We all love superheroes. Lively characters wearing colorful costumes and battling it out with evil forces, these protagonists are the fancy of young and old alike. With highly imaginative battles they face in their very own comic book world, they are the stars that tell the common tale that good will always triumph over evil.
Captain America is no exception: a super solider with great strength, cunning and skill. But can we truly relate to this hero?
Clad with the red, white and blue, and the star at the center of his shield, Captain America clearly represents the American flag and its ideals. Americans can definitely relate to him and his heroic acts of honor and bravery.
But in the Filipino context, who or what is Captain America to us? Probably for some, he is just one in a long line of estranged superheroes. We can probably relate more to our own set of superheroes like Captain Barbell, Darna or Panday.
Yet, with all the popularity our Pinoy superheroes have at the local scene, we don't have a superhero counterpart that bears our country's flag.
Our flag is the ultimate symbol of what it means to be Filipino. It is a sign of our hopes and dreams, and our identity as a nation. Our own red white and blue sun-and-stars flag has its own rich and colorful history that we can truly be proud of.
Captain America bears his National Pride. Many of us claim to have it. Yet we are not fully aware of the gravity of its meaning. For some, cheering for our fellow Pinoys who are successful in life is enough to show national pride. But in truth this is not enough.
To bear National Pride takes more. To do that we have to be heroes in our own right. And to be a hero, it takes a lot of heart.
In the simplest of ways, we can show our version of Pinoy heroism. It takes heart to do the right thing, like paying your taxes correctly and on time. It takes heart to give your life for the sake of others, like helping fellow Pinoys in dire need. It takes heart to be brave and stand up for what is right, like avoiding bribery and turning away from criminality and corruption. This is what I believe being Captain America is all about. A hero is one who has desire to serve his nation and fellowmen. As bearers of our own flag, we should do the same.
On a final note, every Filipino is called to be a hero and make our country change for the better. Why is it we only dream of having a country free of corruption and with great economic stature if we only continue to dream and do nothing? It's time we start to bear our flag and take action to make our nation's dream a reality.
Just like Captain America, we are not only asked to raise our flag up high. We are all called to "wear" it as well.
Captain America, The First Avenger will be showing in theaters on July 27, 2011 nationwide.
For more promos and updates Like them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/captainamericaph and visit http://www.theavengersassembled.com
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Captain America is My Idea of Nationalism
Thursday, July 7, 2011
From OH NO! to OTTO Waterless Urinals
This is a true story I would like to share. Just a couple of nights ago, something 'irregular' happened. Just before bedtime, I went to the bathroom to do my regular toilet routine. I already brushed my teeth earlier, so it was time for me to urinate one last time. Only after pressing the flush button did I find out something was amiss.
OH NOOOOO!!! NO FLUSH! Our water tank went empty.
I never expected that we would run out of water in the middle of the night. I wondered 'what the hell happened?'. Our helper always made sure the tank is filled at the end of the day. I'm also pretty sure we were prompt on paying the monthly water bill. And since it's already the rainy season, water shortage is less likely to happen.
this is a simple skit I made based on my previous waterless experience...
The following morning, I found out the reason behind it. Our water connection was cut off because our neighbor 'fixed' his water problem. The plumber he hired accidentally severed our connection from the main pipe while doing his job fixing theirs.
If only we had ways to conserve more water that time. If we did, we would have enough water to last the next day. Then, I would not have to report to office without taking a bath. (lol)
Water conservation is essential to man's survival. There is no telling when we will actually run out of clean water to use. Just take my case for example.
On a larger scale, population growth in our country is on a steady rise. And while our demand for clean water increases, our supply steadily decreases. The big bad news unfortunately is that, even if strong rains bring in lots of water to our dams, our water treatment facilities that process clean water will gradually become insufficient to handle the population's growing need.
a photo I took of residents in Antipolo City, who have to go down to the mountainside to fetch water for sanitation and other personal use.
On a different perspective, while major cities in the country have ample supply of clean water, some of the rural parts of the Philippines are underdeveloped in terms of sanitation. According to statistics from the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), around 30% of rural areas in the Philippines are still without improved sanitation facilities.
This is why we should do our part in conserving our most precious resource while promoting efficient methods of hygiene throughout the country starting with our very own bathroom. The bathroom will always be the part of our home that uses the most water - for bathing, oral hygiene and urination.
And among bathroom activities, flushing after urinating consumes the most water, perhaps around several gallons per day. Think about it. It only takes me one pail of water to take a bath each day, but each time I urinate, an amount roughly equal to a pail of water is needed to flush. An average person urinates several times a day, which translates to A LOT of clean water excessively used.
But thanks to modern bath interior developments like the OTTO waterless urinal, it is already possible to reduce excessive flushing.
What if I had an OTTO waterless urinal in my home? If I did, maybe I wouldn't have experienced my latest water inconvenience (lol). There are many advantages of having my very own OTTO waterless urinal, such as being...
P - practical - The OTTO waterless urinal allows you to maximize your savings and minimize waste of time and resources.
a) save money on water costs - Since this urinal is water saving, you get to save gallons and gallons worth of clean water.
b) easy to clean and maintain - the OTTO waterless urinal is easy to clean because of its simplicity and easily understood by the average bathroom user. It even comes with an instructional manual that is easy to follow.
c) less susceptible to mechanical failure - traditional urinals and toilets have flush valves, levers and chains that break, or rubber stoppers that wear down. When the time comes, you may have to replace them. With all the confusing gimmickry, the average person might have difficulty fixing it. Why pay for a plumber to fix something that breaks down so often? The OTTO waterless urinal has less moving parts and exposes it less to wear.
d) use re-usable cartridges - what makes OTTO waterless urinals different from other waterless urinals is that, their cartridges can be reused. Cartridges filter the urine taking away the bad odor. The downside of using them is that it has to be replaced overtime. However, OTTO waterfree urinals' cartridges can be washed and reused, allowing us to save even more!!!
E - ergonomic - With much attention to design, the OTTO waterless urinals are space savers, elegant and simple to use. Plus it's easy to install too!
E - earth-friendly - The OTTO waterless urinal allows us to preserve our precious water for more important uses, like agriculture and drinking water. Also, the biodegradable blocking fluid inside the cartridge can easily be disposed of because it is non-toxic and will decompose overtime when discarded.
Thanks to the OTTOlock designed by Filipino inventor Mr. Jerry Ong, the OTTO Waterless urinal is the most efficient waterless urinal to date. His design allows us to enjoy all these benefits because of the the OTTO Waterless urinal's reusable cartridges.
The OTTO Waterless Urinal. It's practical, ergonomic and earth-friendly: a helpful device for the average Filipino who needs to maximize his spending, minimize on waste, and save the most important resource on the planet - water.
This is my entry to the OTTO Waterless Urinal Blog Contest.. For more information about this contest visit the OTTO Waterless Urinal contest page on Facebook. Deadline for this blog contest is extended to July 29, 2011 12 noon.
For more information about OTTO Waterless Urinal, you may also visit their Facebook Fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/pages/OTTO-Waterless-Urinal-by-Arrow-Home-Improvement/118377984916639 )or the Arrow Home Improvement Website at (http://www.arrowhomeinc.com/index.php.), makers of this efficient water saving product.
You could also win 1,500 pesos worth Gift Certificate from Arrow Home Improvement by checking out their contest page and joining the raffle... http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a?.120281821392922.32382.118377984916639#!?/photo.php?fbid=120310758056695&set=a.12?0281821392922.32382.118377984916639&type?=1&theater
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