The NBA Playoffs - Game 1 in the West

THE WEST 

What? No Phoenix Suns? Yes for the second time around the Big Daddy Shaq wont be in the playoffs. The west teams have been fighting tooth and nail that the standings came out final on the last day of the regular season as three teams were tied with a 54-28 mark. If Houston won their final match it would have four teams tied with the same mark.

 SAN ANTONIO (3) vs. DALLAS (6) 

The San Antonio Spurs is now the team of 2007 NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker. With Manu Ginobli out for the season, Parker has to put on a show every night for them to recapture another title. Since the 2002-2003 season the Spurs have won it every other year and are out to continue that trend with the team that they have.  Look for the Spurs to rely more on Roger Mason as Manu’s replacement together with the veteran smarts of ex- Maverick Michael Finley. Of course Tim Duncan is a given on offense and defense and so is Dirk Nowitzki. The key for both these teams are how their supporting cast will fare against each other. Jason Kidd says being underdog takes away a lot of the pressure for their team to win.  Look for Jason Terry and Josh Howard to give valuable contributions but I believe they will have a hard time capitalizing on Ginobli being out of the Spurs line up.

As Rick Kamla said, this is one exciting match up since both teams can win big in each team’s building, the difference will just be their desire to win it all! I give the Spurs the nod since they have battled to where they are now with most of their players in the injured list. I believe this one will go down the wire with Tony Parker coming out with the best all around performance to bury the Mavs in 7 games. 

PORTLAND (4) vs. HOUSTON (5) 

Despite having one of the best guard-center tandems in the league the Houston Rockets have time and again been underachievers. They have a good run during the regular season and occasionally falter in the first round of the playoffs as if they are trying to follow a script.  The Blazers on the other hand are back to the playoffs and as a young team with wingmen who enjoy slashing and shooting can be the dark horse of the West.  The core of Brandon Roy, La Marcus Aldridge and a healthy Greg Oden will definitely give the old hand Rockets a run for their money.

The interesting match up since Houston has the veteran smarts while the Trail Blazer’s youth and exuberance is a sight to behold.   The key match up is Brandon Roy and Ron Artest. Roy is ready to bring the Blazers to new heights while Artest is ready to thump and bump Roy to give him more experience.  For the Rockets, they need to bring the ball to Yao which they had a hard time doing.  The toughness of Artest, Shane Battier and experience of Brent Barry will be hard to match. On the other hand, the energy of the Blazers will make it hard for the Rockets to match. 

I think the Rip City Blazers will rip the hearts out of the Clutch City Rockets but I think this time Houston will advance after 7 games.

The NBA 2009 Playoffs - Game 1 in the East

Last season I wrote about the NBA and the Olympic team and didn’t even pose a single blog about the regular season. I hope I can blog about it now since the real games are about to start and that is the NBA playoffs.   The sweet 16 to the NBA Title has just started with four matches to augur the start of the Playoffs. Let’s see the match ups and have some predictions.  

THE EAST - The big story in the East is that the Big Ticket won’t be able to play the entire playoffs. Kevin Garnett has not fully come back from the knee injury he suffered last January.  The Cavs are out to win the East and go back to the finals to snare that elusive NBA crown.

CLEVELAND (1) vs. DETROIT (8)

Who says Lebron won’t win the MVP award?  It’s a three pronged race for the MVP but if you’d ask Lebron he’d rather get the Finals MVP that Dwayne Wade won three seasons ago.  The secret to the success of the Cavaliers has to be the points shared by the other Cavs that makes the team less predictable.  There has been “MO” offense specially on the Point guard spot where Mo Williams  (17.8 ppg) has made his mark.   Delonte West (11.7 ppg), Anderson Verajao (8.6 ppg)  and Zarunas Ilgauskas (12.9) all came together as a team

Expect a first round exit for a team that was four years ago on top of the NBA with Richard Hamilton 18.3 ppg) , Tayshaun Prince (14.2 ppg), Antonio McDyess (9.6 ppg)  and Rasheed Wallace ((12 ppg) only the ones left to bring back the glory.  A welcome surprise is the rise of point guard Rodney Stucky (13.4 ppg) as the team’s lead point guard. Even if Allen Iverson comes back the team will still miss the second round.

The key matchups are how the Point Guards will control the game and feed their stars.  The Cavs have a lot of pressure on Lebron who was frustrated in 2007 when they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.  Lebron is bigger, better and wiser and is ready to claim that elusive title. James is ready for the big games so bring it on.  Cavs in 5.

BOSTON (2) vs. CHICAGO (7)

16.2..this is the average winning margin of the Celtics against the Bulls in their wins this season.  The Celtics have adjusted to the fact that their top big man Kevin Garnett is said to miss the whole playoffs.  Leading their pact is the Truth Paul Pierce.  On the other hand veteran guard Ray Allen has been playing great this past few games and will be counted on to shoot the lights out in these playoffs. 

What is important now is how the frontline of the Bulls will fare against the depleted frontcourt of the Celtics. Joachim Noah and Tyrus Thomas needs to pound on Kendrick Perkins and the Glen Davis in order to create an advantage.  Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose will get a lot of experience playing against Allen and Pierce. The only way they can squeeze a win is for the Bulls to cover the Celtics shooters and make them falter so that their frontline will be forced to score which won’t be that much since KG is out. Rajon Rondo’s matchup with Rose will be a sight to behold.

Boston will take this one in 6 games.

The STI Juniors Team

In creating a basketball team, the start is usually the hardest one. A team would usually endure all the pains of losses and then hopefully start winning.  In another move to further improve its basketball team, the STI network of schools have created its first Juniors basketball team that will come out to play in the 9th NAASCU Juniors championships.  NAASCU League rules has it that the Juniors is an eighteen (18) and under tournament which can be the school's farm team.   

The team which is barely three weeks old is entered as a guest team in the High School division of the Fr. Martin's cup for this summer.  Here are some pictures of the game that the STI juniors lost this morning against the UST Juniors team 62-58.  

STI College Balagtas center Cedrick Ablaza led the Olympians with 23 points on top of the many three point plays he got and offensive rebounds.  Former ICCHS Iloilo stalwart and now an Olympian Lester Bocalbo added 10 points in his manila debut.

Former Olympian Seniors member Paul Sabacahan also backed up the team ably with 10  markets. The troika will be the focal point of the Olympians junior team.  Sabacahan came from the Corpus Christi High school from Cagayan de Oro and he rode the bench last year and hopefully be a big contributor to the Juniors team.

Considering the fact that it was their first game as a team, the young Olympians played adequately and defended well. The Olympians were not rattled nor were they problematic, its just that they missed shots in the endgame. After more games they will eventually get the good results.

Jobapalooza in Pasay: Veni, Vidi, Vici

Job Fair Venue

They came, They Saw, they conquered! The City of Pasay made sure that their constituents would not be denied as their weekly job fair attracted droves of jobseekers hoping to land jobs that would help them go through our current financial crisis. Aside from the usual employers that the residents of Barangay 183 zone 20 in Villamor Pasay City have, they were in for a bonus as the STI Mobile Caravan of Jobapalooza 2009 was there to help them out in applying for jobs.

Barangay Chairman Cesar Toledanes

The day started with the local officials led by Barangay Chairman Cesar Toledanes leading his people to the job fair by explaining to his constituents the various companies that were looking for staff positions and offering other jobs. The SM Mall of Asia was there together with the Marriot group of hotels that will be building hotels in Pasay City. The City of Pasay has a requirement that the employees that all businesses in their area employ should come from Pasay City. The minimum is 60 % of Pasay City residents. That way their constituents are preferred over job seekers from other areas.

Your handsomeness explaining the proceedings

By the time it was time to start the Barangay Hall was literally filled up to the rafters and the response of the jobseekers was very overwhelming. At 9:00 am it was time to start the first leg of the Jobapalooza mobile caravan. The only problem we encountered was that a lot of the job seekers are not that computer literate and had no emails. I helped more than 20 job seekers create their accounts and unfortunately it took some of them 20 minutes to create an account that can be normally done in 2 minutes.

Jobseekers registering and waiting for their turn

The residents of the City of Pasay are so lucky that their city government is so proactive in creating job opportunities for their constituents. So if you are looking for a place to stay, go to Pasay and they will assure you of the best services a city can do and help you land a job also.

Jobseekers applying online

The Jobapalooza is an event initiated by the Department of Labor and Employment and in partnership with Globe Telecoms, SM Malls, Banco de Oro, Jobstreet.com, Philjobnet, Philippine Online Chronicles and the STI Education Services Group.

Jobapalooza 2009-STI Mobile Caravan Launch

The City of Manila, long known as the originator of many historical events in the country was once again the witness to an important event that will aid the biggest job fair in the country - the launch of the STI Mobile Caravan. Mayor Alfredo S. Lim together with all the employees of the Manila City Hall served notice of the coming of the STI Mobile Caravan which is one of the instruments that will be used to increase registrants for the Tayo Na! Trabaho Na JOBAPALOOZA which will be held at the SMX Convention Centre on May 1, 2009.

Director Liza Makinano of DOLE and yours truly

The launch signifies the seriousness of the project which seeks to help many Filipinos find jobs and hopefully get employed. The STI Education Services Group, an institution that is true to its promise of helping its graduates land jobs has extended its helping hand to various cities and municipalities in the country as their STI Mobile School will be visiting selected sites for would be employers to seek out employment. 

Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim

Aside from the STI Mobile School, jobseekers can also go to any STI campus to register, that way Filipinos will have all the resources needed to be able to land a job. I was quite excited to see how the City of Manila start their week as all their employees lined up for their weekly flag ceremony and some announcements which was made by the City Budget’s office. 

DOLE Undersecretary Minda Padilla

After that I was tasked to be the Master of ceremonies for the short program to launch the Mobile caravan together with Director Liza Makinano of the Institute of Labor Studies of the Department of Labor and Employment. Guests included the Major Sponsors of the event namely our friends from Jobstreet.com and Banco de Oro. Our STI team was also there led by our Executive Vice President and COO Sir Peter Fernandez with my boss Elbert de Guzman.  Guest speakers were DOLE Undersecretary Minda Padilla who happens to be the Chairperson of the 2009 Labor Day Committee and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Assistant Secretary General Alex Aguilar.

TUCP Assistant Secretary General Alex Aguilar

After the speeches our VP for Communications Elbert de Guzman led the walk through demonstration of the bus by inviting Mayor Fred Lim and DOLE Undersecretary Minda Padilla. The rest of the media men, guests and sponsors followed suit as they witnessed what the STI Mobile School can do.

STI VP for Communications Elbert de Guzman

with Mayor Fred Lim

The Mayor was impressed with the STI Mobile school and congratulated Team STI for a job well done as he expressed confidence in this instrument for his constituents in Manila to get jobs. Aside from the STI schools in Manila and nearby cities, the STI Mobile school will provide jobseekers the tool to register with jobstreet since they it will be visiting the six districts of the City of Manila.

The City of Manila's youth sector led by Niño dela Cruz brought in some graduates to register right away. If you want to be a part of the jobapalooza just click this LINK to register. Stay tuned for other developments regarding the STI Mobile Caravan.

STI Summer Outing

Its that time of year once again when the STI Headquarters would go out and enjoy the fruits of our labor. This year the Team STI goes to the Caylabne Beach Resort for some fun and recreation. More importantly, the outing is also the culmination of the STI Team Building activities.  

Vision Compass 2008 was launched last October 2008 and for me it is the best Sports fest that STI Headquarters ever had because of the variety of events and competitions lined up. The past three to four years saw a lot of people come in and out of the STI Headquarters that is why team building is a main key for the harmonious relationships we have now.

One thing unique about the STI Team building activities which is actually the very core of Vision Compass 2010 is that its going to be a year long activity and not just a one time big time deal. That way we can all enjoy the games as they unfold and relive many acquaintances and hopefully expand in the future.

After dinner, as was the practice the past four years, the teams and individuals who shone the brightest the past season were given medals for their participation in the event.  I myself got two Gold medals for chess and Games of the generals. My only regret was that our Scrabble team finished dead last while the basketball tournament never finished. Those were the only sports I got to join since I was away most of the time the games were played.

After the awarding the new four teams for Vision Compass 2009 were unveiled and I got excited with the new team I had.  This year proves to be a more exciting year for STI HQ employees since the new office proves to be something that is worth working for. More on the many activities that we will have come for Vision Compass 2009. 

Caylabne Beach Resort

When I was in College I remember my good friend Deo Deomano invited me for a summer job to help out their family business. Tita Lita Demano was in the catering business back then and one of her big accounts was serving companies and guests in a first class resort in Cavite named Marbella.  The resort as I remember it was just 25 kilometers from Puerto Azul and boasts of a magnetic field that can pull even a vehicle upwards when that vehicle is not moving. 

One thing that I remember about Marbella was that the beachfront was actually man made as sacks of sands from various white beaches were brought in to be able to reinforce the gray sands that are normal to Cavite beaches.  The beach is just 50 kilometers from Robinsons Dasmasrinas and around 90 kilometers from Manila.  

The whole beach area is roughly around 160 hectares and is surrounded by lots of islands namely  El Fraile, Caballo, La Monja, Carabao, and Corregidor.Years after Marbella became a famous tourist site the resort's management eventually changed and it was renamed to what it is now known -Caylabne Bay Resort.

This is the second time I came back to Caylabne as an STI employee because the last time I was here we had a planning session for the previous STI management back in 2002.  A lot has changed and I heard that besides the occassional tourists and families that go to this very prestigioius resort a lot of companies also go here for team buildings events. The place is perfect for team building since the wide area and various activities you can plan out complements any training planned.

Just like the previous STI outings I just had a swim and eventually took pictures of our team building and outing. Caylabne is definitely a great place to take a breather and its just here in Luzon.

A tale of two Lawyers

I remember back in High School we frequented houses of two friends whose fathers were lawyers. At the same time these two lawyers had some affinity with my father who was also a lawyer. During the many parent teacher conferences in High school I was quite happy that my dad became friends with the dads of my classmates. 

During our 4E reunion last friday April 3,  my good friends Bong Berbano and Dino Tanjuatco were confirmed to go but on the last minute suddenly changed their minds as both their dads were in a critical stage in their illness.  Dino's dad Tito Ding passed away last Sunday morning and Bong's dad followed two days after. Sadness was in the air as these two lawyers were father figures to me when I was in High school.

Emigdio "Ding" Tanjuatco Jr. was our idol when we were in High school. He was then at the forefront of the fight against the Marcos regime as he was one of the many Assemblymen (this was the counterpart of the congressman then) who walked out of the counting proceedings at the Batasang Pambansa when they could not bear anymore the massive cheating in the 1986 snap elections. After Marcos was overthrown Tito Ding eventually became congressman and was loved by his constituents as he was voted to three consecutive terms. More than that, his son and my classmate Dino was the picture of generosity back then and still now since he would constantly host parties and sleep overs for us. It was no joke hosting parties and sleep overs back then since the weekly groceries of houses we sleep in eventually goes haywire since our appetite back then was at its peak. Dino would not bat an eyelash when it comes to inviting us to their house and the countless parties in their house was really one for the books. All of us from our High School class will always have fond memories of Tito Ding. 

Special Prosecutor Roger Berbano can be described as the incorruptible.  He gained prominence after being a part of the prosecution team in the very celebrated Kuratong Baleleng case in the 1990's. I remember that time back in 1996 when my good friend Bong said their family was getting death threats. For Tito Roger his family comes first and he made sure that he made the right choice as he pulled some strings to make those threats go away.  The Berbanos live in Brookside in Cainta and we were just happy to spend time with them and meet their whole family, Tita Norie, Anne, Dette and Arvin. From Bong's stories he said that his father is always happy whenever he told stories about our barkada's fun moments. Before he joined the creator Tito Roger suffered a stroke which eventually got him weak over the past decade and the last time I was able to talk to him was during the wedding of dette in 2006.

My father already knew Tito Roger even before Bong and I became friends. On the other hand my father was also a member of the Aquila Legis fraternity where Tito Ding is also a member of. I am just happy that the ties that all our families had made our High school lives very happy.  Both Tito Roger and Tito Ding will be missed and I would like express my sincerest condolences to both the Berbanos and the Tanjuatcos. 

Always and 4Ever

If I were to go back and single out the happiest phase in my life, it would have to be the four years I stayed in the Ateneo High School! After graduating from the Ateneo twenty two years ago most of my classmates went to different schools and a big chunk went abroad. We were quite happy to be able to find time to have small reunions in the past and eventually try to catch up with old times.

Gary Roca concocted this after dinner get together after numerous attempts by me to ask them to create a reunion in Malacañang. Well, this is better than none. The guys who went besides me and Gary were Binggy Lopez, Jerome Buhay, Lito Ligon, Jerome Mendoza, Peter Macam, Snoops Montero, Neil Bernardo, Deo Deomano and Red Atendido.

Those who failed to follow was the bar owner Olsen Racela who got stuck in another gimmick. Shame on you Mr. Racela. Dino Tanjuatco and Bong Berbano called in to say they wont make it because their dads were in critical condition. (The topic in my next blog)

It was really a great time to rekindle the times when we were young and the only thing that we mentioned was that everyone is okay with having a monthly reunion of sorts and hopefully have the guys who did not make it join us next time around. With regards to the venue, we might probably look for one who we think will have a host that will be there when the group arrives. Stay tuned again 4E boys.

The Pasay City Government

The beauty of having an event that has different sponsors is that we get to go to different places and meet different people. Last week I got to meet people from the Manila City Hall. After years of seeing the establishment I finally got to go inside and had a meeting with them since they are also sponsors of the Jobapalooza. Another place that caught my eye is the Pasay City Hall which is a bit surprising since we met with the Chief of Staff of the Mayor and other committee members of the event.

The Pasay City Government's involvement will surely make the Jobapalooza simply more exciting and all the more good since they said that their involvement is simply making sure that their constituents will hopefully land jobs and help out in the logistics of the event. Here's to a fine partnership.

Jobapalooza meeting @ SMX

If you were to ask me, it was great meeting new people from different companies and working with them. The fun part starts when you have a lunch meeting out of the office. We had a meeting at Aling Tonya's Restaurant just across the SMX Convention Center to iron out things for the event. It was sort of a coordination meeting of sponsors for the event. Lites Viloria of DOLE was there together with Maureen Laus and Leah Lao of Banco de Oro. Lindsay Querubin and Monette Gallego of Jobstreet came together with the hosts for the lunch, our friends from Globe Telecoms - Nonie Busuego, Manolo Nava and Nats Alcantara.



One thing funny was that Lites, Mau, Leah and I were all early for the lunch meeting while Manolo and Lindsay were quite stuck with the traffice. The thee girls took the liberty to order everything under the sun which was an advantage for me since I know that gurls eat less than guys so there will be more for me hahaha. The good thing was that we ordered ahead since the kitchen had a hart time cooking and the food took a long time before it was finally served.



Much to my surprise the three lovely girls and I had something in common - we all had big appetites! We were all laughing since everything that was placed in front of us were smothered while the other table ate slowly and the girls as I said ate like real girls. Hahaha. The lunch was a perfect way to loosen up, bond and get to know the others involved in the project. After lunch we had a short meeting and went on to SMX with the other people involved in the project to handle our usual business. Well that's another story.