Dateline Davao Squad?

Passed by this eatery on my way to Chimes and I could not help but smile at the following signs. Below is a tarpaulin of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and on top is the store's signage---DDS SUTOKIL. In Davao, DDS is the abbreviation given to the Davao Death Squad (name is self explanatory) which has been blamed for the summary killing of people involved in the drug business.

Despite his constant denial that the government does not have anything to do with the DDS, Duterte has been blamed, rather praised, for the summary killing of drug users and pushers in the city.

SuToKiL can mean Shoot To Kill to any American but in Davao, it means SUgba, Tinola and KILawin.

Get the drift?

Wednesday Movie Guide

National Treasure is now on its third week at NCCC Cinema 2. The movie leads the Top 10 Box Office Hits (US and Canada) with a weekly ticket sales of $36.5 million. National Treasurer has earned an estimated $199 million as of January 21, since its release last December 2007.


Will Smith's I am Legend, number 3 in the Top 10 Box Office List, is not on its second week here in Davao City. It's amazing how Smith can hold almost the whole movie with only himself and his dog Sam as the active characters (if you don't count the zombies). Not surprising though considering his antiques in MIB. But this time, Smith plays a different character, that of a military doctor trying to find a cure for a virus (to which he is immune) and trying to stay sane in his aloneness.

Aliens vs Predator (R13)
SM Cinema 1 11:25/13:20/15:15/17:10
NCCC Cinema 1 12:00/2:00 4:00/6:00

Elizabeth The Golden Age (PG13)
SM Cinema 2 11:20/14:30/16:40/1850

Rendition (R13)
SM Cinema 3 12:20/14:30/16:40/18:50
NCCC Cinema 4 12:20/4:25/5:10/7:35

Catacombs (R13)
SM Cinema 4 12:15/14:00/15:45/17:30

Martian Child (GP)
SM Cinema 5 12:20/14:30/16:40/18:50

I am Legend (PG13)
SM Cinema 6 11:05/13:00/15:00/17:00
NCCC Cinema 3 12:00/2:00/4:00/6:00

Web: Is It The Next Boob Tube?

Do you know that one in every three American adults have given up their friends and even their sex lives for the Web? Well, it seems that this phenomenon is not exclusive to the Americans but also to people from all over the globe. Even people from emerging economies like the Philippines and India are becoming web freaks.

Television has been blamed for breaking relationships and even families but it seems television is slowly being replaced by the Internet. The television has not been called the boob tube for nothing. In fact, it is a shortcut for IDIOT BOX, a name given by those who believed that majority of the programs being shown on television are foolish.

But who can blame people for wanting to spend endless days and nights in front of the computer when the world is virtually in their hands? The World Wide Web has also become one of the most accessible venues for income opportunities.

A lot of people can no longer survive one day without the Web. Are you one of us?

Is Higher Education Still Necessary Today?

Would your lives be different if you have taken a different course in College? Despite the reality that economic salvation for people living in third world countries like the Philippines lies in going abroad, a lot of Filipinos still prefer to get white collar courses so they can get white collar jobs after graduation. To their chagrin, those who took up the not-so white collar courses ended up working in foreign countries with to-die-for salaries.

But who is to blame these people? While blue collar jobs command respect and higher salaries in foreign countries, the same types of jobs are not only frowned upon in 3rd world countries but they are also at the lowest end of the salary bracket.

PDEA: All Talk, No Teeth In Fight VS Drug Lords

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA has once again released the names of the alleged 5 drug lords in Maguindanao. Almost the same names have been released by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in 2006 but no one has been arrested up to now.

PDEA Central Mindanao chief Amado Tana identified the five drug lords as: Sultan Kudarat (Marcos Fatima Baliwan and Black Moro), North Cotabato (Maghanoy), Maguindanao (Montawal) and Cotabato City (Kagui Lao). Of the five, Tana said, only Black Moro has been neutralized.

Cotabato Anti-Drug Task Force chairman Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Piñol castigated the PDEA for its failure to arrest and have the drug lords convicted in court despite the fact that they have already been identified. The drug enforcers do not even have photos of the suspected drug lords.

Does Email Marketing Irritate You?

You are sleeping. Or perhaps, a sudden idea has just enlightened you and you are about to write that Palanca-winning story. Suddenly, your Mobile plays that "Humanap Ka Ng Pangit" ringtone which you use for your text messages.You hurry up to see the important message and you forget all the task at hand. When you looked at your inbox, it says: Subscribe to Smart's (or Globe's whichever service you prefer) new ringtones and get bla-bla-bla..."How would you feel?

Mobile service providers should not take advantage of the control they have over your messages. In the first place, SMS is not a free service so they do not have a right to send any marekting message at all unless the user has subscribed or has indicated his willingness to receive such messages.

Why PTA's are significant

I have never realized the importance of Parents-Teachers Associations or PTAs until now. Public schools and big private schools have PTA's to serve as a sounding board of opinions and regulate the activities or fees imposed by the school. Ateneo de Davao had so many problems but they were all voices out (most were settled) through the PTA.

Here comes one private school in Matina (which the main school near the downtown area) charging P100 for the class photos of the kids (including one 2x2 in B&W and one 4R). That's easy enough to shell out but if you know how much the prevailing rate is then you would really question the rate. Of course, the rate is pretty cheap if the studio tasked to get the class photos is Lito Sy. Otherwise, its pretty overpriced.

A group of concerned parents wrote a letter of request to the school requesting a lowering of the rates. The school in-charge talked to them saying it's too late to back out ow as they have already signed a contract with the photo studio. The parents said they can recommend other photographers (with lighting and other equipment also but cheaper) but the one in charge said it's too late. The parents were also blamed for not volunteering such information when they had a copy of the school's activity. Funny. How can the parents suggest when they were only told the price two days before the actual shoot.

One parent asked for an official receipt form the studio. The teacher said they will not issue individual receipts because they already gave a package receipt to the school. Some of those who paid ahead got a receipt all right, but not official at all. Calling BIR!

The parents were one in saying that the school should inform the parents in advance of the rates by sending them letter necessitating replies. The answer was so far negative saying some parents do not really send back replies. But that's the lookout of the parents. If they don't reply then they forfeit their right to complain.

The letter elicited a lot of reaction, most of them negative, from the school with the teachers calling the signatories one by one, now and then, to comment on the matter. Why not call a general meeting to get the consensus of the whole body?

Now, I understand why PTA's are significant.