Astro's Flight

I watched Astroboy just today, though I promised myself to watch it on its opening date last October 28. I am an Astroboy fan and yes I am stating the obvious.
Who is Astroboy
Astroboy is the story of a boy robot who was created by Dr. Tenma after the death of his son Toby. Dr. Tenma used the positive energy 'blue core' to bring Toby back to life and incorporated his son's memory into Toby's system. As he discovers his real identity, Toby was pursued by the greedy Dr. Stone in an attempt to get the 'blue core' in his hands to use for personal gains. In his attempt to capture him, Toby was thrown out of Metro City and into a robotics junkyard where he met his friends who renamed him Astro. Also, using his blue core powers, he brought Zog, a giant century-old construction robot, back to life.

While living with his friends, Astro met Hamegg, a frustrated robotics scientist who repairs defective robots and uses them on a gladiator like robot festival where robots fight each other to determine the best. Upon discovering Astro being a robot, he set him up as an entry to the festival which gave Dr. Stone a venue to capture Astroboy.

Upon capture, he directed Dr. Tenma to remove the blue core into Astro's system. Dr. Tenma retaliated and set Astro free. Mad about what happened, Dr. Stone took the negative energy-'red core' to bring a giant robot to life in a pursuit to kill Astro.

Astro then was set into a battle against the giant robot. But to kill the robot, Astro must use the power of the blue core, but using cost Astro's life. Astro died, but with the use of Zog's blue core power, he was repaired, ready to save the planet from any bad robot.
How was it
The movie is a visual treat for the young ones and young once. The story is packed with humor, heart and brain that capitalizes on a young robot's journey through self discovery, acceptance of his destiny and how he became Metro City's hero and defender against the evil robots. However, after watching the movie, I was left with a void feeling of disappointment much less dissatisfaction. While the movie did great on its effect, there was something lacking which I could not possibly say what.

Probably it has to do with the major deviation from its original story: Toby was killed from a car accident while the movie showed Toby died out of a failed robot test run. Another reason may be: while Astro's TV life is colorful because of his many and varied opponents, the climax ran around his battle against the evil robot who had the red core on it.

Again, technical and production wise was great. Probably the most visually appealing and visually entertaining cartoon-animated movie we ever had in theaters. I am happy that finally I saw Astro in a movie, but I want more. And that's the reason why I had a void depressed feeling after the movie.

Stunningly created as it was, I must say again....I want more more.

The Neighbor's Creed

We got this in the mail and I guess it was circulated within our village. If this was from the management of our Homeowners Association, I must commend them for this information drive and for at least trying. The management may have good intentions but I guess the intentions have gone from good to crap.

However cool as it may have sounded, I think this is a failed attempt and an apathetic was of making themselves visible. Its a crap because they not only reinstated the obvious.

I live in the village, I know what I have to do, needless to say, and if I am to be reminded of it, they need not use funds to print such crap.

The sun, the sea and the Laiya sand

Summer is always a welcome treat for those who love the outdoors, for this is the time of the year when families and friends get together for outings and gatherings. And if you speak of hot summer sun, the most refreshing getaway would be to head for the waters and beat the sand or dip into pools and slides.

One place that is now gaining popularity as a summer destination is Laiya in San Juan, Batangas. It is about 3 hours drive south of Manila with a number of beach resorts along its shore. During summer season and Holy week, locals and foreigners flock to its beaches to enjoy the sun, sea and sand.

With its close-to-white sand shore and the scenic backdrop of a nature, this could well be a good place to enjoy the company of friends, families and even company outings, not to mention a good and reasonable price. Also, just a few hundred meters from the shore is a dive site where you can snorkel and enjoy its wide variety of marine ecosystem.

In the three occasions that I have set foot into the waters of Laiya, I have so far visited 2 of its beach resorts: Pahiyas Beach Resort and Laiya Coco Grove.

Pahiyas Beach Resort

In the two occasions that I have been into this resort, nothing much has changed from 2006 to 2009. The facilities are well maintained and cleanliness is a management priority. However, the shores are well becoming too polluted, or maybe because on the two occasions that I have been there, the shore was too crowded with people.

The only drawback that I would consider is the availability of water in the rest rooms. Prepare to fall in line while waiting for a chance to get your after-the-sea and before-I-go-home shower. While the sea is a bounty of it, unfortunately the showers are not.

Cottages and nipa huts are available for day tour and overnight stay. While private cottages can hold up to 10 people, open cottages can accommodate more. A private cottage has its own restroom while communal restrooms are available for day tourists.

The tour prices are well regulated for most of the beaches in Laiya. Entrance fees are charged for individual tourists and separate fees are for other amenities like cottages, beach volleyball facilities. Life guards are also within the beach premises so you’ll feel safe while in the waters and being extra careful comes at no cost.

For Pahiyas Beach resort, visitors are allowed to bring food and additional fees may be charged for use of appliances like rice cookers and corkage fees. Hard drinks and other alcoholic beverages are only available in the beach store and selling is as well regulated.

Pahiyas Beach resort is a good option for tourists under limited budget. But then, its always best to bring some extra cash, for the trip would not be complete without the .....snorkeling.

Laiya Coco Grove

This resort has 2 beaches, the white sand beach and the main beach. For day tour company functions, the white sand beach is a great option to consider. It has a pavilion that could hold buffet dining while beach tents and umbrellas are available along its shores. The main beach is for travelers wanting a room to take naps and spend overnights.

Click here to view pictures of the white sand beach

After a day’s fun in the white sand beach, you can opt to relax and spend the night in the main beach. The landscape with its cottages and tree houses is poetry in itself.

I came across Laiya Coco Grove from of a company outing. And what made it more fun and memorable is that, I together with a team had the rare chance to enjoy the beach and an overnight stay for free in one of its tree houses. Truly hard work and good luck can bring you good memories and great bonding time.

As the afternoon fades into dusk, you get a dramatic view of the sunset.

And when you wake up, the cool morning sea breeze will certainly leave you mystified and will make you keep a promise to come back for more.

Along with great amenities, air-conditioned tree houses and yes, as the name implies, quite a number of coconut trees, you will certainly get the value of your money by spending more. A budget of $80-$100 will be worthless as compared to the value and experience you get. Also, just a 10 minute boat ride is the dive site which one should never miss.

I kept a promise that one day, I will take my wife in this resort for this has been one of the most romantic, peaceful and scenic place I have seen so far.

In the eyes of a child

He woke up, ‘in time to see Van reach into the crib and grab Nin and throw her, fire her across the room, like a missile, like a bullet, like a shooting star, like a football.’

What ‘he’ saw
Up until he saw it, Jamie’s life was a cycle of domestic violence. Soon after that incident, Jamie, together with her baby sister, Nin, were taken by their mother to live in a friend’s house and into a trailer, into an isolated trailer near the foot of a mountain.

Without a job, Patty must learn to support her children while Jamie must deal with his trauma. While healing their own scars, Patty unknowingly recreates the trauma to Jamie and Jamie is left to mend his wounds by himself. But when Van threatens to comeback, Patty and Jamie discovers that: to overcome their fears and break the shadow of their past, they must learn to depend on each other.

What ‘I’ saw
‘What Jamie Saw” is a book of courage, how Jamie and his mother lived in constant fear, how Jamie created a world of his own and how Jamie acted upon towards his teacher, school and mother is all a clear indication on how domestic violence affects the behavior of the juvenile.


The story may be too cliché but its real. I hear quite a number about Jamie everyday, from the television to radio and even read about him in newspapers. I guess I’m just like most people, I know it happens though I have not seen it happen and just don’t know what to do for a single Jamie.


What he wants us to see
The author may have created Jamie with something more in mind than just a published work. It is a satire for readers to realize how it affects the life of those involved, that the gripping scene of baby Nin is not just a scene, it speaks more than just a fun reading and entertainment.


The book in general offers a good read but the story offers a call to go beyond reading. The characters are well presented and that Jamie’s love for magic is his way of escape from his cruel yet inspiring world.

In the end, the story is not about what Jamie saw but it’s what Jamie wants us to see.


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“What Jamie Saw” is a 1995 Newbery Honor book written by Carolyn Coman.

For Donato

About five years ago, I still picture Donato sitting in a bench outside the quarters of Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. Judging the way he looked that moment, he was in really deep thoughts. How could he not? My older sister is pregnant. His beloved first born daughter is carrying a baby by a man he never knew and met.



I know I said ‘o ano na ngayon, andiyan na eh’. And his reply struck me. Never would I ever imagine he would say it, but I understand. He is a father.


Johnny is like all other fathers I know. He is there to guide his children and will do everything to keep his children from harm. But apart from that, there is something more that makes him extra ordinary, something that sets him aside from the rest. He is always the silent type, but his actions say otherwise.


I remember, back in fourth grade, we were tasked to make flags of countries as part of the school’s celebration for the United Nations day. I and my younger sister had our flags prepared but was lacking a handle pole to stick the flags on. We never asked because we wanted to get the sticks for ourselves. That same afternoon, he came home with 2 well polished sticks. Crafted in such a way that it was tailored to look like something you would buy in a scrapbook shop. He is a craftsman.


He is also hard working. On weekdays, he works as public school academician and teaches mathematics and agriculture. As a child, I grew up knowing that he prefers teaching outdoors as he would do it in the school garden instead. He is a teacher.


And on weekends, after Sunday mass, he would take us to our property nestled along the foot of Mt. Sinian in Nueva Vizcaya. There he farms rice fields and tend to his vegetables gardens. And sometime, I and my siblings would help in farm chores like arrado (preparation of rice fields), sikka (transplanting rice), gapas (harvesting), and bilad (sun drying of palay). On weekends, we also share lunch mostly from cooked wild plants like saluyot, wild ampalaya and other vegetables available within the backyard. He is a farmer.


With him, I learned to love the basics of agriculture, I guess he knows that I love fishing on weekends. I admit he played a good part for me to grow up appreciating nature and the arts. Bagabag is a sleepy and a laid back town. Here is where he raised us, and yes, the province of Nueva Vizcaya holds much of my memories. Donato is strict but seldom forbids us to do what we want for as long as we enjoy it. He is a disciplinarian.


After a tiring day he would spend time with friends drinking beer and gin over peanuts and exotic “edible” animals. As a child, I found it amusing to watch grown-up men share bottles of beer for I would hear stories of every sort, from political issues to farming concerns and yes, even about sex. And before settling for bed at night, I know he never missed to give Lorna her goodnight kiss. He is a friend and a loving husband.


Now, four years after the birth of his grand daughter, I know I will never hear him say “itatakwil ko yang anak ko na yan” again. And years after his sibling left Nueva Vizcaya to work somewhere; I know that he has no one to offer his crafts anymore. For those children had grown to be chemists, a pilot and a call center agent. I know he now seldom goes to that property nestled in Mt. Sinian but I know he still kisses Lorna, for they’ve been married for 30 years now. Coincidentally, I was born three years on that same day that they got married in St. Jerome’s Parish.


He has long rendered his resignation in the public school where he used to teach mathematics and agriculture. But he still teaches, for I know teaching is his passion. He is now part of the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education. He is a street teacher cum community organizer educating the under privileged. This way, he has power over his time and still could tend to his farming.


His name is Donato, Johnny as called by most of his friends and colleagues. He is a teacher, farmer, husband, friend, father and a grandfather. He is my father. I love him and for whatever its worth, I am blessed and proud to be called his son.