Saturday, February 27, 2010

34th Milo Marathon 2010 Schedule



Time to get back to your training program!

Here are the list of schedules for the 34th Milo Marathon 2010

July 4 – Manila Eliminatons
July 11 – Laoag City
July 18 – Baguio City
July 25 – Gen Santos
Aug 29 -Davao City
Sept 5 – Cebu City
Sept 12 – Tagbilaran City
Sept 19 – Dumaguete City
Sept 26 – Iloilo City
Oct 3 – Naga
Oct 10 – San Pablo City
Oct 17 – Batangas City
Oct 31 – Puerto Princesa
Nov 7 – Tarlac City
Nov 14 – Olongapo City
Nov 21 – Butuan City
Nov 28 – Cagayan de Oro City
Dec 12 – National Finals

Friday, February 19, 2010

intersted?

http://www.taiwanembassy.org/public/Attachment/021216153171.pdf

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Mambukal Ascend
















Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Makahiya Plant, Not the Legend!

Mom…! Mom…! Oh, good afternoon!

If there’s one thing I’m proud of, that is to tell all of you, “I am a Mama’s boy”. From May 10, 1984 until Grade 6, I sleep, eat, and go to church, with my mother at my side. I am such a Mama’s boy! She would always tell me children stories before we kiss goodnight and one of which is the legend of the Makahiya plant.

I grew up in a rural, small barrio where there are plenty of Makahiya plants. They usually grow along the sides of the path walk. And when I see them, I make it a point to strike my foot on them one by one and look at them fold their leaves with awe and astonishment. They never fail to amaze me. Until today, the Makahiya plant continues to amaze me, not so much because they never failed to fold their leaves when I disturb them but more because I consider them the epitome of humility – a human value that seems buried 6 feet below the ground.

When toastmaster Lillian Go slaps me on my left cheek, I should offer my right cheek. Maybe to even out the rosiness on my face? If toastmaster Jaclyn throws a stone on me, I should throw her back with a piece of pandesal with butter but… inside a glass jar. I am just kidding!

In 2008, I joined my first marathon run. Because I have such a high regard of myself, I joined the 21k category. Yes, you heard that right! I will run 21 kilometres to finish the race! I already run halfway when a traffic enforcer in his huge motorcycle went closer to my side. He said in his radio phone, “I am with the last runner of the race, over! I am with the last runner of the race, over”. I felt like an instant celebrity! But, when I checked my clock, it’s already eight o’clock. I felt my bones are on the verge of breaking and my breathing out of normalcy. So I took the courage of hitching a ride and make the enforcer my driver and told him that I be dropped at Worldview Pension Plaza. A week after, the news spread that I was carried in an ambulance back to the hotel. Never mind, the exaggeration of the story, the important lesson is that I have humbly acknowledged my limitation. I know my battle and know when to stop. Knowing and acknowledging our weakness is …humility.

We should constantly remind ourselves that we should be like a seedling. Day by day, we grow. Everyday is a learning process. We acknowledge that we do not know everything. We shouldn’t be self-glorifying and say I am a ripe fruit and I know everything. If you do, there’s no other way for you but to rot and decay! Now, you make your choice, a growing a seedling or a rotting fruit? I bet, you want to be glamorous. So am I! Humility makes us more teachable and glamorous too.

The leaders of this generation are the antithesis of what a good leader should be. A good leader in good times goes to the window and says, “I am so lucky to have my team. Without my people, we wouldn’t be successful”. And in bad times, he goes to the mirror and says, “what did I miss? Why did I not see this coming?” But the leaders of today do the opposite. In good times, they go to the mirror and say “What a great leader I am”. “These people are so lucky to have me as their leader”. “Without me, we wouldn’t be successful”. And in bad times, they go to the window and say, “Who messed up, Who should I fire?” Humility does not point fingers. It makes us more objective and more accountable!

PGMA and most of our leaders are far from the makahiya plant. When someone hits them, they retaliate! An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! But when you hit the makahiya plants, they humble themselves. But that does not mean passivity! Or being an underdog! Why? Because the moment they fold their leaves, it is when you will see that they have thorns in them to protect them. Thus, it is in humbling themselves that they have shown their real strength!

Today, I think the greatest battle every man can have is to remain humble even when everyone tries to become great.

Can you traverse the road less travelled? Can you remain humble when everyone takes pride of what they have and who they become? Can you be like the Makahiya Plant?

Sunday, February 7, 2010

I AM FOR…

In 1997 and 1998, I ran as representative in our student council. I lost but didn’t mind. In 1999, I ran as senator, and lost again. I was teary eyed! In 2000, supposedly my last batter to hit my 1st base of student governance, I ran as vice-president. I lost. I was what Miriam Santiago described as , “suicidical, ballistic, and fuming in the mouth! If this was boxing, the ring announcer would have introduced me this way, “On the red corner, weighing never mind, from Dumaguete City, with four losses and zero win, Jay Famoso.

They say high school life is one of the most exciting parts of our growing up. I’d say not quite! I was defeated 4 times. I asked? Where did my friends go? Am I not lovable? Am I not intelligent? Oh well, I settled for this reason. Maybe all my supporters were absent on Election Day!

My political career was a plain monochrome. Four losses and zero win. But wait until you listen to this.

Fresh from college, I was invited by a friend to attend a meeting. Out of nothing to do any way, I nodded to her request. I stepped inside a huge hall clueless of what will happen. So I just smiled to everyone meeting my gaze, waved my hand in the air, and uttered hi and hello’s. A woman, quite advanced in age, grabbed the microphone and announced the election for President. In her flawless English, she said, the floor is now open for nomination. Then a young lady stood up and said, “I nominate, paused for a while, shifted her gaze to my name tag, and continued Jay for president. I tried to recall if we have met before but to no avail. I just smiled back as a sign of gratitude. And the results are ready. And the president is …ME. Oh finally, I made it! But wait. This is not yet the end. It’s not the happily-ever-after kind of ending. Someone stood up, made a protest to the advisers, and questioned my membership. If I have the power to disappear in an instant, I would have disappeared. Until now, I am still looking for the person who protested my presidency.

On May 10, 2010, two events will unfold. One is already a public knowledge and the other is soon to be a public knowledge. After casting your votes, please send in the gifts to the birthday celebrant. Greetings are good but cash is better!

My first participation in a National Election was in 2004. If I will recall, the moving force that prod me to do it, is the excitement of doing things for the first time. I am now exercising my right of suffrage, the essential element of democracy. That’s the student in me speaking!

Next year, I am voting again. Let it be known that I am for a candidate who is not necessarily knowledgeable but is aware. Aware in the plight of the poor. Aware in the current state of our environment. Aware of the social plagues that continue to eat-up every fabric of the sanctity of life.

I am for a candidate who puts premium in the dignity of the public that he is serving. A man with conscience, grit, and integrity. A man who acknowledges that the tax of the people is a product of sweat and blood.

I am for a candidate who leads by example. Someone who believes that talk is cheap. We need actions not words!

Above all, I am for a candidate who fears his God. Truly then, I can say, public office is a public trust. Vox populi, vox dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God.

They say, power without abuse looses its charm! I say, power without responsibility looses its charm! Power in the right perspective! That’s Charm!