When Falcon Almost "Ondoyed" My Weekend

June 19, 2011 was the 150th birth anniversary of the Filipino National Hero, DR. JOSE RIZAL.  However, the various celebrations programmed was marred by the rains brought by the southwest moon termed locally as "habagat" being pulled by the oncoming tropical depression Falcon (international name Meari). On June 22nd, Falcon intensified into a tropical storm, which, though not expected to make a landfall, was predicted by PAGASA (Philippines' Weather Bureau) to bring heavy rains to Metro Manila. 

The weather was fine in the morning of June 23, 2011 but cloudy sky all over. Thus, I left the house for an appointment in Quezon City fully prepared in case rains fell during my trip but did not. I returned home and took my lunch with the expected rains yet to come. Late afternoon, rains started to fall reportedly flooding several areas in Metro Manila thereby stranding many people catching their way home.

Filipino Superstitions or Sayings and Various Connotations - Part One

We Filipinos, especially the Tagalogs, have so many superstitious beliefs that writing them into a compilation including their meanings or explanations can fill a book. Certainly, there could be writers who already made such a compilation. Thus, in this piece, the comments or repartee on some sayings I shall include herein are hoped to clarify for the benefit of non-Tagalogs.

"Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, di makakarating sa paroruunan."  It's roughly translated as one who forgets the past will not have a better future. A naughty repartee to it will be: "Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay may stiff neck." One who looks not to the past has a stiff neck. This usually applies to someone from below middle class who's lucky enough to get a very rich person as a partner and now puts on the air of arrogance of one who's born to the old rich.

A Citizen's Perspective on the China-US Syndrome

The Philippines is now facing a very difficult geopolitical situation where its territorial integrity is threatened by the highly expansionist ambition of China, an emerging world superpower which may eclipse soon the present lone superpower, the United States of America. The Spratlys has now become a dangerous bone of contention among several countries of which China is the most powerful and overly aggressive while the Philippines is the weakest militarily.  

Furthermore, our country is in an unenviable situation as even its incontestable territory is encroached by the overreaching China which is invoking its historical rights that is now deemed obsolete by the international community. Who knows that in the near future, China becomes so inebriated with its new found might that it dares declare its historical rights over the whole Philippine archipelago. Since some delegations from pre-Spanish Filipino sultanates would regularly bring tributes to the court of the Chinese emperor, then the country could be considered a vassal state then of China.