Pinoy in Ireland

The Impeachment Trial

2012-01-21T03:06:00.002Z

Recently the Philippines has become one big court room. The Impeachment trial of the Chief Justice Corona has been televised live. There is even a live stream to the internet for those who are on the other parts of the world. The trial has definitely attracted a wide spectrum of audiences from the country. From law students to tricycle drivers seems to be interested in the matter. I too keep myself updated for this is a clear indication that our democracy is working. All of a sudden most of us now realize that every one is now accountable for their action. Slowly it seems that our country is chipping away the stigma of high government officials as untouchables. Recently our former president is under hospital arrest. A senator resigned his post due to delicadeza .NBI and Military Chiefs being sacked and incarcerated for crimes against the people. Even the multi- millionaire war lord Ampatuans are now rotting in prison.

I do not know if the Chief Justice is guilty or not but the fact that he is in a courtroom trying to defend himself is good enough sign that our country is headed the right direction. These sort of things is a first in our history because before even the dictator Ferdinand Marcos who ordered the liquidation of thousands seems to have eluded justice. Slowly we the Filipinos are now waking up to true democracy. Indeed we won our democracy from dictatorship back in 1986 but it took almost a couple of more decades before we realised what true democracy is.

‘Pinas, 8th friendliest country sa mundo para sa expats -- survey

2012-01-13T11:06:00.000Z

‘Pinas, 8th friendliest country sa mundo para sa expats -- survey

Kung Hei Fat Choi 2012

2012-01-11T21:15:00.005Z

2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon.In the Chinese signs dragons are the mightiest and are believed to be the bringer of good luck. This year it will be a good point to be idealistic. Dragons are very volatile creatures and as experts say this year will have the tendency to surprise. Keeping a positive outlook and always being optimistic will be the key to success this year. The dragon will be a great provider of luck to those who work hard and deserve it.

Its more Fun in the Philippines

2012-01-10T14:48:00.003Z

The Philippines is now launching its biggest tourism campaign entitled "Its more fun in the Philippines". The first wave of videos by local artist seems to target more on domestic tourism. A country of 90 Million with an ever increasing middle class . It seems that this campaign is on the right track. Most of us Filipinos are like foreigners in our own land. Before there are only a handful of places with can go, but recently due to the promotion of Eco Tourism we soon realized that The Philippines is rich in natural beauty and Heritage sites. Some famous beaches like Pagudpud and even Boracay were not on the map 20 years ago but now its is a haven for foreign and domestic tourist alike.

A Heart-warming Tale

2011-12-01T16:22:00.003Z

This festive season I thought I share a heart-warming story of honesty and kindness that came from an unlikely place. Two boys salvaging rubbish for a living who earns less than a euro a day found a bag of money in the pile of scrap metal containing 300,000 php. (€5,174). They did not know what to do with it so they decided to show the money to the lady in charge of the junkshop. The owner of the junkshop said the money did no belong to her either so the three of them decided to bring the bag of money to the city hall. The City hall officials now keeps the money safe and announced to the public that they have a bag of money worth 300,000 pesos and is currently looking for the rightful owner.

NAIA an Airport in Distress

2011-10-30T01:51:00.005+01:00

Very recently NAIA terminal 1 (Ninoy Aquino International Airport ) had taken the number 1 rank for being the worst Airport in the World. For me this does not come as a surprise. If you read back from my previous blogs (.......zzzzzzzzzz) you can notice that every time I go for a visit in the Philippines I always get bad experiences in NAIA. From the corrupt and unfriendly staff, dilapidated bathrooms, parking, the pick up points, the food, security, to the complete strangers approaching you asking for monetary help is just ridiculous. For a country whose 22% of the population lives overseas the condition of our primary airport is just ghastly. This is despite NAIA 1 racking in millions of profits every year. It is one of the busiest Air Hubs in Asia and the potential for further investment is great.

It has already been decades since NAIA 1 had received an upgrade. A complete overhaul of our gateway to the world should be given priority. NAIA bears the name of our current president's father. I hope Pnoy realize that this revamp on our airport should definitely happen on his watch.

No Clue

2011-09-22T15:18:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone recently my site is being bombarded with inquiry about placement agencies and work
schemes in Ireland. Sure I want to help everybody out but I just have no idea about those kind of stuff. It will be best if we take due diligence and check with POEA before making any steps. As far as nursing, one must register first with An Board Altranais (Irish Nursing Board) to be able to qualify. Please bear in mind that there is a freeze hire on public hospitals here at the moment due to the economic downturn.

WOW Philippines

2011-09-06T23:32:00.003+01:00

Philippines is considered one of the most beautiful country in the world and yet we only get 2.6% of the total tourist arriving in the Asia pacific region. Many say that the problem is not that we lack tourist spots, the problem is that we do not promote our own country enough. Our new Department of Tourism Secretary is urging all Filipinos to promote the beauty of our nation. Here is my part.

2015 ASEAN Charter

2011-08-18T12:42:00.004+01:00

Found this video on youtube which is mostly used in classrooms. Not many Filipinos know but by 2015 the ASEAN one economy charter will be in place. As early as 2009 the governments of the 5 Newly industrialized Countries (except Singapore which is already an industrialized nation) Indonesia,Malaysia, Thailand, and Philippines has already a zero tariff on trade across boarders. This will also involve mutual protection pact with the 10 member countries of ASEAN. As early as 2005 Singapore has already opened its boarders for skilled and semi-skilled labor for Filipinos and other member countries. As the charter suggest it will now be possible to live, work or setup a business anywhere in ASEAN countries freely. It s now very evident because we can now see Malaysian and Singaporean Banks and Businesses popping out like mushrooms in the Philippines. There is also an increase in tourist coming from members countries. Also Thailand and Malaysia have been a favorite destination for Filipinos as well for their holidays.

It is too early to say if the ASEAN one economy will be a success or be riddled with controversies like the European Union. But one thing is for sure together these combination of Developing, Newly Industrialized and Industrialized countries in the region will have a strong economic, political and military presence in the world. Lets face it being sandwich by two economic and military Juggernauts like China and the US it will be in all our best interest to band together as one.

Giving Blood Save Lives

2011-07-22T02:32:00.004+01:00

For the last 6 years I make it a point to donate blood whenever i can. Back home n the Philippines my cousin required blood transfusion after an accident that almost took his life. Most of the blood that saved his life was from donors who selflessly endured the poking pain of the needle and the light headed feeling after to save lives of total strangers. Every since that incident I vowed that I will donate blood at least once a year.

Even here in Ireland I try to live by my word that day. Donating blood here in Ireland is a bit different with what we have in the Philippines. Back home you can walk in to every hospital and just go straight to the Med Tech lab and they can test your blood and extract your donation on the same day. Here in Ireland its a bit complicated. In Ireland you need to check regular donation schedules which is usually held every six months in every county. Upon your first visit they will need to take a sample first to make sure that your blood is free from disease and suitable for transfusion. Of course they also check if the donor is healthy enough to make a donation which something they don't check in the Philippines (the last time donated there at least). After all of that they will send you regular updates by text message or post whether your blood type is insufficient in supply. For me my blood type AB- which is always in demand because it is one of the rare blood type. I make it a point to donate as much as I can because knowing from first hand experience I know how hard it is to get matching blood type for people which desperately in need of transfusion.

I really encourage people to give blood. As for the pain it is all worth it knowing that you saved a life in the process.

http://www.giveblood.ie

Irish Naturalization now Streamlined

2011-07-04T15:32:00.001+01:00

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, T.D., today provided details of a package of measures aimed at reforming his Department’s processing of naturalisation applications.

When the new Government came into office on 9^th March there was a backlog of approximately 22,000 citizenship applications awaiting decision, approximately 17,000 of which had been awaiting decision for in excess of 6 months with an average waiting time of 26 months. As of this date there remain 14,000 applications awaiting decision in excess of 6 months. 5,578 citizenship applications have been dealt with in the past 2 and a half months which exceeds the full year total for 2010 which was 5,038.

Minister Shatter said "On taking up office in March, I immediately initiated steps within my Department to deal with the huge backlog of citizenship applications that had built up under the previous Governments administration. It is entirely inappropriate, and completely out of step with other jurisdictions, that people wishing to become Irish citizens should be expected to wait an average of 25 months for a decision on their application. Under the new system, save in exceptional circumstances, persons applying for citizenship will be given a decision on their application within six months"

"I was astonished to discover that approx 55% of all citizenship applications received by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service had to be returned to applicants due to their being incorrectly completed. It was evident, prior to my appointment as Minister, that citizenship application forms were unnecessarily complex and obtuse and I took immediate steps to remedy this. By the end of this week (Friday, 17^th June) new application forms will be available online at www.inis.gov.ie. These new arrangements should dramatically reduce the numbers incorrectly completed and substantially contribute to more efficient and streamlined processing times."

"I also had substantial concerns that we lacked appropriate arrangements in place to give proper recognition to the importance of a person being granted Irish citizenship. Under existing arrangements a local district court clerk arranged for a person granted citizenship to take an oath before a District Court Judge and the new citizen subsequently received their Certificate of Naturalisation by post. There was no sense of occasion or recognition of what a major and important event it is to become an Irish citizen.

"To remedy this situation, I have arranged for the introduction of a Citizenship Ceremony. A pilot ceremony is scheduled to take place in Dublin Castle on 24^th June where Justice Bryan McMahon, retired judge of the High Court, has agreed to assume the role of presiding officer. Future Citizenship Ceremonies will take place both in Dublin and outside of Dublin."

Further steps being taken to improve the processing time for citizenship applications include:

Streamlined and accelerated checking procedures for certain categories of applicants such as spouses of Irish citizens and applicants recently granted long term residency who as part of that process underwent checks similar to those in place for naturalisation.
Plans to recruit an appropriate number of interns under the new Internship Programme announced in the Government’s Jobs Initiative to assist in areas dealing with naturalisation applications such as the Citizenship Section of the Department of Justice and Equality and the Garda Vetting Office.

Source :www.inis.gov.ie

Waterford Tallships 2011

2011-07-03T00:10:00.002+01:00

Sana Eto na nga ang Simula

2011-05-11T12:59:00.005+01:00

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Sa tagal ko naglingkod bilang pampublikong guro sa ating bansa damang-dama ko ang corruption mag mula mga simpleng guro hanggang sa divisional office. Sino nga ba ang maghahangad gampanin ng matuwid ang kanyang tungkulin kung ang mga nakatataas sayo mismo ang nagnanakaw sayo. Sino pang may magagandang opisina, magandang kotse, at magandang katungkulan sila pa ang nangunguna sa katiwalian.

Pero ika nga sa sinabi ni Heidi Medoza hindi lahat ng nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno as corrupt. May mga magilan-ngilan pa rin na tapat maglingkod na kahit maliit ang suweldo ay di tiwali at di tumatanggap ng suhol. Sa nakikita ko sa ating bansa ay malamang nga ay ito na sana ang matagal na nating inaantay na pagbabago. San nga ay mgakaroon na ng takot ang mga taong anay sa ating gobyerno. Oras na malinis ang mga nakatatas ay mgkukusa na rin ang nakakarami na sumunod sa kanilang ehemplo.

Philippine Embassy Ireland

2011-04-06T22:46:00.007+01:00

I found this video clip shared on facebook so my apologies for the poor quality. Plus I can't seem to get the right link for it so I ended up recording it directly from Facebook (Thanks for sharing Romelou ).

Before I start critizing or siding between John Ferris and Ambassador Abadilla I may need to point out that I have not been to the Philippine Embassy in Dublin. The last time I needed the help of our consulate was through John Ferris back in 2009.

I have nothing against John Ferris he did an exemplary job as our consulate. It was quite a task handling the concerns of thousands of Filipinos here in Ireland almost single handedly over the past few years. One time I called him from his mobile inquiring about spousal permits and he was very helpful. He told to hold because he was driving and he needed to pull-over to talk. Over the phone he gave me the information I need then sent me an email with all the necessary forms. It was straight forward service no fuzz, no hassles, friendly too.

My only concern was the time when we needed to have our passport renewed back in 2009. When I drooped by the Philippine Consulate in Parnell Square in Dublin, At first I was not sure If was in the right building. There was no signs upfront and the moment you enter you you see a partly dilapidated room with chairs cramped together and a table upfront where John sits. We needed to squeeze our way in with our fellow kababayans waiting their turn to talk to John. Each time you get a form from the desk you get charged 1 to 2 euros by his wife(or I assumed it is John's wife). Another thing that dismayed me was some people are cutting the line. We have been waiting our turn for almost an hour then somebody came in late talked to John's wife had a few laughs and all of a sudden they were next in the queue. If it only it happened once I would have let it pas but it happened 3 times for God sake. I was starting feel like that I am not in Dublin but in the LTO office of Cainta Rizal (which was recently closed due to bad public service). The moment we got our turn John explained the passport process and got our photos taken. Then he handed it to his to his assistant that threw our passport on a brown box half full with green Filipino passports mixed together (I really thought I was never gonna see my passport again). It took almost 4 months before he got our passports back from the post.
It was only then I learned that most Filipinos from Cork renew their passport directly from the Philippine Embassy in the UK and it usually just takes two months from the processing to the delivery and cost less too.

I have not been to the New Philippine Embassy in Dublin but I heard from my friends who went there that the office was far better than what we use to have. I have not met Ambassador Abadilla personally yet but I do hear good things. Having a luxury car for our diplomat representing our country is necessary. We don't want our diplomats attending formal events here in Ireland driving a 98 Nissan Micra wont we. As an Ambassador our country he needs to represent our people with pride and prestige. I also believe that a countries Embassy is a part of sovereignty, a piece of our country in a foreign land so having a decent office and our ambassador driving a luxury car will be in our best interest.

Every now and then I hear rumors from friends who has been to the Embassy of unprofessional practices. Most of them say "masugnit yung mga staff". There was one time I called the Embassy Inquiring about exit visa before we went to NYC. I spoke to him in Tagalog but he insisted we spoke in English so I did. Every time I ask him a question all he said was "No we do not take care of that". I was not asking him to stamp my visa for me I was just asking validity. The staff might need a bit knowledge on Visa and immigration processes because they need to be our first point of contact. You can't just simply say "I don't know" and "we don't do that". Some of my friends also voiced out that SPA's other services are way to over charged. My other concern is that you have to pay additional 10 euros for the so-called RUSH job. So if you want your document processed on the same same day you pay additional 10 Euros. If you don't your document will be of lesser important and will go to the bottom of the pile. These practices are common in the Philippines but are now slowly being stamped-out because it is unprofessional and a source of corruption. The Embassy is here to cater for the needs of the Filipinos in Ireland not the other way around.

Two sides of the Philippines

2011-03-09T20:12:00.001Z

The Philippines is now experiencing a prelude to what many say as an economic boom. We are now at the Top 6 of the ASEAN big economies. Once again we have over taken our neighbor Vietnam. IMF forecast that the Philippines will be gaining 7.5 growth in its GDP. Goldman and Sachs also forecast that the Philippines will be a 1st class nation within the turn of the decade. These are the same firms that forecast that China will rival the US economy by 2010 and guess what, they are right.

The country apparently is showing the right conditions for growth as domestic market grows and the government starting to root out corruption by targeting the big fish, those who bag millions of our taxes for their own luxury. Condominiums and new malls seems to be popping up like mushrooms in big cities. Development in the provinces are really taking shape. The dollar is now going down as the Peso gains a stronger value.

All in all the future looks bright recently a spur of patriotism has emerged in peoples hearts. People in the Philippines are now starting to believe that progress may not be just a dream.

Like many other Asian countries growth does not really mean equality. Middle class living in the country is now the trend. But let us not forget that there are still people dying of hunger in our country. Many are still being denied justice simply because they are poor or having no education

These are people who live in the fringes of society, those places not listed on tourist brochures. Majority of Filipinos still live in poverty. Philippines is country of extremes where the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor can live only meters from one another. As our country continue to its road of progress I hope it can help a lot of our poor families break away from the cycle of poverty.

Corruption Kills

2011-02-15T16:36:00.000Z

The following statement was issued Friday by the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), a group of ex-members of the Cabinet and other former government officials, in response to the controversy surrounding the recent suicide of Gen. Angelo Reyes.

It is reprinted here in full for our readers' benefit and comment.

Unlike other cultures, our Filipino culture does not accord suicides by public figures one clear and definitive meaning. Thus the message of a Filipino dying in public by his own hand often ends up being contested, improvised and twisted by various interested parties. And so it is with the tragic death of General Angelo Reyes. Did he put a bullet through his heart in an ultimate admission of personal responsibility for whatever wrong he had committed? Or was his willful termination of his own life a sublime act of protest to assert his innocence against unfair yet unremitting persecution?

The death of someone like Gen. Reyes who served our country for most of his life deserves our respect, prayers and reflection. This is a tragedy to one person, to his family and to many who believed and admired him for his personal, professional and public life. For his fellow Filipinos that Gen. Reyes left behind, his chosen timing and manner of exiting the public stage and this mortal world challenges us to seek some meaning and purpose from such a tragic loss. We, former senior government officials, choose to see the death of Gen. Reyes in the light of the principle that public office is a public trust.

1. We find no honor in a death without meaning to the welfare of our nation.

Gen. Angelo Reyes took his own life in the midst of an investigation that exposed the corruption within the command structure of our military, corruption that had tainted him. For whom did Gen. Reyes die? If he died to escape the consequences of his involvement, or to put a lid on further revelations, or worse, to become a sacrificial lamb for all others more tainted than he, his was not an honourable death. The smug faces of unpunished corruption that visited his wake only further dishonour him. If, on the other hand, his death inspires our leaders to finally clean up the corrupt system in the military that ensnared him, he might yet be the last soldier to die in our people's war against corruption. Gen. Reyes may have died by his own hand, but in truth, corruption killed him. As we pray for the forgiveness of his sins, we hope that his blood spilled on his mother’s grave will begin the cleansing of his beloved AFP, the government he protected and the nation he served.

The death of Reyes should not be wished upon anyone, not even the Garcias, the Ligots, and other alleged recipients of military graft, or even their alleged real protectors. That would be unchristian. But perhaps these lost souls in the people's war against corruption should be reminded that moral death is as tragic as physical death. And the suffering will be much longer.

2. The investigation into high level corruption in the military should continue.

Gen. Reyes’ death could not and should not be blamed upon our legislators, no matter how hurtful their statements may have been. While more civility and courtesy could mark our congressional investigations, and invited "guests" to these proceedings could be treated better by their "hosts", it must be clear by now that these legislative inquiries serve a vital function in democratic governance. Thus far, the truth about high level corruption has obviously and apparently not been brought forth by agencies charged with this function. Neither the police, the NBI, the Ombudsman, nor the courts have shown any talent nor interest to bring forth to our people the truth about corruption at the highest levels of our government.

Despite their rantings and distractions during these public hearings, our senators and congressmen have been able to put names, faces, numbers and dates to the corruption that every citizen knows infects our officialdom.

We continue to regard George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza as heroes in our people's war against corruption. They have nothing to be ashamed about in this tragedy. Mendoza has apparently always been honorable in the discharge of her functions, while Rabusa had to confront and acknowledge his own sins in order to retrieve his own lost honor by finally telling the truth.

We ask Commodore Rex Robles and the others who have special knowledge of the facts concerning corruption in the military that they pay their respects to Gen. Reyes by coming out with the truth, rather than expecting others to do their work for them. Truth telling is the responsibility of everyone who knows the truth.

3. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez must go.

The Ombudsman can no longer sustain her pretense that moves to oust her are merely partisan efforts by the critics of Gloria Arroyo. There is nothing partisan about our people's nearly universal desire to have a new beginning in the Office of the Ombudsman. The whole nation wants its government to move along the tuwid na daan and this incumbent Ombudsman is one of the biggest boulders on their way. Everybody wants this boulder out. She no longer has any excuse for trying to stay.

We remind the Supreme Court, and other lawyers, that in deciding the case on the impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez, their final responsibility is not to search for arcane legal principles that would find fault in the effort, but to join the Filipino people in ridding ourselves of this boulder along our path towards a righteous and just Philippines.

The death of Gen. Reyes reminds us that corruption kills. Most often, it kills poor Filipinos with hunger, disease, disaster or crime because the money meant to help or protect them was stolen. It kills soldiers whose bullets ran out, whose guns fail, whose trucks ran out of gasoline, whose aircraft crashed due to poor maintenance, all because someone stole the money for their needs. Sometime, corruption kills those that partake of its evil fruit.

The death of Gen. Reyes is finally a reminder that public office is a public trust. Those who occupy public office shall be held accountable, by our laws when possible; by public opinion, when necessary; by history, eventually; or by individual conscience, ultimately.

— TJD, GMA News

Afroradio.net

2011-02-02T09:58:00.004Z

Recently I was asked by my friend from work Chris, to play a bit of jazz on his radio station. He buit his station from scratch with a view of promoting integration and understanding across all races. Ireland is becoming a melting pot of people form all cultures living together. Waterford same as any big cities in Ireland is on its way to being a cosmopolitan(not the cocktail). A net station that embraces multicultural music and values is indeed a step in the right direction.

I was really impressed when I walk through his studio. When he told me that his studio was at the back of his house I was kinda expecting a shed with a mixer and a PC. I was totally awestruck when he opened the door where I found a professional set-up like one you usually see on local radio station and he built it all himself. So I set my gear up but we had some technical difficulty with the audio tracks.It seems that we are having problems getting rid of the echoes while recording. But all-in-all we had a laugh and the end result is good enough. Well nobody gets it right the first time even the first Wes Montgomery gig was a disaster. Chris also asked me if I can would want to make a regular appearance or host a jazz show every now and then. I know I am not an authority in Jazz but then again "who is?" so I was happy to oblige.

I wish Chris all the best of his luck and I will make it a point to promote any future project he has (in my humble blog-site).

www.afroradio.net

The Year of the Metal Rabbit

2011-02-01T09:39:00.004Z

Here it is the year of the Metal Rabbit. For many a year of rapid growth but be also watchful for stagnation. A year very much safe for business and investing but just be cautious in being overly aggressive. Not being a native Chinese I have been a strong believer in the Chinese calendar which not like the Gregorian which usually starts by the 1st of January, it usually kicks of in the mid February when spring is about to start. Which makes sense to me because why would you want to start your year in the dead of winter.

I am not really much of superstitious man but every year during the Lunar New Year, I still follow traditions of putting food on the table (mostly round fruits) for good luck. My mom back home sent me some trinkets that I hang on windows and doors to invite prosperity into the house and as they say keep a sum of money on your pockets on new years eve. These are traditions that we usually do in the Philippines on the December the 31st but recently I have noticed at a lot of Filipinos are starting to do the same for the Lunar New year (a little luck wont hurt I say). It was also announced that the Chinese New Year will now be passed as a non-working holiday in the Philippines but the law was passed late this year thus it will take effect next year.

May all you have a a prosperous new year "Kung Hei Fat Choi".

Winterrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2010-12-30T00:21:00.003Z

It seems that every year the weather plummets deeper to the south side of the thermometer. Reports say that close to Siberian weather is expected to last till the end of February. This years winter is so far the worst that I have ever experienced in my life. By the end of November we experienced heavy snow that lasted for almost a week. Roads outside my house became almost unusable. Taxis wont even dare climb up our estate because they might not go back down. We were stuck and my wife and I need to go to work. It was good that our neighbors from Poland gave me some special tips when driving in snow and slit. He told me to stay in the highest gear as possible and as much as possible avoid using the break. Last year I crashed my car while breaking due to black ice on the road. First I watched him as he plows through the snow and he safely drove to the bottom of the hill and around in the afternoon he came home drove up the hill without crashing to the parked cars on the street. The next day I made my attempt. The ordeal was hair raising when you hear you tires screeching as it tries to get a grip of the ice. Eventually it did and slowly managed to drive to my wife's work and back again that morning. After a few tries I got the hang of driving in snow and it is a very handy skill to have.

Another misfortune that we had this winter was out pipes in the attic froze. We went on a one week holiday in New York and when we came back there was no water on the pipe. We already had the same misfortune last year and lucky enough we save a lot of water in the tub and all our cistern are full. But after a couple of days it ran out. Its good to thing that my my neighbor an Irish couple saw me pouring hot water on the tap switch outside our house. They offered to connect a hose from their garden tap to our kitchen. He was a life saver we thought we were going do spend Christmas filthy this year with dirty laundry and dirty dishes lying around (we can always take a bath at work).

Its really good to have good caring neighbors especially around this time of year. They may have figured that since we are not used to this kind of weather we Filipinos needed extra help. I cant thank them enough for their help. At least next year I am more equipped in braving the cold months

Comment Filters

2010-12-07T11:19:00.003Z

I've recently put in a comment filter on my blog because recently I have been receiving some ignorant comment which attacks the flight of Filipinos. He or she is entitled to what he believes but I will not allow my site to be used for such idiotic rants. My own are enough (lol). I'll jut suggest whom ever is posting spams that make fun or degrade Filipinos is to make their own blog entitled "I Hate Pinoys in Ireland" I'll even visit you site for laughs

Mabuhay ka Charice

2010-10-27T12:41:00.003+01:00

The Charice Pempengco's story is really a solid proof that dreams do come true. From her humble beginnings of joining small singing competitions in fiestas to topping the hit charts all over world. She is also considered by Oprah as the "Most talented Girl in the World". Oprah's statement comes as no surprise as Charice's voice has a very broad range to the high notes of Celine Dione to the deep soulful voice. She already impressed a lot of seasoned divas internationally. But what really impressed a lot of people with Charice is she had no formal voice lessons at all. It really proves the saying of Jose Rizal that, "A beautiful rare flower can grow anywhere in the world where the sun hits its petals".

World Bank raises RP economic forecast to 6.2% - Business - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2010-10-20T11:19:00.000+01:00

World Bank raises RP economic forecast to 6.2% - Business - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

The NCT

2010-09-19T08:12:00.006+01:00

If you live in Ireland and you own a car more than 3 years old then you are aware of the NCT (National Car Testing). It is a process of car certification for road worthiness that is done every two years. This is my second time around and as usual my car failed. My Peugeot 206 is now ten years old and she is starting to show her age. A few squeaks and bangs are now starting to be audible especially on a bumpy road. I usually do the servicing myself such as changing oil,sparkplugs, all filters and fluids because its half the cost than taking it to a garage. The only time my car goes to a Garage is if she crashed or failed her NCT. To get your NCT you just book online or call them, booking online is easiest because I already tried them both (http://www.ncts.ie/). The NCT test consist of the following test that I know of;

1. Emission

2. Suspension

3. Lights

4. Brakes

Most cars fails on lights just like what happened to me on my first NCT. Its just a simple adjustment of the beam which cost about 10euros. This year it was more serious. I kinda figure the older my car get the longer the list of tick boxes "failed" on the form handed to me. It failed on Suspension, brakes and lights, miraculously it just barely passed the emission (I guess I'll worry about that 2 years from now). My anti-roll bar links are worn out, my brake hose was worn, and my signal light are of the wrong color. It cost a whopping 200 euros to fix in the garage plus the retesting fee. Well even so, I think its money well spent because the parts that were replaced seem to prevent me from getting killed by my car.

Apologies for Inactivity

2010-09-16T10:49:00.004+01:00

My blogspace had been very inactive recently and its all due to me being either busy or just plain lazy. It never really occured to me that I have been missed not until I received an email inquiring if I am abandoning this blogsite. Well one person really does make a difference and for you I shall continue on. My site is now 2 years old has been receiving more traffic than I expected recently. I figured that since Its been here too long that when you Google the word pinoy,Filipinos and Ireland all together you ll probably see my site in the top five search hits. I have 10 followers and people still send me comments from time to time. The fact that some people are reading it makes me want to continue on.

Well my recent inactivity can be blames to the usual culprits. Busy at work, busy minding my kid who just started school, video games (starcraft 2 has taken over my life), etc. When I started this site I was doing 3 blogs a week then went to one blog a week. Now I average one blog a month which is really bad. I will really make it a point to improve visibility at the coming months and try to write stuff of significance and substance as I can.

Uncle Sam wants You

2010-08-15T17:58:00.006+01:00

Uncle Sam is hollering from across the pond. After the recession the US seemed to be trying to bolster its economy through tourism. Flights and hotel rates are in an all time low. Before a 2 way flight going to New York will set you back 700 euro per person. This year we managed to book flights via Aer Lingus for 1,200 Euros for the three of us. Plus we were able to book an entire apartment (walking distance from Time Square) for 500 Euros for 6 days. If you add all of that it is indeed a value for a US holiday. All money we saved will then be used for shopping especially we are going there on the Christmas season.

The best of all is that the US government is issuing Visas with long validity. We applied for a Visa so we can go shopping in New York this Christmas. Usually we did expect the we might get a couple of months or even a Visa valid for a year. We were completely surprised when we got our passports back, and too see our visas are valid till 2020. Visa application are more streamlined, you just visit their site (http://dublin.usembassy.gov/visa-faqs.html) fill out a form and call in for an appointment. During the interview in the embassy I was a bit nervous. I thought I will be grilled like those I see in UK boarder patrol shows (not an Asian friendly show). To my surprise the lady I spoke with was very friendly, asked me casual questions told me to enjoy my visit and signed my papers. I don't really think that was even a formal interview because we were interviewed as a family and my wife and the lady mostly talked about the weather in New York and shopping, it was all just a buzzing sound to me.

Noynoy First SONA

2010-07-30T10:24:00.003+01:00

It really looks promising but its to early to tell if change is about to happen. The witch hunt for corrupt government officials is now underway and it seemed that an average 2 every week is brought in to court. But there as always it remains to be seen because we already seen thousands of smugglers and corrupt government officials prosecuted before and yet only a handful was actually brought to justice.

But the man has only been in the seat for less than a month and yet he has done more about corruption than the previous administration that governed for 9 years. Mukhang kay Noy Noy mapupunta rin ang Pilipinas sa daang matuwid.

The Big Leap

2010-07-03T14:55:00.005+01:00

I have been posting blogs about investing and making wise decisions on money before. Its been a year since I been reading books about investing like the ones from Robert Kiyosaki, Colayco, and Larry Gamboa. At the beginning of 2009 I decided to put all the things I have learned into practice. Reading is nothing unless you actually act on what you learned. For a span of a year my wife and I decided to control our expenses, manage our bills, save, and settle most of our dreaded loans. This is the phase one of the road to financial freedom. The first step was indeed the hardest and yet it is the most important. I was surprised to learn that most of our expenses were spent on impractical ways. We were living beyond our means and risking getting bog down by high interest debt.

For the next 8 moths last year we cleaned up our act financially and I was surprised on how much we saved. The next step for us was wise investing. After we saved a decent amount of money I decided to send it home and put it in treasury bonds (considered as the safest form of investment in the Philippines). This money is now working for me, earning interest on its own and the interest it earns is reinvested therefore your capital grows as the maturity ends. The only downside to this invest is it is invest and forget so for the span of the contract you cannot touch your own money. I also invested in a money lending business that my sister has put up. The investment is modest but at-least the returns are decent.

The biggest investment step I did so far was to buy a house for the purpose of renting. Currently we have just settled the conditions with the bank and we are now a proud owner of our first property. While the down payment almost broke our backs at least the house pays for itself and in five years time the loan will be payed and it will be ours. This will be my first venture in property investment and definitely it will not be the last.

In a span of a year and a half we had made simple changes in our lifestyle yet dramatic results. Who could have thought that just by living within our means and wise investing could go a long way.I cannot hardly stress to my fellow OFW's that the hardest part is to start. Once you got your investing mojo going it will be like second nature. Don't be afraid to fail but make due diligence to check your investments vehicle before committing to it.

Automation, Election a Success

2010-05-21T10:44:00.008+01:00

The first automated voting in the Philippines seemed to be a great success. Never has it been in decades that we experienced elections that go smoothly with less violence and cheating. Although there are still some pockets of sore loser's who still insist that widespread fraud in the system happened during elections. Eventually this claims will just fade away in time because most Filipinos feel that this election was a complete success and the candidate that the majority voted for the highest position in the country won.

When I was in the Philippines last month I kinda knew that Sen. Aquino will have a landslide victory. Its not that I support him because I wanted Gordon to win. When you drive around Manila and CALABARZON you can see the support of many for the Senator. I am not a strong admirer of Noynoy Aquino but I am happy he won because it just shows the Philippine democracy at work and it is not a fixed election just like the last time. The Aquino's has a long history in the Philippine government an yet not one has pushed the country forward. It is in Filipino culture that we continue to vote for sons and daughters of previous Senators, Mayors and even Presidents. Which when you think about it just continues on the cycles of corruption and poverty in the country. It is seems like a strange twist of fate this time that the son of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos is in the senate while the Son of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino is in Malcañang.

I hope Pres. Noynoy Aquino proves me wrong. If he is what he claims to be "the man that will bring change" I will support him 100%. The Philippines is now flanked by nations with robust economies such as China, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. The south east region is starting to become an economic power house with Indonesia,Thailand and Vietnam starting to catch up with our developed neighbors. The Philippines have a lot of potential as many say and with the right leadership will rise to be a 1st class nation. I just hope that Noynoy Aquino is the right man for the job to pull as all together towards success.

OEC,Travel Tax at Terminal Fee Pahirap sa OFW

2010-05-13T08:06:00.004+01:00

A few days ago I was so furious at the airport because of delays not because of the flights but due to the taxes I need to pay. I strongly believe that us OFWs are being unfairly taxed by our government. Leaving abroad is a very sensitive time for us. This is the time when we wave goodbye to our family before we enter the airport doors. Who could have thought that there will be piranhas waiting inside trying to swipe your money.

Fist is the OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate) which you have to pay almost 3k. This is my third time going abroad so I know the drill that we need to apply for this to avoid problems in the airport.

Second is the Terminal Fee in which I think only exist in the Philippines. This will cost 750 each. I don't really understand the concept of a terminal fee in NAIA. The airport itself look as though it is not regularly maintained.

Third is the dreaded Travel Tax. when we went to hongkong we paid for this and on our way back to Ireland we paid it again. This will set you back 1680 pesos.

So in all I would have spent almost 3k before I can leave the country, except my wife coz she has the OEC, I and my son are her dependent. I don't mind the OEC coz I see the logic behind it that POEA need the funds to properly execute their job. The terminal fee and travel tax I do not understand. During the First time we went home we just presented my wife's OEC in the check-in counter and we receive our boarding pass. The second time was the same. Only the third time was different. The man at the check-in counter asked us to go to the travel tax table. It is the blue table by the x-ray machine where the vultures live. I read through the sign and saw that OFW dependents need 300 pesos travel tax which is fine so I patiently waited in the que. As I reach the desk the man was asking me for my marriage certificate and the birth certificate of my kid so it can be proven that we are a family, What!!? So I have to open one of our large bag and thank God we brought photo copies of the document. The man at the desk said NO he pointed out that it needs to be original NSO copies and that is when I started to loose it. Here am I depressed and about to board a plane going abroad and will be back who knows when is being asked documents that are not in my possession. This tax table is more strict than the Irish, UK and US immigration booth. Another thing is I did not bring enough money with me because usually I just bring enough for the terminal fee. The misus and I was so angry because we might actually miss our flight because of this stupid policy. Whats the point of it, is it not that 3 people travelling together with the same last name and the same address abroad doesn't prove enough that we are a family. We sat there contemplating on our next move. I wanted to shout at them but felt that it will not make a difference because thay are vent on taking our money. I checked my wallet and it was a good thing that there was a 20 euro folded on the small pocket. I rushed into the money exchange. If it wasn't for that 20 Euro it would have been a very ugly for us. When I got the money I asked my wife to pay the tax instead of me because usually she is more composed when angry. When she came back she said that we will not go back. The man cannot look straight into our eyes all this time which makes you wonder that something fishy is going on.

Well the election is almost over and as always politicians promises to OFW's will be as good as shit. But I do hope that if ever they do something for us. They need to look into this matter. We don't want OFW being prayed upon especially on the time we are most vulnerable, leaving home.

The Saddest part of the Journey

2010-05-08T02:33:00.003+01:00

Now comes the saddest part of any holiday. The part when its all over and you have to pack all your bags all over again and ride on that plane away from home. It will be another year or two before we come back. Any OFW can be broken to tears in such ordeals but in time I learned to deal with it. This is my third time leaving home for Ireland and I can honestly say the first one was the hardest. I can still remember my Tito that works in UAE telling me that after his first vacation here in the Philippines after being away for a year was the best but when it was time for him to go back he felt extreme melancholy that he was barely able to ride that plane back to UAE. It was the same story with me back in 2007. After a 2 month holiday I found it difficult to ride that plane again. You get all excited to ride the plane home but when its time to leave we all feel reluctant to ride it again. When its time that we are in the airport we always contemplate on our situation of why we must do this, why we must leave our families behind. But as I say the more you experience such, the less sadness you feel every time I leave home. Still the sadness is there but it is more manageable. In time I began to accept why I must leave home and eventually I constantly say to my self I will go back home for good soon.

Hong Kong Visit

2010-05-05T10:28:00.005+01:00

Ang Init!!!!

2010-04-28T17:06:00.005+01:00

It seems that since our plane landed in NAIA we were constantly reminded that we are not in Ireland anymore. Since we arrived the temperature keeps on rising to record high in the country. As the country is constantly baked by the sun we find it difficult to adjust to the heat. Thank God for aircon. The heat usually peaks by noon so we usually confine our self in our room or go out to the malls to keep ourselves cool. As the temperature continues to soar there is not much we can do but to adjust. After two weeks here in the Philippines it seems that I finally came to terms with the heat.At the moment I can say that it is manageable or bearable.

I just wish that I could say the same for my three year old son. Since we came he wont stop complaining about the heat. He even somehow learned how to tell time because every time the heat becomes unbearable around 12 to 3 pm, he seems to know when it is time to turn on the aircon.

The heat has it advantages. My son seems to forget about it every time he soaks in the pool. It is his first time in an outdoor pool before and he seemed to enjoyed himself on our last swim. Wait till he sees the beach. I am guessing he would want to go back to Ireland.

Philippine Embassy in Ireland OVA ready

2010-04-14T14:12:00.004+01:00

Manila by Midnight

2010-04-09T19:07:00.010+01:00

At last the long gruelling wait is over. Tomorrow I will be on that flight home going to Manila. I have been anticipating and dreaming of this day since September last year when we bought the ticket. All our bags are packed and ready to ride that bus to Dublin airport. This year we decided to take the bus rather than taking the car coz my son enjoys riding the bus more than strapped on in our car in his toddler seat. Plus less hassle for me for driving all the way to Dublin.

Now all that separates us and Manila is the 20 hours flight. We usually take KLM flights but these year we decided to tryout Etihad. Flights cost 10% cheaper and the flight times are more flexible for us. The only difference is we don't have to stop over to Amsterdam like we usually do but instead the stopover will be in Abu dabi. Id say stopping over Abu dabi was the reason I was more inclined to taking the Etihad flight because it means tax free shopping all the way. I heard from a lot of Filipinos who travelled through this route that duty free shopping in Abu dabi was top notch and indeed a bargain. Our euros will go much further and dining in Abu dabi wont cost as much as dining in Amsterdam (why didn't I think of this last year).

Unlike the last trip we had, this year we are most prepared. My son easily gets bored during long flights and tends to be restless keeping us awake and occasionally other passengers as well. This year we have nintendo DS, something that guarantees hours of distraction from my little one. I even went as far as buying a spare battery to make sure we don't ran out. As a backup I have a PSP fully charged with his favorite game so I doubt there will be much problem coming from him this time around. Another thing we made sure we had was travel insurance. I wont go abroad without one nowadays. Frankly they are not as expensive as I thought they will be will cover you for an entire year of travel for less than 50 quid. We heard a lot of sad stories from friends such as lost luggage, delayed flights, stolen items, and accidents during travels. Having insurance really is like having a worry free holiday knowing that everything is covered.

As hours pass the excitement intensifies. At the moment I cant even sleep (thus why I am writing this blog). I hope we have a safe and worry free journey.

Instict Saved the Day

2010-03-28T23:24:00.006+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I was a target of a "modus operandi" as we call it in the Philippines. Relatively Ireland is a safe country so I dont give a second thought that someone will try to pick my pocket. Back in the Philippines I had my wallet stolen twice when I was in college. That was around Legarda a street infamous for its snatchers and muggers. I am always on constant alert when I walk the sidewalk of Cubao and Quaipo then, and I always do preventive measures so I will not be a prey for thieves.

A couple of weeks back I was walking with my 3 year old boy in his buggy up a hill in Waterford City. I parked my car near the Garda station so it was quiet a long walk from town. That day I was wearing trainers and I think my wallet was kinda expose a bit. I did not notice this two men at my back following me. When I was half way up the hill near a bike shop I heard coins dropping on the ground and some rolling in front of me. Usually your initial reaction will be to look at the coins or help the person who dropped it pick it up. My reaction was quite different I have seen this "modus" before and without thinking my hand reached for my back pocket. I actually caught a mans hand inside my back pocket. He was trying to pick my pocket while the other one was trying to distract me with his coins. I was startled and did not know what to do. The man let go of my wallet and said "Sorry" believe it or not. Then he went on to an a small alley going to McDonald's. I stood there for awhile just trying to make sense of what just happened. The man who dropped the coins walked casually, he has no idea I knew he was an accomplice. After that I continued on walking to the top of the hill and went straight to the Garda (Police) station. They made me describe the men ,their race and the clothes they are wearing. I told them vividly their description coz I had a good look at them. Never could I have thought that my instinct on modus like this that I learned from walking the streets of Cubao during unholy hours can be applied here in Ireland. My quick reaction or my fluke reaction just saved me from loosing my credit card and my immigration card. I learned my lesson, nowadays I am always on the guard making sure that once again I need to make myself less of a target for thieves like I did back in the Philippines. Who could have thought that the streets of Cubao and Legarda can give me an invaluable skill.

Paddy's Day 2010

2010-03-18T03:19:00.004Z

Another Victory for Manny "The Pacman" Pacquio

2010-03-14T18:18:00.008Z

Joshua Clottey proved to be a one giant punching bag for Manny Pacquio. Yesterday's match only solidified Manny's reputation as the pound for pound king of the ring. Watching the man fight in his prime makes one realize that he will remain the pound for pound king for awhile. It wasn't as flashy as his knockout of Ricky Hatton or as savage as the beating he gave Oscar De La Hoya, but there was no doubt Pacquiao was in command the entire way against Clottey, who kept his gloves up high in front of his face, rarely risking a flurry. The Gahnian seems only interested in keeping his record of zero knockout than winning the fight. I cant really blame him because when faced with a hail of punches it will really be stupid to stick your head up. Pacquiao advanced against his taller opponent and threw punches with both hands from all angles, the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his past three fights and, though Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he rarely sought to use his reach advantage.

As Freddie Roach told Pacquio on the third round "Everything working now, Its Easy".

As of now Pacquio seems to mow down his opponents unlike before when he had time problems dealing with the likes of Barrera and Marques. He seems to be on the top of his game now and it will take another legend to take him down. Currently there is no other boxer to match him in raw speed and endurance. All of his current matches make no contest at all.

The Balikbayan Box

2010-02-25T18:10:00.005Z

In most barrios around in the Philippines once a balikbayan box arrives it brings joy and somehow prestige to the recipient. We Filipinos currently have a culture of migration in which even the very young has a mindset of going out of the country as quickly as possible to be wealthy. For decades the Balikbayan box has been a symbol of achievement and once you managed to send one out to your relatives it means that you have finally made it. When I was young my father used to work in Japan and we usually sends these big Balikbayan boxes with all sorts of chocolates,clothes and cool gadgets. We receive one once or twice a year. I do admit that I look froward to that box all year and when it arrives its like your birthday and Christmas merged in one day. As child I realized that there are so many cool stuff abroad and started patronizing imported stuff. The notion seemed to be reinforced when you receive praises from friends when they see your imported shoes, clothes and gadgets. "Big time toh" they usually say and it always brings a smile to my face. I was young and naive then.

Now that I am working abroad I can honestly say that I have never sent out a single Balibayan box. Its not that sending one out is a bad thing but I feel that sending out boxes back home with usually (based on experience) unwanted items in the house that you try to squeeze in together with your used clothes and sweets is not a good prospect. When my relatives ask for something I send them money and it works best for them. Practically anything here abroad can be bought in the Philippines at a discounted price so I don't see the the logic behind the Balikbayan Box. I don't lavish my relatives with imported stuff which if you think about it, most of them are 90% made in China anyways. So that goods I'll send them will just took the long way from China to Ireland to the Philippines. But again I am highly stressing out there is nothing wrong with sending out Balikbayan boxes. If you think that sending out boxes brings happiness to you family then go ahead coz happiness is priceless. For me though sending out Balikbayan Boxes further reinforces the "Culture of Migration" in country which we can now say the "Cycle of Migration" because each generation aspires to go abroad.

I'll be home for El Niño

2010-02-22T23:04:00.004Z

Atlast after almost a year and a half I could be the this guy here staring into the warm waters of Palawan. This will be my third visit home and I cant wait that's why I started packing my beach shorts even if its a month from now. It took awhile for my holidays to be approved because of tight scheduling where I work but time and time again it is proven that good things happen to those who wait. I don't want to rush them cause I still would very much appreciate having job when I come back. Sent my request early and waited patiently and anxiously then Oh lala 4 weeks holiday duly approved. When I heard the news from my supervisor it was like Christmas morning.

For most of us OFW's going home is big thing. Most of our days working abroad we always tend to look forward to coming home. I always day dream about it and it is what keeps me on my toes during rough times abroad. Although a visit home breaks the bank because the round trip alone with my wife and kid set us back 2000 euros. Once your in the Philippines you will roughly spend twice your airfare and that is the bare minimum. I know some guys who went home last year that spent 6000 euros of pocket money in less than a month. Well he lived like a king for those weeks anyways. For us this year it will be less splurging and more of spending time with my family because that is why we went home in the first place. Credit cards will be a no no cause I don't want to live like a king there and live broke here. I will be more practical this time just eating out in Jolliebee or Max is enough to make me happy.

The only thing I am worried about is El Niño. Nothing like a heat wave to ruin your vacation. Here in Ireland we experienced the coldest winter and it is still chilly. Coming home this April we could experience the hottest summer in decades. Might need to make our bodies adjust to the climate quickly cause I don't want to spend a day in bed sick on a holiday. But as my friend say nothing a cold bottle of Red Horse wont fix and I totally agree with him.

Kung Hei Fat Choi 2010

2010-02-14T17:56:00.004Z

2010 is the year of the big cats and many say that it is a year that being aggressive pays off. Its now the start of another cycle for the Chinese calendar and considered as a good sign for a fresh start. This will be the perfect year to pursue those things that you have always dreamed about but didn't have the guts to pursue. This is also a good time for making risky(calculated) financial moves which will eventually lead to wealth. While everybody is looking forward to the expected bounce back of the economy for the first half of this year, the iron is really piping hot for good deals in investment. My suggestion is to strike firm and swiftly while the iron is hot or spend another decade regretted why you didn't invested sooner when it was a buyer's market.

As many say luck will shine upon the aggressive ones during the year of the tiger and I for once took the initiative. Its about time I make my money work for me and not the other way around. This year I will now take those financial matters to my own hands and be as aggressive as the majestic Tiger. Happy New Year to everyone and Happy Investing!!!!

Spring Just Around the Corner

2010-02-02T12:14:00.003Z

After the big freeze of the coldest winter in decades came the big thaw which caused some flooding in some parts of the country. They say that the third week of January is depression week and most suicide hotlines and and Emergency rooms are on high alert. Who can blame people for being depressed during this cold, damp, gloomy month. Christmas just passed and the first credit card and utility bills for the new year arrives at your post box. That's enough to make even the bravest person flinch. But of course winter doesn't last forever and spring is now underway. I can usually tell when I see daffodil and tulip buds starting to sprout out of the ground from our garden. I can now hear birds chirping early morning and having sunlight is no longer a rare occasion.

Now it is February and there is now summer to look forward to. Cant wait to put these winter coats back to the closet where they belong.

The Big Freeze

2010-01-09T20:19:00.004Z

Many experts say that this was the coldest winter in almost a century. Temperature over the country plummeted from zero to minus 9 since the day after Christmas. Freezing temperature caused major hazards while driving. A week ago I crashed my car on the entrance of one estate while driving home from a Christmas party. Nothing could have prepared me on how to maneuver a vehicle on frozen roads so my car slid left and right on the road and finally stopped when it hit the curve. I was so glad there was no other vehicles on the road that night or else it could have been ugly.

Starting tomorrow it is forecast that there will be 10cm of snow falling down on the Munster area. Temperatures are also expected to fall down. Even at midday today temperature only peaked at zero and that was with clear skies and the sun shining. It looks like we have to brace ourselves for more sub zero temperature by tomorrow. What worst is that since yesterday we don't have water coming out of our tap. Engineers say that that due to the biting cold water froze up in the pipes underground which clogged our water coming in to the house. Most of our neighbors on our estate as well have no water so its going to be a long gruelling wait for warmer weather.

There was a time when I was so excited to see snow but now I have realized that what a terrible nuissance it can be when theres too much of them.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T03:15:00.002Z

Another decade and another reason to cheer. At every start of a new year is like a fresh start, a renewed chance to make changes in our lives. Another decade had passed and for most of us a drastic change in our lives had occured. I graduated in class 2001 got my first job as a teacher at the same year. Got married in 2003. Finished my masters degree in 2005 and left for Ireland in the same year. My first baby was born in 2006 and we had our very own house in 2007. started my blog in 2008 and started investing my hard earned cash in 2009. Indeed alot of things can happen in a span of a decade and I could have never imagined myself like this a decade ago.

Now another year and another decades beacons right before us. Who knows what this decade holds for us. 2010 is like another start, another benchmark in our lives that we need to exceed. I surely hope that this year would be a happy and prosperous one for all of us. As they say a good start most of the time ends with a good finish.

Philippine "Parol" Displayed at the Mansion House in Dublin

2009-12-24T21:21:00.002Z

Philippine Embassy in Ireland24 December 2009

This Christmas, the Philippine Parol is shining brightly at the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin! Bring the whole family and watch the “parol” from Dawson Street with its dancing lights!

“It’s a pleasure to accept this beautiful lantern which says to the many Filipinos here that although they are far from their birth home this Christmas they have a home here in Dublin.”
- Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Emer Costello

It Might be a White Christmas Afterall

2009-12-22T14:45:00.004Z

For the past few days the temperature continues to plummet. Winter chill is in the air and stuffy noses are everywhere. Must keep the fire burning in our chimney as we brace the cold winter nights. The frost seems takes ages to thaw and driving at night is always a challenge. Buts its all not that bad for winter have its good side to it. On a clear night sky when the pale moon light glimmers on the snow. One can feel the serenity while looking at sight so peaceful. Trees covered in frost look like Christmas trees on the side of the road. And who needs a freezer when you can just leave your beers outside to chill.

What I look forward the most is a white Christmas this year. Lets face it, being from the Philippines I haven't had one. For the last five years here in Ireland I have never seen a flake of snow at Christmas. I keep my hopes up this year though. The frost will do as long as it covers my lawn and trees with a blanket of white powder I can live with it.

ROI Budget 2010, The Bad and the Ugly

2009-12-11T09:55:00.010Z

Its here and it is no longer a pinch but a sting. Last Wednesday the budget cuts in the public sector was announced. From the look of things middle class earners are the worst hit. A 7.5% reduction in my wife's salary is now in effect as of Wednesday. Talks with labor unions and even work strikes was carried out but to no avail. It simply delayed the inevitable. Next year will be a drastic change in our lifestyle as we try to make ends meet. Even if both me and my wife are working there will be no more extra to be saved. Truly gone are the happy days.

In time like these one wonders if there is something to look forward to for the next year. It makes one think if it is still practical to hold on to our mortgages and car loans. As our purchasing power weakens and the prices of goods soars next year will be a biggest test of our resilience. As Filipinos we are use to price hikes and living on our means. But I do admit that upon coming to another country where credit cards and bank loans was so easy, I slowly developed a bad habit of splurging on things that are not necessities. We bought a lot of gadgets, a new car, a mortgage that when you think about it, are bad financial choices given of the current situation.

Next year belt tightening will commence and I will awaken the miser within me. Maybe this budget cuts is somehow a lesson for me to stop living beyond my means and don't treat credit cards like a bottomless well.

Philippine Embassy Anouncement

2009-12-07T13:42:00.000Z

Meet the Candidates 2010

2009-11-24T18:59:00.005Z

Now that the election frenzy in the Philippines is starting to hit its peak. Lets first take step back from all the political mud slinging and just enjoy some spoofs of the candidates.

Embassy Invitation: "Paskong Pinoy sa Dublin"

2009-11-14T12:29:00.000Z

The Embassy of the Philippines
in cooperation with
The Filipino Community Network (FCN)
invites you to the
“Paskong Pinoy sa Dublin”
Christmas Concert
featuring
Various Filipino Community Chorale Groups

12 December 2009 (Saturday),
at 4 o’clock PM

Venue
Trinity Church Network
The Exchange, 50 Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin 1
(Nearest Landmark: at the back of The Custom’s House)

Free Admission
RSVP: dublin.philembassy@gmail.com

Fr. Sinnott Released by Captors

2009-11-12T23:05:00.005Z

I really admire Fr. Sinnott's unbreakable spirit. Even after what he went through for whole month in the unforgiving jungles in the Philippines he still wishes to stay and do his duties for the people of Zamboanga, where he is missionary.

By Julie Alipala, Jocelyn UyPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 03:11:00 11/13/2009Filed

ZAMBOANGA CITY — “They were very kind to me. I cannot say anything about them … They were mostly kind,” Fr. Michael Sinnott said of his abductors.
In fact, the abductors of Sinnott twice attempted to set him free before he was finally released early Thursday.
The first time, on Nov. 4, Sinnott and his abductors hiked for 20 minutes in the forest but were later informed by mobile phone that “there is a bagyo (typhoon) in the west” and “the waves are too high.”
They were also told that “we need to hide the boat,” Sinnott said.
The second time, on Nov. 9, “we came back,” he said. “I was told to wait for the signal for my release.”
But it did not come—until Wednesday.
“The signal came, so we came out,” he said. “But I told them that I will not believe them until I am really free. So when we went out [on Wednesday], I was not yet so sure, until early dawn [Thursday].”
“Now I believe I am really free,” he said.
Sinnott, 79, talked with the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a chance interview in Zamboanga City a few hours after Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) officials turned him over to the government and before he was flown to Manila.
Speaking in a mix of Visayan and English, the Irish missionary appeared in good shape and said his abductors had treated him well: “Maayo ang pagtagad nila sa akoa.”

Happy and grateful

Sinnott said he was happy to be free, and grateful “to the people who worked hard for my release and to my friends who prayed for my safety while I was in captivity.”
He said his abductors called themselves a “lost command” and named one of them as “Kikoy.” (He also told reporters in Manila that his kidnappers belonged to a “lost command” and the “original lumad” or indigenous people, of Mindanao.)
“They did their best to make things as easy as possible for me because they are guarding me,” Sinnott said.
Asked what his abductors had wanted, he said: “Apparently, it’s ransom. But I don’t have any idea if ransom was paid.”
After Sinnott was taken by gunmen from the Columban mission compound in Pagadian City on Oct. 11, he was held in a swampy area for 10 days.
He described the conditions there as “primitive,” and said he lived “in the open” where “there was no chance for me to walk.”
The missionary was subsequently moved to a forested area where he got to do a bit of exercise—a daily walk of about “eight to nine meters.”
Sinnott had a quadruple heart bypass years ago and requires maintenance medication.
With humor
But disembarking from a Fokker plane later Thursday at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, he seemed healthy and answered questions from reporters with a touch of humor.
He was dressed in light blue checkered shirt, taupe slacks and black sandals. But the swollen bags under his eyes and the dirt in his toenails hinted of the hard times he had endured.
The first 10 days of his captivity were the hardest, with his movements limited to a hammock that was mounted on a tiny patch of dried mud surrounded by a swamp, he said.
His space was so small that when he moved to the left side of his hammock, his knees would touch that of one of his guards.
“On my right side was stagnant water. So all you could do for exercise was to stand between the two hammocks and stamp your feet, lie or sit on your hammock all day and all night,” he said.
Things improved a bit when the priest and his abductors traveled eight hours into a forested area, where one of his guards cleared a trail so he could have a place to exercise daily, Sinnott said.

The Long Grueling Wait is Over

2009-11-08T22:48:00.012Z

Alas I can finally breath easy because my Spousal/Dependent Permit which I have been anxiously waiting for five moths has arrived. The wait was so nerve wrecking because in the back of my mind I might end up as another statistic in the unemployment rate in Ireland. We all know the these are tough times and more and more people are loosing their jobs. I am just glad that I least I don't have to worry about my job for the next 2 years because my documentation is valid till then. Another thing I am happy for is my wife got her permanent status in the HSE so we don't have to worry about her job as well. Its comforting to know that amidst the crisis Ireland has never turned its back to its foreign workforce. In these hard times everybody both local and foreign employees both suffer the sting of the recession. I hope once that the crisis is over it will be a far better relationship between the two.

The good news is that the dark cloud of recession seems to be dissipating. As countries such as France, Germany, US, and Japan officially declared that their recession is over, It emanated a spark of hope that there is a brighter future ahead. I guess sleepless nights of thinking that about mortgage repayments will now be a thing of the past. It maybe a good Christmas this year after all.

Autumn 2009

2009-11-03T11:57:00.003Z

We now feel the winter chill and out goes our warm coats from the closet. November is here and winter is just around the corner. Autum is almost over that is why we need to say goodbye to more sunny weather. But before it all goes here is a last look at Autumn 2009.

My Indoor activity

2009-10-27T18:29:00.002Z

Its that time of the year again when the sun refuses to shine and the cold bites. Nothing to do much but to stay indoors and work on my guitar chops.

The Irish Government Sent Help For Ondoy Victims

2009-10-17T18:00:00.002+01:00

OUTPOURING OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FROM IRELAND
FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS CONTINUES:
GUIDELINES ON NEW/USED CLOTHING DONATION ISSUED

Humanitarian assistance from Ireland for typhoon victims in the Philippines has continued to pour in. Philippine Ambassador to Ireland Ariel Abadilla expressed appreciation to the Irish government as well as to the Filipino community for their continued efforts to support the relief and rehabilitation of the affected communities in the Philippines.
He expressed gratitude to the Irish government for allocating €350,000 ($507,500) recently as Irish aid to the typhoon victims. The amount of €200,000 was coursed through “Plan Ireland,” an NGO with a long history of working with children in the Philippines, while the amount of €150,000, will be coursed through UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
In announcing the relief assistance, Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr. Peter Power, said that he is directing the Irish Government’s support to those agencies/organizations working closely with children as they are the most severely affected by these types of disasters. Plan Ireland is targeting 20,000 children and young people in Rizal Province as beneficiaries. The funds will be used to provide water and sanitation, counselling and education support, in addition to basic social infrastructure.
Various Filipino community groups and individuals have also been actively organizing fund-raising activities such as the following:
“Pinoy Idol - Sagip Kapamilya Charity Gig” A one-night fundraising party event held last 11 October 2009 which raised a total of €2,400 ($3,480).
Relief Goods Collection
The Filipino Community Network (FCN) has been working with various groups in the collection of relief goods. Additional shipment to Manila of assorted clothes/shoes/toys, canned goods & noodles is being arranged by Gawad Kalinga (GK) – Ireland chapter for distribution in the Philippines by GK Philippines & Couples for Christ (CFC) Manila as Pamaskong Handog to typhoon victims.
Street Collection in County Cork, Ireland
A “Filipino Emergency Appeal” street collection is being organized by the United Filipino Ireland Association on 20 October 2009 in the streets of Cork City, south of Ireland. Street collections are common Irish grassroot communities’ response to international disasters.
Remittance Centers
Established remittance centers in Dublin catering to Filipino clients decided to waive processing fees for remittances intended as donations to the typhoon victims.

GUIDELINES ON NEW/USED CLOTHING DONATION
The Philippine Embassy wishes to inform those who intend to donate new/used clothing that according to the Department of Finance, new and/or used clothing may be accepted provided that donations are consigned to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or any DSWD-accredited non-governmental organization (NGO).
Executive Order 831 was released on 13 October 2009 authorizing the Department of Finance, for the duration of the current emergency, complete discretion in authorizing tax and tariff exemptions for relief goods donated from abroad, provided the donated relief goods, articles, equipment for free distribution to calamity declared areas and victims of calamities and/or disasters shall be for the account of the DSWD or any of the relief organizations, not operated for profit, duly registered with the DSWD.
The said EO also creates the One-Stop Shop in all collection districts of the Bureau of Customs which provides for the duty free and tax free processing of donated relief goods consigned to the DSWD or any DSWD-accredited/registered/licensed NGOs.
All donors who wish to avail of tax and tariff exemptions may submit the following to the Philippine Embassy in Dublin for immediate transmittal to the DFA Typhoon Ondoy Disaster Relief Task Force for monitoring/facilitation purposes:
- deed of donation indicating donor, details of donation (e.g. 40-ft container van containing 300 crates/boxes of antibiotics, 45 pieces of blankets, etc.);
- copy of shipping documents (e.g. bill of lading or airway bill, whichever is appropriate.)

Philippine Green Passport on their way Out

2009-10-16T20:58:00.002+01:00

Earlier this week, we wrote about getting the new, maroon-colored machine readable passports (MRP) because the old green passports will soon become unusable.

There are a lot of rumors going on about the validity date of the current green passports (including the email currently circulating saying by January 2010, they cannot anymore be used) but unfortunately, we have not heard any official word yet from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

I asked my friend working at the DFA to confirm, once and for all, what the actual rule is. I also called the DFA office in Manila and this is what we found out:

The current green passports can indeed be used until their validity dates but the risk is that by 2010, some countries have the prerogative not to accept the green passport as a valid travel document.

Take note that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) require all member states to issue machine readable passports no later than April 2010. This means that after April 2010, other countries can decide not to accept into their borders any foreigner who holds a passport that is not machine readable.

The DFA representative I talked to advised all Filipino passport holders to always inquire with the embassy or immigration office of the country they plan to go to about the validity of their non-machine-readable passports. The DFA cannot ensure that all countries will accept Filipino green passports after 2010. Some of them might but they also have the prerogative not to, according to the DFA.

For all travels within the Philippines, however, green passports can still be used even in 2011, 2012 or until the passport’s validity period.

Hope this clears up the issue.

Source: Pinoy Money Talk.com

Yet Another Bad News From Home

2009-10-10T13:31:00.002+01:00

Typhoon Ondoy itself was already a handful for the Filipinos from Luzon and yet another one, Typhoon Parma struck. Parma was already the 5th typhoon to hit northern Philippines in 6 months and its destructive force was comparable to Ondoy's. Experts from PAGASA say that due to the previous storms the ground is already saturated so it can no longer absorb rain water. When Parma hits the north it caused terrible landslide and flooding that killed nearly 200 people. Rescuers are already struggling to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy but now they need to tend to the victims of typhoon Parma as well.

The Filipino resilience seems to be tested to our limits this year. Usually we are a country used to typhoons and floods and yet 2009 seemed to have brought the worst in history. But knowing the Filipino people we will rise up and rebuild as we always did. Even in the face of epic storms, volcanic eruptions, and earth quakes we have always stood our ground smiling. These are our traits that people from other countries don't quiet understand, on how we could always laugh at our luck amidst hopeless devastation.

Philippine Embassy Advisory

2009-09-29T22:04:00.000+01:00

ADVISORY:
Philippine Embassy in Dublin
Email: dublin.philembassy@gmail.com

The Philippine Embassy in Dublin wishes to inform interested individuals that the other agencies/organizations that are able to accept donations for the victims of Typhoon "Ondoy" are as follows:

1. National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)

TS Ondoy cash donations may be deposited to the NDCC Donated Funds current account (Philippine Currency-Peso)

Account Number:

#0-00149-435-3

(with shift code: DBPHPHMM Account #36002016)

Development Bank of the Philippines, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo Branch, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines.

2. Philippine National Red Cross - Online Donation at the ff link:

http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/Default.aspx?S=48&SS=972

Typhoon Ondoy

2009-09-27T21:45:00.015+01:00

Its hard to imagine the amount of devastation that havoc Manila yesterday. It is said that Ondoy spout out a months rain in six hours in northern Luzon. The typhoon broke records in the amount of water that it released on land fall. I had lived in Pasig for 25 years and I was shocked on what I saw on the news reel. In its wake the typhoon left 73(or more) people dead and thousands forced to flee from their homes. Never have I seen areas such as Ortigas Extension and Marikina Center fully submerged in water. Cainta looked more like a scene from the movie waterwold as people struggle to climb rooftops to save themselves from the rushing flood. Worst is the hardest hit areas are Cainta, Marikina and Pasig and most of my relatives are from those areas.

After hearing the news I immediately called home fearing for the worst. When my sister answered the phone I was so relived because at least I know that our house is not submerged in the flood but my sister said it was a close call. During the early hours of the storm one of the divider walls of a subdivision collapse and water and debris poured on our streets. She said our street looked more like a rapid river than a road. Lucky the water subsided fast so not much water got in our house just a few inches. But for the people on a lower elevation than our street were the unlucky ones for the bore the brunt of the flood. By midday the flood in those areas are waist deep. It all seems like a nighmare when you see streets that you are familiar with swallowed by brownish water. If you are abroad you feel so helpless when the people you love are in danger. A lot of my friends especially from the Marikina areas barely made it out the flood, some needed to be rescued. Most of them left all their possessions and their homes not knowing if the will see them once more.

Although devastated you can see from the news clips how the Filipino people helped each other in this time of need. The storm also brought in the good that is within us which is the BAYANIHAN attitude. You can see on news reel that people regardless of their stature in life do what they can to help his fellow men. I too will do what I can to help and I encourage OFW's to do the same.

The Autumn Bug

2009-09-23T20:48:00.006+01:00

As he cold breeze blows from the west. Leaves from trees start to shrivel and fall. Flowers of summer are no more as the sun fades earlier in the day. These are the signs of Autumn as it approaches once again. Its like natures sign that winters on its way. As each leaf fall to the ground you can sense that everything around you is preparing for their long slumber for the winter. Autumn gives the feeling of serenity and peace as you behold such sight.

Although Autumn may inspire awe , this is also the start of the flue season here in Ireland. As we shift from the warm summer to the shivering winter it seems that the body struggles to adapt. In the Philippines we are only use to the two seasons, summer and monsoon. Every time Autumns arrive it seems like clock-work to me that I will catch a nasty flu. Its been three days now and counting and I still have cold and fever. It's such a bad luck that there is no cure for the flu all you need is to lie down and rest while you let your body fight it out. Its terrible that I have to lie in bed all day and isolate myself. I surely hope all will be well tomorrow morning.

The Recession Aftermath

2009-09-13T14:49:00.016+01:00

As the rest Europe is starting to pull out of the worldwide recession the question of when Irish economy will pull through is still debatable. Many economist say that the worst is over but still many are still feeling the sting as government spending contracted. Many benefits that we usually enjoy such as child benefits are now a thing of the past. The only thing good I reckoned that came from the recession is the interest rate for mortgages greatly dropped so we are paying 20% less on our mortgage starting this year. But that does not compensate for huge government levies imposed. Currently almost 40% of our income is paid off taxes. Two that greatly sticks out like a sore thumb are the income levy and the infamous pension levy which usually total a whopping 600 Euro every month(that does not include the main income tax and other deductions). But I guess all of these imposed taxes are for the common good to bring the Irish economy back it is feet. We are all in this together being a local or a migrant worker.

Another sad story is the job market. We migrant workers are the worst hit by this. As the private and public sectors tighten their belt the more scarce jobs are. As a result the local population are now starting to compete for jobs with migrant workers. Of course we all know what happens on that scenario. Many Filipinos I know lost their jobs and some are really struggling to get by. We are lucky that just when the recession was just about to hit my wife secured a permanent position with the HSE, so her job in the hospital is at least one thing less to worry about. I on the underhand is a different story. Because I am a spouse of a Working Visa holder under the HSE I need to secure a spousal/dependent working permit from the Department of Trade before I am allowed to work. Currently there is a 4 month backlog for renewal which is prolonging my anxiety. I am very thankful to my employer for 3 years is being so understanding to mys situation. They considered that its is of no fault of mine that my papers are behind. To those Filipinos who are working under the spousal/dependent visa (usually husband or wife of a health care professional ) I strongly suggest you renew your permit early to avoid the headache.

Philippines will be a Sanctuary for Asylum Seekers

2009-09-07T16:14:00.002+01:00

I just recently received this memo from the Philippine embassy. It states that the Philippines is now opening its borders for foreign nationals seeking sanctuary. During my stay here in Ireland I have seen many people which they call "asylums" from different parts of the world residing here. They are those who fled their county due to political persecution or simply seeking refuge from war.The Irish government seemed to be treating them well with free board and lodging and some food allowances. When I was working in a late pub back in 2007 one of my work mates is an asylum. Back then I did not really understand what an asylum really mean so I asked her, which was very bold of me but I am sure she saw that I meant no harm. She told me that back in her country, somewhere in Africa they were persecuted because they supported a certain political party. She also added that her husband was incarcerated and she has no idea whether her husband is alive or not. My initial respond was shock, of course we have political turmoil in our country but certainly not on this level. She was lucky she was granted asylum because she and her children could possibly go to prison as well.

The Philippines being a heaven for asylum seekers will be a decent thing to do for our country. As history taught us during the Marcos dictatorship those who fought for democracy also sought asylum from different countries and they were granted. If weren't for those countries who gave sanctuary the Edsa revolution would not have happened. I think it is good that the Philippines are now accepting asylum seekers that are in dire need of protection.

Memo from the Philippine Embassy Dublin:

Refugees in danger will find temporary sanctuary in the Philippines

News Stories, 31 August 2009
MANILA, Philippines, August 31 (UNHCR) – Under a breakthrough agreement, the Philippines has become a transit country for at risk refugees on their way to resettlement, only the second country in the world to formally play this vital role.
The new transit arrangement – the second in the world after one concluded with Romania in March this year – was put in place under an agreement signed last week in Manila by the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto Romulo, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration. Slovakia last week accepted a group of 98 Palestinian refugees from Iraq under a special resettlement transit deal.
"The Philippines is again setting the protection benchmark in Asia after signing the 1951 Refugee Convention and implementing a national asylum law and procedure," Raymond Hall, UNHCR's regional coordinator for Southeast Asia, said at the signing ceremony last Thursday. "Having fulfilled its international protection responsibilities, with this agreement it is making a significant gesture to broaden the system."
The idea is to provide a temporary haven for individual refugees in urgent need of evacuation from their first asylum countries. They may stay in the Philippines for up to six months before being resettled in third countries.
"By signing this agreement, the Philippines is providing an important protection tool, and widening protection space," Hall added. "It is providing significant space for individual refugees who otherwise would be in danger of refoulement [forced return] or of other serious threats to their well-being. This will allow the onward resettlement process to be completed without such pressures and in a way that assures adequate protection."
UNHCR foresees evacuating primarily refugees from Asia to the Philippines, but vulnerable civilians from all parts of the world could be processed here while waiting to be resettled in third countries.
The Philippines is one of the few countries in Asia to have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, having done so in 1980.

Belfast

2009-09-03T00:44:00.007+01:00

Philippine Embassy Announcement (OVA)

2009-08-24T12:51:00.001+01:00

The Philippine Embassy in Dublin wishes to announce that it will conduct
OAV registration at the Embassy on the following dates:

24 August 2009, 10 am to 4 pm
25 August 2009, 10 am to 4 pm
26 August 2009, 10 am to 4 pm
27 August 2009, 10 am to 4 pm
28 August 2009, 10 am to 4 pm

The Philippine Embassy is located at the following address:
77 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
(Suite G03, Fitzwilliam Business Center)

LAST DAY OF OAV REGISTRATION ON SUNDAY, 30 AUGUST, IN CO. CORK
OAV OUTREACH IN CORK
30 August 2009 (Sunday), 1-6 pm
Ballyphehane Community Centre in Cork

The activity coincides with the 2009 Filipino-Irish Sportsfest Events supported by the
United Filipino-Irish Association in Cork.

To facilitate the registration process, all those who are intending to register are requested to fill out the attached form and to bring a copy of their Philippine passport as well as a photocopy of the personal data page of the passport.
Forms are also downloadable from the COMELEC website at www.comelec.gov.ph and below are additional information about OAV.
Thank you very much.

Ambassador Abadilla Inducts Officers of The Filipino Community Network in Ireland

2009-08-24T12:40:00.004+01:00

Philippine Ambassador to Ireland Ariel Y. Abadilla administered the oath of office to the Executive Officers of the Filipino Community Network (FCN) recently at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in Dublin. In the photo from left to right are: Jess Corpuz (Chairperson); Nancy Reyes (Vice Chairperson); Jeremy Ramos (Communication Officer); Daisy Gamis (Finance Officer); Mabel Cortez (Religious Affairs Committee Coordinator); Edsel Manucot (Audit Committee Coordinator); Joseph Reid (Cultural Affairs Committee Coordinator); and Ambassador Ariel Y. Abadilla.
The FCN is a newly-established umbrella association that aims to represent the Filipino community in Ireland. In his remarks at the induction ceremony, Ambassador Abadilla highlighted the importance of unity and how it should be put into action so that the community will have a bigger voice in the host country.
To date, there are twenty-five (25) organizations affiliated with the FCN. They are as follows: BIBAK; Celbridge Filipino Community; Couples for Christ; Eymard Choir; Filipino Sports Club; Filipino Cultural Committee; Filipino Forum ; Filipino Christian Voices; Filipino Community in Meath; Filipino Youth Integration; Galway Filipino-Irish Community; Guardians Brotherhood Incorporated; Jesus is Lord; Kaliwat Iliganon; Limerick Filipino Community; Our Lady’s Crumlin Hospital Filipino Community; Philippine Engineers Association in Ireland; Philippine Chorale Ensemble; Pangasinense Association in Ireland; Pink Philippines; Sligo-Leitrim Filipino Community; South Dublin Filipino Association; The Filipino Organisation-Beaumont; United Filipino-Irish Association in Cork; Word International Ministries

Source: Philippine Embassy, Dublin Ireland

Beware of Fake Internet Lottery

2009-08-15T23:08:00.011+01:00

Recently I have been receiving spam emails stating that I won an Internet lottery by Microsoft. At first glance the e-mail looks authentic being it came from a Microsoft domain (info.microsoft.co.uk) complete with reference number and some with fake Verisign security logo. The spam mail states that Bill Gates himself is giving away millions of dollars to random PC users. Now that alone will make you think twice, because since when did Bill Gates give away money for nothing. The mail will advise you to send a form back to them stating your name, address, contact number, and sex.

I did some research over the net about this so-called Microsoft lottery. Found out that this scam is called the Nigerian Letter because they said the origin of the spam can be trace from Nigeria. The scam works by getting people to send bits of pieces of information about themselves. Scammers then use these details to somehow steal your identity. They can use the information they collected from a would be victim to try to get access to e-mails or worst banking statements. A hacker knowing your name, sex, birthday and address can go a long way with it.

My advise is if ever you receive e-mail that you won from a contest you did not participate in is think twice. Don't be loured by the hefty prize money they are offering. Delete the e-mail immediately to save yourself from the headache.

Giants Causeway

2009-08-09T22:49:00.003+01:00

Filipinos Around the World Mourns the Lost of Former President Cory Aquino

2009-08-02T14:40:00.017+01:00

Former President Cory Aquino was considered as the embodiment of Democracy in the Philippines. Her presence alone rallied thousands of Filipinos to topple the Marcos dictatorship by peaceful means. Not a single shot was fired or bloodshed during the Edsa Revolution. The revolution was won thru prayers of Filipinos from all walks of life. The Revolution happened when I was only six years old but even at my young age I knew that something significant was happening to the our country. Back then I understood the value of freedom and how things can be accomplish with the absence of violence.

Former President Cory Aquino is the first woman president in Asia and she is also the only Philippine president whose name was never linked to scandals and corruption. She has been nominated for a Nobel Prize and was Time magazine's woman of the year 1986. With all her accomplishments she still remained humble and piety. Her lost is felt by all Filipinos all over the world. Madam Cory Aquino was God's gift to the Filipino people and her legacy will remain burning in Filipinos hearts.

Goodbye Friendster, Hellooooo Facebook

2009-08-01T18:40:00.000+01:00

For those who don't know what Friendster and Facebook their are social networking websites wherein you can mingle with friends and expand your popularity by making more friends. I have a friendster account since 2003 and since then I never stopped using it. Who could have thought that using social networking sites is such fun. You can post your photos and brag to your friends of palces you have been or things you have done. Friendster dominated all other sites in the Philippines by 2005 and survey said that 7 out of ten Filipinos have a Friendster account (we Filipinos really had it going). I fell in love with Friendster and the way you can tweak almost every aspect of your page. But in mid 2008, along came Facebook. At first I have prejudice against Facebook that its just another social networking site a shadow of Friendster. As the months progress I noticed more and more people are using Facebook than Friendster. So I decided to jump the band wagon and try Facebook to see for myself what the hype is all about.

Facebook is laid down very straight forward compare to Friendster. Sharing files, photos, videos and recoded messages are also plain and simple with Facebook. The only crucial thing that Facebook lacks to top the cake is the testimonial page where in Friendster you can display to the world how much you are loved. All that said i really think Friendster has been out-classed by Facebook in all aspects and there is now news that the owners of Firendster are tying to sell their website. It seems Friendster has reached the end of its tether so Goodbye Friendster for me and Hello Facebook.

Absentee Voting for May 2010

2009-07-19T11:34:00.009+01:00

Here we go again, Philippines is now on an election frenzy. Every politician in the country are gearing up for the coming elections in May 2010. Though still almost a year from now that doesn't stop politicians who are now starting to smear the names of their political enemies in their bid to win a seat in government. Its old news for most of us Filipinos who have experienced too many elections.

The good news is that this coming election we, the OFW's finally have the chance to have our voices herd because of the Absentee Voting Project by COMELEC. It is now possible for us to have a say even though we are physically out of the country but there by spirit. But before we start jumping for joy and choose the candidates we will be rooting for, it is crucial that we register first. There is an ongoing Absentee Voting registration in some countries now like the US and the Middle East where the bulk of migrant workers are. It is usually done in the embassy but I am still not sure here in Ireland if our embassy already caters to absentee voting registration minding that the just recently started operation. I have sent them an e-mail and I am still awaiting their response. I keep this site updated on this matter but in the mean time here is a link I got from the GMA network website that clearly explain the process of absentee voting.

http://www.gmanews.tv/oav.html

Philippine Embassy in Ireland Underway

2009-07-13T00:10:00.004+01:00

Mga Kabayan goodnews po sa ating lahat ito. Atleast mayroon na po tayong formal na ahensya ng ating pamahalaan dito sa Republika ng Ireland. Mabuhay ang ating bagong Embahada.

Philippine Ambassador to Ireland Ariel Abadilla has announced that the Phil.Embassy opened its temporary office on 9 July 2009 in Dublin's City centre.
The temporary office is located at the Fitzwilliam Business Centre,Suite GO3,77 Sir John Rogerson's Quay,Dublin 2.
As part of the transition process,Honorary Consul John Ferris will have his last consular clinic at the Teacher's Club on 36 Parnell Square West Dublin 1 on July 11,2009when the Embassy begins its full consular and frontline operations.
The initial team deployed by the Philippine Goverment to Ireland under the leadership of Ambassador Abadilla is comprised of Hjayceelyn Quintana as Minister and Consul General;Jocelyn Roxas,Attache;Ruth Patricio,Attache;Errol Reyes,Attache.
Ambassador Abadilla said that,simultaneous with undertaking full consular operations,the team will continue to focus its effort in setting up the permanent location for the Philippine Embassy in two to three month's time.
For Inquiries,the Embassy may be reached at Tel.no.01 6401946 and Email address dublin.philembassy@gmail.com

Sent on behalf of the Philembassy..

Joseph Reid
Filipino Cultural Coordinator

Source: Memo from Gabay Celbridge

Beer Around the World II

2009-07-11T13:07:00.005+01:00

Well here's the second part of my quest to find the closest taste (according to my taste buds at least) to our beloved San Miguel Beer. I drank beer for the sake of blogging, again lol. So far I have covered most of the brands in cans that I can get my hands on from local supermarkets and off licences. Next will be the beers in bottles and boy there are a lot of them. So if my liver and my wife is permitting there will be a part 3.

BAVARIA (netherlands) 5

CARLING (UK) 4

HARP (Ireland) 5

XXXX (Australia) 8

Smitwicks Ale (Ireland) 10

TUBORG (Denmark) 4

Stella Artois (Belgium) 8

BECKS (Germany) 5

CALSBERG ( Denmark) 4

MILLER ( US) 6

LECH (Poland) 8

PRAZSKY (Czeck Republic) 8

Cheap Flights Home

2009-07-07T19:37:00.007+01:00

Cheap airline flights are now starting to tempt us to take a holiday home. Nowadays one can book a round trip ticket to the Philippines for 500 Euros which about a year ago the same ticket would have cost 1200 Euros. It seems that the global financial crisis have some silver lining after all because as aircraft companies struggle to stay afloat they slash down fare to entice people to travel. If you ask me I think it worked for the Filipinos here in Ireland at least. In Waterford alone most Filipino families here went home for a holiday to take advantage of the cheap fares.

At the moment my wife and I have no plans to go home this year. Its too bad that we missed this opportunity when we went home December last year. A few hundred Euros extra money would have made our last holiday more grand. For now I am really hoping that by early next year the prices of flights plateaus.

Current Round Trip Rates (Dublin to Manila with different stop overs)

Etihad 678 Euros

KLM 549Euros

Cathay Pacific 889 Euros

Go Karting in Kilkenny

2009-07-01T22:46:00.000+01:00

At work every department is assigned a paid team day out once a year. This year all the lads in my department decided to go for Karting in Kilkenny. Its been decades since I last went Go Karting so the ordeal was indeed a challenge for me. Even though I was off the track most of the laps, overall I had a jolly good time. I finished at 10th place out of 13 but it was alright because I was kinda expecting to be the last.

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My Blog's First Birthday

2009-06-25T21:29:00.004+01:00

It's been a year since I started this journey of imparting my stories and experiences as an OFW here in Ireland. When I think about it I didn't really expected my blog will go far, maybe a few post here and there and just leave it once I find a better pastime. I started out just jotting down random thoughts about how I see the world outside the Philippines but ended up having a mission not only for myself but most importantly my readers. Never have I imagined that in my own little way touched people's lives with my post.

Majority of my readers are fellow OFW's working from all corners of the world and every month my organic hits in google analytics seems to be increasing. Not to mention my beloved frequent readers. It is because of you guys/gals that I continue on blogging.

Filipino Independence Day in Ireland 09

2009-06-21T18:42:00.007+01:00

Yesterday we drove to Dublin to attend the annual celebration of the Filipino Independence here in Ireland. Its quite a long drive from Waterford not to mention we got lost while looking for St. Anne's Park. When we got there all the effort seems worth it. I can say that was the biggest gathering of Filipinos I have ever seen here in Ireland. The crowd number in this event can even rivals "Barrio Fiesta", a Filipino festival held annually in London. The place was filled with fellow Filipinos and of course when Filipinos gather there will always be Filipino food. While the smell of home cooked Filipino food lingered in the air groups from different counties from all over Ireland performed a presentation onstage. I am really impressed by the amount of effort that went to this event and to think that there was no entrance fee. Kudos to those who made the Independence Day Celebration 09 a success. I will certainly be back next year.

Ireland in Photos 6 (Tramore in the Summer)

2009-06-13T20:01:00.006+01:00

Hot Hot Hot

2009-06-02T20:15:00.010+01:00

For the past few days Ireland has experience a heat wave. Temperature at noon last Tuesday peaked at 31 degrees. I can say it is starting feel like being back home in the Philippines. This weather is the perfect weather to take out the bbq grill from its long slumber from the shed and start grilling. With a couple of cold ice beer and chicken wing roasting who could ask for more.

The one thing I have noticed about myself over the years here abroad is my resistance to heat is diminishing. Back in college I can walk the streets of Recto on a 35 degree heat with no problem. Here in a 31 degree heat I begin to look for a shade or hide in the confines of my car with a full blast aircon. While most locals here are outside soaking up the sun it seems I am the only one in the shade. I find it amusing that during summer I look forwards to the milder 14 to 18 degree temperature of autumn or mid spring.

Investing in the Philippines, Feasible or not?

2009-05-27T14:08:00.011+01:00

Only at the beginning of this year that I fully realized the value of financial literacy. Upon reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki I then pondered on my past financial decisions over the years. The book is a real eye opener for me because it tells you in plain English that financial freedom is withing the reach of everyone regardless of their salary bracket or circumstances in life. Some people call him mad but I do strongly believe in his business model. Over the centuries people have branded people who challenges the normal norm mad but more than often they are vindicated as history proves them right.

When I was back home last December I met with two of my highschool mates. The last time I saw them was back in 2006. It surprised me to find out that both of them are now successful investors and businessmen. One of them focused on property investing and now own a number of condominium units in Manila and the other has an advertising company over the Internet. Geez these people are barely in their 30's and now earning more passive incomes than I ever dreamed of. One of them recommended Kiyosaki's book and another book by Colayco a Filipino business man. Now my perception on money and investments will never be the same. There are more than one way in achieving financial success and 8 out of 10 you are likely to fail but failure is part of the process.

This year the financial conditions are right for investing because the economy had already bottomed out. Surprising to say the Philippine economy somewhat survive the 2007-2009 world recession unscaved. While our south east Asian neighbors such as Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia who were heavily dependent on exports had two digit negative growth in their GDP for the past year, the Philippines remained at 6.5% growth and growing(source IMF). Lets not forget Goldman Sach's prediction that the Philippines will be a developed nation by 2020. This is the same group that predicted in the 60's that China will be at the center of the financial world via 2000 and they seemed to be right. So all in all investing back home seemed to be more feasible now than 10 years ago.

These are all good news especially for us working abroad. The prospect of us going home for good could become a reality sooner than expected. My advice is to start investing some of our hard earn cash for the future. There are a lot of options available for us such as Stocks (globe, san miguel), Mutual funds, Treasury Bills, Franchising, Real Estate, and Business. The possibilities are endless so mga kababayan the time is now nigh, strike while the iron is hot.

You might want to visit this website as well; http://www.pinoymoneytalk.com/

Beer Around the World Part 1

2009-05-17T08:39:00.013+01:00

For us Filipinos nothing can beat the taste of our very own San Miguel Beer or San Mig light. Once we leave the country we often try to find alternatives or beer that has somewhat similar taste to our beloved San Miguel. Over the years I have encountered several brands of beer. Here in Ireland you can buy most of the brands of beers from the U.S. and Europe in your local convenience store. Sadly no stores big or small sells San Miguel Beer. There is a San Miguel that I saw once in a Off Licence (liquor Store) but its not the one from the Philippines. Spain actually imports a beer San Miguel but the taste is far from similar form ours. For the sake of blogging (Hehe) I then took a quest in search for that beer that will taste somewhat similar to San Mig light. Well I am a San Mig light drinker back home and for those who say that's a girls drink UP YOURS!

Taste is really subjective matter because each individual have different taste buds and different orientation on what is to them delectable. Often I ask fellow Filipinos what they think is the closes they can get to the taste of San Mig light and most of the them have different answers. So I figured I just do a test to see for myself which of these brands comes close. Here is wah I got so far;

1 being the closest to the taste of San Mig Light

Hieneken (Denmark) 2

Budweiser Light (US) 6

Miller (US) 6

Bass (UK) 3

Tyskie (Poland) 8

Corrs (US) 1

Dutch Gold (Belgium not sure) 6

Foster (Australia) 5

Satzenbrau (not sure) 8

Amstel (Netherlands) 7

John Smiths (Scotland) 9

To Vote or not to Vote?

2009-05-13T22:00:00.010+01:00

Recently when you drive going to work you cant help but notice campaign adds of local politicians in Ireland. Almost every night a politician or someone that supports the party will knock in our door trying to sway us to vote for them. Some of them we entertain while most of them we just ignore. The campaigning season here is more placid than what I am used to in the Philippines. Last May 2007 I was in the Philippines just in time for the Senatorial and local municipal elections. It was like a circus, political adds all over the TV and radio. The wall vandalized by the portraits of politicians which are usually just ignored by the public (such waste of paper).

As the election date draws near the more I wonder, should I vote or not? One night a man knock on our door and when I opened it was a man from the city council. He nicely asked me if I had a minute because he wanted to explain to me the process of registration for the upcoming election. He explained to me that I and my wife are eligible to vote for both local and national elections since we have been here for years. Before he left he handed me registration forms that we need to fill out then send back to the city council by post. Its very flattering to us overseas workers to hear that we have such equal right with the locals into deciding the course of their future. Voting is a right to every citizen under a democratic society. It just proves that in a Democratic country everyone has a voice. The registration form handed to me by the man from the city council gives me a voice even somewhat insignificant it is one single vote still counts.

Now the question is if I will this use my right to vote. The answer is I would rather not. Its is not that I don't want to, its just that I am not sure whether I would do more harm than good. I am not sure how the political system here works. Id say for now I will leave it to the locals for they have the knowledge and the experience of what they think is right. Last 2007 I voted back home and I am planning on voting again this coming 2010. I never passed on this once in a lifetime chance to try to change our contry by choosing our new leaders. I do that becuase I have a solid understanding of the political system in the Philippines.

Hurray!!! for the Filipino Champ Manny Pacquiao

2009-05-07T20:40:00.009+01:00

Filipinos from all over the world rejoiced when Ricky Hatton hit the sack on the second round. It is very evident that our champion Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao is the pound per pound champion of the world. Last Saturday I waited anxiously for this bout to begin on pay per view. With drinks and snack in all, I was ready for the fight of the year.Id say it was a waste of 21 euros that I paid for less than an hour of fight. Never did I expect Hatton already seeing stars on the first round. When Pacquiao gave him a solid left hook on the first round alone its very evident that Pacquiao will make short work of him.

From the words of the Pacman himself "We planned on wearing him out". Even Manny was surprised he fell on the first round so decided to give it his all on the second, he said on an interview. Though many had predicted especially in the Philippines that Pacquiao will win this fight nobody expected it to end that soon. Hatton based on his stats and past matches should somewhat be a challenge to Pacquiao. When he fell like a sack of potatoes everybody jumped in exuberance but as ring side physicians tended to the fallen Hatton one might wonder how a pierce fighter like him succumbed to a shameful defeat. We all know he trained hard l but that's boxing. One day your on a pedestal and the next day your in the gutters.

What I really like about Manny Pacquiao since his early days in boxing is that he never brags about his achievements. His love for our country country is absolute. He now has mansions worth millions in the US but he hardly stays there. He always goes home to the Philippines which he says is his home. Manny has all the money he could ever dream of but he always never fails to share with the poor.

Now there is only one man that Manny Pacquiao needs to face so he can definitely make his mark on boxing history. That is if Floyd Mayweather Jr. will accept the challenge beckoning at him. Of all the boxers Manny Pacquiao had fought this is the one that I really wanted to see beaten like a pulp. I hope this fight will be a reality soon because I cant wait for the the "Pacman" to shut Floyd Mayweather's big mouth.

Ireland in Photos 5 (Cliffs of Moher)

2009-05-01T19:21:00.002+01:00

Dylan's First Day of School

2009-04-21T18:39:00.010+01:00

I just can't imagine how fast my son grows up. It seems only like yesterday when we brought him home from the hospital when he was born. Now he cant even stay still and wont stop talking. He is now building up his vocabulary and we are always encouraging him learn new words everyday. In each passing day he himself points out objects he is not familiar with as his sign for us to tell him what it is. He always have a ball especially while where out shopping for groceries in Tesco. There his mind goes into overdrive pointing out every stuff that catches his attention. Soon enough I think he will be telling us what to buy.

Even though we do what we can to teach him new stuff and play with him everyday we still feel as parents that there certain things that we parent cannot give him. He needs the company of other kids his age. So we decided its about time he starts his creche . At least there he will be in an environment where he can socialize with kids his age and be a kid, not at home with us 24/7 having the same old routine of games and kiddie shows on the telly.

ON his first day of school I was completely surprised that he did no cry at all. My mother said that at his age I had 3 first days of school because I kept crying all the time and the teacher had no choice to send me home. On Dylan's first day of school it just took him5 minutes of adjustment before he let go of my hand and played with the toys in the creche. On his fisrt day it was a coincidence that a local news paper Waterford News and Star was doing an article about the Williamstown Creche. So by the following week Dylan has his pictures in the paper.

Cliffs of Dover Cover Finally

2009-04-17T16:18:00.005+01:00

After two months of practice I finally pulled it off. Its was very difficult but very well worth it. To play this piece was part of my New Years resolution (as of my post on the 31st of December). It's not that perfect but that's probably the closest I can get to a guitar legend Eric Johnson

My Best Friend from Lithuania

2009-04-10T16:54:00.034+01:00

We Filipinos by nature are mostly very friendly and outgoing. Such traits make it easy for us to make new friends and from strong bonds with them, sometimes bonds that even last a lifetime. Till this day I still keep in touch with some of my friends in grade school. Everytime I go home I make it a point meet with my former schoolmates from highschool.

When we are abroad though things seem to somehow change. Most of the time we keep to ourselves or confine our social groups with our fellow Filipinos. There nothing wrong with this and I somehow understand our reluctance to mingle with other nationalities. Cultural clashes is very common when two people of different background,tradition,culture and even religion meet. I have noticed that in the presence of other nationalities we Filipinos tend to act differently. We tend to become more reserved and timid in their presence which I can't explain why. As the saying goes "Ang babait ng Filipino pag nasa ibang bansa".

When I was working in a late bar in the city center I met a lot of friends there from different nationalities. Most of them are form Poland, some from Slovakia, Russia, Latvia and one from Lithuanian. I was the only Asian working in that bar so I was a bit anxious at first. To my surprise we got along really well. They always invite me to go to night outs and one time to the beach. There was a strong sense of camaraderie and we often help each other out. I remember the day that I came in a liitle bit under the weather and there was my polish friend Magda who gave me lemsip in a hot cup and advised me to rest while she did most of the work. Soon enough everybody was good friends.

From all of my friends Guintarre from Lithuania became my closest friend. She has a very bubbly personality and a good heart. The first time we met she actually thought that I was the bar manager. She seem to eager enough to learn about Filipino culture. We ended up chatting all the time because I was very interested in her culture as well. When it comes to history and culture my brain is like a giant sponge. I always invited Guinatrre to Filipino gatherings and party. She often stood out because of her height and complexion. Even after we left the bar we used to work for we still remained best of friends. My wife gets along very well with her and my son is very fond of her. She even learned a lot of Tagalog words by her constant interaction with us. Last summer she came back to finish her studies in Lithuania but still we always keep in touch. She said she's coming to visit us again in the summer and were very much excited about that.

We are really blessed to have a friend as kind and thoughtful like Guintarre. It just goes to show that when you have show kindness and have clean intentions fate will always reward you ten folds

Bunratty Castle

2009-04-04T11:08:00.013+01:00

Medieval Castles has always been may fascination. They stirred up my imaginations since I was young. Everytime I go to these magnificent symbols of human history I often forget that these castles were one weapons of war. Since I came here to Ireland it has always been a part of my agenda to visit castles all over the country and beyond its boarders. It its not like we have medievel castles in the Philippines. Here they have no shortage of castles. Everywhere you go it seems that there is a castle towering from the hills or the ruins of one.

Last week my wife and I went to Bunratty Castle in Limerick. The castle itself is intact and very well preserved. The mess hall still retains it extravagance and the diff rent quarters gives you an idea what's its like to live in that period. It looks very big and ostentatious outside but like many castles it is cramp and damp on the inside. What I like about Bunratty is most of the rooms have contents in them which you can actually touch and even sit in. I even sat on the throne. It is only in the Bunratty castle that I saw a real dungeon. It sent shiver down my spine when I imagine that prisoners once were thrown down that dark dank hole.

Castle Stairways

Main Hall

The Dungeon

On the top looking down on the battlements

Toilets

Spring is here Again

2009-03-27T21:37:00.004Z

The days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. Temperature is rising and flowers are blooming. Yes its been a long cold winter but everythings OK because spring is here, my favorite season. Spring is like the beginning of each year. It like mother nature waking up from her winter slumber. Myriads of things change like the weather, flora,fauna and even peoples attitude. Every spring I find that I am not constantly dragging myself out of bed. Somehow its diffrent when you wake up with the sun shinning through your window. The balmy weather gives me a chance to tend to my garden as well and finally to do those D.I.Y jobs around the house (which my wife has been nagging about for a few weeks now). But of all of things that I love is going to the seaside with Dylan, my son. Oh that exuberant boy loves to run around the beach. The water is still a bit freezing but that doesn't stop that kid from soaking his feet on it.

St. Patrick's Day Parade (Waterford 2009)

2009-03-18T21:42:00.005Z

The Irish Poitin (pronounced as "pocheen")

2009-03-08T14:11:00.019Z

Poitin is Ireland's equivalent to the US Moonshine. Distilled from malted barley or potatoes its a strong spirit drink that can knock you off your feet. I can say I have tried a lot of strong alcohol such as the Mexican tequila, Philippine Tuba, Russian Vodka, and Sake but nothing could have prepared me from this drink. Currently it is even considered illegal in Ireland to sell this drink but I somehow managed to get my hands on them. I traded them for a bottle of sake with one of my work mates. Upon giving me the bottle he told me that the transaction never happened. He said to me with a grin on his face "I cannot guarantee your safety", which I hoped was a joke. He even drew the death's head on the bottle which very much makes the drink less enticing.

When I got home I can't wait to try it out. Few shots will be fine I hoped. When I unscrewed the cap I can smell the strong scent of alcohol coming out of the bottle. I poured the yellowish liquid to a shot glass, (similar to the consistency of Fundador brandy) hoped for the best and drank it. My first impression was " Holy F&%k this is strong Shite". I felt the the thing from my tongue sliding down to my stomach. It had a sweet after taste but damn that first shot hit me like a brick wall. I poured another one to my shot glass because you cant really say you tried with one shot glass. It was the same result. I dared not try another shot. Even after a few hours every time I burp I still taste the strong alcohol in my mouth. This drink is legendary. The Irish had been stereotyped as heavy drinkers. I think Poitin stands as a testament to that because it is the strongest spirit I have drank so far.

Rest in Peace Francis M

2009-03-08T10:46:00.010Z

Mga Kababayan Ko
Dapat lang Malaman Nyo
Bilib ako sa Kulay Ko
Ako ay Filipino

These are the lines from the classic song "Mga Kababayan" by Francis Magalona. I was in grade two when this song was first aired. It spurred nationalism in the hearts of Filipino youths back then. All throughout his career as a brilliant performer and song writer he continued to inspire many with his messages love and peace (well most of his songs anyway). Back in high school his album Freeman was released with the big hit song Kaleidoscope World. That song really did change my life. I do remember saving up for moths just to buy that cassette album back in 1994.

When I first herd the news that Francis M was dead last Saturday it did not come much as a surprise. He has been battling Leukemia for a couple of months now. Stricken by a deadly disease he continued living his life to his fullest. He even had a blog where he constantly updates his fans about his condition. Francis M's death is indeed a terrible lost but like many great artist he will continue to live on in our hearts through his songs.

Ireland in Photos 4 (Dingle Peninsula)

2009-03-03T11:19:00.005Z

Filipino Passport Renewal in Ireland

2009-02-23T22:05:00.008Z

This coming march my wife's passport and mine will expire. We got it in the Philippines back in 2004 so its about time we start renewing it. Last December we were on our holiday in the Philippines so we did try to renew our passport there. We ended up very much frustrated on that endeavour. It will take around three visits to DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) before you can get it renewed. We only have three weeks in our holiday and we didn't want to waste three days coming back to that palce. Ever since DFA moved to the bar coded passports thing, it became more and more complicated. But I guess its for the good because it will lessen forgery.

Coming back to Ireland I reckoned its going to be the same case that we'll need to go back in fourth three times from Dublin to Waterford to renew our passport. Before going to the Philippine Consul in Dublin I decided to email John Ferris, the consulate to inquire about the documents that we need to bring to renew our passport. I was glad I did that. It turns out that renewing your passport here in Ireland is far more straightforward than renewing in the Philippines. All was needed was send photocopies of your old passport to John and he'll do some of the leg work. All that is required for the applicant was to drop by the consulate once so he can have our photos taken and fingerprints marked on the application forms. After that we just have to wait for our passports to be mailed to us, its that simple. The entire process will set you back 75 euros which is 3 times more expensive but i guess that's the price you pay for less hassle.

For my fellow Filipinos living here in Ireland especially those who are far away from Dublin just email John Ferris mailto:philconsul@eircom.net before going to Dublin so you don't have to go to there twice.

My New Toy (Epiphone Les Paul Custom)

2009-02-18T22:50:00.015Z

Last Monday I received from the post my very first Les Paul Guitar. I have been saving for quite some time now just to be able to afford this baby. For days I have been waiting anxiously for the DHL delivery man to knock on our door. When it finally arrived the long wait seemed to be worth it. I bought it from a Thomann.ie, a company based in Germany that sells musical instruments through the web. Stumbled about the site when I was viewing web blogs. They offer a wide range of products from the cheap Fender Squires to the bank breaking Gibson's. I settled for Epiphone Les Paul's because I heard that the quality is comparable to a Gibson Les Paul Standard.

Taking the guitar out of the box for the first time was indeed a pleasant experience. I felt like I was a seven year old opening my present from Santa on Christmas day. The smell of that mahogany body greeted me like a pleasant summer breeze. Finally out of its styrofoam cover I finally got the first glimpse of my new guitar. The picture on the website did not give this instrument justice. It was gorgeous to the tiny detail. The body finish was really breathtaking. I gazed upon it for a couple of minutes and then started imagining how good this guitar will sound on my amp. First thing I did was change the strings to medium D'addarios and tuned it with my digital tuner. For some reasons I was having difficulty tuning it. When I finally managed to tune it with the expense of an high e string, I found that every time I press on the high end frets I get a buzzing sound. Figured it was just the action too low so I adjusted the bridge higher. I probably got to almost the top of the bridge screw before the buzzing stopped. Now I ended up with a guitar with such high action that playing a decent solo on it was just plain ridiculous. Tried everything from changing to lighter gauge of strings but nothing seems to work. I was frustrated then because I was sent an unplayable guitar. I called Thomann and reported the problem and they assured me that they will collect the guitar for free and change it with a new one. Can't imagine I spent almost 700 euros on a beautiful guitar that can't even decently play.

I finally gave up on tinkering on it and just went to work. Then looking at some Internet forums I saw a topic about truss bars. When I got home I checked my guitar and found that there is a hump on the fret board which was causing the buzzing sound on lower action. With an allen bar I followed the direction on an Internet forum and carefully adjusted my truss rod. They say that adjusting the truss rod is the probably the riskiest thing to adjust on your guitar because one wrong turn and you will end up with a unplayable instrument. With a few counter clock-wise turns then leaving it an hour to let the wood settle. To my surprise the hump corrected it self. Re-adjusted my bridge the on a comfortable action and the guitar now plays like dream. This is the first time I got a guitar out of the box because usually in guitar stores they are already setup before they sell it. I never thought that to get that perfect tone out of my new guitar will take me a a day and a half. It was already 3 in the morning before I managed to plug it on my amp and get that legendary Les Paul sustains.

Valentines Day

2009-02-12T19:52:00.009Z

Valentines Day, a day most anticipated for those who have partners(boyfriends,girlfriends, fiancee). A day dreaded by those who have been single for awhile. For the married (or for my case) a day to be marked on the calendar because if you forget, you will definitely regret it. For this Valentines day I just bought my wife an album full of Robert Pattison's photos. She seemed to have a liking on that pretty boy ever since we watched that movie Twilight. I never imagined myself actually buying my wife a photo album of another dude that she is crazy about for 15 quid. But its alright we all have are thing, I do remember that few years back she was crazy about that elf Legolas in Lord of the Rings. So I gave her the album that I bought from the bookstore and she was so happy. Well that its it another Valentine's Day sorted. All I need to worry about now is cooking her diner on 14th of February.

Snow Snow Snow

2009-02-05T21:43:00.006Z

What a surprise I woke up last Monday and snow covered my backyard. For the past three days the Uk and Ireland was blanketed by snow. News covers say they haven't experience these much snow in decades. It caused major hazards for road users especially in the north where the weather is a few degrees lower. I experienced my car skid on a roundabout a few times, it scared the living daylights out of me.

Ireland in Photos 3 (Kilkenny)

2009-02-01T22:48:00.000Z

Kung Hei Fat Choi

2009-01-26T20:12:00.001Z

It's the year of the Ox and the start of a new cycles on the Chinese calendar. So what's awaiting us this year? The predictions that I read from different Taoist and fung shui experts claim that the year of the Ox is a great year to start new business, investments or even savings. They say that this year will bring luck to those who take business ventures amids the recession ravaging the world. The year 2009 is indeed a big challenge to us all. It is a year filled with uncertainty but many believe that the worst of the credit crunch had already passed. As they say when you are rock bottom the only way to go is up. I can say that I have very little preparation for the Chinese New Year this 2009. Maybe some food and fruits on the table on new year's eve and of course our good luck charms that we hang from our doors and windows. It wont hurt to wish for some luck especially during times of great economic turmoil. I wish all of us a prosperous new year. Kung Hei Fatchoi !!!!!

Modern Day Nomads

2009-01-20T23:23:00.007Z

What is it about us, the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) that make is distinct it this ever changing world. It seems that the average OFW is always on the move. More often we are classified as "Immigrants" when we go to another country to work. Which is always not the case to the majority of us. During my years spent here in Ireland I have managed to make a rough survey of the OFW psyche. I can't help as the researcher in me from my years in PNU is still kicking in. During the four years of my stay I saw fellow Filipinos come and go. Some go back to the Philippines while some go to other countries such as Canada, US and Australia.

I can honestly say that my study ( or what I feel like one) is informal. I did not use questionnaires made a formal survey. So please don't take it that seriously ( I can do a valid one if only I have the time). My sample population is very small and usually consisting of friends and acquaintances. My method in gathering data is by casual talk. When we Filipinos get together we usually ask one anther if we are staying for good or have plans on moving on when the time is right. You will be surprised with the most common response that always re-surfaces.

This is my rough Tabulation of Responses

Population Size : 60

1. May balak mag stay kung papayagan (will stay for good if given the chance)
Respondees: 15%

2. Di pa alam baka ( Not sure)
Respondees: 30%

3. May balak pumuntang US, Canada o Autralia kung open. (Planning on going abroad if there are opportunities)
Respondees: 48%

5. Babalik sa Pinas pag may ipon na (Will go back to the Philippines if there is enough to get by)
Respondees: 7%

Sample size is small and mostly isolated around Filipinos around Waterford and surrounding counties. Even though my survey it is small it brought a good picture of the OFW psyche. Looking at the data it seems that Filipinos abroad are more likely to move or planning to move to a different country in their continued search for greener Pasteur. Those who responded"not sure" are usually those who have families here,but still are willing to move to different country if given the right circumstances. 15% of the respondees mostly those who have children already studying here and are planning on settling here for good. While the 7% are mostly OFW's who have left their families in the Philippines to work here alone some of them are singles.

All in all the term Immigrant might not be the right term for us OFW's. Migrant workers will be better but according to Wikipedia the term has certain connotations about that the work will be with low pay. Let's face the facts here in Ireland most of us are treated equally with the locals especially in terms of wages and certain rights. A more accurate term would be modern day nomads (or workers without countries) for we are always in the move searching for that spot in this world which we can call our home.

I PASSED my Driving Exam

2009-01-13T23:43:00.010Z

Finally after 2 years I passed my professional driving exam. It was very close to driving me mad as you can see from my previous post. Every time I take that exam, for some freaking reason I get 9 mistakes and to pass the test you must not get 9 mistakes above. Well my third take seemed to fair well

I took my third exam in the SGS driving test center in Waterford. The man that that sat on my passenger seat and evaluated me was Ray ( a nice chap). As usual we started off with theories and stuff then we head off outside to inspect my car. No matter how I fight it, it seems that my nervousness is still getting the best of me. If your taking a test you already taken twice well anyone is bound to be anxious. If I fail this again I will be the laughing stock of my friends AGAIN! We took the usual route around the city and as always you can't help but look at the evaluators facial reaction hoping to get an inkling whether your doomed or doing fine. Every time I make a turn or signal beads of sweat comes out of my neck because in the back of my head it felt that I was doing it all wrong. On my third take I did not take any driving lessons at all. How much driving lessons can a man take. This time I just left it all the chance and wish for the best. After 20 gruelling minutes of going around the city we finally went back to the testing center. While awaiting the verdict I somehow feel that I need to retake the exam again. But unexpectedly Ray told me I passed. Tears almost rolled to my cheeks. He stretched out his hand to congratulate me but I just sat there for 5 seconds still trying to make sense of what just happened. I was pretty sure I failed this time. I shook his hands and Ray might have felt how cold my hands were. When he showed me the result I was shocked to see that I have only made one minor mistake over the course of the exam. Ray was surprised himself that I failed the last time.

When I left the testing center I was in cloud 9 but still at the back of my mind I think about how ironic the situation is. I failed twice with 9 points on my score sheet and with 5 driving lessons each time. To think that I will pass my third with only one minor mistake and with no driving lessons is really hard to fathom. Well at least I passed and as an additional bonus. Passing the exma was one of my new years resolution (from my previous post) so 2009 seems to be starting right.

Ireland In Photos 2 (Lismore)

2009-01-06T13:52:00.009Z