MikeLigalig.com

EXPECTATIONS... TO BE OR NOT TO BE!

men and women are trapped in society's architypes of roles, which include our roles within the family. we are expected to perform our perceived roles well and if we don't, we will be called deviants, blacksheep, sukwahi, gahi og ulo and so on.

the eldest has the burden to show his/her capacity to lead his younger brood. he must be responsible, hard-working, obedient and must have all the positive traits that a kuya/ate, manong/manang, or manoy/manay could ever have. the younger ones, in turn, are trained to look up to the elder ones.

in our third world perspective, it's the eldest child who is burdened to uplift the socio-economic set-up of the family. the eldest is the hope to the family so he/she needs to be intelligent, smart, hardworking, responsible... or else....

although, the younger ones are expected to keep up with the older ones, it's the latter who is expected to keep up with society's expectations. for the second child, there's the "middle child syndrome," which can be an excuse for failing the expected or doing the unexpected. for the youngest, the mere fact of being one is an excuse by itself.

the society's expectations (of our roles), in one way or another, have molded us to become what we are. although these expectations pushed us to strive hard to do more and achieve more, expectations can be  stressful.

makadugang sa kunot-kunot sa nawong!   
 

it must be lonely living alone for hundreds of years...

wow!

where's george?

being sad and lonely is just in the state of mind. happiness as well. for now, happiness is interacting with you all. yaaaaaaaaaah! 

hehehe! fishball ug tempura sa pantalan. unja mangga na hilaw. heehehe!

As of the moment, the Chocolate Hills Tourism Complex is under the management of the Municipality of Carmen.   

ay, kung naa lang ka diri ban-alam, manlibre gyud ko nimo og halo-halo sa chowking o kaha sa garden cafe!  sure!

bitaw, udtohan, perteng sabaa sa mga iro mao nagmusic ko. i slept around 1am na pod. 

i-delete na lang na picture sigbin kay murag exposed kaayo akong nawong.

Welcome Bensoy!

Welcome teng. Vicente imong ngan?

ambot sa pulis. i heard the kitchen knife was left lying beside him. i'm not sure of this kay wala ko niduol niya. he was lying behind a bush still clutching his shirt kay gahukas man siya. my mom said, his zipper was open. basin nangihi sa wall nga adunay nakasuwat, "BAWAL UMIHI DITO!"

someone placed a cross didto karon, my dad placed candles pud. samot ka eerie. ggrrrrr!

note:

nauna pa ng dyrd og abot sa mga pulis. ingon ang tanod nitawag siya sa pulis unja wa may mitubag so nanawag siya sa dyrd.

i love bugnaw c-e, mike. my mom is from candijay so silingan ra ta. we'd then go to anda every summer when we were kids. maligo mi sa dagat sa anda unja manghinawnaw sa canawa (that deep blue eerie spring) sa candijay. naa miy gamay nga yuta tapad sa bugnaw c-e.. ibaligja kuno sa akong dad. dili ko mosugot kay sayang. the beach is very beautiful and it's a good investment since anda is getting popular already.

mrwhitepatch, silingan pod ta. silingan ta og nick. hehe! ay, do you still speak bisaya? 

Si Lord nga Sr. Wa man ko kaila sa mga anak, si popot ra akong kaila.

sigbin, ingon sila suicide kuno to. ngano pod didto man siya nagbigti uy.

udtohan, wa ko katulog uy. imo man ko gihadlok gud. hehe!

hehehe! lajo bitaw ang gidaganan sa atong istorya. ambot og tig-jog pa ba si delaguna. pangutan-on nato. wa naman ko kita niya sa among lugar. si lord marapao hinoon, tig-jogging.

i live in caingget pero dili gyud ko tignaog didto kay mahadlok man ko sa mga hubog og dili man pod ko kamao molangoy kay mahadlok ko og lawom nga dagat (nalumos man ko didto sa bata pa ko) but yes, Caingget, Cainggit, Kaingit, Kaingget, Kainggit, is a part of our lives.

i'll post my article about Caingget soon. it's my tribute to the charming fishing port called Caingget Beach Resort nga wala nay beach kay puro na semento...

Udtohan is my silingan. We used to ride home together from school! Hi, udtohan! Miss those days!

Dili man amoa ang Caingget Beach, ang yuta ra where the compound is apil ang kalsada. Pero dili pwede ipasira kay wala nay agian ang mga tao. Mao na gadako ko na daghang bono og away sa Caingget/Cainggit/Kainggit/Kaingget tungod sa mga hubog.

Delaguna used to jog padung sa dagat sa una. Sa bata pa ko, modagan gyud ko aron makakita ko niya. My mom said, manundog gyud ko niya kay bright og boutan na siya. I grew up looking up to him.

Not really. It's just that sometimes I see "people" that others can't see. I don't know what they are but I see them. I tried to convince myself that they're just products of my imagination but I see them and sometimes feel them. People tell me that I might have that "third eye." Whatever eye that is, I don't like it!

I try not to talk about it since I'm afraid other people might think nag-gama2x ra ko og istroya. Before, I just consider these as stories, urban legends, istorya sa way lingaw. Karon, gaduha-duha pa ko og motoo ko o dili. Sometimes, hapit na ko mitoo kay other people shared the experience with me. (Pero sila kay gaduha duha man pod!) Well, ghosts and other spirits are universal concepts. They're even in the bible. If they're for real...naaa! sagdi!!! 

If any of you here have similar experiences, come out and tell me I'm not crazy! heheheheheh! 

Mr. Lutgardo "Gardy" Luza Labad of Baclayon, Bohol is an award-winning composer/musical scorer/director (both for film and theater) and well-respected theater director. Since he came home to Bohol, he had created a stir among cultural advocates leading them to pursue stronger advocacies in the preservation, conservation, and promotion of our intangible and tangible cultural heritage. He is also an advocate for our creative industry as a means to uplift the socio-economic well-being of our people.

Sir Gardy is now the chairman of the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage (BACH) Council here in Bohol. He has a big heart for local talents molding them to become better artists and thoughtful Boholanos to Bohol.

For more information about him, search the net. There's also an entry about him at the Internet Movie Database, Earth's biggest movie database (imdb.com). 

Sige, ato silang i-feature diri. Kung pwede, magpost ta og works nila. Kulang gyud og promotion atong mga artists. We can sell their works here! Is it a nice idea?

waaaaaaaaaaa! atbang sa akong bintana baya siya nakit-an! waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

ah, ok. sige, maghuwat na lang ko og magpaila na ka namo.

try dolphin watching during the summer para nindot ang panahon. dili man pod magpakita ang dolphins kung hangin-hangin o bawod kaayo. bohol is really a nice place. we are lucky gyud to be bol-anons.  udtohan, kuyog ko og adto na pod ka pamilacan!

hahaah! louya sa mga girls. wala to sila kabalo na gi-post nimo sila dinhi mikey?

note taken! igo ra man ko nikanta adto. pero nice to know naay mga reviews. hunghungan nato si  sir gardy. og next year, lahi na pod. dili na ingadto.

you must be someone older than me gec. hehe! i think lang ha. kay sugbu imong gigamit na word...

GEC, i'm wondering og kinsa gyud ka da. 

hehehehe! nice man ang concept unta sa arias pero kay 3pm na baya niabot si Rich Asuncion, just hours before the final performance. si Cesar Montano pod, a day before. Both never had the chance to rehearse with us. and yes, i agree with you. i like karyapa flying/hanging sa cloth. og gout ang stage! hehehehe!

bitaw, kinsa man ka GEC? kaila ko nimo in person? 

he was found dead across our house. louy gyud. sungayan gyud ang naglunggo niya! i can just imagine him slowly dying there, helpless.

it's scary kay pasabot dili safe among compound. private road man unta na. we wanted to close the road baya unta pero wa na may agi-anan padung sa dagat. 'di na kaagi ang mga tawo nga maligo sa dagat, ang mamaligyaay'g pagkaon, o ang mga mananagat. 'di gani unta pwede monaog after 11pm/12am apan ang mga tao monaog gyud kung manguli na ang mga tanod.

layo pa diay ko, May man akong ngalan. 

kuyog ko mike! 

hahahaha! wholesome bitaw ka sigbin! hahahahahah! 

Hahaha! How do you read the letter O? hehehe! taga-asa man nang O-ha. Loon o Panglao? 

Jerad, her younger brother, won two silver medals during an Asian Chess Tournament in Thailand. He's off to Turkey soon. Great Siblings! 

Jary is beauty and brains rolled into one! The lady from Guindulman topped the bar exams in 2005.  She's a great daughter, loving wife and mother, and a thoughtful friend!  I'll post some things about her soon.

There's an article about Ric Ramasola here already. Yes, the Lungay family is a family of great artists. Their mother, Nene Lungay, is a well-loved artist, mentor, and friend to young and upcoming artists in Bohol.  There's also an article about her here. Nelia Lungay once headed the Center for Culture and Arts Development (CCAD) of the Provincial Government of Bohol. Gene Lungay is now based in Germany and is making a name for himself there. Mitzi Lungay also paints and draws but she's more into poetry and crafts these days.

The visual arts in Bohol is very active. More and more artistic youngsters are coming out specially now that Glenn and Sandra have their own summer art workshops aside from Ma'am Nene's Udlot Workshops.

hehehe! Oliver diay. basta kay O. thanks, mike. Mwah!

beauty is in the eye of the beholder man mikey. depende ra gyud na sa nagtan-aw.  para nako, gwapa gyud ang mga bol-anon. 

Let's ask mike, rivz. Wa mankoy kopya adto.   

Wa man ko kita og bisaya nga komiks woi. tagalog ra man to sa una akong tigbasa. karon, tigbasa ko komiks sa inquirer og star ra man, wa poy bisaya noon. kung magazine, naa pa hinoon ang Bisaya. Mike's award-winning piece about a young man named Oscar was pubished in Bisaya before. Di ba, mike? 

Mike: Dili ko calibre aning mga tawhana! These people are great artists!

Ric Ramasola
Teddy Ramasola
Chris Ramasola
El Cid Tirol
Sandra de la Serna

Sumpayi... 

Speaking of visual artists, daghan kaayo sila sa Bohol. Each with their own style, genre, medium of choice. Not to mention their advocacies close to their hearts.

Here are some names, sumpayi:

henri cainglet
glenn lumantao
michelle rellita
sherwin tutor
joyle alipala
joey labrador
jhacky curambao
jan michael manalo
rhanz anunciado
cha villamora
shiela cafe
marcia (unsa na may imong apelyedo sunod?)
eric catot
boy olano
mitzi lungay
gene lungay
brando lungay
nelia lungay
rowena seloterio
nene lungay (of course!)
leo abaya (of course!)
norman allen lloren
tatting soliva

sumpayi...

Henri Cainglet. The award-winning painter who was based in Manila and New York, H. Cainglet, has decided to come home to Bohol. Some of his works are now hanging at the HNU Museum. Please check them out. Joyle Alipala's works hang side by side with Henri's.

Speaking of visual artists, daghan kaayo sila sa Bohol. Each with their own style, genre, medium of choice. Not to mention their advocacies close to their hearts.

Here are some names, sumpayi:

henri cainglet
joyle alipala
joey labrador
jhacky curambao
jan michael manalo
rhanz anunciado
cha villamora
shiela cafe
marcia (unsa na may imong apelyedo sunod?)
eric catot
boy olano
mitzi lungay
gene lungay
brando lungay
nelia lungay
rowena seloterio
nene lungay (of course!)
leo abaya (of course!)
norman allen lloren
tatting soliva

sumpayi...
 

GEC: Nganong nangutana man si Mike og unsay akong reaction kung magkita ta? Kinsa man ka GEC?

I told Glenn na ato siyang giistoryahan dinhi. Mobalik na gyud kuno siya og internet...

Sigbin, wala man ka nananghid. Nagmention man lang ka unya nagkatawa. Abi nako og binuang ra to. Sige lang, wholesome man pod ahong picture. hehehehe!  Mikey, dili gyud ko sexy. A friend even calls me, "Chabilita," after the Mexican telenovela nga batang gamay ang bida. 

woooooooooooooooooooooooooooi! nananghid ka? sort of ka diha! papparazzo!!! sakto spelling? tagai ko og kopya anang hulagwaya, beh! 

oiz, nahala...ate diay ko? mike? ngano man? unsa may huna-huna nimo nga akong reaction? kinsa si Gec in person?

Quote from: Onicul85 on July 20, 2007, 10:13:10 AM
Thats a really good point you brought up, Julai. The fact that our country's population is growing at a rate of 1.5+% a year is a serious concern, as it does pose a threat to proper human development index rates. The Philippines is a regional power--with such a population--and its evident that we need breathing space. I think that we need to colonize Mindanao and focus on total assimilation---I also think that one way to solve our population problem is also to press our historical claim of Sabah Province, which is at this moment being occupied by Malaysian Squatters. Sabah is a historical estate by the Sulu Sultanate, which is a political entity that is under protection and collaboration by the Philippine Government.

I say..we pursue a 'southward' expansion. Philippine Manifest Destiny is inevetible---

oiz, even the sulu sultanate wishes to be mum about the Sabah issue for now...

Population? Hehehe! Naa mi kanta hinimo bahin ani sa bata pa mi (take note: sa bata pa mi...) during a gathering of children and youth didto sa Baguio City. Sing it with me in the tune of "Always" by the Universal Motion Dancers (with Wowee de Guzman)... Oh, ha! Jologs ba?

"Always"

When it's cold outside, anak kayo ng anak
Hold on, tama na, Juan Flavier muna.... let's DOH it...

Always nanganganak tayo
Marami na tayo
And live in poverty poverty always... 2x!

Hehehe! Suko gyud CWL nako ani...

I learned it when he greeted me two Fridays ago, "Snowhite, nominated diay ka sa Ms. Virtual Sandugo!" So, I asked him, "Kinsa ka?" assuming that he's here among us sa site ni mike. Delaguna, makes sense gyud ang nick...

Ban-alam, ka-edad ra ta kung classmate mo ni Urwin.

As much as we want to preserve our culture, which language is a part, change is still a constant. The world evolves, culture evolves, language evolves. Indeed. The world has gone old and culture has evolved faster and faster as technology formed a borderless world shrinking it into a global village where everyone is a part of a small community.

Change can also be brought about individuals and certain sub-cultures of young people and even gender inventing their own culture of language (perhaps, as they make tusok-tusok of the fishballs by the pantalan or in the silid-aralan...) These changes may be welcomed and embraced by some while hurled by criticism by some. Shakespeare himself caused a stir when he invented his own words that contributed to the leap from old Elizabethan English to the modern English. He was criticized but now, he is revered by many for his talents in using words to express his thoughts and feelings.

The Bisayan language is not spared by changes. What we know as Bisaya today may be different from the Bisaya centuries ago. The words Karyapa used when she foretold the doom of the Dapitan Kingdom at the Tagbilaran Straight in the hands of the Portuguese were very much different from our Bisaya today. Yet, we recognize and take pride of Karyapa as the Inahan sa Bol-anong Mambabalak and the first- ever recorded poet in the records of Philippine history.

Even then, Bisaya is not soley our own since it is rooted to Arabic, Sanskrit, Malay. Even some of our Bisayan words are very similar with Bahasa in context and meaning. We don't exist in a vacuum. We are social people exchanging culture, beliefs, and ideas. It is true then. It is true now.   

Whether we welcome change or frown about it, change will always be constant as our shadows. 
However, it doesn't hurt us to zap ourselves back to the past to learn and relearn what we have as a culture, what we know and have known as a people for us to appreciate and give honor. Research and documentation of our culture and language per se is one way of revering our ancestry and giving honor to the past that has molded us to become who we are and what we are as a people today. Learning how to use it is a part of putting the pieces of the puzzle in our lives to make us completely understand what we are and who we are as Bol-anons.

Learning Bisaya (the old and the new)- whether in formal instruction or otherwise- does not mean that we are obliged to use it in our daily lives or that we are constrained from using the modern language.(Even in the English language there is formal, informal, slang, or street language, da va?  ) Let us just see language as a form of art and learning Bisaya (the old and the new) could be a skill that would allow us to whisk beautiful concoction of words in poetry and prose allowing us to express artistically what we want to share to the rest of the world. (Mabuhi si Mike, si Sigbin, si Coy Ponte ug uban pang mga mambabalak dinhi!) 

Even as we make tusok-tusok the fishballs or the saging on the sidewalk now na now na now na, or as we make pagtsur to achuchu the ek-ek, or as make sure that we spell gud am/pm, welkam, helo and gudbye correctly on our Nokia or Samsung, let us not let go of the kaanyag sa atong pinulungan Bol-anon bisan na lamang sa pagbasa sa mga libro og mga sinuwat sa kaniadto og karon didto sa tunghaan o asa pa man. 

patsur woi! 
 

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on July 18, 2007, 03:58:14 PM
We have one business partner in Guangzhou Province China, somewhere in Shenzhen. I sent one of our representatives there to do a business deal with this company we found in the business site: Alibaba.com. Since there is no airport in Shenzhen, I send him to Hong-kong so he will just ride a ferry boat. When he reached hong-kong, he is confident because all people there are fluent in English. However, when he reached Shenzhen, nobody in the port knows how to speak a single word of English. So he proceed walking to down-town and suddenly, he was surprised to hear a loud voice calling "Dito Pare... mura dito"... it was a Chinese inviting him to his bargain shop, where all counterfeit products are being sold.... our representative then realized that Filipinos in China are famous buyers of counterfeit products...

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on July 18, 2007, 03:58:14 PM
We have one business partner in Guangzhou Province China, somewhere in Shenzhen. I sent one of our representatives there to do a business deal with this company we found in the business site: Alibaba.com. Since there is no airport in Shenzhen, I send him to Hong-kong so he will just ride a ferry boat. When he reached hong-kong, he is confident because all people there are fluent in English. However, when he reached Shenzhen, nobody in the port knows how to speak a single word of English. So he proceed walking to down-town and suddenly, he was surprised to hear a loud voice calling "Dito Pare... mura dito"... it was a Chinese inviting him to his bargain shop, where all counterfeit products are being sold.... our representative then realized that Filipinos in China are famous buyers of counterfeit products...

Hehehe! There are many Filipinos in Shenzhen and Guangzhou! Mao tingali kabaw na ang Insik mag-Tagalog. We Filipinos love to buy cheap products. Kusog pa gyud manghangyo. Anad kaayo ko ana! bwahahaha! When we went to Beijing, grabe kaayo hinangyo-ay. From 350 yuan to 50 yuan or less. Grabe pod ka barato ilang products. Nakapalit ko sa Guanggzhou og 8 gigs na flash drive for 500 pesos. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! pag-uli sa Pilipinas, dili na moandar! Pero grabe pod ang Insik manghayo na mopalit ka sa ila product, gunitan imong bukton, T-shirt, o bag! 'Di ka palakwon!  But in Nanning, when the Chinese learned na we were Filipinos, sila na ang mo-lower sa ilang price kay matod pa nila, "Filipino, hen hao!" Very good gyud daw ta mga Pinoy! They were so impressed by PGMA who gave the opening speech during the 3rd China-ASEAN Expo. Usahay, dili na mi pabayron. Nalingaw pa gyud ang ubang insik kay pareho daw mi kagamaya ni PGMA. toink!!!

And speaking of the 3rd China-ASEAN Expo, you guys must be proud. The centerpiece of the tourism booth of the Philippines was the Tarsier and the Chocolate Hills. Yeah!

Quote from: your servant on July 18, 2007, 12:25:10 PM
this is a perfect example unsa ka-importante ang English.

my biggest headache today is that the so-called "educators" in Manila have filed a petition with the Supreme Court demanding that Tagalog be used as medium of instruction sa atong mga schools sa Pilipinas.

akong reaction: pag-solo mo taga-Manila. usapa nang inyong Tagalog.

Learning tagalog is important as well since that's a unifiying language for us Filipinos. (Some would say that declaring Tagalog as a "national" language is too Manila-centric and that it should be Bisaya since there are more Bisaya-speaking people in the country.)

Perhaps, it is good to use Tagalog as instruction to certain courses but not for the entire classroom session. Pareho ra gud sa una. Nindot na man to. What we need is just to make the instruction more exciting (as in interactive approaches, discovery learning, collaborative work setting, and computer-assisted!), more appropriate to age groups, and more conducive to learning. And of course, strengthen the teaching forces by equipping them with more skills and techniques. 

Sigbin's adobo is very delicious... Mao na bisan og uwan og kusog kong naay kaon ila sigbin, moadto gyud ko.

7. Eco-Adventure Adventure in Danao
8. Visit the Tarsiers in Loboc or Corella
9. Extreme Sports in Antequera
10. Camping at the Magsaysay Park and trek the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape
11. Candijay Mangrove
12. Cambuhat River Village
13. Ubay Agri-Park

Nibasa baya ko ato. Daghan mang kopya didto sa CCAD.

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on July 17, 2007, 09:03:12 PM
English is an essential tool required by all Filipinos to be competitive in the present world.

I had a Japanese visitor from Pigeon Brand (Baby Products) who used to correspond with me in perfect English. Strangely, he can not pronounce a single English word perfectly. Our meeting became lengthy because of that....

Similar case here: While I was in China for an ASEAN youth leadership program, I was asked to handle an English class with Chinese grade school children. The children can read and write English well but they cannot converse using the language. They are learning English through the books but they don't have interaction with other English-speaking people. Even the teachers of the children do not speak fluent English. I was based in Nanning and English-speaking foreigners are scarce in the city. The only English-speaking people I met were the band members playing in a bar/resto. They turned out to be Filipinos.

Maayo kay sa atoa, kamao man ta mag "yes" og "no" og "hey, joe!" hehehe! Molahutay man pod sa pakig-sultihanay sa Iningles bisan pa og miingon na ang kadagkuan sa atong nasod nga nagtagilid na ang abilidad sa atong mga bata sa maggamit sa sinultian sa mga banyaga. Maayo nga daghan na ang nabalaka. Mao nga ang atong mga tunghaan naningkamot sa pagtudlo sa sinultiang Iningles. (Enroll now sa Victoriano D. Tirol-Advance Learning Center! hehehhee! plug gyud!)

Apan ako gyud ning usbon og sulti (na-hisulat tingali sa ubang topic), maanindot nga kita makasulti og maayong Iningles apan mas maayo og dako ang atong kaantigo sa atong Binisaya og Tagalog (2 lang sa kay more or less 107 indigenous languages ang naa sa Pilipinas.) kay mao kini ang atong kinaiyahan. Kitang mga Bisaya, wa gani ta tudlo-i og saktong grammar sa atong sinultian. Maglisod pa man gani ta og suwat sa Binisaya. Hay, ako, dili kamao mag-ihap sa Binisaya kay One, Two, Three na ang gitudlo sa tunghaan. Para nako, naulaw ko nga dili ko maayo magsuwat sa Binisaya. Mao nga naningkamot gyud ko.   

Yes. And its awarding Bernales pud diay! Great!

the point is giving our people a choice to uplift themselves from poverty, a choice to improve their livelihood... a choice to live better lives through these; and a choice to work hand in hand with others and be proud of what our kinaiyahan had brought us to appreciate and protect.

udlot 

In fairness to the BTO, it has done its part.  It has embarked on several promotional strategies: through print, broadcast, travel marts, and sales blitz both in local, national, and international scene. To name a few, the BTO has promoted the island through TV/Video feature coverages, features in in-flight magazines, local and international travel magazines, local and national broadsheets, participation in national and international Travel Marts, and promotion through national and international sale blitz not to mention the through the pubication of travel brochures among others. BTO brings the name of the Bohol in its entirety promoting the island. Bohol is divided into several clusters/zones; eco-tourism, agro-industrial, special activity, and heritage zones. 

The work of th BTO is not just to promote our world to the world outside but also to facilitate empowerment among our people such as training them to be equipped tour guides, and promote the awareness towards the environment.

For the past year, the BTO in cooperation with the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) are working on the TOURISM MASTER PLAN OF BOHOL, which will become the bible of the Tourism Industry.   

Indeed, Bohol has gained its reputation as the best destination in the Philippines through the efforts of those who worked hand in hand to promote Bohol. Individuals, groups, and several organizations have come unnoticed. They know who they are. The Province of Bohol and its people raises its hat off to all of you.

However, the work is not yet done. We might have earned the reputation but we have yet to feel its impact on our people. Mao na magpadayon tang tanan.

Mabuhi tang tanan! Padayon Bohol! Uswag...

udlot 

Eco-Cultural Tourism is a broad concept that includes the natural environment, the community, cultural heritage, and livelihood. This is the pursuit of a balance between economy and nature; between keeping the traditional and pursuing the modern; between keeping our heritage intact while opening ourselves to the world. This is about being us and having ours but at the same time, engulfing them and theirs.

Eco-cultural Tourism opens to the world the beauty of the island- its amazing nature, warm and friendly people with a rich culture of its own. This is an all encompassing venture with one aim that is to uplift the lives of many Boholanos. What we need now is cooperation. Although success do not happen overnight, let us be all be in this together. Our people cannot wait to see the dawn in their lives.

The Bohol Tourism Office is just one agency that promotes tourism in our province. At the level of the provincial government of Bohol, several agencies are working hand in hand. The programs of the Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office (BPRMO), the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), the Center for Culture and Arts Development (CCAD), the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) are working towards the empowerment of the communities. The government is just one among the many. Several non-government organizations, individuals, and other organizations are in this as well. They are working with our government and our people.

Join the advocacy. Get your hands on it! 

Catch the re-run of Sandugo Oracles now dubbed as "Talinghaga sa Sandugo." The artistic rendition of the Sandugo will be staged on July 22, 6PM at the CPG Sports Complex. Be enthralled by the talents and skills of our local artists, singers, dancers, and thespians as they tell the story of the legendary Karyapa, Haring Gala, and Katuna as they faced the difficult decision-making points in their lives whether to welcome the Spanish fleet of Legaspi or not.

Last year's performance was laud by artists, media, and theater enthusiasts in the national scene. This year, the production vowed to make it better. This is participated in by more or less 200 youthful participants- individual artists and performers, students (UB and HNU), Teatro Bol-anon, Loboc Youth Choir, Diwanag Dance Troupe, and Himig Diwa Choir. Plans of including Luke Mejares, Cesar Montano, and Rich Asuncion in the production is on the process. This is directed by the award-winning musical director and theater veteran Mr. Gardy Labad while the libretto was composed by historian Marianito Luspo with music composed by Labad and well-known composer Mr. Lucien Letaba.

Come and be part of the artistic celebration!

PGB is awarding Boc for his honesty. We will confer him the Rajah Sikatuna Award, the highest form of recognition in the province. I hope PGB will notice Bernales, too. Let's make noise for Bernales. Onicul, it's nice of you to think on giving something for the boy. hmmm. ikaw na poy awardan ani for being generous!!! 

haaha! mahala gud yadz!

I must add that eco-cultural tourism entails community involvement as well. Our people has a lot to offer- talents, skills, ingenuity, hardwork- and yet they are not directly involved in the industry or its support industries. They may be slowly taking part but Bohol and our government have yet to move on forward to fully empower our people. Besides, Bohol has envisioned to become a prime eco-cultural tourist destination and a strong agro-industrial province with a self-reliant community that takes pride of their cultural heritage. 

Somehow through their involvement, they, too, must earn a living. But earning now are the big entrepreneurs owning and managing the beach resorts in Panglao and Anda. This is not totally a bad idea. I just hope that our people can be entrepreneurs, too. They can sell their arts and crafts (and not their "wares," ha!), show their talents for a fee, or manage their own businesses that supports the tourism industry.   

There are a lot of discussions and plans on how Bohol can become a true eco-cultural tourist destination. As for my part, making it come true is beyond my sole powers now. I just hope and pray that through our advocacies and even through this forum, we can make our voices be heard.

(There are lot of media people in here and public officials as well. I hope they are "listening.") 

Padayon, Bohol! Advance 153rd Foundation Day! Mabuhi tang tanan!

udlot

MY LTO STORY: I was applying for my driver's license back then. My cousin, who facilitated the papers, told me to go to the LTO around 5pm. I wondered nganong after office hours pa man? So, I went there around 4pm but an LTO staff asked me to wait outside among other customers. When it was time to close office, the guard asked me to go in. Wala nay mga tao sa opisina, wala nay mga tao sa gawas. Sirado na ang mga bintana og portahan. I was lost, actually. What I know is that all transactions are to be made outside the office through a glass window.

Now, why I am inside the office at 5pm? I didn't know what I am supposed to do there. Then one staff asked in a surprised manner, "Mo-exam pa ka ma'am?" I was bewildered myself so I said yes, which gave the staff a more surprised look. So, I took the exam without even going through a lecture or a test drive. I was not given any review notes. The exam was even very foreign to me with all those traffic signs, which are non-existent in our province and even in the Philippines. There were questions about road protocols and lifesaving procedures. Needless to say, I failed (I was 10 points behind the passing score!) the exam and I did not get a license. I was told to come back months after.

So, when I went home, I browsed the net for "traffic rules" over the LTO website, there was none. I stormed to National Bookstore for books or leaflets, there was none. I was disheartened.

But I was disheartened even more when my cousin, who processed my license, told me that he got his own license for 750 pesos and he did not take any examination at all. If he did, he would have failed, too. hehehe!

Our drivers- professional drivers at that, didn't even pass through driving tests. Most of them cannot even read traffic signs. If they took the written examination, they would have failed, too. Most of our drivers never went through anything. They just paid.

When a huzzle and buzzle took place about my experience, the LTO just gave me my license and didn't ask me to take another exam... an exam, which no one has bothered to take, perhaps, except me! 

Even the drug tests and eye examination were questionable, which are taken by agencies outside the LTO. For my drug test, I was asked to take a pee. After one or two minutes, they gave me a negative for drugs result. Then, I was asked to go into a room. As I was standing by the doorway, a woman looked up from where she was sitting and said, "Wa kay eyeglass, no? 20-20 lang ni ako ibutang ani" then scribbled something on a paper. And that was it for the precious 300 pesos I paid them. 

No one dared to really question this system. Senseless. Way hinungdan. I'm trapped. Will anybody fight for me? 

take the risk, ikaw na lay practice god. adto sa terminal sa Dao/Dampas. Naa kahay online instruction diri sa tubagbohol? hehehe!

Wa pa nako ingna si Glenn. 'Di man pod na siya motubag og text. Unya mokalit ra pod og text bisan og kadlawon. Sigbin, I heard you got a new bike, pero gahuwat pa ka ni Glenn na motudlo nimo... Asa man diay na siya?

Quote from: Sigbin II on July 13, 2007, 10:30:58 AM
Also, need it be said that there are a considerable number of Americans and other native English speakers who can't spell English words correctly?

BITAW! Unya noon, ang mga Koreano (mga Thai pod, no?) gani kay biased kaayo. Didto sa Korea, "NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS ONLY" kuno ang ilang dawaton sa mga ESL programs nila. Naa koy nabasahan sa web written in bold letters, "FILIPINOS NEED NOT APPLY." Pungota nako uy. Makalibog, labon manganhi sila sa Pilipinas aron magtuon og English. Way klaro.   

Why instense, Sigbin? Hmmm. Ghost, my uncle is very passionate about his research. I chided him that these words are "extinct" and he got "mad" at me. hehehe! Anyway, he's one of the reasons why I "chicken out" from writing Bisaya when I know he has the access to read it. Bitaw, I really appreciate his works. He's working on a dictionary. Sa tanang iyang mga pag-umangkon, ako ra man poy magsunod-sunod niya kabahin ani.

Bisaya is very rich. We have words practically for everything. Our counting system reaches up to millions and billions. Hmm! Why not make Bisaya the language of the world. Bitaw, there are Bisaya all over the world! We can conquer the world already. Matud pa ni Jessica Zafra, kita kunong mga pinoy, world domination is in our hands kuno. Bitaw, apil na mga Bisaya ana. Daghan gyud ta kaayo. If we all just stop working for one day, the operations of the richest malls in Dubai, the hospitals in New York, the cruise ships in England, the IT operations in Singapore, or the bars (ehe) in Japan will be paralized! heehehe!     

So karon, Sigbin, dili na akong Chinese name akong gamiton. I'll use my KaKa name instead.

naghigugma kaninyo,

Udlot

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Kamo, paghimo pod mo sa inyong mga Bisaya nga ngalan. Be honorary members of KaKa- Kaliwat ni Karyapa. We are a group of Bol-anons, who are "trying hard" writers in Bol-anong Binisaya.  hehehe! ako ra diay trying hard. Sigbin and Mike are very good writers. Bow gyud ko nila.

ako gihapon... 

WOW! Nice! UB Forever! hehehe! 

oops, hip! didn't mean that. i mean... when you were here, in Bohol, with us.

but i guess, you're not gone that long pud.

enjoy your stay...

Yes, Macky is right. As i've said, it's not the real measure of a person's abilities and capabilities. It's just that some schools and our people equate good English with good Education. English is the medium of instruction for schools and the language of the business arena. But at the UP, some of my professors refused to speak in English even when there were foreign students in class. They felt that it's just fair to do so since Filipinos who go abroad are the ones who try to speak the new language. At the UP, they used Tagalog. Apil Math og Sciences gi-Tagalog pud.  At least, wa ko na apil sa Tagalog Math and Sciences. Lisod gyud unta to. We don't have English classes. We had language electives instead. One can choose any language she/he wants to learn. I took Spanish. That's why our graduates have to take English courses outside UP so they can get into Law School, which requires English units.   

Hmmm, if China becomes the next super power, I'll start honing my ni hao and xie xie now; and start using my Chinese Name, too

peng you,

Huang Wei Da   

Quote from: queen on July 09, 2007, 04:07:29 PM
Riva, I'm sick in the stomach with the words "coffee and cream" because it obviously implies that I'm the coffee and he's the cream." What with my brown and his fair complexion. You "mean" girl.

MY DEAR QUEEN! COLOR DOES NOT MATTER... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL IN ANY COLOR, SHADE, OR HUE.

Mr. Sandugo,

Mitzi Lungay researched on this. She wrote a thesis re our Bol-anon literature. I'll ask for a copy of the Tigmo and the Pasumbingay.

The Bibo Bohol Heritage Camp last year was interesting, Mike. Paul, Ma'am Baby, Judy, and I facilitated the creative writing workshop. After several games of tigmo-tigmo, panultihon/pasumbingay relays, and short discussions about the Bol-anon literary traditions, the kids were able to come up with their own tigmo, pasumbingay, and panultihon. They had a performance poetry after that. Sir Gardy kept the copies of the "products." I'll ask him if na encode na ba.



 

English will always be here with us and we cannot brush it aside. It's a blessing that we, Filipinos, are polyglots and we can take pride of that fact. If education tourism is one way to boost our economy and boost our morales, then let it be. Let's teach the tourists bad English so no matter how far our educational system has "deteriorated," Filipinos will still be at par... hahahahh! joke!   

Really, I just hope our government and the private sectors still invest in good education. As for me, I am planning to volunteer to teach literacy among the kids in my barangay. It has been my plan for a long time but I have not started it yet. What KaKa (Kaliwat ni Karyapa- a writers group in Bohol) and the Literary Arts Committee of the BACH (Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage) Council (which Mike is a member!) have done so far is to go around Tagbilaran and teach Tigmo-tigmo and Boholano legends among little children at the Day Care Centers.

If you like to help us, pls send me a message.   

welcome to our virtual home, hippie.  hope this will make you twenty again...  or at least, zap you to the times you were amongst us...

snowhite

It's fine to learn Tagalog and Bisaya in schools. We are Filipinos and we should learn or relearn what is ours. And love what is ours. For decades, we have been moulded by an American educational system, which forced us to become "Americans" that we are not and will never be! We learned our ABCs and One Two Threes, and learned that A is for apple, which is even very foreign for all of us. English has been a must for everyone. 

Perhaps, it is a good thing to learn the language of the "super powers" for us to be "globally competitive" in our business ventures, careers, and services. But it has come to such irony as most Filipinos now look up to those who can speak and write better English, and perhaps, bow to those who have the English "twang." We even laugh at people's crooked English but find it cute for Fil-Ams and other foreigners who speak broken Bisaya or Tagalog. For all we know, to speak English well is not a real measure of one's wit and intellect, or one's capacity to learn, or one's ability to work or serve.

We have made the English language as the "standard" in schools and in most institutions. Learning it has become the "be-all and end-all." Yes, we now live in a global village and our tongues need to be versatile but let us not forget who we are and what we are. We are Filipinos and we should take pride of our language. If we take time to learn English, we must take time to master our very own language- be it Bisaya, Tagalog, or otherwise. 

Which, I believe, most of us cannot claim to have done so.

(the issue of our present educational system is another story... )

Sam Malaki is a superior tenor based in LA. He recently came home to the Philippines to perform in several concerts- at the CCP and other parts of the country. His brother Efrem, a singer, talent manager, and a producer of records and concerts, are raised in Leyte. Their roots come from Anda, Bohol. Their mother is an Amper. Please google SAL MALAKI for more information. I have some of his records courtesy of Kuya Efrem. They're very good.

Quote from: queen on July 06, 2007, 08:08:21 PM
Hello, Vida! Kindly proceed to "Who's Who/Contestant # 1" and "Who's Who/Fashion and Beauty Consultant." There's a public clamor that you be nominated as one of the contestants for the virtual Ms. Bohol Sandugo 2007. Just like me, you might also sing, "Please, don't let me be the last to know..."

Mao... I was the last to know gyud... di lang ko kamao ana na kanta!

Sujo pa, sigbin! naay ber o toba? Kung modaog ko, trip to Bangkok, ha! Magpractice na kog kaon og kayo ani? Tambleng pod! waaaaaaaah! 

Toink!  karon pa ko kabasa ani da! Abi ko Gec og mao na tong post ni Ms. Rose! Naa pa diay dinhi! Oh May Ged! Injo kong gi-estoryahan sa wala ko dinhi... hmmmpp! dili gyud maayo na mawala bisan kadiyot lang.   Si Sigbin, bag-o man gud og camera, ako ang gi-testingan. Sigbin, gansi ko dah. I'll bring my camera the next time magkita-kita ta. Adunay Mr. Sandugo, dba? hmmmm. You got me thinking....  Ambot ni si Ms. Rose ngano ako'y ijang gipuli. Ok ra basta trip to Bangkok lagi ang iyang ihatag nako. Bantay ka!  Pero, layo ra man ko sa ka super sexy ni Ms. Rose! Hail, the Queen!   

hello, Onicul85. how will we call you? yes, bohol is a paradise. we hope our people will keep it that way. 

hihi! pasayloa, ghost

Hmmm. i'll tell "artest glinn" about this. Naa ba sya diri? Glinnnnnnnnnnn?

ngek, ghost! dili man na maoy essence sa demolay... hahaha! there was a time bitaw na ila gipariha og frat ang application process. sori, ghost! 

Toink! Toink! Toink  maayo gani kay kanang presentable pod nga nawong ang gipilit ni Rose diri. oh, no!  Cge, mo-apil ko basta trip to Bangkok ang pahalipay!  hmmm. unsa kahay ajong talent ani ron. magpractice na ko sa "ahms ahms, geb mi a pes ob bred.... ahms, ahms... way ur stering at mi. doh you know my pader, doh you know my mader?... ahms, ahms..."  aha, ra ang sujo, sigbin, para di ta maulaw!

unsa'y contestant, gec? asa tan-awon? ghost, ngano man? curious lang.

Rivz, anaa kay friendster? ako ka pangitaon, ha.  what are you doing in japan?

ngano di ka madawat sa mason, ghost?

  Hahaha! You're right, sigbin. Kato tua sa South Korea ako. hehehe!

Right, Rose! 

Rose,

At times, I feel Bohol is just too laidback and "sleepy." I feel bored and restless. But then I forgot, these are some of the reasons why I came back to Bohol in the first place. Yeah, I'm lucky to be home. Thanks for reminding me. Now, I just stopped whining. hehehe!

Hi, Rivz! wow! i like china a lot. i learned to love their food though makabugas.  when i was there, they invited us to volunteer for the beijing olympics. ingon man to pa-emailon lang. let's find out how to apply. i like to go back there. nice ang japan? i'm hoping to get into the youth training program sponsored by japan later this year. ni-apply na ko and this month daw ang announcement. hay, nindota og madayon ko. kita kits unya. hehehe! dream dream dream... 

hi, ghost. i'm a rainbow girl... well, sauna. eastern star na ko ron. by any chance, member ka sa masonic family?

si sigbin og ang iya brother ang kusog mo-inom og sujo.  sigbin's bro gave me sujo for my bday last year. hehehe! 

hi, jackeith! welcome to our virtual home! yeah, nice bitaw inyong plaza. nice pod ang tree house. cge man mi labay kay naa miy balay sa trinidad. ingon si mfrandsen taga getafe cya.

Mao gyud! UP dil taught math and sciences in tagalog. Mao pod tingali siya inspired to teach his subjects in Bisaya. Sakto man siya. Bisaya gud ta. Ako pod naningkamot pod na makamao magbisaya.

yeah, sexy gyud si ms rose! unsa man ni? magvoting na ta? naa poy mr sandugo? btw, the musical "sandugo oracles" will be restaged. those who missed it last year can watch it this time. 

Mao ba, ghost? Yeah, he's a proud Bisaya gyud. Sige man siya og suwat sa iyang dictionary. Sigbin, ania diay ka! Taga-i na lang ko ice tea, beh! Di man mo manghatag og tuba! 

hello, gec. thanks. tagay!

Murag ako ra may naa sa Bohol ani diay. Kalajo ba ninyo. Maayo kay sige mo og bisita sa virtual Bohol nato dri. i'm happy to meet you all.

Hi, Ms Rose. I love reading your witty and entertaining friendster blogs, too.