(mp3) Himala

kasalanan bang humingi ako sa langit ng isang himala? 

Originally sang by river maya, this song was revived by then PDA 1 contestants Yeng Constantino and JayR Siaboc - worst version for me. Barely same time, it was recorded by Gian Magdangal after landing in Top 3 of first and only Philippine Idol - mediocre version too. 

This version sang by hmmnnn secret, is my fave. Why? Best vocals for the song? Not really. Best arrangement? Maybe. All I know is I felt the meaning of the song with this version. The pic above was taken years ago in my veranda.

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Pinoy Movies won in 13th Pusan Int’l Fim Fest

Just wanna share an email from Consul Jed Dayang:

I just read from the PIFF website that two of our entries won two awards  this evening at the closing of the 13th Pusan International Film Fest.  
 
1.  The short film “Andong” by Rommel Tolentino Milo won the Sonje Award while “100″ by Chris Martinez, our entry to the New Currents Award, won the Sonje Award for short films and the KNN Award (audience award), respectively.  Each will receive cash award.
 
2.  The New Currents Award were awarded to two film makers from Korea and Japan.    The winning Korean film “Land of Scarecrows” was partly shot in the Philippines.  Its theme and sub-themes include identity, environmental pollution, Philippine-Korean marriage and the  plight of an adopted Filipino boy in Korea.
 
Let’s thank God for his blessings!  Pass the good news…
 
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

IPIS ‘08

All pinoys here in Korea are invited to participate in this worthwhile activity.  
 
For more clarification, you may contact the Department of Tourism (DOT) with tel.no. (02)795-0151 or  POLO or you may go to IPIS website:  www.opins.org.
 

need help while in Korea?

When I was the leader of the Filipino Community in Daegu,  most OFWs seek help about unfair labor practices which include delayed salary, maltreatment, unpaid OTs, contract that didn’t materialize, and many others. There are agencies that were created to deal with these problems.  The problem is, so many workers want miracles - gusto lang nila is magsumbong sa friend and let this person solve their problem! I’ve noticed that a lot of OFWs went abroad without much preparation. On my part, I really listened well during the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar provided by POEA so at least I knew how and where to seek help while working in Korea once the need arises. Oh well, what’s new?! The Philippine government deviced ways to help us but we only listen to what we want to hear, then in the end, blame the government for answers that we are not aware of - very Filipino. Sorry. 

So if you’re in trouble, I still suggest that you consult your immediate supervisor and solve the problem internally. If that’s impossible, then you may try to contact any of the following:

• Your Recruitment Agency if it still exists. I heard some OFWs were still employed thru agencies.
• EPS Korea - for E9 visa holders.
• e-People (The People’s Online Petition & Discussion Portal) -  for other visa holders, they will channel you to the most appropriate Korean agency.
• Philippine Embassy

You may also consult your local community, they have volunteer workers there, but still, they will either contact your employer to solve the problem or the agency with jurisdiction to your problem. In short, inabala mo lang sila lolz where in fact you can solve it yourself.

Korea’s e-Government

Korean Immigration services made easy thru Hi Korea website - e-government for foreigners. The website is very informative and helpful. It’ll even let you apply for re-entry permit online without the bother of going to the nearest immigration office and let’s you pay online even without a credit card. Comfy huh?! I tried this service in 2006 when I applied for re-entry permit and it was good.