Metro Manila is in danger with the floods at this time. Here’s the consolidated list I gathered from the tweets these past few hours. This list is unverified, but I just hope this would help:
@maroxas Please call Red Cross 143, MMDA 136, NDCC 9115061 & Coast Guard 5276136 for rescue.
@pau_pa08 MARIKINA RESCUE: 6462436 Boats now available. Pls contact Nor Domingo/ La Salle Greenhills 0920 907 290
@donronX ABS-CBN hotline to report situation in you area: 4163641
@noynoyaquino To help contact Jana Vicente at 9285205499. Drop off for relief donations at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao
@juliusbabao NCRPO 8383203 8383354 for rubber boat requests
@noynoyaquino: You may get in touch with Clare Amador from our office at 9285205508 re the NoyMar relief efforts.
@carambs: RT (many ppl) Office of Sen Villar to rescue stranded people – 0917-4226800, 0917-2414864, 0927-6751981
NCRPO: Contact NCRPO 838-3203, 838-3354 for rubber boat requests. You can also text 0917-422-6800 or 0927-675-1981 for rescue dump trucks.
REDCROSS: SEND FULL ADDRESS of friends and family who are stranded to Sen. Dick Gordon 09178997898 or 0938444BOYS Phil Natl RED CROSS
DONATIONS: @nikiayende: RT @dementia Red Cross donation through SMS: text RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
Today, I got another inquiry at Facebook. “Can I ask if you’re the Arnold Gamboa who worked at Manila Hotel?” I know where the question’s going. I’ve got similar inquiries before, and much more than the Arnold Gamboa that worked at Manila Hotel, he is actually, as I was told, a member of a very popular 70s “quartet” called “Apat na Sikat”. Arnold Gamboa, apparently, is a popular actor and TV personality back in those days.
Growing up, it was a huge advantage. Thanks to my mom, who probably was a fan when I was born, named me after him. At school, my name has a recall. And because of that, I had higher grades ;-)
But today, when people search for him on social networks or Google, I’m the one who’s being found. . One of the funniest, on-top-of-my-list “mistaken identity” thing was this blog post. The blogger actually thought that it was THE Arnold Gamboa that retweeted her tweet, which made her “kilig”. The worse thing is, some people actually believed and even called me “delicious”. Kinda flattering, though, if you will ask me.
So, today, let me just make this clarification once and for all:
I’m not THE Arnold Gamboa.
I’m just your typical web guy, married to a hot woman, with 2 kids, and serving Jesus where ever and whatever I can.
There’s no such thing as long-range planning. Let me tell you why.
- In college, I took up Accountancy, planning to be a CPA and be a manager of a multinational company at age 30. Never happened. I never thought that I’ll be a Technopreneur.
- In late ’90s, during the internet boom in the US, I planned to be there. Early 2000, got an offer from a New York company. With some twists and turns, I declined and started Team Sparrow, Inc instead with my best friend. Couldn’t be happier, but that wasn’t my plan.
- My long range plan for Team Sparrow, Inc. is to become one of the top outsourcing company in the Philippines. Then suddenly, and unexpectedly, the global financial crisis hits. We lost a big US client and we are left with the local projects. We changed course, and while I’m excited with our new business model, this is not what I planned.
- I got a laser stone operation last year. My back is aching again. And sometimes, my tummy. I’m not trying to scare my lovely wife, ( :-D ) but what if, just what if… this isn’t just a stone. Say, this is cancer and I’ll have a few years to live? The long-term plan to see my kids grow old or grow a company — it’s gone and will never see it happen.
You can never do long range planning. Instead, do scenario planning. Have an attitude of “I’ll do this… if such and such thing happens.”
Scenario planning. And live for the moment.
Do you plan to be a doctor? Or a lawyer? Or the president of a multinational company? Or become a millionaire at age 30? It’s good to have plan for your future. But don’t expect it do happen. Quite discouraging? Yes, but you need to face the realities of life. Do scenario planning instead. And live for the moment.
“Lord, I know that a person’s life doesn’t really belong to him. No one can control his own life.” Jeremiah 10:23
I love blogging. I guess I can never leave blogging.
There has been a lot of things, though, that’s going on right now. So, again, for the nth time, I’m having another blogging break. When everything settles down, I’m going to start blogging again. Not that anybody misses me — I may have 2 readers on this blog… myself and my brother. Anyway, I’ll blog away soon.
I kind of created an unwanted tension between my friends on Facebook when I posted a link to a blog post by former Miss Philippines Universe Joyce Burton-Titular about Ms. California being the most famous first runner up. If you’ve been around the blogsphere, you know about the buzz. During the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked by showbiz blogger Perez Hilton about what she thinks on same sex marriages. She answered with conviction, she doesn’t support it. It became very controversial, it even came to a point where she was about to be stripped off her Mis CA crown.
On one side, some friends of mine (really close ones) said Miss California, by rejecting same sex marriage, claims to be a Christian but is inaccurately representing it by her actions. On another side, a friend of mine said we should stop criticizing her for the other things that she’s doing and instead praise her for taking a stand. I hope to defuse the tension a bit by giving my own (hopefully diplomatic) stand.
First of all, in my opinion, Ms. CA did a great job at answering the pageant question. I’m not saying whether I agree or disagree with her answer. All I’m saying is she did a great job. She was asked with a controversial question, what else can you expect but a controversial answer. What she did is simply to answer the question with conviction — exactly what a pageant like this requires. If she answered differently with the same conviction, she will still get an A from me.
Secondly, in my understanding, as far as civil rights are concerned, this is not an issue whether same sex marriages are moral or not. The issue is the definition of marriage — is marriage between a man or a woman, or is it time to redefine its meaning? You only have two choices and Miss CA took the former definition.
And lastly, while I think Miss CA did a great job in standing for her Christian conviction, it is true that some reports did say that she was inconsistent with it. But, on the other hand, isn’t that an issue for all of us? I mean, who can say that we’re always consistent with our own beliefs? Isn’t that the goal of a growing Christian — little by little to become like Jesus and be consistent with our beliefs? In the meantime, we’re all going to mess up. But thank God for his grace.
I do have my own opinion on gay marriages. But since I do not live in the US nor this is going to be an issue here in the Philippines, at least for now, I’m just going to hold my piece. In any case, US President Obama — largely liberal president whom I suppose supports gay marriages, and Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor that rejects it, are friends. Warren prayed for Obama on the inaugural. I think it’s the best way to say that we can all live together in harmony even if we have different convictions.
I kind of created an unwanted tension between my friends on Facebook when I posted a link to a 
