Pablito Rabago was my fourth year high school World History teacher and one of the certifiable legends of the school during its formative years. He was also my Homeroom Adviser when I was in my senior year at what we then called ‘La Salle ng Lipa.’
I will not be plastic and claim that Mr. Rabago had anything to do with my choice of a Social Science major in college. Truth be told, all I wanted was to play football; and my East Asian Studies major seemed a fair enough choice to get me through college while playing varsity football at the same time.
“Now that an agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been forged to establish the Bangsamoro, the question now shifts to the method with which the ‘political entity,’ as PNoy refers to the Bangsamoro, is to be established. As I stated in a previous article, my gut feel is that it will take a constitutional amendment to make this possible because the concessions to be made to the Bangsamoro as they have been initially made public do not fall in line with the country’s unitary form of government.” 
“I am not your admirer; neither was I an admirer of your mother’s Presidency. But I am a proud Filipino; and if for that alone, I watched your inauguration on television yesterday. I know, to you, I am a nobody who does not have a face. But I am a citizen; for that alone I am entitled to write to you and say that you have six years to make me admire you!” 
“Time was when those who used the English language, including us Filipinos, were so much more colourful in the way they expressed themselves. For instance, not too long ago, if you were guilty of having done something unpleasant, the recipient of your action may threaten you idiomatically with the expression “I will have you hanged, drawn and quartered!” ” 
“It was just one of those war-era things; giving nicknames to nationalities was just fashionable. The Brits called Germans “Gerries.” To the Americans, the Germans were “Krauts.” The Brits called the Americans “Yanks”; the Americans called them “Limeys.” And both the Yanks and the Limeys called the French “Frogs”...” 
“Erick and I were relaxing during a brief mid-afternoon break outside of Star Mart earlier today when, seemingly from out of nowhere, a street urchin joined us at our table. The child could not have been more than 8 or 9, wore a filthy black shirt that was torn in several places and had dark greasy skin that looked like it had not seen the side of a bar of soap in several weeks.” 
“It was while he was cleaning them that Nanay Number 1 came over to stand by my side. She was not very tall; her head went up to a little above my shoulder. She wore this plain navy blue dress and had a small clutch bag that she held between her left upper arm and breast.” 
“As a prelude to the great internecine war that is Liverpool against Manchester United, the online articles on the Scouse side of the Great Divide were all about how the older players could not remind the younger players enough of how great the task was going to be in the ensuing game at Old Trafford; and how the wide open spaces would seem so much wider towards the end of the game.” 
“Word broke in the local football community soon after the turn of the year that Green Archers United of the United Football League had acquired the services of the iconic Philippine international midfielder Emelio ‘Chieffy’ Caligdong. I found the transfer more than just mildly interesting; and not least because the player’s movement was between the two local clubs that I follow.” 
“Not that I am suddenly your teleserye expert, but this afternoon soap called Paraiso has got to be the best among the teleseryes that I have bothered to watch. This declaration is to be taken with a bit of caution because Paraiso is only the third serye that I have really watched after Hiyas and Pintada. Add to this the classic Mula Sa Puso of yore that I only watched loosely so I would not feel an outcast in the workplace, that makes for an impressive grand total of four.” 
“I watched “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” last night on HBO. Jesus! I still can’t believe that I actually did, fan of head-banging rock music that I am. I mean, those who know my taste for music know that I usually go for the Bon Jovi-Def Leppard type.”