PBA - why I lost interest watching

The PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) is the professional basketball league of the Philippines.  Prior to that, it was known as MICAA (Manila Inter-Commercial Athletic Association) andI was really a big fan until its transition to PBA.  The transition saw the league turn into something like the NBA.  The sad thing is the PBA even imitated the NBA Logo!  The good thing is that the players were not imitating NBA players on their moves, shots and passes during those days.  The last time I remember watching a full PBA game was when Vergel Meneses, Alan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Johnny Abarrientos and the likes were still active.

Since that time, I hear from my sons that several new players of the PBA were trying hard copycats of NBA players!  Another thing, the tall Filipino players who play the position of "Center" are not even being trained on ball handling!  I have heard before and still hear now from some coaches and trainers telling these tall guys to just focus on rebounding and blocking and forget about ball handling!  That's the reason why the Philippines has not improved and even retrogressed in the sport compared to their status before the 1970s.

They've also imitated the NBA in focusing in defense.  In defense there are many flaws especially in height compared to other nations.  Also, players get fouls and give opportunities to opponents to get free throws!  The Filipino coaches should focus on offense and high scoring.  No matter how good they can defend, if they can not shoot and score, they still lose.  One more false belief is they call high percentage shots those that are closer to the basket.  Nonsense!  The closer a player shoots near the basket the more defenders there are and its more crowded!  And, shorter players will need superman skills to make their shots good!

Even TV commentators are taken for a ride by foolish if not stupid moves!  They commend and appreciate moves that are not necessary!  One example is:  They talk about a no-look pass by a player who does it just for show.  No one guarding him and likewise no one guarding the pass recipient!  Commentators even tag those players as elite!  What's wrong with all those guys?!?

Sagada - the Bomod-ok Falls

This post will be mostly photos of Bomod-ok Falls located nearby the Fidelisan Rice Terraces, Sagada, Mountain Province.  I frequented Sagada at least once a month during my stint with a pharmaceutical company from 1979 to 1982 but never heard of this place!  The photos are courtesy of a former associate who had just visited the place recently.  My great thanks to her for she allowed me to share some of the scenic photos.

 

My friend said the Bomod-ok Falls can be reached by vehicle two (2) kilometers from the municipal hall of Sagada then about an hour trek to the Fidelisan Rice Terraces.

Nurses’ choice of uniforms

In the medical profession, they need to dress up in a way to identify them from other professions.  The web site of Blueskyscrubs.com http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/ has an array of different designs and colors of uniforms for those in the medical profession.  The uniforms are very unique compared to those that you would ordinarily find in stores that sell them like uniforms for nurses.  Just viewing the set of uniforms online immediately shows the apparels to be really distinct from ordinary scrubs.

Hospitals and clinics have preferences for color schemes especially for their nursing staff.  Often, they would also assign color scheme or code for nurses in different departments.  This is one way for colleagues and patients to know what department they belong to.  It makes for a very convenient way for anyone to identify them in cases where their services are needed.  Hospitals without color coded uniforms for nurses have only their department assignment inscribed on their nameplates.

One thing to take note of the scrubs at Blueskyscrubs.com is how fashionably they are designed and always go in sets.  You may even be wearing them outside the zone it is required to be donned!  Uniforms for nursing have become a fashion statement to some and a pride to wear them outside.  It serves as a badge for their profession that often helps in emergency cases.  Uniforms people wear makes a clear distinction and helps very much in identifying those from different professions.

Asin Hot Springs Resort

Can a part of a municipality that was allowed to be operated and managed by its neighboring city, be declared or made by the city as privatized area.  This means that part of the municipality, the Asin Hot Springs Resort managed and operated by the city, will be offered to private entities for its operation!  That is similar to how the former Camp John Hay (CJH) is now being operated!  CJH is now a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) that has actually privatized it and being operated by Fil-Estate Realty Corporation!

CJH now is a far cry from what it was during the time it was operated as a rest and recreation base by the U.S. military.  It used to be that locals and visitors alike could walk around freely and go nights-out until wee hours of the morning.  Picnic tables were free to use, people can go visit any place in the base except for the the ambassador's residence that was off-limits.  The present CJH now has so many restricted areas and even cordoned off!  Imagine this happening at the Asin Hot Springs Resort! 

The resort is located in the municipality of Tuba, Benguet, more or less 15 kilometers west of Baguio city.  It is the nearest place where locals can enjoy relatively cheap resort and swimming pool accommodations.  Currently, there are three privately owned resorts:  The original near the power generation facility that has real hot spring water but was not fully developed; the River View Water Park Resort; and the Palm Grove Hot Springs and Mountain Resort.  Baguio City locals flock to these resorts almost every week end specially during summer.

Asin Hot Springs Resorts has also been well patronized by well sized companies in Baguio that they hold some company outings here.  The main advantage of the location for Baguio residents is being able to enjoy the place and go home at the end of the day.  If the entire place is to be privatized, whoever operates the area will 'jack-up' fees that locals will have to think twice before visiting the place again.  Also, there will be restrictions again within a defined area of the locality just like CJH!

Lastly, the Baguio City local government has had problems getting its share from CJH what is due to their coffers.  Are they trying to say that they prefer it that way?  Or, its because they don't have trusted people that operate and manage the Asin Hot Springs Resort.  That might just explain it:  The city losing earnings while some people enjoying the "fruits" of managing the resort!

Pacquiao vs. Mosley

May 7, 2011 will be another day to remember in the boxing world.  Shane Mosley will be in the ring for WBO Welterweight title held by Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.  It cannot be said if this will be the toughest fight ever for Pacquiao.  His fights against Oscar dela Hoya, Clottey, Hatton, Cotto and Margarito were supposed to be tough but it seems that he just breezed through them.  He never really got in trouble in those previous fights.

Pacquiao who was born December 17, 1978 is now 33 years old while Mosley is 39.  He may have slight youth advantage of 6 years over Mosley, nevertheless Shane still proved his stamina and power against Mayweather.  Manny Pacquiao says that he is 100% in condition but claims he did not train as hard as he did against dela Hoya.  If he would not be able to get Mosley in trouble and the fight will go the distance, there might be just that slight chance of him losing.

If Manny Pacquiao can move as well as he did in previous fights, Mosley will have a difficult time catching him with strong punches.  Or, if he does go after Pacquiao moving around the ring his stamina will be sacrificed.  The best thing that Mosley can do is to frequently corner Manny along the ropes.  Whoever will be quickest and be able to land real hard punches can come out the winner by either knockout or unanimous decision.

Baguio - A 'Mixing Bowl' of the Philippines

Many countries would have some cities, municipalities or localities that we can call their "mixing bowl", which means people residing in them come from different parts or regions of the country.  Baguio City, Philippines is among the cities that have now so many residents that come from different regions and provinces of the country.  For one thing, it is the cool climate that they really come to like.  There is no other city in the Philippines that would have an almost year-round cool climate.

Many migrants then, came from the nearby province of Pangasinan.  The reason they have a good number of residents in Baguio was due to gold and copper mines that flourished around Baguio city in the 1900s.  The promise of good pay in the mining industry was so attractive then.  That was also some reason for those from other provinces to migrate to Baguio.  Until now, even people assigned by companies to their city's branch office hardly want to leave the city if they are to be re-assigned to another place after a few years.

A good number of old-timer residents also come from the province of Batangas.  The Batanguenos are good in doing business and they could have been the 'Levis Strauss' for the several mines surrounding the city.  Migrants at that time learned to speak the more common 'Ilocano' dialect then.  The national Pilipino language was not spoken by much by locals.  In fact, most of the locals and natives even spoke English better than Tagalog until the late 60s!

Tagalog or the Pilipino language became more spoken when migrants from Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao increased.  They easily understood more the national language and spoke it even in a heavy accent.  It can also be noticed that people from the southernmost tip of the Philippines, those who are with the Islam faith, have also increased in number!  They are mostly ambulant vendors and are quite making good.  To identify them in Baguio City, they wear robes and caps that Muslims don.  The women mostly still wear their 'bandanas' but do not cover their face.

It is a lot easier now to communicate to almost all residents in Baguio City in Tagalog and English too.