ellen tordesillas – Page 96 – Making life worth living.

Trawling Tubbataha’s treasures

Published by Ellen on April 14, 2013

By Rex Robles,VERA Files

It was 1974 and I was taking up an advanced course in Mechanical Engineering at the US Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. For our final exam in Oceanography, our professor simply called the twelve of us to his office one by one and asked us a few questions. I noticed a certain level of interest in the Philippines that I did not expect.

For instance, he showed me a satellite photograph of Manila Bay and asked me what I thought about a plan to build a highway along the Manila-Cavite coastline. I mumbled some comment on how the ecology in the area would be affected.

Then he showed me photographs of the entire Sulu Sea with what looked like ridgelines in the water running roughly parallel to Palawan. I was intrigued. My professor, who is based in New Zealand, told me they were a dozen or so swells that go northwest at certain times. At other times, they go the opposite way.

What to do when your cellphone gets wet

Published by Ellen on April 14, 2013

Once again, I’ve been given a lesson by the best teacher on earth – experience. And I’m sharing the lesson with others with the hope that you would be wiser and would know what to do in case what happened to me happened to you.

Last week, while checking in at Iloilo airport for the flight back to Manila, the mineral water in my bag spilled.The contents of my handbag all got wet, including my Blackberry phone.

It’s the same phone that I accidentally dropped in Southmall Supermarket December last year and was picked up by an honest janitor who returned it to me.

Spot the big difference

Published by Ellen on April 11, 2013

Chinese fishermen whose boat ran aground in Tubbataha.Interphoto. Thanks to Interaksyon

President Aquino is being consistent when he said that the government will not be filing a diplomatic protest against China for the intrusion of a fishing vessel that got stuck in Tubbataha Reef in Sulu Sea, 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

After all, he didn’t also protest to the United States when the minesweeper USS Guardian got stuck and caused extensive damage to the reef which is Marine Protected Area three months ago (Jan. 17). It took the US navy three months remove the 1,300-ton, 68-meter-long Avenger Class minesweeper piece by piece. It was completed last March 30.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said April 7 that a diplomatic protest against the U.S was “unnecessary” because the superpower has been cooperating with the maritime investigation and has committed to the compensation and rehabilitation of the reef.

AMRSP’s critical reflection on Aquino presidency

Published by Ellen on April 3, 2013

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines has been in the forefront in all the political upheavals the country has experienced since the time of the Marcos dictatorship.

Many of its members braved the tanks sent by Marcos to Edsa during the 1986 People Power. They were very much visible in the 2001 ouster of Joseph Estrada and the installation of Gloria Arroyo.

But they did not hesitate to rally against Arroyo when reports of election cheating and massive corruption surfaced.

They supported the rise of Benigno Aquino III to the presidency.

One of Us – James Yap

Published by Ellen on April 2, 2013

By JB Baylon, VERA Files

Last Easter Sunday I watched PBA games live, sitting for the first time in the venue called The Arena at the Mall of Asia. I was transfixed – it was as if I had been transported to a city in the United States, or China even, as the venue was truly a vast improvement from what we have anywhere else in the country.

But I was even more transfixed by the public – the basketball fanatics who had trooped to the Mall of Asia on an Easter Sunday.

But these were no “ordinary” Pinoys. They were the fans who have followed teams and cheered for players and booed their opponents for generations. And tonight their greatest cry – a loud and prolonged cheer actually — was reserved for one team. In fact, it was reserved mostly for one player, the one wearing jersey Number 18 while playing for the San Mig Coffee Mixers: James Carlos Yap.

Civil society takes Malaysia to UN for maltreatment of Filipinos in Sabah

Published by Ellen on April 1, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Photo from kualalumpurpost.net

Concerned citizens are hauling the Malaysian government to the United Nations for human rights abuses against Filipinos in Sabah, even as they criticized the Philippine government for lack of outrage and action.

Concerned groups and individuals are filing Monday urgent appeals with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay and UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, both based in Geneva, Switzerland.

In their letters, the civil society groups asked the two UN agencies to “urgently intervene so that Malaysia will respect the human rights of the Filipinos in Sabah, recognized under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Agonizing moments at the DFA over Sabah

Published by Ellen on March 31, 2013

Malaysia arrests Filipinos Photo By BAZUKI MUHAMMAD REUTERS Wed, Mar 6, 2013 From Yahoo.

When some 30 concerned citizens met before the Holy Week to discuss the appeal to the United Nations for help for Filipinos in Sabah who are being maltreated by Malaysian authorities, they decided they would do it as private citizens and not waste their time getting the support of the Philippine government.

Of course, the petition would have carried more weight if it were the government seeking international intervention for its people, which should be the case because the government exists for its people.

In fact, it is in the Constitution’s Declaration of Principles and State Policies that (Art. II, Sec. 4) The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people.”

Joeseg: beyond online friendship

Published by Ellen on March 27, 2013

Joeseg and his idol,Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

I have been blogging since October 2005 and one of gifts I’ve gained is friendship of people from different parts of the globe.

One of them was Jose Seguerra who logs in my blog as “Joeseg.”

Joeseg was one of the pioneer visitors in my blog way back 2005. His sober views even in the most heated exchanges bring rationality in the discussions.

Our online friendship (together with that of five others) expanded to include members of our family.

Reconstructing blog again

Published by Ellen on March 27, 2013

This blog is being reconstructed as it was accidentally deleted Tuesday morning. In the old posts, the pictures and video were lost. I’ll try to…

12 steps to a fantastic beach body

Published by Ellen on March 24, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files
Video by Mario Ignacio

You have your plane tickets. You have made the hotel reservations.

You are all set for fun in the beach. But, is your body ready for it?

Three physical fitness personal trainers – Angie M. Miranda and Jensen G. Centeno of Fitness First, Mall of Asia, and Christian S. Cerezo, formerly of Fitness First Southmall and now a freelance PT, say it’s never too late to start getting in shape.

ellen tordesillas Posts