MikeLigalig.com

Uwat Nga Wala Masuwat
sinulat ni Michael Ligalig

Misarasay ang pinitik ning dughan
sa dihang nakita ko ang imong kamot
nga gituy-od ug gidawat sa laing kamot
ug daw imong gitingal ang imong kamot
sa mga ngabil nga naghigwaos
            sa imong katahom

Buot kong motimbakuwas sa akong gilingkuran
ug labnihon ang imong bukton aron mahunong ang pagdailos
sa inyong pahiyom nga daw mikatay sa tumoy
            sa inyong mga tudlo

Ania na usab ako daw gimino sa lubnganan sa akong mga damgo
Wala ko pa gani makita ang imong panagway sanglit
anaa ako sa imong likod apan giisip ko na
            ikaw mao siya

Sa kanhi kong gitagong pagsalimuang tungod kanimo (aduna pa ba?)
buot kong masayod kung nagtanggil na ba ug singsing imong tudlo
kay kung aduna man, silotan ko ang akong kaugalingon
tungod sa akong katalawan nga moluhod
            sa imong tiilan

Ah, kining balak nga way hinungdan angay nang undangon
Dili ba miingon man ako nga dili na magsulat ug mga balak
alang niadtong babaye nga nagbiay-biay kaniadto
            sa akong pagbati?

Ang balak matawo gihapon diay kini pag-usab bisan
            wala nay kinabuhi

bisan ug patay na ang sinugdanan ug kataposan
kay lagi aduna pa may mahibiling
            uwat nga wala masuwat

By Doris Dumlao
PDI

San Miguel Corp. raised on Thursday P19.3 billion from the sale of an initial 14-percent stake in flagship subsidiary San Miguel Brewery Inc. to Japan's second-largest brewery Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd.

San Miguel disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange it has sold 2.185 billion shares to Kirin at P8.841 per share. This represented the first tranche of a 43.23 percent block in SMB -- equivalent to about 6.66 billion shares -- that parent San Miguel had committed to sell to the Japanese brewer at the same price per share.

Kirin also bought 778.84 million shares from the public as part of a required tender offering at the same price per share. The payment of the rest of the shares to be bought from San Miguel is expected to be completed not later than May 29.

San Miguel will generate a total of P58.9 billion when it has unloaded a total of 43.23 percent of its stake in San Miguel Brewery to Kirin. At the end of the transaction, Kirin will have a total of 48.3 percent interest in SMB, including the shares bought from minority shareholders.

On the other hand, San Miguel itself will retain control of 51 percent of SMB, thus remaining as the single biggest voting block in the brewery, which produces and markets San Miguel Pale Pilsen, Red Horse, San Mig Light and five other affiliated brands.

I think GEC is going to postpone his plan to reveal his true identity. Maybe until next May 1? He miscalculated the numbers in his calendar.

Ang Fiesta Kaniadto ug Karon
sinulat ni Michael Ligalig (published by the Bohol Standard)

Unsay kalainan? Daghan. Pananglitan, kaniadto matag fiesta sa among baryo sa Anda, daghan kaajong manguli gikan sa nagkalain-laing suok sa Pilipinas ug sa lain-laing nasud. Kadtong mga nakabana ug foreigner, seguradong maoy mobangka sa mga kalingawan sa baryo.

Labihang biboha inig magsunod-sunod na ug hunong ang mga sakyanan nga gipakyaw gikan sa pantalan sa Jagna o kaha sa Tagbilaran.

Niadtong bata pa mi, mag-atong mi aning manguli gikan sa Manila kay lagi dili man gyud mawala ang gasa nga linatang biscuit. Kaijahon kay mga bata pa lagi mi ug tagaw ug biscuit, maghugop mi ug panagan paingon sa balay nga may bag-ong miabot gikan sa Mindanao o kaha Manila.

Ako kaniadto, dili lang biscuit akong atangan, ang mga kinarton-karton nga komiks gikan sa Manila mao nay akong lubgan ug basa sauna.

Karon? Bisan mobalik pa ko pagkabata (17 Again movie) wa nay hugopan ug alirongan nga linatang biscuit kay wala na may manguli panahon sa fiesta. Labihang mingawa na. Matod pa sa mga karaan “mingaw pa’s tirana.” Asa naman diay tong nanglangyaw? Nganong dili naman sila manguli sa Bohol panahon sa fiesta?

Tulo ka katorangan nga posibleng atong makat-onan. Ang una mao ang padayon nga pagsaka sa pletehan sa barko. Daghan pang wa kahibalo nga karon mas barato pa kaayo ang pagsakay ug eroplano kay sa pagsakay ug barko. Salamat sa Cebu Pacific ug karon Zestair kay wala nay monopoly sa PAL diha sa kahanginan. Paubosay na sa presyo ang uso karon. Apan diha sa barko, walay os-os ang plete, puro saka.

Ang ikaduha nga katarongan mao ang pagkunhod sa pagbati sa kamingaw sa mga nahilayo. Kaniadto man gud, mingaw gyud kaayo kay way cellphone. Magsalig lang gyud ta ug suwat-suwat nga ihulog sa Post Office, unya maghuwat pa ta ug pila ka semana anha moabot ang suwat. Usahay way suwat moabot kay gikoykoy sa Post Office una ang suwat ug gibalibag sa basorahan kay way gisip-it nga pakapin violet. Para nako, lami kaayo iuli sa baryo kay lagi usa ka katuig wala kadungog sa tingog sa imong mga minahal sa kinabuhi. Ang modern communication nato karon milabni ning maong kamingaw sa dughan.

Ang ikatulong katarongan mao nga wala napoy ayo ang mga kalingawan sa fiesta karon. Kini lagi pong uban nga tigdumala sa kapilya nga inig human sa miss-miss (koronasyon) ug nahuman na ug ihap sa sobre sa mga kandidata sa pagkarayna, di naman pud maghikutar nga mapanindot ang koronasyon. Daghan gung mga kadagkoan sa kapilya nga nakabalay tungod aning miss-miss (koronasyon). Dili ma ni panglibak, masubay ma ning estoryaha. Pwera sagpa lang.

Ang mga barangay official pud walay creativity sa pag-andam sa mga kalingawan. Unsa man konoy creativity anang puro disko panahon sa fiesta? Wa pa ko kadungog kon naay contest sa balak, pananglit. Puro banha ug aliwaros lang nang disko. Inig human ug fiesta daghang naburos kay inig human ug disko, didto man manghapit sa kasagingan. Dili man hinuon tanan. Ang uban kutob lang sa agbay-agbay.

Sa laing bahin, ang fiesta kaniadto daghang magtiyabaw nga baboy. Ang fiesta karon, sa ato nang gikaingon sa unahan, “mingaw pa’s tirana.” Wala nay iwik-iwik ang mga kabalayan.
Moingon nalang tong mga silingan namo “Paambita nalang ko ug usa ka kilo, utangon sa kay wa pa kapagaling.” Naa poy moingon nga “Maayo nalang ning usa ka kilong baboy para pud naay mantika molutaw sa sabaw sa utan.”

Timaan ba kini nga mas lisud ang panahon karon kay sa kaniadto? Kamo nay makasulti niana kay lagi lain-lain man ta ug kahimtang ug gigikanan nga dapit.

Kung akoy pasultihon sumala sa akong nasinati ug naobserbahan sa mga tawo sa among baryo ug silingang baryo, mas daghan ang naglisud karon kay sa kaniadto ug hinungdan nga dili na enteresado nga mag-andam ug pagkaon panahon sa fiesta.

Sa laing bahin usab, sauna pa ko dili moangay aning fiesta kay gawas nga dili ni siya biblical ug walay spiritual value sa mga tao, nahimo naman hinuon ning fiesta nga oportunidad sa mga buhat nga salawayon.

Panahon sa fiesta, daghang hubog, daghang asawa makulatahan sa bana kay lagi hubog. Ug kay lagi hubog, daghang magsinumbagay ug diha nay daghang nadunggaban.

Mao nay giingon sa mga karaan: “Budlay na estoryahon.”

Basta fiesta, daghan gubot. Imbis hinuon magsimba ug mag-ampo, tua ang mga tawo nagyampungad sa inom, sugal, ug uban pang kahilayan.

Sa way pabor-pabor, daghang gwapa sa Bohol, and they are my top ten beauties.

sa top 10 ni Bran Lucino, pasayloun unta kining matang makasasala kay matod pa lagi sa usa ka magbabalak "When you see a beautiful woman (was it naked body?), you've seen a portion of eternity."

dear ___,

kung wala lang unta ko nimo gisagpa atong first kiss unta nato, tingali uyab pa ta karon o kaha naa na tay grade 1 ug kindergarten.

all countries are the same, vidz. but some are better than the others in some aspects but not in all aspects.

at least sa ato, wa pa ta ka-experience ug naay magwild nga mamusil in public.

there are pros and cons sa kada lugar. if money ang hisgutan, philippines is not the place. if beauty ang hisgutan, philippines is the place.

walay makalabaw sa pinay magmahal.

sa akong analysis, Vidz, the worst is yet to come. the political situation has not improved since 2006 when Thaksin was removed from power by a coup. December last year, protesters succeeded in shutting down one of the world's busiest airports causing billions of baht losses and plunging Thai economy into deeper uncertainties.

since 2006 when i first arrived in thailand, i have been a keen observer of Thai's political atmosphere, reading news stories on a daily basis and absorbing comments from foreign observers who have interest in Thailand political and economic affairs.

according to political scientists based in thailand and abroad, the worst is yet to come. and i agree.

Vidz, sayang gyud. Wala man ka magpahibalo nako. Karon, back to the Philippines nako. My student visa in Thailand will expire in June. Im not returning to Thailand sa kay dili pa maayo ang political landscape sa country.

Tawi-tawi. Kay ganahan ko mag-inusara sa usa ka isla ug magsulat ug daghang mga balak.

Hi Steve and all of Martin's friends, I hope you all could provide tips and leads to the British authorities that will lead to the arrest of the mastermind of Martin's killing whoever he/she is.

My heart reaches out to Martin's family and to all his friends during this difficult time of grief.

And I pray to the Lord Jesus for justice to be served in His time.

When truth still hurts, we have not seen it all...

I really need help.

Please email me at info@mikeligalig.com

If you know of anyone (Filipino or American or any national) living in the mentioned place, please let me know by sending me an email.

Thank you.

Father God in heaven, Lord of mercy and compassion and of justice and of righteousness, in Jesus name, we pray that you look upon this raped and tortured woman with your tender mercy and help her out, oh God of the heavens, that the perpetrators of this crime may receive the fullness of your justice, for you, oh God, is a lover of righteousness and you hate evil and wickedness. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Hi Manay Tess. I did not know about this death news. Thanks Grace for informing us.

Please accept my deepest condolences. The death of a loved one will surely create a vacuum in your heart. But let the memories of your father-in-law give you something to hold on for eternity.

Also, remember what the Lord Jesus Christ said that those who believe in Jesus Christ will be resurrected in the last days.

I really hope the British Embassy in Manila would be able to gather strong evidences to pin down the suspect of Martin's murder.

As I was reading this thread, I feel that some of my questions surrounding the death of Martin have been answered.

May God dispense His justice on earth!

my favorite line: "hinagoros sa imong gininhawa" What a seductive poem! Kudos to Glacier...

A gunman barged into a North Carolina nursing home Sunday morning and started "shooting everything," going room to room in a terrifying rampage that killed seven residents â€" most in their late 80s â€" and a nurse who cared for them.

Authorities said Robert Stewart also wounded three others, including the Carthage police officer who confronted him in a hallway of Pinelake Health and Rehab and stopped the brutal attack. Officials said the massacre could have been bloodier if the officer had not managed to subdue Stewart.

"He acted in nothing short of a heroic way today, and but for his actions, we certainly could have had a worse tragedy," said Moore County District Attorney Maureen Krueger. "We had an officer, a well-trained officer, who performed his job the way he was supposed to and prevented this from getting even worse than it is now."

By late Sunday afternoon, Krueger had charged Stewart, 45, of Moore County, with eight counts of first-degree murder and a single charge of felony assault of a law enforcement officer. Authorities offered few other details, allowing only that Stewart was not a patient or an employee at the nursing home and isn't believed to be related to any of the victims.

Authorities said they would release more information at a news conference Monday morning.

"I don't know if the emotion entirely has set in," said Police Chief Chris McKenzie, a Carthage native who said nothing in his nearly 20-year law enforcement career compared to Sunday's slaughter. "It's a small community built on faith, and faith will get us through." - Associated Press

The French composer, Maurice Ravel may have left a hidden message - a woman's name - inside his work.

A sequence of three notes occurring repeatedly through his work spells out the name of a famous Parisian socialite says Ravel expert David Lamaze.

He argues that the notes, E, B, A in musical notation, or "Mi-Si-La" in the French doh-re-mi scale, refer to Misia Sert, a close friend of Ravel's.

Well known in art circles, she was painted by Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Ravel never married, but Misia was married three times. Ravel composed some of his work while staying on a boat belonging to Misia and her second husband.

"It has never been done before. To take one person and to place them at the centre of a life-long work," says Professor Lamaze of the Conservatoire de Rennes, who is working on a book about Ravel and Misia. - BBC

Muslim rebels and the army have fought an eight-hour battle in the southern Philippines, leaving 20 insurgents and seven soldiers dead, the military says.

Lt Col Jonathan Ponce said the army attacked rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to stop them from ransacking nearby villages.

The MILF blamed the army for the battle, on Mindanao island.

Hundreds have died and many thousands have been displaced on Mindanao since August, when peace talks foundered.

The MILF, the largest of the country's numerous separatist groups, has been fighting for an independent homeland for decades.

'Creating confusion'

Lt Col Ponce described a long and bloody battle with a group of 80 rebels in Maguindanao province.

"Some bodies were hanging on treetops. They got hit by our artillery shelling. But we lost seven men and five were also wounded," he said. - BBC

Thousands of people have been asked to evacuate their homes in the US Midwest, as the swollen Red River reaches its highest levels for 112 years.

Rising waters have breached a dyke in Fargo, North Dakota, where about 400 people have already left their homes.

And officials in neighbouring Moorhead want 2,660 homes there to be evacuated.

Nancy Ward, acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been dispatched to Fargo. The river is due to reach its highest level later.

On Friday the river swelled to previously unseen heights - surpassing the record of 40.1ft (12.2m) set in 1897 in Fargo. - BBC

Millions of people worldwide are being urged off lights for an hour, in what is described as the biggest climate change protest ever attempted.

The initiative, Earth Hour, was begun in Sydney two years ago by green campaigners keen to cut energy use.

Correspondents say the aim is to create a huge wave of public pressure to influence a meeting in Copenhagen later this year to seek a new climate treaty.

Critics describe the event as a symbolic and meaningless gesture.

The switch-off is expected to take place in more than 3,400 towns and cities across 88 countries, at 2030 in each local time zone.

Earth Hour was launched in 2007 as a solo event in Sydney, Australia, with more than two million people involved. Last year's event claimed the participation of 370 cities.  - BBC

Drinking steaming hot tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal (food tube) cancer, Iranian scientists have found.

The British Medical Journal study found that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk.

Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations.

Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.

The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Oesophagus cancers kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the commonest type.

Tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America nations. - BBC

Japan says it is deploying missile interceptors to destroy any parts of a North Korean rocket that might fall on its territory.

North Korea has said it will launch a satellite into orbit next month.

South Korea, Japan and the US say the launch is cover for a test of the Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.

The US said a launch would violate UN Security Council resolutions. Russia said North Korea should "abstain" from testing any missiles.

'Assure safety'

Japan's Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada issued the orders to mobilise Japan's missile defence shield after a meeting with Prime Minister Taro Aso and cabinet ministers.

"We will do our best to handle any flying object from North Korea in order to assure the Japanese people's safety and security," said Mr Hamada. - BBC

The name of Bohol no longer gives us a feeling of security. This is not an isolated case. Criminals have the temerity and proclivity to pursue their evil plans because they know that there is a way out, and that they can run and hide safely somewhere else.

May the Lord Jesus Christ send His justice to our land.

Datu Dagohoy, paki-exempt nalang ko kay busy pa ko. In other words, pass.

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

Congressional Republicans on Sunday predicted a doomsday scenario of crushing debt and eventual federal bankruptcy if President Barack Obama's massive spending blueprint wins passage.

But a White House adviser dismissed the negative assessments, saying she is "incredibly confident" that the president's policies will "do the job" for the economy.

In a TV interview, Obama himself laughed when discussing the dire state of parts of the economy â€" and ascribed his laughter to "gallows humor."

White House Council of Economic Advisers chairwoman Christina Romer insisted that the nation's flailing economy will be rebounding by 2010.

Associated Press

Michael Jordan celebrated another Chicago basketball championship - his son's.

Marcus Jordan, son of the Bulls' six-time champion, scored a game-high 19 points to lead Chicago Whitney Young to a 69-66 victory over Waukegan in the Illinois Class 4A championship Saturday.

As Marcus Jordan and his teammates celebrated on the court after the final buzzer, Michael Jordan stood quietly, clapping his hands with tears in his eyes.

"Crying?" the NBA great said in response to a reporter's question. "I'm not crying. Not for me, anyway."

The younger Jordan was key down the stretch after two teammates fouled out, hitting four of four free throws in the final 3 minutes to seal the victory.

"Awesome," Marcus Jordan said. "Just awesome."

Tinuod na Rald. Lahi ra ang impact sa Bisaya kung imo gyung mayarok ang kinatibuk-ang dugos niini.

Bran, sooner you will be a master of the Bisayan language. Keep on exploring new words of your native land's tongue.

Nasabtan ko ang imong gibati, Gie, sanglit milabang na usab ako sa susamang pagbati. Kagahapon nagdamgo usab ako sa akong Papa.

my favorite lines:

"giagni sa katulugon"

"nilanog sa langit imong katawa"

this is a snapshot of a life's epiphany.

Sorry to hear of your life's ordeal, Angie. Ang matag usa kanato adunay kuros nga gipas-an. Dili ta mohunong sa pagpangaliya sa Ginoo nga tabangan ta nga makaabot sa unahan sa kinabuhi.

"diha sa sam-ang sa imong kasing-kasing" - a perfect line. a very profound poem, taking humor seriously.

Mamuot man sab ta aning balaka. Very contemporary. Tugob sa kahulogan sa karon nga panghitabo ug teknolohiya.

Thanks for Sharing, Glace!

A plane has crashed in the northern US state of Montana, killing 17 people, aviation officials say.

A witness said the light aircraft crashed in a cemetery as it approached the airport in the town of Butte.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said several children were among the 17 people killed.

The pilot was flying from Oroville, California, when he diverted to Butte, the FAA said. He tried to land but crashed 500ft (150m) from the airport.

The plane crashed in a cemetery close to the airport in cloudy weather conditions, Nick Dipasquale, who works at a nearby convenience store, told the BBC. -  BBC

Hi Bran, I'll see what I can do with voice recording for this poem.

Believe it or not, this is how bad the economy is. Ken Karpman went from making $750000 a year to $7.29 an hour. Click the link below.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12582289&ch=4226720&src=news

nangita pa ug ensaktong pundo aron malibro ang tanan kong mga balak, Zel...

Quote from: glacier_71 on March 21, 2009, 07:38:38 AM
Lami Ang Wine?
(ni glacier_71)

One of the most explosives, soul-shattering poems I've read this year... How can I forget this poem?

Ug Imong Gipatay Ang Akong Mga Balak
sinulat ni Mike Ligalig
circa March 22, 2009 (Bangkok, Thailand)

ug imong gigisi ang akong mga balak
gikunis-kunis sama sa imong pagkunis-kunis
sa napikas ug samaran kong kasingkasing
ug imong gilabay ang nagutad-gutad nga papel
sa daplin sa dalan. kinsa kahay mopunit
sa nagbakho nga mga papel?
ang mga papel nagpatulo sa ilang mga luha
kay dili naman nila masud-ong ang akong mga mata
ang mga mata nga saksi sa pagkahimugso sa pulong
dili na nila mahikap ang akong handurawan
ang handurawan nga sabakan sa binhi sa mga damgo
sanglit imo namang gikutlo ang ilang kinabuhi
mahimo nga tunob-tunoban lang sa dalan
ang mga papel, yatak-yatakan sa kainit
ug katugnaw, tamparoson sa kahayag ug kangitngit
mahimo nga mabilanggo sila sa mangiob nga kalibutan
mahimo nga bas-on ug galingon sila sa makina
ug tiunay nang mapapas ang mga letra
nga naghulagway sa kakahoyan sa akong kalag

madugta ug mahanaw man ang mga papel
apan dili ang mga handumanan nga nakulit
sa mga gutlo sa kamingaw ug pag-inusara
masunog ug maabo man ang mga papel
apan dili ang mga tinagong pulong
nga gihung-hong sa akong mga tudlo

bisan pa ug apilon mo ako pagsunog
bisan pa ug apilon mo ako pagkunis-kunis
bisan pa ug apilon mo ako pagpikas-pikas
bisan pa ug apilon mo ako paglabay
bisan pa ug apilon mo ako pagsalikway

dili mouban ang akong mga balak sa akong kamatayon

Swing, swing... duyan-duyan, kung sa ato pa...

For details, please download the PDF file in this link: http://jgsummit.net/docs/gbf-china/gbf-csp-faq.pdf

By Sheila Crisostomo
The Philippine Star

Sen. Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile has filed Senate Bill 3075 that seeks to regulate herbal medicine and food or dietary supplements that have been flooding the country’s markets.

“While it is necessary to encourage the use of alternative medicine as well as the development of herbal and food supplements in line with our traditional medical practices, it is also imperative to protect the consumers and the public from possible health hazards,” Enrile said in his bill.

He said these products are currently not required to undergo testing by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

He also noted that there is no law or agency that regulates these food supplements, although random testing had shown that some of them actually contain chemical products and other drugs that are not clearly indicated on their labels.

“If left unchecked and unregulated, these alternative remedies may pose serious threats and cause dire medical consequences to public health,” Enrile added.

The veteran lawmaker’s bill seeks to “establish standards for and adopt measures to regulate the manufacture, importation, marketing/promotion and distribution of herbal medicine and food or dietary supplements to protect the consuming public against unscrupulous manufacturers, importers and distributors of the same.”

By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star

The Senate committee on energy will look into the proposal to partially regulate the oil industry that may require the government â€" through the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) â€" to set fuel pump prices.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, committee chairman, said he would verify if the proposal at the House of Representatives would meet two objectives: to have a steady supply of oil and reasonable prices.

“If that proposal in the House will address or respond to these objectives, the Senate committee on energy through the JCPC (Joint Congressional Power Commission), which I co-chair with (Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel) Mikey Arroyo, will support that,” Honasan said.

A “hybrid” regulation system was already proposed at the House, which could give the ERC the power to dictate pump prices.

Honasan said his committee and the JCPC have asked the ERC and the Department of Energy to submit the necessary documents to check whether the agencies have been religiously implementing the laws to safeguard oil consumers and assess if the oil deregulation measure would really have to be revisited.

By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star

Malacañang ignored yesterday the request of former Zamboanga del Norte lawmaker Romeo Jalosjos for President Arroyo to grant him absolute pardon so he could vote and run in next year’s elections.

Speaking to reporters, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Jalosjos is free to express his desire to be granted absolute pardon, but whether Mrs. Arroyo would grant it is another matter.

“He (Jalosjos) is entitled to his inclinations now that he’s out of jail,” he said.

“But whether the President pardons him or not is an entirely different matter.”

Speaking to reporters after his release, Jalosjos said he has appealed to Mrs. Arroyo to grant him absolute pardon so he could vote again.

“If I have to beg Malacañang so that I will be able to vote, then I will do that,” he said. “When I was imprisoned, I lost all my political rights. If I will be given absolute pardon, these rights will then be restored.

“I am a changed man. I see many things differently now. I now understand the sentiments of the inmates. I sympathize with them and their plight.

“I have more patience now unlike before. I thank God that he still retained my physical strength after all these years of being detained, and because of this, I will still be able to help those who I will leave inside.”

‘Jalosjos can still run’

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal debunked yesterday the claims of Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that Jalosjos could no longer run for office.

However, Macalintal said Jalosjos would have to wait for a certain period after his release before he could get back his right to vote.

“He has to wait for five years if he runs for national position or two years for local elective post,” he said.

“This is so because he was not given pardon but merely commutation of sentence.”

By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star

Malacañang yesterday said there is no reason for the government to be alarmed over the announcement of the Chinese government for increased patrols in the South China Sea amid renewed tensions over the disputed Spratly Islands.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the government is taking the Chinese government’s word that all its actions in the South China Sea are “non-belligerent.”

“We join China in its position that everyone concerned should abide by the code of conduct in the South China Sea,” Remonde told a news briefing, referring to the agreement forged between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regarding the claims over the Spratlys.

He said the Philippines does not feel insecure that it has a relatively weak military to enforce its claim over a portion of the Spratlys or the Kalayaan Island Group, unlike other claimants, like China, that have military muscle.

“We believe in this modern day and age there is equality among individual nations big or small under the international community of nations,” Remonde said.

There were reports that China will increase its patrols in the South China Sea to protect its interests following a recent confrontation with a US naval ship.

By Edu Punay 
The Philippine Star

Several investors of the troubled Legacy Group of Companies expressed willingness to forge a possible settlement on the criminal charges they filed against Legacy owner Celso de los Angeles and other company executives.

At least 12 Legacy investors, led by Francisco Obsenares who supposedly lost some P200 million, are open to a settlement, which could lead to the withdrawal of their complaint against De los Angeles and the other executives that victimized hundreds of investors and pre-need plan holders.

Aside from Obsenares, other complainants include: Ramon Suarez and Indian nationals Narain Ladharam, Sanjay Mahibubani, Haresh Vasandani, Haresh Manwani, Rocky Manwani, Shanker Ramchandani, Sita Ramchandani, Pran Ramchandani, Asha Shamdasani and Kamlesh Shamdashani.

“We cannot discount the possibility of a settlement. If there’s an offer and it is allowed by the (investigating) panel, that would still be money for them (clients). That can be explored,” said Joel Ferrer, lawyer of some of the victims.

Ferrer told reporters during the first hearing of the preliminary investigation of the Legacy case at the Department of Justice that his clients are not amenable to the reported offer of De los Angeles, who is also the incumbent mayor of Sto. Domingo, Albay, to plead guilty on the charges on condition that his family and other respondents would be dropped from the complaints as respondents.

By Delon Porcalla

Speaker Prospero Nograles yesterday said that telecommunications companies should shoulder Congress’ proposed 10-centavo additional fee for texting and not pass the burden to consumers.

“Being the so-called texting capital of the world, our people should be able to benefit from the billions of profits of our telcos,” he asserted, insisting that the current P1 per text rate “should be cheaper by 75 centavos.”

“In the first place, text services should not even be charged, being a value added service. And since our telcos are raking in so much profit from this service, we might as well ask them to give back to our people,” Nograles pointed out.

“Even if we charge a 10-centavo fee on every text sent, the telcos are still overcharging us by 65 cents per text,” the Speaker stressed. The estimated threshold amount of text is about 25 centavos but telcos charge an average of P1 per text on its non-promo rates.

Nograles has been calling on the country’s telecom giants â€" Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular â€" to practice social responsibility by setting aside some P200 million from profits from the approximately two billion text messages sent by Filipinos per day.

He said the 10-centavo fee for each text message can go a long way in funding the government’s health and educational programs, but stressed the amount should be taken from the regular cost being charged by mobile phone service providers.

To avoid questions on the disbursement of fees generated from text messages, Nograles suggested that the fund be “administered by a board composed of owners and telecom players.”

By Cecille Suerte Felipe
The Philippine Star

In what has so far been a man’s world, a woman has outsmarted 303 cadets in the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) by graduating valedictorian of batch 2009.

Cadette Roan Marie Dinlo Bascugin, 22, of Cavite topped the 304 graduates, who will be officially appointed by President Arroyo to the PNP, Bureau of Jail Management (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) during their graduation rites in Camp Castañeda in Silang, Cavite on March 26.

Bascugin is the first female cadet to graduate valedictorian since the PNPA schooling for future police officials became a four-year course in 2004.

PNP administrator Chief Superintendent Danilo Abarsoza told The STAR that Bascugin, of the PNPA Kaisang-Bisig Class of 2009, would be one of the 264 graduates to join the PNP.

Abarsoza said 25 PNPA graduates will join the BJMP and 15 will be assigned to BFP.

All the graduates will have ranks of inspector, equivalent to lieutenant in the military.

By Marvin Sy
The Philippine Star

Malacañang ordered yesterday the filing of charges against the “Alabang Boys” and the prosecutors who handled the controversial drug case.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said President Arroyo has ordered the filing of criminal charges against Jorge Joseph, Joseph Tecson, and Richard Brodett, otherwise known as the Alabang Boys.

Mrs. Arroyo overturned the Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution dropping the charges against the suspects based on the recommendation of state prosecutors.

“Consequently, the Secretary of Justice is ordered to immediately file the necessary criminal information against the said respondents in the appropriate court,” Remonde said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo has tasked the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to file administrative charges against the state prosecutors who recommended the dismissal.

Two of the state prosecutors implicated in the charges â€" Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño and Senior State Prosecutor Philip Kimpo â€" have denied they were negligent in handling the drug case.

By Perseus Echeminada 
The Philippine Star

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) announced yesterday that a lucky resident from Batangas City won the P85,153,057.20 jackpot of the 6/49 Super Lotto online lottery draw last Thursday night.

Conrado Zabella, PCSO assistant general manager, said the ticket that hit the winning combination of 32, 18, 15, 28, 2, 3 was bought at the SM lotto outlet in Batangas City.

“The winner played the system 7 game, which means that he picked seven numbers for the six-digit combination,” he said.

Larry Cedro, PCSO spokesman, said the lucky player is the 157th member of the so-called Super Lotto millionaires club who have won the jackpot, ranging from P8 million to P347 million, the biggest lotto jackpot that was drawn last month.

Two lucky players from the cities of Caloocan and Pasig shared the biggest jackpot prize. A 50-year-old woman from Caloocan has claimed her P173 million share of the jackpot, but the Pasig winner has not yet collected the prize.

By the Philippine Star

“Businesses need to evolve and move with changing environments in order to thrive and flourish,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman of Globe Telecom, at the launching of the TGN-Intra Asia cable system this week.

“It is imperative to remain relevant with consumer trends, constantly improve performance and efficiency, and move in step with the latest technologies. For these reasons, the search for new solutions to bring businesses to the next level should be at the core of every telecom company’s agenda,” he said.

With the Tata Global Network-Intra Asia cable system (TGN-IA), Globe aims to give its customers faster connectivity, reliable and uninterrupted connections and real-time access to information.

Globe opens more international capacity and better connectivity to businesses in the Philippines with its link to the TGN-IA, which is owned and operated by Tata Communications.

The Philippines-Japan segment of the TGN-Intra Asia cable system, the fourth cable landing station in the country, was completed last December.

With this development, Globe Business is ready to provide large corporations with an alternative access around Asia and a more direct route to the US offering better connections.

The TGN-IA cable system, when combined with Tata Global Networks TIC and Pacific Cable Systems, will complete Tata Communications’ multi-terabit capability from India to Asia and onwards to the United States.

“The TGN-IA is a 6,700-kilometer, multi-terabit cable system connecting Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, as well as Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Gerardo Ablaza, Globe president and CEO.

“It has onward connectivity to the United States via the associated TGN-Pacific cable system. Globe’s initial capacity of five wavelengths (50 Gbps) on TGN-IA would almost double the aggregate capacity of all the major cable systems going into the Philippines today,” he said. - Philippine Star

Kung Mahigugma Ka Ayaw Na Paghulat Ug Ugma
sinulat ni Mike Ligalig

kung mahigugma ka ayaw na paghulat ug ugma
kay ang karon walay ugma, ang ugma way karon
ug inig-kaugma mahimong wa nay laing ugma
ug kung aduna may laing ugma, ang karon
mahimo nalang tipaka sa mapait nga kagahapon
ug basin magmahay ka sa paglabay sa panahon
sanglit ang tinigom nga mga luha ug panghupaw
dili man mopabalik sa milabay nga mga takna

kung mahigugma ka ayaw na paghulat ug ugma
kay dili imo ang ugma, mahimong di maangkon
kung maghulat ka niini, mahimong di moabot
ug makawang ang imong pahiyom diha sa bintana
samtang ikaw nagsud-ong sa mga panganod
nangandoy sa mga buktong mapinanggaon
sa kasing-kasing nga masinaboton
ug unya, mahadlok ka sa hikap sa karon ug ugma

Belle, my heart was aching when I traveled to Sulu from Basilan. You'd see hundreds of uninhabited islands of pure white sand. There are thousands of dolphins around these islands. In Sulu, the rich and elite in Manila own some of these islands and made them inaccessible to the public.

Talking about Caribbean and Bahamas? Look no farther. The Tawi-tawi, Sulu and Basilan group of islands, more than 600 of them, represent the best of Asia. But no one goes there, and the ARMM government is a big failure.

Company Profile of Zestair. The website is www.zestair.com.ph

In 2008, a series of corporate activities gave birth to Zest Air. Firstly, on March 26, AMY Holdings Corporation (AHC) acquired 99.6 percent of Asian Spirit Inc., Seeing the opportunity for growth, the new owners felt that the only way to enhance its profitability was by infusing new capital, re-fleeting, altering management style and innovating marketing strategies. Seven months later Zest Airways orange and green colors flew the Philippine skies, making way for a bigger and better airline. With acquisition of seven new aircraft, Zest Air successfully flies to 18 Philippine destinations. Eventually, Zest Air will take its ever-growing clientele to exciting destinations in Southeast Asia.

Download flight schedule through this link: http://www.zestair.com.ph/downloads/flight_schedule.pdf

Download fare rate through this link: http://www.zestair.com.ph/downloads/fare_table.pdf

Belle, this is just one of the hundreds of islands in Tawi-tawi province. I once visited Basilan and Sulu islands, two neighbors of Tawi-tawi, and I learned that these islands are wasted paradise.

Mike is oblivious of the comforting beauty that tries to encapsulate his enchanted eyes...

glacier, nalingaw ko nagbasa sa imong balak. mahinuklog pud ta ani. ang imong balak tugob sa kahulogan nga nagyubit sa kalibutan sa Tubag Bohol ug kanatong mga Bol-anon.

Most defragmentation tools only let you defrag the whole drive. Defraggler gives you the power to select individual files and folders to defrag. So you can get the job done in seconds, rather than waiting for the whole drive to complete. Of course if you want to defrag the whole drive Defraggler will let you do that too.

Download Source: http://www.defraggler.com/

Filipino migrant groups in New Zealand have launched online petitions calling on the Wellington government to review a new ruling that automatically denies registration to Filipino nurses who obtained their degrees in the Philippines in less than four years.

The petitions, launched by Philippine Nurses Speak Out! (PNSO), call on the Nursing Council of New Zealand to give Filipino nurses a fairer assessment, saying some of them graduate early because this is their second college course.

According to Ruby Lat of PNSO, Filipino “second courser” nurses include those who obtain degrees in Biology, Psychology, Dentistry, Medicine and other allied courses before taking up Nursing, thus they already had earned credits and are able to graduate in less than four years.

One petition (http://www.ipetitions.com/ petition/philnursespeakout) is for the affected nurses, while the other (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supportphilnursespeakout/) is for supporters of their cause.

According to Philippine Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano, there are about 50 nurses overstaying in New Zealand after their applications were rejected.

Children fathered by older men are likely to be less intelligent than the offspring of younger dads, Australian and US scientists found in a report published Tuesday.

The research contrasted sharply with earlier studies showing that older mothers produced children more likely to record above average intelligence scores, the researchers concluded.

Lead scientist John McGrath, from the Brisbane-based Queensland Brain Institute, said the result was a world first and had implications for men in Western societies who have delayed fatherhood until their 40s or older.

"The offspring of older fathers show subtle impairments on tests of neurocognitive ability during infancy and childhood," he said in the new research. - source: Agence France-Presse

Glace, nag-agik-ik ko ug katawa nagbasa sa imong balak. Hinukad gyud gikan sa imong kahiladman ang mga pulong nga imong gitagik.

Dawata ang akong kinasing-kasing nga pasalamat sa imong pakigtubay kanato dinhi sa Tubag Bohol, diha sa atong pagpanikaysikay sa langyaw nga kanasoran sa paglaum nga makab-ot ang gidamgong tingusbawan - ug anaa ang mga higala nga wala pa makita kansa nakigduyog diha sa atong mga pangindahay samtang nahilayo sa mga minahal sa kinabuhi ug sa yutang natawhan.

There comes a time when you know deeply that you are now ready to face the pain, the pain that you've always wanted to suppress.

This pain is necessary.

Kung Buot Kang Mohilak Karon
sinulat ni Mike Ligalig

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw iluom ang imong gibati

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw sampongi ang bul-og sa imong mga luha

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw iutong ang aso sa imong dughan

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw pugong-pugongi ang imong pagminatay

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw ikaulaw ang lanog sa imong syagit

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw ikahinugon ang pagpuga sa tanan mong luha

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw paabota nga adunay mopahid sa imong mga luha

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw paabotang naay motunol nimo ug usa ka basong tubig

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw pagdahum adunay mopahulam nimo ug panyo

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw paghandum nga naay mohapohap sa imong abaga

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw hulata dunay mga pulong mohupay sa imong kasakit

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw na pangita ug suok nga imong katagoan

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw na pangita ug kalingkuran ug kasandigan

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw ikahibulong nga walay maminaw sa imong dangoyngoy

Kung buot kang mohilak karon, nan hilak karon
Ayaw tawag ni si bisan kinsa gawas sa imong Magbubuhat

Kung buot kang mohilak karon
Kung buot kang mohilak karon
Kung buot kang mohilak karon

Ayaw paabota ang ugma
Ayaw paabota ang gabii
Ayaw paabota ang buntag
Ayaw paabota ang kangitngit
Ayaw paabota ang kahayag

Karon ang adlaw sa pagbangotan

Karon ang adlaw sa imong kagawasan

thanks tita. usahay kung mahugno ang atong mga pangandoy sa kinabuhi, ang balak maoy mobangon sa atong nalarag nga pangindahay.

Tun-an Ko Ang Pag-inusara

tun-an ko ang pag-inusara
kalimtan ko ang kagahapon
kalimtan ko ang ugma
kalimtan ko ang karon

talikdan ko ang akong mga damgo
kay dili ko buot mahigmata
nga may luha ang akong mga mata
kalimtan ko ikaw akong damgo

dili ko buot nga may handumon ka
bahin kanako ug bahin sa atong sugilanon
isipa ang tanan nga walay sinugdanan
ug ayaw paabota ang sumpay...

tun-an ko ang pag-inusara
buot kong makaplagan pag-usab
ang akong kaugalingon kung kinsa ako
ug asa gyud ako padulong

kalimti ang akong ngalan
ug kalimti ang tanan mahitungod kanako
dili ako takos nga mopuyo
sa imong handurawan ug dughan

magpahilayo ako ug dili magpahibalo
kung asa ako ug ayaw ako pangitaa
kay ikaw ang nagtukmod kanako
nga mahanaw sa imong atubangan

gibuhat ko na ang tanan
apan kawang lang ang tanan
sanglit ang tanan wala may kapuslanan
ug imong giisip ako walay hinungdan

wala ka nay madungog nga pulong gikan kanako
kung duna kay pangutana, tubagon ko ikaw ug luha
kung duna kay ipamulong, dili ko na kini mabati
moipon na ako sa akong mga balak

tun-an ko ang pag-inusara, dili ko ikaw hikalimtan
apan hikalimti ako, ug kanlata sa imong dughan
ang atong kagahapon ug ilabay kini sa lawod
basin ang bunga sa atong gugma makakaplag niini sa hunasan

A US satellite to monitor global carbon dioxide emissions plummeted into the ocean near Antarctica Tuesday after failing to reach orbit, NASA said, calling it a major disappointment for climate science.

The satellite launched successfully from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Taurus XL rocket at 1:55 a.m. (0951 GMT), NASA said.

A fatal mission error occurred minutes after liftoff when the fairing, a clamshell-like nose cone intended to protect the satellite during its ascent, failed to separate properly.

"The initial indications show that the vehicle did not have enough lift to reach orbit and landed short of Antartica in the ocean," said John Brunschwyler, program director for the Taurus rocket at Orbital Sciences Corporation, the Virginia-based company that built it.

"Our whole team at a very personal level are disappointed, we are very upset with the results," he said, noting that 56 of 57 Taurus rockets have flown without any problems in the past decade. - PNA

A Turkish Airlines plane with 134 people aboard slammed into a field Wednesday while attempting to land at Amsterdam's main airport, killing nine people and injuring more than 50, the area's acting mayor said.

"At this moment there are nine victims to mourn and more than 50 injured," said Michel Bezuijen, acting mayor of Haarlemmermeer. He said there was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. - Yahoo and Associated Press

Police in New York say 17 students and their driver were taken to hospitals after a school bus collided with a truck on Long Island. None of the injuries is considered serious.

The wreck occurred around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Middle Island. The bus was from the Longwood School District. School district officials and the bus company haven't returned phone calls seeking comment.

Police say the students were involved in an after-school activity, but they are unsure what it was. The victims' names have not been released.

The front end of the truck was badly damaged, and many of the bus' windows were smashed. The truck driver also has been hospitalized. - Associated Press

The World's Most Beautiful Bed? source: Weburbanist

The Ring magazine, boxing’s acknowledged bible, has declared the bout between Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao and British superstar Ricky Hatton as a junior welterweight championship match.

“Hatton is The Ring champion, and as long as they both make weight, The Ring championship will be at stake,” the magazine’s editor in chief, Nigel Collins, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Pacquiao, The Ring’s top dog in the pound-for-pound class, held the magazine’s featherweight and junior lightweight belts in the past after defeating Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Hatton will defend his Ring belt along with the fringe International Boxing Organization (IBO) belt against Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. - Dennis Principe, PDI

A Swedish woman received the shock of a lifetime when she found $1.13 billion (â,¬883 million) more than expected in her bank account, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Cornelia Johansson discovered the windfall on Monday, after she logged on to her Internet bank to pay some bills, regional daily Goeteborgs-Posten said in its online edition.

"The balance was more than 10 billion kronor. It said the amount had been deposited as a correction for a credit card purchase," Johansson's boyfriend Daniel Hoeglund told the daily.

On Tuesday morning, the money was still credited to her account, but a few hours later it was gone, as mysteriously as it had arrived.

A press spokeswoman for Nordea bank, the largest bank in the Nordic region, later explained the mystery as "a technical mistake made by a company." - AFP

Dili na gyud diay ni mapugngan, Els? Glad to see you walk on the aisle.

This is abominable in the eyes of God.

Belle, all your images have been removed or deleted by Photobucket. I suggest you use Flickr.com.

I think this is the first Indian Movie that wins a Best Picture in Oscars.

Learn as much as you can about Human Growth Hormone and make your own decision about which way you want to go. No matter what age you begin taking HGH you will enjoy the results.
Click the link below to read more:
http://beautify.getthebestinfo.com/

A father died in an accident with a steam engine as he tried to retrieve his hat.

Michael Amette, 68, was a passenger on a trailer being pulled by the giant roller when the wind caught his beret.

He jumped off the trailer to grab it but smashed his head into one of the steam engine's rear wheels.

Paramedics took him to hospital where he died from his injuries.

The incident was witnessed by Mr Amette's daughter and grandchildren who were on the trailer with him.

The steam engine fanatic had been taking part in a Christmas road run on Saturday in Arlesey, near Letchworth in Bedfordshire.

Twelve steam engines and trailers, each carrying between eight and ten people, were making their way through the village at around 4-5mph when the accident happened.

Mr Amette's family said he had jumped from the trailer because he could not bear to be parted from the beret that he wore everywhere.

In a statement, the family said: "It is difficult for others to understand his motivation on the day but he was attempting to retrieve his much-loved beret. - Dailymail.co.uk

Heath Ledger has won the supporting-actor Academy Award for his demented take on Batman villain the Joker in "The Dark Knight," becoming only the second performer to win an Oscar posthumously.

Ledger's triumph comes 13 months after his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on Oscar nominations day last year.

His Oscar was accepted by his parents and sister.

Ledger joins 1976 best-actor winner Peter Finch of "Network" as the only other performer to win an Oscar after his death. - AP and Yahoo

Penelope Cruz won the supporting-actress Academy Award on Sunday for the Spanish romance "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," while the blockbuster robot romance "WALL-E" made off with the prize for feature-length animation.

Best-picture front-runner "Slumdog Millionaire" scored in its first category of the night, claiming the adapted-screenplay prize for Simon Beaufoy. The Harvey Milk film biography "Milk" won for original screenplay.

Cruz triumphed for her role as a tempestuous artist in the film written and directed by Woody Allen.

The win capped a big weekend for Cruz, fresh off her win Saturday for the same prize at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" features Cruz as an unstable Spaniard in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman.

"Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one," Cruz said, who went on with warm thanks to Allen. "Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written all these years some of the greatest characters for women."

Most bosses who spot a member of staff dressed inappropriately simply take them aside for a quiet word.

NHS bureaucrats, however, are taking a different approach.

They have produced an 8,000-word document telling experienced medical staff how to dress at work.

Within the 18-page dress code are instructions on wearing shoes with "low noise" heels and ensuring shoelaces match.

And just in case staff - everyone from doctors and nurses to porters - should totally lose their fashion sense, the report reminds them to make sure they are wearing socks at all times.

The document also contains lengthy instructions on appropriate hairstyles, including a ruling that hair can only be dyed in its natural colour.

Headscarves are acceptable but once again there are strict guidelines on how they should be worn - "at shoulder length, well secured and unadorned."

The dress code for The Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust in London is currently only in draft form.

But after it was distributedto staff within the trust, it was quickly branded as "soul-crushing, petty bureaucracy" by some employees.

They are angry that taxpayers' money is being spent on the report when a dress code already exists. Source: Dailymail

A passenger on a Fort Worth bus says the T. Bus Service discriminated against her religion.

Christine Lutz says she was reading her Bible to her children when the bus driver asked her to stop or get off the bus.

Lutz, a Seventh Day Adventist, and her children were on their way to church.

"She then said, 'Well I don't think this is the place or the time to do so.' And I said, 'Oh, but it's the perfect time and the perfect place since it is our Sabbath and it is the time with the Lord and therefore I'm going to continue.' And I continued," she explained.

Then, a TRE supervisor came on board. Lutz also told him that she would not stop reading. She and her family were escorted off the bus.

"This was definitely a clear cut case of persecution," she said. - Carol Cavazos, CBS

At four years old, she had never been able to say Mummy or Daddy.

Nor could Rose Willcocks tell her parents if she was hungry, tired or unwell after being left all but mute by an extremely unusual genetic condition.

But to her parents' astonishment, Rose has suddenly revealed she has a great deal to say for herself - but only to animals.

She began talking to cows during a stay at a farm which was part of her therapy. Her parents now say she turns into a chatterbox as soon as she is in the company of animals.

The discovery has given them hope of improving Rose's condition.

Her mother, Esme, 37, who has nicknamed her daughter Miss Dolittle after the fictional doctor who could talk to animals, said: "She began to vocalise with the cows. We had never heard Rose vocalise before and we were overjoyed."

Rose has a chromosome defect which has left her with a floppy voicebox and windpipe. She also has learning difficulties and autism.

Mrs Willcocks and husband Dave, 41, an IT administrator have another daughter, Ruby, two.

The family, from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, arranged a therapy placement for Rose and stayed at a farm.

"We went to see the cows," Mrs Willcocks said. "Suddenly, Rose perked up. I did a double-take as I struggled to take in what I was hearing. She wasn't actually saying words but there were no two ways about it - she was talking to a cow."

"There was something about animals that made Rosie connect. We could barely get her to make eye contact or moan or groan but here she was, chatting like an old friend to the cows and horses."

"Her affinity with animals amazes everyone. She changes from an introvert into a chatterbox." The family are planning to take Rose to the U.S. for therapy, involving swimming with dolphins, in the hope she will continue improving. - dailymail.co.uk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rdMUbiIdGQ

Pooh and Pookwang: Funny rendition of Aegis's song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnECADc_5ic

Authentic Filipino humor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4Hc-4onKdU

Gloria Arroyo, a spoof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyKIrNi4A_0

Bubble Gang Ad Spoof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJRpupqbtHs

An ad spoof in the Philippines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2FIVKAqXxE

The Coca-Cola Ad Spoof

By the Bohol Chronicle

Condemning the latest scandal befalling the provincial government's
P168-million bidding of a brand new fleet of heavy equipment, Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez yesterday said the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) "failed to comply" with key provisions of the procurement law.

Rising on a privileged speech during yesterday's session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), the lawmaker stressed the provincial government is "again put in a bad light due to the fact that the manner by which goods [are purchased] cannot face up to public scrutiny".

"Every transaction by the government, may it be P168 or P168-million, must pass public scrutiny and the probing eye of the Boholano," Lopez said.

Waving a copy of the Chronicle which bannered the alleged bid rigging last Sunday, Lopez said he is "shamed" by insinuations of corruption at the Capitol.

Lopez is the only member of the provincial board who is not a member of the Lakas-CMD-Kampi slate of Gov. Erico Aumentado and Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera.

According to Lopez, the bidding process conducted by the BAC practically indicated in the technical specifications of the equipment to be purchased "the description of preferred brands".

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle

Two Capitol officials found no improprieties in the conduct of bidding for P168-million worth of heavy equipment to be purchased by the provincial government.

Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Handel Lagunay conducted an assessment on how the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) carried out the procurement process upon orders issued by Gov. Erico Aumentado who earlier declared a war against corruption at the Capitol.

Said to be the biggest single purchase of heavy equipment in recent years, the bidding took the spotlight after a disenfranchised Japanese supplier filed protests to the BAC for allegedly giving “undue advantage to preferred suppliers”.

Meanwhile, during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) session last Tuesday, provincial Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez lashed out at the committee for its “failure to comply” with key provisions of the procurement law that again placed the provincial government “in a bad light due to the fact that the manner by which goods [are purchased] cannot face up to public scrutiny”.
However, Lagunay stressed there is “no basis to the allegation that the bidding for the P168-million heavy equipment is rigged”.

“The BAC followed the rules and procedures under RA 9184 (Government Procurement Law) and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR),” Lagunay said.

Speaking during the weekly radio program “The Governor Reports” on Friday, the provincial attorney recommended to the governor that the BAC should proceed as “there is no basis” to conclude that the bidding is a failure.

Lagunay also recommended that the protest filed by Japanese supplier Kowa Tsusho Ltd. be resolved first before the procurement contract is awarded to winning bidders.

Likewise, Provincial Administrator Atty. Tomas Abapo Jr. also believed that the BAC and its technical working group (TWG) “have done what is right and the bidding process had been done right since the start”.

Abapo recalled how he reminded BAC chair and General Services Officer Engr. Rosalindo Yu that “the bidding should be above board” considering the huge amount involved, and “there will be pressures along the way”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDj5nfpIWw

And the other McDonald's Ad. Spoof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rY8WFJc1Io

This one is truly funny. You know, Pinoys. Spoof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rihDHNrDw6g

The unforgettable PLDT Commercial in Philippine Television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpdVCHjJYPQ

The unforgettable McDonalds' Ad in the Philippines.

By the Bohol Chronicle

Police investigators still have no clue on perpetrators who pulled off a robbery in Tubigon Coke warehouse that killed a warehouse man and carted away hefty cash, said P03 Job Nuga in an interview yesterday.

But he confirmed that Camp Dagohoy has formed a probe team in the furtherance of the investigation. He said the team headed by P/Supt Abner Catalla and others from Camp Dagohoy PNP provincial office already kicked off the probe.

Also, Atty. Antonino Jumawid, part owner of the establishment said yesterday he could not say if it was an inside job since the investigation is still going on.

The soft drink warehouse Genesis Enterprises is owned by Jumawid family at Cabulihan. The robber took more than P350,000 cash, P68,000 worth of checks and N70 Nokia cell phone, according to the police spot report signed by police chief  P/Inspector Wayne Magbanua.

The report indicated that Justino Llorente, manager and Edilberto Camansi were held at gunpoint while counting the money in the morning of February 9, 2009 by a masked gun man wearing a black sweat shirt.

The gunman shot dead a warehouseman Franilo Bongcales, 27, single, of San Miguel town, who was hit on his head. The responding policemen brought Bongcales to nearby hospital immediately but to no avail.

The gunman fled on board of a motorcycle with no license plate number with the driver who also wore mask and sped away towards to Clarin town.

The Dumaguete city government and a foundation funded by the United States government will launch a six-month milk-feeding program for underweight and malnourished children.

Online news site Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported the program, which will cover at least 25 villages in the central Philippine city, is due for launching late this month.

The city government and the Land O'Lakes Foundation Philippines Inc. funded by the US government are the main proponents of the program.

Land O'Lakes country manager Qazi Yawar Naeem is expected to go to Dumaguete for the launching program, the report said.

Dumaguete City nutrition program coordinator Lourdes Taburaza said the program intends to help malnourished children in 25 out of 30 identified village in the city.

Expected to avail of the program are 701 pre-school children who were identified during "Operation Timbang" conducted by barangay nutrition scholars in September last year.

Also included as beneficiaries are 632 Grades 1 and 2 and selected Grade 3 pupils in 15 public elementary schools of the city.

They will receive one pack of fresh milk a day, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, or a total of 6,665 packs of fresh milk in six weeks.

Under the program, the city government will allocate P1 million for the project.

Late last year, 47 cows from New Zealand were shipped through Land O'Lakes for distribution to local government units in the Metro Dumaguete area. - GMANews.tv

By Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

Over the recent years, many public schools in the United States have preferred to recruit teachers from the Philippines for hard-to-fill posts.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, public schools in Alabama have always preferred to hire Filipino teachers because they always “seem to work out well."

“Our experience was that they were very, very good educators," said Tim Wilhite, a spokesman for the Baldwin County, Alabama Public Schools.

In Wilhite’s county alone, a dozen Filipino teachers were hired in 2007.

“If we had the need for additional teachers, and couldn't fill the positions locally, we’d consider recruiting from the Philippines again," he said.

Likewise, 16 Filipino teachers were recruited from the Philippines to teach mathematics, science and special education â€" where certified teachers are reportedly often hard to find â€" at the Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky.

The report said that recruiters from the Fayette schools went to the Philippines in late 2007 to interview several dozen job applicants â€" all of whom have had teaching experience in the country.

From that pool, they selected 16 to teach in Lexington schools for the school year 2008-2009. They are all working on visas sponsored by the county schools that will allow them to stay in the United States for up to three years.

Fayette County School Superintendent Stu Silberman also said that they have master’s degrees and are qualified to teach in Kentucky.

Shortage of American teachers

However, public school officials were quick to defend that they are hiring a lot of foreign teachers, specifically Filipinos, because there is a relatively small number of prospective graduates from US colleges with training in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects.

“We’ve had some very serious shortage areas where we just can’t find people in these particular certifications," said Silberman. - source: GMA News