Category Archives: personal matters

I’m in the book “Career Life Choices” by Central Books!

Two years ago, Ms Eva Echin-Turner, a Filipina based in New South Wales Australia, ran advertisements in Manila Bulletin and Philippine Star asking interested parties to submit stories about their high school life for an upcoming book project. What got me interested into the project (aside from the honorarium, haha) is that it gave me the opportunity to sit down and write about the ups and downs of my life as a student of Ramon Magsaysay High School (RMHS)-Manila.

I have wanted to do that throughout my four years as an undergraduate in University of the Philippines-Diliman but due to my schedule, I wasn’t able to do so. A few days after reading about her project, I sent Ms Turner an email, and that initial exchange eventually led to a close working relationship between us. I am honored to have the task of editing the work of some of my fellow contributions. It made me realize early on the trailblazing nature of the project on hand.

career life choices

The main appeal of the book is that it features the lives of ordinary people whose stories of triumph and failure are so relatable to everyone (“relatable” is a relatively new word). The book has eighteen contributors coming from different backgrounds – accountants, a lawyer, a biology lecturer, a composer, an online journalist (ahem!), among others. Ms Turner says she wants her first book to “serve as an inspiring and illuminating guide” for the younger generation as they map out their future.  A book which features stories about how to overcome poverty, family problems, humble beginnings, among other challenges on your way to success will surely meet this goal.

Despite its noble intentions, the book project met some tough challenges on its way to the printing press. Finalizing the manuscript lasted until the middle of 2012, and as soon as that is done, it’s time to look for a publisher that might be interested to support the book. As someone previously employed in the publishing industry, let me give you some insights as to how things go there.

Book projects are divided into two: textbooks and trade books. Textbooks are the ones used in schools while examples of trade books include memoirs, novels, etc. Publishing firms prioritize textbooks over the latter because textbooks have definite customers (e.g. teachers and students). After some months of uncertainty, a major breakthrough happened last December 2012 when Ms Turner finalized a publication deal with Central Books Supply.

career life choices book launch

Ms Eva Turner (the one carrying the book) together with ten of the contributors.

Central Books is no stranger to me since it’s the same firm that published “Kon(tra)teksto,” one of the recent books of Professor Danilo Arao. True to her word, Ms Turner sent each of us contributors an advanced copy of the book. Reading my autobiography two years after I first wrote it made me chuckle a bit though I can’t help but be amazed at how far things have gone for me in the 11 years since I entered RMHS Manila. Indeed, certain events during high school have left an indelible mark on me years after.

I feel blessed with wonderful opportunities and helpful mentors who’ve played a big role throughout my life. If there’s one thing I learned the past three years since I finished college, it’s the fact that you can take Adidas’ “impossible is nothing” motto literally. So let me end with this advice: Aim high and dream on, for big things are in the horizon.

Read a press release about our book “Career Life Choices” courtesy of Manila Bulletin

Order “Career Life Choices” now!

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The Filipino Scribe’s 2nd anniversary – 1.2 million hits!

I started The Filipino Scribe on this day exactly two years ago. To date, it has already accumulated over 1.2 million page views. According to figures from WordPress.com, this site has received at least 1,000 hits from readers in 22 countries outside the Philippines. Obviously, a huge chunk of these readers must be overseas Filipino workers. Meanwhile, The Filipino Scribe has also occupied the number one spot in Top Blogs Philippines’ politics and government category for 44 of the last 45 weeks.

Achieving all these feats was not in my mind when I put up this blog two years ago. As I have mentioned before, I just wanted then to resume blogging after taking a hiatus from Multiply.com for about a year. One particular experience as a jeepney commuter provided me the impetus to write again.

Long-time readers of this blog probably noticed that I have renamed this blog for several times already, most recently as “Notes from the Philippines.” I decided to do away with it because I thought the name is too vague. Besides, I want the blog title to have a “newspaperish” name (a la Huffington Post, if you get my drift).

2012 pinoy blog awards

The Filipino Scribe is one of the ten national finalists to the 2012 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards

Last year, I gleefully noted that my blog won a national recognition merely months after I put it up. In contrast, 2012 was rather uneventful on that aspect. As I pointed out in a blog post last year, three organizations that usually give recognition to bloggers annually did not do so in 2012. The Filipino Scribe was one of the national finalists to the 2012 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards, ultimately getting the second highest number of votes out of the ten nominees. I do hope that this year will be better.

Of course, and I will never get tired of pointing this out, this blog continues to open lots of opportunities for me. In recent months, I’ve been invited to talk about issues related to the social media on many occasions. I’m looking forward for more in the coming months. Indeed, this is one of the perks of maintaining a popular blog.

media literacy forum - pup manila

Photo taken during a forum on media literacy organized by senior Communication Research students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila last March 16

Let me end this post by saying thanks to people who helped me get to where this blog is right now. First, to the thousands of readers who gave this blog their time. It’s an honor to have you here. Secondly, to all fellow bloggers who included The Filipino Scribe in their blog roll. Lastly, to those organizations who believed that invited me to address their events. Maraming salamat po!

PLEASE LIKE THE FILIPINO SCRIBE ON FACEBOOK!

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013! Happy New Year to all!

First, I want to greet all of you a happy new year! As we say goodbye to 2012, let me share with you the incredible milestones this blog has achieved so far. During the past year, we received 800,000 views – nearly ten times what we got in 2011. According to figures from WordPress, Aside from the Philippines, The Filipino Scribe has received at least 1,000 views from 16 other countries – United States, Canada, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Qatar, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Italy.

We will end 2012 at the number one spot in Top Blogs Philippines’ politics and government category – a position it has held the past 24 weeks. Let me take this opportunity to thank all the readers and subscribers of The Filipino Scribe for making this possible. As I always say, this wouldn’t be possible without your support. You can expect this blog carry more informative and entertaining stuff in the coming year.

 

Meanwhile, here are my ten most posts for 2012:

1. “Where to download Ram Revilla-Janelle Manahan sex video?”

2. “Is Charice Pempengco lesbian? And so?”

3. Justin Bieber makes fun of Manny Pacquiao

4. February 25 2012 working holiday pay rules

5. Amalayer – Paul Jamie Salvosa

6. June 12 2012 Philippine Independence Day Holiday

7. On Robert Blair Carabuena

8. May 1 2012 Labor Day Holiday

9. Proclamation 459 – Philippine holidays for 2013

10. December 2011 nursing board exams results

The past year has also been very eventful to me personally. I am already done with my master’s coursework (24 units in all). Should things go on as planned, I will be able to begin working on my thesis as early as this summer with the goal of finishing it by 2014. I have also won four writing competitions – one of them organized overseas. Two weeks ago, this blog received a special citation from the organizers of the 2012 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards.

Because of my work on this blog, I appeared on one cable television talk show. I’ve also been invited to a number of  speaking engagements. Nevertheless, I am convinced that bigger things are bound to happen in 2013. Time to begin our journey through the year ahead! Happy New Year again! :-)

Click here to see the complete annual report prepared by WordPress.

Here’s an excerpt:

About 55,000 tourists visit Liechtenstein every year. This blog was viewed about 790,000 times in 2012. If it were Liechtenstein, it would take about 14 years for that many people to see it. Your blog had more visits than a small country in Europe!

I BADLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

On this day exactly a year ago, I received the Best Text Blog Award from the organizers of the 7th Annual Population and Development (PopDev) Media Awards. Although I won four other competitions after that, going up that stage that night to receive my trophy remains one of the highest points of my life. As noted in a previous post, the PopDev Media Awards won’t be held this year, but despite that, I am once again running to get another blogging award. And this time, I will need your support to achieve it.

The Filipino Scribe is nominated to receive the People’s Choice Awards in the 2012 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA). I badly need your help. You can vote in three quick steps:

1. Go to http://www.pinoyblogawards.com

2. In the page’s right side, you will find the list of ten nominees under the “Philippine-based bloggers” table.

3. Please check the space before nominee #8 which is The Filipino Scribe. Click ‘submit vote’ after.

The Filipino Scribe - 2012 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

The Filipino Scribe is nominee # 8 in the 2012 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards – OFW Supporter category (credits: PEBA 2012 Facebook page)

Voting takes less than a minute and there’s no need to register. My official entry to the competition is titled “Embracing Social Media in my Life.” I have been writing about OFW-related issues long before taking part in this competition. Last year, I wrote about the “Saudization” labor policy’s potential impact not just for Filipinos already working in that country but also for other workers that are seeking jobs there.

A few months ago, I wrote about Manila Rep. Trisha Bonoan-David’s decision to kill her proposed measure that would have raised the contributions of OFWs to the government emergency fund from $25 to $50. OFW rights advocate Susan Ople went on to credit this blog for posting Bonoan-David’s actual letter to the House Majority Leader regarding her decision. Early this month, I came up with a post tackling the potential impact of Filipino-Americans in the 2012 United States presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

According to figures from WordPress, this blog has received at least 1,000 views from readers in fifteen countries other than the Philippines. Their consistent support for my blog inspires me to continue writing more about issues they care about. Whatever happens to my participation in this year’s PEBA, I will certainly continue doing that.

Let me end this post by once again asking for your support. Please vote for The Filipino Scribe in this year’s Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards simply by doing the following:

1. Go to www.pinoyblogawards.com.

2. In the page’s right side, you will find the list of ten nominees under the “Philippine-based bloggers” table.

3. Please check the space before nominee #8 which is The Filipino Scribe. Click ‘submit vote’ after.

2012 pinoy expat ofw blog awards

Visit http://www.pinoyblogawards.com, see the right side, check the space before nominee #8 in The Filipino Scribe. Click “submit vote” and you’re done!

Voting ends on December 5. As of posting time, I remain in second place in a field of ten nominees. With the help of our blog followers and readers, victory is achievable. You can vote more than once as long as you’re using a another device.

WHAT IS AT STAKE: The recipient of the People’s Choice Award will get a citation from the organizers. Meanwhile, the top three blogs will get the following prizes:

1st Prize:             Cash Prize plus Freebies and Trophy worth P10, 000

2nd Prize:            Cash Prize plus Freebies and Trophy worth P5, 000

3rd Prize:             Cash Prize plus Freebies and Trophy worth P3, 000

Colt 45 and the ‘real men’ myth

In late 2008, Colt 45 Philippines launched four 15-second advertisements featuring a group of men in different situations. The ad campaign intends to reintroduce Colt 45 as the “strong beer for real men.” The marketing blitz however contains highly insensitive gender stereotypes.

In the first ad, a man is shown as making comments about an unseen woman’s fashion style even while his peers are drooling over the lady’s “sexy” body (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGvR6AWq7k8). In the second advertisement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvspk7PzWcU), a man is seen walking away from his buddies who are all watching a wrestling match on TV to make sweet talk to his girlfriend on the phone. The third advertisement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8iH_ffdVG4) shows a man weirdly wiping a glass with his hand towel even though he himself is already sweating. The fourth and last installment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAH530XP4yQ) shows a man using a facial oil wipe.

After doing those “unmanly” acts, the deviant received uneasy looks from his peers before being obliterated by a Colt 45 giant bottle from above. A husky-voiced narrator will then say: “Men should act like men. Strong beer should truly be strong.” The media falls under what Louis Althusser describes as cultural ISA (ideological state apparatus)[1]. According to Althusser, social institutions “use suitable methods of punishment, expulsion, selection, etc., to ‘discipline’” individuals who refuse to abide by the ruling ideology.

The catchphrase “men should act like men” mandates that all men have to act according to socially-established gender rules of conduct. This include not showing a “soft” even to his girlfriend, not allotting so much time to clean his face, and not making any comments about a woman’s fashion style. Men who do not observe the standards of heteronormativity are regarded as “hindi tunay na lalake,” or worse, labeled as “effeminates” and “gays.”

One way for people to know about these gender prescriptions is through the media. We are constantly bombarded by the media with messages essentially dictating everyone how they should act in accordance to gender norms. The media is the main arena where the dominant ideology asserts its authority on one hand while on the other; this is also where marginalized ideologies fight for greater acceptance or inclusion into the mainstream.

Men should always be stoic, dominant, and unyielding even when proven wrong. There are also activities they cannot engage in as well as TV programs they can’t watch (Glee, for instance) because it is unmanly to do so. The media therefore becomes the platform by which a battle of gender symbols (ergo, what is manly vs. what is not) takes place.

However, as mentioned by Marxist intellectual Antonio Gramsci, the status of the dominant ideology is perpetually challenged since not everyone readily accepts it[2]. Nowadays, the media no longer have qualms about featuring men who does not conform to the so-called standards of being “tunay na lalake” (e.g. metrosexuals, effeminates, and men having sex with other men) in films, television shows, and the like. One manifestation of this is the proliferation of independent films that focuses on a gay’s life (e.g. “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” and “Lihim ni Antonio”).

Meanwhile, some TV programs like GMA News TV’s Best Men put men who are extra conscious about their appearance in a better light. These attempts represent efforts toward making compromises as regards the dominant thinking of how a man should act. Despite these attempts, the ruling ideal for “real men” still remains and has to be reinforced. Hence, we have the abovementioned series of Colt 45 ads.

colt 45 strong beer for real men

Colt 45 positions itself as a “strong beer for real men”

Having this kind of heterosexist message constantly being harped upon in the media will affect an individual’s self-identity, especially for those who grew up not meeting the standards of being a “tunay na lalake.” A young boy for instance who is used to being told by his mom to bring an umbrella all the time might end up believing that he is not man enough just because of it.

The whole concept of “men should act like men” goes against the central thesis of queer theories, which says that sex, gender, and sexuality are “fluid continuums in which identity based on fixed categories is a meaningless concept[3].” In short, being sweet and extra-conscious of how you look will not lessen a man’s masculinity since everything is in a constant flux to begin with.

This alone, as Michel Foucault argues[4], means that drawing clear cute demarcation lines between gender and sexual identities are impossible. More importantly, these definitions are mere social constructions to begin with. In conclusion, it can be said that since the media plays a significant role in shaping a person’s gender identity, it should be extra careful in setting baseless standards like what “real men” should do. It is good to note that the Philippine Commission on Women two years ago blew the whistle against Colt 45’s gender insensitive advertising campaigns[5].

[1] Althusser, Louis. Ideology and Ideological State Apparatusses. Marxist.org (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm). Retrieved October 9, 2012

[2] Storey, John. (1993). An Introduction to Cultural Theory and Popular Culture (2nd ed.). London: Prentice Hall.

[3] Jagose, Annamarie (1996), Queer theory An Introduction, New York University Press, New York

[4] Dollimore, Jonathan, Sexual Dissidence: Augustine to Wilde, Freud to Foucault ,The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1991).

[5] __________. Beer ad pulled out for derogatory women portrayal. Philippine Commission on Women website (http://www.pcw.gov.ph/article/beer-ad-pulled-out-derogatory-women-portrayal). Accessed October 9, 2012

No Philippine Blog Awards for 2012, but VOTE FOR ME!

Here’s a bad news for bloggers looking for means to be recognized on a national level. This year, at least two major national competitions for Filipino bloggers will not be held. In its official Facebook page, the Philippine Blog Awards committee noted last November 1 that it “will be going on hiatus this year 2012.” The group did not elaborate why but it vowed that they “will be back soon.”

Earlier this year, organizers of the Philippine Web Awards (PWA) announced that it is scrapping its original plans to have the awarding rites on July 20, 2012. The organization noted that their decision was “in response to e-mails sent by a number of Web designers who pointed out that since 2012 is nearly half over, we should already include Web sites that have gone ‘live’ this year.”

Therefore, the 13th PWA will honor websites put up in 2011 and 2012. The organization added: “We will reopen the nominations, push back the judging schedules and hold the Awards Night late this year or early next year.”

philippine web awards 2013

Like the Philippine Blog Awards, the Philippine Web Awards will not be held this year.

On this day a year ago, I was notified by the organizers of the 7th Annual Population and Development Media Awards that I will be getting the Best Text Blog Award for 2011. That’s the first time that the said award-giving body recognized bloggers in the same league as their counterparts from the traditional media.

Unfortunately, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee for Population and Development hasn’t expressed any intentions to organize the event this year. This decision is disconcerting knowing how much the reproductive health bill issue dominated the news cycle this year.

SHAMELESS PLUG: The Filipino Scribe is nominated to receive the People’s Choice Award in this year’s edition of the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA) – OFW Supporter category. Visit PEBA’s website (www.pinoyblogawards.com) and check out this part in the page’s right side to vote for us. Thank you so much in advance!

The Filipino Scribe is nominated in this year’s Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Award. Please vote for us in this link – http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/!

Related articles

Cyberbullying in the Philippines – let’s get personal

Last week, I appeared on Global News Network’s Opinion Leaders show to talk about cyberbullying together with Alvin Dakis of the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates. Before I venture into that topic, let me discuss some relevant basic stuff first re Internet in the Philippines.

The Philippines became connected to the Internet only in 1994. Even if the technology has been around for Filipinos for almost two decades now, we still have a long way to go in catching u other countries. According to InternetWorldStats.com estimates, only one-third (or 32%) of Filipinos are Internet users. Apart from the low penetration rate of the medium in the country, a study by Google last April revealed that the Philippines has the second slowest Internet connection in the world, next to Indonesia.

As a blogger for almost six years now, I know how unruly netizens can be on certain occasions. Bullying mostly happens in schools and in the neighborhood.  Usually, the bully will tease his or her prey over the latter’s characteristics (“bakla,” “payatot,” and “baboy,” to name a few). In this form of bullying, you can at least identify who the perpetrator is. In most situations you can also take appropriate action against them. The identities of cyberbullies may be difficult to ascertain. Blogs allow anonymous commenting while troll accounts are all over Facebook.

With Alvin Dakis, writer and reproductive rights advocate

Unlike in the United States, cyberbullying hasn’t really gotten much attention among Filipinos until last year. In 2008, a woman from the state of Missouri was indicted for bullying a 13-year-old girl by pretending to be a male suitor who ultimately dumped her in MySpace.

Two years ago, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi from New Jersey jumped to death from a bridge after his dorm mates broadcasted his encounter with another man online. Clementi’s death triggered the launch of the “It Gets Better” project where prominent Americans spoke against the bullying of gay teens including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Several Filipinos the past two years have claimed to be cyberbullied. Some of them are public figures like singer Charice Pempengco, actress Sharon Cuneta, and Senator Vicente Sotto III. Pempengco is rumored to be a lesbian while Cuneta is being ridiculed for being fat. Meanwhile, Sotto remains the target of online lampoon for plagiarizing several bloggers last August.

Pempengco and Cuneta should realize that getting negative comments (baseless or not) about their appearance is part of being a celebrity. If they hate negative comments, they should just retire to obscurity then. Government officials like Sotto should be more prepared in handling criticisms especially if it pertains to how they conduct their official duties. Former US President Harry Truman once said that “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” If Sotto thinks he should be immune from public scorn, he should resign his Senate seat.

What about the likes of Christopher Lao and Robert Blair Carabuena? They are not public figures but they committed actions that got caught on national television. Lao ranted on national television that no one informed him about the deep flood where his car got submerged while Carabuena was caught physically assaulting a traffic enforcer.

robert blair carabuena

Robert Blair Carabuena (photo taken from Facebook)

The public shaming of Lao is overboard. After all, he is rushing home because he wants to make sure that his daughter is safe. The criticisms that Carabuena received for his abhorrent behavior is well-deserved, but posting his home address and mobile number online and making death threats against him is just too much. Is Republic Act 10175 the answer to all these excesses? Is it realistic for Lao to file charges against everyone who called him “stupid” and the like online?

Let me end by stressing my point earlier about the Internet being a relatively new medium for most Filipinos. In my view, we are like children who just received a new gadget (e.g. a Tamagotchi) from our parents. Out of excitement and curiosity, we have the tendency to abuse the medium (ergo, we can be trigger happy at times). Instead of imposing tight government restrictions on how Filipinos should use the Internet, individual responsibility should be promoted. GMA Network’s “Think before you tweet” is a good step toward this direction.

I was cyberbullied, too

I am no stranger to cyberbullying myself. Four years ago, one high school acquaintance (let’s call her “Chel”) asked her friends and fellow party animals to flock to my Friendster page to report my account to the site’s administrators. Acting like a mindless sheep, a number of Chel’s contacts posted shout outs on their respective Friendster pages where they didn’t only put the link to my profile page but also described me as a “horrible gay” among others. Some even sent personal messages just to harass me.

What is Chel’s beef against me? One Saturday in June of that year, Chel and I agreed to meet in a Quezon City mall. She told me beforehand that she’ll be tagging along a friend that day (her high school batch mate, actually), and I agreed. What I didn’t know is that during the actual meet-up, the two will make me feel out of place! This prompted me to walkout. Looking back, I may be guilty of acting rude to a certain extent but it should not be a justification for them to resort to online harassment.

I have no screenshots of those, but I remember two of those  cyberbullies. One of them landed a job as a disc jockey for a high-end FM radio station in Metro Manila after losing in a nationwide VJ search. The second one hails from Davao. She is now a top fashion blogger, describing herself as a “recessionista.” I don’t know if Chel and her two girl friends will get to see this post. Nevertheless, I want to remind them that what comes around goes around.

PS: The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) will have a forum on Republic Act 10175 this November 13 at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, and I am one of the two panel reactors for that event.  Please check PMAP’s website for more details on the event.

cybercrime law forum

My experience with gallstones – one year after

Let me take you back to October 21, 2011. It was a usual Friday afternoon, and I and three officemates just came back from having lunch in a chicken restaurant. Suddenly, I felt intense pain in the left side of my stomach. Imagine yourself not being able to stand up straight because your stomach aches so much. I spent the rest of that work day rushing to the  restroom to vomit.

As I detailed in a blog post last year, it was eventually revealed through an ultrasound that I have gallstones (or cholelithiasis). Looking back now, it remains unclear to me how exactly I had those. I first experienced those flash stomach pains in 2007, and because of it, I assume I had gallstones since I was 17. What disturbed me however is that I don’t have the risk factors usually associated with people with this condition, which include the following:

*Female

*Age 40 and up

*Being overweight

*Experienced rapid weight loss

*People with diabetes

*People with high-fat and low-fiber diet

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, there are two types of gallstones – cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol, and this accounts for about 80 percent of gallstones. Pigment stones, on the other hand, are small, dark stones made of bilirubin.

English: A 1.9 cm gallstone impacted in the ne...

Gallbladder stones or cholecystitis are usually discovered through an ultrasound. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A laboratory test showed that I have high cholesterol levels.  Studies have shown that cholesterol levels can be inherited, which means that even an average consumption of fatty foods can be dangerous. I had gallstones-induced stomach pains after eating foods like fried chicken, pizza, and even kangkong. The gallbladder contracts harder to produce the bile necessary to digest these foods. Gallstones hinder the flow of bile as it moves from the gallbladder to the small intestines through the bile ducts. These stones effectively renders the gallbladder useless.

“Bile trapped in these ducts can cause inflammation in the gallbladder, the ducts, or in rare cases, the liver,” the US health department added. According to this website, some people do not even know they have gallstones. This is not the case with me since my condition is obviously symptomatic. To alleviate the pain, I took painkillers (Celexocib). My doctors also advised me to avoid eating fatty foods.

However, the long-lasting solution to my problem is to have the gallbladder surgically removed. Since I’m a stone former (a person prone to having gallstones and kidney stones), then it means that I am likely to develop more gallstones in the future unless I have that surgery. The US health department continues: “Left untreated, the condition can be fatal. Warning signs of a serious problem are fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.”

What are the immediate impacts on me of that chain of events exactly a year ago? As I related in a blog, the revelation made me cry a lot out of uncertainty at first. After I successfully sought a second opinion from an internal medicine specialist, my anxiety loosened up. After all, I was told that my situation isn’t as hopeless as initially thought. Nevertheless, the risk posed to me by my high cholesterol levels cannot be underestimated.

I initially thought that my condition may affect my graduate studies. It didn’t. However, since this episode happened during the last week of the semester, I wasn’t able to focus anymore in accomplishing the final paper for one class given all the distractions. In fact, the night before the deadline, I sought a second opinion from another doctor.  I want to thank Dr.  Lou de Leon-Bolinao for being considerate during that challenging time. I eventually decided to go for an operation, and that’s one experience I will have to tell more about in a future post.

PS: If you’re experiencing sudden stomach pains in the left quadrant after eating hard-to-digest foods, ask your doctor for a recommendation for you to undergo an ultrasound. The sooner you know the real cause of the pains, the better.

Monthly Winner, AllVoices American Pundit Contest for June 2012

“One submission stood out above the rest. With ‘A more democratic world without Ronald Reagan,’ Mark Pere Madrona of the Philippines earns the on-topic prize. This marks the second time that an American Pundit winner hails from outside the United States.” – Excerpt from the news article

AllVoices.com, an international online citizen journalism platform based in San Francisco, California, has announced today that I am one of the two winners in their ongoing American Pundit Contest.

Writers from all over the world can join the competition, which runs until November 5, 2012 (or a day after this year’s United States presidential elections). The other winner is Amee Ellsworth of Bennett, Colorado.

AllVoices is seeking “well-informed (and) well-written political reports that relate to the 2012 election” for the competition. Every two weeks, AllVoices also announces specific topics that interested parties may write about.

AllVoices.com American Pundit Contest - June 2012

A Philippine writer won in AllVoices.com’s American Pundit Contest. :-)

For the first half of June, participants were asked to “write about how America and the world would be different if any of the eight U.S. presidential elections since 1980 had gone the other way” (Carter winning reelection over Reagan in 1980, and so on).   

I imagined how different things would have been for the world had Reagan, a close friend of former Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos, failed in his bid to unseat President Jimmy Carter. AllVoices gave this brief summary of my opinion piece titled “A more democratic world without Ronald Reagan”:

“In writing about Reagan’s see-no-evil policy toward U.S.-allied strongmen such as Augusto Pinochet of Chile, Baby Doc Duvalier of Haiti and the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, Madrona explains how the U.S. commitment to international human rights became a glaring sham under Reagan.

Had Carter won re-election, Madrona argues that “it is not realistic to believe Carter would have suddenly cut ties with all pro-American strongmen. Instead, he could have sent a strong signal about his stand on democracy by being more assertive in pushing for meaningful political reforms.”

You can read this prize-winning in this link. The article unsurprisingly triggered negative reactions from Reagan supporters. A user named “Anyvoice” called my piece the “most idiotic guess work,” saying that Carter “was the one who brought the rule of the Ayatollahs to Iran, (which) created the nuclear threat of today.”

Mark Pere Madrona - AllVoices

My opinion piece “A more democratic world without Ronald Reagan” has won in AllVoices.com’s American Pundit Contest for the month of June.

He added that had Carter won a second term, “the whole world will be like the Middle East now.” A commenter named Adrian Holman claimed that the scores of American hostages held in the US embassy in Tehran would still be in Iran if not for Reagan.

The citizen journalism website noted that this is only the second time since the competition was launched last January that a non-American writer had won. According to AllVoices, my win gives the competition organizers “a chance to reiterate that while The American Pundit deals with Campaign 2012 in the United States, writers from all over the globe are welcome to participate.” Looking at the roster of past winners, I am fairly certain about being the only winner from Asia so far.

AllVoices describes itself as “the world’s premier platform for citizen journalism.” It aims to provide “a community-driven platform for open, global news, and idea exchange.”

AllVoices - American Pundit Contest winners

Nice to see yourself in the gallery of winners, eh? :D

Anyone can report news on AllVoices through its website or via SMS. The idea behind AllVoices first came about in 2005 during the aftermath of a strong earthquake in Pakitan, the native country of its founder Amra Tareen.

Speaking to About.com’s Tony Rogers, Tareen said she wanted to share her impressions of the disaster to the whole world but she has no platform to do so. According to Forbes.com, AllVoices has 300,000 site-contributors from 161 countries worldwide – as of 2010! Evidently, AllVoices, a site not affiliated with any mainstream media outlet, has further upped the ante of citizen journalism worldwide.

PS: This is the first time I’ve won in an international competition, and oh boy, being described as a “writer from the Philippines” gave me chills!

Flat Stanley comes to the Philippines – and had lots of fun!

Looks like someone just had more fun in the Philippines!

Sometime last March, one of my cousins living in Roseville, California asked if I can take part in her 7-year old daughter’s Flat Stanley school project. My niece is studying in Vencil Brown Elementary School. I had to do some research to know more about this. Wikipedia says that Flat Stanley is a character in an eponymously-titled children’s book written by Jeff Brown in 1964.

Flat Stanley’s real name is Stanley Lambchop. One day, his father gave him and his younger brother Arthur a bulletin board where they can display pictures and posters. The father placed the bulletin board on the wall just over Stanley’s bed. One night, the bulletin board fell from the wall (which means that in the first place, it should not be placed there :-) ), flattening Stanley in the process.

The accident actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Stanley. Because he is flat, it became easier for him to go to his friends by being mailed. He even visited different places, including art museums! Ultimately, Stanley was reverted to his normal state by his younger brother through a bicycle pump!

In 1995, Dale Hubert, an elementary schoolteacher from Canada, started the Flat Stanley Project.  After reading about the story of Stanley Lambchop, children would create their own Flat Stanley. School administrators and/or teachers can register through www.FlatStanley.com to find other parties they can team-up with for the project. In the case of my niece, her school allowed them to choose wherever they want to send Flat Stanley – provided he can return by May 11, 2012!

Thanks to the efficient Philippine mail delivery service, it took three weeks before Flat Stanley arrived in our residence. Aside from Flat Stanley, the package also includes a brief letter from my niece as well as a journal where the cute little traveler will write about the places he checked out (with pictures, of course!). Teachers are encouraged “to publish stories, describe local traditions and scenery, talk about Stanley’s adventures, and post pictures” about Flat Stanley’s journeys online.

This is certainly a fun way to learn not only geography but also a little bit of history. I wish Filipino elementary teachers would also be able to try this cute project. By the way, here are some pictures from Flat Stanley’s visit to the Philippines. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to walk a thousand miles to get here. Haha:

Flat Stanley went inside Museo Pambata, a popular children’s museum in the country.

Flat Stanley tried riding on a “calesa,” the local equivalent of a horse-drawn carriage.

Flat Stanley at the famous Jose Rizal monument in Manila. Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines.

According to my cousin, her daughter’s sharing in class went well. I am happy because I was able to tell American kids about the Philippines, though indirectly. Otherwise, these children might never have the chance to know who Dr. Jose Rizal is. Learn more about the Flat Stanley Project by clicking this link.