Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Try making DiscOVIries!

Want to buy something in the Ayala Malls?

Here is a chance to win a 1000 pesos Ayala EGC from OVI by Nokia!

All you need to do is send your latest discOVIries:

If it is food, send it to: fooddiscOVIry@ovi.com.
If it is related to fashion/beauty, send it to fashiondiscOVIry@ovi.com.
For tech/gadget/game discOVIries, send it to techdiscOVIry@ovi.com.

You have until November 20 to send your entries. Make sure first to have an OVI Mail account. (You can create one here.) In your entry, make sure to place your contact information and your OVI mail address.

10 winners from each category will be selected, so send your entries now.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Smart B-Free Day

I had the chance to be at the Smart B Free Day one month ago. It was interesting since it was a week before the events of Ketsana and Parma. It was held at the Megatent, more known to being a hub of relief efforts.

Dongles showing the different school colors were given away to the lucky students who attended the event. I find this dongle handy whenever I might go elsewhere. The school colors belong to the 18 schools under the UAAP and NCAA umbrella.

I personally find it cool, because we are living in the age of the laptop and this will handy for all students, so kudos to SMART.

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The White Forest

This is the newest cake of Red Ribbon. The White Forest. Most of us were famillar with the Black Forest, but the White Forest is a little bit different.

It is composed of creamy white chocolate and light, moist white chiffon cake layered between real cherry bits filling and a fusion of cream and white chocolate flakes. Crowned with beautiful cream rosettes with luscious long-stemmed red maraschino cherries on top as well as some white chocolate shavings all around.

This cake is available in the regular (560) and junior (335) sizes. Check your nearest Red Ribbon outlet. By the way, you know there are also new delicious items there as well.

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National Thank You Day today....

October 20 is National Thank You Day. The Swiss chocolate brand Toblerone (which is really yummy) declared the second ever National Thank You Day in the Philippines. You can check here for more details about the event.

You can send cards and nominate someone, as well as sign a petition calling for a National Holiday for Thank You Day.

On a personal note, I want to take this chance to thank everyone who sent messages to me and my family (whether via tweets, plurks, wall posts, comments, messages, texts). I really want to thank as well as the medical people who took care of dad at St. Luke's Medical Center. They are a wonderful group of people. They did their best and we as a family appreciate that.

Dad, thanks for taking care of us. We will take care of each other. We love you.

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Friday, October 16, 2009

45 Pesos means what to you? A Stand UP to Poverty post

Last week, i had the privilege to see first-hand the state of dirt-poor poverty. Thanks to Campaigns PR and UN, I finally get a crack at a immersion-like state.

We were briefed beforehand about what we were to go through. The actual experience of interacting and being there in the area is absolutely different from what i had envisioned.

One group was residing underneath an aqueduct-like tunnel, while another resides directly underneath a bridge.

They do not have a fixed income. Their kids have problems with education. Health is a major concern. Government inadequacies....

That is poverty. Compared to how we live? A large percentage of people live with less than $1 a day. How can you equate that for you? Well. Try living on 45 pesos for a whole day.

45 Pesos. Less than a meal at McDonald's,

I spent 10 pesos on pandesal. 17 pesos on instant noodles. 10 pesos on a bag of nuts. 6 pesos on water. That's 43 pesos already. Imagine you have to do that everyday. It is mind-boggling, to say the least.

As such, I stand up to fight poverty. I pray for truth and accountability. I wish I could do a better job, but i know i will with the power of the ballot.

Let's Stand Up to Poverty! Stand Up and make yourself involved.

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Ketsana Experience: a.k.a. Blog Action Day post for 2009

I think Filipinos can best narrate the story about the Climate Change best as of the moment. This is mine.

Saturday morning. Work ended 7am. It was the last Saturday of the month, so I dropped by to visit a couple of friends (named Chico and Delamar). Normally, I would stay long, but the weather wasn't in a cooperative mood. I left early and had a quick breakfast at my fave ortigas haunt, Tapsi ni Pasing. I wanted to go home, so i braved the rains for a bus. Unfortunately, it was not long before the first effects of the typhoon began to strike. I, along with the bus became marooned in the street beside the People Power Monument. Actually, not just us, but a lot more. Three movies on the screen passed before we managed to get moving onto Katipunan Ave's extension (a.k.a the way to White Plains). It was past lunch time. Unfortunately, traffic endured until I gave up and went down at Gate 2, taking the mighty mighty steps of Barangka. I assumed that Marikina was safe, because who would have expected it to flood that stretch of A.Bonifacio Ave? To my horror and surprise, I saw an unprecedented event, being waist-deep in water in Marikina. The other option was to go take Marcos Highway. Then again, the waters forced me to stop at Sta. Lucia at dusk. Knowing that, I bought food at Mini-Stop (which had to forcibly close) and stayed inside the Jollibee branch of Robinson's Metro East (sneakily, since I'd rather not stay elsewhere in the mall, for personal security purposes). There, i discovered the power of RockEd Radio and newfound admiration and respect for Jam 88.3 (not that it will alter anything). As the night passed, Gang, Lambert, etc. reported on what went on in the whole night. Callers, texters, tweeters sharing the madness that was Ketsana. Managed to get out early morning Sunday. Had to walk almost all the way home, seeing carnage and desolation run rampant. Mud, sand, damage. Everything. Feet was tiring. Lucky to see a former school service driver of mine. Who had a dead passenger to deliver to the morgue. Got home around lunch time, a full day later than what i wanted. No electricity until very late at night.

And as such, what else can i say... as we look back at the past few days, with the topic on hand, it is important to know that climate change is a fact of life. It is a natural occurence, but accelerated by man. It is important that we take responsibility of what we do. Just do the right thing and be responsible.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Rock The Vote!

If you have the time, do make it your point. The more important thing is to get people out to register. Deadline remains the same after all the things that have happened as of late.

Thanks, Nina T. Zialcita for the heads-up. I will make it a point to drop by. :)

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Wednesday, October 07, 2009

This is the Ateneo Way.

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I am John Paul Manahan.

I am a Cancer, born in the Year of the Dog, a day after the feast day of St. John the Baptist, in the month of the Pearl.

I am a philosopoet, devoted to now writing what are on my thoughts on a frequent basis.

I am a Filipino, devoted to its culture and traditions and will not trade it for anything else in the world.

I am a Catholic, devoted to the tenets of the Church.

I am an Atenean, devoted to the faith and principles of magis.

I am a Maristian, devoted to Mary through the ideals of St. Marcellin Champagnat.

I am a proud graduate with a major in Development Studies, devoted to changing the world, whichever way possible in this grim reality we put ourselves in.

Hello! Welcome to my domain!
Remember to always keep an open mind.
To navigate, click the warning signs. Hope you enjoy the blog.




This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.