The OFW… The Child… The Impact
June 8, 2007The OFW
The OFW or the Overseas Foreign Worker, according to the Philippine government are the new heroes of the nation. They are the ones who who go to other countries and work for the families they have left. And gives remmitance the money back to the country.
The Kids of the OFW
Most of the time, the OFW has a child who they have left with their spouse or with the extended family.
The Impact
Let’s be aware that the Philippines has a Catholic majority and the church states that the family is the primary unit of the community. Now the most usual thing that happens is that the worker (OFW) has a family already and the worker must be separated from the family for quite while. The separation of the worker to the family is a big impact to the emotinal and development of a child. The child will grow up from without a father/mother figure. I say this is the same impact single-parent raising a child in the United States with divorce as the most common cause.
Years later, the worker will be able to get his family to the host country where he/she works in. Well, the worker will then realize how years has passed by withouth being with the child, etc. But the bonding between the child and worker is not emotionally present and thus the connection of father/mother figure is not there.Raising a child singledhandly is tough, missing a father/mother figure will void the child of experience that he/she should have had in the first place.
I’m not sure if there has been studies related to this impact in the family but I’m just relating from what my observations and experience.
One can argue that they’re just doing it for their family to provide better life, education, etc. and family is family no matter what. But is this really how it should be? In the long-run I doubt that being migrant workers are truly answer to the nation's problems but more of a short-term solution.
Do you have any experiences that you can share? If you can please spread this entry especially to OFW's and their children. Thank you.
Fix Crappy Philippine TV part 2: Audio/Sound Effects
June 7, 2007Sound, to a scientist, it’s a wave. To a musician, it’s art. And to the rest of us, it’s entertainment. Sound can help you change how you feel in an instant. This is the beauty of sound.
Audio
Now let’s focus in to Philippine TV, if you watch Philippine TV shows. The sound that you hear through your TV, or your PC (i.e. Youtube) sounds flat. There’s not that much care in audio production. Until Philippine TV studios understand this concept, audio will probably the least appreciated department in terms of production.
Sound Effects
Sound effects are there to enhance the experience of the show. It is not there to pull the distract the viewer. Sound effects libraries are available, yet why not use them wisely in Philippine TV. And there are also free sound effects out there that are available for free (wait, did I say free?). For Christ’s sakes, use them because the effects you have on the shows are nicely put… CRAPPY.
Soundtracks
From what I’ve seen heard so far this has been improving substantially, probably due to licensing bands and artists.
Examples:
How can sound affect the mood of the film:
I’m not sure about you but for some reason this fight sound effects sounds a lot like the all the Filipino action movies. I’m not even sure if they have re-recorded this particular sound effect probably recycling the sound effect from the '70. In addition, this fight scene looks, how should I put it… “fake” you’ll see/hear what I mean. (Scene from Rounin)
Sound effects comparison to Heroes:
Sound is half of the entertainment, so fix it.
Modernizing Traditional Filipino Music
June 5, 2007I think I’m on a roll about music hehe… See There’s no Pop Songs in the Philippines
I was in contact with the site admin of Pinoy Centric, (you have to check them out!) and its been awhile since I asked them a question… If there’s any band/group that uses traditional instruments in the Philippines to create rock/modern music.
This might be a weird question or an odd combination… rock and traditional… what the hey!? Are you nuts? Traditional is traditional and modern is modern.
Making “modern” and or (*gasp*) pop music with traditional instruments can sound great.
Examples:
Japan has the Yoshida Brothers:
Now what does it sound with a rock group singing?
Monkey Majik (Canadian Teachers that became a hit in Japan) + Yoshida Brothers
And China has the Twelve Girls Band (they’re actually 13… one backup) HQ Version (37 mb, wmv)
Another sample, playing New Classicism, due to youtube the HQ version is gone 
Where’s the group that uses kulinta from Magindanao, with the nose flutes and gangsa from the north with a mix of guitar from the Spanish. And maybe a great vocalist (you probably don’t even have to). Now you got a great band with the whole Filipino pride behind it.
Filipinos are even crazy about music see Indonesia, Philippines have most music-mad youngsters
Addendum:
Just have to put this in too! Classic Music done for modern times
There’s no Pop Songs in the Philippines
June 2, 2007Yup that’s right, it seems there’s no such thing as pop songs in the Philippines, if there are, its rare or imported from another country i.e. USA, Japan, Korea.
This is pretty bold statement but I think I can provide some evidence of this.
For some reason “pop” music in the Philippines has been categorized with ballads and/or alternatives. There are great bands over there doing covers of rock ballads or singing their own compositions. But it’s still not “pop” music.
Pop artist/s are “packaged and groomed” as an individual artist and/or as part of a group.
If I may, the categories that are dominant in the Philippines are ballad, alternative, rock, weird ones (otso, otso), dance, rap, R&B, Christian, revivals, and traditional. But no poppish beat.
Now there’s no reason why should anyone wonder that Japanese/Korean/ American pop music are popular in the PI, because there’s no artist/s that has been doing this type of pop songs.
One can argue, pop music is really whatever is popular. But pop has elements of that one can dance too, a repeating beat, and pretty simple melodies with wide range of sound. One is yet to find this in Filipino music, to make it sound "edgy and modern" .
Korean,and Japanese Pop has been popular even in the U.S. because of it’s beats and intersting syncopations.
But where’s Fil-Pop? or maybe Flip-pop?
Thanks to youtube, I can cite some samples:
The only "poppish" thing I can relate to as of now is this music video by Iya Villania's "Good To Be Me"
Now, if the language of the Philippines is Chinese then these would be the current "pop" music in the Philippines
As a comparison this is apparently the pop music in the PI as of now.
Now let's see some samples of what pop is in Japan:
She's half -filipino and very popular in Japan right now. Leah Dizon
The first search result on Youtube with a query of Jpop (ok I know BOA is Korean, but she's fluent in Japanese)
And the two most popular female singers in Japan.
Korean Pop Samples:
BOA singing in English
H.O.T. arguably the one of the boybands that lead K-pop
American Sample:
Britney Spears
It's really quite surprising that Flip-pop/filpop has not develop yet even though it's heavily influence by western music. It's an untapped, and very profitable market.
Yes I coined the term: Flip-pop/filpop
Philippines Beats All Estimates in GDP Growth, Fastest Pace in 17 Years
June 1, 2007The estimate growth of Philippine GDP is 5.5%-5.9% but the data/news shows otherwise, it's 6.9%!
Philippine Growth Accelerates, Beating All Estimates (Update4)
By Francisco Alcuaz Jr.
May 31 (Bloomberg) — Philippine economic growth quickened in the first quarter, exceeding all expectations, as money sent home by nationals working abroad buoyed consumer spending and exports to China soared.
The $117 billion Southeast Asian economy expanded 6.9 percent from a year ago, following a revised 5.5 percent gain in the previous three months, the National Statistical Coordination Board said in Manila today. Economists expected 5.7 percent.
