BLOGGERO AKO

STOP Those Speculations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Please stop those speculations that our (the Iglesia ni Cristo's) religious gathering tomorrow is a show of force to support the impeached Chief Justice Renato C. Corona. As what the Malacanang Palace also stated, this is a religious gathering - Grand Evangelical Mission. It's a large gathering to share our beliefs and biblical doctrines to Filipinos.

And we quote, "Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Sunday the Palace views the gathering of the Iglesia followers as a regular religious exercise.

''For us, it's really entirely a religious celebration and from what we understand, the activity on February 28 is part of their upcoming anniversary,'' Valte said in a radio interview.

''It is normal for them to have large gatherings. I am sure they have already coordinated with the local government unit in this case, the City of Manila for their security and peace and order arrangements,'' she said.

That statement already came from the Palace themselves so there's no reason to think of those non-sense things. We honor our Almighty God in this gathering, so please don't point out to things related to politics.

I can't help but to post this, as I've been reading several articles online about it. I even replied to some comments. So just join us tomorrow in that religious gathering.

It's More Fun in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:39:00 +0000

"It's more fun in the Philippines" - it's the new slogan of the Philippines' Department of Tourism. The slogan is intended to boost the number of foreign visitors in the country. Way before it was officially launched, the slogan already had leaked to social networking sites. This was considered as a free publicity by Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.

The leakage led to debates regarding if the slogan is catchy or a copycat. Others said it was fine & emphasized more on the Filipino people. Wherein when foreigners visit the Philippines, they would see that it's more fun to be with a Filipino rather than be with any other raise in the world. Critics said, it was a copycat from several slogans of other countries. The most noted was Switzerland's slogan "It's more fun in Switzerland" back in the 40's or 50's.

Seriously, if it's really a copycat or not, the important thing is it really shows the feeling of being here in the Philippines. It focuses more on "the people" - "the Filipino people". To whom the word "fun" refers to.

In all aspects of life, there will always be critics. They're criticizing you because you're noticeable. Same goes with the DOT's new slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines".

Unlike the previous DOT slogan "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" which received numerous criticism that it's an exact copy of Poland's tourism campaign, I think this new one will help in achieving the Philippines' goal in attracting 10 million tourists by 2016.

It really made an impact to the online world when it was officially launched last week. It trended worldwide when it was launched in Twitter.

A DOT spokesperson stated that the DOT funded PhP500 million for the marketing and promotion of the "It's more fun in the Philippines" slogan this year. The amount will be allotted for travel fairs, road shows, print production, audio-visual materials, development of the website (http://www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/). It will also include traditional media including TV, brochures and maps.

At the moment, DOT is focusing in spreading the word through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Eventually, the 25 million or so Filipino Facebook users will hold a big role in advertising the said slogan.

So what's fun in the Philippines? - it's the PEOPLE.

A Live Wow Mali

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:52:00 +0000

Be careful on what you say on national television. But with this one, the scene gets happier & wackier.

Jose Manalo impersonated Willie Revillame on yesterday's Juan for All, All for Juan of Eat Bulaga. The impersonation started when the winner mistakenly thanked Willie instead of Wally as pertaining to Willie Revillame.

Willie Revillame on the other hand has an answer about what happened in Eat Bulaga.

Is the second video scripted or what?

Mark Bautista, Cristine Reyes and Anne Curtis No Show in US Concert Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:51:00 +0000

Contrary to rumors that they snubbed their concert commitment in the U.S., Jia Lo of Viva Artists Agency (VAA) said they decided to pull-out their talents Anne Curtis, Cristine Reyes & Mark Bautista in a series of shows called "Handog Pasasalamat (A Thanksgiving Unity Concert)," which will be held in Los Angeles & San Francisco on November 18 & 19 "due to the failure of the show's producers to comply with many crucial contractual obligations."

Viva Artists Agency (VAA) official statement:

VIVA Artists Agency deeply regrets to announce that it has decided to pull out its stars Anne Curtis, Cristine Reyes & Mark Bautista from a series of shows billed as 'Handog Pasasalamat (A Thanksgiving Unity Concert)' scheduled to be mounted in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, USA on November 18 & 19, 2011.

“The decision was made due to the failure of the show’s producers to comply with many crucial contractual obligations. Said failure compromises the security & welfare of the artists & their entourage, which is of paramount importance to VAA. VAA has a long history of successful shows in the US that proceeded without encountering any unfortunate incidents, such as this one. It sincerely apologizes to the fans who have been looking forward to seeing Anne, Cristine & Mark live on the aforementioned shows. Anne’s fans can expect to see her next year when she holds her solo concert tour.”

Dawn Zulueta & Richard Gomez Reunited

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez have been one of the hottest love teams in the 90s. Since being paired in the award-winning movie “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit” by Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Dawn and Richard’s onscreen team up has developed into real life romance that lasted for a while.

Although they are happily married now with their own partners who are both lawmakers, by the way, Dawn and Richard managed to stay friends.

Next year, Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez are set to be reunited on ABS-CBN’s upcoming soap titled “Walang Hanggan.” This marks Richard Gomez’ comeback to the ABS-CBN network.

Also starring in “Walang Hanggan” are Coco Martin, Julia Montes, Paulo Avelino, Melissa Ricks, Susan Roces, Eddie Gutierrez, Helen Gamboa, Joem Bascon, Rita Avila and Eddie Gutierrez.

Joey De Leon on KrisTV

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Having Joey de Leon as guest in her daily talk show “Kris TV” is a “momentous event” for Kris Aquino. So she surprised him with a VTR greeting from President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III himself.

“Pareng Joey de Leon, maraming salamat sa iyong pagtitiwala at pakikiisa sa ating tuwid na daan mula pa noong kampanya hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Talaga namang nakakabilib ang iyong tagumpay sa loob ng mahigit tatlong dekada mula sa iyong mga programang nagbibigay aliw sa ating mga kababayan hanggang sa iyong adhikain para tulungan ang mga nangangailangan,” PNoy said.

The President also thanked Joey for his contribution to Agap Silid Pangarap at Grace Park Elementary School in Caloocan City, where he supported the Aklat Gabay Aruga Tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP Foundation), led by PNoy’s sister Pinky Abellada.

Joey thanked PNoy and gave Kris a copy of “Eat Bulaga’s” coffee table book "Ang Unang Tatlong Dekada,” which chronicles the 30 years the noontime show has been on air.

Kris told Joey that she wants to thank him for helping her family and the government as well.

"First time nag-VTR dito, never niya akong ginreet eh. Nag-anniversary ako ng 15 years eh, wala, pero para sa iyo (meron). I told him na 'Noy, we never got the chance to thank him for the campaign until now,'" Kris said.

Before “Eat Bulaga” transferred to ABS-CBN in 1989 from RPN 9, Joey was as an ABS-CBN disc jockey in 1968. He also did several ABS-CBN programs like “The Sharon Cuneta Show.”

2011 Most Used Passwords

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:25:00 +0000

These days there are so many sites & accounts you need to log into that it is hard to think of new, unique passwords. When it comes down to creating a new password people either use the same password over & over again or create easy to remember passwords (or both).

By using simple numerical passwords or short common words as your password, you’re making it easy for computers or cybercriminals to break into your accounts.

Here are the Top 25 most commonly used passwords of 2011:

password

123456

12345678

qwerty

abc123

monkey

1234567

letmein

trustno1

dragon

baseball

111111

iloveyou

master

sunshine

ashley

bailey

passw0rd

shadow

123123

654321

superman

qazwsx

michael

football

CGMA Mug Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:28:00 +0000

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is questioning the authenticity of the mug shots that made its way to various blogs & social networking sites.

In fact, the Philippine Daily Inquirer published the controversial mug shot of the former President both in its online & print versions. However, they noted that it did not come from the Pasay City Regional Trial Court but was sent by someone who requested anonymity.

Chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said there were discrepancies with the caption of the official mug shots and the published versions.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo released a statement saying that the published Arroyo mug shots on newspaper & on the internet are fake.

They might have been "photoshopped".

10 Illegal Baby Names

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:12:00 +0000

1) Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii (New Zealand)

New Zealand law bans names which could cause offence to a 'reasonable' person. Good thing too - the country is a stupid name hotspot. We found a couple from the islands who tried and failed to call their son '4Real', but nothing beats the ridiculous moniker above. It belonged to a 9-year-old girl before a judge had her renamed during a custody battle. 'It makes a fool of the child,' he said. It certainly made application forms a pain in the butt.

Has New Zealand banned any other names? Oh yes. The judge listed some that were also blocked: Fish and Chips (twins), Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit. Number 16 Bus Shelter and Violence were allowed.

2) Venerdi AKA 'Friday' (Italy)

Maybe this is what the Pope was talking about. Back in 2008 a court banned an Italian couple from calling their child Venerdi (translation: Friday). The judges reckoned the name - taken from 'Robinson Crusoe' - would expose the boy to 'mockery' and was associated with 'subservience and insecurity'. The parents, however, might have the last laugh; they threatened to call their next child Mercoledi (Wednesday).

Has Italy banned any other names? Italian courts can step in 'when the child's name is likely to limit social interaction and create insecurity'. In Turin, Andrea was rejected (and changed to Emma) as it's a boy's name in Italy. Dalmata has also been rejected, as it means Dalmatian.

3) Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (Sweden)

No, we didn't fall asleep on the keyboard. That is an actual name a Swedish couple tried to inflict on their son back in 1996. Apparently the name is pronounced 'Albin' (we're not sure how), and the parents chose it as a protest against Sweden's admittedly strict naming laws. Tax authorities must give their blessing to both first and surnames before they can be used.

Has Sweden banned any other names? Oh yes. Some favourites include Metallica, IKEA, Veranda and Q. Google was OK though.

4) Gesher AKA 'Bridge' (Norway)

Back in 1998 those nasty Norwegians threw a woman in jail (admittedly for only two days) when she failed to pay a fine for giving her son an 'unapproved' name. Eccentric Kristi Larsen said she was instructed in a dream to name her son Gesher (Hebrew for 'Bridge'), but the court were having none of it. Kristi did have 13 children already though, so maybe she had just run out of ideas.

Has Norway banned any other names? Undoubtedly, though in recent times they have replaced their list of officially sanctioned names with a general ban on monikers featuring swearing, sex and illnesses.

5) Chow Tow AKA 'Smelly Head' (Malaysia)

Unlike many countries which are gradually relaxing name laws, Malaysian authorities have cracked down on unsuitable titles in recent years. In 2006 government killjoys published a list of undesirable names that weren't in keeping with the religious traditions of the country – such as Cantonese moniker Chow Tow – which means 'Smelly Head'.

Has Malaysia banned any other names? Lots more Chinese efforts such as Ah Chwar ('Snake'), Khiow Khoo ('Hunchback'), Sor Chai ('Insane'). Malays should also steer clear of Woti, which means 'Sexual Intercourse'.

6) @ (China)

With more than a billion fellow countrymen, finding a unique name in China is difficult. Perhaps that's why one couple called their baby the '@' symbol – in Chinese characters it apparently looks a bit like 'love him'. Bless. Unsurprisingly, however, the authorities were less sentimental and publicised the moniker as an example of citizens bringing bizarre names into the Chinese language.

Has China banned any other names? The police have control over all names given to children because they issue identity cards, but details of rejections are not widely circulated.

7) Miatt (Germany)

Country living up to stereotype alert! Surprise, surprise the Germans are somewhat officious when it comes to baby naming laws. Regulation-loving Deutschland has an entire department (the Standesamt) which decides if names are suitable. Miatt was rejected because it didn't clearly show whether the child was a boy or a girl, but sometimes the decisions are somewhat arbitrary...

Has Germany banned any other names? The likes of Stompie, Woodstock and Grammophon were turned down, whereas the similarly strange Speedy, Lafayette and Jazz were allowed.

8) Anus (Denmark)

What is it about Scandinavian countries and name laws? The Danes are even tougher than the Swedes in this regard, with parents given 7,000-odd names to choose from by the government. Special permission is needed to deviate from the list, with ethnic names, odd spellings and even compound surnames forbidden. Luckily for him (we assume it's a 'he'), Anus was one of 250-odd names rejected each year.

Has Denmark banned any other names? Well, Pluto and Monkey had lucky escapes...

9) Ovnis (Portugal)

Before naming your child in Portugal, best consult this mammoth, 80-page government doc (and have it translated to English) that tells you which names you can and can't use. It's pretty strict (and random) – Tomás is OK but Tom isn't – and celebs can forget about the likes of Apple and Brooklyn, which aren't even on the banned list. Essex girls rejoice, however – Mercedes is allowed!

Has Portugal banned any other names? There are more than 2,000 names on the reject list, including Ovnis - Portuguese for UFO.

10) Akuma AKA Devil (Japan)

Here's a name the Pope definitely wouldn't approve of. In 1993 a Japanese parent called his son Akuma (which literally means Devil). The authorities decided this was an abuse of the parent's rights to decide a child's name and a lengthy court battle ensued. Eventually the father backed down and junior got a new, less demonic name.

Has Japan banned any other names? Lots. Names must use one of the 2,232 'name kanji' characters decided by the government.

Colleagues Urge Gloria To Resign Congressional Seat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Two party-list representatives on Tuesday urged former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign as Pampanga’s Second District representative after she was arrested last week for electoral sabotage.

Her arrest made Arroyo “unfit for public service," said ACT Teachers’ party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio.

“Since the electoral sabotage case is just the first of many charges that she will face as she is called to account for the numerous crimes against the people she committed during her presidency, it will become impossible for her to discharge her duties as representative," Tinio said in a text message to reporters.

Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) sued her Friday for electoral sabotage.

The former President is accused of giving orders to rig the 2007 poll results in favor of administration senatorial candidates.

Also, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño said Mrs. Arroyo should quit her congressional seat since “her continued membership further tarnishes the House’s honor."

“She has brought embarrassment and dishonor to the House. She should now do the House and her constituents a favor by resigning from Congress," he said in a separate text message to reporter.

Since July when she was diagnosed with a pinched nerve in her spine or multilevel cervical spondylosis, Mrs. Arroyo has not been attending congressional sessions, going went through a series of operations in the past months.

She was also diagnosed with bone mineral disorder and hypoparathyroidism.

SEA Games Stampede

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:57:00 +0000

Two Indonesian football fans died in a stampede in Jakarta on Monday at the Southeast Asian Games final against Malaysia, according to a victim's brother and a report citing a paramedic.

"When we found the victims, they were already dead," paramedic Abdul Majid told the Detik.com news portal outside the stadium.

Local media reported that several other spectators had been taken to hospital, including a nine-year-old boy who had fallen into a coma.

The two fans wearing Indonesian red-and-white team T-shirts were reportedly taken to hospital at 8:30 pm, around 90 minutes after the stampede broke out, as thousands streamed into the game.

"As we were entering the stadium, the crowd of people pushed each other to make their way forward," Helmi, the brother of one of the victims, told AFP.

"My brother was pushed away from me and we were separated. I then heard that some people had fallen and that people had died. I rushed to check and found my brother dead."

The identity of the second victim was unknown.

Deadly stampedes at major sporting, music and religious events are common in Indonesia.

Violence at football games is also common, with disgruntled fans often throwing dangerous items onto the field after matches.

Earlier Monday, two men were arrested for burning down a ticket booth at the stadium upon learning the match had sold out, media reported.

Regine Velasquez & Ogie Alcasid Introduce Baby Nate on National Television

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid introduced Baby Nathaniel James in “Party national on Sunday, November 20, 2011.

Prior to his television debut, the pictures of Nathaniel James have already surfaced Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo.

Proud dad Ogie Alcasid performed his latest composition in Party Pilipinas – a special song for his son Nathaniel James.

World's Largest Ten Commandments

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:28:00 +0000

A building-sized edifice carved with the Bible's Ten Commandments was unveiled Wednesday in the Philippines, making it the largest tablet of its kind, according to Guinness World Records.

The tablet, a copy of the rules supposedly handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, was inaugurated by city officials on a hill overlooking the northern resort city of Baguio.

A local religious group, donated the imposing 152.90 square metre (1,650 square foot) tablet to the city as they were presented a certificate from Guinness World Records.

"This beautiful and divine edifice will serve to drive away the evils of spirits that time and again emerge," said Baguio Congressman Bernardo Vergara at the inauguration.

"May it drive away evils of illegal drugs, gambling, prostitution."

The religious leader who sponsored the project, Grace Galindez-Gupana, topped her previous world record, attained in 2009 when she built a similar 65-square-metre tablet on a hill outside Manila.

Anti-Planking Act of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:54:00 +0000

The Anti-Planking Act of 2011 which was filed to Congress by QC representative Winnie Castelo has been receiving lots of flak on social networking sites.

Planking, if you’ve been living under a rock, is a recent fad consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location for photograps. In planking, the participant’s hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph taken and posted on the internet is part of the game.

The bill by Rep. Winnie Castelo seeks not to prohibit “planking” per se, but when it becomes a form of protest which was demonstrated by a group of militant students called League of Filipino Students (LFS), it’s a no-no. The said students staged a “die-in” protest in the form of planking to block vehicles during a transport strike along a main street in Welcome Rotonda, Espana in Metro Manila yesterday, September 19, 2011.

“I was really worried as a parent. I have kids. I was also a UP student and I sympathize with them. It is normal to air their grievances and I welcome that as a lawmaker. However, as a parent, we have to see to it that their lives are protected as well,” Castelo told ABS-CBN.

Castelo pointed out that the proposed Anti-Planking Act of 2011 will not prohibit the constitutional right of freedom of expression. He proposed the creation of a universal Code of Student Conduct “where planking as a form of redress of grievance be strictly prohibited and appropriate sanctions be applied for violations thereof.”

He also urged schools and university officials to impose sanctions on students who conduct planking to air their grievances especially when it poses a danger to themselves or to the public.

Philippine Arena : The Biggest Indoor Dome in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Philippine Arena, the soon-to-be largest domed arena in the world, is being constructed in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines within the 74,000-square-meter area Ciudad de Victoria project of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). On the same location, EGM General Hospital & New Era University - Bulacan Branch will also be built.

The $175 million joint project of Korean builder Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp. and the Iglesia Ni Cristo will have a seating capacity of 50,000 is expected to be finished in 30 months in time for INC's 100th founding anniversary in 2014.

The ground breaking ceremony was already held last August 17 at the Ciudad de Victoria and was attended by Hanwha and INC officials.

Watch the video here:

Araneta Coliseum in Cubao was once the world’s biggest indoor dome. Also known as the “Big Dome,” it held the record from 1960 to 2001 for having a dome-shape roof measuring 108 diameter. It was beaten by the Oita Stadium in Japan in 2001, also known as “The Big Eye” for having a retractable roof measuring a diameter of 274 m.

In 2009, the Oita Stadium was beated by the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas by just 1 meter. The Cowboys Stadium is still the biggest indoor dome until now for having a retractable roof measuring a diameter of 275 m.

The building of the Philippine Arena will be another milestone for the Iglesia Ni Cristo & for the Philippines as well.

UST Human Cross Sets Guiness Record for Largest Human Cross in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:18:00 +0000

UST Human Cross formation has been recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest human cross on Ash Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

13,266 participated in the formation of the biggest human cross in the world inside the UST campus in Manila.

“Although the actual turnout of participants was close to 20,000, the official count only recognized those who swiped their IDs both when entering and going out of the field, as relayed during the instructions,” UST said in an article on its website.

University of Sto. Tomas received the official Guiness certificate confirming the world title last August 10. The feat is now posted on the Guinness website under “Amazing Feats” and “Mass Participation” categories.

Norway previously held the record for the world’s largest human cross with 935 participants at the Oslo Opera House in May 2010.

CCP Closes Gallery with Controversial Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 06:55:00 +0000

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has decided to temporarily shut down the gallery that houses artist Mideo Cruz's controversial artworks.

Cruz's art installation "Politeismo" depicted a version of Jesus Christ as a mouse and also showed other religious objects juxtaposed with a red penis or other odd objects, which critics described as "blasphemous" and "sacrilegious."

While CCP said it will "continue to act as catalyst for free expression of Filipino artists," it said they are now taking steps to "make more informed decisions in the future."

The exhibit 'Kulo' is a compilation of work by 32 artists and was hinged on Jose Rizal's 150th year.

"Because all the participating artists had a common educational background, all having studied at the UST, they felt it fitting that the theme of Jose Rizal also reflect the heritage and culture represented by the 400-year old university," CCP said in its backgrounder.

CCP said "Politeismo" was not new as it had been featured in exhibits in Ateneo de Manila, UP Vargas Musueum and Kulay Diwa since 2002.

'Juaning' Intensifies, Classes In All Levels Suspended In NCR

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:50:00 +0000

Tropical storm Juaning has intensified and at the same time started to move at a slower pace, the state weather forecaster said in its 11 p.m. bulletin Tuesday, prompting Malacañang and the Department of Education to suspended all classes in Metro Manila.

PAGASA said on its official Twitter account that they did not recommend the suspension of tertiary classes in Central Luzon and Calabarzon.

The Department of Education also announced that all pre-school to high school classes in the National Capital Region and other parts of Luzon have been suspended ahead of more inclement weather.

The storm will make landfall not in Aurora province as earlier reported but in Polillo Island Wednesday morning, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Storm Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions, and parts of Bicol. Signal No. 1 was raised over the Mimaropa region, parts of the Ilocos and the southern end of Bicol, including Masbate and Sorsogon.

PAGASA noted that Juaning is moving at a slower pace of 11 kilometers per hour from 15 kph as earlier observed.

PAGASA also said the storm will enhance the southwest monsoon and bring widespread rains over the Western Visayas and sections of Luzon.

Juaning’s center winds strengthened to 85 kph from 75 kph while gustiness increased to 100 kph from 90 kph.

“Residents in low-lying and mountainous areas under signals are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides. Likewise, those living in coastal areas are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone," PAGASA said.

Falcon Does Damage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 06:22:00 +0000

Some 50,000 people were in evacuation centres in the Philippines on Friday after fleeing their homes following days of torrential rains caused by Tropical Storm Meari, officials said.

More than 3,200 people fled their homes overnight in the capital Manila alone as the storm added to seasonal monsoon rains, bringing massive flooding to city streets, the civil defence agency said.

The swift evacuation of Manila residents as the waters rose overnight prevented any deaths, said Benito Ramos, executive director of the official National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

"It is a good thing we pre-positioned rubber boats. Thankfully, people reacted well. When we told them to evacuate, they evacuated," Ramos said.

However 11 people were still missing in or near the less-developed Bicol peninsula southeast of Manila that bore the brunt of Meari as it brushed past the eastern side of this country, the council added.

The missing included 10 fishermen who ventured out to sea from the island of Catanduanes before Meari struck and a woman swept away by flash flooding in another part of Bicol, a council said.

The rains, which have been falling for most of the week, intensified on Thursday, forcing people to flee their homes, fearing floods and landslides.

Most schools in and around Manila cancelled classes on Friday due to the flooding with debris blocking many streets, authorities said.

Science Department Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said that rain would further intensify over the main island of Luzon where Manila is located, even though the storm was moving away from the Philippines towards Taiwan.

The government weather station reported that Meari had strengthened as it moved northwest towards Taiwan, with gusts of 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour.

Temptation Island

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:27:00 +0000

Regal Films' latest offering, ‘Temptation Island’ starring Marian Rivera, Heart Evangelista, Lovi Poe, Solenn Heussaff, Rufa Mae Quinto, John Lapus, Mikael Daez, Tom Rodriguez & Aljur Abrenica, with the special participation of Dennis Trillo, will open in theaters on July 6th.

This sexy comedy film, a remake of the 1980 Joey Gosiengfiao hit, is directed by Chris Martinez.

Watch the full movie trailer below.

Will you watch it?

Lunar Eclipse Turned Moon Blood Red

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:09:00 +0000

A total lunar eclipse on June 16, 2011 (Philippine Time) was visible in Manila & other parts of the country. The deep lunar eclipse, said to be the longest in more than a decade, had turned the moon blood red.

Experts said the moon usually turns brown during an eclipse, but on Thursday it turned reddish reportedly caused by the amount of ash in the Earth's atmosphere, a clear indication of pollution up in the air.

The eclipse began at 1:24 AM (PT) & peaked at 4:12 AM. It was at around 5 AM when the blood-red moon spectacular occured.

Astronomers from the state weather bureau said Filipinos are so lucky to have witnessed the phenomenon clearly & in full, unlike in other areas where spectators had to contend with dense cloud cover & even rain.

Besides the Philippines, reports say that the terrestrial shadow was also visible over Europe, South America, Western Africa, Australia, & Western Asia.

Accoording to Wikipedia, it was a “rare central lunar eclipse in which the center point of Earth's shadow passes across the Moon.” The next central total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27, 2018.

The June 16, 2011 total lunar eclipse was the 1st of two such eclipses this year. The 2nd lunar eclipse is expected to take place on December 10th.

Miss Philippines Earth 2011 Athena Imperial's Chances in Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:34:00 +0000

Miss Philippines Earth 2011 has just wrapped up with Casiguran beauty Athena Mae Imperial as winner and will be the country's delegate in the Miss Earth 2011 pageant to be held in Pattaya, Thailand this November.
It will be the first time that the Miss Earth pageant will be held in Thailand and the 2nd consecutive year that it will be held outside the country.

Will it also be the 2nd consecutive year and the 3rd time that the Philippines will fail to enter the semis? Or Athena will be the Philippines' 2nd Miss Earth titleholder?

Goodbye Friendster

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:27:00 +0000

Back when Facebook was a mere seed in the mind of Mark Zuckerberg-or the Winklevoss twins, depending on whose side you are on Friendster was all the rage.

To the younger ones who've never been, Friendster was the virtual hangout for everyone, and it pioneered the social network that Facebook has become famous for.

In lieu of Walls and poking, there were testimonials-long drawn-out, flowery testaments about how awesome a friend you are. There was no tagging of photos (gasp!), but you could see when your friend last logged on, so no I didn't read your message cause I haven't logged on yet drama, and for a while, Friendster surprise installed a Who's viewed your profile, feature which drove all the snoopy stalkers, myself included, into a crazy panic. There was no Farmville, or any social game, and Friendster was essentially like a stripped-down version of Facebook.

Explosion

And then Facebook happened. Its explosion on the social network scene guaranteed the steady demise of Friendster, and everyone jumped like rats from a sinking site. Pretty soon, Friendster was a thing of the past, with most of its previous members denying they were once addicted to the site.

Still, the dregs of our past profiles lived on-that is, until the end of this month. In Friendster's efforts to clean house and revamp its site, all user data and photos will be deleted from its servers, so you still have a few days to decide if you wanna download your profile onto your hard drive, or even export it to other sharing sites like Flickr or Multiply.

For those who want to keep a copy of past profiles and photos, simply visit Friendster's help page and use the Friendster Exporter app to perform the backup. The Exporter covers friend lists, profile information, blogs, comments, photos, messages and testimonials, and groups.

Friendster will only wipe out the contents of your profile, but your profile will remain as part of Friendster's new, future site that is, if you're still interested.

How to know if you should salvage your Friendster profile:

1. If you still remember your username and password
2. If you must really have a copy of that effusive testimonial from your college crush
3. If you think your Facebook profile looks cooler with an album called "Old Friendster photos"
4. If you haven't reinvented yourself on Facebook yet

World's Oldest Panda Died At 34

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Chinese state media say the world's oldest panda has died at the age of 34.

The Global Times reported that Ming Ming had kidney failure. She had been living at a zoo or preserve in Guangdong province.

The China Panda Protection Center in Sichuan province said in a statement she died May 7, but it was reported only Tuesday in local media. More details about her were not available.

The newspaper said wild pandas live 15 years on average and captive ones 22 years.

Giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species, with about 1,600 in the wild. More than 300 are in captivity in China, most in a breeding program aimed at boosting the population.

The country also loans pandas to zoos worldwide.

PNoy is P4-M Richer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:59:00 +0000

Now worth almost P55 million, President Noynoy Aquino has become P4.8 million richer since becoming President in June, according to his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2010, reports Inquirer.net.

ABS-CBN News quoted Aquino: "'Yong increase of P4 million was from a property owned by my mother and several of her siblings na nabenta recently. So noong dinispose ang portion niya, 'yon ang portion ko naman based on the inheritance." ("Part of the increase came from a property owned by my mother and several of her siblings that was recently sold. I inherited a portion.")

According to ABS-CBN News, the President's net worth also increased because he sold his stocks worth P4.7 million from eight companies owned by his family, including shares from Central Azucarera de Tarlac which runs Hacienda Luisita. ABS-CBN News reports that government officials are not allowed to hold shares in private companies especially if there is a conflict of interest.

Meanwhile, the worth of the President's three vehicles a 2007 Land Cruiser, a 2005 Ford Everest and a "thirdhand" Porsche decreased from P9 million to P8.7 million, reports ABS-CBN News.

As for Vice President Jejomar Binay, his 2010 SALN showed that he is worth P58.09 million, down from his net worth of P58.76 million upon assuming the post, reports Inquirer.net.

For more on this story, log on to Inquirer.net and ABS-CBN News.