No fancy anthem singing, please

After the hoopla and all, we join our countrymen in rejoicing the third-round victory of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in his bout with Mexican boxer Eric Morales in Las Vegas, Nevada last Sunday. As we watched the match, beamed live all over the Philippines, we take pride with our countrymen in waving our Philippine flag inside the arena.

If his schedule pushes through, Pacquiao would arrive here by tomorrow. We should not begrudge our political leaders for organizing again a lavish "hero;s welcome" for Pacquiao. After all, Pacquiao is one of our "Champions for Life" awardees who was bestowed this title by President Arroyo earlier this year.

I don;t want to be the "let down voice" in these glorious moments over Pacquiao's victory. But enough is enough. In particular, will somebody put a stop in desecrating the singing of our national anthem "Lupang Hinirang." No matter how good the singer is, like Sarah Geronimo who sang it almost flawlessly before the fight of Pacquiao, I simply could not agree with the rather operatic rendition again and again of our national anthem. But not all those Filipinos inside the ring can hit such high notes as she can even as they can sing with gusto and identify with Pacquiao as a rallying idol.

Throughout my education in private and public schools, the singing of our National Anthem was the first thing that we did in the morning before classes and at the end of the day at 5 p.m. after classes. And that is why, I’m sure as everyone else is, we have been trained in our school to sing "Lupang Hinirang" in its four-fourth beat or tempo. I remember it was usually the music teacher or a designated student-leader who would lead the en masse singing to keep everyone in tune and in tempo.

I distinctly recall an incident at Malacañang Palace when former President Fidel V. Ramos blew his top during a formal gathering and the National Anthem was sung differently from the standard marching beat the way it should have been sung. A very angry Ramos had to ask his guests to sing it again with the proper tempo of our sacred hymn. The former President was not being chivalrous or dictatorial in demanding a take-two in singing the National Anthem. Although the singing of the Anthem during that gathering was melodious enough, the former President’s ears did not like the rendition that was completely different from the original arrangement of its music.

Our Philippine history books tell us it was the late Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Republic, who prompted the composition of our National Anthem to rally the nation against the continuing occupation of the Spanish colonizers. On June 5, 1898, he commissioned Julian Felipe, a Cavite pianist and composer, to work on a march for the Filipino revolutionary soldiers. Aguinaldo was not satisfied with just a marching song. Recognizing Felipe’s skills, he asked him to compose a more soul-rousing tune that would instill courage and patriotism in the hearts of every Filipino. Felipe supposedly worked on the assignment for six days and on June 11, sitting in front of a piano in the Aguinaldo living room in Kawit, played his music before the Presidente and his lieutenants. Named by Felipe the Marcha Filipino Magdalo (after Aguinaldo’s nom de guerre and his faction in the Katipunan), the music was adopted on the spot and renamed the Marcha Nacional Filipina (Philippine National March).

The national anthem was heard publicly for the first time on June 12, 1898, when, standing on the balcony of his Kawit mansion, Aguinaldo proclaimed Asia's first independent Republic before the cheering Filipino patriots. The "defiant" lyrics of the marching hymn were supplied by Jose Palma, a 23-year old soldier who was described as adept with the pen as he was with the sword. He wrote a poem entitled "Filipinas" and this was used as the fighting lyrics to the Felipe composition. And from then on, the anthem was readily taken by the Filipino nation.

But on March 23, 1901, the war with America ground to a halt with the capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela. The American administrators discouraged the singing of the anthem. In the 1920s, Palma's original Spanish lyrics underwent several English and Tagalog translations. However, the most popular version was written by Mary A. Lane and Senator Camilo Osias, known as the "Philippine Hymn." On Dec. 5, 1938, the Philippine Congress passed Commonwealth Act 382, which made the anthem’s English words official. In 1956, a new version penned by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language) was adopted. These are the official Filipino lyrics of "Lupang Hinirang" as we sing it today.

Based on these historical accounts, the Ramos administration aggressively pushed the passage of The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines under Republic Act (RA) 8491 which he signed into law on Feb. 12, 1998. And specifically in Chapter II, Section 37 of RA 8491 as provided, and I quote: "The rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe, in 2/4 beat when played; and within the range of 100 to 120 metronome in 4/4 beat when sang."

When it is heard, stand upright, facing the flag and place the right hand on the left chest while singing.

It can be sung in international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative; national and local sports competitions, during the "signing off" and "signing on" of radio broadcasting and television stations, before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances; Provided, that the owners and management of the establishments shall be mandated to enforce proper decorum and implement the pertinent provisions of this act; and other occasions as may be allowed by the Institute.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions.

The Pledge of Allegiance (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

So, all these fancy singing of "Lupang Hinirang" are really a violation of this law. But I’m sure there was no such ill motive for many of those who sing it with so much fervor and capping them with dramatic higher notes. Perhaps, it is their way of showing their love of country. Singing it though in higher notes expose them to risk of being out of pitch and out of tune. And it also defeats the intention of encouraging all to sing the National Anthem.

The best way to avoid embarrassment is simply to obey the law by singing the National Anthem the way it should be…no higher, no slower than it should be sung. Aside from standing at attention and facing the Philippine flag (if displayed), RA 8491 also requires us to place our right palm over our left chest while singing the National Anthem.

The singing of our National Anthem is not only a patriotic duty but also a daily ritual for school children and perhaps for the men in uniform in the police and military camps. The civilian employees of the government, on the other hand, are only required to sing the National Anthem every Monday morning in flag-raising rites. These days, the only time I get to sing the National Anthem, except when I attend an official occasion, is when I watch the last full show in a movie house. But then again, I only get disappointed when they play the bastardized version of the National Anthem. Our government authorities should do something to correct such dishonor to the sacred hymn of our nation.

Multiply social shopping site is here to stay

When four tech whizzes from Boca Raton, Florida, got together to form content sharing website Multiply in 2003, they never thought their baby would become an e-commerce platform. But evolve they did because that was what the users wanted.

Now Multiply is a social shopping site teeming with entrepreneurs, selling myriad products and services, from trinkets to clothes to gadgets to cars. This model—a hybrid of e-commerce and social networking—may be here to stay, at least in the foreseeable future.

According to Multiply Inc. founder and chief executive Peter Pezaris, this social shopping model looked to be what subscribers wanted.

“If we’ll have a strategy shift, it won’t be soon,” he says in a recent Management Association of the Philippines conference, adding that the recent investment that global e-commerce leader Naspers Ltd. made in Multiply further cemented its positioning as a social e-commerce site.

At this point, he says the company would just be improving on the current model to ensure the satisfaction and delight of its more than 18 million registered users and more than 100,000 registered merchants worldwide.

Main difference

Unlike other e-commerce sites that just sold stuff and offered limited engagement among users, he says Multiply had more of a social element—true to the site’s original concept.

Pezaris relates that there were a number of other social shopping strategies, including group discounts or group buying as used by Groupon and outright selling via Facebook. The Multiply model, however, capitalizes on engagement, allowing buyers and sellers to interface more closely with each other.

“Engagement results in more transactions. On Multiply, there’s a lot of social interaction and conversations are public. Sellers actually talk to buyers, and buyers can learn from (the conversation threads),” he says.

Pezaris explains that Multiply recognizes it could not compete head-on with Facebook in the social networking space. This recognition, coupled with user feedback, helps prompt the shift in business model.

“To compete with Facebook, we had to raise a lot of money. We had six engineers, Facebook had more than 600, so it was really difficult. In 2009, we started to realize how much (selling) activity there was on the site,” he relates.

Philippines at the forefront

The Philippines was actually a huge factor in Multiply’s transformation into a social shopping site, Pezaris says.

When the company started to really scrutinize the traffic on the site, it was discovered that many of Multiply’s subscribers, the majority of whom came from the Philippines, used the site as a platform for business.

“Before, it was actually illegal to use Multiply to buy and sell, then we heard there was a lot of buying and selling on the site. But it was mostly anecdotal and we had no means of measuring such kind of traffic,” Pezaris relates.

“Then we started asking our users to register, and 50 percent of the registered Philippine users were sellers. That signaled our shift to e-commerce,” he further says.

These sellers, known collectively as Pinoy Multipreneurs, steered the multimillion-dollar company to the path it was now treading.

As a testament to its commitment to the Philippine market, Multiply partnered with ABS-CBN Interactive before eventually opening its own office in the country with its own staff and country manager.

The company also set up an office in Jakarta.

Moving forward, Pezaris says Multiply will continue to listen to what its customers want. The company would also be building for the future by keeping its service free to all merchants who want a storefront sans the hassle and the significant overhead.

“There will still be no charge for merchants. We’ll take the short-term loss to build for the future. These short-term losses will pay themselves back eventually,” Pezaris says. 

The company also commits to keep evolving—the very principle that allowed Multiply to be the success that it is now.

https://business.inquirer.net/22101/multiply-social-shopping-site-is-here-to-stay

Albert, Arum asked to appear at Manila court

The lawyer-president of the United Nations National Anthem Foundation has asked a Manila regional trial court judge to order Brazilian composer-arranger Morris Albert and his co-defendant Bob Arum, manager of world boxing champ Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, to bring the original copy of the “bastardized version” of the Philippine National Anthem before the court on May 20.

Lawyer Crisanto Soldevilla Cornejo filed on May 6 with Manila RTC Presiding Judge Dinnah Agulla-Topacio “A Supplemental and Reiterating Very Urgent Motion” for the issuance of a subpoena through the Brazilian embassy in Manila, directing Albert and Arum to appear in court at 2 p.m. on May 20.

In the two-page motion, Cornejo urged the court to direct Albert and Arum to answer the amended complaint together with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) and other five defendants who bastardized and violated the country’s National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang.” Cornejo also asked the court to resolve the motion to dismiss filed by the Office of the Solicitor General and the motion to cite in contempt of court the officers and counsel of KBP for misleading the court that 10,000 copies of the CD that five pop-singers bastardized were already in the custody of the National Library.

The KBP counsel earlier testified in court that 10,000 CDs were already deposited in the National Library. He called on the court to issue subpoena duces tecum against Albert and Arum who were mandated by the court to appear in the continuation of the trial of the case on May 20 and June 3.

He said Albert and Arum should show cause why they should not be cited in contempt of court or “as soon thereafter as Court may schedule the trial dates addressed to the Office of the Brazilian ambassador to the Philippines-His Excellency Alcides Gastao Rostand Prates, Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Bastardized version

Cornejo said he filed their latest motion on behalf of the Philippine Historical Commission, also named as a plaintiff in the case which was included by the judge in the list of cases for Judicial Dispute Resolution.

Maria Serena Diokno, also the chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, was furnished a copy of the “very urgent motion.” The alleged “bastardized” version of Lupang Hinirang was sung by Martin Nievera at the start of the bout between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 3, 2009.

In objecting to Nievera’s rendition of the Philippine National Anthem, the NHCP cited Section 37 of Republic Act No. 8491 (1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) which provides that the “rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.”

When it is heard, stand upright, facing the flag, and place the right hand on the left chest while singing.

But the anthem may be played during the following: international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative; local competitions; during the “signing off” and “signing on” of radio broadcasting and television stations; before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances and other occasions as may be allowed by the Institute.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions. The Pledge of Allegiance (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

Section 20 of the law also states: “The observance of the flag ceremony in official or civic gatherings shall be simple and dignified and shall include the playing or singing of the anthem in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo.”

When Nievera belted out Lupang Hinirang, it started slowly, took on a martial beat in the middle, and then finally ended on a sustained high note. The same law punishes failure or refusal to observe the provisions of the code with public censure, “which shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation. The guilty person may be fined up to P5,000 or imprisoned for not more than a year, or “be meted with both penalties, at the discretion of the court.”

All citizens to stand at attention and sing with fervor, as a sign of respect, when the National Anthem is played at public gatherings.

Even moviegoers who do not stand up when the National Anthem is being played in cinemas will be sanctioned, as it empowers the security personnel and ushers in movie houses to arrest a violator and summon law enforcement officers to assist in conducting citizens' arrests.

But Nievera has maintained he did nothing wrong, and he is unrepentant. He insisted he interpreted the song the way he “understood” it. The NHI has also slammed the performance by Sarah Geronimo, Lani Misalucha, and Bituin Escalante of “Lupang Hinirang” during the past boxing bouts of the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

On October 4 last year, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 465 or “An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and Other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines.”

Aside from the National Anthem, the bill also seeks to protect the Philippine flag and other heraldic items of the country.

Under the House-approved measure, a P 100,000 fine and two-year imprisonment await a performer who will deviate from the official musical arrangement of “Lupang Hinirang” as composed by Julian Felipe.

“Lupang Hinirang” should be sung in a marching-type tempo, within the range of 100 to 120 metronome, in 4/4 beat and 2/4 beat when played, the bill said.

Several popular singers, among them Journey’s Arnel Pineda, Martin Nievera, and the all-female group La Diva had been criticized for their renditions of the country’s national anthem, both during the fights of Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.

http://www.philstar.com/metro/684720/albert-arum-asked-appear-manila-court

Charice to sing anthem in Pacquiao-Mosley fight

Manny Pacquiao has chosen international singing sensation Charice to sing the national anthem in his May 7 fight against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz, they talked to Charice in Los Angeles about singing “Lupang Hinirang.”

Charice, behind the hit single “Pyramid” and a returning guest of the TV hit show “Glee”, said she’s excited to sing before millions of boxing enthusiasts from around the world who are expected to watch the Pacquiao-Mosley fight.

Aside from the boxing match, the singing of the national anthem has always been the focus of attention and subsequent discussion.

Previous singers like Arnel Pineda and Martin Nievera were among those who faced stinging criticisms from the National Historical Institute for violation of Section 37, Chapter II of Republic Act No. 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines that states: “The rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.”

When it is played, stand upright, facing the flag, and place the right hand on the left chest while singing.

But the anthem may be played during the following: international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative; local competitions; during the “signing off” and “signing on” of radio broadcasting and television stations; before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances and other occasions as may be allowed by the Institute.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions. The Pledge of Allegiance (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

Section 20 of the law also states: “The observance of the flag ceremony in official or civic gatherings shall be simple and dignified and shall include the playing or singing of the anthem in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo.”

Under Section 48 of RA 8491, “failure or refusal to observe the provisions of this Act; and any violation of the corresponding rules and regulations issued by the Office of the President, shall after proper notice and hearing, shall be penalized by public censure which shall be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation.”

The law imposes a fine ranging from P 5,000 to P 20,000 and jail terms of up to one year, or both, for violators of its provisions.

Erring public officials and employees may face administrative sanctions besides the penalties imposed by law.

All citizens to stand at attention and sing with fervor, as a sign of respect, when the National Anthem is played at public gatherings.

Even moviegoers who do not stand up when the National Anthem is being played in cinemas will be sanctioned, as it empowers the security personnel and ushers in movie houses to arrest a violator and summon law enforcement officers to assist in conducting citizens' arrest. 

On October 4 last year, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 465 or “An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and Other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines.”

Aside from the National Anthem, the bill also seeks to protect the Philippine flag and other heraldic items of the country.

Under the House-approved measure, a P 100,000 fine and two-year imprisonment await a performer who will deviate from the official musical arrangement of “Lupang Hinirang” as composed by Julian Felipe.

“Lupang Hinirang” should be sung in a marching-type tempo, within the range of 100 to 120 metronome, in 4/4 beat and 2/4 beat when played, the bill said. 

Several popular singers, among them Journey’s Arnel Pineda, Martin Nievera, and the all-female group La Diva had been criticized for their renditions of the country’s National Anthem, both during the fights of Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. (Debbie Duraliza with reports from ABS-CBNNews.com)

Berkeley-trained Molina

Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) president Mark Joseph doesn't play favorites. He treats the athletes on the national swimming team equally. But Joseph will be the first to admit that the 5'8", 170-pound, 21-year-old Miguel Molina probably has the best chance to win a medal at the Asian Games or even the Olympics.

"He's the one I'm drum-beating for a medal in Beijing," says Joseph. "With three years to go, he is already ranked No. 15 in the world."

Joseph believes Molina could've bagged as many as seven gold medals in the last Southeast Asian (SEA) Games with the proper focus, direction and support. Still, Joseph isn't complaining. Molina, after all, hauled in three gold medals and a silver - in the process, setting four new Philippine records. And Joseph himself is new to the job, hardly warming his seat in less than a year as PASA president.

"He's growing up and he needs to face the realities of life," notes Joseph. "I'll try and parlay that into an Asian or Olympic medal. It won't be easy [but with] the right kind of support, he can do it."

At the moment, Joseph says Molina is concentrated on making a big splash in his final year as a varsity swimmer for the University of California at Berkeley. "He's in his last season as a senior," continues Joseph. "He's very busy and his coaches are kicking his ass. It's his swan song for Berkeley."

At the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam, Molina captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals. His harvest in the SEA Games in Manila last year wasn't as bountiful in terms of numbers, but was more productive in terms of quality.

Molina picked up his first gold medal in the last SEA Games with a clocking of 4:26.21 in the 400-meter individual medley, breaking Carlo Piccio's national record of 4:30.31 set in 2001. Ariski Parmadi of Indonesia was a distant second at 4:48.53. Then came his gold in the 200-meter individual medley as he timed in at 2:03.8, erasing his own national record of 2:04.68 established at the World Championships in Montreal last July. Runner-up Radamyos Matjiur of Thailand wasn't close at 2:07.12. Molina took a third gold medal by clocking 2:16.88 in the 200-meter breaststroke, resetting his own national record of 2:18.71. Vorrawuti Aumpiwan of Thailand was second at 2:17.56.

In the 200-meter freestyle, Molina settled for the silver medal with a time of 1:52.83, eclipsing his own national record of 1:52.89 set in 2003. Daniel Bego of Malaysia pocketed the gold by a fraction of a second at 1:52.67 and Bryan Tay Zhirong of Singapore took the bronze at 1:54.39.

"I think the SEA Games in Manila coinciding with my senior year in the NCAA definitely helped me to improve my times," says Molina. "Since it's my last year swimming for Berkeley, I've been training harder and also I now have more experience than I had in Vietnam. I think my failures in the last Olympics fueled me to swim harder in practice and make sure that my times would drop."

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Molina went only as far as the heats in four events. A consolation was he placed second in his 200-meter breaststroke heat with a clocking of 2:19.19 and third in his 200-meter individual medley heat at 2:05.28.

Molina describes his Olympic experience as unforgettable.

"Being there was a great experience," he relates. "It was my first time in Greece and I loved sight-seeing after my competitions were done even though it was limited. Although I did not do as well as I personally thought I would, I enjoyed hanging out with the rest of the Philippine team in our apartments at the Olympic Village."

Molina failed to earn a medal at the 2002 Busan Asian Games even as he qualified for the finals in the 200-meter freestyle (fifth) and the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys (both sixth). To gain a medal at the Asian Games in Doha this year and at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 would be a dream come true for Molina.

Molina was born in Quezon City. He was only three years old when his parents Tomas and Mitos moved the family to Tokyo after they were contracted to teach at St. Mary's International School. It was in Tokyo where Molina learned to swim.

"I started swimming when I was in first grade, so I was around six years old," said Molina in an interview by Gretchen Kell found on the Berkeley Web site. "I don't know if there's any truth to this story, but apparently soon after I was born either my grandfather or my dad put me in the bathtub and I was floating, so I guess you could say I started early. No one else in my family swims. My parents are both runners and basketball players."

Even as Molina has lived most of his life outside the Philippines, he often visits home because his relatives, except for two aunts, are in the country. A sister, 18, is enrolled at Stanford University as a freshman.

Molina studied at St. Mary's for 12 years, was on the honor roll from Grade 9 to 12 and skippered the swimming varsity team for two years. He was a four time Swimmer of the Year at St. Mary's.

From St. Mary's, Molina chose to study in California after seriously considering the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University.

"My coach in Tokyo recommended swimming under coach Nort," says Molina. "I felt the other schools I was looking at didn't have the reputation that Berkeley had in Tokyo."

Since transferring to California in 2002-03, Molina has made waves in Berkeley and was described as the most versatile varsity swimmer during his junior season last year for posting a top-six time in six events, including second place in the 200-meter individual medley (his favorite event "because I have the most fun training for it and swimming it"), and gaining All-American honors.

On campus, a typical day for Molina begins with a 6 a.m. practice swim. After two hours, he goes back to the dorm to nap, relax, study or watch TV if there is no class schedule. Afternoon practice starts at 1 p.m. and extends to 4:30 p.m. Then he reports for class and has dinner at 7 p.m.

"When my workload is light, I just watch TV or surf the Internet," says Molina. "I usually try to get my homework done on the weekends. If I need to get it done on the weekdays, I do it after dinner. I try to go to bed by 9 p.m. but it ends up being after 10 p.m. sometimes. I want to get a good eight or nine hours of sleep to be prepared for practice the next morning."

It's a Spartan regimen for Molina but he knows working hard is the only way to get ahead in anything in life.

No doubt, Molina has become a more mature athlete with the experience of competing in the Olympics, two World Championships, an Asian Games, two SEA Games and the US NCAA. His poise and maturity were evident in the last SEA Games where he smashed four Philippine records on the way to collecting three gold medals and a silver.

Molina says he'll continue swimming competitively until he reaches his full potential. That could mean the sky's the limit for Molina as he prepares to go for gold in Doha and maybe even a medal for Beijing.

Celebrities may not renew contract with Bench

Star Magic is seriously considering not renewing the talents’s contract with Bench