Manila Bay Rehabilitation: Successful or Not?

 

Photo by the Philippine Star

The rehabilitation of the Manila Bay with the use of dolomite has spawned layers of controversies. Is it environment friendly? How long will it last? Is it a priority at a time of pandemic? How much did it cost?

Did the government succeed?

The dolomite beach is neither a Boracay nor a Balesin. But for those who cannot afford to visit such high-end places, and for those who want to get a quick respite from all the hassles of life as of late, the dolomite beach is one paradise.

For those who are simply curious as to what Manila Bay looks now, and for those who have witnessed its deterioration for many decades and have dismissed it as a hopeless case, the bay is one delightful place now.

The recent easing of restrictions has made it more accessible to people.

People who? People who appreciate the simplest of things - those who find pleasure in ordinary things, and those who don’t have gazillions of qualms about life.

In other words, the dolomite beach is a piece of heaven for the ordinary folks. A few rides will bring you there for you to enjoy the white “sand”, the cool breeze, and the famous Manila Bay sunset.

And you don’t have to spend so much. Call it a cheap thrill if you wish.

If we are to use as parameter the interest of the people to witness first hand the formidable transformation of the Manila Bay, then I can say that its rehabilitation has been a success. But for how long? Only time can tell.

To conclude, the Manila Bay is a humble place for humble individuals, who simply want to take a brief respite from the troubles of life, Covid-19, and politics.

May The Force Still Be With You, Madam

 

It is very unfortunate that this lady, whose popularity is anchored on her quite famous surname – thanks to her late husband, is no longer a force to be reckoned with. She is the face of the opposition (and puppet if I may add) since day one in office of the incumbent President. However, with the recent pronouncements made by the likes of Ping, Manny and Isko as to their ambition to occupy the highest position in the land, she is slowly being relegated to the background, most especially because she cannot put the right screws on her mind on whether she will run or not.

The lady is still adamant with her plan to unite the opposition and come up with just one candidate for the presidency. Sadly, her talks with Ping fizzled out. Next in line are Manny and Isko. Will she be successful this time? It remains to be seen. But from the looks of it, the two gentlemen are hell-bent as far as their political ambition is concerned, and no one or nobody can put barriers along their path.

For six years, this woman simply put to waste the privilege given her to serve the country. She and her camp are more preoccupied in criticizing the government - six years of pamumulitika. Her role was reduced to merely being the mouthpiece of  her party mates. Every time she opens her mouth, expect one criticism or two, as if she is an outsider or a spectator, and not part of the government.

This woman could have done more for those in the laylayan, had she aligned herself with the government and its efforts. After all, her position or office is an integral part of the government. And such alignment will not necessarily entail her to abandon her party and its beliefs. I believe that one can still work hand in hand with the administration without losing political party affiliation.

Perhaps, she has overlooked the idea that she works for the people, and not for her party mates and their collective ambitions. For six years she has distanced herself from the government, and has projected herself to be the “better one”, in the eyes at least of her spokesperson and party mates.

Being the face of the opposition gave her the burden of uniting all opposition forces. Adding to her woes is a three-letter word that is just around the corner – BBM. Many things can still happen, though, between now and the last day of filing for candidacy.

Hence, may the force still be with you, Madam.

Vlogging Tips from a Non-Vlogger

Vlogging is the in thing nowadays, as substantiated by YouTube that teems with a lot of vlogs uploaded by their respective creators. “Vlog” is the simplified version of “video blogging”. Hence, it is a form of blogging but a recorded one this time, complete with sounds, graphics and other effects. 

The long quarantine glued us to the net. And so I stumbled upon a lot of vlogs, which led me to come up with this article. For those who plan to vlog, here are my humble tips for you: 

(1) Be confident 

Almost all vloggers that I have watched exude a high level of confidence in terms of facing the camera, or presenting themselves before it. And such confidence translates to them having good communication skills as well. Now if you possess both, then you are a good candidate to become a vlogger. 

But if you are camera shy or very conscious of your self, then vlogging is not for you. 

(2) Get the right equipment 

Using the right equipment entails that you will be able to produce quality videos as far as technicalities are concerned. So start investing in the right camera, computer, cellular phone, editing applications, and vlogging peripherals. 

A clear, neat, and nice sounding vlog will surely delight the senses of your viewers. 

(3) Be committed 

Commitment is the key to becoming a successful vlogger. Are you willing to produce vlogs consecutively or on a regular basis? Please bear in mind that you will soon have subscribers, and they expect that you will update your channel regularly by uploading new vlogs from time to time. 

Your subscribers might lose interest in your channel, and forget about you entirely if it will take you a month to upload your next vlog. 

(4) Establish a theme 

You might consider establishing a theme or brand for your vlog channel – will it be about travels, fashion, gadgets, food, DIYs, home decorating, bargain finds, etc? A good starting point will be to list down your hobbies and interests and maybe you can create quality vlogs about them just to jumpstart your vlogging career. 

It is perfectly fine, however, to deviate once in a while from your theme in order to add extra flavor to your channel. Mukbang challenge perhaps? Your Lazada or Shopee hauls? Room make-over? Omegle escapades? 

Establishing a theme is just an option though, for this might limit the number of vlogs that you will be able to produce. Like it is not every week that you get to travel, right? So you may want to create other interesting vlogs in between.  

(5) Be prepared to lose some privacy 

Most vloggers that I have watched are very “open” about themselves by allowing viewers to get a peek into their life - giving a tour of their condominium unit or house, showing escapades with family and friends, enumerating facts about them, featuring their collection of shoes and bags, and the list goes on. 

To start with, you already lose some privacy once you show your face on camera and upload a vlog. 

If you want all corners of your life to be private, then vlogging is not for you. 

(6) Be a responsible vlogger 

My last tip for would be vloggers out there is that you have to be a responsible vlogger. Your content must not step on and cross moral boundaries. No one will regulate the content of your vlogs except you, you and you.

A good vlog for me must be informative, entertaining, and wholesome. 

Enough of pranks, for we have had enough of those.

Vlogging can be worthwhile endeavor, and some people have even carved a rewarding career out of it. Will you be the next Heart Evangelista (fashion and lifestyle)? Basel Manadil (Hungry Syrian Wanderer)? Elle Uy (home decorating)? Oliver Austria (architecture)? Or Doc Willie Ong (health) perhaps?

Or better yet, be the next best you.

Quarantine Thoughts (3) : Support Online Sellers

Online selling is something that is not new to us. And this global health crisis that we are experiencing made us appreciate this business activity even more.

Who would have thought that you can buy your vegetables online?

As they say, there is opportunity in crisis. And many sellers have resorted to the online platform in order to continue their business.

Quarantine Thoughts (2) : Patience

Patience is a virtue, and we all know this for a fact. However, the question that comes to mind is how often do we subscribe to such maxim?

Quarantine Thoughts (1) : Slow Down

A very serious global health scare which prompted our government to lock us all up in our homes has reminded me of one thing - God is telling us to slow down.

Thank You Gary V!

A tweet by Mr. Gary Valenciano no less was shared on Facebook yesterday. I assume that it pertained to PRRD’s address to the nation late Monday evening. Everybody has something to say every time PRRD makes such address regarding this health crisis that we are all facing - from the contents of his message to his manner of speaking.

FINALLY, AT LEAST FOR NOW

When I opened my Facebook yesterday morning, some people were thanking VP Leni Robredo for the activities her office has been doing in relation to this health crisis our country is currently experiencing.  This has caught my special attention, which led me to jump to Google in order to have concrete knowledge as to what her office is up to.

DIVINE THOUGHTS

The secret wedding of Sarah Geronimo and Mateo Guidicelli eclipsed a bit the usual headlines that we have been seeing and hearing. What was supposed to be a happy affair, turned out to be a not so happy one.

Fans are happy for the newlyweds. But Sarah’s mother isn’t.

DROPPING THE BOMB (AND WHY THE DDS ARE JUBILANT)

Salvador Panelo’s guesting on ANC Channel’s Headstart anchored by Karen Davila has become a hot topic, and a video of the interview is viral now in social media.

For one, the meeting of two personalities coming from opposing camps was a spectacle in itself – the flamboyant spokesperson of PRRD in the person of Salvador Panelo, and the feisty journalist of the embattled ABS-CBN in the person of Karen Davila.

Wellness by Yavinjen

 

We are all currently in the middle of a troubled world. The year 2020 has just started and many things are already in disarray. And the last thing that we want is to be stressed and unwell, and lose our balance.

Hence, the term “wellness” comes to mind, which is the state of being in good health. And a way to achieve this is to sit back, relax, and have our body pampered.

Tucked at the second floor of J and F Divino Building along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City is a humble haven for body pampering and relaxation – Yavinjen Wellness and Spa. Yavinjen offers services to pamper one’s body from head to foot.

THE HUNGRY SYRIAN WANDERER: Vlogging With a Heart

From the Hungry Syrian Wanderer Facebook

A lot of people, from celebrities to ordinary people, are into vlogging. And as of late, I am thinking about vlogging as well since obviously this is the “in” thing in this era of social media frenzy and wifi technology. However, my time and resources are not that ripe yet for me to venture into this new online phenomenon.