MikeLigalig.com

This is great!  Manny P. needs to promote and support this type of education.  He is our best asset when it comes to sports.  Olympics .. here we come!

Quote from: Aaron on June 19, 2009, 03:50:52 AM
suway gud ug check in sa Eskaya Aduy aron makahibalo ka kung ganong dili man sila ang no#1 4 thousand dollar ra bitaw ang per night nila kwento ng trip na trip sa abs cbn na palabas.

Prices varies .. smaller room are cheaper versus suite or private villas.  High end acommodations often come with many ammenities, better services, excellent quality beds/rooms, large living space .. etc.   

What you saw on cbn/abs is really more of an intrigue to the viewers.  This is about ratings on tv.

If you can affort it, sure, rent one and enjoy.

   

Nice and clean.  I hope they will keep it this way because it's not always like this on other days of the week.

Hi shives347,

Direct contact to Jojie's Homestay in Suba.  Telephone:  0919-297-7742. 

Hi Mike,

I might be too late but if you need help my Mom is there in central.  I can help you.

Brad and Angelina's family.

"hulog da krab .."

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

Just like this!

http://www.youtube.com/v/1qNhuBdyzb4&hl=en

thanks to your kids, macky.  This is soooo funny.

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.

Trade exec advises carriers to revise 'confusing' promo ads
04/24/2008 | 08:42 AM

MANILA, Philippines- After receiving numerous complaints against "confusing" promotional ads by local airlines, the Department of Trade and Industry has advised carriers to revise and clarify their marketing tools.

Trade undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the airline ads which offer "P1" or "P999" fares confuse consumers. She said carriers should instead promote how much travelers can save with their offerings.

"Sabihin na lang kung ano ang babayaran mo at sabihin ang discounted para di ka magbabayad so much (They should just tell passengers how much needs to be paid, and how much can be saved)," Maglaya said in an interview on dzXL radio.

At present, she said many airlines tend to mislead potential customers by offering P1 or P99 rates, without informing them about "hidden" costs like insurance and airport terminal fees.

She said she will discuss the matter further with the Civil Aeronautics Board, which she said approves airlines' promotional ads.

"Ang dami ng tarpaulin at billboards may nagsasabi P999 pero may plus-plus. Kaya sabi namin sa CAB, sila nag-a-approve ng promo, huwag disclosure na alanganin. Di alam ng tao ang laki ng babayaran nila (We see so many tarpaulins and billboards offering P999 fares but hiding the plus-plus. I'll have a talk with the CAB because people are not aware of the hidden charges)," she said.

Meanwhile, Maglaya issued a similar advice to owners of hotels and restaurants making similarly confusing ads, saying they should disclose the full costs of the offers.

She said restaurants in particular should display prices that already include the 12-percent value-added tax (EVAT), instead of "lower" prices that are not VAT inclusive.

Maglaya advised potential passengers and customers to call the DTI hotline at 7513330 if they encounter problems with such ads. - GMANews.TV

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

Greedy! and Cebu Pacific knows it.

Here's a sample:

Airfare from Manila to Tagbilaran, Roundtrip

Cost: 488.00 PHP
Taxes/Fees 1929.00 PHP

Probably drinks and snacks are not included. This is not a bargain!



***************************************************
PRICE DETAILSClass G (MNL - TAG) 1 Adult @ 488.00PHP488.00
Taxes/Fees detailsPHP1,929.00

Class T (TAG - MNL) Taxes/Fees detailsPHP1,887.00


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total PricePHP4,304.00
*****************************************************

Thank you.

As a mother of an 7 years old daughter who loves to dress up, borrowed high heels from Mom, wear lipstick and curly hair for fun at home is what many little girls do when they are a little girl.  They just want to play dress up like Mommy and it's okay to dress up for fun at home.  To exploit children so they look like all grown up for commercialization and profits it is NOT ACCEPTABLE. 

This ad is not acceptable!

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.

wasted talent.  clean up your act! rehab.

Sos! I'm in the wrong business pala kay hotel business is booming in Bohol.  Now, how can they accommodate their expectant 600,000 visitors in Bohol?  Where will they sleep? sa bahay kubo. Chaos. Sige Benelynne ikaw mag tukod ug hotel pero unsaon man ni kay dili man ko owner of travel agency.  PrincessSaDagat ra intawon ko Ben. Sige ako nalang imong Marketing Manager ug si Aya nalang mag kuha ug Japanese touristas.   

Quote from: Bambi on May 07, 2008, 05:29:52 AM
goodnight Bogun (Happy) and Lindy and to all who are online.  take care 

sleep well.

you're too kind, Bam.  I suggest you pay them in increments which means pay as each section is done with your satisfaction.  Guarantee paka nga nabohat ang imong gustong buhaton. Good Luck.

thanks. somebody is making money by pay-per-click! and it seems like all ads by google. careful.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 06, 2008, 04:01:28 PM
Dong, as promised, here's the lantern na naa pa tawon sa akong window and it's almost mid year already!


I love my lantern jud!  I hand-carried this all the way from Manila to here.   It has a twin which I gave to Uncle Ray.

Lami gyud ang color and I love it, graz.  Next time mouli ko sa Bohol I will bring one.

korat man lang ta nimo diha. Not enough centavos, Bol!

bitaw!

ngano man ka mahal ang hotel sa Bohol? Ginoo ko.

Quote from: lindy on May 07, 2008, 03:09:43 AM
Princess your turn!

sondang raman ang akoa ba. ikaw Lind basig hait imong samurai diha.

oy! big money naman ni.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 07, 2008, 02:46:39 AM
Sige, that would be great, Princess!  

I will send you an email message diri when i have a date na.

Quote from: balong on May 07, 2008, 02:45:36 AM
sa ahong paminaw, okey kaajo ning PPVB. rising jud ni. i own a few shares. as of now , nag paminaw pa ko sa GTXO. maybe i will buy. kasagaran sa ahong portfolio mga low cap stocks. very small companies. mga senentabos lang ang pohonan kay ginagmay ra man ning aho. im just a small time investor.

What specific details about this company makes you think this is "rising jud ni"?
We have to start somewhere "im just a small time investor." microsoft founder started from scratch diba?.

shame! shame! shame on you, padre.

lami lagi inig visita sa auntie ko kay daghang pilipino stores ug restaurant. ako sigi ko ug kaon didto. yum! yum!
Oo grazie, mag meet ta sa Sacramento, pohon when i am there.

Quote from: lindy on May 07, 2008, 02:13:45 AM
6. Dili na magpautang kay lisod maningil!

bitaw! ayaw gyud kay daghan sa ato dili mo bayad. experienced na ko ana.

hello grazie,  yes, duol ra within 1 hour drive lang na siguro pero dia nako nagpoyo sa arizona. unya akong Mama naa sa stockton pa ug akong igsoon naa pod sya sa san jose.  daghan baya ang mga pilipino didto sa stockton.  akong auntie nag poyo sa elk groove dapit.

mobisita man ko sa Mama nako karon june siguro. ikaw asa man ka dapit sa sacramento?

I heard it through the gravevine... kuno si arnold when he smoke his cigar during the day he would step outside in the garden and smoke his cigar sa gawas. oy basig sa balcony man siguro to.

hey reva440, 

this is too good to be true, day, with guarantee pa gyod.  what's the name of this company offering such a high hope to a lot of people? website link is missing.

hey grazie7y, i grew up in Stockton and in fact my auntie lives in Sacramento.  regards to arnold.

Here's the link http://finance.google.com/finance?q=GTX+Corp.&hl=en

Quote from: balong on May 07, 2008, 01:25:02 AM
PPBV share price as of 1:25 pm florida USA time...$2.76

Balong, Do you have the specific on this product, website and what's the diffence between this specific product compared to the one in the already in the market?  You are gangho about this company as well.  Are you an investor yourself?  What's your porfolio on this company?

"...6. Do not demand payment from one who took goods from your store and refused to payâ€"“If he tended to forget his debt, do not demand payment because if he has money, he would not buy from your store anymore.”

Why not demand for payment for goods or services?  unless there is more to this story than being quoted.

"4. Wear shortsâ€"“If you are a farmer, wear shorts. This will save much laundry soap.”
This might save these farmers money on laundry soap ... this can cause cancer due to excess sunlight exposure.

Quote from: Bambi on May 07, 2008, 12:52:39 AM
Sir,

Your citation is exactly the answer.   In my case, it was another kind of a business, I was the ordering party and as good natured as I am, I paid  100%in advance with full belief that the job will be done as agreed in due time and with a satisfactory result but........you can just imagine the  ending. It did costs lot of nerves, money and time.  I know, that Civil Contructing  Engr. doesn't have any knowledge about this tips from that Igorot businessman.

Bambi, If you paid your contractor via credit card (usa) you can dispute these charges for unfulfilled contract agreement. If you paid it by check/cash well, you are out of luck if your contractor refuse to fulfill your request.  However, you can write a letter to your local Better Business Bureau explaining the situation.  BBB will keep the record for future business dealing with this specific company.  This will prevent future misleading business arrangement with other people seeking their business.

http://welcome.bbb.org/

Why did the chicken manok crossed the street?

Pattern? yes, I do see it.  We need to keep our jobs inside our boundaries.  Solve the illegal problem don't just sweep it under the rug.  Bin Laden a*s is DEAD! Now, bring all U.S. Troops safely back home.  The Bushs are in the oil business and now the family are event more richer than ever. And yes, the United States are in RECESSION.

Hello Miss A. aka orChids,

Salamat. Wala ko kahibalo ang pangalan pero kono taga Sawang tua sa Australia nag poyo kay bana niya Australiano man. Next time mouli ka didto ka mag kanta kanta with your barkadas.

Mike, Thank You! This is an incredible website.

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

 cute man kaayo lami koroton.  Da! di pod oy kay looy man.

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 01, 2008, 04:53:09 AM
We had verizon before, not impressed with their service.

So far AT&T is the best, in my opinion. They have a very generous family plan service.

At&T might give you a better services and better family plan for your own personal/family usage.

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 01, 2008, 04:49:33 AM
really? i have great connection service with it.

one thing that i love about it is that it has an ipod included in it. All in one

Sleek kaayo, imho

you are right, "sleek kaayo" but start traveling outside your city boundaries... you will loose your connection.  Example... if you are traveling in San Diego area, certain part of San Diego city areas don't have phone connection. I love I-phone but it has a lousy connection.   Here's what I hate.. when I-phone became public it was around $300.00 plus.  Within a year (or less) or so it was reduced to $100.00 dollars less on its original price.  A lot of people who bought it at the beginning was pissed. 

Quote from: B:) on May 01, 2008, 04:40:58 AM
I agree Pricess... sorry Bran ha. But I might say, it's a nice phone with tons of papers when you get their billing statements.

Sign up for online billing .. phone companies will send you an email, letting you know that your monthly bill is ready for veiwing online in their website.
Walay papel kalat sa balay ..sige try lang and you will like it.

FYI.. service offers to Verizon customers.

Quote from: Lorenzo on May 01, 2008, 04:13:14 AM
I love the i-phone

Only if i-phone drop AT&T (or improve connectivity) I would of bought it myself.  My friend loves it but he is pissed because he can't get a signal at his house.   

At & T ... Sprint ... nothing beats wireless Verizon, at the moment. Services, style of phones, or customer service, maybe, but not connection reliability.

Verizon LG Voyager
Link: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=3299







Design

Large 2.81" External Touch Screen
VibeTouchâ,,¢ Technology for Tactile Feedback
QWERTY Keyboard with Large, Widelyâ€"Spaced Keys

Music

Music Player for MP3, WMA, AAC, & AAC+
Dual Speakers for Stereo Sound
microSDâ,,¢ Memory Port with up to 8GB Support

Bluetooth®
Profiles: headset, handsâ€"free, dialâ€"up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phonebook access, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer, human interface, basic imaging for sending/printing nonâ€"protected images
to a compatible device & basic print

Camera/Video
2.0 Megapixel Autofocus Camera & Camcorder
Camera Resolutions: 1600 x 1200 (default), 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 Pixels
Video Resolutions: 320 x 240, 176 x 144 (default) Pixels

Services
HTML Web Browsing with Touch Navigation
V CAST Mobile TV*, Music and Video
Text, Picture, Video Messaging & Mobile IM
Get It Now® Capable
Mobile Email
VZ Navigatorsm & Chaperonesm Parent

General
Oneâ€"Touch Speakerphone (via internal keyboard)
USB Mass Storage â€" transfer files between PC and phone â€" microSDâ,,¢ card required
Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Stop Watch, World Clock, Notepad, EZ tip Calculator
Retractable TV Antenna for Enhanced TV Reception
Up to 1000 contacts with 5 entries per contact

Specifications
Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA
Data Transmission: Highâ€"Speed EVâ€"DO
Dimensions: 4.64" (H) x 2.12" (W) x 0.71" (D)
Weight: 4.69 oz.
Internal LCD: 262K Color TFT, 400 x 240 Pixels, 2.81"
External LCD: 262K Color TFT, 400 x 240 Pixels, 2.81"
Usage Time: Up to 240 Minutes OR
Standby Time: Up to 480 Hours
Hearing Aid Compatibility=M3
SAR: Head â€"0.765, Body â€"0.893
Handset Insurance is Available


*V CAST Mobile TV only available in the V CAST Mobile TV Coverage area. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/mobiletv for details. Additional fees may apply.

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

Quote from: Jun Visaya on April 28, 2008, 04:32:07 AM
You have skillfully captured a historical and wonderful legacy of the past that we Andahanons are truly proud of! Indeed worth-sharing. Thanks, Manang Margie.

Thanks.
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Please send me your email address ..let's keep in touch.

Suns fans anyone?

I am a big fan of my home turf, The Phoenix Suns. Dang! The Suns is in trouble: 3-0 against San Antonio.  I really think taking SHAQ out of and now part of The Suns was a bad decision. He really did not play a big part of this year's playoff as we would like him to be. 

I am less hopefull the Suns will resurface and win this year's playoff ... maybe next year nalang.

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

US military health insurance fraud continues in RP--retirees


By Teresa Cerojano
Associated Press
First Posted 11:52:00 04/27/2008


MONCADA, Philippines--The clinic where Dr. Alberto Marzan allegedly played his role in a $100 million (â,¬64.12 million) swindle of the US military's health insurance program sits abandoned, along with the adjacent family home.

But a legacy remains, with a US Navy retiree saying scams are still rife even after a federal judge ordered a Philippines company to pay back the money it skimmed.

Health Visions Corp., which pleaded guilty to mail fraud, was ordered to liquidate all assets within 10 months and give the proceeds to the US government. Federal prosecutors say the company bilked the military's Tricare program out of $99.9 million (â,¬63 million) from 1998-2004. The program insures 9.2 million active and retired US 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, as the Pentagon moved slowly to uncover the scheme.

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

Marzan, one of the longest-wanted fugitives in the probe, recruited dozens of military retirees to falsely claim they and their relatives were confined at his clinic and received expensive medical services, US prosecutors say.

He made fraudulent claims of $1.5 million (â,¬1 million) to the program and was paid more than $1 million (â,¬640,000), prosecutors add. In return, he typically paid kickbacks to the retirees.

A US federal grand jury returned a 35-count indictment against Marzan in 1999, but he has apparently remained free in the Philippines after vanishing from Moncada.

Neighbors, village leaders, police and former co-workers in the Moncada town hall, where he used to sit as councilor, say the doctor's family slipped out of town more than three years ago and remains underground.

Claro de Castro, head of the National Bureau of Investigation's Interpol division, said his office has arrest warrants for a doctor and a beneficiary. But he refused to identify them or say if the wanted doctor was Marzan because agents are still working on the case.

Jerry Minor, a Navy retiree and administrator of Lifeline Medical Center--a Tricare-accredited clinic in western Olongapo city near the former US-run Subic Naval Base--said many accredited doctors and clinics in the city continue to overprice their services.

Retirees are usually lured into the scheme because the clinics do not charge them the required 25-percent share of the cost, instead sending the whole bill to Tricare, Minor said.

One clinic blacklisted by Tricare for fraudulent claims simply changed its name and is back in business, he told The Associated Press in an interview Friday.

Minor said a retiree's wife who was convinced by a clinic four years ago to sign a stack of blank claim forms--one is filled out every time a beneficiary goes to a clinic--was shocked to find out last December that several women were collecting on claims using her details.

"It was like signing a blank check," he added.

He said he tried to find out for himself about the overpricing by going to a doctor, who told him he would be charged P850 ($20; â,¬12.82) for a 15-minute consultation. The price was higher than the P500 ($12; â,¬7.7) fee per consultation under Tricare regulations.

Minor said when he brought up his share of the cost, the doctor told him, "Don't worry about it, you pay nothing. Tricare does."

He said he has reported the anomalies to Tricare officials but the scams continue.

Vicky Gross, a retiree's widow who used to work for Health Visions, said many doctors and clinics don't charge beneficiaries their share of costs but she did not know what they were charging to Tricare.

Austin Camacho, a spokesman for the Pentagon's Tricare Management Activity, said the program has implemented new controls to combat fraud in the Philippines in recent years. Among other things, the program looks for patterns of aberrant practices and reviews claims that appear excessive.

In 2001-07, the program refused to pay $288 million (â,¬185 million) in fraudulent or excessive claims from the country, he said.

Still, he said it is hard to catch all fraud overseas and Tricare does not exclude providers "without sufficient evidence."

"This can be difficult in an environment where law enforcement resources are limited, providers are not always cooperative and are not subject to the US government's subpoena power," he said.

Rufino Bayao Jr., a Navy retiree who served a 1.5-year US prison term and three years of probation for taking part in the scam with Marzan, advises retirees not to fall for the bait.

"If they are caught, they will also suffer," he told AP in his home in northern Tayug town. "It's not worth it."

Aside from the prison term, Buyao is having more than a third of his $800 (â,¬513) monthly pension deducted to pay for $132,390 (â,¬84,887) in restitution that a US court ordered him to pay.

He says he got only P200,000 ($4,760; â,¬3,052) from Marzan for signing false claims, with much of the money going for drinking binges.

Source:  www.inquirer.net

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

me, too!

My Lolo & Lola Limbaro

Sadly, I never knew my Lolo since he died when I was very young age and blessed my Lola's soul she was my angel.

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 ...

Dude, skateboarding cow! Hehehehehhe

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

preciousNpolite- nonsense!  you look wonderful at any level.
Can I post the (photo) here?

Quote from: preciousNpolite on March 13, 2008, 03:05:05 AM
Thank You I am happy it was take in the right way!

preciousNpolite - you are right.  in a sense of open discussion, "let it be known".

FYI.. Last year during Sandugo Festival, did you great the Embassador of Austrailia at Tagbilaran Airport?  I was sitting behind him on the plane. Anyway, I have a photograph which I took during the event and I noticed that a lady on my photo look just like you. 

Congrats to all top starters and other participants who may not be a starter, but rollers far beyond page one. Congrats to all. 

nope, nada!

Thanks, Mike!

Domestic Goddess a.k.a. Mommy.

Hybrid is a great car however when I was looking into buying the Toyota Highlander Limited Edition versus Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Edition cost more if I were to buy the Hybrid version (almost $10,000.00 more).  I couldn't justify the additional cost and it will take many years to recoup the extra cost by trying to reduce my gas usage.  I bought their competitor's car (SUV) and I drive less for gas sake!

Lifestyle does make a difference no matter what car you use.

Excellent.  Kuya Jun will be your guide and if you need a place to stay for the night ... let me know immediately ... you & Kuya can stay at our place in Central.   

Thanks. This is for the world to see how beautiful Anda really is.

Lorenz, You're gonna love it there. A day trip to Anda I suggest to have a picnic & swim at the beach, stop by Anda church and Inday Potenciana (local Saint) burial chapel at the cemetary. Now, if you're in the mood for drinking, singing and little bit of dancing with your group I suggest visiting (clean, cold drinks and friendly host) Mahogany Drive Videoke Bar in Sawang .  Tell Inday, Margie sent you. 

If you need more details I collected several "Discover Anda" brochures from the local Municipal office which I am willing to share with anyone who are interested. 

FYI. Market day is every Tuesday only.

PETA= PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
Link:  http://www.peta.org/

NO! I can't. I won't. I'm puking right now.

hmmmm!

 The best scenario is Hillary and Obama in one ticket. 

Voted last year, 2007. Here's the new 7 Wonders of the World.



Link:  http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/results/

FYI.. I've been to Chichen Itza, Mexico and Colosseum, Italy.

You are right, graczie7y. Add taxes to it will be more expensive than people really realize.  Sometimes taxes/fees are higher than the fares itself especially those 99.00 or 98.00 Pesos promo.

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

It's delicious! Remembering my Mom's cooking. Pero mahadlok ko mo kaon ug lain magluto kay basin dili hinlo.

“Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles”   James D. Watson

I believe in God's creation.

Beautiful, Ms orChids ... additing more beautiful children?

Quote from: orChids on February 27, 2008, 01:30:34 PM
Nice picture Miss M.Thanks for sharing.How are you?

Hello there Ms A.  I am doing well, thanks. Did you see my message in our Yahoo! Group?

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France.

Link:  http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/-Francais-

Walked up to the very top, scary, but I loved it!

Quote from: grazie7y on January 22, 2008, 11:27:30 PM
My Uncle, we endearingly call him Manoy Pael, died about 9:30 p.m. Philippine time.  He was my mother's elder brother.  We had him live with my family so he can be taken cared of after he was so sick two years ago.  Last year, he was also in the hospital due to severe asthma attack and then some.  He recovered well until the other day when he was having breathing problem again.  He refused to be brought to the hospital and tonight, he passed away. 

I asked for your prayer for the eternal repose of the soul of Manoy Pael.

Manoy Pael, may you rest in peace in heaven...

Condolences to you and your family.

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!

Quote from: LanggamTamsi2 on February 26, 2008, 09:23:26 AM
hey kapoy oy, wa may nanombaling sa akng pangutana.. MArg tubaga ko msdagat ba ka karon. Didto ko cbu wasn't long ago . My contribution for the scholarship wasn't deposit bcoz of some reason, Bank de oro kono gipalit ang PCIBank so nahadlok kung moapdayon ug deposit kay basin nausab ang acount #, TUa akong gibilin sa akong sinaligan naghuwat to sa akong dcsion kon ibalik bag dep sa akong bank acount, So gipahold una nako kay mangutana pa ko nimo. PLease TUBAGA KO. Suroy ko sa anda org. usab napod kog registered ang labas dissapointed hinoon kay wa may PW nga niabot huh. Undang nako oy ako nalang tong idonate sa lain ang akonng gibilin.

Hi LanggamTamsi2, 

Andabohol.org wala pod ni response sa akong registration.  Ambot lang kong ngano.  Sorry.
It's okay to send your donation to PCIBank/Bank de Oro bank, nothing has changed.

Here's our scholarship link: 

http://andascholarsprogram.blogspot.com/

and

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andaboholorg/messages

hi glen, gi laway nalang ko da nag hunahuna sa manga hilaw ituslo sa suka. 

 

thanks. hilaw manga lami e tuslob sa ginamos.

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. 

Bohol's best ...!

Robin Williams was really good in this movie. Sadly, this is a true story.