Lunes, Abril 27, 2009

Ready to Meet Imeldific?



A month ago, Newsweek magazine came up with an article about the Greediest People in the World. Prominent figures like Genghis Khan, Charles Ponzi, Bernie Madoff, Imelda Marcos... wait. The former First Lady of our country? For the new generation, her inclusion to the shameful list is a shocker but for those who witnessed or somewhat had a knowledge of what Imelda Marcos is, the naming was just and proper.

The article was very timely for me since I’ve just bought a book written by Ricardo Manapat published in 1991 entitled “Some are smarter than others”. The book was actually the expanded & updated version of a 40-page pamphlet circulated under the same title in September of 1979. The piece talks about the history of Marcos’ crony capitalism and how privilege and wealth were created for a few individuals while pushing the majority of Filipino people to live in poverty. But for this purpose, we will just zero- in on Imelda Marcos’ activities as well as her extravagance to give justice on the article.

When Marcos became President in 1965, approximately 13.4 million Filipinos could not meet the minimum requirement for food, clothing and shelter. Several stories of how the Marcos regime treated poor Filipinos were documented. In 1972, His wife Imelda headed a cleanliness campaign to attract foreign tourists. They cleared squatter communities which according to them were an eye sore to those who passed this area. There was even a story of a woman who was beaten and died of heart attack after a protest on clearing operation by the government. Most of the families were forced to relocate to places without electricity, food and water. Many dies majority are children.

Imelda also built several hospitals like the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center, Kidney Center to name a few. She also organized the Nutrition Center of the Philippines which received donations from foreign countries. These donations however were diverted to Imelda’s personal accounts in London and were later used to buy diamonds.

Since I’ve mentioned her penchant to collect diamonds, I will now tour you to Imelda’s insurmountable appetite for wealth and power.

According to partial documents retrieved after the First family left the country, Imelda and her family spent $ 68 million in the last 2 years of their reign. At least $ 11 million were allocated for clothes, paintings etc. In April 1983, Imelda spent $ 90,000 in one day buying antiques in Vigan, Ilocos. Also on a single day, Imelda purchased sheets worth $ 10,340 from New York. She also bought expensive perfume not by the ounce but by the gallon. The heavily publicized pairs of shoes were counted where the final figure was pegged at 2,800 pairs. It is known that Imelda owns a diamond-studded pair of shoes but this pair has disappeared.

She also had a personal bus with 14 armchairs, 2 beds, a kitchen and a bath. I will not go into details about their luxury cars, vessels and aircrafts. Just name it, they have it! Her family owned an approximately 50 residential houses. This does not include her mansion, estates and commercial buildings in foreign countries.
During her trips abroad, she usually instructed her London staff to withdraw $ 10 million for her “pocket money”. Imelda also collected artworks from Pablo Picasso to our very own Fernando Amorsolo. Her jewelry collection is one of the finest in the world. She was even labelled as the largest buyer of jewelry in the late 70’s. One of her priced possession is a necklace made of diamonds worth a staggering $ 16 million.



Imelda also value friendship and loyalty. From 1983 to 1984, she gave away around $ 70 million worth of gifts. She easily gave $ 3,000 in cash for birthdays, weddings etc. She gave larger amount to her children and grandchildren like the $ 6,000 Christmas gift to Borgy and Alfonso in 1984. She also gave out jewelry, watches and rosaries to her guests. For special friends she invited to stay with her at the Palace, she would leave jewels in their rooms for them to take. She also “lent” money to friend George Hamilton to buy a mansion in Beverly Hills and a plantation house in Mississippi. She also gave an expensive Steinway concert grand piano to Van Cliburn which was delivered to him on his birthday in 1979. She also helped Rony Rogoff, an Israeli violinist, acquire a 1715 Stradivarius violin worth $ 350,000. Time Magazine also reported that Imelda gave Nancy Reagan a $ 60,000 worth of emerald necklace. To her husband, Ferdinand, she gave more. The US Customs agent testified that they checked a suitcase of Marcos containing 24 bricks of gold with inscription; “To my husband on our 24th wedding anniversary”.

Many believed that Ferdinand Marcos played a vital role in molding Imelda to what we perceived her to be. According to many accounts, Ferdinand invited Imelda and her two friends to a dinner date. On the way to the restaurant, Marcos made some excuse to stop by in his bank and invited the 3 ladies to step inside the vault. Imelda eyes nearly pooped out after seeing all the cash not in pesos but in American dollars! Marcos gave one Karat of diamond ring each day he courted Imelda. Had she waited a few more days, she would surely receive more expensive rings. But Imelda couldn’t wait any longer. After 11 days, she married Ferdinand even if she was engaged that time with another man.

I can still share with you other unbelievable wealth Imelda accumulated during their term in office. But I felt somehow that I already laid down some of the important facts about the issue. To end this, allow me to borrow some quote from Imelda Marcos herself. “To be rich is no longer a sin, it’s a miracle. Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere”.

Sabado, Abril 25, 2009

Hapi Kaarawan! You're Now 31!

April 23, 2009, an exciting day for me because of 2 things. First, I had the opportunity to shy away a bit to my accustomed work and second it’s the birthday of my lovely wife! Several weeks before this day, I had a problem not knowing what gift I could give her. First, she wants to have a digital camera. I painstakingly canvassed for the camera that will best suit her taste. After deciding on one brand, she then taught of having a LCD television, 32”, as her minimum requirement. That’s more than double (price) of the digital camera I planned to buy. Alright, I went around the mall again and I found one worth just, P23, 000+. Bingo! Now my problem has been solved! But upon returning home, she made another bold move. She now wants to put tiles on the flooring of our living room! So that’s it! So much for the headache, “the gift”, has given me.




At around 3:00 p.m. on the day of her b-day, we checked- in on a hotel, located in downtown Manila. We ate a lot and bought my wife a new design of Havaianas slippers. We also bought several stuffs for our kids. We headed back to the hotel and ate some snacks. We called it a day quite early, understandably, since all of us are tired of all the brouhaha we did the whole day. We woke up at around 7:30 in the morning. We had our breakfast, silogs, pancakes etc., and took our morning shower. We checked-out early because we still need to buy the tiles along Edsa. We consumed 3 hours picking the right color that will best describe our home motif. At night, my sexy wife Jerdie and I, drink 2 bottles of Red Horse mucho. Two beers plus home-made sisig and isaw is more than enough for us non-drinkers. We discussed a lot of things like our past, how we met, how we defied several odds along the way and how we slowly fulfill our dreams for our family. At 11:00 p.m. we decided to call it quits. The next scene is what I’ve been waiting for! I need to close the door now. It’s a private thing. Hope you understand.

Again, Happy Birthday Mommy! Lv U so much!

Linggo, Abril 19, 2009

NBA Play-offs, Where Amazing Happen!



After 82 grueling games in the regular season, we are now entering the next phase of the 2008-’09 NBA season. After the smoke was cleared, only 16 teams remain standing out of the 30 participating ballclubs. This is the door to the promise land. This is the NBA PLAYOFFS!




We’ll now analyze the different pairings from the two different Conferences and we’ll breakdown each teams’ strengths and weaknesses and come up with a projected finish.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1 Cleveland vs. 8 Detroit





This is indeed the year of King James. Lebron guided the Cavs to its franchise best finish at 66-16 and the leagues second all-time best at home with 39-2. The Cavaliers is Lebron’s team, but other players are stepping in. Mo Williams is the 2nd best scorer of the team at 17.8 ppg. while shooting a respectable 43% from beyond the arc. The big men average 20 rebounds a night and should be the main concern of the Pistons. Meanwhile, one of Detroit’s bright spots is its scoring. At least 5 players are scoring in double figures led by Rip Hamilton. But the question is who’ll stop Lebron? Prince must keep an eye on him everywhere just to slow down Brons production. Predicted finish, Cleveland 4-1


2 Boston vs. 7 Chicago




It seems the play-offs is now over for the defending champs. Kevin Garnett’s shoe is too big to fill and that could pose a major problem for the C eltics. Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe and Glen Davis should re-assert their might with the absence of the Big Ticket. Pierce will still be the anchor while Allen and Rondo are expected to extend their helping hand. The Bulls however finished the regular season at 41-41 record. More worse, they played below 50 % at road. But the entrance of Salmons and Miller energize the slumping Bulls. Plus the active play of rookie sensation Derrick Rose, the Bulls are still poise to dethrone the Celtics right here in the first round. Predicted finish; Boston 4-3


3 Orlando vs. 6 Philadelphia



The league premier big man Dwight Howard will take center stage but the supporting cast is a bit questionable. Hedo Turkoglu is out with a sprained ankle while Jameer Nelson already missed 40 games. With this, Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston might feel the pressure to deliver down the line. The Sixers on the other hand, surprise many by advancing to the play-offs even without new addition Elton Brand. Igoudala spearhead the young core of the Sixers with Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young providing extra help. The biggest question is, can Dalembert hold his own against Superman? The answer is a big NO. Predicted finish; Orlando 4-1

4 Atlanta vs. 5 Miami



The Hawks started the season strong but faltered along the way. That led to the acquisition of veteran pointguard Mike Bibby. Joe Johnson will continue to torch the net with the help coming from guys like Al Horford and Josh Smith. The leagues leading scorer Dwayne Wade is expected to carry the Heat. But the real key is how his teammates especially Haslem, Beasley and Moon could relieve the pressure off the shoulders of D-Wade. If these guys can be a threat in offense, double teams on Wade will be lessen. This series will be close and anything can happen. Predicted finish; Miami 4-3


WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 L.A. Lakers vs. 8 Utah



Reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant is expected to lead the Lakers to the next round what with a bunch of dependable teammates lurking over. Gasol, Odom and Bynum are all averaging almost 10 rebounds a night. Veteran guard Fisher is still reliable in cluth. More importantly, Phil Jackson doesn’t loss his Zen touch on the team. If theres one thing going the way of the Jazz, it’s their all-time record against the Lakers. The Jazz enjoyed an n 11-5 playoffs record though they never met in the first round before. Deron Williams will quarterback the team while Boozer, Okur and Kirilenko will give the Lakers trio a run for their money. Add to the mix their reliable reserves like Millsap and Brewer and the match-up become more intriguing than ever. Predicted finish; Los Angeles 4-2


2 Denver vs. 7 New Orleans




The Nuggets unexpectedly finish the regular season at 2nd place over-all (West). Many still doubt their game but don’t tell that to Chauncey Billups. The savvy guard was the anchor of the champion team Detroit Pistons when he was still playing at the Palace. His stocks went higher teaming up with superstar Carmelo Anthon y, the teams leading scorer at 22.8 clip. But for me the two biggest factors are the improved plays of sixth man J.R. Smith and big man at the middle Nene. But the biggest hurdle is a little man named Chris Paul. NBA’s no.1 pointguard continue to dazzle the fans with his uncanny leadership of the Hornets. New Orleans may not be as successful as last year but the entrance of tested veteran James Posey and the resigning of Tyson Chandler will still make the match-up more exciting. Predicted finish; Denver 4-3


3 San Antonio vs. 6 Dallas




It’s again a battle of Texas teams. San Antonio had the home court advantage against the Mavs but their home record is not as sweet as ever. Add to the fact that they finished the season just 4 games above the Mavericks. Making the matter more worse is the absence wingman Manu Ginobili. The load becomes heavier now on the shoulders of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Dallas on the other hand, finished quite strong in the regular season winning 7 of their last 10 games. Thanks to former league MVP Dirk Nowitzki, who is again the focus of defense by the Spurs. But don’t forget Jason Terry and Josh Howard who can put on a show if the need arises. But then again, it’s a battle between two of the best forwards in the NBA. Predicted finish; Dallas 4-3

4 Portland vs. 5 Houston



Two weeks going to the final stretch of the regular season, the two occupied the reverse position. But the Blazers had a huge 6 game winning streak while the Rockets lost their last game. Brandon Roy is again on the spotlight with the help coming from everywhere. LaMarcus Aldridge, dubbed as the next franchise player, must bring his A-game into the play-offs war. Outlaw, Batum and Pryzibilla will have hands full containing the Great Wall. But the biggest surprise must come from the former no.1 pick Greg Oden. Without Tracy McGrady, the Rockets need the production of Ron Artest, the teams’ resident slinger. But the real deal will be Yao Ming. The other best center in the NBA, has become more offense oriented without sacrificing his defense. Predicted finish; Houston 4-2

Lunes, Abril 13, 2009

Titanic Lives On!

On the night of April 14, 1912, wireless operator Philips was busy sending passenger’s messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, where they could be relayed to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice warning but didn’t realize how close Titanic was to the position of the warning. It never reached Captain Smith or any officer on the bridge.




At 11:40, a lookout in the crows nest spotted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the bridge and First Officer Murdoch ordered the ship turned hard to port. He signaled the engine room to reverse direction, full astern. The ship turned slightly, but it was much too large, moving much too fast, and the iceberg was much too close. 37 seconds later, the greatest maritime disaster in history began.

This is how I can summarize the events that took place on that fateful night exactly ninety seven years ago.
The story was relatively new for me until I’ve watched the film “Titanic” starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet. My main concern is just to watch how the massive Titanic would plunge into the icy water. But after seeing the movie, it tickled my imagination and instantly became a fan. I have collected several news clippings, books, pictures, a replica of the ship, vhs tapes and cd’s, posters and absolutely anything that talks about the Titanic.

So much have been said about the facts leading to the event. What I would try to impart are some of the least known things that were not highlighted but plays a vital role to the whole event. Let’s submerge to the icy water and explore the wreck of the Titanic;

1. In 1898, a book called Futility, telling how the largest ship in the world “Titan”, sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, killing thousands. 14 years later, Titanic would suffer the same fate.

2. Just how big Titanic is? She is 852 ½ feet long, that’s about a sixth of a mile, enough to extend to four streets. 175 feet high from keel to the top of the funnels and 52,310 tons displacement, the weight of the water that had to move out when she sits on it.

3. Titanic’s passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world during that era. The wealthiest was Col. John Jacob Astor. When his body was pulled out of the water, he had a gold watch, gold & diamond cufflinks, 225 pounds in English paper money, $2,440 in American bills, 5 pounds in gold & a gold pencil.

4. Accounts have it that the night was uncommonly clear and dark. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light. The sea was also flat like glass, said many survivors, which makes it more difficult to spot iceberg.

5. The lookouts had no binoculars. Fleet and Lee used only their naked eye as binoculars were apparently misplaced. Fleet did not see the iceberg until it was a mere 500 yards or 37 seconds from impact.

6. Some Titanic mysteries have religious significance. One famous legend concerns about the number printed under the ships name: 3909 04. When looked at the mirror, the number spells out the words, “NO POPE”. Some have felt that this anti-Catholic sentiment has something to do with the disaster.

7. A native of Ohio, Doris Williams is always been afraid of ships and oceans. In 1960, Doris consulted a spiritual advisor about her strange phobia. The advisor hypnotized her but wasn’t able to find any pertinent childhood memories, so he’d thought to check back further. Sure enough, it was revealed that Doris had been reincarnated. In her previous life she was a man named Blackwell, a passenger who perished on board the Titanic! In a research, there was in fact a Stephen Blackwell who was lost in Titanic. Doris even revealed Blackwell’s address while under hypnosis. Dori’s case created a stir among Titanic fans as well as among psychic phenomena buffs.

8. Now that the wrecks true position is known, thanks to the ambitious expedition mounted by Dr. Robert Ballard, its ownership becomes an issue. It lies within the offshore waters claimed by Canada, a claim not recognized by the United States.

Titanic is truly a legend. Her story continue to delight me specially the mysteries that surrounds her. Today, as we remember that night of heroism, terror and tragedy, we must not forget the lives that were lost. All of the passengers in steerage section were lost, a classic symbol of rich against the poor. Sadly, that inequality continues to hound us up to this moment. Her story changes not only the maritime industry but also changes the course of history.

Titanic certainly lives on!


Lunes, Abril 6, 2009

Balik-Tanaw sa Nakaraan (Unang Bahagi)

Sa aking pagmumuni-muni nitong mga nakakaraang araw, sa paghahanap ng materyales na mailalathala dito sa aking blog, ay sumagi sa aking isipan ang aking nakaraan. Nakaraang puno ng di- makakalimutang mga pangyayari sa aking buhay. Nakaraang batbat ng kalokohan. Nakaraang tigib ng luha at tuwa. Siguro nga ay napapanahon na ito'y muling sariwain ngayong panahon ng kuwaresma (anong konek?). Samahan mo ako sa pagbuklat ng pahina ng aking buhay at nawa'y makapagbigay ng munting kasiyahan(malamang), kaalaman(depende) at aral(meron ba?).




* ASO - ayon sa kwento ng aking mga magulang, ako'y isinugod sa pagamutan ng MaryJohnston sa Tondo dahil sa di mapigilang pagtaas ng lagnat. Ilang araw din akong naglagi sa ospital na iyon ngunit hindi pa rin mapawi ang aking karamdaman. Naisipan ng aking mga magulang na magtungo sa simbahan ng Tondo at doo'y nangako na gumaling lang ako ay magiging panata ko na magsimba doon tuwing aking kaarawan o pista ng Sto.Nino. Agad naman akong gumaling ngunit hindi dahil sa gamot kundi sa pagtawas sa akin na natuklasang ako daw ay natakot sa aso!

* SANTA CLAUS - matagal din akong naloko na totoo si Santa Claus. Marami rami din akong nakaaway sa pakikipagtalo tungkol sa kanya. Sabi ko, lahat ng hinihiling ko ay sa kanya ko lang sinasabi. Natigil lamang ako ng makita ko si Daddy na umakyat ng bubong at may inilalagay sa aking medyas.




* SUPERMAN - Kauna-unahang pelikulang napanood ko sa sinehan. Naaalala ko pa na hindi kami naupo ng tita ko kundi nakatayo kami malapit sa pinto dahil takot daw ako sa dilim.




* MENUDO - Unang hinangaan kong grupo. Katunayan ay mayroon pa akong laminated posters nila (original group). Mayroon din akong plaka nila (yun pa uso non) na pinapatugtog ko tuwing umaga.

* SGT. AT ARMS - Ito na yata ang nakatatak sa akin magmula nung grade 1 hanggang high school. Kunsabagay, hindi naman ako na nonominate bilang pangulo o pangalawang pangulo. Teka, nung grade 4 nga pala naging escort ako. Maiba naman.

* FOLK DANCE - Naging dancer din ako nung grade school. 2 taon akong sumayaw ng "Pandanggo sa Ilaw", "Maglalatik", "Tinikling" at kung anu ano pa. Si Ms. Shiela Popes nga pala ang madalas kong kapareha noon (special mention ka ha!).

* CHOIR - Versatile to brod. Naging miyembro rin ako ng choir mula grade school hanggang high school. Ang aming nag-iisanng mentor ay si Mr. Deleon na naging instrumento upang mahubog ang aming kaalaman sa pag-awit. Di ko rin mabilang ang tropeong aming naiuwi mula municipal hanggang division level.

* GEMELSAMISOKIVON - Aking ipakikilala ang mga taong naging bahagi ng aking buhay estudyante. roMEL & ramMEL, SAMuel, chrIS, lOKI, lex VON. Syempre yung GE ako yun.

* HORROR BOOTH - 1992 Foundation Day ng aming alma mater. We came up with an idea na magtayo ng horror booth para maiba naman sa traditional na Marriage booth at kung ano pa. Isang malaking classroom na inayusan namin upang maging horror house. Nag record pa kami ng backround music para mas lalong nakakatakot. As it turned out, talagang naging controversial ang aming booth hindi dahil sa haba ng pila kundi sa dami ng hinimatay na sinasabing nakakita daw talaga sila ng multo sa loob ng aming booth.

* BLOUSE - Kami ng kaibigan kong si Omel ay nakaupo sa ikalawang row sa likod ng mga babae. Dala ng kalokohan, ang babaeng nakaupo sa harapan namin ay aming pinagtripan. Nais naming malaman kung siya ay nagpapalit ng blouse araw-araw kaya't naisipan naming sulatan ng ballpen ang kanyang likuran. Presto! Kinabukasan ay nandun pa rin ang iginuhit naming ballpen! Sino sya? Abangan!

Nag-uumpisa pa lang po tayo. More intriguing revelations, next!