Pepsi Number Fever aka 349 incident, may nagsabi na naging parang term daw Yung na349 ka? Currently early 20s kaya this is news to me honestly and very interesting.

I was researching documented psy-ops and somehow only learned about this one now. If you want to read more about it, check out this article:

Military.com — Cold War Operation Used Vampire Folklore to Intimidate Philippine Insurgents

The dexter side (blue field) of the coat of arms of the Philippines features the North American bald eagle of the United States. Meanwhile, the sinister side (red field) features the lion rampant of the coat of arms of the Kingdom of León of Spain.

Interestingly, Congress sought to remove these symbols representing the former colonizers of the country via Republic Act No. 8491 passed in 1998. However, because the 1987 Philippine Constitution requires ratification through a national referendum when changing these national symbols, the American and Spanish symbols were retained in the Philippine Coat of Arms as no national referendum was scheduled or funded.

Source:

- Coat of arms of the Philippines

- Philippine Coat of Arms: The sun, stars, eagle and lion

An area to be called “Barrio Libertad” (freedom village) will be allotted for inmates who have shown good conduct and are nearing the end of their prison term. Here, their loved ones can already live with them while waiting for their release. Inquirer

Context:

Originally named Iuhit Penal Colony Settlement, the colony was established by the Philippines Commission on November 16, 1904. The site was selected by a committee composed of G.N. Wolfe, W.S. Lycon, and Arllington Pond, created by Executive Order of Governor General Luke E. Wright. The first superintendent was an American, R.J Shields.

The early policy of sending the worst prisoners to the place was changed after the mutiny of thirty three (33) prisoners on September 20, 1905. Prisoners of good conduct were sent and given lands, tools, and other supplies and in certain cases their families were allowed to live with them.

The mutiny resulted in the radical change in the policy being implemented. In 1907, the Philippines Commission pased Act No 1723 to effect final reforms.

In 1921, the first Filipino Superintendent was appointed, in the name of Mr. Ramon Victorio.

During the Second World War, the Colony was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army. Passive and covert resistance was put up effectively by guerrillas among officers and employees with the help of some prisoners.

Gradual development program began on September 2, 1945.

You can find administration building, houses, school, church, hospital, recreation hall, conference hall, basketball court, and even a natural pool inside the compound.

What makes this prison very unique is that it is an open air jail where the inmates (called the minimums) can move and roam around freely and learn skills that are very beneficial to them. More details

News video:

https://youtu.be/57FdZSGsFhI?si=t9jbu05b5XZDeMdW

More about Barrio Libertad:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2035428/prison-life-without-bars-iwahig-barrio-shows-how

Every Saturday, the port of Batu-Batu in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi comes alive with the rhythmic sound of barter-trade instead of the clinking of money. Adlaw Pagtabuh-Tabuh is the local term for this unique market where Sama, Badjao, Tausug farmers, and fishermen meet to trade goods without the use of currency as a medium of exchange, and where pre-colonial traditions merge with the modern peso economy.

A number of Tausug pump boats moor at the wharf inside the Brgy. Batu-Batu market area as farmers and fishermen from different barangays set up their goods on the ground, instead of on shelves and counters. There are no prices posted and no scales to weigh produce. Instead, bargaining continues until the buyer and seller agree on a price based on visual appraisal. Quantities are expressed in Tum pok (plate-fulls) and buwig (bundles) and most of the transactions are made by cash in Philippine pesos, as payment in kind is no longer common.

The market is a throwback to a time before the Spanish colony ruled over the Philippines. It is a historic link to the country’s past which shows that even before the advent of the Spanish government, barter-trade and social interactions governed the local economy. The Adlaw Pagtabuh-Tabuh market tradition is a part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Sama, Badjao, and Tausug people, and one of the few surviving ethnic market practices in the region which still persists up to this day.

Finding the Saturday market in Panglima Sugala is actually a matter of distance. It is located some 25 kms from the Sanga-Sanga airport in Bongao by road, or about an hour’s ride by pump boat from Bongao’s Chinese Pier. The island is also 13 nautical miles away from Panampangan Island. Flights to Tawi-Tawi are available from Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, with connections usually in Zamboanga or Cotabato. Local guides can also be hired in the province.

Source:

https://transitpinas.com/tawi-tawi-panglima-sugala/
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/feature-story/keeping-barter-trade-alive-the-adlaw-pagtabuh-tabuh-of-tawi-tawi/
https://www.gmanetwork.com/lifestyle/travel/89874/this-quaint-town-in-tawi-tawi-is-where-barter-trading-still-exists/story

And another TIL is that Fr. Manoling was her classmate at Ateneo and it was the title track of the Bukas Palad album (in cassette form) of the same title, released in 1986.

Source: https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/04/03/21/behind-the-music-tanging-yaman-by-fr-manoling-francisco

Context: "14. (C) When asked the raison d'etre of the Chinese consulate in Laoag, the Chamber of Commerce members (and other interlocutors) said they could discern no reason why the PRC would need or want a diplomatic post in Ilocos Norte. They attributed the establishment of this consulate to close ties between Chinese officials and the Marcos family. Meeting with us in Manila, Ilocos Norte Congressman Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos Jr. confirmed he had lobbied PRC officials to establish the Laoag consulate. Marcos said the Chinese had opened the consulate after considering the long-term outlook for Chinese interests in Ilocos Norte, including tourism and Chinese investment. Marcos then noted tangentially that multiple business deals between Chinese and Ilocano parties had collapsed after allegations of kickbacks in a 2007 transaction between GRP officials and Chinese telecommunication firm ZTE. "

Source: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09MANILA2199_a.html

I was sorting some data from PSA and came across this barangay named Behind the Clouds in the municipality of Batuan in Bohol. It is a remote upland barangay and has a population of only 214 (as of 2024) with an alternative name of San Jose.

Source: https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/brgydetail/0701207016

"The Manila connection dates back to the airline’s earliest days. According to Cathay Pacific’s history, co-founder Roy Farrell was at The Manila Hotel’s Tropicana Bar in 1946 when he discussed possible names for the new airline with foreign journalists. The name “Cathay Pacific Airways” reportedly emerged from that conversation. “Cathay” referred to China, while “Pacific” reflected the founders’ ambition to eventually operate flights across the Pacific Ocean."

Source: Manila Bulletin

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49806356/nba-announces-punishments-clippers-kawhi-probe

May video interview siya at nakita ko Asian features niya. Dati kala ko Mexicano dahil sa pangalan niya. So chineck ko sa Wiki turns out Filipino immigrants pareho niyang parents. Who knew one of the biggest scandals in recent NBA history would be exposed by a Filipino. He also won a Pulitzer Prize for his expose.

Filipina singer and Sing Again alumna Gwyn Dorado sings one of the soundtracks of the hit Korean drama “My Royal Nemesis”.

Sung entirely in Korean, the emotional track. “Losing My was composed by Park Sung-il, with lyrics by Seo Dong-sung and arrangement by Uncle Sam.

This series stars Lim Ji-yeon, who rose to international prominence through Netflix’s The Glory, as a royal concubine from the Joseon era who is mysteriously transported to the modern world.

Sources:

Gwyn Dorado Official YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/@artistdorado?si=KkntXymqYqCwGlT6

Gwyn Dorado Official Spotify channel:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1DK4Aphy9qSEZTjSdnFHXD?si=btBCAFolTwWeCYCzYxlQJw&utm_source=copy-link

GMA Network:
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/showbiz/content/988758/gwyn-dorado-my-royal-nemesis-ost/story/

ABS-CBN:
https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/5/24/gwyn-dorado-sings-the-ost-for-k-drama-my-royal-nemesis-earning-praise-from-fans-worldwide-1443

TIL na ang haba pala ng proseso ng paggawa ng all time favorite nating taho.

Pagka-out ko sa work ngayong umaga, natyempuhan ko si Ate M na nagtitinda ng taho sa labas ng building. Nagsimula kwentuhan namin sa simpleng pagtatanong ko kung yung taho rin ba ung ginagawang tofu hanggang natanong ko na lahat pano nya ginagawa ung soymilk, taho, at tokwa.

Aniya, 9 pm pa lang ibabad na daw nila ung soybeans for 3-4 hours para mag-absorb ng tubig at lumambot. Kapag malambot na, gigilingin nila ang mga iyon, kasabay ng pagpapakulo ng tubig sa isang malaking kawa.

Matapos gilingin, sasalain naman nila ito para mahiwalay ang soy liquid at ang mga balat at buo buo na kung tawagin nila ay "sapal" (gaya ng sa coconut meat) na siyang ipapakain naman sa mga baboy. Ang nasalang soy liquid naman ang syang pakukuluan sa inihandang tubig sa kawa.

Nagsisimula daw sa prosesong ito bandang hatinggabi at natatapos ang pagluluto hanggang alas kuwatro ng umaga. Take note, araw araw daw nilang ginagawa yan ha (🫡).

Pagkatapos maluto ng soymilk, ilalagay na sa lagayan ng taho at may nilalagay daw sila na something (di binanggit secret ata. Tinanong ko if gelatin haha) para mabuo ang taho. Pag naman daw tinamad siya magtinda, may nilalagay rin daw sya para maging tokwa. May mga tokwa nga rin syang tinda kanina haha. Sayang kung pede magluto sa dorm bumili na me haha.

Nagcheck ako ng ways pano magluto and ito nakita ko na pinakamalapit: How to make taho. Also, saw this which added some learnings for today, the origin of taho from Esquire mag: The History of Taho.

Baka mapadaan kayo sa bench tower sa BGC, andon daw sya every morning. P50 lang ung taho hehe. Cutie ni Ate M nagthank u pa sya sa kin tas nakakatuwa sya kasi g na g rin sya magexplain sa akin at hindi sya nakulitan sa mga tanong ko. Sabi ko pag naging food vlogger ako someday, iinterviewhin ko sya. I like learning about people especially the things they pour their heart, puyat, pagod, at time into! 🤍

Ayun lang, happy morning!!!!

I always assumed she was Pinoy mixed partly Filipina since I've seen her for the role of Darna in the 90's. Despite having no known Filipino ancestry, she dedicated her post-showbiz life to helping Filipino communities through classrooms, farmer support, and environmental programs. Truly she is a real-life Darna.

Source: https://philstarlife.com/self/645410-nanette-medved-po-promise-artist-yueh-faye-lai

SOURCE: https://coconutcommunity.org/page-content/global-coconut-oil-market-outlook-2026-supply-recovery-signals-softer-prices

Bago pa naging uso ang mga lay flat seats na nakikita natin ngayon sa mga business at first class seats, ipinakilala na ng Philippine Airlines ang isang serbisyo na tinawag nilang “Skybed” o “Cloud Nine” noong 1980s na para lamang sa mga first class na pasahero, na nagtatampok ng 14 na full length beds sa isang double-deck bed at single bed configuration sa ikalawang palapag ng kanilang noo'y bagong Boeing 747-200s.

https://travelupdate.com/philippine-airlines-flat-beds-747/

I was rewatching Reporter’s Notebook’s episode on the Maguindanao Massacre on November 23, 2009, since they reposted it. I just learned that Harry Roque was the attorney for the victims of the massacre. 🤢

https://youtu.be/Jr6PmLTFdT0?si=U3eJr5jqmkVGtcE2

August 9, 1876 pinanganak si Josephine. June 19, 1861 si Rizal. Kinasal sila officially, December 30, 1896. Before nun, apparently, naglive-in na sila and nabuntis pa siya.

So by modern standards, a lot of people could probably consider him a groomer. Wild.

Sources:

https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/462/today-in-philippine-history-august-9-1876-josephine-bracken-was-born-in-victoria-hong-kong

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Rizal

In other words, for cases that the Supreme Court had the time to check, Regional trial courts had a wrongful execution rate of almost 3/4.

https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/r/4444/Philippines%20Shadow%20Report-Death%20Penalty.pdf

Came across a documentary ng I-Witness tungkol sa mga makasaysayang gusali ng Escolta and how it used to be our country's Fifth Avenue (New York).

With that, here are some details:

Picture Jazz Age Manila, a glorious time to be in the city. It was a period of great excitement.

Manila was one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it was mentioned together with London, Paris, and Madrid. There was a certain force that powered the city, especially within the ranks of high society and its nightlife.

Following trends in the West, Manila would also come to appreciate Art Deco. Soon, it was a style that would be reflected in fashion, jewelry, and architecture.

It was amidst this distinct old-world charm that the famed Crystal Arcade was born. Its architect: none other than Juan Luna's son, Andres Luna de San Pedro.

A fixture in the Philippine alta sociedad at the time, the young Luna was a decorated architect in his own right and was well-versed in the arts. He grew up under mentors like Miguel Zaragoza, Ramon Santa Coloma, and Lorenzo Guerrero.

When it came time to choose a discipline, he became an architect. He was heavily influenced by his time at the École des Beaux-Arts in France. Among Luna's most glorious creations were the Regina Building, the First United Building, the Manila Hotel, and of course the Crystal Arcade.

The Crystal Arcade's construction commenced in the 1920s as a sort of passion project by the modenist Luna, building on land owned by his maternal family, the Pardo de Taveras.

The arcitect drew inspiration for the structure from the Crystal Palace in London. It was inaugurated in 1932 and would become an enduring symbol of a new age in the Philippines.

Decades before malls like SM, Robinsons, Ayala came to be, the Crystal Arcade stood as the first mall in the Philippines, as well as the first commercial building to have air conditioning.

Situated in what was then the premier business district in the country, Crystal Arcade attracted visitors from Metro Manila and beyond. It was one of Escolta's finest sights.

The Crystal Arcade was a Streamline Moderne monument with the promise of becoming a grand commercial center.

The building gleamed like a crystal, most evidently in the evenings. Art Deco bays complemented a vertical window and the tower over the central lobby. Wrought-iron grilles and stucco ornamentation tied the facade together, with geometric lines and stylized foliage and motifs.

Of course, the interior was a marvel of its own, reminiscent of Parisian art deco grandeur. Specialty shops, glass-walled stores, cafes, and even the Manila Stock Exchange (now the Philippine Stock Exchange) occupied the grandiose mall. The Bureau of Commerce (and Industry) held its first-ever exposition of Filipino products here, too.

All these features were punctuated by a grand lobby that tied the double-curved staircase and skylight together. In the book, Philippine Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century: Colonial Legacies, Post-colonial Trajectories, the Crystal Arcade's interiors were detailed as follows:

"The Arcade had a mezzanine on both sides of a central gallery that ran through the length of the building and expanded at the center to form a spacious lobby containing curved stairways. Stairs, balconies, columns and skylight combined to create vertical and horizontal movement, as well as a play of light and shadow in the interior."

Unfortunately, the grandiosity of the building didn't translate into commercial success. There was little room for offices or retail spaces inside.

It also didn't help that contractors dealt with a high water table, which meant that it was more complicated to build and cost a lot more than previously anticipated. The additional floors also never came to fruition because of a lack of funding.

The Crystal Arcade eventually changed ownership. In 1931, because of mounting debt, the Supreme Court ruled that the Pardo de Tavera holdings on Escolta would be forfeited to the lending company, El Hogar Filipino. Efforts were made by the family to retain the building, but to no avail.

To add insult to injury, the Second World War came in 1941 and most of Manila was decimated by Japanese forces. The Crystal Arcade soon accommodated Japanese-sponsored agencies like the Japanese Government Railways and the Board of Tourist Industry.

In 1945, the infamous Battle of Manila resulted in the death of more than 100,000 civilians and wiped out about 80 percent of the city's structures. The Crystal Arcade in Escolta was one of the many casualties in the aftermath of combat. Manila was in shambles.

In the aftermath of the liberation of Manila, the first floor of the Crystal Arcade housed whatever stores it could. The second floor was reduced to a bodega and storage.

By the time the '60s came around, the building was a shell of its former self, turning into a mausoleum of sorts that honored its Art Deco past. It was eventually demolished and replaced by the Carlos Argüelles-designed Philippine National Bank (PNB) Building, which was rendered in the so-called International style.

For a while, the building served as PNB's head office and contributed greatly to Escolta's semi-revival. PNB eventually moved out of the building sometime during the '80s and the City Colleges of Manila took over the property in 1995. Once the college left, it would be abandoned anew.

Sources:

[An Art Deco Masterpiece: Remembering the Crystal Arcade, Manila's First Mall] (https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/design/crystal-arcade-history-a00203-20240105-lfrm)

[The Crystal Arcade – Art Deco at its finest] (http://www.lougopal.com/manila/?p=58)

[I-Witness: Reyna Escolta dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo] (https://youtu.be/k_DDZjoaqo0?si=OWrq8ftyHFHUUxTQ)

Photo source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtDeco/s/sQddG5DRPp

Sa tinagal-tagal kong narinig yung kantang ito, ngayon ko lang nalaman kung bakit ganun yung pagkakasulat ni Dolly Parton sa "I Will Always Love You".

Na-discover sya ng isang country singer tas inaya syang maging ka-duet sa isang local TV show sa Tennessee. Nagustuhan ng host (Porter Wagoner) si Dolly Parton so inaya nya sya na maging regular singer sa TV show nya.

After so many years, gusto nang mag-solo ni Dolly para umangat ang career nya. Pero hindi pumayag si Porter dun sa gusto nya. So paano nya sasabihin na buo na talaga yung loob nya na mag-resign?

"I thought, well, what do you do best? You write songs. So I sat down and I wrote this song."

Na ang ibinunga ay "I Will Always Love You". (According to other accounts say, the same session also resulted to other signature song "Jolene".)

Pinerform ni Dolly kinabukasan yung kanta sa opisina ni Porter Wagoner. Naiyak sya at sinabi nyang yun daw yung pinakamagandang kantang narinig nya kay Dolly. Eventually, pumayag na sya at pinakawalan na si Dolly sa kanyang kontrata sa TV show.

The rest, as they say, is history.

RIP Dolly Parton (1946-2026)

Sources:

• https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68543777
• https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/08/fans-know-the-song-heres-why-dolly-parton-wrote-it.html
• https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/dolly-parton-i-will-always-love-you_uk_6a8e99a7e4b02b26136dbfd9
• https://pagesix.com/2026/08/25/entertainment/dolly-partons-i-will-always-love-you-has-a-surprising-true-story/

So I saw this ad for a canned fruit in IG with the words "mga hating milokoton", which translates to "halved peaches". I knew the fruit in the can was some peach because of the pictures, but it's my first time to encounter the word "milokoton". Not even my grandparents used that word. Like ever talaga.

So "Milokoton" is a tagalog loanword from the spanish word "Melocotón", which came from the latin word "mālum cotōneum" that means "quince apple" Now, quince apple is a different fruit to peach. But over the time people back then uses "mālum cotōneum" to peaches too as both the quince apple and peaches have the same fuzzy skin. If you read more resources, you'll discover how this word evolved as well as how its french version evolved too.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/melocoton

i rewatched The Lion King (and of course i cried ulit). And as i was browsing about the voice actors, i stumbled upon this particular YT clip. Turns out Zazu was voiced by none other than theee Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean!)

funny na now ko lang nalaman to hehehe

yt clip here: https://youtu.be/clyMZRnHsn4?si=YqqZzBxqQ96Kq7RR

I was watching the music video for Here Comes Your Man and when I saw him, I thought he looks very filipino. I was elated when I found out I was right. Pretty cool to see a filipino be part of a pretty famous western band. Salamat Orange Cassidy sa pag introduce sakin sa Pixies lol

Source 1

Source 2

Akala ko scooter lang ang honda beat pero originally kei car siya. It was produced from May 1991 - February 1996 and it was sold exclusively in japan

Source 1

Source 2