Young Filipino dies in New Zealand – Mother in RP denied visa for wake and funeral

Filipino Warren Rosillo, 18, died a horrible death in Auckland, New Zealand from multiple stab wounds from a jealous 17-year old boy.  The mother is in the Philippines in Mindanao and wanted to attend his wake and funeral.  She was not granted a visa by New Zealand immigration because she did not have enough show money.

Is this really how foreigners look at Filipinos?  They have no compassion at all to the point of being insensitive and inconsiderate.  Maybe if this happens to them, it will be only the time they realize the mistake they did.  Unless, those people of the New Zealand immigration do not have family and just came out from thin air.

It will be good if after this, they will have thoughts of making some exceptions in their general rules and policies on granting a visa.  Surely they would have known the news of her son’s death and as human beings they should have felt the mother’s grief!   They have made the grief of Warren Rosillo’s mother even worse!  It's hard to believe that there's even no news story about the mother being denied a visa.

Crab menu in Dagupan City

In the late 1990s, we at work, frequented Dagupan City and on some occasions stayed overnight.  When there, it's often that seafood comes to my mind because of the variety they have there and special ways on how they prepare them.  My favorites there since the 1970s, were Sinigang na Malaga, Sugpo (Prawns) and Talaba (Oysters).  Their style of cooking has advanced as much as technology.  When we dined at Bonuan, Tondaligan at the outskirts of  Dagupan where restaurants and diners abound, that was my first time to encounter a crab menu.

Spicy Crab

Being fond of spicy food, I went for the Spicy Crab.  Served in a shallow bowl because it was cooked with Gata (coconut milk) and literally sitting on an inch-high of spicy sauce!  It was a large crab and I thought I would not be able to finish it all.  I started man-handling it.  The shell had a very generous crab fat which I immediately mixed with the steaming rice on my plate.  Then, added spoonfuls of the sauce.  It was a really delicious meal that the Spicy Crab is now on the top of my favorites when in Dagupan. 

Filipino Pancit Variations

Chinese influence in the Philippines can commonly be seen in the Filipino's food preferences.  One on top of the list of food preference is the pancit (rice noodles), the name pancit (or pansit) was derived from the Chinese Hokkien pian i sit .  In my curiosity, I have always gone to sites where photos of rice noodles are prepared in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and other Asian countries look so delicious!  They are the original countries that use Chopsticks instead of spoon, fork and knife.


My curiosity led me to search for Filipino Pancit dishes.  I was expecting to find only around 10 to 12 variations.  To my surprise, based on Wikipedia, it lists 29 variations of pansit!  Among those in the list, I would say that I am only familiar with less than half of it.  For the benefit of Pinoys who love pansit as I do, I have copied the list from Wikipedia.  I have added some comments that may be similar to one another, see how many you are familiar with:

1. Pancit Alanganin
2. Pancit Alahoy
3. Pancit Batchoy
4. Pancit Bato is indigenuous to the Bicol Region; especially the town of Bato in Camarines Sur.
5. Pancit Bihon Guisado
6. Pancit Bihongundoy
7. Pancit Cabagan
8. Pancit Canton
9. Pancit Canton Ilonggo
10. Pancit Chami (Lucena City, Quezon)
11. Pancit Estacion (Tanza, Cavite)
12. Pancit Habhab (Lucban, Quezon)
13. Pancit Kilawin (a variety pancit originated from Rosario, Cavite. In lieu of pancit noodles, shredded unripe papaya fruit is used cooked with vinegar and fish. Usually partnered with Dinuguan dish)
14. Pancit Lomi
15. Pancit Lucban
16. Pancit Luglug (very similar with Palabok and Malabon)
17. Pancit Malabon
18. Pancit Mami (round egg noodles)
19. Pancit Miki (round egg noodles)
20. Pancit Míki-Bíhon Guisado (round egg noodles + bihon)
21. Pancit Olongapo (Pancit Miki with 'Sarsa' sauce. Miki cooked in tradition added with sarsa a thickened chicken and pork broth, darkened a little with soy sauce of choice)
22. Pancit Molo (version of Filipino wanton soup without noodles, Chinese Wanton is with noodles lots of veggies)
23. Pancit Moròng
24. Pancit Palabok (thinner round noodles used compared to Luglug and Malabon)
25. Pancit Pula (variation of Pancit Miki from Batangas City)
26. Pancit Sotanghon (this could also be with soup)
27. Pansit Sabaw (Pansit Miki with soup)
28. Pansit Tuguegarao or Batil Patong



Nom-banh-chok noodles of Vietnam

29. Pansit Sinanta (also from Tuguegarao, consists of flat egg noodles, bihon, clams and chicken, with broth colored with annatto)

Offensive smelling food for others

Food in the Philippines are quite unique when it comes to its odor or aroma  that is also uniquely appealing to the Filipino senses.  Pinoys salivate to the aroma of those food while or after being cooked.  These foods are like Tuyo or Daing (dried fish), the condiments are two types of Bagoong (some say similar to caviar) fermented salty tiny shrimps (alamang) or fish (monamon) and Patis (fish sauce) derived from drippings of bagoong fermentation. 


Many marginal Filipinos would be content to have these food and condiments with rice as their meal, in general, for the entire country.  There are regional preferences on how the these are mixed with other food such as vegetables, spices or coconut milk.  Some foreigners who taste or eat them complain of indigestion or stomach troubles but it usually is hypersensitivity to spices or coconut milk ingredients.


Filipino food is a matter getting used to taste and smell.  Most are health food, nutritious and filling with rice!

Dating for Pinoys

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of luvfree for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Searching for dates online has been offered by many social websites.  One website that specializes purely on dating is luvfree.com.  Among the countries that have members registered with the site is the Philippines that rank third after the U.S. and the U.K. with most members.

Filipinos are really active online and many seek to find partners for life on dating sites.  The good thing with luvfree is that it is free to join and create a profile.  Like other social networks, they have a messaging system, video chats, rating photos and others.  Unlike other dating sites, luvfree services are absolutely free and no hidden fees or charges.

The dating website is what many people like freebies like some Filipinos who would prefer to get things free or on trial first before getting into it seriously.  The biggest concern for dating sites that charge or ask for a fee is you would not know if the person you meet online is for real.  It is so easy for websites to create fake profiles to please members.

Even video footage a member does not guaranty that it is the same person you have met on a dating site.  With free services coming from luvfree, people know they don't lose anything and not worried to use credit cards to pay for fees or charges.

Garbage collection - Baguio City

It used to be that garbage collection was done by garbage trucks going around Baguio City to collect them.  Many areas in recent years, if not all areas, residents have to bring their garbage in plastic bags to one place.  So, if you happen to live in a house that disposes so much trash, you will have to carry them to the specified garbage collection location.  If not, you just have to bear with all the waste for a week or so, until you get them there on the designated day/s.


For garbage collection days, it seems that it is only the central business district of Baguio that have their garbage collected daily.  A good number of residential and far-away areas have to settle for a once a week schedule.  This is one reason why the City Camp lagoon area gets flooded.  The people living around the area get lazy to bring their garbage to said places and instead just throw them in the water ways or other places where it can be carried away by rainwater.

Good Shepherd Convent - Baguio City

Baguio City has so many places of interest and tourist destination.  One would be the Good Shepherd Convent located just beside another tourist spot - Mines View Park.  The Good Shepherd Convent was known in the early days as a rehabilitation center for girls that have lost their way in life.  It is being run by Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Right now it is a flourishing place and is making exceptionally well.  Their produce are Peanut Brittle, Ube jam, Strawberry and Blackberry/Blueberry jam.  The place has developed into a virtual production plant of the said products.  There was never a time I visited the place as early as 7 a.m. that there were no visitors.  Many local tourists do not fail to buy goods before leaving for their respective cities or provinces.

The Peanut Brittle is one of their products that is outstanding.  Even locals still prefer them over the next best rival Romana's Peanut Brittle. The same with the Ube and Strawberry Jams.  They have well secured production areas and not just anyone is allowed in there.

Good Shepherd Convent has upgraded its facilities using Solar Panel lighting and Solar Thermal Water Heaters.  The upgrade is to save on electric bills that they use in production.  It is just amazing how they have developed into what they are right now.  If you did not visit the place on your trip to Baguio City, make sure it will be on your agenda on your next trip!

Typhoons and monsoon rains

Typhoons hit the Philippines at least 20 times a year.  Before this year, the weather bureau have named them with the first letters following the Tagalog alphabet.  It surprised me for this year, the first letter of typhoon names are now following the English alphabet!  They could be running out of Tagalog human names but it is no excuse.  The codenames could be simple Tagalog words instead.  Anyway the typhoons are given international names so there's no concern for other nationalities to be asking what kind of language the names are given to them.

Another thing is the weather bureau PAG-ASA could not even predict well the path and rains the typhoons would bring.  The truth is I am more concerned about monsoon rains a storm will carry with it.  It causes more floods and destruction with continuous rains for days, unlike the typhoon itself that could only take a day or two.  Typhoons signal are the basis for communities to take caution.  The heavy monsoon rains should also be categorized and also forecasted what areas will experience downpour!

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.

Avoiding sunburn

Summer time again in the Philippines and a lot of folks would like to cool themselves at beach resorts and swimming pools.  Those who would be bathing in the seas without skin protection will most likely suffer from sunburn.  The itch of sunburn followed by peeling skin definitely is more irritating than sweating in the summer heat.   Facial and back sunburn are most common because they are exposed to the sun more often and dry faster than other parts of the body.

As a habit when coming from a swim, most people wipe their head and face first.  Doing it frequently will cause the skin to be sun-burnt.  The upper back torso and nape get sunburned because people turn their back against the sun.  It's rare for people to face the sun after a dip in the waters. 

I experienced getting facial sunburn even when not in the beach or pool.  Once, I had the habit of always having on  hand a face towel to wipe sweat off my face while under the sun.  I sweat profusely on my face and head that makes me look like coming from a shower.  After a whole day of sweating and wiping them off, I felt okay and relieved.  The following morning I felt a burning sensation on my face and was surprised to see it sunburned!

So avoid or prevent sunburn after coming from a swim in ocean waters or swimming pool, don't wipe off the water from your face and body unless, of course, you don't intend to get back in the waters.  Stay under a shade and let the your body shed off the water and dry slowly.  The other good thing for this is your body and skin slowly transitions from the water temperature to the air temperature.  This will not let you shiver too much.

Okay!  So have a nice summer time without having to worry about having a sunburn with this little tip.