MikeLigalig.com

Brad and Angelina's family.

"hulog da krab .."

http://www.youtube.com/v/wzjUhntpWVA&hl=en

Apil na mga Andahanons sa atong website.

http://andabohol.ning.com/

Angelina Jolie has confirmed via Access Hollywood interviewed today in Cannes that she is expecting twins. 

Jolie-Pitt photos war bidding for upcoming Jolie-Pitt twins starts now.  Remember their biological child, Shiloh first photo racked up several millions for the Jolie-Pitt clan.  My prediction: 10 Millions, 5 millions for each child.  Hopefully they will donate this to their favorate charities just like they did for Shiloh's first photos. 

Congratulations to Jolie-Pitt family.

Cebu Pacific offers airline seats for 'free' in newest promo
05/14/2008 | 03:22 PM

MANILA, Philippines- Budget airline Cebu Pacific will be offering more than 500,000 domestic and international seats for "free" in its biggest seat sale ever, the company announced Wednesday.

In a statement, the airline unit of JG Summit Holdings Inc. said it allocated more than 100,000 seats for its international routes that include: Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Taipei, Shanghai, Singapore and Xiamen.

More than 400,000 seats have been allocated for all of its domestic routes.

Passengers will only pay the taxes and fuel and insurance surcharges, which are
non-refundable.

“This is our biggest seat sale to date and is another milestone set by Cebu Pacific in Philippine aviation history. We believe this offering will further stimulate domestic and international travel amid rising fuel costs," said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and product.

The promotional seat sale will run from May 15 to 18, 2008 or until the allocated seats are sold out. The seat sale is valid for travel from June 9 to December 31 this year. - GMANews.TV

The best thing in life is when your daughter/son gives you a handmade card on Mother's Day with a handwritten message saying: "you are the best Mom ever".

This card is from my daughter, Kailey.  She served me breakfast this morning in bed.



Happy Mother's Day.

Why did the chicken manok crossed the street?

Looking for fun things to do in Anda?

Here's one: Try visiting the Mahogany Drive Videoke Bar located in Sawang, Anda, Bohol.
You can sing your heart out with their videoke sing-a-long machine and drink cold beer or Pepsi.

Friendly hostess.
Fresh air.
Cold drinks.
Cleanliness.

Mahogany Drive Videoke Bar
Poblacion, Anda, Bohol
Tel No. 0910-810-5387

Philippines bans kidneys for foreigners


Ban is intended to protect poor Filipinos from exploitation

China and Pakistan have taken steps to outlaw the sale of human organs

Local TV networks have shown men in slums bearing kidney surgery scars
     
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Foreigners will be permanently banned from receiving kidneys for transplant in the Philippines to prevent the country from becoming a major Asian center in a thriving black market, health officials announced Tuesday.


Health Secretary Francisco Duque expounds on the new law against kidney transplants for foreigners.

Extensive kidney trading involving impoverished Filipinos and prisoners -- who sell their organs for paltry sums to syndicates catering mostly to foreign clients -- has been reported by the local media in recent years. A temporary ban on kidney transplants involving foreigners was recently imposed.

China and Pakistan, among the world's biggest sources of kidneys, have taken steps to outlaw the sale of human organs, and desperate foreigners may be prompted to increasingly turn to the Philippines for kidneys, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

"The poor always end up as the ones being abused," he said, adding kidney transplants for foreigners have risen in recent years. "The sale of one's body parts is condemnable and ethically improper. We have to stop it."

The sale of organs is illegal in the Philippines. The ban -- intended to protect poor Filipinos from exploitation -- will prohibit foreigners from getting donated kidneys unless they can prove a donor is related to them by blood, Duque said.

He said the ban was endorsed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and will take effect in about three weeks. Kidney donations among Filipinos will continue but will be strictly monitored by a new regulatory body, he said.

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said at least 500 kidney transplants involving foreign patients were conducted last year in the Philippines.

The kidney trade, often in the guise of donations, has long thrived in the country in secrecy, fostered by syndicates that lure the poor to sell their kidneys to foreigners, mostly from Japan, Europe and the Middle East, officials say.

Local TV networks have shown footage of Manila slums where virtually all men bore kidney surgery scars after selling their kidneys for about $4,760 each.

Cabral has said a permanent ban on kidney transplants for foreigners can help authorities more easily eradicate the thriving black market.

She said 109 poor villagers in three townships southeast of Manila sold their kidneys to Israelis and other Middle Eastern visitors last year.

Many Philippine donors have developed ailments such as urinary tract infections and high blood pressure linked to the transplants because of a lack of post-operation care, Cabral said.

Source:  www.cnn.com

John Berthelsen     
27 April 2008 

With the Philippines buying rice and Indonesian smugglers willing to sell, price disparities are threatening budgets and destabilizing politics

The Philippines’ massive purchases of rice at sharply increased prices from its neighbors are creating a fast-buck opportunity for traders in Indonesia, where prices are controlled, to smuggle the commodity out through Singapore for eventual sale in the Philippines.

Rice in government-controlled storage in Indonesia sells for US$436.80 per tonne at a time when the Philippine government and rice traders are offering up to US$1,000 per tonne in Vietnam and Thailand.  The skyrocketing rice price and the attendant smuggling opportunities are generating political concerns in both countries, with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week ordering government officials to prevent rice smuggling to other countries.

A top political source in Jakarta last week said the government is increasingly worried that rising rice prices and potential shortages could cause political unrest. “This is rice, and that means trouble if it goes wrong,” said the source. Yudhoyono has also sent a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging him to take measures to ease speculation in commodity markets. 

Meanwhile, in Manila, Senator Loren Legarda earlier warned of the possibility of social unrest and political instability for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s already shaky government, which has endured a continuing series of coup attempts and impeachment moves fuelled by corruption scandals.  Both countries are facing rising deficits on the amount of funds they must pour into adjusting subsidies to control rice prices.  The Philippine National Food Authority said it could post a loss of as much as US$1 billion for 2008, compared to a US$762.1 million deficit last year.

After steady gains against the US dollar that made it the world’s second-best performing currency, the peso fell by 3.1 percent in March before stabilizing; the Indonesian rupiah fell 1.1 percent in the same period as both governments began bracing for budget deficits. Arroyo said earlier this month that the Philippines likely wouldn’t meet its goal of balancing its fiscal budget in the current year.

Still, it is debatable how real the global rice shortage actually is. Much of it is due to a complex set of factors, including hoarding, speculation and decisions by some rice-exporting nations, notably Vietnam and India, both of which have announced different forms of export restrictions to protect domestic consumers. Exporters appear to be holding onto stocks at a time when importers like the Philippines are desperate to bolster their stocks.  Hoarding â€" including by growers and traders in the Philippines itself â€" has added to the problems.

Some of the broader food price dilemma has been laid at the door of the United States and the European Union for promoting corn-based ethanol production, which caused the US, for instance, to divert massive amounts of land previously planted in soyabeans into subsidized corn for ethanol.  Some 30 percent of the US’s corn crop is expected to be diverted to ethanol in 2009.  France’s agriculture minister, Michel Barnier, told the Financial Times last week that “it is the Americans’ biofuel targets that are destabilizing the world” as other crops rise in price to fill the need.  The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization disputes that reasoning, saying biofuels are responsible for about 10 percent of the rise in food prices.

But it is the Philippines, where the so-called miracle rice that raised yields across the region was developed at the International Rice Research Institute in the 1960s, that has earned everybody’s notice.  Two books, both asking why the Philippines can’t grow more rice, have become popular reading.  It is common practice to blame the Philippine government for the domestic rice shortage, and there are reasons to do so.  The country’s infrastructure, after decades of neglect, is woefully inadequate for transport.  As much as 25 percent of rice is lost to insects, rats and other problems.

But according to an IRRI spokesman, the Philippines doesn’t do that bad a job growing rice.  Productivity is quite high, the spokesman said, with Filipino farmers producing 3.4 tonnes of rice per hectare as against Thai farmers, who produce only 2.4 tonnes per hectare.  And the quality is high.

“Although it is not widely known, Filipino farmers receive a much higher price for their palay (unhusked rice at harvest) than do farmers in neighboring countries,” according to the book, “Why does the Philippines Import Rice?” published by IRRI.  By and large, they live in better houses, and are more likely to have electricity, running water and hygienic toilets than other farmers. They hire the majority of labor that works their farms, spending about 18 days a year per person at the fundamental task of growing rice.

The Philippines’ problem boils down to land and people, the IRRI spokesman says.  They have too little of the former and too many of the latter.  The Philippines is an archipelagic nation of 7,105 islands, few of them with estuarine areas ideal for growing rice. As in much of Asia, the possibility of increasing planting areas is nearly exhausted. Yield increases have begun to slow as well. Added to that, the Philippines population is perhaps the fastest growing in the region and one of the fastest growing in the world. 

The country’s population has now topped 90 million, with three babies being born every minute, according to one estimate.  The population has doubled since the late 1970s and is expected to double again over the next 30 years unless family planning gets seriously underway.  Until the country can do something about that, which appears highly unlikely given the primacy of the Catholic Church, its rice shortages will continue no matter how fast its farmers increase productivity.

Source: www.asiasentinel.com

Cereal Mothers: Babies' Sex Linked to Moms' Breakfast Calories

British researchers say a new study shows that would-be moms who skip breakfast are more likely to have girls than boys
By David Biello

BABY BOY: A study of 740 first time mothers in Britain shows that whether moms eat breakfast cereal or not might determine whether their bundle of joy is a boy or a girl.
©JANI BRYSON/ISTOCKPHOTO
Want a son? Pack on the calories. Biologist Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter in England and her colleagues surveyed 740 first-time mothers on their pre-pregnancy eating habits and found that 56 percent of those on high-calorie diets had sons, compared with 45 percent of those on leaner menus.

But it wasn't only calories that contributed; specific foods also appear to play a role, say researchers. "Prior to pregnancy, breakfast cereal, but no other item, was strongly associated with infant sex," the researchers write in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "Women producing male infants consumed more breakfast cereal than those with female infants."

The reason is a mystery, but Mathews speculates that glucose may be key. This type of sugar, converted by the human body into energy, is a by-product of the breakdown of carbohydrates such as those in breakfast cereal. Women who do not eat breakfast tend to have low levels of glucose, and other studies have shown that glucose enhances the growth of male fetuses in vitro.

Matthews notes that low glucose levels may indicate to the body that food is scarce, signaling that it would be more prudent to produce a female fetus, which has been found to need less energy to grow. Scientists have also found that cows, deer and horses produce more male offspring when they have bountiful diets.

The researchers took into consideration variables such as the education, size, weight and age of the would-be moms. But there are other variables, such as temperature, hormone levels, and even frequency of sex, that may contribute. "It remains to be seen whether women with greater nutritional intakes, and higher frequency of breakfast cereal consumption, prior to conception are also those with more active sex lives," the researchers write.

But the finding may explain a persistent and puzzling drop in the ratio of male to female births in well-fed industrialized nations, a fact that Mathews ascribes to the decline in the proportion of women eating breakfast. She notes that the number of adolescent girls eating breakfast in the U.S. dropped from 85 to 65 percent between 1965 and 1991.

Such an intriguing finding will need to be replicated in other populations, such as those in developing nations who are chronically underfed, before any definitive conclusions are reached, according to biologist Virpi Lummaa of the University of Sheffield in England, who was not involved in this research but studies human evolution. Researchers in the future might also survey women about their diets (while their eating patterns are fresh on their minds) rather than postnatally in their quest to prove whether we are, indeed, what our mothers ate.

Source:  www.sciam.com

Judge orders Philippines company to pay $100M for fraud
By RYAN J. FOLEY â€" 2 days ago

MADISON, Wis. (AP) â€" A federal judge on Thursday ordered a Philippines company to pay back $100 million it swindled from the U.S. military's health insurance program.

Health Visions Corp., which pleaded guilty to mail fraud, was ordered to liquidate all assets within 10 months and give the proceeds to the U.S. government.

Federal prosecutors say the company bilked the military's Tricare program out of $99.9 million between 1998 and 2004. The program insures 9.2 million current and retired servicemen and dependents worldwide.

The company routinely inflated claims by more than 230 percent, operated a phony insurance program and billed for medical services never delivered, court records showed, and the Pentagon moved slowly to uncover the scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Jarosz described Health Visions as the biggest violator yet in a long-running investigation into Tricare fraud in the Philippines.

"This is basically a death sentence for the company. It will no longer exist and that will protect the Tricare program since it was the biggest violator," he said after the hearing. "We got what we needed out of this prosecution."

The United States closed its military bases in the Philippines in 1992 and withdrew its active-duty forces, but thousands of retirees remained.

Formed in 1997, Health Visions owned and operated hospitals and clinics in the Philippines and billed Tricare on behalf of other health care providers.

On top of the $99.9 million in restitution, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ordered the company to forfeit an additional $910,000 and pay a $500,000 fine.

Health Visions will be required to sell off land, office buildings and hospitals in the Philippines and an airplane and houses in the U.S. under Crabb's order. The company has run into problems selling hospitals because of ownership disputes, and Jarosz said it was uncertain whether the U.S. government would ever recover the full amount.

The company's lawyer, Christopher Kelly, declined to comment. He told Crabb he had nothing to add beyond a plea agreement, which was unsealed on Thursday.

Health Visions and its former president, Thomas Lutz, were hit with a 75-count indictment in 2005.

Lutz, a U.S. citizen who turned 41 on Thursday, has pleaded guilty to his role in a kickback scheme and could face up to five years in prison when he is sentenced. A date for that hearing will be scheduled shortly now that the company has been sentenced, Jarosz said.

The case has been an embarrassment to the Pentagon, where different branches have blamed one another for allowing the company's fraud to slip through the cracks.

The fraud was so extensive that claims from the Philippines increased by 2,000 percent between 1998 and 2003 even as the number of Tricare beneficiaries remained the same. Payments to the country went up from less than $3 million to more than $60 million during that time.

The Office of Inspector General has criticized Tricare's managers for waiting years to cut off payments to Health Visions after suspecting the company of fraud.

William Winkenwerder, former assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said Thursday that the inspector general's office was partly to blame because it refused his requests to send additional investigators to the country. He said he worked hard to stop the problems after they came to his attention in 2003.

Asked how the company was able to defraud the program of $100 million, Winkenwerder said: "There were some very deceptive practices that were occurring. The fact that this was a faraway location did add to the challenge of uncovering problems. And they didn't get away with it ultimately, which is the good news."

The investigation has been handled by prosecutors in Wisconsin because WPS Health Insurance, a Madison company, is the subcontractor that handles most overseas claims. About three dozen others have been indicted, mostly U.S. military veterans and Philippine doctors.

Source:  www.google.com

Improvement in Anda.

Photos are ©Margie Mills

In 2007, ongoing construction in Anda, to improve water flow to the locals. Nahoman na gyud. Andahanons, maayo naba ang agas sa tubig?

Tubag ...

Promoting Anda's businesses.

Tindahan ni Manang (no relation to me) dapit ila Simsay.

All photos are ©Margie Mills



Business Statement

Savvy! She knows the meaning of "business" in Anda. This sign hanged by a rope in front of her store.

I am sadden by the news of our Ex-President (1986 to 1992) Corazon "Cory" Aquino is suffering from Colon Cancer according to Kris Aquino, Cory's daughter.

I wishes her a speed recovery! 

Story link:  http://news.aol.com/story/_a/philippine-ex-president-aquino-ailing/20080324064009990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Mercado sa Anda, Bohol, Philippines.
Market Day:  Every Tuesday of the week only.

Photos are ©Margie Mills

Aquino and Estrada joints thousand of Filipinos rally against President Arroyo to step down.

Link to article from CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/01/philippines.rally.ap/index.html

Men, drink it straight up from the bottle.




Vino Viagro can be purchase inside the Island City Mall, Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines.

The beauty of nature right in our home town of Anda.


Low Tide

Kinale Beach in Anda. Dapit sa Kambilagan ni.

Let's keep it clean!

Sometimes a good buy is hard to find but if you're into Hoodies, well, Walmart is having a sale. Hurry!

Athletic Works - Men's Performance Contrast Pullover Hoodie for $4.99 (was $6.99), comes in three colors: red, green and silver.  Available online and in stock. Shipping cost: $.97.
See http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7693850 for details.

I never thought of green mangos from Virgin was so deliciously sweet.  I was wrong, indeed.

Never judge its book by its cover, well, this cover may not be appealing but it sure was delicious. 

Basketbolan sa Anda, Bohol, Philippines.

Simbahan sa Anda, Bohol, Philippines.




©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills


©Margie Mills

Bargain Hunters.

Are you looking for a bargains ... look no further.  For limited time offer you can shop at Steve & Barry's for fashion of Amanda Barnes, "bitten" by Sarah Jessica Parker, Starbury, Big Ben, sport's clothings such basketball shoes, name brand "Eleven" designed by the world famous tennis sister: Venus Williams and more.

Link:  http://www.steveandbarrys.com/

Hurry! it will end soon... everything* $8.98.

5 signs she’s into you
By Chelsea Kaplan

Let’s be honest: Sometimes it’s tough to tell if your date’s just being nice, or if she’s really into you. So if you need help sussing out your lady love’s true feelings, check out these pointers from Greg Hartley, former Army Special Forces interrogator and author of I Can Read You Like a Book: How to Spot the Messages and Emotions People Are Really Sending With Their Body Language. Who knew your date’s smile, complexion and even where she places her handbag can reveal whether she considers you friend or boyfriend material?

Five signs your date is into you…

1. She tilts her head
“When a woman sees and feels especially comfortable with a man, she will tilt her head,” Hartley says. A tilt in any direction â€" right, left or down â€" are all signs that she’s interested in getting to know you betterâ€"say, over another date.

2. She takes a sip when you take a sip
When a woman is drawn to a guy, she’ll instinctively mirror his actions, Hartley says. While men do this, too, women are more likely than men to first begin the copying. What should you look for? “You might notice she will shift her body in the same direction as yours or take your lead for behavior changes like picking up a glass to drink or blinking her eyes repeatedly if you’re doing so,” he suggests. If you want to test her, lean forward and see if she comes closer, too.

3. She twirls her hair
Since the beginning of time, a woman’s hair has been celebrated as a symbol of her sexuality (does the story of Samson and Delilah ring a bell?). And it’s true today, says Hartley: If your date begins twirling or playing with her hair while talking to you, it is a good sign she’s into you and subconsciously trying to attract you.

4. She gets a glow
While blushing often means embarrassment, don’t assume that her rosy cheeks are an indication of discomfort. When a woman is sexually aroused and attracted, blood flows not only to her nether regions, but also to her face, which causes her cheeks to get redder, Hartley explains. And if your date is smitten, he adds, her lips and even eyelids will get fuller, too, he says.

5. Her pupils dilate
While your gaze is fixed on her, pay particular attention to her pupils, advises Hartley. “When a woman is attracted to a man, her pupils will dilate,” he notes. “Essentially, the body does this in order to allow itself to take in more of a good thing.”

…and five signs your date is not into you

1. She crosses her arms
Did she assume the angry librarian stance? “When a woman on a date places her hands in front of her body â€" especially if they are crossed â€" she is closing herself off from the man,” Hartley notes. If you get this red flag, you don’t stand a chance… and she wants you to know it. “Men are not nearly as perceptive as women, so even if she’s not consciously aware of it, a woman knows her body language needs to be very loud,” Hartley explains. “In this instance, that body language reads loud and clear.”

2. She places her bag between your two
“When I ask male friends how a blind date went, step-by-step, and they say‘she put her bag on the table,’ I always know that’s a bad sign,” Hartley says. If your date places her purse â€" a real and physical barrier â€" between you two, she’s showing she wants to create distance, he says. Not a good sign.

3. She speaks faster than an auctioneer
So she seems to love talking to you? Before you break open the bubbly, note the speed of her small talk. “Romantic conversation does not occur at the same speed as business conversation,” Hartley says. “Conversation between two people who are attracted typically slows to about three-quarter speed and softens. In fact, most emotional conversation â€" with the exception of very hostile conversation â€" is at a slowed cadence.” That said, she may be nervous early in your first date, and her nerves can cause her to spit her sentences out rapid-fire. But if by the end of the evening she’s still going at a rapid rate, consider it a clue that she just wants to be friends at best.

4. She offers you a chin-up smile
Though it’s tempting to interpret any old smile as a sign of interest, all smiles are not created equal. Smiles can say a lotâ€" “I’m polite,” “I’m crazy about you,” and, believe it or not, “I can’t stand you.” The secret to decoding what her smile really means? It’s all in the chin placement. A woman who gives you a relaxed, chin-down “soft smile” is smitten and wants you to dig her back, Hartley explains. A full-on toothpaste grin or stiff and polite smile â€" both of which generally involve the chin raised up â€" mean either “I like you as a friend” or “I wanna get out of here!”

5. She strokes her neck
If your date’s telling you she agrees that you should get together again, that’s a good sign, right? Maybe, says Hartley. “Her body language may be the key to the real truth,” he says. “If a woman is gently stroking her neck when telling you this, it may be a sign that she’s interested, but it is also known to be a sign of lying.” To figuring out which message she’s sending, consider the aforementioned “she’s not into you” signals. If she’s also giving you the raised-chin smile and speaking to you over a giant purse, you may want to move on to your next prospect.

Chelsea Kaplan is deputy editor of www.thefamilygroove.com and regularly appears as a guest on XM Radio’s “Broadminded.” Her blog, “I’m Somebody’s Mother?” can be found at www.chelseakaplan.com. For the other side of this story, read 5 signs he’s into you.

source: msn.com

The truth will come out!

SEOUL (Reuters) - Valentines Day in South Korea means chocolates, romantic dinners and a high-tech mobile phone device that can secretly check the passion in the voice of a lover.

The "Love Detector" service from mobile operator KTF uses technology that is supposed to analyze voice patterns to see if a lover is speaking honestly and with affection.

"We created this service because we thought people would want to know what others were feeling about them," said Ahn Hee-jung, a KTF official.

Users who speak by pointing their mobile phones at themselves for video conferences can see a "love meter" bar on the screen of their handset during a conversation.

They later receive an analysis of the conversation delivered through text message that breaks down the amount of affection, surprise, concentration and honesty of the other speaker.

The service costs subscribers a flat fee of 1,500 won ($1.59) a month for unlimited use or can be accessed at 300 won for each call, KTF said.

"The caller is paying the money, so the information is provided only to him or her," said Ahn.

(Reporting by Lee Jiyeon; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by David Fogarty)

Is there an ending to this bloodbath?!!  Enough already, Mr. President!


NEW YORK - The U.S. military said five soldiers were killed Friday in two separate incidents in Iraq.

Four soldiers died when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while the troops were on a combat patrol northwest of Baghdad, the military said.

In violence near Tikrit, another soldier and killed and three others wounded in an explosion near their vehicle as thy carried out operations in Tamim province, the military said in a statement.

The wounded soldiers were transported to a coalition medical facility for treatment.

No other information on the attacks was immediately released, and names of the casualties were being withheld pending family notification.

Source:  Yahoo! News

[Made YOU look!!!

Here's the real heading:


"Half of U.K. men would swap sex for 50-inch TV" Survey found that only a third of women would make the same trade.

For other men, please don't drink England's water.  That's right, I'm blaming it on their water ..yeah, that's it, water!

Here's the complete article:
Half of U.K. men would swap sex for 50-inch TV
Survey found that only a third of women would make the same trade
Electrical retailer Comet surveyed 2,000 British men, asking if they'd be willing to swap sex for six months in exchange for a 50-inch plasma TV. While 47 percent of men said yes, only a third of women did.

LONDON - Nearly half of British men surveyed would give up sex for six months in return for a 50-inch plasma TV, a survey â€" perhaps unsurprisingly carried out for a firm selling televisions â€" said on Friday.

Electrical retailer Comet surveyed 2,000 Britons, asking them what they would give up for a large television, one of the latest consumer “must-haves.”

The firm found 47 percent of m
en would give up sex for half a year, compared to just over a third of women.

“It seems that size really does matter more for men than women,” the firm said.

A quarter of people said they would give up smoking, with roughly the same proportion willing to give up chocolate.


Source:  MSNBC.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will phase out incandescent bulbs by 2010 in favor of more energy-efficient fluorescent globes to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and household costs, the president said Tuesday.
 
Acknowledging similar moves in Canada and Australia, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called for a ban on incandescent bulbs.

"Like Australia, we should phase out incandescent lights by 2010," Arroyo said in her closing remarks at the Philippine Energy Summit.

The Asian Development Bank, a technical adviser at the summit, lauded the Philippine plan as a first in Asia. It said the most effective way to reduce the demand for electricity and greenhouse gases was to use energy more efficiently.

The bank "will support and encourage other developing countries to follow the Government of Philippines' lead and make the switch to more energy-efficient products like compact fluorescent lamps," Thomas Crouch, deputy director general of ADB's Southeast Asia Department said in a statement.

The Manila-based development bank said it was considering extending a $30 million loan to the Philippines to help fund energy-efficiency programs, including projects for low-income families to mitigate the financial impact of changing from incandescent globes to the more expensive fluorescent alternative.

Fluorescent bulbs need just 20 percent of the electricity that incandescent bulbs use to produce the same amount of light. They also last six to ten times longer than the average incandescent bulb.

The Asian Development Bank said the switch would cut household lighting costs by as much as 80 percent and â€" because the amount of electricity used would be drastically lower â€" reduce the Philippines' annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2.2 million tons starting in 2010.

Three years ago, Cuban government workers went door to door in many neighborhoods replacing incandescent light bulbs with more-efficient alternatives to counter crippling energy blackouts across the island. The scheme inspired Venezuela to give away energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs.

Source:  Yahoo! News
             

In searched for Wii.

… Frantic searched for Wii before Christmas I called and spoke to my family and friends to keep their ears and eyes wide open for Wii.  My daughter and more so for me too, wanted a Wii game for Christmas.  Christmas Eve comes around with no Wii in site under my tree; I am now desperate to get one because it was the only gift I was to give to my 7 year old daughter.  Christmas Eve, at 10:30pm I had my immediate family circle to go out and shop around … with no luck. 

Then, I remember, my best friend who lives near by (we live in Arizona) went to California to be with her family for Christmas.  So I called her and ask if all her nieces and nephews can get their hands on Wii to purchase.  Luckily, one nephew’s good friend is the manager for Best Buy, an electronic store, had one reserved for him to buy, was nice enough to give it up for my daughter. 

We received our Wii two days later … and until today we still keep on playing the game. 

Apparently, I was not the only one who was searching for Wii game for Christmas.  Continue reading below, a column I read from Kristin Kalning, Game Editor for MSNBC.



Readers respond: How to catch a Wii

Some of you were persistent. Some of you were lucky. Some just gave up

By Kristin Kalning
Games editor
MSNBC
updated 3:28 p.m. MT, Thurs., Jan. 24, 2008

Some of you will go to great lengths to catch a Wii.

In response to my last column, I received hundreds of e-mails from readers eager to share Wii-hunting stories. Some of you stood outside big-box stores in the pre-dawn hours. Some of you called retailers every day for months, checking on shipments. Some of you got lucky. And some of you gave up.

“I tried to buy a Wii for my three nephews, Couldn’t, so I bought them a PS3,” wrote Bob Lobsiger, of Omaha, Neb  “Cost me double. Wii’s loss, Sony’s gain. Stupid on the part of Nintendo. There should have been ample Wiis for the holidays.”

Russ Fleenor, of Roanoke, Va., doesn’t buy that there was a shortage at all. “I finally realized that the entire holiday Wii shortage was a manufactured marketing ploy on Nintendo's part,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I bought my sons an Xbox 360 and a PS3. I will not buy a Wii.”

Some of you had an inside track, like Jan Burke. “I scored a Wii on Christmas Eve, but only because my daughter works for Best Buy and called me to let me know they had gotten some in.”

One reader found that it paid to go right to the source. “I was recovering from surgery in February and wanted one to aid in slowly increasing my level of activity and my recovery and could not find one anywhere,” wrote Gayle Topolinicki of Pine Island, Minn.

“I finally emailed Nintendo, explaining and asking for suggestions on where to get a Wii. Nintendo  called me several days later, said they wanted to help and sold me a Wii over the telephone. It arrived three days later! God bless Nintendo!”

Ed Deleon, of Ontario, Canada, got no help from Nintendo â€" but he did snag a Wii. Deleon and several dozen hardy folks lined up outside a store at 4:00 a.m. on Dec. 14. And by the time the store opened, he’d met everyone in line â€" and procured a coveted console.

Deleon managed to keep a sense of humor about his adventure. “Breakfast at McDonald’s: $8.00. One Nintendo Wii: $269.99. Waiting in line to get the Wii for five hours in sub-zero temperatures … priceless,” he wrote in an e-mail. “There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else, Santa gets the credit!”

Alisha Perry, of Las Vegas, said that she started looking in October for a Wii â€" and had to call about 80 stores to find one.

“I found it at Target and the operator who answered the phone when I called said, ‘We had four left this morning, get here now.’ So I dropped everything and went as quickly as possible; when I arrived they had two left!” she wrote. “I realize that they are very hard to find but I believe if you are persistent and patient enough, you will get one!”

It doesn’t hurt if you’re halfway around the world, either. Tiffiny Kaszuba, of Omaha, wrote that she had given up finding a Wii â€" but her husband, a Navy reservist stationed in Iraq, managed to find one.

“Today my husband calls me from Falluja  … they had eight Wiis in their PX for $249 and no tax,” she said. “He has to mail it home still. So I hope the post office doesn't lose it.”

Many of you attributed your Wii wins to good luck â€" and good timing. Anthony Lower, a reader from Philadelphia, had given up his 6-month search, which included haunting local stores and monitoring the Wii-inventory sites. Right after Thanksgiving, his luck changed.

“While in the store, I browsed my way to the back of the store and heard an overhead announcement ‘Would the customer who is buying the Nintendo Wii, please come to customer service.’  I was off like a shot, jumping over grandmas examining towels and dodging guys trying out weight machines,” he wrote in an e-mail.

When he found out the store had five machines left, Lower says he “pushed away the evil capitalistic instinct to buy all five and put them on e-Bay (and thereby making the situation I endured worse for others), and just bought the one.”

Speaking of evil capitalistic urges, Amy Cummins had strong words for profiteering Wii-sellers: “I just hope there's some sort of Christmas karma that comes back to haunt all of those people who were selling Wiis at twice their retail price on eBay,” she wrote in an e-mail.

But a few readers chose to ignore any Grinchy urges, like Todd Cone. He was in his local Target, shopping for nothing in particular, when he saw one Wii on the shelf.

“I examined the box through the glass, but, having never even seen a Wii before, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. I asked the clerk ‘Is that a Wii?’ Immediately, everyone near me almost got whiplash they turned so fast,” he wrote in an e-mail.

But Cone didn’t keep the Wii for himself. “I called a very good friend who had been frantically looking for a Wii for her 8-year-old son. Despite efforts to dissuade him, a Wii was the only present he wanted from Santa,” he wrote. “I invited her to lunch the next day and presented her with the Wii. She broke down and cried.”

Tight budget is the key to overseas travel with U.S. Dollars on a decline assessment value.  According to Forex exchange rate for today is P40.723000 = US$ 1.00 as of 6:00 pm Jan. 16, 2008. 

MANILA, Philippines - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has downgraded Philippine airline operations and put them under heightened scrutiny because of their inadequate safety standards, the U.S. Embassy said Tuesday.

The decision gives the Philippines a Category 2 rating along with countries such as Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia. It means Philippine carriers can continue flying to the U.S. but only "under heightened FAA surveillance," the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy also advised Americans flying to and from the Philippines to use carriers from countries whose civil aviation authorities meet international standards.

Only one of the country's carriers, Philippine Airlines, currently flies to the U.S. FAA rules stipulate that airlines from the Philippines cannot expand services to the United States under a Category 2 rating.

The FAA informed the Philippine government it has "serious concerns" about the oversight of Philippine air operations, which it said did not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.

A spokesman for the Philippine Transport Department, Thompson Lantion, did not dispute the downgrade and said his department would conduct an in-house investigation to determine the shortcomings and fix them.

He said it the Philippine Congress must pass proposed legislation to create a Civil Aviation Authority to help modernize the country's system, and must secure more funds for safety and aircraft maintenance.

Both houses of the Philippine Congress have already approved the bill, but it still needs to be ratified in a joint session and signed by the president.

The head of the Air Transportation Office, Daniel Dimagiba, told the Business Mirror newspaper that his annual budget of $32 million was spent mostly on salaries and operating expenses. He said the office would need at least another $24 million to upgrade navigational equipment and communications â€" money that would become available when the CAA is set up.

On its Web site, the FAA says the Category 2 rating means the country lacks laws or regulations needed for the certification and oversight of airlines under minimum international standards.

Philippine Airlines President Jaime Bautista said the downgrade dampened hopes of increasing its 33 flights a week to the U.S. Also affected will be the delivery of six new Boeing 777-300ER airplanes ordered by the airline, he said.

He said the FAA rating does not reflect on the airline itself, but is an assessment of the government's compliance with international safety rules.

Source:  Yahoo! News
By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, Associated Press Writer

Can this be true?

Kris Aquino


Susan Roces


Maui Taylor


Jonalyn Viray
Winner of Pinoy Pop Superstar


Regine Velasquez

Conde Nast Traveler picks Palawan
The Manila Times

Palawan was voted as the tourist destination with the Best Beaches in Asia by American magazine Conde Nast Traveler in its Great Asian Beach Finder review. In addition to underwater rivers and impressive coral formations, the province was cited for its powdery beaches, charming coves and interesting islets.

Conde Nast Traveler is one of the pioneering and most respected tourism publications in the world, catering to high-end luxury tourists and adventure seekers.

“Palawan is undoubtedly one of the Philippines’ prized jewels. This achievement validates the collaborative efforts of the department, the local government and the private sector in preserving and promoting the country’s nature attractions,” said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, when he learned about the good news.

For Conde Nast Traveler, the beaches of Palawan bested other first-rate destinations in the Asian region including Beach No. 7 on Havelock Island, India; the Nihiwatu Beach in Indonesia; and the Laem Tong Bay in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, which was made famous by the Hollywood movie The Beach when it was picked as the principal location for the film. Palawan also bested the shores of Baa, North Ari and North Male Atolls in Maldives.

Among the Palawan attractions cited was the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, located southeast of Puerto Princesa. The ecosystem is made up of two atolls that lie on a line of extinct underwater volcanoes and is a sanctuary for marine life. The publication also noted the St. Paul Subterranean River, which boasts of nature-made limestone sculptures. Both the reef and the underground river are listed under the World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

Conde Nast Traveler further explored the wonders of the Miniloc Island Resort and the world-famous private resort of Amanpulo.

Source:  Yehey.com

Holiday style
By: Dinna Chan Vasquez | Manila Standard

This season, it’s all about smart, stylish and party-ready outfits.

Shangri-La Plaza unveiled its holiday silhouettes in a fashion show directed by Jackie Aquino and featuring over 20 Philippine and international brands.

For day, the look is full of attitude with skinny dark jeans, wide-legged trousers, belted skirts, short shifts, jackets and pullovers and crisp shirts.

For night, it’s all about dazzle and shine.

Ben Sherman showed a bold palette of red and blue jackets worn over crisp shirts while Memo presented a collection of ensembles perfect for corporate day wear and company parties.

For Gas, Diesel, Esprit, Marithe Francois Girbaud, Tough Jeansmith and 7 for All Mankind, it was about jeans in dark washes. There were lots of layers, long jackets, slim pants, hoodies and separates. Most of the casual clothes were in earth tones, blues and blacks but Esprit showed that it’s really a brand for the free spirit with checks and strips not only on the garments but even on the accessories.

Marks and Spencer presented smart separates like skirts, culoottes and sweaters for a timeless look.

Smart suits for men was Bergamo’s fashion statements. The suits were worn with scarves. Jackets were longer while trench coats were belted.

Fun brand T-Box showed travel-perfect crinkled fabrics in lots of textures and wonderful color combinations such as red and teal and brown and turquoise.

Fashionista favorite Zara was very European with blacks, whites and silvers. The Spanish brand had its own take on the equestrian look with trousers tucked into knee-high boots. Opaque tights were worn with dresses and patent leather heels.

Paul Smith made a sartorial statement with pinstripes. The silhouette was slim from the sleeveless tops and vests to the polo dresses.

Rustan’s celebrated femininity in the colors gold, white and black with ruffles, ribbons and lace from Culte Femme, Red and Luna.

Mico by Mia Urquico presented long taffeta skirts in jewel tones worn with crisp black blouses.

Felicity had gowns in different shades of blue worn with the brand’s dazzling charms and tickets.

It was classic and preppy looks at Debenham’s, which wowed the crowd with a silver mini while Daniel Hechter had bonnets and scarves for men in grays, blues, russets and browns-perfect for the chilly weather.

K & Co. paid homage to the East with short shifts in rich fabrics. The dresses had big bow accents and were worn with long scarves.

Celine dedicated its collection to the cocktail hour with fun dresses in silver, black and brown while The Ramp at Crossings showed outfits in jewel tones with metallic accents.

British India stayed true to its signature boho look with drawstring pants and exquisite long skirts.

For accessories, it was all about smart heels for women square-toed dress shoes hip and trainers for men from Cole Haan, Pazzion and Ecco.

Bags were big, roomy and definitely not cloudy. Kate Spade had totes in red and brown while Lancel showed details like chains. It was also big at Fino Leatherware with bags in different colors such as red, black, beige, green and brown. La’ Bagagerie shoved smart carry-ons that would be perfect for that weekend getaway.

Ama Pashinira’s signature shawls had details like tassels and fringes. The brand also presented smart capes that would look great with jeans and trousers on chilly nights.

The different collections showed that there are really no rules when it comes to dressing up. One could only wish for colder weather to be able to wear Tough Jeansmith’s Eskimo-inspired hoodies with fur trim or Ben Sherman’s slim and sexy jackets.

The collections captured the vibe of urban chic and showed us that the holidays are, after all, about celebrations.

Source:  Yehey.com

Exotic Filipina's point of view: Relationship with a Foreigner
By: C. Louise Sienes

If you asked me years ago exactly what I thought about relationships between a Filipina and a foreigner I probably would have given a different answer. And you probably wouldn't have liked what I had to say. Now, it can be told and I must admit that, yes, once upon a time in my life, I had frowned upon such relationships and found myself thinking that I couldn't possibly get into something like that. And, if I did, I'd have to be either desperate or simply out of my mind.

Not because I had been harboring anti-foreigner feelings. It wasn't that. Race has never been an issue and never will be an issue for me. I just never entertained the possibility of getting involved with a foreigner -- much less envisioned it would happen to me. Why not? For the simple reason that I wasn't in the market for a man. I wasn't even looking, believing love would come at the right time and not something that is actively sought after or relentlessly pursued.

Of course, for someone who considers herself old-fashioned and a true-blue romantic, for me, love had to come with all the fancy trimmings -- magic in the air and the unexplainable rush of emotions running riot in the heart, sending the senses reeling. I guess, for me, love has to be an important ingredient in a relationship because I had never been the kind who would get into a relationship all for the sake of having one. There'd be no point in getting involved with someone or even marrying if not for love.

But, besides this and the fact that I'd been riding high on the wings of a dream and basically trying to carve my own career path, one of the biggest reasons why I shunned the idea of inter-racial relationships was the usual impression or public perception or even stigma attached to exotic Filipinas involved with foreign men.

And the stigma? That Filipinas involved with or marrying foreigners are only after one thing -- greener pastures in the good old US of A or any western country! Thus formed the basis for long-standing jokes about what to look for in a future partner: someone who has the "4 M factors" or Matandang Mayaman, Madaling Mamatay (Old, Rich, and Soon to die). If not that, then someone who has "CAR-acter & PESO-nality". So, why should every Filipina who has what it takes to make it in life want to become the object of such unpleasant public perception? No way, I thought. Not me. No, Sir. Not me. Never.

But life is full of surprises. More often than not, things just have a way of showing up in your life when you least expect them and the next thing you know, WHAM! You've just been hit between the eyes. Which was exactly what happened to me a few years ago. I hadn't really sworn off men then but I didn't exactly relish the thought of finding one via an online "friend-finder" club. I thought it was cheap. Forgive me, but that was how I felt THEN.

Friends thought I was too serious with life and was "all work and no play". So, after all of their efforts were met by my usual "WHEN-I'M-GOOD-AND-READY-I'LL-ASK-YOU-TO-FIND-ME-A-MAN" retort for several
torturing months, I finally surrendered in exasperation just so they'd stop pestering me about it.

To make the long story short, I found love when I wasn't looking for it, from the last place on earth I'd thought of finding it, and with someone I never dreamed I'd find it with -- a foreigner. Of course, love didn't happen right then and there but the "connection" was instant. I had only met him and yet it felt as though I'd known him all my life. It was as if I'd been created for him, and he, for me and we were two souls fated to meet. It was...... destiny.

Then came the nagging thought of what people would say about "my destiny". What would my family say? What would my friends and colleagues think? That I was so desperate for a man I had resorted to acquiring one through the internet? That I was no different from those who went for relationships or marriages of convenience?

But then I reminded myself that I already knew what the common perception was on exotic Filipina-foreigner dating even before I met my foreign boyfriend and so, no matter if I had no other reasons for getting involved with him other than that I truly loved him, the world would still choose to believe the worst. I told myself that as long as I'm happy and my conscience is clear, the whole world can believe whatever they want. I couldn't care less.

Source:  Yehey.com

Denim Glam
The Manila Times


Denims have gone a long way since it emerged during the California Gold Rush in the 1800s. Since that time, denims have partied with American GI’s during World War II, gained anti-establishment status in the 1960s and 1970s, and reached its peak in the 1980s when Brooke Shields declared that nothing came between her and her Calvin Klein’s.

While denims have long been associated with rugged dressing, we are now also seeing their glam side today at SM. In fact, wearing denims like its haute couture is the fashion statement of the 21st century. Think of ultimate party girl Paris Hilton in her itsy bitsy denim miniskirts, red-carpet stunner Cameron Diaz and her closet full of high-end denims. Here are some ways to glam it up with denims from SM:



Pure Jean-ious. There’s nothing like a well cut pair of jeans to make you stand out in the crowd. You’ll never go wrong with a flattering pair of boot cut jeans or flair cut jeans. For a sexier silhouette, go skinny-with a pair of ankle length or cropped skinny jeans.


Jacket Required. The denim jacket goes uptown when paired with luxe evening dresses in soft chiffon and shiny metallics.


Best of the West. Borrowed from the boys, the denim vest is a great way to layer any outfit. They’re great for the rock couture look of the season when paired with poufy or slim fitting tops.


Jumpstarting. Denim jumpers have gone a long way from the handyman’s wardrobe. Today’s jumpers are curve hugging, cropped and cuffed, and can walk the red carpet with a pair of sexy, strappy heel sandals.


Skirting the Issue. The denim skirt is a fashionista’s best friend because it’s stylish and comfortable. Pairing it with dressy tops and bling elements will make you look so polished you can take it out to dinner or a movie preem.


The Short Story. Go for the glitz and pair denim shorts with a sexy dramatic top and a pair of killer stilettos.

The collection is available at the Ladies Wear Department of all SM stores.

Source:  Yehey.com

Woman gets $500,000 in church abuse case
Victim was preyed on by Roman Catholic priests; had baby with one


updated 3:18 a.m. MT, Wed., Dec. 5, 2007

LOS ANGELES - A woman who was sexually abused by seven Roman Catholic priests and had a baby by one of them received a $500,000 settlement from America's largest archdiocese.

Rita Milla, now 46, first filed her case in 1984 after she says she was abused as a teenager by priests in the Los Angeles area. The payment was part of a $660 million global settlement the diocese reached collectively with past abuse victims.

"I'll never escape the memories and I'll always be fighting the after effects of the trauma I went through, but now I can work on healing," Milla said Tuesday at a news conference.

A state court found in 2003 that priest Valentine Tugade fathered Milla's daughter, now 25. And another priest, Santiago Tamayo, admitted he had sex with Milla and publicly apologized years before his death in 1999.

Diocese refused to comment
The diocese refused to comment on Milla's case, referring questions to a statement by Cardinal Roger Mahony. The whereabouts of the remaining priests were unclear.

"We will continue our long-standing efforts to protect children, prevent sexual abuse and the potential for abuse," Cardinal Roger Mahony said in a statement.

Milla has maintained that she was molested by Tamayo at a church in Carson when she was 16. After she turned 18, she says, she had sexual intercourse with Tamayo and he introduced her to six other priests who also abused her.

After she was impregnated in 1982 by Tugade at a Los Angeles-area church, Milla said, Tamayo suggested that she get an abortion, then devised a plan to send her to the Philippines to have the child.

Milla returned to California after giving birth to her daughter, Jacqueline, and pleaded with the archdiocese for help but was refused. On the day Milla sued 23 years ago, all seven of the accused priests disappeared from the their parish offices, said her attorney, Gloria Allred.

Went to Philippines
Tamayo later went to the Philippines. In 2004, Allred released documents showing the church urged Tamayo to stay in that country after Jacqueline's birth and mailed him checks.

In three letters, church officials advised him not to reveal the source of the payments "unless requested under oath," noting that he was "liable for personal suits arising out of your past actions."

Milla, now a medical assistant who lives in southern Los Angeles County, said that she has not spoken with Tugade since shortly after her return from the Philippines.

Tugade, who was last known to be living in Fremont in Northern California, never expressed interest in caring for the child, she said.

"He was disappointed actually that she wasn't a boy," Milla said.

While she once planned to become a nun, Milla no longer believes in God. She said she lost her faith because of the church's callousness.

"I thought that the church would make everything OK, that they would punish them," she said. "After the church showed me that they didn't care about what happened, I realized what they were really about, that they were more like a business.

"They have no fear of God."

Source:  msnbc.com

 

King of Bling

How a poor boy from London's East End became the most exclusive diamond merchant you've never heard of.
British billionaire Laurence Graff, the man jewelry business insiders call the new Harry Winston, swears this story is true: A woman and her husband walk into Graff's shop on London's swanky New Bond Street and ask to see the stunning diamond-and-ruby necklace in the window. It's the woman's birthday and hubby wants to buy her a bauble. At $2 million, however, he feels the price is too steep. Instead he offers $1 million and exits the store, giving the jeweler 24 hours to cash the check. Later that day the lady returns with a second man, her lover. He, too, admires the necklace but finds the price too high. Another $1 million check is written and left on Graff's desk. The dapper jeweler, ever discreet and always the consummate salesman, breathes no word of the birthday girl's earlier visit to his store. Later she returns once more to scoop up her present, and presumably tells each of her benefactors that he has gotten a bargain from the jeweler. Graff cashes both checks.

It has the flavor of a very tall tale. Why does Graff tell it? It adds to the mystique and drama that define his business, the upper tier of jewelry retailing. The 69-year-old Laurence Graff climbed from scrubbing toilets in a Hatton Garden workshop to the helm of a worldwide brand with 15 stores in the globe's wealthiest spots, from Monte Carlo to Dubai to Moscow. Behind this retail chain is a wholesale buying operation: Graff Diamonds International is vertically integrated, taking stones from the rough shapes that come out of the mine to the display case. He sells stones of the greatest weight and highest quality and claims an average transaction price of $400,000. By that score he seems to easily surpass such classic outfits as Cartier, Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany (nyse: TIF - news - people ).

Graff knows how to cultivate his customers. He once sailed out to meet Oracle (nasdaq: ORCL - news - people )'s Larry Ellison, yacht to yacht, in the Mediterranean to deliver a cache of diamonds Ellison had requested. Saudi Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, the Sultan and Queen of Brunei, Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth Taylor, even soccer star David Beckham and wife, Victoria, all count themselves among Graff's longtime clients. Donald Trump bought Melania's 12-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring from Graff's Madison Avenue salon in 2004 for a reported $1 million. "Laurence is a spectacular jeweler," pronounces Trump. "The quality of his stones, the quality of the service and the reputation are the top."

Graff shares quite a few of Trump's traits: charming and outrageously self-promoting, blunt and full of braggadocio, obsessed with superlatives. (He is about to release a glossy $150 coffee table tome, about himself, entitled The Most Fabulous Jewels in the World.) "I'm a complete thoroughbred in the business," proclaims the trim, nattily attired jeweler (suits custom-made in Milan; monogrammed bespoke shirts), with no trace of irony.

Graff also possesses Trump's knack for making money. He's probably worth some $2.5 billion, including homes in Geneva (his legal residence), London, New York and Cap Ferrat in the south of France; a new 150-foot Feadship yacht; a Global Express XRS plane; a winery and vineyard in Stellenbosch, the Napa Valley of South Africa; and a modern and contemporary art collection worth $250 million.

To be sure, sellers of luxury goods--from yachts to art, watches and real estate--have had little trouble raking in fat profits since 2000, a period during which the affluent have been awash in money. Graff rode that luxury boom at his Graff Diamonds International (he owns 100%), where sales jumped from $90 million in 2000 to $400 million in 2006, while aftertax profit grew from $11 million to $48 million.

What distinguishes Graff from the likes of Cartier and Van Cleef is a decision he made a decade ago. Wanting to expand globally and needing a steady supply of diamonds, especially bigger stones, in 1998 he bought a 51% controlling stake in a Johannesburg diamond wholesaler and manufacturer, South African Diamond Corp. (Safdico). Other retailers buy and sell finished diamond jewelry. Graff's wholesale business allows him to cut out the usual middlemen--the brokers, polishers and manufacturers who each take their slice as a rough stone moves up the jewelry chain.

Through Safdico, Graff now buys half of his uncut diamonds from the South African mining behemoth De Beers (Safdico is one of 93 sightholders, or wholesalers who are permitted to buy rough diamonds from De Beers). On the manufacturing rung he employs 370 cutters and polishers in South Africa and Mauritius, who handle smaller goods, and 19 master craftsmen in Antwerp and New York, who work on the larger diamonds. He makes all his own jewelry, in his London and New York workshops. (De Beers has developed its own retail brand in conjunction with luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, but it's not competing with Graff at the highest end of the price spectrum.)

This pipeline is especially helpful to Graff with big stones, his specialty. Gross margins at branded jewelry retailers like Tiffany and Cartier hover at roughly 50% for diamonds up to around 5 carats. For bigger stones, where the per-carat price is much higher, those margins get squeezed below 20%. "When you sell a big stone worth $2 million or $3 million," explains diamond analyst Martin Rapaport, "you can't mark them up that high. The person buying that stone is going to be smart and a serious handler."

Indeed, on very large stones of 20 carats and up it may make sense for a jeweler to take no profit: The monster pieces draw attention to the brand. A 50-carat flawless diamond of the highest clarity might wholesale for $100,000 a carat, or $5 million, and sell at retail for not much more than that. There is still money to be made on the very large pieces, however, by someone who buys rough and takes on the labor and risks of chopping up the rock.

A publicly traded entity like Tiffany has to concern itself with inventory turnover; Graff cavalierly maintains a huge inventory of diamonds, with a retail value, he estimates, of $1.5 billion. The stockpile enables Graff to construct jewelry made up of multiple rare diamonds, like the $30 million necklace he sold late last year that could be worth 20% less if each of the diamonds were sold on its own.

These two factors--bulging inventory and vertical integration--help explain why Tiffany's net profit margin sits at 9.6% while Graff puts his at 12%.

Graff can count one potent rival, the Israeli Lev Leviev ( see FORBES, Sept. 15, 2003), who has set up a diamond operation even more vertically integrated than Graff's. Leviev owns mines and mining interests (in Africa and Russia), as well as manufacturing and wholesale operations. Now he seems to be gunning for Graff at the retail level. Leviev's sumptuous first store, in London on Old Bond Street, sits a stone's throw from Graff's on New Bond Street, and his second, in Manhattan, will be less than a block from Graff's new boutique on Madison Avenue. Graff is dismissive. "I don't think he's a potential competitor," he sniffs. "He doesn't have a clue what the retail business is all about."

Graff grew up on Commercial Road in London's gritty East End, where he spent his first seven years living in a single room with his Jewish Rumanian immigrant mother, behind the corner sweet shop his Russian father opened just before leaving to fight in World War II. At age 14, in 1952, he was getting such poor marks in school that his family urged him to drop out and start a trade. Graff's first job: apprentice (which included scrubbing floors and toilets) to a jeweler named Schindler in London's Hatton Garden, historic center of the city's diamond and jewelry trade. He was fired just three months later but got another job where he learned how to repair rings and make small pieces of jewelry.

When that business folded a few years later, Graff, now 18, convinced an older man to take him on as an apprentice in a new venture. Soon the two men owed their suppliers $6,000, and Graff says he talked his senior colleague into letting him take over the debt--and the business. By the time he was 22 years old Graff had wheeled and dealed his way to a solvent, one-man enterprise. At age 24 he opened up two small jewelry shops.

But Graff couldn't convince London's top jewelers to buy his competent but lackluster designs. He decided to hit the road. With $1,000 worth of diamond jewelry in a black leather briefcase, Graff stopped at Robinsons department store in Singapore. He ended up landing a jewelry exhibit there every other month. "All of a sudden I was selling $10,000, $20,000 worth of diamonds at a time," he recalls.

He also made an important contact in Singapore, the then prince of Brunei and his wife, formidable collectors of art and jewelry. They became lifelong clients, as did dozens of moneyed Malaysians, Indians and Chinese. The Brunei connection proved extremely valuable. For a period of two decades starting in 1966, Graff says, he traveled to Brunei as frequently as once a month to visit with the royal family, who brought him along to polo matches and gave him an Aston Martin to tool around the kingdom. With him at all times was a briefcase loaded with diamond jewelry.

By the 1970s the Middle East was awash in oil, and Graff's Arab clients were jetting to London to spend their cash. Graff became their point person there. "If they needed a doctor, I found them a doctor. If they needed a car, I found them a car. The Saudi princesses would go shopping, and then they'd come to my office to change into their new clothes."

Graff closed his two small shops and in 1974 opened up a bigger one close to Harrods. One lucky day Saudi Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz walked in unannounced and "bought out the entire shop," Graff recalls, "including the largest diamond I had in stock, which was 14 carats."

Of course Graff would still travel when a deal was to be made. In the early 1980s, after seeing a Graff exhibition in Hong Kong, a lady-in-waiting to Imelda Marcos invited Graff to the Malacañang Palace for an audience with Madame Marcos. At the end of Graff's week in the Philippines Mrs. Marcos bought three storied gems that he had carried to Manila, for a total of $10 million. Among them: the 42-carat Emperor Maximilian, named for the Austrian archduke who, legend has it, was wearing the diamond around his neck in a pouch when he faced a Mexican firing squad in 1867. Graff bought it at a Christie's auction in 1982 for $726,000.
By the early 1990s, with oil money tapering off and the Sultan of Brunei cutting back on his jewelry purchases, Graff decided his shop near Harrods needed an upgrade. Graff relocated to New Bond Street in the tony Mayfair neighborhood--and went on a real estate shopping spree. He now says that his commercial real estate in London is worth $500 million.

America, where half the world's diamond jewelry is bought, was Graff's next big move. Competitors Cartier and Van Cleef had both been swallowed up by corporate conglomerate Richemont. The top diamond jewelry brand in America, Harry Winston, had descended into chaos after its founder died in 1978 and sons Ronald and Bruce engaged in a nasty legal battle that crippled the business. "There was really a vacuum at the top of the pyramid," recalls Frenchman Henri Barguirdjian, 50, who runs the U.S. operations. "All of our competitors had neglected that end of the market."

Starting in 2001 Graff opened stores in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas (in Steve Wynn's casino) and in Bal Harbour and Palm Beach, Fla. In addition, he cut a deal with Saks (nyse: SKS - news - people ) Fifth Avenue to build three in-store boutiques, in New York, Atlanta and San Antonio, and to sell Graff jewels at Saks stores in five other cities. Graff clients enjoy a range of perks you won't get at Kay Jewelers. In June, for instance, Graff paid to send a burly bodyguard along with an American client who flew to London to attend a function where she planned to wear a multimillion-dollar piece of Graff jewelry.

Graff's one U.S. misstep: a failed attempt to open a store in Beverly Hills. Wynn caused problems, Graff says, because the contract between them gave Wynn a partnership interest in any store within a radius of the Wynn casino, which included Los Angeles, until September 2008. (Wynn declined to comment.) Graff wound up dropping his Rodeo Drive plans, losing $1 million on the deal.

Barguirdjian says each of the U.S. stores has turned a profit within a year of opening. Graff's 800-square-foot Manhattan store, the busiest in the U.S., grossed $65 million last year. A spokesman for Harry Winston declined to answer questions, but two sources in the jewelry business say sales at Winston's Fifth Avenue store last year were 60% of Graff's in New York.

Graff still controls virtually every aspect of his business, including marketing. Graff wrote the ad copy nine months ago for a $30 million 267-carat multicolored diamond necklace: "It took Graff and nature one million years to create this necklace." An Asian client acquired the piece shortly after the ad appeared. If Graff buys a stone that has no name or legend attached? No problem, says François Curiel, international head of jewelry and chairman of Christie's Europe. Graff will simply christen it: the Graff Blue, the Graff Orange, etc., branding the gems and, Graff hopes, increasing their value.

Over the years Graff has brought three family members into the business, including son François, 43, who holds the number two slot at Graff Diamonds, and, Graff says, will eventually take the top job. (François' French mother, Anne-Marie, has been married to Graff for 45 years; the couple has two other children.)

This fall Graff will open stores in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Geneva, double the size of his flagship store in London and undertake construction on a new 4,200-square-foot Manhattan boutique on Madison Avenue.

At the same time, Graff's Safdico wholesale business is expanding, constructing diamond factories and an office park that will eventually employ several hundred workers in Botswana. Graff says he wants to further extend his vertical reach into mining. Last year he failed in his attempt to buy a controlling stake in the Letseng mine in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Graff rues the lost opportunity, since just weeks later the 603-carat Lesotho Promise was unearthed there, the fifteenth-largest rough ever discovered. Graff's Safdico ended up buying the stone in October 2006 for $12.4 million. He thinks he can double that investment.

Graff says he's not interested in selling out, even at a time when private equity firms like Ronald Burkle's Yucaipa are investing in British jewelers Garrard and Stephen Webster. "In my thinking, I'm just starting out," Graff says. And he has no taste for going public. He did that in 1973, selling a third of the company, but decided he hated dealing with shareholders and a board. By 1978 he had bought back all the shares.

For now Graff stands alone in his domination of jewelry's upper reaches. Observes Christie's François Curiel: "The Jacques Arpels, Harry Winstons and Gerard Boucherons are long gone from the business. Where else can a customer walk in and see the man behind the brand?".

Source:
King of Bling
Susan Adams 08.13.07
forbes.com

Ultimate Private Resort Rentals

World's Best Private Beaches 

In April, Sanctuare, a marketing company that organizes private island rentals, planned a 50th birthday party for the wife of a prominent Toronto businessman on Musha Cay, a 150-acre private island in the Bahamas.

The group of 18 guests spent eight days boating, practicing yoga, swimming and snorkeling on the property's seven beaches. Dinners included a beachside tiki torch gathering with music from a five-piece band flown in from nearby Nassau, and a formal affair in a glass-walled dining room culminating in a 30-minute fireworks show.

The final bill? $345,000.

In Pictures: Ultimate Private Resort Rentals
Yes, it's more than many mortgages, but for some, the appeal of taking over a resort or private island is worth the price.

"The affluent traveler today has stayed in the best hotels and has rented private villas," says Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel, a luxury travel consultancy in New York City. "Now they want the exclusivity and privacy of having an island or resort all to themselves."

Many argue that Necker Island, a 74-acre swath of land in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Virgin CEO Richard Branson, was the first habitable private island to be rented out when it entered the scene in the mid-1990s. Today, experts estimate there are around two dozen islands worldwide that can be rented out exclusively to one party. The number of land-based resorts or hotels that can be taken over entirely is fewer.

John Steinle, president and owner of Stamford, Conn.-based Sanctuare, says most guests choose to take over one of the company's 10 properties to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Creating a "wow factor" also figures in.

"It's a dream to have one's own island or hotel where everyone is running around after you," Steinle says. "Since there are so few people who actually do this, it's considered very exclusive. You earn bragging rights and get your ego stroked."

High-profile people and celebrities looking for ultimate privacy are also apt to take over a resort. Sanctuare's clients have included Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

Necker Island remains the company's most popular property. A staff of 64 is on hand to pamper guests in a 10-bedroom main house (each room has a private terrace and ocean views) and four freestanding, Balinese-style homes. Guests can enjoy hiking on several nature trails, water-skiing, sailing on Hobie catamarans, kayaking, working out in the sea-view gym or swimming in the pool, complete with a waterfall and swim-up bar.

Though costs run $46,000 a night, the island is booked more than a year in advance.

Rarified Resorts
Though properties like Necker are undoubtedly remote, you can achieve exclusivity without being completely cut off from the outside world by renting out a resort. In fact, for some, this is the draw.

Bill Fisher, owner of Fisher Travel, a membership-only travel club in New York City, regularly arranges hotel and island rentals for his clients. He says they generally don't venture to far-flung locales.

"The cachet is about having an entire place to yourself," he says, "not so much traveling to a far-off destination."

The Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, for example, is on a 20-acre island, accessible by car and less than 10 minutes from Miami in Biscayne Bay. It rents for $52,000 a night and can accommodate 100 guests in its 49 rooms, which have Italian marble baths, four-poster beds and bay views.

Activities and amenities include a spa with Watsu massage pool, swimming, sailing, boating and tennis. The on-site Euro-Asian restaurant features dishes such as Thai lobster bisque and Szechuan basil seared tuna.

If you're willing to shell out $50,000 a day, Amanpulo, an Amanresorts hotel in the Philippines, awaits.

The property has three and a half miles of beaches and can accommodate 100 people in 40 casitas, built on a hillside or on the water. Each has coconut shell tables, a DVD player and a marble bath with a separate shower and soaking tub. There are two additional four-bedroom villas. Activities include laser-boat sailing, tennis and nature walks. Guests can also get massages at the spa or take a pontoon boat on diving and snorkeling excursions to the many reefs in the area, such as Jalah, which is teeming with tuna, mackerel and turtles. 

While most of these resorts can accommodate 10 to 100 guests, you certainly don’t need a group to rent one out. Steinle says there have been several couples who've reserved Necker Island just for themselves.

Exclusive indeed.

Source:  forbes.com  Shivani Vora, 09.07.07, 12:00

The Philippines' 40 Richest


Rank Name Net Worth ($mil) Age

1  Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family 2,000  73 
2  Henry Sy & family 1,700  82 
3  Lucio Tan & family 1,600  73 
4  Andrew Tan 1,100  55 
5  Manuel Villar 940  57 
6  George Ty 870  74 
7  Andrew Gotianun 860  79 
8  Enrique Razon Jr. 820  47 
9  Tony Tan Caktiong & family 790  57 
10  Oscar Lopez & family 775  77 
11  Vivian Que Azcona & family 670  NA 
12  Inigo & Mercedes Zobel 660  NA 
13  Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. 540  72 
14  Emilio Yap & family 445  81 
15  John Gokongwei Jr. & family 430  81 
16  Enrique Aboitiz & family 375  85 
17  Alfonso Yuchengco & family 365  84 
18  Beatrice Campos 220  NA 
19  David Consunji & family 210  86 
20  Luis Virata 200  53 

Rank Name Net Worth ($mil) Age

21  Gilberto Duavit Jr. & family 191  43 
22  Menardo Jimenez & family 190  NA 
23  Felipe Gozon & family 165  67 
24  Mariano Tan & family 140  NA 
25  Ramon del Rosario Jr. 137  63 
26  Ronaldo & Rosalinda Hortaleza 110  48/50 
27  Manuel Zamora 105  68 
28  Betty Ang 100  NA 
29  Tomas Alcantara & family 90  61 
30  Frederick Dy 70  51 
31  Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Sr. 60  80 
32  Salvador Zamora 55  61 
33  Oscar Hilado & family 51  69 
34  Philip T. Ang 50  66 
35  Magdaleno Albarracin Jr. 49  71 
36  Jesus Tambunting 47  70 
37  Antonio Roxas 36  65 
38  Manuel Pangilinan 35  61 
39  Marixi Rufino-Prieto & family 33  67 
40  Lourdes Montinola 30  79 


Source: forbes.com

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Dramatically played out on live television, an opposition politician and rebel military officers surrendered to government forces after taking over a luxury hotel in Manila.


Soldiers take aim outside the Peninsula hotel.

1 of 3  "We're going out for the sake of the safety of everybody," Philippines Sen. Antonio Trillanes said.

The senator made the decision to give up after the military peppered the inside of the hotel with tear gas. Live pictures from inside the hotel showed reporters and rebel soldiers covering their faces.

An armored vehicle was also seen firing into the lobby of Manila's Peninsula hotel and later rammed through the front entrance of the building.

"The situation is contained within the Peninsula hotel, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told CNN.

"The perpetrators are in the process of being arrested." Those who held the hotel were shown being loaded into a Philippine National Police bus.

Teodoro said no one was injured, but Associated Press reported that at least two people were injured.

The standoff began hours earlier when a group led by Trillanes and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim bolted from a court hearing on charges linked to a failed 2003 coup attempt.  Watch footage of troops storming the hotel in Manila »

"What happened, to me, was clearly either an attempted rebellion or an attempted coup d'etat," Teodoro said.

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I-Report:  Send your stories, photos and video
Philippines military and police personnel had been surrounding the hotel, where the group was asking for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down. After Trillanes' announcement, soldiers milled around the outside of the hotel, but the scene had calmed noticeably.

Arroyo had issued orders to the military and police in response to the seizure of the hotel, located in Manila's Makati financial district, journalist Adrian Addison told CNN. Few supporters of the rebels were visible around the Peninsula hotel, Addison said.

Philippine authorities gave the rebel group until 2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) to allow guests to leave the hotel, and until 3:00 p.m. (0700 GMT) to surrender, the ABS-CBN news service reported.


Businessman Peter Parcel was caught in the middle of the hotel's takeover and subsequent tear-gassing. Listen to the eyewitness in the hotel describe what happened

"I couldn't see and couldn't breathe," he said, noting he faced "at least 100 guns" as he exited the hotel.

source: cnn.com

Nag lamaw mi dapit sa Cambilagan, Anda, Bohol.

Tagbilaran Pier

Lola is from Anda, Bohol.

Foreign workers in Malaysia can remit money to their families back home

A/P Associated Press
Updated: 8:15 a.m. ET May 31, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Thousands of Filipino workers in Malaysia can now remit money to their families back home under a new mobile phone money transfer service unveiled by Malaysia's top mobile phone operator Maxis.

In a statement late Wednesday, Maxis said it has tied up with the Philippines' Globe Telecom to introduce what it said was the world's first mobile international money transfer service called M-money.

Under the system, Maxis customers can wire up to 500 ringgit ($143) per transaction to Globe subscribers in the Philippines, who can retrieve the money at Globe's 6,000 outlets, the statement said.
M-money will "revolutionize money transfer" and make it a convenient and cheaper alternative for foreign workers in Malaysia to send money back home, it said.

Maxis customers must cash in the money with Maxis before making any overseas remittance and are charged only a five ringgit ($1.47) service fee per transaction, less than half the fee that bank charges, it added.

Globe consumer business head Ferdz De la Cruz said the service marked a "breakthrough in cross-border financial services."

A Maxis spokeswoman, who declined to be named because she is not authorized to speak to the media, said subscribers can remit up to 500 ringgit a day and 10,000 ringgit ($2,940) a month.

Maxis said it plans to extend the service to Indonesia next month, to allow Maxis customers to send money to Indonesian bank accounts.

Maxis chief executive Sandip Das said in the statement that the Philippines and Indonesia account for the bulk of remittances from Malaysia, estimated at $4.3 billion of annual transaction volume.

Thousands of Filipinos and Indonesians live in Malaysia, fulfilling much of the country's need for low-cost laborers.

Maxis, which also has operations in India and Indonesia, serves some 13 million customers in the region. It didn't say how many of its nine million customers in Malaysia are foreigners.

Source:  msnbc.com

Millions use texting to transfer money over mobile banking services

Bullit Marquez / AP
Dennis Tiangco checks a text message on his cell phone at his home in San Miguel, Philippines.
The message shows the financial transaction made by his mother in Hong Kong.

By Oliver Teves
A/P Associated Press
Updated: 8:40 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2007

SAN MIGUEL, Philippines - It's Thursday, so 18-year-old Dennis Tiangco is off to a bank to collect his weekly allowance, zapped by his mother â€" who's working in Hong Kong â€" to his electronic wallet: his cell phone.

Sauntering into a branch of GM Bank in the town of San Miguel, Dennis fills out a form and sends a text message via his phone to a bank line dedicated to the service.

In a matter of seconds, the transaction is approved and the teller gives him 2,500 pesos ($54), minus a 1 percent fee. He doesn't need a bank account to retrieve the money.

More than 5.5 million Filipinos now use their cell phones as virtual wallets, making the Philippines a leader among developing nations in providing financial transactions over mobile networks.

Mobile banking services, which are also catching on Kenya and South Africa, enable people who don't have bank accounts to transfer money easily, quickly and safely. It's spreading in the developing world because mobile phones are much more common than bank accounts.

The system is particularly useful for the 8 million Filipinos â€" 10 percent of the country's citizens â€" who work overseas and send money home, like Dennis' mother, Anna Tiangco. Previously, she sent money via a bank wire transfer, which costs $2.50 and takes two days to clear. The cell phone method costs only 13 cents and is nearly instantaneous.

"The good thing here is, wherever my children are, they can text me and I can send money immediately," she said by telephone from Hong Kong.

Consumers also can store limited amounts of money on their cell phones to buy things at stores that participate in the network â€" although this practice isn't yet widespread in the Philippines.

Many more Filipinos use their phones to send airtime values called "loads" to prepaid subscribers. A parent, for example, can send a 60-peso load to replenish a child's cell phone, charged to the parent's account.

Texting instead of ‘beaming’
While Japanese and South Korean consumers have been using cell phones as virtual wallets for several years, those systems use a computer chip implanted in handset that allows people to buy things by waving the phone in front of a sensor. The Philippine system relies on simple text messages.

The 41 million cell phone users in the Philippines are avid texters. The electronic connections have fostered a culture of quick greetings and forwarded jokes. Text messages also played a key role in mobilizing crowds that fueled the 2001 "people power" revolt that ousted President Joseph Estrada.

The Philippines' two biggest mobile service providers, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications, have harnessed this penchant for text messaging to enable consumers to enter the world of e-commerce.

Tapping into the cash flow from overseas Filipinos â€" who sent home $12.7 billion last year â€" Globe and Smart forged partnerships with foreign mobile providers and banks, as well as with local banks and merchants, to create a network that allows users to send and receive cash internationally.

When Anna Tiangco wants to send cash home, for example, she goes to a branch of her local provider, Hong Kong CSL Ltd., where a clerk credits her cell phone with the amount she has brought with her. She then transfers the money to family members via text messages â€" in essence instructing her providers to deduct money from her balance to the recipients she indicates.

If a cell phone loaded with cash values is lost or stolen, the money can't be tapped as long as the personal identification number isn't revealed. Control over the funds can be restored with a replacement SIM card from either mobile provider.

Millions of dollars transferred daily
The system was "built for remote payments and for the unbanked markets," said Rizza Maniego Eala, president of G-Xchange, Globe's subsidiary in charge of its G-Cash money transfer service.

Eala said her company's 500,000 G-Cash users transfer about $100 million monthly, but she declined to say how many transactions involve remittances from overseas.

Smart offers a slightly different money transfer system, used by about 5 million Filipinos, that links cash or a debit card to a cell phone.

Users load their phones with money via text messages. The card â€" which costs 200 pesos but does not require a bank account â€" can then be used to purchase goods in establishments that accept MasterCard, or to withdraw cash from an ATM machine.

Smart Communications spokesman Ramon Isberto said each time the recipient spends the money, the sender receives a transaction message. That allows the sender to see how the funds are used.

"The added value there now is that Filipinos overseas have greater control over their funds. Believe me, that is important to them," he said.

Smart and the United Arab Emirates' leading telecommunications operator, Etisalat, have agreed to provide money transfer service to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the Middle East. Smart also will soon launch a remittance system in Bahrain in partnership with MTC-Vodafone and Ahli United Bank there, and Banco de Oro in the Philippines, Isberto said.

"The bank products remain clearly bank products. We positioned ourselves as an enabler for banks and other financial institutions to provide products and services to their customers in ways they would otherwise not have been able to," he said.

Aside from transferring cash and making purchases, both Globe and Smart also allow their users to pay bills with their phones. Anna Tiangco said she pays her family's electric bills in San Miguel from Hong Kong via text messages, just like she sends money.

"Even if we are far apart, it's like we are still together," she said. "This is like my wallet now."

Source:  msnbc.com

Top 10 Reasons Why There Couldn't Be a Filipino-American US President,


By David Letterman


10. The White House is not big enough for in-laws and extended relatives.

9. There are not enough parking spaces at the White House for 2 Honda Civics, 2 Toyota Land Cruisers, 3 Toyota Corollas, a Mercedes Benz, a BMW , and an MPV (My Pinoy Van).

8. Dignitaries generally are intimidated by eating with their fingers at State dinners.

7. There are too many dining rooms in the White House - where will they put the picture of the Last Supper?

6. The White House walls are not big enough to hold a pair of giant wooden spoon and fork

5. Secret Service staff won't respond to 'psst... psst' or ‘hoy….hoy…hoy…’

4. Secret Service staff will not be comfortable driving the presidential car with a Holy Rosary hanging on the rear view mirror, or the statue of the Santo Nino on the dashboard.

3. No budget allocation to purchase a Karaoke music-machine for every room in the White House.

2. State dinners do not allow 'Take Home'.


AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON WHY THERE COULDN'T BE A FILIPINO-AMERICAN U.S. PRESIDENT IS...





1. Air Force One does not allow overweight Balikbayan boxes!

Kids playing tubig tubig in Anda.

Memory Lane

I remember vividly when my friends and I would gather and played tubig tubig after school, especially when it's a full moon outside. Back then when I was growing up there was no electricity in Anda.   

So when these kids were playing the game of tubig tubig I couldn't resist, I had to take a picture while they played.  De javu with a smile on my face.

Do you still remember the game you used to play during your childhood days?

Mike/The Administrator/Sir Mike,

It is your birthday today and I wish you the best birthday ever!  And many more to come.

  “The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.” -  Pope Paul VI

Happy birthday.

PrincessSaDagat

Dear Santa,

I know Christmas is months away and I am sorry to disturb your work schedules but I heard it on the news that Apple soon release a new Ipod Touch to the public. Do you think you can manage to stop by my house on Christmas Eve and set this Ipod touch under my tree?   

Ipod Touch: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8mzSBj6JfxA

Thank you in advance.

PrincessSaDagat

'Where are you from?"

This is all too common question asked by another Asian (mostly women) “Where are you from?" before "hello, I am ____." 

I was at a basketball game this past weekend and I saw another Asian woman who looks friendly. I love friendly people. She had a friendly smile as she passes by holding her 2 years old son and I smile back at her. Soon at halftime, she came over towards me and said, "where are you from?”

Exactly, no introduction, no hello, no "what' is your name?", but "where are you from?” I hear this too often, in fact I expected this from another Asian to ask first "where are you from?" rather than a friendly hello, or hi, my name is? Alternatively, what is your name? 

I have been asking about this for a long time, what is so significant about this? Why not know me first and ask me that question later. It is visually clear that I am from an Asian country; does it really matter where I am from? 

Then, I am confuse by how to answer this question because I was born in Anda, grew up in the U.S., and live all over the place, which one do they really want to know? 

I am from Anda, Bohol, Philippines.   

Globe and Smart cell phone towers are located in Sawang. 

These two cell towers currently servicing the surrounding town of Anda, except Talisay, Badiang, and other provincial  remote areas.  Excluded areas such as Talisay and Badiang will received their text messages and phone calls once they get closer to Suba. 

Oist! If you want to use the CR/toilet inside the Island City Mall near the food court, bring your hand soap and toilet paper with you.  It is clean but it can get dirty if you don't.

In fact, bring soap and toilet or tissue paper with you anywhere you travel to Bohol.

Bon Voyage.

Okay, a side view of Cesar Montano is the best I can do at the moment of shyness. You see, minutes before I realize it was Cesar, a woman sitting behind him asking all kind of silly questions, such as, do you this such and such movie star and this movie star. Cesar politely reply with a "no, I don't know them”. Next time you know it, this woman started taking video of this poor man while trying to stow away his backpack and buckling his seat belt. I could only imagine how annoying that was for him but he was patient and ignored the entire ordeal. 

I never knew Cesar, his movie career, his singing career or other things like his unsuccessful bid in politics and I still do not. What I know is this man on the same flight with me, within reaching distance from my seat, helped an elder woman having trouble opening her bag of crackers, politely disregard a over the edge fan, and seek no special treatment from anyone. The best part is,  he was not on first class seat I think it's by choice.

Therefore, I decided to give this man his peace.  Oh, wait, now I remember him ... his face is plastered all over this truck carrying tons of mineral water.

Behold Bohol!

By : Yeng S. Lim | Photos by : ysl, avonne peñaflor, and edson tacason
YEHEY! Contributors
7/28/2006 1:15:08 PM


Traveling in the country has become a luxury, which, sad to say, can only be afforded and enjoyed by the fewâ€" by those hardworking yuppies who can spare their midyear bonus for such extra leisure activity, or by those balikbayans who are yearning to spend their hard-earned dollars on a grand vacation. And oh yes, by those foreigners who have green bills in their wallets. Period.

Ferry ride take two hours, from Cebu to Bohol.

Why is this so? Traveling, admit it, has become more expensive than expected. Money-meter starts to rise up the moment the decision to embark on a trip is made. Fares, terminal fees, transfers around the place, accommodations, allowance, meals, tips… there goes the list.

But here in Yehey!Travel, we have always believed that traveling is a valuable and enriching experience that makes one a better, if not, a new person. That’s why it doesn’t cease us to search for (cheaper) ways to get out of the busy and crazy Manila. Whether for recharging a jaded spirit or discovering local places to boost our national pride (forget about dirty politics, okay), Yehey!Travel will always be on the go to give a refreshing take on travel anecdotes that will, hopefully, inspire you to pack your things and scamper for a place to go. Don’t forget to file your leave. (Wink!)

Now, for this article, everything was done on a tight belt. Forget about posh hotels and super cold and comfy shuttle to transfer you around. No hot showers. No buffet breakfasts. No papers delivered right at your hotel’s door. Because this time, we’ll do it the backpacker’s way.

Here are tips, aside from packing light, on how to enjoy your “budgeted” trip to Boholâ€"or any point of the country for that matter…

1. Open your ears, your eyes. What we meant is, go and search where the buzz is. And “buzz” here means promos and other big discounts. Heard about Cebu Pacific’s P10 promo? Well, this trip was actually made possible because of that. We only paid P1,600â€"two-wayâ€"going to Cebu. As opposed to the normal rate of around P4,000. We hit two birds, btwâ€"gone to Cebu, then to Bohol via ferry. The good news, we got the ferry fare for only P500+. There was, again, a promoâ€"Jet Ferry’s Buy One Way, Get Your Way Back Free. Talk about being lucky!

2. Research, research. Prior the trip, know basic things about your destination--- tourist spots you may want to check out, conversational lines you may want to master in the locals’ dialect, delicacies you might want to try or bring home as pasalubong, and other stuff. In our case, we listed some sights in Bohol we’ve watched in Living Asia, to guide us along the way.

3. Travel with a group. The more, the merrier, and the cheaper it will be. For example, renting a van may cost you P3,500â€" when you are traveling on your own. But when you are with a group, say of 6, it will only slash around P600 from your budget.

4. Travel during off-peak season. Aside from cheaper rates, attractive packages, and having the place all by yourself, you also don’t have to compete with other tourists, who may have more buying power than you. Hehe! So, that means, people will run after you just to have sales for the day. But please, have a heart when you do some haggling. Be fair enough.

5. Try inns/ pension houses. We tell you, there are decent and livable ones that have room rates from P500-800/night (for doubles). That means, P250-400/pax. Just don’t expect too muchâ€"just a tv (fortunately, with cable channels) and breakfast delivery ( -silog meals, usually priced at P50!, are bought from the nearby restaurant) But heck, you are traveling to enjoy the place outside, not the bed in your room. For the OC-type, pack your pillowcase, blankie, and don’t forget your towel so you’ll feel more comfy using your own. When choosing your inn/ pension house, pick the one that is more accessible to public transport and malls or markets to make it easier for you to go out just incase you’ll need to buy some things.

6. Pack some comfort food. Bring a few cups of noodles, chips, biscuits, and candiesâ€"some tummy-fillers while on trip. Those that are sold near the tourist spots are indeed “presyong turista”. (Read: three times higher than that from the grocery).

7. Load yourself with a lot of charm. Be amiable. Talk with the locals. They are the ones who can actually help you the most. The tricycle driver we met at the ferry, for instance, helped us to look for a pension house that suited our budget. He also referred another local to drive us around in his van, which was offered at P2,000 only, for the whole day, to ten destinations.

8. Hike, trike, and strike. Walk, so you’d see what’s there to see around you. Ride a trike (tricycle), to save on some cab fares. Strike anywhere and don’t be afraid to explore. You’d be surprised how fun it would be.

9. Announce to people back home that you’re on vacation on a budget. With stress on the last three words…”on a budget”, so they won’t expect any pasalubong. Through out the trip, be always reminded that you have to stick, stick, stick to your budget. Note: keep your coins, especially when in Bohol. They’d serve their purpose to pay entrance feesâ€"from P3 to P20.

10. Oh, don’t forget to bring your plastic cards. Okay, okay, just in case...

Snapshots Link:  http://www.yehey.com/travel/snapshots.aspx?a=48&pn=1#48

Source:  www.yehey.com
Source: yehey.com

CPDRC dances to Sister Act and more on "youtube".

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ps7VFGQi74k

Could this be the rehabilatation in the making?.

Fisherman from Anda.

From Anda.

Municipal Office of Tourism is now located inside the Municipal Building in Anda.

Brochure:  "Discover Anda - Bohol's Eco-Cultural Tourist Paradise" is available inside the Tourism Office.

It covers from much needed information such as Accommodation, Entertainment, Beaches, Caves, Historical/Cultural information, Barangay Fiestas, Fauna & Flora, Food, Events and much more.

          Contact
Municipal Bldg., Anda, Bohol
Telephone Number:  (038) 528-2009
Mobile Number: 0926-202-7356

Airport incident 'was terrorism'
An incident in which a car was driven at Glasgow Airport's main terminal and burst into flames is being treated as a terrorist attack by police.
Strathclyde Police also said the attack was being linked with the car bombs found in central London on Friday.

Two men were arrested following the attack at 1515 BST on Saturday.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said a device found on one of the men at hospital was thought to have been a "suicide belt".

Chief Constable Willie Rae told a news conference in Glasgow that the suspect at the city's Royal Alexandra Hospital was being treated for severe burns and was in a critical condition.

He confirmed a device had been found on the suspect.

"As a consequence of that, the hospital was partly evacuated until the device was removed and put into a safe area," he said.

We believe the incident is linked to events in London yesterday
Chief Constable Willie Rae
Strathclyde Police

Mr Rae said the second man was being detained in police custody and the vehicle used in the attack was too unstable to be removed from the airport.

He said the airport had been evacuated and a number of passengers had been "stranded on the tarmac" as a result. "It would have been unwise to evacuate them into the terminal building," he said. No warning

The chief constable said it was not yet known whether anyone else was in the vehicle.
He added: "We believe the incident is linked to events in London yesterday.
There are clearly similarities and we can confirm this is being treated as a terrorist incident."
He said the vehicle, which would undergo close forensic examination, contained material which was flammable.

"There was no prior intelligence to suggest that Scotland was going to be the target of a terror attack," he added.
He said the force was working alongside the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism officers.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, who has responsibility for terrorism throughout the UK, was travelling to Glasgow.

Police forces across the country are on high alert after the national terrorism threat level was increased to critical.
One member of the public received a leg injury as a result of the attack but there were no other casualties.

Flights suspended

About 2,300 passengers are being coached from Glasgow Airport to a reception centre at the SECC, where they will be reunited with friends and family.

A spokesman for BAA Scotland said Glasgow Airport was still closed and all flights remained suspended.
The terminal was not expected to open until Sunday morning at the earliest.
Passengers are being advised not to travel to the airport.
Anyone due to fly overnight, or during Sunday, should confirm the status of their flight with their airline, before leaving for the airport.

Chief Constable Rae appealed to about 20 to 30 people who were outside the terminal building at the time of the attack to come forward.

He also asked the public to be extremely vigilant and urged anyone with information about the attacks to phone the police incident room on 0800 056 0944 .


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/6257846.stm

Published: 2007/06/30 22

Pacsafe Travel Security Backpack

I have been searching for a travel bag that can pass airport requirements and protect my personal valuables and documents. This backpack comes with two colors (brown and black), cost MSRP US$89.95 sold online.


The anti-theft MetroSafe 300 is a spacious shoulder bag or backpack with a fully padded compartment designed for protecting your 13" laptop computer.

eXomesh® Slashguard in front and bottom panels.

Slashproof adjustable shoulder strap.

Snatchproof shoulder strap with built-in combination lock not only anchors the bag to a secure fixture but locks it there as well.

Tamperproof lockable zippers on the main compartment and front organizer pocket.


Fully padded laptop sleeve - fits most 13" laptops.

Large main zippered compartment with 2 organizer pockets.

# Front zippered organizer pocket with 2 padded mobile phone/PDA/digital camera/mp3 player pockets.

Back zippered pocket with concealable zipper puller.

Removable backpack harness stores in back pocket.

2 water bottle/compact umbrella side pockets.

Comfortable, padded, and adjustable non-slip shoulder strap.

Headphone port.

Card slots/pen holders.

Materials: 840D ballistic nylon/high-tensile stainless steel wire.

Dimensions: 30.5 x 34.5 x 10 cm (12" x 13.5" x 4").

Laptop Sleeve Dimensions: 27 x 29 x 4 cm (10.5" x 11.5" x 1.5").

Strap length: 104.5 cm (41.1") to 168.5 cm (66.3").

Volume: 14 L (850 cu. in.).

Weight: 990 g (2 lb 3 oz).





http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=46&products_id=205&osCsid=c467dd4a2dccc94c666f9626f32a9e40

Attractions: The country is mostly renown for its plentiful tropical sandy beaches and idyllically secluded islands. But also has alluring tropical rainforest wonders, challenging surfs, majestic volcanic mountains and intriguing indigenous cultures to explore.

Boracay Island is the most popular destination, offering fine white powdery sand beaches, an array of water sport activities and a vivacious nightlife.

Puerto Princessa, Palawan boasts fabulous beaches and resorts for visitors who come to dive at the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mt Pinatubo - Take a trek to the world famous volcano’s jewel blue crater lake.
Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro, is a favourite getaway for Manila’s city dwellers, with diving, snorkelling and jungle trekking activities available.

Banaue is home to the majestic 2000-year old rice terraces carved into the Ifugao mountains, often labelled as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.

Echo Valley, Sagada is famous for its hanging coffins. A lost tradition of the Igorot tribe, these coffins are placed in carved holes on limestone cliffs.

Baroque Churches - Built in the16th century, these churches captures Spanish Baroque architecture uniquely interpreted by Chinese and Filipino craftsmen. A UNESCO World Heritage site, these four churches are in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao.

Siargao is a surfer’s paradise and home to the renown Cloud 9 wave. The island is host to the annual Siargao Cup.

Bohol Island, in Central Visayas, has the Chocolate Hills â€" limestone hills that look like chocolate drops.

Source:  The Philippines Travel Fact File
A Guide to the Pearl of the Orient Seas
Zona Marie Tan
Suite101.com

Expats Guide To Getting Settled In The Philippines
Mars Mosqueda Jr.

Seasoned expatriates in the country have discovered that another advantage the Philippines offers is that it is a merry mixture of Western culture and Oriental traditions, making the tiresome task of finding a house far easier than in other Asian countries.
Most hotels in and around the cities offer substantial discounts for long staying guests. Such establishments not only provide high standards in comfort, security as well as personalized service, but also offer the bonus of proximity to the business and entertainment districts - perfect for busy executives who cannot be bothered with domestic arrangements.

However, for foreign residents planning to stay for, say, more than a year, it is wiser to consider getting a more permanent place than a hotel room or a hostel. This not only proves as the cheaper option in the end, but it also offers the added freedom of doing home chores like cooking or having pets at home. A foreign employee of a Philippine-based company is usually introduced to real estate brokers or agents who have been handling housing requirements for the employer.

All the foreign worker, or "expat," as is the common reference has to do is contact the real estate agents and tell them his home preferences, including the size of the unit, number of rooms needed, location and price. The agents will take him on a tour to various houses and condominium units for lease. If you are the house-hunter, it is advisable that you see as many places as possible before making the final decision. This will enable you to make the right choice by comparing your options.

There are also companies that have made it their business to specifically help expatriates settle in the Philippines.

Choosing where to stay can be a daunting task especially for those settling in busy Metro Manila, where traffic is a source of stress and frustration among commuters. It is not surprising, therefore, to find most expatriates staying near their place of work that ranges from a few minutes' walk to a short taxi ride. Makati City-based foreign employees prefer to reside in the area or peripheral cities. This will guarantee you get to work on time with minimum hassles, especially during the rainy season when downpours automatically mean a longer than usual list of unintentionally tardy employees.

The type of residential unit depends largely on your budget and needs. A condominium unit with one to two bedrooms is ideal for a single person or young couple. A family with children would need a bigger space, hence a one-floor house or a two-floor apartment (townhouses) with several rooms may be the best choice. Makati has the highest lease/rental price for residential units. And with the scramble to maximize space, most new condominium buildings have smaller studio units than older counterparts, and oftentimes, lower ceiling heights.

A small (at least 30 sq.m.) one-bedroom flat with kitchen and a living room is rented out starting from P15,000 a month, while a house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and other facilities starts at P30,000. Outside Makati City, the Ortigas area in Pasig City, Mandaluyong City, and Ermita areas area ideal locations and can be cheaper than the financial district.

Residential buildings usually have round-the-clock security personnel monitoring the coming and going of visitors, accepting mails and deliveries in your behalf. Subdivisions, especially the large ones, also have security checkpoints manned by personnel to screen visitors. In both cases, be prepared to pay the monthly association fees ranging from P500 to as much as P2,000 unless your landlord agrees to shoulder the cost.

Once you've made your choice, insist on a lease contract before making down payment and moving in. A contract is important as it determines the terms and conditions of the lease between you and the owner or landlord. It states the amount of deposit required, usually from two months equivalent to one year. Be sure to check every provision of the contract and among the terms to watch out for are: the return of deposit made in case one moves out; who will shoulder the repair of facilities; who will play for the utilities and monthly dues, etc. If you are unsure of the terms, approach your company lawyer who can check the provisions in your favor.

DOMESTIC SERVICES

Most long-staying foreigners in the Philippines enjoy the luxury of having at least one maid service. And the longer they stay in the country, the more they wonder how they could have gone without one in their Western homes. Having domestic service also improves the rank and image of the working visitors to locals. And the custom is the higher the position, the more maids, gardeners, and security people should be seen in the premises.

A domestic helper, housemaid or simply "maid" can be a welcome relief from the daily household chores. A housemaid can be hired through a recruitment agency. The Yellow Pages have categories such as "employment agencies" or "recruitment agencies" that handle recruitment and screening of domestic helpers (drivers, gardeners, included) for you for a fee. Be prepared to pay more than the minimum P1,500 to P2,000 monthly wage for a full-time housemaid, excluding the recruitment fees.

For those residing in condominium units, housemaids usually approach new resident to offer their services. In this case, be sure to check out the name and contact the previous employers and their papers. Even for those coming from agencies, it is wise to check the references and proper documents (such as NBI clearance, police clearance, and recommendation letter from previous employers) to ensure trustworthiness.

For expats who prefer to live in smaller apartments, it is common to arrange for a thrice to once a week maid service. For those living in posh villages of Forbes Park, BelAir, Magallanes, San Antonio Villages, and in areas like Valle Verde and within the Ortigas district, live-in help is a more practical option. In this case, the salary works on a sliding scale depending on frequency and workload.
For foreign residents who still insist on performing housework, the only big task at hand is the laundry. In the past couple of years, several laundry services have set up business in strategic locations in Makati and Ortigas area. Drycleaners also abound. Most deluxe hotels extend dry cleaning services to non-hotel guests and the price is surprisingly very reasonable for the high quality of the service.

SHOPPING FOR SUPPLIES AND FURNISHINGS

Busy expats may have find it more practical to settle in a furnished house but if you prefer to start from scratch, the best place to go for appliances and furnishings is the large malls and department stores. Appliances come with guarantee cards for repair.

There is also a wide range of furniture and furnishing/decorations available, not only in large department stores but also in smaller shops and stalls.

In need of groceries? Not a problem for a country with people who love to eat. The most convenient source is the supermarkets and grocery areas. Every mall has one. Rustans even has an order by phone service with free delivery within Makati for a required minimum amount. The food prices are reasonable to downright cheap as compared to Western countries'.

Liquor stores are plentiful and there are even gourmet shops for the epicures. There is even an organic open market that set up stalls every Sunday morning in Greenbelt, Makati.

But if you want to have a real Filipino shopping experience, you should try visiting a wet market at least once in your stay. The sound, smell, and sights can be exhilarating or, at the very least, unforgettable.

For a complete guide to the Philippines, or if you have questions about coming to the Philippines, feel free to email the author at marswoo@yahoo.com #

Source:  For expats who prefer to live in smaller apartments, it is common to arrange for a thrice to once a week maid service. For those living in posh villages of Forbes Park, BelAir, Magallanes, San Antonio Villages, and in areas like Valle Verde and within the Ortigas district, live-in help is a more practical option. In this case, the salary works on a sliding scale depending on frequency and workload.
For foreign residents who still insist on performing housework, the only big task at hand is the laundry. In the past couple of years, several laundry services have set up business in strategic locations in Makati and Ortigas area. Drycleaners also abound. Most deluxe hotels extend dry cleaning services to non-hotel guests and the price is surprisingly very reasonable for the high quality of the service.

SHOPPING FOR SUPPLIES AND FURNISHINGS

Busy expats may have find it more practical to settle in a furnished house but if you prefer to start from scratch, the best place to go for appliances and furnishings is the large malls and department stores. Appliances come with guarantee cards for repair.

There is also a wide range of furniture and furnishing/decorations available, not only in large department stores but also in smaller shops and stalls.

In need of groceries? Not a problem for a country with people who love to eat. The most convenient source is the supermarkets and grocery areas. Every mall has one. Rustans even has an order by phone service with free delivery within Makati for a required minimum amount. The food prices are reasonable to downright cheap as compared to Western countries'.

Liquor stores are plentiful and there are even gourmet shops for the epicures. There is even an organic open market that set up stalls every Sunday morning in Greenbelt, Makati.

But if you want to have a real Filipino shopping experience, you should try visiting a wet market at least once in your stay. The sound, smell, and sights can be exhilarating or, at the very least, unforgettable.

For a complete guide to the Philippines, or if you have questions about coming to the Philippines, feel free to email the author at marswoo@yahoo.com #

The Apl Song' Video + ASIN Music' Balita

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7qXCQILVkM

"Bebot" by Black Eyed Peas

Music Video 1:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gQAGh3JViyI

Music Video 2: 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-JPPCIboL4A

True history of young Filipinos back in the days ... my Papa grew up in Stockton, California and he experienced racism during his younger years.  True to this day everywhere in a whisper. luvupapa.

Filipino dishes are tangy but tasty
Howard Seftel
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 3, 2007 12:00 AM

With their exotic Malay, Chinese and Spanish melting-pot roots, Filipino dishes can seem dauntingly inaccessible, even to ethnic-food adventurers.

Eggroll Lumpia Factory doesn't make many allowances for non-Filipinos. It's a low-charm joint with seven small tables.

Behind the counter sit eight steaming chafing trays (the lineup changes daily), the contents of which get spooned into three sizes of plastic foam cups ($3.95, $4.95 and $6.95). This is hard-core ethnic fare. But different can be fun and tasty, and with the $3.95 containers experimentation won't bust any budgets.
Proprietor Gene Avendanio steered me to sinigang. There's a lot going on here: tender chunks of pork (and an occasional fatty one) are stewed with turnips, green beans and tomato in a terrific tangy sauce.

That tanginess - sour, and a bit sharp - is a Filipino hallmark. You'll taste it again in a lip-smackingly tart shrimp soup, stocked with squash and noodles.

I adored giniling, which reminds me of a Cuban dish called picadillo: ground beef tossed with peas, carrots, potatoes, green peppers, raisins and quail eggs. Pork mechado showcases pork riblets in a wondrously flavorful tomato sauce with real spicy bite.

Ginataang langka is certainly different, but it grew on me. The featured ingredient is unripe jackfruit - imagine a starchy artichoke - teamed with a bit of pork and smothered in coconut sauce.

With other dishes, well, perhaps you have to be Filipino.

Embotido are deep-fried pork disks, whose depths you'll plumb after one bite. The fish cake is an acquired taste I haven't acquired. Upo, a Filipino winter melon cooked with ground beef, is surprisingly bland.

Details: 2986 N. Alma School Road (southwestern corner at Elliot Road), Chandler. (480) 855-6756.

Apilyedo

CLIENT: sir, mag ilis ta kog apelyedo.

JUDGE: mahal raba na, gawas lang kung balihon.

CLIENT: di ko sir, samot kamaot!

JUDGE: unsa diay imong apilyedo?

CLIENT: LOBOT!

Source:  Iskina

Klaroha


BOTYOK: pre, ngano ingon ka nawong kog ungoy?

BRUNO: wa ko nag ingon na nawong kag ungoy,akong ingon ang ungoy parihog nawong nimo.

BOTYOK: aw lagi klaroha!

source:  Iskina

Si Boloy misakay ug Jeepney sa Cebu, ka-ototon siya pero kay na-a may dalaga sa iyang
tupad, gipungan ang otot. Aron dili siya mahibaw-an inig igo sa liba-ong banat dayon siya ug pangutot. Nangandam dayon siya para sa sunod nga liba-ong. Sa dihang hapit na ang jeepney motunong sa liba-ong banat dayon siya ug otot, matay kay nakalihay man ang driver, ang sound sa iyang otot maora lagi ug lobotnong hoyohoy. Mi-ingon ang dalaga, "wala ka maka-timing no"

source: Iskina

Available June 29th at 6pm. U.S.A only.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQLTjiAfdLY

Jeepney and Bus signs
"Before pay, tell where get the on before get the off."
"Full string to stop driver."
"God knows Hudas not pay."
"For reckless driving, call ###-#####"
"Don't close to me, close to God."

A Filipino family of five needed about P6,211 a month last year to cover their food and other basic needs, the government said on Friday.

In a statement, the National Statistical Coordination Board said that for a family of five to survive, they would have had to earn P204 daily, higher than the P193 daily income or P5,853 monthly income they needed in 2005.

The NSCB said this is partly because the Value Added Tax was raised to 12 percent from 10 percent in February of 2006.

Also, inflation last year was recorded at at 6.2 percent, while prices of food items rose by 5.5
percent last year.

The NSCB said that last year, families in the country's capital needed to earn more than average in order to survive. A family of five residing in the National Capital Region needed P8,254 monthly to sustain their families' minimum basic food and non-food needs.

"Of the P8,254 monthly income, P4,920 (60 percent of the poverty threshold) should have been allocated for basic non-food needs and P3,334 (40 percent of the poverty threshold) to basic non-food needs of the family," the NSCB said.

In 2006 the annual inflation rate in the NCR was at 7 percent. - Cheryl Arcibal, GMANews.TV

Video Link:  http://www.gmanews.tv/video/8239/No-CGFNS-test-required-in-Michigan-for-nurses

Flushing Meadow, Dauis, Panglao Island, Bohol

Link:  http://www.flushingmeadows.com.ph/overview.php

"cause we deserve the best at Flushing Meadows Resort. I can't wait to experience it comes August 2007 and I'll tell you all about it.


Infinity Pool 



Aces & Champions Bar & Restaurant 


Aqua Sports and Diving Center 

Kid's Fishing Center 
International Standard Tennis Court 


Room Service 

Tour desk 
Medical services 
Car Rental 
Wheel Chair Service 
Foreign Exchange 
Souvenir Shop 
Laundry & Dry Cleaning 
Playground facilities 


 
  PHASE II ** 
Banquet and Convention Hall (300-350 persons) 
Playground
Honeymoon Villa 
Function room (120 persons) 
Business Center 
Spa 
Additional rooms 
 

*Phase 2 -- expected completion is end of 2006

I believe Phase 2 is now fully functional.

Good deal and it's a steal! at Aerlingus Airlines. Prices to Dublin, Ireland from London Heathrow airport traveling on July 3rd will cost £5.00 = PHP 458.81 and if you think that's too expensive why not travel on July 4th, it will cost you a whooping £1.00 = PHP 91.56, ROUND TRIP but no check in luggage.

 

Home  | Booking Help  | Unaccompanied Child & Infant Information  | Start Over 


PLAN - SELECT - PRICE - PASSENGER - PAY - BUY - CONFIRM
Select Departure Date
   
From London to Dublin

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
     
30 Jun  £22 

01 Jul  £22 

02 Jul  £12 

03 Jul  £5 

04 Jul  £1 


Link:  http://www.aerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01im1/bookonline/index.jsp

Link:  http://www.worldtimezone.com/

The Official Website of Anda, Bohol.

Municipality of Anda

Link:  http://elgu.ncc.gov.ph/ecommunity/anda-bohol/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=2

My Auntie sent this to me knowing that I travel so much and I thought I'll share this useful safety tip.

Subject: A good safety tip.

This could be useful also while overnighting in a motel.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.  If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car.  The alarm will be set off and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.  Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation.  Test it.  It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.  It works if you park in your driveway or garage. 

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around.... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.  And, remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.  The alarm can work the same way there..... This is something that should really be shared with everyone.  Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.  P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic.  Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone.

(1) Clean up your act.

The best things you can do to yourself is to pay off your accrued debts immediately.  By doing so it gives a strong message to a financial institution that you are taking care of your business, seriously. Now in months time (approx. 2 to 3 months) get your credit reports and review everything there is about your credit details history.  Make sure everything on the credit reports are current especially those recent debts you've paid off.   

Why 2 to 3 months?  Not every financial institutions send loan details to these 3 agency on a daily basis. Some do 30 or 60 days, same with these 3 credit report agency. Often agencies will update there systems every month or 3 months. In other words ... not all agencies are created equal. 

Note:  Credit report agency will never remove your bad debts information on your credit report unless
1. An error occur by your financial institution whom you have the loan with.
2. It is now 7 years old (approx.) and it will automatically remove itself from your credit history.

For U.S.A. only: List and link of credit report agency 

Equifax:       http://www.equifax.com/credit-product-list/
Experian:     http://www.experian.co.uk/
Transunion:  http://www.transunion.com/

You can get all three from Equifax or Transunion for $29.95, otherwise Experian cost $34.95.

Get it for FREE! Federal Trade Commissions  - Heading: How do I  order my free credit report.
Link: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.shtm

(2) Start new credit history.

Start applying for small loans which allow you to make a small minimum payments on a timely manner. No excuses! PAY IT ON TIME WITH MINIMUM PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS.  By doing this you are now making a fresh start of your payments history and it allows you to establish your credit history slowly, but surely.
Notes: Guarantee your interest rate will be higher than normal ratings but this is part of the healing process.   

(3)  You're on your way ...

Continue rebuilding your good credit history soon you will back to getting loans but be careful you don't want to overload yourself once again. 

Long flight can be so tiring and boring, now if you plan it right (somewhat) things could get better for you on the plane ...

Things to bring and do while on the plane.

(1) Books/brochures about the country you are to visit.  When I went to France for the first time 2 years ago I bought a travel guide book about France, specifically Paris.  Before buying a guide book browse through several pages from beginning, middle and end to verify that your point-of-interest are listed.

(2) Maps - It is crucial that you buy a map of the city and pin point exactly all the places you wanted to visit ahead of time.  If you're like me, I use point of interest or landmark to determined where I am in case I gets lost. 

(3) Since you have nothing else to do, try to learn several phrases like "Hello, in Spanish is "Hola"."

(4) Forget the playing cards game, it's too bulky and heavy (every space and weight counts when traveling). Bring your electronic games or I have an HP IPAQ, a handheld pocket PC contains several games that I like, Notes I kept about my destination, listen to my favorite music, view photo slides, review my calendar, personal addresses, worldmate includes time zone, currency converter, convert measurements, international dialing prefixes, calculator and many more. All in one small 5' x 3' package.

(5) Magazines, lots and lots of gossip magazines that keeps me interested.

(6) Portable DVD player.  I always bring mine when I travel for my daughter's sake and my sanity.

(7) Believe it or not ... I balance my checkbook during my flight.

( Start writing something, anything about your travel plans.

(9) Ipod.

(10) Go to sleep.  Unfortunately, I am one of those who cannot sleep on planes no matter how long or short the flight is. 

(11) Walk around to stretch your body.

Do you have something that is not on the list? ... add yours here. 

Tubag Bohol..."We Listen"
Complaint Form

Date: June 19, 2007
Time:  2:18am, London Time

Name:  Princessadagat

Write your complain here:

      My birthday date is missing from the calendar.  Shame on you! Mr. Administrator. How do you expect members of Tubag Bohol to bring me a birthday cake, balloons, gifts and sing "happy birthday" if no one knows my birthday. I had tremendous high expectation from you, Mr. Administrator, since you have done an incredible job of creating this site for all Boholanos. You are slipping, slipping away.

I want name and contact number of your boss because I want to bring this matter to the highest level of management, preferably the President of the company.

I expect an immediate resolution to this matter. So, get with the program.

Sincerely,

Princessadagat

Mayor Elect #1

Name:  Jono Jumamoy
Age:  21 years old
Town:  Inabanga, Bohol
*Youngest Mayor in the Philippines.

Mayor Elect #2

Name: Sun Shimura
Age:  24 years old
Town: Daan-Bantayan, Cebu
*Youngest Mayor in Cebu.

Their common denominator? Passing the batons from mothers to sons. Mama's boys ba to?
 
While watching the video pay attention to their demeanor and responses.

Get to know them here:  <iframe src="http://www.gmanews.tv/evideo/7091/Saksi-RP's-youngest-mayor-is-just-21-years-old" frameborder="0" style="width:360px; height:290px; display:block; background: black;" scrolling="no">This page requires a higher version browser</iframe>
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Back in 2004, my family was in Spain for 8 months on assignment.  Every assignments my husband received my daughter and I often go to the U.S.A. to visit our family and friends for several weeks at a time.  One day my daughter and I planned our semi annual visit to the U.S. and found ourselves in Madrid Airport waiting for our connection flight to the U.S.  I did not know it then what I know now is when, eventually  "17 people provisionally charged over the train bombings" according to bbc.co.uk.

Train bombings happened at the same time, on the same day when I was at the Madrid Airport with my daughter.  My husband freaked when he heard it but couldn't get any details either it happened at Madrid Airport or at a train station.  He knew I was at the airport waiting for my flight at the time of bombing. 

Good Karma!

So what's your Karma like? Add your story.

Two Christmas holidays ago, my family was traveling from Arizona, U.S.A via British Airlines to England.  Somehow in the middle of our flight we began to experienced a slight turbulence. Okay, slight turbulence is acceptable for an experienced traveler like me but when my drinking cup was half full of water spilled over my tray ... it scared the s**t out of me.  My knees started to shake, my palm sweats like a pig and this went on for a good 30 minutes to an hour.

That was 50,000 + miles ago and counting. 

So, what's your turbulence like?  Add your story.

"Only those who are truly hungry can appreciate the taste of an Alturas sliced bread." by Mike

I am not "truly hungry" = I will not appreciate the taste = bad taste = Therefore, I will not buy Alturas bread.

Thanks, Mike ... I will not be buying Alturas bread when I'm in Tagbilaran this coming July.