What a Mess!!! Devastating!

Thanks Mr. RV for your account of the devastating storm that hit us. Thanks too for the ride. It was really horrible! It was my first time to experience such strong winds, seeing billboards, iron sheets, and fences flying all over Mega Manila.

I am still in a state of shock, and I couldn't write much of my experiences, after surviving the threat of being squeezed by a giant paracetamol tablet (Thanks Biogesic for that very creative billboard!). Breezing through Edsa was such a terrible experience, and I am really grateful to reach home safe and sound.

The local weather bureau named it Typhoon Milenyo (Typhoon Millennium). Incidentally, this could be one of the worst to hit Manila in a thousand years.

I chanced upon this great website, the photos can speak for themselves and tell you more about what happened here in Manila.... http://www.nowpublic.com/philippines_pounded_by_typhoon


-Dexter

Hurricane Millennium

Me and Dex left the office at around 12:00 yesterday and something terrible thing happened on my way home. I never thought that I would experience things that I only see in the movie.


I personally experienced the brunt of the storm yesterday, which, besides causing floods, felled trees that caused instant “blockades” in busy cities like Makati and Pasay, peeled off entire marble blocks from some buildings while tossing scaffoldings in others, twisted metal structures in airport warehouses, and hurled billboards down the main highway on Edsa. Besides the debris from countless felled trees, cut power cables dangerously dangled like spaghetti in the streets.


Today, all classes in all levels and work in all government offices remain suspended today in the aftermath of typhoon "Milenyo" (international codename: Xangsane). The typhoon slammed into the metropolis and parts of Luzon and the Visayas yesterday, killing at least 15 people and leaving behind widespread destruction. Milenyo was the strongest typhoon to directly hit Metro Manila in 11 years, after super typhoon Rosing, packing 260 kph, battered the metropolis and nearby provinces in November 1995, leaving 936 people dead.



The storm toppled trees and triggered landslides, blocking some provincial roads. Debris and tree branches littered the streets around Metro Manila. While trees and electric posts were uprooted in many areas in Bicol and most parts of Luzon where the typhoon passed. School authorities suspended classes, flights were canceled, ferry boats were grounded, the country’s financial markets were halted, and officials were forced to suspend the operation of two commuter trains (MRT and LRT) in Metro Manila as the typhoon wiped out all normal activity. More than 40 million people were without electricity after the typhoon, packing winds of 130 kilometers per hour, destroyed power lines in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. This is a devastation of the city, the trees were uprooted even the Meralco and PLDT posts were damaged.


-RV

Saving Guimaras

So what is government up to? NDCC and Task Force Guimaras has reportedly set up this website http://www.ligtasguimaras.com.ph to demonstrate their commitment in saving Guimaras Island.


Petron is a close partner in this undertaking and has met with Taiwan marine pollution experts to discuss possible areas of cooperation. Whatever failures they have shown in the past events, let's just keep our fingers crossed and work with them to restore Guimaras back to its natural beauty.


Dexter

It's a Free Country... There's Freedom to Harass and Silence Media

Media should be the fourth branch of government... next to the executive, legislative, and judicial. All branches are said to be equal, oh really? So that is why the tenants of the old bank building could detain other government officials, while other influential beings could kick out media personalities on TV.

The Tulfo brothers have been booted out from RPN-9.

ABS-CBN's The Correspondents was suspended for three weeks.

ABC 5's Frontline has a story that was cut by the censors.

GMA has another program that was suspended... either Reporter's Notebook or Eyewitness.

So who's next in line? I just hope that it wouldn't be another mediaman being gunned down...

Posted by:
Dexter

FREE Dinuguan* to Guimaras residents and tourists

So, it has been one month since that tragic incident in Guimaras. Oil from Petron devastated the lives of thousands of residents and wiped out the world-reknown island from the tourist map. Kinda odd coz as a top Philippine corporation, Petron hasn't done much to regain public trust. They have initiated clean-up drives that have been criticized by many, and their efforts are put into waste as they seem to fail in achieving any progress.

The problem was when Petron pointed its finger to the Solar I barge provider--yeah, Petron has its point, but to use fingerpointing as its first defense? Nah!.. Just look at Caltex and Shell, how they create an environment-friendly image that's appealing to the public. Petron should learn its lesson and exert more effort in regaining public trust, even if it couldn't anymore revive the spactacular site we once known as Guimaras.

* "Dinuguan" is a native Filipino dish that is made of pork meat, ears, intestines and other internal organs, cooked in pig's blood and vinegar. It is black in color, and served best with steamed rice or rice cake. Also called "blood stew".


Posted by
Dexter

Tropang Tulfo

I have not been a follower of the Tulfo brothers... although I am aware that each one of them has been making so much noise in the tri-media, both individually and as brothers. I hated how they talked, how they exaggerated small issues, how they inconsiderately hurt the feelings of their subjects. Until just recently.

Now, the tables have been turned. They have been booted out from RPN-9. It is now the Tulfo brothers--Mon, Raffy, and Erwin, who are the subject of an arm of vengeance. I feel sad that they need to suffer this much. I just hope that media and press freedom won't get knocked down by some influential beings in power. It is a great challenge for media practitioners to fight for press freedom, and we do hope that everyone gets vigilant and do his share in this undertaking.

Dexter

Here comes the bride!

A photo in Caleruega, a serene place in Nasugbu, Batangas reveals quite an interesting image. I have here a picture of myself, my father, my mother who is just behind dad, and a surprise tiny little lady in bridal gown. Click on the photo to see the clearer image in the small tree on the left... the white lady in bridal gown! Yes, it could be a white hanky or plastic bag, but why would a hanky be hanging over there? And it's not really hanging, it seems to be floating! Try viewing in extreme close-up and you will see the details of the bride... the bouquet of flowers she is holding, the off-shoulder sleeves, the ballooning skirt, the veil... Go see for yourself and please share your views on this matter by clicking "comments". Thanks.

Paper Planes

It's odd... I learned how to make paper airplanes only last night.... and where? in graduate school! Haha! That's quite funny... When I was a kid, I only made paper boats and kites... I can't seem to remember why I wasn't able to learn to make paper planes back then... hmmm... Thank God I enrolled at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business!!!

-Posted by: Dexter