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An ocean of Black Nazarene devotees flood the Quirino Grandstand at the start of the procession bound for Quiapo Church on Friday. Benjie Castro

01/09/2009 | 11:35 AM

MANILA, Philippines â€" Tens of thousands of Filipino Catholic devotees jammed the streets of the capital Friday, throwing handkerchiefs and surging forward for a chance to touch a black statue of Jesus Christ that many believe can deliver miracles.

The annual procession honoring the 402-year-old image of Christ â€" known as the Black Nazarene â€" took a different route this year to give the devotees more space and reduce the chance of stampede, which has sometimes marred past events.

The life-sized wooden figure â€" believed to have been brought by Spanish missionaries from Mexico in 1606 â€" made its way through the streets of Manila in a cart pulled by plainclothes police officers as barefoot, mostly male devotees wearing traditional maroon shirts pushed against each other and stretched hands to get closer.

The cart was pulled on a rope on its way back to the downtown Quiapo church. During the past events, the statue was pulled around the church square, but this time organizers decided to take it first to a central park and through the city streets so more people would have a chance to see it.

Some 1,500 police were securing the procession. Police said the figure was fitted for the first time with a global positioning satellite device to make it easier to track.

Many believe the Black Nazarene holds mystical powers that can wash away sins or cure illnesses. People hurl towels or handkerchiefs to be wiped on the image.

"I believe that Nazarene will give me what I'm asking for," said Joselito Pagul, who turns up for the procession every year.

No police estimate of the crowd was immediately available, but radio and television reports put it at tens of thousands. Last year, about 80,000 took part and two people died.

The Spanish missionaries' ship that brought the original statue to the Philippines, a former colony, caught fire and the image was burned but survived as a testament to a unique brand of Catholicism that combines folk superstitions. The Philippines, Asia's most predominantly Christian nation, is 80 pecent Catholic.

The archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, said many Filipinos are devoted to the Black Nazarene because they identify with him in the midst of poverty and suffering.

"They see Christ in themselves when they suffer from poverty and oppression," Rosales said at a dawn Mass. "In their devotion they see God's love for them amid all this misery." - AP

Quote from: BlueAngel on December 20, 2007, 11:32:06 PM
pa tapsing2x lang ug totok para di halata (ayaw na 5mins.-one direction hah)

Good idea ni sis Dylu, musta kana karun long time no hear.

mura diay bai ug si Pres Bush nga gui buno ug shoes
didto sa Iraq.

St Agnes congratz, hala kinsa na pud ang musonod ani.

The coldest, windiest, and driest continent, overlying the South Pole. The lowest temperature ever measured on Earth was recorded at the Russian Antarctic station of Vostok at âˆ'89.2°C (âˆ'128.5°F) in July 1983. Katabatic (cold, gravitational) winds with velocities up to 50 km/h (30 mi/h) sweep down to the coast and occasionally turn into blizzards with 150 km/h (nearly 100 mi/h) wind velocities. Antarctica's interior is a cold desert with only a few centimeters of water-equivalent precipitation, while the coastal areas average 30 cm (12 in.).

Antarctica's area is about 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles), which is larger than the contiguous 48 United States and Mexico together. It is the third smallest continent, after Australia and Europe. About 98% of it is buried under a thick ice sheet, which in places is 4 km (13,000 ft) thick, making it the highest continent, with an average elevation of over 2 km (6500 ft).

Although most of Antarctica is covered by ice, some mountains rise more than 3 km (almost 10,000 ft) above the ice sheet. The largest of these ranges is the Transantarctic Mountains separating east from west Antarctica, and the highest peak in Antarctica is Mount Vinson, 5140 m (16,850 ft), in the Ellsworth Mountains. Other mountain ranges, such as the Gamburtsev Mountains in East Antarctica, are completely buried, but isolated peaks called nunataks frequently thrust through the ice around the coast.

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest remnant of previous ice age glaciations. It has probably been in place for the last 20 million years and perhaps up to 50 million years. It is the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth, with a volume of about 25 million cubic kilometers (6 million cubic miles). Glaciers flow out from this ice sheet and feed into floating ice shelves along 30% of the Antarctic coastline. The two biggest ice shelves are the Ross and Filchner-Ronne. These shelves may calve off numerous large tabular icebergs, with thicknesses of several hundred meters, towering as high as 70â€"80 m (250 ft) above the sea surface.

Updated December 06, 2008 12:00 AM 

NESKOWIN, Oregon â€" A romantic marriage proposal on the West Coast turned deadly for a Filipina bride-to-be when a wave swept her out to sea.

Scott Napper had taken 22-year-old Leafil Alforque to Proposal Rock near Neskowin Beach to pop the question at a place that got its name from couples ready to marry.

Napper and Alforque had been dating since they met on the Internet in 2005.

But Alforque had arrived in Oregon on a visa from the Philippines just three days before the fateful trip to the coast, The Oregonian reported.

Napper said the tide had receded around Proposal Rock on Saturday when the couple began to walk to it. He planned to propose and give her the ring he carried in his pocket.

About 10 feet (3 meters) from the rock, a wave about 3 feet (.9 meters) high suddenly came toward them.

“I turned into it to keep from getting pulled under it,” Napper said.

By the time he turned to find Alforque, only 4-foot-11 (1.2-meter) and 93 pounds (42 kilograms), she had been caught by the receding waters.

Bombardment ... heavy artillery firing on Gaza from behind the Israel border




  Innocent victim ... wounded Palestinian child is carried to hospital in Gaza's Beit Lahiya

THE terrorist-plagued Gaza Strip was scythed in TWO yesterday â€" as Israeli ground troops swept in with tanks and helicopter gunships.
The ferocious blitz on Hamas fanatics firing rockets across the border followed a week of air strikes on their lairs.
Last night the onslaught was feared to have taken the Palestinian death toll since Israel began hitting back after Christmas to more than 512.

At least 64 were killed yesterday. Israeli commanders said one of their troops died.
Meanwhile the list of Gaza’s wounded in the past week was said to have soared to 2,600.
Israel vowed to halt the terror raining down on its own citizens for good.

On alert ... Israeli soldiers

But even as its troops rooted out those responsible at least 45 MORE rockets and mortar shells screeched out of the skies to explode deep inside its territory.

The towns of Netivot and Beersheba were among those hit. To the north in Sderot a woman was injured as one slammed into her house.
Among civilian casualties in Gaza yesterday was a Palestinian Oxfam paramedic killed in an ambulance by an explosion.The ambulance’s driver was injured in the blast. A fellow medic lost a foot.
Oxfam chief John Prideaux-Brune said: “Hospitals are overflowing with dead and wounded while facing severe shortages of essential medical supplies.

Bombardment ... heavy artillery firing on Gaza from behind the Israel border
“Oxfam and local partners have had to suspend all our work, apart from emergency medical aid.”
Defiant Hamas guerillas were feared to have taken to a secret network of underground tunnels â€" in a tactic perfected by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
That terror group claimed victory when Israel was forced to move out in 2006.

Assault ... graphic shows targets hit and troop crossings
Its killers used the underground warren to pop up and massacre Israeli forces.
Yesterday one Hamas leader claimed that the thousands of advancing troops and tanks had fallen into a similar trap.
He sneered: “They have come to where we wanted and they will soon receive our gifts.”
Fellow terrorists claimed to have laid ambushes and booby traps around their strongholds.
The suburbs of Gaza City and the town of Beit Lahiya saw some of the heaviest fighting yesterday after Israel staged its stealth attack in the night.


Columns of tanks poured over the border at a series of carefully selected points.
Fierce fighting erupted immediately. Parachute flares dramatically lit up the scene.

Innocent victim ... wounded Palestinian child is carried to hospital in Gaza's Beit Lahiya

In the Hamas stronghold of Zeitoun, troops were locked in gun battles with extremists. Israel said just ONE of its soldiers was killed yesterday â€" although around 40 were wounded. Hamas claimed to have captured two enemy soldiers. But Tel Aviv insisted none of its men was missing.
Israeli commanders warned the offensive could last for many days.
But pressure for a ceasefire looked certain to mount as the civilian toll climbed.
Gaza is just 30 miles long and seven miles at its widest â€" but is one of the most densely packed places in the world with 1.5million people. Yesterday’s ground assault followed days of air and artillery strikes aimed at Hamas leaders.

At least three were killed â€" with Abu Zakariya, 40, the most senior. He had masterminded the rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza City.
Casualty of war ... wounded Israeli soldier is taken on stretcher to hospital in Beersheba
Yesterday’s risky operation was ordered to mop up remaining resistance. In Gaza City at least five Palestinians were killed and 40 wounded.
Twelve died in Beit Lahiya. In the southern town of Rafah, a man and two teenage sons were killed.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak insisted the aim of the ground push was solely to protect southern Israel from Hamas rocket attacks.

He declared: “It won’t be easy. It won’t be short.” Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, vowed death to the advancing Israeli forces. Spokesman Abu Ubaida ranted: “The Zionist enemy must know his battle in Gaza is a losing one.”

As Palestinian civilians took refuge in their homes, humanitarian agencies warned water, food and medicines were in desperately short supply.

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The US called for an urgent ceasefire â€" but said an end to Hamas rocket strikes must be guaranteed. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the ground operation to halt. Last night 90 per cent of the mobile phone network in Gaza was down â€" along with landlines.
Telecoms officials said Gaza was close to losing contact with the rest of the world.
Palestinians said troops broke into broadcasts on Hamas TV channel Al Aqsa and appealed to them not to act as human shields. Hamas stepped up rocket attacks on Israel after calling off a six-month “truce” last month.

The Iranian-backed fanatics, who won elections in 2006 and drove out their more moderate Fatah rivals, claimed Gaza had been crippled by an Israeli blockade.

Criminal charges filed vs DAR chief's sons, bodyguards

(Updated 9:40 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines â€" The camp of Delfin de la Paz on Monday officially filed criminal charges against the sons of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman and their bodyguards who allegedly beat up dela Paz and his son in an exclusive golf course in Antipolo City.

Radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen said dela Paz's lawyer Raymond Fortun filed two counts of slight physical injuries and two counts of violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act against Nasser Jr, mayor of Masiu town in Lanao del Sur; and his brother Hussein.

The Pangandaman brothers' bodyguards, meanwhile, were charged with one count of slight physical injury.

The criminal complaints were filed before the Antipolo City prosecutor's office.

In an interview over radio dzBB, Fortun said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) must continue its investigation into the case despite the formal charges filed against the DAR chief's sons as there are other people involved that dela Paz's camp has still not identified.

"Nakausap ko po (ang) NBI, sinabi ko po sa kanila tuluy-tuloy lang (ang) imbestigasyon nila dahil merong tao hong hindi namin nakikilala na involved sa imbestigasyon na 'to (I talked to the NBI, I told them to go on with their investigation because there are people involved here whom we have not identified)," Fortun said.

Fortun said they have not included the DAR chief in their charges but may add him if there is sufficient evidence against the Cabinet secretary.

He added that they are hoping to win the case despite the involvement of a ranking government official.

De la Paz had earlier said Nasser Jr and Secretary Pangandaman's bodyguards mauled him and his 14-year-old son Bino after a scuffle inside the Valley Golf and Country Club last Dec. 26, 2008.

The DAR chief has repeatedly apologized for the incident, but maintained his innocence. The dela Paz family, however, rejected the apology.

A separate radio report said the Pangandaman camp will file charges against the dela Paz camp at 10 a.m. Monday.

Fortun, however, expressed confidence that the counter-complaint will be dismissed.

"Natural lang na may kontra na demanda at umaasa ako na pagdating sa investigations na gagawin ng prosecutors at lilitaw talaga ang mga aggressors...I'm confident that whatever they file will be dismissed(It's only natural that they file a counter-complaint, and I am hoping that the aggressors will surface during the investigations of the prosecutors)," Fortun said in a separate radio interview.

He added that they will also be filing administrative charges against "certain parties" but refused to elaborate.

"We'll also be filing administrative charges against certain parties. Para di gagamitin ang kanilang mga poder para ma-derail po ang investigation (So they will not be using their influence to derail the investigation)," said Fortun. - GMANews.TV

 i have brods there, the Cainglet clan and
they're nice too.

The news that came out this morning was that the family of Delfin dela Paz has already filed the case in the court and various group were pessing the immediate suspension of the Mayor and the Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary to ensure a fair trial, the local media as well are monitoring the case.

WASHINGTON -- Was it a walk?


LeBron James wants the NBA to take a closer look at what he calls his "crab dribble." The move, James insists, does not constitute traveling.

A referee disagreed Sunday.


Fast Facts
 
• Driving to the basket for a layup that would have tied the game, LeBron James was called for traveling with 2.3 seconds left as the Cavaliers lost to a sub-.500 team for the first time this season (19-0 entering the game).

• Washington won its seventh of its last eight home games against Cleveland.

• Cleveland shot a season-low 39.4 percent, scoring a season-low in points.

• LeBron James led Cleveland with 30 points and 10 assists, but no other Cavalier player scored more than 13 points.

-- ESPN research
James was whistled for taking an extra step while driving for a potential tying layup with 2.3 seconds left, and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost 80-77 to the Eastern Conference-worst Washington Wizards despite wiping out a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

"Bad call," said James, who compiled 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. "We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game, and it was clearly a good play."

Without raising his voice or getting particularly animated, James dissected the game's key sequence in extensive detail -- even pointing out that he felt he was fouled as he released the shot, which went in.

His biggest beef, though, was with what he considered a misunderstanding of the way he moved to the basket.

"You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high-step, but it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it -- and they need to understand that's not a travel," James said. "It's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done."

Indeed, Washington's Caron Butler -- who scored 19 points and guarded James most of the game, including on that closing play -- remembers that same move, without an official's call, from one of the teams' recent playoff meetings.

"I definitely knew he traveled, but I didn't know they were going to call it," Butler said about what happened Sunday. "That was one of them situations in which a great player made a move, good officiating, and they called the call. And I was like, 'Oh, man, there is a God.' "

That was hardly the only contentious moment in a game between teams that faced each other the past three postseasons, with Cleveland winning every series.

There was some trash talk between James and injured Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson, who was out with a bad back and sat on the sideline in a burgundy velvet jacket and bow tie. There was the homemade sign held by a Wizards fan that showed James with a blue tear on his cheek and "Crybaby" written in place of "Cavaliers" on his white headband and blue shirt.

Oh, and there was the ejection of Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, who ran nearly the length of the court to protest an offensive foul call against James with about 6 1/2 minutes left.

The Cavs were down 70-54 early in the fourth quarter, then 71-58 after Butler made one of two technical free throws when Brown was tossed for all his pointing and yelling.

With assistant coach John Kuester running the team after Brown was restrained and led off the court, the Cavs chipped away until James' drive with 1:01 left tied it at 77-all.

"We're not saying we want Mike Brown to get thrown out if we're flat or not making shots. We're not saying that," James said. "But sometimes you need a coach to do something, and that definitely fired us up."

None of his teammates scored more than 13 points, the Cavaliers shot 39 percent for the game and they were held to their lowest point total this season.

At 77-77, Cleveland's Delonte West missed a 3-point attempt, and Dominic McGuire grabbed the rebound while being scratched below the left eye by James, drawing some blood. The Wizards called timeout and set up Antawn Jamison's baseline jumper with 10.5 seconds left

"That just gave us a sigh of relief," Butler said.

Jamison led Washington with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while McGuire had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first NBA double-double.

Cleveland's next possession ended with James' travel, and Butler added a free throw for the final margin. James fell into the courtside seats while trying a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

How surprising is this result? The Central Division-leading Cavaliers (27-6) are neck-and-neck with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics for the best record in the East, while the Wizards (7-25) aren't even close to climbing out of last place. No other club in the conference has fewer than 12 victories.

And yet when these teams last played, on national TV on Dec. 25, Washington led by seven with a little more than 1 1/2 minutes left before Cleveland closed with an 11-0 run to win.

"I was pulling for the guys to pull it through, to find a way to kind of sneak this one by them like we did the last game," Brown said, "but it didn't happen."

It did not, and the Wizards noted what interim coach Ed Tapscott had written in red on the grease board in their locker room: "REDEMPTION."

Kelly Preston has said that she believes toxic cleaning products in her family's home caused her son's health problems early in life.

Jett, her 16-year-old son with husband John Travolta, who died suddenly Friday morning after suffering a seizure while on vacation with his familiy in the Bahamas, was hospitalized when he was 15 months old with Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that mainly affects young children. It's treatable but can have unforeseen complications, including lasting damage to the heart.

The boy's body will remain at Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas pending an autopsy.

The direct cause of Kawasaki syndrome remains unknown, but some studies have shown a possible link between the disease and exposure to carpet-cleaning chemicals or living in an area close to a stagnant body of water, according to research gathered by Children's Hospital Boston's Kawasaki Disease Program.

Studies also found that the disease is reported more frequently among children from higher socioeconomic groups, of which Jett Travolta was certainly a member.

In 2002, Preston taped a helpful-hints video for The Oprah Winfrey Show, suggesting ways to childproof the cleaning products in your home.

"When I learned I was pregnant [with now 8-year-old Ella Bleu], the first thing I wanted to do was to create the perfect place to bring my baby home to," Preston said.

"I had all of this nesting energy. I'm sure you know that feeling. But sometimes when we think we are doing the right thing, like scrubbing the nursery spotless, even cleaning the carpet, we are actually inviting dangerous chemicals into our baby's world. Even what these chemicals leave behind can cause problems, so hold off on using so many cleaners."

The Children's Health Environmental Coalition has also recommended that children stay out of a house where the carpet has just been cleaned for at least four hours.


The debate over the exact cause of Kawasaki disease continues, and recent theories have focused on possible bacterial causes and whether children can have a genetic predisposition for infection.

"There is something about the act of shampooing that indirectly caused the outbreak," Dr. David Morens, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md., told the Austin American-Statesman in 2006.

"It had nothing to do with the chemicals in the shampoo or rug fibers, but more likely with bacteria released into the air. There are whole ecosystems in a carpet...bacteria, spores and fungi that live and grow there."

While common symptoms include a high fever, a rash and swollen lymph nodes, cardiac complications can include inflammation of blood vessels in the coronary arteries, aneurysms and, in some cases, heart attacks.

Seizures have also been linked to Kawasaki, according to Aetna's InteliHealth site.

In June 2007, Travolta's legal camp fired back at rumors that the actor and his wife were refusing to publicly admit that Jett had autism and covering it up by claiming the boy had Kawasaki disease instead.



    John with son Jett in happier times

"The Travoltas are wonderful, loving parents, and their priority is their children," a Travolta attorney said. "They have and they continue to take the best possible care of their children. To suggest anything to the contrary is very hurtful to a loving family and also would be false and defamatory."

life is short, RIP  Jett.

Happy New Year sad mam Hope, mao gani may mga foriegners man daw naapil didto
piro di pa klaro sa report, This incident  is similar to the Ozone Disco Club in Quezon City
which was gutted by fire in March 1996, daghan sad ang namatay kay na trap sa sulod sa club.

01/01/2009 | 05:24 AM

BANGKOK, Thailand â€" At least 54 New Year's revelers died when a fire swept through a packed nightclub in the Thai capital, police at the scene said Thursday.

Workers counting the bodies at the scene told Associated Press photographer Sakchai Lalitkanjankul that about 100 others were injured when the blaze broke out in the building, which has two stories and a basement.

Police Maj. Gen. Chokchai Deeprasertwit said the fire may have been caused by firecrackers brought into the Santika Club by guests or sparks flying from a New Year's countdown display on the nightclub stage.

The police officer said 53 bodies had been counted at the scene while another person died at a hospital.

He said death came through burns, smoke inhalation and injuries during the stampede to escape from the club, which had only one door for entry and exit.

The rescue workers said most of the bodies were found in the basement of the club, which attracts a well-heeled crowd of Thais and foreigners. The corpses, placed in white body bags, were laid out in rows in the parking lot in front of the club. - AP

01/01/2009 | 02:37 AM

MANILA, Philippines - A 74-year-old man was killed while his grandson still remains missing in flash floods that hit three towns in Bohol province Wednesday, a report said.

GMA’s regional network news Balitang Bisdak, reported that flood waters caused by rains induced by a low-pressure area killed Ebaristo Ramos of Clarin town, while his 6-year-old grandson remained missing.

According to the report, the town of Clarin was most affected by flood waters.

Also flooded were the villages of Macaas, Poblacion Centro, Tinangnan and Bataria in the town of Tubigon.

Authorities also noted minor landslides in the villages of Taninsiras, Tinangnan, Busungon and Ubujan.

Meanwhile, two bridges in the town of Cortez were submerged in floodwaters, leaving motorists stranded in the town.

Officials of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) claimed they had made preparations for whatever calamities, but the floods came suddenly.

The RDCC is now focusing its attention on the flood victims even as it braces for more floods caused by continuous rains in the province of Bohol. - GMANews.TV

Another year is about to end, malipayung pag abot sa
tuig 2009.

Thanks for the fyi preciousN, any words coming from the LGU on what actions
were taken with regards to the affected family in Cortez.

Greetings guikan sa Pinas, Malipayung adlaw nga natawhan Belskie ug
hina ot nga daghan pang umaabot nga malamboung tuig sa imung kinabuhi, basta ipadajun lang ang imung ehersisyo para mulagpot ang kolesterol, enjoy your day and more blessings.

Sa tanang higala diri sa pinakasikat nga forum tibook kalibutan
Happy New Year kaninyong tanan.

President Arroyo and husband Jose Miguel Arroyo pause during a visit in Sagada, Mountain Province, on Monday. Allan Martin Tamayo-

I felt sad to the bad experience of Ms parlball papa in Jagna ticketing office, as i mentioned earlier in the 1rst thread those account were not new to me since i reside
next town to Jagna ( dugay na kaajo ni ) i frequently goes there whenever i'm on my vacation, but what caught to my surprise was the old system does not change, thanks to BS a quick move was taken in behalf of Ms Pearlball, but it does not ends here it depends on the constant follow up of the above more so this will benefit to all, thanks bai BS and keep us posted.

Ako sir Macks di na pwidi kay postiso na ipen ko.

Wish you more lucks and happy years ahead, Happy birthday Alice.

A little girl gives a kiss to a figure of the Child Jesus on Christmas Day at Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces Cathedral in Kidapawan City. Geonarri Solmerano

LOS ANGELES -- Isang maligayang Pasko ang aking ipinahahatid sa inyong lahat at sana, madama ninyong lahat ang tunay na diwa ng Kapaskuhan at sana, kayo pong lahat ay nasa mabuting kalagayan ng pag-iisip, pangangatawan at higit sa lahat, sa ispirutwal na aspeto ng buhay.

Kararating ko lang po, kasama ang tatlo kong mga anak, upang ditto ipagdiwang ang Kapaskuhan, sa piling ang aking asawang si Jinkee.


Matapos ang aking laban noong Disyembre 6, umuwi ako sa Pilipinas upang kasama kong mag-celebrate ang aking mga kababayan na hanggang ngayon ay tuwang-tuwa pa rin matapos nating manalo kontra sa Golden Boy ng boxing, si Oscar Dela Hoya. Kasabay din nito ang padiriwang ng aking ika-30 kaarawan noong isang linggo na kumumpleto ng kasiyahan ng isang bansang naghahangad ng isang malaki at magandang balita.

Sa aking pagbabalik ditto, ako, at ng aking tatlong anak ay hihintayin ang pagsisilang ni Jinkee sa aming ikaapat na anak, na isa ring babae.

Masaya po ang pasko ngayong taon na ito dahil bukod sa tagumpay natin laban sa Goliath ng boksing na si Dela Hoya, nakuha rin natin ang dalawa pang sinturon ng World Boxing Council na magkaibang timbang. Ito ang super-featherweight title ng Mexican na si Juan Manuel Marquez at ang lightweight championship belt ni Mexican-American na si David Diaz.

Masaya ako dahil nakapagbigay din ako ng saya sa inyong lahat at tatlong beses ngayong taon na ito na tayong lahat at naging iisang bansa sa pagsigaw at pagpapangarap ng tagumpay.

Kahit minsan man lang, nagkabuklod-buklod ang pamilya, ang mga magkakaibigan, at kahit na ang mga magkakaaway. Sa isang pagkakataon, nawala ang traffic sa EDSA, tumigil ang putukan sa mga hanay ng kampo ng mga magkakasalungat na idolohiya. Pati ang krimen ay tumigil dahil halos lahat ay nanonood ng aking laban at halos lahat ay sabay-sabay nananalangin para sa ikapapanalo nating lahat bilang isang bansa, isang lipi, isang diwa.

Sa araw ng pasko, sana ay maunawaan ng lahat ang tunay na mensahe ng araw na ito, na ang pagsilang ni Kristo ay nagdudulot ng pag-asa, panibagong buhay at kaligtasan ng sanlibutan.

Alam kong naging mahirap din para sa pandaigdigang ekonomiya ang makabangon sa isang krisis kaya naman hindi natin maiiwasan na makaramdam ng kahirapan sa buhay. Hindi nangangahulugan na tayo ay dapat na malungkot dahil sa hirap ng buhay o sa kawalan ng mga biyaya. Mahalaga para sa atin na maintindihan ang kahalagahan ng araw na ito na dapat ay magdulot ng saya at pag-asa.

From my family to yours, may you have a Blessed Christmas.

Hanggang sa muling Kumbinasyon. God Bless Us All.

ngilngig bitaw nang mga tawo diha mukalit lang ug bonut ug pusil,

he he mao bitaw ato nalang atngan, Salamat gaw merry xmas sad uban and
imung pamilya.

By Doreen G. Yu

BOHOL is emerging as one of the country’s top tourist destinations. And with good reason.

Bohol was believed to have been settled in the 1200s by Lutaos of northern Mindanao, who built a community of stilts between mainland Bohol and Panglao island. The settlement was subsequently abandoned because of raids by Portuguese marauders.

Fast forward to 1565, when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came from Mexico â€" in the name of Spain â€" with four ships and about 400 men. With the help of his Malay pilot, Legazpi met with two local kings, Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc. He assured them that he was not Portuguese, and that he came in peace. Whatever he said and however he said it, Legazpi convinced the kings of his peaceful intentions, and confirmed this with the famous blood compact â€" first with Sikatuna on March 16 â€" or 25, there is some confusion â€" 1565, and three days later with Sigala. There is also some issue on the site of the compact; there is monument along the coastal highway, but some locals told us the ritual actually took place on board Legazpi’s ship.

At any rate, Boholanos commemorate the event with the Sandugo Festival, held in June and not March, for practical reasons â€" there are more visitors, especially balikbayans, in June, since it is summer in the Western hemisphere, and it is, after all, a big tourist draw.

Also a big tourist draw are the enigmatic Chocolate Hills â€" 1,268 of them, uniform in shape and size, now in the running as one of the New Seven Wonders of the natural World (you can still vote online until Dec. 31 at www.new7wonders.com). Geologists have not quite figured out how these hills â€" green in the rainy season, brown or chocolate in the dry â€" came to be, but locals will gladly oblige with the legend (two giants fighting threw stones at each other) or the romance (a giant fell in love with a mortal maiden, who died, and the hills are his tears).

The hills are outcroppings of limestone, since about half of the province is covered with it and other non-metallic minerals like silica and clay. It is an industry that the provincial government is encouraging investments in.

Agriculture is another major invetsment area, since 60 percent (or 256,000 hectares) of the province’s total land area is arable. Major crops are rice, coconut, corn, mango and the signature local product, ube kinampay, a purple yam.

Brandied about very liberally these days â€" sometimes inappropriately â€" eco-tourism truly can apply to Bohol, to include also cultural and heritage tourism.

BEA JR. first came to Bohol in 2002, after moving back to Manila from Spain following the death of her husband in a plane accident. She was working with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and visited the ancestral houses of Baclayon, the province’s oldest town located next to the capital Tagbilaran.

“I was amazed at how well the houses were kept. But as I interacted with the people of Baclayon and I saw their way of life, their arts and crafts, I realized that not only the ancestral houses of Baclayon were intact â€" it was the entire culture,” she says.

“And then I learned that there was a plan to demolish those houses to give way to the widening of a highway,” she continues. “I learned that the highway was being widened to encourage tourism in the province. But I thought that demolishing the houses was like getting rid of important tourist attractions. So I started talking to the residents and to the provincial government, convincing them not to demolish the ancestral houses. Talking to them worked; so the houses stayed, and a highway was built in a different location.”

Thus began an amazing partnership. Bea Jr., together with Joel Uichico and the Ayala Foundation, has embarked on community development projects in two towns â€" Baclayon the mainland, and Dauis on Panglao island.

The conversion of some of Baclayon’s ancestral homes into transient homestays, cafes and bed-and-breakfasts for tourists has further enabled the community to preserve their heritage structures and simultaneously generate income from tourism.

Furthermore, the introduction of diving and adventure tours as an alternative to unsustainable fishing has benefitted not only local fishermen but also the environment. The boats of Pamilacan island’s fisherfolk have been converted into tour and diving boats, boosting tourism and providing alternative livelihood to the community.

The fishermen have also been trained as guides â€" and spotters, some of the best â€" for dolphin and whale watching tours. Microfinance loans are available to convert fishing boats to tour and diving boats. A multi-purpose cooperative in Pamilacan provides assistance to micro-entrepreneurs to go into tourism-related ventures like catering and massage services, and souvenir making.

The municipality of Dauis in Panglao island boasts of historical sites and white sand beaches. The colonial church of Dauis was the center of Marian pilgrimages in Bohol and now doubles as tourist center with a heritage themed banquet hall, a museum, a modern heritage-inspired cafe, and a souvenir shop that proudly showcases the crafts and artistry of the locals of Dauis and neighboring towns. The municipality’s jewelry tradition is being revived. Exquisite tamborins, peinetas and other jewelry based on traditional designs show fine craftsmanship and detailing.

“The province has everything,” Bea Jr. enthuses. “Natural beauty, rich culture, and a resilient and joyful people. There is so much to be proud of in the Boholano culture and way of life, which also includes dance, food, handicrafts and rituals. I admire the fact that tradition is an important component of the Boholano identity. In Bohol, you don’t need to look far to see beauty. There is an abundance of beauty not only in the environment but also in the people.”

BACLAYON became a parish in 1717, and the church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion was built in 1721 by the Jesuits, the second oldest stone church in the country (the oldest is San Agustin in Intramuros, built in 1571). The pipe organ was installed in 1824, and together with other instruments acquired by the church, established the tradition of liturgical music that was highlighted by the Misa Baclayanon in 1827.

Though there are no records of who built the organ, it is believed that Fr. Diego Cera, who built the famed Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, had a part in the construction of the Baclayon organ, since he was “prior vocal” to the parish since 1821.

The organ was subsequently forgotten and fell into disrepair. Fortunately, on a visit to Bohol early this year, Bea Jr.‘s sister Patsy and her husband Alonso Halffter saw the sad state of the organ, and Alonso pledged to restore it. So it was dismantled and its parts sent to Las Piñas to be worked on by Diego Cera Organ builders led by Cealwyn Tagle.

After months of careful work, the Baclayon pipe organ once again made music last Dec. 6, played by distinguished conductor and composer Maestro Cristobal Halffter and his wife, acclaimed pianist Maria Manuela Caro.

It was a red letter day for the town of Baclayon and its lovely people â€" and all of Bohol. Crowds filled the church, the churchyard and the surrounding areas, where the concert was shown on video walls set up outside the church.

For Maestro and Señora Halffter, the journey from Spain was a long and tiring one, and the steps up to the organ loft a perilous climb. But the elderly couple, with their generosity of spirit and immense love of music, filled the church â€" indeed, all of Bohol â€" with the wonderful sounds of music.

Certainly, Maestro Halffter has played on instruments of far better tonal quality, but as he said, “It is important for me to be here.”

It is important too for the people of Baclayon and of Bohol, proud of their heritage, proud to share it with visitors from near and far. And we can only add,

merry xmas Belski ug malipayung bag ong tuig.

Unsa kaha ni! Advance happy new year to everyone.

Pagkasadya, great job Mikey.

Malipayung pasko sa tanang higala diri
kita kits pa guihapun puhon sa tuig 2009

God Bless All!

For a period of decades the U. S has been dominating the top list of super power in the globe, Russia was also on the list before but due to the fall of communism the United States reign, due to its slumping economy at present another great nation will likely to succeed, As mentioned China is considered as most likely to rise on top due to it's fastest economic growth not to mention to it's population which exceeded to more than 1 billion another bit is India, so the top contender all came from the asia.

kining kantaha paborito sad namo sa kan hi ayng panahun                                     

Kasaya Ning Takna - a


Kasadya ning takna-a
Dapit sa kahimayaan
Maoy among nakita ang
Tagbalay nga masanagon
Bulahan ug bulahan
Ang tagbalay nga giawitan
Awit nga halangdonon sa tanang Pasko
Magmalipayon!


Chorus: Repeat above then...

Bag-ong tuig
Bag-ong kinabuhi
Duyog sa atong mga pagbati
Atong awiton ug atong laylayon
Aron magmalipayon!

Thanks for sharing bai, nakasuroy sad ko aning lugara last month
kay duna mi guitagbo sa terminal sa bus in araneta, guapa na kaayo piro
less pa ang mga tawo.

tig sa bay

hala sigi Dong, palihug lang ug atiman aning subo nga kaagi sa papa ni
Pearball, do hope to hear feed back sooner, salamat kaajo.

(Update) BAGHDAD â€" The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush says he would do it again and that he was forced to write a letter of apology after being tortured in jail, the journalist's brother said Monday.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi's outburst during a Dec. 14 news conference with Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been repeatedly broadcast worldwide, making him a symbol for opponents of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. Thousands of Iraqis have rallied to demand his release.

The prime minister's office said last week that al-Zeidi had written a letter of apology and asked al-Maliki to recommend a pardon. But his brother, Uday al-Zeidi, told The Associated Press that the letter was written against the journalist's will.

"He told me that he has no regret because of what he did and that he would do it again," Uday al-Zeidi said by telephone.

He said he visited his brother in jail on Sunday and found him with a missing tooth and cigarette burns on his ears. Muntadhar al-Zeidi told his brother that jailers also doused the journalist with cold water while he was naked, Uday al-Zeidi said.

The investigating judge in the case has said that the journalist was beaten around the face and eyes when he was wrestled to the ground after throwing the shoes.

"The thing that makes you cry and laugh at the same time is that when the prime minister said that that my brother was not tortured and will not be tortured, he was under severe torture by security authorities," he said.

Iraqi authorities could not immediately be reached Monday for comment on Uday al-Zeidi's allegations.

The prime minister, meanwhile, claimed that al-Zeidi said in the letter that a known terrorist had induced him to throw the shoes.

"He revealed ... that a person provoked him to commit this act and that person is known to us for slitting throats," al-Maliki said, according to the prime minister's Web site. The alleged instigator was not named.

The premier also said that his government remains "committed to protecting the journalist in performing his professional duty" and guarantees him the right to practice his profession "on condition that he does not violate the dignity of others."

Neither Bush nor al-Maliki have sought charges, but investigating judge Dhia al-Kinani said last week he does not have the legal option to drop the case.

Al-Zeidi is expected to face charges of insulting a foreign leader, for which a conviction could bring two years' imprisonment. -

12/22/2008 | 06:19 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Corazon Aquino on Monday apologized to former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada for helping oust him in January, 2001.

Aquino, who was one of the rally leaders at the height of so-called EDSA 2 issued the apology to the former actor was later detained for six years and convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan.

“Nagulat naman ako sa iyo, Erap. Ang galing mo talagang mag-talumpati. I feel guilty tuloy," she told the crowd during the launching of the “Global Filipino" book of former Speaker Jose de Venecia, which was an authorized biography written by US journalist Brett Decker.

“Lahat naman tayo ay nagkakamali. Patawarin mo na lang ako," Aquino said.

Aquino, the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and a majority of Estrada’s cabinet men who deserted him and civil society were instrumental in his ouster.

The book-launching was attended by numerous political celebrities which also included former President Fidel Ramos.

Estrada, in his speech, recalled the time where he was “unceremoniously unseated" as President, saying that a group of elite businessmen and several “power-hungry" politicians succeeded in toppling him.

In Sept. 2007, the special division of the Sandiganbayan â€" two female justices of whom have been promoted to the Supreme Court â€" found Estrada guilty of plunder, a conviction that was largely based on bank documents and the testimony of his estranged buddy former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit" Singson.

A month later, however, President Arroyo granted him pardon. Estrada had been under house arrest since June 2001, when the charges were filed at the anti-graft court. He was under detention at his 15-hectare resort in Tanay, Rizal.

For his part, Estrada said that the Aquino apology vindicated him and that it was the greatest Christmas gift that he received this year.

“That was the best Christmas gift that I received this year, coming from the most trusted President of the country. I feel vindicated," Estrada said.

Aquino also lauded De Venecia for finally revealing all that he knows about the massive corruption in the Arroyo government.

She said De Venecia was very lucky because he has Gina as a wife.

“I could not say no to Gina when she asked me to come. You know Joe, you are very lucky because of Gina... Gina works all the time with you. I am here because I want to show to Joe my thanks that he is now joining us," Aquino said.

Aquino said the Filipino people should unite to save the country and bring it to progress.

“We must unite so that we will have leaders who will truly serve the people's interest," Aquino said.

Estrada said that he read De Venecia's book from cover to cover.

He said he salute De Venecia for finally revealing what he knows.

“Let this not only be a best seller, but let this have Part 2 because I always believed that JDV know many things about this administration and he has much stories to tell. I was with you with your proposed moral recovery. You an I can still make a difference because we are both man of conviction. The only difference between us is that I became a man of conviction because I was convicted," Estrada said. - GMANews.TV

Hi Pearlball what a sad experience to your papa didto sa Jagna, one time nipalit ko ug ticket diha but luckily wa pa kaayo'y tawo mao nga dali ra ang proceso piro kung during peak season ingun jud na ana ang systima padugayan maabtan ta ug siyam siyam una ka makakuha ug ticket, subo lang kaayo kay until now mao ra guihapon ang systima, piro ug mupalit ka ug kalamay pirting pas pasa manukli ang mga nagtinda , paging PPA Jagna usisaha sad ninyo oi!

Mao siguro ni guiingon nga greatest lapses sa mga politiko sa bohol kung wala nila gahini ug recognition si Dagohoy, He's the same with other heroes like bonifacio and
deserves to be treated the same.

Thanks to the late novelty singer Yoyoy Villame from Calape who created and popularized the song Dagohoy,  by that song alone Yoyoy was also an instrument
in bringing closer to the masses especially the Boholanos in spreading the life and struggle of Dagohoy. others claim that naa konuy anting anting si dagohoy kay mokalit lang daw ug kawagtang.

By DUNCAN LARCOMBE
Royal Correspondent

Published: Today

PRINCE Harry is planning a romantic New Year break with girlfriend Chelsy Davy in a £1,000-a-night beach hut.
The 24-year-old Royal and his sweetheart will spend nine days lapping up the sun on the paradise holiday island of Mauritius.
Harry hopes the trip will make up for last year when he saw in 2008 from his frontline foxhole in Afghanistan.

Idyllic ... resort where Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy will stay
Chelsy, 23 â€" trapped in Kenya last year during tribal violence â€" is also looking forward to a better New Year break.

Last night a source close to the couple said: “Harry will join the rest of the Royals at Sandringham for Christmas but head for Mauritius after that.

“He has had a very busy year and is looking forward to chilling out on the beach with Chelsy.”
Sources said the couple will be joined by the rest of Chelsy’s family, including brother Shaun and parents Charles and Barbara.

They have booked a five-star resort on the island.
Harry has booked the beachfront suite so he and Chelsy can see in the New Year in style.
He will be joined by his police protection officers, with the taxpayer paying their part of the bill.
The source added: “He’d love to visit the Davys in Zimbabwe.
“But that’s impossible due to the problems of the Mugabe government.”

Sir Jun wish you have more lucks and
happy birthday.

Maayo si Bush molihay pwidi sya ilaban kay pacman, perting katawa nako aning incidentiha, what a display of courage the Iraqi journalist possessed coz he wants to hurt the most powerfull man in the world, kaso lang priso sya for at least 7 years as to Iraqi
law.

By ROBIN PERRIE

Published: Today

THE bride looked stunning in a beautiful white gown on the day of her dreams.
She beamed for photos after tying the knot with a romeo who had romantically proposed on Valentine’s Day.

But the reception turned out to be anything but OK! for newlywed Morgan Medley.
Bloodied ... bride Morgan
She spent her wedding night in HOSPITAL after being attacked â€" by the Best Man.
Unconscious
Morgan, 52, said boozed-up Darrell Clarke, 26, punched her in the face during a row in a hotel car park.

She was knocked unconscious and her dress was left covered in blood.
Morgan said yesterday: “It was supposed to be the best day of my life. I ended up in casualty with a bloodied nose and two broken teeth.”
Trouble flared after she married her second husband lorry driver Shawn, 43, at the Carlton Park Hotel in Rotherham, South Yorks.

Morgan recalled: “The ceremony went without a hitch. But Darrell had started drinking at noon and we didn’t get married until 4pm. When we got to the speeches he was so drunk he was really slurred.

“By the end of the day he had drunk about a dozen cans of lager, wine, champagne, vodka and eight Tequila shots.
“I went outside with one of my friends and I was moaning about Darrell.
“He must have heard because next thing he came marching up to me, pushing his chest into me and shouting and yelling abuse.

“Before I could really do or say anything he had gone for me.
I can’t remember much else, but from what people say I slumped to the ground with blood all over my dress. I was unconscious for a few minutes and all hell broke loose around me.
“Two lads at another wedding got involved and were throwing punches at Darrell.
“Shawn and a friend of mine tried to break it all up and in no time the police and an ambulance were there.”

Court

The drama finally ended up in court yesterday as Clarke â€" the fiancé of Morgan’s daughter Samantha Hawkridge, 22 â€" was charged with actual bodily harm.

He pleaded guilty, but insisted that he had only pushed the bride.
Clarke, of Rotherham, was given a 12-month community order, 80 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £250 compensation by the town’s JPs.

After the case he said: “I feel distraught.” And he said of Morgan: “She’ll never get to see her grandson again.”
Ex-ad sales boss Morgan, of Milton Keynes, Bucks, admitted: “This has caused a huge split in the family.
“My daughter and Darrell are engaged now so she doesn’t speak to me. It’s a nightmare which is still continuing.”

r.perrie@the-sun.co.uk

Sis bulak thanks for posting, do hope Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita is in right gear
when he says that lives will get better here, rather than abroad.

Quote from: lindy on December 20, 2008, 01:45:27 AM
gaw, diri sa amoa nga temperature is minus 15 pagkakaron. this morning it claims one homeless person in downtown.

sus perting tugnawa na diay nang inyohang lugar gaw mokaging ta ug hinay atung lawas, are you in south america?

NEW DELHI (AFP) â€" An Indian woman has given birth to her first child at the age of 70 after receiving IVF treatment, newspapers reported her doctor as saying Monday.

Rajo Devi, who married 50 years ago, gave birth to a baby girl on November 28 after in vitro fertilisation, said Anurag Bishnoi, a doctor at the Hisar fertility centre in Haryana state.

"Rajo Devi and (her husband) Bala Ram approached the centre for treatment and the embryo transfer was done on April 19," he told the Hindustan Times. "Both the mother and child are in good health."

Bishnoi claimed Devi was the world's oldest mother.

Another 70-year-old Indian was reported to have given birth to twins via IVF in July this year, while a 66-year-old Spanish woman had twins in 2006.

Devi's husband, aged 72, had also wed his wife's sister after 10 years of his first marriage did not result in children. His second wife also failed to become pregnant.

It was not clear whose egg and sperm were used in the successful treatment.

"IVF has revolutionised the way we look at infertility," said Bishnoi. "Infertility is no longer a social taboo or a divine curse. It can be treated scientifically."

sus wa ba tawun tugnawa si santa claus didto 19 degrees
na raba ang temp diri sa pinas.

he he wa paman mutunga si Limbarak Haps!

Quote from: Happy on December 19, 2008, 03:31:25 AM
Mura man limborak hehe.

Welcome Limbarak!

he he may ong lang ug gamay Haps.

korek ka Mr. Alyman daghan pa na silang corrupt di lang makit an kay
gapahipi hipi lang.

It's nice to hear nga mga kaliwat ta ni Dagohoy.

surely and vice versa, it is the companionship that matter most.

By Delon Porcalla

The Catholic Church can blame the government for massive corruption in the country, but this in itself is a testament on how miserably it has failed to shepherd its flock, a senior lawmaker pointed out yesterday.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III said perceptions of the Philippines being the most corrupt in Asia and second most corrupt in the world only show that priests failed in their mission to lead people in the right direction.

“We were the only Catholic country in Asia for 400 years. Please ask the bishops why we are the most corrupt nation. That should answer everything,” he said. About 85 percent of the 85 million Filipinos are Catholics.

As far as Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante is concerned, corruption is not just limited to the government bureaucracy and some parts of the business sector because even religious entities such as the church and several other groups have the same problems.

The Baptist bishop-turned-lawmaker urged Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Angel Lagdameo, also the Archbishop of Jaro, Iloilo, to look in his own backyard first before pointing an accusing finger at anyone.

“That should be his (Lagdameo’s) first concern (address corruption and human right abuses in the Church). Anyway, the people he accuses of corruption and human rights abuses are also members of his church,” Abante pointed out.

“Every nation has its own human rights violations, our country has the history of it since time immemorial. Even the US is not spared from that. What we must do is to be vigilant and check the abuses or corruption both in the government and business sectors,” he said.

Abante is pastor and bishop of the Bible Believers League for Morality and Democracy.

Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, for his part, urged everyone to be “constructive rather than destructive in our efforts to improve our society.”

“We need to work together for economic progress to improve the plight of our poor brothers and sisters,” Daza said.

“The Philippines can shine during these times of global crisis by having more political stability and good governance to help our domestic businesses and encourage foreign companies and investors to come to the Philippines,” he said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the public should support Lagdameo’s position by making President Arroyo accountable on the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Archbishop Lagdameo has aptly stated the sense of shame and embarrassment that the Arroyo government must bear and which the people must denounce and call GMA to account for,” said the deputy minority leader, former spokesman for the left-wing National Democratic Front.

“Human rights is definitely an area where the country could use improvement, not only in the area of civil and political rights but also in the realm of economic and social rights,” Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said.

Updated December 18, 2008 12:00 AM 


Isang fetus na may gulang na 2 hanggang 3 buwan ang ka­muntik nang maapakan ng mga nagsimbang gabi, sa Quiapo, Maynila matapos iwan sa tabi ng isang basura­han, kahapon ng madaling-araw.

Sa ulat ni Det Denito Ca­bat­bat ng Manila Police District MPD)-Homicide Sec­tion, da­kong alas-4:30 ng madaling-araw nang madis­kubre ng isang parking boy ang isang kahon na kinala­lagyan ng fetus sa hara­pan ng Quiapo Church at Mer­cury Drugs, sa may panulukan ng Quezon Blvd. at R. Hidalgo St., Quiapo.

Ayon sa parking boy, na­pansin nito ang isang kahon sa tabi ng nasabing basura­han sa akalang may laman na pakikinabangan ay binuksan niya ito subalit tumambad sa kanya ang isang asul na panty ng babae na dito ibinalot ang fetus at inilagay din sa plastic bag. (Ludy Bermudo)

he he mao na ni, ning tubag nako ninyo ( sagot sa tagawug )

Quote from: Michael Ligalig on October 01, 2007, 03:50:49 PM


A sepia image.

--this Bohol picture is courtesy of justpedalhard of flickr.com

i missed this place.

Welcome aboard Ging More.

Dayun sa payag limbarak & enjoy your stay with us.

Incoming U. S pres Barack Obama deserves the title, wish him the best &
hopefully he can put back the U. S economy on the right direction.

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 12/17/2008 11:59 AM

He may be 80 years old but there's no stopping the King of Comedy Dolphy from continuing to bring joy to his millions of fans in the Philippines.

The country's King of Comedy Dolphy shared that 2008 has been very good to him and to his family.

In an interview, Dolphy said he considers 2008 as a milestone, not the least of which because he turned 80 this year.

He said he was thrilled to work with Comedy Prince Vic Sotto in the movie "Dobot Trobol" and was happy with the success of the Quizons' World Tour.

"Actually kararating ko lang. Nag-tour kami ng anak ko sa North America sa Canada, Lumalabas kami. Nag-e-entertain, masaya. Masaya na nagta-trabaho ka at kasama mo ang anak mo," the veteran comedian said.

Dolphy said he is now gearing up for the teleserye "Utoy" with Makisig Morales playing the lead role. He said the new TV series will be shown anytime next year.

Dolphy said that this Christmas, he’s only wishing for good health and good life for all the Filipinos.

"Ang wish ko lang ay gumanda ang buhay nating mga Filipino at sa buong mundo. Galing ako doon talagang matindi ang nangyayari sa Amerika, maraming nale-layoff may recession. Tayo nga may recession dito pero okay naman tayo," explains Dolphy.

He added: "Well sa mga kapamilya lalo na yung nasa ibang bansa maligayang pasko sa inyong lahat at huwag kayong malulungkot at kaya niyo ‘yan kung anumang recession ang mayroon kaya natin yan at matatag naman tayo. Sanay tayo sa hirap at matiisin."

This Christmas, Dolphy is planning to spend his time with his family here in the country.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank â€" After eight bleak years, Jesus' birthplace finally has a Christmas season to cheer about.

Hotels are booked solid through January, the central Manger Square is bustling with tourists, and Israeli and Palestinian forces are working to make things go smoothly.

Elias Al-Araj's 200-room hotel is fully booked for the season, and he plans to open a 100-room annex. He says he already has bookings through July.

"This year, business was great," he said.

Bethlehem's economic fortunes are closely tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tourism blossomed in the 1990s when peace hopes were alive, but was crushed by the outbreak of fighting in 2000. Christmas after Christmas, tourists were scared off by Palestinian violence and Israeli travel restrictions.

With calm gradually returning to the West Bank, Bethlehem has again become a magnet for Christmas pilgrims.

"It's a difference between heaven and earth," said entrepreneur Mike Kanawati, who is so optimistic he's opening a new restaurant near the Church of the Nativity.

Palestinian officials say 1.3 million tourists have visited the West Bank this year, nearly double last year's level. The total for 2008 could rise to 1.6 million. The tourism boom has created 12,000 new jobs, said Palestinian Information Minister Riad Malki.

Bethlehem's 19 hotels are fully booked through January, said Mayor Victor Batarseh. He said he expects 30,000 visitors on Christmas Eve alone, compared with 22,000 last year, with about 5,000 more expected during Orthodox rites in January.

Batarseh said he hopes the signs of recovery will persuade more Bethlehemites to stay in their town. In recent years, growing numbers, particularly Christians, have emigrated.

"Calm and an increase in tourism will create more job opportunities and encourage families to stay in the city," said Batarseh, who is Christian. Officials say 40 percent of the town's 32,000 residents are Christian, down from 90 percent in the 1950s. The rest are Muslim.

Christmas decorations are being put up, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a major player in the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Manger Square â€" the tree is a large cypress. Bands of yellow lights are strung across the main road at the entrance to Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is a typical West Bank town, with congested streets and noisy markets, very different from the biblical idyll visitors might imagine.

"It's fascinating to see the place I heard about all my life," said Michael Creasy, 30, a software engineer from San Francisco, after emerging from the Church of the Nativity that stands over Jesus' traditional birth grotto. He said he'd love to stay for Christmas, but has to get back to work.

The upbeat mood contrasts sharply with the dismal Muslim holiday season in the Gaza Strip. Because of an Israeli economic blockade imposed in response to repeated rocket attacks, the coastal strip is acutely short of sheep and cattle needed for the Muslim feast of the sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Bethlehem is being turned into a showcase for Palestinian security forces, who have been gradually expanding areas under their control in the once unruly West Bank.

Some 1,500 Palestinian police officers will be deployed in Bethlehem during the holiday.

They are trying to look reassuring, though the dozens of armed officers who recently stomped in unison across Manger Square might have scared some tourists.

Suleiman Emran, a security official, said officers are to greet the visitors with roses, candy and holiday greeting cards that include emergency phone numbers in case of trouble.

Israeli security officials say they are working with their Palestinian counterparts to ensure easy access to Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is ringed on three sides by a barrier which Israel says is meant to keep out Palestinian militants. A large gray wall separates the city from nearby Jerusalem, and tourists entering Bethlehem must pass through a military checkpoint with barbed wire and watchtowers.

Late last month, at a meeting of Palestinian military chiefs to discuss Christmas preparations, the Palestinians asked Israel to speed tourists through its army checkpoints and not carry out arrest raids in Bethlehem during the holidays, Emran said.

"We are afraid it would terrify the visitors," he said. - AP

Yup sir Layman, the strongest group in our society is the incumbent elected officials purya bujag sa mga good eggs they have all the resources not to mention their influence, mao nga lami kaayo ilang pagkabutang hayahay kaayo.

12/17/2008 | 06:32 PM

MANILA, Philippines â€" The world’s pound-for-pound king Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao on Wednesday shed tears upon hearing that God heard his prayers during a thanksgiving Mass held for his 30th birthday.

QTV’s Balitanghali’s JP Soriano reported that Pacquiao was unable to hold back his tears when the priest celebrating the Mass explained in his homily how Pacquiao’s victory made him cry.

“Pinipigilan kong maiyak. Naiyak ako kanina kasi totoo ‘yung mga sabi ng pari na hindi dahil sa magaling ako, nanalo ako hindi dahil sa masipag akong mag ensayo, nanalo ako dahil napakinggan ng mahal ng Panginoon yung dasal ko (I was trying to hold back my tears from falling. I cried because what the priest said was true. I did not win because I am a great fighter, not because I train hard. I won because God always listens to my prayer)," Pacquiao said after the Mass.

The prelate also thanked him for the honor he brought to the country.

The Mass was held at Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish in Pacquiao’s hometown in General Santos City. During the Mass, he was accompanied by his mother - Aling Dionisia - and his supporters and well-wishers.

Right after the Mass, Pacquiao proceeded to Malungon, Sarangani to join his relatives and friends for lunch.

The report also said that it was "all systems" go for the grand birthday celebration Pacquiao.

The party would be held Wednesday evening at the convention center of KCC Mall â€" the largest in General Santos City.

About 1,500 people including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Top Rank Promotions chief executive officer Bob Arum are expected to attend his “strictly invitational" Las Vegas themed birthday bash.

Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach and his defeated opponents Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz were also reportedly attending the celebration.

The Filipino boxing icon recently routed Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya in their much-touted "Dream Match" in Las Vegas last December 6. Dela Hoya was reportedly invited to the birthday party but could not make it. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV

naa may magic ang mga taga gobyerno mao nga lisud dakpun.

BAGHDAD: President George W. Bush's valedictory visit to Iraq will probably be remembered for the unscripted moment when an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at Bush's head and denounced him on live television as a "dog" who had delivered death and sorrow here from nearly six years of war.

The drama unfolded shortly after Bush appeared Sunday at a news conference in Baghdad with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to highlight the newly adopted security agreement between the United States and Iraq.

That agreement includes a commitment to withdraw all American forces by the end of 2011.

The Iraqi journalist, Muntader al-Zaidi, 28, a correspondent for Al Baghdadia, an independent Iraqi station, stood up about 3.5 meters, about 12 feet, from Bush and shouted in Arabic: "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!" He then threw a shoe at Bush, who ducked and narrowly avoided it.

As stunned security agents and guards, officials and journalists watched, Zaidi then threw his other shoe, shouting in Arabic, "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!" That shoe also narrowly missed Bush as Maliki stuck a hand in front of the president's face to help shield him.

Chaos immediately ensued as a scrum of Maliki's security agents jumped on the man, wrestled him to the floor and hustled him out of the ornate room where the news conference was taking place. They kicked him and beat him until "he was crying like a woman," said Mohammed Taher, a reporter for Afaq, a station owned by the Dawa Party, which is led by Maliki. Zaidi was then detained on unspecified charges.

Other Iraqi journalists in the front row of the news conference publicly apologized to Bush, who was uninjured and tried to brush off the incident by making a joke. "All I can report is it is a size 10," he said, continuing to take a few questions and noting the apologies.

He also called the incident a sign of democracy in Iraq, saying, "That's what people do in a free society, draw attention to themselves," as the man's screaming could be heard outside.

But the moment clearly unnerved the aides of Maliki and some of the Americans in Bush's entourage, partly because it was televised and may have revealed a security lapse in the so-called Green Zone, the most heavily secured part of Baghdad.

Dana Perino, the White press secretary, was visibly distraught, and NBC News reported that she had been struck in the face by a microphone in the chaos.

Bush visited Iraq as part of an unannounced trip that later took him to Afghanistan, where he was meeting Monday with U.S. troops and President Hamid Karzai.

The shoe-throwing incident also punctuated Bush's visit - his fourth - in a deeply symbolic way, reflecting the conflicted views in Iraq of a man who had toppled Saddam Hussein, ordered the occupation of the country and brought it the kind of freedoms unthinkable under Saddam's rule but at enormous costs.

Hitting someone with a shoe is considered the supreme insult in Iraq. It means that the target is even lower than the shoe, which is always on the ground and dirty. Crowds of people hurled their shoes at the giant statue of Saddam that once stood in Firdos Square in Baghdad before helping U.S. Marines to pull it down April 9, 2003, the day the capital fell. More recently, a far bigger crowd made up of Iraqis who had opposed the security agreement did the same with an effigy of Bush in the same square, flinging their shoes at it before burning it.

Zaidi's motivations in carrying out a potentially career-ending act were unclear, but friends described him as a devoted journalist.

"He was committed to his job and after training in Lebanon became chief of correspondents about a month ago," said Haider Nassar, who worked with him at Baghdadia.

"He had bad feelings about the coalition forces," said Nassar, referring to the U.S.-led foreign military forces in Iraq. Nassar also said Zaidi had asked to cover the news conference, since he was the chief correspondent. Another friend said Zaidi often ended his reports by saying "Reporting from occupied Baghdad, this is Muntader al-Zaidi."

Like many Iraqi reporters at the news conference, Nassar said he did not think this was an effective way for Zaidi to make his points. "This is so silly; it's just the behavior of an individual. He destroyed his future," he said.

 Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:26:00 12/15/2008
Filed Under: Migration, Labor, Government


Close this TAIPEI, Taiwanâ€"The number of Filipinos who were laid off from the Taiwanese export industry, which is reeling from the global recession, has risen to around 2,000, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) here said.

Antonio Basilio, Meco managing director and resident representative, said his office recently processed documents from around 800 Filipinos who were fired from their jobs in 49 firms in the manufacturing and export sectors.

Last month, 1,263 Filipinos were rendered jobless in Taiwan and were sent back home to Manila, according to Meco.

There are about 90,000 OFWs in Taiwan. Some 60,000 work in the manufacturing sector, while 23,000 are in household services. The rest are employed in the agricultural and fisheries sectors.

With 90 percent of its products from the electronics and semiconductor sectors exported to the United States and Europe, Taiwan is one of the countries in Asia severely hit by the global economic slump.

Workers, most of them foreigners, have felt the effects of the recession as Taiwanese factories and plants either cut back on working hours or shut down because of the reduced demand from traditional markets.

Rodolfo Sabulao, Meco director for labor affairs, said Filipino workers in the electronics and garment sectors were the most vulnerable.

However, workers from the Philippines and other countries are not as vulnerable as their Taiwanese counterparts, who demand higher pay, he said.

“If worst comes to worst, the Taiwanese are the first to be let go. So far, there are 149,000 Taiwanese who have been laid off,” Sabulao said.

Furthermore, hiring continues to outpace the number of retrenched workers, according to Meco.

In November alone, more than 1,700 Filipinos were hired by Taiwanese firms, Sabulao said.

As of the first quarter of 2008, Basilio said job orders from Taiwan grew 26 percent, exceeding the labor department’s target of 10 percent. But the state of the world economy has since worsened.

Compared with OFWs in the export industry, Filipinos who work as domestic workers and caregivers are “insulated” from the recession so far, according to Sabulao.

As long as both parents of a nuclear family are employed, OFWs will retain their jobs, he said. “So far, we don’t have displacement [domestic workers and caregivers] here.”

By Aquiles Zonio
Mindanao Bureau
First Posted 18:05:00 12/15/2008
Filed Under: Pacquiao, Boxing


Close this GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippinesâ€"Local officials, fans and residents here excitedly await what may be the most spectacular birthday bash for boxing icon Manny Pacquiao which will be held at two venues here Wednesday night.

"We're fully-booked. A lot of Manny Pacquiao's invited guests and close friends are coming over," Romeo Bartolome, owner of the East Asia Royale Hotel here, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

Bartolome said this will be a big celebration for the city as national government officials and showbiz personalities are expected to attend in the birthday fete of the world boxing superstar.

In a radio interview, Michael Bren Evangelio, one of Pacquiao’s aides, revealed that around 300 VIPs and showbiz stars are expected to arrive. They include President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other national officials, top brass from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, showbiz and musical entertainers, as well as boxing personalities like David Diaz, Edwin Valero and Marco Antonio Barrera.

Evangelio said the three boxing stars have already confirmed their attendance, and that Pacquiao will shoulder the fare and hotel accommodation of the three boxers, VIPS and some of his close friends.

He disclosed that his boss had prepared a budget of around P1 million for his 30th birthday celebration.

Pacquiao's aide could not yet give the names of showbiz personalities and music artists who will perform during the affair.

Security measures had already been tightened in the city in preparation for such celebration.

Evangelio said elements from the Presidential Security Group had already inspected the KCC Mall to ensure the safety and security of the President.

There will be two venues for Pacquiao's birthday bashâ€"one is for 1,800 to 2000 guests and visitors at the KCC Convention Center and the other is at the Oval Plaza Grandstand for Pacquiao's fans and supporters.

The KCC affair, which is strictly formal, will start 6 p.m. simultaneously with the Oval Plaza.

Twenty-five roasted pigs and six roasted cows will be prepared for the KCC party. Pacquiao has directed his staff to prepare 5,000 to 6,000 packed meals for those attending the revelry at the Oval Plaza.

Pacquiao will make an appearance at the Oval Plaza Grandstand before proceeding to the KCC Convention Center where he will be spending the rest of his time, sources said.

Invited musical artists will perform both at the Oval Plaza and KCC Convention Center.

Before the celebrations in this city, Pacquiao will be at the Malungon town in Sarangani Province to attend the birthday party tendered by his close friend and political adviser mayor Reynaldo Constantino.

Other activities lined up to make his birthday the grandest ever included shooting competition, an amateur boxing tournament and international dart competition.

About 500 darters, coming from both local and abroad, joined in the tournament. Players from as far as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and London, England arrived here to participate. The competition started Saturday evening with P2 million cash prize up for grabs.

Meanwhile, around 200 people have started to queue outside Pacquiao's mansion here hoping to partake a little of the boxing champ's fortune.

Thanks for fyi admin.

ngil ngiga ani Belskie oi!

What knew in muslim community ok lang sa kanila bisan lima ang
asawa provided that the husband can support his mistresses but i'm not sure
kung happy ang mga babae, for sure the secret to happy marriage is honesty.

wehhh kataw unon ko dah!

he he bitaw tungud sa mga kakuli an nga di kalikayan mao nga daghan ko
ug absent, but i have my new year resolution for the coming year
to active in TB again.

Korek unya iwas pa sa hyper, Hase diri nako permi sa
tb nag estambay ha, present na ko permi kay hapit na ang
new year.

Gulay nalang ug isda Hase para way dilikado layo pa sa
virus.

MANILA, Philippines - Aspiring overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Rodel thought that paying P120,000 to a recruiter offering direct hiring is a surefire way to be deployed abroad. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Rodel was one of the three Filipinos recently rescued from illegal recruiters by the Task Force against Illegal Recruiters headed by Vice President Noli de Castro.

As such, De Castro on Saturday warned aspiring OFWs through his radio program not to believe in recruiters offering direct hiring.

"’Wag kayo maniniwala sa direct hiring, kailangan dumaan pa rin sa Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) para ma-check ninyo. Walang mag direct-direct hiring, kalokohan ‘yun (Don't believe in direct hiring, you still need to pass through the POEA so that you can check. There's no direct hiring, that's not true)," he said.

The task force reportedly conducted an entrapment operation on Friday at the Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Clark, Pampanga to catch the illegal recruiters known as Cristina Delos Santos and Flor Corpuz Jinez, both residents of Pangasinan.

"Ang sabi nila direct hiring sila at may contact sila sa Dubai and then marami na rin daw silang napaalis (They said they hire directly and that they have a contact in Dubai and they have already deployed many workers abroad)," a task force personnel reported in De Castro’s program.

Based on the statements of the victims, the unscrupulous recruiters asked different amounts from the OFW hopefuls, ranging from P10,000 to P120,000, depending on the job applied for.

Rodel said that he got that money from his sister who is currently residing in the United States, with the hope that he would be able to work in a hotel overseas with a promised pay of P25,000 a month.

"Sabi daw niya aalis ako. "Di (ko) naman (naisip na niloloko na ako) (The recruiter said that I would be able to go abroad. I didn't think he was fooling me)," he told De Castro during the radio show.

He said it only dawned on him that the recruiter was not telling them the truth when he found out that he was given a fake visa.

A companion of Rodel said he refused to pay the P50,000 that was being asked from him until Rodel got to leave the country.

"Ang hinihingi niya po sa akin P50,000 kasama na ho lahat-lahat yun. Ang sabi ko sa kanya, kailangan muna mauna siya umalis (ung isa) (They were asking P50,000 for everything. I told them that Rodel should be able to leave first)," he said during the radio program.

After that, he questioned why the recruiters had them go back and forth from the airport, knowing that Rodel was given just a photocopied visa.

"(Pero) pinagbigyan pa namin siya ng isang pagkakataon, sabi niya bukas darating yung original, alam ninyo naman palang hindi pwede xerox copy, bakit pa kami pinapunta dito? (But we gave them another chance, they said that the original document will be given the day after but even though they knew that the photocopied copy won't work, they still sent us to the airport)," he said.

He said that he was actually hoping that the photocopied document would do, something that De Castro said would be worse.

"Mabuti na yung ganyan, napigil kayo nung task force na makalabas. Eh pano kung nakalabas ang mga ito, nakalusot ang peke mong passport, visa, eh patay ka na (It's good that the task force was able to stop you from leaving the country. What would happen if you left with a fake passport or visa, you're dead)," said the vice president.

Fortunately for Rhodelyn, the third of the OFW hopefuls, she was also not able pay the P10,000 that was being asked from her. She, on the other hand, was reportedly promised a pay of $200 or about P10,000 a month in the Middle East.

"Pero kahit wala kang trabaho kung P10,000 ang pinangako sayo sa Dubai, at domestic helper, hindi ganun kadali ang trabaho ng domestic helper at sa P10,000 delikado ka pa, baka umabot pa ng P5,000 lang yan, eh kung P5,000 ‘yan dito ka na lang, maghanap ka na lang ng trabaho," De Castro told her.

Moreover, he said that he doesn't know whether to pity or be irritated at them for not confirming with the POEA first.

"Next time alam na ninyo sino ang nanloloko. Matuto kayo ha (Next time you'll know if you're being fooled. Learn from this)," he said.

Meanwhile, the task force reported that they also recently caught a Singaporean national named Patricia Ling-Ling Khor who attempted to bring three Filipinas into her country through the use of tourist visas to allegedly work in her boutique, even though she actually worked in a club.

"Ang daming biktima ng ganyan sa Sinagpore, buti sana kung sa club ka lang talaga dalin, pano kung dalin sila sa prostitution den? (So many become victims of that in Singapore, at least they would be brought to a club, but what would happen if they were brought to a prostitution den?" said De Castro.

As such, he reminded all those victims of illegal recruitment to ask the concerned government agencies for help. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

Mao nga lami kaayo ang kinabuhi sa mga politico sa pinas
walang kapagud pagud damo kwarta.

ehem, let's give him a fair chance, age is not a factor when it comes
to learning.

By Gemma Bagayaua, abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak | 12/11/2008 4:47 PM

Critics preparing next year’s impeachment complaint against Pres. Arroyo may want to consider this: the administration spent over P36 billion in 2007, well above the sum approved by Congress for that year. This amount excludes funds they were not able to release in agency budgets including those transferred to over-all savings.

This is the finding in a budget study conducted by the International Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Excellence in Government (INCITEGov), a group of former senior Arroyo government officials who are critical of the administration. Former Arroyo budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin led the study.

The group examined sums spent and allocated by the national government in 2007 using the 2009 National Expenditure Program (NEP, the budget proposal the president sends Congress annually) as key reference.

What enabled the government to exceed its budget limits, according to Boncodin, is the fact that the budget for 2007 was approved lateâ€"after the fiscal year has already started. This gave the administration the power to reenact portions of the 2006 budget to finance government expenditures from January to March 2007.

When the 2007 budget was finally approved, however, the administration also used up the entire year’s appropriations, in addition to the reenacted portion of the 2006 budget that it used in the first quarter.

The 2009 NEP, for instance, showed that in 2007, the defense department’s Office of the Secretary (DND - OSec) was allowed to reenact practically its entire 2006 budget (around P592 million).

New General Appropriations for the DND â€" Osec in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2007 (RA 9401) was only P576 million. But the reenactment of the 2006 budget allowed its available appropriations for 2007 to balloon to P1.286 billion. Of this amount, the DND â€" Osec spent P985 millionâ€"well in excess of the budget Congress authorized it to spend for that year.

Without the reenacted budget, the total available appropriations for the unit should have only been around P694 million. This already includes other appropriation sources made available to the unit for that year. In fact, for 2009, the total proposed obligations for the DND-Osec is only P532 million, according to the NEP.

This is true across almost all of the departments, Boncodin said. In some cases, departments even reenacted more than the equivalent of a quarter of the 2006 budget. "This is untenable," she said.

The Constitution provides that in cases when Congress fails to pass a budget law, the budget for the previous year is automatically reenacted. This practice, however, is a wrong interpretation of the constitutional mandate, according to Boncodin.

Since Congress eventually approved RA 9401 (2007 budget), the administration should have used it to determine spending limits. To avoid exceeding its authorized budget, the administration should have considered the re-enacted portion of 2006 budget as “advances” on the 2007 budget. This meant the amount spent for the first quarter of the year should have been deducted from the sum government agencies were allowed to spend for the entire year.

Budget authority given by Congress under the GAA, Boncodin pointed out, is good for one fiscal year. “A fiscal year is supposed to be 12 months. You cannot use the entire budget given for 2007 in just 9 months.”

To prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Boncodin advised Congress to add a new provision in the budget law that prohibits the adding of reenacted appropriations to the current appropriations as this violates the one-fiscal-year concept of the general appropriations law.

Alternatively, Congress should pass a resolution in the event of failure to enact new appropriations.

Moreover, Boncodin said, Congress should make it a point to always approve a new budget on time, before the beginning of the fiscal year. “If the president fails to submit a budget (30 days after the State of the Nation Address), it can be a ground for impeachment,” she pointed out.

If the Constitution puts that much stress on the executive’s responsibility to submit a budget proposal on time, Congress should take it upon itself to give as much importance to approving the budget on time as well.

tsk tsk maayo kay way na grabe.

PRINCE Harry dreams of “riding the dragon” in the Army’s devastating helicopter gunship.
He aims to take to the skies in our toughest war machine so that he can make a dramatic return to action on the front line.

The Prince is in the process of trying to qualify for training as a pilot of an Apache attack helicopter.

Chopper facts ... Harry's dream

He has accepted that his high-profile presence on the ground makes him a bomb magnet. But by switching to the air he would be free to serve his country without any added risk of attack to his comrades.

Harry has been desperate to find a way to fight since facing up to the frustration of being forced to pull out of Afghanistan early in March.

Last night Clarence House confirmed the 24-year-old officer has already passed the first stages of the tough Army Air Corps selection process.

Next month he will begin a four-week “grading” at the regiment’s base in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

If he passes that stage, Lieutenant Wales â€" as Harry is known â€" will spend two-and-a-half years learning to fly in combat zones.

Once fully qualified, he would be free for deployment all over the world â€" playing a pivotal role in the Army’s vital air support division.

Quote from: slackware on December 11, 2008, 04:29:47 PM
b***t ba ni si ricky martin?

he he basin Slacks.

Meet Matteo and Valentino Martin!

Born via surrogate in early August, Ricky Martin's 4-month-old twin boys make their debut in this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

A joyful Martin, 36, spoke candidly with PEOPLE at home in Puerto Rico about his desire to be a parent, the decision to seek the help of a surrogate, and juggling caring for twins -- he has no nanny!

Describe this time in your life.
"I'm so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life."

How hands-on are you as a father?
"I don't have a nanny. I'm doing this on my own because I don't want to miss a moment. I have a personal assistant who helps me, someone who takes care of me while I'm taking care of them, but I'm the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep. For any parent, the first couple of months tend to get a little bit intense."

Why did you choose to become a parent via surrogate?
"Adoption was one option, but it's complicated and can take a long time. Surrogacy was an intriguing and faster option. I thought, 'I'm going to jump into this with no fear.'"

Tell us about Valentino's and Matteo's personalities.
"Valentino loves to sleep. I call him 'Mr. Peace and Love' because he's so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active. He was up at 3 a.m. the other night and just hanging!"

What is your philosophy on raising your sons?
"I love to read books to my sons and tell them stories. I play music for them so they develop their own personalities. I want to give them information and raise them with honesty and love, and give them self-esteem and a lot of acceptance."

Well done Mike, do agree also the idea of Grace that TB logo on top is nakaka mis and of course it is our indentity.

MANILA, Philippines - Additional expansion of SM City North Edsa makes it the world’s third-largest shopping mall, the Philippines’ largest mall operator said.

The soft opening of The Annexâ€"which adds 90,000 square meters of gross floor area (GFA) to the flagship mallâ€"expands SM City North Edsa’s GFA to 425,000 square meters, SM Prime Holdings Inc. said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Besides providing direct and indirect employment to 3,000 workers, The Annex also consists of six floors and a basement, 70 percent of which has already been awarded to various tenants.

“Its major tenants include Savemore Supermarket, Ace Hardware and an SM Cyberzone. Other mall tenants include fashion retailer Charles & Keith, watch and jewelry shop Chronos, infant store Baby & Company, and electronic shops Power Mac Center, Sony VAIO, HTC, and Belkin, among many others," the company said.

SM North Edsa is the only mall of SM Prime where the three food retail formats, Savemore Supermarket in The Annex, SM Supermarket in the Main Building and the SM Hypermarket in The Block, are all located in one complex.

In 2009, SM North EDSA also looks forward to opening the Skygarden, which offers another exciting and environmental element to the Mall complex, the company said.

SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and SM City Cebu rank as the fourth, seventh, and eleventh-largest malls in the world, the company said.

Including SM City North Edsa, all these malls have occupancy rates of over 95 percent. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines â€" Former singer Didith Reyes (Helen Sta. Maria in real life) was found dead early Wednesday morning, three days after she claimed that she was sideswiped by a vehicle prompting a police investigation into her death.

In an interview over dzBB, PNP Region 4-A head Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla said he has directed the police in Laguna to probe the circumstances surrounding Reyes’ death to ascertain the cause.

"Kaninang 5 a.m. natagpuan siyang patay, ni-report sa barangay captain (She was found dead at 5 a.m., and residents reported it to village officials)," Padilla said.

“I directed already the provincial director and the provincial police…to determine the cause ng kanyang pagkamatay (I already directed the provincial police and its director to determine the cause of her death)," he added.

Citing initial reports reaching him, he said Reyes went to the house of a friend, Girlie Antolin, three days earlier in Sto. Domingo village in Biñan, Laguna.

Padilla said Reyes at the time had bruises in the body, and claimed she had been sideswiped. But at the time she said the injuries were not serious.

He said Reyes allegedly weakened Tuesday night and was found dead before dawn Wednesday.

Reyes is known for her song “Araw-Araw, Gabi-Gabi." Her contemporaries include Claire dela Fuente and Imelda Papin.

In a separate interview on dzBB radio, dela Fuente said Reyes had been suffering from depression.

"To be called a has-been is a traumatic experience for someone who used to be hailed as a diva," dela Fuente said in Filipino.

"We wanted to help her (but) she was so restless and then umiinom and she was drinking," dela Fuente said, referring to efforts to revive Reyes' career. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV

Love this one.

Quote from: ms da binsi on December 10, 2008, 11:20:32 PM
I really didnt believe that Jesus was born in December... look at the pictures guys! Look at what they are wearing? and the sorroundings?

Do you think they could survived the cold with just linen and even the baby without thermal wear? Honestly not only that there are many proofs...

But you know what? who knows if Jesus was born in Somalia!

For me December is just for fun, thats all.

It is fun isnt it?

Correct ka Belskie, musta na oi nasakpan baya ko ninyo ni Haze sa fs. he he.

Nice move for Manny, you still have at least two more good years in boxing and millions of dollars to earn.

With the above revelation it is not surprising to know that in the near future xmas celebration will be move to another dates, unsa kahay reaksyon sa simbahang catoliko.

LOS ANGELES â€" A program to exchange guns for gifts brought in a record number of weapons this year as residents hit hard by the economy look under the bed and in closets to find items to trade for groceries.

The annual Gifts for Guns program ended Sunday in Compton, a working class city south of Los Angeles that has long struggled with gun and gang violence. In a program similar to ones in New York and San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores.

Turning in assault rifles yields double that amount.

In years past, Target and Best Buy were the cards of choice, with residents wanting presents for the holidays.

This year, most asked for the supermarket cards, said sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods.

"People just don't have the money to buy the food these days," he said.

Deputies were counting the weapons collected and expected to gather about 1,000. Authorities said 590 guns and two hand grenades were handed in during the last weekend in November, more than the total collected in any year and eclipsing last year's 387 guns.

Compton's violent history has been chronicled in such gangsta rap albums as N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton." But Woods said most of the residents who turned in weapons were "family people."

"One guy said he had just got laid off from his job," Woods said. "He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family's table."

Gun owners dropped their weapons off at a local grocery store parking lot. Deputies checked the weapons to see whether they had been used in crimes, then destroyed them.

The annual drive started in 2005 after a spike in killings, though the murder rate has since dropped.

One man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine.

"If that got into the wrong hands of gangbangers, they could kill several people within minutes," Woods said. "Our biggest fear is a house getting burglarized and these guns getting taken."

Gift cards for the guns exchange were paid mostly by Los Angeles County, but the three companies involved and the city of Compton, which contracts the county for police protection, also donated funds. - AP   

Sis Bulak greetings back here in pinas, Happy birthday & wish you more lucks and happy years ahead.

Yep Grace 11 M dollars daw as reported for Manny piro modako pa ni kay wa pa maapil ang kita nya sa revenue in pay per view,  Oscar recieved much bigger purse  as in doble coz he's the attraction in boxing today and of course hes the promoter of the fight , but the way it ended last night when the golden boy of the olden years was beaten badly by PACMAN there's no question at all that Manny is the hottest commodity in the sport.

inuman na Happy birthday Mr. Fdaray!

Quote from: grazie7y on December 08, 2008, 12:59:12 PM
you are welcome, calle. 

TB Sportsman Boyet aka Brownman , tama ba ning akong gi yawyaw?

Bitaw oi Grace, tinuod man nang imung guisulti, low profile lang guihapun si Manny
same with Oscar pariho silang milyunes ang guikita gahapun..

LAS VEGAS â€" Manny Pacquiao proved that old boxing adage that speed kills by baffling, bewildering and ultimately battering Oscar De La Hoya to a punishing and humiliating eighth-round technical knockout Saturday night.

But it was more than Pacquiao’s blinding hand speed that upset the odds and gave the Filipino icon the biggest victory of his career â€" or the career of any other Asian fighter in history. Pacquiao dominated De La Hoya with speed, skill, technique and strategy.

Pacquiao’s longtime trainer, Freddie Roach, had a carefully laid-out plan for his star fighter to follow and the explosive southpaw executed it to a tee.

“The gameplan was perfect,” Roach said at the post-fight news conference. “That’s how we trained in the gym. That’s why we got four big, tall sparring partners for Manny to work on taking away their lefts.

“We knew that once we did that to De La Hoya, the fight was over.”

Roach and Pacquiao worked on dozens of punch-slipping maneuvers and counter-punch moves all designed at nullifying De La Hoya’s jab.

By the end of the second round of Saturday’s fight, Pacquiao said he knew the plan was working, but in following his trainer’s strategy, he wisely held back from pressing the attack until the later rounds.

“Speed was the key,” Pacquiao said. “I was able to connect with my punches, but I was not confident (to attack yet) because maybe (De La Hoya was) looking for one shot.”

Consensus going into Saturday’s bout was that De La Hoya, a 2-to-1 favorite by fight time, only needed one punch to end the fight.

However, the former six-division titlist never landed a clean power shot that affected Pacquiao, who circled to his right and made good use of side-to-side head movement just outside of De La Hoya’s reach and never gave him the opportunity to get off or gain any momentum.

Most fans and members of the boxing media believed that Pacquiao would simply try to overwhelm the older, slower fighter with his speed and activity, but that wasn’t Roach’s plan.

In every mitt workout and sparring session of their training camp, Pacquiao was instructed to gradually increase his punch output, round by round. Pacquiao wasn’t allowed to advance forward until after the sixth round, when Roach was confident that De La Hoya would be exhausted and discouraged from missing with his big punches while catching hard, accurate shots in return.

Only during the second half of Pacquiao’s 12-round mitt and sparring sessions would Roach command his fighter to go to the body with regularity and put together the three- and four-punch combinations that Pacquiao is known for.

By that point in the fight, Roach believed that even if De La Hoya were able to land the perfect punch, he would no longer have power to hurt Pacquiao, because his fighter would have beaten the strength out of him.

One doesn’t have to look at CompuBox stats, which revealed that Pacquiao landed 141 more punches than De La Hoya, to know that Roach was correct. A look at De La Hoya’s bruised, lumpy face and swollen left eye told that story better than a punch count.

“This victory was no surprise,” Roach said. “I knew from round one we had him. He had no legs, he was hesitant; he was shot. My guy was just too fresh for him.”

Pacquiao was also too smart for De La Hoya.

In the first two rounds of the bout, Pacquiao’s accurate straight left was enough to soundly win the rounds. Pacquiao “touched” De La Hoya’s face with his left with regularity and seeming impunity, but he wisely refrained from over-committing to his money punch.

Pacquiao mixed in a few right hooks off of De La Hoya’s jab after blocking the Golden Boy’s best punch. He lured De La Hoya forward and into uppercuts, but he never got carried away with his offense. De La Hoya, who tried to time Pacquiao with right hands in the third round, was still dangerous.

However, by the end of the fourth, De La Hoya’s face was reddened and riddled with anxiety from his inability to land a punch while being lured into double lead lefts.

“I was connecting with everything, he was connecting with nothing,” Pacquiao said of these rounds.

Pacquiao was not only the busier fighter, but the more accurate and effective puncher. De La Hoya remained game, stalking Pacquiao behind a high guard, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t let his hands go. He was absolutely at the mercy of his ultra-fast tormentor and Pacquiao was only getting started with phase two of Roach’s plan.

In the fourth and fifth rounds, Pacquiao wasn’t just landing punches, he was hurting De La Hoya with head-snapping two-punch combinations. However, he still did most of his damage from the outside and only charged De La Hoya in spots.

A right-to-the-body-hook-to-the-head combination from De La Hoya gave the fighter and his fans a glimmer of hope in the fifth round, but he was hunched over by retaliatory body shots from Pacquiao before the end of the round. These punches would be the first of many torso-crunching body shots from Pacquiao in the final rounds of the bout.

Roach believed attacking De La Hoya’s mid-section was the best chance of his fighter stopping the veteran boxer who has always exhibited a solid chin and underrated toughness. After the sixth round, it was time to put that theory into play.

Pacquiao switched gears and applied pressure in the seventh round, perhaps the most one-sided round De La Hoya has suffered in his 16-year career. De La Hoya was forced back into his own corner where the Filipino icon tortured him with well-placed body punches and power shots from all angles. Although De La Hoya was not knocked down, the seventh round was scored 10-8 for Pacquiao by all three official judges.

The eighth round was more of the same.

De La Hoya’s head trainer, Nacho Beristain, probably made a mistake in having the 35-year-old fighter train for weeks at the welterweight limit instead of gradually coming down to 147 pounds, but the respected Mexican coach made the right call by stopping the fight before the start of the ninth round.

In the final three rounds of the bout, a drained-looking De La Hoya, who weighed in at 145 pounds, his lowest weight in 11 years, had become what Roach had called him during the pre-fight buildup â€" a spent bullet.

Pacquiao, who landed 59-percent of the 333 power punches he threw, had a 91 to 21 edge in connects over the last three rounds of the bout, according to CompuBox.

“No hard feelings,” De La Hoya told Roach immediately after the fight. “I’m OK. I just don’t have it anymore.”

De La Hoya, who skipped the post-fight press conference to go directly to the hospital for precautionary measures, said he wasn’t surprised at the bout’s outcome.

“I’m not shocked because at this stage (of a fighter’s career) when you face someone like Pacquiao, you know it’s going to be a hard fight,” he said before leaving the ring. “My style is to go forward and he was boxing on his toes.”

His underrated boxing skill was as much of a factor in Pacquiao’s victory as much as his speed was. The degree of patience and poise Pacquiao exhibited surprised most ringside observers, but not Roach or the fighter.

“The only thing that surprised me was that my trainer predicted the round (I stopped De La Hoya),” he said.

The fight is totally a mis match as Oscar finds no answer to Manny's assualt, It is almost true that Manny is like Henry Amstrong the great champion in 1930's. Congrats PACMAN you taught Oscar a boxing lesson.