Blogistangpulpol: thoughts, interests and quotes

Your Favorite Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 May 2010 14:03:00 +0000

I had a movie marathon on cable the other night and instantly, among the movies that I really loved is Rendition. I did not have any idea what the film is about; the title got me curious about what the story of the movie. I saw Jake Gyllenhaal, who also stars in the latest movie Prince of Persia, on the early scenes. I saw him on Brokeback Mountain and I thought he's a great actor, so that made me stuck to watching this movie Rendition.

Jake plays a CIA agent on the movie, who is briefing a new agent in Africa; while they were at the square, a suicide attack happened and killed a number of people among which was the newly arrived CIA agent. Reese Witherspoon is also in the movie who plays the pregnant wife of Omar El-Ibrahimi played by Omar Metwally.

I like this film so much because it made me realize what Muslims believe in and what make them do such suicide attacks. The film is drama that has political twist. Douglas Freeman played by Jake Gyllenhaal have to make a difficult decision in the end realizing that they do not have a solid evidence on Omar's link with the known terrorist, Rashid.

If you love movies like this, look for Dana Bashor articles and movie roundup. You might also be interested in checking out Dana Bashor tech.

Cheap Eyeglasses made available online by ZENNI

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:22:00 +0000

I have been using eyeglasses for quite a number of years, and every time they break I'm kind of having difficulty replacing them since I do not always have the time to go to the store to have them fixed or replaced and what's worse is they are expensive and sometimes they cause a strain on my budget. Good thing I was able to read about Eric's Review of Zenni Optical on Examiner.com who is a satisfied customer for eight years and it convinced me to check outZenniOptical.com.

I checked out the styles available for my needs and was surprised to like them; they're stylish and fashionable and not only that, it costs only $8.00! The Lowest Price Progressive Glasses ever! Imagine that, and to top it all of, they only charge $4.95 for shipping no matter how many you order. As I browsed through the website, I have learned that they manufacture their own brand ZENNI, and do not sell designer brands or other inexpensive brands. All of their products are quality made in their own factories, which goes directly to their customers. Satisfied customers of ZenniOptical.com then spread about the products and services like Mr. Eric Hammer have done on his post. This explains why they can offer them very cheap; very minimal or in this case no advertising budget at all needless to say that Zenni is The #1 online Rx glasses store.

Ordering for eyeglasses with ZenniOptical.com is easy and convenient as well, since you can order online you can just go to http://www.ZenniOptical.com and click on the category you like, browse through the styles that is appropriate for your need. In this case, you should enter your pupilary distance(PD); you may ask your doctor about this if you do not know your (PD), then click on ORDER, supply the needed information then click on ADD TO CART and follow the instructions on the screen…that's it! So go on and check ZenniOptical.com now.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:31:00 +0000

KQZUKUSESNGK

Natural remedies for Gallstone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:38:00 +0000

Natural Remedies for Gallstones

Biliary colic and cholecystitis are in the spectrum of gallbladder disease. This spectrum ranges from asymptomatic gallstones to biliary colic, cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, and cholangitis.

When gallstones temporarily obstruct the cystic duct or pass through into the common bile duct, gallstones become symptomatic and biliary colic develops. When the cystic duct or common bile duct becomes obstructed for hours or gallstones irritate the gallbladder, cholecystitis develops. Choledocholithiasis occurs when the stones become lodged in the common bile duct, resulting in possible cholangitis and ascending infections.

Natural Remedies for Biliary Colic, Cholecystitis, and Gall Stones

Gall Stone Congestion Of The Gall Bladder And Liver; indigestion, especially after fatty food. Bloating, flatulence and wind. Pain in the solar plexus (bottom of the sternam) pain to the right of the solar plexus and pain radiating around back in line with the waist, pain around right shoulder blade. If a stone is stuck in the gall bladder exit tube it can cause severe pain that can occur in waves.

The Gradual Method

Take 20ml daily of olive oil with the juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass or cup. Take the juice of the other half a lemon sometime later in the day. The addition of a kidney bean sized peice of raw garlic finely sliced and added to the olive oil and lemon juice mixture will help further.

For a stronger and deeper effect on cleansing the liver and the lymphatic system you can also add some Black Seed Oil to your daily regime. Start at 5ml per day, increasing to 10ml and then further to 15ml if the overall effect is not too stong (especially for sensitive persons). This may cause very loose bowels for a period of a few days. This is part of the cleansing process. A few months of Black Seed Oil use can improve liver function and that of other internal organs. It is less likely that fresh stones will form, especially if a healthy diet and lifestlye is maintained.

To further help dissolve gall stones take 2 level dessertspoons of Lecithin granules daily.

In addition, the following foods can help to naturally remove gall stones and sediment. These taken daily for months, in support of the gradual method, should remove even the biggest gall stones.

Turmeric - About half teaspoon daily of the powder

Raw Beetroot juice

Radish - 6 a day

Lime, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit - 1 a day

Chamomile and Cleavers Tea

Simple Gall Bladder Flush One Day Method

Eat only organic or spray free apples on the day of the flush (or raw apple juice up to one pint) green apples are the most effective, but any type will help. No other food.

At bed time warm two thirds of a cup of virgin olive oil to body heat and mix with one third a cup of fresh raw lemon juice. Slowly sip the entire mixture, and then go straight to bed lying on your right side, with the right leg drawn up. In the morning stones will be passed in the stool.

This procedure may need to be repeated several times for complete clearance of the gall bladder and the liver. There is no need for an operation to remove the gall bladder

When there is infection or suspected infection present - use Olive Leaf Capsules

For inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis) use Serrapeptase

Pathophysiology

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder caused by obstruction of the cystic duct. A gallstone usually causes the obstruction (calculous cholecystitis). The inflammation may be sterile or bacterial. The obstruction may be acalculous or caused by sludge. (In the case of infection use Zell-Oxygen and Olive Leaf capsules. For inflammation use Serrapeptase).

Bacterial infection is thought to be a consequence, not a cause, of cholecystitis. Approximately 75% of bile cultures are positive. The most common organisms are Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, and enterococci. Common bile duct stones (choledocholithiasis, 10%) are either secondary (from the gallbladder) or primary (formed in bile ducts).

Frequency

In the US: Prevalence of cholelithiasis is affected by many factors, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, medical problems, and fertility. Between 10-20% of adults (approximately 20 million people) in the US have gallstones. Each year, only 1-3% of people with stones develop symptoms of gallstones.

Internationally: Racial or ethnic influences are important in gallbladder disease. People of Hispanic or northern European countries are more likely to have stones. African Americans are at decreased risk for gallstones unless they have a hematologic reason for stones (eg, sickle cell anemia). Asians with stones are more likely than other populations to have pigmented stones. In elderly Pima Indians, incidence of gallstones is approximately 75%.

Sex: The phrase "fair, female, fat, and fertile" summarizes the major risk factors for development of gallstones. Although gallstones and cholecystitis are more common in women, men with gallstones are more likely to develop cholecystitis than women with gallstones. Some oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy may increase the risk of gallstones.

Age: Age increases the rate of gallstones, cholecystitis, and common bile duct stones. Elderly patients are more likely to go from asymptomatic gallstones to serious complications of gallstones without gallbladder colic. Children are more likely than adults to have acalculous gallstones. If stones exist, they are more likely pigmented stones from hemolytic diseases (eg, sickle cell diseases, spherocytosis, G-6-PD deficiency) or chronic diseases (eg, total parental nutrition, burns, trauma). Teenagers have the same etiologies of gallstones as adults, with a higher incidence in girls and during pregnancy.

Typical gallbladder colic is 1-5 hours of constant pain, most commonly in the epigastrium or right upper quadrant. Pain may radiate to the right scapular region or back. Peritoneal irritation by direct contact with the gallbladder localizes the pain to the right upper quadrant. Pain is severe, dull or boring, and constant (not colicky). Patients tend to move around to seek relief from the pain. Onset of pain develops hours after a meal, occurs frequently at night, and awakens the patient from sleep. Associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pleuritic pain, and fever.

Zollinger performed studies in the 1930s in which the gallbladder wall or common bile duct was distended with a balloon and pain was elicited in the epigastric region. (Traverso 1993) The patient experienced right upper quadrant pain only if the distended gallbladder touched the peritoneum. Associated symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or referred pain were only present in distention of the common bile duct but not the gallbladder.

Persistence of biliary obstruction leads to cholecystitis and persistent right upper quadrant pain. Character of pain is similar to gallbladder colic except that it is prolonged and lasts hours or days. Nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever are associated more commonly with cholecystitis.

Indigestion, belching, bloating, and fatty food intolerance are thought to be typical symptoms of gallstones; however, these symptoms are just as common in people without gallstones and frequently are not cured by cholecystectomy.

Most gallstones (60-80%) are asymptomatic at a given time. Smaller stones are more likely to be symptomatic than larger ones. Almost all patients develop symptoms prior to complications.

Symptoms of cholecystitis are steady pain in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Acute attack often is precipitated by a large or fatty meal.

Vital signs parallel the degree of illness. Patients with cholangitis are more likely to have fever, tachycardia, and/or hypotension. Patients with gallbladder colic have relatively normal vital signs. In a retrospective study, only 32% of patients with cholecystitis had fever. Fever may be absent.

If after experimentation with the above remedies over a 3 month period, you are still experiencing symptoms, you may want to consider whether there may be deeper underlying causes. There may be a degree of an auto-immune disorder so we would recommend that you read the article Factors Involved In Auto-Immune Disorders And Effective, Natural Treatment Protocols.

This was taken at this URL: http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/content.asp?id=152

Probe on NBN-ZTE deal: Is it a Waste of Time?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:49:00 +0000

Probe on NBN (National Broadband Network): Is It a Waste of Time?

The government officials who are on the side of the Arroyo’s think it is. The opposition thinks it is not. However, what about the masses, what do they think about it? I have been into discussion with a forum at Sulit.com.ph and there is divided opinion on the issue, somehow. About half of the people in the forum think that it is a waste of time, since most of the probes that the Senate did in the past did not prosper into a concrete solution to the problem. But the other half thinks that it did helped in putting a stop to the what could have been a big scam in the government.

The probe started when, whistle-blower Joey de Venecia, pointed at Mr. Abalos, COMELEC Chairman then and the no less than the First Gentleman, Arroyo as behind the over pricing of the said deal with the ZTE Officials, with about 130milliion dollars commission. The amount is outrageously huge, but with the other two testifying in the Senate probe, it might be true. Mr. Neri, of NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) then, was involved on the study of the NBN deal, he testified in the Senate probe but his testimonies are somehow short of what people had expected. He mentioned in one of his testimonies that, the former COMELEC Chairman, bribed him of 200(million) should the deal be approved by NEDA in favor of ZTE. However, as I understand it, things did not turn out the way Mr. Abalos expected it. The proposal of Joey de Venecia’s was the one that was approved by NEDA and according to Mr. Jun Lozada’s testimony, Mr. Neri talked to him and asked him to reconcile the two parties, ZTE and Joey de Venecia, with the latter as the contractor and ZTE as the supplier, going for a win-win solution for the said parties. However, apparently, Mr. De Venecia did not like the amount Mr. Abalos was asking from the said deal. Somehow, it might have triggered the ire between them.

The hottest person in the news today is Mr. Jun Lozada, being the latest witness in the junked NBN deal. I find Mr. Jun Lozada as a credible witness being him as one of the guys, then. He admits to the things that a government employee should not do. Things, as he said, that would make him lose his self-respect. Nevertheless, good for him, he decided not to drown in his own sin and instead testify against the big people in the government. His testimonies in the Senate were detailed from the time he arrived from Hong Kong until the time he was given to the de La Salle brothers and sisters. Now, Mr. Lozada fears for his life and his loved ones; he does not have a job; could not go home and his kids had to stop from going to school. He also stated in an interview with ABS-CBN that he knows it would come to this, before he decided to talk about the truth. So, why would Mr. Lozada make up stories as “outrageous” as that, as what administration officials would like it to insinuate?

The government should have a lot to explain about the whole mess that they created. It is about time that they should learn to respect the people’s right to know what’s happening and not to cover up things by creating another issue or looking for cases that they could file against the people or group who had turned against them. What could a person like Mr. Jun Lozada do against the administration people who have their position and power at their hands? Mr. Jun Lozada does not have all the financial resources compared to these people. They can do whatever it takes to discredit Mr. Lozada, and this is so unfortunate for people like Mr. Lozada, who work in the government who want to come out and talk bout the irregularities their superiors are doing, precisely because of fear of losing their job as one of the worst-case scenario.

Does the Senate probe really is a waste of time and money? No, it is not. It is the Filipino’s right to know what is going on no matter how bad the reality is. The administration thinks that the probe would not go anywhere. Well, for starters it already did progressed when the ZTE contract was suspended. If it had not been investigated by the Senate, the deal would have been pushed through and another burden would have been added on the shoulders of the taxpayers.

*pictures courtesy of ABS-CBN Interactive

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:51:00 +0000

Paypal

Paypal is now available for its users in the Philippines. I am one of the users of this since I learned how to earn through Pay per click websites. I have not received from any of the pay per click sites that I joined in though, but I was able to use Paypal through payments that I received from reviews that I made of other websites.

I am happy to know that Paypal also made it available to us the feature which was only available in the U.S. then like adding up the bank account, which is definitely a welcome thing for me, since they will only charge me 50php for a withdrawal transaction from Paypal account to my bank account. It is a big discount from the then 5dollars for a withdrawal transaction from Paypal to my debit card, which is roughly about 200php calculating at the present exchange rate. I know many users of Paypal are happy with this recent development.

Still not a user of Paypal? Well, try it and you will find it useful especially when you want to buy online, because you would not have to reveal your bank account number or your debit/credit card to online merchants in the Internet. I think it is definitely a secured website.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:41:00 +0000

Sulit.com.ph: A FREE Ads posting website

This website, which I have been a member since November 2007, has been useful for me. It is a FREE website for those who want to advertise their products and services: this website particularly caters to small and medium scale business owners who want to widen their market, and what way would that be, but through the Internet. Through this site, I was able to dispose of my books that have been cluttering my closet. I also, am able to advertise my online businesses that I find so useful in getting people to sign-up under my account without so much effort.

Sulit.com.ph targets the Filipino entrepreneur as well as those who are looking for business and for products and services, but the Internet is a vast avenue for all Internet users, so this makes marketing of products and services not just confined in the Philippines. With still growing number of members, Sulit.com.ph, proves how useful their website is. To top it all of, the developers of this website make the website fun and entertaining, with its interactive forum and post out inquiries within the advertiser’s posted ads. Members gain SC (Sulit Currency) whenever they post new ads, update their existing ads, report a member who violated any of the regulations, or simply by making comments on forums. Any SC gained from this, can be used for prioritizing their ads and or featuring their ads in the website.

Sulit.com.ph website developers provided personalized widgets that can be also be posted to other websites. I personally had put mine in my Friendster account and do prove to increase my ads viewers significantly since then. In addition, since I placed my ad widget in my Friendster account, anyone who clicks it would be able to know my blogs site at Blogger.com. This I noticed had also helped in improving the frequency of visitors in my blogs site.

What's in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:32:00 +0000

I want to share an article that I've read from Food Magazine, entitled Desserts of the Rich and Famous by Eufemia C. Estrada.

Pastries with catchy names like Madonna and Mozart never fail to grab a prospective diner's interest. What is a Chocolate Madonna or a Mozart and why are they so named?

I have dug up a list of such dishes inspired by some personality, a dog (yes, a dog), a place and even a child's toy. Here's a sample:
Marcel Desaulniers of Death by Chocolate fame has his Chocolate Madonna, which is made up of "chocolate bustiers, thin wafer-like cakes which are flat when they are taken out of the oven but soon turn "voluptuous" as they are wrapped around cream horn forms and drizzled with dark and white chocolate for a zebra effect. Once shaped, these are placed in raspberry mounds.

A children's toy, the Mikado, the French equivalent of the American pick-up sticks inspired Francois Payard of New York to create Chocolate Mikado Cake. This cake is topped with chocolate "cigarettes" which look like pick-up sticks.

Payard has also created Gateau Alexandra, which he named after his wife. A three-layer cake, it is made of chocolate Swiss meringue with the chocolate mousse filling topped with fingers of meringue.

Gateau Saint Honore, an excellent dessert consisting of a pate choux base with rich patisserie filling, is named after the patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers

A chocolate pound cake with a filling of apricot and raspberry marmalade covered with cocoa frosting commemorates Napoleaon's defeat by the Hapburgs of Austria and their allies in the Napoleonic wars and is aptly named Napoleon Torte.

In the book Desserts by Pierre Herme, the great composer Mozart has been immortalized in the culinary world with a cinnamon almond pastry with sweet chocolate mousse. It is said that when diners bite into a Mozart, they will "taste the chocolate first, cinnamon next, and then the apples."

Senior citizens will remember Ann Sheridan, the red-haired actress and World-War II pin-up girl who was known as "the Oomph girl." A cherry sundae, Oomph Girl a la Mode, is named for her honor.

Othello is a British pastry named for the Moor in Shakespeare's Othello. It is made of two round cookies sandwiched together with chocolate butter cream and coated completely with chocolate fondant.

The familiar Pavlova is an Australian creation i honor of Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a baked meringue layer topped with whipped cream and a combination of tropical fruit, traditionally passion fruit and pineapple. But any compatible combination such mango, fresh orange section and canned pineapple will do.

The French chef Auguste Escoffer created the Peach Melba for opera singer Nellie Melba. It is a dessert made with poached peach halves, vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.

The Riviera is made up of thin and chewy layers of flourless chocolate cake with filling of dark, bittersweet mousse and a sunshine yellow cream. Another creation of Pierre Herme.

American chef Anne Rosenweig has created a cake inspired by the dog with many folds of skin—the Shar-Pei. Individual servings of devil’s food cake are draped with rich chocolate topping that falls in loose folds just like the topping that many folds. That is the Shar-Pei Cake.

Tyler Pudding Pie, named after American president John Tyler is a popular dessert in the South (U.S.A). It is made with brown sugar, butter, cream and eggs topped with grated coconut.

Aside from these there’s also a candy and an apple named for a personality. Baby Ruth, a popular chocolate candy, was not named after the great baseball player as many mistakenly think, but after the daughter of President Grover Cleveland. The Granny Smith apple is named for an Australian gardener, Maria Ann Smith. The Granny Smith is a good all-purpose apple but is especially suited for apple pies with its tart, sweet flavor and firm flesh.

Ground almonds take the place of flour in this queen of flourless cakes. Queen Mother’s Cake is so named because when the Queen Mother of England tasted it she liked it much as she asked for the recipe and frequently served it at her palace parties. Pianist Jan Smeterlin while on a concert tour in Austria picked up the recipe. Smeterlin, who loves to cook, prepared it for the Queen Mother and the rest, as they say, is history. Thanks to Maida Hatter, who shared the recipe in her Book of Great Desserts.

If I were Madonna or prima ballerina I could wish for no better honor than to have a culinary creation named after me.

End of the article, which was published on August 2000 at Manila, Philippines.

When I read this article, I was amazed on how people could be so creative in naming their creations not to mention on how they were able to come up with their masterpieces.

Tips on making Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:17:00 +0000

FOOD (The Magazine Of Good Cooking), which is published by ABS-CBN Publishing Inc., is one magazine that I really look forward to every month as I love the recipes that they feature in there, as well as the articles that can be useful for those who love to cook and bake.

I was going through the old Magazines that I have in my collection and this August 2000 issue caught my attention because of the cover, with three different flavored cheesecakes. The pictures alone would make your water melt and feel your stomach aching to have one of these. So I searched through the magazine to look for the recipe and see if it is easy to make and maybe consider buying the ingredients nest time I go the supermarket.

I would not be posting the recipe here it will be posted in my other blog, Lutuing Pilipino.com, but there are pointers that I would like to share, which were shared by Dorothy’s Kitchen, which is also written in this FOOD Magazine issue.

Other alternatives for the usual graham crackers are Marie biscuits, Oreo biscuits and the usual piecrust. A chiffon cake can also be used to line the bottom and the sides of the springform pans. Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature before beating it so as not to overwork the hand beater. Do not boil the gelatin. Just cook over low heat until it begins to boil. Turn off the heat once boiling starts.

ABS vs. GMA7: tv ratings war

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:42:00 +0000

This T.V. ratings war issue between ABS-CBN and GMA7 is the hot issue since before the year ended and it hasn't died down. It has gotten worse,in-fact, even the incident at the Manila Peninsula, which involved the handcuffing of media men and journalists, has become the issue between these two giant networks in the Philippines.

These issues started when ABS-CBN accused GMA7 had manipulated the ratings result by bribing the exposed households of AGB-Nielsen's respondents for survey of T.V. ratings. Personally, I am confused with this issue, if ABS-CBN is out there to throw shit on GMA7 just to rake ratings by exposing such anomaly on T.V. ratings, why would they expose it when they themselves are involved? It's like blowing themselves in deep shit! I think GMA7 has a lot of explaining to do and not just making their talents say on T.V. that they are proud to be "KAPUSO".

Shopping at Divisoria

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:48:00 +0000

Last week I went to Divisoria to buy giveaways for my niece's 7th birthday. I thought the place would would be jam packed by the time I arrive but surprisingly at 7a.m., Divisoria is not that at all! Considering that it is already the month of December! I was even there up to around 6p.m. but still the place isn't that packed the way that I remember it.

Bargains! yup! I found a lot and I am thinking of going back there to buy Christmas gifts for the kids. If you still have not tried Divisoria for your Christmas shopping, try it! Your 1thousand pesos would go a long long way!

Christmas Season: Divisoria

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:41:00 +0000

It's Christmas season here in the Philippines, actually it started last September and will end on the first Sunday of January. I do not know how long do other countries celebrate this "season of giving" but here, it is that long... no wonder that many of us have gone broke by the time the season ends!
When I was a kid, Christmas is the event of all events in a year, aside of course of the Intramurals we have after the school Christmas break, which I also treat as one of the special events. Why is Christmas for me "The Event"? Well, I love the cool weather and the Christmas tree and the gifts and the food....back then I was not that concerned where the gifts given to me were bought, or how much did it cost? Now, since I am the one giving with a tight budget, I look out for sale. Much that I would want to go to Divisoria, the shopping haven for most of us in Manila,but I hate crowded stores and smelly people around...plus me being all sweaty!
But I like going to Divisoria when it's not "ber" months...I can have nice outfits for, like 5 pieces of nice blouses for just a thousand pesos!I have tried going to Divisoria one December, and I ended up just looking around since it was all crowded, and the stuffs that I was supposed to buy were out of stock. I ended up buying Christmas gifts at National Bookstore and Robinsons Metroeast and Sta. Lucia Grandmall.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:52:00 +0000

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How do I increase visitors on my blogs?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:37:00 +0000

I have other Blogger blogs, and this is the latest one that I created. I am thinking of deleting my other blogs since they are not doing very well in terms of revenues on advertisements in adsense. But on the other hand, I have already posted some things there that are for me are valuable information. I am still trying to figure out how am I going to make more out of these sites. My other blogs, by the way are: Lutuing pilipino.com ;Bisnes Online ; if anybody out there is reading these blogs, kindly comment on my blogs on how am I going to increase the visitors of these blogs.

The Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:04:00 +0000

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of the Philippines

Geography
Area: 300,000 sq. km. (117,187 sq. mi.).
Major cities (2005 estimate): Capital--Manila (pop. 11.29 million in metropolitan area); other cities--Davao City (1.33 million); Cebu City (0.82 million).
Terrain: Islands, 65% mountainous, with narrow coastal lowlands.
Climate: Tropical, astride typhoon belt.

People
Nationality: Noun--Filipino(s). Adjective--Philippine.
Population (2007 estimate): 88.71 million; estimate for 2006: 86.97 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.993%.
Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese.
Religions: Catholic 85%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 1%.
Languages: Pilipino (based on Tagalog), national language; English, language of government and instruction in education.
Education: Years compulsory--6 (note: 6 years of primary education free and compulsory; 4 years of secondary education free but not compulsory). Attendance--94% in elementary grades, 64% in secondary grades. Literacy--93.4%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2003)--29 per 1,000. Life expectancy (2005)--64.10 yrs. for males; 70.10 yrs. for females.
Work force (2006): 35.84 million. Services (including commerce and government, 2006)--49%; agriculture--36%; industry--15%.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: 1946.
Constitution: February 11, 1987.
Branches: Executive--president and vice president. Legislative--bicameral legislature. Judicial--independent.
Administrative subdivisions: 15 regions and Metro Manila (National Capital Region), 79 provinces, 115 cities.
Political parties: Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, Nationalist People's Coalition, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Liberal Party, Aksiyon Demokratiko, Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, and other small parties.
Suffrage: Universal, but not compulsory, at age 18.

Economy
GDP (2006): $117.6 billion.
Annual GDP growth rate (2006): 5.4% at constant prices.
GDP per capita (2006): $1,352.
Natural resources: Copper, nickel, iron, cobalt, silver, gold.
Agriculture: Products--rice, coconut products, sugar, corn, pork, bananas, pineapple products, aquaculture, mangoes, eggs.
Industry: Types--textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing.
Trade (2006): Exports--$47.4 billion. Imports--$51.8 billion.

PEOPLE
The majority of Philippine people are descendants of Indonesians and Malays who migrated to the islands in successive waves over many centuries and largely displaced the aboriginal inhabitants. The largest ethnic minority now is the mainland Asians (called Chinese), who have played an important role in commerce for many centuries since they first came to the islands to trade. Arabs and Indians also traveled and traded in the Philippines in the first and early second millennium. As a result of intermarriage, many Filipinos have some Asian mainland, Spanish, American, Arab, or Indian ancestry. After the mainland Asians, Americans and Spaniards constitute the next largest minorities in the country.

More than 90% of the people are Christian as a result of the nearly 400 years of Spanish and American rule. The major non-Hispanicized groups are the Muslim population, concentrated in the Sulu Archipelago and in central and western Mindanao, and the mountain aboriginal groups of northern Luzon. Small forest tribes still live in the more remote areas of Mindanao.

About 87 languages and dialects are spoken, most belonging to the Malay-Polynesian linguistic family. Of these, eight are the first languages of more than 85% of the population. The three principal indigenous languages are Cebuano, spoken in the Visayas; Tagalog, predominant in the area around Manila; and Ilocano, spoken in northern Luzon. Since 1939, in an effort to develop national unity, the government has promoted the use of the national language, Pilipino, which is based on Tagalog. Pilipino is taught in all schools and is gaining widespread acceptance across the archipelago. Many use English, Fukienese, or Mandarin as second languages. Nearly all professionals, academics, and government workers speak some English. In January 2003, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Education to restore English as the medium of instruction in all schools and universities. Only a few Filipino families use Spanish as a second language.

The Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates in the developing world. About 92% of the population 10 years of age and older are literate.

HISTORY
The history of the Philippines can be divided into four distinct phases: the pre-Spanish period (before 1521); the Spanish period (1521-1898); the American period (1898-1946); and the post-independence period (1946-present).

Pre-Spanish Period
The first people in the Philippines, the Negritos, are believed to have come to the islands 30,000 years ago from Borneo and Sumatra, making their way across then-existing land bridges. Subsequently, Malays came from the south in successive waves, the earliest by land bridges and later in boats by sea. The Malays settled in scattered communities, named barangays after the large outrigger boats in which they arrived, and ruled by chieftains known as datus. Chinese merchants and traders arrived and settled in the ninth century, sometimes traveling on the ships of Arab traders, introducing Islam in the south and extending some influence even into Luzon. The Malays, however, remained the dominant group until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.

Spanish Period
Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines and claimed the archipelago for Spain in 1521, but stayed for only a few days. Christianity was established in the Philippines only after the arrival of the succeeding Spanish expeditionary forces (the first led by Legazpi in the 16th century) and the Spanish Jesuits, and in the 17th and 18th centuries by the conquistadores.

Until Mexico proclaimed independence from Spain in 1810 the islands were under the administrative control of Spanish North America, and there was significant migration between North America and the Philippines. This period was the era of conversion to Roman Catholicism. A Spanish colonial social system was developed with a local government centered in Manila and with considerable clerical influence. Spanish influence was strongest in Luzon and the central Philippines but less so in Mindanao, save for certain coastal cities.

The long period of Spanish rule was marked by numerous uprisings. Towards the latter half of the 19th century, European-educated Filipinos or ilustrados (such as the Chinese Filipino national hero Jose Rizal) began to criticize the excesses of Spanish rule and instilled a new sense of national identity. This movement gave inspiration to the final revolt against Spain that began in 1896 under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo (another Chinese Filipino) and continued until the Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898.

American Period
Following Admiral George Dewey's defeat of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, the U.S. occupied the Philippines. Spain ceded the islands to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Paris (December 10, 1898) that ended the war.

A war of resistance against U.S. rule, led by revolutionary General Aguinaldo, broke out in 1899. This conflict claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos and thousands of Americans. Filipinos and an increasing number of American historians refer to these hostilities as the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), and in 1999, the U.S. Library of Congress reclassified its references to use this term. In 1901, Aguinaldo was captured and swore allegiance to the U.S., and resistance gradually died out until the conflict ended with a Peace Proclamation on July 4, 1902. However, armed resistance continued sporadically until 1913, especially among the Muslims in Mindanao and Sulu, with heavy casualties on both sides.

U.S. administration of the Philippines was always declared to be temporary and aimed to develop institutions that would permit and encourage the eventual establishment of a free and democratic government. Therefore, U.S. officials concentrated on the creation of such practical supports for democratic government as public education, public infrastructure, and a sound legal system.

The first legislative assembly was elected in 1907, and a bicameral legislature, largely under Filipino control, was established. A civil service was formed and was gradually taken over by the Filipinos, who had effectively gained control by the end of World War I. The Catholic Church was disestablished, and a considerable amount of church land was purchased and redistributed.

In 1935, under the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president of the new government, which was designed to prepare the country for independence after a 10-year transition period. World War II intervened, however, and in May 1942, Corregidor, the last American/Filipino stronghold, fell. U.S. forces in the Philippines surrendered to the Japanese, placing the islands under Japanese control. During the occupation, thousands of Filipinos fought a running guerilla campaign against Japanese forces.

The full-scale war to regain the Philippines began when General Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944. Filipinos and Americans fought together until the Japanese surrendered in September 1945. Much of Manila was destroyed during the final months of the fighting, making it the second most devastated city in World War II after Warsaw. In total, an estimated one million Filipinos lost their lives in the war.

Due to the Japanese occupation, the guerrilla warfare that followed, and the battles leading to liberation, the country suffered great damage and a complete organizational breakdown. Despite the shaken state of the country, the U.S. and the Philippines decided to move forward with plans for independence. On July 4, 1946, the Philippine Islands became the independent Republic of the Philippines, in accordance with the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act. In 1962, the official Philippine Independence Day was changed from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the date independence from Spain was declared by Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898.

Post-Independence Period
The early years of independence were dominated by U.S.-assisted postwar reconstruction. The communist-inspired Huk Rebellion (1945-53) complicated recovery efforts before its successful suppression under the leadership of President Ramon Magsaysay. The succeeding administrations of Presidents Carlos P. Garcia (1957-61) and Diosdado Macapagal (1961-65) sought to expand Philippine ties to its Asian neighbors, implement domestic reform programs, and develop and diversify the economy.

In 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-86) declared martial law, citing growing lawlessness and open rebellion by the communist rebels as his justification. Marcos governed from 1973 until mid-1981 in accordance with the transitory provisions of a new constitution that replaced the commonwealth constitution of 1935. He suppressed democratic institutions and restricted civil liberties during the martial law period, ruling largely by decree and popular referenda. The government began a process of political normalization during 1978-81, culminating in the reelection of President Marcos to a six-year term that would have ended in 1987. The Marcos government's respect for human rights remained low despite the end of martial law on January 17, 1981. His government retained its wide arrest and detention powers, and corruption and cronyism contributed to a serious decline in economic growth and development.

The assassination of opposition leader Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino upon his return to the Philippines in 1983 after a long period of exile coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and set in motion a succession of events that culminated in a snap presidential election in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, and Salvador Laurel, head of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO). The election was marred by widespread electoral fraud on the part of Marcos and his supporters. International observers, including a U.S. delegation led by Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), denounced the official results. Marcos was forced to flee the Philippines in the face of a peaceful civilian-military uprising that ousted him and installed Corazon Aquino as president on February 25, 1986.

Under Aquino's presidency, progress was made in revitalizing democratic institutions and civil liberties. However, the administration was also viewed by many as weak and fractious, and a return to full political stability and economic development was hampered by several attempted coups staged by disaffected members of the Philippine military.

Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992. Early in his administration, Ramos declared "national reconciliation" his highest priority. He legalized the Communist Party and created the National Unification Commission (NUC) to lay the groundwork for talks with communist insurgents, Muslim separatists, and military rebels. In June 1994, President Ramos signed into law a general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, as well as Philippine military and police personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting the insurgents. In October 1995, the government signed an agreement bringing the military insurgency to an end. A peace agreement with one major Muslim insurgent group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), was signed in 1996, using the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as a vehicle for self-government.

Popular movie actor Joseph Ejercito Estrada's election as president in May 1998 marked the Philippines' third democratic succession since the ouster of Marcos. Estrada was elected with overwhelming mass support on a platform promising poverty alleviation and an anti-crime crackdown.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, elected vice president in 1998, assumed the presidency in January 2001 after widespread demonstrations that followed the breakdown of Estrada's impeachment trial on corruption charges. The Philippine Supreme Court subsequently endorsed unanimously the constitutionality of the transfer of power. National and local elections took place in May 2004. Under the constitution, Arroyo was eligible for another six-year term as president, and she won a hard-fought campaign against her primary challenger, movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr., in elections held May 10, 2004. Noli De Castro was elected vice president.

Impeachment charges were brought against Arroyo in June 2005 for allegedly tampering with the results of the elections after purported tapes of her speaking with an electoral official during the vote count surfaced, but Congress rejected the charges in September 2005. Similar charges were discussed and dismissed by Congress in the summer of 2006.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The Philippines has a representative democracy modeled on the U.S. system. The 1987 constitution, adopted during the Aquino administration, reestablished a presidential system of government with a bicameral legislature and an independent judiciary. The president is limited to one six-year term. Provision also was made in the constitution for autonomous regions in Muslim areas of Mindanao and in the Cordillera region of northern Luzon, where many aboriginal tribes still live.

The 24-member Philippine Senate is elected at large, and all senators serve six-year terms. Half are elected every three years. Of a maximum of 250 members in the House of Representatives, 212 are elected from single-member districts to serve three-year terms. The remainder of the House seats are designated for sectoral party representatives elected at large, called party list representatives. All representatives serve three-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. On May 14, 2007, legislative and local elections were held. President Arroyo's coalition won 195 of 220 seats in the House of Representatives, 72 of 81 gubernatorial seats, and 102 of 118 city mayoral seats. However, the President's coalition won only two out of 12 vacant seats in the Philippine Senate. Although the election was marred by some violence and irregularities, civil society monitoring groups played a welcome and active role in ensuring a relatively fair and democratic process.

The government continues to face threats from terrorist groups, including the Communist New People's Army and Muslim groups. The terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which gained international notoriety with its kidnappings of foreign tourists in the southern islands, remains a major problem for the government, along with members of the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). Efforts to track down and destroy the ASG and JI have met with some success, especially in Basilan and Jolo, where U.S. troops advised, assisted, and trained Philippine soldiers in counterterrorism. In August 2006, the Armed Forces of the Philippines began a major offensive against ASG and JI on the island of Jolo. This offensive was remarkably successful and resulted in the deaths of Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani and his deputy, Abu Solaiman. The U.S. Government provided rewards to Philippine citizens whose information led to these deaths in the military operations, as well as to many other operations against terrorist leaders.

An international monitoring team continues to watch over a four-year-old cease-fire agreement between the government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). In June 2003, the MILF issued a formal renunciation of terrorism. Talks on a peace accord between the two sides continue, with the Government of Malaysia acting as principal mediator.

Principal Government Officials
President--Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Vice President--Noli De Castro
Foreign Secretary--Alberto Romulo
Ambassador to the United States--Ambassador Willie Gaa
Permanent Representative to the UN--Hilario G. Davide

The Republic of the Philippines maintains an embassy in the United States at 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel. 202-467-9300). Consulates general are in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Agana (Guam).

ECONOMY
Since the end of World War II, the Philippine economy has had a mixed history of growth and development. Over the years, the Philippines has gone from being one of the richest countries in Asia (following Japan) to being one of the poorest. Growth immediately after the war was rapid, but slowed over time. Years of economic mismanagement and political instability under the Marcos regime eventually harmed economic growth and grossly adversely affected macroeconomic instability. A severe recession in 1984-85 saw the economy shrink by more than 10%, and perceptions of political instability during the Aquino administration further dampened economic activity. During his administration, President Ramos introduced a broad range of economic reforms and initiatives designed to spur business growth and foreign investment. As a result, the Philippines saw a period of higher growth, but the Asian financial crisis triggered in 1997 slowed economic development in the Philippines once again. President Estrada managed to continue some of the reforms begun by the Ramos administration. Important laws to strengthen regulation and supervision of the banking system (General Banking Act) and securities markets (Securities Regulation Code), to liberalize foreign participation in the retail trade sector, and to promote and regulate electronic commerce were enacted during his abbreviated term. Efforts to reform the constitution to encourage foreign investment, particularly foreign ownership of land, were abandoned amidst nationalist opposition. Initial optimism about prospects for economic reform also had dimmed amid concerns of governmental corruption. Scandals involving the Philippine Stock Exchange, and the President's close ties to certain businessmen, shook the confidence of investors and the business community and ultimately led to successful efforts to impeach and remove President Estrada.

Despite occasional challenges to her presidency and resistance to pro-liberalization reforms by vested interests, President Arroyo has made considerable progress in restoring macroeconomic stability with the help of a well-regarded economic team. Nonetheless, long-term economic growth remains threatened by widespread poverty, crumbling infrastructure and education systems, and trade and investment barriers.

Important sectors of the Philippine economy include agriculture and industry, particularly food processing; textiles and garments; and electronics and automobile parts. Most industries are concentrated in the urban areas around metropolitan Manila. Mining also has great potential in the Philippines, which possesses significant reserves of chromate, nickel, and copper. Significant natural gas finds off the islands of Palawan have added to the country's substantial geothermal, hydro, and coal energy reserves.

Today's Economy
GDP grew by 5.4% in 2006, marking the first time since the 1970s with three consecutive years of growth over 5%. Historically, the Philippines has had difficulty sustaining growth at over 5%. GDP increased by 6% in 2004, a 15-year high, and by 5% in 2005. Growth in 2006 was fueled by increased electronics exports, growth in the outsourcing industry, and a 20% increase in remittances from overseas workers to $12.8 billion and about 11% of GDP. GDP growth is expected to finish 2007 closer to the upper end of the government's targeted 6.1%-6.7% growth range. Still, it will take a higher, sustained economic growth path to make more appreciable progress in poverty alleviation given the Philippines' annual population growth rate of nearly 2%--one of the highest in Asia.

At $3.8 billion, the overall balance of payments ended 2006 with its largest surplus in nearly a decade. Exports totaled $47.4 billion in 2006, relying heavily on electronics shipments for about two-thirds of export revenues. Although there has been some improvement over the years, local value added of electronics exports remains relatively low at about 30%. Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow rose to $2.35 billion in 2006, nearly double the 2005 level. The U.S. remains the Philippines' largest trading partner with over $17 billion in two-way trade, and the largest investor with more than $6.5 billion in total FDI. Increased export revenue, investment inflows, and foreign remittances helped produce a current account surplus of $5 billion in 2006 (equivalent to 4.3% of GDP).

Increased foreign capital inflows made the Philippine stock market among the top performers in East Asia during 2006. Similarly, the Philippine peso appreciated about 7.5% to the U.S. dollar, making it among East Asia's best performing currencies in 2005-2006. The Philippines maintained reserves of foreign exchange and gold of $22.97 billion, adequate for 4.3 months of goods and services imports and equivalent to 2.5 times foreign debts maturing over the next 12 months.

Determined efforts to avert a fiscal and debt crisis through a combination of expenditure control and, more recently, new revenue measures have contributed significantly to positive financial sector indicators and the current air of cautious optimism. December 2004 legislation provided for biennial adjustments to the excise tax rates for tobacco and liquor products until 2011, while a law signed in January 2005 seeks to institute a performance-based rewards and penalty system in the government's revenue collection agencies. Despite public resistance and initial legal challenges, the government began implementing an expanded Value Added Tax law in November 2005, which added an estimated 75 billion pesos ($1.5 billion) to national government revenues during 2006 (equivalent to 1.2% of GDP).

Although still below the 17% peak of 1997 and the performance of most other countries in the region, the tax-to-GDP ratio--which had slipped to 12.5% by 2004 before improving to 13.0% in 2005--inched up for a second consecutive year to 14.3%. From a record $4.1 billion (5.3% of GDP) in 2002, the national government has recorded declining fiscal deficits for four consecutive years (to 0.6% of GDP in 2006) and targets balancing the budget by 2008. Consolidated public sector debt (which also includes the Central Bank, government-owned and controlled corporations, state-run social security agencies, and local government units) has declined from 2003's peak 118%-of-GDP ratio to under 90% of GDP. Major credit rating agencies raised their rating outlook for Philippine sovereign debt from "negative" to "stable" in recognition of fiscal progress. Interest rates on local government borrowings have come down, and spreads on foreign bonds have tightened significantly. Looking forward, further reforms are needed to ease fiscal pressures from large losses being sustained by a number of government-owned firms. Although steps have been taken to improve their financial health, challenges still remain to ensuring the long-term viability of state-run pension funds.

The Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s than its neighbors, aided in part by its high level of annual remittances from overseas workers, no sustained run-up in asset prices, and more moderate debt prior to the crises. Nonetheless, the Philippines' banking sector was not spared from high interest rates and non-performing asset (NPA) levels during the Asian financial crisis and its aftermath. Increases in minimum capitalization requirements, increasing loan-loss provisions, and generally healthy capital-adequacy ratios have helped temper systemic risk. The Central Bank has been working with the banking sector for the adoption of international risk assessment and capital adequacy standards, as well as international accounting standards. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Act of January 2003, which provides time-bound fiscal and regulatory incentives to encourage the sale to private asset management companies, has helped to reduce banks' portfolios of non-performing assets. Under the SPV, commercial banks were able to reduce their NPAs by 14% in 2006. The ratio of non-performing assets to total commercial banking system assets--which peaked at 18.3% in October 2001--has reverted to single-digit levels since mid-2005 and had declined to 6.5% of assets by end-2006. Nevertheless, circumstances surrounding bank closures continue to highlight remaining impediments to more effective bank supervision and timely intervention--including stringent bank secrecy laws, obstacles preventing bank regulators from examining banks at will, and inadequate legal protection for Central Bank officials and examiners.

The Central Bank's adoption since January 2002 of an inflation-targeting framework has enhanced transparency in the conduct of monetary policy. The inflation rate averaged 6.2% in 2006, down from 7.6% in 2005, and is expected to fall further to under 3% in 2007, comfortably below the Central Bank's target of 4-5%.

The Arroyo administration enacted an anti-money laundering law in September 2001 and followed through with amendments in March 2003 to address remaining legal concerns posed by the OECD Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF removed the Philippines from its list of Non-Cooperating Countries and Territories in February 2005, noting the significant progress made to remedy concerns and deficiencies identified by the FATF to improve implementation. The Egmont Group, the international network of financial intelligence units, admitted the Philippines to its membership in June 2005.

Although encountering implementation hitches, the Arroyo administration also enacted legislation in 2001 to rationalize the electric power sector and privatize the government's debt-saddled National Power Corporation (NPC). The government has achieved some success in establishing an independent regulatory system for electricity pricing that will benefit NPC finances. In addition to the Special Purpose Vehicle law, President Arroyo also signed into law in 2003 a priority initiative to reform the government procurement system (the Government Procurement Reform Act). During the first quarter of 2004, she signed into law legislation to rationalize and plug leakages in the Philippines' convoluted documentary stamp tax system and encourage secondary trading of financial instruments, as well as legislation (the Securitization Act) towards establishing the necessary infrastructure and market environment for a wide range of asset-backed securities. She also signed legislation to institutionalize Alternative Dispute Resolution for civil cases to help address the problem of overburdened court dockets.

The U.S. Trade Representative removed the Philippines from its Special 301 Priority Watchlist in 2006, reflecting improvement in its enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. However, sustained effort and continuing progress on key IPR issues will be essential to maintain this status.

Despite a number of policy reforms and recent good news, the Philippines continues to face important challenges and must sustain the reform momentum to catch up with its regional neighbors and to translate the current cautious optimism into the long-term confidence required to spur investments, achieve higher growth, generate employment, and alleviate poverty for a rapidly expanding population. Absent new revenue measures, sustained fiscal stability will require more aggressive tax collection efficiency to address the severe under-spending in infrastructure and social services in recent years of tight budgets. Addressing delays in power sector privatization remains critical to the long-term stability of public sector finances, ensuring reliable electricity supply, and to bringing down the high cost of power.

Potential foreign investors, as well as tourists, continue to be concerned about law and order, inadequate infrastructure, policy and regulatory instability, and governance issues. While trade liberalization presents significant opportunities, intensifying global competition and the emergence of low-wage export economies also pose challenges. Competition from other Southeast Asian countries and from China for investment underlines the need for sustained progress on structural reforms to remove bottlenecks to growth, to lower costs of doing business, and to promote good public and private sector governance. The government has been working to reinvigorate its anti-corruption drive, and the Office of the Ombudsman has reported improved conviction rates. Nevertheless, the Philippines will need to do more to improve international perception of its anti-corruption campaign--an effort that will require strong political will and significantly greater financial and human resources.

Agriculture and Forestry
Arable farmland comprises more than 40% of the total land area. Although the Philippines is rich in agricultural potential, inadequate infrastructure, lack of financing, and government policies have limited productivity gains. Philippine farms produce food crops for domestic consumption and cash crops for export. The agricultural sector employs more than one-third of the work force but provides less than one-fifth of GDP.

Decades of uncontrolled logging and slash-and-burn agriculture in marginal upland areas have stripped forests, with critical implications for the ecological balance. The government has instituted conservation programs, but deforestation remains a severe problem.

With its 7,107 islands, the Philippines has a very diverse range of fishing areas. Notwithstanding good prospects for the agriculture subsector, the marine fishing industry continues to face a bleak future due to destructive fishing methods, a lack of funds, and inadequate government support.

Agriculture generally suffers from low productivity, low economies of scale, and inadequate infrastructure support. Agricultural output fell in 1997 and 1998 due to an El Niño-related drought but increased by 6.0% in 1999 (over 1998's low base). Growth reverted to more normal rates in 2000 (4.0%) and 2001 (3.7%). Agricultural output (affected by another, albeit milder, dry spell) expanded by 3.9% year-on-year in 2002 and 3.2% in 2003. Agricultural output increased by 5.1% in real terms during 2004 but stagnated to 2.24% in 2005 due to drought and intermittent weather disturbances. Despite the adverse effects of successive and very strong typhoons in the last four months of 2006, the overall annual farm output expanded by 3.8%.

Industry
Industrial production is centered on the processing and assembly operations of the following: food, beverages, tobacco, rubber products, textiles, clothing and footwear, pharmaceuticals, paints, plywood and veneer, paper and paper products, small appliances, and electronics. Heavier industries are dominated by the production of cement, glass, industrial chemicals, fertilizers, iron and steel, and refined petroleum products.

The industrial sector is concentrated in urban areas, especially in the metropolitan Manila region, and has only weak linkages to the rural economy. Inadequate infrastructure, transportation, and communication have so far inhibited faster industrial growth, although significant strides have been made in addressing the last of these elements.

Mining
The Philippines is one of the world's most highly mineralized countries, with untapped mineral wealth estimated at more than $840 billion. Philippine copper, gold, and chromate deposits are among the largest in the world. Other important minerals include nickel, silver, coal, gypsum, and sulfur. The Philippines also has significant deposits of clay, limestone, marble, silica, and phosphate. The discovery of natural gas reserves off Palawan has been brought on-line to generate electricity.

Despite its rich mineral deposits, the Philippine mining industry is just a fraction of what it was in the 1970s and 1980s when the country ranked among the ten leading gold and copper producers worldwide. Low metal prices, high production costs, and lack of investment in infrastructure have contributed to the industry's overall decline. A December 2004 Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of the 1995 Mining Act, thereby allowing up to 100% foreign-owned companies to invest in large-scale exploration, development, and utilization of minerals, oil, and gas.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
In its foreign policy, the Philippines cultivates constructive relations with its Asian neighbors, with whom it is linked through membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The Philippines is a member of the UN and some of its specialized agencies, and served a two-year term as a member of the UN Security Council from January 2004-2006, acting as UNSC President in September 2005. Since 1992, the Philippines has been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement. The government is seeking observer status in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The Philippines has played a key role in ASEAN in recent years and also values its relations with the countries of the Middle East, in no small part because hundreds of thousands of Filipinos are employed in that region. The welfare of the some four to five million overseas Filipino contract workers is considered to be a pillar of Philippine foreign policy. Foreign exchange remittances from these workers exceed 11% of the country's gross domestic product.

The fundamental Philippine attachment to democracy and human rights is also reflected in its foreign policy. Philippine soldiers and police have participated in a number of multilateral civilian police and peacekeeping operations, and a Philippine Army general served as the first commander of the UN Peacekeeping Operation in East Timor. The Philippines presently has peacekeepers in Haiti and Liberia. The Philippines also participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying some 50 troops to Iraq in 2003. (These troops were subsequently withdrawn in 2004 after a Filipino overseas worker was kidnapped.) The Philippine Government also has been active in efforts to reduce tensions among rival claimants to the territories and waters of the resource-rich South China Sea.

U.S.-PHILIPPINE RELATIONS
U.S.-Philippine relations are based on shared history and commitment to democratic principles, as well as on economic ties. The historical and cultural links between the Philippines and the U.S. remain strong. The Philippines modeled its governmental institutions on those of the U.S. and continues to share a commitment to democracy and human rights. At the most fundamental level of bilateral relations, human links continue to form a strong bridge between the two countries. There are an estimated four million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the United States, and more than 250,000 American citizens in the Philippines.

Until November 1992, pursuant to the 1947 Military Bases Agreement, the United States maintained and operated major facilities at Clark Air Base, Subic Bay Naval Complex, and several small subsidiary installations in the Philippines. In August 1991, negotiators from the two countries reached agreement on a draft treaty providing for use of Subic Bay Naval Base by U.S. forces for 10 years. The draft treaty did not include use of Clark Air Base, which had been so heavily damaged by the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo that the U.S. decided to abandon it.

In September 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the bases treaty, and despite further efforts to salvage the situation, the two sides could not reach an agreement. As a result, the Philippine Government informed the U.S. on December 6, 1991, that it would have one year to complete withdrawal. That withdrawal went smoothly and was completed ahead of schedule, with the last U.S. forces departing on November 24, 1992. On departure, the U.S. Government turned over assets worth more than $1.3 billion to the Philippines, including an airport and ship-repair facility. Agencies formed by the Philippine Government have converted the former military bases for civilian commercial use, with Subic Bay serving as a flagship for that effort.

The post-U.S. bases era has seen U.S.-Philippine relations improved and broadened, with a prominent focus on economic and commercial ties while maintaining the importance of the security dimension. U.S. investment continues to play an important role in the Philippine economy, while a strong security relationship rests on the 1952 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). In February 1998, U.S. and Philippine negotiators concluded the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), paving the way for increased military cooperation under the MDT. The agreement was approved by the Philippine Senate in May 1999 and entered into force on June 1, 1999. Under the VFA, the U.S. has conducted ship visits to Philippine ports and has resumed large combined military exercises with Philippine forces. Key events in the bilateral relationship include the July 4, 1996 declaration by President Ramos of Philippine-American Friendship Day in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Philippine independence. Ramos visited the U.S. in April 1998, and then-President Estrada visited in July 2000. President Arroyo met with President Bush in an official working visit in November 2001 and made a state visit in Washington on May 19, 2003. President Bush made a state visit to the Philippines on October 18, 2003, during which he addressed a joint session of the Philippine Congress--the first American President to do so since Dwight D. Eisenhower. There are regular U.S. cabinet-level and congressional visits to the Philippines as well.

President Arroyo has repeatedly stressed the close friendship between the Philippines and the U.S. and her desire to expand bilateral ties further. Both governments seek to revitalize and strengthen their partnership by working toward greater security, prosperity, and service to Filipinos and Americans alike. Inaugurated into office on the same day as President Bush, President Arroyo lent strong support to the global war on terrorism. In October 2003, the U.S. designated the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally. That same month, the Philippines joined the select group of countries to have ratified all 12 UN counterterrorism conventions.

The annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) bilateral military exercises contribute directly to the Philippine armed forces' efforts to root out Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists and bring development to formerly terrorist-plagued areas, notably Basilan and Jolo. They include not only combined military training but also civil-military affairs and humanitarian projects. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is the largest in the Pacific and the third-largest in the world, and a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) was signed in November 2002. Similarly, law enforcement cooperation has reached new levels: U.S. and Philippine agencies have cooperated to bring charges against numerous terrorists, to implement the countries' extradition treaty, and to train thousands of Filipino law enforcement officers. There is a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor helping the Philippine National Police with its Transformation Program.

The U.S. is also working closely with the Philippines to reduce poverty and increase prosperity. The U.S. fully supports Philippine efforts to root out corruption, to open economic opportunity, and to invest in health and education. USAID programs support the 'Philippines' war on poverty as well as the government's reform agenda in critical areas, including anti-money laundering, rule of law, tax collection, and trade and investment. Other USAID programs have bolstered the government's efforts to heal divisions in Philippine society through a focus on conflict resolution, livelihood enhancement for former combatants, and economic development in Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, among the poorest areas in the country. Meanwhile, important programs continue in modern family planning, infectious disease control, environmental protection, rural electrification, and provision of basic services--as well as PL 480 food aid programs and others, which together totaled $211.3 million. In 2006, the Millennium Challenge Corporation granted $21 million to the Philippines for a threshold program addressing corruption in revenue administration.

Nearly 400,000 Americans visit the Philippines each year. Providing government services to U.S. and other 'citizens, therefore, constitutes an important aspect of the bilateral relationship. Those services include veterans' affairs, social security, and consular operations. Benefits to Filipinos from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration totaled $297,389,415 in 2006. Many people-to-people programs exist between the U.S. and the Philippines, including Fulbright, International Visitors, and Aquino Fellowship exchange programs, as well as the U.S. Peace Corps.

Trade and Investment
Two-way U.S. merchandise trade with the Philippines amounted to $17.3 billion in 2006 (U.S. Department of Commerce data). According to Philippine Government data, 16% of the Philippines' imports in 2006 came from the U.S., and about 18% of its exports were bound for America. The Philippines ranks as our 26th-largest export market and our 30th-largest supplier. Key exports to the U.S. are semiconductor devices and computer peripherals, automobile parts, electric machinery, textiles and garments, wheat and animal feeds, and coconut oil. In addition to other goods, the Philippines imports raw and semi-processed materials for the manufacture of semiconductors, electronics and electrical machinery, transport equipment, and cereals and cereal preparations.

The U.S. traditionally has been the Philippines' largest foreign investor, with about $6.6 billion in estimated investment as of end-2005 (U.S. Department of Commerce data). Since the late 1980s, the Philippines has committed itself to reforms that encourage foreign investment as a basis for economic development, subject to certain guidelines and restrictions in specified areas. Under President Ramos, the Philippines expanded reforms, opening the power generation and telecommunications sectors to foreign investment, as well as securing ratification of the Uruguay Round agreement and membership in the World Trade Organization. As noted earlier, President Arroyo's administration has generally continued such reforms despite opposition from vested interests and "nationalist" blocs. A major obstacle has been and will continue to be constitutional restrictions on, among others, foreign ownership of land and public utilities, which limits maximum ownership to 40%.

Over the last two decades, the relatively closed Philippine economy has been opened significantly by foreign exchange deregulation, foreign investment and banking liberalization, tariff and market barrier reduction, and foreign entry into the retail trade sector. The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 opened opportunities for U.S. firms to participate in the power industry in the Philippines. Information and communications technologies, backroom operations such as call centers, and regional facilities or shared-service centers are likewise leading investment opportunities.

Glorietta "bombing"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:45:00 +0000

What's the latest news on Glorietta Mall "bombing"?
I got the latest news from the web site of Inquirer and it says:
(UPDATE 19) Mall bomb blast kills 8, hurts more than 100

By Thea Alberto
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 11:29pm (Mla time) 10/19/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- The explosion that ripped through the Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati City early Friday afternoon, killing eight people and wounding more than a hundred others was caused by a “hard explosive,” mostly likely TNT or the military ordnance C4, police said.

Chief Inspector Raynold Rosero of the Philippine Bomb Data Center said the explosive went off near an escalator and could have been exacerbated by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks in nearby restaurants.

"We've submitted the evidence to the crime lab for chemical analysis and we saw that near the scene of [the] explosion were establishments with LPG," he said.

Rosero said they have yet to determine whether the explosion was set off by a timer or triggered remotely by cellular phone, the signature attack of the Al-Qaeda linked Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah and the local Abu Sayyaf.

He described the explosion as "most likely a deliberate attack."

Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon and Alfonso Reyes, spokesman of Ayala Corp., which operates the Glorieta 2 Mall where the explosion occurred at around 1:40 p.m., said eight people had been killed.

Makati Councilor JunJun Binay, who has been providing regular updates on the situation, said the injury count had climbed to at least 126 -- 98 of these needing hospitalization and 28 other victims given first aid at the blast site for minor injuries.

Of the injured, Binay said, three are listed in critical condition and in the Intensive Care Unit of the Makati Medical Center. At least one other victim is undergoing surgery as of this posting.

Binay also said at least one of the dead was a Korean.

A partial list of the injured at the Makati Medical Center (see list at end of article) showed another Korean and a Chinese national were among the injured.

Police investigators at the scene of the explosion identified four of the dead as Liza Marquez, Jose Allan de Jesus, Lester Peregrina and nursing student Janine Marcos. All died of shrapnel injuries. Another fatality was later identified as Maureen De Leon.

At an earlier press briefing carried live by radio and television, Dr. Ernesto Santos of the Makati Medical Center said the four fatalities were “dead on arrival” and at least two of the wounded were “critical.”

Santos said the other casualties all suffered “blast injuries.”

Dr. Anthony Golez, spokesman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council and deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, told INQUIRER.net from the Makati Medical Center that the four died due to "burns and massive internal bleeding."

"It doesn't look good," he said.

Director Geary Barias, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said they are not discounting anything," including the possibility that the explosion was a terrorist attack.

Barias also said there had been no intelligence reports prior to the blast, despite a terror alert issued earlier this month by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, which is composed of various security institutions like the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“We actually picked up several dead and wounded,” Binay said.

He said the explosion left an eight-meter (26-foot) wide crater on the ground floor and blew a hole through the roof on the second floor.

"From what I have seen it was a significant explosion and that most of the dead and injured were all employees," he said.

Witnesses said the blast occurred in a section of the mall with clusters of stores selling baby clothes and toys.

The explosion had panicked shoppers running out of the mall as smoke billowed out of the building.

Mall security and police immediately sealed off the area and shepherded people away as ambulances rushed in to evacuate casualties.

People leaving the mall told INQUIRER.net said they felt the whole shopping complex shake as from an earthquake as the “strong” explosion happened in the area between the Glorietta 1 and 2 buildings. They also said they saw windows shatter from the blast.

Witnesses said part of a ceiling collapsed while a concrete wall was blown out.

Two cars and two delivery vans were buried under wooden planks and concrete debris outside the mall.

"It was so powerful," clothing store clerk Jeric Balendes told AFP on the scene, as rescuers applied first aid on his cuts and bruises.

"The roof just collapsed on us. I could hear my three co-workers screaming. I got out through a small hole. I don't know if they got out."

One of the injured, Teresita de La Cruz, 24, recalled thinking: "Are we going to die here?"

"People were panicking and shoving each other, and running in all directions. I was very scared," she told reporters outside the Makati Medical Center.

De La Cruz, a saleslady for a custom sticker company, said the blast likely originated from somewhere on the second floor near the escalator. "It was just one explosion, but it was loud and strong," she said.

But the police, citing initial reports, said the blast may have originated from the storeroom of the Luk Yuen restaurant, which was initially tagged as the site of the blast.

Bomb debris carpeted a 200-square-meter (2,100-square-foot) area, he added.
 "The ceilings are damaged and may collapse," Barias said.

The entrance to the mall, the lobby and the activity center were a total wreck, buried under piles of wooden planks, slabs of cement, and parts of the roof.

Rosero said police were clearing the rubble, adding it could be dangerous for investigators to stay inside the mall to gather more evidence.

"There are hazards. There is falling debris inside, there could be a chemical leak [or] high-voltage wires, and the water inside is knee-deep," he said.

He added that the concrete floor of the area had also been raised by the blast.

Binay said all fatalities appear to have been recovered and search and rescue operations were called off Friday night.

Barias also inspected the nearby SM mall to ensure there will be no other explosions.

The United States and Australia both offered technical help in investigating the blast, and Australian experts were understood to be helping Filipino police on the scene.

Binay said roads to hospitals in the city have been secured as rescue teams continued to scour the area where the explosion occurred, which the councilor described as “severely damaged,” for more possible victims.

“We’ll keep the area evacuated until we know more,” Reyes said.

He also assured the victims and their relatives of assistance from Ayala Corp.

“We will certainly makes sure [that] anyone [who] needs attention will be able to get it,” Reyes said.

Police did not immediately name likely suspects for the attack, but Islamic extremists were blamed for a bomb attack on a bus near the site of Friday’s explosion. That attack killed four people in February 2005.

Militants also firebombed a ferry on Manila Bay the previous year, killing more than 100 people in the country's worst terrorist attack.

Arroyo's National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales has previously said the government was not ruling out future attacks on "soft" targets such as shopping malls.

Following are the names of 34 of the injured rushed to the Makati Medical Center. The list is current as of 3 p.m. Friday.

Donald Santos
Julia Hernandez
Anna Patria Villareal
Ellen Garcia
Abraham Jose
Ma. Ceronara Estilles
Fely Reyes
Agnes Ramilo
Shirley Boleno
Socorro Yrastroza
Ma. Lourdes Perez
Mutya Santos
Arlene Pansal
Robinson Orlanda
Hernanin Asis
Sally Honopra
Carmen Enriquez
Alberto Gonzales
Regina Montenegro
Christopher Pineda
Hei Wun Kim (Korean)
Queene Ngo (Chinese)
John Henry Pascual
Evangeline de Leon
Jerry Canaban
Elizabeth Liboro
Jeffrey Burser
Maricel Marcelo
Lady Katrina Santos
May Flor Garcia
Angela Maria Soriano
Mary Flor Gopis
Josephine Santos
Mabini Garcia

Quote of the Day by Theodore Roosevelt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:30:00 +0000

Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it. ”

- Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)
26th U.S. President

Who is Theodore Roosevelt?
According to Wikipedia:
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (IPA: /ˈroʊzəvɛlt/; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as T.R., and to the public (but never to friends and intimates) as Teddy, was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, and a leader of the Republican Party and of the Progressive Movement. He became the youngest President in United States history at the age of 42. He served in many roles including Governor of New York, historian, naturalist, explorer, author, and soldier. Roosevelt is most famous for his personality: his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" persona. His last name, often mispronounced, is, per Roosevelt, "pronounced as if it were spelled "Rosavelt." That is in three syllables. The first syllable as if it was "Rose.""[2][3][4]

As Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Navy, he prepared for and advocated war with Spain in 1898. He organized and helped command the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, the Rough Riders, during the Spanish-American War. Returning to New York as a war hero, he was elected Republican governor in 1899. He was a professional historian, a lawyer, a naturalist and explorer of the Amazon Basin; his 35 books include works on outdoor life, natural history, the American frontier, political history, naval history, and his autobiography.[5]

In 1901, as Vice President, Roosevelt succeeded President William McKinley after McKinley's assassination. He is the youngest person ever to become President (John F. Kennedy is the youngest elected President). Roosevelt was a Progressive reformer who sought to move the dominant Republican Party into the Progressive camp. He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved 40 monopolistic corporations as a "trust buster". He was clear, however, to show that he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle but was only against their corrupt, illegal practices. His "Square Deal" promised a fair shake for both the average citizen (through regulation of railroad rates and pure food and drugs) and the businessmen. As an outdoorsman, he promoted the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources. After 1906 he attacked big business and suggested the courts were biased against labor unions. In 1910, he broke with his friend and anointed successor William Howard Taft, but lost the Republican nomination to Taft and ran in the 1912 election on his own one-time Bull Moose ticket. Roosevelt lost but pulled so many Progressives out of the Republican Party that Democrat Woodrow Wilson won in 1912, and the conservative faction took control of the Republican Party for the next two decades.

Roosevelt understood the strategic significance of the Panama Canal, and negotiated for the U.S. to take control of its construction in 1904; he felt that the Canal's completion was his most important and historically significant international achievement. He was the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize, winning its Peace Prize in 1906, for negotiating the peace in the Russo-Japanese War.

Historian Thomas Bailey, who disagreed with Roosevelt's policies, nevertheless concluded, "Roosevelt was a great personality, a great activist, a great preacher of the moralities, a great controversialist, a great showman. He dominated his era as he dominated conversations....the masses loved him; he proved to be a great popular idol and a great vote getter."[6] His image stands alongside Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln on Mount Rushmore. Surveys of scholars have consistently ranked him from #3 to #7 on the list of greatest American presidents.

Quote of the Day by Toni Morrison

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:10:00 +0000

The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one. ”

- Toni Morrison (b. 1931)
author, editor, professor, Nobel Prize winner, Pulitzer Prize winner

Who is Toni Morrison?

Born Chloe Anthony Wofford, in 1931 in Lorain (Ohio), the second of four children in a black working-class family. Displayed an early interest in literature. Studied humanities at Howard and Cornell Universities, followed by an academic career at Texas Southern University, Howard University, Yale, and since 1989, a chair at Princeton University. She has also worked as an editor for Random House, a critic, and given numerous public lectures, specializing in African-American literature. She made her debut as a novelist in 1970, soon gaining the attention of both critics and a wider audience for her epic power, unerring ear for dialogue, and her poetically-charged and richly-expressive depictions of Black America. A member since 1981 of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has been awarded a number of literary distinctions, among them the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1991-1995, Editor Sture Allén, World Scientific Publishing Co.,

Quote of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:00:00 +0000

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. ”

- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

My first post

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:10:00 +0000

This is my new blog site,which I have just created now. In this blog I will post a collection of quotable quotes from well known personalities. In this blog, I will also post my random thoughts and feelings about recent personal happenings and maybe some important and relevant local political, showbiz and culinary events.