August 14, 2019

#TRENding

#TRENding
-ryandgreat, manila


the blog post of tv patrowl reporter anjo bagaoisan, did summarize the behind-the-scenes and struggles of the event on 13th august 2014!

he had a better recollection of that whole incident,

he was field producer of abs-cbn then, but there are some things that the blog didn't share

PinoyJournalist
August 20, 2014:

as i look back at the events exactly 5 years ago! and my take on social media as a dynamic tool! for dissemination of information!


@ryandgreat
August 13, 2014 . 4PM | the first picture that surfaced the internet
@ryandgreat
August 13, 2014 | Inquirer Dot Net
August 13, 2014 . 11AM | at TV5 Newsroom with news staff Mae and Frenzy

it was a slow news day! that means a peaceful and quiet day in the entire nation!

i spent the whole 8 hour duty, goofing around with newsdesk prens prenly and mae! at tv5 newsroom in mandaluyong!

i was on stand-by field producer that will only be sent out if in any case a news breaking story arise!

after lunch time, the newsdesk and the executive producers have done their story conference for the primetime newscast!

i left the newsroom by 2 in the afternoon and it's also safe for me to call it a day!

i remember distinctively, it was a wednesday and right after work, i'm on my way to baclaran church for novena

took the mrt from boni station, we had stopped-over at buendia station for a long period of time that's for more than 15 minutes

i was rushing to get to baclaran by 4PM and therefore i decided to take a bus ride from thereon

it was already 3 in the afternoon and fortunately there was no traffic in sight! halleluja!!

and then suddenly, i saw a this particular train going to southbound on a notably high speed!

passing through magallanes railways with opened doors! and i knew that something could go wrong!

as the bus and the train, all at the same time, approached taft avenue corner edsa,

the train kept on moving fast and passed the platform and ran off the train station! literally!

i could not believe on what i saw! and i hurriedly went out my way and i stumbled in to it because i felt that the train might explode!

passengers were in panic mode! some were jumping off the station just to get out of the train!

my daily grind at work put me on the forefront of any news events! but boy!

this was something very unusual for me because i was exactly there when that happened!

and i've gone beyond the call of duty for this! because i knew that this event could bring so much of danger for the general public!

the very least i can do, as any media practitioner would do, is to disseminate information,

i first called our news desk to ask for any news crew somewhere nearby that could go there and cover the news!

and then i took some videos and pictures! that's my job!

and while i was trying to send it to our opis! my phone battery went drained!

so i had to look for any establishment where i could charge my phone, i went to 711 but their charging station isn't working

i went to the nearby hardware store and asked the owner if i could charge my cellphone for few minutes and if i can also make a call to through landline

while i was trying at least my best effort to send the videos so that we'll be the first one to break the story with video support!

that was an exclusive video! no other videos of that has surfaced on the world wide web

@ryandgreat
August 13, 2014 | at McDonalds Pioneer for our quick lunch!



August 13, 2014 | exclusive video of the MRT situation that first aired on TV5
August 13, 2014 | exclusive video of the MRT situation that first aired on TV5
August 13, 2014 | exclusive video of the MRT situation that first aired on TV5
August 13, 2014 | exclusive video of the MRT situation that first aired on TV5
August 13, 2014 | exclusive video of the MRT situation that first aired on TV5
@ryandgreat
August 13, 2014 | ENG van at EDSA with Bryan and Kuya Kenneth
August 13, 2014 | preps for the live newscast!
@ryandgreat
August 13, 2014 | live interview with DOTC secretary Jun Abaya
August 13, 2014 | DOTC secretary Jun Abaya live interview on Aksyon Primetime
a
nd the first on-line post that set the #TRENding topic of that day came from my twitter post and it went all-over!

fellow journalists from different news organizations started to link up on that twitter post, only to find out that i work for another news organization!

and then our news team arrived and i stayed longer to help them settled for the live newscast!

today as i write this piece, i realized how powerful social media has become!

a tool that's the fundamental of technology we have today! and where everything now truly been transformed!

these tools are efficient to reach a wider audience and to deliver a message on-time!

and it enable social media users to engage and participate and spread the news! that paved way for public's high level of awareness!

and yes, it makes a world of difference today!

and these tools has also taken the news gathering introspective!

and social media has shrunk to a certain point that anyone now can practically become a journalist!

they call it citizen journalism!

now, you have everyone else to deliver the news! in a way that simply has never before been possible!

we've probably transformed to this social media revolution! that it introduces new style of informing people well aside from it's fast form

news reporting on the other hand, is easy!

and the basic principle is to establish the

4w's! (who, what, where, when)

and 1h's! (how)


it's as easy as that!

but that does not mean that whatever we see on-line are true and correct!

today, we are living through a time of fake news!

these are unverified news reports that are being published!

a piece of advice from fellow media practitioners that today, our work still matters! because accuracy matters!

and only those that are trained and with background in journalism can take on that!

after all, it's the main responsibility of any journalists!

to fact check! and get all sides of the story!

because reporters spend most of their time in investigating their story!

but then again, fake news immensely sells!

for the simple reason that posts on the internet could reach a fraction of audience

that normally engage! and put on heated debates on the side!

and contents on social media are generally do not have filters! that's why fake news can purport to be real!

and if you do not have enough wisdom to discern the fake from the real otherwise your judgment could be in trouble!

March 07, 2019

The Terminal

THE TERMINAL
-ryandgreat

i didn't fancy myself a "traveller" and i mean frequent flyer, hehehe..


and for as long as i'm able, i'll travel pa more!

i was already in my early 20's when i had the opportunity to travel abroad ..

Related Story:
My First Vacation Leave
but the airport environment isn't anything new to me ...

@ryandgreat
October 2013 | NAIA Terminal 1 entrance
i grew-up in that environment ..

and my father was an active OFW .. i remember getting really excited every time we're there

and eventually, i find myself wanting to work at the airport!

i actually ended up working at duty free philippines sometime in 2010

the film The Terminal starring tom hanks and catherine zeta-jones is one of my fav film!!!

i am writing this because i want to walk you through my own personal experiences that a passenger has go through before finally getting on the plane!

and yes, the pre-departure is a time consuming process

break your pre-concede notions because truth be told that the process is quite arduous!

here are 7 procedures! that can help you understand the airport process!

@ryandgreat
October 2013 | Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia
@ryandgreat
October 2013 | NAIA Terminal 1 hallway
@ryandgreat
November 2014 | NAIA Terminal 3
@ryandgreat
October 2014 | Beijing International Airport

the 7 airport journey!!!

1. Drop-Off Point 

NAIA terminals 1,2 and 3 has similar departure area

as soon as you arrive be ready to get push carts, you won't need a porter because it's only few steps from drop-off to sidewalks to main doors

remove all your stuff from your pockets and put it in your bag

(airport securities will ask you to remove everything before passing through the scanners) and then proceed to inspection


2. Travel Tax


some airline tickets exclude travel tax fees (especially tickets that were purchased on-line)

along with your passport and ticket please prepare P1,620.00 and proceed to travel tax booth


3. Check-In

there's an option for web check-in but that's not an assurance for a speedy process

because you still have to get to the web check-in counter to get your boarding pass and drop your baggage

but its moving fast enough compare to the regular check-in lane and ground staff gives priority to web check-in passengers

this is the part where you get your boarding pass

(gate number, seating arrangement) and submit your bags for check-in

you ought to know the allowed baggage kilos because excess baggage fees are expensive .. please know your limit

hand-carry bags too has its own limitations to least 5 to 7 kilos only and prohibits liquid products, batteries and many more

bear in mind that there's another round of security check along the way and these prohibited items will be confiscated if you still have them


4. Terminal Fee

it was announced last year that all terminal fees should be included to airline tickets and it was already implemented this year

no need to go through the termninal fee counter

terminal fees cost P550 for international flight, i know that's quite expensive for the worst airport in the world

the extensive of being worst can be measured to internet access having the slowest wifi connection


5. Immigration

the immigration screening of your travel documents!

this is where they validate your identity, your travel intention and everything about you

you must have your passport, ticket and boarding pass and other supporting documents like company ID or invitation letter

this is a make or break, immigration people will ask questions about your travel, your itinerary, your work and some background details

and most importantly, the immigration officers would like to know not your journey per se, but most particularly on your return home

i've seen people that were refused entry for unknown reason

and yes they're strict! no picture taking at this point .. remove your cap or eye glass

6. Pre-Boarding Security Inspection
 

another round of inspection before finally proceeding to boarding lounge

this includes a thorough body check sometimes you have to remove your shoes

but well, in my case i always wear slippers or a comfortable slip-on shoes whenever i travel

liquids of any kind are mostly prohibited, but some airports do allow 100ml

and also put your gadgets on another bag because these are screened separately 


7. Boarding

and finally you're almost there! once boarding time the ground staff will announce and assist arrange the line you according to seat number

but that does not end there because normally there's a long line until you reach your assigned seat!

so there you gow! and what a tedious airport journey it has been!

July 05, 2018

Behind the Behind the Scenes

Behind the Behind the Scenes
-ryandgreat, seoul


the cat is finally out of the bag!!! i'm happy to share to all of you a project we've been finalizing in the last three months!!!

as much as i'd like to put in details what went through, all i can share is that i never thought, mon, pat and myself could pull through this special task on top of our regular duties at work

we thought of this as our passion project, outside of our normal duties and it is quite appropriate that we start off by walking you through our behind-the-scenes at a day in a life of a news reporter and anchor

i've been doing behind-the-scenes work for more than a decade while mon and pat has been covering news assignments in the last 8 years

so together, for this project we are combining our skills! and so we're very proud to present to you this special video, hope you enjoy this one as much as we enjoyed the entire process of doing this




September 18, 2017

Floppy Bird

FLOPPY BIRD
-ryandgreat, seoul south korea

the fall of the resurrected half-human and birds

this is a sad story of what must have been another ground-breaking tv event that was not immortalized on its present reincarnation

the fantasy series that broke records on 2004 and is still one of the most prized-asset tv program of kapuso network


Mulawin vs. Ravena 2017 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.


after more than a decade, there's another encantadia (2016) and then here is mulawin

the much anticipated return of encantadia on philippine tv happened last year and it was somewhat a success, having a 10-month run thus fitting for mulawin to also have its tv comeback!

back in the days, it was mulawin first, before encantadia

on the 2004 storyline of mulawin, there were fairies that live from far away land called encantadia

but on 2005 tv series, encantadia expound to have its own storyline and focused more on the realm of fairies and its queendom (sanggres)

including the keeper of four gems that wasn't in the mulawin tv series,

but it was included in the 2005 film version of mulawin when the main characters from encantadia tv series were included as an extended cast

encantadia 2016 was a retelling of what viewers had already seen on tv but they've added some twist and turns throughout its run

and this mulawin 2017 version did take off from where the movie version has ended

and it's clear that it's not a retelling but a sequel! imagine a sequel 13 years in the making!

the sequel suffered literally second rate throughout its run, based on the reception, reviews and ratings ah!

it did not even surpass the ratings of its direct competitor, the coco martin lead ang probinsyano, on its 3rd year on tv

and so in the middle of its run it was moved to a new timeslot and was pitted against kathniel's la luna sangg're

that ironically a reunion tv project of angel locsin and richard gutierrez, and both of them are now part of kapamilya network

but it can be recalled that angel locsin and richard gutierrez originated the title role in mulawin


Miguel Tanfelix as Pagazpaz from Mulawin 2004 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Miguel Tanfelix as Pagazpaz from Mulawin 2017 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Bea Binene additional character from Mulawin 2017 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Dennis Trillo reprising his 2004 role as Gabriel in this Mulawin 2017 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Encantadia 2016 crossover | Photo: GMA Network Inc.


Angel Locsin as Alwina from Mulawin 2004 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Mulawin 2004 end credit | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
Full Force: Encantadia 2016 x Mulawin 2017 | Photo: GMA Network Inc.
dennis trillo, miguel tanfelix and ara mina who were all part of the 2004 cast were also part in this 2017 sequel 

reprising their respective characters dennis trillo as gabriel and miguel tanfelix as pagaspaz and ara mina as vultra

the characrter of alwina that was previously played by angel locsin is now played by heart evangelista and bianca king as aviona now played by carla abellana

and as the story progress, their characters were killed off, oh well because they were given another tv projects of at the same time

if there's one thing that's noticeable in this version of mulawin, it looks like it has an even more expensive production cost than its original version

the network has served an even more spectacular costume design and visual effects 

and the reinforcement of the ensemble cast and kapuso network's roster of lead actors from past to present that all came from top-rated tv shows, angelu de leon, valerie concepcion, regine velasquez and lovi poe

in the middle of the story the recent encantadia cast had a short appearance and i was a bit confused because it seemed a comedic relief in the story

but all these, did not help mulawin to reach greater heights and that the show had to make a sudden and quiet exit, a very sad, sad floppy bird

August 29, 2017

Sa Four O

SA FOUR O
-ryandgreat, seoul south korea

the setting of the most talked about recent film,

kita kita starring empoy marquez and alex de rossi (currently beating sarah g. and john lloyd at the box-office!)

was shot entirely at the northern most part of japan! in sapporo city, hokkaido!

sapporo city was actually a side trip of my japan exploration and spring vacay last may!

spent a short but sweet 3 days in hokkaido! from chitose to sapporo to otaru and back to chitose for a more personal pursuit!

by the way, this is not a movie review of the film kita kita,

hence i am posting this blog, it started when i received messages and comments from facebook asking me about sapporro,

and as the title suggest, i am also referring to four good reasons to see sapporo!

and four, because it's my 4th time in japan! :)

the clock the tower
@ryandgreat
 Old Hokkaido Government office
Doraemon at the Odori Park!

sapporo is widely known four:
1. ramen,
2. crabs,
3. sapporo beer,
4. sapporo snow festival

i've heard the best and famous ramen in japan at the street night market of sapporo!

while at the curbside market offers nothing but crabs of all shapes and sizes! and other seafood!

the most popular brewery in the world sapporo beer factory that offers tour for visitors to experience the process of beer making as well as beer tastings!

and the most famous sapporo snow festival held every february!
an exhibit of different huge and small snow and ice sculptures

sapporo is a winter wonderland and is not a popular tourist destination on springtime!

however, it offers many amazing sights of explore even without snow!

with temperature that's cool to mild range on springtime,

one can spend hours or one full day at the park or nearby museum and other historic sites
@ryandgreat
Sapporo Walking Guide and Bus Stop

1. odori park
2. the clock tower
3. sapporo tv tower
4. old hokkaido government office

on one walking trip you can see around 4 major tourist destination situated in the heart of sapporo city!

it's free of charge! if you walk leisurely on your own! from odori park down to old hokkaido government office

experience a glimpse of nature and abundant flowers and amazing people at the park

odori park is the venue of the annual snow festival on winter,

but on springtime, odori park offers a relaxing experience! surrounded by the green, green grass of sapporo with some of the most vibrant of flowers!

at the rear of odori park, stands a 150 meter tall tower! the sapporo tv tower! another symbol of sapporo city

it has an observation deck that offers a nice view of the park from above!

the clock tower that was built on 1878 and regarded as a symbol of sapporo

that offers a lovely view of the large clock and its western-style wooden building!

and the old hokkaido government office! that looks very massachusetts state house!

Susukino Crossing!
Susukino District - Time Square of Japan! 

it's also worth to visit these 4 popular tourist spots within sapporo city:
1. susukino district
2. mount moiwa
3. moerenuma park
4. maruyama park and zoo

on top of many day time activities, sapporo at night time offers a unique shiny treats!

susukino district is a popular entertainment district of sapporo! a walk down to various bars and restaurants and entertainment club

an observation deck at mount moiwa features an spectacular panoramic night view of sapporo city that has gleaming neon lights!

well-situated park that's few meters away from odori park is maruyama park and zoo! best for cherry blossoms viewing on april

while moerenuma park is sapporo's hidden treasure! within the city but on the outskirt, an hour away by bus
Otaru Canal

the film kita kita also features tourist spots outside sapporo city,

otaru canal! is at the central part of otaru city bound from northwest of sappporo and an hour away by train

and furano lavander fields at furano city that's 2 hours away from sapporo

every region and every city of japan has its own character

and hokkaido is a place that's something completely different from tokyo and osaka!

and a daunting place for newcomers but once there, the uncharted territory becomes exhilarating to behold

stay tune for more of my travelogue in japan, featuring tokyo, osaka, otaru and hiroshima!

June 05, 2017

Taiwanderful

TAIWANDERFUL
-ryandgreat, tokyo, japan

you've heard this already, our ph passport can now enjoy visa-free to taiwan 

supposed starting this june, but was moved to september this year according to taipei economic and cultural office!

although ph passport with japan, korea, schengen and us visa can obtain free visa to taiwan by securing a certificate of entry

i've been to taiwan for three times already!

and my first taiwan journey held special place in my heart

i've presented complete requirements and was only asked few questions during my visa application at the rcbc building in makati city

visa processing, at that time, was quite tedious and expensive (as compare to obataining visa for mainland, china)

visa costs P2,500.00 for a single entry valid for three months! while mainland, china visa costs P1,400.00

it was my third out-of-the-country journey and my first one using my 2011 brown passport

the purpose of my first trip was quite unusual, i stated that i'll be attending a doraemon expo, on its last day in taichung, taiwan

where i actually spent that whole day on that expo, that i will not discuss here further

and true to my word, that first trip to taiwan was all about doraemon in taichung city,
@ryandgreat
Taiwan High Speed Rail Station
in Taichung
Taichung Trade Center
Taiwan High Speed Rain in Taipei

except for that first bullet train ride experience! and that's the highlight of my trip!

the t-h-s-r or the taiwan high speed rail that's so incredible!

i was not able to explore and see any in particular during that time, and there were no train or subway yet at the airport

from taoyuan airport i went straight to taichung city by a 2 to 3 hours bus ride

fast forward 2015 and then last march, i revisited taiwan!

it has always been on my list that i have to revisit taiwan and explore taipei and to discover some more places

@ryandgreat
 the arrival walkway of Taiwan International Airport
Youbike, Daan Park in Taipei
@ryandgreat
Chiang Kai-Shek
@ryandgreat
Longhsan Temple
@ryandgreat
 at the Chiang Kai-Shek
 Taipei 101 Observatory

taiwan is closely associated to manufacturing giants that are well-known producers of electronic supplies in the world

and op cors the phenomenal tv series meteor garden of the boyband f4!

and yes, it's not a popular tourist destination compared to hong kong and korea but there are lotsa interesting things to do in taipei or in some parts of it

the mix of grit and charm of this country and the entire experience is incomparable!

i was able to immerse myself in the local culture of taipei's bike-prenly lifestyle

there are bike paths and exclusive bike lane along the highways of taipei that makes room on the road for cyclists for leisure and work cycling

as well as a bike rack network that are interconnected just like a parking system

a bike sharing program that's widely known as youbike, is a rental service for everyone for as low as 20NT  or for only P40.00

i do cycling regularly and this biking on taipei was one-of-a-kind travel activity!

Youbike at Daan Park, Taipei
Youbike at World Trade Center in Taipei
Taipei 101 in Taipei
 the Elephant Mountain in Taipei
the Longshan Temple in Taipei
the Shilin Market in Taipei
Ximending shopping district
entrance gate of Chiang Kai-Shek 

and now here comes what to see in taipei!
chaing kai-shek memorial
taipei 101
ximending crossing
shilin market
longshan temple

i'm listing five popular tourist destinations, i recently posted this on my instagram account  during my last visit in taipei last march

a well-known tourist spot in taipei, the chiang kai-shek memorial, one of the most iconic structure

and home to taipei's symbol of architectural shrines and temple in a huge park 

the entire shrine is a tribute to general and its prominent leaders, and there are soldiers that marching around!

best of all, admission is free! and the main entrance is loacted near the subway exit!

another tourist destination is the iconic taipei 101 building!, the tallest high-rise building in the region

a bamboo tree-like building that looks elegant from afar

it has a viewing deck and an indoor observatory with a sweeping view of the city at night

to the hipsters and shoppers! there are two popular shopping and fashion district in taipei!

a walk down the various lively markets of this region, a popular shopping district, ximending!

that's looks similar to tokyo's shinjuku and shibuya district and or in meongdong of seoul

on this street are fashionable shopping complex with various international shosps and designer boutiques

the popular market is the shilin market, the best night market, street food is at its finest! and cheapest!

there are food stalls side-by-side that sell local teas, desserts, oysters, exotic food

and oh, you have to try their deep fried breaded chiekcen fillet, the most popular chicken chops in town! i posted one on my ig story!

Ximending crossing
on top of Elephant Mountain!

there were lotsa temples side-by-side and since the vast majority of local practice buddhism and taoisim

paid visit to longshan temple and offered incense for the gods as well as to make a wish and ask for fortune!

and there are other seemingly interesting place to visit in taipei, like tea houses and some outrageous coffee shops!

and other activities nearby taipei like the sky lantern that i have not tried yet and other scenic natures spot for nature lovers!

indeed, taipei for me is the most inexpensive getaway! in less than 2 hours to the north away from manila and the airfare is really cheap!

i wish that this serves you on your plans to visit taipei in the future especially that visa-free to this progressive country is coming!