Don Miguel wishes everyone . . .

"A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year."

-Edward A. Guest

Greetings from the mall in Roxas City . . .

Mom and I decided to test her new laptop at the mall after siesta today and Dad decided to come along for some coffee while reading his National Geographic.

The mall in my city, Gaisano, is fast deteriorating. And I don't know why the airconditioning is not working at all. The shrewd business people who own the mall probably wanna hike up their rental earnings by scrimping on the airconditioning but the entire mall has become an entire concrete hellhole. It's so Dang hot and it's irritating. I wonder how the mall lessees put up with this Sh*t and pay the rent for such a shitty mall.

Gaisano, I heard had an agreement with the local government before and they're locked in. Meaning, no other mall company can come into the City for X number of years. They put up another mall near my family's ancestral street a couple of years ago and I guess we're stuck with putting up with this poor excuse for a mall . . .

Sigh . . .

To the operators of Gaisano mall, if you happen to read this, please do something about the airconditioning. A/C is one of the points of going to a mall after all.

Giving Thanks . . .

MILF kills 9 villagers in Christmas eve raid - Philippine Daily Inquirer newsfeed

This is sad news indeed. 9 civilians killed during attacks in the midst of Christmas Eve revelries. While our government and military have always been strict about ceasefires during Ramadan and eid al fitr, it is sad that such an attack has been made during Christmas eve. Reciprocity has always been one unwritten rule in combat.

Sad sad sad . . .

=================================


MILF kills 9 villagers in Christmas eve raid
By John Unson And James Mananghaya Updated December 26, 2008 12:00 AM

Nine people were killed and eight others were wounded after Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked three towns in the provinces of Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat on Christmas eve, the military reported.

The fatalities and wounded have not yet been identified. The rebels also took hostage farmer Ramil Vicente, his wife and their two children.

Col. Julieto Ando, Army 6th Infantry Division spokesman, said troops have been sent to the scene to pursue the rebels.

Residents of Ninoy Aquino and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat province and Alameda in Cotabato province were preparing their noche buena or Christmas eve dinner when the MILF fired a continuous barrage of mortars at the three towns at around 7 p.m. Eight residents were reportedly killed.

Three barangays in Ninoy Aquino and two barangays in Kalamansig remain under MILF control, according to Ando.

In Alamada town, an elderly woman was killed when the MILF fired 60 mm and 81 mm mortars at Barangay Dato at about 10 p.m.

“This is an atrocity against innocent civilians,” Ando said.

At 9 p.m. the MILF fired mortars continuously for 15 minutes at a military detachment in Barangay Gayunga, Northern Kabuntalan town in Shariff Kabunsuan province.

Barangay Gayunga is on the border of Cotabato and Shariff Kabunsuan provinces.

Almost at the same time, the MILF unleashed 17 rounds of 60 mm mortars at a military outpost in Barangay Puyon, Pigcawayan town in Cotabato province.

No injuries were reported in the attacks on the military installations.

Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said residents of a barangay fled their homes when armed men attacked Aleosan town in Cotabato province at about 9 p.m. on Christmas eve.

“The attacks came while the people were setting off firecrackers. The attackers timed their attacks during the revelry,” said Alamada Mayor Ernesto Concepcion.

Eight people living near the military detachment in Alamada were taken to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center after they were hit by flying shrapnel.

However, Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military chief, denied the military report that they attacked the three towns in Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato provinces.

“All these incidents took place because the MILF were subjected to attacks by the military,” he said.

Kabalu said the MILF had not launched a coordinated offensive on Christmas eve as the military claims.

“In all incidents, we were on defensive mode,” he said.

As many as 400 families fled their homes after the MILF attack, according to social welfare officer Edmund Cordero.

More than 600,000 people were displaced in the fighting, he added.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman, said the attack on barangays Midtungok and Kiadsam in Cotabato province were spearheaded by Guiabar Datu Kali alias Commander 511 and Commander Maxs4.

“The 601st brigade already launched combat operations in the area,” he said. “They have also requested for an air strike against the rebels.”

The MILF is starting to withdraw from the occupied communities, according to Col. Marlou Salazar, Army 601st Infantry Brigade commander.

This was the second time that barangays Midtungok and Kiadsam were occupied since the attacks in Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces last August. – With AP

Don Miguel Greets y'all this Holiday Season . . .

from Brussels, Belgium all the way to Roxas City, Philippines where Don Miguel spends Christmas at home, here's wishing you a Wonderful Christmas and a Great New Year ahead.

Cheers!

Getting bumped off your flight in style

My sis and I were scheduled to fly to Roxas City today at 530am. We were still in Makati at around 420am because my crazy-pretty sister couldn't make herself get off work because she had a ton of things to sign off before her holiday break. So we get to the airport in a puff and made it just before the 45 minute deadline prior to the flight.

Then we were informed that they overbooked the dang flight and that all seats were full dammit.

They offered to reroute us via the flight to Iloilo. and I replied that they need to book us in Business Class, provide a private limo service from Iloilo to our home in Roxas City.

And before I even began to raise hell and high water, they gave in and here's what we got:

a) Business Class seats to Iloilo
b) Free Breakfast at St. Cinnamon
c) Business Lounge access (free food, wifi, and massage chairs - it ain't the Marco Polo Lounge I'm used to but hey, it'll do)
d) Free limo service from Iloilo Airport to our home in Roxas (2 hours away)
e) and Free Roundtrip Business class tickets to anywhere in the Philippines valid for one year for each of us.

We should be having breakfast in our home with the Mom and the Dad by now and our rottweiler napoleon too, but hey, i guess it'll do!

Family Lunch at the Acevedo's 2008 December

Just like when we were kids, when we'd have a separate table for the kids lunch-overs . . . reminiscing those times and reliving em

Gotta earn it

It's a few days before I fly back home but this has gotta the busiest week of work for me during my entire past year in Brussels. I guess I gotta earn it.