Our July 10 to 16 Issue

Essays On Tony Robbins, Pajero Bishops, Sara Duterte, Manny Pacquiao, Manila Bay sunset, Wow FM  

Videos of Ara Muna on SOP,  Jed Madela and Bimbo Cerrudo, the Cinemalaya 2011 films Niño, i-Libings and Sayaw Ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, and Manny Pacquiao singing Sometimes When We Touch on Jimmy Kimmel  

Artists of the Week: Our featured artists for the week are Brownman Revival, Introvoys and White Lies

The Unlimited Life

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular,” says Tony Robbins, the world’s most trusted peak-performance guru. My article about him, Are You Ready To Live An Unlimited Life?, appears today Sunday July 10 in Philippine Panorama, the Sunday magazine of Manila Bulletin.

That’s a different essay from our article Do You Have A Mentor? last week.

It’s about developing the mindset of winners,  with stories on Christian singer Fatima Soriano, matinee idol Gerald Anderson, CNN Hero of the Year for 2009 Efren Peñaflorida, Francis Papica of the Francis Papica Foundation, record-setting U.P summa cum laude John Gabriel Pelias and Apple founder Steve Jobs

Watch life-changing Tony Robbins videos in Huggybear’s Virtual Life Coach

Watch Gerald Anderson in the official Tayong Dalawa MTV

Mitsubishops

I always give the benefit of the doubt so I won’t give moral judgment about those bishops, led by Juan De Dios Pueblos of Butuan (right), who solicited luxury SUVs and cash from the previous administration – and who are now criticizing the current one. But what turned me off is the defensive response of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes accused President Aquino of singling them out and attacking them personally – then he went on to attack the President personally. The CBCP blames Aquino because the gifts were made public, even if it was uncovered by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and not the President.

            

What’s really galling is the CBCP’s declaration that Aquino’s mother would never have become President in 1986 if not for them. But the CBCP remained silent during the turbulent Marcos regime in the guise of being politically impartial.

            It was the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin who mobilized the nuns and church workers to troop to Edsa which led to the People Power Revolution that captured the world’s imagination – in defiance of the CBCP’s order for him not to challenge the status quo.

            Cory Aquino became President because the entire nation rallied behind her to regain democracy, and not because of priests who overestimate their influence and delude themselves in having the political power they think they have but actually don’t

 

Where’s Your Honor?

Davao City Court Sheriff Abe Andres was enforcing the court order to demolish the illegal shanties in Agdao district last July 1. Mayor Sara Duterte commanded him to delay it, but the protocol is to ask the judge who issued the order. Instead, the mayor physically assaulted him, and her police bodyguards, PO2 Rey Alquisar Osiones and PO2 Roderick Cabuti, ganged up on the helpless and bloodied court officer.

            The mayor went on vacation, and her father the vice mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, who had ruled as mayor with his alleged Death Squad private army for over a decade, was back in power again.

            Andres also went on leave, fearing for his life, coming out of hiding just a few days ago. Andres, a 

representative of the judiciary, said he won’t press any charges against Duterte. D’hell?

            It looks as if he has forgotten his responsibility of upholding the dignity of his office, even if it seems he doesn’t respect himself so that’s why it’s okay to treat him like dirt. In that case, to avoid being labeled ungrateful, Andres should have thanked and genuflected before the power-tripping dynasty for beating him up and humiliating him in public.

Last Friday, there was a “solidarity rally” for Mayor Duterte. The whole city turned up, wore her favorite color, green, and showed her support.

            

 As if they have a choice.

 

Huggybear Heard On Thursday

I sent a message through the Text Jock to Heard On Thursday last Thursday. The guests were some of the writers, directors and producers behind the Cinemalaya 2011 films Niño, i-Libings and Sayaw Ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa. I like to thank host Raffy Reyes for reading it on air, even the pitch for my blog. Here’s my message: “From Huggybear Jonathan Aquino:  If I write a screenplay, what do I do to get it filmed for Cinemalaya? Are there writing workshops? More power to you guys!” I invited them to visit my blog 2Rivers “where I embedded all the films of Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals. Mabuhay ang pelikulang Filipino and Monster Radio!” I was advised to submit a sequence treatment to CCP, and to do it now to get ready for next year. Check. Thanks guys!

            Cinemalaya will open July 15 to 24 at the CCP and Greenbelt. Heard On Thursday airs 10 pm on Monster Radio RX 93.1

Watch all the movies in Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals

Champion Song

Manny Pacquiao is the best non-heavyweight boxer in history and is now a pop culture phenomenon. He’s also the incumbent congressman of Saranggani and his own game show, Manny Many Prizes, is set to air on GMA-7. I heard for the first time his first international single, a remake of Dan Hill’s Sometimes When We Touch. I like the song because it reminds me of O Jo Kaluguran Da Ka, a song in the Kapampangan dialect using the same melody. Jo is a term pf endearment and the first syllable of Jonathan, and kaluguran da ka means “I Love You!”

Watch Manny on The Jimmy Kimmel Show

See Huggybear’s Favorite Dan Hill Songs

Glorious Nightrise 

“I’ll just rest and refresh my soul at the bayside,” I texted my friend Bryan last week Wednesday, when he asked what I was up to. I told him I need to meditate “in solitude to find a way to achieve life balance,” to “shut off” the noisy world,” at least for a while. I went to Roxas Boulevard and I saw the just-inaugurated footbridge in front of the U.S. Embassy but my camera was acting up again. But I was able to capture this shot of the world-famous sunset in Manila Bay. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Wow Program

2Rivers gives commendation call to Pinoy Flavors! This program on 103.5 Wow! FM features original Filipino music – old and new, English and Tagalog – all day every Saturday and Sunday! Amazing world-class music for a wonderful weekend!

Watch Bimbo Cerrudo and Jed Madela sing Ryan Cayabyab's Kayganda Ng Ating Musika

Check out the original version by Hajji Alejandro

See Huggybear’s Favorite Jed Madela Song

Next Week 

Something really wonderful happened to me Saturday morning, about my career, and I’ll tell you about it in a future edition. Next week I will, among other things, regale you with my retelling of Green Lantern and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Get ready for a whole lot of videos too!

Artists of The Week

Our featured artists for the week are Brownman Revival, Introvoys and White Lies with one of my most cherished Tagalog songs with a special Yui Hongo anime video