MikeLigalig.com

envy?

sotto could have just fired his speech writer and then issued an apology and claimed responsibility for the so-called "lapse of judgement" (if i may borrow gloria arroyo's excuse of cheating in the election). he has to remember that he is a public official. he is getting P200 Million a year as his office's pork barrel.

the best thing he could do now is to resign as senator because he is a total shame to the Philippine Republic and to the entire Filipino populace and return to eat bulaga where there is no need to plagiarize a speech.

patuga-tuga ug pa-anti-RH bill, dili man diay kamao mo-defend ug argue using his own logic and brain (if he has any). mas maayo pa si lito lapid naghilom-hilom lang kay kahibalo siya nga bulok siyang dako. mao unta ni buhaton ni sotto, kabalo ni si sotto nga bugo siyang dako ug modawat lang siya ug P200 Million nga Pork Barrel every year isip senador nga walay hinungdan pareha sa mga tawo nga nibutar niya, tak-om nalang unta iyang baba.

i am not an anti- or pro-RH bill, by the way. makalagot lang ning mga opisyal nga magpatuo-tuo nga naay grado ug nahibaw-an sa kinabuhi.

islander is right. here in tubag bohol, we just repost and share but we don't claim it as our own. of course, attribution to the source of a picture or article is encouraged all the times. the problem with tito sotto is that he claimed his speech as his own and even if he was already found out to be a copycat crook, he maintained his stand and moved heaven and earth to fortify his absolute non-sense of denials and even defended his own ignorance and stupidity when all he could do was to acknowledge his crime and issue an apology.

By Charles Purdy, Monster Senior Editor
www.monster.com

1. “Job Duties”

Heather Huhman, career expert and founder of content marketing and digital PR consultancy Come Recommended, says the term “job duties” is not convincing on a resume.

“List job duties under each position at your own risk,” she says. “Instead, focus on your accomplishments. Ideally, you should be able to use the S-A-R method: Situation, Action, Results. Include up to three bullets per position, and as [few] as one.”

Keep in mind that your job duties are something that happened to you, not something you achieved -- and your resume should tell a story of achievement.

2. "Related Coursework"

"Unless you're applying for your very first internship, remove your related coursework," Huhman says. All your relevant education definitely belongs on your resume, but a separate section for "related coursework" isn't necessary. Your resume needs a laser-sharp focus. If you're struggling to show how a class is relevant to the job you're applying for, consider removing it.

3. “Proven Ability”

HR manager Jen Strobel views this phrase as just resume filler. “The ability was proven by whom? How is the ability proven? How does this ability compare to those which are not proven?” she asks.

So use your resume to prove your ability by giving specific examples of your career achievements.

4. "Married with Children"

Delmar Johnson, an HR professional with 20 years of experience and founder of HR services firm HR Brain for Hire, says personal information doesn’t belong on a resume. "That's great you have a family and you're proud [of it]," she says. "[But] your goal is to reflect a level of professionalism that demonstrates your knowledge, your skills and abilities that are applicable to the job to which you are applying."

5. "Transferable Skills"

When executive recruiter and career counselor Bruce Hurwitz sees these words, he takes them to mean “I'm not qualified, but do me a favor.” He says the terms “skills” or “skill set” are fine to use, but the word "transferable" has negative connotations.

And this is a great example of why it’s important to show, not tell. Don’t tell a recruiter that you have transferable skills. Show how the skills you have are relevant to the job.

6. “Results-oriented”

Cousin to the term “hard worker,” this is something anyone can say about himself. And as Stacey Hawley, career specialist and founder of career consultancy Credo, points out, that you’ll work toward results “is assumed.” There’s no need to use your resume to tell people things they already know.

7. “Utilized My Skills”

“Who else's skills would we be using?” Hawley asks.

Stuffy, overly formal language on resumes is out. It’s wiser nowadays to use direct language. Beware of boilerplate phrases that have lost their meaning and that can be replaced with expressive words that say something specific about you.

8. “Had _____”

Career and etiquette expert Sandra Lamb is a proponent of using strong language on resumes. “’Had’ is an anemic and colorless verb that gives the reader the impression you’re submitting a job description,” says Lamb, author of How to Write It. “Don't use this to start a bulleted item on your resume; you’ll be better-served by a strong, active verb.”

For example, you might say “Managed three people” instead of “Had three direct reports.”

9. Wacky Email Addresses (and Twitter Handles!)

Recruiting and career expert Abby Kohut of AbsolutelyAbby.com says that inappropriate email addresses like “clubhopper@example.com” or “hotchick@example.com” can send a resume to the bottom of the pile, if not the trash. “It’s not so much the email address as it is [the job seeker’s] judgment that I’m concerned about,” she says.

And the same goes for Twitter: More and more recruiters are researching candidates on social sites, so make sure you have a professional-sounding Twitter handle as well.

basin pud hilaw-lata ang resulta.

Bohol Subdivision Lot

dear friends, please use the PM (private message) option as the better platform for discussing disagreements/misunderstanding. thank you...

by pna

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will cover cases of Leptospirosis in flood-affected areas to ease the burden of the poor communities, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

“Doon sa mga naapektuhan ng baha, effective Aug. 7, all admissions of uncomplicated Leptospirosis shall be P11,000 for all member types,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in the press conference on Tuesday.

PhilHealth is also implementing the “no balance billing policy” in covering Leptospirosis cases especially for sponsored program members of PhilHealth.

For non-PhilHealth members who contracted Leptospirosis in disaster areas, Valte said, that they would be automatically enrolled as PhilHealth’s sponsored program members and accorded the benefits.

The premium payment shall be waived and membership validity period is from Aug. 1, 2012 to July 31 of 2013, she said.

“That takes care of the problem of non-members of PhilHealth belonging to the lowest na naapektuhan ng pagbaha kung sakaling magkaroon man sila ng Leptospirosis. Mako-cover automatically, mae-enroll sila sa PhilHealth,” she said.

Also, the period for filing of benefits for PhilHealth members and dependents is extended to 120 days for discharges covering the dates June 8 to Aug. 21, 2012.

The accredited institutional healthcare providers, whose claim documents may have been affected by the recent flooding, were advised to contact the local health insurance office of PhilHealth for the necessary assistance, Valte said.

Healthcare institutions claiming for treatments and other services that are considered emergency maybe reimbursed by non-accredited facilities of PhilHealth as long as they are accredited by the Department of Health.

Valte said that the deadline for the payment of premiums had been extended to Aug. 17, 2012. This is for the formal sector or the employed members of PhilHealth.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is caused by a bacteria of the genus Leptospira. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death, the CDC said.

by pna

A lawmaker on Tuesday urged Congress to fast track the approval of a bill exempting persons with disabilities (PWDs) from paying value added tax (VAT) on medicines, transportation, hotels, restaurants, theaters and other business establishments.

House Bill 6423, authored by Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (1st District, Leyte), seeks to amend Republic Act 7277 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities.

"The bill is an equalizing measure because this will accord PWDs exactly the same discount privilege enjoyed by senior citizens by virtue of Republic Act 9994, who are enjoying a P20 discount or the equivalent of 20% for every P100 value of good or service purchased," Romualdez said.

"Persons with disabilities effectively enjoy only P12 for every P100 worth of good or service because the law does not exempt them from the VAT, which is imposed on the net value of the good or service or 10% of the P80 after deducting P20, representing the 20% discount granted in RA 9442, for every P100 worth of goods or service purchase," Romualdez added.

The measure exempts PWDs from paying VAT on all services in hotels, restaurants, recreation centers, theaters, concert halls, carnivals, on fare for domestic air and sea travel, public railways, skyway and bus fare, among others.

It also provides the PWDs exemption from VAT on the purchase of medicine, medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees, and professional fees of attending doctors in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the PhilHealth.

Under the bill, the establishments may claim the discounts granted as tax deductions based on the net cost of the goods sold or services rendered and the amount must be included in their gross sales receipts for tax purposes and shall be subject to proper documentation and to the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in consultation with the concerned Senate and House committees, agencies, organizations and establishments shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations pertinent to this Act.

By Bruna Gama

Brazil's Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said on Monday that the country needs 'much improvement' for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Minister expected Brazilian athletes to win 20 medals in the London Games, which ended last Sunday.

Brazilians had their best Olympic performance ever in London, winning 17 medals, three of them golds, but did not manage to satisfy Rebelo.

"We thought our performance in London would be affected by the resources we applied from Beijing to London," he said.

According to the Minister, Rio's Games in 2106 are "a challenge to be embraced".

Though Brazilian athletes' performance fell short of the Minister's estimates, some important medals were achieved in London. For the first time, Brazil had a medalist in gymnastics (Arthur Zanneti won the gold in men's rings) and modern pentathlon (Yane Marques won the bronze in the women's competition).

Brazilian boxers got three medals (one silver, two bronzes), after 44 years without any podiums in Olympic games.

Sarah Menezes won the first gold in women's judo, and the women's volleyball team won the gold for the second consecutive time.

Other sports did not correspond to expectations. The men's football team, who won FIFA's World Cup five times, lost the Olympic final to Mexico, and for the first time since the 1992 Games, in Barcelona, Brazil's athletics team did not get a single medal, and athletes got to six finals, down from 11 in Beijing.

Minister Rebelo stressed that in the latest two games, the host countries -China and United Kingdom- worked hard to have a performance 'compatible to their efforts as hosts' and said Brazil must do the same thing.

Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio is always in the limelight, be it for his romance or movies, but the actor doesn't like being talked about.

The actor, who, since splitting from model Bar Refaeli, has been linked to and spotted with a lot of women. It is said that he apparently bans all his lovers from talking about him, reported Showbizspy.

"Leo is a control freak." - pna

By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan

Still maintaining its strength, tropical storm "Helen" (international name: Kai-Tak) continues to threaten Northern Luzon and is expected to make landfall in Cagayan area on Wednesday morning, the state weather bureau said Tuesday.

Weather forecaster Robert Sawi of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, "Helen" was estimated at 230 kilometers east-northeast of Casiguran, Aurora (16.8°N, 124.8°E).

Packing maximum winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph, it was forecast to move west-northwest at 13 kph.

Sawi said the storm is expected to make landfall in Cagayan Wednesday morning, be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday afternoon and heading toward Taiwan.

“Ini-expect natin na mag-landfall ito around 8 a.m. Wednesday, but there is another scenario, kung hindi ito mag-landfall, may dadaan na weather system o tinatawag na westerly trough... Once na matapat ito kay bagyong Helen, gagalaw ito ng northward and then balik ito westerly, then palabas ng bansa... We are still monitoring,” Sawi said.

He added that Helen has slim chance to turn into typhoon but it can gain strength since it is over the sea and become severe tropical storm.

As this developed, PAGASA raised public storm signal No. 2 over the provinces of Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Cagayan, Calayan, Babuyan and Batanes groups of islands.

The weather agency said these provinces are expected to experience 61 to 100 kph winds within the next 24 hours.

Public storm warning signal No. 1 (45-60 kph winds) is hoisted over Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Abra.

“Residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signal Nos. 2 and 1 are alerted against possible flash floods and landslides. Likewise, those living in coastal areas under public storm warning No. 2 are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone,” PAGASA said.

It said the storm is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over Luzon and the Visayas, especially over the western section.

PAGASA said Helen carries about 15 to 25 millimeters of rains per hour (heavy-torrential) within its 500-kilometer diameter coverage. It added that intermittent light to moderate rains (2.5-7.5 mm/hr) are now affecting Central and Southern Luzon, becoming more frequent moderate to heavy rains (7.5-10.0 mm/hr) over Camarines provinces, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Metro Manila.

Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas due to Helen and the southwest monsoon.

china won't like this. we're waiting protests from Bayan, Anakbayan, Gabriela...

Wedding Car of the Century

asa man ang canal ani bugz? puro naman ni lim-aw.

naa gyuy dagon ning mga Pinoy.

Kapugngan Pay Baha, Dili Ang Tagay
It's More Fun in the Philippines...

mamusmos pud.

By George Friedman

Louis M. Bacon is the head of Moore Capital Management, one of the largest and most influential hedge funds in the world. Last week, he announced that he was returning one quarter of his largest fund, about $2 billion, to his investors. The reason he gave to The New York Times was that he had found it difficult to invest given the impossibility of predicting the European situation. He was quoted as saying, "The political involvement is so extreme -- we have not seen this since the postwar era. What they are doing is trying to thwart natural market outcomes. It is amazing how important the decision-making of one person, Angela Merkel, has become to world markets."

The purpose of hedge funds is to make money, and what Bacon essentially said was that it is impossible to make money when there is heavy political involvement, because political involvement introduces unpredictability in the market. Therefore, prudent investment becomes impossible. Hedge funds have become critical to global capital allocation because their actions influence other important actors, and their unwillingness to invest and trade has significant implications for capital availability. If others follow Moore Capital's lead, as they will, there will be greater difficulty in raising the capital needed to address the problem of Europe.

Dili Tanan Nga Mahagbong Mapusdak

Laptop Interface

good choice of spots. it could have been a different scene if the pictures were taken at the squatter areas. will there be beauties there?

one of the good sides of being a Filipino. sorrow-proof we are.

by pna

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) on Thursday reported that four dead and two persons were missing in the province in the past three days.

Tess Senora, PDRRMC head, identified those dead as Marcelino Penaflor of barangay Saguing and Juanita Mangila, 70; Clarita Jungaya of barangay Bilolo and Danilo Masangkay, 27, of barangay Gen. Lim; both in Orion, Bataan.

Missing are Richard Cabli of Sta. Isabel and Alvin Galang of A. Mabini Extension; all in Dinalupihan.

They were both carried away by strong current while wading through the floods. Penaflor reportedly died of heart attack while Mangila and Clarita drowned on Tuesday.

The body of Masangkay , a farmer, who was carried away by strong current was found on Wednesday in a flooded rice field close to his house in sitio Pulo.

The PDRRMC report on Thursday showed that 83,581 families of 387,551 persons were affected in 195 barangays.

Flood waters in most of the 10 towns and one city in the province rose to more than six feet deep during the height of the ravaging floods on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, flood waters subsided in Balanga City, Abucay, Samal, Orani, Pilar, Orion, Mariveles, Bagac and Morong but barangays Almacen, Pulo and Daungan in Hermosa were still with knee to breast-deep floods.

In Dinalupihan, still with waist to breast deep floods waters were barangays Layac, Sta. Isabel, A. Mabini Extension, San Ramon, Daan-Bago, Kataasan and some others.

by pna

State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Thursday announced that its Board of Trustees approved the release of P10 billion for eligible members adversely affected by typhoon “Gener” and the ensuing floods brought about by the monsoon.

“More than half a million of our members based in the calamity-declared areas are in dire need of assistance, ” president and General Manager Robert G. Vergara said.

Based on the latest declaration of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the following areas are under a state of calamity: National Capital Region, Cavite, Rizal, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan and Laguna.

The GSIS had recently relaxed the terms of its emergency loan program to make it more member-friendly.

“We reduced the interest rate to six percent from eight percent, waived the one percent service fee, and extended the payment of the first monthly amortization to three months from the loan drawdown,” Vergara explained.

Under the emergency loan program, eligible members can borrow P20,000 payable in 36 equal monthly installments.

Members who can avail of the loan include active members working or residing in areas declared in a state of calamity; not on leave of absence without pay; have no pending criminal or administrative charges; have no arrearages in the payment of mandatory social insurance contributions; and have no loan that has been declared in default. The agency of the member-applicant must not also be suspended because of non-payment and non-remittance of premiums and loans.

Qualified members can apply for an emergency loan through the GWAPS (GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System) kiosks using their eCard or their UMID eCard.

“The loans will be electronically credited to our members’ accounts. They can draw down the loan through our kiosks, so there’s no need for them to go to our offices,” Vergara said.

The GSIS has 100 stand-up kiosks distributed across the calamity-declared areas and will add 16 kiosks in its Pasay City Head Office. “These are located in city and municipal halls, provincial capitols, selected agencies, GSIS offices, and Robinsons Malls.”

Members who do not have an eCard but who are eligible to apply for the loan can apply over-the-counter (OTC) at any GSIS office. Proceeds of OTC applications will be credited to a temporary eCard which the GSIS continues to distribute.

Due to the disruption in the operations of agencies based in the calamity-declared areas, Vergara pointed out that the GSIS will not impose any interest and penalty charges, for incurring delay in the remittance of their employees’ premium and loan contributions, for July.

Section 7 of Republic Act 8291 or the GSIS Act of 1997, provides that “agencies which delay the remittance … shall be charged interest as may be prescribed by the Board but not less than two percent simple interest per month…”.

If the loan proceeds are not credited within seven days from the date of application, members can proceed to the nearest GSIS office or the nearest kiosk for the status of their account.

Marikina City is starting to get back to its feet barely two days after being devastated by one of the strongest monsoon rains that hit the country.

City Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz said after rescue operations in low-lying barangays, they have now shifted their focus on clearing the city of debris and mud brought by heavy flooding for two days.

"Ngayon ay nag-uumpisa ng linisin yung mga major roads, importante yan kasi diyan dadaan ang mga magdadala ng tulong at relief," Cadiz said in radio interview.

"We need to get back to our feet and return to normal para magtuloy yung ating normal na pamumuhay," he said.

He said various organizations have lent fire trucks and water pumping equipment for the cleaning and rehabilitation operations.

Donations from government, non-government organizations and individuals have started pouring in, he said.

"Nakakataba ng puso kasi dumadating na ang mga tulong dito sa amin," he said. While the water in the Marikina River has receded, Cadiz said they will not allow evacuees to go back to their houses until after the water level goes down to 16 meters.

According to the Marikina Public Information Office Facebook page, the river's water level is down to 17.8 meters as of 2 p.m. while 13,137 families are still temporarily housed in evacuation centers.

News and photo by The Bohol Chronicle

A tornado locally known as "buhawi" devastated at least 82 houses in four coastal barangays in Jagna town as affected residents could hardly scamper for safety when the whirling and rumbling  wind swooped down  their houses in less than two minutes last Friday noon.

Had the tornado hit  nighttime when coastal residents were asleep, then it could have brought about a lot of fatalities, according to Jagna Mayor Fortunato “Bec-Bec” Abrenilla, Interviewed by the Chronicle a few hours after the incident. he described the catastrophe as unexpected although he was still thankful that the tornado cost no life and injured no one among his local constituents.
He estimated the damage at no less than P5 million.

Gov. Edgar Chatto, who was bound for Duero and Guindulman towns that day, was still in the town of Lila when the disaster hit Jagna at  around 11 o'clock Friday morning.

The governor made a quick stop in Jagna to do an on-site inspection and instructed the LGU to do the necessary action in addressing the immediate needs of the victims.

Jagna Emergency and Medical Rescue Unit (JEMRU), a localized version of TARSIER 117, immediately dispatched its unit five minutes after the tornado smashed the coastal houses.  Mayor Abrenilla expressed elation on the quick arrival of TARSIER 117 teams dispatched from Tagbilaran City.

Unified forces of the barangay and town officials, provincial officials led by the governor himself, staff of the Provincial Social Welfare Office, Red Cross, and the Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC)  raced to the affected areas to distribute relief goods to the victims.

The governor was still at the disaster scene past 10 Friday evening together with the local officials distributing relief goods. He was live on DYRD from Jagna when interviewed over the top-rated Tagbilaran By Night program last Friday,  Chatto disclosed that a total of 82 houses in four barangays interconnected in the town's coastal areas were either totally or partially destroyed by the tornado.

Barangay Can-Upao, home of the well-known “Calamay” delicacy, suffered great damage with a total of 40 houses  destroyed. It was followed by Brgy Bunga-Mar with a total of 39 houses being destroyed. Brgy Cantagay recorded two houses being destroyed while brgy Ipil recorded one house destroyed.

Chatto added that a total of 13 units motorized pump boats and unverified number of pump boats without engines were also destroyed.

It was the first time that residents in the area experienced a devastating tornado according to the elders interviewed by the governor. Most of the victims were families of fishermen leaving near the sea.

Chatto also congratulated the barangay officials and the JEMRU for their exemplary preparedness as tested during the onslaught of the tornado.

For his part, Abrenilla said that the tornado was indeed strong as it uprooted several coconut trees and lifted several motorized pump boats before they were smashed in the ground.

The tornado could have cost lives of the residents had it occurred in the evening. During the incident, most parents and their children in the affected areas were in the town gymnasium, together with town officials, who celebrated the culmination of the “nutrition month”.

MALACANANG PALACE ASSISTANCE COMING

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III, instructed Chatto last Friday evening that the national government is ready to extend assistance to the victims through the office of DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman.

The governor said that the provincial social welfare office is still in the process of calculating the total damage inflicted by the tornado before a final report will be submitted to Soliman's office.
Chatto also assured the victims that the provincial government will assist them in the reconstruction of their wrecked houses.

For his part, Abrenilla also assured financial assistance of up to P5,000 per household to be taken from the calamity fund of the town.

Although there is still no final report on financial damage, Abrenilla initially estimated the damage to be more or less P1.3M excluding losses in e agricultural products.

snacks for bicolanos?

welcome bagets to tubag bohol. enjoy the ride.

maayo gani kay dili si Lolong ang mitukob...

by PNA

Eating cereals and nuts might be helpful for cutting the risk of pancreatic cancer because they contain nutrients known as antioxidants, according to a study by British scientists published on Tuesday.

The study, carried out by researchers in University of East Anglia, involves 23,500 people aged between 40 and 74 years old, who reported their food diary with details as types and amount of every food they ate, as well as the methods they used to prepare it.

Researchers reported in the journal Gut that those who were in the top quartile for consumption of vitamin C, E and selenium together were at 67 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer compared to the bottom quartile.

Those nutrients are known as antioxidants and are present in several food types, including cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

"Antioxidants may work by neutralizing carcinogens in cigarette smoke and also blocking toxic free radicals formed from the by-products of metabolism," said Dr. Andrew Hart, lead researcher at University of East Anglia.

"Other possible protective mechanisms include stimulating the immune system response," he added.

Cancer of the pancreas kills more than a quarter of a million people every year around the world, and 7,500 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in Britain, where it is the six commonest cause of cancer death.

If the link between diet and pancreatic cancer risk could be proved to be causal in further study, it is estimated that reasonable diet could lead to prevention of more than one in 12 of pancreatic cancers.

The Cebu Province will host the Cebu Challenge 2012 on Aug. 8-12 that will start at the Cebu Provincial Capitol and cover the whole island of Cebu.

The cycling race, which is part of the celebration of the 443rd Founding Anniversary of Cebu Province, is in partnership with Globe Telecommunications and the Guardians Delta Force International Inc. (GDFII).

David “Boy” Odilao Jr., chairman and organizer of the race, said they are expecting some 20 teams to join the event.

Twelve teams had already registered, he said.

One team that confirmed its participation is the Cebu Province team of Noy Jopson, Albert Basirgo, Marvin Tapic, Junvic Pagnanawon and Jano Canasa.

Jopson, who will be competing in the Cobra Ironman 70.3, said he also finds the cycling challenging and interesting.

”It’s interesting because the cycling race has a different dynamics, it is basically a team sport where everyone in the team will contribute in the over-all ranking in the race,” Jopson said.

This maybe the first cycling race for Jopson this year but not his first as he has been joining several races like the tour of Matumbinkay in Batangas, which he is also eyeing to join this December.

Southeast Asian Games mountain bike bronze medalist Nino Surban will also join the race.

The race is composed of six stages, and will start with a 4.2-kilometer prologue at the South Road Properties followed by a massed start from Cebu Provincial Capitol to Bogo City (101.7 kilometers).

The next stages will be from Bogo City to Toledo City, (86.9 kilometers), Toledo City to Argao (186.7 kilometers).

by PNA

Milan Melindo will have to wait a little longer for his long overdue crack at a world championship after being snubbed by World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight king Brian Viloria.

Melindo will have to wait for next year to cash in on his mandatory world title shot after Viloria chose to have a unification bout with World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight titleholder Hernan “Tyson” Marquez.

”I will be at the WBO convention in October in Florida so I hope to discuss with Paco (WBO president Francisco Valcarcel) the mandatory title shot of Milan. Hopefully we could do it next year,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer said.

Aldeguer is targeting the winner of the Viloria-Marquez fight in September as Melindo’s opponent in the first quarter of 2013.

Unbeaten Melindo, who is rated No. 1 by the WBO, has voiced out his willingness to trade leathers with fellow Filipino fighter Viloria for the WBO flyweight title but the challenge has been ignored.

Melindo gained his mandatory status after a stunning first round knockout over former world champion Jesus Geles last month.

Because Viloria will face Marquez instead of him, Melindo will keep himself busy and will be defending his WBO International flyweight crown, which he won against Geles, in Pinoy Pride 16 on Sept. 22 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.

”Hopefully this will be his last before a world title shot. I hope to have an answer when I attend the WBO convention,” said Aldeguer.

By Yoo Jee-ho

LONDON, July 28 - In the tranquil sport of archery, South Korean men sent a loud message to the rest of the competition at the Olympics Friday.

If you want to win, you'll have to do better.

Im Dong-hyun shot 699 in the men's ranking round at Lord's Cricket Ground, breaking his own 72-arrow world record by three points. Teammate Kim Bub-min also surpassed the old standards, firing 698. The third Korean member, Oh Jin-hyek, was third with 690.

The next closest was Larry Godfrey of Britain with 680.

As a team, the gap was even larger. The South Korean trio combined for 2,087, also a world record, and France came in at second at 2,021. Only five of the 12 nations exceeded 2,000 points in combined totals.

But it was a slightly different story for women. Two South Koreans, Ki Bo-bae and Lee Sung-jin, ranked first and second, but Choi Hyeon-ju, battling jitters, was well behind at 21st. The trio managed to put up the highest combined points with 1,993, but they were only 14 points better than the U.S. team.

The men's team is seeking the country's fourth straight team gold, while each of the three is trying to win South Korea's first Olympic title in the individual event.

It was a telling display of dominance for a team that, leading up to the Olympics, was expected to meet some stiff challenges, from the U.S. and British archers.

Brady Ellison of the U.S., the world's No. 1 male archer, struggled to a 10th-place finish in the ranking round, managing just 676. Larry Godfrey of Britain was the closest to the Koreans in fourth place Friday, but he was still 10 behind the third-place Oh.

The South Korean archers, though, were shockingly nonchalant about their performances, as if they'd all along expected to break records on the first day. Kim, a shy 21-year-old, barely raised his eyes from the ground as he left the range. Oh, a brash 30-year-old and the oldest of the three, gave a shrug and uttered, "Yeah, we were 1-2-3 today."

Jang Young-sool, head coach for the whole archery team, also didn't talk about records.

"This was only the preliminary round," he said.

Only Oh Seon-tek, who handles the men's team, expressed some degree of surprise, especially with Olympic rookie Kim Bub-min.

"It was his first Olympics and so I was worried about his nerves," Oh said. "He didn't even do that well in the practice. I think the training on keeping his emotions in check worked well."

The women had even less to say after their day, however, as their performances fell short of lofty expectations. There had been lingering doubts about the men's team, but the women's team was largely expected to cruise through the competition.

The U.S. and also the Chinese Taipei team, which is third in the team rankings as Tan Ya-Ting matched Ki's score of 671, showed they mean business in London.

Ki, Lee and Choi did not acknowledge the media on their way out of the range. Jang, the head coach, admitted the ladies didn't put up the scores but they will have to forget about this quickly before the actual tournament.

Jang also said Choi, competing in her first Olympics, had problems with her nerves.

"She wasn't shooting with confidence early on," the coach said. "But she told me she grew more confident later in the competition."

After her first 36 arrows, Choi only ranked 33rd among 64, but her score of 330 over the final 36 shots was good for 10th best in that stretch.

by PNA

What can you say about an opening ceremony that managed to get the Queen of England into a helicopter with James Bond and David Beckham piloting a speedboat along the River Thames: speaking as an Englishman, I'll say 'it probably had it all.'

Director Danny Boyle spent 27 million pounds on the opening ceremony and if anyone doubted whether or not the title 'Isles of Wonder' was far-fetched, they won't now. Nor should they wonder where the money went, that was clear to see.

Isles of Wonder may have left some people confused, but as he said in his pre-ceremony briefing, "you do the show for yourselves, you have to. I try to represent the whole country."

Not just the whole country, but a whistle-stop tour through British culture from a pastoral idyll though to the industrial revolution in a shift of scene which saw the fields lifted up and replaced by smoking chimneys to force five Olympic rings among the white heat of change and war. In minutes the Olympic Stadium was filled with smokestacks and machinery, and a reflection of the social upheaval that it brought in its wake.

It was fast, dynamic and on a huge scale...perhaps on such a big scale that some segments may have been hard to see, but to criticize too much would be nit-picking.

Boyle said he had tried to reflect the values that "are honest and true," and nothing reflects that more than the British National Health service, which ensures everyone can receive free medical treatment no matter their class, wealth or status.

A dance with nurses, who all work for the NHS reflected that wonderfully, while the 'sick' children provided the stage to highlight children's literature.

A glimpse at some of the characters on view: Lord Vordemort, the Queen of Heart, Peter Pan, the Childcatcher and the savior of the hour, Mary Poppins, who descended in multitude to vanquish the bad guys gave just a glimpse of just how many of our loved personalities have come from these eyes.

Mr Bean was also there, as was a homage to British cinema, British family life and a run through pop-culture.

Watching the final section of the ceremony, (now you know how to build a typical British house in less than 5 minutes) which celebrated digital communication and ran through some of the hits and TV shows of the 1960's 70's 80'up to the present was like watching the story of my life and many others played out on the big stage.

The section even began to the music from long-running radio show 'The Archers', itself a reflection of the change these islands have undergone.

At least 70 houses were destroyed in the town of Jagna, Bohol after it was hit by a twister on Friday (July 27, 2012).

Gerry Araneta of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Council (MDRRMC) said the twister hit barangays Ipil, Bunga-mar, Can-upao, and Cantagay at around 10:45 a.m.

Thirteen fishing vessels were also damaged as the twister moved towards the sea, where it eventually dissipated.

Authorities estimate the damage to cost P800,000.

Local officials have started distributing relief goods to the affected residents. -- Report from June Perez, dzMM, ABS-CBN report

Ice Cream in Cone

It's More Fun in Portugal

Urban Engineering

Amazing Elephant Tree

Postcard from Czech Republic

Anara Tower in Dubai, UAE

Aleph by Paulo Coelho

by the way, "The Source" rank is inspired by James Michener's "The Source" novel.

@our dream, please don't call me "sir." i have not been knighted.
yes, anyone can upload (and this is even highly encouraged) an avatar even without a single post.

your questions can only be answered by calamay makers themselves. it would be a good idea if you go to jagna and interview the folks engaged in this business.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An79RrJJYD0#ws
Funny Story of a Filipina Who Went to America

great and profound poem, Bran.
read this poem too: http://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=52904.0

the bitter wife...

Elle Zobera has painted scarlet letter on the For Sale sign she has outside the front of her Beaverton, Oregon home which she is hoping to sell.  Instead of the typical plain “For Sale” sign that announces to the public the property is in search of owner, Ms. Zobera’s sign reads:

“Husband left us for a 22-year-old. House for sale by scorned, slightly bitter, newly single owner…Adulterers need not apply”

source: sfgate

Free software that can convert, resize, edit, copy, rename, (advanced options) write text or watermark on photos either by single file or by batch.

download > http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm

this is better > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI49P5D_n5s#

Padz, check this out: http://www.dphotojournal.com/watermarking-adding-copyright-with-photoshop/

dr. james holmes may opt to change his name now.

Remember Virginia Tech massacre?
Another Hollywood wannabe...

Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris

Flashback 1999: The killers behind Columbine High School Massacre. Just 13 miles from the "Dark Knight Rises" massacre at the theater.

he killed 13 persons and wounded 59. what has happened to america?

Mugshot of James E. Holmes

Until there is an official / legal complaint/case, please don't name names. We will wait for any formal case in the court.

inig katangtang sa imong gapos
pili lang kinsay imong unahog gakos...

by Agence France Presse

US motivational guru Stephen Covey, author of international best-seller “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” died Monday at the age of 79, his company said.

Covey died from the effects of a bicycle accident he suffered in April, said a statement by consulting company FranklinCovey, of which he was a co-founder and former vice-chairman.

“In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each of his children and their spouses,” it said.

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” has sold more than 20 million copies in 40 languages throughout the world. In 2002 Forbes named it one of the 10 most influential management books ever written.

Other books by Covey, who in 1996 was named one of Time magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans, include “First Things First,” “Principle-Centered Leadership,” and “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.”

Covey started as a professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, but left full-time teaching in 1984 to set up the Covey Leadership Center, and went on to become an internationally-renowned author, speaker, and consultant.

He passed away “peacefully” in hospital in Idaho, “due to the residual effects of a bicycle accident he suffered this past April,” the company statement said.

in bohol, all towns now have a palawan pawnshop money remittance outlet. bisan sa tagbilaran lang gikan, we send money to anda through palawan pawnshop. big help for us.

Budbod - Sikwate Nalay Kulang

welcome home, nessie. enjoy the digital ride of tubag bohol.

By Joann Santiago

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will regulate pawnshops more stringent now as these entities start serving as remittance platforms.

In a briefing, BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said pawnshops are now catering to the public’s money transfer requirements as these entities now offer remittance services.

To date, the central bank loosely regulates pawnshops since these are under the supervision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

There are about 9,000 banks in the country but pawnshops number to about 19,500.

Espenilla said there are municipalities in the country that are still not catered by banks and pawnshops along with drugstores among others but serve as alternative remittances centers.

He said pawnshops dominate the money transfer market while payments centers along with banks are the major players in the bills payment service.

Over 1,000 entities including drugstores have been tapped by a bank for its mobile banking service, he said.

The central bank official said it is the poor who are served greatly by the pawnshops for their remittance requirements because this group is normally the unbanked members of the population.

by PNA - The Aquino administration assured that the new mining policy is globally competitive and attractive to domestic and international investment.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje issued the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday following the release of Executive Order No. 79 (Institutionalizing and implementing reforms in the Philippine Mining Sector providing policies and guidelines to ensure environmental protection and responsible mining in the utilization of mineral resources).

"Our belief (is) that it is already attractive because I think the attraction would be more on the volume and quality of our deposits. We are already at par with the other countries except for these royalties and excise tax. And if we increase it, for example to five to seven percent, that is still within the international standard and that is what they are paying if they are operating abroad," Paje said.

Executive Order no.79 aims to improve environmental mining standards and increase revenues to promote sustainable economic development and social growth, according to Paje.

With the crafting of the EO, the government is now implementing a stricter enforcement of environmental laws and rules, and holding violators accountable.

The mining policy is also paving the way for the government to implement other measures such as identifying additional areas closed to mining, the conduct of review of the performance of mining operations and cleansing of non-moving mining rights holders, assess and improve small-scale mining conditions, the use of integrated maps and Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Department of Enviroment and Natural Resources (DENR) is tasked to conduct proper accounting of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programs (EPEP) of mining companies and to use geo hazard and multi-hazard maps and climate change forecasts in determining “go” and “no-go” areas.

The Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) is directed to carry out the explore use of mandatory and compulsory insurance coverage for mining affected areas and to adopt the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of the USA.

not many Filipinos have been to these places, enad. it's a blessing from God to have traveled to that corner of the globe. ako kutob ra sa southeast asia.

by Huffingtonpost.com -- The world's highest-paid athlete is in jail. The guy in second place just lost a title fight, and the man who held the distinction for a decade is now third.

Forbes has released its list of the 100 highest paid athletes, and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., nicknamed "Money," is No. 1.

Mayweather, who made $85 million for two fights last year, is currently serving a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas for domestic battery.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao is second on the magazine's list at $62 million from earnings and endorsements. Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight title to Timothy Bradley earlier this month.

Tiger Woods, No. 1 on the list since 2001, made $59.4 million to place third.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat is fourth ($53 million). He is one of 13 basketball players on the list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74tu2H-ce9Q#ws
Who's Better - Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant?

nice pictures, enad. great vacation you had with your family!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNU7A2MIBaI#ws
The Best of NBA Action

by Sekou Smith, nba.com

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski didn’t have a single bad option in choosing the 12-man roster that will chase gold at the Olympics in London.

LeBron James admitted as much here Saturday, after the decision was made and Anthony Davis, Rudy Gay and Eric Gordon were trimmed from the group of 15 that assembled here for training camp.

“There wasn’t a guy, one through 15, who you couldn’t see making this team,” James said. “It’s too bad we have to cut at all. I wish there was a way you could take all 15 guys on this trip and have everybody get a chance to experience this process and how special it can be.”

Cutting the roster was the first major step for Colangelo and Krzyzewski, whose job it is now to craft a cohesive unit from the 12 players who did make the cut â€" a star-studded bunch led by James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook that was rounded out with Andre Iguodala and national team newcomers Blake Griffin and James Harden.

That list includes five players â€" James, Bryant, Anthony, Paul and Williams â€" that own gold medal from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Five more â€" Durant, Westbrook, Iguodala, Love and Chandler â€" helped the U. S. to gold at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Carving a 12-man crew out of the 15 healthy, mostly, stars that showed up for training camp was the sort of endeavor most of the competition wish they had to endure.

“It’s the best challenge that you could have because everyone has been so committed,” Krzyzewski said. “The guys who were not selected are in our pool, and if someone did get hurt, they are already part of our team and could be seamlessly woven in at a later date. We really appreciate the commitment of all of these guys.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgjTJVNM9A#ws
Team USA Ready for London Olympics

Publicly-listed Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc. (ORE) has generated P615.45 million in gross revenues during the first quarter, according to disclosures made at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

ORE has a 94-percent equity interest in Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., which began commercial operations in the second quarter of 2011.

Citinickel operates the Pulot and Toronto Mines located in the municipalities of Sofronio Espanola and Narra, respectively, in Palawan. The company sells ore to China, Australia, Japan and Europe. - Philippine Star

Two major companies have relocated their offices to more spacious and strategically located areas in the metropolis.

Canon Philippines Inc. and Fox Philippines, two fast growing local companies, have left their offices in the Makati central business district and moved to two prime locations that are now being hailed as the new emerging business districts in the land â€" Bonifacio Global City and Ortigas central business district.

The move was made possible with the engagement of the KMC MAG Group, an award winning real estate services firm. The firm provides location scouting to multinational locators using a process driven, team oriented approach.

“KMC MAG Group believes in the importance of having adequate and affordable office spaces that are conducive to productivity and work efficiency in order to support the advancement of these fast-growing companies,” said Gerold Fernando, the KMC MAG Group’s commercial leasing manager. - Philippine Star, source

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star)

The local stock market will likely be in a consolidation phase this week after disappointing US jobs data heightened concern about a slowing US economy.

The Philippine Stock exchange index (PSEi) welcomed July strongly and gained 2.22 percent week on week to close at 5,362.68 as investors loaded up on several blue-chip issues. The main index hit a new intraday high of 5,403.16 after the S&P raised the Philippines’ credit rating to within one rung of investment grade.

“The PSEi’s rally seemed to have already lost some steam. Correction is possible next week after reaching high valuations and overbought levels for the market. The local outlook, although still rosy, will remain influenced by external weakness of major economies,” said Maria Arlysa E. Narciso.

US employers hired at a dismal pace, creating only 80,000 jobs in June, fewer than needed to bring down the 8.2 percent unemployment rate.

By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star)

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has achieved 99.98 percent of its target production of 2.242 million metric tons (MT) of raw sugar for the current milling season.

Data from the SRA showed that as of the week ending July 1, raw sugar production is already at 2.242 million MT.

As of this month, two of the over 30 sugar mills in the country are still operating, making it possible for the SRA to even exceed its target for the milling season.

Sugar cropping in the country starts in September and ends in August.

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star)

The Supreme Court (SC) has given a Makati City court the go-signal to hear and resolve the case filed by government against the supposed illegal occupation of a 2.9-hectare property in Makati City by the Sunvar Realty Development Corp.

In a 21-page ruling released last Friday, the second division of the high court granted the petition filed by the National Power Corp. through the Privatization Management Office (PMO) and reversed the Dec. 1, 2010 order of the Makati City regional trial court Branch 134 which dismissed government’s claims against Sunvar over the property in Pasong Tamo St.

The real estate firm has not been paying any rentals to the state, but continues to lease the property to other businesses at commercial rates. This has been going on for almost 10 years now. In the assailed order, the RTC directed Makati Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) to dismiss PMO’s petition because the one-year period for filing of the unlawful detainer case had already lapsed and should be reckoned from the expiration of the main lease contract and sublease agreements on Dec. 31, 2002.

By Zinnia dela Peña (The Philippine Star)

Seafood exporter Alliance Select Foods International Inc. (FOOD) is mulling the possibility of listing on the Indonesian Stock Exchange where it expects its operations to grow further.

When asked whether the company was interested in dual listing of shares, FOOD president Jonathan Dee said: “That’s a possibility given our growing business in Indonesia.”

Dee said the group is planning to beef up the capacity of its factory in Indonesia from the current 50 tons of tuna per day to 60 tons.

Together with the Indonesian plant, FOOD produces over 200 metric tons of processed seafood daily, supplying hundreds of successful brand name companies across 60 countries around the world.

PT Van de Zee, company owned by FOOD subsidiary PT International Alliance Food Indonesia, recently obtained the license for capture fishing in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. It received an initial allocation of 5,000 metric tons of tuna for this year.

By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star)

Major players in the local maritime industry commended the Aquino administration for averting the displacement of about 80,000 Filipino seafarers contributing about P4.5 billion in remittance every year.

The Department of Transportation and Communications together with the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) have finalized the implementing rules and regulations of Executive Order 75 signed last April 30 by President Aquino.

The guidelines helped solved the issues raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency that conducted a performance audit and threatened to submit an unfavorable recommendation to the European Commission on the Philippines’ compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for seafarers.

EO 75 designated the DOTC, through MARINA, as the single administration in the Philippines responsible for the oversight in the implementation of the 1978 International Convention on STCW for seafarers.

By Neil Jerome C. Morales (The Philippine Star)

The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking suppliers for almost P125 million worth of solar lighting systems for far-flung areas.

“The DOE is implementing the Household Electrification Program which entails the supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of [solar lighting systems],” the department said in a bid bulletin.

Specifically, the DOE invited bidders that will provide 6,460 units of photovoltaic solar home systems with a capacity of 30-wattpeak (Wp), 151 units of photovoltaic streetlights at 75 Wp and 85 units of photovoltaic solar home systems at 75 Wp.

The winning bidders should also conduct technical trainings for end-users, the DOE said.

Approved budget for the contract is P124.045 million.

By Prinz P. Magtulis (The Philippine Star)

Manila, Philippines -  The country’s gross international reserves stood at $76.283 billion as of end June, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

This was a slight increase over the end-May foreign reserves of $76.082 billion.

“The increase in the reserves level was due mainly to inflows from the central bank’s income from overseas investments, foreign currency deposits by banks, and evaluation gains on gold holdings,” BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said.

The BSP expects reserves to climb to record $77.5 billion to $78 billion at the end of 2012, slightly down from an original estimate of $79 billion.

The central bank’s gold holdings amounted to $9.980 billion in June, up 2.6 percent from $9.730 billion in May. Foreign investments, however, showed a slight decline to $64.206 billion from $64.241 billion in June last year.

By Ted P. Torres (The Philippine Star)

Rapidly expanding local firms will increasingly turn to the capital markets to satisfy their huge appetite for fresh funds, according to the local unit of the Dutch financial giant ING Bank.

ING Bank, which was behind the recent major bond listing of San Miguel Brewery Inc. (SMB), said many Philippine banks for instance, are gearing up for higher capital requirements under the global Basel III agreement.

Most financial institutions are flexing their financial muscles for expansion to keep up with the region’s growth momentum, as demand from domestic institutional investors is rising.

“We just need to look at the performance of the local currency and domestic bonds that reflect this trend,” Johnson Sia, head of financial markets at ING Manila, said.

Gov't to balance passengers' rights with airlines' viability
By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star)

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) vowed to strike a balance between the rights of passengers and the profitability as well as sustainability of the airline industry as the government finalizes the proposed Air Passenger Bill of Rights.

Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas said the ongoing public consultations would help rationalize and clarify the rights and obligations of the passengers and the airlines to foster a better relationship between the two sectors.

During a public hearing last Friday, major players in the airline industry including Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific Air, SeaAir, Air Philippines, Zest Air, and Sky Airways urged the government to amend certain provisions of the proposed bill of rights.

law-oy kamunggay lang, sustansyado pa.

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Leisure & Resorts World Corp. (LRWC) will invest as much as P3 billion in a $1 billion casino venture with Sy-led upscale leisure developer Belle Corp. and Macau casino firm Melco Crown Entertainment.

LRWC turned over to Melco the task of managing and operating the integrated casino and hotel complex Belle is building within the 100-hectare Entertainment City along Manila Bay, in exchange for a share in the project’s earnings.

LRWC was originally supposed to manage the casino and split EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) evenly with Belle for a 10-year time frame. Belle and LRWC, however, decided to amend their earlier arrangement to make way for the entry of Melco.

by Prinz Magtulis, Philippine Star - The current state of monetary policy remains appropriate to support growth and manage inflation, a central bank official said over the weekend.

“Monetary policy remains appropriate as it is. We have not seen any tightness in the monetary condition and trading continues to grow. It has not been an impediment to financing economic activity,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said during the BSP’s annual media seminar held here.

The Monetary Board (MB), BSP’s policy making body, has cut twice its key rates down to their record-lows this year, putting overnight borrowing rate at four percent and overnight lending rate, six percent. It has also lowered the amount banks must keep as reserve to 19 percent from 21 percent.

Foreign funds will be officially banned in the special deposit accounts (SDAs) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) under “refinements” made by monetary authorities to combat speculative inflows, the central bank chief said yesterday.

“Existing regulations on SDA do not provide restrictions on non-resident investors,” BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. told reporters during the BSP’s annual media seminar held here.

“The (Monetary) Board then approved at its last meeting a refinement to the manner in which SDA is traded. This will be effective immediately upon publication,” he explained. - by Prinz Magtulis, Philippine Star (source)

bisan stuffed toy naamong intawon. pero okay lang para makuhaan ang lisang-lisang sa bata.

Due to continuous demand for the service, Sun Cellular has extended its Sun Postpaid TRIO Add-on Plans Promo to Aug. 31, 2012.

Subscribers can now power-up their Sun Postpaid subscription until the end of August of this year with any of the TRIO Add-on Plans and get special call and text allocations to Smart and Talk ‘n Text subscribers.

For only P99 on top of their current monthly service fee, subscribers may avail of the TRIO Text Add-on Plan with 1,000 texts to Smart and Talk n’ Text numbers or the TRIO Call Add-on Plan with 50 minutes of calls to Smart and Talk n’ Text.

For the best of both worlds, a minimal P199 addition to their monthly bill, will give them the TRIO Combo Add-on Plan with 1,250 texts and 50 minutes of calls to Smart and Talk n’ Text numbers.

To activate any of these services, subscribers just need to text any of these codes to 2687 - SAP <space> ON<space> TEXT for the TRIO Text Add-on, SAP <space> ON<space> CALL for the TRIO Call Add-on, or SAP <space> ON <space> C&T for the TRIO Combo. Subscribers may now also dial *247# on their Sun postpaid phones and order Trio Add-ons via SUN’s new interactive postpaid menu.
source: Philippine Star

basin spiderparents ang mga ginikanan ani.

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star)

Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI), the hard liquor unit of diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp., is evaluating the feasibility of export- ing to the United States and India, according to a filing with securities regulators.

GSMI, which offers a range of liquor products including gin, brandy, Chinese wine, rum, vodka, tequila and whisky, is looking for new markets to further widen its reach.

The major countries to which GSMI is exporting are Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, China and the Middle East.

GSMI owns one distillery, three liquor bottling plants and one cas- sava starch milk plant.

by Philippine Star - Francorp Philippines, the country’s leading franchise developer has partnered with banking giant BPI Family Savings Bank (BFSB) for the “Ka- Negosyo Program,” a new financing program for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that plan to franchise their business concepts.

Francorp and BFSB signed the contract that formalized their partnership last week.

BFSB, which will be a co-presentor of the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) in staging the Franchise Asia Philippines 2012 (FAP2012) Expo slated July 25 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center from July 25 to 29, will implement the program in partnership with Francorp Philippines, an affiliate of Francorp International, the world’s leading franchise consultant that has 22 offices worldwide.

Samie Lim, Francorp chairman, said under the program BFSB will offer financing to emerging concepts that have strong and excellent chances of succeeding in the franchising industry.

Construction boom to drive growth in transport equipment business
By Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Local truck body builder Centro Manufacturing Corp. is optimistic in the growth of the transport equipment business this year amid an increased demand seen in construction investments.

In a statement yesterday, Vic Belisario, sales manager of Centro Manufacturing, said the prolonged construction boom in the country is seen to support the transport industry.

He cited that analysts view the sharp increase in public construction investment which started in the last quarter of 2011, would encourage the government to continue to boost infrastructure spending this year.

The higher government spending on infrastructure, he said, would result in overall construction growth rate of 6.6 percent this year.

“With this development, we expect the demand for truck, earth moving and other transport equipment to increase,” he said.

“Factor in the increases in call centers, overseas Filipino workers’ remittances, hotel or condo or office constructions and domestic trade transactions, not only is the truck market expected to increase but the truck-mounted equipment market as well,” he said further.

Data from the National Statistics Office showed that domestic trade transactions which flowed through the transport system was up 4.7 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.

IPOPHL offers patent protection for academic institutions
By Louella D. Desiderio (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Some 42 academic institutions are expected to benefit from a patent protection incentive package offered by the government, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said.

IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor said in an interview that the 42 universities where the Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSO) have been set-up will be given a chance to avail of a program offering free patent filings for their inventions.

“This (incentive package) will encourage many of the inventors to file for protection and eventually, commercialize,” he said.

The ITSOs were put up with the IPOPHL to extend affordable quality patent information search and training services, as well as patent drafting and assistance to inventors and researchers within the academe.

Through the ITSO, inventors and researchers would be able to discover new information on the subject they are working on as well as related prior works in existing patents worldwide in order to avoid duplication of works.

By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc., a unit of dominant carrier PLDT, expects a spike in the usage of “cloud-based” services such as online storage, backup and file sharing applications in the Philippines as the company undertakes P67.1-billion network upgrade.

Lloyd Manaloto, head of Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services, said the rise in the usage of cloud services in the country would be in line with the introduction of super-fast wireless technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Manaloto pointed out that cloud services are quickly gaining mainstream acceptance around the world as major mobile operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows offer cloud-based services to their users.

Apple, for example, has integrated its proprietary iCloud backup technology to all devices running the latest versions of its OS. The same goes with Android with Google Drive and Windows with Microsoft SkyDrive.

By Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and subsidiary SubicTel has powered WiFi zones in 125 establishments in the former US military base in Subic.

PLDT and SubicTel recently signed up agreement with 12 more merchants led by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to provide premium WiFi service within the freeport and economic zone.

Aside from SBMA, other establishments that signed the WiFi zone partnership agreement include Aristocrat Restaurant, All Hands Beach Resort, Bayfront Hotel, Eastern Gasoline Station, Meat Plus Restaurant, Networx Jetsports, Royal Duty Free Shop, Subic Bay Yacht Club, The Lighthouse Marina Resort, Zoobic Safari as well as Pier One Bar and Grill.

PLDT Home Wired Data head Gary Dujali said Subic is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the country.

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Securities and Exchange Commission has upheld the P65,000 fine imposed against the Philippine Stock Exchange for violating its own disclosure rules.

The PSE said it received a letter from the SEC dated July 5, saying its request for reconsideration of the penalty has been denied.

The imposition of the penalty stemmed from the bourse’s failure to comply with Sec. 17.2(a) of the PSE Disclosure Rules pertaining to the submission of consolidated financial reports.

In particular, the PSE failed to submit on time a complete 2011 consolidated financial report covering its subsidiaries and operating units.

SSS sees net revenues growing to P28 B in 2012
By Iris C. Gonzales (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Social Security System (SSS) expects to end the year with as much as P28 billion in net revenues, or P4 billion more than the roughly P24 billion posted in 2011, its top official told The STAR.

In an interview, SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros Jr. said higher revenues would come from a combination of an improvement in operations and better investment income.

“I think we will be ending in the neighborhood of about P26 billion to P28 billion in net revenues. We did P24 billion last year. It will come from a combination of fixed income and good trading gains,” De Quiros said.

He said SSS would continue to improve its operations as well as manage its expenses well to be able to earn higher revenues this year.