MikeLigalig.com

Let's hope our environmental activists in the province will protest this brutal move of raping Panglao Island's shorelines.

Thanks pamulinawen for sharing the info. God bless your endeavor.

By the Sunday Post

If his peers are to be believed, Tagbilaran Councilor Oscar Glovasa should make a bid for congress in next year’s election.            

The majority bloc in the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) issued a manifesto urging Glovasa to run for the first congressional seat in next year’s polls.            

Rep. Edgar Chatto will no longer be eligible to seek reelection after serving three terms and is eyeing the gubernatorial seat to be vacated by Gov. Erico Aumentado instead.            

The manifesto urging Glovasa to run was signed by Councilors Edgar Bompat, Edgar Kapirig, Leonides Borja, Nerio Zamora II, Lucio Balbin, Danilo Bantugan and Association of Barangay Captains city federation president Faro Cabalit.            

In their manifesto, the seven councilors said Glovasa is “a living legend” for being the first bar topnotcher to come from a law school outside Metro Manila.            

Glovasa placed first in the 1969 bar exams after graduating from the then Divine Word College-Tagbilaran now Holy Name University.            

“It is our belief and conviction that such distinguished and honorable position must be occupied by an equally distinguished and honorable person befitting the admiration and respect of the first district constituents,” the manifesto said.            

The signatories noted that considering the proximity and immence of the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the May 10, 2010 elections, they would like to bring to the attention of the people their unconditional support for their colleague.            

“I am pleasantly surprised,” Glovasa replied when asked to comment on the manifesto dated Oct. 30.        

He said that the manifesto is “the final straw” but stopped short of formally declaring his candidacy.            
Glovasa said he will consult with various sectors, the 14 Tagbilaran barangays and the 14 towns in Bohol ’s first district.            

“When your colleagues themselves manifest their support, it means you have earned their respect,” he added.            

The manifesto said Glovasa has proven himself as a “distinguished legislator” as a member of the 9th and 10th council of Tagbilaran.            

Glovasa authored the ordinance providing for the benefits of the senior citizens in Tagbilaran. It has become a model in the province and envy of residents in the towns.            

The benefits which could a cake and cash gift during birthdays, free medicines and movies among others have attracted senior citizens in neighboring towns to apply for membership in Tagbilaran.            

Himself a senior citizen, Glovasa said replicating this and other development projects implemented by Mayor Dan Lim in Tagbilaran is his obsession.            

“It is my desire that before the senior citizens depart from this world, they will be able to at least experience how it is to be served by the government,” he added.            

Glovasa said that unlike other candidates who will be offering platforms and programs that might not be realized if not unrealistic, he is presenting programs that are on-going and enjoy the support of its beneficiaries.          

Please review the facility and service of Taver's Pension House. Location: Remolador Street, Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

By Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippinesâ€"Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno Tuesday claimed that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were behind the abduction of Fr. Michael Sinnott, thus slamming the door on the separatist group’s offer to help free the Irish missionary.

“It is clear to us that the kidnappers are either directly connected to or very closely associated with the MILF,” Puno said at a news briefing in Camp Crame national police headquarters.

Asked to elaborate, he said: “In the process of the case buildup, the identities of the kidnappers started to surface and a great majority of them are actually identified as members of the MILF 113th Base Command.”

Puno said the MILF group that seized the 79-year-old Sinnott in Pagadian City on Oct. 11 was led by one Al Ashree.

The kidnapping was “compartmentalized,” meaning various individuals took part in the missionary’s abduction and transfer from Pagadian to the forested area where he is now being held by another group from the same MILF unit, Puno said.

Oscar Glovasa is the first bar-topnotcher outside Manila.

Will you vote for Conching Lim if she runs vice-governor of Bohol?

Will you vote for Oscar Glovasa if he runs congressman in Bohol's First District?

Did you spend time with the dead?

Nong Lolong,

What is BFC? Sorry for my ignorance.

Belated Happy Birthday to Mikey Gatal! God bless you always!

Plans for a Washington meeting this week between Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been dropped.

Japan's government said the talks had been cancelled because of an inability to co-ordinate schedules.

The meeting had been planned to take place before US President Barack Obama visits Tokyo next week.

Ties between the countries have been strained by a row over a US military base on Japan's Okinawa island.

"The visit this time was cancelled as the Japanese side could not co-ordinate the timing amid various scheduling demands such as parliamentary sessions," Hirofumi Hirano, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.

"I don't think it will affect relations between Japan and the United States," the top government spokesman said. - BBC

Toyota has confirmed that it is pulling out of Formula 1 racing after posting its worst ever financial loss.

The world's largest car manufacturer will concentrate on its core business.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said the Japanese team had no option but to pull out citing "the current severe economic realities" affecting the world.

The team failed to win any of the 139 races it entered after making its F1 debut in 2002 but was fifth in the 2009 constructors' championship.

Toyota's withdrawal leaves the sport with no Japanese team after Honda left F1 at the start of the 2009 season. They become the third manufacturer to quit the sport in the last 11 months after BMW announced it was leaving in July.

Honda were replaced by Brawn, who went on to win this year's drivers' championship with Jenson Button and the constructors' championship. - BBC

Real encounters:

Statement: "Di man jud ko mosakay ug Cebu Pacific, PAL man jud ko kay blah... blah..."

Then, nikuha siya sa iyang iPhone ug pinapangutana dayon nako: "Unsa ganiy country code sa Pilipinas?"

Parehas ra pud na sa among baryo nga naay mga nagpa-maid sa Manila sauna nga inig-uli sa fiesta, ang una ipangutana sa nanabo sa kalsada: "Nasaan ang bahay namin?"

Note: Na-amnesia na kintahay ni sila.

Republicans have scored victories in two key US elections for governor, a year after Barack Obama was voted in as president.

In Virginia, Republican candidate Bob McDonnell won by a comfortable margin, while another, Chris Christie, ousted the Democrat governor in New Jersey.

In New York, independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg narrowly won a third term over Democrat challenger Bill Thompson.

But Democrats won a traditionally Republican House seat in New York.

Correspondents say the gubernatorial defeats are a setback for Mr Obama, who had campaigned in both states for his party's candidates, as he tries to reform healthcare, pass a climate change bill and rally support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan. - BBC

Please share with us the joy you felt when you received that best Christmas gift ever.

What is the safest and fastest way to send money to the Philippines? Is Western Union too expensive these days?

Please share your experience with Smartbro Wireless Internet Service. There are so many bad reviews about Smartbro. Some even call it a scam or deceptive advertising.

executable files â€" COM, DRV, EXE, OV?, PGM, SYS, BIN, CMD, DEV, 386, SMM, VXD, DLL, OCX, BOO, SCR, ESL, CLA, CLASS, BAT, VBS, VBE, WSH, HTA, CHM, INI, HTT, INF, JS, JSE, HLP, SHS, PRC, PDB, PIF, PHP, ZL?, ASP, LNK, PL, CPL, WMF.

By Joey A. Gabieta
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Eastern Visayas is looking into the allegations of anomalies in the P30-million infrastructure projects of a state university in Eastern Samar.

NBI Eastern Visayas regional director Antonio Pagatpat said on Tuesday that the projects under investigation involved six buildings of the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU).

The questioned projects included the construction of the library building, the food and technology laboratory building and the Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) building, the renovation of the homemaking, Bagong Lipunan and Academic building and the repair of the college and the academic buildings of the Eastern Samar State University.

Pagatpat said the projects had an aggregate cost of P30 million and was funded by the pork barrel of Eastern Samar Rep. Teodolo Coquilla.

However, he clarified that Coquilla was not under investigation since the complaint filed by the Eastern Visayas Regional Contractors Association questioned only the projects implemented by the school.

Pagatpat said that his office received an order from their central office directing his office to investigate the anomalies alleged by the group of contractors.

Can you recommend a nice barbershop in Tagbilaran, Bohol?

What is your most favorite coffee shop in Tagbilaran, Bohol?

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Tagbilaran City, Bohol?

Asay mas lami sa duha: Dunkin Donut or Mister Donut?

Asay mas ganahan nimo sakyan? Oceanjet or Weesam? Why?

and why that is your most favorite bank in Bohol? is it because of its superb customer service?

Two suspected drug personalities were arrested in separate operations by authorities in Tagbilaran City and Jagna town.           

Elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) pounced on a suspected big-time drug pusher in Booy district, Tagbilaran.           

The suspect was identified as one Samuel Dacaldacal, 37, married and a resident of the said barangay.           

Dacaldacal was arrested in a raid conducted by PDEA agents led by Intelligence Officer Earl Rallos about 3 pm last Oct. 26.           

The raid was conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Fernando Fuentes III of the Regional Trial Court Branch 49 in Tagbilaran City.           

Dacaldacal yielded five grams of suspected shabu estimated to be worth more than P50,000 when sold in the streets.           

The raiders also recovered cash amounting to P49,900 believed to be part of the illegal activity.           

Dacaldacal is now under the custody of PDEA-Bohol while appropriate charges are being prepared against him.           

Meanwhile, another suspected drug pusher was arrested by a PDEA team at the Jagna port about 1:30 pm last Oct. 27.           

The suspect was identified as one Mark Lester Uy, 26, a native of Magsaysay St., Suba, Pasil, Cebu City.           

Uy was arrested during a buy bust operation by a PDEA team led by Rallos in coordination with the Jagna police station.           

The suspect yielded 10 small packs of suspected shabu, the P500 marked money and three cell phones.           

   Rallos said a confidential informant tipped them off about the suspect leading to the buy bust operation moments after he disembarked from a boat from Camiguin island. - Sunday Post, source

The Bohol Chronicle

The political derby in the first congressional district will be a closely watched race as two aspirants have already declared their bids to fill the seat which will be vacated by three-term Representative Edgar Chatto.
        
Former governor Rene Relampagos will be running against an administration bet and two-term Mayor Roberto "Bert" Salinas of Catigbian town.

Relampagos is said to have "settled" differences with cousin and incumbent Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez who has decided to seek reelection in the provincial board, giving way to the former to run for congress.

Relampagos and Lopez had been in negotiations the past three months but finally reached a win-win solution which almost bogged down due to the insistence of majority of Loon mayors who wanted Lopez to run for congress-man.

Salinas, who is a retired Navy officer, has also declared that he is already decided to run for first district congressman.

"Rain or shine, I am already decided," stressed Salinas who is also the president of the League of Municipalities (LMP) Bohol chapter.

Salinas said he expects to be picked as the official candidate for congressman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

God gives mercy to a repentant sinner.

For a repetitive offender, this is another story.

We can trust the justice system of the U.S. If a U.S. court would find Skelton guilty as charged, he would be extradited to the U.S. But if he is innocent, Skelton can stay in the Philippines.

The Bohol Chronicle

A city kagawad who is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) will be investigated by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for the alleged utilization of funds for legal services to policemen who are counter-charged by persons they arrested.

Provincial Board Member Aster Apalisok-Piollo, chairman of the SP committee on public accountability, said she will set meetings this week to investigate on alleged anomalous and improper spending of funds of the Legal Assistance for Effective Law Enforcement Program (LAELEP).

Resolution No. 17, Series of 2009, of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Bohol Chapter, endorsed to the provincial government and the SP a Special Committee report, which found some financial transactions of a former chairman of the LAELEP to be "improper" and "anomalous" involving "amounts spent without authority or remained unliquidated".
          
The special committee report named city councilor and lawyer Danilo Bantugan for failure to prepare proper liquidation of "combat pay deductions" taken from salaries of policemen on a quarterly basis.

Bantugan was chairman of the LAELEP committee in 2005 and allegedly received the collections from policemen.

The report likewise contained other transactions made by Bantugan which utilized LAELEP funds but does not have supporting liquidation documents submitted to the LAELEP office.

The LEALEP program is an agreement between the IBP-Bohol and the provincial government to help policemen in the filing of cases against persons they arrest.

The LAELEP fund also takes care of lawyer's fees and other expenses of policemen who, in the course of the performance of their duties, are slapped with counter-charges by suspects they arrest.

During its creation, the provincial government initially funded the project in the amount of P450,000.

The IBP report endorsed to the provincial lawmakers likewise demanded for an accounting of a trip to Singapore.

BANTUGAN'S REPLY

City kagawad Bantugan said the issue is a retaliation after he exposed the alleged Bingo extortion involving a member of the city Sangguniang and his verbal tussle with Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso.

He branded the news as "political character assassination aimed to decimate our reported plan to run for board member in the first district." Bantugan even announced that at least two gubernatorial bets are seriously considering him in their tickets.

There are certain quarters who are pushing Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim to run as Congressman in the First District of Bohol. Will Dan Lim grab this opportunity?

The Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Court of Appeals has ordered the Shangri-La hotel in Makati City to pay the family of a Norwegian business executive P52 million in damages after he was robbed and killed in his hotel room 10 years ago.

The appellate court’s Eighth Division upheld a Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s decision of Oct. 25, 2005, that found the hotel remiss and liable in the death of Christian Harper, 30.

The court also increased the amount of damages awarded to Harper’s wife and son, Ellen Johanne Harper and Jonathan Christopher Harper, from the P43,901,055 awarded by the trial court to P52,078,702.50.

“Makati Shangri-La is a five-star hotel. The reasonable care it must exercise for the safety and comfort of its guests should be commensurate with the grade and quality of the accommodation it offers,” the appellate court said, concurring with the decision of the trial court.

excerpt from a Philippine Star report:

In Malacañang, President Arroyo is seen as the best example of what political dynasty is. Presidential sons Dato Arroyo and Juan Miguel Zubiri are representatives of Camarines Sur and Pampanga, respectively. The president’s brother-in-law, Ignacio Arroyo, is a representative of Negros while Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, another sibling of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, has been accredited recently as a representative of Kasangga party-list group.

React now.

there are many diha sa mga souvenir shops located along the river banks. these tarsiers are supposed to sleep during the day but mapugos sila ug bangon inig abot sa mga turista. dapat naa lay usa ka place sa bohol where all tourists didto moadto para moexperience sa charm sa bohol tarsiers.

this could mean more fun and tours? fact to tell.

The fourth storm to hit the Philippines in a month has lashed the eastern province of Quezon, bringing heavy rain and winds to the region.

Forecasters said Typhoon Mirinae was following the same route as September's storm, Ketsana, which dumped the heaviest rains in 40 years on Manila.

Mirinae is expected to hit the capital later on Saturday morning local time.

Many parts of the country are still reeling after the worst storm-triggered flooding in decades.

The typhoon was travelling at speeds of up to 93mph (150km/h). - BBC

Bohol power and water investors company, Salcon Power Corporation (SPC) continues to widen its grasp on major Visayan power assets when it recently acquired the 55-megawatt (MW) Naga Land-Based Gas Turbine (LBGT) Power Plant in Cebu.

Earlier, SPC also got the 146.5 MW Panay and the 22 MW Bohol Diesel Power Plant when the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation them up for bidding last November.

Last 25 March 2009, in simple ceremonies, PSALM turned over the Panay and Bohol diesel power plants to SPC last March 25, 2009 in simple ceremonies after the group paid in full its USD5.86-million (USD5,857,553. 34) offer for the packaged power plants

PSALM also put up the Naga power plant for sale recently and SPC negotiated for the power asset, making it the seventh operating power plant, which it successfully sold this year.

SPC also won the Rehabilitation, Operation, Maintenance, and Management contract for the 203.8-MW Naga Power Plant Complex in 1994.

The sealing of the Naga power plant elevates SPC’s claim to its third power asset in the Visayas, claiming a combined company total power generation of 222MW.

SPC matched the PSALM Board reserve price of USD1.008 million (USD1,008,000. 00) for the Cebu-based power plant, after initially offering USD429,488.00 for the gas turbine power facility.

With the developments, PSALM is set to issue a Notice of Award to SPC to formally declare the company as the new owner of the Naga LBGT as soon as the accuracy, authenticity, and completeness of the bid documents it had submitted are verified by PSALM’s Privatization Bids and Awards Committee, sources said.

Prior to its negotiated sale, the Naga LBGT underwent two unsuccessful biddings in April and June 2009.

Under its bidding rules, PSALM may opt to enter into negotiations with any interested party after two failed biddings. (PIA)

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Bohol is in deep trouble following a damning report on a financial scandal involving one of its trusted financial lieutenants.

The report has been submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

more details will follow...

Three holidays mark the beginning of November. Three more are expected by the end of the month.

This as by law, November 1, which falls on a Sunday has been declared special non working day while the following day, November 2 was also lumped in Proclamation 1699 as additional special non working day. 

November 1 is traditionally celebrated in the Christian world as All Saints’ Day while November 2 is All Souls’ Day.

The Proclamation, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) signed last December 24, 2008 declared 12 other regular and special holidays of 2009. 

Meanwhile, by virtue of Republic Act 7448, November 4, Wednesday is a special non-working holiday in Bohol to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late Boholano President Carlos P. Garcia. 

The act leaves Tuesday, Thursday and Friday as regular working days for the week.

Over the “hassle” caused by Tuesday as a working day and then breaking again on Wednesday, some school administrators here have reportedly contemplated on declaring Tuesday as non-working day.

That also means they would be putting up a Saturday class on a convenient date to make up for the lost class day, unconfirmed reports bared.   

Towards the end of the month, when the Muslim worlds celebrates Eid’l Adha, PGMA has declared November 27-28 Friday and Saturday as national Holiday through Proclamation 1808.

Eid’l Adha or the feast celebrated when Abraham offers his son Isaac is one of the two great Islamic feasts and resembles the greats Christian feasts of Christmas, Easter and All Saints Day.   

According to the proclamation, the declaration is an accommodation of ethic traditions, which the Filipinos respond. 

By November 30, another regular holiday comes with the nationwide celebration of Bonifacio Day. (PIA)

At least four bodies would have their hands full in conducting separate probes in aid of legislation over the recent resurfacing maltreatment of tarsier incident in Loboc.

Bohol’s adorable wildlife showcase, the nocturnal insectivores called tarsiers have been listed as threatened species and tourist establishments with tarsiers need a Department of Environment and Natural Resources permit to display tarsiers to tourists.

Board member Alfonso Damalerio argued earlier that protecting the threatened tarsiers should mean banning their display in areas outside the conservation site in Corella town.

Damalerio has authored a Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) ordinance to the effect, which, sources said, has awaited the governor’s concurrence before it could be implemented.

Over the reported animal abuse, the Bohol SP has tasked its Tourism, Environment and Public Accountability Committees to conduct separate investigations.

The probes’ outputs should be basis for recommendations and future action against the owners and operators of tarsier establishments as well as the foreign Asian tourists and their tour guide Jacinto Tan, says a legislator who asked not to be named.

Meanwhile, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Nestor Canda said his agency would probe the incident, clarifying further that his office has not issued any more wildlife permits to the tarsier establishments in Loboc.

He clarified that present permits obtained were issued by the DENR Regional Office and were processed here but he did not issue its renewal as yet.

Tourism Committee Chair Corazon Galbreath in a radio admitted that she is alarmed by the incident and added that she has foreseen the problem with the perception that even the local government is adverse to the SP ordinance.

It may be recalled that a certain Rachel Moralla took and amateur video of the incident she reported to authorities.

The Moralla video uploaded at youtube, dated October 25 showed Asian foreign guests force-feeding the tarsiers at SuperCarp.

The video also showed tourists using midribs with pierced crickets and poking at the animals, which DENR listed as threatened species.

Moralla, who personally explained to tourists about the no-touching, no flash policy was allegedly threatened by Tan, a Cebuano tour guide.

The complainant filed her suit at the Loboc Tourism Office and the reportedly at the Police Station.


Bohol Tourism Officer Josephine Cabarrus, in a radio interview admitted that the tarsier display in Loboc has long been a tourism concern in Bohol.

A concerned citizen also opined that the DENR should have done something as soon as the issue on protection and conservation cropped up. It has done exactly nothing, she bemoaned. (PIA) 

We want to hear from you: Why You Want Manny Villar to Be Your Next Philippine President

A period of careful eating and regular exercise can stave off diabetes for a decade, a study suggests.

US researchers followed up nearly 3,000 overweight people who had taken part in a three year diabetes prevention programme.

The group had initially been divided into three - assigned either to a diet and exercise programme, the diabetes drug metformin or a placebo.

The Lancet report notes it was the dieters who reaped the most benefit.

All three groups were given access to ongoing lifestyle coaching once the initial three year trial had ended.

That trial, carried out by the US-based Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, had shown a diet aimed at achieving 7% weight loss, combined with half an hour of exercise five days a week, reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58% compared with the placebo group.

The group on metformin, a drug which has been used to treat the condition since the 1950s, saw their risk decline by nearly a third. - BBC

The internet regulator has approved plans to allow non-Latin-script web addresses, in a move that is set to transform the online world.

The board of Icann voted at its annual meeting in Seoul to allow domain names in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts.

More than half of the 1.6 billion people who use the internet speak languages with non-Latin scripts.

It is being described as the biggest change to the way the internet works since it was created 40 years ago.

The first Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) could be in use next year.

Plans for IDNs were first approved at a meeting in June 2008, but testing of the system has been going on for two years. - BBC

By Rey Anthony Chiu, PIA

Reclaiming the country’s forests is now partly lies in the hands of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

This as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo released another P10M from the President’s Social Fund for the purpose, reports Boholano SK National Federation president Jane Censoria Cajes.

Over the development, Cajes, who organized with the SK national federation its annual Congress in Subic October 27-30 said the President has showed anew her firm belief of the youthful energy to realize the dream for the country.

Upon sharing the good news to the youth, the President also said the youth should get involved in civic life, speak up, take action and take responsibility for their own fortunes, work to make a better world and use the tools afforded to you by the government for the country.

According to Cajes, after last year’s SK launching of the Green Philippines Campaign, the President is happy because she noted that the country has regained portions of the forest that was lost.

Citing the proper use of the funds for the SK greening program, the president in her keynote address before the SK lweaders from across the country said told the youth she has asked the DBM and the DENR to release another P10M for more reforestation projects through the SK.

It may be recalled that President Arroyo also gave P10M for the SK greening projects during their Congress in Cebu last year.

Moreover, she hinted to the country’s young leaders areas where the SK could partner with the government in its anti-poverty programs.

She asked the youth to aid micro-entrepreneurs access financing support by helping them with the requirements.

The president claimed that the youth can also be partners in monitoring the government’s conditional cash transfer programs to make sure that the program conditions are met.

Finally, she asked the SK to remind their local councils of the obligation to pay for the PhilHealth premiums for indigent patients so as to keep the national government funds flowing for its priority projects while the local governments assume the responsibility, which the national government initiated.

PSWS #   Luzon    Visayas   Mindanao
Signal No.3

(100-185 kph winds)   Polillo Islands   None   None
Signal No. 2

(60-100 kph winds)   Aurora
Quirino
Nueva Ecija
Bulacan
Tarlac
Zambales
Pampanga
Bataan
Rizal
Cavite
Laguna
Batangas
Lubang Is.
Quezon
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Catanduanes
Metro Manila
None   None
Signal No. 1
(30-60 kph winds)   Isabela
Ifugao
Nueva Vizcaya
Benguet
La Union
Pangasinan
Albay
Burias Is.
Sorsogon
Marinduque
Oriental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro
Calamian Group

The US economy grew at an annual pace of 3.5% between July and September, its first expansion in more than a year.

The growth was helped by a substantial government spending plan, including a scrappage scheme to boost car sales.

The official figures indicate recession has ended, but some economists think there could be further setbacks.

The White House said it was "a welcome milestone", but stressed it would be some time before the economy made a full recovery.

Compared with the previous three months, the US economy grew by 0.9%. In the same period, and on the same measure, the UK economy unexpectedly stayed in recession after it shrank by 0.4%. - BBC

ang problema kung ang asawa dili pasabakon sa bana kay ang laptop ra maoy gipalabi nga mosabak.

Bob Arum: "I have never ever seen anything like the adulation that he's treated by Filipinos in the Philippines and all over the world. That's something that even Ali never really had, that type of frenzy with 90 million people in the Philippines and 11 million Filipino people around the world. As far as Oscar's concerned, Oscar was popular in the United States," stated promoter Bob Arum as he spoke about the world-wide popularity of 6-division world champion Manny Pacquiao during a conference call with the media earlier today. Having worked with several boxing icons throughout the years, Arum compared Pacquiao's fame to that of Muhammad Ali and Oscar De La Hoya, giving the nod to the Filipino superstar over his counterparts." - fighthype.com

By Agence France-Presse

Manny Pacquiao is hugely popular among people of all ages in his native country and among Filipino expats, working overseas as laborers or domestic helpers.

Freddie Roach took it one step further Wednesday saying that Pacquiao is more popular than American boxer Mike Tyson in his prime.

"Even Mike Tyson didn't have the drawing power that Manny has," Roach said of his former fighter Iron Mike. "People just swarm [Pacquiao] to get a touch or a look. His countrymen love him.

"He brightens up a room and has got a great smile. He's the type of fighter that is going to keep boxing alive."

But this service is way overhyped and as people start to use it they will realize it brings the worst of email and IM together: unproductivity. - continue reading at http://scobleizer.com/2009/10/01/google-wave-crashes-on-beach-of-overhype/

By Tina Santos, Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Plastic products and nails were found in the stomach of a dead female whale shark that fishermen found early Wednesday morning near the Manila Bay breakwater just a stone’s throw from the Manila Yacht Club.

These were the initial findings of a necropsy performed Wednesday afternoon on the whale shark (popularly known in the country as butanding), said Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau.

Lim said her office would conduct laboratory tests and analysis on the blood and tissue of the fish to see if it was poisoned. The results would be available in two weeks.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), estimated to be at least 2 years old, was 17 ½-feet (5.2 meters) long and weighed more than a ton.

By Larry Leviste, Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

As they walk down the aisle Tuesday afternoon at three, the groom will be cool and looking forward to a honeymoon even in the heating-up campaign season, and the bride will cut a sexy silhouette in a mermaid-style Filipiniana gown with a five-meter cathedral train.

And deviating from the norm, the bride will wear no veil.

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, the Liberal Party vice presidential candidate, will marry TV broadcaster Korina Sanchez at Catholic rites on Tuesday at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City.

About 3,000 guests are expected to pack the vast church, which has been heavily barricaded as early as Sunday.

“Sa totoo lang, e talagang buong-buo ang loob ko at isang tulog na lang mapopormal na ang aming ‘pag-iisang dibdib (Truth is, I’m all set to formalize our union),” Roxas said. “We’ll go on honeymoon and enjoy ourselves before we go back to work.”

Ben, they had high expectations because they paid 3,000 pesos to the organizers. One fried banana costs 5 pesos only.

Kung free pa tong conference, I don't think mo-react sila kung unsa ang gibayang sa ila and how they were treated. Plus, the fact nga "gipasagdan" sila when they arrived in Tagbilaran.

Where are the band members now?

At least 250 families were left homeless when a fire gutted at least 200 houses at Sitio Pantalan, Barangay Miranda, Babak District, this island city around 10:30 Sunday evening.

Samal fire investigators said the fire started at the residence of a certain Nelson Ruelan when the house owner forgot to put off a candle which was placed on a plastic cabinet as they sleep.

Ruelan used candle when their electric connection from the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) was cut off for months now, probers said.

When the Ruelan couple rose from sleep, their dwelling was already on fire, prompting them to run outside but their neighbors said they never heard the couple shouted for help and warned them of the fire.

The area where the incident happened was also due for demolition months ago but the residents refused to leave the area.

Fire investigators placed the damage to P2-million.

Samal fire protection office operates only only one “dilapidated” fire truck and one mini-fire truck which was bought by the city government for P3 million during the administration of then Mayor Rogelio Antalan.

Several fire trucks from Davao City, including those from 911 and Filipino-Chinese volunteers crossed the sea with barge and help in controlling the fire.

The fire lasted for more than five hours before it was controlled.

Mayor Aniano Antalan vowed to give fire victims P10,000 as financial assistance.

The fire victims are temporarily housed at Angel Villarica Central Elementary School, also in Babak District. (PNA) RMA/Jessie L. Casalda/lvp

Fake testimonials over the radio, outrageous claims. Pero daghan gihapong nailad aning mga herbal capsule karon nga gipakatap sa Visayas ug Mindanao.

Ingon sa ad, maayo tanang sakit. Kung tinuod man na, isira na nato tanang hospital ug mawad-an na ug trabaho mga doctor.

Maluoy lang ta aning mga taga-baryo kay moanhi sa syudad kay mopalit ug (you know). Dili nalang nato panghinganlan ning mga fake medicine nga grabe mo-gamit ug advertising.

It's been a week that I couldn't use our Globe Badband.

A service that gave many people their first taste of building and owning a web page is set to close.

Yahoo-owned GeoCities once boasted millions of users and was the third most popular destination on the web.

The free site has since fallen out of fashion with users, who have switched to social networks.

Yahoo, which acquired the site for $3.57bn (£2.17bn) in 1999 at the height of the dotcom boom, said sites would no longer be accessible from 26th October. - BBC

Pag-sure, hubag bohol, oi. Naa gyud ni nga apelyido? Grabeha pud, macabalig-oten gyud? Mahimo sila ang magdayon ni bilatsakaysakayan.

I think "bilatsakaysakayan" is the most outrageous family name to the ears of Bisaya-speaking Filipinos. Di matabang. Magsakit imong ngipon ug katawa if you meet a person with this family name.

We don't have the details yet. But a newspaper has run the story today. We'll keep you updated about this report.

This is for women: a clinic in Cebu City offers virginity restoration service.

Question for men and women: is there such a thing as virginity repair?

Asay paborito nimo sa duha: DYTR FM or DYRD FM? And why?

Please tell us your experience with Soledad Suites. Address: Lou Square, J.C. Borja Street, corner M. Parras Street, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Please review the services and facility of Shores Apartelle. Address: Mansasa Seaside, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Please share your experience with Nisa Travellers Inn, one of the oldest inns in Tagbilaran City. Location: CPG North Avenue, Tagbilaran, near Bohol Quality (BQ) Mall.

Please share your experience with Mellow Apartelle and Tourist Inn. Address: Dampas-Binayran Road, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Anyone has tried Painitang Bol-anon? Good service, good food. Highly recommended. It's a bit expensive, though. Understandable kay mahal kaayo ang rent sa Agora. The contractor rents it out at 600 pesos per sqm. The city government leased the building at 30 pesos lang.

Thinking Tools has a very expensive USB. Their 2GB costs 400 pesos plus while it only costs 550 at AAC Tech for a 4GB USB.

AAC Tech has friendly sales ladies. That was my first impression.

There's a new computer shop inside ICM. CD-R King has just opened.

Please review the facility and services of Le Pensione De San Jose (Piano Bar and Restaurant). Address: San Jose, Tagbilaran City.

Please review the facility and services of Kode Inn. It's located at 57 Graham Avenue, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Follow-up story from the Bohol Sunday Post

Acting with dispatch,  Regional Director Josefino Rigor of the department of public works and highways (DPWH) Region VII Monday ordered the removal of  the cracked portions of an unfinished project in the Dauis-Panglao center road.

The Rigor order came after it appeared that no amount of remedial measures like applying asphalt sealant to the crocodile- like cracks affecting the road project was enough to hide the construction short cut. The project is worth P110 million.

It was Cong. Edgar Chatto in whose district the project is located who informed the DPWH regional office about the construction anomaly that caught the attention of motorists passing the Panglao center road.

Assuming responsibility, Director Rigor ordered the contractors to correct the deficiency as soon as possible before protests from the motoring public mount.

The project is a joint venture of two Tarlac-based construction firmsâ€"4 J Construction and Northern Builders. The project was bidded at the DPWH regional office.

The DPWH’s directive also came swiftly after the Post exposed the road cracks in its issue last Sunday.

Following the Rigor order, heavy equipment like a backhoe with breaker, and a grader immediately saw action to undertake  the extreme remedial measures of removing the cracked portions of the unfinished paving job. A road roller was also seen at the scene to correct below standard base course preparations.

The road mess attracted the “right noises” of road users after  it was learned that a continuing cementing project that will extend all the way to Panglao is up for bidding at the DPWH regional office.

Costing P100 million, the same road project was reportedly cancelled in an apparent effort  to turn off the heat of the on-going road anomaly.

Earlier, District Engineer Celestino Adlaon reported that cracks are only found in the Poblacion (Dauis)-Mariveles portion but an ocular inspection by a Post reporter showed that it  goes all the way to Tinago, meaning the whole stretch of the five-kilometer concreting project.
In an interview with Cong. Chatto, he said  his office would never allow substandard projects. He said appropriate action must be taken to ensure quality of work. 

As shown from the immediate action of the erring contractors, the fault was in the base course preparations.

According to Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala he saw for himself  how construction crew poured concrete to a base course devoid of the standard requirements like a mixture of  limestone and crashed stones.

In the corrective measures undertaken by the contractors, what remains of the removed portion of cracking cement was laid with its aggregate requirements before it was passed over by a road roller.

With the brewing road scandal all over local media, the Provincial Development Council lost no time in looking into the construction mess.

The PDC sought the intervention of the DPWH central office to look into the anomaly.
V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera also joined in the fray by supporting calls to investigate the road project in Panglao island adding that being a showcase project, it should be above suspicion.           

“There should be an honest-to-goodness congressional investigation so the people will know the truth,” Herrera said.           

The vice-governor issued the statement when asked to comment on the report which appeared in the Post last week.           

Even before the concreting work could be concluded, widespread cracks have been appeared on supposedly “finished” portions of the road.           

“Considering that Panglao is a major tourist destination, the roads on the island should be in good condition,” the vice-governor said.           

Herrera said that while he doesn’t want to prejudge any investigation, the suspicion that the road pavement project is substandard cannot be discounted considering that the project is not even completed.           

“Definitely, something is fishy here,” he remarked.           

Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala raised the issue since the cracks in the road cannot escape the attention of those who pass it regularly like him.           

The vice-governor wants the cracks looked into immediately otherwise the same thing will happen in other stages of the road construction projects.           

Any delay in confronting the project can lead to suspicions that government officials are protecting the firm involved in the construction.           

“These are valid complaints that have to be addressed to prove to our people that we do not condone substandard quality,” the vice-governor added.           

Herrera said it will be embarrassing to Boholanos if the quality is not improved because these roads lead right into the tourist destinations in Panglao.           

The vice-governor added that Boholanos want clear answers to the questions on why the cracks have appeared this early.           

Herrera said the substandard quality of roads in this project deserves no less than a congressional investigation because this is a very serious matter.           

The vice-governor said there should be no whitewash because no less than the government’s credibility is at stake.           

“P110 million is a very big amount especially in a district where pork barrel funds are not visible,” he added.           

The vice-governor said that after the scandal of the lavish dinners, substandard roads built from the people’s taxes is like rubbing salt on an open wound.           

“If the contractor cannot give a satisfactory explanation, it means that something crooked is going on,” he added.           

Herrera said that in most cases, the reasons why projects are substandard is because contractors have to recover the expenses incurred due to kickbacks.           

“If concerned government officials remain silent, the suspicion that money changed hands will be confirmed,” he warned. 

Pascual B. Racuyal (fl. 1986) was a Filipino eccentric and aspirant for the Philippine presidency, whose perseverance despite total lack of success at that venture earned him folk status. Racuyal sought the presidency in every Philippine presidential election beginning in 1935 (against Manuel L. Quezon and Emilio Aguinaldo) until 1986 (against Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino).

There were questions as to Racuyal’s mental stability. Among his promises should he be elected to the presidency was to construct roads out of plastic to prevent their further deterioration. When he invited Manila Mayor Arsenio Lacson to be his running mate in the 1953 presidential elections, the latter called Racuyal “strictly fiction, utterly fantastic and incredible”. Nonetheless, as time passed, his repeated candidacy provided for an amusing mild diversion to a frequently heated election atmosphere.

Unlike Harold Stassen, the former Minnesota governor whose repeated runs for the American presidency earned him renown of a similar nature, Racuyal, a mechanic by profession, was never a credible political figure at any point in his life. His final attempt at the presidency in 1986 was thwarted after the Commission on Elections disqualified him as a “nuisance candidate”. - from Wikipedia

@HB, I haven't heard of his name until I read your post here.

By Sunday Post

With all those tarpaulins embedding messages of “Happy Fiesta”, it appears that no force on earth will stop him from being counted as one of the congressional hopefuls representing the first district.

That being the case, it means fiesta goers attending the feast of the Holy Rosary in Antequera On Oct. 30-31, will not be surprised seeing the smiling face of Catigbian Mayor Roberto “Bert Sal” Salinas in tarpaulin ads. 

The fiesta greetings of Mayor Salinas in Antequera are competing for attention with happy fiesta messages of Cong. Edgar Chatto, V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera and Cong. Roberto “Ondoy” Cajes who is reported to be running for vice governor.

If no mediation is possible, Chatto and Herrera will scramble for the post of heir apparent of Gov. Erico Aumentado. Both Chatto and Herrera are already bracing for a battle royale, a showdown that will surely change Bohol’s political landscape.

In a check with the amiable Catigbian mayor, he said the blanketing of fiesta messages in Antequera, signals his entry in the first district congressional ballgame.

He said that heretofore any fiesta in the first district will now include the ubiquitous greetings of Mayor Salinas.

Banking on the support of the administration party, the Lakas-Kampi CMD, the mayor’s entry in the congressional fray is the best thing that ever happens to his colorful political career.

Still eligible to run for a third and final term, Mayor Salinas chooses to forego reelection in favor of hitting a higher targetâ€"that of becoming the next first district congressman.

As for the post to be vacated by the incumbent congressman (Chatto), the position is becoming a nobody’s game as no candidate enjoys the resources of a re-electionist.

With the congressional post a level playing field, Salinas’ chances are as equal as any pretender to the coveted plum.

So far, former governor Rene Relampagos is trying to make a comeback bid via the vacated Congress seat of Chatto.

In choosing to run for Congress, Salinas is bringing with him an impressive credential of turning around a sleepy municipality into a burstling growth center. 

His backers are hoping that with Salinas’ no nonsense brand of leadership, he will be able to duplicate what he did in Catigbian to other sleepy towns of the first district.

Salinas’ bankability is also anchored on the fact that he heads the League of Municipalities, Bohol chapter. As the “mayors’ mayor”, he is getting all the encouragement he needs  from his colleagues in the LMP to take the congressional plunge with the assurance that they will rally behind him  in his first district Congress bid.

Folders that are compressed using the Compressed (zipped) Folders feature use less drive space and can be transferred to other computers more quickly. You can work with a compressed folder and the files or programs it contains just as you would an uncompressed folder.

Once you have created a compressed folder (identified by the zipper on the folder icon), you can compress files, programs, or other folders by dragging them to it. You can open files directly from compressed folders, or you can extract files before opening them.

You can run some programs directly from zipped compressed folders, without decompressing them. However, to run programs that are dependent on other files, you must first extract them.

Compressed folders can be moved to any drive or folder on your computer. You can also share zipped compressed folders with other users, even if they use a different file compression program.

You can protect zipped compressed folders with a password. This protects your data if you save it in a shared network folder, attach it to an e-mail message, or move it between work and home on floppy disks.

Windows also offers another way to compress folders if your drive is formatted as NTFS: NTFS file compression. However, NTFS file compression is significantly different from compressing files with Compressed (zipped) Folders. To learn more about the similarities and differences between NTFS compression and Compressed (zipped) Folders.

Note: Installing a different compression program to Windows will remove Compressed (zipped) Folders from the right-click menu choices and replace it with the new compression program's icon.

Ngano kasagaran sa mga barber magtuman man sa ilang gusto ug dili mo-follow sa instruction nga ikaw may tag-iya sa imong buhok?

1 Corinthians 15:55-58 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

US declares swine flu 'emergency'

President Barack Obama has declared the current outbreak of swine flu in the United States a national emergency. White House officials say the announcement gives medical officials more freedom to tackle the disease - allowing them to bypass certain federal requirements when implementing emergency procedures.

By Will Grant
BBC News, Caracas

At least 10 bodies - believed to be those of a kidnapped Colombian football team - have been found across the border in Venezuela.

The bodies, with multiple gunshot wounds, were found in Tachira. One of the team is reported to have survived.

State authorities say they suspect a left-wing Colombian guerrilla group, the ELN, is to blame for the deaths.

The team, kidnapped two weeks ago, was known as Los Maniceros or Peanut Men, as they sold nuts along the border.

The Venezuelan authorities say they are still investigating whether the bodies are those of the kidnapped team members.

But local authorities in Tachira and several local newspapers are already reporting that the footballers have been killed.

The most senior official in Tachira state, Leomagno Flores, blamed the violence on the armed wing of the ELN, a group led by a man known El Payaso or the Clown.

By Sunday Post

A road pavement project costing P110 million involving the Dauis-Panglao central highway is fast becoming a major scandal after widespread cracks are noticed all over the “finished portion” of the five-kilometer stretch. The concreting job starts from Poblacion Dauis to Tinago, the town's boundary with Panglao. Although the giant project is yet to be finished, road cracks are evident to the bare eye even as vehicular traffic was regulated to pave the way for the concrete to season. Declared as a tourism highway, the stretch of road was bidded for concreting in the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). A joint venture of Tarlac-based construction companies won the bid to undertake the project. They are the 4 J Construction and Northern Builders.

The sad state of the Dauis side of the project attracted attention from Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala after he was informed that the same contractors are casting a moist eye on the Panglao side of the project amounting to P100 million. The continuing project is slated for bidding in the DPWH regional office. Almost on a daily basis, Mayor Alcala said he was a frequent user of the central road. It was Mayor Alcala as a motorist who noticed the sub-standard concreting works. Then, he blew the whistle on the construction anomaly. According to the Panglao mayor, he cannot be fooled into believing that the pavement job was above board. He said that he chanced upon the construction crew pouring concrete into a sub-standard base course.

Mayor Alcala said, as one who understands a little aspect of construction, he believes that for a base course to be passable to civil works standards, such aggregates as anapog (Item 101) or limestone and crashed stones are the ideal requirements for sound and correct base course preparations. The Panglao mayor made the “right noises” for fear that in the finger-pointing that may come as a result of construction lapses, he would be free from any blame. As a veteran town executive, he recalled with clarity that mayors shared the blame when issues of this kind cropped up especially during elections. He anticipated that he cannot escape blame when highway construction in his area becomes an election issue.

SUB-STANDARD BASE PREPARATIONS

In the case of the Dauis-Panglao concreting project, no such standard preparations were in place of its base. It was learned that after the contractors' version of preparing the base for concreting was in place, a little compaction was done by a small compactor, poured concrete and voila! it was all over. Base course preparations represent 30% of the project cost. This means that in the project costing of P110 million, P33 million is the budget for its base. In the case of the Dauis-Panglao project, the contractors must have skipped the major undertaking of an ideal base course preparations when they discovered that the road foundation was cut out for a “construction short cut”. Before the joint venture embarked on the concreting project, the contractors removed a six-month old asphalt overlay costing the government P7 million. Undertaken by Luym Construction, the asphalt overlay project was only six months old when it was removed to pave the way for the pavement works.

ADLAON REACTION

Appraised of the sad spectacle of an unfinished project besieged with construction deficiency, Engr. Celestino Adlaon, first high highway district engineer, ordered the contractors that “sections with cracks beyond remedial measures should be removed and replaced”. The contractors in question did make remedial measures in an apparent move to hide the lapses in the paving job. They did so by applying asphalt sealant in the cracks that run parallel to the road contour. According to construction engineers, applying sealants may be good only to the joins of the road project. But applying the same in spider-like cracks is a no-no in a good construction project. It may be noted that the same Luzon-based contractors also won a bid to undertake another concreting project in a portion of the Sierra-Bullones-Jagna road artery. Worth P89 million, nobody is telling what this project looks like at this point, when the volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic is not as huge as in the Dauis-Panglao highway. (With reports from Roger Balamad)

maryvids All the Single Ladies Beyonce Bisaya Knowles (All the Sing-gol Leedis)
Beyonce in Bisaya version.

We just received a very sad report from several teachers who expressed extreme disgust over Bohol's hosting of a history-related national conference, which was concluded last Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.

According to the neglected participants, they have a very bad impression on Bohol because of the lamentable way the conference was organized and because of the disgusting treatment they got from organizers (read: disgusting food served).

There were several serious issues raised by history teachers - all coming from various schools/colleges/universities in the Philippines. (If you are one of the participants/teachers who paid 3,000 pesos for a two-day conference at Holy Name University (HNU), please register in this site and join the discussion).

1. Registration of 3,000 pesos (good for 2 days inclusive of lunch but without lodging) is too expensive and it wasn't worth it. No usher. No guide. A total mess.
2. Participants were not treated well.
3. No assistance given for their accommodation. Some ended up sleeping in a boarding house.
4. They were served with disgusting food packed in a poor paper bag (can't afford to buy a paper plate?). The worst thing was that the juice was served through a water jug and it was not even a juice drink but a colored water disguised as fruit juice (?).
5. Many of the participants left Bohol on the first day of the conference. Disgusted.
6. Many of the participants did not receive a conference kit.
7. The venue was held in a small room at HNU. They expected it'd be held in a more convenient area (Bohol Tropics, perhaps).
8. History teachers, history instructors from various universities in the Philippines who were interviewed alleged that the conference was nothing but a money-making venture?

More than 97 percent of the participants had rated the conference as "very poor", as revealed in a feedback survey distributed to history teachers/professors after the conference.

HNU, NHI, and NCCA have a lot of explaining to do.

By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun Star

The next important high value crop to rise in Visayas will be cashew as demands for the products starting from its apple and nuts are increasing every day.

This was bared by Erwin Saw of Isla Casoy de Palawan Co., an investor who poured in some P5 million in the production and manufacturing of cashew products here in Palawan province.

Saw said Palawan is producing some 90 percent of the 2.6 million fruit bearing trees in the country producing some 350,000 metric tons of the fruit and nuts every year.

Puerto Princesa City Agriculturist Melissa Macasaet said that out of 103,145 metric tons of dried cashew nuts produced every year, some 92,830 metric tons are from Palawan.

The company is buying cashew fruit and nut at P15 per kilo during the peak season or summer months and P50 per kilo during the lean months.

But this is not enough and company buyers have already started looking for more cashew nuts notably in the island province of Guimaras to add to the company’s demand.

Aside from mangoes, Guimaras is also producing cashew and mostly in backyard plantation.

Palawan cashews are from six selected cultivators developed in the island province.

The Department of Agriculture and the city agriculture office of Puerto Princesa have jointly developed a farming system that include the sloping agriculture land technology (Salt) using cashew as base crop, intercropping with pineapples, bananas and papayas for maximum land use, rehabilitation of old cashew trees and cashew as a reforestation crop.

By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun Star

The 2010 season of the Dinagyang Festival started Friday at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

The City Government and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation launched the 41th year of Dinagyang Festival as Iloilo City's premier tourist attraction and best practice of concreting partnership between the government and private sector.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas led the afternoon launching rites after a motorcade and mass. He declared the start of the 2010 Dinagyang season amid blaring drums and dance exhibitions by Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School and Tribu Silak of the Iloilo City National High School.

A thanksgiving mass and signing of a memorandum of agreement between the foundation officials and Treñas highlighted the season opening, which will be held at the Macario Peralta Park just behind the grandstand.

A video presentation on the accomplishment report of Dinagyang 2009 festival and the 2010 plan to sustain the glory that is purely Dinagyang climaxed the program.

The city mayor, assisted by Dinagyang chairman Lee Chuan and San Jose Parish priest Fr. Achilles Secio, awarded certificates of appreciation and tokens to participating tribes, individuals and corporations who have made the festival a huge success last year.

10 reasons why PCs crash You must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost. - source: Anonymous

By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun Star

AT LEAST 10 “Bukas Kotse” groups that may belong to a single syndicate are operating separately in Iloilo City, a police official said.

A rash of car thieves have upsurge in areas with least police visibility within this week that baffled the local police force.

But Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) deputy city director, Eugenio Espejo said a vital witness was able to identify one suspect, Francisco Tamayo of Barangay Monica city proper, as one of the three men who ransacked a parked vehicle in Burgos St. La Paz district last Monday.

Another incident happened in Quintin Salas and in Dungon A, Jaro district that police estimated more than P1 million worth of properties and cash carted away by the robbers.

Espejo said the suspects are new faces and most of them have no picture in the rogue gallery of the local police.

He said some are speaking in Tagalog, Waray-waray and Cebuano, indicating that these people are not natives of Iloilo.

The robbers modus operandi consisted of at least three men doing the actual ransack while one vehicle ran up to cover the incident from viewers.

Let's repost the pictures here:

Thanks Kode for the info. Thread locked.

By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun Star

THE Iloilo City government, in cooperation with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), is eyeing a comprehensive clean air action plan that will eventually become the basis of the city's clean air code.

Engr. Niel Hechanova, city environment and natural resources officer, said that city stakeholders participated a three-day action planning and consultation on October 19-21, 2009 that will lead to a road map towards a clean air plan for Iloilo City based on the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999.

GTZ has included Iloilo as one of the key cities in the Asean region to serve as a jump-off point of clean air planning. The other Philippines cities are Metro Manila cities, Cebu and Davao.

The GTZ participants in the Iloilo City workshop are Roland Haas, Ms. Napoporn Yuberk, Phil Sayed, Dr. Axel Friedrich, Rudolf Petersen, and lawyer Glynda Bathan.

The Clean Air Act was a landmark legislation signed into law on June 23, 1999 by then President Joseph Estrada, providing "a comprehensive air pollution control policy and for other purposes."

Chairman of the powerful League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) Mayor Jerry P. Treñas is registering his strong opposition against the passage of House Bill 24.

The said House Bill calls for the upgrading of capital towns of provinces without cities into full-fledged cities.

Treñas said the LCP is enjoining all City Chief Executives and their respective supporters to actively participate in opposing the passage of the House bill by calling for its outright rejection.

On the other hand, LCP National President, Mandaluyong Mayor Benjamin Abalos is enjoining all City Mayors nationwide to campaign against the bill that exempts capital towns into cities from the requirements of cityhood.

Treñas said they had worked against the cityhood of 16 municipalities that failed to come up with the requirements of being a city.

The Supreme Court (SC) had sustained its petition rejecting the new cities by branding the new cities as unconstitutional. - Sun Star Iloilo

By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun Star

A Korea-based energy business consortium has offered to sell to the City Government its own modern technology on solid wastes to energy conversion.

The said proposal is through incineration that is allowable by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the Korean offer includes a feasibility study at no cost to the city only after the mayor signs a letter of intent of approving the study on solid wastes conversion to energy.

A team of Korean investors recently presented the technology to Treñas and members of the technical working group (TWG) of the city's solid waste management board zeroing on collected garbage at the Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao district.

The consortium is composed of four energy corporations based in South Korea headed by Heung-Pyo Lee, president of the Taewoong Energy and Environment Engineering Co. Ltd with Philippine partner Petroxy Philippine Power Corp. through director Neil Javier-Agustin of Business Development and Marketing.

Treñas said TWG is studying the Korean proposal in using an incinerator through a stoker of garbage in Calajunan that will comply with the requirements provided in Republic Act (RA) 8749 of the Clean Air Act of 1999 "providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy" in the country.

By Annabelle L. Ricalde
Sun Star News

The father of slain cop, PO1 Ashley Villarico, said if there's anything that can ease his sufferings, this would be the speedy and impartial trial of the suspected assailant of his 34-year-old son.

Leonardo Villarico, father of the victim, is pinning his hopes on the Regional Trial Court judge to whom the case was raffled Wednesday.

"Unta aksiyonan dayon ni Judge Gil Bollozos ang kaso sa akong anak aron mahatagan kini og hustisya. Justice delayed is justice denied [I hope Judge Gil Bollozos will promptly act on my son's case so he can be given justice.]," elder Villarico told the Sun.Star by phone Friday.

Leonardo said he didn't mind past allegations of bias against Bollozos, who was asked by prosecutors last month to inhibit from another controversial murder case for alleged "utter partiality and bias for the accused."

The judge denied the petition early this month.

"Nirespeto gihapon ko sa iyang pagka-judge. Ang gusto lang nako mahitabo nga dili unta niya dugayon ug mag-isyu na og warrant against sa suspect labina nga anaa sa kakuyaw ang among kinabuhi [I still respect him as a judge. What I want now is for the case to move on and that a warrant of arrest be issued against the suspect, especially that our lives are being threatened.]," Leonardo said.

Mikey Arroyo was seen by many Pinoys on a shopping spree in Hong Kong blanketed by a platoon of body guards. Barack Obama doesn't even have that kind of extravagant security guards.

Who pays the plane ticket, food and hotel for those security guards?

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the philippines, for now, can't afford to buy one f-18. modernization of the philippine air force is not about to happen in this generation.