HOW did the economic crunch affect Filipinos’celebration of the coming of the new year? INQUIRER.net VDO went to different places to ask what adjustments Filipinos made to maintain a festive mood while tightening their belts. As expected, fireworks were still aplenty, and injuries were still reported. Video and photos taken by Janie Christine Octia, Izah Morales, Anna Valmero, Marjorie Gorospe, Lawrence Casiraya, Erwin Oliva and Leo Magno.
Also, hundreds fill up the plaza of Eastwood City in Libis with their eyes on the clock tower for the countdown to 2009. Meanwhile, the sleepy town of Mangaldan in Pangasinan wakes up when a Judas Belt firecracker combination worth P20,000 was set off, lasting for a little more than a minute. In Imus, Cavite, residents welcome the new year and turn the streets into a virtual war zone. Video taken by Leo Magno, Erwin Oliva and Alex Villafania of INQUIRER.net VDO.
AS a predominantly Catholic nation, it has become a Filipino tradition to light four candles of Advent during the Christmas season.
This year, my family was chosen to sponsor the mass on the lighting of the pink candle, which is a way of celebrating the prophesied second coming of Jesus Christ.
I must admit that Filipino traditions can be very demanding. But it has persisted for years because it has been one way of bringing families together. In my case, I was required by my mother to go to Tanay in Rizal – our hometown – to attend a special mass.
During the mass, I became part of the procession of the priest, lector and lay ministers. The rest of my family was asked to light the pink candles, while I was asked to read a written prayer prepared by the parishioners.
This event reminded me of the days when I was still eager to complete the Misa de Gallo before Christmas. Amid the cold weather in Tanay, I braved the early morning shower to attend the early mass with my mother. During my childhood, I was exposed to such traditions especially during Christmas.
But as I listened to our priest during his homily, he lamented about the “Simbang Gabi” as “Simbang Tabi,” a pun that describes how some younger people have used this Filipino tradition as an opportunity to meet friends.
Times have changed.
Lighting the candle of advent also reminded me of the times when my family got together. Back then we were all complete. However, like most Filipino families today, two of my sisters now live abroad, leaving me as the one only one left to read the prayer. I have a brother but I am not sure if he’s too keen on assuming this role.
Nevertheless, our priest reminded me that lighting the candle symbolizes “rejoicing.” Every year, traditions have brought Filipino families together and the lighting of the candle of advent was one of them.
FOR the first time in the history of overseas employment for Filipinos and perhaps a first in the Middle East and the rest of the world, a foundation has been created by the OFWs (in the UAE) for the OFWs (in the Middle East) — to aid them during harsh financial times.
The foundation was also created to promote entrepreneurship, to engage in fundraising activities, to give scholarships to children of low-income Filipino families and provide money to Filipinos stricken with life-threatening illnesses or who are victims of calamities and natural disasters.
“The Filipino Expatriates in the UAE Foundation Inc., also known as FILEX Foundation was established so that in our own moments of personal need, we have a foundation we Filipino expats can easily go to for help. No one else can really help the OFWs but the OFWs themselves, so it is high time we start preparing ourselves for our future and supporting ourselves. Even if we are abroad, or back home in the Philippines, the foundation will become the common interest we will work for, to gather and to sustain and proudly say that it is our own charitable organization. There are so many charitable organizations in the Philippines but there is really none for the OFWs. Finally, there is one now,” Dick Orense, Chairman of the Interim Board of Trustees, said.
MANILA CITY, Philippines — Most kids at the age of eight are probably busy playing their favorite toys or the computer.
Julian Duque, 8, is unlike those kids. He loves to play but using his little fingers on the violin.
Duque was six years old when he started playing the violin. None of his parents were interested in music. But that didn’t stop him from learning the instrument.
At his current age, he can already play classical music from Mozart, among others.
He can also play music medleys that can give comfort on a stressful day.
MANILA CITY, Philippines — Alfred Herrera or “Naning” is just one of many Filipinos selling Sampaguita to believers of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila.
At the age of 16, Herrera already sees the need to support his own finances, while making sure his siblings are fed. The second of nine children, he knows his income from selling Sampaguita is needed.
But unlike others selling Sampaguita, Herrera can only go every Fridays to Quiapo. From Monday to Thursday, he has to attend his classes.
“Nagpaalam naman ako sa teacher ko na ‘pag Friday, hindi ako papasok kasi magtitinda ako. Naiintindihan naman niya (I have told my teacher that I have to work every Friday. She understands my situation),” Herrera says.
Her name was Elsa. She was a showgirl. Or to be more precise, she was a Filipina entertainer in Japan. A Japayuki.
His name was Reizo. He was a patron at the bar where she worked. He was a Yakuza. He fell in love with her. Alone and far from home, Elsa succumbed to his persistent wooing. The liaison produced a son they named Kenji.
Trouble began when Elsa ended their relationship. The violent man that he was, he threatened to kill her. Afraid for her life and not wanting to leave her son behind, Elsa went into hiding. Life on the run became unbearable. There were times she had to scavenge for food. She decided to bring Kenji to the Philippines.
Because of the trouble she was in, Elsa failed to get a Japanese birth certificate for Kenji. The only record of his birth was with the hospital where he was born. The Philippine Consulate in Tokyo issued an affidavit of birth based on hospital records. With this document, Elsa was able to bring her infant son home.
“Bahay Kubo kahit munti ang halaman doon ay sari-sari…”
The song brings nostalgia of how life in the rural side can be simple and modest. But as time ticks away, such life calls for modernization. Would a modern Bahay Kubo be possible in the age of digitization?
Isolina Calma made it possible when she conceptualized a modern Bahay Kubo 57 years ago. Her daughter, Jophine Calma-Lazaro recalled how her mother fancied bamboos.
TAGUIG City, Philippines — Stacking a dozen plastic cups might sound like a parlor game played during children’s parties but some kids get to play it as a sport. In fact, a sibling of three Filipino kids showed that stacking can be serious fun.
The Purugganan brothers Andrew, 16, Brian, 12, and Steven, 11, have been playing and breaking records in this relatively unheard of speed stacking contest. They and their proud parents Danilo and Victoria Purugganan are in the Philippines as participants in the the Passion Rush at the Bonifacio Global City.
As the name implies, sport stacking requires players to stack up to 12 cups in a pyramid. While some people would take over a minute to stack up all 12 cups without them falling, these boys can stack the cups in threes, six, and dozen consecutively in less than 10 seconds.
There are four basic categories in competition level speed stacking. These are the 3-3-3 wherein the player has to stack nine cups in threes then nest them back; the 3-6-3 is with 12 cups where the goal is to stack three sets of cups in threes, six and another threes; and the 1-10-1 also using 12 cups.
The fourth category is the cycle stack, where the player is required to cycle through the three other categories. A fifth category is the doubles with two players doing a cycle stack with one hand each.
The youngest of the Purugganans Steven is currently the world record holder for three categories: 3-3-3 that he completed in 1.86 seconds; the 3-6-3 category in 2.34 seconds and cycle stack category at 6.21 seconds. He broke the 3-3-3 and cycle stack records at the recently held World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado.
Steven and his brother Andrew also held the doubles championship title with 7.84 seconds, which they got at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships in Delaware. This was broken by Germans Timo Reuhl and David Wolf with a very close 7.65 seconds during the 2008 World Sport Stacking Championships.
Their mother Victoria said the boys only started playing less than two years ago after watching the competition on TV.
“They got interested in it so we bought them cups that they could play,” she said, noting that they first joined the New York State Championships in October 2007 and from thereon, they’ve been breaking records.
And like all athletes, Victoria said her children do some exercises before joining any competition, such as push ups and jogging. Even when they are not practicing, which she said is a lot, the boys still get to do other activities, such as playing other sports like basketball, swimming, baseball and soccer.
Victoria said she is proud to let her kids compete in a sport they love while still having fun. She hopes that her kids will pursue the things they like and be successful at it.
MANILA, Philippines –When you’re single and a college graduate, would you rather be a mother of 11 kids who have come from different places and backgrounds?
For 20 years now, Erlinda Lubi has been a foster parent in the SOS Children’s Village Manila, where 32 homeless kids are currently housed.
Lubi, who is fondly called “Mama Erlin,” is now taking care of 11 kids from different age groups.
Lubi shares her unforgettable experiences as a foster in this video interview taken by multimedia reporter Morales.
When you are on a foreign soil, you will need a map to guide you to where you’re going. But when the map is useless, the next thing you will do is to ask directions from the locals of the area. But what if no one understands a thing you’re saying. Sign language may help you a bit. But talking with someone who understands you is better.
My mom and I found ourselves lost in Macau after we took a wrong route going to Fisherman’s wharf for dinner. We should have walked but we took a bus with the thought that our destination is far from the Macau Ferry Terminal.
Our problem started when asked the driver if the bus was going to the Fisherman’s wharf. He did not answer, and I presumed that it was because he didn’t understand a single word I said. So from that point, we did not know where we were heading. Luckily, a woman who looked like a Filipino boarded the bus. When we asked her, she just said, “Naku, malayo na kayo. Bumaba na lang kayo diyan sa susunod na stop.” [Read the rest of this entry »]
Being Filipino, the INQUIRER.net blog that celebrates the lives and achievements of Filipinos all over the world. Manila-based INQUIRER.net is the online home of the Philippine Daily Inquirer group of publications.
