Websclusive: Is Mike Enriquez moving to DZMM?

Yesterday, I was at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City for an event when I saw a group near the stage sharing a good laugh while most of the attendees are going towards the exit door.

It was popular TV and radio personality Mike Enriquez who is also the Senior Vice-President for Radio of GMA Network (DZBB), and president of the network's regional and radio subsidiary, RGMA Network Inc. holding a sign with the letters "DZMM" ala fan sign.

What was a very identified Kapuso star doing at the table of the management and staff of DZMM (ABS-CBN's radio company)? He even held a DZMM sign and overheard him said, "Malapit na mag-expire contract ko sa GMA."

I was one of the few people in the venue who got the instinct to have a souvenir shot to what can be considered as a scoop.

Well, before you jump to conclusions, let me tell you what really happened. Enriquez was there not to negotiate with a possible transfer to the "other side" but just actually approached the DZMM team to personally congratulate them in sweeping the awards of the radio category for the 3rd PMAP Makatao Awards for Media Excellence.

Enriquez, being a veteran broadcaster who has been serving the industry for decades saw some familar faces from the DZMM table next to where the GMA 7 staff were seated and took time to shook hands with fellow winners. Personally, that's pogi points for Kuya Mike to those who witnessed his kind gesture.

By the way, Enriquez took home the Best TV Newscaster of the Year award from the same event. In his acceptance speech, he shared the award to fellow media practitioners, whether a Kapuso or not, who risk their lives to bring truthful news gathering and reporting during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda. He also dedicated the awards to the victims of the recent disaster and left the crowd with a very meaningful message, "When I went to Leyte, I did not see Tacloban. I saw nothing. Everything is almost ground zero. If you think you have done your share and have given enough... I asked you all to give more!"

For the curious souls, here's the complete list of winners of the 3rd PMAP Makatao Awards for Media Excellence

A. Presidential Citation:
Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation
Manila Broadcasting Company
TV5

B. Radio Category:
Best Radio Public Affairs Program: Dos Por Dos of DZMM 630
Best Radio Public Affairs Program Host: Anthony Taberna of Dos Por Dos
Best Radio News Program: Radyo Patrol Balita of DZMM
Best Radio Newscaster: Noli De Castro of Radyo Patrol Balita
Radio Station of the Year: DZMM 630

C. Newspaper Category
Best Columnist: Schubert Caesar C. Austero of Are We there Yet (Manila Standard Today)
Newspaper of the Year: Philippine Daily Inquirer

D. Television Category
Best TV Public Affairs Program: Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho of GMA 7
Best TV Public Affairs Program Host: Jessica Soho of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho
Best TV Female Newscaster: Korina Sanchez of TV Patrol (ABS-CBN)
Best TV Male Newscaster: Mike Enriquez of 24 Oras (GMA 7)
Best TV News Program: TV Patrol (ABS-CBN)
TV Station of the Year: ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation

The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) holds the annual event to honor members of the mass media for their outstanding contributions in enhancing public understanding of the role and impact of good people management. Its objective is to encourage continued coverage of people management and other related people issues that promotes a harmonious relationship between employers and their employees.

PMAP is the premier organization of people managers and HR practitioners in the country today with 1,800 corporate members and individual members and 23 chapters nationwide.
  

TWD 0407: Dead Weight

Martinez meets his former boss again

The Governor is back!

Yup, this is my harmless spoiler for Episode 7 and not Episode 6. Last week, AMC devoted the whole episode for Brian "The G" and fans of The Walking Dead got an emotional swing of sort and "fell in love" with his character. However, it was a different persona that we saw.

This week, it's another Governor episode with only a minute of exposure from the guys in the prison cell. But this time, he is back... absulutely back in his evil ways. A recurring character will bid good bye. New faces will be introduced with some getting the "special treatment" from the one-eyed killer while others will stay maybe for an episode or two.

The fans that Brian gained last episode will be the same people who will curse him this week.

Also, make sure to enjoy every minute of the latest installment of TWD because next week will be their mid-season finale and we have to wait until Valentines of 2014 before we see them again.

If Daryl don't get at least half the episode exposure next week, I don't know what will half of the female population of the world will do. So AMC, be warned.    

Who says I can’t cook

I love to cook as much as I love eating.

It’s just that I have been concentrating more on munching snacks than mashing ingredients in the kitchen lately. The result: another extra few pounds in my tummy and there are still a couple of big feasts coming (Noche Buena and Media Noche) before the year ends.

I used to cook dinner for me and my wife especially during weekdays after I come from work. I also prepare lunch during weekends. I can serve delicious adobo, mechado, kaldereta, siningang or nilaga. But things are different now--- we have a son who only eats food that are fried or something that can be cooked in less than 5 minutes. Thus, our family is in the easy-to-cook era today.

Luckily, there is now a fast, simple and flavorful solution when creating dishes. We recently discovered Clara Olé and its wide range of versatile pasta sauces. Not only that, the brand is also credited for having a diversified yet innovative product concepts and other ready-to-use products to help aid homemakers whip up that delectably perfect and savory dish for the whole family.

Many say breakfast is the most important meal of the day but hey, it’s often neglected because of everyone’s break-neck-speed lifestyle. Want a quick fix in the morning? Whip up that batter for some scrumptious pancakes that everybody loves. We tried Clara Olé Pancake Syrups which has four different flavors: Original, Maple, Cinnamon or Truly Fruity. My son loves the Original flavor and I think this photo is an enough proof how he likes his pancakes more than ever. 



My wife created a little twist with our pancakes  as she added mangoes and chocolate spread in it ala crepe. The result? Imagine how you feel when you were still in high school every time you see you crush. That’s how good it tasted like. I want to believe that my fine slicing of mangoes added more zest to this delicious breakfast treat that can also be served during meryenda. See, I can also have my hands dirty doing kitchen work from time to time.

If you don’t have time to cook (too lazy to hold on a pan, perhaps) and just feel like popping a jar or bottle of spread ready to put on top of a slice of bread,  Jams and Jellies from Clara Olé that are perfect for any and all bread recipes, or amp up your salads even further with their Vinaigrettes like Orange, Sesame, Pesto, Parmesan and Mango.

If you are a health buff who is into salads, you can try Clara Olé Dips n’ Dressings—Thousand Island, Caesar, Honey Mustard, Ranch and Asian— that are definitely perfect for those fresh and crunchy greens as part of your daily healthy food fare.

If it’s lunch, dinner or any-time-of-the-day-meals at home or the office, enjoy a classic taste of grilled meat by checking out Clara Olé Original Barbeque Marinade to satisfy that craving. Same goes for Honey Mustard, Hickory and Spicy flavors that will surely play with your senses as soon as it hits your palate. Korean food lovers can also rejoice with Clara Olé Korean Barbeque Marinade, or bring back your glorious childhood memories with the Clara Olé line of flavorful Tapa and Tocino marinades, while Inasal is perfect for that chicken char-grilled goodness. Plus, you can even add some more zing to your rice with Ora Mix Mo Specialty Fried Rice mix that turns ordinary rice to an extraordinary companion for your mouth-watering dish.

And for those who are looking for extra special pasta dish, you can either go with Italian Style, Sweet Style, Three-Cheese, or Filipino Style Clara Ole pasta sauce to liven up any meal. Or, for a more sophisticated taste around the table, Clara Olé Chunky Tomato with Three-Cheese, Chunky Tomato with Basil, Cheesy Pesto, Kung Pao and Mushroom can make every pasta dish even more sensational.

Now, who say’s I can’t cook? With Clara Ole, I can make you eat your words… along with the dishes that I’ll cook.

Want to know more about Clara Olé value offerings, visit www.claraole.com or “Like” www.Facebook.com/myclaraole or connect via Instagram @claraoleph and share your unforgettable cooking encounters and dining experiences using Clara Olé products. You can even catch exciting Clara Olé webisodes called “Pot Sessions: A Cook Without A Book” adventure series via the Facebook app: https://www.facebook.com/myclaraole/app_566691690034303.

TWD 0406: Live Bait

If you are not a fan of The Governor, don't watch this week's episode of The Walking Dead. The whole episode is devoted to Mr. Brian Blake aka The G.

But if you are a true fan of TWD, you'll be more excited to watch the latest installment of season 4 because fans will be reintroduced to the most hated man of the zombie era and people will never look at this character the same way again.

The Governor had a family--- a beautiful family. He had a life. He had an unforgettable past and he is also weak sometimes. He's human. He too has a heart.

I won't be surprised if the Governor will gain a number fans after this episode even if there's an online petition from some TWD fans who want's to have his character killed in the ongoing season. With a new family, a new daughter and a new lovelife for Gov, I don't think the producers will kill him that easily after building up on his character for more than 40 minutes this week.

And please, don't deny that you did cheer for the Governor while being chased by zombies in the hospital and in the forest. Wink wink.
 

Dealing with Trauma after a Disaster

Lopez-Roces

(This is my article published on the Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on November 22, 2009 and was republished on August 18, 2013. Some portion in this article were updated by author Richard H. Mamuyac.)

Cambridge Dictionary Online defines trauma as a severe shock and pain caused by an extremely upsetting experience.

There is still almost two more months to go before we bid goodbye to 2013 but many Filipinos are already wishing that this year would finally end.  Is it really because of the "unlucky no. 13" or it's just that our country was at the spot where the a killer earthquake and super typhoons Maring and Yolanda (the strongest storm to be ever recorded in history) hit. Thousands of lives and millions of dollars worth of infrastructures and crops were lost. Many were left homeless and starving.

But a more agonizing effect continues to hound the victims of the calamity -- a burden that a person will bear for a long period of time until he or she can deal and overcome it. How do you heal the wounds inflicted by the experience of losing loved ones, their homes and valued possessions from an unexpected tragedy?

“It really depends on the extent of the trauma,” said Metro Psych Facility in-house psychiatrist Dr. Myra Lopez–Roces, MD. “The personality of the person may also be a factor of how and when he can overcome the trauma. For example, if he already has nervousness or anxiety issues prior to the trauma, of course this will aggravate the condition.”

Signs of trauma

Roces said that a person who is experiencing trauma would manifest signs like worrying, tenseness of the body, shortness of breath and having a hyper vigilant personality. For the victims of the recent storms, she observed that even a slight rainfall or the noise of a door being opened can lead to panic. This is called anticipatory anxiety or fear that something traumatic will happen again.

She also added that depression comes when the person starts to have changes in his appetite, sleeping patterns and level of energy. Aside from depression, other common reactions experienced by disasters victims are (1) denial that such an experience occurred; (2) anger that can be directed towards the disaster, God, others or to themselves; (3) shock over the suddenness of the disaster; and (4) survival guilt - they survived and others did not.

The quality of work of employees will definitely be affected if they are coping with trauma. Sometimes they do not show emotions but are noticeably having difficulties focusing and concentrating on what they are doing.

Do’s and don’ts

Roces notes that family and friends can help the victims in handling the trauma. They should listen to the victims as they recount their experience. Healing takes place when victims tell their stories, thereby releasing emotions that they had kept to themselves.

But Roces also reminds us that this might not work in all cases, especially if the victim is suffering from Acute Stress Disorder caused by being exposed to a traumatic event.

According to Psychnet-UK.com, professional help is a must if the person has at least three of the following symptoms:

• a subjective sense of numbing, detachment, or absence of emotional responsiveness
• a reduction in awareness of his or her surroundings (e.g., "being in a daze")
• depersonalization - inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma
• the patient persistently re-experienced the traumatic event in at least one or more of the following ways: recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, illusions, flashback episodes, or a sense of reliving the experience; or distress on exposure to reminders of the traumatic event
• marked avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma (e.g., thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places, people).

Roces said that in these cases counseling needs to be supported with medication for the treatment of the victims. This process would sometimes take up to 9 months to 2 years, depending on the degree of the disorder, for the success of the treatment. If warranted, employed victims are advised to take a leave of absence for a period of time.

In the website of safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com, writer Kevin Jones shared his learning from the online video “Recovery from Trauma: What Works.” He wrote that in the early stages of trauma, people should avoid the following things that would only worsen the situation:

• alcohol and drugs
• keeping overly busy
• involvement in stressful situations
• stopping yourself doing things you enjoy
• engaging in risky activities.

Dealing with the trauma after the storm is not an easy task. Overcoming it is another story. People will recover at a different rate and it will really help if they will be surrounded by caring and understanding people who will be with them during these dark hours of their lives. It is not only trauma that we want to heal. We actually want to heal the whole person who wants to live again after his life was interrupted.

TWD 0405: Internment

Glenn

This week's episode of The Walking Dead Season 4, Internment, should have been titled "Father's Day" instead.

This episode highlighted the two fathers in the group, Rick and Hershel, who both shined in the most thrilling sequences this episode, if not this season. Both will play hero roles for their children and also risked their lives to people they considered as their own.

An "important" character in Season 4 will finally bite the dust. While a main character since Day 1 "almost" joined Team Walkers if not for the timely help from other protagonists.

Just when you thought that you have already shrieked your loudest at the mid portion of the show, hold on to your jaw and eye balls because they might dropped on the floor a few second before the end credits are shown.

Fibr: Home’s Most Powerful Broadband

Calling all districts! Calling all districts!

There is a emerging outbreak in the nation today and everyone is advised to take necessary precautions to be protected from any harm. Here are the symptoms of the said outburst:

1. You curse your internet provider and make your rants known via FB and/ or Twitter.

2. You get the same message over the phone: “There is an upgrading of our facilities in your area to improve our service. Sorry but I can’t provide you a definite time when this will be completed.”

3. You slam your desktop keyboard and/ or mouse or hit the CPU subconsciously.

4. You dream of a circling light with a note that says "buffering..." as if it’s going to be like that way forever.

If you are experiencing two or more of the mentioned symptoms, there is a big probability that you just caught the wave called SLOKONEKSYONMOSIS.

Do not take this lightly because this epidemic has been reported to have caused a lot of damage to unwilling victims:

a. Loss of sight. Watching videos over Youtube is now a mess and you’re missing an average of a dozen of viral clips a day.

b. Loss of hearing..Downloading of mp3s either from iTunes or Bearshare and listening to  E-radio, podcast and is completely silenced.

c. Lost of sense of touch. Well, a good thing in a way. Only cyber perverts will be affected by this.

d. Lost of sense of taste. You can’t decide what and where to eat because you can’t get updates from your fave food blogs.

e. And worst of all, loss of life (blogging life, that is)

During times like these, you'll feel like you want to engage with a brawl against the customer service representative of your internet provider specially if you have some deadlines to finish. This situation reminds me of The Hunger Games.

Well, he fans of the best-selling novel adapted to film will wait no more because the second installment of the movie, Catching Fire  will be shown in theaters worldwide this month. 

I am one of those who have been wanting to see the second part of the film (as if there will be major changes from the novel) because the suspense and excitement that it brings sequence by sequence espcially during the pageant or tournament of the tributes.

I am for Team Peeta Mellark, the male tribute chosen from District 12 who is a former schoolmate of Katniss who once gave her bread from his family's bakery when her family was starving. To some, he might be a weakling but look what he have become after surviving the first warfare--- a winner who got the chance to lock lips with THE Jennifer Lawrence. I wish I was him (envy mode) not only because of he's J-Law BFF but also due to the fact that he has this boy band-look crossed a a starving puppy eyes. Chicks can't resists those.

Since Peeta is not that of a hunk or a warrior type, I'd like to improve his wit and knowledge instead. If I am Peeta, I would spend some hours browsing the internet for just about anything that relates to suvival. It can be easy-to-learn martial moves, how to create explosives out of kitchen stuff or deceiving techniques without really trying. Well, you just need a dependable internet connection to get started to have an effective training for the pageant.

If you are still stuck with your old and slow internet provider, better change for the better. Fast. I would like to recommend PLDT Fibr, the most powerful broadband today that allows you to seamlessly and simultaneously experience the following: (a) Browsing of multiple websites; (b) Stream hundreds blockbuster movies on-demand from Clickplay; and (c) Watch Cignal Digital TV Channels.

The good news is that it is available now in over 800 fiber-powered villages nationwide. Visit www.pldthome.com or call 101-FIBR (3427) for more details.

Now, if this won't get Peeta another kissing scene with with Katniss Everdeen, I don't know what.

Why Jax Cote is just annoying as Yolanda

While I can't get sleep last night because of the creepy sound of the wind brought by typhoon Yolanda, considered as the strongest storm to hit land in history, I decided to just monitor the situation online. 

And guess what I found out... an equally annoying happening on the other side of the world. What's worse is that, it's something we Filipinos don't need while we are currently being harrassed and manhandled by Yolanda.

Apparently, a teacher from Canada named Jax Cote find amusement on the suffering that most of our kababayan was experiencing.

While we Pinoys, in an out of the country, prayed for our families' safety, this supposedtedly "educated" lady even got the nerve to praise high heavens for bringing such devastation to our land and even called us Filipinos names.

Yolanda is a forgetful moment in our history but people who challenge and insut the Filipino spirit will not be forgotten. We will prove you wrong. We will all rise from this.

Below is a comment posted from the CNN website that best describe the human spirit of Filipinos.

Anti-Sakit, Anti-Liit syrup for kids: Let's drink to that!

It's always a music to my ears when people say that my son Charles is growing up just like me. Specially if it comes from people who basically know me since I was a kid.

But honestly, I do have some fears on my child following my footsteps. You see, I grow up to be prone to different illnesses. I had measles, chicken fox, polio and asthma. The last one is what my little Charles has been experiencing in the last four years. That's why we have a standby nebulizer at home.

The other thing I don't want him to inherit from me is my height. I want him to grew way way taller than my 5'3 length . Well, I can be 5'6 if I want to but I can't really move that fast with those elevator shoes.

During my younger years, my mom put her faith of improving my height on a margarine which she mixes in my rice every meal or as a sandwich spread inside a monay. Obviously, it was not enough and thus I just have to be contended with 160 centimeters.

Thank God for wonder vitamins these days, my son has better chances of avoiding sickness and being under height. Well, one product known today in the Philippines as the Anti-sakit, Anti-liit syrup is Ceelin Plus which uses the unique ZincPlusTM technology that combines Vitamin C and Zinc in a liquid format. Such combination results in a dual immunity boosting action and a stronger immune system.
  

 
Another nice thing about Ceelin Plus from Unilab is its fruity flavor, Apple to be exact, which means no more chase scene at home every time my toddler needs to take his dose of vitamins. My son absolutely loves its taste.

Less stress at home means quality time between parents and kids. Let's drink to that!

Hardys: It Gets Better with Time

I remember one time when I was still active in online forums, somebody posted the question, "What is the essence of being a man?"

It was an fun and lively thread with some amusing replies mixed with a few serious ala-Miss Universe responses.

Well, one of my favorite answers was an excerpt from an essay by American writer Judith A. Middlebrooks that goes, "The essence of a man lies not in his riches or status but in the strength of his backbone, spirit and word."

It stuck with me.

It just happen that I read it during the time that I am in one of the lowest points of my life--- my newly-born daughter passed away.

My strength was tested physically, emotionally and spiritually. There were times I wanted to cry but I have to postpone sobbing because my wife is with me. I don't want her to see me shed tears because if there is someone in the world who suffer more than I do, it's her.

Everyday I prayed to God that if I'll be given a chance to be a father again, I promise be the best parent that I can be. Two years later, my son Charles came and life has never been the same again.

And just when I thought that I am fully-prepared and equipped to face fatherhood after spending hours reading books and other references and asking tips from my Tatay and Nanay and in-laws, I was caught off guard on the first day of being a dad again for the second time.

I fought against sleepless nights, stumbled many times before mastering the art of putting diapers, and would often get confused to whether my baby cries because he's wet or hungry.

Fatherhood is indeed one heck of a journey. But everything gets better with time. All I did was to hold onto my promise and soon I realized that I'm actually starting to be the good father that I want to be. Some signs that you are becoming Mr. Ideal Dad: If you are...

1. Not minding carrying a baby rattle, a can of milk and a stroller to what should be a relaxing weekend family date.

2. Memorizing the theme songs of Barney, Hi-5 and the Mickey Mouse Club House and other silly tunes to be able to sing along with your child.

3. Conceding to change the TV channel for another replay of Winnie the Pooh even if it means you would miss the last two minutes of an exciting basketball game.

4. Smiling even when your favorite shirt gets messy with spaghetti sauce and ice cream because you allowed your kid to have it “his way.”

5. Praying that you could change places with your baby whenever he is sick.

6. Waking up in the wee hours to change your child’s diaper even though you just slept for a few hours and need to rise up early for work in the morning.

7. Experiencing the greatest joy a man can feel even with the simplest thing like every time your child says, “I love you, Daddy!”

See, things get better over time, just like the finest wine.

Talking about wines, Hardys is another good example of something that just keeps getting better through the years. I am a fan of the brand that is served in some memorable occasions that I have attended in the past. Here's HARDYS in a nutshell.
 

Heritage. This wine of choice is a product of 5 generations of winemakers up to present day from founder Thomas Hardy to the current top honcho Bill Hardy.

Award-winning. With over 3000 awards recieved in the last decade, Hardys is considered as the most Powerful Australian wine brand characterized by quality and consistency.

Range of sub brands. Hardys has a strong appeal across a wide range of consumers with the many choices it offers for different social events.

Dependable. The brand is produced by the pioneers of quality blending techniques that maintains Hardys as a premium, aspirational product and relevant to wine drinkers.

Years of experience. Established in 1853, Hardys is not just a name. It's speak of quality and excellent taste perfected by 160 years of wine making experience.

Sure fun. Whether it's a dinner with a loved one or a party or picnic with friends and families, Hardys is the perfect companion for special occasions.

Through the years, I learned the true essence of being a man. For me, it is being able to raise a child who will also be a good parent to his future sons and daughters. I hope every man reading this post will drink to that.
   
And  to all my readers, friends and family who are also experience triumphs in life, no matter how simple or big it is. Let us celebrate every goal we reach in life! Indeed, things get better over time, just like Hardys – after 160 years, it just keeps getting better.

Like Hardys Facebook fan page by clicking the image below.

  

TWD 0404: Indiferrence

Daryl Dixon

What this week's episode of The Walking Dead lack in action and gore, make it up with emotional conflicts between the main characters.

Again, this is harmless spoiler of TWD Season 4, Episode 4: Indifference so you just continue reading and come back in this post once who saw this episode and share your thoughts on the recent developments in the show.

I may have incorrectly predicted that there will be a "significant death" in the show this week but one protagonist from Season 1 bid good bye... not to the program but from Team Rick's community. Well, the character was actually forced to leave because of a good (?) reason.

Daryl once again shows his bad boy side in a conflict with a fellow "inmate" while two new characters, seems with potential for a story angle, were killed prematurely. Well, one of them might still be alive since only once was shown gutted and being eaten by walkers.

Expect the first half of the episode to be a little dragging especially if you are a fan of the show who wants every installment to be bloody and suspenseful as possible.

Who will be "gone" this week? That's for you to find out.