Mabuhay si Efren Penaflorida!

CNN 2009 Heroe of the Year.

You made us proud. Mabuhay!

---

See related post here.

See awarding ceremony here.

A Mug of Coffee from South Africa

Here’s another piece for my collection.

Collecting coffee mugs of this kind all started when one of my clients from Ayala-Alabang Subdivision flaunts her collection neatly stacked up in a cupboard in one corner of her kitchen. They were given emphasis inside the cupboard by the glistening reflections cause by the halogen lights installed within its enclosure. She’s been collecting these coffee mugs from countries that she’s been to. I could still remember how proudly she was telling anecdotes of her trips abroad that she associated with those mugs. I could see in her eyes how happy she was as she tells those stories.

I like the idea of it. Collecting a piece of souvenir not just for the sake of if but having a passion for something that relates fragments of happy moments of your life. This reminds me of the movie With Honors when Simon Walder (played by Joe Pesci), a homeless man, shows his collection of "memories" (a bag of stones) to Montgomery "Monty" Kessler (played by Brendan Fraser). At the end of the movie, after his graduation ceremony, Monty and his friends sit together and embrace as they are celebrated as the Class of 1994. They walk out, with Monty grabbing a stone for his own "memory".

As to my collection, I do have pieces that I was able to obtained from places abroad that I’ve been to. The rest were mostly given to me by friends and relatives dispersed all around the world. I may have not actually acquired them by myself from its country of origin, but they do represent faces of people that somehow had touched (ang OA mo Edwin) my life.

Whatever memories their coffee mugs signify to my life, just give me the prerogative to keep it to myself. Just what I had (mildly) seethed from my previous blog [READ HERE], let me just state (again) that some things are better left unsaid. ;-) [wink].

---

Listen now to the featured song.

AFRICA by Toto (1983)

Shhhhh.....

For some decisions I have to make, I am comfortable consulting about it to some of my friends. I ask for their opinions then weigh the logic and practicality of it. In the end, if not most of the case,my final decision is the amalgamation of my thoughts and theirs too.

But just recently, actually about 5 months ago, something happened that convinced me to consider and believe that some things are better left unsaid. To view it in a better perspective, let me just say that anything I say (or do) can be held agaisnt me. Besides, I also have the right to remain silent so I better exploit it to my own advantage.

To conclude, at times, it is better to keep our mouth shut to keep the pesky bugs away.

---

Listen to Hall and Oates' Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid (1984)

A Repost To All the Ladies Out There

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

...And it is only fitting for edsabhrain weblog to honor this month with a blog posting dedicated to such a very important issue.

I would like to think that almost everyone of us, knew or have met someone who had died from breast cancer or had been inflicted with it. I, myself had a first cousin who passed away from this disease in 2004 and the irony was, she was a nurse. I thought to myself, she should have known better in terms of its early detection, but it turned out she was not :(

Alarmingly, the Philippines ranked number 1 with the highest prevalence of breast cancer in Asia (Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2004). Chances are, 22 females out of 100 females and 1 male for every 105 males may be diagnosed with breast cancer in the Philippines. On a personal note, it is very hard to comprehend for a man to have this kind of disease but the statics cleary show that it is a disease that knows no boundaries, in regardless of someone's gender for that matter.

Just like any cancer, breast cancer is curable if you catch it early. Sadly, a lot of Filipinas with breast problems always consult with their doctors when it is too late and at this point, the cancer is most often at an advanced stage mainly due to the following reasons:

• economic factors.
• non-awareness of the gravity of breast cancer
• fear of being diagnosed with cancer.

For this post, I would like to encourage everyone (men included) please learn how to do a Breast-Self-Examination (BSE), and do not fear going to your doctor for a consultation.

Here's an excellent video on how to do a BREAST SELF EXAMINATION (BSE), just be sure to turn on your speakers; it will teach you the step-by-step procedures of BSE.

WARNING:

This video may contain content that is inappropriate for some readers. Please bear in mind that this has been posted to educate and to inform everyone on the early detection of breast cancer.

DISCLAIMER: This video has been posted by the author without malice.

An American Reflection on the Philippines-pt 2

Read Part 1 HERE.

I've been off from the Philippines for almost seven years now. For that period of time, I've been to Saudi Arabia, UAE and presently here in Bahrain. Being in these countries, it is inevitable to meet different people from different nationalities. Majority of them are from south Asia - India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, etc.

Sadly, being in constant connection with them, be it at work or in public places, some Filipinos had conceived some prejudices towards them. Some are funny, some are true, but most of them are just plain preconceived notions.

This made me into thinking if how are these people thought of ourselves in return? With that question in mind I would like to share with you this video made by whitedragonawa, wherein he talks about his reflections about the Philippines. He went to our country to do some missionary works for a period of six weeks. He is a white guy but claims that he is 100 percent pure Pinoy by heart (notice the shirt he is wearing).

SERIOUS REFLECTIONS:

---

Mabuhay! Welcome to Third World Philippines.

"Majority are urban poor living in squatters area. The kind of houses they live in is ridiculous. Totally inhumane. But they survive. They just don't give up."

REFLECTIONS WORTH MENTIONING:

---

Talaga lang huh?

"Friendship and family mean everything. It is like a medicine that eases the pain and sufferings of life."

Kain na tayo.

"People are loving and caring. They give you rice. You come in. They give you food. They give eventhough they don't have anything to give."

Kasi mga uzisero sila.

"In the US, people like to be isolated from each other, but in the Philippines they like to be close together."

FUNNY REFLECTIONS:

---

Si Yaya.

"They don't want to call their helpers as "servants" (katulong). Because it's kinda strong word."

O sa'yo na lang 'tong t-shirt ko ha?

"A lot of kids just wear shirts (maybe its a hand-me-down from his kuya)not knowing what the printed word on it means about." - Referring to a kid he saw in a supermarket wearing a SUFFOCATION shirt (whatever it is).

Si Bantay, si muning at kung anu-ano pa.

"There are lots of stray dogs, cats and frogs in the streets. There are bats zooming around at nights."

Cool and Exciting. Hahaha :)

"There are lizards in almost every house. Cockroaches are all over the place. But its cool and exciting."

---

For more Youtube videos by whitedragonawa click HERE.

Mark

Listen to the collective messages of Indian Evangelist Bro. Zach Poonen (in mp3 format below) as he talks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark, and if it challenges you, you may open your Bible and explore it further.

Mark



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---

Welcome to my The Holy Bible blog series. Today I will be posting about the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark.

This Gospel was written by John Mark, an associate of the apostles and mentioned in the writings of Paul and Luke. The Gospel, aimed at the Gentile (non-Jewish) reader, sets forth Jesus as the mighty worker and records many miracles He performed.

Although Matthew precedes the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament, Mark is considered the first of the four Gospels to be written. Possibly written and published in Rome between A.D. 60 and 70, Mark addressed his book to the Roman Christians. Romans were a practical people and did not care about Jewish history and beliefs. The Romans loved action. So Mark writes a brief Gospel full of Jesus’ miracles and deeds, not His sermons.

While Matthew described Jesus as a King, Mark tells of His servanthood. Therefore, Mark approached his Gospel differently. Mark shows how Jesus first directed His public ministry to the Jews, but when their leaders opposed Him, He also went to the Gentile world. However, both Matthew and Mark record the Great Commission of our Lord to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

Although Mark’s Gospel is the shortest, it is brimming with the love Jesus showed for others and the mission He came to complete.

---

Taken in full from Bill Bright’s Campus Crusade for Christ (Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity)

Arnel Pineda's Journey

He's another Filipino talent making it big in the Americas. His voice has caught the attention of Neal Schon, lead guitarist of the American rock band Journey over at Youtube. And now, as they say, the rest is history. Arnel is now with the band on tour in the America promoting their latest CD album as its lead singer. Go Arnel, don’t stop believing and make the Philippines proud.

The Journey had several hits during the 80s. But the most popular among them was the song “Open Arms” which was revived by pop diva Mariah Carey in 1996. I remember it so well when this song was made as a love theme for Janice de Belen and JC Bonnin in the hit tv soap opera FLORDELUNA. I was a budding teenager at that time, kaya medyo may kilig factor na ‘yong mga eksena.LOLZ.

---

Listen now to Journey's Open Arms (1982)

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Listen now to Mariah Carey's Open Arms (1996)

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FRASIER

I came to know FRASIER when I was still in the Philippines. It was his brother Niles that keeps me coming back to sit with them every night in my living room. The first time I saw them was when Daphne was about to give birth, Niles was so hilarious in that incident. There was no dull moments every time I am with them. It’s a good thing that they were so gracious enough to have the 11 years of their life occurrences be captured in DVD. That is why, I tried to get a copy of this memorabilia during my vacation in the Philippines last June.

I Voted for Efren Penaflorida

I received an e-mail sent forth to the TORCH Yahoo Group message board by Sis. Aileen Badiong and after checking the legitimacy of the story I casted my vote for Efren Penaflorida nominated for CNN's Hero of the Year.

edsabhrain weblogs would like to encourage everyone as well to support our fellow kababayan by casting your votes for him. The recognition comes with a great sum of cash, which hopefully will help Efren in his endeavors in case he wins the competition.

Read the full story of Efren and his Dynamic Teen Company (the organization he founded) HERE and cast your votes HERE (you can vote as many as you can).

I Survived Typhoon Ondoy

As the saying goes, truly a picture is worth a thousand words. It refers to the idea that complex stories can be described with just a single still picture. Point in case is the picture above.

You probably had already seen this from one of the attached pictures you had received from your e-mails. The catastrophic aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy "flooded" (no pun intended) the cyberworld with digital affirmation of its wrath as it passes through Metro Manila that fateful and unsuspectful morning of September 26.

This picture made me realized how fragile life can be. In a second you can be dead electrocuted from those dangling wires or be swept away by those strong currents. Its so frightening when the thought hit me. How will I decide if I am challenge with the same predicament?

Fairly enough, I had experienced a few disasters of lesser magnitude.

I had walked from the university belt all the way to Sampaloc district of Manila where I reside, right after the July 16, 1990, 7.8 Luzon earthquake. There was panic and stampede everywhere.

I had walked flooded streets of Manila countless times and also was stranded on a bus for the longest time because of it. Or when I was flabbergasted by the ash fall brought about by the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo when it awakened in 1991.

But, what if I am trapped in this kind of a situation. The water is neck-deep and with a strong current. I cannot be criss-crossing my feet over those electric wires. Look at that man in a black shirt, parang action superstar ang porma / he looks like an action superstar. I don't have the guts to do that. However, we really can not anticipate and underestimate the power and control when adrenalin overpowers us in cases like this. So the possibility is still there. LOLZ.

On the other hand, I can't swim either. I can not be walking in that street with a neck-deep high water. Because it would feel, for me, that anytime I will be sinking or be swept away by the strong current.

I guess the best decision for me in this kind of a situation is to just stay-put in a safer and higher grounds and just be a mere spectator of those people passing by. Look at those men in front of the PhilHealth branch office, mga uzis.LOLZ.

Thank God I survived the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy. Eventhough I was not there to experience it first hand, I could feel the worries and pain our kababayans had went through. My deepest symphaties and with much prayers goes to the victims of Ondoy a.k.a Ketsana, who as of this writing is pouring much rain in Vietnam and Cambodia.

---

Shocking Youth Message

Is our youth group really saved? Listen to this preaching and think about it.

A very appropriate and timely preaching for the youth of today. This is a very strong message Paul Washer preached in a 2002 youth conference in front of a 5000 audience. Listen to what made him say,

"I don't know why you're clapping? I'm talking about you. I didn't
come here to get "amens". I didn't come here to be applauded. I'm talking about you."

---

Listen to this preaching now

or

Download this episode (right click and save)

or

download the video HERE.

An American Reflection on the Philippines-pt 1

I haven't tried cooking misua (rice vermecilli) eversince I got my hands dipped in a cooking pot. One day I craved for it. So I logged in to Youtube and searched on line for its recipe. As my desktop monitor reveals the playlist results for this Filipino recipe, I scrolled down and continuously searched until one video thumbnail caught my attention.

Hey, what's this white man doing in a carinderia ni Aling Holy Vanessa?

The video made me anticipate to see some foreigner commenting various funny remarks about some of our exotic food. True enough, the guy on the video ate balut,dinuguan and pig intestines in a side street carinderia. The way his Filipino companion describe balut is hilarious when he (the Filipino guy) said:

“This one is a monster called balut. There’s a monster inside.”

Pati s’ya natawa sa joke n’ya (Even him laughed at his own joke.) LOLZ. But when the American guy mentioned in his video that the man he was with was a pastor, I thought to myself,

"Hey, wait a minute, what are they doing together in a carinderia?"

Later I found out from his profile that he is a Christian and had been in the Philippines for six weeks. I think he went to the Philippines for some missionary works, though I am not sure because it was not mentioned in his profile. Maybe this trip at the carinderia, was the pastor's way of showing him around the city and to make him feel or literally taste for himself what Filipino hospitality is all about.

See part 2 of this blog as I made some comments in one of his videos where he made certain funny remarks about his experiences while he's in the Philippines.

Read part 2 HERE.

Hell's Best Kept Secret

To have a copy of the same video below, you may download it from HERE.

There was a film showing at our church last Eid Holiday, partly as one of the activities organized for our congregation here at Bahrain. We've watched this short video after the main film feature was shown. It differs from the way we're taught from our church on how to share the Gospel of Christ to unbelievers. I would like to share it with you and decide for yourselves if you want to use it as a new method in winning souls to the kingdom of God.

This is the second video in the "Way of the Master Basic Training Course," an eight-week Christian evangelism curriculum hosted by actor Kirk Cameron and author Ray Comfort. Their Web site is at http://www.wayofthemaster.com/

The video declares that 80-90% of those making a "decision for Christ" fall away from the faith? Why the Church neglected it? Learn the principle that Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, Jesus, the apostles, and prophets used to reach the lost. Don't let anything stop you from watching this incredible teaching.

---

---

Special thanks to Bro. Orlando Bien for the video file.

Happy Birthday Anak

Today is my son's 1st year birhtday. As I am writing this, they'll be having a party in an hour later in the Philippines. Sadly, he has a mild fever, so he's not in the best of mood to enjoy the party my wife had prepared for him. Nevertheless, I would like to praise and thank God for the wonderful year He had given to my son. I hope and I pray that he'll continue to grow up to be a jolly and healthy boy.

My son, may you continue to nurture each passing day with peace in your heart and may God bestow upon you the wisdom to keep you through in life. Happy Birthday Marcus, mwuahhh .

the Saliendras in Manila Ocean Park

I wanted to be a tourist in Singapore someday. Not because I wanted to experience its urban chic (notorious for being one of the cleanest country in the whole world), but just to see the Sentosa Underwater World which have been a certified tourist attraction in that country. Having a Sentosa fridge magnet is perhaps the nearest the I could be in achieving that dream.

Entrance to the Sentosa Underwater World

"I got to be there."

That's what I exclaimed to myself after I saw a tv documentary about it several years ago when I was still in the Philippines. It made me yearn to be in that place and feel the sublime experience of walking on the ocean floor surrounded by the creatures of the deep without actually getting wet!

Thanks to the Manila Ocean Park. My dream became a reality without the hassle of going to Singapore anymore. Located behind the historic Quirino Grandstand in Manila, the Manila Ocean Park is the city's newest tourist spot to attract both the local and foreign visitors.

Surely, the Saliendras never mind queuing for a couple of hours just to be there. We enjoyed it so much and Marcus was so ecstatic to be surrounded by the creatures of the deep. Being an aquarist myself, I made sure to include it in my to-do-list during my vacation in the Philippines last June.

With its size, the 8,000 square meter Oceanarium is now recognized to be the largest in Asia, beating Sentosa's 6,000 square meter! The whole structure is spacious enough to accomodate an estimated population of 10,000 visitors daily.

The park is divided into seven exhibit halls and an activity center. The display section showcases more than 20,000 exotic fishes and aquatic creatures of about 300 species caught from the surrounding Philippine waters, mostly acquired from the local fishermen in Palawan, Cebu and nearby provinces like Cavite and Batangas.

Come and join us and together we'll journey through the exhibit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MANILA OCEAN PARK SEVEN EXHIBIT HALLS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AGOS (Flow)

1

Features 8 freshwater fishtanks with fishes
mostly imported from the South America.
The exhibit is in a rainforest set-up.

BAHURA (Reef)

2
With 48 tanks on display, it showcases
different artificial coral setup. Here, you kind find Nemo frolickingaround sea anemone.

LAOT (Fishing Ground)

3
It's a very dark hall.

Main feature on display is the eagle-spotted ray in a very long tank.

BUHAY NA KARAGATAN
(Living Ocean)

4

This is the main feature of the exhibit with its transparent 220-degree curved, 25 meter-long, transparent acrylic tunnel. It is unique, as compared to the 180 degree-curved tunnels from other oceanariums in other Asian countries.

KALALIMAN (The Deep)

5

Showcases marine animals found in the deepest part of Philippine waters.

PAGI (Stingray)

6

Display different variaties of stingrays as they "fly" over you while you're under this unique Overhanging Tanks.

PATING

7

Features several species of sharks.

CHILDREN ACTIVITY CENTER

Located at the second floor of the building that caters to children.



GLASS-BOTTOM BOAT RIDE

For a fee, you can ride on this boat and view the fishes below the BUHAY NA KARAGATAN exhibit tank.

FISH SPA

Nature's best pal for those tired sore feet. The swimming creatures eat all those dead skin cells on your feet to their own delight.

God has given us these creatures from the sea and the Manila Ocean Park provided the facilities for us to appreciate them in full view. But seeing them in their full glory doesn't end there, for the Manila Ocean Park's mission is to raise awareness among the general public about the present status of the different ecosytem that these animals come from. We may consider them to be the ambassador of their own species to assure the continuous existence of their own kind in this place we called EARTH - our home and their homes too.

Let us conserve and protect our environment.

BONUS FEATURE:

Play the video below and see my own underwater world here in Bahrain.

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Photos courtesy of: i heart manila, bayang magiliw magazine, googles image

Bab Al Bahrain

I like this photo that I took myself. It captures the busy ambiance of the area.

The name Bab Al Bahrain means Gate of Bahrain. It is located in Manama's central business district (CBD) and marks the main entrance to the Manama souq. Built by the British in the 1940s, Bab Al Bahrain once stood at the water's edge. Due to extensive land reclamation in the later years, one needs to walk more than 10 minutes to get to the sea.

When it was originally designed by Sir Charles Belgrave in 1945, it housed the government offices of the time and overlooked the sea. The sea has long been reclaimed. Government Avenue, which runs alongside Bab Al Bahrain, and the new highway that leads to Saudi Arabia were built on reclaimed land. Currently, the Bahrain Financial Harbor is being constructed on further reclaimed land.

The monument itself was refurbished in 1986 to incorporate Islamic architectural features. Today, the ground floor now houses the tourist information office and a handicrafts shop. The monument essentially consists of a huge arch, below which runs a road, which is often referred to as the entrance to the Manama souq (marketplace).

The Government Avenue, which runs in front of Bab Al Bahrain, contains many major banks and business establishments. The Government Avenue is perhaps so-called because the offices of the Manama municipality are located on it. The Gold City (different from Gold Souq) is a shopping complex for gold ornaments and is also located on Government Avenue. The Indian jewellery giant Alukkas has a branch in Gold City. (Source:Wikipedia)

Collossians and Philemon

Listen to the collective messages of Indian Evangelist Bro. Zach Poonen (in mp3 format below) as he talks about the Letters of Paul to the Collossians and Philemon, and if it challenges you, you may open your Bible and explore it further.

Colossians



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Philemon



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Welcome to my The Holy Bible Series.

Our discipleship program at church will be studying Paul’s Pastoral Epistles to Colossae (Colossians) and his letter to Philemon. So instead of featuring the Gospel according to Matthew this week, just what I had promised from my last posting, I decided to feature these two letters of Paul.

I am hoping that the uploaded audio material will be of great help to everyone. Furthermore, let me give you a short synopsis about these two letters .

LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS

Collosae was a town in Asia Minor (Turkey) east of Ephesus. This church had not been established by Paul, but reports regarding the increase of false teaching there had reached him while he was incarcerated in Rome. The false teaching stated that instead of Christ being the only mediator between God and man, there were certain angelic beings through whom man must also go in order to know God. Paul writes to oppose these teachings with the true Chistian message: the all-sufficiency of Christ, his full authority over all powers and the fullness of life he gives.

LETTER TO PHILEMON

In this letter we’ll find that Onesimus, one of Philemon’s slaves, had stolen from his master and run away to Rome. In that great city he met Paul and became a Christian. Under Roman law, Philemon had the right to brand a returned slave and even kill him. Through this letter, Paul appealed to Philemon to be reconciled to his slave, whom Paul is sending back to him, and to welcome him not only as a forgiven slave but as a Christian brother.

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On next week's posting, we will be talking about the Gospel according to Matthew. Just keep on reading your Bibles and be amazed at the goodness of God.

The Book of John

Listen to the collective messages of Indian Evangelist Bro. Zach Poonen (in mp3 format below) as he talks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John, and if it challenges you, you may open your Bible and explore it further.

The Book of John-part 1
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The Book of John-part 2
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---

Welcome to my new blog series I entitled The Holy Bible. I will be presenting synopsis about the different books that comprise the greatest book ever written on earth. For my initial presentation I will be presenting the Gospel according to John.

This book is also known as “The Gospel of Love” and was written by the most intimate personal friend of Jesus in the persona of John the beloved. John has won the affections of Christians all over the world who turn to it first for inspiration. Because of its universal appeal, this Gospel is the first to be translated into a foreign language or dialect, and it is the most widely distributed of the Gospels.

His writing places great emphasis on Christ as the Son of God, co-equal with the God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. John focused on the uniqueness of Jesus, portraying Him as the Creator who became flesh and dwelt among men as the Lamb of God “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

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Next week I will be posting about the Book of Matthew. Until then, keep on reading your Bibles and discover the goodness of God!

Being What You Are

Have you seen the hit movie Babe?

Babe is a 1995 Australian film that tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheep dog. There was even a character in the movie, a duck to be exact (named Ferdinand) , who wakes the whole farm each morning by stealing the cock's job of crowing. It really was funny.

But is it really possible for a pig to become a sheep dog or a duck to be a cock or a rooster? In nature, that cannot be possible! But in Christ, nothing is impossible! For in a second, Jesus has the power to change a pig into a new creature (figuratively speaking a man being compared to a pig because of its sinful nature).

Most of the time, we would hear our pastor emphasize as a reference to his sermon a Bible passage from 2 Corinthians 5:17 -

"Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come."

Sincerely, what is the relevance of this Bible verse in our Christian life? Was it just among our favorite memory verses that we have to recite everytime our pastor would make a reference from it in the middle of his sermon.

I had found all of the answers from this podcast posting that inspired me to make this blog. This made me realized how important it is for a Christian to be what we really are. I was able to locate it in Youtube of which I am posting it here in my blog. Please do watch it and be blessed.

the Saliendras in Tagaytay City

Enjoying the sight and smell of Tagaytay City.

With its cool climate and clean air, Tagaytay City, is the perfect place for leisure activities like picnics, horseback riding, camping and sight seeing. It makes for an affordable weekend getaway for most Filipino families, like us, the Saliendras, hehehe...

So off we went to Tagaytay City one sunny Saturday morning and we decided to explore People's Park, a popular week end destination among low land city dwellers and that of course include the three of us.

the Saliendras of Las Pinas City

The park boasts an array of outdoor facilities that caters to the different interests among family members. Other than the leisure activities mentioned above, the park also has the following attractions:

The park's cool breeze is ideal for kite flying. You can rent one from here.

The zip line traverse above a deep valley.

Only the brave and and audacious dare to zip the line.

Or simply enjoy the picturesque view along the footwalk around the park.

---

Marcus had so much fun that day. The trip indeed was a refreshing threat for the three of us. Come and explore Tagaytay City, and enjoy what it has to offer.

Pag-ibig sa Buhay ng Isang Pastor

Watch Maalaala Mo Kaya July 18, 2009 (Kalendaryo) episode starring Billy Crawford and Nikki Gil in the lead roles and see how a young pastor struggles with his faith as he counts the last remaining days of his dying wife.

The story presents common Christian struggle about God's trials in our lives. See how the young pastor learns the reason why God gave him such difficult tribulations. As a Christian, I hope you'll figure out the deeper reason behind the story.

This blog claim no credit for any images featured on the web site link below and all visual content is copyright to their owners. The video may contain images that may offend Christian sensibilities, viewer's discretion are required.

http://pinoysilip.blogspot.com/2009/07/mmk-july-18-2009.html

American Idol vs. So U Think U Can Dance

This is a showdown!

Yesterday, as I make my way over my favorite place, I stumble upon this video over at Youtube. This will surely make your body moving to shake the stress away. If you do that, be sure no body is looking your way!

Can somebody please put their hands around my waist? (Yeah)

Gotta Go. It's getting late...

Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa !!

American Idol Sings Classic Christian Song

Metro Manila-Metro Guapo

I would like to commend Sec. Bayani BF Fernando of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the traffic engineering projects he had accomplished along the Metro Manila major thoroughfare of EDSA (Efifanio delos Santos Avenue).

In the late '90s, I passed through this road almost everyday as I commuted to work from Las Pinas City to SM Megamall and what was once a chaotic and exhausting travel experience during that period, Sec. Fernando has put back order and discipline among the daily commuters of this road.

In the span of my entire 30 day vacation in the Philippines last June, it is inevitable to travel along this highway as I went to several government agencies in acquiring my son's authenticated birth certificate. It is so apparent to notice the foot bridges and waiting sheds at every bus stops alongside the road.

MMDA's footbridge at the Quezon Ave.-EDSA intersection

Walking over at MMDA's footbridge

You have to fall in line according to your destination at the MMDA's bus stop waiting shed. It has its loading and unloading slots and commuters are contained within the fence. No more pedestrian beyond the street gutter.

I've been to Hong Kong several years ago, and I am amazed of their road networks and transportation system. Buses come and go on schedule. Pedestrians are well disciplined and orderly as they walked along the busy streets of downtown Hong Kong.

With Sec. Fernando's dedication and vision, it is a pleasure to have him leading MMDA in making Metro Manila a global oriented metropolis for I do believe that we Filipinos deserve to have a world class city that we can be proud of and can be compared to other major Asian cities. Don't you think so?

His projects may have heap negative reactions among city dwellers but I believe that such undertakings from any public servants, for that matter, should have an impact to the majority, if not to all, in the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipino people.

Yet much work still needs to be done. Let's take it one step at a time.

The Marcus Chronicles: 9th Month Birthday

I am thankful to God that I have the chance to celebrate my son's 9th month birthday last June 13 together with my wife here in the Philippines as I savor the last remaining days of my vacation. I am just hoping and praying to God that I will be with them again on his 1st birthday celebration before the year ends.

The day belong to my son.

I was so tired that day as I prepared the food we shared together for our modest merienda. The menu includes pasta with shreded Baliwag Lechon Manok and sliced carrots and celery coated in melted butter, Brazo de Mercedes improvised into a birthday cake, corn seasoned with melted butter and salt, buko pandan salad and Iced tea to quenched our thirst. WOW sarap, kainan na tayo.

Happy Birthday Marcus. I love you anak..