There is a saying that goes, “Money can’t buy happiness”.
I so totally disagree with that saying because I believe otherwise. Happiness for me is so oftentimes defined and satisfied by material things (oo material girl kasi ako, hahaha).
Casey Johnson, American socialite and actress, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson empire, was found dead in her West Hollywood home’s bedroom last January 4. The cause of death is yet to be determined pending coroner’s and toxicology report, however authorities reported “no evidence of foul play”. (Wikipedia)
Despite being an heiress, hindi …

Mukhang tahimik pa yata ang buong barrio noh. Malamang may hangover pa ang iba nating kababayan. Hangover sa celebration at inuman, hangover sa vacation at hangover sa lakwatsa. Juice ko, kahit ako nga eh ayaw nang bumalik sa trabajo dahil tinatamad pa at gusto pang i-extend ang bakasyon. Hahaha!
To start the year with a bang, eto, tingnan niyo kung sino ang nasa January-February issue ng Preview magazine.
It’s none other than the first lady of boxing herself, the lovely Jinkee Pacquiao!

Oh ‘di ba, ang ganda ng lola niyo.
Teka, ‘di ba fashion …

Kung discrimination ang pag-uusapan medyo umiinit talaga ang ulo ko. Being gay all my life, I’ve experienced all kinds of discrmination and pangungutya from people of all sorts. Mas lalong nakakainis nga eh kung yung mismong kumukutya sa’yo ay pangit pa, ang kapal ng mukha sarap sapakin.
A mother together with her son was on their way home from Hong Kong when the crew of the Cebu Pacific flight they were on board asked them to step down from the plane because her son is ‘mentally ill’ daw and according to …

The following phone conversation took place on December 25, 2004, Christmas Day.
Nanay Luisa (Novaliches, Philippines): Hello anak?
Tracy (Phuket, Thailand): Hello Nay, Merry Christmas po!
Nanay Luisa: Tracy anak, Merry Christmas din sa’yo. Kamusta ka naman diyan?
Tracy: Okay lang ako Nay. Medyo busy nga dito sa resort eh dahil marami kaming bisita ngayon. Andaming foreigners Nay. Kakatuwa ang mga batang Amerikano, ang kukulet namiss ko tuloy ang mga pamangkin ko. Ikaw Nay, kamusta ang Pasko sa atin?
Nanay Luisa: Mabuti naman anak at nag-eenjoy ka rin diyan kahit nasa malayo ka. Naku, …

Happy Birthday!
OMG, how old Ka na nga ba, gosh, You’re so old na noh. You are like forever years old. Kamusta Ka naman diyan? Well, if You ask me, I had a wonderful year salamat sa’Yo. So far, so good and kahit na struggling sa buhay at least maganda pa rin and I thank You for that.
Alam Mo, marami akong sasabihin sa Iyo.
Una sa lahat, I want to thank You for everything. Oo, for everything kabilang na ang mga trials and problems. Kasi naman it made me stronger and a …

Hello frenemies! How art thou? It’s been a very busy time for me this past few weeks attending parties and events (read: early campaigning) so please forgive me if I haven’t been in touch with you barriotics for quite a while.
Anyway, the year is about to end with a bang, literally, because of the impending Mount Mayon eruption but let’s just wish and pray that it’ll be a mild one and not catastrophic.
You know, the year 2009 has been very good for me because I’ve learned a lot especially in …

Hello mga friendship! Kamusta na kayo? Well, if you ask me, okay lang ako at in-love. Charoooot!
Because of the good feedback we received from our first response to some of our Barrio Siete letter senders seeking for advice, we are once again opening our mailbox para matugunan ang iilang problema ng ating mga ka-barrio na nangangailangan ng payo.
This time, hindi lang si Ate Charing ang magbibigay ng payo, we have a guest ‘counselor’ to help us in solving these mind-boggling dilemmas. It’s none other than our resident critic/diva/mental patient extraordinaire …

Here in Barrio Siete, we come across different kinds of readers from all walks of life. Contributing articles through email is one aspect where readers can share their stories about their respective lives or experiences. Pero dapat matuto ka rin makipag-social climb noh kasi hindi naman lahat ng nagsa-submit ng mga articles eh napipili ng council para ipublish lalo na yung nagpopromote lang ng blog nila. Ano kayo sinuswerte? Charing!
At dahil nasa vacation pa ang La Kapitana at wala akong magawa dito sa aking kubo, pinakialaman ko na ang laman …

Dear Uncle Jessie,
How are you my dear uncle? Don’t tell me you are okay because I know you’re not.
It’s been a while since we last saw and spoke to each other noh? Well, you know naman uncle that I’m a little popular than you now and I’ve been very busy with my newfound social life. I think the last time we spoke was a long time ago and you were a congressman pa in Davao and that was in the 90’s. OMG, so that means you’re so old already! Like …

Hello mga kapatid! I missed you all. Charing!
Well, pasensya na at medyo delayed telecast ulet ang inyong lingkod sa pagbibigay ng aking natatanging opinion tungkol sa mga bagay-bagay na nangyayari dito sa ating bansa at pati sa buong universe na rin. Alam niyo naman, tumatanggap na ako ng labada ngayon kasi kelangan kumayod para sa mga boyfriends, este, para sa future.
Anyway, kamusta na kayo? Ano na ba ang latest?
Well, simulan na natin ang pagdiscuss. [Cue X-Files theme song here]
Uno
Let’s start on a positive note.
Hindi ba kayo naiyak nung malaman …

Sa mga umaabang sa next appearance ni Eklat, lalo na sa kanyang anim na fans, eto ulet ang isang sulat mula sa kanya.
Basa na mga bruha.

Hello patriots!
Yes it’s me again, Eklat at your service.
You know I just arrived from a week of rehab, I mean, vacation in LA and the news that Yaya Indira has for me when I arrived was this controversial video of presidentiable Noynoy Aquino. Of course I have not seen the video before because tv and internet is forbidden in the ‘vacation home’. Yaya …

Mga bruhang fans ni Eklat, may sulat na naman po siya para sa atin kaya hindi ko na kayo bibitinin. Sabay-sabay nating basahin. Gooooo!

Hello my dear minions!
I know that you’re glad to see my name pop up in Barrio Siete again.

Well forgive moi to keep you waiting because I’ve been so much busy doing charity work these days. I told you what I did during the Ondoy tragedy last month and after that grueling experience, I had to detoxify myself for two weeks in sunny Bahamas.
When I got back, …

Undas na mga ka-barrio.

Ano bang ginagawa niyo to celebrate this holiday?
Well, in my case I attended a birthday party on a Halloween. Buti na lang at hindi costume party kaya hindi na ako nag-effort to come as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Hahaha!
Anyway, sa mga ka-barrio natin diyan sa Amerika, normal na eksena na ang makakita ng mga costume parties everywhere. Costumes ranging from a Dracula costume to a Playboy Bunny. Pati Kate Gosselin costume ay pinatulan na rin ng mga tao. Hahaha! Normal na rin ang makakita ng mga bata …

Image via Wikipedia

I have a confession to make.
Opo, kuya, ate.
Isang pagtatapat mga ka-barrio. Hindi ito tungkol sa aking pagkatao dahil matagal ko nag ipinagtapat sa inyo na hindi ako isang tao. Sa mga hindi pa nakakaalam, isa po akong “diyosa”.
Hahaha! Charing lang.
Seriously (kunwari), mahirap man itong sasabihin ko ay kailangan ninyong malaman ang isang katotohanan na matagal ko nang tinatago sa sarili ko dahil mahal ko kayo mga masugid naming mambabasa. We owe you the truth and as the saying goes, “The truth will set you free”.
Hehehe. …

The aftermath brought by the typhoons that wrecked our country is now being felt not just by those directly affected but also the entire country.
Dahil sa mga bagyong ito, kelangan magdoble sa sipag ang karamihan sa ating mga mamamayan. Hindi lang nila kelangan kumayod para mabuhay sa pang-araw araw na basic needs, they also need to repair their damaged houses at mag-pundar muli ng mga kasangkapan. Nakakalungkot isipin na kahit last week pa nangyari ang baha eh hindi pa rin ito humuhupa sa marami pang bahagi especially those in the …

Mga kapatid, eto at may natanggap na naman tayong sulat dito sa Barrio Siete from our dear friend Eklat. Naging busy pala ang lola niyo sa kawanggawa kaya natagalan bago siya nakasulat sa atin. Sa mga hindi pa familiar kay Eklat, you can read her first two letters here and here.
Here is Eklat’s third letter to us.
Read on.
Hello my dear minions.

First of all, I’d like to apologise for not making paramdam these past few months.
I’ve been busy with my life. You know naman, sushal people like us has a very …

photo harbat: here
Hello mga ka-baro, este mga ka-barrio. Yes, I’m back balakubak!
It’s been a while since my last contribution dito sa Barrio Siete. Pasensiya na kayo at medyo inatake kasi ng drama ang buhay ko at naging busy din sa work. Kinabahan din ako sa latest developments here in Barrio Siete kaya medyo nag-alangan ako sa aking ability to write. But I’m okay now. Hindi lang ako assured, insured at secured pa. Hahaha!
I’ve gained enough strength and confidence to share with you again my thoughts and opinion on the …

“It is so funny I forgot to laugh.”
Linya yan ng isa sa favourite kong writer na si Jessica Zafra.
Ganyan kasi ang naging reaction ko upon reading someone’s comments from an article written by the wonderful Ellen Tordesillas about the Jinggoy-Ping privilege speech bakbakan.
As a gay person living in this modern day and age, malungkot pa rin ako when I read or hear something bad written about us, and lalong mas nakaka-stress dahil sometimes we are mentioned in reference to something bad and calling it ‘very gay’.
That article by Miss Ellen …

Today is a very important day lalo na sa mga taga-Barrio Siete para alalahanin ang isang worldwide event na nangyari eight years ago.
This is my tribute.
I was busy preparing dinner when my phone rang. Siyempre, dahil lafang ang nasa harapan ko dinedma ko muna ang phone call. I wasn’t expecting any calls naman eh. Nag ring ulet kaya kinuha ko na lang ang cellphone ko. Aba, ‘caller unknown’, which means galing sa labas ng Pinas ang tawag. Sinagot ko na lang at baka kung sino na ito.
“Hello?”
“Bakla!”
“Sino to?”
“Hoy bruha ka, …

photo harbat: dito
Hello beautiful people of Barrio Siete! At sa mga girls na rin, hello sa inyo. Hahaha. Joke lang. Kamusta na kayo mga kaibigan?
Well, kung ako ang tatanungin niyo ay hindi boring na “I’m fine thank you how about you” ang isasagot ko. Ito palagi ang sagot ko kapag tinatanong kung kamusta na ako:
“Eto, pula pa rin ang hasang.”
Charing!
Anyway, napabigla ang pagsusulat ko nitong entry na ito dahil may nabasa akong article sa Forbes. Oo, sa maniwala kayo’t sa hindi ay nagbabasa ako ng Forbes. Hahaha!
May nilabas kasi …

I have three places in the Philippines that I consider home. Una na siyempre ang aking hometown of Davao City, the home of the Philippine eagle. Second, ang Bukidnon, the land of Zubiris, and third is Cagayan de Oro City, the city of golden friendship.
Kapag weekends at walang work at raket dito sa bukid ay umuuwi ako sa balay sa Davao o ‘di kaya ay pumupunta ako ng CDO para magliwaliw at magpahinga na rin from a very stressful week. My super duper friend Edz is working there now …

Just when we thought we’ve satisfied all our readers by giving our very best in each article here in Barrio Siete, meron pa rin pala kaming kakulangan.
As you all know, well pati na rin sa mga hindi pa nakakaalam, Elaine Katherine Lourdes Anna Theresa, Eklat for short, is one of our avid critic here in Barrio Siete. Her yaya, Yaya Indira is one of our avid readers. Eklat wrote to us before and her main concern then was our style of writing here that made her yaya “unhealthy and unsociable”. …

Photo Harbat globalbeauties.com
Venezuela wins! 18 year-old Stefania Fernandez is the 6th Venezuelan to win the Miss Universe crown. The first back to back win in the history of the Miss Universe pageant. We here in Barrio Siete are very proud of her! She really nailed her answer to the final question. She deserves it!
Okay, tama na ang kaplastikan. Masyadong mahal ang Tupperware.
So what do I think about this year’s pageant? Well, sa totoo lang hindi ako masaya sa outcome ng show. If I have to rate the show based …

On Monday Aug. 24, 2009 (Philippine time), you won’t see a single gay man outside the four corners of our homes. Kahit dito sa Barrio Siete ay hindi niyo ako makikita. Ito ang araw na pinaka-holy sa amin. Mas importante pa ito sa Pasko, New Year, or kahit sa sarili naming birthday. Oo, I’m talking about the Miss Universe pageant live from the tropical city of Nassau, in the Bahamas.
Sa totoo lang, I never fail to watch it every year simula pa noong natuto akong lumakad. Kung hindi ko …

Once again, we received a letter from our imaginary P.O. Box addressed to all of us here in Barrio Siete. Kahit hindi sa akin ito naka-address ay binulatlat ko na ito dahil pakialamera naman talaga ako. This letter is from one of our avid readers, Trisha from Makati. I found her letter very appropriate with what has been going on in our country.
Here, she talks of her very painful experience in joining a beauty contest.
Read on.
Dear Ate Charing,
Itago niyo na lang po ako sa pangalang Trisha. 25 years old from …