The last long weekend of summer is over.
Short trips, weekend breaks and vacations preceding Autumn’s chill are done.
Ooops! The school buses are rolling. Young Canadians are back in classrooms.
People’s brains and brawn go on rotating the nation’s socio- economic wheels.
Going around in circles, at least, is both an option and a reality of seasonal routine.
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Wait! What?!?! That last long weekend of summer is the celebrated statutory holiday called Labour Day that supposedly marks the improved social and economic conditions of employees?
Confusing it is when workers protest against harder working conditions and low take-home pays.
Is it also a joke that instead of the international red calendar date, either May 1 or September 1, Labour Day falls on September 5, the first Monday of that month?
Good work, parliamentarians. You never knew about this? Amazing!
Knowing that there is no serious intent to be one of a kind in the world, Canadian holi-dates are sometimes mind-boggling, just as it brings about some comic relief, in these tough times.
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Pakopya ng tanong, Snow White: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
Copy and paste ng sagot, Mark Antony: “Ambition is made of sterner stuff.”
Isa pang pahapyaw ni Mang Tomas: “Feels like, looks like the Supreme Court – No Appeal!”
Mirror: “Magtanong ka pa ulit, gagawin kitang palaka!”
Salamin: “Reminder lang. Hinihintay ka na sa karnabal.”
Reflector: “Pati ba ako, babasagin mo?”
Magnifying glass: “To the max this is: Magpakatotoo ka!”
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Mga ‘Ang sabi ‘da’:
“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Like Atlas, carry mo yan.
“If the problem is your face, face your problem.” Instead of cosmetics, ngumiti ka na lang.
“Bawat suliranin ay may takdang solusyon.” Isipin muna ang kalutasan bago maghanap ng aberya.
“Walang pangit sa mundo.” I never said anything ugly, did I?
“Habang may hininga, may pag-asa.” Kahit kalansay o abo, lagi pa ring maaalala.
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Katotong Mariano: “Hanggang September 18 pa pala ang Toronto International Film Festival. Halika’t mag- star gazing tayo. Baka sakaling makita natin ang mga artista na nanghiram ng ating hitsura.”
Mareng Tsaring: “Salamin, kayang linisin. Uubra din kaya ang apple cider vinegar sa may toyo sa ulo?”
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Time pers, JMC. Kahit –ber month na, the calendar officially begins the autumnal equinox on September 22. Kaya habang summer pa, I am giving way to Celeste.
You may sing with us: “Matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe. Matayog ang pangarap ng matandang bingi. Umihip ang hangin, nawala sa paningin. Sigaw ng kahapon, nilamon na ng alon. Malabo ang tunog ng kampanilya ni Padre. Maingay ang taginting, rosaryo ng babae. Nay…nay…nay…nay……”
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Be a thinker, not a stinker. (Apollo Creed, Rocky)
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I never saw it coming. But when Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation Number 42 a few weeks ago, on August 22, I saw a glimmer of light twinkle on the people of my Homeland.
The irreverent doubter in me spurred a fact-check, just to be sure. It was not ‘fake news’; nor was it fated noise.
President Marcos Jr.’s Proclamation No. 42, series of 2022, declared regular holidays and special non-working days in the country for 2023, for keeps until duly amended.
The country’s ten regular holidays are New Year’s Day on January 1; Maundy Thursday, April 6; Good Friday, April 7; Araw ng Kagitingan, April 9; Labor Day, May 1; Independence Day, June 12; National Heroes Day, August 28; Bonifacio Day, November 30; Christmas Day, December 25; and Rizal Day, December 30.
So, what else is new?
Like me, many are dreaming of and yearning for more holidays, feast days and longer vacation fun days in a beautiful tropical paradise named the Philippines in the Far East.
Presto! Seven more dates were declared as special non-working days.
This part I read, reread and eyed through again. Certainly, there was no mistake.
In clear print, the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary on February 25 and Ninoy Aquino Day on August 21 were among the special non-working days.
These calendared events joined Black Saturday, April 8; All Saints’ Day, November 1; All Souls Day, November 2; Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, December 8; and Last Day of the Year, December 31.
Of course, national Islamic holidays to observe and celebrate Eid’l Fitr, the end of the month-long Ramadan; and Eid’l Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, will be proclaimed in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar, as the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos recommends.
Lest there be a debate, let us leave this topic with the quote “Respect begets respect.”
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Just saying: There is more to what the future holds.
Thus, I will continue to hope and pray that President Marcos Jr. and his men will serve with a steady hand, mental fortitude, and a good-natured spirit to guide and unite more than 110 million Filipinos to think and work arm in arm to build a better Philippines.
“Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa,” isn’t it?
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Kabayan, halina’t samahan mo akong ipagbunyi at ipagmalaki ang namumukod-tanging pakikipagsapalaran at pagwawagi ng limang Filipino sa kani-kanilang larangan sa palakasan.
Sabihin na nilang nagbubuhat tayo ng sariling bangko. Basta ang alam ko, may bangko tayong mauupuan. Sila? Magtitiis na tumayo at ngumanga sa gilas at galing ng mga Filipino.
Hango sa media reports, narito ang mga kahanga-hangang sports champions ng Pilipinas.
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Pole vaulter EJ Obiena claimed the gold medal in the Liechtenstein stop of the Golden Fly Series on September 11. Ito ang kanyang ika-limang ginto sa pitong events ng series sa Europa.
Earlier, ipinakita ni Obiena ang kanyang kakayahang world-class nang tinalo niya ang world champion na si Armand Duplantis sa Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meet sa Brussels, Belgium.
Kamakailan lang, nagwagi din si Obiena sa Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting, True Athletes Classics, at St. Wendel City Jump sa Germany.
Nahagip din niya ang silver medal sa ISTAF Berlin, at ang bronze medal sa Athletissima sa Lausanne, Switzerland Diamond League.
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Sa larangan ng tennis, hinirang na kampiyon ang 17-year old na si Alexandra Eala nang talunin niya si Lucie Havlickova ng Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 sa Junior Girl’s Singles Finals ng 2022 US Open sa court 11 ng USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center sa New York City nitong September 10.
When presented her tennis grand slam trophy, Eala never held back tears of joy as she spoke in Filipino: “Buong puso ko ‘ito ipinaglaban. Hindi lang para sa sarili ko, kung hindi para makatulong din ako sa kinabukasan ng Philippine tennis. So, hindi lang ito panalo ko, panalo nating lahat.”
“Unang-una, gusto ko lang magpasalamat sa pamilya ko kasi kung hindi (dahil) sa kanila hindi ko talaga ‘to kakayanin. Maraming salamat din sa lahat ng nagdasal at nagsuporta sa akin, sa aking mga sponsors, and of course to my team in the Rafael (Nadal) Academy. Maraming maraming salamat po,” she added.
In the earlier rounds going to the finals, Eala outplayed Canadian Victoria Mboko (semi-finals), Russian Mirra Andreeva (quarterfinals), Australian Taylah Preston, Slovakian Nina Vargova, and Canadian Annabelle Xu.
Eala is the first Filipino to reach the finals of a tennis grand slam tournament, surpassing the semi-final appearance of Felix Barrientos in the 1985 Wimbledon version.
In her name are two pro championships from the W15 Manacor in Spain and the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand. She also has three bronze medals from the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.
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Rubilen Amit, Carlo Biado, and Johann Chua may now be called the Formidable Trio of Philippine billiards.
The three did what they had to do and swept the Great Britain team (3-0) in the finals of the Predator World Teams 10-Ball Championship in Klagenfurt, Austria on September 10, claiming for the Philippines the top spot in the 24-team tournament.
“We’re very happy and relieved. Finally, no more matches, no more shootouts, we can finally rest and just enjoy Austria,” said Amit, a two-time 10-ball world champion.
“Before I came here, my job was just to win in this event. We all played well,” Biado said.
“I would like to thank Carlo and Rubilen for picking me in this event,” said Chua. “This is my first medal win from the world championships. I’m so thankful and I’m so happy that I made it with them.”
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Inhale, exhale. Buntong hininga. Alagaan ang ilong, huwag kalimutang huminga.
Hay! Ang sarap talagang maging Pilipino.
Kaya hanggang sa muli: Be well and keep safe. #####
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Photo with caption:
50th Year Jubilee! (Standing, from left) Bessie Ortouste, Nanette Riego de Dios-Pay, Charito Perez-Sundararajah, (seated, from left) Cynia Cruz-Sanchez and Evelyn Dacanay-Galicia get together in Markham on September 10 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the Notre Dame of Cotabato Girls Department (NDCGD). They missed the presence of former Torontonian Leticia Nazareno-Jonayon, and Batch ’71 mates from NDCGD and NDC Boys Department who recently celebrated the golden jubilee. (Photo: Doy Sanchez)