News in the Philippines

Anger flares as Obama, Romney clash in second debate

2012-10-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

HEMPSTEAD, New York — Barack Obama and Mitt Romney stood toe-to-toe and harangued one another for telling untruths Tuesday, as naked dislike flared between the two rivals in a fiery presidential debate.
A pumped-up Obama bounced off the ropes after a dismal showing in the rivals’ first clash two weeks ago, showing more passion and energy in the first few exchanges than in the whole sleepy 90 minutes of their debut clash.
Obama was shocked into action by tumbling poll numbers triggered by Romney’s smooth performance in the first debate, which left panicking Democrats fearing his historic presidency could end in ignominy after a single term.
Freed from podiums that constrained them in the first debate, the candidates roamed the stage in the town-hall style encounter at Hofstra University, New York, exactly three weeks from election day on November 6.
Minutes into the clash, Republican Romney and Democrat Obama stood just a few feet apart, trading charge and counter charge in a furious verbal slanging match.
“Governor Romney says he has a five-point plan. He doesn’t have a five-point plan. He has a one-point plan, and that is to make sure that folks at the top play by a different set of rules,” Obama blasted about his challenger’s economic policy.
In one heated exchange over energy, Romney triggered an audible gasp of shock in the hall hosting the debate, when he snapped at the president: “You’ll get your chance in a moment, I’m still speaking.”
“Not true, Governor Romney, not true,” Obama said, after Romney savaged the president’s record on oil production over the last four years.
Just 21 days before the election, the obvious antipathy between the candidates reflected stakes that could hardly be higher as national polls and the race in battleground states tightens into a dead heat.
At moments, Romney quibbled with CNN moderator Candy Crowley, charging that Obama had interrupted him in contravention of the rules of the debate.
Romney, a 65-year-old former governor of Massachusetts, took the first question of the clash, about the jobs crisis, and bemoaned the plight of ordinary Americans who he said had been “crushed over the last four years.”

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Liking, sharing on Facebook not libelous–Angara

2012-10-10T00:10:00.002-07:00

MANILA, Philippines — Liking and sharing a libelous comment in social networking sites like Facebook will not make the “liker” or “sharer” liable under the cybercrime law so long as he or she does not conspire to commit the crime, Senator Edgardo Angara said on Thursday.
Angara was initially unaware of the terms “like” and “sharing” when reporters asked during a regular forum in the Senate asked whether the act of liking or sharing a malicious comment or remark on Facebook was punishable under the law.
“Anong mag-like? (What’s to like?)” he asked.
After a reporter explained and showed him how to do it on Facebook, Angara said, “No. Not really. You see, the anxiety and apprehension over this are so exaggerated….”
“Hindi. Hindi naman ikaw ang author nito (No. You are not the author (of that libelous comment),” he said when pressed. ‘
“Hindi, audience lang naman sya e. Kapag sinabi kong uy gusto ko yung sinabing yun. Conspirator na ako? Hindi. Audience lang ako. (He is just an audience. If I say, I like what he said. Does that make m conspirator. No. I’m just an audience) We are a non-party. Non Participant,” the senator said.
Even sharing a libelous comment on Facebook, Angara said, was not punishable under the law unless the “sharer” had conspired with the author.
“Kung may connivance. Kung may conspiracy (If there is connivance. If there is conspiracy),” he said.
“Kung ikaw kasabwat, conspirator ka, kilala mo yung nagpadala niyan at nagkausap kayo, ito pag pinadala ko sayo, i-share mo sa lahat, e di conspirator ka (If you are a conspirator, you know the author and he told you to share it to everyone, then you become a conspirator),” he pointed out.
Angara called on the public to calm down, saying the law is not a threat to anyone’s freedom right now.
“I think the first call of the media, a very powerful conveyor of information, is to calm down and say there’s no threat to anyone’s freedom right now. What we are just saying is that we are apprehensive, we are anxious that it will violate our rights. Nothing so far has been violated,” he said.
“In the first place, the law is not even enforced yet. There’s still no IRR (implementing rules and regulations) e…So there’s no actual injury to anyone and therefore I would appeal very strongly and almost passionately…don’t be afraid. Don’t panic…,” the senator added.

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Blame ‘habagat,’ not ‘Gener’

2012-08-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

For its erratic bursts of rain and wind and generally fickle nature, the “bipolar” weather disturbance known as Typhoon “Gener” has become the butt of online jokes.

Gener—which started out as a low pressure area (LPA) in the Pacific, turned into a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, a typhoon and back to a tropical storm—left the Philippines for good on Friday, but not before striking the fancy and humor of netizens.

For a whole week, the wet and windy storm brought death and destruction across Metro Manila and outlying provinces, changing directions as it plodded northward, and at one point, spawning fierce storm surges that slammed into the seawall in Manila Bay and flooded Roxas Boulevard on Manila.

It’s southwest monsoon

The storm had enhanced the southwest monsoon, locally known as “hanging habagat,” according to the state weather bureau. One minute, rain and wind came in fits and spurts; the next minute, it rained cats and dogs.

Singer-songwriter Jim Paredes summed up the online sentiment on his Twitter account (@jimparedes): “From what Twitter peeps say, Gener is bipolar, a girl (fickle), needs Imodium or Diatabs, has an FB (Facebook) status of ‘It’s complicated.’”

Another Twitter account with an obscene name joked: “Ikaw ba si Gener? Ang hangin mo kasi eh! (Are you Gener? Because you’re so windy.)”

Explaining the mercurial weather, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the blame should fall on the southwest monsoon, which Gener had enhanced during its stay.

Erratic, unpredictable

“That’s characteristic of the southwest monsoon. It’s really erratic and unpredictable,” Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando told the Inquirer. He said the southwest monsoon would continue prevailing until September.

“The nature of the southwest monsoon is it brings intermittent rains. It can last five minutes, or there will be continuous rain for 30 minutes, and there are breaks in between,” Pagasa forecaster Chris Perez said.

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Tropical Storm ‘Gener’ spawns floods nationwide

2012-07-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Rains dumped by Tropical Storm “Gener” (international name: Saola) across the country flooded communities, swelled rivers, triggered landslides, damaged crops and roads, and canceled domestic flights as it moved toward northern Luzon.
A man drowned in Antique on Saturday, while more than a thousand people were evacuated in Negros Occidental and Maguindanao due to flooding.
Rough seas in Cebu province have forced boats to cancel their trips over the past two days.
In Metro Manila, authorities advised local government units on Sunday to evacuate residents near the Tullahan River because the water in La Mesa Dam was about to breach the spilling level. Excess water from the dam drains into the river that snakes through Quezon, Caloocan, Valenzuela and Navotas cities.
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, Gener was spotted 380 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan, with peak winds of 95 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph, said the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). It was moving north-northwest at 15 kph.
Public storm signal warnings were hoisted over portions of northern Luzon as Gener, whose band of clouds has a diameter of 600 km, slightly intensified as it crept toward the country’s northern tip.
The Pagasa placed Cagayan, including Calayan and Babuyan groups of islands, and the Batanes Group of Islands under Storm Signal No. 2. It said sustained winds of 60 kph to 100 kph were expected in the province until today.
Any form of sea travel in the affected areas would be risky, the agency said as it reminded residents living in coastal areas to be on alert for big waves and storm surges.
Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the provinces of Isabela, Kalinga and Apayao, as winds of 30 to 60 kph were expected to last until Tuesday.
The weather bureau advised against traveling on small seacraft and fishing boats.
The rest of Luzon and the Visayas will experience cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms, while Mindanao will be cloudy and may have isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.
Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao while winds from the northeast to northwest will prevail over the rest of Luzon. Coastal waters in these areas will be moderate to rough.
Pagasa warned residents in low-lying and mountainous areas against flash floods and landslides as heavy to intense rainfall was expected.
Gener is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, bring rains over southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
At Ninoy Aquino International Airport, 17 domestic flights, mostly to Caticlan, Aklan, and mostly morning flights were canceled Sunday due to bad weather.
At Terminal 3, nine Cebu Pacific flights to and from Caticlan, the gateway to the resort island of Boracay, were canceled, according to an advisory issued by the Manila International Airport Authority at 2:30 p.m.
An Air Philippines flight from Manila to Caticlan and back was also canceled, along with two Cebu Pacific flights to and from Legazpi City and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, and a Zest Air flight to and from Legazpi.
In Isabela, the provincial government has set aside funds to provide fishermen, especially those in coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean, with cash assistance from July 29 to July 31.
Governor Faustino Dy III said P250-P300 cash was allotted a day to each of about 500 fishermen in the towns of Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan and Dinapigue.
“It is as if we were buying what they would have caught, so they would not go out to sea while the waters are rough and dangerous,” he said.
In Central Luzon, the Pampanga River Basin’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said flooding was possible in communities along the Pampanga River from Nueva Ecija to Pampanga.
Josefina Timoteo, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said heavy rains in Bulacan on Saturday night caused flooding in at least seven villages in San Miguel town. On Sunday morning, however, the floodwaters, which reached up to 2 feet, started to recede, she said.

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Thank God, says Arroyo now out on bail

2012-07-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

She walked free from eight months in detention on Wednesday after a court granted her bail on the ground that the electoral sabotage case against her was weak. But her freedom may be short-lived.

“Thank God,” former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 65, said before exchanging embraces with a small group of relatives and friends gathered in her room at Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.

That’s vintage Gloria Arroyo, one who kept strong when others showed weakness, her only daughter Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo-Bernas said.

Several senators, however, said Arroyo could be detained anew sooner than expected for the nonbailable charge of plunder that was filed earlier this month in connection with the misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) intelligence funds.

“Once the Sandiganbayan issues another warrant of arrest in relation to the plunder case, she will go back to prison,” said Senator Francis Escudero, chairman of the justice committee.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada joked that Arroyo should have left behind her clothes at VMMC.

“She might be back very soon,” said Estrada, who himself once faced a plunder case but was later acquitted in connection with the jueteng funds pocketed by his father, former President Joseph Estrada.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the blue ribbon committee, said the evidence gathered by his panel during its hearings on the P366 million in PCSO funds that went missing during Arroyo’s incumbency “is very strong.”

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B-Meg ties PBA Finals; Paul Lee reinjures shoulder

2012-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—James Yap came through in the clutch to lift B-Meg over Rain or Shine, 85-80, and tie the two teams’ PBA Governors Cup best-of-seven Finals series at 1-1 Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Yap finished with 24 points including a tough left corner turnaround jumper that gave the Llamados an 82-78 cushion with 15.6 seconds left.
“This was a crucial game for us. We had to, at some point, convince ourselves that we could beat this team. We haven’t changed that yet but this one win can help us turn that around,” said B-Meg head coach Tim Cone.
“‘Big Game’ James turned to ‘Big Shot’ James,” Cone said of Yap. “The defense was so shattered that he was able to get a good look and knock it down.”
B-Meg built an 11-point lead twice in the third quarter before ROS was able to tie the game at 74, with 5:25 left.
Jamelly Cornley, the conference’s best import, sank two free throws that pulled the Elasto Painters to within two, 78-80, before Yap’s clutch shot.
Marcus Blakely bounced back from his poor Game 1 outing with game highs of 26 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks to offset his seven errors.
Game 3 is set on Friday with both teams looking for a pivotal 2-1 series lead.
For Rain or Shine, though, the squad may have to make do sans its best player Paul Lee.
Lee, who came in second to Mark Caguioa as the conference’s Best Player, reinjured his left shoulder after swiping at the ball at the 2:22 mark of the fourth quarter.
The former University of the East star immediately went down on the floor in tremendous pain while grabbing his shoulder. He was then carried out of the court on a stretcher in the waning seconds of the game.
Concerned but unfazed, ROS head coach Yeng Guiao even made a bold statement: “We will win this series with or without Paul Lee.”

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Santiago: Philippines like a mosquito in the face of a dragon like China

2012-07-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

A “mosquito” like the Philippines needs only to use its wits against a dragon like China in dealing with their territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago offered this simple yet smart solution, saying one way of dealing with China’s bullying is for Manila to seek the help of its allies in dealing with the dragon.
“We neither have money nor weapons. Our only choice is to depend on the Western allies. Depending on the way we maneuver this situation, we must keep in mind that our allies need something from us just as we need something from them,” Santiago said at the weekly Kapihan sa Senado.
Relations between the Philippines and China have been severely strained by their rival claims over Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) off the Zambales coast and over parts of the Spratlys island chain near Palawan.
Santiago suggested that the Philippines ask allies like the United States, Australia, Singapore and South Korea “that it would be in their best interest to protect the South China Sea from incursions by China.”
A dragon and gorilla
Santiago raised the point after noting that the Chinese government has stressed that the Philippines “must accept that the South China Sea belongs to China.”
“You don’t want to give China power over a … maritime territory that represents 10 percent of the fisheries catch of the entire world, in the sea lane where half of world’s tonnage passes,” she said.
“Let us tell the Western powers they would lose freedom of navigation over maritime commons if China is able to effectuate its desire to own the entire South China Sea,” she added.
“China is, to put it bluntly, a gorilla…We are mosquitoes and China is a dragon. Mosquitoes just buzz around your ear, you slap them and they’re dead… We cannot engage its economy. We cannot engage in an arms race with (the Chinese). If we lack the power, then we use our brains,” the senator said.
Armed attack doubted
Santiago, a former chairperson of the Senate foreign relations committee, supported Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s request to the United States for surveillance aircraft and naval cutters that would allow the Philippines to monitor Chinese territorial incursions.
“But we don’t see equipment (being delivered) because the US is under no obligation,” she said.
Santiago said that if one read carefully the Mutual Defense Treaty, “the US will come to the Philippines’ defense only in case of armed attack.”
“That’s why China will never make an armed attack so that it can never be accused of launching an external armed attack that would trigger the implementation of the (treaty),” she said.
This is also the reason, she said, why China only uses “paramilitary naval vessels in the Spratlys and Scarborough and not military boats.”

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Panatag Shoal | Scarborough Shoal | Spratly Islands

The First Typhoon of the Wet Season in the Philippines

2012-06-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

As the summer season ended, the wet seasons of the Philippines had officially begun, particularly now that a typhoon is steadily battering Luzon and Visayas with heavy rains. “Butchoy”, with international name Guchol, is said to have intensified into a typhoon as it moved in a north-northwest direction.

Despite not making any landfall, Tropical Storm “Butchoy” moves up stronger and expected to bring more rains to Luzon and Eastern Visayas, particularly in the Sarangani and Samar Provinces which is currently experiencing severe flooding.

First Typhoon of the Wet Season Butchoy was first seen 470 kilometers east northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar, with maximum winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center, and gustiness of up to 150 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its latest advisory.

According to latest Philippines Weather news, Butchoy is forecast to be 590 kilometers east southeast of Casiguran, Aurora by Sunday morning. Typhoon Butchoy continued to move north-northwest 15 kilometers per hour, with estimated rainfall of 15-25-mm per hour (heavy) within the 500-km diameter of the typhoon, it also said.

It is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over Luzon and Visayas especially over the western section which may trigger flashfloods and landslides, Pagasa said.

Rescued Teachers in Samar According to latest Weather Philippines news, eight public school teachers were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard Friday night after the engine of their boat conked out under heavy rain in rough seas churned up by Tropical Storm Butchoy.

Meanwhile, about 60 passengers bound for Luzon have been stranded at the port in Allen town, Northern Samar, since Friday afternoon after vessels were barred from sailing because of the storm, which had intensified into a typhoon on Saturday.

Bicol Bracing for Flooding and Landslides Disaster agencies went on alert to better deal with the possibility of floods and landslides as Typhoon Butchoy came closer to the Bicol region although the weather bureau did not expect it to make landfall anywhere in the Philippines.

Butchoy, the second storm to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility this year, has enhanced the southwest monsoon which in turn has been dumping heavy rain on many parts of the Philippine the past week as the weather system intensified from a low pressure area into a typhoon.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) was placed under “Code Blue” alert or preparedness status, and relief teams were assembled for quick deployment in case people living in areas prone to flooding, lahar flows or landslides need to be evacuated, said Bernardo Alejandro, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense and chairman of the regional disaster council

PBA Governors Cup - The Latests

2012-06-15T01:56:00.000-07:00

PBA’s Governor’s Cup had started to heat things up when Alaska had won against one of PBA’s giant, the Barako Bulls, while De Ocampo had stepped up for B-Meg to hold off Barangay Ginebra charges.
Alaska vs. Barako Bulls Import Jason Forte led a balanced attack by Alaska as it pummeled Barako Bull, 104-84, Sunday night in the 2012 PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

According to latest PBA News, Forte racked up 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter where the Aces put the game out of reach. “It was nice to see activity from us defensively and that set the tone for us,” commended new Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo. “We played aggressive basketball right from the first quarter,” Trillo said.

LA Tenorio controlled the tempo in his pace en route to 21 points, six rebounds and six assists while newly acquired forward Gabby Espinas had 18 points and seven rebounds apart from his decent defending against Jamine Peterson.

Peterson, the Energy’s skilled reinforcement, still managed to get 19 points but shot six-for-19. Cyrus Baguio chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds as the Aces, now at 1-1, out-rebounded the Energy, 58-40.

De Ocampo’s Stand Yancy de Ocampo stepped up in the absence of Marc Pingris and Joe Devance as B-Meg held off Barangay Ginebra, 96-88, Sunday night in the 2012 PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
De Ocampo wound up with 16 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes to help the Llamados chalk up their first win in two games. “Yancy was really the key. They didn’t really have anybody to stop Yancy inside and we kept dumping the ball into him, we made an effort to do that and he really responded,” praised B-Meg head coach Tim Cone.

According to PBA Latest News, the Llamados threatened to pull away several times and even led by as much as 16 (49-33), but just couldn’t against a resilient Gin Kings squad. “They lived up to their reputation as a never-say-die team. They just kept coming back. We had a good shooting night and they didn’t have a good shooting night and that was one of the big differences in the game,” said Cone.

Ginebra moved to within, 77-80, after a Cedric Bozeman triple but B-Meg countered with a 9-1 run capped by a PJ Simon three-point play that extended the gap, 89-78, with 4:05 left. Simon, though, injured his knee after that basket as he got fouled by Kerby Raymundo and did not return. He finished with a team-high 21 points on a remarkable nine-of-11 shooting from the field.

“PJ had a great game. I hope he’s healthy. I don’t know but he strained his knee. I don’t know the severity of it but I hope it’s not too bad,” a concerned Cone said.

James Yap pumped in 18 points, including timely threes that kept Ginebra at bay while import Marcus Blakely had 13 points, 17 rebounds and five assists to offset his horrible three-of-15 shooting at the line.

PBA Governor Cup Latest Updates

2012-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

As the PBA Governor’s Cup continuously rages on, a number of teams had started to come up from the competition, B-Meg Llamados with their second straight win with Barako Bulls, and Powerade Tigers with their first win of the competition.

B-Meg’s Second Straight Win B-MEG booked a second straight victory after repulsing Barako Bull, 95-90, on a night when Powerade finally won a game in the PBA Governors’ Cup eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Marcus Blakely scored 29 points, had 15 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks despite an aching back and carried the Llamados to a 2-1 record after the Tigers ripped Alaska, 114-97.

According to latest PBA News, Marc Pingris returned after a two-game absence to shoot 11 and grab the same number of boards, while Willie Miller couldn’t save the Energy from losing a second straight game and dropping to 1-2 despite shooting 29.

Powerade’s Comeback After Powerade’s continuous winless efforts in the PBA Governor’s Cup, the Tigers had finally won their first victory over Alaska with the help of their new import, Omar Sneed.

Sneed, a 34-year-old journeyman who has seen extensive action in Belgium, Venezuela and the Netherlands, replaces the celebrated, but disappointing, Rashad McCants when the Tigers clash with the Aces in the 5:15 p.m. contest set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

McCants averaged 25 points in his two games with the Tigers, but the talent and skill that took him to stints with Minnesota and Sacramento in the NBA have clearly deserted him, forcing Powerade officials to look for a replacement.

With their win, Powerade is set to challenge Talk N’ Text, in which both teams are in the bottom half of the standings. According to PBA Latest News, the Texters will come into the match with a three-day rest while the Tigers will be playing a second game in three nights with Gary David, the tournament’s best local scorer, expected to be the focus of the Talk ‘N Text defense.

After shooting 31 points in a 114-97 rout of Alaska on Friday, David is the logical man to stop for the Texters if they wish to score a follow up of a masterful conquest of defending champion Petron Blaze.

Project Noah

2012-06-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Noah, a program to install rain gauges and flood monitoring and warning systems in the country’s major river systems, had been recently installed as one of the government’s first step in the coming season. A joint effort by the Philippine government and the local sector, Noah is said to be a vital tool in the coming rainy season.

Project Noah In a speech read for him at the 1st Philippine International River Summit on Thursday, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, said the PLDT Group’s Smart Communications and Sun Cellular will help the government’s P1.7-billion project to make communities resilient to typhoons.

According to latest Philippines Weather news, government officials and private sector participants told the summit that the Philippines, which suffer average 20 storms a year, badly needed to manage river systems and install a better alert system for floods to prevent the loss of lives and property.

As part of its assistance, the PLDT Group has allowed the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to install automatic rain gauges (ARGs) in 600 cell sites of Smart and Sun all over the country over two years, said Pangilinan. PLDT installed 63 rain gauges for the country’s weather bureau last year.
Like the biblical patriarch for which it was named, Project Noah will warn communities of impending flooding in their communities in the event of continuous rains.

“Project Noah combined with other new technologies like the Doppler radar, will finally bring the country’s disaster preparedness systems into the 21st century. Even before floods strike, we can know to an unprecedented level of detail how such calamities will impact on our cities and towns,” Pangilinan said in the speech read for him by Michael Toledo, Philex Mining Corp. vice president for corporate affairs.

A Rainy Start of the School Year According to latest Technology Philippines news, while the wet season hasn’t officially kicked in yet, monsoon rains are expected to affect the opening of classes next week.

Southern Luzon, the Visayas and western and northeastern Mindanao would start experiencing isolated to widespread rain showers this weekend, said forecaster Nikos Peñaranda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

“We should watch out for these possible monsoon rains. Next week will be critical. It’s likely that we’ll be experiencing monsoon rains as well by next week because of the enhancement of the southwest monsoon,’’ Peñaranda said in an interview.

Aquino won’t sign waiver

2012-05-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

President Benigno Aquino III is not waiving his right under the laws to keep his bank accounts confidential even after Renato Corona’s removal as Chief Justice for untruthful declaration of wealth.
Speaking at a news conference in Malacañang Thursday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed that Mr. Aquino declared during the presidential campaign in 2010 that he would waive his privilege of secrecy under the country’s banking laws if elected President.
Valte said, however, that Mr. Aquino wouldn’t sign any such waiver at this time.
“Let’s go back to the context,” Valte said. “It was the accused [Corona] who issued the challenge to every Tom, Dick and Harry who was willing to take on his dare. Is it fair to put the President, who has not been accused of graft, who has not been accused of dishonesty, in the same category as the man who was just removed from his post?”
Valte was answering questions raised by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for a new standard in his explanation for his vote to convict Corona on Tuesday.
Corona submitted a waiver to the Senate impeachment court on May 25—too late and useless, as he had already admitted keeping $2.4 million and P80 million in bank accounts that he did not report in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
“I ask the President to instruct his Cabinet to sign the waivers or resign and leave the government,” Cayetano said. “Lead by following, or get out of the way.”
Cayetano proposed waivers for all executive officials, members of Congress and the judiciary.
Not accused
But Valte insisted that the President was not issuing a waiver.
“You have to remember that this all came about because one man was on the stand, was being accused of something,” Valte said. “Do we put other people in the same situation even when they are not being accused of hiding anything?”
The President and the members of his Cabinet have all declared their assets, Valte said. Their SALNs have been available to the public since they were sworn into office, she said.
No dollar accounts
Valte added that President Aquino had no foreign-currency bank account.
“No one is saying that his disclosures in his SALN are incomplete or are inaccurate and the same goes for members of his Cabinet,” Valte said. “Just like Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said [Corona’s] waiver was for theatrics,” she added.
The SALN, Valte said, contains a waiver that authorizes the Ombudsman to look into the officials’ finances with help from all governmental agencies.
And there’s the bank secrecy law, which, Valte said, provides for exceptions and these could trigger the opening of public officials’ bank accounts.
‘Lead by example’
But Cayetano said President Aquino should “lead by example,” though he was willing to give Mr. Aquino time until a system that would prevent abuse could be introduced.
In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday, Cayetano acknowledged “concerns” that Mr. Aquino and other government officials might have if they followed Corona’s lead.
Cayetano called for a system that would not use waivers other than to weed out corrupt officials and employees.
“I am in favor of giving him time to sign and put these things in place,” Cayetano said.
“His presidency and programs are worth supporting so I encourage him to find ways to address (the) concerns then sign (his own waiver) and get his Cabinet to sign waivers,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano was glad about the Supreme Court’s decision to release the SALNs of all its justices.
Lesson in honesty
Speaking at a news forum Thursday, Cayetano said Corona’s impeachment should serve as a lesson in honesty and transparency in public service.
In the case of the executive branch, he said, the President could order all officials and employees to submit waivers.
“The President can say, ‘If you don’t want to sign, resign,’” Cayetano said.
Cayetano acknowledged that waivers could be used against public officials, especially with midterm elections to be held next year.
He said the waiver could also be used to producing “fake” bank accounts to accuse officials of corruption.
But he considered the waiver a “new paradigm” in transparency and accountability, and he observed that more public officials are following Corona’s example.
Others follow
Several members of the House of Representatives have signed waivers, and the leader of the Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai, Mike Velarde, is calling on other government officials to follow suit.
“If they are not hiding anything [they should sign]. Besides, the purpose of this SALN is for the public to know what they have,” Velarde told reporters during the 6th National Catholic Charismatic Congress in Pasay City Thursday.

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Rainy school opening seen

2012-05-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

While the wet season hasn’t officially kicked in yet, monsoon rains are expected to affect the opening of classes next week.
Monsoon rains induced by an active low pressure area (LPA) east off Samar would become more frequent over southern Luzon, including Metro Manila and the Visayas next week, weather forecasters said Thursday.
Southern Luzon, the Visayas and western and northeastern Mindanao would start experiencing isolated to widespread rain showers this weekend, said forecaster Nikos Peñaranda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
“We should watch out for these possible monsoon rains. Next week will be critical. It’s likely that we’ll be experiencing monsoon rains as well by next week because of the enhancement of the southwest monsoon,’’ Peñaranda said in an interview.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the LPA was over the Philippine Sea 330 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.
While far from the archipelago, the LPA would induce the southwest monsoon, or winds blowing southwest, to bring rain over some sections as early as Friday, Peñaranda said.
The LPA would likely develop into a tropical depression Saturday, and when it does, the monsoon rain would intensify, he said. Once a tropical depression, it will be called “Ambo.’’

Credits : Philippines Weather, Weather Philippines

In The Know: Selecting the next Chief Justice

2012-05-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

Section 7, Article VIII, of the Constitution requires that a Supreme Court justice be a natural-born Filipino, at least 40 years old and must have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the country for at least 15 years.
The Constitution also requires that a member of the judiciary “must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence.”
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has the primary function of recommending appointees to the judiciary, as required under Section 8, Article VIII, of the Constitution.
The JBC is composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio chairman, the secretary of justice, and a representative of the Congress as ex officio members, a representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, a professor of law, a retired justice of the Supreme Court and a representative of the private sector.
In fulfillment of its function, the JBC submits to the President a list of at least three nominees for every vacancy in the judiciary. From this list, the President makes his choice.
A vacancy on the Supreme Court must be filled within 90 days from its occurrence.
The selection process for nominees for judicial offices, including that of Chief Justice, is specific:
The JBC first announces the vacancy, and an active, nationwide search for candidates follows. Applications and recommendations are submitted to the JBC secretariat.
The applicants are evaluated based on their qualifications and background. They also undergo physical and psychological examinations.
A notice about the candidates is published by the JBC secretary in two newspapers. The notice informs the public that any complaint against a candidate may be filed with the secretary within 10 days.
The candidates concerned have five days from receipt of the complaints to file their comments.
Those who pass the initial screening are interviewed by the JBC.
The council subsequently meets for the final deliberation to choose the candidates to be recommended to the President.
To be considered a nominee, a candidate must obtain the affirmative votes of the majority of the JBC members. On the question of integrity, a candidate is automatically disqualified on the negative vote of even just one JBC member.

Credits : Current Events in Philippines

Cooking as a Popular Activity for Children

2012-05-24T00:22:00.002-07:00

Doing activities with our children is the best way for us to spend time with them. Not only would this be recreational, but also teaches them of a number of importance of family-time. One popular activity that many parents have done with their children today is cooking.

Cooking: A Trending Way of Spending Time with Our Children According to modern Parenting Philippines, cooking and baking are not just for grownups anymore. With the popularity of “Junior Masterchef” and the reality TV shows with real-life chefs, children are curious to don a chef’s jacket and play with food.

But, how do you know if your child is ready for a summer culinary arts program? “If you see your children hanging around in the kitchen, especially when you are preparing meals, most likely they are interested in cooking,” says Dorothy Ferreria, a long-time culinary instructor who gives regular kiddie classes.

“Kids as young as six can help out in the kitchen. Tasks such as holding the mixing bowl for mom or handing out ingredients are enough to make them feel good about themselves. Their participation, no matter how minor, is a good start, because constant exposure can motivate them to help often.”

In addition to Ferreria’s statement, Vicky Veloso-Barrera, owner of Tiny Kitchen and also an author of a number of cookbooks and children’s book as well as a culinary instructor, had also said that children are far easier to teach than grownups. According to her, “they are more trusting, honest and creative.”

However, according to modern Philippines Lifestyle, since kids have short attention spans, most recipes taught them are simple and quick to prepare. “Supervision is the key to cooking with kids,” says Rory Subida, instructor and manager of The Maya Kitchen. “Kids of different ages develop cooking skills at different levels.”

The Mistake of Coercing Them Though cooking might be a popular trend among many children today, not all children are interested in this activity. Because of this, many parents have made the mistake of coercing them even if their children didn’t like the idea.

Jenny Peña of InterContinental Hotel, which gives monthly kiddie culinary classes, says kids should not be coerced into taking up something they don’t feel like doing.

“There was one time a boy was wearing a long face throughout the session,” recounts Peña. “The kid was unhappy because the parents just forced the son to join the cooking class. We don’t screen these kids; it’s the parents who bring them to us.”

According to her, summer culinary classes are not only designed for children with a knack for tasting good food and preparing delicious meals, but are also meant to develop their personality and teach them discipline.

A New Perspective on Autism and How a Parents Can Help

2012-05-24T00:21:00.000-07:00

Autism, according to many experts, is commonly used too broadly. In a cruel turn, the term autism is now commonly used as a cruel gesture, which “other” families are dealing with, and where doctors and scientists must “fix”. However, autism is not a disease to be healed or “fixed.” And autism is not only autism.

According to Bunny Joaquin, founder and directress of Shine Intervention in the Philippines, autism is more commonly considered as a spectrum, which is why autism is now called as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD.

Basically, she explains how a person with autism can be anywhere within this spectrum. “You can be anywhere with really high (Asperger’s) or really low levels of function (Kanner’s), or you can be somewhere in the middle.”

According to her, ASD is not a disease to be treated or to be contained, but it is a type of neurological disorder. It is characterized by “social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Parts of the Spectrum As early as 18 months, parents may already notice a baby’s delayed speech, lack of interest and response in activities, peers and eye contact. Conversely, they may also show an intense fascination for one object or practice for an extended period of time.
According to new Parenting Philippines news, communication problems may be both verbal and nonverbal. Some have complete difficulty with speech. Others may be able to converse, but speech may be strained as some are unable to recognize speech patterns, expressions and non-literal meanings.
However, some people are able to successfully work around communication problems by turning to other mediums, such as text and sign language.

With this, social interaction is usually affected due to the fact the autism has its own culture and way of seeing the world. Some display a lack of empathy, which also hinders them from developing relationships with others. The key is for everyone to extend the necessary understanding to get things rolling for the children.

According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, intervention is an important part of helping our children develops the deficits that ADS may cause. When she talks about her students who have “graduated” and integrated successfully into regular schools, she gives much credit to the individual person’s will.

However, when it comes to treating symptoms, she says the biggest and most important factor is the willingness of parents to first accept the situation. After that, it is vital that they learn to accept what their child does and can do, and that they remain motivated to continue supporting their children. Support must be consistent at home, not only in intervention and therapy centers.

Health Talk from Different Health Gurus

2012-05-24T00:18:00.002-07:00

The 4th HSBC Coffee Talk was held at Makati Shangri-La had invited a mix of different health gurus which shared their experiences in staying fit and healthy, as well as their experiences in shaving a lot of weight and how to do this properly.

According to latest Wellness Philippines news, one of those invited in the event was the co-owner of the all-natural just fast Juju Cleanse where she imparted a quote she loves which goes, “Work Hard, Party Hard, Cleanse, and repeat”.

Health Talk from Different Health Gurus Born out of the idea that good conversation and coffee are inseparable, the HSBC Coffee Talk this year invited an interesting mix of guests.

There’s the advocate of the traditional diet-and-exercise regimen, “Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” runner-up Art Mendoza and CrossFit devotee Lala Agregado; writer/columnist Jessica Zafra; fad dieter JL Martinez, who has already lost 120 lbs on the HCG diet; “big spender” Rescina Bhagwani, whose big investment in the Cohen diet program (more than P50,000) is already giving her huge returns (lost 65 lbs so far, and counting); and the no-nonsense straight talk from the Juju Cleanse guru Azanza.

The Best way of Losing Weight “If you have a craving, you have to have it,” said Martinez, who endured 40 days on a highly restrictive, 500-calorie-a-day diet of the controversial HCG diet.

According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, Martinez said the trick is in the portion size. You want chips, you’ll get chips—but not the entire bag, please. The first mouthful, he said, is to tell your brain you’re eating all right; the second is to satisfy the taste buds. Succeeding servings after will merely be stored, useless calories.

Mendoza, who lost 129 lbs during the “Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” reality show competition, is now a staunch devotee of exercise. While he was able to put in hours of exercise while on the show (up to six hours a day, he confessed), returning to the daily grind of the real world does not allow him that luxury. That’s how the intense CrossFit training came into the picture.

Keeping the Fire Burning “Metabolism is like a fire. If you keep on putting small twigs the fire will keep on burning and even gets larger and larger. But if you throw in large logs, you will put out the fire,” Mendoza said. Keep the fires burning, he continued, by consuming leafy greens and veggies and good sources of protein like fish.
Since we live in a world where giving in to temptation is inevitable, and even essential for you to control your cravings, cleansing has become a regular part of some people’s health regimen.

“You need to find that balance. It’s like tuning up your car. Make it a part of your regimen,” said Azanza.
A Juju Cleanse is a doctor-approved detoxification process. Each drink is packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function. Cleansing your digestive system takes only three to five days.

Different Reasons for Neglecting our Wellness

2012-05-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

Healthy living is not only about the food we eat, but also about our lifestyle, of how we often neglect our wellness to provide ourselves satisfaction in the many aspects of our lives. Here are some of the few things of how we neglect our wellness absent-mindedly:

Workaholics and Partyphiles While workaholics champion this crusade in order to get the job done, partyphiles will probably party more, sleep less.

According to the latest Wellness Philippines news, many companies pride themselves in a work ethic of being on call 24/7. Though some may consider this admirable, but enlightened business leaders advocate wellness in the workplace. This calls for the “don’t bring your work home” policy.

This is a practice where employees are encouraged to leave what they do in their workplaces and bring only themselves at home. Although many slave-driving bosses expect their employees be at their beck and call even at odd hours of the night, this usually depends on their employee. One could just as easily turn off their mobile phones to provide them the relaxation they require to tackle tomorrow's workload. However, this is a different case among call center agents whose world have become upside-down.

Bingeing partygoers are another story. Partying nightly from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. seems to be the fad. And if you are a non-alcoholic, you will be missing out on the fun, say the heavy drinkers.

Alcohol is a much-abused substance, just like caffeine. And both could be misused by driven individuals to stay awake or to relax. While alcohol is considered a party drink, it is a depressant. And mixing it with drugs can only cause health complications, maybe even death.

Being Miserable In addition to workaholics and partyphiles, there is also the feeling of misery that can greatly affect our wellness. This, however, can be easily solved by splashing cold water to slap you back to reality. There is also exercising and keeping busy so as to avoid wallowing on our misery.

Take the case of Annie, a once-married woman whose husband abandoned her and their two kids. Penniless after he withdrew support, she was forced to get a job. She could have kept herself paralyzed with bitterness. Instead, she took her life in her own hands. Today she has a flourishing business in insurance.

Grumpiness Being grumpy at a daily basis can also affect our wellbeing, as well as our social life, and one popular solution that many of us have used to relieve ourselves of being grumpy is by treating ourselves to some pleasurable activities, such as eating gallons of ice cream or shopping.

This practice, however, is not advisable. According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, eating gallons of ice cream will not make you any happier. In fact, the result could be indigestion and high blood sugar.

As for shopping, like many women usually do when grumpy, they usually end up pilling up bills and maxing out their credit limit which in a month can cause them to get grumpy again.

The best way to solve grumpiness is to just turn you to an agreeable mood. You will feel lighter, and what is more important, others will respond to you in a more positive way.

Corona will appear at Senate trial Friday

2012-05-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—Chief Justice Renato Corona, together with his doctor, will appear at the impeachment trial on Friday.
This is what lead defense lawyer Serafin Cuevas told reporters at The Medical City hospital in Pasig City when asked if Corona will continue his testimony.
Cuevas had just visited Corona when reporters approached him.
He said Corona was “incoherent” and hooked up to a dextrose intravenous drip.
Despite this, Cuevas said, the chief justice will be present at the trial on Friday.
Son confirms
The Chief Justice’s son, musician Francis “Frank” Corona, confirmed the conversation between his father and Cuevas.
“Whatever Justice Cuevas said is what my father said to him,” Francis said in a text message to INQUIRER.net.
However, contrary to what Cuevas earlier said of Corona being “incoherent,” Francis said his father is in a stable condition.
“He is getting better already.”

Current Events in Philippines

NU may bench Youth skipper Alejandro this UAAP season

2012-05-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—After the National University (NU) Bulldogs’ blowout 99-48 victory against the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers on Monday, Bulldogs head coach Eric Altamirano disclosed that Energen Pilipinas Under-16 national team captain Rodolfo “J-Jay” Alejandro III would not suit up for the team for UAAP Season 75.
“Well, right now, we’re not planning to put him (Alejandro) in the lineup yet for (the upcoming UAAP season),” Altamirano said. “Bata pa s’ya (He’s still young), so we try to give him time to mature first, and hopefully next year, he’ll be part of the team.”

NU secured a commitment from the 6-foot guard Alejandro last February. He led the Malayan High School Red Robins last year to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA juniors division while averaging league-best 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals.

He was named as the team captain of the Energen Pilipinas Under-16 team, which finished fourth in the 2011 FIBA Asia Under-16 Championships in Nha Trang, Vietnam, last October, where he once scored 34 against Japan in the second round of the tournament.

Llamados seek clincher today

2012-05-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

It was quite odd to hear what B-Meg coach Tim Cone had to say Wednesday night after his Llamados moved a step closer to winning the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title.

It was just as odd that Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes— whose Tropang Texters could be unseated as champions and lose what looks like a second stab at a Grand Slam—practically echoed Cone.

“It took a tremendous effort by us to win tonight,” Cone said Wednesday after moving within another win of a first PBA title for a team other than Alaska. “I hope we have another one left in us.”

Said Reyes: “As a coach, I need to sense if we have anything left in our gas tank. We really need to think hard about our desire to win the series.”

Whether they were talking facts or not will be known at 6:45 p.m. today, when both powerhouses square off in Game 6 of what has been an up-and-down series, where neither team has won consecutive games, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This time, the Llamados will try to end it all after a masterful 82-66 Game 5 victory that Cone said may have drained his boys and left them with little energy for the finishing kick.

“We gave our absolute all to win this (Game 5),” Cone said. “The pressure is now on the team with three wins to close out the series, especially against a great team like Talk ‘N Text.”

Reyes practically admitted that his star-studded lineup was already running on an empty tank after hammering out wins in Games 2 and 4 to tie the best-of-seven playoffs twice.

If the Texters follow the trend and prevail in the third even-numbered game, one of the most exciting duels for the title culminates in a Game 7 this Sunday.

Being down in a series is nothing new to Reyes and the Texters, who erased a 1-3 deficit against Petron Blaze to win the Philippine Cup. In the best-of-five semifinals here, Talk ‘N Text came back from a 1-2 hole to eliminate Barako Bull and make the Finals.

“Against Barako Bull, it was just in the semis, and we didn’t play a team as strong and as big as B-Meg,” Reyes said.

“At this point, the players need to decide if they want to give it a final push.”

If there is one most motivated player to end it all tonight, it is James Yap, the former two-time MVP who spoke with so much excitement and desire after unloading a tournament-best 30 points Wednesday, the most by anyone in the title series.

“It will be hard work as always in Game 6,” Yap said in Filipino “Patayan ulit. Basta’t walang bibitaw (It’s do or die. We have to hang on till the end).”

Before the Start of PBA Commissioner Cup Quarterfinals

2012-05-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

As the PBA Commissioner’s Cup had closely come to a finish, many teams and players have yet again proven that they are the best of the best in PBA, while others had shocked fans in their stunts in winning their piece of the cup.

Rain or Shine Shining through B-Meg Lefty marksman Jeff Chan shot 10 of his 19 points in the final quarter as Rain or Shine stunned B-Meg, 101-95, Wednesday night in the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The win kept the Elasto Painters’ quarterfinal bid alive.

According to latest PBA News, import Duke Crews had 24 points but had 20 cracks and only made nine. Crews also grabbed 16 rebounds. Rain or Shine bucked a 38-point explosion from the Llamados’ reinforcement Denzel Bowles, who had 15 markers in the final quarter alone.

B-Meg, on the other hand, remained in second place at 5-3 but blew its opportunity to seize an outright semifinals berth.

Barako Bulls Whipping Petron Blaze As two of the most prominent teams in PBA, the battle between Barako Bulls and Petron Blaze had become a scorcher when the Barako Bulls bulled its way across the field and landed its win against Petron Blaze.

Rodney White fired 41 points and had 22 rebounds and Mick Pennisi stole the show with a classic comical act way before Barako Bull routed Petron Blaze, 94-80, which kept the Energy in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

White, who chalked up the season’s first triple double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in an 89-82 victory over Meralco last Saturday, was virtually unstoppable as the Energy rose to 4-4, now tied for fifth overall.

New Petron import Will McDonald got tossed out of the court with 8:45 left in the second period after he threw the ball to the head of Pennisi, who did a good overacting job—although way delayed—of falling to the floor after the incident, eliciting laughter from both benches and the Smart Araneta Coliseum crowd.
Pennisi’s antic already trended on Twitter and was getting numerous hits on YouTube and more than that, even Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi said “the flop” helped his team, without taking credit away from his players who played their hearts out.

“I was surprised at how their (Petron) import acted, and we were lucky that he got thrown out,” Baculi told reporters. “It would have been a different story had he been around to finish the game.”

All-Star Game Top Bets Perennial MVP contender Arwind Santos of Petron Blaze and crack rookie JV Casio of Powerade are the early frontrunners for starting spots in the Veterans and Rookies, Sophomores, Juniors team for this year’s PBA All-Star Game.

According to UAAP News, fans have another week to select members of the Veterans and RSJ sides, which will be mentored by Chot Reyes of Talk ‘N Text and Powerade’s Bo Perasol, respectively. The Event is set May 10 to 13 in Laoag City.

Before the Start of PBA Commissioner Cup Quarterfinals

2012-05-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Powerades run for the Commissioners Cup

2012-05-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

Powerade is one of the most prominent teams of PBA to get into the finals of this season’s Commissioner’s Cup. This path, however, is not without any challenges, and that Powerade will still have to face its greatest challenges.

With their offense clicking, the Tigers pummeled the Air21 Express, 121-92, Sunday night, but somehow, things still aren’t as easy as it looks for Powerade. The team sits on third place at 4-3 with two games left in the elimination round.

Powerade’s Toughest Challenges Yet “Looking ahead, it’s really going to be down-the wire towards the last two games that we have, we have to win at least one, better if two,” said Powerade mentor Bo Perasol. Though it may seem easy, actually doing it and achieving their goal is not as easy as the Tigers perhaps have the hardest last two games among the remaining squads left vying for a playoff spot.

According to latest PBA News, some of the teams that Powerade will still have to face include the Alaska Aces in which the team will battle on Friday, as well as B-Meg, which is currently raring to bounce back after losing to Rain or Shine.

“For all the distractions, it was really difficult for us to focus but they still believe that we really have what it takes to win in this tournament,” Perasol said.

“So they just played together. I challenged them that the little things are going to matter in this game. I think they responded well to the challenge but there’s still so much difficulty ahead in those last two games,” added Perasol.

The Tigers played minus immense pressure last conference as the team went all the way to the Finals before losing to the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in five games. This time’s different, however, according to UAAP News. After that successful run, the expectation rose and now, perhaps anything short of a finals berth is a failure.

Pressure is Good for the Team For Perasol, pressure is a good thing. “I’m okay with pressure. Pressure is for the better. It’s a challenge for us to be better. We just have to do what we can with what we have,” Perasol said.

And what they have with scoring maching Gary David and prized rookies Marcio Lassiter and JV Casio are vital pieces not every team has.

“No question Gary David is the best scorer today if he wants to he can score but it all boils down again if are we going to win with those kinds of numbers. Is he going to share, which he did (tonight),” Perasol told INQUIRER.net.

First Love Your Body before Losing Weight

2012-05-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

Exercising and dieting is one thing, taking care of your health and body is another. Though we all think that losing weight is good for our health, taking it too extreme may not be as healthy as we think. This is the reason why we all must first love ourselves and our bodies before we undergo weight-loss regimens.
Loving Your Body Exercising and eating right to achieve a healthy weight are major goals for an improved lifestyle. But exercising and dieting to the point of compromising one’s health, relationships, self-esteem and even life will never solve your body issues.

In the Jan. 4, 2005, issue of the New York Times, according to latest Wellness Philippines news, it was reported that 19 percent of overweight people would risk their life to be thin, while 33 percent of obese people and 4 percent of normal-weight people would do the same to lose 10 pounds. Meanwhile, 31 percent of obese people would trade up to five percent of their remaining years to be 10 percent thinner.

Unrealistic weight goals are manifestations of a poor body image, and have been linked to serious health problems. Body image is the way you picture your own body. According to studies, the way we see our body is the effect of what we see in the environment, like the underweight models in magazines, dieting friends, thin celebrities, influential people like athletes and coaches, and even parents who are obsessed with dieting.

Recognizing Your Body Issues Recognize your body issues. According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, before setting off in your goal of losing weight, you might have to consult a mental health specialist or a counselor, or even get more support by talking to your family and loved ones if you experience the following:

1.) You worry too much about your appearance even if you look fine and your weight is just right for your height.

2.) You spend a lot of time thinking of how to be thin, you are never content with your body, and you keep criticizing yourself.

3.) You are always negatively affected by others’ looks and weight.

4.) You are willing to spend just to lose weight or improve your appearance in the fastest possible way.
5.) You can take weight loss to the extreme by dieting and/or exercising as much as you can endure.