Monday, February 28, 2011

breathe.

you know what? others hire people and pay them to do this job. i don't think we're ready for any of this. seriously. i've pushed for a lot of things, for actually something to happen, i've dreamed big for this and i've tried so hard to make it happen. but everytime i get excited about a plan, people keep pushing it back, saying "nahhhh that's not gonna work" or "maybe not, let's do something else instead"

i'm not usually that type of person who easily gets devastated if my plans do not push through, i will do whatever it takes to get to it. but if things aren't in your control, then that's where my enthusiasm ends.

if this is the type of support you're giving, then you'll exactly get what you deserve.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

break.

i need you.
now.
bahala na kung hindi ikaw si Mactan Shangri-la,
basta kailangan na kita, asap.



stress orena drilon.
hagardo verzoza.
dead madela.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

on Assumption-Iloilo accepting boys in highschool

i decided not to say anything about this matter because personally, i don't know which side to pick. But it's just a trending topic, especially for the alumni. They're strongly against it. You can check this facebook site put up for the rally against accepting boys in highschool.

I agree, that the alumni should have been consulted regarding this before making any formal announcement or changes in the school. (babalahurain ko na ito) ano naman ang silbi ng pagkakaroon ng association ng mga alumni para sa school kung wala din naman silang say? Sabi nga sa letter ng association to the Provincial Superior,

"The AAA had always been considered in the past as a partner and a valued stakeholder of the School, whose involvement was sought on many diverse issues, such as, just in the past year, inviting nominees for School Principal as well as the conduct of the Centennial Celebration. It begs the question therefore as to why for such a major shift in policy as changing the gender composition of the high school students, the AAA was not consulted. "

I say, the matter could've been handled better if the changes in policies were discussed with all parties involved. It was also a rash decision, on the administration's part. If this was all for marketing and business propaganda of some sort, then again, this should have been discussed, with how feasible and effective this change would be for the community. I understand why they are against this, they were caught off guard with this surprise, parang tuloy feeling ko the admin woke up one morning and decided "hey! let's accept boys!" I do not know the complete details of the process that the administration went through to arrive at this decision, I trust that they have given this complete thought and discernment. Then again, AAA should have been part of that process.
Again, wala talaga akong alam kung anong nangyayari except that letter from the AAA i read through facebook, which is why I'm choosing not to say anything. If this matter were to be treated like some sort of debate, I'd suck at trying to defend any of the sides because I can also see some advantage to having boys in the highschool community, same goes with just staying as an all-girls (high)school. This debate (in my head) would go on and on, sooooooo. I'm just gonna stay shut.

Besides, the alumni aren't listened to anyway.


_______________________________
February 11, 2011
Sr. Maria Josefina Matias, R.A.
Provincial Superior
Philippine-Thailand Province
#1 Sacrepante Street, Boni Avenue
Mandaluyong City
Metro Manila 1501

Dear Sr. Marjo:

Greetings!

We, the members of the Board of the Assumption Alumni Association, Iloilo Chapter (AAA), express our deep disappointment over the surprising announcement that Assumption-Iloilo has decided to accept “our boys to first and second year High School until they graduate” (Letter of Sr. Nilda Hechanova, r.a. to Parents and Guardians, dated January 17, 2011). We strongly oppose this decision to accept boys in Assumption- Iloilo High School Department.

The disappointment and opposition springs from the fact that the School did not take any effort to consult the Alumni Association, the organization which is the voice of the Old Girls and Old Boys of Assumption-Iloilo. The AAA had always been considered in the past as a partner and a valued stakeholder of the School, whose involvement was sought on many diverse issues, such as, just in the past year, inviting nominees for School Principal as well as the conduct of the Centennial Celebration. It begs the question therefore as to why for such a major shift in policy as changing the gender composition of the high school students, the AAA was not consulted. We find it ironic that a mere five months after a glorious celebration of the Assumption-Iloilo Centennial, an event for which the AAA poured its heart and soul for five long years prior, the school did not even see fit to give the AAA the courtesy of a single consultation meeting, much less an official letter regarding such a shift in the school’s direction. We unceremoniously became aware of the school’s final decision, only through the aforementioned circular of Sr. Nilda Hechanova addressed to parents and guardians.

We decry the apparent lack of transparency in the decision making process by the School. Because of the absence of transparency in the decision-making, we do not have any appreciation of the reasons for this sudden shift in major policy. The letter to parents asserts only that the move is a way to live up to the theme of “Assomption sans frontieres” and that it would want to share its excellent program of transformative education to “our boys up to High School”. For such a major policy shift, we would have expected that it had been done with less haste, with better thought-out justification vis-à-vis Assumption mission-vision, preceded by a feasibility study which considers not only economic but also social impact factors, and with a genuine consultation with all stakeholders to ascertain acceptability.

Some questions that we have encountered from alumni are:

• How ready are the High School students, faculty and staff in dealing with mixed classes of adolescents?

• How acceptable is having co-educational high school to parents who had originally wanted an allgirls high school for their daughters?

• What is the advantage of having a mixed-sex classroom compared to the known benefits on adolescent social development of exclusive (boy or girl) classes?

• What triggered the move to admit boys into the High School?

• Why is Assumption-Iloilo relinquishing its unique selling point of having the only high school left in Iloilo City that offers education to an all-girls enrolment?

• If increasing enrolment was a major decision point, did the School consider the possibility that it can also lose enrolment of girls once it is no longer an all-girls high school?

We are sure the proponents may have answers to these questions; however, we are in the dark as to what these answers are.

We would like to ask that the School hold in abeyance this decision to accept boys in the High School until adequate and genuine consultation of the various stakeholders, of which our constituency is a major one, has been undertaken. The consultation will be a chance for the Administration and the Board of Trustees to enlighten stakeholders on the merits of this move. This request is made in the belief that a transparent process will lead a united Assumption community to where Assumption is meant to be.

This letter of the AAA Board is written from a spirit of concern about whether such a move will be good for our Beloved Assumption and as an exercise of our responsibility to the alumni that AAA represents. Coming out of the euphoria of the successful Centennial Celebration in August 2010 when, at no time in the past, alumni of Assumption-Iloilo immersed themselves in celebrating Assumption education and formation, it is truly disappointing (some express feelings of betrayal) that alumni were not consulted and given any value in the process of decision-making.

We look forward to your sensitive response to this serious concern of the Assumption Alumni Association. To reiterate, we ask that the decision be held in abeyance until adequate and genuine consultation with the various stakeholders are undertaken. In this regard, we are willing, upon request of the School, to facilitate the holding of consultation meetings where Assumption can make presentations to the alumni.

On behalf of the AAA Board,

Yours faithfully,
Rose Soriano Arenas (sgd.)
President

James Michael M. Caling (sgd.)
Secretary

Cc:
Sr. Diana Wauters, r.a. - Superior General
Sr. Clare Cecilia Salvani, r.a. – Superior
Sr. Nilda Hechanova, r.a – School Chairperson
Alumni

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Thursday, February 17, 2011

this was supposed to be a blog about something else

I was so depressed last night, kept me up till 4am just thinking. and i hate when that happens. when you really really want to sleep, but stuff on your mind's keeping you up. (why was i depressed, i totally got good news last night! haha)

Luckily, I woke up on a lighter mood and enjoyed the silence of my morning. I got to school lazily (our event doesn't start till 4, so was in school by 10) and did nothing. haha! On the jeepney ride on the way to school, i thought about what i wanted to do in my life (oo, all that in that 10 minute ride haha) and what i can do to achieve all my life goals. I remember i wanted to put up a theater company for special children, but for the past year, that goal has been out of the picture. So i re-thought everything and.....

I'M TAKING CHARGE OF MY LIFE.
(hindi pa ba? haha)
While I was strategizing, I realized my plans always involved "ask this person to help me get into" and "get this person to endorse me to this company" and "buy lotto tickets to be a millionaire". I cannot just depend on people to help me with every step of the way.

I MUST DO THINGS MYSELF. MUST TAKE CHARGE OF MY OWN LIFE! :)
and while I wait for the lottery to pick my numbers, I must do something to get to my dreams. If I want to get into an Interior Design school, I'm paying for it on my own. I have to understand that I cannot always rely on others (i.e. my parents) to support me with everything. (of course they will, I just have to support myself this time) Pay my own rent, pay bills on time, draw the line between needs and ultimate wants, live a simpler life. If I do this right, the life i'm dreaming of may not be too far away. :)

Why and how have i thought about all of this? Henry Sy. John Gokongwei. The rest of the Chinese business tycoons. They started even lower. So if they could do,

SO CAN FREAKIN' I. (wala sa tamang grammar hahaha)

I'm just tired of being the carefree whatever-goes girl that i have been, so lax and chill. I want to be the girl who knows what she wants and does everything to get it. I want my life to go somewhere, and not wait for things to happen. No, I will be in charge of my life. :)

and then love.
Love used to be my priority, but now I cannot just sit and wait for love to happen. I cannot think of love first because I have lots to work on myself and this world I've made up. So i'm going to do all these things for myself, for my career, for my dreams, and hope that somewhere in between, love is going to find me and finally happen to me. I don't care how long it takes. :)

My future husband better hurry up because I plan to die in my 50s. chos.

so if you're the type of person who, after reading this blog says, "you go girl". no. wala kang pakialam. chos. haha. thank you. hopefully, things will all fall into place as I plan it to be. Kung hindi, eh di wag! haha! That carefree whatever-goes girl will still be there, thrilled for more surprises.

if you're the type of person who, after reading this blog say, "dang this girl is so ferosh she should win the lottery and do everything she can to get what she wants, so that she can help and heal the world with her power and make it a better place"

then we should be friends. :)

Monday, February 14, 2011

CCP's MONODRAMA MANILA

I'm a CCP Virgin. Yes, I kissed the CCP grounds and made a wish. HAHA Dolly and I have been together through thick and thin, RMT, FA Theater, Henry Lee Irwin and then the recent Pilandok run in Meralco Theater. Our next stop will definitely be CCP. (before we go to Madison Square Garden. chos)

So Leinard and I trekked (oo naglakad kami from Megamall) to CCP to watch Monodrama Manila as part of our cultural immersion. It was a week-long festival of one-act drama monologues (kaya nga MONODRAMA diba!), and we only got to watch the last 3 plays of the festival; Anak ng Babaylan by Al Santos, Queen Kong by Fray Paolo Casurao, Galeon ni Simeon by Layeta Bucoy.

The first play was good, both the actor and the direction. It was about how a civilization ended because of one Native's desire to be a sacristan and worship the religion (sorry ang walang kwenta ko haha). I liked it. :)

Queen Kong was the most entertaining, as it was mostly comedic. The script in itself was dramatic; the OFW's tragic fate of working as a teacher in the US and finding out that the money she has been sending to her family, also goes to her husband's mistress. She goes home and decides to be an OFW Beauty Queen. It was light, but entertaining. :)


I'd have to say, my favorite was Galeon ni Simeon, the monologue wonderfully (omg-fully) portrayed by Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino. SOBRANG GANDA, SOBRANG GALING NI SHAMAINE, SOBRANG GANDA, LAYETA BUCOY. And this is not my first Layeta Bucoy play; she also wrote "Isang Libong Tula Para sa Dibdib ni Dulce" which was one one of the plays in the Writers' Bloc's 10x10x10. Which was SOBRANG GANDA din. Tuxqs Rotaquio directed Galeon ni Simeon. wala akong masabi. sobrang speechless ako. sobrang ganda.

SOBRANG GANDA.

Noni Buencamino and his daughter Delphine were sitting in front of us. For a minute there, I told Lei, "shet, we're so cultured"

Hay nako. yun lang. (expressing my grief in my futile attempt to write a matinong review)

Blue Repertory's STAGES OF LOVE

Because we support our friend Victor Robinson III, we watched Stages of Love this year. Ateneo Blue Repertory has staged this original by Jill Pena ever since, ever (well i don't really know hehe)

Blue Repertory’s Stages of Love. An amalgamation of well-loved OPM hits, Stages of Love follows the stories of 5 couples as they journey through the crazy, entangled complexities of relationships to eventually discover their own definitions of love. On February 4, 5, 11, 12 at 7PM; February 6, 13 at 5PM & 8PM; February 7, 14 at 3PM, 5PM, 8PM; at the Ateneo de Manila University Fine Arts Theatre. For ticket inquiries, please call 0917-3792910 or visit stagesoflove.multiply.com
synopsis from here

I've watched it twice, my first time was 2 years ago with Mian Dimacali, Jio Javier, Joey Marquez, etc in the cast. This year, we watched Victor's show on BlueRep's one night only Newbie run. I just had one eeny meenie tiny comment for that particular show; i think some of the songs were just too low for some of the actors' voice ranges, we couldn't hear the lyrics clearly. But other than that, the show was fantastic, it kept everyone interested and kilig. haha. Of course, my favorite scene was that of Victor's. ANG BENTA MO VIC. CRAZY. HAHAHAHA

Hay nako, (expressing my grief in my futile attempt to write a matinong review, which is 2 weeks late sorry) basta the next time BlueRep stages Stages of Love, you better watch it. Sige, watch it with your bufra or your gufra if you're okay with cheese, but it's best to watch it with "friends kuno", or "your bestfriend whom you secretly like", your ex, your "hindi talaga, friends lang talaga kami" friend. :)

PETA's CAREDIVAS by Liza Magtoto and Vincent De Jesus


So, my friends and I decided to be culture enthusiasts (such word!) and go on a cultural immersion starting with PETA's new musical "Care Divas". We couldn't miss it since our friend Jason Barcial was there. and who wouldn't want to watch something from Liza Magtoto and Vincent de Jesus? :)

In the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) latest musical comedy-drama titled “Care Divas,” five transvestite overseas workers travel to the historic land of Israel in the time of the intifada (the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation), bringing with them the unique brand of warm Pinoy nurturing to care for elderly Jews.

Every day, they wash, feed and entertain their employers as loving caregivers. Come nighttime, the five whip out their make-up and sky-high heels to perform as glamorous drag queens in a Tel Aviv club.

The day after, they go back to playing the role of caregiver, once again tending to the aged Jews who depend on them for food, human connection and survival.

At the core of the story is Chelsea (Melvin Lee), who seems to have it all--blessed with a kind employer who teaches him Hebrew and a potential lover who accepts him for what he is. Shai (Vincent De Jesus) the leader of the group, is always haunted by the image of his mother who rejected him for his sexuality. The two are joined by Kayla (Jerald Napoles), Thalia (Dudz Teraña, Jason Barcial) and Jonee (Phil Noble, Buddy Caramat) who also release their creativity through performing.

The five strive to adapt to Israeli culture. Their Filipino tongues struggle to learn Hebrew while silently battling the orthodox view on gays. They are always alert, constantly fearing deportation and war.

Armed by their aspirations (and their pointed stilettos), their true spirits and creativity shine through in their performances. They dream of becoming big-time divas while encountering problems along the way. But it is through their journey that they are able to share the valuable experiences and friendships that bind strangers like them in a strange land.

The creative team behind “Care Divas” includes acclaimed writer Liza Magtoto, multi-awarded composer Vincent De Jesus, prolific director Maribel Legarda, costume designer John Abul, events and theater lighting designer Jon Jon Villareal, visual artist and award-winning set designer Leo Abaya and contemporary dancer and choreographer Carlon Matobato.

The cast includes some of the biggest and brightest theater and television actors today: Melvin Lee, Vincent De Jesus, Ricci Chan, Jerald Napoles, Phil Noble, Buddy Caramat, Dudz Teraña, Jason Barcial, Cecilia Garrucho, Paul Holme, Myke Solomon, Angeli Bayani, Eric Dela Cruz and Dom Miclat-Jansen.

“Care Divas” runs at the PETA Theater Center every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10 A.M. and 3 P.M., February 4-March 13, 2011. For inquiries and ticket reservations, contact PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office 7256244, 4100821 or 0917-5644233. E-mail petatheater@gmail.com.

Synopsis from here

We immensely enjoyed the play. It was very entertaining; musical numbers of different genre all wonderfully orchestrated together by Vincent de Jesus, comedic 'hirits' here and there, love stories in between, and drama. Props to Liza Magtoto for creating a play like this, despite her 'handicaps' (not being an OFW, haven't experienced being a caregiver, and not being gay) as she explained in the souvenir program. The set was utilized well in all of the scenes, very minimalist, but very good. The play ran for 3 hours, but you wouldn't even notice it was THAT long.

Hay nako, (expressing grief in my futile attempt to write a matinong review) basta, ya'll should see Care Divas. We're going to watch it again (with a different set of actors)! hihi

JASON BARCIAL YOU WERE GREAT!!! Woooh!!!

watch out for the guys plays Faraj. keri!