Palawan Youth Build

I organized this youth build with the help of my friend, Davy Faminiano. I dubbed it: Palawan 2004 Adventist Youth Build. It was a house-building trip coordinated with the Habitat for Humanity Palawan office. We spent one entire week at Barangay Bahile, Puerto Princesa, Palawan constructing houses for the residents there.

Since it was Holy Week, there was no construction on Thursday and Friday. Thus, we spent Thursday swimming at a secluded island and then the following Friday morning at the Underground River.

I miss outreach mission trips such as this. I also miss organizing them. This trip was all the way back in April 2004, before I started my MBA studies. 

There are many miracles to be told in connection with this trip. But I’ll save them for another post.

Here are some shots from our mission trip:

On board the Super Ferry

Spending Sabbath on board; having our own worship service at the deck

 Their welcome poster for us

First things first — orientation

"Officially" signing up

One of our daily morning worships –  before breakfast and before working all day long in the blistering, hot sun, we’d gather around and worship the Lord

Breakfast is served!

Doing what we came there for — work, work, and more work: 

Having our nightly socials with the residents

Our well-deserved R & R at the end of the week (Thursday and Friday):

Worshipping in the dark; spent the night at an unfamiliar place (one of students with us lives here I think) before heading off to the Underground River the following morning

Our last souvenir shot at Bahile right before we left

 When you’re hungry, plates, spoons, and forks won’t matter

The jeep that took us from Bahile to the pier

The rest are at my Multiply page. Click THIS to view the rest of our pictures.

It’s a Hard-Knock Life for Us (Pinoys)!

I spent last Friday afternoon at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) renewing my passport. Getting in was easy enough since I had a prior appointment set via e-mail. The steps up to the one where I had to pay were pretty much a breeze. Then came the last step where encoding had to be done. The line leading up to the auditorium where it was done was both long and winding. For the most part, we had to stand up as seats weren’t made available along the corridors leading to the auditorium. 

I was shocked upon finally getting a peek of the auditurium. It was room full of people with rows and rows and rows and rows . . . of seats covering practically the entire auditorium floor. Along the three sides of the floor, DFA employees, with their backs to the wall, were lined up on tables and tables and tables with computers and printers . Each employee was typing up a passport applicant’s data. 

My appointment was at 3 P.M. And I thought I’d be finished by 4 P.M. or by 5 P.M. at the latest. Instead, I ended up leaving by 6:30 P.M. — getting caught at the DFA when Sabbath already started (it starts from sundown of Friday and ends sundown of Saturday). I didn’t think the last step would take that long and that I’d end up closing the week there.  I didn’t realize how late it was until I went outside the building and saw that the sky had gotten dark already. All the way home I felt so guilty. 

When I was at the DFA, I noticed how so many people — all Filipinos — pretty much from all walks of life, were doing their best to secure their very own Philippine passport. Most of them it seemed had the intention of leaving the country for good to seek a better future for themselves and for their families too in foreign lands–whichever one opens its door to them and  welcomes them first.

The realization of just how difficult it is getting to be in our country seemed to be hammered into my immediate consciousness just then. 

I have a very, very close friend who’s leaving the country by the start of June to work in Dubai. And to think that he’s earning so much more than the average Filipino here already. His previous employer even offered to take him back in at double the salary of what he was previously getting. And yet, he still opted to accept the job in Dubai. Like countless other Filipinos, his intention is to use that job and that country as a stepping stone to the US, Canada, the UK, or even Australia. He would have loved to stay here but, he said he has the future of his family to think about. 

This migration of Filipinos into all the world seems to be the norm these days. Hmmm . . . .

As I was standing in line, I realized how awful being a Filipino was. I recalled how I have had to fall in long lines and spend hours and hours of my time at various government institutions just to get the simplest of things settled, like having my address changed or my name spelled correctly on their records. I realized why it seemed so tempting and practical for most Filipinos to just find someone from another country (that is better off economically to the Philippines) to marry. That would surely be a quick and easy solution to getting out of the country and becoming the citizen of a "superior" country. 

Then, as I was finally seated in the auditorium, I overheard a lady remark how patient the Filipinos there were. That if that happened to citizens of say, the US for example, they would be complaining within minutes. I was wondering if the right term was truly "patience." Perhaps Filipinos just find it pointless and futile to waste their energies complaining since improvements are hard to come by in all government agencies–even in private corporations here, specially those offering basic services such as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). I would say the proper term should "resignation."

As bad as things are here, I do love my country. And I reallly have no plans of migrating elsewhere, save perhaps to take occassional trips to other countries for business, pleasure, and photography. At least not in my immediate or short term future anyway. But wherever God sees fit to lead me, then that is where I will go. 

Before I left the DFA, I took a quick detour to their gym and had 2Go courier service handle the delivery of my passport when it becomes ready for pick-up from the DFA. I was amused that others who had just come from the auditorium where there too–each one obviously felt the same way I felt. Each one had enough lining up and waiting to last them a while and did not want to return to the DFA anytime soon. The 99 pesos cost of having our passport delivered to our own doorstep was worth it, even if it were one day after the day our passports were to be released.

Below are a few quick shots I took using my cellphone camera right before leaving. The last two shots are a bit blurred. I was in a hurry thinking picture-taking might be a no-no within the DFA. I took them for this post. 

I was nearing the end of the long, long, long line. The auditorium was literally filled up with "black heads" all the way to the entrance and beyond that.

Cookie vs. Archie — Who’ll Be the Next American Idol?

May is a month of many endings. For American TV, that is.

This week, American Idol season 7 will come to its end. Who will win this season? Will it be David Archuleta or will it be David Cook?

Personally, I’m rooting for David Cook — been doing so ever since I heard him since Mariah Carey’s Always Be My Baby. I like Archuleta too, however, I think between the two, Cook is a more versatile performer. Besides, I just love the timbre of his voice. (Archuleta’s got very good vocals and I like him too. It’s just that it gets a bit pitchy for my taste at times.)

I think if the American public (at least those who’ll be voting) gets it right, David Cook will turn out to be the next American Idol. (Didn’t I sound like Simon just then? Hehe.)

Agree or disagree? 

Somebody Save Smallville

After having just watched another cliffhanger season ender of Smallville, I just can’t help but wonder about the future of season 8. I’ve read that Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum will both be gone, or at least won’t be season regulars anymore. It’s of course a given that John Glover will also be gone (though I originally read that his contract was until season 8 ). Even the executive producers, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, will both be out of Smallville’s upcoming season. Allison Mack’s contract expired with season 7 but I think they got her back for season 8. (I’m getting a bit confused with all the different articles out there saying different things.)

Honestly, these recent developments don’t leave me very optimistic about the show. After all, what’s the "essence" of Smallville when most of its original cast members are already gone? And not just any cast member, too–I mean, the show was originally a Lana-Clark-Lex thing. They just added all the other characters in to spice up the show. And now both Lex and Lana will be gone? Oh, boy.

I know some people are happy to see Kristin Kreuk go though I know it’s not the actress they dislike but what has been done to the character of Lana Lang. From being one of the most-loved characters on the show, I think she’s now one of the most hated(?). So, who’s to blame for that? Is it just the writers that’s to be blamed for ruining the character of Lana Lang. I guess they just didn’t know what to do with Lana Lang. Too bad. The show may do fine without the Lana Lang character in the show but, I hope they keep Clark loveless–at least for one entire season, or maybe even at least half of it. Or probably, one entire season would be better. I mean, having loved Lana Lang all those years, how could he just forget her that easily and go off and love another? (I didn’t buy into Clark falling in love with Alicia before.)

And what about Lex Luthor? I think for the most part, he made the show interesting to watch. I’d prefer him as the villain anytime over Brainiac. I even prefer Bizarro to Brainiac. I just thought the whole Brainiac thing was too corny. Although I think the best villain of the show had always been Lionel Luthor. With him as Lex’s father, it was easy to see why Lex turned out just the way he did.

I admit there were previous seasons where they made lousy episodes and my interest in Smallville took a nosedive though I had watched on to not miss out on anything. Somehow they always managed to make each season’s season-ender worth watching. And they always left me impatiently waiting for the next season to start in September. 

What now then? What will happen to Smallville in season 8? Will it fly or will it crash? Will that be its final season? Or will there be a season 9 and a season 10? Would I and all the other Smallville fans in the world stay loyal to the show until its curtain call–the way that I and other Friends fans remained loyal to it even long after its tenth and final season ended? I guess the answers to all these questions will just have to wait. 

I am a Superman fan. I am also a Smallville fan. However and whenever they wish to end the Smallville series, I hope they’ll make its end just as good as its beginning. Otherwise, they’d have one very upset Superman and Smallville fan right here. 

It’s alway been Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, and Michael Rosenbaum. Will Smallville survive without two of its main cast members gone?