[...]Do NOT just take courage, for courage is not enough. Instead, be BRAVE! It will take bravery to go against popular wisdom, against the clichéd expectations of family and friends. It will take bravery to gamble your future by staying in the country and try to make a prosperous life here. It might help if for a start, we try to see why our Korean friends are flocking to our country. Why, as many of us line up for immigrant visas in various embassies, they get themselves naturalized and settle here. Do they know something we don’t?
Do NOT just be strong in your convictions, for strength is not enough. Instead, DEFY the pressure to lead a comfortable, but middling life. Let us lead this country from the despair of mediocrity. Let us not seek to do well, but strive to EXCEL in everything that we do. This, so others will see us as a nation of brains of the highest quality, not just of brawn to be had on the cheap.[...]
My country the Philippines
Land of gold and flowers
With love in her palms
She offers beauty and virtue.
And of her modesty and beauty
The foreigner was attracted
O, my country, you were enslaved
Mired in hardship.
Even birds that are free to fly
Cage them and they cry,
Much more a beautiful country
Shall long to be free.
Philippines my beloved,
Cradle of my tears and poverty
I’ll aspire,
To see you truly free.
***Tagalog Lyrics***
Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto’t bulaklak
Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda’t dilag.
At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa.
Ibon mang may layang lumipad
kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag
Ang di magnasang makaalpas!
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha ko’t dalita
Aking adhika,
Makita kang sakdal laya!
After almost 1 year of waiting, all were set to head for Anawangin Cove. We’re all very excited . It was like a dream come true. We saw Anawangin Cove last year when our department planned to go hiking as part of our team building. But due to unavoidable circumstance, our plan did not push through. Plan already in place – we leave Manila Saturday 10PM and depart Zambales Monday noon. We’re 15 all in all; Jojo (Me), Lyna, Erwin, Carol, Jolly, Jason, Sonny, Jasmin, Sheryll, Leslie, Connie, Marjorie, Rachel, Meanne and Ellen – all excited.
Everything went according to plan. We left our meeting place at 10PM; stop by Ministop to by some ice and finger foods we can eat during our long hours of travel. I’ve never been to Zambales before, they say it take 4 to 6 hours to get there depending on your speed. Our route will be NLEX – San Fernando Exit – Olongapo-Gapan Road.
Our meeting time with our boatman, Manong Ed, is six in the morning and it was only 4AM when we reach the town of San Antonio . It took us around 6 hours of travel probably because Olongapo-Gapan road is under rehabilitation and we had to take Florida Blanca-Dinalupihan instead. We’re still lucky because that was the only interruption we had, others we’re planned stop-over at San Fernando and Olongapo where Jason, a colleague, who’s driving our pick-up had some rest. We stayed at San Antonio town proper until sunrise, had some breakfast and rest.
MANILA – Filipino teen Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So (with an ELO rating of 2640) advanced to the third round of the World Chess Cup by knocking out Ukrainian Super GM Vassily Ivanchuk (ELO 2739) Wednesday in Russia.
The Philippines’ very own Efren Peñaflorida, the kariton educator, has been honored the 2009 CNN hero of the year.
The recognition was given to Peñaflorida at the third annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” held at the Kodak theater in Hollywood Saturday night. The event honoring the top 10 Heroes of 2009, featured stars and award-winning actors and actresses including, Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan, Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Underwood and Leona Lewis.
After seven weeks of online voting, Peñaflorida was hailed the victor with more than 2.75 million votes.
“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” he said upon receiving his honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”
