By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

Last December, blogger Mike Garcia posted on Multiply an entry about a retired janitor from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

People then re-posted the story in their own blogs, while some forwarded it to various mailing lists.

This story eventually got the attention of the Filipino cyberspace community, in particular the university’s alumni.

Meliton Zamora or “Mang Mel” has been the university’s janitor for four decades. But after he retired, he was informed that he would only get about 90 centavos as retirement pay for 171 days.

He also revealed that he has been guarantor for several UP student loans.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

WHAT is it like being a bangkero or a boatman dealing with local and foreign tourist everyday?

Alter Larawan has been a local bangkero for six years. Everyday, he wakes up early to prepare his boat. Like fisherman who gets up early to catch more fish, Larawan is driven by the need to “catch” tourists wanting to do some island hopping in Bohol.

Larawan does not earn much from this job. So he admitted that he would rather go back to construction work and earn more.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

LOCAL filings for trademark registration in the country rose by 7 percent in the first half of 2008, up from last year, a government executive says.

“This increase is good. Five years ago, about 65 percent of foreign trademarks are registered in the country versus the local ones but this year, the proportion is reversed,” says lawyer Adrian Cristobal, who is also director general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines).

Driving the increase in local filings is the growing awareness of Filipinos on intellectual property (IP) protection and the increased activities of small and medium enterprises.

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INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda has been awarded the first Iqbal Masih award for the elimination of exploitative child labor, according to the United States Department of Labor.

Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Charlotte M. Ponticelli said the US agency is giving this award to acknowledge Flores-Oebanda’s lifetime battle against the use of child domestic workers and the trafficking of women and children for domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation in the Philippines and internationally.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

IN one of my trips to Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, I met a pearl diver whom I think outshines the luster of any pearl I’ve seen.

Tande Solare or “Mang Tande” as he was called by the locals is one of the first Badjaos who traveled to Batangas from Zamboanga. In 1972, he sailed the Sulu Sea and South China Sea until he reached the coast of Batangas, where his family now lives.

“Umalis ako noon sa Mindanao, kasi [ma]gulo doon noong nag-Martial Law; maraming naghoholdap [I left Mindanao due to the peace conflicts in the area when Martial Law was declared; there were also lot of hold-up incidents],” Mang Tande says.

According to local Batangueños at Anilao, he is the first Badjao pearl diver who arrived in the area and has been a regular visitor to the Anilao beaches over the years. Some resort owners even await the arrival of Mang Tande to buy pearls.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

HOW can one achieve immortality?

Traditionally, people preserve their beauty and peak of status through portraits, as we in our time today, preserve important moments through photographs. Over time, these portraits or photographs preserve in time the sitter’s life and is passed on to future relatives.

In popular culture, stories with fantasy or horror themes play up the idea that having portraits or taking photographs can capture the soul and even possess someone’s spirit. This is true of Japanese manga or anime and is also found in the classic novel Dorian Gray.

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COMFORTABLE shoes and sturdy umbrellas are essential things you need when you’re out job-hunting. But have you seen someone who is out hunting for worn-out shoes and broken umbrellas?

One morning, I saw this man with curly long hair carrying a backpack and some umbrellas, walking alone in Kalaw Avenue. What caught my attention was a square tarpaulin attached to his backpack that says: “Repair shoes payong tahi sandals bumabasa ng kapalaran.” In English, that roughly translates to, “I repair shoes, umbrellas, sandals, and I can also read your fortune.”

His name is Felix Cerbito, 59 years old, a native of Northern Samar. Cerbito said he lives and works in the roadsides and walkways of Metro Manila.

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By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

ROAMING around a historical place like Intramuros can be more nostalgic if you take a ride on a “kalesa” or a horse-drawn carriage. No need to hire a tour guide because your English-speaking kutsero or coachman can definitely give you background of this historic place.

In my recent tour of the Intramuros, I met Emiliano Ortaleza, a coachman for 40 years. Always ready with a smile and a warm greeting to potential customers, Ortaleza has been doing this job to earn enough money to get by every day.

Ortaleza goes around Intramuros using a borrowed kalesa and a horse named Alasan.

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YouTube singing sensation turned international star Charice Pempengco returns to Manila for a one-night concert for Filipino fans. An up-and-coming international artist, Pempengco has performed with foreign artists like David Foster, Celine Dion, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli. She has appeared in popular television shows including Oprah. In this video, INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Anna Valmero talks to Pempengco about her plans.

VICE President Noli De Castro, a Black Nazarene devotee, shares his thoughts on the annual feast and on this year’s preparations. As in previous years, De Castro says he offers a prayer to the image. Video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Thea Alberto.

Thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene attend mass at the Quirino grandstand. Mostly dressed in maroon and yellow, throngs of young and old devotees join the procession, blocking the path of the Black Nazarene as it inches its way to the Quiapo Church. Photos taken by INQUIRER.net reporters Thea Alberto, Izah Morales, Lawrence Casiraya and Marjorie Gorospe.