UP Ibalon Bicol: March 2008

March 30, 2008: Divine Mercy Sunday

3/31/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The Sunday following the Easter memorial of Christ's resurrection, the feast of Divine Mercy is celebrated worldwide.

In America, the celebration is in the Shrine of Divine Mercy, situated in a small quiet hamlet of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The place is visited by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world, a tradition that is reminiscent of the prayer and celebration we do honoring Mary in our Bicol Penafrancia Fiesta.

It's interesting. Thousands of miles away, our country is afire with the Divine Mercy message. Maybe, we feel the need for it. Yes, we don't have to go further than our present experiences to see the reasons why.

This wonderful day is a moment to look inwardly at our lives; we ask for God’s boundless love and understanding. We seek pardon and hope for the salvation of the world.

Today, I opted not to join the group, Our Lady of Penafrancia Devotees Association of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut (OLPDA) which brings a delegation of pilgrims to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. My health prevents me. I'm glad though to share this special day with you. It reminds us of our own weakness, our difficulties, and our dependence to God's unrelenting love.

Labels: Totie Mesia

Blogging tip: Spruce up your blog with picture collage

3/29/2008 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

[This article, I believe, tackles general interest topic so I lifted it from my personal blog.]

Picasa is a light-weight graphic application that Google offers as a free download. Picture collage creation is one of its coolest features.

How do we produce these effects? Incredibly easy. Moments after you install Picasa, it will find all the pictures, and some supported video files too, in your hard drives and immediate network, including long lost pictures whose locations you have lost track of long ago. The pictures shall be organized in folders for your effortless access. In Picasa's application interface, CTRL + select the pictures you like to include then click Picture Collage from Picasa's Create menu. You will immediately see the preview of your collage. When satisfied with your creation, save the composite picture as graphic file.

You may select from any of the four options for your final collage output: picture pile, picture grid, contact sheet and multi-exposure. You may choose white, gray or black for background color of your collage, or you may set the farthest picture as your background graphic.

Download your free Picasa here to explore its other features. Very soon you will start posting professional-looking graphics to spruce up your blog.

Labels: Blog Admin, Blogging Tips, Picture collage

Sa susunod na kabanata: ala-ala ng Ibalonian na mahilig sa komiks...

3/26/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Katatapos pa lamang ng mahal na araw. Ang alingas-ngas ng tag-init ay matindi maski ngayon. Ito ang panahon na ako'y nakapagugunita ng tayo ay nasa UP pa.

Marami sa amin noon ang gustong umalis sa campus. Gusto naming maka-uwi sa probinsya para makapagbakasyon. Ibig naming makalimot sa hirap ng pagiging estudyante sa UP. Ngunit wala kaming pera para makabili ng pamasaje sa Pantranco patungong Bikol!

Yung mga marunong, madaling umalis. Umuwi na sila sa kanilang mga probinsiya. Mabilis silang lumisan para makapiling ang kanilang pamilya. Siguradong ganado ang mga 'yun---lalo na't puro uno ang kanilang mga marka. Yung iba naman, medio tagilid sa ekwela, malungkot, minabuti na lamang ang maghintay sa Diliman para alamin kung ano ang gradong nataggap sa mga terror na maestra.

Mainit ang panahon na yun! Kaka-kain pa lamang namin nina Julius Lecciones, Ray Rayel at Butch Robredo sa Hong Ning sa Cubao. Kaming mga Ibalon na taga-Molave ay walang magawa. Ang maghapon na panonood ng TV ay nakakasawa na. Sarado ang UP Swimming Pool; di pwedeng mag-langoy o mag-dive sa plataporma.

Maski ang paanyaya ni Butch na kumain ng sorbetes sa Dilimall ay nakakawalang gana. Minabuti na lang ni Greg Forcadela na matulog sa kanyang mahiwang kutson na itim. Ayaw na niyang pankinggan ang kwento ni Julius na gabi na kung umuwi galing sa kanyang GF, ang matamis na si Apple.

OO nga naman. Nakaka-inggit ang buhay ng may-GF na si JAL. Kaming mga walang GF, bokya! Kaya ng si Ray Rayel ay nagpa-alam na siya'y bibisita sa kanyang Tiya sa Maynila, kami'y ubod na natuwa. Alam namin, di si Ray babalik ng walang dala. Hindi lang pagkain---kundi Komiks!

Gaya ng mga taon na nakaraan, si Ray ay humakot ng komiks---kolecksiyon ng kanyang mamahalin na Tiya! Hindi lang isa o dalawa! Isang katerba! Malaking kahon ng Darigold. Bigay ng Tiya, para kami manahimik magbasa!

Alam ng Tiya, bagama't may ambisyon kaming maging doktor, may ambisyon din kaming magpakalunod sa kwento ng Aliwan o Tagalog Espesyal!

Pagbukas ng kahon, sigaw agad si Ray na parang kapitan, "Oy! Sa akin ang Pogi!" Si Mario Genio naman sabay dampot ng lahat na "Liwayway." Si Julius at ako naglalaban para sa lahat na "Lagim." Si Floro Balce, ang hilig Wakasan!

O! yun ang mga nakakatuwang mga araw!

Kaya kung meron tanging taong ako'y kailangan magpasalamat, ang tiya ni Ray ay nangu-nguna sa aking lista. Mantakin ninyo, nakatulong siya sa mahirap na landas ng pag-aaral! Ang mga bababasahin ay nagpalakas ng aming pagkakaisa bilang mga magkakaibigan. Ang komiks ay nagpawi ng aming kalungkutan sa buhay dormitoryo na wala ang aming mga magulang!

Sa subsob naming pag-aaral, wala kaming oras magbasa ng komiks maliban kung tag-init. Kung walang magawa. Kung nakakasawa ang buhay! Ngunit sa pagbasa ng komiks, kami ay nata-uhan kung ano man ang buhay ng mga Pinoy na nakataglay sa kwentong parating patuloy na suspense "Sa susunod na kabanata."

Labels: Totie Mesia

Privacy Policy

3/22/2008 | Posted by gimpayamd@gmail.com | Edit Post

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We also use third party advertisements on upibalonbicol.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.

Labels: private policy

"Philippines, let me tell you I must love you!"

3/20/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

On a clear sunny morning of Monday, March 17, 2008, the St. Patrick’s Day rolled on with a parade in New York City. Celtic cultural pride was displayed for Ireland's patron saint’s day.

Though the celebrants were vibrantly upbeat at the threshold of the coming spring, the parade went largely unnoticed.

Most New Yorkers were out for work that day. I might be the only UP Ibalon, among some Bicolanos and many Filipinos, who saw the beautiful parade on TV. It opened with a moving song by a musical group called the Celtic Thunder which belted “Caledonia,” a homey rendition of a Scottish ballad, expressing love, maybe for a beautiful lady like Inang Bayan, or a longing for a place called home.

I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I've come from
That's the reason why I seem
So far away today

The group of gentlemen, ages 14 to 40, in black sartorial suits, gawky Scottish skirts, and green clover leaves in their lapels, sang with forlorn bagpipes hooting in the background. The sun was merrily up in the cloudless sky. And the crowd, mostly Americans of Irish-Scottish descent, applauded.

I listened to their song. It reminded me of the Philippines where we sing our incisively patriotic Bayan Ko in a chorus.

Let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home
But if I should become a stranger
Know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had.

Caledonia is a place poetically now referred to as Scotland whose allegiance is to Great Britain. Its history dates back before the Roman times, causing some ambiguity to the names of the island-kingdoms in that part of Europe.

Benjamin Franklin, the lightning rod inventor-scientist who brokered US independence from the British in 1700s saw Ireland’s people in rags, in utter destitution in a handsome place we call the “emerald isles.” The Irish were far poorer than their genteel English counterparts and Mr. Franklin worried if America should remain a colony of Britain, his people would suffer the fate of the impoverished Celts who ate roots of shrubs and sedges to survive hard times.

But unlike the Philippines where poverty is blamed from corruption, Ireland’s economic hardships then was partly blamed on Britain’s colonial hubris and neglect which drove many to migrate to America. In no time, the numbers of Irish-Scottish Americans had been far greater than those in their places of origin.

In the 1840’s Ireland fought deathly disease and starvation arising from the wicked potato famine which decimated a large part of its population. This drove millions more to flee, leaving the country with only half of its people.

Now I have moved and I've kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found others on the way
I have kissed the fellas and left them crying
Stolen dreams, yes, there's no denying
I have traveled hard, sometimes with conscience flying
Somewhere with the wind

I thought the singers crooned about the past and their loves, but they were inadvertently talking about the Philippines as well. I felt sad being reminded by the rising need for people to leave our country. I mean--- those who don’t see any future and desire to go abroad (anytime, anyplace anywhere,) to make a home or living, regardless of the price.

Now I'm sitting here before the fire
The empty room, the forest choir
The flames have cooled, don't get any higher
They've withered, now they've gone
But I'm steady thinking, my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When hands have shaken, the kisses float
Then I will disappear

Hearing those sharp words, I felt a dash of homesickness after more than 20 years. Images of the Philippines went flashing in my head; some were like Dan Daz’ vivid photographs.

“Philippines, how come I always think about you?” I said to myself. “So long as we can still sing and dance under the bright sun, sans dark clouds in our own tropical emerald isles, the disputed Spratlys Islands included, hope must still be lurking there.”

Labels: Totie Mesia

Remembering Reming - by Dan Daz

3/18/2008 | Posted by andygimpaya | Edit Post

Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church, Guinobatan, Albay
Packing sustained winds of 265 km per hour, supertyphoon Reming (int'l. code name Durian) unleashed its destructive fury in the Bicol region last November 30, 2006. Hardest hit was Albay province where the typhoon drained a record 466 centimeters of rainfall and wreaked havoc for ten (10) continuous hours from 9am to 7 pm of that fateful day leaving an unprecedented trail of devastation in its wake.

Triggered by the heavy rains, millions of cubic meters of deposits along the slopes of Mayon Volcano that accumulated from previous volcanic eruptions- formed into deadly mudslides that buried entire villages along its path. In the town of Guinobatan, almost the entire barangay of Maipon was buried in lahar while the centro of Camalig town was covered with volcanic debris. In Daraga, barangays Busay and Culiat were the most affected with the mudslides totally changing the landscape. Entire puroks in barangay Padang in Legazpi City were buried in lahar while portions of Sto. Domingo town was literally covered with lahar and boulders of all sizes.

As per the January, 16, 2007 Damage Report prepared by the Albay Provincial Government, casualties totaled 674 with 172 unidentified, totally damaged houses reached 119,848 while substantially damaged houses totaled 101,210. Evacuees totaled 16,649 while initial estimated damage to agriculture, livestock, poultry, fisheries and infrastructure amounted to P2.4 billion.

.

More than the loss of properties and material possessions which can be replaced and recovered- the loss of hundreds of lives and the grief of those who lost their loved ones; the anguish of those looking for their missing members of the family knowing in the back of their minds that there is a great possibility that they will never be found; the lost hopes and shattered dreams; the hardships that they must endure and the uncertainty of the future- these will have a more telling effect on the people of Albay which can only be alleviated and healed by the passing of time, the collective support of their fellowmen and their unwavering faith in their Creator. .

The following were pictures taken in the aftermath of the typhoon. A good number of them were included in the Photo Exhibit sponsored by the Provincial Government last May 21- July 15, 2007 together with photographers Nino Jesus Orbeta of the Philippine Daily Inquirer/ Southern Luzon and Fred Rosaros of the Provincial Government of Albay while most have never been shown or posted. .

Yawa River
An aerial view of the serpentine Yawa River flowing
through a residential area in Tagas, Daraga, Albay
a few days after the typhoon.

Underlying Danger
A six wheeler truck passes through Travesia bridge
in Guinobatan, Albay- its occupants oblivious to the
danger that lies beneath. Strong currents spawned
by the typhoon undermined the bridge’s foundations.
The collective weight and stress exerted upon the
bridge’s structures by a passing convoy of trucks
bringing relief goods to Albay finally caused the bridge to collapse.

Trail of Destruction
A solitary house lies amid the devastation in Padang,
Legazpi City where scores of residents died and
dozens of houses in several puroks were swept
and buried in lahar.

Tilted
A closer view of a resort building in Guinobatan,
Albay shows workers retrieving whatever construction
materials can be salvaged from the condemned structure.

Shattered Paradise
Walls along the river of this idyllic
resort in Guinobatan were destroyed
by the unforgiving currents.

Scavenger
A man collects driftwood along the banks of Yawa
river. The spillway which doubles up as an alternate
bridge was completely washed away together with
the endmost units of a housing project in the background.

Road Cut-off
A view of the runway and its environs showed the
overflow of the Yawa river towards the Chinese
cemetery cutting off the Bogtong road which serves
as a major alternate road linking Daraga and Legazpi
City.

Our Lady of the Assumption Church
This church in Guinobatan suffered
minor damage.

Mute Witness
These religious statues bore witness to the wrath of
Reming and was not spared from the damage.

Multi-sectoral Relief Operation
This convoy of around 300 trucks and other vehicles
was photographed somewhere in the Quezon province
on their way to Bicol in one of the biggest relief
operations in the country.

Motorists Queue
Motorists line up for gasoline in a gas station in
Daraga. The limited number of open gasoline stations
and the impassable roads going to Albay led the
the shortage.

Mess
The entrance of the road leading to Cagsawa ruins
was littered with assorted debris including a partially
buried vehicle.

Menacing Boulders
Gigantic boulders of all shapes including lahar
radically changed the landscape of several barangays
in Sto. Domingo. Albay

Mean Machine?
This excavator was no match against the rampaging
lahar and giant boulders. Padang, Legazpi City

Mean Machine
This heavy equipment appears like a strange aquatic
creature straight from a science fiction movie. Padang,
Legazpi City

Like Candles in the Wind
Two and a half months after Reming, these coconut
trees along the slopes of Lignon Hill in Legazpi
closely resembled extinguished candles- its withered
leaves typical of candle wicks whose flames have
been put out by the fickle wind.

Kerosene Line
Daraga residents brave the late afternoon sun to buy
kerosene for their lanterns at night. The whole
province was without electricity for two to three
months. Enterprising people who have generators
charge anywhere from P10- P30 for charging
cellphones. Transistor radios was back in vogue but
there was only one radio station they can listen to.

Isolated Road
The road to Cagsawa ruins was once vibrant- filled
with stalls selling all kinds of souvenir items. The
typhoon changed that as shown by the empty stalls.

In the Line of Fire
The rampaging lahar and huge boulders crashed right
through the first and second floors of this two storey
house in Busay, Daraga, Albay killing all four members
of the family and their remains were never found.

Grim Task
Rescuers and volunteers were faced with the difficult
task of finding the six missing college students who
were presumed dead after the raging waters of Yawa
river swept away the boarding house where they were
staying. Friends and relatives of the students anxiously
wait inside a makeshift tent which shelters them from
the harsh sun. They or their remains were not found.

Garbage
Record levels of flooding in the central business
district reduced this school and office supplies
into mounds of garbage. This scenario was replicated
all over the city as mountains of garbage piled all
over. In addition to the city’s garbage trucks, dozens
of trucks from the Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) helped to finally clean –up the city
of garbage.

Evacuees at the Bintayan Elementary School
Evacuees at the Binitayan Elementary School in
Daraga line up for their share of relief goods consisting
of fruits and vegetables from the Department of
Agriculture in coordination with the Albay Provincial
Government.

Eroded Highway
Strong currents from the adjoining river eroded
this stretch of highway in Travesia, Guinobatan
leaving only one lane available for both traffic
directions.

Dying Tree of Life 1
These coconut trees lying along the national road in
Ligao City took a beating from the strong winds of
Reming.

Dying Tree of Life 2
It will take years before these trees can be productive
again if they can recover.

Desolate
The main building of the Aquinas University of Legazpi
looked desolate as it lays amidst the flooded school
grounds. The death of several of its students and the
extensive repair needed for its facilities prompted
school officials to postpone the resumption of classes
to January 2007 or more than a month after Reming.

Derailment
The PNR railroad tracks were cut off in two in Travesia,
Guinobatan, Albay There are no more train service
to Bicol. PNR now stands for Putol Na Riles.

Dangling Houses
Houses in Sto. Domingo, Albay are left dangling
along the edge of the river.

Damaged Sector
A portion of the dike in Guinobatan, Albay suffered
considerable damage.

Damaged Road Section
Vehicular traffic slows down in this area in Padang,
Legazpi City as vehicles negotiate a damaged portion
of the highway leading to the first district.

Culiat Sub-station
The power substation in Culiat was overrun with sand
and had to cease operations.

Crushed 1
Heavy equipment in Padang, Legazpi.

Crushed 2
Partially excavated trucks after it was buried by
lahar in Padang, Legazpi.

Changed Landscape
A woman points in the direction of the Cagsawa ruins
as residents view the radically altered landscape in
Busay, Daraga, Albay.

Calm After the Storm
Placid waters glistening in the mid-afternoon sun
flows through a river in Guinobatan, Albay. The
only clues to the tempest that just passed were the
assorted debris strewn along the banks of the river

Cagsawa 1814
Cagsawa 1814, a restaurant within the area of the
Cagsawa ruins and which was named after the famous
February 1, 1814 Mayon eruption, itself lies in ruins
after being battered by Reming.

A Bridge Too Far
A section of the Pawa bridge linking Pawa to Bogtong,
Legazpi was cut-off while railings were damaged.
Roofs of buildings in the foreground were likewise
blown off.

Bridge Over Troubled Water
A makeshift bridge leading to the famous ruins was
erected by local residents to raise much needed funds.

Labels: Dan Daz, Guinobatan Church, Remembering Reming, Typhoon Reming

For lack of heroes, Marcos comes back as UP Vanguard's hall-of-famer

3/15/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

In ABS-CBN online news today, Saturday, March 15, 2008, an interesting news item came as a surprise.

Ferdinand E. Marcos, the ignominous Philippine dictator who laid the groundwork of the dirty politics and immorality we have today, was chosen as the UP Vanguard's 19th hall-famer. Yes! That's him---the Guinness World Records' greatest thief title holder!

How did it happen?

The Vanguards said elevating Marcos to such honor was in recognition of his "contributions" to UP's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC.) It had "nothing to do with politics," suggesting that the guy must be so damn foul and dirty, except for his family, friends, and those who profitted from his patronage.

Never mind the horrors of the Nalundasan case, the decades-long conjugal plunder of the Philippine treasury, the poisoning of our collective psyche-- to name a few. All these didn't matter to the Vanguards. As far as they knew, Marcos helped their fraternity! Period.

What a shame! The UP Vanguards, a supposedly enlightened and intelligent group, has run out of heroes. Our colleagues have blunted their value judgement to honor a man who disgraced his school and made the entire nation destitute and miserable.

For brushing aside ideals, UP Vanguard has invited scorn and derision of decent people around the world. This comes at a time when the nation is aching over corruption, incompetency, and immorality which show no end.

Labels: Corruption in Government, Ferdinand Marcos, Lack of Heores, Totie Mesia, UP Vanguard

Reconstructing Lives With Our Own Hands

3/13/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

These days, there seems to be a parallel between what's up in Albay and what goes on in Malacanang. When rain falls on Mayon's feet, in Legazpi City, water rises and a muddy torrent develops, inundating towns, making the lives of people, rich or poor, miserable.

In Malacanang, when heavy rain comes, it pours with the vengeance of a hurricane. The whole nation comes to a halt; it is petrified by the turbulence of uncertainty which painfully sweeps through the guts of many citizens.

The resulting damage is incredible. The consequence of calamities is way beyond what UP Ibalon photographer Dan Daz could capture in his elegant lens. There are many secret scenes in our government that can't simply be resolved by the truthfulness of pictures.

And so Gloria Macapagal keeps mum over innuendoes, scandals, and disasters. She seems out there beside swollen Pasig River for some moments of glamour and intrigue. With little incentive to be responsible as president, she has been inattentive. That's why the people of the Philippines feel abandoned. They move dejectedly, one day at a time, to reconstruct their lives with their own hands.

Come to think of it. Bikol's flood is basically nature's handiwork and Malacanang's deluge is undoubtedly intentional. The agonizing recurrences and the lack of resolution of our country's urgent problems cast unspeakable gloom on all of us.

Some have turned impatiently dour, disbelieving any suggestions of hope in the future. Those who muster strength and resourcefulness, seek heroic remedies on their own. Many count on nature's slow course of injury and repair. They take calamities like helpless sparrows on a twisted a palm tree, ready to fly as branches snap and fall aground. When the weather becomes auspicious and mild, they however dream of the scent of ripening grains in the ricefields.

So we ponder on Dan Daz' truthful pictures. The scenes of foul weather lingers as they become obscene reminders of our lot. They invite us to take action just like before, against what they insist as our destiny. Depressing as it may seem, we need to rise again and carry on!

The poor folks, their children in tow, quietly wade through the filthy waters with their box of belongings on their backs. The wealthy has receded in their places of refuge and comfort. The beleaguered national government remains distracted with it's own flood of wickedness. Malacanang stinks, wallows, and drowns in a cesspool of shame.

Labels: Reconstructing lives with our own hands, Totie Mesia