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9 months ago
30 December 2010
11 December 2010
LVHS/LNCHS Bags the Over all Champion in the NCCT Caravan
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| Over All Champion |
The National Council for Children's Television headed by the Executive Director Frank G. Rivera conducted a caravan in the Division of Davao Oriental to educate and inform the stakeholders on the Millennium Development Goals, Children's Rights, Climate Change, and the Tri-Media thru a workshop on December 8-10, 2010 at the Sangunian Panlalawigan Activity Center, Dahican, Mati, Davao Oriental. There were about 900 participants from all Public and Private elementary and secondary schools in the province of Davao Oriental.
These are the awards we got during the NCCT Media Forum:
- Over all Champion
- Most Outstanding Group
- Best in Performance Showcase
- Finalist/Most Outstanding Participant/Best Female Emcee - Jawahir Radiz (LVHS)
- Finalist/Most Outstanding Participant - Chosen Ramos (LVHS)
- Best in Direction (Biliyunun)
- Best in Cinematography (Biliyunun)
- Best in Broadcast Performance
Chaperons :
Monaliza Andrew (LVHS)
Alma Cafe (LVHS)
Maam Pogusa (LNCHS) Read more...
25 November 2010
How to Block Certain Websites from your PC
Educate your children about the dangers of sharing information online with strangers. You can block certain websites from your computer without using any software.
Here are the steps
1.) Open “Run” from the start menu (or press WinKey + r). Just copy paste the following path and hit ENTER.
notepad %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Alternately, go to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc and find the file “hosts”. Open that file in Notepad.
2.) When this hosts file is opened in Notepad, at the end of the file you will see something like “127.0.0.1 localhost”.
09 November 2010
Drawing the Eyes
Source: http://www.drawingstep.com/how-to-draw-eyes.html
Sketch Basic Eye Shape
First sketch a really simple shape. As you can see in the picture below, it looks like a tree leaf, with one end (left) having a little nodule and the other end (right) being sharp. This is how to draw an eye a very simple way.
In step 2, start to draw eye's creases with an extra line above upper eyelid and one below lower eyelid. Note the difference between the two crease-lines.
To draw the iris, very lightly sketch three circles: the biggest one is the outline of iris; next one is about one thirds diameter, and its for the dark area around eye pupil; and lastly, the smallest circle is for eye pupil itself, about half diameter of the middle circle.
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03 November 2010
12 October 2010
01 October 2010
Font Art
Here are posters of celebrities which I used as guide for my students to create their own artwork using actual fonts. Our topic is about Typography. They will create a poster using Adobe Photoshop CS3.
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24 September 2010
Electronic Poster Making
These are posters made by students from different Divisions of Region XI during the 9th Regional STEP Development and Competition held in Digos City National High School last September 22-24, 2010. Electronic Poster Making using Adobe Photoshop CS3 is one of the skills contested in the area of ICT among the General High schools.
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15 September 2010
"Thank You, Teacher" Wall
The "Thank You, Teacher" Wall is SMART's way of enabling elementary and high school students under the Smart Schools Program (SSP) to express gratitude to their teachers. Tarpaulin walls are sent to schools, where they will be set up at a strategic spot within the campus for students to write messages for their teachers. Pictures of the said walls sent to Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) will qualify as entries for the raffle.
The tarpaulin shown below is the "Thank You, Teacher" Wall of Lupon Vocational High School, Lupon, Davao Oriental.
The tarpaulin shown below is the "Thank You, Teacher" Wall of Lupon Vocational High School, Lupon, Davao Oriental.
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07 September 2010
02 September 2010
24 August 2010
My New Sony Ericsson Aspen
I finally bought a new celfone after more than 3 years. I gave my old sony ericsson walkman to my sister. Sony Ericsson Aspen is a Pocket PC. It is touchscreen, D-pad and has a full QWERTY keyboard. One thing I like about my new celfone is that it has a Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and PDF viewer). It would be very convenient for me to create documents and edit presentations without my netbook while I'm on travel. It has also Youtube, twitter, facebook, and skype apps. It is 3G and wifi enabled.
19 August 2010
17 August 2010
Meeting my Father after more than a Decade
I can't remember when was the last time I saw my father. He left us when I was in my senior year in high school. We basically lived with our mom. Without a doubt, I love my mom. They said I was a favorite of my father because I looked like him. But I do not feel any love for him anymore because over the years I hated him for what he did.
When we learned that my aunt, the older sister of my father, died of diabetes last Thursday, we decided to go to my father's place to visit the wake of my aunt last Sunday. We thought it would also be the best time to visit my father too.
Meeting my father after more than 10 years is quite strange. The hatred that I felt before was gone when I saw him. I can feel that my father was so happy to see us and his grand children. He prepared dinner for us. As they say, all that's well, ended well.
05 August 2010
Developing Form and Tone
This drawing is primarily concerned with creating form using line, emphasizing the need to visualize the whole form and to draw across the surface of the form to show its volume. The thermos flask below demonstrates the fundamental elements of the indirect lighting approach. The part that is facing you is the lightest and the form becomes darker as it turns away from you. .jpg)
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04 August 2010
My Favorite Spot at Work
This is the place where I feel the most calm and clear-headed. I prefer this spot to be in when I'm not at home. It gives me the peace of mind I need. I can find ways to entertain myself with the pressures at work that help me focus afterward.29 July 2010
One Point Perspective Using MS Paint
These are some of the works of my second year students. They created a one point perspective drawing using MS Paint.
26 July 2010
19 July 2010
Practicing Texture
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To make objects look more three-dimensional and substantial, the use of shading os some sort is needed. The picture above is a work of Ralph Gabriel Morales, a second year student of Lupon Vocational High School, Lupon, Davao Oriental. Practicing Texture is one of their exercises in my class.
08 July 2010
One Point Perspective
This is one of the exercises that my students did in my class on Animation and Visual Arts Graphics Design.
03 July 2010
Funny Signage
We've seen many versions of funny signages from other countries and also in the Philippines. Signage is any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular audience. This is typically manifested in the form of wayfinding information in places such as streets or inside/outside of buildings.
Here is one funny signage I got in our school campus. Enjoy your day!
Here is one funny signage I got in our school campus. Enjoy your day!
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02 July 2010
Recycled CD-ROM Clock
This is another project of my students in Computer Hardware Servicing Class. They made a clock out of a junked CD-ROM.
28 June 2010
Recycled Bag
This is a pouch bag covered with computer keyboard keys. This is a project of a group of students in my PC Hardware Servicing Class on PC Recycling.
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My Students in Animation and Visual Graphic Design
Lupon Vocational High School offers another specialization in ICT called Animation and Visual Graphics Design apart from PC Harware Servicing.This course is designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and attitude of students on core competencies such as creating basic art, tracing history of art and animation, and applying color concept. It also includes common competencies such as applying quality standards and applying tools to produce an artwork. It requires the students to undergo drawing and painting mentoring that would lead them to acquire intermediate skills.
An introduction to basic story telling will allow them to conceive short form narrative and understand the basic structure of a story. The other half of the course will introduce them the fundamentals of 2D animation, animation design and timing, clean up, inbetweening and use of flash as a 2D digital tool to animate hand drawn animation. As a final output, the students will be able to publish their own short animation from software.
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07 June 2010
28 May 2010
Mushroom Burger
I've never seen mushrooms such as these in my entire life. My co-participants in the WebPage Development training in Tagaytay went to the Mushroom Burger station after the day's session just to eat this stuff. I ordered mushroom burger w/ cheese and sweet mushroom drink. It's the best burger I've ever tasted.
15 May 2010
How to Get Virtual Desktops on Windows XP?
A lot of people prefer multitasking. The best tool for that purpose is virtual desktops. Virtual desktops provide the opportunity to run many desktops at the same time from a desktop computer or laptop. It is very easy to switch among the desktops by just using a button. Every virtual desktop can possess its unique applications as well as a different background. The feature of virtual desktops is not included in Windows XP by default. However, you can easily get virtual desktops on Windows XP. The means to get virtual desktops on Windows XP is very safe for the computer. All you have to do to get virtual desktops on Windows XP is to use software. This software provides four desktops to use.
In order to get virtual desktops on Windows XP, you have to use the Microsoft PowerToys download page. Follow these simple steps to get the virtual desktops:
Go to the “Microsoft PowerToys download page”.
Choose DeskMan.exe from the list on the right hand side of the window.
It will allow you to download the file named DeskmanPowertoySetup.exe. Double-click on the file.
Choose the option “Complete” for installing.
It will be installed in a very little time. Right click on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
Point to Toolbars. You will now see the new option called Desktop Manager.
Click on Desktop Manager.
The desktop manager toolbar will appear:
Every blue button represents a unique desktop. The green button can be used to preview the four virtual desktops.
Right-click on one of the buttons to see the options for configuration.
Success! This is the preview of the virtual desktops:
11 May 2010
What Happens After the Elections?
By Wilfrido V. Villacorta
May 10 is a crucial day that will significantly shape the future of the Philippines. It is a make-or-break event for us Filipinos. Either we remain a hopeless country, sinking deeper in the quagmire of criminality, poverty and corruption. Or we finally assume our deserved place in the world community: a highly respected nation that guarantees jobs and a decent quality of life for its people—a model of a working democracy and a center of peace and prosperity in Asia.
Our country belongs to Southeast Asia, the world’s fastest growing and integrating region. In its recent summit, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) set in motion ambitious measures to make itself a more effective, rules-based community by 2015. The last thing that ASEAN needs now is another member-state that is afflicted by social unrest, like Thailand and Myanmar.
The Philippines has had the ignominy of lagging behind most of our neighbors by UNDP human development indices, by UNESCO educational standards, by WHO nutrition and health requirements, by World Bank and ADB economic development and good-governance indicators, and by universal criteria of justice and human rights.
How could we have allowed this to happen to us? We have world-class professionals and business leaders, fine universities, excellent ICT practitioners, and a supposedly globally minded and hard-working population.
For the past 12 years, we have squandered our God-given assets and opportunities by resigning our fate to plundering officials. Our nation’s retrogression has been exacerbated by the culture of impunity perpetrated by the web of corruption.
If we truly love our country and have the slightest national self-respect, we should extricate ourselves from this deplorable situation. We would like to see a new Philippines with leaders who enjoy the trust not only of their own people but of the rest of the world as well. A Philippines that derives maximum benefits from its strategic partnerships with neighboring states as well as with global economic powers. We should be a major actor in regional trade and a major beneficiary of development cooperation and foreign investment. We should be one of the winners in the global competition.
That is why we should vote for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. They are both principled leaders who know what is best for their people as well as what is needed to succeed in a globalizing world.
They also have an honorable legacy to speak of. The values that we learned from the examples of our parents mould our character. It is difficult to understand why their detractors find it so reprehensible whenever Noynoy and Mar invoke their family’s tradition of decency, integrity and patriotism. To a Filipino, the good name of his parents is life’s treasure that must be cherished most.
The platform of government of the Aquino-Roxas team is the social contract of the two leaders with our people. It directly addresses the obvious root of poverty and bad governance: corruption. Unlike some of their rival candidates, they do not resort to populist rhetoric and do not promise to “eliminate poverty” through a dole-out policy. We should not forget: Hitler, Peron, Mugabe and some leaders in our part of the world employed the populist approach to acquire and expand power, and consequently, brought their countries to disaster. That is why populism has been branded as “the seedbed of fascism.”
Instead, Noynoy and Mar focus on battling corruption to remove poverty. Their platform sets out specific, results-based measures with which to battle poverty and corruption. Most of all, both of them have the credibility and courage to combat corruption because their record in public service is unassailable. It is certain that a Noynoy-Mar victory will be acclaimed by the international community and will open up opportunities for enhanced economic and political cooperation with partner-countries. Because of the high level of public trust in them, the Aquino government will be the instrument for attaining the long-awaited peace in Mindanao and reconciliation with various rebel groups that will attract investments and create more industries and jobs.
At my age, I have not stopped dreaming. I dream now not for myself but for my grandchildren. I want their generation to inherit a whole and flourishing nation that would unleash their full potentials. I am sure your dreams are the same as mine. That is why most of you, like me, are determined to ensure the victory of Noynoy Aquino, Mar Roxas and the LP senatorial team.
28 April 2010
21 April 2010
Short Bio: Noynoy Aquino
Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III has always viewed politics as a necessary vehicle for change, a perspective he formed early in life through the examples set by both of his parents.
In 1998, he ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and won. He would serve as Congressman of the 2nd District of Tarlac until 2007.
In his nine years at the Lower House, Noynoy focused on the fiscalizing role of a legislator. He felt that there were already too many laws, and good ones at that, but they seemingly lacked proper implementation. He concentrated on crafting laws that would help create opportunity rather than impose additional burdens to those who are already disadvantaged. He actively took part in budget deliberations to ensure that government initiatives do address the plight of the people who need help the most.
His commitment to continue the legacy of his parents was evident in his performance. In November 2004, he became Deputy House Speaker of Luzon, but he relinquished the post when he joined leaders of the Liberal Party (LP) in calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” scandal. To him, it was easier to give up the position than abandon his duty to hold accountable those who do wrong.
In May 2007, he ran for Senator and won, placing 6th in the national elections. He chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, and is also the vice-chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He had been determined to ensure that his key legislative initiatives would bear fruit and to see them through until the end of his term.
However, fate had other plans for him. The passing of his mother, former President Cory Aquino, stirred a long-dormant yearning for good leadership. Filipinos from all walks of life, here and abroad, began to look at Noynoy as the new hope for a better Philippines. The groundswell calling for him to run for President became too loud to ignore, and eventually overcame his reluctance.
In his letter from prison many years ago, Ninoy said to Noynoy, “Son, the ball is now in your hands.”
Today, the people want the future back into their own hands and Noynoy will not let them down.
His critics say he merely trades on his good name and skeptics consider him a lightweight. Rivals accuse him of wrongdoing despite a clearly unblemished record. Noynoy’s detractors have been busy trying to bring him down, but their efforts have only allowed him to improve his popularity.
Noynoy is an economist by education, a lawmaker by vocation. He is an audiophile, history buff, marksman and self-taught billiards sharpie. He is a loving brother and uncle, and a steadfast friend. He is also destined to be the one to finally lead our country towards a brighter future.
“There is no greater nation than our Motherland. No greater people than our own. Serve them with all your heart, with all your might and with all your strength.” – Ninoy Aquino in a letter to his only son Noynoy
12 April 2010
Why I will vote for Noynoy, and why he will win
by Krip Yuson and from Sylvia Morningstar’s FB Notes
Actually, there’s no correlation. Either won’t be contingent on the other.
The first is a sure thing. I know what I will do come May 10 when I step into the polling place for Valle Verde residents in Pasig City. I will shade that oval, the way the Sexbomb Dancers have sufficiently enlightened me, right before the second presidential candidate’s name: Benigno Aquino III. And I’ll make sure to fight off the temptation to spit at the name that appears before his, whatzisname Acosta.
Just because I think the usual suspects have done their darndest to knock off Aquino from the uppermost perch, and succeeded somewhat despite Acosta’s tardy disqualification, shouldn’t make me express my disgust at Comelec’s apparent ministrations. No, I won’t soil and spoil my ballot.
I will vote for Noynoy and I will vote for Mar, primarily because — and this is the most fundamental of many reasons — I know our country deserves 12 consecutive years of good governance. Yes, I’m scanning far ahead. I’m looking beyond Noynoy’s six-year term. If the Liberal Party’s main ticket wins, it will mark the first time in ages that the tandem for the highest positions in the land gets elected together.
I don’t think they’ll ever quarrel over policy or girls or governance, from 2010 to 2016. Most likely, VP Mar will be highly supportive of Prez Noy2, and that they will conduct themselves in office as a true partnership. They’re friends, they’ve been friends, they’re the sons of a former LP tandem that was just as formidable, maybe even more so.
Both are intelligent, decent men advantaged not so much by wealth but by good upbringing, including education and having nice families. That is why Mar should then become president in 2016, and proceed from the foundation of stability and optimism we hope to have been put in place by then — by Noynoy with the help of his sisters and brethren, which will include all of us who vote him into power so that national corruption is drastically, dramatically decreased. Then Mar can continue the same and push an even stronger economic program forward.
By 2022, and I hope I can still be around to applaud those dozen years as they end, our yet nascent republic would then have attained more than a semblance of competitiveness with our neighbors. I also hope that by then the Catholic Church would have finally taken a backseat in the busybody observance of affairs of governance.
Noynoy thence Mar might have then conducted such a turnaround in national ethics and spirit that the usual bully pulpits would have been silenced on the use of strawberry-flavored condoms. Why, maybe even the matter of divorce might start to stand a chance for official consideration.
This is what I pray for (gulp, okay, that’s being tongue-in-cheek, since I usually just send tons of sunshine vibes to anyone in distress or critical health): that we Filipinos move forward not a hundred steps behind the ways of the rational, pragmatic Dutch, Belgians, Scandinavians, etc. — but only by about 50. Maybe by the time Baby James gets elected as Mayor of Quezon City, our capital can allow cafés to display rainbow colors not just for the aesthetics of it.
But to get back to the present — next month when we troop to the polls, as they say, it should be with much hope.
That is why we won’t vote for Nicky Perlas. Because he can only project himself as an environmentalist, albeit I recall that the organic pechay he grew on the edge of UP Diliman decades ago was priced nearly double that on supermarket shelves, and looked rather unfortunate.
That is why we won’t vote for that young fellow De los Reyes, whose youthful idealism only seems to translate itself into a certain picaresque weepiness — in mien, in voice, in articulation.
That is why we won’t vote for someone with a titular Bro before his name, because he can only be self-righteous, even if he properly belongs to that questionable breed of televangelists who indulge in an industry more than a poor excuse for faith.
That is why we can’t vote for Dick, because he hasn’t quite grown up from the Atenean cheerleader he was, so that the wurz-wurz motormouth capability doesn’t ever give us a chance to reflect and discern our way through matters of intellect and emotion, both.
We are sorry we can’t vote for Gibo, not because he has no chance of making it anyway, but simplistically because of the albatross on his back. He obviously has the intelligence, the youth, the idealism, and very likely the decency to do right by his countrymen. But he cannot proxy for someone whose dislike and distrust rating is much too heavy for anyone’s backbone.
Voting for Erap would have nothing to do with hope. He doesn’t even smoke that kind of cigarettes. Instant Alzheimer’s could wipe away any memory of plunder, but would we want anyone slurring his oath once again, with Ernie Maceda right behind him for the photo op?
That leaves us the top two candidates by virtue of the survey ratings. All the skeptics not in my payroll (meaning of my particular ilk) may spoof the way Conrad de Quiros has pared it down, again simplistically, to a mythical fight between good and evil. But there is something there, whether or not it tallies with our appreciation for complexities or the grays in between.
Sure, it isn’t a black-or-white world. But the specter of a Money Villarroyo as a Goliath of Mammon cum Mordor versus a bespectacled son of heroes who hasn’t had Botox or follicle transplants comes very close to silhouetting the protagonists.
I believe Noynoy will win the presidency because that kind of narrative pitting a crusader against a giant crustacean will appeal to most Filipinos.
Sure, the kids may sing along to the earworm of a jingle that professional admen have brilliantly concocted. But their parents will give it a good think as May Day Eve turns the corner, and they will say that Dolphy can entrust his kids to whomever, seeing as how a few of them went astray anyway, and that Manny Pacquiao can endorse anyone as much as he wants, but he’ll still be on a different page from where we regard our politicians and legislators, and that Sarah Geronimo has simply taken up where she left off with Sen. Ed Angara and STI, and that Willie Revillame’s support can only show what sort of company this free-spending candidate keeps… Blah blah blah. But they have heard enough of canny banking and land development practices, let alone “C-5 at Taga,” to take those testimonials for their pure word.
And if we were to see a 60-second TV ad that features Kris, Korina, Shawie and Vilma saying they’re related or married to certain men, but that beyond being kapamilya or kapuso they ‘re asking us to vote for Noy-Mar because “Para sa Bayan Ito!” — then I think we win pulling away.
That’s not even counting PBA MVP James Yap and son Baby James, who already commands such adulation as what got our matriarchal society gushing over the cutesy-tot stereotype of the Sto. Niño since Reina Juana of Cebu first held him in her hands.
Finally, I am confident of a Noynoy electoral victory because someone up there, his Mom more than what you think, will continue to do the supernatural for her countrymen’s sake.
It is also time, and it is our destiny, to break off that slough of despond that has characterized our civil service, once and for all — slash through that Gordian knot of corruption that we sneer at but still laugh about.
It is time for positive change, no doubt. Let’s get it on. And reward the yellow army of volunteers and all of the decent-minded kin and friends and barbers and masseuses we know who’ve asked for yellow ballers and yellow-ribbon stickers for their cars and tricycles.
It gratifies me that when I vote for Noynoy and Mar, I am assured that most of the writers, artists and musicians I’ve beered, whiskied, videoke’d and GRO’d with will do the same. That all my brothers and cousins and aunts and nephews will do, too. That most of my Bedan batchmates of H. S. Class of 1960 will also shade the oval before Aquino, Benigno III.
Not only do we owe it to Ninoy and Cory and their supreme sacrifices for Pilipinas, but to our self- respect as Pinoys.
I recall a night in the late ’90s, when it was still Giraffe at the back corner of the 6750 Tower on Ayala, and the place was jumping in the name of a private party. I went out for fresh air and smokes, that curious oxymoron, and ran into Rapa Lopa, who intro-ed me to his smiling cousin Noynoy, who had also lit up. We exchanged light banter. Someone pulled Noynoy away. Still light-years away from any attempt at gravitas, Rapa and I got to talk about the coming presidential elections, how Erap was posing such a threat for a comedown after FVR.
I said Noynoy should think of running for the Senate after his stint as Congressman, well, sometime, before the Marcos children beat him to it. And who knows, maybe from there something even better will happen in the distant future. I thought I glimpsed a furrow of gravitas overtake Rapa’s brow, but only momentarily, before he smiled again. “Sabi mo yan, ha, Krip?”
Yup. I said it. And now I want to prove myself a prophet in my own country. Unless — or else — it isn’t mine at all.
Reposted from http://www.noynoy.ph/blog/2010/04/10/why-i-will-vote-for-noynoy-and-why-he-will-win/
07 April 2010
Aquino dominates in the Pulse Asia survey
Less than four weeks before election day and Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III still leads in the presidential polls, despite the constant accusations and black propaganda hurled by rival candidate, Manuel Bamba Villar Jr.
In the Pulse Asia survey conducted on 3,000 registered voters nationwide last March 21 to 28, Aquino scored 37%, a twelve-percent lead over Villar, who went down four points since the February survey, to 25%.
Deposed president Joseph Estrada got 18%, while official administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro still lags in single-digits at 7%.
According to Pulse Asia, Aquino leads in most areas and socio-economic classes.
Edwin Lacierda, spokesperson of Aquino’s presidential campaign, said this was proof that the people are fed up with Villar’s propaganda of lies and transactional politics and that “Aquino is the only candidate capable of uniting the country under clean and honest governance. The bandwagon of support has begun because the volunteers have dared to come out in numbers. Our message—walang corrupt, walang mahirap—has been resonating. It is the only way to wake our country up from its coma.”
“The people have realized that the Villarroyo tandem is no fabrication. Villar is the administration’s secret candidate,” Lacierda added. “The connections are becoming clearer everyday.”
In the vice-presidential race, LP’s Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II leads with 43%, 20 percentage-points over closest rival, Sen. Loren Legarda, who came in at 23%.
According to Florencio “Butch” Abad, general campaign manager of the LP, the Nacionalistas have hurled everything including the kitchen sink at the Noy-Mar tandem, and yet their popularity remains high. “The Nacionalista Party continues to pour ludicrous amounts of money into both their air war and ground war, but the resolve of Aquino’s supporters is strong,” he said. “What more can Villar do?”
Abad said the LP tandem will continue to spread their message of good and honest governance.
31 March 2010
Unmasking Manny Villar’s fraudulent life story
From the blog of Boy Mejorada
Just this morning, I heard Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manny Villar speak before a nation-wide audience over the Bombo Radyo Philippines network in a lame effort to deflect evidence that he was never poor, that his life story as depicted in his campaign jingle that he “swam in a sea of garbage, and had a kid brother die because they were too poor to pay for the hospital bills” was a big fraud. The way Villar talked, one can sense that his whole world is spinning out of control. It was filled with inconsistencies, and he tried to cover one lie with another lie. The thin ice is cracking under his feet.
It was inevitable that Villar had to confront the issue that came out in the articles written by Winnie Monsod and Billy Esposo in the leading periodicals, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star. These articles presented documentary proof to disprove the story that the Villars were a poor family in Tondo as the NP presidential candidate has been trying to project, and that the death of a three-year old brother was a consequence of their poverty. The most damning evidence consisted of a land title which Villar’s father had used to borrow money from GSIS to build a house and the medical certificate from FEU hospital where his brother died on Oct. 13, 1962. You can’t just pretend these issues don’t exist once Monsod and Esposo take them up in their columns.
Villar didn’t dispute the authenticity of the documents. He admitted they lived on Bernardo St., San Rafael Village in Tondo which, as pointed out by Monsod and Esposo, were upper-middle class neighborhoods of Tondo in the 60s. Villar also acknoweldged the truth that his brother died at the FEU Hospital in 1962. But he insisted they were poor, and they indeed slept — all nine of them — on a single mat. It was true, he said, that he had swam in a sea of garbage. The only reason his brother was admitted to the FEU Hospital is that his father had a cousin who worked as a nurse there, and facilitated the patient’s confinement in the charity ward.
This is where the cracks in the story start to break wider.
Villar told his Bombo Radyo audience that his brother was regularly examined by the “family doctor” as there were almost no specialists as we know them today at the time. This is a critical inconsistency that tears Villar’s story apart further. Poor families then, as it remains to be the case now, had barely enough money to see a doctor. For a family like the Villars to have a “family doctor” shatters the myth about their being poor. It is easy for Villar to claim that his brother died as a charity ward patient, but one thing is clear — his brother didn’t die because his parents had no money to buy his medicines. Leukemia had no known treatment then, and even to this day, it is still a leading cause of deaths.
Now that the authenticity of these documents are no longer being disputed, Villar’s assertion that all nine siblings slept on a single mat is also shattered. He is the second of nine children. If his departed brother is number three or number four, by 1962 the family would already have been living in San Rafael Village. How can all the nine siblings sleep on a single mat when by 1962, not all children have been born? It’s simple logic. And besides, no one will believe Villar if he says they still slept on a single mat in San Rafael. Lies, lies, and lies.
Villar’s father was a government bureaucrat. As a salaried employee, he was able to bring food to the family table, clothes and education for the children, and a decent home over their heads. Villar should stop desecrating the memory of his hard-working father who endeavored the provide the best for his children. And the amount of loan from GSIS speaks volumes about the salary level of his father. GSIS members can borrow money to build homes based on their monthly salaries. If he managed to borrow P16,000, then he must have been occupying a supervisory position. Even today, a regular government clerk earns enough to keep body and soul above the poverty level.
By Villar’s own candid admission, the house was a two-bedroom house, which is the usual size for starter homes. It was a bigger house than his standard housing units in his subdivisions. Hence, Manuel Villar Sr. was earning a good pay from the government. Not exactly the kind of person who would qualify as poor.
Villar’s fraudulent life story is now shattered. He spun a web of fiction to project himself as champion of the poor because he came from the poor. The truth is coming out, and not even Villar can now disprove the facts that are rushing to the surface of the sea.
Noynoy Aquino represents change – a statement from Filipinos in Cambodia
A group of Filipinos in Cambodia is actively campaigning for Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II who are running for President and Vice President in the May election in the Philippines. Known in the Filipino community in Cambodia as “Pinoy for Change (P4C),” this same group also was active in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana), raising money and other kinds of assistance for the Filipino flood victims.
Since the official start of election campaign, P4C has been distributing Noynoy campaign leaflets and tarpaulin banners amongst Filipino groups in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap using money from its sale of Pinoy for Change t-shirts. The group has already organised four Saturday-night dinner-meetings to help raise awareness of overseas Filipinos about the importance of the coming election.
Since the official start of election campaign, P4C has been distributing Noynoy campaign leaflets and tarpaulin banners amongst Filipino groups in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap using money from its sale of Pinoy for Change t-shirts. The group has already organised four Saturday-night dinner-meetings to help raise awareness of overseas Filipinos about the importance of the coming election.
Tonight, P4C is hosting a “solidarity concert for Noynoy and Mar” at the NOSH Cafe on Mao Tse Tung Blvd. in Phnom Penh. Angelito “Bing” Escarez, a Filipino entrepreneur in the travel and tourism sector in Cambodia, is instrumental in organising this concert. Bing is a former president of SAMAPI, the biggest association of Filipinos in Cambodia. He brings to NOSH Cafe tonight several Filipino performers currently based in Phnom Penh, and who are also going to vote for Noynoy and Mar – they are Wowie Hidalgo, Rollie Janairo, Greza Molina and Ann Beraño.
But why are they supporting Noynoy? A long-time Phnom Penh resident, Wowie said,
“I sense a sacred purpose in Noynoy;” adding, “Amongst the current field of candidates, Noynoy represents a tradition of heroic sacrifice. He’s keeping alive the heroism of his parents. Wala nang iba pa, si Noynoy talaga ang dapat maupo bilang susunod na Presidente.”
Another Filipino, Maia Diokno, is expected to jam with the performers during the concert. Maia is a lawyer and was formerly with the Cambodia Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the youngest daughter of the late Philippine Senator Jose “Pepe” Diokno.
Asked how the group emerged and developed, Lou Autencio, current president of SAMAPI, explained, “There are certain things that a large and formal association cannot easily do, but which a small and informal group such as P4C can.” Jane Banez-Ockelford, international development Consultant and one of the key figures of P4C, quickly added, “Noynoy gave us reason to keep alive the Filipino civic spirit even if we’re far away from our country.”
P4C, though small, is also a diverse group. One of its coordinators is Ofelia Rodriguez, a self-employed entrepreneur who owns a popular carinderia in Phnom Penh – Kucina Filipina. Another member of the group is Florida “Tita Purit” Flores, a retiree and doting Tia to everyone.
There are currently more than 6,000 Filipinos in Cambodia. They serve effectively and efficiently in many different sectors – e.g.: in tourism, entertainment, banking, IT and telecommunications, food and beverage, security services, education, health, Christian missions, garments, and NGOs.
25 March 2010
IBP vouches free legal assistance to teachers in May elections
Reposted from www.deped.gov.ph
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education to formalize its commitment to give free legal assistance to public school teachers who may be facing legal suits in the performance of their election-related duties.
The newly installed Secretary of Education Dr. Mona D. Valisno led the department in signing the agreement with IBP represented by Justice Santiago Kapunan, Officer-In-Charge and Atty. Rodolfo Urbiztondo, Deputy General Council and Chief of Staff. Also present were Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Franklin Sunga, Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Jonathan Malaya, some regional directors, and representatives from various teachers’ organizations.
The newly installed Secretary of Education Dr. Mona D. Valisno led the department in signing the agreement with IBP represented by Justice Santiago Kapunan, Officer-In-Charge and Atty. Rodolfo Urbiztondo, Deputy General Council and Chief of Staff. Also present were Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Franklin Sunga, Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Jonathan Malaya, some regional directors, and representatives from various teachers’ organizations.
Valisno has expressed her appreciation to IBP for offering free legal assistance to public school teachers serving in the coming elections. “We express our deep appreciation to IBP for such a generous act as this will reassure our teachers who are committed to protect the integrity of the elections,” said Valisno.
There have been incidents during election season where teachers, in the performance of their election duties, are wrongfully accused of wrongdoings and are unduly faced with legal suits.
DepEd is mandated by law to make available the services of public school teachers who will serve as chairmen and members of the different board of election inspectors (BEI) in the coming May 10, 2010 national and local elections.
Valisno added that the MOA will set the procedures on how such free legal assistance could be promptly availed by affected public school teachers. “The MOA arises from our desire to promote and protect the welfare of the public school teachers who will again play a key role in this democratic exercise,” stressed Valisno. “This agreement clearly stipulates IBP’s commitment to DepEd to provide free legal assistance to public school teachers who will be charged administratively and criminally in the performance of their election duties,” Justice Kapunan said. The DepEd and the IBP had previously entered into a MOA during the May 14,
2007 national and local elections wherein the IBP extended free legal assistance to the public school teachers faced with legal suits. “This has been a standard practice on the part of DepEd and the IBP in every election year. However, since 2010 elections will be the very first automated national and local elections, it poses a whole new set of questions,” said Sunga.
The free legal assistance shall be in the nature of court appearances and representations, preparation and submission of pleadings and other documents required to be produced and submitted by the court or tribunal where the case is pending; and such other legal services needed for the protection of the rights of the public school teachers serving as chairmen members of the BEI. Subject to IBP’s means and merit test, free legal assistance shall be provided and made available in administrative and criminal cases filed against a qualified public
school teacher serving as chairman or member of the BEI. In instances, however, where the BEI chairman or member of the BEI is the nominal complainant, free legal assistance shall not be granted.
The free legal assistance can be availed of upon the filing of the complaint before any court, administrative body, the Prosecutors Office, or before the Ombudsman, against a qualified public school teacher who served as chairman or member of the BEI, or at any stage of the proceeding in court, even on appeal, if still warranted by the circumstances.
All requests for free legal assistance shall first be evaluated by the DepEd. Should the DepEd find the request meritorious and that the offense charged against a public school teacher serving as chairman or member of the BEI is service connected or related, the DepEd shall submit a written request for free legal assistance to the President of the IBP for appropriate action.
Moreover, the DepEd shall monitor the coordinative efforts between the IBP office tasked to render legal assistance and the DepEd office concerned to ensure that the purpose of this MOA shall not be hindered. The MOA is effective for a period of one year. “IBP lawyers are idealistic volunteers serving the needs of teachers involved in the election. We are happy to do it for free, contrary to what other people think that lawyers are only after the money,” furthered Kapunan.
Meanwhile, DepEd Election Task force will be created for the May elections in the central office and in all regional offices for easier coordination and evaluation of complaints. There will also be IBP counterpart offices in each region to work closely with DepEd regional offices.
24 March 2010
Graduation Day!
Classmates and teachers have made all the learning fun. As you leave school to join the work force, bring all the memories and forget none, for they will always remind you that in school these good things began. Happy graduation! Read more...
23 March 2010
Speaking of Land Grabbing
A Villar ally is one to speak of land grabbing
“NP senatorial bet Adel Tamano, who spoke against Sen. Noynoy Aquino in Tarlac yesterday, was kind enough to bring up the issue of land grabbing. He is running under the wing of Manny Villar, who has a colorful record of bribery and land grabbing, which Villar tries to cover up using an over-funded propaganda machine.
“Tamano should learn to look at his own patron’s backyard before commenting on issues of which he only has sound-byte comprehension. The Luisita property was legally acquired by the Cojuangco family. This is hardly the case for some of the lands acquired by the real estate mogul, Manny Villar.
“Villar has displaced over a thousand people in San Pedro, Laguna. He has grabbed the ancestral land of indigenous minorities, the Dumagats of Norzagaray, Bulacan. He has grabbed and converted much-needed rice lands in Iloilo to benefit his real estate development company Camella Homes. Now Villar wants to grab Malacanang at any cost, even if it means manipulating the truth and misleading the Filipino people.
“Manny Villar’s lack of principle, his abuse of his elective office, and his preference for transactional politics to sate his insatiable hunger for power falls within the culture which the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino seeks to end. If our country is to progress, we must elect a leader of unquestionable integrity—the coming elections may be our last chance to do so.”
March 22, 2010
Edwin Lacierda
Spokesperson
The Presidential Campaign of Benigno S. Aquino III
22 March 2010
16 March 2010
7 Reasons Why We are Supporting Noynoy
By: A Family from Baguio City, Philippines
1. We see the handiwork of God in his candidacy –Ninoy died for the country and his widow became president after people power. After battling cancer, Cory went home to the Lord which ushered in an unprecedented showing of support and love for a former president. This showing of support miraculously bankrolled into a people’s call for Noynoy to run for president even if he had no plans of doing so. These events could only be orchestrated by a sovereign God who has compassion over nations shackled by the blight and darkness of arrogant and shameless corruption.
2. He inspires hope — Prior to Noynoy’s candidacy, we were resigned to our fate of just choosing the utopian lesser evil among traditional, same old, eager beaver presidentiables. None of them inspires hope. But all that changed when Noynoy responded to that God-given calling in his life to serve the Filipino people whom his father died for . Tears of hope from the hearts and eyes of ordinary Filipinos flowed when he declared his candidacy. Upon learning of Noynoy’s candidacy, a Bureau of Customs employee said, “Salamat. Pwede na ulit mangarap.”
3. He is honest — Ballsy Aquino Cruz, Noynoy’s sister declared on national media that she is willing to be shot if anybody could present evidence that her brother is a thief. This sincerity is unparalleled even among the closest family and relatives of the other presidentiables. None of the other presidentiables’ sisters or brothers would like to end up dead. Noynoy was reared in an environment of honesty as exemplified by the lives of his parents. Indeed, an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
4. He has strength of character — We don’t need a president who will hang a shingle in Malacanang that reads, ” Business as Usual”. He is the only candidate that we believe when he says he will clean house because he is clean.
5. He is humble and not in love with power — Everything about him is not contrived. Ordinary people like us could see through spin doctor- managed acting among public officials and candidates. But we see in Noynoy the sincere simplicity of a simple man, who although pedigreed, is not self-centered, power and recognition hungry. He doesn’t mind having thinning hair, simple clothes and a down-to-earth manner of speaking. More so, his humble spirit was manifested when he sought God’s direction first before plunging in the presidential race.
We could see that his reluctance to seek the presidency is genuine. We believe that power should be given to those who have strength of character because they are not obsessed nor in love with it. And yes, Mr. Gary Olivar, Malacanang spokesman, Noynoy is his own man because true manhood could only come from a humble spirit.
6. He alone could mobilize people power – No other presidentiable could ask the Filipino people to bankroll his campaign and credibly call for volunteers. In this country where the norm is patronage politics and presidentiables spend billions just to win an election, Noynoy is the only presidential candidate as of press time who is being swamped by a snowballing groundswell volunteer support from unknown, ordinary Filipinos from Luzon to Visayas without any budget. Noynoy is the anti-thesis of patronage politics because he could ask for volunteers to spend time and resources to campaign for him.
7. He is the good in this fight between good and evil – No other opposition candidate had earned the most vicious attacks from Malacanang and the other political parties who are fielding candidates in the presidential race than Noynoy.
In fact, some parties are already demolishing the people’s perception and argument that the 2010 presidential race is a fight against good and evil. Noynoy’s detractors would like to brush aside the morality of the elections because morality in government leadership is not a campaign strategy that could propel their traditional, same old, eager beaver presidential candidates.
It is true what Earl Spencer said ,that true goodness is threatening to those who are on the other side of the moral spectrum. In this fight versus good and evil, Noynoy credibly represents the good.
In his declaration speech, he was unmindful of politics or a possible loss of votes when he said he desires justice over the unresolved issues and cases the Marcoses committed against Filipinos. That to us, is true goodness, because it is a conviction that stands up for what is right no matter what the consequences are. Mabuhay ka Noynoy!
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
15 March 2010
Principled Leadership Needed to Fight Corruption
LP Senatorial Candidate Acosta: Principled Leadership Needed to Fight Corruption
“Nakakalungkot at nakakahiyang isipin na mismong ang gobyerno ni Arroyo ang sumusuko at nawawalan na ng tiwala sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipino na manindigan laban sa korupsyon,” Liberal Party senatorial candidate Neric Acosta reacts to the statement of deputy presidential spokesperson of Malacanang, Gary Olivar, that “…corruption is an old, old problem. It is one of culture, di lang institution, pati kultura natin sa pulitika at civic life.”
Malacanang points to the Filipino culture and the election-season mudslinging as the primary reasons for the Philippines’ being named as the fourth most corrupt country in Asia. Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) conducted the survey.
Change in Perspective
“Kailangan nating palitan ang ating pananaw sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipino. Hindi dahil laganap ang korupsyon sa ating lipunan at sistema, katulad ng pananaw ng Malacanang, hahayaan na lang ba natin at magsasawalang kibo ba tayo? Huwag tayong magbulag-bulagan at gawing dahilan ang kultura sa paglaganap ng korupsyon. Sa halip, dapat magsilbing ehemplo at magsilbing instrumento ang pamahalaan sa pagsugpo ng korupsyon sa ating lipunan,” ang sabi ni Acosta. Corruption is not a hopeless case as presented by Malacanang because in the beginning, the Arroyo leadership is the problem! In the Arroyo government, corruption has reached record-highs.
Lingering illness
Acosta asserts that almost all the socio-economic problems haunting our country now points to the prevailing problem of massive corruption. “Ang mga pondong dapat nakalaan sa mga batang gustong makapasok, makapag-aral at makapagtapos ay sadyang ibinubulsa at winawaldas ng mga taong nasa katungkulan. Kung walang corrupt, walang maghihirap!”
Acosta expressed dismay over the massive corruption in the country and the danger it poses to the minds of the youth if the next government does not address head-on this “lingering illness.”
Exemplary and Principled Leadership
“Matagal nang naghahanap ang mga Pilipino ng mahusay at mapagkakatiwalaang pinuno. Likas sa bawat Pilipino ang kabutihang loob at pagiging marangal. What our country really needs now is an exemplary and principled leader. And I put emphasis on the word principled,” Acosta said with strong conviction.
11 March 2010
Twilight: Eclipse - Watch the Eleven Second Teaser Trailer
HERE is the (eleven second!) trailer for the eagerly-awaited new movie Twilight: Eclipse – the third installment in the Twilight film franchise.
The film — starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner — hits theaters June 30, 2010.
Here’s a plot summary of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse:
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death.
Rob, 23, recently insisted everything in Eclipse is more intense than its predecessors.
“In Eclipse there’s a lot of fighting and conflict,” he said.
“It’s really escalated. It’s much more tense and it’s at a lot faster pace.”
In Eclipse, schoolgirl Bella has to battle with her passion for Edward and for werewolf Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner.
Noynoy Reacts to Latest Pulse Asia Survey
PRESS STATEMENT OF SENATOR BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
February 3, 2010
1. I am not surprised with this turn of events. First, our opponents have had a long head start in this campaign. And while I diligently perform my functions as a legislator, the others are practically campaigning fulltime, neglecting their mandate with those who entrusted them with their votes. Second, for all the unprecedented and sustained ads spending in all forms of media of the other camp and the unrelenting and increasingly below-the-belt and baseless black propaganda against me by my opponents, not to mention the harassment we have been continuously getting from this administration—the arbitrary transfers and replacement of police directors, the inexplicably adverse rulings we have been getting from Comelec for our local executives, the abrupt cessation of government projects in provinces friendly to us and lately even the denial of venues for our rally sites– I am surprised that I am still on top of the surveys.
2. By the day, it is becoming clear that an unholy alliance is developing between this administration and my opponent. No wonder the Palace spokesman couldn’t restrain himself in expressing his gratitude to one of my opponents for keeping quiet on the many issues confronting this administration.
3. Of course, that is not to say that we do not face challenges in the campaign. Quite a lot, I must say, foremost of which is the ability to bring our message—a clean, decent, transparent and accountable government will put an end to massive corruption, dedicate precious public resources to basic services for the poor and alleviate our people’s hopelessness and poverty—across to as many of our people as possible. It is a strong and relevant message that we are certain has had and will continue to have traction among more and more of our voters. We have been able to address this. In the coming days, we will be able to do this with greater frequency and in a sustained manner through ads.
4. On top of this, I believe that our comparative advantage—the organizational strength coming from our ability to mobilize volunteers all over the country—still has to make itself felt in the campaign. We expect that to happen as we formally start the campaign this February, the historic People Power month.
5. I have been through this before. When I first ran for office as a Congressman in 1998, I faced eight opponents and initially attracted about two-thirds of the votes. After the eight ganged up on me, throwing everything they could at me, my numbers fell to half of what I started with. But since the issues they threw at me did not stick and since I brought a message of change and hope, in the end, I prevailed with plenty to spare.
6. What should not escape all of us is that I still lead the surveys—from the time I declared my candidacy to this day. I would like to assure everyone, especially our supporters, that as the formal campaign period starts, we will work harder to make sure that we remain on top of the fight and the hope of our people for a clean, competent and compassionate government through my tandem with Senator Mar Roxas will be fulfilled.
08 March 2010
Noynoy Aquino: A Summary of What He Stands For
Taken from the cover story of the international investment magazine, Asian Tigers, February 2010 issue. ~Marisse Reyes,
Beyond the call of official duty
… Ballsy Aquino Cruz, the oldest daughter, was overheard to have asked Noynoy over the phone, “Are you willing to give up six years of your life?”
It was a modest question, coming from someone who had served as her mother’s private secretary during her presidency. IN her humility she had forgotten to acknowledge that their lives had already been intertwined with that of our nation…suffering through their father’s imprisonment and assassination, their mother’s reluctant presidency and selfless dedication in service to the nation.
On September 9, 2009, the 40th day after the death of his mother Corazon Aquino, Noynoy Aquino announced his presidential bid. A text message that day suggested that if you multiplied the 9-9-9 by 3, you would get 27. His father Ninoy Aquino was born on November 27. Noynoy would run in 2010, 27 years after Ninoy’s assassination. Also, 9-9-9 was the 252nd day of the year. If you added the digits, it also yielded a 9. Is it his destiny?
In 1996, ten years after the historic EDSA Revolution, Cory Aquino may have been prophetic in her warning that:
Challenges to our freedoms continue to lurk in dark corners, some of them disguised as anti-crime legislation or as proposed constitutional reforms to streamline government.
They also come in the shape of recycled and unrepentant politicians, and discredited ideologues that would talk advantage of the democratic space, which the EDSA Revolution had created in our society.
But mostly, these challenges take the form of a general apathy among our people, a tendency to leave everything in the hands of the leaders, and just heap the blame on them if something goes wrong.
I believe that such apathy, which has allowed the return of discarded ideas and personalities in the highest levels of governance, goes against the spirit of EDSA. Our national situation demands nothing less than a return to, the revival of the Spirit that brought us all to the defense of the Republic, our people and the democratic way of life in the dark days of martial law, and into the dawning of a new day at EDSA.
I do not speak only of providing our warm bodies when needed to make a national statement, but a generosity of spirit, a sharing of our time, efforts, resources and our very lives if needed, to see to it that others might improve their lives.
I speak of living in the Spirit of EDSA in all our endeavors, whatever is our state and calling in life.
Beyond his father’s request to take care of his mother and sisters, armed with the courage of his parent’s, Noynoy’s SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH THE FILIPINO PEOPLE is a call to action. His platform is a commitment to change that Filipinos can depend on. With trust in their leaders, everyone can work and build a future together.For the economy, he sees farms and rural enterprise as vital to achieving food security. His is a leadership that will execute all the laws of the land, with impartiality and decisiveness.
In his VISION FOR THE PHILIPPINES, Noynoy sees:
The MISSION which he has chosen to accept is that:
We will start to make these changes first in ourselves by doing the right things, by giving value to excellence and integrity and rejecting mediocrity and dishonesty, and by giving priority to others over ourselves.
When Noynoy announced his decision to run, Fr Manny Domingo, former parish priest of Don Bosco Makati, expressed what many Filipinos now feel: “I HAVE BEEN GIVEN HOPE.”
Asian Tigers magazine
04 March 2010
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse- First Official Movie Poster Revealed
Summit Entertainment has just released the first official poster for the third film of the Twilight Saga series, Eclipse.
In Eclipse, Bella (Kristen Stewart) is forced to choose between her love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf.
Along with director Slade (30 Days and Nights, Hard Candy), several new actors are joining Eclipse including Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, Xavier Samuel as Riley, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, Jack Huston as Royce King, Julia Jones as Leah, BooBoo Stewart as Seth, Jodelle Ferland as Bree and Kirsten Prout as Lucy.
Twilight fans don’t need to wait for another year to watch the next installment because Eclipse will be released on June 30, 2010. That’s [only] 7 months from now!
Disposal of Old Computer Equipment
Most of the environmental concerns with computers lie with the monitor, specifically its cathode ray tube (CRT). Each color monitor contains, on average, four to five pounds of lead, considered hazardous waste when disposed of, according to EPA standards. Computers also contain other hazardous materials, including mercury, cadmium (a known carcinogen), and hexavalent chromium (shown to cause high blood pressure, iron-poor blood, liver disease, and nerve and brain damage in animals). The Utah Department of Environmental Quality estimates that 314 million computers will be thrown away by the end of 2004, containing 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 1.2 million pounds of hexavalent chromium, and 400,000 pounds of mercury.
Imagine a worst-case scenario: Groundwater near a landfill becomes contaminated. In a search for potentially responsible parties, a company that had disposed of computers at the site (identified by a control tag or manufacturer’s number) could be subject to potentially costly criminal and civil litigation (i.e., SARA, formerly CERCLA, litigation). All of this could happen even if the organization had donated the equipment to a charity or paid a company to recycle it.
Regardless of how old computers are disposed of, there are several important steps to take before handing them over. First, remove the hard drive or reformat it. Simply deleting files does not prevent them from being recovered from the hard drive; sometimes, files can even be retrieved from reformatted drives. Next, evaluate software license agreements to determine if they preclude transfer of the software along with the computer.
It is important to remove all company insignia and inventory control tags from computers to be disposed of. Removing company insignia and control tags can hamper hackers from identifying to which company any recovered information belongs.
If possible, have the recipient of the used computer equipment sign an agreement accepting responsibility for its proper disposal. This is necessary whether it is sold, given to an employee, or donated. In the event of future litigation, this documentation supports the position that the recipient has accepted responsibility for the equipment’s disposal.
Recycling companies should also provide written documentation of the proper disposal of computer equipment. If a recycling company cannot or will not provide such documentation, this could be a sign that it is not a reputable company. Finally, a written record of all disposed-of computers should track the serial number, description, method of disposal, and date of disposal. This information should be kept with all other documentation regarding computer disposal.
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