RajahJun

Today is Father's day, and I decided to write a piece about it. I might regret it later if I didn't do it.  I thought that it might taste like stale bread or stale beer if I post my blog days later.  I went over to my desk and I started pounding on my laptop so I can write my thoughts down. In normal times, my family would go out to a restaurant to celebrate. It's our chance to celebrate family occasions and our chance to take posterity photos for posting on social media. After the meal, I would worry about the added pounds that will raise my fear of hypertension and diabetes. I'm nearing my senior years, that's why I'm worried. But today, I would hesitate to celebrate outside because of the coronavirus scare.  I guess fathers will have to settle celebrating this day inside the comfort of their homes and rely on food delivery. They will just have to enjoy the day posting good vibes on social media just to be safe. The Covid-19 cases are still rising out there. F...

Today marks the Independence Day of the Philippines.  President Emilio Aguinaldo led the declaration on June 12, 1898.  During the declaration, he said that we are finally breaking away from four hundred years of Spanish rule and declaring ourselves totally free from them. No ifs or buts.  Years later, they had to fight tooth and nail to prove that.  But there's a twist to the story of our independence and you'll get to know it while you continue reading. The road to independence was not easy for us as a nation.  Young idealistic young men and women whose ages can be compared to today's Filipino "Millenials" started the journey to independence. At their age, they were supposed to lead a carefree life.  But they went ahead with it anyway. It must have been tough for them. For the price of freedom, they gave up life, limb, and peace of mind for it.  A great sacrifice to ask from our heroes like Rizal, Bonifacio, Mabini, Luna, Del Pilar, Aguinaldo, Sakay,...

All hell broke loose at the start of the year when the Covid-19 virus spread like wildfire all over the globe.  In February it hit close to home - the Philippines. The viral infections started in Wuhan, China last December 2019, but I only read it on social media then.  Various posts said it was scary but I brushed it aside since it was far away.  When the dreaded virus reached Philippine shores, people began wearing masks. The scene was foreboding.  I still didn't wear a mask because local news said that the few infections were isolated cases. But things turned deadly serious when news from around the world reported that infected people were suffering and dying by the hundreds. Here the numbers began to surge. By mid-March, the Philippine president announced a Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine dubbed as ECQ which seemed unreal. The government sugar-coated the word - lockdown - so it would be more acceptable to the public. By the next couple of months, the ECQ...