MikeLigalig.com

Isn't it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?

Isn't it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say, but we question the words in the Bible?

Isn't it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy
it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn't it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or ZANE GREY book?

Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange how a 100-peso bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Former president Corazon Aquino has apologized to deposed president Joseph Estrada for participating in his ouster in 2001.

Aquino said she is one of those who would plead "guilty" for her role in the military-backed popular uprising that removed Estrada from power and replaced him with his then vice president, now President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Lahat tayo nagkakamali, patawarin mo na lang ako [All of us make mistakes, please forgive me]," she told Estrada.

The two former leaders, along with another former president, Fidel Ramos, were at the launching of the biography of former speaker Jose de Venecia.

Later, Estrada escorted Aquino, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer and is undergoing treatment, to her car.

Asked for his reaction to Aquino's apology, Estrada said he felt "vindicated" by the statement.

"I feel vindicated, coming from a respectable person, our icon and symbol of democracy," he told reporters in an interview after the event.

He said he did not expect the apology to come from Aquino.

"It's unexpected, that's why I am very happy today," the deposed leader said.

“It is fantastic,” he said in a separate interview, repeating the word again and again.

“She [Aquino] told the truth [about] what she feels. I am very happy she is very true, an example of a president who is transparent, who is honest and tells the truth,” he added.

At the height of the national broadband network deal controversy, Aquino and Estrada joined the interfaith rally in Makati City in February calling for truth and accountability, reform and the resignation of Arroyo.

Asked how he felt being surrounded by personalities from EDSA Dos, as the uprising that ousted him as called, Estrada said: "As they said, the weak cannot forgive, but forgiveness is the attribute of [the] strong, so I forgive them because I have the attribute of being strong."

In his speech at the book launch, Estrada identified De Venecia as one of the officials who asked him to step down in 2001.

“Today, I give you my full and absolute pardon. That is my exercise of executive privilege,” Estrada told De Venecia. - source: http://www.asianjournal.com

By Antonio Aboitiz
Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer

The ubiquity of the English language in these islands is a bittersweet reality of our culture.

The entire world is scrambling to learn the planet’s current lingua franca while we, who had it thrust upon us for better or worse, are coming dangerously close to losing our fated headstart because of a variety of complex factors.

One of these factors is the fact that many of us who do not pronounce the words like the people on the pirated DVDs everyone purchases (piracy is a crime!) are very intimidated by this inability, and therefore become frustrated or ashamed and give up. This is something that must be smashed. Not the DVDs, but the stigma and teasing that can come along with bad diction.

Making fun

The perpetuation of the national pastime of making fun of someone’s English abilities should be ended. That is because we have our own English. It is Filipino English, and it is as validâ€"if not more soâ€"than the English spoken by say, Australia or Canada, nations whose populations are but a fraction of ours.

We are supposedly the third largest English-speaking nation in the world. However, that all depends on how you define fluency. If you take the number of speakers of English as a second language, we probably rank around that.

English is a difficult language to learn. It has many rules, but also has almost as many exceptions and is fantastically non-phonetic (why is knife spelled with a k?). Its earliest evolution from its Germanic base, running into long and bloody backs and forths with the Romans, Vikings, then the French, then a liberal spiking of words obtained from conquered lands belies the history of the incredible islands from which the language bursts forth and itself conquered the world.

There may be more speakers of Chinese, but their geographic scope and influence around the globe cannot rival that of English.

This is THE language of international business, diplomacy, aviation, science, entertainment, and the World Wide Web.

English was brought to us by Americans, who started our public school system (an educated citizenry is a pre-requisite to true democracy) and left us speaking lots of good English. That is, until we decided to make Pilipino the national language in 1936 (check the preface on your kid’s Balarila) and the Bagong Lipunan tried desperately to force it as a medium of instruction.

We have our own English. We say comfortable the way it is spelled, not as “cumftabul” the way an American would. We use the word “already” as no one else does. “It is ready already” “it is finished already” this is pure Filipino-English. An Australian or an American would likely say simply “it’s done.” We say “for a while”â€"what exactly does that mean? I take it to mean, “when it’s ready already.” Again other English speakers might say “just a moment” or “just a sec”â€"but they mean the same thing really. The British and their Commonwealth members use “take away” Americans, “to go” Filipinos say “take home”â€"or at least used to.

God help you if you ask for the “CR” in any other English-speaking nation. But hey, we’ve also contributed to the English language in general: “boondocks” is a corruption of bundok.

The very difficulty and inconsistency of the English languageâ€"its fluidity and ability to invent and co-opt wordsâ€"lies at the heart of the creative potential it imbibes to those who speak it.

Our ability to comprehend English is a trump card that we have to develop further and play to the hilt.

It makes courting foreign investments easier, makes tourism more attractive, adds to the “by the grace of God” advantages we haveâ€"great natural wealth in terms of biodiversity and minerals, strategic crossroads location, and more importantly, truly friendly, caring people who have a great sense of humor.

English is a living language, just as our own languages are. We also co-opt other words and usage as they come into our lives and become ubiquitous, and unavoidable. Its evolution is not determined by scholars and laid down as the law of the land.

Evolution

This just tells me we are primed and ready to evolve our language at the pace this world now demands of everyone: fast. We share some of those built-in ethno-linguistic evolutionary characteristics that gives English its creative advantage.

Back to the pronunciation aspect. I believe one great advantage we have in the growing field of business process outsourcing/information communications technology/call centersâ€"is that we are not grating to the native English speaker’s ear, the Americans and British folk who are our major call center customers.

You outsource that to someone from India, or Singapore, or Hong Kong, and their accents will not be as pleasing to those customer’s ears as our own accents which we make such fun of.

Let’s not lose our aces. We’ve already done that with a few of the good cards we had already been dealt.

I have several suggestions to keep our edge in English:

1. Keep speaking English and continue to use it as a medium of instruction. Take what we want from either of the other two largest English-speaking nations but be consistent in our textbooks, particularly in spelling and grammar.

2. DO NOT make fun of someone’s pronunciation unless it is constructive.

3. DO NOT fear ridicule. That person making fun of your English, well, you could probably run circles around them in your own dialect.

4. Keep speaking your home dialect, teach it to your children, and present it as a language class in school. While English may be slowly changing some of our already fractured-culture nation’s heritage, we will never ever give up our identity and cultural characteristics. Don’t worry, we will still be Filipino.

5. Remember that each dialect we lose, we lose a complete worldview. So the old languages must somehow find a way to survive or they will perish forever.

6. Keep it to a minimum with the silly acronyms. We are just plain crazy about those. Some are unavoidable (it’s a waste of time to say “Subscriber Identity Module card” rather than the omnipresent “SIM card”). For your own sake, don’t use the silly acronym unless you know what it stands for. This acronym insanity permeates business, nongovernmental organizations, cooperatives, civil society, government (“Epiraâ€"what’s that? Such silliness because if they called Republic Act No. 9136 the “Industry Reform Act for Power and Electricity” instead of the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act” we might be calling it “I RAPE”), education, religion, etc.

Numbers game

7. Remind those arrogant enough to challenge our English that on many terms, we win because we have the numbers. The United Kingdom herself only has about 60 million people, and even those guys can’t agree on the proper pronunciation of words.

8. At some point in time, our own Noah Webster will create a Filipino Dictionary of the English Language. When that happens we will have truly come of age as another birthing place for this unique modern language.

(Aboitiz recently retired from the Aboitiz Group of Companies and is current chairman of the Visayas regional committee of the Philippine Business for Social Progress.)

The Philippine Constitution

ARTICLE II
Declaration of Principles and State Policies
   
    Section 1. The Philippines is a republican state. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.

 
    Section 1. The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all the other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic or legal title, including the territorial sea, the air space, the subsoil, the sea-bed, the insular shelves, and the submarine areas over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction. The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, irrespective of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines.

We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence, in order to establish a government that shall embody our ideals, promote the general welfare, conserve and develop the patrimony of our Nation, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of democracy under a regime of justice, peace, liberty, and equality, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

The teenage son of American actor John Travolta has died suddenly while on a family holiday in the Bahamas.

The actor's lawyer, Michael Ossi, said Jett Travolta, who was 16, suffered a seizure, and attempts to revive him at the scene failed.

The family were staying in a property in the grounds of the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island.

Jett, who had a history of seizures, was the eldest child of Travolta and his actress wife, Kelly Preston.

The couple also have a daughter, Ella Blue, who was born in 2000. - BBC

hi abcdefg,

kung wala palang nimo gisalindot ang gugmang akong gihalad kanimo ug kita ang nagdayon...

    naa na unta tay grade 1 karon ug kinder.

mao seguro puy atong palad.

happy new year nalang diha...

By Aurelio Pena

Filipino jewelry makers from seven small towns here who just started to churn out little pieces of gold earrings, rings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, etc. a few years back, are sitting on mountains of gold.

Deep beneath the rugged mountain ranges of Compostela Valley lies a rich ore field containing gold with a density of 25 to 100 grams per metric ton, approximately 25 to 50 times more than the famous gold ore at the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa, according to United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) data.

"It's still largely untapped -- even with all the gold mining there all these years. There's still so much gold there," a Bureau of Mines spokesman here said.

These seven small towns in the Philippines' richest valley are sitting today on top of 36,328,700 metric tons of gold, with the small mining town of Mabini topping the list with around 17 million metric tons of gold underneath, according to data provided by the Bureau of Mines here.

The other gold-laden towns are New Bataan with 15,594,689 metric tons of gold, Maco with 2,304,010 metric tons, Monkayo with 670,000 metric tons, Pantukan with 500,000 metric tons, Nabunturan with 198,000 metric tons and Compostela with 62,000 metric tons.

Towns with lesser volumes of gold ore, however, have bigger deposits of copper ore, one of the most sought-after minerals here. These copper-laden towns include Pantukan with a whopping 245 million metric tons of copper, followed by Maco with 68 million metric tons and New Bataan with 50 million metric tons.

Compostela Valley governor Arturo Uy said the valley's quality of gold goes as high as 18 karats while its silver comes out 100 percent pure, making the valley one of the world's best sources of high-quality gold and silver.

"This place is going to be the primary source of gold and silver for the country's jewelry industry and the world's markets," says Uy.

So far, the mountain district of Diwalwal in Monkayo along the Mt. Diwata rugged mountain ranges, is the most visible and popular in the country. This famous gold mining site has produced billions of US dollars worth of gold during the last 30 years since gold was discovered here, according to Uy.

Blessed with so much gold and silver, this rich valley has started developing its own jewelry-making industry with the help of the region's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

At least seven small jewelry manufacturing shops had been set up at Diwalwal during the last few years after the province was included in the nationwide One Town One Product (OTOP) program of the government which identified jewelry-making as one of the emerging industries of Compostela Valley.

Other industries of the province include furniture-making, banana production, diary production, fish production, rice and corn production, food processing, gold production and processing, etc.

"Jewelry-making has all the potentials of succeeding in Compostela Valley because of all that gold over there," says DTI regional director Marizon Loreto.

"And to their advantage, this region has its own pool of product designers who can turn out creative jewelry designs for local and foreign markets," she added. (PNA Feature)

Vietnam's modern transformation from a very poor, hard-working country to a nation of fun-lovers is evident in the recent rise in popularity of dance classes, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported Monday.

In the old Vietnam, those who showed a love for dance were quickly reminded that nhan cu vi bat thien (idleness is the root of all evils). Today, the country is shaking off out-dated attitudes and embracing frivolous fun.

The young and old across the country are recognising that dancing does wonders for their health and wellbeing.

Nguyen Van Nhan, 80, from Hanoi's Cau Giay ward, Tu Liem district asked his son to bring him to the Quang Trung Dancing Club in the city's downtown district, Dong Da, so he could socialise in the fun environment with hundreds of other people of his age.

"My friends told me about the club and I was keen to join in because it's good for my health. Most importantly, I can make friends with others and make myself happier," said Nhan.

The club was founded spontaneously in 2003 by a group of energetic, elderly couples. One of the founders, Tran Duy An (who passed away several years later) brought up-beat music to the Go Dong Da ground, and invited everyone to join in. - Xinhua

They are the super couple of Hollywood but when it comes to exchanging gifts at Christmas, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt go for home-made gifts rather than big or expensive ones.

Actor Brad Pitt, who is raising six children with partner Angelina Jolie, has revealed that when it comes to gifts his family exchange home-made gifts instead of big gifts.

"We do exchange gifts, although we don't feel any pressure to make them big or expensive gifts," Pitt told 'Hello' magazine.

The couple have twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon, a daughter named Shiloh and adopted siblings Maddox, Zahara and Pax.

The actor also makes sure that the children do not watch much American cartoon television, which he believes is packed with "manipulative" advertisements.

"The kids don't ask for big gifts for the reason that they don't see a lot of the American cartoon television, which is packed with all those manipulative commercials for big toys that look so fantastic.

"When they do see that stuff is when they start asking for the toys, so we figure if they don't see them they won't know they're there," Pitt said. - PNA/Xinhua

It is more than a decade that they starred together in 'Titanic' as young but doomed lovers, but years have been kind to Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have united once again for 'Revolutionary Road'.

The actors charmed the crowd as they posed for photographers at the Los Angeles premiere of their film looking slimmer and stylish than they looked at the premier of 'Titanic' in 1997.

The 33-year-old Winslet, who is also a mother of two children, showed off her slim and toned body in an asymmetrical black dress. The actress has certainly become more polished in her appearances over the years, the Daily Mail reported.

Winslet appears slimmer than she did in her 20s. She had a fuller figure at the time of her first film 'Titanic'. She was bullied throughout her youth for being overweight but had refused to conform to the Hollywood ideal.

At the time she starred in 'Titanic' she was seen as the champion of fuller figured women. But it appears that since moving to US, Winslet has worked hard on cultivating a more glamorous image.

The actress was recently the centre of controversy over a photoshoot for 'Vanity Fair' magazine which was apparently airbrushed to give her a line-free and incredibly slim look. - PNA/Xinhua

The 'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson is not too impressed by the glitz and glamour Hollywood.

The 18-year-old actress feels that starlets of her age in Hollywood are "bitchy" compared to their counterparts in the UK. She also has no desire to make a permanent move to Hollywood.

Watson says she enjoys packing her bags for a visit to California when she has to work in a new movie, but a permanent move there is less than likely.

"Never say never, but I can't imagine it. I think that it's a wonderful lifestyle that you have here - the weather is amazing and everyone seems very healthy. It seems like a really nice place to live.

"Obviously, if I had a film here or whatever, then that would be great. But I don't really know a lot of people here." She tells AOL's 'Moviefone.Com'. - PNA/Xinhua

Miramax's period drama "Doubt" received five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations Thursday, more than any other films, for honors in the acting field presented by Hollywood's largest actors organization.

Nominations earned by "Doubt," which tells a story about a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him of molesting a new black student, included best actress for Meryl Streep, best supporting actor for Phillip Seymour Hoffman and best ensemble cast.

The SAG Awards have done only slightly better in predicting Oscar winners than the Golden Globe Awards, which are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, since the guild first presented the awards in 1995.

A total of 36 recipients of the SAG Awards have gone on to win Oscars since 1995, compared to 34 Golden Globe winners during the same period. - Xinhua

The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), which is working overtime to make Davao City the focal retirement destination in Mindanao, opened on Wednesday a satellite office at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.

PRA chair Edgar Aglipay said the first step of the agency, which is under the Board of Investments (BOI), is the opening of satellite agencies in major cities around the country.

Appointed to the position a year ago, Aglipay said he has also opened satellite offices in other identified focal areas of Cebu, Baguio, Clark and Subic.

PRA is also poised to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with directly concerned sectors to come up with integrated facilities that can provide basic services to both foreign and local retirees in terms of housing, health, entertainment, sports and tourism.

Aglipay said he is set to meet the concerned sectors to discuss the matter.

The lack of facilities is one gray area which has placed Davao City last in terms of the number of foreign retirees among the five focal areas.

Baguio City has cornered about 12,000 foreign retirees.

At present, there are only about 200 foreign retirees permanently residing in the Davao City, while the rest of the estimated 2,000 to 3,000 are distributed to other areas in Mindanao.

With the establishment of the satellite office, PRA is moderately targeting to get another 300 foreign retirees per year.

He said PRA is targeting 4,000 foreign retirees nationwide next year.

Presently, there are about 20,000 foreign retirees scattered in the five focal areas in the country. source: PNA

The Pag-IBIG Fund or the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) Davao joined the celebration of this year's founding anniversary as "One Big Happy Pag-IBIG Family" last Sunday, December 14, at the SM City Event Center here.

Vice President for Southern Mindanao Jose W. Banzon, Jr., in his message during the Family Day, said Pag-IBIG in itself is a big happy family, getting stronger and bigger at 28.

He stressed that employees of the Fund help one another and support each other collectively.

"Each one of us belongs to the Fund family and we must have in our desire to help and assist the members of this family," he said.

The families always look up to its upliftment and well being and each one share common values, he said.

Families may differ in their values he said either centering their direction to God while others on material acquisition, character building or the making of good citizens.

But as a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund family, he said everybody is expected to adhere to the Fund's core value of SPICE G, meaning Service, Professionalism, Intergrity, Commitment, Excellence, Growth.

He said imbibing such core values, they can, as a family, respond effectively and deliver good service to the Fund members.

"If the employees think that they belong to the Pag-IBIG family, the Fund's success will also be their success," he said. - PNA

A Korean firm has signified its intent on embarking on a large-scale bio-fuels project in Bais City, Negros Oriental by 2009.

Mayor Hector Villanueva of Bais City, however, said the local government is keeping its caution on the proposal considering that it would entail vast tracts of land and the city might not be able to comply with the requirement.

If the project pans out, he said he would be coordinating with adjacent municipalities to provide the required 5,000 to 10,000 hectares of land for jatropha plantations.

Villanueva further said they would need to study the project offer within the next three months to ensure there will be a steady market for jatropha.

“We don’t want to wake up one day only to find out we have invested so much into this and there are no buyers”, he said.

The proposal comes as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law the Renewable Energy Act designed to make the Philippines 60 percent energy-self sufficient by 2010.

Mayor Villanueva is hopeful the proposed jatropha plantation in Bais City will be viable as it will not only respond to the country’s efforts of using clean energy but it would also generate jobs. - PNA

Davao Del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario confirmed that his liaison officer who was shot last November 25, expired Wednesday evening while undergoing treatment at the Davao Regional Hospital here.

Juvelyn Villanueva succumbed to a gunshot wound around 8 p.m. after 22 days in comatose at the hospital.

Villanueva had undergone head operation due to a bullet that penetrated her brain but after the operation, her condition failed to go back to normal.

She was shot on November 25 by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men while she was waiting for a ride home in front of the Davao Regional Hospital.

Villanueva, 42, a resident of Teachers Village in Tagum City, came from the Davao Regional Hospital where she was regularly visiting patients as part of Del Rosario’s program. - PNA

Sauna, lamparilya ra man akong gamiton kung magtuon sa leksyon sa maestra.

Reaching 80 is a huge blessing from the Lord. Many did not reach this far. May God continue to bless Dolphy.

The US Federal Reserve has slashed its key interest rate from 1% to a range of between zero and 0.25% as it battles the country's recession.

In its statement, the Federal Reserve warned that "the outlook for economic activity has weakened further".

It predicted that rates would stay at the current exceptionally low levels "for some time".

It added that it was considering ways it could spend money on supporting the economy and credit markets.

Analysts said that the key rate is now virtually zero.

"Whether it's zero or 0.25% actually does not make a huge difference," said Holger Schmieding at Bank of America. - BBC News

ERAP visiting marines in Mindanao: Why are the soldiers sad?

GENERAL Camacho: Fatigue lang, Sir.

ERAP: Simple solusyon! Palitan ang fatige, suot sila ng maong...

Pinoy Humor

ERAP with the AFP Chief n RAM are talking about coup rumors.

After 5 hours of deadlock RAM offered a compromise.

RAM: If ERAP can spell the words COUP D ETAT, the coup is off.

ERAP: Gera nalang!

Pinoy Joke

erap & lacson in buybust operation

Erap: freeze!

Lacson: sir mga kasamahan natin yan.

Erap: ah ganoon ba? ok, DEFROST!

Gloria:erap sinong favorite mong artista..

Erap:xmpre c ARNOLD SCHWARTZENEGGER ..

Gloria:kung favorite mo sya spell ARNOLD SCHWARTZENEGGER

Erap: ay JET LEE na lang!

Pinoy Jokes: Movies That Should Not Be Translated

1. Black Hawk Down - Ibong Maitim sa Ibaba
2. Dead Mans Chest - Dodo ng Patay
3. I Know What You Did Last Summer - Uyy... aminin!
4. Love, Actually - Sa Totoo lang, Pag-ibig
5. Million Dollar Baby - 50 Milliong Pisong Sanggol (it depends on the
exchange rate of the country)
6. The Blair Witch Project - Ang Proyekto ng Bruhang si Blair
7. Mary Poppins - Si Mariang may Putok
8. Snakes on a Plane - Nag-ahasan sa Ere
9. The Postman Always Rings Twice - Ang Kartero kapag Dumutdot laging
Dalawang Beses
10. Sum of all Fears - Takot mo, Takot ko, Takot Nating Lahat
11. Swordfish - Talakitok
12. Pretty Woman - Ganda ng Lola mo
13. Robin Hood, Men in Tights - Si Robin Hood at ang mga Felix Bakat
14. Four Weddings and a Funeral - Kahit 4 na Beses ka pang Magpakasal,
Mamamatay ka rin
15. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - Ako, Ikaw, Kayong Lahat
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - Adik si Harry, Tumira ng Shabu
17. Click - Isang Pindot ka Lang
18. Brokeback Mountain - May Nawasak sa Likod ng Bundok ng Tralala / Bumigay
sa Bundok
19. The Day of the Dead - Ayaw Tumayo (ng mga patay)
20. Waterworld - Basang-basa
21. Theres Something about Mary - May Kwan sa Ano ni Maria
22. Employee of the Month - Ang Sipsip
23. Resident Evil - Ang Biyenan
24. Kill Bill - Kilitiin sa Bilbil
25. The Grudge - Lintik lang ang Walang Ganti
26. Nightmare Before Christmas - Binangungot sa Noche Buena
27. Never been Kissed - Pangit Kasi
28. Gone in 60 Seconds - 1 Round, Tulog
29. The Fast and the Furious - Ang bitin, Galit
30. Too Fast, Too Furious - Kapag Sobrang Bitin, Sobrang Galit
31. Dude, Wheres My Car - Dong, Anong Level Ulit tayo Nag-park?
32. Beauty and the Beast - Ang Asawa ko at ang Nanay nya
33. The Lord of the Rings - Ang Alahero

By: Bohol Chronicle

Tagbilaran City Minority Kagawad Zenaido "Djingo" Rama exploded a bombshell in the halls of the Sangguiniang Panlungsod Friday utilizing the 2007 Commission of Audit (COA) Report - that calls into question City Mayor Dan Lim and his administration for the multi-million fund mess.

During a scathing privilege speech, Rama selected six items in the COA 2007 Report involving a total of P320 million funds: P138 million in questionable items and P 182 million in city funds not properly invested - all with specific violations against the law.

He placed the burden at the doorstep of Mayor Lim who Rama claimed anointed himself "father of the

city" to put his house in order and to deal with erring personnel according to the law. The Minority legislator threatened to file appropriate charges against anyone involved in the mess and to dig deeper into other perceived anomalies within City Hall.

As a result of this "monetary and fiscal irresponsibility," the COA had reportedly issued a "qualified opinion" on the true state of the finances of the City of Tagbilaran under the Consolidated General Fund Report - questioning therefore, in layman's language, the financial statements ' validity.

Observers are wary as to how the multi-million expose and the lack of credibility of the financial statements of the city will affect the application for the so-called "jumbo loan" of the City Mayor reportedly from the Development Bank of the Philippines.

P60-M PROPERTY PLANT,
EQUIPMENT UNVERIFIED
The COA Report said that P P60-million worth of equipment could not be subjected to inventory counting and that the City Government did not submit the details of P338 million in Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE).

Thus COA could not, as a result, determine what was bought and sold in 2007 and Rama therefore questioned the basis for a P15.8-million depreciation used. The legislator questioned why the PPE list is being kept secret.

This is a violation of Section 124 Vol. 1 of the New Government Accounting Extension - and effectively may have overstated the PPE and understated expenses.

P25.8-M QUESTIONABLE INVENTORY
In violation of Section 56 of NGAs Manual Vol. II and Section 22 (2) of PD (1445), the City Government failed to submit a Summary of Supplies and Materials and some P25-million worth of inventory could not be verified. According to the COA Report such failure to submit physical inventory should result in "automatic suspension of salaries" of personnel concerned which Rama said they have yet to see.

Rama deplored that such violation could overstate inventory and understate expenses and effectively shield those accountable for "the expense side" from scrutiny.

P6.5-M UNLIQUIDATED ADVANCES
In violation of COA Circular No. 97-002 regarding advances, some P6.5 million in advances was reported unliquidated by certain City Hall officials and employees. This would overstate income and understated expenses of the City, he said.

"Who are the officials involved?" Rama questioned.

P43-M UNCOLLECTED RECEIVABLES
Meantime, the COA Report revealed that some P33.5 million (Due from Other Funds) and P9.5 million (due from Other LGUs) were kept in the hands of other entities by the end of 2007 - depriving the city of funds to finance its socio-economic projects.

Kagawad Rama demanded that those with unliquidated advances and those responsible of depriving the city of legitimate projects be held accountable.

Further, the COA Report stated that intelligence funds, directly addressed to the Honorable Chairman of the Commission on Audit in Quezon City, is recorded upon receipt of Credit Advice.

P3.3M NOT GIVEN TO BRGYS
Deploring the neglect of the small barangay units, Rama hit the non-release of P3.3 million due to barangays in spite of the fact that the city, by its own Financial Statements, declared itself to be awash with funds worth P182 million by the end of December 2007.

The COA Report said that this is in violation of Section 271 of the LGU Code (1991) which requires that these funds from government community tax shares and miscellaneous income should be released five days after the end of each quarter, without further action, to the Barangay Treasurers.

This withholding of funds was deemed detrimental to the welfare of the small-time barangays.

P182M NOT INVESTED
In violation of COA Circular No 92-382 (July 3, 1992) which mandates the investment of government funds in high-yielding instruments, the COA cited that the City Government was holding P143 million of the P183 million cash in zero-interest earnings for the City since this was in the form interest-free checking account.

Kagawad Rama argued if this P143 million was invested in a 6% p.a. yielding instrument - this would have yielded the City Government P8.6 million in interest earnings to be used for government projects. The bank who benefited from the P143 million checking account may have relent this to borrowers at 12% earning for the bank P17 million and zero for the Government.

This is grossly unfair to the city of Tagbilaran, Rama concluded.

CALL FOR ACTION
Kagawad Rama demanded that the SP be given an update on the multi-million mess cited by the COA and that the people responsible be reprimanded, suspended or charged as the cases may warrant. He especially questioned what "is the real state of the city finances" given these huge discrepancies discovered by the COA that could drastically affect both the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss statements of the City.

"Shall we see more of the same in the next 2008 COA Audit Report?" Kagawad Rama asked.

CITY ACCOUNTANT DEFENDS
City Accountant Kurt Bungabong defended the city governance by saying the COA report was more of a "comment on malpractices" rather than amount being misused.

The city hall accountant was commissioned by the city mayor to answer Rama's privilege speech during his weekly radio program yesterday.

He cited the lack of proper inventory of equipments which he said even dates back to the equipments acquired by the previous administration.

On the P6.5-million unliquidated advances by city hall officials and employees, he said the amount is "tolerable" as running liquidations have been done.

He also mentioned that the COA and the city mayor have agreed in principle not to suspend the payment of salaries of those involved personnel which was contrary to the COA rulings specified in the report.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod is asking City Auditor Teresita Irig to appear during Friday's regular session.

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Editorial of the Bohol Chronicle dated October 12, 2008

LET THE PUBLIC JUDGE: IS OUR MEDIA FAIR?

The primary role of Media is to report and inform the public.

An informed citizenry is a vigilant citizenry. An informed community does less guesswork and therefore makes decision more wisely.

The Bohol Chronicle (54 years) and Station DYRD (47 years) know that all too well.

We are not in the business of inventing facts and fabricating stories. Much less twist facts as the City Mayor Dan Lim accuses the Chronicle and Station DYRD of doing.

Let's delve on the controversial drainage issue which has obviously gotten the goat of the City Mayor. We have a check list below of stories we carried on the issue. Please check whether FACT OR FICTION:

(1) There are 38 commercial establishments and households that illegally connected their waste disposal mechanism to the drainage system along CPG Avenue. It is illegal because the National Building Code prohibits such connections.

(2) Because there is no waste water treatment along San Jose and therefore no outfall, some streets of the cities get flooded with waste and water in rainy days. The public has been complaining.

(3) Senior Undersecretary Manuel Bunoan of the DPWH said City Hall promised to erect the waste water treatment facility simultaneous to the drainage, without which DPWH would not have proceeded with project. City Hall has not built the waste water treatment until today.

(4) The DPWH and the DENR, agencies of the country, assigned to put up infrastructure and protect the environment respectively, said the connections are illegal and the City Hall has the power to cut the 38 illegal connectors.

(5) Earlier in 2007, the Sangguniang Panlungsod declared these 38 connections as illegal and in that Resolution empowered the Office of the City Mayor to mandate the implementing rules. Nothing was done.

(6) Mayor Lim in his recent Mayor's Report and the recorded minutes of the coordination meeting at the Governor's Office agreed to implement the cutting after 30 days of voluntary compliance allowance for the violators.

(7) Two weeks later, the Mayor flip-flops and changes his mind that he will only do so if sewage network is turned over to the city. DPWH says there is nothing to turn over to the City because drainage is part of the national highway under the jurisdiction of the DPWH.

( 8 ) 22 months after the discovery of such illegal connections, nothing has been done. We are now on the 14th day of the 30 days deadline, the Mayor reneges on his promise to cut.

The Chronicle-DYRD reported the above facts and figures. No dagdag-bawas. Fact or fiction?

Mayor Lim accuses our media institution of twisting the facts. True or false?

Ladies and gentlemen of the City Jury called Public Opinion: You be the judge.

ROLE-PLAYING IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY

In civilized societies, Public Office and Media Institutions should be bastions of public trust.

When they serve private more than public interest, society reacts. Public officials are voted out of office or impeached. Media papers are not bought by people and radio/TV stations not listened to.

Media is the natural watchdog, the lighthouse that tries to ensure that the public gets a kind of governance that is effective, transparent and equitable. Many times it criticizes official acts - or non-action, while it also appreciates accomplishments.

It is now a common and public knowledge that the City Mayor becomes uncomfortable whenever the public has criticisms on certain issues. As a result, he abandoned his weekly radio program over Station DYRD starting yesterday, a program which we offered for whoever is the Mayor during the past 13 years.

In his letter to the General Manager of the radio station yesterday, he said "you have made it clear that you have no control over the constant and unfair criticisms being hurled against me." This is something the mayor should know. In this twin media institution, we do "not control" criticisms against public officials (as long as the issues are legitimate like such major issue as a drainage problem).

We were surprised to see how sensitive the City Chief Executive is to public criticism that his office even allegedly pressured the advertisers to pull out of DYRD's "Pulso," a radio program anchored by a perceived critic Kagawad Batchoy Alba while he repeatedly said in public his dislikes and personal attacks against broadcaster Atoy Cosap, who anchors a DYRD primetime news program. The Mayor even mounted a head-on competition to Cosap's program at 6 to 7 a.m. and reports have it that he is planning to put up another program to compete with Alba.

His latest attacks, however, have been torpedoed not just on the two broadcasters but now against the Chronicle and Station DYRD - as institutions. As if there is an orchestrated organization-wide plot to discredit him personally. The reason is obvious because we print and air public issues which are unsavory for him.

We say: Mayor Lim, no one is perfect, thus, the public expects every politician to be open to accept some lapses in the course of rendering public service, we, in the Media holds the role - assigned by most civilized societies to be observers and watchdog of public conduct. If the City Mayor wants our role, then he can leave his post as Mayor and join us in the Fourth Estate.

But we in Media prefer to stay where we are. We normally do not have the stomach for politics.

And yet, the Mayor in one of the radio shows, wanted to politicize the issue. Says the Honorable Mayor: if I win reelection in 2010, then they (referring to us) lose; if I lose, then they win.

If Mayor Lim wins again in 2010 - fair and square, then it's his opponent who loses, not us. If he loses - fair and square as well, people voted him out of office for good reasons.

In our case, if people stop patronizing our newspaper and radio stations, then, we may have a cause to worry.

But not before that. In the meantime, some of us may have to decide at some point in our lives to either be public officials or media men. Think about that.

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The furious exchange between the Bohol Chronicle and Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim monopolized the airlanes the last couple of weeks. It was a spirited exchange, to put it diplomatically, enough to generate unusual interest.

It is shaping to be a no-holds barred exchange, something that reminds us of that battle-cry about taking no prisoners. Just thinking that it is only the beginning makes people realize they can expect so much more in succeeding fireworks.

Those watching in the sidelines cannot miss the fact that this is a battle-royale.

On one side you have the most venerable media institution in Bohol. On the other is the most outspoken mayor Tagbilaran ever had.

Both are putting their credibility on the line in this exchange. If the Chronicle succeeds in doing what it does best - which is to bring down an incumbent elective official - then Lim should be singing his swan song in public service.

On the other hand, if Lim comes out in one piece notwithstanding the relentless attacks, then he will be able to accomplish what no other politician ever did - which is to survive the Chronicle.

In the course of their exchange, both sides are prone to excesses and shortcomings. That is what we want to warn them both. Lim should not mistake the forest for the trees. In going after the Chronicle, he should not be going after the media.

On the other hand, in standing up to the hizzoner, the Chronicle should not commit the mistake of blowing its own horn at the expense of other media organizations. This should come as a stern reminder given the unflattering references it loves to give to other newspapers as though it was a saint in a sinner's world.

All signs point to a war without borders. The lines have been blurred and the grey areas seem to grow by the day. While others may cry foul over indiscretions, it seems like no one is listening.

It is getting hot, but that should come as no surprise. The Chronicle in fact taunted Lim to "bring it on", something that the mayor just might do. In a war without borders, it just might get what it is asking for. - Editorial, Bohol Sunday Post

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A song like: "Bahay kubo, kahit... (I forgot the next line...)

1. Touch her waist.

2. Actually talk to her.

3. Share secrets with her.

4. Give her 1 of your sweatshirts.

5. Kiss her slowly.

6. Hug her.

7. Hold her.

8. Laugh with her.

9. Invite her everywhere.


10. Hangout with her and your friends together.


11. Smile with her.


12. Take pictures with her.

13. Pull her onto your lap.


14. When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back.


15. When her friends say i love her more than you, deny it. fight back and hug her tight so she can't get to her friends. it makes her feel loved.

16. Always hug her and say hi whenever you see her.

17. Kiss her unexpectedly.

18. Hug her from behind around the waist.


19. Tell her she's beautiful.

20. Tell her the way you feel about her.

21. Open doors for her, walk her to her car- it makes her feel protected, plus it never hurts to act like a gentleman.

22. Tell her she's your everything - ONLY if you mean it.

23. If it seems like there is something wrong, ask her- if she denies something being wrong, it means SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT-so just hug her.


24. Make her feel loved.


25.


Kiss her in front of OTHER girls you know

26.


DON'T lie to her

27.


DON'T cheat on her!

28.


Take her ANYWHERE she wants

29. Text message or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at work {or school}, and how much you MISS her.

30. Be there for her when ever she needs you, & even when she doesn't need you, just be there so she'll know that she can ALWAYS count on you.

31. Hold her close when she's cold so she can hold YOU too.

32. When you are ALONE hold her close and kiss her.

33. Kiss her on the CHEEK; (it will give her the hint that you want to kiss her).

34. While in the movies, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her LIGHTLY.

35. Dont EVER tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you're mad. If shes upset, comfort her.

36. When people DISS her, stand up for her.

37. Look deep into her EYES and tell her you love her.

38. Lay down under the STARS and put her head on your chest so you can cuddle.

39. When walking next to each other grab her HAND.


40.


When you hug her HOLD her in your arms as long as possible

41.


Call or text her EVERY night to wish her SWEET DREAMS

42. COMFORT her when she cries and wipe away her tears.


43. Take her for LONG walks at night.


44. ALWAYS remind her how much you love her.


45. Sit on top of her and tell her how much u love her and then bend down to her face and kiss her while sitting on her.


46.


Rub her back--feels good

47.

Give her your coat if she's cold--thats always cute

48.

Write letters on her back with your finger--feels good =]

49.

Let her sit on your lap

50. DON'T poke her hard...but if you want to mess around just do it lightly.

51. HOLD her HAND in PUBLIC.

52.


Even if she looks BAD one day tell her she's BEAUTIFUL

53. Keep conversations flowing...talk about anything usually they just go along with it.


54. If their hair is in their face move it out of her face and then kiss her passionately and gently.


55. Surprisingly sneak up on her and hug her from behind--loves it.


56. Kiss her in the rain.


57. Pick her up like in The Notebook and kiss her.


58.


Slow dance with no music

59. Don't ignore her or be nervous around her--everything is going to be okay.


60. Love her, kiss her, hold her, and you'll be good to go.

source: DigitalPoint

It does not matter if you are a Doctor, a Lawyer or an infantry soldier in the Army if you want to be the best and get ahead, you will need to take risks.

A doctor may have to take risks when working with a patient. The Doctor may have to experiment with different forms of medications or new surgical procedures when all else has failed in an attempt to help the patient.

A lawyer may have to argue a case in an unorthodox manner to win the case, but if the lawyer wants to become the top lawyer and make millions of dollars fighting high profile cases lots of risks have to be taken.

A soldier may have to take a risk and run thru gunfire to save another injured soldier, to complete their mission, or just to secure an area from being overrun by enemy troops, after going days with little to no sleep, but if a soldier wants to get promotions and eventually lead men into battle they also need to take risks.

These risks are not unlike someone looking to get rich in a casino, they have to be willing to risk everything they have to get that million dollar payoff.

The same can be said about life in general. No one gets ahead in life from playing it safe. You will not meet your special someone if you are too afraid to risk getting rejected by someone, you will never get that big promotion unless you take risks at your job.

It is very important to continue to take risks in life. To stop taking risks means to stand still in life. Standing still in life is one of the main causes of depression. These are usually the people afraid to confront the boss and tell him that they demand a raise; they are the ones that allow life to pass them by out of fear. The entire purpose of fear is to stop you from taking a risk.

Fear is nothing more then the unknown. If you have always wanted to quit your job and open a shop but you are too afraid to do it, this is because you are afraid of failing and risking what you already have.

It is important to learn to take risks in life if you want to be happy, you may not always get the things you risked for, but you will know that you tried, and in the end it does not matter in my opinion if you succeed or not it is how many risks you try to make that is the real test of how successful you are.

Just remember if no one took risks we would be a world without flight and probably no automotive vehicles at all, maybe we would have no electricity. So risk truly is needed to improve the world. (PLR Article)

By Joel Guinto
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. bucked anew calls for an all-out war with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), saying it could lead to "irreversible" damage.

But Teodoro and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Alexander Yano said military offensives in Central Mindanao will not cease unless the MILF surrenders its commanders who have been blamed for attacks in the provinces of Lanao Del Norte and North Cotabato.

Teodoro said the government would remain on "higher moral ground" and would not stoop to the level of MILF Commander Adbullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, who reportedly challenged security forces to an all-out war.

The military is running after Macapaar, who was blamed for attacks on civilian communities in Lanao Del Norte province last August 19, and MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato, who was tagged in attacks on 15 villages in North Cotabato earlier this month.

"If we do what Bravo is doing what makes us different from Bravo?" Teodoro told a news conference in Camp Aguinaldo. "What higher moral ground [can we] claim if we do the same thing that he doing?"

Teodoro said an all-out war would mean "unleashing the full force" of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

If this is done, the defense chief warned: "The repercussions on the relations between people in the area may be irreversible. It may slide into a conflict we could never recover from because people will start hating each other not because they are part of the MILF or part of the government but because of what they believe [in]."

Earlier this week, former President Joseph Estrada has called for an all-out war with the MILF, like he did during his term in 2000.

But the government has insisted that the ongoing offensives targeted only Macapaar and Kato as it reiterated its commitment to peace negotiations.

Three days of ground and air bombardments against the forces of MILF commander Kato in Maguindanao province have left four soldiers killed and 20 others wounded and a "substantial" number of casualties on the side of the MILF, Yano said.

"They [MILF] can do several things to stop the offensives, number one, they can surrender their commanders, number two, they can promise to rein in their people to make sure that they cannot do criminal activities or atrocities," Teodoro said.

By Veronica Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nine more Filipino seamen have been kidnapped off Africa and became victims of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Saturday.

This brings to 54 the total number of Filipino seamen who are held in captivity by suspected pirates who operate in the seawaters off Somalia, DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said.

In a text message coursed Cristobal, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said the nine were part of the 13-man crew of the German-owned, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged freighter M/T BBC Trinidad that was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates August 21.

The confirmation of this latest incident, Conejos said, came from both the Philippine embassy in Nairobi and the local manning agency.

The DFA thus issued the standard instructions to the Philippines embassies in Berlin and Nairobi “to coordinate with the ship owner, the international maritime authorities, and the host governments on efforts to secure the safe and speedy release of the crewmembers.”

Aside from this new incident of kidnapping, there were 10 Filipino crewmembers from MT Bunga Melati 2 hijacked on August 19, 15 (not 16 as earlier reported by Mombasa-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program) from MT Irene seized August 21, and 20 other Filipino seafarers from MV Stella Maris, July 27.

unsa pa may imong mahimo
nga "in a relationship"
naman siya.

maayo man unta to ug
"it's complicated" lang
kay basin pwede mahilot pa.

pero labing maayo gyud
ang "single", dili ba?

ayaw nalang pangugat diha
kay ang mga piktyors "private",

dihay mga piktyors nga public
pero imo lang gi-autoplay,

ug kalit imong gituplok
ang link nga "thumbnails"

ug miingon ka sa hilom
"ang iyang mga mata
sama sa mata sa alimokon."

By Pete Lance

Gas prices are getting more and more ridiculous. And it’s going to keep increasing with no limit in sight! For the new car owners out there, do you know that a gallon of unleaded gasoline used to cost only $1.25?

Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to maximize your money and save at the gas station.

So here we have compiled 10 best tips to help you get the most out of your dollar!

Tip 1: Shop Around
This is the advice that you can apply anytime you buy anything. Always shop around. You can get a cheaper price for your favorite brand, and probably a yet cheaper price for a different brand.

Tip 2: Use a Gasoline Credit Card
Gasoline credit cards are great! They can save you 5-10 % off your gasoline purchase.

Tip 3: Buy Gasoline When the Weather is Cool
Gasoline is denser in cooler temperatures, such as in the morning or at night. Gas stations measure volume, not density, so you'll be getting more solid fuel than vapors, thus improving your overall gas mileage.

Tip 4: Avoid Gas Stations That Just Refilled Their Tanks
When underground tanks are refilled, particles at the bottom of the tank get stirred up, and when these particles get into your gasoline tank, they affect the fuel efficiency of your car.

Tip 5: Don’t Top Off
The gas pump needs time to draw out the full amount of gas, so When you purchase a bit of gas the station, you get short bursts of fuel that you'll probably pay extra for. You should refill your tank when you have less than half a talk left or when you find a price that is so low you cannot afford to miss it.

Tip 6: Don’t Use High Octane Gas
Most cars nowadays are built to run on regular unleaded gas. Purchasing higher octane gas is simply a waste of money. Octane measures how hard it is to ignite gas, not the quality of the gas, so getting higher octane gas will not improve fuel efficiency. You should only get these more expensive gases when your engine pings, knocks or rattles.

Tip 7: Pump Your Own Gas
It's cheaper to pump your own gas at the self-serve stations rather than using the full-serve pumps. Full-serve gasoline naturally costs more.

Tip 8: Lessen the Use of Air-Conditioning
This tip is simple enough. Air-conditioning uses electricity, and they can reduce fuel economy by up to 20àIt's advisable to use the air ventilation system instead.

Tip 9: Plan Your Trip
You can avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trip before hand, and of course that saves you money on gas consumption.

Tip 10: Purchase Vehicles That Get Good Mileage
This is probably one of the best tips anybody can give on saving money at the gas pump. It's always better to purchase vehicles that get good gas mileage. Check with your car dealer about cars that have better fuel economy.

About the author:
Pete Lance is the founder of USGasTracker.org, a premier company which helps the consumer save money on gasoline. Thousands of gas stations across the nation are tracked daily to guarantee the lowest prices on gasoline anywhere in the United States.

By George Dodge

1. You should purchase your new car at or around Christmas time because with everybody buying their Christmas presents, not many of them are looking to buy a new car, and it forces dealerships to up their sales strategies.

Salesmen are more willing to haggle down to your prices to close the deal.

2. You can also get a good deal from July to October because that is the time of year when dealerships are trying to get rid of their inventory to make way for the new models.

3. Purchasing a car online is becoming a great way to get a new car. Just wait for good rebates and incentives online and shop around.

Print out your information from the best quotes and bring it to the dealer that you are most willing to work with.

Bringing in lower quotes from another company might be your best bet in getting a good deal.

4. You should visit http://www.fightingchance.com if you are hoping to find new car prices, dealer incentives, and the best rebate offers.

This site is the first place that you should go for great advice on buying a car. It's even more informative than the Kelley Blue book. This program for buying new cars can literally save you thousands of dollars.

5. A good place to start when going into a dealership is to bring a copy of your credit score with you.

It can lower your interest rates on your car loan. Your car dealer should not know more about you than you do.

6. You can avoid a common scam that dealerships pull. You will often hear that your financing fell through and that you have to respond by paying more money on your loan.

Don't believe it. It's another reason for you to get a copy of your credit score.

7. Another common scam by dealership salesmen is for them to tell you that they have found you a lower rate, but that they want you to re-sign your loan papers.

Usually, that is a downright lie. Once they pull up your financing information, they have the upper hand if you don't know the details about your credit information.

You can get a copy of your credit information online at http://www.equifax.com for about $10-$15. It's better to pay $15 now than thousands later.

8. Don't bring in a car for trade in if you still owe money on it.

The dealership rarely pays the rest of the loan on time which will result in you having to pay a great deal of late fees to the bank.

If you do decide to bring a car in that you owe money on, get it in writing from the dealership that they will pay the balance on the car within 10 days.

9. Sometimes a dealership may not have all of your options and must order the car directly from the dealership.

If this happens they will often ask you to pay $500-$1000 for a deposit on the car.

Try not to pay more than $500 and be sure to pay with a credit card because sometimes the dealership will tell you that there was a price increase on the vehicle and will want more money.

If you pay with a credit card you have room to dispute the amount being taken from you. If you pay by check, you can just consider the money gone.

10. You should never buy a car when you are in desperate need for one because a dealer will see that and take advantage.

You should never wait until an old car is dead before searching for a new one because you should give yourself time to shop around for one and get the best deal possible. Desperation often clouds your judgment.


About the author:
George Dodge is the webmaster for 1st Choice Auto Parts that has been expanding to include all things related to automobiles, including, parts, accessories, apparal, books, posters, insurance, loans, and articles to name but a few.

A trusted aide of Gov. Erico Aumentado was moved out from his office and transferred to the office of the Provincial Government Media Affairs (PGMA) effective last Friday.

June Blanco who acted as private secretary of the governor was given instructions that she should no longer be stationed at the governor's office following the complaint of a job seeker who was allegedly insulted by her.

Isabel Tagab, a casual employee of the Loay-LGU, in tears, narrated to the top rated DYRD program "Pulso" on how she got slighted by Blanco.

She said that instead of politely asking what position she was applying for, Blanco asked her "do you want to apply for governor?"

"That was one of the most humiliating moments in my life," Tagab commented while narrating the sad tale over the airwaves.         

In order to air her side, "Pulso" co-anchor Fred Ticong called Blanco on the phone. But, as many listeners reacted on-air, the governor's aide sounded arrogant on the air.

Instead of apologizing, Blanco asked the anchorman, "Gipa inom naba na ninyo ug tubig?" (Did you let her drink water there at the station already?), since she heard the complainant shed tears while narrating her experience at the Capitol.

Blanco admitted having asked the complainant "do you want to apply for governor?" which admission generated even more reactions from radio listeners.

Reactions and comments on the actuation of Blanco received strong criticisms of dyRD listeners to as far as the United States who phoned in their disapproval on such conduct shown by her.

Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr., during the weekly "The Governor Reports" last Friday said the re-assignment of Blanco to the PGMA office is already an indication that the Capitol is not ignoring the complaint of the Loay resident who has been working as casual employee for 14 years already.

Abapo likewise announced that as a result of the incident, Aumentado has issued a memorandum to all provincial government heads of offices stating the guidelines on how to handle clients who transact business at their offices. > Kit Bagaipo, Bohol Chronicle

No one said that becoming a wedding planner was a job for the faint of heart. Not everyone can succeed as a wedding consultant. A good wedding planner is:

- Calm. You will be the bride’s (and the groom’s!) rock. From miscommunications with vendors to major meltdowns at the ceremony, you must be able to keep your cool in the wake of a calamity. A wedding planner should always have a Plan B ready for action in case of an emergency.

- Charming. You are the face of your business and your clients’ representative. Impeccable communication and social skills are imperative. Your reputation as a wedding consultant depends on your ability to network and maintain great working relationships with vendors and venues. Wedding planners must know how to communicate and work with all personality types. Not everyone you encounter will be pleasant and easy to please. You must be able to defuse any situation to get the results your client desires.

-  A Great Negotiator. The bride and groom will be counting on you to order flowers, hire the band and photographer, recommend a caterer, and help find venues for the ceremony and reception. You must be able to find the best service for the lowest price. This becomes easier as you create a reputation for yourself and develop professional relationships with vendors and venues. Your connections will get you better deals, which you can pass on to your customers.

- Good with Money. Starting a wedding planner business requires that you be able to manage your own expenses and stick to a budget, as well as be responsible for someone else’s money and budget. Previous experience with money management is vital -- even if your only experience consists of controlling the household finances.

- Organized. A wedding consultant might be responsible for almost every aspect of the big day: the venues, theme, flowers, food, refreshments, attire, photography, honeymoon, and other details of the wedding. Keeping track of all the nuances, contract dates, and deadlines requires an enormous amount of organization and attention to detail. Your calendar will be your new best friend.

- A Plethora of Knowledge. A good wedding planner has fashion sense, good taste in music, and an eye for color, flowers, and themes. You must be able to keep up with the latest bridal trends and fads, hot honeymoon destinations, and of course, traditional wedding etiquette. Many wedding consultants also learn about different religious ceremonies and traditions so that they can accommodate couples of any faith.

- Able to Maintain a Sense of Humor. From indecisive or emotional brides to controlling parents and absentee vendors, your work is cut out for you. When you are dealing in dreams, the ability to keep things in perspective is essential.

Beginning your own wedding planning business will be a learning experience. No one knows everything from day one, and as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. (public label article)

www.visaflow.com provides a comprehensive database of more than 10,000 US companies that can sponsor you for a job placement in the U.S.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) ruled in favor of a draftsman “thrown” to a nursery and told Cortes mayor Apolinaria Balistoy to reinstate and pay him his backwages and other benefits.

In a decision promulgated June 17, 2008, the government commission agreed with the appellant, Joseph Ligan III, that his reassignment is a reduction in rank and threatens his security of tenure.

Earlier, in a Memorandum dated May 22, 2007, Mayor Balistoy ordered Ligan’s transfer of work assignment to the Municipal Nursery located at Rosario Cortes, where he is to report to nursery caretaker Tersita Samuya.

On his assignment however, Ligan said it was not the Nursery caretaker who monitored him, but a barangay secretary, as allegedly ordered by the mayor. 

In an appeal dated January 9 2008, sent to the CSC and in a copy furnished to the Mayor, Ligan averred that he had been stationed at the Office of the Municipal Engineer (OME) as draftsman designate.

Ligan was appointed permanent as Engineering Aide and his item was from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), according to his appointment by then Mayor Herminia Labor.

However his Position Description Form states his responsibilities including preparing plans, program of works, bill of materials and detailed estimates of proposed projects, requisitions, checks and inspects as to specifications quality and quantity of construction materials delivered, supervising project construction in coordination with the Municipal Engineer and conducts ocular inspections of sites of proposed projects.

Prior to his reassignment, Ligan was designated draftsman at the OME.

The CSC noted that for reassignments to be deemed regular, they should be consistent with employees duties and responsibilities, not one with servile or menial task and the reassignment should also include definite duties and responsibilities. 

Absent these, the CSC said it gives the impression that the employee has been given a floating status, which infringes on his security of tenure. 

Moreover, the reassigned employee, the CSC noted was made to report to a barangay secretary, where his PDF names the MAO as his immediate supervisor. 

Over this, the CSC noted the reduction in rank. It said that the barangay secretary, being an employee of the barangay cannot be made to supervise a permanent employee of the town. - Published by Bohol Sunday Post

By Fred Fuertes

      Maribojoc, Bohol - St. Vincent Institute Alumni Association, Inc. (SVIAAI) has to find a new president to replace Prescillano “Eking” Echavia who recently resigned following a case that United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), his former employer, has filed against him.

      UCPB dismissed Echavia for some irregularities.

      For a number of years, Echavia has reigned as president of SVIAAI.

      However, Echavia tendered a resignation as president of SVIAAI last week after UCPB filed a complaint against him.

      SVIAAI held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall to tackle Echavia’s resignation which calls for a replacement, and beating the deadline that Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had set on July 12 for the organization’s annual report.

      SVIAAI vice president for the Visayas, SVI principal Erlinda Ilano, presided over last Friday’s meeting.

      Dr. Ma. Nenita Chiu, SVIAAI secretary, who is also the municipal planning and development coordinator here, bared that Echavia sent her his letter of resignation through fax.

      However, SVIAAI could not act upon it because it was unsigned.

      In a short message service (SMS), Echavia promised Chiu that he would sign the irrevocable resignation later when he would arrive from Cagayan de Oro City come July 11.

      The organization’s constitution and by-laws are silent on the process of succession in the event of a vacancy in the seat of the president.

      The SVIAAI Board of Directors was in a quandary who among the three vice presidents will take over as president- -SVI Principal Ilano, vice president for the Visayas; or Mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr., vice president for Mindanao; or Engr. Avelia Apayor De Vera, vice president for Luzon.

      On the other hand, Moises Descallar who was tasked by Echavia to facilitate SEC’s approval, raised concern as the organization’s annual report must be submitted by July 12 or SEC will cancel SVIAAI’s registration.

      Towards adjournment of the meeting, the body agreed that another meeting be set on July 30 to elect a president and an executive vice president. Ilano temporarily serves as interim president.

      Other members present during the meeting were Msgr. Junex Nalzaro, who led the opening prayer, board members- -Club Treasurer Eva Bolasco, Co-Auditor Elizabeth Racho, Councilors Cecilia Autentico and Alberto Arangoso, DepEd Principal Milueda Escabarte, Ilano, Tony Racho and Fred Fuertes. - Published by Bohol Sunday Post

By Adam Saligumba

      It’s a lucky start this school year for 67 high school freshmen students to receive scholarship grants from the Ruby Genre '63 Foundation, Inc.

      They were the current top graduates from elementary schools in the two districts in Loon.

      The Ruby Genre '63 Foundation is an organization composed of alumni of Class 1963 of the Loon Central Elementary School (now Loon South Central Elementary School).

      The foundation's current president is DBM Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, who hails from barangay Moto Sur, Loon.

      While most scholarship programs chose students from indigent families, Ruby Genre '63 prefers to be unique by choosing the best and the brightest in the class, regardless of their parents’ financial status.

      The foundation’s beneficiaries are the top five in the current school year's batch of elementary school graduates.

      A young Ruby Genre Foundation scholar enjoys a whole-year free tuition, school supplies, P300 monthly allowance, and freedom of choice to study in any of the three private schools in Loon.

      The only condition for the beneficiary student to continue enjoying the scholarship is to maintain passing grades in all the subjects and a general average grade of 85 percent.

      Basac Elementary School head Stella Orcullo, secretary of the Ruby Genre '63, said the association started offering the scholarship program only last school year to fresh elementary school graduates.

      That year the foundation accommodated only ten scholars who passed through a rigid screening and examination.

      With more funds this school year, the foundation extended to 67 of the top graduates of public elementary schools in the Loon South and Loon North Districts.

      Valedictorians and salutatorians no longer had to undergo the screening and examination.   

      Usec. Relampagos and SABER Foundation based in Manila, had been instrumental in the expansion of the scholarship to 67 high school freshmen scholars.

      In early part of May, SABER Foundation board director, Lawyer Cris Dionido, arrived in Loon to hand over an initial check worth P225,000.

      With the development, more scholarship funds from the foundation will be made available in the future.

      Granting of scholarships is just one of the many programs of the Ruby Genre '63 Foundation.

      Aside from the many development projects it has accomplished for its alma mater- -the Loon South Central Elementary School, the foundation had already established a computer learning center at the LSCES that gives out regular TESDA-accredited computer literacy trainings to students and professionals.

      On June 7, the foundation conducted the second closing exercises of its Computer Literacy Program at the Paseo de Loon.

      Certificates of Completion were distributed to 70 computer literacy graduates composed of high school and college students, retired professionals, government workers and private company employees.

      TESDA center chief, Dr. Floro Ringca gave the confirmation of the graduates as witnessed by Vice Mayor Edwin Ladeza, Ruby Genre officers and members led by their vice-president, Godofredo Orcullo, LSCES Principal Alberto Mangaron and computer literacy trainer, Jerome C. Orcullo.

      With its thrusts into educational aid and development, the Ruby Genre ’63 Foundation has joined the administration of Mayor Lloyd Peter Lopez, M.D. and Vice-Mayor Ladeza in giving appropriate attention to Loon’s top and highly intelligent students in both the secondary and tertiary levels.

       Former Tubigon Mayor Paulo Manigo Lasco died on June 22, at the age of 68.

      “Boy” as he was fondly called by friends, was married to Delia Fuentespina of Davao with  whom he had three sons and two daughters.

      His body lies in state at his residence in barangay Pooc Occidental, this town. His body will be cremated today at Rolling Hills Funeral Homes in Cebu City.

      Mayor Lasco used to be a junior editor of the defunct Philippine Free Press in Manila in the late 1960’s and rose his way to the ranks.

      He became a municipal public development officer (MPDO) of this town, then later elected as vice mayor for one term.

      He served as the mayor for three successive terms from 1998-2007.

      As mayor, he was instrumental in modernizing this town by initiating the construction of the two-story Tubigon commercial complex in 2004.

      Two years later, the old market structure was gutted by fire.

      He was also instrumental in the construction of the Tubigon cultural and sports center, renovation of the municipal hall and the improvement of the town plaza.

      Lasco also initiated the establishment of the municipal waterworks system and supported the Philippine Ports Authority in upgrading the town’s port into what it is at present.

      He was also instrumental in the construction of a controlled dumpsite facility and a modern abattoir in a 3.2-hectare lot in barangay Macaas.

      Lasco also initiated the construction of a post-harvest facility in barangay Cahayag and an experimental laboratory building for crabs and multi-species facility in barangay Matabao as just among the several projects he made, aside from the different bridges and farm-to-market roads he accomplished for the development of this town.

      Lasco pursued a vision and a dream to improve the quality of life of the constituents, a legacy he wanted to leave for the generations to come. - Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper

      Muddy and rough roads is not enough to postponed the inaugural and turn-over ceremony of the two new classrooms of Tunaan Daku Primary School of barangay Siktuana of this town.

      Representing Talibon Mayor Juanario Item, Councilor Nomi Valmoria cut the ceremonial ribbon with Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Soniaflor Kapirig of the Bohol Division.

      The turn-over ceremony for the two new classrooms followed with Engr. Ben Dacoylo handing over the key to Francisca Escartin, representative of Representative Roberto Cajes for Talibon, then to Councilor Valmoria.

      Then Valmori handed the key to Kapirig who further handed it to School Division Physical Facilities Coordinator Engr. Hermenilda Gracio then to School District Supervisor Enrique Carosus Jr. of Talibon district 1.

      In turn, Carosus gave the key to School Cluster Head Estela Areglad then to Barangay Captain Rolando Avergonzado of Sikatuna then to PTCA president Envangeline Turtoga, and finally to School-in-Charge Wilma Martinez.

      The simple but fitting ceremony signaled the readiness of the new classrooms for classes of grade two and three pupils.

      Two newly-completed classrooms are in addition to the two old classrooms in Tunaang Daku Primary School. The old classrooms are made of light materials and presently used by the grade one and day care classes.

      One of the new classrooms was constructed under the school facilities improvement program of the Department of Education (DepEd) amounting to P523,000 while the other is from Cajes’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of the second engineering district of the province amounting to P480,000.

      It was purposely constructed for all school-age children living in the sitio to have access to school located three kilometers from the main school campus of the barangay.

      To date the Tunaan Daku Primary School have a total number of 106 pupils and 35 pre-schoolers coming from 48 households in the sitio.

      The school started operating in 2006 with only two teachers, one of them has been a volunteer until the present.

      During the inauguration of the new classrooms, a short program was held where Barangay Kagawad Mauro Socias led the opening prayer, while Arlyn Torrejas led the singing of the national and Bohol hymns.

      Barangay Kagawad Ricardo Garcia, chairman of the barangay education committee gave the welcome address.

      Mayor Item failed to attend the event as he was in the island barangays with officials of concerned government agencies to conduct evaluation and assess the effects of Typhoon Frank in the area.

      In his message Avergonzado expressed gratitude to Mayor Item, Representative Cajes, Governor Erico Aumentado who were responsible in the implementation of the project. - Bohol Sunday Post

By Loy Palapos
Columnist
Bohol Sunday Post

      Appreciated for his political will in the elections of 2004, he traversed a road less taken by his predecessors whose magnified back-patting and exuberant hand-shakes betrayed an inner feeling. Making reforms both at City Hall and Tagbilaran City, his acceptance rating rose several notches higher, starting off by making an opposition-populated legislative body see his line of thinking. His projects, mostly envisioned to help the poor, became hot topics with positive results, both from the political and social point of view.

      Thus, a second term came in handy by 2007. Not only did he make a clean sweep in almost all of the polling places; his party gained more slots in the legislature … a clear endorsement of his kind of governance. The consensus was that, if he succeeded to persuade for three years the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), when he had only one adherent, how much more when (eventually after representatives representing the Sangguniang Kabataan [SK] and Association of Barangay Captains [ABC] were picked), he already has the majority of the City’s Law-making body.

      A ripple emerged when a very close associate in three previous elections jumped overboard and morphed into a negative factor. Add the SP Presiding Officer who has been viewed by all as a contender for the top slot at City Hall in the 2010 elections. Plus, the Agora and Water-Treatment projects hitting some snags. And the Blue Card anomaly that (thanks, God!) he discovered and aborted. Add a few businessmen who used to have their way in the previous administrations, even to the extent of bending some established rules. Collectively, it could be a puff of wind that could escalate and intimidate. Did these raffle his feathers?

      No, not a bit. Just like necessary spices to make his governance more palatable, many observed. Problems that don’t need head-breaking to perceive the solutions. Still, on top of the situation, Mayor Dan Neri Lim (DNL) again proves he is at his best elements.

      This interview took shape in his office at City Hall during a 30-minute lull of activities, mostly involving many people who wanted to confer with him on some vital matters. The date: Saint John’s Day, June 24, 2008.

      LMP: Your concern about children was evident even during your first term. How did this come about? Did you have some experiences or perceptions that ushered in this concern?

      DNL: I always want to inspire people to hope no matter what the present circumstances.  And yet, we have to consider that we cannot do anything about   the past and can only do so much with the present.  However, there is a lot that we can do about the future.  The children are our future.  I believe that we have to give them hope today if we want them to face the future with confidence. What we do with our children today largely determines what they will be tomorrow. In a way, the future starts now.

      LMP: For two years, public school pupils and students have been benefited by your giving them uniforms, bags, books, notebooks, shoes, and other school necessities. This year, are they going to enjoy the same privilege? Or, are you adding more to the items previously enjoyed by them?

      DNL: Yes, this is a program that I intend to implement every year I am in office.  I want the children to enjoy the same privileges, even more. I have some additional items in mind but I still need to finalize the details. If it is possible, I will just distribute them without fanfare.

      LMP: Many pupils and students from outside Tagbilaran City have enrolled in City Public Schools because of these afore-mentioned privileges (free school needs). How does this affect the project?

      DNL: I don’t see any problem with that. We may not agree with their motives in enrolling here but as far as I am concerned, the more beneficiaries, the better. I always believe that Tagbilaran should bear in mind that it is the big brother to its sister towns.

      LMP: Last year, you started a reorganization and revamp of the Day Care Center program of the City. How has this been assessed by the recipients of the new program? How about the coordinators/teachers?

      DNL: The results have been very encouraging.  This may not be very evident at this time but I believe that in time the impact will be felt in the lives not only of the children who are enrolled in the Day Care Centers but even their families. There are a few loose ends that we will attend to but over-all it has surpassed expectations.

      LMP: What advantages and changes have taken place since the implementation of the program on “Multiple Intelligences?”

      DNL: As I have pointed out, the results may not be evident this time.  So, I leave people to their own assessments.  What is clear however is that our  children are more comfortable and secure about themselves, better able to express themselves and more eager to learn.  For me, these are enough reasons to expect more from them in the future.

      LMP: Can you give an update on the well-publicized anomaly perpetrated by some implementators of the Blue Card program?

      DNL: Except for those who want the program to fail for their selfish interests, the program is what the doctor ordered for indigents who need to avail of free hospitalization.  I just want to make it clear however that the Blue Card should not be used to encourage wrong thinking and mendicant mentality. This is the reason why I don’t want deliveries and ailments caused by alcohol and tobacco abuse included in the program. The government  should educate people about their responsibilities. If couples cannot even spend for their childbirth, how will they be able to give their children a better life?  In the same manner, people who refuse to be accountable for their vices should not expect the government to bankroll their indiscretions.

      LMP: In your administration, there have been some big steps undertaken to promote sports, especially boxing. Will this still be sustained in the incoming years? Why?

      DNL: Nothing is permanent in this world. What we take years to build up may be destroyed overnight. The point however is not to stop hoping that the next generations will pick up from where we left off and even take it to a higher level.  The tragedy is not to do anything for fear that those who come after us will put them to waste.

LMP: Can you give an update on the Water-Treatment project?

      DNL: We have modified the project in response to present developments. I do not want to go into the details anymore.  When it is done, we will present it to the people. The only assurance I can give is that it won’t be a band-aid solution.  We are looking at a long-term if not permanent solution. The system we will put in place is the result of a comprehensive learning process that took into consideration those that are successfully implemented in other places.

      LMP: How about the previous plan to buy-back the electric and water utilities by the Provincial Government? It seems the plan is in hiatus. What is the latest about this?

DNL: I cannot speak for the Provincial Government. There were public pronouncements about that but there is nothing concrete until the present.  I am  hoping that the Provincial Government will make its position clear so the City will  know what to do.  I assure our people however that we will not give up the fight  to give back control of the power and water utilities to them.

      LMP: A ripple was felt regarding the new DepEd Superintendent assigned in the Tagbilaran City Division, which even resulted to Regional Director Mordeno conferring with you. What was the cause of the friction, and how was it resolved?

DNL: The issue boils down to disrespect, lack of coordination and insensitivity to the  desire of the City Government to improve the quality of education.  Fortunately,  Regional Director Mordeno came to the rescue.  All’s well that ends well.  When  people commit to hold each other in respect, to coordinate and cooperate with  each other and to recognize that we do not hold a monopoly of good intention,  we can accomplish so much more.

LMP: The recent development at the vicinity of Plaza Rizal, particularly the building that has been reconstructed pursuant to established guidelines at the corner of  CPG Avenue and J.S. Torralba Street, has given the people a glimpse of how the  city would look if rules are followed. What do you believe is its effect on those  who are still not observant to the guidelines?

DNL: It is a sad fact that due to the sad experiences of the past, our people’s first  reaction to new ideas is suspicion and disbelief.  The solution to that is to prove  your case by performance.  The results will take a while to be appreciated but I  always believe that over time we will be vindicated.  The message I have always  given our people is this: we know what we are doing and that we mean  business.  I am not saying that they do not have the right to question.  What I’m  saying is that there are consequences to disobedience.

LMP: What can you say about people who don’t do anything to be productive, but  just wait for government dole-outs?

DNL: Dole-outs only make beneficiaries more dependent because it is like rewarding  them for refusing to be responsible for their own lives.  It is not a question of  government’s capacity to help but of the individual’s desire to stand up and  accountable for his own life.

LMP: Along this line, what is your reaction to President GMA’s sporadic subsidy to  the people recently? Can you see some long-lasting positive effects on this move,  especially in terms of productivity?

DNL: It is a case of too little too late.  It might cool down the panic at present but it  needs far more than that to meet the requirements of the future.  The  government should be able to consider at all times the fact that we have to plant  before we can reap.  Planting requires foresight, long-range planning and  commitment.  There are no overnight results.  It requires home work, diligence  and focus.

LMP: Those in the know are convinced that the wannabes in the Mayoralty race  (including the incumbent Vice Mayor) are lightweights who couldn’t hold a candle  to you. Do you feel the same way… that a third term is yours for the taking in  2010?

DNL: It is too early to talk about the next election.  What I say today is at best an  opinion that will not be validated until the final votes to answer a question that is  left to the individual discretion of every voter.  For the moment, my mindset is to  make good the commitments I gave to our people and to honor their trust with  the performance that they deserve. 

      This coming Tuesday (July 1, 2008), is the 42nd Charter Day of Tagbilaran City. The program, prepared by City Administration Walter Toston, has the same trimmings as in the previous years. The date also marks the start of the month-long Sandugo Festival, now on its 20th year.

      Will he make the usual State of the City Address? Whether he does it or not won’t make any difference. After all, what matters most are not words. Actions speak louder than words. Mayor Lim may have a few critics, but they are usually a disillusioned few who turn acidic for DNL won’t bend the law. Strong and persistent is his brand of leadership. Unbending to the whims and caprices of those who cannot detach themselves from personal interest.   

Written By Romy Teruel

The Philippines as a country in the pathway of typhoons is filled with experiences on what typhoons can do to inflict damage along their path. We have seen billboards blown away and dropped on houses, cars, and buildings; agricultural farms reduced to wasteland; irrigation canals transformed to raging rivers; roads and bridges upturned like sticks and heaps of rubble; mountain sides collapse into mud; the seas spurning mountain-size killer waves.  Every time we are left with millions of pesos worth in damages and grieving families.

Every time we also resolve to learn from our lessons.  When passenger vessel Dona Paz collided with a cargo ship and sunk with more than a thousand passengers a few years ago, government came up with all safety nets to prevent similar occurrence in the future. For all these years however, we seem to have not learned our lessons. 

Typhoon Frank that recently struck the country is proof again that we have thrown to the wind all the precautions and the safety nets that government has formulated to prevent serious damage to lives and property.  Considering the strength of typhoon Frank, damage to property was inevitable, but the loss of lives that it has caused could have definitely been avoided or prevented. 

The sinking of the Princess of the Stars of Sulpicio Lines during the height of typhoon Frank in Romblon was a tragic incident that could have been avoided.  Too much disregard for government warning and miscalculation and misjudgement of the capabilities of the vessel were to me the reason why hundreds of passengers who went down with the ship and died are now rotting inside the capsized structure.

Was it greed for profit that made Sulpicio Management, owners of the ill-fated vessel, pushed them to sail despite information about the strength of the typhoon?  Even with the plot of the typhoon path not directly hitting the voyage path of the Princess of the Stars, the variance was very short.  Sulpicio Lines had experienced not just one or two mishaps already.  The weather bulletin should have put the plug to the scheduled voyage even if the vessel’s tonnage is estimated to withstand the typhoons winds.   

In the investigation it was found out that the Princess of the Stars did not even have facilities to directly monitor weather updates.  That too should have been enough to cancel the voyage.   

The Coast Guard cannot feign innocence too.  Even if the rules allowed the Princess of the Stars to sail at such weather condition, the same could have been disapproved given the details of the typhoon.  Discretion is the better part of valor, as the old cliché goes. This is true in the past as it is today.

The Typhoon Frank tragedy should also serve once more to the travelling public to put the urgency to the back seat in situations like that.  Safety should always dictate our decisions over the importance of the travel if the conditions surrounding the travel will put us to great risk of danger. 

The Typhoon Frank tragedy is one more lesson learned and but just like the others, it will be forgotten until the next tragedy.

NOTE.  Perhaps it’s time that Mayor Dan Neri Lim should consider firing his city engineer.  For months city roads have not been maintained.  Pot holes are getting bigger every day in main thoroughfares. Does the city engineer ever inspect the condition of the city roads?  Does he ever render reports on the status of the city roads to the Mayor? Methinks no.  So how about it Boss?

Written By Boy Guingguing
Publisher, Sunday Post

It’s better to have gambled & lost

than never to have gambled at all

Life is a gamble, so they say. Win or lose, you accept life as gamble even if you are not a gambler yourself.

If I have to describe my gambling habits, it is not by force of habit. It is what we call as social gambler, recalling to mind other social  characteristics like social drinker or social smoker.

Why talk about gambling this time?

The premise is that since life is a gamble we might as well tinker with our risk of losing or winning in a kind of battle never been fought in our whole life.

It is one battle that win or lose-- worth fighting.

We are referring to our date with the knife anytime next month. Not that I am scared to death. If we keep on postponing and postponing this major surgery, it is not because we are afraid to die, if the procedure goes kaput. Ergo, if we are ready to die because God so willed, then why would we be afraid to live? If we may call this as our last hurrah, the operations will spell the difference between leading a normal life or rather than being subjected to constant dialysis which is only a temporary solution.

After experiencing near death when we have this renal failure attack, we feel that we are ready for the final call if indeed it cannot restrained from any ‘motion for reconsideration”. Aside from the financial consideration that goes with the operations, we are also ready with our emotional and spiritual baggage that go with the territory. 

As the Big Day nears, we feel that this is the opportune time to say thank to all our friends who encouraged us to take the great plunge to kidney transplantation.

We have to make this thank you gesture in advance because who will make it if we lose in the biggest gamble we ever made since we see the light of day 58 years ago. You said it right. It’s better to have gambled and lost than never to have gambled at all.

Therefore, our heartfelt thanks go to those who made pledges to make our date with destiny possible. They are such loyal friends like Anos Fonacier, Gov. Erico Aumentado, Richard Uy, Marlito Uy, Geesnel and John Yap, Board Member Roygie Jumamoy and countless others who are willing to be counted when SOS for help come their way.

We gamble with the only life we have? Yes, Kith, if God is with us, who can be against us.   

True to his topnotch reputation, this lawyer took to task  no less than a magistrate of the highest court of the land.

Considered a first in Bohol’s bar and judicial history, lawyer Victor de la Serna is now in hot water after he accused a Supreme Court justice “on the ground of credible allegations of bribery”. The amount the lawyer quoted was P10 million.

For such a wanton display of legal bravado, de la Serna, a bar topnotcher earned a citation for indirect contempt.

The bribery rap stemmed from the request for inhibition of the unidentified High Court justice filed by de la Serna when he filed a motion for consideration arising from a decision penned by the SC justice.

An indirect contempt charge carries a penalty of disbarment as maximum and reprimand as minimum. The erring lawyer can also be suspended of private practice if found guilty. Since the case involved the highest court of the country, the penalty is no longer appealable.

For almost four hours last June 18, de la Serna during the oral argument of the charge was grilled by all the members of the SC  second division. A member of the division was at the receiving end of de la Serna’s bribery tirade.

BACKGROUND

In his motion for inhibition, de la Serna zeroed in on the second division justice citing alleged credible allegations of bribery based on the statement of a certain Johnny Chan and other compelling circumstances.
Chan, a Manila-based businessman is representing a realty firm identified as Cattleya Land, Inc. The company was interested to buy a property in Panglao to pave the way for the construction of a resort hotel known as Bellevue Hotel. A hotel of the same name and possibly owned by Chan is now in operation in Alabang, Muntinglupa.

The owner of the property in question is a certain  Carmelita Fudot who chose de la Serna as her lawyer in the litigation that followed.

What drove the goat of de la Serna and subsequently went ballistic by crying bribery was decision of the Supreme Court whose ponente was the object of de la Serna’s verbal attack.

The decision was promulgated on September 13, 2007. The same decision was the subject of de la Serna’s motion for consideration.

Thirteen days or on September 26 upon promulgation, the decision was released as evidenced from the mailing date from the Central Post office in Manila.

De la Serna  recalled that on September 25, 2007 or a day before the decision was mailed to all interested parties,  the topnotch lawyer together with Chan met at the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. In that meeting, the businessman, according to de la Serna, stated that he could no longer continue negotiations for the purchase of the land of Fudot because he has already spent P10 million for the SC justice to render a favorable decision for Cattleya Land, Inc.

De la Serna’s suspicion was that what Chan wanted was to buy also the interest or claim from Fudot over the same property and put an end to the litigation. At this time, the case has not yet reached the Supreme Court.
Then a second meeting was set at the private dining room of the Bellevue Hotel a few days later with lawyer Tomas Toledo in attendance. It may be noted that during the first meeting, Toledo was also there as an intermediary representing Chan. In the second meeting, no agreement on the purchase price was reached.

Then a third meeting was held, still at the private dining room of Bellevue Hotel this time arranged by lawyer Dionisio de la Serna, a cousin of  the Boholano lawyer. The same as in the previous ones, no agreement was reached during this meeting.

What was notable during  this meeting according to de la Serna was that a certain Pol Petralba offered to the petitioner’s counsel P4 million for the interest of Fudot regardless of the case in the Supreme Court.

Knowing that the property registered in the name of Fudot was worth much more than the P4 million, again no agreement was reached, de la Serna added.

Sometime in the middle of September 2007, de la Serna received a text message from a certain Cecil Eleazar, an engineer of Chan, requesting for another meeting at the Bellevue Hotel.

De la Serna said dutifully and in good faith, the petitioner’s counsel again flew to Manila for that requested meeting at the Bellevue Hotel.

Set on September 25, 2007, the meeting was no longer held at the hotel’s private dining room. It was held at the public dining area which was noisy with latter loud music. In that meeting de la Serna noted that Chan arrived almost an hour late.

As narrated by de la Serna in his motion, the meeting after the usual civilities, Chan curtly told him that all negotiations for the purchase of the petitioner’s property were off. Chan said that he had already given out P10 million to the High Court justice in exchange for a favorable decision. On the basis of this information, Chan said there was no more reason for him to talk to de la Serna.

Meanwhile, de la Serna noted that the fourth and last meeting was held on September 25, 2007 while the next day September 26, the decision of the Supreme Court was mailed to the contending parties.

ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE

In support of his bribery claim, de la Serna said the advance knowledge of the decision only confirms the bribery as bragged by Chan.

De La Serna added even as early as August 2007, Petralba who turned out to be one of the lawyers of Chan was already intimating of a bribery of a SC justice. De La Serna said when Petralba made a final offer of P 4million regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case, there was ready a veiled ultimatum for de la Serna to accept their generous offer of P4 million. - Bohol Sunday Post

Total Recall

This morning’s showdown of Manny “Pacman“ Pacquiao and David Diaz billed as “Lethal Combination” can be an apt description of the teamâ€"up between V-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera and Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo, Jr. for Bohol governor and vice governor, respectively.

Except that the two are not in each other’s throat as the Pacquiao-Diaz fight, the combination of their political ambitions may just be as lethal, this according to pundits who were asked to comment of a billing of the political kind.

Political pairings of  probables gunning for the top two elective provincial officials  gained premium after a leading weekly made an in-dept story of who’s running and who’s not in the 2010 local elections.

If plans do not go haywire, a tandem between Herrera and Abapo in 2010 may be a force to reckon with knowing that it is a dream team of  west meeting east. Herrera is from Calape while Abapo is from vote-rich Ubay.

But here’s the rub. No matter how palatable the combination  looks on the surface, the key to victory of the two top provincial contenders will all depends upon which part of the two’s political bread  is battered.

As if wielding a Swiss knife to butter the equation, the blessing of  Gov. Erico Aumentado is the be-all and end-all of all these posturings.

Even Cong. Edgar Chatto who is said to be casting a moist eye of the gubernatorial plum is also courting the support of Aumentado.

For Herrera, after assuming the role of supporting cast for nine years, his positioning to become the next governor is unmistakable. Very visible even if the 2011 polls is still one and a half years away, there’s no mistaking that Herrera is there to claim the position that he has been dreaming for the past nine years or so.

Aumentado’s clout is needed by both gubernatorial pretenders considering his hold in the captive votes of the second district.

In the past three elections where he ran for governor, his vaunted bailiwick in the second district proved to be the winning edge even if he only fared fairly in the first and third districts.

Is the Aumentado sting still in contention come 2010?

Any jaded observer following the storied political career of the  poor boy from Ubay will  no doubt swear before the grave of his ancestors that Aumentado is far from being a spent force.

Why is Abapo part of the Herrera-Aumentado equation? If Aumentado is true to his Ubayano trait, then Abapo is a cinch  of a vice gubernatorial material.

Representing the east in a partnership with Herrera, Abapo, a lawyer, is also a popular choice considering his exposure as provincial administrator.

A problem will crop up however if a quid pro quo is hatched to accommodate graduating second district congressman Roberto Cajes.

A compromise arrangement, Aumentado will have no choice but to accommodate Cajes’ “temporary shelter” as Bohol vice governor if Aumentado can clinch a deal that will prevent the congressman’s wife to take his post.     

With Trinidad Mayor Judith “Babie” Cajes positioning as her husband’s successor, only Aumentado’s insistence to return to his old post can persuade the lady mayor from pursuing her congressional aspiration.

Although Aumentado is still coy about his future political plan after practically assuming all the provincial and congressional  positions up for grabs, the prospect of returning to his old post which remains lucrative as ever to this day, is still a juicy option.

If so, then Abapo will have to rethink his own plans to pave the way for Aumentado’s comeback bid. - Bohol Sunday Post

      For efficiency and in aid of legislation, service vehicles become a necessity for local lawmakers, according to Acting Governor Julius Caesar Herrera.

      Over the weekly radio program, Governor Reports on Friday, and in a radio interview later, Herrera emphasized that with the nature of their work, a service vehicle is a necessity and not a luxury for legislators.

      He further explained that with the service vehicles provided, the local legislators no longer have to claim transportation allowances.

      Moreover, the cars presently issued to some Provincial Board (PB) members are already old and defective, to the extent that their repair and maintenance would already be more costly than buying new ones.

      The present state of the old service cars only indicate that the thought of buying new cars for the legislators has long been overdue and is just as timely as it is practical.

      Herrera also explained that the mandate of lawmakers go beyond the four walls of the session hall as they have to reach out to the farthest and remotest sitio in their respective districts just to get the sentiments of the constituents that they represent.

      Legislators have to address a number of concerns in their districts which include public hearings on a proposed measure and information campaign on newly-formulated measures.

      At present the Vice-Governor’s Office is conducting a series of seminar-workshops on local legislation for newly-elected barangay officials.

      Before the lawmakers show up at the regular session, it is already given that they had already spent enough time to gather inputs from their constituents, most of them live in areas where there is no public utility vehicles plying.

      Even attending fiesta celebrations are opportunities to study the socio-cultural trend of the populace which can be a start of a legislative action.

      As to how to draw the line between official and personal trips, it is already up to the concerned official and Herrera assured that a set of guidelines has already been in place for the policy applied on the use of official service vehicles.

      Upon a request from the Governor’s Office, the Provincial Board (PB) passed Tuesday an ordinance reverting a fund of P10.8 million saved from the salaries of unfilled positions in Capitol’s different offices, to buy 13 new Isuzu Crosswind cars. - Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper

About 30 Boholanos contacted the office of Sulpicio Lines to confirm that each of them had a relative who boarded the ill-fated Princess of the Stars, the flagship of the Cebu-based shipping company, that capsized Saturday off the seawaters of Burias Island in Romblon.

      So far, at least 49 bodies- -32 males, 14 females and three children- -arrived Pier 6 in Cebu City on Friday morning and were transported to a funeral parlor downtown.

      They were among the 849 people on board the ill-fated vessel where only 42 survived and the rest still missing.

      Of the 849 on board, 724 were passengers, 117 were crew and four were sea marshals- -three Coast Guard personnel and one from the Philippine Navy.

      Divers were only able to retrieve about 80 people, so far.

      At height of the Typhoon Frank, many Boholanos are bound home for the upcoming fiesta celebration of Garcia-Hernandez, Loboc and Inabanga.

      Some of the passengers of the ill-fated vessel were those who first booked with another vessel which trip was cancelled due to bad weather.

      Some were believed to have been washed ashore alive and rescued by folks in the coastal communities.

      Acting Governor Julius Herrera released to the Post last night a detailed list of Boholano passengers who boarded the vessel. Herrera could not confirm, though, who among those in the list that he obtained from the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council perished in the tragedy, who survived and who are still missing.

      Based on the list, six residents of Hambongan Island were confirmed by Barangay Captain Elle, in addition to the 30 who were confirmed by relatives.

      One prominent Boholano who was at the center of the tragic incident was the ship captain identified as Florencio Marimon Sr., 53., and a native of barangay Catagbacan, Loon.

      Growing up in Loon where he finished high school, Marimon tried his luck in Cebu and went on to finish his nautical course at the Cebu Polytechnic School.

      He was one of those listed as missing, and relatives in Loon feared that he was trapped among the scores of passengers in the sunken vessel.

      In an interview, Teresita Marimon, a sister of the boat captain, said the family sought the help of a soothsayer if their brother is still alive or already dead. The soothsayer hinted that the boat captain went down with the vessel and therefore trapped among fellow casualties in the watery grave.

      In the list that Herrera provided, nine were from Inabanga- -Lagura Bernanlita of barangay Mabuhay, 42, married; Daniel Estoria, 34 of barangay Suwa; Ulyses Jayson, 23, of barangay Dagohoy; and Elle’s six constituents who were Jemafelyn, Jesalyn and Alejandro Vitor; Roldan Lariosa, Desidaria Baguio, and Marcelina Tabat of Hambongan island.

      Six were from Calape- -Jimmy Roloma Jr., 23 of barangay Cabagnitan; Myla Barquez, 36 of barangay Santa Cruz; Chery Amor Ganade, 31 and Joel Ganade, 31; Anastacia, 44, and Xzyron Jhosh Rulida, 25, of barangay Banglasan.

      From Sagbayan were Simplicio Apao Jr., 30, married, of barangay Poblacion; and Galanida  Elesita, 41, married.

      From Talibon were Cirilo Aurestila, 46, married of barangay San Isidro; an unnamed 21-year-old son of Panfilo Cajes; Roosevelt Atienza, 26, of barangay Bagacay; Lorna Auza, 18, of barangay San Francisco; Jordan Cajes, 21, of barangay Sto. Niño; and Socrates Garcia, 36.

      From Tubigon were Richard Mejares, 41, married; Roberto Limocon Jr,. 37, married, of barangay Macaas; Ramel Tugib, 35, married, of barangay Cabulijan; and Samuel Corsiga of barangay Potohan.

      From Loon were Lucrecio Sanguenza, 47, married, of barangay Tontonan; and Roel Lariba, 37, married, of barangay Catagbacan.

      Others were Jonathan Pahigdana, 26, married, of barangay Lumangog, Ubay; Roberto Malunes, 35, married of Valencia; Dennis Ranan, 29, single, of Jagna; and Reynaldo Bulabos, 32, single, of barangay Soom, Trinidad; Herminigildo Gacia Jr., 39, married of barangay Tuburan, Bien Unido; Romulo Lagrono, 49, married of Sikatuna St., Tagbilaran City; and Alejandro Ayade, 63 of barangay Kawayanan, Mabini.

      In another tragedy, three youthful Boholanos serving as apprentice were among the passengers of a cargo vessel that sank at the height of typhoon “Frank”.

          The three were identified as Julius Tulang of Bilar, Julius Bompat of Bil-isan, Panglao and Arnold Yuchengco of Poblacion, Panglao.

          The three are fresh graduates of Cristal e-College in Panglao.

          Dr. Necerio Ilensa, Cristal e- school director, confirmed that the three were among the passengers of the MV Paway Lake, a cargo ship that sank off the coast of Masbate .

          Ilensa initially reported that Tulang made it alive to Burias island in Romblon while Bompat was reported in the custody of the shipping company the following day.

          He said only Yochengco remained missing at the time he was interviewed by Station DyTR.

          This was however corrected by Jim Jayme, an employee of the firm that operated the ill-fated cargo ship.

          Jayme denied that Bompat was already accounted for saying that he remained missing until press time and that reports that he has been rescued were mere hearsay.

          He also revealed that Yochengco was confirmed dead by other survivors who recalled that he was already lifeless when they tried to bring him to the shore.

          Jayme said the survivors recalled that they tried to tie a rope in the body of Yochengo but strong waves cut the rope, prompting them to leave him in the open sea.

          He revealed that the vessel came from Semirara Mining Corp. in Marinduque and was on its way to Toledo City when the storm struck while it was in the sea off Roxas, Capiz.

          According to Jayme, the three apprentice seamen came aboard just two weeks earlier.

          Of the 25 crew members, only four have so far been found alive including Tulang.

      Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bohol admitted that it was finding difficulty in identifying the Boholanos among the passengers of the MV Princess of the Stars.

            Engr. Verneil Balaba, OCD Bohol chief, said that there are many Boholano surnames listed in the passenger manifest.

            However, it is difficult to ascertain if they are indeed Boholanos because they simply listed their port of destination which is Cebu City. - Sunday Post