ellen tordesillas – Page 276 – Making life worth living.

A mother finally got to embrace her son

Published by Ellen on January 2, 2009

Col. Ariel Querubin, who has been in detention for almost three years, was allowed to be with his 87-year old mother on her birthday on New Year’s day in their place in La Union. A friend who was there wrote to me the heartwarming reunion of the Medal of Valor awardee with his mother.

col-querubin-with-mom

I had a very good reflection about hope and family this New Year. For the first time, I celebrated New Year out of town with a very special family. And the experience gave me a chance to reflect about how my mother had been spending Christmasses away from us for 10 years now. How she must have longed to come home. Oh how I missed her now. Let me then share with you, a new year’s story about a mother and son that I will never forget…

Congratulations to the 10 best OFW/Expat blogs

Published by Ellen on January 1, 2009

Congratulations to the winners of the Best Blogs in 2008 by OFW or Expat.

Congratulations too to the organizers. It’s a laudable project and should be sustained.

TEN BEST EXPATS/OFW BLOG in 2008

1.Writing on Air, Australia
by Jim Paredes

Voted 7 times to the Top 10, twice as No. 1, three times as No. 2, and twice again as No. 3.
As per the judges verdict,
His blog is No. 1 in the BLOG CONTENT
No. 1 in the Blog Element
No. 2 in the Visibility and Metrics
No. 4 in the Voting/Popularity category
and
No 1 in the Over All Judges Pick

Some of judges’ notes:

“Meaningful and inspiring posts” “Brings out pride in being Filipino” “Writing on Air has depth and substance. Jim’s blog is brilliant and inspiring. His take on issues around the world and as well as personal experiences are culturally enriching as a Filipino. The lay-out and design is clean.”

Katuwaan lang

Published by Ellen on January 1, 2009

Bitchevil sent me this. Nakakatuwa. Hats off also to Disney for their promotion creativity.

Happy New year!

Published by Ellen on December 31, 2008

May the joys and pains we experienced in 2008 add to make us stronger and wiser to face the challenges of 2009. Happy New Year!

Reklamo ng asawa ng pulis

Published by Ellen on December 29, 2008

Update: Nagpaliwanag si Police Senior Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman sa reklamo ng isang sumulat na gumamit ng pangalan na Juana de la Cruz tungkol sa P7,000 na cash gift. Umaasa sana kasi si De la Cruz na mabigyan din ang mga active officers ng P3,000 na binigay sa mga retired officers.

Sabi ni Col. Bartolome, ang savings lang daw ng PNP ay kasya lang para sa mga retired na kawawa naman dahil mas matanda na sila. Kahit wala na sila sa serbisyo, pinapahalagaan naman ng PNP ang kanilang serbisyo.

Sabi ni Bartolome, 120,000 ang lahat na mga pulis at walang sapat na pera ang PNP para sa dagdag na cash gift.

Natanggap ko itong sulat mula sa isang nangangalang “Juana de la Cruz” at nagsasabing asawa raw siya ng isang pulis. Hindi ito ang kanyang totoong pangalan. Ang mahalaga ay ang isyu na kanyang tinatalakay.

Ito ang kanyang reklamo:

Arroyo’s peace adviser merely watched his son’s mauling spree

Published by Ellen on December 28, 2008

Update: ABS-CBN reported that today Secretary Pangandaman was seen golfing with Mikey Arroyo, congressman son of Gloria Arroyo in Baguio Country Club.Was it to show off that they are that close to the powers-that- be. May reklamo kayo?

Inquirer update: Golf club suspends DAR chief over brawl

Three days after Gloria Arroyo announced the appointment of Nasser Pangandaman, as member of the reconstituted government peace panel to negotiate with Muslim rebels, the agrarian reform secretary watched as his mayor-son mauled a 56-year old golfer and his 14-year old son at the Valley Country Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City.

While mainstream media was taking a holiday break, the blogging community was in a furious state over the brutality of Arroyo’s adviser and his son as recounted by Bambee de la Paz in her blog (http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-is-fucked-up.html) last Dec. 26.

Here’s excerpts from de la Paz’s blog entry on Dec. 26, 2008:

Keeping the spirit of Christmas alive even behind barbed wires

Published by Ellen on December 27, 2008

Christmas is in the heart. The venue does not matter.

This is best exemplified by the officers detained in Camp Capinpin and their families as shown in these pictures taken midnight of Dec. 24 and on Christmas day.

(The 17 officers detained in Camp Capinpin are part of the 28 charged with mutiny for allegedly for planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006. Court martial trial is going on. It will resume on Jan. 9.)

Patuloy ang laban para sa katotohanan

Published by Ellen on December 27, 2008

Buhay pa ba kayo pagkatapos ng Christmas sa Pilipinas?

Masaya na nakakapagod ang Christmas dito sa Pilipinas. Ngunit ang mahalaga ay buhay ang buod ng Pasko, magkasama-sama man o magkakalayo.

Ngayon ang ating haharapin ay ang bagong taon.

Lahat tayo ay umaasa na sana mas maayos ang 2009. Sa akin, magiging maayos lamang ang palakad ng ating bansa kung mahinto ang panloloko ng sambayanan. At hindi mahihinto ang panloloko ng sambayanan habang si Gloria Arroyo ang nagpapalakad ng bansa.

Christening on Christmas day in Tanay

Published by Ellen on December 27, 2008

Life goes on even behind barbed wires.

Last Dec. 25, Jeanne Clarisse Sababan, four -month old daughter of Capt. James and Cletty Sababan was christened in an early morning mass inside the Custodial Center in Camp Capinpin, Tanay where 17 of the 28 officers charged with mutiny (re Feb. 2006 non-event) are detained.

Here are some of the pictures. I’ll post more photos and make more kwento later. I have to treat my nieces and nephews to the Festival mall.