Thanks for the Fond Memories, Filipinas!

Of course, as always, there were bashers as well, as some people still could not accept non-Philippine residents as members of the team. Truth to tell, majority of the players are based in foreign soil, mostly from the US of A. But that being said, that doesn’t make them any less Filipina if they’re part of the Philippine diaspora. Many of our kababayans may have left the country for better opportunities abroad, but you can still see their sense of identity and pride to be Pinoys. Do we disqualify them – or their kids – for wanting to find better opportunities elsewhere and yet still have the heart of a Filipino? These young ladies worked hard; put in their blood, sweat and tears to improve their craft; even spent their own money to organize and join Philippine football activities in far-off places. These ladies sacrificed much of their time, and worked hard to get where they are right now. They deserve a chance to play. And to make our country proud.

Believe in the Filipinas!!!

Who would have thought that a newbie in the world stage would be able to go this far? Who would have thought that a sports program with limited support from our government’s sports body would be able to reach for the stars? Who would have imagined that Filipinos from as far as California would take the time to search for Filipino talents and organize mini-tourneys – using their own funds, mind you – so that we may see the day when our flag is hoisted with the best of football’s best? Dreams do come true, dear friends, but only if we collectively put our hearts into it.

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Remembering the PEFTOK and the Battle of Yultong (22 – 23 April 1951)

I had the rare privilege of knowing one of the these “Fighting Filipinos” when I joined the Scout Rangers back in 1978. MSgt Vic “Fatal Blow” Galvan was then the Sgt Major of the newly-revived Scout Ranger Group (SRG). He was such a stickler for hard training, always stressing that famous line: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat”. He would regale us with stories of the big war in Korea; of the dangers, the difficulties, and the pain of losing close comrades.

Trees

There are certainly a lot of benefits one can derive from trees. So many things the trees help us with. And so many, many things we should thank the trees for. And so, if there’s something I wish my name would be associated with, it would definitely be a big, big tree.

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