Makes me wonder what else I've missed.....

Of course...it could only be a news item from the Philippines that would make me wake up after such a long break...

I have been lurking around a few blogs recently...but hadn't clicked over to MLQ3 for a while, in addition I hadn't read any of the Philippine papers online for about 2 weeks so I had missed the uproar over GMA's light dinner snack whilst Stateside....

I can't comment on the events...but trust me it is fascinating/entertaining/appalling reading...

from MLQ3 here
and from Torn & Frayed here (I love that comment under the picture of GMA...another alternative could have been "...and the bill was this long"

The upshot of all this seems to be that she doesn't want her plane anymore...

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So there was a 'situation' in Manila....

Sorry, I have to do this... I know Spike is bewildered by the flurry of Philippine posts given that I have been transplanted to Bangkok...but seriously the happenings in Manila yesterday were quite startling!

It seems that the Philippine media has some trouble deciding which term to use for the events of yesterday, was it a coup, mutiny, putsch or a situation?

I pity the Peninsula hotel, the lobby is lovely, the Christmas decorations were up...and driving an armoured personal carrier in through the front door is a tad excessive...I think!

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A master of understatement.....

Reporting on Typhoon Mina/Mitag that is presently skulking off the East coast of the Philippines, Philippine Government meteorologist, Nathaniel Cruz was quoted as saying that Mitag could become a 'super typhoon' with possible winds of up to 200 mph and "The end result is that more things will be blown down and destroyed,".

You don't say........

Those of you that remember the chaos and destruction inflicted by Milenyo last year....may agree that 'things being blown down' is a bit of an understatment!

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I knew I needed my Mac for something...

After last Saturday's event of tea cup contents meeting Mac...I took my iBook down to the Mac doctor today.... fortunately all seems reasonably well...the keyboard needed to be replaced...the battery also (am waiting for that)...but otherwise all is well.... so am now back home with contact with the outside world...!

Fortunately....because....I found this Youtube video from Spike...the only thing I can say..... 'Only in the Philippines.....'!!!!

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Things I will miss from the Philippines...

Sunsets
The Philippines offers some of the most spectacular sunsets…and on a regular basis. Even after two years, I would keep an eye on the skyline every evening so I could pop outside at work to enjoy the streaks of pink, red and gold as they worked themselves across the sky – my colleagues thought I was loopy….but for me those 5-10 minutes most evenings were amazing

View from the apartment
My apartment itself was not so special, in a slightly older and a little tatty around the edges building…but the view…amazing… day, night, evening, early morning – always something different. And as I went to sleep on my last night there, curled up on my sofa bed which I had dragged over to the window for a better view, I knew that this would be something I would miss. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the world! Unfortunately I discovered only recently that people outside on Shaw, even though I was on the 17th floor, could actually see me…as someone waved to me…from Shaw Boulevard as I stood there in my underwear!!

Evening Cocktails at the Sofitel
To really enjoy the sunset…head to the Sofitel down at the Bay…a couple of cocktails there watching the sun set over the bay…is almost as good as a few days out of town!

Sky Flakes Crackers!
Believe me, these are the best crackers in town!! As part of my farewell gift from my colleagues, they made up an emergency hamper for me with a huge tub of these crackers included!

Mango Rum liqueur
Unfortunately not one of the better known products of the Philippines and when it is used, its usually made up in cocktails….dont bother…just serve it straight on the rocks..its wonderful!

The local press
When living overseas, the usual number of English Language daily papers is very limited…Jordan had one, Hong Kong only had two….the Philippines….a huge variety. Granted the quality of writing can be a little questionable sometimes… but I cant tell you how nice it is to be able to follow local events with a number of different opinions. Plus the commentary is always enlightening, entertaining or both! I must also admit to finding some of the subject matter to be quite entertaining, I don’t think I ever opened either the Star or the PDI without finding something to amuse.

Cebu
For many reasons…!! For me, Cebu is ideal, a big city with all the services that you could ever need and yet, not a huge amount of traffic, easy to navigate and easy accessibility to lovely beaches, countryside and views. Plus, I find the local population just a little more friendly and welcoming than in Manila.


The Cinemas
Living in Manila has reminded me how much I love going to the movies…. In HKG it always used to irritate me that cell phones would be used and the general chit chat would be louder than the movie….here, cell phones are usually on silent, and conversation is kept to a minumum…bliss! OK, normally I go at off peak times…weekdays, late afternoon…but still – my favourite day off activitiy…down to Rockwell, a large Starbucks cup of tea….and two hours of escapism!!!


The people – mostly friendly, always smiling. The Filipino population really are some of the most friendly and welcoming people I have ever come across… to be honest, the number of really nasty experiences here can be counted on one hand…and unfortunately one of those just this morning as I was leaving home… I have made some really good friends here who I know will be part of my friends ‘collection’ for many years to come….

Cebu Pacific
For a mostly domestic airline, they are efficient, organized and don’t promise anything they are not going to deliver. I have probably clocked up about 20 or so flights with them over the last year…only two delays, one problem with ticketing and that’s all. I would comment though that my first flights with them last year, inflight service was a slice of cake and a bottle of iced tea, then it was reduced to just the iced tea, now…any food or beverage you want has to be paid for….but it’s a LLC so I guess its just par for the course!

The language
Having a local population that all speak either fluent English or to an incredibly high standard has been wonderful, and makes us expats very lazy…this is the first country where I have not tried to learn the language either at a language school or at work… The English level also makes it easier to make really good friends here, in HKG I have quite a few HKG Chinese friends but conversation can be hard work….they try in English my rusty Cantonese gets used…but after a couple of hours it can be quite wearing on all of us…. Here, the only time I need to know the language is when reading the papers (as they actually throw in a lot of Tagalog words) or reading books about the Philippines or books written in Tagalog and then translated into English, which keep some of the original wording….then a quick text to the City Boy makes it all clear…!

The sense of humour
Filipinos have a sense of humour particular all to themselves..its not sarcastic like the Brits, its not obvious like the Americans, its more a cross of childish humour with inuendos… I think ‘impish’ would be the best way to describe it… case in point…. A few months back I had a very unfortunate incident at work whereby I sent a text meant for someone else to the wrong person…the person who received it was offended by the content even though it was not referring to her…. It caused a huge blow up at work and took days to resolve…. A few days after this happened I texted one of my staff some information…and he answered “Copy. And, don’t worry ma’m you sent the text to the right person”!!!! I just made me laugh and lightened what had been a horrific few days. I’ve saved the text on my phone and when I need a smile I just dig it out… Another time one of my colleagues during a building inspection had jumped out of a dark corner and scared the living daylights out of myself and some other colleagues…as pay back, the next time we were doing the same inspection, a few of my colleagues covered themselves in sheets and did the same thing to our colleague…and we filmed it… impish yes, hysterical definitely! Unfortunately, the humour is only revealed when people feel comfortable with you, which can take a while..but I think I’ve had more laughs at work here than anywhere else I’ve ever worked…

And last but not least…The gravy from the sizzling pochero at Abuhan in Cebu – trust me…its amazing…I’m sure it has all sorts of bad things in there but..its so good!

I’m sure there will be other things that I will miss, late afternoon strolls around Intramuros, drinks at Greenbelt, the amusement of day to day life here… but I know I’m going to be back…

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the best laid plans of mice and men.....

Well it seems that three out of the five people I spoke to at Philippine Airlines were correct.... taking a cat on the plane with you is really that simple......

For those that are interested...you arrive at the airport as normal, baggage goes through the x-ray machine, cat doesn't...they originally wanted me to take the cat out and put the box through...but we agreed maybe that wasn't such a good idea...! Then a quick visit to the quarantine official, he checks the paperwork, stamps the health certificate and its over to check in...Kitty gets charged as excess baggage and gets taken away by a special ground staff who puts him on the plane....no baggage conveyor belt for her! All very simple....lets see what happens when I get to BKK!!!!

Actually, it all seems to be quite normal (I must admit due to flight/living arrangements, my cats have normally either followed me or gone ahead...I've never travelled with them...so this was all new for me).

One thing that did help was that when I arrived, for the first time, I used one of the porters that skulk at the entrance...he was fantastic...knew what to do, where to go, how to deal with the cat, excess baggage etc....absolutely first rate..and yes, I was surprised...but to be honest from the minute he saw the cat - he just rattled off what we needed to do and what the procedures were and before we even entered the airport he asked if I had all her documentation etc.... quite the expert.

Anyway, Chiang Kai-shek was last seen at the chekc-in desk, cowering in the back of her cage...poor thing, she looked terrified.. she normally has Chairman Mao with her and they normally curl up together in the back of the cage looking like big furry gloves! This is her first trip without him....so I hope she's ok...

So far all has gone according to plan, lets see what happens at the other end... updates later!

One thing that does make me smile at this airport...is the boarding announcements...always finished with "All aboard".....its hysterical, like a bus station...and it does remind me of Airplane!

Thanks to those of you who have texted or e-mailed over the last few days....I will answer when I am settled somewhere in BKK with a cup of tea...hopefully later today!

Anyway, that's my flight they're calling.....All Aboard!

Over and out!

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Things I won't miss...

This is the first of a two part post...the second - not surprisingly, and more postively - will be on things that I will miss...this, as titled, is things that I will not miss....

Taxis
I won't miss the smelly, dirty, about to fall apart taxis that I have been using on a daily basis since I arrived here.... I have clocked up four accidents in a taxi and one disintegration (under the Shaw-Edsa flyover - the back wing fell off a taxi whilst we were sitting in the middle of the junction waiting for the traffic to clear - the driver got out...asked me to move into the front seat, whilst he man-handled the back wing into the back seat!!). Or the taxi that mid-ride to Makati said he needed to do something urgent stopped the car, got out, flipped up the bonnet and started fiddling around with the engine.

Taxi drivers (there is a flip side to this one - see the positive post later!)
I wont miss the conniving, scamming drivers...the ones that ask for extra money due to traffic, weather, time of day/night, general political situation etc etc....
I wont miss the drivers that it is a battle to get them to use their meters
I wont miss the drivers who run out of petrol mid-ride (happened twice), or on one occasion, the driver who mid-ride asked if I could advance the fare so he could fill up with petrol... actually this made me quite sad - it just goes to show the hand-mouth lifestyle that the lower classes here have...nobody should have to deal with that...worker or customer.
And I sure as hell wont miss being turfed out of taxis because either the driver has changed his mind, or I refuse to pay any extra over and above the meter.... I've been turfed out on Edsa three times (usually late at night - not fun) and once in Cebu, fortunately in the middle of Lapu-Lapu city where there was a friendly policeman!

The Airport
I don't know where to start....!!!!! It's a disaster....organisation, cleanliness, security, its all bad....Manila International Airport does not have one redeeming feature that I can think of.....from the wildlife, to the terrible shopping and f&b facilities, lack of a decent bookstore, the process for getting to check in....its all bad....and arrival at the airport is even worse!

Waste of resources
The Philippines has a lot going for it...language, education level, fantastic tourist sites and locations, vivid history, diving, lovely resorts, a generally friendly and welcoming population, great shopping, relatively good weather..... so why is it not a booming, flourishing nation with a bright and rosy future.... the political situation and the government are mostly to blame but...and I tell my Filipino friends this....the problem is 'resignation'...the other day whilst catching up on blog reading...a post by Torn & Frayed, had one sentence in it that whilst in this case was referring to political killings, I think refers to the Philippines in general....

He is battling against the biggest ally of all politically motivated killings—the resignation of the Filipino people.

he goes on....

An almost unlimited well of stoicism it this country’s greatest strength and its most overpowering weakness. It sees balikbayans through the most terrible experiences from Jeddah to Singapore to LA and almost all points in between and somehow gives them the strength to come out of it all laughing. It enables Filipinos at home to smile despite low wages, poor living conditions, and some of the world’s worst traffic. It is an absolutely necessary quality in the often brutal world of modern Manila.

Yet stoicism has its limits. Putting up with crap is all well and good, but there comes a point when you have to change the world instead of just putting up with it

....I copied pasted, because i couldn't have written it better myself. Never have I come across such a waste of resources, such complete and utter chaos and such resignation..... it's tragic.

The Peeing
I don't understand why Filipino men have this urge to unzip their trousers and pee where ever they wish..... it is disgusting and its unhygienic.... Whilst in BKK I actively looked to see if this was an Asian thing (although have not seen it in HKG or Singapore!) but in three days...not one guy standing close to a wall, lamp post, tree etc relieving himself.... here I see on average three or four a day when out and about.... its not nice.

The staring
It's not polite and given the number of foreigners that have been in the country, one would think we were not a rarity...granted if I go way out into the provinces...being blonde and rather - how can I put this -'busty'??!!, I can understand that I'll get a few looks...but in the Metro Manila area there is no excuse for the out and out staring that goes on...whilst waiting for a cab, walking down the road, in a mall, wherever...again, its not nice....

The overall feeling of chaos, disorganistion and dirt
Self explanatory....I loathe it!

The supermarkets
Quality, items available, supply and again, organisation - all lacking....although I would say that the new Rustans at Rockwell is an improvement...a few more like that would make life more pleasant.... they even have conveyor belts at the checkout counters (I'm a simple soul really), and it's clean, bright and doesn't smell....!!! OK, I know I'm being fussy - when we lived in The Gambia in the mid-80s we only had butter for four months of the year.... a real treat was a mini tin of condensed milk, meat was purchased in the market - usually half a cow and we would take it home and butcher it... so yes, this is an improvement....but on the other hand, we are now in 2007, 20 years on, in a huge city with a large expat population...

The overall lack of trust
There is an overriding lack of trust in this country that is shown in the way that purchases are handled in a store (packed and checked off against the receipt, not being able to leave without the receipt visible), the way that credit card purchases are handled, the way that people are frisked going into and out of establishments, even moving out of my apartment needs security checks etc (and its my belongings that are being checked...as if I have broken into another apartment and stolen their items). I realise that this lack of trust is due to previous abuses of trust, due to the levels of poverty in the country....but still it is quite disheartening that this is the case.

I think that's basically it....no doubt I shall think of other annoyances but, off the top of my head, these are the ones that have bothered me the most whilst I have been here!

When I told my friends and colleagues two years ago that I was moving to Manila...to a man (and a woman), they could not believe that I would do something that daft...nobody, including those that had worked here had a positive word to say about the country.

Here I am two years later and the same friends and colleagues are amazed that I have managed two years here. Quite a few people that I have spoken to don't understand my frustrations with day to day life here...but (and I have gently explained this to them!) these are people who have drivers (removes the taxi stresses!), helpers for shopping, running errands etc, and other little bits of help like collecting things from the post office (all things that relieve stress)...Granted, compared to the average Manila resident I lead a charmed life here, I can use taxis instead of buses, I do have the spending power to shop and eat in the better places and I live in a secure apartment.

The reason I guess I get so agitated about all of this is that, if all goes according to plan, my time in the Philippines is not yet over...Bangkok will be just a short 'break' for us....I repeat, if all goes according to plan (which in my life it rarely does), I shall be returning to these shores to set up home with the Island Boy! Which means that I will have to face this all over again....

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Leaving the Philippines....

I have to say that the last few days of my time in the Philippines have been incredibly stressful....all of it indicative of the lack of organisation, decision making and trust that is inherent in organisations here.

When I was in BKK last week looking for my new apartment, I spent some time with one of my new colleagues, a Thai lady, about the same age as me, well travelled and with fairly strong opinions on Asian countries...HKG - fine, Singapore - very nice and organised, Japan - interesting, the Philippines....and here the conversation went south....I have rarely heard such a negative description of the Philippines - the end result was she told me that in a past job one of her colleagues had won (at a staff party) an all expenses paid trip to the Philippines for two....the colleague who had won, was so horrified at the thought of going to the Philippines he passed up on the prize and offered it to his other colleagues...nobody wanted it, the prize was unused.

In summary, my week has gone something like this....

Visa application.

My new company have been processing visas for their new expats team from HKG, Singapore and KL, they have managed about 4 visas so far by submitting the same required documents in all three cities. They gave me all these documents and I traipsed down to the Thai embassy in Makati. On arrival i was told that my documents were insufficient at the guy gave me a printed checklist of what I needed...so I contacted my HR in BKK and told them...they were a little bemused given that other countries embassies didn't need this but over a period of a few days they organised, scanned and sent me the required documents.

On Tuesday morning, once I had all the documents, I returned to the embassy, the same guy who gave me the list was behind the desk, looked at my papers and then said, this is still insufficient, I now need..this, this and this.....so I asked why it wasn't on the list...the conversation went something like this..."

MC:"Why are these extra items not on the list you gave me?"
Embassy Staff "Who gave you this list?"
MC:"You did, last week, don't you recognise your handwriting at the top showing the opening times?"
ES: "Actually No I don't, I never recognise my own writing, anyway, sorry about the inconvenience but I need those papers before it can be processed"

Now, bearing in mind this was Tuesday morning and I was supposed to be flying Thursday morning, I got a litttle tetchy. I called my HR in Bangkok who (not surprisingly at this stage!) lost her cool and decided to call the Thai embassy in Manila..... she called me back a few minutes later (I was by this time in a taxi, heading at some speed (sod's law - the one time the traffic is clear!) to Wack Wack Road!)...and told me to return and submit the forms..... she had spoken to the Thai people at the embassy who had something along the lines (and I wont write the derogatory terms used) that the Filipino at the front desk didn't know what he was doing..... I went back and submitted the forms.... allegedly today.... I should get a visa.... in hindsight...lucky I've had so many problems with Philippine Airlines that my flight was pushed back to Friday.

My frustration at the whole exercise aside.... it has amazed me the attitude of the Thais to the Filipinos....so much for developing nation/Asian kinship.....

Philippine Airlines.

First off, on Monday I booked my ticket on line....at the end when entering credit card details etc, there is an instruction telling the user that if there is a problem after 'submitting' cc details then do not resubmit but contact PAL

Sure enough, after submitting the details there is an error message...allegedly a problem with their system...no emergency contact number is given...just an e-mail address. So I send off an e-mail giving the error message, my mobile number and telling them what happened.....to make it easier to read the sequence of events will now be in point form (!)

Tuesday morning I get an e-mail back from them (an e-mail note, not a phone call as requested), asking for my flight details, which I submitted...I still have not had an answer to that e-mail.

Wednesday I tried unsuccessfuly to get through to their reservation department...in between the movers and all the other bits and pieces going on

Finding that you cannot book PAL online if you are less than three days out on your travel date I have to get through to them by phone.

Finally Wednesday evening I get through....although due to being put on hold and cut off three times, I had to keep calling back - the whole process took about an hour.

You cannot pay over the phone using a credit card, because you have to go to the ticket office with your passport. On asking why this is the case compared to online booking, it is apparently because if you book over the phone they include the airport tax in your final payment...so as a resident foreigner who they take about P2,300 every time you try to leave the country...plus the departure tax, they want to collect that before issuing your ticket. Way to go Philippine Airlines...making it as difficult as possible for the passenger.

And then we now have the small problem of the cat..... three calls to PAL over the last week, to different departments, different levels of management have confirmed (allegedly) that all I need to do is show up at the airport, cat in hand, papers correct and I can check her in as excess baggage.....but last night...the goal posts moved....now I need even more paperwork, I need different forms that no one seems to know where to get and I apparently have to inform everyone of this cat's arrival from BKK immigration to Thai air ground staff and I think somewhere there was a mention of Cherie Blair. However, I cant do any of this without my ticket, which I cant get without my passport which is being held hostage at the Thai embassy......

I would like to point out that whilst in BKK last week I did speak to the Thai immigration and quarantine officials at the airport to check with them on the correct procedures for bringing in a domestic pet....nothing they said...just turn up with the paperwork and the cat and we will check it and issue its entrance papers.

The removal people

I have moved countries myself a few times...left HKG twice, left Jordan and with my parents - many, many times.

In HKG and Jordan, both my shipments were larger than they are leaving here...both places the packing was done in half a day, a quick break for lunch and then everything moved out after lunch...all done and dusted by 4pm latest.... here...a totally different story...

Arrived at about 8:30am, still packing at 5:30pm...need to come back in the morning to finish packing and move everything out....

I only have about 40 boxes...the majority of it is books.... the guy packing my bedroom took 2 hours to pack three boxes of items...

In addition, they randomly left out items which I then had to collect up and pack myself last night....

And they are still here....

I won't bore you with ranting about my condo's 'moving out' procedures and security.....



The sad thing about all of this is that when talking to my Filipino friends about this last night...they all shrugged their shoulders and said...what do you expect...its the Philippines....particularly scathing comments were reserved for PAL... most asking why I was bothering to use PAL...my answer... I thought it would be easier with the cat (obviously not!) and I couldn't bear to leave Manila through that bloody awful terminal 3..... I dont want that hell hole to be last vision of Manila!

There will be more positive posts later!!!!!!!!!

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Billboards.....

Those of you that have been reading me for a while know that I have a few issues with the billboards that blot the landscape of Manila...in particular along Edsa...

On arriving in Bangkok last week I noticed that the road to the airport has some huge billboards...one of them is incredibly long (Samsung) I think...

It seems that the Thai govt has a few issues with the billboards....I wonder if they will be any more successful than the Philippine government?

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The cats need more air miles.....!

Seeing as you have all become bored of me blogging endlessly about my numerous trips to Cebu and equally numerous gripes about taxis in Manila...I've decided to come up with a new subject to blog about.....and strangely a new location....

So, from the beginning of July (Insh'allah), I shall be living in the city which has this river...


a myriad of Temples and Palaces...


and neighbours like these...

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Election update....

Continuing from my previous election post...

City Boy and Island Boy are already on holiday and are in Cebu driving north for a few days at the beach....City Boy just texted me and tells me that they are driving through Danao City...aka the gun-making capital of the Philippines (we have a bit of a standing joke about this tendency of places here to label themselves as the 'something' capital of the Philippines!). Silly me, and I thought everywhere in the Philippines was the gun capital, however, after a little research I see that it's correct...apparently when the elections were announced..business heated up!

With the whiff of elections in the air, the gunsmiths of Danao City are working
overtime to meet demand for their signature .38-caliber revolvers.
"The orders start coming in three years in advance," said one weapons merchant,
who would not give his name. "If you don't have guns, goons and gold, you will
not win an election."

This from E@L - have swiped the picture - he won't mind, all things considered I think he owes me one!!!!

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Just before I go...

From 12:01am Sunday morning to 12:01 am Tuesday morning, there is an alcohol ban in the Philippines - no alcohol can be bought, sold or consumed in public places (hotels, restaurants and bars included)..this is all apparently to make sure the voting population behaves themselves...foreigners are excluded...!

One of my more cynical colleagues stated that the alcohol ban was so that the hired assasins could shoot straighter....

So whilst Island Boy and myself are sunning ourselves in Bohol, I can get progressively drunker and he will have to stay sober! as they said in Airplane"I guess the foot's on the other hand now, isn't it Kramer?". Actually it feels a little like the day before Ramadan starts in Jordan..I have this urge to go out and stock up on vast quantities of alcohol!!!

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How much is that voter in the window....I do hope that voter's for sale.....

As promised earlier..a short post on vote buying..again, a selection of headlines to give you a rough idea of what's happening..

New vote buying schemes - in case the others were all a tad old fashioned

A thousand pesos for my vote

Phone cameras can be used for vote buying

Insurance cards not used to buy votes - just remarkably convenient timing..'The cards were given to over two million party members as “an act of prudence and gratitude” to “loyal members,” he added.

At the same time, he said the cards were distributed to party “campaigners and poll watchers who under the law are entitled to reasonable allowances or compensation…”'

Comelec reporters receive P100 cell phone cards

Is it a prize, or is it vote buying

And this is a classic headline...40% believe Arroyo will cheat

Given the violence and the vote buying, I have a few questions...

1. Can the Philippines really be classed as a democracy?

2. Is it really worth having the elections?

3. Is it really worth while being a politician of any description in this country?

4. Will there be enough politicians left alive in the country to actually have an election on the 14th May?

Answers on a postcard to.....

I was asked the other day how much it costs to buy votes in England...I answered that to the best of my knowledge at grass-roots level vote-buying doesn't really exist or at least not the form of cash/phones etc exchanging hands as it does here; however at more senior levels allegedly a peerage could change hands...

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Election at the O.K. Corral

So for those of you outside the Philippine archipelago...it is mid-term election time...due to being out of the country and now having to catch up on work I am a fairly busy lass, hence I'm not reading the local papers with my usual fine toothcomb and so periodically I am just quickly scanning the front page of the Inquirer website...

What is alarming at the moment is the number of people that are being shot at - injured and killed - in election motivated attacks, plus the number of people that are being 'threatened'..and therefore asking for protection..

A smattering of headlines for your reference / further reading...

unexploded grenade was recovered inside the headquarters of a re-electionist mayor

former police officer turned politician was shot and killed...was seeking a seat in the town council

A mayoral candidate of a town on Bantayan Island in Cebu was shot dead in front of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office

seven political candidates in Metro Manila have asked for additional security from the police

Mayor hurt, aide killed in fiesta attack - actually this one is worth reading....'The latest deaths brought to around 30 the number of people killed in violence since the start of the campaign period.'

Congressional bet slain

Bloodiest poll incident: 2 dead, 12 hurt in N. Ecija

2 dead, 3 hurt in Nueva Ecija shoot-out

Seriously....I could go on, but I might bore you....

And then we have this....apparently not election related...just 'hate' related..

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines -- Three unidentified armed men waylaid a village chief while he was driving his car on a bridge in Naic town, in the province of Cavite early Tuesday, police said.

Victim Joselito Mutas, 52, the village chief of the village of Sabang, died instantly from several gunshot wounds in the body.

Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas, Cavite police director, quickly dismissed the killing as election-related.

"This is probably a hate crime because the victim was shot a number of times using at least three kinds of firearms,"he said over the phone.

next election installment...'vote buying'...

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A senseless tragedy at Banaue

Before I left for England for my holiday I had arranged with the City Boy that we would go to Banaue and then Batad to see the famous rice terraces…

I got back into Manila on the 17th April late night, on the 18th afternoon (having hibernated all morning) the City Boy called and asked if, given what had happened, did I still want to go to Batad…

Fresh back into the country, I hadn’t seen a paper, hadn’t looked at the internet, I had no idea what he was talking about.

On Easter Sunday (8th April); a 38 year old American Peace Corps Volunteer called Julia Campbell was reported as missing. She was last seen hiking around Batad. On the 18th April her body was found, in a shallow grave on the hiking trail into the village of Batad. By this stage no body knew how she had died, but it was obvious from the fact that she was found in a shallow grave that it was not an accident.

So, did I still want to go to Batad, yes…but I would just have to be a little bit more aware of my surroundings than normal.

I’ll write more on my visit to the rice terraces in another post, but for now…just a few disconnected observations.

When we hiked from Saddle Point down to Batad, the hiking guide pointed out the area where Julia had been found, there was a long discussion with the City Boy in Tagalog, most of which was not translated – probably censored for me.

I did mention to the City Boy that in most other countries the area surrounding the shallow grave would be closed off with police tape…’do not cross’ etc…however, in this case unless it was pointed out, one would be none the wiser. The next morning, though, when hiking out of Batad on the same path, as we passed the shallow grave area the City Boy noticed a crumpled piece of paper lying in the grass a few feet away…


On closer inspection, handwritten in biro, on the scrap of paper was ‘Police Line – Do Not Enter’… at least someone had tried….


Batad village was incredibly quiet, don’t get me wrong I think even when there are a lot of visitors there it’s not exactly Piccadilly Circus’ lesser known cousin, but the inn that we stayed had about 15 rooms, only two rooms were occupied – the City Boy and myself in one and a Filipino family who had arrived with us in the other. According to the village residents, it does seem as if the number of visitors (particularly foreigners) has dropped off in the wake of Julia’s murder.

I didn’t realize until I read Carlos’ post that Julia had a blog…if you read through it you really get a measure of how happy she was living here and how much she gave to the country through her work here – it’s so tragic the way her stay in the country ended.

The prime suspect in her murder case has been ‘handed in’ by his mother and is now in police custody…reading his story, makes the whole thing seem even more heartbreaking and wasteful.

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All Change.....

So we have the nursing exodus from the Philippines, predominantly to the US...but also to the UK. (This is a link to a Newsnight interview on the subject) My father was recently in hospital and he said that almost the entire nursing team were Filipinas...

Now, however, we have the nursing exodus from the UK, British nurses wanting to go to Australia to escape the NHS.

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The Philippines has the answer....

Reading Shakey's post about HKIA's new hand baggage restrictions... I realised that the Philippines has the answer to all the world's hand baggage security issues...


(toothpaste 9ml, moisturiser 60ml, deodorant 8g)

The items photographed above were just what I could find in my desk drawer...rest assured every basic brand and product comes in mini size...moisturisers, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving gel...its all there with all the different ranges...and all very easily available!!

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News bites....

The definition of a true slapper!!!!

One line from this article about England's sporting hero does bother me...isn't that a line from a song

Graduate Miss Jenkins, meanwhile, had been working as a waitress in a cocktail bar in Majorca before meeting the player.

Somebody needs to explain to me how 2,600 of your turkeys suddenly dying is not something you would immediately raise the alarm about....

It's always reassuring to know that there are 47 criminals roaming around in Mindanao...even more reassuring is the sombre tone of voice the governor of Mindanao used when discussing the issue...."We were caught with our pants down," Emmanuel Pinot, governor of the Mindanao region, told Reuters news agency....only in the Philippines!!

I am sure that this place houses a rather nice selection of wines....none of that naff Jacob's Creek Chardonnay for 3.99 a bottle!

Virgin Medical Services anyone...?

And a picture from my mother...after the recent storms in the UK...this was her view driving home....I'd drive pretty slowly faced with a garden shed in the middle of the road!!!


The bad press of the ASEAN summit is still lurking, it ain't over until the little ladypays!

Hong Kong's special brand of democracy...is....under way

Best title for an article...A quick push, a scream and splat, no guesses who that's about...!!!!

Given that I carry either no handbag or a teensy weensy one...this article makes me feel good!! And the only reason I really carry a bag is to put in the car keys of a certain gentleman who feels it unsightly to put his car keys in his trouser pocket!!!!

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Barong Tagalog

For those of you unfamiliar with the Philippines...the men's national dress here is known as the Barong Tagalog



It is actually a very nice piece of clothing and there are very few men who actually look bad in a barong...it covers a multitude of sins! It is worn for most formal occasions - weddings, meetings, conferences, formal family gatherings etc...and as a very acceptable alternative to a suit...my colleagues often wear a barong when working over the weekend instead of a suit.

So it was obviously going to be the garment of choice at the ASEAN summit and to be honest it does look better on the delegates than the majority of national dress outfits they have been squeezed into in the past.

The PDI had a very simple column about the ASEAN summit and the wearing of the Barong...given that every Filipino knows what a barong is, given that the readership of the PDI does not extend too far out of the Philippines, I would assume that the column was aimed at those foreigners either living in the Philippines or possibly visiting for the summit...which is why the following sentence was really, really unnecessary...

A Manila pub once used the national see-through attire to dress waitresses without any underwear in hopes of luring crowds of men at night.

The Philippines has a bad enough reputation overseas as a sex tourism hot spot...without adding inane comments such as this...

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So who wants to fly into NAIA?

Which should be given priority on the runway? A Lear jet taking off with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on board or an incoming long haul Airbus 340 ferrying 231 passengers that is running low on fuel?

This was the question posed by an official of the Airline Operators Council (AOC) after a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain was reportedly denied landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) because Arroyo was using the runway for her flight to Davao City on Wednesday to stand as a wedding sponsor

From the PDI.

If you ask me, it sounds like a bloody joke....I cannot believe that a decision can be made like that. However, I would ask... is it all possible that GMA may not have been aware that this decision had been made until it was too late...is it possible that one of her flunkies decided to make the decision for fear of upsetting the 'little one'?

Either way its just another in a long line of bad PR moves for GMA and the Philippines....and another sin to add to the long list I'm compiling for NAIA aka The world's least favourite airport!

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