Amis Courtship Dance

-

Here's another of the Amis culture in Taiwan. This is almost a sight that one can behold among the aborigines in Nueva Ecija or Baguio. Just looking at the resemblance between the Taiwanese natives and Filipino natives makes me think, "Filipino culture isn't too unique." 

With my stand that the Taiwanese natives are actually of Malay origin - I'm not surprised at the similarity here and there. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japan PM Kishida's Stepping Down Due to Scandals vs. Philippine Politicians' Lack of Shame

-
Image
It's often said that the Philippines doesn't need a change in the form of governance but only a change of governance. It's really something to read the comments section of the GMA-7 Facebook page , concerning Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where some Filipinos wish that Filipino politicians had that kind of accountability. However, they're also quick to say, "No to charter change! Only character change!" I can talk about why parliamentary systems are superior. However, some still insist that it would mean going back to reliving the horrors of the Marcos Years (all because the late dictator's son Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. is now the president from 2022 to 2024). Once again, do I need to remind people why the Marcos Years weren't under a real parliamentary? Their "proof" was in having a prime minister named Cesar Virata. However, the Philippines was still presidential, even as the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. admitted it...
Read more

Rethinking Why Typhoons Are Necessary

-
Image
I was watching this Tagalog video on YouTube. It made me think about the ecological role of typhoons. The Philippines is prone to typhoons the most, while Indonesia is prone to tsunamis. As I was looking at people who wish storms will never come, they never realize the ecological role that storms play. But first, let's look into the reason why typhoons are common in the Pacific Ocean . THE PACIFIC IS WARMER Sea surface temperatures (°C) around the world on July 14, 2016. Image credit: NOAA/ESRL/PSD Warm sea surface water is the fuel that drives tropical cyclones. If you ignore large-scale anomalies like El Niño and La Niña, the waters in the Pacific Ocean are usually warmer than those of the Atlantic Ocean, and the temperatures stay pretty toasty through almost the entire year . If you were to take a swim in the water off the coast of the northern Philippines, it would feel like you dunked yourself into a freshly drawn bath, just as it would if you took a dip in the ocean at a beac...
Read more

"Animal" (2004): A Controversial Satire Against the Chiong Sister Case Inconsistencies [Warning: Read at Your Own Discretion]

-
Image
After many years of self-studying the Chiong Sisters Case , I have written several entries on the matter. In fact, I created what I call an "almost-ever-updating" review on Give Up Tomorrow , which was a documentary that challenged my views. I was hesitant to write this review, as it involves another sensitive issue. Some time later, I wrote an entry discussing another aspect of the Chiong Case, specifically  the issue of the late Federico "Toto" Natividad Jr. himself . I always thought it was an unethical issue. However, I was able to watch the film on YouTube (via a poor quality upload), and it doesn't seem that anyone from Natividad's estate is interested in fighting for the film's right to be distributed , not especially that Case Unclosed already came out in 2008, now available on GMA-7's official YouTube channel . Kara David did a meticulously good job featuring the Chiong mother, the Uy mother , and even another member of the " Run for Pa...
Read more

Let's Be Real: Term Limits Cause Political Dynasties to Spiral Out of Control

-
Image
Inquirer There's always the obsession with political dynasties. There's also the obsession with term limits . Back in the 1990s, I remembered fearing charter change . I was afraid that the late Fidel V. Ramos might become a dictator. The talks that if a president would rule for more than six years--would be considered "frightening" or "nakakatakot" in Tagalog. I wrote an article where I wrote one staggering truth-- a  long reign isn't necessarily tyrannical and that a short reign isn't necessarily benevolent . In my discussion, I highlighted both Pol Pot and Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.--both deceased dictators. Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge dictatorship murdered millions in contrast to Marcos' regime. Of course, some people will say Pol Pot would've caused Cambodia to go extinct if he rhad eigned longer. I remember the logic that I was told back in elementary school. I was told that the reason why term limits are imposed is to prevent another Marcos-...
Read more

Case Unclosed on the Chiong Sisters

-
Image
Apology: I'm sorry that the video above is in Tagalog, so sorry in advance to non-Filipino readers. As long as an injustice happens, nobody should shut up about a case unclosed . Like the Vizconde Massacre case, nobody really knows who did the crime. With Davidson Rusia's story put into question, one must wonder what really happened in detail. I still believe that the body found in Carcar is really Marijoy Jimenea Chiong . However, the claim that the sperm of the main suspect, Francisco Juan "Paco" G. Larrañaga, and the rest weren't found, makes you wonder who did the autopsy. In my case, the body found in Carcar wasn't formally identified until fingerprints were taken by the police. Nobody claimed the body of the woman found in Carcar.  It's easy to say that Give Up Tomorrow is biased because the maker of the video, is a "relative" of Paco (read here ). However, Marty Syjuco is the brother of the brother-in-law of Paco. The brother of one's ...
Read more

Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohamad: Just a Matter of Strong Leadership Without a Good System?

-
Image
Jakarta Globe It's very easy to talk about how we need character change only, not a charter change. I say that having a charter change (better termed constitutional reform ) will lead to character change. The old saying of some boomers goes, "It's common sense that nothing is wrong with the system, just the people running the system." However, when I ask something like, "If that's so then why do other nations have better leaders? What about Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew?" Their answer is, "Well, that's proof that the system isn't defective, it's just the leader." This can also come from people who believe what Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr. said that there's nothing wrong with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, that it's the "best in the world". The arguments are clearly illogical at best . Some say that the parliamentary system worked in Malaysia and Singapore because those heading it aren't corrupt. T...
Read more

Is There No Need for Constitutional Reform, Because the Nation is Now "Healing" During the Midterm Elections 2025?

-
Image
Two days ago, I voted during the Midterm Elections . Of course, I'm not allowed to post my ballot online. I'll address people who believe the nation is "healing" because Atty. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno "Bam" A. Aquino have won the senatorial race. Okay, congratulations to Kiko and Bam for winning. The nuisance candidate Apollo C. Quiboloy had lost the elections, thankfully. Some say that success is but a step-by-step process. However, you can be taking the wrong steps. To say that the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines is the "best in the world", has made us ignore Article XVII , and even think that the Filipino First Policy is good. Here's a screenshot I took from Butthurt Philippines' Facebook page. Is it really "healing" for the country as claimed by this person, whose name I blocked out? I usually block out the names of people who are private citizens, to protect their identity. However, I may...
Read more

Why Jose Rizal Made Simoun's Terrorist Plot Fail in "El Filibusterismo"

-
Image
As it's Buwan ng Wika or Buwan ng Kasaysayan, I'm tempted to dig into some of my high school Filipino lessons. Right now, I have no idea where my former Filipino teachers are teaching. I recall being told that, since I'm a good writer, I should focus on peaceful resolutions rather than following the path of hatred and violence. I watched the Jose Rizal film back when I was in college. I was asked a provocative question: why Rizal never made Simoun (who was actually Crisostomo Ibarra from Noli Me Tangere ) succeed in the violent revolution.  Casa Grande Vintage Filipino Cinema Facebook Page I noticed some people tell me El Filibusterismo was a boring book. However, I felt that something was wrong with the Philippines, and I felt that peaceful means weren't going anywhere. Where was my talent in writing heading? I was already more than desperate to move away from the Philippines. That's why I wanted to take Information Technology, even if I sucked at mathematics. It w...
Read more

Facts vs. Gossip: Why Fat Acceptance Isn't as Cool as the Gossipers Say

-
Image
Back in college, I recall having the idea of exercise being "too complicated". It doesn't have to sound complicated. I have my journey from 2013-2023 where I really lost much weight. After having a Mi-Band, I thought about how losing weight was something.  I ended up running into the video of this attractive blonde girl. I admit that I watched it partly because she's pretty. Then again, some videos with really ugly-looking people are entertaining when they have very good content. I watched the video and I could really laugh (and cringe) at the stupidity of the fat people in the video. Hearing them whine is really that annoying. The girl really talks about some sense in many of her videos. A lot of people are simply trying to become what they're not and try to defy the facts. It's just so stupid how fat acceptance people even shame people who are trying to lose weight. I've watched some weight loss stories and found out some of them had suffered a lot of he...
Read more