2010 UAAP Ateneo-FEU basketball championship – competent coaching made the difference

like everyone else, we were shocked at the outcome of the first game of the 2010 UAAP basketball championship between Ateneo and FEU over the weekend. we were more shocked than the FEU players themselves. we thought it would be tough and close, it was easy and wide.

we have to agree with the FEU sports official who described their teams loss like an animal  facing the headlights of  a car on a highway at night. – the FEU players froze, with eyes wide and stood there and waited for  the car to run them over.

we think it is the coaching that made the difference in that game and leading to the finals. norman black , the ateneo coach, is once again making the difference for ateneo.  the ateneo squad in the past few years and most specially this year usually starts cold and gets hotter as the season nears the end.

the ateneo team specially this one kept on improving game after game. the ateneo team had the same players now as the start of the season, the difference lie in the adjustments coach norman black makes game to game. it is these adjustments in play and strategy that allowed the ateneo team to win over FEU which had previously beat ateneo twice during regular play.

listen to the ateneo players after their games – all of them talk about practicing hard before the game. that tells us they do change their plans when they go into a new game and they practice it well.

ateneo’s team this season do not have the stars it used to have in the last two years.  they seem to be all even across the players. look at the games they have played and you will see that different players star in different games. that tells you this team operates on specific strategy of play rather than being central to one or  two players.  different players come out as the star of the game as the plays work and evolve during the game.

FEU on the other hand must have set their plays on their two stars – romeo and garcia as they have done in most previous games.  unfortunately, their coach did not adjust their plays and strategies when it did not work. either the coach failed to adjust the play or if the coach did, the players did not respond to the instructi0ns.

what is going to happen on game 2? ateneo for sure will adapt most of the game plan they had in game 1 and probably come up with a few new plays to anticipate adjustments that FEU will make on thursday.

we think its important for ateneo to employ the same strategy of piling up the points on fastbreaks very early on. it is important not just on the point building standpoint but more importantly on the psychology side.

FEU players seem to be psychologically vulnerable. they fold when ravaged in the mind and that is what ateneo’s play will be on game 2.

mead johnson milk products for children hit by product recall

a product recall for a milk product for children is an absolute nightmare to happen. safety and quality are two product attributes all mothers expect that a milk product will deliver as most basic. they are a must have.

but the FDA had ordered mead johnson to recall two for their products for not meeting the fat content standard set by the FDA.

what makes the recall bad is that  the statement of the FDA in it’s recall order has the following words in them:

“thus indisputably making the same non-compliant to the standard of inferior quality,” Tacandong said.
—
Continuous distribution of the milk products would present “gross deception” to consumers and may “present risk and injury to young children,” said the FDA order.

the FDA categorically says the recall need to be made to prevent “risk and injury” to young children. we are not sure how a milk product that does not meet fat content standards can “injure” young children, but those are the words being used by the FDA.

read more about this here:

http://the-wawam-file.blogspot.com/2010/09/mead-johnsons-brand-and-corporate-image.html

things get ugly : willie revillame sues abs-cbn for P11M, abs-cbn counterclaims for P486M

we thought this is where the episode in the life of willie revillame will end  – in court and ugly.    in a press conference held recently, revillame “invalidates” his contract with abs-cbn. (click here:http://www.abs-cbn.com/Feature/Article/8278/Willie-Revillame-invalidates-his-contract-with-ABS-CBN.aspx). a flurry of activities was fired offf by abs-cbn since that tine, one of which saying revillame is still under contract with abs-cbn and he just can’t invalidate it. (http://www.abs-cbn.com/Feature/Article/8277/OFFICIAL-STATEMENT-ON-WILLIE-REVILLAME-S-PRESSCON-PRONOUNCEMENTS.aspx)

the latest real life episode puts revillame about to air a new tv show in another tv station. they are rumors but the it is all over the place with a few details about the show making it sound much more than just rumors.

things like these are never easy.  you just can’t walk out of things. these need to be settled in court. and things are getting ugly – for the part of revillame in the tune of an P11M claim and for abs0cbn a mind boggling P486M counterclaim. abs-cbn seem to be bent on taking back everything and anything that revillame earned as tv host at the tv station since the start of his career there. abs-cbn’s counterclaim is “all or nothting” written all over it.

reading from the news reports, we find revillame’s suit on the strange side. revillame seem to be claiming damages, like he was the victim. abs-cbn seem to be the victim here as revillame did act like a brat  on live tv when he did his disrespect of cory aquino during her funeral and that amazing live tv scene of revillame threatening to resign from abs-cbn in his fight against a radio host at abs-cbn.

with such mega millions on the table plus personal pride on willie’s part and corporate pride on the side of abs-cbn,  who will blink?

TV network files P486-M counterclaim vs noontime host
By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 15:14:00 09/17/2010

MANILA, Philippines – A P486-million counterclaim damage suit has been filed before a Quezon City court against TV host Willie Revillame for allegedly committing several violations in his contract with ABS-CBN Corp.

In a 139-page answer with compulsory counterclaim, ABS-CBN through lawyer Augusto San Pedro Jr. asked the court to order Revillame to pay P20 million each for moral damages, exemplary damages and attorney’s fees and other litigation expenses.

The TV network also wanted the host to pay the amount of P426,917,646.96 as liquidated damages for breaching the agreement between Revillame and the network.

The counterclaim was filed before Judge Luisito Cortez of Regional Trial Court Branch 84.

ABS-CBN filed the answer with compulsory counterclaim in compliance with the summons issued to them to answer the P11.5-million damage and rescission of contract filed by Revillame.

Revillame, through legal counsel Leonard De Vera, filed the damage suit claiming that his suspension with pay and placing him under probation were valid grounds to terminate his contract because they were provided for in the agreement.

young writers win in the 2010 Palanca Awards – ateneo grade school student anton cabalza wins 2nd prize

Twelve-year old Anton Raphael S. Cabalza wrote an entry for this year’s Palanca Awards to make his summer break more worthwhile. Little did he know that his foray into the literary awards would make him the youngest contestant to ever win a Palanca.

12-year old Anton Raphael Cabalza, 2nd prize, Kabataan Essay for “A Shot at Perfection”

His entry entitled “A Shot at Perfection” won 2^nd prize in the Kabataan (Youth) Essay category participated by contestants 18 years old and below.

The Ateneo Grade 7 student, also the youngest member of Mensa Philippines in 2008 at 10 years old, said that this year’s environmental topic of the Kabataan Essay is something he feels strongly about: “The advocacy itself is something I consider supporting. As such, I felt the topic was something I could invest a lot of emotion and personal reactions in.”

It is certainly the season for young writers to win in Palanca as they also clinched coveted prizes traditionally dominated by more experienced writers. It is the first time that the competition has seen two teenagers win top prizes in the regular categories.

Gregorio Brillantes, 60th Palanca Awards Guest Speaker

A sophomore taking up BA Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, 17-year old aspiring writer Miro Frances D. Capili won this year’s 1^st Prize in the Kabataan Essay category and also the top prize at the regular Essay category. In 2008, Capili also won the top prize in the Kabataan Essay category.

For her Kabataan Essay-winning entry entitled “The Nature of Nurture,” Capili “thought of the moribund nature of environmental political policies and edicts, of how people have so little incentive to work for the environment. The Nature of Nurture aims to revive one’s inbred nature to nurture and put order to their surroundings.”

On the other hand, her winning entry in the regular Essay category entitled “Vinyl” is much more personal. Explained Capili, “Vinyl was a tribute to my father’s affinity for old things, particularly vinyl records. I’d say that one of the most important lessons I’ve learned from him was a respect for the past.” The essay began as a commentary on learning how to play vinyl records and from there evolved into a correlation between love and life.”

Capili admires the works of numerous writers like Annie Proulx, Roland Barthes, Albert Golbarth, Russell Banks among many others. A passionate young writer, Capili said, “We read to be reminded of every lilt and tug of the human condition. I believe that the best kind of writing is that which makes you tremble from either its excesses or its subtle affectivity.”

Another 17 year-old, an electronics engineering freshman at the Technological University of the Philippines-Manila, Christopher S. Rosales, not only won 1^st prize in the Kabataan Sanaysay (the Filipino division for Kabataan Essay) category but also the top plum in the regular “Maikling Kwentong Pambata” category participated by all ages.

Rosales said that he intended to promote backyard gardening in his Kabataan Sanaysay entry “Gulayan Klasrum” because it will help the community. “I’ve always wanted to write about how we should be selfless about helping Mother Nature,” he said

Meantime, Rosales said that in writing his short story for children entitled “Si Berting, Ang Batang Uling”, he took inspiration from a dark-skinned classmate who is always the subject of jokes because of the color of his skin. He also made use of his fascination with the moon in his story.

A big fan of Filipino writers Edgardo Reyes, Ricky Lee, Lualhati Bautista, Eugene Evasco and Michael Coroza, Rosales said, “All my writings are based on real-life experiences. In my essay, I try to capture the emotions of the readers. In my short story for children, maybe it helped that I love to read children stories. I really don’t have experience in writing. I learned through reading.”

The interest of the younger generation to which Cabalza, Capili and Rosales belong is seen as key to perpetuating the literary tradition that has been in existence in the last six decades.

Cabalza said, “For me, the Palanca holds a unique significance for the youth who are right now at a stage wherein they are figuring out their paths in life. It can act as a tool of self-discovery, something that can guide us into finding our own meaning in life.

To this, Capili seemed to agree: “Reputable award-giving bodies such as the Palanca Foundation are necessary because young writers have much to learn from seasoned ones. Some writers need only an affirmation of their potential, often by means of receiving a coveted award, to begin taking writing seriously. For the past six decades, the awards have continuously motivated writers to work tirelessly at their craft, raising the bar of what is adjudged as ‘exceptional’ writing.”

Now on its 60^th year, Palanca Awards has indeed been enriching the country’s cultural heritage by recognizing the best works from thousands of entries all over the country. What started as a small yet potent collection of six stories in 1951 has now grown into a wide and deep treasury of Philippine literature.

At present, the Carlos Palanca Foundation already has, in its collection, 514 short stories, 360 collections of poetry, 202 essays, 340 one-act plays, 176 full-length plays, 60 teleplays, 51 screenplays, 142 stories for children, 34 futuristic fiction stories, 71 student essays, 34 novels, and 10 collections of poetry for children. These works are compiled and made available to all researchers and lovers of literature at the Foundation library.

The collection of literary masterpieces include the works of Philippine National Artists for literature, namely Francisco Arcellana, Virgilio Almario, N.V.M. Gonzales, Amado V. Hernandez, Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Lumbera, and Edith L. Tiempo.

This year’s winners include:

Filipino Division:

Dulang Pampelikula

1^st – Kristoffer G. Brugada (Patikul)

2^nd – Jerry B. Gracio (Magdamag)

3^rd – No Winner

Dulang Ganap ang Haba

1^st – No Winner

2^nd – Liza C. Magtoto (Rated PG)

3^rd – Christian R. Vallez (Kapeng Barako Club: Samahan ng mga Bitter)

Dulang May Isang Yugto

1^st – Nicolas B. Pichay (Isang Araw sa Karnabal)

2^nd – Floy C. Quintos (Suor Clara)

3^rd – Allan B. Lopez (Higit Pa Dito)

Kabataan Sanaysay

1^st – Christopher S. Rosales (Gulayan Klasrum)

2^nd – Marianito L. Dio Jr. (Ang Aking Pangalan, Ang Aking Kababata at ang Mithing Tilamsik para kay Third)

3^rd – No Winner

Tula

1^st – Carlos M. Piocos III (Guerra Cantos)

2^{nd —} Romulo P. Baquiran Jr. (Parokya)

3^rd – Mark Anthony S. Angeles (Engkantado)

Tulang Pambata

1^st – No Winner

2^nd – No Winner

3^rd – Will P. Ortiz (May Puso Ang Saging)

Maikling Kwento

1^st – No Winner

2^nd – Rommel B. Rodriguez (Toxic)

3^rd – Thomas David F. Chavez (Sa Kabilang Lupalop ng Mahiwagang Kaharian)

Maikling Kwentong Pambata

1^st – Christopher S. Rosales (Si Berting, ang Batang Uling)

2^nd – Renerio R. Concepcion (Ang Kagilagilalas na Paglalakbay nina Mumo at Am-I)

3^rd – Bernadette V. Neri (Parada ng mga Alingawngaw)

Sanaysay

1^st – Maria Clarissa N. Estuar (Ang Reyna ng mga Tumbong)

2^nd – Ferdinand P. Jarin (D’Pol Pisigan Band)

3^rd – Mark Gil M. Caparros (Sina Bunso at ang mga Batang Preso)

English Division

Full-length Play

1^st – Jay Crisostomo IV (God of the Machine)

2^nd – Jorshinelle Taleon-Sonza (The Encounter)

3^rd – Lito Casaje (Shooting the Boys)

One-act Play

1^st – No Winner

2^nd – No Winner

3^rd – Peter Solis Nery (The Wide Ionian Sea)

Short Story

1^st – Ma. Elena L. Paulma (Three Kisses)

2^nd – Ma. Rachelle Tesoro (Waiting for Rain)

3^rd – Catherine Rose Galang Torres (Café Masala)

Short Story for Children

1^st – Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento (Tabon Girl)

2^nd – Hiyasmin Ledi C. Mattison (Little Bear Goes Home: A Love Story)

3^rd – Grace D. Chong (I am an Apple)

Poetry

1^st – Merlie M. Alunan (Tales of the Spiderwoman)

2^{nd —} Rafael Antonio C. San Diego (My Name in Reverse)

3^rd – Joel H. Vega (Latitudes and Other Poems)

Poetry for Children

1^st – Duffie Alejandrino H. Osental (After the Storm and Other Poems)

2^nd – Patricia Marie Grace S. Gomez (Poems from the Pantry and Prehistoric Times)

3^rd – Ma. Celine Anastasia P. Socrates (Playgrounds)

Essay

1^st – Miro Frances D. Capili (Vinyl)

2^nd – Florianne Marie L. Jimenez (Postcards from Somewhere)

3^rd – Corinna Esperanza A. Nuqui (Library)

Kabataan Essay

1^st – Miro Frances D. Capili (The Nature of Nurture)

2^{nd —} Anton Raphael S. Cabalza (A Shot at Perfection)

3^rd – Catherine D. Tan (Green at Heart)

Regional Division

Short Story – Cebuano

1^st – Richel G. Dorotan (Si Tarzan)

2^{nd —} Jonecito R. Saguban (Tinuboang Sapatos)

3^rd – Noel P. Tuazon (Patas)

Short Story – Iluko

1^st – Sherma E. Benosa (Dagiti Pasugnod ni Angelo)

2^nd – Ariel S. Tabag (Voice Tape)

3^rd – Joel B. Manuel (Apo Bannual! Apo Bannual!)

Short Story – Hiligaynon

1^st – Andy P. Perez (Bayuso)

2^nd – Ferdinand L. Balino (Dumdumon Ko Ang Imo Guya)

3^rd – Jesus C. Insilada, Ed. D. (Walingwaling)

blog scam – tita jo from england

we got this email from someone from england addressed to someone we have written on this blog.  we decided not to forward it to the person featured in this blog as we thought this is probably some kind of a scam.

the letter writer claims to be from england and knows the person we featured in this blog. the letter writer says she is in the country for a short period of time and will like to meet with the person featured in this blog.

we thought it was some kind of a scam,. if this person truly knew the person we featured in this blog, then she would have known how to get in touch, not course it through this blog. also, the email was full of grammatical errors and that made us doubt the authenticity of the email. however, this scammer is pretty brave, including a landline number and a cell phone number.

we do not know what the deal is here. but it is certainly highly suspicious. we are publishing it her to warn others of this scam. this is the first time we have encountered this kind of scam in this blog.

please be warned.

hi -xxx-, im sure you will be surprised to know who am i, im tita jo from london england, im sure you still know me. jovita -xxx- from moorfieds eye hospital. am in manila for a holiday and been trying to contact you long time ago as i have witness the tragedy that has had happened -xxx-  year at the -xxx-  at akoy nakikiramay sa inyong lahat. its very sad so i tried many ways to contact you and this is the only possible way i have to get in touch with you. im in manila at present until the 17th sept. i hope we can meet each other at your most convenient time. i know you are both very busy with your daily chores in life.my contact no. is 368xxxx or 0916213xxxx dont hesitate to ring me at anytime. thank you and hope to speak n see you. maraming salamat po.  tita jo xxx.from england

new MRT fares should be increased to between aircon bus and aircon taxi prices

for sure, the MRT fares should be increased. it cannot stay at the current low rates which in effect are highly subsidized by the government. we think it should be increased so that the operators can get some decent profit out of it and more importantly, we are hoping the MRT will improve its services.

on top of the improvement to do list is a significant increase in number of coaches so that  waiting time for passengers will be lessened and hopefully reduce the volume of passengers  inside the coaches.

rush hour is deadly at the trains. just to get to the train already takes a long time. and when you finally get to the coaches, you are forced to be packed worst than sardines. getting out  of  the coaches where people are cramped toe to toe will need using your two elbows and hands to work over time to push people in front of you so that you can get out of the train before the train door closes.

having more coaches and effectively shortening waiting time will result to less people inside the coaches.

the increase in fares will not only give the operators more decent profits and more comfort for passengers, it might have the effect of reducing the number of passengers due to the higher cost. those who can no longer afford the higher cost will be forced to take other modes of transportation like the buses or jeepneys. that in effect will benefit the other means of public transportation as their customer base will increase.

the question is – to what level should the fares be increased? newspaper reports say the transport authorities are thinking of increasing the train fares to the level of the aircon buses. we  disagree.

we think the train fares should be increased  higher than aircon buses but lower than aircon taxi fares or between aircon buses and aircon taxis. we are saying that based on the benefits each mode of transportation gives passengers.  it is sensible to expect that those that give the most benefits should be able to charge higher than those with less.

it is understandable why taxis should charge highest – they have aircon, you are alone in the car and it can take you right at the  doorstep of your destination.  aircon FX should be next – they have aircon, fewer passengers and takes you to within walking distance to your final destination. this i followed by aircon buses as they are the next best thing  to FX – they have aricon and takes you on the main roads in comfort. the jeepney should be cheapest as it is the least comfortable among all the public transport.

given that thinking, we think the MRT is between aicon taxi and aircon bus as it has all the major benefits of taking an aircon  taxi or aircon bus – all three have aircon; versus the taxi, it’s inferior in number of passengers inside the vehicle and is unable to take you to the exact location you want to go to. however, the MRT is superior versus aircon buses as it will take you much faster to your destination than a taxi would  or even an aircon bus on the same route as the train.

pricing levels are determined according to the product quality and end-consumer benefits. the product that has a better quality and gives superior benefits will not only cost more to produce or maintain, it can also give superior benefits to end-consumers. it is the same thing for the taxi, MRT and the aircon buses.

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MRT fares likely to become equal to aircon bus fares — DOTC –>

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100831-289804/MRT-fares-likely-to-become-equal-to-aircon-bus-fares—-DOTC