Jackets Galore

I LOVE JACKETS!

I don't know why. I just do. I also love the rainy days. But that's another story.

The oldest jacket that I have is my "Baby Sporty Jacket". I named it so because just like a baby tee, its size is just as fit and small -- maybe because I've outgrown it, when it used to fit like great grandma Altum Viditur jacket. I have been wearing it since grade 3!

Check out my jacket uhm... "collection".

The Blueberry Rock Show

UP Diliman's Statement on the "Gloriagate" Scandal

The President Must Resign Now

Statement of the University Council (UC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City on the political crisis facing the Arroyo administration.



13 July 2005


The pursuit of the truth and the quest for a democratic society are integral to the university's mission in society. In the conduct of its work, the University of the Philippines is strictly guided by the paramount values of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility.

We have strong reason to believe that the recent actions of the Arroyo administration in relation to the so-called "Gloriagate" tapes – the initial attempt at a cover-up, the use of threat and intimidation to prevent public access to these tapes, and the clever admission of half-truths to conceal a serious offense, among others – constitute a direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in academe.

A careful analysis of the content and context of the recorded conversations between the President and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano clearly shows that there has been a betrayal of public trust, if not a subversion of the people's will in the last presidential election.

Grave economic problems confront the nation today. At no other time have we needed a leader who can heal the divisions in our society and inspire hope especially among our young people. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has done enough damage to our public institutions and to the country's self-esteem. We cannot afford to be led any further by a dishonest president who has shown no qualms about using the awesome powers of her office for purely personal interests.

The University Council (UC) of UP Diliman, Quezon City - composed of professors, associate professors and assistant professors and chaired by the Chancellor - calls on the people to guard against foreign meddling and military takeover in charting the nation's future in the event of her removal from office. UP Diliman faculty members will join the people in their struggle to build a progressive society and a responsible government and in their commitment to uphold civilian supremacy in government and governance. We thus call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately resign.


Source: League of Filipino Students' website

Hello, Garci?

First She Said "Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there was The Tape. She was gifted with a distinctively "her" voice, so she decided not to speak about it for several days. Maybe she thought that if she spoke again, people would recognize the voice in the wiretapped tape to be really hers.

Those silent days seemed strange. She did not say anything about The Tape as if she didn't know about it or even watched the news. Even the kids on the streets knew about that certain Garci thing. I mean, it's all over the country, in fact, it was even all over Asia. Everyday, before "The Simpsons", Star News Asia headlines the Philippines about her. And so there were Garci, and Bunye, and Gonzales, and Vidol, and Concepcion. Then there were Fidel, and Cory, and the CBCP. There was even Kris Aquino.

First she said "Hello, Garci?" but she never hunted Garci to disprove that hers was the voice in The Tape. First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there were "Hello, Garci?" ringtones, songs and dance steps. Radio stations played "Hello, Garci?" teasers in between segments. Major networks and newspapers nationwide headlined "Hello, Garci?" Everyone knew about it. I'm sure you've heard co-commuters answered their phones with "Hello, Garci?" I'm sure you've heard teenagers exclaimed "Hello, Garci?" in sarcasm instead of the usual "Hello, Okay ka lang?!"

"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?""Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and two weeks after, she said "I am sorry." And we were sorry too.
Lastly She Said "Hello, Garci?"


She supported the US government as far as she thought was right. But a lot of things turned up wrong. "Laban nga natin sa sarili nating Bayan, hindi natin maipanalo, nakilaban pa tayo sa ibang bansa."

She supported and funded the military instead of the education sector and other basic social services. There was VAT but she was not contented, there must be an E-VAT. More journalists were killed during her term than Fidel, Cory and Erap's terms combined. Let's not start comparing her term to Marcos' term. We will take forever, especially if we will compare her to Marcos. Marcos had the decency to declare Martial Law.

Honestly, I don't read the papers so much now like before. I don't have the time to watch the news. But I definitely experienced the transportation fare hiking steep. Sometime like only a year ago, my 5-peso coin was enough to take me from Quezon Avenue-EDSA to UP, until it wasn't. Then suddenly one day, the fare that I always paid the jeepney driver was 2 pesos short. I never availed the Student Fare before. This was the very first time that I felt the need to avail it, but too late, I have already graduated college. On the brighter side of it, buti nga grumaduate pa ako, sa hirap ng buhay.

I don't wonder why different groups call for her ouster, some for her resignation, and some for her impeachment. Bottom line is that it's not only the opposition that would want her out of the presidency, may it be through constitutional, or extra-constitutional, even unconstitutional means. She's done a lot of things to annoy these groups. And she's definitely done a lot of things to antagonize the people.

I know that nobody can be perfect. She cannot possibly light all highways, restore all cultural buildings, clean all bays and rivers. She cannot possibly trap all thieves, gamblers, drug lords, illegal loggers. She cannot possibly give every man a job, every woman a shelter, every kid an education, every family a dish on the table. I know nobody can do or has done those things before. But nobody has thought of the EVAT before. Or funding the military real big time. And though others before her time have family-incorporated government corruption already, or neglected civil liberty rights, nobody has done it as good (or bad) and blatant as she did this time. She might be forgetting that we learn from experience and that the people will not be fooled again. Okay, I might be repeating myself. Or just repeating what you might have probably heard and known before. You see, she wasn't able to do a lot of right things and maybe, just maybe, we can forgive that. But she's done an awful lot of bad things.

And lastly, she said "Hello, Garci?"


11 July 2005 | 11:44 PM

Irony (Hacienda Luisita Inc. vs. Pampanga's Red Light District)

As the basic masses integration (BMI) part of the 3rd UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers' Organizations (SOLIDARIDAD) Congress, the delegation went to Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac to visit the people in the picket line. The workers and farmers of the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) are still standing, despite the food and financial crises brought to the picketers' families by the months-long strike that they held. They are still standing despite the violent dispersals that they have encountered. They are still standing despite the carnages and tears. They are still standing, by their principles. Yet what they ask for is plain and simple, and just just, the Cojuangcos ignobly would not give. All protests fall on deaf ears, as we say.

We all know the story. The farmers earn an average of P9.50 a week. It's not even enough to buy a pack of sugar that they produce right there in HLI, not mentioning all the deception that the HLI has done to them all these years. And sure we do not want to go to the topic of land use, land conversion, land grants, land grabs, land ownership, or just land. The most of what the workers and farmers ask for is a fair pay, and maybe a fair game. But the game in HLI has not been fair for three decades now. Like any other slave-master game, the masters win.

There's another game that's been cooking up there in Pampanga. This time, I guess, everyone thinks they all win. That's what they think.

We all know the story here, too. We've heard all about the flesh market in Clark. Back in 2001 when we went to Clark, I've seen Joes with Magdalenas. All colors of Joes, while some were Kims and Nakamuras. And of course, just one shade of Magdalena.

I have been to red light districts before -- Where girls were literally ordered.

I have been to red light districts before. There's even a small red-light "district" here in Caloocan that I pass by when I go home from any place Quezon City. I have even been inside a beer house where the girls only wore skimpy bikinis and thongs. Where girls dance around almost butt-naked. Where girls were literally ordered.

"I'll have one SMB, one sisig and one girl."

"SMB, sisig and girl on table 4!"

But this one in Clark is unlike any other red light district that I've been to all my life. No sir! It was thered light district, it is in Fields Avenue. Or should I say, it is Fields Avenue? It was blocks after blocks of red lights, and blue and green and yellow too. It's like the ones that we see in the movies. The clubs are averaging two floors each. But the fa§ades are massive. I've seen Las Vegas-themed clubs, Mexican-themed, Roman, Greek, complete with columns and ornamentations, at least two gold-painted concrete cement pharaohs and maybe a sphinx. Neon lights, loud sounds, all colors of Joes, Kims, Nakamuras, Chans, and even Juans.

It was a sight to see, really. I was in awe for the first few strides. Then another attraction that I only see in the movies (again) caught my attention -- the girls. In uniform pink bikinis, in rainbow-colored tube tops, and micro-mini skirts. In all kinds of undershirts and underwears. Suddenly, I thought I was in Florida and not in Nevada anymore. But there was no white sand, no water. And the girls were wearing go-go boots, platform shoes, stilettos.

This was definitely a flesh market. It was out of control. Oh no, actually, it was under control -- it's legal. The girls had IDs pinned on their bras. There were police bikes to see if everything's in order. Well, how could a business this loud and vulgar that occupied two, three blocks of Clark be illegal? It's so legal, it even had this street sign-like post in one corner that pointed where a certain club was located.

We went inside one club. I was dumbfounded to see around 10 girls wearing printed bikinis in a small rounded stage in front. The stage was ledged with a bar table where customers could sit down while watching the fish swim. And they could even touch it if they wanted. We asked the Mama San if we could talk to one of the dancers. She gave us Joy. I remembered her name perfectly. Joy.

Joy said all girls who work in the clubs of Fields Avenue were legal, otherwise, the police would get them, and they could not enter the bars. There were two types of jobs for the girls -- a dancer, or a waitress. But both could be ordered.

"I'll have one SMB, one sisig and one girl."
"SMB, sisig and girl on table 4!"

This is how it all works there: Most clubs are owned by foreigners, mostly Joes than Kims and Nakamuras, which explains why most customers are Joes -- they are friends with the owners. Some clubs do not allow Filipinos inside. Though it's a blatant bigotry, Juan would have a smaller selection of where he could waste his money and support this legal prostitution. So that's okay, I guess. But being the hardheaded Pinoys that we have always been, selection would not matter to answer earthly calls. Anyway, all clubs do not impose entrance fees. The girls and the clubs get 50-50 share of a customer's fee to a "take-home". That's the difference when what you take home is alive, the Chickenjoy never asked for a 50% commission from Jollibee. You get the girl tonight and you pay Mama San tonight, 1 kilo peso down, man. The girl has the option to go back to the club, or stay with the customer. The customer has the option to give "tip", or not. With tip or without, one customer equals P500. One customer every night in a week, excluding Sunday gives the girl 3K! And she still gets her monthly salary from the club for simply being a dancer, or a waitress. That explains why the girls sell flesh. And it's legal, remember?

To be a legal prostitute here, oops sorry, female sex worker (FSW), rather, to be a legal FSW, one should be 18 years old who has the guts to go to one club and apply for the position carrying an original or photocopy of her Birth Certificate. No educational background required. One must pass a short interview regarding a few bits on family background and a little English. If one has passed the interview and has a "pleasing personality", she would have to go to, guess where! The NSO! To register, of course. Then some 600 pesos and one gets her ID which I guess contains a picture, a name of employee and club, and a control number, probably pretty much like the ones in the back of limited edition Barbie Dolls issued by Mattel. Then she is ready to go.

And oh, if that's not enough, girls get this regular "hygiene check up" to see if they have acquired some disease. That's fair. And to see if they have been good girls the past week and still have their virginity. We know that story too. Virgins are more "sellable".

You got the irony there? In Hacienda Luisita, what the protesters are asking is that to give them what is due to them. Give them what they earn. It's not even illegal or wrong. But they never got it. While in Fields Avenue, the businessmen asked for something and they got it -- a big red light district, street signs to make sure customers get to The Haven, police for security, and legalized prostitution. And its legality makes it look right. What an irony.


June 01, 2005 | 9:21 PM

Balanced gender focus

you're 37% masculine

This is based on how you scored on a variety of traits that, founded on classic research and our own studies, are typically associated with men.

You're also 63% feminine, which is based on how you scored on traits that are typically associated with women. When we compare your results with other women it shows that you are somewhat more masculine than other women.

But what is gender identity exactly? A person's gender identity is defined by the extent to which they see themselves as masculine or feminine. Every person possesses both masculine and feminine qualities to some degree, however the extent to which each person has these qualities differs widely. While you were taking the test, we calculated your scores in 6 areas typically defined as masculine and 6 areas typically defined as feminine.

(Romeo) Lee’s Night (June 28)

If it's Tuesday night, then it must be Lee's Night at Mag:net Katipunan Avenue.

Finally, after being scheduled for three consecutive Tuesdays, we've finally made it to play on Lee's Night. June 11 was the first scheduled gig but we were not able to practice, on June 22, our drummer was sick, now, all was well and we were so ready to play!

I invited Nick, my best friend to watch our gig, but he had something else to do. Then he said, "Sa Martes? Pina-plug yan ni Julia Clarete sa Bulagaan ah! Tutugtog daw sila." I did not know and answered, "Talaga? Baka next week pa, kasama ang Brass Munkeys."

Talking about being excited to finally making it to Lee's night, we were at Mag:net real early, Lee wasn't even there yet so we waited outside while having some beer. Then a cab stopped nearby, and out a slim girl wearing a (really) short and sexy printed sea blue dress with matching scarf on the neck, a thick anklet and high heeled slip-ons. Oh yes, it's Julia Clarete. And… was that Kuya Danny? The guy from FA? Undoubtedly, Julia would be tonight's front(wo)man of Maniac Kiss

We prepared six original songs (Kalai, Hush, Parusa, Juday, Fantasy, Eto) for our set, which was actually a much longer set than a regular 3-song-15-minute gig. Lee asked for five songs for the past schedules but we lined-up six, making "Kalai" a 'sound-check song' for an excuse. We practiced "Soon" by the Moonpools and Caterpilars and "Torpe" by Barbie's Cradle (?) but did not pursued on them. Little did we know that we would be fronting for Julia. And littler did we know that there would only be two bands this time, we would have used the covers and more original songs that we rarely play because of the usual gig time limit.

Waiting for more guests, we hung around for about two hours before the night started. Mag:net is a free jam zone sometimes so after setting up, we tuned up the amps, toned down the volumes (so low that we were the only ones who could hear our instruments) and jammed some songs like we were just drinking beer one afternoon on a corner sari-sari store. Lee's nights are just so spontaneous and fun!

Finally, Lee introduced us. We're on a roll. I thought we were going turbo because after a few minutes, we were down to our last song. Then Lee said we should have prepared around 10 songs to make our set longer, because there were only two bands. Sayang.

Then came Julia onstage, with a cigarette on one hand a bottle of beer on the other. A few minutes of set up and they're the ones on a roll this time. They did some blues and rock and roll. We were requesting some Led Zep but they didn't give, instead, they did the Police and Beatles. Julia was rocking and all. She was talking to everyone near her, I was sitting so near her, my feet were resting on the stage, and she almost touched my ear when she kidded to pull my chain earrings. Then made a peace sign with her fingers over her forehead. She made good spiels, and jokes to some members of the audience, I thought she was doing stand up comedy. Seen her in Bulagaan? She's more maharot this time. I couldn't help myself I blurted "Bulagaan na 'to!" Seen her in Bulagaan? She's nothing there compared here – dancing sensually and wildly, bending over to pick up her Pale beer on the floor in her mini dress… know what I'm saying?

I couldn't finish Julia's set so I said goodbye and thanks to Lee. As my bandmates were staying, I joked that before going home, they should wipe away their drool.


29 June 2005 | 02:21 AM

Awesome Ska-pade (June 24)

Once again, a tiring day but also a Skanking one. I wonder if Ska night is equal to work-out day. My first Awesome Ska-pade, though I did not mention, had me running around the general UP area making some things done, and getting all soaked in the pouring rain, and being stuck in a really, really heavy traffic on my way to Makati in the earlier part of the day. The next one got me traveling from Caloocan to QC to Ortigas to Meycauyan before finally skanking again in Makati. This time, I spent 1/3 of my day traveling from Caloocan to UP to Sto. Domingo Church, and walking from Sto. Domingo Church with fellow anti-GMA marchers to the QC-Manila Rotonda and that's under the scorching sun, then walking and traveling back to UP to pick up some stuffs, then traveling to Timog and walking down to Kolumn Bar to finally do some dancing.

Yep, skanking night has always been preceded by a work out day. Not to mention that dancing ska is a work-out in itself.

Though it's a new venue, the usual PiliSKApinas bands were there for a SKA MAX night: SMB, Out for Lunch, The Usual Suspects and Shuffle Union, plus, the remarkable Skabeche. Also present were the usual Ska City United crowds. Unlike going to rock and alternative gigs, I could easily recognize the familiar faces. Ska City has its following, I wouldn't wonder why the familiar skanormals and skinheads. I have been one of them for the past couple of skankings.

The habitual dancing and frolicking started already. I took some time to rest on a chair already reserved for me by my skamates. We were sitting next to some dread heads' table. Taking a second look at the dread heads, I recognized that they were the Rubadub vocalist and guitarist. When The Usual Suspects were up, we went to the dance floor until it was Shuffle Union. We were to stay there in anticipation of Skabeche but some dancers got a little rowdy. These were people that were not exactly one of our usual crowds. They were doing the ska alright but then they started pushing each other and body slamming we had to back away a little. But then again, the girl on the mic called on an imported ska vocalist from Cebu. I'm so sorry I forgot her name but I got her face clearly pictured on my mind. I'm sure to catch her again in another ska night, though. And so she went up the stage, got the mic and greeted everyone in Cebuano. Then with all enthusiasm, she exclaimed "Come on Eileen!" Like any other ska nights, I grabbed my skamates and took the middle front of the dance floor. This song just always got me on my feet and dance enthusiastically. Like any ska other night, "Come on Eileen" got me excitedly and willingly dancing like no more ska nights would ever follow. Tonight, like any other ska nights, my name was Eileen!


25 June 2005 | 03:50 AM

(Romeo) Lee’s Night (June 14)

If it's Tuesday night, then it must be Lee's Night at Mag:net Katipunan Avenue. Again.

Lee personally invited me to have my band play this Tuesday, but unfortunately, we were not able to practice. We haven't practiced full band for a long time because of a "series of unfortunate events", but that's another story.

Anyway, I suggested Sajama to play – Papa John's (our guitarist) other band. But unfortunately, Brig (their drummer, and our sessionist) was sick. BUT on the fortunate side, Lee was also having arrangements with The Brew's front man Doc. I told Lee to ask for Doc's help to come up with a good line up.

I went there alone. ORG friends were not yet there. But friends from the UP Underground Music Community (UG) crowded the veranda. The line up -- Aizo - one of my favorites, Slow Dive, Oi Wag Dito!, and Chubibo, Doc's other band. The Brew did not make it. The only band that did not come from UG was G2 and the Bundocks.

It was a good line up but I was not able to finish the show. I was so sleepy I had to leave in the middle of Chubibo's (the last band to play) first song. Sorry Irene.

Next time.


15 June 2005 | 3:46 AM

Awesome Ska-pade (June 11)

I had a tiring day, I was up at 10 AM and was late for Chaddao's swimming party in Balara which started at 10 and ended at 4 PM. Then ran late (again) to Asia Pacific Film Institute in Ortigas to catch our short film's debut at 4. Then hurried to Meycauyan to attend my cousin's bridal shower. I got there at 9 then rushed back to Manila at 11. "Rushing back to Manila" from Meycauyan is an understatement. I actually rushed to Makati.

11:50 PM was an unholy time for air-con busses with LRT-Ayala routes in EDSA. And for some unknown reason, cabs were scarce too. I thought I'd better go home. But I wouldn't want to miss this night, anyway, patience is a virtue.

My patience paid off and I still made it to Ska City United's PiliSKApinas (the album) launch, though I missed most of the bands and the giving away of CDs. I was tired from all the commuting, the waits and the walks. I was really tired but not too tired to still do some skanking. No time to waste, the minute that I got inside Heckle and Jeckle, I put down my bag to one of the chairs and joined my friends and the dancing crowd. Unlike last week, my friends and I were not in the middle front this time. Unlike last week, I would only get to dance an hour max because it's down to the last band. That being the case, I poured all my remaining energy cavorting. When the vocalist announced "Come on Eileen", I felt all too refreshed. "Come on Eileen" has always been one of my favorite skas. I told myself, yep, it's true. Patience, really is a virtue!


12 June 2005 | 3:15 AM