According to PAG-ASA...

...summer's officially here! Yay!

This is my most favorite time of the year, because I just love going to the beach or swimming in pools. It's also my favorite season bec. we get to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies like mangoes, undoubtedly still the sweetest in the world, strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, while my veggie fix comes from the salads (lettuce in all shapes and sizes, and arugula).


(My Schu!)
Summer also brings lots of end-of-season sales and one of the best ones I've been to so far is that of SCHU's BOGO (buy-one-get-one) SALE! I was at the TrinNoMa yest. and picked out two pairs of sandals, w/c will have their showing, of course, in the next beach I go to.

Sizes were a bit buggy though. Like for the second pair I chose, a silver slipper w/ plastic gel-like thongs, I had to keep fitting the style from size 8 to 10, and in different colors, bec. the entrada was inconsistent esp. for the left foot. Surprisingly, while my right foot has always been the larger of my two feet, the left shoe of the style in question was always tighter at the entrada than the right. And while my feet are size 7.5-8, I ended up w/ a size 10 pair for this particular style, weirdly enough. For the orange pair of sandals above, fitting was not a problem at all.

Fortunately both pairs were the same prices, at P1600, w/c meant I got two pairs for the price of only P800! If you choose two-differently priced pairs, you will just have to pay for the higher-priced one. It's all good. Promo is until April 4.

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Also, on the topic of shopping, maybe you want to have a guilt-free spree this time around? Well, PNoy Pinay is holding a YELLOW BAZAAR to raise funds for the Sen. Noynoy Aquino and Sen. MAR Roxas, presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively of the Liberal Party in the May 2010 elections.

The event will be on Saturday, March 13, from 10 am to 4 pm on the 3F/ Matrinco Bldg., 2178 Pasong Tamo, Makati. "Funds will go to help defray costs for our poll watchers on election day, and the days after, to guard our ballots," according to the SMS I received yest.

Hope to see you there! Stand and be counted.

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And speaking of good eats, TACO BELL has just come out with a smashing quesadilla, the cheesiest and beefiest ever! I attended the restaurant's recent press briefing (although I was very late, meaning the press had all left haha!), and got to try Extreme Cheese and Beef Quesadilla!

For P109 you get this amazing meld of cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack cheeses squishing so sinfully with the bed of beefy goodness. You know I'm not a fan of fast-food dining, but in this case, this quesadilla was a winner for me! You can have some nachos and a 12 oz. softdrink or iced tea to go w/ your quesadilla for P189. It's value for money as well as the quesadilla is served in a 10.5-in. diameter flour tortilla, so it's good for sharing. But in my case, of course, I devoured the entire thing all by myself. Wotta pig! Oink!


Another new Taco Bell offering is the Crispy Potato soft taco, w/c costs about P39. As the name implies, it has chopped potatoes, fried to a crisp w/ some light flour coating, some lettuce and cheddar cheese, gently sitting in a soft taco shell. While it was an interesting play of textures, I thought it just had way too much carbohydrates wrapped in that thing.

I asked the manager why they used potatoes and not experimented w/ let's say tofu instead, she said that they had to follow the U.S. menu. Sayang. That would probably have been a hit w/ the health conscious among us. Taco Bell, call me. Anyhoo, this taco variant is the resto's offering for the Lenten season, so those who are religious, will hopefully feel closer to God after eating this. Or your gym trainer. Ach. Mind the waistline girls!

This is the funniest thing!

(Photo from the Noynoy Aquino Facebook page.)
EVEN supporters of Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Manny Villar are fans of Sen. Noynoy Aquino, presidential candidate of the Liberal Party! Haha! Naku, lagot kayo sa candidato nyo ;p

Bayan bago sarili

Oras na. Roxas na!

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BTW, I just wanted to alert everyone on the Black Ops being perpetrated by the camp of another presidentiable vs Noynoy and Mar. They labeled a can of sardine and bottled water w/ the "Operation Tulong Bayan Aquino-Roxas" and photographed via cellphone. Then they sent the photo out via Facebook, tagging columnists and his party-mates.

Operation Tulong Bayan was a movement set up in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy to collect donations and distribute them to the typhoon victims. Let me tell you that I was part of OTB along with hundreds of young people who selflessly volunteered their time to help our kababayan in need. We know for a fact that none of us put labels on those items w/c were distributed as it was a non-political effort. Many of them will be able to testify to this fact.

(At the OTB headquarters, in Sept. 2009: unlabeled care packages ready for distribution to typhoon victims. Photos by Stella Arnaldo)

(The kids who made Operation Tulong Bayan possible. Are you seriously accusing them of politicking?)

The entire world knows which presidential candidate labeled his Ondoy donations with his name and political colors. Just because his numbers in the surveys are still behind, he is now trying to turn the tables around, by accusing front runners Noynoy and Mar of the same. W/ all the money that this presidentiable has, he should've just use it instead to print more of his posters, bec. no one will believe this lame black ops. Besides the photo is four months late, nyeh! SMB! (Style mo bulok!)

A candidate called Code Jack

IF you haven't seen it yet, here's the complete list of those who filed their certificates of candidacy for President (99), Vice President (20), and Senator (158). With only 12 seats available, methinks the senatorial posts will even be more hotly contested than the presidential post where only two or three out of the 99 are actually the most viable candidates. But there area many senatorial candidates who I must admit, have a credible track record and are serious contenders unlike the loonies populating the presidential candidates' list.

Don't be daunted by the length of the list. You must read through it. I promise a good laugh on the nicknames alone. Aside from Code Jack, there's even one presidentiable who calls himself Lady M-Ricky. Hahahahaa!

COCs 2010 (from Comelec web site)

Noynoy and MAR file COCs at Comelec

“There are four that we would like to focus on: job generation is first. This is best explained by a father that I talked with before who said, ‘Bigyan niyo kami ng trabaho at kami na ang bahala sa kalusugan [Give us jobs and we will take care of health]’; education is second which is an essential tool for job creation, to start the reform of the justice system and even to advocate concern for the environment; third is health and fourth is judicial reform,” said Aquino. (Click here for the rest.)

Liberal Party standard-bearers Senators Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and MAR Roxas flash the Laban sign as they hold their certificates of candidacy filed before the Commisssion on Elections this morning. Aquino and Roxas pledged to continue to heed the collective thirst and hunger of people for change, and to fight the crooked and corrupt. "Sa harap po ninyong lahat, sa harap po ng sambayanang Pilipino, hinding-hindi po namin bibiguin ang tiwala na ipinagkaloob po ninyo sa amin. Sama-sama tayo, lalaban po tayo. Una kayo, bago ako. Una ang bayan, bago ang sarili," Roxas said. (Photos by Gil Nartea, courtesy of the office of Sen, MAR Roxas.)

Aquino and Roxas, together with senatorial candidates under the "People's Reform" coalition, bow their heads in a minute of silence to remember the victims of the Maguindanao massacre before filing their COCs before the Comelec. Aquino, Roxas and the LP slate condemn the murders in the strongest possible terms, and pledges to work for the redemption of democracy and lasting peace in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao. From left: Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, Ryan Christian Recto, former Sen. Ralph Recto, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon and former Senate President Frank Drilon; Aquino and Roxas; Manila Mayor Fred Lim; senatorial candidates Akbayan! Rep. Riza Hontiveros and Bukidnon Rep. TG Guingona; Aika Lim (daughter of senatorial candidate Brig. Gen. Danny Lim) and Pia Lacson (wife of senatorial candidate Alex Lacson).

Aquino and Roxas, together with LP senatorial candidates pledge to supporters to continue the the communal fight of all for what is right ("laban na tapat, laban ng lahat").

Noynoy gets Internet savvy w/ a little help from his Campaigns friends (w/ update)

LIBERAL Party presidential candidate Sen. Noynoy Aquino is quite a stranger to the ways of the Internet. Prior to his run for president, I don't think he even had his own web site aside from his page attached on the Senate's own web site. He has only started tweeting, and my guess is it's his new media group tweeting for him and not himself. I have yet to check which of the Noynoy Aquino/Benigno Aquino III Facebook profiles is his real one, although there is an official fan page whose membership just recently cracked the 100,000-mark.

(Sen. Aquino's official Facebook fan page, although I counted two other fan pages, plus three profiles w/c includes the one w/c lists him as a female and w/ his mother's bday.)

With Campaigns and Grey's Yoly Ong now on his side, the Senator's presence on the Net has further expanded with the airing of his 60-second video blogs (VLogs) w/c started today. In a press briefing w/c I attended this morning along w/ other select members of the media, Ong and Melissa Limcaoco, Sen. Aquino's deputy director for new media, said the purpose of these VLogs is to let the public get a taste of the issues the presidentiable is fighting for (or against). A videographer has been going around covering each campaign sortie of Sen. Aquino, capturing his speeches and his interaction w/ the public. In his first VLog, for instance, he is shown speaking w/ a retired public school teacher who complained of not being able to receive her monthly pension from the GSIS because the agency had no money.

The VLogs (dubbed "60 secs. w/ Noy") are definitely a step in the right direction for the Aquino campaign after reaping a whirlwind of criticism mainly from the intelligentsia, who detested the MTV featuring Sen. Aquino and his band of artistas. (Of course, they probably don't like Pinoy celebrities to begin with, and the empty-headedness they are thought to represent.) Lighten up people! He needs to attract the masa vote, obvious ba? Although I do agree w/ the critics that we need to see/read/hear more of Sen. Aquino and his platform of govt. instead of just seeing w/c artista endorsed him. So I suppose these VLogs will help the campaign achieve the purpose.



The VLogs are unscripted and meant to show the real Noynoy Aquino "in the raw." At the end of each day, the videographer's footages will be tightly edited and strung together to form a theme for each VLog, before being aired. (OK, so technically, the VLogs won't really be quote-unquote, raw.) The footages will be punched up w/ his official campaign jingle, Sya na Nga, w/c I must admit is a really catchy tune, I still hear it playing in my head. LSS much?

The VLogs will run daily until Nov. 27, or the day before Sen. Aquino files his official certificate of candidacy at the Comelec. Under the Omnibus Election Code, the campaign period starts on Feb. 9, 2010 for national candidates (or 90 days before May 8 elections), and March 26, 2010 for local candidates (or 45 days before May 8), so the candidates are not supposed to air any TV or radio ads about themselves from the time they file their COCs until the beginning of their respective campaign periods. It isn't clear though if this covers the new Internet platforms, after all, this medium was hardly tapped in previous elections. Like last year's U.S. presidential elections, this will be the first time in Philippine electoral history that new media will be used by the presidential candidates (via their web sites, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Friendster, cellphones, etc.). Ong says the Aquino campaign is erring on the side of caution and until further ruling by the Comelec, will cease airing the VLogs once Sen. Aquino files his COC.

(Sen. Aquino's official web site.)
Of course the inevitable question is, will campaigning through the Internet/new media make a difference for any of the candidates? By and large, Internet penetration in the Philippines is still low; accdg to Internet World Stats, it is 24 million as of the 2nd qtr of 2009, or roughly 25% of the country's estimated population of 97.98 million. About 18.2 million of Internet users are potential voters (meaning 18 y.o. and up). So while the Aquino campaign will be tapping this new media for its campaign, Ong says, it is really an experiment for them to see how much power the Internet has in moving next year's elections. And TV is still the medium w/ the largest impact w/ 90% usage for voters' info as compared to only 22% for the Internet. Ong does point out though that Sen. Loren Legarda won in the last senatorial election w/ an 18-million vote, so that just means they are hoping the Internet will boost Sen. Aquino's chances to win in 2010. (Btw, did you know that 60% of Internet users in the Phils. are in Internet cafés?)

As of press time, however, Ong has yet to answer my question if there are any plans for Sen. Aquino's team mate and VP candidate Sen. MAR Roxas to be included in the Internet campaigns. (After previewing the first three VLogs, it looks like Sen. Aquino's running mate is actually former Bukidnon Rep. Neric Acosta, and not Roxas. Acosta is just all over the place!) For casual political observers like me, Sen. Aquino seems to be conducting his own separate campaign, pretty much disengaged from what should really be a team effort. Are Sen. Aquino's handlers trying to get him elected at all cost, w/o a care who wins the VP slot? Hmmm...again,nagtatanong lang po.

(A slide from today's presentation by Campaigns and Grey. Looks like Sen. Aquino has trumped some of his rivals in terms of Internet presence/followers. What will this mean for the 2010 elections?)

(UPDATE 1:05 a.m.) Accdg. to Campaigns PR Inc. Managing Director Richard Arboleda, Sen. MAR Roxas will definitely figure in the Sen. Aquino's future VLogs. Thanks!

Potshots

Pak dis shet: Arroyo can run for VP. Stop giving her ideas guys!

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Sen. Manny Villar at the MOPC Presidential Series, Oct. 29: “I’m not perfect. I have a lot of failures in life, I have experienced difficulties. But when you look at me, you are looking at Manny Villar, what you see is what you get. You’re not looking at my mother, my father or the tycoon behind me. You are looking at Manny Villar.”

When I look at Manny Villar, I see his wife Cynthia and her family's fortune, without which would not have made his success possible.

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Dubbed a "labor of love," producers and celebrities in this video promoting Sen. Noynoy Aquino's presidential candidacy volunteered their services, most of them friends of Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda. The star power behind Noynoy is indeed dazzling, with members of the rival Kapamilya and Kapuso networks coming together for the production.

Expectedly there have been various reactions from the public about it. Some love the song, like I do, because I find it very moving, a testament to composer Ogie Alcasid's talent in capturing the spirit of Noynoy's supporters. Others find it detestable (they cringe esp. at the part where Abunda arrives in a banca) and disturbing that the presidentiable would agree to do something that the usual trapos would do, i.e. prematurely campaigning before he's even filed his certificate of candidacy, and asking celebrities to endorse him.

My only question is, isn't Noynoy forgetting something? Like his VP running mate Sen. MAR Roxas for example? Isn't this supposed to be a Noynoy-Mar 2010 campaign? Hmmm...just asking.


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Last Saturday's typhoon was locally named "Santi". The current tropical depression is named "Tino". The names of these weather disturbances should dispel whatever doubts that PAGASA meteorologists aren't fans of May Bukas Pa. Gads.

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BTW, like many Metro Manilans, I went out of town w/ my family for the Halloween break. We left Quezon City on Friday, Oct. 30, at about 9:30 pm and drove to Subic via NLEX/SCTEX. It's astonishing that with the amount of toll paid everday by motorists on both these highways, there are long stretches that are still unlighted. These pose dangers to the numerous drivers and their passengers travelling there daily. I wish the govt agencies overseeing these expressways would attend to the matter of adequately lighting them ASAP.

Oras na! Laban na!

Noynoy-MAR 2010!

The ultimate sacrifice

(Sen. Mar Roxas announces his support for Sen. Noynoy Aquino's presidency in 2010 at a press conference in Club Filipino this evening. Photo copyright Stella Arnaldo)

I JUST came home after attending the press conference of Sen. MAR Roxas at the Club Filipino this evening.

Like many who have supported his bid for the presidency in 2010, I feel a tad depressed. I sincerely believed his record as a government official - having been the secretary at the Dept. of Trade and Industry - and the number of legislative bills he has been able to shepherd into laws, speak volumes of his mettle as a leader.

But this evening, he announced that he was bowing down and putting "country above self," and supporting his friend since birth, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, for the latter's bid for the presidency in 2010. Not the one to be insensitive to public sentiment, MAR put aside his own interest to respond to what the citizens want. There was a public clamor for Noynoy, and so MAR stepped aside. And he is a better man for it. This is the ultimate sacrifice for any politician, and harks back to the same sacrifice Doy Laurel made in 1986 when he agreed to run as VP under Cory Aquino.

(Sen. Mar Roxas with Sen. Noynoy Aquino behind him, as the leave the Club Filipino. After Mar finished his speech, Aquino appeared from nowhere and went up to him to shake his hand. This showed everyone that they will be a force to reckon with in 2010. Photo copyright Stella Arnaldo)

MAR has vowed to support Noynoy and stand beside him through this tough race where they are pitted against the "festering evil around us." So it is almost a certainty that it will be a Noynoy-Mar tandem for 2010. While I admit to having certain doubts as to Noynoy's preparedness for the job as president, I have been saying all along that the Opposition must be united in 2010 to fight the common enemy, the Palaka/administration of the presidentita. With Tita Cory's death reawakening the Filipinos' hope for change and getting themselves more involved in the political arena, Noynoy can very well harness this to help him win the presidency next year. And if this is the only way to beat the b**ch, then I am now 100% behind this tandem.

Hopefully, all the other opposition candidates will make the same sacrifice that MAR has made and support this formidable team. They have to come together and chase the evil one out of Malacañang.

And so it begins.

Country Above Self by Sen. Mar Roxas