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Maajong pag-abot engrval

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God bless,
Tubag Bohol Global Family

Maajong pag-abot juncagas

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Feel free to contact anyone of us if you have concerns about this site.


God bless,
Tubag Bohol Global Family

Photo by Edrina of flickr.com

Photo by Pedrali of flickr.com

Nganong Wala Ko Ikaw Makita
sinulat ni michael ligalig

Ang imong anino milabay
sa tiilan sa adlaw -
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Misunod kas huros sa hangin
paingon sa kasadpan, subangan -
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Ang imong mga mata nga tugob
sa katam-is sa manggang hilaw
naligo sa atabay sa panganod -
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Misangyad ang imong lapa-lapa
sa batiis sa mga amigas -
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Ang imong gininhawa mipalong
sa tanang kandila sa sementeryo-
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Ang imong laway mibaha
sa tanang suok sa bulkan-
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

Natulog ang imong buhok
sa tumoy sa akong pilok-
apan wala ko ikaw makita.

By Roel Pareño
The Philippine Star
www.philstar.com

Soldiers clashed with combined Abu Sayyaf and separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas Tuesday in the mountain village of Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province, leaving a heavy death toll on the enemy side, a military official said.

Two Marines were killed in the day-long encounter while six dead bodies of the combined enemy forces were recovered, according to Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the Joint Task Force Thunder based in Basilan and concurrent deputy chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).

He said the fighting started at 6:30 a.m. and dragged on until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Five Marines from the 8th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) were slightly wounded.

Sabban said the government troops encountered the combined forces of the Abu Sayyaf led by Furuji Indama and MILF leaders Abbas Sapanton and Commander Mudalam.

“We’re not at all lost, the six killed Abu Sayyaf and rebels were only the initial killed enemies on the ground but many more who were badly wounded have died,” Sabban said.

Private First Class Edison Tanisa, who was among the wounded military personnel, said they were conducting a dialogue with civilians when they were attacked by more than 200 rebels.

By Katherine Adraneda
The Philippine Star

An environmental group warned the public yesterday against buying “toxic” toys that can expose children “to chemical and physical hazards, or promote hostility and violence.”

The Ecological Waste Coalition (EcoWaste) asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to conduct a nationwide inspection of retail outlets to ensure that only toys that pass quality and safety standards are sold in malls and other shopping centers.

EcoWaste backed the position of Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and the Episcopal Commission on Youth of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines against toy guns.

“Toy guns work against the Christmas message of harmony and peace,” said Elsie Brandes-de Veyra of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“In lieu of bad toys that mimic violence in our troubled society, why not share books that teach and celebrate positive values such as respect, love and solidarity, including caring for the environment.

“Books, in English or Filipino, are our country’s best tool to halt the decline in the reading habits among Filipino children. Gift-givers can pick the best ones that will fit the age, reading abilities and interest level of the intended recipients.”

De Veyra said the government must assure Filipino consumers that tainted toys recalled from store shelves in the US and elsewhere would not find their way to the local market and cause serious harm to children.

source: http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20071219143

Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau

source: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html">CIA World Factbook</a>

total: 383 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,542,681 GRT/6,164,312 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 75, cargo 120, chemical tanker 16, container 5, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 16, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 66, petroleum tanker 34, refrigerated cargo 14, roll on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 12
foreign-owned: 135 (Bermuda 31, China 2, Greece 3, Hong Kong 2, Japan 69, Malaysia 2, Netherlands 22, Norway 2, Singapore 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 34 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Panama 12, Singapore 4, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)

source: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html">CIA World Factbook</a>

Long way to go

total: 200,037 km
paved: 19,804 km
unpaved: 180,233 km (2003)

source: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html">CIA World Factbook</a>

general assessment: good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic and inter-island service adequate

domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations; cellular communications now dominate the industry with roughly 10 mobile cellular subscribers for every fixed-line subscriber
international: country code - 63; 11 international gateways; submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei, and Malaysia among others (2006)

Telephone Lines in use: 3.633 million (2006)

Mobile Phones: 42.869 million (2006)

Radio Stations: AM 375, FM 596, shortwave 4 (each shortwave station operates on multiple frequencies in the language of the target audience) (2006)

source: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html">CIA World Factbook</a>

US 16.3%, Japan 13.6%, Singapore 8.5%, Taiwan 8%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, Malaysia 4.1%, Thailand 4.1%, Hong Kong 4% (2006)

source: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html">CIA World Factbook</a>

US 18.3%, Japan 16.5%, Netherlands 10.1%, China 9.8%, Hong Kong 7.8%, Singapore 7.3%, Malaysia 5.6%, Taiwan 4.3% (2006)

source: CIA World Factbook

The Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1998 than its neighbors, aided in part by its high level of annual remittances from overseas workers, no sustained runup in asset prices, and more moderate debt, prior to the crisis. From a 0.6% decline in 1998, GDP expanded by 2.4% in 1999, and 4.4% in 2000, but slowed to 3.2% in 2001 in the context of a global economic slowdown, an export slump, and political and security concerns.

Average GDP growth accelerated to about 5% between 2002 and 2006 reflecting the continued resilience of the service sector, and improved exports and agricultural output. Nonetheless, it will take a higher, sustained growth path to make appreciable progress in the alleviation of poverty given the Philippines' high annual population growth rate and unequal distribution of income. The Philippines also faces higher oil prices, higher interest rates on its dollar borrowings, and higher inflation.

Fiscal constraints limit Manila's ability to finance infrastructure and social spending. The Philippines' consistently large budget deficit has produced a high debt level, and this situation has forced Manila to spend a large portion of the national government budget on debt service. Large unprofitable public enterprises, especially in the energy sector, contribute to the government's debt because of slow progress on privatization. Credit rating agencies have at times expressed concern about the Philippines' ability to service the debt, though central bank reserves appear adequate and large remittance inflows appear stable.

The implementation of the expanded Value Added Tax (VAT) in November 2005 boosted confidence in the government's fiscal capacity and helped to strengthen the peso, making it East Asia's best performing currency in 2005-06. Investors and credit rating institutions will continue to look for effective implementation of the new VAT and continued improvement in the government's overall fiscal capacity in the coming year.

source: CIA World Factbook

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing peace and justice) and red (representing courage); a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side represents equality; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays, each representing one of the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star representing the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897; in wartime the flag is flown upside down with the red band at the top

source: CIA World Factbook

Philippine Memberships In International Organizations

APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

source: CIA World Factbook

AKBAYAN [Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; APEC [Ernesto PABLO, Edgar VALDEZ]; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Edgar VALDEZ, Ernesto PABLO, and Sunny Rose MADAMBA]; AVE [Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Benjamin CRUZ]; CIBAC [Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa [Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Ernesto GIDAYA]

source: CIA World Factbook

Genuine Opposition or GO (coalition of oppositon parties formed to contest the 2007 elections); Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino or Kampi [Ronaldo PUNO]; Laban Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP [Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas Ng Edsa (National Union of Christian Democrats) or Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA]; Liberal Party or LP [Manuel ROXAS/Eli QUINTO]; Nacionalista [Manuel VILLAR]; National People's Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL]; People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; PROMDI [Emilio OSMENA]; Pwersa Ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Philippine Masses) or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; Reporma [Renato DE VILLA]

source: CIA World Factbook

Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)

source: CIA World Factbook

Legislative Branch of the Philippine Government

bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (as a result of May 2007 election it has 237 seats including 218 members representing districts and 19 sectoral party-list members representing special minorities elected on the basis of 1 seat for every 2% of the total vote but limited to 3 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more than 250 members)

elections: Senate - last held on 14 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2010); House of Representatives - elections last held on 14 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nacionalista 4, LP 4, Lakas 3, GO 3, independent 1, others 8; note - there are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was elected mayor of Manila; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 86, Kampi 41, NPC 27, LP 21, others 62

source: CIA World Factbook

chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of Commission of Appointments

elections: president and vice president (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO) elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2010)
election results: Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO elected president; percent of vote - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 40%, Fernando POE 37%, three others 23%

source: CIA World Factbook

Alaminos, Angeles, Antipolo, Bacolod, Bago, Baguio, Bais, Balanga, Batac, Batangas, Bayawan, Baybay, Bayugan, Bislig, Bogo, Borongan, Butuan, Cabadbaran, Cabanatuan, Cadiz, Cagayan de Oro, Calamba, Calapan, Calbayog, Candon, Canlaon, Carcar, Catbalogan, Cauayan, Cavite, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan, Danao, Dapitan, Davao, Digos, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Escalante, El Salvador, Gapan, General Santos, Gingoog, Guihulngan, Himamaylan, Iligan, Iloilo, Isabela, Iriga, Kabankalan, Kalookan, Kidapawan, Koronadal, La Carlota, Lamitan, Laoag, Lapu-Lapu, Las Pinas, Legazpi, Ligao, Lipa, Lucena, Maasin, Makati, Malabon, Malaybalay, Malolos, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Manila, Marawi, Marikina, Masbate, Mati, Meycauayan, Muntinlupa, Munoz, Naga (Camarines Sur), Naga (Cebu), Navotas, Olongapo, Ormoc, Oroquieta, Ozamis, Pagadian, Palayan, Panabo, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Passi, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, Roxas, Sagay, Samal, San Carlos (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos (in Pangasinan), San Fernando (in La Union), San Fernando (in Pampanga), San Jose, San Jose del Monte, San Juan, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Santiago, Silay, Sipalay, Sorsogon, Surigao, Tabaco, Tabuk, Tacloban, Tacurong, Tagaytay, Tagbilaran, Taguig, Tagum, Talisay (in Cebu), Talisay (in Negros Occidental), Tanauan, Tandag, Tangub, Tanjay, Tarlac, Tayabas, Toledo, Tuguegarao, Trece Martires, Urdaneta, Valencia, Valenzuela, Victorias, Vigan, Zamboanga (2007)

source: CIA World Factbook

Have you been to all the provinces of the Philippines?

Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu, Compostela, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Shariff Kabunsuan, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay

source: CIA World Factbook

How To Name The Philippines

conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines
conventional short form: Philippines
local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
local short form: Pilipinas

source: CIA World Factbook

Filipino Literacy Rate

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 92.5%
female: 92.7% (2000 census)

source: CIA World Factbook

Languages In The Philippines

Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

source: CIA World Factbook

Religions In The Philippines

Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

source: CIA World Factbook

Ethnic Groups In The Philippines

Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census)

source: CIA World Factbook

Major Infectious Diseases In The Philippines

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
animal contact disease: rabies (2007)

source: CIA World Factbook

Filipinos With HIV: 9,000 (2003 est.)

HIV Prevalence Rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV Deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

source: CIA World Factbook

Life Expectancy Of The Filipino People

total population: 70.51 years
male: 67.61 years
female: 73.55 years (2007 est.)

source: CIA World Factbook

Infant Mortality Rate of the Philippine Population

total: 22.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

source: CIA World Factbook

Age Structure Of The Philippine Population

0-14 years: 34.5% (male 16,043,257/female 15,415,334)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 27,849,584/female 28,008,293)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,631,866/female 2,128,953) (2007 est.)

Birthrate: 24.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death Rate: 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html

Environmental Issues: uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds

source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. The 20-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president.

Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation.

MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. The Philippine Government faces threats from three terrorist groups on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list, but in 2006 and 2007 scored some major successes in capturing or killing key wanted terrorists. Decades of Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines have led to a peace accord with one group and an ongoing cease-fire and peace talks with another.

By Jess Diaz
Philippine Star

This Christmas season will be merrier for the 240 members of the House of Representatives than for the rest of us ordinary mortals.

Members of the chamber went home last night with P200,000 checks in their pockets. They begin their five-week Christmas break today, and resume session on Jan. 21.

There were conflicting claims on what the money is for. Some congressmen said it was their Christmas bonus, while others said it was their budget for their staff and other expenses during the break.

Normally, each House member gets about P250,000 a month for district office staff salaries, travel and other expenses. The amount also includes their basic salary of about P35,000.

Reached for comment about the funds being prepared for distribution yesterday afternoon, Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said he was not aware of it.

“But I sincerely hope there are indeed funds to be distributed. You know, these are not normal times. It’s the Christmas season. Many of our constituents expect us to give them gifts,” he said, adding that they expect to be heavily criticized for it. “Puputaktihin kami bukas once they read this in the papers.”

He said the bulk of funds released before a recess usually goes to staff salaries and expenses of a congressman in his district.

House officials later clarified that the funds were released “in full transparency and reported to the Commission on Audit.”

Ryan Macalandag is a Bohol-based photographer, a member of Tubag Bohol.

Visit him at http://ryanmacalandag.blogspot.com

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Tagbilaran Jeepneys outside Island City Mall (ICM) by b-chan in Japan of flickr.com

Yes, Aya, this is in Tagbilaran.

Tagbilaran Tricycle by b-chan of Japan of flickr.com

Tagbilaran Pier by Rikko Evangelista of flickr.com

Tagbilaran City Sunset by Dominique James of flickr.com

What's the meaning of bookworm?

bookworm: any insect (e.g., moths, beetles) whose larval (or adult) forms injure books by gnawing the binding and piercing the pages with small holes. No single species may properly be called the bookworm because a large number of insects feed upon dry, starchy material or paper and may damage books.

Among the most widely known bookworms are the silverfish (order Thysanura) and the booklice (order Psocoptera). Termites and roaches are also frequently guilty.

source: Britannica Encyclopedia

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. â€"Romans 10:13

Names are important. Parents may spend months researching and deciding on the perfect name for their baby. Often their final decision is based on its sound, uniqueness, or meaning.

One woman took on a new name because she disliked her original name. She mistakenly believed that changing it could alter her destiny. That’s not likely, but for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior and are identified by His name from that time on, a radical transformation does take place.

There is a powerful significance attached to the name of Jesus. The apostles performed miracles (Acts 3:6-7,16; 4:10) and cast out demons in His name (Luke 10:17). They spoke and taught in the name of Jesus. They baptized believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). And it is only through the name of Jesus that we gain access to the Father (Acts 4:12).

When we become Christians, we share in that worthy name. And as we follow Christ, we are able to reflect His light to any darkness we encounter, whether in our neighborhood, our workplace, or even our home. Our prayer should be that when people see usâ€"they will see Christ.

Our names may have meaning or significance. But to bear the name Christian is life-transforming. â€"Cindy Hess Kasper

Lord of my life, henceforth I bear
The name of Christian everywhere;
Therefore, O Christ, my spirit claim,
And make me worthy of Your name.  â€"Freeman

The name of Jesus is the only name with the power to transform.

source: ww.rbc.org

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! â€"2 Corinthians 9:15

Sharon’s favorite Christmas gift last year from her husband Andy was an antique treasure chest. Inside were three boxes with additional gifts of chocolates and jewelry. She enjoyed each gift within the gift.

When God sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world, He gave us many gifts within the Gift. Now when people receive the gift of Jesus, they also receive these special gifts, which they could obtain in no other way:

Forgiveness of sin. “In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

Teaching from the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14:26).

Eternal life and a home in heaven. John said, “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). Jesus promised, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; . . . I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

A love like no other. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you . . . . Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:9,13).

Have you received God’s indescribable Gift? You only need to ask.
â€"Anne Cetas

source: www.rbc.org

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. â€"Matthew 4:1

I love my garden. But living in the Midwestern US during winter reduces my beautiful garden to a frozen, snow-covered, barren landscape.

It wasn’t like that in Eden. Eden was a breathtakingly beautiful garden year-round. And it was in that garden that Adam and Eve basked in the stunning creation of God and the joy of perfect harmony with Him and with each other. Until, that is, Satan arrived on the scene, bringing weeds, thorns, destruction, and death.

You can’t help but notice the contrast between the landscape in Genesis 1 and Matthew 4. The same tempter who once entered God’s garden now welcomes God to his turfâ€"the dangerous, barren wilderness.

The wilderness can be a picture of what the worldâ€"and lifeâ€"becomes when Satan has his way. With one decisive blow, the joy of Eden was replaced with the barrenness of shame (Gen. 3). But Jesus was victorious on Satan’s turf! (Matt. 4). In that victory He gives us hope that we too can have victory. A victory that shows us the enemy no longer holds sway. A victory that assures us the day is coming when we will no longer toil in Satan’s wilderness but will be ushered into heaven, where the joy of Eden will be oursâ€"forever.

Now that’s something to look forward to!  â€"Joe Stowell

source: http://www.rbc.org

Happy Birthday Jun. May the Lord Jesus give your more blessings and grace. God bless!

Kyle, I'm praying for a safe trip for you and for your Mom and Dad.

You're the youngest Tubag Bohol family member ever.

Congrats Blue Angel. Mangaligo ta sa Dapdap ani. or sa Bugnao CE.

Ginger, angay ba ang kiss ipananghid?

Moingon pa diay ka: "Day, pwede ko mohalok nimo?" 

Kasagaran sa babae kay motubag pud: "Sa aping ra ha." 

I was first year high school then. It was dark. I kissed her on the lips. Then gisagpa ko. 

A Google computer engineer at work

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle
www.boholchronicle.com

Fresh from an overwhelming mandate as newly elected president of the provincial Federated Sangguniang Kabataan last Monday, Jane Censoria Cajes admitted she will be vying for the national SK federation elections on January.

"It is everyone's dream to make it that far," said the new provincial SK chair when interviewed by the Chronicle minutes after the election.

A student of Communications at the Assumption College in Antipolo, Cajes minced no words in saying that she is competent enough for the position.

The elected national federation president of the SK will sit as a commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) which is directly under the Office of the President.

According to Cajes, since the SK was reinstituted, all the past national federation presidents came from Luzon.

"I think it's time that somebody from the Visayas and Mindanao be given the chance to be national president," she said.

Quote from: Lorenzo on December 19, 2007, 04:18:46 PM
We men have a subtle charisma that can swoon a woman's heart.
I think some women like to be played with--they like the thrill of the chase.
Am I wrong ? Correct ba?

Let me chase my wife everyday. 

Published by the Bohol Chronicle
www.boholchronicle.com

Hotelier Anos Fonacier strongly denied yesterday having orchestrated the candidacy of a Panglao kagawad to the provincial seat as president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC).

In a call he made to the Chronicle yesterday, Fonacier said that he did not lift a finger to field Panglao Kagawad Cerino Hormachuelos as a candidate for provincial ABC president. He likewise denied having allowed Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala to negotiate for the candidacy of Hormachuelos.

Fonacier who has been in Manila for the past weeks expressed surprise when he heard his name floated as the one responsible for the bid of Hormachuelos.

"I never have discussed anything about the provincial ABC elections with anybody," the hotelier said while declaring he has no interest whatsoever on the ABC seat.          

Fonacier said that some people used his name in an attempt to do some "dirty maneuvers" for one reason or another. He strongly denounced the people behind the move to implicate him in the ABC intramurals.

The Chronicle reported last Sunday that Valencia ABC President Concepcion Lim who served as provincial board member for three terms is running unopposed in the coming election for provincial ABC president slated on Dec. 29.

The bid of Hormachuelos was highlighted in a local weekly (not the Chronicle) last Sunday which surprised Fonacier.

Incumbent ABC Pres. Romulo Cepedoza is no longer running for the position.

The late Prov'l Kagawad Renato Lim, brother of the lady official once assumed the post as provincial ABC president.

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle
www.boholchronicle.com

Faulty electrical wirings started a fire that totally razed an old building of Balilihan Central Elementary School noontime yesterday.

The Magsaysay-type school building, one of the oldest classroom models constructed in public schools, housed 5 classrooms, three of
which were already used as stockrooms.

According to the school's principal, Faustino Toradio, they estimated the damage at P750,000 excluding the value of old books that were used in the school's old library.          

The blaze, which started around 12:45 p.m., was immediately contained by responding fire trucks from the Tagbilaran City Fire Station.

When the fire hit, all of the 24 students who were using the classrooms were taking their lunch break. Only three of the students were able to take home their bags. The rest were all lost to the flames.

According to Toradio, they have cut-off electrical connections going to the three old classrooms per advice of the fire department.

However, the electrical connection was restored last month.

Fortunately, the old building was separated from other buildings of the school preventing the fire to spread.

Toradio said he already reported the incident to first district Rep. Edgar Chatto who assured him that he will send representatives of the DPWH to estimate costs of constructing new classrooms.

The incident came less than a day after Alona Land Resort in Tawala, Panglao was also razed by fire Monday night.

AusAID is developing the new Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF) and we are looking for the following specialists to assess key infrastructure and public financial management issues in at least five provinces to, amongst others, analyse potential participation to the PRMF:

   one (1) local government specialist (preferably with background on local government finance/economics); and

   one (1) local transport/road specialist

Provincial assessment is expected to commence by February 2008 and will be for a period of 15 weeks.

Attached is the Concept Note for reference.  Expressions of interest should be sent to:  anne.orquiza@dfat.gov.au  (phone no. 757-8294) by Friday, 21 December 2007.  Please include:

1.  recent CV

2.  rate (lump sum rate/"all-in" costing)

3.  date of availability (preferably early next year)

Would appreciate if you can disseminate to your colleagues/network.

Kind regards,
Rosa Antes
Program Officer
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

We'd like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to update your respective accounts with our online Consultant CV database.   For those who have not yet registered with us, please do so online by accessing our website (www.pcco.org.ph) and submit a copy of your current CV to our registry.

Quote from: C2H4 on December 19, 2007, 03:56:41 PM
wahahaha!

ga 'howl' naman ka dong

mura'g werewolf

ahahahaha

lingawa nako oi

Those who just own a treadmill have more to say than those who just jog on the bed.

Quote from: Lorenzo on December 19, 2007, 02:18:50 PM
What is the meaning of jer-jer, Mike?

Bran, please PM Ms Da Binsi or C2H4.  My lips are sealed.

I land on a women's world. Run, Mike, run... GEC, help!

The amateur does not belong to the "Professionals." 

A fledgling lover can't join the "Veterans." 

I'm speechless... 

By Chuck Squatriglia
www.blog.wired.com

The largest transit agency in North America has ordered 850 diesel-electric buses and will have the world's largest fleet of hybrids when the vehicles hit the streets of New York in 2010.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority's latest, and biggest, order for Daimler's Orion VII buses will double the number of hybrids in its fleet. Diesel-electric vehicles will comprise almost half of the rolling stock used by the agency's New York City Transit and MTA Bus systems once the vehicles are delivered, officials said.

Daimler said the buses use about 30 percent less fuel than conventional models. The Orion VII is a series hybrid, meaning it is powered entirely by an electric motor. The small diesel engine runs a generator that charges the vehicle's lithium-ion battery. The buses also use regenerative braking in which braking forces produce current to charge the batteries. Daimler claims the Orion VII emits 90 percent less soot than conventional buses because the diesel engine runs at a nearly constant speed.

Transit systems around the world are increasingly turning to hybrids to reduce pollution and fuel costs. Daimler said OC Transpo of Ottawa ordered 202 Orion VII buses on Monday, bringing to 2,600 the number of Orion buses ordered since it launched the hybrid model four years ago.

Studies have shown diesel-electric hybrids generate 75 percent fewer emissions than diesel-only models and a 37 percent improvement in fuel economy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory found operating costs for the parallel-hybrid buses King County Metro Transit in Seattle uses were 15 percent less than conventional buses.

By Chuck Squatriglia
www.blog.wired.com

We doubt this came up last week at the United Nation's conference on global warming in Bali, but Britain's top government scientist says the best thing women can do to ease global warming is "stop admiring young men in Ferraris."

Yes, you read that right. Sir David King, a chemist at the University of Cambridge, says the world would be a greener place if only women didn't find men in exotic cars so sexy. Taken at face value, it seems outlandish - and some would argue chauvinistic - but King raises a valid point, even if it is obscured by the "sports cars and the women who love men who drive them are bad" tenor of his argument.

King, the UK's chief scientific advisor, told the Telegraph there's only so much governments can do to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, and real progress will come only through cultural change. People, he said, must take a greater personal role in addressing the issue. He singled out women who find drivers of expensive sports cars "sexy" and said they should instead focus their affection on men in more eco-friendly autos:

"I was asked at a lecture by a young woman about what she could do and I told her stop admiring young men in Ferraris. What I was saying is you have got to admire people who are conserving energy and not those willfully using it."

Asia Pulse - The move of the Davao City government to increase the property tax is a sign of growth as it signals that properties here have more value. Filinvest vice president for Visayas and Mindanao, Tristan Las Marias said the move will also be good for property developers.

"It is a sign of growth and new direction, and we should all embrace it," he said.

City Councilor Bonifacio Militar was the proponent of the resolution that advocated an adjustment to the market value of Davao properties.

In an earlier report, Mr Militar said now is an opportune time to increase the marketability of real estate as the city has significantly developed due to an influx of investments and business.

The proposal indicated that the preparation of a schedule of market values will be completed in 2008 to be effective in 2009.

Among others, the resolution indicated that new buildings to be constructed in the city shall be appraised and assessed on their actual cost.

The increase in market value per square meter is the reduction of assessment levels so that the increase in tax dues will be reasonable, Mr Militar said.

source: http://au.biz.yahoo.com

By Rosemarie Francisco

The Philippines expects its economy to finish 2007 on a strong note due to an increase in exports and robust Christmas-related consumption but lose some steam next year due to a U.S. slowdown and higher oil prices.

The government's economic planning chief said on Monday he
expected annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of at least
6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, putting the Philippines on track for 7 percent full-year growth, the fastest pace in over 30 years, according to Reuters calculations.

"In general, there's an increase in economic activity in the fourth quarter and particularly noteworthy in the fourth quarter is an increase in consumer spending," Augusto Santos told reporters.

The government has raised its 2007 growth forecast to 6.9-7.3 percent from 6.1-6.7 percent after the economy of the Southeast Asian country grew a solid 7.1 percent in the first three quarters from a year earlier.

Manila has also raised its target for next year's economic growth to 6.3-7.0 percent, above an earlier goal of 6.1-6.8 percent but below 2007 as exports are likely to be hit by the U.S. slowdown and high oil prices temper consumption.

ABS-CBN News

A Philippine college on Monday accused global software giant Microsoft Corp. of allegedly reproducing the school's copyrighted materials without consent.

According to the online edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Southeastern College (SEC) filed the case at a regional court in Metro Manila against the Seattle-based group and its local subsidiary, Microsoft Philippines, for copying and distributing the college's 370-paged manual on how to operate Microsoft Office XP system.

The manual was copyrighted in 2005 by SEC for the exclusive use of teachers and students. Microsoft Philippines in 2004 reportedly purchased licenses to print 10, 000 copies of SEC manual. SEC claimed that Microsoft copied the manual contents and made them into CDs for distribution.

"SEC has never given Microsoft or any other person authority to reproduce and/or distribute (Innovate) in CDs," said Atty. Estelito Mendoza, legal counsel for SEC, adding that SEC only consented to the printing of book copies while the making of CDs as well as its distribution "grossly violates Southeastern College's economic rights to its intellectual property."

About 700 CD copies have allegedly been distributed by Microsoft to local high school teachers in two separate corporate events in 2006, the report said.

The report quoted Atty. Mendoza as saying that the act as a "bare-face" case of copyright infringement. "Ironically, Microsoft has been at the forefront of attempting to curb the illegal distribution of its own copyrighted software in the Philippines," it said.

A public relations official with Microsoft Philippines told the paper that they are still consulting lawyers regarding its public statement about the lawsuit and that they would issue a reply Monday.

Source:Xinhua News Agency and english.people.com.cn

Philippines-based San Miguel Energy Corp. may be a bidder in the sale of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co.

The oil and gas development subsidiary of the state-owned PNOC, PNOC-Exploration Corp., will be sold in a bid.

San Miguel Energy Corp., the investment branch of San Miguel Corp., is reportedly looking to participate in the sale since they have publicly discussed further investment in the energy sector, the Philippine Star reported.

"They are looking into PNOC-EC once its privatization plan is finalized," an industry analyst said. "Everything is still preliminary at this point."

The government has lined up PNOC-EC as one of the companies that would be sold early next year to help raise additional revenues for 2008.

The Department of Finance has planned to generate about $145 million from the privatization of PNOC-EC's shares.

"Our estimates show that we can raise about $145 million from that sale process," said Finance Secretary Margarito Teves.

source: http://www.upi.com

A Philippines government agency is about to sign a contract for direct supply of nurses to the Counties Manukau District Health Board, a Manila newspaper reports.

And the deal has potential to be rolled over into a government-to-government arrangement for Filipino nurses to be hired for many of the nation's district health boards, the Inquirer newspaper reported today.

New Zealand hospitals have been struggling to retain staff, with unions representing senior doctors, junior doctors and nurses all warning of a crisis unfolding.

At Wellington's beleaguered Capital and Coast District Health Board, one in four nurses have quit in the past year.

But nursing recruitment and shortages -- particularly in specialist fields -- have become a national issue, and the secretary of the Philippine Department of Labour and Employment (DoLE) in Manila, Arturo Brion, today reported the Counties Manukau District Health Board is planning to recruit Filipino nurses, and that this may evolve into a government-to-government deal.

All Filipino nurses seeking employment in New Zealand would be registered with the to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and those who are selected would be deployed to Counties Manukau hospitals.

It was reported in Manila in September that Counties Manukau representatives were interviewing applicants for nurses' jobs in late September.

The DHB were reported at the time to be seeking a direct-hiring scheme with the POEA to eliminate possible abuse and exploitation by private recruitment agencies, and an exemption from paying the $US450 ($NZ582) recruitment fee prescribed by the POEA.

Today, Mr Brion said a direct-hiring arrangement would protect nurses from unscrupulous recruiters, said Mr Brion. The district health board would re-imburse the nurses for their flights, reducing the "mobilisation cost" for each nurse to only 8000 pesos ($NZ253) each.

He said these POEA deployments may pave the way for the forging of a bilateral agreement between the Philippines and New Zealand that would provide for the employment of more Filipino nurses in other district health boards in this country.

"This will not only protect the nurses from unscrupulous recruiters but also ensure their employment and welfare in New Zealand," Mr Brion said.

He warned Filipino nurses already seeking jobs in New Zealand that some recruitment agencies were taking exorbitant fees.

Philippines nurses who have found jobs in New Zealand have been forced to pay 500,000 pesos ($NZ15,800) to 700,000 pesos ($NZ22,200) to the agencies involved.

In addition to collecting very high fees, the recruitment agencies assigned some nurses to rest homes where 15 percent cuts were made in their monthly salaries, Mr Brion said.

source: http://nz.news.yahoo.com

Last month, international anti-aging skincare brand NV Perricone made its entrance into the Philippines through Rustan’s Commercial Corp.

The brand is well-known in the international beauty industry for its pioneering formulations and breakthrough discoveries. It is a well-respected name in the industry since the brains behind it is Nicholas Perricone, MD, FACN, a board-certified clinical and research dermatologist who has authored three New York Times Best Sellers, The Perricone Promise (Warner Books 2004), The Perricone Prescription, A Physician’s 28 Day Program for Total Body and Face Rejuvenation (HarperCollins 2002) and The Wrinkle Cure (Warner Books 1998). Dr. Perricone is also the star and host of a series of award-winning public television specials airing nationally on PBS-TV.

Proof of his brilliance, among other things, is that he completed medical school in just three years, graduating with distinction. He completed his internship in Pediatrics at Yale Medical School and his Dermatology Residency at Ford Medical Center. He currently holds a position as an adjunct professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Perricone is regarded as the Father of the Inflammation Theory of Aging.

Dr. Perricine avidly researches and studies all aspects of skin and has dozens of US and International patents to show for it. Those patents apply to the topical anti-inflammatories for reversing and preventing damage to skin caused by factors such as age, sun and hormonal changes. In 2002, Dr. Perricone received the Eli Whitney Award presented by the Connecticut Intellectual Property Law Association to an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to science, invention and technology.

The American College for Advancement in Medicine 2000 Norman Clark, Sr. Lecture Award was presented to Dr. Perricone for his “dedication and contributions toward advancing complementary and alternative medicine.”

source: http://www.tribune.net.ph

By Erwin Oliva
www.INQUIRER.net

An analyst has identified the Philippines as one of several countries that would continue to benefit from the “globalization market” in 2008.

According to neoIT’s Global Services Insights Research Report, the awareness of other alternative locations for investments besides India has increased.

The Philippines was among the countries identified as an ideal location for investments due to increasing investments in infrastructure, such as telecommunications.

The neoIT report noted that the joint investments of government and industry to create business parks, offer tax incentives and fund startup ventures have boosted awareness among potential investors from the US and Europe.

The report said that India’s dominance for the past five years has been affected by higher turnovers and inflation.

“The globalization market will be understood as ‘global’ rather than ‘India,’” the report said.

Other countries identified as alternative locations are Canada, Brazil and Mexico.

In the same report, neoIT said many companies are frustrated with the turnover and inflation in key cities like Bangalore in India.

The cost of operating global facilities in Bangalore could equal that of those run in the US in five to six years, the report added.

By MA. ELISA P. OSORIO
The Philippine Star

Taiwan â€" Two Taiwanese companies are planning to invest $40 million in the Philippines for the construction of factories and research and development facilities (R&D).

In an interview, Dita Angara-Mathay, director of commercial affairs of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippine Representative Office here, said they are in serious discussions with two companies â€" machinery and equipment maker Gongin Precision Industrial Co.,Ltd and electronics giant Great Sun Optoelectronics.

Machinery and equipment maker Gongin Precision Industrial Co.,Ltd is considering investing up to $30 million in the Philippines for a factory R&D facility.

Mathay said Gongin is interested in building an R&D facility in Laguna. Construction for the R&D facility is expected to start in February next year.

According to her, Gongin chose to locate in Laguna because it has an existing client in the area. However, she said Gongin refused to divulge the name of their Laguna-based client.

For the initial investment, Mathay said Gongin will invest $3 to $5 million but the entire investment plan has a cost of up to $30 million.

By August or September, Mathay said Gongin will start to build its R&D facility in Subic. Mathay said the R&D facility will be bigger than the Laguna plant.

Gongin’s principal activities are manufacturing, processing and selling various molds, special machinery, electronic components and molds of airplane engines.

Major products include precision die/mold, precision plating/surface treatment, precision machining parts/assemblies, semiconductor, aerospace parts/components/device and optoelectronics parts/components. The group exports its products to Asia, the United States of America and other countries.

By Veronica Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The remains of Gene Luna, the United Nations World Food Programme officer who was killed in the Algiers bombing last week, will arrive in the country Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has said.

In a text message, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said Tuesday that Luna's remains will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 7:40 p.m. on Lufthansa 788.

Cristobal corrected an earlier text message he sent that stated Luna would be arriving Tuesday.

Luna was one of at least 28 people killed in a terror attack on the UN office and a government building in Algeria.

By Erwin Santiago

Hady Mirza of Singapore beat five other Idol winners, including the Philippines' Mau Marcelo, to bag the first Asian Idol title held last Saturday and Sunday, December 15 to 16, in Jakarta, Indonesia. As the winner, the Singaporean singer was awarded an international recording contract and a free trip around the world to watch international Idol shows.

Six winners of Idol shows from six Asian countries competed for the first Asian Idol. Aside from Hady and Mau, the other contestants were Mike Mohede of Indonesian Idol, Abhijeet Sawant of Indian Idol, Phuong Vy of Vietnamese Idol, and Jaclyn Victor of Malaysian Idol whom Vina Morales also beat in the first Asean IKON competition in August.

During the performance night last Saturday, Dec. 15, the six Idol winners from Asia sang two songs each, one English song and one in their native language. Mau sang "Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi" and "Reach." Hady performed "Bersereh" and "Beautiful Day."

At the results special held last night, Dec. 16, the six finalists performed with some of the most popular performers in the international scene and in Asia, like American Idol 5 winner Taylor Hicks, Australian Idol Guy Sebastian, our very own Rivermaya (who sang "You'll Be Safe Here" with Mau), among others.

Philippine Idol judge Pilita Corrales also sat as one of the judges composed of one Idol judge from each of the participating countries. Mau was one of the favorites of the judges, along with the contestants from Indonesia and Malaysia.

source: www.pep.ph

Unemployment in the Philippines dropped to 6.3 percent at the end of October, according to data released Tuesday by the National Statistics Office. The rate was 1.0 percent lower than at the end of October in 2006, and 1.5 percent lower than the rate at the end of the quarter ending July 2007.

The employment rate improved to 93.7 percent, up from 92.7 percent one year earlier.

A total of 35.9 million residents were employed in October, representing approximately 63 percent of the country's labor force.

Nearly half of those employed were in the services sector, 36.1 percent were in agriculture and the remainder were in the industrial sector.

source: www.nasdaq.com

(AFP)--The Asian Development Bank will provide a $300 million loan to the Philippines to help local government units raise revenue to support basic services, the Manila-based bank said Tuesday.

The loan will be granted in the first stage of the programme which would also include a further $800 million grant from a Japanese-funded facility managed by the bank, an ADB statement said.

"It contributes to increased efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of basic public services by increasing resources and funding options for local government units," said ADB public sector management specialist Tariq Niazi.

A 1991 law gave the provincial, municipal and city governments the main responsibility of delivering basic health, education and infrastructure services, functions previously handled by the national government.

However, local government has trouble fulfilling the mandate effectively due to funding constraints, incompetence and corruption, the bank said.

source: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent

By Martha Edwards

Officials at JFK might have some 'explaining to do after they shackled a detained an Icelandic tourist for days -- all because she had overstayed her tourist visa 10 years ago. Erla Osk Arnardottir Lillendahl, 33, is not happy about the treatment she received upon arriving at JFK -- she's even called the experience the most humiliating of her life.

Lillendahl was arrested at JFK and interrogated for two days. During that time, she was held in a cell, had her hands and feet chained, was not permitted to call relatives and was even denied food and drink for a period of time. Now the Government of Iceland has asked US Ambassadors to explain the incident.

According to Iceland's foreign minister Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, "In a case such as this, there can be no reason to use shackles. If a government makes a mistake, I think it is reasonable for it to apologize, like anyone else."

source: http://www.gadling.com

Sex â€" it does the body good.

Yet most of us are quicker to hit the gym before hitting the sheets when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Believe it or not, huffing and puffing your way through a hot, sweat-inducing sex session may be far more beneficial to your overall health than the time you spend on the treadmill.

As research confirms time and time again, good sex in a healthy, stable, monogamous relationship can only better our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. Sex, in this context, offers us tons of benefits, most of which aren’t touted nearly enough.

Here are just a few benefits:

â€" Weight loss and weight control. Forget torturing yourself with the latest fad diet or hours on the elliptical machine when you can burn about 200 calories in 30 minutes of sex! Lovemaking lends itself to improved strength, flexibility, muscle tone, and cardiovascular conditioning. Plus, there’s something super sexy about getting to sleep with your very own “personal trainer.”

â€" Pain management. Forgo popping a pain killer and opt for something a bit more “au naturel.” Sex has been shown to offer migraine and menstrual cramp relief, as well as alleviate chronic back pain thanks to the endorphins and corticosteroids released during sexual arousal and orgasm.

â€" Stress relief. Sex, even if only with ourselves, impacts the way we respond to stress, increasing levels of oxytocin and stimulating feelings of warmth and relaxation. What better way to unwind from a tough day than sharing its most climactic moment with your special someone?

â€" Immune booster. Stop spending late nights at the office. Sex wards off colds and the flu. And sexually active people take fewer sick days, giving the phrase “working late” an entirely new meaning. Bosses, take note.

â€" Better heart health. A little bit of heart and soul in the sack should be part of every doctor’s orders when it comes to cardiovascular care. Sex may help lower cholesterol and the risk of heart attack.

â€" Increased self-esteem and intimacy. When sex is consistent and involves mutual pleasure, it can increase bonding since the surge in oxytocin at orgasm stimulates feelings of affection, intimacy, and closeness. When spiritual in nature, sex can lead to an even better quality of life and stronger relationship. Is it any wonder that good sexual energy in a positive relationship can make you feel better about yourself, your partner, and life in general?

â€" Sleep enhancement. There’s no need to count sheep when sex, including masturbation, helps insomnia. Plus, making love sure beats tossing and turning your way to zzzz’s.

â€" A better, younger looking you. Sex keeps you looking and feeling younger and, according to some research, may lead to shiny hair, a glowing complexion and bright eyes. This is because it increases the youth-promoting hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrostone). And feeling more attractive charges your sex life even more.

â€" Mood lifter. Sex releases pleasure-inducing endorphins during arousal and climax that can relieve depression and anxiety, and increase vibrancy.

â€" Longevity. There is a significant relationship between frequency of orgasm and risk of death, especially with men. Men who orgasm two times a week have a 50 percent lower chance of mortality than those who climax one time per month. The bonus: Living longer also gives you and your honey the opportunity for even more lovin’!

â€" Decreased risk of breast cancer. One study of women who had never given birth found that an increased frequency of sexual intercourse was correlated with a decrease in the incidence of breast cancer.

â€" Reproductive health benefits. According to at least one study, sex appears to decrease a man’s risk of prostate cancer, and the prevention of endometriosis in women. It also promotes fertility in women by regulating menstrual patterns.

In a nutshell, the health benefits of sex in a good, solid relationship are practically endless. Yet, in planning our New Year’s resolutions, how many of us are declaring, “I think I’ll have more sex with my lover” in fulfilling any 2008 health and self-improvement goals?

While exercise on a regular basis is important to your health, sex can do so much more for you and your relationship. So before signing any dotted line for a new gym membership, consider how time allotted to an athletic club could be far more effective in your boudoir.

You can get a lot more bang for your buck in the bedroom, double your “membership” benefits, and, with sex breeding the desire for more sex, thanks to a boost in testosterone, it’s a workout plan you’re likelier to stick to.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, "Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots."

www.foxnews.com

By the Bohol Sunday Post
www.boholsundaypost.net

Barring "for sale insinuations", it appears that the candidacy of former board member Concepcion Lim to inherit the title of president of the provincial federation of the Association of Barangay Councils from her late brother is "not all sugar and spice and everything nice." Lim's brother won the ABC presidency in 2002 but death overcame him three years ago.

This developed over the week as a strong contender came out of the blue to express his willingness to contest Lim's bid.

Once elected, an ABC federation president will become an automatic member of the provincial board earning him the perks and privileges of any elected member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.          

The sudden appearance of Kagawad Cereno Hormachuelos surprised not a few ABC handlers as his name was not among the probables that could give Lim a run of her money.

Hormachuelos was an elected Panglao kagawad in last May's polls who chose to run as barangay captain of barangay Bil-isan and went on to win the ABC presidency of the town.

As it turned out, for Hormachuelos, the ABC presidency in Panglao was part of an elaborate game plan to make a go for the top ABC post in the province.

Handling Hormachuelos bid is Mayor Benedicto Alcala who said in an interview that it's about time that Panglao will have its own representation in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

He said he has already sounded off many municipal mayors and they "appeared receptive" to Hormachuelos bid.

BACKER

Just what kind of candidate Hormachuelos is if pitted against the formidable firepower of Lim.

According to Mayor Alcala, the Panglao ABC president is no pushover in the race to clinch the provincial ABC presidency.

Although he may not be as moneyed as Lim, he is also as solvent as the Central Bank given his backer counting among others the likes of hotel and resort magnate Anos Fonacier.

Sought for his reaction given Hormachuelos ambition to challenge Lim's bid, Fonacier was quoted as saying that it "if was for the good of Panglao, why not?

As Panglao kingmaker, Fonacier appeared titillated of the monicker after he successfully led the forces that toppled the hold of former mayor Doloriech Dumaluan in Panglao.

When the hotelier entered the picture in Panglao politics last May, unknown to him, he succeeded in changing Panglao's political landscape forever.

NO OPPONENT

Lim's candidacy in the ABC is loaded to the max.

Where before businessman Angelo Balili was a regular fixture to whoever the Lim dynasty fielded in the ABC race, the Loboc millionaire was always at the other side.

The late ABC derby saw Balili backing the candidacy of the opponent of Renato Lim, the late brother of the ABC contender, Concepcion Lim.

In a sudden twist of fate, Balili, this time, made a surprise move by supporting Lim's candidacy.

Asked to comment regarding his sudden turnabout, Balili said he was convinced that Lim got what it takes to become the head of Bohol's barangay captains.

Aside from having the incumbent ABC president Romulo Cepedoza prevailed upon to pave the way for Lim, she could have won the coveted post uncontested. Until Hormachuelos decided to join the fray and the fun begins. As the incumbent, Cepedoza decided to slide down to become Lim's executive vice president.

The elections is set on December 29 and as of last night, the momentum of an Hormachuelos bid is still as its highest.

There are those who suspected that the Panglao kagawad's positioning is all for show to attract attention for any backdoor negotiation resulting in a buy-out.

But reports in the field showed that Hormachuelos is serious. Reports reaching the Post last indicated that the reason why he was emboldened to try his luck in the ABC was that he has sold a prime property earning him a sizable war chest to fight Lim.

Meanwhile, the race for the provincial federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan is set tomoroow.

The daughter of Cong. Roberto and Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes will run uncontested. Jane Censoria Cajes will succeed her sister Frances Bobeth Cajes-Auza.

By June S. Blanco

Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado broke ground for the new office of the Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Bohol at the New Capitol Site in rites held before sunrise last Monday.

A veteran of countless groundbreaking ceremonies, Aumentado however admitted that it was his first time to officiate or attend such activity scheduled before sunrise.

"I congratulate DepEd for the groundbreaking. The new building augurs well for education in Bohol. It is also the first building to rise in the site, moving the intention to make the area Bohol's new government center one step towards realization," the governor told the audience still wearing jackets or scarves, lit only by the headlights of Aumentado's service vehicle.

The Commission on Audit, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Supreme Court will also build their respective buildings in the area, as well as the Land Administration Management Project 2 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources nearby, he said.

GSIS is moving over after its earlier allocated lot at the satellite city area will be hit by the planned road network that the city government will build.

Bohol Division Superintendent Cerina Bolos explained that she was merely following tradition. In her welcome remarks, she said she was excited over the prospect of finally having a new multi-storey and decent office to replace the half-a-century-old one below the grandstands at the President CPGarcia Sports Complex.

Although some of the wood of the grandstand imported from Surigao have withstood time and are still in tip-top condition, she said she has caused the bracing or replacement of others in order to prevent a collapse.

She thanked Aumentado for the 2,000-square-meter lot on which the building will rise, and the Provincial Engineer's Office under Engr. Edwin Vallejos for preparing the building plan.

Construction will start right away with the initial tranche of P5 million that DepEd Central Office has released, otherwise, the fund will revert to the national treasury, Bolos explained.

Physical Facilities Coordinator Marcelo Vigonte put the plan and other documents into the time capsule that Aumentado, Bolos and other DepEd officials lowered and buried.          

During the event, expert heritage scholars and policy-makers will also tackle law-making practices for heritage preservation.

It has also been designed to provide a venue for provincial stakeholders in culture and tourism to participate in the formulation of the BACH Code.

Main organizers of the event are officers of the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, Center for Cultural and Arts Development (CCAD) of the Office of the Governor, and the Provincial Board Committee on Arts and Culture chaired by PB Member Amalia Tirol, who also co-chairs the BACH Council. -- www.boholsundaypost.net

By June Blanco

The Local Governance Development Project (LGDP) Thursday handed over to Gov. Erico Aumentado two studies completed by separate consultants and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) in ceremonies held at the Flamingo 2 of the Bohol Tropics Resort.          

The Bohol Integrated Water Supply System Master Plan (BIWSSMP) is designed to protect Bohol's water resources while providing for the needs of the economy, community and environment. The plan is intended to guide the development of Bohol's water resources for safe domestic, commercial and industrial use in order to improve the health of the community while increasing opportunities for local economic development and protecting the depleted groundwater systems.

On the other hand, the Bohol Agriculture Value Chain Study aims to develop competitive local agricultural products that meet specific market demand by improving the local value chain and resulting in local economic development.

In his acceptance speech, Aumentado said the two plans will firm up Bohol's road map for integrated water resources and strengthening of agriculture, the latter being one of the province's economic drivers.

With the documents in, he expects the Project Assurance Team (PAT) and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) to already strategize and implement the plans. He will meet the team in Manila on January 3 next year to plan the next steps.

The water master plan will tap seven major river systems in the province for potable drinking water use, among them the Upper Abatan River for Metro Tagbilaran that includes Dauis and Panglao towns.

He said tourism is Bohol's other economic driver so that this early, the need for potable water, which will increase with aggressive tourism promotion, should already be addressed and prepared for.

The production cost in tapping Upper Abatan River however was relatively high that it might make potential investors reluctant to undertake. To bring down the cost, the governor suggested that the drip irrigation component be replaced with a drainage and sewerage component for Tagbilaran City and Panglao Island. This way, the project can even collect sewerage fees, thus bringing down its internal rate of return, like what Maynilad is doing in Manila.

Aumentado said the Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI) that distributes water in Tagbilaran City now has plans to tap the Upper Abatan River to meet future demand. If it is unable to do so, he said he is prepared to allow the entry of Maynilad.

Dr. Reynaldo Medina led the team from Woodfields Consultants, Inc. in presenting the water master plan while Marian Boquiren presented the value chain study for Strategic Development Cooperation - Asia (SDC-Asia).

SDC-Asia paced the local value chain team headed by the Provincial Agriculture Office under Liza Quirog through three products only - hogs, rice and seaweeds - selected based on income and employment generation, market demand and growth, capacity and Bohol's capability to increase market share and production capacity and capability.

This early however, Quirog reported that her group has also conducted a value chain study using the SDC-Asia technology on three other products.

The study determines what products are in demand and therefore should be expanded production-wise, with soil suitability and other factors considered, with the end in view of giving the farmers - not the middlemen - better profit.

The LGDP with Rosalinda Paredes as local partnership adviser is an Australian government, AusAID initiative.

www.boholsundaypost.net

By Angeline Valencia
Provincial Government Media Affairs Office

As Provincial Police Director Edgardo Ingking continues to gather dissension in his aggressive campaign against all forms of illegal activities and indiscriminate implementation of the laws, Governor Erico Aumentado categorically dismissed the howls as baseless.

On the implied call of some mayors for the riddance of Ingking, Aumentado clarified that so far, no petition had been formally filed calling for the relief of the provincial police chief.

And, if there will be any, the governor said he will check thoroughly if the reasons are valid, because he sees nothing wrong in how Ingking does his job.          

Aumentado even made it known to all through his weekly radio program, Governor's Report, that he strongly supports Ingking in all his endeavors in strictly implementing the laws, because he has confidence and trust on the capacity of the police chief to deliver his mandate.

"Tungod ba kay gipahunong ang mga illegal? Kinahanglan adunay rason and petition against ni Col. Ingking, kay akong ipahibalo dinhi nga ako adunay kompyansa ug pagsalig ni Col. Ingking sa iyang pagdala sa iyang katungdanan pagka-PNP provincial director sa atong lalawigan. Sa iyang maayong krusada ako siyang gi-back-up-pan sa way lipod-lipod," Aumentado said.

The governor also warned those who engage in any illegal activity that the police force under the leadership of Ingking will strictly implement the law.

By Romy Teruel
Bohol Sunday Post

A Jurassic legal step, a throwback to martial law, an old trick that doesn't work, Cold War McCarthyism, a step backward, pointless, stupid, resurrecting a corpse.

These are just some of the description that leaders of militant left leaning organizations said of the plan of the government to revive R.A. 1700, the Anti-Subversion Law that criminalized even membership to the local communist organization (CPP).

The plan is being sought by Representative Jose Solis of Sorsogon, a province that has a long history of communist insurgency attach to it. Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr is also endorsing it favorably.

Earlier last Thursday, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo enounced her administration is prepared to back the plan. After all she has directive to the police and military to end communist insurgency by the end of her term in 2010.

R.A. 1700 was repealed in 1992 by the passage of R.A. 7636 during the Ramos Administration, himself a military man before becoming a President.

The militant group leaders have gained support from Party-List members of the House of Representatives, Senators Mirriam Defensor-Santiago, Manny Villar, Nene Pimentel, Loren Legarda and Mar Roxas. Senator Santiago said the Supreme Court has long settled the issue. Roxas said the revival would turn the hands of time to an era where might is right where one can only espouse ideas or actions that are acceptable to the powers that be.

Pimentel on the other hand said the plan is a means to consolidate more authoritarian power for Pres. Arroyo. While Legarda thinks the plan would only worsen the insurgency problem as it will drive people's organizations to go underground and swell the rank of those who see armed struggle as the remaining option to effect change.

On the side of the proponent, Gen. Esperon believes that the revival of the anti-subversion law won't adversely affect the stalled peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

He said the repeal of the Anti-Subversion Law allowed the NPA to thrive. He anchored his support for the revival of the Anrti-Subversion law to the fact that while the CPP is a legal organization, its officers are also the ones running the NPA. The CPP cannot be allowed to run the NPA and only be faulted if they are caught with firearms, he said.

It is understandable to see politicians and political parties oppose the revival of the Anti-Subversion Law. After all it was the reason why many innocent civilians were put to prison or detention on their mere association with an outlawed organization.

There was compelling reasons to repeal R.A. 1700 because at that time it no longer served the purpose of its existence.

However on the part of law enforcers, it is also understandable for them to seek its revival, even if only its modified version, because the enemy of the state has not only taken advantage of the repeal of R.A. 1700 but also use it to escape prosecution.

If only the revival version can provide enough safeguards against abuse by law enforcers, then we say Congress should give it consideration. If government is serious in stumping out insurgency, it is only proper the law the will help address it is put in place.

Government cannot go to the table and negotiate peace if it has no convincing proof that it will be to the benefit of both to agree to a peaceful solution of the conflict.

NOTES: On December 19-20, 2007, all chiefs of police and senior officers of the 302nd Brigade will attend a seminar on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHIRIHL). This is a project of the Local Monitoring Board (LMB) of CARHRIHL in the province and of the Provincial Peace and Order Council to inform and make aware our law enforcers of the provisions of this agreement that was signed by both the Negotiating Panel of Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the CPP/NPA/NDF (CNN in 1998. Governor Aumentado, chairman of the LMB said this is geared towards reducing instances of human rights violation by our law enforcers.

The project is fully supported by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPPAP).

In support of CARHRIHL, a radio program "Barogi Katungod Mo" over DYTR-AM Radio Station was launched last Monday. It will be aired every Monday at 7:00 to 8:30 in the evening.

Today also starts the 9-day Dawn Mass or Misa de Gallo to signal each one's preparation for the coming of the Child Jesus on Christmas Day. May our hearts be prepared to receive Jesus on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas. -- www.boholsundaypost.net

By Boy Guingguing
Bohol Sunday Post Publisher

We hate to speculate on this but we are afraid we are heading to this direction if good men does nothing to stop in its tracks the proliferation of small time despots or worst tin pot dictators.

God forbids, it will not happen while we are still alive. For we will not allow for a moment that the destiny of our province will be ruled by an iron fist wielded by self styled dictators.

Dictators here are so broad a term and we don't wish to equate them with what we know in contemporary events. For God's sake, the dictators we'd like to picture in this corner are not in the same league as the Burmese generals or the late strongman Marcos or the likes of Idi Amin of Uganda or Saddam Hussien of Iraq. They are local "dictators" who usually dictate the tempo of Bohol politics.

With the definition of terms, may be those alluded to will be consoled with the thought that they are not of the same brand of dictators that we know. Is that clear?

Whatever, if still they feel offended because they don't like the connotation, then by all means hale us to court for libel. Then see you there! But definitely, just because they can also claim a "holier-than- thou description to themselves, this Bglante doesn't care if it means calling a spade a spade.

Our beef here is the propensity of local officials to discourage participatory democracy to flourish on our benighted society.

We have had enough of shenanigans in the national level and carrying the burden further more down the line is tantamount to insulting our native intelligence.

Really, we are appalled with talks being circulated around that the coming contest for the provincial federation of the Association of Barangay Councils is nothing but another charade.

By moro-moro, we mean the plan of local officials to discourage if not stop the ambition of other candidates to fight it out with Lim. We know that Lim is a formidable opponent but why should we discourage other contenders to throw their hat in the ABC ring. It may be a pipe dream for these contenders to fight a moneyed bet like Lim, but why would they be deprived of their right to fight fair and square.?

The trouble with our local officials is that they are blinded with the idea that some people have acquired a Torrens title to some public offices up for grabs.

And that precisely is the beef of this thesis. That some local officials are planning to torpedo the ambitions of ABC wannabes and this smacks of dictatorship. For one, why can't we allow other equally qualified hopefuls to try their luck in the ABC showdown.

First of all, the biggest anomaly is that decision of former board member Concepcion Lim to make a go for the top ABC plum. Visibly titillated by the prospect of a Lim comeback bid, local officials led by Gov. Erico Aumentado reportedly welcomed with open arms this earth-shaking development. In fact, if reports are correct, we are of the impression that it was Aumentado who brokered for the decision of incumbent Romulo Cepedoza to slide down as Lim's executive vice president instead of seeking reelection.

If so, then Aumentado must have loved Lim so much that he has to go out of his way to block any obstacle thrown in the way of Lim's bid.

Tell this Bglante, Mr. Governor, this is all not true. Tell them that this is just a figment of the imagination of your detractors.

Firstly, we don't want to question the wisdom of Lim's decision to run. After all it is her inherent right to do so. But what makes it despicable is that if Lim has the delicadeza, she should have foregone her decision to run because "she's been there and done that". It means what more can she ask more when she was already there in the provincial board for three terms. And comes now, as if strutting like a peacock, she's at it again, seeking for another term?

Another deplorable thing is that this Lim wants to inherit the throne from her late brother who ruled the ABC roost until he was overcome by death. Is the ABC crown like an heirloom to be handed down from one generation to another?

Another question is that is there no other Boholano qualified for the position? For sure, we have a wide array of potential ABC aspirants that is as competent or even more than qualified than the lady from Valencia. But why are we sticking our necks to Lim? Can we not find any other leader more acceptable than Lim?.

We know all these questions are just voices in the wilderness. But we feel like voicing them not because we hate Lim but because we want those who are delegated to choose their own leaders a wide latitude of choice. Besides, if freedom is indeed the bedrock of democracy, then by all means, the freedom of choice should be exercised with utmost leeway so that we can come up with an enlightened and comprehensive decision.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) has ordered four more turbo-prop ATR 72-500 aircraft that will be used for smaller airports like Caticlan (Boracay), bringing to ten its total firm orders worth more than US$ 178million.

Lance Gokongwei, CEB president, said the additional aircraft will allow CEB to serve more cities whose runways are too short for its Airbus fleet.

"This is a huge confidence vote for the Philippines , for our tourism sector, and our business model as a provider of quality service at affordable fares. It is also a signal to the flying public that our service and the business opportunities we help generate are now at their doorsteps," he said.

The Philippines has seventy five airports, of which only about twenty five can accommodate CEB's Airbus fleet.

Areas with smaller airports, like Caticlan, will likely experience a business boom as the 72-seat ATRs bring in more tourists and businessmen, he said. The Caticlan service will start on February 29, 2008, using CEB's first ATR.

"Our expanding service will unlock the beauty and natural wealth of our archipelago. We have hubs in Manila, Cebu and Davao and hopefully Clark. All of these can be staging points for travel to what up to now are largely inaccessible destinations," he said.

CEB announced earlier its acquisition of up to fourteen ATR aircraft consisting of six firm orders and eight options. This is on top of the up to 20 Airbus jets worth $1.3 billion it announced last year.

The Toulouse , France-based regional aircraft manufacturer, Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) is the world leader in the 50 to 74 seat turboprop market. 

CEB will take delivery of the first six ATRs in 2008 and four in 2009. CEB will also take delivery of four Airbus A320 aircraft in 2008, bringing CEB's fleet to twenty five by the end of 2008.

"From our current fleet of 15 Airbus aircraft, we could have a fleet of up to 50 aircraft composed of 32 Airbus and 18 ATR by the end of 2012 if all options are converted into firm orders," he said.

Now in its 12th year, CEB has the youngest fleet of aircraft in the Philippines. CEB flies to 12 international and 21 domestic destinations, including Caticlan.

-- press release sent to Tubag Bohol News Center

Balong, luoy pud ang pamilya ni Kalbo. Asa naman siya karon? Naa sa Pilipinas mi-retire na?

Our problem, Bran, is that many of our officials from Manila down to the South are only enriching themselves. I am not saying that all of them are shenanigans, but I've known many who are really corrupt and greedy.

My stint in Bohol media had taught me lessons and had opened my eyes and I saw things that I'd rather not see because these things only gave burden to my mind.

The road to progress in any part of our country can never be seen until there is a nationwide feeling of love and empathy for all of us.

An official who loves his neighbor will never use public funds for his own gain knowing his constituents will be deprived of social benefits that are due to them.

Corruption is rooted in the fact our officials are busy enriching themselves, pampering their self-interests, expanding their network of political affiliates who share the same evil passion with them.

Bran, I am very categorical in saying that the root cause of our poverty lies in the political anatomy of our country. Our ordinary brothers and sisters have fled the country in search of greener pastures, spreading to the farthest corners of the globe, leaving families and homes behind to the detriment of relationships and lives of children, because they have not found the kind of hope and progress that we all would have been reaping at this time.

Thailand's economy collapsed in 1997 in the Asian economic crisis, yet the Thai people were able to recover and rebuild their economy because their leaders worked together and stripped themselves of self-interest. The Philippines did not experience such economic debacle as Thailand had gone through, yet this country has catapulted itself in economic gains that we can only dream of at this moment.

Our country has so much potentials, but then again, we are not blessed with leaders who have the hearts of Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio.

Quote from: Lorenzo on December 18, 2007, 04:55:54 PM
This is what I feared, Mike.

How can we take reigns and effectively protect our porous borders from foreign powers that threaten the Republic when we cannot even silence internal rebellion.

Do you think there will ever be a time, Mike, in near or far-distant future where the south will be stabilized?

If the economic condition in the south would be improved, I would still like to hope that the future for this area would get better.

Bran, billions of pesos have been channeled to the ARMM (Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao) but the funds didn't go to the public but to the officials who build mansions and construct private resorts in islands there and maintain their own private armies.

Quote from: Lorenzo on December 18, 2007, 04:42:29 PM
Mike, are the Philippine F-5 Tiger IIs still in operation for the Philippine Air Force?
Don't we have air units in the air down there to neutralize these groups?

Bran, this group can't be neutralized by air force. And the Philippine military chose to have these extremists live and co-exist with them.

The rebels are the reason why the military officials can request bigger budget in the Philippine congress.

Without enemies, it means no money for the generals.

Sad but this is a fact of life.

By Roel Pareno
The Philippine Star

An American Bell helicopter contracted by the US military encountered hostile ground fire from armed groups while flying over the vicinity of Tipo-Tipo, Basilan yesterday morning, according to military official.

Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, Joint Task Force Thunder chief and concurrent deputy of Western Mindanao Command based in Basilan said the Bell Helicopter of Evergreen was conducting re-supply mission when it was fired.

Evergreen is a US-based aeronautics company contracted by Dyncorp, another American-based contracting company servicing the US military forces stationed in southern Philippines.

"No one was reported hurt from among the passengers and pilots on board," Sabban said.

He said the aircraft was not also hit based on the report that was forwarded to him. Sabban said the civilian American aircraft came from Sulu and passing by Basilan when it met the "hostile ground fire."

Efforts to reach any officials from the US Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines turned futile.

But the Evergreen Bell helicopter has been utilized by the US military here in conducting re-supply and logistics mission, including airlift of combat casualty Filipino soldiers.

Sabban said troops were immediately dispatched and briefly encountered Tuesday the armed group believed to be responsible in the attack.

By Efren L. Danao
Senior Reporter
www.manilatimes.net

Sen. Loren Legarda expressed concern Sunday over the worsening quality of Philippine education, as she warned that this could make the Philippines even less competitive economically.

She cited statistics from the Department of Education showing that 56.76 percent of elementary enrollees in school year 2005-2006 completed elementary school, down from 58.36 percent four years ago. The completion rate in high school also declined, from 54.14 percent to 59.1 percent.

“The deteriorating quality of education can also be shown by international standards,” she said. “In the 2003 Third International Mathematics and Science Study participated by 45 countries, the Philippines was ranked 41st in mathematics and 42nd in science. The country trailed other Asian nations, including Malaysia and Indonesia.”

Legarda, chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, said that although the Department of Education will get P13.9 billion and an additional P2 billion for the school-building program, this amount is still inadequate to bring about much needed educational reforms.

The allocation for the education sector is less than 3 percent of the gross national product, much less than the 6 percent prescribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). This inadequate investment in education is seen as the reason why some 11.2 million Filipinos are illiterate.

The P2 billion allocated for the construction of 3,636 classrooms in 2008 is just 1.72 percent of the national government’s infrastructure program total of P115.959 billion. The Education department has estimated the backlog of classrooms to cost P13.9 billion.

“The budget should provide the necessary resources to bring about much-needed reforms. The budget for basic education should be increased by P6 billion,” she said.

She said that besides building more schools, the education sector needs more funds to hire more teachers and to buy more desks, tables, books and other supplies; fund more alternative learning programs, school health and nutrition programs and boost teachers’ benefits under the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.

“If the problems of education are not addressed in time, the Philippines will most likely miss its target of achieving universal primary education in 2015,” she warned.

By F. Sionil Jose

[This talk was given by the novelist, National Artist-Literature and founder of PEN Philippines to close the December 8 to 9 annual conference of the association that marked its 50th anniversary.]

Those of us who have reached this rickety ageâ€"who have written this long, we all know that our most important asset is memory, the capacity to remember, to know history, our past and to retrieve from this treasure trove those artifices which we then shape so carefully, so lovingly. Then we hope our puny creation is literature.

Fifty yearsâ€"to use that tired cliché, is a lot of water under the bridge. What does this half a century tell us, if it tells us anything at all?

For those of you who are oh so young, so eager and so hopeful, let this old man repeat what he had said again and again, that half a century ago, we did not wallow in the muck of corruption, this squalid political moro-moro. We were then the leading nation in Southeast Asia, with a high standard of living next only to Japan. How I strutted then when I visited our backward neighbors. We had the best schools, the best professionals, yesâ€"because we were the best. But what happened?

And so, what has the past taught usâ€"if it did teach us anything at all? What now can you who don’t know ever retrieve from it?

These five decades taught us to know ourselves, our weaknesses so that we may vanquish them, and our strengths that we can walk toward the light with firmer steps.

As writers, we know we are not a people who read although our national hero was a novelist.

And if we have slipped behind, it is because my generation failed. We have not transcended ourselves.

Alas, we are still Moros and Christians and ethnics. We are Ilokanos, Cebuanos, Maranaos. In all these years, although we have become a modern state with all the institutions of a stateâ€"we have not become a nationâ€"and as cultural workers, we should always keep this in mind, that we are the nation builders, although many of us do not recognize this, although our own people do not look at us as the creators of that foundation on which a nation is built.

Yes, we are the creators of tradition, and the memory on which that tradition rests. I have always said, what is Spain without Cervantes, England without Shakespeare, Greece without Homer, Germany without Goethe. Do you realize now how important we are even if our countrymen do not recognize us?

Those of you who are academics know how transitory literary fads are. In the fifties it was the New Criticism, then followed by Existentialism, Structuralism, Deconstruction. Now the fashion is post colonialism. But is colonialism really over? We all know that it is not, that its more pernicious variety is domestic colonialism. Listenâ€"the logic of colonialism is exploitation and therefore, no matter what guise it takes when it beguiles usâ€"to spread Christianity, to make the world safe for democracy, civilizationâ€"forget these, it is still immoral.

And so I do pray that we do not become apologists for any form of colonialism, Spanish, American or the domestic variety.

What does Rizal teach us? That all those who leave this country, whether it is our powerful businessmen who send their money abroad, as writers and teachers who seek their fortune abroadâ€"all must come back to the native land, to be welded with the soil, for in the end, that is what nationalism truly isâ€"to be with this earth and people.

Rizal wrote in Spanishâ€"not in his native Tagalog; he knew that most of the Filipinos did not read Spanish, that it was the Spaniards and the ilustrados whom he was addressing. And why novels? As a propagandist shouldn’t it have been more effective if he simply wrote manifestos and spoke directly to the populace? Literatureâ€"because literature would live long after the event, that it would touch the hearts of people.

We will always have coteries, cozy groups bonded together by college ties, ethnic affinity. Such groupings give us social and emotional comfort. But the generational gap is now very wide and we must close it. I would ask the older writers to reach out to the very young, to do this without condescension, without flaunting your achievements, your experience and, yes, your Ph.Ds. And for the young, I would ask you to venture out of your brave, new world and know your elders, to learn of their demons, the mountains of rubble they had to scale. Do this to form that granite continuum, that community, the shared purpose with which we build a nation.

We know we are not heard or appreciated, that this country starves its writers. But even so, we must not give up, we must not stop. Even if we may not know it, accept it, or believe in it, what we write in its entirety, in its enduring integrityâ€"contributes to the foundation of our nation.

The young Filipinos and those who are yet to comeâ€"we owe them this responsibility.

All of us are egoists with deeply rooted convictions. May I quote a philosopher who said, convictions are prisons. We regard other writers as opponents, but most of all, our own selves that we always wrestle with.

The creative life is harsh. We have no economic or social base; we are often condemned to penury.

Do not despairâ€"the insecurity, the anxiety, the sufferingâ€"these form the real matrix of creativity.

A few months before he passed away, Nick Joaquin asked my wife if she can invite the young writers so he can meet them.

They came; he looked at them, had pictures with them, then he drifted away with the commentâ€"they are all so young and I am so old.

And looking at all the young faces today, I would say the same. But I would addâ€"and you are all so good.

With you, I know our literature will flourish and, hopefully, this unhappy nation, too.

source: www.manilatimes.net

Kuwaiti companies including Agility are poised to clinch a $10 billion contract to build an airport and other infrastructure in the Philippines, Kuwaiti newspaper al-Qabas reported on Sunday.

Agility, a logistics company that supplies U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Abraj Holding were among the firms that would sign a contract within two days, Qabas said, citing a "well informed source".

Abraj and Agility said they had yet to agree a deal and gave no details.

"No memorandum of understanding has been reached yet," Abraj said in a statement on the bourse Web site. It said it was speaking for Agility as well.

The contract involves building an airport, a power station and a railway line and other infrastructure at a location about 20 km from the capital Manila, Qabas said.

source: news.yahoo.com

No, you are not a recipient of a large sum of money from the Philippines â€" no matter what a recent e-mail scam may promise.

The FBI is warning people not to respond to an e-mail from Amando M. Tetangco, a supposed banker from the Philippines. The e-mail asks for personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers.

People are then asked to send bank account information to receive the money.

The FBI cautions people to guard their personal information and not to reply to unsolicited e-mails.

Three marines were killed Sunday in an ambush by communist rebels in the western Philippines at the start of a unilateral Christmas ceasefire by the government, the military said. The soldiers were unarmed when they were attacked by a group of about 20 guerrillas in San Vicente town in Palawan province, 600 kilometres south-west of Manila, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jacinto de Vera.

"The marines were unarmed and on their way to the market to buy supplies for the detachment, and they were also planning to attend Mass," he said. "We condemn this attack."

The ambush occurred hours after a three-week suspension of military operations against communist rebels took effect Sunday. The unilateral truce will be in effect until January 6, 2008.

De Vera said the military was not violating the ceasefire by sending troops to hunt down the guerrillas.

"The rebels started the fight and we have to pursue the culprits," he said. "We have to provide security in the province and ensure that the Christmas holidays will be peaceful."

source: www.earthtimes.org

By Jeff De Cagna
www.changethis.com

The six key contexts of innovation can assist leaders as they guide the innovation process, and the
six core values of innovation help them spark a deeper passion for the work of innovation among
potential contributors. The core values should imbue the pursuit of innovation with meaning beyond
the goal of creating cool, new products and services. They are a powerful wellspring of purpose 
for making innovation an organizational priority.

1. Capability (strategic value)â€"Innovation is about building stronger and more capable organi-
zations. Building a capacity for innovation requires an intelligent, strategic and disciplined approach.

2. Inclusivity (technological value)â€"Innovation is an intrinsically social and collaborative
process, i.e., everyone has a role to play. Web technologies enable open and distributed participation
on a global scale.

3. Possibility (cultural value)â€"Possibilities are the precious fruits of the human imagination.
Innovation fully embraces the discovery of what is possible for our organizations, even if it involves
risk and failure.

4. Opportunity (intellectual value)â€"Through the application of experience and knowledge, the
human intellect identiies and shapes innovation opportunities in ways that enable action.
5. Sustainability (inancial value)â€"Innovation can create a sustainable future for organizations,
and the work of innovation itself must be made sustainable through the consistent and well-paced
investment of resources.

6. Responsibility (leadership value)â€"Innovation is a critical element of responsible stewardship
for leaders who must be vigilant for the health and well-being of their organizations.

By Jeff De Cagna
www.changethis.com

Organizational leaders can beneit by viewing the dynamics and demands of innovation through 
the lens of the six contexts that are key to any innovation effort. These six contexts also provide 
a useful way to think about the wide variety of innovation opportunities on which any organization
can capitalize.

1. Strategic contextâ€"The organization’s comprehensive understanding of the forces driving its
operating environment, as well as an appreciation of emerging trends and issues. (Opportunities
include strategy and business model innovation.)

2. Technological contextâ€"The organization’s use of technology to engage contributors in the
work of innovation, as well as the impact of current and new technologies on the organization, 
its customers and other stakeholders. (Opportunities include innovation in current and new products,
tools and other “tangibles.”)

3. Cultural contextâ€"The organization’s internal climate and intrinsic support for collaboration,
including encouraging risk-taking, supporting experimentation and the importance of genuinely
learning from failure. (Opportunities include innovation in the structure and substance of the 
relationships between and among staff, customers and other stakeholders.)

4. Intellectual contextâ€"The organization’s mindset and approach to identifying and leveraging
ideas and knowledge both internally and externally. (Opportunities include service and experience
innovation, as well as innovation around other “intangibles.”)

5. Financial contextâ€"The organization’s underlying structures for managing both the uncertainty
and inancial exposure of innovation in order to minimize risk. (Opportunities include process, 
practice and delivery methods innovation across different organizational functions.)

6. Leadership contextâ€"The capacity of leaders to fulill their responsibility for making innova-
tion consistently possible without exerting undue inluence or control over it. (Opportunities include
innovation in models for organizational stewardship.)
Leaders can achieve a deeper understanding of how to make innovation happen in their organiza-
tions by looking carefully at how the balance of freedom and discipline inluences the underlying 
relationships between and among these contexts. For example, when the organization needs to 
ensure greater discipline within its inancial context, how can it increase the degree of cultural
freedom to ensure that innovation doesn’t grind to halt? 

By Jeff De Cagna
www.changethis.com

Before we consider the six core values of innovation, however, we should establish a clear deinition
of innovation. Some authors, thinkers and consultants deine innovation as an outcome, while 
others deine it as a process. From my point of view, innovation is best characterized as an experi-
ence that, over time, permeates the whole organization:

Innovation lives in the careful balance of systemic freedom and systemic discipline necessary to
discover and develop ideas to create radical new value.

For innovation to lourish in our organizations, both freedom and discipline must be present. 
On the one hand, innovators must have the freedom to imagine what is possible, develop their ideas
collaboratively and experiment with them in the marketplace. At the same time, organizations 
must have the requisite discipline to choose only the most promising ideas for further testing, to 
invest in them consistently and to fail quickly ideas that do not live up to their original promise,
while acting on those that perform well. In short, freedom and discipline are a duality rather than 
a dichotomy.

Discipline in some areas creates the opportunity for freedom in others, and genuine freedom recog-
nizes the constant need for discipline to prevent creativity from descending into chaos. Freedom 
and discipline are the fundamental forces of innovation success, and organizational leaders must
strive to maintain the right balance between them at all times.
Three of innovation’s core valuesâ€"inclusivity, possibility and opportunityâ€"are grounded in the need
for freedom, while the other threeâ€"capability, sustainability and responsibilityâ€"are based on the
need for discipline.

By Jeff De Cagna
www.changethis.com

So leaders committed to making innovation happen in their organizations face a dificult dilemma.
On the one hand, innovation is a strategic necessity. On the other hand, innovation is dificult 
and scary to many prospective contributors. To help others discover their own inspiration for the
work, then, leaders must make more than just an economic case for innovation. Innovation isn’t 
only about value creationâ€"it is also about the realization of core values. We cannot ask our people
to innovate simply to create new value for customers and proits for our enterprises. Innovation 
must also be about helping our people and our organizations achieve their full potential through the
shared pursuit of its six core values: capability, inclusivity, possibility, opportunity, sustainability 
and responsibility.

It is important to keep in mind that these values aren’t simply a matter of organizational culture.
Each one is linked to a speciic organizational context that must be considered as part of the 
innovation effort, and coordinating the on-going relationships between and among these contexts
and values is a critical element of success for leaders seeking to advance the work of innovation 
in our organizations.