“Whoever shoots first, dies second”. That summarizes “mutual assured destruction”, the 1960’s doctrine on nuclear annihilation. “Mad” argues that populations are safest when the other side faces retaliatory obliteration.
Local politics has scaled-down versions of “Mad”. The strike-counterstrike of privileged speeches, by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jinggoy Estrada, guaranteed “mutual assured destruction”, predicted Senator Miriam Santiago.
MANILA (Sept. 26) -- The plan of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) to double the mandatory monthly contributions of its 7.4-million members from P100 to P200 would cost workers an extra P8.9 billion, Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago said today.
"This is what Pag-IBIG hopes to collect additionally from its existing members – P8.9 billion every year, or P740 million monthly. This is a lot of money that will be taken out of the pockets of our workers, and which they could better spend for basic necessities," Santiago said.
If Canadians are looking to the US for the care they need, they’ll be disappointed because Americans, ironically, are increasingly looking north for a viable healthcare model. There’s no question that American healthcare, a mixture of private insurance and public programs, is a mess. Over the last 5 years, health insurance premiums have doubled (it happened during the GOP watch), leaving large corporations, like General Motors bankrupt, which are just starting to come back. Expensive American healthcare has sent many families to the poorhouse. It is not a model to emulated but avoided because it is a broken system.
A good plastic surgeon may be able to create physical beauty, but he or she can't create something that's far more important and appealing: attractiveness. In fact, all women are born with the potential to be attractive, and that attractiveness doesn't depend on a woman's physicality. It comes from within.
Our nation is in the midst of a profoundly important discussion about the healthcare system. The often contentious debates at public forums around the country demonstrate how deeply personal the prospect of healthcare reform is to many Americans. But while change may be frightening, it is necessary.
If the rancor and distortions that have characterized the debate succeed in directing the tentative reform negotiations in Washington, change eventually will come anyway, but perhaps with much more dire consequences.
NEW YORK (Sept, 25) – Underscoring their responsibility in addressing the effects of climate change, the Philippines reiterated its call for the United States and other developed countries to immediately take drastic measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NEW YORK (Sept. 22) -- In an event commemorating the 37th Anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines on September 21, 1972, members of BAYAN-USA, Anakbayan New York/New jersey, New Committee for Human Rights and Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) held an educational forum at Bluestockings Bookstore in New York City.
You can't say that you've been to Manila if you haven't had the chance to ride the cultural icon of the Philippines , the jeepney!
The Jeepney is a unique transportation that can only be found in the Philippines . It was originally made from the US military jeeps that were left to the Filipinos after World War II; giving it the powerful engine of an army jeep. With great
Filipino ingenuity, the body was remodeled by adding some metal roofs and decorating it with vibrant colors. It has rapidly emerged as a creative and popular means of public transportation. Tagged as the “King of the Road,” it has become an enduring symbol of Philippine pop culture.
Hence, the introduction of the concept of “Jeepney Tours”- a breakthrough in Philippine Tourism that offers convenient and daily sightseeing tours to travelers staying in five star hotels, who wish to explore the best of Manila. Its main objective is to leave a positive image of the Philippines with every single ride.
The jeepney tours will take the travelers on a fascinating tour of the historical and vibrant city of Manila onboard a custom-built air-conditioned jumbo jeepney which can easily seat 20 people. A tour facilitator will join the passengers for the whole duration of the tour to point out interesting landmarks and give you brief backgrounds on the places that are visited.
Stuck in Manila traffic? Fret not! There is a videoke system onboard to keep the guests entertained on the way back. The jeepney has a cooler for storing cold bottled drinks to keep the guests refreshed and hydrated at all times.
Jeepney Tours is an essential introduction to Manila in a fun and informative way and it links the travelers to the main attractions of the city. It is a perfect gift that can be offered to visiting friends and colleagues to experience all the magical sights and sounds of Manila in an entertaining, comfortable and secure environment.
"Jeepney Tours is a tourism breakthrough that Jeepney Tours is extremely proud of. Despite all the challenges, their profound commitment to the tourism industry fueled us to develop a major tourism infrastructure that transports the tourists to a day filled with fascinating experiences, a day packed with cultural learning and beautiful memories that will make them remember the Philippines at its best”, says Clang Garcia, Managing Director of Jeepney Tours.
Jeepney Tours can be booked at major five stars hotel with Thematic Tours (listed below) to choose from:
1. Intramuros: A Cultural Heritage Tour
Metro Manila is the urban capital of the Philippines. Comprised of several bustling cities, it is the country’s bastion of modernity and cosmopolitan appeal. Manila is the premier gateway to any destination in the country. It serves its own menu of attractions and activities. Visit Manila and walk the walls of the old historical town of Intramuros and find out for yourself why it is hailed as one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world.
2. Spa and Shopping Spree
Travelers can indulge in purely pleasurable activities as they treat themselves to one fine day in Manila – one of the greatest spa and shopping destinations in Asia ! From power spending down to flea market bargaining, one will never run out of options while exploring the malls of Manila , the uncontested shopper’s paradise. Tourists can pamper their body after a day of discoveries as they unwind and get the treatment they deserve amidst a relaxing atmosphere of a serene spa. What an exciting way to spend a day in the city!
3. Sunset Cocktail Cruise
Manila Bay is known for its captivating sunset. An extraordinary sight to behold because of the different play of colors decorating the sky. Before sailing away to the cruise, tourists will enjoy a sightseeing tour of Manila en route to the Manila Bay harbor where they will board a yacht to experience a memorable ride with their loved ones. Onboard, guests may explore the wide docks of the yacht, and after watching the sun go down, different wines and beverages will be served as guests enjoy the sea breeze of the cool night. Perfect for couples looking for a special romantic setting, the Sunset Cocktail Cruise is an ideal affair to remember.
Pampanga Escapade: Fly, Dine and Spa!
Just a short ride away to the north is the charming province of Pampanga. It is a place mixed with a proud cultural heritage and fast developing sites that cater to the international community. It is also a haven for people who want to experience the leisurely pace of the countryside. Start off your day with an English breakfast followed by a tour of a wine cellar. Then enjoy an Ultra-Light Flying experience, a sumptuous lunch and a rejuvenating spa treatment. Welcome and have a good day! "Makusuelong pamagbisita keni Pampanga."
The Charm of Tagaytay
Tagaytay is the perfect day trip destination outside Manila . A scenic drive to the countryside treats the traveler’s eye to sights of pineapple plantations, colorful fruit stands, flowers in bloom, ridges and mountains swathed in green and a breathtaking view of the famous Taal Volcano – the world’s smallest volcano. Tour this extraordinary city onboard their jeepney and get to enjoy the superb food of Sonya’s English Garden , a walk around and great buys of natural products from the charming honeybee farm and a relaxing treatment at Nurture Spa offering Asian and Filipino healing traditions in native Ifugao huts from the Cordillera province. (www.jeepneytours.com)
In 2010, Benigno Aquino, Salvador Escudero, Gilberto Teoodoro or Manuel Villar may be President. Whoever is elected will inherit, from outgoing (hopefully) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, three “inevitables”: death, taxes – and nearly 92 million Filipinos. Populationwise, we’d be 20 Singapores.
Rewind to 1940. The census, that year, informed President Manuel Quezon: there were almost 20 million Filipinos. Quezon’s successor, next year, will have five times that pre-World War II headcount.
MANILA (Sept. 22) -- In response to Lakas-Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino)-CMD party's choice of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as its presidential bet in 2010, Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II yesterday formally declared that he is running for vice president, making official the Liberal Party tandem Aquino-Roxas for 2010.
Facebook isn’t just a place to hook up with ex-girlfriends from high school anymore. Companies large and small are now using it for networking and legitimate business tasks. Unfortunately, it can also be a place to hook your company’s network up with some nasty viruses.
The latest one, a worm called Koobface, has hit all the social networks, including Facebook, MySpace, hi5, Bebo and Twitter, and can riddle your network with malware, spyware and can steal sensitive data right from your workstations’ hard drives. Like past generations of computer bugs, Koobface wants to not only infect your computer, but then use you as a jumping off point to infect others. But unlike past viruses, Koobface and similar new malware programs are leveraging your company’s social network account to reach out and infect your online friends and business associates.
SAN DIEGO -- Fears that more "skeletons" might be unearthed from the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and its officials seemed to have prompted officers loyal to incumbent leaders to overturn and trash the proposal to create a fact-finding board.
A long-held secret had just been unveiled -- that top-ranked officials had been the recipients of tens of thousands of monies -- and any investigation within could further erode faith in the organization trying to position itself as the voice of Filipinos in America.
MANILA (Sept. 22) -- To face up to Noynoy-Mar’s strong North-South alliance, says pro-Cory labor leader Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III’s decision to pick Sen. Mar Roxas as running mate under the Liberal Party (LP) has put pressure on rivals Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro of Lakas-KAMPI and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party (NP) to get their own vice presidential partners from the Visayas or Mindanao, labor leader and former Senator Ernesto Herrera said Tuesday.
The cast is almost complete. The major presidential candidates have signified their intent to run, except maybe for Chiz Escudero. As Noli de Castro confirms his decision not to join the administration party's selection process, the whole field is within view. While there is much speculation about Chiz, a smaller but, perhaps, more exciting question is whether Bayani Fernando will bolt from his party to pursue his candidacy.
As the Obama Administration and Democrats wrangled over healthcare overhaul efforts during the first half of the year, the Democratic Party’s Blue Dog political action committee was receiving more than half of its $1.1 million in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical, healthcare and health insurance industries, according to watchdog organizations.
The amount outstrips contributions to other congressional political action committees during the same period, according to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit watchdog organization. The Blue Dogs, a group of fiscally conservative lawmakers that includes Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop of Albany, successfully delayed the votes on healthcare overhaul proposals until the fall.
A disruption, not a campaign. A miracle, not a plan.
While the May 2010 elections have, indeed, occupied many people's thoughts in the last several months, it seemed for a while that a strange and controversial automation program would be about the only new feature of a traditional process. There was no real talk of reform outside of alternative candidates whom no one gave any chance of winning and, therefore, hardly listened to. It appeared that it would be just another exercise of money politics, the billions of Villar versus the billions of the administration.
“The past is never dead,” author William Faulkner always insisted. “It is not even past.” But are we, as a people, shackled by perpetual amnesia? Is 37 years ago beyond our capacity to remember?
Evening of September 21, in 1972, Ferdinand Marcos told us, without blinking: slavery was the price tag for democracy to survive here. Proclamation 1081 suspended human rights, padlocked Congress, censored the press. He managed to prostitute a number judges and military into service. And 14 years of the “New Society” ( a.k.a. dictatorship ) followed with looting, murder and mayhem.