Taekwondo for Kids

Recently I had the chance to meet one of my college friends who is currently teaching Taekwondo for kids. He has been training children since 1998 and his students joined a lot of tournaments over the years. My wife and I have been contemplating to enroll our son to his class for him to have a venue to use his energy other than at home and to learn discipline and sportsmanship at a young age. Coach Stauro Punongbayan has been involved with the Milo Summer Sports Clinic which is also under the supervision of Philippine Taekwondo Association.

Coach Stauro teaches taekwondo to kids at several locations in Metro Manila. Here are the venues and time slots:

1. Dance Theater Arts, 5th floor Walter Mart Makati (beside Timezone) - Saturday and Sunday, 4:30 PM (call 487-6083, 0917-6420123)
2. Kalayaan Badminton Center, Kalayaan Avenue Diliman, Quezon City - Saturday 1 PM (545-9778, 0917-6420123)
3. Higher Ground Baptist Academy, Malabon City - Saturday 8 AM (545-9778, 0917-6420123)
4. State Fitness Gym, Malabon City - Saturday 10 AM (545-9778, 0917-6420123)

Coach Stauro's class consists of kids as young as 4 years old up to full grown adults. Taekwondo is not just for competition but for exercise and self discipline. Here are the benefits of the sport:

1. Enhance Self Esteem by heightening your physical and mental powers.
2. Build Confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life.
3. Develop Discipline by thoroughly training your body and mind by the tenets and techniques of Taekwondo.
4. Teach Self Defense by training you to recognize situations in which physical self defense may be necessary and teaching you how to control such situations to your advantage.
5. Strengthen your mind and body through increased physical coordination and mental discipline. (http://www.worldtaekwondo.com)

To learn more about Coach Stauro's class, visit his site at: http://tkdph.com or you may email him at stauro_p@yahoo.com

Hacienda Luisita and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program

It was news two days ago that the infamous Hacienda Luisita dispute has been partially resolved. After 21 years of conflict and death of farmers during the Cory Aquino administration, the owners of the land and the farmers have made a compromise giving farm workers two options - to receive land parcels or retain their Hacienda Luisita Inc. stocks (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma). Although "only" 1400 hectares will be awarded to the farmers from the total 6453-hectare plantation, i think it is a good compromise, not the best, but a good start.

This issue, which hounds President Noynoy Aquino, even before the start of the campaign period has become a torn to his popularity. Even though Noynoy's share is just a small percentage of the 6453 hectares, his opponents are trying their best to link his name to the death of the farmers who perished during the Hacienda Luisita massacre during his mother's administration. I was too young when the massacre happened and the media nowadays are just highlighting the deaths but not what transpired that led to the bloodshed.

Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which was enacted by the 8th Congress of the Philippines and signed by President Corazon Aquino on June 10, 1988, and individual cannot own more than 7 hectares of land. If this will happen, the remaining area will be parceled out and will be divided into individual tenants. Such tenant may enjoy a maximum of three hectares of irrigated land, or five hectares of unused land, where the new owners will pay royalty taxes and the computable amount of land to the original landholders for a maximum of fifteen years (http://en.wikipedia.org). This law will make farmers landowners and will prevent them from being just tenants forever by wealthy landowners. It is a good tool for dividing wealth to promote equality among landowners and small farmers.

Hopefully the issue will then be laid to rest and farmers will get a fair share of the land they have been fighting to own for more than 20 years of their lifetime. It is a good sign for Noynoy's administration and a big help to the farmers in Tarlac. The CARP is a good program but farmers should also be aware that there is a limit for lands that will be rewarded to them. CARP may be seen as an unfair law for the wealthy since they can always argue that their parents or grandparents have worked hard to purchase lands as an investment for the children's future which will later be taken away from them by the government and awarded to the farmers who live on these lands. They should also put themselves on the landowners shoes where they will be forced to give up their lands because it is a law passed by government officials and representatives they elected from their communities.

LTO Registration Renewal

I just renewed our vehicle registration today. I am 2 days late because I did not had the time to renew last month (since our car plate ends in 7). I was willing to pay the penalty expecting it would be a relatively low amount but I was proven wrong. Here were the fees I paid today:

1. Smoke Emission - P 420
2. Mandatory Insurance - P 990
3. Vehicle Registration plus other fees - P 2200
4. Late Registration Penalty - P 1000

Total fees paid: P 4610.00

I could have saved 1000 if I registered on the right month but I guess its a lesson for me. I was expecting an amount not higher than 500 but I was wrong. Well, I have to be sure next year that I register on the right month to avoid the late penalty. What aggravated my experience today was the usual slow process of renewing your vehicle registration to the LTO. I was expecting an improved service since LTO leadership was changed but again, I was wrong. Here is my experience.

1. Smoke Emission Test - 10 minutes
2. Stencil - 5 minutes
3. Insurance application and payment - 1 hour (the computers were off line during peak hours)
4. Payment of registration - 30 minutes
5. Release of Stickers and official receipt - 1 hour

Total: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Payment was really slow moving since the La Loma, Quezon City LTO office only has 2 cashiers and the registration forms are piling up. There is no system of lining the registration forms (first in first out should always be observed) and payments are just stapled to forms. Release of the official receipt and car plate stickers are also piling up since only 2 employees are matching the receipts to the forms and issuing stickers. Delays are caused by problems with registration names, vehicle makes, and other minor details to be edited on the official receipt. People who know employees inside the LTO office are given priority and people who do not know anyone will just have to wait for more than an hour. This is the sad state of our Land Transportation Office and you can just imagine how inefficient the system at the Main LTO Office at East Avenue, Quezon City. Hopefully, new leaders will step in and change their system. Filipinos are so fed up with red tape and other "palakasan" system on government offices which is one of the main reasons why graft and corruption is still very visible.

Water Shortage in Metro Manila

Recently, for the past few weeks, major parts of Metro Manila have been experiencing water shortage. Most of the Maynilad water concessionaire's clients are affected since Maynilad's water source is Angat Dam. Manila Water, another water concessionaire, which serves our district here in Quezon City has been consistent in their water supply since they get water from the nearby La Mesa Dam. Maynilad customers which serves several areas in Manila, Caloocan, Novaliches and other heavily populated areas are not that lucky. They started experiencing water shortage, getting just a few hours of water supply in a day for a month now and just last week, since Angat Dam reached its all time lowest water level, Maynilad customers started getting no water supply for more than 24 hours. They have been lucky though, for the past 2 days when Metro Manila experienced occasional rains, they got water supply for a few hours.

Since Metro Manila residents are so dependent on Angat Dam for their water supply, i think its time for the new government to start thinking of new ways to supply water to the millions of residents of the metropolis. Angat Dam, a freshwater source is also the main source of water supply for rice field in central Luzon which supplies rice and other basic food commodities for Metro Manila. A lot of talk has been circulating for the construction of another dam, Laiban Dam which is located at Rizal province. Constructing a dam has major implications on the environment and environmental groups are against it since they believe it is not a long term solution to the water crisis. Besides, getting fresh water as another source is not really a solution since we will still be very dependent on rain to provide water. The El Nino phenomenon has intensified the effects of climate change and we started experiencing hotter summers and destructive typhoons. Hotter summers dry up our water supply and destructive typhoons fill up dams very quickly which was the reason why dams released water during the Ondoy typhoon which was one of the causes why major areas of Luzon were flooded.

The government has been vocal about tapping the Laguna de Bay as an alternative water source for Metro Manila. This freshwater source is located south of Metro Manila which is currently famous as a site for fish pens and other source of livelihood for fishermen. Once Laguna de Bay is tapped as a water source for Metro Manila residents, there is also a possibility that it may soon dry up, just like Angat Dam and hundreds of livelihood will be affected by this. I think its time for the national government to consider constructing a desalination plant or at least a facility which gets water from the sea and sends it to consumers as an alternative water supply besides drinking. A lot of water is wasted in buildings and commercial establishments which uses fresh water for toilets and urinal use. Saltwater can be an alternative and you can just imagine how many gallons of water we can save for drinking and cooking purposes. We can even use salt water for cleaning purposes for floors and walls which also consumes a lot of water supposedly saved for drinking purposes.

Can the Philippine government afford a desalination plant? It is very expensive and uses a lot of energy to operate but we have to think of it as a long term solution. Besides, we really can not afford to depend on rainwater to provide water, a basic need for humans. Water conservation is still a priority for every household, but the government should really think ahead. Water shortage will continue to be a problem for years to come because we cannot stop the increase of our population which in turn increases the demand for water.

World Cup 2010 Finals

Its Spain and Netherlands for the World Cup Finals. Both countries are first time finalists to the world cup which makes the finals more exciting for their countrymen. Its so spectacular to watch the world cup which is considered the most famous sport in the whole world and the most anticipated football event just like the Olympics. The Philippines which treats basketball as its most popular sport is beginning to embrace football or soccer as a sport. Unlike basketball where height is a factor to excel, I think with proper training and exposure, the Philippines has a chance to be good at this sport on an international level. A major obstacle for Filipinos to love the sport is the absence of football fields. Football fields are usually found inside private schools and universities where only middle and upper class people can afford to pay for their child's education. Public football fields are located inside city stadiums where usually an entrance fee is collected to play.

Personally, playing football is as fun as playing basketball. I had a chance to play the sport when I was in high school and it was one of my favorites. What makes it exciting is that it is so difficult to score a point or a goal especially when both teams are evenly matched. Once your team scores a goal, it is so exhilarating that it is as if you won the entire match. If time expires and both teams have not scored a goal, each team is given 5 penalty shots to score. A match is now entirely dependent on the goalkeeper and the 5 players to take the penalty shot. Even when it rains, unlike basketball, a game can still go on. Now this is the time where it gets more exciting. Playing on a wet field, with mud splashing on your shirt and even at your face makes it more challenging.

Hopefully Filipinos will get more chances to play football. Asian nations such as Japan and South Korea qualified for the world cup and it is not impossible for Philippines to someday qualify for the world's most famous sport. It is a sport where even third world countries in South Africa excel which means it doesn't mean that it a sport for the rich people. What we need are just makeshift football fields all around the country. It doesn't even have to be a full length field. All it needs is a makeshift goal, a flat ground and 6-8 players to play. Once interest sets in, kids should be taught to play with rules at schools. The more kids that play sports, the more they have interest to go to school and less the chance for them to get hooked on crimes, vices and drugs.

President Noynoy Aquino Inauguration

Today is President-Elect Noynoy Aquino's inauguration. Hopefully everything turns out well. Judging by the images shown at our local tv outfits, the crowd at Luneta grandstand is overwhelming. I don't remember such a big crowd attending an inauguration of a new president except during Gloria Arroyo's time at the EDSA shrine at Ortigas Center, Pasig City, nine years ago when former President Joseph Estrada voluntarily stepped down from the office amid allegations of massive corruption and abuse of power.

I still remember when Gloria Arroyo took her oath and promised the Filipino people to do a good job. Almost everyone wished the nation will be lead by a president who will not follow her predecessor's footsteps and will be a better example for us all. After nine years of her leadership, you can ask any ordinary Filipino citizen how she did her job and almost everyone will say that she definitely failed. In spite of all the reports that the country's economy improved and GNP percentage increased, poverty, graft and corruption is still very much visible everywhere. Is it not possible for a president to turn around a third world country from poverty and corruption to an improving country? Has the Philippines been so deep in troubles that moving forward is such an impossible task? Is there really a genuine hope for change?

The president may have the biggest influence in turning the country around but it is still up to every Filipino or Juan to make a change and move the country forward. Are Filipinos ready and willing to change? Can we leave our bad habits behind and start a new life of hope? Are we ready to rely on ourselves and stop expecting our government to do the job for us? Do we really want change?

The answer is very simple. All we need is responsibility for ourselves. Stop expecting government to provide jobs because it is up to us to look for jobs. Stop expecting the government to give free education and start working hard to afford a good education for our children. Stop expecting government to clean our rivers and canals and start disposing our garbage properly. Stop expecting government to reforest our mountains and plant trees ourselves. Stop expecting government to provide free medications and hospitalization and start working hard to afford good health benefits. Stop buying foreign products and start buying Filipino made. Stop expecting the police and MMDA to fix the traffic and start being a responsible driver. Stop expecting the government to provide free homes and work hard to afford good quality homes. Stop greediness in earning more in businesses and start giving employees good compensation and benefits. Stop living an extravagant lifestyle and start being simple and basic. Are we really ready to change our old ways? Or are we still leaving everything to Noynoy to change and blame him if we do not experience a better future?

Every Filipino is responsible for change. The government can only lead but everyone should be a good follower. Change is constant and change for the better is possible. Bottom line is it is really up to us.

LA Lakers NBA 2010 Champions

Congratulations to Kobe Bryant and the rest of the LA Lakers team for this year's championship. The team showed mental and physical toughness to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of this years Finals. Although I am not a Kobe fan, it is still fun to watch the two teams play hard with each other and give their best for the final game this season. Kobe's fifth ring and Phil Jackson's 11th championship proves that they are indeed exceptional and future Hall of Famers for the Lakers franchise.

I also give full credit to Boston for extending the series to a 7th game where I predicted that the Lakers will win in 5 or 6 games. I was disappointed for Boston's loss since I am a Garnett fan but it was entertaining to watch Boston beat Cleveland and Orlando to meet LA. It is a shame that Boston will not be the same anymore by next season since coach Doc Rivers future with the team is uncertain. Ray Allen will join the free agent and Rasheed Wallace will retire. Anyway, Boston needs new faces and young players to complement or substitute the veterans such as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Rajon Rondo definitely needs more young legs to complement his speed and precision and to match young NBA teams who will definitely playoffs contender next season.

The NBA Finals is over and the whole world is now watching the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The world cup is the most watched sport in the whole world and I remember last World Cup where even F1 drivers were watching the match during their rest periods of the F1 race. One driver even said that Formula 1 racing is their work but football is their passion. Let us see which nations will qualify for the semifinals and the championship this year. Will Argentina, Brazil or Germany win this year or will there be a major upset among favorites? Let us just wait and see....