From Public Affairs

Stuff that everyone should say something about because they affect the society or even humanity in general.

Asian Countries According to Their Tourism Logos

And of course, the controversial proposed slogan and logo for Philippine Tourism: I had nothing to say. But after reading blogger Spanky Enriquez‘s blog post about it, I have something to repost. This is the logo of the Polish Tourism campaign. They pretty much say what I have to say. But I wonder what Poland has to say about it. I actually liked ‘Wow Philippines!” I just wish instead of spending so much money and time on the rebranding, why not actually promote it.

It Gets Better. So FCKH8!

Something beautiful happened over the weekend. Last Sunday afternoon, October 24, 2010, members of Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA), along with their friends and supporters, came together at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles to work on a project. They were to touch lives with the best way they knew — singing. That afternoon, they produced this incredible video.

Support the Campaign for the ‘Rare Diseases Act of the Philippines’

Last month, I had the pleasure and honor of being invited into the home of Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders President Cynthia Magdaraog for a very important social media project. Although I have been a social media specialist for two years already, this project has got to be the most ambitious yet the most “worth-it.” The goal is to gather 500,000 signatures to rally lawmakers in passing Senate Bill 3087 or the Rare Diseases Act of the Philippines. All these signatures should be in by February 26, 2011, in time for the World Rare Diseases Day. It’s a noble cause…

The Road to Death

Our house in Batangas is along the national highway. It can get really busy. When I’m home, I always have to close the windows tight so the noise could not distract me from doing my usual activities comprised mainly of watching TV and err… watching TV. Open the window a little bit and your viewing experience is ruined. But the noise is not why I call this “The Road to Death.” The noise is tolerable. It’s been there before us so we have no right to complain. What’s relatively new is the long island in the middle of the road.…

Comes with the Territory

Remember this post in which I enumerated the types of people that annoy me the most? Well, let add some more to it. One of the things I hate the most is neglecting responsibilities. Many times, we find ourselves under a certain obligation. You see not all obligations require written agreement or contracts. Most of the time, different scenarios impose obligations on you. These are responsibilities that are not written, but courtesy dictates that we honor them. Confused? Well, let me enlighten you with these examples, which I believe many of you have experienced. JEEPNEY Don’t you just hate it…

Farmville Gets Real: Bayan-Anihan!

Alright, I admit. There was a period of my life that I was so addicted to Farmville on Facebook. Sometimes, I’d even go an extra mile just to level up. My housemates would invite me to dinner and I’d respond with “Wait lang. Mag-a-ani lang ako.” It was fun. Harvesting my virtual crops was a…

The Drowning in Batangas

Someone drowned in Matabungkay, Batangas last Sunday. But it seemed like that guy was not the only one that needed saving. My travel buddy and I spent the long weekend at a beach in my home province. We had grander plans actually — Palaui Island in Cagayan, Caramoan in Camarines Sur, Sagada in Mountain Province, Hundred Islands in Pangasinan — but our weird schedules made the long weekend completely pointless. So we were forced to choose a beach that was close to the city. Matabungkay in Lian, Batangas is indeed close to me. I’m not just talking about physical proximity…

Barako No More?

I spent most of my years in Batangas and although my Dad was from Masbate/Palawan, I’ve always considered myself a 100% Batangueno. I’m your typical Batangueno — great and proud of his roots. In Tagalog, magiting at mayabang. Joke lang. Pero half-meant. After all, wala pa akong nakitang Batangueno na hindi proud na taga-Batangas. Gaah, that’s for another story. Ayun na nga, magiting at mayabang. Sa madaling sabi, barako. Haha. My mother has a store in Lemery’s New Public Market. Batang palengke ako, ika nga. I used to roam around the market. My eyes, feasting on almost endless colorful arrays…