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2011: another year to be better

2011-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

the new year started with good signs for the economy but still crimes are rising, esp the carnapping incidents, and other drug related crimes in our midst.

every pinoy should be alert nowadays, talk to your neighbors for a better understanding of what the other is doing, that's not being nosey, its trying to see
if the other house is not filled with shabu or drug related contents, or if its a carnapping ring or syndicate. there was even news about a neighborhood that has this drug laboratory inside and they were living there for four years! nobody was even noticing the people who come and go in that house? whoa wait a minute, kapeng mainit!!! maybe it's about time that we ourselves, should "police" ourselves? learn of your neighbors' work, job, what they do for a living, who comes in and out of their house , and so many little things that may quirk or spark something suspicious. There are many "tell tale" signs ...sometimes it's good to be a Sherlock Holmes too.

Chinese New Year, the year of the Metal Rabbit...last Feb 3, 2011, the whole world was focusing on the celebration of the next Chinese animal character in the Zodiac. Our Chinese brothers celebrate New Year with pomp and revelry.
Its very refreshing to see that the Chinese and the Pinoys go together in celebrating this New Year TOGETHER. it was the first time that it was done in the Quirino grandstand (PHILIPPINES), where some months before , there was the bus tragedy of the HK tourists, victims of a police officer gone berserk.
It is also good to learn that mainland China, thru their representative, had the Chinese TV group (CCTV) to have the celebration aired in HK and mainland China thru Channel 23, ANC (ABS CBN) live!!! This is what I call UNITED STAND.
I suggest we do this every Chinese NEW YEAR.

We wish everyone a good 2011 and hoping that every Pinoy or Chinoy in the country will try to be better persons, better children, better parents, better students, better teachers, to build a better if not the best country composed of good people.

We salute those Pinoys and Chinoys who are looking for better opportunities not using power, money, and position to get there. IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY , AND BRAWN .....AND BRAIN....that's the answer. If we can't pick our brains, let's use our muscles.

LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND KUNG HEI FAT CHOI....

SEASON's BEST PERSONAL REMINDERS

2010-12-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be nice to see a garbage free , clean and less smoke filled Christmas and New Year ?

Realizing the number of gifts again this year, the tons of paper wrappers and boxes, and also the number of food to be wasted, and thrown into the garbage, i assume people is still not ready to accept that during the holiday season, we really go beyond the limit on gifts , and food. That's Philippine tradition, and knowing full well that we celebrate it the longest, we expect this.

But if we try to consider several things ,actually many, many things, I suggest for the holidays is to temper ourselves and do away with so many habits and be environmentally conscious, and green. Let us rethink our ways in gift giving and holiday food preparation. Let us focus on NEED and not on WANT.

Maybe i can give some pointers or suggestions, not only good for the earth but also for our families too.

1. Re use boxes and wrappers and gift bags....Instead of throwing them away , keep them and use them again, and again....

2. Give gifts which you believe they can use. If you don't know the person well, maybe there are hints which he or she likes. or give a gift certificate .

3. Lessen preparing food which are easily spoiled.
If you cannot finish the food on the table and there are leftovers, why not share with the neighbors, friends, or maybe the security guards in your community. Another is to give to the Barangay tanods or Barangay employees for their parties.

4. Instead of giving a gift, have a fun time and bond together with your friends for a snack or coffee. Friendship bonding is the best way to share the holidays, including jokes and laughter. Street , trivia and board games are also good ways to bond. Share your best games and play with your group of friends.

5. Do not use too many electric lights. Use just enough to illuminate the tree , the garden, and the living room. Turn off other electronics, and appliances when not in use. When lighting candles, make sure you check them out once in a while, to prevent fires. Check all your electric outlets every now and then.

6. Refrain from using pyrotechnics in the neighborhood, join the community in going to the
common area for fireworks. Report people using guns during the holidays.

7. Do not drink and drive.

8. Share what you have with the less fortunate .
Attend spiritual services. We should remember that Christmas is the birth of the savior, it does not hurt to visit him in Church.
It would be nice to remember your Priest or Pastor and send him a card or a little token for the year that has passed.

9. Keep the neighborhood clean and your home free from unwanted debris and garbage.
Place all recyclables in one area and turn it over to the sanitary group of your village. Reduce, re use and recycle.

10. Use water sparingly. Water is precious.

HUG YOUR LOVED ONES...FAMILY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU. ITS THE SEASON OF LOVE AND MEMORIES. ^ - ^

THIS IS JUST A SHORT LIST OF WHAT ONE CAN DO THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS , AND TO- DO LIST FOR EACH ONE OF US. WE HAVE
A ROLE TO PLAY IN MAKING THE EARTH A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. DO IT, AND DO IT NOW.

HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY AND BE SAFE.

GSP TACKLES CLIMATE CHANGE

2010-11-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend, November 27,28,29, 2010, the Girls Scouts of the Philippines(GSP) will be having its seminar on Climate Change . Why climate change? This covers one of the 8 point challenge that the organization is tackling, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE+GLOBAL WARMING
Maybe its a good way of putting the subject in perspective by discussing more about it this month.

FOREST

I will discuss about the forest. Since our country is forested, most areas are now becoming extinct due to over logging. Illegal logging has been a problem for several years now and its about time that we help replant and make our forests green again. This helps prevent flooding .
Before we can understand the importance of the forest in our lives, we should understand first why and how a tree helps in taking care of our surroundings.
A tree esp the roots, helps in taking in extra water from the soil. Due to the roots of the trees, there is a space under the soil which keeps in the water underneath.
The plants, grasses, flowers, and vegetables get their water need from the soil too, but the tree is the one that creates "housing" for the water beneath the surface.

If there are trees around an area, the first one that catches the rain are the leaves of the trees, and after that the dried leaves underneath it. The dried leaves which are all over serves as protection to prevent the trees from being washed away. It is dangerous not to have trees in mountainous areas. When it rains, the mountains cannot hold water and it is washed downwards towards the valleys and plain, thus creating massive flooding in the area.

One good thing for trees is that it provides lots of oxygen to mankind. The forest is therefore very important to man.
First, it serves as a fortress against severe rains during a typhoon. The trees in the forest stops the area from flooding. It also serves as the water reservoir of streams, rivers and spring because it slowly shares the water during dry season.
The leaves that fall from the trees, provides the forest with fertilizer. The soil cover which are rich in minerals, wash away and goes to the valley and plains where the plantations are.

The forest also provides shelter for animals and birds which eats the insects that ruin the plants and vegetables of the farmers. These includes "alamid", snakes, rats and other animals that eat in the farmer's lands.
The forest also helps to provide fresh air and water, which prevents air pollution and water pollution. The fresh air helps the population to have better health, and cools the air. The forest helps in preventing the heat of the sun to affect the people.

The forest therefore helps in balancing the ecological system.
We have to continue planting trees. How to do this? These are the basic things.

1. Dig at least 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide holes
2. Remove the soil top on the side
3. Choose a good seedling or seed
4. Make sure that the chosen site is plantable
5. If seedling is in a can, or plastic, remove container and make sure the roots are fresh.
6. Place the seedling in the round hole
7. Cover the seedling with the top soil
8. Water the seedling carefully but not too much.
9. Have a fence around it to prevent the plant seedling to be stepped on
10. Take care of your tree by watering it and removing unnecessary grass around it
11. If the tree is taller, you can provide organic fertilizer as its food.

WE can make a difference if we know how. IF we plant today, there will be trees for the next generation, and so on.

Let us love our trees, hug one today.

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pinoy trivia

2010-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER : i know that October is the Month of the Elderly, so we go with the subject
oldest this month....

LET'S GO PINOY TRIVIA QUEST
ONE OF THE GAMES I CREATED IS THE PINOY KA BA? WHICH FOCUSES ON THINGS
PINOY, IT COULD BE HISTORICAL, IT COULD BE ARTISTS, IT COULD BE TRIVIA, IT COULD BE FACTS THAT SOMETIMES WE DO NOT REALLY CARE FOR... BUT IN REALITY IT IS STILL FILIPINO .

A friend asked me one time, "if you were not born a Pinoy, what nationality would you like to be"? you know, i said, i would not want to be any nationality, maybe i will stick to being pinoy. was that a good answer or not? maybe i wasn't very interested to be American , or Canadian, or European, or Japanese....but in truth, most Pinoys have other blood inside them, it could Malaysian, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish....in historical perspective, the
blood that are inside of us, is a combination of all of these. That's why there are faces that look more like another country than a Pinoy...(my next question is, what face is a real pinoy, anyway?)

So this October, i would like to share some Pinoy facts and trivia which can be a good example of being aware about what we have here rather than whats outside of the country. so, read on, and learn. And my focus is OLDEST...

OLDEST:
Aklan, originally known as Minuro it Akean, is considered as the oldest province in the country and believed to have been established as early as 1213 by settlers from Borneo. Its first ruler was Datu Dinagandan. In 1399, Kalantiaw grabbed the throne. In 1433, Kalantiaw III formulated a set of laws that is known today as the Code of Kalantiaw.

Town: Unisan, Quezon could be the oldest town in the Philippines. The people of Unisan
claims that their town is now 481 years old, having been established in 1521, the same year that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines. All other towns in the country were established, not earlier than 1565, when Spain formally occupied the Philippines as a colony.

A Malayan queen named Ladya reportedly founded Calilayan, the old name of the town. In 1876, Calilayan was renamed Unisan which was derived from the Latin word uni-sancti, meaning Holy Saint.

City: Cebu City is considered as the oldest city in the country, as this was the site of the earliest European settlement established by Spanish conqueror Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565.

Fort: The first Spanish settlement in the country, Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, was located inside the Fort San Pedro in Cebu City. The fort's construction began in 1565.

Street: Calle Colon in Cebu City is considered as the oldest street in the country. Named after Christopher Columbus. Calle Colon was first constructed in 1565 by the men of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

Stone Church: The Baclayon Church in Bohol is considered as the oldest stone church in the Philippines. (but this is now questioned by Church historians saying that its San Agustin Church in Manila which is older) *(no details which is the oldest as of this writing)

Hospital: The San Lazaro hospital could be oldest hospital in the country. According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the San Lazaro hospital was established in 1578.

Church Bell: The oldest Church bell in the country is said to be the one found in Camalaniugan, Cagayan. That bell was reportedly forged in 1595.

Bridge: The Jones Bridge, formerly known as Puente de Espana, was first built in 1701. It was rebuilt by the Americans in 1916 and renamed after Atkinson Jones.

University: The University of San Carlos (USC) is considered the oldest school in the country and in Asia. Formerly known as the Colegio de San Ildelfonso, it was founded by the Spanish Jesuits in August 1, 1595. This makes the Cebu based University older than the University of Santo Tomas (1611) in Manila and Harvard University (1636) in the US.

Vocational School: The Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades in Bacolor, Pampanga is said to be the oldest vocational school in Asia. Augustinian friar Juan Zita and civic leader Don Felino Gil established the vocational school in November, 4, 1861.

Company: Ayala Corporation, one of the conglomerates in the country, is also the oldest existing company around. It was established in 1834 by sugar barons Domingo Roxas and Antonio de Ayala. It was originally named Casa Ayala, then as Ayala Y Compania, and now Ayala Corporation.

Bank: In 1881, Domingo Roxas, an ancestor of the Ayala family, became one of the directors of Banco Espanol-Filipino de Isabel II, which was founded by virtue of a royal decree. Considered as the first private commercial bank in the country, the bank came to be known as the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in 1912.
The oldest savings bank is Monte de Piedad, which was established in 1882.

Vice: the oldest vice of native Filipinos according to historians is chewing betelnut , otherwise known as "nganga." It was said that Filiipinos had been chewing betelnut for 3,000 years.

Insurance Firm: Insular Life Insurance Co was established in November 26, 1910. And it still stands today.

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Let's Discuss Green House Gases

2010-09-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello readers, its September, the start of the "ber" months. Pinoys will be gearing up for the Christmas season . To me, i don't usually start thinking about the holiday season in September, i think about Christmas after Halloween! I love halloween, maybe next to Christmas and even after celebrating my birthday.
Maybe its the fun of teasing children about ghosts and eeerie things. I also like to look at the dressed up house in villages (visit Ayala Alabang during Halloween), the costume balls, the masks, the goodies and candies given away. Its so much fun. You become a child at heart again.

September is the month of sad days too, remember 9-11 in New York? and also this was the month when the floodings of typhoon Ondoy came. Lots of houses ruined
and lives lost in both counts. But as we face a new day, we always have to thank the Lord for
giving us challenges to know what paths to take.

I will share with you today something i was reading the other day. About Greenhouse gases,
well, this blog is about environment and about being Pinoy, maybe September, my birthday month can be focused on learning things.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT, ENVIRONMENT, AND WHAT WE CAN DO
Greenhouse effect- this is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain
gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other harmful gas go up to the air which harms us) This gases trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earth's average temperature will be lower by 60 degrees F colder. Because the gases are warm, it is referred as greenhouse gases and makes greenhouse
effect.

Sources - there are many sources which emit bad gases, CARBON DIOXIDE - gases come from big industries and motor vehicles which are emitted in the air's atmosphere.
METHANE- from natural and human influenced source, it could be from agriculture and wetlands, natural gas activities, and landfills (solid waste matters). More than half of the emissions are from human activities.
NITROUS OXIDE - from automobile exhaust,industrial activities, biomass burning and intensive agriculture, HYDROFLUOROCARBONS, PERFLUOROCARBONS, SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE, which comes from aerosols and industrial coolants, airconditioning. It has strong resistance to radiation making them long living greenhouse gases.

So how does these greenhouse gases go into the air? Everytime we open our television, use our airconditioner, turn on the lights, use electrical appliances, drive a car, play a video game, use the computer, listen to the radio, use a washing machine, microwave, use hairspray, cook outside, and many things that will emit gas into the air. Whenever we use some power or electricity, it comes from power plants. The power plants use coal and oil to make electricity. Burning coal and oil produces greenhouse gases. Other than this , the trash we throw away and are sent to disposal sites produces methane, also a greenhouse gas. When factories make things and items, they use energy and send gases to the air when manufacturing items.

How do we then help to make a difference? Global warming is a big and huge problem right now.
We did not see this before, but due to the increase in population, the changes in climate that we are experiencing now, we notice that environment plays a big role in this. Lets start by being aware of these gases that ruin the earth's atmosphere. We cannot all carry the load, but if each individual person can help limit the effect of greenhouse gases in everyday things, and we count
millions of people doing the same thing, we are saving the earth.
We can start simply by:

1. Read about the environment. In the internet alone, there are a lot of important issues about it. Gather what you know and share with your friends. Information is important. The more you know , the more you can share. Be an active member of a group that helps lessen the effects of
bad gases that are thrown into the atmosphere. Be an advocate of the environment.

2. Save electricity or use power intelligently. Whenever we use electricity, remember that you are sending greenhouses into the air. You can help by turning off the lights when not in use, use the sun to help in drying clothes instead of the drying machine, or lighting up the room. Do not let your computer run idle. when not using the computer, turn it off. Same goes with the use of water, when water is used, generators have to get water from the hydroelectric plants, and power is used which also sends gases into the air. Use water sparingly.

3. Take the MRT, BIKE, or WALK. Many ways of saving power and at the same time exercise is to use the mass transit system. It will lessen cars on the road. Using the bike or walking is
also good when you are just near your place of work or if you are just going nearby.
Schedule the use of private vehicles, and think of ways to use the mass transport like FX, Buses and Jeepneys.

4. Plant more trees. We have heard about planting trees to have more oxygen and reduce greenhouse gases. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and keeps the air fresh and clean.
There are many kinds of trees that are better than most. Ask for advise from environmentalists whats the best trees to plant in vacant lands. And not all places are good for planting trees.
This has to be cleared from the authorities which are plantable areas and which are not.

5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle . When you think about it, using and applying these three words
to your lifestyles makes sense. Lifestyle living has reached an all time high with very high demand for branded clothes, which more often are used only once or twice. Apply these three
rules in your way of living. Reduce to the minimum what you own, reuse those which can still be used instead of buying again, and recycle items or things. Buying and buying is what companies would like you to do, but if we become more conscious about the things we buy, we help save our pennies and we save the environment too.

6. Buy recyled products and buy intelligently . If you need to buy, review the item. Support the use of recycled products as much as you can. Also try to review the product that you buy, if they are energy efficient , that does not use too much power or energy. Use CFL lights instead of the
incandescent bulbs. Cars, airconditioners, refrigerators have energy efficient models.

7. You are what you eat. Do not waste food. Prepare only what can be eaten. Be wise in spending your money.Eat nutritious food, eat vegetables and fruits often. And be wary where you throw your solid waste and water waste. Limit the use of styrophor cups and plates, use reusable mugs, glasses, to lessen the "throw away society" we all live in. Lessen the purchase of bottled water, but instead, bring water from reusable containers from home and bring it everywhere with you. You not only save money, you also save on plastic containers which are thrown everywhere and clog drains. Remember, plastic does not melt. It takes millions of years before plastic can be melted on the ground, thats why we have to reuse plastic or recyle them for other products.

8. Stand up for environment. You can help by being the initiator in your own homes, in your
school, in your community. Help in finding ways to limit the greenhouse gases be thrown into the air. You start with yourself and review your daily activities. Ask yourself, does this help the environment or not? If everyone becomes conscious of our role, maybe its not late after all.

This article was edited by yours truly thru the reading materials given by The Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR, Visayas Ave, QC www.emb.gov.ph

Where did that name come from?

2010-08-09T23:48:00.000-07:00

August is the month of sariling wika. And also Quezon City day, or the commemoration of the birth of our Commonwealth President Luis Quezon.
Although i do want to write the following article in our own Filipino dialect, it would be hard on those who are abroad particularly my sibling's children who have grown up in the US and Canada.

My topic is about the origin of names of selected provinces and cities located in the Philippines. Few know that the names of provinces and places came from something and it stuck. I have a BOOK OF PINOY FACTS AND FIGURES, compiled by Juan de la Cruz, of course that's his pseudonym. Since the month is about sariling wika, maybe i will share this for everyone to learn. Interest in something of our own should be inculcated in every Pinoy child. Love of country is foremost in my mind when i share things which are our very own. We should love our country next to God. This is the only country we have...In another country, if in case we go out, we will always be treated as second class citizens, even if you have lived there for centuries. Join in playing the PINOY KA BA BOARD GAME, learn the trivia about the country, THE PHILIPPINES.

So I share these facts:

1. AGUSAN - a tagalog term referring to a spot where water flows
2. AKLAN - from Akean River
3. ALBAY- albaybay, a Bicolano term meaning "by the bay"
4. Angeles City- Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda (a well known Kapampangan)
5. ANTIQUE-" hantic " or giant ants
6. APAYAO - "apayaw" , a native word for negotiable river
7. AURORA- Maria Aurora Quezon, wife of former President Manuel Quezon
8. Babuyan Island-" babuyan", which refers to a place where pigs are kept
9. Bacolod City- "buklod" , referring to a hilly terrain
10. Bago City- "bago", a large tree in the area
11. Bagiuo City- "bigjiw" , an igorot term for a moss
12. Balagtas, Bulacan- Francisco Balagtas, a Bulacan Poet
13. Balanga, Bataan-" balanga" referring to a cooking pot
14. Baliuag, Bulacan-" maliway", an adjective meaning tardy
15. Basilan- means Iron Trail
16. BATANES- ivatan, the natves of the area
17. BATANGAS- batang, or huge logs
18. BENGUET - benget, a Nabaloy term meaning head scarf
19. Biliran- biliran, a native grass used for weaving mats
20. BOHOL- bool, a village in Tagbilaran City
21. BULACAN- bulak or cotton
22. BUKIDNON- bukidnon, referring to the people of the mountain
23. Butuan City - butuan, a sour fruit in the area
24. Cadiz City- names after Cadiz, Spain
25. CAGAYAN - carayan, an ilocano word for river
26. Cagayan de Oro City- kalambaguhan, evolved from the lambago , a type of tree
27. Calamba, Laguna- kalamba, a wide mouth earthern jar
28. Calumpit, Bulacan- kalumpit, the name of trees, which used to abound in the area
29. Caloocan City- lo-ok, meaning interior
30. CAMARINES- camarine, Spanish name for granary
31. Camuigin- kamagong, a tree of the ebony family
32. CAPIZ- kapis, a Visayan term for pearl seashells
33. Caraga- caraga, or inhabitants of the area
34. CATANDUANES -named after Catandungan river, along whose banks tando trees abound
35. CAVITE- kawit or hook
36. CEBU - sugbu
37. COTABATO- fota wato or stone fort
38. Dagupan City- nandaragupan, meaning where once stood a commercial center
39. Dapitan City- dapit, a Cebuano term meaning to invite
40. Davao City- daba-daba, a native term for mythical figures
41. Laoag City- iluag, meaning clear or light
42. EDSA- Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (governor of Nueva Ecija and an engineer)
43. LAGUNA- meaning la laguna, the lake
44. Luzon- Lu Zung, a Chinese phrase meaning a far away land
45. Ilocos - loco, a Malay term for lowland
46. Isabela- for Queen Isabela of Spain
47. MARINDUQUE- for Marina and Garduke, a legendary couple
48. Tagaytay - "taga itay" which means Cut and Father
49. TARLAC- an aeta word which refers to a weed
50. ZAMBALES- zambals, or the name of the inhabitants in the area

EARTHQUAKE OF 1990 - AN EXPERIENCE

2010-07-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Its twenty years ago today that we remember a devastating earthquake visited the country in 1990,
that was july 16 or 18 (if i remember it right... )..
but now, i can already tell the story of what happened to us during those hours.

We were scheduled to go to Bagiuo with some family friends, and i booked ourselves in the
Bagiuo Country Club to stay a few days there. The group has two children on board, and
five adults. We also included a portrait artist to do a formal portrait for one of the ladies with
us. We really enjoyed Bagiuo at that time of the year, although there were already rains.
We just took the Mitsubishi Van, which is fairly new , to that trip. We had a great time going around the tourist spots of Bagiuo, took some biking, hiking and horseback riding. It was fun. We ate the local delicacies, we shopped around and enjoyed the cool weather. Bagiuo Country Club is a very classy place. Its good our host is generous enough to have his card to be shared , you cant check- in unless you are a member at this place. What i noted with the place is that they have very good bread, they said the pastry chef makes it daily. You can smell the bread as you enter the dining hall during breakfast. Hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and muffin. With some Bagiuo fruits particularly strawberries, topped with creme. Love it!!!
On one of the days we were there, i was tasked to get a map of Bagiuo City, to be able to get around and see what we might have missed. I took the van and we went to the Hyatt Hotel.
This hotel was so huge, and faces the Girl Scout Lodge. I went in and asked the front desk for
some information on Bagiuo City, this guy gave me two tourist maps of the City. Im sure you know what happened to that Hotel. This was the day before the huge earthquake. The whole hotel went down!

That fateful day of July, we were scheduled to go down to Ilocos Norte, and visit some sites.
One of our companions said, we should stay a little longer in Bagiuo cause we have not seen much.
And we were enjoying the sceneries. However, her husband insisted we leave because someone was waiting for us in the Fort Ilocandia Hotel, where we are already booked. Summarily, the husband won. So I checked them all out, but during the process, while waiting for the receipts,
i noticed that the yard of hotel was full of white balls, like hail stones. I asked the receptionist what it was, she said it happens every now and then. But i felt differently about it, though it looks nice, its like you are in another country. I now realized that it was already a sign that something bad is going to happen later that day.
We boarded the van, and we all said goodbye to Bagiuo. Thinking , maybe we can all come back for another trip.

We took the Naguillan Road to Ilocos. It wasn't bad at all, because the ride was smooth and everything was great. We saw a lot of things we have never seen before, like those huge clay pots that was a well known product of Ilocos. We were supposed to go direct to the hotel but we ate first in one of the restaurants which serve Ilocano delicacies. It was great to eat their BAGNET, (this is a delicacy made of Pork Belly which is dried and then deep fried in OIL to make it crispy delicious)...well of course, we had such a long trip, we ate at least three orders of it with the local pinakbet (another delicacy in Ilocos) We then went to Fort Ilocandia. The Hotel as they say was owned by the Marcoses (this has never been confirmed), the hotel was new, well -kept lawns, and we were surprised to see that most of the employees were waiting for us and there was even a welcome announcement with all our names on it...wow.
We took to our rooms and went around the hotel to see the amenities. Everything was nice
and cozy. There was even a Karaoke room and we said, we have to check this out because a pianist will report that night. This will be a good way of checking our vocal chords after that trip from Bagiuo , we said.

We rested for a few hours and later we went to the swimming pool with the kids. And during that time i was holding a video camera. I was taking the video of them when suddenly
there was a loud thud and groan, and the earth started shaking, i was dumbfounded and i took some video of the pool shaking, and i ran to the kids who were crying . I left the video running and went to check on the children. We assured them that it was going to be alright. But i was shaking with fear. The first thing I checked was any building around us or trees that might fall on us. Its good that we were in an open area . This lessens the risk of anything falling on you on an earthquake. We stood transfixed for a few more minutes. And then we heard a lot of shouting in the hotel, and the security were already checking on all the rooms. One of our male artist friend came with just a towel, he said he was in the toilet when it struck and he ran as fast as he can out of the room. We were all laughing at him. We then had to check our condition now. We learned from the hotel employees that the earthquake is about intensity 7 plus, and one of the worst hit was Dagupan and Bagiuo. Due to the communication problem, there was no radio, (cel phones were not available that time)and there was media black out. We were worried about our families in Manila. I know that my parents and siblings will be worried because they know that I was in Bagiuo, and Bagiuo was vastly devastated. What to do?

We had to decide now how we are going back . According to sources, the streets going to Manila is not passable, and there are a lot of problems along the way. The van may not be sturdy enough to go thru. So the next best thing is to get a flight to Manila. I immediately went to the Laoag City Airport to check on the flights, and PAL said there was a flight coming but not sure if they can fit seven persons. I said i will get all the seats available, and paid for the fare. (Its good that we had cash ) We all went back to get our things in the hotel, and told the driver of the van to start his trek towards Manila, but to be careful going down. Packed and ready, we left our things in the van, and just brought our necessities for the plane ride. This will lessen our check-in baggage. Whats important now was our body, safe and moving. By this time, no news as a whole. Only trickles of news kept coming in, and we have no idea what has happened and which places were affected. There was no newspaper in the airport. We are now taking our chances here to go home.
We waited at the Laoag airport, praying that the plane can fit us all. The two children werent at all worried, they seemed to love this change of plans. Now we are flying.!!...
And when we saw the plane coming down the runway, we really felt good about this cause we laearned that there was space for five passengers, since we were seven, the two have to go by land. It was good news. When we boarded, the passengers looked at us as if they were seeing ghosts. Maybe we looked pale or something, with blank stares too. The plane was filled to capacity and there we saw one newspaper, with the headlines, DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HITS THE COUNTRY, MANY DIED. And then i saw the photo of the Hyatt Hotel, it was like an accordion, toppling down. My God, i was just there yesterday, and then it was gone! I was trying to remember the person who gave me the map and thinking if he was alive or not. I prayed for all the people in Bagiuo and the those who died that day. I was emotional in a way because it could have been us who might have been crushed to death. I was slowly thinking of how my parents are reacting to my trip. How my mother could be crying at this moment not knowing where I was. And my Dad calling all the police stations of Bagiuo just to check where we are. I begin to feel the chill inside my body. What if? No one was talking inside the plane. There were hushed tones as if the country is gone and no one survived the earthquake.

When the plane landed in the domestic airport, the first thing i did was to call home. And i was right, they were all looking for us, they have been frantically trying to reach all our companions' houses, their relatives, where to get in touch, who to talk to. Thank God they said, that we were not in Bagiuo when it hit. I told them i will tell you the story when i get home. On the other hand, my friends' call was also not good, their families thought that we were one of the casualties and we are all dead. So I said, maybe we should all visit them and tell them we are the ghosts of Bagiuo. But it was so peaceful to see that our sense of humor was intact, and we still can laugh at this time. We all said good bye, and I took a cab home to my family, waiting to hold me in their arms, and to tell me that the journey i had was one of the most memorable, and sad
but what a story to tell..

RIGHT NOW, I' M SLOWLY MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME...the first time i entered Bagiuo City again after that eartquake of 1990. it's 2010, when I was invited by the GSP for the leadership training last May.
I was going to turn down the invitation because of the trauma of that earthquake. I never want to go back. I feel goose pumps when I remember the moment. I feel sick thinking of the people who died during that time. It was too painful to remember.
But i said to myself, if i don't go back, it will always haunt me. So i said yes to GSP.
If the people of Bagiuo were able to move on, I can too. But that long ride going to Bagiuo ( I rode with a GSP official) was a mixed feeling of eeriness , and foreboding...its a feeling that you don't want to go, but you have to get all the courage into one body and go with the flow. My heart was beating fast. I didn't know this was the feeling of anxiety of a memory you thought was long gone but it remains with you.

I saw Bagiuo City with a new vision. This time I was thinking that this is my first time again to enter this City. A City of beauty, with cool, crisp air. A smell of pine, not death. A city of fruits and fresh vegetables. A city of flowers.

Twenty years is a long time, and again I enter Bagiuo with a smile. A chapter in my life continued
to unfold, and the memories of that fateful day in July is slowly erased from my mind......

(i thank all the people who were with me in July 1990: one of them has already died, a funny guy, too. The two kids, are now working abroad, one in HK and another is an artist-painter, who had a show recently in Europe. And the woman's portrait was finished and still is displayed in their home in Makati.,,,GOD BLESS THEM ALL)

babes

CANADA, A COUNTRY OF BEAUTY

2010-06-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today, is July 1, 2010, the first day of the new President of the Republic, Mr Benigno Aquino III,(P-NOY_) son of Ninoy and Cory Aquino, considered as our hero couple in the 80's...and furthermore, his mother, Cory is the first woman President of the country. We salute this new page in history of our country and we wish him well as well his cabinet ministers and their governance.

I would also like to mention that today, Canada is celebrating its country's color. Canada Day is celebrated every July 1. There are a lot of traditional festivities in Toronto, Ontario , but not only in this place, but all over Canada. OTTAWA is the country's capital. There is dual language in the country, English and French, of which all products stamped or signs has to have these two languages on it. And you will notice it in their candies, canned goods, coffee containers, there is the French counterpart to the english.

I visited Canada and saw how beautiful the country is, lush with beautiful trees, clean cities, people so friendly, food is great, and well, the coffee is even better. Tim Horton coffee is one of the best coffee in the world but only Canadians enjoy Tim Horton's. The name Tim Horton came from one of the country top hockey player in Canada. Hockey is Canada's top sporting event, other than basketball. The four seasons of Canada cannot be described by words alone, you have to see it for yourself. The changing of the seasons is best, when you have the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall (Autumn).

The most visited tourist spot in Ontario is the Niagara Falls,(google this) which boasts of the huge fall which provides hydro electric power up to the US. That' s why, when we talk of power, and electricity, Canada has it in huge quantities. Niagara falls is considered a honeymoon and wedding capital like Las Vegas and Paris, France.

Niagara on the Lake,(see on google), is also a place where I would choose to stay for a vacation. A peaceful and cool sojourn with a lake so huge, and lots of green veggies to buy for your salads, including a barn
with great ice cream, with oh so many flavors.

Another place to see is, Streetsville, Ontario.(see on google) A quaint little village which has new cobblestone walks, nice picturesque streets, and their Bread and Honey festival. Free taste of course.
This is what they call a typical Canadian village of the old days. They have fairs, and festival with colorful parades.

The one i remember most is the Carrassauga Festival (see on google) of Toronto. This is the time when all countries are represented. Each country will have its own place where they will show off their dances, costumes, food, products . Tickets are passport-like , costs like C$15, where you can enter their pavillions already, and you get your passport stamped as in entering a visa table.
Good idea. This is the project of Mayor Hazel McCallion of Missassauga. Still the Mayor at 80+ . And no one wants to take her role. Nobody does it like Hazel, they say.
The Philippine pavillion is one of the nicest , although we are used to that. I went to the Scotland pavillion and was treated well, they have very handsome escorts too, blonde and blue eyes at that. I went to most of the places, even Greece!!!...the women of Greece are beautiful and dances so well. Every year , there are new discoveries on this festival.

I think travel is one of the most educational part of one's life. Tita Helen Benitez was right when she said, "when you travel, and meet people, you are educated and not become" provinciana" any more because you are on your own and have to talk to people of other countries".

Visit Canada, its a breathtaking vista of a land of warm people, huge landscape, beautiful sceneries and bountiful fruits/and food galore.

Thank you Canada!!! Happy Canada Day.

JUNE IS ENVIRONMENT MONTH

2010-05-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

hello, its been a hot month ...wow, the temperature rising daily ...that solar energy should be put to good use!!! well we do, we dont use the dryer anymore in our clothes, even our palay in the the province has easily dried the harvest...so see?, the heat has lots of uses. This is only the time to repair the roof, to be ready for the rain. Notice that there are only two weather phenomenons, WET AND DRY. but the havoc it does is also intense... so lets not take these weather lightly....just be careful.

i just would like to remind everyone, that JUNE IS ENVIRONMENT MONTH,

and June 5, is environment day. those of you who have projects that need to be done particularly on the environment, ecology trips, tree planting, solid waste management seminars, cleaning the classrooms, and information campaign, do so this month, and its also the time to go back to school.

if you like to share some of your time, go to HARIBON FOUNDATION (CUBAO), MAY 29,

they have a seminar on how to help out, you can also visit the DENR (http://www.denr.gov.ph/),

World Wildlife Fund (mindanao avenue), and also Girl Scouts of the Philippines (http://www.gsp.org.ph/), Pasig River Rehabilitation, ABS CBN Foundation, and many, many other groups that are involved in environment. And i met this photographer in Bagiuo during the leadership conference of the GSP, he is an advocacy photographer, he is on facebook. :filipino pilgrim: , lots of photos on his FB... you can even share your own photos on his site...

Another way is to put up your own group and have activities that can tackle simple acts of love for Mother Earth, make this sustainable, and before you know it, you have a huge organization.

This also tests your leadership concerns. And also your creativity!!!

Involvement means commitment. If others can, why not you?

Happy Environment Day!!!!

GIRL SCOUT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

2010-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

i had a nice week in bagiuo this May, with the GSP leaders,,,mind you these are young ladies, who being Girl Scouts attended a five day conference, to know more about a lot of things, instead of vacationing in beaches and flying to HK for shopping!

i was invited to do a game for my advocacy of environment and im sure you are aware that GSP
stands for green earth (nah, the color of their uniforms has been there since time immemorial),
actually the GSP has been in the forefront of various subjects which they have been espousing.
You can learn this by browsing their website.

will have more photos of the activities soon... will have to get more photos from the girls too.
congratulations to all the girls who attended this very valuable training. as they grow up, they will always remember this. i once was a Girl Scout in my elementary years. I enjoyed being with my peers, and my friends. I didnt go to far flung areas, as the current girls do, but we did a lot of singing, and also
we had fun learning things. It made me strong, in character, and in my ideas.

We all should support the Girl Scouts, a worldwide commitment to a better community.

God bless you all

WOMEN STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

2010-04-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

My trip to Iloilo City to attend the Women Studies Association of the Philippines in UP was very exhilirating because i was with one of the most prestigious group of animated women who were serious in what they do. They were mostly doctoral, scientists, and academicians. I was impressed. Being invited there put me in a notch higher to my learning career.
The theme was about Gender, Environment and Development, and take note that this was the 8th confab already. Read about WSAP and browse about its beginnings in the web.

I was requested to talk and share about my experience in making the ecology board game which is now being sold nationwide . This is the board game which was introduced thru the DENR in their 21st founding anniversary. My reasons for making the board game is to find ways of teaching children to be aware how they can help save mother earth in simple things and acts. With so many things happening in the country, we have forgotten already to care for our earth.

The WSAP is timely in having this confab in order to let the public know that women are in the forefront of creating studies and surveys which are in reality, a way of taking note of the way the environment has been treated in the last five to ten years. Disasters were also discussed and how women were able to cope. There was also some studies on the degradation of forests, the rivers, and the trees. I do hope that the WSAP will share these studies with other countries, too.

Iloilo City is one of the very old cities in the Philippines. Their churches are huge, the people friendly, and their food is very delicious. This is my first time to visit this Province, and I realized that my time is short to get to learn more about the place. Since my intent was just to attend and talk in the confab, it would have been nice to stay longer and visit Guimaras too.
The land of the sweet and huge mangoes. Maybe some other time.

I thank all those who are involved in WSAP and congratulate them for a job well done.

board games "improve family life"

2010-03-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

i got this article from my favorite website, www.4ed.com, which tackles fun in the classroom by using games, either board games or card games, which either gives you lessons on math, social studies, or language. i believe in this too. in attending classes, it would be better if students are given options to learn thru ways which are fun and interesting.

another way that games does is improve family life, why do we say this, because compared to playing in the computer, where you sit down, open the computer, play the game, you are almost always ALONE, no way of communicating with others, no laughter, you just hear your own voice commenting on the game.

This article i would like to share with you will give you something to think about, its an eye opener:

REGULAR family board game nights can help families feel more connected and improve children's learning and social skills, a study suggest.

In a study commissioned by Harbro, which produces Monopoly, more than 100 Australian families with children aged five to twelve played board games together at least once a week for a

month and were asked to observe the outcomes.

The results showed two third of parents (67%) strongly agreed board games helped initiate family time, compared to 52 per cent before the study.

As the end of the month, nearly half (48%) strongly agreed board games helped the family feel more connected, compared to 39 percent before the study.

Parents were also asked to consider the benefits of board games on their children's life and learning skills.

Over half (54%)strongly agreed board games helped improve children's concentration after a month of family game nights, compared to 42% before the study.

A similar number (57%) said the games helped their children to learn, compared to 49% before.

Only a third strongly agreed board games helped improve children's social skills before the month of board game nights, comapred to 40% at the end of the study.

The study, by research company OMD Insights, also collated comments from parents about their thoughts on playing board games together regularly.

"It presented an excellent opportunity to bring up what's going on in my children's life and to get a better understanding of where they are at presently," one parent said.

Another said board games "fostered better understanding and communication not just about the game but life in general".

Before the study, the participants ranked their most popular family activities in order as wathing television, wathing movies and playing board games.

After the study, watching television and playing board games were ranked equally as the most popular family activity, with 57% saying games were very appealing.

(excerpt from www.4ed.com)

2010 : Environment Focus to Lessen Global Warming

2010-01-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

hello to 2010, im sure everyone has read about the disasters in the sea, the disaster on land, and even man made disaster like the one in Magindanao, PHILIPPINES.
even our poor , old, EARTH was not spared from the smoke filled evening of December 31 to open the New Year, i suggest we really have to ban firecrackers, even those huge pyrotechnics, its really a mess, dont you think? the smoke , the noise, the pollution, the danger, and even using hard earned money to buy these things. If we can just use the money to donate to the less fortunate instead of the purchasing thousands of pesos just to burn. WOW! Maybe we should find another economic activity for the manufacturers of these fireworks? Let's suggest other livelihood endeavors. Hallow block making, tiles, lamps, even doormats, tree seedlings, live Christmas trees? (pine cones are available for planting in Bagiuo, maybe we can have these pine trees all over the country too)...smells nice and gives shades to the weary .

Anyway, we start the year right, im asking everyone to please change your incandescent bulbs to CFL or EFL lights soonest. I think that starting 2010, the incandescent bulbs will be phased out and stores will not sell it anymore. Thats good.
Let us all work together in making the environment our priority or else it will leave us breathless, no more air to breath, more diseases, and more problems.
Do more in your community by reminding them to clean surroundings, segregate plastics,
re use items, do not buy more than you need, and use less water.
We look forward to a better year if we work at it, united and happy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

philippine girl scout volunteer, 2009

2009-12-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

we have to find our way in this world by volunteering some of our time in organizations which you know you can help because you have been there, and done that. i was a gsp member during my younger years, and attended a lot of activities in and out of our school. this was in the days when environmental issues was not even discussed, no traffic, no pollution, and one of the things we did were to continue to plant tree seedlings, or have a vegetable garden. what a time that was. we often sing girl scout songs around a camp fire. im sure most of us have gone thru this during their schooldays. i even started as a Brownie, remember this?

what a good day it was for me when i got a call from Mrs Susan Locsin, Programme Committee Chairperson of the GSP National Hq when she invited me to become a volunteer for the GSP under her own committee. I don't know Susan well not until my friend Olive Villafuerte (another GSP volunteer for 9 years) told me about the projects they have been doing for the girls. They now have this Reproductive Health Textbook which the young girls are talking about, and you know when its about "s" ____ word, everyone says "shhh"? remember that?
anyway, before that time, i went to GSP really to offer my new board game, PINOY ECOLOGY GAME, as an educational tool for the girls. Inasmuch as GSP, the green color they carry, is environment and green earth, I might as well ask if i can help thru this game and have it part of their fund raising! Neat eh?
Anyway, Ms Susan Locsin liked the game and told me that later it will become a part of their education agenda.
So, when the call came for me to be an honorary volunteer, i can't say no.
Here I am, photos and all of that day when, I became a one.

disaster is the focus/ and being a Girl Scout volunteer

2009-12-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

HELLO READERS, SORRY FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT ANY NEW NEWS IN MY BLOG.

It has been a while since we had the devastating floods in Metro Manila and Luzon, which made a lot of problems in our daily lives.
So what seems to be the cause? Oh a lot , I presume you have read about it too. Garbage, garbage, garbage as well as pollution, air, noise, water...it affects everyone, and everyone is the culprit, correct?

You know, as a board game creator, I realized too that we should not only continue being aware of our environment, we should also be ready when disaster strikes. Most of us took the disaster for granted, like "its only rain water"...but we didnt realize that it will be damaging to our homes, our way of life, our economy, our government.
That's why I created a new board game again!!!
Together with a friend, illustrator, Waldee Oasan, who works in BPI, started to make this GAME OF SURVIVAL AND RESPONSE (gsr)...

We intend to have this available soon, and we are waiting for interested investors to help us out,
its not easy to manufacture but the ending is an educational tool to learn more about Disasters and First Aid. Calling NGO's and other interested parties to join us in this endeavor. email us soon to have something new to learn....
Hope to hear from you soon.

Being a Girl Scout volunteer is next in my blog....

SHOPTALK GUEST AT ANC

2009-08-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Pinoy game creators were invited by the program Shoptalk hosted by Pia Hontiveros on ANC of ABS CBN.
The guests, composed of yours truly, who created the PINOY ECOLOGY BOARD GAME
and PINOY KA BA? BOARD GAME , Mr Lorenzo Yatco who created the Entrepreneurs
Game and the Papelmeroti owners who presented the new Mismo Game created by Roby
Alampay now residing in Thailand.
It was a lively show with Pia asking questions about the games presented , happy and
animated as well.

We would like to thank ANC and ABS CBN for this opportunity to talk about our creations, and proud to be able to share our knowledge and creativity in making Pinoy games.

Hoping that more Filipinos will support our pinoy creations, for the education of
children, as well as having fun using Pinoy ingenuity .

The Pinoy educational games, Pinoy Ka Ba and Pinoy Ecology, and the Entrep game is now
available in National Book Store and SM Toy Kingdom, Landmark, and Robinsons, and soon in Hobbes and Landes, while the Mismo game is sold in all Papelmelroti stores.

Enjoy family games and keep unity and closeness a Pinoy character.

CHILDREN'S TOYS ANG GAMES

2009-08-05T22:17:00.001-07:00

Technological advances have brought into our living room many high tech toys that could be harmful and unhealthy for the children. The number one entertainment today for children are the violent electronic gadgets in the guise of action plays. The screens portraying the violence are so real that children find them so realistic and had difficulties erasing them from the mind. At their tender age, their minds are already being molded by the violence surrounding these games.

Some of the simulated games are similar to those used by the military for training soldiers. If left alone, the children would have played more hours than the soldiers in the actual training and without the discipline found in the military training. The American Academy of Pediatrics survey of nearly 1,000 studies found a correlation between aggressive behavior of children and media violence. The vast majority of the studies conclude a cause- effect relationship between media and real life violence. (Naisbitt, 96-97)

The effects of these toys are brought to bear on the children as they grow into adulthood. Adult toys soon take over that could profoundly affect their future for better or worst. Many made use of their time in the pursuit of leisure instead of doing the more urgent and more important things in life.

Many toys such as guns and high tech military hardware are so real, children find them fascinating to play. Most of these toys are spin offs from violent movies seen in the theaters and targeted the children. Even before reaching adulthood, some schoolchildren have been conditioned to handle the weapons and even kill their classmates. News of high school students who never handle firearms taking over campuses and causing havoc have become a reality of life.
(Ibid)

The electronic game industry tried to justify the production of these violent games as providing cathartic outlet for children with violent tendencies. It is however disputed by media scholars and psychologists. In fact, numerous studies have shown that gratuitous violence stimulates aggressive thoughts rather than purges them. It has been well documented that aggression is a learned behavior and not a primal urge that seeks an outlet. (Ibid, 99)

Some of the movies meant for children or even under parental guidance are just as violent as movies for adults only. The movie, Small Soldiers, made in 1998 was meant for children. It was a very violent movie marketed as action- packed and rated as PG- 13.) Many movies and even TV shows are so realistic that the images of violence and aggression are influencing the children in their behavior. Psychologists have always advised parents to restrain children from watching many cartoons that are seemingly innocent but psychologically devastating.

(Armondo Ang, Author of Greed and Scams Inc, copyright 2005)

PINOY GAMES IN MABUHAY MAGAZINE OF PAL

2009-07-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU FLYING PHILIPPINE AIR LINES? WELL JUST TO LET YOU KNOW
YOU CAN ASK FOR A COPY OF THE MABUHAY MAGAZINE , JULY ISSUE WHICH HAS THE PINOY BOARD GAMES PHOTO AND CAPTION ON PAGE 18 ON TRAVEL LOG.
WE LIKE TO THANK THE MABUHAY EDITORS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM READERS AND TRAVELLERS THAT THE PINOY BOARD GAMES ARE BACK, AND WE ARE TELLING OUR PINOY VISITORS, BALIKBAYANS, AND INTERNATIONAL
TRAVELLERS THAT THE GAMES ARE HERE AND THEY CAN BRING IT BACK TO THEIR HOMELAND US, CANADA, EUROPE, EVEN OUR OFW'S...THE CHILDREN CAN PLAY AND LEARN AT THE SAME TIME.
ITS EDUCATIONAL, ITS BIODEGRADABLE, AND NON TOXIC TOO!!!

EMAIL ME FOR MORE INFORMATION: adel88_1999@yahoo.com
or you can get the board games in all National Bookstores, Toy Kingdom,SM and Robinsons Mall.

HOPE YOU GET A SET SOON!!!
MABUHAY ANG ISIP PINOY.

BOARD GAME ARTICLE IN ENRICH MAGAZINE

2009-06-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

this is to inform blog readers about the article of the two pinoy board games now in the magazine ENRICH for June 2009 which is distributed nationwide by Mercury Drug Store which covers so many subject matters including health issues, food, travel, games, trivia and other hodge podge.

Editorial director is Mr Bert Olbes
Get your copy now. BTW, you get a 20% discount off the price if you have a mercury drug card. (SRP is P65.00)

Have you read something good lately?

loss of one's mother

2009-05-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

LET US PAUSE FOR A PRAYER FOR THE LOSS OF MY MOTHER, PACITA GARDINER MENDOZA DE LEON, WHO LEFT US APRIL 30, 2009.

A WONDERFUL PERSON WITH A LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF HER CHILDREN.
A BEAUTIFUL MOTHER WHO CARES ENOUGH FOR ALL.
A LOVING MOTHER WHO HAS CREATED A BETTER WORLD JUST BY BEING THERE
AN EVERLASTING LEGACY WILL BE WITH US

LET US PRAY FOR THE REPOSE OF HER SOUL.

Play Stations and Lumps

2009-04-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

Playing with computers are fun, and also with play stations.
but do you know that holding the grip too tightly on the console and furiously pushing the buttons can cause a skin disorder marked by painful lumps on the palm. This was released by Swiss scientists.

This is called "Play Station palmar hidradentitis", the skin disorder can cause painful lesions on the palms similar to patches found in the soles of the children's feet after taking part in heavy physical activity.

"The tight and continuous grasping of the hand- grips together with repeated pushing of the buttons produce minor but continuous trauma to the palm surfaces."

Sony Corporation which had sold hundreds of millions of consoles since 1995 has this to say,
"As with any leisure pursuit, there are possible consequences of not following common sense,
health advice and guidelines, as can be found within our instruction manuals."

Sony Corporation do not wish to belittle this research and they will study this further with interest. This is the first time they have heard of a complaint of this nature.

"Excessive gaming is already seen as a public health issue, sparking addictive behavior that can lead to a range of psychological problems," the Swiss researchers said.

REMEMBER APRIL 22 AS EARTH DAY

2009-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

APRIL 22 IS THE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION FOR 2009
REMINDER TO EVERYONE TO PLEASE JOIN ANY ACTIVITY YOU SEE THAT WILL
HELP THE ENVIRONMENT . CHECK SCHEDULES OF DENR, DOE, OR MISS EARTH FOUNDATION. JOIN THE NGO'S AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS YOU CAN DO IN YOUR HOME TO BE A GREEN WARRIOR
OF SORTS:

1. SEGREGATE YOUR GARBAGE - FROM WET AND DRY - THEN FROM RECYCLABLE TO REUSABLE . SELL CARTONS, BOTTLES, NEWSPAPERS, USED METALS, EQUIPMENT OR APPLIANCES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THEM IN THE STOCKROOM! EARN FROM THEM.

2. CLEAN YOUR YARDS AND MAKE SURE THAT USED TIRES, USED BATTERIES, OR
USED OILS ARE PLACED IN PROPER AREAS OF DISPOSING. CHECK YOUR BARANGAY OR CITY GOVERNMENT FOR PROPER DISPOSAL

3. REFRAIN FROM CAR IDLING . STOP YOUR ENGINE IF YOUR ARE GOING TO WAIT FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES. KEEP THE AIR CLEAN FROM TOXIC FUMES.

4. USE ENERGY SAVING BULBS AT HOME. CHANGE YOUR INCANDESCENT BULBS TO EFL BULBS

5. DO NOT THROW AWAY THOSE SPILLED SHOWER WATER. USE THEM TO WATER THE PLANTS OR CLEANING THE TOILET BOWLS

6. REFRAIN FROM HAVING YOUR FAUCET OPEN WHILE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH.
USE A TUMBLER OR PLASTIC WARE WHEN BRUSHING .

7. CLOSE YOUR LIGHTS WHEN NOT IN USE. UNPLUG YOUR APPLIANCES WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE.

8. LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR COMPUTER , PRINTER, SCANNER, AND FAX. THESE ARE ALL USING POWER/ELECTRICITY. SCHEDULE USE IF YOU CAN.

9. USE THE SUN INSTEAD OF A DRYER. IT WILL SAVE YOU ENERGY COST

10. WATER PLANTS BEFORE THE SUN GOES UP OR WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN. TO MUCH HEAT WILL JUST HASTEN THE GROUND TO DRY UP AND YOU WILL USE MORE WATER.

EDUCATIONAL BOARD GAMES ARE FUN

2009-03-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

WE ARE AGAIN CALLING ON ALL COMPANIES, ENTITIES, NGO'S , SCHOOL TEACHERS,
PRINCIPALS, GOVERNMENT GROUPS, PARENTS TO HELP US IN PROPAGATING THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN THRU THIS WONDERFUL GAME,PINOY ECOL OGY GAME WHICH WILL TEACH CHILDREN THE BASICS OF A GREENER EARTH. THIS GAME IS ENDORSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (denr)

WE JUST FINISHED THE ECO PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR (EPIF 2009) AT THE SMX MALL OF ASIA, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO TALK AND DISCUSS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS OF EACH BOOTH, AS WELL AS THE MANY VISITORS, FOREIGN AND LOCAL WHO CAME TO VISIT. ACCORDING TO THE AGENCIES (DAP, APO), CONCERNED, THIS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. WE HOPE WE CAN HAVE MORE OF THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES SO WE CAN TELL THE WORLD THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS ONE WITH THE WORLD IN SAVING THE EARTH.

WE CALL ON YOU TO BECOME INVOLVED RIGHT NOW IN FACING THE PROBLEMS OF TODAY, BY DOING SOMETHING , NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT MAYBE.

GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS BLOGSPOT FOR THOSE INTERESTED TO BECOME DONORS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHICH CAN BE PART OF THEIR SUBJECT ON ENVIRONMENT, OR EMAIL ME :adel88_1999@yahoo.com

earth hour: march 28, 2009 , 8:30 to 9:30 pm, mnl time

2009-03-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

hi bloggers and friends:

just want to remind you that we are going to join the earth hour on saturday (manila time)
march 28, 2009 8:30 to 9:30 pm, which is switch off time on all, i say all electric lights, meaning power off if it will not be too much hassle to you. This is our way of showing we love the earth and we dont like global warming , correct?

there will be about 58 countries joining this action and we hope the PHilippines, with its multitudes of environment conscious population will make this work.

THANKS!!!!

ECO PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2009 and GO GREEN CEBU AT MACTAN

2009-03-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

BLOGGERS, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE ECO PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR ON MARCH 19, 20,21,22 AT THE SMX CONVENTION CENTER NEAR THE NEW SM MALL OF ASIA IN MACAPAGAL AVENUE, PASAY CITY.
THIS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY : ASIAN PRODUCTIVITY ORGANIZATION (APO)
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES (DAP)AND PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE: www.epif09.org
THE LAST FAIR WAS HELD IN VIETNAM. ENTRANCE IS FREE, BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CLASSMATES, TEACHERS,OFFICEMATES. YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF
ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY PRODUCTS, NEW IDEAS AND AN ECOLOGY NETWORK. LETS BE GREEN!!!

OUR FORMER FIRST LADY , MRS MING RAMOS IS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE EPIF 2009 ADVISORY COMMITTEE THIS YEAR. LET US ALL SUPPORT THIS ENDEAVOR AND CHECK OUT THE DATES .BE PROUD

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, PARTICULARLY MR TEISUKE KITAYAMA OF SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION.

SEE YOU ALL THERE

A. DE LEON

CEBU, CEBU, CEBU

THERE IS ALSO A GO, GREEN CEBU FAIR AT SHANGRILA, MACTAN ISLAND CEBU
YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO VISIT THIS EVENT, WHICH IS ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED AFFAIR, WHEN YOU JOIN, THAT'S THE SCHEDULE OF THE EARTH HOUR WHICH STARTS ON MARCH 28, IF INTERESTED TO JOIN CHECK OUT GWEN HUFANO OF SHANGRILA MACTAN.
(SEE FLYER ABOVE LEFT)********
*************************************************************************************
dear public school alumni/alumnae:

SUPPORT YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LET US HAVE THE CHILDREN PLAY THE PINOY ECOLOGY GAME SO THEY WILL LEARN THE BASICS OF AN ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY EARTH.
CONTACT : adel88_1999@yahoo.com

GAMES HAPPY PEOPLE PLAY

2009-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

We are in a world today of super stereos, dvd, cel phones, 100 channel television sets, cd player,flat screen tvs, and yet we are still entertaining ourselves with games. "The games impulse is a universal one". (Marcia Holman)

The radio is off, the LCD tv is blank, the computer screen is quiet and you could literally hear a pin drop---if it weren't for the roll and thud of the dice or clanging of some sort of cardboard being opened. Well, the game is on for the board game.

The allure of the board game has been there for centuries. Whether its cards, backgammon, solitaire, charades, monopoly, scrabble, the good old fashioned fun never siezes to amaze us.
The fun never goes out of style.

Games have the seriousness in it, has a practical application too. It teaches us how to play the game of life. They teach us how to become one with nature, teaches us to behave, teaches us to be a team player, teaches us to read, to research, to know more about certain subjects.

It also teaches us the valuable lessons in how to take risks, being patient, plan ahead and react quickly.

The best part about all this is that learning is turned into.....well, a game. "Games minimize the difficulty of learning because they're fun," says E Wilson of Milton Bradley Co.

Here are some more advantages of playing board games:

1. Games make you smarter - you exercise your thinking skills, deductive logic, related facts, real facts and fiction, and make you want to know more.

2. Games improve relationships - group games make you interact with other players, you laugh, you react, you win, you lose. It enhances communication and when you play the game you learn more about opponents, your team mates, and you also learn how to help each other.

3. Games makes you want to know more- questions in board games helps you to read and
learn more about certain subjects. It gives you reasons to want to gather as many details and
research about the specific question asked.

4. Games entertains and is environment friendly- if you love to play board games, it entertains you whether you are alone or with a group, with friends, classmates, with families. It opens a new world of entertainment,
It makes you have fun without using anything that is power driven, battery operated, or electricity connected.

5.-Games make you aware- that there are other alternatives to playing the computer,
Nintendo, or celphone games. Its just a better source of entertainment.

FEATURE IN ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE

2009-01-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

HELLO GREEN FRIENDS OF JOYPINOY, I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU BLOGGERS THAT I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THE E- MAGAZINE, MEANING "ENVIRONMENT LADEN CONTENT, enterprise, WHICH IS MAKING WAVES BECAUSE OF ITS ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, GREEN ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS WHICH CAN REALLY HELP OUR COUNTRY IN GETTING INFORMATION, HELPING OUT, REACHING OUT, SUPPORTING COMPANIES WITH AN ENVIRONMENT ADVOCACY. THANK YOU TO ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE PARTICULARLY TO MIKEE DAVID TAN, GET YOUR COPY NOW, AT NATIONAL BOOKSTORE AND OTHER MAGAZINE STANDS, ISSUE DECEMBER-JANUARY 2009, READ FROM COVER TO COVER, (I'M AT PAGE 50). AND ALSO PLEASE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE www.enterprise.ph. HELP US GET MORE PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW, COMPANIES WHO ARE GREEN OR ARE STARTING TO GO GREEN, GREEN MOTIVATIONS, GREEN TRANSPORTATION, GREEN IDEAS, GREEN LABELS, GREEN EDUCATION... CHECK IT OUT.

JOY TOY BOARD GAMES AND MISS EARTH

2008-12-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

HEY CHECK THIS LINK FOR THE MISS EARTH FOUNDATION
www.missearthfoundation.multiply.com

JOYTOY (JC LUCAS CREATIVE PRODUCTS) MAKERS OF THE
PINOY ECOLOGY GAME NOW ON THE MARKET HAS JOINED
HANDS WITH THE MISS EARTH FOUNDATION IN THEIR
ADVOCACY OF TEACHING FILIPINO SCHOOLCHILDREN TO CARE FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IS A GOOD WAY OF HAVING FUN WITH A GAME AND
AT THE SAME TIME LEARNING WAYS OF MAKING AND MAINTAINING
THE EARTH GREEN!!!

WHAT A GROUP! WE HAD FUN PLAYING AT THE MALL OF ASIA WITH
THE CURRENT WINNER OF MISS EARTH INTERNATIONAL NO OTHER THAN MISS PHILIPPINES
EARTH HERSELF, CARLA PAULA HENRY FROM CEBU CITY.

WE WOULD ALSO APPEAL FOR SUPPORT AND HELP IN THE THIS FOUNDATION FOR
THE WORTHWHILE ACTIVITIES THEY ARE DOING. CONTACT THEM ANYTIME.
MABUHAY ANG PILIPINONG NAGTUTULUNGAN.

I SALUTE THEM.

MORE POWER , MISS EARTH FOUNDATION!!!!! AND THANKS TO CATHY UNTALAN.

A deleon

PINOY KA BA? BOARD GAME: HOW IS IT PLAYED

2008-12-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

The other board game i created is the Pinoy KA ba board game which was also created this year, and the concept stemmed from knowing your "roots", and where is that, of course, our dear , dear country, THE PHILIPPINES!!!!

The board game has four sides, and each side has different shapes of the word PHILIPPINES,
all the player has to do is to spell out the word PHILIPPINES, by answering the questions posed on the player. The questions ranges from history, places, events, people, current events, trivia, movies, etc. But the questions are all about the country.
The player or players (could be made into a group game also) will have a chance to answer the
cards . The player who finishes first by answering the questions correctly wins the round and
gets a medal, PINOY AKO!

There are options however in the question card, the easy and the difficult. The easy questions have multiple choices, while the difficult ones have to be answered. (no choices here). The game can have its "reader" or "arbiter".. but if there is none, the reader can be the opponent player.
There can also be "steals", meaning if the other opponent knows the answer, the player can have a chance to get the point in the round.

There are eleven letters only to spell the word PHILIPPINES!!

ARE YOU PINOY OR PENOY? FIND OUT !!! HAPPY GAMING!!!

PINOY ECOLOGY GAME: HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED

2008-12-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

merry christmas and a prosperous and safe new year to one and all, bloggers, friends, and
all of you out there who happen to pass by my blog.
a friend told me to be a little more specific on my games which is now on the market, how it is played, how a child can learn or maybe how the parent or teacher can advise the child while
they are playing the two pinoy educational games.

THE PINOY ECOLOGY GAME: a game about the environment.
the goal of the players is to reach the zenith or the number 100 on the board by going thru
the various ups and downs of the board. It starts with the players (four players or a group can
play) using the numbered bits in the box and placing them in the cloth bag, this is used as the
dice. Or the group can decide on who goes first either being the eldest, or the youngest of the group. It all depends on the players. The players get to choose their playing chip which has illustrations of boys and girls.
The game board has illustrations on the bad and good about the environment, if you land in a
negative way you treat the environment, you go down, but if you land in ways of doing good,
you move up. The board game has also the exclamation box of which the player gets to draw
a card. The card you get has various do's and don'ts about the environment. The illustration show an x or a check mark. If the player gets an x mark, this is bad for the environment so
the player follows the instruction on the board, either the players moves down or moves up
depending on the number indicated .
The winner who reach the #100 gets an environment award .

Cues: Boys and girls who play the game should learn from the various illustrations. These are ways to save the environment and also ruin it, so the teacher, parent or adult who plays with them have to emphasize this learning particularly to children who still do not understand the various illustrations given.

The game is very timely due to the continuous degradation of our planet earth. Little things will go a long way. By playing the game, and doing it in REAL life , will create a better world for all of us.

hoping you support the game and make a better world for tomorrow.

IN THE NEXT BLOG, YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT THE OTHER PINOY BOARD GAME
AND HOW IT IS PLAYED.

CIAO!!!!

batch 69 of p.c.c./p.u.p supports classmate

2008-11-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

hello to everyone, just want to let you know that my classmates in high school in
philippine college of commerce now polytechnic university of the philippines has supported me in the board games that i have created, and i thank them for the support.
look at these photos im sharing in my blog.

by the way, if there are interested parties who would like to order institutionally, dont hesitate to get in touch thru my cel phone 09197088385 (qc) or email me at adel88_1999@yahoo.com. on the south side, i have the fresnedi foundation c/o anamarie
fresnedi at this cel phone 09155448041 (alabang)

hope you have plans for the holidays . if you are not yet decided on what to give to kids,
why not the board games, its educational, its Philippine made, its colorful and can be a family game.

children learn the pinoy educational games

2008-09-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

hi again! im sharing some photos of children playing the
pinoy educational games in order for you to realize that
this game is truly a game for learning.

the ecology game is about the environment and the pinoy ka ba is about
the country and its history.

teachers who are looking for ways of making subjects fun should use
this as a teaching tool, not only for schoolchildren but also for children at home.

we learn, we do, we create.

enjoy these two new pinoy board games ...

mall tours for pinoy games

2008-09-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

hello!!!

im sharing today the various photos we took during the mall tours for the
two board games. those of you who have not seen the games nor even saw a glimpse
of it, do so now!!!
if you are thinking of donating to a good cause, like public schools, or a community of learners,
or even as a gift , this is a great gift.
for bulk purchases, call on me ok or just email away.
enjoy the photos

a.deleon

pinoy educational games in youtube.com

2008-09-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

hello, here i am trying to find out how i can get thru you by
allowing me to share my interview with the following
jojo alejar show on qtv (local channel) and also the news in
channel 9, evening edition. good that anthony was able to
upload it in youtube.com

so enjoy watching it, go to www.youtube.com (search for: ecology game
or pinoy ka ba)...

have fun!!!

a.deleon

pinoy games now in the market

2008-09-05T00:14:00.000-07:00

hi all!

i just want to let you know that the two pinoy ecology games are now
on sale.

check out these beautiful images of the game

for those interested to buy in bulk
or would like to buy in pieces
just email me.

adeleon
pinoy game creator

hello, Im back

2008-07-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

PINOY ECOLOGY GAME LAUNCHED BY THE DENR

We are proud to let you know that the first Pinoy Ecology Game has been
formally launched by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR).

The game focuses on the environment and various do's and don'ts to help or
ruin Mother Earth.

This is a good learning tool for children and a teaching tool for teachers and parents.

Manufactured by JC LUCAS CREATIVE PRODUCTS, 46 years in manufacturing
first class puzzles and toys with the name JOYTOY.

Details of the board game can be directed thru this blog site or direct to my email.

Be Proud to be Pinoy!!!!

2008-07-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

hello!

im back ...sorry for the long delay in my blog spot.
announcing in this web blog the new pinoy games that will be out soon in the
market
kindly check photos.

available in my email. adel88_1999@yahoo.com