Curbside Stories

I was watching Beastly earlier this day when I heard in the news that Paul Walker is dead because of a car crash during an event to raise funds for the victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. I am still in shock. Fast and Furious will never be the same again. We will never forget you, Paul. Thank you in behalf of the Filipinos from all over the world.

It has been more than a week already since super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made two land falls in the Southern part of the Philippines, particularly in Samar and Leyte. Since then, the lives of many, not only in the Philippines but also from around the world, has changed. While the Visayas region was busy preparing for the typhoon, I was with my family, tucked safe and sound in the comforts of our homes in Luzon. Although the weather bureau warned us of storm signal number 1, it was relatively peaceful during the day. It was only at around 7 o'clock in the evening when the heavy rain poured with gusts of wind, but, it was not enough to cause me to be awake the entire evening. Nobody  really knew or has not anticipated how strong the typhoon was until the news broke in the morning that most of the provinces in the Visayas region, especially Leyte, was severely damaged. The super typhoon literally flattened the entire province, leaving more than 4 thousand people dead and mill...

Photo from yahoo.com. After 36 years, the curse has finally broken and the Philippines finally won the blue crown. The first ever Filipina to win Miss World is Megan Young, the 23-year old actress and model from Pampanga. She bested Miss France (First Runner-up) and Miss Ghana (Second Runner-up) and the other 123 candidates today in Indonesia. This is one momentous event for the Philippines. Everyone is proud right now just knowing that the beauty, talent and intelligence of a fellow Filipino was recognized internationally. Congratulations, Megan Lynne Young!

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III delivered his 4th State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on July 22. I think the best thing about this year's SONA is the President asking every Filipino, "What have you contributed so far?" Read the entire speech after the jump.

I didn't bother to register at the COMELEC for this year's election because I couldn't find time in my busy schedule to take a leave. I was hoping the agency would have office on weekdays for someone as busy as I am, but to no avail. Somebody told me that if I will not register, I won't be able to vote. My mind was already set that I won't be able to exercise my right to decide for the future of our nation. The campaign went on as scheduled. I was stuck in traffic for two hours on two separate occasions because of the long campaign caravans of opposing parties. It was one hell of an afternoon ride! I was late for important appointments. A few days ago, I had a conversation with my sister about the ongoing campaign--how we both hate a particular campaign jingle, the allowed sizes for campaign posters, the tons of garbage it will leave after the election and the cunning ways a politician does and will do to win precious votes. I told my sister that I won'...

Photo from www.voxxi.com We have one happy new pope here! Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is our new pope and he will be called Pope Francis. He is the first Latin American pope and the first from the Jesuit order to be elected on the highest seat in Catholic Church. Here are some facts about Pope Francis... 1. Rather than living in archbishop's palace, he chose to live in an apartment and ride a bus instead of a limousine to go to work. 2. He cooks his own meals. 3. He advocates social justice. He strongly opposes same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia. 4. He lives with only one lung. His other lung was removed when he was still young due to infection. 5. He doesn't have a Vatican experience. 6. He was one of the runners-up of Pope Benedict XVI during the 2005 conclave. 7. He was accused of kidnapping two priests in Argentina in the 1970s. No case was filed. 8. He speaks Italian and German aside from his native tongue Spanish. ...

Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3 In a historical turn of events, Juan Manuel Marquez defeated Manny Pacquiao via technical knockout on Round 6. It was the most devastating sight any Filipino could witness from a man who has brought so much honor in the country through boxing. Go and succeed in your grandeur! Ride out on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your strong hand perform awesome deeds! - Psalms 45:4 Despite the loss, Pacquiao left the arena with a smile. It is not something that you get to see in the world of competitive sports. Defeat definitely teaches us humility. What we can learn from this day is that we must know when to stop. If we will not listen to God, He will have to do it the hard way... like letting us hit the floor really hard

Shortly after the announcement that Obama won the presidency against Romney, this photo garnered 3.5 million likes on Facebook and still counting. It now holds the record as the most liked photo. And here is President Barack Obama's speech...

Today, freedom of speech in the Philippines is dead. The Section 4 of the Bill of Rights is no more. RIP. Whether the government will implement the law gradually or abruptly... still, we will all be penalized for expressing our opinions. #NoToCyberCrimeLaw #ItsNoLongerFunInThePhilippines #RIPBlogs

Sorry, I can't say much about this newly passed law in the Philippines--R. A. No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Law because I might be the first one to be penalized. Just click on the link to read the contents of this act. Let me end this post with this... We can't be silenced forever. #NoToCyberCrimeLaw #ItsNoLongerFunInThePhilippines #RIPBlogs

Photo from interaksyon.com It has been raining for three weeks now and most part of Metro Manila and nearby areas are already flooded and death tolls are still rising. Many families are forced to leave their home to a safer place and evacuation areas. Earlier this day, the Palace declared no classes and no work to all government and private offices due to severe weather condition. As of this writing, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) has not yet declared any typhoon. The heavy rain is just due to Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Storm 'Haiku' in Taiwan. If you want to know the latest about the Philippine weather, click here . If you want to help, the Philippine National Red Cross is accepting donations thru PayPal, give@redcross.org.ph , or you can coordinate with your local Social Welfare and Development Office. Be safe everyone!

Photo from independent.co.uk It has been a bad Olympic moment for South Korean fencer Shin Lam for being defeated because of a defective timer. It was so bad that she  refuses to receive a special medal. Photo from g4tv.com. Divers who were photoshopped to appear they are doing the deed on the toilet. The Olympic pressure is building up and we can't blame the participants and the committee as well if they are a lot pressured than usual... let loose, guys. Even for a short while. Oh, and as of this moment China and US are tied with 30 gold medals and Japan with 17. Good luck to all the participating countries!

I have been hearing a lot of buzz about how good a book Fifty Shades of Grey is by E. L. James. An office mate bought a copy three weeks ago and I am waiting for her to finish so that I can borrow it. Well, I no longer have to wait for my office mate. I finally had a chance to buy the e-book version via Amazon. I am now on page 51 and I can say that excitement over the next chapters is already building up on me. Photo from here . The book is so famous that it will be made into a movie and  Ian Somerhalder has been mounting a campaign for  months now for him to play the character of Christian Grey. I think his looks alone could earn him the role. What do you think?

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At excatly 4PM today, President Benigno C. Aguino III delivered his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasan Hall. The third time around, he delivered it in the Philippine's native tongue-Tagalog. His speech was one of the longest in Philippine history, making sure that no important issue was forgotten. And while everyone in the hall was listening and applauding the President for the accomplishments of his cabinet, hundreds of militant groups rallied all around the Metro to contest the president's SONA, claiming that the real state of the nation happens outside the four walls of the hall. Given that there are still poor Filipinos, many are still victims of injustice, and prices of commodities are still rising... did they ever ask themselves "What have I contributed so far?" ******************* Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Bise Presidente Jejomar Binay; mga dating Pangulong Fidel Valdez Ramos at Joseph E...

Rodolfo Vera Quizon, more popularly known as Dolphy, passed away yesterday at around 8:34PM in Makati Medical Center due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. He is 83 years old. Dolphy is known in the Philippines as the King of Comedy. He began acting in 1946 in the movie Dugo at Bayan . He was able to made almost two hundred movies. His most memorable portrayals were Jack & Jill, Facifica Falayfay, John en Marsha, Home Along da Riles and Markova.  His last movie,  Father Jejemon,  was shown in 2010. My generation practically grew up watching Home Along da Riles. It is a story about a striving single father who lives along a railway together with his children. It taught us that despite his family's circumstances, for as long as there is love and unity among them, they will surpass any problem. He portrayed the character as a responsible father who always see the positive side of things. His comedic style is yet to be reached, if not surpass...

The boxing world was stunned of the announcement that Timothy Bradley beat the pound for pound boxer Manny Pacquio via split decision on June 9. The uproar of fans compelled the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to conduct an investigation. The Preisdent of  WBO, Paco Valcarel declares Pacquiao as the true winner after the investigation of the 5-man panel with scores 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113. All scored in favor of Pacquiao. However, despite the WBO result, the organization has no authority to revoke the actual fight result. Bob Arum announced earlier that there will be no rematch unless an investigation will be made. We can expect a rematch on November but there are no official statements yet from both parties. However, Bradley said that if a rematch will push through, he is ready to fight Pacquiao to prove that he really did win the World Welterweight Championship. While Bradley is rejoicing of the win, what Pacquiao fans can do is to console ...

Photo from here . Exactly a week ago, Manny Pacquiao was robbed of a boxing title... that was the belief of many. Many, too, believes that Timothy Bradley deserved the title. There were some news of a rematch on November... both parties agreed, but, Bob Arum said it won't happen unless a formal investigation will be made to clear the controversial bout. My thoughts... I was able to watch the fight live on television and based on my perception of the entire event, it was a really close fight. I am not an expert in boxing nor a fanatic but in my own opinion, Bradley gave his best. He was not expecting to win after all. On the other hand, Pacquiao also gave his best but if I were to compare his performance that day to his previous fights, it was not his best. He has lost fierce and desire to win the match. He has tamed. Does it have to do with his change of faith? We don't know. But, if it was... his defeat over a "lesser" boxer can be a test of fait...

The world of boxing fanatics will come to a halt today as they witness one of the most anticipated fights of the year... Pacquiao vs. Bradley. But, it is not really  what I look forward to this day... it is our family get together that happens every time there is a Pacman fight. Who do you think will win? I do hope it will be Pacquiao. Although I am not a boxing fanatic, I am still a Filipino who takes pride in the success of a fellow countryman.

Photo from here . It is 20-3, ladies and gentlemen. The Guilty Camp had more than 2/3 of the votes to have Chief Justice Renato Corona impeached. The honorable judges who gave Guilty verdicts were: 1. Sen. Edgardo Angara 2. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano 3. Sen. Pia Cayetano 4. Sen. Franklin Drilon 5. Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada 6. Sen. Francis 'Chiz' Escudero 7. Sen. Teofisto Guingona III 8. Sen. Gregorio Honasan II 9. Sen. Panfilo Lacson 10. Sen. Manuel Lapid 11. Sen. Loren Legarda 12. Sen. Sergio Osmena III 13. Sen. Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan 14. Sen. Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III 15. Sen. Ralph Recto 16. Sen. Ramon 'Bong' Revilla, Jr. 17. Senate Majority Leader Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III 18. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV 19. Sen. Manuel Villar 20. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile The three judges who voted otherwise were: 1. Sen. Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. 2. Sen. Joker Arroyo 3. Sen. Mi...