OPLAN NORA: Bigo si Fermin!

Kilala si cristy fermin sa apat na sulok ng local showbiz bilang isang kolumnistang dalubhasa sa paghabi ng malisyoso at mapanirang isyu. ang tila makatang estilo sa pagsusulat at mabulaklak na pananalita ang ginamit nyang sandata upang lumabas na kapani-paniwala ang kanyang mga imbentong ulat. maraming career ang nawasak dahil sa nakaririmarim na gawain ni fermin. mga artistang walang sapat na koneksyon upang linisin ang kanilang imahe na dinungisan ni fermin; gayunpaman, may mga bituing yumukod at napilitang magbigay "handog" upang tigilan na sila sa mapanirang birada ni fermin. sa kabila ng patuloy nyang paghahasik, bigo pa rin si cristy fermin sa kanyang pinakamimithing layunin--ang tuluyang pabagsakin ang nag-iisang superstar na si nora aunor!

gaano na nga ba katagal ang maitim na balak ni fermin? mahabang panahon na ang binilang. nasa amerika pa noon si nora at hanggang ngayon. patuloy nyang "pinapatay" ang superstar sa kanyang mga kolum at radio program. nang mapunta sa TV5 si nora, biglang kambyo ng 360 degrees si fermin. panay papuri sa superstar ang namumutawi sa kanya--fermin's hossanahs seemed too good to be true. indeed, it was! barely a week later, umatake ulit ang anay na si fermin. ano ba ang dahilan?

a couple of articles from *PEP dated august 31, 2011 & sep 3, 2011 provided a crystal clear view:

*nabanggit dun na si lala aunor ay self-appointed manager ni nora; gustong patalsikin si suzette, pero ipinagtanggol ito ni nora; nabanggit din ng superstar na kung sino pa yung kamag-anak yun pa ang naninira sa kanya.

simply put, nalaman ni nora ang mga paninira sa kanya ni fermin na allegedly ang source ay si lala. hindi nag-materialize ang plano ni lala na maging part  ng management team ni nora. bigo si lala sa kanyang designed plan; in effect bigo din si fermin who happens to be a close friend of lala.

ano man ang motibo nila, hindi maitatwa ang katotohang pumalpak ang bagong misyon. muling nabigo si fermin. poot at galit ang kanyang nararamdaman. kailangan nyang rumesbak sa pamamagitan ng pagkakalat ng kasinungalingan at maling impormasyon laban kay nora:  pero nagulat si fermin nang mabatid nyang  naririyan pa rin ang mga tagahanga ni nora; higit siyang nagulantang sa patuloy na paglaganap ng mga bagong sibol na kapanalig ng superstar. magkaiba man ng henerasyon, pinagbuklod ang mga tagahangang ito sa kanilang wagas na pagmamahal sa isang dakilang alagad ng sining. handa silang magtanggol at lumaban upang puksain ang sinumang kumanti sa kanilang superstar. pakiramdaman ni fermin ngayon, siya'y unti-unting nababaon sa hukay!

           

Promo Fare - Divine Earth Airways Ltd

Divine Earth Airways Ltd (DEAL) is the first airline of its kind to accommodate the wishes and needs of the hopeless. Headquartered in the Mind, the main hub of the airline is located at Nothingness.

Upholding its ultimate mission to be of service to mankind, DEAL announces a one-of-a-kind promotion. For the cheapest air fares of only P44.00, travelers who want to End their existence can avail of the heavenly offer sans advance booking and additional fees.

To signify the four-letter acronym (DEAL) of the airline, promo package includes;
* flight scheduled on the 4th day & month Pacific Time.
* four hours after take-off aircraft explodes at an elevation of 40000 feet above ground level.

Grab this once in a lifetime chance! Free your loved ones the burden of cremation or funeral costs. Don't  prolong their grief by the presence of your body lay in a coffin. Most importantly, all your unbearable sufferings are finally put to a halt.

(Note: This is a fictional story; the portraits used are for visual purposes only.)

Fall to Death: A Basketball Tragedy

 

This is the *true story of MT, a colleague and a friend whose untimely death left behind a great reminder that our borrowed life can be taken back at any time. MT's loss has allowed me to reflect on the value of my core self and to fathom the purpose of my temporary existence..

 

Oct. 23, 2009 --

5:00pm. basketball semifinals of our company's annual sportsfest. our green team is scheduled to play against the yellow team in the second game. i was chatting with some friends outside the gym when I saw an approaching MT clad in his yellow uniform; he's a medium body frame, about 25 years old and 5'9" tall. we greet one another, shake hands, and both of us wish good luck for the upcoming game. MT is from the other department, but we have had the chance to get to know each other during practice games.

6:00pm. third quarter of the game. yellow team is ahead by a few points. MT throws from a closer range, the ball didn't go in; he's making an offensive rebound when green team's ace player appears from behind in an attempt to gain possession of the ball. MT and the ace player collide in mid-air and they both fell on the floor. The ace player is able to stand up but MT lay still on the floor; although he's able to talk, he feels numbness and tingling sensation of his entire body. the ERUF (Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation) arrived later, and MT is slowly transferred in a stretcher and brought to the hospital. the game is resumed and green team wins.

Oct 24 - the tragic accident has spread like wildfire. MT suffers a traumatic spinal cord injury. his spine is severely damaged by the hard impact of the ace player's elbow. a drug has to be injected into the spinal canal every hour for the first 24 hours upon his admission. per injection costs P2,000 and that same day, his family has exhausted all its resources. everyone in the company donates to sustain his medical expenses.

Oct 28 - we pay a visit to the hospital. the sight of MT not able to move his entire body is unspeakably pitiable. his nerve roots that carry signals to and from the brain have been damaged causing loss of sensation from neck downward. though he's able to talk, he lays in a steady position and the occasional blink of his eyes is the only sign of his conscious state. MT is overwhelmed with our presence and he jests having yellow team won if he wasn't injured. MT remains positive for his recovery, and is looking forward to still be able to watch the finals.

Nov 13 - MT can hardly breathe and is brought to the ICU. a tube is being lodged in his throat to extricate the phlegm and some unwanted liquids; a catheter was inserted into his bladder to allow the urine to drain; a dextrose was infused as his only source of water and carbohydrate; and MT contracted pneumonia complication due to a long period of steadily lying on his back.

Nov 20 - MT is taken out from the ICU. his family has completely used up the company's financial assistance. a fund raising is held anew--the total contribution reached almost P200,000 and it was immediately turned over to MT's family. everyone is concerned and wanted him to survive..

Dec 12 - MT's condition worsens. He can't breathe through his own anymore and is now aided by an oxygen. the doctor finally admits that MT has a mere 20% chance to survive and only a miracle can save him. we hardly believe--MT's accident happened in the amateur tournament where body contact pales in comparison with the PBA's nerve-wracking game; MT's spinal cord injury is similar to that of Eugene Tejada, yet the latter's still alive and is gradually recuperating.

December 25 - i am spending Christmas with my family. the occasion allowed me to contemplate on the importance of love, sharing, and spirituality; it also led to a realization how seldom i did appreciate the many blessings received; while everyone is happily celebrating the special day, i receive a text message about MT's death!

The devastating news refuse to sink into my consciousness. How blatantly unfair to end the life of a healthy and young man in such a tragic way! How ironic that an event to promote fitness is the incidental cause for his demise! I want to point an accusing finger at anyone: I blame the hospital's incompetent physicians and inadequate facilities; I blame the ace player's flying elbow; I blame MT's attendance, he could have been absent that fateful day; and I blame even his own family's financial scarcity.

Every single moment leading to the tragedy is being etched in my memory: the glimpse of a smile

when we shake hands, his fadeaway shot and offensive rebound, his and the ace player's collision in mid-air, his fall, and the very words that he murmurs while lying on the floor--"Please tell my mother I'm sorry and thanks for everything."
 

*(some details were changed to protect the interest of the involved parties)

The Dark Side of Jose Rizal

"Hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities."

June 19, 2011 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal. His execution by the Spaniards on December 30, 1896 led to his beatification as the country's premier hero. Throughout our academic years, educators made earnest efforts to cultivate our young minds with information about Rizal's great deeds and saintly image. But our national hero was not holy. As human as he is, Rizal committed mistakes and he was a sinner too.

In this context, i will explore the darker side of Jose Rizal. At the time of his exile in Dapitan, Rizal became intimately involved with Josephine Bracken. His cohabiting relationship with her has been a perennial resource for proponents seeking to rationalize their contention. The free-ranging arguments are as follows:

Rizal practiced immorality and committed a sin for cohabiting with Bracken sans the matrimony of marriage; Bracken had a miscarriage in the 8th month of her pregnancy. Some critics theorized that the couple had a big fight--Rizal pushed and kicked Bracken, causing her to miscarry.

The Catholic Church claimed that Rizal retracted his anti-Catholic ideas and political stance and married Bracken in a religious ceremony. The retraction controversy has tarnished Rizal's image as a hero and his reputation for being a man true to his words.

"Behind the success and failure of a great man is a woman."

World Boxers Death in the Ring

The perils of boxing seem to have given little notice as the sport reaches unprecedented heights in worldwide popularity. Recent data reveal a significant number of approximately 900 fatalities due to injuries sustained in boxing. I made a compilation of  notable boxer deaths over the last three decades, that is, from 1980s to the present time. Some factors were considered--world title fight, comprehensive media coverage, and global impact--with regard to their inclusion in the top 5 list.

Yo-Sam Choi (1972-2008) was a South Korean WBO Inter-Continental flyweight champion who died from injuries sustained in his successful title defense over Heri Amol on December 25, 2007.  He collapsed while still in the ring after the bout and never regained consciousness. Choi was declared dead on January 2, 2008 after he was removed from a ventilator.

Leavander Johnson (1969-2005) was an American lightweight champion who died defending his International Boxing Federation title for the first time on September 17, 2005, against Jesus Chavez. The fight was stopped early in the 11th round after Johnson received a barrage of punches from his opponent. He collapsed in his dressing room shortly afterwards and was rushed to the hospital. Despite undergoing an emergency surgery to correct a subdural hematoma (swelling and bleeding on the brain), Johnson still remained in critical condition. He was pronounced dead on September 22, 2005.





Pedro Alcazar (1975–2002) was a Panamanian boxer who died some 36 hours after failing to defend his WBO Super flyweight crown. Alcazar lost his title to Fernando Montiel on June 22, 2002. Alcazar was declared healthy by ringside doctors and had shown no symptoms of any trauma until he suddenly collapsed in his hotel room and died on June 24, 2002.

Duk-Koo Kim (1959–1982) was a South Korean boxer who died following a WBA lightweight title bout against defending champion Ray Mancini on November 13, 1982. In the early part of the 14th round, Mancini hit Kim with a crushing right hand that caused him to fly toward the ropes and hit his head on the canvas.Minutes later Duk Koo Kim collapsed into a coma and on November 17, 1982, he died from severe brain trauma.  Kim’s death was one of the saddest in boxing history: Ray Mancini would never again be the same caliber fighter as he blamed himself for Kim’s death; Kim’s mother committed suicide three months after her son’s death ; And the bout’s referee, Richard Green, who had been consumed with guilt also committed suicide.



Johnny Owen (1956-1980) was a professional boxer from Wales who died in a bid for the WBC bantamweight title held by Lupe Pintor. In his fight against Pintor on September 19, 1980, Owen lost a torturously difficult contest by way of twelfth round knockout. Owen never regained consciousness, fell into a coma and eventually die from a respiratory infection on November 4, 1980. In the course of his boxing career Owen held the Bantamweight Championships of Great Britain and Europe and became the first ever Welsh holder of the Bantamweight Championship of the Commonwealth.

Parallelism Between Halina and AJ Perez

                                         

 Halina Perez (March 27, 1983--March 4, 2004)

AJ Perez (February 17, 1993-- April 17, 2011

The seven-year cycle is an evolutionary spiral of life;  It is a perplex belief on constant journey towards the ultimate truth of human existence.

A closer look at some events on the life cycle of Halina Perez and AJ Perez reveals a striking parallelism. Halina and AJ were actors by profession bearing the same screen name, Perez. Seven has mystically manifested itself in their respective birth dates--Halina [27 March] and  AJ [17 February]. Seven years after Halina died, AJ suffered the same fate.

Details surrounding their death were peculiarly similar. Halina and AJ were on the way back to Manila after attending an event in the Luzon provincial area. Both were aboard in a van when it collided with another vehicle. They were asleep at the time of the crash. Both suffered massive internal injuries. Halina and AJ were declared dead on arrival.

Like the planet Saturn which makes a crucial stress point on a seven-year cyle, human life is filled with continuous cycles of beginnings and endings. Our existence is clearly defined from the time of birth until the inevitable death overtakes.

Japan Disaster: Making of a Great Nation

Below is an excerpt from a letter written by a Vietnamese immigrant working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam. It is an extraordinary testimony to the strength and dignity of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan’s current crisis, the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

 

*The worst things here right now are the cold, the hunger and thirst, the lack of water and electricity. People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good - so things aren’t as bad as they could be. The government is trying to provide air supply, bringing in food and medicine, but it’s like dropping a little salt into the ocean.

 

Brother, there are so many stories I want to tell you - so many, that I don’t know how to write them all. But there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being: Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn’t be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was in the middle of PE at school when the earthquake happened.

 

His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father’s car away. I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn’t make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives. The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That’s when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. “When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here’s my portion. I already ate. Why don’t you eat it.”

 

The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn’t. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed. I was shocked. I asked him why he didn’t eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: “Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally.”

When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn’t see me cry. It was so moving -- a powerful lesson on sacrifice and giving. Who knew a 9 year-old in third grade could teach me a lesson on how to be a human being at a time of such great suffering? A society that can produce a 9 year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.

 * (translated by New America Media editor, Andrew Lam.)

Death in Mary Higgins Clark

Born on December 24, 1927, Mary Higgins Clark is a famous Irish American author of suspense novels. Her books have been worldwide bestsellers and to date, all of her novels are still in print. In the United States alone, her books have sold over one hundred million copies. Higgins Clark has written 53 books, including her 2010 novel The Shadow of Your Smile.

Higgins Clark is a believer of ESP powers and telepathy as depicted in many of her novels. Notably, her iconic status in the world of suspense/crime fiction was not handed down on a silver platter. In the course of her pursuit to achieve her dreams and develop her potentialities, Higgins Clark suffered a great deal of tragedy. Each time a golden opportunity comes her way, death of a family member coincidentally occurs. Here, I have uncovered how 'death' was destined to play a pivotal role in her journey through worldwide fame and recognition:

After the death of her father Luke, Higgins Clark graduated from Saint Francis Xavier Grammar School. She continued her education at the Villa Maria Academy, where she was given the chance to pursue her passion for writing.

Higgins Clark graduated from high school soon after her older brother Joseph died. She studied at Wood Secretarial School and immediately landed a secretarial job, allowing her to finance her studies on advertising and promotion.

On her first day of work as a radio scriptwriter, Higgins Clark's husband Warren died from heart attack. His mother collapsed upon knowing that his son was dead. Higgins-Clark lost her husband and her mother-in-law both on the same day.

 

A few months after the publication of her debut novel, Aspire to the Heavens, Higgins Clark's mother Nora died.

Higgins Clark was in the midst of writing her first suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, when her younger brother Johnny died. His death left her the sole surviving member of the family. Consequently, the novel became an instant bestseller and marked the turning point in Mary Higgins Clark's career as the Queen of Suspense.

 

 

Beautiful Sexy Filipinas

The Sad Story of Cita Astals

The woeful yet intriguing story of Cita Astals was all over the news a few months back, but i can't seem to get over it. So many unanswered questions keep lingering on the back of my mind. I'm getting confused as to what extent should i draw the borderline of reality.

My vivid recollection of Cita Astals dates back to Home Along Da Riles,  a top-rated sitcom in the 90's where she played Dolphy's classy and good-natured boss. For a while Cita Astals became a familiar boobtube celebrity. She was a recognized character actress; she established an image of a smart and articulate woman. Her venture into politics was remarkable, having served three terms as Manila councilor until her loss to Isko Moreno in the vice-mayoralty race. Then rumors began to circulate that Cita Astals has been seen wandering in the streets and exhibiting odd behavior.

The following video compilation of Cita Astals features a clip of her dance number on Eezy Dancing and a  Wish Ko Lang episode which tackled her mental illness issues. As i watched the videos my faculties kept pacing back and forth, i felt like being challenged to how far i can hold on to my own sanity. I just can't fathom the fact that a beautiful and successful life be turned upside down in a snap of the finger. Indeed, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!

    

Sinulog 2011 Controversy

 

It always fascinates me watching the various contingents in grandiose bright coloured costumes while dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Equally heartwarming is the sight of foreign tourists enjoying the fun and festivities. For years, the same scenario had given me that enormous sense of pride in Filipino talent and ingenuity.

I'm referring to Cebu City's annual Sinulog Festival held every third Sunday of January. More than a hundred contingents from different regions of the country compete in two categories, namely, the Sinulog Based and Free Interpretation. The free interpretation attracts more crowd for its spectacular motifs, faster dance moves, and lively beat of drums. It is the same category that made Daanbantayan known all over. Choreographed by Barry Luche, the municipality's Tribu Kandaya was the grand prize winner in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2003.

After a 7-year hiatus, Daanbantayan Mayor Luisa Loot decided to join the 2011 Sinulog Festival. The mayor tapped her nephew Barry Luche to choreograph Tribu Kandaya. Despite his ongoing commitment as choreographer for defending champion Tribu Himag-ulaw of Placer Masbate, Luche had to accept the request of Loot. Eventually, Placer Masbate won first place in the free interpretation, while Daanbantayan finished fourth in the same category. The mayor was dismayed by the outcome, and intends to file a lawsuit against Luche for his alleged abandonment of Daanbantayan contingent.

Sinulog Based winner (Tangub City)

Free Interpetation winner (Placer Masbate)

Free Interpretation 4th (Daanbantayan)