Facenet

Ipad 2

2011-03-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

Ipad Clone Review

2011-01-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

Enhancing Internet Connection

2010-11-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

Enhancing Internet Connection

The default reserved of windows update is 20% of our internet connection bandwidth. But not at all times we’re using Windows Update, so therefore it is more wise to reduce it.

Here’s how to do it:

Open RUN dialog, and type gpedit.msc, then click ENTER

The Group Policy window opens, Click Local Computer Policy, Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Network, QoS Packet Scheduler–as shown below.

Highlight the “Limit reservable bandwidth” item on the QoS Packet Scheduler pane at right to read the information about it. Take note the “limit reservable bandwidth” item is already Enabled. By default, it’s not enabled.

Double click the item–”Limit reservable bandwidth” to open its properties in another dialog box. Click the “Enabled” radio button and set the bandwidth limit to as low as 2%.

Cherry Mobile Q300 Trident

2010-10-12T00:42:00.000-07:00

Cherry Mobile has a new phone that’s capable of handling 3 SIM cards at the same time called the Trident (Q300). Yes, this is probably the first triple-SIM phone to be marketed in the Philippines — and it’s got a TV tuner too.

Designed to look like a cross between the Nokia E72 and the BlackBerry Curve, Cherry Mobile’s Trident phone was launched just last (July 1, 2010) with a suggested retail price of Php6,450.

* Triple SIM, Triple Standby
* Quad Band GSM
* 2.46” TFT LCD
* 2MP camera
* WiFi
* Analog TV with Record
* FM Radio with Record
* up to 4GB on microSD
* Bluetooth

It’s got an optical trackpad too, just like the ones from BlackBerry. All 3 SIM cards are active but only two are MMS-capable and can connect to GPRS.

The message below is came from Tim Libunao which I received via facebook and I re-post it here for those people who wants to read more reviews about Cherry Mobile Trident:

For a Christmas promo price of PhP 4,990 (original price at PhP 6,490), I was able to purchase a Cherry Mobile phone (Trident Q300 a cellular phone that has a triple sim feature) last November 19, 2010 from Berlein Electronics in SM Cubao. On day 1 of purchase, I immediately noticed that the sim3 as well as the phone memory phonebook does not display the complete list of my contacts. I went back to the store where I got the phone and they offered to replace the unit but as soon as we tested it, the same problem occurred. I asked for a refund but they refused and all they can offer is a change of unit or a change to another phone model. I was so disappointed that time knowing that the phone I bought was brand new and yet it is already showing a lot of defects not to mention that the store will allow you to test the phone only upon purchase. (If only I gave in to my feeling that time that such tactic would only lead to a sale of a defective phone, then I should have not been experiencing these hassles.) I was then advised to bring the phone to their service center (INBUCKS ENTERPRISES, the official Cherry Mobile service center) located at Citimall in Philcoa. The service center advised me to leave my newly-purchased phone for repair with 3-4 days lead time. That was the time when a lot of disastrous things started to happen.

First, I was shocked to see a lot of consumers returning their phones for repair, majority of which are newly bought. That gave me the idea that Cherry Mobile phones may have had a lot of factory defects to start with. Second, after waiting for 3 days and with no single update from INBUCKS, I decided to call the numbers printed on their claim stub (4360050, 3898062, 0922-8697842) but the numbers were either directed to a voice mail, out of coverage or eternally busy. I went to the service center again only to find out that my phone hasn't reached the hands of the technician yet and if it wasn't because of my visit that day, my phone could've have gone a longer time to be checked. After patiently waiting for 2 hours, the customer service person finally approached me and told me that my phone's software needs to be upgraded but they cannot give an assurance that the problem would be addressed. I was then advised to go back to the store where I purchased the phone and have it replaced with a new unit that will be coming from a different batch and all they gave me was a copy of the technical report from the repair. I went back to Berlein in SM Cubao to have my phone replaced but there was no single defect-free phone that they could give. I asked for a refund but they declined again. They only assured me that they will give me a call once a new batch of Q300's would arrive and that would be the time that they can have my phone replaced. Meanwhile, Berlein told me that I can temporarily keep the phone and use it until such time that it is replaced.

The more that I used the phone while waiting for a new one to come, the more problems came out other than the phonebook problem which I originally complained about. The WIFI feature would always display a "insufficient memory" notification everytime I would go online, the messages in sim3 would come delayed and I would have to turn the phone off then on for the messages to come in. I went back to Berlein last December 6, 2010, 17 days after I purchased the phone to do a follow up and to my surprise, I found out that a new batch of Q300s has already arrived. I was disappointed with that development knowing that they have assured to inform me as soon as a new batch would come. Nevertheless, I received my new Q300 phone.

Immediately after receiving the new replacement phone, I found out that the same problems existed. I texted the Berlein saleslady about the problem and she told me to bring the phone back the next day. Upon checking, she said that they cannot replace the phone anymore and that I should call the Cherry Mobile Head office for assistance. That time, I felt like I was loured into buying something that would only turn out to be defective in the end not to mention all the hassles it has already brought me. Its as if I was held hostaged by Cherry Mobile into having a defective phone that I cannot fully use and enjoy, worse, they cannot even have it repaired, replaced and refunded.

Berlein store told me to bring my case to the Cherry Mobile head office and gave me their contact numbers. I called up many of their numbers (4000338, 5671342, 5673341, 4000340) and would end up with lines that are either eternally busy or unreached. When I was finally able to talk to a customer service person named Len, I was told that I should bring back my phone to a service center near me (INBUCKS). I asked her if she has received complaints regarding Q300 defects and she said that they have also received many complaints the same as mine. That made me ask her why Cherry Mobile has not recalled such phone model from the market when a lot of complaints has already been made regarding that specific phone model, silence was all I heard.

I went back to INBUCKS in Philcoa last December 9, 2010 and was again advised to leave my phone and that an update will be given to me through a call or text after 3-4 days. Unfortunately, 6 days have passed and I received none. I called INBUCKS just today (December 16, 2010) and found out that my phone was labelled unrepairable by their technician and that it will be forwarded to their head office in Roxas Boulevard for yet another repair. To my surprise, INBUCKS said that it will take another 3-7 WEEKS before I will have a final report with my phone's repair. Here goes another hostage to my person as a consumer: not only I am left with a defective phone that is unrepairable, I will be held hanging again for another 3-7 WEEKS. Worse, they even told me that if I want a faster service, I should bring my phone personally to the Cherry Mobile head office in Roxas Blvd. Damn, they are nuts! Haven't they thought of the inconvenience they have already brought me and yet they are giving another form of inconvenience again?

How on earth can this happen? I only went to purchase a triple sim phone for my convenience and here I am left with nothing but NO CHOICE. Dear people from DTI please help us. I am not the only one experiencing this unfair trade practices and poor customer service from Cherry Mobile. There are a lot of people out there who are victims of the said practices but has remained silent because they either have no guts or no known venues to make a complaint against Cherry Mobile. I hope that something can be done about this. I only wanted to have a functioning phone and their repair should not take that long. They should recall all the phone models that has received complaints and they should make a refund if they cannot repair the phone properly. The consumers are left to suffer Cherry Mobile's and their service centers' incompetence and disregard to genuine customer service and satisfaction. I have already made this complaint available to Cherry Mobile Head Office, NTC, DTI and ABS-CBN. This will also be published in my blog and several FB pages that I manage. I don't deserve this kind of treatment and I hope many people will learn from my story.

Johan Morielle Santos

2010-10-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Johan Morielle Santos is been in Oroquieta City last October 11, 2010. Johan is no stranger to the world of reality TV. He was able to join Starstruck, but was the fourth to be shipped out of the talent search. He stayed with the station for a few months after, averaging 24k in earnings per month. Unfortunately, his luck ran out yet again. Johan did continue to perform, but not on any screen. Without their own home, Johan had to work double-time as the family's breadwinner, often staying in his workplace all day long. He used his talents to host restaurant gigs and sidelined as the resto's waiter. Being quite a looker, he can boast of a fan base of sorts, a significant number of which coming from the gay community. His good looks have often attracted indecent proposals he quickly rejects. Many people of Oroquieta City believe that he is a gay.

Charice Pempengco

2010-10-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Charice looks like any other teenager: petite and filled with non stop energy. But when the sweet-faced 17-year old opens her mouth to sing – with a profound, rich and soaring 10 decibel voice from every inch of her 5 feet 1 inch body – the audience quite literally gasps. And at 13 million hits and counting on YouTube tell us, that audience is growing at a staggering pace. Fast forward to May 2010: Charice's US debut CD is scheduled to be released on 143/Reprise Records with her single, "Pyramid" featuring labelmate Iyaz (who recently spent four weeks at #1 with his international smash hit, "Replay"). "Pyramid" will be released to Top 40 radio in March with remixes already getting airplay at the clubs.

"I'm so proud of this record and feel so lucky that I had the chance to work with some of the best songwriters and producers out there. Every note and every word is right from my heart," says Charice.

But let's begin at the beginning: Born and raised in the Philippines, Charice's talent was discovered at age 4 when her mother, also a singer, noticed her daughter's loud, rather enthusiastic version of "Happy Birthday" and decided to teach her proper vocal technique. By age 7, Charice was competing in local contests and belting out songs.

In 2007, a web-savvy fan began posting a series of Charice's performances on YouTube including appearances on the Filipino talent show "Little Big Star" and the popular South Korean talent show "Star King." She instantly became an authentic internet sensation attracting the attention of American TV shows. Appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show were followed by several performances on the Oprah Winfrey Show. "You are a force to be reckoned with. That voice comes from something bigger than yourself," raved Oprah.

Enter 15-time Grammy winning producer David Foster who invited Charice to perform on his David Foster and Friends PBS Show in Las Vegas alongside such star studded Foster produced talents as Michael Bublé, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, and Josh Groban. When the "David Foster and Friends" show returned to the Mandalay Bay the following year, Charice received no less than six standing ovations. In between the two Vegas appearances, Charice went on to perform with Andrea Bocelli ("The Prayer") in Tuscany and Celine Dion at her Madison Square Garden show in New York City.

During Charice's most recent appearance on Oprah Winfrey, her heart stopping song "Note To God" written by multi-Grammy winning songwriter Diane Warren became an instant Top 10 hit on iTunes. Charice also had a featured role in the recent "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie.

Next stop for Charice, "I want to sing AND dance with Justin Timberlake," she laughed. Her 13 million fans certainly look forward to seeing that.

Facebook

2010-10-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a social network site that started out strictly for college students and was available by invitation only. Now, it is a cultural phenomenon stretching across the globe. With more worldwide users than MySpace, Facebook has taken hold as undisputable leader amongst social networking sites.

The network is made up of hundreds of separate networks based around schools, businesses and regions. Although registration is now open to the public, the site still caters to a college and high school demographic focusing on networking through groups and social activism.

Profiles allow users to post pictures, comments, blogs and apps. Additionally, it has some of the best privacy options on the Internet. We felt that Facebook really encouraged using the site to foster relationships with people you already know, or friends of friends. Within hours, we were already in touch with scores of old friends, relatives and acquaintances.

The only real griping we could do concerns Facebook’s lack of customization options. However, most users like the design and uniform feel of the site the way it is. Choosing between MySpace and Facebook is really a matter of interface preference and going to where your friends are. But, if you’re new to the whole social networking thing, Facebook is the place to be. My facebook account is rhyl_france@yahoo.com.

Justin Bieber Biography

2010-09-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber Fans are TOO much to handle and many people says that he is a gay.

An old soul is the last thing you would expect to find inside Justin Bieber. But all it takes is one listen to the 16 year-old soul-singing phenomenon to realize that he is light years ahead of his manufactured pop peers.

After posting dozens of homemade videos on YouTube in 2007, where the multi-talented Bieber put his impeccable spin on songs from artists like Usher, Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder, Justin racked up over 10,000,000 views purely from word of mouth.

"I started singing about three years ago," says the Canadian native who grew up an only child in Stratford, Ontario. "I entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasn't taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house. I was only 12 and I got second place."

In an effort to share his victory with his loved ones, Justin began posting his performance footage online. "I put my singing videos from the competition on YouTube so that my friends and family could watch them," he says. "But it turned out that other people liked them and they started subscribing to them. That's how my manager found me. He saw me on YouTube and contacted my family and now I'm signed!"

Seven months after Justin started posting his videos online, former So So Def marketing executive Scooter Braun flew the then 13-year old singer to Atlanta, GA to meet with his elite colleagues. As if Justin's natural singing talent wasn't enough to impress Scooter's inner circle, Braun knew Bieber was also a self-taught musician who plays the drums, guitar, piano and trumpet.

"Right when we flew into Atlanta, Scooter drove us to the studio and Usher was there in the parking lot," remembers Bieber. "That was my first time ever being out of Canada so I went up to him and was like, 'Hey Usher, I love your songs, do you want me to sing you one?' He was like, 'No little buddy, just come inside, it's cold out.'"

All it took was a short time online for Usher to realize he was in the company of a future superstar. "A week later Usher flew me back to Atlanta," says Bieber. "I sang for him and his people and he really wanted to sign me then and there but I still had a meeting with Justin Timberlake who also wanted to sign me. It turned out Usher's deal was way better. He had L.A. Reid backing him up and Scooter had a lot of really good connections in Atlanta. I always tease Usher now and remind him he how he blew me off the first time we met."

In October of 2008, Justin Bieber officially signed to Island Records. His debut album, My World is an intimate look into the mind of a budding young renaissance man. With production from star hit men like The Dream and Tricky Stewart who produced "Umbrella" for Rihanna and Beyonce's latest smash, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Justin has everything he needs to achieve pop supremacy.

His first single, "One Time" produced by Tricky, is about one of Justin's favorite topics, puppy love. Usher joins Justin on "First Dance" where the two share verses on a song that Bieber describes as, "A slow groovy song that people can dance to." On the Midi-Mafia produced "Down to Earth" Justin digs deep to talk about growing up. "Bigger" finds the teenaged singer maturing at a steady rate, while motivating his listeners to strive for their goals.

"I'm looking forward to influencing others in a positive way," says Justin. "My message is you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. I grew up below the poverty line; I didn't have as much as other people did. I think it made me stronger as a person it built my character. Now I have a 4.0 grade point average and I want to go to college and just become a better person."

A virtually untapped well of natural artistic talent, Justin Bieber is primed to be a solid force in music for many years to come. "I think older people can appreciate my music because I really show my heart when I sing, and it's not corny," he says. "I think I can grow as an artist and my fans will grow with me." And just think, he's just getting started.

Apple iPad Reviews

2010-09-29T18:52:00.001-07:00

Apple iPad reviews blogs call it the Big Touch and it really is but more than what you can expect. If you've enjoyed the iPhone using your fingers, The iPad is so much better that everything seamlessly slides between your fingers, drag, stretch and squeeze the web pages, pictures, paper and maps.... All apps available for the iPhone are absolutely compatible with the iPad.

Apple iPad Reviews for 1GHZ Apple A4Chip

Super precise, super accurate and super responsive, that’s how to describe Apple's best and the biggest super touch technology for the iPad's 9.7 inch IPS display. Experience surfing effortlessly like you've never experienced before.

Put it inside the envelop and nobody will know it's the iPad inside. iPad is super light and super thin compared to any netbook or notebook and weighs 1.5 pounds

Apple iPad Reviews for iPad’s 16 GB to 64 GB Flash Storage

Choose the storage that will suit your need with same options from the iPhone and the iTouch. iPad got the latest technology on its WiFi and Bluetooth, digital speaker and microphone plus it's standard 30 pin Apple connector.

You can even enjoy the iPad with its 10 hour battery life with impressive standby time.

Apple iPad Reviews for iPad’s WiFi or WiFi+3G

Wireless technology is the standard of the new decade. With its WiFi model, browse for the latest news, read your favorite e-book or play network games in WiFi networks and WiFi Hotspots. The WiFi 3G works perfectly on all 3G networks and iPad 3G models are unlocked so you can use it with GSM micro-SIMS.

University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)

2010-09-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

What is UAAP Sports?

UAAP Sports is the official fan site of the UAAP. It is where fans can catch everything UAAP, from news, features, photos, and videos. More so, it is the ultimate playing ground for fans to compete by expressing their thoughts and opinions on sports news and gossip. Here they can also converge with other like-minded fans to root and cheer for their favorite teams and schools.

Is UAAP Sports free?

Yes. It is absolutely free to use and enjoy by every UAAP fan.

How do I get started?

You’re free to enjoy all of the UAAP content but to give you the maximum UAAP sports experience, and to earn yourself points through FanRank, we highly recommend you to register.

By registering, you can truly be part of the community by expressing your FanJuice; you can post your articles, react to other fans’ posts, express your opinions, and/or share your photos and videos.

What is FanJuice?

Basically, FanJuice is anything and everything that a fan has to say, from simple shout outs, fan art, to in-depth game analyses, and personal fan videos.

What is FanRank?

To keep things exciting for fans, we’ve applied a point system we call FanRank to the FanJuice that incentivizes content coming from fans. This means that we’re designating points to the different types of content that fans share on UAAP Sports. More importantly and interestingly, this is our way of tracking who to give prizes to and to pinpoint who ultimate UAAP fans are (Fame FTW!)

How do I report an error?

During our Beta phase, we understand that there can be bugs and errors that can affect your UAAP Sports experience. We would like to ask fans a favor to help us improve the site by sending us bugs or errors that they encounter.

Iphone 4 Review

2010-09-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

The iPhone 4 is no small thing to review. As most readers of Engadget are well aware, in the gadget world a new piece of Apple hardware is a major event, preceded by rumors, speculation, an over-the-top announcement, and finally days, weeks, or months of anticipation from an ever-widening fan base. The iPhone 4 is certainly no exception -- in fact, it may be Apple's most successful launch yet, despite some bumps on the road. We've already seen Apple and AT&T's servers overloaded on the first day of pre-orders, the ship date for the next set of phones pushed back due to high demand, and die-hard fans in line outside of Apple locations a week before the phone is actually available. It's a lot to live up to, and the iPhone 4 is doing its best -- with features like a super-fast A4 CPU, a new front-facing camera and five megapixel shooter on the back, a completely new industrial design, and that outrageous Retina Display, no one would argue that Apple has been asleep at the wheel. So the question turns to whether or not the iPhone 4 can live up to the intense hype. Can it deliver on the promises Steve Jobs made at WWDC, and can it cement Apple's position in the marketplace in the face of mounting competition from the likes of Google and Microsoft? We have the answers to those questions -- and many more -- in our full review, so read on to find out!

Hostage Taking in the Philippines

2010-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Cebu Pacific

2010-07-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Cebu Pacific Air is a low-cost airline based in Pasay City, Manila, the Philippines. It is the country's second largest airline after Philippine Airlines. Its main base is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, with a hub at Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The airline was established on 26 August 1988 and started operations on March 8, 1996. It initially started with 24 domestic flights daily among Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao City. By end 2001, its operations has grown to about 80 daily flight to 18 domestic destinations.

Cebu Pacific is currently the number one domestic airline in the Philippines, flying to 33 domestic and 15 international destinations. Since its inception in 1996, CEB has flown over 40 million passengers.

	Cebu Pacific Forum
	Cebu Pacific News

Cebu Pacific destinations include:

Philippines

Luzon
Busuanga - Francisco Reyes Airport
Cauayan - Cauayan Airport
Clark - Diosdado Macapagal International Airport Hub
Laoag - Laoag International Airport
Legazpi - Legazpi Airport
Manila - Ninoy Aquino International Airport Main hub
Naga - Naga Airport
Puerto Princesa - Puerto Princesa Airport
San Jose - McGuire Field
Tuguegarao - Tuguegarao Airport
Virac - Virac Airport

Mindanao
Butuan - Bancasi Airport
Cagayan de Oro - Lumbia Airport
Cotabato - Awang Airport
Davao - Francisco Bangoy International Airport Hub
Dipolog - Dipolog Airport
General Santos - General Santos International Airport
Ozamiz - Labo Airport
Pagadian - Pagadian Airport
Siargao - Sayak Airport
Surigao - Surigao Airport
Zamboanga - Zamboanga International Airport

Visayas
Bacolod - Bacolod-Silay Airport
Calbayog - Calbayog Airport
Catarman - Catarman National Airport
Caticlan - Godofredo P. Ramos Airport
Cebu - Mactan-Cebu International Airport Hub
Dumaguete - Sibulan Airport
Iloilo - Iloilo International Airport
Kalibo - Kalibo International Airport
Roxas City - Roxas Airport
Tacloban - Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Tagbilaran - Tagbilaran Airport

M/V Light Ferry 6

2010-06-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

We goes from Plaridel, Misamis Occidental to Tagbilaran City, Bohol for great adventure together with some of the Co-Staff of Congressman Jorge T. Almonte.

Titanium Magnetic Bracelet Jewelry

2010-06-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Titanium is a highly corrosion resistant lightweight metal that is approximately 45% lighter but tougher than stainless steel. It is one of the major materials used in modern military and commercial aircraft, spacecrafts as well as numerous other industrial, chemical and medical applications. In recent years, titanium also finds its way into daily fashion jewelry owing to its outstanding properties of lightweight, toughness, workability, corrosion resistance, chemical inactiveness, and biological compatibility with the human body. Our titanium magnetic bracelets not only take full advantage of all the above attributes, but are equipped with an added attribute - magnetic magic, by implanting a magnet in every link of the titanium bracelets, making them not only a fashion jewelry item but also a most convenient health improvement or therapeutic device. This invention has turned magnetic titanium bracelets into one of the most popular daily jewelry items of today. They also make the most caring, thoughtful, useful, meaningful and yet affordable gift items for all occasions, whether they be birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, family parties, community parties, corporate parties or just a special sweetener for that special someone.

PBB Teen Clash 2010 Big Winner - James Reid

2010-06-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Tarsier Experience in Bohol

2010-06-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

iPhone 3GS review

2010-06-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

iPhone 3GS Review

If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- right? We know countless reviews of the iPhone 3GS may begin with that cliché, but there's little chance you'd find a better way to describe the strategy that Apple has just put into play with its latest smartphone. In many ways, the 3GS is a mirror image of the iPhone 3G; externally there's no difference. It's inside where all the changes have happened, with Apple issuing a beefed-up CPU, new internal compass, larger capacities for storage, and improved optics for its camera. More to the point, the release of the 3GS coincides with the launch of iPhone OS 3.0, a major jump from previous versions of the system software featuring highly sought after features like cut, copy, and paste, stereo Bluetooth, MMS, tethering, video recording, landscape keyboard options for more applications, and an iPhone version of Spotlight. At a glance, what Apple seems to be doing is less a reinvention of the wheel and more like retreading the wheel it's already got (and what a wheel, right?). So, do the iPhone 3GS and OS 3.0 tweak the details in just the right places, or has Apple gone and gotten lazy on us? Read on to find out.

iPhone 3G S unboxing and hands-on

Hardware

As we said in the intro, there is nothing visually different about the iPhone 3GS versus the iPhone 3G, save for the lettering on the back, which is now mirrored like the Apple logo. While we had seen leaked images of a matte finish, bezel-free version of the device, when push came to shove, what we got was essentially a carbon copy of the iPhone 3G. In terms of the general elements of the phone -- the plastic casing, mute switch, home and power buttons, etc. -- there is no change at all. In fact, if you were to lay this phone and its predecessor next to one another face up, the new model would be indistinguishable. Of course, the 3GS is not just a clone of the previous device, and Apple has made most of its significant changes inside the phone.

Internals

First off, the company has supercharged the CPU of the 3GS (remember, the S is for speed), jacking up the processor numbers from 412MHz to a rumored 600MHz. Additionally, the RAM is said to have doubled from 128MB to 256MB, the phone is offered with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and Apple has swapped out the previous graphics chip for a new version -- dubbed the PowerVR SGX -- which adds support for more robust visuals via OpenGL ES 2.0. All this should mean that end users will see a noticeable difference in app speeds and loading times (Apple claims an average of 2x faster loads, though since the company has been cagey about upgrade details, it's hard to know what the real differences are).

So, do the revamped insides equal an improved experience on the phone? Kinda.

For our oft-used phone actions -- flicking through homescreens, calling up search terms in Spotlight, scrolling through long lists -- we definitely felt like the 3GS was snappier than its predecessor. It wasn't like the doors were flying off, but there was a noticeable bump in speed, particularly when it came to initial data loads (how quickly you see content pop up within an application). When it came to opening apps which pull lots of that kind of content, like Contacts, Calendar, or Messaging, we saw an even more noticeable improvement. Comparing the 3G and 3GS side-by-side yielded small but absolutely palpable differences -- the 3GS does seem to eliminate quite a few of the hangs we find maddening as we go through our day. It's not the perfect salve, but it's a start.

We're excited by the cranked up CPU, but in our experience you'll see lowered load times (though obviously not as drastic) if you take a standard 3G and do a full restore, so there is the lingering question of whether or not the jacked-up feel of the 3GS will last, or will begin to bog down after months of use and heaps of data.

A spot where we really saw the fruits of Apple's labors (and one we don't expect to decline as you pile on data) was actually in the more graphically intense apps for the phone. Comparing a CPU-hungry 3D game like Resident Evil: Degeneration on the 3GS with the same title 3G yielded striking results. The load time was drastically reduced, and rendering and frame rates on the game were noticeably smoother than on the older device (though game speeds stay the same) -- a side effect of the more powerful guts we'd hoped to see, but weren't sure would be so stark. If you're an avid gamer looking for the device with more power, the difference will be crystal clear: the 3GS obviously flexes in this department.

Display

We mentioned that Apple didn't really make any cosmetic changes to the phone, but that's not entirely accurate. While the 480 x 320 display on the iPhone 3GS is technically identical to its predecessor's screen, it adds one small feature which should make some users extremely happy.

The company has changed the treatment on the surface of the touchscreen, utilizing an oleophobic coating -- essentially a protectant that's highly resistant to fingerprint smudging. For those of you constantly wiping burger grease, WD40, and various other toxic materials from your iPhone, this will come as a tremendous little perk. The most surprising thing about the tech is that it actually does what the company says it will: namely, it resists new smudges and wipes almost entirely clean with a single swipe on a pant leg. This wasn't exactly the most pressing issue we had with the phone, but it's nice to know that Apple is innovating in the dirty screen space.

Camera

A camera tweak is a big deal for iPhone fans -- after all, they've had to suffer through not one, but two iterations of a phone with a paltry 2 megapixel camera, no autofocus, and no flash. Apple has tweaked two out of three here, and as Meat Loaf tells us, that ain't bad. The 3GS upgrades the built-in camera to a 3 megapixel version -- not insanely great, but at least competitive -- and has added an autofocus function with a nifty software tie-in. Instead of having to use a gross physical button to snap your shots, the iPhone continues to rely on its onscreen trigger, but cranks up the use of that big display by allowing you to focus in on subjects based on where you tap. In our experience, the parlor trick actually turned out to be quite useful, accurately zeroing in on what we wanted most of the time. Struggles to focus were minor at best, though you won't be able to do any heavy macro work here, and during video recording you're stuck with a constantly focusing lens -- no tapping allowed.

We do have some complaints about exposure, which seems to be permanently cranked to "blinding," and while the shutter speed is faster than on the 3G, it's still not quite snappy enough for our taste. Hey -- we guess we should just be glad they gave us an extra megapixel, right?

iPhone 3G S camera shots

Software

As we said in the opener, the 3GS launch isn't just about the hardware -- in fact, you could argue that it's hardly about the hardware. The biggest changes with this device really come in the form of software tweaks, and to a point, the software tweaks provided by iPhone OS 3.0. Apple really piled on the fixes and additions in its latest OS iteration (the company boasts of 1,000 new APIs for developers), and there's plenty to plow through that up until now has only been the domain of those lucky / hard working few. What's all the fuss about? See below.

We'd like to preface this section by saying that because we're testing a US device, MMS and tethering options are disabled thanks to AT&T's current policies on the services. Obviously, not being able to properly test two of the most anticipated aspects of the new OS is disheartening, and while we could hack a solution to get both working (see here), it's not a reasonable option for most end users right now, and probably wouldn't be fair to include in this review. On a "brighter" note, AT&T claims it will be delivering MMS to the iPhone come late Summer as part of its standard SMS packages (no word on tethering), though we think it's patently absurd that the second largest carrier in America -- a carrier which currently has MMS enabled for all of its other devices -- is failing to make this available at launch. Judging from the reaction to this news during the WWDC keynote, it would seem that most others agree. Apple included.

Cut, copy, and paste

Of all the features added to the new 3.0 cocktail, copy / paste is easily the most talked about. Perhaps because it was such an obvious feature to leave out to begin with, or perhaps because Apple made it through multiple updates with no change (till now). Regardless, the iPhone line now has the ability to perform one of the most basic tasks known to computing. So how does it fare? Well, it's actually a pretty smart implementation of the process on a mobile device -- one of the best we've seen. To grab a chunk of text, you simply tap on the section you want to grab and the phone tries to figure out just how much you meant to select. Usually it's pretty smart about what you want (sort of the copy / paste version of Apple's predictive text input), but it also gives you anchors to grab on the top, bottom, left, and right of the selection box, allowing you to pull your copy area out as needed. A contextual menu appears above or below your selection, and changes based on what stage of the process you're in. To paste you just tap on an empty spot in a document, and the menu presents itself again. For undoing actions, you shake the phone (cute, but a little annoying -- we would have preferred a menu item).

The beauty here is that unlike competitors such as the Pre or Android, iPhone copy and paste doesn't just let you grab text -- you can grab whole chunks of mixed media, like text and images, and it will copy the content with proper formatting and elements. If you want to pull out a section of a webpage, for instance, the function elegantly allows you to zero in on the area you want to copy and easily transfer it into an email or document without losing any components (unless you're pasting into a text only area, like Notes, which strips out formatting and images).

While we don't think the wait was necessarily justified for a feature so simple (and so necessary), we do think Apple has pulled off a tremendously useful implementation of the process. It's the kind of thing you'll miss once you go to another device without such broad and universal functionality.

Push notifications

Way back in June of 2008, Apple promised that we'd see push notifications -- instantaneous alerts for emails, messages, and other app-related notices -- due in an OS update come that September. Needless to say, the fall came and went without so much as a mention of the software addition. Earlier this year, Apple showed off the functionality again at the iPhone OS 3.0 preview, combatting arguments for true multitasking within the iPhone operating system by saying push would not only work as a surrogate for most background tasks, but would allow the devices to retain sufficient battery life. Background tasks, Apple warned us, create a drain on power that would have users running for their chargers far too often.

So -- do push notifications take the place of background tasks? Do they give the end-user the feeling of constant connectedness the way Apple seems to intend them to? In our experience, not quite. At the time of this writing, there are only a few apps actually employing the service, though we're sure more will come. Overall, where push is really useful is in receiving updates or messages -- individual pings which direct your attention towards a particular application -- but they don't keep you in the stream of information the way an AIM session running in the background does. Yes, you get alerted to new messages (or in the case of something like Tap Tap Revenge, challenges), but those appear as either one of the iPhone's annoying pop-ups, or as a background audio notification coupled with a growing message counter for a particular app (AIM for instance). The service is extremely useful, and we're happy that Apple is endeavoring to make it available for all of its developers, but from a practical perspective, it doesn't feel that different than an email notification or a calendar event. In short, it will help you stay connected, but it won't take the place of true multitasking, and unless Apple finds a less obtrusive notification solution, it could actually create quite a mess. Besides those obvious issues, we're still not seeing push for the things we really want, namely, Gmail. We don't know when (or if) a rollout of said feature is planned, but we're guessing it can't be too far off for a device which now has central functionality orbiting around this feature.

Ultimately, we still feel strongly that true multitasking can't be replaced by these notifications, and if there's anything we learned from using the Pre, it's that background tasks can be handled elegantly without a mind-blowing hit to battery life. For a company which prides itself on advanced battery tech, you'd think instead of shying away from the challenge, Apple would be looking for ways to innovate in this space.

Spotlight

We've got to hand it to Apple -- the company has really answered the call when it comes to search functionality on the iPhone. The addition of Spotlight to the iPhone OS is quite notable for two reasons: first, it gives you homescreen access to a full search of all your content on the device, including notes, email, contacts, calendar events, and applications. Secondly, it provides new search functionality within mail that not only lets your get at downloaded messages, but extends the hooks into server-side content. That's a bit of a stunner, as we can't count the number of times we've needed to fish some info from an email that had long moved outside of our 200 message limit (and what's up with that anyway Apple?). Spotlight searching works flawlessly in email, but we have a few gripes about the phone-facing implementation.

To start with, in order to navigate to your Spotlight screen, you have to either assign the home button double-tap shortcut to take you to the search window, swipe back when you're in homescreen view, or single tap once to get to your first page, then again to get into Spotlight. It all seems a bit complicated to us -- what would have made more sense was some kind of universal gesture... like maybe that long home button press reserved for Voice Control (more on that in a bit). Another problem is that you still have to jump through multiple hoops to get to the content you're looking for, particularly with contacts. Once you bring up a name, you have to actually jump into the contact card to call or send a text message -- why isn't this info accessible from the search window? As with a lot of processes on the phone, you still feel like you're clicking through way, way too many screens to get where you need to be.

Video recording / editing

(Here's a link to the raw video file shot with the 3GS)

Okay -- you got us. Video recording on the iPhone 3G S is really quite impressive, and there are two reasons why. For starters, the phone handles pretty fantastic looking VGA video at 30 FPS, which makes for not just passable mobile video, but usable mobile video. The size, clarity, and smoothness of the sequences we shot looked tremendous to our eyes -- certainly on par if not outclassing many of the contenders in this space. In our opinion, the 3GS video quality is high enough that we'd consider this a viable stand-in for lower end camcorders or flip cams -- if you want to capture your kids at the park but don't want to come packing a ton of gear, this produces totally reasonable results.

The second reason we're a fan of the 3GS video functionality is simple: editing. After you snap some video, you can easily pull out just the section you want to use in a kind of dumbed down iMovie edit window, which gives you a timeline of your clip, replete with a preview of the action. You can long-press on the section you're editing to see a more detailed view, and you can pull either the start or end points to snag just the section you want. We love the fact that you can grab and cut video in-phone without having to offload anywhere else, but we'd love it even more if OS 3.0 allowed for non-destructive editing of the clips. As it is now, once you cut something down, you're done -- there's no way to retrieve the full length version of the video. We're hoping in future version Apple gives users either the option to retain the deleted sections, or at least the option to copy the clip over to a new file. We wouldn't scoff at an option to splice or merge multiple clips together either, but we don't want to break the bank with our lofty requests.

One other nice feature that's been tacked on the video tool is the ability to auto-compress and upload to YouTube, MobileMe (a 45 second video took about three minutes to up over WiFi), or send a .MOV in an email. If we had a device that could actually utilize MMS, there's an option for that as well.

Voice Control

Voice Control is a bit like an answer to a question that no one asked. The basic premise is that Apple has given 3GS owners the ability to control their phone via simple voice commands, relayed through a glitzy Voice Control homescreen (which is accessed by holding down the home button for a few seconds). As you issue commands, the screen provides fly-bys of possible actions, ostensibly to make the process a bit easier on those with a blown short term memory. In practice, the application performed admirably when we made specific requests, whether it was dialing contacts, or playing a particular band -- though it wasn't without its hang-ups. The first problem we encountered is that it would sometimes just mishear us altogether, for instance, we asked it to "play M83" and it thought we wanted to listen to a playlist called "Pre" (oh the irony). Another irksome behavior is that you can ask Voice Control things like what song is currently playing, but after telling you, the app closes itself, forcing you to reopen if you want to change the track or perform another action. This seems like weird UI design to us -- why wouldn't Voice Control stay open until we were ready to close it? We also discovered that the range of options for voice activated functions are quite limited -- if you want to do anything beyond controlling music playback or making calls, you're pretty much out of luck.

There's clearly a lot of use for something like this when driving or working on something which keeps your hands away from your phone, though you still have to engage the app physically, so we're not sure how much you'd get out of it in those situations. The whole concept seems something very much in the vein of Cover Flow -- a really impressive component for the phone that just doesn't have a ton of practical use. Yes, your friends will think it's pretty cool, but as a pragmatic group of gadget nerds, we don't see a tremendous need for this functionality. Perhaps Apple will give it a little more undercarriage work in future versions of the OS, because we see lots of interesting places they could take it.

Compass / Google Maps

It may seem like an odd choice, but Apple decided to stick a proper compass inside the 3G S. At first we were a little perplexed by the addition, since we've gotten in this weird habit of expecting bolder moves from the company. Still, in practice the inclusion of a hardware compass is actually really helpful when it comes to doing things like navigating a new city. As far as the hardware is concerned, the compass seems to do what's promised with pretty impressive accuracy.

The Compass app itself, viewed as a standalone product, doesn't really do much for us. We rarely have a need to know which direction we're facing or where north is in relation to where we're standing -- it's just not a piece of data we typically use. The combination of Google Maps and the compass, however, is a powerful marriage that could put an end to many of your navigation woes. Within Maps, you now have the option to not only locate your position via GPS, but orient the map to the direction you're facing. Once the compass picks up your bearing, it rotates the map to reflect. This may not sound like much, but if you've ever tried to walk a new city using just maps and geolocation, you'll understand quickly. Being able to not only see your surrounding landmarks, but how they relate to you from a directional standpoint is incredibly useful, and we found ourselves reaching for the help often with the 3GS. One sour note was that you're not treated to the same reality-bending feat of using the compass while in street view (as Android does -- always great at parties), though it's a minor complaint. We can't say what extended functionality the compass will hold, but the pairing with GMaps here is enough to make it a worthy addition in our opinion.

Landscape keyboard, Nike+, A2DP, further thoughts on iPhone OS 3.0

There are lots of little odds and ends, improvements both small and large, in the iPhone OS 3.0. At the time of this writing, anyone with an iPhone or iPhone 3G should be able to download and test most of them, but we wanted to give a brief overview / opinion on the ones that stood out to us.

The first big one that stands out is the extension of a landscape keyboard to all of the main applications in Apple's arsenal. That means you now have access to the more spacious layout in Mail, Notes, Messages, etc. There are a lot of users out there who were hoping this day would come, and we'll admit, our typing accuracy definitely goes up when we bust out the broader keyboard. Like copy and paste, this is probably an addition that should have been part of the package right out of the gate, but better late than never guys.

Another addition is the inclusion of Nike+ for the 3GS. The app itself is identical to the version which we've already seen for the iPod touch, but it's now in convenient iPhone form. We don't know about you, but carrying around the iPhone for a jog doesn't seem like the best option to us (then again, we don't know if carrying around a touch is preferable). Still, we won't knock Apple for trying to cram as much functionality into this thing as possible -- this is a welcome addition.

And for those wondering about A2DP -- it's here, and it works flawlessly. Testing things out with the Motorola ROKR S9-HD yielded a simple pairing right out of the gate, and the sound quality was excellent. We thought we'd never see the day where Apple came around to a stereo Bluetooth profile, but it's here, and it's fantastic.

It's clear that Apple has taken great pains to listen to users and go over the OS with a fine tooth comb -- you see the company's careful work in places like the call log (which now shows much more detailed info on callers), upgrades to standard apps like Stocks, and the thoughtfulness of adding oft-requested features like voice memo recording. We're not saying Apple has gotten kind and gentle, but the company does seem more kind and more gentle as it insinuates itself into the mainstream.

Battery life, pricing, wrap-up

Battery life

Apple claimed that the battery life on the 3GS is somehow better than what we've previously seen on the 3G, but in our tests, we could barely tell the difference between the two handsets. First off, in terms of talktime and data over a 3G network, the count is exactly the same (five hours) -- though the battery gains two hours (up from 10 to 12) using 2G. Where the differences really show according to Apple are during strictly WiFi, video, or audio use. The claim is that you'll see roughly three to four more hours of life out of the device in those scenarios, but honestly, if you're just using this thing to play audio, why did you bother getting an iPhone? In our tests -- real world, admittedly non-scientific tests -- we hardly noticed a difference in battery life between the new and old model. The point is, you're still very much in the same boat when it comes to general use -- but on the plus side, there's no noticeable deficit in power with the new version (though we have yet to see what heavy video capture does to a full charge).

Pricing

As with any phone, the big, highlighted number you see advertised left and right for the iPhone 3GS -- $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB -- is the new contract price, which means there are plenty of thick, barbed strings attached. If you're still using a RAZR from 2006 and you haven't touched your service or bought a new phone directly from the carrier since then, you're almost certainly in business with these maximum subsidies; AT&T's made its money off of you several times over and it's willing to put a little dough back in your pocket once again in order to get a whole lot more out of you over the course of a contract. On the flipside, customers who have been upgrading religiously from iPhone to 3G to 3GS will not necessarily be eligible for those most lucrative prices unless they paid the off-contract price for their 3G (to avoid re-upping the contract they were already on) and are now out of contract altogether -- unless AT&T says otherwise, of course. More on that next.

If you're what AT&T calls "ineligible," you have a a few options. The company has taken the very unusual step of letting iPhone 3G customers who are becoming upgrade eligible in the next three months through the end of September (note that this can be, and usually is, different from the date that your contract is up) can take advantage of the fully subsidized pricing. The way your upgrade eligibility date is an inexact science, involving Magic 8-Balls, mainframes from the 1960s, and faerie dust, but the bottom line is that you need to check with the carrier to find out when that date is (you can see it using online account management -- no need to call in).

You can always add a line, assuming you clear the usual battery of credit checks, which would also get you back in the game for $199 / $299 -- the tradeoff being that you're stuck with another line of service, of course, which ends up significantly outweighing any subsidy advantage upfront by the time your new contract has run its course. If you want to upgrade your existing line early, you can do so for $399 or $499 for the 16GB or 32GB model, respectively, and for contract breakage newbies, that can definitely be an unwelcome shock to the wallet. Even folks who upgraded from the original iPhone to the 3G and don't become eligible in the next few months won't much appreciate what's going on here, since they'd essentially paid "full price" for the first model which allowed AT&T to offer the 3G at maximum subsidy provided customers re-upped their contracts. At any rate, keep in mind that buying in at these $399 / $499 price points will extend your contract back to two years, because -- believe it or not -- they're still slightly discounted. If you want to buy a 3G S outright without the moral and financial dilemma of signing your name to a very pricey piece of paper, get ready for the big bucks: $599 or $699, depending on the model you choose.

It can all be a little confusing, yes -- and if you aren't upgrade eligible or have questions about your individual situation, your best bet is to go into a store; representatives can typically work magic on your account that you can't work yourself through AT&T's website.

Wrap-up

There are probably two very large groups of people thinking about buying an iPhone right now. One set is current users, either those with the 3G, or those still using the original model. The other set is a group of new users -- people who've never owned an iPhone and are now faced with not one, but two different options when it comes to getting in the door. For both groups, there are huge questions to answer about whether or not getting the 3GS makes sense, and very few of them have to do with the quality of the phone.

For current users, we have this to say: the iPhone 3GS is a solid spec bump to a phone you already own... but it is, at its core, a phone you already own. Your real deciding factors will be two-fold, first, are you able to purchase the 3GS at a price which is reasonable or sensible to you? For a lot of current users -- particularly more recent customers -- the pricing will be exorbitant, and it's hard to think of dropping $399 or $499 when you've just shelled out for a very, very similar phone (remember, you're paying for a speed bump, a compass, and video recording). On the other hand, if you're within contract renewal range and you don't plan on jumping platforms anytime soon, $199 nabs you an unquestionably excellent smartphone.

That conclusion speaks to new users who are undecided about the iPhone (or exactly which iPhone to buy). At this stage, we wouldn't recommend anything but the 3GS for newcomers planning on getting into Apple's game. For another $100, you're nabbing a much more robust device with a handful of great additions. It's a small price to pay for something you plan to keep long term -- or until Apple pops the next iteration on us. The other big questions here aren't about the 3G or 3GS -- they're about Apple's platform and AT&T's network. While the smartphone market has cracked wide open lately, the iPhone is arguably the market leader (at least in mindshare), and really does showcase a superb platform -- lack of physical keyboard and multitasking aside. AT&T, on the other hand, isn't exactly acting like the top-tier carrier it's supposed to be, and its service can sometimes be maddeningly poor.

So while it's tough to argue with the package Apple has put together (a stellar device with just enough new to make it nearly perfect), we couldn't help feeling a bit let down by the 3GS. Maybe we've been spoiled by devices like the Pre and Ion (and it's possible we're a little numb to OS 3.0 since we've played with the beta for a while now), but the additions of video recording, a compass, and a speed bump just don't seem that compelling to us. The mix of new features and a ever-growing App Store will still be potent to new buyers -- but pricing schemes which amount to hundreds more for current owners might give previous early adopters and eager upgraders reason for pause. Ultimately we're not saying it's time to jump ship, but we've come to expect a bit more pedal to the floor from Apple -- you've raised the bar guys, now it's time to jump over it.

Island City Mall in Tagbilaran, Bohol

2010-06-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

What is Facebook?

2010-06-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a social networking website intended to connect friends, family, and business associates. It is the largest of the networking sites, with the runner up being MySpace. It began as a college networking website and has expanded to include anyone and everyone.

Facebook was founded by 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg and originally called thefacebook. It was quickly successful on campus and expanded beyond Harvard into other Ivy League schools. With the phenomenon growing in popularity, Zuckerberg enlisted two other students, Duston Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, to assist. Within months, thefacebook became a nationwide college networking website.

Pilipinas Got Talent - 16-years old Jovit Baldivino - Journey's "Faithfully"

2010-06-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Pilipinas Got Freetext

2010-06-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

FAQ

A) Using my Philippine based cellphone, how can I use LibrengTeks.tk to send unlimited text to any network?

1. First and foremost, you must already have subscribed to unlimited texting to your network. So if you are a Globe subscriber, enroll first for unlimited Globe-Globe/TM texting.

2. Send your message to the LibrengTeks hotline for your network.
(The list of hotline numbers is here)

Hotline Numbers

Globe
0917 640 8970

Smart
0999 736 0974

Sun
0933 469 8626

Message format should be “TO>11-digit-numberYour message”.

Example. If you are a Globe subscriber and want to send a free text to your friend who is a Smart subscriber with cell number 09181234567.

I type my message as: TO>09181234567 Musta? Sinend ko to gamit ang librengteks.tk founded by Rhyl France Visitacion. Ayos ba?

Then send to the LibrengTeks Globe hotline which is 09176408970.

What this does is send your message to the LibrengTeks Globe carrier and forward your message to the Smart carrier.

Your friend will then receive the following: “From : ”.

So if your number is 09171234567 and you sent the message above, your friend will receive the message: From +639171234567: Musta? Sinend ko to gamit ang librengteks.tk founded by Rhyl France Visitacion. Ayos ba?

Reminder: send your message to the LibrengTeks hotline for your network, or else your network will charge you.

B) Using my Philippine based cellphone, how can I use LibrengTeks.tk to send emails?

Message format should be “TO>email@address.comYour message.”

Example: If I am a Globe subscriber and want to send a free email to info@librengteks.tk.

I type my message as: TO>info@librengteks.tk My friend! Sinend ko to gamit ang librengteks.tk founded by Rhyl France Visitacion. Ayos ba?

Then send to the LibrengTeks Globe hotline which is 09176408970.

C) Using my Philippine based cellphone, how do I send text messages to the US or other countries?

This feature is most useful for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

Just follow the same instructions in D) except that you use the cellphone number as the email address.

Message format should be “TO>@carrier.comYour message.”

Example: If I am a Globe subscriber and want to send a free text to an AT&T US subscriber with phone number 18881234567.

I type my message as: TO>8881234567@txt.att.net My friend! Sinend ko to gamit ang librengteks.tk founded by Rhyl France Visitacion. Ayos ba?

Then send to the LibrengTeks Globe hotline which is 09176408970.

The email address will depend on the carrier. So ask for the carrier from the owner of the number first before sending your message.

For now we only have the list for US cellular networks. List for other countries coming soon.

Zipline at Danao, Bohol

2010-06-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is our zipline experience at Danao, Bohol, Philippines with the finance of City Mayor of Oroquieta, Jason Paredes Almonte.

President Benigno S. Aquino III Biography

2010-06-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III has always viewed politics as a necessary vehicle for change, a perspective he formed early in life through the examples set by both of his parents.

In 1998, he ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and won. He would serve as Congressman of the 2nd District of Tarlac until 2007.

In his nine years at the Lower House, Noynoy focused on the fiscalizing role of a legislator. He felt that there were already too many laws, and good ones at that, but they seemingly lacked proper implementation. He concentrated on crafting laws that would help create opportunity rather than impose additional burdens to those who are already disadvantaged. He actively took part in budget deliberations to ensure that government initiatives do address the plight of the people who need help the most.

His commitment to continue the legacy of his parents was evident in his performance. In November 2004, he became Deputy House Speaker of Luzon, but he relinquished the post when he joined leaders of the Liberal Party (LP) in calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” scandal. To him, it was easier to give up the position than abandon his duty to hold accountable those who do wrong.

In May 2007, he ran for Senator and won, placing 6th in the national elections. He chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, and is also the vice-chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He had been determined to ensure that his key legislative initiatives would bear fruit and to see them through until the end of his term.

However, fate had other plans for him. The passing of his mother, former President Cory Aquino, stirred a long-dormant yearning for good leadership. Filipinos from all walks of life, here and abroad, began to look at Noynoy as the new hope for a better Philippines. The groundswell calling for him to run for President became too loud to ignore, and eventually overcame his reluctance.

In his letter from prison many years ago, Ninoy said to Noynoy, “Son, the ball is now in your hands.”

Today, the people want the future back into their own hands and Noynoy will not let them down.

His critics say he merely trades on his good name and skeptics consider him a lightweight. Rivals accuse him of wrongdoing despite a clearly unblemished record. Noynoy’s detractors have been busy trying to bring him down, but their efforts have only allowed him to improve his popularity.

Noynoy is an economist by education, a lawmaker by vocation. He is an audiophile, history buff, marksman and self-taught billiards sharpie. He is a loving brother and uncle, and a steadfast friend. He is also destined to be the one to finally lead our country towards a brighter future.

“There is no greater nation than our Motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength.” – Ninoy Aquino in a letter to his only son Noynoy.

Congressman Jorge Almonte Staff ID

2010-06-20T21:34:00.000-07:00