Heneral Luna and the local audience

Call me a nerd. But I actually believe this movie deserves commendation. It looks promising. This is the kind of movie that needs to be promoted in schools. What kind of movie am I talking about? It's actually an biographical film entitled "Heneral Luna". No, it is not about an all girl Filipino rock band (The band name is in English: General Luna). It is about General Antonio Luna. Directed by Jerrold Tarog with John Arcilla in the lead role.



The movie outfit: Artikulo Uno. I never heard of it. Most of you either. Why? Because it is a newly built film outfit. Who would venture into such a project? Having a historic biography as their first movie project? It is no less than a member the Ortigas clan. Artikulo Uno is the brainchild of Fernando “Nando” Ortigas. He envisions "to create intelligent entertainment that will help reverse the dumbing down of local audiences”. 


Tough words. It is the sad reality though. Adultery, romance, horror, and comedy are the recurring themes of local movies nowadays. Nothing wrong with these except that only a few of which have a notable storyline. Some are just totally devoid of it and can be taken a mere scheme to earn money to unsuspecting moviegoers blinded by a star studded cast. Some will just be satisfied with having a good laugh, never mind if the movie is intelligently crafted or made. But would it not be more satisfying if a movie makes you think, makes your brain work, rather than being superficial and predictable? Movies do not need to be all "serious". They just need to be more of substance. Be it of any theme.


I am afraid that "Heneral Luna" will not do good in terms of box office returns. But if it lives up to its billing, it will surely be noticed and given recognition by film critics here and abroad. Kudos Fernando “Nando” Ortigas for having such a vision. I hope other movie producers will follow suit and have a cause the same as yours.



Here is a teaser of the movie (click on the link)


Heneral Luna Teaser 1



Addendum: And one more thing- I hope there will be no "commercial endorsement movies" this December 2014 in the MMFF.  

Is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge all about fun?

It's been a while since I have a written about something. It feels surreal that I am again finding the time to write for my so called "blog". It is quite difficult to find the mood or inspiration to write. I really do not know if I will be elucidate my point on the matter I decided to have a commentary on.  But here it goes, short and simple: 

Recently, social media platforms went abuzz with videos of "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge". Crazy videos, i must say, as they involve dumping a bucket of ice water on  a person's head. It is some sort of wild fun. It seems to be a great idea to shoot such a video and use the tag with it the phrase "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge". It is just for fun anyway. If this is your understanding of the logic behind the act, I think it would better for you to stop and do your research. 

Before you turn something into a social media fad, please take a good look of what is the original intention of such an act. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is not merely a fad. It is not just for fun. It was conceptualized to promote awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and encourage donations to research.

Yes, ALS is a three letter acronym for a disease. It is often characterized by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to  muscle atrophy (wasting away of muscles), and difficulties in breathing, speaking, and swallowing.  It is classified as a neurodegenerative disease causing parts of the body to be weaker and less able to function as time go by. Simply put, it is a progressive, fatal disorder  There is no cure for ALS.

Therefore, the tag "ALS ice bucket challenge" is not merely intended to be used just for fun. Hindi po lahat ng nasa social media ay pa-uso lang. Think more than once. Be in the know. Be responsible.

Goodbye Petron Blaze Boosters, Welcome back San Miguel Beermen!

I don not know at what song is the San Miguel Corporation is dancing to. This is as far as the SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN franchise is concerned. It is disappointing that the former Petron Blaze Boosters team bowed out in the semifinals after being beaten black and blue by Rain or Shine. Something clearly needs some ironing. Some noted players seems to have lost their heart for the games and just learned to commit to playing and not on winning. The off season plays an important role to iron out these things.


Some player shuffles may be wise at the time being  but will it benefit the team in the long run? The team has also been struggling to find its identity because it the dynamics at which it was supposed to run has been changed numerous times creating confusion among players. I am not a Coach Gee fan but I guess he should have been given some slack. The Philippine Cup was just his second conference at the helm. The seemingly tumultuous coaching rigodons the team has undergone left it devoid of a leadership dynamic at which the team's identity should emanate.

I do not know why the top management is seemingly in a hurry to find success.  I have nothing against them but looking at things lately, it seems that it is not clear where do they want to steer the mother franchise. Player and coaching shuffles are so full of mystery, leaving fans clueless at times. As a fan, I could only hope that this will translate into a better future for the mother franchise of the San Miguel Corporation. But I hope they provide the fans some form of transparency at times. After all, the PBA is about the fans. (Stop the obvious rescue the sister team games, fans are intelligent enough to see them. Sorry, I can not stop myself from saying it!).

Whatever disappointment Petronovela caused, I still remain optimistic of the team and will remain a fan. San Miguel Beermen is the team I have supported for many years and I will not make the jump as what others did. I am not a player fan but a team fan. I say Thank you Coach Gee.Welcome Coach Biboy. Though I can not agree in in its entirety of this power sharing set up with Purves. Ron Jacobs is a tough act to follow. His heart is proudly loyal to Philippine basketball. I guess that is what still lacks the current mentorship approach at this team - heart for the Philippine brand of basketball game.

I am looking forward for a better team next conference. I can only wish them the best.
Goodbye Petron Blaze Boosters. Welcome back San Miguel Beermen! Be a BEERMEN, not a BOOSTER. Figure it out!

Best of luck!

Like a true Petron fan and cheers to friendship

I never really watched basketball because I  did not grew up playing it. But being a son of someone who covered sporting events as part of his work, I have learned to watch and love the PBA games. Most of my relatives loved Ginebra. Instead of just loving the team for the sake being in sync with my relatives, I looked into other teams at that time. What caught my attention back then were the San Miguel Beermen, the flagship and original franchise team of the San Miguel Corporation. Coaching legend Ron Jacobs was tasked to revive a team of rich championship tradition, which is starting to age into once again a contender. The character of the team and the fiery attitude of Ron Jacobs caught my fancy. From them on, I rooted for the San Miguel Beermen. Even if the team changed names, Magnolia Beverage Masters or the current Petron Blaze Boosters, I still rooted for them. I never changed my mind and decided to cheer for another team.  Since then, it was this mother franchise I grew fond of watching.

*Trivia Break: Did you know that Marc Pingris played a season for Magnolia Beverage Masters/San Miguel Beermen (now Petron)? It was when he got traded for a center because Rommel Adducul was sidelined due to a sickness.  He won one championship with SMB. Small world. ;-) http://www.sanmiguelbrewery.com.ph/beermen%20news/beermen18.php - see third picture

Petron Blaze Boosters lost in the recently concluded 2013 Governors’ Cup Finals, 4-3. If I were a very young fan or a new fan, I would have taunted and scowled on the other team for the games I watched live or even in TV. Or blame the players whenever they lose a series. But for being a fan of this franchise for years, I learned to be a responsible fan. Never be too proud or too bitter.

The incident of taunting by certain fan clam of the Boosters is saddening. I personally think they stepped out of bounds. I have seen these guys. They are fanatics and are young. They probably got overwhelmed by their youth.  I hope the recent incident will make this guys be mature for them to be more responsible fans of Petron.

The Petron Blaze Boosters may have lost the recent Finals series versus San Mig Coffee Mixers my fellow fans. But let us look into it at a bigger picture. See it not as a loss but a picture of positivity. Why? Because Petron is finally making a move towards a positive direction after having the team undergone tumultuous coaching changes (Siot-Ato-Rajko-Olsen). 

Coach Gee Abanilla took this team into the Finals in just his first conference. How he handles team decorum during games is commendable. No arrogance versus the other team or against the players.  Coach Gee’s modest target is just to reach the playoffs in a good position because Petron went into various coaching staff changes. Petron exited early in both the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup. The latter left an ugly picture of Balkman strangling Santos.

They were given much more – a runner up finish. As far as coaching is concerned, it seems they are headed to becoming a better team under Coach Gee Abanilla. Incidentally, he was the one who formed from scratch the UAAP men’s basketball champion team De La Salle Green Archers before being moved by San Miguel Corporation to Petron.

June Mar Fajardo looked far from being a dominant big man at the start of the year. But with Danny Ildefonso as mentor, he matured into a big man. A little more time of mentoring and he will eventually stop having episodes of “masyadong gigil” attitude and learn to shoot pressure-packed free throws. In case you haven’t noticed, he could have been hailed as the Finals MVP if Petron won the finals series being the most consistent player for Petron.

Marcio Lassiter played for Petron in the long haul after being in the injury list for quite a while. Given more time to train, he will be back into that Marcio of that Powerade team. Marc Isip will eventually play a big part come next conference. He just came in too late to significantly bond with the team. I continuously have supported my alma matter, FEU, even after graduating so I know this guy has good set of skills.

A true fan or supporter of Petron should not continuously lambast the team for its shortcomings as if "wala slang ginawa". They are now making a way to be back into the picture of being a contender. From an All Filipino Cup of an embattled coaching staff to a second conference of an ugly and violent import tantrum, they have battled their way back into contention not just in paper but also in reality, being the runner-up of the 2013 Governors’ Cup. So let’s look forward to more fruitful stints for the Petron Blaze Boosters/San Miguel Beermen. By way, congratulations to Asst. Coach Olsen Racela for winning! 

Post script: On a personal note, I enjoyed every moment I had with my friends for three games of the series even if they are San Mig fans. Hahaha! Well except for one who is a Ginebra fan but nevertheless enjoyed the bonding as well ;-) Bonding with friends is never less valuable compared to a championship series.  




Kudos to the true champions – friendship!!! Cherry tomato for Sheldon (pronounced Shel-den in a slang manner)!!!! Who’s Sheldon? Just a friend’s dog who plays dead after being shot by a finger gun…. Pewch!

//nallaseyer17 October 26, 2013  

Bohol in mind

It was only summer of last year that we visited Bohol. March of 2012. It left a permanent imprint in my mind of how beautiful this place is. The people, the surroundings, the greenery, the cleanliness, and to top it all is how heritage is so deeply valued in this picturesque island.  I loved it so much that I literally wanted to live there. It was exactly the opposite of Manila - whose continued modernization is aiding the destruction of its identity. I hate to say it but in Manila, it seems only the rich progresses further with the poor neglected. Enough about Manila! Hahaha!

After a year and a half or so, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake crushed the picturesque image of Bohol. My heart is broken into pieces. I personally saw how great this place is. The destruction of old churches is not just about the crumbling of heritage structures. Nor the damage the Chocolate Hills sustained are just soil erosion. Bohol heavily relies on tourism and heritage as their source of livelihood. It is their life. So hell yeah! Carlos Celdran is right. Political will should be in place. It is just right to help rebuild these structures. (I just do not know about the Chocolate Hills. Maybe DENR have an expert opinion on its eroded parts?) 

The churches of Baclayon, Maribojoc, Loboc, etc... as well as the Chocolate Hills watchtower are not merely structures. They are  testaments of their identity, culture, and faith. More importantly, they are what they live for. Their livelihood. I can not imagine Bohol surviving and being progressive without these structures.  So hell yeah. Mr President, political will is needed here. This is where you can put your so termed "personal pork barrel" into good use.

For those who can help, do so in your own little way. But for those who can't for whatever reason,  just sincerely pray for the eventual rise of Bohol. Pray for Bohol. Pray for Central Visayas. I sincerely have Bohol in my heart and in my mind. Rise Bohol! Rise! To end, I leave you only beautiful images of Bohol.

(all photos taken March 2012 - Baclayon Church and Chocolate Hills)

On being FIBA Asia near champions

This is maybe yet the best year for the men's basketball team in many many years. Gilas Pilipinas finished 2nd place behind Iran.  Great  run, great spirit. Pinoy pride at its greatest.

However, it saddens me that the too early celebration in the win vs Korea might have somewhat predicted the outcome of the final game. In a post game interview, MVP was asked to give a message to the players going into the game against Iran. MVP said what? "Pasok na naman tayo." He is pertaining to being qualified for the Basketball World Cup 2014 in Spain. All were in tears after that emotional win vs Korea, seemingly making  the championship game vs Iran less important. It somehow showed in the final game. There was less enthusiasm in the players taking their shots. Less emotions (at least in my point of view. No pun intended.) Never mind Douthit is absent. They showed they can do it vs Korea. But the Philippines somehow had less fire in their hearts as a team in the championship game.

I have nothing against the Gilas boys but it would have been nicer if the SBP (Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas) president urged the players to play  with more fire in their hearts for their last game - a championship game - rather than saying "Pasok na naman tayo." Seemingly,  the goal is make it to the Basketball World Cup and not be crowned as champions in this FIBA Asia staging.

You are the host country. Go for the highest goal. Be the champions. Just a sad message from a staunch basketball supporter. Nevertheless, it is a good job for Gilas Pilipinas and it looks good. This shows that the Philippines is in track of reclaiming its spot as one of the best in the basketball world.

Good luck in the Basketball World Cup. Show you deserve to be there. Congratulations! Go for that Olympic slot!

Thoughts on Meralco issue

MERALCO or Manila Electric Company is the country's topmost electricity provider. Its head office is in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City.

Why does the meaning do not fit the acronym? MERALCO is originally known as Manila Electric Railroad And Light Company.
 

Yes, it is also a railroad company back in the pre-war days. Manila maintained a tranvia line back in those days prior to the LRT and MRT. (Manila was like Paris then.) However, the tranvia line was badly damaged after the war and was never rehabilitated.

In the early 2000's, the tranvia lines are still visible in some parts of Manila. Today, it is totally under cement roads.Why Manila Electric Company? Because, MERALCO is originally held its main offices at San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila. Its former main office building recently made news as it was approved for demolition by a certain city building official without even considering preserving its heritage value

Last July 5, 2012, before it becomes completely gone, we got the chance to marvel the remaining parts of its heritage.Several questions came into my mind upon visiting the structure:

1. Why Meralco did not consider applying a National Historical Institute recognition considering it was designed by National Artist Juan Arellano and its adjacent sculpture done by renowned Francesco Monti?

2. Why the new owner did not properly coordinate with proper authorities regarding preservation, restoration, and/or adaptive re-use of its integral parts? (the top part of the sculpture aka "The Furies" was sliced off due to improper casting for replication and/or restoration)

3. Why city building official Mr Balagot issued a demolition permit without consulting the Heritage Act of 2009?

4. Are conversation and heritage advocate groups really empowered by the National Heritage Act?

 

These questions only made me realize that the National Heritage Act needs more specific and stringent guidelines for implementation. This is reality. Sad state of heritage in the country. I wish that the day will come for a universal application of the law so as everyone will be knowledgeable enough of what heritage is. 

Current State: The demolition was stopped by Mayor Joseph Estrada to at least save "The Furies" for replication and/or salvaging its remaining parts. But this was only after relatives of Monti in Italy wrote a letter to the Office of the Mayor with evident disgust of how his work is being treated with disrespect.