THEY’RE CALLED HELMETS. Their singular purpose is to protect your head. In case you meet an accident while riding a mountain-bike or sitting on your Yamaha two-wheeler, you’ll be saved from serious head injury. And so everybody should wear a helmet. It’s the law. It’s safe for riders. It’s a must. Unfortunately, especially on early mornings or late evenings when CITOM is not watching, many don’t snap one on. Unlike George W. Bush.
Month: June 2007
Run for P.E.A.C.E.
LAST JULY 10 at the South Reclamation Project, hundreds of running shoes trampled on the cement road of the SRP. There were five distance categories: 21K, 15K, 10K, 5K and 3K, and it was named “Run for P.E.A.C.E.,” which stands for… Planting a church; Equipping Servant Leaders; Assisting the Poor; Caring for the Sick; and Educating the next Generation.
Why You Should Watch ‘Rocky Balboa’
OF ALL the 728 movies I’ve watched, one of my all-time favorites is ‘Rocky.’ Who hasn’t seen Rocky? Who doesn’t know him? Who didn’t clench his fist when he sparred inside the freezer against those slabs of meat? Whose heartbeat, upon hearing the Rocky theme song, didn’t bang against his chest? And whose tears didn’t drip when he was bullied and spat on by Apollo Creed?
Morgan Freeman on Golf
I LOVE MORGAN FREEMAN. To my mind, no actor is more credible, more respected, and more trusted than the 70-year-old golfer. Golfer? Yes. “Morgan Freeman the Golfer.” You see, in the upcoming June 25 issue of Newsweek, Morgan Freeman writes about his passion for the sport. “Take Another Swing,” it’s titled, the by-line reads: Golf has taught the actor an important lesson about life: Age doesn’t have to keep you out of the game. Golfer or not, you have to read this…
How Difficult is Golf’s Hole-In-One?
Golf statisticians estimate the odds of a hole-in-one to be as high as 42,952 to 1. That’s for the average club golfer. The insurance companies? Haha. Of course they want to play safe—so they peg the odds at 15,000 to 1. Still, that’s difficult. This means that—if you follow the odds—you need 15,000 swings before you can hole that one shot. Difficult? No. Lucky.
Now, here’s an unbelievable story I read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, published last Friday (June 15). It’s entitled “One for Ripley’s: Fonacier aces same hole in 2 days.”
It’s Kicking! Taekwondo in Cebu
It’s alive. It’s kicking. It’s harvesting gold medals. Taekwondo had long been a popular sport in Cebu. But today, Taekwondo is gaining even more popularity. Just the other weekend, the Taekwondo Team Cebu won second overall in the Visayas Taekwondo Championships in the City of Smiles… Bacolod City. Of the 40 jins who represented Cebu, 33 went home as medal-winners. In all, Team
The Amazing Story of Jack Mendez
I can write a 365-page biography of him. His life story, if grabbed by the producers of Viva Films, will turn into a movie blockbuster. Listen to him speak for 45 minutes and you’d wish you had 25 hours to listen. Thousands of people I’ve met in life, but few will compare to this story…
Jacinto Villarosa Mendez is the third of seven children of Victorino and Anita Mendez. In elementary and high school, he studied in Ubay, Bohol and in college, took up law at the University of San Carlos. To support his studies, he mopped floors in the homes of relatives in exchange for free board and lodging. He lifted wood at the pier as kargador to earn a peso. On his final year in law school, his father, a firewood dealer, decided that his brothers and sisters would stop school to allow him to graduate. Jack did not allow that to happen. He stowed away on a boat and worked as a security guard in Manila. “I was assigned at a furniture company,” he told me, “and had to squat on top of tables each night as there were snakes everywhere.”
“DADDY!” … I Love to Hear that Word!
“Any man can be a father. But it takes a special person to be a dad.” – Proverb
I love being a dad. Nothing makes me smile more and want to thank God for all His blessings—than when I stare at my daughter when she’s just fallen asleep and I marvel at how beautiful and amazing a creation she’s been to my life.
I love being with Jana. We sit on the floor and play Korean jackstones. She tells jokes while I laugh. I make funny faces while she falls off the sofa. I spend as much time as I can with her. Because here’s my belief: every minute spent with your child is never a wasted minute.
Airsoft: “Getting Hit Is Not An Option”
It’s popular. It’s played at D’ Family Park in Talamban. In the hills of Consolacion. At the back of Tisoy’s Restaurant along A.S. Fortuna. Hundreds polish their rifles and pistols. Hearts pump fast. Bullets riddle the air. Men paint their faces. Women camouflage their bodies.
Airsoft is one very popular sport in Cebu. Yesterday, while working out in the gym, I watched the 6 p.m. news on TV and caught a glimpse of Cebu City Councilor Jack Jakosalem. He was talking about airsoft and an upcoming event at the Gaisano Bowlinplex Parking Lot.
Dr. Vic Verallo Speaks: Why I Run
“I always loved running,” said Jesse Owens, the four-time Olympic gold medalist. “It was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
I know one man who’ll nod his head in agreement, make the thumbs-up sign, smile and say, “Yes! That’s why I run!” Dr. Vicente Verallo. One of Cebu’s top dermatologists, he’s a busy man. Visit his Chong Hua clinic and you’ll notice the long hours he works. At home, he is happily married to top Cebu cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Susan Verallo. They have eight children. At work, at home—life is hectic. Still, the one thing Dr. Vic never fails to schedule?