Page 36 - Hello Philippines November 2015 'B' issue

36 www.hello-philippines.com NEWS November 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 22 • UK & Europe Edition

JESSICA ZAFRA

The 12 Signs of Stressmas
u Carols in September. The of your friendship, tokens that say, “I calendars, etc from the people who
Philippines is noted for having the was thinking of you when I bought are running for office. Carriedo Street in Manila’s Quiapo district gets filled with holiday shoppers in file photo. ©InterAksyon.com
longest holiday season in the world. It this cheap crap that was made by
is even longer than that. The season exploited workers in Third World z Sharp increase in the sales of media, children have never been so you want to be the Grinch subject to
begins on the first day of the first sweatshops.” You yourself will receive antidepressants. How could anyone aware of their power. Between the reproachful looks in the new year.
month that ends in “-ber”. That’s when many of these items, some of which possibly be depressed during the 24/7 work cycle, the studies about Very little gets done in December.
radio stations and shopping malls start are adorable and will be displayed on happiest time of the year? Because the psychological consequences of
playing cheerful songs about sleigh your shelves until they are covered in there’s nothing like being forced to act absentee parents, and the silent  Every venue is full. That includes
bells in the snow, mistletoe and holly, dust and thrown away. happy to remind you that you judgment of helicopter parents who restaurants which host the Olympics
and flying reindeer transporting a don’t understand why you don’t have of houseflies the rest of the year. If you
large bearded man in red who sneaks w Garbage collectors start showing are, in fact, not happy. Ho ho ho. 24 hours a day to spend supervising have not yet reserved a venue for your
into people’s houses through their up. Who are these smiling men Studies show that there are more your kids, parents have never felt office party, get ready to have it at your
chimneys, and we pretend that these hauling away your garbage? You have incidences of sadness, gloom, and so guilty. The implication is that if office. During the Stressmas season,
things exist in our tropical country. never seen them before. Why, they’re suicidal thoughts during the holiday you do not buy your children those restaurants and bars offset their losses
garbage collectors, here to remind you season than the rest of the year. If newly-released game consoles or and earn the greater part of their
v Bazaars for wholesale gift- that this is the season of giving. How you are on Prozac, Zoloft, or other Disney princess designer gowns and annual revenue. There are crowds
buying. Since August you have been kind of them, you would never have antidepressants, I suggest you stock accessories, they will be scarred for everywhere. In our culture, crowds
planning to go to Divisoria to buy remembered otherwise. up now because drugstores tend to life. Kids know this, and they are and noise equals happiness. (This is
presents. You need to buy presents run out during the Stressmas period. relentless. why there have been surprisingly few
for your entire barangay, to show x Everyone becomes so If you cannot fill your prescriptions incidents of people running amok
your goodwill and keep the peace all courteous and solicitous as December at the usual places, try the branches } Man-hours lost to party- when stuck in traffic.)
through the year, even when you feel approaches. Surely they have no at the less affluent neighborhoods. planning. Suddenly, project deadlines
like firing rockets at the people who agenda. They just want to open the In the Philippines, poor people are and urgent reports become less urgent Weight gain. Lechon, jamon,
sing karaoke at full volume all day. door for you and carry your packages not supposed to get depressed, either than practising the departmental embotido, queso de bola, cake, fruit
You need to buy presents for all your and assist you in every way, to make because they have more immediate dance number for the office Xmas salad, and every carbohydrate known
co-workers, especially the ones whose up for the fact that they did not do concerns (survival) to think about, party or festooning the corporate to humans since the invention of
names you can’t remember, so they these things during the first 10 and a or because they can’t afford to seek headquarters with Xmas lights and agriculture. Repeat.
won’t notice that you can’t remember half months of the year. psychotherapy. fake snow. You cannot reprimand
their names. Suddenly you realize it’s your staff for dereliction of duty unless Of course everyone is happy.
November, Xmas bonuses have been y Presents from politicians with { Hideous holiday décor on the They’re drunk. n Jessica Zafra / November
distributed, and going to Divisoria is their faces on them. This is how they streets. When you look at them, you’re
torture. Fortunately there are remind you that they exist, because supposed to say, “Joy to the world!” 15, 2015 / 11:41 pm
you would never guess from their and not, “Someone must’ve made a
bazaars, baratillo, tiangge that voting record or the performance massive commission on those fugly
sprout all over the city, selling cute, of their duties that they’re actually things.” Where’s your holiday spirit?
inexpensive stuff that you can give around. 2016 is an election year,
away. Anyway they’re only symbols so expect thrice as many t-shirts, | Children demonstrate innate
wall clocks, mugs, ballpens, fans, extortion skills. Between the global
free market and the all-pervasive

Aquino welcomes Bachelet; PHL and Chile ink accords on trade, disaster management
MANILA - President Aquino Metro Manila this week, was accorded joint study for a free trade agreement Philippines’ support on Chile’s bid to

received on Monday morning visiting traditional welcome honors at the that aims to expand the scope of trade join the ASEAN Regional Forum, the

President Michelle Bachelet of the Malacañan Palace grounds, with a and commence between Chile and the leading multilateral forum on security

Republic of Chile, and the two state luncheon later hosted by Aquino. Philippines. in the Asia-Pacific region.

leaders later witnessed the signing of Two agreements were firmed Chile also offered its assistance in Bachelet invited President Aquino

agreements expanding cooperation in up: The first was a memorandum of mining development, a sector where it to visit Chile.

trade and in disaster risk reduction and understanding aimed at strengthening has vast experience. The Philippines in Government officials, business

management. cooperation between the two countries turn offered to share expertise in rice leaders and members of the diplomatic

Bachelet, who is in town both on a on disaster risk reduction and production and aquaculture. corps attended the state luncheon

State Visit and to attend the Economic management and rescue in times of The two countries agreed to expand hosted by President Aquino for the

Leaders Summit at #APEC2015 that calamities. cooperation in energy and natural Chilean president.

will be held in various venues in The second was a letter of intent on resources development. President Bachelet is the first

Farinas’ son dies in motorcycle crash The two leaders exchanged notes on Chilean head of state to visit the
LAOAG CITY - The son of Ilocos Norte Representative Farinas said he had just disaster management and promised to Philippines, in her capacity as one of
cooperate more strongly in programs of the heads of economies attending the
Representative Rodolfo Fariñas was killed arrived from San Francisco and was on his disaster mitigation and adaptation. #APEC2015 Leaders Meeting being
hosted this week in the country.
in a motorcycle crash in Bacarra town in way home to Laoag. The lawmaker said he They also vowed to boost
cooperation in fighting transnational Bachelet arrived with her entourage
the province early Sunday morning. was “in Las Vegas when JR had his tragic crimes. of Cabinet members and a business
delegation. Part of her state visit will
Police said Rodolfo “JR” Fariñas Jr., accident yesterday.” In short remarks, Mr. Aquino be bilateral discussions with President
recalled Chile’s quick and substantial Aquino, especially regarding economic
20, was killed when he was thrown off Citing witness accounts, police said assistance when supertyphoon Yolanda and trade relations between the two
struck in November 2013. countries.
his BMW S1000 motorcycle after it hit the young Fariñas was headed toward President Michelle Bachelet of the Republic of Chile.
He noted, as well, the shared (Below) Pres. Bachelet signs the guest book at The Philippine department of Trade
a concrete barrier along the national Laoag City when he lost control of the history of the two countries as restored Malacanang as President Aquino looks on. ©MPB and Industry reports that the level
democracies that emerged from Photograph. of trade interchange between the
highway in Barangay Pasiocan at 5:44 motorcycle, which burst into flames on decades of dictatorships. Philippines and Chile stands at about
diplomatic ties in July 2016. US$200 million.
a.m. impact. In her speech, President Bachelet She expressed hope the
thanked President Aquino and the The Philippines exports tropical fruits
In a text message early Monday, Companions who were following him Filipinos for the warm welcome Philippines and Chile can expand and other agricultural products, as well
accorded her. cooperation beyond trade and disaster as electronics, furniture and handicraft
in a van said the accident happened when management. products to Chile, even as Chile supplies
She pointed out that among the the country with copper and wine,
the motorcycle struck the rear of a dump 10 member countries of ASEAN, it’s Bachelet also said she was looking principally. n Roices Naguit / News5 / InterAksyon.
the Philippines with which Chile has forward to seeing more Filipinos
truck suddenly stopped in the middle of maintained the longest friendship, investing in Chile. com / November 16, 2015 / 10:59 am
noting they will mark 70 years of
the highway. Keen on TPP, ARF. Mr. Aquino
expressed Manila’s interest in joining
JR was declared dead at the Governor the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP.

Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital Bachelet in turn sought the

where he was rushed.

The young Fariñas served as president

of the Sangguniang Kabataan federation

in Ilocos Norte. n PNA / InterAksyon.com /

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas (file) November 16, 2015