DALLAS AND MIAMI [GAME 1 ] By: Owen S. Bayog

1 hour before tip off - who ever starts good will be the team that will dictate the pace of this series.

POHANG BADMINTON CENTER – BACOLOD CITY 2nd Leg of the Philippine Badminton Ranking System (PBARs) Kicks off Today By: Owen S. Bayog

The badminton tournament following the 1^st leg that was held in Manila kicked off today at the Pohang Badminton Center in Bacolod City.  The tournament gathered hundreds of badminton players from various schools and clubs.

Michael Po, Pohang Badminton Center Manager told the members of the media in a pressconfab that the tournament will give local shuttlers to earn ranking points in badminton.  Po also said that the presence of 3^rd District Congressman Albee Benitez in the Philippine Badminton Association as member of the board has opened the opportunities for the Negrenses to be exposed in tournaments.

A whooping 1.5 million prize is at stake for the champion of the week long tournament.  Bingo Bonanza, MVP Sports Foundation - Goal Pilipinas! and Yonex-Sunrise are among the major sponsors of the said tournament.#osb

MAVS VERSUS HEAT [My Game Analysis] By: Owen S. Bayog

Game 1 - Mavericks take on the Heat in the NBA Championships and just like the rest 

I am excited to see these two teams in court and play ball.  

This also reminds me of the 2006 Championships 

when the Mavs bowed to the Heat as it fell short to seal the NBA trophy.

James - Bosh - Wade is believed to be the assurance for the Heat to win the NBA Crown this year - but the Mavericks has completed the line up and a formidable back court generals in Terry, Barea and the veteran point guard Jason Kidd.  Dirk Nowitzki can now play without being so stressed out in playing defense because of the addition of Centers Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood.

The new Mavs is good on orchestrating their half-court offense and run fast break opportunities.  It is also exciting to see Shawn Marion match up with Dwane Wade on the two guard position.  Lebron James however post a constant threat and will sure bring fire power to the Heat. 

Hungry for the crown - these two team are surely going to give it all - an exciting game is on it's way!

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL GAMES 2011 PHOTO CONTEST - 3RD PLACE By: Owen S. Bayog

STREET SHOOTER [WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?] By: Owen S. Bayog

GO MAVS! By: Owen S. Bayog

OKLAHOMA CITY–Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points Monday as Dallas trailed by 15 points but came up strong on the final stretch of the game which was done in overtime - Jason Kidd sank a 3 point shot off a ball fake that made the Mavs to take the lead at 108-105.  Mavericks took a three-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.  The winner of the series will face either Chicago or Miami for the NBA crown.

DISMAYED OVER THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL GAMES by: Owen S. Bayog

The Philippine National Games (PNG) kicked off last May 22 at the New Government Center in Bacolod City. A renewed cooperation of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.  The games immediately commenced and the playing venues were hosted by Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay City.

A photo contest that is open to all photographers was also launched in order to gather people to participate and cover the games - but lately today I am dismayed on how can I get to check on games schedules as it was only available at the Media Center (Grand Regal Hotel) - eager to get the schedules and where the games are played I went to the hotel and check if I could get the schedules and the basic information such as the venue, time and what sport is ongoing.

I was expecting to see a daily schedule posted maybe in a manila paper or even just be written in a black board - none of these welcomed me at the Media Center.  I was told by the people in charge that they have a 47 page schedule and it was impossible for them to sort things out.

My sentiment is plain and simple - the PSC and POC wanted this event to be covered, drive as much people to enjoy the games - in short have it publicized. I noticed that the preparation for the games came short when I saw posters and tarpaulins being hanged 2 days before the event.  If I choose to cover a sport - I will have to go to the Media Center to check the schedule - borrow the 47 page folder and scan it for myself.

The schedules could have been made earlier - for the media, a day to day view of the schedule of games, time and venue should be known - I am not so sure about how the members of the National Media is dealing with this - do they have the schedules already?  How about the locals? If I see my self complaining and nobody from the nationals are having the same dilemma that I have, then there must be something wrong.

 I was told that the Media Center depend on what the National Office sends out and they find it hard to post these schedules or even have it sent by email to media entities - how could we exactly know what event to cover and what time do the games start?

A national event such as this failed to extend the basic information that people may need to get to the venue - for the media - how could we be expected to cover if we do not have the idea on the schedules?  The games are played in 4 cities in the province - it is hard to play a guessing game or stay in a venue and wait if there will be games indeed.#osb

    

TRANSPORT STRIKE By: Owen S. Bayog

Militants are calling for the present administration of President Benigno Aquino III to unsubscribe to the anti-people and anti-worker policies that further deepen the economic crisis of the country.  The United Negros Drivers and Operators Center along with allied organizations under the New Patriotic Alliance (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan - Negros) declared a 70-80% transport paralysis in the City today.

Vendors at the Libertad Market expects people to flock in the afternoon when some of the drivers will ply their usual route to get passengers home from work places.

While the transport strike is going on - Trisikads are left to be as the alternative transport 

for the commuting public.

After reaching its peak - the transport strike is believed to be called off on the 2nd day depending on the results of today's protest action - a rally tomorrow will sum up and declare the gains of the protest action.

THE HEAT IS ON by:Owen S. Bayog

The debate continues as Congress opens its session May 9 - a Nationally coordinated Jerico March by the church was launched to affirm their stand for the non-passage of the Reproductive Health Bill.

A caravan for life will be launched by the Citizen's Alliance for the Protection of Human Life (CAPHL) May 10, 2011.  Church people along with Pro-life groups in the City will join the said caravan and will end at the San Sebastian Cathedral for a mass.

Pro-life groups and the church calls the Reproductive Health Bill as a "Death Bill".

Around 20,000 people gathered at the Bacolod Public Plaza last February 22 to call for the junking on the said death bill.

Images were taken during the Citizen's Alliance for the Protection of Human Life (CAPHL) rally at the Bacolod Public Plaza last Feb. 22, 2011.

4AM AND THINKING OF FOOD By: Owen S. Bayog

I was talking to my wife on the phone during her break - I told her that I am hungry and I am browsing photos of food and then I saw this photo of her Chicken Pork Adobo.  She told me that she will cook it for me some time next week.  Meanwhile...

I will be having this one!

Man indeed cannot live by bread alone.

OIL COMPANIES RAISE PRICES ANEW by: Owen S. Bayog

Another round of oil price hike was implemented last May 2, 2011 a day after workers are calling for wage increases during the commemoration of the Labor Day.  Ronald Ian Evidente (spokesperson) of Kilusang Mayo Uno says this is what the people get from Pnoy after May 1.  The renewed call for wage hikes for workers has not been addressed by the present Aquino administration.

Pnoy has has failed the expectation of the people, Evidente added. "Kayo ang Boss ko" which had been a tag line during Aquino's Inaugural speech was also hit by KMU by coming up with "Kung kami ang boss mo, matagal ka na pinatalsik!"  Wokers vow to hit the streets in protest and push for increase on wages as prices of oil and commodities are ever increasing.

In Manila, the Department of Energy (DOE) distributed gasoline subsidy for drivers known as Pantawid Pasada Program.  Evidente further lashed on the said program referring this as "Palubag Loob" for the drivers but does not solve the problem on the series of Oil Price Hikes being implemented by the main players in the oil industry.

Evidente told NDB that Pnoy should be held responsible for oil increases - his connivance with the oil companies has worsen the economic survival of the Filipino people. Drivers should not be blamed to protest and go on transport strike, they have families to feed and children to send to school, Evidente concluded.#osb

FACEBOOK USERS BOMBARDED BY SPAM By: Owen S. Bayog

Facebook users worldwide now are receiving tons of spam messages on their respective accounts.  Spam comes with a message using a friends' account and disguised to be as a message, a video link on Osama Bin Laden and sometimes would just pop out from the chat screen.  The said spam mails contain malicious files, computer viruses that will harm computers.

Millions of spam messages have been sent to facebook users all over the world and it is still going on as of this writing.  The spam mails are Trojan horse files that can infect ones' computer without any visible signs.  It will cost a user to have its' computer reformatted once infected by the said virus.  Creators of computer viruses sees facebook as a huge pool of users as victims, referring to 500 million facebook users and other social media sites today.

Computer security analysts says spam messages are being sent from botnets called Cutwail and Rustock. Botnets are groups of computers that are controlled by hackers who are creating havoc on the internet right now.  From the said spam mails passwords are being copied in order to have access to an account.  Those who use the online services for shopping and other business transactions are the targets of these hackers.

Dave Marcus, McAfee's director of security research and communication says they are finding ways to combat the said hackers.  Marcus also divulge that they have shut down two botnets over the last few weeks which are Mariposa and Waledac.  A lot of computer users have no idea whether their computers have been infected as botnets are engineered to avoid detection of anti-virus programs.#osb

RESCUE OPERATIONS GOING ON by: Owen S. Bayog

Members of the Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade (CVFB) and the Bacolod Fire and Protection (BFP) deployed rescue teams in flooded portions of Victorias City and E.B. Magalona as heavy rain continues since last night.  CVFB is at Barangay 13, Victorias City as residents in the flooded areas are being assisted to evacuate to higher grounds.

THE BACOLOD SIDEWALK by: Owen S. Bayog

Walking on the side of the streets of Bacolod will be as crowded as this one - A photo shot at Libertad Market yesterday afternoon when a question in my mind popped like - Side what?

Bacolod City - the problem of the City sidewalks remain to be what it is - 

crowded with vendors and illegal structures.

The City is told to be a place where people can thrive, but for whom should these sidewalks belong? Is it for the vendors because they are the ones who need to survive and earn a living? What about the people who pay their taxes? Should they also be given the right to be on the sidewalks and be safe on the City streets?

Understanding the economics of man - but whose right are we talking about here?

What about the laws and regulations in the City, where and to whom shall it be applied?

STREET CHILDREN IN THE CITY (005) By: Owen S. Bayog

Government should be held responsible for the growing population of street children roaming in the City, Bacolod - which had been cited to be a "child friendly" and "livable City" in the country.

WORKERS HIT THE STREETS TO DEMAND WAGE INCREASE By: Owen S. Bayog

I vividly recalled when I was still an activist when we launched a nationwide campaign 

for wage increase for workers, today I was covering the labor day rally and all the more I believe that a national legislation should be made now for the P125 Wage Increase for private workers and P6,000 for the Government employees.

The prices of oil and other commodities had gone up several times and the real value for the wage increase that was proposed several years ago has diminished - amid the present crisis, a wage increase for the workers 

will momentarily ease the burden of the people but will not address the economic imbalance brought about by the unjust distribution of wealth and power in the country.