Update: Plastic Ordinance in Bacolod

After all the talk about the huge plastic ordinance that was set to take place on November 23, there has been very little changed since then.

Apparently, after all the articles in the newspapers, none bothered to mention that only sando bags were being made illegal on November 23. The rest of the ordinance will start to take place over a period of time (when? how long?). No one apparently knows when the other part of the ordinance will start to take place. However, nothing has seemed to change.

The only shop that has switched from plastic bags so far seems to be UniCity (if you haven't bought your Christmas tree yet, but it from there! It's the cheapest in town). UniCity is now using paper bags. Of course, the paper is very low quality, but apparently, that's all they could find in such a short notice from the city government.

As far as changes at Central Market and Libertad, there hasn't been any. The "sando bags" the government was so ready to get rid of were already almost non-existent. Therefor, nothing has yet to change as far as environment protection.

McDonald's has also changed from plastic take away bags to using paper.

Update Dec. 3, 2012
Some changes have been made at Libertad and Central Market regarded certain types of bags. Now rice is being put in clear plastic without handles. I suggest everyone to bring their own bags when going to Libertad or Central Market!

Poor Customer Service Nationwide

Have you ever been to a restaurant, ordered a value meal, and then you were told that they didn't have soda/ice/burger and went on to tell you to instead order tea/hot drink/chicken only to be charged extra?

Have you ever stayed in an unclean hotel room and told that they will clean it, only to later be told that they only clean once a day and 'you missed it'?

Have you ever tried to shop at a mall only to be ignored by the helpers?

Have you ever been to a restaurant, store, or hotel where all the workers are standing and talking instead of doing their job?

These are only a few of the many problems consumers face when traveling and shopping in the Philippines. Poor customer service is one of the many aspects about the Philippines that holds the country back from receiving more tourists.

Of course, these aren't the only problems consumers face.

Businesses constantly demean their customers by lying, giving the wrong prices, gossiping, and being rude.

Filipinos, in their ever non-confrontational ways, ignore the problems they face daily. Instead of changing things for the better, they ignore it and hope things will change on their own.

But they won't.

Things do not change unless you are active doing it. The next time this happens, talk to the manager. Tell them you demand better service since you are a paying customer.

Foreigners do not put up with these actions in their home countries and they definitely do not put up with it in the Philippines. So why do Filipinos?

If the Philippines want more tourists, they will have to change this.

Be Proud of Nature's Village Resort, Bacolodnons!

Nature's Village Resort has been named as one of the world's top 10 eco-friendly resorts by Agoda (a hotel booking website). Of course, the grading scale wasn't only about the environment. It was also about dining, cleanliness, and food. As well, it only used customer reviews.

Nonetheless, it's great news. In 2010, Nature's Village Resort won the ASEAN Green Star Hotel Award. Therefore, it's not exactly far-fetched to think that it deserves the honor.

30% of Filipinos Don't Have Toilets

UNICEF says that 26 million people in the Philippines don't have toilets. This should be the number one thing discussed in the media and the number one political issue in the Philippines. Is it, though? Nope.

The article states:

Households without proper toilets are mostly found in Masbate, Northern Samar, and provinces in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Gnilo said, citing studies.

Drugs in Bacolod

Every now and then you'll find an article in the newspapers or on television detailing a drug bust in the Philippines. Actually, lately it has been about once a week I find something like this.

Sadly, it is purely for show.

Everyone (OK, most people) know exactly where to get the drugs. If you ride Mandalagan or Bata jeepneys you might have even seen them buy it (either around the Plaza or at the Lagoon). It's in daylight. Everyone is around. Jeepney is full. Yet, the jeepney driver has no problem calling over his drug dealer (usually a pedicab driver) and handing him money and receiving a small piece of paper with his drugs inside over.

Of course, everyone also knows about the other locations where drugs are dealt. See pedicabs in a weird place? See tricycles in a weird place where they aren't allowed to transfer passengers? Likely they are there because they are dealing drugs. Actually, I've noticed that most pedicab drivers are doing drugs or are selling them or, at the very least, personally know someone who is dealing them.

What's sad is that no one cares. Or, at least, the government doesn't.

They put on a show for newspapers and television news programs, but in the end they do nothing about areas that have existed for years that everyone knows about.

Then, you have the problem of the rugby kids (even though many of them are actually adults). Everyone knows where they are. Everyone knows how they get it and what they use, but nothing is done. Instead, we have these homeless kids running around (and some of the girls prostituting themselves).

Nothing is done.

Bacolod government officials don't care.

Catholic Diocese of Bacolod: A Complete Joke

The Catholic Diocese of Bacolod is interesting in that it has no problem ignoring problems in the city of Bacolod nor the Philippines. As well, it loves to put Filipinos on a pedestal above other nationalities and constantly belittle Catholics abroad.

Catholic priests across Bacolod have lately taken it among themselves to talk about how little faith people in other countries have and how they have no spirituality. They talk about how people in other countries are going to church less and don't pray as much.

Instead of being self-righteous and talking down about others (which, in Bacolod there are enough foreigners to hate the priest for saying this), why not focus on the problems of Filipinos?

Instead of talking about how a person left the USA because there "wasn't enough faith" (which, the United States is one of the most faithful countries in the world according to various polls), why not talk about how Filipinos should work towards helping their fellow men? Tell them they should volunteer. Tell them they should donate their time and money to charities. Tell them to appreciate other cultures and learn about them before degrading them?

Why not talk about people caring for others? Hold the door for their fellow man.

Why not talk about people waiting in line to receive the Eucharist instead of pushing their way towards the front?

Why not talk about people actually being quiet in churches when there isn't mass so people can pray peacefully?

Why not talk more about people kneeling before getting in pews or crossing the alter?

Why not talk more about prayer and sacrifice?

It's to the point of ridiculous. They pump up Filipinos about their faith and ignore these issues. No, Filipinos are definitely not bad people. But they are humans. They sin just like everyone else. And just because they call themselves Catholic doesn't mean that they do everything with a Catholic mind.

The Diocese of Bacolod is a complete joke.

This is only about mass. We could also talk about the priests at San Sebastian driving around brand new SUVs and other vehicles while the church needs cleaned, pews need to be fixed, new windows should be put in place, and something needs to be done about the candle area.

They could also try to investigate the marriage process and fees San Sebastian tries to charge.

We could also talk about how churches in Bacolod charge for Baptisms and Confirmations when they should be free of charge since it is a Holy Rite. What right do Catholic churches have to deny a person their Holy Rite of receiving Baptism or Confirmation for the simple reason that they can't afford it? The same can be said about marriage.

The Diocese of Bacolod should be ashamed of themselves. They are not true "Catholics." The only time to listen to what they say is when they are doing mass but not during their sermons.

Prostitution in Bacolod

What's funny is that a nation of Catholics is full of so many prostitutes and nothing is done about it. Nothing is done to help them get out of their profession. Nothing is done to keep them safe. And nothing is done to keep them safe.

Just about everyone knows you can get a prostitute at the Plaza or at Goldenfields. Of course, the Plaza you pretty much have to do at night while Goldenfields is an all day free for all. Then, of course, you also have the rugby kids who are willing to prostitute themselves for a little bit of money or for drugs.

So what does the police do? About once every 6 months they round up about 20 of the prostitutes, give them HIV tests (usually a large number of them come out positive) and then send them on their way. They might receive a talking to by one of the officers (and possibly receive a couple offers).

The only reason prostitution isn't legal is because of the Catholic church. That's fine. Except if they want to keep it illegal, they should do something to help the women out.

Instead, the city does nothing. They don't have the man power to. They let them do their thing and continue to call it "bad" and "illegal".

Bacolod Earthquake 1:23PM 11/14/12

A fair sized earthquake was felt at 1:23PM and lasted for roughly 30 seconds.

Early reports state that it was also felt in Cebu. The intensity has yet to be confirmed.

1:43PM Phivolcs is stating the intensity was only a 3.0 with the epicenter at Sipalay, Negros Occidental.

1:45PM USGS says it was a 5.6 with epicenter located 4km NNW of Linaon, Philippines. (makes much more sense than Phivolcs). That's 92 kilometers southwest of Bacolod.

1:55PM USGS is calling it an intensity IV for Bacolod.

2:00PM CSEMEMSC is calling it a 5.3 with a 30 KM depth.

The Philippines: Budget English Teaching or English Teaching Gone Bad?

Recently there has been a report by the BBC on English teaching in the Philippines. Obviously, the journalist didn't do their homework. They interviewed a few teachers and staff members but didn't bother to see the true inside story.

She looked at courses in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but the programme at De La Salle was a quarter of the price of the others.

"Here it's much cheaper, and I'm really confident that the qualification I'll get is just the same," she says.

Emergency Vehicles Stuck in Traffic

Every rush hour there is a need for emergency vehicles to get to their destinations quickly to ensure the safety of the citizens of Bacolod. Sadly, they are not given the free way of travel by drivers.

This time, Bacolodnons cannot point blame at jeepney drivers. Actually, through my observance the jeepney drivers are the only ones to properly pull to the side of the road and leave the middle lanes for the emergency vehicles. Private vehicles, on the other hand, tend to not move at all and even attempt to get in front of the emergency vehicles.

The Philippines Should Celebrate Armistice Day

In many countries around the world today (November 11, 2012) the celebration of the end of World War I is taking place. Some countries call it Remembrance Day, others call it Armistice Day or Veterans Day, Poppy Day, and even others call it Anzac Day. No matter what, the celebration is the same. The day celebrates not only the end of the war, but it also celebrates military veterans.

Little is talked about in the Philippines about World War I and many don't even know that the Philippines helped contribute to the war. Nonetheless, as a territory of the United States, the Philippines created an army of 25,000 soldiers to send to Europe to help with the cause. Even though the units did not serve by themselves, they were absorbed into American units and fought alongside them.

The first Filipino to die in World War I was Private Tomas Mateo Claudio, who served in the United States Marine Corp. He died on June 29, 1918 in the Battle of Chateau Thierry in France. In 1950, Tomas Claudio Memorial College in Morong Rizal, Philippines was founded and named in his honor.

As a way to show peace happened with the help of the Philippines, to help educate young people about their great grandfather's duties during the war, and to help us remember all the brave Filipinos who have fought and died in wars to secure peace around the world, the Philippines should celebrate today and show support in bringing this day as a public holiday.

Voting: It's More Fun in the Philippines

Receive 100 pesos for voting in the Philippines, as long as it's for the candidate that pays you.

There have been various reports of jealousy in newspapers and websites by Filipinos about the US election. They look at the US election as a smooth process that lets voters see their results quickly, instead of waiting days, weeks, and sometimes months before seeing the results like here in the Philippines.

Of course, Americans don't see it the same way. They look towards Europe and see how smoothly their elections go and they are jealous of theirs. They see their own election as easily corruptible with voting machines that are easily hacked and "independent" Americans counting the votes that may not exactly be honest when doing so.

Toxic Waste Dumped in Subic

The title sounds shocking, right? News is being reported across the Philippines that US toxic waste has been dumped in Subic.

However, don't let that fool you. The United States did not dump the waste, but we all know Philippine news loves to demonize the US, so that's why "US" or "USA" or "United States of America" is in every title on every website and every television news station.

Here's who's really doing it:

SBMA records showed that wastes dumped by the tanker MT Glenn Guardian were collected from American ships that joined the recently concluded joint military exercises in the country.

The tanker is one of the vessels owned by Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a Malaysian company operating in several countries which services American ships in the Philippines.

Yep! Not American. It is actually Malaysian.

Technically, this should be a minor news story. The government and environmental agencies aren't throwing a fit because freaking toxic waste is being dumped near the Philippines. It is throwing a fit because they didn't own permits to dump it in that location. Actually, the permits would have been easy to get. They dumped it the "safe" distance away (37 kilometers). I put that in quotation marks because that is what the Philippines calls safe.

So actually, instead of the headline reading "Toxic Waste Dumped in Subic", it should be "Government and news media freaks out over company not having a permit".

If you want to throw a fit about this Malaysian company dumping toxic waste, then take it up with the Philippine government. They are the ones that allow it in the first place. You only need a permit to do it.

Philippine Aircraft to Fly in Europe and US

After several years of Philippine aircraft carriers being banned in the US and Europe, they will resume their operations in 2013.

The decision comes after new safety standards have been said to be met:

In its most recent assessment on the Philippines, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said it recognized steps taken by the Aquino administration to conform with global air travel best practices.

Should the Philippines Legalize the Death Penalty?

Lately there have been many individuals in the Philippines discussing whether or not the death penalty should be re-instated. They feel that it'll happen sooner or later, but not until after the elections.

Firstly, I'd like to clarify that I'm completely against the death penalty for any reason. Every Catholic should be. I'm of the belief that if the government kills someone, then I'm killing someone, because the people in the government represents me.

With that being said, I understand why certain people want the death penalty to exist. They see horrible crimes being committed daily on the news. They read about people under the influence of drugs raping and murdering children. They read about men killing families.

Green Energy VS Coal Energy in the Philippines

The Visayan Daily Star is reporting today more information about the Department of Energy deciding whether to build a new coal powered plant near Bacolod City or build more green energy plants.

“If we go RE, it’s going to be more expensive source of energy, so we need to keep a balance of what we can afford…and what the environment can afford,” Petilla said.

Indeed, but it's not just about the environment. The Philippines does not regulate coal mining as much as they should. Death, cancer, and other illnesses occur due to the dust particles and poor mining practices around the country.

Obama Wins Re-Election

Obama won his re-election bid in the United States. What does this mean for the Philippines? Absolutely nothing, despite what people on news programs in the Philippines think. Corruption in the Philippines will continue and the United States will continue to send aid and investment to the country. End of story.

North Point with a Big Point

The Inquirer is breaking news about the big changes happening around Talisay City. Not only will Ayala's North Point hold some of the richest residents of the island, but it will also be home to a large commercial shopping district.

The 26,725-sq-m property will have two clusters of retail establishments. A one-story building connected to the anchor supermarket, Metro Gaisano, will be situated at the northern end of the lot while a second building will feature select retail and service concepts to address the needs of the market. There will also be a mix of dining establishments with provisions for al fresco dining.

New Plastic Ordinance

A new plastic ordinance is going into effect in Bacolod on November 23, 2012. The ordinance states that shops can no longer give out plastic bags. The article listed at Sun Star says that the city will put two people in charge of carrying out the ordinance in each barangay.

Bacolod City Councilor Em Legaspi-Ang says:

We are aware of hurricane Sandy that hit America recently. Water rose in the East Coast but it subsided right away because there was no garbage clogging their waterways, unlike in the Philippines