New RP envoy to The Netherlands passes initial scrutiny of NDF

By Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 09/25/2009 2:12 AM

Contrary to the expectations of many, the National Democratic Front (NDF) has reacted positively to the appointment of the new Philippine ambassador to The Netherlands, even if the new appointee is a former military general.

Filipino migrants’ organization Migrante Netherlands had earlier condemned retired Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna’s appointment for his alleged “military mindset.”

But the NDF didn’t doubt him for a second…also because of the military.

Apparently, the NDF has connections too in high-ranking places in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Hindi ako nai-intimidate. Nakakatanggap naman ako ng comments sa mga kaibigan kong military officers. Hindi ko na babanggitin ang pangalan. May mga rango. General din. Brigadier General. Sinasabing si Luna as a person eh mabait, intelihente, gentleman at kung gayon hindi ako natatakot na me extraodinary na gawin,” Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Maria Sison said in an exclusive interview with Balitang Europe.

Sison, also chief political consultant of the NDF’s negotiating panel in peace talks with the Philippine government, said he is also not alarmed at President Arroyo’s appointment of a former AFP vice chief of staff as the Philippine’s envoy.

“I don’t know kung si Gloria [Arroyo] sa kanyang remaining months nilagay si Luna diyan para pagawin ng special mission. I don't think so. I have no basis na anticipating na si Luna may gagawing masama. Alerting lang porke sa kanyang background,” Sison said.

“At the same time, alam ko naman na batay sa hindi ko alam, hindi ako sigurado, batay sa words ng nirerespeto kong military officers, hindi siya barumbado, sibilisado [siya] at may pride siya sa kanyang ginagawa. Hindi siya basta gagawa ng masama alinsunod sa utos mula sa isang presidente na paalis na sa kapangyarihan,” Sison added.

The NDF however indicated however that it is puzzled at the process of Luna’s appointment.

“Ang katakaka eh iyong method ng pag-appoint sa kanya [Luna]. Na si Gilbert Teodoro, Secretary of Defense. At saka mukhang hindi napaalam through protocol ways sa Dutch government. Pero sa tingin ko naman, makikita natin sa performance niya,” NDF Negotiating Panel chair Luis Jalandoni said.

But Jalandoni has high expectations of Luna.

“’Andyan iyong Filipino community. Makikita rin ng taong bayan dito sa Netherlands, iyong mga overseas workers dito kung paano ang performance niya. Kaya doon na lang namin ibabatay at sa tingin [ko], wala naman kaming prejudice against him. We hear quite good things about him from his fellow military and so will await the way he performs his tasks and we hope that it will be in accordance with his function as ambassador,” Jalandoni said.

The NDF hopes that the new ambassador will maintain the group’s good relations with the Philippine Embassy.

“We had good relations with Ambassador [Ramon] Arguelles. Friendly and civil relations. We hope the same type of relations could be achieved between his office as ambassador and the international office of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Jalandoni said.

However, according to the NDF, it will be on guard as to Luna’s keeping his promise of supporting the peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDF.

The peace talks, which was supposed to take place in Oslo, Norway in August, was once again stalled because the NDF cancelled it, complaining that the Arroyo regime refuses to release its jailed negotiators, consultants and staff.

By Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
as of 09/25/2009 2:12 AM

SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/24/09/new-rp-envoy-netherlands-passes-initial-scrutiny-ndf

EULOGY FOR CORA GALICIA-PESIGAN

Eulogy for Cora Galicia Pesigan who died on the 7th of August 2009.

by Loui Galicia

This eulogy was shared during the mass for her burial at the St. Mary's Church in Vancouver, BC on 19th August 2009

SAYING GOODBYE IS NOT EASY. YET IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO SO. BECAUSE MY ATE CORA IS A SISTER THAT WE ALL LOVE.

NOT A BAD BONE IN HER BODY, SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR US. SHE WAS NOT ONLY OUR BIG ATE. SHE WAS OUR SECOND MOTHER.

I REMEMBER WHEN SHE WENT TO COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STO. THOMAS AND TOOK UP BACHELOR OF ARTS MAJOR IN NUTRITION, SHE USED US AS HER GUINEA PIGS. THAT WAS THE BEST PART OF OUR GROWING UP WITH HER….BECAUSE WE GOT TO SAVOR ALL THE DELICIOUS FOOD THAT SHE HAD TRIED AS PART OF HER EXPERIMENTS. SHE FED US SWEETS. AND LIKE HER PASTRIES, ATE CORA WAS ALWAYS VERY SWEET. WE LOVED HER THEN. WE STILL LOVE HER NOW AND WE WILL NOT FORGET THOSE GOOD MEMORIES.

WHEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN 2004, IT CAME AS A SHOCK. HOW CAN SHE GET IT? SHE’S THE MOST HEALTH CONSCIOUS IN THE FAMILY. SHE DOESN’T DRINK ALCOHOL NOR SMOKE. SHE WAS CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT SHE ATE.

AFTER HER SURGERY, I ASKED HER TO COME TO HOLLAND. THAT WAS IN THE SUMMER. SHE WAS A PERFECT PICTURE OF JOY AND HEALTH. SHE WAS VERY STRONG. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT THE DISEASE HAD RAVAGED HER BODY. YOU CAN SEE HER STRONGEST WILL TO LIVE. WHEN WE ARE AT RESTAURANTS AND THE KIDS WOULD NOT FINISH THEIR FOOD, SHE WILL DO IT FOR THEM. YOU CAN FEEL HER FULL DESIRE TO NOURISH HER BODY…TO FIGHT THE CANCER.

THE DOCTORS GAVE HER THREE YEARS…YET SHE BEAT ALL ODDS. SHE WAS A FIGHTER. NEVER IN THOSE YEARS DID I HEAR HER COMPLAIN ABOUT PAIN….ABOUT THE CANCER. NEVER. NEVER IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS WAS SHE BEDRIDDEN. SHE WAS A WARRIOR. SHE WAS JUST SO HAPPY TO WAKE UP EVERY MORNING…FOR FIVE YEARS. SHE ALWAYS LIVED FOR THE NEXT DAY.

ATE CHOR. I MISS YOU. I TRIED MY BEST TO SEE YOU BEFORE YOU’VE GONE. IF ONLY I CAN STOP THE TIME. EVERY HOUR SINCE I HAVE FINALLY PACKED MY BAGS, I WAS PRAYING FOR YOU TO HANG IN THERE BECAUSE I AM ALMOST THERE. BUT I GUESS THIS IS MEANT TO BE… BECAUSE GOD KNOWS I WILL NOT BEAR TO SEE YOU SUFFER..TO SEE YOU IN PAIN…BECAUSE AS MY ATE, YOU HAVE THE GENTLEST SOUL. YOU LOVED US SO MUCH. YOU GAVE SO MUCH OF YOURSELF FOR US. I AM NOW HAPPY TO SEE HER GO. AT LAST SHE IS IN PEACE. . BUT IF ONLY I HAD ONE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE...ONE LAST HUG…ONE LAST KISS…

ATE CHOR, I WILL MISS YOUR LIVELY VOICE. I SENT HER SURPRISE PACKAGES TO CHEER HER UP. SOMETIMES IT WILL JUST BE COFFEE PADS, COOKIES AND TEA. OTHER TIMES IT WILL BE FLOWERS OR SHIRTS BUT BOY SHE LOVED DESIGNER BAGS. ONE TIME I RAN OUT OF IDEAS SO I DECIDED TO ORDER FROM THE FRENCH BAKERY IN GRANVILLE ISLAND SOME CROISSANTS AND TIRAMISU. SHE LOVED TIRAMISU. SHE CALLED ME IMMEDIATELY AFTER DELIVERY. SHE WAS IN A FRENZY. SHE SAID THE TIRAMISU WAS SO HUGE IT WAS THE SIZE OF HER DOORMAT. I ORDERED THAT ALL THE WAY FROM HOLLAND. I GUESS GOD FOUND A WAY TO HELP ME KEEP HER HAPPY AND IN HIGH SPIRITS IN A LITTLE WAY. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT VOICE BURSTING WITH ENERGY AND LIFE. SHE HAS LIVED TO SET AN EXAMPLE THAT WE SHOULD LOVE OUR LIFE. ATE CORA HAS SHOWN US THAT LIFE IS GOOD BUT TOO SHORT TO WASTE.

ATE CHOR WAS A GOOD MOTHER. HER DAUGHTER ANGELEE WAS THE CENTER OF HER LIFE. SHE WAS A FAITHFUL AND LOVING WIFE. BUT ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT GET NOR FEEL THE SAME AMOUNT OF LOVE....SHE DIED LOVING DANNY. ATE CORA SHOWED US THAT WE SHOULD LOVE AND GIVE LOVE AND NOT EXPECT TO GET LOVE IN RETURN.

I GUESS IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO MOVE ON WITH HER PASSING. BUT WE KNOW THAT SHE IS IN GOOD HANDS. SHE IS WITH GOD.

I WROTE THIS EULOGY EXACTLY DURING ATE CHOR’S DYING MOMENTS.

BUT ON MY ARRIVAL HERE IN VANCOUVER, I REALIZED I HAD TO REWRITE IT.

TO INCLUDE A BIG THANK YOU TO HER CLOSEST FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH HER ALL THROUGH HER DYING MOMENTS. TO DONNA AND RAY...WHO TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING. WHO TOOK ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES FROM THE HANDS OF A SUPPOSEDLY GRIEVING HUSBAND. DAY IN AND DAY OUT AFTER ATE CORA DIED, DONNA AND RAY DID NOTHING BUT WORK FOR THIS BURIAL...TO MAKE SURE THAT ATE CORA’S LAST WISHES ARE FULLY MET.

TO JOYCE AND ARNOLD, CINDY AND JERRY, LOY AND DWIGHT, JUDITH AND JOEY, MERCY AND ERWIN, LILIA AND FREDDIE WHO HAVE UNTIRINGLY SPENT THEIR HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, ATE CORA’S FAMILIES ARE CARED FOR.

THE SUPPORT AND PATIENCE THEY HAVE GIVEN US WERE BORNE OUT OF THEIR LOVE FOR MY SISTER....BECAUSE CORA WAS A GOOD AND LOVING FRIEND TO THEM....AND THEY WANTED TO GIVE HER THE BEST EVEN IN HER DEATH.

CAN I PLEASE REQUEST EVERYBODY TO STAND UP AND GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE BEST SISTER, MOTHER, WIFE AND FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD..THE ONE WHO I ALWAYS CALL A LIVING SAINT SISTER WHO HAS FINALLY JOINED HER CREATOR. ATE CORA.

Stop scuffles during ballgames say Pinoys in Belgium

Stop scuffles during ballgames say Pinoys in Belgium

By Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 09/03/2009 7:25 PM

BELGIUM – Filipino basketball fanatics in Brussels urged compatriots not to bring personal disputes to court following Sunday’s scuffle during a tournament held in Brussels.

Don Rivera was hurt during the scuffle. His face was swollen when he reported the incident to the Belgian police. Rivera was punched several times by a fellow Filipino while watching the basketball match.

“Sinuntok yata iyan. Daplis ata ito kanina. Hawak ko yung cellphone ko. Tinatawagan ko si Amor. Tapos bigla na lang may sumuntok sa likod ko,” said Rivera.

Rivera admitted that he had a fight with the unidentified Filipino last year but he never expected that the latter would retaliate.

“Pagkatapos bigla na lang sumulpot din yung mataba, sinuntok din ako tapos nakailag ako. Ang tumama sa akin siguro dalawa,” he explained.

Balitang Europe was not able to get a statement from the attacker who fled the scene after the brawl.

Spectators to the tournament were shocked because everything happened so fast. They were watching a very intense game between Filipino teams from Brussels and Antwerp when the fight ensued.

“Bigla na lang may sumapok sa kanya [Rivera]. Di ko rin namalayan. Wala na kong magawa dahil iglap yung nangyari. Ewan ko kung may alitan pero alam ko sa basketball nun araw pa yan,” said Leonilo Gapasin, president of the Pangasinense Association, who was watching the game.

One of the players also got furious when someone hurled a table that almost hit his daughter.

The incident prompted Filipinos to urge compatriots to immediately stop hostilities in the courts and instead set a good example to the youth who are also basketball enthusiasts.

They said basketball is a wholesome event that becomes an activity for the whole family. Thus, there should be no room for quarrels in ballgames.

“Dapat yung mga personal na problema nila wag nang pag-usapan dito. Di na dadalhin dito sa loob kasi gaya kanina nagkagulo sila dun sa loob itong inaanak ko muntik nang tamaan ng lamesa,” housewife Jenny Cruz said.

Also, they fear that Pinoys will be banned from sports venue if the feuds continue.

as of 09/03/2009 7:25 PM


SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/09/03/09/stop-scuffles-during-ballgames-say-pinoys-belgium