According to the organizers, the event aims to uphold Mindanao through the nice things and places it has to offer and expunge the negative notions the world has about it.

Mindanaoan will join the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3! Will you?

If you’re interested to join this great blogging event, head on down to the PRE-REGISTRATION FORM page of the official MBS 3 website.

Don’t miss out this chance to meet your fellow Mindanaoan bloggers!

Now I know that there are a lot of Pinoy amateur bands out there that want to try out for this year’s Muziklaban Rock Challenge so I’m posting a copy of the Muziklaban 2009 mechanics here in Mindanaoan. Hope this helps: (for a better view, I suggest that you download this)

Mindanaoan also managed to get a copy of the application forms for the 2009 Muziklaban competitions. Here it is:

Hope these forms for the Red Horse Muziklaban 2009 helped!

Please don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE TO MINDANAO (click, click, click!) as a way of thanking me for posting this ha? By subscribing to Mindanaoan, you also get to be regularly updated with what’s what and what’s new in Mindanao including events, job openings, news, commentaries, photos et al.

Thanks and to those who will join the Muziklaban 2009 competition this year, good luck!

This event is happening on Friday, July 3, 2009, 7 PM at the Kisolon Gymnasium, Municipality of Sumilao, Bukidnon.

Fun prizes and freebies to be given away! So come one, come all. And oh, this event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! So yup, FREE ENTRANCE!

Native In Town is best known for their infectious reggae beats and songs. This group is a regular during Bukidnon’s Kaamulan Festival and they used to play in various bars in CDO. Their last gig was in Oroquieta City.

Southrace, on the other hand, is responsible for the hits “Alone Tonight” (which lorded the Killer Bee Cagayan de Oro Indie Top 20 countdown for 6 consecutive weeks), “Grabe Ka Feel,” “Aaminin” and “Stroldyante” (which also gained the number one spot for 7 consecutive weeks). For more details about this fast-rising Mindanao band, check out their official website.

Meanwhile, if you guys need an events organizer in the CDO / Bukidnon / Iligan / Davao and Butuan areas, don’t hesitate to CONTACT ME We can also provide artists, lights and sounds, video and photo coverage services, publicity, advertising and manpower. You may also call (+63) 919 238 6575

I want to have a copy of it because it’s a special edition featuring the King of Pop himself, the Gloved One — Michael Jackson! As I previously mentioned here in Mindanaoan, I am a huge fan of the King of Pop!

Check out the cover of this special People magazine I want to get my hands on:

So to anybody who wants to send me a copy, please, please, please CONTACT ME! I’d forever be grateful!

According to Mindanao Gold Star Daily, Cagayan de Oro City Vice Mayor Vicente Emano has reportedly incurred 99 absences out of 100 council sessions. That means Emano has presided only ONCE since assuming office. Emano reportedly only attended the inauguration of the present Cagayan de Oro City council and that was it.

And as if to really add “more color” to an already controversial issue, Emano’s arch-rival at the council, Councilor Zaldy Ocon, a former radio broadcaster, tore to shreds Emano’s “excuse letter” addressed to the council, which reportedly claimed that the vice mayor was on official business…which then led to Councilor Alfonso Goking calling on his fellow legislators to “punish” Ocon for tearing up a copy of Emano’s letter which is considered an official document.

As expected, Ocon stood firm. He even challenged his fellow councilors to sanction him if they think what he did was wrong. The former broadcaster, known for his tirades against Emano and usually hit by critics for “grandstanding,” said that the council was free to exercise disciplinary actions against him if he really was at fault. Fortunately for Ocon, he found a “kakampi” in Councilor Teodulfo Lao, who thought that the shredding of the excuse letter was a mere  “freedom of expression” and that it was based on “the essence of democracy.”

IMO, Ocon has the right to get mad. After all, the tax-paying public does expect that the “public servants” they entrusted their votes with should do their jobs, yes? And that includes regularly attending sessions, meetings etc. Ocon knows that Emano’s absences can be a good reason to stir up controversy, to show to the public that he has been right all along in criticizing Emano and his brand of politics. Ocon knows that Emano’s absences can be a good controversy to bank on — he can raise valid points during council sessions, question Emano’s so-called “on official business” excuses and can even get away calling the city vice mayor as “mangingilad” (deceiver) during the session proper.

Unfortunately for Ocon, he also knows very well that he’s virtually alone in his quest - with most of his fellow legislators on Emano’s side. And because of political alignments and politicians defending partymates, the root problem has yet to be addressed.

It’s a David versus Goliath war, really. And the only ones at the losing end is the public.

And take note…Pacquiao will star in “Wapakman” alongside Pussycat Dolls lead Nicole Scherzinger and WWF’s Batista! Of course, we all know that Scherzinger is part-Pinay and Batista is proud of his Filipino roots as well.

Check out the teaser of Manny Pacquiao’s “Wapakman” movie:

The Pacman will start shooting this film next month, July. Topel Lee will direct.

I’m curious, though…will this movie be shown in time for the 2010 national elections?

Now what I’m about to share is NOT to lambast anyone. Instead, I’m hoping that somehow this could serve as a wake-up call not only for the City Tourism Office of Davao City but also for the hundreds of taxi drivers in Davao City as well.

You see, on our first night in Davao, our group, composed of five people, caught two taxis from Matina Town Square (MTS). Ches and I rode in one taxi while the other three rode in the other one. I won’t name the taxi company anymore. Suffice it to say that it may take me a while before I flag down one of their units the next time I’m in town.

Anyways, from MTS, we were supposed to go back to our hotel, which was located along Magallanes Street. Our taxi fare was P42.50. When Ches and I alighted from the cab, we sort of wondered why the other taxi hasn’t arrived yet (the other taxi trailed us when we left MTS) We then just went straight to our hotel rooms, thinking that the other three band members could arrive in just a few minutes anyway. Lo and behold, after about 10 minutes, Jovy sent me a message and asked for the street where the hotel was. I told him Magallanes Street and asked why. He said that they GOT LOST. Confused, I immediately called him and asked where they already were. He said that they were on a bridge somewhere and that the driver claimed that he lost track of OUR taxi. So I said we were already at the hotel and gave Jovy instructions for him to relay to the driver. Within minutes, their group arrived. I was told that the taxi fare already reached P102.50! Fortunately, Nilo was quick on his toes and refused to pay. The taxi driver then just conceded and somehow acknowledged that it was his fault and only asked for P40.00

While I somehow laud the taxi driver for his honesty and for the fact that he did acknowledge his fault (he apparently pretended that he knew where the hotel was but when he lost sight of the taxi Ches and I rode in, he sorta panicked), I also feel that cab drivers should be more honest these days. If you don’t know where this or that is, then don’t pretend that you do. I hate to think that the driver thought he could just circle the three boys around and perhaps receive more money that way (maybe he somehow knew that his passengers weren’t from Davao anyway). Unfortunately for him, his passengers knew whom to contact (in this case, me!) just in case something irregular happened.

Speaking of too much honesty from a taxi driver…my next rant is about a Davao City taxi driver who’s TOO HONEST. My boys and I were at the Gaisano Mall of Davao and we flagged down a cab (again, I won’t mention the name of the taxi company) I told the driver that we wanted to go to People’s Park. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t People’s Park already a well-known tourist spot in Davao City? I mean, it’s right smack in the middle of the city, it’s supposed to be controversial (with all the hullabaloo surrounding its development), it’s where hundreds of families go to for outings or to spend their Sunday afternoons at.

I mean, if you’re a Davao City taxi driver, shouldn’t you at least KNOW where People’s Park is?!

Because apparently the driver of the taxi we rode in DID NOT KNOW where People’s Park was. The first time he told my group that he didn’t know where People’s Park was, I thought he was joking…apparently he wasn’t. So I explained that the People’s Park that I was referring to was the area beside Apo View Hotel, right in front of Casa Leticia, it’s right along Camus Street and it’s near Penong’s (how’s that for a site location? LOL) Anyways, even if I already gave those details, he still claimed that he didn’t know where it was.

So again, I had to give instructions. I had to guide the taxi driver. Can you imagine that?!

I mean, really…why drive a taxi if you don’t know where the major tourist spots are? Why place yourself in a situation where you’re expected to KNOW something but you know squat about?

The experience was really disappointing. Can you just imagine if a tourist rode those taxis? What will those tourists say about Davao City? What will those tourists say about the taxi drivers?

Taxi drivers, truth be told, play a major part in an area’s tourism efforts.

If they’re not well-informed or well-equipped with (at least) basic knowledge about their city, their city’s tourist spots, their city’s leaders (at least the most important or major ones) and even their city’s urban tales or interesting stories, this can somehow affect the city’s tourism efforts. More often than not, taxi drivers can be a tourist’s best friend or constant companion, so to speak. They can serve as “frontliners” and somehow “represent” the city and its people.

Let’s just hope that my experience will serve as a lesson, in one way or another.

According to Jonathan de Luzuriaga, executive director for industry affairs for the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, the Indian group conducted a due-diligence study in the country.

“The trend of site-hunting now has tipped. IT’S NOW MINDANAO FIRST, Visayas second, and Luzon third,” de Luzuriaga said.

This is really very good news! Apart from the fact that more and more Mindanaoans will land jobs, those who went to Manila just so they can find work may now even have the chance to come home and work here!

What are your thoughts?

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Today, June 26, 2009 (June 25, 2009 in the U.S.), the world awakens to the sad news of Michael Jackson’s death. The Los Angeles coroner confirmed that at roughly 2:26 PM of June 25, 2009 (U.S. time), MJ passed away.

Michael Jackson, despite all of the controversies hounding him, will undoubtedly remain as one of the greatest artists of all time. He was a part of our childhood. His music, talent, grooves, style, love and the capacity to draw people together at least in the spirit of music will sorely be missed but will always be dearly remembered. He was an icon.