No more Robinhood.

I am not an authority in Philippine cinema nor TV, so this post is just an ordinary observer's observation.

I read awhile ago that Robin Padilla might not go back to his hosting job at the new television show, Pilipinas Win Na Win (PWNW). It's Ramadan so he'll be off for five weeks.

The PWNW show which is really WOWOWEE, re-titled and re-packaged, has had difficulty getting a male host since its original host, Willie Revillame went on leave. The producers tried Billy Crawford, Luis Manzano, Robin Padilla and a host of others.

Now, re-titled, the show got back Robin Padilla.

I have some assumptions about this new show. First, it may have been re-titled, because the network didn't plan to get back Revillame. Second, the network didn't intentionally hire back Revillame because it wanted to wean the show away from its "too masa" appeal.

Weaning the show away from its excessive "for the poor show" image bodes well for the network. First, Revillame boasted of having conceptualized most of the show's game segments, which he targetted to appeal to the "masa." Second, the tragedy which killed many people left a bitter taste in the mouth (what a way to die when all they wanted was to get a chance to earn quick money).

Third, and I think the most powerful one, is that the show sponsors could have clamored for a change in the show's image.

Sponsors. A show's sponsors make the show. They pay for airtime, which pays for production costs including costly talent fees. PWNW, like the original WOWOWEE has plenty of these sponsors, such as Rexona, and others I can't recall.

Now, these sponsors pay big airtime money so that their products could be seen and heard, and ultimately be patronized and bought by the viewers. Now, if a show is so targetted to classes C and D, which have limited purchasing power, will the products have a BIG chance of being purchased by the magta-taho, or magba-balot, trycicle drivers, etc?

The old show WOWOWEE had been heavily promoted overseas thru the TFC. My own sisters in Seattle and San Jose and their apo's tune in to the show. Yes, the sponsors over there may be different, but where there are built-in promo segments, such as Rexona's, they are the same products and sponsors.

What I'm saying is that the mix of TV viewership and thus the sponsor/product mix may not work out well for sponsors. In marketing, there is what we call "niche," or market segments.

Look at it this way. If I were an advertiser of an expensive car, would I choose WOWOWEE/PWNW to advertise? I might, because its viewership is high, but can these people afford to buy my car?

This, I believe, is what happened to WOWOWEE/PWNW. The network wanted to "up" its target market. That's why it brought Kris Aquino, who is a cross over host, and appeals to a wide range of markets and segments, ABCD.

Before Kris, it tried Luis Manzano, who is another cross over host. But Manzano was replaced because the network wanted a co-equal of Revillame for a male host - a Robin Padilla who also has the "masa" appeal.

So the host mix is a de-klase and a masa, Kris and Robin, to appeal and target a mixed target market: ABCD.

Watch for more quality segments from this show.

It's purely economics.

Como esta?

One of the classic crooners, in the same league as Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Tony Bennett, Perry Como used to have a Christmas special which I looked forward to watching year after year. Now gone, Como's TV special has been replaced by several singers, including Barry Manilow, even the American idol runner up, Clay Aiken. I bet Como's songs are staples in ballrooms, including in cruise ships, where there's fine dining and dancing.

"In 1932, Como left Canonsburg, moving about 100 miles away to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where his uncle had a barber shop in the Hotel Conneaut there. About 80 miles from Cleveland, it was a stop on the itinerary for dance bands who worked up and down the Ohio Valley. Como, Roselle, and their friends had gone to nearby Cleveland; their good times took them to the Silver Slipper Ballroom where Freddy Carlone and his orchestra were playing. Carlone invited anyone who thought he might have singing talent to come up and sing with his band. Young Como was terrified, but his friends urged him onto the stage. The young man wasn't certain if he should accept the offer Freddy Carlone made, so he returned to Canonsburg to talk the matter over with his father. Perry expected he would tell him to stay in the barber business, but to his surprise, the senior Como told him if he didn't give this a try, he would never know if he could be a professional singer or not. Roselle was willing to be a wife on the road, traveling with her husband and the band; they were married in Meadville in 1933. The decision was also made with an eye on finances; Como earned $125 per week from his barber business while the job with Carlone paid $28 per week. Como joined Freddy Carlone's band, and three years later moved up to Ted Weems' Orchestra and his first recording dates. Their first recording was a novelty tune called "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes", recorded for the Decca Records label."

By Perry Como

And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I've lived 'til now
I tell them I don't know

I guess they understand
How lonely life has been
But life began again
The day you took my hand

And yes I know, how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

And you love me too
Your thoughts are just for me
You set my spirit free
I'm happy that you do

The book of life is brief
And once a page is read
All but life is dead
That is my belief

And yes I know, how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

Pre-or-Post Ondoy.

I was watching the late evening news and there it was:  fifteen municipalities/cities along Laguna de Bay would possibly be submerged in flood water in the coming days. Included are Marikina, Pasig and Cainta, among others. 

What or who is the culprit?  It's too many it's hard to pinpoint exactly.

The LLDA (Laguna Lake Development Authority) pointed to the houses (old and new) which are built along the banks of Laguna de Bay as the major cause.  The Manggahan Floodwater, which is supposed to contain and manage the flow and outflow of rain water from the Bay to the bigger rivers and bays, is supposedly clogged and blocked by structures and infrastructures.  These are both illegal and legal structures, such as squatter shanties, legal residences, even municipal bridges.

I wonder, is there no government agency which oversees national housing, road and building planning and land use? I confess I am ignorant of these matters. I suppose each municipality takes care of its own.

When the destruction of "Ondoy" took place last September, the release of water from two dams was blamed; in Pasig and Cainta, there was even a rumour that the construction of the SM/Tiendesitas complex along Ugong was partly to be blamed because it blocked the flow of water into Pasig River. 

Residents of Pasig and Cainta must be shrivering right now.  The memories of Ondoy are only too recent to have new destructive events unfurl again. 

With fifteen localities in peril right now, you cannot blame people for buying into condo ownership just to be able to escape flood-prone areas.  And that's why condo costs have become too prohibitive for many. 

I have a nephew who bought a condo in Quezon City, some twenty plus square metre in area, for a million plus peso.  This, he bought from a friend who bought it several years ago, so the value is still below prevailing money.  But my sister told me it's so tiny you can't even enjoy a big screen TV.

Single or detached houses have become smaller, too. Camella Homes in Raymundo Avenue in Pasig sells a 70 sq. metre property for about 5 million pesos, while the same house and lot in Camella Antipolo sells for at least 2.7 million. At Camella in Sauyo, Quezon City, the sales rep said the prices are even higher.

Antipolo is a scenic place, but there's the risk of landslide, and then you have to contend with horrendous traffic at the Rosario Bridge, Ortigas and Sumulong Highway.  Raymundo in Pasig got flooded, too, last Ondoy and Sauyo in Quezon City is not exactly a nice residential area - the street is so narrow.

Is it post Ondoy or pre-Ondoy (first anniversary is coming up) jitters for residents along the Laguna de Bay?

Others couldn't get over the Ondoy phenomenon.

Hating Kapatid or How Siblings Divide the Loot.

LEFT - With bro and his sons.

BELOW - Pink flamingos at the San Diego Sea World.  

I have seen so many Tagalog movies since I arrived in P.I. last April than I have seen from the 70's and 80's combined. This would include some Tagalog movies accidentally seen at a Cable channel. This is a record.

The last Tagalog movie I saw in the big screen was "Hating Kapatid."  It starred Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo, both of whom I've seen only this time.

It was supposed to be a funny movie.  It had some good laughs, yes, but for a comedy, I liked "Here Comes the Bride," better.

"Here Comes the Bride," was an original concept. Acting was tops.  "Hating Kapatid," had to use and insert lines which were irrelevant to the movie, such as when Judy Ann asked an MLRT rider which deodorant he was using.  "Manong, ang deodorant n'yo ho ba ay Seven Dwarfs, paki-check nga ho kasi parang may namatay ng isa."  And this movie didn't hesitate, at all, to endorse products throughout the film.  

"Hating Kapatid," from last counting, was a hit movie.

In big families, the "hating kapatid," concept always comes into play.  But while, growing up with six siblings and one cousin, "hating kapatid," was rarely heard during our dinners, in sharing gifts and partaking of "pasalubong." 

Our eldest always got a sunny side up (over easy) egg for breakfast while the rest of us enjoyed "tortang itlog."  The eldest always had a bottle of coke, while the mid-ones (my other sister and me) had Sarsi.  The "Ate" always got ahead reading comic books, while the mid-ones waited in line. She had a beauty soap called Heno de Pravia, while us had the family soap, Palmolive.

In terms of household chores, "hating kapatid," didn't work out as well in our family. During summer breaks,  "Ate," did the general clean up - including cleaning the "kisame" of spider webs.  The second one was tasked with occasional cooking, the third helped in doing the laundry, the fourth and me, alternated doing the evening dinner dishes, while the two youngest didn't do anything.  My cousin had to sweep the floor, but she got up from bed at almost noon.  So, the real tasks were done by the help, if there was one, and by my two aunts. A "planchadora," was a constant figure in our house. 

Although seemingly lopsided, there was never competition among us siblings, and we fully respected sibling rank even as grown ups.

"Hating Kapatid," is a good Pinoy concept to follow through, especially if there's an estate left by dead parents. Nowadays, it is so common to hear about siblings who fight over family inheritance.

At what cost?

There was robbery across from I where I live. A mountain bike was stolen. The owner discovered it in the  morning when he was about to drive his wife to work.  He remembered no dogs barking but recalled his wife turned off the light in the driveway.

The village overflows with security.  At the main gate, four are posted at all times, and one in each Phase ( there are eight phases). The Phase guard roams at night, checking on unfamiliar faces and noises.

I guess, a thief has many tricks under his hat.  Just like Ivan Padilla, the leader of a carnap gang who was shot, then died, after a shoot out with lawmen.  Now, there are those who question why Padilla was only taken to the hospital six hours after being shot at.

C'mon.  I am a firm believer of human rights.  But like a conservative, I a more attuned to the rights of the victims, not the criminal. 

So, last night the houses in our phase had their driveway or gate lights lightened up.  But the thief, just like the other criminals who always return to the scene of the crime, opted not to attack. Maybe, he'd return another night.

It's appalling how lawlessness seems to be the norm than the exception.  I blame the slow hands of the law enforcement and the justice system for such an aberration.

In Toronto, there'd been cases of home invasion, too.  Usually, the gang consists of ethnic minorities who preys on rich people belonging to its ethnic group.  In the condo where I live, security is limited to one guard at the main lobby, who roams the building and the basement parking. There had been incidents of petty car vandalism, but no major robberies or entries.

Teens, during summer breaks, loiter around the property and leave trash but generally do not break the law. 

It was a rainy night - no stars - when the neighbourhood thief attacked.  The prey (mountain bike) could be seen from the outside.  The fence was low, the dogs were puppies. The light was turned off. Perfect time for a petty crime.

I wish there would be moon and stars each night so the residents do not have to turn on their lights, what with Meralco charging so much for power usage. It's very costly to guard one's property and life, nowadays. 

The moon, aside from being source of light, is a source of joy.  

Scandal-Plagued.

LEFT, Gary Hart and girlfriend, Ms. Rice.  The photo was taken when the two partied in a boat called Monkey Business.  It was not a luxury cruise ship. 

MMDA Chairman Tolentino made news yesterday when two groups surfaced and brought plunder charges against him in the Ombudsman.  Tolentino said the charges are just political harassment, coming from someone who was defeated by his brother in the last mayoralty race in Tagaytay city.

Last Sunday, President Bill's Clinton's only daughter Chelsea got married to Mark Mezvinsky, whose father, an ex-Representative in the state of Iowa, was jailed for fraud, a la Nigerian bank scam.

President Clinton, while in office, almost got impeached because of the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, " I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky," fame.

The other day I wrote that I await more scandals from the past administration to be unraveled by the present one.  But it seems that political forces are trying to thwart the success of the Aquino administration and pinning scandals into Noy's own political appointees.

We should remember that MMDA Chairman Tolentino exposed the payola and is now hell bent on eliminating the "colorum" buses along EDSA, and to impose coding on license plates 7 and 8.

Secretary Singson, meanwhile, has been accused of illegally dealing with Pagcor while he was the President of Maynilad.  

Remember Gary Hart, who ran for President of the U.S.?  He was trounced in the primary when a picture of him with a young girl in a yatch appeared in the dailies.  Monkey Business was the name of the boat.

Then, the Governor of New York State, Eliot Spitzer had to abruptly resign when it was uncovered he was dating a high-prized call girl.  

Sex and political scandals have always been staples of societies and governments.  London politics and society, in particular, is famous for such kinds of scandal.  The Royal family is one great source of this kind.

A misdeed becomes a scandal only if the party/parties concerned are well known or what we call "celebs."  Holywood abuzz with scandals which are so commonplace that they are already considered part and parcel of its glitz.

Locally, we have the Kris Aquino-James Yap state of affairs mirroring Hollywood.

But if we, unknown people, get embroiled in a messy situation, would it be considered a scandal?

A scandal is defined as  " 1 a : discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person b : conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another

2 : loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : disgrace 3 a : a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it b : a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality  4 : malicious or defamatory gossip 5 : indignation, chagrin, or bewilderment brought about by a flagrant violation of morality, propriety, or religious opinion

synonyms see offense."

So, it seems that if no one knows or if just close family knows about a person's misdeeds, or lapses, violations, etc which offend established moral conceptions, then these are not scandalous at all.

Ancient Blocks.

Opening up a new Philippine bank account recently was a nightmarish experience.  I closed my old account in one bank, and opened a third currency account in another.

It was different this second time. Previously, I encountered no hurdles; this time, blocks had been erected for my entry.

The bank required two pieces of I.D. from among many (passport, postal I.D., driver's license, NBI clearance, etc), a billing statement and a 1 X 1 photo.  Why a billing statement?  It was to prove that I live where I said I live.  But wouldn't a local driver's license show that?  Apparently not. 

But why should the bank care where I live?  If I leave my money in a bank, isn't that the best guarantee that I would show up and never disappear?  Or could it be that a bank needs to know its customers' exact location lest they are just doing money laundering?  

I asked my niece who's an assistant branch manager at an old bank, "would a foreign driver's license do,?"  She said yes.

Before this, I went to the bank and presented a postal I.D. and a cedula.  No can do; the new accounts teller told me to get a Philippine driver's license.

So, I tried to obtain a local license because my old one has expired, and then again, I tried to convert my foreign license to a Philippine-issued.  But before this, I had to wait for my new permanent foreign license in the mail as I only brought in a temporary one, having left Canada days after I renewed it. 

So, it took me at least two months before all the documents got into place. 

Then I returned to the bank of choice and the teller announced I should go to a special branch which takes care of third currency accounts.  I asked, what else to bring?  "Your passport, Sir, and there would be no hassles."

That special branch was hard to find, but I located it anyway.  I was there at around 2:30 p.m. .and got out at 15 minutes to five.  But that was after the new accounts girl made me fill out and sign the application form, and accepted my cheque, and then at 4:30 p.m. announced that I should deposit an extra $650 Canadian dollars (the maintaining balance), because my cheque would clear up in three weeks.  But I should buy the notes outside because the bank cannot sell to someone who has just opened up a third currency account. 

It was a Friday, and the bank does not open on Saturdays, so it meant I had to go back the following Monday.

She even said that was a new policy; before they just deposit my cheque and credit my account once it has cleared.

While sitting in front of the new accounts, and watching the girl write and talk to her bank mates, I could not help but recall my banking in Canada.  Yes, I am also frustrated doing in-person banking most of the time over there, but never in my life have I waited two hours just to open an account. If one were applying for a mortgage, or opening an investment account, the most waiting and completion time one will encounter is about thirty minutes.  

But this tale pales in comparison to another bank I first went into.  Another old, established bank told me to open an account not in their branch but in a branch near my house. "Is this branch convenient for you, Sir," the teller asked.  I said, "yes, I do my shopping here." 

Once she gave me the bank requirements, I exited and vowed never to return. 

I once had a tiff with a Canadian clerk who just opened up a payment line and accepted to serve a customer who butted in line ahead of me.  I asked him, " is the color of her money different from mine?"

Money, banks. They get your money, make money out of it, then give you peanuts in interest, or they close shop taking your money with them.