PARADOXICAL

The faith chronicles

Saturday, December 27, 2025

A Meditation on Extreme Wealth

(A reflection on my visit to Baluarte, Vigan City, a side trip from Byaheng Tirad Pass 2017)

Nothing prepared me for what I would see in Baluarte, an attraction in Vigan said to be owned by kingpin Chavit Singson. Despite myself having a steady media diet of newspapers and mags, I had never come across anything on it. Except that I once read that Mr. Singson had bred a 'liger,' an unbelievable cross between a lion and a tiger, which reminded me of zebronky (zebra + donkey).

Greeted by a gold-color multi-story building said to be Chavit's house and a giant long-necked dinosaur seemingly chewing its cud in a vast expanse of what looks like a replica of an African savanna, we were in for a big surprise every step of the way.

Soon we were communing with dwarf ponies and deer, and were dangerously close to a gaggle of wide-eyed ostriches that looked ready to pluck out our heads with their gigantic beaks, camels frothing at the mouth with their humps and menacing hooves, and other beasts that remind us how nature is both good and bad, both beauty and horror.

Baluarte turned out to be an 'open enclosure' type of zoo, where both domesticated and wild animals can roam freely but in a controlled manner.

But it's the Safari Gallery housed in well-appointed air-conditioned building that takes the cake. Inside are entire bodies and busts of a beguiling number of taxidermied animals, from polar bear to elephant, lions, tigers, the works! It's like Noah's ark of sorts, but a kind of reversal: In Chavit's ark, preserved inside are specimens of dead animals.

One thing notable (aside from the no entrance fee policy) is that you can park yourself beside an animal's seemingly alive (because posing in action) carcass and see for yourself the actual scale of its size relative to human size.

What got me so impressed is seeing a lot of game species that I am not familiar with and have never seen in any of the zoos I had been too. He has in his collection species not just from the great African savannah but from other biomes or ecological niches of the world. Name it, the man has it. Some guys indeed have all the luck. But wait, did he really have to kill game for pleasure?

Stunned in silence or struck dumb is how I would describe by reaction. I couldn't understand what I was going through, whether it as personal crisis or mental struggle of some sort.

In the ensuing silence are the questions to myself begging to be answered. How much is Chavit worth? I understand the passion for killing game animals as trophy, but how could he afford all these? Where does such fabulous wealth come from?

I was traumatized in a positive way, if that's even possible.

But the biggest question to myself came later on. If money were not a question, what projects would I myself fund?

I recall my most naive childhood wishes, and they get resurrected in my mind one by one like retrieving deleted files from the Recycle Bin.

I realize that, after satisfying all the needs and wants of my entire clan and extended families, I would:

- put up a Dog Zoo featuring, breeding, and selling all the known dog breeds of the world. We are talking about probably more than a hundred breeds. Dog breeds are like origami to me. Just as a single square sheet of paper can produce a hundred different forms, a single species such as Canis familiaris (dog) can produce so many forms in surprisingly different ways.

- build a Filipino Art Deco and Art Nouveau version of Acuzar's resort in Bagac, Bataan somewhere in my town.

- buy an island where I could house all the most endangered animals and plants in the world and a research center to figure out how to reverse the numbers in the reservation site or if we could farm these species so they could bounce back.

- built something like the Pinto Art Museum for Pangasinan and Northern Luzon artists and art students, but it will be about the history of both primitive and modern art, housing representative artifacts or replicas from around the world.

- farm agarwood for sale.

- farm rainforest trees for logs and lumber if I could get away with the legalities, or reforest all denuded mountains in a way that's profitable, properly managed, and sustainable, using native bamboo, shrubs, and tree species instead of monoculture of foreign and, worse, invasive species.

- buy out the following resorts: Acuzar's Las Casas Filipinas, Ocier's Tagaytay Highlands, Alphaland's Baguio Mountain Lodges in Itogon, Benguet, Balesin, several Amanpulo and El Nido properties, Shangri-la Boracay, and The Farm at San Benito wellness resort in Lipa City.

- buy Charlie Cojuangco's entire car collection and put them on public display. Then each day, I shall call my valet, "Facundo, ilabas ang auto na ___ (name of random luxury car for the day)! Gusto kong mag-halo-halo sa Intercon ngayon!"

- build a park featuring the landmarks of the world in miniature just like the one in Brussels but with a long functioning miniature train ride at the center. The experience should serve as an educational architectural tour for students and enthusiasts alike.

- update Imelda Marcos' Nayong Pilipino concept by including more richly detailed and largely unknown interest points: all the 100+ vernacular house architectures (from the idjang fortress houses of Batanes to Samal longhouses), native boats and water vessels largely unheard of, and indigenous farming and fishing implements. Featured will be an arboretum of Philippine trees, especially hardwoods, and museums of Philippine birds, mammals, corals, fishes, seashells, butterflies, insects, etc. and living museums (training centers) for basketry, textiles, other wovens, other native handicrafts, folk arts, weaponry, etc. to educate the public about our incredibly rich biodiversity side by side our incredibly rich culture and want to preserve these for posterity.

- put up a place where anyone can choose from 200 restaurants, each one offering a distinct cuisine from all of the countries of the world.

- put up another place where regional Filipino restaurants would be in one place, because why not -- we have literally hundreds of dishes that are largely unknown and untried outside many towns, cities, and regions, and it's time for these to cross-pollinate or something like it.

- build an updated version of Market! Market!'s Pasalubong Center, to offer the freshest farm produce and OTOP brands flown in from around the country, from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.

- put up the Center for Pangasinan Culture (as detailed in an earlier post)

- create a national index of the most historically and culturally significant films, books, novels, artworks, etc. for protection and preservation because we are a society that loves to forget and trivialize what's important.

- to assuage my guilt, build homes for the homeless and orphans, but on one condition: they should find a way of paying the property in increments until they get to own it.

- build a new Center for Mental Health as a rehab center for all kinds of addicted people (drugs, gambling, porn, sex, shopping...), plus the depressed, the panicky, and the schizophrenic, etc. but using the latest interventions or therapeutic approaches, the ones that are effective and have no harmful side effects. ...Provided that the client/patient himself want to change.

- put up a plastic trash processing center using the newly discovered plastic-eating bacteria, and with the Philippines being the world's number one plastic polluter, launch a company that would sieve all those floating plastic trash across the oceans and the seas, for a fee.

- donate land for the equivalent of NYC's Central Park and High Line for Metro Manila.

- restore all colonial churches, prioritizing those in Intramuros destroyed in WWII and keeping all the fusion (Filipino + foreign) elements intact.

- construct giant cisterns for all the most flood-prone places in the country.

- explore alternative clean energy sources to solve the problem of the high cost of fuel and electricity.

I think I am just getting started. I have more in store in the pipeline, but you get the idea. Each project is meant to produce and support entire professions, careers, jobs. There are so many great and noble things that can't be done all because of money. That Cyndi Lauper hit song is partially right: Money changes, not exactly everything, but a lot of things.

When I finally come to, I realize I am hallucinating, and the next thing I recall of the trip is that we were outside Baluarte haggling for Vigan empanada, bagnet, chichacorn, royal bibingka, calamay, sukang Iloko, and other regulation Ilocano treats while mentally calculating whether we had enough money left going home.

posted by Resty Odon # 1:23 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Like Squeezing Blood from Stone

(A post-mortem of a high school grand alumni homecoming at a time of high inflation rate, from the perspective of one of the supposed organizers but couldn't show up for the most part)

"How did they pull it off?"

I kept asking my incredulous self this question, while I forced myself to attend the 2025 CLTC-PSU Laboratory High School Alumni Homecoming this year in which our batch was among the three host batches.

I couldn't pass up this one chance despite my health condition (I suffer from a variety of torments, from abnormal sensitivity or high irritability to loud sounds to debilitating heart palpitations when triggered). ...Especially since I haven't seen a lot of my former classmates in high school for years and years: Rodel from Ireland, Anaria from New Jersey (USA), Jona from Oman, Menchu from Manila, even Larry from Brgy. Zone IV... (They're back home now, but Arthur used to work in Russia, and Mira often came from some random seriously distressed country as doctor for Médecins sans Frontières.)

If I was incredulous, it's because the last time my batchmates and I were the host (in April of 19-copong-copong), our experience was far from reassuring, to put it mildly. It was an experience of tremendous responsibility that I hope I would never have to face again, ever.

Our experience back then as one of the select few who dared to take on the challenge of organizing such a big, formal affair was filled with hits and misses, having no first-hand experience with such things.

And that is why I've been worried all along with Cheryl of Batch '97 and Jona of Batch '87. How would they make things happen? I've wondered if they had the physical, mental, and spiritual stamina to survive it all.

Organizing a high school reunion requires passion for staging events, a particular skills set, dedication, attention to detail, and hard work. It meant, most especially, being hands-on, or being physically present when doing and directing every step of the planning process and the execution.

So here is a quick rundown of what happened.

In the planning stage one year before the big day, which Mira generously hosted at her family's house, the vision was a formal occasion, with sit-down dinner, party, dancing, rich food, and nostalgic music.

My first comment is: This was already problematic with many of us because our idea of a reunion is the one we always had: simple and basic, totally unprepared, spontaneous, impulsive, if you will, with the food and other expenses volunteered by everyone according to one's capacity (potluck) or sponsored or taken care of by someone visiting from abroad. The venue is not important at all as long as it is decent and comfortable; it's the company that counts and the endless hours of catching up with one another and reminiscing the good old days. It boils down to who is available and willing at the moment. Not much questions asked why someone opts out -- each circumstance or choice is respected, even if only grudgingly. (Surely, we'd love to see each one face to face once again?)

Not everyone, I realized, warmed up to the idea of a formal gathering with other batches whose members are total strangers to us. (Which is the case with most of us who were indeed schoolmates but never saw or interacted with one another within the four years of our limited stay in school.)

But as things turned out, tradition trumped personal batch preference (which meant not participating at all, with each batch holding their own separate affairs).

This, of course, meant gargantuan tasks ahead, but the No. 1 order of the day was no other than the funding. Where to get that huge amount at this time of hardship due to the high inflation rate especially in the Philippines? Expenses, if we do the quick math, would easily run up to a million pesos -- no joke.

As tradition would have it, members of the host batches would find creative ways of raising funds in order to shoulder the tag price until contributions reached the desired amount.

We are blessed to have several classmates based abroad who had the cash to spare and could afford to cover for those who had difficulty coming up with the suggested (or more of required) contribution.

With the estimated amount figured out, next up for discussion were a host of other headaches.

First, additional activities were proposed. There would be mass first thing in the morning, followed by a giving of gifts of school supplies to pupils of a selected school (Buenlag Elementary School was chosen).

The problem of venue was next taken up, and the town's new Events Center was preferred because it has air-conditioning. Those who experienced the previous year's gathering at the PSU Benigno Aldana Gymnasium couldn't forget how hot and humid it was in the middle of the sweltering month of April.

The next agenda would be the date, and December 13, 2025 was chosen because it coincided with the vacation leaves typically filed by all workers coming home for the holidays.

The next issue was the theme, and by this, we meant the design and attire. I think it was Jona who proposed bohemian, and no one contested it as it was something new to us and very interesting. After all, we were not yet born when it became the fashion in the '60s or thereabouts. It was challenging, yes, but doable and most likely cheap.

Soon, other concerns were taken up:

Venue reservation meant writing communication letters and booking in advance.

For food catering, Bistro Cinco -- which is based in Quezon City -- got the job, but food tasting was necessary prior to the reservation.

Overall decor and table setting were taken care of by Events Essential. If I may say so, the ever-creative Lyra Pamela Duque (of Switch Cafe as well) did a fabulous job of it, as usual. There was even a free photobooth and an SDE (same-day edit) video.

Programme-invites sure needed additional key people with the right knowhow.

Sentimental nostalgic videos, including a sobering one titled "In Memoriam," look like it was taken care of by Cheryl's students. After all, she is a college prof, and a department chair at that.

I noticed that there was proper video documentation (most likely student journalists from 'The Reflector' and 'Banyuhay'/'Metamorphosis'). There was even a drone. And I didn't expect an FB Live coverage.

As for the mass presider (together with the choir from the local parish church), I was impressed with how easy they were able to get no less than Bishop Fidelis Layog. It certainly helped that he was from the town and perhaps a CLTC alumnus too, plus Mira is an active church worker.

As for the raffle items, some extra-generous individuals whose identities I can't reveal donated round trip tickets to Singapore, Siargao, and Palawan and a P25,000 cash prize.

Prizes for games also had to be taken care of separately.

For the first time, it was decided that there would be no entrance fee. And there would be free souvenir shirts for those who had pre-registered on time online.

I noticed the total absence of security detail and MDRRMO hazard assessment, but I saw a POSO personnel assisting with the parking.

I didn't notice it taken up, but I totally appreciate it that there was a welcoming committee with friendly ushers.

As for the operation of the sound system and the LED screen, I saw Ville of ICT Office assisting a couple of young people I presume to be PSU students.

In the face of all these workload, Cheryl and Jona (who was directing things from faraway Oman while working as a doctor) had to contend with an obstacle course of challenges, all formidable and forbidding.

Most of host batch members were either unwilling to participate or unavailable for various reasons or both. Maybe many shared our quandary with clashing ideas of what reunions are or should be.

Many of those whose spirits were willing had bodies that were weak due to age, mobility issues, other various forms of disabilities, and full workload and busy schedules.

Other problems that came up included unconfirmed pledges of support.

Even the simplest matters can mean everything. To wit:

Who will actually pick and choose the raffle items all the way from, say, Divisoria, to Bayambang?

Who will do the actual work of hauling off and carrying one by one all those stuff, especially the sacks of rice? Who has that rare virtue of humility to take on the task of kargador?

Who will be the emcees? (It looks like hiring a pair of masters at their game solved the problem.)

Who will be assigned to do the doxology (a solemn video did it), provide entertainment (a band was hired), and intermission numbers (it looks like dancers from Matalunggaring Dance Troupe were hired as well and took care of the dances and music choices)? If I were young and had the means, I would have my own idea of top 100 dance tracks to play as DJ. (Check my timeline for the list.)

Who will take care of the event place itself before and after the affair? (Good thing the LGU's GSO logistics staff took care of it.)

Who will personally contact our teachers for invitation?

Who will be the floor manager/director? (No less than Cheryl and Jona handled the job.)

There's even the matter of who will assist each and every speaker in going up and down the stage so no one trips over the stairs and embarrasses himself/herself.

I don't think there was someone who checked the wirings and the floor for safety. (I actually stumbled upon a part of a rubber flooring that curled.) And what if there was an emergency power outage unfortunately typical of the local provider (CENPELCO) in this town (after all those decades of operating)?

And on the big night, the one last truly dreadful question to answer is: Will everyone actually show up? It takes a great deal of courage and humility to show up at all in any school reunion, if you have nothing to boast about or take pride in, in the conventional sense: if you are mysteriously single, with no kids too, after all these years; not successful according to the standards of the community; couldn't come in a nice car; and other reasons to be ashamed of, according to one's negative internal mental scripts. So I wanted to congratulate those who fit any of these categories and still showed up!

And what if it rained hard? Indeed, it was cloudy that afternoon. What would have been the Plan B? Was there any, just in case, in the remote chance?

Among the valuable lessons learned, is first and foremost, for the organizers to establish rapport with other host batches, and in fact all batches, ideally speaking, so there would be amicable relationship or a sense fellowship to start with. Maybe this could be done through various meetings, either physical or online, or both. It would be a lot easier to work together with the breaking of the ice.

In the end, this homecoming (2025), together with the one immediately before it, are hard to top, one for the books. But I can just imagine the mix of heartaches and pain Cheryl and Jona had to endure like what I, Angie, Menchu, Badz, and Melvin went through before. For sure, hard emotions and anguished thoughts had to compete for the sense of accomplishment, and most especially the joy afforded by the celebration.

(I remember, at this juncture, one of my faux pas back then: failing to include the principal of the high school in the program (Principal Mel Fernandez) because I was not very much aware of the school hierarchy that we had to deal with.)

In the middle of the joyous occasion, when the host batches were ceremoniously turning over the keys to the next host batches, Juvy (now the resident pediatrician Dr. Payumo) of Batch '88 could hardly suppress a micro-second of wincing in her face at the enormity of it all.

At this point, my prayer is this: May Cheryl and Jona find forgiveness in their hearts for all the slights and neglect and feelings of abandonment they must have felt. And may they be given the grace to be magnanimous in foregoing and forgetting the defects, infirmities, inadequacies, indifference, and whatever offenses they had met with or perceived to have been committed. May the tremendous success of a truly memorable, because elegant and well-organized, affair be their best revenge.

With the standard set by these two miracle workers, I really wish the next host batches the best of luck. But I also pray that next time around, there would be a lot of hands, a lot of warm bodies (particularly from the younger set), willing to volunteer. Because coming up with such a level of activity is next to impossible under the circumstances detailed above -- yes, like squeezing blood from stone.

(Photo dump to follow soon. Some photos grabbed from PSU-Bayambang page)

posted by Resty Odon # 4:54 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Note to Self

"We too can be so quick to judge others, especially in a religious context. It is easy to assume who is 'in' and who is 'out,' who is close to God and who is far away, based on what we see on the surface. Yet, only God knows the real story... the hidden battles, the quiet acts of kindness, the longing for grace that lies beneath a person’s life."

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

posted by Resty Odon # 1:10 PM 0 Comments

Monday, December 22, 2025

Can't There be a Unanimous Word of the Year?

Can't There be a Unanimous Word of the Year?

Every end of the year, this word lover is on the lookout for the word of the year. Out of curiosity, I am particularly interested in what most people in our country and around the world consider to be the most impactful term for the year that was.

I am quite disappointed to note that different word authorities almost always have different choices each year. Why the consistent divergence? If a word is indeed the definitive word of the year, then everyone should have roughly the same choice, yes? it should be that one lone word that reverberated across the world across all social classes in the most significant or impactful way.

Take a look at this example of choices this year, none of which I heard much often. Then again, maybe I am living in my own cave, or under a rock.

- slop: "refers to low-quality, unsolicited, or error-prone content generated by AI that "floods" social media and search results" (Merriam-Webster)
- rage bait: "content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage to drive clicks, traffic, and engagement" (Oxford)
- parasocial: "originally describing one-sided celebrity worship, it was updated in 2025 to include the emotional bonds people form with AI chatbots" (Cambridge)
- vibe coding: "a new term for using AI to write software code based on natural language prompts rather than traditional programming logic" (Collins)
- 6 7: a viral cultural shorthand among Gen Alpha, often referring to a specific social media music trend" (Dictionary[.]com)

Admittedly, though, most of these novel words share one thing in common: life in the digital world, particularly the ubiquity of AI.

In my admittedly limited milieu as a neo-probinsyano, my words of the year are largely of a different set. Maybe I am looking at the world through a different lens--that is, a much rarefied one.

The earliest novel expressions I took note of are the following:

Out of a viral trending TikTok post, I was told, the phrase "sobrang Latina, parang munyeka" became trending, and it is supposed to mean "sobrang ganda" or "so beautiful."

"Okay na to!" also became viral because an actor's (Miguel Tanfelix) mother reportedly uses it as her favorite expression when commenting on her son's cooking in their joint cooking video.

There were quite a number of new words that cropped up in the month of September, in particular: I often encountered this strange word among young Filipino men: paldo, paldong-paldo. It is supposed to originally mean "bale" or "a large bundle," but in slang, means "a huge amount of money." Example: Paldong-paldo ka sa OT pay ha! So I guess it is synonymous to "tiba-tiba."

Because of our nation’s tumultuous political life, “forthwith” became suddenly a subject of scrutiny and disdain: the word had something to do with the attempted impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, an historic first. And upon checking what the Constitution says about the impeachment process, those in the know quoted the relevant passage and began discussing the meaning of the word "forthwith." It apparently means “immediately” or “without delay.” (I must point out it is a word that I, who love big words, have never used).

"Nepo baby," from "nepotism," of course, was as ubiquitous as the common cold virus. Used derisively (or with contempt), it refers to the excessively and unjustifiably rich kids of political dynasties. Unfortunately, other everyday terms that got regarded as evil overnight include: "contractor," "engineer," "politician," and "DPWH." Other frequently used string of words is "flood control ghost projects."

Honorable mentions are: "confidential fund," "unprogrammed fund," "allocable fund."

Of course, all of the above point to the general term, "corruption," which is corrupted to "korap" in Tagalog.

***

Since we are on the topic of language, I couldn’t help but take note of vulgar expressions that a lot of netizens used. (Doesn’t mean I applaud the usage.) But I give in to self-censorship and choose to file them under "Redacted" for the sake of the holy and the pure.

***

A dance song that mentions the word "anxiety" ("Anxiety" by Doechii) became viral, and I thought it is partly because many people were indeed in that mental state due to the preponderance of shocking news around the world.

Since I am into taking note of popular terms, I couldn’t help but notice another word that was used with frequency by netizens: "sumakses," to mean "succeeded." It reminds me of similarly iffy Taglish coinages in recent past such as "nasa-sad ako," to mean nalulungkot ako. Why do I get the feeling that I am not extremely happy about these uglified neologisms? What's the matter with native words like wagi, tagumpay, and lungkot? Ano pa ba ang kulang?

“Weaponize” is a word that I heard often used with a negative intent. It means “to exploit for the purpose of attacking a person or group, or for spreading discord.” Examples: "They find it easier to weaponize the fear and uncertainty of national events." "He spoke about the dangers of cynicism, and how it can be weaponized against us."

I kept on reading this new term as well: “virtue signalling.” It means "the public expression of opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or social conscience or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue" instead of having genuine virtue.

The expression “threw shade” was thrown around as well, so I tried using it, just to be in among the writing circle: “Former sexy star Vivian Velez ‘threw shade’ at Vice Ganda's vulgar and insult style comedy, so netizens enjoyed munching on their digital popcorn while watching how the latest tiff would unfold.”

Lastly, I saw a lot of people on Facebook using "ngani," whatever this Visayan word means, "POV," and "na para bang" so many times.

***

Meanwhile, 11 Filipino words were added to Oxford Dictionary presumably because they are untranslatable and commonly inserted in English conversations among Filipinos and maybe have attained global reach. They are namely, CR, gigil, kababayan, load, lumpia, salakot, sando, Pinoy, terror, Thomasite, and videoke. At this amazing rate of addition, soon Filipino language might become English.

One good thing to come out of this is that these words will no longer be underlined in red each time they are used in Word, or so I expect.

***

So, going back, which among these terms is truly the word (or expression) that is truly reflective of the year that was?

I do care about popularly held opinions (I am fond of analyzing why opinions become popular, particularly those that I strongly dislike, making me question myself). But the above words are among my top candidates. But for that one particular word: I can’t make up my mind just yet. It will take years before I am able to spot the perfect embodiment of 2025, locally and globally. But if I must have one, it has to be a toss-up between "flood control ghost projects" and "paldo" for the local setting and, um, any of the word about AI, with "AI-generated" being the least technical of them all, for the global scene.

What would be yours? I won't judge you.

posted by Resty Odon # 5:06 PM 0 Comments

Saturday, December 20, 2025

This Week in Pinoy Parlor Games

Last year (2024) saw a sudden spurt in the number of creative party games or parlor games. In our home last Christmas, my siblings, nephews, and nieces tried almost all of those games, to cacophonous results.

Among my favorites is the one where several singers line up in front of the videoke to take turns singing lines of a usually high-register song. The game is a great opportunity for those gifted with the voice but a laughable disaster for those who are not as gifted, and that's where the fun of the game partly lies. A group of gay comics made this into a comedic sketch, to lots of laughter.

Another favorite is the very physical yet cerebral game "Eh Ikaw?" currently made popular by the comedy group SPIT. Look it up, in case you don't know what I'm talking about.

These novel games have ushered in a, er, golden era in Philippine party games.

This year, new party games trended. One of them is the Whitney Houston drum challenge, in which the player bangs an improvised drum at the exact time the bass drum is banged in the hit song, "I Will Always Love You." I was able to try it at one Christmas party, and it was harder than I thought. It was either you hit the drum a second too soon or hit it a second too late. Annoying but hilarious.

Another game that became popular is blowing candles using paper plates. I don't know why, but my inner killjoy hates it, haha. The sight of a queue of players furiously fanning the little flame using their mouth -- to no avail -- is not exactly a pretty sight to behold.

Yet another new game trended at this year's Christmas parties, but it is more of an 'exchange gifts' mechanics, so it is called Exchange Gift Colors game. (I am reminded of an earlier one called White Elephant gift exchange, a hilarious game in which participants keep on stealing gifts from each other.)

Mechanics: Players each bring a brown bag of assorted gift items based on a pre-chosen theme (e.g., something green). The number of items should be exactly the same as the number of members. One by one, each member throws out the contents, and members scramble to get the items they prefer, each one fearing to be left with the most unwanted items (the ones that end up as useless items, except as all-year-round dust gatherer and 100% sure toe injurer). The group erupts in tumultuous shouts and laughter, and the building sustains cracks as a result.

Fun, funny times.

posted by Resty Odon # 12:35 PM 0 Comments

Friday, December 19, 2025

April 2025 Recap

It's only the middle of April and yet the news is already too much for my little brain to handle. There are way too many earth-shaking things going on at a fast clip to make sense of, especially in this unusually cruel weather.

So Sad: Kris Aquino Says She Has 9 Autoimmune Diseases

In a deeply personal update on Instagram, Kris Aquino revealed her ongoing battle with multiple autoimmune conditions, including 1. autoimmune thyroiditis, 2. lupus, 3. systemic sclerosis/scleroderma, 4. rheumatoid arthritis, 5. chronic spontaneous urticaria, 6. EGPA (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis), 7. fibromyalgia, 8. polymyositis, and 9. mixed connective tissue disease. Poor thing! Having just one of those is tremendous suffering enough -- how much more nine? The public of course responded with an outpouring of prayers and support for her continued strength and healing, but with one advising her to seek the help of an albularyo.

Hilarious: Mistaken Identity: ICC Lawyer Mix-Up

In a bizarre twist on social media, American author Nicholas Kaufmann became an unintended target of political confusion. Supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte bombarded Kaufmann’s accounts, mistaking him for Nicholas Kaufman—the Israeli-British lawyer defending Duterte in the ICC case. Despite Kaufmann’s repeated clarifications, the flood of messages continued, some even coming from apparent bots, according to his later posts.

Ridiculous: “Grocery Gang”: Strange Names on Government Fund Records

Ma. Ceres Doyo wrote a column article that is hilarious, a great departure from her usual serious, profound tone, but only because the incident is simply ridiculous. To paraphrase, she noted that a recent audit of confidential funds used by Vice President Sara Duterte and the Department of Education revealed highly suspicious signatories—names like Mary Grace Piattos, Jay Kamote, and Mathew Keso—sparking laughter and concern across the country. Lacking any official documentation in national databases, these names appear to be fictitious, and lawmakers are now demanding answers: who created them, and where did the money actually go? Rep. Paolo Ortega dubbed them the “team grocery” due to their food-themed aliases, while House hearings revealed that many supposed recipients had no traceable records. The fallout includes impeachment articles against Duterte and legal challenges filed with the Supreme Court.

"Comic relief or criminal deception?" she asked, and continued that, while some find humor in the audacity of the fake names, the gravity of the situation remains. Was it a sloppy cover-up or a deliberate whistleblow in disguise? The answer remains unclear, but the implications are serious. Calls for accountability are growing louder, Doyo noted.

Worrisome: A Sudden Tariff War

U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs—10% across all imports, with steeper rates for select nations and an especially over-the-top tariff for China. I had to review what tariff means and had to read several columnists and economists (Balicasan, Habito, et al.) to try to make heads and tails of it, but I am not sure if I was properly schooled in it, especially since there are widely divergent opinions on the matter. In the end, I was reduced to asking myself, "What's going on?"

Similarly, the more I read about various lawyers' take on the ICC arrest of Duterte, the more I got confused on which side to listen to.

Scary: Will China Invade Taiwan Soon?

Meanwhile, tensions rise over a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. This cliffhanger awaits our estimated 250,000 OFWs in that island-state that courageously chose democracy over communism, yet the United Nations chose NOT to officially recognize its independence and sovereignty, or at least honor its heroism.

Looks like we need to get busier praying harder than before.

Interesting: Resurrection from the Dead

In science news, Colossal Biosciences claimed the first "de-extinction" case, that of the dire wolf—though some experts argue it's closer to a genetically modified grey wolf.

I wish that, someday, they would be able to bring back the dodo, Tasmanian wolf, and other interesting creatures that we humans have, in our collective stupidity, decimated.

On a Happy Note: A Historic Moment for Filipino Artists on Broadway

Now this is something I can understand.

Great news for long-time theater fans like myself! This month marked a groundbreaking achievement for the Filipino community in the performing arts. For the first time ever, reports Lea Salonga on FB, seven Filipino actors are starring simultaneously in four different Broadway productions—a moment of immense pride for Filipino-Americans and, of course, Filipinos. They are Nicole Scherzinger ("Sunset Boulevard”), Darren Criss ("Maybe Happy Ending”), Lea Salonga herself (in Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends”), Tatianna Cordoba ("Real Women Have Curves"), Eva Noblezada (“Cabaret”), Marie-Claire Hall (“Operation Mincemeat"), and Kay Sibal (“Six the Musical”). According to the Broadway legend, the milestone highlights the growing influence and exceptional talent of Filipino artists in global theater.

***

Over at YouTube, several restored Filipino film classics have been uploaded for free viewing. I am reminded of my old quest to watch all the films listed to be among the best. The long vacation ahead is perfect timing.

Food for Thought: Side Hustle Culture

How do people survive nowadays when inflation rates reach sky-high?

What I notice around me is the phenomenon of side hustles. In the halcyon days of yore, this was called "sideline" or "moonlighting."

Just looking around, I can see people moonlighting or working on the side during off hours or weekends as event host, event organizer, online seller and reseller or pasa-buy delivery person, sari-sari store operator, long-haul van driver, artist, masseur, teacher/tutor, hair and makeup artist, dancer/choreographer, vlogger, singer, writer, videographer, small resto operator...

I wonder if people in the upper echelons ever wonder how ordinary Filipinos actually make do and get by, what kind of meals they have from day to day, etc.

Under the Radar: New Pinoy Parlor Games

Last year (2024) saw a sudden spurt in the number of creative party games or parlor games. In our home last Christmas, my siblings, nephews, and nieces tried almost all of those games, to cacophonous results. Among my favorites is the one where several singers line up in front of the videoke to take turns singing lines of a usually high-register song. The game is a great opportunity for those gifted with the voice but a laughable disaster for those who are not as gifted, and that's where the fun of the game partly lies. Another favorite is the very physical yet cerebral game "Eh Ikaw?" currently made popular by the comedy group SPIT. Look it up, in case you don't know what I'm talking about.

These novel games have ushered in a, er, golden age in Philippine party games.

Cause for Dismay: Gutter-Level Campaign Utterances

Apparently, kabastusan (coarseness and vulgarity) is now the new normal. Look at these lines that the public accepted by laughing at the jokes delivered by election candidates, not by a stand-up comedian in a comedy bar:

“Minsan sa isang taon ang mga solo parent na babae na rineregla pa — Nay, malinaw na rineregla pa — at nalulungkot, minsan sa isang taon pwedeng sumiping ho sa akin (Once a year, female single parents who still have their monthly period and feel lonely, once a year you can have sex with me).” - Pasig congressional candidate (and lawyer too!) Christian Sia

“The nursing scholarship is only for women, not for men. And only for beautiful women. It is a no-no for the unattractive, because if a male patient who is already weak is attended to by an ugly nurse, what would happen to him? Their illness could get worse.” - Misamis Oriental Governor Peter Unabia

"Kung ang aking kalaban ay isang Vilma Santos lang na laos na, hindi ako takot." - Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas Vice Mayor Jay Ilagan (And I was, like, huh? I can't forget the last movie I watched with Vilma Santos in it titled "Extra".)

***

Scatter became a popular gambling game after e-sabong somewhat waned It's quite hard to believe that these big, big names in local showbiz died within weeks of each other Pilita Corrales, Nora Aunor, and Hajji Alejandro. Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa died. After spending 38 days in hospital for double pneumonia, Pope Francis suddenly died at age 88 just a day after greeting well-wishers on Easter at the Vatican grounds on his popemobile and after meeting with US Vice President JD Vance. Tributes poured in from all over the world from all walks, hailing him as a "pope for all." After the great Myanmar quake came a series of earthquakes here in the Philippines and around the world, and this tells us that these tectonic movements are interrelated. I remember a time when this relationship had been denied and laughed at by expert volcanologists. But they seem to have changed their tune in recent years. Aba, bongga! Lav Diaz had a new film, 'Magellan,' starring Gael Garcia Bernal, and to be shown in Cannes, no less. But who will watch a 10-hour film? Or even its whittled down (3-hour) version? On April 27, scores of revelers of Filipino-descent died in Vancouver, Canada after an SUV driven by a man of Chinese descent rammed through the crowd while they were celebrating Lapu-Lapu Day. In contrast, a piece of sad news for fellow cinephiles: After rescuing 240 films from permanent erasure from our collective memory, ABS-CBN shut down restoration unit, with project head Leo Katigbak reportedly describing it as “a casualty of the efforts to close down the company in 2020.”

posted by Resty Odon # 6:25 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Why I Take Pics of Food

A young staff who has grown too comfortable with me that he has become more of a young friend or son to me, asked, "Bat nagpipicture kayo ng pagkain? Para kayong babae!" (Why do you take photos of your food. You are like a girl!)

Embarrassed, I didn't answer back. But it made me think.

Why do I do so indeed?

Well, ever since I experienced chronic bouts of hyperacidity, my diet got very much restricted. I couldn't eat what I used to love: anything sour, especially with tomatoes, tomato sauce, and catsup, anything hot and spicy (I miss how wasabi declogs my sinuses), anything with thick cream, oily, and syrupy sweet, and strong coffee, chocolate, and tea. That's basically 90% of food worth eating regularly. So forgive me if I take photos of those I was able to eat out of gratitude. In addition, I take photos because of sheer novelty in a faraway town where food choices are severely limited compared to what I used to have in the big city or because I appreciate the way the food was plated even though I only took a few bites of the forbidden fruit.

I also avoid certain foods out of fear of allergic reaction, real or imagined, and because of personal tastes (e.g., I don't like anything hard to chew on or a challenge to swallow for various reasons).

These various kinds of deprivations, whether a hypochondriac's self-imposition or for health reasons, make me so grateful for what I can still or able to eat.

I also take pictures of special treats given to me for various reasons, especially surprise ones.

But no, I don't take pictures of everything I eat, which excludes many day-to-day dishes that common folk eat and certain comfort food. If I take time to take pictures, at least using a cheap phone camera, it is somewhat like the saying of grace before special or out of the usual meals.

(Many of the photos are not mine, though, but from my new regular lunch provider.)

posted by Resty Odon # 10:06 PM 0 Comments

Friday, December 12, 2025

Ricky Lee quote

“Minsan kailangan masugatan ang ating mga mata, para mahugasan ng luha, at makita natin ang hindi natin nakikita.”

So beautiful because so true and also very spiritual.

posted by Resty Odon # 2:54 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, December 04, 2025

December 2025 Recap

Another Mentally Challenging Month (December 2025 Recap)

Whew, December appears to be another mentally disordered month. In other words, crazy. But the saving grace lies in what is not in the news, but in the little under-the-radar stories quietly appearing in my feeds, assuring me that it's not the end of the world yet.

***

New record: The Philippines is the world's number one plastic polluter of the ocean. Congrats, mga dugyot!

***

An Ethiopian volcano erupted for the first time after 12,000 years.

***

Math/science professor and newspaper columnist Queena Lee suddenly died. I must have read maybe dozens and dozens of her insightful articles.

***

"Frank Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom afforded any architect," died at age 96. I remember how his design of the Bilbao museum shocked-and-awed the world at the time.

***

The month's craziest story is one made viral by these unbelievable lines from a super-hypertensive former COMELEC commissioner, Atty. Rowena Guanzon -- "HINDI KA NAKA-ROLEX, HINDI KA NAKA-GUCCI, AKO PA PINILI MO?!" -- after an alleged Chinese couple told her to get out of a Makati mall (in posh Rockwell, it turns out) if she was sick after she coughed because the noodles or something that she was snorting was too hot and spicy for her. She even went further by filing a complaint with the Makati police even after the man's partner apologized on his behalf.

The story was one-sided because it didn't carry the alleged foul-mouthed man's side, so it was hard for me to react, but a foreigner telling me to get out of a mall in my own country would indeed shoot my BP to dangerous levels. (Turns out they are just regular Chinese-looking Filipinos.)

But to go beast mode full-on? Excessive. And to equate a person's worth in terms of Rolex and Gucci, very revealing. Her response to Ronald Llamas' response of a joke online -- heaping contempt at a widely well-regarded political analyst as "walang trabaho," "walang PhD," "pangit," and "kalbo" -- and to Atty. Jesus Falcis -- "maligo ka muna ng tatlong beses" -- further added insult to the injury. The tirades were a long series of insults as ad hominems -- funny in a way, but offensive if you are jobless, you don't believe in doctorate degrees as a measure of your educational attainment at a time when masterals and doctorates can be faked or bought, you are not as physically attractive as most people, you have thinning hair, and you don't always look fresh-from-the-onsen like, say, Joshua Garcia.

I checked her FB page and found out that that is the very brand she has been peddling: Queen of Bardagulan. No wonder. She was merely living up to it.

But wait, why does everything feel oddly familiar? Who normalized low language at the highest levels of government again? I don't know about you, but I don't think the answer is Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

***

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, "Mortal Kombat" star, died at 75. Haven't watched this movie, but I know that a lot of young people have.

***

"A study found that the Ayta Magbukon people of the Philippines carry the highest known levels of Denisovan DNA in the world, suggesting that multiple Denisovan groups once lived here in Southeast Asia and interbred with the early humans, thus reshaping current understanding of early human migration in the region."

***

"Singing can increase an immune antibody (SIGA) in the body by up to 20% in less than an hour." Tra-la-la... Do-mi-mi, Mi-sol-sol, Re-fa-fa, La-ti-tiiiii! Aherm, aherm. No wonder professional singers like me seldom get sick.

***

"Poland is one of the wonders of this world - a rising global power, an economy reaching a trillion dollars, the strongest army in Europe, the fastest-developing country in the region, and a guardian of NATO's eastern flank."

Philippines be like, "How to be you Po-land?" RP, be like Poland.

***

People are dancing a new dance craze to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Opalite." The dance looks an easy choreo to follow, and the pop tune unremarkable, one that you'd forget after a few weeks. But no worries, I won't even make an attempt. What were you thinking?

***

Wow: "Film history enthusiast and film historian Nick Deocampo uncovered a copy of "Diwata ng Karagatan" (1936), believed to be the oldest existing Filipino film, tucked away in an archive in Brussels, Belgium."

***

The internet went wild with this new 'obsession': trying to dangle from street signs and traffic lights while singing or lip-syncing to the song "Maui Wowie" by American rapper Kid Cudi, including a version by local singer Darren Espanto.

The curious line, "Goin' back to Honolulu just to get that/That Maui Wowie, that Maui Wowie," allegedly means "chasing enjoyment or a sense of escape."

Okay , but it's amazing how people could easily reveal their wiry-haired kilikili (armpits) for the whole wide world to see.

***

"The practice of making asin tibuok, the artisanal sea salt of Bohol, made it to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding." I wonder if this development will help preserve the practice.

***

"Cold water immersion can profoundly affect your body: increase insulin sensitivity, helping you effectively turn glucose into energy; lower cortisol, the stress hormone; and increase the amount of brown fat in your body."

***

"New 'remarkably tame' tinamou species discovered in Amazon mountains may already be at risk of extinction" because it is "a mostly flightless bird with a unique dark slate-colored facial mask and cinnamon-colored underparts that was surprisingly unafraid of humans."

***

"In Japan, where isolation and emotional distance can quietly affect many lives, one man has created a gentle and unusual service—'rent-a-dad.' Through this heartfelt offering, he’s hired by people of all ages to step in as a father figure, offering warmth, support, or simply quiet presence. His clients don’t seek formal counseling—they come for hugs, someone to clap during a graduation photo, or a calm voice to talk to over lunch."

How awful that the epidemic of fatherless-ness has come to this.

***

Speaking of fatherhood... "Many people assume fathers bond through gentle moments and quiet cuddles. However, neuroscience shows the strongest connections form during active, playful chaos. Wrestling, chasing, roughhousing, and tumbling provide children with high-energy experiences that shape the brain in meaningful ways."

I have read something like this decades ago. Specifically, that fathers bond best particularly with their sons through activities that they share together like engaging in sports.

***

78-year-old Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were murdered in cold blood by their own flesh-and-blood, i.e., their own son Nick Reiner, who appears to be a drug-addled nutcase, according to reports. Rob Reiner is a most successful director of truly enjoyable films, such as "When Harry Met Sally...," "The Princess Bride," "A Few Good Men," "Stand by Me," etc., stuff generally referred to as "good vibes" these days, that is why there were so popular back in the day. So it is quite strange that he'd have such a progeny. Watching the son being interviewed, I get a somewhat creepy vibe, with those wide, expressionless eyes and all.

Now I need to watch a movie the father-and-son tandem co-created, "Being Charlie," because it is said to be quite autobiographical.

***

There was a shooting in Brown University, Providence, Rhode Is., USA.

***

Two Middle Eastern men -- a father-and-son -- also went on a shooting rampage in Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, apparently targeting Jews enjoying Hanukkah, a Jewish celebration. The carnage, unusual for Australia, was made even more unusual when a man, ironically a Muslim, grabbed one shooter singlehandedly and unarmed and successfully extricated the rifle from the mass murderer. Sadly, the duo is said to have undergone training somewhere in Mindanao, implicating the entire country where nothing of the sort happens, someone wise pointed out.

***

“Film historian and filmmaker Nicolas Francisco ‘Nick’ A. Deocampo has recently discovered what is now considered the oldest surviving Filipino film—the 1936 production ‘Diwata ng Karagatan’ (Diwata)—in Brussels, Belgium.”

***

A new party game trended: Blowing candles using paper plates. I don't know why, but my inner killjoy says I hate it.

***

A new exchange gift trended in office yearend/Christmas parties this year. Mechanics: Players each bring a brown bag of assorted gift items based on a pre-chosen theme (e.g., something green). The number of items should be exactly the same as the number of members. One by one, each member throws out the contents, and members scramble to get the items they prefer, each one fearing to be left with the most unwanted items (the ones that end up as useless items, except as all-year-round dust gatherer and 100% sure toe injurer). The group erupts in tumultuous shouts and laughter as a result, and the room and building develop cracks due to the volcanic explosion.

***

Never heard of this, but it's great to know: Sen. Migz Zubiri noted that it's 16 years RA 9850 was passed, a law declaring arnis as the Philippine national martial art and sport.

***

Another wait-what-happened moment: Zsa Zsa Padilla returned her Lifetime Achievement Award to Aliw Awards organizers after she wasn't given the honor or courtesy of making a speech. What a terrible gaffe. Honoring me with such an insult, even when unintended, would've deeply offended me as well.

***

The pulpit of the 300-year-old church of Maragondon, Cavite, crashed to the church floor due to "internal structural failure." The church is listed as a National Cultural Treasure.

***

"The Philippines has the lowest tourism return in Southeast Asia." Heard this already before that it has become a tired refrain. When are we going to shape up?

***

"New brain-imaging research shows that depression is not simply the result of a chemical imbalance but is linked to structural and functional changes in brain circuits responsible for mood, decision-making, and emotional processing. This finding challenges long-held beliefs and explains why medication alone has not worked for many patients. By recognizing depression as a disorder of complex brain networks, the study opens the way for more personalized treatments such as brain stimulation, cognitive training, and lifestyle-based interventions."

As a low-key mental health sufferer, I knew this by instinct: Depression is generally not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, but a result of toxic thoughts, ungrieved grief, unprocessed traumas, and I think that, among the world's psychologists, it is Gabor Mate who gets these things -- depression, anxiety and panic attacks, drug addiction -- right the most.

***

"Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking discovery of how the body uses a process called autophagy to eat its own damaged cells when it doesn't receive food. This process is vital for maintaining cellular health and is a key factor in how we fight aging and disease."

***

A DTI official insisted that P500 is possible or adequate for noche buena.

***

A powerful DPWH technocrat named Catalina Cabral, a planning chief, was suddenly found dead along a river in Benguet. A very interesting development in these high-tension-wire days of Marcos Jr.'s reign. Media veteran Kara David got her birthday wish of a joke, bitchy kibitzers said.

***

"Civil society leaders -- led by Ramon Magsaysay awardee Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno, and UP professor emerita Sylvia Claudio -- filed a plunder complaint before the Ombudsman accusing VP Sara Duterte and 15 current and former OVP and DepEd officials of operating a coordinated scheme that diverted and concealed P612.5-M in confidential funds through identical, opaque spending patterns, the complainants alleging “systematic siphoning” through nonexistent recipients and acknowledgment receipts riddled with dubious names."

***

I thought it's another AI prank, but an escalator in Bangladesh suddenly sped up like crazy, like an amusement park ride whose operator went loafing, expelling the poor frightened riders down the conveyor belt. Good thing it didn't end up in something more violent like what happened recently somewhere in Europe.

***

Actor and Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez was accused by a Philippine Fencing Association of “physical attack” during the fencing competitions of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, after the latter allegedly replaced an athlete without Gomez's knowledge.

***

"Free train rides to LGBT sector raised eyebrows." What were they thinking? Anyone can present himself/herself/themselves to belong to the community, and anyone can be mistakenly labeled as such due to stereotypes. (The only way to ascertain sex orientation is when you are in bed with the person, as an insider put it.)

***

Elijah Cole, bronze medalist of the SEA Games, trended because of his good looks and how the sound of his name sounded to the green-minded.

***
New old discovery: "According to a study conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois, drinking caffeine can offset some of the negative effects of overeating by reducing the storage of lipids in your fat cells. As a result, caffeine limits weight gain and the production of triglycerides."

***

Based on top Google searches, "local singer Dionela topped the male Filipino personality list with his hit 'Marilag,' ahead of Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters’ song 'Golden,'" the latter an impossibly high-pitched song that was impossible to miss due to its popularity. From where I am perched, however, it was SB-19's "Dungka!" that seemed to be most popular.

***

Who would've thought this day of happy reversal would come: "The Supreme Court affirmed the murder convictions of three former Caloocan City police officers in connection with the 2017 killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during an anti-drug operation. The high court sustained the penalty of reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years in prison, and ordered the convicted officers to pay a total of ₱275,000 in damages to the victim’s family."

***

"Drinking coffee is not just a morning pick-me-up it may actually protect your liver and lower the risk of serious diseases. Recent studies show that consuming over two cups of coffee daily is linked to a remarkable 43 percent lower risk of liver cancer."

***

"Neuroscientists reveal your brain doesn't judge truth or lies. It accepts whatever thoughts you repeatedly feed it." If this is true, then we are all such stupid, ignorant beasts.

***

"A teenage innovator turned origami into an engineering breakthrough, designing a folded structure capable of supporting 10,000 times its own weight. This incredible achievement earned a $25,000 prize and proves that creativity, math, and curiosity can reshape how we think about strength and design."

***

A new body part was accidentally discovered, hiding in plain sight all these years: tubarial salivary glands in the throat that help lubricate the area behind the nose and mouth. There are, in fact, four more novel discoveries: interstitium, subarachnoid immune defense system, and hemifusome.

***

American psychiatrist Rami Kaminski coined a new word, otrovert, to refer to "people who experience life a little differently: friendly, empathetic, and socially capable, yet never fully feel part of the group. From Spanish otro (“other”) and vert (“to turn”), otroversion is a unique way of relating, in which deeper one-on-one bonds are preferred over define oneself through communities."

***

Three scientists won a Nobel Prize for discovering how to stop your immune system from attacking you.

***

Comedian Kuhol died at 66.

***

"Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, was sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in human trafficking and operating a scam center."

***

Frank Padilla, a founding member of Couples for Christ (ca. 1981), passed on to claim his eternal reward.

***

"Diosdado 'Dado' Banatao, one of the most influential Filipino engineers in Silicon Valley and a pioneer in microchip and computer technology, as well as the father of the Philippine semiconductor industry, passed away on Christmas day in Stanford, California at age 79."

***

Unprecedented: "At the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025, a woman with Down syndrome took home the Best Actress award, while an openly queer individual was adjudged as Best Actor."

***

I must have missed a number of other equally important developments, because I was preoccupied with Christmas stuff (mainly, attending parties for the first time after how many years of disability). I would appreciate your rejoinders.

posted by Resty Odon # 2:55 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, December 03, 2025

Red Flags to Look Out for in Human Character

Red Flags to Watch Out for in Human Character

Some say we were all born good and kind-hearted. I don’t think so.

We didn’t start out as blank slates or tabula rasa either — we all inherited certain traits, both good and bad, from those who came before us.

Our character is ultimately shaped by a mix of things: our genes, our environment, how we were raised, and the most decisive factor of all — the personal choices we make along the way.

In my experience, people who choose to do good stand worlds apart from those who deliberately walk down a darker path.

No one wants to live in the orbit of evil, so it helps to recognize the warning signs early on — the behaviors that tell you to run for the hills.

Here are some forms of toxic or malicious behavior I’ve witnessed — or worse, personally endured:

Borrows money and never pays it back, then ghosts you without a hint of remorse.
Takes all the credit at work and leaves none for the team.
Dumps their trash in the neighbor’s yard.
Lets their dog poop in front of your house while keeping their own front yard spotless.
Complains every single time they open their mouth.
Sees nothing good in anyone — only faults and flaws.
Never congratulates you on any achievement; can’t be happy for anyone else’s success earned honestly.
Steals your belongings the moment your back is turned.
A chronic, pathological liar.
Believes that killing someone can be justified outside the context of true self-defense.
Lacks humility; can’t laugh at themselves or see humor in their own imperfections.
Rarely engages in self-reflection; refuses to acknowledge their weaknesses.
Never apologizes for their mistakes — ever.
Stingy in sharing knowledge that could genuinely help others (except when it involves state secrets, trade secrets, or protected proprietary information).
Has a habit of violating personal boundaries.

What other red flags have you noticed, both in yourself and in others?

posted by Resty Odon # 12:11 AM 0 Comments

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Yes Fap?

(Normalizing sex addiction)

I read with extreme interest this alleged scientific study saying men should masturbate at least 21 days a month to avoid prostate cancer.

I can't believe what I read, especially since one very popular doctor vlogger posted something to the effect that he is endorsing such a practice.

What man would want to have prostate cancer later in life? But 21 days a month, with only 9 to 10 days of pause? I can only react with 21 exclamation points.

From what I know, young guys who practice what used to be regarded as a dirty deed do it from once a week to maybe twice a month if busy. Only those very few who are addicted do it regularly without fail once a day, or incredibly enough, even more than that.

With the alleged research finding, we are practically endorsing a culture of masturbation all the more in the name science, as though our Westernized culture and society is not yet supersaturated with sex. It's like saying it's only natural but to give in, preferably each time, and even healthier if more. We are also, in effect, promoting a culture of wanton disregard for the virtues of chastity and purity and self-control.

Appalled at what this means in terms of committing mortal sin 21 times a month, and reduced to incredulity at the mere prospect of doctor-recommended requirement of, er, draining oneself dry towards good prostate health, I tried to access the so-called study and found that it doesn't even point to causation: i.e., not beating yourself up does not necessarily mean absolutely preparing yourself to develop cancer in the prostate. It even qualifies the finding by saying the research method may have missed other potential factors involved. The finding merely connected the dots in terms of correlation, meaning unbelievably frequent masturbators tend to fail to develop the disease, but it doesn't mean there is some cleansing mechanism involved with regular release.

This study appallingly reverses gains by the "No Fap" (zero masturbation, zero porn) movement, something which I have been promoting to anyone willing to hear (so far, I have successfully convinced a grand total of one guy to at least try the lifestyle, but sadly he reverted to old habits).

If the finding is true, then the study should examine all the elderly monks, priests, and bishops who actually practice what they preach if indeed all of them are now suffering from prostate cancer. Or a longitudinal and follow-up study of all the no-fap guys actively posting their experience on YouTube. And another study investigating whether all of those who had prostate cancer had a habit of religiously avoiding masturbation or sex in general. Let's see whether they have eventually developed abnormal growth in their prostrate after years of virtue.

posted by Resty Odon # 6:02 PM 0 Comments

Friday, November 28, 2025

Ewan Ko Sa 'Yo

Kung mahilig ka maga-read ng signs of the times, iisipin mo talagang end of the world na. Eh bakit hanggang ngayon, biyaheng impiyerno pa rin ugali ng iba?

Kung bet mo guide sa examination of conscience and how to make a good confession, bibigyan kita.

Wait, sa'ng folder ko ba nilagay yun? Kailangan ko din yun eh.

Actually kapapanganak ko pa lang, laging laman na yan ng balita. End of the world.

Imagine growing up in a world na laging may doomsday cult preparing for the end times? Ikaw ba lalaki kang full of hope and confidence in the future? Di ba?

Ewan ko sa inyo pero ako lumaki akong may takot sa Diyos at laging nagiguilty at may takot na baka... you know. I know hindi yun healthy, pero may pagkasigurista ako eh. Alam ko kung saan ko ayaw mapunta.

So yun nga, laging may ganung balita panahon pa ni Mahoma (sino kaya yun?), at may chain letter pa nga to that effect. Pero anong taon na ba 'ko ngayon? That's a whole lot of years of waiting. It's like constantly asking, Apocalypse When Ba Talaga?

That means may pag-asa pang magbago.

But according to statistics and history -- and my own experience, miracles and delubyos don't always make people change for the better. Kaya good luck sa yo talaga. That means choice mo na talaga ang magpakasama.

posted by Resty Odon # 5:02 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Wake Up! We are not the 51st State of America!

In the history of Philippine education, the American influence, through the teachers called Thomasites, is routinely upheld as a harbinger of something good, even revolutionary.

And to some extent, that is a valid assessment.

After all, while the concept of universal education did not originate from them -- the Spaniards had already introduced a semblance of it in the 1880s or so, although not of the compulsory, secular kind today -- the Americans were largely responsible for introducing free, compulsory universal public education.

However, not a lot of Filipinos are aware that, while the American colonialists of 1900s gave us full-blown public education and infrastructure as we know it today, that legacy is tainted by the motive of self-preservation. That's only a natural thing for a colonialist to do.

The bigger problem is most of us are not even aware of how deep the American impact is.

We were taught the basics, but only so that we would become their steady labor supply.

They didn't teach us to become managers, administrators, entrepreneurs, not because they forgot or were negligent, but they did it on purpose.

But even when we are nowadays into Management 101 and Entrepreneurship 101, the ill effects are still in force.

There is almost zero interest in our local histories. We deem these unimportant.

We are ashamed of our own indigenous culture because we think it is backward and inferior. We even disparage our current culture as 'mongrel,' and thus impure, not worthy of serious study.

Look at how we name things dearest to us, things that are aspirational in nature.

Notice the names of our exclusive villages, many of our streets, even our taxis in our cities.

Notice the names we give our kids.

Double-check the first names or nicknames we give ourselves. How do you call yourself again? How about your pet dog or cat?

The American impact is felt even in the most minute details.

Notice who our columnists quote as authoritative sources. Very telling. Note who our writers imitate and uphold as being part of the literary canon.

Take a good note of even the decors inside our houses, or our preferred Christmas tunes (filled with snow, sled, holly, mistletoe, reindeer...).

Who are our top idols in showbiz, sports, film, comic books? What kind of movies do we watch? Whose fashion sense do we imitate the most? What books do we attach the highest sense of prestige to? Which books do we deem best of all time?

Evidence strongly suggest we remain under the spell of America -- WASP America, that is.

We Filipinos remain to be little brown Americans all this time.

Maybe a big factor is that America is easy to love. Who doesn't love Micky Mouse? I have no problem with loving things American. I myself am a big fan of so many American things.

The problem right now partly lies within us, in unknowingly internalizing the colonizer's biases and rejections.

The winds of change, however, are slowly blowing. There is hope.

But the change is painfully slow because of the lack of awareness of how deep we have been duped.

Guys, wake up. We are not Americans. We are Filipinos.

posted by Resty Odon # 4:57 PM 0 Comments

Friday, November 21, 2025

Things I Miss in Manila

My Catholic charismatic community with its various activities: worship, small group meetings, evangelization, recollections and recollections, talks...

Free church-based counseling and therapy services that a lot of people don't know about

A random eatery or resto offering a taste of authentic foreign cuisine

Bumping into a random celebrity walking casually in Glorietta, Greenbelt, or elsewhere in Makati

The great variety of goods on sale at SM Hypermart, Landmark, or any of the major supermarkets

Those little de-wart shops offering cheap locally produced 'cashew cream' dermatological therapy

Pan de Manila

posted by Resty Odon # 3:20 AM 0 Comments

Saturday, November 15, 2025

All Riled Up

All Riled Up

I have a slightly different take on Enrile, compared with those I have read so far -- that is, the anti- or con side.

'JPE', as he lay dying at 101 years old, ceased to be young people's butt of jokes, or in today's parlance, an Internet meme for "old," as in ancient, dinosaur-age old. Even Enrile proved to be no immortal, after all. His demise a day after the announcement of his ICU confinement was immediately greeted with a flood of posts from people with sharp memory detailing his great misdeeds from a distant past: chiefly as the architect of martial law, with human rights violations galore, and the massive plundering of the country's rainforests together with Pres. Marcos Sr., not to mention direct involvement in the coco levy funds scam and the PDAF scam -- his heroism at EDSA I all but forgotten. There were even allegations of his involvement with coup d'etats against Cory Aquino -- a precarious time I lived through as a young person which failed to make me develop good feelings for and good memories of him. These recollections of great unrepented -- and very public -- sins ran laughably contrapuntal to the high hosannas issued by those at the top echelons in government and elsewhere.

Statements of condemnation from the persecuted left are only to be expected. Which make you think: If Marcos Sr. and Enrile didn't do what they did (clamp down on communist forces), would RP have become a communist state? I shudder at the thought, as the horrors of the Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese experience come to mind: the pogroms, the gulags, the bloodiness of it all, all doomed for failure.

But what do we make of roughly the same statements coming from centrist forces? Which also makes you think: How much exactly was the abuse of power committed? Where exactly did he cross the line? How many innocent people, how many brave youthful protesters of that generation who were not necessarily espousing communist belief were dragged into the 'witch hunt' needlessly?

No one seems to be discussing this when it is the biggest bone of contention and partly the reason why there are Marcos loyalists across different socioeconomic classes up to this day, even among the ruling classes, even among respected academics. In their view, dictatorship and martial rule are justified if the target are communists. I am not saying I agree 100% but if you were the president at the time, how would you have handled it? Indeed, if you see the Marcos regime as having saved the country from communism (with US's backing, of course), no negative commentary will ever convince you to reconsider your view. You would even stick to the notion that they were 'heroes' in that regard.)

(The same is true with diehard supporters of the Dutertes. In their view, Duterte introduced a style of leadership they prefer in the light of the drug menace and -- let's face it -- a set of accomplishments that had been unheard of and impossible within the limited (i.e., elitist) viewpoints of past leaders. Indeed, if you see 'Dutertismo' as a logical reaction to Pres. Noynoy's failings and his essentially Manila-centric, rich-kid view of life and governance, nothing will ever convince you to change your mind.)

What I am NOT happy about, however, is when people make blanket condemnation, with the certainty that Enrile is 100% evil and going to hell. (Enrile being a religious man suddenly comes to mind, with him seeking God's counsel in a prayer room with a gigantic Virgin Mary statue and all. This tells me that he did not exactly worship the devil but in fact believed in his heart that what he was doing was the right one.) I'd like to remind people that only God has the right to say that (assign souls to their proper placement), because only He has full knowledge of a man's heart. Besides, as others have pointed out, last-minute repentance is always possible. (That's how counter-intuitive the Christian concept of 'grace' is.)

But in a culture where it is taboo to say bad things about the recently departed, making that rare exception (from both sides of the sociopolitical fence too) says a lot about the kind of public figure he was.

I'd be happy to be rebutted, proven wrong, disproved, challenged, and refuted with this second and separate opinion.

posted by Resty Odon # 11:35 PM 0 Comments