature after "approved")

The Red Whistle Campaign

After hearing the story of Wanggo Gallaga (@wanggo_g)in The Bottomline, I immediately tweeted him and 

Niccolo Cosme (@niccolocosme) manifesting my desire to help in spreading their advocacy.

Wanggo Gallaga is not just an HIV positive personality.

Read his story here. Wanngo

Niccolo Cosme and The Red Whistle Campaign

The Red Whistle is an advocacy campaign that aims to respond to the alarming increase of HIV and AIDS cases in the Philippines.

The Story

The Red Whistle Campaign began as a personal advocacy of Niccolo Cosme, a mainstream photographer in the country. Niccolo was inspired by a UNAIDS representative who wore a whistle at one of the conventions he attended. The whistle, as explained to him, is used as a tool for UNAIDS to sound the alarm for disaster preparedness and prevention. This gave Niccolo an idea. He wanted to do something about the HIV- and AIDS-related deaths being reported by the Philippine National AIDS Council – where some of whom are part of his social circle. 

Niccolo started buying red whistles from a bookstore, hooking them to a tag and began sporting them in social gatherings. People started to inquire about the accessory, which gave Niccolo the opportunity to engage with them about the rising epidemic. 

He then started to purchase more, distributing them to his friends who also shared his belief in the advocacy. Different HIV and AIDS organizations began to approach him to collaborate… and the rest is history.

To date, The Red Whistle has become the mainstream community response to HIV and AIDS, calling on the government, institutions, and media to educate Filipinos and alleviate the spread of the epidemic.

Senator MIRIAM SANTIAGO is one of the Ambassadors. 

Visit them at http://www.theredwhistle.org/home/