MikeLigalig.com

Only in Qatar: World FIFA 2022 Stadium
Proposed project

Sport City of Dubai

Remember Macaulay Culkin?? The kid in Home ALone Movie!!

He wasted everything because of drugs.

He was arrested for consuming excess drugs in Oklahoma City for the possession of 17.3g of marijuana and two controlled substances, 16.5 mg of Alprazolam and 32 mg of Clonazepam.

Stone Mirror in Istanbul, Turkey

Aerial View of Barcelona, Spain

97 Year Old Mother Taking Care of 60 Year Old Son
This is in China. The son is paralyzed.

German Building Plays Music When It Rains
Only in Dresden, Germany

Blue Lagoon, Ecuador

Stone Fish

Natural Swimming Pool in Mexico

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnHxNcFC44Q#ws
Mansion of Justin Bieber

by pna

More than half of 1,726 detainees waiting trial of their cases at the Cebu City Jail are facing drug charges, officials said.

As of this week, the city jail has a population of 2,057 inmates, Cebu City Jail Warden Johnson Calub said.

Calub said the facility also had 179 insular prisoners with and without pending cases, while 152 others are prisoners whose sentences were less than three years.

Of the 1,726 inmates, 958 or 55.5 percent are facing drug-related cases, 305 with robbery cases, 245 with theft cases, 212 with murder cases, 79 with rape cases and 41 with homicide cases.

Calub said the facility was already over-crowded and needed to be decongested.

But he said they had programs and services to help inmates, who had served their maximum penalty, be released from prison.

Calub said they have para-legal officers who monitor the prisoners’ cases and follow up on the cases’ status in the different courts.

He said they also sent insular prisoners to the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa as part of their decongestion program.

Insular prisoners are those who have been convicted and sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment for the crime they committed.

Last month, Calub said, they sent 22 insular prisoners to Muntinlupa and they would send 30 more in the next couple of months.

Those sent to the NBP included inmates convicted of rape, robbery, murder and illegal drugs cases among others.

By Gloria Jane Baylon

The information and public relations drive for a better grasp of the dispute over the internationally-referred Scarborough Shoal, alternatively called “Panatag” and “Bajo de Masinloc” by the Philippine government and the “Huangyan Dao” by the Chinese government has gone full swing on both sides.

Following the Chinese embassy’s primer-style of presenting its side to the media, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday matched the format, with the title “Philippine Position on Bajo de Masinloc and the Waters Within its Vicinity.”

On the whole, DFA’s assertions focused on the geographical technicality of Bajo de Masinloc, Spanish for “under Masinloc,” which are rock features and not an island.

The name Bajo de Masinloc, so termed in 1792, itself identifies the shoal as a particular political subdivision of the Philippines, according to DFA. Old colony-era maps of the Philippines includes Bajo de Masinloc in their configuration, DFA said as it named the sources.

First, DFA countered the Chinese embassy’s assertion that Bajo de Masinloc was never referred to by at least three international treaties that defined Philippine territory as we know it today, including the Treaty of Paris of 1898 wherein Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S.

DFA also asserted that its sovereignty over the rocks are not based on the proximity principle of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, as put forth by the Chinese embassy.

There are other principles of international law on which Philippine sovereignty is anchored, according to the DFA. “In the case of Bajo de Masinloc, the Philippines has exercised both effective occupation and effective jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc since its independence. “

It said: The rock features of Bajo de Masinloc are Philippine territories.

“The basis of Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction over the rock features of Bajo de Masinloc is not premised on the cession by Spain of the Philippine archipelago to the United States under the Treaty of Paris. The matter that the rock features of Bajo de Masinloc are not included or within the limits of the Treaty of Paris as alleged by China is therefore immaterial and of no consequence,” it continued.

This is what China said: “The Philippine territory is set by a series of international treaties, including the Treaty of Paris(1898), The Treaty of Washington(1900) and the Treaty with Great Britain (1930), none of which ever referred to Huangyan Island or included this island into its territory.

”Until 1997, the Philippine side has never disputed China's jurisdiction of and development on Huangyan Island,” the embassy said. “On the other hand, the Philippines indicated on a number of occasions that Huangyan Island was beyond its territory.”

In insisting that Huangyan Island is Chinese territory, the embassy pointed out that “it is China that first discovered this island, gave it the name, incorporated it into its territory, and exercised jurisdiction over it.”

Bajo de Masinloc, an extension of the municipality of Masinloc in the western Philippine province of Zambales, is an integral part of the Philippines, being 124 nautical miles west of Zambales, according to DFA. It asserts that the disputed area is “within the 200 nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Philippine continental shelf.”

It describes Bajo de Masinloc as “a ring-shaped coral reef, which has several rocks encircling a lagoon.” It is not part of the also-disputed Spratlys, which is further down south under Palawan’s administration.

The shoals chain of reefs and rocks is about 124 NM from the nearest coast of Luzon and approximately 472 NM from the nearest coast of China. Bajo de Masinloc is located approximately along latitude 15⁰08’ N and longitude 117⁰45’E. The rocks of Bajo de Masinloc are situated north of the Spratlys.

”Obviously therefore, the rocks of Bajo de Masinloc is also within the 200 NM Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 200 NM Continental Shelf (CS) of the Philippines.”

”Although the Philippines necessarily exercise sovereign rights over its EEZ and CS, nonetheless, the reason why the rock features of Bajo de Masinloc are Philippine territories is anchored on other principles of public international law (and not the UN Convention on the Law of the Seaâ€"UNCLOS),” DFA asserted.

DFA explained that a Philippine navy aircraft on maritime patrol in the shoal and enforcing the country’s Fisheries Code, spotted eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored at the Bajo on April 8.

So on April 10, the surveillance ship “BRP del Pilar” rushed to the scene and its personnel boarded the Chinese vessels. Endangered giants clams, sharks and corals were found in the compartments.

By Gloria Jane Baylon

From June 26 to July 30, this year, several old maps of the Philippines during the Spanish colonization period of the country (1598 to 1898) will be on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, next to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Roxas Blvd.

This exhibition celebrates 300 years of Philippine maps, some of which are heirlooms of Spaniards who agreed -- albeit after much assurance of their safety -- to lend them to the Spanish embassy in Manila, organizers said.

Look for "Bajo de Masinloc," also named “Panatag” by Philippine authorities, in those maps and determine for yourself whose territory it is and under whose maritime jurisdiction it should be.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) asserts that the Spanish name alone speaks for the legality of Philippine sovereignty.

Lectures will be held in various colleges and universities in Manila in the framework of this exhibit, according to the major organizer, the Instituto de Cervantes of Spain.

The exhibition and a symposium on the 200th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 are among the features of this year’s commemoration of Spanish-Friendship Day in Manila in June.

Maps in the days of yore are some of the evidences that both the Philippines and China are invoking in their respective claims of territorial sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction of the internationally-referred Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The Chinese call the Scarborough “Huangyan-dao” and their argument is that the area has been theirs since time immemorial or as early as its Han Dynastry (2 BC) to fish in, have jurisdiction over and are presently administering.

On the other hand, the Philippines cites an early and “most accurate map” of the area -- named “Bajo de Masinloc” by the Spanish regime of the time -- the Carta Hydrographical y Chorographica De Las Yslas Filipinas by the Jesuit priest Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde, and published in 1734. "Bajo de Masinloc" as part of the northwestern Philippine province of Zambales is indicated in that map.

”In 1792, another map drawn by the Alejandro Malaspina expedition and published in 1808 in Madrid, Spain, also showed Bajo de Masinloc as part of Philippine territory. This map showed the route of the Malaspina expedition to and around the shoal. It was reproduced in the Atlas of the 1939 Philippine Census,” DFA said.

DFA noted that lately, the “Mapa General, Islas Filipinas, Observatorio de Manila,” published in 1990 by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, also included Bajo de Masinloc as part of the Philippines.

In other words, the romance of the imperial past -- when China, Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal, and to some extent Russia, Japan and Italy, were the greatest navies and seafarers and territory-claimers and markers of "nullius terra" (areas with no known sovereignty) are now before the Filipinos as the Beijing-Manila dispute over the Huangyan/Panatag remains unsolved.

Where are these maps? May be they will also be at the exhibit.

Filipinos would have to look at these maps to have an inkling of how the Philippines came to be originally named “Las Islas Filipinas” after the then Spanish King Philip II, and why our authorities believe that Bajo de Masinloc is ours to have and cherish with all our hearts.

Sauna sa college pa ko, diha koy nahibaloan nga bana nga kulatado pirmi sa asawa. Hangtud namatay gyud ang bana sa kulata sa asawa. Ang asawa murag somo wrestler ang lawas. Ug ang bana gamajon nga tawo. It was a big news then, with the news focusing on the angle of "battered husband."

by pna

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here on Wednesday that the situation in Syria " remains highly precarious," and he looks forward to an early action by the UN Security Council on his proposed expansion of the UN ceasefire observation mission in the Middle East country.

"On Syria, the situation remains highly precarious," Ban said when addressing reporters outside the UN Security Council Chambers after he sent a letter to the 15-nation UN body to call for more observers into Syria to monitor the week-old ceasefire in the Middle East country, which has been plunged into a crisis since March 2011.

"Despite the government's agreement to cease all violence, we still see a deeply troubling evidence that it continues," the secretary-general said.

The success of the UN observation mission in Syria requires the cooperation of the Syrian government to ensure "full freedom of movement" of the observers in the country, Ban said.

By Perfecto T. Raymundo Jr.

The Supreme Court (SC) has declared unconstitutional two presidential acts for the creation of trust funds for farmers in connection with the controversial coco-levy funds.

In a 23-page decision written by Associate Justice Roberto Abad, the SC ruled as illegal Executive Order 312, which sought to establish a P1-billion fund from the assets acquired using coco-levy funds and Executive Order 313, or the creation of an irrevocable trust fund known as the Coconut Trust Fund, which also directed government lawyers to exclude the 27 percent shares of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) in San Miguel Corp. (SMC) from the coco-levy case of former Ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr.

With a unanimous vote of 11 justices, the SC granted the petition of farmer groups, led by Pambansang Koalisyon ng mga Samahang Magsasaka at Manggagawa sa Niyugan in declaring EOs 312 and 313 as void.

Associate Justice Antonio Carpio took no part since he is also one of the petitioners in the case.

Also inhibiting from the case were Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro and Diosdado Peralta since they have decided an interrelated case.

EOs 312 and 313 were creations of then President Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada.

"But, given that the provisions of EO 312 and 313, which was already stated invalidly transferred powers over the funds to two committees that President Estrada created, the rest of their provisions became non-operational. It is evident that President Estrada would not have created the new funding programs if they were to be managed by some other entity. Indeed, he made himself the Chairman of the Coconut Trust Fund and left to his discretion the appointment of the members and the other committee," the SC ruling said.

The SC said that EO 312 of Estrada transfers the power to allocate, to use, and disburse coco-levy funds that Presidential Decree 232 of then President Ferdinand Marcos vested in the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

It was pointed out that "an executive order cannot repeal a presidential decree which has the same standing as a statute enacted by Congress."

As to EO 313, the SC ruled that it is in contravention with Section 84(2) of PD 1445 or Ordaining and Instituting A Government Auditing Code of the Philippines and the 1987 Constitution.

"A final point, the EOs also transgresses PD 1445, Section 84(2), the first part by the previously mentioned sections of EO 313 and the second part by Section 4 of EO 312 and sections 6 and 7 of EO 313. EO 313 vests the power to administer, manage and supervise the operations and disbursements of the Trust Fund it established in a Coconut Trust Fund Committee," the SC decision said.

"Lastly, the coco-levy funds as evidently special funds....The fees were levied for a special purpose and, therefore, constituted special fund when collected. Its character as such fund was made clear by the fact that they were deposited in the PNB and not in the Philippine Treasury," it said.

With this, the SC said that coco-levy funds were taxes and laws like EO 312 and 313, which removef such funds and assets acquired through them from the jurisdiction of the COA violate Article IX-D, Section 2(1) of the 1987 Constitution. The said constitutional provision vests to COA the power and authority to examine uses of government money and property.

"And there is no legitimate reason why such funds should be shielded from COA review and audit. The PCA, which implements the coco-levy laws and collects the coco-levy funds, is a government-owned and controlled corporation subject to COA review and audit," the SC added.

nangamigo pa una. gitagaan ug higayon nga makahinulsol sa.

This family is so blessed having Kabang. Pinangga kaayo nila si Kabang, and Kabang saved the kids' lives.

Has anyone tried it?

Just avoid softdrinks (poisonous, killing you softly)

wala uroy nauwaw ning China nga nangilog. Wa tay mahimo. No more American base to defend the Philippines.

How Near Scarborough Shoal to the Philippines

Win Free Kindle Fire

By Scott Stewart

Institutional Revolutionary Party presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, the front-runner in the lead-up to Mexico's presidential election in July, told Reuters last week that if elected, he would seek to increase the size of the current Mexican federal police force. Pena Nieto also expressed a desire to create a new national gendarmerie, or paramilitary police force, to use in place of the Mexican army and Marine troops currently deployed to combat the heavily armed criminal cartels in Mexico's most violent hot spots. According to Pena Nieto, the new gendarmerie force would comprise some 40,000 agents.

As Stratfor has previously noted, soldiers are not optimal for law enforcement functions. The use of the military in this manner has produced accusations of human rights abuses and has brought criticism and political pressure on the administration of President Felipe Calderon. However, while the Calderon administration greatly increased the use of the military in the drug war, it was not the first administration in Mexico to deploy the military in this manner. Even former President Vicente Fox, who declared war on the cartels in 2001, was not the first to use the military in this manner. For many decades now, the Mexican government has used the military in counternarcotics operations, and the Mexican military has been used periodically to combat criminals and bandits in Mexico's wild and expansive north for well over a century.

In recent years, Mexico has had very little choice but to use the military against the cartels due to the violent nature of the cartels themselves and the rampant corruption in many municipal and state police forces. The creation of a new paramilitary police force would provide the Mexican government with a new option, allowing it to remove the military from law enforcement functions. But such a plan would be very expensive and would require the consent of both houses of the Mexican Congress, which could pose political obstacles. But perhaps the most difficult task will be creating a new police force not susceptible to the corruption that historically has plagued Mexican law enforcement agencies.

mga but-an diay ka ug iro, Raqz. Asa man ang mga pictures sa imong mga pinalanggang iro?

RMB, how much was your biggest earning/profit/gain in stocks at one selling?

By Alejandria B. Toleran

The Discovery Perlas Women’s National Basketball Team is fully preparing for the Asian Beach Games 2012, 3-on-3 women’s basketball in Haiyang, China this June.

According to Haydee Ong, Discovery Perlas coach, the Perlas Women's Team will represent the Philippines in the Asian Beach Games in Haiyang, a coastal city of Shandong province.

In an interview Thursday by host Judith Vinas over 918 Sports Radio, Ong said the team will leave May 23 for the games in China.

Ong said the team is composed of old members from Discovery Perlas which are Ewon Arayi, Melissa Jacobs, Analyn Almazan, and Len Flormata. She said the four ladies are veterans and were able to play in the last Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

Ong confirmed that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) decided to send the Discovery Perlas team instead of the men to promote the 3-on-3 women's basketball game.

Ong added the team is open for try-outs to recruit new faces to replace retired members Cassy Tioseco and Dianna Jose.

The Asian Beach Games 2012 is scheduled to have its opening ceremony on June 16. The games will run from June 16 to 22 and features 49 events for 13 sports, including beach soccer, cliff climbing, windsurfing, powered paragliding, beach volleyball and beach basketball.

Motuo ka ug wak-wak?

Cebu Pacific Promo: Manila to Boracay

by PDI

Philippine officials on Wednesday ignored China’s demand to withdraw Filipino vessels from Panatag Shoal, declaring “that’s our territory” and warning Chinese vessels to back off.

The officials said a Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue vessel, BRP Edsa, along with an archaeological survey mission aboard the MY Sarangani and a fishing boat, remained in the area, facing off  two Chinese maritime surveillance vessels and a fishing boat.

On Monday, China demanded that all Filipino vessels clear the area, which it calls Huangyan Island and which is known internationally as Scarborough Shoal, and sent an aircraft to buzz a Philippine fishing boat in the second such incident since Saturday.

By Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer Mindanao

Seventy-eight Taiwanese nationals, most of them young males and females, were arrested by Philippine and Taiwan police in a series of raids here Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa, city police chief, said the suspects have been charged with large-scale fraud, possibly involving “millions of dollars,” in Taiwan.

“They are operating like an international fraud syndicate victimizing Taiwanese and Chinese nationals,” De la Rosa said, adding that the suspects were here apparently to hide.

De la Rosa said back in Taiwan, the suspects would call their victims, telling them that they failed to pay their debts. If a victim refused to heed the demand, the group would then threaten him with arrest. The same group, now pretending to be the police, would call the victims, forcing them to pay a certain amount through bank transfer.

Aside from arresting the suspects, the raiding team also found several laptop computers and documents in three separate houses here.

Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said prior to the raids, the Taiwanese government had asked Philippine authorities to help in arresting the group.

“We are just cooperating with the Taiwanese government” Duterte said.

by pna

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has directed SSupt. Marietto Valerio, chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), to check, verify and immediately demolish the presence of any vigilante group suspected of conducting summary execution on known criminals.

A man was found dead with several gunshot wounds early morning Wednesday along the road at Barangay Sooc, Arevalo. Witnesses claimed the victim may have been executed by a vigilante group.

The victim was found with his mouth covered with masking tapes, the hands tied and naked when discovered by the nearby residents.

However, Mabilog claimed he has no idea whatever regarding the presence of vigilantes in the city and instructed Valerio to conduct an investigation and report immediately.

The city mayor said he is assuring that if there are really vigilantes, the law will be applied with due process.

Similarly, police checkpoints will be enhanced with movable ones to be established in areas not regularly hosting the checkpoints.

by Angeline Valencia
PNA

Investigators found no foul play in the drowning of a 29-year-old Korean diver who was found dead some 27 meters underwater Tuesday morning in Panglao, the tourist island across this capital city.

Ilho Park, a native of Seoul, Korea, had been known for his ability to hold his breath underwater for as long as 30 minutes and up to 30 meters.

At around 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Park, a dive master, and nine diving students, went to Bohol Divers’ Wreck, a dive spot about a few meters off the beach front of Barangay Danao in Panglao town.

According to the Tourist Police team who responded to the incident, Park dived with only a snorkel mask and paddle fins on and without any breathing apparatus, confident of his ability to breath longer than anybody underwater.

His companions started to worry when he failed to show up 30 minutes after diving.

One of the divers, Peter Cloa, a 27-year-old native of Barangay Danao, went underwater to check what happened and found Park at least 27 meters underwater, no longer moving.

They rushed Park to a hospital but doctors failed to revive him.

Relax in Maldives

another reason to buy more garlic to avoid dengue.

one way to relax

i haven't tried it. i need more orientation beforehand.

the worst scenario is getting raped.

i see, so this is universal for women. men are cooler.

It reminds me of Hachiko movie.

Cebu Pacific Promo: Cebu or Clark to Singapore

dili sige battered, under de saya lang.

By Karen Boncocan
INQUIRER.net

Will the ruling Liberal Party be joining newly formed United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for the upcoming midterm 2013 elections?

House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, spokesman for the LP, on Wednesday said that they have yet to discuss the invitation to join UNA, explaining that pursuant to their party’s by-laws, they first need to consult the party’s national executive council before coming to a decision.

Tañada was responding to Senator Aquilino Pimentel III’s invitation for LP to join forces with UNA, which comprises Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

By Chona Yu
DZIQ, Radyo Inquirer 990AM

Ang Galing Partylist Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo was finally arraigned Wednesday on tax evasion charges before the Court of Tax Appeal in Quezon City.

But the eldest son of  former president Gloria Arroyo entered “no plea” to three counts of tax evasion, which stemmed from his alleged failure to declare appropriate income tax in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

First  Division Associate Justice Esperanza Fabon Victorino said a “not guilty” plea would be entered for the young Arroyo.

Lawyer Ruy Rondain, counsel of Arroyo, initially tried to stop the arraignment by filing a motion to quash the charges.

By Frances Mangosing
INQUIRER.net

Expect warmer days ahead as La Niña eases out before the month ends, state forecasters said Wednesday.

Jori Loiz of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said temperature in Metro Manila could go as high as 36 degrees Celsius by May.

On Wednesday, the highest temperature in Metro Manila was recorded at 3p.m., reaching 34.8 degrees Celsius. In the entire Luzon, the highest temperature was at 36 degrees in Cabanatuan and Nueva Ecija as of 2 p.m.

By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Department of Justice concluded its reinvestigation of the killing of business executive Noel Orate Sr. by affirming on Wednesday the homicide case filed last month by the Quezon City police against Bulacan provincial board member Romeo Allan Robes.

“[E]vidence extant in the records is sufficient to engender a well-founded belief that only homicide was committed. It is respectfully recommended that the information for homicide against respondent Robes be affirmed on reinvestigation,” assistant state prosecutor Gino Paolo Santiago said in a 10-page resolution, which was approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano

source: PDI

Supreme Court Spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez on Wednesday accused the Aquino government of emboldening the public to defy the courts.

Speaking during the Supreme Court’s annual media forum in Baguio City, Marquez said the judiciary is bearing the brunt of the impeachment trial and the public attacks of President Benigno Aquino III against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“The dilemma lies not in the effect that these public attacks have on the Chief Justice himself; the dilemma lies in the fact that ultimately, it is the institution itselfâ€"the Judiciaryâ€"which will bear the brunt of these assaults,” Marquez said.

by PDI

A wage increase for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila could be implemented soon, after wage setters recognized on Wednesday the need to update salaries because of inflation and other economic factors.

“There is a recognition here that we need to increase the minimum wage, but we have yet to settle on an amount,” Alan Macaraya, chairman of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for the National Capital Region, said.

The consensus was arrived at after the wage board heard comments from various sectors regarding the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines’ (TUCP) P90 minimum wage hike petition for Metro Manila at a wage consultation held at the Taguig City University on Wednesday.

by Associated Press


A loyal Labrador retriever named Maggie, who was videotaped as she guarded the body of a yellow Lab hit and killed by a car in California, has been reunited with her family.

A passer-by noticed the street scene last week, put traffic cones around the dogs and took the video that touched hearts across the US.

Maggie’s family claimed her Monday. The name of the family was not released.
Dozens of people called or visited the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control shelter offering to adopt the dog. The passer-by was the first to fill out paperwork.

No one knows who the yellow Lab belonged to or where Maggie met him, said Capt. Aaron Reyes, deputy director of the department.

By Ayan Mellejor
Inquirer Mindanao

DAVAO CITYâ€"Battered husbands do exist but most of the time they just keep quiet for fear of being sued themselves under a law protecting women and children against abuses.
This was what the Federation of Gender and Development (FGAD) here has found out, said Rene Estorpe, its president.

Estorpe cited the cases of two husbands in Agdao Centro, where he is the barangay (village) chairman, as examples of how menâ€"who tried to complain about abuses by their wivesâ€"ended up being charged themselves.

He said the two complaining husbands found themselves charged with violating the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) law, or Republic Act No. 9262.
“The wives accused them of engaging in illicit affairs,” Estorpe said.

source: PDI

Former President Joseph Estrada is flirting with the idea of wrapping up his political career the way he started it: as mayor. But this time, he is eyeing the post in Manila where he was born, and not in San Juan where his family has already built a strong political bailiwick.

Estrada, who turns 75 on Thursday, said he has not made up his mind despite being “encouraged” by different sectors in Manila to seek the mayoralty. He said he would make his decision known within the month, or a year before the 2013 midterm elections

This was discussed, I remember, in our Communication 101 subject (one of my first college subjects).

By Lilybeth G. Ison

Retiring officials and employees from the private and government sectors should get their retirement benefits within 30 days from retirement.

"This is what House Bill No. 621 seeks to achieve," said Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, principal author of the bill.

He expressed concern over the countless experiences of retirees who had to shed sweat, tears and wait for years before enjoying the fruits of their hard work.

The Aurora lawmaker said the prospect of retiring should be the most satisfying moment for every hardworking employee because he looks forward to spending as leisurely as possible the remaining days of his life.

In reality, he noted, many persons who have reached the retirement age find the prospect of retiring a discouraging experience because of the mere thought that they will not be getting salaries anymore.

"This is because of the experiences of many who encounter difficulty in finally getting their application approved either by the GSIS or SSS after," he pointed out.

Angara lamented that in some cases, delays happen just because of simple clerical errors, not by the employees, but by the employers or offices concerned.

"Such a clerical error could be ascertained by the SSS or the GSIS personnel if only they were mindful of the desired needs of the retiring members to get immediately their retirement benefits and pensions," he said.

"We have heard the complaints of numerous retiring members from the GSIS and the SSS who appealed for assistance from our office to intervene for them so that their retirement benefits and pensions could be paid to them as early as possible," he added.

HB 621, now under consideration by the House committee on government enterprises and privatization, mandates that the payment of retirement benefits to Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) members should be given within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of his or her retirement.

"Violation of this mandatory provision makes such responsible employees criminally liable for which they could be sentenced to a one-year imprisonment plus a fine of P10,000," he said.

by PNA

President Benigno S. Aquino III cited Bicol University for being a proponent of microfinance by teaching its students the rudiments of being entrepreneurs through their degree course in business administration.

The President offered his citation in his speech keynoting the conferment of a Doctor of Humanities degree, Honoris Causa by Bicol University on his late mother former President Corazon C. Aquino in Malacañang on Tuesday.

“…natutuwa akong malaman na patuloy na pinapayabong ng Bicol University ang microfinance institutions sa bansa,” the President said.

“Mataas ang aking kompiyansang ang mga produkto ng inyong kursong Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), Major in Microfinance ay magtitindig ng mas matibay pang pundasyon upang mas marami pang Pilipino ang mahikayat na mamuhunan sa ating bansa, gamit ang ating likas na pagkamalikhain, sipag, at talino,” he added.

The President said that his mother advocated microfinance and entrepreneurship as a potent strategy to help Filipinos rise above their hardships and improve their lives.

“Si Mom na rin nga po ang nagsabi: 'The Philippines takes pride in having popularized the term people power, and it has been my dream to harness this force to eradicate poverty in my country.' People power, mismo ang inspirasyon ng aking ina nang binuo niya ang PinoyME, na maituturing na salbabida para iligtas ang mga kababayan nating naghihikahos sa kahirapan,” the President said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng microfinance at micro-entrepreneurship, ang mga dating napag-iiwanan at nakakalimutan sa laylayan ng lipunan ay nabigyan ng oportunidad na umasenso gamit ang sarili nilang abilidad at pagsusumikap,” he added.

The Bicol University pioneered the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Microfinance as a result of public and private partnership with the PinoyME (Pinoy Micro-Enterprise) Foundation, the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, who together developed a model curriculum that would support human resource development for the sector, as well as initiate researches that would further improve policy and action.

This same curriculum is now being implemented by selected private higher education institutions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with the graduates of the said program assured of scholarships as well as employment by the partner microfinance institution.

PinoyME was founded by former President Corazon C. Aquino to serve as a vehicle in popularizing microfinance as one of the tools to promote self-reliance.

By Emil G. Gamos

It's the end of the road for Raymond Dominguez, who is touted as the “carnap king” of Bulacan.

A Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge on Tuesday sentenced Dominguez and meted 17 to 30 years of imprisonment, his first conviction on more than 10 other similar cases filed and pending in different courts in Bulacan, Pampanga and Metro Manila.

Bulacan RTC Branch 84 Judge Wilfredo Nieves found Dominguez guilty of the complaint of carjacking filed by Dante Escoto, a driver of Crocodile Tape and Co. Inc. who claimed that the convicted leader of the dreaded Dominguez carnapping group, along with two other unidentified suspects, forcibly took from him a black Toyota Fortuner with plate number ZGW-872 on Jan. 14, 2010.

In an 11-page decision promulgated on Tuesday, the court stated that the snatching of the Toyota Fortuner happened in broad daylight in front of the Pot of Gold store along the Mac-Arthur Highway in Barangay Saog in Marilao town.

Escoto parked the vehicle and was inquiring at a car store for the replacement of the matting of his service vehicle when Dominguez and his two cohorts arrived and approached the subject Fortuner.

Record shows Dominguez held Escoto on his collar and guarded him while one of his two companions drove and made a reverse move of the Fortuner.

When the vehicle was ready to move forward, Dominguez pushed Escoto away and later boarded the vehicle which sped off toward Meycauayan City.

Faustino Casilang, 64, a store owner who witnessed the incident, testified in court against Dominguez. He positively identified Dominguez through a police rouge gallery presented by policemen in Marilao.

Judge Nieves gave weight on Casilang’s testimony and the Marilao police's presentation of the pictures of carnapping suspects as the basis of his decision.

“Irrefutably, the Court is persuaded that the prosecution has sufficiently established that the subject carnapping incident of the Toyota Corolla Fortuner with plate no. ZGW-872 on the date and place cited above indeed occurred in broad day light and in the presence of several persons, among whom is Casilang. It was likewise clearly established by prosecution evidence that Escoto was the driver of the Fortuner when it was forcibly taken from him”.

“No proof was elicited by the defense that Casingal was motivated by evil motive or malicious intention to unduly implicate Dominguez as one of the perpetrators of the subject carnapping in order to show that the former is a biased and an unreliable witness”.

Nieves said the defense failed to present evidence to prove Dominguez's claims that he was nowhere in Bulacan during the incident as he would not stay in the province because he is facing other cases in other places, including Metro Manila.

The RTC judge, however, dismissed the robbery charges against Dominguez in the said incident. Escoto complained that the carjacking leader, along with his two companions, also took away a laptop, wrist watch, gold bracelet, necklace and P4,000 cash.

Atty. Jose Cruz, Dominguez's lawyer, said the decision came as a surprise to them but they have to respect how the court analyzed the presented testimonies and evidence.

Cruz said an earlier case of carnapping with homicide at Branch 11 of the Bulacan RTC, as well as illegal possession of firearms also against Dominguez were already dismissed.

He told reporters they will elevate the case before the Court of Appeals.

Cruz said they do not expect Dominguez to be moved in to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City because he has to attend the hearings of other carjacking cases filed against him including that of Venzon Evangelista, a car dealer who was allegedly victimized by the Dominguez group in January last year in Quezon City.

By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

Philippine shares posted a fresh new high on Tuesday as they closed at 5,157.28 points, rising by 39.82 points or 0.77 percent.

The broader all shares advanced 7.73 points, or 0.22 percent to finish at 3,420.91 points.

With Tuesday's performance, the index went up 17.96 percent, year to date.

The most recent all-time high was registered on March 16 when the Philippine Stock Exhange index (PSEi) jumped 2.27 percent or 114.11 points, reaching 5,145.89 on improved US economic data.

Five of the six sub-indices ended in the green, led by Property which advanced 26.91 points or 1.42 percent.

Financials gained 16.11 points, or 1.27 percent and Holding firms climbed 26.78 points, or 0.62 percent.

Mining and Oil, however slid 2.85 points, or 0.01 percent.

Top gainers include Ayala Land, Inc., J.G. Summit, Shoe Mart and Banco de Oro.

There were 103 gainers against 69 losers while 40 stocks remained unchanged.

Volume traded reached 1.5 billion shares, valued at P6.7 billion.

The index reached an intraday high of 5,186.

murag na ka ug wealth manager ani, Balong.

By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has maintained that it never violated the constitutional provision that limits foreign ownership of public utilities to only 40 percent.

PLDT legal counsel Victor Lazatin reiterated this position during the oral arguments here about PLDT's petition for reversal of Supreme Court's (SC) June 28, 2011 ruling, which redefined the term "capital" in Section 11, Article 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution that puts a cap on foreign ownership of domestic public utilities.

At present, 36 percent of PLDT's common shares are owned by Filipinos, and 64 percent are in foreign hands but it does not mean that foreigners control the public utility, Lazatin said.

He said that PLDT abides by the Constitution and only gives 40 percent of voting shares to the foreign stockholders.

Lazatin said that if the SC decision is not reversed, it will cause adverse repercussions on the Philippines' investment climate, if not the whole economy.

He said that it will discourage foreign investments and expose government to investor suits under bilateral treaties.

The SC defined "capital" as shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors or the so-called common shares and not to the total outstanding, "capital stock," composed of "common" or voting shares and "preferred" or "non-voting shares."

The SC also directed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) "to apply this definition of the term 'capital' in determining the extent of allowable foreign ownership in respondent Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and if there is violation of Section 11, Article XII of the Constitution, to impose appropriate sanctions under the law."

The SC decision stemmed from the complaint filed by human rights lawyer Wilson Gamboa, seeking to annul the sale of the government-acquired 111,415 Philippine Telecommunications Investment Corp. (PTIC) in PLDT shares to Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd. in the amount of P25.2 billion.

Gamboa said that the sale violated the constitutional limitation on foreign ownership of a public utility and that the respondents committed grave abuse of discretion by allowing the sale of PTIC shares to First Pacific.

At the end of the oral arguments, SC Chief Justice Renato Corona ordered the clerk of court to invite as "amici curiae" (or friends of the court) constitutional law expert Fr. Joaquin Bernas and economics expert Bernardo Villegas to shed light on the issue.

pilde man ang Lakers, Balong, against San Antonio Spurs.

by http://richcrib.com

Rihanna was spotted sneaking out of Ashton Kutcher’s pimped-out crib at the early hours of Wednesday morning! The sultry pop princess arrived at Two and a Half Men star’s apartment at midnight, wearing a see through white top and the tinniest denim shorts on this earth.

Wonder what happened during that four-hour session? Maybe Rihanna’s consoling the bad boy after his recent split with ex- missus Demi Moore!

by PEP.ph

Pinabulaanan ng ABS-CBN ang report na nag-resign na mula sa It's Showtime ang direktor na si Bobet Vidanes dahil diumano sa hindi nila pagkakasundo ng isa sa mga host ng noontime show na si Vice Ganda.

Vice Ganda, according to reports, has a character problem.

Pokwang Attire

The largest flower was blossoming in RBlanco, Veracruz, Mexico. 2 metres high and weighing 75 kilos, it has the peculiarity of blooming only during three days every 40 years.

The Amorphophallus titanum (Araceae) also called the “cadaverous flower” it has the peculiarity of blooming only during three days every 40 years, a privilege bestowed on the town of RBlanco in Veracruz Mexico.

Bacolod City Representative Anthony Rolando Golez, Jr. has filed a resolution urging President Aquino, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts to name actress Nora Aunor as National Artist of the Philippines for her “immense contributions” to Philippine arts and cinema.

In House Resolution No. 2317, Golez states that Aunor, whose real name is Maria Leonora Teresa Cabalteraâ€"Ate Guy to his fansâ€"is regarded as the “Superstar” of Philippine entertainment.

Golez said that Aunor’s career, which has spanned more than five decades, has been filled with awards and recognition from local and international award-giving bodies for her outstanding performances, and that she was named as one of the 10 Best Asian Actresses of the Decade in 2010 by the Green Planet Movie Awards in Los Angeles. Voting by movie viewers from more than 100 countries was done online.

A National Artist of the Philippines is a title given to a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition, by virtue of a presidential proclamation, for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts. Honorees are conferred membership in the Order of National Artists, the regalia of which is an ornate, gilded collar of honor.

“Anong ginawa ko sa kanya, bakit niya ako inaaway? Ano, nainggit siya dahil ako ang pinakasalan ni Eduardo? Ako ang nanalo? Kasalanan ko ba kung maganda ang buhay ko?"
â€"Annabelle Rama on Amalia Fuentes

by AFP

Tycoon Warren Buffett announced Tuesday that he has early-stage prostate cancer, and indicated he had no intention of stepping down as head of his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway.

Buffett, in a letter to Berkshire shareholders, said he had been diagnosed with Stage I prostate cancer last Wednesday and would undergo radiation treatment beginning in mid-July.
Imaging tests revealed no cancer elsewhere in his body, he said.

“The good news is that I’ve been told by my doctors that my condition is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way,” the 81-year-old investment guru said.

if you have the money: $1 Million Hair Insurance Policy

by pna

Israel has not promised to refrain from military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities during the course of Tehran's negotiations with the world powers, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday.

"I do not believe the efforts (of the international community) to stop Iran's nuclear program will bear fruit," Barak said in an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday morning.

"We are not part of the negotiations, but we think that the Americans have an objective to stop Iran ... the chance for success isn't high," said Barak, who was due to depart Colombia for Washington, where he is expected to meet with his U.S. counterpart Leon Panetta.

The defense minister's comments echoed those of other senior Israeli officials who had criticized the preliminary nuclear deliberations between Iran and the six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France - in Istanbul on Saturday, which ended with a decision to convene a second round of talks in Baghdad on May 23.

"My initial impression is that Iran has been given a freebie. It now has five weeks to continue (uranium) enrichment without any limitation," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday in the first official statement from Israel on the talks.

Netanyahu, who said Iran is using the discussions to gain time, reiterated Israel's demands for a satisfactory diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions: an immediate cessation of all enrichment, high and low; the removal of existing nuclear fuel stockpiles; and the dismantling of the Fordo nuclear research facility near Qom.

balong, trading pud ni nga website: http://www.etoro.com/

by pna

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday referred to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) the disbarment complaint against Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

Usually, when a disbarment complaint is filed with the SC, it was either referred to the Office of the Bar Confidant or the IBP, said SC Spokesman and Court Administrator Atty. Jose Midas Marquez.

But in this case, Marquez said, it was referred to the IBP "so that it can conduct an impartial assessment or evaluation and then give its recommendation to the Supreme Court."

Private lawyer Agustin Sundiam has asked the SC to take disciplinary action against De Lima and Lacierda for their alleged utterances and remarks on national television where they called Chief Justice Renato Corona a lawless "tyrant".

Sundiam said that the two secretaries were required as a lawyer to "observe and maintain the respect and dignity due to the courts of justice and judicial officers."

De Lima, in an earlier statement said, Corona was "a tyrant who holds himself above justice and accountability."

"There is no gainsaying that the subject remarks were calculated precisely to degrade or tend to degrade the administration of justice and erode and undermine the people's confidence in this Honorable Supreme Court and the judicial officers," Sundiam said.

Normally, Marquez said, the investigation conducted by the IBP is usually 30 days but there are instances when it asks for an extension.

By George Friedman

Turkey is re-emerging as a significant regional power. In some sense, it is in the process of returning to its position prior to World War I when it was the seat of the Ottoman Empire. But while the Ottoman parallel has superficial value in understanding the situation, it fails to take into account changes in how the global system and the region work. Therefore, to understand Turkish strategy, we need to understand the circumstances it finds itself in today.

The end of World War I brought with it the end of the Ottoman Empire and the contraction of Turkish sovereignty to Asia Minor and a strip of land on the European side of the Bosporus. That contraction relieved Turkey of the overextended position it had tried to maintain as an empire stretching from the Arabian Peninsula to the Balkans. In a practical sense, defeat solved the problem of Turkey's strategic interests having come to outstrip its power. After World War I, Turkey realigned its interests to its power. Though the country was much smaller, it was also much less vulnerable than the Ottoman Empire had been.

the letter "b" from the word Embassy is now gone.
bitaw, sakto si islander, ngano wala man sila mag-ing-ani sa Chinese Embassy nga nangilog ug teritoryo nato ug nag-among-among sa atong mga natural resources?

corny bitaw. daghan bitaw kong kaila nga LFS. pagkadako, utro pong mga corrupt diay. paki-American brand pa.

By Gloria Jane Baylon

The Philippine government said on Tuesday its dispute with China over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the South China Sea could be brought before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS), and invited Beijing to join in this effort.

In a statement, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that “international law would be the great equalizer” and conceded that the Philippines is no match with China’s “myriad more ships and aircraft.”

ITLOS could “ascertain which of us has sovereign rights over the waters surrounding Scarborough Shoal,” Del Rosario said, still expressing that “Chinese ships are currently engaging in illegal activities within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”

The Foreign Secretary’s full statement, issued on April 17, follows:

”The whole world knows that China has myriad more ships and aircraft than the Philippines. At day’s end, however, we hope to demonstrate that international law would be the great equalizer.

”In pursuing a peaceful settlement of the Scarborough Shoal issue, we fully intend to humbly invite our Chinese friends to join us in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

John Lloyd Cruz

by pna

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has released the annual categorization and classification results of the NEA-supervised electric cooperatives (ECs) for performance year 2011.

NEA said in a statement that the categorization will serve as basis for the upward and downward implementation of per diems and allowances of the ECs effective April 1.

“The Enhanced Categorization Criteria, issued on 19 July 2011, was applied in the evaluation of the ECs’ 2011 performance with innovation on sitio energization criterion. In support of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s priority thrust, the Sitio Electrification Program and in recognition of the ECs’ electrification of 1,520 sitios in 90 days during the last quarter of 2011, all ECs were uniformly granted five points under this criterion,” NEA Administrator Edita S. Bueno said.

The other criteria include amortization payment, system loss, collection efficiency, payment to power suppliers and the National grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), non-power cost, and result of financial operation. Incentives were given to those with advanced amortization payment and single-digit system loss.

NEA gave demerit points to those ECs with unliquidated cash advances to officers and employees at the end of the year in review.

Based on the 2011 assessment, 58 ECs attained a Category A+ status and 24 ECs got a Category A status while 9 were under Category E or non-complying. Two Regions namely Region VII and Caraga, were able to maintain their record of having all member ECs reach Category A+.

The 100% collection efficiency level was achieved by 23 ECs while additional 56 posted a within-the-NEA standard performance of 95%.

The national average system loss was further reduced to 11.87% from 12.33% in 2010.

Seventy-three ECs registered within the cap system loss of 13%, 28 of which were able to attain single digit performance level compared to 23 last year.

The Dinagat Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Dielco) and the Cebu III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cebeco III) remained to be at the elite 5% level of system loss.

NEA also cited the efforts made by the Lanao Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Lasureco), which despite operational and cultural challenges, was able to transform from a perennial ailing EC to an improved utility through a devised holistic approach to its problems.

On the classification of the ECs, the number of Mega Large increased to 43. Four Extra Large ECs improved to Mega Large while two improved to Extra Large and one retrogressed from Extra Large to Large. There are eight ECs classified as Medium and five ECs classified as Small. The classification of the ECs is based on the number of consumers served, sales made and kilometers of lines constructed.

by pna

President Benigno S. Aquino III has sworn into office a batch of newly-appointed officials of the various agencies of the government who will be tasked to closely work with the Aquino administration in ensuring the realization of its social contract with the Filipino people and effect change that will lead to the country's sustainable progress and development.

In simple ceremonies at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Malacanang Palace on Tuesday, President Aquino led the oath-taking of new officials of agencies under the Office of the President (OP), the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The group was led by former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Eduardo SL. Oban Jr., who took his oath before the President as acting member of the Board of Directors of the Clark Development Corporation.

Other newly-sworn officials include Elmar B. Ingles, Member, Representing the Consumer Organizations, Optical Media Board; Lucena P. Samson, Part-time Commissioner representing the Pampango Language, Commission on the Filipino Language; Ma. Cristina N. Flores, Part-time Commissioner representing the Pangasinan Language, Commission on the Filipino Language; Lorna E. Flores, Part-time Commissioner representing the Languages of Southern Cultural Communities, Commission on the Filipino Language; Francia C. Conrado, member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB); Marco P. Santiago, Presidential Legislative Liaison Officer III; and Yasmin Busran-Lao, Presidential Assistant for Muslim Concerns.

Also sworn in were Rosalinda A. Manabat, member, representing Workers in the Formal Sector and Migrant Workers (NAPC); Delfa T. Talaid, member, representing Artisanal Fisherfolk (NAPC) and Norisa I. Sabirin, member, representing Children (NAPC), among others.

For the DILG, the newly-appointed officials were Golda S. Ballesta, member, Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the 1st District Province of Northern Samar.

For CHED, Evelina Buencamino Guevara-Escudero took her oath of office as member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.

Other appointees were Irene M. Isaac, Deputy Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); Teodoro C. Pascua, acting Deputy Director General of TESDA; Eva Ponce De Leon, Regular Member of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB); Mehol K. Sadain, Commissioner, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and Salem Demuna, Commissioner, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

by pna

A total of 1,731 graduating high school students of the Pampanga High School (PHS), including their parents, attended a Career Guidance Coaching orientation organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 3 in San Fernando, Pampanga, in cooperation with the DOLE's Bureau of Local Employment and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), DOLE RO 3 director Raymundo Agravante reported Tuesday.

The career guidance coaching, a regular DOLE activity aimed to guide students and parents in making correct and relevant future career decisions was conducted before the students received their diplomas at the close of the school year.

“We took the opportunity before the commencement period to orient them on choosing college and technical vocational careers that are jobs fit-ready so they can easily apply for in-demand jobs two, three, or five years from now,” said Agravante.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said helping students and parents make correct career choices is an important strategy in addressing the jobs-skills mismatch which is a government priority.

"With many industries and investors looking at Central Luzon as a potential base for business, high school students looking towards completing a course and joining the labor force should carefully consider their future qualifications and capacity for wage employment, if not entrepreneurship," Baldoz said.

Including parents in the career guidance coaching is part of the DOLE's holistic approach, Agravante said.

"For some time now, we strongly feel that parents play a huge role in shaping and empowering their children towards the right path in choosing their careers,” he said.

Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz Tuesday said that the Philippines will host the 13th Coordinating Board Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Occupational Safety and Health Network (ASEAN OSHNET) on April 18-19, 2012 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City.

Baldoz made the announcement after being briefed by Executive Director Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco of the DOLE's Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) on the preparations for the Philippines' hosting of the event. The OSHC serves as the secretariat of the meeting.

"There will be 25 delegates from the ASEAN OSHNET member-countries who have confirmed their attendance to this important event, including two from the Philippines," said Baldoz.

The labor and employment chief said Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Korean Safety and Health Association (KOSHA), and the ASEAN Services Trade Union Council (ASETUC) have already confirmed their participation.

Dr. Cucueco reported to Baldoz that the OSHC has also invited other occupational health and safety experts to speak before the meeting.

"The International Labor Organization and the International Association of Labour Inspectors (IALI) are also expected to join and participate," she said, adding that a representative of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) will do a “virtual presentation” via Skype.

by pna

The Cebu Educational Development Foundation for Information Technology (CEDF-IT) has pledged to strengthen further the academe-industry linkage, particularly in job match, with the still increasing demand for IT-BPO/KPO jobs in Cebu.

CEDF-IT executive director Jun Sa-a said the main thrust of the foundation is still on helping the academe produce talents who meet industry requirements.

Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) managing director Joel Mari Yu earlier announced the expansion of eight new international companies into Cebu this year.

Yu said these firms are mostly in the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) businesses and would be looking for highly-skilled individuals for medical billing, data mining and medical encoding jobs.

”The demand is growing. We still need to prepare our graduates especially that companies here are diversified and each has specified requirements,” Saa said.

He said it is CEDF-IT’s main goal to prepare graduates for absorption in the industry.

”Although CEDF-IT has already helped bridge the gap of the academe and the industry, we cannot simply rest on our laurels. These companies are banking on Cebu’s huge and rich talent pool,” Saa said.

”We need to constantly upgrade and equip our graduates with the right skills and knowledge so they could adjust or keep up with the demands of these companies,” he added.

Aside from inking partnerships with various industries and universities, CEDF-IT, which was established during the Cebu IT Summit in March 2001, partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) for grants on various training programs on technical and non-technical skills trainings.

In terms of helping the industries get the right talent pool, Saa said the foundation is aggressively promoting the Philippine IT General Certification Exam (Phil IT GCE), a two-hour online exam comparable to PhilNITS, and IT certification exam that is recognized by many countries in the world.

Saa said the Phil IT GCE is offered twice a year and is now being participated by major universities here.

”While we continuously promote this exam among IT professionals and fresh graduates, we also hope to earn the strong support of companies,” Saa said.

Saa noted that companies may use the result of the exam even in the preliminary selection of applicants.

”In this way, we would be able to encourage students to do well in school, improve their craft, so they could get their desired jobs when they apply. Companies on the other hand, are assured of the quality of employees they are hiring,” he said.

The Phil IT GCE is a hundred-item, multiple-choice exam that consists of 20 percent easy, 60 percent average, and 20 percent difficult questions.

”There is a renewed interest and awareness of this exam in Cebu, but it still needs more push,” Saa said.

Phil IT GCE is considered as a overall evaluation of the graduate’s level of cognitive, psychomotor, and affected learning as specified in BS Computer Science; BS Computer Engineering; BS Information Technology; and BS Information Management curricula, as well as the graduate’s knowledge, skills and attitudes pertinent to advance or latest trends in IT as required by industry.

by pna

The Episcopal Commission for Catechesis and Catholic Education (ECCCE) chaired by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, in collaboration with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and Rex Publishing Company, has launched a 12-volume book series for children and youth.

Titled "Alive to the World", the book series was presented during a press conference called by Archbishop Villegas at the Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero Hall, Archbishop's Residence on Jovellanos Street in Dagupan on Monday.

Centered on 12 books that can be used in or out of elementary and secondary schools over as many years, the course presents an ongoing story about a group of friends who confront typical situations as they grow up.

The program makes young people think about choices and consequences.

At age appropriate levels, they have to consider family, friendship, peer pressure, romance, sex, love, marriage --and implications like loyalty, team work, personal responsibility, and respect for property, to name a few.

Over time, they learn that universal values make sense that they form a coherent system and, most importantly, that they open up a world of possibilities of health, happiness and progress.

This book series on personal, social and health education has been tested successfully in Latin America, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Archbishop Villegas admits that this is a pro active response to the steady deterioration of Catholic values among the youth.

"The Church is not an institution. The Church is a teacher and caretaker of truly positive universal human and Christian values.

The books teach about sex and family in an age appropriate manner and using universal human values. Even non-Christians can benefit from the book series.

The books contain pro-life messages which are quite timely because of the current move to pass the Reproductive Health bill in Congress.

"I encourage all our Catholic universities, colleges and schools to avail of the book series from Rex Publishing Company and start using the series when the school year opens in June," said Archbishop Villegas.

by pna

A good number of delinquent Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF-Pag-IBIG) borrowers and employers with unpaid contribution remittances have already availed of the penalty condonation of their respective loans and employees contributions in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

HDMF Baguio office marketing and enforcement division chief Lawrence Ocampo said the social-oriented policy is to help the group experiencing financial reverses to avoid being subjected to foreclosures and further penalties.

An estimated more than 50,000 borrowers and employers in the region face the predicament.

Ocampo explained that "since this lenient policy will end on December 30, 2012, those similarly situated would come to office and avail with the condonation."

He said that aside from condonation, those who have housing loans are also given restructuring of loans if their status warrants.

Pag-IBIG for the last decade has been the government agency which was able to provide decent homes to hundreds of residents in the region who have titled lands used as collaterals of their respective loan applications.

Ocampo said that most of the housing loan borrowers are able to pay their amortizations but there are those who are hard-up in paying on time their respective due accounts.

by pna

The southern Cebu town of Minglanilla has the highest number of dengue patients in the province with 31 cases for the first quarter of 2012, according to the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (RESU).

However, the Department of Health (DOH) 7 revealed that cases for 2012 from January to March are 79.53 percent lower compared to the same period last year.

From January to March 2012, there were 312 cases and four deaths while 2011 has 1,524 cases with 14 deaths.

For Central Visayas, Dumaguete and Siaton of Negros Oriental top the list with 51 and 36 cases, respectively.

Talisay City ranked fourth with 26 cases, while Cebu City has 20 cases with one death.

The age range of cases is still between three months and 79 years old with both sexes almost equally represented.

However, 25 percent of patients are children between six and 10 years old.

Despite the low number of cases, health officials recommended to local government officials to intensify the information campaign on dengue with emphasis on the importance of eliminating breeding sites of mosquitoes and to mobilize the community of participate in environmental sanitation activities such as clean-up drives.

DOH 7 is also continuing information drives to different areas in the region.

Officials are also encouraged to organize dengue brigades in barangays, to continue disease surveillance and to notify Resu on dengue cases.

A patient who suffers from dengue has high fever, body weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting and in worst cases, nose bleeding from internal hemorrhage.

The dengue virus is transmitted form one person to another by an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, which thrives in clean and stagnant water.

by pna

The Department of Health (DOH) has vowed to continue on searching for the everlasting solutions against dengue.

Dr. Eric Tayag, DOH assistant secretary and spokesperson, said that mindset should be on the continuous search for everlasting solutions in curbing the the prevalence of dengue disease, "to stop saying that these are silly notions or no proof or scientific studies."

Tayag has lauded the rich minds from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for their researches, adding expect more to come in the fight against dengue.

Notedly, the DOST has distributed the “Ovi/Larvicidal (OL) Trap System”, a technology for control of Female Aedes Mosquito utilizing natural larvicide that kills eggs and larvae of aedes mosquitoes as carriers of dengue virus, to areas with high prevalence of dengue cases in the country.

Tayag underscored the importance of working together, saying "it should not be mere signing of the memorandum of agreement, understanding strategies, sharing the experience and resources" in fighting dengue.

"We can do it along with our partners -- local government units, various government agencies, and representatives from barangay, and the communities," Tayag said.

Meanwhile, the DOH reported dengue cases nationwide from January to March 31 reached to 16,511, which is lower by 28.96 percent compared to the same same period last year of 23,241.

There were 88 deaths recorded due to dengue for this same period of 2012 compared to 145 deaths in dengue in 2011.

by pna

The 96th annual Pulitzer Prizes were announced Monday in New York's Columbia University with the Philadelphia Inquirer receiving the coveted public service Pulitzer.

The Philadelphia Inquirer was awarded for its exploration of pervasive violence in the city's schools, using powerful print narratives and videos to illuminate crimes committed by children against children and to stir reforms to improve safety for teachers and students.

The Tuscaloosa News Staff in Alabama won breaking news reporting Pulitzer for its enterprising coverage of a deadly tornado. The Associated Press and the Seattle Times took the investigative reporting Pulitzer prizes.

New York Times won the explanatory reporting and international reporting prizes and the Patriot-News Staff in Pennsylvania took the prize for local reporting. The Huffington Post, an online publication, won national reporting prize for the riveting exploration of the physical and emotional challenges facing American soldiers severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan during a decade of war.

The Stranger, a Seattle weekly, won the feature writing prize. Commentary Pulitzer was awarded to Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune and criticism prize was awarded to Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe. The editorial cartooning award went to online media Politico and there is no award for editorial writing.

Massoud Hossaini of Agence France-Presse took breaking news photography prize for his heartbreaking image of a girl crying in fear after a suicide bomber's attack at a crowded shrine in Kabul and the feature photography Pulitzer went to the Denver Post.

Among the seven arts categories, Quiara Alegria Hudes won the award for drama for his play "Water by the Spoonful", the biography prize went to "George F. Kennan: An American Life " by John Lewis Gaddis, and "Life on Mars" by Tracy K. Smith won the poetry award.

The Pulitzer Prize was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City. Each winner receives a certificate and a 10,000-U.S.-dollar cash award. The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal.

McDonald's Mcfloat

League of Filipino Students Attack US Embassy in Manila

By Lee Chi-dong

The World Bank chose Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-born physician, as its new president on Monday, extending Washington's hold on the organization tasked with helping developing nations.

Kim, a renowned health expert and educator, was nominated by President Barack Obama last month to head the 187-nation World Bank, established in 1944.

The bank's directors selected Kim in a meeting over Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. He succeeds Robert Zoellick, former deputy secretary of state.

Kim will take up the post in July for a five-year term.

Born in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, in 1959, Kim moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 5 years old. Kim has served as the president of Dartmouth College since 2009.

He is known for tireless efforts to treat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in the developing world.

Kim openly said his knowledge on South Korea's industrialization and democratization will be of great help in working at the World Bank.

The U.S. hailed Kim's election, which kept alive the tradition of Americans leading the World Bank despite a challenge by some developing nations.

Kim's selection marks the first time that the head of the World Bank has been chosen through formal competition.

"I appreciate the strong support offered to Dr. Kim from leaders around the world," Obama said in a statement. "I am also pleased that this has been an open and transparent process, and would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding qualifications and commitment of the other two candidates."

Take a Break

Rebecca Black

by pna

There must be an investigation of the natural drainage at the excavation site for a condominium tower expected to become Cebu City’s tallest building at 55 storeys, an expert said.

Engr. Fe Walag, University of San Carlos-Water Resource Center (USC-WRC) director, said the investigation must be on the natural drainage within the vicinity of the P1.7-billion Horizon 101 Tower condominium along Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City.

Walag said the USC-WRC was commissioned by the condominium developer Taft Property Ventures Development Corp. (TPVDC) to conduct a hydrology study at the site.

She said the study was submitted last year.

A portion of the retaining wall collapsed at the excavation site of the 55-storey Horizon Tower 1 last Tuesday afternoon, affecting 10 families.

Walag said the presence of water in the area and structural integrity of the construction should be checked.

The hydrology study was quoted by senior geologist Elena Lupo in the geological site scoping report of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB 7) dated June 9, 2011.

Lupo said previous works by MGB 7 on mapping and assessment of floodprone areas in Cebu City identified the area in Barangay Cogon-Ramos as highly susceptible to flooding and that a history of flooding during heavy rains and typhoon has been recorded.

Lupo said the USC-WRC study resulted in the design of the present drainage system where the surface run-off water is drained in a large catchment area northwest of the project site.

The proposed drainage line and final outfall with run southeast toward Lahug River.

TPVDC project director Engr. June Umali said the moist soil at the site is due to rainwater and the presence of houses.

by pna

Ormoc City, Leyte - The richest barangay here is building its own mini-hospital. Tongonan will soon have a two-storey patient and health receiving center which will have a seven-bed capacity ward, two private rooms, laboratory and x-ray room. It will also offer minor operation services.

The P6.2 million facility is funded by income from the Energy Development Corp.’s (EDC) real property taxes (RPT) for 2010-11 worth P27 million.

EDC pays an average of P9 million annually on RPT to Tongonan. First phase of the project costs P1.7 million and the second phase P2.5 million. Another P2 million will be allocated for facilities and equipment.

Even without the mini-hospital, Tongonan already spends P1.3 million annually for medicines and P800,000 for supplies of its barangay health center.

With the hospital’s operation next year, the budget for health will increase to P3 million for medicines and P1.5 million for supplies.

The mini-hospital will provide free health services to Tongonan’s 418 households consisting of 2,183 inhabitants.

It will also accept patients from other barangays but will provide free services only to members of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to sustain its operation.

With their own mini-hospital, Barangay Captain Periander Bañez said his constituents won’t have to go on a 25-minute ride to go to a medical facility at the city proper.

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