Tuwang-tuwa ako tuwing makapunta ako sa Baguio City dahil sa malamig na klima at mga bulaklak.
Umakyat kami sa Baguio noong Huwebes kasama sina Yvonne Chua at Luz Rimban, mga kapwa ko awardee ng Marshall McLuhan fellowship para sa forum na ginanap sa University of the Philippines,Baguio City na inurganisa ng Canadian Embassy.
Umulan ng Huwebes ng hapon kaya hindi kami nakapaglakad-lakad sa Philippine Military Academy na busy sa paghahanda para sa PMA alumni homecoming ngayong araw. Ang daming streamers ng mga iba’t-ibang mga klase mula Pampanga. Lalo na sa gilid ng daan bago pumasok sa PMA.
Siyempre namamayagpag ang mga streamers ng ilang mga personalidad na nabanggit na may ambisyon tumakbo bilang presidente sa 2010. Nandiyan ang kay Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro na siyang guest speaker sa okasyon na ito. Meron din sina senador Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, at Loren Legarda.
Kapansin-pansin napansin ang mga streamers ni Brig. Gen. Danny Lim na nakasulat ang kanyang paninindigan para sa katohanan , para sa tama, at para sa hustisya.
Balik tayo sa Mc Luhan Forum. Taon-taon ito ginagawa ng Canadian Embassy dito sa Pilipinas para itaguyod ang mga ideya na pinalaganap ni Marshall Mc Luhan, ang experto sa media.
Si Mc Luhan ang naka-isip ng salitang “global village”. Sabi niya dahil sa mga modernong teklonohiya, ang buong mundo ay lumiit at para na lang “village”. Pwede siguro natin i-translate ang “village” na barangay o baryo.
Sinabi ito ni McLuhan sobra 30 taon na ang nakaraan. Ang ganooong sitwasyon ay lalong totoo ngayong panahon ng internet at cellphone. Kahit anong oras ay makakausap mo ang iyong kamag-anak o kaibigan sa malayong lugar. Sa Amerika man siya o China o Africa.
Ang forum ay tungkol sa impluwensya nitong mga makabagong communications technology sa pamamahayag. Pangalawang forum ito sa buwan na ito na inurganisa ng Canadian Embassy. Noong Feb. 12 ay nasa UP Davao kami.
Pinag-usapan sa forum ang iba’t ibang klaseng mga networking tools katulad ng blogging, facebook, multiply, friendster, twitter at kung paano yan magagamit ng mga journalists para lalong magiging mas epektibo ang kanilang pagdadala ng balita sa publiko.
Pinag-usapan namin na ang mga bagay na ito ay mga tools lamang at magagamit ito sa kabutihan o kasamaan. Depende nay an sa tao.
Sinabi ni Helen Baldo, director ng Public Information Agency sa Cordillera at Dhobie de Guzman ng ABS-CBN Baguio ang tiunatawag natin na “digital divide”. Sa lugar katulad ng Baguio may internet at cellphone. May wifi pa sa ibang lugar. Ngunit maraming mga mahihirap na probinsya sa mga karatig lugar doon ang walang cellphone signal. Kaya lalo silang napag-iwanan.
Photo captions:
1. In front of The Suites, Camp John Hay
2. Yvonne Chua
3. Luz Rimban
Ellen, I think you like Baguio not only because of its climate and flowers, but also strawberries. And I’ve heard so much about Yvonne Chua. Is she Fil-Chinese? I knew of one with such name when I was a member of a Catholic Choir Group in Paco decades ago. Please ask if she’s the sister of one Anthony Chua.
Speaking of Baguio, this beautiful place used to be the vacation spot of the wealthy in the past. Then, it became Hongkong. Then, the US. And now, it’s Europe and around the world especially the Malacanang crooks who even go as far as Russia.
Ang kay Bistek andon din. Saan kaya siya tatakbo?
You mean QC Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista? He’s running for QC Mayor. He’s still picking his running mate…either Mayor Belmonte’s son or actress Aiko Melendez.
Ellen,
Congratulations for being a Marshall McLuhan fellowship awardee. Yehey to you!
The scenery along the way is very colorful, thanks to the nailed ads and streamers on the tree trunks. Not to mention those hangings and those plastered on the fences and stores and everywhere. I missed those Angel Locsin or other shampoo sex goddesses. Wonder if those tree doctors are not bothered or concerned enough to whisper to the DENR or even to that pink candidate for president, so I heard.
Baguio brought back nostalgic memories..BE: you mentioned Paco..a dear friend used to (namatay na siya)live in that area and the family owned the lumber yard by the riles ng train..he was also a member of the Paco Catholic choir…
Maabilis na ngayon kumalat ang mga balita..remember the news of the gang rape in Antique…hindi na pick up ng news media sa Manila pero noong nabasa dito kay Ellen..we forwarded the news to all Antiquenos that we can reached and dito pa sa cyber space na laman ng karamihan..at ngayon nabalita na sa TFC kahapon. At ngayon bantay na kami sa developments…forwarding whatever news we received; at ngayon nagkakila ang mga kamaganakan…daw sa butig nga sang pagbaton sa balita nag rapta ron sa tanan tanan nga kalibutan..(unbelievable but when the news was received it spread out like wild fire all over the world!)
corr: all Antiquenos that we can reach..
Rose, if your friend owns Lumber in Paco, I presume he or she’s a Filipino-Chinese. I was a member of St. Peter Parish Choir to be exact, and studied kindergarden at Paco Catholic School.
BE: yes the family is Chinese..Dee ang apelyido..kabarkada ko si Alo, and we used to be with the Phimica Chorale Group..a very good man..and intelligent and “kalog”..at ang bait bait ng asawa niya..I still see her each time I go home to the Phil.
Do you mean Dee B Chuan Lumber? I know them. Alo Dee sounds familiar. Was he the manager of Bowling Inn and a good musician? If he was the one, he met an accident and then became more religious.
BE: yes that is the Alo I know..architect..topnotcher..used to own a bowling alley by the rotunda..musician? mahilig kumanta and if I am not mistaken organized a chorale group in Paco..(he would ask me to get him music scores to use) yes he met an accident but he died of cancer of the colon. A month or so before he died I was home and I expected him to be there but he just had his chemo..but a few days before he died we were able to talk to him. We had a get together in Canada and we called him up. He was a wonderful guy and I truly feel blessed to have a friend like him..He was a religious indeed..and many times was our “conscience” sa grupo.
Incidentally..kailan ang Edsa I anniversary? Alam ko Feb. 10 namatay si Evelio and his body was taken to Manila..and was processed at that event..That was in 1986 hindi ba? I hope this time sama sama na ang lahat na mga military kay Gen Lim…
That was the same Alo Dee I knew. He was an architect and owns the Bowling Alley along Taft Avenue. He was our choir teacher. He taught us every Sunday at St. Peter Parish Church in Pandacan. Our group was called St. Peter Choir. I remember Alo laughed a lot.
It’s about time the Filipino soldiers do a Thai! Remember the peaceful coup that caused the downfall of Thaksin, who was then on a state visit in Europe? That was neat with the soldiers being given flowers, food and full support by majority of the Thai people, and the supporters of Thaksin could not stop it.
Problema yata ang dami pang mga pilipino, who would rather wait for the dole-outs than kick out the abusive squatters of Malacanang as they do not realize that those dole-outs are in fact blood money sucked from them.
I support any movement to remove the Tapalani and her cohorts, legal and otherwise!
I don’t know if the Filipinos could do a Thai. Do a shit…maybe.
Baka naman may isang Filipino na mag indira o mag bhutto..
I’ve been waiting for that for nine years, Rose.