#Sinulog2017 Pontiffical Mass Crowd Struggle

Live: Rappler's coverage of President Duterte's State of the Nation Addr...

Another First! Not like any other SONA the Philippines has ever witnessed before!



I am hopeful the Filipinos are not just entertained but are motivated by his plans. He has proven for decades that Pres. #DU30 is not just a man of words but a leader of action.



Please let us cooperate instead of limiting our minds to the possibility that he could not eliminate crime in our country entirely in just 3 to 6 months. Instead, let us help him accomplish it a shorter period!



Thank you Lord for sending a Messiah to our country!

Other uses of the Dustpan (Comedy Clip)

Nothing really useful here. Just one of those funny moments you forgot to post on Vine.

So, we were actually making an on-the-spot video of advertising the creative uses of common household items. The moment was so spontaneously fun i have to improvise. lol

You'll smirk on how it ends. LMAO.

8 Most Unforgettable TV Series

8 Most Unforgettable TV Series

Feature by Joey Bidan

If you’re a Filipino, it is rare for one to have a normal conversation about your favorite TV series. Unlike Americans, a few of us watch them alone in downloaded versions. Though we have time to wait for scheduled TV episodes we appreciate them more in our laptops – alone.

Here is a list of TV series with scenes that still replay inside my head even after many months and years:

8. Fringe

- No other Sci-Fi series has sparked my interest so much than this weird cacophony by JJ Abrams. It follows the story of a mad scientist, his son and a detective solving case after weird case with out-of-this-world scientific explanations. From mutations, time travel, ESP, teleportation and my favorite – alternate universes.

7. Ancient Aliens

- Conspiracy Theories are truly intriguing. But aliens visiting us from the past to build the pyramids; relate with Jesus; Noah and the Great Flood? Whoa! The show is based entirely on the pseudo-science of “The Ancient Astronaut Theory” which means ancient people who saw aliens in inexplicable high-tech devices and gadgets worshipped them as gods with extraordinary powers. Watch these documentaries and prepare to blow your mind.

6. Prison Break

- The series is not banned from being shown in prisons worldwide just because of the possibility of motivating prisoners to escape. The methods and devices used by characters are ingenuously accurate even revealing unknown weaknesses of prisons. But I was not hooked just because of its intelligent plot to fit these methods of escaping I’m sure you’ll also find yourself gripping the edge of your seats during intense suspense when characters are about to be shot or saved in  the knick-of-time during their break outs.

5. Game of Thrones

- Sorry fellow GoT die-hard fans. This fell to number 5 in my all-time favorites because I was a bit disappointed to the series’ deviation to the original plot in the novels. Nonetheless, I joined the worldwide madness along with my friends in letting ourselves love a character then watch them die in a shocking brutal scene. That is basically the plot that sets Game of Thrones unique from the other fantasy series. It is a story about magic but stories are more political and psychological than your typical Disney magic.

4. Breaking Bad

- If chemistry is your forte you’d enjoy watching this not because of their accuracy. You’ll just find yourself shaking your head amazed with how badass Walter White, (the main character dying  from lung cancer) a clumsy old chemistry teacher turn into a notorious drug lord hilariously fighting against veteran criminals and at the same time escape the law.

3. Dexter

- Dexter is not just another novel on the TV screen murmuring familiar lines from the book. He’s not even your typical hero. In fact, he’s a serial killer but the type that kills only other serial killers. This is CSI meets or should I say employs Jack the Ripper. The nerve-aching suspense here is how he, as the Miami Police Department’s blood analyst go after serial killers who escape justice and at the same time ironically escapes the justice by tampering on evidence.

2. Hannibal

- As I'm writing this article, Hannibal is still ongoing for season 4 and the suspense of waiting is killing me.  Every episode of the whole show is presented with aesthetically. There's shocking irony in how macabre cannibalism is beautifully served with art. The murders were symbolic and all of the serial killers involved have very intriguing psychological issues that Hannibal (cannibal/Master Chef/psychiatrist/martial artist/serial killer) could relate.

1. LOST

- No other TV show has ever affected my style of writing, my vision and way of life. Lost has definitely changed me. This is one of those television series that will leave a mark in your memory. The whole series from pilot to finale never ran out of significant satires, allegories and symbolisms. A group of people who survived a plane crash in a very mysterious mythical island (that's difficult to locate because it actually moves!). They soon found out how powerful and alive this island really is. How it pushed the survivors to their limits so they would learn who they really are or who they really wanted to be. Every season is unique, shocking and awe-inspiring. One concept everyone will learn here is that all of us - whatever country, race and status- are connected with each other. Whatever we do affects somebody else wherever he may be on earth.

9 Must-Have Helpful Android Apps and Tools with the Least Memory Storage

9 Must-Have Helpful Android Apps and Tools with the Least Memory Storage

9. Color Note (Depends).

This is probably simpler than any other office applications when it comes to taking down notes with minimum interface. In fact, I wrote this article in colornote. When I write my stories, drafts of my novels, assignments, to-do lists and shopping checklists, this is waaaaay more convenient than any other note apps I've used before. I categorize them by priority or importance through its color scheme. And I could keep lengthy and currently not useful notes into the archive. I could even backup everything online manually or automatically in case they all get deleted in my phone. You could google colornote apk and install it to your phone or check out colornote.com

8. Network Signal Refresher by 8japps (692 Kb).

When you see apps claiming they could boost your phone's signal don't believe it. Whether it's a smartphone or not, it could only connect to the nearest available cell tower. You may have a bad signal if that tower you are connected to is congested and the only way for you (and the customer service rep you just called for help) to fix it, is to connect to another nearest available tower that is not congested by simply turning your phone off then on. This is called "network refreshing" and this app could do that without turning your phone off.

7. Event Countdown Widget (Depends).

When it comes to browsing for important dates, special events and holidays, i find it tiresome as I search through my calendar. But with Event Countdown Widget, with one free screen, you could paste small post-it notes of those special events with a related icon of your choosing and a countdown to that date. A simple, fast and convenient way to keep track of those events.

6. Swiss Army Knife by Digital & Dreams (488kb).

Flashlight, Unit Converter, Timer, Stop Watch, Compass, Bubble Level, Calculator, magnifying glass and ruler – all in one app!

5. Quick System Info Pro (536 Kb).

If your Battery Saving app is consuming too much of your internal memory, you could actually use this as substitute with even more functions than say, DU Battery. You could choose to instantly kill applications you are not using in the meantime to save battery while at the same time monitor battery temperature, percentage, CPU usage and memory usage.

4. AlReader (780 Kb).

PDF and Adobe Readers eat too much internal memory. AlReader could open documents of several formats with a simple readable interface.

3. Signals (836Kkb).

From Sempahore, to Sign language; Police Codes, Morse Codes and even Military hand Signals, everything’s here and handy for you to check without having to Google them. This may help when you’re away camping, boosts your survival skills or maybe keep you from being dumb in conversations.

2. Call Recorder (1.16 Mb).

I’m not sure if there are still apps like this on Play Store but this is handy when you want to automatically record incoming or outgoing conversations for evidence.

1. WiFi File Transfer Pro (400kb)

Yes, you could transfer files from your phone to your PC but you don't get to have the option to browse your phone files from your PC. Or what if your laptop is not capable to send files via bluetooth? So you use a USB cable to do the job. But in the middle of sending those precious files it was interrupted (the wire removed or moved, phone vibrated) and next time you check the files were gone and were converted to junk files in your LOST.DIR folder consuming your storage space. But with WiFi File Transfer Pro you could just simply connect your phone and computer wirelessly through a router or a mobile hotspot, start the WFTP app, browse for a file location and begin sending and receiving files.

Why Heneral Luna is NOT a historical film

Why Heneral Luna is NOT a historical film

Yes. I’ll tell you right away this recent motion picture is NOT a film about history. I’m not saying this as a criticism to the characters, the Philippine history or the national pride itself. I’m pointing out not because this film, whose disclaimer says: “This film is a work of fiction based on facts” but because it asserts, “…while historical accuracy is important, there are bigger truths about the Filipino nation that can only be reached by combining the REAL and IMAGINARY.”

I’m not quite certain what this IMAGINARY truth is. Is it implying our history books have never been accurate similar to the way some theorists believe Constantine tampered the Bible? Is it suggesting we need to connect the dots through logic and imagination that even our beloved heroes have committed villainous mistakes?

Let’s start with the film’s depiction of the lowest hierarchy of heroes – the inexperienced Filipino soldiers themselves. Was it ever mentioned by our HEKASI teachers and their books that most of our soldiers those days are treacherous bad-mouthed cowards? No. This truth is only left to our IMAGINATION. For instance, during the first battle of Luna versus Gen. Arthur MacArthur the film shows how male soldiers tremble and run away from a gun fight while their women stayed, holding their own rifles; laughing at the irony. Did they ever mention to us that they swear “Putang Ina” or “Punyeta” when they’re mad?

No. This is not a historical film.

Then, which of these are real events and which ones are imaginary? Do we have to burry our heads again in piles of Philippine History books for us to say that it matters? Do we have to be surprised how the film tells us that Filipinos those days are no different than Filipinos today? How many men like the antagonistic Kawit Brigade’s Captain taking a nap with a woman instead of helping his dying comrades for us to be shocked and to understand what’s real and what’s not? Or does it take a deeper investigation of historically acclaimed famous heroes such as Paterno, Buencamino, Bonifacio, Del Pilar, Quezon, Mabini and even President Aguinaldo himself?

Time and again, history writers are washing their hands. The pride of our beloved heroes’ families will certainly get hurt when truth about their mistakes and weaknesses are written in books. Yet legends will always live from generation to generation through word of mouth. For certain, historical accounts will never be based on these as they belong to categorical hearsay and thus, as what the film claims: “…BIGGER truths about the Filipino nation…can only be reached by combining the REAL and IMAGINARY.”

As humans, it’s not easy for us to accept our own mistakes and weaknesses. What’s more with our heroes? They have certain negative qualities manifested in the film that most of us are not even aware of. We would all accept Luna’s recklessness, frank speech, brutality or what his American counterparts would [use his name as pun to] describe as “Lunatic actions” as necessary evil (not considering his adulterous womanizing). On the other hand, it would be hard to believe seeing scenes such as Mabini, playing safe all the time advising Aguinaldo along with Paterno and other members of The Cabinet. He even stayed blind and silent after seeing the bloody blades of Luna’s assassins. How about Aguinaldo’s recorded denial on his involvement in the said crime the way he denied his indirect murder of Bonifacio saying “…walang sabwatan, walang nagbanta…natalo lang ako sa digmaan…” (No conspiracy, no threats. I’m just defeated at war.) Both Luna and Bonifacio are noted as threats to his presidential seat.

No. This is not a historical film. History they say, repeats itself. So if everyone’s saying it’s a film about our history do we also say that this is a film of our present? Or even worse, is it a vision of the Filipino future?

Open your eyes then look around you. We would all be HYPOCRITES if we say, we love our country. In the name of progress, we allowed Western mentality to invade us slowly. Through what the foreigners are showing us in our televisions, smartphones and computers we are no longer aware that by being almost entirely dependent on them we have lost our Filipino identity. Sooner or later, we will lose the Philippines itself. Are you prepared to call one another as Americans?

Gradually in just a century, our islands are taken away from us. The film may not be accurate on how much Spain sold the Philippines to America but, it’s no wonder if China will sell Spratlys to them as well. What’s next, Palawan? Rebels are demanding that Mindanao be left alone to become in itself a new country and it’s still a mystery who’s supplying their firearms. Left and right, there’s a threat of dividing Philippines and looming all above us watching is the all-powerful U.S.A. waiting for us to give in knowing every one of us is entirely dependent to them.

There is no escape to independence. Sadly, in the words of General Luna, “…mas magandang mamatay sa digmaan kaysa tanggapin ang pamumuno ng dayuhan,” (it is better to die at war than to accept being dominated by foreigners) which means dying for our country is the ONLY WAY. He knows Filipinos lack willpower, courage and discipline which is why “…meron tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa sa mga Amerikano – ang ating mga sarili.” (…our biggest enemy are not the Americans but ourselves.)

No. This is not a historical film. This is a modern political satire as a wakeup call to Filipinos. This is what Gen. Luna calls as “…lihim na mensahe…” (A secret message) – To all of us in choosing between the eternal conflicts of our self-interests or national independence. “Bayan o Sarili?”

Ang Nag-iisang Pantalon (Short Story)

Ang Nag-iisang Pantalon

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From: joeydesoda.blogspot.com

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Isa sa mga talumpating hinding-hindi ko malilimutan ay yung sa isang negosyanteng miyembro ng Rotary Club. Ibinahagi niya ang kwento ng kaniyang buhay kung paano niya nalagpasan ang kahirapan at kung paano siya nanatiling matatag sa gitna ng matitinding mga pagsubok nung nag-aaral pa siya sa kolehiyo nung 1990's.

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Photo: dreamstime.com

Sa mga kapwa ko kabataan ng Rotaract Club, 5 taon na ang nakalilipas, ito ang kaniyang ikinuwento sa amin:

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"Hindi ko kailanman ikahihiyang sabihin na ang tatay ko ay isang magsasaka ng isang maliit na lupa at; ang nanay ko ay labandera't nagbebenta ng mga gulay at kakanin. Dahil sa kanilang katayuan, walang nag-akalang magtatapos ako ng kolehiyo. Sabi nila, magiging katulad rin ako sa 2 kong kapatid na hanggang High School lang; mag-aasawa; magkakaroon ng mga anak at; magiging magsasaka rin.

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"Sa tuwing nababanggit ko kahit kanino ang aking mga pangarap at ambisyon ay pinagtatawanan lang nila ako. Mahina raw ako sa Academics. Mas madalas pa nila ako makitang nagbebenta ng ice candy at mani kesa mag-aral. Nakakapanghina ng loob pakinggan ngunit nagpatuloy pa rin akong magtiwala sa sarili.

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"Dala ang maliit na Baranggay Scholarship at 500 pesos, pumunta ako ng Tacloban para magpa-enrol sa kursong Business Administration. Sa puntong iyon, alam kong magiging mas mahirap sa akin ang buhay sa siyudad lalo pa't kukulangin ang dala kong pera. Libre man ang aking Tuition Fee pero kailangan ko pa ring magtipid para sa pagkain, matitirahan, pamasahe, projects, mga libro at pagpapa-Xerox. Kung kaya't kahit Working Student na ako'y kulang pa rin ang makabili ng bagong damit o pantalon.

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"Hanggang ngayon, naiiyak pa rin ako sa tuwing naaalala kong nakapagtapos ako ng kolehiyo na iisa lang ang sinusuot na pantalon.

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"Marahil nang panahong iyon, sinadya ng panginoon na isa lang dapat ang pantalon na meron ako. Araw-araw akong nagdadasal na sana pagpunta ko sa University ay hindi umulan dahil hindi madaling labhan at patuyuin ang pantalon ko para bukas. Nahalata iyon ng mga kaklase at lalo na ng crush ko kaya't di nagtagal ay naging kahiya-hiyang biro na ang nag-iisang pantalon ko buong semester. Subalit di tulad ng ibang taong nagagalit at nagrereklamo agad sa Diyos ay pikit mata ko nalang ang aking mga luha at nakisabay sa kanilang tawanan.

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( From: joeydesoda.blogspot.com )

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"Isang araw, marahil ay naawa na sa akin yung isa sa mga kaklase ko kung kaya't ang regalo niya sa'kin sa Christmas Party ay isang Original Levi's na maong. Sa sobrang tuwa ko, akala ng lahat ay kotse ang natanggap ko. Ang nakalulungkot lang, isang linggo matapos ko yung labhan ay may kumuha nun sa sampayan. Kaya't balik-suot akong muli sa dati kong kupas at kaisa-isang pantalon.

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"Kahit sinong tao ay pinagdaanan nang mainggit sa kanyang kapwa subalit sa kabila ng pagka-inggit ko sa iba, ay hindi ko naisipang manloko o magnakaw para lang magkaroon ng mga bagay na materyal. Alam ko ang mga priorities ko sa kolehiyo ngunit sinisikap ko pa ring ipunin ang bawat piso at barya para lang makabili ng bagong pantalon sa ukay-ukay. Madalas ang sakit isipin na kailangan kong gastahin ang kakarampot na barya upang umuwi sa Samar sa tuwing kelangan ako ni Nanay.

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Photo: mirror.co.uk

"Dahil hindi ako nakaron ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng bagong pantalon ay kinalimutan ko nalang yun lalo na nung araw na pumanaw si Tatay. Parang gumuho ang buong buhay ko na namatay lamang siya sa simpleng sugat. Ayaw niyang gumastos ng pera sa mga gamot at pagpapa ospital. Ang mas mahapdi pa sa dibdib ay nung malaman kong mas pinili pa niyang gamutin ang sugat niya sa Herbal upang makatipid at makapagpadala pa ng pera sa'kin.

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"Sabihin niyo sa'kin ngayon, ano pa ang halaga na mangarap ng isa pang pantalon, kung mismong Tatay mo ay namatay na nagsasakripisyong makaipon, para ka lang makapatapos ng pag-aaral?

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"Karamihan sa atin ay sisisihin agad ang Diyos ngunit naisip kong kagustuhan iyon ni Tatay. Gusto niyang mas lalo pa akong magpursige sa kabila ng pagiging mahirap namin.

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 ( From: joeydesoda.blogspot.com )

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"Sobra-sobrang lungkot at sama ng loob ang dala-dala ko pagbalik ko sa University matapos ang libing ni Tatay. Sobrang sikip sa dibdib na sa isang class recitation ay hindi ko na talaga napigilang tumulo ang mga luha ko sa harap ng mga kaklase nang ikwento ko ang lihim ng malungkot kong buhay.

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"Humagulgol ako sa harap nila at nagkulang ang aking mga salita para ipaliwanag kung gaano ko hinahanap-hanap at na miss ang aking Tatay. Ang kaisa-isang taong nakaintindi sa mga pangarap ko at sumuporta sa'kin, kung kelan halos pagtawanan at ikahiya na ako na ako ng buong mundo.

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"Ganun pala kahapdi ang kinimkim na luha sa mata. Ganun pala kabigat ilabas lahat ng sama ng loob sa dibdib. Nakita ng aking guro at mga kaklase ang isang bahagi ng taong kilala nila bilang masayahin araw-araw, palatawa at madaling kutyain. Naintindihan na nila kung gaano pala ako sobrang nasaktan.

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"Matapos nun, patuloy ang buhay at mas lalo akong nagsumikap sa pag-aaral. Isang taon ang lumipas, at isa ako sa mga grumadweyt na cum laude sa aming batch.

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"Isa iyon sa mga hindi ko malilimutang ala-ala ng buhay ko. Ang Nanay kong nag-akalang hanggang hayskul lang ako, ay siya pa mismong nagsabit ng medalya ko. Hindi niya napigilang umiyak sa stage habang yakap ako. Ang Dean of College na alam ang kwento ng buhay ko ay naluha rin, lumapit at niyakap kaming dalawa.

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 ( From: joeydesoda.blogspot.com )

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"Sa sandaling iyon ay nagsi-tayuan lahat ng mga kaklase ko, sumunod ang ibang mga mag-aaral sa buong stadium at napuno iyon ng mula sa pusong palakpakan na kailanma'y hinding-hindi ko malilimutan.

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"Maraming tumulong sakin makapasok sa mga trabahong mataas ang sweldo. Sinubukan ko ring matrabaho abroad sa Dubai, London at Canada upang makaipon ng malaki para sa pamilya ko. At ngayon, marami ang nakakaalam na ako ang may-ari ng sarili kong mga tindahan. Karamihan sa kanila'y nagbebenta ng mga branded na pantalon sa mga malalaking mall kung kaya't hindi na ulit nag-iisa ang pantalong sinusuot ko araw-araw.

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"Para sa mga mag-aaral na may mga ambisyon ngunit gusto nang sumuko, magpakatatag kayo. Ang pagsasakripisyo niyo ngayon habang nag-aaral ay panandalian lamang. Lahat ng yan tatawanan mo lang sa sandaling may magandang trabaho ka na. Hindi sapat ang pag may tiyaga, may nilaga. Pag may tiyaga at pagpupursige, walang ambisyon na di mo makakamit."

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( Isang maikling kwento ni Joey Bidan/JoeyDeSoda From: joeydesoda.blogspot.com )