Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing and his Feng Shui Predictions

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With the coming of the Chinese New Year this 28th of January, we see the familiar images all over the Metro - like "tikoys" (Nian gao sometimes translated as year cake or Chinese New Year's cake) of different shapes, colors and sizes. There are also the other familiar items that you'll find an abundance in Binondo or Chinatown in Manila designed to bring you luck and fortune. I could tell you that there would be many who would do a food, site and/or temple tour within these days, especially at the actual night when fireworks will once again lit the skies.

Not to be confused with fortune telling, is Feng Shui, a Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing everyone with the surrounding environment. This is something like putting everything in its rightful place. There also seems to be several ways to receive luck and fortune using this practice, and thus Feng Shui masters are also very popular during the Chinese New Year season.

Since most Chinese, may it be pure or Tsinoy, are affluent or rich, and very much successful in business, there's probably nothing wrong in following this age-old tradition.

Will we be lucky this year?

Now that this is the Year of the Fire Rooster, 2017 for me might be sort of lucky or unlucky as I tend to get confused when so many "masters" say different "fortunes." But Master Chau explained that he is only into Feng Shui and not in fortune telling. He did told us that there are many who try to master everything from Feng Shui to Fortune Telling - Jack of All Trades? Master of None?

Hontiveros on Duterte's Slavery Comment: Don't Trivialize People's Suffering

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday called President Rodrigo Duterte's attention after the country's Chief Executive compared drug addicts to African slaves, saying that at least African slaves can be put to work.

Hontiveros said the statement is racist and belittles the value of human life.

"This is the height of absurdity. The president tries to make light of slavery, which is universally frowned upon and condemned. His remarks were callous, insensitive and uninformed," Hontiveros said.

"Abuse is abuse. Whether drug addiction or slavery, the lives of the people that are trapped in these circumstances are incomparable. It is wrong to trivialize people's suffering and judge which situation is 'better' than the other," Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros said Duterte should stop referring to the ostracism and persecution done to people of different races when talking about the country's drug users.

"First it was the Holocaust, now it's slavery. When will this madness stop? I remind the President that drug addiction is a public health concern. Ostracizing drug addicts only make it extra difficult for the government to fully rehabilitate and reintegrate them back into society," Hontiveros remarked.

"What they need are appropriate health care interventions to manage and stop their addiction. The government should also recognize their right to decent work as a response to the roots of their dependence. The president should stop making it seem like drug dependents are better off sent to gas chambers or slave ships," Hontiveros said.

Last year, Duterte was reported to have compared his anti-drug campaign to the Holocaust. He said that he is willing to slaughter the country's drug users.

FEU Short Film Bags 6 POV Awards

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A short film made by a group of students from Far Eastern University-Manila recently took home majority of the awards in the 13th Piling Obrang Vidyo or “POV XIII: Celebrating the Power of People’s Narratives” organized by UP Cinema.

“Ma?” won Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Performance (in a tie with “Nandito Naman Tayo Para Sa Isa't Isa, ‘Di Ba?” by Gilb Baldoza of UP Diliman), Best Poster, Cinemasters’ Choice (selected by the organizers) and Audience Choice at the awards ceremony held last January 21 at UP Cine Adarna.

The 10-minute film tells the story of Andre (Antonio Collantes), a boy who suddenly finds himself alone in their house. He looks for his mother (Aileen Sahibad) despite having no electricity at home. He eventually finds an explanation the unexpected turn of events as well as the shadows lurking in the dark.

FEU Film Society Vice President Ralph Quincena wrote the screenplay, edited and co-directed the film with fellow Department of Communication student Patricia Ramirez. They also got ample support from director of photography Josel Fajardo, producer and sound designer Zheina David, associate producer and assistant director Ronalyn Torres, production designer Andrea Rigor, sound recordist Faith Medina, script continuity supervisor Rodney Barnes and musical scorer Athena Respicio, among others. Fajardo, David, Torres, Rigor, Medina and Barnes are Quincena’s fellow FEU FilmSoc members and communication majors while Respicio is an architecture student at FEU.

“So far, my bad experiences have been my investment in filmmaking. I’m the type of person who believes that the grudges that people have from their dark pasts are great sources of magnificent stories. That is why I found myself being fond of making horror films. For me, all of the films that I’ve made have that dark touch, a feeling of unhappiness and fear. I don’t know why exactly but anger, sadness and fright seem to drive my creativity crazy,” Quincena shared.