Foreigner Tricks Office Workers Into Giving Money

A Caucasian male speaking with an American accent roams the Makati Central Business District at night and victimizes unsuspecting female employees, asking them for money.

 

“He said his wallet got stolen and needed to raise funds to go to Pasay, ” says Jaja, an online English teacher working in one of the skyscrapers at the Makati CBD. At around 11:30pm last Friday night, Jaja and her friend Ave were standing in front of the Philippine Stock Exchange building when the suspect approached a group of three ladies next to them. They heard the whole story and watched as the three victims fished out their wallets and handed the man some bills. Jaja and Ave felt so sorry for him that they even wanted to run after him and give him some cash even if he didn’t ask.

 

“Before he crossed the street, he did the sign of the cross and we felt more compassion for him because he’s a Catholic,” Jaja says.

 

On Monday night, at about the same time, the same man approached Jaja and Ave along Sedeño street with the same story, only that he needed to go to Zambales—-210 kilometres away from Manila—-instead of Pasay. Having recognized him, Ave said “We saw you last Friday. You asked some money from a group of girls.”

 

The man, with his act busted, said “I don’t remember you,” and walked away.

 

He is said to be about 5”7”-5′9”, probably in his late thirties, with dark eyes, dark hair, and a high nose. He is of medium built, but looks very athletic, with toned muscles. The two nights Jaja saw him he was wearing shorts, a tight shirt, trainers and a backpack. His skin is deeply tanned and the most notable feature, according to witnesses, are the wrinkles around his eyes.

 

The same man approached law student and Makati office-goer Aileen about two months ago at the corner of Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo) and Kalayaan Avenue at around 4:30 am. He asked for directions going to Zambales. Aileen’s companion, Haydee, had been a previous victim and she recognized the man. The two girls simply said they couldn’t help him and quickly hailed a cab. Haydee told Aileen her story.

 

She had recently arrived in Manila from General Santos City and went out with four of her friends. On Ayala Avenue the man approached them and asked for monetary assistance. The girls, feeling bad for the poor foreigner whom they thought had been a victim of Pinoy conmen, pooled their money and gave him 500 pesos. That shoul’dve been enough for him to get some dinner, make necessary phonecalls, and even go to the US Embassy for help. Months later, he’s still asking for money.

 

 

This kind of trick is not at all new, but since the perpetrator is a foreigner, the victims are more easily convinced. The man probably earns a considerable amount of money with his panhandling since his victims feel embarrassed to give him only a small amount after his supposed bad experience in this country.

 

 

A native English speaker has plenty of employment opportunities in the Philippines, primarily in call centers where he or she may even be offered a higher salary compared to that of Filipino agents. Another option is to teach English in language centers for Koreans or Japanese, with these people being too eager to find a teacher speaking with that American twang. Most probably this panhandler has no legal documents to get a job in this country for him to resort to his scheme.

 

If he ever approaches you, it is best to just say you can’t give him anything and walk away.

 

 

Note: Jaja, Ave, Aileen, and Haydee are all my colleagues. In our office of only twenty-five people, four had been approached by this man.

 

 

Children of the Darts

Tired as I was last night, I couldn’t sleep.  Groggy as I am right now, I am spending my one-hour break typing this.  I must.

 

 

I was both revolted and infuriated with what I saw on TV last night: A scrawny boy of about ten, his shirt off, his back to the camera. A fat man behind him, home-made dart pins in his hands. And then, this man started using the boy as a dartboard, throwing the sharp little spears onto his bare back. The first one hit him near the shoulder blade and hung there, pulled down by the force of gravity but still embedded in the boy’s skin. More pins came, and still the boy stood motionless. They were rehearsing for a show at a local carnival, where the poor thing regularly performs this “amazing feat” for a meager sum. I felt my heart break.

 

 

Several children of grade school age were featured in last night’s episode of Reporter’s Notebook. Some of them work as human dartboards, others are dropped onto blankets of broken glass, which the others also eat for an audience. The mother of a couple of these kids was interviewed for the documentary, and she said she allowed her children to work in the carnival “dahil sa hirap ng buhay.*”  Pardon me, but that’s total bullshit.  Her wide back can serve as a better target, if you ask me.

 

 

What bothers me most about the program was that there was no closure to the issue. So, these children are working in dangerous, torturous circumstances to earn a little bit of money.  So, they have shown the country how bad the kids’ situation is.  So, we the viewers have all been alarmed and awareness has been made.  So, what now?

 

 

Please tell me, GMA-7 and all your Kapusos dedicated to giving Serbisyong Totoo** that this fat man and all his mates there at the carnival have already been sent to jail in violation of the Republic Act 9231—the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. Please tell me that these children you featured already are under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), or your well-advertised Kapuso Foundation. Please tell me that their sorry excuse for a mother is now undergoing counselling and rendering community service, fully aware that she can not have her children back unless she learns to put food on the table herself. Please tell me that the carnival has been closed down, as mandated in the law. And you know what, it would make me really really happy if the people who pay to watch little children being physically abused will also be subjected to the same kind of stunt: I’d gladly throw the first dart.

 

 

I sent the network an e-mail and I am anticipating a reply.

 

 

(Breathe…..)

 

 

As we were talking about the horrific scene in the documentary, Leizl suddenly blurted out “Naku, Richard, wag na wag mong gagawin ‘yan!***” Richard is the child she is sending to school through World Vision. My own sponsored child, Romnick, came to mind and I realized that my pledge of 600 pesos to give him access to clean water, healthy food, and education is late again. As I set aside in my wallet the amount I would deposit to reach my little boy in faraway Palawan island, I became thankful for my job and the little money I earn that can somehow save a child, even just one.

 

*”because of life’s difficulties”

**Sebisyong Totoo, or Genuine Service, the tagline of GMA-7’s News and Public Affiairs Department

***”Oh, Richard, don’t ever, ever do that!”

 

 

 

Kat’s Sketchbook

Here’s what I’ve got in my sketchbook so far:

Chopsticks

 

Noynoy and Potpot

 

Date

 

Girlfriends

 

Unfinished

Eclipse on January 26th

Reading the morning paper, I found two things to look forward to: first, the Eraserheads reunion concert Part 2 on March 7th, and second , the annular solar eclipse to occur this month, on the 26th, coincidental with the Lunar New Year.

 

The geek in me thoroughly excited, I spent the afternoon refreshing my forgotten grade five Science and Health lesson on eclipses. What is an annular solar eclipse anyway?

 

In movies we always see eclipses, the kind wherein the moon sends a perfectly bright day into darkness. That,  as you all well know, is a total solar eclipse and the last time such a phenomenon occured in the Philippines, I was barely three years old and had not yet developed a liking for such geekiness learning experiences. That was in the morning March 18, 1988, when Southern Mindanao went pitch black for a totalof 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Check it out here.

 

During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely covers up the sun at maximum phase.

 

 

On June 11, 2002 a partial solar eclipse roused people out of their beds at the unholy hour of 5am to view the spectacle which lasted for an hour and thirty-seven minutes.  For some reason, I was one of the Juan Tamads probably in dreamland when this happened.

(I can’t remember where I might have been at that time, and actually I don’t remember much from 2002 because that was the year of the FIRST LOVE, if you know what I mean.)

Here’s a nice photo of that event:

Partial Solar Eclipse, Philippines

 

Now, on Monday, we will get to experience an annular solar eclipse. The moon will still get in between the earth and the sun, but it won’t be able to cover up the sun completely. If you are located within the path of annularity, you will get to see this:

 

During an annular solar eclipse, a ring of light surrounds the moon at maximum phase.

 

But since here in the Philippines, we’re not in the most convenient location, what we’ll get to see is this:

 

 Cool, eh?

 That will start at 4:55 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PST), and the maximum phase will occur at 5:51 p.m. PST.

 

For those who will go out and see this, remember these safety measures.

 

For my readers in other countries (naks!), here are the areas where the eclipse will be visible:

For the January 26, 2009 Annular Solar Eclipse. The red dot indicates the path of annularity.

Letter, Prostitution, and Steps

When Ferdie got home he handed me a white envelope saying “You have a letter from your son.”

And I just knew. I jumped around the house, giggling like a schoolgirl who has just received a generic reply from the Backstreet Boys fans club, while clutching the white World Vision envelope to my chest. Ferdie looked at me like I was mad.

I’ve already seen the letters some of my friends have received , and I knew that what I’ve got in my hands was the first letter of my sponsored child, Romnick. I hurriedly opened it and was very pleased to see his neat handwriting. This is what the letter said:

 

Dear Sponsor,

Magandang araw po sa inyo. Ako po si Romnick _________, Nonoy po ang tawag nila sa akin, panglima sa magkakapatid at kasalukuyang nag-aaral dito po malapit sa amin. Mahilig po akong makipaglaro sa aking mga kaibigan at masaya po akong pumapasok sa school. Kumakain rin po ako ng gulay at isda. Paborito kong kulay ay pula. May pangarap po ako, gusto ko pong maging pulis balang araw. Nagpapasalamat po ako na isa po ako sa mga nakasama sa sponsorship program ng World Vision.

Maraming salamat po sa inyo.

Ang inyong sponsored child,
Romnick

 

I read and reread his letter and felt overcome with a different kind of happiness. And I told myself, I’m gonna help you reach your dream Romnick, no matter what it takes.

 

 

Actually, last month was pretty tough for me, financially speaking, and World Vision had to repeatedly remind me that my 450-peso pledge was overdue. I had to give some extra money for my family, and an old friend came to me needing money very badly. I gave them what they needed had nothing left for Romnick, or even for myself. So, last month I broke one of my general rules in life, and that is to never borrow money. 

 

Now, things are getting better. I have another teaching commitment starting tomorrow until April, which will double my current income. The family’s okay, and I have paid for my debt, have sent money for Romnick, and though I haven’t heard anything from the friend who owed me yet, I’m sure he’s gonna return what he borrowed when he’s ready . Money is gonna be flowing smoothly again, and that makes me think of a very old kindergarten maxim “When you give, you will receive.”

 

Siksik, liglig, umaapaw.

 

Sponsor a child today: http://www.worldvision.org.ph/

 

 

Prostitution

I watched Imbestigador last night and all of their exposes in that episode were sex-related. There was this 38-year-old guy who was living with a 13-year old girl. From Tarlac, the suspect Abraham (whose last name I can’t remember) took the girl, Grace, to Subic, and they lived together in a small, one-room house.

 

Grace sent her mother a text message saying she wanted to go home, as Abraham is hurting her. Imbestigador found the house they were living in, and arrested Abraham who will now be charged with corruption of minor and another case for the physical injury he had put upon Grace.

 

The second case was that of the bar-slash-whorehouse in Caloocan City. It was hidden, with no signage, and the way to get in was through a dark staircase. On the second floor, drinks are served and women are offered. The third floor is divided to several small rooms where the prostitutes carry out the ulitimate service. The price of a woman and a room is a mere 150 pesos.

 

Whenever raids like these are aired on TV, the prostitutes are often referred to as the ones SAVED in the operation. There are almost always some minors, and all of them have the same sad story of being forced into that kind of work.  But I honestly think some of these women choose this profession, and I don’t doubt that some would go back to their old ways after all those DSWD counselling sessions.

 

This made me think of the severity of prostitution in this country, and the legalization of it makes sense to me. Religion and morality aside, a legal but regulated flesh trade can have its advantages.

 

If prostitution were a recognized industry, then perhaps we would hear less of those “I was promised a decent job in the city and then was brought to this whorehouse and I didn’t have any other choice” stories. Those who want to be prostitutes, can be prostitutes.  Of course,  only those of legal age can be allowed to be sex workers. I also think that maybe one person should not be allowed to engage in the flesh trade for a long time. Perhaps a year or two is the maximum limit.

 

They will be paid wages according to labor laws, so we won’t hear much of those news about women giving their bodies for thirty pesos or something like that. Their wages will be subject to tax, as well as the income of recognized brothels, which is more revenue for the government.

 

Owners of these brothels must follow strict health and sanitation procedures, and their women must also be regularly tested for sexually-transmitted diseases. Thorough safe-sex procedures must be practiced at all times. Underground operations, especially those employing minors, will of course be dealt with accordingly.

 

This is just my opinion. I’ll look into the cases of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and other jurisdictions were prostitution is legal and see if I change my mind.  

 

 

STEPS

As I was on a bus going to Makati, the conductor put on a STEPS concert on the DVD player. To those who don’t know, STEPS is a pop group made up of three women and two men, and they managed to have several hits in the late ninetees until 2001. What made this group click was their easy aerobics-like dance steps, and children/pre-teens form a big part of their fan base.

 

As I was watching, I couldn’t help but chuckle and think “My future children are so gonna make fun of me when they see this thing of my era.” I actually liked a couple of their songs, like The Way You Make Me Feel, One For Sorrow, Last Thing On My Mind, and this one’s my ultimate favorite:

 

 

PLDT Employee Commits Suicide

A female employee of the Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications company (PLDT)  committed suicide at noon today when she jumped to her death from the 15th floor of the PLDT Ramon Cojuangco Building along Makati Avenue, Makati City.

 

The woman has been identified as Dalisay Gatab, 39, married with children, and a native of Bocaue, Bulacan. She worked in the company as a project cost analyst. Gatab was said to have suffered from an illness, and her husband recently lost his job.

 

According to witnesses, Gatab ate lunch on the fifth floor of the building. She received a phone call and engaged in a long conversation. After that she went to the comfort room on the 15th floor and jumped from one of the windows there. A certain Engr. Noel Cruz tried to stop her from jumping, but failed.

 

Her colleagues were shocked with her sudden death as she didn’t show any signs of depression.

 

As Scene of the Crime (SOCO) operatives and the Makati police are investigating the incident, they are still not ruling out foul play. Makati Police Department (MPD) chief Sr. Supt. GIlbert Cruz said they are still investigating who Gatab last talked with.

 

Well, that’s all I know as of now.

 

 I’ll keep updating this post as the facts start coming in.

 

 I took some pictures standing at the overpass connecting Landmark to Greenbelt. That was the closest I could get, because that was the closest I wanted to get.

 

 

 

 

 

 Badong, in his blog The True Asiatic, has posted photos of the fatality here.

 

 

 

Marce!

As I pushed open the gate of our house to go workyesterday at around 12:30, this is what greeted me:

Nakngtokwa....

 

Traysikol....

 

I was with housemate Heidee and we had to wear capri pants and slippers to work. After a long wait, we finally flagged down a tricycle and asked the driver to take us “Kung saan po walang baha na makakasakay kami jeep.”

We had to put our feet up...

 

..because of this

 

Lake Pasong Tamo

 

Oh Marce, you are so fierce.

 

 

Here are updates from PDI:

Typhoon “Marce” (international codename: Sinlaku) has intensified slightly as it continues to move north-northwestward at 7 kilometers per hour, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

In its 5 p.m. advisory on Wednesday, the state-run weather bureau said Marce would continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Luzon and Visayas, particularly in the western regions and might cause flashfloods and landslides.

Metro Manila could expect hard rains and thunderstorms, particularly in the afternoon until Thursday, said Boy Soriaga, weather observer of PAGASA.

As of 4 p.m., the center or the “eye” of Marce was spotted at 220 kilometers East of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of 185 kilometers per hour.

 

Random Stuff

Reading the news, this headline saddened me:

 

Over 1,000 shotguns sent to Mindanao for civilian volunteers

 

How about 1,000 sacks of rice?

 

***

 

That gorgeous face!

That was what the commentator said about South African gymnast Odette Richard as she competed in the rhythmic gymnastics hulahoop/jump rope categories. Another crush-able athlete, Taroogs!

***

Watching the Olympic games…

Ate Joanne:Anong country yang AZE?

Kat: Azerbaijan

ATe Joanne chuckles….

Ate Joanne:Anong country yang BLR?

Kat: Belarus

ATe Joanne chuckles

Ate Joanne: O, ulit, anong country yang AZE?

Kat: Azerbaijan nga, hindi kita niloloko, mga totoong bansa yung sinasabi ko, wala ba akong kredibilidad?

She didn’t seem convinced, though.

***

Goodbye, Min Yeop…

Lee Eon, more popularly known as Min Yeop in the hit K-drama Coffee Prince, passed away in the early hours of 21st August in a motorcycle accident.He was only 27.

Shengka:Nakakalungkot naman, paano na yung Coffee Prince 2?

Leizl:Hindi pa nadedevelop ang feelings ko sa kanya na-deds na siya

Shengka: Feeling ko hindi ko kayang mahalin yung magiging kapalit niya, parang dapat i-prove niya muna yung sarili niya sakin.Parang magiging bitter ako dun sa magiging kapalit niya

The Coffee Princes Sun Ki, Min Yeop, Ha Rim and Eun Chan

***