more comments ...

..this time on SDA's article...

When we succeed or fail, there must be a reason behind it and God only knows. Your failure of not being admitted in your job as a  seaman has made you develop your faith I guess. And look, you are still alive! You could have been among those victims of that sunken vessel. And I am sure, you are far better off from what you are now. Thanks for sharing and hope to hear more from you.

Comment from larigolotte2412 - 30/01/07

******************************

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, your ways are not my ways,"  sayeth the Lord..

I was very touched by your story ..I am reminded of another saying: "When God closes a door, He opens a window.."

Many good writers are from Asingan: Sonny, SDA ( who could he be?), BenHur, RA ( from Carusucan ) and Bugsy too!.Dad Vic also, and Archie Macanas  too!!...Hope I did not miss anybody..

Keep on writing guys..

Rain

****************************************

ON SDA

I think I know him even though he may not know me. He was a year or two ahead of us in the elementary. But even after he went on to high school, I remember that his artworks are on a perpetual display in the Art classroom of North Central School. Consistently on the Honor roll, as well.

He  is too fair and sensitive though to be aspiring as a seaman. (That's my impressions of him back in elementary, anyway). Not that he lacks the brawn but he certainly has gifts much better put to use in other areas,  And thus, I could be wrong. But maybe that's the reason why the Lord intervened.

 

 Please forward my sincerest kudos to him... You've found your true calling. 'Galing mo idol!

 

sonny espejo

feedbacks...

..and comments

Bravo Peanut Butter! You are such a very talented girl. We are very proud of you. Tita Susie.
Comment from larigolotte2412 - 30/01/07 4:11 PM

oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo

To Sonny,

What a pleasure to read your childhood account.  I can really relate to you my childhood experiences as well. How I miss my barrio.  How I miss my late mom who used to take me to kiskisan of her cousin. How I miss going to the rice field when I was a young girl. How I miss those good old days......so poor yet full of golden memories.  Those are my treasures that I would not trade with anything else.  Thanks Sonny and more stories to come please?

Comment from larigolotte2412 - 30/01/07 4:08 PM

oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo

 am celebrating with you in thoughts.  Congrats, Grandpa!

BenHur Soloria

oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo

 I am certain that she shall make it to the top choices:)

Britishempress

oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo

Answered prayer dad for the glory of GOD....'m positive she'll be accepted...i'm very happy for you and Mom...to have such a wonderful..talented grandaughter Mia...

Rain

oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo-oo0oo

 

audition day for Mia

mia at mayfield

Mia, just before her interview

"Where is Peanutbutter? You are next.." said a lady as she opened the door of the small room that looked like an oversized closet with a piano and a boom box on top.

It is called a PRACTICE ROOM, a place found in the MayfieldSchool of Arts. Yesterday we went for an audition/entrance exams for Mia. Michelle, Mia's mom wanted to enroll her in this prestigious school for this September..When Michelle ( my daughter ) wrote out her application form, she included the short story PEANUT BUTTER which is also featured in this Journal a few weeks back. In this way, the adjucators would know she is well.-rounded with other art forms as well. Her list of skills include painting, ballet and basic video film editing.

Her birthday is August 11. It struck me because one of my good friends in the DC was also born August 11.

Anyways, We got out of the room, into a hall then we followed the lady into the entrance of a bigger room which is used, among other things to screen applicants. Only the applicant was allowed into the room but since I am accompanying her in one song, I was allowed to go inside with her..

Two ladies working as screening judges were seated a few feet away from her. Outside, peering thru glass doors, were the 2 Moms ( Michelle and Miguelita ) .

So I sat in front of the black Yamaha piano and when one of the teachers said: "Okay, let us hear your song," I started playing an intro to HERE I AM LORD, a very popular church hymn..Usually, it is sung in a solemn, slow tempo. But I transformed the timing into something bouncy, like a soft rock..It works and it never deviates from the spirit of the song...I was very, very careful in playing the accompaniment, because in a way both of us were under scrutiny as we did our separate roles..It was over after 3 minutes.I stood up, and walked to the door.Michelle opened the door and went in too. Mia's next song is a pop number NEVER HAVE A DREAM COME TRUE and the accompaniment is a karaoke track on an IPod. She had to make the necessary cable connections to the boom box in the hall. Feeling nervous gave me some hunger pangs and so I walked to the school cafeteria and sampled the coffee and pastries the school prepared for all the applicants. There were quite a few of them that morning. Only 30 openings are available. We heard there were about 600 applicants.

Every now and then, a lady ( a staff of the school ) would clean up the table ( napkins, juice boxes, styro foam cups etc. ) left by applicants and accompanying family members..

In about 30 mins, Mia, Michelle and Miguelita came in. Mia was crying.."Why??" I asked her..

"Oh she is nervous," Michelle said.."Her interview went fine..The 2 judges spent so much time chatting with her after the technical questions and exercises..In fact they laughed at her stories concerning hobbies and present home/school activities.."

Mia is like that. She is composed during an interview and right after she goes out of the interview room, she would break down into tears..relieved that the stressful chat is over..She did not make any mistake in the songs. She sang HERE I AM LORD gazillion times in church and she sang NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE during her paternal grandmother's birthday.

And at the end of the interview, one of the 2 judges told her: "From now on, you won't be called Mia anymore..We would call you PEANUT BUTTER!"

strike a pose, Mia

link to PEANUT BUTTER

http://journals.aol.ca/mabait42/ASINGANIAN/entries/2006/12/11/written-by-mia-costes-gonzales-my-13-year-old-grandaughter../1196

from SONNY ESPEJO

memories of my childhood

(a view of Asingan's barrio skyline)

When I was growing up, I hated taking those afternoon naps and all I wanted was to go out with my friends and playmates in my Dupac neighborhood.

"Stay put after lunch and sleep. You need that to grow fast, otherwise you would stay short like Mimay", my Inang would always exhort. Inang was my maternal grandmother with whom I lived. Nana Mimay is of course the then famous midget woman who sold peanuts and snacks at the town plaza. Everybody in Asingan knew her.

Of course, I was never worried about staying short like Nana Mimay. I simply knew it's not true. Fact is, I was growing very fast those days. Too fast that when she bought me shoes for some special times like Recognition Day in school, my grandmother  always insisted on something one size bigger than my actual size hoping that I could use it again for the next time. She would then stuff it with Bannawag pages so that it would fit me snugly – never mind that it would look like Goofy's huge shoes– only to find out that I would have outgrown it again by the next occasion. She would do that every year and she never  learned.

"You better sleep, or we will leave you behind on Saturday when we go to the kiskisan", she would then threaten, sensing that I was not sold on her stunted-like-Mimay theory. Now, that would get my attention. On mention of the kiskisan (rice husking mill), I would feel the need to toe the line and pretend to sleep beside her in the papag, waiting for her to fall asleep so that I could tip-toe out later. Fact is, I would never miss the trip to the rice mill for anything. I just love to go to the poblacion and loiter around the millhouse watching the old machine do its thing. For a young barrio boy who never had close encounters with anything more mechanically complicated than the gripo, the rice mill is rather fascinating and imposingly complex. Of course, buses, trucks and cars pass through our barrio and even helicopters land in the plaza for rescue work during the flood seasons, but I have never been allowed to observe them closely or given the chance to figure out how the different parts fit and work together like I am allowed to do in the kiskisan. I also look forward to the treat of hopia and royal tru-orange – so refreshingly warm and straight from the display shelves as freezers are unheard of in small stores those days - which comes with the trip.

So on those appointed days, at about 3 pm in the afternoon, I would volunteer to unleash my grandfather's carabao from under the kaimito**** tree where it would be down on all fours, eyes half closed, regurgitating and perhaps contemplating on his lovelife. Despite outweighing me, a frail boy of seven or eight, 40 to 1 and notwithstanding his menacingly sharp horns, I would tug effortlessly at his rope to rouse him to stand and then led him by the nose beside the old coconut stump where I could climb on for an easy mount. I would be riding him to the banawang***** so I could give him a nice refreshing bath prior to taking him to town. Carabaos love nothing more than a cool dip in the middle of a hot day. Kalakian* would be so enthusiastic about it that sometimes I am persuaded to join in for a swim in the clear irrigation stream. We would be joined in by a swarm of annoying mosquitoes and pesky flies. They would be hovering above our heads, confused and undecided as to who smells better between me and kalakian.

By the time we would be back in our backyard, my Tatang (which is how I call my grandfather) would be impatient and fuming mad over what took us too long. He would have finished loading the sacks of unhusked rice into the kasko (also known as kariton) and everything had been readied except for the motive power. The kasko of my Tatang is one of his few precious possessions. It is a two-wheeled cart with a sturdy wooden box for a body and two long pieces of wooden beams on the two sides for a chassis. The beams extend far enough into the front so that they could flank Kalakian and they could be secured to his yoke in front. The wheels are marvelous feats of woodworking – iron ringed wooden rims at the ends of wooden spokes radiating from a wooden hub reinforced also with iron rings. To say it's a primitive contraption is the mother of all understatements. But despite the absence of independent wishbone suspension or a touch of aerodynamic styling, the kariton serves its purposes quite well. At the back, my Tatang attached some reflectors discarded from some old jeepney to giveitsome high-tech character. And some wise guy scrawled the mean warning, " Distancia Amigo" and the meaner "Caution: Air Brake" ala Pantranco. I am mighty proud of our kariton. My Tatang is very selective as to who is allowed to borrow it – only his relatives and drinking buddies, which also means the entire barangay.

To this day, I could still hear the sound of the iron-rimmed wheels as it rolled ploddingly on the dusty gravel road. The grating sound of pebbles crushing on its heels is matched only by the equally annoying squeak of the un-lubricated bushings rotating grudgingly around their axles. My Tatang would sit in front of the kasko controlling the rein. He would look like Diego Silang with his bistokol ( a helmet-like hat fashioned from the shell of matured tabungaw, a member of the pumpkin family). I would be slumped on top of the sacks of palay, shielded from the afternoon sun by a brimmy pandan hat. I would have to duck every now and then as some low hanging foliage along the way threaten to brush me off from the top of the heap. My Inang would walk behind us with her umbrella, probably as an additional insurance that a wheel would not decide to detach itself from the rest of the kariton unnoticed. It's a slow ride without the excitement of racing, much less overtaking something else that moves. But it was fun and enjoyable nonetheless.

Invariably, we would arrive at the kiskisan situated across the street from the old Tabacalera. It is managed by a kindly old lady who is a close acquaintance of my Inang, judging from the way they would gossip. Tatang would stand inside the carriage of the kasko to shove over the sacks of palay to the shoulders of the kargadors who would effortlessly carry them off into the millhouse. And while tatang would find a suitable place to park his kariton under those giant acacias that used to ring the Tabacalera , I would go straight to the kamarin or millhouse. We go here often enough that the mill operator knows me by nickname and I have befriended him enough that he allows me to go up the wooden stairs to the second level where the sacks of palay are being poured into a big wooden funnel. From that vantage point, I could see the whole operation. The driving engine (possibly a one-cylinder diesel machine judging from the way it chug-chugs) was housed separately inside a small barn at the back. All I could see of it was an iron pipe that spewed water into a cooling tank and the drive belt which wentoutfrom a hole in the walls of the machine room and went into an opening at the back of the main millhouse. The belt loopsaround the main cog of the mill which in turn drove a series of secondary belts and chains which drove an assortment of gears and cams and levers producing various up and down, to and fro actions and rotations. I would gape at the complicated assembly for a long time and stare from all possible angles trying to figure it out with boyish amusement. As a child I would be fascinated at how a clockwise motion could be turned into counterclockwise or how a slow rotation could be made faster or how a rotary motion is converted into a linear, back and forth action. And I would marvel at these things as I would always do with anything mechanical. Only the frantic calls of my grandmother could take me away from my musings. "Come and load the toyo** and the pegpeg*** to the kariton. We have to move on. Its getting dark now. Hurry!" she would command.

Later in the night after dinner, I would draw the milling machine from memory. Under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, I would be sketching,  doodling and dreaming of building my own machine. I knew then that I would not be a farmer like my Tatang. I would become an Engineer. ---#

**************************

EDITOR'S NOTES:

* I assume to be the name of the carabao ( water buffalo)

**rice bran, a good supplement for the slop given to pigs

***small pieces of rice grains, a good chicken feed..

****star apple tree, a very common fruit tree in Asingan then

*****a  wide watering hole or pond, not very deep

########################################################

Sonny finished Engineering in the Philippines. He is presently working as a  Senior Structural Engineer in Dubai.

Rated PG 13

STORY OF A RING

I remember an experience I had as a Navy Corpsman.   My first tour of duty as an IDC (short for Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman) was aboard a small Navy warship, the USS
Ainsworth FF 1090.  One of the few pleasures of being a US Navy sailor was  the opportunity to visit various places within the continental waters of the United States and beyond.  Sometime in the fall of 1985, we visited the historic port city of Palermo, Sicily.  Our ship was tied up to the pier
alongside another fast frigate from the same squadron that our ship belonged to.  That ship also had an assigned IDC.  One early morning while I was taking a shower,I was alerted by an announcement over the ship's public address system that
a corpsman was  needed for a medical emergency in the quarter deck (the ship's reception area.)  Soap suds all over my body, I rushed out of the shower and hurriedly put on my uniform.  I knew that my junior corpsman would respond to the emergency, but since it was very early in the morning,
I got ready for the emergency, just as well.  In a split second, I cleared the ladder from my berthing space and the narrow passage way on the port side leading to sick bay (medical clinic), my general quarters station and my work center, as well.  I was pulling the exam table paper over the exam
table when my corpsman and another sailor showed up on my door.  "What's the emergency?" was my immediate question.  "Let's close the door,"  my corpsman calmly replied as he and the other sailor walked into my space. 

"What's going on?"  was my next inquiry.  The Ainsworth was a relatively small ship. Sailors on board  knew each other almost on a first name basis.  I knew that this sailorbrought to my sick bay was not one of us.  "He's from the other ship," my corpsman informed me.
"Tell him what happened, "  he encouraged the healthy-looking sailor for whom the emergency was called.  "What's your name?" I asked before the sailor had a chance to open his mouth.  I wasn't too pleased to put my uniform on over my soapy body for an emergency that seemed not to be, after
all.  I conveyed my displeasure in the manner I spoke to him.  "Tom Older"( not his real name, of course ) he nervously responded.  "I went to see my IDC but I found out that he had left for the states for a family emergency."  "And what is the emergency?"  I repeated my unanswered question.  Without a word, Tom pulled down his trousers and revealed a dark red penile shaft choked by a stainless steel US Navy service ring.  His phallus had turned dark purple. By then Tom was as pale as the exam-table-paper. " Please help me!"  he pleaded tearfully.   The good Samaritan spirit had taken over me.  "Get up on the table." I motioned to him.  Mike, my junior corpsman proceeded to take his vital signs, as these are routine requirements when tending to patients. 
"Get me some ice when you're done."  Mike knew that was my initial and practical intervention.  In my training to become an IDC, this kind of scenario was not even suggested or mentioned at all by our mentors nor had I encountered something like it during my clinical rotation.  The logical thing to do was to remove the ring.  It was a very simple idea  but not so
easy to put into action.  The ring was stuck like it was part of his dick. 

The bag of ice didn't do a thing to shrink his engorged  discolored manhood.story......  I could tell that my patient was beginning to be alarmed by the condition of his dick in peril.  "Please do something,"  he pleaded, tears of embarrassment and anguish flowed freely from his blue eyes.I thought of the tube of surgical lube in the drawer underneath the exam
table.  "Okay, we'll try this one.  We'll have to get this ring off this monster."  I said reassuringly without success.  The lubricant failed to dislodge the stubborn ring.  Tension was skyrocketing.  "How about Amyl Nitrite?"
Mike was smart to think of that possible remedy.  "We can try if we have it, trouble is, it's not part of our inventory."  I shot back.  I thought of sedation to relax the patient.  I have Valium IM in my narcotic safe.  As I worked the safe combination, I paused and thought that it was  best for this fool to remember this ordeal for the rest of his life.  No pain, no gain. 
He must as well learn a lesson that a horny toad is not always a happy toad.  I turned back to the patient and coldly told him, "Younger, I will have to cut it"  I was actually referring to thering that was the source of his agony.  "What?  Oh, please,
don't.  Can you get someone to help you?"  The look of terror on his face was indescribable.  "Calm down"  I tried to control him.  "I mean the ring."
   

I reached for the ring cutter from the first aid box mounted above the sink.  The ring cutter didn't make a dent on the solid stainless steel ring.

  It was hard as a rock.  I thought, maybe that was a dull one.  I knew that we have three other ring cutters on the ship - one in the medical storage room and one in each of the two battle dressing stations.  "Mike bring me the ring cutters from the BDS."  I ordered.

One thing I really admired in my junior corpsman was his agility and speed.  In no time, he was back in sick bay with two brand new ring cutters.  Mike and I took turns working the cutters.  It took us a good half an hour to cut
through the ring.  "Ah, there is hope to save your dick, Younger."  I  mumbled as I made the last cut that went through the ring.  But the job wasn't over yet.  I could not pry the ring open.  That ring was solid and hard enough to hold the ship's anchor.  "Oh, shit,"I let it out in violation of formality.  "Hey, M A one,"  I yelled out to the Master-at-Arms who had come to sick bay to offer his hand.  "Don't you have a bolt cutter? I need it."  "Sure,"  Master-at-Arms first class Miller
was always willing to help.  Soon he was back with us. 

This time, I backed out.  "You are the expert on this.  It's yours."  I told him.  In a quick snap, the ring fell off in pieces.
Michelangelo could have not been able to paint the look of relief on Tom's face.!

        Two weeks later, our ship pulled into Rota, Spain.  I bumped into Dave's IDC in the base club. "So you're back.  Everything okay?" I asked him cautiously.  "Oh, I thank the Lord.  All is well"  he answered back with a broad smile.  "And how's Tom doing?"  I followed up.  "Dave, who?" my colleague looked puzzled. 
"You know, that dude who slipped his ring over his dick?" I updated him.
"Oh, yeah.  He's alright.  His name is not Tom anymore. The ship calls him Ringo!"---#

--Ben Hur Soloria

Ben Hur was my buddy since we were still teaching at the Divine Word Academy, Urdaneta Pangasinan. A few of his writings were featured in earlier pages of this Journal. Indeed, I would describe Ben as a gentleman an a scholar...

PHOTOS, STORIES

All in a Sunday Afternoon

Fr. Louie, last Sunday started his sermon with the following story: A pastor was inside a sheltered bus  shed with a woman who was also waiting for the same ride. It was pouring cats and dogs outside and just to start a conversation, the pastor said.." If this rain won't stop, I am sure somebody would start building an Ark.."

The lady said: "What's an Ark?"

The Pastor said.."Haven't you heard about Noah, who built a big Ark and brought inside several animals?"

The lady innocently said.." No, I am just in town for three days and I did not have any chance to read the newspapers yet..."

****

After the Mass, some people came to our house for a bit of socials mixed with drinking and eating. A few tried singing and the kids went inside the TV room to do their own thing...

Much later after the guests had left, I took some shots of Mia and Emma who were left behind. While they waited for their Mom to pick them up, I took a few shots of them, together and individually..

Same afternoon, I received some photos from Rain in BC ..

Enjoy the photos!

Emma  enjoying some pastries

Gruesome two some, ( just kidding!)

 

Mia, in a sombre mood..

 

Rain in a favorite hang out: a jewelry store!

 

In a ferry crossing over to Victoria Island

..

 

In a railroad  track going  into nowhere

 

At the Gap checking for a right clothing size in the children's department..

 

Time to go back home, shucks!

feedback on Archie's accident story

from Sonny

Glad to hear your safe, Archie. I remember you as the athletic, tough and prolific scorer whom we played against in the Asingan basketball league in the early 80’s - where nasty bumps and hard tackles are part of the game. I am thus not the least surprised that you came out of that mishap virtually unscathed. But thank your car’s head rest not your air-bag. A big bump from the rear, if I remember my physics right, would cause your head to lurch back and, without the headrest to impede the motion, would probably cause your neck to break or worse, your spinal cord to snap. That probably explains why you are complaining of a stiff neck rather than a bruised forehead. Otherwise you are very sound. One benefit arising from your accident, if I may add, is that you find the time and inspiration to write a beautiful account of it. Stay safe and my regards to your family.

Have a good day.

-sonny

Comment from masicampoboy - 23/01/07 4:20 AM

 

a first person account

an accident story

 by Archie Macanas 

Here is the story with regards to my accident that happened last Friday January 19, 2007 between 1pm to 2pm. Earlier that day, I went to Best Buy to buy something. I went home along Los Feliz Blvd.  I reached the junction of Riverside Street and about to turn left to that Street and I merge to the merger lane. The traffic arrow light has just turned red while the go ahead light still green.  The traffic to that lanes were the fast cars. There were about 4 or 6 cars in front of me waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Even if I was totally stopped I still looked at the back mirror as I used to do and no cars were behind me. I know that I was the last car in that lane. My mind and my body were  relaxed but only my right foot wasn’t because I was busy on the  the pedal brakes.

Suddenly, I heard a “BANG” then my car slammed hard to the back of the SUV in front of me, just like domino effect. The last thing I remember was  my forehead hitting the steering wheel then I went  unconscious. 

Then  a guy tapped my shoulder  asking me if I’m okay. I said, “okay for what?" then I remembered the bang I heard. He asked me again if I’m okay while he was talking in his cell phone. I said, “I don’t think so! I fell dizzy and woozy.” I noticed that he was on the line 911 reps because I heard him telling I wasn’t okay and following some instructions. I tried to get up out from my car but I felt woozy so I went back inside the car.

I couldn’t explain why the airbags of my car did not deploy from the hard impact of the accident.  Later I  searched the Internet re:  the characteristics of the airbags. One of the explanations: when the car is at rest or not moving, even though it will be hit hard by a moving vehicle, the deployment of the airbags will not be activated. Particularly, if the brakes are on.

The lady from the car which hit me said, “are you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t see you; I was confused.” She’s confused all right, she came from a different State. The guy who tapped my shoulder was the driver of the SUV in front of me. He conversed to the lady while I was inside my car trying to settle down. I found a pen amalgamated from the mess occurred inside my car then I wrote the License Plate of her Toyota SUV that hit me, just in case.

After 5 to 10 minutes,  Police cars arrived.Paramedics also came and helicopters were hovering around the vicinity. One of the paramedic put a brace around my neck. Before they put me to the stretcher I was still concerned re: getting the information from the lady who hit me but the police told me it's okay. He said, just mention it to your insurance to get the Police report from the Department of LAPD. Then the ambulance rushed me off to the Glendale Memorial Hospital which was about ¾ mile away from the incident.

Inside the emergency room, after they untied me from the stretcher a doctor come to me started an examination  all over my back by pressing and little squeezing my neck and questions. They give me medicine : one a muscle relaxant and one for pain. Then they transfered me to another bed for immediate x-ray. After 5 hours of observation I got released and x-rays were negative but the Doctor said, “I need you to come back Monday or go to your personal doctor.” The nurse gave me an instruction form for back pain management and prescription for my medicines. Also, instructed me to do minimal movement for 2 days.

Next day after the accident, after I wake up in the morning I suffered stiff neck. I can’t move my head all the way to the right. I called my personal doctor but he was not in, I have to wait Monday. I called the hospital, I was instructed  to continue my medicine and come back Monday.

Sunday, 2nd day from accident my back pain getting worst .Definitely I will go to see my doctor..

Yesterday In the afternoon about 3pm (Saturday), I managed to drive to the Tow Company (LAPD yard) to see my car and to get my belongings. My car was a total wreck. The back of the car was a total damaged. My body, too at that time, felt like s...t, accidents are never good to the people involved!

ALOHA FROM MAUI

  FROM MAUI....TO ASINGAN...                                                             

 

 

                                                                      

 

to whom it may concern:

 

Aloha to all of you! we're not LMMSAT grad. but we are willing to help.we're from maui and read about your project out there in LMMSAT abt. the library. since you're coming to maui on feb.1-6, me and my sister start collecting some of the mentioned magazines and other books that may help your project. we even asked some help from our friends abt. this good project and they're willing to help us too.

 

here is my contact no. (808)298-4722 and you can leave your message anytime and we need to know how to get in touch with you by the time you're here in maui. looking forward to hear from you ASAP and hope to see you here.

 

 

aloha from,

myla

to Mystic

from Rain

Mystic, I hope that someday, I will be able to play four hands with you on your grand piano! Am looking forward to it!!Love ya!

TOILET ART

What kind do you have in your house?

Heavy Drinker

Musical

Star Wars addict

His & hers

Arse biter

Grandma's

Antique

scared stiff

Torso

The BEST OF THE LOT...It's  made entirely of one-way glass! No one can see you from the outside, but  when you are inside it's like sitting in a clear glass  box

Now  would you... COULD   YOU...  Use it?!

#############################################################

FROM DEEDEE

..A COMMENT FOR MYSTIC

It would be my honour to have Mystic wear my collection in all of her performances..indeed I shall be there with my whole support and to cheer her on..but then again...with the enormity of her talent...she needs not much cheering at all:)

Deedee Connors
Comment from britishempress

2 photos

from Mystic

Mystic singing the National Anthem for the San Jose Giants .

 

Piano Recital--San Jose State University  ( The singer, my piano teacher  did not memorize his song)

 

Mystic is a very talented young singer who is a part of the Pangasinan Org. Discussion Center family. A part of my music collection is an MP3 of her singing TIME TO SAY GOODBYE..

 

 

feedbacks

To Sonny:Asingan has really produced some good writers! Can not help bursting into laughter after reading your article about Dubai..Send some more, okay? -- Rain

*********************

Can't stop laughing from Sonnys' story.  Maybe they looked like Indonesians indeed.
Comment from ortega13 - 17/01/07 6:07 PM

Well, some of the early immigrants to the Philippines were Indonesians, right?..So it is possible!... Glad you enjoyed the story!

 

an article from G

The Passage through Makassar Strait

The fleet landing at Fremantle, Western Australia was almost empty of vendors and spectators when our ship got underway in early December morning. We left Australia with plenty of romantic memories. Most of my shipmates were impressed about the exquisiteness and hospitality of down under. Some had considered marrying their girlfriend they left behind. They wanted to go back when the ship was scheduled to dry dock for overhaul then they can take vacation and get married perhaps. Certainly they bragged about their experienced in their engagement with Australian women. On my case I find the beauty of the landscape a bit amazing and the flora and fauna is entirely different from the US especially in California. I never had in mine about romantic affairs with Australian though I had a girlfriend myself. Since the next port of call was at Subic Bay, after the announcement of "the ship is underway" I was daydreaming of eating pinakbet, parya with bogoong, sinigang na bangus and so forth. I was having nostalgia of our motherland as one of the kind and off course the best liberty port in the world.

Prior to performing my task on the first day I went down the ship inertial navigation system (sins) room to check for the heading, latitude, longitude and azimuth of the ship. This is my reference to be entered into my Aircraft Inertial Navigation System test bench. On this position I knew it then that we were en route through Makassar Strait. This strait is a narrow passage between Indonesia and the Island Borneo this includes the island of Java in which it extends 800 kilometers southwest-northeast from Java sea to the Celebes sea.

Early in the morning on the second day, the ship was making its passage on the narrow channel near the island of Gunung Tambora. It seems like the whole island was a garden of tropical flowers and coconut trees. This must have been a great delight to god; for they were the best he ever planted in this location. The mountains and hills, sub soiled with heaving volcanic fires. Vinta sail boats were sailing near the island with multicolored sailing cloth-it was truly amazing.

On the third day after making our passage near the island of Borneo, the land mass of our motherland came into view-it was then our ship was in the vicinity of Celebes sea. Perhaps about 60 miles in distance between the island of Tawi tawi and Sabah, Malaysia since part of the land mass can be sighted on the port and starboard side of the ship. Though it was my first sight to the island of Mindanao from the open sea, I can tell that our country was blessed with beautiful sandy beaches, fertile land and sculptured scenery. And in the fullness of time it was planted with mangroves coconuts, balete trees and so forth. Bright seas made with wave embroidery and calm water. It seemed everywhere in the island of Mindanao was a broad and exuberant mantling forests where there was beauty, melody and peace. I knew it then I was home free.

And this was the end of our smooth sailing on the narrow passage of Makassar. The next land mass that we sighted was the island of Panay. The villagers might be saying when the spotted the USS Midway " kadakong na barko, kadamo eroplano". Home sweet home for Filipino sailors!!---#

more feedbacks..

for Sonny's story

manong vic:

 

that was funny. i like sonny's style of writing; simple, funny and entertaining. tell him to write more stories and a little bit longer, he, he, he...

 

ayee

******

Dubai was also my hangout when I was in the region for a short period of time during the first gulf war.  It was a bustling melting pot then. I remember the Deira Tower, an imposing skyscraper that rivaled many continental architectural gems.  There was also the Golden Sandok, my favorite Filipino
restaurant and a hotel which had a Filipino cultural group in its
entertainment galore.  I spent a night in that hotel just to be able to make a phone call to my family on the eve of the outbreak of the war.  I loved the sook and actually spent a good deal on gold jewelry which I mailed home.
  When I returned from the war, I found out that those things helped to reassure Perla, the kids and our friends that I was okay and that the war-weary region was fine because I could go shopping.  Our friends told me that whenever Perla showed signs of discouragement, that they would tell her to stop feeling sorry and that she should feel blessed because she had the
kind of gold jewelry that they didn't have.--#

 

--Ben Hur Soloria

(By  the way, Ben is Sonny's first degree Uncle..)

FEEDBACKS ...

....FOR SONNY'S ARTICLE

That’s a very funny story by Sonny. That’s a good lesson, I guess! For me it is. Sometimes take a glance to the mirror before enunciate that you are pulchritudinous person to the entire planet. 

From that story, I speculate that in general that we keep forgetting our Philippine History about culture.

I watched the movie  “Dubai” with my wife and my two kids more tha a year ago to the special theater only here in Beverly Hills stars Gretchen Barretto. It’s a nice story and very beautiful scenery in Dubai. I also watched at History Channel the Dubai greatest and marvelous man made Island in the world. I am thinking, maybe Sonny is one of the engineer crew to that project. That’s one of the incredible projects of Century by Engineering.

Arsenio Macanas

*************

From: Deedee
Remote Name: 64.12.116.201
Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Message

.... Manong Vic I do enjoy reading your blog...keep them coming.

( from the DC, Pang.Org )

 

a story from Sonny Espejo

a Friday in Dubai

 

Sunday in Dubai is the start of the work week. Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend days, Friday being the holiest day in the Muslim faith. In lieu of a Sunday service, Christians attend Friday masses, which to me is just alright since I find the Sunday evening mass too much of a hassle. And so, one lazy Friday morning after the mass in Saint Mary's Church, we drove to a chic and newly opened mall in the beach district of Jumeira, all three of us Flips, to just walk around and have a good laidback lunch. Such thing is a luxury in our working environs. We chose a restaurant called Chilis, not so much for the Mexican style food but for the good view that its wide glass walls offer of the front walk and the taxi stand and the fountains set on a garden further down.

 

Dubai has become a cosmopolitan city, and on any given day, you would encounter people of different nationalities and ethnicities mingling and interacting just like they were from the same small village called the world. They said boys will be boys and over dessert and coffee Raul, Ed and myself enjoyed taking in the sight of lovely girls that seem to just walk around for our ogling.  Blonds, brunettes, blacks, Orientals, middle eastern, Latinas, Americans, Aryans, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Filipinas, Vietnamese, Australians, British – they're all here. And we were pimply college kids all over again. One banter leads to another until Ed and Raul came to a head – they could not agree on who is prettiest, Brazilians or Swedes. I am not of much help either. I admire most the virgin-like faces of Lebanese ladies but I keep that to myself.

 

But just to break the deadlock, I asked them for a change who they consider are the most unattractive. Almost unhesitantly, "Indonesians!", they declared in unison and I laughed with them in total agreement. Of course, we were thinking in sync of that fat, loud, snooty, unsightly, scowling Indonesian wife of our landlord who just that morning reproached us on the use of the garage. Yup, we unanimously agree, Indonesians are officially the ugliest and we moved on chatting about other care free topics, dropping that mean joke altogether.

 

After a while, a Filipino guy, apparently homesick and new in Dubai approached our table. " Kabayans!", he greeted.   "I overheard you speaking in Tagalog.  Kanina ko pa kayo gustong lapitan. Kaya lang naga-alangan ako. Akala ko kasi kanina…

 

… mga Indonesians kayo."

 

We almost died laughing and we were never more red in the face. Poetic Justice, it was and it came way sooner than we expected.

 

Moral of the story: Always choose a landlord with a gorgeous wife.

 

--Sonny Espejo

 

another comment on Sunday, Sweet Sunday

about Patricia's movie project...

anyway, i want to let you know (and maybe you can pass this on to mia) that patricia and mellissa got an A+ on their project. i believe the comment was, "i've never seen a more original presentation in all the years i've taught." the teacher loved the change of locations, the wind howling in the background while patricia was doing her piece on the rainstorm and the way it all came together. needless to say, she is keeping the dvd to show future classes.

--Louena, ( Caitlin & Patricia's Mom )

a comment on Sunday Sweet Sunday

LONGWAYBYE SAYS...

I remember the sweet innocence of my childhood too. Back home, in that  beautiful but economically hard garden of eden, one learns that a wrong is sometimes a right, and this is met by silent looks of parents, and a quick change of topics, or the admonition that 'that is to be done', basta yan ang gawin....

I remember particularly the times when I was told that whenever there are people looking looking for my parents, I should go to the gate, which is a little far from the front door of our house, ask them who they're looking for, who are they, and tell them I dont know if my parents are home but Id go and look.

then i will report to my parents. usually they wont entertain the visitors, but sometimes they would for a select few.

it was only when I was in high school that I was able to fully realize the importance of this 'approach', it might have even saved our lives then.....

slowly, the innocence of youth gives way to the understanding of the ways of the world...interrupted only by the idealism of college years...I still remember one of the reasons why i chose to go abroad: so that Id be able to live with as much ethics and morals since on an empty stomach, they would be down the list.

well, what have i learned thru all theseyears? That once you get basic needs out of immediate problems,(because salary abroad can provide for basic needs very well unlike back home), then one proceeds to higher morals, the violation of which is more sickening to the stomach than violations to feed the gurgling stomach.

people, when their stomachs are full, think of more money, and when they are sufficient, think now of sex...hehe It is just that in the pursuit of these otherwise okay goals, lies, injustice and unfairness surely will be committed.

I guess that is what is really the beauty and the enticing power of what is called the simple life back home. When life is simple, you have simple pleasures too, but  you also avoid
Comment from longwaybye - 14/01/07 4:56 PM

note: It seems Longwaybye went beyond the alloted length for comments in the AOL Journals section..But he talked re: the innocence of childhood which is very personal, as well as poignant, to all of us..And considering it happened back in the old country, which, if you ponder on it for a moment, it seems to be just a pretty dream where sad elements were deleted..

I remember a story I heard in the College Campus ( Adamson University ) while chewing the fat with some of my College buddies..One was narrating..

"Now this kid was in the front yeard when this man came to him  and asked:

'Is your tatay inside the house?'

The young boy said: 'Wait, I will check..'

After 2 minutes, the boy came out and announced..

'My tatay said he is not at home..'  "

 

"Regrets, I have a few", went the song composed by Paul Anka for the great crooner Frankie Sinatra..One of my regrets is not having taken my College studies very seriously..I prefered to get more involved in extra curricular activities in the Campus. If I was not able to go abroad,  maybe I could have wound up in an unsatisfactory job in an obscure part of the Mother Country, dreaming  and wishing for a life SOMEWHERE in the world, somewhere except in the Philippines...

end of another Sunday

SUNDAY, SWEET SUNDAY

Sunday mornings are always the busiest ones in my weekly calendar..And each Sunday is quite different from the one that has just passed by..

Today, all my 5 singers spent the afternoon in my house...Patricia, the new kid in our choir finished her school project in my PC..Last night, she took some shots in a DVCamera and this afternoon, they edited the footage into a 4-minute mini - documentary..

I gave them open access to my PC and they made use of the movie maker..a free amazing software that could produce a short documentary..something unheard of a few years back..Since my PC has no DVD burner yet, I had to make a final DVD-R copy of the  school project in my DVD-Recorder..

While Caitlin was typing in the names under the credit titles, Emma was asking: "How about me?..How about me?

So Caitlin typed in "Emma Forbes..Moral support consultant.." It was just a school project, all in the spirit of fun!

Before ending this entry, I want to share a few quotes I heard from Emma this morning..

There are several copies of our  Church hymnal here in our house which we need in order to practice the songs..Emma opened one of them and read on the first page: PLEASE LEAVE THIS BOOK IN CHURCH..Then she asked me: "What is this book doing in our house?"

Then while exchanging the usual knock-knock jokes, she said:

"I know the meaning of dude.." Yeah?", I said, noting that dude means man or a male person. "What?" I asked..

" A dude is a pimple on a donkey's butt.."

I almost spilled my coffee all over my Sunday attire.---#

Sen Shahani's Speech on Peace ( pt. 1 )

Sen Shahani urges peace within and without    (Editor's Note: Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani of the Phillippines delivered this keynote speech at the "Breaking Down Barriers & Building Bridges of Peace" Conference on April 29, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's office, the Dallas Peace Center, Peacemakers Inc. and the DFW International Community Alliance. Sen. Shahani is the co-chair of the Third International Women's Peace Conference to be held in Dallas July 10-15, 2007.) It is a great honor for me to be invited by the World of Women for World Peace, an organization founded by the dynamic Congresswoman from Dallas, Eddie Bernice Johnson, as well as by the Peacemakers, Inc., the DFW International Community Alliance and the Dallas Peace Center to speak before you today on the theme of “Breaking Down Barriers and Building Bridges of Peace”.  I have come all the way from the Philippines to come to the beautiful city of Dallas for this happy and memorable occasion.  Although this is only my second visit to Texas, I am not a stranger to the United States.  I lived for many years in New York and Washington, D.C., went to college in Wellesley and finished graduate work at Columbia University.  I spent nine years in the United Nations Secretariat about four of which were spent in New York City.  As you can see, my stay in your country was spent in the Eastern seaboard, facing the Atlantic Ocean and Europe.  I am, indeed, looking forward during this visit of mine to learn more about the mothers and women of the Lone Star State of the USA, which is also the native state of your President, George W. Bush.  Dallas, Texas is also the venue of the forthcoming International Women’s Peace Conference which will be held in July 2007.  It is a privilege to have been invited by the President of the Conference, Carol Crabtree Donovan, to serve as her Co-chair for the conference.  Carol and I have been working together for the past few months and I certainly look forward to collaborating with her closely in putting together such a worthwhile project.  At the end of this talk, I hope, together, we shall have planted several seeds of peace. Peace Begins With the Self I shall start with something very obvious and because it is so obvious it is easily overlooked and taken for granted, that is, peace begins with us,, thus, the subtitle of my talk: “Peace Within and Peace Without”.  This is a truth which mothers, who are the number one peace-makers and peace advocates in the world, instinctively understand.  This is because they want to raise happy children whom they want to live in a peaceful world.  Mothers instinctively shun violence and avoid hurting others in the same manner that they would treat their own children. The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) opens with this moving statement: “Since wars begin in the   minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” There is no escape from the fact that the beginnings of war and violence originate in the dark recesses of the human mind and heart, in the same way that hopes for a better tomorrow begin with an inner radiant vision.   We, who are advocates of peace, must be peaceful within and, more than that, we should manifest our inner state of peace in our daily behavior and lifestyle if we are to live in peace with our families and with the outside world.  This is what I mean by the phrase “peace without” which is part of the title of my speech.  This meeting today is an indication of that universal longing for peace inside and outside ourselves, the origin of which is a spiritual insight signaling to us that peace and harmony are the basic conditions of life without which we cannot hope to evolve as human beings nor progress as families, communities and nations.  My long-time guide in combining the inner and outer worlds of peace is Mahatma Gandhi, the great spiritual and political leader and the father of the Indian nation.  He was single-minded in his quest for God and truth but social reform and the struggle for the independence of his country were his chosen playingfields; he did not follow the monastic and isolated path.  Gandhi once said: “I could not be leading a religious life unless I identified myself with the whole of mankind and that I could not do unless I took part in politics.”   But why is peace, all the same, so elusive and fragile? Because, as Gandhi found out through his own life, there has to be a deep personal commitment to be peaceful, that is, not to be angry or violent in thought, word and deed.  As peace advocates, we must be at peace with ourselves and with others, even in thought which does not necessarily manifest itself in action.  This is not easy to do but we should strive to achieve this stage. Yet, the perfect peace we desire, that is, peace within and peace without, cannot   be completely achieved and sustained because many events are beyond our control, in terms of time and space.  The beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict, for example, go back to Biblical times.  The seeds of the Cuban-American enmity, in the same way, were already planted during the discovery of the Americas by two ethnic groups with different cultures, the Anglo-Saxons and the Spaniards who came from Europe.  Years of misunderstanding and inequality have led to deep-rooted conflicts which cannot be resolved nor transcended by concerned groups or even by entire nations.  As a result, many of the proponents of peace become angry, vindictive and blinded by hatred because they discover that events are beyond their control or influence.  With this frame of mind and heart, there can be no peace, only increased oppression and renewed violence.  Peace does not only mean the absence of violence.  It requires mutually accepted virtues such as truthfulness, respect for the human rights of others, objectivity and, yes, gentleness.  Peace among Nations What we are interested at this gathering dedicated to honoring mothers and also in preparation for the International Women’s Peace Conference in 2007 is to help achieve peace among nations as well to foster friendly relations and understanding among women from different countries and cultures.  I firmly believe that a first step which women peace advocates should take in our confused and troubled times is to acquire accurate knowledge of the geography, history and foreign policiesof our respective countries.  If I may be allowed to say so, this is particularly important for Americans.  I say this not only as a former diplomat of the Philippines but as a functioning NGO at present.  You might be tempted to say: “But we have nothing to do with the State Department or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of my country.  We don’t care about Government.  We just want to help create peaceful conditions and friendly relations.”   I suppose for many of you the careers of ambassadors or diplomats are something that is far too removed from your daily lives.  But what diplomats do is important for they implement their countries’ foreign policies in their respective posts.  What the American Ambassador in Iraq does everyday can advance the cause of war or peace; what the Chinese Ambassador decides in Washington, D.C. about his priorities in relation to the trade deficit of this country can affect the lives of many Americans; what the Philippine Ambassador does in Saudi Arabia to protect the human rights of Filipino women workers in the country of his assignment affects the  record  of the Philippine Government at the United Nations in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. We should be ambassadors of peace in our own way; but more than that we are peace volunteers because we our hearts tell us to be so, not because it is just another official job to do.  There seem to be two forces which motivate and push individuals as well as nations as they interact with each other.  On the one hand, there is the desire to live in peace with one’s neighbors and with the rest of the world; on the other, there is the drive to compete with each other, to the extent of wanting to dominate the weaker ones, and be acknowledged as the superior presence in the neighborhood or geographic region.  These two contradictory forces can also be complimentary and, I believe, it is in coming to terms with these two tendencies for sustained harmony and for intense competition, that we can create the conditions for peace in the world, a “win-win” situation as modern managers calls it. I realize this particular aspect of international relations is too vast and complex to be covered at this meeting but let me, for the sake of illustration, confine myself, using broad strokes, to the Spanish American War (l898).  This event is close enough in time and space to those of you from Texas and the other states of the Southwest region of the USA to have affected your lives, even up to the present.  It is also this event which brought the Philippines under the political control of the United States and assured the presence of the United States in the Western Pacific and East Asia, an event which made it a major world power.  Philippine-American relations continue to affect today the daily lives and fortunes of the Filipino people.  I am aware I am treading on controversial waters but peace advocates, like ourselves, if we are to be effective, must be intellectually courageous and emotionally strong, to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and understand the origins of causes to which we commit ourselves. . In addition, the passage of time since the Spanish-American War, has tempered the heat and passion of the day.  Americans and Filipinos can look at the matter, I hope, in a more detached and constructive way.  I might also add that the analysis of this example can be used for similar events the world over. The Spanish-American War (l898) You will recall that the oppressive and despotic rule of Spain as a colonial power caused resistance in two of their colonies far away from each other – Cuba and the Philippines.  The demands of the Cuban patriots swayed the US Congress to intervene in Cuba.  The expansionists in the US Government saw an opportunity for  the emerging colossus of the North to get a foothold in Asia through the Philippines, Spain’s colony in that part of the world.  I might also add that there was organized at this time the Anti-Imperialistic League whose members were the writers Mark Twain and William James. The sinking of the USS Maine with the loss of 260 American lives exacerbated the situation. To cut a long story short, President William McKinley on April 20, l898 signed the Joint Resolution of Congress to declare war on Spain.  It was at the same time that the Philippine revolution against Spain was gathering momentum after more than three centuries of oppressive colonial rule. The efforts of great Filipino heroes like Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio culminated in the establishment by General Emilio Aguinaldo of the Malolos Republic in l898, the first Republic in Asia to be successfully established against Western colonial rule. The Filipinos would have succeeded in their revolution against Spain had not a stronger power, America, appeared onthe scene and made the Philippines suffer colonial rule, a second time around. By the Treaty of Paris of December l0, l898, Spain renounced all rights to Cuba, allowed an independent Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million dollars and imposed over the islands American sovereignty. The Filipinos continued their struggle for their fledgling independence this time against the Americans and thus began the Philippine-American war, a bitter three-year war which claimed the lives of 4,200 American soldiers, 20,000 Filipino soldiers and 200,000 Filipino civilians.  Think of all the Filipino and American mothers of that period grieving over the loss of their sons in a war (the Philippine-American War) whose origins were based on chance and accident.  It is my considered opinion that loss of lives and property could have been avoided if Americans understood the Filipinos’ long and frustrating struggle for national independence and granted them, instead, greater autonomy.  Memories of the Filipino-American War persist even until today, the most vivid of them pertaining to the bells of Balingiga, a town in Eastern Samar, Philippines.  Allow me to relate the story not to rub salt on old wounds or to re-stir a hornet’s nest but to show how peace was lost and how it could be won again. In l899 during the Filipino-American war, Filipino insurgents surprised and killed a contingent of about fifty American soldiers stationed in Balingiga. According to plan, the church bells were rung to alert the Filipino soldiers to begin their assault on the Americans. It was a well-coordinated and successful operation. The victory of the Filipinos, however, was short-lived.  In a few days, the Americans, angry and humiliated, returned with a plan to burn the town and reduce it, to use the language of their American general, to a “wilderness”. They did just that, destroyed the whole town, killed civilians and Filipino soldiers and brought back with them to the USA two big bells of the church tower of Balingiga as their war trophy. This is not surprising for after all to the victors belong the spoils of victory.  Also, let us not forget – history is written by the victors. Over the past years the town of Balingiga tried to recover the bells, claiming that under the Articles of War church property cannot be taken as war souvenirs or war trophies. Nothing moved for many years until the appeal finally reached the highest levels when President Fidel V. Ramos, in l996, transmitted the request to then President Bill Clinton; to recover the bells.  After both sides tried to find a solution, a Solomonic decision was reached whereby the US would retain one bell and the Philippines could keep the other.  Just when President Clinton was going to sign the appropriate Executive Order, a Senator from Wyoming (whose name I have yet to verify) objected to the arrangement on behalf of his veteran constituents who wanted to keep both bells which, they felt, belonged to the USA.  The bells remain in Wyoming until now.  Don’t you think it would do so much for peaceful relations between our two peoples and countries, now good friends and tested allies over the years, if both sides kept a bell each?  The Philippines and the USA had their reasons to want the two bells but since this was not possible why not settle for less?  In the pursuit of peace, it is sometimes necessary to compromise or to be content with what one gets.  Perhaps the saying: “Half a loaf is better than none.” applies in this case.  I have related this episode because it illustrates how superior power can obstruct justice.  Perhaps there will be some women in this audience, real peace activists, who will help bring one bell back to Balingiga while the other remains in Wyoming.

Sen. L. Shahani's Speech on Peace ( pt 2 )

Power and its role in the relations among nations Henry Kissinger once said: “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”  Lord Acton was more explicit; you may have heard his famous observation: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  It is the desire for power which drives individuals and nations to seek to dominate others.  The weaker, less efficient states suffer in a world where only power and wealth dominate. It will be said that some nations are wealthier than others, more endowed with natural resources and better equipped through its history, leadership and sense of national identity to provide for its people and preserve its national patrimony.  There is, indeed, a disparity among nations, also caused by an unequal international economic and political system.  We need to understand the complex reasons for this,.  It must be admitted that part of the poverty of many countries is the fact that they have been robbed of their resources by the stronger ones; this is why colonialism, whether political or economic, should be condemned and prevented.  On the other hand, many countries remain poor because of their own choice of corrupt leaders, and their impoverished citizenry who lack access to opportunities of education, employment and health.  It is this disparity among nations and peoples, the great divide between rich and poor nations which cause regional conflicts, such as we see in the Middle East, or World Wars as we have witnessed in Europe, America and Asia.  This is why legitimate power and authority exercised with justice and fairness is a “must” for world peace. Power when wielded with justice and respect for human rights can create conditions for peace and prosperity.  Where there was confrontation and polarization, a democratic process mandated by a just authority can lead to real progress.  This is why the United Nations system symbolizes the best hopes for mankind.  The Charter of the world organization begin: “We the peoples of the United Nations… reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights between men and women and of nations large and small…”  This ideal is easier said than done as the U.S. position, demanding for more accountability and transparency, is correct.  But the UN is a topic for another talk.  I will just say that for smaller nations a multi-polar world, because more democratic, is safer to live in than a uni-polar world. So the world progresses and regresses.  The world is a mixed bag of forward and backward movements, of progress and stagnation, of hope and despair.  But there is much that can be done, even if situations remain fluid.  Those who want to help in the cause of peace, whether they come from rich or poor nations must be determined, as I have said, to fight for justice, truth and fairness.  This is why there is a natural solidarity among just-minded citizens, whether they come from rich or poor nations, if they are determined as we are in this room, to bring about respect for human rights, and to enable the deprived to have access to opportunities to satisfy their basic needs. The Role of Women How about the role of women in the search for peace?  That role, in my view is becoming increasingly important.  One of the undisputed achievements of the United Nations is its contribution in enabling the women’s movement to emerge as a global-wide force in the majority of its Member States.  The growth of the women’s movement is perhaps one of the few undertakings of the world organization which has directly affected the lives of millions of individuals and their families in a tangible and positive way.  The theme of the United Nations Decade for Women (l976-l985), “Equality, Development and Peace”, demonstrates the wide range of influence and the indispensable role women play in their countries.  Women were represented at the founding of the United Nations in l945 by a small sub-commission on the status of women.  At that time, its members came mainly from Western European and the already independent Latin-American countries.  It took someone with the stature of Eleanor Roosevelt, who was loved and respected not only in this country but also throughout the world, to insist on the creation of a full-scale commission to work for the rights of women within the United Nations.  Her vision was realized.  Today, the Commission on the Status of Women has served as the engine of growth which has pushed forward ideas, concepts, programs and policies within the UnitedNations system on women’s rights.  This is not to say that the NGO’s have not done their pioneering work in this area for they certainly have; indeed, there has been a real partnership at the United Nations, between Governments and the NGO’s.  In the time that is left, I should like to talk about a major achievement of the United Nations which I believe will interest mothers and women in the audience.  This is the preparation, adoption and ratification by l8l Member States of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  Described as the International Bill of Rights for Women, CEDAW is the first and only international treaty that comprehensively addresses women’s rights not only within civil and political spheres but also within economic, social, cultural and family life.  Adopted in l979 and ratified in l981, CEDAW is the second most highly ratified treaty after the Convention on the Rights of the Child with l8l States Parties out of l9l Member States as Signatories. The United States signed the Convention in l980 but it has not yet been ratified by the US Senate. Ratification is important because the Convention carries with it the principle of State Obligation. In other words, the State has responsibilities to women from which it cannot withdraw. It is unfortunate that, with the exception of a few cultures, we live in a man’s world where women do not as yet enjoy equal rights with men.   Discrimination against women definitely exists, in both rich and poor countries.  Discrimination has been defined in the Convention as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”  This, indeed, is a mouthful but I hope that the women of Texas will not be put off by the legal and technical language of the Convention and will study this very important convention which concerns the rights to which they are entitled.  This can stimulate discussion; debate and dialogue among women of the many nationalities such as are found in Texas and also promote solidarity among them.  Let us not forget the slogan much used at the l985 United Nations World Conference on Women, held in Nairobi, Kenya, of which I served as Secretary-General – “Sisterhood is global.” Article 5 of the convention focuses primarily on family education and recognizes maternity as a “social function”, the recognition of which is so important for the protection of the mother, child and family, and, indeed, for the survival of the human race.  Article 5 is worth quoting as we honor mothers today:  “States Parties shall take all appropriate measures: a)      To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women; b)      To ensure that family education includes a proper understanding of maternity as a social function and the recognition of the common responsibility of men and women in the upbringing and development of their children, it being understood that the interest of the children is the primordial consideration in all cases.” It is obvious that the Convention could serve as a major vehicle for women in Texas as well as in all parts of the world to help achieve peace within the family, community and nation through upholding the human rights of women and their equality with men in terms of social and family practices and norms. We live in dangerous, troubled and uncertain times.  No country or, for that matter, no individual, no matter how powerful or wealthy, seems to be safe from danger or harm.  Our globalizing society freely exchanges goods and services in the same breath as it does dangerous drugs, nuclear bombs and all forms of terrorism.  We all have also experienced nature’s fury from which there is no protection, nor refuge. But we should not despair. Let us have faith in ourselves and listen to that still small voice of universal peace which will give us the strength to overcome all difficulties and obstacles, even when the going seems impossible.  Our individual experiences has shown that what matters in daily living is the acceptance of others on a basis of mutual trust and equitable sharing, not hatred or rejection.  The history of nations has likewise shown that in the end what triumphs is power tempered with justice and respect for the rights of others.  Women, especially mothers, with their talent for nurturing and giving, understand these truths instinctively, and can show how to administer power with justice, as they do in their families.  It is about time they step forward in public life and participate actively in the affairs of their communities and countries instilling the message of peace within and peace without.  Let the women now ring the bells of equality and justice, of freedom and fair play.  Together, with the men, let us build together the foundations of a lasting peace!

more on FVR

Last time I saw FVR

The only time I had a close hand look at FVR ( Fidel Valdez Ramos ) was during that town fiesta when he came to Asingan to promote was called TARAY TI ASINGAN ( Asingan's Run ) ..It was a gimmick to encourage the laid back Asinganians whose only exercise might just be bending elbows for a swig of basi, or maybe to swat a fly while resting under a shady tree in the  backyard during the lazy, hazy days of summer.

So his arrival was announced by the roar of a helicopter crossing over head and landing on the Asingan town plaza. I was ready for him, a video camera in my hand and I posted myself in front of our house. My nephews and nieces were already there with me, jostling about waiting for FVR to appear from Macalong, one of our barrios. Macalong is sometimes the last barangay to visit, and from there, they would proceed straight to the town plaza..

In anout 30 minutes, a boisterous mobile van with a PA system showed up a the corner where the Suratos residence is and unmistakably, we saw the man who would be the President.

He was surrounded by body guards left and right and they were doing a nice gait, not too fast, not too slow..I switched on my video camera and started shooting, zooming the lens on him and pulling the zoom away as he approached our house..As he passed by, I said: "What's going on?..Why is he jogging with a cigar on his mouth? Whats he doing, mixing nicotine with his intake of fresh Asingan air?"

Only after I examined the videocam stills that I found out the cigar was not lighted. It was just a prop. A security blanket like Linus' in the comic strip Charlie Brown..

***

A few days later, Ester my sister, her family and I went to Lingayen to visit the beach. On my way home, we dropped by a furniture shop owned by a retired teacher, Mrs. Villanueva. All her children are already in the US and the furniture shop is her way of keeping herself busy and her mind away from Alzeimers..A big signboard that says VILLANUEVA FURNITURE is on top of her building which houses a number of exquisitely carved tables, chairs, etc.As we chatted, I found out that one of her pupils before was the very young Master Fidel Ramos..

"He was very smart in class, " she said.." and whats more, when there was fighting, he tried to pacify the protagonists. He is a good pacifier, a peacemaker..He has good leadership..I am confident he will win this election.." She predicted when we asked her about FVR's chances in the upcoming Presidential battle...

And so he won, as I have read it in the Globe and Mail newspaper, one of Canada's periodicals which is published coast-to-coast, via sattelite during the Presidential election...I was elated knowing at last an Asinganian became the President of the Philippines..

Annie C. Cano gave me a link to FVRs accomplishments, and it is quite a long list..

http://www.answers.com/topic/fidel-v-ramos

Anyway, he is still working hard, promoting the country in various meetings, conferences etc. both locally and internationally..

Indeed he is one of Asingan's finest...

a little story about FVR

The Real Last name of the Ramos Clan in Poblacion West Asingan ( and why Fidel Ramos born in Lingayen) -by Arsenio Macanas

The FOLLOWING story is related by my mom  Andrea C. Macanas.  She said she also heard it from my grand father Ilas Cisnero the great storyteller. Laki Ilas was a very close friend of Narciso Ramos. They were like brothers.

The Ramos clan in Asingan have politics is in their blood from the time of ex-Mayor Placido Apellido..(1901-1905). After he was elected as  Mayor of Asingan, his last name was not still not  Ramos until the government officials from Lingayen visited our town.

During that time traveling was the most difficult task to everybody except the government officials. They had their own service : a 4 - Horse Wagon. The officials were Spanish-Pangasinanese "mistisong pang-galatok" . They noticed the last name of the Mayor was confusing in our dialect and in the other  language too, so they decided  to change it. From that day,  the "governador de Pangasinan " officially changed Apellido. into  Ramos.

(If your last name is Apellido. and you’re from Asingan or anywhere in Pangasinan, maybe you are a very close relative of the Ramos clan in Asingan)

Placido Apellido. had four sons, one was  Narciso Ramos who married  Angela Valdez Ramos (the aunt of the late President Marcos). They have two children:  Ex-President Fidel V. Ramos and Ex-Senator Leticia Ramos Shajani,  both were born in Lingayen. Narciso graduated as "Abogado de Campanella" and he practiced his profession in Lingayen Pangasinan, where he resided since it was too far from Asingan and it was hard for him to commute back and forth . He won the a congressman seat three times as (1934-?) and served as a Minister of the Philippines to Washington D.C. U.S.A. (1945-?). After his service in Washington D.C. he come back home to the Philippines and he became ambassador to Taipei (1960-?). The last position he had was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He died around the '70s His remains were displayed in the Catholic Church to be seen by the people of Asingan.

Although Fidel Ramos was born in Lingayen (1928) his heart is in Asingan every now and then. When he was a kid he loved his relatives and happy with his playmates back in Asingan. He can’t wait until  his parents visited our hometown. He attended elementary School in Lingayen.

some notable names from Asingan

( from the Asingan Corner, Pang.Org)

Rain, Sun_shine- Welcome to our town. It is small town but I am proud to say that this town produced great leaders of our country, Narciso Ramos, Fidel Ramos, Congressman Milla, Congressman Justino Benito, Cong. and former Governor Colet, Sen. Leticia Shahani, Vice Governor Ranjit Shahani, Chief of Staff of Philippines Armed Forces General Hermogenes Esperon, to name a few. -- Ramon Casio Antonio

****

Here are some photos of Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. One of his older relatives, Rodrigo Esperon was my classmate in Dupac during my Elementary days. Rudy is a rugged, handsome chap with curly hair and an ever ready smile. Plus a devil-may-care attitude that sometimes gave our teachers a high blood pressure when it comes to study habits. But I guess Rudy made good, somehow, somewhere. I lost track of him after graduating from Gr. 6.

Here are two photos of the General for the townmates who might have never seen him yet ( I am one of them ).

Rain ( Sue V. ) also mentioned that FVR ( Fidel Ramos ) would sometimes drop by her house in Manaoag to call on her dad ( may he rest in peace ) and to talk of politics ( among other things ). He is a friend of the de Venencias of Dagupan City.

For the record, FVR was born in Lingayen, went through his elementary school years there. But at present, he has a beautiful  house in Cabinculan, Asingan. So Asinganians usually claim him as their "own.".His uncle, Jose Ramos had served one time as a Mayor of Asingan.---#

Essays from some Asingan students

Manong Vic,

I've been out for some period of time. But it doesn't mean that i am out of circulation. I've been reading your posted messages here and also in your blog. I will be sending you some articles/essays of some students from PSU-Asingan (where Ninang Ester* works). These students are my scholars for this year. Through the power of internet, (and insider from PSU) I was able to screen and pick 2 scholars in the name of my wife, the late Cristita Somera Antonio who passed away 4 years ago. This CSA Memorial Scholarship is actually a brainchild of Ninang Ester. The theme of the essay writing is about the "Ill effects of Smoking". My wife is a victim of lung cancer (she does not smoke). She had a clean and disciplined way of life. I thought of having this project not just in memory of my wife but also to bring awareness of the health issues related to smoking. Also in the same manner that i will be helping some deserving students not only financially but also encourages them to bring out their potential and innate talents for writing. I will keep in touch soon. Please use these articles as you wish.

Sammy

*Mrs. Ester Costes Lomboy, our youngest sister..

___________________________________________________

The following essays were written by students of PSU-Asingan. James Gamazon and Emagelyn Garcia are this years' scholars. The rest were given  monetary rewards.

ILL EFFECTS OF SMOKING

Smoking is one of the bad habits of people all over the world. Smoking causes many diseases that slowly poison and kill life. Some of the diseases that smokers get in smoking are malnutrition, osteoporosis, tooth loss, mouth cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and emphysema. All of these diseases cause "death. It does not matter if you are poor or wealthy, whether you are an American or a Filipino if you’re a smoker, you will be a victim. Do you know that for every stick of cigarette you smoke, you lose one second of your life? Our government is always reminding us and gives warning that cigarette smoking is dangerous to our health. So why smoke if it will shorten our life? Why do people smoke if it is dangerous to their health? Why do people smoke if it causes death? There is only one thing that I want to say – don’t ever try it!!!

EUGENE ALEX B. BERGONIO, Bachelor of Elementary Education 1

****************************************

Smoking is the act associated with tobacco as smoked in a cigarette or cigar. Tobacco contains nicotine; an alkaloid that is addictive and can have both stimulating and tranquilizing psychoactive effects.

Allergy patients experience all types of allergic symptoms like stuffy nose, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, coughing and headache. Risk of lung cancer, heart disease, birth defects, asthma in children and adults, ear infections, allergies, lung infections and difficulty in children’ s breathing are the different diseases who has exposure to passive smoking.

Quitting is the only way to combat the ill effects of smoking.

REBECCA P. CARRANZA, Bachelor of Elementary Education IV

*************************************

Millions of people died yearly because of smoking throughout the world. Smoking is one of the "favorite habits" of some people. Smoking is a very harmful habit which gives bad effects on the body. It affects not only the smoker but also the people who the smoker socializes.

People often start to smoke because of many reasons they believed. Some people think that smoking can remove their fears and insecurities. They can be like the people they admire. Curiosity is also one of the reasons why people smoke. They are eager to know the feelings of a smoker. Smoking also cause by the influence of peer group, because some people smoke just to get the attention of his peers. Lastly, other people think that smoking is just a passing habit and that they can drop the habit anytime. The truth is smoking is not a habit, it is an addiction that is difficult to stop.

Smoking does not give any good or beneficial effects on our body as well as in the environment. These effects are dangerous to hundreds of smoker. It leads us to several kinds of diseases. One of the ill effects of smoking is cancer of the kidneys. It could also cause breast cancer to women. It decreases the body’s absorption of insulin that causes diabetes. Smoking causes cancer of the bladder. It also causes heart diseases because of the carbon monoxide and otherpoison gases in tobacco who affect the oxygen in the heart. Smokers tend to have poorer nutrition. All of these diseases is mainly caused by a chemical substance found in cigars called nicotine. It affects the heart, blood vessels, digestive tract, kidneys and nervous system.

There is only one thing to do so that we cannot encounter all of this diseases mentioned. It is to avoid smoking. As goes by the warning "Smoking is dangerous to your health…"

RONALYN M. DUATIN, Bachelor in Secondary Education 1

******************************

In the early times, many people smoked because they know that it was harmless. They enjoyed smoking because they believed that it can relieve tension. But later, based on the different studies, scientists discovered that smoking was not good to people’s health and there are many sickness caused by smoking that could eventually lead to death. It can damage important organs of the body which has important functions to the body.

Smoke that comes from tobacco in the forms of cigarettes or cigars contains active chemical that can damage body organs because of its toxic elements. It includes nicotine, tar, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, radioactive compounds and other toxic metals. These substances are very harmful to the body. This will make the body suffer from sickness. Nicotine is a very poisonous substance that causes burning sensation in the mouth. The carbon monoxide deprives the tissues of the smoker’s body of much-needed oxygen. Harmful substances found in tobacco can also elevate the blood pressure of a smoker’s body. These are some of the dangerous effects of smoking which may cause death.

Smoking can also cause different respiratory diseases like lung cancer and emphysema. People who suffer from lung cancer experience difficulty in breathing because it attacks the lungs which are one of the major organs in the respiratory system. While heavy smokers suffer from chronic lung disease called emphysema which causes the narrowing and clogging of the airway passages in the lungs. It can also cause oral and laryngeal cancer which is commonly seen to those smokers. These are harmful diseases that cause death of a person. Smoking can also cause serious problems for unborn babies. If a pregnant woman smokes, it can affect the weight and body resistance of the baby. It can cause low birth weights.

Smoking is the cause of dearth of many people in the world. Through smoking we can get many diseases that are hard to cure and if it is not cure within the short period of time it can lead to death. Smokers should realize that they can live without smoking. They should use their free time for recreational activities like sports. This will help their body to become healthy, strong and physically fit. They could also read during their free time. This could help them increase their knowledge.

- ROMMEL G. ESTEBAN, Bachelor in Secondary Education III

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Smoking is major health problem among people today. There are many risks involved with smoking and with those risks come effects. The most common effects include a variety of disabling and fatal conditions including lung disease, heart disease, several forms of cancer and hormonal problems.

For teenagers, there are many consequences from smoking which include Addiction to nicotine, respiratory and non-respiratory infections. Also, faster heart rate than nonsmokers. Shorter life span, poor physical fitness regardless of exercise habits, lower level of function, increased risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, shortness of breath and twice the amount of phlegm than smokers.

Have you ever waked up feeling short of breath? Cigarettes completely destroy the minute hairs known as cilia that line upper airways which protect against infection. It destroys the alveoli or air sacs, which absorb oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. Smoking irritates the lungs, creating phlegm and narrows the airways making it much more difficult to breathe. Smoking destroys lung tissue, not allowing the lungs to provide enough oxygen into your blood. Carbon monoxide is forced into your blood, causing shortness of breath and coughing. It can also cause chronic bronchitis and repeated chest infections. Smoking not only affects smokers but also everyone around them. Children are also at risk of death due to fires caused by cigarettes.

The bad habit of smoking can be very harmful to your body. Smoking can be a cause for many physical ailments, both internal and externaland it can even lead you to mental agonies. Smoking is the reason behind most cases of lung cancer. Smoking is also responsible for other ailments of the lung like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the mother of all cancers. Cancer of the mouth, stomach, lungs, kidneys, cervix, esophagus, larynx, rectum, colon and certain other organs are results of lung habits of smoking. Smoking even causes certain cases of leukemia.

Smoking is an enemy to the natural process of reproduction. Smoking can make you infertile. Also, smoking is responsible for miscarriages in females and impotence among males. Smoking can mar your physical appearance and bearing to a great extent. This habit is responsible for wrinkles on your face and discoloration to your teeth and fingers. Smoking can kill your appetite and your sense of taste and smell. It can prove disastrous in the long run. Smoking can make you an insomniac. Many chain smokers suffer from severe cases of insomnia. The ingredients of tobacco smoke are chemically active; they can start dramatic and fatal changes in the body. There are chemicals which can be damaging to the smoker’s body like tar, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and radioactive compounds. Smoking also increases the chance of heart disease. Several ingredients of tobacco narrow the blood vessels, increasing the likelihood of a blockage and thus, a heart attack or stroke.

JAMES D. GAMAZON, Bachelor in Secondary Education III

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some people think that smoking is just a part of their leisure time. They do not even mind what could be the possible effects of smoking to their health and even to the health of their loved ones. But how and why is smoking really Dangerous to our health?

Most people who smoke regularly said that smoking releases their tensions and they find it as a way of relaxation. Even if they know that smoking really affects their health, they just go on with their habits. As a matter of fact, we all know about the ill effects of cigarette smoke and tobacco used but a smoke really is helpless in front of the menacing addiction. When he has to he will smoke; the underlying psychology is "A fag allows a man." The will is associated with the short term effects. Let us see the quick effects of a cigarettesmoke that makes a man physically and mentally dependent on it. These immediate effects encourage a smoker to take a fag; nervous system and brain activities are quickened for few minutes by the stimulation caused by smoke. One cigarette quickly increases blood pressure and the heart best rate. At the same time blood flowing to the body’s end points is reduced giving numbness to the areas like fingers and toes. Smokers also experience hunger and olfactory senses are weakened. Dizziness is also experienced in many cases. While the smoker enjoys the short term effects, what about the long term effects which are irreversible? Smoke actually increases the risk of suffering from life-threatening diseases even if a person quits in the later years of his life. Of course, quitting would at least help to diminish the veil effects of tobacco. Smoking has a permanent effect on different parts of the human body even if you have smoked for only five years. Such different parts are the following: lungs, heart, eyes, throat, urinary tract, sex organs, women’s fertility zone, men’s sperm production, digestive organs, bones and joints and the skin. The intensity of the irreversible effects of smoke depends on certain factors. The quantity of cigarettes smoked per day, age of the smoker and how old was he when he started smoking, number of years he has smoked and level of resistance to the tobacco chemicals. Nicotine containing in a cigarette or tobacco is a dangerous substance that may cause damage to the lungs. This substance may cause COPD or chronic obstructive diseases and lung cancer.

There are also ill effects of smoking on children. If children are frequently exposed to cigarette smokes, they are at increases risk of developing asthma, respiratory diseases, sudden infant death syndrome and chest infections. As children get older they are nearly three times more likely to become addicted to cigarettes if both parents are smokers. It is inevitable. Smoking doesn’t just affect you. It has ill effects lso on the health of the people around you. Passive smoking – inhaling the smoke from someone else’s cigarettes- can cause headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms. It may also cause miscarriage, still birth, cot death and other chest problems. Long term exposure to passive smoke puts adults at increased risk of heart disease and a 20 -20% increased risk of lung cancer.

Smoking during pregnancy also has ill effects to babies. Most babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy are twice as likely to develop sudden infant death syndrome. Babies born to mother who smoke are also more likely to be of lower birth weight and tends to have more chest diseases. Smoking during pregnancy also affects the brain structure of the baby making them more likely to become addicted later in life.

Let’s live our life to the fullest! It’s good to live with a healthy lifestyle!!!

EMAGELYN S. GARCIA, Bachelor in Secondary Education II

************************

Smoking is the inhalation and exhalation of the fumes of burning tobacco. Leaves of the tobacco plant are smoked in various ways. Cigarettes, the most popular method of smoking consist of finely shredded tobacco rolled in lightweight paper.

Until 1940’s smoking was considered harmless, but laboratory and clinical research has since confirmed that tobacco smoke presents a hazard to health. Nicotine, a major constituent of tobacco smoke is both poisonous and highly addictive.

Some people have acquired different illnesses as effects of smoking. Smoking cigarettes might significantly increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer for some women. Ling cancer is also one illness from smoking. Some people have problems in their lungs because of smoking. The lungs is the mostly affected part of the body. The risks of dying from lung cancer are 23 times higher for male smokers and 13 times higher for female smokers than for nonsmokers. Smoking causes a fivefold increase in the risk of dying from chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In emphysema, the lungs are prevented from working properly, resulting in breathlessness and wheezing.

Mothers who smoke give birth more frequently to premature or underweight babies, because of a decrease in blood flow to the placenta. Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are also at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome. Cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, pharynx, coronary heart disease and chronic bronchitis are elevated among cigar and pipe smokers which are also correlated to the amount of smoking and the degree of inhalation. The smoking habit and addiction to nicotine usually begin at an early age. Smoke inhaled from smokers can aggravate asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and impaired blood circulation.

Avoid smoking for a healthy and strong body.

- LOUELLA MARIE O. ILUMIN, bachelor in Elementary Education II

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!! MORE POWER TO YOU IN ALL YOUR FUTURE UNDERTAKINGS...

VICTORIO COSTES