The Face of Webster University

Wesley So is the current face of Webster University.

Beat that!

Free Download: Wasted by Gerry A

I found Gerry Alanguilan's Wasted and I'm sharing it thru my Scribd.

I've been looking for Filipino Komiks the last two weeks for my Pinoy Pop Culture Unit and almost all printed graphic novels in the bookstores are in English. It says much about the state of Filipino Language, our mother tongue.

Wasted by Gerry Alanguilan

Breaking the 2700 Barrier

Congratulations to GM Wesley So for placing second in the Reykjavik Open with a rating performance of 2753. This is the first time for any Filipino to reach and breach the 2700 rating.  Another feather in the cap, another milestone reached that gives Philippine chess the needed shot in the arm.

Now go and finish that Webster University education.  Finish it so that you will truly become a model for the Filipino youth!

Recital of Gaille Ramos

Here is the poster for Gaille K. Ramos' concert:

A Truce with Vietnam in Round 10

In round 10 of the 40th Chess Olympiad, Philippine Men's team drew all their matched with fellow Asians, Vietnam. With lower FIDE ratings we have against the Vietnamese, we did not lose a single game against them.

Our team performed beyond our expectations to the point of over-achievement! I'd like to say to all the members of the Team Philippines in the 40th Chess Olympiad "Very good boys and girls, now rest and be ready for the final round".

Up next, Romania against Philippines in the Open Category and Bosnia and Herzegovina versus Philippines in the Women's section.

Good luck!

RP suffers defeat against China

Round 9 was acceptable, it was that difficult to swallow and somewhere along the way, our team was expected to take a beating.

This time, no upsets, no speculations,  no wishful thinking and no lucky ones. Just plain logic winning over fortunate players. GM Wesley So drew his game on board 1 while the rest of the games resulted in favor of the Chinese team. Philippine Men's chess team suffered a crucial 3.5 - .5 loss against the Chinese. This brought our ranking in the tournament to 12 coming into round 10.

For round 10, we are matched against Vietnam, another Asian powerhouse. This one will be epic.

If round 9 was crucial, this round 10 matches will decide whether whether we place within the top twenty or go down to the lower ranks.

I still feel good about our team. Unless we give away rounds 10 and 11, I can say we have over-achieved and that's worth every money the Filipino people have paid for in their taxes.

Good luck!

RP beats the Brits

The Philippine chess team won over the England with a score of 3-1. GM Oliver Barbosa and GM Eugene Torre won over their rivals on board 2 and 3 respectively while GM Wesley So and GM Mark Paragua drew halved the point with their opponents.

Another spectacular round for the Filipinos and tonight, in round 9, they will be against China. Will there be another upset in favor of the Filipinos? We will find out.

Congratulations and good luck!

A Draw in Round 7

A heroic draw by the 35th seed Philippines against 4th seed Hungary whose board 1 is  guy named Peter Leko, currently ranked at 20 in the world and is one of the few super grandmasters.

Here is part of the report of the Olympiad organizers about round 7:

"The Philippines, seeded only 35th in the starting list, bravely resisted the 4th-seed Hungary to go home with a 2-2 tie. Wesley So and Peter Leko played a wild line of the Marshall Attack, but the game ended in a draw.

Zoltan Almasi took his team into the lead with a win against Oliver Barbosa, but the legendary Eugenio Torre, first Asian Grandmaster and record holder with 21 appearances in the Olympiads, escaped from a passive position to pull a victory against Ferenc Berkes and equalise the score." 

Another strong team effort from our team! 

It will be England versus Philippines for the Open category and Philippines versus the United States for the Women's section.

Women's team is also doing well with 18.5 points.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the next four rounds!

Phl Shocks Bulgaria

The round 6 of the 40th Chess Olympiad will forever be etched in the annals of Philippine chess history. The GM Jayson Gonzales captained Philippines team, with two former child prodigies, two young hotshots and one veteran in the name of Eugene Torre.

What happened?

On board 1, GM Wesley So drew the game with the white pieces against a former challenger for the world championship, super-GM Veselin Topalov. The 100-point difference in their ratings didn't matter after all.

On boards 3 and 4, GM's Torre and Paragua drew against higher-rated opponents.

And on board 2, GM Oliver Barbosa pulled off a victory with the black pieces against GM Kiril Georgiev. A victory everyone hope, nobody expected but Barbosa produced.

The games for the 6th round of the 40th Chess Olympiad can be viewed here. You can also download all the games from the Olympiad here, round by round.

With the win, the Philippine Men's team will play against Hungary in the 7th round with Peter Leko playing against Wesley So on board 1, another super-GM.

Hold on tight!

Phl win in Round 5

Philippine Men and Women's team scored 3-1 against their respective opponents in round 5 of the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul.

Result here and here.

Round 6 assignment:

Philippines - Bulgaria (Open)

France - Philippines (Women's)

Good luck!

Phl losses against Armenia

It was a tough loss for Philippine Men's team against the defending two-time olympiad champion Armenian chess team with a score of 1.5 - 2.5. GM Wesley So drew the game against super-GM Levon Aronian on board 1, and so are the games on boards two and three with GM Barbosa and Paragua. IM Dimakiling's defeat on board 4 was the deciding match.

Although the Armenian's won, GM Aronian, currently the world's number 2, had praises for GM So.

For Round 5, GM Eugene Torre will play on board 3 and this will mark a record of 21 Olympiad stints. Philippines will be playing against Iceland and rating-wise, we are expected to win this one.

Congratulations!

RP Sweeps Round 3

Another won match for the Philippine Men's chess team in the third round of the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.  With a higher average-rating points, the heavily-favored Philippine team scored all the points against the Kazahkstan team pushing us further up the win-loss standings.

With this win, GM Wesley So and his teammates will be facing defending two-time olympiad champions Armenia with super-GM Levon Aronian on board 1.

Now the real games begin.

Will it be a romantic, blue-moon evening for the Philippine team or will it be a sad, earth shattering defeat for them?

As I write this piece, I think about the people in the southern part of the Philippines, Samar and nearby provinces. Let's hope and pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters. Tsunami Warning Level 3 was raised after a 7.9 earthquake jolted Samar and other neighboring towns.

Be safe!

RP Chessers Win in Round 2

Philippine Men's chess team scored a victory against Moldova, a higher-ranked team on the seeded on the 23rd rank compared to RP's 35th. GM's Wesley So, Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua held their ground on boards 1, 2 and 3 respectively. International Master Oliver Makiling scored the key victory on board 4 against a fellow IM.

RP's Women's chess team lost their match against the 16th seed Slovenians with a score of 1.5-2.5. Although we lost this one, first-time Olympiad player Janelle Mae Frayna won over a higher-rated opponent on board three.

For the next round, Philippine Men's team will be up against Kazakhstan and our Women's team will be playing against Turkmenistan.

Congratulations and I hope you guys keep the momentum going!

RP Chess Teams Sweep Round 1

Our Team Philippines sweeps their matches in the first round of the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. Check out my Tweets and the live games section of the tournament.

Wesley So essayed the Caro-Kann Exchange variation on board 1 with the black pieces while Oliver Barbosa played the Queen's Indian Defense with white on board 2. Mark Paragua on board 3 with blakc pieces defended with Przpiorka Variation and Oliver Dimakiling played white on board 4 with Reversed Closed Sicilian, English Opening.

For the Women's section, Philippines won over the Pakistan team, 4-0,

Congratulations!  

Round 1 for RP Chess Team

Board pairing and matches for the Philippine Team in the first round of the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul:

Open Category: :

Board 113 : Libya vs Philippines

Board 1:     Abobker Elarbi, 2259          - GM Wesley So, 2652
Board 2:     FM Ahmed Al-Zayat, 1977  - GM Oliver Barbosa, 2554
Board 3:     FM Hussien Asabri, 2211    - GM Mark Paragua, 2508
Board 4:     Hassan Asabri, 2179           -  IM Oliver Dimakiling, 2428

To give you guys an idea.

Of the one hundred fifty-eight nations participating in this edition, we are on the 35th rank. Two years ago, we were seeded on the 38th but finished at 50. Our country was represented by GM's Wesley, So, Eugene Torre, Darwin Laylo, John Paul Gomez and then IM Richard Bitoon. 

And for the Women's category.

Board 121 : Pakistan vs Philippines

Board 1:         Zenubia Wasif                               -    WIM Catherine Perena, 2091
Board 2:        Nida Mishraz Siddiqui, 1670  -    WFM Rulp Ylem Jose, 2061
Board 3:        Ghazala Shabbir                           -    Janelle Mae Frayna, 1991
Board4:         Fatima Shabbir Khua                 -    Jedara Docena, 2061

Out of the one hundred twenty-five teams playing in this tournament, the Women's team of the Philippines is ranked at 57. 

It appears to be a an easy, bonus round for the Philippines but I just hope and pray that they won't fall into the trap called over confidence and "drawtitis" which some of the Filipino players have proven to be good at.

Good luck!

Team Philippines for 2012 Chess Olympiad

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines formed a team for the Open section and the Women's section of the 40th Chess Olympiad happening in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to the Registered Countries section, the official line-up for Team Philippines:

Open Category:

Board 1:  GM Mark Paragua (2508)
Board 2:  GM Oliver Dimakiling (2428)
Board 3:  GM Wesley So (2650)
Board 4:  GM Oliver Barbosa (2554)
Board 5:  GM  Eugene Torre (2469)

Here is the correct board assignments:

B1: GM Wesley So (2650)
B2: GM Oliver Barbosa (2554)
B3: GM Eugene Torre (2469)
B4: GM Mark Paragua (2508)
B5: IM Oliver Dimakiling 2428)


Women's Team:

Board 1: WIM Catherine Perena (2091)
Board 2: WFM Rulp Ylem Jose (2061)
Board 3:  Jedara Docena (2061)
Board 4:  Jan Jodilyn Fronda (2022)
Board 5:  Janelle Mae Frayna (1991)

You may visit the Official Website for pairings, schedule, round by round reports and other details you might need.

We wish our players safety and may they beat the teams they are expected to beat and play with all their might against the teams that are simply superior to them (rating, resources and training)  and who knows they might pull the something extraordinary out of it.

RIP Robredo

My prayers and condolences to the family of DILG Secretary Jesse Manalastas Robredo whose body was recovered 2600 feet off Masbate and 180 feet deep.

I discovered something new about Secretary Robredo and I'm sharing it here, thanks to Wikipedia:

"Robredo studied at Naga Parochial School, a private Catholic school in Naga City, for his elementary education. While studying there, Robredo began to hone his talent and love for the game chess. Naga Parochial School was known and had established a record for winning Bicol's annual province-wide chess tournament and Robredo's brother had been among its champion competitors. However, when it was Robredo's turn to represent his school, Robredo only garnered second place."

A moment of silence for the soul of a fallen hero, a public servant, a father, husband and chess warrior.

Ikaw ba si Margie?

The end of August is near and no thanks to the typhoons we've had and Habagat, we missed out on celebrating Buwan ng Wika and Buwan ng Bayani. As my way of taking part in spreading the love for my country I'm sharing this article. Taken and adapted from the book Tagalog for Beginners by Joi Barrios (2011).

Here is a part of Joi's Appendix 6 article called “Understanding Margie: The Filipino Heritage Learner”:

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Who is the heritage learner (HL)? In my opinion, almost all heritage learners are “activists” in the broadest sense of the world... Through observations, three in-depth interviews and a focused group discussion, I have come up with a composite character whom I will call Margarita Louella, with the nickname Margie. Why was she named Margarita Louella? Well, she was born in 1973, the year that Margarita Moran was crowned Miss Universe. Her mother’s name is Lourdes and her father’s name is Joel, thus the name Louella. In our attempt to understand the activist Filipino Heritage Learners (FHL), let us turn to Margie Louella, our composite character based on my interviews with six FHL learners.

Margie was born in the U.S. She grew up in either nuclear household with parents and siblings or in a single-parent household. Her mother speaks to her grandmother in Visayan, her parents speak to each other in Filipino, but they speak to Margie in English and the code-switching Taglish (or Tagalog English). There are three possible reasons for this use for Taglish : the neo-colonial relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines resulting in a colonial way of thinking among many Filipinos; the hegemony of the English language in the Philippines underlining disparities in class and status; and discrimination in the site of migration because of Filipino accents that mark the person’s ethnic identity and otherness. At four, Margie’s mother will speak to her saying, “Let ninang make subo you”. Ninang is the Filipino word for “godmother” and “subo”, the verb for “hand-feed,” is made English by attaching the English word “make”. Her mother Lourdes code-switches because of the following: she is the product of bilingual education; as a child, she was fined for speaking Filipino in School; and in speech classes, she had to repeat over and over. “This is an apple. This is an apple...” to get the perfect American accent.

In contrast, Margie’s father struggled with the language because he attended a public school in Cagayan twelve hours from Manila. He can read and write, but hesitates when he speaks because he is afraid of pronouncing words incorrectly. When Margie was growing up, he took English classes. One time, he got angry at Margie’s brother and said, “Lintik kang bata ka...” Years later, Margie would ask her Filipino teacher, “Why did my father call my brother lightning?”

Margie grows up knowing the Filipino words for objects, a few body parts, and people: kalamansi, adobo, lola. She also knows that the prefix mag- when accompanied by a verb in English renders the verb Filipino- “mag-toothbrush ka na” – especially when commands are given. She knows basic greetings like “Kumusta” and “Magandang Umaga” and “Salamat”. She watches a few Filipino movies but her household does not subscribe to the Filipino channel so she is not familiar with “Wowowee” (a Philippine variety show broadcast on ABS-CBN) nor addicted to any Filipino soap operas. Her mother tells her “Mahal Kita”.

It is in college that life changes for Margie Louella. To learn more about her identity, she enrols in a Filipino/Tagalog class. She watches Filipino plays on identity by Teatro ng Tanan; one is entitled "Tunggalian” (Conflict); and the other is based on Freddie Aguilar’s song “Anak.” As she dances the Tinikling at the Philippine Cultural Night (PCN) at her university, she also learns the favourite PCN word- diwa or “spirit.” She becomes fascinated with the word saing... sinaing (cooked rice), magsaing (to cook rice)- ah, there is a Filipino word for cooking rice, and many words about rice. She tries to learn the baybayin and considers getting a tattoo word “Malaya” (“Free”). She becomes aware of student issues and joins the campaign for Filipino American Studies and American Studies. She learns about the Filipino American history and the struggle of the farm workers. She becomes more involved in community organizing. At the Filipino Community Center, she greets the older people with “Kamusta po kayo?”

Margie Louella joins a Filipino American Political group. As her Political consciousness grows, she learns the word “hustisya,” and in political rallies can shout: “Makibaka, huwag matakot” (Struggle, Do not be Afraid!) and “Ibagsak!” (Down!). However, when one speaks to her in Filipino, her conversational ability is limited to five minutes. Margie Louella travels to the Philippines three times: First, to visit family, during the Christmas holiday season. She notices her relatives straining to speak to her in English. Second, she returns for three weeks, spending half the time with her family and the other half volunteering with Karapatan (literally “Rights”), a human rights organization.

However, when she attends a celebration hosted by the Amando V. Hernandez foundation (a non-government organization that gives writing workshops to workers and peasants) and listens to Filipino poetry, she realizes one thing - she does not know Filipino. She says to herself, “I do not want to end up like this... a person who does not know Inang Wika (Mother language).” On her third visit, she stays for five months, spending most of her time with peasant communities in the countryside. She learns more about the struggle of the Filipino people ----and calls it “paglalamay sa dilim” (“to work in the darkness of night”). She learns to sing songs such as “Rosas ng Digma” (the rose of war). She is touched as she leaves the community when they give her a despedida for her maligayang paglalakbay (Happy travels). Back in the United States, she corresponds with people in the Philippines. Through numerous exchanges of letters and e-mails, she learns more about written Filipino.

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Forged Records on YouTube

Here is a discovery I made which I'm sharing at The Brown Man Diary. The YouTube Chanel Forged Records that has eight videos with a name Joey Tandem says "My small-scale, indie home recording label". There is this treasure behind the rawness of the material and I'm glad that we have another Pinoy showing his stuff online. You guys can watch, listen and download all his videos. Let me share what I like, sounds like a cross between a Had-rockin' The Dawn band and Raymond Marasigan's Sandwhich:
 

SONA 2012 of President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III

Bukas ng umaga, ika-23 ng Hulyo, and Presidente ng Pilipinas, si BS Aquino ay magbibigay ng kanyang State of the Nation Address para daw sa mga Filipino. Meron pa kaya siyang sasabihin sa atin na hindi natin alam na kalokohan lang? Meron pa kayang sasabihin ang pinuno ng Republika ng Pilipinas na hindi natin alam na kasinungalingan lang? Meron pa kayang sasabihin si PNoy, isang produkto ng dalawang pamilyang mayayaman, maimpluwensya sa larangan ng politika, negosyo at showbiz, na hindi natin alam na pampabulaklak lang sa kanyang administrasyon?

Meron pa nga ba?

Napatalsik ng administrasyon si CJ Corona dahil daw sa pagiging kurakot. Pwede, malamang at marahil totoo at naniniwala rin naman ako sa paratang sa kanya. Pero sa tingin mo ba si CJ Corona eh mapapatalsik sa pwesto nya kung isa sya sa mga bata-bata ng Aquino Administration?

Yung pinapalutang na balita ng administrasyon na pulis na nakabanggaan ng PSG convoy, pinatulan ba ng masang Pilipino? Hindi pero dapat lang mabigyan ng leksyon yung kupal na pulis na yon.

Heto magandang tanong, anong gagawin ng PNoy administration sa napabalitang katangahan ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno sa Zamboanga kung saan ginawang human stand ng electric fan ang dalawang bata sa inagauration ng three-storey, 27-classroom building sa Zamboanga City High School.  

Astig di ba?

Ipinapakita dito na importante na mahanginan ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno kapag sila ay naiinitan. Mga hunghang kayo, galing sa bulsa ng mga taong nagbabayad ng buwis ang ipinagpatayo ng gusali na yan!!!

O ano ngayon ang masasabi mo diyan PNoy?

Pampapogi na naman yan ihihirit mo!

Malinaw na pang-aabuso ng kapangyarihan yan at kawalan ng respeto sa kapwa tao!!!

Yung Spratly dispute, ano naman kaya ang ibibida sa atin ng bata nating si PNoy?

Sigurado ko sasabihin nya, atin yan at kailanman hindi natin ibibigay sa iba yan. Astig na naman ang dating mo diyan PNoy! Pero ano nga ba talaga ang ginagawa mo para maiayos yan?

Kaya mo bang makipagsabayan gaya ng ginawa ng Russia laban sa mga Instik nung pinasok nila yung karagatan nila? Pinagbabaril lang naman sila ng mga Ruso!

Oh baka naman hinhintay mo si Uncle Sam pati rin ang sasabihin ng Filipino-Chinese Business Community?

Yang mga negosyanteng Instik na yan na nakinabang ng husto sa bayan natin, tahimik di ba? At ang malupit, nangunguna pa sila sa pagsasabi na walang sinabi ang Pilipinas kung makikipaglaban tayo sa China. Pero mga hayup kayo, dito kayo sa Pilipinas nagpayaman, nagpaaral ng mga anak ninyo. Dito kayo Pilipinas nakaranas ng kaginhawaan at karangyaan, hindi sa labas ng bansa.

PNoy, ano pa nga ba ang ibibida mo sa amin?

Namatay si Pidol at pinilit mong pasayahin ang pamilya nya at ang dating mo sa taumbayan, mabuti ang pagpapatakbo mo sa Pilipinas. Ay sus, pwede ba iwanan nyo na yang issue na yan.

Bumabagyo, bumabaha at ang mga pamilyang nakatira sa lansangan ano ang ginagawa ninyo?

Ay sus!!!

SONA 2012 ni BS Aquino ano pa nga ba ang dapat nating marinig?

Yung pinapadalang pera ng mga OFW sa Pilipinas?

Saan naman napupunta?

Sa bulsa ni Congressman Manhik Manaog, sa bulsa ni Mayor, sa rancho ni Senator. Pero syempre di rin magpapatalo si Konsehal at Konsehala sa labanang yan, pati nga si Baranggay Captain dapat maambunan dahil opisyal sya ng gobyerno.

Sobra na 'tong mga katangahan ng Pilipinas, sobrang sobra na!

Ano magagawa ng Pilipino, yung Boss ni PNoy?