Dear Kababayan

Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) has greatly affected Luzon. About 280,000 people have been displaced and 51 were killed as of this writing. (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090927-227130/51-dead-280000-displaced-by-Ondoy) Around 41,000 people are now in 92evacuation centers.

AFFECTED AREAS: Aurora, Quirino Nueva Vizacaya Nueva Ecija Pangasinan Pampanga Tarlac Zambales Bulacan, Rizal (CAINTA) Quezon Isabela Mt. Province Benguet Ifugao La Union Ilocos Sur Cavite Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Occidental Batangas Marinduque Camarines Norte and Metro Manila (PASIG, MARIKINA, STA.MESA)

WE can HELP. WE can be HEROES in our own little ways. BAYANIHAN!

Check PHOTOS of affected people in MARIKINA here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rembcc/3957566392/in/set-72157622458559722/ FROM TXTPower: (http://www.txtpower.org/2009/09/philippines-help-typhoon-victims-in-luzon-philippines/)

TXTPower urges its members, supporters and friends abroad to makedonations via Paypal. You may also donate via SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103) or GCash 0917-9751092. All donations coursed through TXTPower will be sent to the Philippine National Red Cross.

The Philippine Red Cross is accepting MONETARY and IN KIND DONATIONS. (http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx) 1. CASH or CHECK Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up. 2. BANK DEPOSIT Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross METROBANK Port Area Branch Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8 Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2 Type of Acct. : SAVINGS Swift Code: MBTC PH MM BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS Port Area Branch Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99 Type of Account: CURRENT BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS UN Branch Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94 Type of Account: SAVINGS Swift Code: BOPI PH MM For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number. Credit Card Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575: Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone & mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be donated. For online donations you may also visit our website at www.redcross.org.ph . In-Kind Donations LOCAL Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila. We could also arrange for donation pick-up. INTERNATIONAL

1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC
2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Corazon Alma de Leon, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.

The PNRC does not accept rotten, damaged, expired or decayed goods. Though we appreciate your generosity, the PNRC also discourages donations of old clothes as we have more than enough to go around. SMS and G-CASH (Globe) SMS text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart) G-CASH text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882 Most urgent needs Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap Rehabilitation Programs: Shelter materials for house repair Call Hotline 143 or 527.0000 THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines

*****

Please help find our friend, Dodong Galvez, Kostkan Alumni(I'm Kostkan too).. He's been missing for 2 days. Please contact the numbers as you can see the picture above. Thanks for your generosity!

Photoblog: Raining Girl

This is my cousin's friend. I visited her in her new condominium but it's pretty raining outside. So I went home after this. I couldn't believe this raining couldn't stop. I miss taking pictures haha..

Critic Review: In My Life[Filipino Film]

Went to Robinsons Galleria with three ladies(laxa clan) to watch the new Vilma Santos-starrer "In My Life". After that ordeal, we could only hope the movie is worth it. And thank God it's that good!

Veteran director Olivia Lamasan and screenwriters Raymond Lee and Senedy Que brings us a gem in Philippine drama: less tears but an absolute tearjerker; close to real life but richly plotted and unpredictable.

Vilma Santos plays the role of Shierly Templo, a sourly librarian suffering from empty nest syndrome, with her daughter Dang (Dimples Romana) planning to move to Australia with her family, and her estranged gay son Mark (Luis Manzano) living in New York. After a fight with Dang, she decides to visit Mark, only to be surprised that he is already living with another man named Noel (John Lloyd Cruz), an illegal immigrant.

In an attempt to win Shirley's approval and affection, Noel patiently chaperones her around the city and attends to her needs. After spending more time with her son's lover, Shirley realizes that she has become emotionally distant from her son and soon becomes jealous of Noel who seems to know Mark better now than her. This gap deepened when Mark, despite Noel's coaxing, refused to tell his mother about his serious medical condition. As he is recovering from his illness, Shirley attempts to repair their relationship and the history of their mother and son relationship unfolds. But a dark cloud looms over them all and things will never be the same again.

For its exceptional casting alone, In My Life is amazing. Vilma aside, my heart goes out to John Lloyd, that rare dramatic actor who can make you cry just by seeing his eyes well up with tears. He portrays a lover quietly suffering Shirley's tantrums with restraint and grace, but at the same time, he makes it heartfelt and sincere.

I was surprised by John Lloyd and Luis' screen dynamic as a gay couple. They call each other as Babe, display very romantic photos in their apartment and as the movie ends, they share a tender kiss on Brooklyn Bridge. Onscreen, their love is sweet, hushed and terribly romantic; even more effective and memorable than most hetero screen pairings. As for John Llyod and Luis being typecast in gay roles or catching social stigma, I have serious doubts about that, for onscreen, they are still as masculine and virile.

As for Vilma, she portrayed a multi-dimensional mother who learns to get off her high horse and deal with displaced motherly pride. Later in the movie, Shirley realizes that that even if she's done everything for her children, she failed to know them as persons. Unlike other mother roles she has done in the past, the Star for All Seasons depicts a flawed mother who eventually finds peace with herself and her past mistakes.

Not to be missed is Shirley and Noel's confrontation wherein the traditional sampalan was reinvented and Noel throws in the lines: "Anak mo lang siya, hindi mo siya pag-aari. Kung ano ang naging siya, dahil 'yon sa mga taong pumaligid sa kanya, at isa ka lang doon." Another highlight of the movie is the dance sequence of Luis with his mother. Currently the Governor of Batangas, Ate Vi has been very vocal in saying that she is passionate about dancing and apparently her son inherited this love as well. The audience is also treated to the amazing sights and landmarks of New York City. With Mark, Shirley, and Noel, the audience experiences a slice of middle class life in the city that never sleeps. In My Life also has witty one-liners and refreshing comic relief in between dramatic moments, effectively delivered by Vice Ganda. We wish he had more exposure in the film.

I give this 5 stars..

Goodbye, Atty. Pidiong Laxa

credit: Tito Enrique Montero My granduncle (center) holding their 2 apos.

He died yesterday/last night before I visited last 2 days after. I couldn't believe it and thought he could survive it til his 6 months to live. Though he died peacefully in front of his family/relatives. I wasn't there to watch him die just because I received the call of my grandaunt, sister of his and my grandfather telling my parents to come to see him dying. Three of them died in the same year. One is March 2, One is March 23 and this one yesterday. (1 sister, 1 brother) Their surviving is his brothers and one sister together with his 7 children. Will attend burial later tonight at the Heritage Park, Taguig City. He's the chairman of MMFF(Metro Manila Film Festival) and a former producer or director on his previous film together with FPJ, Erap and don't know the details hehe.. Pero he's famous lawyer before til he died. Was announced his death on TV(SNN) last night. Hearing this news, mom told me he died.. I was like I dropped my ears and eyes.. I once touch his hand to relieve his pain but he reminded me of my grandfather. :(

Celebrating my dad's birthday

Yesterday, we went to Shangri-la for dinner to celebrate my father's birthday. He now turns 54. We enjoy eating dinner together as a whole family when my two brothers came home from their work (one is OJT and one is working in a IT company). My youngest brother just came home from tutor (his grades are getting better in favor of my parents to send him to International School in States or Singapore). I, do not have a job in other company and it's pretty hard to find a decent job here so I decided to help my parents business to improve more clients to come. I'd be the head of marketing and will gather some ideas such as web design to be able to show local filipinos if they have swimming pool on their own. Here's the photo I took last night:

The gift inside is a small token from us because I know dad doesn't need expensive gift so we bought small necktie(jewerly).

Dear Manila,

It's raining today instead of just teasing us all. That’d be really great.

ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration.

Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.

Father's Love Letter Narration

This is the most amazing video ever. And it is by God. All that was said was real and true. It came straight from the scriptures. And if you think this from God wasted 10 minutes of your life, and you will regret. Well probably most of the stuff you do with your life is wasting your life when you could be doing better things. I am Catholic and I feel this video can express itself throughout the people who have never known..