friendillion

Our country is in crisis! Poor infrastructure & Urban planning that lead to nightmarish traffic & countless floods. Below par educational system, Low-quality healthcare, Overpopulation & Poverty, Corruption, and Lack of opportunities & Unemployment. I don’t blame our fellow Filipinos who left our country (or planning to leave) for greener pastures. With a staggering 2.3 million OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers), who mostly leave their dear loved ones in exchange for a better future, is one compelling proof of our country’s economic incapacity. What happened? The Philippines used to be an Economic Powerhouse back in the day when the exchange rate was 2 pesos to a dollar. Our country was once a model of development and 2nd only to Japan among East Asian economies. But there is still hope for our dwindling nation. Our Manufacturing, Tourism, and Agriculture are “Slowly but Surely” vastly improving. However, we can’t fully rely on these sectors. And our government ...

If you are going to build your own vacation house, what is the first thing that you want to have (aside from the house of course)? Is it lots of fruit bearing trees? A large swimming pool? A Ferris wheel? I’ve been searching, looking, and asking around on things that will be pleasing to any kind of vacation house. My pursuit ended when I found this vacation house which I personally call… “Labrador Galore” . That place is in San Jose Batangas (A province known for producing Paminta or Black Pepper). In that territory, you can find a vacation house owned by my cousin Dinna and her husband Raul. A serene farmhouse with numerous fruit-bearing trees, multiple Bali-themed nipa huts, enveloped with assorted and varied pint-sized inground pool, and blessed with naturistic open space and green lush lawn. It’s perfect to spend a lifetime in the couple’s retreat house. But what it makes more unique is their furry companions who act as their “Welcoming Party” on their behalf. That f...

This Sunday is Grandparents Day! Although this event is as not as celebrated compared to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, still people give importance to the parents of the couple who gave birth to them. Lolo and Lola as we commonly call them. They may be slow and weak. White or regressing hair. A little bit outdated in technology and the internet. Still, we call them as our very own heroes. You see, what these elderly people lack on health and innovation, they pay up with knowledge, many years of experience, and lots of patience in loving and guiding not only their children but their priceless grandchildren. One thing they are very good at is the art of “Spoiling” ! Almost all grandparents overindulge the kids of their children with an abundant of kindness…. up to a point when they had more than enough that they can muster. These elderlies pamper their grandchildren with toys, candies, chocolates, treats, and anything that they can find on Amazon or eBay. Back in their prime, t...

Weekends in the city are becoming to be very much boring and routinely. People just go to malls to dine, shop and entertain themselves. And that’s what they do weekends after weekends. Some people go the distance and travel to a nearby province to spend some time at the beach or someplace quiet. But what if you’re too tired to drive far from home but you are also uninterested in going to crowded malls?? Is there any other option? I too was asking that same question. So I did some research and went to Google Maps. I intensified my quest and found a place where me and my family can have an “Extra-Ordinary Weekend”. That place is no other than Taguig City. So we did our itineraries, hop into our car and off we go… Our first stop is… 1.) LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI => The Libingan ng mga Bayani or the Cemetery of the Heroes is the final resting place of 33,520 Filipinos who laid their lives for the country during the Second World War. Dignitaries and personnel of t...

The first time I’ve heard of that word was when I was 14. I asked my Mom what it meant and she said that Patay Gutom are those people who are deprived of one thing… FOOD ! As I grew older, I became fully aware of why these people exist. It is not because of lack of food & resources, nor our lack of government support but because it all boils down to one thing…. their CHOICE ! The absurdly wrong choice! Patay (Dead) and Gutom (Hunger) is not an admirable word to hear. Our country is not starving like some troubled countries in Africa. After all, The Philippines is an agricultural country with a land area of 30 million hectares (47% of which is for agricultural purposes). We are abundant with main agricultural crops such as rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, coffee, mangoes, tobacco, and cacao (special mention to chocolate lovers out there). So why do people still get hungry? Like I said, it’s their choice. Choice of leaving from their world of abundance. T...

3 days ago, I popped a question in Social Media (particularly on Facebook) about what is the ideal place for a family to live in. I was blown away by the results that a lot of advice, comments and private messages poured in. I got a sincere invitation from locals living in Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. As well as some proposition from friends and relatives in foreign countries like Canada, Australia, and The United States. Those people who have replied and responded was more than what I needed. To be honest, I was overwhelmed with their heartfelt solicitation. Every place that they mentioned were all enticing to me and my family. And then, out of the blue, I’ve heard a whisper from far far away…. 5,307 miles to be exact. I heard a voice from the massive ocean of the North Pacific. That voice is my cousin Lynn for the islands of Hawaii. Lynn said… “Come to Hawaii Francis” ! “It’s family friendly as opposed to the other 49 states”. “There are lot’s of fun activities for the young a...

In every book we read, there are chapters that we cherish and be nuts about. And upon finishing the whole book, we get back to our favorite chapters and relive our admiration for that particular story. In general, we neglect the bad chapters and saved the favorites. In life, we do the same thing too. We ignore our bad chapters and relive the good ones. Those who are in their past their prime had accumulated a lot of chapters in life and just like wine they have gained intelligence through experience. But it’s not just the adults, kids too are starting to acquire their chapters in what they call their “Fairytale Book” . My son Luigi got 2 chapters in his book. His 1st chapter was his formative years. He was born and raised in an exclusive village in Merville Park, Parañaque. Aside from his immediate family, Luigi was surrounded with pets from dogs, cats, 1 frog, 1 bantam rooster, and 1 flying lemur (we surrendered the animal to our local barangay after knowing that their speci...

Pinoy ka ba? Marunong ka bang magsalita nang ating wika? Nasubukan mo na bang mag-Bayanihan? Kumakain ka na ba ng Balut? If you don’t understand the words that I am saying then you are not a Filipino. Western Colonialism brought a negative effect in our culture that is rich in values, diverse language, etiquette, and manners that we can be proud of to the whole world. We somewhat forgot our roots. Our origin. Where we came from. Do we still have Filipino blood left in our veins? How do we gauge if we are truly a Filipino? It all starts in your home. The place that you reside in and where you spend most of your time in. Just look at your home right now… what do you see? Do you identify any Filipino artifacts in your living room? Does your maid still use a Bunot to clean your floors? Do you have “Timba at Tabo” in your Banyo? Do you have any Banig somewhere in your closet? If you don’t have any of these, then you might have forgotten how to be a True Filipino. We can’t ...

Loyalty… does it still exist? Can we still see it listed in the dictionary? Do people still believe in it? If you ask people around you might be surprised to know that some of them don’t even know the meaning of the word. In today’s modern society, it is common to hear employees jumping from one company to the other. Old close friends of yours have now shifted gears and became traitorous because of their own personal interests. Divorce lawyers earning more money because of infidelity and disloyal individuals who once believe in Love forever after. Most people are now untrue to what should command one’s allegiance to one’s cause, group, philosophy, and even to our nation. I’m beginning to lose hope and starting to believe that Loyalty has become extinct in our culture and beliefs. Is there any Loyalty left in this world? But then I’ve noticed my son’s commitment to a philosophy that I thought that won’t even last a year. I then realized that my son Luigi has been devoted to a ...

In every village or subdivision, it consists of things that residents need. Stuff like swimming pools, basketball courts, gyms, parks and playgrounds, church, and preschools. But the one thing that is lacking in some subdivisions is a Restaurant. An ideal establishment that serves food and drinks to the residents. It’s a compelling case where most real estate developers tend to overlook. But with the increasing car sales and the unsolvable traffic in cities (like Metro Manila), a real estate firm should now include these amenities in their future projects. It’s fortunate the Merville Park (one of the oldest village in Parañaque City), managed to have a restaurant inside their subdivision. It’s a solution to the dreadful traffic in Manila so that homeowners and tenants don’t have to dine outside like the mall after attending their regular Sunday masses. The name of the establishment is Le Delice (The Delight… in French). It’s been operating for 20 years now and ...

(Why this mixed breed puppy will teach us how to reach our goal… much faster than we ever expected) I have a question for you? Any of you have reached their goal? What is your ratio of success? Is it 8 out of 10? or 3 out of 10? Please tell me, I like to find out… Mine is pretty bad! My success rate is 1 out of 10. I barely reach my goals. A good example is getting a pet dog. We’ve been out without a dog for 5 years now. I thought of getting a Rottweiler for guarding my family and property protection. My second choice was acquiring a Jack Russell Terrier for me to have as a Jogging partner and join us for mountain trekking. Neither one of them turned into a reality. Nope, I never had any dog of any kind during those 5 years. While it was easy in getting or buying those breeds that I mentioned. The problem is not the dog, but the person… the problem is me. I was very choosy! Choosy on picking the perfect month and year, the perfect puppy out of the litter, and the perfect ...

My Dead Sister has been gone for more than 6 months but it feels like it is still fresh just like yesterday. I just couldn’t believe that my baby sister was taken away from us. During the wake, I had the time to observed all the people who gave their respect to my sister. From my sister’s relatives, close friends, classmates, workmates…. each and every one of them, I examined carefully and studied their behavior. One thing that really caught my eye is this lady from Antipolo. Her name is Rose and classmate of my deceased sister (Roberta) in St. Paul University Q.C. Rose was there with my sister from the time Roberta was rushed to the hospital, the entire duration of my sister’s wake, the 9th and 40th day and even up to today. Rose was there for my sister even before Roberta got sick. Which we believed makes her the “Official Bestfriend” ! Roberta was born as the sweetest person in our family. I really don’t know why, but I think she is the youngest and everybody protected her...

Although geographically small, the Philippines has probably the most number of fiesta (more than 42,000 festivals ) and deriving to a point that this country could be one of the happiest country in the world. Theoretically, a foreign tourist can visit the Philippines spending only their airline and accommodation and not worry about food expenses if they are going to attend all the Fiestas in the country. It’s funny to think that with all the problems that the country faces today, these fiestas somewhat decreases it. The fact that the Philippines absorbs 20 storms per year that destroys hundreds of houses of the poor Filipinos but they still manage to smile at camera of the media is a sign that “ Filipinos are Jolly People ” regardless of the circumstances. Fiestas in the Philippines are held to honor their local Roman Catholic patron saint and to commemorate local history and culture. Festivals like the Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan, Baguio’s Panagbenga, Marinduque’s Moriones, Lucban’s...

Santa Claus is coming to town. In fact, he’s here with us in our home in the month of June. We are all so happy and blessed for his presence and the precious gifts that he brought all the way from North Pole. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and his most prized reindeer “Rudolph The Red Nose” were waiting patiently in our main street. My children even took pictures of Santa’s sleight that weigh over 400,000 tons carrying all the toys for all the children all over the world. So I asked Santa why did he paid us a visit in the midyear. Are we good to people so you decided to give your Christmas presents in advance? Heck no! The gentleman said. I’m not Santa, and I don’t live in the North Pole. My name is Jim, from Winnipeg Canada. Suddenly, the reindeers and the long sleight disappeared in our very eyes. It’s all an illusion. This guy is totally an impostor! Still, I politely asked the guy who look like Santa his purpose of his visit. The guy with t...

All of us are loved by the people close to us. We undeniably absorb that love and affection from our “Immediate Family” . It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Things get pretty shallow outside of our Immediate Family circle. We got back-stabbing relatives, ex-friends and ex-lovers, hypocrite co-workers, etc. Only seldom we see and hear stories of extra-ordinary love from strangers and outsider. Mine started from the kitchen. Ka-Ising is her name. She works as “The Cook” for my Lola in a 10 hectare property in Balayan Batangas. Every morning, Ka-Ising wakes up very early to take that 3 kilometer walk from her place to my Lola’s residence. From there Felicia Manalo (her full name), will start the wood (fallen from the mango trees) by only using a steel pipe to initiate the fire. She will start first with our freshly brewed “Kapeng Barako” or Batangas Coffee. Then sh...