My sports wish for 2012 are:

- For the Toronto Raptors to get the 1st pick overall for the 2012 NBA Draft.
- For Jonas Valanciunas to be able to play for the Toronto Raptors during the 2012-2013 season.
- For a Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather match.
- For the New England Patriots to regain the Superbowl.
- For Brian Viloria to get inside the top 10 pound for pound list of The Ring Mag.
- For the Azkals to be humble and focus on their sport and not the fame and glory that goes with their little success in the game of Football.
- For Javale Mcgee to don a Smart Gilas jersey.
- For Rudy Hatfield to bring back his intensity to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.
- For Jayjay Helterbrand to stay healthy.
- For Coach Spoe to stay, and not be fired by Pat Riley, when the Miami Heat goes through challenging times.
- Foor our pool masters to still be on top of their game.

Is this your President?

My heart goes out to all individuals who are affected by the tragedy that has befallen our country. The wrath of Typhoon Sendong devastated Dumaguete, some parts of Surigao, CDO and Iligan City. I lived in CDO and visited Iligan frequently from June-July 2008. And I can't believe that these gorgeous cities have been left to shambles by the wrath of mother nature.
Just a few months ago, Davao City was devastated by a flash flood. Certain areas in the city were wiped out and a number of lives where lost. This only goes to show that we people, no matter how technologically advanced we are, are still no match once mother nature unleashes her fury. We were lucky to have escaped and majority of the city was sparred. But the damage that it cost in the areas of Matina Pangi and Bankal are saddening.
But I notice that there is something, or someone, missing during these times of crisis. During the flash floods that occurred in Davao, our beloved President never visited the city. Though Mr. President visited CDO just today, 12-20-2011, I think he is a little bit late.
Excuses such as "he doesn't want to disturb those who are doing the rescue efforts" and other pathetic reasons have been uttered by his camp. I don't really buy their excuses since VP Binay has been visiting tragedy stuck areas including Davao City and CDO. I don't believe that he has disturbed the efforts of our heroic rescuers.
Boosting the morale of your people and being with them in times of crisis is one way of helping them ease the pain.
I remember what Gen. MacArthur once said when a corporal tried to stop him from going to the front lines. The corporal said, "Sir, there are a lot of Japanese snipers out there. We have to clear the front first before you can proceed and inspect the line." What the great General said was, "How can you fight the enemy when you cannot see him son?" With that, he ordered his jeepney driver to "go on."
The President should have at least visited the sites and see for himself the damage that has been caused by Sendong. Reports from the field only shows a tiny bit of picture. If you want to know the whole story then proceed to the front lines. Talk to those who are affected and not your cabinet members who also receive reports from their men on the field.
The line "better late then never" cannot be used in this instance since this is a catastrophe. Lives have been lost. Dreams have been shattered. Where were you when they needed you?

SM City Davao Canopy Collapse

According to TV Patrol Southern Mindanao's Facebook page, an accident occurred at SM City Davao's (Ecoland) construction site. The accident occurred when the canopy of their latest building collapsed. This canopy connects the the new building to the adjacent parking lots. Here are some photos of the accident courtesy of TV Patrol Southern Mindanao:

VM Duterte berates erring drivers

Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte was fuming with rage at the two drivers who were responsible for the accident that occurred at the Davao-Bukidnon Highway in Catalunan Pequeno.

The Vice Mayor was quoted as saying, “dili na ni pwede masikmura sa katilingban ning mga style ninyo, mangamatay mga tao tungod sa ninyo kung pirmi mo mag-ingon nga aksidente.”

The two drivers involved are Ruben Saliot, who was driving the dump truck that was parked on the road due to engine trouble, and Geronimo Vistal Ceballos Jr., the one manning the passenger van that crashed onto the parked truck Monday night. 4 of his passengers died and another 18 were injured in the melee.

The Vice Mayor directed his tirade to both drivers. He told Ruben Saliot that, “Nagbutang-butang ka ug butang nga delikado sa kinabuhi.” While he also castigated Geronimo Vistal Ceballos Jr. because of over-speeding.

The former Mayor also said that Geronimo should not be allowed to drive because he has a defect in one of his eyes.

He even cast doubt as to why the latter was able to get a license even with a serious defect.

Vice Mayor Duterte also said that an investigation is not anymore essential since the death of the four individuals is ground enough to issue probable cause to file a case against the two drivers.

An investigation done in the scene reported that the driver of the L-300 van did not see the parked dump truck that was parked on the highway.

The early warning device that was used by the dump truck driver was a plastic garbage bin. The once the City uses for its waste disposal management.

Paul to the Clippers

Looks like Chris Paul is going to Los Angeles after all. Unfortunately, he will not suit up for the Lakers. Instead he is going to the Clippers.
Adrian Wojranowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Hornets and Clippers have agreed to a deal that will send Paul to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and the Timberwolves unprotected 2012 First round pick.
The deal looked bleak a few days ago since talks fell apart between the two ball clubs.
Let us hope David Stern doesn't veto this trade.

G.I. Joe Retaliation

Another must see in 2012.. G.I. Joe 2 Retaliation. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Men In Black III

Agents J and K are back! Watch the full trailer of Men In Black 3 below..

Enjoy!

Long Live Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury!!!

Boy Pick Up

Astig ka Ogie! Boy Pick Up!!

Don't judge someone by her Facebook page.. This lady is not a slut..

Yah Right...

50 families rendered homeless in Davao City fire

DAVAO CITY, Dec. 9 (PNA) - At least 50 families were rendered homeless when a fire gutted their houses at Barangay 1-A, Magallanes Riverside, this city around 9:30 Friday morning.

Initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) placed the damage at around P5 million.

The fire started at the residence of a certain Cita Lu believed due to an electrical short circuit.

The fire razed several houses to the ground due to narrow roads in the area located a few kilometers from the Bangoy Fire Station and the Public Safety Command Center.

The fire reached the general alarm, prompting fire trucks from nearby Panabo City and Tagum City to arrive here.

Most of the properties damaged were boarding houses occupied mostly by workers and students.

Affected residents were temporarily housed at the barangay’s gymnasium. (PNA)

LAP/LAM/Jessie L. Casalda/ldp

Chandler going to New York

League sources have said that Tyson Chandler is nearing to a Four year deal with the New York Knicks. According to Adrian Wojranowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Golden State Warriors have dropped off the Chandler chase.

The Knicks will also use their amnesty clause to waive veteran and former finals MVP Chauncey Billups. According to Billups' manager, his client is irate with him being released by the Knicks since his client was expecting to finish his career with the ball club.

With this development, we can certainly look forward to the Knicks being a dominant team in the East next year. With Chandler at the helm, Amare's shoulders will be unburdened and he can concentrate shooting the ball with confidence since Chandler could get the rebound if he misses. Not only that, but Chandler also improves their defense by leaps and bounds with his length and athleticism.

Chris Paul deal to team him up with Kobe Bryant

Breaking News! Reports have been circulating that the LA Lakers is set to acquire Chris Paul in a deal that includes two other teams.

According to Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers will be sending Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for Paul. The Lakers are finalizing the trade with Paul's old team, the New Orleans Hornets and the Houston Rockets. In the deal,Gasol will be sent to Houston. New Orleans will then receive Odom and Houston guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic and Argentinian Luis Scola.

The deal is not yet final but its getting close.

UPDATE:

Yahoo! Sports has reported that the Chris Paul deal was blocked by NBA commissioner David Stern after other teams in the league have complained. According to Adrian Wojranowski of Yahoo! Sports, "Some owners pushed Stern to demand that trade be nullified, and the Hornets be made to keep Paul on the roster for the foreseeable future, sources said. A chorus of owners were irate with the belief that the five-month lockout had happened largely to stop big-market teams from leveraging small-market teams for star players pending free agency."

MDRP and the cutting of heads

Multinational Pharmaceutical companies in the Philippines have started to cut a few sales personel. Pfizer Philippines and Astra Zeneca, two of the biggest Pharmaceutical's in the country ahve offered some of their employees early retirement packages to cut the company's losses due to the strong generic competition.

With the MDRP being passed into law a few years ago, Multinational drug makers have started to feel losses.

These companies have researched and spent billions of dollars trying to create new drugs to prevent diseases. With the MDRP in effect, these companies won't have exclusive distribution of new drugs since competitors can easilly copy the new drug and market it as their own without fear of being sued.

The MDRP could have been a beautiful law that could help those who can't afford sky-rocketing drug prices. Unfortuantely, the Government forgot that before people buy drugs for their disease, they'd have to let a physician take a look at their condition. Unfortuantely, physician's fees are also expensive and people from far flung areas don't have access to medical professionals.

I really hope that someone would ratify the law. It should include how people have better access to quality doctor's not only quality of medicines.

To my former counterparts and friends in the field who have lost their job, stay strong!

"Midas Touch"

Reposting this on my blog.. This made me laugh hard!! I know that Atty. Midas is not gay, but his reaction in this video would make you question his manhood.. Have fun!

The night that was

Just arrived from the Palm City of the Philippines, Tagum City. My girlfriend and I spent the night there to attend a Christmas party hosted by the Davao del Norte Association of Detailmen and Salesmen. It was a night full of merriment and of course, booze.
Tagum holds a special place in my heart it is because I called that City my home for almost 3 years. It is there where I learned to live life and be on my own. As a Professional Healthcare Representative for Phizer Philippines, I was based in Tagum City for the majority of my career as a rep. There, I met people that up to this day holds a special place in my heart.
The short visit last night was like a trip to memory lane. I remembered how I used to spend weeknights with my friends clowning around and sharing stories from heartaches to funny ones.
Do i regret my decision to take a post for a telecommunications company (which by the way turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes I made in my life)? I doubt it. I learned from that experience and I accept full responsibility as to the decision that I made.
What I learned from that experience was that money shouldn't really be the reason for ones being. I neglected my happiness in pursuit of a better dream.
Still, I know that I'd bounce back and redeem myself.

Switching?

I've checked Google+ and I have to say that I hate the lay out. Will be sticking to Facebook. Unless some random chick forces me to switch to Google+ (and by random chick I mean my girlfriend)..

Ferrari Pile Up

One of the most expensive pile ups in recent memory.

Good news for surplus fanatics out there. You might be able to purchase a Ferrari Surplus vehicle. We all know that Japan loves to throw their junk here in our country.

Loyola Meralco Sparks squeezes past Kaya Cignal to advance to the UFL Finals

Watching last nights UFL game pitting Loyola Meralco and Kaya Cignal was an experience for a newbee in football. Though I'm an avid sports fan, but I'm really not into the Azkals hype (or overhype).

The highly touted team of Loyola Meralco Sparks having the core group of the Younghusband's and the popular Matt Hartmann (due to the incident that occurred during the SEA Games) was going up against fellow Azkals Nate Burkey, Anton del Rosario and Lexton Moy of Kaya Cignal.

Though the first half was completely dominated by Kaya Cignal, due to the strong showing of their import (who unfortunately I forgot the name) scored the first two goals of the game. The Sparks were off of their game in the first half due to the consistent and very valiant defense of Kaya. The half ended with Kaya up three-nil.

But the second half was a different story. The sparks regained their composure and scored five straight goals shocking the crowd and the Kaya players. Phil got his groove back and the rest of the Sparks played like the highly touted team that they were. The game ended in a 5-4 score with the Sparks advancing to the finals against the winner of Philippine Air Force led by the Ilonggo Chieffy Caligdong going up against Angel Guirado led Global FC.

Huawei revving up and upping the ante

China based company Huawei has released its own version of the tablet, the Huawei MediaPad. Its the first 7 inch Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet. It's also has a dualcore 1.2 GHz processor and is supported by Google.

Huawei is a popular brand in the Telecom arena. Being one of the foremost suppliers of USB internet sticks to local carriers, they have found a good following in the Philippines. The company has already released their version of an Android phone.

The Huawei MediaPad gives its users a stylish and high performing and portable device. The MediaPad boasts of a 1080P full HD video playback and a 1.3 megapixel front facing company and 5 megapixel auto focus rear facing camera with HD video recording capabilities. What's not to love about that?

It also has a HSPA+ 14.4 MBPS and high speed WiFi 802.11 internet connectivity.

Device Group Head of Huawei Philippines Zack Zhangxiang said, “With the Huawei MediaPad, we are demonstrating yet again that design, functionality and performance are within anyone’s reach. The 7-inch tablet remains the preferred size for portability, and Android Honeycomb 3.2 is dedicated to enhance the full potential of 7-inch tablets.”.

Smart gains rights to distribute the IPhone

Smart Telecommunications have now joined Globe Telecom in giving their subscribers a taste of the Apple Iphone experience with the unveiling of their Iphone plans this December.

Globe has been the sole distributor of Apple's Iphone in the past few years. Now with the entry of Smart in the smartphone distribution Globe's monopoly of the Iphone market may be greatly affected.

Smart announced last Friday that Apple has given them the rights to distribute the Iphone 4s and has since started taking orders for this much beloved device. They added that they would start distributing the device on December 16.

All systems go for coffee farming

“Good, better, best beans.”

This was according to Sec. Proceso J. Alcala, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, as he addressed coffee connoisseurs about his yearning for the quality of beans he wants produced by the country last Monday, November 28, 2011 at the 2^nd Philippine Coffee Investors Forum held at the Marco Polo Hotel.

The forum, which was graced by coffee growers and high ranking government officials, aims to share and improve the different schemes of growing coffee beans and as well as to entice farmers to plant these beans in lieu of other fruit bearing plants to help sustain the growth of the industry here in our country.

Sec. Alcala added that although the country is considered as one of the top producers of coffee in the world , we are still incapable of producing coffee for our country's consumption. He said that while the demand is high, the supply of coffee produced in the country is low.

Figures show that of the 64,000 metric tons of coffee that Filipinos consume yearly, half of this are being imported from Indonesia and Vietnam.

According to Sec. Alcala, the Department of Agriculture is going to support the coffee bean farmers with their needs. The Department is set to provide post harvest facilities, allocation of budget for farm to market roads and ensured the farmers of adequate water supply.

Also gracing the event is Director of DA-Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service Leandro H. Gazmin. He said that behind oil, coffee is the largest traded commodity in the country. Unfortunately, the production of coffee is decreasing for the past five years.

Dir. Gazmin added that there are advantages in growing coffee. He noted that the coffee plant, with proper maintenance, can be productive for over fifty years at the same time, the plant is suitable for Philippine climatic and soil condition. Dir. Gazmin also said that coffee is a non perishable low maintenance crop, has high pest/disease tolerance, it is adaptable to various agro-ecological conditions and has available technical assistance and training coming from the Department of Agriculture.

In a report by the National Focal Person of the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development Marriz Manuel B. Agbon, he cited that in Bukidnon alone, almost 400 hectares are potential areas for coffee farming while in Davao del Sur, almost 100 hectares are suitable for this type of business. He also added that in Maco, Compostella Valley alone, 201 hectares have been used for coffee beans and it yielded 3.4 million kilos in harvest. In Lupon, Davao Oriental, 550 hectares of land are set aside for the coffee plant and it yielded about 891,000 kilos of harvest.

Corporate Affairs Head and Senior Vice President Ms. Edith de Leon of Nestle Philippines said that their company has a number of buying stations scattered over the country. They have four buying stations in Mindanao alone. These are located in Tagum, San Frans, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos City. She also noted that Nestle is investing in coffee training for farmers. According to Ms. de Leon, Nestle Philippines have trained 2,100 farmers way over their 1,600 target when they started the program.

Nestle Philippines is the biggest buyer of coffee beans in the country.

Also present in the event are Marlo D. Mendoza, Asst. Secretary for Special Projects, DENR, Jerry S. Pacturan, Undersecretary of DAR, Marriz Manuel B. Agbon, National Focal Person for the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development, Bernadette Romulo Puyat, DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and DENR Undersecretary Demetrio L. Ignacio, Jr..

Suzuki opens Davao office

Suzuki Philippines, Inc. recently inaugurated its new satellite office in Davao City last November 23, 2011, in line with its motorcycle production expansion plans for 2012.

The new office located at Dacudao Avenue, Agdao, Davao City, is the first of its kind in Southern Philippines and it boasts of a bigger and better office space, showroom and warehouse. Dealers and customers alike will have better access to original Suzuki spare parts and Suzuki certified technicians to service their motorcycles.

According to Suzuki Philippines President Mr. Satoshi Uchida, the launch of their new satellite office has three key goals. According to Mr. Uchida, their foremost objective is to carry on their business in Davao and help bolster the economic growth of the city. Secondly, to help their local dealers and distributors. And lastly, to provide their clients with better customer service and at the same time organize local activities which will help build camaraderie and promote safe driving.

Gracing the event from the local government are Councilors Bernard Al-ag and Pilar Braga.

In her address, Councilor Pilar Braga welcomed the opening of the Suzuki satellite office noting that Davao City has a Traffic Management Code. She added that this code pertains a lot to the motorcycle riding public and hopes that it can be integrated to the Customer Service Program of Suzuki.

Ms. Catalina T. Calderon, the Managing Director and Treasurer of Suzuki Philippines also stated that Suzuki has a social responsibility not only to their customers but as well as to their business partners. She said that Suzuki aims to improve the way of life of their constituents, end users and to their dealers, “customers are the reason for our being”.

The Suzuki Satellite Shop also gives their clients a one stop shop for all their motorcycle needs. It is a full service shop that cater to customer's requirement on purchase of a Suzuki motorcycle and spare parts and availability of a service shop all in one convenient location.

At present, the annual sales of motorcycles in the country is at 120,000 units. However, this industry is growing at an intense rate as it has become the primary means of transportation due to the sky-rocketing oil prices and as well as the affordability of their units.

Where The Mighty Once Roamed

The days of might are now gone. The once proud Armed Forces are now reduced to a retreating band of intruders in the soil that was once consecrated by the blood of Filipino freedom fighters, who disregarded beliefs and religion to fight for a common cause. The once gallant squadron of Filipino F-5's that ruled the Philippine skies, that became the envy of our South East Asian neighbors, are now reduced to shambles, retired and are lost in obscurity. The once equipped Navy we have, has now turned into a fleet of floating antiquated vessels just waiting to be pounced and trounced at. They can't even give chase to a bandits powerful turbined watercraft. Sad is just but an understatement when we describe the state of our brave soldiers, air and seafarers are in.

A half century ago, the Philippines made its stand against the onslaught of the marauding Japanese. There the legend of the Philippine Scouts was born. The popular line in those days in Bataan were, “make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in”. And move in they went. They fortified and patched holes in the shattered lines. They crushed the enemy at the Points and Pockets.

A decade later, the Armed Forces once again made a name for the country. In the land torn by democracy and communism, in Korea they helped. The Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) made a huge impact in several engagements during that conflict. Although the Filipino contingent's numbers were not as substantial as those being sent by other countries, their heroic and gallant stand in the Battle of Hill Eerie and the battles that they have taken part of established a reputation as a tough and tenacious fighters in the hills of Korea.

As what former Pres. Elpidio Quirino said to the PEFTOK troops before their departure to Korea, “Poor as we are, this country is making a great sacrifice in sending you there, but every peso invested in you is a sound investment for the perpetuation of our liberty and freedom.” The fledgeling and upstart economy made a sacrifice so that others may live and to ensure the protection of our young democracy.

Fast forward to the present, now every peso invested in the Armed Forces is another peso or two for that greedy General. I shall always seem to see a vision of a crouchng foot soldier trying to evade enemy bullets coming out of nowhere. Those group of Marines trying to clean and fix their failing mortar that won't fire its shell. The group of soldiers trying to request for reinforcements but to no avail. They are the once who suffer from this debacle and not those who hide behind the safety of their desk.

Last Wednesday another catastrophe occurred. A malfunctioning OV 10 Bronco once again “crash landed” in Zamboanga. The latter is the PAF's lone plane that makes bomb runs against the insurgents. Together with the MG520 Scorpion, they form the backbone of our aerial strength. I bet that that crashed aircraft's parts will be salvaged to be used in other ailing Bronco's. I bet Generals fly first class!

On to our Naval capability. The new, or should I say refurbished American Hamilton class vessel, is our latest acquisition. Not bad, at least we have upgraded our fleet. But one can't replace the bulk of degenerating vessels the Navy has. Remember the incident wherein a Naval gunboat accidentally rammed an encroaching Chinese fishing vessel? We went back to the medieval times where battering rams were a force to be reckoned with.

The ill-equipped Filipino soldier is one tough fighting machine. Yet, their bones are not made of impregnable steel. Their will and morale only goes as far as where their leaders take them. Unfortuantely, their commanders need a review of Sun Tzu's Art of War. It's a cheap buy and easy to understand so to you Mr. General don't fret.

In war there is no substitute for victory and in war we have no room for mediocrity and greed. Scoundrels don't belong in the Armed Forces. They belong to a World War I battlefield, the place is called the no man's land. Let them die in the crossfire.

The Filipino soldier isn't to blame. They follow and make do with what is handed to them. A strong will and swift decision should be made. An iron hand or peaceful touch be as it may. Generals should stand-down so as to stand proud.

Tagum City Pill Pushers Celebrate First Year

Tagum City – The refurbished Davao del Norte Association of Detailmen and Salesmen (DNADS) celebrated their maiden year in a Halloween themed affair last Wednesday at Doc’s Cafe, Barangay Apokon.

The party entitled “Spooktacular Event” was organized to provide a venue for sales people to meet and greet their counterparts from other companies and at the same time to induct their current set of officers.

Representatives from the Pharmaceutical industry as well as those from Fast Moving Consumer Groups graced the momentous event paving the way for bridging the gap between competing companies.

According to a Rep who asked not to be named, Medical Representatives who are based in Tagum or those covering the said area are “great and a close knit bunch as compared to other reps in major cities who take their jobs too personally even to the point of being hostile against rival Reps”. He also added, “that Doctors and Medical Representatives have a smooth relationship with one another and the working environment is just fantastic and one of a kind”.

One Rep also noted that, “I feel homesick being away from my family most of the days. But I found great companions in these guys. Before, I used to just stay at home and feel sad after a hard days work. Now, I have someone to talk to and hang out with after a turbulent day of sales calls and dealing with my quota for the month”.

The induction of officers was led by outgoing DNADS President Cherry Akim. The new sets of officers are as follows, President: Cris Oliver Malimban, Vice President: Shaira Faye Berondo, Secretary: Jared Rick Tagra, Asst. Secretary: April Hannah Flores, Treasurer: Cherry Akim, Asst. Treasurer/s: Jerry dela Cruz/Jing Bonhoc, PRO: Marlene Rojas, Muse: Badet Falcunit, Prince Charming: Bryndell Gregorio.

Gracing the event from the medical community are Dr. Aryeel Llanos, who inducted the incoming officers, and his wife Dr. Cleofe Llanos. The two have been an integral part of the group since its resurgence last year acting as advisers and guide to these Drug Representatives.

The Sweet Serenade and the Ugly Truth

Flowers, chocolates and expensive jewelries, an offering to attain the objective. Fabulous dinner set ups, extravagant getaways and those gentlemanly acts, to sweep an individual off of her feet. These are things that men often do to become the right guy, or so you thought. The game that we often call courtship, may it be short or long in span, just gives a false impression. As what people say, first impressions always last. Place the best foot forward and hide the other, usually the one that reeks, away from view. That is, for the meantime. When all is said and done, and that so-called “yes” has been uttered her world would soon crumble. Reality sinks in and the real “him” starts to unravel to her dismay.

There are things in this world that are better cloaked than revealed. Intentions are one and other grotesque things follow suit. Preaching fabulous lines of wealth and advancement echoes through the walls and halls seeking to conceal the possible infractions. Today the whole material world is offered and soon it will crumble on top of you rampaging in the form of poisoned rivers, destroyed livelihood and displacement from your home.

The Tampakan Mining Project proposed by Xstrata/SMI, two mining conglomerates, sounds perfect. Promises of wealth and the uplifting of lives just sounds to good to be true. It may be authentic it may be sweet and it sounds just like that, to good to be true.

To quote the two British experts, Dr. Robert Goodland and Clive Montgomery Wicks, “the Tampakan Mine has a high potential for loss of life and it could also lead to high environmental damage”. According to the report that the latter filed, the proposed mining project lies in a “theoretically extinct Stratovolcano complex”. They added that “Stratovolcano’s are one of the most deadly as they are often filled with explosives and toxic gas capable of killing many people”.

It's also good to note that the Philippines lies on top of the infamous Pacific ring of fire. Fault lines are lying here and there and Tampakan is not excused from having a devastating quake. In fact it lies on top of a number of fault lines. Remember what happened in Christchurch a few months back? Buildings that were designed to withstand massive quakes were reduced to shambles. Now a quake of that magnitude would certainly puncture, or may even rupture the mine pit that holds those toxic substances. Willing to surf in a wave of harmful liquid? I don't think so.

The notorious Marinduque mine disaster in the 90's should serve as a reminder to what open pit mining can do to our environment. The result of that incident was the death of the Boac river, flash floods and the subsequent flooding of a number of barangays and the displacement of a number of individuals living within the vicinity. Let us note that their livelihood were and still are affected just because of that one swift act.

The Tampakan mine may provide livelihood to the residents of area. This is as far as there are still minerals to mine. The mine can only give us a good 20-30 years of produce. After those two big firms siphon out all they need from that site, where would the residents go? It is as if they would make millions mining in that area that they can use to provide for their families once the mining operation ceases.

In the event a disaster who will take responsibility and the blame? I bet these large firms will be gone by that time, off to the races and a cat and mouse game would soon ensue. Who wins? The roadrunner always wins against the ingenious coyote.

Gamblers win a pot then lose that same amount and much more. Venturing to this project places the two huge firms on the upper hand. At the end of the day and when all is said and done, when a disaster strikes those tears and howls of anger could not bring back the past. Only the memory of what was once a beautiful symphony would reverberate on the background.

Oh that wonderful serenade has struck its final note of devastation and plague.