Bob Martin

Do you remember a couple of months ago I had an article where I advocated the Jeepney fares should be determined by the private sector, not dictated by the government?  Over the years I have had numerous columns where I pointed out that the Philippine government, in my opinion, gets too involved in matters that really should be private.  Also, many Filipinos, in my opinion, look for the government to tell them what to do, to protect them, etc. instead of taking care of their own needs.

So, do you know who Manny Pacquiao is?  I have written about him before, and he is quite famous anyway, so I am sure that the vast majority of you know who he is.  Manny is a boxing champion who hails from General Santos City, a place where I used to live.  Pacquiao is a World Champion, and almost all of his fights occur in Las Vegas, so he is not just a regional fighter, this guy is a world known (and feared) talent.

Manny is currently preparing for his biggest fight of his career.  On December 6, he will be fighting Oscar de la Hoya.  de la Hoya is much bigger than Manny is, but this fight will pay a huge amount of money for Manny, and I believe that although he is smaller, he still has a chance to emerge victorious - he is that good.

I was rather surprised the other day when I saw an article in a local newspaper about a Philippine Congressman, Rufus Rodriguez from Cagayan de Oro.  Congressman Rodriguez is urging the World Boxing Council (WBC) to cancel the fight.  He is also urging the Philippine Games and Amusement Board to freeze Pacquiao’s boxing license until after December 6.  Why is he seeking these actions?  Because he feels that Pacquiao may lose the fight!  My goodness!  Shouldn’t it be up to Manny Pacquiao to decide if he wants to take the chance of losing?

Congressman Rodriguez has also said that he fears that Pacquiao may get injured in the bout.  Isn’t it possible that any boxer could get hurt in any fight that he participates in?  If so, maybe boxing should be outlawed?  Certainly legislation should not be inacted any time that a Philippine boxer “might lose or get hurt.”

Doesn’t this just glaringly point out that the Philippine Government steps into places where it simply doesn’t belong?  I admit, I am conservative, and I tend to push for smaller government in almost every instance.  But, in this case, I think that a person of any political persuasion should be able to come to agreement that the Congressman is over-reaching his role by a long, long ways.

It seems that Feyma’s mother has embarked on a trip.  She is on the road home.  She actually started this journey several years ago, but over the past few days, it seems that she has nearly reached her destination.  I am not with her and can’t see what she is seeing, but I am sure that a lot of people are waiting for her with open arms.

We got the call from one of Feyma’s sisters on Friday last week.  Mama seemed to be very near death.  The timing for this was not good, but no matter when something like this happens, it can never be “good timing,” can it?  You see, the call came on Friday afternoon, and one of our kids was scheduled to have his birthday party on Saturday.  Kids don’t understand these things, and for a child a birthday party is a big thing, so Feyma made the decision to stay in Davao until Sunday.  Sunday morning, though, she headed back to her birthplace, Patag, Sarangani.  Thankfully, Mama held on during this time, and is still alive, as I write this.  So, they will get to visit with her mom, at least one last time.

Over the last five years or so, there have been a number of times when we thought that Mama would pass soon, but each time she made it through.  This time though, it seems much more serious, and we don’t expect that she will last much longer.  She can no longer talk, hasn’t eaten for several days, or even drank anything, so she is in very bad shape.

I would have liked to have gone myself to see her one last time.  Although Mama and I have never been able to communicate much (she doesn’t speak any English at all), we always had a close relationship.  I know it sounds strange, but that’s just the way it’s been.  However, neither the kids nor I went on his trip.  Unfortunately, that part of the country, Sarangani, has been somewhat critical in the last month or two.  There were some MILF attacks in the area, and army operations in the area are still ongoing.  Because of this, we felt it was best for the whole family to not go.  I really didn’t want Feyma to go either, but how could I say no, it’s her mother after all.  When somebody very close in the family is dying, sometimes you have to  take a chance.

Feyma plans to stay just one day, and then return to Davao.  Of course, she might stay longer, but that depends on her mother’s health.  If things stay as they are now though Feyma will return by tomorrow.  I know she would like to stay longer to be with her mother, but with kids and everything sometimes you can’t always do what you want to do.  In addition, I hate being separated from Feyma, if she is out of town, I’m always on edge.

Mama has suffered many strokes in the last several years, and her health is very bad.  Although you never wish for anybody to die, we do hope that Mama’s suffering will end soon.  We take comfort in the fact that we know that when Mama leaves us, she will join Papa in a place far better than where we are now.  And, she won’t suffer any more.

I’m looking forward to seeing Feyma again, and I hope that having seen Mama she feels okay about the situation, even though I know this is a hard time for her.

Web 2.0.  Do you know what that is?  Ever heard the saying before?  Well, basically Web 2.0 is the second incarnation of the World Wide Web.  Most people would agree that Web 1.0 (although that term is rarely used) would be from the mid-90’s through 2000 or so, when the tech stocks took a big plunge.  A few years later, Web 2.0 was born, and continues to this day.  One of the foundations of Web 2.0 these days is Social Networking.

There are lots of Social Networking sites:  Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and dozens of other Social Networking sites are ruling the Web these days and attracting millions of users.

Here in the Philippines, though, these famous Social Networking sites are not the kings of the web.  The site that draws in thousands… no millions of Filipinos is Friendster.  In earlier years, Friendster was used by people all over the world, but these days, Friendster is dominated by Filipinos, and some other countries in Asia.

For me, to be honest, I am not much into Social Networking.  I have accounts on a few Social Networking sites, but don’t get too involved with them.  I do stay somewhat active in Frienster, though, because most people who follow my various websites and blogs are Friendster users, so I feel that keeping at least a bit active on Friendster is advantageous for me.

I even have a “Fan Club” on Frienster, which is called “Friends of Mindanao Bob.”  It is not too active, but I do make some announcements there, and I encourage you to join the group, if you wish to follow my various activities living here in the Philippines.

How about you?  Do you have Friendster?  If you have some connection to the Philippines (and if you read my site, you obviously do!), you really should have Frienster to learn more about, and make more friends in the Philippines.  You certainly can meet lots of Filipinos on Friendster, no doubt on that!

Want to be my friend on Friendster?  If so, go to my profile, and invite me to be your friend.  If you want to join my Fan Club, go have a look!

A few columns back, I wrote about fine dining at a new restaurant discovery here in Davao.  In the comments, one reader told about how he avoided a lot of foods and drinks on his recent trip to the Philippines (his first time here), fearing that he might have stomach problems from the food.  It’s not an uncommon fear, many foreign visitors that I meet here are a little leary to drink the water and to partake in other local foods.  Honestly, while you need to be cautious, no need to be overly careful.  While visiting here, remember you are on vacation, so have a little fun!

Of course, the number one concern for most travelers visiting a country that they are not used to is the water.  I understand the concern too, because in many countries water can really give you a bad case of stomach problems.  I would agree that in almost every part of the Philippines, the drinking water should be a concern, and you should try to drink bottled water if at all possible.  And, a good thing to know is that bottled water is very readily available all over the Philippines.  Even the smallest sari-sari stores generally offered botteled water, and it’s cheap too.  I recommend as a first time traveler in the Philippines you should drink bottled water.  This recommendation can be ignored if you are in Davao, though, as Davao is the only place I know of in the Philippines with treated water that is safe to drink for foreigners.  When I lived in General Santos I only drank bottled water, while here in Davao I regularly drink tap water, and have never experienced a problem with it.

Another area that people are regularly concerned about, which is also related to water, is using ice in their drinks.  I agree that if you should not drink local tap water, it is probably a good idea to avoid ice too, although I suspect that the freezing process probably kills off some of the germs.  That said, I feel that it is OK to use a limited amount of ice in your drinks here without experiencing problems.  I have always used ice in my drinks here, even in areas where I would not drink the tap water, and it has never caused me stomach problems.

Other beverages like soft drinks, beer, juices (bottled or canned) should present no problems at all, as they become sterilized during the manufacturing process.

A third area of concern, which was mentioned in the comment a few days ago was a concern about eating local fresh fruits.  In my opinion, not eating fresh fruits when you are in the Philippines would be a real shame, as I feel that the fruits in the Philippines are among the best in the world.  Philippine mangoes are the best mangoes in the world in my opinion, and it would be a real shame to miss them!  Honestly, I have never heard of anybody getting sick from eating fresh fruits here, and I would not even be slightly worried about it.  I know that I regularly eat every fresh fruit that you could think of here, and it has never presented even a slight problem for me.  In addition, eating fresh fruits, tree ripened is not only a delicious addition to your diet, but highly healthy as well.  If you are worried about getting stomach problems from fresh fruit here, start off with just eating a small amount and increase your intake as the days go by.

What about vegetables?  In my opinion, all vegetables can follow the same guidelines that I outlined for fresh fruits.

When it comes to meats, seafoods and poultry, as long as it is properly cooked, you should experience no problems at all.  In my case, I regularly eat raw fish (sashimi and sushi) here, and it has never caused me a problem.  I eat beef medium rare, or even rare on many occasions and have remained healthy over the years.  So, because of the diet that I have maintained, I don’t think that these foods are anything to be too concerned about.

When you come to the Philippines, have a good time!  Be careful, but not overboard.  There is a fine balance - if you are too careful it can spoil some of your fun and adventure.  If you are too carefree you might spend a day staying near the toilet!  But, I don’t think you need to be worried about any foods or drinks causing a problem bigger than that!

Eat, Drink and be Merry!

If you have traveled the Philippines, or if you live here, what have been your experiences in eating the local foods and drinking the water here?

A little over a week ago, I had a column here announcing a little contest that I was holding here on the site.  The winner of the contest would recieve a free copy of my video seminar “Virtual Earner” about how to earn a living online, especially for those who live in the Philippines.  I have been considering the entrants over the past few days, and although the decision was quite difficult, I am happy to announce that I have made my final decision, and am ready to announce it here, and to award the prizes.

Before making the announcement, let me say that there were so many good entries that it was not easy to come to a decision.  A lot of people left very emotional comments on why they needed the video to help in their current situation, and given the financial condition that the entire world is in these days, I think that is very understandable.  So, if you did not win, please don’t think that I didn’t like what you had to say, it was just a matter of choosing the person that I felt left the best answer, and also that I thought would be likely to benefit from the video.

My first announcement is that I have decided to give away TWO videos instead of just one.  So, your chances of winning just doubled!

Winner One -  Comment #2 from BrSpiritus: BrSpiritus is a fellow by the name of Louis.  I have personally known Louis for over a year, and although we are not close friends, I do feel that we are friends, and could perhaps develop our friendship more as time goes by.  Louis has been a reader of this site for a long time, and was even a writer on the site at one time.  The thing that I really liked about Louis’ comment was that in addition to helping his own financial situation by earning online, Louis also aims to give something back by helping people here.  I feel in many ways that I also do that, and I would love to see Louis being able to do it too.  So, Louis, let’s get together for coffee sometime soon, and I’ll give you your copy of the video!

Winner Two - Comment #26 from David Pennell: I met David last year while he was in Davao, along with his brother-in-law Malcolm (also a reader).  David is a very sincere guy, and a hard worker.  David is a father of several young children who live in Davao, and in order to earn a living for his family, David must be separated from his wife and kids at this time.  I feel that David would work hard to develop some online earnings to enable himself to be reunited with his family here in Davao.  I want to help support him in doing that.  David, please contact me via e-mail with your mailing address, and I will send the DVD right out to you!

Yes, it turns out that the two winners are people that I have met in person, but that was not something that was a prerequisite, it just worked out that way.  I will try to have some other contests in the future for other products of mine, and will look forward to sharing with others as well.

Congratulations to Louis and David for your excellent comments, and I hope that my video will enable you to reach the dreams that you have for living in the Philippines!