Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.“If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.”

Perhaps if we try to keep her spirit alive in our own daily struggles, we would realize that she did not really just leave us. She is in our dreams of having a government that works, that makes justice and a decent life accessible to every citizen. She is an inspiration on so many levels.

For those who have lost loved ones, their lives continue to live on in our hearts, in our memories, through our work and advocacy. This blog is a testament to my love for my son, to my father, my mom and two brothers who have gone before my dad. By being of service, I keep their memories alive.

I looked up to Cory Aquino for having the courage to fight a dictator and restore a democracy. I am forever grateful for that.

My admiration for Cory Aquino is just for her alone. It is non-transferable. I admire her for her efforts in restoring democracy but the work does not end there. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past. People Power 1, People Power 2, our current president running for congresswoman and many others.

Truly I will keep her spirit alive by living it. I will try to be a good citizen through my writing or advocacy in Blog Watch. I will tell my readers exactly what is wrong with my government and the things that need to be changed to ensure that our democracy matures.

People don’t understand the historical lessons that need to be learned of People Power 1 and People Power 2. After the bad government is turned, there is no vision and everything is in disarray. Why have we not moved progressively since 1986? To keep Cory Aquino’s spirit alive is to ensure her efforts were not gone to waste.

Noynoy Aquino’s Speech at Tita Cory’s Birthday Mass, EDSA Shrine

SPEECH OF SENATOR BENIGNO “NOYNOY” S. AQUINO III
AT THE MASS COMMEMORATING THE 77TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY
OF PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO, JANUARY 24, 2010, EDSA SHRINE

As we commemorate the birth anniversary of our mother, we again feel a sense of emptiness from no longer having her around.

We have gotten so used to the comfort of her presence, especially when situations demand the best of us.

She almost always had a ready answer whenever problems arise. When she didn’t, she would provide wise counsel that always managed to make us feel better.

We looked up to our mother as our leader, especially after my father passed away. She instantly became our source of strength, while becoming the face of fortitude for her countrymen. She later managed to carry through not just her children but an entire nation now freely enjoying benefits of a hard-fought democracy.

It is in these trying times when our fragile democracy hangs in the balance that I feel her absence even more.

What gives me consolation, and courage to overcome the emptiness, is the realization that I am not alone in my grief. There are many others, like you, who felt the loss of a truly phenomenal woman.

When people from all walks of life came in droves at her wake and joined the 9-hour procession from the church to her final resting place, we witnessed a nation that genuinely looked up to her as an inspiration much as we in her family did. People wanted a piece of Cory Aquino, patiently waited in line and braved the elements just to get it, perhaps to remember what her sacrifice truly meant for all of us.

Such a strong commitment to make sacrifices, and willingness to somehow emulate her character, demonstrated a people longing for a semblance of the sincerity that she embodied.

It also showed what we CAN do. The spirit of People Power was reignited in those five days.

Is it possible that what we so admired in Cory Aquino is something that resides in each of us all along?

Imagine a country where each citizen is honest, obeys the law and is never at the mercy of shady law enforcers.

A country where citizens show their trademark bayanihan qualities at all times, not only when disasters strike.

A country whose citizens take care of other citizens, in whatever way possible.

Imagine if we do live up to that ideal that my mother exemplified. Her unique brand of heroism and sacrifice could finally have younger, stronger and more creative versions that could only come from those of us she had left behind.

Only through our participation, and our willingness to live by her example, can we make her legacy meaningful and able to effect the changes we want today.

Sa matinding pagsubok na kasalukuyang hinaharap ng ating lipunan at ng buong sambayanang Pilipino, hindi maaaring ako lamang ang magsisikap na tularan ang mabuting ehemplo ng aking ina.

Perhaps if we try to keep her spirit alive in our own daily struggles, we would realize that she did not really just leave us. She is in our dreams of having a government that works, that makes justice and a decent life accessible to every citizen. She is an inspiration on so many levels.

Working together in fulfilling our own aspirations for our country would be an ideal tribute to the woman who loved her country until the very end.

Thank you.

Source of speech: leflaneur——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

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Bloggers’ meet with BB Gandanghari is on Saturday, March 14 at Mag-net, Bonifacio High Street, at 3-5 PM. You can Sign Up Here

Before Dine and I started our interview, BB was more interested in us and started to ask questions about our blogs. You can see the concern in her eyes as she asks about the circumstances on how my son died. It was like talking to an old friend. No awkwardness, no airs.

I didn’t want to tackle on showbiz questions because the magazines and talk shows cover that extensively. Instead, I focused on her new life. Her story is about the courage to be who she truly is, her positive outlook in life and the happiness she now exudes. She does not use drugs nor hormones to make herself look like a woman. “Mind over matter” is her secret to making herself beautiful. Running and pilates was all there is to it to get the form she wanted for her body. I know some of you have not adjusted to her new life. It is a process and she understands that one might be grieving over the “death of Rustom Padilla”.

Listen to her in this video interview as she talks of acceptance, God, her new found happiness, and her role in Philippine society. A summary of the interview is after the video.

Part 1

Part 2

(the audio is a but fuzzy because BB is quite far from my macbook)

1. How did you find the courage to be your real self? When did your epiphany take place? When did this “AHA!” moment happen? What were you doing when it happened?

BB says she sought constant questioning about herself. That question ended in seeking God where she learned to accept herself. She presented herself to God, and opened herself to him. That’s when she felt accepted.

2. Do you have any spiritual or religious affiliation? if yes, how do you reconcile your religious or spiritual beliefs?

BB considers herself a Bible student and read that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”. She believes in God whose name is Jehovah, and in Jesus Christ.

3. People like you are not taken seriously by society and ARE often the butt of jokes. Your CELEBRITY POWER can be used to fulfill your highest potential as a human being. What can you do for your community to uplift the status or perception of transgender individuals as members of Philippines society?

It all begins with self-respect. Hopefully she can impart that self-respect which is important to her. We all have boundaries and if you respect your boundaries, people will respect that boundary too.

4. What do you advice to those who are still inside the closet and who have not come out yet?

It is dark inside the closet but no matter how dark, God see us. Why do something in the dark because whether light or darkness, God sees us the same way.

BB advises parents who suspect if their children are different to talk to them.

5. Have there been harsh criticisms since you came out as BeBe? How do you handle criticisms?

She doesn’t really care. Whatever you say, I am doing my thing. I’m very happy.

6. What kind of online presence do you want to portray? Is it limited to showbiz ? and or advocacy?

Whatever life brings her and where she can help in her own little way, she will welcome. She has no agenda for the next 5 years.

7. Learning to live this new life is like learning a new language, a new way of seeing. how has your new life been so far? IS the journey difficult? Do you see it as a challenge?

Nothing in life is easy. That’s why she constantly asks God’s guidance and mercy. She is comfortable with her faith.

8. “You cannot give what you do not have.” How do you love yourself? How do you pamper yourself?

She reads self-help books like “Healing Your Inner Child”. She started parenting herself by treating herself to a movie or buying something for herself. She does pilates to keep her body trim.

Here is a video interview from the Asian Human Rights Commission.
PHILIPPINES: former action star talks about gay rights online

Bebe’s insight into his own process of coming out and acceptance is fundamental to an understanding of gay rights. Even according to Bebe, his identity is not a choice but a gradual acceptance of an orientation which did not happen overnight. Every part of the process of awareness, acceptance and coming out is not to be taken simplistically and dismissively.

… explains how different his experience is among Filipinos, women in particular. “For some reason they seem to like me and even identify with me,” explains Bebe. Why do they like her? What do they exactly like about her? Notwithstanding some unfavourable past experiences with some family members, colleagues and others, Bebe finds Philippine society not that bad. However, she really felt free and encouraged to come out when he was in the U.S. Coming to voice is easier in a less judgmental and open society.

Bebe’s coming out is not a purely psycho-emotional experience. “It is more, ” she explains.”It is being able to stand naked before God…being able to be yourself before God,” she adds. “Be as you are…be as you are supposed to be…that is what BB means”. She is at peace with God, at peace with herself but knows that some of her fans or loved ones might take some time to get used to her.

I got to know her for seven hours upclose and personal from 3:00 to 10:00 PM. She was full of energy as we chatted the night away with another guest Nick deOcampo (director of Center for New Cinema) Thanks to Tin Mandigma, BB’s manager for this exclusive interview and Gus Vibal (of WikiPilipinas) for hosting the venue. It’s my first interview with a showbiz personality and I am so relieved it was enlightening and fun!

If you want to be friends with BB, her facebook account is binibini gandanghari, her twitter account is gandanghari while her plurk account is bbgandanghari.

Do you believe in Be all that you can be?

Read more of BB over at Dine’s interview.

Future Media Appearances

BB pictorials/feature articles are set to appear in S magazine on February 28 and YES on February 25. She’ll be hosting the Kidlat Awards (hosted by the Creative Guild of the Philippines) in Boracay on March 7

Bloggers’ meet with BB Gandanghari is tentatively scheduled on March 14. Venue is still being arranged.

Articles aggregating news + blog posts + reactions about BB can be found here.

Contact 63915-3296024 (Tin Mandigma), manager of BB Gandanghari for more information.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.A multinational company recently interviewed me on the current and emerging behavior patterns and values of Moms in the Philippines in terms of family and lifestyle. Now I told the marketing guy that I can only speak for myself and observations of mommy friends. I agreed to cooperate because my inner-researcher was curious on what these marketing guys are fishing from moms.

I opened the door to a very young man with a video cam. Oops, so he’s going to take a video recording of the interview. After checking that my nose was not shiny, I started to answer his questions:

1.What is the true role of a mother?

My role as a mother changes in every phase of my child’s life. As a mother of babies and toddlers, I devoted full-time attention to their physical and emotional needs . The first three years holds a child’s highest potential for learning so I wanted to be there to nurture their growth. I rarely left the house for long periods of time till the kids went to pre-school. As a mother of teenagers, my role had to adjust a little. They were the turbulent years. It’s hard seeing them grow so fast thinking they are just babies. I knew I had to let go of being a control-freak without being too liberal. I failed miserably as a mother to Lauren, the teenager merely because I thought her personality was like mine. The more control I placed, the more she rebelled. I learned to let go by the time Lauren reached 19 years old. Marielle was lucky because I learned from my mistakes. A mom of a 20 year old and above girls is more of a bestfriend role. I still fuss over them especially on health and security matters.

2. Does family still stay together on weekends?

As much as possible, sunday is family day. Since the girls have their own social life, they limit their social activities to friday or saturdays.

3. Do moms still do the traditional cooking?

I don’t cook that often since my husband took over the cooking job on sundays. I used to cook when the girls were still toddlers. These days, I come up with fancy dishes during special occasions like birthdays or Christmas day.

4. Are ingredients complete when cooking?

Of course. Whenever I plan to cook, I make sure I shop for it a day before. I have this grocery list application in my iPhone which makes shopping such a fun and organized experience.

5. How long does cooking time on a weekday take? on weekend?

An hour of preparation and cooking time is average for weekdays and even on weekends.

6. How often does family eat at home? Eat out

We often eat at home. Eating out is rare, probably done once a month or when we’re invited out.

7. How much have family life changed?

With adult kids at home, they are preoccupied with their friends “Mom I have a party so I won’t be home for dinner”. Gone are the days when I can say “time for dinner. As in NOW”.

8. Is beauty important in a husband & wife relationship?

Beauty is really skin deep, so the cliche goes. If one is unhappy, it shows in the face. Over time, the frown or scowl lines show. My husband thinks the world of me and believes I am beautiful. I don’t know how other husbands think about beauty. Even without my husband’s flattery, I believe in making myself beautiful for my own sake and not just for himself.

9. What are other activities do moms get involve with?

I often go to the gym to make sure my metabolism keeps on kicking. Then there is my usual retail therapy to keep me happy but I make sure I don’t overspend. Another weekly treat is a visit to the beauty salon. I love pampering myself whether it be a body massage, facial treatment, manicure, pedicure. These moments are what I call my ME time and I use this to calm my nerves during a stressful week. I know other moms are into yoga and other mind-relaxing techniques.

One thing for sure, the role of moms is constantly evolving as the kids grow up and move on to another phase in their lives. Whatever the mother role, I believe a mother should always nurture herself. How else can she give love to her family without loving herself first? Nurturing is very important in a woman’s life because we show love for ourselves. Nurtured moms are effective in their work and in their relationships. We learn to feel loved by ourselves so much that we can truly love others and let them love us.

Looks like the company is interested in consumer products that mommies buy without considering the hard times ahead of us. Like most families, I impose a Money Management policy in our family. There are many ways to live within our means without scrimping on our lifestyle.

I believe in keeping an optimistic attitude towards the future without necessarily being in denial that the country’s economy is not in tip-top shape. I expect good things for myself and my loved ones.
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.My Cebu-based 44 year old, sister-in-law is leaving for Louisiana, USA on Thursday as a special education teacher for a suburban public high school. It came as a pleasant surprise to her. The US hiring agency informed her of an opening on July 4. She got interviewed via Skype by a panel of 10 where questions like “How do you apply technology in the classroom?” and others were asked of her. Distracted by the faces floating in the Skype window, she minimized it and focused on the camera to make eye contact with the school staff. She made the cut and from then on, a flurry of documentation fell into place . Her H-1 visa was released last thursday. A total of $3,000 placement fee was all she paid to the US-based agency.

The timing could not have been more perfect. Her only child is graduating this year and will get the chance to join his mom after graduation. I feel sad that one more good teacher is leaving our country. Her qualifications are nothing to sneeze at. She has a bachelors degree in English, a Masters degree in Education and a doctorate degree in Special Education but her salary is a pittance. I think call center employees earn more. I can’t blame her for leaving. After all these years, she has yet to build her own house.

My brother died in 1999 and since then she had to struggle living as a single mom. Sure, she can take a break now and take it easy once her son graduates. The chance for a new life seems like one great adventure not to mention the salary. The offer of a lucrative monthly salary that is almost equivalent to 7 months here was just too good of an offer to pass up. I didn’t know US teachers are paid so highly, but she is quick to say that US public school teachers are paid higher than private school teachers.

Really?

I don’t think the same applies in our country, anyway. In an attempt to somehow curb the trend of the country’s best teachers leaving for overseas jobs, bills have been filed in Congress seeking to upgrade the salary rates of teachers. However, the proposed rates still pales in comparison with the salary offers overseas.

“Our teachers are not accorded due recognition and importance they deserve, their salaries are insultingly low and with the high cost of living today, it is no wonder that the best and brightest among them are now teaching abroad, or worse, have migrated to work as caregivers or domestic helpers,” said Caloocan City Rep. Mary Mitzi L. Cajayon, author of House Bill 800 (“Act Upgrading the Minimum Salary Grade Level of Public School Teachers in the Elementary And Secondary Levels from Grade 10 to 15″) at the House of Representatives.

The proposed salary adjustment does not seem adequate to entice emigrating teachers to just stay or come back home.

In the United States, for instance, a Filipino teacher in Maryland is offered a starting annual salary of $43,481 (roughly equivalent to P1.8 million), making it a much coveted slot for many teachers from the Philippines.

For hundreds of Filipino teachers who have given up on their disproportionate salaries in the country, a future in the United States seems to be the best option.

Filipino teachers are highly esteemed abroad and are paid up to 10 times their salaries in the Philippines.

What does the sacrifice entail for my sister-in-law?

1. She does not get to see her son every 5 months as they used to but…if her son wants to live in the USA, she can bring him over through an H1-family visa.

2. She will have to cope with a totally different culture and learning environment as well. Louisiana is known to have an almost 90% black population. I don’t know if it is a blessing but she will be assigned to special children. Will that make her life easier?

3. She has no family or friends in the same state but she can make new friends, right?

My sister-in-law and her son enjoying their last few moments before her flight

As we talked over the despedida lunch I hosted this afternoon, she shared her apprehensions.

It will be a totally new life for me. I can’t be the same person as I was in Cebu.

I reassured her You can do it. You can reinvent yourself. Look at me, I never imagined myself starting a business in my forties…being a blogger and more.

She assessed herself and says she can still do it. It’s a mid-life challenge. Everything just fell into place. When my brother was dying in 1999, he asked his siblings to help her when he is gone. I don’t think my sister-in-law needed help. She was just waiting for the right time. Timing can be frustrating, right? We can wait and wait for something to happen, and it seems to be forever until comes to pass. Or suddenly, an event or circumstance is thrust upon us by surprise. Believing that things happen too slowly or too quickly is an illusion.

Timing is perfect.

This is her time.

I pray her life as a Filipina teacher abroad will be a fruitful experience. I hope her new job will be worth the challenge and the sacrifice of being away from home, family and friends.

If I were in her shoes, I’d also take the opportunity to move to the USA if it meant bringing my whole family with me. Would you?——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

If a Tim Cumper alias Ellumbra or otherwise known as Timothy Ellis Cumper or Grabbadabba via Twitter talks about me and other bloggers in a negative light, this is the story. Tim Cumper believes that he was scammed, fooled by Mayen, Tierra Maria Estates and a group of people since October 2007. It is almost 2 years after and he is in pursuit of bloggers who have written about this.

Read the bloggers entry on Tim Cumper Watch.

Mayen Betita paused to sing their love song, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again”. She giggled and placed her hand on mine as if placating the pain from narrating the harrowing events leading to the breakup with Timothy Ellis Cumper (also known as Ellumbra or Tim Cumper) her ex-boyfriend, a UK national.

I sought Mayen out so she could tell her version behind the alleged money scam that her ex-boyfriend accused her of. Remember, there are always two sides of the story. Before I show you the videocast I did with Mayen, let me rewind a bit.

A month ago, I was stupid enough to approve a post by Tim Cumper at the FilipinaImages.com. I felt that contributors of the Filipina Images’ Portal should have the freedom to express a positive or negative perception of the Filipina. I was also eager to hear his story.

However, I felt that Tim was extremely paranoid.

1. Tim Cumper lists down around 16 persons including Tierra Maria Estates and Medical Center Parañaque as players (View list of players) of an elaborate scam to snatch over 92,213.39 thousand pesos ($2,000.00 plus). Even the actress Chin Chin Gutierrez is involved.

2. He also thought a staff of the local UK embassy was in cahoots with the alleged scammers.

3. He believes that Mayen’s boss (Francis Jalbuena) is a mastermind of an alleged scam syndicate where his staff including Mayen is used as a pawn to extract money from foreigners.

3. Tim Cumper believes that Mayen faked the surgery of her ectopic pregnancy (with the assistance of 16 players) so they could stand to gain 92,213.39 thousand pesos.

Did Mayen fake her hospitalization? Imagine all the preparation just to “fake” this photo?

Reading his journal entries took me four hours. (read short version by Jepoy in here) I commented that I didn’t believe he was scammed. Some readers agreed with me. The comments from his entries didn’t please him and he started to accuse the Filipina Images’ readers that we were somehow related to Tierra Maria Estates, a real estate company where Mayen worked. I closed the comment section because his statements already smacked of libel.

I didn’t think much of his allegations because Tim, like you and me has every right to freedom of speech and inform the whole world of an alleged scam. In fact , he wrote about the scam in over 30 blogs and video sites. Based on the presentation of facts in his blogs, I concluded that he was not scammed.

Why?

My logic told me this.

1. Tim never sent the 92,213.39 thousand pesos ($2,000.00 plus) to Mayen. So is that a scam if the money was never sent? Maybe an attempted scam is a more appropriate word.

2. With 16 persons & entities involved, each scam player stood to gain by $140.00. Come on!

3. Was it really a scam or an attempted scam? No other victim of the organized scam has come forth and accused the Tierra Maria Estates List of Players. The 30 websites depicting the alleged scam ensure maximum exposure in all search engines results. But no one has come forth and agreed with Tim. So how can it be an organized crime? There should be another victim other than Tim Cumper. I believed it was neither a scam nor an attempted scam.

4. Tim Cumper refused to give his mailing address. Mayen wanted to prove that she was really hospitalized and wanted to send copies of her medical records and photos of her scar from the surgery.

What made it more complicated is that Tim Cumper accused me of many things.

1. He thinks Francis (one of his alleged scammer) used my username at FilipinaImages.com just because we have similar IP address. I blogged about it here and here to clarify his accusations.

Jepoy took pity on Mayen’s plight and surfed the internet for more information on the alleged scam.

2. FilipinaImages.com is now linked as “scum” in his blogs, and together with a few bloggers especially Jepoy, we are classified as cockroaches just because we disagreed with his allegations.

Mind you, Mr. Tim Cumper is 57 years old.

3. He thinks the group of bloggers are paid by Tierra Maria Estates to cover-up the scam. Hence, we are called “TIERRA MARIA ESTATES SCAM – THE SUPPORTERS” a new classification which is different from the “TIERRA MARIA SCAM- THE PLAYERS”. Lately, however, we are now called “scammers”

4. That makes us at least 21 scammers now. Let’s do some more math. Let’s divide 92,213.39 thousand pesos ($2,000.00 plus) by 21 persons. That makes $107.00 each. Haha, is that how low Tim Cumper thinks of Filipinos?

5. Oh but his defense is that the amount should be multiplied by the number of victims other than him. But wait, where are the other victims of Tierra Maria Estates Scam? Come forth and be counted.

Anyway, that’s the short version of the elaborate scam that Tim thinks happened. The accused bloggers soon asked me if we could get Mayen’s story. Don’t ask me how we got her contact number. Call it divine intervention. I called her up over a week ago and asked if she wanted to tell her side of the story. Mayen was reluctant to tell her story. “it pains me. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Then she changed her mind when I told her that we don’t know her side of the story and that all we read is Tim Cumper’s version.

The question might pop up “Why did I go out of my way to do this interview? I am just a blogger”. I should mind my own business, right? The problem is that he involved FilipinaImages.com and practically smeared us as “scammers” in his more than 30 websites. His personal attacks even came to the point of creating a fake MySpace profile of Jepoy, distorting my photo as one of Jepoy’s friend. His barrage of personal and defamatory attacks classifies as libel under Libel Laws in the UK and Philippine Laws on Libel.

Did I mention that he is 57 years old? Oh yes, I already mentioned it.

Tim’s personal attacks on the bloggers are nothing compared to the pain that gripped Mayen’s heart the past months. While it is true that there are scams pulled by Filipinas and by just about any nationality, one needs to practice due diligence in aborting such attempts.

Instead of checking the scar in person, he based his conclusions from the webcam video that he took of Mayen’s scar at an internet cafe.

How sad it is that Mayen is accused of a scam she never committed in the first place. I want to give Mayen a voice, a chance to be heard. She does not have the budget for internet cafe fees and blog her story like most of us do. Not many are as fortunate as Brian Gorrell who has at least internet access to expose the scam inflicted upon him to the rest of the world. But not Mayen. And many others that have been scammed one way or the other.

I am involved because I am now accused of being part of the scam. Yes, a scam supoorter.

As I watch Mayen wipe her tears every now and then, I believe without a doubt that she sincerely loved Tim Cumper. I believe her when she says that she suffered an ectopic pregnancy. She motioned to her abdomen I can show you the scar. I declined because I didn’t want to lower her dignity any further. It is not my intention to be an investigator and a messenger for Tim Cumper. If Tim Cumper wants proof, let him do the job himself. Oh yes, he tried asking all the players involved and when they could not provide an answer that satisfied him, Tim classified them as part of the scam. If he doesn’t trust Filipinos, why doesn’t he come to the Philippines and see the scar for himself? Why doesn’t he file a case against the scammers?

Why are Tim’s conclusion based on a pixelated and blurry video from a webcam? Jepoy hits the nail on video quality.

How could you base your conclusions on a very blurry video of a webcam streamed from Yahoo! Messenger? The video probably was even recorded via manual screen captures or by a screen capturing program. Which means that every single pixel you record is based on the image displayed by the receiver’s video card.

Now, how the hell does a “very sophisticated” computer equipment analyze a video from this procedure? TELL ME. PLEASE. HOW? Spectral analysis on a blurry screen grab. WHAT THE F%$&?! -_-

One day when someone does a google search on Mayen, that person will see both versions of the story.

I will let you be the judge.

Mayen will not only tell of the love that was never meant to be. She imparts valuable lessons from her heart and about moving on. She empowers herself by seeking spiritual advice from her pastor. Mayen is full of hope. She knows she deserves someone even much better than her ex-boyfriend.

Despite the humiliation and pain, Mayen still had the heart to forgive Tim.

As she reflects over her loss, she pauses to giggle and seek comic relief once again as she hums to the tune of their love song.

So here it is… the videocast of Mayen Betita, A Filipina Who Learned a Painful Lesson.

I rest my case.

Related Posts or Reactions from Blogs/Forums

Read the bloggers entry on Tim Cumper Watch.

1. Tim Cumper’s Reaction and A Good-Bye

2. Tierra Maria Estates Scam Hoax Update: Mayen speaks of heartbreak

3. From Dream to Nightmare

4. World of Filipinas Forum

5. Man Blog Forum

6. hospitalscams.blogspot.com = Severe Case of Psychosis
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.It seems FilipinaImages.com is getting more attention these days. Perhaps because March is International Women’s Month. The black “Yan ang Filipina” shirt customized by wikipilipinas refused to fit me. I felt like a “suman”. So I ditched that and wore something that won’t make me look ten pounds heavier on TV. I had to drag my lethargic body at 6:00 AM thinking the She-Ka TV magazine (aired over NBN 4) was at 7:00 AM. At the last minute, the show was pushed to 8:00 AM. It was worth it.

Aside from promoting the Wikipilipinas Filipina Stories contest (extended March 15) , we got to meet some of the guests like the Honorable Councilor Dorothy “Doray” Delarmente who also owns a blog at Doralicious and three women marines.

It’s my first time to meet brave Filipina women from the Marines who related their airborne, driving the APC (tank?) and being part of the Trillanes- Manila Peninsula operations. What an honor! I wonder what it’d be like to drive one of those huge tanks. I learned they are now open to recruitment of more marines. (Email them at pmc_recruitment@yahoo.com or all (632) 8932121 loc 901 or 991)

If the marines don’t appeal to you, perhaps join us in the celebration of women’s month, here are a few Women Activities for the rest of March.

March 8 (Saturday) 8:30am – 12:00nn
Venue: UP Theater
Event: National Women’s Day Celebration (headed by NCRFW)
20 minutes presentation: An overview of wikiPilipinas.org & Filipiniana.net; A Call for more entries to the Filipina Writing Contest
Attendees: 2000 students, NGOs

March 11 (Tuesday)
Event: UP Centennial Lecture of Dr. Carol Sobritchea
An overview of wikiPilipinas.org & Filipiniana.net; A Call for more entries to the Filipina Writing Contest

March 13 (Thursday)
Venue: Batangas Provincial Capitol, Batangas City
Event: A short message from Vibal Foundation announcing its Women Portal Projects and the partnership with NCRFW to local women leaders and government officials

March 24 – March 26 (Monday to Wednesday)
Venue: Miriam College
Event: Women’s Studies International Conference
An overview of wikiPilipinas.org & Filipiniana.net; Filipiniana.net will sponsor one lecture for its (Filipiniana.net Lecture Series) featuring Dr. Carol Sobritchea, the director of the UP Center for Women’s Studies; Announcement of Filipina Writing Stories winners

Photos

1. With the hosts of She-ka, Isa Litton, Atty Marissa Manolo
2. Dine with Councilor Doray Delarmente
3. FilipinaImages.com segment

Vew the rest of the Photos——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

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Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Awarding of the Winners of the WikiPilipinas Filipina Stories

Date: March 28, 2008
Time: 11-12:00 Noon
Venue: SMX Convention Hall # 3, SMX Convention Center, beside SM Mall of Asia, Manila
Map: Click on thumbnail

This is our tentative program for the March 28 event, 11-12nn

1. Opening Remarks
2. About Vibal Foundation
3. Empowering Women Through Internet
4. Walkthroughs: Filipiniana.net and Wikipilipinas.org and Filipinaimages.com
5. Raffle iPod Nano
6. Announcement of Winners
7. Closing

Wikipilipinas will host lunch in a restaurant in Mall of Asia after the program.

Dine, Gus Vibal, founder of WikiPilipinas, his staff and I met up last week to discuss ways to support their first online Encyclopedia of Philippine Women that they started in WikiPilipinas.org. I believe Gus is truly sincere in his WikiPilipinas’ vision to be “the largest Philippine knowledge database”. I mean, Gus pratically invested a lot on WikiPilipinas. (A few sponsors helped though).

Dine, Lorna, myself and most of you will agree that we all want to raise the profile of the Filipinas, and be part of a larger movement in uplifting the status of Philippine women. I believe that WikiPilipinas is sincere in their mission as we all are. Here is our collaborative project which I hope you will be a part of:

In line with the principle of honoring the diverse, beautiful, and powerful image of a Filipina, WikiPilipinas will launch a special portal Encyclopedia of Philippine Women inside the site which will compile and detail the achievements and triumphs of Filipinas everywhere. Its sister site Filipiniana.net will also have a Philippine Women Microsite containing documents discussing Filipino women, as well as selected texts from the oeuvres of Filipina writers. Through a combined effort for advocacy, WikiPilipinas partnered with Filipina Images to help promote a more empowering image of the Filipina. By having an online platform to showcase Filipina intelligence and talent, surely the goal will be closer.

To promulgate the advocacy, WikiPilipinas and Filipina Images websites will launch “Filipina Stories,” a writing contest with the mission of uplifting the image of the Filipina.

Check the prizes and mechanics of this contest.

Prizes at Stake

The three best essays will be selected, and their winning authors will be awarded cash prizes of:

• 1st placer – P5,000.00
• 2nd placer – P3,000.00
• 3rd placer – P2,000.00

An iPod Nano will also be raffled during the launch!

Mechanics

1. Open to Filipino bloggers of all ages.

2. Interested participants may choose to write an essay about any of these three sub-themes:

• The Iconography of the Modern Filipina;
• The Commercialization of the Filipina through the Internet

and

• The Role of Bloggers in Uplifting the Image of the Filipina.

3. Articles to be submitted should be original, previously unpublished, at least 500 words long, and written in English.

4. Only one entry per person will be accepted. Participant’s entry together with the complete name and contact details, should be sent to:

mindy@wikipilipinas.org.ph

5. Essays must be published in the participants’ respective blogs and should contain the following links:

(5.1) a link to your entry at the WikiPilipinas or Filipiniana site (WikiPilipinas will upload your entry to the Wiki Portal. The url will be emailed to you. Link to that entry in their portal. Hence you have to email the entry so they can do the upload for you.)

(5.2) a link to WikiPilipinas, using the code

<a href="http://www.wikipilipinas.org">Philippine Encyclopedia</a>

(5.3) a link to Filipinaimages.com, with the code

<a href="http://filipinaimages.com">Filipina</a>

Submission of entries will be from February 1 to March 15, 2008.

Articles to be submitted will be available for public viewing in WikiPilipinas starting February 8, 2008.

Please take note that all entries will be licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License

All submitted article titles for the contest will be shown in the WikiPilipinas Site.

Criteria

The entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected by WikiPilipinas. These judges will use the following criteria for evaluation:

* Form – 20%
* Substance – 50%
* Originality – 30%

The winning essay will be announced at the launch of the WikiPilipinas Women’s Portal and the Filipiniana.net Philippine Women Microsite on March 26, 2008 in time for the celebration of Women’s Month.

Venue to be announced. The first 100 bloggers (with entries) to arrive at the venue will receive a FREE Filipina T-shirt.

(Enlarge thumbnail for the Press Release) I hope you join this contest. This contest also aims to raise awareness of the WikiPilipinas.org so that bloggers can eventually add content to the Wiki. For the contest, the WikiPilipinas staff will take charge of uploading your entry to the Wiki. After this contest, there will be a Phase 2 Workshop which is meant to teach us how to use the Wiki.

Be part in uplifting the image of the Filipina, the Knowledge base of the WikiPilipinas. Remember you are not only writing about Filipino women. You will help uplift the reputation…remove the prejudice, not just against Filipino women achievers but against your mothers, sisters, daughters. Against You.

So what are you waiting for?! See you on the unveiling of the WikiPilipinas’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Women and Filipiniana.net‘s Philippine Women Microsite.

Entries Submitted

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.When my two girls were in grade school, I’d often hang out with the mommies at the waiting shed, eagerly waiting for our daughters’ class dismissal. We called each other “classmates”. Starting from nursery till sixth grade, I had my gang of mothers. In one of our idle talks, we compared child rearing practices. One of these was handling our daughter’s suitors and request for parties once they reached high school. The topic was met with dread and fear of our daughters mixing with the wrong crowd or better yet, having a boyfriend at so young an age. I formulated my own set of ideas which proved to be a learning experience.

This is not a definitive guide for Filipina mothers since we each impose our own peculiar guidelines for our daughters but maybe you can pick up a tip or two. For the guys, it is a preview of the twisted mind of a typical mom and her feelings towards their daughters’ suitors. With Lauren’s permission to illustrate examples, here are my own guidelines.

1. Just because she is your daughter doesn’t mean she is like you.

I had this notion that my daughters shouldn’t have a boyfriend while in high school, the same way my parents brought me up. I made my rules clear : No dating till 18 years old but you can entertain phone calls, visitors and attend parties.

I thought I was a liberal mother. I mean, look, I still gave freedom for my daughters to mix with guy friends and hang out with them. But then, I learned something much later on. There are two types of teen girls. There is the ligawin, the feminine, charming, smart girl and the suplada, the girl (like me) who likes guys but do not appear charming to them.

Lauren fell into the ligawin category.

When twelve year old Lauren started receiving phone calls from guys, her dad warned me that Lauren might be like his sister who had a boyfriend in high school. I brushed Butch fears away.

No, Lauren won’t have a boyfriend because like me, I didn’t need to have a boyfriend in high school.

There was a NO BOYFRIEND rule imposed and the girls knew that. I thought it was clear.

Until one afternoon…I received a phone call if I could “supervise” the times Lauren and her son were together in either of our homes. I raised hell there and then and started yelling at Lauren to come to the phone. Oh yes, I screamed, to put it mildly. Being a control-freak mother at that time “NO OFFENSE ON YOUR SON, LAUREN CAN’T HAVE A BOYFRIEND.” My voice sounded a notch higher than usual.

I started rattling off that my husband would raise hell if he found out she had a boyfriend. I never told Butch that Lauren had a boyfriend. She was only 15. Livid with anger, Lauren was grounded the whole summer.

2. Never set rules in stone. Be flexible.

When I look back at this incident, my anger was not because Lauren had a boyfriend. I was mad that she betrayed my trust. In my anger, I refused to be flexible. Maybe, I should have agreed to the “supervision”. Did it destroy my relationship with her? I guess it did. I felt that it strained our mother-daughter relationship for a long time. I should have sat down with Lauren and set the boundaries of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Looking back, I don’t have regrets. The boyfriend was a delinquent who kept flunking his classes in high school. The parents eventually sent him to the states. I believe it would not have worked out in the end because Lauren was serious with her studies. I met the ex-boyfriend in my home a month ago. Not only did he look weird with his mohawk hair, he has yet to take up some college education. Go figure.

3. Don’t be too chummy-chum-chum with the suitor or boyfriend.

Mommies tend to empathize with the rejected suitor or the dumped boyfriend. Often, the mommies feel the guy’s pain of rejection. The mom feels bad especially if she believes that this particular guy is very suitable for their daughter. But the daughter doesn’t think the guy is for her. Yes, I was like that too. kawawa naman siya. Kausapin mo!. (what a pity. You should talk to the guy)

I know of a mother who talked to the suitor all afternoon because she took pity on the guy when her daughter refused to see the suitor. In fact, this mom dragged second daughter to talk to the rejected suitor. Funny thing is the second daughter and rejected suitor became a couple. When Lauren dumped a suitor (who often talked to me via instant messenger) in favor of another guy, I was flabbergasted. I uttered the same line too. I felt sad for the dumped suitor.

And Lauren coldly replied eh, why don’t you talk and comfort him?.

4. Trust your instincts. Give your opinion on the guy and let it go.

Okay I was disappointed with her college boyfriend who dropped out of school. I also felt that my daughter was second choice after the guy got dumped by her friend. Still a control-freak mother, I confronted her and minced no words about my honest opinion of the guy. I have my reasons but I’d rather not mention it here. Mothers have instincts , you see. The problem with me was that my approach was old-school, manipulative and controlling. Now I know better. I should have just said my piece then let it go and allow her to make mistakes. But no, I told her she couldn’t see this guy. PERIOD.

That did not prevent them from being together despite my objections. Inspite of my stringent rules, I have to give her credit for not eloping with her boyfriend (a friend’s daughter did just that and had a baby soon after.)

5. Get to know the potential boyfriend material. Do some research.

When my daughters confide their crush, I often ask for a photo just to see how they look like. Often I’d agree and nod “Oy, he is cute.” One day, Lauren showed me a friendster url of her crush. Sure the guy was a looker. But what did I see? Oh my…photo after photo, her crush was wrapped around with a different girl. I asked “you want to be another collection?”

If you’re tech savvy, you know there is that nifty search engine at the click of the mouse. The suitor might have a blog too, you know! A word of caution though. Don’t judge the guy based on the blog content alone. Entries may contain sarcasm, embellishment or prone to misinterpretation. But as I mentioned in number 4, say your piece, then let it go. Nagging is not going to stop your daughter from liking a guy.

6. Give basic sex education.

I don’t mean, encourage sex. In fact, I remind them that abstinence is a healthy practice to follow. But things happen. A friend told me that she wished she had given sex education to her 18 year old daughter. Her daughter’s first sexual experience led to pregnancy only because she thought she’d never get pregnant.

So I often say, “Don’t even believe your boyfriend when he says he has protection“. Then I add just one tiny drop contains millions of sperm to impregnate you. It takes only 1 sperm cell!. It’s not a comfortable discussion, mind you. My daughters cringe with awkwardness every time I babble on sex education. I’d rather see them cringe during my lecture than see them cringe in pain with an unplanned pregnancy.

7. Express the ideal qualities of a guy.

Eventually, I allowed my daughter to continue the relationship with the guy (in number 4) after I discovered they were still together after a year. I believed it would not last long anyway. Secretly, I was hoping she’d see my reasons eventually. I often dropped hints on the qualities of the guy that would suit my daughters. I don’t really know if they listen to me. Moms know a lot more about their daughter more than they even know themselves. We just hope it sinks in. In the end, it’s their life. It’s their choice. Mothers can only guide.

Funny thing was my daughter ended the relationship with this guy two years later, for the reason that I objected to in the first place. I allowed her to make mistakes. I could have said “I told you so” after my instincts proved right.

My daughter often tells me that I am a cool mom now that I am more laid back. I had to pass through being an uncool mom to be a cool mom.

Any guidelines I might have missed?——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado