My first film clips using a camera mounted on a helmet

Check this out!

A Spin Around Rancho Caridad, April 5, 2013

Morning Visit to San Roque Dam, April 6, 2013

Much clearer than my previous attempts with my camera mounted directly on the aircraft, which vibrates constantly and blurs the film.

Nanay Carmencita and Marinduque

Nanay Carmencita
Leader Extraordinaire of Marinduque

I have known Tita Carmencita most of my life, from the time I would be brought to her house in Dasmariñas to be tutored in Mandarin by Miss Chang alongside Edmundito (son of Tita Carmencita) to the more recent semi-annual family soirees that feature a variety of musical talent in the Ongsiaco clan--not to mention the non-stop feast of gastronomical delights from noon until the wee hours of the morning. I look forward to these gatherings because it's a chance to touch base with a side of my family that we didn't have much of a chance to interact with when we were kids. This is the side of my paternal grandmother, Caridad Ongsiaco Gallego, who loved me dearly. I sensed that even as a young boy. Although Lola Ego passed away too soon, she probably would have spoiled me rotten if she had lived longer.

I just returned from Marinduque, after spending Holy Week with Nanay Carmencita (that is how she is known in Marinduque). Lo and behold a different side of Tita Carmencita--brimming with purpose, energy and passion for her beloved Marinduque. She is the first to wake and the last to sleep, tirelessly tending to the affairs of the province. Reviewing, selecting and approving her new scholars, strategizing with her local leaders for the upcoming elections, religiously attending the events of the Moriones Festival (no mean feat), guiding her daughter (Yes na Yes, Ate Gina Reyes!) who is running for her first term in Congress, cajoling Dodong Mandanas (Gina's husband and Congressman of Batangas) to abandon Batangas altogether and devote full-time to Marinduque, cooking-up a new musical jingle for the province (Sige Marinduque!), declaiming a poem of her love (the late Edmundo Reyes, who hails from Marinduque) and life, even prioritizing the delivery of fuel to the power plant of the province. These were just some of the things I observed from a distance . . . and she still had the time and energy to share her stories about the individuals that touched her life and those she touched in return. In her speech at the first election rally in Gasan on Easter Sunday, Nanay Carmencita declared (in her poetic Tagalog style) that she would weather the worst storms and, through thunder and lighting, expend all her energies up to the last beat of her heart to serve the province of Marinduque. Everyone believed and rightfully so.

I was one of a privileged few to reside at the beachfront home of Tita Carmencita in Lupac, Boac, Marinduque during Holy Week (2013). Our hostess with the mostess, Violet (daughter of Tita Carmencita), spared nothing to ensure our comfort and enjoyment. Just as we were wrapping-up our traditional Filipino breakfast of danggit (among other salted fish), tocino and longganisa with sinangag and fried eggs, lunch would be served. The legendary crispy pata and inihaw na native "vegetarian" baboy were worthy of their reputation . . . and the kinilaw na tapulok (Marinduque's version of tawilis of Taal Lake) is the best kinilaw na isda I have ever tasted hands down--no contest! Violet arranged a variety of fun and meaningful excursions for all of the guests, including scuba diving, kayaking, spelunking, trekking, swimming (at the falls), our day trip to Isla Natangko, visita iglesia and, of course, the evening performances at the Boac Amphitheater, including the Senakula and the Pugutan ni Longhino. Our experience in Marinduque was complete when we attended the election campaign motorcade and rally of Nanay Carmencita and Ate Gina in Gasan. All I could think of was . . . how foolish anyone would be to consider any other candidates. Ours was a Holy Week vacation with a few friends and family members reminiscent of an earlier, more gracious era, made possible only by Violet.

Isla Natangko

Many thanks to Tita Carmencita, Violet and Gina for all the priceless memories in Marinduque and for another glimpse of my Lola Ego, who also loved deeply and passionately.


Postscript

Pugutan in Longhino, Moriones Festival, Mogpog, Marinduque, Easter Sunday, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWnCaLeZbrY

Perhaps the most dramatic and anticipated scenes in the Moriones Festival are the hanging of Judas and the beheading of Longinus. Appropriate punishments for criminals of heinous crimes, including plunder. Yet, former president GMA, in an effort to salvage her sagging popularity, cajoled Congress to scrap the death penalty. As a result, law abiding tax payers like myself are forced  to subsidize the lifelong sustenance of the worst criminals that should be eradicated like cockroaches or, for that matter, have to suffer the political shenanigans of convicted plunderers like Erap. Let's give back what the people really want. Reinstate capital punishment retroactively (it should not have been scrapped in the first place) and eliminate the leeches of our society.

My dive log in Poctoy White Sand Beach

Beyond Disgusting

The Philippine Supreme Court order to suspend the implementation of the RH Law is beyond disgusting. Parochial minds unable to transcend the despotic aura of the Roman Catholic Church. Secular Justices turned Catholic Ayatollahs deciding on religious jurisprudence. Another example of my taxes going to waste. Another reason to abolish government.

Lives are at stake

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
The order of the Supreme Court suspending the implementation of the controversial law on reproductive health was a real surprise, and not in a good way. Petition after petition against the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 was filed as soon as President Aquino signed it into law last December, but the high court declined to issue a restraining order. Less than two weeks before the law was to finally take effect, however, the tribunal suddenly decided to put it on hold.

There is no question that the Supreme Court acted within the scope of its responsibilities when it issued the status quo ante order. And yet we are flabbergasted just the same. The law was heavily debated in the political branches of government for over a decade; the intensity of the controversy in the last two years is a good gauge of how much discussion had been generated, how many compromises had been reached, how much political capital had been spent, in both the halls of Congress and the corridors of Malacañang. The Supreme Court should have used a higher standard, required a greater showing of rank unconstitutionality or alleged abuse of discretion on the part of either Congress or the Palace, before giving the petitions due course.

This was no stealth law, like the ill-conceived Cybercrime Prevention Act; this was a measure which, during its glacial progress through Congress, allowed for input from every interested party. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines may have already forgotten, but it engaged both Congress and Malacañang in the effort to cobble together an acceptable version. That in the end its supporters lost the legislative battle is not a reason to run crying to the high court.

We are especially concerned about the 120-day period the tribunal prescribed. We realize it used exactly the same tack in managing the case involving the Cybercrime Law, down to scheduling oral arguments about a month before the order expires. But there is a crucial difference. Lives are at stake, literally, in the suspension of the RH Law.

Depending on which source one uses, there may be as many as 14 mothers who die in the Philippines every day, from preventable pregnancy problems or complications from unsafe abortions. The RH Law was designed first and foremost to lower maternal mortality, by providing pregnant women, especially those who cannot afford it, adequate maternal care, and preventing the need for abortions. If we assume that because of the law’s suspension, at least one woman who could have been helped by it has instead passed away, we cannot escape the tragic conclusion: Many, many women will die from the high court’s leisurely approach to a life-or-death issue.

As we have asserted before, the arguments against the RH Law are essentially based on a sweeping interpretation of its provisions. A reading of the law should suffice to reassure the public that it does not promote a proabortion policy. In the words of principal sponsor Rep. Edcel Lagman:  “The RH Law does not legalize abortion. In fact, it acknowledges that abortion is illegal and punishable and is not a family planning option or method.” So the abortion argument against the law disregards the plain meaning of its provisions, and seeks to impose an alarmist interpretation instead.

It is the same thing with the argument involving freedom of religion. A reading of the law should suffice to reassure the public that it does not forbid the exercise of religious conscience. Lagman again:  “The act is replete with provisions upholding freedom of religion and respecting religious convictions. The guarantee of freedom of informed choice is an assurance that no one would be compelled to violate the tenets of his religion or defy his religious convictions against his free will and own discernment of his faith.” The petitioners’ argument from freedom of religion disregards the plain meaning of the provisions.

It is unfortunate that these arguments based on a breathtaking notion—that the provisions of a new law do not in fact mean what they say—have been given the proverbial day in court. It is a greater misfortune that that day is still many months, and lives, away.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/49187/lives-are-at-stake#ixzz2OUy2a6Kb

The longest running joke in contemporary history . . . North Korea

The Presiding Brat and his pathetic sychophants

In one of the latest salvos from Pyongyang, North Korea confirmed that it had shredded the 60-year old armistice ending the Korean War. Big Daddy Deal! It's amazing how much international media coverage Pyongyang gets for what is arguably the most silly and preposterous excuse of a "state" known as North Korea. Most of its people are malnourished, if not starving, while it's "leaders" squander minuscule resources on an imaginary sub-standard nuclear weapons program (for sabre-rattling purposes only) and on their secret ultra-luxurious lifestyles behind closed doors. "Order" is achieved by wholesale state terrorism enforced by an autocratic military clique--most recently symbolized by a soft, obese, inexperienced, world-class brat, whose only "qualification" is being the son of his father, as was the only "qualification" of his father. North Korea is nothing more than a geographical designation with a dysfunctional, highly precarious and crumbling mob oppressed by a bunch of gun-wielding hoodlums posing as leaders to the rest of the world. It has managed to survive up to now because of China, which has a penchant for "supporting" impoverished lackeys (like North Korea, Cambodia and a few other quasi-failed states in Africa) in an effort to develop its global diplomatic clout. However, even China is reassessing its affiliation with North Korea, which has increasingly become a major diplomatic liability. Bottom line is, North Korea is not sustainable, particularly in this day and age.

As the saying goes, 富 不过三代 (Fu bu guo san dai). This translates to “Wealth does not pass three generations.” This same proverb has also been expressed in differing ways such as: “From rags to riches and back again in three generations” and “From rice paddy to rice paddy in three generations”. The explanation goes like this. The first generation works extremely hard to build the family fortune. The second generation reaps the benefits. The third generation squanders the wealth. And so it is with Kim Il-sung (1st generation), Kim Jong-il (2nd generation, The Original Brat) and Kim Jong-un (3rd generation, The Presiding Brat). Hence, it's just a matter of time (certainly within the lifetime of The Presiding Brat) before this joke (a nightmare, really) known as North Korea disappears into oblivion and its atrocities and perversion to humanity recorded in the annals of history like the Holocaust of Hitler throughout Europe and the Rape and Pillage of the Japanese Imperial Army throughout Asia in World War II.

Read between the lines. The intensified provocations from Pyongyang are indeed coded messages of surrender. By appearance alone, The Presiding Brat does not have the character, the discipline nor the stamina to perpetuate the farce that was started by his grandfather. He would be more content living in exile and luxury in Switzerland with the parasitic stash accumulated by his forebears. Hence, he will keep picking fights with South Korea, the United States and whoever else he needs to involve to nudge his adversary to initiate a war against North Korea. Then, he (and most assuredly his closest cronies) will negotiate their luxurious exiles even before the first major battle commences. Ironically, the greatest hurdle to finally closing the incongruous chapter of North Korea is . . . South Korea; more particularly, the capacity of South Korea's economy to integrate with North Korea. This is no mean feat as evidenced by the reunification of Germany in 1990, then already one of the largest economies in the world. Until South Korea is ready to bite the economic bullet, The Presiding Brat will just have to keep waving the white flag patiently by way of more sabre-rattling and hope for the best with respect to his terms of exile. (He and his cronies should all be hanged!) In the meantime, the rest of the world has no choice but to bear the brunt of this stale and disgusting joke . . . North Korea.

It's the environment, stupid!

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about.

Wayne Dyer

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

John F. Kennedy

Sunrise at the Beautiful Casabangan Beach

(the site of the second marine sanctuary in Mansalay)

A play on the phrase, "It's the economy, stupid!", which was coined by the campaign strategist of Bill Clinton during his successful 1992 presidential campaign against sitting President George H. W. Bush (the old man). The current leadership of the Municipality of Mansalay espouses tourism as one of the potential key contributors to improving its local economy and therefore the livelihood and the quality of life of its constituents. Yet, the local legislative body (the Sangguniang Bayan) appears to be having some difficulty in passing an ordinance that establishes a second and larger marine sanctuary in its municipal waters, because of "complaints" from a few ignorant constituents. The beautiful coastline of Mansalay and the potential recovery of its depleted marine biodiversity are the linchpins to attracting tourism investments and tourists to Mansalay. However, that inextricable link between environment and tourism appears to be lost in the discussion. No marine sanctuary translates to the deterioration of the coastline and the unabated destruction of marine resources. In short, no marine sanctuary means no tourism. Mansalay can keep waving the tourism flag all it wants but, in the absence of any serious environmental mitigating measure--such as the second marine sanctuary--it's like waving or shooing the tourists away. It's the environment, stupid!

There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Read the article below:

El Nido Resorts awards usher in fresh opportunities for PH

Philippine Daily Inquirer
11:57 pm | Saturday, March 9th, 2013

More opportunities for Philippine tourism in the global market are likely to open up following the inclusion of El Nido Resorts, the cluster of eco-resorts in Palawan, as one of 12 finalists worldwide in the 2013 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (TTA), one of the most prestigious and highest accolades in the global travel and tourism industry.

Besting 133 other applications from destinations and businesses from more than 46 countries on six continents, the four eco-resorts in the municipalities of El Nido and Taytay that carry the El Nido brand was nominated for the Community Benefit Award. It is one of only three finalists in this category. Other categories in the awards aimed at recognizing best practices in sustainable tourism are: Destination Stewardship Award, Conservation Award and Global Tourism Business Award. El Nido Resorts was also a TTA finalist in 2007.

Organized by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a forum of business leaders including multinational corporations, airlines, hotel chains and the like, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards is deliberated on by 15-20 judges representing a wide range of professional backgrounds and expertise in the industry. Three finalists are shortlisted for each category with the final four to be announced in April at the WTTC’s 13th Global Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The winners benefit from outstanding international media exposure.

One of El Nido Resorts’ four destinations, Pangulasian Island, was also recently named by Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure, and The New York Times as one of the must-visit destinations in 2013 indicating keener interest in the Philippines following its economic upsurge.

The municipality of El Nido is a small archipelago of 45 islands. In 1981, Ten Knots Development Corporation established Miniloc Island Resort within the archipelago. A second resort with 51 rooms was constructed in 1998 in Lagen Island, while the third was opened in 2010 on Apulit island, which is in the municipality of Taytay, and has 50 rooms. The fourth resort with 42 villas on Pangulasian Island opened its doors a few weeks ago.

Laurent Lamasuta, president of Ten Knots Development Corporation, explains the company’s commitment to environmental protection: “We safeguard the vital resources upon which our business is founded. In so doing, we create long-term value for our shareholders and our host communities.”

The group of resorts has been operating for the past 30 years and proof of its commitment to sustainability is the fact that snorkeling in Miniloc Island, where its oldest property is located, remains a spectacular showcase of biodiversity.

Mariglo Laririt, El Nido Resorts’ director for sustainability, observes: “That can only have been made possible by the fact that we have a well-maintained sewage treatment plant and a solid waste program that is uncompromising. That is also because we have well-trained nature guides who steer snorkelers’ fins away from the fragile corals while sharing with them scientific names.”

Moreover, the harmonious relationship between the operators of the four eco-resorts and of the locals “has enabled us to continue with business unhindered, purchasing, recruiting and promoting from among them,” she says. Ninety percent of all the employees are locals and turnover rate at the resort has remained low.

All employees likewise go through a program on environmental conservation called Be GREEN (Guard, Respect, Educate El Nido). This same program has been adopted by some of the local elementary and high schools. Better yet, El Nido Resorts supervisors are required to run programs for locals on food and beverage, kitchen and housekeeping skills among others. Although not all trainees are hired by El Nido, participants get a training certificate issued by local NGO partner El Nido Foundation thus, increasing their chances of employment in the other resorts in the area.

Some years ago, El Nido Resorts made a decision to offer a more sustainable menu to guests, according to its website www.elnidoresorts.com. This meant using as many local organically-grown ingredients as possible to contribute to the growth of the local economy.  Today, as much as 58 percent of all ingredients used by the resorts are sourced from locals.

Known in the province of Palawan to have pioneered in island resorts development, El Nido Resorts’ standards has become over the years a template that has been acknowledged by the local government as well as other resort operators.

For inquiries and bookings, visit www.elnidoresorts.com.

Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) . . . it's your turn to come clean

It pains me to see a man fall from grace, to be characterized on his misdeeds, instead of the totality of his life. Such is the case of Cardinal O'Brien, whose sexual misconduct has been exposed. In spite of initial statements denying the allegations, Cardinal O'Brien finally relented, admitted his guilt and apologized for his misconduct. Hopefully, his victims, however traumatized, will reach closure on these dark and heinous episodes of their lives. Correspondingly, Cardinal O'Brien should be held accountable for his sexual offenses. Allowing him to retire into oblivion, as the Church is wont to do, would simply add insult to injury.

The case of Cardinal O'Brien has increased the public's awareness of other atrocities within the secretive and self-protective confines of the Vatican and the global Roman Catholic hierarchy.

"Vatican Inc." is a brief documentary on the financial improprieties at the Vatican's own bank, the Institute of Religious Works (IOR). Until now, the IOR has operated with few of the regulations that govern the activities of banks all over the world, with increasingly disturbing consequences. In the 1980's, the IOR was involved in an infamous fraud scandal, the Banco Ambrosiano affair, which made global headlines when its chief, Roberto Calvi, was found hanging from a bridge in London, a murder that has never been solved. More recently, Italian state prosecutors have been investigating allegations of money laundering at the IOR, freezing accounts, seizing funds and putting its president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, under scrutiny.

Tedeschi was ousted in a boardroom coup last May 2012. At that time, the board issued a statement that he had not been up to the job. Tedeschi, a former head of Banco Santander in Italy, contended that he had been thwarted in his transparency efforts. Guess who's telling the truth?

Not surprisingly, the following excerpt from a New York Times article published on February 15, 2013 smacks of irony.

“In one of his last official acts, Pope Benedict XVI on Friday named Ernst von Freyberg, a German aristocrat and industrialist, as the new head of the Vatican Bank, reducing the Italian presence in a secretive institution that has struggled to restore its credibility and meet international transparency norms.”

“The Rev. Federico Lombardi, theVatican spokesman, said that the hire was “a sign of rigor, objectivity, competence and transparency that the Holy See is committed to giving” the bank. The appointment of a new bank chief came after the board had ousted the previous president for poor performance and after Italian prosecutors had spent more than two years investigating the bank on charges relating to money laundering, which the bank has denied.” Ya, right!

"Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God" is a documentary about real-life horrors--the sexual abuse and cover-ups that have tortured countless innocents. It begins by focusing on a single case--a priest who, for decades, abused boys at a Wisconsin boarding school for the deaf. Then, it widens its gaze to similar horrors taking place in Ireland, Italy and Latin America. Then, it uncovers the pattern of deceit that denied the victims help and virtually ensured their abusers could continue the assaults.

Will the Roman Catholic hierarchy ever get serious about eradicating these anomalies? In case you haven't noticed, the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the Philippines has deftly remained "outside the radar screen" of these global scandals and has likewise skillfully deflected its atrocities that have come to light in the press.

Whatever happened to Monsignor Garcia? http://shootingthebreezebywanderlust.blogspot.com/2012/09/priest-who-had-sex-with-boys-now-tells.html

It's just a matter of time before the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines is placed on the hot seat, for why should it be spared when the rest of its brethren all over the world are being compelled to come forth and to come clean.

Teodoro "Yoyong" de los Reyes

Sometime after Crisanto de los Reyes (my great great grandfather) returned to Manila from exile, he instructed his son, Teodoro (Lolo Yoyong, my maternal great grandfather), to visit a particular family in Marseille, France (having the surname of Goudeau), with which he (Crisanto) had established a second family. The purpose of the visit was for Teodoro to convey funds to help secure the future of the family Crisanto had left when he returned to the Philippines.

Upon his arrival at Marseille, Lolo Yoyong initiated several discreet inquiries as to the whereabouts of the Goudeau family without much success. One evening, he was accosted with a knife to his throat by one of the members of the family he sought. After Lolo Yoyong explained the purpose of his visit, all went well with the rest of his visit with the Goudeau family. They accepted the generous gift of Crisanto. In addition, Lolo Yoyong noted that the ship chandlery enterprise established by his father while in Marseille had flourished, thereby providing more than enough for Crisanto's second family in France.

During Lolo Yoyong's stay in Marseille, he came across the "red light district" and apparently overstayed his welcome when a Madam of one of the brothels quipped, "No vienen aqui para ociosear, aqui viene para joder." (You do not come here to idly observe, you come here to fuck.)