Never an excuse

We've always been taught that "if we have nothing better to say, to just keep quiet."

The latest spate of news on the "tanim-bala" or "laglag-bala" has placed the Philippines in the shame map once more.

First, is why would anyone even carry or attempt to carry ONE live bullet into his or her bag? And to have several consecutive occurrences of this event, is even senseless for me! The probability of consecutive "terroristic" or "criminal" activity with ONE live bullet in various individual bags is practically zero. Except of course in the Philippines.

Second, are the various media reports of this scam. Based on the first probability, this can officially be called a scam. What do OFWs, tourists, senior citizens have to gain by carrying a bullet in his/her bag?

Third, is the pronouncement of the people in government - the Aviation Security Group, MIAA Office, DOTC, and of course, Malacañan - that practically washes their hands clean of these "occasional" incidents. Someone just had to open his mouth and make the announcement that it's probably a random chance this happens. Really? Well someone should really just shut up shouldn't he?

Fourth, is the lack of sincerity at the lapses of the airport authorities over this fiasco. Apparently, all the investigations will take some time and that with the total number of people involved, there will be heads that should roll. But you can see how tough the stance of MIAA Manager Jose Angel A. Honrado is regarding the accountability of this fiasco. If this were in another country, the head would have resigned - not out of accountability per se, but out of shame. To say that our government officials in general, are thick faced (makapal ang mukha), is an understatement.

I agree that the airport officials job is to protect the safety of the riding public. After all, air transportation is an integral part of everyday travel during these times. Nevertheless, the human rights and humiliation people have to go through because of a scam, right at our very showcase window, the airport is NOT an acceptable option at any point.


It is never an excuse to protect your friends at the expense of public trust...EVER!

Dear Ate Fely

After your column LOUD WHISPERS with the article entitled "Are resident doctors really doctors?" got published in the Mindanao Times a week or so ago, two things happened. Your column became viral on social media. And the once unknown Mindanao Times suddenly became infamous. Thanks to you.


But let me clear the clutter.

By now, you know that your column had incensed practically the whole Philippine medical and nursing profession. And you will forgive me if I say, rightfully so. I was looking for the kindest way to let you know how badly written that column was. But the Rappler had published a well written piece by a former UP-PGH graduate by the name of Dr. Adrian Rabe (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/100143-open-letter-resident-doctors utm_content=buffer26be9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer). He very kindly put into perspective the enlightenment that you needed on your question whether resident doctors are real doctors.


With that said, I would like to let some of my colleagues understand the field of journalism or publications. Your article is a column. As a columnist, Ms. Sicam is entitled to voice her opinion - good or bad, right or wrong - it's her opinion. That is why columns usually appear on the Op/Ed or otherwise known as the Opinion/Editorial page of the newspaper. Your being a columnist provides you with power. Used appropriately, your power of writing can change the landscape of healthcare in this country. Unfortunately, like many other two-bit columnists in this country, you managed to utilize that power to the disadvantage of the people. It was, self-serving.

That, my dear Ate Fely, was why the response to your column was a violent one.

As a former Varsitarian (Official Student Publication of the University of Santo Tomas) staffer, I learned that accountability, responsibility and integrity are the hallmarks of a true journalist. Someone who would check facts first, balance his/her opinion, and ultimately be accountable for what one writes.

I do not hold you solely accountable for the mess that you're currently in. The editor-in-chief and publisher of the Mindanao Times are equally culpable for the backlash that you're receiving. After all, your boss has the right to publish your article or not. He could have called your attention and discussed with you the merits of publishing the badly written and poorly edited column you wrote. The mere fact that he/she decided to publish your column and do a Pontius Pilate later on is proof that he didn't have enough spine to back you up when the going got rough. In short, he decided to crucify you. That to me tells me what kind of a douchebag your editor is.

In all honesty, he was equally as culpable as you. In the publications world, it takes two to tango. The writer and the publisher (unless you are both).

I recently found out that you had written to your Acting Editor regarding the atrocious comments you've been receiving on social media (Facebook most especially) and the letters to the editor of the Mindanao Times.

Do I commiserate with you? Sadly, no. While I am trying to understand that what you did for your friend was through the goodness of your heart, you did not dig deep into that very heart to understand the travails of healthcare in the Philippines. There was no injustice done by the resident or the nurse on duty that fateful day you brought your friend to the ER of PGH. That is the way the public health system is in the Philippines. If it will make you feel better, I have a colleague who went to the extent of suggesting that there should be a law that requires ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS UP TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES to be seen and confined ONLY at government hospitals so that they have a reality check every now and then, and that the public healthcare system be upgraded for the majority of its citizens. And I totally agree!!! As to how many government officials actually have the balls to make this into a law, this has to be an acid test for the government.

After reading your letter, I can only say that you are not a writer. Not a journalist. And never will be at your age. I will offer you one advice - retire. It's not your cup of tea.

Fucked up!

This will be one of my shortest blogs.

Over the last weeks, there have been very annoying posts and shared posts of the most unshareable material on the internet.

It ranged from Kris Aquino's dissing of Maria Ozawa, to the teenage Pabebe girls who were ranting like bitches with their annoying video, to the possè Atenean doctor who bragged about mulcting a delivery boy over P200 of greasy fast food, to the bromance and defense of the Pinoy Big Brothers involving a minor and an adult.

Are these even worth the news or a minute of people's time? If you think that following these posts and dedicating time to these are worth the while, think again. You just wasted precious minutes in your life doing something more worth the while, than following people with fucked up lives!

Yes. These are people with fucked up lives. They are scums of the earth. They are meaningless. They have nothing worthwhile to share. That's why while I blog about the events, they should be remembered as useless people whom media and the internet has provided a two minutes spot at fame and infamy.

Next time you post or share, don't bother with the fucked up lives.

Pandora's Iceberg

It was disturbing to read on the news the suspicious P2 Billion claim filed by Philhealth affiliated hospitals and clinics for fraud.

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/iphone/homepage.aspx#_article947412871

It drew another blow to the medical health profession that was reeling from allegations of tax evasion by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, bidding and research irregularities in the public health service, and unethical relationships with the pharmaceutical industry. It saw health care receiving the brunt of criticism from a public that was dissatisfied with the care that we, as physicians swore to uphold with the highest ethical standards.

There is a clamor to restore the image of the physician to align with more appropriate ethical practice. The question is, why has this happened?

Greek mythology has it that Pandora, the first woman on Earth, was endowed by the gods with several attributes of goddess qualities. Pandora was gifted a box full of evil by Zeus. As the story would have it, Pandora's curiosity (much like Eve's curiosity of the apple tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden), would release all the evil (including death) in this world. By the time Pandora realized what she had done, she had released all the contents except for one thing that laid in the bottom.

To open Pandora's box figuratively emanates from that story. A small act or seemingly innocent one at first can have a domino effect and result in far-reaching consequences by the time we become aware.

Undoubtedly, the root cause of all the inappropriate behavior of the physician is financial remuneration. Not that financial remuneration is bad. It's how we earn our keep that matters.

To understand why this happens is not within the realm of this blog. There is no excuse for such behavior in any profession. Why the medical profession is highlighted is a different story altogether. I guess it's because people consider the health profession a noble one. What once was a simple doctor-patient relationship became complicated with third party business providers and as the future evolved, so did health care. The HMOs were the business boomers. They turned health care into a business far beyond what the naked eye could see. The HMOs took advantage of both the doctors and the patients. It's rubbish for any one to claim that their HMO business is to benefit the patient, and make it worthwhile or profitable for doctors to get reimbursed. For god's sake, an HMO is an insurance company. Why do you think they even came up with business models like these if it's not profit oriented?

HMOs sell health insurances to companies in guise of a "perk" being provided to employees. Employees believe that this perk is a right to badger the hospitals or doctors whenever they feel there is a need to utilize their insurance. You see patients in the emergency rooms with health cards demanding to get seen for a health problem that should have been seen on an out-patient clinic. But since they're too lazy to go and make an appointment with their doctor, they will use limited resources from their health card since to them, the ER visit is "free" anyway. They're also the same ones that abuse the hospitalization privileges. Even mild viral infections are admissible cases to them. They will DEMAND that they or their children get confined and worked-up, simply because they can claim leaves of absence from work or won't have to pay for medicines, or simply take advantage of the whole insurance health care system scheme. They will connive and coerce doctors to utilize their health cards even if the first admission was not admissible and the next admission is a true emergency but is the same illness as the first. Their reason - it's paid for anyway! And when their credit limits are breached during the hospital stay, they're also the same people that will DEMAND that they get discharged at once because they're not willing to dish out additional expenses for patient care. Those belonging to the lower rung of the totem pole in the corporate ladder has the highest utilization for HMO privileges.

Patient care.

Where does the physician fit in this complicated business maze?

The HMO-affiliated doctor simply gets a drop in the bucket. The biggest share goes to the hospital or clinic and the HMO. That's the reason why some HMOs do not like hospitals that are too expensive because their bottom line costs will bloat and patients will not benefit from exuberant costs in hospitals. Which goes to the point of having to "standardize" the hospital payment cost of every HMO to any and all hospitals that want HMO affiliation so that patients will benefit from the insurance cost. Regardless of whether the patient would want to get admitted to Hospital A in Pasig or Hospital B in Taguig, the HMO pays the standard cost to the hospital for the procedure, hospital stay, professional fee and medicines in the hospital. At the current scenario, only the professional fee to the poor doctor is standardized. If the professional fees can be standardized, why not the other costs of board and lodging and procedures in the hospital? They are, after all, more static and negotiable by hospital administrators with their suppliers. As a matter of fact, it is obscene that the physician does not enjoy the same perks and benefits as the nurse or the occupational therapist or the pharmacist or the CEO of the hospital because the doctor is NOT an employee and has no privileges at all. When doctors get sick, sadly the hospitals they work for don't and won't take care of their medical expenses. There are very minimal, if any, medical privileges provided by hospitals to their doctors. The rationale of hospital administrators is that while doctors bring him patients to the hospitals (and are therefore its major source of income), the doctors also financially benefit from hospital admissions for patient care. A seriously absurd corporate mentality!

Which leaves us with the question - do these aforementioned scenarios justify the unethical practices of physicians in the profession? The answer is NO. But the last two decades has seen the boom of the HMO - as a business. It has transformed the paradigm of health care from one of personalized care, to one of big commerce. I am not saying that a HMO is totally bad. It just needs to be totally redefined to both educate the beneficiaries as well as appropriate the scarce resources to more admissible medical conditions and just compensation for services rendered. It should design packages that absorb costs of preventive health care such as immunization in children and not for adult health lifestyle check ups alone.

This applies also to Philhealth. There's so much money in reimbursement to physicians involved when it came to cataract surgery (which according to the ophthalmologist of my mother, is a relatively quick procedure like pulling out a tooth) compared to how much we are reimbursed for moderate to severe pneumonia, which is life-threatening and has higher mortality than cataract surgery. I recall my mom's cataract surgery went for one hour and the doctor had gotten P16,000 from Philhealth. I had a patient who had very severe pneumonia (TB Pneumonia) and got P3,600.00 from Philhealth for a 16 days hospital confinement which included a closed thoracostomy tube insertion! As to what the basis for the professional reimbursement costs for various medical cases by Philhealth were - your guess is as good as mine.

The paradigm shift in the practice of medicine has gone from healthcare practice to healthcare business.

Because we don't have a lot of benefits unlike full time employed workers, some often ask the question "what's in it for me"?

The answer - none. And there should be no expectations set to to our younger colleagues.

You see, I never wanted to be a doctor. So I guess that's why my outlook is quite different. I eventually found out after graduation and my years of practice, that one cannot expect to get paid for everything one does in the profession. That the anatomy of disappointment are expectations. And that I learned to love what I do and I have passed up many opportunities that came my way for better and more stable pay in place of my private practice. At the end of the day, it's liking and loving what you do - not for the hefty cash you bring home (which is the icing on the cake) - because you know you're really good at it! Making kids better, making your profession more meaningful, adding extra years to lives that would have been zapped up had you not cared for them.

Medical practice is an art. It's not a business. Some big business changed the way health care has evolved. I guess all the commercialism and hullabaloo of who makes more and what car he or she drives or how many foreign travels one has in a year is the mark of success for some of us in the medical profession. If these are the drivers and parameters of one's success in our profession, I don't think we will be happy in what we do. There is nothing wrong with earning. But we cannot build a reputation where business speaks louder than the care we provide to patients. We need to shift the tides back to the question - why did we become doctors in the first place?

As many of these challenges collide with one another, like an iceberg waiting for a major disaster to occur, I hope that many of our leaders in the health community see the situation as an opportunity to change the tide.

Everything came out of Pandora's Box that day. From greed to envy. From despair to loathe. She allowed all the contents of the box out.


All except HOPE.

It's a Filipino thing...From Coffins to Vacations

You get all the jokes about traits that make one a Filipino.

There was the story of a Filipina nurse who had just found work in the United States. She (and her relatives) were so happy of this news. She had 20 or so relatives who depended on her for either dole outs or some financial assistance. She traveled with her mother to America on what would be the last hurrah of her savings. But even before she could start settling down, her mother had passed away. Because it would be too expensive for her to travel back with her mother for the wake and burial, she had sent her mom in a wooden coffin back to the Philippines.

When the coffin arrives in Manila, and the relatives open it, they are aghast at what they see. The old woman has her face plastered against the glass of the coffin. There was an accompanying letter that read:

DEAR KUYA TONIO, ATE LETY, KUYA JERRY, ATE GRACE, LOLO, LOLA, JUNJUN, JEKJEK, MAIMAI, ANNANN, RICRIC, LETLET, KATKAT, TOTI, TITA RINA, TITO BOY, AT SA MGA PINSAN KO NA DI KO NAKIKITA PERO NAGHATID SA AMIN NI NANAY PAPUNTA SA AMERICA. PASENSIYA NA KAYO AT DI NA AKO SUMAMA KAY NANAY PAUWI. MASAKIT MAN SA AKIN, SIYA NA LANG ANG PINAUWI KO. ALAM NIYO NAMAN NA MAHIRAP ANG BUHAY NGAYON AT KAKASIMULA KO PA LAMANG.

PAGBUKAS NINYO NG KABAONG PAKIKUHA ANG 50 LATA NG SPAM SA MAY ILALIM NG UNAN NIYA. MEDYO MUKHANG TUMABA SI NANAY, PAKI HUBAD NA LAMANG ANG MGA DAMIT NIYA. YUNG MGA 6 NA JERSEY NG NBA AY PARA SA MGA PAMANGKIN KO. LARGE AT EXTRA LARGE SILA. HUBARIN MO NA RIN ANG 5 BRA NA SUOT NI NANAY AT PARA KINA ATE AT LOLA YUN. YUNG 4 NA MEDYAS NA SUOT NI INANG, PARA KAY LOLO NAMAN. MAY PANTIES AKO PARA SA MGA PINSAN. SUOT DIN NI NANAY, PAKITANGGAL NA LANG. MAKIKITA NINYO NA NAKA NIKE SIZE 15 SA PAA NI NANAY - PARA SA IYO YAN KUYA TONIO. YUNG 8 RELO SA KALIWANG KAMAY NI NANAY AY PARA KINA ATE AT BABAE KONG PAMANGKIN, TITA AT LOLA. YUNG 8 RELO SA KANANG KAMAY NI NANAY AY PARA KINA KUYA AT LALAKE KONG PAMANGKIN, TITO AT LOLO. SA MAY PUWETAN NI NANAY AY MERON MGA COMFORTERS PARA SA INYO. SA ILALIM NG KABAONG NIYA AY MAKIKITA NINYO ANG MGA SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER, KIRKLAND VITAMINS AT FISH OIL, PEANUT BUTTER, IBA'T IBANG CHOCOLATES, POTATO CHIPS AT DE LATA. MERON DIN DIYAN YUNG MGA BAG AT T-SHIRT NA GAP NA BINILI KO SA OUTLET. BAHALA NA KAYO MAMAHAGI SA MGA KAMAG ANAK AT KAPIT BAHAY NATIN. OO NGA PALA, YUNG KUWINTAS NA SUOT NI NANAY AY PARA KAY ATE LETY, YUNG MGA HIKAW AY PARA SA MGA PAMANGKIN KO. PINADAGDAG KO NA LAMANG SA NAG EMBALSA KAY NANAY NG 5 BUTAS PA SA MAGKABILANG TENGA PARA MAGKASYA YANG MGA HIKAW NA FANCY. ANG PINAKAHULI AY SA MAY PUWET NI NANAY MERON KAYONG MAKIKITANG IBA'T IBANG URI NG PABANGO. ANG MGA JOVAN MUSK AY PARA SA MGA LALAKE. ANG CACHAREL AY PARA SA MGA BABAE.

SIGE. MAHABA NA ITONG SULAT KO. AT NAPAGOD NA RIN AKO SA PAGIYAK AT PAGAYOS NG BANGKAY NI NANAY PAUWI DIYAN. PAGPASENSIYAHAN NA NINYO ANG MUNTI KONG PASALUBONG

NAGMAMAHAL,

INDAY

P.S. PAGHUBAD NINYO KAY NANAY, PAKI AYOS LANG NG ITSURA NIYA BAGO ILIBING.



Where does the story lead?

It's supposed to be the story of every Juan in us. I'm not sure if it depicts how spendthrift the Pinoy is or how misplaced our sense of spending is. On our vacation in London, I was telling my partner that I was observing the Filipinos wherever we went. There weren't many Pinoys in the galleries or the museums (come to think of it there were none during the days we were there). There was a Pinoy couple who went to one of the plays (The Elephant Man) on the night we were there. However, when we went to the Harry Potter Studio tour, we spotted several Pinoys in the crowd. When we had lunch, there was a family of Pinoys who sat next to us. The father opened his bag and voila - handmade sandwiches, fresh strawberries, bottles of water and soda, chicken wings and sausages!! I had this smile to my face. And they definitely had a more delicious lunch compared to the paltry tasting overpriced theme park food. They knew how to conserve their cash because they definitely were not poor. Mom was carrying an LV bag and the other children were lugging bags of various designers. And the boys were in spanking new Adidas sneakers. So you've got to give it to how thrifty the Pinoy can be. You will not see them dining in fancy restaurants or having breakfast in the hotels (unless it's free). They're having a happy meal at the next McDonalds. You won't see them having afternoon tea at Laduree. They're at the next Starbucks sharing a grande with the family.

The highlight of every vacation is having to enjoy it. Whether it's a luxurious one, or one on a budget - it's the company that counts. It's the memories that you take back with you that matters. It's the stories of love, life and happiness that we reminisce and capture in pictures that remind us of pausing our frenetic lives in this rat-race world and enjoy some of the hard earned money we reap to recharge our weary souls.

It's the journey that tell our stories...

It's been awhile...

This year's annual leave from work takes a twist on the old and the changes in the new.

First is the fact that after a respite from NAIA terminal 1 which is currently being renovated, I am back. And am pleasantly surprised that some renovation is coming along. I guess I expected to be "amazed" or probably have eyes wide open at "changes" at the NAIA 1, but the disappointment tugs in my gut.

It's obvious that I can't help but compare (aren't we all entitled to compare?) the renovations at NAIA 1 and my first airport stop at Hamad International Airport in DOHA, Qatar.

Like two friends during my travels, both NAIA 1 and Hamad International are places I have not been to for quite some time. Both are undergoing renovations as well. I guess it's not going to be a fair comparison because obviously our paltry-looking NAIA 1 will pale in comparison to the opulence of Hamad International. The economies between the two countries are, after all, far apart from one another.

NAIA 1 isn't completely done yet, and while the lighting looks brighter, the makeover is shabby at best. Of course, the only positive thing here is the choice of food stalls. The fact that you have Starbucks inside NAIA 1 tells you that at least there will be decent food in the area. The business class lounges are a sore eye. Old, lacking in quality and refurbishment, warm (air conditioners are barely functioning), and entertainment a clear blur (TV is really hazy) - the lounges are a reflection of how third world we are...and sadly, will remain this way until the government gets its act together. I deliberately did not take pictures anymore, as taking a photo of the lounge would have been insulting to my camera phone. Oh yeah, I don't need to mention about the customs counter. While there seems to be a semblance of service, nothing much has changed. And there's really no surprise there.

Landing in Hamad International Airport opens up to a totally different ambience. The duty free shops and lounges and food kiosks are carefully segregated. Once upon a time, we landed in the Mujabi desert and had to be scooted out of the plane to the airport using busses (or as first class passengers, on a BMW) in the hot summer air! Today, there are no bus gates. Just tube connections to the vibrantly spankingly clean airport. The business class lounge is an oasis of tranquility and world class service.

As a Filipino, I can't help but wonder why we cannot seem to try to improve on even the bare essentials like providing a decent looking gateway to tourism for the world to see! We throw billions of pesos into needless spending and graft and corruption, or even bonuses for the people running government-owned corporations, have megamalls and shopping venues that are jaw dropping...I can't understand why we cannot even spruce up a dilapidated airport.

It's really been awhile that I've seen changes in our own country. And our politicians aren't really good at taking criticisms well. To them, it's really just excuse after excuse after excuse. For lack of a better description on our politicians, it's really been awhile, since we've had someone willing to die for the country, to literally make a change.

Tips to remember when traveling to Seoul, Korea

As of this writing, I'm holed up in my hotel (the Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong) trying to recall what are the most important tourist trips when traveling to Seoul, South Korea. In case I forget, or am inaccurate, feel free to comment.

During our trip to Seoul, we never took the subway for the very reason that I was traveling with my partially disabled 78 year old mom who really wanted to see some Cherry Blossoms in her lifetime. Hence, the extraordinary preparations on this travel.

1. I told my travel agent gazillion times that I was traveling with a partially disabled senior citizen. Make sure that the wheelchairs are in place. That's where you see the very very wide discrepancy between the Philippines and South Korea, not only in the service of the airline but the airport as well. We took our flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). The heat was horrible. NAIA 2 was sweltering hot and all those giant fans did nothing to cool the aging airport that is home to PAL alone! And the wheelchair (and the guy supposed to push the wheelchair) was nowhere in sight. The Holy Week exodus is NO excuse for the nonfunctioning air conditioners, nor for the sloppy service in assisting elderlies and the disabled, or being such a paltry lousy airline altogether. When we arrived at Incheon Airport, the wheelchair for my mom was ready and the guy who was handling her was so efficient and caring that you'd even wonder why the Philippines even attempts to compete with the tourism industry. The itsy bitsy teenie weenie airport in Manila that's cramped like a sardine can has little to boast to the rest of the world in terms of being an airport showcase. The least it can do is make it more comfortable instead of adding insult to injury.

TIP TO REMEMBER: Even for the difference in bucks, take Korean Air or Asiana. At least the airline service will compensate for the lousy airport in the Philippines. Besides, the time schedule of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are much better than PAL or Cebu Pacific.


2. Bus, cab or private transfers? Because the weather was still between 6-15 degrees centigrade in Seoul when we left Manila, I made sure that we had private transfers so that my mom would not have to bear the cold and have to walk too far. The limousine bus 6015 from Incheon Airport to our hotel was a direct one. It would only cost you 10,000 Won (around P400.00). Taxi is dirt cheap in Seoul. If you're four people traveling (or five to six using a Jumbo Taxi), you can split the bill of 60,000 won (around P2400.00) by cab. Private transfers were too pricey at $250 each way (or P12,000). I will have my travel agent shot tomorrow for not foreseeing this.

TIP TO REMEMBER: Never trust your travel agent. Do a more thorough research. Better yet, make a Korean friend and ask him/her the best way to travel around Seoul or any part of S. Korea for that matter. If you're traveling in groups, the taxis are more cost-efficient and faster than taking the subway.

3. Now that we've settled into the cab mode, here's the third most important tip - never trust a cab driver that he knows directions even if the concierge in your hotel writes it down in Korean or that he has a GPS inside his cab. Chances are, you'll get lost with some of them who are either unfamiliar with most of the places around Seoul or just want to earn a few more bucks from you because of the cheap cab fare in this country.

TIP TO REMEMBER: Always remember the nearest subway station of your destination. That way, in case your cab driver gets "lost" and you need to obviate the language barrier (they don't speak or understand English at all!!!), you can always mention the subway station. Now that's a common language for them.

4. It's always great to be spontaneous and sometimes some of us like having an itinerary so we book a tour ahead of time. Unless you can get a private tour (which will cost you around $600-$1000 depending on whether you want lunch included or not), it's always good to go on a city tour so you can get acquainted with the history and landmarks in Seoul. And while there are many places to go and culture to learn and fun spots to see, some of them are really not that great.

TIP TO REMEMBER: If you had little time to explore Seoul, the best adventure would be the night market on Nandaemum and Myeongdong. You can literally just pig off the food on the streets with the street hawkers. However, beware because some of them remove the prices when they see an abundance of tourists. Usually the prices of the food are similar to one another. The food trip is so worth it! You just need to avoid too many palaces. One palace is enough. The Blue House (where the Korean President resides) isn't that fabulous. You can skip that one too. Namsam Seoul Tower is a nice spot to visit. It's not necessary to go up higher when you're inside the tower. Lotte World Adventure Park is old and gray and expensive (almost $38.00 per person) and they won't allow you reentrance when you exit because they usually offer the one day special pass for tourists. Most of the rides in the park are closed and some (especially the indoor park) will require additional payment (on top of the entrance fee) so you can play or experience some cool stuff. Seriously, it's a waste of money. The cartoon characters are ugly and I've never even heard of them. Oh, the good part about Lotte World Park is that there's a shopping mall beside the adventure park. The park is not disabled friendly, although they do rent out wheelchairs. Shopping and food tripping are the highlights of Seoul.

5. Of course we've come to the best tip. Eating out! Korean food is probably one of the best in the world (I love Japanese food more). With that said, Kimchi is their national staple and every meal is as spicy as the Spice Girls. There's some fusion Korean food but they've tried to make their meals as authentically Korean as possible. Because you and I most probably don't read or write or speak Korean and many of the Koreans do not seem to understand English clearly, it would be best to look for a few telltale signs we can find useful.

TIP TO REMEMBER: Always ask for an English menu - just to let them know you're a tourist, you can't read or write or speak Korean. If there's none, use a menu that has pictures and point to the picture of the food you want to order. If you're still unlucky, and you're starving already, look at the next neighbor and find out if what he's having is good or great and ask the waiter to just get you what the guy seated next to you is eating. When still in doubt on how good the restaurant is - look for a sign that says GOOD RESTAURANT. The latter is given by the government to assist tourists who like to play ala Michelin! And if you're still in doubt on the food - remember - you'll never go wrong with Korean Fried Chicken (or Roasted Chicken).

The next blog will center on our vacation to Korea with my small caboodle family.

Happy Easter to everyone in advance!

"Stupid is Forever"

"Stupid is Forever"
- Miriam Defensor-Santiago

This was an early morning headline. Some idiot working in the government had an epiphany. I guess their administrator Hans Cacdac needed a pathetic excuse for the government employees at the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) to be on Facebook 24/7. The agency is reported to "require the use of Facebook to establish a communication platform for domestic workers, recruitment agencies and the government." In addition, it "has also required all recruitment agencies to have their Facebook accounts and share these with domestic workers they deployed."

As the news reports it verbatim:

“The account can also be used to prevent dispute between household service workers and their employers, or the worker can endorse their complaint to the POEA and recruitment agencies through the FB account,” POEA chief Hans Cacdac said.

“The creation and maintenance of Facebook account will also be required for the processing of the household service workers and the POEA will also monitor the agencies’ compliance through their account,” he added.

I'm not really sure of this idea - but I believe it takes two to tango. If I were the employer, I would definitely ban the household help from accessing any FB account during work hours. And while they are free to go around posting on FB their musings for the day, I expect them to work when they need to. And when they're out of the country, say, working as household help in some more industrialized country, whose internet connection or computer work station will they use? I'm not quite sure if this was well thought of or whether there was any spark of brilliance on the RULE that Cacdac wants implemented.

So here's the question - if I'm the employer and I don't want to abide the rule of POEA in mandating a FB account and access to Filipino workers - what will the Philippine government do about this? Who stands to economically lose from this lame brain idea? Even on the issue of addressing disputes between household service workers and employers, I have my deepest doubts on how the POEA thinks it will even help endorse a complaint to the agency. If such a complaint is filed, will the POEA find field agents to extract them from the employed territory?

The traffic has been horrible the last few months. With the monstrous road repairs and the MRT trains & rails requiring the long needed maintenance, Metro Manila is really not a happy place to be in.

I have lived in the South of the metropolis for almost four decades. That was when moving from Alabang to UST was just a 35 mins drive! Today, it's a 2 hour crawl if you leave after 630AM to reach the university. And it's not just the cars or public vehicles on the roads. While there's a clamor to improve the public transportation system - we've not addressed properly the question on, HOW DO WE DO THIS? It's obvious that adding more buses isn't the answer. Neither is urban planning. It's too late for Metro Manila unless you want to pummel all the landmark SM malls from North to South to East to West of the metro. Or that adding more railways above ground isn't the way to go. And that we'd probably be all dead before we see hope for any subway service. And those jeeps and tricycles need to really retire. And those vendors who occupy the sidewalks need to disappear. And we need to address the problem of jaywalking as well.

The Philippines has this obsession of building anything ABOVE the ground. That includes the pedestrian crossings called overpass. This is done so that (A) it does not disrupt traffic on the ground and/or (B) so that there is a source of corruption with governmental projects. I firmly believe that it's the latter. It's a useless prop because these overpasses are not well utilized (as they are full of vendors or thieves) and that the Filipino culture is playing "patintero" with oncoming vehicles.

If a law was passed that it would REWARD anyone who runs over a jaywalking pedestrian, I don't think we'd get idiots crossing the streets.

The other day, I was crossing a pedestrian lane somewhere in Makati and there were jaywalkers who were running across the street a stone's throw from where I was standing. There was a MAPSA officer in front of us. He was busy texting on his mobile phone. After a few minutes observing him, he was chasing a car with a number-coded plate number. He just turned a blind eye to jaywalkers.

It's not only in Makati though. I have yet to see Traffic Czar and MMDA honcho Francis Tolentino instill this policy along C5 and the whole of EDSA where the commuters make a dash for it across the streets for the finish line. And these pedestrians make a mockery of the law and we just sit back and watch until some idiot gets into a fatal accident!

With all that's been going on among our lawmakers and people employed in government, there needs to be a stricter implementation by the Civil Service Commission on the requirements of individuals to hold public office. They all need an IQ test. At the rate some of these government officials are going, it looks like an IQ of <60 has become a mandatory requirement to be fit for a government position.

Towards the last quarter of last year, Party list congressman and former mayor of Manila Lito (two-face) Atienza was one of the proponents asking congress to pass a bill exempting boxing king and forever absent Pacquiao from having to pay taxes for his winnings (and losings) to the BIR. I get it - Pacman has a sob story and is a rags to riches inspiration. So do other athletes and professionals who try to make a decent living and yet PAY the government the tax due them.

Let's call a spade a spade. If Pacquiao really had the documents to show regarding his payment of taxes in the United States, I don't think the local authorities would still be running after him. He has a whole battery of lawyers and people whom he can pay to do the paper works. It's just not there. End of story.

Now what the fuck are the idiots in congress and now joined in the Senate by another idiot proposing?

Effing stupid! I don't know what flashed through the night when Koko Pimentel suddenly thought of having this kind of resolution even passed. I tell myself that it may have been an orgasm that had gone bad? But it's outright double jeopardy to the Filipino people because (1) EVERYONE pays the taxes due them (otherwise change the goddamn Taxation Law first), and (2) CONGRESSMAN Manny Pacquiao has stolen from the coffers of the Filipino people because he has been absent from Day 1!!! I don't even know why these absent politicians don't get booted out of office!

Then there's the wedding of the year...or so they say...

The tongues in the social circles were wagging that Chiz and Heart were "pissed" that the wedding of the year should have been originally held on the 14th of February and not on the 15th as the actual date. Well, a chinese couple had already reserved Balesin on the 14th so the fairy tale wedding had to take place the next day.

But Chiz and Heart are no Dingdong or Yanyan. If we were to believe his SALN, Chiz is the second poorest senator at a little over P8M ($177,777) for his assets, liabilities and net worth (with only P3M cash on hand). In short, he's not the kind that could afford a 2 carat diamond ring, a Monique Lhuillier gown for his bride, a wedding in the members only Balesin Island, and a second reception for friends of the bride and groom at the Blue Leaf to over 1,000 guests!!!

Of course, while he's part of the circle of PNoys friends, he probably won't get investigated by Kimmy but there's a legitimate question that's requiring not only an investigation but an answer as well - HOW CAN THE 2ND POOREST SENATOR PULL OFF A WEDDING THAT IS BEYOND HIS SALN?

Seniang and our Amazing Race to Paradise

As early as April 2014, I had already booked our New Year holiday for the close of 2014. Our destination - BORACAY!!

It's been over a decade since the kids (who are now all grown up), my sister and mom have been back to the island. The anticipation over this vacation was made stressful by our head on collision with mother nature - Typhoon Seniang - who decided to douse rain over the fireworks of the Filipinos in welcoming the New Year.

With a 77 year old senior citizen in tow, I really didn't expect an Amazing Race escapade.

Our flight out of Manila to Caticlan on December 30, 2014 was scheduled at 9AM. Typhoon Seniang was already bearing down her fury in the Visayas that day. When we arrived at the airport at 730AM, our nail-biting journey had begun. At 9AM we were at the boarding area. The two earlier flights to Caticlan had left Manila. That was good news. Our flight was up next. There was no announcement at 9AM...then 930AM...then at 10AM they announced that there was a delay in our flight because of the weather disturbance. Patience became a test of strength. My mom was finishing the second round of her rosary. At 1045AM, the announcement came that boarding for Caticlan was in progress. FINALLY!!!

The plane had departed Manila at 1135AM. At around 1210PM we were about 5 miles from the Caticlan airport...and the pilot announced that we were going for another spin as the airport was not visible. My mom was on her fourth round of her rosary. As the pilot made another attempt to land, he announced that the rain in the island was making the landing a challenge...so we were going another round...then you could hear the flaps roar, the wheels come down and the pilot announcing to all that we were making a landing attempt. The landing went smooth but with the wet strip, the plane came to a halt almost at the tip of the strip.

And it was rainy and windy. I found out later that we were the last flight out of Manila into Caticlan.

On arrival in Caticlan, Vance from THE DISTRICT BORACAY (www.thedistrictboracay.com), had umbrellas in tow and the van was ready!

The second challenge was moving from the port to the next port - via a motorized banca. The water looked angry and choppy. All speed boats were cancelled. After an hour of waiting at the port, the banca was ready and we took the 15 minutes see-saw nauseating trip from Caticlan to Boracay. If there is one thing I can say about Vance is his "never say die" attitude. Amusingly - our family was like one troop of Kamikaze warriors off to battle, including my 77 year old mother who didn't let up in spite of the raging typhoon.

The DISTRICT BORACAY was a great find in the heart of Boracay. It is a boutique hotel right in the middle of Station 2. From the beach, you will find D'Mall a few steps to the right and more restaurants (Starbucks, Army Navy, Pamana Restaurant...and more) to your left. The hotel is beautiful. The rooms are large. The linen and amenities are first class and clearly well thought of by the hotel. They don't scrimp on luxury. What's more, they don't scrimp on service! If there's one thing that stuck clearly on my mind was the outstanding, five star service this hotel brings. There are no words to describe the great Filipino hospitality that shone through in every personnel in the hotel. From the driver of the van to the front desk crew to the security guards on the beach...everyone made the difference between staying in a hotel or staying in heaven.

The breakfast buffet in the hotel was superb (one of the best I've had) and if you woke up kinda late after a late night out or just felt too lazy to get out of the uber comfy beds of The District, you could march into the Star Caruso Lounge and have brunch up to 1230pm for just a little top up.

My full review of the District is on Trip Advisor.

The four days, three nights New Year vacation was made more memorable not only by Typhoon Seniang who drenched the island with rain on New Year's Eve but rather, the count down fireworks show on the black shores of Boracay during New Year's Eve was by far the best firework performance I have seen so far.

What was there to do in Boracay for four days and three nights?

Relax. Eat. Sleep. - #RealVacation

The storm had passed on the day we left, but the kinks stayed behind. On our way back to Manila, our 330PM flight was delayed. We were then offered by Philippine Airlines P3,000 EACH, if we gave up our Caticlan seats in exchange for a flight out of Aklan at 7PM. A tempting offer but we passed on it. All the remaining afternoon flights were then cancelled. EXCEPT for the 330PM flight!! Which was delayed. And when the plane arrived at 5PM, we were hurriedly boarded into the plane in order to catch up with the sunset curfew. (Because there are no lights on the runway of Caticlan, there are no evening flights. The last flight is when the sun sets.)

It was a vacation that would be remembered forever.

Who said that only the Pope would be racing with the storm? With my 77 year old mom in tow, it can truly be said that every vacation - IS TRULY MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!