2013-10-13 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, October 19, 2013

MRT 3 Scam Probe : Who Do We Tie Down In The Train Rails?

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"Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar has submitted an affidavit to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to formalize his accusation that officials of the Metro Rail Transit 3 were involved in an alleged $30-million extortion attempt on a Czech company that offered to supply trains."- PhilStar

A couple of corrections in the article (for what it is worth...): Wilson de Vera (former Liberal Party candidate for mayor of Calasiao) is actually with Ph Trams, the exclusive maintenance service provider for the MRT. Manolo Maralit is also not from MRT -- I believe that he is with a 3rd party consultancy firm. As some of the previous posters were hinting, there is much more to this affair than meets the eye (by the way, the President's kin, their family friends, and their associates at Inekon were working quite hard to beat out their Chinese competition for this latest bid). The bidding process for large projects in the Philippines in both the public and private sectors is usually rife with rigging, bribery, kickbacks, quid pro quo patronage appointments, etc. I've been witnessing it first-hand for years. Bad governance abounds (including corporate governance.

In earlier news...some relatives of the administration were also involved...but the stories were changed immediately...There is a story from Manila Times relating to this extortion:

"Presidential sister Ballsy and brother-in-law Eldon Cruz, former DOTC Secretary Pete Prado and Lopez-in-law Steve Psinakis on their alleged attempt to extort $30 million from a Czech company in exchange for MRT project contracts" - Dante Ang, Manila Times

"Rychtar has subsequently retracted his story involving the group of Ballsy, who were earlier implicated in the alleged extortion attempt, of any involvement in the case. Instead Rychtar said in his meetings with Transportation and Communications Sec. Emilio Abaya, he identified Al Vitangcol III as the one involved in the alleged shakedown on Inekon in exchange for getting the contract to supply 48 trains for the MRT expansion." - Tribune

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"A recent U.S. court decision clarified that media organizations cannot assume that photos shared via Twitter are rights-free, to be used as though they were in the public domain."

"Social networks may be in the public domain but it doesn't make pictures and articles public USE". This is a statement form one of the netizens who was alarmed by the apparent reply of Rappler's Maria Ressa after a certain Erwin Aguilon, with Twitter name Erwin AguilonDZIQ, reported to Rappler that they used his photo without permission. Though there was attribution to the source of the photograph, Rappler did not ask permission from him.

A screen capture of the tweets between Erwin Aguilon and Maria Ressa shows a reply made by the Rappler CEO, but later Maria Ressa explained her side saying that was her second tweet, and that she had a first tweet before that. Her statements below:

Maxie the Musicale : Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros Set to Open on November 9

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Bit by Bit Company, in cooperation with the PETA Theater Center and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, proudly brings to the stage “ Maxie the Musicale : Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,” a coming-of-age musical about a gay teen who is torn between his love for a young cop and his loyalty to his family.

Based on Michiko Yamamoto's screenplay “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (ufo Pictures, 2005), “ Maxie the Musicale : Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” features book and lyrics by Nicolas B. Pichay, music by William Elvin Manzano, JJ Pimpinio, and Janine Santos, and direction and choreography by Dexter M. Santos.

“ Maxie the Musicale : Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” tells the story of Maxie who belongs to a family of crooks living in a downtown community where daily living is a struggle to survive, in ways legal or not.

Maxie grew up as a cheerful, positive, and generous adolescent, always ready to cheer everyone up. With the help of his friends, he manages to overcome hurdles through banter, romantic movie marathons, and improvised beauty contests. In the absence of a mother, Maxie takes care of his family’s needs, and they never fail to shower him with their unconditional love, acceptance and protection.

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The Cebu airport is now back to 100% normal operations after one day of temblor.

Following the aftermath of Tuesday’s temblor, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) has decided to donate P 2-Million to the victims of the earthquake in the provinces of Cebu and Bohol out of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budget.

The MCIAA Board of Directors met yesterday, 17 October 2013, and approved the release of P 1-Million each to the Provincial Governments of Cebu and Bohol as financial assistance for use in their relief operations.

“I commend MCIAA for this generous act at this critical time, and I hope this inspires others to help out as well. I personally visited our kababayans in these areas over the past two days and saw the difficulties they are going through. It is good for them to be reassured that government is here to help them,” said Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya.

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Havoc is the comfort zone of the kaiju and the sentai. One wreaks it, the other usurps it. Marcushiro Nada is a fanboy of both in the most fundamental sense. He has a thing for the biometric costume design, for the wanton destruction of paper cities, for the gaudy colors and the poetry of chaos. But it’s not as if you can boil his fourth one man show down to the sort of one-note outpouring of affection that is what often comes from a purely nostalgic impulse. Unguarded Moments is something else entirely. Call it revisionist nostalgia, if you will, for the way it goes back to a particular past but forces it to change shape when it gets there.

An unguarded moment implies candor but it goes further than that. By taking these characters, some of which Nada never grew up with, out of their comfort zones of mayhem, leeching them of their candy-bright hues and having them strike poses that suggest an unthought-of sense of normalcy and even propriety, capturing them with their defenses down if you will, Nada is exploring, and celebrating, the interstitial, breaking the fourth wall not only of an imaginary world, but of his own imagined childhood, by turning the touchstones of his youth into elaborate, gorgeous, self-reflexive puns, and using a medium he’s unfamiliar with that serves almost as an act of solidarity with his subjects, as if he, too, is placing himself in an unguarded moment of his own.

- Dodo Dayao

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The first episode of the highly-anticipated game show “Bet On Your Baby” hosted by well-loved showbiz personality and hands-on mom Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo is finally taking to television screens this Saturday (Oct 19) with none other than three favorite Kapamilya stars and their babies as the show’s very first contestants.

Ai Ai delas Alas, Anthony Taberna and Benjie Paras, along with their babies, are set to take on the “Bet On Your Baby” stage. Along with their respective companions, the three will be taking on the three different rounds of the game show, namely the initial round, the puzzle round, and the jackpot round.

In the first round, Ai Ai, Tunying and Benjie will be asked to guess how things will turn out inside the “Baby Dome”, where their babies will be. Whoever guesses right will be rewarded with P10,000.

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The Philippines is a beautiful country but obviously, people travel to other countries for various reasons and they want to know visa requirements.

By definition, a visa is “An entry in a passport or other travel document made by an official of a government, indicating that the bearer has been granted authority to enter and re-enter the country concerned. It usually specifies the authorized length of stay, the period of validity, and the number of entries allowed during that period”.

Entry regulations vary from country to country. As far as Pinoys are concerned, there are countries which grant visa free access to their territories, ASEAN countries for example. There are others who allow “visa on arrival”, Nepal and India for example. In this case, a Pinoy can leave the Philippines without a visa, but, will have to secure one on arrival before submitting themselves at immigration.

According to data compiled by the DFA's Office of Consular Affairs and GMA News Online (as of January 2012), the following countries fall in the visa-free category, followed by the length of allowable stay by Filipinos: (I believe Japan has been added already on the list for 15 days)

The list of countries, although incomplete, is already of great value to Filipinos around the world. The list clearly has immediate value and utility, which is why we decided to publish it even in its in its incomplete form.

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As scholars of Pasig City Science High School, we usually experience a long-cramming week every before each periodical examination week. That long-cramming week is what we called as our very own "Hell Week" of the "Bangag Days".

During this week, our brain cells are exercised in the most extent way a brain could be exercised. We also called this week as our "Sleepness Nights" because we stay up late to finish our project which is always due the next day.

Yes, our teachers have given or said about a certain project months before the deadline. Since were also students and the word "Procastinate" was very well known to our vocabularies, we've grown large eyebags now for staying up late and finishing our projects.

Anyway, that was just a part of our "Hell Week". Also, during this week we usually take those last test or the Chapter test. It's not that a big deal, it's just another test right? Yes, but we normally have 11 subjects and in a frequent-possibility atmost of 8 subjects have to be taken in a single day.

Wazuup Pilipinas!
So, that is why he was always singing: ANAK.

Freddie Aguilar is the real idol! He is the real MANG KANOR...May bago ng kasabihan : Imbes na amoy lupa, may amoy nitso na rin pala. mahilig sa triple M yong girl...tripple M means: Matandang Mayaman Madali na ang buhay. Abuse of a minor? Child Molestation? Statutory rape? May parental consent daw eh. Kaya abswelto. Pwera na lang kung meron magrereklamo ibang kamag-anak.

♪ nung isilang ka sa mundong ito
kasing edad ko mga magulang mo ♫
at ang sabi nila ok na ok lng naman,
at di nagsisi sa pinili ng kanilang anak ♪

♫ Noong isilang ka sa mundong ito
Si Freddie pala magiging jowa mo
Kasing edad na sya ng Lolo mo ♫

Sa pag-ibig walang bata at matanda
Mamahalin kahit na ito'y amoy lupa ♫

Learning in Gaming : My Life As a Gamer and Student

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Computers are important in my daily life. It helps me make my projects, researches, homeworks and studies easier. The features of the 21st Century computers really helped my life. But one feature of the computer can be very addicting especially when improperly used: Gaming.

Last year, my parents bought a laptop for family use. Well, the laptop has a good graphics card and a fast processor. Ever since the laptop was bought, I downloaded many games that are of my liking. Call of Duty: MW3, Battlefield 3, Counter-Strike – anything that involves shooting. I play every Friday night and on holidays. If my mom didn’t stop me from playing, I can play for 5-6 hours.

My life revolved in gaming. This got even worse when I downloaded a game that was being advertised in Facebook: World of Tanks. As the name implies, World of Tanks shows a variety of tanks that existed (in blueprints and in the battlefield) during World War II. Since I live in the Philippines, I play in the SEA server (now Asian Server). Back then it was on beta test. I met people of different nationalities (mostly Singaporean and Australian).

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Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr., together with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the tourism industry, expressed their deepest sympathies to the families and victims of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu last Tuesday morning, which also resulted in significant damages to cultural and heritage structures. The DOT has commenced moves for the swift recovery and rehabilitation of key tourism infrastructures in Cebu and Bohol. Secretary Jimenez said, “We ought to find ways to speed up recovery of the affected areas, especially that tourism is a major industry fueling their economies.”

The DOT Region 7 office reports that most hotels, resorts and other business establishments have resumed their operations and business as usual is being observed in Cebu and Panglao Island in Bohol. The rest are still assessing the structural integrity of their establishments. Though there are some tours still being carried out, areas severely affected by yesterday’s quake are off-limits to the public. These include the Basilica del Sto. Nino and Fort San. Pedro in Cebu, the Baclayon Church and Dauis Church in Bohol, and its other heritage churches. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) are conducting the necessary assessment of these heritage structures.

Parallel to the Secretary’s visit to the provinces tomorrow, the DOT’s Crisis Management Committee headed by Undersecretary Daniel G. Corpuz, will hold consultation meetings with heads of industry to come up with a contingency plan to regain market confidence and a plan to offer alternative tour programs within Cebu/Bohol.

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Inspirational Diva Jamie Rivera shares her newest composition in her first ever Christmas album with some of the best-selling recording artists in the country. Her song “Christmas Around The World” features an all-star ensemble of ABS-CBN’s teen stars and Star Records singers.

OPM stars included in her album are Toni Gonzaga, Liezel Garcia, Bugoy Drilon, Marcelito Pomoy, Jovit Baldivino, KZ Tandingan, Yeng Constantino, Angeline Quinto, Vina Morales, Marcelito Pomoy, Jed Madela, Erik Santos, Janella Salvador, and Kathryn Bernardo.

Jamie’s “My Christmas Gift” album also contains special renditions of classic Christmas songs including “Pasko Na Sinta Ko,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Oh Holy Night/Silent Night,” “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” “Gloria In Excelsis Deo,” “Christmas Will Always Be Christmas” and her carrier singles “Joy To The World” and “Disyembre Na Naman.”

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The Greek mythology has been my favorite topic since junior high school. I used to memorize every little detail in the lives of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses by heart. In fact, it had veered my life a lot, especially when I had learned the different love stories in Greek Mythology.

Here are some of the love stories:

Cupid and Psyche

Aphrodite was jealous of Psyche's beauty, so she sent her son Eros to shoot her with one of his arrows and cause her to fall in love with the ugliest many in the world. Eros buggered up, and as he beheld her sleeping form he was so stunned by her beauty that he pricked himself on one of his own arrows and fell deeply in love.

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King of the Gil: Enrique Gil the concert at the big dome. The gates of the Smart Araneta Coliseum will open at 8:00 pm on November 29, 2013.

Philippine showbiz’s ‘Dougie King’ Enrique Gil is ready to conquer the big dome this November as he brings his own swag and delight his supporters at his first ever concert titled “King of the Gil.”

“I will do everything that will make them stand up, dance and enjoy the night. I will definitely teach you how to dougie and much much more!” promised Enrique about his upcoming show staged by Star Events and ABS-CBN.

“King of the Gil” concert will be made brighter and more special as Enrique will be joined by his friends in showbiz namely Vice Ganda, Angel Locsin, Toni Gonzaga, Kim Chiu, Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario and Young JV. He will also share the dance floor with his “Muling Buksan Ang Puso” leading lady Julia Montes.

WD Introduces New Ultra-Compact Network Storage Plus Servers

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WD, a Western Digital company and world leader in digital storage solutions, expanded today its small- and medium-sized (SMB) storage solution portfolio with the introduction of the new WD Sentinel DS5100 and WD Sentinel DS6100 (S-series) ultra-compact network storage plus servers.

The WD Sentinel S-series feature high-performance Intel Xeon processors and are pre-installed with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials. All WD Sentinel network storage products feature WD enterprise-class hard drives and these 4-bay WD Sentinel S-series desktop appliances offer up to 16 TB of raw storage.

Additionally, unlike traditional NAS systems, the WD Sentinel S-series allow small businesses to run line-of-business applications on their network storage platform.

“WD is using enterprise-class components to build a new family of network appliances for small businesses,” said Bill Evans, general manager of WD’s business storage solutions group. “The WD Sentinel S-series network appliances are engineered with Intel Xeon processors, pre-populated with WD Se datacenter 3.5-inch hard drives for rapid deployment, and feature dedicated 2.5-inch boot drives for maximum reliability. No other vendor offers a comparable network storage plus server in an equally small form factor. With a small footprint and quiet fan, an S-series appliance can be deployed anywhere.”

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The Department of Transportation and Communication’s (DOTC) Philippine Transit App Challenge, the first in Southeast Asia, was a resounding success, drawing participants from as far as Cebu for a three-month hack-at-home competition to develop an app that will ease commuting in the megacities of Cebu and Metro Manila.

At the culminating event held last 14 October at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center Auditorium in UP-Diliman, competition finalists got to demonstrate how their apps worked and the various benefits each offered.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya thanked the developers for sharing their talent in helping provide tools to the commuting public for navigating the two giant metros.

“I commend all of the participants to our App Challenge, especially the finalists who are here tonight, for spending the last three months being a part of the solution to one of our country’s toughest problems,” he said.

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We are the proud online media partner of ALL Mabuhay Restop events starting with.....

Halo-HaloWin (Ween) in Luneta!!!!

It's Halloween Filipino-Style for the kids and the young at heart!!! Win a prize for the Best Costume!!!

Enjoy special treats and traditional Filipino games like Luksong Tinik, Tumbang Preso and Piko. These are games that are rarely being played by children especially the ones in Metro Manila where condos and small living spaces restrict our children from playing these outdoor games.

Addiction to console and computer games, social media networks, and phablets/tablets have also become very evident among our children especially our teens.

This event is their opportunity to learn and have fun playing in Luneta park with children of the same age.

Catch the shows on the October 19, 26 and 31
2pm to 5 pm
Only Php 195 per participant

Please inquire by contacting the numbers and email on the poster or go to their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/MabuhayRestop

ORO Plata Mata : Digitally Restored on DVD

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Filipino viewers of all generations can now enjoy and relive the cinematic experience of the classic Peque Gallaga masterpiece, “Oro Plata Mata,” as Star Home Videos finally releases its digitally restored and re-mastered full HD version on DVD in all major video outlets nationwide.

“Oro Plata Mata” is the second film restored by ABS-CBN’s Film Archives in partnership with the Central Digital Laboratory (CDL) following the successful restoration of the Ishmael Bernal classic film “Himala,” topbilled by veteran actress Nora Aunor and written by multi-awarded screenwriter Ricky Lee.

The special DVD offers a digitally remastered copy of “Oro Plata Mata” from the full HD restored version with English and Tagalog subtitles alongside other exclusive features such as director’s commentary by director Peque Gallaga, actor’s commentary from several of the movie’s original cast, the original sequence treatment submitted to the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines made by Gallaga, the 1982 original trailer with remastered footage, restoration vignettes, and the original story boards used for the movie’s climactic fight scenes.

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Wazzup Pilipinas is a self-declared "Ang Pambansang Blog ng Pilipinas" (The National Blog of the Philippines) Para Sa Mga Gimikero, Palaboy, Lakwatsero, Lagalag at Bulakbol Na Pilipino. An emerging influential community blog for all. http://www.wazzuppilipinas.com

Wazzup Pilipinas is a merging of passionate, socially active and uber-creative individuals!

This community blog is your guide to spectacular events, interesting gimmick places, cool hang-outs, delectable food choices, amazing trips and travel destinations, admirable advocacy movements, immersive cultural awakenings, and other awesome happenings in the Philippines - plus a lot of informative, controversial and educational "makabayan" or socially relevant inputs every now and then.

Earthquake in the Visayas : Cebu and Bohol Under State of Calamity

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"OMG! May giyera sa Mindanao, May lindol sa Visayas, at may bagyo naman ngayon sa Luzon. Apocalypse na ba?"

A State of Calamity was declared in Cebu and Bohol after a 7.2 earthquake struck at 8:12 AM on October 15 with a magnitude of 7.2, according to PHIVOLCS. The epicenter of the earthquake was estimated to be near Carmen, Bohol.

It was reported that the earthquake damaged at least 10 historic churches in Cebu and Bohol. I am so sad for the deaths, injuries and displacement, and of course for the destruction of our heritage structures. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the dreadful disaster.

This tragedy in Bohol and Cebu is a good opportunity for several leaders to act decisively. Unfortunately the national government is quite indifferent and the bulk of the effort went to the local regional governments. I cannot blame why federalist tendencies are widespread, since it seems that Imperial Manila has no time to help the provinces extensively and this is why there is a widespread gap between the urban and the rural areas regarding revenue and overall development.

In the midst of these tragedies in the country recently, I watched how the Philippine Azkals were a sure win to the Peace Cup title. Congrats to the Azkals for winning the 2013 Peace Cup title! Should we jump for joy now?

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In celebration of its 46th year, Repertory Philippines proudly announces the last production for its 76th theater season with THE PRODUCERS, the hilarious Broadway musical based on the 1968 Mel Brooks film of the same name.

Written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, with songs arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman, the original Broadway production of THE PRODUCERS (which opened at the St. James Theater on April 19, 2001 and starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) won an unprecedented 12 Tony Awards, running for 2,502 performances. It spawned a successful London production running for just over two years, US national tours, many productions worldwide, and a 2005 film version.

THE PRODUCERS is about two wily theatrical producers who cook up a scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. The humor of the show draws on ridiculous accents, homosexual stereotypes, and Nazis, along with many show business in-jokes. It is a satirical comedy that is deep enough for both insiders and outsiders of the theatre industry.

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Are you satisfied on the volume and quality of traffic your website is getting? Is your website visible in search engine results based on the keyphrase you are targeting? Is your audience engaging with you – showing interest in what you are offering?

This 1-day hands-on boot camp will discuss the latest developments in search engine marketing. It will cover the following:

Search Influencer Boot Camp Makati at Commune on November 9, 2013

The workshop will be conducted by e-commerce and social media specialist Janette Toral and invited DigitalFilipino Club Members. A player in the e-commerce industry since 1997, Janette will share practical experience and tips in boosting your search engine presence and overcoming reputatoin attacks visible in search engine results.

Janette competed in local and international search engine competitions in 2007 and 2009. Her 2007 competition experience pave the way for the creation of her writers and blog network.

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Cruising : Going Places is the monthly travel magazine of the Manila Bulletin. It will be starting its newest section, "The Written World" on their forthcoming issues. As writers fascinated not only with images and adventures but also with the written word, the editors deemed it best to open a literary section where they will feature poems of place and creative non-fiction that is related to travel or experience while traveling.

They welcome submissions written in English (creative nonfiction should not go beyond 1,000 words) via this email address: cruising.goingplaces@gmail.com and address submissions to The Literary Editor (with the subject headline: The Written World, Cruising #GoingPlaces.

Published authors will be compensated and will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine where their work appears. They are looking forward to reading your literary works soon!

Also, please share this to your writer-friends, too!

Traveling Worry Free to Other Countries

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Here's a tip - when visiting a new place, avoid the heavily beaten track, i.e. tourist spots.

I am a proud Pinoy and have traveled all over the Philippines, plus 46 other countries in Europe, North America, Asia, including Australia - many of them I have visited more than once. I have chatted with a local in Zaragoza (north of Spain) in Spanish about the history of his town. I have marveled at the raw majestic grandeur of Iceland's landscape and witnessed the magic of the Northern Lights. I stood where once was the Berlin wall and welled up at the vast difference between 'east' and 'west' Germany and how families have been torn apart. And on visiting Budapest, I was caught unawares when I was suddenly overcome with emotion while standing in awe at the Fisherman's Wharf's beauty. Art can truly move people.

So I would like to encourage you to use a different track every time time you travel - be it to Europe, North America or North Korea. Even just a few hours in Athens cannot fail to inspire anyone who comes for a visit, not even you.

Though I have a disappointment with regards to traveling. The freedom to travel is something that is severely restricted by our government, and by many others. Offloading on the suspicion that the person is out to find jobs is really unconstitutional.

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"Dear INC Leaders,

Why do you have to hold your "medical mission" on a weekday?

There are weekends and holidays available, but no- you still chose to hold it on a weekday, on a Monday even.

I can't help but think that this stunt you pulled is just a show of force, an attention whore tactic.

Dental missions are good, surgical missions are better - but medical missions? You can dole-out medical freebies any time, any where without disrupting traffic and classes.

Yeah, elections are around the corner- and of course, you need to "flex your political muscles" to show the trapos who can make or break them, but could you do it on a weekend?

I don't hate your religion, I just hate the way your leaders use their flock to gain political clout and political favors.

But hey, I'm just stating my opinion here.

Peace." - Monsignor Arturo

Medical mission? Along main busy roads like Nagtahan? Along Liwasang Bonifacio? How stupid can you get? They have created a monster traffic jam in Metro Manila! Public and private drivers want to kill them in an instant!

One taxi driver says "Common sense lang yun ah?" "Why did they do that on a Monday? on a main thoroughfare?"

Pilot Flipbook Contest : Show Your Skills in Flipbook Animation and Win Prizes!

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Quality writing instruments since 1918. Pilot is proud to present a wide range of quality instruments to suit your every need. It is now launching a contest to try out their pens, and an opportunity to show your Flipbook animation skills and win Pilot pen GC's and giftpack!

1. Simply like the Pilot Pens Philippines fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/pilotpensphilippines
2. Create a flipbook animation using any of the Pilot Pens products. You can choose any theme you want. Have fun and be creative!
3. Record a short video of it. Don’t forget to end by revealing what Pilot Pens product you used.
4. Upload your video on your own Youtube account, titled “ MY PILOT FLIPBOOK”.
5. Send the Youtube URL of your video submission to Pilot Pens Philipines fanpage including your information (NAME, ADDRESS, AGE, EMAIL ADDRESS & CONTACT NUMBER).
6. You will receive an email confirmation if your entry is qualified. You can start submitting your entry on October 15, 2013 to October 30, 2013.
7. Tag and have your friends like your entry! Youtube views can give you higher chance of winning.
8. Entries will be judged by Pilot admins based on Creativity - 60% and Votes/Likes 40%

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The Varsitarian will start accepting manuscripts for the 29th Gawad Ustetika, its annual literary derby, on November 4, 2013.

The genres include Poetry/Tula, Fiction/Katha, Essay/Sanaysay, One Act Play/Dulang may isang yugto and Maikling Kuwentong Pambata.

Deadline of submission of entries is on November 15, 2013.

For more information, contact Alexis Cerado (0927.529.9356) or Elyssa Lopez (0906.236.1705).

Lunduyan Journalism and Arts Workshop

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Lunduyan is a journalism and arts workshop for college and high school students, amateurs and budding writers. It was known as the NCR Regional Student Press Convention, the annual education festival of CEGP. This will be held on October 22 to 26 at Baluarte in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

For five days, students will be treated to basic, intermediate and advance journalism skills training and workshops as well as courses on relevant socio-political issues.

Aside from simultaneous classroom discussions which will feature topics on journalism, the arts, literature and current events; forum discussions on pressing issues will also be held.

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Now on its 4th year, the Chito S. Romo Literary Awards run by the Northwest Samar State University, Calbayog City is now accepting entries for this year's contest in poetry, short story and play for writers in Waray and Inabaknon.

Now on its 4th year, the Chito S. Roño Literary Awards (CSRLA) run by the Northwest Samar State University, Calbayog City is now accepting entries for this year’s contest in poetry, short story and play for writers in Waray and Inabaknon.
The contest is open to all Eastern Visayas writers – those currently residing within a specified geographical area or those born in Region VIII but have migrated to another place or country.
For poetry (siday), an entry must consist of five poems of any topic, theme, length and form.
For short story, an entry may vary in length depending on the writer’s choice whether it is a full blown fiction or a flash fiction with no restriction on the number of pages.
For play, an entry’s length must range from thirty-five minutes (35 minutes) to one and a half hour (90 minutes) once staged, with an open and free theme.
Inabaknon entries must be provided with a translation either in Waray, Filipino or English.
Entries in short stories and plays must be accompanied by a one-page summary.
All entries must be originally written in Waray or Inabaknon and not a translation from other languages and should not have been published nor has won in any contest.
Entries must be submitted in four copies (one original and three photocopies), double spaced on an 8 1/2 x 11 inches letter size bond paper with one inch margin on both sides. Pages should be numbered consecutively (e.g. 1 of 30, 2 of 30 and so on) at the bottom right corner of each page. Font type must be Arial and its font size must be 12 pts. Entries must bear the pseudonym of the writer. The author's name and the pseudonym (written on the entry) must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope along with the official application form and the contact information of the contestant.
A barangay captain or notary public must attest to the originality and authenticity of the entry and for archival purposes, a writer is required to email a copy of the entry to chitoronoawards@yahoo.com or send a softcopy in DVD format together with other requirements to Chito S. Roño Literary Awards, Arts, Social and Cultural Affairs Office c/o Mr. Harold L. Mercurio, Northwest Samar State University, Rueda St., Brgy. Balud, Calbayog City
Winners in the three categories will received the following prizes:
Poetry
First Prize: P5,000.00 plus Certificate
Second Prize P3,000.00 plus Certificate
Third Prize: P1,000.00 plus Certificate

Short Story
First Prize: P5,000.00 plus Certificate

Play
First Prize: P12,000.00 plus Certificate
Deadline for submission of entries is October 20, 2013. Winners will be announced in selected radio stations, published in the local dailies and will be posted at the NCCA website and at Panitikan.com.
Awarding of winners will be done during the culmination of activities of the annual Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop on November 6-8, 2013 at Naval State University, Naval, Biliran.
For inquiries, contact Mr. Harold L. Mercurio at 09158866805 or email at chitoronoawards@yahoo.com. (PIA-8)
- See more at: http://r08.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1211379395472#sthash.xdXxn5nz.dpuf

Now on its 4th year, the Chito S. Roño Literary Awards (CSRLA) run by the Northwest Samar State University, Calbayog City is now accepting entries for this year’s contest in poetry, short story and play for writers in Waray and Inabaknon. - See more at: http://r08.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=1211379395472#sthash.xdXxn5nz.dpuf

1.The contest is open to all writers coming from Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)—those currently residing within the specified geographical area or those born in Region VIII but have migrated to another place or country.

2.The contestant must be a Waray or Inabaknon speaker/writer.

3.Members of the Lamiraw Executive Committee (the contest organizers) and the Lamiraw workshop panelists (the members of the board of judges) are prohibited from joining the competition.

4.Only three categories are covered by the contest, namely, poetry, short story and play. Contestants may use any of the two local languages: Waray and Inabaknon, and may send one entry for each category.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Close to 600 foreign and local participants gather for the 11th Asia Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL) International Conference at the Ateneo de Manila University on Oct. 26-28, 2013.

Hosted by the university’s Department of English, the Ateneo Center for English Language Teaching (ACELT) and the Ateneo Language Learning Center (ALLC), the conference is going to be held for the first time in the Philippines. With the theme, "Englishes across Asian Contexts: Opportunities and Challenges" it aspires to respond to the changing climate and diversity of teaching and learning English in various cultures and contexts.

The Asia TEFL Conference provides a venue for critical rethinking and discussion of relevant concerns in English language teaching in Asia today. In particular, the presentations at this conference will seek to raise a more informed awareness of Englishes in Asian contexts and facilitate the negotiation of more appropriate classroom practices and research endeavors for more effective policies and pedagogies.

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Inaanyayahan ang lahat ng magulang na dalhin ang kanilang mga tsikiting sa Adarna House para makipagmultuhan sa ika-26 ng Oktubre (Sabado)!

May 25% diskuwento sa lahat ng libro (maliban sa WiKAHON). Meron ding lootbag sa unang 25 batang naka-costume, at kung ang costume ay Pinoy na halimaw o tauhan, may libre ring storybook! Siyempre, may storytelling session nang 10:00 nang umaga.

Narito ang mapa ng showroom, at ang mga larawan ng multuhan noong isang taon!

POPTastik Pinoy! : A Celebration of Pinoy Pop Culture in Literature, Film, and Komiks

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The National Book Development Board (NBDB), Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) and Ayala Museum present Text and The City: the 4th Philippine International Literary Festival.

POPtastik Pinoy!
A Celebration of Pinoy Pop Culture in Literature, Film, and Komiks
November 15, 2013
Ayala Museum

Join a series of talks, with the participation of today’s leading figures in literature, film, and independent comics!

Speakers:
Manix Abrera, Eros Atalia, AJ Bernardo, Patrick Campos, Luna Sicat Cleto, Ruel de Vera, Suzette Doctolero, Kristine Fonacier, Sarge Lacuesta, Krys Lee, Noel Pascual, Andrea Pasion-Flores, Karen Francisco,Tony Perez, Edgar Samar, Budjette Tan, Yvette Tan, Rolando Tolentino, and more!

Registration/Inquiries:
Verne Ahyong
T : 759.82.88 local 46
M : 0917.891.41.54
E : ahyong.vy@ayalafoundation.org

Digital Life Congress and Expo 2013 : The Latest Tech Innovations in the County

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In the last decade, the pace at which mobile phones spread globally is unmatched in the history of technology. In 2003, 61% of the world's population has mobile cell signal and in 2010, 90% of the world is mobile phone ready. There are now over 6 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, which means that about 75% of the world now has access to a mobile phone; and 77% of these subscriptions come from developing countries such as the Philippines. It is this technological revolution that powers the objectives of the Digital LiFE Congress and Expo 2013.

Digital LiFE Congress and Expo 2013 will debut as an annual conference and exposition event that is unlike anything that has been experienced before. It will be a huge event that will showcase some of the latest tech innovations to hit our shores. This will happen on November 14 to 16 at the World Trade Center in Pasay city!

Digital LiFE Congress and Expo is an exciting reason for people to meet, discuss and experience cutting-edge technologies in order to present better means to attain a more fulfilling lifestyle. People from various sectors and markets will all gather under the Digital Tree of Life to witness a glimpse of the near future and to participate in the transformation of a vision into reality.

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"Ang pinaka-malakas, pinakabago, pinakamatapang na talkshow na makikinig, makikialam at pag-uusapan , BUZZ NG BAYAN. Simula October 20 na!! Hosted by Carmina Villarroel, Janice de Belen and Boy Abunda."

I don't get this. Sorry, pero sobrang sayang ang naipundar na taon ng The Buzz. For the new format of the showbiz talk show that they are now calling "Buzz ng Bayan" ay kulang nalang kunin nila si Gelli de Belen at reunion na ng SiS!

The Buzz said goodbye after 14 years, airing its last episode on October 13, 2013. It will be replaced by Buzz Ng Bayan which will air its first episode next Sunday, Oct. 20.

Boy Abunda is also the main host of the new showbiz-oriented program, joined by Carmina Villaroel and Janice De Belen.

It’s sad that Toni Gonzaga and Charlene Gonzales didn’t get retained. They were in The Buzz since 2010.

It's heartbreaking for me as a fan of the buzz ever since that it will be replaced by this new program. When Charlene and Toni came in as a new host since 2010, I really liked the show even more because of the credibility of their skills. I mean how could ABS-CBN defunct a show with 14 years of age when it already established its mark and status as the No.1 showbiz authority. Why change the name of the program. I also love the new format but I think, replacing the title of the show is not a good idea

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Come celebrate the launch of Movember 2013 with MovemberPI. https://www.facebook.com/MovemberPI

The party will feature the fresh stylings of the Bounce Rock Collective. This amazing group consists of electronica and funky beats guru Tom Turner, hip-hop dj extraordinaire DJ Medmessiah and groove shaking lyrcists Mestro Kintal. The night will feature amazing spinning, live lyricals, and even a guy on a bass guitar. Guaranteed to make your dancing shoes move.

Through out the night you can register to become a MoBro or MoSista! Help donate or get donations through out the month of November to support the cause.

Also by registering with us, you will be able to show the weekly progress of your sweet 'stache to the world through our website http://movemberpi.com/

Wazzup Pilipinas!

So you go out on a payday Friday night. You check your payslip and you see your withholding tax - there goes part of your hard-earned money. You pay for parking with 12% EVAT. You buy food and drinks with friends and you pay your bill - with 12% EVAT. The next morning you read the papers, you see how the taxes you paid last night was misused by people you thought you could trust. Dammit.

On October 25, a Friday night at 7 pm, you probably will go out again. Pay for parking, pay for gas, and pay for your weekly dose of Friday night food and drinks - with all those you pay 12% EVAT. BUT YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE DECEIT AND THIEVERY. You want to tell your government that what you will be paying on the night of October 25 should be properly used and should not go to the pockets of those suckers. YOU WILL DO THIS AT THE #PORKTOBERFEST!

BE IN THE KNOW. BE AWARE. BECAUSE YOU OWE IT TO YOUR COUNTRY. Because you can have fun while you learn about your country's issues and while you become part of the solution to your country's problems.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For seven years in a row, La Union (in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and the La Union Surf Club) has been holding an annual Surf Break event to celebrate the beauty of its waves and the thrill of its surf competition.

This year, the goal is to go deeper into the roots of surfing and strengthen the image of La Union's lively culture by combining surfing, arts and music. People from different regions will flock towards the great shores of La Union and make this 8th year the most successful surfing music festival in the country.

SOUL SURF 2013
Surf. Music. Arts Festival

October 24-27 2013

San Juan Beach Front. La Union, Philippines

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There are opportunities we should take advantage of. We all have the inner desire to excel in our chosen field so when we are given the opportunity to gain a level higher in our endeavors, we should grab it while its still available. Filipinos should be able to set a standard at par with International standards. Our curriculum in the Philippines is not really that competitive that is why our government has this K+12 program to beef up the Philippine education.

If you really want to learn more on how to improve your status in life, invest in education. Enroll in the FREE courses being offered by iversity.

iversity is a diverse interdisciplinary team from Berlin. They’ve attended some of the world’s finest institutions. Yet, wherever they went, they were frustrated by the dearth of digital infrastructure in use. That’s why they set out to garner the wealth of opportunities to improve the quality of teaching and learning for future generations of students.

Some of the courses available are:

CYBER SECURITY - https://iversity.org/c/28?r=65679
DESIGN - https://iversity.org/c/2?r=65679
SOCIAL STARTUPS - https://iversity.org/c/27?r=65679
STORYTELLING - https://iversity.org/c/6?r=65679

There are also courses on ARCHITECTURE, FINANCE, PHILOSOPHY and others.

Also, if you apply as Ambassador, you will have the chance to get a personal letter of reference, an iPad mini and 500€ remuneration for writing a blog post per week for the duration of your chosen course.

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Get your kicks and groove with us! The Philippines’ premiere ambulatory service provider Healthway Medical is all set for their 16th Anniversary celebration as they bring you an exclusive healthy dance battle, “Dance for Health, a healthy way to live”.

The final elimination rounds will kick off on October 26, 2013 at Alabang Town Center. The grand finals will be on November 23, 2013 at Glorietta Activity Center.

The contest is open for university students, 17-21 years old who have the grooves to showcase their talents in dancing or have their own dance group or crew. Students who are fancy of joining extra activities to hone their ability and at the same time strive for a good physical routine. While for the corporate, it should be 22-35 years old who have the passion in dancing and aiming for a healthy lifestyle. Employees who love to join aerobics, zumba, pole dancing, and other form of dance classes can show off their hip and style on the dance floor.

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Cebuano-Chinese Richard Yap or more popularly known as “Ser Chief” in the top-rating ABS-CBN noontime teleserye "Be Careful With My Heart," who has become one of the country’s most popular TV personalities. This despite the fact that he already declared that he is already in his 40s, and married with kids. And guess what? “Ser Chief” is now a certified recording artist under Star Records.

Richard Yap’s self-titled debut album is just like their TV series–a feel-good, easy listening collection of tracks composed of nine revivals that were all chosen by ‘Ser Chief’ himself.

The carrier single of the album is “Don’t Know What To Do, Don’t Know What To Say.” Featured in Richard’s solo debut album under Star Records are revivals of “Promise Ain’t Enough,” “Think I’m In Love Again,” “Can Find No Reason,” “You Take My Breath Away,” “Chasing Cars,” “High,” “Afterglow,” and the Chinese version of “Oh Babe.”

The album also carries the bonus tracks “Please Be Careful With My Heart” and “Salamat.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

International singing sensation Charice is loud and proud to share with the world her newest album under Star Records titled “Chapter 10.”

According to Charice, her ‘coming out’ also signaled the start of her musical liberation.

“When I was growing up I was ‘accompanied’ in my sleep up to my waking hour by Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Regine Velasquez and Lea Salonga,” she said. “Now, with the turn of events in my life, I listen more and more to Pink, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, among others.”

“My new CD marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life. It’s about being free, celebrating my own identity without inhibitions, and becoming strong despite my own limitations,” the world-class singer said. “It’s my take on becoming true to myself to be able to deliver a more honest and heartfelt music to the people who believe in me and my craft. Plus I owe it to God who also loves lesbians like me.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

They are three of this generation’s biggest stars. He is a two-time Best Actor winner and one of the top leading men in television and film. She is the undisputed box-office queen and he is one of the hottest young actor today. They have earned the respect of critics and the support of their audience. But they have never done a project together—until now.

This October, on its 20th anniversary, Star Cinema brings to the big screen Dingdong Dantes, Enrique Gil and Bea Alonzo in “She’s The One”, a story that combines the excitement of an unexpected romance with the epiphany that comes with finding the one person you can’t live without.

“She’s The One” hits theaters on October 16 and is directed by Mae Cruz from a story and script by the award-winning Vanessa Valdez. It also stars upcoming screen sweetheart Liza Soberano in her biggest, most important and most challenging film role to date.

SOS: Showcase of Original Shorts for the Halloween

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Catch Upstart's "SOS: Showcase of Original Shorts"!

Five short Halloween-themed comedy plays written and directed by Joel Trinidad, starring Giselle Tongi Walters, Reb Atadero, Arya Herrera, and Bibo Reyes.

October 21 and 28, 10 pm, at Caixa Bar and Restaurant in Makati Golf, Malugay Street, Bel-Air, Makati (beside JT's Manukan and behind Columns). The poster says 9 pm, but ignore it. It's at 10 pm.

Tickets at P450 each, with free drink.

Reservations via FB personal message or upstartproductionsinc@gmail.com.

See you there!