At first I thought that I’ll just feature him here, and his advocacy, and that’s it. But I thought of something more fabulous! Since it is year-end anyway, I decided to honor him, his team, and his advocacy with an award I concocted myself: the MGG World Peace Award, which I would like to give to people, teams, projects, or initiatives that embody passion for promoting optimism, hope and positive attitude amidst all the negatives and craziness of this world.

To Cholo and everyone behind “Positivism” I salute you, and honor you with the very first MGG World Peace Award. I sincerely wish for more people to embrace the same advocacy. Migs the Manila Gay Guy embraces positivism. Mabuhay kayo! Mabuhay tayong lahat!

The Article by Cholo Hidalgo Laurel

I was in a café in Saigon during one of my shoots when this word first came to me. I recall the sunlight directly piercing through the trees and blinding my eyes as if to signify a coming epiphany. I felt a need but I didn’t know what I needed. I wondered if something was wrong with my life that I was not seeing. Defensively, I spoke to my self, “On the contrary, considering all that I had gone through in life, this is feeling like harvest time! I’m in a good relationship with a wonderful partner; 4 lovely children, respected by our peers. Ano pa ba ang hihilingin diba?” But the piercing sun was persistent. The emptiness was still there. It was making me sigh. Suddenly I just whispered to myself, “ God, I need to do something…no…not for myself. I need to do something… for you.

Before this starts to sound like college existentialist angst, I will have to admit that this soul searching comes from a natural tendency, My tendency to dig deep when I am sick and tired of something. Ok, confession, I was, at that point, getting very weary of advertising productions. Twelve years of tiptoeing around people’s egos, witnessing the most evil power plays known to man, often compromising standards and never really feeling creatively fulfilled was just eating my soul up. Ergo, This happy man was not a very contented man. This man wanted to start doing things that meant something. Gets?

After a few more sips (or was it cups) of coffee, the thought of an old acquaintance SHOLA LUNA crossed my mind. The thought lingered and I took it as a cue so I traced back. I had seen Shola a few weeks prior in a hospital near my home. I was having my annual check up and she was working as a health counselor of sorts and that was stunningly surprising for me because the Shola I once knew in Malate was the rebel of all rebels, not at all the angel that I had seen that day. But what was remarkable about meeting her again?… the fact that she’s HIV positive? That doesn’t stun me one bit…and then I thought of the word POSITIVE and found it amusing that a person with a viral strain would be popularly called POSITIVE. God must have some poetry behind that and I was about to find out.

POSITIVISM…hmm…I liked the sound of it.

Back in Manila a few weeks later, I intentionally paid Shola a visit in the same hospital to learn more of the world of POSITIVES and being the obsessive person that I can be, I even asked her to bring some of her positive friends over for dinner at my place just to get a deeper insight into an underworld of human beings who, as I discovered, are trying to rise above the heavy weight of stigma. They talked about their journeys from the darkness into light…from negative to positive…from near death to new life. They talked about how lonely it’s been but how hopeful they are for themselves and for the world, that world may awaken to realize that they deserve the name positive. I met gay as well as straight positive men and women and after many hours of hard laughter and tears, my heart found its mission. I focused into a vision… and I knew.

All this time the word POSITIVISM had already stuck to my subconscious mind. I didn’t know what it really meant but to me it meant POSITIVE ACTIVISM – activism for hiv positive people – to eradicate the apparent ignorance, kill the stigma and encourage love and understanding….kewl.

I penciled this in as part of the agenda for the next meetings with my creative team. Being like-hearted people, The HOTBOX team was quick to embrace the advocacy and so we set out for the most creatively fulfilling, heart-warming, soul-feeding journey – To make a web campaign that will help the Filipino deeply understand the HIV POSITIVE phenomenon.

God’s power is amazing, from one person (myself), ten more joined, then a small production house supported, a young director agreed to make a short, I sought help from colleagues and friends – THE Wig Tysman volunteered to shoot the cover, THE Tor Torre gave his make-up services, THE Mitch Amurao did the voices and THE Doctora Dytangko of the Research Institute for tropical medicine backed us up with the facts. Four months later, today, we’ve all grown up immensely and have learned so much about life, love and hope.

This Christmas, as we, the HOTBOX DESIGN STUDIO and our POSITIVISM friends launch this campaign; these are our arms wide open to all of you with all our love and hope. Help us spread the word in order to give hearts cheer, save lives, and spur hope in the hearts of many who need it.

Pay it forward; ask your loved ones to check it out. You will save lives and give hope to those who are deprived of hope.

Maligayang Pasko Pilipinas.

Please visit: http://www.positivism.ph

View more articles in MGG related to HIV.

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Wanna see Joseph Izon’s love bird? :p

Joseph Izon’s Lovebirds –

Here comes another film that will touch your heart, you will cry and love till the end.

LOVEBIRDS starring Ms.Boots Anson Roa, Tommy Abuel, Joseph Izon and introducing Andres Alexis Fernandez. Its a story of Alexis and Mario. Alexis is a foreigner who came to the Philippines to meet his chat mate Mario. As a filipino culture, visitors are welcome by family host with welcoming party of food, fiesta and people. When Alexis visited Mario, Mario’s parents told to the neighborhood that Alexis is a girl, but surprisingly it was Alex. Mario’s mother denied that he was Alexis and introduced him as Alex the brother of Alexis to the neighborhood. His parents known about Mario’s sexuality until at the end Alexis become closer and fell inlove with Mario. With all the laugh and cry. A story of a foreigner in another country , different culture, and acceptance of love will have all a happy ending.

Directed by RONNIE BERTUBIN – director of the critically-acclaimed gay film “SIKIL” and “KURAP”

Trailer:

Photo credits: Dan Santos Photography

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VATICAN CITY (AFP) – - A suggestion by Pope Benedict XVI that homosexuality is as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change sparked outrage among gay rights campaigners on Tuesday. [Source / Photo by Yahoo]

There is no direct quote from Pope Benedict XVI that is clearly homophobic, so I do not think we should take it as a real attack. Knowing the Catholic doctrine though, I am not really surprised that the Pope disapproves of the assumed typical homosexual lifestyle. It’s Christmas, and today more than ever, I pray that the pope is blessed with the grace of universal love. And I pray for us all for the same thing. May we all learn to love everyone regardless of age, gender, and race. Being anti-anything is so yesterday. Love, love, love. And gratitude. World Peace!

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No, there’s no UP campus in Bulacan, and no real Oblation statue there but the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity of Bulacan State University, I assume brothers of those APO fratmen in UP Diliman, had their own version of the Diliman annual tradition. The theme for their run is “Run4Nature,” a protest against mindless destruction of the earth’s natural resources.

One thing I noticed here, compared to the typical UP Diliman run, is that it seems the streakers don’t really mind being identified, as some of them actually took off their masks during the run. Mukhang mas okay talaga sa probinsiya! Hehehe!

See photos here. See videos here.

Photo credit: APO (Epsilon Kappa Chapter)
Photo taken on December 4, 2008, Bulacan State University.

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Enigmatic, handsome Leo Miranda appears in “A Fairy Tale,” a short film made by UP Film students Jacques Palami, Kim Camelo, Mikki Crisostomo, Judd Figuerres, Jaimee Santos, and Jewels Sison.

Guwapo talaga ni Leo Miranda! Whooo! Video after the jump.

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Hi Migs,

I’m a big fan of your site. I always read whatever you put there. I’m the guy that hates drama hehehehe. I’ve been wanting to write you for the longest time but can’t find good story to share until yesterday Nov 8, 2008.

I’m currently in Malaysia for a short visit. Yesterday I went to see the Petronas out of curiosity because I’ve been hearing a lot of good words from people who see it and also from the movies.

I arrived there around 4PM. I took their MRT system and alighted at KLCC station which is just below the PETRONAS. I passed by SURIA KLCC mall home of branded clothing lines. Im not really sure where Im going that time so I just followed the Mall and voila I ended up at the side of Petronas.

Petronas is all metal! hehehehe nothing really fancy except that it is really Huge. I took pictures and tried to find a good spot to capture the beauty of the building. There were loads of tourist there and some were really in an awkward position just to get a good picture. One guy caught my attention. He’s really good looking and he’s really the type of guy that I want to flirt with. I’m more into English guys cause i find them really really cute and flirty..hehehehehehe. Anyways, I was there for almost 10mins and didnt have yet a good shot. Then this really good looking guy came and seat near where im taking pictures of the building. Nung una patay malisya kunwari, then somebody approached me to take their pictures. which I obliged because Im a firm believer of Karma…plus I think its a good “catch phrase to use” hehehehe.. So after I finished taking pictures of the couple, langya ginawa talaga akong photographer. I was like taking their pictures at all angles of the building but then again I didnt complain because somehow “Alam ko may mangyayaring maganda”. Then I went back to the same place where the really good looking guy was still seated. So I seated near him and started to like find some angles of my shot. Nung una hesistant ako to ask him kasi alam mo na baka magalit or something but because I really really wanted to start a conversation I asked him “Is it alright if you take my pictures then I’ll take your pictures?” with my British accent hehehehe. Pandaya lang yun para kunwari magaling mag-English. He immediately said yes. Then we took turns to take our pictures. We took 2 each. Then we returned to seat again.

And then we started talking. He’s a British-Canadian guy. He’s just in Malaysia for transit and just came from Bali where he did lots and lots of surfing. We talked about a lots of stuff from Football to Geography to Filipina women. We’ve been talking like for 45mins already when he said that he needed to go because he still needs to catch “Quantum of Solace” then he asked me if I wanted to come. Since I didn’t really have any plans after my Petronas I said yes. We walked for almost 20mins just to reach the cinema,since pareho kaming NEWBIE sa Malaysia. Then we caught the 530pm screening. The movie ended up like 730pm. I’m really enjoying his company so after the movie I didn’t really want to go home. He asked me again if I wanted to join him to go bar hopping. He said may nakita syang magandang lugar by searching sa internet na malapit sa area where he is staying. (Hindi sya marunong mag tagalog ha..hehehe). So I agreed that I can stay until 1030 because the last train going back to where im staying is 11PM. We proceeded then to his hotel to change, kc naka-shorts and t-shirt lang siya. I politely said that Ill just wait downstairs, kc baka kung ano pa isipin. hehehehehe…

After 5 mins he came down looking even more gorgeous and smells very nice too.Pumunta n kami sa place and there we learn what the place is famous for : MASSAGE PARLOR… we were like laughing the whole time because the whole place were loaded with different kinds of SPA. So naglakad pa kami until we reached the next street AYUN! mga bars na talaga. We drink and dine at PLANET HOLLYWOOD and have like a Barrell of Beer, Pizza and chicken for the two of us. We really had good fun while eating , drinking and watching FOOTBALL match. Again, the conversation was really really nice. I learned that he’s NUCLEAR PHYSICIST! wtf!????? From his looks I was really caught unaware because he’s really gorgeous and model looking. We finished around 11PM then we decided that I should stay na lang sa room nya since I already missed the last trip. So itinuloy na lang namin yung bar hopping. Lipat lipat kami ng bar and lahat may pint ng beer.

Around 2PM we decided to call it quits kc lakas na ng tama niya. Sobrang dami kasi ng nainom na niya. Upon reaching the room, he asked me kung gusto ko raw “Gay Position” kami sa pagtulog. Di ko alam isasagot ko I just said “You are scaring me now”. To be honest Migs first time kong ginawa ito. I’ve never done this in my entire life pero because I really enjoyed his company plus lahat ng fantasies ko sa isang guy nasa kanya : English, former Army, Intelligent and most of all Good looking I did it. “I chose the GUY POSITION”. So we ended up sleeping in one bed. He slept topless at lalo akong humanga! Washboard ABS! pero I controlled myself. Talagang nag-isip ako if I want to do it or not. He was there lying half naked drunk…..I can’t sleep..Ano ba dapat kong gawin? Like I said this is all new to me. Akala ko ganun lang kadali yun based sa lahat ng mga nababasa ko at napapanud. but I decided to choose na walang mangyari. I know we have something special pero ayaw kong masira…..Paggising ko may halong sisi…kc all night I waited for him to make the first move…I think he also waited for me to make the first move…pero ayaw ko talagang masira kung anong meron na kami.

Lumipad na sya today papuntang Australia kasi may job interview pa siya….and I stayed here in Malaysia….medyo nalulungkot pero umaasa na magkita kami ulit…hehehehe Hindi naman drama medyo may halong pagsisi lang..but i know we started something special….

Tapos i heard the song Love Comes from the Most Unexpected Places…sabi tama nga no.. I wasn’t really looking for anything when I went to Petronas but I ended up having a good memory that I will remember for the rest of my life. Alam ko hindi pa tapos ang aming story….

Thank you Migs.. Gusto kong mabasa reactions ng mga readers ng blog mo kc natutuwa talaga ako sa mga comments minsan.

More Power

ILoveChris now ILoveAlec
Nov. 9, 2008

Hi Migs,

He emailed back and we’re planning to see each other again on the 17th. Do you think I should go for it this time?

Cheers
IloveAlec
Nov. 11, 2008

Hi Migs,

We saw again each other last monday Nov 17. We stayed again in the same hotel shared the bills. We went out again and had a really really wonderful night together. It was one of the happiest moments of my life for the longest time. I thought it would never end.

Then when we were about to sleep I asked a silly question “I said, hey man can i Hug you?” he said “No” very loud. I said “Ok sorry”. Then few minutes later i heard him say “Hey man yes you can hug me now.” I was sooooooooooooooo happy. I was hugging him for 10mins when he said something. I said no. He said If i want to do it we can……..i was preparing for a week for the moment to come…but when it was there…i was confused……I didnt want sex… I want a relationship..which is so silly of me………

He’s now in Thailand enjoying the last part of his vacation. He’ll stay there for a month. I’m planning to go to Thailand again to see him and see where it goes. I really really liked him so much. We exchanged personal things and im becoming more and more “Drama Queen” which I really really hate.. You know smelling his shirt..Memories of our last night together still haunts….hahahahahaha.

But then again, I never expected something like this will happen ..I always said he’s just the icing on the cake, i enjoyed the cake so much. Hey Ho! Life is beautiful.

Thanks Migs and more power. Enjoy your holiday.

Cheers
ILoveAlec
Nov. 20, 2008

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Let me start by saying how confused I am right now. Just call me Boy. I admit that I have learned to accept who I am years ago, so I thought. I’m a straight-acting bisexual, In fact, meron din akong circle of gay and bi friends and as far as I recall, minsan ginagawa akong escort ng mga gay friends ko, kunwari boyfriend nila ako, just for the sake of fun. I’ve had previous relationships with the same sex too, but as years passed by deep inside, I realize that that was not what I wanted or something like that. Then I guess that was the start of a struggle, an inner struggle, which I find most difficult to cope with. Suddenly may fear ako naramdaman, fear of discrimination, fear na mapahiya because sa mundo ginagalawan ko presently hindi declared my other side. Why I didn�t tell them in the first place? I really don�t know�

I thought at first ok lang yun na di nila malaman, sa family, sa work,etc. I told myself na hindi big deal yun sa akin pero later on I’ve realized parang meron spike pag naiiisip ko na what if mag-cross path yung mga gay friends and my straight friends. During one instance, my gay friend called me and told me na one of our common straight friend was inquiring if I was gay kase there were rumors na ganun.

That�s where the spike came� bakit may rumors? Then deep inside naapektuhan ako talaga ako. I thought bakit nung early 20�s ko ok lang na tangapin ko sa sarili ko na ganun ako , in fact, like what ive said before, nagkaroon din ako ng relationship sa kapwa lalake ko, and I have learned to love, to feel happiness and be hurt, just the norms pero bakit ngayon takot ako na malaman ng buong mundo kung sino ako. Migs I wrote this letter not as a viewer of your blog but as a friend seeking advice or someone I can talk to without inhibitions or who would just simply listen to my voice.

Thanks Migs and more power.
Boy

Hello Boy,

Sometime ago when we were younger, perhaps in your case, it was in your 20s, we felt POWERFUL. You were powerful enough to jump and accept yourself at that age. You felt powerful enough to have even thought that you can control the events of your life and the happenings in this world such that no one will know about your “deep, dark little secret.”

Now that you have matured a little bit more, you are realizing that there really are certain things that you cannot control — and I’m specifically referring to the one you cited, the rumors milling around about your sexuality. You are not LESS powerful now than before — you are just more honest and realistic, you are just more aware.

Knowing that other people are talking behind your back is indeed unsettling. I can totally understand it when you said “takot ako na malaman ng buong mundo kung sino ako.” Many of us have felt this way, including myself. I invite you to reflect more and deepen your awareness on why you feel this way, why you feel scared about people knowing the TRUTH about yourself. It seems to me that them knowing you are gay or bi is not really what scares you — perhaps it’s what you imagine they take as next steps that scare you: the rejection? the jeering? the discrimination? But let me underline what I just said. What you are scared of is what you IMAGINE they do after knowing who you really are. Take a step back and ponder on these.

In the end I hope you realize that you are still that powerful individual who took the jump and accepted yourself sometime in your 20s. I would even say that after going through this, now, you are even MORE powerful — you are more accepting of yourself and others, you are more aware of yourself and of the things around you, and as a result, you are more grounded.

And so if after all your reflection, what should you do if you are still bothered by the “spike”? One word: KEBS. You are powerful, you can “KEBS”. (If you do not know what KEBS means, just ask any friendly gay guy. KEBS is the shortened form of KEBER.”)

You are powerful, Boy.

Migs

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I can remember when Pooh first came out to me. I was shaking, nervous, and anxious. My palms were sweaty and I couldn’t look him in the eye. I was surprised and didn’t know what to say. How could my straight best friend of 2 years suddenly tell me that he’s gay? Deep inside I knew that I felt that way because I had a crush on him all this time but knew that nothing could ever come of it because he was straight. It’s a strange feeling to finally come to terms and accept the fact that it could never happen, then suddenly, in an instant, a door opens. A door of opportunity seemed to have magically appeared out of nowhere. The question would seem to be – Do I rush right in before that door suddenly closes? Do I enter with caution? Or do I do nothing?

Continue Reading at Tiggah’s blog

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Jay told me how a certain Photoshop expert named Paolo stole the original Dave Rebolledo pics from his office’s computer (Paolo worked in Jay’s office for a time), and “adjusted” the photos to show Dave in the buff. He swears how good this Paolo is in Photoshop that he can do that kind of magic.

To prove to me that he was indeed the photographer of the original, un-Photoshopped photos, he sent the following images that came from the same set.

Along with the photos was Jay’s statement:

Attached are the two photos from Dave’s set. They are from the same set as those which had been photoshopped by Paolo ******. I would want to show you the originals which had been the basis of Paolo’s fakes, but these were all lost when the HD which Paolo took without my permission got corrupted from improper handling. These two survived because they were selected and copied for the short list which Dave wanted to use for his setcards and photos.

Considering this, and judging from Dave’s infamous shots, that Paolo must really be a Photoshop Guru of sorts. The photos look so authentic! Jay mentioned somebody saying something like “Paolo has feelings for Dave since their college days,” — but whatever the intent of the supposed propaganda is, it’s, in my opinion, immaterial at the moment. The logic of doing such escapes me, and I’ll just let it be.

Of course, amidst all these hullaballoo, the victim left in the cold is no other than Dave himself. I asked Jay how Dave is taking all these, and he replied, “ayun, depressed. Pinatawag na nga siya ng HR ng company nila to explain.” I feel for the guy.

Dave, if you are reading this, know that regardless whether those nude shots were authentic or not, I, Migs the Manila Gay Guy, symphatizes with you during this very tough time. I’m familiar with such feeling and I can say it’s really the pits. Remember though what that famous folktale says: “this too shall pass.” Let me add, too: Fire is the Test of Gold; Adversity, of Strong Men.

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