Titas de Bacolod

Monday, June 14, 2021

LOOK : Three Grandmas Smoke Weed for the First Time

In case you haven't watched the video of the three ladies who smoked marijuana for the first time, you can check out the YouTube video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj66Vnye8qM

Washington state, where cannabis is legal, is now offering adults a relaxing new incentive for those who are anxious about getting the COVID-19 vaccine — marijuana joints.

The program, launched by the state's Liquor and Cannabis Board and named "Joints for Jabs," runs until July 12 and allows state-licensed dispensaries to give qualifying customers one pre-rolled joint at an in-store vaccination clinic.

Eligible participants must be 21 years old or older and have to have received their first or second dose during that visit.

This is only the latest among Washington's abundant vaccination incentives, which include free tickets to sports events and a lottery totaling up to $1 million. Just a few weeks ago, the Liquor and Cannabis Board announced an incentive that allows breweries, wineries, and restaurants to offer free drinks to vaccinated adults.

Washington's newest promotion reflects a multitude of unique vaccination incentives being offered across the country, and the state isn't the first to offer weed.

In exchange for proof of vaccination, an Arizona dispensary's "Snax for Vaxx" campaign provides free joints and edibles. In Washington, D.C., cannabis advocacy group D.C. Marijuana Justice distributed joints at vaccination sites on April 20.

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

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Negros : An Island of People With Super Short Memories

To see Imelda at the food court without the pomp and splendor normally attached to her wherever she goes brought up a myriad of emotions. I felt a bit sad seeing this. It reminded me of my Mama's last days. But I quickly snapped out of that sadness because I was reminded of the incident two years ago ......Read More

Meet The Man Who Helped Marcos Bring Negros Island To Its Knees

Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986. Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days. For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Hey Titas in Washington! Have a marijuana joint for taking the jab!

#titasinamerica, Blog

Uh-huh, we heard you! Some Titas de Bacolod based in the Seattle and Shoreline area have had a blast having two kinds of shots! The jab and the joint!

Washington state is offering adults a relaxing new incentive for those who are anxious about getting the COVID-19 vaccine — marijuana joints.

The program, launched by the state's Liquor and Cannabis Board and named "Joints for Jabs," runs until July 12 and allows state-licensed dispensaries to give qualifying customers one pre-rolled joint at an in-store vaccination clinic.

Eligible participants must be 21 years old or older and have to have received their first or second dose during that visit.

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

Related Post:

Meet The Man Who Helped Marcos Bring Negros Island To Its Knees
Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986. Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days. For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More

How An Endorsement By Vicki Belo Is Easily Spoiled

Monday, June 7, 2021

Monday, June 07, 2021

“B” IS FOR BANGKOK AND A BAD WORD

Blog, People

This gentleman goes to Bangkok to visit a jeweler. The shop is one of the many dazzling Alladin’s cave of scintillating delights that have beguiled many a tourist into this exotic Asian kingdom. As fate would have it, the gentleman had entered a particularly interesting shop and browsed through the display cases. At first glance, he could be mistaken for a local for he blended right in with his squarish jaw, Malay tan, thick straight jet black hair peppered with grey, and regular Asian build. His eyes are not narrow slits on his brown face, but are quite rounded only to have the outer corners betray his oriental origin with the sure upward strokes. The way he moves with ease around the shop tells an observer that he knows his way around. He has been here quite a number of times before.

Well, it so happened that also immersed in the colorful sea of gems was a tall, heavily-built gentleman on the wrong side of 40. His features, his bulk, and his imperious air reveal the European strain of his genes. He does not speak the kingdom’s language. It is safe to dismiss him as another foreigner, naturally. Of course.

The first gentleman had begun his study of the treasures before him. Was he in search of a particular stone? Or was he just going over the displays? No one really knew what was on his mind on that day. The other gentleman who was standing nearby was also engrossed in inspecting some stones. So, now, in that Bangkok shop are two men lost in their world.

However, like in any dream, the dreamer has to awake sometime and, in this case, the second gentleman had caused the first gentleman to snap to attention. The former had blurted out just two words one of which was succinct and sharp that incriminated him. In any court of law, his words would be considered as res gestae. He must have dropped an item and the action caused him enough alarm to shout, “Ay, bilat!” The first gentleman swung ‘round to face him with a puzzled knowing look on his brown face. “Bilat?” The first gentleman addressed the second. The latter saw that look of recognition on the first gentleman’s eyes, so, he asked, “Taga-Bacolod ka?” The reply was, “Oo.”

And there ends the story, ladies and gents, of how a word can connect two people in a foreign land and reveal much about their roots. One bad word was all it took.

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

Related Post:

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Meet The Man Who Helped Marcos Bring Negros Island To Its Knees

Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986. Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days. For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Saturday, March 06, 2021

Reposting from 2015 : The Little Boy With A Big Heart

People,

Warning : Do not read this without tissue paper or a handkerchief in your hand!

Throughout the last half of 2015 I have been thinking of how to put down in writing this incident which surely had to be chronicled. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Now, Christmas has arrived and has set the stage for me to tell the story.

I followed this from July 7 when I read it on Ricky Monfort's Facebook wall. On that day, Ricky posted that a tragedy had struck their family in the United States. His Tito Freddie and Tita Maryanne's family, including their grandchildren, were off to visit their Uncle Errol, one hour away from Seattle, Washington.

On the way, the rented van they were riding on was rear-ended and the crash seriously injured their 8-year-old grandson Owen. Despite several hours of trying to revive him, Owen did not make it.

As the 8-year-old Owen expired, his parents made the decision of donating his organs. Owen's heart and liver came in time for two needing recipients. It could be no less than a miracle for those who were to receive them.

In life, Owen was a boy with a big, big heart. Last year, while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV, a St. Jude's Hospital commercial came on and his mother, Tami, made a comment that she needed to donate. Owen turned to his mom and asked, "How much are you going to donate, Mommy?". His mom said $20. Owen said, "I will donate $20 too"!

What a generous boy! Thus, it comes as no surprise that even in his passing, Owen gave of himself that others may live.

Owen's mom wrote this a few days after Owen's passing:

"No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside."

At 9:24pm on July 5th, our precious sweet beautiful boy Owen earned his wings and became an angel up in Heaven. Last night, we hugged and kissed him for the last time...until we meet again. To honor his kind, giving and generous soul, Harold and I made the difficult decision to donate his organs. Our amazing little hero saved 2 lives last night with his heart and liver. To save another family from feeling the pain and sadness that we feel is what we needed to start our healing journey.

We are overwhelmed and full of gratitude with the outpouring of love and support from our community. We appreciate all of your phone calls, texts, Facebook posts and messages. We are amazed at the generosity and selflessness of each and every one of you.

We are so proud of our son for everything that he has accomplished in his 8 years of life. We are so blessed and honored to have been chosen to be his parents. Our Gracie Goose, who came out of this tragic accident unscathed, has become such a brave little girl and our "saving grace."

Owen,
Mommy, Daddy and Gracie love you so very much. We will miss you like nobody could imagine. Rest in peace my sweet baby boy. Until we meet again...

This story was originally posted in December 23, 2015. Today, a little over five years after the original post and in the light of the current worldwide pandemic, Owen still speaks to us. May the example of Owen prod us to be generous in these challenging times!

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Titas de Bacolod is Back!

Art, Blog

Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

Titas de Bacolod is back! All the writings of Tita Ivy Visitacion will also be republished here.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Sunday, September 06, 2020

The Manila Files : How a Doctor boosts her family's Immune System

Blog, Manila

Dr. Giselle Mary Lazaro-Maceda

Being bombarded daily with the news about how COVID 19 infections being on the rise can be a source of stress in itself. As Metro Manila and other parts of the country have transitioned again into stricter quarantine status, it is of greater importance to those in areas where more cases are on the rise to be in the best of health.

I asked around how the doctors are keeping themselves in the best of health, and I have come across the unique way one doctor has made the effort to be in the best of health not just for herself but for her entire family.

Meet Dr. Giselle Mary Lazaro-Maceda, a Dermatologist who holds her clinic at the Makati Medical Center, and a member of the Philippine Board of Dermatology. Finding a better way of keeping vitality up is by using the mobile service for IV drips by the Reviv Wellness Van. Pinoydoctor.com caught up with her and the family doing a different type of bonding exercise which was basically spending time together while doing the Ultraviv recovery IV therapy by Reviv PH.

A first of its kind in the Philippines, the mobile Wellness Van of Reviv PH brings the various IV drips in the product line of the global IV brand Reviv. This is perfect given the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine Status (MECQ) of Metro Manila wherein the general public is encouraged to stay at home.

Thus the IV service comes to one's doorstep. With REVIV Philippines' Mobile Wellness Van, Dr. Giselle Mary Lazaro-Maceda and family opted for Ultraviv, which provides the body with a helping hand to aid recovery from ailments such as common colds, seasonal allergies.

For those wondering how this works, arrangements are made for the Wellness Van of Reviv Philippines to come over and provide the Ultraviv IV. Appointments are set beforehand with the use of a digital questionnaire. Information supplied would had to be verified first by Reviv's doctor and as soon as this is clear, the appointment is scheduled for the van to make its way to the residence.

Wellness Van arrives thirty minutes before the appointment.

Safety protocols are in place and the staff come in full PPE suits.

On the day of the appointment, the Wellness Van comes over for the IV drip. Safety protocols are very thorough with the staff (both registered nurses) administering the process. The Ultraviv is kept in a special cooler all throughout the time from compounding. And of course, a Facetime consult with Reviv's Doctor through their iPad and other vitals as blood pressure are taken.

The Wellness Van of Reviv Philippines is available to service even beyond Metro Manila

You may contact them via Mobile Phone on Globe, or message them here.

0917-567-3848
0917-887-3848

Facebook Page : Reviv Philippines

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Rogue Metrobank VP Not A Real Lopez - Lopezes of Bacolod and Iloilo

Blog, Business

Over the usual Sunday Ilonggo family lunches in Bacolod, Iloilo, and the villages in Makati, the topic for the day was the rogue trader VP of Metrobank who was arrested last July 18 and charged for defrauding Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank) in a scandal that sent the lender’s shares tumbling on Friday. Negrense fashion, the question was, "Sin-o ina sya ya nga Lopez?" (Which Lopez branch or clan is she from?).

Oh we know how it usually is. Mere acquaintance is accelerated into friendship (or enmity) based on the family you hail from. So the Lopezes in the villages were quick to reply that the person in the spotlight is not really the Lopez but as we call it, "tapik". Madam VP is a Lopez by affinity.

That being said, many netizens are wondering why an executive earning 250k per month could not be content with what she was getting. For us in Bacolod and Iloilo, suffice it to say that she was living up to being a Lopez.

As of the latest news, the "tapik" has kept mum on who else may be involved in defrauding Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank).

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

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Sunday, July 23, 2017

Ego and Greed : Metrobank Incident Exemplifies How The Filipina's Moral Fiber Has Eroded

Blog, Manila

When the news broke out in the press last week about the Metrobank executive who was arrested and charged for defrauding Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank) in a scandal that sent the lender’s shares tumbling on Friday, there was a mix of reactions among the public. Some were alarmed, while others were already desensitized given the string of incidents in the banking sector beginning with the RCBC money laundering scandal last year and the two latest glitches with BPI and BDO. For those who knew about it before the news hit the press, the coffee shop talk left most of the Titas shaking their heads in despondence.

When I first heard of it, my mind was brought back to 1992 when the spectacular collapse of Barings Bank, the United Kingdom's oldest merchant bank, was brought about by the rogue trader, Nick Leeson, because of his fraudulent, unauthorized speculative trading for which he was sentenced to prison. During that time, the headline of TIME Magazine stated "EGO and GREED : The inside story of a 28-year old trader who blew a billion dollars, broke a bank and stunned the world".

It is not quite difficult to explain how a 28-year old single, male, expat in Singapore, in the days following the popularity of Michael Douglas' performance in the movie, "Wall Street", as Gordon Gekko could get entangled in the collapse of Barings. Ego and Greed in operation is obvious.

What is a bit disturbing is how Ego and Greed has creeped into the moral fiber of the Filipina. Liken it to fiendish and frenzied cancer cells which attack what's healthy in one's body, Ego and Greed no longer know any gender. It also knows no race.

For a while back, we have preserved the Filipinas image as a God-fearing, selfless, caring, and motherly person who would uphold what's right and cascade such values to the next generation. Sadly, the news about individuals such as Janet Napoles, a businesswoman who is believed to have masterminded the Priority Development Assistance Fund Scam, and the former Jupiter St-Makati branch manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) linked to the $81-million Bangladeshi bank heist in 2016 is a big blow to obliterate that image.

In the case of the the 54-year-old Metrobank executive, Marivic Lopez, reported to own the Menage chain of salons, it is somewhat unthinkable how one could not be satisfied with a 250k monthly salary plus merely a year's run until retirement.

Here in Bacolod (and in Iloilo), the talk over this Sunday's lunch will surely be, "Sin-o ina sya ya nga Lopez?" (Which Lopez branch or clan is she from?).

As of the latest news, Ms. Lopez has kept mum on who else may be involved in defrauding Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank).

Such a sad day when Ego and Greed take over.

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

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Saturday, April 1, 2017

Saturday, April 01, 2017

Jeepney Transformation : Bacolod City Will Soon Have Hummers for Jeepneys

Bacolod, Negros

Hummer Jeepney : A new kind of Jeepney

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - In line with the move to phase out old and environmentally-unfriendly jeepneys, a new kind of jeepney will roll out in Bacolod City.

Known for its world famous MassKara Festival and delectable chicken inasal, Bacolod, the City of Smiles will be known for another first - the use of Hummers as public transport.

The Filipino Jeepney has for many years been a symbol of Filipino ingenuity being the most popular means of public transportation in the country.

Originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II and improvised and refitted through Filipino resourcefulness, the jeepney will take on a new shape this year when ingenuity meets the legendary decadence of Negros Island.

Bacolod City will be the first city in the Philippines to see the rollout of the new generation of jeepneys using GM Hummers as its platform. The project is spearheaded by a visionary from Bacolod who requests to be made anonymous at this time.

The visionary sugar farmer relates, "There is really nothing new about this except the new platform using Hummers. Jeepneys are here to stay. The "Humjeep" project is faithful to the original intentions of the of the jeepney, and that is to convert a military transport vehicle into a form of public conveyance". He adds, "My close friends who know this project tell me I'm nuts, but I tell them that you're the ones who don't know what legacy is all about. Years from now, tourists in the Philippines will go to Bacolod just to ride one of the five Hummer jeepneys I'll be deploying".

"Love it or hate it, the Jeepney will never go away. All that's needed is a new platform for which the Hummer is perfect. The fact that the Hummer was also a military vehicle adds to the novelty".

A look at the current "Humjeep" hidden in a Negros gamefarm shows that it has been modified by eliminating the rear side doors and creating a single rear door which is typical of regular jeepneys.

The Bacolod-based visionary adds, "For the additional Humjeeps, we will be sourcing two more from Port Irene and we are eyeing to buy Piolo Pascual's H3 and Angel Locsin's H2."

Soon, riding a jeepney will really be more fun in Bacolod.

Visual peg of the interiors of the Bacolod "Humjeep" project (source : PDI)

Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

I'm Excited About Saravia Blue Crab at the 31st Negros Trade Fair

Food, Manila

The one time when crab mentality is good and is advocated. Saravia blue crab sells crab meat in different variants- claw meat, cocktail claw fingers, special, super lump, and jumbo! All will be available at the Silay Export booth on Sept.14-18 at the Negros Trade Fair!

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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod

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