Mark, The Young Investor

This is my cousin Mark. He just finished high school last March. Aside from the obvious (that we share the same genes, and therefore, we look alike), he is also smart (it runs in the blood). Haha.

But he used to be a bottom feeder. He would fail most of his quizzes, he would rather go to SM or play table tennis even if it was exam week, and I can not explain enough that being good looking (or being my cousin, for that matter) would make him pass in my subject (I was his teacher in English in his sophomore year). But since that talk we had once (because we rarely spoke outside the classroom), he started to effort in his studies.

[Fast forward: he was third honor in the last two years of high school. Nothing is really difficult if you put your mind into it.]

There were many changes in him that I started to notice, especially when he started to hang out with me and my sisters. He put aside his playing computer games and watching anime, while he learned to be concerned about his grades. There is a lot more that I see changed for the better, but the most notable is about his spending habits.


His parents being both in the states, he used to not value money. "Money is created to be spent anyway." He would buy new clothes or new discs for his PS3 every time we would go to SM (and that's about once a week). But that was before.

Mark would sometimes come to our house, since our houses are connected by a passage way. He would watch CSI:New York or Bones with us (my sisters and I) in the common room. But one time, the TV was off because I was reading Bo Sanchez's "My Maid Invests in the Stock Market". He asked what's the book about. I said, "It's about growing your money faster than in banks."

I noticed that he was listening intently as I was explaining.

So, I asked, "Why? Would you want your money to grow?"

He said, "Umm, yes. But..." Since there was "but", I disengaged and went back to reading.

He asked again, "How do you grow your money that fast?"

I said, "In the stock market." Obviously, he looked puzzled, and everything I said was Greek to him.

So, fast forward again, I made things simple for him. I opened an account under his name at Accord Capital with an initial investment of P 5,000 (this is the minimum for students). He deposited P 1,000 pesos per month for 3 months. I bought P 2,000 amount of shares every month and I would show him what I bought for him every time I'd put an order.

After the third month, he saw that he was earning well from Manny Villar-owned $VLL (Vista Land Properties). I applied peso-cost averaging (PCA) in this instance. In the 4th month, he decided that he was going to put P 2,000 pesos monthly, instead of P 1,000. Plus, the gifts he received that Christmas, the money his mom sent him-- and all the money he not really needed, he put into his account. We bought another good company, $MBT (Metrobank). And then, another, $PF (Purefoods). [You notice that all these companies that we bought are the ones we believe in, and whose products/services we really consume.]

Good thing it also happened that when we bought these companies around December-January, we were able to bottom-pick them. Along the way, we decided that we were contented with the profit, we sold and bought some stocks with the help of our friend who does charts and is good with technical analysis, PAM. By the end of May, this was how his portfolio looked like (from all his deposits amounting to P 48,000.00, it has become P 57,401.44) :

It must be noted, though, that if you do not know how to time the market like PAM does, I don't advise buying and selling stocks every so often. You will only be making the broker richer from commissions.

By the start of July, Mark decided to liquidate. He said he wants to sell all his equities. When we sold everything, we netted around P 58,150.00. He got scared that all stocks were starting to peak, and that at any moment then, he thought, the market was going to crash like this:

But, what can I say, PSEi is resilient. He just watched the market go up even more. But I told him, a gain is a gain. Do not ever regret selling at a gain, it's almost impossible to catch the top. Or, at least, to catch it every time. Mark's fund is now in the safekeeping of mamang. I heard they opened a bank account for him.

As I have said again and again, my only regret right now is that I did not start saving up and investing early on like Mark did. Instead of spending on things that are not really necessary, one can grow his money well in different investment tools out there, the stock market is only one of them. And with this that he has already started, I like to believe that he's going to be rich when he grows up. He now saves his money in the bank whenever he receives some from his parents.

I believe that everyone can do this, too. If you start setting aside a small fund for your investment now, by the time you graduate from the university, you will have been ready to invest in other more sophisticated kinds of investments. And there are many sites out there which can help you with your decision-making. I can also give you my opinion about things if you ask. But the decision will have to be made by you.

Note, also, that the August (ghost month) is fast approaching. If you are a starting investor, I recommend that you open your own account before the great sell down so you can get the blues (blue chips) at a good bargain.

Just remember this before you do anything: investigate before you invest. Happy investing!

So, you want to start investing? (Part 3)

As a child, we (my sister Karen and I) were taught by our granny (who we dearly call mamang because she was the one who raised us) how to wisely save money. She introduced to us early in life how banks operate, and how a time deposit (way back then) could help us grow our initial fund without having to do anything. Even as a child, I was already taught how to make passive income.

On top of that, I can consider mamang to be the epitome of being "Chinese kuripot". Iba ang pagka-kuripot ng Pinoy, eh. Iba ang ka-kuriputan ng lola ko. She thinks many times before she spends. More often than not, she decides not to. And when she does, she haggles like an expert.

But, well, my financial temperament may have come from my dad. He spent his money thoughtlessly (if I may say so). When he entered politics, people came to our house EIGHT DAYS A WEEK asking for financial assistance like crazy: may it be for funeral, for tuition, for hospitalization, for their basketball league expenses, for employment, or for whatever reason people have invented. A vice mayor's salary is only so much, and was nothing compared to the amount he was shelling out.

To cut the epic story short, his expenses were multiple times greater than what he was earning. And I was like that a year ago until I decided I did not want to be like that. I love my dad dearly, and he was undeniably a generous person. The problem was precisely that, he was TOO generous and too gullible.

So, what's my point here? According to Vic and Avelynn Garcia, people can generally be categorized into 4: the survivor, the pretender, the seeker, and the unleasher. Let's take a look where everyone in the narrative falls under.

A. Survivor. This person truly lives within his means. It is because his income is exactly equal to his expense level. Laging "I will Survive" ang drama niya dahil wala siyang naitatabi. Sapat lang ang kita niya sa araw araw para sa gastusin niya para mabuhay.

Survivor ako dati noong nagtuturo pa ako ng ESL sa Mapua habang nag-aaral ako ng MA sa UST. Kung anong sweldo, 'yun mismo ang pinagkakasyang pangkain, pamasahe, pang-gimik at pang check-in. Hahaha! Joke lang. Kung nagkataon nagkasakit ako noon, kailangan pang lunukin ang pride para magpatulong sa magulang para sa pang-ospital. At kung nagkataon pang wala kaming bahay sa QC, sa sweldo pa dapat huhugutin ang pangrenta.

B. Pretender. This person likes to believe that she deserves the finest things in life. So, kahit call center agent lang naman si ate sa Libis, lagi siyang sa Starbucks nakatambay, lagi mo siyang makikitang papasok ng sine sa Gateway o Glorietta, at lagi mong makikita sa FB niya na pa-travel travel lang siya sa Boracay, sa Hong Kong o sa Thailand, ganun. Malaki-laki rin naman ang kinikita ni agent lalo na kapag lumalagari siya sa commissions, pero ang lifestyle talaga ni Pretender ay masyadong magarbo beyond her means. Pero lagi naman siyang may "friends" na nanlilibre sa kanya, at magsasakay sa kanya sa car, kaya "GOW!" sabi ni Ruffa Gutierrez.

Napansin ko ring ayaw na ayaw mag-selfie (ng ibang pretenders) sa bahay nila dahil baka plywood ang makita mong background. Naku, masasaktan ang ego niya kapag nalaman mo ito. This lifestyle is ridiculous. But what's more ridiculous is the fact that I know a lot of people who are in this category-- mga taong nabubuhay sa credit card.

C. Seeker. This person has excess money but does not know how to manage his personal finances.

Many yuppies who live with their parents and have little to no financial responsibility at home. Ang salary nila, na pinapasok ng employer sa kanilang ATM ay doon lang naka-park hanggang di na nila namamalayang malaki na pala. Sayang ang potential ng pera nila, kulang sila ng kaalaman tungkol sa investment tools na nasa merkado ngayon.

My dad can be considered a seeker before he entered politics. He was able to provide well; we were educated in the best universities in the nation; and our family lived comfortably from what he earned from land rentals, from the bi-annual income from his hectares of farmlands, and from the estate his parents left him. He was a seeker, but too bad he found politics to spend his money on. Ayan, nawala na lahat, he spent everything "for humanitarian causes". Bye, bye cash.

D. At ang panghuli, the Unleasher. This is the person who knows how to unleash the highest potential of his money because he knows all the available options out there.

Ito ay ang klase ng taong mula sa kita niya, may itatabi siyang fixed na pondo para sa savings, at marunong siyang dumiskarte sa buhay. Alam niyang ibukod ang needs sa wants. Alam niyang ang labanan ang paggastos ay imposible, lalo na't nasa harap niya ang likes niya, kaya ang gagawin na lamang niya ay umiwas.  At alam din niyang magbukod ng emergency fund na pwede niyang hugutin kung kailangan.

And this, guys, is what I want us all to become.

By the way, my mamang is the absolute unleasher. Just right after the sudden decline of time deposit rates in banks, she ventured into buying properties. Just right after the earthquake that hit Northern Luzon in the early 1990s, she was sold a prime lot in Baguio at an insanely low price! And now, it is where our 6-storey dormitory stands.

While I work full time in the university, I set aside fixed amount which I invest; I set aside money for my expenses (my needs and sometimes, my wants); and I set aside an emergency fund which I give to mamang for safekeeping.

Since I learned how to become an Unleasher, I have changed my attitude towards money. I learned how to make my money work for me, and not me working for money. But of course, it takes a lot of time and discipline before one becomes a true unleasher. Pero kung nasanay at na-train ka na, it's very rewarding because you can sleep soundly at night without having to worry about tomorrow. Whatever happens.

This also entails having to consider not only the potential yield of one's investment, but also his level of protection not only for himself but also for his family if ever the great uncertainty knocks (in case of illness, accident or whatever else).

I will talk about the investment tools next time, and this is the more exciting part of it.

Keep tuned in. :)

Another Big Leap Towards Wealth

Since the start of classes is still far ahead, I took it as an opportunity to look for an income-generating endeavor (alam niyo naman ako, natuto nang maging enterprising).

And luck must have been on my side that afternoon when I fetched my mom from her dermatologist. She happened to be chatting with her amiga who apparently heads the Philam Asset Management, Inc. Unit in Pangasinan.

They were having such fun conversation (basing on their giggles), so I just sat beside them and opened my mobile phone. My mom's friend greeted me with smiling eyes. I greeted back, but quietly, since I usually get shy around people my mom's age. She extended her hand to me and introduced herself. I nodded in respect, then shook her hand. She continued, "So, hijo, you're into trading equities daw?" I said, "Yes, ma'am, but barely profiting from my trades of late."

"So, what's stocks do you trade?" she asked.

My mom butt in, "Ay, yung mga recommended ni Bo Sanchez. TRC member 'yan."

Yeah, that's my mom. She always does that. I said, "I'm keeping my core positions in tact. I do not short them." But, I am almost fully liquid now. I have withdrawn most of my stock money to use for Forex. My remaining stocks, though, I keep in long term.

My mom's friend winked. My mom is a businesswoman, and she finished accountancy, but equities are just not her stuff. She does not take any interest in the stock market at all.

So, I finally answered the lady, "Resorts World, po. Sta. Lucia Land, and Vista Land. Yan po ang mga trades ko lately." She laughed and said, "You have a good risk appetite!"

Hell yeah! But it's my trades that usually get me in trouble. But yeah, it has not stopped yet to be a profitable venture, in fairness to it.

She asked me if I have interest in UITFs, Mutual Funds and Bonds. I said I'm still learning how they're traded. I have been wanting to diversify my investments, but so far, I have only experienced dealing with futures. And then, she said, "If you really have interest in these things, you may want to be part of my team. I'll train you."

Wow! I just got myself a second job! Who would have thought that I'd find a job opportunity at a derm clinic, right?

And so, the day after that, I was oriented into the company by an officer in Urdaneta Branch. He explained the things that are required of me as a prospective financial advisor, the perks of being affiliated with this internationally linked company like PAMI. And, the many rewards if I get to do the job well. Many, many rewards.

I readily got interested in the offer. I figured that being a financial advisor can give me a chance to promote financial literacy in Baguio and in Pangasinan. And to my friends, and my students' parents, and my sisters' suki, and everybody who needs it. Based on their product orientation, hindi nakakahiyang i-alok ang mga investment programs nila, in fairness.

And if you are reading this, and you think you have what it takes to be a financial advisor, you may also want to try out, and be part of our team. :) They will be training us well in this field. And what's good about this kind of thing is that it's not full time!

What I already know, I'll also be sharing with you. We'll be one team. One entity with one common goal: to help people reach their financial aspirations by assessing their risk profile, and helping them create their financial plans for the short, the medium and the long term. I will also share with you my stock market books on fundamental and technical analysis if you want. Or just for the heck of it. LOL.

So, there. I am now reviewing for my exam tomorrow. It will be administered by the Insurance Commission for the eligibility to become a legit financial advisor. If you also plan to join the team, I will give you my reviewer! Hahaha! I researched online and compiled the materials into a thin reader. You may holler me at 0922.800.7185. You may also poke me on Facebook.

Okay now. I'm gonna go back to reviewing. Till next time, ciao!

Coffee (a poem)

Since you've left, coffee tastes just like coffee; however I mask its taste with sugar and creamer.

Starbucks tastes no different, only a million times sadder.

I tried drinking coffee with pan de sal, but it only tasted a lot worse than it is. It was like drinking coffee that tastes like tears.

I once had coffee with a stranger I met from god knows where and the coffee was as bland as the conversation. It got cold so fast. I didn't even finish the cup.

Coffee may have lost its essence to me now.

I have been drinking coffee with you in the worst of times but it never tasted bad.

When you left, coffee has turned into cum—it just has to be ejected. That if from another, it’s something you want to taste but never want to swallow.

But

I still haven't given up on finding the right coffee. Tea is just too boring and beer is just too, well, I like beer, but you don’t.

So, please.

Just please...

Make my coffee taste good again.

-----------------------------

This was written summer of last year. I was writing this in positive hopefulness, but the thing I feared most still happened. It could not be undone.

But I post this now because I am finally letting go. I have stopped reaching out. And, well, I have stopped caring.

So, goodbye to you.

I have now contained you in this poem, and I am ready to close this page of you and me.

So, you want to start investing? (Part 1)

I am lucky to have been given the chance to attend Saint Louis University's (SLU) Financial Wellness Seminar. My only regret at this point is that I have not learned the things I know now early in life.

Truth to tell, after graduating from UST, I right away landed on a well-paying job. And it was a fairly easy job--to teach basic English. I could have done some tutoring job on the side (because some were asking me to) but I felt I did not need the extra money.

Eventually, I applied for a teaching position in Russia given my cross-cultural experience in language teaching (ahem). Luckily, I qualified. I taught there for one quarter. I felt lonely and homesick, so, I came back home.

And, in the last four years, I have been teaching in U.P and SLU (both well-paying institutions, compared to others [or so I heard]).

But going back way earlier, being honest to myself, I was given allowance in college enough to start me a small-scale business venture (like Smart/Globe/Sun retail, Royale membership, etc.) Although, of course, when we were in college, we always complained to our parents that our allowance wasn't enough. And we know, this claim, more often than not, is fallacious. (I hope my mom does not read this.)

With this said, even if my math is bad, I estimate that I would have been a multi-millionaire when turned 30! But, since I only started to manage my personal finance late last year, I have been making up double time for the lost chances to grow my funds. So, here I am, still a little short to earning my first million. I really can't believe I've wasted so many chances to earn and wasted so much money on things I did  not need. But life is such, we learn from our past.

If you are reading this post now, and your idea about financial management is little to none, consider yourself fortunate. I and many other online sources are now available to help you with this.

In the seminar we SLU faculty members were invited to attend, the speaker's last words were these:

We gave you this seminar for free. We only hope that you repay SLU by passing it (the things we have learned) on to the next person who needs it.

Moving, isn't it?

And so, from then on, I have taken it upon me to help people about this as much/far as I can. I have started this journey to financial wellness from that moment on, and I never wanted to stop learning more. I have found ways to make my funds grow (however little)--not without mistakes, of course, because I made lots of it (and still making some now) but with less hassle and less sleepless nights thinking about losses. Teaching is already a tough job as it is; I need sleep. And I need lots of it.

I will write this post into parts because it is long. I will also be quoting my mentors every now and then because the things I know now are partly because of their help (and patience!). Besides, I still have a long way to go. I am still trying to master disciplining myself, and still trying to master my emotions. What can I say, I'm a stubborn Taurus.

I hope, you yourselves are ready to commit, too.

If you think succeeding in this endeavor looks something like this:

My boy, you are absolutely mistaken. This illustration below is pretty much what you're going to go through:

White Beach, Puerto Galera (isang tula)

Kaninang kinaumagahan

                   Tayo’y naglakad sa dalampasigan.

Mainit ang sikat ng araw,

                            Madulas ang tubig ng dagat.

                                                       Walang kapaguran ang alon

                  Sa paghampas sa batuhan doon…

                                                                  Parang aapaw ang dagat

        At sa init ay parang masusunog ang balat.

Nakakapagod pero masaya at masarap

                                    Lalo na’t sa pagsisid kamay nati’y magkahawak.

                                                                                    At sa ating pag-uwi

                                                                                            Sa bahay mo ngayong gabi,

                                                          Sa loob ng de-aircon mong kwarto

                              Sa harap ng mga santo’t anito

                                                   Muli tayong magpapakalunod sa alat.

Sa init. Sa hampas

        At sa daloy ng

Dagat.

* * * * *

Disclaimer:

I am not really a poet but I sometimes do risk my reputation as a literature instructor by publishing my works on paper or online. I usually write fiction and poetry when I am, err, "stimulated".

And, I do not usually adhere to the standards imposed by critics and writers, so, therefore, I suck. :)

"Sir, ang yaman niyo siguro 'no?"

Hindi ko malaman minsan kung saan nakukuha ng mga estudyante ko ang mga ganitong hinala samantalang kumpara sa mga kasama ko sa faculty, ako na ang pinaka-tamad pumorma.

Dahil sa pagtataka ko, sinubukan ko minsan ang i-Google ang pangalan ko. Nagulat ako nang makita ko sa search engine ang blog ko noong college ako, ang Facebook ko, at ang LinkedIn account ko. Ang dami pala nilang pwedeng mahalukay. Pati ang aking mga madilim na nakaraan! Hehe. Gaya nito:

Kaya ngayon, I have learned my lesson-- never write/post many things online under your real name. Hahaha. gagawa na lang ako ng troll account kapag nagka-oras. :)

Pero for the heck of it, kung binabasa man ako ngayon nung estudyanteng nagtanong kung mayaman ba ako, sasagutin ko na siya rito. Hindi po ako mayaman.

Siguro ay nababasa niya ang mga post ko sa Facebook tungkol sa earnings ko sa stock market trading. Oo, I may not look like it (and yes, I still hate math), but yes, I am investing (and sometimes, day-trading) in the stock market. And in the past nine months that I have been buying equities, I have lost as much as 109,000 pesos (during the market breakdown because of super typhoon Haiyan), but able to break even in 5 months. And now, I am proud to say that I have already gained 7,000 pesos.

Ang liit naman ng 7,000 pesos sa 9 months diba? Considering that I have invested around half a million (I used most of my saving in BDO as my main fund).

Right.

Pero imagine, when I invested in this venture, I was half-ready. I committed a lot of wrong decisions. I invested in big companies, the biggest companies out there (Manila Water, PLDT, Pepsi), but, I entered at the wrong time (I will be blogging about this thing next time). And the bad decisions I made cost me a lot. But throughout the months I have experienced losing, and winning, and losing again, I never gave up. Hinabol ko ang 109,000 thousand hangga't mabawi ko (ng may pag-iingat parin), at hanggang tuluyan na akong tumubo.

Pero hindi naging madali. It's a roller coaster ride of emotions. Plus, only when I became serious in studying company's fundamentals, charts (long term and short term) and disclosures did I start to make better decisions (more often than not), because no matter how veteran one is in stock market trading, he can never get all trades right. And on top of that, I monitored the stock market ticker from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM while I checked papers, made quizzes and stuff, because I was also teaching at the university in the afternoon.

So, there. Iyan ang kwento ko. Sasagutin ko uli ang estudyante ko, hindi ako mayaman. Bakit pa ako nagpapagod lumagari kung mayaman na ako, diba?

I only started to save two years ago. Before that, lahat ng sini-sweldo ko, ginagastos ko sa pagbili ng cellphone, bags, sunglasses, shoes at sa pag-gala (nightlife, out-of-town trips, etc.). Pero noong umalis ako sa pagiging principal (ito ang trabaho ko bago ako napadpad sa pagtuturo sa unibersidad), nahirapan akong maghanap ng bagong trabaho dahil noon pa lang ako mapapadpad sa Baguio, narealize ko nang kailangan ko nang mag-ipon.

Kung meron pala sa inyong gustong matutunan ang pag-invest sa stock market, ang minimum lang ng pag-open ng account ay 5,000 pesos (you may choose your own broker din [accord financial, col financial, etc.]). You may ask me about this, I will be glad to help as far as I can. Good luck! And have a great weekend. :)

ONE MOVIE (From Director Joni Fontanos)

 I miss tags! We used to do tags like this when FACEBOOK was still in existence as the 'IN' thing. It reminds me of college! In Facebook, all we ever do is share. Or like.

Anyhow, here is a game of tag. Copy the items below and answer. Post them on your status update, blog them like this, or however. After doing so, tag a friend from the social media (Twitter, Facebook, or in the entire BLOGOSPHERE), and hope that these people aren't spoilers or kj. :)

1. One movie that made you laugh.

*PEE MAK (Mario Maurer). This film is hilarious! Hahaha! And Mario is pure <3!

2. One movie that made you cry.
*Hmm, I do not really cry a lot but MAGNIFICO (Jiro Manio) really dried out my eyes.

3. One movie you loved when you were a child.
*Definitely SISTER ACT 1 & 2 (Whoopie Goldberg)! This generation must watch these movies! :)

4. One movie you’ve seen more than once.
*PRETTY WOMAN (Richard Gere and Julia Roberts). Wait, let me qualify my answer. It's not really that I liked the film, but my mom would watch it over and over again when I was a child. I personally think that it is insensitive about economic status and gender. Typically Disney fairytale, only, the protagonist is a hooker.

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it.
*IMELDA (Imelda Marcos) is the closest thing in mind. I made it a requirement for my journalism students to watch this documentary and make a thought paper out if it.

6. One movie you hated.
*I can not name just one because I hated (and still do now) all ROBIN PADILLA and BONG REVILLA movies.

7. One movie that scared you.
*Oh. There are lots of 'em. The latest film that scared me would have to be OCULUS (Brenton Thwaites). For some reason, it made me freak out.

8. One movie that bored you.
*TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (Mark Wahlberg). Not even the hotness of the protagonist kept me awake.

9. One movie that made you happy.
*Kailangan pa bang tanungin 'yan? HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (Jay Baruchel)!!! Oh, Toothless was adorable... Aww...

10. One movie that made you feel miserable.
*MY ILLEGAL WIFE (Pokwang). The ending did not justify enough why they should end up together. It was just so improbable and illogical. Hahaha, but I guess I should not have expected.

11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see.
*NONE. I watched them all. I mean all. If you know what I mean. Hehehe.

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with.
*HAZEL GRACE LANCASTER! And Augustus Waters, too. Hahaha! TFIOS was superb.

 
13. The last movie you saw.
*HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 1. I have not seen the first one, so I downloaded online. I just finished watching it. ^_^

14. The next movie you hope to see.
*Oh.. I hope to find a copy of HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION. But it's not available on Torrent. I'm still hopeful, though. Hahaha!

[Since I am new at blogging, and I don't really have friends yet on here, if you read this post, I hope you do the tag. Thank you!]

Nora Issue. Vilma Issue. And the Aquinos.

Sa mga kabarkada kong makakabasa nito, HOY huwag niyo akong pagtatawanan sa debut issue ng blog ko. Magagalit ang nanay niyo! Hehe.

Sabi ng propesor ko dati sa Philippine History, noong dekada '80 raw, ang Pilipinas ay hindi nahahati sa tatlong isla, ang Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao. Nahahati raw ito sa dalawang faction: ang mga Noranian at ang mga Vilmanian. Si Nora Aunor, na kilala rin bilang Philippine Superstar, ay sumikat dahil sa kanyang galing kumanta at umarte sa sine't telebisyon. Hindi ko na naabutan ang pamamayagpag ni Nora noon pero isa ako sa mga magpapatunay na isa siya sa mga pinaka-magaling na artistang napanood ko (sa Humanities at Media Studies noong kolehiyo). Damang dama ko ang pagiging Pilipino sa kanyang mga pelikula. Pero ano itong isyu nang pagkakalulong niya ng droga na siyang naging basehan ni Pangulong Aquino upang hindi siya gawaran ng pinaka-mataas na parangal sa mga Alagad ng Sining sa Pilipinas?

Marami ang naniniwalang hindi kasali sa pagiging artist ng isang tao ang kanyang paggamit ng droga. Hindi ito kabawasan sa kanyang talento. Baliw nga si Vincent Van Gogh at Nikolai Gogol (i-google mo na lang kung di mo sila kilala) pero sino ba ang makapagsasabing di sila mahusay sa kanilang larangan? At iyan nga ang issue ni Aling Nora. Sa picture na makikita niyo, kasama niya sina Direk Joel Lamangan at Premyadong Manunulat Ricardo Lee sa kanyang pagkondena sa pangulo dahil sa di-umano'y over exercise of prerogative.

At siyempre, ang Star for All Seasons, Governor Vilma Santos ng Batangas, may issue rin. Nagkanda-mali-mali siya sa kanyang spelling at tense (oo, English teacher ang peg ng mga madlang pipol) sa thank you card na pinadala niya kay Kris Aquino. Siyempre, hindi pinalampas ni Kris Aquino yan, pinost niya sa kanyang Instagram kasama ng mga bigay ni Ate Vi na tinapay. Bigla tuloy binash si Gov sa kanyang mga kamalian. Alangang patulan ng gobernadora ang mga kung sinu-sino lang diba? Ang ginawa niya, inamin niyang mali nga ang kanyang "truely". "Marami pa talaga akong dapat matutunan. I think that's what's important, that we continue to improve everyday." Ansavehhh? Gobernador na yan. Mayaman. Makapangyarihan. Pero, hindi talakera at patola. Eto yung pinagkakaguluhang Instagram post ni Kristeta:

Wala akong issue sa kanilang lahat. Hindi ko ikayayaman ang panigan ang kung sino man. Nakakatuwa lang isipin na bumabangon uli ang mga nahimlay sa titans sa loob ng 30 years bago sila nagka-issue uli ng sabay. Kung nagbabasa ang nanay (at/o tatay) mo ng Kislap at Gossip Magazine noon, ganyang ganyan ang eksena nilang dalawa.

Pero ano nga ba ang common na issue sa dalawang pangyayaring ito? Ewan. Pero ang sabi ng kusinera namin, ang kontra-bida raw sa buhay ng mga idolo nila ay ang mga AQUINO. Hahahaha! Di ko naisip yon. Pero masanay na kayo, di talaga ako nag-iisip most of the time.

Eh ikaw ba, ano ang isyu mo?