Non- Smoking Campaign

"Non- Smoking Campaign"

You probably don’t realize it, but tobacco is all around you – the Philippines is known to be one of the top 20 smoking nations in the world, with at least 17.3 million Filipinos currently hooked on tobacco products.

Non-smokers aren’t safe from it either: according to 2009 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, at least 50% of Filipinos are exposed to secondhand-smoke while on public transportation, 33.6% are exposed to it in restaurants, and 39.6% are exposed to it even in their own homes. 

But tobacco companies take hold of us in other ways. Walk by any street anywhere and you are sure to be accosted by countless sari-sari store signs pushing tobacco products.

At a time where all forms of tobacco advertisement should be banned, tobacco companies circumvent these prohibitions this way: providing free store sign ages to the millions of sari-sari stores in the country, reaching the very people who ought to be protected from these dangerously suggestive tobacco advertisements – the youth.

All tobacco promotions are dangerous, but today, health advocates around the world are joining together to protest an ad campaign designed to appeal specifically to the youth.

Emer Rojas, a cancer survivor who is only able to speak because of a handheld electronic device that   replaced the functions of his vocal cords, formed NVAP in 2007 to initially         represent tobacco victim but has now covered other persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Under his helm, NVAP strongly campaigned for the passage of the sin tax law and the graphic health warning law defying a strong tobacco lobby that saw Congress bypassing these measures for many years.

With his robotic-sounding voice that made him a media magnet and a sought-after speaker in many events, Rojas also holds talks in campus to reach out to young Filipinos and raise their awareness on the harmful effects of smoking.

In the 2012 Senate hearing on the sin tax, Rojas led NVAP members who lined up and removed the coverings on their necks to expose the hole created by the removal of their vocal cords due to smoking.

Considered as a landmark measure, the sin tax targets reducing the Philippines’ smoking prevalence from 31 percent to 27 percent with an estimated two million smokers quitting and saving 63,000 lives.

Turn Left Turn Right

" TURN LEFT TURN RIGHT" 

The story is based on the illustrated book A Chance of Sunshine by Taiwanese author Jimmy Liao, who makes a cameo appearance with his wife and daughter in the film. It is also the first Chinese Language Asian film ever from produced and distributed by Warner Bros. 

The original graphic novel was first published in 1999. The characters in the novel were not given names, both characters were only refereed to as "him" and "her". Chinese title of the book translates to "Turn Left, Turn Right", A Chance of Sunshine is the original English title of the book, on the newer published editions the English title is shown as "Turn Left, Turn Right". The book consists of a series of detailed illustrated images, with a small amount of text in poetry style. The film has managed to include every single image in the book with a high level of accuracy, although some are fleeting.

“Turn Left, Turn Right” is a delightful though conventional romantic comedy that fits the talents and appearances of its two stars perfectly. Gigi Leung and Kaneshiro Takeshi are so beautiful that we know they will wind up together at the end of the movie no matter what temporary obstacles the filmmakers throw in their way. Their physical beauty is played for all it is worth by cinematographers To Hung-Mo and Cheng Siu-Keung—they are always lit and framed perfectly. The entire technical team did a wonderful job with “Turn Left, Turn Right”: the set designer created adjoining apartments with a shared wall that allowed both stars to be in the same frame although separated from each other; the make-up people made Leung and Kaneshiro look ill—but still devastating—for much of the movie; the editing was spot on, particularly the cross-cutting between the two of them while their apartments or to underline how they were thinking of each other. Both John Liu and Eve Choi perform and interpret highly charged romantic European art—he is a violinist whose favorite piece is Edward Elgar’s “Six Very Easy Pieces” even though he makes his living playing in a restaurant, she translates German horror fiction into Chinese but wants to translate the Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska whose work, at least the few lines presented here, sounds like it came straight from the nineteenth century. Both want to leave Taipei—actually leave Asian completely. He wants to play for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra while she realizes that she must move to New York City for her  literary career to flourish.

Ang Tatay mong Kalbo

" Ang Tatay mong Kalbo"

Ang Tatay mong Kalbo was performed by Teatre' Phileo from Asia Pacific College last   

October 9, 2015 at MPH 1. Honestly, I don't really understand the play. But I find it 

interesting when the characters are starting to throw some jokes on the audience and the 

way they act is perfect. I would say that it is well prepared. Even though I did not 

understand anything I appreciate the efforts of the students in making the play possible. I 

bet that it's not an easy task to memorize bunch of scripts for a 2 hour play. I myself is 

having a hard time memorizing some poems I suppose or any written papers for example   

for a report. We may find it hard to think on what was the idea of their play. But what's 

important is the question about, is there are part of the play that might be useful for us 

in the near future? because it's not about how they performed the play well, it's about 

what was the lesson that we can get there. I hope there will be more plays or 

performances that the Teatre' Phileo would do for entertainment of course. I'm looking 

forward to it.

Heneral Luna

" HENERAL LUNA"

Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.

In 1898, General Antonio Luna ( John Arcilla ), commander of the revolutionary army, is spoiling for a fight. The Philippines, after three hundred years as a Spanish colony, has unwillingly come under American rule. General Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States. The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge ahead even as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only to President Aguinaldo ( Mon Confiado ). Ultimately, it is the general’s legendary temper and pride that bring him to his death when a pack of presidential guards assassinate him in broad daylight. While American newspapers are quick to point the blame to Aguinaldo, the mystery has never been completely solved and the General’s killers were never put to justice.

This film was directed by Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna is a 2015 Filipinio historical biopic film depicting General Antonio Luna’s leadership of the Philippine revolutionary Army during the Philippine- American war. Mr. John Arcilla did a good job in characterizing Heneral Luna. It’s not an easy task to do because in order to be Heneral Luna you need to be brave enough to face challenges just like our hero did during his era. 

The Story of My Life

Hi! 

My name is Greg, but my whole name is Greg Cenon M. Andaman. 

I come from a family of seven composed of my Dad, my Mom, Three brothers and my little, not so little, sister. My hobbies include collecting miniaturized cars, tamia racing sets, and vape. I do play guitar a little piano and a very mild knowledge on drums. I sing with my mom and my friends as my vocal coach and my main audience is my showerhead. I like fixing cars hanging around jamming with my bros while knocking back a couple of bruskies and I do not know why but, I find doing my errands very satisfying. I am the second eldest of us five kids

My older brother, which is also named GREG, is currently in his undertaking towards his dream of becoming a doctor in Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation in Fairview, Quezon City. It’s Funny because, he would like to be the type of doctor that would serve the simplest of Filipino people specifically those in the rural areas which medical care is very scarce but, in his current condition he could not stand living without an air conditioning unit to put him to sleep in the hot and humid nights here in our country. But sometimes he does try sleeping without the cold air nestling him to sleep and I have no further feedback as to how that went.

So next is the third which, apparently, is also named GREG. This Greg is currently taking his pre-medical course which is Physical Therapy in the University of Santo Thomas in Sampaloc Manila. this greg has a different path from the first and second (thats me) greg because, after he was exposed to the different opportunities internationally he decided to finish his PT course and migrate to the United States to practice his profession there for the reason that, he doesn't like how the Philippines is in its state right now and that no matter how hard he tries to be successful it’s only the government who will dictate who succeeds or not. Yes, they say hard work pays off, but I see my brother’s point, it doesn’t apply to this country.

And then here comes the fourth GREG. I’ll explain that later but first, let me tell you about the last greg in our family. This greg is a dice that is rolled, a dart shot in the sky, a very unpredictable person. He is the youngest greg in our family so far since none of us has kids yet so no one had the opportunity to name their kids all greg also. Hahahaha. On the serious note. He just entered college this year in the De La Salle University main in Taft as an accountancy student. But the way he is as a person is exceptional compared to us, his brothers. You’ll need to get to know him to understand what I mean.

And the last but never the least is our little, not so little, sister. Don’t worry her name is not greg or gregoria or anything that sounds similar to greg. Her name is Annie, short for Anastasia. She is our most precious diamond. She is loved by every one of us because, she is just a sweetheart.  And I hope she reads this and bake me my favorite cheese cake haha. My sister is the awesome”est” sister in the whole world we would go shopping together, watch a movie, eat out that’s also why I don’t need to get into serious relationships because I got my sister to hang out with. She loves our parents and us, her brothers, which she takes care of our tummies by baking us the best cakes and pastries that we have ever tasted. She will grow up to be somebody not just anybody but, somebody someday.

Okay so I guess now it’s time to explain about the GREG thing. Well first of it’s because my dad’s name is GREGorio so yeah… I guess that explains it.

That’s just me.