Sen. Bong Revilla, Strike offer P500,000 reward for tip leading to Ram’s killers

Yahoo Philippines - Sen. Bong Revilla and his brother, Bacoor mayor Strike Revilla are offering a P500,000 reward to anyone who can give any tip or information leading to the killers behind their younger brother Ram Revilla’s brutal death.

This, they revealed in an official statement they issued to the press which says: “The family and loved ones of Ram Revilla deeply mourn his brutal and heinous murder. The entire Revilla family calls on the public to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul . To assist in the immediate resolution of the case, Senator Bong Revilla and Mayor Strike Revilla of Bacoor shall provide a reward of P500,000 for any tip or information that will lead to the immediate capture and conviction of the perpetrators of this dastardly crime. Again, we humbly request the public to pray for justice for Ram.”

Ram was proclaimed dead on arrival at the Paranaque Medical Center past midnight today after an unknown gunman entered their house in BF Homes.

Bong remembers Ram as a good, friendly and helpful young man who would call him Kuya and consult him whenever he had problems.

“He was my late mom’s favorite. My dad (former senator Ramon Revilla) would bring him to the house.”

Bong added that Ram wanted to run for Imus councilor in the next elections. But Bong advised him to wait for awhile so he can be better prepared for the job.

Bong is even proud of his late half-brother’s political lineage on his mother side.

“Ram’s mom, Genelyn Magsaysay, is related to former president Ramon Magsaysay and senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr.,” reveals Bong.

Ram, 22, proved showbiz ran in his veins when he joined ABS-CBN’s “Tonyong Bayawak” and GMA’s “Kamandag.”

His remains lie at the family-owned Angelus Eternal Garden in Imus, Cavite. Interment is on Nov. 2.

13-year-old boy shoots alleged 16-year-old boyfriend, then himself in SM Pampanga

The 13-year-old boy who shot his alleged 16-year-old boyfriend in the head before shooting himself using a caliber .22 pistol inside SM Pampanga yesterday, September 21, was declared brain dead, according to a radio report today.

The family of the 13-year-old boy, whose identity has been withheld because he is a minor, is now contemplating which organs they can donate before authorizing his doctors to unplug the life support system that has kept him alive.

According to a news report by Bandila last night, this is the second incident that someone carrying a gun/pistol was able to enter inside an SM mall.

The management of SM Pampanga, on the other hand, said they did their job of ensuring safety inside the mall but its metal detector failed to uncover the pistol used by the boy in the shooting.

-ABS-CBN NEWS.COM

Protest Planking in Manila

PROTEST PLANKING. A police officer tries to dissuade protesters from carrying on their "planking" by lying prone on the pavement, blocking briefly the traffic at a busy roundabout in Manila, Philippines, Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 to support calls for a nationwide "transport holiday" following unabated oil price increases in the past weeks. The sign at left reads: Transport Strike Against Oil Price Hikes! AP Photo/Bullit Marquez.

CCP Art Exhibit Scandal

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Art Exhibit entitled "Kulo" is now in hot waters after several Catholic groups said that this is irreligious and blasphemous.

As reported by GMA News, Eric Manalang - President of Pro-life Philippines said,

"By Thursday afternoon, we will file a case if they do not stop the exhibit and if they do not also make amends because stopping is not enough. The damage has been done"

According to local news reports, the controversial art exhibit includes images and statues such as:

1. A wooden replica of male genital in front of Jesus Christ image.
2. An image of Christ wherein his eyes had been darkened by ink.
3. Crucifix with condom.
4. Religious pictures beside women underwear models.
5. Seated Christ statue with red ball on His nose and a semi mickey mouse ears.

wallyibong.blogspot.com

Senator Zubiri resigning from post?

Unconfirmed reports abound that Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri will be resigning from his post Wednesday.

Reports say Zubiri will announce his resignation in a privilege speech, 3 pm.

This, amid fresh revelations by Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol of alleged fraud in the 2007 elections.

An administration bet, Zubiri landed the 12th and last spot for the Senate, narrowly defeating opposition bet, lawyer Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.

Pimentel has since contested Zubiri's win and sought but failed to get the high court's restraining order on Zubiri's proclamation.

Zubiri was proclaimed Senator on July 2007 with 11,001,730 votes, a little over Pimentel's 10,983,358.

In a telephone interview, former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. said he is also waiting for Zubiri's announcement.

"I will wait until it happens," Pimentel told Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

Pimentel said should Zubiri abandon his post, he is hoping his son Koko could soon get the post.

"We are hoping it will happen sooner or later," he said, noting that Koko still have less than two years to work in the Senate.

140 people rescued from troubled TransAsia

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard and fishermen have rescued more than 140 people who were on board a passenger ship that dangerously tilted in choppy waters in the central Philippines.

Coast guard chief Admiral Ramon Liwag says the M/V Asia Malaysia left central Cebu region for Iloilo province on an overnight trip when it began to tilt to its right, or starboard side, at dawn Sunday. The cause of the problem was not immediately clear.

Liwag says the captain ordered all passengers and his crewmen to abandon the ship, which was listing about four miles (six kilometers) from its destination.

He says a private ship, fishermen and coast guard personnel later arrived to help in the rescue. A helicopter was checking to see whether there is an oil slick from the ship.

Garci says 'Hello' again.

After shying away from the public's eye for years, controversial poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano on Saturday finally resurfaced and insisted he did not participate in supposed cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.

At a press conference in Bukidnon province shortly before 2 p.m., Garcillano also urged the Filipinos, including the Aquino administration, to just "move on."

Garcillano said he was willing to cooperate with the administration to effect reforms in the election system. But when asked if he could provide information that could help prove there was cheating in the 2004 presidential polls, Garcillano said: "Nasabi ko na lahat ng sasabihin ko. Ano pa makukuha nila sa akin."

Earlier, Malacañang expressed interest in what Garcillano was to say at the Bukidnon press conference.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that while the Palace will withhold comment, it wants to know what the former Comelec official had to say.

Garcillano is a key figure in the “Hello Garci" poll fraud scandal that broke out in 2005.

The scandal involved wiretapped conversations (about rigging of 2004 poll results) between Garcillano and many personalities, including a female voice believed to be that of then President Gloria Arroyo. — LBG, GMA News

Philippines seen to remain No. 3 in global outsourcing

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippines is seen holding on to the third spot in the global offshoring market, with revenue for the year expected to reach $10.7 billion for a 7.4-percent share of the market.

According to Canada-based research firm XMG Global, India will continue to be the world leader, with an estimated global take of $61.5 billion, or 42.5 percent of offshoring revenue in 2011.

China will come in second with a 31.5-percent share of the pie and $45.7 billion in offshoring revenue.

XMG Global forecasts the global offshoring market to hit $144.8 billion this year. Including onshoring, the overall outsourcing market should register $464 billion in revenue, 9.2 percent better than the $425 billion posted a year ago.

According to XMG Global's mid-year report on the global outsourcing market, industry players in the Philippines and India had started to feel the adverse effects of the weak dollar. Both countries were highly dependent on their United States-based clients for their revenues.
"The US economy, which remains to be a large market for offshoring, is still on the road to recovery with a forecasted 2011 (gross domestic product) growth rate of 2.6 percent, slowing down from last year's 2.9 percent," said XMG Global chief analyst Lauro Vives.

Chinese outsourcing service providers, meanwhile, were hardly swayed, as most of them relied more on East Asian clients such as Korea and Japan. Even the Japan crisis had little effect on China's outsourcing revenue, despite the temporary halt in the implementation of some outsourcing contracts from Japan.

"The disaster may, in fact, open more opportunities, as Japanese companies consider increasing offshoring contracts for non-core operations to reduce business risk," XMG Global said.
According to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines' Road Map 2011-2016, revenues from information technology and business process outsourcing in the country could hit at least $20 billion by 2016 and even as high as $25 billion with stronger public-private partnership.

A $20-billion industry could provide employment to as many as 900,000 individuals. A $25-billion industry, on the other hand, could give jobs to as many as 1.3 million people.

12 year old girl with HIV

A 12–year-old girl from this city has become the youngest person to become infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through sexual intercourse, a city health official said.

Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, City Health Office (CHO) chief, said the girl is the youngest since the city started monitoring HIV cases in 1993.

"Naay mga bata na karon na naga-engage na sa sex at a very young age (There are children now who engage in sex at a very young age)," Villafuerte said.

She said 22 new cases of persons living with HIV, 21 of them are males, have been recorded between January and March this year. The new cases have brought the number of persons living with HIV in the city to 140.

Villafuerte said 39 new cases have been recorded in the city in the whole of 2010.

Although the figure shows that HIV is prevalent among men, Villafuerte said it is not yet conclusive that the highest incidence in the city is indeed men having sex with men.

HIV is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids). Aids is the late stage of the chronic disease, which is caused by HIV infection.

"Even if they are positive with HIV, there is still hope. There are free medicines we can provide for them," Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte said HIV must not be associated with death since there are advancements, which can now prolong the lives of persons living with HIV.

Less than 20 people have died of HIV infection in the Davao City since 1993, she said. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on July 18, 2011.

Sad state of Manila Zoo

Amid calls to improve the facilities at the country’s capital zoo, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have renewed its appeal to close down Manila zoo and let the animals live in their natural habitat.

“Improvements are never going to replace natural habitat. There is no such thing as a good zoo,” Rochelle Regodon, PETA Asia-Pacific campaigns manager told Yahoo! Southeast Asia in a phone interview.

Regodon said it would be better to “lock up the zoo and stop bringing in animals.”

Photos of wounded, unhealthy, and emaciated animals in Manila zoo have been making rounds in the Internet and have fueled calls to improve the decades-old tourist destination. Manila zoo is also among the trending topics for the Philippines in micro-blogging site Twitter.

Regodon cited the case of the elephant “Mafi,” a Manila zoo attraction for 30 years now.

“It’s not his natural habitat. He’s in a small cemented area. We already contacted a sanctuary in the U.S. and they agreed to take her in,” Regodon said. However, local authorities refused to heed their calls.

“We wouldn’t impose the expenses [of the transfer] to the Manila government. We will find ways to make it happen,” she added.

Regodon also laments the case of “Sisi,” an orangutan who lived in Manila zoo since 1981 and died there two years ago.

Sisi had to bear living in a “tiny, litter-filled concrete-and-steel enclosure” and was “continually on display in a cage that was surrounded by noisy souvenir stands and food vendors,” PETA said in one of its petitions.

Regodon said locking up animals also defeats the purpose of creating zoos to educate kids.

“What should we be educating children? There is no educational value in keeping animals in a zoo,” said Regodon noting that students can still learn about animals through books and the Internet.

YAHOO PH

Meanwhile, the Malacanang on Thursday said it shares the concern expressed by the public and that they have alerted the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

“As a response, the BAI, through the Committee on Animal Welfare, said that it continuously engages in a comprehensive discussion with the animal advocates, particularly on the condition of Mali the elephant and other animals in the zoo,”

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also urged concerned citizens to help restore the Manila zoo.

“It is noteworthy that concerned citizens have expressed the willingness to assist in any way they can, to help the Manila Zoo improve its facilities and raise its standards. We are encouraged by this demonstration of public spirit on the part of our fellow citizens,” said Lacierda.

He said that those who want to help raise funds to restore the Manila Zoo can call 468-9498 and 383-6862.

There is also a signature campaign via petition site change.org.

Mga babae ni Pangulong Aquino

Clockwise: Grace Lee, Liz Uy, Patricia Ann, Barbie Paragos, Shalani Soledad, at Bunny Calica.

Maliban siguro sa kung papaano niya pinapatakbo ang gobyerno at lulutasin ang problema ng kahirapan sa bansa, ang love life ni Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III ang isang bagay na tinutukan ng publiko nang husto sa unang taon niya sa Palasyo.

Bakit nga ba sa mga babaeng naugnay sa kanya ay nananatiling binata ang ating 51-anyos na pangulo?

Para malaman ang kasagutan, ilang taong malapit kay Aquino ang tinanong ng GMA News Online. Pero dahil ilang beses nang nakiusap ang kauna-unahang binatang pangulo na ibalato na lang sa kanya ang kanyang privacy – lalo ang kanyang love life – nakiusap rin ang mga taong nakapanayam natin na huwag nang banggitin ang kanilang pangalan dahil sa pare-parehong pabirong katwiran na, “mayayari ako kay Presidente."

Sa magkakahiwalay na panayam, nagkakaisa sila sa paglalarawan kay Aquino na gentleman sa mga babae, hindi nagsasabay-sabay ng girlfriend, at higit sa lahat – hindi kiss and tell.

“Wala kang maririnig na kuwento sa kanya tungkol sa ex [girlfriend] niya," ayon sa isang aide ni Aquino. “Hindi makuwento ‘yan tungkol sa girlfriend niya. Kapag ayaw niyang pag-usapan yung ex (gf) niya, ibig sabihin may hindi maganda siyang nakita dun."

Kung anong bilis daw na mabighani sa babae ang presidente, siya rin daw bilis na tabangan ito kapag may nakitang hindi niya gusto sa babae.

Marahil isa raw ito sa mga dahilan kaya hanggang ngayon ay nananatiling binata si Aquino, ayon naman sa isang kaibigang pulitiko ng pangulo.

Hindi matukoy ng pulitiko kung ano ang mga partikular na bagay na ayaw ni Aquino sa babae, pero napapansin daw nila ito kahit noong kongresista pa lamang ang pangulo. May mga babae raw na kinikilala ng pangulo at inaayang lumabas pero hindi naman nito tuluyang liligawan.

“May standard siya sa babae na tinitingnan, at mukhang mataas," anang pulitiko. “ Siguro sa ugali rin ng babae. Kapag may nakita siya na hindi niya gusto hindi siya magta-take ng risk na makasama yung babae for the rest of his life."

Ayon naman sa ilang mamamahayag na naging malapit kay Aquino, isa marahil sa mga dahilan kung bakit binata pa rin ang pangulo ay ang biglaang pagpanaw ng ama nito na si dating Senador Ninoy Aquino. Bente-tres anyos pa lang si Noynoy nang mapaslang ang kanyang ama noong 1983.

Mula nang mawala ang ama, si Aquino na ang nagsilbing tagapangalaga sa kanyang apat na kapatid na babae na sina Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, at Kris, at sa kanilang ina na si dating Pangulong Cory Aquino.

Nang makapag-asawa na ang lahat ng mga kapatid, siya ang naiwang kasama ng kanilang ina sa bahay nila sa Times Street sa Quezon City.

Bukod sa pagiging pihikan sa babae at mapagmahal sa kanyang pamilya, may isa pang nakikitang dahilan mga kaibigan ni Aquino kaya atubili itong mag-asawa – “trauma" sa karanasan ng mga kaibigang may-asawa na.

“Magandang ‘pases’ si ‘Noy," ayon sa isang kaibigan ng pangulo na nakapuwesto ngayon sa isang ahensiya ng gobyerno. “Kapag may gigimik na kaibigan at magdadahilan sa asawa na gagabihin o uumagahin, ang gagamiting alibi, kasama nila si ‘Noy."

Panatag umano ang mga asawa ng mga ni Aquino dahil wala itong bisyo at hindi mahilig sa mga night club, na malayo sa imahe ng mga pulitiko. Kapag nasa “gimikan" na kadalasan mga may tumutugtog na banda o kaya nama’y restaurant, paninigarilyo at pag-inom lang ng soft drinks ang ginagawa nito.

“Minsan may nasabi si presidente na parang mahirap ang may asawa na naghihintay sa ’yo pag-uwi. Kapag dumating ka ng alanganing oras, kailangan ipaliwanag mo bakit ka ganung oras umuwi," ayon naman sa isang mamamahayag na nakasama ni Aquino noong kongresista pa ito.

Pero kahit tila atubiling mag-asawa, sinabi ng mga nakausap ng GMA News Online na kilalang matuwain sa bata ang pangulo, lalo na sa kanyang mga pamangkin. Katunayan, halos sa poder ni Aquino lumaki ang pamangkin nitong si Joshua, anak ni Kris.

Type ni PNoy

Ano nga ba ang tipo ng babae na magpapatibok sa puso ng pangulo?Magmula noong kampanya ng May 2010 presidential elections, pitong babae na ang naugnay kay Aquino.

Matapos ang break-up nila noong Oktubre 2010 ni Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad na mahigit isang taon niyang naging girlfriend, naugnay ang pangulo sa isang Barbie Paragos na nakunan kasama siya sa isang restaurant.

Napaulat din na naka-date ni Aquino ang kanyang dating stylist na si Liz Uy, ganoon din ang stock broker na si Len Lopez.

Nagkaroon din ng ingay ang tungkol sa isang Singaporean reporter na inimbitahan umano ni Aquino na pumasyal sa Malacanang.

Kahit ang TV5 reporter na si Patricia Ann Roque, 22 anyos at pinakabata sa lahat ng mga babae, ay na-tsismis din sa pangulo. Pero mabilis din naman itong namatay matapos kapwa nila sabihin na hindi pa nila nakikita ang isa’t isa.

Ang pinakahuli at sinasabing nakapunta na sa Bahay Pangarap na tinutuluyan ngayon ni Aquino ay ang 27-anyos na titser na si Bunny Calica.Una silang napag-usapan nang manood ng concert ng bandang Hotdog. Sa isang ulat, mismong si Kris ang nagkuwento tungkol sa ginawang pagdalaw ni Bunny sa Bahay Pangarap kung saan ipinakilala ng pangulo ang kanyang mga pamangkin na sina Joshua at Bimbi – mga anak ni Kris.

Sinabi ng isang taga-Malacanang na patuloy ang “friendly dates" nina Aquino at Bunny. “Si Presidente na rin naman ang nagsabi na pwede rin namang mag-date ang magkaibigan," paliwanag niya.

Sa isang panayam noon sa kapatid ni Aquino na si Ballsy, nakangiting ikinuwento nito na napuna nila na kung noon ay nalalapit sa mga ka-edad ni Kris ang mga nauugnay na babae sa pangulo, sumunod naman ay nalalapit na sa edad ng kanyang mga pamangkin.

Ayon sa isang local government official na kaibigan ni Aquino, napapansin nila na mahilig ang pangulo sa mga maputi at simpleng babae.“Si Presidente Cory, simpleng may-bahay. Parang ganun yung babae na hinahanap siguro ni Presidente (Aquino). Kahit nga si Presidente simple rin lang. Kaya kapag medyo may pagkamaarte yung babae at nagpapansin sa ibang tao, parang nate-turn-off yata siya," paliwanag ng opisyal.Dagdag pa ng lokal na opisyal, bukod sa maputi ang balat, malakas din umano ang dating kay Aquino ng mga babae na matalino, at mahusay makinig at magsalita. Ito raw marahil ang isang dahilan kaya malakas ang dating ng mga babae kay Aquino na nasa media.Sa inagurasyon ng isang coal power plant sa Cebu nito lang Hunyo 27, tila isa na namang taga-broadcast media ang nakabighani sa pangulo. Hindi nakaligtas kay Aquino ang kagandahan ng Kapuso host na si Grace Lee, na tumayong emcee sa naturang pagtitipon.

“Kaya pag inimbita ho ako sa Cebu, hindi ho talaga mahirap maimbita rito. Pati ang bisita nating si Miss Grace Lee, ‘kala ko tuloy Pinay e. Hindi nga pala, Korean. Pero pati yung mga Korean na dumarating talagang gwapa lahat" sambit ni Aquino.

Gimik nga lang ba?

Sa 75th anniversary ng Department of Budget and Management kamakailan na dinaluhan ni Aquino, ikinuwento nito sa kanyang talumpati ang ginawang paraan ni Sec. Florencio “Butch" Abad para mapag-usapan siya sa media noong una siyang tumakbong senador.

Si Abad ang nagsilbing campaign manager ni Aquino sa senatorial elections noong 2007 at presidential elections noong Mayo 2010.

“Noong araw, noong tayo’y nasa oposisyon at walang pera, nag-isip siya ng paraan, paano ba ako ipakikilala sa taumbayan? So ang ginawa po niya, mayroon pong isang sikat na artistang mang-aawit, at awa ng Diyos po ay naging laman kami ng mga ilang tabloid at diyaryo na hindi bababa ng walong buwan," kuwento ni Aquino.

“Ako po’y nagtataka, dahil minsan ko lang ho nakilala sa buong buhay ko itong tinutukoy na singer, at kinalabasan lahat raw ho ng concert pinanood ko, parang nagkakaigihan kami. Basta, walong buwan ho tumatakbo iyan, at ako’y nagtataka na talaga, paano pahahabain ang istorya na walang laman?" patuloy niya.

Dumating pa umano ang pakulo sa punto na may nagpapadala ng bulaklak sa singer at natatanggap naman. Ang lahat ay nangyari umano nang hindi alam ng pangulo.

Sa husay daw ni Abad na gumawa ng “fiction," natatawang sinabi ni Aquino na dapat naging manunulat ang kanyang kaibigang kalihim.

Wedding in the Palace?

Sa kabila ng ilang ulit niyang pakiusap sa media na bigyan ng privacy ang kanyang lovelife, ilang beses din naman niyang isinisingit sa kanyang mga talumpati ang kanyang pag-asam na makahanap ng magiging asawa.

Pinakahuli na rito ay ang pagbisita niya sa Cebu kung saan inilahad niya ang planong gamitin ang palasyo sa Cebu para maging madalas ang punta niya sa lalawigan. “Kailangan yatang buhayin ang Malacanang [sa] Sugbu. Baka dito na rin tayo magkatuluyan," ayon kay PNoy.

Kunsabagay, maging si Bunny na ipinakilala na niya sa kanyang mga pamangkin na sina Joshua at Bimbi ay tubong Cebu rin.

Sa isa pang pagtitipon, nabanggit din ng pangulo ang kanyang pag-asam na makapag-asawa bago matapos ang kanyang termino sa 2016, kaya naman marami rin ang naghihintay kung may magaganap nga kayang kasalan sa Palasyo sa unang pagkakataon.

Pero mukhang matatagalan pa ito. Ilang ulit na nag-text ang GMA News Online kay Aquino para makahingi ng update tungkol sa kanyang love life, partikular sa takbo ng kanilang “pagkakaibigan" ni Bunny, pero hindi ito sumasagot.

Gayunman, sinagot ng pangulo ang mala-Facebook na tanong tungkol sa kanyang “status" kung siya ba’y “single" or “in a relationship" sa ngayon.Maigsi pero malinaw ang naging sagot ng binatang pangulo: “SINGLE." - YA, GMA News

6.2-magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines Negros Islands

At least three predawn quakes, with the most powerful measuing magnitude-6.2, jolted the Negros area in Western Visayas, with the quake felt as far as Central Visayas and Mindanao.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology director Renato Solidum Jr. said the quake was recorded at 4:47 a.m. even as Phivolcs warned of possible aftershocks.

"Most likely siguro dapat disaster manager ng iba't ibang bayan tingnan mabuti. (Pero) kung Intensity V walang damage. Kung Intensity VI ang report baka may damage (Most likely, disaster managers of the areas concerned should conduct inspections. If the most powerful felt is Intensity V, there is not likely to be damage. But if the intensity is Intensity VI, that's the time there will likely be damage)," Solidum said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Solidum said a magnitude-6.2 quake is considered "moderately strong."

He also reminded residents to be always prepared since there is no way of telling when a powerful quake will hit.

"The approach is always to be prepared. We must review our preparedness measures and know how to respond. We do not know when a powerful quake will hit," he said in Filipino.

The United States Geological Survey initially measured the first quake at magnitude 6.4.

It said the epicenter was 126 km west northwest of Dumaguete; 135 km south southwest of Iloilo, Panay; 151 km south southwest of Bacolod; or 576 km south southeast of Manila.

3 quakes

For its part, Phivolcs said the first quake was felt at 4:47 a.m., with the epicenter at 93 km southwest of Dumaguete City.

It was felt at:

• Intensity V: Sipalay City, Negros Occidental
• Intensity IV: Oton, Iloilo; Dumaguete City; Binalbagan and Hinigaran; Sibulan
• Intensity III: San Jose, Antique; Dapitan City; Talisay City, Negros Occidental
• Intensity II: Cagayan de Oro City; Dipolog City; La Carlota City, Negros Occidental and
• Intensity I: La Castellana, Negros Occidental

While no damage was expected, Phivolcs warned of possible aftershocks.

Phivolcs also recorded at least two more quakes after the 4:47 a.m. quake.

The first measuring magnitude 5.5 was recorded at 5:03 a.m., while the second measuring magnitude 5.7 was recorded at 5:05 a.m.

Both were at 112 km southwest of Dumaguete City, Phivolcs said.

However, the USGS measured the second quake at magnitude 5.1 and the third at magnitude 4.9.

Intensity scale

In its intensity scale, Phivolcs describes an Intensity V quake as "strong."

An Intensity V quake is "generally felt by most people indoors and outdoors" while many sleeping people are awakened.

"Some are frightened, some run outdoors. Strong shaking and rocking felt throughout building. Hanging objects swing violently. Dining utensils clatter and clink; some are broken. Small, light and unstable objects may fall or overturn. Liquids spill from filled open containers. Standing vehicles rock noticeably. Shaking of leaves and twigs of trees are noticeable," it said.

An Intensity IV quake is "moderately strong," felt generally by people indoors and by some people outdoors.

"Light sleepers are awakened. Vibration is felt like a passing of heavy truck. Hanging objects swing considerably. Dinner, plates, glasses, windows and doors rattle. Floors and walls of wood framed buildings creak. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Liquids in containers are slightly disturbed. Water in containers oscillate strongly. Rumbling sound may sometimes be heard," it said.

An Intensity III quake is "weak," felt by many people indoors especially in upper floors of buildings.

An Intensity II quake is "Slightly felt," felt by few individuals at rest indoors. — RSJ, GMA News

Five earthquakes recorded in Negros Occidental

At least five earthquakes have been recorded in Negros Occidental Monday, the strongest one at a 5.2-magnitude.

In a bulletin issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), it said four quakes were recorded in Cauayan and Bago City, Negros Occidental.

The first quake was recorded at 12:24 am, with a magnitude of 3.6 in Bago City; followed by a 5.2-magnitude at 12:43 am in Cauayan; a 4.8-magnitude quake at 1:40 am still in Cauayan; another at 5:40 am with a 2.8-magnitude.

The most recent quake was recorded West of Cauayan 10:10 am, with a magnitude of 3.5.

“These are small magnitude events that did not lead to any damage,” said Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum.

Solidum said it is not unusual to record several earthquakes in an area in a day.

“This is a swarm of small earthquakes, but we are not discounting the possibility of having stronger earthquakes,” Solidum added, noting that the quakes are not connected to the recent shakes in Japan.

Solidum also advised the public to stay alert for possible aftershocks.

“They should always be prepared,” he said.

---Yahoo Ph

Telcos agree' to NTC initiative lowering costs of calls, text messages

GMA News

In a rare occasion, the Philippines' Top 3 telecommunications firms have agreed to lower SMS and call access charges as spelled out in the proposal by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In a hearing at the NTC on Monday, Globe Telecom Inc., Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) did not reject the proposal, but expressed reservations on the proposed lowering of interconnection charges.

Interconnection charges are the on calls or text messages outside the subscribers own network as in Globe to Smart or the other way around. The fee is part and parcel of the cost of calls or text messages charged against the subscriber’s account, be it prepaid or postpaid.

The existing interconnection charge for SMS is P0.35 for each text message, while the charge for calls is at P4 per minute.

The NTC proposes to lower the SMS access charge to P0.35 on a staggered basis until it reaches P0.15 after three years.

The access charge for calls will also be reduced to as low as P1 three years after the NTC’s draft memorandum circular is implemented.

In coming out with the proposed rates, the NTC cited the cases of neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region, where charges for calls only cost around P1.24 to P1.30 per minute.

Yes, but...

Globe, for its part, asked for a six-month reprieve before full implementation of the new rule.
"Globe has for so many years prepared for this eventuality," said Froilan Castelo, SVP of Globe's corporate legal services group, in an interview on GMA News' "Balitanghali."

"What we're just saying to the regulator is that they just have to cushion the impact on the telcos, because we will experience a huge revenue hit," he added.

Smart did not readily agree to the draft memo, but asked the commission to reconsider the proposed rates on interconnection charges.

"You cannot just compare directly through benchmarking (with other countries) without considering the total picture of what's happening in the local telco industry," said Alfred Carrera, PLDT's first vice president for regulatory and telecom industry relations.

Digitel, on the other hand, supported the proposal but asked the regulator to lower the access charges for international calls as well.

"We just have to make sure that proper safeguards are in place," said William Pamintuan, Digitel SVP for legal and inter-carrier services. "[This is] so that the other sources of revenue of telcos may not be affected."

Good for telcos

In an earlier report, Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said that contrary to the telcos' fears, the new rates will in fact be beneficial to services providers.

“The thing here is, if you lower [the charges], people will use [their cellphones] more. I don’t think it will affect [business] because people will just call and text… more," Henares said.

However, consumer group TXTM8 Consumer Group Tayo Inc. (TxtMate), did not believe the three telcos' unified stance on the matter.

"We're skeptical because, as history will show, there's always opposition, and there's always delay," said TxtMate president Mars Veloso.

The NTC is giving the telcos and consumer groups until July 11 for filing their respective position papers.

A clarificatory hearing will be set after July 11 before the draft memo is made final after which the NTC believes the proposed memorandum will be implemented — by the end of July or early

Expect more hacks on PHL gov't websites -Kaspersky Labs

The recent cyber-attack on the website of Vice President Jejomar Binay may just be the tip of the iceberg —the first of more attacks on Philippine government websites, a computer security firm cautioned over the weekend.

Kaspersky Lab Global Research and Analysis Team Director Costin Raiu said that the Philippine government must implement a defense strategy against attacks, and conduct security audits on servers to find vulnerabilities.

"Given the past incidents of this kind, it is expected that the attack will consist of a DDoS flood designed to bring down the server and make it unreachable. It’s possible the confidential information will be sought after, so the defense strategies would be multiple," Raiu said.

A DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack involves overwhelming a target website with visits from different sources until the site crashes.

Raiu said it is important to have an anti-DDoS plan, which may involve increasing the Internet bandwidth to subscribing to a specific anti-DDoS service plan.

Also, he said that once vulnerabilities are found, the websites' servers must go offline temporarily to reduce damage.

"Past logs should be analyzed for previous probes which could have uncovered bugs than can now be exploited," he added.

Contingency plans
Raiu also called for contingency plans in case attacks still get through.

"Of course, a highly sophisticated targeted attack will always succeed--this is why there should be mitigation steps as well as disaster recovery procedures —such as backups, server replacement/relocation and redundancy," Raui said.

He pointed out that any attack on a government website is a message of disrespect, showing people that they are not protected by their society's leaders.

Raiu said that other than the OVP site, other government websites recently attacked by hackers include those of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Last year, the websites of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) were also hacked.

Similar attacks on Malaysia's government websites were done by a group of hackers, Kaspersky noted. — TJD, GMA News

Two Filipinos competing in 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Two Filipinos made it to the Top 20 in "So You Think You Can Dance? Season 8", an American dance competition and TV reality show. They are Marko Germar and Tadd Gadduang.

Tadd Gadduang

Tadd Gadduang, is a 25-year old dancer from Salt Lake City, Utah. He began to dance at age 15 as a hobby, but eventually realized his passion for it after graduating from high school. Since he had no formal dance training like Marko, Tadd considers what he does "urban dancing." He is currently a second-year college student taking up Psychology. He learned Filipino Martial Art of Kali at the age of 6.

Marko Gemar

Meanwhile, Marko Gemar, 22 years old, works as a dancer in Disneyland US and is an expert on Jazz. He is fondly called by his family "Kimboy" - which obviously is a very Filipino trait (lol). He trained since he was 10 at a dance studio where he learned Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip-Hop, Ballroom and Gymnastics. Prior to the training, Marko already learned street Hip-Hop at the age of 7.

Noypistuff.Blogspot.Com

Goodbye Friendster!

My last log-in on Iphone...may isang viewer pa.. lolz

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

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

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

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

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

For those who want to keep a copy of past profiles and photos, simply visit Friendster’s help page and use the Friendster Exporter app to perform the backup. The Exporter covers friend lists, profile information, blogs, comments, photos, messages and testimonials, and groups.
Friendster will only wipe out the contents of your profile, but your profile will remain as part of Friendster’s new, future site—that is, if you’re still interested.

inquirer.net

President Benigno Aquino III has dissolved the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT)

President Benigno Aquino III has dissolved the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), the agency tasked to develop the country's ICT policies. Aquino also abolished the positions of the CICT chairman and commissioners.

The Executive Order, reorganizing the agency into the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) was issued June 23, just two days after the appointment of Oliver Chato as CICT Commissioner.

EO 47 transferred the ICTO to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Its new head will be an executive director with the rank of undersecretary.

Aquino also ordered the transfer of the National Computer Center and the Telecommunications Office, two of CICT's attached agencies, to the DOST. These two offices will "form part of the internal structure of the ICTO."

However, the President retained the National Telecommunications Office and the Philippine Postal Corporation under the Office of the President.

Quick change
Through EO 47, Aquino ordered the DOST to prepare a medium-term development plan for ICT research and development, and its linkages to the ICT industry, and a medium-term e-governance infrastructure and information systems plan.

But it was also only last Wednesday when the CICT unveiled its Philippine Digital Strategy for 2011 to 2016, supposedly the country's ICT roadmap for the next five years. The new EO came just as the country ended its celebration on June 30 of National ICT Month.

Sec. Ivan John Uy, who was CICT chairman, has declined to issue a comment for now, saying: "We would have to study the executive order first."

Last June 21, Aquino named Oliver Chato, son of Camarines Norte Rep. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, as new commissioner of the CICT. The elder Chato, a former commissioner at the Bureau of Internal Revenue, is a member of Aquino's Liberal Party.

Aquino appointed the new commissioner and then abolished the post 48 hours later.
Created by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through E.O. 269, the CICT was tasked to manage, coordinate and implement ICT-related plans of the government. It was also established to harmonize the country's ICT agenda.

Surprised
In an interview with GMA News Online, George Kintanar, president of the CIO Forum, an organization of government CIOs, said that they "were surprised" by the administrartion's move.

"We just learned about it today. We would like to review our strategy and see how we can move this forward," Kintanar said.

Whatever policy will be implemented by "people from the top," the group would follow obediently, he added.

He also clarified that Aquino's latest move is not detrimental to the group's continuing advocacy towards the creation of a Department of ICT (DICT).

"Whatever will be the decision of Congress will be followed, so if they decide to pass the DICT bill, then the department will be created," he explained.

The DICT bill, Kintanar said, has already passed the committee level in the House of Representatives, and is well on its way to first reading.

Making way for DICT?
In a Facebook post, former CICT commissioner Damian "Dondi" Mapa said that the commission's transfer under the DOST is a mere renaming, "maybe even a sidestep towards the eventual coming of the DICT."

Mapa said that there are some advantages to being a part of a line agency, as this could pave the way for the creation of a Cabinet department.

"Based on the EO, there will be a plan to rationalize the staffing of the ICTO. Hopefully, this is carried out quickly which will then make it easier to transition the ICTO into a DICT, which is envisioned to also be a line department," Mapa told GMA News Online via Facebook.

Not a priority
Despite rampant calls by industry groups and legislators for the creation of a DICT, Malacañang was clear on its stance: the DICT is not a priority.

"The creation of a separate department would escalate the cost, the administrative cost of performing that function… We are not in a position to bear the higher level of administrative cost of creating a separate department," Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in an earlier interview.

Aquino, during the 2010 presidential campaign, was lukewarm to the creation of new agencies, saying that an office to manage ICT would be more of a "support mechanism, as opposed to line agencies."

Coloma said that while the government recognizes the importance of an overseeing body for ICT, Coloma said the CICT would be enough for that function for now.

"For now we are just focusing on the need for the CICT operating as an office under the Office of the President to perform its mandate," he said.

PNoy's move 'a pity'
In an e-mail interview with GMA News Online, Lito Averia of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT) lamented the administration's decision to transfer the CICT to DOST.

"It's a pity, and the official announcement coming right at the heels of CICT’s launching of the Philippine Digital Strategy," Averia pointed out.

Averia, who had worked closely with Uy when the latter was still the CIO of the Supreme Court, revealed that the chairman knew of the commission's fate for several months now, and was aware that the eventual abolition of the CICT "was inevitable."

He added that in the last COMSTE (Congressional Commission on Science and Technology) Sen. Edgardo Angara and Rep. Freddie Tinga, who hosted the meeting, threw their support behind the creation of a DICT.

"Sadly, in the same meeting, the DOST expressed that it is not supportive of the initiatives to create the DICT, echoing the sentiments of the current administration," he said.

Averia added that a quick read of the new functions stipulated in the EO "reduces the CICT...to a support function. Very little is said about market development and promotions."

"It has to be noted that IT [or ICT] no longer performs just a support function, rather it is now in the forefront of economic development in the country," he stressed. "ICT and ICT-enabled companies have grown large and continues to grow and generate revenues for the country."

Other countries already have their own ICT departments, and foreign investors have been looking for such a counterpart in the Philippines, Averia said.

"We can only hope that the CICT focus will not be watered down now that it is under DOST," he added. — ELR/TJD/VS, GMA News

Bills seeks maternity leave for unmarried pregnant gov't workers.

By Marjorie Gorospe

A measure filed in Congress seeks to grant maternity leaves to unmarried pregnant government employees.

House Bill 4684, principally authored by General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (Gabriela) Representative Emmi De Jesus, states that women in government service should be given the maternity leave regardless of marital status.

De Jesus stressed that the government should recognize the important role of women in society and it is the state’s obligation to protect working women as specifically stated in the Article III, Section 14 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

This, however, is not yet fully recognized by the government as present legislation is still discriminatory to women, said De Jesus, who is also the vice chair of the House Committee on Population and Family Relations.

De Jesus further reiterated that the present law also violates the equal protection principle under Philippine laws.

Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, A co-author of the bill, added that the present law on maternity leave deprives both the unmarried woman and the unborn child of the protection they are entitled to.

Maternity leave benefits are being given to pregnant women in the private sector regardless of marital status in accordance to RA 8282 or the Social Security System Act.
Women’s groups are also supporting the granting of maternity leaves to unmarried pregnant workers in government.

Where are the presidentiables now?

Presidential candidates for the May 10, 2010 national elections, from left, Benigno Aquino III, John Carlos de los Reyes, Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas, Gilbert Teodoro, Eddie Villanueva, Manuel Villar link arms at the conclusion of the first-ever Philippine Daily Inquirer-sponsored Presidential Debate on Feb. 8, 2010 at the University of the Philippines campus at Manila's Quezon City. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

A year has passed since President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was officially sworn in as the 15th President, besting eight other candidates with 15, 208, 678 votes.
If Aquino wasn't your bet, have you ever wondered whatever happened to the other candidates? Well, read on.

Joseph Estrada
The ousted President tried but failed to get another shot at the presidency. Nonetheless, he was able to prove he still has a lot of supporters—he came in second with over nine million votes.

Now, you would see Estrada gracing various events, visiting and giving goods to poor families.

Apart from all these, he's engaged in a new venture.

"I'm now busy going back to some things [I did] when I was a movie actor," Estrada told Yahoo! Southeast Asia in a phone interview.

No, a new movie isn't in the works. "I'm retired," he said. "I'm into build-and-sell construction, pero small time lang."

And when asked how he would rate his ex-opponent Aquino's first year performance, Estrada was quick to say: "No comment."

Nicanor Perlas
Virtually anonymous, Nicanor Perlas braved the daunting odds and went through a national campaign sans the political experience, money, and popularity.

Although he got less than a percent of the total number of votes, Perlas (who called himself the "Black Swan") did not lose hope.

"During the elections, I promised that I would continue advancing the agenda that I articulated during the presidential campaign. Together with others, that is exactly what I have been doing," Perlas said in an email interview.

Perlas said he and his friends were able to establish the Movement of Imaginals for Sustainable Societies Through Initiatives, Organizing, and Networking (MISSION), a non-partisan group aiming for various initiatives for the betterment of society.

Now, if Perlas would rate Aquino, he said the chief executive pretty much lacks presidential work ethic.

"With his tremendous political capital, Aquino could have really turned around the hope of this country already within the year, at least in terms of expectations and concrete achievements," Perlas said.

"If Noynoy is more open to constructive advice from his colleagues and others, there is enough time for him to make a turnaround. Otherwise, he will not only damage or ruin his reputation and that of his parents, but he will also bring this country into deepening crisis," he added.

Manuel Villar
This Nacionalista Party bet was (surprisingly) the first to concede to Aquino.

But before admitting defeat, he was the strong, worthy opponent; he had unforgettable campaign jingles ("Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?") and was ahead in the surveys early on. Add to that his unexpected "support" from no other than Aquino's nephew, Baby James.

But apparently, the presidency is not his destiny.

Now he has been quietly continuing his term at the Senate and heads the Committees on Economic Affairs and Trade and Commerce. Apart from Senate tasks, Villar is busy with his 'Sagip OFW' and various other foundations, according to his media relations officer.

When asked about Aquino's first year performance, Villar's camp said the Senator "would rather not comment."

Richard Gordon
He lagged behind surveys and he didn't care at all. Instead, Gordon pushed through with a no-nonsense campaign that eventually gave him over half a million votes.

Gordon lost but has since moved on and is now juggling TV and radio hosting jobs in TV5. The feisty ex-senator still heads Philippine National Red Cross.

Gordon refused to rate Aquino's first year as President, lest he might appear "spiteful." But, in a phone interview, Gordon had this to say: "Everybody needs help in this country, especially him. He is popular but he's going down. All across the board we are behind, dapat mabilis tayo [we should move fast]."

JC Delos Reyes
Ang Kapatiran candidate JC Delos Reyes's campaign was hinged on a new look at politics, one that is from the traditional political wooing.

But the country appeared unready for the transformational politics he was pushing and this brought Delos Reyes to the bottom of the poll results. Now, he is making up for the time politics took away.

"I lost so much time attending to my family. Now, this is my time. I'm just an ordinary guy trying to attending to my business," Delos Reyes said in a phone interview.

His heart is still on public service though and he's currently building a church in Makati, through his brick manufacturing business. He is also part of the Intramuros Tourism council.

And if Delos Reyes would rate Aquino, he would give him a "failing grade."

"I would rate him just as the ordinary man in the street. I'll give him a failing grade. Not much substantial reform," he said. "He does unnecessary bickering when he could take note of it and solve the problem. There's favoritism in the Cabinet, there's much blaming on the past admin. I would rather [that] he [exercise] quiet diligence and just prosecute."

Gilberto Teodoro
Looks and wits failed to bring him to power, thanks to an endorsement by former and highly unpopular president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Despite having the best credentials, Teodoro lost his presidential bid to his second cousin, Noynoy.

He underwent a gallbladder operation weeks after the election.

According to his camp, he's now on vacation in the U.S., living the life of a private citizen. He's also busy with his business ventures.

Today, several social networking groups continue to clamor for his 2013 Senate candidacy.
(Related story: "This pilot wants to fly high")

Maria Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal
The only lady candidate in the 2010 polls, Madrigal hoped to be the country's next "truly elected Filipina president."

'Girl power' did not do well and she only got some 46,000 votes, a far number from the time she won as Senator in the 2004 polls. Her Senate term ended last year.

Although Madrigal is now out of the limelight, she continues some of her advocacies.

"I continue my advocacies for women, childen and the environment. We are studying and exploring new socio-economic models for social welfare and development to redound to wealth creation for all levels of society," Madrigal said in a statement sent to Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

Madrigal also refused to judge Aquino's first year and instead called for unity.

"What the country needs now is a united effort for the collective good," she said.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva
Evangelist Eddie Villanueva sought presidency with a platform on fear of God and love for country. Although he's no politician, Villanueva isn't new to politics with a 2004 presidential polls experience.

Villanueva lost his second bid for the presidency but he says this did not deter him from pushing his advocacies.

"It was not life as usual after the elections as I became even more passionate about my personal crusades and advocacies. The passion doubled," Villanueva said in an email interview.

"During the campaign period, I saw more of our fellow Filipinos living in abject poverty. After the elections, even without a title in the government, I worked doubly hard to help the poor improve their situation," said Villanueva, noting that he has further strengthened Jesus is Lord Church, which now has chapters in 45 countries across the world.

Meanwhile, he only has good things to say about his former opponent.

"President Aquino has shown his firmness as a leader. He knows the policies he wanted and he exercises strong leadership to make sure his policies are implemented," said Villanueva, as he cited Aquino's firm stand on the postponement of the barangay elections.

"With a good start and hopefully a good ending, we need to support President Aquino for his administration to succeed," he added.