THE LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM FOR THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE

Egyptian President Mubarak has appointed a vice-president, prime minister and a new interior minister to mollify the Egyptian people. As the call for Mubarak to resign grows stronger each day, the Egyptian president has merely offered concessions which Egyptians regard as inconsequential. Tahrir Square remains the convergence point of thousands of people who all seek the ouster of Mubarak.
Egyptians are calling for no less than a nationwide general strike to force Mubarak to resign. A march to the presidential palace with a million participants is scheduled tomorrow to pressure the prersident to leave the country. But while Egyptians are determined to continue with their protest actions, they will have to make tremendous sacrifices for their aspirations to become reality. The crisis, as it drags on, will weigh heavily on Egypt's economy. The crippled economy will ultimately affect the common Egyptian in the coming days. This early, people lining up for bread has become a common sight in Egypt. I just hope that Egyptians remain resolute in finishing what they have started, no matter how difficult it may be. The road to freedom after all has never been easy for anyone.

SAAN NA SI JAMES YAP NGAYON ?

Kapansin-pansin na tumamlay ang career ni James Yap matapos siyang layasan ni Kris Aquino. Kung nuon ay lagi siyang laman ng mga pahayagan at programa sa telebisyon, ngayon ay madalang pa sa patak ng ulan sa tag-araw ang mga nagtatampok sa kanya. Maging sa mga commercials, nilalayuan na siya ng mga kumpanya bilang image model at endorser.
Marahil, higit sa pagalis sa poder ni Kris Aquino, ang biglang pagkalaos ni James Yap ay bunga ng pagkakabunyag nang totoo niyang ugali. Sa annulment case nila ni Kris, napatunayan na sakim sa pera at ari-arian si James Yap. Kinamkam niya maging ang mga ari-ariang naipundar ni Kris.
Tila ang mga nagbubulag-bulagan na lamang na fans ng B-Meg ang pumapansin kay James Yap ngayon. May ilan din tulad ng inyong lingkod ang manaka-nakang nagbibigay ng espasyo kay James Yap. Subalit ito ay upang ipaalala lamang na di nagbubunga nang mabuti ang panlilinlang at sobrang pagmamahal sa salapi.

EGYPT : PEOPLE POWER 2011

Egypt is now in the middle of a political upheaval. Egyptians have trooped to the streets to demand an end to a corrupt government. Images of thousands of people in the streets seeking to overthrow a government remind me so much of what happened in the Philippines in 1986.
From news report, Egyptians are not merely demanding concessions from the government. Rather, they want to remove President Mubarak from office. Mubarak has ruled over Egypt for the longest time with corruption seemingly a trademark of his administration. I just hope that Mubarak heeds the call of his countrymen to prevent further bloodshed. Mubarak must realize that his time is up. It is time for Egypt to chart its own destiny without Mubarak as its leader.

ASIAN CUP 2011 : JAPAN WINS 4TH TITLE

Japan survived a shaky start and some precarious moments to win the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar. Lee, coming off the bench, scored at the 109th minute of the match to secure the fourth Asian Cup title of Japan.
But the other hero for Japan was its goalkeeper. Kawasima played superbly to deny Australia several goals. Japan survived several attempts of Australia due to the outstanding plays of Kawashima.
Australia looked on its way to victory with its aggressive plays and excellent passing. Japan hardly had clear kicks to the goal. In fact, Australia had more attempts than Japan. But Lee suddenly found himself open to score the only goal of the match.
Personally, I am happy that Japan won the Asian Cup. Japan played with great character throughout the tournament and truly deserved to win. Congratulations, Blue Samurai !

GOODBYE PBA, GOOD RIDDANCE

After I get to interview Coach Chot Reyes, I promise not to interview anymore any other PBA personality. I simply cannot stand the ways of the PBA.
For the second time around, I failed to meet Coach Chot for a scheduled interview. I waited for more than 3 hours outside Araneta to be able to finally conduct the interview with the Talk and Text coach. It would have been a lot easier for me if I had my PBA press card with me to gain entry and access to Araneta. But I have yet to get my card 3 months after my editor asked the PBA to work on it. I can't help but think that my card is taking such a long time to process because of  the negative articles I wrote about certain PBA personalities in the past.
I tried to look for a liason officer of the PBA to help me tell Coach Chot that I was merely outside Araneta for the scheduled interview. But I did not find one. I am sure that the PBA can afford to hire an officer who could act as the facilitator between the PBA and fans and sports writers. I could have easily conducted the interview had an officer attended to my needs that particular night.
Lastly, it would greatly help if the PBA personnel had mobile phones that they could use to coordinate things among themselves. From my experience last night, a person would have to go from one gate to the other just to transact a particular business among the PBA personnel. A mobile phone among the people of the PBA would certainly make things a lot easier for everyone.
Since I cannot stand stand the way the PBA does things, I have come to a decision to stay away from the PBA as far as possible. From now on, I promise to focus on other athletes in other sports. It will now become my advocacy to promote unknown athletes who manage to bring honor to the country. I will use my sad and tiring experience with the PBA to write for a greater purpose.

ASIAN CUP 2011 : JAPAN AGAINST AUSTRALIA FOR THE CROWN

Japan is through to the finals as it beat South Korea through a penalty shoot-out, 3-0. The game between Japan and South Korea ended at a 2-2 draw, with Japan scoring the equalizer at the last minute of extra time. The penalty shoot-out had South Korea scoreless to lose its ticket to the finals.
Australia, on the other hand, had a much easier time with Uzbekistan. The Socceroos completely dominated Uzbekistan, winning 6-0. While I expected Australia to win easily, the relative ease in which Australia destroyed Uzbekistan is still quite stunning.
The finals of the Asian Cup promises to be an exciting one. The two teams that have played extremely well all throughout the tournament are in the finals. But I am still sticking to my prediction that Japan will win it all. The character that Japan displayed in its match against South Korea is the stuff that champions are truly made of.

SUPERMODEL OF THE WORLD 2011: A FILIPINA MAKES IT

Danica Magpantay, a 17 year old fine arts student from U.P., did the country proud by winning the title of Supermodel of the World 2011. Besting 70 models from around the world, Danica is the first Filipina to win in the prestigious model search. Prior to Danica's  victory, Melanie Marquez and last year's bet Chat Almarez held the highest finish by a Filipina in the competition by placing first runner-up.
Danica, who beat her sister to represent the Philippines, stands 5'9'' and plans to continue her studies and modelling in the U.S.

ASIAN CUP 2011 : THE FANTASTIC FOUR

With defending champion Iraq out, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan slug it out for the Asian Cup crown. The semifinal match-ups pit Australia against Uzbekistan and Japan going up South Korea.
It is unfortunate that Japan and South Korea will face each other in the semifinals. I believe these two teams deserve to be in the finals. Uzbekistan is proving to be the the biggest surprise of the tournament as it battles 20th world ranked Australia.
I believe Japan will win over South Korea while Australia will have an easier time with Uzbekistan. In the finals. I want to see Japan win over Australia. Japan has been so impressive in its games and truly deserves to win the Asian Cup.

ASIAN CUP 2011 : 8 TEAMS LEFT

The Asian Cup enters its quarterfinal stage with 8 teams remaining. These are :
1. Iraq
2. Australia
3. Japan
4. Qatar
5. Jordan
6. Uzbekistan
7. Iran
8. South Korea
Defending champion Iraq will face Australia in the quarterfinals. Japan and Qatar will battle it out for a spot in the semifinals. Jordan and Uzbekistan will do the same. South Korea will play against Iran to complete the cast for the final four.
Japan and South Korea should post easy victories over their opponents based on their performances so far. The match between Iraq and Australia promises to be the most exciting in the quarterfinals. It will be a toss-up between Jordan and Uzbekistan as both teams are capable of pulling off surprises.
While I still believe that Japan and South Korea will eventually face each other for the crown, it is still anybody's guess as to who will ultimately be crowned champion. I simply cannot wait for the quarterfinals to begin and see which country is the best in Asian football.

A CALL TO BOYCOTT MO TWISTER'S PODCAST

I love Mo twister's morning radio show. I am a huge fan of the show and remains one for more than 5 years now. But this morning's broadcast upset me so much.
Mo kept on reminding his listeners to tune in to his late night podcast that will feature, of all people, Hubert Webb. While I do understand that Mo simply wants to attract more listeners by featuring controversial personalities, featuring Hubert Webb is a different and sensitive case. Hubert happens to be an accused in one of the country's most gruesome crimes. Instead of commiserating with the aggrieved party, Mr. Lauro Vizconde, Mo has decided to give undue attention and celebrity status to Hubert Webb. It just disturbs me that Mo seems to favor an accused whose innocence has been upheld by a court where the accused's relative sits as a judge.
The careless and terribly insensitive decision of Mo to feature Hubert in his podcast is really his call. But it is my call as well to ask people to boycott his podcast. Collectively, we can do something. Together, we can stand up against impropriety and injustice.

P-NOY AND HIS PORSCHE : TRULY IMELDIFIC

While I don't think there is anything illegal about P-Noy's purchase of a 4.5M Porsche, his purchase at best can be described as truly imeldific. In a country where 70% of the population live on a dollar a day, I find it disturbing that the president has the nerve to be extravagant and be insensitive to the plight of the majority of his countrymen.
More than anything else, I find Noynoy's need to purchase an expensive Porsche a sign of his great insecurity. It just goes to show that the presidency for Noynoy is not enough to give him the confidence and self-assurance that he badly needs. He has to purchase an embarrassingly expensive car to gain the confidence and respectability that the office of the president does not accord him. Interestingly, no one even takes the time to really find out what the current selling price of a Porsche 911 is. From what I know, a second hand Porsche 911 is worth at least 7.5M. This makes the purchase all the more interesting.

GINEBRA VS. B-MEG : THE MORE INTERESTING SERIES

The results are in. San Miguel will go up against Talk and Text for the All-Filipino crown. Ginebra, on the other hand, will battle B-Meg for third place. While the championship series has all the ingredients of a great series, it is the battle for third place that I think is the more interesting match.
For one, Ginebra and B-Meg boast of millions of die-hard fans. The two boast likewise of the most popular players in the PBA. Personally, it will be very interesting to see whether the gracious team will beat the rudely unaccommodating team. Ginebra has been so kind and generous to me through all these years while B-Meg has been so detestable these past few weeks. Personally, I see the battle for third as a battle between good and evil.
The Ginebra and B-Meg match indeed is the more interesting series for me.

TANGGAL ANG B-MEG DERBY ACE

Mula sa pagiging defending champion, ang B-Meg Derby Ace ay lalaban na lamang para sa ikatlong puwesto. Natalo ang B-Meg kagabi sa iskor na 72-89 sa Talk and Text upang gumuho ang pangarap nitong depensahan ang kampeonato.
Marahil, sinisingil na ang B-MEG sa kanyang pagkukulang at pagkakasala. Sa kasagsagan kasi nang pagkamkam ng isang player ng B-Meg sa yaman na di naman kanya, nanatiling bulag, pipi at bingi ang B-Meg. Hinayaan nang B-Meg na mawalan ng malaking kayamanan ang isang tao sa kabila nang kaalamang mali ang ginagawa ng player. Marahil, sa takot na sumama ang loob ng player sa team, nanatiling tikom ang bibig ng mga namamahala sa B-Meg Derby Ace. Ni hindi man lang sinabihan ng mga officials ng B-Meg ang player na tigilan ang kanyang kasakiman dahil milyonaryo na rin naman siya sa suweldo na binibigay sa kanya. Ito ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit di ko makuhang kumampi sa B-Meg Derby Ace. Sa gitna nang kamalian at kasakiman ng kanilang pinaka-sikat na player, pinabayaan lang ng B-Meg maghari ang kabuktutan.

2011 AFC ASIAN CUP : JAPAN WINS IN EXCITING FASHION

After a rather unexpected draw with Jordan, Japan played with greater determination in its match against Syria. Syria, which beat powerhouse Saudi Arabia, kept in step with Japan. But Japan's constant attacks finally paid off in the 36th minute of the match as Japanese skipper Hasabe took advantage of a misplay to score Japan's first goal.
In the second half, Syria played more aggressively. Through a controversial call made by a referee, Syria was awarded with a penalty kick at the 73rd minute. Syria went on to score a goal to level the count at 1-1.
At the 80th minute, it was Japan's turn to be awarded a penalty kick in yet another controversial call. With Japanese superstar Seisuke Honda taking the penalty kick, Japan scored its second goal. Syria tried hard to score several times once again but Japan defended its fort well. The match ended with Japan winning, 2-1. The referees were escorted out of the playing field as fans were upset with several controversial calls that they made.
Together with the Red Devils of South Korea, the Blue Samurais of Japan are my top picks to win the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. With the great showing of both teams in the last World Cup, it should be a cinch for the two teams to make the last 4. Australia, ranked 20th in the world, stands in the way of both teams. And the Socceroos were just impressive in their first match against India, scoring a 4-0 victory. Still, with Keisuke Honda and Park Ji Sung leading their respective teams, I believe that Japan and South Korea will contest the Asian Cup in great fashion.

SI ANNA FELICIANO AT DANCERS NG WILLING WILLIE

Nitong mga nakaraang pagtatanghal ng Willing Willie, kapansin-pansin na wala ang mga magaganda at kwelang dancers ng programa. Sa halip, ang may edad nang si Anna Feliciano ang nag-iisang sumasayaw at gumagawa lahat ng mga gawain ng mga dancers. Dahil na rin sa katandaan, di na kayang humataw ni Anna. Katunayan, may stretcher pang nakahanda sa studio sakaling bumigay ang 62 years old na Anna.
Pero bilib pa rin ako sa tapang at determinasyon ni Anna. Sa kabila ng katandaan, nakukuha pa rin niyang gampanan ang ginagawa ng 26 na dancers ng Willing Willie. At kaya pa niyang mag-mini skirt kahit maituturing na siyang senior citizen.
Ayon sa balita, sinuspindi ni Willie Revillame ang lahat ng mga batang dancers ng programa dahil nagkakainggitan at nagaaway ang mga ito. Kaya, para matigil na ang gulo at away, sinuspindi na lang ni Willie silang lahat.
Ang nangyari sa mga dancers ng Willing Willie, para sa akin, ay tama lang. Sa kabila ng malaking sweldo, nakuha pa ng mga dancers ang mainggit sa isa't-isa. Para sa akin, walang puwang ang inggit sa ano mang organisasyon. Ang suspensiyon ay mabisang paraan para mauntog sa katotohanan ang mga dancers na sa isang iglap ay maaari silang mawalan nang trabaho.
Hangga't hindi natututunan ng mga dancers ng Willing Willie na tanggalin sa katawan ang inggit, magtitiis akong mapanuod si Anna na hingal-kabayo sa pagsasayaw sa programa.

AFC ASIAN CUP : SOUTH KOREA IS IMPRESSIVE

I stayed up all night to watch South Korea go up against Bahrain in the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. And I must say that the lost sleep was all worth it as South Korea displayed world-class football to defeat Bahrain.
Right at the opening minute, South Korea was attacking relentlessly. Park Si Jung, Korea's top player, tried several times to score a goal. But it was Koo Ja Cheong who scored Korea's first goal at the 40th minute of the match. At the 51st minute, Ja Cheong scored once again to give Korea a commanding 2-0 lead. Korea displayed excellent dribbling and passing all throughout the match to underscore its dominance over its opponent.
Obviously, the vast international experience of the Koreans served the team well. With Korea's impressive win, its match against Australia this Friday will certainly be a good watch. Australia is the highest ranked team in the prestigious tournament. But with the way South Korea played against Bahrain, it just might pull off a big upset and may even win the Asian Cup.

SURPRISE QUIZ ON MINUTE MAID PULPY ORANGE

 Write T if true and F if false.


 ______ 1. Made of orange, pulpy goodness.                           

______ 2. Good source of vitamin C and beta carotene.               

______ 3. Has no preservatives.                                                

______ 4. Sold in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

______ 5. Available in 24-hour convenient stores at Php 25.00 per 330 ml.

______ 6. Great for parties, outings, sporting events and family gatherings.

______ 7. Has a sweet refreshing taste unlike other sour juice concentrates.

______ 8. A perfect ready-to-drink juice concentrate.               

______ 9. Kids and grown-ups love it.                                        

______ 10. Made by Coca-Cola.  

                          I just drank a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy. They say it’s got ‘no preservatives added’. Aw, c’mon…It’s bottled juice. Is that even possible? So I thought maybe... the people behind Minute Maid are pulling my leg.

I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it’s got no preservatives added.  So I read the ingredients (even the fine print) and everything checked out! It really has NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED!  That means it doesn’t have ingredients that may turn out to be allergens, or worse...carcinogens!  Whew! Now that’s healthy goodness that tastes so good, I... can actually feel.

So okay, it’s got no preservatives added. That’s really good, right?  Not just because it doesn’t have those icky, harmful ingredients, but it also means... just pure sweet tasting pulp bits and orange juice.

So far anyone who still has a hard time believing that Minute Maid has got no preservatives added - meaning it's THAT natural, it's almost like it's plucked straight from the tree, it's just as Mother Nature wanted your orange juice to be, it's got nothing but the good stuff yes, none of those potentially toxic stuff that can harm your brain, kidneys, heart; cause tumors aargh- the list of preservatives' bad effects just go on!!! Anyway, just to prove a point on just how good Minute Maid Pulpy is 'cause it's got NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED, I'm gonna buy my whole family and friends thirty liters of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange when I go home from work.

Feels good to know about the real pulpy deal, right? C’mon show me a smile on the comment box, and you might win yourself a Really Pulpy Deal! (That’s a chance to win a Minute Maid gift pack simply by commenting. Sweet! C'mon you just might be picked as the lucky 'commentor'!)

Love,

efd                

FOR THE OFW'S : WHICH PBA TEAM DO YOU LIKE AND WHY ?

A lot of my readers are OFW's. So as my way of thanking them, I wish to feature them in my column in Bandera. I wish to get their response to the questions as to which PBA team they are rooting for and why. I have already asked several fans during a semifinals game at Araneta and it would be great to hear from our unsung heroes overseas. So, if you're an overseas worker and a reader of this blog, please feel free to send me your name and response to the questions. You can send me your response to +639228112275. I don't want you to post your name and response in this blog so that people will want to buy a copy of Bandera to read the survey. It's a way of giving back to my OFW readers and getting more readers for Bandera.

Hope you guys respond and thank you so much for reading my blog.

Eric

VIZCONDE UPDATE : GARY VALENCIANO OR TEOFISTO GUINGONA ?

Gary Valenciano is one of the more popular personalities who sincerely believes that Hubert Webb is innocent of the crime that he is accused of . In fact, Gary took the stand and said under oath that he saw Hubert Webb in the States.
In today's front pages of major newspapers, former Vice- President Teofisto Guingona has asked the Supreme Court for a reversal of its decision of acquittal for Hubert Webb. For the former vice-president, it is clear as day that Hubert Webb is indeed the man behind the gruesome massacre that took place two decades ago.
Between the two, I see Teofisto Guingona as the more credible personality. It is truly unfortunate that Gary Valenciano has allowed himself to be used by the Webbs in this highly controversial case. Perhaps, if only to teach a lesson, people can consider a boycott of popular personalities who carelessly use their name and popularity.
I do believe that Hubert Webb was in the States in 1991 like what Gary Valenciano has said under oath. But I also believe that Hubert was in the country on the night of the massacre. Hubert left the country for the States after the massacre took place.

BAKIT KAYO GALIT NA GALIT , SIR ?

Umabot sa akin ang balitang galit na galit sa akin ang isang opisyal ng PBA. Nagalit daw sa akin ang opisyal sa sinulat kong pagtanggi niyang makapanayam ko ang kanyang mga manlalaro sa PBA. Hinanap ako sa aking pinagsusulatan at maging sa PBA Press Corps ay hinagilap rin ako.
Nagtataka ako kung bakit galit na galit ang naturang PBA official. Di ba't siya mismo ang nagpasiyang di payagang magsalita ang kanyang mga manlalaro sa akin ? Di ba't siya ang di nagpaunlak sa interview kahit ito'y nangangailangan lamang nang dalawang minuto para maisagawa ? Di ba't totoo naman ang lahat nang aking sinulat sa nangyari ?
Ang hirap yata sa naturang opisyal ay sanay lamang siya na puro papuri lamang para sa kanya at kanyang koponan ang nababasa. Marahil, sanay lamang ang opisyal sa mga manunulat na tango lang nang tango sa bawat naisin niya. Ngayong may naglakas - loob na tumuligsa sa kanya, parang bulkan siyang sumabog sa sobrang galit.
Marahil, di naisip ng opisyal na baka ang naudlot na interview ang magpapakain sa akin. Na baka ang interview na yun ang magiging pamatid - gutom ko. Na ang kikitain ko sa pagsusulat nang interview na yun ang magdadala ng pagkain sa aming hapag - kaininan.
Sana lang, mas maging maunawain at mapagmalasakit ang opisyal ng PBA. Tutal, ang mga fans at sports writers din naman ang malaki ang naitutulong upang patuloy na mamayagpag ang kanyang koponan.

TEN THINGS TO TELL YOURSELF FOR 2011

1 Why should I say I can't when the bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13) ?

2. Why should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19) ?

3. Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when that is in me is greater that is in the world (1 John 4:14) ?

4. Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7) ?

5. Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5) ?

6. Why should I feel accursed or that I am a victim of bad luck when the bible says thatr Christ redeemed me from the curse of the lawe that I might receive His spirit (Galatians 3:13,14) ?

7. Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21) ?

8. Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me (Romans 8:31) ?

9. Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ ( Romans 8:37) ?

10. Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33) ?

Happy New Year to everyone !