MikeLigalig.com

That the Cebu intelligence operatives did not coordinate with the city PNP and the City Hall in the arrest was really a big question mark to me.

Having been chosen the most citizen-friendly Police Station in the Central Visayas by the regional offices of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2003, Provincial Supt. Edgardo Inking must have been deemed too friendly to act toughie on these outlaws, acting brazenly out of their official headquarters.

Leadership by example should start on the barangay level. If the barangay leaders we choose are honest and law-abiding, they could guide the grassroots in a bottom-top movement of responsible citizenship.

Glace,

What unexpected things can I learn from you?

XUHS Batch 81 mi ni Greg. Murag classmate naku na sya all the way sa high school. Australia na pud diay siya? Naa pud mi classmate didto si Rey Villegas.

Unsang hulagwaya ang familiar, kanang 24 years ago o kanang karon? Sauna maaan ra man ko Alfie Anido (kapal),  pero samtang gakasinaw atong agtang, may-ong na naku tanang upaw.

Quote from: BedoAdoSalada on May 16, 2009, 01:10:14 AM
Sa college?  Kamo ang second batch sa XU eng'g  ba?  Murag familiar kaayo imong dagway sir da.  hehe  Tua naman si Greg sa Australia.

Biya na kag CDO 'mine? Murag gubot na baya gamay ang CDO, grabe pud ang traffic ug gabaha pa no? Hinuon, mas maduol ka kay Bohol man inyong balhinan. Akong mga anak bitaw, nakatuyok na Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, No. 1 pa gihapon ang Bohol para nila.

Kanang Mangima Spring di ba didto na sa zigzag road? Simple ra man kaayo na sa una.

Quote from: lumine on May 16, 2009, 01:07:32 AM
naa mi cdo,beds, since dec 14, 2007 pa but our house is for sale na kay balhin mi bohol. mao pa lang gani pagpablessing,balhin na sad mi,huhuhu! that's why we are making use of the chance na maglaag-laag bukidnon,camiguin,etc pohon. ako i-research ang imo giingon na mangima spring. nagstart na sad ko research sa places to go to in davao.

Kung bottomless spending imong lifestyle, bisag unsa kadako ang kita, back to the bottom jud ang kahinatnan.

Kinsay maghuna-huna nga si Michael Jackson, Burt Reynolds, Whitney Houston, Cindi Lauper, Kim Basinger,Zsa Zsa Gabor mabangkarote?

Maayo pa ko, I cannot lose what I do not have.

Asa diay ka ron Kod?

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on May 16, 2009, 03:04:21 AM
I like CDO. I had great fun the last time I was there. I couldn't forget that night we went to a barbikyuhan under a big acacia tree, then there was a folk singer singing my favorite songs like those of Jim Croce's, ug ang mas nakapaukyab mao ang ilang ad libitum nga rice, walay limit jud, isuroy pa from table to table.

Nangita bitaw kog in-anang kan-anan pag-adto namo. Pero akong mga anak dili gusto ug outdoor nga kan-anan. Paanaron lang siguro gamay, kay nangita ug mall restaurant. Adto mi sa usa ka Turkish restaurant sa SM. Nangita ug chicken curry ug salad. Galaway ko sa barbecue sa daplin sa karsada, pero antos na lang pud kog kaon ug chicken curry.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 16, 2009, 01:50:20 AM
Basin taas ang crime rate sa Mansasa kay busy ug swertres ang kapitan.

Bitaw Ging. Maayo ra pud nadakpan na, aron palingkuron ang mas tarong nga tagabantay sa kalinawan anang lugar. Nagplano ko ipa-renovate akong payag diha duol sa bakilid kay magsugod mi ug gamay nga orchid garden. Naa pa man ang mga bata duol sa HNU kay concerned lagi ko sa safety sa Mansasa. Mga 2003, brisk-walking ra man mi sa akong Mama gikan Mansasa paingon Cogon sayo sa buntag, wala may kahadlukan. Karon bisag adlaw, murag kulba na.

Quote from: glacier_71 on May 16, 2009, 08:49:52 AM
ginindotan kos pulong PAUKYAB, ben. ug nindot sab nga pamation, nga aduna kita'y ikaatbang nga pulong sa Tagalog PAKULO. sa gikaingon ko, ako lang pod nang hukad-tampo basin ba lang naa pod koy makat-onan sa tanto-tanto nakong pamalandong aning pulunga. dato gyud diay ang Binisaya.

Nakadungog bitaw ko sa usa ka pastor nag-ampo ug Binisaya, langitnon kaayo paminawon ang pulong.

Naay aspeto nga spiritual ang atong pulong. Ingon sad sa akong Philosophy professor sa una, dili daw nimo ma-translate ug ayo si Kant, Kierkegaard, Hegel, Marx ug uban pang pilosopo (pasabot tinuod nga philosopher) sa Filipino (Tagalog) kung di ka manghuwam ug  pulong sa Bisaya. Para nato, di mapulihan nga bahandi ang Bisaya.

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on May 16, 2009, 01:34:55 AM
Wa ko makadungog nianang "paudyak", tingalig naa na nga pu'ong sa mga katigulangan.  Sa Bohol naa tay mga pu'ong nga morag atoa ra, sama sa bungay, danggay, himi, gunja, jamo (for kaayo as in "mako jamo", or for "wa jamo", absolutely none).

Daw Hiligaynon gali ni. Ingon bitaw ko sagul akong Binisaya, kay akong Mama gikan Panay ug ang tinuod naku mother tongue Ilongo.

Up front, Malacanang is declaring that cha-cha is dead--obviously to conceal its role as the puppeteer behind the curtain.

Just in case cha-cha falls through, PGMA's henchman at the Comelec Jose Melo is priming us for a "no-el" (no election) scenario allegedly because of the possible sabotage of losing bidders through a temporary restraining order (TRO). Murag siya pa'y ga-suggest nga magpasaka silag TRO aron dili madayon ang election. Now he has stirred a hornet's nest, earning the ire even of Arroyo's allies.

Gubuta na uy, layo pa gani ang election. Sabagay, less than one year to go na lang diay. Naa na sila sa panic mode.

Quote from: glacier_71 on May 16, 2009, 01:59:12 AM
para nako, ang PAUKYAB maoy dool nga hubad sa PAKULO.

kining PAKULO, (root: kulo, kumukulo, BOILING, to BOIL) naay elemento nga mo-ukay sa kahiladmang pagbati ug hunahuna, sama sa tubig nga nagbukal, giukay-ukay ang unsa naa niini.

Ang UKYAB (to stir) adunay susamang pamati sa KULO. Ang PAUKYAB adunay pag-ukay ug pagbugwad sa sulod niini. Pananglit, mapa-UKYABON ang kalihukan hinungdan kay kini bag-ong urog o style, pampagana lang ba kaha ug uban pa. Mapa-UKYABON kay kini nakapabukal sa pagbati ug nakaukay sa unsay naa niini. IMHO.

Pwede na ka linguist, Glace. Maayo kaayo pagka-explain sa etymology.

Manay Tess,

Kagamay jud sa kalibutan.

Dr. Nathan Quimpo and I live in the same neighborhood here. He is still teaching at the Area Studies Department of University of Tsukuba. Though I don't move in the academic circle anymore, I had a chance to interact with him in an ABS-CBN-sponsored  kapihan or forum on Absentee Voting Law in 2007 dubbed Hala! Halalan Na that I moderated and in which he was one of the speakers. He spoke on “Elitismo, Showbiz at Partidong Pulitikal sa Pilipinas.”

Check this out: http: http://www.skamid.com/tsukuba/hala-halalan-na-kapihan-sa-tsukuba/

Indeed, how else can PGMA cling to power when she is constrained to a 6-year term by the present charter?

Quote from: hofelina on May 16, 2009, 01:53:42 AM
Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, Ph.D., is an associate professor teaching Political Science and International Relations at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. He was a a long-time political activist in the Philippines before taking up M.A in International Relations at the University of Amsterdam. He also finished his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations at the Australian National University. He was a lecturer at the Political Science and Sociology Departments of the University of the Philippines. He was also a lecturer in international relations at the Political Science Department of the University of Amsterdam. He specializes on the politics of everyday life, corruption, local identity, global citizenship and the Philippine state

I had the privilege to attend one of the open Forums on cha-cha, and Prof Quimpo predicts that this is the best chance of GMA to retain her power, this time as Prime Minister of the Philippines.

Kaning Catholic Kama Sutra ni Father Ksawery Knotz, mura man pud ug si Hugh Hefner writing a book on Celibacy, or Dolphy writing about Monogamy.

Quote from: BedoAdoSalada on May 15, 2009, 11:36:08 PM
Sir Ben,

Kaila ka diay sa mga Quiaoit? 

Classmate naku si Gregorio Quiaoit. They lived in a nice, Western-style house with a well-manicured lawn provided by Del Monte I think.

The place reminds me a little of Camp John Hay in Baguio. Mas hilom lang ug daghang green, open spaces lahi pa sa pinya nga galaray taman sa makit-an nimo.

Quote from: buwadsanga on May 15, 2009, 09:57:49 AM
wow, big shot yan meyn? si bamboo ang pakantahon sa opening. mahal ning bataa ug bayad. maghimo nalang ug grupo si macky nga ang ngan - Kawajan

heheheh....

Uban man diay si Bamboo sa rock concert sa ICM, May 30. Free admission. Pwede diay siya imbitahon nga libre.

Arum reiterates concern over Pacquiao's finances

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/15/2009 8:55 PM


Top Rank promoter Bob Arum on Friday reiterated his concern over the finances of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who is known to be “overgenerous” with his money even to free loaders.

Arum repeated his concern after handing Pacquiao his $12 million purse for his “Battle of East and West” match with Ricky Hatton last May 2. He added that the boxer stands to receive more from pay-per-view earnings generated by the fight.

“He has [already] been paid his complete purse,” said Arum.

Arum said that he wanted to have a word with Pacquiao patrons, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza and Deputy National Security adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson, to make sure that the boxer uses his money wisely.

“As far as any extra amount, he stands to make an additional considerable amount, I'd like to sit with everybody and make sure he saves his money. It’s his and he works very hard for it,” said the Top Rank honcho.

Lavish spending

In an earlier report by BoxingScene.com Arum said: "I'm not going to stick that money [fight earnings] in his bank. I am going to sit down with him and Jinkee (Pacquiao's wife) and guys like Lito (Atienza) and Chavit (Singson) whom I respect, and make sure he puts it some place where he can't get his hands on it."

Arum is afraid that Pacquiao might someday end up like Mike Tyson, who went bankrupt after having squandered nearly $300 million in ring earnings through lavish spending and bad financial advice.

A report by the Manila Standard Today said Arum is concerned over Pacquiao’s plan to run for public office in the 2010 elections, where the boxer is expected to pour a "considerable amount."

The report also said that Pacquiao had three construction projects under way in the Philippines and recently bought a 4,500-square feet, 5-bedroom house in Hancock Park, which borders Beverly Hills, California.

Willing to help

Singson, who threw a victory party for Pacquiao last Thursday, said he is very much willing to help Pacquiao regarding financial advices.

“Okay lang sa akin ‘yun. Sa tingin ko dapat lang ‘yun lalo na sa laki ng kinikita niya ngayon ay alagaan niya na husto yung mga pag-iinvest nya,” he said.

Pacquiao said he sees nothing wrong with Arum’s concern.

“Okay lang ‘yun na may tutulong pa sa akin sa pera ko. Meron naman good investments at may bad investments ‘di ba? So tama lang na magtulungan tayo sa pera,” he said. -- Report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News

Gihagad unta n'ya si Fr. Romulo Ponte nga Bol-anon ingon nga co-author aning religious sex guideline. He said his parents always prayed the rosary before making love--seriously!


Son’s pride in father, sex, rosary

By Romulo Ponte
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:04:00 06/15/2008

SAN PABLO CITY -- WHEN MY father, Teodoro, married my mother, Francisca, 53 years ago, the first thing they did during their honeymoon was to pray the rosary. For more, check out:http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=13407.0

Please accept my condolences to your family.

Lumine,

Salamat sa update. Ang chada usa man gud na sa linguistic fingerprint sa Cagay-anon. Murag melting pot na man gud ang CDO ron, abi naku nagbag-o na pud ang sinultian.

Nganong taas man ang crime incidence sa Mansasa kumpara sa ubang distrito sa Tagbilaran? These last three months, diha gipatay si Martin Williams. Diha pud napusilan ang mga kabataan nga gigukod sa mga pulis, nga karon gipasakaan nag kiha. Concerned resident ra ko.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 15, 2009, 04:09:26 PM
hahahah makatawa uroy ko gabasa sa inyong mga kukubildo dire.  kulatis, kilatis, atis, atbp.

Lain-laing pamaagi sa imbestigasyon:

Kilatisin... pangutan-on ug daghan, sukit-sukiton

Kilitisin... pugson ug tubag pinaagi sa paggitik (gamiton ang kiliti)

Kulatisin... pugson ug tubag pinaagi sa pagkulata

Mahulagway naku nga chada jud. Sige man ko labay sa Malaybalay sa una pauli sa Wao.

BTW, Ging, ang chada di ba Binisaya ni sa CDO? Gamiton pa ba ni ron o murag karaan na?

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on May 14, 2009, 10:50:22 PM
Para anang "pakulo" mahimo man tingaling gamiton ang "paukyab". Naay mga wild translations sa mga underwear: "pantaplat" from "panapton nga itaptap sa bil*t; "sanggay", from sangga sa lag*y. Ha ha ha! Naa pud tingaliy "pantapso" or "sangtoy", ha ha ha!

Koddi,

Di ba "paudyak"? Tuon sa kog Binisaya diri kay daghan sagol akong sinultian.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 15, 2009, 04:00:58 PM
Men, naka adto namo sa Monastery of Transfiguration in Malaybalay?  If wala pa, dalha si Herman ug Baby Matt didto.  You can stay overnight too.  Ask the monks kay chada kaayo sa early morning pod didto.  Bugnaw kaayo.

Grace, naay accommodation facilities didto?

Quote from: bulak on May 15, 2009, 04:17:19 PM
Hmm,it seems Arroyo has not run out of dirty and vicious schemes in her mad scramble to look for ways to continue holding power beyond 2010. Whether through cha-cha or elections, she has many tricks up her sleeve. Unfortunately for her, they have all been laid bare.Should fraud not be enough to ensure their victory, the Comelec may cite the major, massive confusion that is sure to accompany automation and declare a failure of elections at the national level. This could serve as a legal  basis for Arroyo to continue as president until special elections are held or cha-cha is pursued.

I foresee the same scenario. But that is utter disgrace in this digital age, when computer technology is supposed to smoothen things, not throw it into confusion.

BTW, Bedo, ikaw ang winner?

Bedo,

First time ko niadto dihang dapita, mga 1977 pa sa high school. Gilibre mi sa among adunahan nga English teacher and yup, the tenderloin steak is the memory that still sizzles in my mind. I have never tasted anything like it before, kani bitaw mga kapobrehon makatilaw ug class nga pagkaon di gyud makalimot. Before high school graduation in 1980, nag-camping pud mi sa backyard sa balay sa mga Quaoit diha sa Manolo Fortich. Murag Baguio ang weather ug stateside ang view. Awesome place.

Related story from The Daily Tribune:


FF Cruz, Rafanan caught on YouTube fixing deal

05/14/2009

Caught in the illegal act. FF Cruz, identified with Gilat, an Israeli bidder in automation, has been recorded on video and shown on YouTube rushing to sign documents in the comfort room of the Commission on Elections during the recent procedures for the automated election system for 2010, while Comelec official in the bidding process, Ferdinand Rafanan, gave him three hours to find the missing bid documents and publicly waited for a representative of Gilat-FF Cruz to show up.

These and more show that a lot of laws are allegedly being violated and are about to be violated by the Comelec, one of which is the Comelec’s announced deadline for candidates, national and local, to file their certificates of candidacy (CoC) by Nov. 30, this year.

“Comelec is not empowered by the Constitution to set a deadline for the filing of the certificate of candidacy. It is Congress that sets the date, not the Comelec,” a high ranking congressman told the Tribune yesterday. “What the Comelec is doing (in setting an earlier deadline) is in clear violation of Republic Act 8436, or the automation law, which has already set the date of the last filing of the candidates’ certificate “Melo should be aware of the fact that the law has not vested him and his commissioners to reset the deadline for the filing, for whatever reason. Only Congress has the power to do so, through an amendment of the law, or craft a special law,” the congressman, a lawyer and constitutionalist, who asked not to be identified, pointed out.

He also asked why to this date, the Comelec has not issued a resolution effecting a resetting of the filing of CoC deadline, with the poll body chairman simply announcing the advancing of the deadline filing date.

The congressman suspects that the resolution is deliberately not being issued or made public by the Comelec because the commissioners are hard pressed to state under what law, or premse and the basis of the poll body’s resetting of the deadline for the filing of the certificates of candidacy of the election bets.

“It is either that, or that the Commissioners are delaying the issuance of the resolution to forestall anyone from bringing up this issue before the Supreme Courtâ€"until it is too late,” the congressional source pointed out, in an interview.

He added that the Comelec is also not allowed by law to refuse acceptance of any and all certificates of candidacies filed.

The Comelec’s acceptance of the certificate of canvass is ministerial. This is so stated in Republic Act 7166, Section 76.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, for his part, also said that the Comelec has no authority to conduct partial automation of the 2010 national elections. This was in response to poll Chairman Melo’s statement the other day that, with the disqualification of all the seven companies shortlisted for the automated machines and system bidding, the poll body may opt for a second bidding but merely on partial automation, with plans of holding automated polls in urban areas.

”Partial automation is not allowed (under the law). They (Comelec) are not authorized (to conduct partial automation). The authority given to them is full automation. If they cannot do full automation, they must say so and prepare for a manual election,” Enrile said.

He added that he had “directed a warning to the members of the Comelec present to see to it and be certain that the automation will work. If they have any doubt, I call on them to prepare for a manual election,” Enrile said.

The same sentiment was aired by Namfrel and PPCRV chairman Tita de Villa, who pointed out that if no company meets the requirements of the Comelec on automated polls, the Comelec may as well conduct manual elections, rather than go on a hybridâ€"which would be partial automation.

Enrile urged the Comelec to determine as soon as possible whether there are no qualified people to handle the computerization of the elections.

”They must make a proclamation to that effect to the public convincingly and prepare for a manual election. We cannot afford not to have any election,” Enrile said.

Two days earlier, Melo was quoted as saying that the poll body was running out of time after the seven shortlisted firms were disqualified and said that a negotiated contract would create more problems and would go into partial automation.

But there is however, reportedly a YouTube video making the rounds where one bidder, FF Cruz, said to be aligned with an Israeli firm, was filmed filing up some documents in a rush in a comfort room, allegedly in the Comelec premises, to complete the documentation, which had something to do with a tax declaration.

At the same time, AMA, Smartmatci and the Israel-FF Cruz combine have reportedly been cleared by the Comelec for bidding purposes.

A source told the Tribune that with that YouTube video, and on the basis of the late submission, these bids can be invalidated, and a Temporary Restraining Order can be asked from the Supreme Court, which will delay the bidding some more.

There will be no option but for Comelec to conduct manual elections for the 2010 polls.

If the poll automation of the 2010 election fails, Enrile also reminded the Comelec that it cannot use the P11.3 billion budget which Congress had earlier allotted for the election computerization, through a special law.

”They can only use so much that is needed for a manual election. They cannot spend the amount,” Enrile said.

The veteran lawmaker brushed aside the ‘no election’ fear in 2010.

”There will be chaos in this country if there is no election in 2010, unless we amend the Constitution and we adopt another system of government or installing authority in this country,” he said.

”If we maintain the present the Constitution and we have no election in 2010, imagine a country without a President, without a Vice-President, without a Senate, without a Congress, without governors and mayors to run their local government. This is chaos. This is going to be anarchy,” Enrile warned.

Sen. Loren Legarda for her part, supported a plan by the Comelec to hold a second poll automation bidding.

The senator said that the Comelec plan initiated by Chairman Melo would be the right thing to do since the automation of the 2010 elections is mandated by Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law.

NCO with additional report from PNA

Vicious cycle of politics. Political cycle of vice. Hopeless na diay ta ani sa imong panan-aw, Glace?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1O2cPveCM

Unsa man ni, murag scenario sa Ninoy Aquino international airport nga di ka tunulan toilet paper ug di muhatag tip. Galing lang kay papeles man ning gitunul kang F.F. Cruz gikan daw sa bidding officer during the poll automation bidding.

Philippine politics is not only going down the drain, it's being flushed down the toilet!

Rejoinders to survey conducted by Philippine Star:

Do you see anything wrong with the way crooner Martin Nievera sang the national anthem in the Pacquiao-Hatton fight?
Updated May 12, 2009 12:00 AM

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City:

None at all. Martin sang the song as best he could for the world to hear. We should be proud of him.

Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: Martin Nievera wanted to steal some thunder from the show; hence, the deliberate deviation from the original tempo of the national anthem. He wanted some attention.

Singers have their own interpretation

Eddie Yap, Kabankalan City: I don’t blame Martin Nievera for singing the national anthem they way he did. Singers have a way of interpreting their songs when performing. It’s all over now, so what’s the fuss? What should have been done was for him to have been given him the guidelines on singing the national anthem. Martin had no more time to research. For him, as long as the lyrics were complete, comprehensible and sung from his heart, that must’ve been enough.

Ronali dela Cruz, Metro Manila: I don’t see anything wrong. It was Nievera’s artistic way of interpreting the national anthem. He sang Lupang Hinirang the best way he could.

Merlino Quinsay, Ilocos Sur: Martin showed us how versatile Lupang Hinirang is as a musical piece. I don’t understand the furor.

Dino Monzon, Caloocan City: The National Historical Institute is being bossy and arrogant; Martin’s take on Lupang Hinirang was okay. Singers are artists; they’re allowed to interpret songs.

Voz Butuyan, Pangasinan: There was nothing wrong, because it was his own personal singing style.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Singing is an art and the beauty in it depends on how the artist expresses his talent, soul and emotion in a song. Why quarrel over a trivial thing?

No law on the national anthem?

Rex Earlou Calmerin, Iligan City: I don’t believe that Martin Nievera sang our national anthem the wrong way. First of all, he was born in the US, but raised here, making him a Fil-Am. It’s natural to speak and sing the way he does. Finally, there is no law stipulating the right way to sing Lupang Hinirang.

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: I think Martin’s version was done quite innocently. He did not know that there was a prescribed, lawful way of singing the Philippine national anthem. This does not excuse him, though.

A violation of the law

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: The way Nievera sang the national anthem was a total deviation from the original composition. He is liable under RA 8491.

Aldo Apostol, Quezon City: The Pambansang Awit is a national treasure and part of our heritage. The lyrics, beat and melody should be strictly followed during its singing. The proper way of singing it was taught in our elementary days. Now, if any form of modification and alteration is to be applied, the artist should consult the NHI for approval. A visit to the NHI would set Martin free from any form of judgment! Next time, he should sing our national anthem with pride and dignity, not with emotions and style.

Rey Ibalan, Las Piñas City: The anthem was sung conservatively by Martin. He did it in his unique style. However, a law is a law, and we need to abide by it!

Fortunato Aguirre, Bulacan: I admire the way Martin sang it with feelings, but if the rule says he erred, then he must offer an apology and I hope the law will not be too harsh on the singer.

Freedom of expression

Leonard Villa, Batac City: None at all. Martin Nievera used his own style in singing our national anthem. He only exercised his freedom of expression as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: Admittedly, Martin sang the Lupang Hinirang not according to the marching tempo of the song, or at least not entirely. But, he followed the verses faithfully and did not defile them. He sang it his way with fervor and gusto. Consider that artistic license and freedom of speech. This is not the first time the NHI sanctioned a singer for the way the national anthem was sung. The NHI will be shocked if it hears how The Star- Spangled Banner has been interpreted by different American artists. It should give artists some latitude so it won’t constrict their style. One other thing, Martin sang the anthem in Nevada, where our laws have no jurisdiction.

Martin did an excellent job

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: I see nothing wrong in the way Martin Nievera sang the anthem. I saw and heard it and it was hair-raising and made one feel proud to be a Filipino.

Anna Aclan, Makati City: No. For me, one of the reasons why we sing the national anthem is to show how proud we are to be a part of this country. It’s not only about the tune or the tempo of the anthem, but also about the lyrics and message. After hearing Martin Nievera sing Lupang Hinirang, I felt prouder to be a Filipino. Besides, he did not change the lyrics. Those people who criticize Martin Nievera should focus their attention on other people who sing the song but never understand its meaning.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: No, it’s rather the best yet delivered for a Pacquiao fight. Martin should not be castigated but instead commended for a job well done. Carry on!

Nito Aquino, Makati City: Martin’s rendition of the national anthem was the best and should be praised, not criticized. He even out sang Tom Jones. Can these critics sing better than Martin?

The NHI is just doing its job

Josh Pacatang, Dipolog City: Martin Nievera was a wrong choice in the first place. Then, he seemingly sang another song, not the anthem the ring announcer asked him to sing. Worst of all, he and his benefactor were too arrogant to accept the correction suggested by the NHI, whose task it is to call Nievera’s attention.

Why be strict only now?

Edgar Artates, Parañaque City: If you’re going to be very strict about it, it’s wrong, of course. But the way national anthems are sung by popular singers today, you can agree with it if you want to, or just shrug your shoulders and say it should be sung correctly next time. The NHI should have been strict about it the first time it was not sung correctly. Now, the floodgate has opened.

Ed Alawi, Davao City: As expected, Martin sang it in his own version, just like singers in previous Pacman events. If there’s a law on this, why apply it only now?

Patrick Miranda, Marikina City: If the law says that Martin Nievera’s style of singing our national anthem is wrong, then he should face the consequences. But NHI, schools, local governments, DepEd, etc. should be more active in educating us on how to sing our anthem. Not only should we punish people who sing our anthem incorrectly but also those who don’t stop walking or stand up while our anthem is being played.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: None, it’s so childish for the NHI to pick on Nievera. Wala namang naperwisyo sa ginawa ni Martin. Wala lang sigurong magawa ang taga-NHI.

It’s patriotic to sing it in its original tempo

Diony Yap, Bacolod City: Only the last part “ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo” really matters. The singer should not choose to be wrong for the sake of being different.

Nap de Asis, Bacolod City: To show our respect and love for our country, we usually sing the Lupang Hinirang together in its original tempo. We do this even in the States.

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: Nievera is a fine composer-signer, but next time, I’d love to hear him sing our national anthem as it should be sung patriotically.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: Our national anthem has to be sung with dignity and respect. Will somebody out there please assign the song to someone who could sing it with gusto?

Martin sang it with feelings

Hilario Erfe, Cavite: The way he sang it only had more feelings than we are used to.

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: Sorry to the purists who are still in shock, but I felt that Martin sang the anthem in a stirring way and with such fervor that he made it his own.

Vir Lauzon, General Santos City: There was nothing wrong with the way Nievera sang it. He didn’t change the lyrics and he interpreted it the way a patriotic singer would.

C.B. Fundales, Bulacan: Martin sang our national anthem gloriously, with serious dedication, feeling and pride. There was no disrespect in his rendition, which is the law’s intent.

Dianne Aquino, Caloocan City: It was a beautiful rendition. Martin is an exceptional artist and I see nothing wrong in the way he sang the national anthem. His rendition was even more patriotic.

The next singer should be briefed

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: Yes, it’s disappointing; he did not sing in the right, marching tempo. Siguro dahil balladeer siya kaya ganoon niya kinanta. Moreover, he did not comb his hair; he did not wear the right attire, which is the Barong Tagalog. He seemed to make light of the occasion.  Whoever the next singer will be in Pacman’s boxing bout, he or she should be briefed on what to do.

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: There already was some criticism before on singers who sang the national anthem out of its original tone and tempo. Better set a rule first on the proper rendition of the national anthem to have the singers properly guided.

Ed Gulmatico, Yemen: The way he sang his version of our national anthem can be attributed to the symbiotic feeling between the Filipino people and our artists and entertainers, along with our present crop of government leaders and politicians. Nationalistic Filipinos might feel insulted, but let’s admit that the majority of our entertainers have been unknowingly insulting the Filipino’s sensitivity and intelligence for a time now. How many of them aspire for political positions, fully knowing that they are not qualified at all? This is made worse by our present crop of government leaders who have been trashing our last thread of moral dignity and respect just to advance their ulterior evil motives or stay in power forever.

Why the fuss?

Raffy Dimalanta, Rizal: There’s nothing wrong with the way Martin Nievera sang the national anthem. Quinito ‘‘The Dean” Henson’s article last Thursday sums it all up.

J. Eduardo, Baguio City: There’s rampant dishonesty, corruption, incest and filth and we’re worried about the beat of the national anthem?

Carlito Pajaro, Metro Manila: So what’s the fuss all about? For me, Martin Nievera did a nice rendition of the national anthem during the Pacquiao fight. He sang it proudly without deletion.

Richard Decena, Quezon City: It’s not a big deal whether or not Nievera sang the anthem the wrong way. Maarte lang talaga si Martin. At least he is not a crooked government official.

P. Cruz, Quezon City: There’s nothing wrong with Martin’s rendition. It was done in good faith. Nakikisakay lang ang mga honorable congressmen para mapag-usapan.

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: Martin Nievera’s rendition of the national anthem was fiery enough to ignite every Pinoy’s patriotism, most of all, Pacman’s fighting spirit. It led to Pacquiao’s overwhelming victory over The Hitman. So, why are these KSP killjoys howling? Jimi Hendrix played a psychedelic rock version of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock, walang umangal, natuwa lahat, lalo na ang mga hippies at mga “phips” na tulad namin noong 1970s.

He sang it for his own glory

Norman Villamayor, Mandaluyong City: Martin Nievera sang the Lupang Hinirang for his own glory and not our country’s. Our Lupang Hinirang is not just any song that is subject to the singer’s interpretation. If it were, anybody or any group can just sing it the way they like it, even rap it for all they care, for as long as they have the correct words.

Arlene Go, Manila: Hirap sa mga Pinoy, mahilig magpatalbugan. Pati pagkanta ng Lupang Hinirang, may kanya- kanyang version pa. Sa lahat ng kumanta ng Lupang Hinirang sa laban ni Pacquiao, tanging si Lea Salonga lang ang tumama, lahat mali ang tono. ‘Yung iba, nakalimutan pa ang lyrics.

R. Rodriguez, Quezon City: The reason past respected lawmakers probably saw the importance of creating the Flag Law was their fear of singers like Nievera, who think first and foremost of their singing prowess, ignoring and disrespecting the purity of the composer’s musical legacy. Martin can do anything with other songs, but in this case, please remember it’s the song, not the singer.

Edwin Enriquez, Metro Manila: He sang with overkill rendition. His facial expression was too theatrical. He exerted too much effort on using his style, rather than singing it the proper way.

Pacquiao liked Manny’s version

Pat Cuilan, Benguet: Manny thought Nievera sang the national anthem much better than the girls who sang the same in Pacquiao’s previous fights.

Raden Fernandez, Pangasinan: I loved the way Martin sang the national anthem. He delivered the first blow to Ricky Hatton’s face. The rendition energized Pacman.

The national anthem is not open to interpretation

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: The national anthem should not be sung the way any singer wants it to be sung, or who can prevent it from being sung in the butsikik way?

Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: He sang the national anthem not in the prescribed fast tempo marching style. His ballad rendition was not approved by the National Historical Institute.

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: Being a teacher, I know it was wrong. Why change the notes? Remember, Geneva Cruz was criticized once when she sang Lupang Hinirang.

Rowena Remiendo, Metro Manila: I think artists like Nievera should not change the original rendition of our national anthem into their own version.

Eufrocino Linsangan, Isabela: We were all taught the proper way of singing our national anthem since our elementary days. Nievera sang it in a different style, not the traditional way every Filipino must sing it.

Col. Ben Paguirigan Jr., Ret., Zamboanga City: It would not have created a stir if only Martin Nievera sang it the Julian Felipe way, as we Pinoys were taught to sing it.

Norberto Robles, Taguig: Ang bersyon ni Martin Nievera ng Lupang Hinirang ay masakit sa tainga pakinggan, maarte at masakit sa mata. He should have sung it the way it should be sung.

Glen Reyes, Quezon City: He was kind of over the top in the end. He should have just sung it the way it has always been sung because he was representing a nation, not a person.

Breaking the rules

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: Our national anthem was meant to be a marching song. In the original version, the music and the lyrics should be finished in no more than one minute. Marin Nievera, just like some of the showbiz personalities who sang in Pacquiao fights in the past, did violate the rules as he sang it in a version aping the way Americans sing their national anthem! But there are rules, which also include other things such as: 1. Everyone should stand erect, with the right hand on the left breast, whenever it is played or sung; 2. Everyone, including vehicles, should stop when the anthem is being played as in schools and in the grounds of the municipal or city halls, especially when the Philippine flag is being raised. As we saw it, Pacquiao and his team did not even mind the anthem when Nievera was singing. And, oh yes, those guys waving a Philippine flag with writings on its colored fields were desecrating the symbol of our nation! As to sanctions and penalties, I am not aware if there were any.

Elpidio Que, Vigan City: Martin Nievera made a big joke out of the song by bastardizing its tune in front of an audience of so many millions. It was just like turning the “The Lord’s Prayer” into a rock ‘n roll song. Obviously, he was eager- beaver to be seen by people all over the globe, thinking that the Filipino people would rejoice. He should be sanctioned.

Local laws apply locally

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Our national anthem was composed during the kundiman era. Its tune is not even OPM. Local laws apply locally. He did it in Las Vegas; sue him there.

Jojo Ocampo, Puerto Princesa: That’s out of our jurisdiction. We have no right to impose our rules on foreign land. As I understand it, Nievera sang the national anthem in Las Vegas, USA.

Tailored for his American audience

Erwin Espinosa, Pangasinan: Martin Nievera’s rendition is good for his American audience kasi Amboy siya. Para sa ating mga Pinoy, hindi tama ‘yung pagkanta niya ng pambansang awit.

C.K. Yeo, Iloilo City: NHI should just blame Pacquiao

I suspect that the 20 solons that joined the President’s entourage to Egypt and the 50 who went to Vegas to see Pacquiao fight are using the Martin Nievera issue to cover up their junkets. The NHI should just blame Pacquiao for getting Martin. They are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

It seems Malacanang is priming us to morph President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Prime Minister via charter change. Tsk, tsk.

Is this why there is a lot of sound and fury from the Comelec about the 2010 elections being sabotaged by losing bidders in poll automation? If no election is declared, they'll put the blame on losing bidders as having orchestrated the sabotage.

What a limp excuse! If the government were really intent on automating the polls, which was also proposed in 2004 but aborted at the last minute (and saved the day for Gloria for it would have made the Mindanao ballots hard to manipulate), they should have begun the bidding earlier. Why stage the zarzuela of sanitizing our election by automated poll at the eleventh hour, and crying foul over bidders plotting this grand sabotage? The scenario smacks more of Malacanang's grand script than small players' conspiracy.

Will we be asked to vote for charter change instead of a new president in 2010?

Sugot mo?

Palace: PGMA could be a 'good' PM

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/14/2009 8:56 PM

Despite being a taboo subject inside Malacañang, a Palace spokesperson on Thursday did not discount the possibility of President Arroyo becoming a "good" prime minister if ever Charter change wriggles its way in Congress.

"She is being a good President. Why not (as prime minister)?" Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo told reporters on Thursday, when asked by reporters if President Arroyo would become a good prime minister - one of the scenarios being seen if Charter change pushes through.

This came after La Union Rep.Victor Ortega, House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said on Tuesday that Mrs. Arroyo could possibly become prime minister if the current Constitution would be changed, which led to former President Joseph Estrada warning that there would be "chaos" if the administration would push for cha-cha.

"That's pure speculation. Walang basehan. Wala pong ganyang iniisip ang Malacañang at (ang) Pangulo. Gawa-gawa nila at kathang-isip. The opposition is using the President to earn publicity and score points," Fajardo said.

Malacañang has distanced itself from talks on Charter change, despite allies in the House of Representatives continually pushing for it, saying it is independent of the executive branch of government.

Fajardo also shot down rumors that Mrs. Arroyo is "campaigning" in Pampanga, where it is being speculated that she will run as a member of parliament from the province if the Charter is amended.

"Ang pangulo po ay personal na inaalam kung ano ang impact sa tao ng mga proyekto -- 'di dapat bigyan ng pakahulugan 'yon," Fajardo said.

She also said that the President is focused on economic growth of the country. With a report from Nadia Trinidad, ABS-CBN News

Quote from: Michael Ligalig on May 15, 2009, 10:53:00 AM
Ben, there are two search tools in Tubag Bohol. One can be found at the top part of our site (right side). The other one is embedded within the Internet and Website category. You can see it when you are browsing the homepage. Just scroll down the homepage until you see the Internet and Website section.

Thanks, Mike. How could I have missed it? Perhaps the small search text is way off margin that I don't see it when I open the window. Big help!

As I mentioned in another thread, I was not one of those who'd jump the bandwagon of calling Martin a felon or a traitor just because he sang Lupang Hinirang from his heart. I don't know if he would just like to extricate himself from a tussle with Congress, but I find this backstage story of his, as quoted by Ricky Lo in Philippine Star, heart-warming.


The true story, according to Martin
FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo Updated May 15, 2009 12:00 AM

As I said, unlike some people I liked the way Martin Nievera sang Lupang Hinirang during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight. He sang it with so much fervor that nobody could say he didn’t sing it from the heart. I agree with Baby Orosa who wrote in her STAR column Sundry Strokes yesterday that Martin did a great job, even giving Martin a resounding “Bravo!”

I just got an e-mail from Martin who is telling “the true story” for the first time. Read on.

Dear Ricky,

I have been waiting to speak to you to share a very heart-warming behind-the-scene story that happened backstage during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight right before I entered the ring to sing the “now” very much-talked-about Philippine National Anthem. This story may not mean anything to anyone but I want to share it with you anyway.

It’s funny but this is the first time in all the years I have known you that I am writing you feeling nervous and insecure. I have never been one to look before I leap, but with all the names and words that have been thrown at me, above me, through me and below me, I come to you now wounded, hurt, confused but inspired.

It happened during the second to the last round of the last fight before the big, very publicized “main event” between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. I was so nervous I could actually hear my heartbeat as I paced back and forth like an expectant father alongside Tom Jones. I was going over the lyrics of Lupang Hinirang for the one millionth time. It was right about the time we were all being called to stay together to form the first half of the usual boxers parade and their teams, when my son Robin tapped me on the shoulder with what I thought at the time was extremely bad news.

“Hey Dad, remember the minus one CD we used during the sound check earlier today? Well, I left it in the car.”

I nearly had a heart attack. If you have ever been to any Pacquiao fight or any event of this size, you know the car was not right outside the backstage. No, no, no. The car was parked just a little closer than Earth is to Mars!

So before I could be arrested for killing my first-born, I calmly, in almost a crying kind of a voice, asked Robin, “What? Am I not a good father? Do you really want to kill me now? Or, if you do, puede after the fight?”

I mean, with all that was going on way before this recent controversy, with the rumors about being a jinx because I was the first male anthem singer and so many people telling me to NOT forget the lyrics, and so on and so forth... I was a wreck!

Okay, pause. Let’s go back to a month before the fight...

Weeks before flying to Las Vegas, I think I asked at least 10 people about how I should or should not sing the anthem. If I remembered correctly I asked Louie Ocampo, my back-up singers and vocal coaches. Then there was Karylle, Christian Bautista, Regine Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kuh Ledesma and even Pops. Oh, and lastly, Ryan “Mr. C” Cayabyab did “advise” me against changing notes and melodies. All of the above did.

But Mr. C “advised” me; he did not “warn” me. There is a big difference. In fact, he was the first one I received a text from right after I sang that night and it read, “Awesome!” I am forever grateful to you, Mr. C!

Anyway, right before I left I took the advice of all the above mentioned and had another minus one arranged that was more traditional and safe even though I knew no matter how I sang it I was gonna get criticized. So I decided to put my original “version 1 minus one” on hold and made “version 2” to try and avoid even more criticism than I already knew I was gonna get.

Okay, back to real time...

You can probably feel my frustration and pain right about now, but I tried to keep calm and not de-focus from the enormous task ahead.

Just as I was already telling myself to sing it a cappella, my son Robin leaned over to me and told me a mouthful I will never forget for as long as I live.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I have already put in the ‘version 1 minus one’ in the sound booth. Come on Dad, this is the version you dreamed of doing and now we are finally here. I know how hard you worked on this song and you got it! I know you want to do this version and not the one we did during sound check so I purposely left that CD in the car. So you can finish what you started. Never mind what others may say, Dad. You get that all the time. Don’t compromise a goal that you yourself set. If you compromise, what will that mean for the next singer? Get up there, Dad, and do it!”

My eyes, already watery, finally gave way. Everything went silent...no screams, no music, nothing. After my son pushed me up into that ring with his wisdom, I thought either I was dead or going deaf. Then I realized that I had plugged in my monitors into both ears and I wanted to laugh. I realized at that moment that my son was absolutely right.

With all my heart and my love for the Philippines mixed together with my wanting Manny to win just like anybody else, I felt a surge of energy that literally lifted my feet off the ground. It was as if the Holy Spirit ran through my veins right at that moment and, with as much humility mixed with an over abundance of honor, I knew I had to make this the proudest moment for every Filipino.

That night I was not a concert king. That night, I was the proudest Filipino alive. That night, I was a hero in my son’s eyes and that to me was all I needed to get over the fear and finish what I started.

I think we all learned loads from all this and I know that the next anthem singer will be more informed the next time around than I ever was or those who sang before me. My hope and prayer is that he or she be free to sing the anthem without laws and limitations, but with pride and passion and respect for country and the history that defines it.

For me, History should be remembered, taught and learned, but never repeated. Unless, of course. You are Manny Pacquiao.

Thanks, my friend.

â€" MARTIN

Quote from: windgate on May 15, 2009, 07:47:00 AM
unsa man nang kulitison, padz.

Mao ning giingon ni Koddi nga Bisalog, sagol sa Bisaya ug Tagalog unya nalibog na hinuon, kay ang Tagalog "kilitisin" man. Sa Bisaya, sukit-sukiton man tingali. Sa amo ang kulitison kanang tubuan gamay hubag sa mata.

Asa dapit ang Divine Mercy Hills? Kulang ra lagi among time. I'm sure there are other beautiful places to explore.  We also wanted to go to the Macahambus Nature Park but ran out of time.

Quote from: lumine on May 15, 2009, 12:20:07 AM
sir bene,pareha jud ta ug tribo na napicturan. there were four groups of tribes actually pero kaning naka red man gud ang diha sa entrance.



ang ako lil boss kay nalingaw jud nagtan-aw nila.

Lingaw man kaayo si Baby Matt. Murag gaingon, "Mom, can I join them dance? People can't tell, we have the same shirt color!" Cute siguro ang mestizo mag tribal costume.

Daydreamers might solve problems faster: study

Agence France-Presse | 05/13/2009 12:26 AM

VANCOUVER - Contrary to common opinion, daydreaming is not slacking off because when the brain wanders it is working even harder to solve problems, new research shows.

Scientists scanned the brains of people lying inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, as they alternately pushed buttons or rested.

The scans showed that the "default network" deep inside a human brain becomes more active during daydreaming.

But in a surprise finding the scans also revealed intense activity in the executive network, the outlying region of the brain associated with complex problem-solving, neuroscientist Kalina Christoff told AFP.

"People assume that when the mind wanders away it just gets turned off -- but we show the opposite, that when it wanders, it turns on," said Christoff, co-author of the study, and head of a neuroscience laboratory at the University of British Columbia in Western Canada.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest daydreaming might be a better way to solve problems than intense focusing.

"People who let themselves daydream might not think in the same focused way as when performing a goal-oriented task, but they bring in more mental and brain resources," said Christoff.

She argued that now people might change their attitudes towards daydreamers.

"Within ourselves, we have absorbed that attitude that mind wandering is a bad thing. We're harsh on ourselves, if we catch ourselves mind wandering," she said.

"A more playful attitude might allow you to call in more resources."

People typically spend one-third of their waking time daydreaming. "It's a big part of our lives, but it's been largely ignored by science," Christoff said.

The study is the first to use MRIs to study brain activity during "spontaneous thoughts and subjective experiences," said Christoff.

"Until now the only way was to use self-reports that were not always reliable."

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on May 14, 2009, 10:50:22 PM
Para anang "pakulo" mahimo man tingaling gamiton ang "paukyab". Naay mga wild translations sa mga underwear: "pantaplat" from "panapton nga itaptap sa bil*t; "sanggay", from sangga sa lag*y. Ha ha ha! Naa pud tingaliy "pantapso" or "sangtoy", ha ha ha!

Graphic kaayo nga translation na. Pero murag bahag man ang image. Underwear sa Tagalog "pang-ilalim na suot", di sa Bisaya "sul-ob pang-ilawum." Taasa lang, murag dugay hubuon.

Hi thegirlnextdoor,

As champion of tourism, Representative Edgar Chatto is certainly our strongest ally in the fight against criminality in Bohol. It was a good idea that you finally organized an expat group so that your voice will have more force and weight. Chatto is the best person to approach, because he is presently the face of tourism and he is as sensitive to the concerns of resident foreigners as to his own constituency. I support your cause because nowhere is the saying "no man is an island" truer than in Bohol--your safety is also ours.

Naa bitaw nahisgutan sa article bahin sa bell. Lingganay diay. Legend ra ba ni o tinuod gyud?

Generally safe ang CDO. Mas hadlok pa man gani ko sa Cebu magsuruy-suroy. OK lang muinum-inum basta makatuod ka pa sa imong hotel.

Glace,

Mag-enjoy gyud ka sa ilang night cafe sa downtown, a place which they call Divisoria, every Friday and Saturday. Pero di man kape imnon sa mga tawo, kundi beer.

The irony in Japanese society is that beneath the social harmony, the homogeneity, the elegant social graces is an undercurrent of personal emotional turmoil. As noted in this report, suicide among the young is increasing. Sometimes they do it as a pact. Many of the young who end their lives leave suicide notes identifying the persons who have driven them to such an impasse.

I believe that the collapse of  the economy, the inadequacy of social protective net, uncertainty about the future--all related factors--are the main reasons for the spike in suicide.

On the surface, Japan seems unruffled by the turmoil in the market. The continuing construction of highrises in our city seems to negate the grim economic statistics being announced in the papers. But in truth, people are being emotionally and spiritually dislocated by these dramatic changes in their society.

Chatto law names Bohol, 7 sites as tourism zones

by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City (13 May) -- Make strategic areas across the country, especially Bohol and 7 other provinces, into tourism enterprise zones, this is one of the effects of the new law President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed last week in the heart of the country's tourism super-region.

The move, which Bohol Representative Edgar Chatto and his counterpart at the Senate authored should make the Philippine tourism globally competitive and puts its as primary engine for investment, employment and national development.

Other than Bohol, other tourism zones to be established are in Cebu, Davao, Laguna, Cavite, Boracay, Palawan and Iloilo: all of these to foreign investors and tourists to visit places rich in history and culture, the law said. Thus, it will spur the creation of jobs and open additional channels for the infusion of much-needed investments as well as give the people the power to pull themselves out of the economic recession, explains Rep. Chatto in media interviews prior to the signing,

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed May 12, the National Tourism Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9593) declaring a national tourism policy and attempts to integrate all tourism development efforts to boost the country's competitiveness, he stressed.

This it does by strengthening the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies to effectively and efficiently implement that policy and appropriate funds, he explains.

In fact, tourism Secretary Ace Durano admitted that the law lends DOT a "bigger jet engine so we can climb up. It provides us more capability and resources to make our tourism industry very globally competitive."

The Cebuano tourism chair was referring to the provisions for setting up of a system of accreditation, standards-setting and classification to make the tourism industry globally competitive.

The Act declares tourism as "indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national interest and importance, which must be harnessed as an engine of socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investment, foreign exchange and employment, and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos."

The Act also reorganizes the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) into the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), a corporation responsible for the marketing and promotion of the Philippines as a global tourism destination by highlighting its tourism products and services.

It also reorganizes the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) into the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a body mandated to designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) as well as develop, manage and supervise tourism projects in the country.

Both TIEZA and TPB gets P250M capitalization from the national government says the new law.

Meanwhile, the Duty Free Philippines (DFP) becomes Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), to run the tax-free merchandising system in the country. (PIA)

Hi Bambi,

Musta na man ka? Naapsan na daw lagi ko ni Paolo in just a matter of two months, kay kusog man kaayo mukaon. Si Sarah pud, maayo na kaayo mag-Binisaya. It's funny that when we were together in Japan, I was always absorbed in work and we seldom had time to go around and have real bonding. But now that I see them only once every four months or so during which we usually travel together in the Philippines, we not only connect deeply as a family but they've also reconnected to their roots as Filipinos. Everytime I see them, we share many more things in common. They can now grasp my point of reference when I talk to them about my youth, about the value of studying hard, respect for parents and older people, etc.

Problema bitaw sa atong mga resorts sa Bohol, dollar-denominated na ang rates. Pero naa man paagi pud nga makabarato, ug di lang pud ta mangitag fancy nga serbisyo.

Niangay ang mga bata sa Cagayan de Oro. Teritoryo man gud naku busa smooth lang among paglibot-libot. It's amazing how so many things have changed dramatically in 20 years, and yet I still remembered every crook and cranny of the place.

Flickr's okay, ready!

Good News Pilipinas
Posted on April 27th, 2009 under Beauty of the Philippines

The Philippines was recently ranked and awarded by Japan’s leading diving magazines as one of the world’s top five diving areas.

The country also made it to the list of Top 10 Most Desirable Destination, Best Dive Resort (Bohol Tropics) and Favorite Dive Operator (Blue Coral, Cebu), according to a survey participated in by more than 50,000 Japanese dive enthusiasts.

Divers from Japan are seen to rise during the summer months as more vacation packages and even lower fares are being offered.

Survey voters included readers of top dive magazines in Japan namely; Marine Diving, Travel Dive, Marine Photo and I love Diving. These publications by Marine Art Co., Ltd., organizers of the 17th MDF, are best-selling magazines catering to serious divers in Japan.

Given at the recent 17th Marine Diving Fair (MDF) held in Tokyo, the largest diving fair in Asia, the MDF Awards are among the highly-acknowledged commendations for must-visit dive destinations in the world.

More than 65 countries representing various destinations, tourism boards, airlines, resorts, dive operators and other tourism-related companies were present in the 17th MDF, attracting close to 100,000 visitors.

“There are more than one million Japanese divers who annually travel worldwide returning to their familiar dive spots or in search of new locations. The country in gaining momentum in this niche activity signals our strong efforts in making people aware of the Philippines’ diverse marine life that is worthy of every traveler’s discovery,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

Durano added the Department of Tourism (DOT) sees these achievements as a positive result of the promotional campaigns specifically targeted for this market segment.

Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. added, “The Philippine participation to the annual MDF wants to maintain and further the Philippines’ popularity among the Japanese divers.

“This is not the first time for the Philippines to win the award; we have always been in the Top 10 best dive destinations. The positive feedback we received affirms the country’s standing as a premier dive destination.”

Head of Team Japan, Director Benito Bengzon said, “The Philippines remains to be a favorite dive destination among the Japanese. For several years, Blue Coral Resort in Cebu has been voted as the number one Best Dive Operator.”

This year, the Philippine delegation exhibit booth featured a whale shark or ‘butanding’ backdrop and several sea water aquariums featuring small sea creatures found only in the Philippines, such as the multi-colored jelly fish.

Bengzon said “The Philippine participants are very happy with the outcome of the country’s participation to the MDF. Optimism was evident despite the economic challenges, with their clients asking for return trips, and many prospective clients signifying strong interest.”

Part of the Philippine delegation was Kasai Village Resort from Moalboal, popular for their expertise in taking divers around spectacular wrecks in Cebu.

General Manager Michael Pettersson said, “Moalboal is one of the oldest centers of diving in the country. The sites here are famous for the pygmy seahorse and frog fish, to name a few.”

Kasai Village Resort will now be represented in Japan by Metropolitan Tours, one of Japan’s biggest tour operators.

Japan named the other places of top 10 dive sites as Maldives, Palau, Ishigaki Island; Saipan, Okinawa Island, Zamami Island, French Polynesia, Mizako Island, and Guam. (PNA)

Bohol resort is Visayan furniture showcase


From Flickr's jvnunag

By Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:31:00 05/12/2009


MANILA, Philippines â€" After a French writer waxed poetic about Amarela in Panglao Island, Bohol, and its motley of local folk furniture, his countrymen have been checking the resort out to see if the write-up was honest or mere hype. This three-year-old, 26-room resort has become a must-go place.

Corporate lawyer Lucas Nunag was planning to build a vacation house in his home province. But when he started doing the paperwork for its construction, a clause cited that buildings should have a commercial tourism purpose in a tourism estate like Panglao.

Riding on the tourism boom in Bohol, the Nunags set up the resort named after their favorite color, yellow, which in Portuguese means amarela. The main three-story edifice was built from architectural salvages while the modern annex uses floorings from tiles and woodwork from old houses.

The colors are painted in bright yellow to enhance the wood tones; they’re complemented by blue. The main areas are the atrium, where shafts of light penetrate, and the dining area that faces the Mindanao Sea.

Amarela’s charm lies in the proliferation of vintage Visayan folk furniture and their reproductions whose simple and functional lines complement the building. Although in their time these furniture pieces were as plebian as today’s Monobloc chairs, their modest provenance strikes a familiar chord, especially to Boholanos.

The locals would tell the owner they once saw similar pieces in their grandparents’ home. The presence of these folk furniture in the new environment adds warmth and introduces the enticing quality of the aged, the time-worn and the most cherished. They provide the important ambiance of comfortable equanimity and mellow well-being.

According to connoisseur and furniture maker Osmundo Esguerra, Bohol, Leyte, Cebu and Siquijor share the same design aesthetics. The lines are spare, the pieces are held together by solid mortis-and-tenon joinery. Carving is not as elaborate as the furniture from the other provinces and the favored woods are molave or tugas and balayong or bayong, which are abundant in Bohol. Esguerra says the more sophisticated craftsmanship are those made for the ilustrados and the churches.

In “Tubod: The Heart of Bohol,” cultural historian Ramon Villegas wrote that during the late 19th century, the local furniture makers tried to mimic the imported styles for the mass market. However, the furniture lacked the proportion, refinement and craftsmanship. Chairs of mediocre standard were called “silyang bastos” or the common chair. He notes that in that era, Bohol furniture pieces became shoddy, using substandard materials.

Esguerra says vintage common furniture is also low in value, between P3,000 to P5,000.

Tradition survives

Today Bohol furniture-making has survived. Still, the quality of their production pales in comparison to their precedents. Even Nunag laments that craftsmen resort to cheaper materials instead of pure rattan to make cane weaving.

Nunag set up a furniture workshop to give jobs and to reproduce furniture for Amarela. He also established a gallery which features modern artists. A recent exhibit paid homage to the icon paintings, religious paintings similar to the Byzantine style, done on wood.

All these local crafts are in danger of extinction. Amarela, in its own way, is keeping them alive. This is a good example of how tourism brings benefit to a sustainable future.

Mas maayo man tingali nga ipuhunan nila sa panginabuhi ang ilang colorful cultural heritage sa in-ana nga cultural site,  kaysa mamalimos pareho sa mga Badjao. Eyesore baya nang mga Badjao bisag asa nga pantalan sa Pilipinas. Kaning mga lumad sa Malasag, dili man sila istorbo o ikauwaw sa mga turista. Naa pa gani sila demo sa ilang native craftsmanship sa mga cottages. Making a little money from a display of their unique culture will help them preserve it. Mao lang lagi, eventually, mawala ang purity sa kultura kay masobraan sa commercial purpose.

Quote from: buwadsanga on May 14, 2009, 04:24:31 PM
Nice Macky, pero ug way amps galig di ma dungog labina kay open ang tukar. bisag amps nalang sa vocals, guitar ug bass oks na.

nice event name - BAMBOO STOCK

mo tuo ko nga mo saler ni kay lajo sa loboc ang lugar so ang competition sa site dili ma apektuhan. pero mas competitive ka kay duol sa tagb ug usab dunay punta cruz a tourict attraction site.

hapit gyud ko diha ug madayon ni Macs! 

This is Macky's localized version of the Woodstock Festival, a music festival held in a dairy farm at the rural town of Bethel, New York.

Basig unahan ka aning imong Bamboostock Festival, kay catchy kaayo ang pangalan. Kinahanglan istoryahan na nato nila Jun ang event promotion company. Ngayo tag tabang sa promo sa ABS-CBN thru my inside contacts with TFC...

Di ba naa may sikat nga band vocalist nga Bamboo ang ngalan, may-ong ni Chiz Escudero?

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on May 14, 2009, 04:19:46 PM
Ben, puede mo gamit pod ka ug coco lumber or combination sa kawayan ug coco lumber. Akong nadunggan nga nagbaligya sa una is GERMS cocolumber & kawayan lumber + hollowblocks, etc. one-stop native housing supply ni sila. Wa ko idea kung nag operate pa ni sila karon.

Walay treated nga kawayan sa atoa. Ang ilang technique para dili anayon is ihumol sa dagat. So, mangutana ka ug treated sa seawater.

Kung gusto ka ug barato nga source, adto palit sa Cortes or Antiquera. Daghan ang plantation didto ug kawayan unya dool ra ang delivery sa Tagbilaran.

Thanks Macks. Mangutana ko ani pohon. Naa pud diay tay indigenous organic technique para sa preservation sa bamboo.

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on May 14, 2009, 03:54:50 PM
License to operate lang ang puhonan ani Wads. Daghan man ta ug kawayan.

Para sa mga mo kanta, puede ko mangimbitar ug Band nga dili pa kaayo sikat. Sa launching, mag organize ko ug battle of the un-recognized bands unya akong gam-an ug documentary para ma promote sa mga websites.

Ang concert sa floating kawayan stage dubbed as "Bamboo Stock".

Ang mo participate nga band, pabawnan ug usa ka container nga bahalina.

Para dili kas ug koryente, puro acaustic ang mga instruments (unplugged).

Idea pa lang ni Wads, ug part ani nga idea gikan sa imong mga rock n roll.

Since local tourist lang ang atong target, puede na ang mga bands. Kanang mga tinikling ug folk dance para lang na sa mga foreign tourists unya mo gasto pa ka sa mga costume. Maayo ang mga local bands kay dili arte.

OK kaayo ang concept. Kinahanglan naa pud tay event-oriented tourism program to sustain the year-long traffic of tourists and livelihood of those involved in the industry. Himuon siya nga annual event.

Unsa bitaw na? Isda? Buaja?

Quote from: lumine on May 14, 2009, 03:11:51 PM
sir bene, when lang mo niadto sa Malasag? we are there last saturday. wala mo nagpapicture sa mga tribo?

Last December 10 pa man na siya. Nabusy lang ko wa dayon naku na-post. Wala kaayo bisita atong adlawa, Sabado sa buntag man tingali, busa wala pud naghikay kaayo ang tribu.


Si Sarah lang nag-interact sa mga lumad. Nakuyawan na siya sa mga Badjao sa pier, pero at home siya sa mountain tribe.


Raya and Sarah held their breath upon the early morning approach to Macajalar Bay.


Paolo was sleepless in his first boat ride. He's reading his soccer magazine in Japanese.


The kids have learned to enjoy riding boats.

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on May 14, 2009, 02:52:09 PM
Ang scientific name ana Ben nga species sa Buaya is "Buayahos Politicos".

Kini nga suba Ben murag sumpay ni sa Antiquera. Dinhi mo agi ang mga mamaligyaay ug kawayan sa una didto sa Pier sa Tagbilaran. Ilang palutawon ug mag bugsay lang.

Sumpay pod ni sa among yuta sa Antiquera nga daplin sa suba. Puede diay ko mag gama ug floating kawayan restaurant cruise. Ginagmay lang para sa mga locals.

Sugdi Macks, aron mulambo ang turismo ana nga side sa Bohol. Kay ang ruta sa mga turista ron diri ra man sa south side sa Bohol, gikan Panglao paingon Baclayon sud sa Loboc ug Carmen. Nilabay ko sa pikas side gikan Tagbilaran paingon Sagbayan, daghan man pud gwapong talan-awon.

By the way, asa man ta kapalit ug treated bamboo sa Bohol? Murag mag-organic housing na lang ko, kay nabasa naku nga kung properly treated daw ang bamboo (with borax) ug ipauga ug 3 taman 6 buwan, mudugay daw ug 30 to 50 years. Bamboo houses diri sa Japan mudugay man daw ug 200 years. Unbelievable. Daghan kag kawayan sa imong hacienda, Mack?

Manay Tess,

Daghan kaayo nindot nga talan-awon sa Pilipinas. Ma-appreciate lang nato kung mahilayo ta. Accommodation facilities are available at this place. Naay mga cottages for rent. Naa pud for group accommodation. Hotel charges in dowtown CDO are much much cheaper than in Tagbilaran. We stayed in a triple-bed hotel called Ramona Hotel at the Divisoria city center by the Carmen River, and accessible to all points of CDO, and we paid only about P900. The place is nice, clean and has running hot and cold water, with a nice view of the river behind it. Kung wa lang nagdali akong son para sa soccer game nila sa Tagbilaran, dad-on pa unta naku sila sa Bukidnon. Next time na lang.

Katong niaging buwan, gipasyal pud sila sa ilang Mama sa lugar sa ilang mga ig-agaw sa Pampanga, dayon libot sa Manila, especially sa Mall of Asia. Wa sila niangay. Trip daw nila pareho sa CDO nga naay masuruyan nga nature.

They have adjusted remarkably to the lifestyle in Bohol. In fact, ako na silang gidala diri sa Japan usa-usa for a three-week vacation ug paper work. Wa pay usa ka semana, gadali na muulig Bohol. Paolo will be joining me here for a three-week vacation this Sunday. Ingon ni misis, taas na kuno siya naku ug mga duha o tulo ka pulgada. Tupong pa man mi stong last nakong uli sa February. Paspas gyud mudaku ang mga bata.

Quote from: JaimeHandugan on May 14, 2009, 02:25:41 PM
Jati ra! Basin mag buksing pud ni sa kongreso. Naa ba puy pay-per-view ani?

Welcome sa Tubag Bohol, JaimeHandugan.

Murag nangitag TV visibility na pud ning atong mga pulitiko para sa 2010. Ug tawgon nila si Martin for interrogation, mao ra jud ni witness nga klarong mukanta.

Gardens of Malasag
Benigno D. Tutor, Jr.
ABS-CBN Star Studio Japan
February 2009


This is how it looks from one of those thatch-roofed cottages down the slope of the Gardens of Malasag, which gives a sweeping view of the Macajalar Bay below.

Cagayan de Oro City usually brings to mind an industrial belt and a bustling commercial metropolis.　And that’s not wide of the mark, considering that CDOC is sprawled strategically at the center-point of the coastal stretch of Northern Mindanao, making it the most important economic nexus to the region. Going by the floor space of its shopping centersâ€"SM City, Limketkai, Robinson’s, Gaisano, Ororama, among othersâ€"CDOC does not fail to live up to its image as Mindanao’s shopping mecca.


Under a cool canopy, a pause for a pose in the long and winding mountainside path.

On a recent visit to the “City of Golden Friendship” after 20 years, I was taken aback by the dramatic transformation of the cityscape. What used to be a swampland in its coastal front and rugged highland in its backdrop are now fully integrated into the urban sprawl, with the old commercial center called Divisoria now conspicuously decongested. The most famous landmark of the city center, my high school alma mater Xavier University, is now a tight cluster of buildings apparently to accommodate the more than 40,000 students that have made it the largest academic institution in the country. The traditional hub of hoi polloi tradeâ€"the notoriously putrescent Cogon wet marketâ€"is now a two-storey structure that looks and smells sufficiently sanitized.


8-year old daughter Sarah snaps this photo of Golden Shrimp or Lollipop Plant, whose scientific name is Pachystachys lutea (name provided by a botanist friend).

Jaded urbanites like me and my three kids, however, could not find anything dazzling enough to keep our attention in the malls. So we approached a taxi driver and asked to be taken to the Gardens of Malasag, which we have previously surfed in the internet. The soft-spoken driver agreed without fuss to a return fare of Php 300 (I suppose haggling in the locally inflected Visayan helped).Though widely advertised, this eco-tourism village seems to be accessible only through private transport or hired public utility. The taxi cut through the city’s main thoroughfare, wiggled itself out of the bedlam at the Cogon market to a bypass that led to the coastal road towards Gusa, turned right and finally wove itself through the zigzag on the slopes of the Cugman watershed. Winding uphill, we saw crosses at intervals on the roadside which the driver told us are used by penitents during the Lenten season. In about 20 minutes, we found ourselves at the gate of the Gardens of Malasag, welcomed gracefully by a troupe of lumads in full tribal regalia.


Overhanging cottages dot the slopes of the Gardens of Malasag, looking out to the Macajalar Bay.

Nestled on the slopes of the verdant mountain overlooking Macajalar Bay, the 7.2-hectare Gardens of Malasag is a tranquil retreat brimming with unusual flora and fauna endemic to Mindanao. The maze of footpaths wind up and down the terrain, which are interspersed with thatched workshops where natives demonstrate handicraft-making. If you want to immerse yourself in the routine of the lumads and breathe in the smell of wind and earth, you can also stay in any of the tribal houses, dormitory or overhanging cottages  that look out to the sea. A wade in the palm-fringed pool in the lower terrace can complete your holiday relaxation in this mountain hideaway.


Bathing in sweat at the end of the long walk, Paolo and Raya banter with Sarah, "The long walk was no sweat, I'm Rexona-refreshed."

Quote from: buwadsanga on May 14, 2009, 01:10:16 PM
wa ba kahy buaja ani? 

Ang mga buaja sa Bohol wa sa suba. Dili amphibious, kundi terrestrial.

Usahay mangutana ko nganong nanglangyaw man tang mga taga-paraiso. Tingali aron mas layo atong maadtuan, mas ma-realize nato unsa katahom ang Bohol.

To avoid repetition of topic in new posts and facilitate the consolidation of similar or related threads, may we add a search feature within TB?

Or is there one already that I am not aware of?

I've always wanted to search key words first before posting, but I am not aware of such feature here at TB.

From Flickr's  c_resabal's photostream

Maribojoc

By Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:06:00 05/14/2009

It is not very often that one gets out of the city to find and experience the pristine and the primeval. Last week, I was in Maribojoc in the island province of Bohol to enjoy not just the fiesta and behold its ancient landmarks but to also experience its “secret places,” the blue and green quiet spaces that glide in and out of one’s dreams.

While Bohol now figures big on the tourism map because of the beaches of Panglao, the Chocolate Hills and the cultural sites, it has other little-known spots that could draw a different breed of visitors, explorers who are drawn to paths less traveled. Like myself. Maribojoc has such special places.

The town is only a 30-minute drive from Tagbilaran City, but it still holds one of the country’s last frontiers. I am referring to its vast mangrove areas that are still thick with nipa palm and different species of trees. (More on these later.)

I must mention that I arrived a few hours before the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing match which was over after only two rounds. The town’s gym was packed with people for the free live show. (My photo of the jubilating crowd came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer the next day, and it thrilled the Maribojocanons.) But you know what? The bout came live via Indonesia (with anchors speaking in Bahasa). This was because, this time, only theaters and malls in Bohol could have cable TV pay-per-view. Obviously, so people would pay to watch.

Maribojoc couldn’t get it live for its poor constituents even if it would pay the cable company like what it did for the past bouts. So where would the hoi-polloi go? Mayor Leoncio “Jun” Evasco Jr. found a way, a “guerrilla” way.

This is the Jun Evasco I had met many years ago (but I do not remember where or how). He was a Catholic priest. He later became a ranking member of the communist New People’s Army. He was arrested and so heavily tortured by the military he wished they would finish him off. Four comrades who were arrested with him were summarily executed, leaving him the only survivor. He was in prison for several years and was released during the Aquino presidency. He worked in government for many years, his last job being as chief of staff of the unconventional mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte.

The details of Evasco’s life story deserves a separate telling some other time.

Now back in the town of his birth, Evasco, 65, married, with children and grandchildren, is bringing his life experiences as former priest, communist rebel, NGO worker and public servant to his elective post. Coming from a prominent family of Maribojoc, the homecoming Evasco won as mayor by a landslide in 2007.

Maribojoc has a population of only 18,000. Many are into farming and fishing. It has its share of legends and history, among them the bell at the bottom of the river, the centuries-old Punta Cruz watchtower by the sea, and beside it, the wooden cross planted by Italian navigator Pigafetta. This weekend, national historical markers will be installed on the watchtower and the church of Maribojoc. The film “Lagablab sa Maribojoc” starring the late Fernando Poe Jr. was filmed here.

The spiritual life of Maribojocanons deeply connects to the limestone church with ornately painted ceilings, which is dedicated to St. Vincent Ferrer who is nicknamed “Enting.” During feasts, people dance the Enting-Enting to seek the intercession of the Spanish Dominican saint who was a great missionary in his time. Of course, I joined in the revelry inside the church, and earlier, the fluvial procession of fishing boats out in the open sea and got my pants all wet.

But to go deeper into the heart of this place, one must meet the hardy folk who are working hard to move the town into the future while preserving its natural heritage. Many an application for quarrying, mining and fishpond permit has the mayor rejected if they looked like threats to the environment.

And as to the blue and green spaces I mentioned earlier, Maribojoc still has some of the biggest mangrove areas in this country. Fantastic is an understatement. Lining the banks of the Abatan River (which runs through four towns) are thick rows of nipa palms and mangrove trees that sustain a variety of wildlife. Multi-awarded poet Marjorie Evasco (a cousin of the mayor’s) wrote of this habitat as “a temple of dark green silence.”

We rafted on the Abatan River in the afternoon with only the sound of birds and insects to accompany us. At some point, we transferred from the raft to a tiny banca (boat) and paddled quietly into the smaller inlets under a bower of leaves. I thought of the river scenes in Francis Ford Coppola’s film and Joseph Conrad’s novel. For me, this was the next best thing to sailing on the Amazon, minus the anaconda.

Cooper Resabal Jr., a journalist who was based abroad for several years, is back in his hometown to help jumpstart the ecotourism program. This kind of tourism is not for everyone, he said. No dining cruises here like in Loboc. Just the green silence for rafters, kayakers, wildlife watchers, fishers, mystics.

I visited another mangrove area thick with 21 species of trees and with a half-kilometer board walk that leads to an islet planted to coconuts and with a good view of the sea. This serves as camping site. The sanctuary is managed by the San Vicente Mangrove Association. I also visited a farmers’ group that practices organic farming.

I stayed in a bed-and-breakfast place with a breathtaking view of the mountain in the distance, the vast and misty mangrove down below and the silvery sheen of a bend in the river.

10 automakers forecast losses to triple to 1 trillion yen

BY HIROBUMI OHINATA AND SOICHI FURUYA
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2009/5/14

Japan's 10 automakers suffered a combined operating loss of 320 billion yen in fiscal 2008 due to plummeting sales worldwide and the high yen--and the situation is expected to grow even worse.

Their recently released annual reports marked a sharp contrast from the previous year, when the automakers collectively reported about 4.7 trillion yen in operating profits on a consolidated basis.

The automakers have also forecast a collective operating loss of 1 trillion yen for this fiscal year, according to their reports for fiscal 2008, which ended in March.

In fiscal 2008, seven of the 10 automakers reported net losses, including industry leader Toyota Motor Corp. All seven companies posted net profits in fiscal 2007.

Only Daihatsu Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which all produce minivehicles and motorcycles, managed to post net profits last fiscal year.

All automakers are adjusting their inventories in hopes for a recovery in the latter half of this fiscal year. However, their fortunes largely depend on a rebound in sales in Europe, the United States and Japan. And so far, there are no clear indications of that happening soon.

"We've begun to see the bottom, but there's no sign of recovery," Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., said.

In fiscal 2007, Toyota's operating profit was a record 2.27 trillion yen.

However, the auto giant suffered a 461-billion-yen operating loss in fiscal 2008, as consolidated sales dropped by 1.346 million units from the previous year and the Japanese currency appreciated.

In the January-March quarter, during which Toyota produced 45.1 percent fewer vehicles around the world compared with the same quarter last year, its net loss was 765.8 billion yen.

The figure exceeded the loss of $5.975 billion (about 590 billion yen) of ailing General Motors Corp.

Toyota has forecast an operating loss of 850 billion yen for fiscal 2009.

Nissan Motor Co. also suffered an operating loss, of 137.9 billion yen, in fiscal 2008.

Mazda Motor Corp., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and Hino Motors Ltd. joined Nissan in seeing their operating profits turn into operating losses last fiscal year.

Five other automakers--Honda, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Mitsubishi Motors and Isuzu Motors Ltd.--maintained operating profits.

In fiscal 2008, the 10 companies sold about 2.5 million fewer vehicles than in fiscal 2007. Suzuki alone in fiscal 2008 sold 2.3 million vehicles.

As a result of production cuts, more than 30,000 non-regular workers in the auto industry lost their jobs in Japan.

For fiscal 2009, global sales by the 10 automakers are expected to drop further by about 2 million units.

For the first half of fiscal 2009, only Suzuki and Daihatsu expect to operate in the black.

Although all of the automakers expect to do better in the second half of the fiscal year, the majority view in the industry is that a full-scale recovery will not arrive until at least fiscal 2010.(IHT/Asahi: May 14,2009)

32,249 suicides reported in japan in 2008; depression leading cause

Thursday 14th May, 10:17 AM JST
Kyodo News

TOKYO â€"The number of people who committed suicide in Japan in 2008 remained above 30,000 for the 11th consecutive year, with depression continuing to top the list of reasons, a National Police Agency survey showed Thursday. The number of suicides in the reporting year stood at 32,249, down 2.6% from the preceding year, the NPA said.

Suicides attributed to depression totaled 6,490, representing about 28% of 23,490 suicides for which reasons were made clear due to notes left by those who killed themselves or the knowledge of people close to them.

The NPA revised the categorization of reasons and motives for suicide in 2007. Under the new categorization, suicides are divided into 50 reasons.

In 2008, depression-linked suicides were followed by 5,128 over physical ailments, 1,733 over debts from multiple lenders and 1,529 over other debts, said the NPA.

Bullying-linked suicides came to 16, up two from the previous year. The figure includes 13 for those aged up to 19, up three from 2007.

By age, suicides were most common among people in their 50s with 6,363 cases.

Suicides among those in their 70s, for whom data were disclosed for the first time, totaled 3,697. The figure for those aged 80 or older stood at 2,361.

The number of younger people who killed themselves increased in the reporting year. Those in their 30s came to an all-time high of 4,850. Those in their 20s totaled 3,438, and those aged up to 19 came to 611.

In 2008, Yamanashi Prefecture continued to mark the highest suicide rate of 41.1 per 100,000 people among Japan’s 47 prefectures, followed by Aomori, at 36.9, and Akita, at 36.6. Yamanashi has the Aokigahara Jukai forest, which has become a popular place for suicides since a novel that ended with a heroine killing herself in the forest was published in 1960.

The NPA said the number of people who committed suicide using hydrogen sulfide totaled 181 in the January-March quarter of this year, compared with 29 for 2007 and 1,056 for 2008.

Kung magOA ang gubyerno, tabla lang unta.

OA ang Congress ni Martin, pero hilum kang Manny nga nag-sul-ob ug T-shirt nga Philippine flag ang design.

OA ang DOJ ni Jun Lozada, pero way pahilabot ni Joc-Joc Bolante.

OA kang Ted Failon, pero pugong man ang pulis pag-aresto niadto kang Tony Leviste.

Palabi sa ubang butang, kulang sa daghan. Check-and-balance ang prinsipyo sa gubyerno, pero mas daghan check kaysa balance.

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on April 24, 2009, 01:50:38 AM
Pero nagka grabe ang pagtinagalog sa mga batan-on karon. Abi nilag nagBinisaya sila. Here's a common scene sa mga kan-anan: "Gulay ako, Nang. Isa ka order. Pakibalot, Nang, ha. Hala, wa koy barya. Pahiram bi!" Unsa pa may nahibiling Binisaya ani? Nga, matud pa "halo-halo" (Tagalog pud) na man.  Tinood, lami ang halo-halo, pero kon mas daghan ang Tinagalog sa saksak-sinagol nga sinultihan, mapu-o gyud ning atong pinulongan. 

Akong 8 katuig nga anak naa na sa Tagbilaran insaktong usa ka tuig rong bulana, maayo na kaayo mag-Binisaya. Akong gisuwayan istorya Binisaya tanan, matubag niya pero pagpangutana naku, "Gakaon ba mog utan diha?" Wa katubag unya nangutana, "Unsay utan, Daddy?" Tinuod gyud ning imong example. Gulay iyang pagkahibalo.

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on April 23, 2009, 10:51:01 PM
Kadaghanan sa atong mga kabataan karon wala na masayud nga Tinagalog na diay nang ilang gipanggamit nga mga pulong, sama sa SAYANG, PANTULAK, PAKULO, KAILANGAN, PAKSIW, MALAGKIT, etc. In the year 3000, language researchers will try to rediscover the dead language called Binisaya. 

Sir Koddi, paiksamina sa ko aron mahibaw-an naku kung unsay lunsay nga Binisaya para ani nila:

SAYANG--nugon, anugon

PANTULAK--imnunon?

PAKULO--??? di ba gimik man ni pero di man pud ni lunsay nga Bisaya kay gikan man pud sa ininglis nga gimmick ni
             --gamiton pud sa mga Tagalog ang pulong nga pautot
           

KAILANGAN--kinahanglan

PAKSIW--inun-on, un-unan

MALAGKIT--pilit

Sagol man pud akong Bisaya sa Bisaya sa CDO ug Ilonggo, lain pa ang Tagalog.

Ug taas pa tong away ni Pacman ug Hatton, dili siguro kaayo mapansin ang pagkanta ni Martin.

What bloody news! In-ani man siguro ang specialty nga balita sa Sin Chew Daily as in chew gyud.

Unahon sa unta nila imbestiga ng mga congressman nga nagabsent sa session aron mutan-aw ni Pacman ug Hatton.

After a long day today, attending to rush job requests, I took a breather and came across a read that was just what I was looking for. Sometimes, we're jolted by existential questions out of the blue, like "Why am doing what I'm doing?" "Is this really my place in the world?"  Why do bad things happen to good people? It all boils down to the question of "What is happiness?"

So what is happiness to you?

At the ABC news website, Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease nearly 20 years ago, says:

"Your happiness grows in direct proportion to your acceptance and in inverse proportion to your expectations," Fox told ABC News' Diane Sawyer. "Acceptance doesn't really mean you're resigned to it. It just means acknowledging that that's what it is."

Kuyaw na nga word na uy! Nakuratan ko usahay naay ko'y gitawagan nga kliyenteng baje sa mobile phone. Nalangan siyag tubag unya nag-apologize, "Sorry Sir ha naka-vibrator kasi ako." (Silent or manner mode man diay)

Quote from: ms da binsi on March 22, 2008, 02:30:17 AM

" Im okay with my vibrator! "

huy tinuod jud na i know someone who said that!

Mas ok siguro kung ingnon na lang, "Lain akong vibes."

My tall, dark and handsome first-degree cousin Fidel S. Tutor, Jr. also made it to this year's bar roster. Uncle Fidel Sr. called me up from the US recently to make sure I come to the Tutors' celebratory reunion come July this year.

As a manner of congratulating my cousin, let me quote this interesting vignette of the checkered life of new lawyer Fidel "Ondoy" Tutor Jr. by Dan Dan Bantugan in his Obiter Dictum column in Bohol Chronicle:

***********

But in our street, the neighbor to the right side of the house, Atty. Antonio Arabejo is also a legal practitioner. With the release of the bar results last Friday, we have the third lawyer in Everlasting Street, Atty. Fidel S. Tutor Jr., who is the neighbor to the left side of our house.

In other words, we are living in between two lawyers also. We don't know if Arabejo's neighbor to the right or Tutor's neighbor to the left are also planning to take up law. In that case, we might as well re-name our street at the Legal Street. Joke only.

* * * * * *

Speaking of the newest lawyer in Everlasting Street, Atty. Fidel S. Tutor is not only a neighbor. He is our student, client and friend. We consider his wife Nila, a registered nurse and their siblings, Angelie and Aron, part of the family already.

Ondoy, as Tutor is fondly called in our street, will go down in history as the only policeman actually based in Bohol who passed the bar examinations. He presently holds the rank of Senior Police Officer I and is presently assigned at Camp Dagohoy this city.

He was once a cadet at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). But obtaining a law degree at the HNU College of Law was definitely not a walk in the park for him. It was an epic battle of survival. This is based on a first person account but there's no need to go into specifics. Be that as it may, we salute him for passing the bar. It was quiet a feat.

Na, ka

Quote from: buwadsanga on May 06, 2009, 09:56:25 AM
ang mamatay ng dahil saaaaaaaaaayyooooooooo...... foooorrrevvvveeeeeeerrr...

ingon ana unta ang pagkanta ni martin para sulit sa mga NHI critics. hehehe.

Kaduha na siya atngan sa airport inig-balik sa Manila, for quarantine against swine flu and for making baboy the national anthem.

Unsa man ni si Mayor uy, duha na hinuon ang gihagit--Bohol Chronicle/DYRD ug simbahan. Murag gusto na gyud siya mupahulay sa politika.

Quote from: aduy on May 06, 2009, 01:22:53 AM
maraming sumang-ayon sa pagkanta ni Martin ng Lupang Hinirang pero kung pagbabatayan ang batas, mali talaga ang pagkanta niya.  mayron tayong batayan kung paano kantahin ang Lupang Hinirang.

kung sa maliit na bagay ay hindi kayang sundin ang batas, paano pa kaya ang mga komplekadong batas?

Tinagalog na man gyud ni 'duy, murag court proclamation. Malacanang finally weighed in this debate, in favor of Martin and of freedom in artistic interpretation.

Law-breaker sides with law-breaker?

Filipino beauty wows Chinese
Manila Standard Today

ANOTHER Filipina has won an international beauty title following Karla Paula Henry’s victory as Miss Earth last year.

April Love Jordan, 21, won the first ever Beauty of World crown at the International Beauty and Model Festival in Kuning, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province, on Sunday morning Manila time.

She beat 44 other delegates including runners-up Kuliesaite Laura of Lithuania, Natalia Ospina Acevedo of Colombia, Ayene Ella Marlyne Lea of the Gabonese Republic, and Sylvia Christina Rita of the United States.

Jordan, five-foot-eight-and-a-half, received a cash prize and sponsor’s contract from the World Beauty Congress, the organizer of the pageant established by Zamir Huseynov and Ma Yongmei.

Jordan graduated with a degree in tourism, hotel and travel industry management at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila last month. She was born on April 10, 1988 in Sta. Cruz, Manila, and is the eldest child of entrepreneurs Eugene Jordan and the former Imelda Antolo.

She was a finalist in the Miss Philippines-Earth contest in 2006 and a runner-up in the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant the same year, when the Mutya organizers sent her to Kuala Lumpur to compete in the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International tilt, where she was named “Miss Secret Charm.”

Jordan was handpicked by Michael Sy Limâ€"the local franchise holder of the Miss Chinese International contestâ€"to participate in this maiden competition. Giovanni Paolo J. Yazon

Five Everyday Items You Don't Need
by Jeffrey Strain, Special to TheStreet.com
Thursday, April 23, 2009provided byTheStreet.com

People spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year on products they don't need. They might seem like small costs, but they can add up.

Simple changes and a little preparation can help people trim the amount they waste on basic necessities. Here are five examples:

Bottled beverages: You probably have a favorite drink and it's not tap water. If you drink too much of it, it will take a toll on your budget. You don't have to give up your favorite beverage completely. Just substitute half the amount you usually drink with tap water.

Food: The average person throws away $600 worth of food each year, according to study by the University of Arizona. To keep more money in your wallet instead of the trash can, evaluate the amount of food you eat and consider how much of it goes bad before you consume it. Create a shopping list with more realistic portions and look for deals at local grocery stores.

Diet products: Americans spend a lot of money buying meals, supplements and products that promise to help them lose weight, whether it's through a diet program or an impulse buy. These items are typically more expensive than the versions that don't make the same health claims. Read food labels and consider whether a food or product is worth the cost.

Vitamins: People spend a lot of money on vitamins that merely pass through their bodies every time they go to the bathroom. Instead of purchasing a wide array of supplements, figure out what your body needs and buy only those vitamins or, better yet, get those nutrients from food.

Cosmetics and toiletries: Cosmetic and hair care companies exaggerate the benefits of their products. Paula Begoun, author of The Beauty Bible, says that sunscreen is the only true anti-aging product. Creams that claim to get rid of cellulite or wrinkles usually don't.

Begoun says expensive hair products are no more effective than cheap ones. Usually they're made with the same main ingredients or produced by the same company. Try store-brand or less expensive products the next time you're stocking up.

The Wall Street Journal
by Scott Patterson and Alistair Barr
Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Here are some highlights of Warren Buffett's and Charles Munger's remarks at the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholder meeting this past weekend.

Mr. Buffett on Newspapers

Mr. Buffett has long held himself out as a newspaper man. As a child, one of his first jobs was delivering newspapers. An Omaha newspaper Berkshire owned, Sun Newspapers, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 based in part on a tip Mr. Buffett provided. One of Berkshire's biggest investments in the 1970s was the Buffalo News, which it still owns.

But his view on the future of the newspaper industry is dismal. "For most newspapers in the United States, we would not buy them at any price," he said. "They have the possibility of going to just unending losses."

As long as newspapers were essential to readers, they were essential to advertisers, he said. But news is now available in many other venues, he said.

Berkshire has a substantial investment in Washington Post Co. He said the company has a solid cable business, a good reason to hold on to it, but its newspaper business is in trouble.

Mr. Munger called newspapers' woes "a national tragedy....These monopoly daily newspapers have been an important sinew to our civilization, they kept government more honest than they would otherwise be."

Reuters
By Julie Steenhuysen Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) â€" Many more Americans have been using prescription drugs to treat mental illness since 1996, in part because of expanded insurance coverage and greater familiarity with the drugs among primary care doctors, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.

Among adults over 65, use of so-called psychotropic drugs -- which include antidepressants, antipsychotics and Alzheimer's medicines -- doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"What we generally find is there has been an increase in access to care for all populations," said Sherry Glied of Columbia University in New York, whose study appears in the journal Health Affairs.

"Mental health has become much more a part of mainstream medical care," Glied said in a telephone interview.

In 2006, they said 16 percent of adults 65 and older had some form of mental health diagnosis.

The researchers culled data from several large public surveys of health in the United States, including from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Social Security Administration.

Glied said expanded drug coverage under Medicare, the federal insurance program for the elderly, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program for poor children, helped make such drugs more affordable.

The study found the number of children diagnosed and treated for mental health conditions by their primary care doctor doubled between 1996 and 2006.

"The increases in prescription drug use were particularly rapid in the early part of this decade, between 1996 to 2001," Glied said. "For most groups, they have slowed down since then."

The researchers did not report total numbers of people treated or calculate the dollar value of the drugs taken.

One worrisome finding, Glied said, was that there has been little progress in access to care among people with more serious mental illness. They found treatment for older adults with mental limitations who need help dressing, eating, or bathing fell between 1996 and 2006.

About 7 percent of Americans with serious mental illness wind up in jail or prison every year, the researchers said.

"New policies are desperately needed to reduce the flow of people whose primary problem is a mental disorder into the criminal justice system," wrote Glied and colleague Richard Frank of Harvard Medical School.

While the study shows expanded mental health coverage for people with insurance, especially for those covered in government health plans, they said the ongoing recession and swelling ranks of the uninsured will likely mean less mental health coverage for many Americans in the near future.

Quote from: thegirlnextdoor on May 05, 2009, 05:01:01 PM
Whistle woo hooie nice picture of you have Bennylne.

Okay people just get along and as said in before everyone has a right to have a balanced thought printed in here.

It may not be the belief of others but this is an open forum for all.

Take care

God bless

please people try to get a long.

Peace! We're all one in our search for peace in Bohol and justice for Martin. Let's not scramble over one another in our search for peace... 

You've already raised the stake to P55,000 and no taker yet?  Tsk, tsk. And you think locals can be paid P50 to make a false statement?

When these people instead come up to tell you about a Martin you didn't know--which is really irrelevant to the case (murder is murder, whether the victim is a saint or a rapist, no one's arguing with you guys)--you say these people are paid for, they are liars, they are conspirators.

If you say the Philippine police and legal system are corrupt and cannot deliver justice to Martin, why not offer your P55,000 to them? Give the jail wardens a little more so that they can torture Gulle and squeeze out a confession from him about the real mastermind.

Pray teach us the  British judicial system and American tenets of justice. You who fooled the world and tried to squeeze confessions from Iraqi suspects in Abu Ghraib and Baghdad by all means of torture and still find no solid evidence, even after tens of thousands of armed and civilian deaths on both sides, that there are WMDs buried in Baghdad and that Saddam plotted 9/11 with Bin Ladin.

Filipinos are so poor and so wicked they can lie for P50, you say. It should be easy to ask another local to lie, or to speak the truth, for P55,000. Just to make your task easier, I'll add P10,000. I swear by the IQ of those who didn't get Rald's point in making the offer.

I don't have the passion for, nor the friendship with, Martin like you guys do. But I am just as desperate as you to find the truth and let justice prevail.

This is not about the person's being a saint or a sinner. This is about crime. I am not going to solve a crime by another crime of indicting someone not proven guilty.

I listened to the other previous renditions of Lupang Hinirang, including that of Lani Misalucha's which is supposed to be the benchmark.  According to the NHI, Karylle sang the correct, legal version. No offense to her fans, but it sounded like a funeral song.

In fairness to Martin, although it wasn't perfect, mas makapukaw sa akong pride as a Filipino ang pagkanta niya. It carried the entire gamut of patriotic emotion from love in the soft opening, to valor in the marching rhyme, to victory in his soaring finale.

Quote from: -<GEC348>- on May 05, 2009, 03:59:21 AM

Dili kalas sa sanina ang men in uniform
(di ba mao ni'y reason why we have school and office uniforms?).
So, dili daghan ang labhonon.
Mao nga daghan mopili nilang pamanhonon
Labi na's babaye nga magpakasayon  

True to style ni GEC.

Di man ka ga-uniform lagi, gakabalintong man sila tanan sa imong coming-out party.

Quote from: -<GEC348>- on May 04, 2009, 08:02:18 AM


Hello, everyone! It's me. 

I didn't expect my coming out last May 1 would create this much riot! Tubag Bohol Rocks! I love you all! 

GEC,

I like this side of you, not the brooding but the shining poet.

Quote from: Bambi on May 04, 2009, 04:10:17 AM
After all... GEC's spirit were present during our last Dec. 2007 TB EB in Bohol Tropics. He/she was pasted in my bag. He came lately but he/she was there, I guess 

Hi Bambi,

Daghan salamat sa red wine nga imong gipa-special delivery pa. I won't be in Tagbilaran till after July, so I look forward to raising a toast to it with GEC. Nagjabo unta ka gamay duol sa tiki aron mahibaw-an nimo kung si GEC ba jud na.

Quote from: Tubag Bohol Dot Com on May 04, 2009, 06:18:50 AM
man in uniform has three more chances to marry than the man without uniform.

For men not in uniform, this is nothing to be insecure about. The wife of a man in uniform has also three more chances to marry again than the wife of a man not in uniform. Tungod kay kung married ka sa sundalo, mas taas ang chance that she will be widowed young.

Mura man he belted beyond his range sa last line, but for the most part, OK kaayo para naku.

Quote from: H on May 03, 2009, 04:43:18 PM
Benelynne, I salute you. You have compiled a description of GEC's behavior and "trademark".

Earlier, Lorenzo made an insightful description of GEC's writing style.

I reviewed the early part of this thread just to give the remaining 0.01% the benefit of the doubt.

Eureka! My instinct is right. I've nailed GEC! He made a slip of the tongue--rather, keyboard. At one point, he called me by a name I've disclosed to only one person in TB.

Kani si GEC, fraternal twin ni siya... well-cultivated ang iyang writing style aron disimulado, pati timing sa iyang post... He's actually just a shadow of the real man, but his persona is just as real...

Keep the mystique.

Quote from: H on May 03, 2009, 04:40:34 PM
I've read the posts in "all about eyeballs", particularly the grand eb at Bohol Tropics. It was believed that GEC attended the eb although there is no direct admission by GEC. It was hinted that  GEC asked for some redwine. The only person who was heard asking for redwine was El Mundo. Thus, it was believed El Mundo is GEC.

But now, the identity is pointing towards another person. Confusing jud. But lately, as we are beginning to see the bigger picture, things are becoming clearer.

Siya man tong tiki nahulog sa bag man tingali to ni Bambi, nag-pose murag Lacoste aron di mapitik.

Quote from: grazie7y on May 03, 2009, 12:10:26 PM
hahaha na tralala ay!  nangurog pa bya akong kaunuran sa kahadlok! pastilan talawana jud nko oi!

It takes a Manny Pacquiao to make us all converts to this sport.

Do you remember this news about this time last year? Mas katuohan pa man tingali nga ang laki di ma-rape without his consent.

Woman held for raping man in Stockholm

Published: 27 May 08 18:03 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/12046/20080527/


A 41-year-old woman in being held by police in Stockholm on suspicions of raping a 30-year-old man who went home with her after the two met at an area pub on Monday night.

According to police, the two were hungry and under the influence of alcohol as they made their way home from the bar.

“She invited him up for a little midnight snack,” Towe Hägg of the Stockholm police told The Local.

Once getting the man up to her place, the woman began to make sexual advances toward the man, which he resisted.

“We don’t know if it was a ‘no’ or if it was more than a ‘no’,” said Hägg.

After the man refused to have sex with the woman, she then performed oral sex on him against his will, according to the Aftonbladet newspaper.

The man called police the next morning to report that he was raped.

The woman remains in police custody while prosecutors determine whether or not to file formal charges.

Wa pa diay ni nahuman ilang sinabligay?

Wa jud siguro problema sa tubig ang Tagbilaran kay sauna, "septic" water gikan sa CR sa City Hall, karon "unholy" water naman gikan sa Cathedral ang panablig ni Mayor.

For eligible bachelors, tips on how to be as attractive and popular as GEC:

1) Keep the mysterious aura. Keep them guessing who you are, what's on your mind, where you are.

2) Make sure your presence is always felt, you are the center of gatherings and exchanges of posts. But don't plaster the space with your photos (or run the risk of looking like a tarsier), never use an avatar, and just keep telling them you were at the EB hearing everything from across a table.

3) Be a man of few words, as men should be. Speak in poetry, balak or haiku or in anything with measured cadence. Poetry makes the ladies' hearts beat to your rhyme.

4) When commenting on posts, use one-liners, punctuated by an emoticon.

5) Even if you're aloof or sparing with your words, don't give them the impression you are a kill-joy. So join their toast to Cabernet Sauvignon, tuba, o-sake or whatever celebratory drink.

6) Make them feel they have actually seen you elsewhere, not in their dream or imagination,  but through an avatar of your most charming portrait BUT under another username.

Sige, tabang mog dugang sa uban pa nga tips...

OK, guys, let's call off the hunting party. It's like chasing the duck that lays the golden egg. What's the use if we catch him and lose the golden egg?

Quote from: ms da binsi on May 02, 2009, 09:37:55 AM
See? hahahhahah

99.99% na GEC!

Belle,

Ako na lang intawon mohangyo ni GEC nga di na lang niya ihatag ang 0.01% probability nga nasayop ta kay mawad-an na ta ug lingaw!

Nice meeting you, GEC. Keep that seductive allure, that mysterious mantle, that boyish mischief...

Sige na uy, wa lagi mi kaila nimo!

Quote from: -<GEC348>- on May 02, 2009, 09:17:55 AM
GEC test, GEC test, test, test

mao ni account ni GEC
nga sige karon ug agik-ik
iyang dughan gapitik-pitik
samtang siya nagpalabtik
kung kinsa gyud iyang sidekick
kaha kini siya instek
pero dili gyud ni siya paltik
kay iyang mga balak puro correct

Sakpan ta na jud ka GEC. Naa koy amigo nga expert sa stylometry sa Emory University. Given enough body of manuscripts, he can identify your "fingerprint" in your writing through statistical analysis. He can tell which Shakespearean sonnet is original or fake. He can tell what epistles are written by Paul. Pero ilhan ta na gyud ka diri pa lang...