Welcome to the crazy world called the LPU Student Elections 2012.

It seems that the style and the substance of a national-level election has also invaded the university. It saddens me that it has become a microcosm of our national politicking. It could be tamer than that of a national-level election, or, on the same level, as that of the previous council elections that I have witnessed in LPU.

Before, there was real mudslinging, there was real tongue-bashing and accusations were hurled left and right. Kalayaan, Pamana and Independiente, along with a slew of independent candidates use their chance to campaign not only to show their platforms, but also to convince everyone that they are all “righteous”, and deserving of their powerful right to suffrage.

Sometimes, the end result only goes back to the same. Promises are still broken, and the students don’t know what the council is offering them, much more the LYCESGO.

Now, after a long time, I am now somewhat witnessing again the campaigning of the different parties. And I was surprised on what I have seen.

On the Room to room campaigning, The styles have already changed. Gone are the days where the parties are using cartolinas to post their platforms. They now show us Tarpaulin posters of their Party candidates and posters. They are now giving us performance, which gives them enough points for showmanship. And with the help of modern video editing software, they can now create AVP’s of their party and platforms.

Well, their strategies did work, except for one thing that really wrinkled me, and prompted me to post something on the Overheard at the Lyceum of the Philippines University group. 

I knew what I have written will spark a firestorm from the Pinks and the Reds, and a firestorm it did.

I will tell more about this later.

Without going into much detail, I am really fortunate to have something at my disposal. Life has been so meaningful for me, Relationships have been really strong than ever, and my journey to a college degree is getting nearer than ever, with spices adding up to the journey.

Now that I am looking forward to what will the next days, months and years will expect to me, I’d like to think that I haven’t really forgotten what the past did to me. The Past really helped me guide what the present is doing to me, and helps me track the future that lies within.

I really never forgot the day that someone who I thought would help me until the day I die , who I thought we were alike, who I thought would be my bestfriend, suddenly left me because I simply fell in love.

It really hurt, hurt in a sense that I really did see the balance of everything came falling down in the negative than in the positive. I never took the heeds or calls of everyone to move on, get a life. Why would I get a life without that person? That person was the tower that stood my life, that person was the last leg of a figurative table of me. When it broke, my life came falling down, That table never stood up again.

It took me 4 years to soul search, It took me 4 years to really shape what will my life be. Long, arduous walks to the different places in the Metro helped me think and reflect. Walking became my hobby, thinking really helped me realize a sense of purpose.

Now, 4 years later. I still want to hear from that person to still accept me as a friend. A new tower and a new leg has replaced that part, but I will never forget those times that tower and that leg helped me shape as a person. Though that person can do another role in my life, I am still expecting to reach that person’s hands, talk like any other old friends, and share our experiences.

The past defined me, The present helps me, and The future is where it will all end.

And that’s the Way it is, Headin’ Out!

We know you have the same wishlist as mine, so here it is!

1. DIGITAL TV, PERIOD – The world is fast going digital (wait, I have been saying this for the past n years already) and The Philippines is always playing catch-up. With the NTC holding out on the rules so for the digital television service in the country, The country lags so far behind its neighbors in Southeast Asia. I hope our very very good President signs the EO within the first months of 2012 so that the networks can now get the ball rolling…. and speaking of which..

2. SUBCHANNELS FOR ANIME AND YOUTH – Well we always want the best for the Digital TV Service. Now that ABS-CBN has announced that they have an Anime channel via YEY! TV on their Digital Lineup, Expect GMA and TV5 also to launch subchannels to compete with the leader, well, sole leader in that department. And they should have, because they have a large, untapped audience to serve with great anime programming 24/7. I know TV5 is finishing their Media Center and I hope their media center will house Ingest and Playout facilities for their large expanding channel base. For GMA, their facilities are already future and digital proof, so there should be no problem if they will ever explore uncharted territory with an Anime subchannel.

3. A MORE STRONGER ABS-CBN ANIME LINEUP – You may have already noticed or even watched the upcoming 2012 ABS-CBN Anime Lineup, with shows like Nurahiyon no Mago, Gash Bell, and the return of Naruto on ABS-CBN and the filching of Sailor Moon. Well the lineup is strong enough, but we also hope that the titles that were shown on the plug are not the only ones that will catch air on ABS-CBN. We hope for more new titles that will be seen now that the network is all serious on launching their Digital TV subchannels, which includes YEY! TV on their lineup.

And Please, REMOVE THE NICKELODEON BLOCK PLEASE!

4. TV5 TO LAUNCH A HERO TV ALTERNATIVE  - 2011 is the year where I trumpeted on my blog about my thoughts about a possible showdown between ABS-CBN’s Hero TV and TV5′s probable (I reiterate, PROBABLE) anime channel on Cignal Digital TV, which we codenamed as AniMEGA TV for brevity’s sake. It is now high time that ABS-CBN should eat a dose of their own medicine as well. I know TV5 has the balls, and the guts, and the finances to compete with Hero, but I know it will be hard. But with patience, and a lot of titles to poach for. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

5. GMA TO STOP DOING THE “HOLY WEEK TRADE LAUNCH” –  Notorious for giving out their upcoming titles every year, though only on the days where everyone in on vacation or hearing mass on the holy week. GMA always gives its viewers surprises every time of this year. But people, you must realize that the Holy Week is not the start of the year, period, so make up your minds, release what are you going to air on 2012 and let the people judge it right away.

6. BETTER PROMOTION FOR ANIME EVENTS - And that includes Pre-event, Event and Post-event coverage from media outlets. But please do remember that promoting anime events is a double-edged sword, it will garner such buzz and at the same time will also be the sole judge on how successful the event has been, so event organizers, do check what could be the strengths and weaknesses of your event for it to become successful.

7. LARGER EVENT AREAS –   I am not saying “ditch SM Megamall Megatrade Hall”, but people, there are other places where you can hold big events. There is the World Trade Center and the SMX Convention Center out there, and there is the untapped PICC Forum Tent, And I am also praying for property developers to develop more Convention hall spaces in areas like the Pagcor Entertainment City and other vast areas that are now becoming CBD’s (Fort Bonifacio, perhaps?)

8. MORE EVENTS - And I mean it, More Anime Events, both major and minor. The Anime fever is still running up high, and this should be exploited by adding more events to the Anime fans and cosplayers’ diets. I know ABS-CBN might hold an event to launch up YEY! TV to the audience, and scores of new organizing committees are springing up. Local City governments are also keen now in exploiting the anime wave (as evidenced in the Shoe Cosplay Competition organized by the Marikina City Government), and events held in community malls are now becoming commonplace. Who knows, If we have fiestas for 366 days a year, maybe we could have anime events for the whole 51 weeks of the year from Batanes to Jolo!

And speaking of events,

9. TICKET PRICE HIKES SHOULD BE JUSTIFIED  - In the early days, any event worth more than PHP 100 is taboo, but last year, we experienced events that now cost from PHP 110 to 150, Cosplay Mania 2011 was the most expensive event at PHP 150/Ticket/Day, but the cost justified the event they have! Now that prices and costs are spiraling, and so is the consumer price indexes and the inflation. Organizers should justify why their tickets are getting to the top of the hundred-peso price range. If the event  justifies the cost, then so be it. But if the event fails expectations within the price tag. Then the hell with them.

10. A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY KINSHIP – I had experienced so many trials and tribulations this year in the Cosplay Community, specifically on WTF Cosplayers, (disclaimer: I am still a member of WTF). I had heard of costume snafus, and even an altercation between two former friends. I hope that the Cosplay Community should sense a kinship and unity. When two cosplayer friends died this year, we showered their surviving relatives with the same love and affection like a member of the family.  In cosplay, we should make friends, not enemies. And I hope on a bright new start for the cosplay community in 2012.

11. RECOGNIZE THE STRONGER FORCE OF ANIME MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS  -  I had to do the “buhat ng bangko” thing, but ZEN Otaku Honbu started the trend of Anime News Organizations here in the Philippines, Sure we have some bloggers and some other groups claiming that they also cover anime events. But in ZEN, we have strengths in abiding the laws and the tenets of Journalism and also in starting small, thinking big.

I know it will still be a challenge for Anime media organizations to be the best in terms of giving to its audiences relevant news, and also up-to-the-minute event coverages and interviews. And I hope event organizers should recognize anime media organizations by accrediting them as members of the press. Though there are the privileges and the perks, I should reiterate that with those perks and privileges comes a huge sense of responsibility to report it. So I hope those who are going to enter the anime media to practice responsibility and also a high sense of ethics.

And with that.

12. ZEN OTAKU HONBU TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH IN 2012!  - 2011 was the year ZEN Otaku Honbu made it big, with a new marketing message and also a new logo. We also made adjustments in ZEN’s organization to make it more formal and more streamlined as well, and also, with a recent migration to the WordPress Platform, our content management has become more organized. Plus three new columns and a greater news sense.

But this doesn’t end there

2011 was the year we really made a dent in the Filipino anime consciousness by covering the big anime events, which started on the 2011 Toycon and Cosplay Mania 2011. We also got first hand news reports involving big Philippine anime title releases, and also got the chance to interview the big names in the cosplay world, like our ambush interviews with Ongwen Souyang, Clive Lee, The Thai cosplay duo Yuki GodBless and JiakiDarkness and Pinky Lu Xun at Cosplay Mania 2011.

But it was our interview with MTRCB Chairperson Grace Poe-Llamanzares, who gave us a rare one-on-one last November about the new classification system and about what she thinks about Anime, that ZEN Otaku Honbu carved a named for itself, bringing the issues closer to the anime fans and to the persons involved.

With ZEN Otaku Honbu now moving to a new server, You will expect more of the best from us, More anime news, more issues, more interviews, more everything in 2012. Because ZEN Otaku Honbu is really making it simple for you, Simply Here.

And that is my first Yearender special for the year. I hope you have a great new year full of wishes the same as mine.

And that’s the way it is,

Headin’ Out!

You may have heard of this, You may have watched the news or listened to it on the radio. Sendong was Ondoy’s equivalent in the Mindanao Area, a destructive force of nature.

Sendong poured out the Mindanao equivalent of a month’s rainfall in just over a few hours. As of post time, the Red Cross is expecting that the death toll will rise to about a thousand people (why am I using the Red Cross data? NDRRMC is just too ignorant to admit, that’s why) and more missing through the mud. Thirty thousand people are homeless, and billions of pesos worth of infrastructure and farmland destroyed.

And it all happened in just a night.

And while the region is reeling in with the despair. Your duly-elected President of  The Republic of The Philippines, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, is partying.

Look at how our President is having his time of his life as a bachelor.  He not only looked stupid in the process, but he only proves that he is the most incompetent nincompoop ever.

He’s only there (and his aides-er-minions) when a big stone will be thrown into Former President Gloria Arroyo and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. He’s only there with his congressional lapdogs, throwing away parties thanking them for railroading the constitutional card of Impeachment. And he is only there doing the liaisons with girls half of his age.

In short, whenever a crisis comes, We will simply ask, “Where the hell is our goddamned leader?”

People who are currently PR-ing for the President (which includes his goddamned Non-communication group and his hordes of jaundiced columnists, led by the redoubtable Conrado De Quiros and Billy Esposo) will only say that “Our President” is serving than the most unpopular leader ever. Oh really?

Let me ask you (yeah, You people who hated FPGMA), Where was your President during the Hostage Crisis? During the Onslaught of Pedring and Quiel?

I never vouched for This Bald one to be President (I voted for Gibo Teodoro, by the way) because, look, He has never passed a law as a senator and a congressman, He is just only the President every Gloria hater would love to vote because of his Tuwid na daan policy (Straight Path) that will prosecute every single evil of the past administration (which, BTW, is only full of lies thrown in deceit). And simply put. He was just chosen because HE WAS FO

I am writing this now because I want to stick with my tradition of writing a message annually on this very day. Maybe it was in God’s faith that I was born in December that’s why I am able to write all the things that I had done in the past year. I admit, it was an emotional roller coaster ride for me, full of happiness, sorrow and tragedy. I want to erase the fact that 2011 is a bittersweet year, with two people close to me passed away this year, Marlon Lapada, a cosplayer friend, and my Grandmother.

I won’t tell much anything about the tragedies (which regards to the deaths) that struck me in 2011, because I want to leave it at that. Memories like those are usually painful for me to remember, especially with the loss of my Grandmother, who was really close to me, I look at death as a harrowing experience, full of sadness and grief, that’s why I was reluctant to visit the burial and also never joined the funeral. I just want to think of all my memories from my departed grandma when she was alive. and I hope she’d understand up there with my grandfather.

Anyway, I am writing this message not because I am forced to write but because I want to speak my heart out. I hadn’t blogged since the day I got back from school. It wasn’t easy, alongside with my duties at ZEN Otaku Honbu as the third guy in command and the guy in charge of all reporting. I had to do my duty for my family, for the university, for my passion, and for my friends all at the same time, and it was really such a daunting task, but it was fun, oh it was fun.

But something was amiss on my personal life, I was wishing that this year would be complete, but before the year was out, I was searching again.

If you will remember, last May 14, 2011, I thought we were ready to start again, though in a civil way. A day later, he added me on my Facebook, I thought we would be okay, but after only a few months of testing the waters, He gave in and deleted me.

I don’t know what to think and what to feel. Of course, my renegade self was saying to fight it all again, but my inner morose self decided it for me, I won’t do again that I had done for him for four years. I will not torment him anymore.

It was a wild goose chase to reality, and I had to suck it in.

Apparently, He has been dealing with his problem for about five months already or so, I didn’t knew that the last time we talked, after only a few days, he and his “patch of happiness”, who also became my friend, broke up. I was being privy to that news but I dared not to  dwell in that because of my commitment to him not to meddle in the affairs of his life. but I posted something on his wall that says that I am here to be with him and if he needs to talk to someone, I’m ready to be at his side.

Apparently, he never got the message.

I was trying, at my very best, to be civil, but I came to realize that when I read his posts on Facebook, I thought that he needed someone to talk to, but he may be saying in his mind that he does not want to talk everything to me, because he is, after all, still hurting by the fact that I had somehow “betrayed” him years ago. For the record, I never “betrayed” him, I never betray friends. I am not a traitor. Maybe because of what had happened between us that’s why he just knew I was kicking him behind his back.

But I just had to let it pass. I really warmed myself on his feelings, which was going to be more emo than I really thought. Meanwhile, I was really keeping myself busy with everything on school and also on ZEN, hoping that with all the thing I am doing, I was somehow curing that sharp pain that I had experienced. The pain of rejection.

I was also quite happy with what I had done the past months after that. Shortly, ZEN was getting recognized here and there, and I was proud of the “Magnificent 6″, of which I like to call our group, who made sure ZEN was going the way it has become since we started 6 years ago. And for that, I would like to say that without JM (the top person of ZEN) and PBN (the second in command), and our editorial board members Marlo and Carlo Magtibay and Jamibu, our contributors Ukiya and Chevalier, and all our readers and followers, I think we wouldn’t be here right now.

ZEN is not just only an effort made by a single person, It was a group effort, an effort not out of the ordinary. We may discuss things over the phone, and also make some disagreements, surely the end product pays off. And god I was proud of what we have done and what I have contributed to the success of ZEN.

I am also happy to be with DTV Pilipinas, the only Facebook page devoted in promoting the Digital TV landscape, of which I am a personal advocate. Our advocacy and also our commitment to serve the Filipino people in understanding and educating the intricacies and details about the upcoming DTT switch is in many ways connected. TV enthusiasts only understand fellow TV enthusiasts, I believe. And I was lucky to be in the same boat. I would like to thank the administrators of DTV Pilipinas, whom their names and identities won’t be revealed for now, for keeping me informed, educated and entertained as well and I thank you for understanding so much about my passion for Television.

And again, The next few paragraphs will be more devoted to my second family, my home away from home, WTF Cosplayers. 2011 was the year WTF made me realize that I am part of the team, no matter what happens. I am so happy and so comforted by the fact that team WTF were the only persons I know to whom I can confide everything about my personal and professional life. Their tireless devotion to cosplay plus the moments, happy or sad, that are peppered inside makes the experience more thrilling and exciting. It was a roller coaster ride to be sure with them on events, and I loved it.

I would like to name these special people who really mattered in my life. Ate Tel, Kuya Noel, Komiko, Momo, Nagel, Tina, Jhonelle, Rima, Chris, JC, Mitch, Luis, Kuya Jo, Ehm, and all others I had not mentioned. Thanks because you proved to me everyone in WTF is special, including me.

In Lyceum, Sir Allan Allanigue, Sir David Nye, Sir Wally Labajo, Mam Ren Valdez, Sir Dan Villa, Mam Becky Litan and to everyone who taught me about everything what it is like in the media world. Thanks and I will instill everything that I have done and written.

The last part of this message is devoted to him. I have promised before that I would not do again anything to hurt him or to make him be terribly annoyed. I reiterate: This is not a hate post, or a post of revenge, because of one trivial thing that he did to me. True it hurts like hell being removed for in FB as a friend, but I know he was just in a phase where he thinks that I should have not meddled.

Dude, you know who you are, I know you are just having a bad phase (in fact, it’s taking longer than I expect of you, but I know why) in your life and you’re trying to slowly trying to climb up to your recovery. It’s just like you’re diving deep and decompressing for about three hours to avoid the Bends or Decompression sickness. I know it’s hard to recover, and you always talk too much when you want to talk something. Again, I am offering myself to you as a person you have known before. I am here to be with you to talk with anything. I will offer you coffee and something to eat. I am open, and I will accept an invitation with you to talk.

Lastly, I’m showing these few snippets that you wrote. I am galvanized by what you have written.

My 22nd year surely had surely had a very topsy-turvy ride. It was an emotional roller coaster, for sure, But for my 23rd year in existence. I am ready to face everything in this cruel world, and with everyone by my side. I am sure, I am going to face it with much excitement.

And that’s the way it is, Headin’ Out!

Woke up this Halloween morning with a very unusual dream, really unusual.

In my dream, I was in my HS Alma mater, in the room where my old third year section was located, then and there, I saw familiar faces (aka HS Classmates), but the thing that stupefies me the most is..

1. Alongside my HS friends, a number of my old Elementary school classmates were there, and….

2. The LPU Sentinel Batch 2007 Ed Team, that Journ batch, were my classmates too. And yeah, including him (Let’s just call him, News Ed)

It was really awkward, especially that the dream involved something about a college algebra thingie I really don’t effing understand, so after that “class” was over, I approached the class valedictorian of our elem batch to help me.

Then, I was looking at my peripheral vision and saw him slinking away along with his bags (take note, bags), He was wearing business wear sans the tie (maybe because I saw Kabayan Noli De Castro wore the same thing during the MGB Halloween special), When I saw him slink away, I tried to chase him, but I was met along with my HS classmates and greeted me, I also asked them if they watched the Magandang Gabi Bayan Halloweeen Special, asking them if they were scared.

I was thinking, News Ed wanted to slink away because I could assume he wants to store things in his locker, but when I went down the stairs, I saw one batch mate and then, I saw him. apparently trying to ignore me even when I tried as hell to appease him by talking loud to that said batch mate,

After a few minutes, he walked away, going to the direction of the covered court, then he stayed there, waiting for something, I was at that part of the covered court behind the stage, and looking at the entire covered court area with him, I even saw my old 2nd year PE teacher holding classes in that area.

And then, I woke up, with something heavy on my head.

I woke up bittersweet, bitter because I didn’t see myself talking to News Ed, sweet because I dreamed about him. I really don’t know why am I dreaming some things about him. Some dreams come about him, sometimes they don’t, but either way, one thing is for sure, I still remember about him, because he made an extraordinary mark on my life.

Dude, I still remember you. T_i_t,

e_l_c_i_m_m_c_y,

CMGC

Headin’ Out, Happy All Hallows!

After some soul searching, on my part, I have decided that I should have my own personal blog again. The Notebook was designed to be an anime issues blog, and therefore I should only write anime issues and controversies there.

So this time, now under WordPress.com, I am bringing back my personal blogging duties. This therefore is the continuation of my old blog, The Kira Yamato Report, under an old blogging host. I chose WordPress because of my main ZEN blog, The Notebook, is hosted on WordPress. and therefore, I am now somewhat familiar to the innerworks and everything in WordPress.

I am also planning to leave WordPress.com after a year and buy a host (but importing also all the posts here to my self-hosted blog), A year would be enough, right?

Okay, so this will be a more personal blog, very different from The Notebook, Tumblr and my old blog. This will have bits and bobs of my life uncut and uncensored. It may have a G, PG or SPG rating from the MTRCB (xD) and yeah, all my life, my pursuits, and my random ramblings will be located here.

What you see is barely a scratch of my blog. Once I get into more inner workings and more adjustments. It will finally take the look and shape that I really wanted.

We will be blogging at random times, so be ready to be surprised… and oh, new posts will also be on my personal FB and Twitter, so watch out for that.

Again, Welcome to my blog, again, and welcome again to my personal world.

Headin’ Out!~