Just a quick advisory: Updates will be light this week because I’m in Thailand right now because of the day job. Other people would take an opportunity like this to enjoy and explore a new country and culture – and I probably will – but it’s killing me that, being in another country, I can’t watch the PBA, the Jones Cup, and the college leagues this week. I’m the type of schmuck who goes to Boracay and stays in his hotel room to watch Purefoods games. Some people would say I need help. Look at me, blogging from my hotel room.

(Also, the FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women event happens on Thursday, and I’m missing that too.)

Anyway, I ran into Rep. Erin Tañada this afternoon at the airport. My bosses knew him well, because he was one of the authors of the Freedom of Information Act that we had lobbied for in the 14th Congress, so we ended up talking for a bit while waiting for our delayed flights.

I kidded him about his new colleague and partymate, pound-for-pound champion and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao. He clarified that while the boxer already expressed interest in joining the Liberal Party, where Tañada is an official, Pacquiao has not yet taken his oath yet.

I also asked him about Pacquiao’s performance in class – Tañada was a lecturer for Pacquiao’s special legislative crash course – and he said that Manny actually listened and took notes during the whole thing. He was even pleasantly surprised when Pacquiao showed a good grasp of key issues, including the need to strengthen his province’s agricultural sector. While Tañada was discussing how agricultural policies by the national government were affecting the plight of farmers in Sarangani, Pacquiao chimed in, “Ah kilala ko yan, si Arthur Yap yan!” Under the watch of Yap, who was Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Agriculture Secretary, the Philippines continued to be the biggest rice importer in the world. “Early procurement and early buying” of rice imports was a policy that Yap implemented to address the country’s rice shortage.

Ok, not really. This was just me playing around with the NikeID website. (Btw, as a reformed sneakerhead, that site is more addictive than crack!)











Vote wisely everyone. More importantly, whoever you are voting for, please remain vigilant.

This blog marked a small milestone last week, as it completed its first full year in operation. Fire Quinito actually went online on April 15, 2009, although I wrote a couple of posts before I put it up publicly. It has been a crazy year, to say the least.

We’re marking the occasion with a small gathering tomorrow night, 8:30 PM, at an undisclosed location somewhere in the Tomas Morato area in Quezon City. I’ve invited some of my favorite writers, bloggers, Twitter buddies, and friends of the blog. Actually, it really is just an excuse to get together and have a beer.

I was also thinking that YOU, a regular visitor of the blog, could also come and join us.

Unfortunately, while I’d like to invite everyone, slots are very limited (because this site barely earns any money, and I work for a non-profit media organization in my day job). So if you want to join us, here’s what you need to do:

1. Make yourself available tomorrow night.


2. Email me at j[at]firequinito.com and tell me how you first discovered the site.


3. In the email, convince me why you’d make for good company over a bucket of beer.

Best emails get invites.

Alright, kitakits.

“Fire Quinito is a very, very impressive Philippine sports blog, and I'm not saying that only because the guy who runs it reads my stuff. The blog's take on Philippine sports is funny and right.”
-- Rafe Bartholomew, author of Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball

“Gutsy.”
-- Tim Cone, Alaska Aces coach

“Irreverent, objective, witty, straight to the point. Just as sports reportage should be. Yes, even when it attacks the 'numerous dick moves' of Chot Reyes.”
-- Chot Reyes, Talk N Text Tropang Texters Coach

“Fire Quinito reminds us that reading about sports should be as fun as watching or playing them.”
-- Howie Severino, GMANews.TV Editor-in-Chief

“In a culture of kiss asses, it seems [Fire Quinito] has been refreshing in the sports community.”
-- Jude Turcuato, longtime play-by-play announcer and former marketing head of Solar Sports

“I must say it is refreshing to see the reporting as blunt and candid as [Fire Quinito] is.”
-- Fred Uytengsu, Alaska Aces team owner and former PBA chairman

“At 1st why Fire Quinito? I find it really weird to get accolades at the expense of a sports institution. And where is the moral value for awarding you a blog award? You are just an ant compared to someone like Quinito who has been around the writing world as early as your diaper days. You are just a small insect and Quinito won't make patol to you ever and never...”
-- Boyet Dones on Twitter