Photo of the Week: September 4-11, 2010

Paragos (Filipino Sledge)

I have heard of this when I was a kid. And as an adult, I wanted to see one. But not really to hold it or use it. I just wanted to see one and get a picture of it.

Then came the Anilag Festival of 2007.

I saw this paragos (Filipino sledge) in one of the exhibit boots.

The paragos is made of wood and is drawn by the kalabaw (carabao or water buffalo). It used to be a means of transportation for our natives; not just for produces but humans, too.

It is just one of those many things that make me feel Filipino. It has the ability to make me think back years before I was even born. The paragos takes me back to those old movies of simple life like they showed in those old movies. People living in a nipa hut in the middle of a ricefield with a mountain on the background.

OPM on the Airwaves Part 2

On my post here, it was just a news on the radio. After hearing the news and eating my lunch, I googled for something about it but did not find anything. But I was too eager to write about it because if I didn't at that time, I might be on my lazy mode and totally forgot about the news.

But today, while I was reading back tweets from the people I follow, this was posted and RT'd (retweeted). Ah, this confirms the news on my post.

This also confirms that the law when I was still in college is still a law. It's just that people has somehow forgotten it, that's why PNoy is reminding us all.

But, I'd still like to point out. I hope that Section One be strictly imposed.

Read about the executive order here: Executive Order No. 255

OPM on the Airwaves

The lunchtime news at DZMM radio today announced that PNoy wanted the radios to play OPM songs on their stations.

There is nothing new to this. When I was in college and that was around the last part of the 1980s, the radios were actually required to play four OPM songs within the hour. All FM radios complied to this law. I used to listen to the Rhythm of the City 99.5RT, and I remember the DJ at that time sounding a little bit obliged for having to do such. I remember I heard her saying it with a sigh that it's time to play an OPM song now because we radio stations are required to do so(in which they complied), and a Filipino song started to play, but not necessarily in our language.

I actually feel good to hear that PNoy is starting to revive this law (if it were ever abolished). It gives a chance to our very own artists to be heard on the airwaves. I am not a radio listener nowadays, but it's still good to hear this drive.

But I have one point to make.

I am not a fan of revival artists. I actually sometimes hate the fact that a lot of songs are revived by young artists and I actually even branded one Filipino singer who is well-known for reviving songs. I called her 'Reyna ng Revival' (Queen of Revival). If I am not mistaken, she has an album that contains revival songs all throughout. Not an original composition from some other Filipino composer (but I am not entirely sure on this).

I just hope that when the law gets implemented, radios will play songs that are originally composed by our very own talented composers and sang by our very own talented artists. Otherwise, the song is not entirely original in its true sense.... unless of course, the old song is also from our very own composers.

Let us be clear on this.

OPM on the Airwaves

The lunchtime news at DZMM radio today announced that PNoy wanted the radios to play OPM songs on their stations.

There is nothing new to this. When I was in college and that was around the last part of the 1980s, the radios were actually required to play four OPM songs within the hour. All FM radios complied to this law. I used to listen to the Rhythm of the City 99.5RT, and I remember the DJ at that time sounding a little bit obliged for having to do such. I remember I heard her saying it with a sigh that it's time to play an OPM song now because we radio stations are required to do so(in which they complied), and a Filipino song started to play, but not necessarily in our language.

I actually feel good to hear that PNoy is starting to revive this law (if it were ever abolished). It gives a chance to our very own artists to be heard on the airwaves. I am not a radio listener nowadays, but it's still good to hear this drive.

But I have one point to make.

I am not a fan of revival artists. I actually sometimes hate the fact that a lot of songs are revived by young artists and I actually even branded one Filipino singer who is well-known for reviving songs. I called her 'Reyna ng Revival' (Queen of Revival). If I am not mistaken, she has an album that contains revival songs all throughout. Not an original composition from some other Filipino composer (but I am not entirely sure on this).

I just hope that when the law gets implemented, radios will play songs that are originally composed by our very own talented composers and sang by our very own talented artists. Otherwise, the song is not entirely original in its true sense.... unless of course, the old song is also from our very own composers.

Let us be clear on this.