Kenneth Cobonpue's NAIA1 Proposal

"Its time someone did something about the worst airport in the world. So we made this design because we believe that no matter how beautiful our country is, our airports give the first and last impressions. This plan is relatively inexpensive and simple to adapt. The plan also involves renovating the interiors to allow faster flow of travelers between security, immigration and departure. The first step has been done. Lets hope our government moves on this proposal quickly."  taken from Kenneth Cobonpue Facebook page. 


Just a little background, Kenneth Cobonpue is an Internationally recognized designer for his classy furniture and concept products. His client includes Hollywood celebrities and European multinational corporation. He grew up and was raised in Cebu and most of his designs somehow were inspired by Cebu and the surrounding islands he said. 


Kenneth Conbonpue, Budji Layug, Royal Pineda in cooperation with NCCP (National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines) [it's the first time I heard of this council actually but whatever that is forgive my ignorance) proposed a pro-bono design of NAIA1 make-over and renovation. As we all know NAIA1 is one of the worst International airport in the world and it's about time we do something about it.  
                                                                                                                           

A pro-bono proposal of NAIA1 make-over from Budji Layug, Royal Pineda and Kenneth Cobonpue in cooperation with the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines.

watch the video here

Beware of Fake DVD's and counterfeit Merchandise!

Are you fond of buying fake CDs, DVDs, counterfeit cigarette or medicine? Not anymore, because; “Proceeds from the sale of counterfeit cigarettes, medicines, CDs and DVDs that are regularly smuggled into the southern Philippines could be helping fund al Qaeda-linked militants in the region, a security expert said on Thursday.”

Woohoho that means you are helping these terrorist in one way or the other without you knowing it. I must admit I bought various fake CDs/DVDs before but I stop when I learned those Chinese terrorists are funding it. But hold on it’s not limited to CD/DVD, Jeffrey Williams, managing director of Orion Support Inc(Private Security Firm), warned innocent purchases from Internet sites and street vendors of fake Nike merchandise, could be funding militant attacks too.

"Terrorist organisations are attracted to counterfeiting and piracy because it's a lucrative business, but also allows terrorists to remain anonymous," Williams told an anti-terrorism forum in Manila.

"It's a high profit and low-risk operation that has grown exponentially."

So, the next time you stumble upon these street vendors selling 12 in 1 DVDs or almost-original Nike or Adidas product, think again, you could be paying these terrorist to threaten your security.

source: reuters

Sta. Barbara town controls use, sale of plastic bags

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - Officials of Sta. Barbara town in Iloilo has started implementing the newly approved municipal ordinance that regulates the use of plastic bags as packing or bagging material.

Vice Mayor Rodulfo Delgado said Tuesday that the ordinance will be enforced in the town's public market, supermarkets, grocery and retail stores.

Delgado said the ordinance is intended to limit if not totally eliminate the use of plastic bags in the town.

The ordinance requires vendors to use paper or cloth bags, buri bags or bayong and other non-plastic materials like sacks and sturdy reusable shopping bags, and biodegradable plastics and other containers instead of plastic bags as packing and bagging materials.

It also encourages the placing of bulky goods in paper boxes or cartons or other biodegradable bagging materials.

Delgado added that the ordinance intends to prohibit the sale, distribution, or delivery of non-biodegradable plastic bags or similar items in any establishments within the municipality of Sta. Barbara.

However, establishments that have previously printed or acquired volumes of non-biodegradable plastic bags are given three months from effectivity of the measure to utilize or dispose of the materials.

complete story here

-Sunstar Iloilo

Somewhere over Jason's Rainbow

Oh Em Gee! I just heard Jason Castro sang somewhere over the rainbow! Gees, it was melting hot, truly unique and musically incline. I was like lying on a Maui beach sipping lemonade listenin' to it. The last version I heard was I think 20 years ago when all I can understand was just the word "rainbow" in it. Duh, whatever, just listen to Jason's up-down-up-down-pause strumming of the ukulele and he will bring you back to the memory lane. Btw, I already predicted Jason Castro will win in the competition in my previous entries. So, please stop shouting Sanjaya, opps! I mean David Archuleta!



Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby ii ii iii
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops thats where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,why, oh why can't I? i iiii

Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, I...I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more
Than we'll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world (w)oohoorld

Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I? I hiii ?

What You Can Do To Stop It?

Five Things We Can All Do

• Join StopGlobalWarming.org. Together our voices will be heard!
• Spread the word, share the learning. Send this link to family, friends, and colleagues. Share why this is so important.
• Change begins at home. (See our Action Items list)
• Put the heat on your elected officials to support legislation to stop global warming.
• The power of the pocketbook; buy green products and donate to environmental organizations.

What is Global Warming?

The Earth as an ecosystem is changing, attributable in great part to the effects of globalization and man. More carbon dioxide is now in the atmosphere than has been in the past 650,000 years. This carbon stays in the atmosphere, acts like a warm blanket, and holds in the heat — hence the name ‘global warming.’

The reason we exist on this planet is because the earth naturally traps just enough heat in the atmosphere to keep the temperature within a very narrow range - this creates the conditions that give us breathable air, clean water, and the weather we depend on to survive. Human beings have begun to tip that balance. We've overloaded the atmosphere with heat-trapping gasses from our cars and factories and power plants. If we don't start fixing the problem now, we’re in for devastating changes to our environment. We will experience extreme temperatures, rises in sea levels, and storms of unimaginable destructive fury. Recently, alarming events that are consistent with scientific predictions about the effects of climate change have become more and more commonplace.

taken here

The Battle Inside of Me

“Where is your generosity, Lord? Why did You do to me what You did to Job? Will I never have another chance in this life? Give me one more opportunity!”

He got up, opened the Bible at random, as he usually did when he was searching for an answer, and he came upon the passage during the Last Supper when Christ tells the traitor to hand Him over to the Roman soldiers looking for him. The priest spent hours thinking what he had just read: why did Jesus ask the traitor to commit a sin? “So that the scriptures would be fulfilled,” the wise men of the church would say. Even so, why was Jesus was asking someone to commit a sin and thus leading him to eternal damnation? Jesus would never do that; in truth, the traitor was merely a victim, as Jesus himself was. Evil had to manifest itself and fulfill its role, so that ultimately Good could prevail. If there was no betrayal, there could be no cross, the words of the Scriptures would not be fulfilled, and Jesus sacrifice could not serve as an example. “Evil needs to manifest itself, for them to understand the value of Good.”

quoted from Paulo Coelho’s “The Devil and Ms Prym”

The passage really struck me in the face, the same thing I did every time I’m searching for an answer and the same question that never ceases to fascinate me was asked “Why did Jesus ask Judas to do such a thing?” Although I did not totally agree with the answer suggested by the author but he successfully keep my heads up at the ceiling trying to contemplate the necessity of the situation. But one thing I learn, Evil needs to manifest itself, for me to understand the value of Good. For by nature I am evil but by the grace of God I became good. Deep inside my restless heart lays a waging battle between evil and good. I know I can’t flee from the enemy but I can resist it. I know I can’t resist temptation but I can flee from it. No matter how evil I am, the Blood of the Lamb is enough. Now the Light is slowly overshadowing the darkness that I was once where. Now I can confidently smile over temptations and circumstances that threaten my faith. It was all by the grace that God hath spread.

Keep the faith, no matter what. Fight the good fight, it is all worth it.

The Drama Behind Those Pretensions

I’m the melodrama type of person masking in hilarity and mirth. The type that find it easier to grin than explain to people who won’t understand anyway. You know, hiding an emotion is probably the habit that I mastered over the past few years. And trying to infect it on someone at least in this blog is very satisfying even if deep within me is struggling to hide the reality of it. Just call it plain personal diversion or my own version of tequila and nicotine.

As a middle child, I developed the nobody-cares-why-bother mentality, the its-your-lost-not-mine attitude. And if there’s a need to hide my disappointment the happy-mask is always ready in my backpack for it. Ready to play the masquerade that I so reluctantly made to make it looks like I was never affected. But things don’t always go as what they seem. Because the more I hide the more it becomes obvious. To make things even worst I become pretentious trying to be somebody that I’m not.

Last month I also learned something inevitable, something real, and something I need to chew over when my grandma died. I realized it’s hard to pull a smile when your face is pulling down. No mask can hide the melancholy of the tears that is flowing on my cheeks that time. No shame and pretensions can stop me from expressing what I feel inside. And when I woke up the next morning all I can remember were the tears and cries that wipes away those pretensions and turning it to something real.

No more happy-mask, no more melodrama, just a combination of it,haha.