My Endangered Baby..

It has been difficult to keep up with blogging especially for one who prefers to travel light without a laptop (and not even a camera).  One who prefers to stay in an isolated town, away from the internet world.

But I guess there comes a time when you cant keep up with preferences and cant contain the drive to write...  something close to heart...

Last weekend, I went to an adoption center...  The walk to the building gave a familiar touch, a feeling of excitement because this is not my first time.. Years back i made an adoption but had to make a tough decision quickly altogether --to let go of the baby for reasons I don't have control over.  He simply cant live in my world..  I re-lived that day..  This poem I made for my baby, Jaldi, translated in Hindi as "fast"

Jaldi, my baby

Jaldi baby, 

my little one, i will send you to the world,
alone...

you will be learning how to catch fish, crabs,
without me
feeding with seagrass or algae
without mom's help

my protection you will be without
my care, will just be a memory

Go Jaldi go!!

be brave 
dont be afraid of predators,
of yours
and other sea creatures

be fast,  
   take the lead
       where you are, let it be better place
           to live in

multiply 
   like the myriad of stars
       so endangered will long be forgotten
            and your presence will live on... 

I adopted a Turtle:
To ensure survival and growth for the endangered species.
To foster awareness and consciousness among the peoples that it is illegal to trade turtle as it is to a human child. Drop us a note here, if you wish to adopt a turtle

Together with Metro Drug volunteers headed by Mr  Mikey Ong & Ms Chi Jimenez, we were taken to the Pawikan Conservation Center built by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (PAWB-DENR).

To account the history of the center, "In late 1999, Bantay Pawikan, a local organization undertook the first in situ turtle conservation project called the Community-based Pawikan Conservation in Bataan in the small village of Nagbalayong in Morong, Bataan, a province in Western Luzon.  What is noteworthy about this endeavor is that the members of the implementing organization, the Bantay Pawikan Inc were former poachers involved in the collection of turtle eggs.  These poachers-turned-conservationists were at the forefront of protecting the sea turtles that breed and nest in what has been identified as the biggest nesting beach of the olive ridley turtles in the Philippines.  In 2001, the project received a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the continuance and strengthening of project activities."

As multitudes of turtles have been freed by multitudes of volunteers, Bantay Pawikan continuously welcome visitors and take them to the cycle of sea turtle's life or what can be death or extinction without proper care.

The following video recounts the work of the center, its volunteers who painstakingly keep a watch on sea turtles and visitors (Metro Drug employees included) who drove from different parts of the country to enjoin in the noble cause.  Special notice is given to a child, who at his young mind spoke like an oracle, "I adopted a turtle and then I realized that I'm supposed to let it go so that its population will not be extinct."  Click here to view more about Pawikan on TV5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8noPb2NDZe8

HOME  |  MADE in PH |  OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM |  KOOP

Hala Buko Festival

During my childhood, a jingle is played on the radio that surely get each person's appetite to height. It goes, "When you're hungry, tat-tarat-tarat-tat, -----s is the place to be"  This song reverberate in my mind while on my way to one of favorite restos in Quezon City, the Coconut House.

The house that coconut built.  Everything coconut.  From BREAKFAST of Coco Pancake, Veggie Coco Omelet, Coco Pandesal, Cocolog to LUNCH/DINNER of Chicken Binakol, Gatadobo, Pork Sinigang sa Buko, Kalderatang Dagat sa Gata, Coco BBQ Fiesta.  And a whole line of coconut desserts and drinks.

In celebration of World Environment Day, I hope you find time to choose your food.  Know more about Food Safety and Security.


HOME  |  MADE in PH |  OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM |  KOOP

Mmmm Mommy...

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, their hearts forever. (Anonymous)

Weekend is here!! I can smell something is cooking in the kitchen..  MMmmmm...

Mom, with her busy hands, is preparing spaghetti for snack.  It's my favorite!!! Oh I cant wait to have a plateful of it,  with sansrival, mom's favorite cake, on the side.  Who would miss this weekend at our family house?

I would.

I do.

I miss it because mom is no longer there to bring food steaming from the kitchen.

But her memory lives on... As I keep this good memory alive in my mind and my heart, I stopped by a quaint restaurant in the neighborhood, run by mother-daughter tandem, had spaghetti with sansrival for dessert.  While I savor each bite, I savor each memory of my mother who in her busy schedule as a working-mother and class-A weekend tennis player still find time to concoct something special during the weekend.

Her love for us is burning in my heart...


HOME  |  MADE in PH |  OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM |  KOOP

Natural Isotonic Energy Drink

Suki-- Buko!  Suki-- Buko! (Patron-- Coconut!)  shouts the man who peddles around our neighborhood with coconut.

There are different varieties of coconut and my preference (as with other fruits) is the sour kind --the "manipis" (very thin) or grossly called "malauhog" flesh with sour juice.  "Malakanin," the thick kind is more popular to Filipinos because of the sweet taste.

Varieties, and so I thought, are the stages of coconut.

6-month old = very thin; known as malauhog
7-month old = nicely thin
8-month old = fleshy, rice-like texture or "malakanin"
9-month old = thicker; used for buko salad
10-month old = thickest; transitioning to maturity
6 to 10-month old ="buko" (young coconut)
11-month old = "niyog" or mature coconut; normally, its meat is grated to use as a coconut milk while the water is trashed. What we dont know is we throw "the best coconut water of all", says Mr Jun Castillo of Coconut House.


Incidentally, Mr Castillo and the Filipino Coconut Farmers have captured the nutrition of a fresh mature coconut, bottled it up to make it accessible anytime, as a NATURAL energy drink for athletes, the active and sports enthusiasts.  It is called 2Big Nyog!

Coconut water or 2Big Nyog, a substitute for the popular Gatorade or Powerade?  That is for you to find out. Below is the comparison study for the popular brands and coconut water:

HOME  |  MADE in PH |  OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM |  KOOP

Guilty! or Not?

Guilty or not guilty?  This may be a simple question the judges need to answer to conclude the impeachment process of the Chief Magistrate.  But how they lay their premise is another question, a more important at that, to me the least.  This is a way for me to take a peek on how each one of them thinks.  Each senator who is supposed to exercise their duty of being impartial, apolitical, serving justice over the accused.

After hearing all of them speak.  Some completely prepared.  For others, mind boggling, they seem to have just arrived at their decision at the rostrum.  Were they pressured to say the popular vote because they are seeking second term in office?

I must admit the best one for me is Bongbong Marcos' though I cannot fully commit to everything he said.  It was well crafted, words were carefully chosen, almost oratorical.  And the courage to be different, it is for me something worth emulating.

Saying or believing in the unpopular is not popular.  In a country where yes means no (or maybe), where we'd rather lie or suffer in silence than to take a stand alone.  We might learn a thing or 2 from this speech, with no fear.

The lady justice wears a blindfold for a reason.  She is to render judgment based on law and evidence, without regard to the circumstances and personalities of the parties involved -- however controversial they may be.  She is to dispense justice without fear or favor.