This morning my sister texted me to read the Facebook status of a schoolmate who is now in Canada (because of work), which caused a little chaos within our circle of friends and schoolmates.
This was her Facebook status:
“hahahahaha natatawa ako sa mga ibang taong nasa pinas at napaka OA ng mga status dito sa facebook kami nga na nasa abroad wala lang.. pwede ba relax and be yourself. at sa mga ibang taong nandito sa abroad perte ang mga pictures oi unsa nakalitan mo na naka abot mo dri sa …

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang assured the public yesterday that the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) slogan and campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” will be implemented despite some criticisms.
“The response has been very positive. To my knowledge, it has been very positive so we have no problem with the slogan of DOT,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters in a press briefing.
Lacierda also clarified that the more than P5-million budget for the tourism campaign was not just for the slogan, but for the whole marketing strategy.
The DOT is being criticized …

By Senator Pia S. Cayetano
As all eyes turn to the Senate, to watch the impeachment trial unfold, an understanding of the procedure and the intent of the Constitution would help everyone understand this process better.
Role of the Senate
Article XI, section 6 of the Constitution states:
The Senate shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment. When sitting for that purpose the Senators shall be under oath or affirmation.
Following the above mandate, last December 14, 2011, we took our oath as judges of the impeachment court. A …

MANILA, Philippines – A loyal servant of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or a fierce protector of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? House prosecutors and defense lawyers presented different pictures of embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona at the start of his impeachment trial in the Senate Monday.
Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Sr. described Corona as a “loyal servant” of Mrs. Arroyo even before she became president in 2001. He said Corona’s loyalty reaped numerous rewards.
“Imagine, GMA paid for his back surgery. His wife was given plum positions in the …

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay is the most appreciated and trusted while Chief Justice Renato Corona has the lowest approval and trust rating among top government officials, according to Pulse Asia’s November 2011 Ulat ng Bayan survey released yesterday.
Corona had a low approval rating even though the Supreme Court together with the Senate emerged as the most appreciated and trusted government institutions.
The survey, taken from Nov. 10 to 23 – at the height of the controversy over the high tribunal’s issuance of a temporary restraining order on the …

The Philippines is one of the countries that suffer the most from extreme weather events, which exact a high death toll and economic losses, a study by an international think tank said.
Analyzing data from 1991 to 2010, Germanwatch, a climate and development organization, said the Philippines ranked 10th among countries when it came to exposure and responding to severe weather caused by climate change.
All the countries identified to be most affected in the past two decades were developing countries, the study noted.
Aside from the Philippines, these were Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), …

MANILA, Philippines—Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino has welcomed a suit filed by a motorcycle safety advocacy group against the implementation of the motorcycle lanes at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City.
“We welcome this lawsuit … with an end view of fine-tuning [the policy],” Tolentino said in a television interview, insisting that the new measure is very “helpful to the public.”
He lamented that it appeared the judicial process was apparently being used to stop a policy which he said tried to “instill discipline” among …

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:00 am | Saturday, October 8th, 2011
With the possibility raised that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband could be in jail on nonbailable charges by Christmas, some lawmakers are wondering whether the couple will do “a Thaksin” or “an Erap,” (Joseph Estrada).
“They may likely do a Thaksin,” said Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao.
“The possibility [of seeking political asylum] is strong considering that the charges against them, ranging from plunder to electoral sabotage, are nonbailable offenses,” he said.
Aggabao was referring to Thaksin Shinawatra, the former …

MANILA, Philippines – Celebrities, politicians, sports personalities and ordinary people across the country turned to social networking sites to mourn the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Others praised and thanked Jobs for introducing the iconic iPhone, iPod, iPad and other devices that changed the daily habits of millions across the globe.
Below are some of their tweets:

“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. Thank you for making life easier.” — Angel Locsin, actress
“Steve Jobs!!! For the technology that enhanced not just my music but all our lives… thank you. Oh my Lord, this is a …

The photo of the ‘floating’ DPWH officials has been the talk around the blogosphere for a couple of days now pero hanggang ngayon aliw na aliw pa rin ako sa mga iba’t-ibang versions circulating online. Listed below are my favorites:

Check them out sa Abbey Road!
Join din sila sa ‘We are the World’ (Can you spot them here?)
Kasama naman nila dito ang mga rallying plankers
DPWH-ing with the ‘Eraserheads’. Cool!!!
Ginawan din sila ng version with the UP Pep Squad
Sinama din sila sa ‘Hogwarts’ with Harry Potter and friends
May version din sila sa …

By Ronnie Nathanielsz in Manila/Philippine Daily Inquirer
ANN – Tue, Sep 13, 2011
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) – It is becoming increasingly evident that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is either surrounded by incompetent advisers, including lawyers who don’t know the law, or that he is stubborn enough to ignore them.
Pacquiao’s announcement that he plans to run for vice president in 2016 was met by disbelief by most people, not because of the audacity of his announcement but the fact that under the Constitution of the Republic he is ineligible to run because …

by OHgamer
Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:08 pm
Once again it was the final question that determined who would be Miss Universe. Like I posted at the time during the event, I though Angola rocked the final question. She seemed to know what she wanted to answer and gave her answer tactfully but with conviction. She just “sounded” like a Miss Universe when she gave that answer, and that is what I think clinched it for her. She may not have had the hottest body, or the most graceful catwalk of the …

by JasonandMahalia Shoup
September 7, 2011 (Wednesday) at 10:47am
Bago ko simulan ang aking makabagbag-damdaming pagbulusok ng aking saloobin ukol kay James Soriano, basahin muna ang kanyang mabilis na pinahing artikulo na iniwasto naman (grammatically) ni Migs Bassig sa link na ito:
http://migsbassig.blogspot.com/2011/08/editing-james-soriano.html
Kung gusto niyo naman nag cached version ng pinahing article na:
Language, learning, identity, privilege
Ithink
By JAMES SORIANO
August 24, 2011, 4:06am
Ito ang link:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GMVBu5Hmx9kJ:www.mb.com.ph/articles/331851/language-learning-identity-privilege+http://mb.com.ph/articles/331851/language-learning-identity-privilege
Ngayong nabasa niyo na, magsisimula na akong mag-himutok. Hindi naayong palampasin lamang at limutin ang artikulong ito. At dahil sa kahihiyan ng Manila Bulletin, agad itong nawala sa internet dalawang araw …

Pilipinas nalugmok ka sa kahirapan
Naiwanan ka na ng kaunlaran
Kapayapaan hindi pa rin matagpuan
Kahit natapos, paghahari ng isang ngalan.
Naglingkod sa iyo ang isang ina
Puno ng pag-asa, puno din ng kudeta
Sunod sa dikta ng “masa” at simbahan
Ganap na liwanag di naman natagpuan.
Pinasakay ka naman ng isang heneral
Ang lipad sa ibang bansa ay madalas
Kaysa sa mga probinsyang hirap ay dinaranas
Kayraming scam, katotohanang di nailabas.
Lumabas ang nag-angking anak ng masa
Sumigaw, “walang kaibigan kapag nagkasala”
Subalit siya ang nahatulang nagkasala
Dahil sa korapsyon at jueteng payola.
Siyam na taon kang pinaikot sa kamay
Isang munting nilalang, malago ang galamay
Gabineteng …

How are you doing President Noynoy?
Well, my name is Reyna Elena. I was your number one supporter during the election, attacked by an unbelievable online hatred during the campaign because of my support for your presidency. Aherrm!
Oh, by the way, I thought I’d share this with you.
Here is my Elementary School in Castilla, Sorsogon. This picture was taken last week by my friend from Amsterdam. It’s one Uragon building. One unbelievable technology. The best. Western standards will drool at how mini, major and super-typhoons blasted that building away …

Filipinos are certainly getting into mainstream America and into the world. With an estimated 4 million Filipino-American population (as of 2007), Filipinos are an emerging group in a diverse society in the United States.
Filipino talents like Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda, Lea Salonga, and Monique Lhuiller are doing a great job pitching in!
David Letterman, apparently used Filipino-Americans in one of his segments.
Here’s the recap:
Top 10 Reasons Why There Couldn’t Be a Filipino-American US President
By David Letterman
10. The White House is not big enough for in-laws and extended relatives.
9. There …

MANILA, Philippines – The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) lawyer, who committed suicide after being caught up in an investigation into alleged anomalous transactions of the bank, was laid to rest on Saturday.
Benjamin Pinpin was buried at Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque City past 4 p.m. following a requiem mass at the Holy Trinity Memorial Chapel around 12 noon.
Pinpin’s funeral service was attended by his family, friends and co-workers, who wore black clothes to mourn his death.
Pinpin was found dead in a bathroom of a hotel room in Las …

Resigned Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri urged former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to respond to allegations of cheating during the 2007 elections.
“May mga alegasyon na lumalabas [at] dapat sagutin nila ‘yan. Kaya naman nilang sagutin iyan, mayroon naman silang mga abugado,” said Zubiri in an interview aired Thursday on GMA News’ “24 Oras.”
Thursday at the Department of Justice (DOJ), former Police Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago submitted his sworn affidavit on the alleged operation to switch election returns (ER) from the 2004 presidential …

SOPHIA M. DEDACE, GMA News
08/04/2011 | 11:14 AM
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed a tax evasion complaint against Carlota Cristi Manalo-Tan, the owner of the company that supplied the bulk of the P1-billion coffee purchases of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).
BIR commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said Manalo-Tan defrauded the government of about P59 million in aggregate tax liabilities.
The BIR said Manalo-Tan earned almost P107 million in 2003 and 2004, but she supposedly reported only a total of P41.88 million for those taxable years.
As of posting time, …

By Jerome Aning, Nikko Dizon, Radyo Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
3:38 am | Friday, August 5th, 2011
 
Photo credit: Ang Tatlong Utos
Where is he?
The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday placed on the immigration watch list former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, who flew to Hong Kong on Sunday without being noticed by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Amid reports that Arroyo left for Hong Kong last Sunday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s check with the Bureau of Immigration showed no record of the former first gentleman leaving the country.
“It was possible that he …

By JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS
Published: June 22, 2011
One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. “Baka malamig doon” were among the few words she said. (“It might be cold there.”) When I arrived at the Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport with her, my aunt and a family friend, I was introduced to a man I’d never seen. They told me he was my uncle. He held my hand as I boarded an airplane for the first time. …

Henry Sy Sr., whose wealth was primarily fueled by the success of SM shopping malls, is the richest man in the Philippines for the third year in a row, according to Forbes magazine’s survey on the 40 richest Filipinos for 2010.
The mall mogul’s net worth rose to $5 billion in the Forbes 2010 survey from $3.8 billion a year earlier. He was also the Philippines’ wealthiest man in the 2006 survey.
Sy ranks 201st in the 2010 list of 1,011 billionaires of the world, that according to Forbes dropped from 1,125 …

Manila Bulletin
By SARAH HILOMEN VELASCO
June 11, 2011, 8:46pm
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino teenager from Zamboanga del Norte, standing just 22 inches tall, is now proudly towering it over the rest of the world as he is set to be proclaimed the shortest man by the Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday as he turns 18 years old.
Junrey Balawing, who hails from Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, is slightly taller than a glass bottle or a one-year-old toddler.
Junrey’s father, Reynaldo, is a blacksmith and only stays at home at weekends, while …

MANILA – Kinastigo ng isang grupo ng mga bakla at transgender ang ina ni Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, na si Mommy Dionisia dahil sa umano’y nakakainsultong pahayag na binitiwan ng huli na may kaugnayan sa kontrobersiyal na Reproductive Health bill.
Sa isang pahayag nitong Sabado, sinabi ni Goya Candelario, tagapagsalita ng Progressive Organization of Gays (ProGay Philippines), na labis na nasaktan ang mga katulad niyang bakla sa naging pahayag ni Mommy Dionisia tungkol sa pag-inom ng ilang bakla ng pills para lumaki ang dibdib.
Ayon kay Candelario, ang naging pahayag ng ina …

World-class singer Lea Salonga, a staunch supporter of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, said one does not have to be pro-contraception to be pro-reproductive health.
In an exclusive interview with Jessica Soho on GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation” on Wednesday night, Salonga admitted that she is currently not using any form of contraception because she and her husband want to have another child.
“I’d love to have another kid,” she said. “I kind of leave it up to God at this point, but we’re not stopping anything from happening.”
Salonga said …