DUREZA'S PRAYER

"Bless the president so we will have forebearance, good health, the tolerance to lead the nation up to 2010, and perhaps who knows, even beyond."

Whether this statement was a slip of the tongue, a signal for action, or a trial balloon, only Press Secretary and Presidential spokesperson Jesus Dureza knows.

But to many, Dureza's prayer for a term extension for President Arroyo was more like a dream that's not likely to come true--at least, not without amending the constitution.

"Yun ang wish niya siguro, pero paano mangyari yun? No matter what they want in the Palace, it will not happen if Congress will not amend the Constitution and the people approve it," says Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

And even if Enrile himself is for charter change, he says this is no guarantee the measure would pass the chamber where there are 22 other members.

Senator Manuel 'Mar' Roxas is convinced Malacañang's slip was showing in so far as the real motives for charter change or cha-cha was concerned.

"Ito ay isang dahilan kung bakit ang ating kababayan, walang tiwala sa administrasyon dahil sa nakikita nila na itong pagbabago kuno sa saligang batas para sa kabutihan ng bansa ay pagpahaba talaga sa termino ng pangulo," he says.

A resolution is being circulated among congressmen stating that by virtue of their superior numbers, they can amend the Constitution without need of Senate action.

Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero suspects Dureza was floating the idea to gauge public reaction.

"Tingin ko nagtra-trial balloon sila para tingnan kung ano ang magiging reaksyon ng taongbayan sa pamamagitan ng isyung ito na pinapadaan muna sa joke bago maging seryoso sa mga darating na linggo," he says.

As for the president's unconcealed expression of dismay, the suspicious Escudero says, "Baka kasama sa script yon."

Arroyo ally-turned-critic Dinky Soliman, former social welfare secretary, believes Dureza's prayer was a sign to start moves for term extension.

And by her actions, says Soliman, the President showed she was not totally against the idea. "Maaaring hindi raw ng alam ng pangulo na sasabhin ito ni Dureza sa dasal. Pero ang tanong: nagalit ba siya? Hindi. Natuwa siya."

Eastern Police District has new chief

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=173002

MANILA, Philippines – After months of policing Southern Mindanao and keeping insurgents at bay, Chief Supt. Lino Calingasan will now take on street crooks and urban criminals in eastern Metro Manila as he takes command of the Eastern Police District. Calingasan formally assumed his new post in a turnover ceremony yesterday, taking over from Chief Supt. Leon Nilo dela Cruz, who has been appointed Central Luzon regional police director. “It will be a change of scenery, but not so much,” Calingasan said in an interview, noting that his stint as the deputy director for administration of the Police Regional Office in Southern Mindanao lasted only 10 months.The EPD covers the cities of Marikina, Mandaluyong, Pasig and San Juan. Before his EPD stint, Calingasan said he had been assigned to the Davao region, an area with a high concentration of rebels and insurgents. He said he welcomed the opportunity to fight a different type of crime in Metro Manila.
As EPD director, he said he would prioritize programs to combat street crimes and organized crime syndicates. In his speech, outgoing National Capital Region Police Office Director Jefferson Soriano told Calingasan that although the district had drastically improved its crime solution efficiency, the stigma of the Pasig shabu “tiangge” (flea market) still haunts the police force.

The new chief of the Eastern police district would most probably do a good job since he used to be assigned in Mindanao and we all know that the rebels there are more aggressive and there are more crimes committed in Mindanao than here in metro manila. I think that our police departments need an improvement because the last time I was there to report a hit and run, the police officers didn't seem to care that much. A change in leadership may be what they need to gain more perspective and passion for their jobs. I Calingasan's plans for his term which is to have programs that develop combat training for policemen. This strategy might be effective in promoting safety in our environment.

Abu Sayyaf into illegal drugs for funds

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=173100

MANILA, Philippines -- The Abu Sayyaf have resorted to “narco-terrorism” and small-time kidnapping in an attempt to raise funds for their operations, a military spokesman said Wednesday. This was evident when a joint operation of the Philippine Marines and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided a marijuana plantation believed to be either owned or protected by the al Qaeda- linked rebel group in Maimbung, Sulu last November 8, said Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo of the Philippine Navy. The marines and the PDEA recovered some P2 million worth of marijuana plants from the 1.5 hectare land located at a known Abu Sayyaf lair, Arevalo told a weekly forum at the Ciudad Fernandina in Greenhills.
He said the Abu Sayyaf has also resorted to kidnapping even regular civilians, students, and aid workers. “The Abu Sayyaf kidnap them even if they’re small time. The rebels are beginning to find it difficult,” said Arevalo in Filipino.

It seems like the Abu Sayyaf are having a financial crisis. They have already done a lot of crimes in the past. I remember the time when they kidnapped a lot of foreigners at the same time and they even got paid for ransom. I don't understand why our government is tolerating this. Our country is having a bad reputation because of this and it can affect our tourism. The government should order the army to attack the members of the Abu Sayyaf so that this problem can finally be put to rest. If our army is not skilled enough to arrest or take out the Abu Sayyaf, then our country should ask for help from the United States so that they can send reinforcements to make sure that those terrorists will be captured.

Death by High Fever

MANILA, Philippines – A grade 7 student of La Salle Green Hills accidentally fell 14 floors to his death from the window of his family’s condominium unit in Eastwood Avenue, Libis, Quezon City, yesterday.

Supt. Moises Mabanag, chief of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, identified the victim as Justine Figueroa, 13.

Mabanag said the boy fell from the 18th floor of the Lafayette 3 condominium where he lived with his family. He landed on the fourth floor where a garden was located.

The incident happened at around 5 a.m. yesterday while the boy had a high fever, the victim’s mother told investigators.

“He must have been feeling hot and decided to go get some fresh air and sat on the ledge of the window,” the police officer said.

He added that they came to this conclusion after they found the boy’s footprints on the ledge of the window in his room.

“Our investigators found footprints on the ledge which matched the size of the boy’s shoes which led us to believe that it was an accident,” Mabanag said, adding that they have ruled out suicide and foul play in the boy’s death.

The victim, the police officer told the Inquirer, was last seen by the family’s househelp in his room, using his laptop computer.

Irene Fronda, 22, the maid, told the police that the boy asked her to buy him ice cream.

Mabanag said they were informed of the boy’s death by the condominium’s head of security, Phillip Mercado.

Mercado called the police after the security guard on duty found the victim’s body on the fourth floor.

Based on the report of Scene of the Crime Operatives who went to the scene, the boy suffered a broken skull and fractures in the arms and legs.

who would have though that feeling hot and opening the window could cost you your life? i think this really is just an accident and no one is to blame. it's sad though how his life ended just like that after 13 years on earth. i guess it really is true that you have to live today like it's the last, because really you never know when it will end. maybe his time was up, maybe God needed him already. the reasons we may never know but we do know he is in a better place now, up there in the sky! :)

for more info on this article go to: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20081119-172999/Boy-falls-to-death-from-Eastwood-condo

peace :)

Teener killed, mom hurt in burglary

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=173146

ROXAS CITY, Philippines -- A 15-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured when robbers struck at their rented apartment here Tuesday evening, police said Wednesday.
Bina Weng was declared dead on arrival at Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) of multiple abrasions and contusions on the head from having her head bashed against a wall, police said. Her mother, Letty Weng, also known as Letty Hung, 36, also sustained abrasions and contusions and is confined at Saint Anthony College Hospital.The police said they have considered the victims' helper and driver as suspects.Chief Inspector Leo Batiles, Roxas police chief, said P50,000 in business collections was missing.Batiles said the victims' driver, Isidro Tolitol, 30, a native of Barangay (village) Butungan, Estancia, Iloilo, and a delivery truck helper, are also missing. Security guard Raffy Aninacion, 21, of the Lion Heart Security Agency detailed at the apartment on Aguinaldo Street, told police he saw the two leaving the place hurriedly. Prior to the incident, Aninacion said another person approached him and engaged him in conversation then left on seeing Tolitol and the truck helper leaving the area.The police have launched a manhunt against the suspects.Recovered from the crime scene were a baseball cap allegedly worn by the helper, two pairs of white cloth gloves with bloodstains and a backpack containing clothes of the driver.The mother is engaged in the buying and selling of spices at the Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center while her daughter was a student at the Capiz Commercial School.

This is a very unfortunate incident. The criminals didn't have to kill the girl and hurt the mother just to steal the money which is not even that big. Maybe there is something more to this story that the investigators didn't figure out. The criminals might have done this burglary to have revenge against the family because they might have treated them badly or something like that. I just think that people are not that bad to kill someone they worked have for just for 50 thousand pesos. About the suspects, it is already obvious who it is since they already found evidences like the bag of clothes of the driver and the cap of the helper. I hope the police can catch them immediately so that justice can be served.

Much Needed R&R

It will be a grand, week-long Christmas vacation for the country’s workforce, and hefty pay awaits those who will work during the seven straight days of regular and special non-working holidays this December.

Based on Proclamation No. 1463 issued last February by President Arroyo, Dec. 1 is the next holiday on the calendar, for the celebration of Bonifacio Day.

While Bonifacio Day normally falls on Nov. 30, the law rationalizing holidays moved the date to the Monday nearest to Nov. 30, which is Dec. 1.

The holidays this year will start on Thursday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day, and the following day, Dec. 26, has been declared a special non-working holiday.

After the weekend, there will be four days without work as Dec. 29 has been declared a special non-working holiday; Dec. 30 is Rizal Day; Dec. 31, being the last day of the year, is also a special non-working holiday; and Jan. 1, New Year’s Day, is a regular holiday.

Because Jan. 1 falls on a Thursday, the President could still declare Jan. 2 a special non-working holiday since it is so close to the weekend.

However, Malacañang has not yet made any announcement to that effect.

The adjustment of the dates for holidays was provided for under a new law in order to rationalize the country’s holidays and is in line with the so-called holiday economics, which encourages workers and their families to travel around the country and even shop, thereby helping the economy.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that workers are entitled to at least 490 percent additional pay if they opt to report for work during the week-long holiday.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) spokesman Alex Aguilar, however, doubted if workers would choose to vacation at this time of financial crisis.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), meantime, reported yesterday that many commercial establishments nationwide are no longer requiring their workers to work overtime to avoid additional costs.

But chairman Miguel Varela said ECOP welcomes the week-long holiday.

“Employers are not really keen on long holidays, but since this is Christmas, why not give the workers a long break,” he explained.

this is by far great news for those in the labor force, especially since it's Christmas. employees should be rewarded for their hard work so that they would be motivated to work harder in the coming year. but then again the moving of holiday dates like the Nov 30 to Dec 1 issue, i think defeats the purpose of why we celebrate Bonifacio Day although i do know most of us don't give a damn about this holidays, but it's like saying why don't we move your birthday a day later? :)

for more info about this post go to http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=416638&publicationSubCategoryId=63

peace!

3 TEENS STEAL MOTORCYCLE FOR JOY RIDE

three boys were arrested for stealing motorcyle in Caloocan City, friday No.v 14. two of the boys were onl 15 years old and the other was even younger, 13. when the police pulled them over because they were riding without a helmet and asked for the owners' papers and liscense they failed to do so. During the investigation, the police found out that the gray motorcycle was stolen while it was parked in the front of the house of the owner, the boys alegedly admitted.


source :philippine STAR magazine nov. 16, issue page 15

i think this incident is very tragic and yet its also very good news. tradgic because those boys are very young and yet they doing crime JUST for fun. this only shows the effect of lack of public schools in our country. this is good news because i never thought in my entire life that police can recover stolen motorcycle. like usually, in our country if your car got stolen consider it gone. dont bother reporting it to the police, ow well, maybe it was just luck.

MAN CAUGHT DUMPING FETUS

Police station chief superintendent Nelson Yabut reported that they causght a man dumping fetus on the island of C.M. Recto, Binondo,manila on NOvember 15, Saturday. The man, Mario Baasis 45, calimed that he was hired to dispose off fetuses by an old "hilot" which he clearly identified as Milagros Capistrano. He said he did it for P 300 per fetus. He said that he sees a number of women coming in and out of the house all the time. Capistrano was arrested together with her assistant imelda ramos.

i didnt think anyone can do such thing for a living. Because of people like milagros, filipino women are becoming more liberated. they dont think anymore what their consequences are whenever they do it because they think they can do away with it, like nothing ever happend. anyways, life's like that, and for all the women who made the right choice of not aborting their baby, I salute each and everyone of you. for those who did the deed, you can NEVER do away with it, karma will always get to you, one way or another.

“50% flunk nurse exam every year”

Half of the nursing graduated flunk the nursing licensure examination every year, according to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Marco Sto. Tomas, PRC Board of Nursing member, said the passing rate in the nursing licensure examination has been on the decline in the past decade.
“The number of board examinees is on the rise since year 2000, but the passing rate exhibited a declining trend from a high of 55.8 percent in 1998 to a low of 45.2 percent in 2006 or an annual average of 49.5 percent,” he said.
Sto. Tomas said the PRC has recorded a total of 224,961 nursing board flunkers from 1998 to June 2008. “One out of every five nursing schools registers a zero passing mark, which is indicative of the questionable quality of education and/or decreasing quality of students admitted for the nursing profession,” he said.
In June 2008, the passing rate 43.1 percent was lower than the average registered for the period 1998 to 2007, he added. Sto. Tomas said based on government figures, the country has 480,992 licensed nurses out of the 523, 272 who passed the nursing board examination between 1952 and the present.
“Not because they were not employed in hospitals, they are already jobless because many registered nurses are opting to work in other companies like call centers,” he said. Actually, there is a surplus of nurses because of a market slowdown since 2006 due mainly to the retrogression in the United States, he added.

This is a bad outcome because instead of our education getting better, it shows that it’s just getting worse. I think one of the reasons why there’s a big number or nursing graduates but half of it only pass in the nursing licensure examination is because of the boom of nursing employment in other countries. Because of this, many were interested in taking up the course. They thought that it would help them though it’s really not their forte. It affects them because they don’t really think of the possibilities. Because of the high rate of nursing students, others think that nursing is easy because a lot take it. The quality of the education was not improved also because of the vast number of students within a short period of time. We Filipinos should take this as an advantage because of increase of nursing job opportunities in other countries.

An alternative : The E-Jeepney and E-Trike

E-jeepney finally gets license plate from LTO; e-tricycles next
By Rainier Allan Ronda Updated November 18, 2008 12:00 AM

The “e-jeepney,” a Filipino designed and built passenger jeepney running on electricity, has finally been issued a license plate by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), clearing the way for their daily presence in the country’s major thoroughfares.

Ferdinand Raquelsantos, president of PhUV Inc., said that the issuance of the license plate to the e-jeepney, currently being pilot-tested in a jeepney route in the Makati City central business district, is a milestone in the local automotive industry’s efforts to come out with locally-developed cars running on cleaner and cheaper energy.

“This is a very significant milestone in the local auto industry as it signals the birth of a cleaner alternative in the public mass transport system in our country,” Raquelsantos said, adding that PhUV Inc. can now begin the mass production of the e-jeepneys.

“This will encourage us as we begin the next phase of the program – the mass production of more electric jeepneys in the next few months. As a matter of fact, a second e-jeepney will soon be added to ply the Salcedo Village route in Makati City,” he shared.

He added that the LTO’s establishment of a registration and classification system for vehicles running on electricity will also encourage them in their efforts to design and produce motorcycles running on electricity which they will call e-tricycles or “e-trikes.”

“Available in three different body configurations, the e-trikes will be the alternative for cleaner mass transport in the countryside. As a matter of fact, we will soon submit a proposal to some local government units and transport cooperatives for the e-trikes to possibly replace the gasoline-powered tricycles in their localities as part of our comprehensive Climate Friendly Cities Program,” he added.

PhUV Inc. is the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP) chaired by industrialist Egmidio “Eddie” Jose which is developing the e-jeepney and is also working on a true-blue Filipino designed and built car – the PhUV.
MVPMAP and PhUV Inc. source some of their e-jeepney components from Chinese suppliers.

In a recent official visit of President Arroyo to China, PhUV Inc., signed a memorandum of agreement with the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP) for the supply of more locally designed and assembled e-jeepneys.

Source:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=416408&publicationSubCategoryId=63

_


When the U.S. military started to leave the Philippines following World War II, they left behind a lot of Jeeps. Over time, Filipinos adapted these Jeeps into Jeepneys, extended Jeep multi-passenger vehicles. New Jeepneys are still being produced and most Filipinos see it as the most economic mode for commuting.

Urban cities in the Philippines are welcoming Electric Jeepneys as part of an innovative project that aims to use energy from biodegradable waste to power an environment-friendly public transport system. The result is a system that addresses an urban environmental problem which is air pollution. These Electric Jeepneys are an example of a concrete and viable way in which cities can contribute to reducing the country’s gas emissions.

By eliminating the use of fuel, these Electric Jeepneys have not only revolutionized a Philippine icon, they also provide an answer to the biggest challenge threatening our planet today which is climate change. The same goes for the e-trikes. Seen as most notorious pollutant in the streets, this would definitely help us minimize pollution that also contributes to climate change. The key to stopping dangerous climate change is to stop reliance on fuel and transition towards a sustainable energy future. Cleaner, safer, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency hold the key to a country's energy independence.

These small steps must be taken to give our country a brighter and greener future. The life of the earth is in our hands. The little things we do would matter and help us provide change. Let us make our earth livable for our children, their children, and the future generations to come.

NO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

One of the three factors that wouldn’t let the Philippines to revive is its poor economy. According to the National Statistical Board (NSCB), the latest poverty survey proved that the population of poor people increases since they grew from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006 and at the same time 2.7% of the average family income fell. One out of every three Filipinos is poor and there are a lot of Filipinos consider them poor. Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi, the World Bank’s senior economist for East Asian and Pacific Region, has noted that the country is experiencing a slowdown in export growth. The poor people experience poverty a lot more while the rich people continue their luxurious life since there are a lot of structural imbalances in the local economy since high population growth leads to unequal distribution of resources. According to the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, 60% of Philippines’ economic projects, including the 15 billion from overseas workers remittances’ are informal so even as the economy grows, the country’s deprived masses just get poorer.

Sources: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/26/yehey/metro/20080326met1.ht

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080317hed3.html

ADDICTED

The Philippines is known as the ‘text capital of the world’ and Filipinos are labeled kings of text messaging worldwide. Each mobile phone user in the Philippines sends out at least ten messages per day compared to the users in the United Kingdom that sends out at least three text messages per day. The four top mobile service providers stated that at the end of 2007, 42.78 million people in the Philippines are mobile subscribers. In two Filipinos, one is a subscriber to a mobile phone service. There are more cell phone users in the Philippines than landline owners. According to a leading research company, it is the first country in the world where mobile users spend more on data services than on voice. Texting is now developed into a Philippine cultural trait or hobby.

Source: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2005/07/009214.htm

PGMA…MINIMIZING EXPENSES?

This weekend, the President will attend the Asia-Pacific Cooperation leaders’ summit in Lima, Peru. More than 40 congressmen and congresswomen signed up wanting to join the trip but it was cut down to 40 to minimize expenses.

Last 1997, our country had an economic crisis which lead us to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Before a country can borrow from the IMF, they first require the country to agree on something that would secure them that the country would be able to pay their debt. Minimizing travel expenses is one of the IMF’s recommendations that should be agreed upon.

I think that this is a good recommendation to minimize government expenditures and to increase government revenues. Thus, our country would have a big chance to experience budget balance.

Source: http://beta2.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=416094

OFW remittances grow,despite global financial crisis

Remittances sent home by OFW grew 16.9 percent year-on-year in September, despite earlier fears the global financial crisis could see a decline, the central bank reported Monday.

Workers sent home $1.3 billion during the month, while the total for the first nine months of the year reached $12.3 billion, 17.1 percent more from a year ago, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Money from about eight million workers abroad—approximately 10 percent of the population—“remains a source of strength for the economy amid the challenging external environment,” central bank Governor Amando Tetangco said.

“Robust remittance flows have been shored up by strong overseas demand for Filipino skills, and the greater availability of expanded money transfer services to overseas Filipinos and their beneficiaries,” he said.

Layoffs expected

The government earlier said it expected layoffs as a result of the global financial crisis to hit Filipino workers, and ordered economic managers to draw up a contingency plan.

For years, the vast army of workers has managed to keep the Philippine economy afloat with their remittances. Last year they sent home $14.4 billion, equivalent to 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is the total value of all final goods and services produced in the country in a year.

Manila is projecting remittances to exceed $15 billion this year, but has said the crisis could make the figure difficult to achieve.

Deployment grows

Preliminary data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that the number of Filipinos deployed abroad grew by 25.9 percent to 1.005 million compared with 798,731.

Newly hired Filipinos were mostly deployed to the Middle East —particularly Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait— and Taiwan and Hong Kong in Asia.

The demand for Filipino workers abroad is expected to sustain and would boost remittance flows.

So far, the major sources of remittances were the US, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Much slower growth

A report released Monday by the UBS Investment Research of Switzerland predicted an economic growth rate for the Philippines of 1.8 percent next year—less than half of the official government target of between 4.1 percent and 4.8 percent. The Philippines will be threatened by a weak global economy and by financial stress, UBS added.

The report said the Philippines would experience negative export growth, as global trade contracts, and that imports would also decline as global trade slows down and foreign investments fall.

UBS predicted that consumption growth would be moderate, as fears about unemployment persist.

The US dollar will be strong against the Philippine peso, which will be a boon to the total value of remittances, even if the volume declines because of the global slowdown, UBS reported.

Prices to subside

On a bright note, UBS sees inflation substantially tapering off next year, when the prices of rice and other food items soften. “We expect inflation to average close to 3 percent in 2009, down from 9.4 percent in 2008.”

The UBS report gives one of the most conservative projections among banks and other experts who have released economic forecasts for the Philippines.

The Asian Development Bank said last week that the country would see a slowdown next year— but would not plunge into recession.

That statement came after members of the Makati Business Club expressed fears that the Philippines would see a recession in the early part of 2009. Technically, a recession is two consecutive quarters of economic decline.

Benjamin Diokno, a former Budget secretary and now economics professor at the University of the Philippines, said that an economic growth rate below the population growth rate may be considered recessionary.

The country’s population grows 2.3 percent every year, according to published statistics.

Another economist, who asked not to be identified, told The Manila Times that even if the country does not officially fall into a recession, the economy would suffer just the same if the population “significantly” outpaces GDP growth.

“Faster-pace population growth will just dampen an economy’s output in a year,” because a person’s share in the economy becomes less as the population continuously moves faster than the GDP, the economist explained.

Also on Monday, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the government is prepared for a deficit spending of up to P102 billion to cushion the impact of the slowing global economy and financial crisis. That amount is on top of the P1.4-trillion budget proposed by the Arroyo government to Congress.--AFP, Maricel E. Burgonio and Chino S. Leyco

It's good to hear that despite the global financial crisis some of the OFWs are still sending money to their families here even though some many of them lost their jobs.

http://www.yehey.com/news/Article.aspx?id=229058

ALCOHOL HARMFUL THAN POT

According to Dr. Mitch Earleywine, a University of Southern California psychologist who is the author of "Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence" and the just published "Mind-Altering Drugs: The Science of Subjective Experience." The evidence is clear marijuana has no lethal dose, so you can't die from it. and so you can smoke all you want and not be knocked out like alcohol does. The impact on the brain structure for marijuana is nil, as compare to the very serious brain function changes from alcohol abuse. Also, more dramatic liver functions are impaired with alcohol. Malnutrition, B-vitamin deficiency, and Korsakoff's Disorder are all linked to alcohol, but not marijuana."

Its far safer to smoke a joint than to have a beer. It relieves the stress and tension after a hard days work or school. It mellows you out and helps you relax. It heightens the imagination and improves creativity. If you have a problem with anger, Pot is usually a good drug to reduce it. Marijuana has many medical benefits. It helps reduce problems with glaucoma. If you have cancer, it reduces nausea from chemotherapy. I had a friend who died of cancer. His doctor suggested Pot even though it wasn't legal. It allowed him to eat food again. This was three weeks before he died. I think the Pot gave him another week of quality life.

Save teeth= Save memory

Teeth Affect Memory

WHEN your dentist pulls an aching tooth they could be yanking out some of your memory at the same time, according to a new Swedish study to be presented in Stockholm tomorrow.

"Teeth appear to be of the utmost importance to our memories," Jan Bergdahl, an associate psychology professor at the Umeaa University in northern Sweden, a dentist and one of the authors of the study, said today.

For the study, which is part of a broader memory study called Betulastudien, researchers followed 1962 people aged 35 to 90 starting in 1988, comparing the memories of those who still had teeth and those who had pulled all their teeth and were using dentures.

"When people have no teeth their memories are clearly worse than when they have teeth," Mr Bergdahl said.

Recent Japanese studies on rats and monkeys have shown the link between teeth and memory but according to Mr Bergdahl this is the first large-scale study on humans that clearly connects the same dots.

While the Swedish research has yet to unveil what impact pulling a single tooth has on the human memory, Mr Bergdahl said that "going forward, we plan to look into how many teeth a person has to lose before it affects their memory. We will also investigate how tooth decay affects memory loss, and what affect tooth implants have".

He insisted however that he didn't expect future studies to reveal that implants improve memory.

"I don't think that is very probable. Animal tests have shown that pulling teeth severs nerves to the brain," Mr Bergdahl said, pointing out that the new Swedish study could dramatically change dental care for the elderly in the future.

"We might want to think twice before pulling out teeth that are a problem," he said.

http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/memoray_affected_by_dental_health.htm

That's the reason why we should take good care of our teeth, we must have a daily schedule to your dentist. brush our teeth trice a day and use dental floss to prevent cavities between our teeth.

Saliva Found to Have Genuine Wound Healing Properties

Source:http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/health?type=healthNews&w1=B7ovpm21IaDoL40ZFnNfGe&w2=B9QtAZ2UC

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According to the article, the substance found in our saliva, called histatin is responsible for making our wounds heal quicker. What’s good about this information is because our saliva is economical and  is mass-produced. In addition, the Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal Gerald Weismann, MD said, “This study not only answers the biological question of why animals lick their wounds, but it also explains why wounds in the mouth, like those of a tooth extraction, heal much faster than comparable wounds of the skin and bone. It also directs us to begin looking at saliva as a source for new drugs.” Therefore, our saliva must have strong healing powers in it. The scientists who discovered this data made an extraction by using the epithelial cells, the inner lining of the cheek, and cultured them until all were sheltered with cells. Next step for them was to make a synthetic cut in the cell layer in every plate, by scratching a minor piece of the cells away. And then after the several steps, it was discovered that the dish submerged in human saliva healed faster, hence, the protein histatin was responsible for it.

With this, it just shows that we still yet have many to discover about the human body and its components, and it is good to know that our scientists persistently seek for it and do an extensive examination about it. Who knew that even our saliva has its own healing powers when its purpose is to lubricate and protect the teeth, the tongue, and the subtle tissues inside our mouth. This study may be of help to the people suffering from chronic wounds related to diabetes and also other injuries and burns. I just hope further study would be made by the scientists about this matter, also to broaden the knowledge of the people and may benefit us as well. 

Japan slips into recession, oil prices fall

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's economy, the second largest ion the world, has entered its first recession in seven years as the global financial crisis batters exports and business investment, official data showed Monday. Japan joins Germany and Italy on the list of major economies that are officially in recession, dispite emergency steps by world powers to try to shield the global economy from months of turmoil on financial markets.

The Japanese economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1 percent in the three months to September, after shrinking 0.9 percent in the second quarter of the year, according to figures from the Cabinet office. Global oil prices fell below $56 a barrel yesterdayas news that Japan fell into a recession highlighted investor fears of a global economic slowdown that will hurt crude demand. light sweet crude for December delivery was down $1.11 to $55.93 a barrel on the New York Mercentile Exchange. Meanwhile, the US economy is expected to contract at a faster pace in the fourth quarter, extending the decline into early 2009 as high unemployment crimps consumer spending, a survey showed.

The National Association of Business Economics' poll of 50 professional forecasters released on Monday found that real gross domestic product is expected to fall 2.6 percent in the first three months of 2009.
Preliminary government estimates showed GDP contracted 0.3 percent in the third quarter. The results of the survey, which was conducted between Oct. 28 and Nov. 7 indicated growing pessimism among forecasters.
"Business economists became decidedly more negative on the economic outlook for the next several quarters as a result of the intensification of credit market stresses and evidenceof spillover to the real economy," said NABE president Chris Varvares.
"Credit conditions continue to be tenuous. Despite the hefty liquidity injections by the Fed and the Treasury, the majority of NABE panelist believe that tight credit conditions will continue." Troubles in the US housing sector, emanating from the extension of loans top homeowners with poor credit history, have engulfed the broader economy, resulting in rising job losses and tight access to credit.

It is the first time since the third quarter of 2001 that Japan has entered a recession, which is usually defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted at an annualized rate of 0.4 percent.
Analyst forecast, on average, had been for modest growth of 0.1 percent quarter-on-quarter. Tokyo's Nikkei stock index fell 1.3 percent in early trade. Business investment slumped 1.7 percent in the third quarter while exports were worse than expected, as the financial crisis triggeres by a US housing slump squeezed other major economies. "Japan was dragged down by the weakness in the global economy," said Kyohei Morita, Chief Japan economist at Barclays Capital, who expects the recession to last for four quarters in total.
Although Japan has not suffered financial turmoil on the same scale as the United States or Europe, its trade-dependent economy remains highly vulnerable to global downturns. "Japan is as export-driven as ever. So as long as exports are slowing due to the weakness of the global economy, we cannot escape," said Morita.
After suffering a series of on-off recession in the 1990s, Japan had been slowly recovering on the back of brisk exports and business investment. Corporate profits, however, are now sliding as exports suffer from the global slowdown, prompting companies to slash investment in new equipment and factories, which had been a key driver of economic growth.


This will bring something good to our country. One is the oil prices fall. This is a good news for everybody, not only for the people who have a car, also for the people who have different businesses. This is because the oil is the main product of all products. So if oil prices fall, everything will follow. The down side of this is that our economy will be affected by the investors from Japan. Some of them might leave the country and it's not good for us. Another is the GDP will fall by 2.6 percent. One of the reasons that will triger this is the investors leaving the country. I think what initiated Japan's economy be in recession is because of the number one economy, the US. Japan's economy is the second largest that's why it will really affect not only our economy but also other countries' economy.

2 more RP sites among 100 top dive spots

Two more tourist spots in the country have been included in the list of the world’s best travel destinations.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) yesterday reported that scuba diving experts have included Malapascua and Apo Island among the world’s top 100 dive spots.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said Sport Diver, the official magazine of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, named the two local dive spots in its special report entitled “100 Dives to Do Before You Die.”
Durano said Malapascua was picked for its consistent thresher shark sightings while Apo Island was chosen for its excellent spots that attract underwater photographers.
It said that Apo Island Marine Sanctuary is replete with a continuous chain of underwater life, with hard and soft corals attracting reef fish like snappers, surgeon fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, anemone fish and wrasse, which, in turn, invite large species like barracuda, tuna, white tip and black tip sharks, turtles and manta rays.
Sport Diver said they scoured the globe to come up with the list of underwater sites that divers should not miss.
Durano said the inclusion of the Philippine sites in the United Kingdom’s publication proved that the country is a must see site and is among the world’s best.
“The list is based on the opinion of experts who were looking for sites that have rare characteristics which stand out from the usual dive haunts,” Durano pointed out.
Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque said the country is expected to register a banner year with the quality and quantity of sales and promotions programs implemented by the department.
“We are confident that arrivals from the United Kingdom may breach the 90,000 mark by yearend,” he added.
“In our participation in various travel trade fairs, we seldom encounter questions on the country’s security. Instead, we get rave comments about our sites,” said Domingo Ramon Enerio, Philippine tourism attaché to London.
The UK market has consistently been a significant source of tourists and the arrival of British visitors had increased by 18 percent during the first half of the year.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=416395&publicationSubCategoryId=68

Ex-cop seeks protection over alleged murder plot

CEBU - A former policeman has sought refuge with the court over a supposed murder plot against him, which allegedly involves two ranking police officials and a non-commissioned officer.
Former policeman Marlon Sano Sarmiento filed a petition for a Writ of Amparo against Sr. Supt. Jesus Gaquing, Sr., Police Senior Insp. Ceferino Tabay, Jr. and PO3 Andy Nonong of the regional police office.
The Writ of Amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, individual, or entity.
The writ covers extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and also threats.
Sarmiento, who has since fought legal battles against the respondents, alleged that sometime last July, he was threatened that he will not live until next year.
The threat allegedly worsened when two men on board a motorcycle reportedly tailed them when he and his brother went to see a lawyer sometime in September.
They reportedly spotted the two men when they went out of the office of lawyer Eugene Orbita in barangay Capitol Site.
The unidentified men reportedly carried guns and were consistently looking at them.
Sarmiento said he does not know of any other adversary except the respondents whom he has sued before the city prosecutor’s office and the Ombudsman.
Tabay, through lawyer Noel Archival, asked the court to dismiss Sarmiento’s petition for lack of merit. Tabay said the petition is just a “product of his wild imagination.”
“This weapon cannot just simply be availed of on the basis only of assumption,” Tabay said. — Fred P. Languido/JMO (THE FREEMAN)
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=416450&publicationSubCategoryId=107

Nearly 900,000 jobs created through microfinance

Nearly 900,000jobs were created in the first nine months of the year due to intensified efforts of the government to support small businesses in the country, Malacanang said yesterday.
Presidential Management Staff chief Secretary Cerge Remonde said efforts to provide frinancial support to micro-ennterprises, or micro-finance for short, presently cover all 82 provinces of the country as well as all its 131 cities.
Citing a report by People's Credit and Finance Corp. (PCFC) president Edgardo generoso before the Inter-Agency Coordinating Council for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises last week at the Palace, Remonde said only 43 towms in the country remain to be reached by the country remain to be reached by the government's micro-finance programs.
"A total of 859,569 jobs were created fro these micro-finance efforts over the nine-month period beginning January 2008, surpassing last year's accomplishment over the same period by 289,449 jobs," he said.
"The amount of loand extended, mean while, more than doubled from January to September 2008 as compared to last year, from P25.945 billion in 2007 to P53.634 billion this year'" he added.
Remonde said the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) should "be commendid for leading government instrumentalities in the micro-finance component of the Arroyo administration's job generation effort."

This is a good news for the peole who got employed. They already have something to get money from. This brings not only higher number of employment but also faster production specially to the labor intensive jobs. This would help the poor to have a better life. One of the government's main problem had given a solution, though not 100 percent, it is alredy a big help. However, there is a down side for this news. There will be greater number of non tax payers because for sure some of them will be a minimum wage earners. This is a down side because less will pay tax, government will not get as much funds for the country. I hope the government will continue helping the people who are now employed and they should still continue creating jobs for the others who are still employed.

PABLO BANILA HAS A CRUSH ON YOU!

Most of us who use multiply has probably been viewed by the countless accounts of this man called Pablo Banila (especially if you're a teenage girl).

Why does he do this? What does he want? How come he viewed most of the people I know too? Those are just questions which linger every time we see his annoying headshot in our history views...

So maybe this will set the record straight for those of you who still don't know yet. The real deal on Pablo Banila

By Bianca Consunji
Philippine Daily Inquirer

NO, he’s not a cyber-stalker. Or a group of psychology students doing a project. Or the government in disguise. Pablo Banila is a real person, but he’s not the crazy lowlife that people thought he was.

When the first Pablo Banila article came out in 2bU two weeks ago, we were swamped with hundreds of letters and blog comments from readers. The sentiments expressed in the mail were varied; they ranged from “Pablo Banila gives me the chills too,” to “He’s a psycho who not only views my Multiply site, but Friendster as well,” to “He’s actually a genius who was just misunderstood.”

Most of the readers were curious about his identity and wanted to know who he was, while a few thought an article about him was a waste of precious newspaper space. “Argh, you gave him more attention!” said a friend, wringing his hands. Another said, “Unbelievable, you made him famous! But in any case, he still gives off bad vibes and he’s still flooding my viewing history page with his gazillion accounts.” A blog reader was more blunt, saying, “Big deal. Slow news day?”

But in either case, Pablo Banila certainly caught your attention—and apparently, the article caught his too, because he e-mailed 2bU to give the real deal on his identity. He had explained his intentions in a UP Multiply blog at http://yoopee.multiply.com/journal/item/4805, but only a handful of internet users knew about it (compared to the millions of sites that he “visited”).

Pablo Banila—Paolo Bantolo in real life—has been called many names in the past couple of months, and a lot of them weren’t too nice. “Creepy” was the first thing that came to mind when Multiply and Friendster users first saw the avatar that showed a guy with matted chin-length hair and a sign that flashed, “Yes, Pablo Banila has a crush on you hahahaha! That’s why he viewed your homepage, cute nun!”

The reactions that the avatar elicited were interesting. Initially, people truly believed that the mysterious Pablo Banila had a crush on them, gender notwithstanding—until they visited his site and realized that they were duped.

“Before I opened up a guestbook, there were three general reactions from three kinds of people,” said Bantolo in an e-mail interview. “First, from the genuinely curious—people asking me if they do know me; in other words, people who did not bother reading my profile, the naked confession of everything I am.”

He added, “[The next were] from the genuinely infatuated—schoolgirls and baby boys telling me that I can be their boyfriend anytime! The rest were people with a sense of humor. Interestingly, most of my most passionate haters honestly believed that I had a crush on them until the grand opening of ‘Pablo Banila’s Never-ending Guestbook Party.’ [Then] they found out it wasn’t only them.”

The truth is, Pablo Banila never really visited every website where his avatar appeared—his bots did. An anonymous reader who identified himself as a retired hacker explained, “Pablo Banila actually is a programmer who uses a program called ‘web crawler.’ Web crawlers were originally used by search engines such as Google and Yahoo to automatically browse web pages on the internet. [This is done so they can] save the data on their database and make an index list of the web pages on the Internet.”

The reader added, “This is all done using a program. A program with a standard DSL connection can browse 10 sites every second, 600 sites every minute and 36,000 sites every hour—roughly 864,000 Multiply sites every day.”

Others who were already in the know admitted that he was a computer genius, if only slightly off his rocker. News that he came from top schools (Bantolo graduated from the Philippine Science High School and went on to study Computer Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman before transferring to New York University; he is currently a graduate student at California Riverside) only fueled the speculations about his being a crazy genius.

Others expressed their admiration and marveled at how he was able to pull off the scheme; others, like Multiply user “emocantbevanity” said, “He’s such a weirdo … why can’t he just get a life or something? Is he that much of a genius, that’s why he became a weirdo? Oh well, moral lesson—don’t be a genius and learn to socialize with other people so you wouldn’t become the country’s biggest weirdo!”

“I never thought of my viewing activity as stalking,” Bantolo said. “It was casual web surfing. What made the difference was my classic welcome message that penetrated the unawareness of the unspoken hope the viewing history promises in an avatar of a Lesbian in Shining Armor. I can honestly say that I wanted to meet new friends, and, ultimately, build a bridge of chance towards my one true love.”

According to Bantolo, he chose Multiply and Friendster “for the high demographic of Filipinos. And because I have not tried making new friends in other networks—but I will! Pretty soon!”

He added, “I wish I could click on millions of headshots for hours in a day, for that would’ve been like playing my favorite game, Counter-Strike; but that’s just impossible in my already inhumane schedule as a working student.”

And as for stalking—as soon as it was established that the only pages “Pablo Banila” visited were the homepages of the sites, which are essentially open to public viewing (as Multiply and Friendster have contacts-only lock options)—his viewing activities can hardly be counted as harassment.

Multiply user “agnestherese” said, “Pablo Banila is hardly a stalker. He only views homepages, not blogs or photos. I think that those who make such a big deal out of it, more specifically all the hate blogs, are self-centered or maybe just hurt when they found out that Pablo Banila has a crush on them … and everyone else.”

“Public domain is public domain,” Bantolo explained. “If they felt harassed in any way, it was because I kept exercising my right to view their public profile.” He further attributed the public’s fear and irritation to his “scarecrow headshot.”

He said, “People read about accusations, libel and death threats against me written on my guestbook. I am hated in exactly the same way other human beings discriminate against blacks, Muslims, and homosexuals.”

Bantolo added, “I performed the same routine using stereotypical images of innocence (young, attractive and female) at the same duration and received virtually no reaction.”

Actually, the entire issue is moot and academic, as “Pablo Banila” has already retired and given up his homepage-viewing days. But many users, unaware of what happened, remained in the dark for the past few weeks. As a final note, Bantolo quoted the California Penal Code’s definition of stalking:

Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his or her safety is guilty of the crime of stalking.

“Credible threat” means a verbal or written threat, including that performed through the use of an electronic communication device.

He clarified, “I am not making a ‘credible threat’ nor do I intend to ‘place any person in reasonable fear for his or her safety.’”




Consunji, B. (2008). The real deal on Pablo Banila. Retrieved 16 November 2008 from http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/elife/view/20081115-172353/The-real-deal-on-Pablo-Banila

Marijuana Grown in Abu hideout, say Marines

Philippine Daily Inquirer 11/18/2008
A recent raid made by the Marines discovered that the Abu Sayyaf has been growing some Mary Jane. There are three possibilities that i can draw from this. The first two coincide with the idea of the government, that this growing of marijuana is a form of narco terrorism. Narco terrorism is when narcotics are sold in order to fund terrorism. Or they could be just renting the land to a certain someone in exchange for funds for their war effort. Whatever the case maybe the 6 hectares of weed amounted to around 40 million pesos, a rough estimate, and is speculated to be heading towards Malaysia, then Europe. What surprises me is that the government didnt even once think that they could be using the marijuana themselves, either for their own benefits or as a weapon. In a war, especially guerilla, there are no real concrete rules and you can practically use anything as a weapon, Like right now the biggest concern of the U.S. is cyber war and narcotics, this is because these weapons attack the citizens in a subtle and indirect manner, thus achieving a goal without much collateral damage. This would also be a great tactic since it is cost effective and you can even earn from it as well, evidenced in the fact that some shady organizations are known to be in the arms and drug business. Anyway i at least applaud the government for having recognized suspicious sea farring vessels that might have something to do with this.

In the face of crisis, RP whistles in dark

Philippine Daily Inquirer 11/18/2008
We are all aware that there is a global economic pandemic and most of us are afraid that we would get affected. Well fear not since it is now very much clear that we will be affected, all the details are in ladies and gentlemen, we will be hit by this economic crisis. In comparison to most other countries our country will not be hit that hard since our country took important precautionary steps in trying to avoid a problem like this back in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis. However, with the coming of new U.S. President Barrack Obama, I have nothing against him by the way, plans to put a stop o all outsourcing in the U.S. Basically this means that countries that depend on remitances made by their overseas workers would suffer. India and our own country has already expressed great concerns that a lot of their workers could get laid off. If upcoming President of the United States Barack Obama's plan comes to fruition then it is most likely that what India and our country fears will come to pass. I think that this situation could not have come at a worse time. It is almost christmas and people who worked abroad and would not be able to earn their salary for December, and their christmas pay will have to work extra hard this upcoming months to keep their promises to their families. What scares me the most is that the OFW that might get laid off might not have a job when they return.

Longer voting hours eyed for 2010

source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20081117-172755/Longer-voting-hours-eyed-for-2010

Naging mahina ang Comelec nitong mga nagdaang mga buwan sa mga isyung lumalabas. Paano naman kasi, wala pa ang panahon ng eleksyon. Naririnig lamang naman kasi ang departamentong ito kapag panahon na ng eleksyon—dahil sa mga anomalya at mga pangungutya dito. Ngayon, ninanais nila na habaan ang oras ng pagboto para naman mawalan na ng sangkatutak na mga pangungutya tungkol sa mga balota.

Maganda nga naman na pahabain nila ang oras ng pagboto para naman mabigyan din ng pagkakataon ang mga tao sa malalayong lugar na maabutan ng sinasabi nilang automated machines na binabalak nilang dalhin sa mga malalayong lugar isang buwan bago mag-eleksyon. Para sa akin, magiging matiwasay ang mga magiging resulta nito dahil mawawalan ng pagkakataon ang mga nandarayang pulitiko na makapangsuhol sa isang lugar dahil iisa lamang ang araw ng eleksyon. Maiiwasan din ang pandaraya dahil may mga automated machines na gagamitin para hindi na mapalitan ang nakasulat sa balota.

Kaso, kahit na mayroong mga ganitong mga automated machine, mahihirapan pa rin ang gobyerno kung paano nila masusugpo ang pandaraya kung mayroong kilala ang mga pulitikong kumakandidato sa eleksyon sa loob ng Comelec. Matatandaang ang ating Pangulo ang nagsilbing ehemplo nito dahil sa lumabas na “Hello Garci” scandal. Mahirap man itong burahin sa mga mamamayan ng mga Pilipinas, dapat tayo mismo ay maging edukado sa kung paano sugpuin ang mga pandarayang ito. Hindi lamang ang Comelec ang nananatiling responsable sa mga ganitong mga pandaraya, kung hindi tayong mga mamamayan ng bansang ito. Mayroon pa naman tayong dalawang taon para alamin kung sino ang dapat nating isipin na may magagawa sa ating bayan para hindi tayo magpadala sa kanilang mga tv ads habang sila ay nangangampanya.

World leaders vow fast action on crisis

Philippine Daily Inquirer 11/18/2008
Finally world leaders take action after the recent financial crisis struck the global economy. Everything here is picture perfect, all leaders of the G20, countries that lead the developing world, now vow to be vigilant in their handling of the world economy to ensure that the world economy shall never suffer from something like this again. One question though, why are they making the promise to work together now and be vigilant now that the crisis was over? I mean, I am no world leader or economist and I wont pretend to be one, but aren't world leaders supposed to be aware and alert about the world economy to begin with? Make no mistake I do applaud them for making this decision, but if they paid more closer attention to the economy as they promise us now then none of these problems would be here to begin with. The problem started in the United States and they are also the main contributors to this problem. Like my view on global warming I think that the U.S. should take more responsibility in making the world stable all over again. They should not just rely on emergin markets like China or Saudi Arabia, after all its their mess, what with all the short mortgage deals that they have been pulling, they should allocate more of their resources to the problems that they have caused for the entire world instead of Bush just going to some meeting for a photo op.

Abus free aid worker; ransom paid

source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081116-172467/Abus-free-aid-worker-ransom-paid



Abu Sayyaf ang hinihinalang nasa likod ng pagkakadakip kay Merlie “Milet” Mendoza. Bakit nga ba nila ito ginagawa? Ano ba ang kanilang motibo? Hindi ba’t malaki na ang takot ng mga Pilipino sa kanila sa tuwing nagkakaroon ng palitan ng putok ang mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf at ang mga militar?

Sa aking palagay, ginagawa nila ito para makakuha ng pera. Hindi naman kasi lahat ng mga Muslim na sumasali doon ay nagsasabi sa kani-kanilang pamilya na sasali sila sa ganoong samahan. Kaya ang ibang sumasali doon ay iniiwan ang trabahong pinasukan nila para mamundok. Sa bundok naman kasi,walang pagkain at malamang, tipid parin ang mga miyembro ng samahang iyon para hindi sila matiktikan ng mga military na naka-abang para hulihin sila.

Sa aking opinyon, ang kanilang motibo ay para mapansin sila dahil hindi naman sila binibigyang pansin ng gobyerno. Pero marahil, ang gobyerno ay may dahilan kung bakit hindi nila pinapansin ang mga kagustuhan ng Abu Sayyaf. Sa tingin ko, ang gobyerno ay hindi naniniwala sa mga gusto ng Abu Sayyaf. Paano naman kasi tatawaging Pilipinas an gating bansa kung gusto nilang ihiwalay ang kanilang sarili sa ating bansa para sila ay maging “malaya”? Para sa akin, sila lamang ang nag-iisip na hindi sila malaya dahil ang mga Katoliko ay nirerespeto ang mga Muslim at malamang, gusto rin ng mga Katoliko na galangin sila ng mga Muslim. Kaya siguro ang mga Katoliko ay nagtataka kung bakit sila ang parating puntirya ng mga bandidong ito.

Kung ano pa man ang rason ng kanilang samahan at motibo ng kanilang samahan, sana isipin parin nila na sila ay mga Pilipino parin. Hindi naman dapat nag-aaway ang mga Katoliko at mga Muslim sa ating bansa dahil tayo ay nagsasalita ng isang lenggwahe kaya hindi dapat natin iniisip ang paghahati sa Pilipinas. Kung ikaw ay isang Pilipino, magagalit ka ba sa mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf?

GMA clemency plea for OFWs not enough

source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20081115-172426/GMA-clemency-plea-for-OFWs-not-enough


Ang pagbibigay ng clemency para sa mga OFW—hindi ba ito ay isa sa mga paraan ng Pangulo para naman luminis ang kanyang pangalan? Sinabi nga niyang mayroon siyang ginagawa pero hindi naman natin nakikita ang kanyang pisikal na kaanyuang nakikipag-usap sa mga dapat kausapin sa ibang bansa. Bakit? Hindi ba’t malapit na ang eleksyon at kailangan na niyang magpaganda sa masang Pilipino? Maaaring sa Hunyo pa ito ng 2010 pero kailangan niya ang halos dalawang taon para lamang sa paglilinis ng kanyang pangalan.
Makikita natin sa mga resulta na nakalap ng Social Weather Station na talagang bumababa talaga ang ratings sa Pangulo. Malamang, siya ay nangangambang kakarampot lamang ang boboto sa kanya. Nasabi ko ito dahil mananatiling mulat sa mga isipan ng mga Pilipino kung paano siya nagmamakaawang humingi ng tawad sa buong sambayanan noong lumabas ang eskandalo na: “Hello Garci”. Maaaring may pananggagalingan siya kung bakit niya ginawa ang pandarayang ito ngunit hindi maiintindihan ng marami ang kanyang makasariling intensyon.
Gusto rin luminis ng Pangulo ang kanyang pangalan para naman hindi maging masama ang tingin sa kanya ng mga Pangulo ng ibang bansa dahil nakakahiya ito sa mga iyon. Sa kasalukuyan, maraming mga blogs at mga sulat sa dyaryo na gusto siya patalsikin sa kanyang kinauupuan pero nananatili siyang matatag at hindi nagpapatinag sa mga ito. Bakit? Marami kasi ang mga nakapaligid sa kanyang mga pulitiko na pinoprotektahan siya na kahit ano ang mangyari ay hindi siya hahayaang pabagsakin para manatili sila sa kani-kanilang mga puwesto.
Kung ikaw ang kamag-anak ng mga taong nasasakdal sa ibang bansa, aasa ka pa ba na magagawan ng paraan ng ating Pangulo ang sitwasyong iyon? Sa tingin mo, malinis ba ang kanyang hangarin sa pagtulong sa inyo? Kasi kung malinis talaga ang intensyon niya, napabilis na sana ang pag-usad ng kaso, hindi ba?

Bantay Bata 163 launched in Pangasinan

BOLINAO, Pangasinan - Bantay Bata 163 formally launched its services in Pangasinan this week. Like any other public service of ABS-CBN, Bantay Bata will cater to the needs of children who are physically and mentally abused.

The launch, in cooperation with the ABS-CBN Regional Network Group in Dagupan, the launch was successfully held in the towns of Bolinao, Lingayen and also in Dagupan City.

Bantay Bata 163 project coordinator Kate Untalan said their presence in Pangasinan could help lessen crimes committed involving children.

“Open ang hotline 24/7. Kung merong mga concern regarding child abuse, handa kaming sumuporta. Open din kami sa mga medical concerns ng mga bata na 0-12 years old.” Untalan added.

The Bantay Bata 163 office in Pangasinan is located at the ABS-CBN compound, AB Fernandez East in Dagupan.



For many years now, Bantay Bata has been helping children. When abused, abandoned or left without proper education, Bantay Bata does what they can to help give these children lives that other people took away from them.

Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN that not only saves and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides them with shelter and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or sent to child-caring agencies.

Bantay Bata emphasizes on the family through training and promotion of child abuse prevention, restoration of families in predicaments, educational scholarships, livelihood, neighborhood outreach and medical/dental missions.

It is good to know that the number of Bantay Bata agencies are increasing. With so many children living in unfortunate circumstances, Bantay Bata can only help so much. As more well-off people, we need to also do our part in enriching the lives of children living in adversity.

source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/public-service/11/08/08/bantay-bata-163-launched-pangasinan

Mouth bacteria give some wines, food a flavor boost

A bacteria that came from our mouth gives some of our wines, fruit and vegetables an aromatic flavor. Dr. Christian Starkenmann of Firmenich said that after taking a shot of wine, after 20-30 seconds, you can feel a powerful aromatic rush at the back of our mouth.

Other researchers had shown that the powerful aromatic that came from our mouth contain odorless sulfur compounds and the compounds that are released called thiols gave foods their scent.

this research could help develop food products more composite type of food. they also noted that this could produce bad breath and body odor.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/11/16/08/mouth-bacteria-give-some-wines-food-flavor-boost

Boy hurt in Manila shooting

MANILA, Philippines—A 13-year-old boy was injured early Sunday evening after he found himself in the middle of a pursuit between a gunman and his intended prey in Manila.

The victim, whose name is withheld on account of his minor age, of Parola Compound in Tondo, is still undergoing treatment at the Mary Johnston Hospital for a bullet wound in the thigh.

Reports from the Manila Police District Moriones, Tondo police station 2 revealed that the incident happened at around 6:10 p.m., Sunday, at the Gate 5 of the Parola Compound.

The boy was hanging out near the gate when a man ran past him. It was too late for him to duck for cover when the he saw the man's pursuer, who was firing his handgun indiscriminately.

One of the bullets hit the boy in the thigh while the two men continued their chase. Concerned bystanders immediately brought the victim to the nearest hospital.

Police investigators have not determined the caliber of the gun used and are still in the process of identifying the shooter.

It upsets me to know that we cannot walk the streets at night (or even just right after sunset) feeling safe and without the assurance that we'll get to our destinations unharmed. In a world full of violence, parents try their best to keep their children from seeing such sights, much less being involved in one.

What's more upsetting is that these two men didn't keep their arguments to themselves. They weren't even considerate enough that they could harm other people. And when one of their shots hit the 13-year old boy, they did not even bother to stop and help the child, or at least call for help. It is so immature of them to continue with their bickering even when they know that someone was already harmed by their actions. I do hope that this child be given justice.

It's fortunate that there were kind-hearted bystanders who took the boy to the hospital to get proper care. This just goes to show that for every bad, there is still good to be found.

source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20081117-172730/Boy-hurt-in-Manila-shooting

House to continue fertilizer probe

Article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20081117-172738/House-to-continue-fertilizer-probe

The Bolante case, will it be successful? Or will it just end like unsolved? Personally I think that they won’t be able to really end this case professionally. Meaning, they won’t have the real answers to who is the mastermind of it. Why? Because these senators are really unprepared hearing all those hearings made conclude to this. Just like the case of Jun Lozada it ended like nothing. They weren’t able to pin President Arroyo or whoever did that to him. So I think this case the Bolante case it will just result to an unsuccessful one. They are just wasting their time and effort on having all those hearings if in the end they won’t have a choice but to set Bolante free due to lack of evidence.

For me, the senators did not research well; they don’t have enough empirical evidence or witnesses to pin Bolante down. They should have done their job because this case is something that will include the administration; they should be ready to show them the evidences that indeed they corrupted the money.

It is really sad that each day of our life we have to deal with such dishonesty and corruption around us. I just wish that someday this country will have an honest and responsible government. So that its people won’t have to suffer while other get all the luxury.