KENNETH PORIO | the blog

All it took was a shocking, stunning, gut-wrenching, heart-stopping upset. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese at the My Ðính stadium in Hanoi, with millions who were watching on TV screens across South East Asia, could not believe their eyes as their team lost to whom they've called whipping boys, minnows, and weaklings. And those brave men whom they've labeled with came out in high spirits that they have finally overcome the odds. With that victory, the world had their utmost respect and appreciation. Who to thank for? The man who started it all, Dan Stephen Palami . For many years the men we fondly call the Azkals had hoped for someone who would nurture them, support them and care for them, even if their fellow countrymen never dared to know them all. Someone who would be there all the way, through their ups and downs, through their joys and sorrows. Someone who will not be moved by the cruelties of the corrupt place that was Philippine sports. Someone who would sacrifice ...

(c) Joseph Tagle Ah, yes. It's El Capitan . It's that man named Alexander Charles " Aly " Borromeo . We all know him as the captain of the Philippine national football team, the Azkals . Many know him as that six-foot-one-inch, 190-pound behemoth who leads the defense. Many know him as that man who has a don't-mess-with-me  look that has infused with a spark of spunk and swag. A lot of people know him as the man with all the aggressive demeanor but topped with a handsome look (and an intriguing accent ) that has caught many fans dead speechless. (Blame him being born in San Francisco, CA, and having a Spanish mestizo lineage.) A few have seen for themselves his buffed physique that has graced fans' eyes either through meeting him personally (shirtless or whatnot), or through the numerous endorsements that has garnered criticism from conservatives. Yes, it is  El Capitan Aly Borromeo. The captain we come to know and love. Every time he is there, th...

Hello folks! It's been a turbulent semester for me lately, that's why I have not been blogging here for the past few months, but I was able to post things in my Tumblr log  to keep myself going. On my Tumblr log was all about the Azkals and their rise to fame, not to mention some comic relief from all the stress of schooling. Anyways, this semester marked the start of my very challenging journey towards graduation from UP Mindanao. And it starts with my Special Problem Proposal . All the ideas were pouring in from all sides, from algorithm studies, the UPMin CSRS, biodiversity systems and many others. But one thing came into my mind... my contribution to Himati, our University's official student publication. I am a member of the publication since last academic year and it paid off with a successful run of my video blog The ISKOnnector . But things have changed lately and I have changed my intentions as I rejoined the team this year. I was now there to help revam...

Filipinos have been keeping their eyes glued to football (or soccer) these past few months after the senior national football team, the Philippine Azkals , grabbed local, national and international headlines since their miracle victory in Hanoi, Vietnam during the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010. Fans, supporters, sponsors and funds started to pour in from all sides since then, and changed the Pinoy 's world-view of football forever. Although the Azkals recently failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, football fanatics in the Philippines continued to believe that football is being reborn and being cultivated as it was overshadowed by basketball in the past century. High hopes have been made for football to make ground in the country, and it will start with the improvement of local leagues and grassroots development, and the increasing media coverage of local and international football leagues to the Pinoy masses. At this time of posting, Filipino footie fans are now keen i...

I should have stopped the Azkals Accents series a few posts back . But, there are still a lot of people I want to commend with with their accents, or their manner of speech. As I said here, being a cultural melting pot, Filipinos have to embrace everyone's accent, and not ridicule it. I want to commend first the "Iceman," Ray Anthony Jónsson , a Filipino-Icelandic. For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV In this above video during their 2nd leg match vs. Indonesia in the AFF Suzuki Cup semis last year, I watched the interviews of Oxford-speaking Rob Gier, Dutch anglophone Jason de Jong and Estuary-speaking Neil Etheridge. But what caught my attention is Ray Jónsson, who spoke in Cebuano . He may be born from an Icelandic father (a rare feat in fact; you won't find a lot of Fil-Icelandics out there), but he got the privilege to learn Cebuano when he lived in Liloan, Cebu until age 8 because of his Cebuana mother. Around in the m...

Here's a repost from a Tumblr log about comparing the Philippine National Football Team, the Azkals, and the Philippine National Dragon Boat Racing Team, the Dragon Warriors: Why compare NT Azkals to the Dragon Boat Team▬crab mentality strikes These past few days,I’ve seen some posts about the  comparison between Azkals and Paddlers . It’s getting viral;from twitter,facebook and now here in tumblr. I just don’t get it when they compare those two  different  Sports Team . It goes like Sasagwan ka ba sa karangalan o sisipa sa papogian? PH Dragonboat team (2011)  : 5 Golds, 0 commercials, 90% Pinoy Azkals  : 0 Golds, 0 trophies, 5 TV ads, 20% Pinoy this issue is really getting into my bones!! Azkals didn’t got this far because of their looks  alone ,for your information they went from nothing;nothing as in NOTHING.  1st of all ,its not easy for a football team to get a gold medal.I mean in football they have lo...

Hello there! As I am about to finish my studies in UP Mindanao, I am to develop a system that should contribute to the software development community and the I.T. community in general. While I've been appreciating the Philippine National Football Team , known more as the Azkals , I've been very busy on how I'll be taking more opportunities of improving myself as a future changemaker in the IT industry through my studies. During the past few months, I've been already thinking on what I want to do for my Special Problem. Then I've been thinking more of our University's student publication, Himati . Right there and then, I was already thinking of a system that would help the publication improve its coverage and its reach to the UP community and beyond. During the previous semester, for our CMSC 128 (Software Engineering) class, I developed a Publication Content Management System for the publication. (Seen on the above image). The system intended to hel...