Why we need to restore 1M of our forests

As I am writing this blog, I have already banished any hope of receiving any 'Like' for it. There just isn't time. But I still want to join this blog contest on the 11th hour because I believe in its relevance.

Why do we need to restore 1Million Hectares of Our Forest?

I can cite a million reasons for it but let me focus on just one that I think tops everything else. We need to restore one million hectares of forest land so that we can sleep soundly at night and never have to worry that one great flashflood or mudslide might sweep us off our feet literally.

More trees would mean less flooding. They could soak up all the excess rainwater and therefore floods would be at a minimum and not as devastating as the great floods that have inundated cities and towns in the Philippines these last few years.




More trees would also mean that landslides can be avoided. The roots will be a natural barrier against landslides because the soil would be not be as loose as hell.




Recovering a million hectares could very well mean our survival. This means a gigantic effort is expected from you, me and everyone else if we all want to live for another 10 to 50 years in relative peace of mind. This also means that we have to pressure the government to do more and support the effort of private individuals who rage against the environmental aggression and push for more environmentally-sound policies, which would include reviewing the mining code, which wrecks havoc to our environment, among others.

To restore a million hectares of forest cover is one great task. And it all starts in a radical change of heart and an relenting spirit to keep to forge on. By being unselfish and going out of our comfort zone to fight of our lives, we are actually being selfish because we are ultimately thinking of the survival of our race, species. Now that's a funny thought. Who ever thought that being selfish wouldn't be bad at all?! :D

Let's all be selfish and restore 1M of our forests!

For more pro-environment advocacies, visit Pinoy Holistic Healthcare, Haribon Foundation and ClubTravelNOW!

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Anak ng Kumander (The Commander’s Son)

Last Sunday, the Kapuso Channel, channel 7 celebrated “Manny Pacquiao Day”. The almost the entire day was dedicated to Hon. Manny Pacquiao, starting from the pre-Party Pilipinas film, until late in the afternoon in the entertainment talkshows.

I am not Pacman’s biggest fan outside the ring, he has way too much negative publicity about his womanizing and gambling ways. I also didn’t appreciate his running for public office, especially under Arroyo’s wings the election before the most recent one.

Eniweis, I patiently watched Anak ng Kumander, the film shown last Sunday, starring Hon. Manny Pacquiao, Ara Mina, and Valerie Concepcion. I saw it out of curiousity, first and foremost. It was a movie about the son of an NPA (New People’s Army) commander, played by Dante Rivero, who also joined the underground movement after his father died.

It was a painful movie to watch. For one, the acting of most actors appear stilted. Imagine the Pambansang Kamao emoting to tears because his father just died. “Paano na tayo, ‘nay?(What are we doing to do now, mother?)” he was saying while shaking his mother’s shoulders when they received the bad news. For another, the story is stereotypical too, from the plot to the characterization. But it did have its redeeming factor that for me provided the unforeseen twist.

The angle about comrades turning against comrades is so in-your-face in this movie. It started when an NPA commander (Rivero) dies in the hands of his fellow comrades who decided to kill him in exchange for the 5 Million peso reward for his head, and continued until Ka Idel’s (Pacman) time, when he is reminded by love interest Ara Mina who plays the reporter rescued by Pacman, that he might also suffer the same fate as his father’s. Ka Idel is so notorious, the reward for his capture is 10 Million pesos!

There were also scenes where the NPAs are shown executing carabao hustlers as punishment for their crime. They were executed publicly, the NPAs showcasing the carabao hustlers to the barrio folk. Although it had the best of intentions at heart, saying that the NPAs are actually friends of the people by virtue of punishing those elements who torment their lives, it reinforces on the otherhand the prevalent notion that NPA justice is swift and may be arbitrary, not going through the rigors of due process.

On the lighter side of things, Valerie Concepcion plays one beautiful Amasona, unlike the Ana Capri version in Dekada ’70 who makes me wrinkle my nose at disgust.

In the end, the son of the commander died a violent death, riddled with bullets from enemy fire. He was encircled by the enemies, both from the government and from the ex-NPA-turned-gangsters who betrayed Ka Idel’s father, and were also the subjects of punitive actions of the NPA. The reporter cum love interest (Ara Mina) started shouting at Ka Idel, trying to convince him to lay down his arms and just surrender.

I waited with bated breath for the conclusion. Ara Mina was shouting at Ka Idel, the government troops surrounding him were poised to take their shots at him. Cut to Ka Idel, looking towards Ara Mina in slo-mo, then a flashback to his father’s memory (actually, just a voice over, if I remember it right). He then hoists and holds the M-60 firmer and fired at his enemies without saying a word. Did he die? Of course! There were around thirty troops who were shooting it out with him!

So, the movie ended on an unfamiliar note. An unconventional hero dies and was praised for it, with an epilogue noting that the legacy of Ka Idel, one that is not popular nor widely accepted, will live on.

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Pasko na!!!

I'm supporting blankPixels' entry to Sulit's Christmas card-making contest. Click here for more details.

(Preview only. Click here for the full animated Christmas card.)

More posts, mean more entries for being a viral poster. I would love to have that Blackberry Curve!!! But is it a dual-sim phone though? I've been dying to have a dual sim phone so I can cut-down the hassle of having different phones. Anyhoo, even if its not, I can always use it. Come on! It's a Balckberry Curve! Who am I not to get excited? :) Cheers!

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Thirty on 30 Blog Anniversary Givaway!

I'll be turning 30 myself next year *GASP*, and I thought that to make things bearable I'll join a fellow blogger's giveaway for her 30th birthday.

I just came across her blog from . (Sign-up now for more blog exposure. More blog exposure = More income!)

Her requirements are very easy to do. She actually scrapped the blog-writing part which made joining in 50% easier than she originally planned to do. And here's my part, spreadin' the love.




Primary Sponsors

● Everything Nice! ● News Break Online ● Fat Girl No More ● Written by Mys ●
● My Thoughts, My Heart, My Turf ● ZoWanderer ● Just the Tip of an IceBerg ●
● Just About Anything ● Blogger Manila ● Dress Up Your Blogs ● Pinay Mom ●
● Certified Foodies ● Pinay Online Money Maker ● Pinay Reviewer ●

Secondary Sponsors

● Georyl: Blogging with my Heart ● Pop Ups of My Mind ● Blog Tactic ● Grace in Creative Life ●

General Sponsors

● Make Money Online and Beyond ● One Proud Momma ● Lover Mushroom ● Plate and Me ● Paula's Home ● Make More Money Online ● The Miscellaneous Me ● Here, There and Everywhere ● Travels and Explorations ● Musings of Life ● Kharen's Corner ● It's Kha ● Noypistuff ● Jennyholic, Confession of an Addict ● Deej Speaks ● Techie Things ● Cups and Lowercase ● Live for Live ● Experience of a Super Mom ● Sharing my Thoughts ● Yashiro's Journal ● Table for Five ● Internet Cafe Blog ● blankPixels – The Geek Side ●

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Tsk, tsk, No Grand Lotto Winner Yet

I was up pretty early today. And I just couldn't resist going online and checking if any of the million aspirants of the Grand Lotto 543M prize bagged it. Unfortunately, no one has. Sad.



For anyone who would care to know, the winning combination is 18-17-36-04-40-13. Check your tickets now, getting 3 main numbers mean you win 150 pesos, right?





I guess this means that next draw, the lines will be much longer. Here's a list of tips on HOW TO SURVIVE THE GRAND LOTTO SNAKING LINES.

1. Place your bet THE DAY AFTER the draw when no one has won. Lines are surely shorter. Most are still reeling from news that they haven't won.

2. Choose the time of the day when people are most inactive, LUNCHBREAKS. These are the siesta hours and Filipinos are hot-wired to slow down at these hours because of the heat. But make sure that your Lotto outlet is open during Lunchbreaks or you'll just waste your time.

3. If you can't place your bet early enough and is actually addicted to the long queues, taking this as "all part of the lotto experience", then you should come prepared. You are going to war!
- Go with someone. If nature calls and you need to pee, you'll have someone stand in line for you. Or you can always wear an adult diaper.

- Bring that umbrella/walking stick cum foldable chair. Yes, it's your papang or mamang's priced possession but surely they'll understand that you're borrowing it for the greater good of mankind.

- Arm your self with snacks. Who knows how long till you get to the end of the line? You don't want to go hungry and then be unable to mark your numbers when it's your turn no, do you?

- Lastly, guard your numbers with your life. Don't let anyone copy-off from your lotto ticket. If you get the winning combination, you'd prefer to be the sole winner of the millions of course!

Now, my disclaimer, please, please people, don't forget that this is all just a game. Someone very powerful out there is just messing with our heads.

By the way, the next draw will be tomorrow.

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Pilipinas Kay Ganda Slogan, Not So Pretty After All

The new Philippine tourism slogan Pilipinas Kay ganda (So beautiful, the Philippines), is not beautiful at all, according to most people.

The recent unveiling of this new slogan was met by a lukewarm response, to say the least. It is replacing the more familiar Wow Philippines tourism slogan by the past administration.There are two important points that were raised by its detractors. One is that the logo is a rip-off from another logo. And for another, the slogan should be in an international language, one widely used and understood by all, like English.

I have included here the much maligned logo and the "original" from which it was copied. Now, Dept of Tourism Sec. Alberto Lim said that, indeed, they looked for inspiration in other country's tourism campaigns and yes, they used the same font as the Poland logo. But no, this is not plagiarism. iIt might not be plagiarism in the strictest and legal sense of the word but I sure can't deny the unmistakable resemblance. They actually look like twins, fraternal ones!

As for the language, I thought that the Filipino, being the national language was a nice quaint touch. But I have to admit that using the national language to address an international audience for a tourism campaign is not the way to go. How will the regular tourist with no or little knowledge of the Filipino language understand it? Number one rule for any marketing campaign should be effectively addressing your consumer or audience, and this is one golden rule that the masters behind this Pilipinas Kay Ganda! slogan forgot.

I can only view this from a political standpoint. The Aquino administration is in such a hurry to distance itself from the past infamous Arroyo administration, thus making this international blunder. P-Noy, as President Noynoy Aquino prefers to be called, desperately wants to portray himself as the exact opposite of his predecessor who was known to be a vicious bitch that the masses hate. Thus the unconventional "P-Noy" and the Pilipinas Kay Ganda slogan which can be perceived as non-elitist.

But will these be enough to markedly differentiate the Aquino administration from the Arroyo administration? Or will they remain superficial and cosmetic changes that crumbles upon closer inspection?

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