Amazing Philippine Beauties 2010

The search is on...

the SAFEWAY... to DIE!

I've been putting off this desire to blog about how stressed I am when I drive the Metro roads simply because it may sound like an unnecessary gripe to post given the long existent driving conditions in the Philippines as well as the long existent driving ethics we have.

That is why I opt to have a driver despite the additional cost and burden of an additional personnel to care for. The benefit definitely outweighs the burden specially if I consider the amount of stress that would be lifted by simply taking the back seat and taking a nap on my way to the office. Having a driver means that I won't have to freak out a lot on the road.

Why freak out?

Well, let's take the picture my buddy took of this "SAFEWAY" bus on EDSA whose company name is the exact opposite of its driver's behavior on the road. He swerves erratically from the yellow lane and out in pursuit of another bus with the hope to overtake the competition for the next street corner or loading area. Never mind the side mirrors, he perhaps thinks... they've got brakes and I'm bigger, only a stupid driver wouldn't give way. --- That's a bus bully on the road.

But it's not a matter of size alone. In Pasay, EDSA you've got tricycles either crossing or counter flowing. Multicabs plying the Mall of Asia route who stops anywhere and not necessarily moving out of harms way. Jeepneys who wait for passengers in the middle of roads like F.B. Harrison, J.P. Rizal in Makati most specially in the Pembo area in Makati where the intersection is in a constant gridlock despite or maybe because of the presence of traffic enforcers... the place looks like a jeepney terminal.

Point is, an unseasoned driver in the Philippines is at the mercy of "seasoned" public utility transport drivers. Seasoned and regular drivers just curse... that's all.

Almost There... Alamat

photography by Casie Villarosa

Alamat's venture into the recording industry is almost at its completion with an upcoming video shoot of their live performance for their album DVD. Currently being conceptualized by Casie Villarosa, Director Elmir Castillo and image consultant Joey Puna, Alamat is slated to shoot the album DVD on September 11, 2010 at the Manila Film Center.

The photos below shows Alamat doing a run through of their songs at Sunset Studios...

New Pasay Police Station Chief of Police

PSSupt. Napoleon L Cuaton

Pasay City Police Station has a new Officer-in-Charge, Chief of Police PSSupt. Napoleon L Cuaton who was with the Aviation Security Group for quite some time. I attended the turn over ceremony this afternoon and took some photos because incidentally in haste, no one was there to take photos. Good thing I always bring my Sony Alpha230.



officers from the Pasay Police Station at the ceremony


Pasay City Mayor Tony Calixto welcoming the new COP


Southern Police District Chief Superintendent Jose Arne Delos Santos at the podium


left to right; PSSupt Evangelista, PSupt Ed Ferater, COP Cuaton, Mayor Calixto, General delos Santos and COP's father



Pasay PNP Officers had a chance to present some of their accomplishments to the Mayor as well as have a light moment with him

photos by casie villarosa

the BURDEN...

photography by KYO Lee

Dead End...

Dead Man Walking...

Nowhere to go but down...

These are the things that come to mind when I think about my career... or what I think of as career. If I had the sanity to do so or at least the willingness to do so, I'd be reassessing my career as to the possible paths to take so that I may re-enjoy a life of excitement, uncertainty, work and sanity. A life that would keep me on my toes and make me the wiz kid I once was.

Sad as it may sound, the partial success has not led me to happiness but rather it had made me stray of the path I wanted to accomplish. Quite recently, I was informed that my main function these days would be to lead a development team that would initiate new enterprises to enable this company to span our wings bigger and hopefully keep Amazing afloat for a longer period of time...

The effect of the information however, is something that I smirk upon these days knowing what I know and having gone through a lot of bad experiences over business development. Yes, it is so easy to point fingers and pass on the blame, plus charge my emotions to experience knowing that when things worsen, then I may have my time... once again.

When I wanted to be proactive, I indulged in making business proposals that would allow me to spin off to my interests and therefore give me the opportunity to enjoy and earn at the same time. All those things eventually led to the demise of those proposals because I got heckled in the middle of things that my intolerance got the better of me. (Wish I could spell it out but it will sound like I'm picking a fight)

So for the past months, I am working on something that I know can materialize by itself without picking on the already depleted resources of this company... and I know that it will work. I'd like to think so... But for now, everything else is a burden.

when it rains... it definitely pours!

I miss my blog!

If I weren't so unlucky, remarkably cursed and ultimately doomed, then I would have had the chance to blog about snippets of happy moments that I've had the last two weeks.

Mondays are typically blog days, but last week was our anniversary outing and I was decked tired to blog... yesterday, as if on cue, there was a hostage crisis involving a bus load of tourists in Manila... Now that shook me a bit to the core because this company is all about tourists.

As they say, the string of bad luck has just begun.

Highlights of my week...

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Dolreich & Angel Tonolete's Wedding Day
where I stood as principal sponsor...

Alamat's vocalist, Dolreich and wife Angel had a great wedding ceremony with friends and family. The reception was great with live entertainment and a good crowd. The pair looked wonderfully happy and it was indeed a joyous occasion... It was great to see two people in love finally tie the knot...


with the rest of Alamat outside of the church venue


inside the church waiting to be called...


nobody wanted to pair with me so I had to walk the aisle alone


the father of the bride giving her away


the happy couple


patience is a virtue...


finally some picture taking to commemorate the occasion


... and let's go whacky!


party time...

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Amazing Show 9th year company anniversary...

On our 9th year and on a precarious rock, people nevertheless enjoyed the occasion with a lot of drinking and partying. I think only a few had the chance to get some shut eye. There were minor incidents with two couples and a minor accident involving a cut chin after slipping on the tiled floor.

It was absolutely tiring and yet fun!

PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!!!!


top left clockwise; bikini open contestants, cheers!, skeleton man of the night, Ichang-Lena and Oso, more cheers and Kyo


pre-departure drinking, three group pics and a few solitary moments before everyone else arrived


JR gets some shut eye, the macho guys of Amazing, a scandal in the pool, elmir with wynel, Darwin's cut chin and the boys' human pyramid


underwater shots courtesy of Jake's camera; with top left to clockwise with Nap, Jake and Dandan

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The deal that went way too sour...


http://casieplanet.blogspot.com/2010/05/if-all-goes-well-tonight.html

The initial meeting I had in Cebu with the authorized person to sell the property went very well. We agreed on the price and all that was left was investigate the annotations on the title and to wait for the resolution of the case involving the property. Unfortunately, things went a little sour when the owner figured that he could get more than what he initially asked for leading me to make relations with him that will allow us to get the property for what we think is a reasonable price tag. He agreed in principle and gave us his word... That was before we had to go through all the tedious verification process.

I traveled to Cebu to finally clinch the deal together with our counsel and consultant and guess what...? The owner changes his mind once again but he couldn't tell me in person, so he had us fly to Cebu so that his authorized representative may tell us that he has already changed his mind! Meaning, he wanted 3.5M more than what was previously agreed upon... WTF???!!! He could have told me on the phone then I wouldn't have to spend 33K for the air tickets... It was distastefully coward of him.

But then again, I wouldn't blame him. If I was dealing with me too, I'd be too shy to turn me down for all the good relationship that I've established with him. Besides, it's business...

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My High School friends visited me...


top left - clockwise, Dencio Mendiola, Bong Billones, group picture and Albert Austria

Dennis, Albert and HS best bud Bong comes over for a visit at my office late evening and we ended talking 'til after two. It was really good chatting with old friends again, although I knew that I would be up super early driving to Tagaytay for Mica's recollection...

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Mica's High School class recollection

My daughter Mica is graduating next year and will be attending college next year. The school conducted a recollection both for the parents and the students. It was rather touching what she wrote me in reply to a letter I've written her before departing for Tagaytay. My daughter is indeed the best...



we took the opportunity to ride horses since we were already there...


Mica at the retreat/recollection center


my butt hurt like hell after an hour sitting on the horse's spine


sugar the horse had to go... damn, that was lot of piss


daddy and his children



it was a good day... if my driver wasn't absent, it would have been a great day... the drive home was punishing!

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The down side?...

I've not had a driver for the last week because his daughter was hospitalized, plus I had a talk with my secretary for the less than promising performance she's had over her first month and a half with me...

I miss gym...

CATS

A couple of weeks ago, I got an invite to see the technical rehearsal of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS at the Cultural Center of the Philippines so I had my admin director, our counselor and our consultant tag along. It was a good show and we enjoyed it... makes me want to go artsy fartsy but the feeling only lasted an hour after the show... hehehe.

So today, it's my family's turn to watch the real show and I'm hoping that it would inspire my daughter to go artsy fartsy as well...