ATENEO KEEPS TITLE AS UAAP CHAMPION...

JUST when everyone thought that the ghost of 2006 would haunt Ateneo de Manila University, the defending champions were there to exorcise them.
The Blue Eagles retained their UAAP men’s basketball championship with a convincing 71-58 demolition job of upstart University of the East in the deciding Game 3 at the Araneta Coliseum last October 8, 2009.
A close first quarter turned into a blowout as the Blue and White held UE to just eight points in the second period. Coach Norman Black’s troops unleashed a decisive 12-0 run to hike the advantage to 15 at the end of the first 20 minutes of action.
Despite losing his Most Valuable Player plum this season, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, a member of Season 72’s Mythical Five, silenced his critics with a strong double-double that gave the Red Warrior zone defense fits. He tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds in his last game as a college cager.
The former PCU Baby Dolphin said, “After Sunday’s loss, hindi talaga ako makatulog ng maayos. Actually, today, 6 a.m. na ako nakatulog kasi unexplainable yung feeling na do-or-die yung match, winner-take-all and last collegiate game ko na ito. That blowout loss really haunted me. I stood firm with my goal na hindi ako papayag na uuwi kami nang luhaan. May tiwala ako sa teammates ko. We had one mission that we were able to accomplish. Ang sa akin lang kasi, this is my last year, I don’t want to play with regrets kaya in preparation for this game, after practice, sinasamahan ko ng shooting drills.”
The Red Warriors eventually outscored the Blue Eagles, 17-16 in the third period but it was not enough as Ateneo continued its onslaught and established its biggest lead of 20. The Red Warriors’ missing link was Pari Llagas, who failed to score a basket in 27 minutes of action. A vital cog in Game 2, Llagas, also on his final year, went 0-for-7 from the field. His three points all came from the charity stripe. All in all, the Red Warriors shot just a shade above 30 percent from the field, a far cry from their 51 percent clip the previous game.
Jai Reyes also came up big in his final appearance donning the Blue and White as he canned 16 points and grabbed six boards. Al-Hussaini, who averaged 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in the Finals, was named series MVP.
Ateneo coach Norman Black said, “At the end of last season, I knew we’ll be a better team this year. We’ve been always positive. I’m glad the team handled adversity well. We were able to bounce back. Experience is the best teacher. With our 2006 loss in the Finals to UST, I explained to the boys who were a part of that squad that it’s something you never want to feel again, and I told the new boys that it’s a feeling they don’t want to feel. We came back today to win a championship. We didn’t want to throw away our season. We came more focused today.
We mainly dedicated the game to the seniors who will not be playing with us next year. Good thing is that, they were following me for most part. I really thought that from the team that we had last year, this year’s squad will be a better one. We’re losing Rabeh and Jai. Surely those will be big shoes to fill but this will give the younger ones in the team the chance to play.”
The Blue Eagles last won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, and waited 14 long years before clinching another title in 2002 against archrival De La Salle. In 2006, Ateneo blew a 1-0 Finals edge against a surprising University of Sto. Tomas five. Last season saw the Katipunan qunitet clinch its fourth UAAP title at the expense of De La Salle University.
UE, on the other hand, failed to end a 24-year title drought. Rookie head coach Lawrence Chongson said, “We lost to a better team today. Maybe we were just pretenders, and probably they were mentally and emotionally [more] prepared than us. Probably my boys were not ready enough to tackle a big game like this. I knew they were to bounce back but we tried our best to fend them off. It’s still a consolation to get the second place. We’re disappointed of course because we set out to win the championship this season. Siguro hanggang dito lang talaga. As a rookie coach, this team brought me to the finals and I’d have to thank them for that.”
The Ateneo Blue Eaglets, meanwhile, gave Loyola Heights a double celebration as they took Game 3 of the juniors finals against De La Salle Zobel, 61-58. Ael Banal paced the back-to-back champions with 16 points, while Kiefer Ravena was named Finals MVP.
The scores:
Ateneo 71 – Al Hussaini 21, Reyes 16, Buenafe 10, Baclao 8, Salamat 7, Long 7, Salva 2, Monfort 0, Austria 0.
UE 58 – Lee 21, Espiritu 16, Acuña 8, Lingganay 5, Zamar 3, Llagas 3, Flores 2, Reyes 0, Duran 0, Ayala 0.

Smart gilas joins PBA...

MANILA, Philippines – The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas submitted its 18-man lineup for the PBA Philippine Cup, including three collegiate players on Serbian coach Rajko Toroman's wish list.
SBP executive director Noli Eala said Ateneo's Rabeh Al-Hussaini, University of the East's Paul Lee and Cebu's Junmar Fajardo were included in the Smart Gilas roster, although the SBP has yet to reach an agreement with these players.
Japeth Aguilar, the controversial 6-foot-10 center, was also on the Gilas lineup, which is all set to test its mettle against the 10 PBA teams when the Philippine Cup fires off October 11.
Aguilar is under fire from Burger King, the ball club which made the former Western Kentucky University slotman this year's No. 1 overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft.
”We hope to gain mental toughness, more maturity, competitive games and exposure,'' said Eala.
Gilas, a squad made up of collegiate standouts, thrashed the PBA-backed Powerade Team Pilipinas, 98-69, in a charity game Monday night, gaining the respect of the teams in the professional league.
”Winning will be a bonus. But we'll give all of them a good game,'' said Eala.Coached by Toroman, whom the SBP hired as project director for the national team, Gilas is seeking to grab the lone Asian slot for the 2012 London Olympics through the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.
PBA chair and BK team manager Lito Alvarez said he wouldn't allow Aguilar to suit up for Gilas in the PBA should the 22-year-old continue to snub the three-year, P8.7-million offer of the Whoppers.
Counting on the SBP's stand that it will not sign up Aguilar until the player comes to terms with the Whoppers, Alvarez said they would discuss the matter with the federation before the week ends.
Should they fail to reach an accord, Alvarez said he would elevate Aguilar's case to the PBA Board of Governors.
Skipper Chris Tiu, co-captain Mark Barroca and American CJ Giles, the team's candidate for naturalization, will spearhead Gilas along with Dylan Ababou, JVee Casio, Aldrech Ramos, JR Cawaling and Mac Baracael.
Other Gilas players included in the lineup were RJ Jazul, Rey Guevarra, Maggie Sison and Greg Slaughter.
Eala said the SBP would persuade Al-Hussaini, Lee and the 6-foot-9 Fajardo from the University of Cebu, to join the Gilas program in the PBA and eventually the team's long-term preparation for the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.

From: GULF DAILY NEWS: Juan Paolo Gozum died

A FORMER Bahrain resident was among the almost 300 people killed in the Ketsana Typhoon, which ripped through the heart of the Philippines capital Manila, it emerged yesterday.
Juan Paolo Gozum, 25, died in Marikina City in Metro Manila during the peak of the storm on September 26, according to his employer, website development company Web Dot Com.
Mr Gozum, who worked as a website developer for the firm, had attended Bahrain's Sacred Heart School in the 1990s before returning to his native Philippines.
Speaking to the GDN, former schoolmates of Mr Gozum said he was fun-loving and energetic.
"He was always fun to be around," said a former peer, who didn't want to be named. "He was energetic and always lively and in the middle of everything."
The company website described Mr Gozum as a dedicated employee and part of the 'Web Dot Com family'.
"He was a dear friend and brother to all of us. He will be missed," it said.
According to information reportedly given to the company by his family, Mr Gozum was most likely trapped inside his house when the flood started rising.
"The currents brought by the flood could have made it impossible for him to escape and go to higher grounds. His body was found under the stairs the next day," said the company.
Web Dot Com has appealed for donations to its specifically established relief fund.
It said 50 per cent of whatever is collected will be donated directly to Mr Gozum's family, while the other half will be used to procure food, water, clothes and medicine for the rest of its staff and other victims of the typhoon.
Manila experienced its worst flooding in 40 years from the Ketsana storm.

Complaint filed vs. Ateneo for fielding ineligible player- inboundpass.com

Complaint filed vs. Ateneo for fielding ineligible playerby inboundpass

ATENEO de Manila University, despite booking a seat in this year’s UAAP Season 72 Finals, is in hot water as it may have used an ineligible player the past three seasons, including its championship run last year. This controversy could lead to possible sanctions from the UAAP.
Atty. Levito Baligod filed a complaint with the UAAP board on Tuesday, alleging that Jobe Nkemakolam was not qualified to enter college. Attached to the complaint was substantive documentary proof that Nkemakolam was not eligible to be admitted to the tertiary [or college] level.

Baligod presented a slew of evidence such as a certification from the Commission on Higher Education dated September 3 stating that Nkemakolam “has not met the academic requirements to graduate from high school, hence, he is not qualified for admission to college.” The document was signed by Lilian B. Enriquez, Officer-in-Charge, Director III.

Baligod said he discovered the information by accident while pursuing a background check on Nkemakolam. The lawyer also disclosed that his client is Dr. Mylene Santos, who confirmed that her daughter is bearing a child that the ex-Blue Eagle fathered.

Nkemakolam, on record, was stated to have attended high school at Reedley International School before joining Ateneo in 2003. However, Baligod said, “Reedley even disputes that Jobe graduated from their institution.” He further added that “it’s now incumbent upon [the] UAAP to verify or validate the basis of Ateneo in claiming that Jobe had graduated from Reedley, when in fact Reedley has no record.”

Aside from the CHED certificate, Baligod also presented a certificate from Reedley issued to the Department of Education dated July 9, 2009 verifying that Nkemakolam attended Reedley for two years, Grade 10 (2002-03) and Grade 11 (2003-04). However, no record stating attendance in Grade 12, the equivalent of fourth year high school, was available.

The letter of complaint, as forwarded to the UAAP [a copy of which was obtained by inboundpass], was given to UAAP Board President Anton Montinola of Far Eastern University, this year’s UAAP host. Montinola was not available for comment.

Ricky Palou, Ateneo’s representative to the UAAP Board, released a statement saying, “as far as we know, as far as we are concerned, Jobe graduated from Reedley. They can even check with Reedley. Obviously, some parties are out there trying to discredit us.”

UAAP Board members who did not want to be identified had various reactions to the issue. One said that “the complaint is worth looking into,” while a fellow member commented that “if this is substantiated, if it’s beyond reasonable doubt, this is very serious.”

The league is no stranger to such controversy. De La Salle was suspended for one year and returned its 2004 championship and 2005 runner-up trophies for the two years it fielded ineligible players. The two players, Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian, were found to have fake PEP Test results.

Marc Barroca’s Official Statement – according to DZSR 918 Sports Radio

Marc Barroca’s Official Statement – according to DZSR 918 Sports Radio
Got this tweet from @donbonscoforum as he Re-Tweeted the release from @hoopstalk918 which i know is a radio sports talk show on Sports Radio 918am. I’ll take it as it is as I have worked with DZSR before and they are a highly credible organization.
So here is Marc Barroca’s Official Statement verbatim -

AKO PO AY LUBOS NA NALULUNKOT SAPAGKAT HINDI NA AKO MAKAKAPAGLARO SA FEU AT SA UAAP, GANOON PA MAN, NIRERESPETO KO PA ANG DESISYON NG FEU PARA SA SABI PO NILANG KAPAKANAN NG TEAM AT NG UNIBERSIDAD. NAIS KO LANG PO NA MALAMAN NG LAHAT NA MALINIS ANG KONSYENSA KO AT WALA PO AKONG ALAM NA MALING GINAWA ETO PO ANG AKING MENSAHE

1. SA AKING MAHAL NA CAOCH AT MINAMAHAL NA TEAMATES, KUNG DI KO NAABOT ANG ANG INAASHAN NINYO SA AKIN

2. KAY SIR ANTON AT SA FEU, BIGYAN NYO PO AKO NG PAGKAKATAON TAPUSIN ANG AKING PAG-AARAL SA FEU BILANG SKOLAR, DAHIL ITO PO ANG AKING BANAL NA PANGAKO SA AKIN INA NUNG AKO PO AY LUMISAN SA ZAMOBANGA PARA MAKIPAGSAPALARAN SA MAYNILA.

3. SA SBP, BIGYAN NYO PO DIN AKO NG PAGKAKATAON NA MAGLARO SA SMART GILAS PILIPINAS PARA MAKAPAG-SILBI SA BAYAN. ITO LANG PO ANG AKING NINANAIS NGAYON AT SANA WAG NAMAN AKO PIGILAN NINO MAN.

4. GOODLUCK AT PRAYERS PO SA FEU SA NA IBINIGAY SA AKIN NG FEU NA MAKAPAGLARO SA UAAP, BILANG PAGTATAPOS, AKO PO AY 23 GULANG LAMAN, BUT I WILL AND MUST MOVE ON. MATATAG NAMAN ANG AKING KALOOBAN NGAYON, AT NANINIWAL AKO SA PAGSUBOK NA ITO AY MAGIGING MAS MABUTI AKONG PLAYER. HINDI PO AKO AAYAW, HINDI PO AKO TITIGIL MAG-SUMIKAP – MARC BARROCA

If you read into this, one would look at the guts of this kid to insist on finishing his studies at FEU. Would a guy who is guilty major wrongdoing have the guts and the face to still go to school and face ridicule? that up to you all to decide, to each his own interpretation with this situation.
I just want to share also this reply i got from someone who says knew Marc growing up in Zamboanga, you feel for his family now.
from clie -

hi , i am sad that one of my kababayan from zamboanga is in hot seat, i just want to share this short history how he learned basketball, Andy Barroca started as a running athlete, he is my kuyas playmate in our local barangay ,they use to laugh on how he plays kasi he is old na, when he learned playing hoops…Anyway according to my kuya it was his ability to run fast and eagerness to learn the game. Andy played in a muddy hoops area , until 12 noon.Just shooting, and learning. until he was discovered…It sad to know with all his efforts, to be in the league controversies arised.

His friends from ayala zamboanga city, his side car bicycle friends .Wearing his jersey…
This is another tale of , loss in the Uaap.
——————
All of you can judge all you want either way, you are all entitled to that. As for me, i still need to see solid evidence either way to give my full opinion on the matter.
For now what we know for sure is Barroca will no longer play for FEU. Period

What Will Happen to Andy Barroca?- Tony Atayde

What Will Happen To Andy Barroca?
by Tony L. Atayde2
For the last 3 years Far Eastern University has been plagued by doubtful events involving key players. First it was Gerilla, who was unceremoniously cut from the team after suspicions of unscrupulous behavior were discovered.
Last year, it was the unfortunate and dastardly shooting of Mac Baracael that shocked the entire league. Up to today, nothing and no one has been even slightly uncovered anything regarding this criminal act.
Now the case of Andy Barroca, a player who was expected to tear up the league especially after his tremendous showing during the Smart Gilas games, is the talk of the the Final Four. As of today, Barroca is not even sure if he will suit up for the Tamaraws for their Final Four game against UE.
Allegedly, there were very strong suspicions that Barroca was deliberately playing below his usual level in the last FEU game against Ateneo. FEU needed to win by 5 points to secure the no. 1 slot in the standings. After 3 and 1/3 quarters, FEU was up by 18 but collapsed and saw Ateneo steal the game and the no. 1 spot from them.
Apparently, the play of Barroca elicited suspicion from the FEU Management and Coaching Staff. He scored only 8 points and his lackluster performance; especially in the 4th quarter was not something that the coaching staff felt was something that was normal behavior for Barrroca.
Is the suspicion justified? Is Barroca getting the short end of the stick here? Did he really tone down his game and allow Ateneo to catch up and eventually win the game?
In all this, I believe that Barroca is being treated unfairly. If there is no solid proof of the allegations, then the suspicion is not enough. All players have bad games and this could have just been the case with him. He has steered the Tamaraws to the longest winning streak of the season and I don’t think one game can change that.
Besides, Barroca was not alone on the team. Cawaling, Ramos, Cervantes and Garcia were also responsible for letting that 18 point lead slip away. Why put the blame solely of Andy Barroca?
If the allegations are true, then it is the responsibility of the FEU management and coaching staff to obtain undeniable proof and if that is obtained, then he should be punished to the full extent of the law. It is sad to note that FEU has not even had the slightest progress in the Baracael incident, which almost cost him his life.
However, if these are all just suspicions, FEU will be destroying the future of this young man. Barroca has a bright basketball future ahead of him. He showed his ability to play international competition with Smart Gilas. Even foreign coaches and players were extremely impressed with him. He has a definite lucrative PBA spot awaiting him. However, all this could be lost if FEU decides to take him out of the team based on suspicions alone.
In fairness to FEU, they still have not made a decision on the matter and there are heavy deliberations on the actions to be taken. This situation is not easy for FEU and they have to do this in a fair and sober manner. I am sure Mr. Anton Montinola will decide in a fair manner regading Andy Barroca.
If these are all suspicions, his reputation will be forever tarnished and will always bring doubts to any team that may want his services. His whole basketball career is now in the balance. It is common knowledge that players suit up for the UAAP and the NCAA with the goal of making basketball their career. They don’t go to school to be engineers or accountants but rather go to school to show their wares and eventually end up in the PBA.
If the allegations against Barroca are true then it stands to logic that the gambling syndicate would be behind it. If this is true, then Barroca is more a victim than a culprit. After what happened to Baracael last year, who allegedly did not want any part of the gambling syndicate, Barroca may have feared for his life too. If the gambling syndicates were behind it, then Barroca is not the problem but the entire league is to blame for allowing this open secret to keep thriving.
I have always liked Barroca and I honestly do not believe that he would involve himself in game fixing. I hope that the FEU Management and Coaching Staff handle this matter fairly, after all, the future of a young man with so much potential is at stake.

Here's to Mark Barroca- Rick Olivares...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Here's to Mark Barroca...
Several people asked me what I thought about the accusations that FEU's Mark Barroca has been throwing games. I answered every time out that I'd be really surprised if he does. And if he did, I'd be very cross at him.But I know that he doesn't and never will.He was on FEU's Team B with his current batch of teammates when their 2006 squad was blown up in the off season. That team was blown up because management felt it wasn't good enough to challenge for a title. It was deemed that the players on Team B were not only better than the UAAP team but ready to contend for a title in the years to come. It was only in 2007 when JR Gerilla was thrown off the team and Jeff Chan forever banished from the Morayta campus. And Barroca, like the others were there when Mac Baracael was nearly killed.Don't tell me that those lessons aren't learned. He is signed to Smart Gilas and Oracle. He knows he is set if he plays his cards right. While in Jakarta with the Smart Gilas team I was privy to one session where the players openly talked and teased one another about basketball; game fixing included. I thought that Mark gave a very passionate diatribe on shady dealings and being unhappy about losing. I thought it was rare for an athlete especially one who isn't very good at expressing himself to wax eloquent. And I respected him more for that.
He is so excited about the future. In fact, of the Tamaraws team, it is only him and Aldrech Ramos with a sterling class attendance record. He really wants to move up and learn. Before I packed my bags ahead of the team and left for Manila, he sought my advice because he wanted to ask his girlfriend togo to Corregidor. He wanted to know more about the island fortress from me. How he knew that I've been there twice I'll never know. I don't think he even goes here to Bleachers' Brew. The reason why he was very successful with Smart Gilas and Oracle is that he has the ball in his hands all the time. He plays lots of minutes and clearly wants the ball come crunch time. With FEU, it's another story. Glenn Capacio said prior to the start of the current season, he'd give the ball to RR Garcia while turning Barroca into a shooting guard. How many point guards do they have -- five or six? Barroca will never be the shooting guard that Ben Fernandez is. Plain and simple, iba yung laro.On a lighter note, Capacio also joked that he is the only one to be able to stop Barroca; something he jests about even in the presence of his prized guard.The truth is Barroca finds FEU's offense (even before the arrival of Garcia) to be restrictive. Having said that, he totally enjoys playing for Gilas. It's hard for him to be effective when the ball is in Garcia's hands. I've seen him play bad games for FEU, Oracle, and Gilas and he always bounces back. I've been inside their locker room and at their practice and have made many friends on their team. I may not know as much as the others but from what I know, it isn't so.At the start of the season, I was worried that he would suffer from fatigue. I even voiced that concern to their trainer on several occasions. During the summer, he was playing and practicing for FEU, Oracle, and Gilas. I wondered if he would one day collapse from exhaustion. In Jakarta, after matches his arm would be real sore. In fact prior to one game, he couldn't lift his arms because they were leaden. One time an opponent from Kuwait took a shot at him. He was already in pain yet he was taking shots from a guy he can twist like a pretzel six ways 'til Sunday without breaking a sweat. Obviously binawian niya ng mas matindi (it almost sparked a rumble). Siya rin yung tinitira ng kalaban and they geared their defense to stopping him.I understand that FEU officials are meeting right now -- around noon time of this post -- to deliberate on his case. If this is true (and I know he has not admitted to anything) then it's really disappointing. But this Tamaraws team are like brothers having been together solidly for three years now. I know that JR Cawaling is upset at the accusations hurled against his teammate. It's totally not fair.Like I said, I don't believe it and so do many others. If it does turn out to be true, then how crushing is that? He would be a great ham artist. I just hope this is resolved because this isn't simply one person's future but could also affect their program once more. I mean why would someone want to play for a school that blames players after they have a bad game? You should see that school in Taft. They're doing a good job of that.By the same token, players on other squads are reported to be doing some shady things. Even in Ateneo, over the years, there rumors of players (just a few mind you) who were throwing games. But they were just that. Rumors. Although some will say otherwise but never show a shred of evidence.Man, all this is making my head spin.

Good luck with it, Mark.
Posted by Rick Olivares

Ruselle Alinea's "It's all worth the wait"

I was intrigued with the "It's all worth the wait" article when i opened my fb account... From the title itself, felt like reading its content... bet then it was kinda long and kinda tiring to read so I thought i could just scan it and not read it fully... something made me stop, this made me stop: "And then there will be that one unexpected moment, that a special someone will come your way. Someone who will walk with you when everyone else walks out." says it all... this pinched my heart and then i have to go back to the very beginning to read it again... this time, the whole article... i've come to realize, its really not tiring at all but rather worth reading... and worth sharing... in the end, you will learn to appreciate your partner the more... enjoy!

As the saying goes, things happen for a reason. Well, it does. We may not realize it at first but eventually we'll understand that there will always be a reason behind everything. We may stumble or fall hard. We may get hurt. We may get bruised. But we will heal. So that we can rise up again and start over. And when you do start over, you'll learn that what had transpired is a part of what you will be in the future and trust me, It will all be worth it.

Just like any human being, we will all have a chance to fall in love. It will be the sweetest thing we'll feel. Our world may revolve around it. You'll think it will never end. But when it did, your world will just crumble, together with the hopes and dreams that come with it. The pain will be unbearable. The feeling of loneliness and self pity will be too much. We'll think it will never end. But it will.

And when it did, the hurt will just stop. The pain will just go away. Then you'll start to pick up the pieces of your broken self. And then you'll move on. And when you do, you'll feel lighter because all the baggages you carry will disappear. And the sun will shine again. Flowers will begin to bloom. The world that was once black and white will now start to have colors. You'll appreciate more the people around you. You'll notice that even the simplest things can give you joy. And most importantly you'll appreciate your self better and love the man above even more. And the realization that all that happened will just be an important part of your life and one big lesson learned.

And then there will be that one unexpected moment, that a special someone will come your way. Someone who will walk with you when everyone else walks out. Someone who will change his route so he can catch up on yours. Someone who sees you on your dirtiest and plainest self and still thinks you're the most beautiful woman. Someone who never gets tired of listening to your non stop rantings. Someone who watches you sleep and then will tell you in the morning that you look so peaceful and pretty even when you look in the mirror, and see your hair all tangled up and your eyes are both bulging out. Someone who cooks for you when your being picky on the food. Someone who will put socks on your feet when you are being lazy to do so. Someone who treats you right and respects you. Someone who adores you and appreciates you. That someone who has accepted you, the whole "YOU", without pretensions. That someone who is brave enough to go to battle to protect a country and fierce enough to stay away from the bullets so he can come home safe to you. That special someone who you know will love you longer than forever. All that and more he can give.

Don't we all wish we find that special someone? Well, I DID... I found that special someone I will be spending the rest of my life with. I tell you, it's all worth the wait. And it's all worth the experience. Because I know he's the right one for me.

Cervantes fills in big shoes for FEU

For providing the points needed for Far Eastern U to earn the second twice-to-beat advantage in the coming UAAP Season 72 Final Four, Reil Cervantes was chosen by the UAAP Press Corps as its Accel-Filoil Player of the Week.Cervantes, known more for his defense than offense, came up with a personal career-high 20 points to make up for the absence of big men Jaymo Equilos and Pipo Noundou and immensely help the Tams to a pivotal 71-69 overtime triumph over La Salle that gave them the second semifinal incentive. "Kulang kami ng mga malalaki kaya kailangan kong magstep-up," said the 21-year-old BS Sports Recreational Management student, who scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, leading the FEU squad's comeback from an 11-point deficit that gave the Tams their first twice-to-beat incentive since winning the 2005 crown.

Reil Cervantes of FEU, right, makes his move during the Tams' recent game against the Adamson Falcons. Jeff Venancio Cervantes became the third consecutive FEU dribbler to earn the award after RR Garcia and juniors' star Terrence Romeo, who were cited by the association of reporters covering the collegiate league the past two weeks.Cervantes also helped the Tams win the match against De La Salle with a key defensive stop, swiping Joshua Webb's lay-up that could have sent the game into a second overtime. FEU's victory also gave the Tams the chance to earn the top spot, as they are now just a game behind defending champion Ateneo. The Tamaraws could earn the No. 1 spot if they beat the Blue Eagles by more than four points in their elimination-ending match this weekend.The victory was also FEU's seventh against the Green Archers in 12 face-offs.Cervantes was chosen for the weekly honor over teammates Aldrech Ramos and Garcia, University of the East's Paul Lee and Ateneo's Eric Salamat. - Perry Legaspi, GMANews.TV

Tams push Archers to edge

The FEU Tamaraws achieved one of their targets this season and made it sweeter by handing out some payback. Nearly one year after crashing out of the Final Four in UAAP Season 71 at the hands of De La Salle, the Tams pushed their tormentor at the brink of missing the semis for the first ever, winnning 71-69 in overtime.
DLSU started hot leading as much as 11 points in the first half but the Tams finally wrested the lead in the fourth quarter. However, FEU failed to close out DLSU in regulation despite leading by 6 points in the last two minutes. Archer Sam Marata converted a three-point shot with 7.9 remaining to send the game into overtime.
However, Reil Cervantes and RR Garcia made crucial baskets in the extra period but DLSU answered back to keep the Tams withing striking distance. Marata had another chance to send the game to a second overtime but missed a last second attempt and eventually award FEU one of the twice-to-beat slots in the Final Four. Cervantes and Garcia chipped in 20 and 18 points, respectively, while MVP contender Aldrech Ramos posted 10 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.
FEU also missed the services of big men Pipo Noundou and Jaymo Equilos due to injuries.
Coach Glenn Capacio was pleased in gaining the incentive but noted that maturity is still the key in order to go all the way to the championship.
“Sabi ko sa kanila wala nang madaling games dito, kailangan maging sharp kami sa endgame,” said Coach Glenn.

Box:
FEU 71 – Cervantes 20, Garcia 18, Ramos 10, Barroca 7, Cawaling 5, Vinluan 3, Tanuan 3, Sanga 3, Knuttel 2, Manalo 0, Caluag 0.
DLSU 69 – Bagatsing 12, Webb 11, Marata 10, Co 10, Andrada 7, Mendoza 6, Tolentino 4, Barua 4, Mangahas 3, Villanueva 2, Bringas 0, Banal 0.
Quarter scores: 11-15, 27-29, 44-49, 65-65, 71-69.

Final Destination 4

The Final Destination series is a series of horror films created by James Wong, Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick. Distributed by New Line Cinema, the films are centered on the themes of determinism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death (i.e. how to foresee, avoid or control it). In a more practical sense, each film portrays a series of elaborate, often gory death scenarios that can resemble Rube Goldberg machines in their complexity and convolutedness. The franchise has also spawned a related book series (published by Black Flame) and comic series (published by Zenescope Entertainment Inc).

The premise to both the film and book series about death is essentially the same: A group of people are gathered together at a venue, when suddenly a member of the group has a premonition of a disaster that will kill all of the people present. Horrified and motivated by the vision of impending doom, the person with the premonition then tries to prevent the incident by alerting the others. The other members have doubts of the incredible claims but the visionary is persistent, fracturing the group in hostile skeptics, dubious believers, or those that had no choice but to accompany the visionary. Soon afterward, disaster strikes as foreseen, proving to the survivors that the visionary was right, and their opinions change drastically.
Over the next few days, weeks or months, the same survivors begin to die in a series of horrific and often improbable accidents until the same visionary notices a pattern and concludes that, while surviving the initial disaster, they are still destined to die. The visionary usually teams up with another fellow survivor of the opposite sex, and they are determined to once again cheat death; then the same group devises various plans to survive that usually fail until the protagonist visionary finds a solution to their fate, having salvaged two or three of the others. By the end, however, most or all of the survivors are dead. In the subsequent movie, the previous survivors are revealed to be dead, or die in the film. For example: in Final Destination 2, Clear returns from the first film only to be killed later in the film.
However, each movie would leave a legacy for new generations of survivors, such as each disaster was noted by the news, paranormal fanatics, and survivors who notice the similarities within these incidents. The survivors of each sequel would use whatever they learned from these past disasters, or enlisting the aid of a survivor of a previous film, of delaying their inevitable fates.
In addition, the series touches upon the idea of a ripple effect. Midway through the second film, the protagonists learn that they have not only cheated Death through the premonition of the main character Kimberly; each of them also would have died previously but were diverted from their respective destinies by the alternate death events of the first film.

Cheating Death
A recurring theme in each film is the concept of truly defeating Death. Constant intervention proves to merely restart the list from the beginning. When someone saves the targeted person, death immediately moves on to the next person on the list. Once the list of Death's Design runs through, it returns to the beginning. A key element of the films is that the protagonists always think they have found a way to cheat death; for example in the second film, it is suggested that a child born of a survivor will break the pattern. However, the ending always implies that there is no way to indefinitely cheat death.
The films have yet to explain what is sending the protagonists the premonitions and more importantly why, as it seems it does no good to escape the particular accident only for the entity of death itself attack the survivors.

FEU vs UP- from FEU TAMBayan

RR Garcia is solidying his place in the upper echelon of talent in the UAAP after being virtually unknown at the start of the season. The former RP Youth standout made an encore after his best game of the season, as he led the FEU Tamaraws past the UP Fighting Maroons, 86-74. Garcia chipped in 17 points, while MVP contender Aldrech Ramos had 16 and a season high 15 rebounds.
The Tams raced to a 15-2 advantage at the start and kept UP at bay throughout the game, with halftime ending at 40-31. FEU threatened to blow the game wide open after starting the second half with an 8-0 blast but the Diliman-based team made its own mini-run to spark some flicker of hope. However, back-to-back threes by JR Cawaling extinguished UP’s charge and FEU entered the final quarter leading 63-46.
Coach Glenn’s group cruised in the fourth and the win pushed their record to 10-2. FEU needs to win at least one of their last two games in the elimination round to secure one of the twice to beat slots in the Final Four round.

FEU vs Adamson

Coach Glenn Capacio was not in the mood to celebrate despite the team booking a place in the Final Four and within striking distance of one of the twice-to-beat slots with still three games remaining in the elimination round of UAAP Season 72."Were struggling now, Im not happy how we played. Kailangan naka focus na going into the Final Foul, dapat i-angat namin ang game namin", said Coach Glenn.RR Garcia poured his highest output so far in his young collegiate career, finishing with 25 points, while fellow rookie Jaymo Equilos chipped in 7 points and logged in heavy minutes to make up for the stuggles of big men Pipo Noundou and Aldrech Ramos."Di ako umaasa sa three players lang, sa 12-man rotation ko kahit sino pwede mag step-up," added the former UAAP MVP.Despite suffering a humbling loss against the UE Red Warriors last Sunday the Tamaraws started slow with the Falcons leading as much as nine points early. The Tams got their act together in the middle of the second quarter, charging with a 21-6 run to finish on top going into halftime, 45-39.Adamson managed to tie at 56-all but were never able to regain the lead. Garcia extinguised a late Falcon run with a rare 4-point play with 2:18 left in the final quarter to give the Tams enough space and close out at 84-75.FEU rises to 9-2 and faces the UP Fighting Maroons on Saturday 2pm at the Arena in San Juan. Box:FEU 84 – Garcia 25, Barroca 15, Ramos 10, Cervantes 10, Cawaling 10, Eguilos 7, Sanga 5, Noundou 2, Vinluan 0, Tanuan 0, Knuttel 0, Caluag 0.AdU 75 – Canuday 12, Canada 12, Alvarez 12, Camson 11, Colina 8, Nuyles 6, Basilio 5, Galinato 4, Cabrera 3, Lozada 2, Sandoval 0, Margallo 0, Lapitan 0.

Red Warriors bomb luckless Tams: 2nd Round UAAP 72

Furious starts were enough for the UE Red Warriors to enact some payback against the FEU Tamaraws in their second round meeting, 87-72. UE led from start to finish but the Tams made their best run when they closed the gap to 4 points by the end of the second quarter.
UE made another run at the start of the third quarter with the Tams’ struggling to make shots and defense not in sync. Red Warrior Pari Llagas posted a career high of 24 points while Elmer Espiritu was a defensive and offensive power chipping in 20 points and five blocks. Paul Lee made watchers temporarily forget his disappointing performance so far this season after finishing with 18 points including back-to-back threes to douse a Tamaraw rally
Pipo Noundou was the lone bright spot for FEU, finishing with a team-high 14 points. FEU shot a dissapointing 33.8% from the field. The Tams have a chance to rebound when they face Adamson on Thursday 2pm at the San Juan Arena with them still needing a victory to formalize their place in the Final Four.
Box
UE 87 – Llagas 24, Espiritu 20, Lee 18, Zamar 9, Lingganay 6, Acuna 4, Acibar 4, Reyes 2, Tagarda 0, Sumido 0, Flores 0, Duran 0, Alabanza 0.
FEU 72 – Noundou 14, Cervantes 11, Barroca 10, Ramos 9, Garcia 8, Cawaling 7, Sanga 5, Vinluan 2, Tanuan 2, Eguilos 2, Caluag 2, Manalo 0, Knuttel 0, Exciminiano 0.
Quarters: 22-10, 45-41, 70-55, 87-72

The Proposal...

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is the executive editor-in-chief of a book publishing company, Colden Books. All of her workers, including her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), hate her, and she fires a senior editor, Bob Spaulding (Aasif Mandvi) because he is unable to get an author named Frank interviewed by Oprah. After learning she is being deported to Canada, she forces Andrew to marry her, as his future is tied to hers. When the government investigates, Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O'Hare) informs them that they will undergo rigorous testing to prove that the marriage is not fraudulent. Andrew grudgingly accepts, under the condition that he is promoted to the position of editor and his manuscript be published. He also forces Margaret to propose nicely to him on her knees in the streets of New York, and to allow him to tell his parents they are getting married.
The two are forced to spend the weekend with his parents in Sitka, Alaska in order to sell the lie, where they will be attending the 90th birthday party of Andrew's grandmother (Gammy) (Betty White). Margaret is very unreceptive of Alaska, and is furthermore shocked to learn that Andrew's family owns most of the business in Sitka. They attend a surprise party for them, where Andrew catches up with his ex-girlfriend, Gertrude "Gert" (Malin Akerman). After he is humiliated by his father, Joe Paxton (Craig T. Nelson), Andrew announces that he and Margaret are getting married. They are forced to kiss, and do so passionately, showing the first signs of respect for one another. Andrew's parents then show them their room, and Gammy gives them a special blanket (called baby-maker, which they avoid). Andrew and Margaret sleep separately - Andrew on the floor and Margaret in the bed.
The next morning, Margaret wakes to hear her phone ringing. After waking Andrew with her loud conversation, she goes outside; the family dog, Kevin, follows her and is swooped up by an eagle. She gets Kevin back, but the eagle instead takes her phone. Andrew, having seen the commotion, informs her that she, his mother Grace and Gammy are going shopping; the shopping actually proves to be a male strip show by Ramone. Margaret talks with Gert about Andrew, who tells her that they dated through college, and when Andrew asked her to elope with him, she didn't want to go from her home, and said no. Margaret comes home and takes a shower, but finds no towels; when she goes to get one, she is stopped by Kevin. Meanwhile, Andrew confronts his father after he apologizes and asks him to take up the family business, telling him he's happy in New York. He goes to the balcony of their room, stripping naked. Margaret, also naked, goes for a towel after distracting Kevin, only to run into Andrew. He sees her tattoo before going to take a shower. That night, Andrew and Margaret tell each other a little about their past, and find out they like the same band.
Next morning, Joe and Grace knock at the door with breakfast. Andrew and Margaret hurriedly get into bed, and the family suggest they could marry the same weekend, and they reluctantly accept. Andrew is stressed because the marriage is actually a sham, and Margaret tries to comfort him, finding herself genuinely caring for him. To sort out her emotions, she goes for a bike ride into the woods, where she finds Gammy "giving thanks". Gammy invites her to join her, and they end up dancing to "Get Low", while Andrew watches. Andrew takes her into Sitka, and she tries to contact New York. However, Gammy and Grace arrive and take Margaret to be fitted into a dress that Gammy's great grandmother made, and a necklace that's been in the Paxton family for generations. Deciding that she can't do this to Andrew, she hijacks a boat and tries to explain, but she falls off after he takes the steering wheel. Andrew goes back for her, and they return to his house. Once there, they find that Joe has contacted Mr. Gilbertson, who asks them again to admit the sham. Andrew vehemently denies.
During the wedding ceremony, Margaret decides she cannot do this to Andrew and confesses the business arrangement in front of everyone- including Mr. Gilbertson, who tells her she has twenty four hours to get back to Canada, and thus goes back to New York to pack her things. Andrew rushes to their room only to find she has already left leaving Andrew's manuscript with a note of praise from Margaret on the bed. Upon returning, another argument arises between Joe and Andrew. Gammy has a heart attack while trying to stop them and while being airlifted to the hospital has Joe and Andrew to quit arguing before she passes. When they agree, Gammy reveals she had faked it. Andrew attempts to stop Margaret's flight, but cannot do so in time. Upon doing so, however, Andrew shows up at the office and confesses his love for Margaret in front of the entire office staff, proposing marriage all over again. They go to Mr. Gilbertson once more to get engaged "for real".

Dylan Ababou: I sooo love this guy...

UST's Dylan Ababou has topped the Statistical Points race after the first round of the 72nd UAAP basketball tournament. The 6-3 forward, the league's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game, edged out FEU's Aldrech Ramos to move within seven games shy of winning the coveted MVP plum.

UAAP Season 72 FEU vs. UST (2nd Round)

FEU ace guard Andy Barroca made sure the absence of Reil Cervantes would not be enough to end the winning streak of his team against their crosstown rivals. Chipping in a season high of 23 points, the Smart Gilas standout anchored the Tams against an inspired UST team that lost to them by 27 points in their first round meeting less than two weeks ago.
UST scorched hot at the start, racing to a lead till the end of the quarter but lost momentum in the middle of the second when top Tiger Dylan Ababou was forced to ride the bench after collecting his third foul. FEU led by as much as 10 points in the third until a rally fanned hopes of an upset. Key shots from Barroca, Paul Sanga and Jun Tanuan were enough to lift FEU to its seventh straight win and tie Ateneo at first place.
Coach Glenn lauded his second stringers that helped make up for his top center’s absence and noted that the succeeding games will likely become more physical given their current status as league leader.

FEU 75 - Barroca 23, Noundou 11, Garcia 9, Tanuan 8, Sanga 8, Ramos 8, Cawaling 6, Knuttel 2, Exciminiano 0, Eguilos 0, Caluag 0.
UST 67 - Ababou 23, Bautista 11, Teng 9, Maliksi 7, Camus 7, Fortuna 5, Mirza 4, Afuang 1, Mariano 0, Green 0, Aytona 0.
Quarter scores: 13-20, 35-31, 56-51, 75-67.

UAAP Power Ranking

1. Aldrech Ramos – Behold the Tamaraws’ new offensive weapon. The 6-foot-6 FEU slotman has completely evolved from a blocking menace under the rim into a legitimate post-up arsenal as he powered the Morayta-based squad to a league-topping 6-1 record with key victories over UST and UE. Ramos chewed UST’s undersized frontline all game long en route to a career-high 22 points on 7-of-9 FG shooting and 13 rebounds, two steals, two assists and an assist in 30 minutes of play. Against UE, Ramos logged in 14 markers, including a surprise triple, 12 boards, an assist and a steal.

Ramos capped his first-round performance with per-game averages of 11.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 assist With the emergence of Ramos on the scoring horizon, solving the Tamaraws’ offensive puzzle has just become harder, given the motley of options FEU enjoys at its disposal nowadays.

2. Eric Salamat and Nonoy Baclao – The Ateneo pair’s crunchtime resolve shielded the Eagles from the lethal arrows of fierce rival La Salle to pull off a 76-72 nail-biter. Salamat, who finished with 13 points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds, knocked in a dagger trey that shattered a 57-all deadlock with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter to give Ateneo its first lead. Baclao fueled Ateneo's breakaway by draining back-to-back baskets that sandwiched a Salamat freethrow going into the last two minutes of overtime to perch the Eagles on top, 72-69. Salamat is currently averaging 11.7 points, three assists, two rebounds, and 1.7 steals a game while Baclao, despite tallying only five markers agme, is norming 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals an outing.

3. Dylan Ababou - Season 72's MVP pacesetter continues to pour in the numbers for the 4-3-toting Tigers, who fended off a spirited challenge from UP in their last game to prevail, 68-58. Ababou registered 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal but more importantly showed the on-court leadership and poise that the Tigers badly needed when they trailed by as many as 21-36 in the second quarter. His third 20-plus-point game of the season offset his lowest output of 10 points on a woeful 3-of-12 FG shooting night against FEU after ducking suspension in the same playdate. The 6-foot-3 Smart Gilas swingman capped the first round by topping the overall statistical points race with 66.8571 total statistical points (TOTSPs) built on a league-leading 19.6 points a game average alongside norms of 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 steals an outing.

4. Joshua Webb - Save for the kicking incident, Webb played like a man possessed against the Eagles, chalking up a career and team-high 26 points highlighted by a remarkable 11-of-12 freethrow shooting, two of which pushed the Archers to their biggest lead at 46-36 in the third period. His A-1 game ably filled the offensive slack left by veterans Simon Atkins, PJ Barua and James Mangahas, who was 0-of-6 from the field in 20 minutes of play, among others. Webb now averages 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds a game.

5. Jeric Teng - The catalyst of UST's gutsy comeback against UP, Teng tallied 10 of his 22 markers in the pivotal third quarter including a rare four-point play over Magi Sison to help the Tigers snatch a momentum-shifting 64-63 edge that altered the complexion of the game in favor of the Tigers. The 6-foot-2 rookie led UST with 20 points in its 63-90 loss to FEU. Teng is now sporting rookie avarages of 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals per contest.

6. Khasim Mirza - Like Ababou and Teng, Mirza has also figured prominently in UST's offensive charge versus UP, nailing the go-ahead triple with 38.3 seconds left to seal the deal for the Tigers after the Diliman unit closed in at 85-88. He fired 11 of his 22 points in the second canto to cut UP's double-digit lead, 44-51, going into the halftime break. The first round's second leading scorer currently ranks third in the overall statistical points race with 64.1429 TOTSPs anchored on a 17-point, 8.2-rebound, 2.3-assist and 1-block per-game clip.

7. Arvie Bringas - La Salle's top rookie followed up his breakout game over UST with a decent performance against Ateneo and its experienced frontline. But more than holding the fort inside, Bringas underscored his 10-point night via a make-or-break fourth-quarter triple with 20.5 seconds left which gave the Archers enough leverage to force overtime. At present, Bringas is averaging 7.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.

8. Paul Lee - His crucial under-the-basket dish off to Llagas spelled the difference in the Warriors' 77-69 overtime whipping of UP. Known for his scoring versatility as attested by his 13.1 points per game, Lee also puts more premium on the other dimension of his offensive game - passing - which he evidently flaunted in the Warriors' last two games (the one against FEU which they lost, 72-76), where he issued a total of 13 feeds to underscore a league-leading average of 5.4 assists per game.

9. Jewel Ponferrada - The Bulldogs' lone inside presence has again showed why he is the league-leader in blocks as he swatted away six shots on top of 12 markers and eight boards to help NU subdue Adamson, 76-70, for its second win. The smother's-club topnotcher for the first round has compiled a total of 17 rejections thus far for a 2.4 blocks per game norm.

10. Woody Co - Despite the Maroons' endgame misfortunes that slapped on them an unenviable 1-6 record, Co remains a gem of a scorer for UP as he wrapped the first round with back-to-back 23-point outputs against UE and UST. At present, the 6-foot-3 Co is UP's chief gunner with 13.3 points per game.

Honorable Mention: Hyram Bagatsing, Yutein Andrada, Pari Llagas, RR Garcia, Joseph Hermosisima, Melvin Baloran.

yellow ribbon

Been looking for this quite sometime now... hmmm... meaningful yellow ribbon... worth the searching, isn't it!!!

FEU won over UE : last game for round 1, UAAP season 72

FAR EASTERN University warded off a late University of the East fightback, 76-72 to assure itself of first place at the end of the opening round of UAAP Season 72 action last August 9 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws controlled the opening half of the game, building leads as high as 20 at the three-minute mark of the second period. Three Tams – Aldrech Ramos, Paul Sanga and Pipo Noundou – hit double-digits in scoring as early as halftime, which saw the Red Warriors trail, 45-29.
Coach Glenn Capacio’s troops, though, seemed content with sitting on the advantage and played to keep the lead. UE immediately made its move, chopping down the deficit to 12 after 30 minutes of action. The Recto five continued its march with a seemingly small but important 6-0 run, capped off by a Paul Lee three-point play with 4:09 left in the game that trimmed the FEU lead further, 73-68. Second-stringer Erwin Duran then intercepted a lazy pass and drove coast-to-coast to put the Warriors within striking distance, 74-72.
That proved to be UE’s last basket, though, as FEU tightened up on defense to hold on for the victory thanks to two pressure-packed free throws from Andy Barroca and RR Garcia.
Ramos led the league-leading Tamaraws with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Garcia also tallied 14 markers after going scoreless for the first time in his career last time out against University of Sto. Tomas. Pari Llagas delivered yet another double-double for the Red Warriors, who slid to 4-3 in the team standings, with 21 points and 12 boards.
Capacio was calm in the media room despite leading his wards to their sixth victory in seven outings. “Nung second-half medyo gipit-gipit na. Siguro, medyo nahirapan kasi grabe na ang physicality ng game kaya hindi na kami nakaka-execute. Ang magagawa na lang namin ay to stop them…Tiniyaga lang naming, luckily hindi sila makakuha sa amin sa loob.”
He added, “Halos lahat ng teams, gusto na kaming talunin ngayon, dapat mag-step-up sa susunod. Hindi masyadong mainit ang ulo. [With regard to the 41.7% free throw percentage] Yung freethrows, yun nga kailangang i-praktis. Tingin ko puro mental na lang iyon, nakikita ko naman sa praktis na nashoshoot nila.”

The scores:
FEU 76 – Ramos 14, Garcia 14, Sanga 13, Noundou 12, Barroca 11, Cawaling 9, Vinluan 3, Knuttel 0, Eguilos 0, Cervantes 0, Caluag 0.
UE 72 – Llagas 21, Espiritu 12, Lee 11, Acuña 9, Reyes 6, Zamar 5, Duran 4, Bandaying 3, Tagarda 1, Lingganay 0, Flores 0, Ayala 0.

CORY'S FANTASTIC FOUR...

It was a very rainy, solemn but inspirational day last August 5, 2009 when the late ex-President of the Philippines and an international Icon of Democracy was finally laid to rest, Mrs. Corazon "Tita Cory" Aquino, beside her late husband Ninoy and suddenly..........the Philippines has its own version of the Fantastic Four! Those four guards who literally stood still for more than 8 hours beside Tita Cory's coffin while she was being brought to her final resting place, the Manila Memorial Park from Manila Cathedral! They can be worthy to be called as the Philippines' "Fantastic Four" simply because they did something that no one has ever done yet and maybe not for another thousand years. The motionlessly stood still the whole time when Tita Cory's cortege traveled at a snail's pace from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial park, literally without food, water, rest and even without "taking a leak"!!!!I was really amazed when I saw the whole footage again during the reruns and it really made me speechless, not only because of the "Cory Magic" that everyone has felt but because of the unbelievable-but-true endurance of these four guards who came from different branches of the military.Here is the whole article of GMA 7 of the Philippines' "Fantastic Four".I'm really proud of Tita Cory for what she has done for the Filipino people and I'm equally proud of these for superheroes for what they had done for Tita Cory. For you, guys, all four of you, you deserve a lot of honors and commendations! Keep up the good works and we salute you!!!

Labels: cory aquino burial, cory burial, fantastic four, honor guards, people power, Philippines, tita cory

Who am I to complain???

I could say that I’m blessed… not that I’m bragging and all… but basically, I love my life…
I’m blessed with a good and loving family but ofcourse there would be highs and lows of our lives and we made it through, who am I to complain???
I’m blessed with a good job. Hey! Not everybody has a job, who am I to complain???
I’m blessed with good and real friends. Not everybody is real so who am I to complain???
I’m blessed and all… Maybe I do have to brag!
Basically, I do love my life!!!
And I’m not going to complain…

'"ORPHAN" argh!!! freakin' scary!!!

Orphan is a 2009 American horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film centers on a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, adopt a young girl who is hiding a dark secret behind her sweet façade. Orphan was produced by Joel Silver and Susan Downey of Dark Castle Entertainment and Leonardo DiCaprio of Appian Way Productions. The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 24, 2009.

Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) are experiencing strains in their marriage after Kate's third child was stillborn. The loss is particularly hard on Kate, who is still recovering from a drinking habit that cost her her job. They adopt Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a 9-year-old Russian girl, from the local orphanage. While Kate and John's deaf-mute daughter Max (Aryana Engineer) embraces Esther almost immediately, their son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) is somewhat less welcoming.
Not long after Esther arrives, she pushes a schoolmate, who had picked on her, off a slide, breaking her ankle. Max saw Esther shove the girl, but covers for Esther by saying that the girl "slipped". However, Kate grows suspicious when Esther, who watched Kate and John have sex, expresses far more knowledge of sex and its slang than would be expected for a child her age. She is further alarmed when Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), the head of the orphanage, warns her and John about Esther's tendency to be around when things go wrong. Esther overhears this, and later kills Sister Abigail with a hammer to the head. She convinces Max to help her hide the body and the hammer. Daniel sees Esther and Max descending from his treehouse, not knowing they hid the hammer there. Later that night, Esther threatens to cut off Daniel's penis if he tells anyone what he saw.
Kate is told by the orphanage that they can't find any record of the Russian orphanage Esther came from. However, John doesn't believe her, despite continued ominous behavior by Esther. That night, Esther breaks her own arm in John's vise, and convinces John that Kate broke it in the scuffle from earlier that day over the rosebush. On Esther's first day back at school, she slips Kate's SUV into neutral, nearly killing Max. Badly shaken, Kate buys two bottles of wine, but at the last minute pours one of them down the drain.
Kate learns that Esther was housed at a mental institution in Estonia called the Saarne Institute, but when she expresses misgivings to John, he and her counselor think that Kate is relapsing into her drinking habit. After John produces the other bottle Kate bought the night before, he threatens to leave her unless she gets help.
Daniel learns of the hammer from Max and decides to get it and go to the police. However, Esther sets the treehouse on fire, intending to get rid of the evidence and kill Daniel. Daniel escapes by falling out of the tree, and is severely injured. Esther tries to finish him off by smashing a brick over his head, but Max shoves her out of the way just in time. Esther again tries to kill him at the hospital by smothering him with a pillow. As doctors rush to save Daniel, Kate angrily knocks Esther down and is sedated by doctors.
That night, Esther tries to seduce an inebriated John. John realizes Kate was telling the truth all along, and threatens to call the orphanage. Esther, angry at being spurned, stabs him to death. Max witnesses this and hides in her closet.
As Kate is coming out of sedation, she gets a call from the Saarne Institute's director, Dr. Värava (Karel Roden), who reveals that Esther isn't a 9-year-old girl at all, but a 33-year-old woman named Leena Klammer. She has hypopituitarism, a disorder that stunted her physical growth, and has spent most of her life posing as a little girl. The doctor tells Kate that Esther is dangerously psychotic, and has killed dozens of people. Kate rushes home, where Esther shoots her in the arm before taking off after Max.
Their chase takes them outside to a frozen pond, where Kate and Esther struggle before falling through broken ice. Kate crawls out of the hole, followed by Esther, who begs for her life, addressing Kate as her mother. Kate angrily responds that she is not her mother, and kicks Esther in the head, breaking her neck and sending her back into the pond to drown

CORAZON C. AQUINO

Corazon C. Aquino
January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009

11th President of the Republic of the Philippines
February 25, 1986 – June 30, 1992

Maria Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco Aquino became the 11th President of the Republic of the Philippines, following the peaceful 1986 People Power Revolution that astonished the world.
Aquino was married to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., a leading figure in the political opposition against the autocratic rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, who was assassinated upon his return from exile on 21 August 1983. Having had no prior political experience, Cory Aquino nevertheless became the focal point around which the fractured political opposition finally unified. She was the lone candidate against Marcos during the 1986 snap presidential elections.
Soon after Marcos’ proclamation as victor, despite widespread reports of electoral fraud, then Minister of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, set in motion a long-planned coup against Marcos. The charismatic Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin exhorted the predominantly Catholic populace to mass along EDSA (the main thoroughfare between Camps Aguinaldo and Crame) to support the rebel soldiers. Over the next four days almost 2 million unarmed civilians poured into the streets, heeding the call of Cardinal Sin. People the world over were amazed to see unarmed priests, nuns and ordinary men, women and children forming human chains, blockading loyalist military squadrons, preventing them from reaching the rebel soldiers at the Camps. They answered guns and tanks with prayers and flowers… succeeding in what became known as the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
Cory Aquino was proclaimed the 11th President of the Philippines on the 25th of February 1986, Asia’s first female head of state. After completing her term in 1992, she continued to be an advocate of democracy, peace, women's empowerment, and religious piety.
Lest we forget, Cory Aquino and our original people power inspired Yeltsin in Russia , Lech Walesa in Poland , Nelson Mandela in Africa , Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia and the unsung heroes of Tiananmen Square .The Philippine's original "People Power", led by Cory would inspire many other non-violent movements for democracy in the world. The largely bloodless political upheaval began in Poland, continued in Hungary, and then led to a surge of mostly peaceful revolutions in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria.She (and therefore the brave Filipinos of EDSA 1) continue to inspire the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, and recently our neighbors of Thailand.
She began law studies in Far Eastern University but did not finish on account of her marriage to Ninoy Aquino. In 1987, she received an Honorary Degree in Civil Law from FEU.
Cory Aquino died of cardiopulmonary arrest after complications of colon cancer at the age of 76 on August 1, 2009.

UAAP SEASON 72: PROUD TAMARAW

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY TAMARAWS
2008 record: 10-4 (tied for second place, lost in the Final Four)
Head coach: Glenn Capacio (third season)

Key additions: Casey Caluag, Jaymo Eguilos, Chris Exciminiano, Ryan Roose Garcia, Jolas Guerrero, Christian Manalo, Pipo Noundou, Marty Pearce, McJan Vinluan

Key losses: Marlon Adolfo, Jon Alisbo, Mac Baracael, Ron Cabagnot, Benedict Fernandez, Robert Kave, Gian Macazo, Mark Romero

Holdovers: Andy Mark Barroca, JR Cawaling, Reil Cervantes, Jens Knuttel, Aldrech Ramos, Paul Sanga, Edgar Tanuan

Background: 2008 was a tumultuous year for FEU, both on and off the court. Inconsistency plagued the Tamaraws all year, as signified by a win against Ateneo (which was its only loss in Season 71) and a defeat at the hands of the then-winless National University. Off the floor, star forward Baracael was shot by a still unidentified assailant near the FEU Gym, an incident that opened the eyes of the hoops community to the darker side of basketball. After being touted as favorites to take home the title, FEU was beaten by De La Salle in its semifinal tilt.

Key changes: While Baracael didn’t see a whole lot of playing time due to that horrific episode, he, along with Barroca, was still the Tamaraws’ heart and soul. Fernandez, meanwhile, was big game at times, and that could prove to be quite a loss, too. However, FEU’s additions make the squad an even far more talented unit than last year. Garcia is ROY-quality, while Noundou is a versatile forward who can score, rebound and defend. Eguilos will be the Tamaraws’ next star center, and Caluag is an athletic combo guard. Despite the lost talent, the Tams are retooled and reloaded.

Outlook: FEU 2K9 will be Barroca’s team. That is, if you stop after reading his name on the alphabetically arranged roster. What makes the boys from Morayta the best team on paper is, aside from the aforementioned additions, the rise of Barroca’s other teammates. Cawaling and Ramos have gotten better thanks to Rajko Toroman and the RP Developmental Team, while Cervantes has a more polished inside game to complement his physicality. This “Fantastic Four” is “Four-midable” in itself. What sets the Tams apart from the rest of the league even further is their depth. Garcia’s skill at the one can free up Barroca off the ball, while Sanga can draw other fours away from the basket with his shooting ability. Noundou, a better Tanuan, Caluag, Eguilos, Exciminiano and Knuttel round out a scary 12-man rotation.

Prognosis: Anything less than a finals appearance for Capacio’s troops would be disastrous. It’s not often that you end up having a team as locked and talented as this. An Ateneo-FEU finals showdown isn’t far-fetched at all. While DLSU may have something to say about that, FEU should at least exact revenge over its conquerors from last season and square itself for a title run.