john_earlm's Xanga

A Timely Unexpected Good News

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:45:44 GMT

To be honest, the past few days have not been very easy. It is so difficult to find a job that you really want. I thought that if you have done extraordinarily well in college, you will be guaranteed with a good job. I always had to deal with competition and bureaucracy (which is usually true in the HR level). Until now, I am still waiting for a company to call and say "hey, you're hired!"

I am feeling tired, though not really depressed since I'm generally positive that I will be given the chance to be part of the world of work in the very near future.

This afternoon, around 2:30 PM, I received a Chikka text message from a certain Dred Ople.

Hi Earl, this is Dred Ople, Managing Editor of Starfish Magazine. Please check www.starfishmagazine.com for the top 20 finalists. Thanks.

I joined the essay writing competition of Starfish Magazine, the publication arm of Ayala Young Leaders, last November 2006. According to the guidelines, the top 20 finalists will be notified on February 2007. The expected month of announcement had passsed, and nothing happened. I thought I never made it to the top 20, until this afternoon.

Out of curiosity, I replied to Dred and asked if I made it to the top 20 and to the top 10. She replied:

Yes, you are one of the top 20. The top 10 and top 3 will be announced on the 27th of July, will send invites to your school so block off your sked then, including your parents, congrats!

Click the image to enlarge

At least a new blessing came in. I am just grateful that despite the difficulties, something good still happened. I will try to look for the actual copy of the article that I sent and will post it at my blog.

A Year After I Dealt

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:18:30 GMT

It's been exactly a year since I dealt with Kris, and in 8 more days, it will be a year since my first (and probably the last) major exposure on Philippine free TV (it was June 14, 2006). The official tagline of the program says "Isang Desisyon ang Babago sa Buhay Mo". Indeed, my decision to deal somehow changed my life. Thanks to the cumulative 30-minutes exposure on Philippine Primetime Television, I met a lot of people from different walks of life. Would you believe that until now, some nasty bystanders and kids in our barangay still shout "Deal or No Deal" everytime I pass by? Though I'm quite known to a handful of students from San Beda, I became more familiar with the Bedan community because of that exposure. Coincidentally, it's been a year since our unforgettable and unplanned Baguio escapade.

I can still remember, days after that exciting moment, that I had heated arguments with my mother as to how I should share a little portion of my winnings. Believe me, it's difficult to escape or put to an end in a monetary-inspired argument. The hardest part is on how to gracefully evade those people that are "seriously" asking for "balatos". Haha.

The prize money that I won had its purpose, as if God really made things happen. Months after my stint, a major crisis occurred in the family. Good thing that I managed to save my money, and a huge portion of it was used for my necessities, specifically for my studies. A little amount of course, was spent on shopping, and the remaining was invested in mutual funds. My mutual fund savings came in handy for the unexpected expenses. Thanks to my dealt prize, I now have an upgraded computer, DSL subscription, and I was able to stay in a dormitory near school for a short time. I became more participative on certain gigs of my friends.

Of course, who would forget my 2-hour encounter with Kris Aquino? I was inches away and conversed with the greatest newsmaker in the Philippines. I had a blast with the person that Filipinos either hate or like.

If only I could turn back time, haha. I'm just glad that I had the chance to participate in that game show. Thanks to that event, I became more blessed, tangibly and intangibly.

Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal is back on its second season. With its pilot that will start on June 11, 2007, the highest amount in the money board that could be won by the lucky contestant in a No Deal situation is P3,000,000.00. I heard that there's some sort of game for the texters, and they could win half of the prize won by the contestant for the day. Indeed, it is the richest game show in Philippine Television history.

105th Commencement Exercises

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:24:26 GMT

This afternoon and evening was a day of extremes. It was the saddest yet happiest moment of the year, and probably of half the decade, or of my main teenage years. It was the day of firsts, and the day of conclusions. Indeed, this day will be remembered, not only because it officially concluded the day of my daily stay at my 2nd home for the last nine years, but also because our batch made history.

Batch 2007 is the first co-ed batch, the batch with the highest number of academic honors in terms of percentage and headcount, the batch which took part of the NCAA Season 82 championships, and the batch with the most number of graduates, with three new courses including my program, BS Financial Management and Systems Development.

It was also one of the proudest if not the proudest day of my life. It felt good wearing the red academic gown, which happened to be the only red academic gown in Asia, and wearing it was the best when I received my diploma and silver medal for being an academic distinction. Allow me to boast this time, I am an Academic Distinction awardee, and the highest academic distinction awardee for the BS Financial Management program. I won't be shy in saying that I really felt good and proud marching at Plaza Bedista and the school quadrangle with salutations from the cadet and the faculty. Accepting the silver medal and diploma, while shaking hands with the faculty and the administrators will probably be my most memorable seconds.

Well, the day had its worsts too, because we staged the commencement rites in the middle of the afternoon sunlight. I had sweat all over. I really thank Joyce, Tophie, and the rest of the academic distinction awardees for allowing me to have fun with them, and for laughing at my jokes, as if I was a stand-up comedian. Haha. Thanks also to Benj, my cum laude friend (he's the guy whom I'm so proud of next to myself), as well as Ronald our magna cum laude. for taking pictures of mine.

I was also glued to my seats when I listened to the speech of our commencement speaker. She's Victoria P. Garchitorena, President of Ayala Foundation USA, Ayala Foundation Inc. and the Managing Director of the Stakeholder Relations of the Ayala Corporation. Her speech was truly inspiring and almost flawless. Her words, including her delivery, were spellbinding. I will surely ponder on her words for us graduates.

My sincerest thanks to the graduates of San Beda CAS 2007. To my fellow finmans, thanks for everything. Batchmates, continue to be the best in your chosen fields. I pray that you will all find happiness and success in your future endeavors. Never embrace mediocrity. As Gandhi once said, "BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD". Always "ANSWER THE CLARION'S CALL, FOR SAN BEDA, OUR COUNTRY, AND GOD".

I also want to thank my educators and formators, for molding me and contributing to my character. Special thanks to my favorite mentors: Prof. Delilah Bernardo, Prof. Adelo Brabante, Prof. Marco Montes, Prof. Cadz Malbarosa, and Prof. Araceli Fernando.

Lastly, I wanna thank my family, especially my mom and dad, for everything. Thank you for unconditionally loving me, and for investing in a San Beda education. Thank you for your endless support as well.

Congratulations batch 2007.

View my photos at my multiply and flickr.

To my friends, I'm just one text away, please remember that.

Up to this moment, the only tune that sinks in my mind and heart is the "Pomp and Circumstance" melody, which is the universal graduation or commencement theme. I even downloaded an mp3 of it just to relive the moments that I just had a few hours ago.

Batch 2007 Baccalaureate Mass

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:26:05 GMT

At this point, I am mixed with different emotions and thoughts. A few hours ago, we had our Baccalaureate Mass for the graduating class of 2007, San Beda College of Arts & Sciences. It was probably the last mass that I will attend inside the Abbey Church of our campus.

You can view my photos at my multiply or flickr.

A Fully Blogged Year @ Blogger

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:57:44 GMT

View the original version of the banner above here.

It's been exactly one whole year since I officially blogged here at blogger. Roughly 110 stories of the Pinoy version of Harry Potter have been chronicled and blogged. Coincidentally, the blogged also reached its 5,000th hit.

"Pinoy Potter's Chronicles, Viewpoint... Plot... Emotion" served as the outlet of my opinions, stories, and sentiments. Since the day I switched to blogger from friendster, blogging has been at its coolest. I never thought that I'll find myself blogging, as if I am talking to myself while being transparent with the people of the world. I never imagined that I'll be making friends and acquaintances through this medium. I can't even believe that some distinguished people from various fields eavesdropped at this online diary. Indeed, as Thomas Friedman said, "The World is Flat".

I sincerely thank all of those who dropped by, those who regularly visited, and those who interacted and gave me a link to their respective diaries and sites. More power to blogging. I'm looking forward to the next 12 months of sharing and interacting with myself and the people of the flat world, or better, the next 50 years. Haha.
In case you forgot how my very first banner looks like, here it is.

View the Christmas edition of the very first blog banner here.

Breaking News: Another Clown Joins The Circus

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:49:50 GMT

A clown named Cesar Montano. Mr. Panaghoy was busy doing a photoshoot when the Malacanang people called him up to be the replacement of the "impotent Senatoriable" Petilla. It took Cesar "a split second" to say yes. So, is it goodbye Hollywood dreams for Cesar?

The poor Richard Gomez, who almost sold his soul to the devil to be given the chance to be part of Team Unity, was deprived just for Cesar to be in later. But hey, in the event that Kiko Pangilinan (who unfortunately is having tendencies to be part of UNO), Richard Gomez might be in at the UNO slate. If that happens (and I do hope Richard will be in at UNO for entertainment's sake), the two slates will be even in terms of their entertainment non-sense. There will really be a major political boxing, not only of Erap & Gloria, but of Cesar & Richard. Let's call it "the political ambitions of two undergarment models".

Speaking of Richard, someone in the internet cries that "Richard Gomez sucks".

Graduation Photos

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:30:39 GMT

Finally, my long wait is over. Our graduation photos were released yesterday.

p.s. The scanner used in scanning these photos sucks. I'll try to re-scan these photos so they will look better next time. But for now, I can't help but feel excited. March 30, 2007 will be the big day.

Government Agencies' Outsourcing Solutions

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:08:59 GMT

While we hate a lot of things about the government, specifically about politics, we should also credit the government, and the people (whoever they are) who made it possible, for coming up with some solutions in solving red-tape, inconveniences and other problems that Juan Dela Cruz must face everytime he needs to secure a very important document from a government agency. At least we see some improvements.

One of the mechanisms that the government agencies employed in delivering the essential documents that Juan Dela Cruz will secure from them is "outsourcing".

A year ago, my passport expired, so it's renewal time. I managed to avoid the hassle of falling in line at the DFA to renew my passport with the help of a certain hotline (too bad, i forgot the hotline, but there's always Directory Assistance 187) for the renewal. The next day (after calling the DFA hotline), a staff of 2GO went to our house to get the requirements (you will be given the option on when you want the staff to go to your house to collect the requirements). Upon submission of the application, I paid the application. After a few days (can't say exactly, but around 2 weeks), I already had my new passport, delivered by the same 2GO staff.

Just last week, I had to get a few copies of my birth certificate, I remember that while watching Philippine Idol at ABC5 when it was still on air, there's this plug about the NSO Helpline. I failed to recall the number, so i thought of visiting the NSO website since i might get the number. At the NSO website, there was a link to E-census. When i checked the site, I found out that ecensus offers delivery services for birth certificates, marriage certificate, and certificate of no marriage. I subscribed, paid at Equitable PCI, then after 6 days (yesterday to be exact), I received my requested copies of Birth Certificate.

2 days after my birth certificate subscription, I asked from the directory assistance trunkline for the number of NSO Helpline. When I called the helpline, I asked for a follow-up of my E-census application, only to find out that E-census and the NSO Helpline are two different entities providing solutions for NSO, though the rates are just the same and the period of delivery. For a while, I was worried because there was no way for me to follow-up the status of my E-census request (except for the "Verify status" page at the site).

The only problem about these solutions is that they are expensive. For the passport, I had to pay P1,500 for everything, while the E-census service costs P300 per copy of birth certificate (same rate applies for NSO Helpline). But at least these agencies gave us the convenient alternative.

Let's Get It On: The 2007 Senate Race

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:22:43 GMT

The cards have been laid.

For the Grand and Broad Coalition, formerly UNO that became U N O (take the hint from the change of coalition name, they weren't and will never be united), the following are their bets:

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III
Alan Peter Cayetano
Nikki Coseteng
Francis “Chiz” Escudero
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
Loren Legarda
John Osmeña
Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III
Sonia Roco
Lt. SG Antonio Trillanes IV

with the following ghost candidates:
Manuel "Manny" Villar
Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

Their main agenda? To impeach PGMA.

Of the two ghost candidates, Kiko Pangilinan has been very vocal in saying that he will run as independent and that he is not comfortable with the opposition. Manny Villar, on the other hand, enjoys his "untouchable" stature and is welcoming the endorsement of any of the coalitions.

The coalition that became overflowing with applicants ran out of candidates in the end. Their overflow became their weakness after all. If Trillanes wins, he'll probably become the senator with the longest name in Philippine history.

The leftovers of the U N O, on the other hand, seemed to have partially saved Team Unity (that's Together, Everybody Achieves More) ticket from the shame of sure loss. In the seemingly endless struggle between Erap & PGMA's camp (where the administration seemed to be like China and U N O being like the Philippines in the Asian Games due to the "lead score" of the administration in the political battles, despite the failure of the Cha-cha train), the latter scored once again against the former. Being a political butterfly is really helpful to the losing camp, just like the way a real butterfly pollinates a flower.

For Team Unity, the following are the candidates:

Edgardo Angara
Joker Arroyo
Tessie Aquino-Oreta
Michael "Mike" Defensor
Jamalul Kiram
Vicente Magsaysay
Carlos Jericho Petilla
Prospero Pichay
Ralph Recto
Luis “Chavit” Singson
Vicente "Tito" Sotto III
Miguel Zubiri

Team Unity is composed of newbies and political butterflies. They also kept on using awful rhymes and jingles like "Boom Tarat Tarat (2x), Zubiri (2x) Boom (3x)" (with the first version sung by PGMA), Ang Gara ng Pilipinas kay Angara", "Itanim ang Pichay sa Senado", and other taglines that are as awful if not worse.

Let's not forget the independents, two of whom were rejects of both parties.

Gringo Honasan
Richard Gomez
Danton Remoto (third sex representative)

Richard Gomez was not admitted in Team Unity because some trapos are not comfortable adopting an artista in their slate, especially if that artista has been very critical of the administration. Originally, he wanted to be part of Estrada's slate, but he wasn't admitted for reasons that only they know. He cried at S-Files last Sunday, either due to the fact that he'll be out of the show, or that he needs our sympathy and votes, or both.

As for Gringo Honasan, I myself am wondering why he wasn't admitted in U N O, and that the coalition even favored Trillanes.

It's campaign period time. Expect Vilma Santos, Sharon Cuneta, Lucy Torres, Kris Aquino, and other equally prominent celebrities endorsing the trapos. Try to use your ipods and mp3 players more often, because sticking in your television and tuning in to local channels might not be a good idea. Chances are you will suffer from last song syndrome due to the political jingles that will be all over TV and radio. (Believe me, I almost couldn't get rid of the "Jajajajamby song" at the height of its popularity last 2004 elections).

I gotta admit, there are certain stands and opinions that I admire on the Wednesday group (at least the three of them). Take Joker Arroyo for instance, he managed to protect the independence of the Senate and slammed the administration on some of its dumb political stands, yet he still chose to be with the administration. I agree to Joker when he said that the opposition has yet to offer the people a clear agenda. (He'll surely get my vote). Ralph Recto, on the other hand, despite me being unconvinced in voting for him, was just as firm in saying that he can't be with the opposition who knows nothing but to bring Erap back to presidency. Kiko Pangilinan, despite being unfriendly with the administration, still chose not to be identified with the U N O, a group of politicians pretending to be united and offering an alternative. At least Kiko had the balls in saying that he isn't comfortable with the opposition. Unlike a certain Wednesday group member, who seems to be enjoying the "recognition" of both camps and had no balls by playing his cards safely. He chose to be independent yet gave the coalitions the go signal to adopt him. He was so afraid to be part of Team Unity because his popularity might sink, yet he can't afford to lose the administration loyalists. It's certain, Manny Villar is eyeing for the 2010 presidency.

Globe's New Unlimited Text Pricing Scheme

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:27:15 GMT

During my 12:00NN-3:00PM Class yesterday, a text message was being passed around saying that Globe's Unlimitxt service became P80/4days. Incidentally, my unlimited texting subscription expired also yesterday. I loaded P60 since I usually load for UNLIMITXT50. When I registered for UNLIMITXT50, I received the ff. message:

Ang GLOBE UNLIMITED TEXTING SERVICES ay mas exciting na! Para maka-enjoy ng ALL DAY UNLIMITED Texting, may UNLITXT:

P20/1day, P40/2days, P80/4 days.

Para sa heavy DAYTIME Texters, may Globe UNLITXTD:

P15/1day. P30/2days.

Para sa walang pagod na NIGHTSHIFT texters, may UNLITXTN:
P10/1day, P20/2days.

Para sa sulit na UNLIMITED GHP-GHP Texting +P0.75 to other networks, may TXTPLUS:

P25/1day, P50/2days.

Nice eh?

This morning, Jones Campos, spokesperson of Globe Telecom was interviewed in ABS-CBN's Magandang Umaga Pilipinas. He said that the increased price of Globe's Unlimited Texting is true and FINAL.

I'm one of the protesters against this very capitalistic move of Globe Telecom. After praising their much better rates and services, they did this. Good thing I did not lose my Smart for good. If Globe keeps this pricing scheme in the next two weeks, expect everybody to switch to the good old Sun Cellular. I've been receiving several messages protesting against Globe, but the best text message so far is:

May mas kurakot pa kay GMA...

- Globe.