SATTIsfaction

Former newsman who started 'Books-4-Guns' advocacy wins Smart's Tipid-Sulit Idol Search | The Philippine Star >> News >> Nation

2010-08-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Former newsman who started 'Books-4-Guns' advocacy wins Smart's Tipid-Sulit Idol Search | The Philippine Star >> News >> Nation

Dean & Kings

2010-07-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

Dean & Kings

Jungolfer Ashia Marie Nocum Joins Diether Ocampo's Golf Tournament for KIDS

2010-07-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Patricia hosts show for GMA Pinoy TV - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo | The Philippine Star >> News >> Entertainment

Dean & Kings

2010-06-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Dean & Kings

ABSG In the News

2010-04-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, here are news stories re our summer activities and programs at the A-Book-Saya Group peace and literacy advocacy. Thanks a lot for all your support.Peace group helps prevent child soldiers | The Philippine Star News Nation

The Daily Tribune Without Fear or Favor

2010-04-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Daily Tribune Without Fear or Favor

Mindanao On Fire

2010-02-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

Mindanao is on fire. Apart from the problem of rebellion and terrorism, the area South of the Philippine Archipelago is again burning from the chaos created by the massacre of 57 people, most of them journalists and relatives of a politician. World attention is again upon us, but for the wrong and very embarrassing reasons. The massacre earned the country the distinction of having the most

AUSTRALIANS DONATE TO A-BOOK-SAYA

2009-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Friends, here's a letter my daughter Arizza Ann Nocum, a third year student of the Philippine Scince High School, wrote to Ms Asinas, the angel who linked us up with caring friends from Australia.Good day, Ms. Asinas!My name is Arizza, and I am the daughter of Armand Nocum—the man who put up the A-Book-Saya group. In behalf of him, I would like to extend my gratitude for the books you have given

Saving Mindanao Kids From the Jaws of Terrorism and Criminality

2009-08-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, here’s a letter I recently wrote to our friends at the Rotary Club of Pasig. I hope you would find it helpful in getting updates re our advocacy to save the Mindanao children from the jaws of crime and terrorism.Rafael Garcia (c/o Ducky Paredes)Executive Vice President and COO Mega Group of Companies Assalamo Alaikum! The recent Cotabato church bombing is only one of the many

MUSLIM KIDS AFFECTED BY KIDNAPPINGS COPE UP WITH SCHOOLING IN KRIS LIBRARY

2009-04-28T01:39:00.000-07:00

Zamboanga City – Hundreds of Muslim students whose studies were disrupted by the kidnappings in Zamboanga City are coping up with their lessons by reading and meeting up with their teachers in a library built for them this summer. Following the soft opening of the Kristiyano-Islam (Kris) Peace Library in Barangay Manicahan here last April 6, kids from Manicahan and Sacol Island have

Books, Computers for Mondanao Kids This Summer; Not Guns

2009-04-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

By Arizza Ann NocumSo many Muslim and Christian children discovered a new place to spend their summer in last April 6, 2009. The Kristiyano-Islam (Kris) Peace Library in Barangay Manicahan, Zamboanga City celebrated its soft opening with the presence of more than 300 people. Teachers, the local school superintendent, three principals, Barangay council members, parents, and—most especially—their

MUSLIM ACE FIRES 4th HOLE-IN-ONE

2009-04-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ashia Sahi Nocum, the country's only Filipino-Muslim international junior golf competitor, scored her fourth hole-in-one in a practice round Friday for the qualifying tournament of the 2009 Callaway Junior Golf Championships at the Manila Southwoods golf course in Cavite. The eight-year-old Nocum used a pitching wedge to drive the ball straight into the 7th hole of The Legends course, 70

KRIS LIBRARY, A DREAM MADE REAL

2009-04-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

Dearest Friends of Kris, We are back in Manila and happy that we have all fulfilled our collective desire to do something for hundreds of poor kids in Mindanao. Last April 6, we celebrated the soft-opening of the Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library or Kris. About 300 teachers led by the local school superintendent, three school principals, the barangay council; and children and their parents attended

USEC. MON: Caring ‘til the End

2009-03-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

One of DPWH Undersecretary Ramon “Mon’’ Aquino’s last acts of kindness was to help build a Christian-Muslim Peace Library in Zamboanga City. Usec. Mon lived for others in his very last days. Usec. Mon was one of those who immediately saw the importance of our advocacy to educate poor Christians and Muslims in Mindanao so they may pick books instead of guns; peace over war. “Maganda ‘yan pare,

Zamboanga's First Christian - Muslim Peace Library Rising

2009-03-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaykum (Peace Be With You)!As you can see in the picture, the library you inspired us to build is now in full construction swing. It is projected to be half-completed by the end of this month, just in time for the scheduled April 6 soft opening. By then, it would be an unpainted, incomplete, largely bare yet a proud building and a repository of the dreams and hopes of

MANILA AND ZAMBOANGA KIDS, A WORLD APART

2009-02-18T05:51:00.000-08:00

Here's a letter I wrote to friends whose help I am soliciting to build Zamboanga's first Christian-Muslim Peace Library. Do read it and pleace also pass it on to your relatives, friends and loved ones.AbuDear Friends,Manila kids are lucky. They only worry about grades, tutorials, concerts and where to go for vacation this summer. The growth of a pimple is magnified to the level of cancer.However,

Destruction of Reputation, Privacy, Future Just a Click Away

2009-02-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

Reputation, that for which many die to protect, is now just a click away from destruction. Our privacy, which keeps our individuality and sanity intact, is now just a blue-tooth beam away from obliteration. Our future, the vast expanse of space for us to conquer, is now just 2.5 mega pixels away from permanent shame and scandal. Looking at your young, vibrant – and yes – beautiful faces today

Taking the Flack for Helping Poor Zambo Kids

2009-02-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

Taking the Flack for Muslim Kids My friend Charlie Agatep – the recognized modern-day Dean of Public Relations – has gifted our A-Book-Saya Group (ASG) five used computers to be made available to poor Christian and Muslim kids in Zamboanga City. For his generous gesture, the chair of the Euro RSCG and president of the Agatep Associates Inc. – the country’s premier advertising, marketing and PR

PLEASE HELP US BUILD A PEACE LIBRARY

2009-02-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

The horror of war and kidnapping came to me early in childhood. Then and now, I know fear by one name: Sacol Island. Now notorious for the recent kidnapping of three public school teachers, Sacol Island is just half a mile away from my hometown Barangay Manicahan in Zamboanga City. In my elementary school years, war came to us in the form of vintage T-28 Trojan dive bombers – commonly known as

THE DAY ASHIA PLAYED AS A CHILD AGAIN

2008-12-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

By Armand Dean Nocum Jungolf Parent “I wish I was born as poor as them … at least I could play all day.’’ This innocent remark from my eight-year-old daughter just floored me a day before Christmas when I was driving her home from practice at a nearby golf driving range in Quezon City. We had then spotted several children knocking at car windows asking for food. Seeing them, I told Ashia

Diether Ocampo Has a Heart for Kids in Mindanao

2008-12-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

The goodness of Filipinos never ceases to amaze me. It seems doing good attracts not only good, but great people. Since starting our A-Book-Saya Group book-donation project, we have time and again met people whose actions brought my faith back to the Filipino people. This was exactly what I felt in meeting actor and businessman Diether “Diet” Ocampo who it turned out has his KIDS Foundation

Ex-Senate President Salonga Gives Books to ASG Kids

2008-11-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

As we celebrate the 25th death anniversary of Sen. Benigno ``Ninoy’’ Aquino Jr., many people find themselves asking whether Ninoy’s faith in the Filipino was worth his sacrifice. Is the Filipino really worth dying for? In the past, I too found myself increasingly losing faith in the Filipino. But since me and my Muslim wife launched our A-Book-Saya Group book-donation project, we found ourselves

Metro Manila Books Warm Hearts of Abu Sayyaf Kids

2008-11-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

Assalamu Alaykum (Peace be with you) We did it! We turned ``trash’’ of unused, discarded books into a treasure trove of goodwill and knowledge for hundreds of poor, war-shocked Muslim kids in Zamboanga City . And we owe it all to you, dear friends, for writing about the A-Book-Saya Group (ASG) book-donation project in your columns, blogs;and as well as in helping us

A-Book-Saya Brings Smile to Abu Sayyaf Kids

2008-11-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the press release I wrote after distributing our first set of books in Zamboanga City. It feels great to bring smile to children whose fathers we always condemn but seldom understand. Read on and please open up your hearts to peace and understanding. I would like to thank our friends at the Malaya newspaper who published the story today. Abu Sayyaf Kids Happy to Receive 593 Books from

2008-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

A-Book-Saya Group To Meet Abu Sayyaf Kids Thanks to your support, we are heading to our hometown Zamboanga City tomorrow to bring our first set of books to a remote island where the Abu Sayyaf Group is known to bring their hapless kidnap victims. The A-Book-Saya Group (ASG) will finally get to meet the children of real Abu Sayyaf members. Your column and e-mail-brigade have convinced lots of

2008-10-05T06:22:00.001-07:00

Inquirer features A-Book-Saya project in Its Hari Raya Puasa Issue I’m so honored by the Philippine Inquirer’s support for our book-donation project. The front-page news article was beautifully written by my esteemed colleague Ceres. I think nobody could have written it better than Ceres. I hope you will enjoy reading a glimpse of my family’s life.Christian-Muslim couple’s dream They show the way

2008-09-17T17:26:00.001-07:00

SHOULD WE SHOOT OR SAVE MUSLIM CHILD WARRIORS? Muslim child warriors are on the rise! Weeks ago, the military showed video footages of the MILF training young kids for war. Last Monday, several peace advocates were kidnapped in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan and the police claim it was the handiwork of 10 ``minors’’ believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group. ``What is alarming is that there

2008-09-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

REALITY BITES HARD I’ve had this dream of wanting to start a book donation program for years now. Actually, several years ago, I had brought books donated by Sen. Loren Legarda to Zamboanga City and gave them to a school in a mix Christian-Community. You know this is something you can do only when you have the luxury of time and resources. But last April, this idea came back to me when the

2008-09-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Humor in Times of Horror Times are indeed hard, what with bombs raining down my hometown with the regularity of my mom’s calls and text messages of panic and alarm. Recently, she asked whether it was advisable to wipe out her pocket garden of orchids to dig a fox hole where they could take cover in case the MILF attacks our place. Before that, she was texting me no end about text messages making

2008-08-18T08:03:00.001-07:00

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN TIME OF PR DISASTERSBy Armand Dean NocumDean & Kings PR & Marketing StrategistsPresident and CEODestructive TechnologyMy Rotarian friends, the world has evolved so much that we are finally living in a world which communication guru Marshall McLuhan called a ``global village.’’Technology has grown by leaps and bounds. Whether we like it or not, the world has shrunk into our

2008-08-06T03:34:00.000-07:00

A MESSAGE TO MY MUSLIM RELATIVES ``Why Fix It if It Ain’t Broke?’’ This was my wife Ann’s reply when she first heard about the ruckus relative to the controversial Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) deal. Take that from a fiercely-proud Tausug who stood pat in retaining her religion even after marrying me – a Catholic who once studied to become a priest. We were married in Christian and

2008-08-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

Are Zamboanguenos Being Set Up for a No-El Scenario? The controversial Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) deal is pregnant with unimaginable consequences, but right now, the biggest casualty is the abortion of peace, justice and fair play for Zamboanguenos and Filipinos in general. Having covered the President for the Inquirer, I can very well surmise Malacanang’s possible end-game – the

ARMM Issue Brings Nocumment Back To Life

2008-08-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I used to write a column for the defunct ``The Morning Times” newspaper which was published by Rene Fernandez, Zamboanga’s most brilliant and credible editor and newspaper owner. I stopped writing the column when I left for Manila to write for the Philippine Daily Inquirer more than 16 years ago (gosh! I’m old!). But this issue relative to the ARMM has somehow forced me out of self-imposed

2008-04-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow Filipinos: LET’S END THE BIAS TOWARDS MUSLIMS By Armand Dean Nocum, former Inquirer investigative reporter As a Catholic and an ex-seminarian, it’s heart-wrenching to hear about the bombing of Zamboanga City’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral. As a proud Zamboangueno, it makes me angry to hear people desecrating one of Zamboanga City’s most sacred

2008-01-01T03:08:00.000-08:00

Satti now in MH del Pilar in ManilaSatti is here to stay.Yes! my fellow satti lovers, we are not yielding our post in SM Fairview, win or lose. It's so hard to get into SM because the waiting time is two years, but since they liked our unique food concept, they approved our application in less than three months.So if SM sees much promise in satti, so do we. Besides the words of encouragement we

2007-11-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

TRILLANES FOUR AND THE EDSA FARCEWe spend millions making officers and gentlemen out of cowards and what do we get?Cowards, that’s what.Once again, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV ran away from his destiny to make himself a martyr to kick up the societal change necessary to make this country great again.Too bad, neither an expensive Philippine Military Academy (PMA) education nor a seat in the

2007-11-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

WILL YOU JOIN EDSA IV LED BY TRILLANES IV?As I write this, it has been about three hours already since a group of soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Brigadier General Danilo Lim has walked out from their court hearing in Makati and proceeded towards Manila Peninsula Hotel where they apparently hoped to stage an EDSA IV.Question: Will you Juan Tanga join them?As of now, I do not see

2007-11-18T00:49:00.000-08:00

SATTI GRILL IN SM CLOSING DOWNThis is one thing that I have been putting off from writing, but like I promised in my blog (sattisfaction.blogspot.com), I will tell the truth no matter how much it hurts and whoever it hurts.But this truth is far painful because it involves us and our business, the Satti Grill House. For six months now, we have been bleeding from our

2007-11-14T04:39:00.000-08:00

SATTI IN GO NEGOSYOWe at Satti Grill House are so flattered that one of the most dynamic movers of the entrepreneur revolution in the country has cited us in his column which is fast turning out to be the bible of ordinary Filipinos who want to go into business.Of course I am talking of Mr. Joey Concepcion of the Concepcion industries who is fast carving a name as the face of the Filipino

2007-11-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

My Past Life As An Investigative JournalistIt has been about a week now since I first offered my help to you my fellow satti lovers. But until now, there has been no takers. I understand, maybe you are shy, after all, I am a total stranger to all of you.I don't blame you if at this very moment, this thought is playing on your mind: ``How can he help me when I never heard his name before?''Don't

2007-11-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Public Service on the World Wide WebYou might have noticed that there have been changes in the way I defined the orientation and nature of my blog.I have added a ground-breaking feature to my blog and that is: public service.From here on, let www.sattisfaction.blogspot.com be your on-line kuya. Let it be the site where you air out your cries for help, complaints and strong views on public and

2007-11-03T02:30:00.000-07:00

NOTE on Big-Spending OFWSGuess what? I am back in my beloved paper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, as a contributing writer. Although I'm in business now and had recently resigned as an investigative reporter, I have accepted the invitation of my friend Gerry Lirio to write for the Global Pinoy section of the Inquirer.I have accepted the offer because I love writing and there is no pressure in

2007-10-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

HOME IS SATTIWe really appreciate all the feedbackyou have been giving us by signing up in our Sattisfaction Feddback Form. Your feedback means so much to us, specially since we are new in the food business and we want to make it right with all of you our valued customers and friends. In fact, we used some of those feedbacks when we contributed an article for the anniversary issue of our very

2007-10-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Palace Also Bribes Reporters Yesterday, as friends from GMA 7 radio DzBB were discussing about bribery in the Palace, I sent them this text: ``Giving of bribe is nothing new in the Palace, it was done by almost all administrations. The only difference is that now we have a Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio admitting to it. It also helped that many those who

2007-10-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Satti is Worth the SacrificeI have a good news and a bad news.The good news is that me and my wife Ann have decided to speed up the spread of Satti in Metro Manila by supplying it to the restaurants of our trusted friends in Quezon City.Last Thursday, we started making satti available at the Razhev's Favorites in their outlet at the Timog Food Plaza, Corner of Timog Avenue and Scout Tuazon Road,

2007-10-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

SATTI + Exotic Taste = Good Health As a matter of public service to all fellow satti lovers, we have done an initial internet-based research on the health benefits of our favorite spicy food. We are happy to declare that not only does satti tastes incomparably good, it also packs a wallop as far as health and well-being is concerned.

2007-10-03T19:15:00.001-07:00

DESPERATE PINOYS Here we go again, beating our chest and making hell out of a perceived racial slur made by American actress Teri Hatcher in her ABC Television Network show ``Desperate Housewives.’’ Oh! Come on, pusong mamon, we only make ourselves look ridiculous for being this sensitive. The more noise we create about

2007-10-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

BENJAMIN ABALOS OFFERED ME SOMETHING TOO These days, I have to admit that I do miss my days as a journalist. Each day, I instinctively look for the name Armand Nocum when I read the Inquirer, a habit I had nurtured for 14 years as an investigative reporter of the paper. For a journalist, many of the names and faces you see and hear in the media

2007-10-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

SATTI IS ASIA’S FAVORITE FOOD Those of us who are introducing our very own Satti to friends should be proud that our kind of food is not only delicious; it is one of Asia’s favorite foods as well. Here is a letter I wrote to my friend Carla Paras-Sison in response to her query about Satti in preparation for an article she plans to

2007-09-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

WHY SATTI? Satti has sting. Satti has class. Satti has soul. Of all the food that I can bring to Manila, it is SATTI that I am most passionate about in introducing to the ``Metro Palate'' and eventually the whole country. Actually you can call this mission as the ``Sattination’’ of the Philippines and the world.

2007-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Naked Pinoy One tissue I want to comment about is the brouhaha stirred by the comments of columnist Malou Fernandez about the outlandish clothes, cheap perfumes and the general crass behavior of overseas Filipino workers. Actually, I have a conflicting view about the matter because my wife used to be a nurse who

2007-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

SATTI RUSH This blog is not for the faint of heart. This blog is not for the conformist. This blog is not for the un-adventurous. This blog is for the lover of life, adventure, fun, changes, and the seeker of truth and of course – SATTI! I've chosen ``Sattisfaction’’ as the title of my blog because to me Satti defines how life should be lived, that is