From the category archives:

Barrio Siete

15th State of the Barrio Address (SOBA): Au revoir and goodbye! Barrio Siete is closing its doors.

by reynz on December 19, 2009

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It may not really be au revoir and goodbye because Barrio Siete is merging back to its mother ship – Reyna Elena.
May 17, 2009 when we created Barrio Siete. Interestingly, 7 months later we are now folding up. It was a nice run. A great run. An unbelievable run. In fact, we’re still flying high [...]

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Panawagan sa mga OFW vacationing this Christmas in the Philippines

by reynz on December 15, 2009

O, Monique! Basahin! Namnamin para ok ang pamudmud mo nang regalo sa Davao!
Here’s an Advice for Vacationing OFW’s this Christmas:

As the Christmas season is when overseas Filipino workers usually come home for a vacation, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has issued an advisory on the issuance of POEA travel exit clearances.
In the advisory, vacationing Filipinos [...]

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Barrio Siete invades Greenbelt

by reynz on December 13, 2009

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That wine? Given to me by Annalyn nyahaha! Many thanks sa susunod na batch of bottles hehehe! Truly, it was fun meeting my fellow B7 Writers. There was John who was in town from San Francisco. There was Annette & Dirk who were also in town from Germany who showered us with German chocolates hehehe! [...]

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Traditional Pasko sa Amerika

by MrNonsense on December 12, 2009

After stuffing ourselves with all the Thanksgiving turkey, my family and I decided to burn some calories by going to the Christmas tree farm. This was the first time we cut our own tree, and it was so much fun.

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Letters from Readers: Ate Charing Acts and Eklat Reacts

by Mel on December 11, 2009

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Hello mga friendship! Kamusta na kayo? Well, if you ask me, okay lang ako at in-love. Charoooot!
Because of the good feedback we received from our first response to some of our Barrio Siete letter senders seeking for advice, we are once again opening our mailbox para matugunan ang iilang problema ng ating mga ka-barrio na [...]

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Barrio Siete invades Greenbelt

December 7, 2009

Barrio Siete invades Greenbelt! Buti hindi nag-martial law hehehe! But Malen and I had one taxi crazy nite! Ano yon?! Mas alam ko pa ang kalsada hanggang Buendia lang naman hehehe! Ang leche at winala kami after naming hinatid si Eklat! Anyway… here’s the story of our EB, wine bottle courtesy of Annalyn:

There you go [...]

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The American Turkeys

December 2, 2009

Every fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day tocommemorate the first big feast between the European settlers, called the Pilgrims, and the Native American tribe that helped and taught them how to farm, hunt, and survive the winter.   This is a special time for gatherings and giving thanks for all our blessings, our families, and friends.   Some [...]

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Dear Ate Charing: Letters from Readers

November 28, 2009

Here in Barrio Siete, we come across different kinds of readers from all walks of life. Contributing articles through email is one aspect where readers can share their stories about their respective lives or experiences. Pero dapat matuto ka rin makipag-social climb noh kasi hindi naman lahat ng nagsa-submit ng mga articles eh napipili ng [...]

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Barrio Siete's OFFICIAL STATEMENT on the Maguindanao Massacre

November 25, 2009

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Barrio Siete Collective Blog was conceived with a common goal of responsible freedom of expression, radical tracing of one’s provincial roots and the upholding of democracy via the written form of communication despite of various differences [...]

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Eklat’s Open Letter to Sec. Jesus Dureza

November 25, 2009

Dear Uncle Jessie,
How are you my dear uncle? Don’t tell me you are okay because I know you’re not.
It’s been a while since we last saw and spoke to each other noh? Well, you know naman uncle that I’m a little popular than you now and I’ve been very busy with my newfound social life. [...]

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Manny Pacquiao, Krista Ranillo, Jinkee Pacquiao and the lynching of Coconuter

November 18, 2009

Did you hear the latest buzz?
Well, it’s about a trilogy.
Ok, maybe not.
Allegedly, it’s about Manny Pacquiao, Krista Ranillo, Jinkee Pacquiao and a blogger called Coconuter. Gosh he’s cute! I wanna buy him a sellphone! Grrr! Ok. Sumesemplang ako sa topic.
Well, according to the grapevine, si Manny daw and Krista…
ahh…
Honestly?!
Wala akong pakialam kung ano man [...]

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Put Your Own Caption: Manny Pacquiao

November 16, 2009

“I just think I’m an ordinary fighter,” Pacquiao said. “When I fight a good fighter, sometimes I can beat him. “  And as many fighters like to proclaim themselves as the best, Manny continues to give props to the business, his opponents, his trainers, his family, his country, God, and his fans.  
He is hailed as the pound-for-pound [...]

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13th State of the Barrio Address (SOBA): Sayonara anonymous commenters

November 16, 2009

First, let me thank all of you for your continued support of Barrio Siete. Our unbelievable meteoric rise in the Philippine blogging community is brought to you not by prakter & gambul but ewan ko, maganda lang talaga kami siguro.
Almost 6 months in the blogging world, we in Barrio Siete are just very happy to [...]

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Use of Filipino drug mules in South America, especially alarming

November 14, 2009

With my usual coffee + keyboard combination on a dreary Saturday Philly morning, I was reading this article about a 35-year-old Filipino who tried to smuggle in 6.145 kilos of cocaine alkaloid but was caught in Cusco, Peru on September 30. Now, in my mind, why would Filipinos do that? Highly unlikely right? Then [...]

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Eklat in the Barrio

November 12, 2009
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Eklat started off with a big bang in the barrio, racking up over a hundred comments with her 1st letter to B7 writers. She was introduced to the barrio by her agent, Mel Beckham.
First of all let me introduce myself, my name is Elaine Katherine Lourdes Anna Theresa , but my friends call me [...]

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Eklat and the Noynoy video Brouhaha

November 11, 2009

Sa mga umaabang sa next appearance ni Eklat, lalo na sa kanyang anim na fans, eto ulet ang isang sulat mula sa kanya.
Basa na mga bruha.

Hello patriots!
Yes it’s me again, Eklat at your service.
You know I just arrived from a week of rehab, I mean, vacation in LA and the news that Yaya Indira has [...]

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One FB blogger compared “Noynoy’s Campaign Ad” to a Nazi propaganda

November 10, 2009
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Bluepanjeet wrote one very powerful blog entry that elicited some very heated and fiery reactions both on Facebook and in Barrio Siete. In fact, (another) one FB blogger compared “Noynoy’s Campaign Ad” to a nazi propaganda.
Do we really have to go this low by espousing hatred and bringing in the Nazis? Election certainly divides Filipinos. [...]

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U.S. jobless rate passed 10% mark

November 7, 2009

Another truly sad day in America. True, recession might be ending because the last quarter of this year will probably show another growth. If that happens, that would be 2 successive quarters of positive growth officially ending the recession.
The bad news? Employers are just reluctant to hire. And the meager recovery for the last quarter [...]

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The Eklat Update and the Women in Noy and Mar’s life

November 3, 2009

Mga bruhang fans ni Eklat, may sulat na naman po siya para sa atin kaya hindi ko na kayo bibitinin. Sabay-sabay nating basahin. Gooooo!

Hello my dear minions!
I know that you’re glad to see my name pop up in Barrio Siete again.

Well forgive moi to keep you waiting because I’ve been so much busy doing charity [...]

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Katakot Ako Eh

November 3, 2009

Mino Saves Little Miss Nonsense
I’m not a saint.  I don’t have a soul.  I’m not dead—yet.  [Lightning flashes]
Halloween was a pagan tradition that originated from the Celts 2,000 years ago.  November 1st was considered the end harvest season and the beginning of the winter chill and darkness, the time of the year that was most [...]

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A look at Ozamis City: public malls, changing the palengke landscape

November 2, 2009

How much do you know ba about Ozamis City?
From the air:

It’s interesting dahil most of us could talk about Paris, Rome, Montreal, Budapest, London or Dubai, yet I am so guilty, ni hindi ko nga alam kung saan tong Ozamis City. Aminin! Kahit kayo wa kayo knowing! Hahaha!
Im fak, sa kaka-google ko, I found [...]

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Barrio Halloween

November 1, 2009

Undas na mga ka-barrio.

Ano bang ginagawa niyo to celebrate this holiday?
Well, in my case I attended a birthday party on a Halloween. Buti na lang at hindi costume party kaya hindi na ako nag-effort to come as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Hahaha!
Anyway, sa mga ka-barrio natin diyan sa Amerika, normal na eksena na ang makakita [...]

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Put Your Own Caption: Reyna Elena

October 30, 2009
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Ano ba talaga ang ibig sabihin ng social climbing?
@}– @}– @}– @}– @}–
“Social climbing” is more than a wish your heart makes.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Palm Reading – (Tatanda ka bang dalaga?)

October 24, 2009

Out of nowhere, I suddenly remembered my fourth year adviser back in high school. I would say she was intelligent. She was very knowledgeable of uncommon things such as theories which are not commonly discussed, as well as palm reading.
One afternoon during our break, we talked about marriage, crushes, early pregnancy, relationships and other related [...]

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America's Favorite Past Time

October 24, 2009

I hate baseball!

But after getting free tickets for the Seattle Mariners game from work, I didn’t hesistate to take the opportunity to bring my whole family to our first professional sports event. Free tickets, free hotdogs, free soda, fun with family and friends, and watching my half-brother, Ichiro…almost perfect! Only thing missing was a bowl of spare ribs teriyaki.

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September 22 (Marriage, Fancy Restaurants, and Lea Salonga)

October 22, 2009

I’m a party pooper! I had a talent for ruining surprises. I would go as far as looking all over the house, checking the bank account, checking my wife’s purse for receipts, coming home early unannouced, and bribing my children to tell me any information that they have about a gift or a plan that my wife have made. Blowin’ up the surprise is more fun than the surprise itself. But through the years, she has learned to hide things better. And I also realized that it’s not fun for her everytime I screw it up. So, as a loving and dedicated husband, one must just go with the flow.

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Aanhin pa ang damo kung tigok na ang kabayo? (A special report from a volunteer)

October 22, 2009

Ladies & gentlemen and everyone else in between, this is La Kapitana.
One Ella reader sent me an email (Bebe from Toronto, Canada) to pick up Ella’s entry dahil sasakalin na daw nya lahat nang deers na makita nya sa North America sa sobrang galet. She was so agitated that I left a comment on Ella’s [...]

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What would motivate you to go home to the Philippines?

October 22, 2009

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“Filipino scholars’ abroad urged to return to the Philippines and share what they have learned to help improve the country’s academic and industrial sectors. Helpless Filipino politicians??? Sounds charity for the love of country.”
Seriously, if any local or multinational company or university in the Philippines hires me, I’ll go home. I am available. [...]

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Meet the Writers: Making Sense of Mr. Nonsense

October 21, 2009

Mr. Nonsense can often be seen in the Tacoma-Seattle area carrying a camcorder, accompanied by his two sons and his personal chauffeur, his wife. He uses his Tondo upbringing to nurture his children and to survive in a mental institution—>where he currently works.
He enjoys basketball, cooking, singing, cartooning, producing short movies, and making his own furniture out of junked wood… because he’s so cheap. He is a self-proclaimed “Man of the House,”…when his wife is not home.

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Confession of a teenage dramatistang bading

October 21, 2009

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I have a confession to make.
Opo, kuya, ate.
Isang pagtatapat mga ka-barrio. Hindi ito tungkol sa aking pagkatao dahil matagal ko nag ipinagtapat sa inyo na hindi ako isang tao. Sa mga hindi pa nakakaalam, isa po akong “diyosa”.
Hahaha! Charing lang.
Seriously (kunwari), mahirap man itong sasabihin ko ay kailangan ninyong malaman [...]

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Our first date

October 19, 2009

…in a very long time since my children were born.
My wife and I decided one Monday that it is time to leave the kids and go on a date again. So we left the boys with the babysitter and planned to go to the the casino. But the casino wasn’t the romantic place we were [...]

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Soldiers are Mothers, too

October 19, 2009

War is not like a hollywood blockbuster. A soldier is not an action hero. Outside the statistics and the news-worthy portrayals, there are deeply personal issues that most of us don’t see.

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Starbucks Coffee Break

October 18, 2009

Last year my wife and I, along with a few other staff, were asked to participate in a poetry reading with the children at the psychiatric facility that we both work at. This annual poetry group encourages children to open-up and express their feelings in a more positive way. An so my wife read her poems [...]

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How to read Alexa charts

October 18, 2009

Back when I was just starting to blog, trying to social climb with who would turn out to be Manila’s self-proclaimed users influential bloggers, I was not just pushed out to the dark corners of internet pit of the world but would constantly be compared and lambasted that I’d be labeled to be just uberly [...]

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Philippines tallest building, The PAGCOR Tower

October 17, 2009

Pikit kayo! Magbibihis Si Perla!
Call center agent ako. Minsan, wala akong magawa sa office. One time, nag-surf ako nang nag-surf sa internet kahit pa ang laging sabi ng manager namin was read and review. (abuh! nakakasawa kayang magbasa ng magbasa ng processes noh! Wag kayong maingay baka materminate ako hekhek)
My boyfriend is a graduate of [...]

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Cows, Pigs, and Brains at the Puyallup Fair

October 16, 2009

This was the funnest and most adventure-filled summer my family and I have ever had.  It was also the most documented and most expensive.  We visited and enjoyed some of the best places that both Iowa and Western Washington have to offer.  From Adventureland, to the Amanas.  From Mt.Rainier, to Lake Quinault.  From Ichiro, to [...]

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Reuters just showed me first hand why mainstream media sucks!

October 15, 2009

Bloody ridiculous that someone put one over yah, ain’t it?! Well, here’s my experience with Reuters and how they showed me first hand why mainstream media sucks! It’s not just the bloody ugly power of knives of editing but also, it’s the indifference once they get what they want and the unprofessionality once they’re done [...]

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ARE WE GOOD OR FEELING GOOD?

October 15, 2009

By: Carlos “Charlie” Contreras
Mississauga , Ontario , Canada
I am just a newcomer in Canada and I noticed it is common to be asked by someone…”how are you?” And many would say…”OH I AM GOOD!” In other countries such as the Philippines , if someone ask the same question, the common answer would be [...]

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Ely's Philippine Imports: New Orleans Filipino Store, meeting place of Pinoys

October 14, 2009

In New Orleans, I was on a hunt. Hunting for a Filipino store. That hunt would bring me to Slidell, Louisiana. Across the bridge, across the lake, on a very rainy day. I’m sorry, I lost my camera so I don’t have a picture of this Filipino store in Slidell. She told me that there [...]

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For the last time, I don’t know karate

October 11, 2009

…nor do I use chopsticks!
Filipinos are faith, family, music, and FOOD loving people. And regardless of our economic status, we all enjoy gatherings and karaoke in the company of our family and friends. And thank God for the strong Filipino community here in Washington, my family and I are able to preserve some of our [...]

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Sa panahon ngayon, bawal mataranta

October 9, 2009

The aftermath brought by the typhoons that wrecked our country is now being felt not just by those directly affected but also the entire country.
Dahil sa mga bagyong ito, kelangan magdoble sa sipag ang karamihan sa ating mga mamamayan. Hindi lang nila kelangan kumayod para mabuhay sa pang-araw araw na basic needs, they also need [...]

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Eklat Strikes Back

October 8, 2009

Mga kapatid, eto at may natanggap na naman tayong sulat dito sa Barrio Siete from our dear friend Eklat. Naging busy pala ang lola niyo sa kawanggawa kaya natagalan bago siya nakasulat sa atin. Sa mga hindi pa familiar kay Eklat, you can read her first two letters here and here.
Here is Eklat’s third letter [...]

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11th State of the Barrio Address (SOBA): Welcome our new tagline!

October 7, 2009

“Keep Social Climbing Alive!”
That’s our tagline that endeared us to all of of you and gained us a lot of our followers worldwide. Except this reader from Houston who had no clue what our social climbing meant:
“What about you, the self-proclaimed “social climber”? You do realize, surely, what a contemptible connotation the term “social climber” [...]

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The beginning of the end of times?

October 4, 2009
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By Charlie
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
We have read or heard about “global warming” but how much do we really know about it and how many really take it seriously? The abnormal weather that is happening around the world are often dismissed as “climate change” and not due to effects of “global warning”. This year [...]

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Help Make a Filipino Become This Year’s CNN Hero

October 4, 2009

By: iRonnie
Filipino Efren Peñaflorida of the Dynamic Teen Company earns a coveted spot in this year’s CNN Top Ten Heroes list. They will be honored at the Kodak theater on November 26th (Thanksgiving Night) when the winner will be announced.
The winner will be chosen by the public via online voting starting Oct. 1, 2009 at [...]

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