MikeLigalig.com

Mag-share lang unta ko sa malipayong balita bag-o pahimuslan sa mga politiko ang pagpasigarbo sa kadungganan sa atong siyudad.

Pero nadala pud ko sa balak ni Beth... I miss you Tagbilaran!

Quote from: Don Rico on July 05, 2008, 08:49:41 AM
This Psalm deals with being alone. Fore when you walk alone, you aren't fore God is with you always, watching and protecting.

Psalm 23

This is my wife's memory verse, and it also touches me very deeply. I always claim the assurance that even when I am alone, I will never be lonely, because He is with me...

Notice that Tagbilaran has the highest score among all cities in all categories. Congratulations to all Bol-anons!

Makati, Cabanatuan, Tagbilaran are RP's best cities to live in

By CARMELA FONBUENA
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Among the best cities in the Philippines, Makati City, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, and Tagbilaran City in Bohol offer the best quality of life, according to a new survey of the Asian Institute Management (AIM).

These three cities ranked highest in the quality of life category among 25 cities that made it to the AIM’s Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2007, a survey of cities’ global competitiveness.

The cities were separately ranked according to size. Makati, Cabanatuan, and Tagbilaran were categorized as metro, mid-sized and small-sized, respectively.

Quality of life is one of six categories in AIM’s survey. The other categories are cost of doing business, dynamism of local economy, human resources and training, infrastructure, and responsiveness of local government units (LGUs) to business needs.

Unlike its previous surveys, AIM decided not to rank the cities based on total performance.

This is the 5th round of the AIM survey on Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking.

Quality of life is considered one of the yardsticks in determining which cities have successfully developed and which have succumbed to the ills of urbanization.

Among the relevant aspects of quality of life are social welfare of the people, peace, and order, quality of living environment, and local amenities.

Cabanatuan and Tagbilaran ranked first in their respective city sizes, rating 7.17 and 7.97, respectively. The highest rating is 10 points. The average rating in their city sizes is 6.31 and 6.43, respectively.

Makati ranked second among metro cities, with a rating of 6.98. The average rating of metro cities in terms of quality of life is 6.06.

Cabanatuan was credited for its good access to commercial banks, low or non-existent informal fees, and total crime solution efficiency.

Tagbilaran was noted for its low or non-existent informal fees, good supply of water, and low water rates. Its local environmental planning and management program was also praised.

Makati was recognized for its good access to commercial banks, total crime solution efficiency, and supply of potable water among others. AIM also noted its programs such as the Makati Health Program, the “Yellow Card,” the Makati Command Center, and its Satellite Real Property Tax collection.

A total of 90 cities were surveysâ€"20 metro cities, 25 mid-sized cities, and 45 small-sized cities. The AIM survey was conducted in collaboration with the German Technical Cooperation, International Finance Corporation, International Labour Organization, SM Investments Inc., and Petron Corporation.

The following is the complete list of the top performing cities.

Metro Cities:
1.    Davao
2.    Lapu-Lapu
3.    Makati,
4.    Manila
5.    Marikina
6.    Quezon City

Mid-sized Cities:
1.    Cabanatuan
2.    General Santos
3.    Lucena City
4.    Olongapo City
5.    San Pablo City
6.    Tagum
7.    Tarlac

Small-Sized Cities
1.    Bayawan
2.    Calapan
3.    Calbayog
4.    Dagupan
5.    Dipolog
6.    Laoag
7.    Malaybalay
8.    Naga City-Camarines Sur
9.    San Fernando City-La Union
10.    Surigao
11.    Tagbilaran
12.    Tuguegarao

Thanks for the favor, Ging.

Quote from: LanggamTamsi2 on July 04, 2008, 11:29:40 AM
wow lovelyfamily Mr. ben, afa lagi imo sister. Cute ang ilang mga anak pod.

Thank you. I'm sure Ging will be flattered when she reads this.

Quote from: ms da binsi on July 04, 2008, 07:46:41 AM


Hala mura man mo ug Hapon Ben!

Puti ra man mi, pero naa pud ko mga igsoon baje nga morena. I am not aware of any Japanese or Chinese blood in our lineage, kay akong papa gikan ra man na sa Candijay ug itumon, akong mama gikan Aklan ug pution. Once when I, my wife and two kids then rode the boat from Cebu to Tagbilaran, the ladies around us approached my wife and told her that they were impressed nga maayo kuno mag-Bisaya ang iyang bana nga Hapon. I was really amused by the comment and surprised them with my lawom nga Binaya just to prove nga Bol-anon ko.

Excuse me, commercial break sa ko. Katong naa sa Tagbilaran ron who would like to obtain made-in-Japan Mosbeau Glutathione and anti-aging/wrinkle pills, fresh stock will arrive next week. Edelweiss, hope you're still around by next week. You may get in touch with my wife Lynne at 3841-56551 for reservation. Although our supplier has upped the wholesale price, I'm offering this at the old price of US$55 or peso equivalent until this month. Thanks!

Quote from: grazie7y on July 04, 2008, 07:10:34 AM
Bene san, your sister is indeed beautiful!  Well, the whole family looks beautiful! 

Your sister is my tukayo.

Hi Ging,

Tawgon ta na lang ka by your nickname, Grace. Makes me feel like having one more family member. I am so struck with homesickness this morning that I roused my wife from sleep at 6:00 AM Philippine time and caught my son just before he left for his early morning soccer practice. He asked me the meaning of a few Binol-anon words which he heard from his soccer buddies, and was I surprised that they are expletives. Warned him never to use them...

Then I looked over the photos of Bohol. And I chanced upon these photos of my sister Ging and her family. She's a little shy, like me, but very kind. I guess she'll be pleasantly surprised if a friendly stranger from TB greeted her.

If you chance upon that beautiful lady in green in Tagbilaran, that's my younger sister Cris whom we fondly call Ging. She is here with her hubby Mike and sons Louie and Miko. One of my closest among my six sisters, Ging is also like the second mom to my kids.

Quote from: aira_galope on July 03, 2008, 10:54:18 PM
konbanwa kuya Beny!
                Nahihiya nga po ako sa Church dhil psulpot sulpot lng kming mag-iina,na mi-miss ko na rin, gambarimasu sumimasen!
Prang kailan lng diba po maliliit p ang mga anak natin, tapos bigla nlang mas matangkad pa sa akin mukha tuloy kming magkapatid lng hehehe.
We are hoping na magkita kmi ni Ate Lynne, excited nga ang mga bata ako din, na miss ko na buwad,buko,saba,mangga,halo-halo,bagoongummmmm grbeeee...slamat po kuya and always Take Care...God Bless You!

OK lang kahit paminsan-minsan, kapag OK sa sked ng pamilya. Parang hindi yata ako matuloy this month, sayang. Anyway, makikain na lang ako ng buwad, buko, etc... God bless you too!

Quote from: ms da binsi on July 04, 2008, 12:44:29 AM
To: Benelynne and Tiya Gris:

...wishes granted!

From:  Genie da Binsi

Belle,

Ha ha ha! Wagtang akong kamingaw nimo ui!

Quote from: Lorenzo on July 02, 2008, 12:07:27 PM
Let's continue.

Is circumcision necessary for salvation?

Circumcision was part of God's covenant with Abraham and the Jews:

Genesis 17

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreignerâ€" those who are not your offspring.

Circumcision was an external sign of a spiritual relationship, which set the Jews apart from the rest of mankind as the chosen people of God. However, history showed that the Jewish people became more and more fixated to the external signs, statutes, and ceremonies rather than their inward spirituality. Of course, this tendency is not peculiar to the Jews but resonates to human nature in general. Rather than facing our frailties, we explain away our violative tendencies through legalism.

The dispensation of grace, as contrasted to that of law, ushered in by Christ in the New Testament restores the pre-eminence of our relationship to God in our practice of spirituality. For instance, Christ has redefined the legalistic frames of such common offenses as "adultery" and "murder." We commit adultery not only when we lie in bed with someone not our spouse but also when we look at another person with lust. We commit murder not only when we kill a person by intent but also when we harbor deep hatred in our hearts towards him.

Thus, as with the Jews, we can no longer use physical circumcision as a blanket affirmation of our belongingness to God. Note that even in the Old Testament, physical circumcision was meant to come together with circumcision of our hearts, as was commanded in Deuteronomy 10 and 30. Unless our hearts are marked as of God, it does not matter much if we are externally marked as God's people in circumcision. We cannot use religious appearances in place of real spirituality of the heart.

Paul preached this in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 2
29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Therefore, physical circumcision is not a necessary and essential condition for salvation, but spiritual circumcision is.

Confirm lang naku nga apil ko ani. Sabagay naa man ko sa original nimong listahan Belle.

Quote from: lavahnl on July 03, 2008, 04:25:47 AM


People of Bohol are truly blessed

I wanna fly home!

Quote from: aira_galope on July 03, 2008, 05:39:22 PM
hello Benelynne san and Aya chan,

               ako din yorushiko ne Aya chan ! Salamat sir Benelynne psencya na kung ntatawag ko po kyong kuya nsanay n kasi ako.
               Saan ka Aya chan sa Bohol? :)me sa Candijay ang lugar namin dayo lang kami doon ngustuhan kasi ng asawa ko ang lugar.

Aira,

Huwag naman Sir, parang 'other' na ako niyan sa 'yo. Dito lang ako may 'Sir' sa TB, but I actually prefer Kuya, Tito or just plain Benny...

Quote from: ms da binsi on July 03, 2008, 01:13:52 AM
Salvation from germs ang unsa pa nang mga kagaw2x diha!

Thats all i can say. What has TULI something to do with GOD?

nothing, they only knew then nga ang tuli is a hygiene.

Nag sugod ang Tuli sa mga Jews, as far as i have known and they were not christians...

Jews are just the cleanest people I have ever known in my entire life, dili lang sa ilang genitals but in everything.

Hi Belle,

You saved me from a stressful day! Wa jud muot ang TB ug wa ka dire... Sa mga Bible Study ra ba, mas lively ang discussion kung naay mga interjection nga in-ani.

Quote from: orChids on July 03, 2008, 05:28:10 PM
Glad to see you too.My Mom is quite ok na.Bugnaw pa dire gamay pod.But I'm worry about our farm kay wala naatiman.Gitubuan na ug lumot jod.Thanks Sir Benne.

New look? Very becoming of you... Gihuwat jud ka sa imong mga utanon. Hinay-hinayi lang...

Quote from: orChids on July 03, 2008, 05:11:11 PM
Konnichiwa din.Andito sa Suwa.Glad to have you here.Yoroshiku.

Aya, may kasama na tayong Bol-anong Tagalog, si Aira. Kapitbahay ko lang dito sa Tsukuba city. Aira, meet Aya... enjoy your time here as we all do!

Quote from: orChids on July 03, 2008, 05:20:56 PM
Hi Sir Benne,long time no hear.How are you?

Hi Aya,

Shibaraku desu ne! But I know you had to attend to some urgent family matters. I'm praying your mother has recovered fully. Init-init na sad ra ba diri. Maayo man sa Nagano kay naa man sa taas, bugnaw pa siguro... Glad to see you back, Aya.

Quote from: aira_galope on July 03, 2008, 09:40:27 AM
konnichiwa!Benelynne san

Sori, ngayon lang ako nakapag-log-in. Medyo busy ang pasok ng July. I thought I deserve a break so pahayahay (relax) sa ko sa payag... Kelan nga ba departure n'yo?

Quote from: aira_galope on July 03, 2008, 09:39:20 AM
God is good all the time!

                 ?? benelynne san, I'm surprise to watch this video and I remember that special day because in some how I feel the presence of God and ease my heartache, we are lucky that we are there too. You are a WONDERFUL person Benelynne san! Take care and God bless you! Thank you for sharing!?

Thanks. I hope you'll be able to join us during Sunday more often... I know how hard it is to look after and all-boy brood. Your boys are all growing up fast, just like my Paolo na nagbibinata na pero hindi ko na makikitang magkakaroon ng kanyang first crush.

You must be excited to go home. Looking forward to your holiday pix.

Quote from: simplylee on June 28, 2008, 08:47:51 AM
1. the israelites were always complaining even with God's provisions and blessings, their mental attitude are full of arrogance and sins so they cannot see what God did for them on the previous verses. they were looking at themselves rather than looking on what God did, can do and is doing for them. they spoke against God and they even blame moses for leading them out of slavery from egypt. as their punishment, the Lord sent fiery serpents, many were bitten and died. then the people realized that they sinned against God so the repent and asked moses to intercede
with the Lord, then with God's mercy and faithfulness He give solution to their problem by showing them that looking unto God is the answer not by looking unto themselves. the serpent on the standard is the shadow of what will happen on the cross. by believing what the Lord Jesus Christ has done on the cross gives us life which is eternal.
2. "tempt the Lord" can i ask the passage of the new testament about this.

Ari ko sa tupad nimo aning klase, kay murag malandagan ta ug dugang. In the New International Version that I read, the word used is "testing" God rather than "tempting"   Him. For example, the command in Deuteronomy 16:6 in the NIV version is "Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah."

I think, Dong, it would be advisable if you specify the version or translation of the Bible, as well as the particular text, so that we will have a common point of reference. I sometimes read more than two versions, sometimes Catholic and Protestant versions, just to get more understanding of the text.

I would also like to know which specific New Testament text you're referring to when Paul spoke of "tempting the Lord."

Quote from: michael-ligalig on June 28, 2008, 06:31:30 AM
Ben, sorry to hear of the untimely death of your friend - Sheilla Okabe. Not only was her death untimely, it was painful, too.

May Sheilla's loved ones, relatives and friends find comfort from you and from us who are dejected over this tragedy.

I always like to keep happy memories with friends, and I am glad that the last I've heard from her was laughter.

Mike, when a tragedy of this scale strikes, we are only reminded by God how wide the field still is for His workers to toil.

Quote from: balong on June 28, 2008, 06:16:47 AM
benne, please accept my deepest sympathy. let us honor your friends memory because she has given up her spot on our world so some new born can take her place. necessary man jud nga we have to go kay kon dili, wa nay lugar ang kalibotan if we are all immortals.

Thanks for this dose of realism, Balong. This pains her family the most, since there will be no sense of closure until they find and identify the body. It is very hard for them, but I am sure life will move on...

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 28, 2008, 05:30:12 AM

Benne, this reminded me of the book of ECCLESIASTES...

Belle,

I also like this book written by Solomon, who has experienced the greatest luxury and honor in his golden years as king of Israel, but who nonetheless saw the absurdity of it all... Sometimes I find this book a little morbid, in fact somewhat out of synch with the Biblical theme of hope, but it speaks truthfully of the deepest angst of man--our search for meaning in life.

And although Solomon's cry, like his very own life, ended simply like an unanswered echo, this book has made me realize that we can never find meaning if we search it in our material possessions, achievements, personal relationships, etc. We can find meaning in life only in God.

Ecclesiastes 2

10I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Quote from: Bambi on June 28, 2008, 04:49:30 AM
Mao ni gi-ingon nga "live life without if and buts as it would be your last"....we are only guests and in a blink of an eye...we must have to go.  I related  this story to Markus (your friendship with  the late Ms. Shiela), your  shocked, and sadness  and he added: "you see, money will not raise you up from drowning". It  will happen anywhere, anytime.  I remembered, during my school vacation, I  used to work as a salesgirl in Tagbilaran market selling dry goods, (kalaray nga tindahan ug mga manggad). Nang Feling from Baclayon was an older lady, the saleswoman of the business store of her younger sister near beside my stand.  We had talked, good laughs and  about noon...she had told me: Ms. Annie i will shortly take a nap and would you wake me up if customers will come along?  And that's it... i strongly shaked her body but she didn't wake up anymore. It was only a matter of 10 minutes after our short chat. Sad. Many of my friends died.... at the age of 23- Ms. Yolanda Cabido, ex Miss UB Personality. Was with her at Tagb. Cathedral attending Holy Mary Mass (Wed. and she got collapsed Friday) (cancer), 24- Anton, workmate - an immigrant from Russia, greet me b4 i left from work (Friday and got his crashed sunny Sunday (motorcycle accident), 27 - Heidi, my best Fitness and Disco colleague, went with her for a dinner,agreed for a weekend outings (postponed our date for a niece b-day party where her last attended party (car accident), 48- Olivia, got a phonecall b4 i left for a 4 week rehabilitation, agreed to be together for home vacation  6 mos after), she died here and she is burried in Cebu had visited her grave a day b4 our last EB (heart attacked), 54- Siriporn a Thai lady, our hiking and vacation comrade(celebral hemorrhage) and Nang Feling (cardiac arrest) and many others... ...Mr. Death will never knock at our doors and ask how old we are!

Yes, Bambs, only the living can learn lessons from those who have gone ahead of us. Indeed, this incident has made me think that we should live every moment as if it were our last... I don't have as long an obituary of friends and acquaintances, but every candle snuffed out before daylight always makes a corner of our hearts a little darker.

Hi Del,

Welcome! I'm sure you'll enjoy it here...

Quote from: grazie7y on June 27, 2008, 10:10:56 PM
It will, Bene san, it will.  We will pray for that.  It may be longer and more winding but we'll get there.  God will bless this to us ra lagi.

If it is our promised land, God will lead us to it.

Quote from: simplylee on June 27, 2008, 10:10:56 PM
dili lang ta mabalaka kay naa pay daghan yuta didtong dapita

Kung naa pa'y lain nga makit-an, mag da binsi code na lang tag communicate in regard to location and logistical specifics. Since we already know who are interested to join in this project, sa PM na lang ang atong points of reference.

Before this latest development, magsuwat unta ko sa akong panghinaot nga kining atong long and winding thread will connect to the long and winding road to Tubag Bohol Village...

Unsaon man gud ning atong forum 1% ra sa mga users members, 99% guests. Hilabihan kadaghan ang nakatutok nga mata kaysa nagdukdok ug tudlo, unya libre lang nila makuha ang expert opinion ni Macky ug Jun ug uban pang brilliant minds dire ug mapulsuhan pa nila ang market sentiment...

I am really downhearted because I've been looking for a farm I can share with like-minded people and I thought this was it! Naa naman ko yuta sa Panglao tupad sa Bee Farm pero lain man jud ang agricultural land.

I think we should proceed with discretion from hereon. Kung naa pay available nga yuta, sa PM na lang ta mag communicate.

Quote from: Lorenzo on June 27, 2008, 12:58:48 PM
In 2 Kings 2:8, we read that the waters of the Jordan were parted and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground. Where are there two more Biblical instances of waters being parted and the people passing over on dry ground?

Please write them.

(1) Exodus 14

This happened when Moses and the Israelites were pursued by the Egyptians and were hemmed in behind them by the marauding army and in front of them by the sea.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,

22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

(2) Joshua 3

This happened when the Israelites led by Joshua, after taking over the helm from Moses who already died, were about to cross to the Promised Land and were given a divine sign that they would defeat the occupants of Canaan.

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

15 Now the Jordan is in flood all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge,

16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Quote from: Buwak on June 27, 2008, 03:15:37 PM
Hi Benny,

Kumusta ka na Dong dinha? Kumusta na ang Tokyo?
In Manila right now for my daughter's graduation. Was in Cebu and Bohol while Frank, the typhoon, was there.
Ayo-ayo ug regards nilang tanan.

Delia

Daghan man kog kaila nga Delia pero usa ra man jud ang Bol-anon nga Delia nga akong amiga. Ikaw ba ni Del? And what are you doing in the Philippines? Giunsa nimog kasaag dire sa TB, ug dire pa jud sa thread nga gilibak ta ka... (gi google nimo imong ngalan?)  Bitaw, even if I drop your name, I only have nice things to say about you dear sempai.

I guess we have a lot of catching up to do. But first, confirm if this is really you. Kung ikaw gani ni, I know why your handle is "buwak."

Quote from: Bambi on June 27, 2008, 12:54:53 PM
I feel sorry Sir that you knew personally one of the victims. Her name was familiar to me since I had already read this report before. Makaibog gani ang ilang life achievements. What a short life and we can't do nothing if our time will come.

Nakahuna-huna baya kog lawom Bambs tungod ning panghitabo. Nakit-an man jud nako ang paningkamot ni Sheilla nga mulampos sa panginabuhi through business and court battles (she faced a string of cases both in Tokyo and Manila related to her businesses and properties and won most of them). Apan ug panahon na jud diay nimo, hukom ra jud sa Makagagahum ang matuman. Wa jud diay ta'y madala bisag usa ka daku ug tawgon na ta sa taas.

Daghan pa kaajo siyag dakong plano sa kinabuhi. Pagkadaug niya sa kaso sa Japan, giparenovate niya bag-o pa lang jud ang iyang bay sa Bulacan nga murag palasyo ug nag-expand siya sa iyang business sa Cebu.

Tinuod jud diay that there are more important things to store in life than worldly riches...

I thought I am an ocean away from the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy.

Last night, while watching TV Patrol, I saw a familiar face among the photos being flashed, but dismissed it as just a striking resemblance of a very good friend. How could it be? She lives in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. I know that she frequently travels to Cebu, because she has recently started a business there and has reportedly found a new inspiration after a string of heartaches. But she usually travels by plane.

Just a month ago, she called me to inform me about a Japanese lower court decision being overturned by an appelate court in her favor, giving her rights to the properties of her late Japanese husband, which are being claimed by her in-laws. I have interpreted and translated for her during the litigation.

Teresita "Sheilla" Okabe is one of the Filipinas who made it big in Japan through hardwork and despite overwhelming personal struggles. But her zest for life is unquenchable--she always greets you with a wide smile and dismisses every piece of bad news with hopeful anticipation of better things to come.

How can I forget her? A few years back, I inteviewed her for a newspaper with another successful Filipina entrepreneur, Rosalinda Honda, who is also a widow like her. I thought their lives had strikingly many similarities. To our amazement, we found out in a dinner I arranged for them with my wife that they were in fact cousins! And the last time they've crossed paths was when they were still very small children.

You may check out this interview at http://www.philippinestoday.net/2003/August/interview1_803.htm

This morning, her cousin Rosalinda called me up in tears. I was shaken, because I saw the same image last night but dismissed it as a remote possibility. I double-checked the MV Princess of the Stars manifest, and unmistakably, among the unrecovered victims so far is Teresita Okabe a.k.a. Sheilla.

Goodbye, my friend...

Quote from: grazie7y on June 27, 2008, 02:59:17 AM
Tita Birdie, nawagtang na jud tanang nutrients ing-ani pagkaluto!  Ambot ba oi, sukad pa jud sa una mag luto si Mommy ani butangan pod ug itlog ug panakot unya mangaon akong mga manghud mo ingon pa lami unya di pait, pero kon akoy motilaw, pait man jud oi!

Taste buds nimo Grace mas muangay siguro anang imong i-bake, so you were given that special talent.

I like my ampalaya and radish bitter. Dire sa Japan very mild kaayo ang taste sa ampalaya and radish. Their radish is even so sweet I eat it as is, fresh and raw, just like I eat carrots, paprika and lettuce. I throw in a generous portion of ampalaya (sliced thinly) in pinakbet and bulanglang (my wife's Pangasinan influence). Yummy!

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 26, 2008, 11:00:09 PM


Aguy kalawom! but you know what? what you said is very true.

Hinaut nga kana nga picture mahimong kapanaminan sa mga ubang tawo nga naa nay kabilinggan sa lawas.

It's not the end of the world after all...

Inspired kaayo ko ning iroa. Murag wa baya siya nagreklamo sa iyang kahimtang, naningkamot lang jud siya. And look, instead of moving on all fours like the others (and like self-pitying humans in that situation), it's standing tall!

Pero ug palakwon tingali nimo na sa KM 14, madugangan ang sugilanong KD sa Corella.

Kiamz, I'm really blessed by this photo essay you're sharing. You always have great photos to share, you're such a keen picture-hunter!

I don't want to spoil the thousand words spoken by these pics by adding words to them. This dog would just be an ordinary, even perhaps ugly, quadruped without its handicap--but having risen above its lack, it outshines all other canines. This simply shows that the Creator has equipped nature with great compensatory ability for every imperfection, and an excellence can certainly cover a multitude of handicaps.

Now I have a deeper understanding of what God told the apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Mas lami man ang pait nga ampalaya, mao ray pait sa kalibutan nga lami.

Hi Aira,

Welcome to TB! You'll surely enjoy it here, at matututo ka rin mag-Binol-anon kapag palagi kang naka-log-in. Last time akong nagsalita ng bihasang Binol-anon ay noong kinder ako (panahon pa ata ni Dagohoy), pero ngayon nakakapag-trying-hard na ulit dahil sa TB.

By the way, mga higala, Aira is my first recruit dito sa Japan na talagang nag-PM sa akin para ipaalam na nagsign-up na siya. Nidaku ni siya sa Manila busa barok daw ijang Binol-anon. Pero Bol-anon kaaju ug dugo kay wapa man. Di siya musugot i-post iyang picture kay basig masaypan nga daga pa siya masuko unja iyang bana nga amigo ra ba naku.

By the way, Aira, dito sa TB siguradong sagutin ko kaagad ang message mo, kasi mas madalas tambay ko rito kesa sa private e-mail address.

Again, enjoy our company here!

Bambi, expert man ka sa balaknong erotica, experiment kaha kag balak before love-making, pero ihunghong lang sa dunggan ni mister...

Women in power around the world

Associated Press
First Posted 19:33:00 06/25/2008Female heads of government:

GERMANY: Angela Merkel, elected Chancellor on November 2005, is the first woman to serve in this post in the country's history.

HAITI: Pierre-Louis was designated prime minister on June 24, 2008. She succeeded Jacques-Edouard Alexis who was overthrown in a censure vote by the Haiti parliament on March 12.

MOLDOVA: Zinaida Greceanii, 52, became prime minister on March 31, 2008.

MOZAMBIQUE: Luisa Diogo has been prime minister since February 2004.

NEW ZEALAND: In December 1999 Helen Clark succeeded Jenny Shipley, who was the first woman prime minister of the country.

SANTA LUCIA - Calliopa Pearlette Louisy, 62, has been the governor general since 1997.

UKRAINE: Yulia Tymoshenko, 48, was prime minister from January to September 2005, before being renominated on December 18, 2007.

Female heads of state:

ARGENTINA: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner became president last December after winning the election against another woman, deputy Elisa Carrio.

INDIA: Pratibha Patil was elected in July, 2007 president of India, the first woman to accede to this position in the country.

CHILI: Michelle Bachelet became president in March 2006, after becoming the first woman to be elected by universal suffrage as head of state in Chile and Latin America.

LIBERIA: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman elected president in Africa in a November 2005 election, was sworn in January, 2006.

PHILIPPINES: In January, 2001, Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was nominated head of state to replace Joseph Estrada, who was ousted in a popular uprising. She was later elected in 2004.

FINLAND: President Tarja Halonen, the first woman to become Finnish president in 2000 was elected to a second term in March 2006.

IRELAND: Mary McAleese was elected president of Ireland in October 1997, succeeding Mary Robinson, the first woman in this post in this country. She was reelected in October 2004.

The article says this is big news in Sweden. I am sure this piece of news has jolted Alicia a.k.a. Asianfairy emotionally and psychologically, but in God we always trust.

I simply hope this will not douse the enthusiasm of Europeans to visit or retire in our country. Crimes, by their nature, are indiscriminate. We can only take the best precautions and leave the rest to His mighty hand.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Police pursue other angles in killing of Swede, his family
By Mia E. Abellana

CEBU CITY -- Alfonso Melker Viksten and his wife Maria Serenita would have celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary.

Instead, they were found dead in separate areas of their 14-hectare property in Sitio Catap, Barangay Banlot, Sibonga at dawn Sunday while their children, five-year-old Serena Alfeda and two-year-old Johannes Alf, were found charred in the second floor of their house.

News of their death made it to the front pages of at least four Swedish dailies on Monday. A Swedish news team is also in Cebu to follow the progress of the investigation.

Senior Inspector Noli Cernio, Sibonga Police Chief, admitted they were still looking at other angles such as a land dispute, family issues and Alfonso's lending business.

He said Alfonso lent money to some people with land titles as collateral. Cernio is reviewing all the records that he recovered to see if it has any connection with the case.

No witnesses

Though it seemed there were no witnesses to the crime, Cernio said he had a good feeling they were close to solving the case.

He could not say further what else they were working on, only that those behind it were still in town and numbered four to five.

Firemen from the Sibonga Police Station said there were indications those responsible for the crime used flammable liquids.

Cernio also believes Alfonso struggled with his attackers because his slippers, glasses with broken lenses and a false tooth were found in different areas in the garage.

His attackers also took pains to hide him, as he was found under a pile of rubble.

Cernio said that if weren't for the flies, they would not have found his charred remains under a pile of burnt galvanized iron sheets.

Also burned were a pick-up, generator and mini-tractor. A dog was also among the remains found in the fire scene.

Serenita, for her part, was found inside a small room where the power controls were built. Outside the door to the room was where spent shells of a .22 revolver were found.

The two children were in a bedroom on the second floor.

Sibonga Fire Marshal SFO2 Roman Sereño Jr. said Serena seemed to be crawling towards the door while her brother was asleep in the bed.

Still inside

Sereño said that when they received the report at 4 a.m. Sunday, they had no idea the family was still inside.

They had to break down the gate to the estate and then break the glass doors inside the house after they were told that the family was still inside.

The Sibonga Fire Station placed damage at P700,000, but said this was only the structural damage and did not include the other appliances and properties inside.

The Vikstens liked being alone in the property. There were no house helpers there and the children were left to play around on their own without a nanny to look after them.

However, a surveillance camera was reportedly placed around the property and he could see if anyone tried to enter the property.

The Vikstens lie in state at the house of Serenita's parents in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City.

Retired Senior Inspector Felipe Baring, Serenita's father, said Serenita met Alfonso through a classmate who also married a Swede.

They got married on June 21, 2002 and shortly after, acquired the Sibonga property in 2003.

Neil Cabonilla, one of Viksten's workers, said the family kept to themselves but he did not know if they had any enemies in the village.

He added that Alfonso was kind to the villagers, inviting them to a Christmas party in the estate.

Alfonso also returned to Sweden each year to check on his business. He was a contractor for janitorial services there.

Baring told reporters that one of Alfonso's daughters from his previous marriage called them up and asked them to take care of their father's funeral.

They said it was okay to have him buried in the Philippines and that they only requested that the Barings send them a video of the funeral rites.

Baring added that he also received a call from the Swedish consulate asking them about the details so they could inform Alfonso's family.

They were surprised to hear reports that Alfonso was a retired member of the Swedish army, saying his business was a contractor for janitorial services.

Mats Larssom, correspondent for the Express-en, a Swedish newspaper, and his photographer flew in from Beijing Monday night after news of the Viksten's killing broke.

He said the story made the headlines because of the way the crime was committed to a fellow citizen.

"If something like this happens, it's big news," he explained.

He said the Philippines was not a country where most Swedish tourists come to and they had to close the Swedish embassy in Manila early this year and left a consulate office to cut costs.

The incident also shook the people of Sibonga, as it was reportedly the "biggest, sensational heinous crime" to hit the town.

Cernio said Mayor Leonilo Bacaltos is offering an undisclosed amount to reward whoever can provide information on the killers. (Sun.Star Cebu)

Quote from: ytesski on June 25, 2008, 11:59:32 AM
I hope you're kidding Bol-anon kay dili ko in-favor ana and I'm sure a lot of people here feel the same. Right TB peeps? Tingog na mo.

Apil baja ko ani kay gusto naho Nature, dili Pagcor!

Only bodies under toppled ferry in Philippines

By PAUL ALEXANDER, Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines - Divers wriggled into an upside-down ferry Tuesday and found bodies but no survivors three days after the vessel capsized during a powerful typhoon with more than 800 people aboard, officials said.

The bodies included what appeared to be one of the ship's officers still clutching a radio, coast guard Commodore Luis Tuason said, adding that two bodies had been retrieved.

Hundreds of people are feared to have been trapped when the ship suddenly tilted and went belly up Saturday at the height of the powerful storm that left 163 people dead in flooded communities in the central Philippines.

Philippines Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo would not speculate on whether anyone might be found alive but indicated the amount of time passed made it unlikely. He said the ship's interior was too dark to determine how many bodies were there and lighting was being brought in.

"Most of the bodies were floating inside. They were trapped when the seven-story ship suddenly tilted and capsized," he told dzBB radio.

Arevalo said it was possible some passengers could have survived initially, but the roiling seas from Typhoon Fengshen had kept rescuers at bay too long and suffocation may have claimed some lives.

He said some of the bodies had life vests but many passengers apparently hesitated to jump into the "turbulent waters" before the ship capsized because "it happened too sudden." Survivors said the ship listed and went down in a half-hour or less.

"If there are survivors, they could only be found in the forward portion, because if the vessel is no longer watertight, water would enter all its spaces that are submerged," Arevalo said.

Coast guard chief Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said about 20 coast guard and navy divers were at the scene and that the U.S. Navy ship Stockham had arrived with frogmen and search-and-rescue helicopters.

He said the divers had broken windows and used every other gap they could find to slip inside the 23,824-ton Princess of Stars, which has only one end jutting from the water off Sibuyan island.

Arevalo said the priority now is how to extricate the bodies. He said options include attaching weights to them and then pulling them out, or cutting the hull â€" a prospect complicated by a cargo of bunker oil that could leak and turn the human disaster into an environmental one.

On Sunday, divers heard no response when they hammered on the hull, but officials had refused to give up.

Only about three dozen ferry survivors have been found, including 28 who drifted at sea for more than 24 hours, first in a life raft, then in life jackets, before they were found Sunday about 80 miles to the north in eastern Quezon province.

Officials initially reported 747 passengers and crew were aboard the ferry, but said Monday that it was carrying about 100 more.

Six bodies, including those of a man and woman who had bound themselves together, have washed ashore, along with children's slippers and life jackets.

While some relatives tearfully waited for news, others angrily questioned why the ship was allowed to leave Manila late Friday for a 20-hour trip to Cebu with a typhoon approaching.

Sulpicio Lines said it sailed with coast guard approval. The government ordered the company to suspend services pending an investigation and a check of its other ships' seaworthiness.

Debate also began anew on safe-sailing rules in a country prone to storms â€" Fengshen was the seventh typhoon this year â€" and dependent on ferries to get around the sprawling archipelago.

___

Associated Press Writers Teresa Cerojano, Jim Gomez and Bullit Marquez contributed to this report.

Herrera cautions coastal villagers to be on guard

Sunday Post
June 22, 2008

Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera has warned villagers living in coastal communities to be on guard with the advent of the rainy season.

The vice governor issued the warning in the wake of reports that there has been a noted rise in the high water mark in many seaside villages.

"It would be better for authorities in the respective barangays to make the necessary preparations," he bared.

Herrera said that there are increasing signs that the high water mark is rising in areas close to the sea.

"This is one of the manifestations of global warming," the vice governor pointed out.

He said it is better for the residents themselves and authorities to take steps before any untoward incidents happen.

Herrera pointed out that the water is normally high in June as the feast of St. John is approaching.

It is even higher now considering that the water is higher than the normal levels in the previous years.

The vice-governor said the villagers themselves should be informed about the risks that they are taking if they insist to remain in their homes.

"They do not know the danger that the floodwaters bring to their homes and their families," he pointed out.

Herrera, who is acting governor while Gov. Erico Aumentado is abroad, said he hopes that local government executives will take an active role on the matter.

"They should determine what areas are at risk of flooding because they are the ones who are familiar with their respective localities," he added.

The vice-governor said the rise in the high water mark is "inevitable" because the effects of global warming are already being felt.

At the same time, he also noted that need for a long term solution to the problem which is to relocate the people residing in coastal villages.

Herrera admitted that this is much more complicated because this will entail a livelihood component to encourage the affected residents to cooperate.

"It is a big problem but we have to face it now to save more lives," the vice governor noted.

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on June 24, 2008, 04:07:50 PM
Duna koy vibrations nga pipila dire sa atong members is "not-like-ours".

Dunay mga members nga magpa miembro, unya mysteriously mahanaw lang ug kalit.

Maybe they are the new generation of "not-like-ours", simply enjoying modern technology.

I suspect GEC is one, kay dili makit-an unya ang iyang favourite ang Accacia Tree. Siguro iya nang mansion sa other space dimension.

Agree ko nimo Mack. Busa bitaw ako nang gihagit sa Cabernet Sauvignon, kay spirit attracts spirit man. Pero wa man gihapon nitungha si GEC... siguro sayop ang venue sa among EB sa ICM, dapat sa KM 14.

Quote from: Glen on June 24, 2008, 01:37:12 PM
Mao diay ang mga Coast Guard nga dagko og balay kay kusog man diay mopatung.
Ang tupad nga balay sa akung cousin sa Booy perting dako-a murag white house
unya ang trabaho Coast guard ra sa Manila.Hhmmmmm! Mga lagmi pag sakyanan.

Dapat i-lifestyle check ning mga coast guard, kay murag kaugalingong bulsa lang ilang gigwardiyahan.

Quote from: olintaha on June 24, 2008, 02:21:12 PM
Nograles might be kicked out from his speakership post if he will do that in PGMA's time. The Go family who owns Sulpicio Lines, Gothong Lines, and Lorenzo Shipping are very close to PGMA.

Attorney,

I remember Go among the oligarchs in Jun Lozada's ecosystem of corruption diagram. Busa diay kusog kaayo ang laparo ni Gloria sa Coast Guard, pero pitik lang sa Sulpicio.

I really wish our brilliant teachers will stay and not follow us here abroad. Gloria, being an educator herself, should give paramount importance to the comfort and well-being of teachers.

Actually, Bohol still seems comparatively safer than other places, basta di lang ka mo-resist kung butang o kwarta lang ilang kinahanglan. And we just have to hope that the police will do their job deligently to apprehend the culprits.

Here in Japan, naa na'y daghan copycats sa 25-year old nga laki nga naghurumintado ug nanunggab sa busy street sa Tokyo, claiming 7 innocent lives. Three months earlier, another young man ran amok at a train station near my place, stabbing two people to death. This gruesome incident apparently triggered the more horrific incident in Tokyo. The other day, dunay baje nanunggab sa train station sa Osaka. Another youngster threatening to attack leisure-goers at Disneyland. Maka-paranoid na kung naa ka sa crowd, kay di ka kahibawo kung kinsa'y bu****-bu**** nga naas imong kilid.

There are people in our country who commit crimes because of economic desperation, which is still no excuse. But here in Japan, people commit deadly crimes out of total desperation in life, finding no consolation even if they are able to eat three times a day and still have some for recreation. It's the worst kind of despair, because they think that just because their lives are empty, others have no reason to be hopeful, and kill them.

Let's just share our individual stories. Perhaps it will help in the decision of those who are still trying to make up their minds, or ease the pain and loneliness of those who think they are going through this alone. To kick this off, let me share this story of an OFW from Saudi Arabia...

OFW story: hopes, dreams outweigh fears


Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:13:00 06/24/2008


After reading Randy David’s column “Love in the time of migration” (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6/14/08), I couldn’t help but admit that my life at this point fits into the scenario he painted. In fact, I was watching a delayed telecast of a nightly news program of a TV station in the Philippines when I received two text messages from my wife. I looked at my watch to check the timeâ€"it was half past 1 a.m. from where the message came. So, I thought, my wife was still awake.

I texted back with my own message, which I ended with “Good night.” After a few minutes, I got another message from her. She bade me “Good night” in turn, but I could sense some despair in her message.

The following morning, in the office, I sent her and my kidsâ€"as my usual way of keeping in touch with themâ€"a message. She replied, and her messages this time clearly exposed her desolation.

I empathize with her. Barely eight months have passed since I left her and our four kids to work here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, tucking in my suitcase a few pictures of them to remind me of our hopes and dreams. It would be my first time to be away from my family that long. Before we decided to take this “big leap” that could make or break our lives, we spent countless hours in prayers, asking for God’s guidance.

Our story is not uncommon. Millions of Filipinos have gone abroad, leaving their country, families and loved ones in pursuit of a better life. The stories of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) don’t necessarily yield to happy endings: philandering husbands, unfaithful wives, errant children longing to feel the warmth of the love of absent parents have become ordinary fare. Yet, these stories are not enough to stop a large number of Filipinos from leaving their families to work abroad.

The lack of opportunities back home is what pushes people like me to leave home for greener pastures; our hopes and dreams of giving our families a better future outweigh our fears of the risks we might have to face in strange lands.

Going back to my wife’s pained text messages, I would always reply to them with words of assurance, though I know that these would never offer enough comfort under our present circumstances. But better that the words are said than allow yourself to wallow in fear.

What you think and what you do is what you will become; that’s life’s predisposition. If we think life has been very cruel to us, it is not so much because such is our destiny but because we have predisposed ourselves to those “cruelties” by our thoughts and actions. Professor David is right: It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits of overseas work. But it is doubtful if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it.

I just wish though to find ways to recover what I have given up in my pursuit of a decent life for my family. But until I see a better option than going abroad, I’ll just have to keep my hopes and dreams alive.

GENER MARCELO (via email)

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 24, 2008, 08:58:00 AM
Kanumdom ko Benne san, when i was very small, we dont have no TV, yes we have a radio para drama ug balita and yet my folks were very aware ug naay mga bagyo nga moabut and i dont remember nga naay mga mananagat and yet bugsay ra na no motor of whatsoever ilang gamit sa sakayan, nga naabtan ug bagyo sa lawod! and at that time ug mang larga mi sa Cebu mosakay ra tawon mi ug barko nga Don victoriano lines nga pwerte ka gamay nga barko,mura ra ug daku2x gamay sa kubkoban , but at that time wala man kaayoy nangalunod agi sa bagyo.

So i was thinking nga tinuod jud imong vision nga Back to Basics nalang tingali ta ani kay bisan naa nay modernong mga technology wa man japun epek! Mo balik nalang sad tingali ta ug predict nga moabot ang uwan ug ang mga amigas daghan kaajo mag talay sa banggera!

Bitaw... sometimes we think that just because we have improved our ability to predict nature through technology, we have already tamed it. Kanang atong formula sa tonnage sa barko, vector and velocity sa typhoon, etc. kung diha lang ta magsalig, disaster gyud ang mahitabo kay daghan kaayo unpredictable aspects ang nature.

Even now, there is really no accurate way to predict an earthquake, bisag diri sa Japan nga halos every hour naay linog. You're right, Belle, some scientists are turning back to basics to predict what can't be predicted by technology. Dili lang amigas to tell rainfall kundi pati has to tell a forthcoming quake kay ang caged snakes kuno, ibangga-banga ilang ulo just before an earthquake.

Luoy pud ma-presidente no? I can understand if you blame the political storm, the twin storms of food crisis and energy crisis... But to fault her for mother nature's typhoon 'Frank' (kulang na lang nganlan ug 'Mike', which is unfair to our even-tempered dear admin and barangay captain.)

I think people are really more concerned that the country is such a vast wasteland and the president is half a globe away. Hanas kaayo si Gloria mulikay sa bagyo, natural or man-made.

Quote from: kiamoy` on June 24, 2008, 08:01:11 AM
Even the US NAVY METOC and JTWC made 3 revisions to their forecast--
that on Friday morning, it was clear in their forecast that the typhoon will NOT pass the Philippines.
the first change they made was Friday evening, when the plotted course included Leyte, Samar and Sorsogon but still plotted the typhoon to head north afterwards,
3rd change, Saturday afternoon, they changed the plot again, this time making the typhoon's path cross into central Visayas...

so even the best and most modern weather forecast equipment can never tell..

kato pud sa Inconvenient Truth. It shouldve served as a reference

hurricane Katrina was just a type 1 pero it swerved unpredictably sa Gulf of Mexico mihalo sa hot moist air, and it became a hurricane type 5  that hit New Orleans

moral lesson : no equipment can ever forecast a weather accurately pero yes kuya bene. at least it will give us earlier warnings

Since the Philippines is a typhoon path, we have ample opportunity to improve our learning curve. Kay ang dan sa bagyo di man jud na straight-line or one-way--posibleng mubiyo, mudiretso, mutakilid, mulapad, etc. The calculation of weather and of risk to life is always a probability. Even without the most advanced equipment, I think the vessel's risk of meeting the north-bound typhoon head-on was just too preponderant for them to play with chances. But then again, the calculation of profit on the part of Sulpicio must also have weighed in.

Bishop: US trip shows administration’s moral bankruptcy
06/24/2008 | 06:24 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The decision of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to continue with her 10-day trip abroad amid the devastation storm "Frank" has caused shows her administration's moral bankruptcy, a Catholic bishop said.

Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz said, "As the people of the Philippines sink in water and mud, their supposedly national leader flies high in Cloud 9. As houses are destroyed and streets are flooded, someone is enjoying sky service with class on board, and anticipating royal reception abroad. As more and more Filipinos wallow in poverty and misery, there are certain few much favored and very loyal individuals who bask in luxurious presidential junketâ€"courtesy of the inevitable expanded value-added tax (EVAT) payments made even by poor children, jobless persons and sick elderly."

Bishop Cruz’s lamentations were posted on his web blog.

On Sunday, press secretary and presidential spokesman Jesus Dureza said the destruction caused by "Frank" to Metro Manila was not enough reason for Mrs. Arroyo to cut short her trip.

Dureza said Arroyo can always be updated through video-conference meetings with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

"To the morally callous and bankrupt, what is right or wrong, what is good or evil - all these are irrelevant. What matters instead is bloated ego-trips plus the feeling of infallibility and unending supremacy,"
Cruz said.

Cruz, a vocal critic of the Arroyo government, noted that there is no urgent reason for Arroyo to go on a foreign visit, particularly to the United States.

Cruz noted that the visit could be another attempt to woo back the support of the US, especially against possible destabilization.

"That is why it will need US backing for it to stay in powerâ€"even after that ominous year (2010). That is why it is giving a visit not only to the incumbent USA President but to anyone else who could be one come 2010 and hereafter. Is this the why behind the expensive trip?" he added. - GMANews.TV

Quote from: grazie7y on June 24, 2008, 06:11:04 AM
I will pray for that, Bene san, and that your wife and children are always safe back home. 

Thanks for the prayer.

I've been through a similar situation in the past when bad weather forced the cancellation of a craft. Sakto jud ang sulti ni Kiams, ang barko or airline company damned if you do, damned if you don't. Girahon sa mga pasahero ang ticketing office ug ma-postpone o ma-cancel. Ug naay mahitabo inigkahuman, girahon pud sa mga pamilya ang kompanya.

The final decision to allow a ship or plane to leave should rest with the government-designated agency (Coast Guard or DOTC) so as to settle all arguments once and for all. But now the Coast Guard is passing the buck.

I think the couple has an idea who the culprits were or who could point to their identities, but proving it is another thing. Along with the 240K taken inside the bag were bank books that showed the hefty stash of the couple. I don't know if they reported this to the police, but if no punitive action is taken against the robbers, I am sure they will strike again.

Please pray that our transfer at the end of the month will be done smoothly.

Since we are an archipelago and the ship our principal mode of transport, we should invest in the modernization of our sailing vessels as well as weather forcasting equipment.

Quote from: simplylee on June 23, 2008, 07:46:45 PM
in weakness there is strength through CHRIST JESUS our LORD.

One of my favorite Scriptural verses:

2 Corinthians 12:9

9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Murag HOPELESS jud ning PAG-ASA kung dili na ma-upgrade!

Pass Coast Guard bill, modernize PAGASA--Escudero

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:59:00 06/23/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The sinking of M/V Princess of the Stars should prompt the immediate passage of the Coast Guard bill and the modernization of the country's weather bureau, Senator Francis Escudero said Monday.

"Kaugnay ng paglubog ng Princess of the Stars, dapat ipasa na ang Coast Guard bill at i-review na ng Coast Guard ang mga policy nila sa kabila ng global warming at pagbabago ng panahon. At dapat ding i-modenize natin ang PAGASA [In relation to the sinking of the Princess of the Stars, the Coast Guard bill should be passed and the Coast Guard should review its policy particularly in the face of global warming and climate change. PAGASA should also be modernized]," Escudero said.

Escudero said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) would need P1.6 billion to upgrade its staff and facilities.

"Mura ito kung ititimbang sa pinsala dulot ng sakuna dahil sa kawalan ng paghahanda [This is inexpensive compared to the damage brought by the disaster brought about by lack of preparation]," he said.

At the same time, Escudero called for a ceasefire to political bickering.

"Darating ang panahon ng pagpapanagot kaugnay ng nangyari subalit sa ngayon ang dapat nating pagtuunan ng panahon ay search and rescue para magligtas ng buhay. Wala munang bangayan [The time to hold someone accountable will soon come but what is urgently needed now are search and rescue operations to save lives. No squabbling for now]," he said.

Escudero is among the many senators who filed a bill to reorganize the Philippine Coast Guard. Among them are Senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Richard Gordon, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Rodolfo Biazon. Their bills are still pending at committee level after being referred to the Senate committee on national defense and security.

In his bill, Escudero gives the Coast Guard, among others, the autonomy over its collection of fees, charges, and fines, which it can use not only to repair its current assets but also to buy new equipment.

If approved, he said, the bill would "modernize Coast Guard and clarify policies and responsibilities."

The world’s 10 worst maritime disastersâ€"in the last 20 years

abs-cbn

The Philippines tops the charts with the MV Doña Paz/MT Vector collision in terms of number of casualties in a single maritime disaster. But three of the top maritime disasters in the past two decades happened in Indonesia.

1. MV Doña Paz (Philippines, December 20, 1987)



     Passenger vessel MV Doña Paz collided with MT Vector, an oil tanker, along the Tablas Strait, between Mindoro and Marinduque. The collision ignited some 8,800 barrels of petroleum products that Vector was carrying at the time, causing a fire that rapidly engulfed the tanker and the Doña Paz. Subsequent investigations into the incident found that Dona Paz exceeded its passenger and cargo limits and that the Vector’s boat license had expired. Casualties reached 4,375.

           

2. MV Joola (Senegal, September 26, 2002)



     The disaster happened within five minutes after MV Joola sailed to a sea of storm in the coast of Gambia. Various reasons for the disaster were cited, among them overcrowding, and negligence by management as the ship was not originally designed for sea faring. Death toll totaled 1,863.



3. MV al-Salam Boccaccio 98 (Red Sea, February 3, 2006)



     Faulty drainage pumps and unpredictable weather were some of the reasons cited for the sinking of MV al-Salam Boccacio 98, a Roll-on/Roll-off ferry, into the depths of the Red Sea. Survivors and eye witnesses said a fire started at the storage area and, as the ship turned, it capsized and eventually sank. 1,018 passengers died in the disaster.



4. MV Bukoba (Lake Victoria, Tanzania, May 21, 1996)



     The passenger steamer MV Bukoba sank in Lake Victoria causing 894 casualties while en route to Mwanza, a city in Tanzania. The steamer was already in bad shape before the voyage. It was also found out that the steamer was overcrowded.



5. MS Estonia (Baltic Sea, September 28, 1994)



     The locks on the bow visor and bad weather caused this cruise-ferry’s demise. A total of 852 were killed during the tragedy.



6. KM Cahaya Bahari (Indonesia, June 29, 2000)



     A total of 550 deaths were recorded after a storm hit and eventually capsized Cahaya Bahari, an Indonesian wooden-hulled ship, off the island of Sulawesi. The ship was overcrowded with refugees fleeing from the Maluku islands.



7. MV Nazreen 1 (Bangladesh, July 8, 2003)



     The overcrowded MV Nazreen I sank at the confluence of the Padma, Meghna, and Dakana rivers, considered one of the most dangerous parts of the river from July to October. Casualties were counted at 528 although there’s no recorded number of passengers aboard.

           

8. Salem Express (Egypt, December 15, 1991)



     The Salem Express, a roll-on/roll-off ferry sank off Safaga in the Red Sea as it was crossing the treacherous Hyndman Reefs. Because of the storm, the ship hit a reef, causing the bow visor to open, creating a hole on the starboard side. Water penetrated the ship which eventually sank in 20 minutes. Deaths were counted at 464.



9. MV Senopati Nusantara (Indonesia, December 30, 2006)



     The Indonesian ferry sank due to a violent storm off Mandalika Island in the Java Sea. One survivor said that the ship rolled over before it submerged to the depths. Deaths were counted at 461.



10. KM Bismas Raya 2 (Indonesia, October 1999)



     KM BIsmas Raya 2 caught fire while off Merauke, Irian Jaya. It eventually capsized and caused the death of 361 people.

Latest addition to list of confirmed survivors

Alex Eleuterio Kipti (Masbate)
Antonio Cosepp  (Cebu)
Carlo Jason Aravis  (Cebu)
Ciriaco Nuñez  (Cebu)
Danilo Deplansa  (Cebu)
Dexter Lagahid
Estanislao Terra Jr.  (Cebu)
Fausto Colis (Bicol region)
Flor Delinda Araw-araw
Francisco Batola (Cubao, Quezon City)
Gerry Pelenor  (Cebu)
Imperio Pendun  (Cebu)
Jessie Buot (Siquijor Island)
Jessie Ray Blanco  (Cebu)
Jonathan Pendun  (Cebu)
Jose Marie Garbo  (Cebu)
Minerva Torecacha (Bohol)
Nilo Daygo (San Pedro, Laguna)
Niño Lauros (Bohol)
Oliver Amorin (Lapu-Lapu City)
Philip Gilig  (Cebu)
Philip Vasquez (Cebu)
Ralph Alain de la Peña (Cebu)
Renato Lanoria (Bantayan)
Rene de la Cruz Graciano (Masbate)
Rey Paquin (Cebu)
Reynante Tadena (Cebu)
Richelle Tayuntong (Cebu)
Rodel Caborte (Cebu)
Ronnie Relativo (Makati City)
Ruel Libot (Cebu)
Ruperta Yan (Cagayan de Oro City)
Susan Lesbo (Novaliches, Quezon City)
Uriell Luguban (Zamboanga del Sur)
Vicente Bernas (San Mateo town in Rizal province)

Nograles wants franchise of Sulpicio Lines cancelled
06/23/2008 | 04:35 PM


MANILA, Philippines - House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr on Monday called for the cancellation of the franchise of Sulpicio Lines following the tragedy that struck another one of its sea vessels over the weekend.

“This sea tragedy should not have happened if proper precautions and rules were followed. It’s time to cancel franchises or permits and throw the book at those responsible,” Nograles said in a statement.

The House speaker issued the statement as rescuers from the Philippine Coast Guard continue to look for the 700 passengers of the ill-fated MV Princess of Stars, which capsized off the coast of Romblon over the weekend.

Nograles noted that this is the fourth sea tragedy involving Sulpicio-owned vessels, of which the worst was the M/V Doña Paz tragedy in December 1987 where 4,000 passengers were killed.

“It's really unthinkable that after all these years we have not learned a lesson from the Doña Paz tragedy. Strike three, even in baseball or softball, means you are out. Three or more sea disasters on the same shipping company are no longer a coincidence,” he said.

“Why is Sulpicio, which has the worst sea safety record in the Philippines is still being allowed to operate?” he added.

He said the franchises and licenses of shipping companies like Sulpicio, which he considered as “recidivists in terms of sea disaster records,” should be revoked.

He also called on shipping authorities to “sack public officials whose negligence” resulted in the tragedy.

“Heads should roll if government regulators are found incompetent and negligent of their sworn duties to the public,” he said. - GMANews.TV

At TB, after we've all aired our thoughts and feelings, we're back to being friends.

A similar incident has happened in the past when Preciousandpolite made a statement that many felt were unfairly disparaging not only to Boholanas, but to Filipinas in general. But Precious still sticks with us, I believe, updating us about the latest media events... Paging Precious!

So let's allow bonbon to outgrow his "Tubag Bohol Baby" tag and really grow up as well through our gentle reminders.

Reliving the horror

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=pR1PtjWyHko&feature=related

Alex Eleuterio Kipti (Masbate)
Antonio Cosepp  (Cebu)
Carlo Jason Aravis  (Cebu)
Ciriaco Nuñez  (Cebu)
Danilo Deplansa  (Cebu)
Estanislao Terra Jr.  (Cebu)
Fausto Colis (Bicol region)
Francisco Batola (Cubao, Quezon City)
Gerry Pelenor  (Cebu)
Imperio Pendun  (Cebu)
Jessie Buot (Siquijor Island)
Jessie Ray Blanco  (Cebu)
Jonathan Pendun  (Cebu)
Jose Marie Garbo  (Cebu)
Minerva Torecacha (Bohol)
Nilo Daygo (San Pedro, Laguna)
Niño Lauros (Bohol)
Oliver Amorin (Lapu-Lapu City)
Philip Gilig  (Cebu)
Philip Vasquez (Cebu)
Ralph Alain de la Peña (Cebu)
Renato Lanoria (Bantayan)
Rene de la Cruz Graciano (Masbate)
Rey Paquin (Cebu)
Reynante Tadena (Cebu)
Richelle Tayuntong (Cebu)
Rodel Caborte (Cebu)
Ronnie Relativo (Makati City)
Ruel Libot (Cebu)
Ruperta Yan (Cagayan de Oro City)
Susan Lesbo (Novaliches, Quezon City)
Uriell Luguban (Zamboanga del Sur)
Vicente Bernas (San Mateo town in Rizal province)

Quote from: grazie7y on June 23, 2008, 03:13:01 PM
Bene san, I am as curious as you.  If you happen to read an article or interview them about this, plz let us know what they had to say.  Do you think having the SM Group is better for Bohol and the tourists?

I think Tagbilaran has to put in place its drainage, sewage and liquid waste purification system , as well as other basic public services, before it accommodates another huge commercial establishment. Kay karon gani sige lang silag fingerpointing sa waste disposal problem sa BQ, Metrocenter ug ICM that reportedly makes a free ride on the city drainage system.

I believe a free market is good for the consumers in general, and shopping complements the tourism industry. But the paramount consideration for any major development is the effect on the environment, since Bohol's come-on is eco-tourism. We should manage our progress in accordance with our capacity to protect our environment.

Hi Alicia,

Pasalamat lang ko sa imong tawag. Huwat lang ko sa update, and here's looking forward to the success of your--better still our--business endeavors!

Bag-o ra gi-inaugurate ni Arroyo ang Strong Republic Nautical Highway, dakong disgrasya na dayon!

I am just curious how the homegrown retail stalwarts, the BQ and Alturas Group, will react to this. With one foot in a Bohol-based hotel red carpet, it is just so easy for SM, the country's most formidable retail giant, to make a full entry into our island's supposedly well-guarded retail market.

Quote from: EL MUNDO on June 23, 2008, 01:15:57 PM
now, i remember you're such 18 hehehehe impulsive, i think... enough for a rush (including love?)

i say hi to your teddy bear (i'd texted your TB about your reply... well, funny...hahaha)

Leo understands that praise and criticism come with the trade, and from his response, I think he's taking everything in stride.

Personally, I learn more from my critics than from my admirers, because the former challenge me to soar to greater heights, while the latter can only tempt me to rest on my laurels.

I am sure bonbonquest has no intention to malign Leo personally, and I think he, too, will learn to craft his words without the rough edges.

When you or someone you know knows someone among the ill-fated victims, the tragedy really strikes close.

SM unit eyes hotel sites in Palawan, Bohol
By: Honey Madrilejos-Reyes | Business Mirror
23 June 2008 | 8:35 AM

The rising number of tourist arrivals in the country is encouraging the hotel division of SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) to look for sites in Palawan and Bohol for potential expansion.

In an interview, hotel investments group senior vice president Merril Yu said the Sy-led company is exploring options and is looking for properties that are suitable for the expansion of their hotel business.

“Tourism is the way to go. We are very excited about the growth of this sector,” he said.

SM Hotels has launched a P650-million expansion program for its Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay. It is also completing this year the P2.6-billion Sofitel Cebu Hotel to be operated by the Accor Group chain. Accor runs nearly 4,000 hotels worldwide. Its brands include Sofitel, Novotel and Grand Mercure.

Also in the pipeline is the two-hotel complex to be put up near the SM Mall of Asia. The P2.4-billion structure, to be built by SMIC subsidiary Hotel Specialists Inc., is designed to have one wing with 500 up-market guestrooms to be managed by Radisson, and another wing, The Regent, with 80 luxury suites. Both hotels are under the Carlson Hotels Asia-Pacific.

The Carlson Group is a leading consumer-services provider in the marketing, travel and hospitality industries. It owns the T.G.I. Friday’s and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, among others.

A resort hotel is, likewise, on the drawing board for Hamilo Coast’s Pico de Loro, envisioned to be an upscale hotel with 154 guest rooms. Negotiations are under way to appoint its hotel operator. Hamilo is a mixed-use project sprawling over a 5,700-hectare property in Batangas.

Pride of Place

Visions of heaven in Bohol

By Augusto Villalon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:25:00 06/23/2008

MANILA, Philippines - “Kisame: Visions of Heaven on Earth” is a photo exhibition running until July 20 at Ayala Museum. It looks to the ceilings of Spanish colonial churches that reveal visions of heaven from the Boholano earth.

A group of itinerant Cebuano artists painted the ceilings of Spanish colonial churches during the decades of the American colonial period starting in the 1920s.

Several young untrained Cebuano painters, who eventually distinguished themselves as first-rate artists, were responsible for the religious art that adorned Boholano churches and those in Cebu and other neighboring island-provinces as well.

Probably the most renowned of the traveling band of artists was Raymundo Francia, who painted numerous church ceilings and, alluding to Michelangelo’s travails painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican, was called “Cebu’s Michelangelo.”

The equally talented Canuto Avila assisted Francia in many projects.

Francia’s largest body of work is found in the churches of Bohol.

Having painted an estimated 80 percent of Bohol’s churches, Francia developed his own style, even formulating his own special paint mixture that, until this day, retains the original color and brilliance of his works in spite of the passage of almost a century since their execution.

His skillful rendering and shading add three-dimensional volume to his paintings. His perspective extends vistas toward the infinite, as in the European trompel’oeil style popular in earlier historical periods.

Many examples of his ceiling paintings, much revered by generation after generation of parishioners, still survive in the old churches of Bohol despite threats ranging from deterioration to poor maintenance, leaking roofs and bat droppings.

Magnificent

Of the Spanish colonial churches under the care of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, 12 boast of magnificent, intricately painted ceilings in various stages of preservation, including masterpieces in the parishes of Albuquerque, Baclayon, Cortes, Dauis, Dimiao, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Loon, Maribojoc, Panglao and Tubigon.

Living landmarks of Spanish influence in the Philippines, these massive church structures were established in Bohol by the early Catholic missionaries, called doctrineros, as early as 1595.

Shortly after their arrival, the Jesuits erected a small visita on the Baclayon coastline near Tagbilaran that has evolved into today’s famed Baclayon Church. (The current structure was built by the Recoletos.)

The main church, of square blocks of coral stones quarried from the sea that were cemented together with millions of egg whites, was constructed by hundreds of locals on polo, a system of community service.

Terra-cotta tile roofs rested on massive timber trusses supported by thick stone walls and enormous solid-stone buttresses. Bells hung from massive towers that doubled as vantage points or lookouts, warning people of pirate raids coming from the sea.

Churches, doubling as fortresses, were usually large enough to shelter an entire village in case of siege.

The massive structures, fruits of native labor from many centuries past, have survived into this century not only as places of worship and centers for the local community. They are also the most significant depositories of art, sculpture and music in the Philippines.

Aside from the richness of ceiling painting and wall frescoes, unknown traditional carvers sculpted statues of saints, wooden reliefs for wall or door panels, and exquisite altars, legacy of artists who “worked lovingly but arduously, to bequeath us these treasures,” said Ayala Museum director Maritoni Ortigas.

Archival treasures

In the late 1990s, the archives of Baclayon and Dimiao churches yielded different parts of the complete score for the 1826 Missa Baclayana, a Mass especially composed for Baclayon church that has recently been revived by University of Santo Tomas musicologists for contemporary performances in the church.

Fr. Milan Ted Torralba of the Diocese of Tagbilaran curated the exhibition. An indefatigable church conservationist, he has been not only instrumental in the cultural renaissance of Bohol, he has also worked closely with both church and government authorities in the preparation leading to the drafting, signing and exchange of instruments of ratification of the Holy See-Philippines Agreement on the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church in the Philippines that finally set a legal basis to safeguard church heritage.

Romola Savellon, the founding curator of Cebu Normal University, and Marianito José Luspo, of the faculty of Holy Name University in Tagbilaran and the leading authority on Bohol history and culture, are other featured writers of the exhibition. Photography is by Paquito Ochoa Jr.

The exhibition opens up small glimpses of heaven to us still in this world. It proves the artistic mastery and technical skill of early Cebuano painters (not to mention the strain as they lay on their backs while painting ceilings).

Most of all, the exhibition brings to the forefront the traditional excellence of Philippine artistic talent seen in the work of the many unknown artists who have enriched our culture so much.

To show our appreciation to these unknowns, more churches and heritage structures should be documented, as Father Torralba and his team have done so exhaustively in Bohol, so that we rediscover more folk painters, sculptors, musicians and artists we can celebrate as they show that Filipinos have always been a people of vision and excellence.

For “Kisame” exhibition information, visit www.ayalamuseum.org

Today, the headlines have changed from "feared missing" to "feared dead." What tragedy.

Quote from: junayag on June 23, 2008, 01:18:59 AM

To all dear TBs,

In addition to the previous post, we must understand nga daghan ta mag-angay angay aning loteha, so meaning daghang ideas...ergo there is a need to integrate these varying degrees of interests and so on..we cannot materialize kon walay designated organizer or developer or administrator...

The point is..we have to appoint an individual or an entity that would take care the conceptualization of the project, convening of proponents is not anymore a question kay duna na..  I will bring this matter to an business angel who will support us from creating a ready loan facility ...as investment assistance sa kulang ug kwarta...aron mapalit ug bulto ang yuta... and then, we need to make a development plan... and then we could estimate the capitalization required for constructing the common amenities and facilities... and if those owners want to have financial assistance in building their houses at least maapil nato sa plano...

Basta when I get home pohon (hapit na) this is one of my prime agenda.  Don't worry duna koy maduolan for possible management of the project... Good luck to us.

Hi Jun,

Thanks for anticipating the crucial needs for the fruition of the project. With you around, I think we can indeed build a model community that is based on common aspirations--preservation of nature, conservation of energy, warm neighborliness, and economic vibrancy.

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 23, 2008, 03:23:57 AM


Benne san, it would be nice to your house to have a small ranch with two horses, tagsa mo ni Juwawa nimo!

that is a good idea Benne san, to own a horse!

and maybe we could buy the other lots para himuon nato ug ranch, how about that?

naa diri sa among silingan naa shay duha ka baka, duha ka horse ug naa sad kanding!

i love to have a goat here as a pet sa amoa pero i dont know how to keep him during winter.

so this would really be the time nga matuman nako nang pangandoya!

I'd love to have animals kay sa bata pa ko, nag-atiman man ko pato, manok, baboy ug kanding. Kabaw ang principal mode of transportation...

Para di hasul ang baho sa neighbors, kay basig di na unja pandesal ni Grace sajo sa buntag ang masimhutan kundi discharge sa atong mga livestock, maayo siguro mag-designate na lang ta  area for livestock and crops...

Patudlo sa ko nimo mangabayo kay kabaw ray kahibaw-an naku.

A day will come when all roads will lead to Bohol... A direct flight to Davao will be of mutual benefit. For one, I like Davao and feel safer there than in Cebu. Fruits picked fresh from trees are abundant. There's just a wider room to breathe in. I've stayed at Marco Polo Hotel and dined at Jack Ridge (?) and haggled for fruits along the highway in Mintal about five years ago.

Quote from: grazie7y on June 23, 2008, 04:18:52 AM
Wow!  I am not really fanatic to singers, movie artists and the like but I will surely would ask Chef Josie to autograph my apron pohon, Bene san!  I dream of having a cook off with a chef or cook.

Grace, I really love people who have zest for life, makatakod! How do you deal with low moments, cook up something?

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 22, 2008, 08:05:39 PM

Benne sad, i always find and had a job of my passion, ma naa may pan ug mantekilya o wala mao nga im always poor...   

We all live from our bread and butter. But we all live for our passions in life.

Quote from: Macky Ferniz on June 17, 2008, 08:40:15 PM
Benne San,

I tried to call my parents today, but without success. There is no ring-tone and it seems that Cruztelco is out of service. I will try again at 11:45 tonight (Saudi Time) which is 4:45 Philippine time. It is always my habit to call them on my birthday. I will let you know by tomorrow then, about the house.

Hi Macky,

My wife has found an apartment at a very convenient location, just across the gate of the school. If everything goes as planned, they'll move in by month-end.

That the move originated from Davao City is very telling--direct transport link to Bohol is a value-added to any province that wants to position itself as a tourist destination.

For instance, Cebu tourism gets tremendous boost from its proximity to Bohol. In fact, in most hotels in Cebu, a day trip to Bohol is widely advertised. That is why tourist figures based on occupancies of hotel and lodging accommodations do not paint an accurate picture of tourist traffic, since there are many day-trippers. I think Bohol gets more than the 500,000 visitors that are being logged in our tourism statistics.

The Partido ng Pandaigdigang Pilipino (PPP) may just be the bottom-up initiative that will finally jolt the OFWs from their collective indifference to their political rights as Filipinos.

Five years after the enactment of the Overseas Absentee Voting law, less than 10% of overseas Filipinos have registered themselves with our designated diplomatic outposts.

The lukewarm response may be due to logistical problems--such as the inaccessibility of registration sites and the geographic dispersal of OFWs. Or perhaps simply inadequate dissemination of information. Or sheer apathy, detachment or sense of impotence at the rough-and-tumble of our country's politics.

Personally, I think the lethargic response is due to the fact that Republic Act 9189 (otherwise known as the Overseas Absentee Voting Act) is really a top-down proposition, reeking of the political agenda of our powers-that-be.

I remember that prior to the implementation of this law, Gloria Arroyo, in a state visit to Tokyo, had attempted to appoint her husband Mike Arroyo as the government's roving OFW ambassador, to preside gratis over an inter-agency team that would look after the welfare of OFWs.

This idea was nipped in the bud by howls of protest. It was not only because even at that time, Mike Arroyo had already cast a sinister shadow over his wife, but also because the motive was too blatant for anyone to ignore. It was clearly for the Arroyos to ingratiate themselves with some 10 million Filipinos or 15% of the populace who would soon be enfranchised by the Absentee voting law.

It was clear, even as Arroyo was explaining the bill to Filipinos in Japan, that her concept of OFW needs and concerns did not jibe with what the OFWs in their adopted foreign locales actually feel as their legitimate agenda. For instance, Arroyo kept on praising the virtues of the free-trade deal with Japan and her effort to break new ground in the labor market for nurses and caregivers (talking mostly above the heads of housewives, construction workers and domestics), but skipped the presently gripping issues of abuse of entertainers and trainees, surging domestic violence due to marriages of convenience, and the precarious situation of overstaying Filipinos.

Hopefully, PPP, being the brainchild of the OFWs themselves, will be able to define the OFW's legislative agenda according to our actual needs and concerns.

Quote from: ms da binsi on June 22, 2008, 09:46:28 AM
I wish i have your Job Benne san! (ambisyosa ra kaajo )

Can't make this job your bread and butter, but it gives you contact to a wide range of people. It's really the small clients and the hard-working but unknown entrepreneurs who bring food to my table and pay for my kids' tuition. We just have to thank God for all His blessings.

Quote from: B:) on June 22, 2008, 09:26:13 AM
Nong Benny, you must be thrilled meeting and knowing them! thank you for sharing kay makalingaw gyud!

I'm always on the lookout for Boholanos, ever since I got to join TB and my wife and kids moved there. It has become a natural bond.

Quote from: grazie7y on June 22, 2008, 08:23:32 AM
Arigato, Bene san!

I remembered you as I talked with Josie. She said she trained at a culinary school near Forbes, and studied European cuisine as well in Tokyo. You can just imagine what topnotch gourmet she is. Pa-sample nato ining mubisita siya sa Tagbilaran.

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) does not share Tourism Sec. Joseph "Ace" Durano's optimism about tourism prospects this year, but the relentless salesman of Philippine tourism splurged on popular movie actress Rin Takanashi and Hello Kitty to promote Philippines in Japan at a recent business mission in Tokyo.


DOT Japan Team Head Benito "Bong" Benzon Jr. (second from right) and representatives of the Bohol Beach Club, Cebu's Parklane Hotel, Shangrila, Hilton and other tour outfits try to get a share of Japan's 20-million overseas travel market. Ace tapped Philippine-Japan media as well for this uphill sales mission.


2008 arrivals: Big dip or 7.5% rise?
Sec. Durano fears President’s wish for 5M arrivals by 2010 will not happen

By Rene Q. Bas, Editor in Chief
Manila Times
June 22, 2008

WHAT at the end of 2008 will the Philippine tourism industry be? One devastated by a big slump in tourist arrivals, or one that has suffered a manageable decline, or an economic sector rejoicing because it has had a 7.5- percent increase?

There’s a conflict between the assessments of the biggest industry group, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), and the Department of Tourism.

The PTAA’s president, Jose Clemente 3rd, owner of one of the country’s most successful agencies, tells The Manila Times the Philippines may not even get a total of 2.4 million tourist arrivals by end 2008.

This would be terrible. If that happens, our tourist industry would be in big trouble. About 3.1 million tourists arrived in 2007.

Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano is more optimistic. He and his DOT people have a target of 3.5 million arrivals.

From January to end of April 2008, there were 1.11 million tourists. This is a 7.5-percent increase from the arrival figures (1.03 million) for the same period in 2007. If this rate of growth is not improved, however, and continues till December 31, 2008, the total arrivals would only be about 3.3 millionâ€"not 3.5 as targeted by Secretary Durano.

That would, however, be as the moderate forecasters say it would be: just a mild decline. (Read “Most forecasters see only a small dip” by Darwin G. Amojelar.

Some rather bad news came from Secretary Durano himself, last week, in an interview he gave Reuters’ Karen Lema.

He said President Gloria Arroyo’s wish to have tourist arrivals grow to 5 million by 2010, when she leaves office, “will not be achieved.”

Durano was blaming “the way the capacity is expanding.” Infrastructure is the problem, the tourism secretary explained. There simply have to be more and better roads, transport facilities and hotels all over the country.

He told Karen Lema the Philippines has more destinations than our competitors but we still have to increase our capacity. (See “ RP, still behind best Asean performers, upgrading old and building new facilities” by Darwin G. Amojelar, for details of how the DOT is working to improve and increase our country’s tourism facilities.)

But the DOT and the old names in the hotel and resort sectors are not the only ones seeking to raise the Philippines as a premier Asian tourism and entertainment destination. The country’s wealthiest corporationâ€"some say it is more cash-rich every single day than the Philippine government itselfâ€"is the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation (Pagcor), the government-owned gambling-lord company.

Pagcor has disclosed its plans to help make the Philippines beat Singapore, which is visited by more than 10 million tourists a year.

How way behind we are

In 2007, among the largest Asean countries in terms of tourism performance and tourist arrivals, the Philippines was a sorry No. 6 to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Malaysia had 20.97 million tourists in 2007, 17.55 million in 2006.

Thailand had 14.8 million in 2007 and began to reposition itself as a high-endâ€"not a cheapâ€"destination so it might get less tourists this year but earn more money.

Singapore had 10.3 million tourists in 2007.

Indonesia had 5.51 million tourist arrivals in 2007, up from 4.87 million in 2006. Its target for 2007 was 6 million.

Vietnam had 4.171 million in 2007. From January to May, it already registered an increase of 16.6 percent over the same period last year.

We got 3.1 million tourist arrivals last year.

We are better than Brunei, which had 179,000 tourists in 2007.

Some travel agents are worried that in addition to the global slowdown, the surge of oil prices and the food shortage that are all contributing to the decline of tourism, the kidnapping of Ces Oreña-Drilon and companions and the extrajudicial killings that portray the Philippines as an unpleasant destination will make 2008 a bad year for the industry.

Quote from: michael-ligalig on June 22, 2008, 02:14:01 PM
Written by Engineer Jes Tirol
Columnist, Bohol Chronicle

Proem

Happy FATHER'S DAY! Today is the celebration of Father's Day. The Germans and Russians call their country as the "Fatherland." The Americans and the Filipinos call their country as the "Motherland."

There is a song that says, "Women are changeable." Would it explain why the "mother" of our country, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has a convoluted sense of celebrating holidays?

Father's Day is held every third Sunday of June. The day is fixed but the date is changeable. Philippines Independence Day is fixed on June 12 every year. The date is fixed but the day is changeable.

This year President Arroyo made a convoluted decision. The Independence Day was still June 12 but the holiday was moved to June 9. Since Christmas this year falls on a Thursday, like our Independence Day, would the President transfer the holiday on Monday December 22? Let us wait and see.

Lackadaisical Celebration

The effect on transferring the holiday for our Independence Day was that there was no celebration at all. To be lackadaisical is to be half-hearted for lack of proper concern.

The celebrations held on June 12 were only perfunctory or done for the sake of getting through.

President Diosdado Macapagal, the father of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, transferred the celebration of our Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. The main reason was to commemorate the heroic struggle of the Filipinos against the Spaniards as compared to the July 4 Independence "granted" by the Americans.

As it turned out, the reasoning of the father did not have an effect on the reasoning of the daughter. Both of them hold a Ph.D. in Economics degree. The economics of the father was geared towards patriotism. The economics of the daughter is geared towards tourism. The reason why the holiday was transferred to Monday, June 9 is to have a long week end for tourism purposes. The holiday on June 12 is no longer viewed as a means of ennobling the souls of the Filipinos.

The Bohol Republic

On 11 June 1899, the Boholanos declared Bohol as an Independent Republic. The Bohol Republic had a constitution and set of officials. It functioned independently from June 11, 1899 to March 20, 1900. From March 20, 1900 to September 1, 1900 it had a precarious existence due to the presence of the occupying Americans. However, its mails, bearing the Republic of Bohol stamps, were still honored by the Americans and delivered regularly anywhere in the world.

The President of the Republic of Bohol was Don Bernabe Reyes. He was from Dauis, Bohol. He was a lawyer and former Alcalde de Ayuntamento (now Provincial Board Member) of the Provincial of Cebu just before the start of the Philippines Revolution.

The Vice President was Don Salustiano Borja from Tagbilaran. The Minister of Finance was Don Rafael Reyes, from Dauis, Bohol and had business concerns in Mambajao, Camiguin. The Minister for Justice was Don Eduardo Calceta, a native of San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite (now General Trias town). He came to Bohol as a young school teacher and got married and stayed in Tagbilaran. The one in charge for education and religion was Fr. Mariano Baluyot.

It should be noted that in the Republic of Bohol the religion was part of the function of the republic. Roman Catholicism was the "state religion." In this regard, the Eskayas of Bohol came to Tagbilaran to protest because they want "Aglipayan" to be the state religion. It was of no avail.

Do you remember the Republic of Bohol? Of course not; our provincial officials would not even recognize this facet of our provincial history. While the Republic of Negros, which immediately collaborated with the Americans, is found in history books studied in school, nobody is studying the Republic of Bohol in our schools. Why? It is because our minds are still colonized by the Americans. The Republic of Negros was deemed good by the Americans because they collaborated while the Republic of Bohol dared to fight the Americans and defeated the Americans in some major battles. Therefore the Republic of Bohol, according to American viewpoint, ought not to be remembered.

I thought it's the women who are particular about anniversaries and celebratory days. Try forgetting your wife's birthday or even your wedding anniversary. I think PGMA has no choice but forgo sentimentalism and act with greater bravado than the macho men she surrounds herself with in these very tumultuous times. Indeed, with the nation beseiged with energy and food crisis, after barely surviving a political disaster from the ZTE scandal, Arroyo has rightly judged that celebrating independence is a luxury reserved for better times.

Philippine ferry sinks; 700-plus passengers missing

MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine passenger ferry capsized during a typhoon with more than 700 people on board, triggering a frantic search on Sunday for survivors.

Most of the 626 passengers and 121 crew are missing and the vessel's owner, Sulpicio Lines, said it had lost contact with the ferry, which was en route to Cebu from Manila, at around 12.30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

The coast guard finally reached the area where the MV Princess of Stars sank 3 km (two miles) from Sibuyan island in the centre of the archipelago. It had been forced to abort a previous rescue mission on Saturday because of high seas.

Residents from a coastal village said only the ferry's bow was visible above the waves.

"Our ship is in the area but it has not reported yet," said Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, the head of the coastguard.

Local mayor Nanette Tansingco told radio that three survivors had been found in remote villages.

"We are sending people to get them but they have to walk to get there because the roads are impassable," she said.

At least four others aboard are known to have died.

Typhoon Fengshen, with maximum gusts of 195 kph (121 mph), has killed at least 85 people in central and southern Philippines, including 59 in Iloilo province, where floodwaters submerged whole communities.

After pelting Manila with torrential rain and winds on Sunday, Fengshen is expected to exit the northern part of the country by Monday en route to Taiwan, where it could make landfall in the next few days, according to storm tracker website www.tropicalstormrisk.com

WARNING SIRENS

In Romblon province, the bodies of two women and some children's' slippers were washed ashore from the Princess of Stars.

Before dawn on Sunday, some villagers heard warning sirens from the ship, which had 626 passengers and 121 crew on board.

Dozens of relatives, some in tears, crowded into the offices of Sulpicio Lines in the central city of Cebu, looking for information.

"My father was one of the passengers. Right now there is no good news," said Lani Dakay. "My father is 59, I don't even know if he can swim."

Lieutenant-General Pedro Inserto, military commander in Visayas, the central region of the Philippines, said he was told the captain sounded the abandon-ship signal around 5 a.m. on Sunday.

"We were told the passengers and crew transferred to another ship. But we still do not know which ship," Inserto told Reuters.

In Iloilo, the local government feared the death toll from the typhoon could rise as tens of thousands of people remained marooned on the roofs of their submerged houses.

"Iloilo is like an ocean. This is the worst disaster we have had in our history," Governor Neil Tupaz told local radio.

"FLOODING IS MASSIVE"

In neighboring Capiz, more than 2,000 houses were destroyed in the provincial capital and officials were struggling to make contact with communities further afield.

"The flooding is massive. Roads are impassable so we cannot penetrate the municipalities. Some areas are in waist-deep waters, only 10-wheeler trucks can be used," said Maria Barnes, the social welfare and development officer of the local government.

Fengshen tore up houses, trees and power lines and in the southern city of Cotabato, it sparked a "trash slide" at a rubbish dump, killing an 8-year-old girl and her grandfather.

More than 20,000 people were being housed in evacuation centers in the centre and south of the archipelago.

In Manila, large parts of the city were without power.

The international airport was relying on generators and passengers continued to cram into the departure terminal despite many flights being either delayed or cancelled.

Quote from: grazie7y on June 22, 2008, 06:23:52 AM
Thanks, Bene san for this thread.  I hope that Josie will join us here.  I have so much respect on chefs! 

As to Madam Prescilla Ramo Opus Confiado, the family name Opus is quite prominent in Bohol.  I just wonder if she is in any way related to Nong Nacing Opus and Louie Opus. 

I'll ask the honorable Congen sometime. Taga-Baclayon na sila? Basta Bohol ang origin, I'm sure related na sila. Kani kuno si Madame Priscilla Confiado, sometime during her youth, the family moved to Tacloban. But their ancestral abode remains beside the cathedral in Tagbilaran.

I'll keep on posting sanos and sanas that I meet so that our circle here at TB will be enlarged. Josie has invited me to a riverside picnic her organization, the Samahang Pilipino, will hold on June 29 in Tokyo. Basig maka-meet na pud kog mga Bol-anon.

Quote from: balong on June 21, 2008, 10:21:01 PM
MEGA EYEBALL 2009
june 26, 2009
bohol beach club

sponsor HABAGAT FOUNDATION
director BALONG
chairman val HABAGAT segundo

OK, so I take it to mean that the total fee will be divided among the attendees? Let me see if I can get a better deal than the quotation you got already.

Quote from: gelyan on June 21, 2008, 09:59:59 PM
so far atong last month naghatag sila quotation base to sa tanan rooms gipakwenta lang namo to niabot to ug 800K+. pero karon good for 150 persons nalang ni..

Pila katawo ang inyong gihatag nga number sa una? Or did you reserve the entire beach? Pila man diay kaadlaw ning giplano nga affair?

Quote from: gelyan on June 21, 2008, 09:49:36 PM
yea! daghan kaau plano c mr rene ani nga eb...the plan is to rent the whole resort pero daghan man kaau ug rooms ang bbc mukuha nalang mi ug good for 150 persons para ani nga EB. ang eskaya man gud 45 persons lang ila ma accommodate so wala mi didto...sa Panglao Island Resort panget kaau cla ug dinalhan ug customer perting dugaya mi gipahulat nangayo lang mi quotation nga i-rent namo ang whole resort for one day..mao na giscratch ni mr bals..so we will go for BBC kay nindot man pud ila beach dako ug kadaganan...

A, si Mr. TB diay bangka ani? Maajo man kay bottomless man ang alkansya ni Balong. Anyway, I think 150 persons is a reasonable base for a quotation. Naghatag na ba sila quotation sa injo?

Quote from: simplylee on June 21, 2008, 09:39:22 PM
dili naku relative ang tag iya sa yuta. ang akong relative ang ilang silingan nga naa pod yuta peru dili siya makadecide sa pagbaligya kay kadaghanan pa ang yuta nila. kita ra man ang nahibalo aning atong kaexcited wala jud mi ni gelyan magpakita nga ganahan mi kaayo sa dapit

Good strategy, Tita Lee (mas senior man jud ka naku)! Kamong mag-ocular inspection diha, imbis musulti nga, "Wow, greenfields and rolling meadows" ingon lang unja nga "Unsa man ni, mangatol man tas amorsiko!" o "Makabitas mag sinelas ang lapok dire" Kay basig pahangyuon pa tag piso.

Quote from: gelyan on June 21, 2008, 09:33:13 PM
wow! sir ben. good for 150 persons na.. for MEGA EB June 26, 2009...ty

Next year pa diay ni. Sige, ako na lang sila pabaw-on daan. 129 units raba tingali sila. Basig madugangan pa ta ani, kay sige pa man ko pang-recruit ug TB members sa Japan. Ingon man sa ako si Fe nga pwede man daw i-book ang uban sa mas bubarato nga Blue Sky Sea Resort and the guests will still have full and free access to the facilities of BBC. Wow, invite ta ani ug international media kay global reunion man ni...