MikeLigalig.com

Treacherous Road in Boljoon, Cebu

Lovely Marian Rivera

Sun Star Cebu

Petitions are being circulated to urge the Supreme Court (SC) to hold bar examinations outside Metro Manila. Cebu is being pushed as a venue for the exams.

Dean Baldomero Estenzo of the University of Cebu College of Law said holding the bar in Metro Manila “prejudices candidates” residing in Visayas and Mindanao, because the cost of living in the capital is high.

Speaking at a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminar, he cited the effect last September’s Typhoon Ondoy had on examinees.

The floods forced a one-week extension of the test. Students from the provinces, with money just enough for the original four-week schedule, bore the added pressure of finding money.

Law students from at least three non-Manila-based law schools have signed a petition asking the SC to make the necessary changes, Estenzo said.

Two are from Cebu City, the colleges of law of the University of Cebu (UC) and the University of the Visayas (UV). One is from Mindanao, the Xavier Law School in Cagayan de Oro.

Over 60 other lawyers from the Visayas and Mindanao have signed their own petition seeking the transfer to Cebu.

The University of Cebu’s Banilad Campus, where its College of Law is based, is being offered as venue, free of charge.

Lawyer Michael Yu, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City Chapter president, said he will include the petition signed by the lawyers in the next board meeting.

University of Cebu - Banilad, Cebu City Campus

Cebu Pacific (CEB) gives more passengers the opportunity to come home or go on vacation for the holidays in a P99 'Go Lite' seat sale to all domestic destinations. This seat sale starts now until September  20, 2010 or until seats last, for travel from December 24-25, and December 31, 2010 to January 1, 2011.

CEB flies from Manila to 29 destinations, including Boracay (Caticlan), Cauayan, Tuguegarao, Laoag, Naga, Coron (Busuanga), San Jose, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Cebu, Catarman, Calbayog, Iloilo, Virac and Cagayan de Oro.

From Cebu, we also fly direct to 19 destinations, including Boracay (Caticlan), Butuan, Puerto Princesa, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Bacolod, Siargao, Davao, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Dipolog, Cotabato, and Clark.

Malacanang said on Friday there will be no contingents from the Senate and the House of Representatives that will join the "lean delegation" of President Benigno S. Aquino III in his visit to the United States this month.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda told Palace reporters in a text message that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. decided not to send any members of Congress to join the Chief Executive in his first overseas trip since assuming the presidency last June 30.

”There are no representatives from the House and the Senate who will join the President in his working trip to the U.S.,” Secretary Lacierda said.

According to Lacierda, the President decided to have a very "small delegation" which will include only three Cabinet members.

Lacierda also said that the President and his lean delegation will not stay at sky-high price hotels while in New York and San Francisco.

He added that President Aquino decided to stay at Sofitel Hotel while in New York, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Earlier this week, the President said that he would only include in his entourage the secretaries of Trade, Foreign Affairs and Finance.

He also assured that no one among his sisters will join his first-ever foreign trip as Chief Executive.

He added, however, that about 30-35 businessmen will join his first overseas trip since 60-70 percent of his working visit to the U.S. will be business-oriented to invite investors to do business in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma earlier said that the Palace lauded the House leadership for not sending any delegation to accompany the President in his U.S. trip.

Coloma cited Speaker Belmonte for deciding to focus on working for the passage of the proposed 2011 national budget. (PNA)

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here is urging budding entrepreneurs to start business in the countryside.

DTI, through its weekly radio program Unlad Pinoy Program has been reaching listeners in the provincial area. DTI hoped that this entrepreneurship program will open the awareness and consciousness of the listeners to open businesses in countryside.

DTI information officer Ruby Melliza said the radio program aims to create additional jobs and develop economic activity in the municipalities.

Melliza said there have been varied positive feedbacks from listeners, as well as queries on how to improve their business in rural areas. She said that they also feature tips and free business promotions, consumer welfare advocacies and testimonies from successful Ilonggo entrepreneurs.

DTI’s radio program also discusses the rights and responsibilities of consumers, retailers, trade laws, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and main products of provinces in the region such as the One Town One Product (OTOP) initiative.

The radio program has already featured the coco-sugar and loom-weaving of Aklan, the muscovado sugar of Antique, dried and various products from Guimaras, as well as food products from Iloilo. She said that they have already featured some 70 successful SMEs and cooperatives all over the region.

Melliza said that the Unlad Pinoy radio program airs every Saturday, 9 to 9:30 AM at Bombo Radyo.

Meanwhile, DTI regional director Dominic Abad said that the Unlan Pinoy program has been a great help in promoting the various products of the region, as well as teach locales on how to start their own business. He stressed that DTI will continue its programs that helps expand the entrepreneurship in the region. (PNA)

Police authorities here on Thursday recovered mineral deposits taken from the gold rush area in Barangay Didipio in Kasibu town.

Police Chief Inspector Maciste Serrano, Kasibu chief of police said the 60 sacks of mineral deposits, locally known here as “Luyot” were discovered in a checkpoint manned by local environment enforcers and policemen.

The “Luyot” were loaded inside an Isuzu Elf van with plate number RJW 823 owned by Tomas Batalao of Barangay Didipio in Kasibu town.

“They were attempting to smuggle the mineral deposits from the gold rush area despite our presence and strict prohibition of its illegal transport,” Maciste said.

Earlier, the provincial government here has ordered the stoppage of smuggling “Luyot” from barangay Didipio after these were found to be a lucrative business among villagers and buyers in Kasibu town.

“Luyot”, extracted from tunnels of small scale miners in barangays Didipio and Alimit in Kasibu are sold at P15.00 to P20.00 a kilo among buyers outside the town.

These mineral deposits are processed through a ball mill in order to extract high grade gold, known to be the best qualities in the international market.

The stoppage of small scale mining operations and smuggling of mineral deposits in Kasibu town was ordered by Governor Luisa Cuaresma due to the absence of required permits and the unsafe practices in the area.

Earlier consultations between provincial officials, small scale miners and businessmen in the area have resulted in the proposed creation of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board(PMRB).

The PMRB will be tasked to scrutinize small scale mining applications in Kasibu town and the proposed declaration of the area as a public mining site or “Minahan ng Bayan”.

“Luyot” traders have also appealed to the provincial government to allow their transportation of mineral deposits from the area as they have invested close to millions of pesos for the illegal trade. (PNA)

Five municipalities from Central Antique received some P4.8-million worth of projects from the Department of Agriculture (DA) simultaneous with the launching of the national convergence initiatives (NCI) program here on Thursday.

Each of the municipalities of Bugasong, Laua-an, Patnongon, Valderrama and Barbaza through their respective farmers' association and cooperative received a small scale composting facility that will enable them to produce their own organic fertilizer totaling to P2.8 million and assorted vegetable seeds and upland rice varieties.

The composting facility includes one unit shredder machine; two units of compost tea brewer and one set spare blade. They were also provided funds for the establishment of three-unit vermin beds and training.

Barbaza was also chosen as the site of the high density abaca nursery that will be implemented by the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) and the LGU of Barbaza and recipient of drum seeder and power sprayer.

Other projects included the establishment of tramline in Brgy. Igburi, Patnongon town worth P1.595 million that will be used to transport agri-products and inputs and P300,000 transplanter that was turned over to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

The turn-over ceremony led by Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and assisted by Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales.

Meantime, Puyat stressed that the projects which are expected to benefit hundreds of small growers of rice, mango and other high-value commercial crops are initials of the commitment extended by their agency to the agro-enterprise development project of Central Antique.

"Through this agro-enterprise development project, we hope to make Central Antique model agricultural communities for Western Visayas and the entire country-progressive, food-secure, agribusiness oriented and environmentally healthy," she said. (PNA)

Stakeholders in priority infrastructure projects for Iloilo City are banking on a strong public and private partnership (PPP) and wider citizen participation on the proposed P2.2 billion infrastructures for this southern city and the neighboring municipalities under the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC).

A presentation and copy report of the proposed infrastructures for the next six years were received by Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas, City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and provincial board member Jett Rojas representing Gov. Arthur Defensor, Sr. for the six MIGEDC municipalities in a formal turnover of projects held at the Sarabia Manor Hotel here Friday.

Ma. Lea Victoria Lara of the Iloilo Business Club (IBC) said that possible funding will come from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the national government to be included in the medium term development plan of the Department of Public Works and Highways projects.

Other funding sources may come from foreign assistance or from private investors and stakeholders.

The report on partnership for better infrastructures summarizes the initiatives of IBC to assist the legislative district under Treñas to identify the necessary road projects that can wield strong economic impact to the city constituents.

IBC received technical assistance from the Research Education and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through The Asia Foundation.

The stakeholders recognize that the partnership for better infrastructures is part of an ongoing effort to increase citizen participation on governance to sustain economic growth and decongest this southern city.

John Avila, cognizant technical officer of USAID, said they are ready to render technical assistance to PPP especially on tourism projects that will help put Iloilo on the tourism map.

Similarly, Ky Johnson, deputy country representative of the Asia Foundation, batted on wider citizen participation in promoting good governance in the local government units.

REID president Enrico Basilio also wants to promote PPP in an open, competitive and transparent process especially in the "roll on-roll off" expansion to help the Philippines in the ASEAN Ro-Ro network.

The infrastructure projects are the P1.6 to P1.9 billion Circumferential Road I endorsed by the Regional Development Council in 2004 that covers 14 kilometers road and 5 bridges starting at the Iloilo-Antique road up to the Iloilo coastal road.

Also included in the IBC report are road and bridge projects that will catalyze the urban development in Metro Iloilo area such as the 3-kilometer Jaro-Leganes Road worth P281 million from Jaro to Calle Progreso in Leganes; the 3.5-kilometer Radial 4-Bypass 2 road from McArthur Drive Bridge up to Leganes worth P240 to P280 million; and the P174-million road from Jalandoni Bridge to the diversion road with construction of road and Dungon Bridge. (PNA)

A lawyer for the family of Salvador "Bubby" Dacer on Friday said that the daughters of the slain publicist have filed a US$ 120-million civil suit against former President Joseph Estrada, fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson and several others at a Northern District court in the State of California.

Lawyer Demetrio Custodio, Dacer family's legal counsel, told a regular media forum, “Friday Balitaan sa Hotel Rembrandt,” in Quezon City that sisters Carina, Sabina and Amparo Dacer, who are residing in US, filed the civil case under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victim Protection Act of the US Code for the cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment, torture and extra-judicial killing of their father as well as his driver, Emmauel Corbito.

Besides Estrada and Lacson, also named respondents in the civil suit are businessman Dante Tan; former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chief executive Reynaldo Tenorio; former police colonels Michael Ray Aquino and Glenn Dumlao, Chief Insp. Vicente Arnado and 100 John Does.

Custodio said that the Dacer sisters were asking for US$ 20 million as compensatory damages and US$ 100 million as punitive damages.

He said that a civil procedure differs from a criminal procedure.

The standards of proof are higher in a criminal case than in a civil one, since the state does not wish to risk punishing an innocent person, he said.

In a criminal case a crime cannot be proven if the person or persons judging it doubt the guilt of the suspect and have a reason (not just a feeling or intuition) for this doubt.

However, in a civil action, the plaintiff is required to prove his case “on the balance of probabilities”. Thus, in a civil case, the court will weigh all the evidence and decide what is most probable.

Custodio said that should the case prosper, known properties, including bank accounts, of the defendants in the US can be used as restitution. (PNA)

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday said 16 establishments and 12 individuals have qualified for the final judging of the prestigious Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan (GKK) of the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) on Sept. 16.

The OSHC is an attached agency of the DOLE.

The GKK is a national award given every two years in recognition of the outstanding achievements and best practices of establishments and individuals for safety and health.

A component of the Zero Accident Program, one of the flagship programs of DOLE, spearheaded by the OSHC, the GKK was established to encourage institutions and companies to implement safety, health and environment programs to achieve productivity and zero accident in the workplace and to recognize outstanding institutions or individuals who have implemented successful safety and health programs or ideas.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said that the GKK complements President Benigno S. Aquino III’s 22-point labor and employment agenda, particularly about the call for the DOLE to promote the constitutional rights of workers, which include their right to safety and health in the workplace to ensure their productivity and competitiveness.

“I call on employers, including those of small and medium enterprises, to ensure the health and safety of their workers as this would benefit them in terms of preventing workplace accidents and diseases that would certainly hamper business operations and profits,” Baldoz said in connection to the awards.

OSHC officials, labor unions, employers, the academe, non government organizations (NGO) and other stakeholders deliberated and judged on the entries to the Gawad, said OSHC executive director officer-in-charge Dr. Teresita Cocueco.

Cocueco also said that only the “best of the best” survived the validation process for winners in the individual and establishment categories.

She said the GKK contestants were judged on their capabilities to provide safety control and emergency preparedness, industrial hygiene, occupational health program, environmental protection and community relations, social accountability, capacity building on occupational safety and health (OSH), OSH-MS international safety rating system, and outcome of programs.

The winners for both the individual and establishment categories â€" Presidential Award, Labor Secretary’s Award, and Special Recognition â€" will be handed specially-crafted trophies, fashioned by the internationally-acclaimed and multi-awarded artist Ramon Orlina.

A special award will also be given to an entry from the informal sector.

The GKK winners will be announced during the awarding ceremony to be held at the OSHC in Quezon City on Oct. 14. It will be followed by the 12th National Safety and Health Congress, a convention of occupational safety and health practitioners who will share research papers, posters, photos, documentary films and OSH products. (PNA)

Preparations are now going on for the eventual fiscal decentralization of the province of Pangasinan aimed at making tax collection more effective and efficient.

This started when the provincial government tapped the services of 55 data encoders to work on the computerization of the Integrated Tax-Real Property Tax Administration System (iTAX-RPTAS).

The newly-hired personnel underwent a three-day training last September 8-10 for them to start the implementation of the Itax RPTAS project.

Technical staff from GTZ-iTAX team composed of two technical staff from the provincial government of Negros Oriental assisted and supervised the data encoders during the training.

The project is consistent with the implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into by Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr. with the German Technical Cooperation Agency or GTZ, a company duly incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Under the MOA, the province and the Federal Republic of Germany agreed to improve and strengthen the good fiscal governance of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Pangasinan through the fiscal decentralization and local financial management component of the GTZ Decentralization Program.

Governor Espino said the decentralization program through the iTAX will improve the province’s tax assessment and collection system and increase its collection in real property tax, business tax and other local fees, including non-taxable revenues.

The governor said that through the program, "we will be able to get accurate tax payment and enforce proper tax collection."

Modesto Singson, chief of the Management Information Systems, said the RPTAS Computer Software Programs were installed in the province's 52 computer sets which will be used for data entry operations.

He said the data entry processing of an estimated 792,253 lot parcels for the whole province is projected to end by July 2011.

Pangasinan is the sixth province in the Philippines to be chosen by the Federal Republic of Germany through the GTZ to avail of the program grant. (PNA)

The administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III is planning to construct more roads to speed up economic development in Mindanao, a top government official from the region said on Saturday.

In addition, the government is also considering the construction of a mega dam in Pulangi River in Bukidnon province as a "big contribution" to Mindanao's economic development as it would address the power demand of big sectors, especially the power producers and retailers.

Earlier this year, Mindanao experienced up to 12 hours of power outages daily due to the drying up of its hydropower sources as a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Mindanao draws more than 50 percent of its power from hydro sources such as Agus Plants in Lake Lanao and the Pulangui River in Bukidnon.

The Aquino administration has plans of developing the country's energy sector through the Department of Energy (DOE), which is tasked to make further studies on how to address the power crisis in the southern island.

Newly-installed chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Lualhati Antonino made these government projections during the three-day 2010 Mindanao Business Conference (2010 MinBizCom) here which ended on Saturday.

These plans of the government will boost economic development in Mindanao, Antonino said.

The new MinDA chair said the Aquino administration is giving more attention to Mindanao to make it a booming region in the country.

On Thursday, President Aquino made a Mindanao swing, particularly in Southern Mindanao region and met Mindanao’s business community leaders there and switched on the newly built Sibulan Hydropower plant in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

"The government intends to establish more road networks that would link all ports in the island,” stressed Antonino.

The MinDA chair said construction of more roads in agricultural food producing provinces will address the inconvenience of transporting goods in and out of Mindanao.

Antonino attended the 2010 MinBizCom to represent President Aquino at Grand Caprice Restaurant, LimKetKai Center here. She assumed office last Sept. 15, replacing former MinDA chair Jesus G. Dureza.

Meanwhile, Antonino said the Aquino administration is also focusing on continuing peace efforts in Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines.

The MinDA chair said peace negotiations would be given due attention by the Aquino administration through initiating programs that would improve quality of life for Mindanaoans.

“We are now in the process of addressing the Mindanao problem,” added Antonino. (PNA)

Police in London made arrests on Friday as they moved to break up an alleged terrorist attack on Pope Benedict XVI, who is on a state visit to Britain.

A total of five men were arrested on the early morning of Friday, and a sixth was arrested at lunchtime.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "At approximately 5:45 a.m., 17 September five men were arrested by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism."

Searches were carried out at a business premises in central London and residential premises in north and east London. However, police said that "initial searches have not uncovered any hazardous items."

A police spokesman told Xinhua that it was unclear at this stage if any further arrests would be made or if any charges would be pressed.

He said that the sixth man had been arrested under the Terrorism Act at a home in north London and that he was being questioned by detectives at a police station in central London.

The police spokesman added, "Following today's arrests the policing arrangements for the Papal visit were reviewed and we are satisfied that our current policing plan remains appropriate. The itinerary has not changed." (PNA/Xinhua)

Greenpeace on Saturday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for a full public disclosure of industrial discharges into freshwater sources, citing the dangers posed by toxic effluents and the public’s right to know the composition of such discharges into water bodies like the Laguna de Bay.

Greenpeace made the call on the occasion of the International Coastal Clean-up day, as it joined hundreds of youth from Laguna Province in cleaning up the shores of Calamba.

Running priest Fr. Robert Reyes also joined the group in the clean up.

In this third year of Greenpeace’s collaboration with the Laguna Youth Development Affairs Office (YDA), the Laguna youth picked up and segregated garbage from the shore, while Greenpeace volunteers on brightly-coloured rubber boats and kayaks picked up garbage from the water.

The Greenpeace boats also unfurled a banner saying, “WHAT LIES BENEATH? OUR WATERS, OUR RIGHT TO KNOW!” Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said that the message was meant to highlight the unseen threats.

“We want to point to the fact that there is a kind of pollution that may be invisible to the eye, but may prove to be bigger hazards. Unfortunately, pollution information is not made available to the public. Therefore, they are unable to protect themselves,” Baconguis said.

Greenpeace recommends the setting up of a pollution disclosure system, such as a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR), as a tool to empower the public and help curb pollution.

A PRTR would provide the people with a database system from which they could check the health of water sources and identify hot spots.

The system would provide industries with a comprehensive measurement to check, compare and improve their processes, and make their businesses more viable. (PNA)

Gov. Jeorge "E.R." Ejercito on Saturday urged the government to speed up the implementation of the Laguna de Bay Rehabilitation Project, which, when completed, would benefit over 13 million people living around the lake, including residents of Metro Manila.

”The P18.7 billion Laguna Lake dredging deal is an opportunity that government should grab immediately before another catastrophe strikes,” Ejercito said.

He lauded farmers, fishermen and ordinary folk and non-government organizations from the two congressional districts of Laguna for petitioning anew President Benigno S. Aquino III to give them the light for the early realization of the rehabilitation project.

Two petitions were submitted by Laguna residents to the Office of the President and the the Department of Finance, seeking the sooner implementation of the project, the first on July 29, 2010 and the second on Sept. 13, 2010.

Ejercito vowed the provincial government under his leadership, to give all-out support to the dredging project, noting that Laguna de Bay, South East Asia’s largest fresh water lake comprising of 94, 900 hectares, is now only two meters deep compared to its 30-meter depth 50 years ago.

“As governor of Laguna, I can assure all residents in the province that I am supporting fully the implementation of the project because most of the lakeshore towns are expected to reap the multifarious benefits that the project would offer to them, including the generations to come.

Ejercito expressed alarm that the heavily silted water body would rise again, flooding lakeshore communities, similar to what had happened at the height of Typhoons “Ondoy” and “Peping” last year and “Basyang” in July this year.

The provinces of Laguna and Rizal, which share portions of Laguna Lake, registered high death tolls during flooding brought by the two storms, he said.

”If the rehabilitation of Laguna Lake doesn’t push through, we will find difficulties finding another opportunity,” the governor said of the dredging deal signed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with Belgian company Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon (BDC).

The costly project was approved recently by Justice Secretary Leila De Lima who stressed that the project was not a “midnight” deal” as claimed by some sectors, including a few officials in government, calling it one of the “midnight deals” of the previous administration.

“We’re running after the time lost here,” Ejercito said, adding proposals to remove silt from the lake had been deferred as far back as 1963. “What year are we now in? “2010!”

"We were hopeful that when the DENR and the Belgian company inked the project early this year, the undertaking will push through without any hassle. Now some national and local officials are trying to block the same, for reasons they know only for themselves," he said.

He also said that the “P18.7 billion fund is, in fact, a small amount. P1 billion (of the fund) goes to the relocation of informal settlers in Laguna and the other P1 billion for Rizal residents,” he said.

The project also covers the dredging of the seven-kilometer Napindan Channel, rehabilitation of wetlands and the construction of 12 ferry stations.

Based on a study, the economic benefits are anchored on navigation and mass transport due to the nautical highway that could be established. Many products of Laguna and Rizal will be competitive since transport costs will be reduced. The transport of commodities by ferries and barges will be simulated, apart from the positive effects of ferry stations, fish ports and economic areas for the lake shore communities.

Ejercito also hinted that a group of Chinese businessmen, from the private sector, have expressed interest in taking over the second phase of the lake dredging. He, however, did not elaborate.

He also said that Laguna was the first to hold a Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Summit last week to tackle the DRRM issue and the disaster management program of the province..

Ejercito said the program of the provincial government that started this month, includes the reforestation of 1,000 hectares of forest area over three years; a solid waste management program; the training of 1,216 rescuers; relocation of squatter families from the 12.5-kilometer easement of the lake; creation of a 24/7 command and communications center; declogging of 27 water tributaries in Laguna; and the purchase of rubber and fiber glass boats, jet skis and amphibians that would be used for rescue operations.

According to the governor, the Belgian company contracted to undertake the project is just awaiting for a Notice to Proceed from the DENR. The funds are there and ready to be availed off for the lake’s dredging and rehabilitation, he said.(PNA)

The United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) will open five new branches and operate 17 more automated teller machines (ATMs) in the last quarter of the year to achieve its 16 percent total deposits and 36 percent new loans targets this year.

UCPB executive vice president for branch banking Edmond Bernardo said the plan is to increase to 183 their branches nationwide and to 250 their ATM sites.

He said the new branches will be put up in Alabang in Muntinlupa, Global City in Taguig, Malabon, and Bacoor and Dasmarinas in Cavite “to take advantage of the strong and steady rise of commercial activities and the growing residential communities in these areas.”

He pointed out that residential communities and small enterprises will give them more opportunities to increase retail deposits and consumer loans while business establishments for corporate deposits and commercial loans.

“Market reach and customer service will be the key to hitting our aggressive deposit and loan growth targets this year and next, that’s why we’re focusing on expanding and upgrading our main service delivery channels,” he said.

As of end-August this year, the bank’s deposits base reached P139 billion, P19 billion higher year-on-year while loans totaled to P45 billion or P9 billion expansion from year-ago’s P36 billion.

Bernardo said that as of last August, their consumer loans alone grew by 70 percent year-on-year and the new branches will enable them to sustain this growth.

Relatively, the UCPB executive said the new ATM sites will be put up in high-traffic areas like commercial centers, transport terminals and big schools both in Metro Manila and the provinces.

He said the 17 new ATMs are in addition to the 15 they opened in the first half this year aside from the old ones they replaced.

The bank is also renovating some of its branches “to enhance market visibility” while some have been relocated “to more progressive sites to increase accessibility and to tap bigger deposit and loan markets.”

Bernardo said 48 of their branches have been relocated or renovated while 16 others are nearing completion and 37 more in the pipeline. (PNA)

In a more serious campaign on dengue awareness, Gov. Edgar Chatto launched last Friday a province-wide massive clean-up against the disease that has already killed eight this year.

The governor, whose younger sister died of the dreaded mosquito-borne ailment some 40 years ago, urged all sectors to conduct simultaneous clean-ups in "appropriate areas of their choice" during the launching of the Bohol Clean-up Versus Dengue and Other Diseases from 1:30 in the afternoon to 6:00 in the evening last Friday.

"The life you save may be that of your loved one," Chatto said in his memo-circular "call(ing) for unity in the combat against dengue."
         
The governor likewise urged the cellphone owners/holders to spread this text message: "Save Lives…Join the Bohol Clean-up Versus Dengue and Other Diseases."

By texting alone, one can become a contagious agent of dengue eradication, which is hoped to be gradual yet dramatic, if not abrupt.

Chatto called on the members of the cross-section of the Boholano community to "unite and do" their part as citizens who have social responsibilities.

The simultaneous massive clean-up province-wide mobilized the officials and workers of the provincial, city, municipal and barangay governments, national agencies, both public and private schools, NGOs, POs, civic clubs, business community, religious sector, etcetera.

Dengue cases have been rising in alarming rate in certain areas in Tagbilaran, now the region's second "dengue city," and are feared to even more than double the number last year.

Health authorities have been calling for a strong adherence to the so-called "4S" against dengue---search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say "No" to indiscriminate fogging. (Ven rebo Arigo)

Published by Bohol Chronicle

Six Boholano political detainees, including the so-called 'Buenavista 5", observed a "solidarity fasting" with all similar detainees nationwide last Friday at their Bohol District Jail.

In a press release statement, the group demanded for the "release of all political detainees in the country" as allegedly promised by the GRP (Government) in the 2001, 2004 and 2007 peace talks.

The "Buenavista 5" is composed of leaders or active supporters of HUMABOL, a legitimate farmers' group which has been accused by the military of wrongdoings.
         
They likewise called for the resumption of the aborted peace talks between the GRP and the NDF (National Democratic Front) - last held in Brussels - to find a permanent solution to the war-like engagements in the country. The Group also urged President Noynoy Aquino to make a strong categorical statement against the activities related to Oplan Bantay Laya.

The detainees claimed this has been "the cause of political harassment and deaths of progressive activists.

The jailed personalities also called for the immediate release of the "Morong 43", a group made of medical practitioners and their supporters accused of rebellion. They specifically cited the case of Carina Judilyn Oliveros, of the "Morong 43" who should be given the necessary 6-month leave to take care of her newly-born child - based on internationally accepted human right norms.

So far "she has only been given three months hospital arrest", the group indicated.

The six political detainees are Florencio Quino, Antonio Sanchez, Edwen Lofranco, Ruben Busalanan, Rodrigo Mejeias and Elpidio Tagsep.

By Bohol Chronicle

Police theorized the drug trade-related matters as the possible motive behind the ambush slay of a former official of the Sangguniang Kabataan and his wife inside their car along the national highway in Pooc Occidental, this coastal town mid-morning last Thursday.

The victims, Alphonsius Boligao, 34 and pregnant wife, Maricor, 26, failed to arrive at a Tubigon hospital alive after they were ambushed by a motorcycle riding assailant who pumped 11 shots into the victims' car.

PNP Prov'l Director Constantino Barot, Jr. told the Chronicle that based on initial information gathered by the Tubigon PNP, the ambush has something to do with drugs.

Boligao had earlier figured in a shooting incident in Clarin town last July, according to Police CInsp. Lorenzo Batuan, Tubigon PNP chief when interviewed by the Chronicle yesterday.
         

The identity of the suspect might surface when police investigators will meet tomorrow with some of the close friends of the victim.

The police chief expressed dismay over one eyewitness who declined to issue statement on what he saw during the ambush.

Batuan said that police recovered 11 empty shells near the red Toyoto Corona car of the victims.

Both Alphonsius and Maricor were hit with a single gunshot wound at their backs, an indication that the wife must have tried to cover her husband when the first burst of gunfire hit the windshield at the back of their car. The triggerman on board a black XRM was apparently trailing them from behind.

Eye witnesses said that the suspect came near the driver's side and pumped additional bullets - as if to ensure his death - which could be the fatal gunshot that killed the couple.

Tubigon Mayor William Jao, for his part, said the incident did not materially affect the peace and order condition of Tubigon since it was a very isolated case and police suspects the incident as purely motivated by personal revenge.

The statement of the mayor came as it was the first recorded ambush in his hometown.

The economic recovery is losing momentum in Italy, according to a report released by the Italian industrial employers association Confindustria on Thursday.

The report said performance of the economy "is the worst" among industrial countries and what is needed is "a crack of the whip" on reform to "resolve structural problems."

The slowdown of the recovery forced Condindustria to downsize its economic growth forecast for next year with GDP now expected to rise by 1.3 percent, compared to its previous prediction of 1.6 percent, the report added.

But Confindustria confirmed its GDP growth forecast for this year at 1.2 percent.

The Italian economy, the report said, will not return to its level of 2007, before the global meltdown in 2008 and subsequent recession, until 2013.

According to the report, 450,000 jobs were already lost by the middle of the year and a further 30,000 positions were at risk in the second half of the year.

Confindustria also predicted that the unemployment rate will climb to 9.3 percent by the end of 2011, from 8.4 percent at the end of July.

The association said in the report that Italy's black or underground economy "rose sharply" in 2009 and was now worth 20 percent of Italy's GDP, 27 percent when excluding the public sector, and was double that in the southern Italy.

This translated into lost tax revenue "far greater than the 125 billion euros we calculated last June," Confindustria said.

It said tax pressure in Italy had risen significantly and was currently "much more" than the 54 percent its study center indicated in 2009, the 51.4 percent indicated in its June report and the 'official' 43.2 percent rate. (PNA/Xinhua)

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here is urging budding entrepreneurs to seek business counseling before deciding on starting an enterprise.

DTI information officer Ruby Milleza said that the department is offering free business counseling so as to help entrepreneurs, cooperatives and local investors to decide on where to put their hard-earned capital.

Milleza said that among the services they offer include looking for potential investors and buyers, improved packaging of products, starter kits for individuals and groups, as well as assessing the profitability and marketability of the services or product.

She stressed that the counseling will help the entrepreneurs assess if they have the grit and tools to sustain their business despite economic challenges.

She said that DTI is also helping Ilonggo producers on how to promote their products in the national and international market.

Likewise, DTI also offers free business counseling every second Tuesday and Thursday of the month at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Building. They also urge business enthusiasts in the LGUs to avail of the free service anytime. DTI is currently encouraging budding entrepreneurs to start business in the countryside. (PNA)

At least 15 countries in 5 continents will be sending delegates and speakers to this year’s International Outsourcing Summit, scheduled on October 26-27 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.

Over 250 attendees have been confirmed to date, and more are expected to attend, especially from emerging outsourcing locations such as Africa and South America, as well as from established hubs such as India, and outsourcers such as North America and Europe.

“We are seeing increased interest from locations that are seeing the value of outsourcing both as prospective clients, and as providers of outsourced services,” said Oscar Sañez, CEO of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP).

Sañez said the unprecedented mix of delegates and speakers will contribute to the sharing of best practices, as well as enrich the overall discussion on the future of the BPO industry, its opportunities, and challenges, during the summit.

The summit also features participation from allied BPO partner associations from around the world, such as the European Outsourcing Association (EOA) and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. The Glaring Truth Behind the Fire Industry.

Is Wi-Tribe Wimax Available in Davao City Philippines?
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just want to know: Is Globe Wimax Now Available in Davao City?

Fertilizer prices have increased following the appreciation of the US dollar against the Vietnamese dong as well as higher prices on the global market, spurred by high demand in many countries like India.

Le Quoc Phong, director of Binh Dien Fertilizer Company, said there were limited supplies and a shortage of reserves on the global market.

Viet Nam had had to import a large volume of fertilizer every year to satisfy local demand since its local production met only one-third of consumption, Phong said.

A kilo of DAP fertilizer has risen to VND11,200 (US$ 0.57), compared to VND11,000 earlier this month and VND10,600 in August.

Similarly, the price of a kilo of urea fertilizer increased from VND6,200 ($ 0.3) in August to VND6,250 in earlier this month to VND6,350 currently.

China is currently the biggest supplier of fertilizers to Viet Nam, accounting for nearly 45 per cent of the country's total imports, followed by Russia, South Korea and the Philippines.

In April, Chinese authorities raised the fertilizer export tariff from 35 per cent to 135 per cent.

The Vietnamese Government recently issued a circular calling for an increase of the fertilizer import duty from 5 per cent to 6.5 per cent. This pushed up prices of fertilizers, experts have said.

Most farmers are worried about the higher prices, which will add to their production costs.

More than 318,600ha under the autumn-winter rice crop in the Mekong Delta region are in the growing stage, which are in dire need of fertilizers.

To stabilize the fertilizer market and help farmers feel more secure about production, experts have urged the Government to adopt new policies.

Local fertilizer producers should restructure their distribution network and regularly check selling prices to prevent agents from raising prices freely.

Currently, the Government did not have incentive policies for enterprises to import fertilizer to keep in reserve. Fertilizer prices, thus, depended on the fluctuation on the world market, Phong said.

Fertilizer reserves were like a double-edged sword, he added. They worked well when prices increased, but when they dropped, businesses had to sell at market prices and losses were unavoidable.

The Government, he said, should create measures to ensure security for businesses and others who participate in price-stabilization programs. Soft loans and support when prices drop should be included, he said. (PNA/VNS)

Building a data center is challenging especially with the rigorous industrial and technological standards it is required to comply with.

The evolution of “green” technologies also raised the bar for data centers and has created a new generation of facilities that aim to maximize information technology (IT) resources while being energy-efficient.

Thus, Eastern Communications’ Product Development Group, together with Rene Castillo, vice president for Service Delivery, kept all these in mind when plans were made to upgrade and expand the company’s data center facilities and managed services. Clients’ needs had prompted Eastern Communications to build DataHub, the company’s first “green” data center.

DataHub is equipped with best-in-class Tier II technologies and is Eastern Communications’ most energy efficient, secure and reliable facility. The DataHub is also the Philippines’ first Tier II data center that has a redundant site infrastructure and guarantees 99.741 percent uptime.

“Our business model is to provide our clients an outsourced and integrated data storage, recovery and management service,” said Castillo. “Given that our clients are corporations, this means our availability goal must be able to comply and support their stringent corporate requirements, specifically on having redundant, continuous power, and Internet connectivity.”

DataHub also features an extensive number of security and safety capabilities, such as precision-controlled air cooling and fire suppression, network monitoring, surveillance cameras, and biometrics systems.

In addition, the new IDC operates with industry-compliant energy efficient policies and guidelines augmented by new and optimized equipment to help maintain, track and audit the massive power required of a 24/7/365 IT facility.

Eastern decided on a turnkey project engagement which meant that APC would supply solutions for the data center and also be engaged to manage and oversee the project.

This included supervising the implementation that covered other aspects such as mechanical, electrical, civil, fire suppression and IT security for data centers.

Philippe Reveilhac, country president of Schneider Electric Philippines, sees Eastern Communications’ DataHub as a showcase of the best features of a green data center that can provide the much-needed data services for local corporations, which are the key contributors to the country’s economic recovery.

“APC by Schneider Electric is always ready to provide the best and ideal power and cooling solutions for all types of data centers,” said Reveilhac. “The Eastern Communications’ DataHub is a prime example of how our team of data center experts can build best-of-breed solutions that deliver results.”

He added that these solutions feature state-of-the-art data center manageability and “energy efficiency features that can help our clients achieve up to 30 percent energy savings at the same time, these ensure continued operations and high performance.

Reveilhac noted that these are also modular and scalable, and thus easy to adapt to clients’ infrastructure requirements.

“APC is here to help our clients create data centers that provide the best services available yet provide the highest returns on investment by implementing energy efficient practices,” he said.

The DataHub project is a joint undertaking of two multinational IT companies -- IBM Philippines and APC by Schneider Electric -- with the former being appointed as a certified partner of Eastern Communications, and the latter as the implementation party.

The two companies recently launched a global campaign called Scalable Modular Data Center (SMDC), which combines APC’s award-winning InfraStruxure® architecture and IBM’s global service capabilities. With SMDC, customers are able to deploy a high-density environment rapidly with a preexisting data center, thus reducing up-front capital and ongoing operational costs. (PNA)

The Court of Appeals (CA) Special Sixth Division has upheld an earlier ruling of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 90 ordering the settlement by merits of the ownership dispute between cosmetic surgeon Vicky Belo and former live-in-partner Jose Santos concerning 24,998 shares in Forever Flawless and Body Center, Inc. (FFI).

In the 21-page decision, penned by Associate Justice Florito Macalino, the CA said it found out that Quezon City RTC 90 Presiding Judge Reynaldo Daway committed no grave abuse of discretion in dismissing the separate motions filed by Belo and Santos last May 29, 2009.

Quezon City RTC 90 junked Santos’ motion seeking the dismissal of the complaint for interpleader filed by FFI, seeking the resolution of the ownership dispute of the subject shares between Belo and Santos.

While Belo asked the trial court to immediately declare Santos in default and rule in favor of FFI because of the latter’s failure to answer within the required 15-day period the summons sent by the lower court.

She also asked the lower court, in the event Santos be named as the stocks’ sole owner, it be declared permitted to decline the request for inspection of Santos due to the fact that he has already set up the Obagi Skin Health, Inc., that operates the House of Obagi, which is a direct competitor of FFI.

Daway, in dismissing the two’s petition, said that the issue should be resolved on the merits.

In affirming Quezon City RTC 90’s earlier decision, the CA said it was proper for the lower court to deny Santos’ motion to dismiss since it was prohibited under the Intra-Corporate Rules.

“The grounds relied upon by Santos for the dismissal of the complaints below should have been states instead as defenses...,” it said.

While in Belo’s case, the CA noted that the cosmetic surgeon’s claims that Santos was 14 days late in filing his objections to the summons, which was finally served at his residence in Bulacan through his female caretaker, which her former live-in partner denied.

“It can be said that the female caretaker is of sufficient age but we not find her of sufficient discretion. There is no indication that she comprehended the weight of receiving the discovery devices or the importance of these documents, specially more so if it is considered that Santos claims that he did not receive these documents at his Bulacan address. Hence, we cannot start the counting of the reglementary period on Jan. 16, 2009,” it said.

Concurring with the ruling were Associate Justices Juan Enriquez, Jr. and Normandie Pizarro.

The case stemmed from the disputed ownership of 24,998 shares of stock of FFI which are registered in the name of Santos.

In a letter dated Nov. 6, 2007, Santos demanded from FFI that he be provided with copies of certain corporate books and records pursuant to his right under Section 74 of the Corporation Code and stated that he shall be inspecting the said documents.

Belo, however, informed FFI that she and her children are the true owners of the subject shares.

Since Belo and Santos both claim ownership of the subject shares, FFI filed a complaint for interpleader on May 21, 2008 before the Quezon City RTC 90. (PNA)

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has estimated a total of P739.78-billion investment requirement under the government's public-private partnership (PPP).

In a presentation to Malacanang, NEDA director general Cayetano Paderanga said a total of 10 PPP projects will be rolled out next year, which will require an investment of P127.8 billion.

For 2012 and beyond, 73 projects have been identified for PPP.

Of these, 28 projects requiring P263.5 billion investment will be up for competitive selection.

For power projects, a total of 43 are being considered for PPP with an indicative amount of P348.5 billion.

For next year, PPP projects include the P70-billion MRT/LRT expansion project; the P11.3-billion MRT Line 2 Extension; the P7.54-billion New Bohol Airport; the P36-billion Puerto Princesa Airport; the P21-billion NLEX-SLEX Link Expressway; the P10.5-billion CALA Expressway-Manila side section; and the P3.08-billion Daraga International Airport.

The project cost for the development of City Terminal for Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, privatization of Laguindingan Airport Operation and Maintenance and the Supply of Treated Bulk Water for Metro Manila are yet to be determined.

Identified PPP priorities for 2012 and beyond include airports, roads, rails, water supply, irrigation, school buildings, health facilities, solid waste management services and other social support projects.

In terms of project approval process, Paderanga said, the government is committed to facilitate the approval and implementation process of PPP projects.

The solicited proposals will be processed within six months and unsolicited proposals will be processed within nine months.

"Qualified PPP projects shall have complete documents that are necessary to facilitate the approval process," Paderanga said.

As enunciated by the President Benigno S. Aquino III on several occasions, Paderanga said the administration aims to create adequate employment opportunities for many Filipinos in order to significantly reduce poverty.

"In order to attain this objective, we must focus on the following broad directions under an inclusive growth framework," he said.

First, the NEDA chief said the government will aim to attain a high and sustained economic growth over the medium term that provides productive employment opportunities for all or “inclusive growth framework.”

"For 2010, your government expects real GDP to grow by at least 5 percent. For 2011 to 2016, our target is a higher annual growth of 7 to 8 percent," Paderanga said.

To achieve the high and sustained growth rates, Paderanga added the government will provide an enabling environment for private sector investment and entrepreneurship through:

-Astable macroeconomic environment;

-Sound and consistent public policies;

-Investment in infrastructure (e.g. electricity, transport, water, irrigation, solid waste management, and environment);

-Effective anti-corruption measures;

-Enforcement of the rule of law; and

-Effective and efficient delivery of public service including improvements in the investment programming processes.

-"Secondly, we will equalize access to development opportunities across geographic areas and across the different income and social spectrum. This will ensure that expansion of employment opportunities translates to poverty reduction," Paderanga said.

And thirdly, Paderanga said the government needs to formulate and implement effective and responsive social safety nets to catch those who are left behind by the character of a high sustained growth.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expects to exceed the country's economic growth target this year despite the absence of election-related spending in the second half of the year.

"The chances [of achieving the target] are better now because we have a growth rate of close to 8 percent in the first half and if we grow even at a slower rate, a slightly lower rate (in the second half, we can probably do more than 6 percent for the whole year)," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga told reporters.

The Aquino administration is targeting a gross domestic production (GDP) of between five to six percent this year.

GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year.

"The momentum is still there although we don't have election spending, but we hope [exports] will not slowdown that much," Paderanga said.

He added that agriculture, which account for about 20 percent of the economy, is expected to recover in the second half.

"Although we got hit in the first and second quarters, the cycle is not that long and we can recover faster," Paderanga said.

Agriculture output fell 2.18 percent in the first half of the year because of dry weather caused by El Niño.

"We're also hoping that when we put in our investment plans the private sector will also start moving," the NEDA chief added.

The economy, as measured by the GDP, grew by 7.9 percent in the first six months of the year compared to the 0.9 percent in the same period last year.

This was the highest semestral growth since 1998 at 9.3 percent.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) earlier said the economy may slowdown in the third quarter because the composite leading economic index (LEI) is projected to rise at a pace not as remarkable as in the first two quarters of the year.

The NSCB said LEI recorded a negative 0.0371 from July to September compared to a revised negative 0.0902 in the second quarter.

Paderanga, however, admitted that next year's growth "will be a little more difficult because we will now be on a higher base." - pna

Sales of Samsung Electronic Co.'s Wave smartphone topped one million in the European market four months after its debut there, industry sources said Sunday.

The 3G smartphone based Samsung's Bada open platform was first introduced in May with the GfK consumer report placing the model as one of the top three best sellers in countries such as France, Germany and Austria.

Bada, meaning ocean in Korean, is one of the latest mobile operating systems (OS) being released into the market and is in direct competition with Apple's iPhone OS and the Android being marketed by Google.

The success of the handset has been attributed to the phone's design, capabilities and localized marketing efforts that encourage people to create compatible applications.

It has a 3.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, mobile digital natural image engine, super-fast central processing unit and 5 megapixel built-in camera.

Samsung, South Korea's largest business group and a dominant force in the global memory semiconductor market, said it plans to launch Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro versions of the smartphone.

Both products were unveiled at the Communic Asia 2010 convention in Singapore in June.

South Korea's central bank will maintain its policy bias of monetary tightening down the road, but a rate hike will be a matter of time, its chief said Sunday.

In September, the Bank of Korea (BOK) unexpectedly froze its key interest rate at 2.25 percent for the second straight month following the July rate increase.

The decision invited criticism from market participants and some analysts who argued that the BOK gave a muddled policy signal as its chief's repeated emphasis on price stability had been viewed as a hint for an imminent rate hike.

"(The central bank) has not changed direction. It is a matter of turning right now or next time," BOK Gov. Kim Choong-soo said in a workshop with reporters in response to the market's criticism.

"Once (we decide to) make a right turn, we will turn right. You should not assume that (we) will not turn right."

His remarks came as the South Korean economy is on a solid recovery track, aided by brisk exports and improving domestic demand. In July, the BOK hiked the borrowing costs by 0.25 percentage point from a record-low 2 percent, the first rate increase since the onset of the global financial meltdown.

But growing concerns of the flagging global economy are coming as downside risks to the growth, making policymakers cautious about the timing of the policy normalization.

Gov. Kim hinted on Sept. 9 that the pace of monetary tightening is expected to be gradual and modest, given the fragile global recovery.

Kim's remarks also came under spotlight as one BOK policymaker said in a contribution to a local newspaper that the governor has not fully delivered views of all board members at press conferences which have been held after a monthly rate session.

Kang Myung-hun, widely seen as dovish among BOK board members, said Gov. Kim has presented his views about the economy and inflation quite strongly as a central bank chief, not as a chairman of the policy board, adding that what the market has overlooked is that a BOK chief casts just one vote in a rate decision.

"It is not proper to comment on (Kang's personal) views," Kim added.

Regarding Japan's recent intervention in the currency market, the governor said it would be difficult to see intended effects if there is no policy coordination from other central banks like the United States and China.

Japan stepped in the currency market on Wednesday for the first time in more than six years in a bid to curb the yen's sharp gain against the U.S. dollar that is threatening to dent its fragile recovery.

"Many countries have learned lessons about the importance of policy coordination from the global financial crisis ... As the markets are interconnected and countries understand that there would be no policy effects without cooperation, I think policymakers (around the globe) would do so," Kim said. (PNA/Yonhap)

GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., said Sunday that it has developed the country's first compact-sized electric vehicle with a maximum speed of 165 kilometers per hour.

The prototype vehicle based on the company's Lacetti Premier has been tested to travel 160 kilometers after a single charge, which the carmaker claims is the best performance figure reached by a locally made electric vehicle.

It said the critical high-performance battery and inverters were made by LG Chem Ltd. and LG Electronics Co., respectively, while 50 other South Korean companies took part in the development process.

The company said that it plans to carry out additional tests and gauge the response of consumers. It said actual use of the vehicle on Seoul's roads will be carried out until October.

GM Daewoo said that the battery unit has an output of 31 kilowatt hours, with output reaching 150 kilowatts. The vehicle can go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 8.2 seconds.

The company added that its engineers have made the battery very small so the entire power source can fit under the hood and not take up cargo space in the trunk as with existing electric vehicles.

Development of the new vehicle took one year. GM Daewoo hopes to use the new model to lead the local electric vehicle market, which is gaining greater importance as South Korea tries to cut back on the use of fossil fuels cited for causing global warming. (PNA/Yonhap)

Here, in order, are the ten attitude strikeouts that most often condemn job candidates:

1.  Doesn’t ask questions
2.  Condemns past employer
3.  Is unable to take criticism
4.  Exhibits poor personal appearance
5.  Appears indecisive, cynical, lazy
6.  Comes off as overbearing, overly aggressive, a “know-it-all”
7.  Shows up late to interview
8.  Fails to look at interviewer while interviewing
9.  Is unable to express self clearly
10.  Places an overemphasis on money

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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas sees a possible eight percent growth in remittances of Filipino workers overseas this year.

Deputy BSP Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo stressed this point at the annual conference held in tandem with Philippine Statistical Association at the BSP complex along Roxas Boulevard.

At the conference, Guinigundo bared a sense of optimism that monthly remittances of more than US$ 1.6 billion would be sustainable over the foreseeable future.

“We hope we can sustain the eight percent growth in remittances given that the global economy is showing some recovery, even if very fragile,” he told reporters.

Not too long ago remittance flows posted growth rates in excess of 30 percent from month to month, which allowed this key consumption driver to post double-digit expansion averaging 13.7 percent as late as 2008.

But last year, the remittance flows grew by only 5.6 percent, which surprised analysts and experts at the International Monetary Fund, for example, who predicted the global downturn would prove too much and make the flows contract.

Guinigundo said the continued resiliency of remittances this year was owed not only to global economic recovery but also to the differentiated skills and the diverse markets open to millions of overseas Filipino workers.

Added to this was the greater remittance and data capture by banks both overseas and in the Philippines who deal with the transactions.

As a result, the full-year remittance volume this year should reflect forecast growth averaging eight percent to more or less US$ 18.735 billion.

As of July this year, remittance level already reached US$ 10.679 billion or a growth of 7.1 percent in the first seven months alone, Guinigundo said.

He also said it was not just the OFW remittances alone but all other flows that have done well during the period.

“I think the markets are convinced the macro-economy is in very good shape. Also, there is a greater degree of optimism as shown by the latest results of the consumer confidence survey, which remains negative but has showed a large rebound,” Guinigundo said.

This pertains to the diminished number of pessimists among consumers responding to the survey the BSP conducted recently in which the consumption index improved to negative 14 percent from negative 28.7 percent three months earlier.

The sharply improved consumer mood bodes well for the broad economy down the line considering it has accelerated to 7.9 percent in terms of the gross domestic product in the second quarter this year.

Consumption accounts for about 80 percent of what drives the economy forward, it was said.

Guinigundo said the foreign inflows that came as a result of improving macroeconomic conditions have not made the job of managing the economy any harder than it was before.

Except, of course, where it concerns the export sector whose members typically complain about the strength of the Philippine peso as this impact on their bottomlines, he said.

In a booming economy where foreign inflows boost the value of the local unit relative the US dollar, exporters complain of diminished competitiveness as they generate significantly fewer dollar revenues than if the peso was weaker.

So for the nth time Guinigundo said the exchange rate should not be the only yardstick against which exporter performance should be viewed because production costs and the efficient use of resources are just as critical if not more important considerations.

“One can see we're in the middle of the pack when considering the appreciation of the peso from 2001 to 2010. The peso appreciated by only 13 percent compared to the 35 percent appreciation of the Japanese yen, for example. - PNA

Legislators have proposed a super agency that combines the power of the central bank, the securities regulators and the Insurance Commission in one authority.

Sen. Serge Osmena, at the sidelines of ceremonies marking the annual meeting of members of the Chamber of Thrift Banks on Friday, said the super agency has tentatively been called the Monetary Authority of the Philippines.

Alternately, he said, the super body may also be called the Financial Authority of the Philippines.

Osmena, in a group interview, said he is perfecting the research on a bill that incorporates the powers of the different regulators in a single entity, which is seen to end the inevitable passing of the buck from one body to another as sordid details of financial scams and deviant forms of absconding with the people's money are uncovered every so often.

“It will become a bigger house, like they are in London or Singapore where they have the National Service Authority of London and the Monetary Authority of Singapore or MSA,” Osmena said of what will become of the BSP eventually.

Before he ran out of time as a three-term Senator of the Republic back in 2007, Osmena had drawn the structural outlines of the super agency to which then BSP Governor Rafael Carlos Buenaventura had objections as an ill-timed proposal.

Buenaventura said Osmena's ideas may prove unconstitutional, an idea that Osmena promptly refuted by saying the BSP charter, which tasks the BSP as supervising body over banks and financial institutions, did not prohibit him from exercising authority over all other financial players in the market.

“I then told Governor Buenaventura that yes, the BSP is the sole authority over the banks but that there is nothing in its charter that prevents Congress from adding to their responsibilities,” he said.

Buenanventura, then in the thick of implementing a series of financial sector reforms that would eventually shield the industry from turbulent global headwinds, successfully begged for a deferment, Osmena said.

He also said the different regulators supposedly meet more or less regularly to flesh out the issues involved in so-called Monday morning meetings.

Osmena insisted that while Monday morning meetings may be useful, what he hopes to accomplish is an end to all the finger pointing and be able to say to a particular authority in a crisis that “yes, you are in charge in all these and you are solely responsible.”

He also bared support for current measures as allowing the BSP to pay for the legal expense of officials brought to court in the performance of their duties.

“This reform will probably take some time to pass but it will muster Congress,” Osmena said.

He also bared similar reform measures to correct loopholes in the Anti-Money Laundering Act of AMLA where a court could freeze a given bank account for 20 days but prohibits the authorities from making inquiries into the same account.

At present, an individual with suspected accounts need to do is wait the 20-day period and bring the money elsewhere when the legal prohibition lapses, frustrating anti-money laundering officials who have tracked and tied down suspects to particular accounts as proof of their misdeeds.

Loopholes into joint accounts need also to be strengthened following the dismissal of a laundering complaint on the basis of one wife's complaint that while the husband was suspect she was not. - PNA

Fact or fiction?

Of 'broas,' 'biscochos' and Bohol

(This is a reprint from Bea Zobel Jr's column "All4Art" under the Lifestyle Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, dated March 8, 2004)

A reader, Mr. Michel Manuba, wrote to ask me about biscocho and about broas. He asked if biscocho was the Spanish word for biscuits.

Well this is what I have to say: First of all, this should prove that I actually have readers! And now to address Mr. Manuba's question.

Biscocho is a Spanish pound cake. I don't know why it came to refer to a hard dry biscuit here in the Philippines. Then of course, many Spanish words get changed around when they cross the Seven Seas: esquina, terno, derechoââ,¬â€and so forth and so on, but that is another article!

My Spanish cousin came to Manila for a few days and she tells me that broas is very well known in Spain. But the broas there is also known as Bizcocho de Soletilla. The Spanish type is soft and is usually put around a cake. They are also used to absorb any alcohol or liqueur calling them "Borrachos" (Drunkards).

Now let's get on with our Philippine broas.

Michael, you must try the broas of Bohol. They are heavenly! Light and crisp andââ,¬â€I am getting ahead of myself again. In case you will mistake this for a food column I asked Gardy Labad of Bohol to pitch in with some historical information about this delicious product of his province.

No one knows when broas was introduced to the Philippines. (We just know it's scrumptious!) In Bohol the earliest examples are credited to the Rocha hermanas. There were four: Felomina, Gregoria, Concepcion and Tomasa. They specialized in biscochos finos. As I've already explained, this means that they produced fine cakes.

Other contemporaries famous for their desserts were Gabina Rocha Gonzaga and Catalina Pernia. Apparently the Rochas attended a culinary school in Manila with two other Bohol ladies also known for their cooking: Edwarda and Digna Clarin. These two in turn were aunts of Rosa Clarin or Osang. It is from Osang that the lineage of the more famous broas makers descend. There are three: Osang's, Sampaguita and Lady Fingers.

Osang's and Sampaguita maintain bakeries in the town of Baclayon, a few minutes from Bohol's capital, Tagbilaran.

Osang never really wrote down her recipe and her list of ingredients. She simply showed those who were interested how. She liked to say, "delikado ang broas." Meaning that making the thin wafers was a delicate affair. She is said to have rejected any piece that had a crack. She left her measuring cup to her granddaughter, Sylvia Fernandez Maristela.

Making broas begins with eggs. The whole egg is used. This actually exposes as a misconception the idea that the broas industry of Baclayon developed to utilize the parts of the egg that were not mixed in with the mortar used for the construction of the town's massive church.

Next, flour and sugar are folded in. The whole mixture is squeezed out through a pastry bag, forming the narrow shapes. Then it is off to the clay oven. After the broas are cooked, they are laid out on a mat of buri midbribs set over red-hot coals. This is so that the biscuits achieve that oh-so-perfect crispness.

Imagine entering a kitchen warmed by the sweet scents of broas and seeing the little wafers arrayed on their bed of twigs. The best part is that one is always allowed to pick up some pieces to taste. Believe me, I did a lot of tasting all in the name of research!

When you think about it, this concern for that ultimate crispness is so sophisticated. It shows a food sensibility that is so refined.

We are told that only Osang's still uses the twig mats for the final stage. This makes Osang's methods the more traditional of the two. Both bakeries however still use kindling to fuel their ovens. I remember seeing a dog fast asleep on the pile of firewood stacked outside the bakery. A friend of mine dryly observed: "Look they're using a traditional dog-burning oven!" Now I'm going to be in trouble with animal rights advocates for that joke!

We bought broas from Osang's and from Sampaguita to see if there were any differences. I don't know just how many biscuits we tried all because of our dedication to science! In the end we all agreed that we couldn't really tell the difference. But we also agreed that every single one of the broas was fabulous!

The only question left unanswered is why of why is it that the restaurants and resorts of Bohol don't serve the wonderful broas with chocolate for breakfast or merienda.

I think this is a clear example of what we miss out on because we don't appreciate our local traditions and resources so enchanted we are by what is foreign.

And what we miss out on is the most wonderful bit of heaven in a biscuit. It is delicate and crispy. With every bite one tastes our history as well as the lives and passions of our women lingering on our tongues.

Creating your own jewelry can sound like a much more difficult process than it actually is. It will take some work, patience and resolve on your part to get the project through to completion. Now let's look at some of the steps to creating your own cubic zirconia jewelry.

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By Angeline Valencia

The Department of Health identified three barangays in this city as dengue epidemic areas, after the number of cases surged by 261 in about a one month.

Barangays Cogon, Dao, and Taloto have been identified as dengue epidemic areas; and barangays Bool and Dampas as hot spots for dengue.

The DOH indentified Booy, Mansasa, Poblacion 3 and Ubujan as in the clustering proportion in terms of dengue cases wherein three or more dengue patients have been recorded in a barangay in four consecutive weeks.

In just a little over a month, the number of cases province-wide rapidly climbed to 1,412 as of Sept. 13 from 1,151 as of Aug. 9 with one more death added.

There had been eight deaths as of Aug. 9, which inched to nine as of Sept. 13.

Tagbilaran City contributed three to the number of deaths from dengue.

Cogon has previously been recorded to have topped the dengue surge in the city with the cases rising to 22 in just a week to Aug. 30-Sept. 3 period from the record of six cases on Aug. 23-27 and four on Aug. 16-20.

Barangay Bool closely followed with 21 cases, and Dao with 17 recorded on the Aug. 30-Sept. 3 count as the peak week.

The province-wide count from 943 as of July 24 rose by 208 cases after 16 days or 1,151 as of Aug. 9. It then rose by 185 in 10 days or a total of 1,336 cases as of Aug. 19 of which Tagbilaran City has contributed 294 â€" the highest.

The rate further slowed down to 76 cases in 25 days for the period, Aug. 19 to Sept. 13 from 1,336 to 1,412 cases.

The Provincial Health Office attributed the improvement of the situation to the massive information campaign and the interventions such as the elimination of breeding places of mosquitoes, observance of the 4 o’clock habit, and prompt action on suspected patients.

The provincial government sent out all its employees on Friday afternoon to barangay Cogon to lead residents in the general clean-up drive, where they destroyed breeding places of mosquitoes by emptying receptacles that collect rainwater.

Governor Edgar Chatto called the activity as “keep dry” drive also aimed at raising the awareness and projecting the significance of community involvement in the fight against dengue.(PNA)
RMA/Angeline Valencia/jsd

By Julie M. Aurelio, Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Willie Revillame has signed up with TV5 for two new shows while its former network, ABS-CBN, has filed a P486-million counterclaim damage suit against the TV host for allegedly violating his contract.

In spite of a pending court case with its former network, Revillame will launch two new shows with TV5 next month: The game show “Willing Willie” and the talent search “Born to Be a Star.”

In a phone interview Friday, Revillame told the Inquirer that he inked the deal with TV5 chair Manny Pangilinan at the home of his lawyer Alfonso Reyno and in the presence of his business partner and manager Vic del Rosario last Sept. 7.

He said that “Willing Willie” will be managed by his own company Wil Productions and co-produced by TV5. “Born to Be a Star,” on the other hand, will be produced by his own Wire Productions.

Revillame said he had already started rehearsals for the new shows which will be aired “live.”

“We are now finalizing the time slot, whether noontime or primetime, and the exact launch dates of the shows, but I will definitely return on air in October,” he said.

It was earlier reported that Willie’s new TV5 show would be launched on Oct. 10, 2010, an auspicious date.

“We won’t make the 10-10-10 target launch,” Revillame admitted. “We are still fixing some things. Basta by October, tuloy ang saya, tuloy ang pag-asa (the fun continues, the hope continues). That’s our show’s slogan.”

Foremost on Revillame’s to-do list is to beat an ongoing court case against ABS-CBN.

Kapamilya’s counterclaim

In a 139-page answer with compulsory counterclaim, ABS-CBN asked the court to order Revillame to pay P426 million as liquidated damages for breaching their agreement and P20 million each for moral damages, exemplary damages and attorney’s fees.

The P486-million counterclaim was filed on Thursday before Judge Luisito Cortez of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in compliance with the summons to answer the P11.5-million damage and rescission of contract filed by Revillame against the Kapamilya network.

Revillame, through legal counsel Leonard De Vera, filed the damage suit, claiming that his suspension with pay and placing him under probation were valid grounds to terminate his contract because they were provided for in the agreement.

In its answer, ABS-CBN through lawyer Augusto San Pedro Jr., asked the court to dismiss the complaint claiming it was Revillame who had breached his obligations under the agreement.

In filing the counterclaim, the ABS-CBN cited violations allegedly committed by Revillame including his outburst during the live broadcast of the transfer of the remains of the late President Corazon Aquino to Manila Cathedral that was aired as an inset in his show “Wowowee.”

ABS-CBN also cited Revillame’s public criticisms against radio and TV host Jobert Sucaldito and network management in the May 4, 2010 episode of “Wowowee.”

It also said the agreement prevented Revillame from engaging in activities adverse to ABS-CBN and from using the program to make public criticisms or disagreements with the network.

It added that Revillame took an unauthorized leave of absence and refused to perform his obligations as talent despite the existence of his contract.

On Sept. 15, the Kapamilya network issued an official statement, reiterating that Revillame “continues to be bound to ABS-CBN and we will challenge in court any contract involving his production or exhibition of another program with another network.”

According to ABS-CBN’s head of Corporate Communications Bong Osorio, Revillame’s contract will expire in September 2011.

Revillame had earlier filed on Aug. 20 a case for the “judicial confirmation” of his move to rescind his contract with ABS-CBN, citing “10 valid grounds” for his action.

Unperturbed

In a phone interview on Friday, Revillame said he was unperturbed by ABS-CBN’s “official response” to challenge his move to transfer.

“As far as I am concerned, I’ve already rescinded my contract with ABS-CBN,” he explained. “The case is now in court. It’s not for me to elaborate or talk about that. I’ll just wait for the court’s decision.”

In a prepared statement, Joel Bodegon, Revillame’s lawyer, said “we wanted to make sure that his transfer will be as smooth as possible, without further legal setbacks and hitches that can hamper his growth in his new network.”

Bodegon said Revillame’s legal team “had to meticulously scrutinize all the technicalities and legalities of his former contract [with ABS-CBN].”

Bodegon asserted that “we believe that Willie’s on the clear to work ... anywhere he wants.”

Revillame acknowledged that initially there had been talks with ABS-CBN’s main rival GMA 7. “That’s why I am thankful to Kapuso executives Jimmy Duavit, Philip Yalong and Felipe Gozon.”

Reyno said that “it’s our position that the [ABS-CBN] contract was rescinded when ABS-CBN made a counter-offer which was in violation of said contract.”

Pangilinan explained that TV5 signed up Revillame, in response to the “public clamor ... we look forward to collaborating ... with Willie and Vic del Rosario.”

Del Rosario, for his part, promised to “raise the bar in primetime entertainment” with Revillame’s two new shows.

New games

Revillame said he’s raring to return to television after his “extended vacation.”

He related that “Willing Willie” will feature new game conceptsâ€"the highlight of which is called “Spin a Will.”

“The jackpot is a house and lot, P1-million cash, a vehicle or a scholarship,” he said. “The prizes will be given by Wil Serve Foundation.”

For the real-estate prizes, he forged a partnership with Camella Homes, owned by the family of Sen. Manny Villar. (Revillame supported Villar’s failed presidential bid.)

Media empire a la Oprah

Revillame also said that he will have three co-hosts on his new game show. “Surprise kung sino sila (You will be surprised when you find out who they are).”

What’s not surprising is that Revillame intends to build a media empire a la Oprah Winfrey with his new partnership with TV5.

He said that, in two years’ time, he plans to mount the shows in his own studios at the Wil Towers which is now under construction on a lot beside ABS-CBN.

By Beverly T. Natividad
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A high school student stabbed his teacher to death Friday morning in Caloocan City, allegedly because of threats to drop him from the roll because of his long hair.

Chief Inspector Moner Orang, Caloocan Sub-station 4 commander, identified the victim as Teodora Soner, 32, of Marilao, Bulacan province.

Because he is still a minor, police are not allowed to name the suspect, a second-year high school student at the Manuel L. Quezon High School in the city.

Orang said the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. in front of the public high school. Soner was getting off from a motorcycle along Ascoville Road when the suspect suddenly emerged from behind and stabbed her.

Police said it looked like the student hid somewhere and had waited for his teacher to arrive.

Soner was rushed to the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital for treatment of a single stab wound in the back, but was declared dead on arrival.

The 15-year-old suspect quickly fled the crime scene but was arrested later.

He later told Orang that he was reprimanded by Soner on Wednesday for failing to cut his long hair, and that the teacher had threatened to drop him from the roll.

Police sent the minor to the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office for psychological tests.

According to the law, young offenders are examined by social workers to see if they committed the crimes they are accused of “with discernment.” It is then up to the CSWD to decide whether to subject young suspects to inquest or to take them into custody.

President Benigno Aquino is so busy he doesn’t have time to talk with his girlfriend, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the remark a day after Mr. Aquino’s girlfriend, Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, denied rumors that they have broken up.

“The President said that they have been very busy and they have not had the chance to talk to each other,” Lacierda said.

A Facebook blog sent Malacañang reporters in a frenzy on Friday when it said Mr. Aquino and Soledad have already ended their relationship.

“Not true,” she said. source: PDI: Norman Bordadora

Where is she now?

What's the best brand of Mountain Bike?

Canadian police say they are struggling to prevent photos and video of a sexual assault on a teenager spreading online.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia briefly detained a teenage boy who had posted images and video of the assault on Facebook.

He removed them, but they have popped up elsewhere online and police say they may file child pornography charges.

Officers say the 16-year-old girl was drugged and sexually assaulted by a group of men at a party last weekend.

Onlookers 'snapped photos'

"This victim is having to relive it on a daily basis, because we get the photos taken off, and then all of a sudden they're redistributed and others are viewing it," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Insp Derren Lench told CBC news.

The investigation stems from what police have described as a gang rape at a rave party in Pitt Meadows, in the province of British Columbia, during which onlookers shot the photos and video later posted online.

Officers have made no arrests over the assault yet but have contacted Facebook users who have posted the images and demanded they be removed and deleted. Some refused to comply, police told the Canadian Press.

Tinuod ba kini nga balita?

By ANUPREETA DAS
Wall Street Journal

GoDaddy.com, the closely held website that registers Internet domain names, has put itself up for sale in an auction that could fetch more than $1 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

Qatalyst Partners, the boutique firm run by veteran technology banker Frank Quattrone, has been hired to shop the Go Daddy Group Inc., which runs the world's largest domain name registrar, these people said. Private-equity firms are expected to bid for the company, which currently has more than 43 million domains under management.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597204575484153733196856.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection#ixzz0zqEZOlT4

whole story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597204575484153733196856.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

Someone is asking. I don't have time to research.

What's the bisaya for blue green?

What's the bisaya word for yellow?

What is the scientific basis for this?

Review Aldritz Pau de Arco Liniment
Is it really effective for relief of back pain?

By Katie Alcock  Science reporter, BBC News 

People who think more about whether they are right have more cells in an area of the brain known as the frontal lobes.

UK scientists, writing in Science, looked at how brain size varied depending on how much people thought about decisions.

But a nationwide survey recently found that some people think too much about life.

These people have poorer memories, and they may also be depressed.

Stephen Fleming, a member of the University College London (UCL) team that carried out the research, said: "Imagine you're on a game show such as 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and you're uncertain of your answer. You can use that knowledge to ask the audience, ask for help."

The London group asked 32 volunteers to make difficult decisions. They had to look at two very similar black and grey pictures and say which one had a lighter spot.

They then had to say just how sure they were of their answer, on a scale of one to six. Although it was hard to tell the difference, the pictures were adjusted to make sure that no-one found the task harder than anyone else.

People who were more sure of their answer had more brain cells in the front-most part of the brain - known as the anterior prefrontal cortex.

This part of the brain has been linked to many brain and mental disorders, including autism. Previous studies have looked at how this area functions while people make real time decisions, but not at differences between individuals.

Two men have been found guilty of illegally making sperm available over the internet.

Ricky Gage, 49, and Nigel Woodforth, 43, from Reading, England, operated Fertility 1st which made sperm available from anonymous donors without a licence.

The men had denied two counts of procuring sperm illegally under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

They were granted conditional bail but the judge warned them she was considering a prison sentence and fine.

The men will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 24 September. - BBC

Brian Wood spent his life thrilling millions of faceless gamers, but his last moment was spent saving the lives of those he loved most.

Wood, a 33 year-old lead designer at popular game developer Relic Entertainment, was on his way back to his Washington home when his wagon was struck by an oncoming Chevy Blazer being driven by a 21 year-old woman believed to be driving under the influence. With his pregnant wife Erin in the passenger seat, Wood swerved his car to put himself directly in the path of the oncoming SUV -- a decision that ultimately cost him his life, but protected his wife and unborn child from harm. Two other passengers riding in the backseat of the Blazer were also killed.

"All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead," Erin Wood told The Province. "At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that saved us both."

"He was always sacrificing himself for me and the baby," she added.

But while Wood's impossibly brave act left a permanent void in the life of Erin Wood, the same people who Brian strived to please with his work have returned the favor with a striking show of support for his bereaved widow.

A memorial trust was set up within days of the accident. Countless game developers, journalists and fans posted links on Twitter and Facebook, leading to literally thousands of supportive comments, messages and financial donations, prompting Wood to send an open letter to the gaming community to popular game blog Kotaku.

"Brian always told me about how close-knit and wonderful the video game community was, but I had no idea until this tragedy just how special a group it really is," she writes. "From all the articles and comments, to the emails and donations, I am simply stunned and so touched by the love, kindness, and generosity shown to me and my family."

At the time of his death, Brian Wood was working on Company of Heroes Online, a free-to-play version of Relic’s award-winning strategy game. It's currently in open beta-test. - Yahoo News

"When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
    - Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983)

"Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

"The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows."
    - Aristotle Onassis (1906-1975)

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
    - Maya Angelou (1928-)

"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher."
    - Socrates (470-399 B.C.)

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
    - Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

"Everyone is a genius at least once a year; a real genius has his original ideas closer together."
    - Georg Lichtenberg (1742-1799)

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What a Beautiful Beach

A Picture That Heals

for the sake of art

Familiar with this Car?

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Product Features and Technical Details

    * 12.1-megapixel FX-format (23.9 x 36mm) CMOS sensor; body only
    * 3.0-inch, 920,000-dot VGA color monitor; 170-degree wide-angle viewing and tempered-glass protection
    * Fast, accurate 51-point AF system; 3D Focus Tracking and two Live View shooting modes
    * Base ISO range from 200-6400 can be expanded to range from ISO 100 (Lo-1) to 25,600 (Hi-2); 0.12-second start-up speed
    * Capture images to CF I/II cards; compliant high-speed UDMA CF cards that will enable recording speeds up to 35 megabytes/second

Technical Details

    * Image sensor format: FX
    * Image sensor type: CMOS
    * Sensor size: 36 x 23.9 mm
    * Total pixels: 12.87 million
    * Effective pixels: 12.1 million
    * Image area (pixels): FX format: 4,256 x 2,832 (large), 3,184 x 2,120 (medium), 2,128 x 1,416 (small); DX format: 2,784 x 1,848 (large), 2,080 x 1,384 (medium), 1,392 x 920 (small)
    * Top continuous shooting speed at full resolution: 5 frames per second
    * Continuous shooting options: FX format: Up to 5 frames per second (CH), up to 4 frames per second (CL); DX format: up to 5 frames per second (CH), up to 4 frames per second (CL)
    * LCD monitor size: 3 inches diagonal
    * LCD monitor type: Wide-viewing angle TFT_LCD super density
    * LCD monitor resolution: 920,000 dots
    * LCD monitor angle of view: 170-degree wide viewing angle
    * LCD monitor adjustments: Brightness, 7 levels
    * Slowest shutter speed: 30 seconds
    * Fastest shutter speed: 1/1,800 second
    * Bulb shutter setting: Yes
    * Mirror lockup: Yes
    * Lowest standard ISO sensitivity: 200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV
    * Highest standard ISO sensitivity: 6,400 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV
    * Highest expanded ISO sensitivity: Hi-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
    * Expanded ISO sensitivity options: Lo-1 (ISO 100 equivalent), in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV steps; Hi-1 (ISO 12,800 equivalent), in 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV steps; Hi-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent), in EV step
    * Storage system: Uncompressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW), uncompressed 12-bit NEF (RAW), compressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW, lossless compressed) approximately 60 to 80 percent, compressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW, compressed) approximately 45 to 60 percent, JPEG-baseline-compliant, TIFF
    * File system: Compliant with DCF 2.0, DPOF, EXIF 2.21
    * Exposure modes: Programmed auto (P) with flexible program, shutter-priority auto (S), aperture-priority auto (A), manual (M)
    * Exposure metering system: 1,005-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II
    * Metering range: 0 to 20 EV (matrix or center-weighted metering); 2 to 20 EV (spot metering)
    * Exposure meter coupling: CPU, AI
    * Exposure compensation: +/- EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 1 EVEV in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 1
    * Exposure lock: Yes
    * Exposure bracketing: Yes, from 2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 1 EV
    * Shutter release modes: LiveView (LV) mode, continuous low-speed (CL) mode, 1 to 4 frames per second high-speed (CH) mode, 5 frames per second
    * White balance: Sun, shade, fluorescent, incandescent, flash, preset, fine tune by Kelvin color temperature setting, auto
    * White balance bracketing: Yes, 2 to 9 exposures, in increments of 1,2, or 3
    * LiveView shooting: Handheld mode, tripod mode
    * Playback functions: Full frame, zoom, slideshow, histogram, highlight point display, auto image rotation, thumbnail (4 or 9 segments)
    * Interface: High-speed USB, NTSC, PAL, HDMI, 10-pin terminal
    * Lens mount: Nikon F mount
    * Compatible lenses: Type G or D AF NIKKOR; DX AF NIKKOR; AF NIKKOR other than type G or D*2; AI-P NIKKOR; non-CPU AI NIKKOR
    * Picture angle: Equivalent to angle produced by lens focal length (1.5 times when DX format is selected)
    * Viewfinder: SLR-type with fixed eye-level pentaprism
    * Viewfinder frame coverage: Approximately 95 percent
    * Viewfinder diopter adjustment: -3 to +1 meter
    * Viewfinder eyepoint: 18 mm
    * Interchangeable focusing screens: No (Type B BriteView Clear Matte VI screen with superimposed AF points
    * Viewfinder magnification: Approximately 0.72x (50mm, f/1.4 lens at infinity)
    * Lens aperture: Instant-return type with depth-of-field preview
    * Depth of field control: Yes
    * Autofocus system: Autofocus TTL phase detection, 51 focus points (15 cross-type sensors) by Nikon Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus module
    * Maximum autofocus areas/points: 51
    * Autofocus fine tune: Yes
    * Focus modes: Single-servo AF (S), continuous-servo (C), manual, auto, manual with electronic rangefinder
    * Single-point AF mode: Yes
    * Dynamic AF mode: Yes
    * Auto-area AF mode: Yes
    * Focus lock: AE-L/AF-L button, half press of shutter release button (single-point AF in AF-S)
    * Picture control: Standard, neutral, vivid, monochrome, 9 user-customizable settings
    * In-camera image editing: Trim, D-lighting, color balance, image overlay, filter effects, monochrome, red-eye correction
    * Built-in flash: Yes, manual pop-up type
    * External flash shoe: Yes
    * External flash shoe type: Standard ISO 518 hot-shoe contact with safety lock
    * Dust-off reference photo: Yes
    * Virtual horizon camera indicator: Yes, also visible in LiveView modes
    * Save/load camera settings: Yes
    * Nikon Creative Lighting System capability: Yes, built-in commander mode, 2 groups (A and B)
    * Flash sync speed: Up to 1/250
    * X-sync speed: Up to 1/250
    * FP high-speed sync: Up to 1/8,000
    * Flash sync modes: Front-curtain sync (normal), slow sync, rear curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync
    * Flash sync terminal: Yes
    * Accessory shoe: Yes
    * Self-timer: Electronically controlled timer with duration of 2, 5, 10, or 20 seconds
    * World time setting: Yes
    * Date, time, and daylight times settings: Yes
    * Battery type: Rechargeable
    * Battery/batteries: EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery
    * AC adapter: EH-5a AC adapter
    * Battery charger: MH-18a quick charger
    * Image comment: Yes
    * Voice memo function: No
    * Battery life: 1,000 shots per charge (CIPA)
    * Tripod socket: 1/4-20
    * Supported languages: Chinese (simplified and traditional), Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
    * Item width: 5.8 inches
    * Item height: 4.8 inches
    * Item depth: 3.0 inches
    * Weight: 35 ounces
    * Warranty: 1 year
    * In the box: D700 camera, EN-EL3e rechargeable li-ion Battery, MH-18a quick charger, UC-E4 USB cable, EG-D100 video cable, AN-D700 camera strap, BF-1A body cap, BS-1 accessory shoe cover, BM-9 LCD monitor cover, software suite CD-ROM


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Low Price Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera

Nikon's affordable, compact and lightweight D3100 digital SLR features a high-resolution 14-megapixel CMOS DX sensor, high-quality 3x NIKKOR 18-55mm VR image stabilization zoom lens and intuitive onboard assistance including the learn-as-you grow Guide Mode.

Capture beautiful pictures and amazing Full HD 1080p movies with sound and full-time autofocus.

Easily capture the action other cameras miss with a fast start up time, split-second shutter release, 3 frames per second shooting and 11-point autofocus.

Capture pictures and make movies in near darkness with an ISO range of 100 to 3200 (expandable to 12800-Hi2). EXPEED 2, Nikon's new image processing engine, assures breathtakingly rich image quality, managing color, contrast, exposure and noise.

One-touch Live View and movie recording lets you see the action on the 3-inch monitor and the Scene Recognition System automatically chooses the ideal settings.

You can also select from 6 Automatic Exposure Scene Modes: Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions.

Active D-Lighting restores picture-enhancing detail in shadows and highlights.

A built-in pop-up flash is ready for those times when there just isn't enough light and in-camera image editing allows creative freedom and effects, without the need for a computer.

Nikon D3100 Highlights

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Highlights
Easy-to-use Guide Mode walks you through the settings you need for the shot you want.
14.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS Image Sensor
Delivers beautiful photographs and prints well beyond 20 x 30 inches.

Includes 3x 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR VR Image Stabilization Lens
Included lens offers the legendary NIKKOR optical quality and fast, accurate autofocus for vivid color, striking contrast and crisp detail and VR image stabilization to ensure the sharpest hand-held pictures and movies.

Full 1080p HD Cinematic Video
Features full-time autofocus and sound; record cinematic-quality movies in Full 1080p HD format (1920 x 1080 pixels).

Easy-To-Use
The D3100 features Nikon's Guide Mode with intuitive controls and on-board assistance helping you take better pictures every step of the way.

Compact and Lightweight Design
Beautifully styled--ready to go wherever life takes you.

Split-second Shutter Response
Eliminates the frustration of shutter delay, capturing moments that other cameras miss.

Fast 11-point Autofocus System
Delivers razor-sharp pictures.

ISO sensitivity 100-3200, expandable to ISO 12800 equivalent
Delivers exceptional results, even in the most challenging low-light situations.
Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Highlights


3-inch monitor
Features One-Touch Live View shooting and movie capture.

Scene Auto Selector
Lets the D3100 decide the best mode to match the shooting situation when using Live View.

EXPEED 2
Nikon's new image processing engine assures breathtakingly rich image quality, managing color, contrast, exposure, noise and speed.

Scene Recognition System in Live View
Automatically optimizes exposure, autofocus, and white balance, allowing you to obtain beautiful photos without the hassle of making complicated camera adjustments yourself.

6 Automatic Exposure Scene Modes
Just set the Mode dial to Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions.

Active D-Lighting
Restores picture-enhancing detail in shadows and highlights.

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Cheap Price Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera

A remarkable blend of simplicity and highly-advanced DSLR capabilities, the compact and powerful D5000 offers breathtaking 12.3-megapixel image quality, along with a flexible, Vari-angle, Live View monitor for fresh picture-taking perspectives. Nikon’s EXPEED image processing further enhances performance, contributing to split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4 frames-per-second to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly.

The D5000’s 24-fps HD D-Movie mode with sound captures video clips with amazing clarity--offering new and exciting creative opportunities. Fast, accurate 11-point autofocus with 3D Tracking, teamed with famous NIKKOR optics, assures incredible image sharpness, while active image sensor cleaning combats annoying dust automatically. Featuring a convenient built-in flash, 19 automatic exposure Scene Modes to make the impossible easy and 23 Custom Setting options to fit your preferences, as well as 14 in-camera image retouching functions, the D5000 is the perfect DSLR, beginning with performance to meet your picture-taking tomorrows.

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"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance."
    - Will Durant

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance"
    - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
    - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down."
    - Jimmy Durante

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true."
    - James Branch Cabell

"If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars."
    - J. Paul Getty (1892-1976)

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship."
    - Sharon Stone

One in seven Americans was living in poverty in 2009 with the level of working-age poor the highest since the 1960s, the US Census Bureau says.

The number of people in poverty increased by nearly 4m - to 43.6m - between 2008 and 2009, officials said.

The bureau defines poverty as any family of four living on less than $21,954 a year.

Meanwhile, new figures showed home foreclosures in August hit the highest level since the mortgage crisis began.

Banks repossessed 95,364 properties in August, up 3% from July and an increase of 25% from August 2009, said RealtyTrac, a company which charts the national picture.

The official US poverty rate in 2009 rose to 14.3% from 13.2% in 2008. In 2009, 43.6 million Americans lived in poverty, up from 39.8 million the year before, the third consecutive increase, the bureau said. - BBC

A speech in which the Pope appeared to associate atheism with the Nazis has prompted criticism from humanist organisations.

However, the Catholic Church has moved to play down the controversy, saying the Pope knew "rather well what the Nazi ideology is about".

Humanists have said the comments were a "terrible libel" against non-believers.

In his address, the Pope spoke of "a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society".

He went on to urge the UK to guard against "aggressive forms of secularism". - BBC

By Laura Trevelyan  BBC News, New York 

John Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman has told the parole board in New York he thought by killing The Beatles singer he would become a somebody.

Instead, Chapman told the board that "I became a murderer and murderers are not somebodies", according to the published transcript of the interview.

Chapman was denied parole for the sixth time last week.

Chapman, now aged 55, shot and killed Lennon outside his New York apartment in December 1980.
Porter and clerk

The former security guard, who experienced bouts of depression, told the parole board he had a list of people he wanted to kill, including the talk show host Johnny Carson and the actress Elizabeth Taylor.

"I wasn't thinking clearly," Chapman stated, "I made a horrible decision to end another human being's life, for reasons of selfishness."

"I felt that by killing John Lennon I would become somebody and instead of that I became a murderer and murderers are not somebodies," he said.

In prison, Chapman works as a porter and a clerk in the law library.

He told the parole officers a judge was willing to help him find a job and give him a place to stay if he was released.

In a closing statement, Chapman said his life had changed because of Jesus Christ.

"I know him, he is with me, he is with me now, he is helping me speak to you now. Without him I am nothing, I would have been an even bigger nobody."

After the interview, Chapman was denied parole yet again. The board said it remained concerned about the disregard he showed for the norms of society and the sanctity of human life.

By Jason Palmer  Science and technology reporter, BBC News 

A researcher has calculated the 2,000,000,000,000,000th digit of pi - and a few digits either side of it.

Nicholas Sze, of technology firm Yahoo, determined that the digit - when expressed in binary - is 0.

Mr Sze used Yahoo's Hadoop cloud computing technology to more than double the previous record.

The computation took 23 days on 1,000 of Yahoo's computers, racking up the equivalent of more than 500 years of a single computer's efforts.

The heart of the calculation made use of an approach called MapReduce originally developed by Google that divides up big problems into smaller sub-problems, combining the answers to solve otherwise intractable mathematical challenges.

At Yahoo, a cluster of 1,000 computers implemented this algorithm to solve an equation that plucks out specific digits of pi.

The White House has denied claims in a new book that Michelle Obama told French first lady Carla Bruni that her life in the White House was "hell".

"Don't ask! It's hell. I can't stand it," Mrs Obama was quoted as saying in a private conversation at the White House in March 2010.

"The first lady never said that," Mrs Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld said on Thursday.

A French embassy spokesman also stated that the remarks "were never said."

"Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy distances herself completely from the content of the book Carla and the Ambitious, which was not authorised and the authors alone are responsible for its contents," embassy spokesman Emmanuel Lenain said on Thursday.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs used his Twitter feed to refer reporters to Mr Lenain's statement.

The book also alleges that French president Nicolas Sarkozy would be satisfied being a one-term president. - BBC

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