Umali Kayo Idjay Facebook!

Our demographics show that most Facebook members are the under-40’s. I was dragged screaming and kicking to join in by a cousin who is a certified Facebook addict and under 40. Oh well, what could I lose. Friendship is a good and positive thing. There is no shortage of the possible friends, or friends of your friends, that you could have. The same with relatives, cousins thrice removed and so on.

After a couple of months, I learned that hard way what “hooking up” means: peering through my thick lenses at faces I have forgotten through the years, a glimmer of recognition through their siblings or kids. Sigue man garud, let’s see if there is any positive vibe I can gain from this. Sure, there is a lot of background noise to it: my daughter’s best friend who is at grad school at UP Diliman and his weird (“Mom! It’s not weird at all…”) taste in music, worship of skateboarding and other stuff I have no interest in whatsoever. But as a “friend” I consider him a friend subset, which is the whole point of Facebook: it allows you to link up with acquaintances who otherwise you would not be spending a minute to contact.

Relatives are another matter: hey, the kids I knew, now have different family names, and their Photos show little clones of themselves blowing birthday candles or sleeping with the Golden Retriever named Buddy. And hey, being Ilocana it saves me postage by sending unlimited messages to a friend or a set of friends. I don’t carry around an iPhone or any of the smarty phones in the market known for their affectation factor, so Facebook meets my need to “make a statement” or be in touch or stick my nose where it does not belong (nice!). It is so astonishing what you discover in Facebook: it is a relative experience, connecting with people of various network values: at work, church, neighbors, whatever your social circle takes you to.

But enough of me.

As a Facebook user, you probably have explored the possibilities: but for the holdouts, I believe you will find it an interesting experience, because of its tracking applications, for recreation (warning: it really could become addictive) or maybe it would have the opposite effect: why add one more burden to the already-overloaded low-speed Internet connection that I have?

Padasenyo, a.

Class 61 at the Parade

...More of Class 60: Just Before the Parade

Click on the photo to enlarge. Play the identification game! (Ayyy, ni kuwa gayam daytoy ah!!)

"Jeepney in the Sky" to Baguio

Sun.Star Baguio SkyPasada opens air travel to Baguio May 22, 2010

LAST Friday, May 21 might as well be the start of a new milestone in Baguio's air transport accommodation with the coming in of a new airline, SkyPasada, which aims to inter-connect the city by air to various point in Luzon by way of starters. SkyPasada offers a 19-seater, twin-engine planes for its Loakan route. It's been almost five years ago when the last airline to service Baguio, Asian Spirit, ceased its city operations. Since airport, generally the only serviced government and privately operated airlines ferrying mostly government officials, business executives and tourists to this mountain city of pines.

The coming in of SkyPasada to Baguio recalls the time when top government officials planned to turn over Loakan airport to business locators of the Baguio Export Processing Zone. Only the strong and spirited objections raised by city officials and business concerns aborted what could have led to the closure of Loakan as an airport and its conversion into an expanded local export processing zone.

Years ago, it was the Philippine Airlines (PAL) which sustained operations at Loakan. PAL utilized the 50-seater Fokker planes. Later, PAL withdrew from its Baguio operation claiming it was not profitable as its other service lines. Years after the withdrawal of PAL from its Loakan operations, another airline, Asian Spirit, took over. This company also bowed out of its Baguio operations almost five years ago. City officials then began negotiations for another airline to strike yet another Baguio operation. This, too, failed.
Hopefully, SkyPasada, dubbed by its operators as the "Jeepney of the Sky" will fulfill its role as the only airline to link Baguio with the rest of the country. SkyPasada is owned and operated by the WCC Aviation Company headed by Capt. Ramon V. Guico III. SkyPasada is said to operate, at least 32 service units, some of them as training planes.
It's probably worth mentioning that before the coming in of SkyPasada whose Baguio operations officially begins Monday, May 24, plans have been made to use the La Union International Airport as a conduit for passengers programmed to come up to Baguio by motor via the Naguillian Road otherwise also known as the Quirino Highway. This would be a rather runabout way of flying to the pines city partly by plane and by land route.
SkyPasada's entry with its operation at Loakan started without much fanfare. Aside from members of the local media who covered the event in full force, Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. also joined in officially welcoming the latest airline to service Baguio.
Certainly SkyPasada answers the need of local residents and visitors for fast travel to and from Baguio whether for business or leisure. Congratulations to the officials and men of the WCC Aviation Company for filling in the void for local air travel, particularly to its president, Capt. Ramon V. Guico III.
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Airline introduces Baguio to North Luzon air traffic Philippine Daily Inquirer 05/27/2010

BAGUIO CITY – Operators of the fog-wrapped Loakan Airport here have not seen a commercial plane land for three years now, due to a weather that has become a serious navigational concern for the airline industry.

But on May 21, they cheered alongside city officials when a 19-seater Sky Pasada plane touched down for its first official test flight from Cauayan City in Isabela to the summer capital.

In 2007, Baguio almost lost its only airport when domestic airlines stopped landing here after they expressed concern that the city’s daily afternoon fog was potentially hazardous to routine air navigation.

She included Loakan Airport in the government’s P100-million Aeronautical Highway of the North project.

Ramon Guico III, president and CEO of WCC Aviation, described Sky Pasada as “a rural airline that will connect the rural destinations all over the country.” Guico says the WCC Aviation intends to make the Baguio route as its Northern Luzon hub because it is strategic to servicing a market in Manila, Cauayan, Tuguegarao, Batanes and Boracay in Aklan.

The elected mayor of Binalonan, Pangasinan, Guico says the aeronautical highway project aims to rehabilitate existing airports and terminals in Cagayan Valley, Pangasinan and Isabela.

Sky Pasada operates two Russian-made LET 410 UVP-E passenger planes, which can land in short-field, semi-prepared or unprepared runways. The planes can take off and land even in the harshest flying conditions, Guico says.

“Therefore, the LET 410 UVP-E is very appropriate to make safe takeoffs and landings in poorly paved airstrips like Itbayat [in Batanes] for tough missionary flights,” he says. Captain Alito Getalaga, who piloted the Sky Pasada 45-minute test flight here, says Baguio fog remains a quandary for navigation. He says Sky Pasada would reroute flights to a WCC Aviation airfield in Binalonan on days when the Loakan Airport is not available.

Sky Pasada has opened three daily flights out of the city.

Guessing Game 14: Responses.

We have two answers: Anonymous said... Must be JoeA's dad..., while Rudy Lambino said: It's definitely an ANDAYA!

Both are correct! Thanks for playing the game.

Your Alumni Board Members:(some of them)

This Blog...

This completes one year of blogging.
Can someone else please take over? Preferably someone who is Philippine based for a change? (Then US based the year thereafter, etc.)
Perhaps I can still carry on til mid-June, then I will be traveling til end July, with the possibility of not having ease of access to a computer (cannot carry a netbook- got shoulder tendonitis).
Volunteers, please, from mid-June.
Very many thanks.

A Most, Most Gentle Reminder...

Ba-utennaca ni Nanangmo no dimo isubli didjay plano tayo iti reunion, ah. Pangaasiyo caddi, tapno naurnos iti panag-reunion tayo. Please lang po. Kindly send in your comments, ideas, anything, anything at all regarding the plans for the 2011 reunion. Your inputs are essential to the planning, as an honored member of this class. The document outlining the preparations was sent to you by email.

Should you wish to receive a duplicate or fresh copy please let me know soon. Many thanks.

Rajadamnern1@yahoo.com

Jamison Vincent Abrenica, a Little California Boy

One year old Jamison Vincent Abrenica, grandson of Eduardo and Maryann Zarza-Floresca, has aplastic anemia, and is in search of a bone marrow transplant donor. Our hopes and prayers are with you, and the parents, Jay and Didi Abrenica, for the speedy matching and recovery of this beautiful boy.

http://www.kcra.com/video/23663966/index.html

Class 60 Reunion

This is their group photo soon after the parade which commenced from the Post Office. Notice the large banner, their vests, uniform use of denim pants, hats, white T shirts. Can you recognize some of the faces? Jog your memory bank, from 49 years ago!!! (Click on photo to enlarge).

A Most Gentle Reminder...

Class61 members: would you kindly send in your comments, ideas, anything, anything at all regarding the plans for the 2011 reunion. Your inputs are essential to the planning, as an honored member of this class. The document outlining the preparations was sent to you by email.

Should you wish to receive a duplicate or fresh copy please let me know soon. Many thanks.

Rajadamnern1@yahoo.com

From Pastor Frank

Comments: Anonymous said...

i can see your joyful contenance in the parade all smiling, beau- tiful ah!
let me share you justlittle words.
we are all vulnerable to disease and often cause by stress and negligence to the law of good healthy so i do away anxiety and stressful living. i want to live a joyous,meaningful,worry free style of life which make me healthy doing away hate, selfishness, and greed. i love because it has an element of healing. I am healed because i am forgiven and live a pure, blameless, and possbly holy. what makes me healthy are the healthy food i prepare in the table. i learn the value of food, food that heal bu avoid garbage food. i prefer fruits and vegie and less meat in the table. i learn the right kind of food go benefit my body but moderately. i do physical exercise necessary for body mobility.
i learn not to fear any diseases even cancer. oh yes, cancer! there's nothing to fear because we can manage to drive away cancer cells. it has no cure but we can prevent and vanish that dreadful cells in the body.
THE METHOD TO GET RID WITH IT IS TO STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. i don't use prescribed medicine it only aggrevate the pain because of side effects. i use alternative medicine which are better yet- a NATURES WAY. CHEMOTHERAPY will weaken only the healthy body cells that make one sick. go to internet and look for alternative method to strengthen the immune system eg.: MmPower ( i use this), vit C, garlic, etc. it demand us discipline. free yourself from worry, fear allienation and live with faith: call HIS NAME. KEEP ON PRAYING, HEED STRONGLY INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOD'S WORD: THE BIBLE.
DEVELOP A WHOLESOME ATTITUDE, AND FOLLOW STRICTLY THE LAW OF GOOD HEALTHY. always connect yourswelf to the true VINE. live and enjoy the abundant life that He promised.
- TO MY FAMILY BATCH61
UNKNOWN

18 May 2010 08:09 Anonymous said...

beloved, the last resort to get rid of cancer is very effective but dangerous, between life and death.
go to internet and look for HYDROGEN PEROXIDE it is a high grade different from the one we buy over the counter. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE will supply the body with much oxygen which cancer cell will not thrive with it. to prepare -get 8 oz of distilled water add 7 drops from a dropper. drink.
on the next day add 8 drops, second day 9 drops - until 24 drops but not to go farther than 24 drops. between life and death but you choose life. lift up to the Lord His decession.
unkown

19 May 2010 05:47 Anonymous said...

The maintance dozage is 7 drops of hydogen perozide but in serious. gravous case is up tp 24 drops of hydron perozide.

19 May 2010 12:07 Anonymous said...

by the way, beloved, i forgot something. what is the food of cancer cells? IT IS SUGAR.

19 May 2010 16:45 Anonymous said...

correction please . . .
instead of mmpower search Immpower
(Immpower AHCC dietary supplement)
this work out for you.
if you need help let me know . .
pastorfrank4247@Yahoo.com

21 May 2010 12:04

‘WE LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE”

Many thanks for voicing your concern about our safety here in Bangkok. The Red Shirt protesters have been disbanded although there are still a few pockets of violence, arson and destroying property, perhaps fuelled by the more militants among them or perhaps by frustration that they have been asked by their leaders to disperse and go home.

We still do not venture out from our safe perimeter of the Dusit area: there are enough shops, restaurants and services here that we can have access to without really having to go into the business district. This is the old genteel (relatively) part of town where the Chitralada Palace and the Zoo and some other palaces converted into government buildings and schools are located.

True, the damage has been extremely high, estimated to millions of dollars: some buildings, the metro and subway were also trashed, as with the roads and shop houses surrounding the main demo area.

This comes as a surprise to most foreigners: the Thais are always conciliatory, smiling, and no conflict fazes them: but when they vent their frustrations – watch out. The Reds started off with their support for the foreign Prime Minister who was convicted of white collar crimes in the billions at the cost of the country, but they view him as a benevolent PM who brought in medical care at 30 baht, and widely projected as being pro-poor. The current PM is British-educated and pigeon-holed into the Elites box. The Reds say he was unlawfully made into PM although the process was a choice of parliament with elections to be held: they were restless and wanted earlier elections.

They were funded mostly and goaded on by the former PM although he denies this, despite lots of evidence to the contrary. Then the Reds had some militant elements and they started shooting back at the military, with collateral deaths ensuing. They were also responsible for the burning of tires, with the billowing black smoke a telegenic way of showing their protest on TV. This is said to be the most violent day in Thai history. Then the mob took over. The military had no choice but to choke them off in their area, despite asking them to leave, repeatedly, the area. We feel that a lot of the violence and deaths (about 73) could have been prevented while the road map (peace plan of the government) was accepted by the Reds and they could have attributed that as one of their victories. With the violence, most Thais have blamed the Reds for this, and a black mark on their organization.

The King, as a constitutional monarch, is ill and in hospital and unable to intervene. He had a public appearance at a function a few weeks back and advised people to be cautionary and be peaceful.

One thing, as farang residents, that we are thankful for: this was an internal Thai matter, and did not involve any foreign intervention or interests. They have survived a devastating natural tsunami, they will survive this political tsunami too.

Thr reconstruction and reconciliation will take some time: they have moved the clock back and no longer known as one of Asia’s most vibrant economies: foreign investors are re-thinking about coming in or expanding. On Thai TV yesterday as he announced that order had been restored, the PM said he was taking the country on a path of national reconciliation. “We are living in the same house,” he said. “I invite all of you to join the reconciliation process.” May 2010