I didn’t want to comment anymore on this lady, for me the fat lady already sang (pardon the pun). However, I can’t resist commenting on her apology which I find neither contrite nor sincere. Here is my take on your statement Ms. Fernandez…
I am humbled by the vehement and heated response provoked by my article entitled ‘From Boracay to Greece!’ which came out in the June 2007 issue of People Asia. To say that this article was not meant to malign, hurt or express prejudice against the OFWs now sounds hollow after reading through all the blogs from Filipinos all over the world. I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs.
As the recent recipient and target of death threats, hate blogs, and deeply personal insults, I now truly understand the insidiousness of discrimination and prejudice disguised as humor. Our society is bound together by human chains of kindness and decency. I have failed to observe this and I am now reaping the consequences of my actions. It is my fervent hope that the lessons that Ive learned are not lost on all those who through anonymous blogs, engaged in bigotry, discrimination, and hatred ( against overweight individuals , for example )
I take full responsibility for my actions and my friends and family have nothing to do with this. To date I have submitted my resignation letters to both the Manila Standard and People Asia, on that note may this matter be laid to rest. (underscoring mine)
I have been wanting to write about my father and the vacuum that he has left when he passed away. I was planning to write something about him on his birthday this November. However. Isagani invited many his co-bloggersto contribute to his series which he called Wedding, Death and Funeral and this is my contribution.
My father was a jack-of-all-trades, he was a driver, electrician, technician, farmer, etc. He was born to a poor family and in his struggle to make a living starting at a very young age, he learned many things. You name it and my father can do it. i will write more about his life on his birthday.
Sometime in 2003, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. he used to be a heavy smoker but he stopped a few years back when the doctor advised to. It must have been too late. At first he refused to get any treatment. He was so concerned about draining the meager savings he and my mom kept as their “old age funds.” It took a lot of debates and reassurances from us their children and from his and my mom’s brothers and sisters. So my Mom and my Dad flew to Manila for treatment. He underwent chemotherapy in PGH. It was a painful process for him, not only physically but most of all psychologically. My Dad was not used to being what he calls “useless” and he is not comfortable just lying around doing nothing but cope with the side effects of chemotherapy. After six months, he got so bored that he decided to have his last chemotherapy session and go home to their farm in Lake Mainit in Surigao regardless of the outcome of the treatment. Fortunately, his last chemotherapy session showed promising results. The cancer cells were wiped out from his lungs except for a tiny dot that his doctors believed to be a mere scar. So he was discharged with the strict instruction to have regular checkups and x-rays to monitor that dot in his lungs.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Every once in a while in our lives, we find ourselves in places and situations where we are tempted to linger on even if we know that our destination lies further than this place that is so seductive and tempting. During such moments in our lives, we often linger – trying to enjoy a little bit more, trying to partake of the feelings, the sights, the sounds, the surroundings and sometimes people whose paths we have crossed. We let ourselves be lured into enjoying just a teeny tiny bit more we keep putting off moving on.
This 8-minute video had more than 12M hits when I viewed it. It shows a herd of buffaloes battling with a herd of lions to rescue one of the young buffaloes caught by the lions. A crocodile entered the scene and almost stole the lions’ catch.
A lesson on the strength on UNITY, COURAGE, and FIGHTING BACK. Let the buffaloes teach us.
The Filipino Boxing Team led by Gerry Penalosa has won 5 out of the 6 bouts against an all-Mexican Boxing team. Of the five boxers only Boom-boom Baustista failed to snatch the crown of WBO world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon of Mexico.
The past few days we saw more and more people becoming interested on the antics of this mahaderang matapobre who thinks of herself as a diva.And she thought that by virtue of her coming from a rich political family thought that she has inherited a right to write disparaging comments about our OFWs and get away with it. Well to let her know she is flatly wrong, I posted her article here in my blog so that others may read and give their reactions.
Other people did the same… this link will lead you to a blog of one of my comrades with more on the Mahadera:
When I began this blog, a little less than a month ago, I thought of it simply as a place in cyberspace where i can scribble what ever interests me or whenever I need to express myself and my views.
Remember Lintang Bedol?… Yes, we can call him Garci Jr. He was the COMELEC Provincial Election Supervisor in the province of Maguindanao who gained notoriety for masterminding the dagdag-bawas operations. He presented a tampered Provincial Certificate of Canvass during the National Canvassing that gave Team Unity a 12-0 victory in Maguindanao. When the opposition questioned the results, Bedol went into hiding and snubbed the summons of the COMELEC to appear and explain the irregularities and anomalies in the Maguindanao election results. He later surfaced to explain that the Municipal Certificates of Canvass which were the basis for his 12-0 COC were lost. Just like that…
Nomadic Thoughts 