My Baguio Quadrathlon

      Some people train for and run the MARATHON, some go the extra step and do the TRIATHLON. There's even the famed PENTATHLON and the DECATHLON for olympians.

      As for me, I did the QUADRATHLON last weekend and I didn't need to train hard for it. The only requisite to do the Quadrathlon is to have lots of time, lots of heart, lots of patience, and to make it a family activity.

      Here's my "Quadrathlon" in pictures:

1. SWIM!

      Getting some sun at the Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

2. BIKE!

      At Baguio City's Burnham Park biking area

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

3. ROW!

      At the Burnham Park lagoon

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

4. RIDE!

      At the Wright Park with "Spider" and "Strawberry"

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

     I've grown up in Baguio City and have visited almost all the places there is to visit there. I'm certainly the first to say that it's a ho-hum activity just to go around Baguio and see its tourist spots.  This time, however, doing it with the family has introduced a fresh and exciting experience for me and this is definitely one activity that I would do over and over again!

      To my wife, Charry, thank you for putting up with and coping with the challenges of travel, preparing for the trip, handling the cranky kids and all, just to make this trip possible. Kudos and hugs and kisses to you -- mwah mwah mwah! :-)

The Greatest Equation

Lenten Season: Time to reflect on the essence and foundation of our Christian faith...

Image background from freefoto.com

"He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Self Talk...

I adhere to my schedule

I exceed all my targets

I am committed

I own my job and my performance

I am accountable for all that i do

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The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and he that is sweet in words shall attain to greater things. (Proverbs 16:21)

The Making of a National Bloggers Association of the Philippines

      The Philippine blogosphere is awash with spirited online discussions, posts and tweets from bloggers and tweeples alike regarding the proposed formation of a “National Bloggers Association of the Philippines”. 

      Things started heating up after Janette Toral’s interview with Tonyo Cruz was posted (“The Need for a Philippine Bloggers Association”), and @tonyocruz posted a question on Twitter asking “Would you join a PH-wide organization of bloggers?”. This instantly drew ayes and neighs and a lot of other comments, both good and ugly, from many tweeps. Bloggers blogged about it; even an anonymous "Janitor Al" blogged about his (or her?) vehement rejection of the proposal to form a national bloggers association.

      From what I have understood, this national bloggers association will be open to Filipino bloggers both here and abroad and seeks to encompass all types of blogs.  Users of blogs such as the following would qualify for membership:

• Traditional blogs such as Blogger and Wordpress


• Micro blogs such as Twitter and Tumblr


• Photo and video blogs such as Flickr and YouTube


• Social networking sites such as Facebook, Yahoo Pulse and Google Buzz


• Self-made/self-maintained blogs and all other types of new internet media that can be categorized as a "web log" (as per Wikipedia's definition of a "blog")

     If Facebook population statistics is to be taken as an indication of the Philippine blogger population, that would mean the Philippine blogging population is a whopping 22 million strong (as of today)!

      Organizing this large a population, or even just a small percentage of it, into one group will be a very painful experience -- this pain is now manifesting itself online in many forms.

      Come to think of it, the association is not even a baby, it’s not even born. Heck, it has not even been “procreated” in a way. It is just an idea.  Sadly, people are already opposing this idea's existence. 

     This reminds me of the controversial Ayala Alabang bill entitled “An Ordinance Providing for the Safety and Protection of the Unborn Child within the Territorial Jurisdiction of Barangay Ayala Alabang…”  This bill seeks to control the union of the sperm and the egg by  mandating a doctor’s prescription whenever someone buys condoms.  As in hellooo? Where is the unborn child here when there's not even a zygote to talk about?  

     People opposed to the idea of a national bloggers association seem to have the same mindset as these baranggay Ayala Alabang leaders. 

 

"BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME"

      My take on this… Start small and take it from there.  Build it and they will come.

     2000 years ago, Jesus started with a core group of only 12 disciples and Christianity took off from there to where it is today, in spite of the persecutions encountered by the disciples and the early Christians.

     Each of the core team members of this proposed national bloggers association should have specific responsibilities and should not be mere spectators or participants  who are just “going with the flow”. The entire team will need to work together to propel this project forward. A single person cannot do it on his own. Conversely, a "weak link” could bring the entire team down.

     If possible, the different blogger associations should provide representation and get involved in the formation process with the goal of uniting all the different local and regional blogging associations under a common cause (but not necessarily getting them organized under one umbrella).

     The draft manifesto, after all,  states "One country, one blogging community".

     It is unfortunate that the formation process started off on the wrong foot and elicited a bombardment of attacks and negative comments. But that's done. What's left to do for the proponents is to keep going forward despite challenges and obstacles.

     The "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" and the "17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork" by John C. Maxwell will be very helpful guides to the core team who will be starting up this organization. These laws should be put to heart when the core team goes about its business of building up the association and propelling it forward.

FOR THE PROPONENTS: “THE LAW OF BUY-IN”

     The "FAQ" addresses people's common concerns and questions regarding this proposed bloggers association while the "manifesto" lays down the founding principles and the vision for this proposed bloggers association.

     For the proponents, always remember the Law of Buy-in: “People buy into the leader, not the vision.”

     This law of buy-in has always been the mark of great leaders who successfully rallied people for a cause.

     There are some prominent bloggers who are very vocal in their opposition to forming this association and it is obvious that they are not buying in. Let them be. Put focus on those who are buying in and to those who are sold -- these are the people who will support the proponents and the leaders' vision of what the association is supposed to be. These people will be instrumental in starting up this organization and in making it grow.

     I only know @tonyocruz (Tonyo Cruz), @digitalfilipino (Janette Toral), and @blogie (Blogie Robillo) through their blogs and tweets. I do not know them personally nor have I met them, save for a few minutes with Janette Toral many years ago in a PICS function. From what I know about them through their blogs, they are three of the most qualified people to spearhead the formation of this National Bloggers Association of the Philippines. There may be others out there who are as qualified as they are or maybe even more qualified; it is my hope that these people will band together for a common cause.

     Earlier, I have put a note to self to review the manifesto and provide my comments and inputs to it. While needing some improvements, I feel it is unnecessary at this point in time to discuss about its revision or enhancement. The manifesto is good as it is.  I'm sure a proper forum will be setup for its review in the near future once this national bloggers association has organized itself. What matters now is that the association should come into formation first so that things can eventually move forward. 

 

AN ASSOCIATION OF FILIPINOS

     As an national association of Filipino bloggers, the group should also encourage "patriotic duty", being Filipinos, to promote the Philippines as a nation and showcase the Filipino culture in all its uniqueness and intricacies. The existence of this national bloggers association should not just be about protection of the blogger's rights and about lobbying congress and the senate on bills and measures that could affect the Philippine blogger community.

     My fellow bloggers, it is not about what the Philippines (and what the government) can do for you, but what you can do for the Philippines that matters.

     To signify your interest to be a founding member of this "National Bloggers Association" (or whatever name it may be called once it is organized), click here.

How do you love? Who do you love?

      People express love in their own unique way and perhaps in more than one creative way.  The "Five Love Languages" also describe ways people communicate their love to another person.

     To love is easy if we are loved back in return. To love is easier if we know that we are loved first by the person we want to love.

     But how do you love someone who doesn't love you? Or how do you love someone who hates you… or someone you hate, an enemy perhaps, or someone you are not on good terms with?  Isn't it easier to hate them and to simply ignore them? And do you really need to love them in the first place?

     In this time and age when conflict between people is a common occurrence, it is best to look to the greatest book of knowledge, the best-selling book of all time, for guidance.

     In the Bible, Jesus answered this question appropriately: "LOVE your enemies, DO GOOD to them that hate you, BLESS them that curse you, PRAY for them that despisefully use you."(Luke 6:27-28)

     There's actually no reason to hold that grudge against another or to put off reconciliation with another person just because of some conflict or differences in opinion. These reasons that people hold in their hearts become hindrances to people's relationships with other people and more especially to their relationship with their Creator.  People are unable to experience the joy of a real fellowship God had intended for them with Him when all these ballasts and baggage weigh down their hearts.

     These are the four things one must do. It is more of a command than a suggestion:

1. "LOVE your enemies" - the competitor who wants you out of business, the person who always says bad words about you, etc.


2. "DO GOOD to them that hate you" - the stranger who scratched your car, that person who envies your success, the employee who wants you of his way so he can get recognized, etc.


3. "BLESS them that curse you" - the driver of the adjacent car you accidentally cut-off, the boss who uses foul words at his subordinates, etc.


4. "PRAY for them that despisefully use you" - that co-worker who always puts you down, an abusive boss, the policeman who extorts money from you, etc.

     We are called to be loving towards God and to the people around us.

     Experiencing God's affection and demonstrating it to others are two of our greatest joys. Let this not be hindered by our inability to obey His commandments.

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More about "Love" in this link: Pursue Love (CCF)

Love Month!

"In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered."                 (1 Peter 3:7)

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People Power - Democracy at Work

EDSA Dos (Quezon City, Philippines, January 20, 2001)

 

Tahrir Square (Cairo, Egypt, January-February 2011)

A Special Place

     A small speck of dust floating on nothingness (or "suspended in a sunbeam" as Carl Sagan puts it)... the "Pale Blue Dot" description of Earth aptly describes the isolation of of our planet within the vast emptiness of space...

     Six thousand years ago, when people still thought the Earth was flat, and thousands of years before Ferdinand Magellan's group of explorers went around the world to prove once and for all that the Earth is round, the writer of the "Book of Job" depicts the most accurate picture of Earth in space:

"He stretched out the north over empty space and hangeth the earth upon nothing" (Job 26:7)

     The Earth's ability to support life, much more intelligent life like us, relies on the fact that the planet orbits the sun in a "sweet spot", not to near the sun that water would boil, and not too far that air would freeze. The earth's mass is also just sufficient for it to maintain an atmosphere without air escaping out into space or without making the air too heavy for us to breathe.

     The other planets, stars, galaxies, black holes, supernovas, dark matter, anti-matter and all those known and unknown objects scattered throughout space, even the farthest galaxy  -- all these exist and exert their influence on Earth and on our Solar System via the universal law of gravitation and via other universal laws yet unknown to us. In essense, the Earth is where it is and what it is today, able to support complex and intelligent lifeforms, because of the complex interactions of all the objects and forces in our universe.

     From a creation perspective, the entire universe, everything in it, has been created to provide a complex and interwoven support system that enables planet Earth to support life as we know it today. It is not by some freak accident that we came into existence in our own corner of the universe, but rather, by astute planning and by divine wisdom and intervention that is incomprehensible to man, we came to be.

     God doesn't play dice, according to Einstein. The entire universe in all its vastness and glory had to be carefully planned out and meticulously created so that one tiny speck of dust floating inside a solar system within some spiral galaxy will be able to have just the right environment to support complex lifeforms.

     Earth is indeed one special place for us. The Earth and the entire universe that goes along with it has been created just for us so that we have a place to live in and enjoy our existence. To us, it is our interplanetary vehicle in outer space. It is our self-contained biosphere. It is our home, it is our place, it is our very own space.

     But then, a more special place awaits us still -- to those who believe in the One He sent, God's one and only Son Jesus Christ.

     Earth, special as it is, becomes but a brief pilgrimage and a mere transit point to our final destination -- to some other place more beautiful than the universe itself.  That final destination is not just a pale blue dot and not just a mere speck of dust in outer space.

     It will be our very own special place.

     And what a destination it will be!

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"We know that if the life we live here on earth is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an eternal house not built by human hands." (2 Corinthians 5:1)

A Small Speck of Dust

Moving at a speed of 10.5 miles per second, the equivalent of more than 38,000 miles per hour, Voyager 1, launched on September 5, 1977, is now the most distant man-made object from Earth, having traveled more than 10.8 billion miles. Last December, after a 33-year journey and after sending thousands of spectacular images of the various planets and moons in our solar system, Voyager 1 has already reached the outer limits of our solar system.

One of the most famous images ever snapped by Voyager 1, taken on June 6, 1990, was dubbed the "Pale Blue Dot," depicting Earth on a scale never before seen.

 Of the "Pale Blue Dot," astronomer Carl Sagan said:

That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

This sure makes us feel kinda small... living on a small speck of duct in a seemingly vast and infinite creation that is the universe.

Reference: NASA