MikeLigalig.com

He who gives and takes away speaks. We can either fear or trust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk8horRi3_E

STILL

VERSE 1
D     D/C#  Bm   G           E      A
Hide me     now, under Your wings
D     D/C#  Bm   G          E      A
Co...ver     me, within Your mighty hands

REFRAIN
(B)
          G/A      A/B         D/E
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
         G/A    A/B          Bm/C#m
I will soar with You above the storm
         G/A  A /B        D/E
Father You are King over the flood
         Bm/C#m         Em/F#m  A/B         D/E
I will be still         know You         are        God

VERSE 2
D            D/C#   Bm  G         E  A
Come rest my      soul, in Christ alone
D       D/C#    Bm          G     E          A
Know His power, in quietness and trust

14 dead in American Samoa from quake, tsunami


Agence France-Presse
First Posted 03:30:00 09/30/2009


APIA â€" (UPDATE) At least 14 people were reported killed in American Samoa following the powerful earthquake and tsunami which hit the area early Tuesday, radio KSBS-FM reported.

Another five people were feared dead in neighbouring Samoa.

The earthquake, with a revised magnitude of 8.0 struck at 6.48 am (1748 GMT), the USGS said, generating a tsunami that smashed into the two South Pacific island states.

The latest update is that Aumentado has requested for a meeting with stakeholders on October 6 at Malacanang to speed up the start of the construction and apprise them about the upward cost adjustment (76 percent more than original estimate). Given our state of calamity, I wonder if this meeting will push through. Aumentado has admitted that the Panglao International Airport will be a major electoral issue for the administration candidates next year. They have set themselves up into their own trap--empty promises.

Here's the update:

Panglao airport project cost soars 76 percent
By JUNE S. BLANCO
September 28, 2009, 3:15pm
Manila Bulletin

TAGBILARAN CITY â€" Expenses in constructing the new Panglao International Airport has escalated to almost 80 percent and its chief proponent, Bohol Governor Erico  Aumentado is asking Malacañang to help him address such a cost overrun.

Aumentado has set a luncheon meeting on October 6 for stakeholders of the Panglao Bohol International Airport to address a cost overrun of around 76 percent. Aumentado, who shepherded the project from conception until the approval of its initial outlay, has been following up with Malacañang his call for assistance on the matter after the Philippines Japan Airport Consultants, Inc. (Phil.JAC, Inc.) submitted a revised detailed engineering design which substantially increased the project’s budget.

He announced over his weekly radio program, The Governor Reports, which is aired live simultaneously over two radio stations in Tagbilaran City, that Malacanang has agreed to meet with him over the problem and that the Palace, through Secretary Gabriel Claudio, has agreed to meet with him on October 6.

The Bohol governor had earlier communicated with President Arroyo, asking her to convene a meeting with the Panglao airport project stakeholders to solve the funding deficiency.

The National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC) Technical Board had earlier approved a P4.2 billion outlay for the airport.

Aumentado said for one thing, the runway has been reoriented 32 degrees in order to avoid plowing into the Alona Beach resort. As such, there is need for engineering intervention, otherwise the airport would hit many crevices and depressed areas.

Price escalations due to engineering, administrative and land preparation aspects have raised the airport project cost to around P7.5 billion, the Bohol governor said.

Technological advancement can be used either to spread goodwill and truth. Too bad, dark forces choose to use it to propagate ill will and lies. You're right, there's a perpetrator and a victim here. In the midst of this uproar and the unfolding tragedy, it's hard for cooler heads to prevail. But in God's time, justice will be served.

Quote from: statesville on September 30, 2009, 07:23:37 AM

Somebody's lying, the Lord knows who's who
  the evil-doer will reap someday  what he/she sows
  today

Bay Glace,

Lipay na ta sa pagka-CEO sa TB, layo sa dirty politics, pwede magpahipi ug pwede pud magpatim-aw as your mood and convenience dictates. Kung naa pa lang sweldo, pwede pud i-full time. 

Quote from: glacier_71 on September 30, 2009, 06:26:11 AM
@ Benelynne = mura gyud og pang-governador sa Bohol ning pormaha. mga gwapo ug gwapa

Kumusta kaya ang pamilya ni Gener? I hope they're all fine.

BlueAngel,

I actually have a few friends who call me by that monicker, so OK lang kaayo. Gwapa gyud tingali ka kay gi-interesan man imong pic. Wa ba gi-edit? Anyway, I also had an e-mail account in the past which was apparently hacked, because it kept sending me messages through that same address and the content was mostly trash. I stopped using that account. Even now I receive suspicious mails supposedly from people I know and respect with very lewd invitations--and those friends just laughed aloud when I checked with them. Daghan gyud hankypanky ning cyberworld.

Quote from: BlueAngel on September 29, 2009, 09:43:56 PM
Sir Benskie (hope u dont mind if i call U so) ok?

daghan man mag pa add sa FS or other site (from all over source)
reliable frens and rela. pwede man nmo e check og "allowed" and the rest cyber frenslist
e denied nako unless magkaila na jud mi sa husto.

nabiktima nako ako pic gisikwat unya gihimong avatar in a certain site uhm
dats why reluctant nako pataka broadcast ako pic og profile infos.

na hacked napod ako ym acct. (dli na jod ko makasulod) one of my fren ingon sya
nagpadala kono kog links nya..somewhat "colpicx" ang name unya iya pod gi click
boom na hacked pod sya (told them,hoi wla koy acct. ing ana)

NAIA and the adjacent domestic airport was like a lake at the height of the typhoon. It was really impossible for you to land in that condition. I am happy you're back and safe.

Quote from: calle on September 29, 2009, 06:37:32 PM
aw, sajop injo basa sa ako post.

ang ako buot ipaibot, ang laptop ug lcd projector worth more than one hundred thousand.

i was in palawan last week for the information drive of our office. i was one of the resource speakers, ahem, hehehe. we were already in manila by 1120 am but we were not given clearance to land by airport authorities because of the zero visibility thing. so, our flight was diverted to cebu.

however, we were not able to deplane in mactan international airport because we were in a military base. though ground crew of Philippine Airlines were seen in the tarmac, no food were delivered to feed hungry passengers.  i made a scene when i scolded a stewardees for their services i cannot stomach. for that, i was given a pack of peanut and biscuit. i gave the biscuit to my companion who's as old as my father and keep the peanut. We were just inside the plane until 5 pm when we were allowed to depart for manila by airport authorities. 

we arrived in ninoy aquino international airport terminal 2 at around 6 pm but we deplaned at around 7 pm because of heavy airport traffic. (note: more than 100 passengers and crew of PAL have not taken their lunch, including me)

to be continued...

Bay HB,

This conclusion actually enmeshes the allegorical and the literal in this natural disaster, to quote you. Kung dili pa tungod sa misguided government urban planning, driven by profit-hungry developers, dili pud tingali in-ani kagrabe ang lunop ug ang casualties. There are really crocodiles in Manila's floodwaters, literally and figuratively. Nakonsiyensiya pud tingali ang numero unong reptiles sa Malacanang sa ilang US$20,000-dinner sa NY, giablihan nila ang palasyo para sa mga refugees. I doubt if this feeble gesture of sympathy will hold in the stark face of this yet unfolding calamity.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 29, 2009, 09:23:11 PM
A case of prophet vs. profit. Conclusion foregone.

Hi Blueangel,

Thanks! I had to review my FB settings after reading this. I don't feel at ease interacting in forums or social network sites where everyone is anonymous, that is why I am active only here and in one or two other sites where we know one another more or less. But with the recent spate of cyber attacks, it just seems like our cyberstreets are now teeming with anonymous muggers lurking in the dark. I notice many of my friends using their real identities in FB. Do you really think they are making themselves vulnerable to identity theft? Lisod lang pud kung "friends" o fellow members ra pud ang mo-atake. Perhaps people are just bringing the ubiquitous social habit of talking small or trash behind others' back into the cyberworld--which we think is generally harmless--except that here, the entire netizenry can eavesdrop and really cause a worldwide uproar in a short time.

Quote from: BlueAngel on September 29, 2009, 08:40:18 PM

sites (like FS,FB,Netlog,Myspace) etc. oh heaven's sake dont divulge ur real identity, read thoroughly
the setting guidelines (privacy), check every precautions that you can avail.
ex:"who can view my pics" dont tell me you would add to ur list a certain cyber fren whom out of nowhere using Obama,MJ,Sharon Stone and other celebrities?

in connection to this thread, JB might a victim of identity theft..but i would conclude this person who tries to ruin her image might one of her trusted cyber friends (ngano suheto man nya)?
considering thus JB is an educated one from a prestige Uni. am pretty sure she knows how to handle
networking activities or cyber gimmick.

pls. try to visit:(hope this could be a sort of help) upcoming victims

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html

Crocodile seen in Cainta floodwaters
abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak | 09/29/2009 7:49 PM


It’s not an urban legend.

While most parts of Metro Manila and its environs remained submerged in floodwaters sometime after midnight on Monday, September 28, three people got the scare of their lives when they saw a crocodile floating in the flood.

Abs-cbnNEWS.com learned of the incident when 26-year old Michael Lambert, one of the three witnesses, posted a photograph of the animal on his Facebook account. Lambert happened to be the Facebook friend of a friend of a staff member at abs-cbnNEWS.com.

The other two witnesses are Kenneth Taneo (25 years old) and Marie Tan (25).

“I had to back-up and take this from a higher point. A few seconds earlier, this was right in front of us!” Lambert said in his Facebook post. “I adjusted the exposure and brightness of this photo.”

Seen in Cainta

Taneo told abs-cbnNEWS.com that the incident happened at the corner of Dollar and Schilling streets at the Cainta Greenpark Village.

The town of Cainta was among the areas most affected by the flood brought on by tropical depression Ondoy when it visited the Philippines over the weekend.

Lambert explained that he and his companions were on their way to visit a friend who got stranded in her house at the Cainta Greenpark Village when the incident happened. “We brought her food because she has not yet eaten.”

About a block away from his friend’s house, Lambert and friend saw an object that “looked (either) like a tire or a crocodile floating in the floodwaters.” The water at that time, he said was about thigh deep.

“It was pitch black. There was no electricity or whatever,” he recalled. “But we had a flash light. We trained our flashlight on the thing and saw that it was a crocodile.”

Scared by the close encounter, Lambert said they stepped back slowly by a few feet and avoided making sudden movements. “We didn’t panic because we didn’t want to alarm it.”

“We climbed up a mound of soil. We wanted to get out of the water first. And that was when I took the picture.” That, he explained was why the photo was a bit blurred already.

Luckily for Lambert and his companions, the crocodile just kept floating, apparently not noticing their presence.

He said they waited for the crocodile to swim away before they stepped back into the water and continued walking.

Forest park escapee?


“Apparently, a lot of these creatures had escaped from the Pasig Rainforest Park during the typhoon. And one of them made it into the flooded streets of this private village in Cainta,” Lambert said in his Facebook post.

But Pasig city Mayor Robert Eusebio denied earlier that any of the crocodiles from the forest park escaped.

An Inquirer.net report quoted the Pasig city Mayor saying, “Nothing to worry. The crocodiles are still in their cages as reported by the zoo keeper.”

Lambert later conceded that the animal may have come from anywhere. “We do not know where it came from. Might have come from the zoo or swamps around the area.”

Lambert’s encounter with the crocodile is not the only one involving wildlife that victims reported in the aftermath of the disaster wrought by typhoon Ondoy.

At the height of the floods, Metro residents also reported of snakes suddenly appearing in their houses. â€" Gemma Bagayaua Mendoza, abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak with Mark Telan, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Most beautiful lady I've met? Of course my better half, Lynne.

The handsomest? I'm trying to decide between this:



and this:



Pero mas gwapo man gyud tingali ning liwat nako, my only son Paolo.

If I remember correctly, Felino Palafox also made the master plan for Panglao development and has praised Bohol for its natural endowments. Educated at UST and Harvard, this world-reknowned architect is also credited with drawing up the grand landscape of Dubai to be what it is now.

Government study foresaw floodâ€"Palafox
Top News
Written by Dennis D. Estopace / Reporter
Monday, 28 September 2009 21:39

THE government was warned 32 years ago that ceding control of urban development may have adverse consequences, such as the devastation experienced by the metropolis on Saturday.
“Some are saying it’s [the flooding of key Metropolitan Manila areas] an act of God. It’s not. It’s neglect on the part of the government,” architect Felino Palafox Jr. told the BusinessMirror on Monday as casualties of Typhoon Ondoy grew to more than a hundred dead and thousands of people displaced.
In the document sent by Palafox, the Metro Manila Transport, Land Use and Development Planning Project (Mmetroplan) already cited the Marikina Valley as among the areas deemed “unsuitable for development.”
The area that includes the city of Marikina were among those that sustained the most damage, according to news reports. In one hard-hit site alone, Provident Village, TV reports said 58 bodies had already been recovered, presumably people who never had time to leave their homes as floodwaters rose too quickly.
“Development should be restricted by the application of controls in three major areasâ€"in the Marikina Valley, the western shores of Laguna de Bay, and the Manila Bay coastal area to the north of Manila,” said the report submitted in July 1977 to then-Public Works and Highways chief Alfredo Juinio.
“We’ve told government all along [that] this would happen because of the flooding [in] the same month in 1970,” Palafox said.
He said he was working for the government then when he and a group of researchers undertook this World Bank-funded study on a land-use plan that was finalized by Hong Kong-based consulting firm Freeman Fox and Associates.
Palafox cited a recommendation from the study that the government should monitor the Marikina Riverbank so that the water would not reach 90 meters. Likewise, no structure should have been allowed within nine meters from the riverbank, he added.
“Dahil hindi sinunod ’yun, parang massacre ang nangyari [Because the recommendation was not heeded, what occurred was virtually a massacre],” he said.
The three-volume report also noted that “urban development is spreading into [these] areas which are, in their present state, unsuitable for developmentâ€"either because they are low-lying and liable to flooding, or because development is without adequate facilities for the treatment and disposal of sewage [the norm in Manila] and so will continue to contribute to the severe pollution of areas, such as Laguna de Bay.”
The study added: “The unsuitable areas for development, where pressures are nevertheless considerable, are primarily the flat coastal areas to the north where extensive areas are liable to flooding and where increased pressures for reclamation are likely to further exacerbate this problem.”
Another is “the Marikina Valley, to the east, where the land is liable to flooding and where development with inadequate provision for the treatment and disposal of sewage is contributing to the severe pollution of Laguna de Bay and where flooding is a problem in the adjacent areas.”
Finally, the study said the pressure for development, but requiring control, includes “the western shores of Laguna de Bay where development without adequate facilities for the treatment and disposal of sewage is contributing to the severe pollution of Laguna de Bay and where flooding is a problem in the adjacent areas.”
“In order to avoid development contributing to longer-term flooding and water pollution, it is necessary that the short-term development is restricted in these areas. Only when remedial measures to deal with the problems have been implemented, should the development of these areas proceed on a significant scale,” the study said.
“Lessons are to be learned, for sure, but these have been taught three decades ago,” Palafox said.

Here's Jacqueline Bermejo's official statement on this alarming brouhaha. After reading her well-crafted, grammatical sentences, I am inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. If this is indeed a case of identity theft,  it just give me the chills how some malicious mind with deep-seated grudge against someone can viciously expose that person to cyber-lynching, and even possibly physical harm, given the widespread circulation of her photos and personal information by the worked-up net-mob. This is a precautionary tale. It happened here at TB. It happened among chat groups of TB members. Let's be careful.

I am issuing this statement to clear my name in the current controversy in which I allegedly posted a highly insensitive and offensive message on the social networking website, Facebook, in relation to the victims of typhoon Ondoy that recently struck parts of the Philippines.

About two years ago, an anonymous source created these accounts using my identity, posting my personal details, my real pictures captioned roughly and attacking other people. Because of these incidents, I reported such abuses and sent my credentials to the administrators of such sites, particularly Facebook. I have been abused and am still being abused online in social networking websites such as Facebook, Friendster, Multiply etc.

In the early stages, I was advised by close friends to ignore the situation, saying this would simply go away. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Hence, I filed a complaint with the Dubai Police about eight months ago hoping they could help me with my problem. Should anyone wish to check my statement, my case is still under investigation with said authorities.

Time passed and these sites continued to generate malicious, obscene and cruel messages that are widely exposed and relayed to the public under my name.

Yesterday, September 27th 2009, I received phone calls from my close friends regarding very alarming posts in the above mentioned websites that directly offended flood victims as a result of typhoon Ondoy..

These malicious statement(s) which are posted under account names Jacque or Jackie are not of my doing. It is unfortunate that such statements were maliciously attributed to me and I do sympathize and understand the adverse and somehow verbally violent reaction that has been elicited by such insensitive statements or posts. Rest assured, I have taken every legal step that can be done in this regard.

I too, have become a victim as much as those who may have lost their lives and properties to such a devastating natural calamity. This recent controversy has greatly affected my reputation, my family, and my friends. I am devastated and shocked at the extent my character, my personal information and private space have been violated.

I have a deep respect and regard for my country. I am proud to be a Filipino and would never say or do anything to harm the interest of my country or countrymen. I have also had the privilege of participating in civic-oriented activities in Dubai, particularly in trying to help my fellow countrymen seek employment during the height of mass layoffs brought about by the ongoing global financial crisis, as well as those seeking employment for the first time. Making a mockery of any unfortunate incidents befalling any of my fellow Filipinos is simply contrary to my character. I condemn the person or persons behind these malicious acts to impute damage on my integrity and I hope that you can dig deep into your hearts and minds to truly find the truth in all these.

--Source: Facebook

(I deleted the rest of the entry because some of you have gone WAY, WAY, WAY too far. Abusing, and judging, making death threats...it came to the point where I actually FELT for her...she DOES NOT deserve what she's getting. Let's (INCLUDING ME) NOT make her a punching bag for our losses)

**

The Rumor Mill: Sex and the City 2, might never happen. click here!

**

The Brother's Official Statement

ok! it all started sa Friendster last year 2008, my sister told me that her account was hacked by someone mad at her prolly inggit or may galit... she really doesn't know or what's the reason why she has been hacked, of corse she's pissed off because this person keeps messing up her friendster profile. So, hinayaan lang ng sister ko yun, since wala nmn xang alam sa social networking or kung ano man, she's a working woman na at wala xang panahon magfriendster.

Ngayon naman this issue has been spreading about her posting such harsh words:
"buti n lg am hir in dubai  maybe so many sinners bak der!so year deerving wat happend!"

Ang ate ko hindi ganyan kung magenglish, edukada sister ko at nag graduate sa UP. We came from a PROVINCE and part of a political family. Hindi basta basta si ate jack magpopost na magsisira sa family name namin. Dumaan din kami sa hirap, at for your information binagyo din ang lugar namin, TATLONG BESES. Why in the world will my ate as a filipino disgrace our family and citizen, sana po wag muna kayo manghusga.

Hintayin lang po sana ung explaination, for she doesn't have internet nor load right now, its around 3am-4am at dubai, and I have hard times contacting her myself.

Kung sino ka man gumagamit ng pangalan ng ate ko, mahahannap ka din ng mga bermejo.

And the Middle Eastern media is picking up this latest web uproar! The lynching is catching on faster than the Marikina River current at the peak of Ondoy! Imbis magtinabangay, nagkagubot na hinuon.

Dubai-based Filipina Vilified for Calling Typhoon ‘Well-Deserved Punishment’
Lily b. Libo-on
Khaleej Times

29 September 2009
DUBAI â€" A Dubai-based Filipina, who called the devastating flash floods in the Philippines “a well-deserved punishment for the sins of the Filipino people”, is facing harassment from her compatriots across the globe through social networking websites “Facebook” and “Starfishbuang.multiply”.

Several hours after the flash floods washed away houses and killed people in Metro Manila and in 25 provinces in eastern Luzon, the woman commented, “Buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend” referring to what happened back in Manila at the height of Typhoon Ondoy’s onslaught. (Good that I am here in Dubai! Maybe so many sinners back there! So yeah they deserve of what happened).

This comment earned the anger and outburst of Filipinos worldwide who started vilifying her in social networking websites where the blog appeared. Facebook members even claimed in their press statement that they were able to unmask her identity, her workplace, and contact number. They also contacted her employer pushing for her sacking from the company.

An irate blogger started Monday a group website in Facebook titled “JB Be Gone, We Sinners Don’t Want You Here”. Filipino bloggers have flocked to dish out grievances against the said Filipina calling her Facebook blog “so insensitive”.

Another blogger identified her as working in an HR Department of a property firm in Dubai and many others called on her to apologise. However, efforts to reach out for her comments have failed. “You so insensitive! People are dying out there and you say they deserve it!”

Apologise before it’s too late,” one comment reads in Starfishbuang.multiply. Countless comments are posted every minute on Facebook.

Huge comments have left ill-wishing remarks, and hundreds are more rapidly launching online campaigns to bring what they called tasteless and insensitive remarks to the awareness of the masses.

“Heartless! It would have been better if it were you who drowned. You do not know how many people are affected in the disaster!,” a comment stated.

Reads another blog in Tagalog, “If you know that a member of your family died, maybe you will eat your words. And if tsunami hits Dubai, your name will be the first to come out in the dead list. It’s better to be nobody than to be somebody but the entire Philippines is angry at you. Let us see if the Immigration will still allow you to come back.”

Her brother came to her rescue saying that her Facebook and Friendster accounts are hacked, which conveniently lead to the conclusion that the latter may have been a victim of identity fraud all along.

“My sister is educated, a graduate of the University of the Philippines, and does not speak English as crudely as is evident in the infamous Facebook comment. We come from a known political family and my sister would never do anything to tarnish the reputation of the family name,” her brother explained.

A sympathiser to this Filipino also wrote to the Filipino reporters saying she did not conform to the barrage of ill-wishing remarks.

From the Facebook, a lady blogger said, “I totally agree to walwyn, her brain is not sharp enough to compensate the results of her actions. So, let’s just forgive her as much as we can forgive our pets whenever they break something in the house…(and that’s to be serious). I was also irritated last night, but hey, I pity the girl now.”

Belated happy birthday, Mike. As you have been such a blessing to us, may God continue to bless your life.

Praise God, nakontak na namo ang akong eldest sister after 3 days of news blackout. Usa sa worst hit man gud ilang lugar sa Karangalan Village, Cainta, Rizal, daplin pa gyud ug creek. Pero OK man daw tanan ang pamilya. We had almost lost hope, but prayed unceasingly for their safety. No flood or storm can breach God's might, and I'm just so thankful that we always have prayer to tap into His awesome power.

If I am not mistaken, these scenes are at Felix Avenue in Cainta, Rizal. Along this road is Karangalan Village where the family of my eldest sister lives. We still haven't received any word from them. If you have any update about this vicinity, I'd appreciate any information.

Quote from: BedoAdoSalada on September 28, 2009, 10:38:40 AM
Pagkalooy sab.





google.com

I am still awaiting word about the family of my eldest sister who lives in one of the worst hit areas--in Karangalan Village, Cainta, Rizal. Dili lang gihapon sika makontak until now. If anybody has an update about this area, I'd appreciate any information you can give.

Happy birthday, Tigs. Bata pa man ka, kinahanglan i-celebrate gyud ang birthday in a big way kay ug muabot ka na sa edad namo, Ok ra pud ug wa'y makahinumdum.

Tibuok adlaw ko nagmonitor sa pamilya sa among eldest sister nga naa nagpuyo sa Karangalan Village, Cainta, Rizal, nga duol ra ba sa creek. Dili makontak both landline and mobile phone. 100 percent ra ba kuno sa Rizal under water as of 9 PM. Makapanglimbawot ning video gikuha gikan sa Eastwood condo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqU-BhIsM0

Bay HB,

Your silence speaks louder, and is more eloquent, than even your most inspired words. Sigurado ko labaw nga nasabtan sa kadaghanan ang imong punto sa imong hinaling paghilom. Bisag wa kaayo ko kasunod ana nga thread, uyon kaayo ko sa panalipod ni Bay Glacier. Kay unsa na lang kaha ang forum kung wala'y seryoso ug kenkoy, pilosopo ug bugoy, lover ug heartbreaker, hinulti ug hilomon, balak ug prosa... Welcome back! Murag nagsugod man ning thread ni Raquel pagkahuman nangutana si Taga Tigbao nganong laay kuno ron ang payag. Ikaw man diay tong nawa...

Jun Ayag, the thread starter, is now in Bohol for good. I think it's time to revive this idea.

Usahay man gud daghan lang motampo sa idea, pero kung manginahanglan na ug commitment in terms of finances and time, anam-anam mawala ang interes. Actually, I posted a similar thread at about this time two years ago. Please check out: http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=6410.0

I soon came up against the wall of reality in pursuing this business idea in Bohol, kay murag dili pa gyud ready ang telecom infrastructure sa Bohol. For one, wala ta'y stable broadband internet, which call centers and globally linked service-oriented businesses require as a minimum condition. And the feedback I hear about the city hall not being very encouraging to business starters also dampened my enthusiasm. No wonder nabiyaan na ta sa Bacolod ug Dumaguete, nga halos parehas ra pud sa Tagbilaran in terms of size, in the business process outsourcing industry.

But I think it is too soon to give up on this wonderful idea. I buzz nato si Sir Jun Ayag.

Hi Gener,

I'm glad you're back. Great pointers! I can relate with most of the things you do to bond with your children. I'm almost set to be back to the Philippines for good early next year to take advantage of opportunities to do projects with Japanese companies from my home base in Paranaque City. I had been raring to be with the whole family in Bohol, where everyone is now settled. But my work will require a stable broadband internet and phone connection close to my clients' operation base in Manila.

I'm a little disappointed, but I thought I just can't pass up the opportunity to work in the Philippines with basically the same arrangement I have in Japan, sans the prohibitive cost of living. One can't really have the best of all worlds, and I chide myself to have a more thankful heart. The kids, however, seem to be excited to spend time alternately between laid-back Bohol and the big-city Manila, though I think for economic reasons I will be the one to go home to spend most weekends with them. My two teenagers will soon be in college, and I open up the option for them to pursue it in Manila. I really don't want to unsettle them again with another relocation, but I think in a year or two, they can make the decision themselves. Another good thing is that our house at BF Homes, which has been untended in the last 4 years, will finally be lived in. I have been praying for this opportunity, as I could sense the difficulty of my wife raising two teenagers by herself. Child-rearing takes another turn when the kids reach adolescence. The last one year and a half away from them has been a difficult time for me, but I feel that my prayers have at last been answered, though not fully. These tips you shared will continue to be of great use to me.

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on September 24, 2009, 11:42:33 PM
Thanks, Ben, for the info. There is an eleventh which everybody should know: Tarsiers are not monkeys. This falsehood is common in many promotional materials and articles on Bohol.

Two years naman diay ni nga post. The same TV company recently requested me to translate a follow-up documentary. This time, they covered mainly the grandson, Alexus, of Tarsierman Carlito Pizzaras whom the latter is grooming to be his successor to look after these lovable creatures at the Corella Sanctuary.

This seems to fit a pattern in Tagbilaran--Mayor Dan Lim also offered Mansasa Barangay Captain Manolo Blanco a lawyer during the latter's arrest on swertes charges.

Our constitution gives everyone a right to legal representation, that is why we have among others the Public Attorney's Office. I just wish that public officials who wish to help certain individuals avail themselves of this constitutional right just refer them to the PAO or at least channel their help through the PAO, so as not to upset the people's sense of fairness and justice.

Ha ha. Unahi lagi Bay aron di musumbalik ang ampo sa mga naa's likod.

Murag gitubag hinuon ang ampo nimo bahin ning atong kandidato, kay tanan man kuno big stars sa ABS-CBN ug GMA magpaluyo ni Noynoy. Di pa nato iapil ang 50% support sa survey, ug 100 ka Congressman nga mohatag kuno pud ug pagbulig niya.

Quote from: buwadsanga on September 24, 2009, 08:37:05 AM
mao, mao nga dili ma dungog ang atong mga pag-ampo kay ang mga demonyo naas front seat pa!

Quote from: thegirlnextdoor on September 17, 2009, 04:14:38 PM

NBI should be the one to investigate all cases as they are not knowing so much the people in places where they are posted at.

To get impartial results of the investigation, I absolutely agree with this. Too bad, the NBI Tagbilaran office is going to be (has been?) dissolved for lack of output. With many crimes under investigation--Williams, Maxwell, Taray, etc.--not to mention petty crimes that do not see print, I really doubt the wisdom of this government decision.

Since Inking has started to implement this so-called SOP not to allow a victim to visit his assailant, he should do this for all other cases. Should any untoward incident happen because of this visit, the responsibility falls entirely on him. Since cases have been filed against both sides, allowing victim and assailant to meet in jail may also prejudice the integrity of evidences to be used in court.

Nahibong bitaw ko, murag something is amiss in this article. Wala'y other reference to Tagbilaran or Bohol. Most PDI news articles on Bohol are by-lined by Kit Bagaipo.

By the way, Kods, given that some of our bigger banks (even US banks) are rumored to be in trouble, unsa pud kaha kalig-on ang First Consolidated Bank (FCB)?

Quote from: glacier_71 on September 23, 2009, 01:37:02 AM
pareho ra man unta nga migamit og kwarta ang sistema sa atong eleksyon kon itandi sa US ug Japan. apan, ang kwarta sa atong eleksyon gigamit aron pagpalit og boto; sa ubang nasud, ang kwarta gigamit aron pagpalihok sa plataforma, kampanya ug sa lumilihok sa maong partido. dako jud ang kalainan.

Exactly, Glace.

Kana pud pahulaton kadyot sa telephone, "For a while" magkabuang ang Kano unsa'y pasabot. Kay direct translation man ni sa "Kadyot lang" o "Sandali lang po."

Moingon man sila usually, "(Please) hold on a second."

Kanang ga-trabaho sa mga Call Center, I'm sure naa sila'y training unsa'y Filipino English expressions nga dili masabtan sa mga Amerkano. Pangutan-on nato si Bem.

The heaviest baggage one can carry is regret. Regret binds you to the past, and keeps you from moving forward.

Just accept that we all make honest-to-goodness mistakes. Cry a river, shout a thunder to high heavens.

And when you're well enough to heave a sigh, take that new step forward believing that tomorrow will be another day.

BSP shuts down Tagbilaran rural bank

By Joey A. Gabieta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 15:20:00 09/22/2009

Filed Under: Banking

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - When he sent his assistant to withdraw money from the Philippine Farmers’ Bank branch in Tagbilaran last Friday, tailoring shop owner Johnny Mallari did not have an inkling the bank was no longer operating.

To Mallari’s shock, his assistant came back and told him that the bank, where he had deposited a sizeable amount, was closed.

According to a notice placed at the bank's entrance and signed by Imelda Singzon, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) executive vice president, the PDIC placed the bank under receivership through Resolution No. 1313 dated Sept. 17 that took effect on Sept. 18.

"Officers and employees of the bank are no longer authorized to transact business or enter any contract for and on behalf of the bank," part of the notice said.

Virgilio Cayanong, the manager of the bank with 10 staff members, was not around and could not be contacted for an interview.

Mallari, who opened his savings account with the bank in 2007, said he has been worrying over how to get back his money from the bank, which had thousands of clients.

But a PDIC employee, who declined to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter, assured depositors on Tuesday that they could claim their deposits in "due time."

However, she would not disclose the reason for the bank closure.

She said the PDIC has started verifying bank records on deposits and number of depositors, among others, but this could take several weeks.

Leonides Sumbi, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas regional manager, said bank depositors need not fear the PDIC takeover of the bank because it was done to protect depositors’ interests.

The Philippine Farmers' Bank's main office is in Cagayan de Oro City and it has branches in Ormoc City, Leyte and Catbalogan in Samar.

Nasugdan man gud ug istorya ang camote. Paglabay nako ganiha ug convenience store para mopalit ug paniudto, coal-roasted camote man akong unang nakuha. Lamia uy, pati ang panit makaon. Diri diay naggikan sa camote flour ni Koddi ang akong craving for camote.

Belle,

Mas sakto man tingali paminawon sa Binisaya, "Unsa ka nga tuig ning graduate?"

Matud pa ni Prof. Nilo, OK ra man kung kita-kita rang Bisaya o Pinoy kay magkasinabot man ta sa pangutana nga, "Unsa ka nga batch ning graduate?"

Pero kung i-translate nimo directly sa Ininglis ug pangotan-on nimo ang Amerkano o British, "What batch did you graduate?" o di kaha "What's your batch?", maglingo-lingo ra sila kay di masabtan. Nasuwayan ba nimo pangutana ani imong bana, Belle? Ug masabtan niya, strong ug positive imong influence kay nahimo na siyang Bisdak nga Amerkano.

Quote from: ms da binsi on September 22, 2009, 01:08:16 PM
Anaon diay na pag ask...

"unsa ka nga class ning graduate?" insakto ba na???

Dili bitaw kaayo ko kadungog gamiton ang word nga "batch" to mean "class" among my American friends. Matingala man gani sila ug imo ni gamiton. The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary contains a definition of "batch" that refers to persons, but the meaning is more on "quantity" of persons or things. There are just many Filipinisms that we take for granted, until we use these expressions among native English speakers and they start to strain their ears to understand what you mean.

   * Main Entry: 1batch
   * Pronunciation: \ˈbach\
   * Function: noun
   * Etymology: Middle English bache; akin to Old English bacan to bake
   * Date: 15th century

1 : the quantity baked at one time : baking
2 a : the quantity of material prepared or required for one operation; specifically : a mixture of raw materials ready for fusion into glass b : the quantity produced at one operation c : a group of jobs (as programs) that are submitted for processing on a computer and whose results are obtained at a later time <batch processing> â€" compare time-sharing
3 : a quantity (as of persons or things) considered as a group

An old friend from Xavier U gave this friendly reminder on the common use of "batch" instead of "class" among Filipinos. A Xavier Awardee, Jose Nilo Binongo teaches at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

It's always great to hear news about Ateneo's 150th Anniversary. It's
great that many people are involved in celebrating Ateneo's long
tradition in educating for excellence. But please let's stop referring
to ourselves as "Batch '84." It's OK to ask, "Ka-batch ba tayo?" as
the word "batch" has become part of our Tagalog vocabulary. However,
let's not use that expression in English. For a university that, for
decades, takes pride in the quality of its English program, it's
surprising this expression has remained uncorrected. Can we start
calling ourselves "Class of 1984" instead?

After doing some investigative work, I learned that only the Indians
(i.e., those who live in India) share this expression with Filipinos.
Native speakers of English -- British & Irish, American, Canadian,
Australian or New Zealander -- don't use the word "batch" to refer to
a group of people graduating in the same year. And I have to agree
with the native speakers, not with the Indians. Calling ourselves
"Batch '84" is degrading; it reminds one of a manufacturing process.

Quote from: glacier_71 on September 21, 2009, 12:07:37 PM
Diyos ray nasayud. ben.

Naa man gani traffic signs sa yuta, Glace, mas labaw na tingali didto's taas.

Belated Happy Birthday, Indaymen. May the good Lord continue to prosper you!

Tinuod gyud ni Taga Tigbao. Makit-an man nato ni sa proseso sa pagpili ug presidential ug vice-presidential candidates.

In mature democracies, like US and Japan, you never get surprise candidates. The presidential candidate is chosen first within the party, and the process usually takes long. You remember how Obama and Hillary Clinton stood neck and neck in the primaries, before Hillary finally yielded to Obama in what was generally perceived as a graceful concession.

In Japan, which has a parliamentary form of government, the president of the party that gets the majority of the vote automatically becomes the prime minister. Once you have the figures of the winning candidates, and tally them by party, you don't even second-guess who the prime minister will be.

The key to the operation of such stable and yet vibrant democracies is a well-developed party system, which we never have. Ang atong mga political parties murag ad-hoc organizations, more of like temporary alliances (that's why there are multiple hypens like Lakas-Kampi-CMD) formed merely for vote-getting, and you don't really know what they stand for.

Unless our next leaders work to strengthen political parties as institutions, as well as the co-equality of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our government, Filipino voters will always be elementary graders, and get the short end of the stick.

Hi Anna & Jorge,

The articles states,

Quote
Today, on top of her teaching job, she works part-time recruiting other native English-speaking teachers. She makes 14,000 to 16,000 yuan ($2,000 to $2,300) a month.

Is this true? Because this is also the going rate among many of the Filipino English teachers I know in Japan. Big time na gyud diay ang China, kay can-afford na magpasweldo ug expat rates.

Should a victim be allowed to interrogate the assailant directly? Is investigation not the task of the police and the NBI? What would be the judicial value of a statement extracted by an interested party?

From the news accounts, I've always thought the shooting incident was the offshoot of a heat-of-the-moment argument. Now it appears, from Dumaluan's statement that there is a "whole story" behind this, that this is in fact pre-meditated. Given the enmeshed business interests in Panglao, it's little wonder that the confrontation that resulted in the shooting incident was just a trigger, literally and figuratively, to a long-simmering dispute over these interests.

Then again, I simply wonder what could be Ingking's "personal interest" in this case? Does Ingking have an ax to grind against Dumaluan? I recall an incident in Panglao in which Ingking's driver/bodyguard was caught on CCTV stealing the purse of a tourist, which naturally placed Ingking in the hotseat on allegations of trying to cover it up. I am sure it did not happen at Dumaluan Resort. So there must be other deeper reasons?

Thanks, Ging. Sige lang kay ako na unya'y welcome committee ninyo inig uli ninyo pohon.

Quote from: grazie7y on September 22, 2009, 08:57:53 AM
Bene san, mao ra dagway ni sa potato flour or unsa ba kaha! 

Suwayan nako ni inig uli. Lamian man ko'g camote, mas lami pud siguro ang camote flour.

Statesville,

Ingon bitaw sa Proverbs 22:7

The rich rule over the poor,
       and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Quote from: statesville on September 22, 2009, 08:56:54 AM
I'm not surprised, the milk and honey here in the U.S.
  are drying up, with so much debt from
  China  pareha ra nga ang China mao
  nay tag-iya sa U.S.

Ako bitaw gi-suggest nila Ging. Nakakatawa ko kay di na sila mangaon ug curry sa Indian restaurant, bisag kadtong nia pa sila sa Japan, kay naa kuno'y smell. Ingon ko wa ba mo kahibalo nga mao na sila'y original, ug ang Japanese copycat lang. Ako na man gud gi-adjust ang taste sa ilang curry. Ingon pa sila, "Daddy mas masarap pa curry mo sa kinain natin sa Turkish restaurant sa SM CDO." Labor of love lang siguro'y nakapalami, plus of course eating together as a family.

Quote from: Koddi Prudente on September 21, 2009, 10:47:24 PM
Native chicken plus patis ug lemonsito lang ang marinade, then dredged with kamote flour and fry. Try this. Lami kaayo.

Bay Koddi,

Similar sa recipe nga gitudlo ni Mistyeyed. I didn't know nga naay camote flour sa ato. Nakabutang ni sa label niya?

HI Ging,

Namingaw ko'g kalit kay mao ma ni pirmi ipaluto sa mga kids nako. Last night, they told me they were craving for the chicken curry I last cooked for them in Tagbilaran.

Wa pa man tingali plano mo-retire si Aumentado ug si Chatto sa politika. Pero ug naa pa man gani sila'y tinguha molunsad sa politika para sa ubang pwesto, kaning Panglao Int'l Airport ra'y credible nila nga launching pad.

I think this is the tandem to beat. I've personally heard Mar speak on a visit to Tokyo, and he's brilliant and articulate. Since they are both self-effacing and yet assertive on their principles, I think they could work well together.

I'll alert Vangie to this thread later. I think she's still clueless. Kung kami mag-istorya, lawom kaayo nga Ilongo. Pero tungod dugay pud siya sa CDO, maayo pud tingali siya mag-Cebuano. Honestly, I've never heard her speak Cebuano but since she likes TB, at home tingali siya sa atong sinultian.

Quote from: glacier_71 on September 21, 2009, 11:45:32 AM
motoo jud ko nimo, sir. ug ayaw tawn mi kalimti diri. atngi lang tawn mi didto sa sam-ang sa langit aron imo ming sitsitan nga pahapiton sa langit.

Asa man diay ka paingon, Glace?

Estoryahan nato eroplano na lang, kay mulapad pa. Ang airport, taman ra gyud sa estorya. Basig nisang-it ning estoryaha pagkahibalo ni Gloria nga supak diay si Aumentado sa cha-cha?

I would like to welcome my childhood friend Evangeline "Vangie" from Mindanao. She is not from Bohol, so I would like to ask your forbearance for this intro to explain how she came upon TB.

We were practically next-door neighbors in Wao, Lanao del Sur. Being  her age and gender, my two older sisters were her playmates. Because of the persistent strife in our hometown, we were sent by our parents for schooling in Cagayan de Oro where city life cut short that neighborly interaction and we met only during school vacations. It was actually like, I last saw her as a girl and when we came across each other again, she was already a woman. As fate would have it, that last time was when I was leaving for Japan and she for the U.S.

By chance, we came across each other again at Bob Martin's Mindanao blog, particularly Wao travel blog. I was the first Waonian to leave a comment there two years ago, when I was on the verge of a decision to bring my family back to the Philippines. Since then, many old friends and acquaintances from different parts of the globe have discovered that site, including Vangie. Since there are more than 20 years of catching up to do, I just provided a link to my travel posts in this forum to update them of the latest events in my family. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Vangie also decided to sign up here, since she has many Boholano friends in the U.S.

Vangie, please feel free to share your views and comments with us. We really look forward to your Boholano friends to enliven the exchange here. I was actually thinking of asking our webmaster Mike to make a similar forum for us Waonians. Meanwhile, enjoy your stay...

Lisod baya ang holier-than-thou o play-it-our-way attitude sa mga Amerkano usahay. Sila ra man naggama anang mga terms nga "Axis of Evil", etc. nga murag sila ra'y tarong. Tingali, if for once mopuyo na lang sa sila sa ilang teritoryo, mag-concentrate sa pagsolbad sa kaugalingong suliran sa ekonomiya, basig mas malinawon pa ang kalibutan. You can't be in a position to tell the world to shape up when your own house is in disarray.

Quote from: lolongmendez on September 20, 2009, 11:44:38 PM
mao ni gui ingon nga if you want to change the world, you should change yourself first

Quote from: glacier_71 on September 21, 2009, 01:14:12 AM
how could she point the White House, ben, when she has her neck clawed. i always believe this is why our government is so aptly called a "puppet government" ...

Mao lagi, Glace. Arroyo is just trying to ingratiate herself with Obama. In fairness to Obama, he just inherited these problems, and there is really no worse time to take over the presidency. Now that his honeymoon with the US electorate is over, decisive actions are really needed, most of which will dramatically chip at his popularity.

You know why our Mindanao problem seems to have gotten out of hand? I think it is partly fed by US interference through the Visiting Forces Agreement. I think the Americans' rabid pursuit of Al Qaeda in our territory is rallying outside support for the Muslim secession, giving semblance of legitimacy and political ideology to otherwise just plain banditry of some of the Muslims. This is really another topic, but it just shows how continuing US involvement in domestic politics outside its borders is not only undoing its own economic rehabilitation, but also roiling the political dynamics in those countries as well.

Being nice to people is not trying to please them, but yourself. The nicest thing you can do to yourself is being nice to others.

When you smile to others, the smile that goes back to you is more heartwarming than your effort to give it. Goodwill around you is good for your health--you don't get wrinkles, your blood pressure is stable, you don't lose sleep over unnecessary worries...

I am not an Arroyo fan, but this time, I'll give her credit for pointing at least one finger at the right place at the Emerging Markets Summit in London:

Quote"We cannot expect the poor in places like the Philippines to lose their shirt because someone on Wall Street made a bad bet," she said. In a speech before the renowned publication The Economist’s "Emerging Markets Summit," Arroyo accused big global banks of pretending the global financial crisis had never happened.

But Arroyo seems to have made a calculated move not to point another finger where she should--Washington D.C.

Of course, greed in Wall Street is only half the story of the pauperization of the US. The other half is the fiscal profligacy of the US government, borne of its vainglorious assumption that it still calls the shots in this world. How can you play swashbuckling hero, out to squash terrorism from the face of the earth, when you are borrowing money from China to send your troops to the desert?

Poor Obama! His most urgent task is to control the fiscal and balance of payments gap in order to prevent the collapse of the US financial system. But having barely even warmed his seat at the oval office, he is forced to bail out industrial and financial giants, and seems unable to make a face-saving exit from the Middle East quagmire that is also gobbling up the value of the dollar.

I think more young Americans will pack their bags to apply as English teachers in China before Obama's economic policy can generate enough jobs at home to bring back gainful employment to those who have lost theirs in this depression.

The world will really be a more secure place to live in if the US simply minds its own business of giving jobs to its people, rather than try to trounce imagined enemies outside its borders in battles it could never win and has never won.

Bless you, Dong Enzo, for sharing this one. This is also a favorite of mine.

The deployment and mobilization of foreign military force in other sovereign states is a thing of the past. This massive military operation in the Middle East is what has drained the US. The US keeps on forgetting its lessons in Vietnam and Cuba. We are past the hegemonic era, and if Obama is to completely break away from the past, other than symbolically, he has to make a decisive move towards military disengagement.

For better or for worse, the world is already interconnected. We don't need any Big Brother to flex military muscles for errant states to straighten up and play fair. Technological and economic forces function better to integrate states towards peaceful global cooperation. Look at Russia and China--trade and investments worked better to bring down the walls and make their leaders less grumpy.

The US should spend scarce resources for economic reproduction at home, rather than military posturing outside which it can ill afford at this time. What about terrorist attacks? It's really a problem of domestic security. Why swoop upon sovereign states wholesale when you are just after a few rogues?

The case of Japan is illustrative. US military presence here is already a nuisance to most Japanese, and yet for reasons of pride or symbolism of its partnership, the US is not yet pulling out. Since the US is in fact economically incapable of maintaining its bases here, it is flexing its diplomatic and trade muscles to make the Japanese government pay half or more of the maintenance cost of its bases. What an awkward arrangement!

The US should squarely face up to the vastly changed world, and its real status therein. It cannot continue to pretend to be the world's landlord when it fact it is the world's number one debtor now.

Young foreigners hunt jobs in China amid crisis
(philstar.com) Updated September 20, 2009 10:01 AM

BEIJING (AP) - When the best job Mikala Reasbeck could find after college in Boston was counting pills part-time in a drugstore for $7 an hour, she took the drastic step of jumping on a plane to Beijing in February to look for work.

A week after she started looking, the 23-year-old from Wheeling, West Virginia, had a full-time job teaching English.

"I applied for jobs all over the U.S. There just weren't any," said Reasbeck, who speaks no Chinese but had volunteered at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In China, she said, "the jobs are so easy to find. And there are so many."

Young foreigners like Reasbeck are coming to China to look for work in its unfamiliar but less bleak economy, driven by the worst job markets in decades in the United States, Europe and some Asian countries.

Many do basic work such as teaching English, a service in demand from Chinese businesspeople and students. But a growing number are arriving with skills and experience in computers, finance and other fields.

"China is really the land of opportunity now, compared to their home countries," said Chris Watkins, manager for China and Hong Kong of MRI China Group, a headhunting firm. "This includes college graduates as well as maybe more established businesspeople, entrepreneurs and executives from companies around the world."

Watkins said the number of resumes his company receives from abroad has tripled over the past 18 months.

China's job market has been propped up by Beijing's 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus, which helped to boost growth to 7.9 percent from a year earlier in the quarter that ended June 30, up from 6.1 percent the previous quarter. The government says millions of jobs will be created this year, though as many as 12 million job-seekers still will be unable to find work.

Andrew Carr, a 23-year-old Cornell University graduate, saw China as a safer alternative after classmates' offers of Wall Street jobs were withdrawn due to the economic turmoil.

Passing up opportunities in New York, San Francisco and Boston, Carr started work in August at bangyibang.com, a classified listings Web site in the southern city of Shenzhen.

"I noticed the turn the economy was taking, and decided it would be best to go directly to China," said Carr, who studied Chinese for eight years.

Most of his classmates stayed in the United States and have taken some unusual jobs _ one as a fishing guide in Alaska.

China can be more accessible to job hunters than economies where getting work permits is harder, such as Russia and some European Union countries.

Employers need government permission to hire foreigners, but authorities promise an answer within 15 working days, compared with a wait of months or longer that might be required in some other countries. An employer has to explain why it needs to hire a foreigner instead of a Chinese national, but the government says it gives special consideration to people with technical or management skills.

Rules were tightened ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, apparently to keep out possible protesters. That forced some foreign workers to leave as their visas expired.

Some 217,000 foreigners held work permits at the end of 2008, up from 210,000 a year earlier, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Thousands more use temporary business visas and go abroad regularly to renew them.

Reasbeck said it took her two months to find the drugstore job after she graduated from Boston's Emerson College with a degree in writing, literature and publishing. She said she applied to as many as 50 employers nationwide.

Today, on top of her teaching job, she works part-time recruiting other native English-speaking teachers. She makes 14,000 to 16,000 yuan ($2,000 to $2,300) a month.

"I could have a pretty comfortable life here on not a very high salary. English teachers are in high demand," she said.

Reasbeck said most of her college classmates are in part-time jobs or unemployed.

"People are sleeping on their mom's couches, as far as I know," she said.

While many jobs require at least a smattering of Chinese, some employers that need other skills are hiring people who do not speak the language.

Bangyibang.com's founder and CEO, Grant Yu, has five foreign employees in his 35-member work force. Yu plans to add more and said he might hire applicants who cannot speak Chinese if they have other skills.

"I don't believe language is the biggest obstacle in communication, as long as he or she has a strong learning ability," Yu said.

Feng Li, a partner in a Chinese-Canadian private fund in Beijing that invests in the mining industry, said he needs native speakers of foreign languages to read legal documents and communicate with clients abroad. He plans to recruit up to six foreign employees.

"We don't need Chinese guys who speak English like me," Feng said.

Some foreigners see China not just as a refuge but as a source of opportunities they might not get at home.

"Having one or two years on your resume of China experiences is only going to help you back at headquarters in the United States or if you apply for business schools," said Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai.

A 28-year-old former London banker took a job a year ago with a Chinese private equity firm after the crisis devastated his industry at home. He said that even though he spoke no Chinese, his experience and contacts made him a sought-after asset in China, a market that he said offers "a much faster route to a top-level position."

"I actually earn more out here," said the banker, who asked not to be identified by name at his Chinese employer's request. "And the hours are much shorter."

Konstantin Schamber, a 27-year-old German, passed up possible jobs at home to become business manager for a Beijing law firm, where he is the only foreign employee.

"I believe China is the same place as the United States used to be in the 1930s that attracts a lot of people who'd like to have either money or career opportunities," Schamber said.

Job hunters from other Asian countries also are looking to China.

An Kwang-jin, a 30-year-old South Korean photographer, has worked as a freelancer for a year in the eastern city of Qingdao. He said China offered more opportunities as South Korea struggles with a sluggish economy.

Still, foreigners will face more competition from a rising number of educated, English-speaking young Chinese, some of them returning from the West with work experience, Rein said.

"You have a lot of Chinese from top universities who are making $500-$600 a month," Rein said. "Making a case that you are much better than they are is very hard."

Less than a year into his presidency, Obama is fast losing his luster. Given the weight of expectations on his shoulder, and the enormity of the American problem, this is nothing less than expected.

Hegemonies don't last forever. More than half a century on the world stage is too long for any world power not to over-strain its resources. Obama has to face up to the fact that the US can never singlehandedly police the world. The US has had to resort to arm-twisting among its allies to get them committed to Afghanistan and Iraq. With the change in goverment of major ally Japan and persistent economic woes among European allies, the US should expect the allied coalition around Iraq-Afgan to chip. Economic powerhouse China is worried that its massive dollar investments in the US are merely funneled to finance the war in the Middle East, and the downward spiral of the dollar would render those investments worthless.

It's hard to feed one's people and fight wars in other people's backyards at the same time. Not in a time of depression. Obama has to choose his priorities one way or the other. People can only cling on to hope for a certain period of time. When promises remain undelivered, the consequences are going to be severe.

It seems there's a sudden rush to build bridges. If realized, all bridges will soon lead to Cebu. What a grand dream! Given the recent spate of earthquakes, there should be thorough seismic study of the seabed to be traversed by these proposed bridges. Hinuon, basig maimbento na ang amphibious cars by the time these dreams are realized.

Quote from: benelynne on September 20, 2009, 11:23:44 AM
The proposed Cebu-Negros bridge is timely as authorities are gearing up for the feasibility study of the Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge which has already gained funding approval by the South Korean government.

Murag misleading ni nga statement. Just to clarify, the approved funding is for the feasibility study, not the construction of the bridge itself.

Quote from: benelynne on September 20, 2009, 11:23:44 AM

“Cebu to Dumaguete is near. I propose that we put up a bridge linking the two islands as part of our project proposal to the national government,” said Cuenco.

This is not the first time that plans to link the Visayas islands have been discussed. The building of a bridge link between Barangay Bato, Samboan in Cebu and Tampi Wharf in Amlan town, Negros Oriental had already been proposed during the time of then Cebu Governor and Regional Development Council (RDC) Chair Emilio Osmeña. But Negros Oriental Gov. Emilio Macias II said while the plan was laudible, there are some factors that have to be addressed before such bridge can be constructed.

For one, Macias said, the sea current in Tanon Strait between Barangay Bato, Samboan in Cebu to Barangay Tampi in the town of Amlan, Negros Oriental is very strong and a Japanese contractor earlier invited to study the project said it was difficult to build a bridge over the area.

Also, the plan has not taken off due to the high cost â€" P7 billion at that time â€" involved in constructing the bridge.

We hope to see these dreams take shape within our lifetime. I think there will synergy in the linked economies of these islands, with Tagbilaran and Dumaguete becoming satellite cities of Cebu. Tabok tabok na lang ta ani pohon.

Bridge linking Cebu to Dumaguete eyed
By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.
September 19, 2009, 5:52pm
Manila Bulletin

DUMAGUETE CITY â€" A plan linking all the provinces in Central Visayas through by a bridge has been revived during the Annual General Assembly of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 last Friday in this city.

Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco, who attended the gathering in Dumaguete City said a bridge connecting Cebu and Negros Oriental would be the best way to improve the two island’s transport links and spur economic growth.

The proposed Cebu-Negros bridge is timely as authorities are gearing up for the feasibility study of the Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge which has already gained funding approval by the South Korean government.

“Cebu to Dumaguete is near. I propose that we put up a bridge linking the two islands as part of our project proposal to the national government,” said Cuenco.

This is not the first time that plans to link the Visayas islands have been discussed. The building of a bridge link between Barangay Bato, Samboan in Cebu and Tampi Wharf in Amlan town, Negros Oriental had already been proposed during the time of then Cebu Governor and Regional Development Council (RDC) Chair Emilio Osmeña. But Negros Oriental Gov. Emilio Macias II said while the plan was laudible, there are some factors that have to be addressed before such bridge can be constructed.

For one, Macias said, the sea current in Tanon Strait between Barangay Bato, Samboan in Cebu to Barangay Tampi in the town of Amlan, Negros Oriental is very strong and a Japanese contractor earlier invited to study the project said it was difficult to build a bridge over the area.

Also, the plan has not taken off due to the high cost â€" P7 billion at that time â€" involved in constructing the bridge.

Earlier, in the second RDC meeting held in Bohol, Gov. Enrico Aumentado sought the assistance of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. with documentary requirements after the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) assured him that South Korea will fund the feasibility study on a bridge linking Cebu and Bohol.

Aumentado said the anchors of the bridge will be in Getafe town in Bohol and the municipality of Cordova in Cebu.

Passing through shallow waters between the two provinces, the bridge is estimated to be 18 kilometers long.

The Bohol-Cebu Multi-Access Friendship Bridge (BCMAFB) already has the endorsements of the Bohol Provincial Development Council (PDC) and the Central Visayas Regional Development Council and will need to be approved by the National Economic and Development Authority.

Thank you for the clarification, TGND. I really thought this unsolved crime has taken another deadly twist. Recalling your description of the Tagbilaran City Jail, I can just imagine that being detained there is already a death sentence by itself.

Quote from: thegirlnextdoor on September 20, 2009, 12:07:15 AM
No the husband is past tense of dead meaning he is deceased. (pause).

he he he maybe i should i have put a comma and stop always relying on just the Bohol chronicle when other newspapers are just as good and some are even non biased compared to the next.

Other Bohol newspapers are on line as well.

Many things are not printed in one particular outlet because of its religious affiliation.

Sorry about the mix up!

Well if this news is true then this woman needs to be sitting in a fine and ugly jail cell that they have waiting here for her.

No exceptions!

This should be published in the local papers in Bohol in support of the Indian restaurant that has just opened. My kids and I love curry. One of the reasons they keep telling me they miss me so much they want me to fly back home now is for me to cook their favorite curry.

The way the minority of policemen in otherwise peaceful Japan shoot themselves in the foot is almost comical:

• A police traffic safety superintendent runs away from an accident he has caused. He just came from an outdoor party of police officers--probably celebrating the dramatic decrease in drunk-driving-related car accidents in Japan. It was found out later on that he was driving with more than the tolerable level of alcohol.
• A policeman in charge of theft investigation was caught stealing.

Hi tgnd,

Did I read this correctly, the victim's wife, who allegedly hired the gunman, is "deceased"? It's terrible enough when a marriage falls apart, but it's horrendous when a couple evens out unsettled grudges through the barrel of a gun. If, as you said, the wife is also dead already--for whatever reason--this just reminds us never to take the law into our hands.

Romans 12:19
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

Quote from: thegirlnextdoor on September 18, 2009, 10:58:58 PM
According to a city official who is a very reliable source she was telling me that the paid gunman admitted that it was the deceased wife who had hired him to kill her husband.

I will try to do a follow up this bit of information but I have informed a media colleague of mine to cover it for me.

Well that mystery is solved and there are many cases that remain in Bohol to get resolved one and for all.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 17, 2009, 09:14:33 PM
Naunhan ta ka, Ban Ben. I've started a thread on this one--somewhere here in TB, he he.

Abtik gyud ka Bay Hubs. Mura na gyud hinuon pasas si lola, di musugot ma-expire.

Nakabasa mo ani, si lola palikera lang gihapon?

Malaysian centenarian wants 23rd marriage

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Mek Wok Kundor, a 107-year-old Malaysian was in search for her 23rd marriage when she felt insecure with her current husband, a local daily reported here on Monday.

    The Star said Mek, better known as Tok Wook, was afraid that her husband might leave her to marry another younger woman here.

    The centenarian married Mohd Noor Che Musa, 37, in 2005. The marriage drew massive public attention owing to the large age gap between the couple.

    Many people were skeptical about their marriage but Tok Wook revealed her happiness to the media sometime after their marriage.

    Mohd Noor, a drug addict, is currently undergoing a drug rehabilitation program here, leaving Tok Wook alone at Kuala Berang in the state of Terengganu.

    The Star quoted Tok Wook as saying that she would visit her husband if her neighbors were willing to give her a drive here.

    She said although feeling insecure, she would wait for him without thinking of another marriage if he reciprocated, adding that she was lonely without him.

    She also said she was not searching for a handsome man but someone to be her companion in her remaining years of live.

The Cojuangcos have been bitterly divided for a long time. Noynoy and Gibo stand on different sides of the fault line.

Ngano bitaw sa politika nato, kinahanglan man maangin ang tibuok katawhang Pilipino sa mga bugno sa political dynasties?

Quote from: bugsay on September 17, 2009, 01:01:43 PM
Noynoy or Gibo, si Danding ra gihapon ang ma bulahan.....

Naa man diay ka tinuod sa silong sa business empire ni Pangilinan. Hot seat ra ba ron si PLDT Big Boss, tungod sa bombshell ni Lacson against Estrada, nga daghan kaayo natapsingan. Naa man tingali kay nahibaw-an nga inside information. Naa pa ba diay stake ang mga Yuchengco sa PLDT, kay naa man sa board iyang anak nga baje? Well, well, big business support matters as much as the masa vote in the presidential elections.

Unsa man imong pamalandong Bay Bwad, ug mudaog si Noynoy, safe ang business interests ni Pangilinan? Kinsa man diay manok ni Pangilinan?

Quote from: buwadsanga on September 17, 2009, 10:03:25 AM
mabag-o ang business atmosphere sa manila/pilipinas Ben kong mo daug si Teodoro kay ma tilt ang balance towards the SMC group under Danding Cojuangco. SMC is bullish on expanding their business, i'm afraid SMC will grab the oppurtunity that would result to unhealthy business practice under a free interprise philosophy. maapektuhan mi, kaming taga metro pacific group under Mr. Pangilinan. Danding also is identified with mr. marcos - i hate this s*** of all shits dictator Ben! 

Quote from: buwadsanga on September 17, 2009, 08:39:06 AM
I'm for Noynoy Ben!

Gahunahuna pa ko B'wad. I have no strong objection against Noynoy. Naa pa man panahon kay by January or February next year pohon naa na ko diha, mas klaro-klaro na siguro ang mga baruganan ug istilo aning mga nagdeklara.

If disgruntled Bayani decides to run under another party, karambola na gyud ning election. What with Noynoy and Manny on the opposition, and Teodoro and Bayani on the other side of the fence--and we still don't know kung kinsa pa'y moapas ug dagan.

If Noynoy is able to sustain his popularity up to May 2010, he is likely to get not only a plurality but also a majority of votes, which is unusual in our deeply divided polity.

Kung nadunggan ninyo ang mga tubag ni Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro (nga second cousin ra pud diay ni Nonoy) sa mga pangutana sa Lakas-Kampi-CMD execom bag-o siya napili isip standard bearer sa administration, naa'y unod ang iyang plataporma ug naa siya'y hands-on grasp sa mga dagkong isyu sa katilingban. But his major liability is his identification with Gloria Arroyo and his elitist image, having inherited the mestizo looks of the fair-skinned side of the Cojuangcos.

Noynoy, on the other hand, has not yet made any impressive articulation of his platform (at least none that I heard of yet). His stand on the population issue, which has riled the Catholic Church, gives him an image of being more daring than he is perceived to be. His offer to give up the perennially thorny Hacienda Luisita also boosts his image as a man who is willing to break from the past.

I hope he is able to sustain his momentum and keep the support of the masses. Ten months is really like a millenium in Philippine politics--major tectonic shifts or realignments can still happen anytime.

Maayo unta ug ilimita nato ang kukabildo sa isyu, dili personal nga butang, kay ang tinguha man tingali ni Mike pagbutang ani nga thread para tagaan ta ug kalinawan ug tamdanan sa pagpili sa sunod nga pangulo.

Mao ni nakalisod sa atong pulitika kay personality-centered, dili party-centered. Kinahanglan gyud balikan ni Manny Villar ang mga mayor nga nagdus-og niya sa pinakaulahing pagbisita niya, kay nagbag-o na ang political equation ning pagdeklara ni Noynoy sa iyang candidacy. Kalit kahagbong si Manny sa ranking sa mga survey.

I hope that the run-up to the 2010 elections will be a time to strengthen our party system, by defining party platforms clearly. I think one of the dividing issues among the candidates will be their track record on corruption, and Manny doesn't seem to have a clean slate when it comes to this issue.

Ug diri lang s'ya sa Pilipinas, "sitting duck" siya pirmi sa media ug politiko.

Aron makalikay, kinahanglan mo- "flying duck" siya.

Ang pinakatinuod kaning globetrotting ni Glo naa siya sa state of denial sa ijang pagka "lame duck."

Cool!

I know that receiving another accolade will not make you rest on your laurels. Now that you're back home for good, we also look forward to seeing you establishing yourself fully in Bohol and showing us who are still homebound how to build our careers back home. Congratulations!

OWWA-7 awards OFWs' families
(The Freeman) Updated September 12, 2009 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Families of two Overseas Filipino Workers were awarded yesterday in line the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 5th Annual Search for the “2009 Model OFW of the Year Award.”

The awardees were chosen among the six finalists from Cebu and Bohol provinces.

The family of Dioscoro Ayag Jr., from Tagbilaran City, Bohol won the land-based category while the family of Rudy Española from Barangay Inayagan, Naga, Cebu received the Model OFW Family of the Year award in the sea-based category.

Ayag is working as an HR consultant in Saudi American Bank for more than 20 years already while Española is employed in a shipping firm as a chief officer.

Both winners received P20, 000 cash and a trophy each courtesy of Globe and the Banco de Oro’s “Asenso Kabayan Savings Account” with initial deposit of P3,000 as well as SM gift certificates worth P2,000 also courtesy of BDO.

OWWA said the winners represent a “wholesome” family, have strong involvement in the community, and successful in managing their family finances and the education of their family members.

The winners will represent Region 7 and will compete in the National MOFYA in Manila on November 6.

The award aims to give honor and recognition to the outstanding achievements of the Overseas Filipino Workers and their families. The annual MOFYA search is for Filipino migrant workers who have managed the impact of overseas employment and maintained strong family ties.

They are model OFWs who have used the gains of working abroad to their best advantage, are achievers in both their professions and education, and have made an outstanding impact in their community. â€" Johanna T. Natavio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)

Makahurot baya kog usa ka botelya nga red wine panagsa, basta naa sa celebratory mood.

By the way, hapit na baya ko uli for good, early next year, pero sa Manila sa ko ma-base. Most weekends naa tingali ko sa Bohol. Bisan Manila o Bohol, basta nia ka sa Pinas, kita n'ya ta. Duol lang pud among balay sa NAIA, sa BF Homes Paranaque. Maayo unta'g maka-settle ko dayon sa bag-ong trabaho kay sa kadugay nato sa gawas, murag langyaw na ta usahay sa kaugalingong yutang natawhan.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 12, 2009, 04:25:57 PM
Sigi,

Bugoy nga nagpabugoybugoy, he he. Bitaw, Bay Ben, magkita nya ta. Moinom man kaha kag gamay.

Kanang mutuman aning tanan nga gidili pagligo moabot ug 100 years old?

Quote from: lindy on September 12, 2009, 01:57:43 PM
Mao kiniy akong nahibaloan sauna sa mga katigulangan:

Dili maligo kon kulang sa tulog
Dili maligo kon may regla
Dili maligo kon may hilanat or kinahanglan abutan pa ug usa ka semana usa ka maligo human ka gihilantan.
Dili maligo inighuman uf sex kay kuno mabughat
Dili maligo kon basa sa singot
Dili maligo kon gikan sa init kay mapasmo

Hala sumpayi ninyo kon duna pa moy nahibaloan.

Uli lagi'g Bohol next year Bay HB aron taas-taas atong kukabildo. Ahong mama English Literature major man to, busa natakdan lang ko gamay. Academic kaayo imong language ba, professor man tingali ka nagtakuban ug bugoy usahay.

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 12, 2009, 01:21:06 PM
He he, sorry Bay Ben nga nahimo na man tuod nga pure English ang ahong comment.

Kining literary debate kabahin sa tradition vs. innovation, or strict adherence to rules vs. breaking new ground, makapahinumdom naho sa usa sa ahong paboritong quote from George Bernard Shaw: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

This is really a mouthful, and one that resonates my own opinion about language. Nahimo na man hinuon ni nga "Pure English" imbis nga "Lunsay'ng Bisaya." In-ani man gyud tingali ang paglambo sa pinulungan--naa'y metered faction (who always goes by the rules of form and grammar) ug naa pud free faction (who is no stickler for rules, language is there to be used for expression, not to limit it). I myself don't care much about rules and forms. If anyone comes up with a literary expression that doesn't fit any formal pigeonhole, it's another growth frontier in the language.

Quote from: hubag bohol on August 21, 2009, 07:46:53 AM
I'm not sure if "tinuod" is the appropriate term in this regard. Tingali, "tradisyonal", or "kinaraan". I don't suppose we should require poets now who write in free verse to look for another term for their work, when "balak" could be used just as well. Even without referring to the familiar Anglo-Saxon poetic tradition, where there was a shift in the principles of versification (mainly the abandonment of rhyme and meter) made rather permanent by the Eliot-Pound revolution and where up to now certain works are still called poems (there is even the hybrid form called prose poem), I guess our literary writers now who don't use rhyme and meter have the right to used the term "balak" for their literary attempts. Limiting the definition of "balak" to rhymed and metered compositions not only antagonizes literary aspirations but also truncates the capability of our language to grow. Needless to say, by works such as the one above our literary writers transmute the vigorous rhythms of daily speech and folk inventiveness into more lasting utterances, thereby doing their part in keeping our language alive, perhaps much more significantly than the willy-nilly efforts of us language enthusiasts in our spare time.   

On the other hand, the Japanese are fond of spending long hours in hot bath. And this year, there are 40,000 Japanese who are older than 100 years old--the most of any country in the world.

We all know that in politics, there are no permanent friends and enemies, just permanent interests. That's why we see all sorts of strange bedfellows in the political scene.

But the ruling camp's overture to Manny Villar is so obvious. You can actually read the back-door deal in bold, capital letters even if it is not written:

If Manny gets to sit in Malacanang, the deal will effectively cover Manny's ass (C-5 double-insertion, Capitol Bank, etc.) as well as Arroyo's ass (NBN ZTE, Northrail, Hello Garci, etc).

Meanwhile, the ordinary Filipino continues to literally lose his shirt and his pants, with nothing to cover his ass.

Villar as standard-bearer of ruling party?

By Nancy C. Carvajal, TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:43:00 09/11/2009


MANILA, Philippines â€" Lakas-Kampi-CMD may adopt Sen. Manuel Villar, a consistent survey topnotcher, as its standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential election, according to a member of the ruling coalition’s executive committee.

“The possibility of Villar’s being adopted by the party as presidential candidate is high, based on conversations [among] members of the party,” Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor told reporters Thursday at the Serye weekly forum.

Defensor also disclosed that the Lakas-Kampi-CMD executive committee conducted an informal poll two weeks ago with select party members taking part.

He said the party members were told to write down “three names as our choices for standard-bearer regardless of party,” and that his “impression” from their discussions was “Villar was a majority choice.”

Defensor said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita presided over the informal poll during the coalition’s meeting at Anabel’s restaurant in Quezon City late in August.

He said the votes were not counted in front of them and that he had yet to find out the results of the poll.

Asked about his own short list, Defensor rattled off the names of Villar, Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, and Vice President Noli de Castro.

No way

On the phone with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, however, a surprised Gabriel Claudio dismissed Defensor’s claim that Lakas-Kampi-CMD might adopt Villar as its standard-bearer.

“There’s no basis for such a speculation. There was no such discussion, much less agreement,” said Claudio, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s political adviser. “I don’t know where that is coming from. I intend to talk to [Defensor] about it.”

Claudio, the secretary general of the coalition, maintained that its standard-bearer would be named on Sept. 16.

“Once we’ve made the choice, that’s it,” he said, ruling out the possibility that the coalition would later adopt an outsider to replace its choice of standard-bearer.

Claudio said the coalition had set Sept. 15 as the deadline for outsiders seeking its endorsement and support to formally join it, and would pick a party member to be its standard-bearer.

“The selection process will have to be limited to aspirants who are members of the party,” he said.

Claudio said the coalition has not authorized anyone to talk with Villar, the head of the Nacionalista Party, into joining the administration and submitting to its selection process.

“He’s not a party member,” Claudio said. “It doesn’t make sense to consider other candidates outside of the party, especially those who are heads of [other] parties.”

Claudio also said he doubted that Ermita had conducted the informal poll that Defensor had mentioned.

“There is internal consultation, but no straw vote,” he said.

Villar, who was in Iloilo, responded tersely when asked to comment on the possibility that Lakas-Kampi-CMD would adopt him as its standard-bearer: “I’m with the Nacionalista [Party]. Buo na kami (We have a complete slate already).”

Noli off radar screen?

Ermita, the coalition president, laughed off Defensor’s remarks.

“Everyone has his own idea of how things should be done, and who he talked with. But it doesn’t mean that’s the entire truth. This should not be attributed to the party,” he said by phone.

On Defensor’s claim that he had conducted an informal poll on who should be the coalition’s standard-bearer, he said: “Claudio is the one getting assessments. I can’t make a comment.”

But earlier Thursday, Ermita declared that the coalition’s choices were now down to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando.

“There are only two in our radar screen: Secretary Teodoro and Chairman Fernando,” Ermita said when asked over dzRH radio who were included in the selection process.

Asked about De Castro, Ermita said the Vice President “is not a party mate.”

When pressed further, he said it appeared that “nothing clear has come out” of the talks between Claudio and De Castro.

Claudio confirmed this to the Inquirer, saying: “Honestly, there’s no indication that [De Castro] will join the [selection] process or the party. We’re proceeding with the time table.”

But he said the process remained open to the Vice President until Sept. 15.

“We have not put any pressure on him,” Claudio said. “We have not tried to dictate on him. We have allowed him to make his own decision. Whatever happens, we will continue to admire and respect him.”

He added that being party members, Teodoro and Fernando were “part of the process.”

‘I didn’t say that’

On Thursday night, however, Ermita said De Castro was still being considered in the coalition’s selection of standard-bearer.

“I never said that the Vice President is out of the running as presidential candidate. It’s not for me to decide whether he can run or not run with us. Who am I to dictate upon the Vice President?” Ermita said on the phone.

He added: “The Vice President is his own man. He can run if he decides to run, and with what party. That’s his prerogative.”

Ermita said that in saying only Teodoro and Fernando were in the coalition’s radar screen, he was only referring to the fact that the two were party members vying to become the standard-bearer.

“Because as of now, they are members of the party, [and] they’re the ones in our consideration. As for Vice President De Castro, I could not speak for him because I have not talked to him,” Ermita said.

‘Winnability’

But at the Serye forum, Defensor said choosing Fernando or Teodoro as Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer was unrealistic and “a waste of time.”

“They can run, but having them as standard-bearer is unpragmatic and a waste of time because of their showing in the surveys,” he said, adding:

“They are qualified, and Teodoro is young and brilliant, but we have to consider ‘winnability’ in choosing.”

Asked to explain why the group supposedly preferred Villar, Defensor said: “It must be because of competence, preparedness and ‘winnability.’”

He also said Villar’s belonging to the Nacionalista Party would not pose a problem in the event that the latter would be formally adopted as Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer.

“Parties always coalesce when necessary,” he said.

Defensor emphasized that no official negotiation had started between Villar and coalition leaders.

He also said Ms Arroyo, being the coalition chair, was a big factor in the selection of its standard-bearer: “The President does not have the final say, but she is very influential in the decision-making.”

More defections

Makati Mayor and United Opposition president Jejomar Binay said he expected more defections from the administration to the opposition and vice versa before the 2010 polls.

He said the political scenario would remain fluid until the end of November, the deadline for filing candidacies for national positions.

“Wait until October and November ... There will be a lot of realignments from the administration to the other side,” Binay told Inquirer editors on Wednesday night.

He noted, for example, that Villar had managed to court many local government officials to move to the Nacionalista Party.

Binay said the lack of a winnable standard-bearer had been posing a huge challenge to Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“The administration is really in a dilemma. Teodoro has been campaigning for months and yet he only scored 0.8 percent in the survey. You can’t say [it’s because he’s new]. For six months, [you have to move somehow. Fernando has even scored higher], 1 percent,” Binay said.

Thus, he said, there was “a strong possibility that Malacañang will get [its candidate] from the opposition.”

Noncommittal Noli

Administration officials had been coaxing the low-profile but popular De Castro to join Lakas-Kampi-CMD and become its standard-bearer in 2010.

With his consistently high ratings in the surveys despite his silence on his political plans and lack of TV ads, he was seen as the administration’s best bet against the opposition presidential aspirants.

Until Thursday’s pronouncements, De Castro appeared to be a shoo-in for selection as standard-bearer, especially in the light of Ms Arroyo’s Aug. 28 declaration that he had the “traits of a good President.”

But even after that virtual endorsement, he remained noncommittal.

Ermita, however, said De Castro’s decision was still important to the ruling coalition.

“He is a significant personality ... as Vice President and Cabinet member. That’s why [his decision is] material. But all that will be discussed next week,” Ermita said over dzRH.

Sought for comment on why Ermita did not say that De Castro was still in the coalition’s radar screen, Claudio said: “Some indicators might have become clearer to some members of the party.”

“Yeah,” he said curtly when asked if indeed nothing definite had resulted from his talks with De Castro.

Claudio declined to answer other questions pertaining to the Vice President, saying: “I can’t make conclusions about the process in relation to him.”

He said De Castro would make a statement soon.

Must be party member

Also over dzRH, Claudio said De Castro had to join Lakas-Kampi-CMD so he could take part in the selection process.

“While we respect him as our Vice Presidentâ€"he ran under Lakas in 2004 as Vice Presidentâ€"he was never a member of the party,” Claudio said. “Nobody becomes a presidential candidate unless he’s a party member.”

Claudio also said the scheduled Sept. 16 announcement of the coalition’s standard-bearer would not be delayed. With reports from Allison W. Lopez and Nestor Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas

Quote from: benelynne on September 12, 2009, 06:19:07 AM
World's oldest person dies in Los Angeles at 115

In her final years, she passed her days watching her favorite TV program, "The Jerry Springer Show," and consuming her favorite foods: bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. She complained often, however, that the bacon served to her was too soft.

"Two days ago, when I saw her, she was talking about the fact that the bacon wasn't crisp enough, that it was soggy," Witt said.

And the health specialists warn us that bacon, trans fats, and sugary stuff can shorten our lives. She must have carcinogen-resistant genes.

For me, I'd rather live a full than a long life. But this admirable lady seems to have lived a full and long life. May she rest in peace.

World's oldest person dies in Los Angeles at 115
AP

FILE - In this April 6, 2009 file photo Gertrude Baines celebrates her 115th AP â€" FILE - In this April 6, 2009 file photo Gertrude Baines celebrates her 115th birthday, at the Western …
By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer John Rogers, Associated Press Writer â€" 1 hr 8 mins ago

LOS ANGELES â€" Although she liked her bacon crispy and her chicken fried, she never drank, smoked or fooled around, Gertrude Baines once said, describing a life that lasted an astonishing 115 years and earned her the title of oldest person on the planet.

It was a title Baines quietly relinquished Friday when she died in her sleep at Western Convalescent Hospital, her home since she gave up living alone at age 107 after breaking a hip.

She likely suffered a heart attack, said her longtime physician, Dr. Charles Witt, although an autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

"I saw her two days ago, and she was just doing fine," Witt told The Associated Press on Friday. "She was in excellent shape. She was mentally alert. She smiled frequently."

Baines was born in Shellman, Ga., on April 6, 1894, when Grover Cleveland was in the White House, radio communication was just being developed and television was still more than a half-century from becoming a ubiquitous household presence.

She was 4 years old when the Spanish-American War broke out and 9 when the first World Series was played. She had already reached middle age by the time the U.S. entered World War II in 1941.

Throughout it all, Baines said last year, it was a life she thoroughly enjoyed.

"I'm glad I'm here. I don't care if I live a hundred more," she said with a hearty laugh after casting her vote for Barack Obama for president. "I enjoy nothing but eating and sleeping."

Her vote for Obama, she added, had helped fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing a black man elected president.

"We all the same, only our skin is dark and theirs is white," said Baines, who was black.

The centenarian, who worked as a maid at Ohio State University dormitories until her retirement, had outlived all of her family members. Her only daughter died of typhoid at age 18.

In her final years, she passed her days watching her favorite TV program, "The Jerry Springer Show," and consuming her favorite foods: bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. She complained often, however, that the bacon served to her was too soft.

"Two days ago, when I saw her, she was talking about the fact that the bacon wasn't crisp enough, that it was soggy," Witt said.

She became the world's oldest person in January when Maria de Jesus died in Portugal at 115.

The title brought with it a spotlight of attention, and Baines was asked frequently about the secret to a long life. She shrugged off such questions, telling people to ask God instead.

"She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord, that she never did drink, she never did smoke and she never did fool around," Witt said at a party marking her 115th birthday.

At the party, Baines sat quietly, paying little attention as nursing home staffers and residents sang "Happy Birthday" and presented congratulatory notices from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others. But she laughed when told the Los Angeles Dodgers had given her a cooler filled with hot dogs.

With Baines' death, 114-year-old Kama Chinen of Japan becomes the world's oldest person, said Dr. L. Stephen Coles of the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks claims of extreme old age. Chinen was born May 10, 1895.

The oldest person who ever lived, Coles said, was Jeanne-Louise Calment, who was 122 when she died Aug. 4, 1997, in Arles, France.

Quote from: benelynne on September 11, 2009, 02:01:15 PM

And the #1 Favorite is ....

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
-- Ricky, age 10 (He'll be married forever)

Kinahanglan sincere gyud pagsulti, kay ug dili ligsan ka!

Quote from: hubag bohol on September 10, 2009, 05:22:04 PM
Ha ha ha, "retarded" jud. Basig "retired" lang, he he.

British baya si sangay Ben. But I guess he's more Boholano now than many of us.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff.. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with...
-- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough...
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure?)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10 (isn't he ready for the world of dating?)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-- Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them... It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys.. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8 (I like this kid)

And the #1 Favorite is ....

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
-- Ricky, age 10 (He'll be married forever)

Love is not a feeling but a decision.

In good times, love can seem to be simply all about feelings--you're happy, excited, hopeful, etc. During these times, love even means just being happy together.

In bad times, love is a decision to stick together through thick and thin, to move beyond the hurts, to simply believe that the worst of times can never take away the best in each one of you.

Belle, am sure your silliest face is still gorgeous. Artistahon lagi ka ron ug beauty?

Quote from: ms da binsi on September 10, 2009, 11:19:47 AM
re: tell your spouse "I love you" with the silliest, funniest face

i really dont know how to do it! hahahaha!

I was really looking forward to living in Bohol na gyud ning pag-uli nako for good early next year.

Sa Metro Manila pa man diay gihapon (Paranaque City) kay kinahanglan nako'g stable broadband internet connection for my BPO/consultancy project. Anyway, at least mas duol-duol na kay one hour ra man by plane. Bohol will always be the place I'll find serenity in.

Happiness for me is to...

Laugh loud
cry profusely
fight to the core
dream to the utmost
sing your favorite song like the melody will not die
set aside past failures and slug on for one's breakthrough
tell your spouse "I love you" with the silliest, funniest face
forgive the biggest offense ever committed against you and move on

Nahinumdum ko sa road safety survey sa una nga ang usa ka pangutana: What other things do you do while driving? Ang usa sa mga statistically significant nga tubag: sex. I thought the weirdest thing anyone can do while driving is sex. Wa ra diay ta itandi sa dragonflies: they have sex while flying.

Quote from: ms da binsi on September 05, 2009, 05:56:11 AM
@ Hubag:

tan awa ni para ma klaro nimo asa na imong gipangita!!! lisod jud kaajo tuod! ang girl man ang nagkalisud ana! di nalang nako i paste kay censored na basi ma ban ko!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/dabinsi/3887189097/sizes/o/

‘Feminist' porn film opens in Sweden


Agence France-Presse
First Posted 09:29:00 09/04/2009


STOCKHOLM â€" A porn movie shot by a feminist documentary maker and funded by taxpayers was set for its premiere in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Thursday night.

Dirty Diaries, a collection of 12 short pornographic films, shot by director Mia Engberg received 500,000 Sweden kronor (69,000 dollars, 48,000 euros) in public funds from the Swedish Film Institute.

"Porn has always been made by men for men," Engberg told AFP, explaining her reasoning for shooting the Dirty Diaries.

"Above all, it's about showing sexuality through a female's perspective. It's not made to please a male audience and it's not made to make money," she added.

Engberg said what makes Dirty Diaries feminist is that it displays women's sexuality in a natural way and shuns what she perceives as mainstream porn's sexist tendency to treat women as objects.

"I think this is the future. The most popular genre now is homemade porn made by ordinary people," she said.

Clips from the films appear on Engberg's website, www.dirtydiaries.se, carrying titles such as "Flasher Girl On Tour" and "On Your Back Woman."

Beatrice Fredriksson, a youth member of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's conservative Moderate Party and the author of the Anti-Feminist Initiative blog, slammed the decision to use taxpayers money to fund the films.

"I do not think that the government should be funding this kind of thing, just because it’s 'feminist' it gets money," she said.

But Engberg brushed off criticisms that funding X-rated sex movies with taxpayers money was a waste of funds.

"We are producing 70 minutes of high quality film...it's just 500,000 kronor. They couldn't spend the money any better," she told AFP.

When asked by AFP if she opposed the Swedish film body backing mainstream pornography, Engberg said: "They should not be given any money at all, especially when they are making money out of women's bodies."

In an interview on the Swedish Film Institute website, the group's head Cissi Elwin Frenkel defended providing the money for the film.

"Everyone in the films is over the age of 18, no one is doing anything against their will, everyone shares equally in the money from the films," Frenkel said.

"All of this makes Mia Engberg's project different from regular porn in many ways. This is an ambitious project that in both form and content lives up to the demands we set for the projects we support," she added.