Raves and Rants Manila

Venus Raj wants to pursue a singing career - Push.com.ph

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:59:00 +0000

Venus Raj wants to pursue a singing career - Push.com.ph

The Satanic Verses

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:09:00 +0000

bye bye Pedring

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Royce Ambrocio (@royceambrocio) has shared a Tweet with you:

"royceambrocio: The skies are clearing...thank God! http://t.co/gnc2rPYM"
--http://twitter.com/royceambrocio/status/118922356197572609

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Sorghum for ethanol...goodbye sugarcane

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:57:00 +0000

The Philippines may be able to produce its first commercial scale sweet sorghum-based ethanol as the Philippine National Oil Co.-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) is in exploratory talks to establish a 1,000-hectare sweet sorghum plantation in Negros Occidental.
   A foreseen milestone not only in the Philippines but globally, the sweet sorghum production will require P45-P75 million investment at a P30,000-50,000 per hectare production cost.  The cane will be used to produce sweet sorghum syrup for ethanol production at the San Carlos Bioenergy Inc.'s (SCBI) plant in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.
   At a yield of 2,500 liters per hectare, 1,000 hectares can produce as much as 2.5 million liters of ethanol per year.
   The likelihood of PNOC’s supporting the plantation program anchors on the fact that sweet sorghum is very competitive as bioethanol feedstock as studied by UPLB and Mariano Marcos State University ((MMSU) team, according to Prof. Rex B. Demafelis, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) Alternative Energy Research, Development, and Extension (RDE) Convenor and Chairman of UPLB Energy Systems Committee.

   This commercial production is expected to come after several years of agronomic research and inter-agency coordination funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).
   “It was my TOR ((terms of reference) with BAR Director (Nicomedes) Eleazar to facilitate the mainstreaming of sweet sorghum as a complementary feedstock for bioethanol, said Prof. Demafelis.
   Furthermore, Prof. Demafelis emphasized the need for PNOC-AFC to conduct first a feasibility study (FS) to validate previous studies done and the site specificity analysis before any engagement is made. All these requires PNOC-AFC’s board approval and that of the PNOC mother board . He is confident that before the end of next year, a feasibility study will be done.
Given an FS that proves economic viability for the plantation, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) may subsequently be signed. The MOA will be between PNOC-AFC and SCBI.
   When realized, the plantation will generate jobs either in an available upland in San Carlos City or or in adjacent municipalities.
   “The challenge to farmers is to plant sweet sorghum as against sugarcane.  This is a perfect complement crop to sugarcane because the identified uplands have not been planted at all with sugarcane, so now people will start earning from them,” said Demafelis.
   At an estimated 50 per MT of stalk yield plus three MT of grain yield per hectare per cropping, this will give farmers an estimated additional P60,000- 80,000 net earnings per year.
   There is a need to introduce an alternative feedstock to sugarcane for ethanol production due to the erratic changes in the price of sugar, consequently sugarcane.
   “We're mainstreaming sweet sorghum for bioethanol," Eleazar.  "The commercial plantation in Negros will stabilize feed supply for the plant.  We're trying to do this because the price of sugar in the market is very volatile, and we need to help produce the feedstock.”
   Because of the high price of sugar in the world market before, farmers in northern Negros would rather sell their cane for sugar production rather than for ethanol, said Demafelis. Cane price for sugar production had reached as high as P2,200 per metric ton (MT), while an ethanol distillery can only offer P1,550 per MT.
   A sweet sorghum business summit was conducted last June in Bacolod to link various bioethanol stakeholders for potential financing from Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank and Philippine National Bank .
   With sweet sorghum ethanol, the Philippines may be able to become competitive with imported ethanol whose price was reported before to have reached P38 per liter from Brazil, although price has hit a lower P32 to P32 per liter and even a low of P23 few years back.
   At present, the country has 69 million liters per year (MLPY) of plant ethanol combined capacities which is fed by sugarcane-based material (syrup or molasses) by 100 percent.
   It includes 30 MLPY each from SCBI Inc. and Roxol Bioenergy Corp. (RBC), both in Negros Occidental, and Leyte Agro-Industrial Corp. has a nine MLPY plant in Leyte.
   Sweet sorghum is considered to be an ideal ethanol feedstock since it is more resilient to drought.  Growing it requires less water compared to sugarcane. It needs lower fertilizer requirement and has a shorter crop cycle of 110 to 115 days enabling planting of two to three times a year compared to sugarcane's once a year.  It is a multi-purpose crop as stalk and grains are used for ethanol, and the grains may be used as livestock feed material.
   It is used to produce syrup for sweetening, vinegar, wine, and other food products.
   The Philippines just implemented on August 6 a 10 percent mandated mix of bioethanol with gasoline for selected octane levels.
   This sends the country's total ethanol requirement to approximately 400 million liters per year. The ethanol demand in the country is estimated to be 645 million liters in 2015 if a 15 percent ethanol-gas mix will be mandated as per a study of Japan International Cooperation Agency.  This will displace the projected 645 million liters of petroleum-based fuel by 2015.
   Foreign exchange savings was placed at $218.203 million in 2010.  This is predicted to rise to $789.3 million in 2015 and $1.274 billlion in  in 2020.  Given this demand, bioethanol has the potential to generate jobs totalling to 179,386 by 2015 and 289,611 by 2020.
   SCBI distillery has been on a shutdown due to the high sugarcane cost.  During this next milling season, SCBI has decided to use a cheaper raw material, molasses, for ethanol production. While use of molasses results in lower ethanol capacity utilization due to impurities as evident in molasses's dark color, it only costs about P1,200 per MT at present.  Molasses is a by-product in the production of sugar crystals.
   With this, SCBI is splitting its distillery operation into two.  Half of the facility will be for juice extraction and syrup production and the other half for fermentation and distillery.
   Aside from PNOC-AFC potential entry into sweet sorghum production , two other companies have been engaged in a comprehensive research on sweet sorghum for ethanol.
   Fuel Inc., an affiliate of gas distributor Seaoil, has engaged in a 16,000 square meter field trial area in Negros Occidental.  Its sweet sorghum yield has hit a high range of 46 to 84 MT per hectare. The company earlier acquired a 36-hectare area in Negros to establish an ethanol plant.
   Moreover, Lucio Tan's Negros Biochem Corp (NBC) has a 848 square meter field trial area that has observed a yield of 49 MT per hectare.
   At present negotiation is being made for a Negros Occidental LGU and cooperative to conduct collaborative commercial plantation of a 50-hectare sweet sorghum planting for both production and processing technology demonstration purposes.
   Massive propagation of sweet sorghum and other ethanol feedstock crops aligns with government's aim to help reverse the predicted adverse effect of  climate change.  Sweet sorghum is estimated to reduce carbon emission reduction by 2,906 MT in 2015 which will further rise to 4,692 MT by 2020.
   Even if all immediate programmed ethanol plant construction in the country will have been realized, this will still be less than 50 percent of the estimated total annual requirement of 400 million liters.
   The projected total capacity of bioethanol plants mid of next year will be only 103 million MLPY consisting of 30 million liters each for SCBI, Roxol Bioenergy Corp.; 54 MLPY, Green Futures Innovation Inc.; and nine million MLPY, Leyte Agro Industrial Corp.
   Other alternative materials being considered feedstock for ethanol are cassava and corn; cellulosic materials, grasses, agricultural waste material, forest waste, and residues; and macro algae.
###
For any inquiries, Pls. Call Prof. Demafelis, 0919-265-1816

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Craving for siopao

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:08:00 +0000

YUM! Siopao asado from a popular food chain. But the best (hands down) is Mamonluk's. I believe they still run a store at Cubao.

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Shamcey Supsup...what's with the name?!

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup has an odd-sounding name. Since her great finish at Sao Paolo, her monicker has been a fave topic in bloglandia. Her surname, in particular, conjures up funny and even kinky images. Personally, I like her name. It has a musical tinge to it, almost poetic. And get this: a blogger even went as far as analyzing her name via numerology.

According to numerology, Shamcey's numbers are 11, 6 and 5. The numbers correspond to the person's characteristics and fortunes. What's really interesting is the play-up of her numbers as they relate to her destiny.

NUMBER 11 - During the first screening, she was candidate number 11.
- This year is 2011.
- She is the 11th Bb. Pilipinas-Universe from University of the Philippines.
- It has been 38 years since Maria Margarita Moran won the Philippines' 2nd Miss Universe. If you separate the number 38 into two whole numbers and add
these two numbers, it totals to 11...3+8=11.

NUMBER 6 - Shamcey Supsup is the 6th Bb. Pilipinas-Universe college graduate with honors. Others are Lizbeth De Padua, Zorayda Andam, Lia Andrea Ramos, Anna
Theresa Licaros, and Maria Venus Raj.

NUMBER 5 - Shamcey is obviously the 5th Bb. Pilipinas-Universe college graduate with honors from University of the Philippines.
- Shamcey is the 5th Bb. Pilipinas-Universe under discoverer/manager Jonas Gaffud.

Coincidence?

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blogger's block

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Damn. It's been awhile since my last rave here. Looking forward to a worthwhile rant but until then...

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Caramoan in my mind

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:26:00 +0000

It was summer of 2010 when my friend and I decided to skip the punishing city heat and skip town for a while. Well, we went to Caramoan and we were blown away by the sights! This CamSur paradise is just one destination you shouldn't miss.

White sand beaches. Lush and green islets. Clear waters. Seafood galore. Suddenly, Boracay is really just Caramoan's over-hyped cousin. Leave Bora to those dead-beat celebs and head off to Caramoan like a true-blue vagabond.

To skate or not to skate

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:59:00 +0000

The skating rink at SM Megamall is gone. They replaced it with an event space. No worries though coz there's still one skating rink over at the Mall of Asia. The event space is actually a good idea. I saw the UST Symphony Orchestra there a few days back and they were playing contemporary pieces. Superb music! A little culture for the masses doesn't hurt.

My Twitter Universe!

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Friendster is so 90's. Facebook is on its way out. Hello Twitter!

Yes. Twitter is now the social media network to beat. And what's not to like? It's mobile, unabashedly in-your-face, and soooo way up in the star cool meter. Anyone who is someone in Tinseltown-local or Hollywood-is a Twitter!

Of course, I still have to maintain my Facebook account coz not everyone I know is a Twitter. I really can't blame them coz FB has so many cool apps and most of them can be best enjoyed via a desktop. Twitter, on the other hand, is basically a mobile social media network and its main thrust is to update everyone you know on what you are doing at the moment. It's easy to see why so many celebrities are hooked coz they can easily inform their fans (and the media vultures too!) of their daily activities.

But Twitter is more than the celebrity glitz. The network also boasts of other netizens like media channels (CNN, New York Times, ABS-CBN, etc), advocacy groups, special interest organizations, etc. All you have to do is choose which to follow (that's Twitter lingo for subscribe) and you're on your way to Twitterlandia.

Twitter is about the power of being informed. And I think that's what the Internet is for. If it ain't on Twitter, it ain't on the loop.

Are you a Twitter? Follow me at www.twitter.com/royceambrocio

Earn cash from old stuff, how to start a garage sale business

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Garage sales are hot in the United States. In fact, an economic anthropologist made a study and found out that from the 10 million garage sales that take place in a year, a whopping amount of US$4 billion is earned (gasp!). If that were to happen in the Philippines, it can significantly pay off the country’s debts. Presidential aspirants, hear hear!

The business of putting on garage sales is so profitable that it has become an industry in itself in the US. Here in the Philippines, garage sales are not quite popular yet but they are gaining grounds among up-scale villages and subdivisions in major cities like Metro Manila. If you’re an enterprising person, you would realize that many well-to-do households carry so many unused yet still usable items which you can sell to other people looking for second-hand stuff. You then act as a “liquidator” and get a percentage of the entire sales. This is a no-brainer and all you need to know are a few merchandising tactics and careful planning.

But you might ask: why would anyone part a portion of their garage sale earnings with me? You may not realize it but there are a lot of people, if not most of them, that simply don’t have the time and energy to set-up a good garage sale. People with valuable garage sale items generally come from the upper class who are busy with their jobs or businesses. You would be actually giving them extra cash for things that they would normally just stash or give away.

Here are some pointers for you to get started.

1) Start with people you know. Go to their homes and make an inventory of the items that the owner would like to sell. Major considerations here are: item condition and original price. Agree on the prices for the items keeping in mind that you want these things disposed off easily but not too cheaply. Let the owner understand that it’s better to sell them cheap than just let them gather dust. But bear in mind though that buyers will haggle so don’t hit rock bottom with the prices.
2) Decide on the percentage that you would be getting from the entire sales. Keep it at the minimum of 20% but not more than half of the gross sales.
3) Choose the venue of the garage sale. Some owners prefer that you hold it at their front yard while some may ask you to find another place like a village clubhouse or the town market. Make queries regarding a permit to hold a garage sale. Make provisions for parking space because buyers may come with their cars.
4) Advertise your garage sales by placing ads on community papers or distributing leaflets in the neighborhood. You can also put up posters or signage that will lead passing motorists to your venue. Again, ask for the needed permits to put up signage in streets. Keep your advertising expenses to a bare minimum. Usually, word of mouth is quite effective. There are also free ads newspapers like Super Ads so you can promote your garage sale.
5) Think of additional ways to earn during the garage sale. Stock up on bottled water as people might want a drink while rummaging through your items. You could also sell biscuits or sandwiches. Purchase paper or plastic bags and sell these too.
6) Organize the garage sale items by putting clearly labeled price tags. Make use of colored paper and felt-tip markers to create eye-catching tags. Use boxes, tables, hangers or collapsible shelves to display the items. Make sure that the items are clean and presentable. Also, do not forget miscellaneous tools like a tape measure because some buyers may want to measure an item first like an old trunk.
7) Create a fun-filled and relaxed garage sale venue. Spruce it up with a banner to announce your garage sale. Unless you have an assistant, it’s always better not to create a cashier’s booth so you can just roam around the area and mingle with buyers. But it’s always good to have an elevated stand where you can have a good view of the entire activity especially if the garage sale would take up a big space.
8) After the garage sale, make an inventory and present a sales report to the owner. Of course, do not forget to compute your sales percentage.

Holding a garage sale can be very exciting. At the start though, keep things simple so you won’t have to spend too much before you even know how much you’re going to earn. When business picks up or after a few successful garage sales, you can add more pizzazz to the event like balloons, a fortune-teller or a music sound system. Whatever you decide to do with your garage sale, always remember that your goal is to earn more cash. Happy selling!

(published in Super Ads, November 30 issue, page 6)

Racist chinese author slams Filipinos over Spratlys

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:06:00 +0000

I woke up today feeling good. Summer has certainly arrived and I could feel the slight sting of the sun at early morning. The skies are clear. Birds are chirping. My neighbor is lazily watering her wonderful begonias. I flipped my laptop open, sipping on a cup of coffee, and logged in my Facebook account. Wham bam! One post of a former TV colleague caught my attention:

HOW DARE THIS BRAINLESS MONGOLOID!! -

HE'S A SHAME TO BBC ---
HE SHOULD BE MADE TO APOLOGIZE!!!

I hit on the link that came with the post and a page from HK-magazine.com quickly made my day sour. The article on the page is entitled The War At Home and it was written by a certain Chip Tsao, a former BBC reporter, who now writes books and maintains columns in a number of magazines and newspapers in his native Hong Kong. Basically he is slamming the Philippines for laying claim over the Spratly Islands and even went as far as insulting the thousands of Filipina household workers who toil in Chinese homes.

In effect, he's saying that it's quite fine if superpowers like Russia and Japan are bullying them like when the former Reds sank a Hong Kong freighter and killed seven Chinese seafarers or when the Japs flew the rising sun flag over Diaoyu Island. But when Filipinos start flexing its muscle by claiming sovereignty over Spratlys, it's a different thing altogether?

Why do yu have to say that Mr. Tsao? Because we send scores of our own women to clean your stinking shit? Because our piers are flooded by cheap knockoffs and useless knick-knacks that your factories churn out in millions? Because we lag so far in terms of economic progress and international influence?

You call the Philippines a nation of servants and yet your own women trade flesh the world over, in tolerant Dubai, in European capitals and even in mighty United States. That is statistics, not hearsay. Our wives, daughters and sisters work their asses off in Hong Kong for what? For measly $500! You benefit from the cheap labor and still have the gall to insult the very same hands that make your miserable lives bearable.

And what about the Chinese men who are frequently rounded-up in drug busts not only in the Philippines but in every other country with a sizable Chinese population? What's up with that? Is China a country of drug pushers? And hey, you even rob your own people with their precious childhood years when you drag toddlers to sports boot camps and have them do ridiculous leg splits and aerial acrobatics.

I am not an expert in the issue of Spratlys and I really couldn't care less who gets to lay claim over those damn islands for good. What I care about is the dignity of my fellow Filipinos who are working decent jobs abroad. Why drag them to a prickly international debate? Your logic is so screwed up and you even dare call yourself a patriot.

Here's a news flash for you, Mr. Tsao: a true patriot acts to defend his nation's pride but not in the expense of another.

What are you so proud about? That your people invented firecrackers? That you recently hosted the world's biggest sports spectacle? That you number to a billion and could even simulate an earthquake if you jump all together? That your culture is well-represented in Hollywood movies? That you call your country the Middle Kingdom? Bullcrap!

Mr. Tsao, you should be ashamed of yourself and apologize to us Filipinos.

On second thought, we really don't need your apology coz we might have a hard time understanding your words...you know, with your Chinese tongue and all. Oh, don't be coy...you know what I mean. You Chinese assholes speak horrible English!

Yes, I am not a patriot coz I defended my country's pride by belittling another. Well, who ever said I was?! Har har har! You ruined an otherwise perfect day so you deserve my wrath! Now I couldn't hear the birds chirping, the sun is scorching hot and my neighbor just stopped watering her flowers to invite her lover in while the poor husband works in the office. Now she's having her own flower watered. Yikes...

To the binoculars!

(Photos courtesy of HK-magazine.com, Anamericanfirst.com and Slog.thestranger.com)

Beating the summer heat at the mall and why I'm happy that Henry Sy is as rich as Ms. O

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Manila is mall country. And when I say mall, I mean the ubiquitous SM Malls that dot the metropolis. To date, there are over 30 SM Supermalls in the Philippines and 14 of which are scattered in Metro Manila (not to mention the other four branches in China). And SM Prime Holdings is planning to open seven more mega stores, one of which is the SM City Taguig at the Global City slated for launch in 2011.

No wonder Henry Sy is currently ranked #234 in the Forbes World Billionaires list with $2.7 billion in net worth (he's tied with Oprah Winfrey). Yes, the mall-loving Filipinos made this octogenarian a ridiculously rich man. And judging from the crowd that flock to SM Malls, Sy is bound to rake in more moolah for years to come. I can't really complain coz these malls offer a cheap way to beat the summer heat. When you can't make it to the most vulgar island beach or the haughtiest European capital to escape the sweltering tropical sun, the nearest SM Mall is the place to beat.

So yes, Mr. Sy, build more malls. Heck, enclose the entire damn country in an airconditioned dome-shaped structure. If we can't make our blasted politicians to straighten up and realize that Vietnam has already gone past the Philippines in the race to progress, we can atleast be proud of the gargantuan malls that hide the degrading poverty behind its all-encroaching walls.

We Filipinos may not be able to see our country truly wealthy and peaceful, but we can be pretty darn sure that we can always head off to the mall anytime of the day. And malls do exactly what the government seems incapable of doing: make us believe that we are doing fine. Malls have everything: from cinemas and bowling alleys to videoke booths and even ice-skating rinks. These superstructures create progress, even it it's only of the imaginary or fleeting kind. And we can't blame the people for fleeing to this dreamland to escape their dreary lives. There is really nothing left in the country to make us feel good of ourselves as a people. The government fails us. Even the church disappoints us.

But the malls, oh yeah...malls keep us cool and happy.

SLEX is a woman

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:00:00 +0000

I liken the South Luzon Expressway to a woman obsessed with her looks. And why the hell not? SLEX is always trying to better itself. Asphalt now. Cement-paved the next, only to return to asphalt the next time around. New toll gates. New rules. Never the same everytime. Now you tell me that SLEX is not your mother, your wife, your daughter or your girlfriend...even your female boss.

You can't live with her even if she drives you nuts. Men have gotten into fist fights over her insane moods. Heavy traffic now then smooth driving in the blink of an eye. Slippery when wet. Scorching hot during a good few months of the year. When hungry or thirsty or if you're dying to take a shit, she gives you respite. There's Petron or Shell. She takes care of you. She gives you just what you need in the nick of time even though she infuriates you the rest of the trip.

We all have thought of dumping SLEX and never travel at all. But you can't and you won't. And why the hell not? Coz she's your mother, your wife, your daughter, your girlfriend...yes, you're own inescapable nightmare.

Happy Women's Month! So hot hot hot.

Horseying around Manila

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:46:00 +0000

The sight of a kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) reminds me of a bygone era. And nowhere this is more poignant than in the age-old city of Manila. I was near the city hall a few days ago to visit a friend who lives in the area and I happen to see quite a few kalesas parked outside SM Manila. I have to admit that it made me smile so I took a couple of pictures to capture the iconic image.

Remnants of the colonial period would always catch my attention. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I took up History in college. I know that most people I know would cringe on any topic that they closely relate to dingy museums and old farts but I eat and breathe history.

I havent't been on a kalesa for over a decade. The last time I rode one was during an immersion trip back in college. And the last time I saw one was in an old American colonial travelogue I stumbled upon in YouTube.

Nothing beats beach bumming

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:45:00 +0000

Click on this link:
http://www.pinoycommunity.net/photo/albums/puerto-galera-08

Pinoy movielandia at LVN Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:07:00 +0000

In difficult times such as what our country is facing now, it is comforting that there are still a few places where a Filipino can be proud of his heritage.

Nestled on the sprawling lot of LVN studios on P. Tuazon blvd. in Quezon City is the LVN Museum. Once inside the compound, the visitor has to inform the people at the front desk at the administration building of his purpose, or he can call beforehand and have his name registered so the security guard can let him through. There is an entrance fee of P30.

The museum is still housed in a one-storey building, but don’t be fooled because there is nothing simple about the facade or the front lawn. Both are colorfully decorated with bayonets, shields, coat of arms and old lighting equipment. It’s a prelude to what a visitor can expect to see inside the museum: more than two decades of film legacy!

Before I went to the museum, I read up on the history of LVN from a masteral dissertation of a university professor. I learned that the studio was established in 1938, shortly before the Second World War. The acronym LVN was taken from the first letter of the last names of its partners: Doña Narcisa Buencamino de Leon, Carmen Villongco and Eleuterio Navoa Sr.

It was closed down during the war and opened again after the Liberation until 1961, when it finally stopped producing movies. LVN Studios’ facilities were revitalized to cater to post-production needs of its clients.

The museum is packed with surprises. I call them that because from what I’ve learned from my edifying interview with its curator and founder, Bernard Fernandez, the pieces on display were salvaged from a neglected state in storage. A museum was never in the plan of LVN.

Fernandez said that the museum was created by a mere stroke of fate, with a little initiative from him. He recalled seeing boxes and boxes of old costumes and props stacked in a bodega more than 10 years ago. Then in 1989, he had a vacant lot—where old and rotting cars were piled up—leveled down and a sort of open structure was erected. He employed a hired hand and moved the salvaged boxes to that site.

To read the entire article, click here.
(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)

Godspeed Kiko!

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:39:00 +0000

As we all know by now, Francis Magalona passed away yesterday (March 6, Friday) at 12 noon. The sad news was first broken to the public by Vic Sotto on Eat Bulaga. Though it was already common knowledge that the Master Rapper has leukemia and that death is inevitable, the news still came as a shock to many. He was 44.

Apparently, he succumbed to multiple organ failure and died a few hours after he was rushed to Medical City in Pasig on Thursday night. During the early hours of Friday, the doctors described his condition as "toxic" from the severe sepsis, which is quite common with his kind of leukemia: acute myelogenous leukemia. He was supposed to undergo his fourth chemotherapy session on Friday and he was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant on March. Leukemia has no known cure, or any other cancer for that matter, but the transplant might have given Kiko a year or two more.

Alas, life is mysterious and all we mortals could do is accept our fate that death will come knocking on our doors anytime, anywhere and anyhow.

(Photo courtesy of FrancisMagalona.multiply.com)

Tatiana returns to Idol

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:04:00 +0000

Didn't I tell you in one of my first blog entries that we won't be seeing the last of Tatiana del Toro in Americal Idol Season 8? Well, she returned indeed!

We last saw her fighting for a spot in the Top 12 during the elimination round of the first group but she lost out to Danny Gokey (Oooh, I hate the smug on his face when his name was called out). She was given another shot during the Wild Card show, where eight contestants was chosen to vie for the remaining three spots but Megan Corkrey beat her to it (Megan is good but I would have chosen Felicia Barton over her).

To be fair to the judges' decision, Tatiana's performance in the Wild Card show was redundant (literally! coz she sang the same freakin' song from her last performance). Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love" couldn't save her from being axed. But boy, that Latina beauty could sing! If only she chose a new song, then the judges might have had seen her differently. Singing the same song is a big NO!

But knowing Tatiana's tenacity, I have a sneaking suspicion that she will resurface again to prove that she is one talent not to be ignored. It may not be on Idol, guys, but I'm pretty sure it will be on a bigger platform. A record deal? I can already see her on a CD cover!

(Photo courtesy of Bestweekever.TV)

Kimerald: Tagos ng Dugo

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:48:00 +0000

Over the years, television has given us a number of great ads and sadly a lot more of the downright crappy ones. Topping my list of the worst ads I've seen in a long time is the new Whisper TV spot featuring the excruciatingly boring pair of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson, whom we all know from the equally gut-wrenching ABS-CBN brainchild: Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition.

Hey, I like Kim. I think she's a talented girl. Kudos as well to Gerald, if only for his good looks. What kills me is the concept of the ad itself, "beautifully" wrapped in the tagline: Why Men Love Whisper.

Aaarggghhh! What the f_#!@^%?!

Why on earth would someone in his right frame of mind craft a tacky copy such as that? Who's to blame? The copywriter? The creative director? The account executive? Or maybe the client? Certainly not "Kimerald". After all, the poor kids are mere puppets to the whims of the supposedly "brilliant" creative team of whatever advertising agency that whipped up this outrage.

FLASH NEWS DUMB ASSES: MEN DON'T GIVE A S---!

Nobody really cares what a woman's choice of napkin is, except the woman herself. To say that "Men Love Whisper" reeks of masochism and plain stupidity. Yeah, we get it. Women need constant approval from their men, whether it be about their clothes, how they look, if the tinola tastes good, and a cornucopia of other mundane stuff. But not with napkins, for God's sake!

Hey, nitwits, were you aiming for a metaphor? Are you screaming "creative license"? Suck my neighbor's varicose-laden c--k!

Please, please, please DO NOT equate a woman's desire for the best napkin product to what a man likes about his gal. Eggs are not chicken. How's that for a metaphor!

And whoa! At the end of the ad, Kim quips: "Have a happy period!"

What's to like about three days of blood-soaked panties not to mention those energy-draining abdominal cramps and crazy mood swings? Is that happiness to you? YOU GUYS MAKE ME SO MAD I COULD EAT YOU SKINNED AND RAW!

I'm a guy and I certainly don't know shit about menstruation but I have a mother, female cousins and aunts and I've never--in my whole life--seen any of them burst out of the bathroom shouting "Halelujia! May tagos ako ngayon!"

I wonder what Ate Vi (Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto) would say about this latest hare-brained Whisper ad. Her portrayal of a raving maniac in Tagos Ng Dugo should remind the people behind this advertisement that they have blood on their hands. Yuuck!

(Photo courtesy of LastFM.jp)

Lipa on my mind

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:42:00 +0000

Just a little over an hour's drive from Manila is Lipa, one of Batangas' most prominent cities. Most of us primarily know Lipa from its association with former city mayor, Vilma Santos, who is now the provincial governor. But the storied city is more than that. It has history, culture and a character all its own. In fact, they say Lipa is Vigan of the south.

When I visited Lipa a few days ago, I went to San Sebastian Cathedral. I love religious architecture and churches have always fascinated me, so I reminded myself to stop by Lipa Cathedral. Done in the Romanesque tradition, the church's was built from 1865 to 1894 and underwent massive reconstruction after World War 2. While there are older and more intricately-designed churches, what is most interesting with this one is the use of columns and arches in ascending and descending order to create a play of shadow and light.

Another interesting place worth visiting in Lipa is Casa de Segunda Katigbak. For those who aren't much into history, Segunda Katigbak is reputed to be Jose Rizal's first girlfriend, although it couldn't have been more than just a puppy love as both were only in their early teen years when they first met. The ancestral house, which is a mere three-minute walk to Lipa Cathedral, is a designated historical museum by the Department of Tourism. The museum curator and tour guide is one of the granddaughters of Segunda and she said that the house remains Lipa's last bahay-na-bato standing after the Japanese wrecked havoc during the last war. A pity really coz she also alleged that Lipa's ancestral houses rivaled that of Vigan's.

Inside the ancestral home are several old furnitures from a bygone era and photos from generations of Katigbaks. It was like being in a different time altogether and it was a good feeling. With all the media talk about global economic recession and endless wars, to imagine myself in another period was quite comforting...

And hungry! So the next thing I did is find the best lomi place. Yup, I wouldn't leave Lipa without getting myself a bowl of that hot and gooey dish of egg noodles, pork liver slices, kikiam and squidballs. My feet took me to Lomiking, an nondescript panciteria (noodle house) lost in the buzzling market area of downtown Lipa. Man, it was like they purposedly built the place to be dull to keep their greatest secret: mouth-watering lomi!

When I left Lipa, I was left wanting more but hey, I can always go back there anytime I want. Next stop would probably be Blue Roze Farm and Carmelite Church.

Megamall Atrium: Foodies' Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:13:00 +0000

If you're a foodie and you haven't been to SM Megamall Atrium, well you're missing some pretty exciting culinary destinations.

Apart from housing the new Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord, this new appendage to the already gargantuan shopping complex is also home to a number of restaurants. And I happen to try out a couple of them.

Curry Curry carries Asian fusion cuisine and the atmosphere leans toward the hip and modern. I certainly adore the white and yellow color scheme of the interior. It doesn't hurt too that the food satisfies the taste, sight and smell for a price that doesn't burn a hole in the pocket. Plus, the place is a free wi-fi zone so techies who breath and eat Internet will find this value-added service another reason to check out the restaurant. Eat and surf away!

Then there's Chef's Quarter, which specializes in American fare with a smattering of Mediterranean dishes. I love the salad in vinegrette dressing and Penne Carbonara. Absolutely divine! Complete your gastronomic journey with a glass of white wine and you're good to go. I should say though that the restaurant's interior design leaves much to be desired. I don't know if they were aiming for an eclectic theme or such is the way of design gurus nowadays. Sheesh!

To give you an idea on the rest of the food joints in Megamall Atrium, go to this ClickTheCity page. But of course, you should go to the Atrium yourself to check them all out.

Heath wins!

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:30:00 +0000

I knew it! I knew it! Heath Ledger wins for his role in The Dark Knight! His portrayal of the deranged Joker is I think the best since Anthony Hopkins gave us the creeps as Hannibal Lecter.

Hats off to you, Heath, wherever you are.

(Photo courtesy of SarahDopp.com)

Oscars on ABS-CBN

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:36:00 +0000

The Academy Awards show has been a yearly staple for movie fanatics and TV buffs around the globe. Here in the Philippines, RPN-9 was the local channel that aired this annual Hollywood spectacle until ABS-CBN snatched up the rights to the 81st installment of the Oscars.

I bet ABS-CBN top exec, Charo Santos-Concio, is floating in tinseltown cloud 9 right now as she enjoys her very first Oscars night. (Yes, she has been invited to the event!)

As this blog was being written, the Academy was already handing out its Best Cinematography award, which went to Slumdog Millionaire. Earlier in the show, Penelope Cruz bagged Best Supporting Actress for her role in Vicky Christina Barcelona, which is really not a surprise coz Woody Allen is a genius in crafting female characters. Remember Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny and Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite?

I can't wait to see the rest of the show and find out who takes home the Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture awards. I'm betting on Mickey Rourke to walk out with the golden man, while Kate Winslet is sure to edge out the other women in her category. And Slumdog Millionaire might just emerge the big winner.

But nuf said, I should be getting back to the couch...

(Photo courtesy of DZMM.)

$347-million lottery jackpot

noreply@blogger.com (Royce Ambrocio) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Two people from Luzon woke up this morning as millionaires and what a way to start the week! Lucky bastards. I can only imagine the rollercoaster of emotions they are in right now, and who could blame them? I would be freaking out big time!

Since December of 2007, nobody has won the 6/49 Lotto and the total cash prize swelled up to over P300 million. That's gotta to be the biggest jackpot prize in the history of PCSO Lotto. It's no wonder that for the past weeks, long queues of millionaire wannabes are a common sight around the country.

Let it be known then that I was one of those suckers. Hey, there's no harm in there. In fact, I'm doing it for the various charity causes of PCSO (thunder roars, lightning cracks, ground breaks up).

Oh, shut the fuck up! Yes, I wanna be a millionaire. Who doesn't?!