Tony Blair in Manila Thursday, Mar 26 2009

“What’s the difference between God and Tony Blair?… God never think that he’s Tony Blair“- UK newspapers

“You’re attending his Leadership Conference? He’s the most hated man in the UK!”.  This is the reaction of the British business executive that I recently made some business deals with when I told him that I will be attending Tony Blair’s Leadership Conference in Manila.  Tony Blair, perhaps, is among the majority of world leaders who are more popular abroad than in their home country.  I had a first encounter of this “phenomenon” when I attended an international student conference abroad and several ASEAN youth leaders are all praising Pres. Fidel Ramos for instituting reforms that made the country to experience a short lived economic miracle during his term.  I couldn’t rebut and tell them that I have joined several rallies and demonstrations agains the then President Ramos.  On restrospection, he is indeed for me, so far, best  Philippine President during my lifetime.

Well, it’s not every day that a respected and distinguished, former UK Prime Minister who is credited to bring peace to Northern Ireland will come to the Philippines and give a speech.  So despite, the comment from the good British chap, I still attended the second in the series of Leadership Conferences organized by Campaigns and Grey.

The venue is the Harbor Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.  Security is tight, with no less than the Presidential Security Group ensuring that no untoward event would happen during this occasion.  In attendance are some national and local government officials, civic leaders, business leaders and students leaders.

Tony Blair exudes the charisma and wit that made him, at one time, one of the most popular world leaders.  This made me wish that I will still be able to see a Philippine President having the same appeal.

For about thirty minutes, Tony Blair discussed about his experiences as Prime Minister, from day one until the day after he stepped down from power.  He recounted the tradition of Prime Ministers kissing the hand of the Queen after their election.  He was advised by a member of the Palace court that he don’t have to kiss the Queen’s hand but he just have to brush it lightly with his lips.  Being only a few days after his election, he was so sleepy that he tripped on the carpet, dropped and kissed the Queen’s hand.  He think that perhaps the Queen is surprised on how fervent the new PM in kissing her hand.  This elicited the laughter of the audience.

In ending his speech, Tony Blair said that every leader had their day and if it is time, they should know how to move on.  He narrated about the day after he resigned as Prime Minister.  For security reasons, Tony Blair never got to use a mobile phone during his 10 years in office.  When he stepped down from power, one of the first thing he did is to get his own mobile phone.  He was so excited about it that he sent a text message to a friend.   Since he never used a mobile phone, he forgot that unless the recipient has saved his number in the recipient’s mobile phone, his name will not appear, only the number.  So when he sent a text message to his friend, he received this reply:” I’m sorry, but who are you?”  And Tony Blair quickly added, “It’s only been 24 hours!”  A lesson in humility indeed.

Here are some snippets of wisdom that I learned from Tony Blair, in his own words:

• To understand the world, you need to look at it as it was.  Not what you want it to be. To change the world, you must first understand it.
• You can’t understand the world today without including China and very soon, India.  Power is shifting to the East.  And the Philippines, being in the East, is in a very good position to take advantage of it.
• Leaders stand out when all other stand back. If you want to be popular, leadership is not for you.
• What is forgivable is to fail.  What is unforgivable is not to try.
• Agree on principles, but understand compromises.  Prepare for comprises to achieve your end.
• In this new century, there will be more than 1 superpower.
• Leaders must fight for the change they want to see.
• There can only be peace if both sides want it.
• When you first propose change, people will say, the world is ending.  When you’ve made the change, people will hate you for it. When the change it successful, people will say that it’s been always that way.
• The best alliances are based on shared purpose and value.
• Understand your opponent as another human being with a different point of view, rather than an enemy.
• Don’t lead for the sake of leading.  Lead if you want something done.
• Different faiths of the world must learn to live together in mutual respect.  Love for your fellow human being must always be your principle.

A trivia about Tony Blair.  Aside from being the youngest UK Prime Minister for the past 150 years, he’s also the only PM who had a child while still in office.   With this, he made a remark “Makes you wonder what the other prime ministers are doing?”

Tony Blair is about to receive a special recognition and award from the De La Salle University

With this scene, you can easily identified who among the audience are the Green Archers.  Tony Blair wearing the DLSU jersey given by officials from the said university.

After the speech,veteran journalist  Che-che Lazaro acted as moderator in the open forum of the conference.

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Chance for Growth Thursday, Mar 19 2009

I will not live an unlived life.

I will not live in Fear

of Falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;

to live so that which came to me as a seed

goes to the next as a blossom

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes on as a fruit-  Dawna Markova

This is a true story and I warn you, its a long one.   Cecilia and Pong are bright siblings who were born to a poor family in a slum area of Mandaluyong.  Their mother is a humble seamstress who has to work for more than 10 hours every day in a garment shop to make ends meet.  Pong’s Dad (Cecilia’s step father) is a tailor who has forgotten his responsibilities as a father and would provide money only for his own food and his share of electricity.

When Cecilia celebrated her 18th birthday, it was done under the lights of gas lamps and candles as they don’t have electricity at that time.  During college, very often, she don’t have enough money for lunch that she would content herself with bread filled with jams or fried bananas, while her classmates would help themselves with viands and rice. To help their mother augment their income, Cecilia and Pong would make paper bags from the pages of old telephone directories and sell them in a public market.  To be able to pay for the tuition fee of Cecilia in her 3rd year of college, their mother has to withdraw the money Pong has saved for more than two years in his kiddie bank account.

Everyday Pong has to walk more than 2 kilometers to go to the public elementary school that he’s attending.  Since they don’t have a refrigerator, he also has to walk another 3 kilometers to the public market every day to buy their food.  To fetch water, for their daily needs,  Pong has to wake up before dawn so that there’s no long queue line in the water pump.  Only after going to the market and finishing all their household chores that Pong and Cecilia could study.  Despite this, Cecilia graduated as Salutatorian in high school (narrowly missing the top spot because she and the valedictorian has the same grade.  The tie-breaker is the number of extracurricular activities that they have joined.  Since Cecilia has to stay home and work, she has to forego all of these) and she graduated as Cum Laude in college.

For Pong’s 9th birthday (there’s a 9-year gap between the two siblings), Cecilia gave her younger brother a book that had a profound impact on him.  It was a biography of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.  The rise of one of America’s greatest president from a lowly log cabin to the White House brought hope to the heart of Pong, who vowed one day, he will be more than what he is at that ime.  One of Pong’s favorite drawings in the said book is that of the young Abe Lincoln reading from the light of a fireplace.  He identified with this drawing because he too, must study under the dim illumination of a gas lamp.

One time, the house of the owner of the garment shop where Cecilia and Pong’s mother is working was gutted by fire.  Among the items rescued is a set of encyclopedia dated 1968 (the year was 1986) which was given to Cecilia and Pong mother.  This is the very first set of encyclopedia that Pong ever had. Though it was outdated for almost 20 years, he still devoured the books and have read them from cover to cover.

Things started to get better when Cecilia graduated from College and eventually became a CPA and worked for a large distributor of foreign magazines and books. Their family now was able to experience a little luxury and comfort.  Because of this, she was able to nurture his brother’s love of reading.  She would bring home issues of Time Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Asiaweek and the books that were published by Time-Life.  At an early age of 12, Pong became very interested in the world of international politics, international business and the stock market because of these magazines.

When Cecilia got a lucrative job abroad as an accountant, the fortunes of her family really turned for the better.  Because of the support of his sister, Pong was able to pursue several extra-curricular activities that he became an Editor of their college’s newspaper, a varsity player in two sports (air rifle shooting and tae kwon do) and President of the Student Council of his college as well as officerships in several student organizations.  He was chosen to represent the Philippines in an international conference of student leaders.  And he was awarded a medal and a congratulatory letter by President Fidel Ramos.

From elementary school, to high school and until college, Pong maintained his love for reading.  Because of this, he went on to win quiz bees and other similar academic competitions.  Until he became a grand champion in a quiz show where he won the grand prize of half a million pesos and also won the international edition of the same show and brought home the US$10,000.00 cash prize.  This same love for reading has enabled him to win a few more hundred thousands of pesos in cash prizes when the quiz show craze hit the Philippines between 2000-2003.

Meanwhile Cecilia built her career and ended up being a financial controller of a foreign multinational.  She also took several postgraduate studies in an Australian University.

Now the two siblings enjoy their respective careers and are living a lifestyle that is a far cry from the shanty town they grew up in.  Pong is presently employed as the Philippine head of a US multinational and is running a few family businesses with his wife, while Cecilia is currently starting a new life in Canada with her own family.  Both of them were given a chance to grow through a good education and with the toils and sacrifices of their mother.

Success stories like these are what Dr. Sven Volkmuth of Germany and his wife Jacynthe Omglin of France are trying to replicate through the NGO that they organized, named, Chance for Growth.  In the words of their website: http://chance4growth.com/ (please pardon me, their website is written in Dr. Sven’s native language and I have a very rusty, almost non-existent German) “Chance for Growth aims for the development of poeple in the underprivileged regions of the Earth”.  The organization’s goal is to give the poor and unfortunate a “chance” to grow and progress and develop their potential.  The main point of their activities is to support health and education, the two essential prerequisites for economic independence.  Dr. Sven once told me that being born to a privileged family and raised in a prosperous country where countless economic opportunities exist, he felt that he has the responsibility of doing something for the youth who were born in third world countries.  He believes that these disadvantaged youth should be given an opportunity to rise up from their current situation.

Chance for Growth has already done several projects here in the Philippines through several medical and educational missions in remote as well as the depressed areas in the country. At present, they are on the planning stage of establishing an office in Manila to be able to reach out to more underprivileged youth.  Aside from these, they have lined up several projects this year and we hope that we will be able to gather enough support to carry out all of these.

By the way, Cecilia, the lady whose story was written above, is my sister and Pong is my nickname.  And yes, that is our story.  That poem by Dawna Markova is one of my guiding philosophies since the first time I read it way back in 1995.  I just want people to know that all of us have the power to dream and do things to make it come true, despite of where you are now and regardless of all setbacks that you may encounter. And when you have finally achieved your dreams, I hope you would have the courage to risk your significance so that which came to you as a seed, you could pass on as a blossom. And that which came to you as a blossom, you could pass it on as a fruit.  Give someone a chance to grow.

Dr. Sven Volkmuth and Jacynthe Omglin during their last visit to the Philippines.  Between them is Jacynthe’s father Ajarn Pudpadnoy Omglin, the muay thai living legend.

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7th NCR Muay Thai Championships-Photos Wednesday, Mar 4 2009

As promised,  here are some of the photos I’ve taken during the 7th NCR Muay Thai Championship.

I really need to attend a photography class if I want to improve my photos.  Still couldn’t get the shots that I want to capture.

Norris Ty landing a jab on his opponent from MAP Antipolo

Almost like a cinematic shot

Jowenson Sy of MAP Makati landing a teep on his opponeng from MAP Paranaque.  Jowenson landed a clean elbow on his opponent’s head that knocked him out cold.

The new OIC of Muay Thai Association of the Philippines, Mr. Red Dumuk (in stripes) with Ajarn Pudpadnoy and the officiating team of the tournament.

Landing a good straight punch to the face

The Ateneo Muay Thai tournament scandal.  Thanks, Andre of MAP UA&P for being a good sport.   It’s not what you think guys, Andre’s cornerman, Kru Eugene is just adjusting the groin guard.

Cesca Tan of MAP UA&P defending against an attack of her opponent from MAP Antipolo.  Cesca eventually won via decision in a very close match.

Lyndon Dellosa of MAP Makati (in yellow short)  setting up a roundhouse kick on his opponent from MAP Ateneo.

Some winners of the 7th NCR Muay Thai Championships.   With them is Grace Valdez, the wife of Sir Robert Valdez, and Sir Zapata Dacuyan, one of the coaches of the RP team.

Jenefe Eborda of MAP QC (in red head guard) reeling from the punches of her opponent, Myles Uy of MAP Makati.  This is a rematch as they have met in the NCR Leg of the Philippine Olympic Festival in July last year.  Myles Uy once again prevailed in their match-up.

MAP Ateneo is once again the over-all champion of the tournament.  With 5 wins out of 6 fighters fielded.   Their instructor is Kru Andre Puertollano (kneeling and wearing blue long sleeved shirt, holding the trophy).   MAP Ateneo is establishing itself as a force to reckon with in NCR in the sport of muay thai.

Beck with her team mates from MAP Mandaluyong

The Philippine Muay Thai team…just being themselves.

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7th Muay Thai NCR Championship- The Roberto Valdez Cup Tuesday, Mar 3 2009

February 28, 2009 was the date of the 7th Muay Thai NCR Championships and was held at the covered court of Ateneo De Manila University.  In honor of the slain MAP President and Founder Kru Robert Valdez, the said sporting event was renamed as “The Robert Valdez Cup”.   46 amateur muay thai fighters from 9 MAP NCR Chapters participated in this event.

For winning 5 bouts out 6 fighters fielded, MAP Ateneo, ably led and trained by their instructor Kru Andre Puertollano,  brought home the Over All Championship Trophy, repeating their performance during the 5th NCR Muay Thai Tournament.

Due to the sudden demise of Kru Robert Valdez, the senior fighters of MAP Pasig (Eric Aquino, Kristoffer Rances, Garrett McBride and myself) decided to pass up this competition in respect to the beloved Muay Thai President.   But we vow to come back strong on the 8th NCR tournament.

The following are the results of the competition:

1. Rensi Rosales (winner) MAP Paranaque vs. Marc Anthony Mangubat MAP-Las Pinas

2. Janito Blanca (winner) MAP Makati vs. Rudy James Rosales MAP Paranaque

3. Conrad Marcelo (winner) MAP Ateneo vs. Jun-Rey Granaderos MAP Las Pinas

4. Rodolfo Magala  (winner via 1st round TKO) MAP Makati vs.  Jeremias Vista Jr. MAP-Las Pinas

5. Mary Ann Calumpang (winner) MAP Antipolo vs. Maricel Gopio MAP Makati

6. Orlando Esmin (winner) MAP Antipolo vs. Norris Ty MAP Pasig

7. Jeremiah Rejaba (winner) MAP Muntinlupa vs. Gian Noel Angeles MAP Antipolo

8. Jan Patrick Macaraig (winner via 3rd round KO) MAP Makati  vs. Jaemer Ende MAP Las Pinas

9. Ana Joy Olores (winner)MAP Las Pinas  vs Rapunzel Del Rosario MAP Muntinlupa

10. Leo Paul Rico (winner) MAP Muntinlupa vs Eleo Edquilag MAP Ateneo

11. Jowenson Ian Sy (winner) MAP Makati vs Gildo Paug MAP Paranaque

12.  Ronald Rey Abano (winner TKO ) MAP Muntinlupa vs. George Delgado MAP Antipolo

13. Andrew Kagaon (winner) MAP Ateneo vs. Rio Ohmori MAP Mandaluyong

14. Stephen Rey Salazar (winner) MAP Makati vs Chi-Chuan Lin MAP Las Pinas

15. Dino Regalario (winner) MAP Ateneo vs Andre Bernardo MAP UA&P

16. Ronald Cruz (winner) MAP Ateneo vs John Micheal Bunag MAP Makati

17. Francesca Tan (winner) MAP UA&P vs Rochelle Omboy MAP Antipolo

18. Jack Cabredo (winner) MAP Ateneo vs Lyndon Dellosa MAP Makati

19. Karl Rodriguez (winner) MAP Pasig vs Giovanni Cruz MAP Makati

20. Marc Rainier Du (winner) MAP Antipolo vs Andred Bongco MAP UA&P

21. Keith Vallecer (winner) MAP Mandaluyong vs Christopher Cortez MAP Makati

22. Myles Uy (winner) MAP Makati vs Jenefe Eborda MAP QC

23. Fernando Venus (winner) MAP Antipolo vs Danilo Dilag Jr. MAP QC

Photos of the event will follow.

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