While most of the Filipinos will greet the New Year with a bang and glaring fireworks, only torotot (horns) would surely make a noise to welcome the Year of the Rat — 2008– in Davao City. Continue Reading »

The most common song being played during funerals is the “Hindi Kita Malilimutan.” It’s song that would really bring the mourners in tears. It’s like a tradition to Filipinos to play that song every interment.

But when I attended the interment of Fernando ‘ Batman’ Lintuan this morning, right after the mass, the Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was played because according to his eldest son it’s his dad’s favorite song.

As the the music plays, some Davao journalists ( could be of his age) also sang along with the song. Later on, as a tribute, the journalists requested to replay the song because they wanted to sing it again for Ferdie. Continue Reading »

Yes, Visayans should unite and boycott the movie “Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo” for conveying wrong message to our fellow Filipinos. Senator Nene Pimentel has already issued an statement saying that “such conversation smacks of an ethnic slur to non-Tagalog speaking Filipinos as he called on the producer of the film Star Cinema, to promptly take steps to rectify the error.”

Ano ba kayong mga Tanga-Manila, ano ba tingin nyo sa amin? Are we second class citizens?

Pimentel specifically cited a portion of the film in which a grandmother was telling a nanny (yaya) in Tagalog: “Bakit pinapalaki ninyong Bisaya ang apo ko?” (Why are you rearing my grandchild as a Bisaya?)

The mother butted in by telling the yaya: “Speak to the kid in Tagalog. Parang Pinoy. (So that he grows up like a Pinoy).”

He said such conversation smacks of an ethnic slur to non-Tagalog speaking Filipinos as he called on the producer of the film Star Cinema, to promptly take steps to rectify the error. Continue Reading »

Do the Sumilao Farmers from Bukidnon could already say that they’ll have a merry Christmas this time? Well, for me, I’d still hope and pray that Ms Arroyo and her government is sincere to their word — in granting the land back to the Sumilao farmers who walked for 1,700 kilometers fro Bukidnon in Mindanao to Manila for over two months to demand to the government in Imperial Manila to return their land.

Even the Catholic Bishops are still skeptic on the matter. Under this government, where lies and corruption reign, is this another chapter of “I’m sorry” series? Even militant lawmaker Satur Ocampo warned saying: “Mrs. Arroyo’s granting political accommodation and economic concession to Danding Cojuangco is what prevents her and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) from exercising political will to give the land back to the farmers.” Continue Reading »

Am now blogging in a spot where I could see the rooftop of my neighbors, the streetlamps and most of all, the plane that’s descending to the airport.  Guess where am right now? Am at the veranda of my room…my pad that am renting is pretty small. Whenever some friends would come here, we’d squeeze ourselves here because my room could only accommodate four to five persons. Quite small for a very friendly fella like me hahahaha! Continue Reading »

Militant groups in Davao City march around the city’s main streets in commemoration of the 59th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Keith Bacongco/AKP Images

Activists march in Davao to mark Human Rights Day

DAVAO CITY – Activists marched in the streets of the city on Monday to mark the 59th year of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights groups here called on the government to stop deploying soldiers in Mindanao and demanded that the military surface missing activists. The Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a policy advocacy group, also called on the government to stop the “militarization” in the hinterlands of Surigao del Sur. read on

For over two weeks now, residents from the hinterlands of Lianga town in Surigao del Sur have yet to return home. There are at least 2,000 villagers have sought refuge in town San Agustin and Lianga town propers.

Take note, around 2,000 were displaced. It’s a big number. But I’m wondering that it’s not a big deal. Unlike if it’d happen in Central Mindanao, that number really matters. Media would surely flock. But maybe, some media institutions are ignoring Surigao del Sur because the government forces have not engaged into major gunbattle with the New Peoples Army guerillas. There’s not much happening. There’s no blood. Continue Reading »