Tips to Survive Dinagyang

Dinagyang is Coming!!!

Although Dinagyang is a fun activity for the weekend, it is also very dangerous not only for foreigners but also for locals.

So if you're coming to Dinagyang, here are some crazy safety tips:

1. Buy a cheap mobile phone. Yep, the first tip is to buy a phone. If you do have some extra cash, get the cheapest phone you can get. The cheapest I saw is only PHP650. Use this for texting, calling and others.

2. Buy a landline prepaid. PLDT has a prepaid SIM card for landline which only costs PHP50 but already bundled with 25 pesos worth of calls - around 12 minutes of landline use. This should be more than enough to call for help or just call someone at home to ensure you're safe.

3. Bring lots of coins. If you're not at ease (or any money) to bring to Dinagyang. At least bring coins. There are phone booths around the city you can use in case of emergency.

4. Remember this number: 166

5. When drinking in the streets (which you will), look around before sitting down. This will give you an awareness on whose already drunk and dangerous.

6. If you're itching to bring your digital camera, make sure it stays in front of you and strapped in your neck. Your camera will only be snatched if you're strangled to death which will never happen in the middle of the street.

That's it. Have fun in Dinagyang. I know I will.

Human Rights Commission in the Philippines - Bunch of Pansies

Human Rights should be made available for everyone.

But abusing your "Human Rights" for crazy motives is really bad.

Here are some cases:

Case #1: A group of people beat up a guy who they "suspected" (read: caught) snatching. He clamors for justice since he has the "right" to be tried in a court. Yep, Human Rights Comission will come scrambling to help him. On the other hand, the poor woman whose bag was snatched can't even be provided with a lawyer to persecute the "suspect." The guy goes free and goes back to snatching.

Case #2: Random drug tests for students. Alert for HRC - most schools today are already requiring students to undergo drug tests. Setting one in random will even save the community, the school's reputation and more importantly, the students. This is not a matter of privacy, it's a matter of security.

The HRC is just another way of telling people to get away with stuff and invoke their "Human Rights" and slow prosecution. It is also being used to cloak poeple's wrongdoing because of privacy.