One Dabawenyo sports guru

DELAYED BLOGCAST: Last Monday I had a very long lunch with two friends, MC of the Business Mirror and blogosphere’s Mr. Clean Slate, Mo, who also writes for Manila Standard Today.

Time with Mo is time to update about sports. He breathes sporting fire in the city. Not that he is the only one I know. But Mo is a reporter, an advocate and a public servant. In his passion for sports you could see his desire to push for “sports governance”.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Education, Food/Health Related, Fun, Governance, Health, Local Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Sports

Back to Sports in a Davao neighborhood

Today I broke free from a personal myth that I could no longer play basketball. I still can despite gaining weight and this strange feeling of distrust that I couldn’t even last a minute in the court.

We played ball early afternoon, after a hearty lunch of seafoods and grill today in a friend’s place along Jacinto Extension.

I was with a group of photographers visiting a friend to help him up with some academic requisites. While I began to feel envious of their cameras, I entertained myself with mangosteen and luckily another friend invited me out of respetar if I want to play.

How could I refuse. My last streetball game was in 1999, when we all anticipated the coming of the Y2K bug. That was eons ago.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Food/Health Related, Fun, Health, Mindanao, Mindanao Sports, Monologues, Trips - Adventures - Escapades

Taste of Germany, “memorabilia museum” in Davao

I joined colleagues in trying new hangouts on June 22 and 29 to unwind.

We were samplers who weren’t very willing to spend. But we still needed to open light conversations, if not forge new beginnings or sign our future on that big rock.

We sampled Haus Edelweiss Restaurant somewhere in Bangkal. They serve lots of wurst (sausages) and other German delights. They also offer imbesse or short orders for those who wanted lighter or faster food.

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Food in Mindanao, Fun, Mindanao

Meet Lyrids, meteor shower midnight – tonight

A friend sent this text message that someone, a geoscientist from Manila, informed her that Lyrids, a meteor shower can be seen tonight (past midnight, actually early morning April 22) from the northeast sky. I verified from the net and this is what I found out.

 “METEOR SHOWER? An increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year is called a meteor shower.

Inihanay sa:Fun

Make History: Attend the Davao Bloggers Party #1

Five days more to go for blogosphere’s most anticipated gathering in Davao City.

I’m actually trying to convince myself to ditch some changes in schedule just to make it to the celebration. (The title is meant to remind me this is the first time and I’d better make up my mind.)

When I got Blogie’s invitation a few days ago, I thought of adjusting sked –set a month ago by the way — and most likely that’s what will happen (fingers crossed).

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Entertainment, Fun, Mindanao, Mindanao Media

Budoy and Hale in Bukidnon

Cebuano singer Budoy and Hale band vocalist Champ Lui-Pio in Bukidnon’s Central Mindanao University for a pre-Valentine concert on Feb. 13. Photo courtesy of Asterisk Events and Communications.

I heard the concert was succesful and it boosted Bukidnon’s concert scene in love month February. If people can afford to party like in concerts, it also shows the conditions around are more or less orderly, peaceful, and relax.

Despite the difficult economic realities, people try to be resilient —going to concerts is just one of the means.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Entertainment, Fun, Mindanao, Mindanao Media

Tausug performers, GeneBoyd’s works featured in Mindanao Week of Peace

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 November) — Musical plays on the Battle of Bud
Dahu by young Tausug performers from Jolo, Sulu and a peace concert will be
among the highlights of this year’s celebration of the Mindanao Week of
Peace.

The Initiatives for International Dialogue, the organizer, said the concert
will feature Popong Landero and other Davao artists who will render songs
and poetry as MindaNews opens “Beyond Sunset,” a weeklong photo exhibit in
memory of slain MindaNews photo editor GeneBoyd Lumawag.

Both events open today at the Matina Town Square park.

Dubbed “A Peace Tribute for Gene Boyd Lumawag”, the tribute will have two
parts, the “Sundown Rituals” (4:30 p.m.) and the world premier of the Tausug
performers’ “Antigong Agong” musical theater presentation (6:30 p.m.). Read full story here.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Fun, Governance, Justice, Mindanao, News, Peace Process, Philippines, Security

Davao malls, other business establishments cash in on Pacquiao-Morales

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/18 November) — Sino ang tatapos? (Who will finish) asks a plug for a television network’s special on the Grand Finale Sunday between Filipino boxing champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Mexican legend Erik “El Terible” Morales.

As in previous boxing trilogies that thrilled boxing fans all over the world, sports aficionados here are going to find out no matter the cost.

Malls, hotels, bars and restaurants have put up their own marketing stunts to perk up sales and capture the market based on the turnout in past fights. Even the poor around Bangkerohan public market can see the fight live, thanks to local officials’ initiative.

Shopping malls will replace the screenings of Hollywood and local films with a live telecast of the much awaited bout in Las Vegas’ Thomas and Mach Center where the two boxers will hold the concluding fight of their own trilogy.

At Gaisano “G-mall”, tickets are available at P400 per head at Cinema 1 where the James Bond movie Casino Royale has been shown since Wednesday. The mall has reserved at least 1,000 seats for the show. During the Pacquiao–Larios match in July, they opened the mall’s Bingo hall.Read full story here.

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Entertainment, Fun, Mindanao, Mindanao Sports, News, Philippines

Is your workplace safe?

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/14 November) — Is your workplace safe?

For companies to be more productive and safe, they should have a safety
officer for every 200 employees. For the “highly hazardous” work set-up, it
should be one for every 50, said lawyer Ma. Brenda Villafuerte, director of
the Department of Labor and Employment’s Bureau of Working Conditions.

The ideal set-up, however, is not being followed.

A constraint is the lack of government safety personnel to monitor violating
firms. Villafuerte told the Kapihan sa SM City press conference Monday.

She said government cannot afford to hire enough safety officers due to budget
constraints.

A substantial number of safety workers have also left for abroad where the pay
is higher, she added. Read full story here.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Crime, Davao, Fun, Governance, Justice, Mindanao, Philippines

Pinoy, Mindanawon MTVs

That title was just a teaser. There is nothing so pop and rock in here for the MTV fanatics. But I just want to add in this blog these two beautiful “come on” videos for tourism in Mindanao and Pinas! The Pinas “Byahe tayo” video here and the “Wow Mindanao” video here. Have fun!

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Davao, Entertainment, Fun, Governance, Mindanao, Philippines, Security, Tourism

Reposting: Suffocated

(First posted on Aug. 21, death  anniversary of Sen. Benigno S. Aquino, and after the Kadayawan Festival 2006)

I like to see people celebrating. I want to see celebration everyday, in appropriate magnitude. I love celebrations. God too wants people to celebrate. It is such a big gift. Humanity deserves humanity or even more than that.

Certainly it is a better sight than suffering. Also, much better than fighting in big or small wars – armed or verbal. All of these wars are pointless, though.

But I have no fancy for big festivals. It goes for Kadayawan or any big similar festival for that matter. I should say I like to see “unity of people” but not paraded in hordes in the streets for “pride’s sake”. C’mon!

One thing I do not like is probably “parading” itself. I’m sure parading has its merits. I’m sure it is not a universal tradition for nothing. I will not explain on that.

But for one, I hate to be in the midst of a big, strange crowd. I attempted to cover the “indak-indak” (street dancing). It was my first time. I got suffocated in the midst of people. It is like imprisonment for me, especially that I went there alone. (I should say I’m coping with a certain level of solitude and that didn’t work well with the multitude of people.) It is not the performers or their performance of course.

Yes I walked through the streets like its mine. My steps responded to the beating of the drums and sound of bugles. When the contingent from Kidapawan invited the public to dance with them, I took the challenge. I’m not new to street dancing (and parties all out). I’ve done more when I was in Iloilo’s Dinagyang, Kalibo’s Ati-atihan, or Bukidnon’s Kaamulan.

Maybe I’m not just into fanciful things. I’m not into putting up shows just to make a statement. Although, it is such a positive statement to celebrate amid difficulties. But if it shows, you don’t have to make an effort to show it, right? Oooops, that’s my opinion.

Earlier, I went out with friends from Lingkod for events in the Matina Town Square. I had fun, but I think it was because I was with friends. Even if it wasn’t Kadayawan, we would have enjoyed it still.

I would want happiness not just manifested in how loud the drumbeats are or how many people are out in the streets to “have fun”. I like tourism – people should not be strangers to their own place and culture. What I don’t like is to see it highly commercialized.

Someone castigated me for this “highlander” outlook. “That’s where we all are headed to!”, I was told. I disagreed but I did not argue. Unity could be manifested in celebrations like Kadayawan. Good that we can now have celebrations like Kadayawan these days.

But growing concerns hinder these celebrations from becoming appropriate and fitting. To name one of many is the growing number of people who died of summary killings right in this “civilized city”! I was shocked at news of death, especially when people do not know who kills and why the killings.

I hate counting how many people had been slaughtered in Davao’s killing fields. But I think there is a need to! I usually frown at newspapers bannering violence, especially discovery of bodies in Davao’s remoted places, but they better put it that way than choose to accept it as the norm. Even if Davao has become a killing field, death of any person via summary killing or any means is still news!

If celebrations should go despite that, OK. Life must go on. But the wheels of justice should be moving too! We should be updated about investigations on these deaths. Yes, I like to see celebrations, but if you see these deaths alongside, makes you asked what’s the celebrations for?
I heard reports that those killed where criminals anyway. So an erring human being becomes a cheap piece of meat just because he is in conflict with the law?

How’s that for a celebration?

posted by Waltzib at 12:31:00 AM   

1 Comments:

Anonymous said…

Just because according to your opinion and as well coming from the news that there were a lot of people in Davao being killed in some remote areas that one should wonder if the celebration of such festivity such as Kadayawan should be celebrated with drums and bugles.

If you’re wondering regarding in the wheel of justice if it could be expedited then, the answer is tough luck!

4:44 AM 

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Education, Entertainment, Fun, Governance, Health, Justice, News, Philippines, Security, Updates

The World I Know

I probably spent one of the best years in my life so far in 1996. It was a year of discoveries for me. It was a year of poetry. It was a year of active student activities and great academic challenges. It was a year of sports, gaining more confidence for both basketball, tennis, and biking.

But it was the year I almost flunked swimming classes with the cumbersome threading exercises.It was the year I met some people who brought me to work with progressive organizations. It was a year of community work and great afternoons with fisherfolks by the shores of Miagao. It was a year of good and bad relationships. It was the year I met the Lord.

I think it was a year after I graduated from the damning Saturdays with the ROTC. It was also a great year for U.P. to think over its idle assets.

It was above all a year of lessons learned.

Was it a year when I know myself much much better? Well, I could best remember 2006 with my first copy of the Collective Soul’s music. It was a Cassette tape! Was it also the year of Collective Soul and alternative music?

I was on my way to Kalibo, Aklan for an excursion in our Philippine Economic History class. On the way, we played wonderful music. Among those was our teacher’s Collective Soul album. I thought when I first heard their music that it was a good one. When we returned to Iloilo, I went to the records store and bought my own copy. I got many favorites at that time. My top three choices were “The World I know“, “Run“, and “Shine“.

Collective Soul was probably my first favorite foreign band after highschool sensations like Guns N’ Roses, White Lion, and Jon Bon Jovi. My local band favorite was the ultraelectromagnetic pop icon, the Eraserheads (of yesteryears).

But I lost my CS copy in 1998. Since then, I could only hear CS and their songs occasionally.

But thanks to YouTube, I reclaimed old connections. I found their music once again in the internet. It felt so good to revisit that wonderful segment of world history from my point of view.  I really felt good turning back time. Revisiting the past through music.

Inihanay sa:Fun, Reflections, Updates