Meditation Music and Inspiring Quotes

In my search for more relaxation music, I found this one not only very relaxing but the quotes from famous people are also inspiring. I think if you listen to this video, you know exactly what I meant. There are more than a dozen quotes, but my favorite is from George Burns, the comedian,
" You can not help getting old, but you do not have to be old". What's yours?

Latest Update on Power Outages in Marinduque

Here's the latest update on the power outages in Marinduque from Eli Obligacion blog, in case of you have not read it. I found this post very informative and educational.

Monday, October 5, 2009
MARINDUQUE POWER OUTAGES – part 2
WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND ALL THESE?

("Vicious and pernicious" is how Board Member Eleuterio Raza, Jr., Chair, Committe on Rules & Legal Matters of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, rightly describes the power outage situation in Marinduque. It has worsened now with up to 24-hour brownouts. "When will we see the light at the end of the tunnel?", asked BM Jose Alvarez, vice-chair of the said committee, during a public hearing last Thursday, Sept. 30 at the Capitol Session Hall. Alvarez went as far as suggesting that a declaration of a State of Emergency in Marinduque might be an option to consider. Following is the second post on this subject by this blogger).

In a consultation meeting with the Department of Energy and Napocor that transpired in 2004, the Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Marelco), opted to have its own New Power Provider (NPP), in the promulgation of DOE’s Circular No. 2004-01-001.

Under this arrangement, Napocor’s function is limited to the maintenance of existing capacity with units at Bantad and Poctoy, including the power barge in Balanacan that was secured in 1997 by Gov. Carrion during his incumbency (1995-1998).


The said existing Napocor units being used today are already too old and their capabilities have greatly diminished. Marinduque requires 6.76 MW at its peak. Current capacity is only 3.1 MW. This has resulted in recurring brownouts lasting up to 24 hours.

The Marelco decision in 2004 to have its own New Power Provider put into place pilot projects for the privatization of the National Power Corp. under the Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG).

3i POWERGEN, the New Power Provider:

3i Powergen became the New Power Provider for Marinduque on the basis of a contract signed on Sept. 27, 2005, between Marelco, Napocor and the said company with then incumbent government officials, then Cong. Edmundo Reyes, then Gov. Carmencita Reyes and then provincial administrator Luisito Reyes signing as witnesses.

3i Powergen was to introduce a new technology in power generation that will harness wind energy potentials in the island province. It was to utilize Wind-Diesel Hybrid Technology to boost the electric power requirements of Marinduque.

It was to put up a 15.7-mw hybrid wind-diesel plant with investments estimated at P677 million.


The commercial operation of the plant was to start by February 2007. 3i Powergen, however, failed to implement the contract as the company went bankrupt and its financiers have left the country, according to its Vice-President, Domingo Lagundi, and as reported by Marelco itself. (SP Public Hearing, Sept. 30, 2009).

The contract was never implemented, the project never took off. Marelco, however, has remained passive and has not taken up the issue squarely with Napocor and the relevant authorities until today, that would have led to a resolution of this particular issue.

NAPOCOR, the Power Development Entity:

State-owned Napocor at the present time, is still planning to raise money for the financing of its Small Power Utilities Group’s (SPUG) budget to cover next year’s requirements. SPUG is Napocor’s missionary electrification arm, taking on a leading role in planning power development in missionary areas such as Marinduque.


Napocor assesses requirements and prospects for missionary electrification including the program for private sector participation. SPUG operates 304 generating units with a total generated capacity of about 129 MW. It serves 78 small islands and eight off-grid areas or those areas not connected to the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids. It provides electricity to 42 customers consisting of 39 electric cooperatives. (manilatimes.net, Sept. 11, 2009; phistar.com, Oct. 5, 2009)

MARELCO, The Power Distributor:

Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Marelco), exists as a cooperative under the jurisdiction and control of the National Elecrification Administration (NEA). Marelco is tasked with the distribution of power.

Under Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), electric cooperatives are given the option to register either with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Under R.A. 9136, electric cooperatives should enjoy the principles of democratic control, autonomy and independence wherein the general membership assembly is the highest policy and decision-making body empowered to dictate to the cooperative board of director and management what it wants, and not to the whims and caprices of any government agency.

Cooperatives could then thrive as "self-sufficient and independent organizations with minimal government intervention or regulation" as envisioned under the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008.

Further, registration of cooperatives under the CDA would result in the restoration of their exemption status from taxes by local government units (LGUs) on real property, franchise, income, as well as on importation of needed equipment, value-added tax, translating into lower electricity rates for the benefit of the member-customer-owners.

Marelco, however, has opted NOT to register with the Cooperative Development Authority nor the Securities and Exchange Commission and therefore not an independent organization but one subject to the “whims and caprices of any government agency”.

(to be continued)

All You can Hear are the Sound of the Waves .....

This relaxing video, although filmed in Oahu, Hawaii reminds me of Chateau Du Mer Beach in Boac, Marinduque. You could close your eyes and just listen to the waves. All you can hear are the sound of the waves and your heart beat. Guaranteed to relax you and to forget the worries of the world. Visit Marinduque and stay at Chateau Du Mer!

Finally, Seair Flies to Marinduque

Here's the schedule of SEAIR from Manila to Marinduque and back. I am glad to see Zest Air will now have a competition. This schedule was posted by Sheila Evano in her Face book Notes. Thank you Sheila!

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) will commence flight for their newest route Manila – Marinduque – Manila this October 17, 2009. Flight frequency and schedules are as follows:

Tuesday, Saturday
Manila – Marinduque DG 385 ETD Manila: 0940H
ETA Marinduque: 1040H
Marinduque – Manila DG 386 ETD Marinduqe: 1100H
ETA Manila: 1200H

Thursday
Manila – Marinduque DG 387 ETD Manila: 1100H
ETA Marinduque: 1200H
Marinduque – Manila DG 388 ETD Marinduqe: 1220H
ETA Manila: 1320H

Sunday
Manila – Marinduque DG 389 ETD Manila: 1300H
ETA Marinduque: 1400H
Marinduque – Manila DG 340 ETD Marinduqe: 1420H
ETA Manila: 1520H

As per SEAIR (www.flyseair.com) website , the LET410 Turbolet is a twin engined short-range transport aircraft manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer LET, mostly used for passenger transport. With more than 1,100 produced, it is the most popular 19-seat plane in history. It provides first class comfort, while simultaneously servicing unpaved airstrips. In the 19-seater class, no plane is better suited for short-haul.

Manufacturer: LET A.S.
Powerplant: M601-E
Length: 14.42 m (47 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 19.98 m (65 ft 5 in)
Height: 5.83 m 19 ft 2 in)
Seat Capacity: 19 + 2 crew
Number of planes: 6
Max. Take-off Weight: 6,600 kgs (15,520 lbs)
Speed: 175 knots

To book your flight to Marinduque), contact SEAIR CALL CENTER : +632 849.0100

Office: Makati/Manila – Commercial; 2nd Floor La'O Centre, Arnaiz Ave. Makati City, Philippines 1200: Commercial FAX: +63 2 849.0219 Reservation FAX: +63 2 849.0239.

The round trip fares were not published in Sheila's posting but I hope it will be competitive with Zest Air. This means that after October 17, there will be daily flights from Manila to Marinduque and back, since Zest air flies Monday,Wednesday and Friday. This will surely be a boast to Marinduque's tourism business and a convenience for some Marinduque residents, business men and women.

My first Cockfighting Experience in Marinduque

I grew up in the Philippines, until I was 25 years old. But I have never attended a cockfighting tournament. When I was growing up my parents instructed me never to go inside the arena or else I get a beating in the buttocks. However, without my parents knowledge, my friend and I were outside the arena a number of times where there are stalls selling merienda's( Filipino cakes and balot) and other goodies. So outside the arena, I could still remember the noise and commotion inside when the winner is announced in my mind even until today.

It was only two years ago, when we celebrated our Golden wedding anniversary that I attended a cockfighting tournament in Marinduque. This was the first request of my two sons, nephew to be (boy friend of my niece) and son-in-law who all grew up in US. They have heard and read about it, so they were really curious. So the first Sunday of their visit in Marinduque, I took them to my first cockfighting experience. We were accompanied by a local relative who was a cockfighting enthusiast and a semi-addict of this bloody sport and gambling activity in the Philippines.

WOW! What an experience! The crowds were 99.9% male. There were only three women out of about 300 gamblers. My son-in-law and "nephew to be" were the only white-skinned males(gringos) in the crowd. Of course my son-in-law who is 6 feet and 6 inches tall stuck out like a sore thumb with his height and bald head. At first I really did not understand what was going on, as the attendees were all shouting their bets to the bet taker almost at the same time. But I heard the bet taker never makes a mistake. What a memory! There were two sides, MAYRON or WALA. When I was growing up, the two opposing sides were “ SA PULA and SA PUTI”.

MAYRON means you have something and WALA means you have nothing. PULA means red and PUTI means white, indicating the opposite color of the roosters. But sometimes the roosters have the same color, so this was abandoned to the current mayron or wala as the two opposing sides.

Anyway, the noise was so deafening once a winner or a “kill” was declared. It sounded like a thousand males had an orgasmic experience all at the same time. It was so loud, that I had to cover my ears. I enjoyed more watching the antics of the crowd than the actual cockfights except for the moment of kill. After a few of these bouts, I got tired, so I went outside the arena. In the meantime, my guests were betting and enjoying themselves. We stayed for only about an hour since I was getting tired due to the noise, the heat and humidity in the arena. My son won about $10, but my son-in-law lost $15. They had a grand and fantastic time. I did not!

I will never attend a cockfighting tournament again, I just don't like the gambling atmosphere and the smell of the place(amoy pawis). My preference in gambling are the casinos not the cockfighting tournaments. It was however, an experience worthy of posting in this blog. Cockfighting also reminded me of bull fighting in Spain, that I attended about ten years ago. I loved the bull fights, not the cock fights.

Our Time Share and Exchange Experiences

The Ridge Resort, Lake Tahoe, Nevada( Our Home Resort)

Some time in the mid 1990's, Macrine and I purchased a time share at the Five Star, Ridge Resort in Lake Tahoe. Nevada. The resort is located at an elevation of 7342 feet above sea level. On the east side of the 8th floor of our 2 bedroom condo unit, you have a view of Lake Tahoe and on the west side the small town of Minden , Nevada. We purchased this time share not intentionally, but we were persuaded by the high pressure sale pitches of the aggressive sale personnel. They offered us a free dinner for two by just attending their one hour sales presentation and tour of the resort facilities. At that time most of the resorts time sharing program had no options for exchanges to other resorts. But the Ridge has that flexibility, so we signed up for a 2-bedroom unit for one week every year. We could exchange this to other five star resorts all over the world as long as they participate in the Interval International (II)Time Share Exchange Program. Since our purchase, we have exchanged our time share in Marbella, Spain, Cancun, Mexico. Puerto Rico, Aruba, Las Vegas, Nevada, Maui, Kawaii and the big Island of Hawaii. We had a grand time and fantastic vacations staying in five star resorts/hotel equivalent to The Ridge at the above places.

However, lately, I found it hard to exchange it via II, even with resorts in the Philippines. So, this year we spent our week at our home resort, The Ridge at Lake Tahoe. This occurred last week, while news of monsoon rains devastated Manila(Ondoy) and followed by a typhoon bound for Northern Luzon(Pepeng). Our prayers to those who died in these disasters. Marinduque International, Inc is in the process of raising funds to help typhoon victims in our beloved province of Marinduque.
The view from our 8th floor unit of Minden, Nevada and other buildings in the Resort

In Lake Tahoe last week, the first two days the weather was perfect. Then on Wednesday it snowed and the wind was howling at about 50 mph the top of the Daggit Summit where the resort is located. So we stayed indoors that day. But the next day, the weather turned bright and sunny again. In the meantime, we did a little casino gambling every day except Wednesday. At the end of the week, both Macrine and I lost only $200 each, not bad for 5 days of gambling for four hours each day. Macrine played the Slots and I played Pai Gao Poker.

Purchasing a vacation time share is not for everybody, especially if you do not plan your vacation ahead of time. To insure and take advantage of the exchange program flexibility, you need to be organized. With our time share, my wife and I just can not travel at the spur of the moment or if there is a promo package offered by travel agencies. Our vacation time is tied up to our time share program. Moreover, before you could exchange you need to reserve your week, then deposit it to II. After that you need to tell II to exchange it, listing three resorts and three time periods. This is the one that takes a long time, especially if the resorts you selected are popular resorts and the time periods are the busy vacation season. Owning a time share do not really save you vacation money as the sales pitches proclaimed. However, with your time share program you stay in four or five star resorts, that otherwise you can not afford or willing to pay on your own. In addition, you have the flexibility to choose places all over the world. There are over a thousand resorts listed in the Interval International Directory available for exchange. However, popular vacations spots such as Hawaii, San Francisco or France are hard to get, even if you reserved two years ahead. Availability of resorts are posted in the Internet on first come, first serve basis. So if you have the patience of Job, you may be able to get an exchange that fits your time and need. As an example, last year, I wanted to exchange my time share with a 2-bedroom unit in Las Vegas right on the Strip. I was doing this in the computer. There were about five hotels on the Strip with one bedroom units available on the week that I wanted, but no two bedroom unit. I waited for another ten minutes and surfed again. To my surprise a 2-bedroom unit was available on a hotel right on the Strip but I have only 15 minutes to complete the transaction. I completed the transaction in 10 minutes and within 20 minutes, I received a confirmation via e-mail. I was lucky and had the patience of Job surfing in the Internet. Otherwise, I may have to be content with a one bedroom unit not close to the Strip.

So what is my recommendation? If you are someone who do not plan ahead and do not have the patience of Job, do not purchase a time share. In addition, time share will cost you maintenance fees that gets higher every year. Put your vacation money in the bank or invest it. When the time comes for your vacation, then that is the time to get your money. Enjoy your vacation to a place that you choose and the time that is convenient for you and your love ones. Try vacationing in Marinduque, Philippines where your hard-earned dollars will go a long way. Stay at Chateau Du Mer Beach House for as low as $25 per day per person including meals (http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com).