my personal site

i tried a lot of free hosting sites but i found a better one with only "one letter" attached to my personal domain name. it is still quite better to have really your name like purkupya.com or tabudlo.org as your domain name. i, however, detest paying US$3 .00 or more for said hosts.

what i love about this new free hosting site is it already incorporates a separate page(s) where i can upload music and photos. i can also set the privacy mode of the uploaded photos or music and share it to certain persons of my own choice.

the home page is set to show my default blog/web journal. i can also attached videos, music and photos to my blog entry. and it is so facile to attach picture - it is a "cut-and-paste" thing.

it is also user-friendly especially for guys like me who are not HTML, XTML or whatever savvy. plus it is very Filipino. why? see the address link below.

so i registered and i have a brand new experience writing blog and sharing my precious memories with my family, relatives and friends in this new found host which only accepts personal site - strictly personal.

here is the link to the said site www.jadestone.i.ph

anyway, i still maintain this journal, Single-Minded.

a bottle of Chamdor, cold pizza and hot bibingka for my noche buena

My very first Christmas away from home, away from my family. Though, last year my siblings were not with us during the holiday season, I was with my parents.

Of course, my very first experience to spend my noche buena minus my parents, my brother and my sistah. It was a celebration between myself and my you-know-who. I was so glad that she came. I feared I'll be spending my Christmas alone in the comfort of my little-rented-not-so-ventilated room. How's that sounds to you?

Wanna know my handa for the noche buena?


It was on a bottle of Chamdor, a cold double size pizza for the pizza parlor run out of family size or square pizza early that evening. Cold pizza since I don't own a microwave oven, an oven toaster or any sort of kitchen appliances for heating. (laugh!)



And the main course or whatever you call it is the hot bibingka. It's not what you are thinking for I was with my you-know-who. It's the typical Filipino delicacy that you should not miss during a midnight snack.

To make the story short, I had a Merrier Christmas!

Tendencies

All of us, indisputably, have common tendencies. – to think, act, like, feel, etc. These are given conditions in life.

People, however, are gifted with the freedom on how to act or to respond in any given circumstances. Our decision also varies depending on our culture, social and educational background or our value formation.

We all have the tendency to love not only those of our opposite sex but including our peers, parents, siblings, friends, work, pets and the list goes on. After all, human needs to be loved in returned. We can only reap love if we have sowed love.

We have also the tendency to get mad on certain people, things, situations etc. This tendency is sometimes so powerful that it could crush our senses. Most of us tend to be carried away by our emotion and become oblivious of our reactions or responses.

We can shield ourselves, however, from this by developing a higher Emotional Quotient or EQ. The principle underlying Emotional Quotient is “Don’t Control Your Emotions but Control Your Reactions or Reponses.” It’s healthy to get angry and be mad. But it’s downright horrible to kill and hurt people, be indecisive, be insensitive because you’re mad.

Men and women alike have the tendency to even get unfaithful to their partners. Given this tendency, however, is not tantamount to saying he/she is infidel. Though this inclination exists, the bottomline is not everybody gives in to this propensity. A person who has a stronger value formation can always evade the lure of infidelity.

we are distinct

Forgive me to sound preachy now. “Every one of us is created unique”, the Bible preaches.

What that passage has to do with my present predicament?

I am just confused why they coined me as “chicboy”. A “chicboy” is not literally a “girl magnet” but has a negative undertone on it. That perception continues to hound me until now. And is greatly affecting the relationship I have with this girl who is so special to me.

I can’t really decipher now the difference between my perceptions and the perspectives of other people especially that of the female gender regarding that so called “chicboys”. I don’t regard guys having numerous relationships in the past to belong on this category. I only do when I’m certain that they have two or more relationship at the same time. The so called “namamangka sa dalawang ilog."

I can proudly say that I’m not of the latter but of the former. Though, I have numerous relationships in the past and the time I entered college, I had a commitment to myself to only have one relationship at a time. I have high esteem towards the opposite sex.

The fact that I found it hard to understand the reactions and uptakes of my girl with regards to my dealings with my old…old friends, who have a female gender. It’s unreasonable, disrespectful to be shoving them away, anyway, when they only want to know how I’m doing in life now.

I can’t really comprehend why they always generalize things. There will always be good or bad, women and men alike. However, I always try to be on the good side. And I always shy away from things or manners that would destroy my cherished dreams, my relationship with people especially my relationship with people who I value most in life.

insensible lass

It is given that men hardly understood how women think. Though, men exert more efforts in ferreting for ways to identify what made them so anxious and unpredictable.

It is also a fact that men express their emotions through deeds and seldom in words, which women detest.

I have a four-year old relationship with a lass I met while I worked at the academe four-years ago. She has set some policies; I should say, Rules of Engagement of Military. One of this is to maintain an open and constant communication with her daily. That is, of course, sensible to keep the relationship afloat.

Yesterday, however, this lass gave me a headache. I don’t know why she’s mad that I wasn’t able to text her after office. Truth is, I have to reload my cellphone and texted her the time I got home. It’s just that she had texted me first at 7pm.

I‘ve been in the City of Golden Friendship for one week and here she comes banging my head with insinuations that I’m having an affair with somebody. Very insensible!

I really don’t understand why she could reach this kind of conclusion. Simply, by thinking of what I have done for her, is enough reason she could unclogged her head of pesky thoughts.

Pondering that I risked my future for her is a sufficient cause to soothe her fiery emotions. I lost 90 percent of all that I have worked for in five years for her. I even forgot to consider my family when I made that decision. This should make her more reasonable in having twisted thoughts regarding me.

I am very disappointed!

Officially in CDO

Today marks my first official duty in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO). It's only four days from the time I arrived here.

I never dreamed nor expected that I will be working in the City of Golden Friendship. We will never know it until we come across it. God will never tell us His plan, it is us who should have the heart to listen, decipher His blessings.

My very first plan was really to work in the Queen City of the South - that's in Cebu. Fortunately, I received ample job offers yet my heart chose to work in public service. Hence, I'm in CDO now.

It's now my fervent prayer that I'll have the capacity to deliver the services expected of me to identified clients. Now, I am hoping for the best in my life after a year of financial struggle. I am actually financially bankrupt now.

A Traveller Again

I didn't expect that after a year of saying goodbye to traveling rural areas to implement programs for the poor, I'll be back on that same road.

Just two days ago I was in General Santos City to observe the conduct of our Desk Office in the implementation or delivery of the various products the company is providing. I was able to have a hands-on experience on the marketing of our programs to prospected MSMEs in Region XII.

I will be doing those similar activities once I'll be in Cagayan de Oro manning the Desk Office on the second week of November this year.

I do hope that I'll be performing well and I can deliver good results.

On Being A Police Officer

“I want to be a police officer someday!”

Undeniably, one of the most familiar statements which can rekindle once our Grade School memories.

Today, the same avowal and degree of fervor are observable among elementary pupils when asked by their teacher-adviser about their aspirations in live. Unaware, however, of the difficulty to sign up in the police force.

Long time ago, according to my lolo, you can be a police chief and officer if you are close to the mayor. The selection of the town's police force rested upon the mayor's discretion then. They were, however, co-terminus with the appointing official, unless re-deputized by the succeeding alkalde.

These deputies were commissioned to keep the town peaceful and to protect the constituents from the any rebel attacks, which were rampant in those days.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) was born as an independent police force of the country in December 13, 1990 under Republic Act No. 6975 to professionalize its rank. It ended the existence of the Philippine Constabulary and the Integrated National Police.

With the effectivity of Republic Act No. 8551, otherwise known as the “Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998,” the PNP was envisioned to be a community and service oriented agency. As such, rigid selection procedures are placed. More trainings to improve the capability of its personnel are conducted.

Nonetheless, a story has been concocted about its hard-and-fast admission policy. An applicant, who was an inch short of the required height, was told by the screening officer to grow an inch and to come back later. The following day, he returned and brought with him a large box full of mud crabs. He stood atop the box and was admitted. Very funny!

Gone are days of parents telling their child “Magpulis na lang ka kay wa mi igong panginabuhi i-suporta nimo sa college” upon his high school graduation. Only college graduates, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) examination passers and Civil Service Commission (CSC) eligibles can join the rank.

Sadly, an applicant today, though eligible, needs Padrenos, an influential congressman, governor, mayor ninong, relative or friend, to get enlisted.

Yet numerous individuals still troop to become officers amids the troublesome search for reliable sponsor(s) and the expensive choice of gifts for the screening officer. The higher the gifts' value, the higher the chances, they quipped.

Besides, the battle to enlist is too intense than the tactical training they will undergo or their effort to fight crime, which they ought to curve. The number of felony is still unabated.
What's in it being a police officer, anyway?

Being in the PNP is tantamount to having a lucrative business. It has its own rugs-to-riches stories to share and secret millionaires to blazon. Left-and-right exposes about protectors of prostitution dens, illegal drugs and gambling are among the mundane stories TV and prints have to offer us daily; testaments of the business profitability. You add to the unending list, kutong cops who proliferates on the streets, public markets, etc. juicing the public, particularly the legitimate micro-businesses, jeepney drivers etc.

Being a police officer is the only alternative stable and generously paying job, apart from teaching. Or it is the only available job specially in the provinces.

The harsh reality in the provinces is many college graduates and CSC eligibles are left with no choice after umpteen attempts to be hired by the government, which in return employs them as job-orders or casuals, and by the private sector, which offers meager income insufficient to support an individual needs.

Glenn Uy worked as loan officer in a certain bank in Mindanao but resigned and joined PNP for he could no longer support the need of his family especially that they already have a daughter to care.

While after years of ferreting for job, a certain lady with a below average scholastic record and unfit for the service due to her chronic asthma attacks, was admitted through the aegis of a prominent politician.

Lastly, being in the force is a profession. It is a dedication to serve and protect the people and the republic.

No wonder many universities and colleges across the country have ballooning criminology student populations. Aside from the unfaltering interest of many to enroll in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA). They are our pool of responsible and committed future police officers.

The question, perhaps, on the continued pilgrimage of people to PNP's recruitment centers has already been answered.

We appreciate people who chose the profession out of despondency to find other job but are never derelict in their duties.

We applaud and highly regard those who left their job to find a “greener pasture” in the PNP and are not remiss in the discharge of their functions.

We are deeply grateful to all police officers who remains professional, steadfast and true to their mandate as protector of the people and the Constitution. We are very proud and SALUTE you!

And we strongly condemn cops who use their authority to aggrandize themselves and to impugn peoples' basic and constitutional rights.

Next Porn Star

Letter from Irate Minibus Passenger

(I culled this entry from my other blog "Farmer's PLow" - Author)

Dear Sir Bobby Nalzaro,

Good day.

I am your avid follower. I wrote this letter not to praise Pinoy inventiveness in transforming six-wheeler trucks into an alternative convenient high speeding minibuses that ply from Cebu City to other cities and towns of Cebu province. Though I consider Cebu's minibus as the “Modern day King of the Road”.

I wrote this to expose malpractice(s) of Carcar City-bound minibus operators with the hope that you'll smash their heads with a pile of solid concrete slabs or lambast them in your newspaper's columns and daily radio commentaries. This is not actually new to the daily and weekly commuters of Naga, San Fernando and Carcar City. I understand this would not send shudder, shiver or tremble to operators' spines for commuters have complained but they pay no heed to them.

Nonetheless, I believe that media have more teeth than a wage-earner, a freshman student or a wrinkled senior citizen to compel LTO and LTFRB or even Gov. Gwen Garcia to act on the matter.



I actually thought of sending this issue to GMA's Imbestigador or ABS-CBN's XXX so this illegal act will be caught and documented by hidden surveillance cameras and be given nationwide attention. Though I am not a Cebuano, I opted to spare Cebu from the bad news and write you, instead.

Fare/Price Fixing

What I know (correct me if I'm wrong) is no Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) can refuse to accept any passenger whose drop-off point is within the PUV's route. The passenger also should only pay the exact fare corresponding to the distance he traveled which is stipulated in the LTFRB-issued Fare Matrix.

But on Saturday afternoon and evening trips going south, Carcar City-bound minibuses fix the fare at P35 per person. This is 17% higher than the regular fare for Carcar City from Cebu City. The most controversial is whether your drop-off point is in Naga or San Fernando, you ought to shell out P35.

If you give P25, the regular fare for San Fernando, to the conductor, he'll ask for another P10. Masuko pa kung di ka mohatag. You'll give him P50, he'll give you P15 as your change. Thus, you demand for an explanation. You know, of course, he can't offer you a valid reason except that he'll say, “Sabado man karon!” (It's Saturday!)”. Saturday, what!?!

So you'll insist for the right change. He'll keep to ignore you 'til you reach your destination and minibus speeds away to Carcar City with the conductor not giving you the rightful change.

The same things happen for your return trip on Monday morning. This situation repeats every week in every month.

I am sure you'll concur with me that this is blatant extortion and “robbery-in-broad-daylight”.

We, the riding public including students and senior citizens, are forced to pay up to 50% more of what should be paying. Aren't students and senior citizens entitled to a 20% discount on their fare as mandated by law?

I am also surprised by the inaction of my co-passengers. I expected them to back me when I insist for my change and to assert also their rights. They, I surmise, are immune to the injustices of these operators.

No Ticket

Minibus should issue trip tickets to their passengers. Carcar City-bound minibuses don't. Dumanjug-bound do. What's the difference?

I presume this is the reason why passengers can't lodge a complaint against them for lack of documentary evidence which in this case the trip ticket will do.

GMA's Imbestigador, perhaps, can help provide video footage of this anomaly.

Discrepancy

I also noticed that the fare matrix bore a different plate number of the vehicle. Plate number of the vehicle are written in pentel pen by LTFRB on every fare matrix they issue. It must correspond.

Inaction

Authorities like LTO and LTFRB has never acted on this issue. I met this problem last year and I am still a victim of it this year. I presume complaints have reached their offices for this is a more-than-a-year problem.

Could we expect LTO and LTFRB agents to religiously work on Saturday and catch these people, anyway?

I strongly hope that through your columns and commentaries, authorities will heed this issue and put an end to it.

I really would like to see these human leeches/minibus operators fined at least P100,000 and their franchise revoked by LTFRB so they'll learn their lesson the hard way.

I know Cebuanos are not extortionists. This activity, however, is utterly DISGUSTING!

Thank you and more power to you, Sir Bobby!

Yours truly,

Roadrunner of Mindanao

Vigilance

Vigilant citizenry is essential for a progressive community or nation.

We were called to be vigilant and to protect our votes against fraud during the May 14 polls. Nonetheless, we are exhorted to be watchful of suspicious individuals who dwell and visit our communities and to report them to proper authorities, especially that the threats of terrorism threaten our peace today.

Our vigilance does not end there. It extends to our duties of obeying laws like the simple observance in disposing household's refuse and proper use of pedestrian crossing and overpass when we cross the street. And the list goes on.

Police Regional Director Silverino Alarcio reported a dropped in crime figures for the period of January through May of this year, caused maybe by the deployment of extra police teams for the ASEAN Summit and, of course, the undying support of vigilant communities. Index crimes like robbery is downed by 29 percent in Cebu City, 31 percent in the province and 31 percent in Mandaue City compared to the last year's. (Sunstar, 10 June 2007)

Statistically speaking the situation has improved for the same period since 2005. However, there is no reason to celebrate and be complacent. The threats of robbers, murderers, thieves, terrorists, etc remain in our midst waiting to strike, without warning, another unwilling victim(s), shattering our peace. Besides, the numbers only showed the reported crimes. Few, if not many, reports had never even been penned in the crime logbook or the so called police blotter. Many victims chose to keep their silence.

Late evening of May 17, my younger sister, on her way home from overtime work, was robbed at gunpoint by an unidentified man, who wore a black jacket and baseball cap, near the corner of St. Jude Street and M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Mabolo. The hoodlum immediately boarded a passing passenger jeep taking with him my sis' wallet, cellphone, ATM cards, company ID and some cash.

I visited my sister the following morning to inquire if she had reported the incident to the authority. She didn't and reasoned me out that it was just some of an isolated case because the place has been relatively peaceful since she had rented last year a boarding house nearby. I learned, however, that her fellow tenant was a victim of such, a week before. This alarmed and concerned me.

Two days later, my fiancée and I went for groceries and spotted a police precinct on our way back. Knowing that it has jurisdiction of the said cases, I urged her that it's opportune for us to inform the authority.

At the precinct, an officer, who is not in uniform, approached me. He tinkered my grocery bag and tried to get hold of it. He, perhaps, thought that it was my gift for them. So I smiled and told him my business.

I was, then, referred to another officer, who is in complete uniform. I relayed to him the incident but I was told to bring my sister instead. I tried to talked him to heed my side but I was cut-off in mid-sentence for similar reason that victim should personally file the complaint or blotter.

Shaking my head in utter disappointment, I went out the precinct forgetting to get the officer's name. Anyway, I didn't plan to tell his superior. My fiancée could not believe what she just witnessed. We were just acting as good citizens of the country.

The officers' actuations would sometimes leave people to think that it's intentional not to heed such complaints for any reported crime unresolved under their jurisdiction is a demerit to their rank's or unit's performance. We hope that this is never a practice.

I conferred with my best friend, who is a police officer in Caraga Region, if police blotter should only be personally filed by the victim? He said, “ Any person who has knowledge of the event can do so.”

We opted to file the report not to pressure them to hunt the culprit and retrieve my sis' belongings because, after all, it's been 48-hour since the incident and any action from them would only be futile. We did it with the sincere hope of providing our security force relevant information which they can use for their future crime prevention efforts that they may undertake. We took our chance so that similar events will be marred from reoccurring and to give employees who lives there, especially during paydays, the freedom from fear of being robbed while passing on said location.

This is, however, not to condemn the whole police force for, like many of us, we sometimes need to be reminded of our onus and duties so that we can perform better. Nor this is to dishearten people.

Let this be a challenge for us to be trustful yet vigilant of our authorities so they can deliver genuine public services. Let us be watchful and be concerned about our securities. Let's make reporting any crime and anomaly in our community to concerned agencies a habit and our little contribution for the prevention of crimes so our communities will be safer.

an answer to my previous doubt

My question of what will happen next after the finding of 15 spurious Election Returns (ERs) of Bogo has already been answered. This is somewhat different to what is usually being done in other election "hot spots" in the country.

After the winner has been identified, proclaimed and sworn to office, the issue of cheating is left in the trash bin. Nobody cares about finding who are the cheats. A very apparent reason why the issue of cheating continue to flourish in every election because nobody is held accountable and being punished.

Cebu depicts a different picture since civic-religious organization and the would-have-been victim congressman vowed to sue the responsible individuals including, of course, the personnel or officials of Comelec, as reported by the local news (sunstar-cebu).

We wish that similar efforts are also done in other places.

What's Next?

Distrust on the Commission on Election (Comelec) has ensued brought by issues of massive electoral fraud and the "Hello Garci" Scandal that beset the 2004 National Election.

Election experts considered the 2007 May Polls as evaluation of Comelec's credibility to perform its constitutional mandate.

The exercise went orderly last May, except the contest between Migz Zubiri of Team Unity and Koko Pimentel of Genuine Opposition for Senate's 12th seat and the race for Congress between Salimbangon and Martinez in the 4th district of Cebu, which rather turned out to be legally bloody.

Comelec, convinced that the questioned 15 Bogo electoral returns (ERs) are "spurious and manufactured", will soon proclaim the 4th district representative.

The question of 'who won in last election' is settled. Supporters of both camps would soon mellow. Media coverage would falter, too.

The matter of 'who is (are) responsible' for the 15 phony ERs, however, remains unresolved. It is the most important side of the issue that people often forgets to examine and, therefore, deserves the scrutiny of the public, media, church and commissioners.

Will somebody be implicated? An election official(s) sanctioned and dismissed? A supporter, relative, etc. from any camps held accountable?

Let us see what the commission will do. Or this could be another vital issue, which can rekindle people trust on the electoral body, left to simmer down, with the proclamation of the winner, and to die its natural death.

Fiestas of Camagong

It is envelope in Filipino Culture, being the only Catholic Nation in Southeast Asia, the annual celebration of fiesta in any barrio across the country; north to south and west to east.

I was raised in a farm-barrio of Camagong in the Municipality of Tago. It is nestled in the central part of Surigao del Sur. The barrio residents being mostly Roman Catholics celebrate as many as five (5) patronal fiestas every year.

These celebrations were part of every Camagong native's life. I sometimes wondered why such a lot of fiestas celebrated in one barrio? What I understood then was a barrio had only to celebrate one (1) fiesta a year except those fiestas celebrated by other religious sect like that of Pedong's Fiesta in Brgy. Sumo-sumo in southern part of Tago. The one in Camagong are all Roman Catholic Patron Saints Fiestas.

I tend to rationalize that, perhaps, the lumads of Camagong were financially well-off during Decada '60s to Decada '80s. I also learned from my "Apohan" that farmers and residents of other barrios and the town of San Miguel passed through the barrio on speed boats, manually operated barotos (bancas) and bamboo rafts fashioned with a temporary tent for shelter on their way to the Poblacion to market their harvest and buy essential provisions for their life in the farm.

Brgy Camagong is composed of many sitios namely Kapilihan, Kinabhangan (Upper Puro), Puro Ubos (Lower Puro), Camagong Taas (Upper Camagong), Camagong Ubos (Lower Camagong) and Pagi-pagi. All of these sitios celebrate its own Patronal Fiesta.

Kinabhangan's fiesta is scheduled every May 17; Camagong Taas on June 30; Puro Ubos on June 24; Camagong Ubos on September 10 but was adjusted to September 11, a day after the Patronal Feast of San Nicolas in Tandag City; and Pagi-pagi is on every June 24, the Feast of St. John the Baptist.

In the late '90s to the early 2000, Pagi-pagi, Kapilihan and Camagong Taas faltered to celebrate these fiestas for many of the then residents have migrated to the Poblacion. It is only this year that lumads and grand children, so to speak, of this beloved barrio, brought back the celebration even many of them don't have houses anymore there.

Temporary shanties were made just for the occasion. Camps and tents, lined on the barangay road, housed the fiesta's guests.

I hope that this tradition of celebration will continue even many of the natives of this barrio have found home in other progressive place. Let us not be oblivious that our has many fiestas than others and its record of most fiestas celebrated in one barangay was only beaten today by the Poblacion.

The Poblacion today celebrates as many fiestas as its member purok through the new mandate implemented by the Parish Priests of Tago.

back in cyberSpace

it's been awhile that i wasn't able to update or post new article(s) in my blog. i was just so busy plastering pieces of my life outside (read: in the real world).

the month of November last year was not so good for me.. i got flu and cough which did a tremendous effect on my health.. i was skin-and-bone after the illness..

my holiday vacation last December was literally spent recovering my health and gaining some muscles for my then so thin and weak body.. i had also a chance to attend the wedding of my best friend in college on the 22nd of December last year. it was just a simple yet solemn wedding ceremony. few friends in college and the couple's families and relatives attended the celebration. it was just unfrotunate that marichu otagan, glenn uy, jesus lorente and ronnie palangpang weren't present. the wedding should have served as our reunion too.

hope that a new change will happen to my life this new year, Year of the Fire Pig. hope that i'll be back in government service, which i already miss after my resignation in June last year.