EDSA

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another week and (sigh! or is it huhuhu?) today is a working holiday (did I use the right term?). Why should there be no classes today? Let me see, for the students to understand and appreciate more the values (or lessons) of EDSA? I think I’m inclined to say yes to that. It seems most studes are at their best (read: alive and kicking) outside the classroom, or the campus for that matter. And what does that make of the rest of the ordinary working class mortals like you and me? That the EDSA anniversary (or the Monday designated for its commemoration, thanks to holiday economics) is just that – another ordinary day. Okey, I can already hear many of you saying I’m just whining about going to work today. (Smile, it’s a new week).

Don’t worry about today’s title, it’s not going to be an enumeration of historical facts. Well, the Cory fan in me says that it was one of THE moments in our history. Let me put it there. I can’t afford to debate on this. There are many things that EDSA 1 gave us. Forget about EDSA 2 and the multi-party system (I think I’d rather like the latter, it gives noise, color and much fun to the presidential polls). But then there is that Party- List thing that many are into and has made marginalized people out of a good number of elite or VIPs; or has made these VIPs and / or elite declare themselves as marginalized. Well, if being marginalized means being just that – well-connected, moneyed, not to mention well-heeled and good-smelling, then I won’t mind making myself marginalized. Oh well, one of the Palace spokespersons (with balde, palanggana and all) said that we just had to wait how the poll body will decide on that. Yun lang!

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The week with the City Mayor. Mayor Mel Sarmiento presided over the RDC-8 meeting which was held last Thursday at the Calbayog City Sports Center. Other activities which I managed to take note are: the People’s Day in Barangay Lonoy; the turn-over of the NEGO-KART Livelihood Fund to the Calbayog Riverview Vendors Association. The said ceremony had DOLE-8 RD, Atty. Forter Puguon in attendance. The City Mayor also received Judge Tagra, the newly-appointed judge of RTC Branch 32.

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Power Situation Update (as of February 17, 2010). Here’s an update I got from Belinda Sales Canlas of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines:

The Luzon grid is still under normal status with sufficient power reserves. This is despite the shutdown of one unit of Batangas Coal-Fired Plant (Calaca Unit 1) due to technical problems with plant equipment.

Meanwhile, to facilitate the connection of a newly installed transformer (TO5) at the San Jose Substation in Bulacan, the 500-kV San Jose-Tayabas Line 2 has been de-energized
while tapping of the high-voltage connector, testing and commissioning are ongoing. No customers are affected by the said line de-energization because the other line (Line 1) linking San Jose and Tayabas is still synchronized to the grid.

The Luzon grid also has enough power to export 120-150 MW to the Visayas. Said
exported power will help augment supply in the Visayas islands.

In Mindanao, most hydro-electric power plant units are still running with very limited capabilities due to the low water levels at reservoirs. Available capabilities of plants are as follows: Agus 1 (25 MW), Agus 2 (60 MW), Agus 4 (75 MW), Agus 5 (25 MW), Agus 6 (100 MW), Agus 7 (24 MW), and Pulangi (80 MW). Because of the generation deficiency, the total available hydro capability in Mindanao is only 389 MW out of the total rated capability of 982 MW.

And lastly this info, To our partners in the power industry:

May we kindly reiterate that NGCP as system operator, is responsible for transmitting high-voltage power from generators to distributors and operating the power system or grid in accordance with the Philippine Grid Code. NGCP does not own nor operate/maintain any power generation and distribution facilities.

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Let me give you something to smile about this week. It’s something I got from the internet (as usual) and written by somebody who obviously doesn’t like Villar, and well, the rest (or some) of the presidentiables:

MANO-A-MANO, Aquino vs. Villar... or knowing Manny, make that One on Three!!! Mr. C-5 has apparently accepted Noynoy's challenge to a One-on-One debate, but apparently, a lot of Money V.'s pals have a comment or two about his decision:
Alan Peter Cayetano: "Puwede ako mag-SALING PUSA?"
Nene Pimentel: "Hindi, Alan, bawal ang INSERTIONS!"
Gilbert Remulla: "I'm not PRIVY to that, Sen. Pimentel."
Bro. Eddie: "Aba, akala niyo kayo lang? May 1-on-1 din kami ni Nick Perlas. Hmmph!"
Gibo and Edu: "Huh? Di kami kasali? Bitter na kami. Parang kape."
Jamby: "Vegetarian ako. Basketball ba yan One on One na yan? Hmmm.... Corruption yan, Corruption!!!"

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This is it for now. Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!

Mga manash baklesh itis, feel n’yo?

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another weekend. I understand it happened about 2 weeks ago when the poll body finally gave the go-signal for the Ang Ladlad and other partylist groups to be part of the forthcoming polls. Suddenly I saw pink all over the place. And thus today’s title.

It’s the same title of my column which appeared in the August 22, 2008 edition of this paper. It’s not that I was feeling kinda nostalgic about my days in U.P. wherein among the memorable moments I’ve got (read: opposite to the memories of the dreaded anatomy and microbiology classes) was one article in the Philippine Collegian entitled just that (I mean today’s title). Do I hear someone telling gays to rejoice? Let’s face it, for most people pink lingo is more often than not referred to as just that – gay – and therefore should remain in the pink world which most people would refer to as nothing different to a world characterized by being unconventional which many simply refer to as abnormal. But on the other hand, pink is all over the place. And let us not even start discussing about the pink peso. Don’t worry, I am not in the mood to promote the pink world today.

As I stated earlier, I just remembered this article upon reading about the poll body approving Danton Remoto’s group. I met Danton Remoto a few years ago when we were guests at Jullie Yap Daza’s late night talk-show in ABS-CBN. Surely, the guy can talk and not to mention having the brains. Back to the issue on the Ang Ladlad, I would like to believe that the poll body got the flak from a good number of quarters. The issue is all over the place and you ought to know, otherwise, you must have over-extended your fishing expedition.

But then you can’t help it if people are homophobic. Do we blame it on their upbringing? Or maybe some unpleasant experience in the past. Or simply because they prefer to see gays as nothing but a bunch of noisy cross-dressing loonies. Suddenly I remember the Sabio and De Borja issue about two years ago.

Do you remember the CA investigating CA Justice Jose Sabio and businessman Francis De Borja? I forgot what the issue was about. Anyway, both had to be in one place. And then and there the word “dedma” was uttered by the justice, referring to the snobbery on the part of Mr. De Borja. I suppose the good justice said the word in jest so as to lighten up what was some kinda tense situation. Alas, came the news that his attention was called and that he was reprimanded for uttering the word.

Well, I did not take my time to listen to the reason as to why the justice was reprimanded. I suppose ‘twas for the plain and simple reason that it (the term “dedma”) is so gay, and thus it has no place in such an honorable place and for honorable people. Be that as it may, I believe that pink peso spenders are rejoicing! From gay lingo (or at least a word from its colorful collection of vocabulary) hitting the headlines; to having a chance to show strength in the coming polls. Now, another wish, if only shrieking gays can do way with the shrieking. (Smile! It’s a weekend!)

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While we are into the pink world, I might as well leave you with something that’s not exactly pink. It’s the fight of the sexes again. Let me give you something I got from a fellow blogger. Let’s refer to it as something to make us smile as we end yet another week. Oops, let me warn you, it might be offending.

Male of Female: You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:

• FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
• PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.
• TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over-inflated.
• HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their bottom.
• SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water!
• WEB PAGES: Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
• TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
• EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
• HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
• THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: it easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.

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Belated Birthday greetings. Fr. Toto Vivas and Mr. Vir Tomnob (January 25) and Fr. Intoy Piczon and Fr. Erwin Rodriguez (January 26).

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This is it for now. Have a nice weekend everyone! Ciao!