The Philippines and the UNIVERSE

Filipinos are notable beauty pageant connoisseurs. We are the only country can consider beauty contest as our national sport. 😂

I think everyone I know - gay or straight watches the Ms. Universe live telecast. It is one of the most anticipated event every year that viewership would equal or sometimes exceed Manny Paquiao's boxing title fights. It is quite ironic because basketball is considered our national sports. Nationwide participation is more present in the Ms. Universe than professional basketball.

We have our own local version of Ms. Universe contest during our barangay fiestas. Which becomes more of a comedy show because participants are gay and transwoman members of the community. Contestants are parading their versions of Ms. Universe and even celebrities look alike. Entertainment like this is quite simply original Filipino.

Filipinos solidarity for their candidate is a force to reckon with. We are always a top candidate in online voting. I can see people reposting posts calling people to vote for our candidate in droves on social media platform. Support like that can be very useful if we put that same effort politically. 😂

The recent social media backlash on the 2023 Ms. Universe held in El Salvador perceived fiasco on the Top 5 candidates finalist stirred controversy. Some saying that it was more of a cooking show (luto ang laban) instead of beauty pageant. Probably to a lot of Filipino fans thought it was rigged because this year's candidate showed the same level of competency as the previous winners from our country. Filipino fans had high hope that Michelle would be the next Filipina to win the title.

But we didn't win. That showed the ugly sides of Filipino fans like a faithful lover scorned.

Missing Balat

How do you feel losing loved ones? I'm referring to our fur kids. I've been a cat rescuer for over five years now. It started when I rescued the first kitten I saw along Boni Avenue. He was sitting beside the homeless man scavenging garbage bag for some things he could find to eat or to sell at the junk shop. He was minding his business and unaware of the kitten beside him. I could tell the kitten was waiting for the man to give him some scraps he could spare. I passed by them and I was thinking I will get him after I went back from the supermarket. Luckily he was still there when I passed by so I took him. The rest is good story I can tell. I got a companion for Negra. I named him Balat. He died a couple of years ago. I still fondly remember him. He was docile and love to sleep for the whole day except when time he needs to go out and about. He was grumpy to other male cats. He chose to stay and live outside when I started rescuing more cats. He only goes home when it is ti...

72 Hour Emergency Kit

72 Hour Kit Bag 72-Hour Emergency Kit Checklist A 72-hour emergency kit (also known as a "bug-out bag" or "go bag") is designed to provide essential supplies for you and your family to survive at least three days during a disaster, when help may not arrive immediately. Based on recommendations from trusted sources like Ready.gov and the American Red Cross, assemble one kit per person (including children and pets), plus extras for home, work, and your car. Store items in a waterproof, easy-to-carry container like a backpack or duffel bag. Update the kit every six months—check expiration dates on food, medications, and batteries when you change your clocks. Here's a comprehensive checklist organized by category. Prioritize the basics first, then add family-specific items. Water 1 gallon per person per day (minimum 3 gallons total per person)**: For drinking and sanitation. Store in sealed bottles or use collapsible containers. Water purification tablets or a fil...

Beach and Island Destination in 2024

I miss the times when I travel with friends and online acquaintances. I used to travel to a different local destinations. Some were daytrips and some were overnight and some took a few days away from the city. I'm a part of a get together group at Meetup.com since 2013. I started to join their events and activities so I can be out of the apartment once in a while. I resigned from my office based job and found a gig to work from home in 2013. So to fight my boredom and be able to socialize a bit I joined MTAG, short for Manila Trips and Get Together. The group is one of the biggest in Meetup PH. It grown to 2,800 membership in about 2-3 years it was organized. I'm super active starting 2013 to 2017 then I kind of rested a while. The group is still at Meetup.com and being maintained by Chris. He is the original organizer and along with other event organizers. As everything slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic so did the meetup group. Now that everything is picking u...

Milo's Corner

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