With all due respect to political bloggers, I try to avoid writing about politics. In fact, I’ll be the first to admit that I only write about things that affect me directly. And there’s no doubt that the ZTE-NBN scandal affects me directly, because it’s yet another political controversy that’s keeping the Philippines from building any genuine stability.
With that in mind, the most balanced and objective interpretation of the whole scandal can be found at Philstar.com. A Brief Timeline of the ZTE-NBN Scandal lists down the events and responses from the various parties involved. From way back to 2006 up to way before Lozada even testified, the rundown proves that it’s amazing what contradictions become clear when the long-view is taken.
Read it now
We’d like to thank the owners of Kape Isla and Gang Badoy of RockEd. Now we finally have a venue for the bloggers meet-and-greet originally proposed by b5media’s Shai Coggins.
The first 50 guests will be treated to unlimited coffee and dessert, the centerpiece of which will be a free-flowing chocolate fondue fountain. If you haven’t confirmed your attendance over at the Facebook event page (sign-up required), feel free to leave a comment here. Be seeing you!
Details:
Blogger Meetup
7:00-11:00 pm, November 30
Kape Isla, Serendra (across Market-Market)
PS: Feel free to use the banner above on your website or blog. Download it here.
Remember the quiet place to blog and sip coffee I talked about a while ago? Turns out BoNa Coffee now has their own blog.
Now you can get info on the establishment straight from the horse’s—or rather—the barista’s mouth, with a post on the BoNa Lifestyle. I can’t wait for their second branch to open, which I’ve been told will be in Westgate Alabang, and soon.
Here in Metro Manila, Starbucks is all over the place, and Seattle’s Best is not far behind. The problem with their popularity is that most of their branches are full of people, and the accompanying noise makes it almost impossible to relax or get some work done.
Right now, I’m here at BoNa Coffee (short for Bohemian Nation), a local cafe that feels very homey and is perhaps the best kept secret of the local coffee scene. Aside from the wide selection of coffee, tea, pastries, and sandwiches, the establishment features interesting decor and offers free Wi-Fi. There’s also a free-to-use workstation, which I’m using right now to compose this post. The nice ambiance and relatively quiet clientèle are very conducive to writing.
My personal favorite is 20° Below (featured in a post written by BBN partner Sasha), a hot chocolate drink that’s ironically served cold. BoNa Coffee has only one branch in Parañaque, but they’re planning to open a second branch soon.
Of course, the menu is a bit pricey. But I’d rather spend my money on a place where I can really enjoy myself and have a genuine conversation with whoever I’m with. And as the barista boasted, everything’s low-fat or low-calorie. Definitely great for near-fatsos like me! But perhaps the best part about BoNa Coffee is that it’s 100% Filipino-owned.
BoNa Coffee is located at Unit E, Banco Filipino Bldg., Elizalde st., BF Commercial Plaza, Parañaque City, Metro Manila. You can contact them at +632 772-0427
Betty of Southbound.ph has also visited BoNa Coffee.
Abe is currently enjoying Davao City, participating in the 2007 Mindanao Bloggers Summit. Check out his snapshots.
A special hello goes to Mindanao Bob, the foreigner-convert behind Live in the Philippines.
Find out more about Davao City and its landmarks through Vista Pinas.
In case you didn’t know, ABC is the network behind Desperate Housewives, which is why they were the ones who publicized an apology regarding that show’s infamous line.
I received the following email from a source, forwarded from Perry Diaz, the editor of BALITA USA. It’s a bit long, but I think it’s worth the read:
In a letter to Jon Melegrito, Communications Director of NaFFAA, the ABC Senior Vice President of Diversity, Mr. Robert Mendez, agreed to explore a program that might help increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. This was in response to my PerryScope article, “Desperate Housewives’ Wake Up Call to Filipinos,” which Mr. Melegrito forwarded to Mr. Mendez.
In my PerryScope article I proposed a win-win solution to the imbroglio created by the September 30, 2007, episode of “Desperate Housewives” in which a character said, “Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Because I would just like to make sure they are not from a med school in the Philippines. ” Instead of a lawsuit and boycott which have been suggested by many community leaders, I recommended that we should instead be proactive — not reactive — and put together an agenda that would give long-term benefits to our community such as jobs, education and other initiatives. I indicated that we should convince ABC to open employment opportunities to Filipino-Americans at all levels — actors, directors, producers, newscasters, and executives at ABC and its affiliates.
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Yesterday morning, the producers of Desperate Housewives released an official apology for Teri Hatcher’s infamous line:
“The producers of the show and ABC studios offer our sincere apology for any offence caused by the brief reference in the season premier,” ANC quoted the statement as saying.
“There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines,” it said.
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Aside from the Binbining Pilipinas (Ms. Philippines), another beauty pageant that receives a decent amount of attention is Miss Bicolandia. This contest is held during the annual Peñafrancia Festival in Naga, and attracts contenders from all over the Bicol region.
This year’s winner is Tabetha Jo O. Frick, a native of the beach town Pasacao, Camarines Sur. Check out Mark’s photo gallery and Gayon Bicolandia’s pre-pageant photos for more Bicolana beauties.
PS: The Naga City Government has a pretty useful website (what else would you expect from Mayor Robredo?). Check out naga.gov.ph.
Whether or not they find Joseph Estrada et. al guilty of graft and corruption tomorrow, the former Philippine President is a man of means. Head over to Vista Pinas to see Erap’s vast Tanay rest house, and the infamous Boracay mansion that he supposedly put up for a mistress. All without ever leaving your computer or getting shooed away by strict guards.
It’s no wonder the lawyers argued vehemently over these properties’ ownership in the Sandiganbayan (the Philippine Court of Appeals put up to prosecute corrupt officials) during the trial. Anyone who can have mansions built on a politician’s salary must have other sources of income.
A few days ago, Senator Loren Legarda issued a press release asking authorities “to find ways to shut off boybastos.com.” The user-driven porn site responded with a dare, and eventually apologized for “taking a break“, blaming traffic overload. Yesterday, National Bureau of Investigation (the local version of the FBI) served Mark Verzo, apparently the owner of the domain boybastos.com, with a search warrant. They went through his house and confiscated equipment, while a rep was at hand to provide some soundbites for the TV viewing public:
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