Blue or Green. Green or Blue

I have always been amused with the unending and ever-in heat rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle. Pit these two against each other on a game of basketball at any given day and you will surely find a jampacked Araneta Coliseum roaring to the top.


Coach Dindo Pumaren (UE Warriors) once said that it amuses him how his Warriors, who just completed a rare 14-0 sweep in the 2007 elimination round of the UAAP men’s competition, have been forgotten in the light of the rivalry.


“Even if both schools are in the cellars, every game will always be like a championship. It’s school pride. It’s all about passion. Their games are just different, their rivalry is different," says Dindo, whose brother Franz is calling the shots for the Archers.


This 2008 UAAP season, The Ateneo Blue Eagles got the edge winning over La Salle via a 2-0 sweep of the Season 71 Finals at the overflowing Araneta Coliseum.


Well, talk doesn't end there, as news after news after news and reactions after reactions after reactions are sure to continue amuse people like me about the famed rivalry.

Raphael Bartholomew, a researcher, writer and lecturer, wrote a very interesting article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 2007 about this extensive fight between the green and the blue.

He even discussed how politicians and other famous personalities, alumni of these two Universities, continue to engage battle.

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A Nation's Passion Lives in a Rivalry of Green vs.Blue
By RAPHAEL BARTHOLOMEW


Senators, foreign diplomats, cabinet ministers, a smattering of Forbes's 40 richest Filipinos, moviestars and enough professional basketball players to play five-on-five. They are the elite of Philippine society, and they all gather at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City to watch the men's basketball rivalry between the universities Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle.


La Salle Coach Franz Pumaren said, "The janitors in Araneta always say, 'If there's an Ateneo-La Salle game, once everybody's out of the coliseum, it still smells good because of the all the socialites watching.'


Ateneo and La Salle are the most prestigious private universities in the country. The question of which institution provides a superior education is a toss-up; the tie breakers take place on the basketball court.


In 2005, La Salle revealed that two of its players had used phony high school equivalency results in their applications, and the team was suspended for the 2006 season.The teams also play different styles, with somewhat different results. The De La Salle Green Archers won four straight national championships from 1998 to 2001 thanks to its vaunted trapping defense.


Ateneo plays textbook basketball, with man-to-man defense and an inside-out offense that relies on post-up moves and perimeter shooting. The Blue Eagles won the 2002 championship, their only title in the last 17 years.


The frenzied crowds are often led by some of the most prominent alumni. Senator Richard Gordon, a former Ateneo cheerleader, is renowned for sideline antics like jumping on the scorer's table to rile up the crowd. La Salle counts the former finance secretary José Pardo and the shipping mogul Enrique Razon Jr. among its supporters.


The rivalry allows Manila's elites to relive their carefree college days, said Ricky Palou, Ateneo's athletic director. "It's the passion they have for their alma mater," he said. "They become immature. They act like kids."


The fans' excessive behavior is matched by the largesse that the alumni lavish on their teams. A group from Ateneo installed the hardwood floor used for the 2000 N.B.A. All-Star Game at the university gym. Not to be outdone, Razon donated about $1 million, which went toward refurbishing La Salle's sports center and financing athletic scholarships.


The heightened atmosphere of the rivalry puts coaches and players under enormous pressure. When Joe Lipa coached Ateneo in the late 1990s, the former president Corazon Aquino, whose daughter Kris is a 1992 graduate, would call Lipa to check on the team's progress, said Ricky Dandan, Lipa's former assistant.


"You can lose to all the other teams, but not to La Salle," Banal said.


When his team defeated La Salle for the championship in 2002, it was "my most fulfilling accomplishment," Banal said, adding: "After that championship it's like the whole Filipino nation knew me. Like if you go to a restaurant, you eat, you're paying your bill, somebody from Ateneo got it already."


But the shame of losing also haunts players and coaches. In the final game of the 2002 national championship series, the La Salle star Mike Cortez missed 11 of 13 shots. Afterward, La Salle students and alumni accused Cortez of throwing the game. Although Cortez is now an all-star guard in thePhilippine professional league, many fans still regard him as a game fixer.


The rivalry has loosened the bond of friendship between the teams' coaches. Ateneo Coach Norman Black and Pumaren won several professional titles together in the late 1980s with the San Miguel Beermen.


"If you're part of the rivalry, you just don't like each other," Black said."Franz played for me and he was my assistant coach, but that has little bearing on what's happening right now. He's the coach of La Salle; I'm the coach of Ateneo. Let the chips fall where they may." ++++++++++

The following article published in the Philippine Star on October 5, 2008, accounts a personal story of an Ateneo graduate who later practiced his profession at the rival school La Salle. This, again, tells of an interesting story between Ateneo and La Salle from on and off the basketball court.


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Blue or Green? That is the question
By Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr.


I first heard about the rivalry between Ateneo and LA SALLE through my eldest sister Ling; it must have been in the mid-50s when I was old enough to play with a mini-basketball, but too young to understand the big fuss over the rivalry between the two exclusive schools. Ling was a fan of the blue-and-white, Hail Mary team. While listening to the radio coverage of the games, she cheered for Ateneo and Ed Ocampo particularly, the team’s outstanding guard then. Her ears were glued to the radio set, listening to a broadcaster named Bobby Ng describing the game play-by-play, in good, straight English. She did attend the big games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, most probably with my elder brother, until the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) games were covered on TV.

My memory of the early TV coverage of the NCAA games is of Green Archer Kurt Bach-mann’s mom brandishing her umbrella from the courtside. I don’t remember now what for. Kurt Bachmann must have been embarrassed by his mom’s display of motherly concern.

The funny thing is that when I was in Ateneo, my sister could not care less about the Ateneo-La Salle games. I guess she matured and got over that stage of idolatry. But a lot of adults, especially alumni of either school, seem not to have outgrown the rivalry which continued when the two schools moved to the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines).

Atenean Richard Gordon, former cheerleader and now a Senator, is a common fixture during a La Salle-Ateneo game. Lasallian Mike Enriquez, popular broadcaster, plays his alma mater’s hymn in his morning program during championship games. The old alumni of these arch rivals continue still to cheer for their teams, competing for bragging rights of being champions.


I confess that I was never fond of basketball games even when I was in college. I did try out to be a cheerleader of the Blue Babble Battalion because I was attracted by the blue-and-white jacket, but I did not make it to the clique. I must have attended two games in my college life; three max. Okay, I was a nerd.


What’s the big fuss? The press is partly to blame. Whenever there’s a game between Ateneo and La Salle, it is always bannered as the encounter between arch rivals, a long, unending rivalry that can be traced to the pre-World War II period. The management of the Araneta Coliseum must love it. The venue will surely be filled to the rafters. The attendance of around 20,000 is close to the population of the two schools. The UAAP board loves it; an Ateneo-La Salle game means a multi-million-peso encounter. It’s crazy to raise the question at all.

Before I continue writing this piece, a full disclosure is appropriate – I finished my undergraduate degree at the Ateneo (notice “the”; it’s not enough just to say Ateneo). I’m a bona fide alumnus, but not a blue-blooded Atenean, if you ask the likes of Mike Arroyo, for the FG, blue-blooded Ateneans are those who finished their primary and secondary levels at the Ateneo.


I’m not an alumnus of La Salle, but I’ve taught there for a little over 24 years, so I’ve developed some loyalty to this school on Taft.

Which side am I on? That’s the question.


Through the years, the rivalry in sports had become heated, and it extended to other fields, like academics and debate. Man for man (and woman for woman, when the two schools became co-ed in the ‘70s), the two schools can match the other school’s leading alumni. Until Ateneo becomes exasperated with the exercise and drops the name of Jose Rizal. That stops the conversation. Lasallians would just say that “Rizal had no choice then; La Salle was established in 1911. If Rizal were born at the turn of the century….”


Ateneo and La Salle were very exclusive schools, especially before the 60s. I remember a cousin who passed the entrance exams at La Salle but failed the ocular visit to their house made by a representative of the school. My cousin’s family lived in an apartment in La Loma, Quezon City. My cousin should have checked the family names of La Salle alumni then. To make a long story short, he enrolled in San Beda instead.


In the 60s, more scholars from both public and private schools invaded the august halls of Ateneo and La Salle and both schools had become less aristocratic. That was how I came to the Ateneo. Soon, the coño boys became an endangered species until the 80s when both schools became more bakya; the coño boys became totally extinct. (I think they moved to the University of Asia and the Pacific.)


Lasallians would argue that Ateneans are more bakya. Need I name names like Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino? But, actually, alumni or near-alumni of either school have invaded the entertainment industry, showing that they are bakya-at-heart. I’m using the word bakya not as a word of derision, but just a word of fact. More and more Ateneans and Lasallians have embraced the hoi polloi by being entertainers.


Lasallians are proven Vilmanians. Two of them even sired children with the Star for All Seasons – Edu Manzano, one of the original bench boys (the students who spent their break-time, and most probably even much of their class time, at the benches in front of the gym), and Ralph Recto, former senator, who is instrumental in guiding the political career of Vilma. Are Ateneans closet Noranians? I don’t know. But Lotlot’s daughter is in Ateneo.


After all is said and done, Ateneans and Lasallians love each other. Before the attack of the coeds in the 70s, how can one explain the Ateneans’ love for Maryknollers, their kapitbahay at Loyola? And the Lasallians’ love for the Kulasas (from St. Scholastica)? After some meditation, I found the answer. It’s the skirt. Maryknollers’ uniform is green and white; St. Scholasticans’ is blue and white. The attraction to the official color of the competitor is a deep-seated love for the other.


La Salle and Ateneo are two illustrious schools. They have produced leading professionals in various fields, artists, and national leaders. But neither school has produced a President. Erap Estrada would have been the first Atenean President, but being an Ateneo drop-out doesn’t count. Raul Manglapus tried to be President, but his Arnneow accent got in the way. The masa could not connect with his “I Speak for Democracy” – kind of English. La Salle’s Jose W. Diokno was “the President we never had,” according to sociologist and political commentator Randy David. Remember Diokno’s challenge, “Why be honest when it pays to be dishonest?”


The closest Ateneo got to the presidency was by being the First Gentleman. We all know now that the FG is more of a handicap than an inspiration to the President. If a bona fide Lasallian can’t be President, being the First Gentleman is the only way to get control of that seat. Vilmanian Ralph Recto is a candidate to this position.


But back to the question, Which side am I on? I’m in a win-win situation. But that’s no fun when watching a basketball game. One must side with one team during a game, especially a championship game; you can’t enjoy the game by being safe. So, did I cheer for La Salle or Ateneo? Let me put it this was – I was more sad than happy at the end of this year’s championship game. I won, but I also lost – big time.
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Interesting indeed. However, the latest news have brought sadness to my following this historic rivalry. Reports say that during a bonfire celebration conducted by the Ateneans following the recent championship at the UAAP, some of the firewood used at the bonfire had the names of the entire La Salle roster bannered by JV Casio, Rico Maierhofer and coach Franz Pumaren.

As reports and photos of the incident circulated in blogs and online basketball forums, students and alumni from La Salle, and even Ateneo, branded the act distasteful regardless of the rivalry between the two elite squads.

Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres said none of the school officials "saw it ahead of time, because the wood pile was covered by a tarp against the rain until the time came to light it."

Nebres recently apologized to the La Sallian community for an irreverent incident during the bonfire on the Ateneo campus last Sept. 30 to celebrate the UAAP championship won by the Eagles at the expense of the Archers.

"Despite our rivalries in sports, we are both committed to Christian values and what was done is certainly a violation of values we share," Nebres said in a letter to De La Salle University System president Br. Armin Luistro, FSC, dated Oct. 2.

"Our community accepted [Ateneo's apology]," Br. Bernie Oca, FSC, La Salle's representative to the UAAP board, said Sunday. "We are also awaiting the results of their investigations which they said they will do."

It was like having to remember the famous Dark Knight movie-a battle between the Batman and the Joker, and a seemingly epic love story between the two, where Joker tells the Batman, ""I don't want to kill you. You complete me."

Whoever is the good guy, and whoever is the bad guy depends on whose side you are in. Are you on the Blue Side? Or are you on the Green Side? The epic duel between Ateneo and La Salle will sure to make history after history on the years to come.

The battle continues on the next UAAP season.

Eid Mubarak

This next article was taken from Rom's Smoketalk blog. I actually first read this brilliant piece via the Filipino Voices.com, a collaborative blog of Filipino bloggers focusing on News, Politics, and Social Commentary.

For some months now, the country is once again on the verge of issues and controversies surrounding the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. However, shortly before the agreement has been signed by both parties (Government & MILF), oppositions surfaced, with the Supreme Court finally issuing a TRO on the signing of the papers.

Immediately after, a series of gun-battle between the government troops and some MILF breakaway groups are on the go, affecting a lot of innocent civilians, and even killing some. Until today, the conflict has not yet been resolved. The situation cooled down a bit in respect for the Ramadan, a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.


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Eid Mubarak
Posted on 1 October 2008
by rom

The headman of the village stood with his head bowed in the middle of the road, an island of stillness as his village erupted in chaos. The marines were coming and everyone knew that they would bring retribution with them.

Children sat crying in the dirt while their mothers and sisters ran around frantically stuffing clothes and instant noodles into plastic bags. Here and there, arguments broke out about what to take; a prized transistor radio, a broken mirror, a box of love-letters. All the while, the rumble of distant engines grew louder and louder.

The dirt road down the middle of the village ran fluid with women and children. The old men stayed in the shade, their eyes staring off into the distance. Soldiers didn’t hurt old men. Just the young ones, and the village’s young men were already dead or dying in the jungles and the rice paddies.

Suddenly, the noise from the engines stopped. The trucks had arrived. For a second, everyone froze in place gripped by the kind of panic that steals voices. Even the children fell silent.
From the lead truck, a man in fatigues stepped out and looked around. His eyes squinting against the noonday sun. He found the headman right away, and began striding purposefully towards the old man. Behind him, soldiers streamed out of the truck like startled ants. “Sarge!” they shouted.

At the sight of the soldiers, the women screamed and the mad rush to get out of the village resumed. But still, the soldier and his men pressed on. The soldier seemed oblivious to everything going on around him, intent on his quarry, while his men held their rifles close and pointed outwards, their eyes darting this way and that, waiting for ambush. But the ambush never came.

When the Sergeant finally reached the headman, he bowed his head and, over the din of the pounding boots of his men forming a ring around the two of them, said “Abu.”
“Iqbal is dead. I am sorry.”

For the first time, the headman looked up with tears in his eyes. “I should have never let my sons go.”

“I’ve brought the others. I know you will see to it that everything that needs to be done gets done.”

With that, the Sergeant turned around and walked back to the truck, shouting orders as he went. Tailgates clanged as the trucks were opened and the soldiers left behind started gently taking out bodies wrapped in brightly colored blankets.

When the women saw the bodies being carefully laid out on the dirt road, the flow out of the village swirled in on itself, a humann eddy, and slowly they inched their way back towards the trucks. From the crowd of women and the general murmur of anxious muttering, individual voices rose to the surface.

“Kasan?”

“Murad?”

“Boogie?”

By the time all the bodies had been laid down, the exodus had been forgotten and the wailing had started to reach for the heavens. Most found the men they had thought they would never see again. The others beat their chests so loudly it seemed like they would kill themselves. And maybe it would have been better if they had. Dead, they would not have to wonder what happened to their missing husbands and sons.

Leaving the grieving women, the soldiers quietly boarded the trucks again and soon, the signal to roll out of the village came.

The Sergeant sat in the front of the truck with his eyes firmly on the road out of the village. He imagined Iqbal walking the same road, and fought hard to fight down the bile that rose to his throat. The old man was right, he never should have let Iqbal go. Come to that, the Sergeant shrugged, he never should have let me go either. “Then maybe I could have greeted him eid mubarak instead of having to tell him that my brother was dead.”

The soldier driving the truck turned to him in mild surprise. “Sarge?”

“Wala. Bilisan mo. Malapit na dumilim.”
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***Eid mubarak (Persian/Urdu: عید مبارک) (Arabic: عيد مبارك‎) is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. The phrase translates into English as "blessed festival", and can be paraphrased as "may you enjoy a blessed festival". Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak after performing the Eid prayer. This celebration continues till the end of the day, and continues a further three days. It is notable that saying these exact words is a cultural tradition influenced by deep roots of religion in it; however, it is not part of any religious obligations. Speakers of Arabic might also add "kul 'am wantum bikhair."

Eid refers to the occasion itself, and Mubarak is 'may it become good for you'.


This article from Rom vividly describes the drama unfolding in the South. It is my hope that as we read the story, we may somehow learn to open our eyes of understanding in the seemingly unending conflict in Mindanao. And may we all, as Filipinos, though divided in our own beliefs and traditions, unite as one nation in upholding peace and respect with each other.

While Waiting

Pangarap

Tinanong nya ang batang pamangkin kung ano ang gusto nitong maging paglaki.

"Gusto ko pong maging doktor".

"Bakit?", aniya.

"Gusto ko pong manggamot ng mga batang maysakit".

Makalipas ang isang taon, sa di malamang kadahilanan ay dinapuan ng kanser ang bata.

At sa loob ng apat na buwan ay tuluyan na itong sumakabilang-buhay kapiling ng Diyos sa kalangitan.

At hindi na naabot ng bata ang kanyang pangarap.



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in memory of the beloved child whom the author loves so much. someday, somehow, when the Lord wills, a foundation in the name of that beloved child will be built to support sick children, esp. those who have cancer ailments.
then, and only then, will the dream of that child be fulfilled.
when the Lord wills.
in His time.
in His season.
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Let The Game Begin

This year 2008, the Filipinos, again, are starting to see yet another blockbuster show leading to the 2010 Presidential Elections.

Now, we are beginning to see the concrete picture of what's going to happen from present to 2010. And the media continues to be the avenue where the people gets to know of who's who in the battle for the highest seat of the land.

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting, The Wannabees....... And.... Let The Game.... Begin!!!






Sipag at Tiyaga: Senate President Manny Villar

"Oo, tuloy na tayo sa 2010 sa pagka-presidente.. Wala nang urungan", thus says Manny Villar on his 2010 plans.

During the June SWS Presidentiable Surveys, Manny Villar placed third behind Noli de Castro and Loren Legarda.

However, since Villar threw off his hat on the Presidential race, allegations on various corruptions has started to box him off, the latest of which, is the Road to Nowhere mess, a project involving an alleged "double insertion of funds" where Senator Ping Lacson pinpointed Villar as the person who benefited to at least P200 Million.

People, however, think that this Lacson expose is just a way to discredit Villar's bid for the Presidency.

(Lacson himself is said to consistently set his sight on the Presidential seat, but political analysts do not seem to see him as a winnable candidate since he failed his bid during the 2004 election where he placed far third behind GMA and FPJ)






Mr. Palengke: Mar Roxas



Hoping to feat Senator Obama's fame in the US, Mar Roxas has opted to use Internet Blogging as his tool to gain popularity.


Thus, the Mar Roxas Blog. Then there is also the Mar Roxas for President in 2010 blog.


On early August 2008, Mar met with famous Political bloggers on a very lively discussion on Philippine politics over dinner. Ding Gagelonia, one of those present shares in his blog,

"Through the more that two hours he spent yesterday with the bloggers, Mar showed himself to be a ‘listening’ politician, taking notes as he heard how Filipinos are harnessing blogging to share information and distill their aspirations as a people, regardless of where the politicians are taking Philippine society."

In another blog, Ding writes,

"by the way he talks and walks, he is running for president. Make no mistake about it.His pedigree, his record as a politician (no longer ‘reluctant’ after taking on the Araneta/Roxas mantle due to the sudden death years back of his brother Dinggoy), his academic and intellectual maturity, and his age, all brand Mr. Palengke as presidential.

Mar and his team are going boldly into the new media, blogging and the class-and-border erasing Internet to get their message out and lock in the votes of overseas Filipinos and the youth."

However, Mar has yet to show himself more, as I personally believe that in his last few years in the Senate, he has not been too visible in the news. So I hope that this show of popularity that he is making thru blogging is not only for his political ambition, but a genuine show of concern to the Filipino.




Metro Gwapo: BF

Ever seen any of those huge MMDA tarps featuring our MMDA Chief Bayani Fernando? Many people has criticised BF that he is allegedly using government funds in order to popularize himself through those MMDA billboards.

At any rate, BF is getting all the popularity stints, both positive and negative. People may criticize him for being the urban poors' BERDUGO, as he continues to spearhead the way for a Handsome Metro Manila. But an equal number of people also praise him for being tough and strong in implementing rules and regulations to beautify the Metro.

Then, there is this BAYANI stickers you can find on Buses, Jeepneys, and even tricycles. One man commented, "Ang lakas ni BF sa Nueva Ecija, ah. Nakakita ako ng sticker nya doon, eh." Then, his fellow responded, "Aba'y wag kang magtaka. Kung sa Davao nga, nakakita rin ako ng stickers nya eh." When many people again comments on this, MMDA went on the defense to say that the BAYANI stickers are from BF's personal funds.

On some lighter (but somehow with still a great political color) news, BF is also contending to be the next Celebrity Duets 2nd winner. Sana naman, kahit dito, manalo si BF.

As one judge jokingly comments on him (paraphrased already), nag i improve ang singing ni BF, baka mamaya, magulo na ulit ang kalsada.

Well, those are only three of the many possible candidates who might run in 2010. It is actually too early to tell who will and who will not. There is Loren, Dick Gordon, Mayor Binay, Chiz Escudero, Kabayan Noli, and of course, the comicals Ely Pamatong and Eddie Gil.

It is too early to tell. But one thing's for sure, we are bound to see yet another colorful display of drama and comedy in search for the next Philippine President.

Sari-sari: Our Friendly Neighborhood Store

Name it, you'll have it.

This seems to be the motto we can give to the so many sari-sari stores that we can find in almost every block near our homes.

From tinapay, to kakanin, yosi, chichirya, canned goods, candies, common medicines, softdrinks, diapers, to shampoos and eggs. And the list goes on and on- name it, you'll have it.

During my childhood days in the province, we have at least 3 to 5 sari-sari stores near our home. So now, I often wonder if ever the competition was so stiff; and why do they all continue to exist even if there is a big store owned by a filipino-chinese who caters the same set of commodities.

I remember my mother would send me to one of those sari-sari stores to buy 1/4 karne, or isang banig na paminta or any of those veggies that she'll use to cook pinakbet. Indeed, it fascinates me looking at how such a small area could hold up to almost anything and everything we need in our day-to-day lives.

The typical sari-sari store showcases the chichiryas in front. then on the stalls beneath will be the canned goods, such as sardines, tuna, liver spreads, squids, then the bottled ketchups, toyo, patis, and even sandwich spreads.

Why the sari-sari stores continue to exist sans the existence of large supermarkets, groceries and 24/7 stores were being studied by some well-know research groups.

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Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism thus says in one of its special reports,

Food items are the most popular candidates for micro-repacking, and it is common to see oil, vinegar, pepper, sugar, or achuete sold in tiny, plastic bags. They used to go for as low as five centavos each, but today the price is at P1 to P5.

People were buying in tingi because that's what they could afford. Cooking oil, soy sauce were measured in cups and then transferred to the bottle or glass brought by the customer. Even hard drinks were also sold in tingi, "paisa-isang shot."

TNS's Asiapanel division notes that in 2003 the traditional trade continued to gain share in the market, particularly in poorer rural areas.

According to AC Nielsen, these small neighborhood stores have grown to nearly 560,000, making them the top retail outlets in the Philippines.

So strong has been the performance of sari-sari stores, Mercy Abad of TNS says, that when a manufacturer comes in and first looks at the retail trade structure, he wonders, "How am I going to sell the 400-ml in a small store?"

Though sari-sari stores may impose uneven markups, consumers find these stores more convenient, especially for emergency purchases. Teresa Deocaresa of TNS says sari-sari stores have evolved into some sort of the Pinoy's extended pantry. The fact that they provide credit gives them another plus in the harried consumer's budget book.

AC Nielsen notes that while the "AB class prefers wide product assortment, the DE would buy on need basis, mostly small-size packs and on credit." And while these consumers buy in smaller volumes, it says, their huge number make up for the slack. Sachets and products in smaller packages enjoy wider reach in rural areas than in urban areas, says AC Nielsen.

Overall, shampoo, detergent, soap, and toothpaste remain the top (and growing) items in the nonfood category, according to TNS. These products, apart from being the most basic necessities of a consumer, all happen to come in sachets or smaller packs. Even fabric softeners are now fast becoming sachet-driven, says TNS account executive Omar Carlos.
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Indeed, the sari-sari store depicts much of the Filipino-his cultures and his ways of making it to survive.

In these hard times, where the Philippine Economy is at an unstable condition, the Sari-sari store will always emerge as the friendly neighborhood store that we can go to for our basic necessities in life.

Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina

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PINOY SA LIKOD NANG KURTINA

Over a thousand Filipinos arrive in Dubai every month. And why not?

Literally, the sun shines here all year round; prosperity is in the air; and it's a place where people have reasons to dream of waking up in the morning as millionaires or with kilos of gold on their lap!

Yun nga lang, habang hindi pa nangyayari yun, iba ang nakikita ng maraming Pinoy pagdilat nila sa umaga --- KURTINA!

Betcha by golly wow!


Paano ko ie-explain to fascinated Pinoys back home our living condition here!

Noong una akala ko isolated cases. But with the skyrocketing apartment rents in this City of Gold , such conditions are becoming the norm.

Sideways...sidesteps.

Hindi yan dance step. That's the latest move ngayon sa mga sharing flats. Sa sobrang liit ng space, patagilid ang galaw. Kaya minsan, mga ka-flatmates, hindi na magkakitaan.

"Hoy, where have you been, ba? Hindi ka na umuuwi sa flat!"

Kasi nga lagi silang naka-sideview!

Warning: Smoking is dangerous to your room.

Hindi health reasons ang dahilan bakit bawal magyosi, no! Ang styrofoam kuya!

Yes, naunahan ng Pinoy ang IKEA sa innovation na yan --- Yes, styrofoam walls, styrofoam doors, styrofoam room. Di ba nga naman, styrofoam keeps you fresh! Para kang gulay, o kaya ice candy. Pero siguro mas feel mo minsan na 'tuna' ka, o di kaya 'sirena' kung feel mong si Claudine ka.

"Ate, di ba fire hazard yan?"

"Anong fire ka dyan? Rent ang mas nakakamatay dito!"

"Illegal ang partions sa Dubai . At least ang styrofoam, pag nagkahulihan, mabilis sa baklasan. Gets mo?!!!"

"Yes, Ate."

Therefore, 'no smoking': ang sirena baka maging daing!

Burj Al 'Cupboards'

Hindi lang Emaar Properties ang may 'K' na magtayo ng skyscrapers? Haven't we heard, the Philippines is a major supplier of architects in Dubai ? In other words, nasa dugo natin yan! Kaya ba ng Arabong gumawa ng rooms out of cupboards, luggages and shoe boxes? Dati sa airport lang bida ang mga luggages, ngayon multi-purpose na: dividers na rin sila ---
para ang isang kwarto maging lima !

Pampataas sila sa mga cupboards kasama ng mga shoe boxes na pinaka-antenna. Siyempre, the taller the better --- you keep your neighbor's eyes away.

Now Showing

Pagpasok ko ng flat, akala ko sinehan, ang daming kurtina. Mga kuarto pala. Pero ang cute, cinematic!!! Parang barangay, complete with eskinitas. Kada bukas ng telon, parang movie ---sari-saring life. May natutulog, may nag-eemote, may nka-curlers, may nakasimangot. Sa panlimang kurtina, may nag-totong-its, sa pang-anim, may naggugupit. Ang gandang movie, di ba?

"Ang Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina!" Paraisong Kurtina

Ayyy! Our Paraisong Kurtina. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry. Be proud of our Paraisong Kurtina. It exists because we'd rather send our money home than spend more for our comfort. Within its walls, lies our desire for a little privacy, our groans, our tears, our dreams, our struggle for some little savings.

My curtain says a lot. It says, "I have saved again, inay; I'll be able to send money next month."

Dream mo pa bang pumunta ng Dubai ????


Mag isip-isip....
++++++++++
This came as a surprise for me for the reason that a lot of my colleagues have time and again asked me to go with them and try out seeking employment in Dubai.

I know at least 10 people who have left the Philippines and are currently working in Dubai. So I hope that my friends are not experiencing this very same sentiment that the author of this article have tasted.

Kudos para sa mga Pinoy na nagpapatuloy sa kanilang mga trabaho sa ibang bansa despite of all these pressures and problems that they are facing from being away in their native land.

Mabuhay kayo!