2011 was definitely the year of the groupons! The Philippines’ dynamic group buying sites like Deal Grocer, awesome.ph, Ensogo and Cashcashpinoy definitely filled up my inbox and I had to restrain myself from clicking on every tempting deal This is because some of them expired on me, either because I got very busy or they were too far from where am based. As a groupon user, I aim to give consumers some groupon buying tips in 2012. We really have to be discerning and see if we’re saving in the process. I have to praise the groupons though. Now, it’s NOT so expensive anymore to eat out, take vacations and stay in hotels if you keep your eye out on really good deals!

Weekend markets flourished one after the other, adding color to the already flourishing food scene in Manila. Old regulars like Salcedo and Legazpi weekend markets are still there but the Mercato group of RJ Ledesma, Anton Diaz and Co. are not far behind with the launch of Distrito in Makati (now closed) and Soderno in Alabang.

Am a happy camper at the Soderno Sunday market as picture above shows After the launch of my blog in 2004, my food project Chicken Delish is now my latest “baby” (albeit on a smaller scale). It thrills me to be getting customers (and not just the friends I force to visit me in the market, LOL). And every time I am able to make a good sale, the husband teases me “wow! am surprised people are buying your chicken!)

Kidding aside, if you’re somebody who’s raring to go into business (like me), I highly recommend starting out small first like joining these bazaars or weekend markets. This way, you’ll be able to assess consumer feedback to your product without shelling out too much investment. God only knows how stratospheric the rental of commercial spaces in Manila is these days. A would-be entrepreneur would be well-advised not to jump from the frying pan into the fire without testing out their business idea’s feasibility in the long or short term.

This blog is still here although I had to cut my ties with Nuffnang Philippines (for this blog) due to the biased and unprofessional way one staff (in charge of blogger relations) conducted their business (okay this is just my personal opinion, the Nuffnang brats don’t have to kill me!) 2011 was certainly awesome for my blog traffic, with this blog ending the year among the Top 700 or so websites in the Philippines. I would like to thank contest sponsors, publicist-friends, blogger friends and of course you, dear readers, for your support!

Let’s rock on in 2012!

So the beautiful Pauleen Luna is the latest girlfriend of happy bachelor Vic Sotto, more known in Eat Bulaga as Bossing. I’ve read this fresh from today’s column of Ricky Lo but it’s actually been something that’s feeding the gossip vine in the past few weeks. Prior to this, one of the reports said the two were seen at a resort in Rizal in a very lovey-dovey mode

I don’t know how I feel about this since the last time we checked, Pauleen at 23 years old, is at least 30 years younger than Vic Sotto. But I guess age doesn’t matter as long as Bossing’s matter doesn’t age, di ba? Pauleen used to be the girlfriend of Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian while Vic has romanced his every leading lady and co-host – from Dina Bonnevie to Coney Reyes to Christine Jacob and Pia Guanio. It’s pretty obvious that he can deftly combine work & play and everything else in between. The only problem is that Vic hasn’t married anybody ever since he got an annulment from Dina Bonnevie a long time ago. He’s not viewed as a marrying type, especially after hooking up with Pia for seven years (who probably got bored and married someone else recently).

In the meantime, we can’t help if Pauleen has stars in her eyes these days. Just take a look at her inspired musings (from Pauleen Luna’s Twitter @pauleenjluna)

“Thank you world for making me a happy girl. You gave me more than I asked for. I am blessed. I am grateful.

We all have the right to love and be loved.

Whatever choice we make in life, people will always say something. So why not follow what your heart desires?

What is more important? Your own happiness or what other people have to say? ”

YUN LANG!

This time, I had one item on the agenda: dine at Zubuchon restaurant since it’s probably the only lechon brand popular among foodies that I haven’t tasted.I found out that the easiest way to go here is through a taxi where a simple mention of “One Mango Mall” would suffice. It’s in the same low-rise complex where Sunburst Fried Chicken and a Xiamen restaurant is.

Having been to those run of the mill lechon restos in Retiro where you feel like you’re eating in the slaughterhouse yourself, I immediately felt at home in Zubuchon’s no-frills and contemporary ambiance. The white chairs certainly brightened up the place. Service was very attentive, probably because the staff (about a dozen of them) outnumbered the customers at the time of our visit which was during the off-peak hours.

And yes, I would fly all the way to Cebu for this roasted pork with its tender meat and perfectly crispy skin. I don’t know how Zubuchon tastes when it’s flown via cargo to Manila but I have to say there’s nothing like getting it hot, fresh and cut up on the spot!

Bourdain may have erred in saying it’s the best pig ever since pig is the uncooked version. But I have to say it’s the best pig ever…. for roasting. The Zubuchon purveyor (blogger Martketman) claims this is the healthy lechon since the pigs are bred in the backyard and fed an organic diet.They also don’t use MSG or “articial flavor enhancers. What goes into the pig: lemongrass, lemons, rosemary and olive oil. The skin is sprayed with coconut water as a final touch.

We ate at Zubuchon for two days in a row and the pork theme was dominant throughout.For example, our orders of pancit sotanghon and adobong kangkong would always be topped with crumbled bits of chicharon. And because our bill clocked up to more than P1000 each time, they gave me the loyalty reward of free two free containers of lechon sisig (which I would bring to Manila).

The sotanghon was a bit too sweet. I don’t know if this is a regional thing as I know Visayans like to add sugar to balance the saltiness of a dish.

Their slow-cooked adobo (P220) brought me to the days of my childhood when my grandma cooked this dish. The adobo is dry and it seems all the flavors of the sauce seeped into the meat. Probably a result of being simmered in claypot over charcoal for three hours. It’s good and I would order this as an alternative if I wasn’t bingeing on the lechon.:D

Another indulgence: the five pork fried rice (P190) which the menu describes as composed of Zubuchon, tampalen (belly fat), chicharon, lard and lechon drippings, then topped with shrimp paste and green mango.

For a small resto, Zubuchon’s menu is quite extensive. I so wanted to try their sisig & tomato pasta but it seems they couldn’t offer it on both times I was there. Their vegetable selection was as tempting as the pork entrees and I found the Zubu pickle platter (P120) as refreshing to the palate when you want an accompaniment with your meat. It is composed of pickled green mango, singkamas and green papaya.

The budbud kabog (P40) was highly recommended by our waiter Clint since he said it’s a seasonal thing. This delicacy looks like suman but isn’t since it’s not made of rice but millet (kabog), a type of whole grain.I savored every bite and thanked Clint for recommending. Budbud kabog is something I’ve heard of several times and Zubuchon Cebu is one of those rare places to get it.

Hubby’s order was a slice of biko (P50) which was generously slathered with latik and…. masarap! Perfect with the brewed coffee served in-house.

The santol juice was something new and so refreshing! Try also the kamias shake but I prefer the former.

So there you have it, the HIGHLIGHT of my Cebu City trip. Didn’t I tell you they have an extensive menu? I’ve pencilled in the following for my next visit (if they don’t change the menu soon!): the lechon dinuguan, the lechon sinigang, the lechon crispy pata, the squid stuffed with lechon sisig, the kinilaw na lechon and the sisig pasta pls!

Too bad we’d have to fly all the way to Cebu again. Am sure the foodies would wish for a full-service Zubuchon resto to open in Manila. It’s something that can feel equally at home in the swanky confines of Greenbelt 5 or the Ayala Triangle Gardens. It’s time to feed those figure-conscious ladies the “healthy” lechon!:)

Zubuchon Restaurant
One Mango Mall
Mango Avenue, Cebu City
Tel. 032.236.5264, 0917- 6274761

And to my beloved countrymen, my Bosses:
I stood before you during my inauguration and promised: we would do away with the use of the wang-wang. This one gesture has become the symbol of change, not just in our streets, but even in our collective attitude.

Over the years, the wang-wang had come to symbolize abuse of authority. It was routinely used by public officials to violate traffic laws, inconveniencing ordinary motorists—as if only the time of the powerful few, and no one else’s, mattered. Instead of behaving like public servants, they acted like kings. This privilege was extended to their cronies and patrons, who moved along the streets as if they were aristocracy, indifferent to those who were forced to give way and were left behind. Abusing privilege despite promising to serve—this is the wang-wang mindset; this is the mindset of entitlement.

They had no right to do this. The law authorizes only the President, the Vice President, the Senate President, the Speaker, the Chief Justice, and police vehicles, fire trucks, and ambulances to use sirens in the fulfillment of their official duties—no one else. Yet the flagrant abuse we bore witness to prompts us to ask: if they felt it their privilege to flout the simplest traffic laws, how could we expect them not to help themselves to a share of projects funded by the Filipino people?

Do you want the corrupt held accountable? So do I. Do you want to see the end of wang-wang, both on the streets and in the sense of entitlement that has led to the abuse that we have lived with for so long? So do I. Do you want to give everyone a fair chance to improve their lot in life? So do I.

We have fought against the wang-wang, and our efforts have yielded results. Just this year, the number of Filipinos who experienced hunger has come down. Self-rated hunger has gone down from 20.5% in March to 15.1% this June—equivalent to a million Filipino families who used to go hungry, but who now say they eat properly every day.

As for business, who would have thought that the stock market would reach seven record highs in the past year? At one time, we thought that for the PSE Index to reach 4,000 points would be, at best, a fluke. We now routinely exceed this threshold.

Our once low credit ratings have now been upgraded by Moody’s, Standard and Poors, Fitch, and Japan Credit Ratings Agency—in recognition of our prudent use of funds and creative financial management. These improved credit ratings mean lower interest on our debts. Our innovative fiscal approach has saved taxpayers 23 billion pesos in the first four months of this year. This is enough to cover the 2.3 million conditional cash transfer beneficiaries for the entire year.

Let me remind you: in the nine and a half years before we were elected into office, our credit ratings were upgraded once, and downgraded six times by the different credit ratings agencies. Compare this to the four upgrades we have achieved in the single year we have been in office. This was no small feat, considering that the upgrades came after ratings agencies have grown considerably more conservative in their assessments, especially in the wake of criticism they received after the recent American financial crisis. But while they have downgraded the ratings of other countries, they have upgraded ours, so that we are now just one notch below investment grade. Our economic team is hard at work to sustain the momentum.

And allow me to share more good news from the Department of Energy: having rid the DOE of wang-wang, we have revived the confidence of investors in our energy sector. 140 companies, all ready to participate in the exploration and strengthening of our oil and natural gas resources, can attest to this. Compare this to the last energy contracting round in 2006, which saw the participation of only 35 companies. Just last Friday, a new contract was signed for a power plant to be constructed in the Luzon grid, so that by 2014, our country will have a cheaper, more reliable source of energy.

There is confidence and there is hope; the government is now fulfilling its promises. And I cannot help but remember a woman I spoke with during one of my first house-to-house campaigns. She lamented: “It won’t matter who wins these elections. Nothing will change. I was poor when our leaders campaigned, I am poor now that they are in office, and I will still be poor when they step down.” This is a grievance echoed by many: “Our leaders didn’t care about us then, our leaders don’t care about us now, and our leaders will not care about us tomorrow.”

Given the persistence of the wang-wang attitude, wasn’t their sentiment justified? This was the attitude that allowed helicopters to be bought as if they were brand new, but had in fact already been extensively used. This was the attitude that allowed GOCC officials, like those in the Philippine National Construction Corporation, to pay themselves millions of pesos in bonuses, even as they failed to render decent service and plunged their respective agencies deeper into debt. Before they stepped down from their positions, the former heads of the PNCC gifted themselves with two hundred and thirty-two million pesos. Their franchise had lapsed in 2007; their collections should have been remitted to the national government. They did not do this, and in fact even took advantage of their positions: the bonuses they allotted to themselves in the first 6 months of 2010 was double the amount of their bonuses from 2005-2009. Yet they had the audacity to award themselves midnight bonuses, when they had already drowned their agencies in debt.

To end the wang-wang culture in government, we employed zero-based budgeting to review programs. For this year and the last, zero-based budgeting has allowed us to end many wasteful programs.

For example, we uncovered and stopped an ill-advised plan to dredge Laguna Lake. We would have borrowed 18.7 billion pesos to remove 12 million cubic meters of silt—which would have re-accumulated within three years, even before the debt could be fully paid. We also uncovered a food-for-school program with no proper targeting of beneficiaries, and other initiatives that were funded without apparent results. All of these were discontinued, and the funds rechanneled to more effective programs.

The budget is the clearest manifestation of the straight path upon which we tread. I say to those who would lead us astray: if you will further disadvantage the poor, do not even think about it. If all you would do is to fill your own pockets, do not even think about it. If it is not for the benefit of the Filipino people, do not even think about it.

I wish we could say that we had completely eliminated the wang-wang attitude, but in some parts of our consciousness, it still persists.

It still exists in the private sector. According to the BIR, we have around 1.7 million self-employed and professional taxpayers: lawyers, doctors, businessmen who paid a total of 9.8 billion pesos in 2010. This means that each of them paid only an average of 5,783 pesos in income tax—and if this is true, then they each must have earned only 8,500 pesos a month, which is below the minimum wage. I find this hard to believe.

Today we can see that our taxes are going where they should, and therefore there is no reason not to pay the proper taxes. I say to you: it’s not just the government, but our fellow citizens, who are cheated out of the benefits that these taxes would have provided.

We are holding accountable—and we will continue to hold accountable—those who practice this culture of entitlement in all government offices, as there are still some who think they can get away with it. A district in Region 4B, for example, began a project worth 300 million pesos, well beyond the 50 million pesos that district engineers can sign off on their own. But they could not leave such a potentially large payday alone.

So they cut the project up into components that would not breach the 50 million peso limit that would have required them to seek clearance from the regional and central offices. They tried to keep this system going. And often, since lump-sum funding was being used for the projects, no questions were asked about the plans or project details. They could have been spinning webs and they would have still been given the funds, so long as they knew someone in power.

Secretary Babes Singson did not let them get away with this. He removed the district engineer from his post, and suspended the awarding of the project in an effort to uncover other anomalies that may have happened. A thorough investigation of all those involved in the case is underway; we will blacklist all contractors proven to have engaged in foul play.

Because the project had to be delayed, Filipinos who would have otherwise benefited from them are still made to face unnecessary inconveniences.

These anomalies are not limited to Region 4B. We are putting an end to them. We are eliminating the patronage politics that had been prevalent in DPWH, and replacing it with a culture in which merit prevails. All projects must have work programs; we will require those involved in projects to submit well thought out plans for consideration, so that each project complements the other. We have also instituted an honest and transparent bidding process to provide equal opportunity to interested contractors.

Because of this, we have already saved 2.5 billion pesos, and expect to save 6 to 7 billion by the end of this year. The most important thing, however, is that now, we can count on well-paved roads—as opposed to the fragile pothole-ridden paths that our people had grown used to. Once, we believed that the system in the DPWH was impossible to fix; but look—it’s possible, and we’re fixing it.

Even in agriculture, the culture of wang-wang once persisted. Before we came into office in 2010, the Philippines imported 2.3 million metric tons of rice, which was already a million metric tons more than the 1.3 million that we needed. We even had to pay extra for warehouses to store the rice acquired through excessive importation.

How many years have we been over-importing rice? Many Filipinos thought that there was nothing we could do about it.

We proved them wrong in the span of a year. What was once an estimated yearly shortage of 1.3 million metric tons is down to 660,000—that’s almost half of the original amount. Even with our buffer of 200,000 metric tons as contingency against natural calamities, it is still significantly less than what was once the norm.

Our success in this sector was not brought about by mere luck. This is simply the result of doing things right: using the most effective types of seedlings, and careful and efficient spending on irrigation. In the past year, we irrigated an additional 11,611 hectares of fields, not to mention the near 212,000 hectares of land we were able to rehabilitate. The result: a 15.6 percent increase in rice production.

We envision two things: first, an end to over-importation that only serves to benefit the selfish few. Second: we want rice self-sufficiency—that the rice served on every Filipino’s dinner table is planted here, harvested here, and purchased here.

Let us look back on the situations of many of our policemen a year ago. The average salary of a common PO1 in Metro Manila is around 13,000 pesos. Around 4,000 pesos or abour a third of their salaries goes directly to paying the rent. Another third goes to food, and the final third is all that is left for electricity and water bills, commuting, tuition fees, medicine, and everything else. Ideally, their salaries match their expenses—but this is not always the case. Those whose salaries are not enough would probably resort to taking out some loans. What happens when the interest piles up and they end up having to spend even more of their salaries? Will they still be able to do the right thing when tempted with an opportunity to make a quick buck?

This is why, this July, we have followed through on the housing promise we made in February. We were able to award 4,000 Certificates of Entitlement to Lot Allocation. This is only the first batch of the 21,800 houses we will have constructed by the end of the year. Awarding our men in uniform these houses will turn their 4,000 peso rent expense into an initial 200 peso per month payment for a house that is all theirs. The cash they once paid for rent can now be used for other needs.

I hear that there are still more than a thousand houses left, so for our policemen and our soldiers who have not yet submitted their papers, this is the last call for this batch of houses. But do not worry, because this housing program will continue next year, covering even more people and more regions. The NHA is already preparing the sites for housing projects in Visayas and Mindanao, with an expanded list of beneficiaries that will also include employees of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Speaking of security, does enhanced security not also enhance our national pride? There was a time when we couldn’t appropriately respond to threats in our own backyard. Now, our message to the world is clear: What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.

At times I wonder if the stories about some of our past stand-offs are true—that when cannons were aimed at our marines, they could only reciprocate by cutting down a coconut tree, painting it black, and aiming it back. True or not, that time is over. Soon, we will be seeing capability upgrades and the modernization of the equipment of our armed forces. At this very moment, our very first Hamilton Class Cutter is on its way to our shores. We may acquire more vessels in the future—these, in addition to helicopters and patrol crafts, and the weapons that the AFP, PNP, and DOJ will buy in bulk to get a significant discount. This goes to show how far we can go with good governance; we can buy equipment at good prices, without having to place envelopes in anyone’s pockets.

We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours. We are also studying the possibility of elevating the case on the West Philippine Sea to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, to make certain that all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forbearance.

Our efforts to enhance the capabilities of our men and women in uniform are already succeeding. In the first six months of 2010, we had 1,010 cases of car and motorcycle theft. Compare that to the 460 cases in the first six months of 2011. Unfortunately, it is the one or two high-profile cases that make the headlines, and not the bigger picture—the fact that there is a large drop in car and motorcycle thefts, and that we have returned a higher percentage of stolen cars to their rightful owners.

And here is another example of positive change in law enforcement. The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act was signed in 2003. Unfortunately, because the government did not properly implement it, only 29 individuals were convicted in a period of seven years. In just one year, we have breached that amount, convicting 31 human traffickers. Perhaps, this is the “sea change” that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was referring to; and because of this change, the Philippines has been taken off the Tier 2 Watchlist of their Trafficking in Persons Report. If we had not been removed from this watchlist, the assistance we have been receiving from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, among others, would have been jeopardized.

Allow me to talk about jobs now. Our foremost pledge to the Filipino people was to create more jobs, and we have delivered. In April 2010, the unemployment rate was at 8%; in April 2011, it was at 7.2%.

To put things into perspective: We must all remember that the ranks of the unemployed represent a moving target. Every year, thousands of fresh graduates join the ranks of job hunters. Last year, the number of unemployed Filipinos in our labor force grew after many of our countrymen who earned a temporary living from election-related jobs—the people assigned to hanging buntings, the people tasked with clearing a path for politicians in crowds of people, the drivers, and other campaign staff—were laid off. But, despite all this, our results make our success evident: one million and four hundred thousand jobs were created last year.
Before, our foremost ambition was to work in another country. Now, the Filipino can take his pick. As long as he pursues his dreams with determination and diligence, he can realize them.
The number of jobs generated in our country can only grow from here.

According to the Philjobnet website, every month there are 50,000 jobs that are not filled because the knowledge and skills of job seekers do not match the needs of the companies. We will not allow this opportunity to go to waste; at this very moment, DOLE, CHED, TESDA, and DepEd are working together to address this issue. Curricula will be reviewed and analyzed to better direct them to industries that are in need of workers, and students will be guided so that they may choose courses that will arm them with the skills apt for vacant jobs.

Despite the demand for these jobs, there are still people who are being left behind. What do we do with them? First, we identified the poorest of the poor, and invested in them, because people are our greatest resource. Of the two million families registered with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, 1.6 million are already receiving their conditional cash transfers. Through the initiative and leadership of Secretary Dinky Soliman, we have been able to give much needed assistance to an average of more than 100,000 families per month. I am optimistic that we will reach our target of 1.3 million additional beneficiaries this year. With a compliance rate of 92%, millions of mothers are already getting regular check-ups at public health centers, millions of babies are being vaccinated against common diseases, and millions of school-aged children are now attending classes.

With these significant early results, I am counting on the support of the Filipino people and Congress to expand our Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Before the end of 2012, we want to invest in the future of 3 million poor families.

We are giving these poor families a chance to improve their lives, because their progress will be the country’s progress. How can they buy products and services from businesses if they do not have a proper income? When a poor father turns to crime in order to feed his family, who would he victimize, if not us? When people cannot properly take care of themselves and fall ill, do we not run the risk of getting sick as well?

We are laying down the foundations for a brighter future for the poor. For example, in the health sector: PhilHealth beneficiaries increased during elections, as the agency was used as a tool for dispensing political patronage. Today, we identify beneficiaries through the National Household Targeting System, to make sure that the 5.2 million Filipino families who benefit from PhilHealth are those who really need it.

Let us turn our attention to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The politics there have been dominated by horse-trading and transactional politics. During national elections, whoever is in power in ARMM is free to manipulate the electoral machinery in his region, ensuring that non-allies do not get votes. That Mayor or Governor then demands payment for his services come the ARMM election, and it is the administration’s turn to manipulate the electoral machinery to secure the win of their candidate.

According to the Commission on Audit, in the office of the regional governor of ARMM, eighty percent of the funds disbursed were for cash advances that cannot be justified. If those funds had not gone to waste, a child could have gone to school. Instead, we built ghost bridges to reach ghost schools where only ghost teachers went to work.

We want ARMM to experience the benefits of good governance. And so, the solution: Synchronization—candidates in ARMM will run at the same time as candidates in other parts of the country. There would be less opportunity for them to employ command votes for political patrons. The result would be fairer elections. Thank you to Congress for passing the law synchronizing ARMM with the national elections.

And why do we need to postpone the elections? Because, in their desire to return to or retain power, many are prepared to engage in corrupt practices just to win again. Imagine if we had listened to the critics, and allowed the election to proceed under these circumstances. We would have perpetuated the endless cycle of electoral fraud and official abuse that has led ARMM to become one of the poorest regions in the country.

I do not doubt that the reforms we are putting in place will yield concrete results. When we talk about the straight and righteous path, we talk about that new road that was built in Barangay Bagumbayan in Sta. Maria, Laguna. When we say clean government, we are talking about the clean water that residents in Barangay Poblacion in Ferrol, Romblon now enjoy. When we refer to the light of change, we also refer to the electricity that now powers light bulbs in Barangay San Marcos in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. This is happening in many other places, and we will make it happen everywhere in our country.

Government agencies are now focused on realizing this; they are working together to creatively solve the problems that have long plagued our country.

Have we not had flooding problems, which we know are caused by the incessant and illegal cutting down of trees? The old solution: A tree-planting photo opportunity, whose sole beneficiaries are politicians who want to look good. They plant trees, but they do not ensure that the trees would remain standing after they leave.

One of the possible solutions we are studying is to make the stewardship of these trees beneficial to communities. They will be given coffee and cacao seeds to plant. While they wait for harvest, they will receive stipends for safeguarding the trees planted to mitigate flooding. We are looking at informal settlers, who are currently crammed into our cities, as possible beneficiaries of this program. We will be investing in the people, even as we invest in the environment.

Who could have thought that little over a year ago, we could accomplish this? Today, we dream; one day soon, these dreams will be a reality.

This same creativity is in display with the innovations that are already being implemented. We have developed low-cost traps that kill mosquito larvae, probably contributing to the nearly fourteen percent decrease in dengue incidents; coconut coir fibers that are normally just disposed of have been used as a cost-effective way to strengthen our roads; we have landslide sensors that warn when soil erosion has reached dangerous levels; we have developed early flood warning systems for riverside communities. All of these are products of Filipino creativity.
DOST and UP have even teamed up to develop a prototype monorail system, which could potentially provide a home grown mass transport solution that would cost us as little as 100 million pesos per kilometer, much cheaper than the current cost of similar mass transit systems. The potential savings could result in more kilometers of cheap transport, decongesting our urban centers and allowing rural communities easier access to centers of commerce and industry.

Let me reiterate: These proposals were developed by Filipinos for Filipinos. Do you remember the time when we were unable to even dream of these kinds of projects? I am telling you now: We can dream about them, we are capable of achieving them, and we will achieve them. Isn’t it great to be a Filipino living in these times?

All of these things we are doing will be wasted if we do not do something to end the culture of corruption.

To my colleagues in public service, from those at the top and to every corner of the bureaucracy: Do we not feel the pride that working in government now brings? That, now, we are proud to be identified as workers in government? Will we waste this honor?
I call on our Local Government Units: Those of you who are in the best position to understand the needs of your constituents can expect greater freedom and empowerment. But we trust that in providing for your communities, you will remain committed to the straight path, and will not lose sight of the interest of the whole nation.

For instance, there are some municipalities that want to tax the electricity transmission lines that run through their jurisdictions. Although this will augment local coffers, the rest of the Filipino people will have to deal with higher electricity rates. Let us try to balance the interests of our constituencies with that of the nation as a whole.

It is imperative that our programs remain in sync, because the progress of the entire country will also redound to progress for your communities. Let us do away with forward planning that only looks as far as the next election, and think of the long-term national good.

Ultimately, we have to unite and work together towards this progress. I thank the Congress for passing laws regarding GOCC Governance, ARMM Synchronization, Lifeline Electricity Rates Extension, Joint Congressional Power Commission Extension, Children and Infants’ Mandatory Immunization, and Women Night Workers.

Last year, Congress demonstrated their support by approving the budget even before the year ended. The timely passage of the budget allowed projects to be implemented more quickly. Tomorrow we will deliver to Congress our budget proposal for 2012. I look forward once again to its early passage so that we can build on our current momentum.

We have already made progress, but we must remember: This is only the beginning, and there is much left for us to do. Allow me to present to Congress some of the measures that will bring us closer to the fulfillment of our pledge to the nation.

We aim to give due compensation to the victims of Martial Law; to grant our house help the salaries and benefits that they deserve; and to improve the system that awards pensions to our retired soldiers. We likewise support the expansion of the scope of scholarships granted by DOST to outstanding yet underprivileged students; the advancement of universal quality healthcare; the responsible management of the environment; and the formation of facilities that will ensure the safety of our citizens during times of great need and calamity.

Our agenda also includes the development of BuCor, NBI, NEA, and PTV 4, so that, instead of lagging behind the times, they will better fulfill their mandate of public service.

Not everything we want to do will be explained today, but I invite you to read the budget message, which contains a more comprehensive plan for the coming year.

Some of my critics say that I take this campaign against corruption personally. It’s true: doing what’s right is personal. Making people accountable—whoever they may be—is personal. It should be personal for all of us, because we have all been victimized by corruption.

What is wrong remains wrong, regardless of how long it has been allowed to persist. We cannot simply let it pass. If we ignore the crimes of the past, they will continue to haunt us. And if we do not hold people accountable, then they will do it again and again.

The truth is, we have uncovered so many anomalies. In PAGCOR, the previous management apparently spent one billion pesos on coffee alone. At one hundred pesos per cup, that would be ten million cups of coffee over the last several years. Where did all that coffee go? Who drank it? Perhaps we can find the people who consumed all that coffee and ask if they have been able to sleep in the last few years.

When the new Ombudsman, former Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, takes office, we will have an honest-to-goodness anti-corruption office, not one that condones the corruption and abuses in government. I expect that this year, we will have filed our first major case against the corrupt and their accomplices. And these will be real cases, with strong evidence and clear testimonies, which will lead to the punishment of the guilty.

We are aware that the attainment of true justice does not end in the filing of cases, but in the conviction of criminals. I have utmost confidence that the DOJ is fulfilling its crucial role in jailing offenders, especially in cases regarding tax evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, graft and corruption, and extrajudicial killings.

We are not leaving anything to chance; good governance yields positive results. Think about it: We have realized our promise of providing the public with the services that it needs and implementing programs to help the poor without having to raise our taxes.

This has always been the plan: to level the playing field; to stop the abuse of authority; and to ensure that the benefits of growth are available to the greatest number.

We have put an end to the culture of entitlement, to wang-wang: along our roads, in government, in our society as a whole. This will bring confidence that will attract business; this will also ensure that the people’s money is put in its rightful place: Funding for infrastructure that will secure the sustained growth of the economy, which will then give rise to jobs, and public service that guarantees that no one will be left behind. More opportunities for livelihood will be opened by tourism; the strengthening of our agriculture sector will ensure that every Filipino will have food on his table. We will invest on those who were once neglected. All this will create a cycle wherein all available jobs are filled, and where businesses flourish through the empowerment of their consumers.

I am aware that, until now, there are still a few who complain about our style of governance. But you have seen our style, and its ensuing results. You have seen their style, and, especially, where that took us. Anyone with their eyes open can clearly see which is right.

We are steering our government in a clear direction. A country where opportunity is available; where those in need are helped; where everyone’s sacrifices are rewarded; and where those who do wrong are held accountable.

I remember a woman warning me during the campaign: “Noy, be careful, you will be stepping on many toes.”

Sometimes, I do worry about what I am doing. But I am heartened because you are with me, and we stand on the side of what is right.

I thank the priests and bishops who have continued to dialogue with us, like Cardinals Rosales and Vidal. Cardinal Rosales and I may not be the closest of friends, but I believe that he did all that he could to reduce the tensions between the church and the government. The election of Archbishop Palma, defender of human rights and of the environment, as head of the CBCP only bolsters my confidence that the state and the clergy will be able to engage each other in a positive manner. I likewise thank my Cabinet, who have sacrificed their personal comfort to fulfill the national agenda. I give special mention to PAGASA, who now truly delivers reliable advice and warnings during times of calamity.

And to those who may resist the change we are trying to bring about, this I say to you: I know what I must do, and my personal interests are nothing when compared to the interests of the nation. There are many of us who want what is right for this country; and there are more of us than you. To those of you who would turn back the tide of reform: you will not succeed.
To those who have chosen to tread the straight and righteous path alongside us: it is you who created this change, and it is you who will bequeath our success to your children. To the jeepney driver plying his route; to the teachers and students coming home from class; to the artists whose work inspires our sense of nationhood; to our policemen, our soldiers, our street sweepers, and our firemen; to you who work with honor, in the Philippines, in the oceans, or in other countries; our colleagues in government who stand steadfast with us, whatever province you come from, whatever party you belong to; every Filipino listening to me now—you made this happen.

You created a government that truly works for you. We still have five years left to ensure that we will not return to what once was. We will not be derailed, especially now that what we have begun has yielded so many positive results.

If you see a loophole in the system, do not take advantage of it. Let us not acquire through patronage what we can acquire through hard work. No more cheating, no more taking advantage of others, no more one-upmanship—because in the end we will all realize our shared aspirations.

Let us end the culture of negativism; let us uplift our fellow Filipinos at every opportunity. Why are there people who enjoy finding fault in our country, who find it so hard—as though it were a sin—to say something nice? Can we even remember the last time we praised a fellow Filipino?

Let us stop pulling our fellow man down. Let us put an end to our crab mentality. Let us make the effort to recognize the good that is being done.

If you see something right, do not think twice—praise it. If you see a policeman directing traffic, coatless beneath the rain—go to him and say, “Thank you.”

If you fall sick, and you see your nurse caring for you, when she could easily be treating foreigners for a higher salary—say, “Thank you.”

Before you leave school for home, approach your teacher who chose to invest in your future—say, “Thank you.”

If you chance upon your local leader on a road that was once riddled with holes, but is now smooth and sturdy—go to him and say, “Thank you, for the change you have brought.”
And so, to the Filipino nation, my Bosses who have steered us toward this day: Thank you very much for the change that is now upon us.

The Philippines and the Filipino people are, finally, truly alive.

The first thing to rave about the Xperia Arc is its metallic concave body ( that’s why it’s called the Arc). I give it lots of pogi points for its form factor. I’d easily call this the Porsche of androids at the moment. It’s been almost three months since it was launched. I wonder if the introductory price of P29,990 in the Philippines has gone down.

The pitfall of this phone is its battery life which seems to get drained very easily. But I compared notes with users of other smartphones and they said it is already a way of life with such feature-packed devices. However (and the big HOWEVER) is that this is not the same case with the Samsung Galaxy S II which I am using at the moment. I am not encountering the same problem with the Galaxy S II which has a better battery power.

It helps if you’ve had experience with an Android phone when you’re using the Arc, although it’s also no problem if you’re a first-time user of the OS. The Xperia Arc runs the Android 2.3 Gingerbread version with 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8250 Snapdragon computing power. Default applications that go with this smartphone include Youtube, Google Maps, Office Suite (for viewing office documents), Google Talk, Media Server, Track ID and countless more in the Android market.

I tried playing the built-in games Let’s Golf and Asphalt 5 which looked larger-than-life in the 480 x 854 pixel screen with multi-touch. I just have to say that the big 4.2 inch screen in this phone is one of its assets and it makes me feel that am carrying a high-def TV in my pocket. I believe the SE folks call this Reality Display. They’ve also put in the phone features that used to be found only in their highly-acclaimed Sony TVs like the Mobile Bravia Engine for superior image quality whether you’re viewing Youtube or engaged in Angry Birds.

Photo below shows the Xperia Arc back-to-back with the Sony Bravia TV just so you have an idea about their respective image qualities

The browser interface in this phone is also a breeze since I can just pinch, zoom and swish like I do with my iPod Touch or current entry-level Android. Timescape is worth mentioning since it aggregates feeds from my social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and they appear like a deck of cards on the main screen. However, this can also be quite discomforting since there are some unnecessary feeds from friends I don’t like to get updates on.

The next best thing about this phone is its 8.1 megapixel camera which is capable of shooting great photos even under low-light conditions, thanks to Sony’s Exmor R CMOS camera sensor. I found this out for myself while covering this year’s Bb. Pilipinas grand coronation night. The cam in the phone is already as good as having a separate entry-level digital camera with features like crop, rotate, and share to social networking sites like Facebook. My only complaint really is the camera button which is hard to press. It is also a pity that such a great cam phone cannot zoom in or out because it is auto focus.

Here are the other specifications of the Xperia Arc: weight of 117 grams, dimensions of 2.5 x 4.9x 0.34 inches, screen with shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant mineral glass, quadband GSM, 8GB microSD expandable to 32GB, ports for microUSB, microHDMI and 3.5 mm headphone jack, as well as the usual Bluetooth, wifi and aGPS.

Having worked in the industry myself, I know for a fact that stories are sometimes “planted” to lobby for something, influence public opinion or favor a high-spending advertiser.

And now it seems Facebook has been caught with its pants down when it was identified as the one “feeding” anti-Google stories to the media. Worse, Facebook has admitted to the deed, citing Google’s infringement of Facebook data and privacy concerns in the social networking tool called Social Circle which Google is implementing. Observers have since then said that FB’s fears are largely “unfounded.”

The whole brouhaha came about when blogger Christopher Soghoian exposed a series of emails sent to him by Facebook’s blue chip PR Burson-Marsteller (through John Mercurio) on an op-ed opportunity entitled ” Google Quietly Launches Sweeping Violation of User Privacy.” Get an idea of their email exchange in this screenshot.

Note that Burson-Marsteller didn’t identify its client but a little sleuthing and it was soon found out that BM was working in behalf of Facebook.

Read more about this whole story in The Daily Beast

If I were Mark Zuckerberg, I’d sooner replace Burson-Marsteller for being careless and leaving digital footprints like that!

Even in the Philippines, it’s kinda appalling how big, supposedly techie, multinational companies rely on (mostly) traditional PR agencies with little digital know-how. Check them out ….

1. Do they still print out their press kit photos in 6 x 4 matte finish?

2. Do the pictures they enclose in flash drives a high-res 10MB or a web-friendly 600KB?

3. How’s their media/blogger list … is it composed of biggies or mostly underlings & unknowns?

4. Does your PR know basic digital terms like SEO, WP plugins and landing page?

5. How’s their website? Are people enthusiastic enough to like and comment on their company Facebook page?

Just saying!

“Now every Juan can fly!” so says a familiar ad by Cebu Pacific, now the leading carrier in terms of passenger volume.

But the question is: how safely are we flying?

It came as quite a shock to me to read the well-researched, comprehensive report by PSA (Pacific Strategies & Assessments), an international business risk consultancy group on the Philippine civil aviation industry. PSA feeds information to its high-profile clients which include multinational corporations. So yes, they must know what they’re saying.:D

The salient points of what they say are the ills plaguing the aviation industry:

Insufficient aircraft care and maintenance. Honestly, I never thought there’s a Bangkal or Banawe style of maintenance in the airline industry. But according to the report, “approximately 10% of civil aviation parts in use are counterfeit.”

“Currently in the Philippines, there are no government enforced requirements for tracking aircraft parts from their manufacturing source to the airline that purchases them, which allows unscrupulous air carriers to acquire and employ counterfeit parts. The more dated the fleet, particularly over 15 years, the more likely the counterfeit, unapproved, and perhaps faulty parts are being used because certified aircraft vendors no longer produce replacements,” the report said.

Diploma mills. It is true that a substantial number of foreigners go to the Philippines to study flying. The demand of the profession has also spawned corruption in some aviation training schools which have been found to have issued fake commercial pilot licenses to insufficiently-trained students. No less than CAAP has also uncovered irregularities in the conduct of airmen’s examinations.

Poor runway infrastructure. According to the report: “The Philippines currently ranks last among the ASEAN-6 in the World Economic Forum index on air transport infrastructure. There are only four airports in the Philippines with runways capable of hosting an emergency landing from an aircraft the size of Boeing 777 or larger. The majority of regional airport runways are not fitted with lights to accommodate night or poor visibility landings. (Reports) of runway deterioration have caused flight delays, cancellations, and even minor accidents.”

Our air traffic management system and navigational aids are obsolete. “Reportedly, over 50% (of the NavAids) have already reached their 15-year serviceable life and are due for replacement while all of them are past due for calibration,” the report added.

Pollution and weather. Symbols of bad weather such as typhoons, flooding and strong winds can cause flight cancellations. Widespread air pollution causes a situation where ” visibility is reduced by 50% upon entering Manila airspace, making landing a plane using visual techniques difficult and dangerous.”

Plagued by politics, lack of oversight and efficient regulatory supervision on the part of the government aviation bodies, the Philippines has seen its international aviation ratings drop immensely. PAL’s flights within the US were limited and no Philippine carrier has been allowed to fly to Europe. This, in turn, has impacted greatly on Philippine tourism and the number of tourists coming into the country.

1. Explore a new gadget. The bad thing with gadgets is that they
easily get outdated, the good thing is that we’re assured of better
versions each time.One thing for sure, 2011 is going to be another
revolutionary time for the industry. I am still getting comfortable
with my 2010 Christmas gift, the Apple iPad 64gb, and I hear already
that there’s a new IPad coming up. Oh well….

2. Donate your techno garbage. If you’re blessed with high-tech
thingamajigs, why not give some of it back to the less fortunate,
unless what you really want to do is build a museum. There’s always
some remote classroom or poor teenage kid who’d want to get their
hands on the old Pentium lappy or Nokia 3210 of yore. Another option
is to join the recycling program of major malls like Ayala and SM.

3. Learn a geeky skill. Something I’ve put on my list of resolutions
this year is to figure out WordPress coding by reading how-to’s in
codex. org. It must have been the offshoot of hearing all those
experts utter geekspeak in WordCamp.Start small by mastering the
buttons in your digicam or tinkering with the numerous apps in your
smartphone. You’re on your way to geekery in no time.

4. Launch a blog. Even though it’s already 2011, it’s not too late to
start. You can still make money if you specialize in uncommon niches
like real estate, DIY, computer tablets, android phones etc. And the
good thing with being a blogger these days is that you get invited to
events, review products and score freebies.

5. Be a Facebook, Twitter or Youtube superstar. Supposing you didn’t
make it big in blogging, there’s still plenty of room for domination
via the social media. And the good thing with sites like Youtube, you
can be an overnight sensation. Just don’t do something notorious like
falling off the train tracks or romping around in your birthday
clothes in Boracay.

6. Read up as much on tech-related things. Websites like Engadget, Gizmodo and ReadWriteWeb should be up there on your feed reader. Or better yet, make sure you buy a copy of MB Technews every Monday and Wednesday (ahem!) for the latest gadgets to rock the Philippines!

7. Attend IT/tech events. These days, there are lots of ‘em happening around town: not just the usual consumer electronics shows but also blog parties, digital marketing seminars, and toycons. Make sure to be updated on the events happening in the big venues like Word Trade Center and SMX Convention Center. Lest we forget, a true techie grills the salesman on functions and specifications of a device, even if it’s just a good, ol’ appliance fair in Glorietta.

8. Meet or adopt a guru. So yes, maybe most of us can’t meet Steve Jobs in our lifetime. But it’s not yet too late to follow and look up to somebody for inspiration on leading a techie life.Thank God, most of today’s biggies have their own websites (even Bill Gates) and we can easily be updated on them by subscribing through email. The people we look up to are just a Twitter or Facebook “add friend” away!

9. Bone up on new words. Corollary to learning a new skill or reading tech bibles, learning the new words of the decade are a must. Be warned, most of them are updated as the months go by. As such, last year’s Froyo might already be obsolete by next quarter. At the risk of being called a jejemon, make friends with words like apps, retweet, OEM and even 802.11g

10. Get away from technology, even for just a bit. Yes, I am contradicting myself here. But our life is so tech-dependent that it would be good to get away from tweets and Facebook notifications, even for just 24 hours. Technology can be so overwhelming that planning a perfect escape is so tempting: just chilling out on a remote beach with no cell signal, looking at the moon and sipping ice-cold margarita. So sue me!:)

Greenhills also equals food. The whole area is peppered with restaurants boasting of good food to try. And at present, one resto packs them in – Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao which is an overseas branch (franchise?) of a chain based in Singapore.

We arrived at Crystal Jade about 5 p.m. and there were already people seated outside & waiting to be seated inside. Ugh. I got a number which indicated our place in the queue and went to shop in V-Mall. Wow. I couldn’t recognize Virra Mall anymore, which was quite popular in the 80s and 90s, before the advent of the present day supermalls.

Alas! After close to one hour of gallivanting in V Mall, our turn to be seated in Crystal Jade was yet to come. In fact, it was close to 30 minutes after arriving from the mall before we were let in. Or one and a half hours of waiting, overall. It was a good thing that we can see the chefs doing their work by the glass window. At this point in time when Crystal Jade is new and very much in-demand, eating here is not for the hungry or impatient

I got feedback from my friends that service during Crystal Jade’s first opening days was really bad. But it wasn’t so during our visit. The waitstaff were attentive and service was fast, so fast in fact that the first to arrive in our table was the dessert

The red bean paste pancake (P128) was worth trying out, especially as I love red bean or azukin, in Japanese cuisine.

I liked the deep-fried souffle ball with red bean paste better (P138). I couldn’t quite forget the fluffiness of its dough which melted in my mouth like marshmallows.

For the appetizers, we had cold cucumber with minced garlic in sesame oil (P180) and the smoked fish (P188). They were good, although I was quite taken aback with the fish, since it was served cold. Maybe that was how it should be.

For a place like Crystal Jade, it’s a sin not to try their house specialty, steamed soupy pork dumpling or xiao long bao (P158). So I placed an order good for five pieces. But perhaps, Crystal Jade wasn’t prepared for somebody like me who just tasted the divine dumplings of the original Din Tai Fung. Their xiao long bao fell short of my expectations because it wasn’t soupy enough and the steamed wrapper seemed too thick. Hopefully, the lack of ‘soupiness’ and texture isn’t consistent for all the servings. Maybe the kitchen was just rushing too much that night.

The rest of the dimsum, like the pan-fried Shanghai pork bun and the deep-fried scallion pastry didn’t make too much of an impression either.

To be fair, we did like the main courses and their la mian or noodles. I was restraining myself from ordering fried rice, even though the kids had it steamed. I had my tasty fresh shrimp wanton soup (P150) while hubby had his noodle in spicy & sour soup ( P288). Imagine the latter to be the usual hot and sour soup with noodles in thick sauce. It was actually very good.

I was actually at a loss on what to order for the kids who were used to their kiddie comfort food (read: spaghetti & fried chicken). But the sauteed chicken with sweet & sour sauce (P288) was a good alternative.

I also couldn’t get enough of their sauteed string bean & minced pork (P248).

The overall ambiance of the place reminded me of Hong Kong. Even the noise of the diners enjoying their food (it was mostly the Filipino-Chinese crowd that night!) The one bad thing is that the toilet is still being constructed, so you’d have to make a walk to V-Mall itself, when nature calls. However, I’d readily go back to this place to savor more of their food. Hopefully, there’d be less crowds, and the serving of xiao long bao will be better

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Ground Floor, V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan City
Tel. No. 570-6910, 570-6912
Operating hours: 11 am to 10 pm

In five years, Marketmanila’s stats are certainly impressive, with 2,700 posts logged and an Alexa traffic rank of 73,942 (which effectively puts it among the top 73,000++ websites in the world). I am truly amazed at the number of blog posts he’s written because in my five years of blogging, I’ve only made 1,001 posts and I feel I’ve worked like a carabao already.:D I guess that when you pursue something with such a passion, blogger burnout is bound to happen. And in such a case, it is well-advised to take a much-deserved rest. It is true that we can only blog ardently at the expense of other things in life we need to do, and sometimes, difficult choices have to be made.

I’ve featured Marketmanila in my Manila Bulletin column Blog-O-Rama and while looking for it in my Gmail archives, I found it creepy that I submitted the column on September 2, 2006 (!) and four years later, on September 2, 2010, Marketman would announce his sabbatical (or not) from blogging.

Here’s the transcript of that article and email interview entitled “The Marketman’s Passion for Food”

The blog world only knows him as the Marketman. For someone who “once flipped hamburgers and fried thousands of pounds of French fries” as a sideline in Boston, his website is surprisingly about the good life, and good food. It seems there is no restaurant, no hideaway, no nook in the world he will not visit in order to indulge in his all-consuming passion for gastronomy. And for sure, his countless readers are grateful enough to learn about treasured recipes, tips, latest foodie discoveries, and insights on global cuisine which the well-traveled Marketman abundantly shares in his site, aptly titled “Marketmanila.” It has become so popular that even foreign readers are taking notice, and has decidedly given dining in Manila and the much-neglected Filipino cookery a new face. More in the following interview:

Q. Please tell us something about yourself
 
A. I once flipped hamburgers and fried thousands of pounds of French fries at a fast food outlet to help fund my undergraduate degree in Finance when I lived in Boston.  I worked as a corporate banker and management consultant and “retired” in my late 30’s.  I say exactly what I want to say and I often get kicked by my wife under the table for saying it… Despite being totally logical and rational by nature, I am a LEO and DRAGON and I read my horoscope…   

Q. What compelled you to start a blog?

A. Food is a personal passion second only to my family.  In 2004, I discovered several other interesting food blogs and I thought I could do an interesting one based out of Manila.  I never thought it would go on this long or reach so many readers around the globe.  The final push to do a website came from good friends.

Q. Please tell us something about the design and concept of your blog and the blogging system you are using.
 
A. I wanted Marketmanila to be as “clean” as possible.  Lots  of white space, lots of content, little if any clutter.  I wanted to have several photos per post.   I use WordPress to blog, but to be honest, since I consider myself a technology-deficient individual, I got an expert to help me create and maintain the site.

 Q.You write almost daily, if not everyday. What motivates you?
 
A. I am obsessive-compulsive by nature.  Once on a roll, I like to roll even faster, better, more often.  Though I often have several dozen posts in my “backlog,” I find that I blog best when I blog about something that is very current – unique produce I spotted at the market that morning, a dish that tasted brilliant at lunch or a service fiasco that got me so hot and bothered that I tapped out a thousand words before pausing for a Diet Coke.  

Q. What advice can you give aspiring and existing bloggers on blogging successfully and consistently? What do you think are the qualities of a good blogger?

A. Readers are looking for the “personality” of the blog.  If it is one they like, they come back repeatedly.  If the personality of the blog doesn’t suit them, they never come back.  However, as a community of readers grows, you need to feed your blog often if you want it to grow and prosper!

Q. There’s no Google AdSense running in your blog. Why?
 
A. I always thought taking advertisements or having a commercial side to Marketmanila.com would ruin its “personality.”  I once toyed with the idea of using the phrase “Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?…Marketmanila is fresh, finicky and free.”  I want the freedom to write exactly what I want, and I don’t want ads to stifle my freedom.
 
Q. Do you still see yourself blogging five years from now? How about blogging full-time?
 
A. I didn’t think I would last more than 300 posts but I have just written my 700th post in roughly 20 months of active blogging – that’s about 1 post a day.  I hope I will have evolved into other areas in 5 years.  No, I would never blog full-time, though I am close to it now!!!
 
Q. What do you find most fulfilling about blogging? Any memorable feedbacks from your readers?
 
A. I have learned a phenomenal amount from my readers and have personally pushed myself further food wise than I could have ever imagined.  Readers not only correct my posts when I am wrong or have minor errors, but more importantly, they provide valuable new information about how a dish is prepared in their province, town or home.  They introduce me to new ingredients and methods of preparing a dish.  They give interesting suggestions, ask good questions and often know much more about a topic than I will ever learn…  I also feel like I am becoming a part of their day…how bizarre is that???

Q. What do you think are the elements of a great food blog?

 A. A good food blog makes you salivate.  It unlocks a special childhood memory or taste. It gets your heart pumping a little faster when you read a rant.  It gets you to try and eat or cook new things.  It has superb photographs.  And it must possess the personality of its author. My friends who know me well and who read my blog say it reads exactly like I talk.
 
Q. What do you think is the role of your blog in promoting Philippine cuisine?
 
A. With over 1.5 million page views in the past 20 months, I hope many Filipinos and foreigners alike, at home and abroad, see many classic and invented Filipino inspired dishes prepared with care and the best ingredients.  I also hope to bring a bit of home to Thousands of readers who now call a foreign country home.  
 
Q. Plans for your blog?

 A. No plans. Not sure where this will all lead…

?