NOYNOY IS NOT NINOY.

Why Philippine Politics is nakakalurkey.

Lahat nagagalit sa ginawang pagdedma ni PNoy sa pagsalubong sa dead bodies ng mga namatay na SAF. Hindi pa din maka move-on yung mga tao. But really, what do you expect from a president who is driven by show business?? Of course he would prioritize an inauguration, a wedding and an interview. Or maybe he thinks that a “bad publicity” would up his career a few notches. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX SHOWBIZ AND POLITICS. It doesn’t work. Clearly, the Filipino people are blind. It already happened with Erap before right? HINDI NA TAYO NATUTUTO.

Being a president of a country is not a game, it’s not a race and it’s definitely not a competition. Lives of real people are at stake here. Pag sablay yung presidente, sablay din yung buong bansa… at kailangan natin magtiis for another 6 years to the end of his term. Ilang sundalo pa ang mamamatay sa kamay ng mga rebelde bago tayo gumising? Ilang pamilya pa ang maghihirap bago tayo matauhan?

WAG NINYO IPAGBILI ANG BOTO NYO. Wag nyo iboto dahil sikat, or dahil lagi nyo nakikita sa TV, or dahil bibigyan kayo ng pabahay, or dahil madaming magandang pangako. Tignan nyo yung mga nagawa nila bilang normal na mamamayan - kung madami syang nagawang maganda at nakakatulong sa bayan, saka mo tanungin sa sarili mo, “papano pa kaya kung maging presidente siya?”. We should vote for those candidates who can DO more, not those who can GIVE more - because giving is easy when you’re already in position. Doing, on the other hand, is a responsibility.

Politicians who genuinely care for our country, where are they? Tatakbo palang sila, nawawalan na sila ng chance. Ang mas may chance manalo ay yung kurakot na madaming pera (na ninakaw din nila sa taong bayan, tapos babawiin nila pag nailuklok na sila sa pwesto) Ayoko sabihin na tanga ang mga Pilipino kasi Pilipino din ako. Ako rin naiinis kasi nagbabayad din ako ng napakalaking tax, tapos nakikita ko wala rin naman napupuntahang maganda. Worse, napupunta pa sa bulsa ng mga politiko. Nakakainis pa lalo kasi nakakahiya yung mga politicians natin pag naibabalita sa world news. Tinanggal na sa pagiging presidente, pero nanalo pa din na mayor. Nakakulong na nga, nanalo pa ding senator. On trial sa pagnanakaw or napatunayang nagnakaw, biglang magkakasakit tapos hospital arrest instead of kulungan. Excuse me, gumawa yan ng kasalanan, may sakit man o hindi. Yung mga nasa kulungan ba pinapahospital nyo pag may sakit? ANOBER?! Nakakaloka. AND WE LET THIS HAPPEN...

Minsan parang gusto mo na lang sumigaw sa inis. Pag nakukuha mo yung special pay mo tuwing December tapos makikita mo na 1/3 ng bonus mo ay napunta lang sa tax. “P*+#%&!$@ dugo’t pawis ko yan eh!” Tapos wala ka ng magagawa kasi hindi naman voluntary. Tapos pag uwi mo makikita mo sa news yung mga mukha ni Jinggoy, Napoles, Binay, atbp. ANG KAKAPAL!

Kung hindi lang maganda ang nature-tripping dito sa Pilipinas, malamang wala na talagang magkakagusto magstay dito. Ang sarap sana maglayas at tumira sa ibang bansa, pero karamihan sa atin hindi magawa kasi nandito mga pamilya natin, and all. Haaayyy..sige take a deep breath nalang. Join the plunge… to our doom! Hahaha joke lang. WAKE UP PINAS!

The Island of Coron, Palawan

Recently named the best island in the World, Palawan is truly a majestic place to travel to. Compared to other islands I've been to, the islands in Coron are never too crowded - maybe because there are a lot of places to go to. You will never run out of places to visit. "So many things to do, so little time!" Which is why it will be worth it coming back to this piece of earth to find serenity and peace.

Our first adventure: We climbed Mt. Tapyas and its 700++ steps to view the spectacular sunset. There were resting spots in between where you can stop, sit, and take a deep breath. Don't forget to bring water because I swear, its super tiring! I almost didn't make it on top. LOL!

 After that tiring hike to Mt. Tapyas, relax yourself at the Maquinit Hot Spring for a P200 fee per pax. You won't feel sore the next day if you do this. Natural hot springs are the best.

The next day, we took a boat ride to go to Kayangan Lake - known as the cleanest lake in the Philippines. True to its reputation, it is clean. You have to hike a pile of rock stairs to get to the lake though.

It is most beautiful in the morning. You can take the best picture during that time since there are only a few people, it gets a little crowded after 10 AM.

Fish feeding and snorkeling. There is a spot where you can see a sunken Japanese Warship under water. It's so creepy it feels like the ship from Pirates of the Caribbean, goosebumps!

Another hike to Barracuda Lake.

By the way, you have to pay Php 50 per pax for each of the spots you will visit. I know, I know, a bit pricey if you will visit 5 or more islands. I hope Coron will give tourists packages that pays for the whole thing and make it a little hassle-free.

For your Coron island hopping, you may contact Mr. Marvin Tayco (boat owner) at 0915-611-1974 or 0998-163-2539. They offered us an affordable rate for four and prepared a yummy lunch for us. One of the boatman went with us as our tour guide.

We stayed at Coron Westown Resort. Spacious and cozy rooms, staff were accommodating and ok. I love their bathroom, it is sooo big! Choose rooms beside the pool on the ground floor for easy access.

Travel light if you can. There are no scanners in Coron's airport so they look at your bags manually.

Ooohh I love Palawan! :) Definitely going back, for the beaches next time.

Guidelines in choosing a condominium.

Looking for a condo? Here are some basic tips/guidelines that would help you determine if the condominium you're looking at will live up to your standards. This is for y'all especially the single people who are starting an independent life and moving out of their parents' home...

I wouldn't say I am an expert, but living in condos for about two years now, I've seen different flaws that could have been avoided if you choose your condo wisely. There is no perfect condo, that is for sure. But it's up to you to decide which flaws you can live with. 

1) First and most important, know the developer.

Research about the developers and visit their actual sites. Showrooms only show you the "ideal" appearance of your future unit, but when you get it bare, that's a different story (a story full of expenses LOL) For me, the most important thing is the foundation of the building and how the dividers in each units are built. Try to punch the walls and feel for yourself if its full concrete or hollow. Most developers build their projects the same way so you will get a slight idea what type of construction that developer does. Once you've chosen your preferred developer, choose which of their projects are within your preferred area. Then do your site visit again.

2) Management of property - During your site visit, look around. Is their condo properly maintained, clean and homey? The appearance of the condo reflects the type of management it has.

3) Amenities and facilities.

How big is the pool and imagine if it can accommodate all the people in that compound. Some condos offer gym, tennis and basketball courts. Be sure that the events area is away from your prospect unit, because it might be noisy there occasionally, if you don't mind a little noise then okay. Common areas should be visitor friendly also.

4) Ask people there how much is the monthly association dues. Multiply that to the size of your prospect unit, and reflect if you can afford to pay it. Owning a condo is a responsibility, you need to start paying your bills. Haha!

5) Ask where the garbage bins are. Trust me on this.

6) Security - Of course you need to feel safe if you're living alone.

7) Parking - Whether you own a car or not, inquire if there are ample parking space. (Well if you ask the agents they usually say yes haha) It's still better to have your own though, yes pricey, but convenient. You can always rent it out if you don't own a car yet.

8) Drying cages - They usually have this for low and mid-rise condominiums. But if you don't have time to wash your clothes, you can ask the admin for recommended laundry shops near the area - they will pick-up and deliver your clothes for you.

9) Accessibility - Public transportation or private vehicle? Where is the nearest supermarket, mall, etc.?

10) Utilities - I know you can't live without cable and internet, available providers usually have flyers in the admin office. Admin will take care of MERALCO for you. Water charges are included on top of your monthly assoc. dues.

11) Pets - If you own one, you might have to ask if the condo allows it. Otherwise, you have to leave your baby at your parents' house and take your place as prince/princess. :))

12) Know the terms of payment and manage your financials. Request your agent to provide you with the payment schedule, they will compute this for you once you've chosen your unit. Prior to your move in, remember that this is like moving in a house also - they will make you pay membership fee for the association, fire extinguishers (if not free), MERALCO initial payment, etc. Therefore, do not forget to ask the admin office how much these fees are so you can prepare for it.

I hope this entry helps. These are just the basics. Choose wisely and good luck to you. Let's shout together: FREEDOM!!! LMAO ;)

Be a good man.

"Be a good man.
Be good in the face of failure.
Sometimes, being the best means being the least.
Be good even after you made a mistake.
Sometimes being good just boils down to being able to say sorry.
Sometimes being good is loving the people who hurt you...
And making the most difficult choices that may hurt the people you love."


An excerpt from a John Lloyd movie.
May moral lessons din talaga doon, hindi puro kilig lang. :))

Long overdue PH government issues.

In the eyes of a normal citizen like me...

Dear politicians,

RIDING IN TANDEM.

Seriously? Hindi naman ito major problem. Isang napakaliit na problema na madali naman solusyunan. Simple lang solusyon dyan: ipagbawal na ng tuluyan ang "tandem". Pang-isang tao lang naman talaga ang motor diba? Nag-aaksaya pa kayo ng oras parahin sila at tanungin isa isa. Dagdag pa kayo sa traffic. 1) tapos problema nyo 2) for the motorists' safety na din, mahirap kaya may naka angkas, takaw disgrasya lang yan 3) bawas holdap. Three birds with one stone. :))

MAYON'S 6KM PERMANENT DANGER ZONE.

Its called "permanent" danger zone for a reason. Bakit ba hinahayaan nyong may tumira doon? Tapos aalis lang sila pag puputok na yung bulkan. Mag-eevacuate sila at gagastos ang gobyerno ng Php 178 million sa loob ng 3 months para mapakain at alagaan sila. Sana hindi nalang sila doon nakatira, para yung mga may mas tunay na pangangailangan ang makakuha ng tulong - hindi yung mga tao na alam nang delikado eh pinagsisiksikan yung mga sarili nila sa permanent DANGER ZONE. Ang nakakatawa pa nyan, pagkatapos ng pagputok ng bulkan, hahayaan nyo nanaman sila bumalik doon. Tapos next eruption ganun nanaman. Ugh. What a waste of resources.

TRAFFIC.

I'll keep this short and simple: It affects businesses, and somehow, someday, it will hurt our economy. Somebody. Do. Something.

PNOY'S 2ND TERM.

If it will happen, I approve of it. Why? Because during his term, madaming naglabasan na corruption issues. And for me, its a start. Ibalik lahat ng pera ng Pilipinas, tapos saka idistribute ulit to help others. Sana mabawasan na yung naibubulsa para makinabang naman tayong lahat, hindi lang yung paisa isang politiko na may mga mansyon sa iba ibang lupalop ng Pilipinas. Help the Philippines before you help yourselves - this should be the motto of every politician. ANO MAGAGAWA NG PERANG NINAKAW MO KUNG BABAKSAK LANG RIN NAMAN ANG PILIPINAS? Mag-aabroad ka? Sige lumayas ka na! LOL. Pero kung tatakbo si Mayor Duterte, sa kanya nalang ako boboto. I think that is what our country needs - FEAR of the government. Greed kind of wasted the beauty of democracy here in the Philippines.

TAXES AND VOTERS.

Sa totoo lang, wish ko sana yung mga tax payers lang ang pwede makaboto. I know, I know, ang sama ng iniisip ko and its not fair. Pero isipin mo, pera ng taxpayers ang ninanakaw ng mga politiko... pera ng taxpayers ang ginagamit ng gobyerno... pera ng taxpayers ang bumubuhay sa Pilipinas. Kaya sana, taxpayers lang din ang pwede magdecide kung sino ang magnanakaw at gagamit ng perang pinaghirapan at pinagtrabahuhan nila. HINDI BA MAS FAIR YUN? Kung gusto mo may say ka, aba magbayad ka rin, wala ng libre sa panahon ngayon. Just saying.

I just wish politicians would end their greed... and take care of the people who gave them money and power. If you're running for office, remember that you have a big responsibility to the Filipino people. Think of us as your family, treat us like your children who needs your support and care. Whats happening here now makes me sad. All the negative news of stealing and killing and pointing fingers - it needs to end. Lets all go for the greater good and not settle for the lesser evil. We are Pinoy, we can do this! :)

"HUMILITY - all GREAT leaders possess it."