Thursday, August 20, 2015

Paalam Pamana: A Philippine Legacy Is Gone


“Pamana” is a Filipino term for “legacy,” which usually connotes a precious heritage; way beyond wealth or any kind of material inheritance.


This was the name given to a female Philippine Eagle, which was rescued in April of 2012 in Davao after she was found weak and unable to fly due to a gunshot wound.


The eagle was brought to the Philippine Eagle Center, located in Davao. Pamana stayed in the center for more than 3 years until she has fully recovered from her injury.



A HISTORICAL FLIGHT

By the time Pamana was ready to fly back to her natural habitat, members of the Philippine Eagle Center made sure that they would be able to guide her during her first flight after being nurtured in captivity for a long period.


A historical and emotional moment took place when Pamana was finally set free during the Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 12 of this present year. The people who took care of her, together with many other spectators waited and anticipated Pamana’s majestic departure.



A LEGACY DIES



Sadly, just 2 months from being brought back into the wild, Pamana was found dead just a few meters away from the place where she was set free. The eagle had 2 gunshot entries to her body, which were noted upon thorough investigation on the cause of her death.


I couldn’t help but get emotional when I learned about the Philippine Eagle’s death. It’s such a disappointment because Pamana has just been released and she was still adjusting from her newfound freedom.


With just a click of a gun, a priceless Philippine legacy is gone; Pamana is no longer with us.



A POSSIBLE EXTINCTION




I can’t help but think about the many offspring she could have produced that could have continued her “legacy” for the future Philippine generation to appreciate. Now, Pamana can no longer fulfill what her name implied. A rare eagle specie has once again lost another one of its member.


There are barely around 400 pairs of Philippine Eagles living among our rain forests to date, which is according to a representative of the Philippine Eagle Center.


The fact that these eagles are already critically endangered still hasn’t prevented heartless hunters from shooting them down. And what was the purpose of shooting such a beautiful part of nature? Is it for the mere thrill of it?


I am not a member of any animal rights group or any other movement but I firmly believe that these unauthorized hunting should be dealt with more seriously. We are losing priceless treasures because of these illegal hounding of animals.



THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS A FILIPINO SYMBOL



The Philippine Eagle is a representative of the Filipino people. It is to be considered as a Philippine pride worthy of protection and preservation. We should make sure that these eagles are not continuously hunted down and face total extinction.


The Philippine Eagle together with all the other wonderful creatures that belong to the heavens deserves to fly freely along our beautiful skies. Our children and the future generation deserve to witness the beautiful creations of God that we have the privilege to witness right now.



PAMANA’S LEGACY



Pamana was indeed a legacy that was given for all of us to cherish and care for. Despite the fact that Pamana is now gone, she will forever be part of the history of the Filipino people who were given the opportunity to appreciate her.


Pamana’s confident stance represented our courage and strength to still stand after being wounded from all the problems that our nation and we as a people are facing. The majestic spread of her wings that freely moved upon our skies represented our nation’s freedom from any kind of oppression. Her eyes represented windows of hope that will keep the Filipino fighting despite all the hardships of life.


These qualities are Pamana’s legacy for all the Filipino people. We may no longer get to witness her fly again but we still have the chance to make sure that her legacy will never go to waste by protecting her other remaining brothers and sisters.


It is our responsibility to make sure that Pamana’s way of dying would never happen again to other remaining Philippine Eagles. To the Philippine government and other concerned authorities, may this incident be a strong call for the stricter protection of our wildlife.



Images courtesy of Pixabay

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Philippine Internet: How Fast Can It Go?




I am a daily internet user because I basically work on the web. I am a work-at-home mother and the internet is my biggest partner in fulfilling my job.


Image courtesy of Pixabay
The amount of work I am able to do and the amount of money I am able to produce purely depends on the speed of my internet connection. It is too


much of a hassle for me whenever my internet connection slows down and sometimes even seems to hang.


I have tried using almost all the big internet providers in the Philippines and all of them have disappointed me in one way or the other.




PLDT DSL

Way back before pocket wifi use was even introduced in the Philippine market, I have tried using PLDT for my home internet connection. The speed was okay and was never affected by bad weather, which is my major problem now whenever I use the internet.


I just had to have my PLDT connection cut when my family moved to the province. Now that I’m back in the city, I went to PLDT to inquire about their new internet offers. The staff recommended me to use their DSL with landline because the speed is not signal based but would instead be based on their landline connection.


I was convinced to apply for the PLDT Home DSL Plan 1299, which would have an internet speed of 3 megabytes with unlimited internet access. It comes with a landline though, so the fixed full monthly fee would be around PHP 1699, which would then include the landline fee.




I didn’t really need the landline because of the fact that the use of cell phones is more utilized nowadays but I was willing to take the risk of paying for a landline fee as long as my internet speed would be fast enough for me to be able to function well on my chosen career.


PLDT though still had to undergo a survey of my area to check for availability of slots because most of their internet slots in the city were already occupied. So my hope of finally being able to increase my internet speed was slightly lowered.


I was advised to wait for a call or text message from their staff once the survey is done. It could either be the good news of informing me that there is an available slot for me, or the bad news of telling me that I would have to wait for a slot to be emptied for who knows when.


And so came the day of informing me about the result of the survey. I was on my laptop, patiently using my slow internet connection, when I received a text message informing me of the bad news that my application wasn’t approved because of unavailability of slots.


So there goes my only hope for ever acquiring a faster internet connection.




SMARTBRO

Right now, I am using Smart Bro’s pocket Wifi enabled with their ever boasted LTE (supposedly ultra fast) internet connection. When I was reading about LTE and other stuff about it, I was really convinced that the internet speed would be fast (if not ultra-fast).


So I went to a Smart office and bought my Smart Bro Pocket Wifi for a little more than PHP 700. Knowing that it is signal based, I didn’t really have a very high expectation with regards to the signal strength and speed. I just expected it to be fast enough for my usage.



I am not a heavy internet user because I mostly use the internet for browsing, posting my blog posts, email, and checking my social media accounts. So I was at least expecting that my needs would be satisfied by my pocket wifi with LTE.


I was wrong, I was so disappointed. I loaded my wifi with a one month LTE unlimited surfing promo, which costs PHP 995. The internet speed was very slow. I never felt the ultra-speed telecommunication companies were bragging about.


I would even get so sleepy surfing the net because it’s really slow. There are times when the speed catches up and I am able to finally publish my posts, check my email, social media account and surf a bit for some research. I would have to rush doing all those things though, because when the speed goes down, it’s lullaby time for me once again.


At times I would have to sleep very late until around 2 a.m. because the internet speed peaks up from around 10:30 p.m. up until a little past 1:30 a.m. It’s an advantage for me when it comes to internet speed but it’s also a disadvantage because my mind can no longer seem to function during those specific times.




GLOBE TATTOO




I have also tried Globe Pocket Wifi with their Tattoo sim card when I was still in the province. I noticed that Globe’s internet speed seemed to be faster in the province than here in the city. It’s the other way around with Smart; their internet speed is faster in the city than in the province.


The service that I have experienced with Smartbro’s Pocket Wifi was also the same service I have experienced with Globe’s Pocket Wifi. They’re both practically the same when it comes to internet service.




MY CONCLUSION

Overall, I can summarize that basing from my experiences with the 3 biggest telecommunication companies in the Philippines; PLDT is still the best when it comes to internet speed. I haven’t tried out their new product ULTERA though, which is also signal based (similar to Globe & Smart).




INTERNET ISSUES IN THE SENATE




Now, there was a recent senate discussion regarding internet speed and pricing in the Philippines, which is very expensive compared to other neighbouring Asian countries. I’m glad senate has finally taken the time to address this issue because internet in the Philippines is really low when it comes to quality and high when it comes to pricing.


A research conducted by a researcher from LIRNEasia revealed that consumers are actually paying more for the kind of service they receive. It turns out that the internet speed which are advertised and promised by the telecommunication agencies are not really reached in actual consumer usage.


I can say that this is really unjust and unfair for internet users who are willingly paying the high monthly service fees that these telcos ask in knowing that they are receiving the kind of service they are paying for; but in reality they are being robbed off their money.




RISING INTERNET USE IN THE PHILIPPINES



The Philippines is rising fast as a technologically advanced country, with an increasing number of internet users. Internet users nowadays do not merely use the internet for fun and leisure, but also as a means of living.


I myself depend on this wide world of internet to reach out to my audience and be heard from all parts of the world. Without a good internet connection, people who work in the internet industry here in the Philippines would lose heart and find other means of living that would lessen the popularity of the internet.


We use the internet to interact with friends and with business transactions. But if we have a very slow internet connection, it definitely turns off our business dealings and transactions.


We as a country should be speeding up instead of slowing down. The internet could even be our way of competing with our other Asian neighbours when it comes to working for foreign companies because we have the English Language advantage.




A CONSUMER’S PLEA FOR FAIR SERVICE




My only plea for our Philippine government and for the concerned authorities such as NTC, is for them not to stop with just the promise of monitoring the internet speed that the telcos are providing but for them to also find and allow other companies to bid in their offers if there are others out there who are willing to invest in the Philippines and offer much better services than what our tried and tested telcos are offering.


As what LIRNEasia suggested, there should be a good means of competition for our telecommunication service providers for them to also provide a competitive service to consumers.


I can clearly observe that our telcos are not really competing upwards but instead competing in a steady gait. They just have fairly the same kind of services with not much difference to choose from.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Aldub & Ryan Rems: The Newest Philippine Craze




It’s Showtime and Eat Bulaga are both famous noontime shows in the Philippines, which are shown among the 2 rival giant networks ABS-CBN (also known as “Kapamilya Network) and GMA (also known as “Kapuso Network).

Image courtesy of Pixabay


ABS-CBN and GMA had always been known to be rival networks for the longest time, long before the newer TV 5 Network (also known as “Kapatid Network”) emerged as a rising rival for the 2 senior networks.


I will not go to the details about the history of the 3 networks as we will have to go through a lot of paragraphs and pages before we even get to the main story, which is the “rock ‘n roll to the world” and “Aldub” phenomenon.


 

The ALAMAT called RYAN REMS


First, let’s talk about the famous line “rock ‘n roll to the world” and how it continues to be a household phrase nowadays. Even my 5-year-old son has been constantly blurting out the famous line, made into a Philippine phenomenon by a guy named Ryan Rems Sarita a.k.a. Alamat.


Ryan Rems Sarita instantly rose to popularity when he joined an ABS-CBN contest for aspiring Filipino comedians all over the country. The competition was called “Funny One,” where contestants were initially screened and pre-judged from the regional auditions before making it to the live noontime TV show “It’s Showtime”.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

The contestants were narrowed down from a huge number of combined nationwide hopefuls to only a few who made it to the televised competition.


The search for a new name in the comedy genre was hosted by comedian Bayani Agbayani, together with It’s Showtime mainstay hosts Vhong Navarro and Billy Crawford.


So who is Ryan Rems Sarita behind the Alamat and behind the “Funny One?” On the day that he won as the first ever Funny One grand champion, he revealed that he becoming a part of the contest was just by chance of accident, or maybe even fate.


Before even considering trying his luck in Funny One, Sarita worked as a call center agent, an online English tutor, and a rock band member.


Sarita was applying for a position as a writer for ABS-CBN but the slots for writers were already full for them to still accept him for the job. One of the staff suggested that he try his luck in the comedy contest instead, as he was already known to be a stand-up comedian.


He was then encouraged to join the competition and the rest is now part of history. He won the contest with his seemingly non-reactive way of making people laugh. He would blurt out his funny lines with a serious tone and usually end them with “rock n’ roll to the world.”


Sarita’s repetitive phrase caught the attention of the young and the old alike, and since then became a nationally repeated phrase, especially for the “masa”.


You’d be amazed that Sarita’s name has immediately made it to the pages of Wikipedia. If you want to know more about the man behind “rock ‘n roll to the world”, you can easily view his biography on the Wikipedia website.


The ALDUB Fever


“Aldub” on the other hand, which is the shortened term for Yaya Dub and Alden Richards, is the hottest love team on noon-time TV right now.


Yaya Dub, whose real name is Maine Mendoza, became an online sensation because of her viral dubsmash videos, gaining her the title “Dubsmash Queen” of the Philippines.


Mendoza was then offered a stint on the noon-time show (aired through GMA Network) Eat Bulaga’s segment “Juan for All, All for Juan” as the fictitious character Lola Nidora’s quirky nanny, which is characterized by one of the show’s host Wally Bayola.


Maine Mendoza then became commonly known as “Yaya Dub.”


Image courtesy of Pixabay
So how did Yaya Dub find a love team in the character of Alden Richards? During one of the episodes of “Juan for All, All for Juan,” Yaya Dub appeared to have developed a certain attraction over the charms of the boy-next-door looking actor Alden Richards as they exchanged lines during the actor’s visit to the show.


The “kilig” factor was then felt by the audience and the people around them, which then started the “Aldub” fever.



The "Aldub" love team has since then become a daily trending topic on social media and has even made it on top of the daily trending topics on Twitter.


Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza have this natural on-screen magic that is even made more believable by Yaya Dub's genuine admiration for the hunk actor.


They are not the typical love team with blockbuster movies and shows but their wholesome and funny sweet nothings have definitely made an impact to their growing audience.


Wherever this tandem will take their audience soon is something worthy of high expectations. Who knows? They could be soon be part of popular endorsements and shows one of these days.


The opportunities for these two are limitless. With more exposure and development of their love team, they would surely make it far on the business of entertainment.

 


THIS IS THEIR TIME



Whichever show you watch or whatever network you are loyal to, the fact that “Aldub” and “Rock ‘n Roll to the World” have become big hits and regular parts of our noontime TV viewing proves that the world of entertainment is forever growing and changing.


These new characters have already established their names in their different fields, but their absorption in TV networks will even pave their way into stardom.


Image courtesy of Pixabay
They have followers and they also have haters. More of these 2 opposing kinds of people will increase in number soon, and this is expected for people who are earning their way up in the ladder of fame.


Whatever views and opinions people will have of these growing personalities, what is sure is that this is their season and we will remember them when we look back at this certain period of time soon.


Even if stars fade and lose their brightness, there will always be new ones to come along with the passing of time. For now, let’s just enjoy the entertainment these people are giving us. There will be more to come but this is their time to shine and give smiles to the faces of fans and audiences.