Manila Times column for 29 March 2009: "End-of-the-semester woes"

original post here.

heheh it turns out i have an easier time than most colleagues. last i checked, less than five screenplays were submitted to me on the day of the deadline. let's see what happens next in the next few days...

sarap. pinapagaan niyo trabaho ko hahaha! choz.

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor End-of-the-semester woes

FOR hundreds of writing teachers out there, it’s that dreaded time of the academic year again—the end of the semester. And why, you might ask, is this a dreaded time, especially for teachers who teach a certain type of writing course or style (literary/creative writing, scriptwriting, plays, journalism, etc.)? Well, the obvious reason is, of course, the pages and pages and pages of paperwork to be read—scripts (short films, full-length films, stage plays), short stories (from sudden fiction to near novelette-lengths), poetry, essays, creative nonfiction, reaction papers (some call it “reflection” paper these days), reviews, news stories, feature articles, what have you. And when you do the math of this trick, you’ll really end up with pages to check. Let me illustrate. Let’s say I teach four sections of scriptwriting. Each class should have a minimum of 10 students, and a maximum of 15. Let’s say each class has 12 students. That’s 12 full-length screenplays, my requirement for their final project. A full-length film screenplay counts at least 50 pages minimum, depending on the content of the story. Each class would then produce 600 pages each. Multiply that by four. Tricky, isn’t it? And I haven’t gotten around to the other writing requirements yet—reaction papers, make-up papers, just tons of papers. Did I mention pages? Pages! These are not just pages to read, mind you, but pages to comprehend. When I check my student’s papers, I do two kinds of editing: substance editing (to see if they understood the lesson well) and copy-editing (I want to inculcate a semblance of writing discipline in each student). And yes, I return the marked papers to them so that they could review it and look at what they did right and what they need to improve on. I know not everyone is conscientious enough to do this. One time, I sat with my colleague who had to check exam papers. I was just horrified to see that he just browses though the papers and marks them automatically. I have no idea how his automation determines the grade of the paper, but it just ends up being graded. Well, I just pitied him because during that semester, he was teaching five literature classes of a general education subject, with each class having about 25 to 30 students each. You do the math on that one! I don’t want to judge if my friend is right or wrong in doing that. He has his reasons. But I know, as a writing teacher, I won’t do that. I went into this trade because I want to make sure that future scriptwriters will carry the right tools with them when they go out to “the real world” to practice their craft. And if their teachers won’t teach them that, then who will? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com.

shet natawa akoh >:P (evil laughter level)

ngayon-ngayon lang ako nakakapagbukas at nakakasipat ng ibang posts sa ibang egroups ko, dahil sa ka-busy-han effect... at natawa lang ako sa isa kong nakita.

nagsama-sama ang mga may sayad. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

now i know why sometimes it rains in metro manila lately, even if the weather doesn't pinpoint to rains -- to keep us all inside the house, para hindi tayo mahawa sa kanilang...convergence!

hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

(pag ganitong pagod ako mula lunes hanggang biyernes at tigtatatlo hanggang limang oras lang kada araw ang tulog ko at kakagaling ko lang sa frustrating shoot -- eh huwag niyo ko pakitaan ng ganitong mga pangitain. hahahahahaha!)

ganun.

>:P

siya, tulog muna early.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha! (can't help it!)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

a film buff at heart

before i go to work today, i decided to spend some time here at cordi coffee riverbanks with their free wifi, also to consult with a student.

now that i'm alone with my thoughts again, happy. and i am so geeking out on this link that my friend indi gave me at facebook. a hollywood project where sikat celebs recreate still photos of hitchcock's movies. panalo!!!!!!!!!!!!!


here's jodie foster my love recreating tippi hedren in THE BIRDS.



and here's the original THE BIRDS still of the movie with tippi hedren.



get the picture?

shiyet ang gandang project nito!

renee zellweger recreating kim novak in VERTIGO.
talaga lang ha, zellweger! big shoes to fill!
kim novak yan noh!

i am such a *huge* hitchcock fan. i think he's one of the best directors in the history of cinema. i loved the way he dedicated his life to the craft by looking at how the form (technicals) would complement the story (through characterization and narrative development). and i loved how he improvised ways on how to film things, discovered ways on how to shoot scenes. kung kelangang baklasin ang wall, baklasin ang wall para makapasok ang dolly in/out ng camera! ganung level! siya ang isang tunay na matatawag na "film artist."

here's scarlet johannsen (sp?) and javier bardem
recreating grace kelly and james stewart
in my favorite hitchcockian film of all time --
REAR WINDOW. more than psycho,
i think this is hitchcock doing his finest.

and i can tell you where he appeared (cameo) in his films. well, at least 70 percent of his films, yung naaalala ko at napanood ko heheh. hinanap ko talaga siya ati! may checklist ako nito. geek!!!!

my kras keira knightley and a dark favorite
jennifer jason leigh recreating joan fontaine and
judith anderson in REBECCA.
lesbian subtext anyone? hehe.
yes may ganun ang film na toh.

my kabit charlize theron recreating DIAL M FOR MURDER.
na, if i remember it right, ni-remake at iba na
ang title dati starring a young gwyneth paltrow and
an old michael douglas. the title escapes me now...

emile hirsch and james mcavoy recreating
farley granger and robert walker in
another favorite, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.
queer subext anyone? yes, this film reeks
of that, too. hm, maybe i should do a
queering hitcock paper? pero alam ko
nagawa na yun dati...

oh-em-gee gusto kong maging kalendaryo itoh!!!!!!!! for life!

hmp sige na nga, here's PSYCHO, with LA VIE EN ROSE's
marion cotillard recreating jamie lee curtis' nanay janet leigh
who was immortalized in the most famous shower scene in history.

check the link. marami pa hehe. :)

o sya,trabaho muna!

Manila Times column for 22 March 2009: "Filming graphic novels"

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
Filming graphic novels

It’s always exciting to see how filmmakers would turn graphic novels into film.

If you are unfamiliar with the term, “graphic novel” is the “new” literary category that pertains to a type of expanded comic book where the narrative contained in the material is often of novel-length. Like a novel, the graphic novel’s story is complete, unlike traditional comic books where each issue is usually an installment of a running series. However, there have also been graphic novels that were once released as a limited series, such as Watchmen, and later collected into one book.

Graphic novels tend to have more mature and adult themes, often dark ones, unlike the typical comic book stories that center on humor or the superhuman abilities of superheroes. This is what we saw in movies based on graphic novels such as the recent Watchmen film. This one even takes it further, as the story sets off upon the death of a superhero, and the whole essence of the superhero mythos is deconstructed and examined.

In the past, there has already been a body of work based on graphic novels. One of my favorites is V For Vendetta directed by James McTeigue based on the graphic novel of Alan Moore and David Lloyd. This film centered on the exploration of sociopolitical change as triggered by a sophisticated freedom fighter named V. Another favorite is another Moore creation entitled The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It was creative of Moore to collect famous literary figures and throw them in one narrative and set them off in a mysterious adventure.

Other good graphic novel-to-film adaptations are Road to Perdition, Sin City, 300, and Constantine, to name a few. Most—if not all—of these films reflected a darker storyline, probing deeper into the limits, excesses or challenges of humanity and criticism or defiance of societal structures.

Perhaps filmmakers like Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, are challenged to put the two-dimensional imagery on a three-dimensional plane. The graphic novels themselves could serve as storyboards as what happened in 300 where Snyder tried to closely adapt the Frank Miller graphic novel, making each shot correspond accurately to each panel of the novel.

But aside from the great art, at the heart of it all is, I believe, the story it has to tell. No matter how great an artist renders the visuals, it’s the stories that propel the narrative forward. I think this is what attracts filmmakers to turn graphic novels to films. And as a viewer who equally loves film and literature, I hope to see more of these adaptations in the future.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com.

LGBT ka ba? of voting age? Please attend THE PINK VOTE forum

as part of the UP Film Institute, member of Angladlad and ally of R-Rights, i would like to invite you all to attend this one.

bukas din ito sa mga hindi LGBTs. basta gusto niyo matutunan ang partylist laws, tara!

thanks!

Rainbow Rights (R-Rights) Project, Inc.

in cooperation with

Ang Ladlad Partylist

and the

UP Film Institue (UPFI)

cordially invites you to

a forum on partylist law for the

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender

(LGBT) Community:

GIVING VOICE TO THE PINK VOTE

a forum on election

and party-list law for LGBTs

WHEN: 21 March 2009, Saturday, 1-4 pm

WHERE: Ishamel Bernal Gallery, UPFI (beside the Carillon Tower and the University Theatre), Diliman, Quezon City

RESOURCE PERSON: Atty. Luie Tito F. Guia

CONTACT PERSON: Atty. Angie Umbac (0919.354.0808)

This forum is a solidarity event and
is open to all LGBT-identified and
LGBT-friendly individuals who are
interested to learn more about
the partylist system.

Please pass and see you there!

taxation blues

it's about time they did this! as we are the heaviest taxed film industry in the world, ever! bagot!



Arroyo urged: Enact lower amusement tax law
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:24:00 03/16/2009

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been urged to immediately sign into law a bill that would reduce the amusement tax paid to local government units from 30 percent to 10 percent to encourage the production of more films in the country.

Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada said the tax relief measure, if enacted, would provide the movie industry “a stimulus package to encourage investments, production of more films, and job creation.”

Tañada’s House Bill 742, which has passed third reading, seeks to lower the amusement tax collected by local government units from 30 percent on the gross receipts of movie houses top 10 percent.

But the House adopted the Senate version of the measure, which would lower the amusement tax also for concert halls, circuses, boxing stadiums and other amusement places, precluding the need to convene a bicameral conference.

“I am hoping the enrolled bill, once transmitted to Malacañang, will be immediately signed by the President as a lot of sectors will benefit from this tax relief. In particular, this will be a timely help for the film industry,” Tañada said in a statement.

“The decline of the industry has created massive unemployment [of] people involved in production as lesser number of movies are being produced. The movie industry is also one of the most heavily taxed among the industries in the Philippines,” the Quezon congressman said.

Aside from the amusement tax, the film industry also pays a 5 percent withholding tax and 12 percent value added tax on the producer’s share of a film’s earnings, and a 35 percent corporate income tax.

Such heavy taxation has affected the ability of the industry to produce films. Before 1996, the average films produced locally reached 250 but recent data shows less than 53 movies are produced annually.

well, it's a start...

gotta break that glass ceiling somehow. go grrls!



RP leads world in number of women execs
By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:01:00 03/15/2009

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino women are showing the world that what men can do, they can do also.

According to research by Grant Thornton International, women hold 47 percent of senior management positions in the Philippines, leading the world average by as much as 23 percentage points.

“Women in the Philippines have really broken the proverbial glass ceiling, not only in the corporate world but also in the government,” said Lily Linsangan, Punongbayan & Araullo audit partner and business risk services group head.

“As an auditor of more than 25 years, I have not encountered an all-male management team. In our own firm, eight of the 18 partners and five of the seven members of the management committee are women,” Linsangan said.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment show that women have steadily outnumbered men in executive positions in the past several years.

In 2002, the ratio was 1.86 million females to 1.4 million males in supervisory and executive positions, the DOLE said. The trend became even more pronounced in 2006, with the ratio of female managers to male managers becoming 2.257 million to 1.629 million.

By 2007, this ratio had become 2.281 million female managers to 1.677 million male managers.

Russia etc.

Joining the Philippines in the list of countries ranking high in women empowerment in the workplace are Russia with 42 percent of senior management positions held by women, Thailand with 38 percent, Poland with 32 percent, and China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Mexico with 31 percent.

The biggest leaps were made by Turkey and Mexico, whose percentages of senior management positions held by women jumped from 17 percent in 2007 to 29 percent in 2009, and from 20 percent in 2007 to 31 percent this year, respectively.

“Mexico is a country that is standing up firmly and constantly for women’s rights and equality. It is known that women need an elevated education level to compete with men in employment, so the Mexican female sector is preparing itself more and more, and the results can be seen with the rise of 10 percentage points in this survey,” said Veronica Galindo, audit partner of Salles Sainz Grant Thornton.

“However, there is still much to do regarding equal salaries compared with men, but I am certain that sooner rather than later, the salary differences will decrease,” she said.

But globally...

Globally, however, women continue to have a difficult time climbing up the corporate ladder, with only an average of 24 percent of senior management positions held by female executives.

This was the same percentage registered in 2007, which was just a few notches up from the 19-percent figure posted in 2004.

More than a third, or 34 percent, of privately held businesses worldwide did not have any women in senior management.

Countries and territories that remained unreceptive to the concept of women in senior management positions included Japan with only 7 percent, Belgium with 12 percent, Denmark with 13 percent, and India and the Netherlands with 15 percent.

Drops in the percentage of senior management positions held by women were registered by Brazil, from 42 percent in 2007 to 29 percent in 2009, and Hong Kong, from 35 percent in 2007 to 28 percent in 2009.

Manila Times column for 15 March 2009: ‘Berso sa Metro’ and the poetic commute

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
‘Berso sa Metro’ and the poetic commute

The new project of Instituto Cervantes called “Berso sa Metro” is an interesting way of bringing poetry closer to a lot of people via the train transit stations in the Metro.

The Spanish cultural center thought of selecting a number of Spanish poems and translating them into Filipino. Both the Spanish and Filipino versions are then printed side by side and placed inside the EDSA-traversing trains, atop the display area where commercial ads are usually placed. The poetry displays are jazzed up by nice photographs and cool graphics that catch the attention of commuters. It’s an interesting way of spreading literature on a daily basis, reminding people of the beauty of words as they speed to their destinations. Imagine being inspired in between stations by poets such as Pablo Neruda or Luis Cernuda. Our very own Filipino writers who wrote in Spanish are also featured such as Jose Rizal and Claro M. Recto.

This is not the first time poetry came in contact with commuters. Last year, the National Book Development Board launched the “Tulaan sa Tren” project that displayed Filipino poetry at the LRT line 2, the one that ran the Aurora Boulevard route. There was also an audio component to it, as celebrities recorded poetry readings and these were played back over the speakers inside the train.

But before these efforts, I think I first saw this kind of “poetic commute” in a simpler form—inside a jeepney. A few years back, I remember riding the UP Diliman Ikot jeeps where I noticed a short bond-sized paper covered in plastic and hung at the inner end of the jeepney, at the back area of the driver. The paper had a simple printout of a poem, and the name of the poet was printed below it as well, together with the organization that sponsored the project. It was just that simple, but it was also effective, as people became curious enough to read the poem. I guess that is what the “Berso sa Metro” and “Tulaan sa Tren” projects hoped to achieve as well—to get people to read poetry.

It’s great that many institutions are now spreading poetry via public transportation displays. The average Filipino spends a lot of time traveling, commuting from their place of work to their homes. Efforts such as these are a welcome diversion, not to mention a way for people to appreciate literature more, appreciate poems better, and appreciate literary writers as well. I hope we see more of these kinds of projects in the future.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com.

what we have here is a failure to communicate

since i was cooped up here at home since i woke up today, i grabbed the opportunity to go out when goldstar needed to go to the grocery. since we prefer walking a little before sundown, we decided to go to krung thai for dinner na rin.

at buti na lang doon kami kumain para masarap. the old authentic krung thai sa palengke ng bayan, marikina ay abot-tanaw lang din sa bagong bukas na bellini's. since we still have an unfulfilled amici's gelato craving from two weeks ago, we decided to hop to bellini's to check if they have gelato. i remember pizza and pasta dishes lang kasi, never bothered to look at the dessert plate.

so we stepped in and were greeted the italian way. a waitress handed us a menu, and i browsed without sitting down.

SEQ. 1. INT. BELLINI'S MARIKINA - NIGHT.

pumasok si leaflens at goldstar sa bellini's. sinalubong sila ng waitress matapos sila batiin ng italyanong may-ari ng "good evening" sa italian.

me: meron ba kayong gelati?

siya: gelati? (parang di niya knows)

me: (realizing na na-pluralize, e di gawing singular!) i mean, gelato. may gelato kayo?

siya: (opens menu at the last page) ito po, sa desserts namin, iyan lahat ang gelato.

but all leaflens saw was a page-full of desserts. it said "gelato cakes."

me: ah hindi, ang gusto namin gelato lang. yung ice cream lang. meron ba kayongg ganun lang?

siya: (turo ulit sa dessert page) yan po lahat ang gelato namin.

me: no, i mean, yung ice cream lang. meron ba kayong hindi cake.

siya: (lost na) hindi cake...?

me: oo, yung ice cream lang. yung gelato lang.

siya: (turo ulit sa dessert page, especially the title page "gelato cakes") yan po lahat ang gelato namin. gelato-based lahat yan.

me: ummm... hindi, yung hindi nga cake. yung ice cream lang.

siya: (lost lalo) hindi cake...?

me: yes, yung ice cream nga lang. gelato lang.

siya: (turo ulit sa dessert page, again with that emphasis on the "gelato cakes") yan po lahat ang gelato namin. gelato-based lahat yan.

shiyet, naka-loop lang ang aleng ito. nubah!

me: hindi, ang gusto nga namin, yung ice cream lang. hindi cake. may ice cream lang kayo?

hindi ko na binanggit ang "gelato" dahil baka mag-loop na naman ang replicant na ito. konti na lang, bladerunner narrative na ito, i swear. twinkly rin ang eyes ni ati, parang yung mata nung lady replicant cyborg.

siya: iyan lang po ang meron kami, yung cake.

me: a, hindi nga cake ang gusto namin. so cake lang ang meron kayo?

siya: opo.

me: so wala kayong ice cream lang?

siya: w-wala po.

finally! it dawned on her. o baka tumalon na ang loop ng cd niya sa next track... so before that happened...

me: ah okay. sige di bale na lang. gelato lang ang gusto namin. hindi cake.

at bago pa man siya mag-playback ng loop ulit upon hearing "gelato," binirahan na ng layas nina leaflens at goldstar.

END OF DREAM SEQUENCE


siya. next time na lang ang piktyur sa tabi ng leaning tower of pisa. kapag nagka-craving na ko sa italian food, with complete tolerance sa replicant waitresses.

labo.

buti na lang hapi sa krung thai.

i still want my gelato!!!!!!!

Manila Times column for 08 March 2009: "Young talents who went too early"

original post here.

this one was inspired by the death of my 31 year old cousin last week. it's weird that i mentioned musicians as well, then francis magalona died the week after. parang pinagsabay. labo.

oh well.

nauna kasi ito. hindi ko tuloy na-timing sa women's day. so happy women's day na lang today sa inyo.

***

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
Young talents who went too early

It’s a pity some talented people have to die young, like writers and musicians who made a mark in our cultures but left us just so suddenly.

A recent death in my family, that of a 31-year-old cousin, prompted me to think about young people who died early, or who died while at the prime of their life, so to speak. I am familiar with a lot of rock stars who died way too young, whose talents the world misses to this day. There’s the guitar god Jimmy Hendrix, female rocker Janis Joplin, Nirvana’s Kurt Kobain and The Door’s Jim Morrison, all of whom died at the age of 27. Many other musicians join this list.

But what about writers?

There have been several writers who had untimely deaths in our history. Anne Brontë, youngest of the Brontë brood who were mostly writers, died at the age of 29. She was the author of Agnes Grey. Meanwhile, her sister Emily also died at an early age (she was 30). Emily was more well-known for her novel Wuthering Heights, now a classic in English literature classes worldwide. British poet John Keats also died young, only at age 25.

But perhaps one death that stuck me most was that of Sylvia Plath’s. She was a great poet and an equally lyrical novelist. I loved her novel The Bell Jar when I discovered it in college. I also saw the biopic about her featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, who did a superb job of bringing her to life. As I sat there watching her life unfold, albeit superficially, I was just amazed at how a brilliant mind could contemplate her own death with such precision and focus. She just put her head in the stove, while the gas was on, and that was it. Dead, at 30.

I felt the same way in the late ‘90s when I first received the message that a contemporary, trilingual poet and painter Maningning Miclat, also took her own life, this time by jumping from the stories-high building of the university where she was teaching at that time. She was 28. Like Plath, I pondered on what went on in her mind as she made that move and left us all here to wonder. Such a brilliant talent, and such a great loss.

I’m sure this is also what our clan is feeling about my cousin’s death. I want to extend my sincerest condolences to all who were left behind by Donabelle Linsangan Orfinada Vergara. I’m sure, like the writers and musicians that went ahead of her, she’s in a better place now.

We’ll miss you, Wanbol.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com.

kulitans sa facebook

repost of notes galore.

--------

o sya, eto naman.

if you wanna join join, gets gets lang heheh.
-----------


Post this with your name as the title followed by "-ology" (or "-logy" if your name ends in "O"). Tag your friends and the person who tagged you.

FOOD-OLOGY

*What is your salad dressing of choice?
toscana brand, yung caesar dressing nila. sobrang the best! made in the philippines, available sa santi's. dun ko lang ito nakikita e. talagang dinadayo ko ito!

*What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
wala akong masyadong favorite when it comes to restos, because restos come and go. although kung ililibre mo ko, dalhin mo ako sa masarap na indian cuisine resto like kebab factory or that resto along rada street in makati; sa masarap na steak house (really, any would do); o sa mediterranean cuisine restos like cyma.

*What are your pizza toppings of choice?
sandamakmak na cheese, okay na ko. any would do, wag lang pinya.

*What do you like to put on your toast?
i hate toast. i like my bread soft.


TECHNOLOGY

*How many television sets are in your house?
isa. okay na yun.

*What color of cell phone do you have?
black


BIOLOGY

*Are you right-handed or left-handed?
growing up, i was left-handed but my lola forced me to write using my right. i dunno why. kaya sometimes i could still do something with my left hand. so may slight ambidextrous chenelyn going on.

*Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
fats. still trying. bad cholesterol to be exact.

*What is the last heavy item you lifted?
the groceries

*Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
hindi pa naman. subukan lang nila!


BULLCRAPOLOGY

*If it were possible, would you want to know the day you are going to die?
oo naman para mapagplanuhan ng sarili kong bucket list, with the number one on the list being to assassinate a corrupt politician. after all, kamukha ko naman daw si bridget fonda sa film na Point of No Return (ripoff of La Femme Nikita) so might as well live the role.

*If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
donald trump. then i'll withdraw money from my banks.

*Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
hindi ako mahilig sa maanghang. i'd rather show my boobs for that amount. puwedeh?


DUMBOLOGY

*How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?
kung chinelas lang sa chinelas, flipflop-flipflop pa, meron ako diyan.

*Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
not really a run in. i went to the diliman police station to report the theft of my wallet inside my faculty room.

*Last person you talked to?
goldstar, who was convincing me to take a bath na. pagka-post nito.

*Last person you hugged?
goldstar. cuddle sessions are a daily requirement.


FAVORITOLOGY

*Season?
autumn, for the colors

*Holiday?
lahat!!!!!!!!! basta it gives me time off from work, yes!!!!!!!!!

*Day of the week?
yung day na wala akong pasok

*Month?
yung month na maraming walang pasok


CURRENTOLOGY

*Missing someone?
my thinner, fitter self. pinapabalik ko na siya soon

*Mood?
twinkly.

*What are you listening to?
the sound of the bintilador whirring, and some tricycles passing by outside

*Watching?
planning on dvd marathon featuring latest acquisitions from the revenge of the third world collection (read: pirata) - more oscar nominees

*Worrying about?
my mom. i hope she gets her retirement pay back soon.


RANDOMOLOGY

*First place you went to this morning?
i woke up at noon, so wala

*What's the last movie you saw?
gosh, slumdog millionaire pa ata. kaya nga magma-marathon kami mamaya. i missed last night's last full show of watchmen, drat. maybe tomorrow.

*Do you smile often?
when it's needed, and when prompted

*Do you always answer your phone?
oo naman

*It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
probably yung makulit na lesbian exclusive party organizer na taga-call center kaya walang pakundangan mag-text ng off hours, not knowing na tulog ang ibang tao at that time. nakarinig na siya sa akin actually.

*If you could change your eye color what would it be?
parang masaya ang grey.

*Do you own a digital camera?
yeah, yung mga sinaunang nikon na maliit, not dslr pa

*Have you ever had a pet fish?
no. growing up, my lola had an aquarium and i had a seahorse before.

*Favorite Christmas song?
i loathe christmas

*What's on your wish list for your birthday?
all the cool gadgets out there. that nokia phone with the ebook reader chenes, dslr, a minidv cam, two new kitchen cabinets, clothes cabinet na rin. but i'd settle for isaw. :)

*Can you do push ups?
hindi kaya ng dyoga ko. ayaw nila.

*Can you do a chin up?
i forgot what this is

*Does the future make you nervous or excited?
nervously excited. sometimes, excitedly nervous, in a good way.

*Do you have any saved text messages?
yes

*Ever been in a car wreck?
yuh, di naman masyadong nasaktan tho

*Do you have an accent?
if i willed it, yes. i have a knack for impersonation.

*What is the last song to make you cry?
hindi ko maalala ati

*Plans tonight?
dvd marathon lang

*Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
yup. but as i discovered, there was no bottom! chos.

*Name 3 things you bought in the last week
groceries? yun na. tatlong bag.

*Have you ever been given roses?
yes. i cringed.

*Current worry?
money, as always

*Current hate right now?
i blogged it over at leaflens. read about it.

*Met someone who changed your life?
yes

*How did you bring in the New Year?
with new love in the house, a new outlook on life, and a lighter approach on things in general

*What song represents you?
before, it used to be petula clark's "downtown." now, i think i'm nearing henry mancini's "moon river."

*What were you doing at 12 AM last night?
here at fb! adik e

*What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
ano'ng oras na.

*************

These are my firsts. Copy and paste this note into your notes, delete my answers and fill yours in. Tag me back and anyone else whose "firsts" you wanna know about...

Your Firsts

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?

good lord, sino nga ba? 3rd year ako, so 4th siya. geez, i can't remember! i am bad with names sometimes! or bad with memories featuring boys? or both.


2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?

i'm not even sure if i had a first love. lemme think...


3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink?

was 4 or 5 and it was new year and an aunt or uncle let me taste this brown liquid thing they were drinking that came in a fancy bottle. methinks it's whisky o scotch ba, parang ganun e. i liked the bottle design kaya naki-chorva ako sa inuman nila.


4. What was your FIRST job?

officially, dapat yung pagiging writer-researcher sa Balitang K when korina sanchez first launched the show. one week old pa lang yung show when my friends and i stepped in, thinking that they needed writers, which is what we are. pero researchers pala kelangan, e iba pala yun. so isa-isa kami nalagas voluntarily. matira matibay. would have wanted to stay but i found out, that early, that i am not for news. or not cut out to work for the news and current affairs dept of a tv station.

ehehehe look where i am now. maybe it's just korina. hehe joke. no, it was actually her julalays. kill! kill! kill!


5. What was your FIRST car?

first i drove, my father's, boxtype metallic grey lancer. pnsan kong si rey ang nagturo sa akin mag-drive, after enrolling in that driving school chenes na chaka naman.


6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?

i think it was bang, our academic division info officer, about some work stuff related to ricky lee.


7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?

goldstar, whether she's doing fine there wherever she was


8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?

jusme, may ganun? wala ako maalala sa names pero mukha nila oo. i am better at identifying suspects sa police line-up. may ganun.


9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

cebu, for the UP national writers workshop, the second one i joined that year (1997) noong panahong tatlo pa ang UP workshops (luzvimin) and you can apply 2 out of 3. that plane trip was heavily documented on film. slr pa kasi.


10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?

no na. her name is dorlet. kapitbahay namin sa project 4 when i was growing up. distance and a lot of things naturally put spaces in between us growing up. i rarely visit the street na rin kasi.


11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?

i sleep over a lot of places growing up, even before i knew of that concept. my parents were both working kasi kaya i always get thrown wherever there were relatives who could take care of me, the default being my paternal lola's house, where i eventually grew up.


12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?

my sister jazz in california. update ng chismis.


13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?

i think it was my ninang cecil's. i was what, 4, 5 or 6? and i have that uncanny role of being the flower girl. complete with costume and props. they documented that day so well. i wonder where those pictures are now...


14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?

brew coffee. jamaican beans.


15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?

now this is a hard one. i can't remember but it's a toss-up between menudo (good grief if you could remember this group) or the jets (lalo na to!) at the araneta coliseum. my mum worked at the araneta post office and she had clients who gave her tickets to such shows. aliw naman. saw ricky martin pre-pubescent pa. di pa siguro siya tuli nun, may-i-dance siya diyan sa coliseum


16. FIRST tattoo?

still contemplating on it...


17. First piercing?

nang magka-ulirat na ako, may butas na ang tenga ko. pinadagdagan ko na lang yung isang tenga ng dalawa pang butas. yung isa, isa pa. basta may purpose yun.


18. First foreign country you've been to?

hong kong, with my cousins jane and jimmy, na walang ginawa kundi mag-away! hahaha. we were on a tour thing which we later ditched. armed with my trusty lonely planet, we discovered hk ourselves.


19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?

it's an animation flick, disney of course. i was 6 yata, o 5. and there were dogs. so i assume this is 101 Dalmatians. yung original, yung luma ha.


20. When was your FIRST detention?

sa bahay ng lola growing up, marami. sa school, kinder ata. pero not exactly detention. pinagalitan lang. uso ang paglalaro ng rubber bands noon, paramihan ang koleksyon. i had a classmate na yung isang arm niya, kalahati nun puro goma, a sign of astig achievement those days. i was being my maldita self, pinipitik ko ng goma yung katabi kong lalaki named bryan, and nagsumbong siya sa teacher, and the teacher confiscated my goma, and she confiscated lahat ng goma ng class, including my astig classmate's. imagine the look on her face no.

funny.


21. What was the first state you lived in?

state of depression? char. wala.


22. Who was your FIRST roommate?

housemate maybe. housemates. officially, sina roland and kats pala, one sembreak sa UP bliss when we were shooting an indie 16mm short film outside of class requirements. i was directing. too bad the producer ran out of money.


23. If you had one wish. What would it be?

i wish tumama ako sa lotto pag malaki ang pot.


24. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?

maneuver a space shuttle. i wanted to be an astronaut when i was small.


25. Who do you think will be the next person to post this?

kebs! go lang!


*****************************


got this from my former classmate mix's list. di ko tinanggal yung side comments hehe. bagkus, dinagdagan ko pa. all comments after the dash are mine. :)


Tick off items that you dealt with while you were in UP.


[ ] Worried about getting bullied by fratmen only before freshman year started.
-- one word sa frat-frat na yan: kebs! altho i felt harassed one time in freshman year during the lantern parade. may mga humihiyaw na heckler frats when our fine arts class passed by with our projects.

[ ] Got bullied by fratmen or was killed in a riot. (killed in a riot? Taga UP ba talaga gumawa nito? How can a dead person answer that particular question)
-- haha agree sa comment!!!!

[ ] Witnessed a riot.

[x] Watched the Oblation Run.
-- at walang super "stand out" (or "stand up" hahaha). no big deal. that early, i shoulda known: dicks aren't for moi hahaha!

[x] Made friends with a teacher.

[x ] Was tricked as a freshman into attending a rally / prayer meeting.
-- recruited lang, by a former high school classmate at that! hindi ko mahindian nung una kaya umoo ako. susunduin na lang daw niya ako sa class ko after. so i gave her the wrong room hehehehehe. natakasan ko!

[x ] Wore red or black on one of those wear red or wear black days.
-- by accident. i always wear black kasi.

[] Wore red on Valentine’s Day.
[] Wore black on Valentine's Day.
[ ] Celebrated a birthday at Mang Jimmy's.

[] Learned UP Naming Mahal.
-- there's a reason i didn't. same reason i don't put my hand on my heart when the national anthem is on. it's a sort of personal rebellion thing.

[x ] Was an RA (registration assistant) or SA.
-- GA. graduate assistant when i first entered graduate school sa CAL

[] Lied or begged to an RA for a slot in class.

[x ] Participated in a there's-only-one-more-slot-are you-feeling-lucky?
- and i won! i always win in these things hehe. that's why i didn't have to beg.

[X] Jogged around the campus.
-- brisk walked. jogging ain't for me.

[x] Visited the Vargas Museum.
-- more than that. sa ilalim nun kami gumagawa ng lantern parade projects when i was still in fine arts

[X] Knew at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name.

[ ] Attended university level graduation.
-- there's also a reason for this. same with the anthem thing.

[x ] Got an activist for a teacher.

[ ] Watched a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game.
-- not a fan of uaap

[] Watched a UP vs. any school basketball game. And watched them lose.
-- ditto

[] Studied in CASAA.

[X] Studied in McDonald's or Jollibee Philcoa for one full night. (Wendy's Q Ave.)
-- yes, panahon namin, it was wendy's qave. 24 hours.

[ ] Studied along Katipunan.
[ ] Studied along Katipunan and affected the mannerisms of a stereotypical Atenean.

[X] Watched a play that's not required for Comm III.
-- i love plays!

[X] Went stargazing.
-- i love astronomy!

[X] Ate in Chocolate Kiss, Tea Room (in CHE) or Chateau Verde.
-- even featured them in lifestyle magazines where i freelanced as a writer

[ ] Slept in the library.
[ ] Struck up a conversation with a taong grasa.
[ ] Wrote for the Collegian.
[ ] Seriously pondered about the identity/ies of the people described in Eksenang Peyups.

[X] Went to the chapel.
-- to shoot, more than anything. i am agnostic.

[x ] Got a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers while walking in Sunken Garden.

[ ] Cut class with your block to watch a movie.
-- we didn't have to. we watched movies in class!!! film major ini. we went to SM to eat at sbarro's.

[ ] Had a Voltes V for a teacher.
-- what does this mean???

[ ] Took a class under Joseph Palis.
-- and who the hell is this???

[x ] Lied to the transcript lady to get a transcript earlier than the standard 3 months.
-- more like "threatened" them, because i was applying as faculty heheh. it worked. :P

[ ] Went to a Freshman-only concert.

[X] Subsisted on just streetfood (fishballs, half footlongs, kwekwek, squidballs/rolls, mais, dirty ice cream) for a day.

[X] Learned how to smoke.
-- for acting class. the role was a druggie junkie pokpok, so it was required.

[x ] Went on an out-of-town trip with blockmates or orgmates.
-- to shoot.

[ ] Fell in love.

[X] Actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib.
-- anu ba. laging puno ang library card ko no. geek e.

[] Played cards during your free time.
[ ] Dressed in business attire.

[x ] Sumabit sa jeep.
-- i've always wanted to. i tried once, nung nawalan na ng seat kasi ako ang huling umakyat sa barkada. after 6 seconds, a guy gave up his seat for me. na-distract ata sa boobs ko at di kinaya ng powers niya. :P

[ ] Got sung to or sung to someone in class during Valentine's day.

[X] Watched the Lantern Parade.
-- participated even. sa fine arts, required plates siya. and we film majors did a special cmc float when it was our turn then, for the 75 years of phil. cinema anniversary. it was a huge film camera.

[x ] Helped out a total stranger.

[ ] Helped out a total stranger because he/she was hot.

[X] Learned to stay awake for more than 24 or 48 hours straight.
-- for a shoot. ran only in red bull. it works.

[x ] Got bullied by feeling cool wannabe people who were actually losers.
-- well, they tried to bully us, so we bullied them back heheh. ganyan kaming magkakabarkada sa film dati.

[x ] Took Wednesday and/or Sat classes WILLINGLY.
-- yes dahil yun yung sked na binibigay sa cmc dati.

[ ] Volunteered for the pahinungod.
[ ] Ate "tasteless white sauce" pasta from cock-a-noodle-doo.

[X] Took time to read the vandalism in the CR.
-- and joined in one time hehe

[X] Watched a sexy art film for any GE class.
-- always, for film classes.

[ ] Got held up or pickpocketed in Philcoa.
[ ] Felt depressed because you were not as good academically as you were in high school.
[] Did a last minute paper.

[x ] Spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures.
[X] Got exempted from final exams.

[x ] Got exempted from a final exam but still took it.
- i love exams. geek e!

[] Attended a varsity pep rally.
-- hindi pa ito uso noon!

[x ] Watched LIVE AIDS, Androgyny, Maskipaps or any well-known variety show.
-- androgyny. i only watched live aids when i graduated.

[] Promised to quit smoking.
[] Got into at least one (org- or council-sponsored) adventure race.
[ ] Knew where the best restrooms are on campus.

[] Joined an org.
-- didn't need to. my film barkada was bigger than an org! the orgs wanted us actually hahaha.

[] Allowed yourself to make mistakes.
[ ] Went to the gym in spite of having no PE class just to ogle varsity players/pep squad/hot girls.
[X ] Took summer classes.

[X] Admired the Oblation.
-- depending on the lighting to shoot it.

[X] Made a video for a project.
-- film pa. 16mm. film major ini.

[X] Had a crush on a teacher.
-- kaya lang hindi na siya "crush-able" today hehe :P

[ ] Had a teacher who courted you.
[ ] Attended your ROTC Bivouac.
[] Faked sickness to get an absence excused.
[ ] Got your car scratched by one of those "Kuya bantayan ko kotse niyo" kids.
[ ] Took a PE class where you had to pay for tuition (i.e. sportsclimbing,, etc).
[] Went to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes.

[x ] Learned how to use the Bayantel pay phones.
[X] Participated in school activities.

[ ] Caught the UP Pep Tryouts.
-- kung meron na nito nung panahon ko, yes i woulda

[ ] Dated someone from UP.
[X] Rode an IKOT and TOKI.
[X] Found a tambayan.

[x ] Went drinking at Sarah's.
-- before it was even named sarah's. our generation called it "gulod"

[] Learned how to beg for a higher grade.

[] Used your 6 allowable absences wisely.
- ayokong nag-a-absent. i was there to learn, dude.

[] Lived in a dorm.
-- i wished

[ ] Volunteered to be beadle or go-to guy for your group / class.

[X] Had the worst schedule.
-- 7am spanish 1 class? que horror. or 8-9am swimming PE class. brrr.

[x ] Realized that there really is just one coconut tree on the sunken garden.
[x ] Not use up all 6 allowable absences.
[X] Ate in ISSI, Treehouse, Mama Thai's and other more obscure cafeterias.

[] Ate food Aristocart-style.
[] was active in your org.

[ ] Attended an ACLE.
-- hindi pa uso to noon

[ ] Got as many app forms as you can during the job fair.
[] Learned how to cram.
[] Sold tickets for (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere.
[ ] Saved money to photocopy all of your seatmate's notes.

[x ] Had accidentally seen a make-out session.
-- more than a make-out, te. may pumping scene. dun sa sunken garden, on the way to the katip jeep stop before.

[X] Slept in class.
-- accidentally. we were watching Jules et Jim and i was on asthma medication. the rest was a blur.

[ ] Finished a homework/assignment/paper in the Shopping center or Philcoa.
[] Had mountains of "unused" sample exams and/or old testaments.
[] Resolved to be "better this semester".
[ ] Slept during a test.

[X] Had groupmates from hell.
-- oo! surprisingly, one turned out to be a very good kabarkada after college hahaha!

[X] Learned how to work with groupmates from hell.

[x ] Perfected the art of parking on campus.
-- even 360 degree turns heheh :P

[ ] Had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus.
[] Developed a love for sisig.
[ ] Practiced those UP cheers in the first meeting for PE class.

[X] Looked at microfilms in the library or poked through archives.
-- there was something so CSI-ish in this, so i loved it.

[ ] Reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function.

[X] Attended the UP Fair.
-- i always do, to test if i could ace the rifle pistol team's shooting challenge. i always did, except when i began wearing glasses. bummer.

[X] Went to a library other than your own college's to research.
[X] Lost a perfectly functioning umbrella.
[ ] Used consultation hours properly.
[x ] Went to the Guidance Office for real, heart-to-heart guidance.

[x ] Went to the infirmary.
-- dahil nahigad ako

[ ] Attended class with a hangover.

[X] Drink beer or alcohol while inside UP grounds.
-- esp during UP fair.

[x ] Walked all the way to Philcoa or Katipunan from UP.

[ ] Buy frogs from NSRI or a Bio department.
[] Maxed out on the 6 allowed unexcused absences but DID NOT drop.

[X] Got invited or pursued by a fraternity.
-- more like napapagkamalan. more than once someone asked "taga-APO ka ba?" wadapak with apo?

[] Wore mojos/slippers to school.
[X] Had a professor who smoked in class.
[ ] Got diagnosed by the Infirmary as pregnant or infected with STD.

hell of a week this has been..

can't even begin to imagine, let alone recall, the things that happened this week. they all seem like a blur this time. thank goddess for the weekend, huh? yeah, methinks.

since monday is the new wednesday in UP, i always find myself on campus at the start of the week for meetings, meetings and more meetings. nahihilo na ako sa kaka-meeting. pero kailangan, e.

maraming magaganap na pagbabago kasi sa larangan ng trabaho sa opisina sa masscomm, at sa film institute. end of term na ng dean, at ng director, respectively. kaya ang meetings na ito ay patungkol doon, at sa mga susunod pang eklavu na konektado sa chenelyn na yan.

hay, bahala na kung ano ang magaganap. pero klaro na narito lang ako, staying put, at least for a year, or until mag-transition ng husto ang bagong curriculum ng film program for three years, whichever comes first. i just hope that the higher ups know what they are doing. hay, office politics... masalimuot.

mahirap na lahat ng tao e matatalino. no wonder nakakapagod magtrabaho sa peyups kadalasan. o baka ako lang yun. fatigue of the mind, fatigue of the spirits, i guess. more like the latter siguro. napansin nga ni goldstar yun, na kahit wala naman akong physical exertion sa trabaho, i come home feeling so exhausted, kasi mind ko ang na-exhaust, and she said that is more exhausting than the physical kind. i agree with her. and i so love her for explaining that to me. ngayon ko lang din kasi na-realize. and i love her even more for understanding the situation. jackpot talaga ito...

mush break.



sa susunod na lunes, ganun na naman. meetings. kaya i decided to take it easy friday whole day, dahil na rin narito ang monthly curse. kaya sa weekend, happy lang. relax relax. sayang at sarap sanang tumalon sa pool. kakainggit ang isa riyan. oh well...

earlier in the week, i also unleashed a word war with a relative, something someone should have done a looooong time ago. i did it in defense of my mum. simply put, wala akong respeto sa taong walang respeto sa nanay ko. that sums it all up. ako na lang ang masaring, huwag lang nanay ko. pero the moment masaring siya, ako ang makakalaban niyo. that's the battlecry. it was exhausting at the beginning, as with all kinds of wars, but i'm glad i did it. my mom is, too. and surprisingly, so do my other relatives, who were rooting for me pala in the process. that gave the extra jolt i needed. the dust has settled, and i'm standing my ground. isang malaking KEBS! ang pinadala ko sa kanya. c'est tout.

okay na ko. at ang mommy ko.

sa pag-aaral, okay na rin. nakausap ko ang thesis adviser at agree kami sa summer defense. ayoko kasi ng nate-tense din at the end of the sem with my own defense, kasabay ng goings-on sa institute. remember second sem thesis defense ng mga bata ito, which means we watch two days' worth of short films, straight. it's that time of the sem again, yes. let's see what happens.

kaya i am feeding myself with supplemental studies on the side, to while away time. still waiting for word from my revised manuscript, na thank goddess natapos last month at nakakahinga na ko ng maluwag ngayon. masaya ako sa kinalabasan ng trabahong iyon, kaya yun na.

this week, i also learned a lesson on laglagan, the hard way. this reitarates the strange but true fact that super-talented overachievers could be so threatened by other-talented achievers younger than them. ageism is alive and well in the academe, thanks to them. saklap talaga yun. i don't know why trust is a shaky thing in the academe. mas malala pa siya sa showbiz pala. now i understand the paths i went through to prepare me for this one. i understand how it works now.

there is no spoon.




on a lighter note, i was happy to fulfill an invite in connection with my media work. instituto cervantes launched the "berso sa metro" campaign/project and i was invited to the launch. kaya overdose na naman tayo ng espanol, si? si, para si, para buto ng sili, as my lola used to joke. this immersion with the spanish language lately has been inspiring me to renew my interest in spanish. goldstar is also interested. maybe we'll take those classes being offered by the european languages sometime in the summer, or on weekends like what i did with my french when i needed to review that for the MA language exam. but yes, i do miss espanyol. i think now, it's more practical for me to go back to that language than french. french served its purpose already, unless that french project pushes through. hm. that's another light note pa pala. i'm not pinning my hopes there, pero sige lang. i just miss my french friend pascale, the big sister i never had. oh well, i'm digressing...

and yes, summer's here. which means pollen season. kaya my sinusitis is in full swing sometimes. needs adjusting pa ang weather. pero masaya din na merong pool just somewhere down there that we could use during hot days like these. i heart condo living.

konti na lang, bakasyon na. abril na. ang bilis ng panahon. beware the ides of march ang drama ko when the month rolled in. pero mukha namang lumuluwag na at na-dissipate na ang nega clouds hovering over us all. sana mas lumiwanag pa ang mga bagay-bagay sa pagtatapos ng buwan at pagpasok ng summer. i am so looking forward to this vacation, man, kahit in essence, may trabaho pa rin ako. we'll see. housekeeping din kasi sa institute come summer time. we're transferring to that new building, when they finally spruce the place up and equip it properly. i'll be overseeing that. that's really something to look forward to. better faculty rooms! with a view pa! winner!

been having meaningful chats din nga pala with people the whole week. from friends to co-workers to relatives to da jowa. it has been an interesting week full of chika galore. for the first time in weeks, feeling info overload na naman akey. but in a good way. i like that. pang-balanse baga.

ayuz.

nakaka-disappoint na nakakatuwa na nakakainis na nakakabagot na nakaka-flatter na nakakasulasok na nakakataba ng puso na nakakasuklam na nakaka-touch. that has been my week. what a ride, eh. let's see what the next week brings me. sana muy buena semana naman, right?

si para si para buto ng sili!

for once, i agree with kris aquino...

... about forgetting the martyrdom, them growing up without a dad, and now tita cory suffering without a husband/partner. the last two struck a chord. naawa ako sa lola mo.

but this doesn't mean i'm buying her Kris Aquino Magazine ha! iba yun! chos.



Freedom of Ninoy convicts angers Kris
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 21:05:00 03/04/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The youngest and popular daughter of the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was angered over the release of her father's convicted murderers, as she appealed to the public not to forget his sacrifice to restore democracy.

"My dad was killed by those men who were freed today," a teary-eyed Kris Aquino said Wednesday in ABS-CBN’s "Showbiz News Ngayon," an entertainment-oriented daily news program she hosts.

The ten convicts—Rogelio Moreno, Ruben Aquino, Arnulfo Artates, Romeo Bautista, Jesus Castro, Arnulfo De Mesa, Rodolfo Desolong, Claro Lat, Ernesto Mateo and Filomeno Miranda—stepped out of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday as part of an executive clemency granted by President Macapagal-Arroyo on March 2. They were the remaining convicts out of the 16 military men the Sandiganbayan court found guilty on September 28, 1990 for the murders of Aquino and Rolando Galman, who the Marcos administration pinpointed as the gunman communists hired to carry out the murder. Those who comprise the other six convicts have either died in prison or were pardoned by previous administrations.

These men were part of an escort contingent that led Aquino, a staunch critic of strongman Ferdinand Marcos and a leading opposition figure, out of the China Airlines plane that took him back to the Philippines after years of exile in the United States on August 21, 1983. He was shot dead on his way down to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport. Moreno was the identified gunman.

They also killed Galman in the operation.

Aquino’s youngest child said she had wanted to keep mum on the issue and let her brother, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, speak for the family. But watching the freed convicts on newscasts lament losing years of their lives while in detention at the Muntinlupa prison made her break her silence.

"Gusto kong mapaalala po sa inyong lahat na kung sila matagal silang nahiwalay sa pamilya nila, magmula August 21,1983 ako ba at mga kapatid ko may tatay ba kaming nayakap? [I just want to remind everyone that if they had been separated for a long time from their families since August 21, 1983, have I and my siblings embraced a father?]," the TV host-actress said.

"My mom (former president Corazon Aquino) as everybody knows has cancer. Sa lahat ng paghihirap na pinagdaadaanan ng mommy ko, meron ba siyang asawa na kahawak kamay niya ngayon at puwedeng nagbibigay suporta sa kaniya? Wala ‘di ba? [After all the suffering my mom goes through, does she have a husband to hold hands with and offer support? None.]" she added.

Aquino’s death spurred the popular People Power revolt that catapulted his widow to the presidency.

"Nung presidente ang nanay ko, hindi po kami naningil ng buhay kapalit ng buhay ng daddy ko, [When my mother became president, we did not avenge my father’s death by taking another life]," the actress also said, adding that she feels bad because it appeared the country has forgotten his father's martyrdom.

Aquino said the pardoned convicts should not fool the public by claiming their innocence. They were still convicted of killing her father, even if they claim they just “followed orders,” she said.

"Pinatay nila si Ninoy Aquino...hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko bilang anak ni Ninoy Aquino kung hindi ako magsasalita, [They killed Ninoy Aquino…As his daughter, I won’t forgive myself if I don’t speak]," she added.