Gubatnon ConnectionConceive. Believe. Achieve.

This You Tube version of the “Lupang Hinirang” national anthem of the Philippines touched my heart. Once in a while, we need to learn how our country evolved from one generation to another. Even short movie clips like this is enough to open our minds and hearts, how heroes of past and present cost their lives to build a nation named Philippines.

Gubat is a small town. Everyone knows each other. They may have different last names. But if you study each last name’s genealogy or family root, you’ll find that they’re from one family. They are related by blood.

I was born in Bulan, with my father from Bulan and my mother from Tacloban, Leyte. But I’ve long claimed that I’m Gubatnon since our family moved to this town, when I was 6 years old. I started my schooling at the age of 6, when I was enrolled in a Kindergarten School at Gubat Central School. Believe it or not, I have classmates from Kindergarten who had been my consistent classmates until we graduated at Gubat High School. Then, we went to same university in college, and meet again in the northeast, USA when we both work abroad.

From the video clip below, you’ll see me with classmates and friends from Gubat, breaking the universal belief that the earth is big. To us, friends and classmates, the earth is too small, for even if we work from different parts of the world we always see each other. This time, one from Hong Kong, two from California, two from New York, and one from New Jersey met at Etta Escoto de Guzman’s house in New Jersey.

You’ll enjoy more of my works at my “blog farm,” links of which are listed below:

1. Around New York City 2. Blackberry Phones & More 3. Success Secrets for Filipinos 4. Filmmaking Hobby With Flip Video 5. What’s on Your Mind? 6. The Geek Senior Next Door 7. The City Never Sleeps 8. Gubatnon Connection 9. Do You Need My Help? 10. Just Call Me, Ian Ryne 11. Experts Write About 12. Mark’s Nokia Blog

I’ve never thought I could find a Gabi (Gaway) plant at Times Square, here in New York City. Of all the places, it was planted at the center island of the most popular square in the world – with 45 million visiting tourists from around the world every year. I found this plant while I was video recording the Times Square, which is a a favorite place for me. Here, you could be alone, but you’ll never feel alone with thousands of people enjoying the place. Everytime I come to this place, I always ask myself why thousands of people come to this place everyday. The answer, ‘though, need not come from other people, but from my own thoughts: Times Square is the symbol of the “American Dream” every person from other places have always dreamt about. The glittering neon lights, the giant digital billboards, the tall skyscrapers, the Broadway shows, the beeping and honking cars, and the sea of humanity at this small triangle, called “Times Square” is like a world in itself. Only that sadness and negative elements are hidden, tried to be forgotten for a moment. Only fun, happiness, and memories are enjoyed in this place.

You’ll enjoy more of my works at my “blog farm,” links of which are listed below:

1. Around New York City 2. Blackberry Phones & More 3. Success Secrets for Filipinos 4. Filmmaking Hobby With Flip Video 5. What’s on Your Mind? 6. The Geek Senior Next Door 7. The City Never Sleeps 8. Gubatnon Connection 9. Do You Need My Help? 10. Just Call Me, Ian Ryne 11. Experts Write About 12. Mark’s Nokia Blog

“Why are we poor?”  runs a line of an Internet post I’ve read in one of my groups in Yahoo? There’s so many reasons to it, but you could only answer this question based on your own perception.

When I was working as a Fiber Technician, and assigned at Gubat, I’ve met an abaca stripper (parahag-ot abaka) at Barangay Tugawe. This stripper was living in a small hut just the size of his height when he lies inside it. It was from this man how I learned that happiness is not all about money and luxurious things in life. He told me happiness is about contentment. When you’re contented with what you enjoy now, then, you’re happy. So, I asked him what makes him happy actually. He told me, once he’s in the poblacion watching the cockfight at Balag’s cockpit arena on Sundays, then, he’s happy and contented already.

The farmer was single and all alone in his life. That’s what I’ve learned further from him. As I went back home, driving my 100 cc Yamaha motorcycle, I told myself, “Maybe if I’m alone, too, in my life I could just be like him – as happy and as contented as him.” But I’m the eldest in our family, with 10 more brothers and sisters looking upon what I could do to help them. My father was just a lowly-paid government employee, while my mother was just a plain housewife. We’re as poor as self-supporting chickens we locally called “isang-kahig-isang-tuka.” With this situation, I could not be as happy and contented as the abaca stripper.

Going back to the question “Why are we poor?” my answer is actually on how we could afford to say how happy and contented we are in our lives. “Contentment” is the magic work.

Postscript:

Jim Carrie, a comedian actor, wrote on a dummy check $10 Millions issued to his name and placed it on his wallet all the time, to inspire him to get a real check with that amount in the future. When he became a successful comedian actor, he cashed out a real check more than the amount he wrote when he was poor and penniless.

Read more of my blogs at “Negosyong Pangkabuhayan, ATBP.”

Fellow GHS Alumni:

Here’s an invitation from the current GHS Alumni President, Nelson Fajardo. This request to post the announcement was emailed to me by my class ’74 classmate Leonora Funtanar.  Below is the content of her email:
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Please help us disseminate the info on the BARAGAT DINNER/DANCE FUNDRAISING initiated by the Gubat High School Alumni President Nelson Fajardo. The proceeds of which will support the association’ s scholars of the Meralco Foundation and the Gubat High School scholars.  Tickets are at P500.00 and P1,000.00 each. 

You may buy tickets at the gate of the venue or thru Ms. Bella Esparas Sanchez (class 73) cell no. 09298592085. The BARAGAT will be on June 5, 2010, Saturday, Kalayaan Hall, Club Filipino, Greenhils, San Juan.

As a backgrounder, the Meralco Foundation has so much respect and amazed by the performance of these scholars coming from our school.  Every year when they give these qualifying exams nationwide, they are awed by the outstanding results of the applicants from the Gubat National High School, surpassing other schools around the country.  As you may know, these scholars are from very poor families.    The Meralco Foundation shoulders only their tuition fees.  That’s why these kids are looking for sponsors on their lodging, and books.  Your assistance will be highly appreciated.

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As Gubatnon, I’m encouraging you to support this  Baragat 2010, and enjoy meeting old friends at the place.  So, whether you’re Anthonian or GHS graduate, please be part of this endeavor.

Fellow Gubatnon:

This blog’s subscribers had increased a lot since I redesigned this “Gubatnon Connection.” So, from here, I would like to thank you personally for your trust on my writing capabilities. Gubatnon Connection, as you may know, is different from other Gubatnon web sites or Gubatnon social networking in the Internet now. It’s been my objective when I created this blog, that you’ll come here not only for fun but mostly to learn something about doing business in the Internet, secrets of success by the rich and famous, and any postive ideas that could change our lives as Gubatnon.

Writing for blog is a hard work, specially that I have other blog sites to maintain. Aside from “Gubatnon Connection,” I’m managing also a blog site for digital photography in New York City, a web site for overseas Filipino workers, and a new blog about writers. Sometimes, I would even contemplate of closing this blog in favor of my other blog sites with larger subscribers like the bigapplecity.com blog and the overseasfilipinos.com blog with thousands of viewers every month. But I’m a Gubatnon, and I love Gubat. I feel different when I write something for this site. I feel I’m connected to my Kababayans even if I’m here in New York City – the reason why I finally changed it’s head title from “Gubatnon Blogger” to “Gubatnon Connection.”

Fellow, Gubatnon, I urge you to invite other Kababayans to come, subscribe to this blog, and participate in discussions by leaving comments on the posts and pages. Thank you very much.

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In the late 80′s Donald Trump was at the peak of success in real estate business. But suddenly, his success was distracted when he diverted his attention to clothing and fashion business in Europe. The US economy went bad, affecting the real estate business of Trump, and it was too late for him to realize that he was losing $9.2 billions in this business. All the banks from whom he owed billions of dollars were all running after him, and he could not even pay the interests for his loans. He worked hard to recover back his loses, that by the late 90′s he’s back and thriving again. In his book, “How to Get Rich,” he tells the readers about this incident in his life. So, he advised the readers, “Don’t make the mistake I made. Stay focused.”

Full attention to one direction is very important even in driving a car. Losing your focus on the direction where you are running will surely place in you and others in danger, even to death. Students in colleges, who found freedom from being away from their parents, lose their focus on their studies when they start joining their bad friends in drugs and other funs. Some overseas Filipinos lose their focus towards the family and loved ones they left in the Philippines, due to bad influence by other co-workers in their place of work.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” have 10 tips in order to get out of the “rat race” or working for others on a nine-to-five job. The number 9 advise in his book was about FOCUS as an acronym for Follow One Course Until Successful. The “course” he was referring to in his book was about attention or direction. As an extra bonus for reading this article, let me give you the full list of these ten secrets to get out of the rat race.

1. Know the difference between an asset and a liability.
2. Make mistakes, learn from them.
3. Never say, “I can’t afford it.” Instead ask, “How can I afford it.”
4. Surround yourself with like-minded people.
5. Teach others.
6. Play the CASHFLOW board game to learn how the cash flows.
7. Mind your own business, your ASSET column.
8. Learn the vocabulary of investing and finance.
9. FOCUS – follow one course until successful.
10. Never stop learning.

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Courtesy: blog.onlinemoviesunlimited.com

INVICTUS (‘Di Pasupil)
ni William Ernest Henley

(Isinalin sa Tagalog ni Jess Guim)

Mula sa gabing bumabalot sa akin,
Sa singdilim na hukay at buong lalim,
Ako’y nagpasalamat sa Diyos natin,
Sa espiritu ko’ng ‘di kayang supilin.

Sa pagkalugmok na walang makapitan,
Hindi umigtad o dili kaya’y sumigaw.
Minsa’y binubugbog o ginagarote man,
Ulo kong duguan ay walang yuyukuan.

Sa kabila ng mga pagpipighati at galit,
Bumabadha’ng mga pangamba’t lagim,
Mga panahong nagbabalang-panganib,
Anumang takot sa’kin walang masilip.

Walang silbi makipot na bilangguan,
Maging lahat na naitalang kaparusahan,
Ako ang panginoon ng aking tadhana:
Ako ang kapitan ng aking kaluluwa.

INVICTUS (unconquered)
By William Ernest Henley

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

This was the poem that inspired Nelson Mandela, while he was in prison.
Please copy and pass this to your Pinoy friends, if you can. Thank you.

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Diyos marhay na adlaw uli sa mga bistantes ko dini sa ako blog site.  Daghanon an malalagalag dini na masusorpresa kay in-asahan nira dini social web site o tambayan web site.  Well, this is not a place for sosyalan o tambayan.  Alagad sa ibang panahon, nag-iisip man ako maghimo dini sin chat room, o bulletin board.  Alagad daghanon na na Gubatnon sites an may-on suon.

An tema san mga blogs o diary notes ko dini puro manungod sa Internet nan sa world wide web. Mau ini an ato tinampo sa pag asenso.  Mao ini an dapat maaraman na teknolohiya san mga Gubatnon kun gusto nira mag-asenso, maski yuon sira sa Gubat.  Kun diri kamo maniwala sini na ako teoriya, badi sa maabot na napulo na taon, mao gihapon an Gubat nan san mga Gubatnon, kumparado sa 20 anyos na na nakalipas. Atrasado sa asenso, kay kulang sa kaaraman kun pano an pag gamit san Internet.

Kapwa ko mga Gubatnon:

Madali na an ato mga school reunions na sisundan san kapistahan sa Gubat.  Gusto ko kunta mag- uli niyan na Abril.  Pero in reserba ko sa Junio na lang, para makasabay sa amo class 74 reunion nan sa fiesta sa Gubat.  San nakaagi na simana, habang insusurat ko an ako posting sa amo GHS Class of 1974 Yahoo Group, naobserbaran ko na baga an ako insusurat rhyming an mga durho.  Kaya sabi ko, himuon ko na lang siguro ini na rawit-dawit.  Maugma nan mamundo ini na ako rawit-dawit, na in dedikar ko saiyo entero na Gubatnon, lalo na na mga nasa haragrayo na lugar:

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KITA AN MGA AGILA SA GUBAT
by Jess Guim

An masabi ko lang: Gubat baga an pangaran san ato banwaan.
Dini sa kagubatan, sa mga kakahuyan an mga agila nabubuhay.
Kita an mga Agila na kun mag rulapad harayo nan halangkaw.
Kaya bihira mag tener sa mga kahoy o sa salag na nabuhayan.

Alagad an fiesta, nan school reunions na puno sin kaugmahan,
An nakaka engganyar sa mga agilang hali sa harayong lugar.
Masuwerte an mga agilang nakaka balik sa kanira kinadtuan -
Pag abot sa Gubat na hinalian, puro kaugmahan an taragpuan.

May mga agila, na maluya na an mga pakpak, mga wara suwerti.
May mga agila na wara na kahoy o estaran na mababalikan dini.
Kaya sa  kapung-awan nira nag duduwa-duwa, nag mumuni-muni:
“Ano, ma uli ako sa Gubat o diri? Ano, ma uli ako sa Gubat o diri?”

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Sa sino man na makabasa sini, kun may kila tabi kamo na GHS class 74, paki sabi tabi na magbatog na mag padara san kanira kontribusyon para sa reunion kan Leonora Funtanar-Dino.  Of course, kita entero na mga Gubatnon, dapat mag handa na niyan san ato pag uruli sa Gubat sa Junio.  Kay sabi ko na ngani, maski nag harayo kita sa Gubat, para maghanap san ato mga pagkabuhay nan pag asenso, pareho kita san mga agila sa kakahuyan.  Maski nano kaharayo san hinalian, na balik man gihapon sa kanya sadiring lugar – sa parte nato na mga Gubatnon, sa GUBAT.