Realities and Realizations

MQAPC Joins PACSA 32nd Annual National Convention and Seminar-Workshop

2012-01-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

Upholding MQAPC’s core values: integrity, service and excellence, MQAPC’s administrators (Dr. Elena D. Cuvin, College President and Engr. Benjamin Moronia, Jr., College Secretary), campus advisers (Mr. Gerard Gaza, OSA Head and Mrs. Myraine Carluen-Policarpio, MQAPC Scribes Publication Adviser), and student leaders (Desiree Ignacio and Franz Paolo Camargo, SG President and Vice-President respectively, and Robby Camacho, MQAPC Scribes Editor-in-Chief) were the delegates in this annual convention for both campus advisers and student leaders.

The said Philippine Association of Campus Student Advisers (PACSA) 32nd Annual National Convention and a Seminar-Workshop for Campus Advisers and 16th Annual National Convention and Seminar-Workshop for Student Leaders held on November 26-29, 2011 at Teachers Camp, Baguio City had a theme “Leveling up Best Practices in Campus Advising and Student Leadership”.

The following is a list of sessions, aimed towards effective and efficient campus advising and student leadership:

(1) Beyond Expectations in Campus Advising and Student Leadership

(2) Book Smart is Not Enough: Learning the Fundamental Behavioral Competencies – PMAP Advocacy

(3) Environmental Conservation and Protection: Impact of School-Based Programs – Green Peace Phils.

(4) Issues and Concerns in Campus Journalism/Media in Campus Advising and Student Leadership

(5) Transcending Campus Advising and Student Leadership for Nation-Building – BIDAHAN

(6) Think Before You Click: Impact and Prospects of Internet and Other Emerging Forms of Computer-Mediated Communication

(7) Disaster Awareness and Risk Reduction Management: Impact of School-Based Programs

Supported by Atty. Julius Babista, MQAPC-BOT Secretary and PACSA President, this prestigious event and such a fun-learning experience for all the PACSANs has certainly served its purpose and has successfully met its objectives.

Being part of this respected and noble organization aimed towards promoting excellence in campus advising and student leadership, PACSANs went back to their respective schools, colleges and universities with a bunch of new learning experiences, a handful of relevant skill acquisitions and most of all, some unforgettable moments of laughter and friendship.

Truly, MQAPC indeed lives up to its motto: Learning to live life; living life’s learning. This venture has again given the college such a great opportunity to maximize its resources, highlight its strengths and widen its horizons in the attainment of its institutional objectives.

Go MQAPC! Go PACSANs!

-MQAPC SCRIBES-

PACSA, a non-profit nationwide organization of campus advisers, is committed to provide opportunities for the development of talents and potentials of campus advisers and students to become effective instruments of total transformation; initiate the love and zeal for knowledge and wisdom through dynamic and well-planned co-curricular programs and activities; exemplify the values of love, peace, unity, harmony, cooperation, and respect for the dignity of the person and the preservation of the environments; and to instill appreciation for and understanding of the country’s cultural and literary heritage while recognizing international change geared towards the acquisition of national identity and global cooperation. # # #

UP vs. UST Entrance Exams: What Netizens Have in Mind

2012-01-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Why Should You Think Before You Click? Here's a concrete example:

TBYC - a campaign worth passing on from one mouth to another. Peace to everyone.

Fresh from YahooNews Philippines: Here is the LINK.

The fallout from a status update on Facebook continues to rage online as an administrator of a fan page of the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) posted a negative comment about the University of Santo Tomas Entrance Test (USTET).

After UST released the results of its entrance test on Monday, the UPCAT Facebook fan page posted a status update reading, “Lumabas na pala ang results ng USTET, walang thrill kasi madali lang naman nun. Last week pa ng February ang results ng UPCAT – walang kasing hirap kaya sulit ang paghihintay! ;)”

The post was immediately flooded with comments, gained hundreds of “likes” and was shared multiple times.

However, following comments that deemed the post offensive, the UPCAT fan page deleted the post and issued an apology.

"Humihingi po kami ng paumanhin sa kung anuman po ang aming nasabi sa page na ito. Hindi naman po namin intensyong makasakit ng iba o ng kung anu pa man at alam po namin na nasa amin po ang pagkakamali dahil hindi namin inisip ng mabuti ang kakalabasan ng mga salitang aming binitiwan. Sa huli ay buong puso po kaming humihingi ng paumanhin sa lahat,” the UPCAT administrator posted on its page.

It also clarified that the Facebook page is not an official account of the University of the Philippines and does not speak in behalf of the institution.

“Ang page ng UPCAT ay unang ginawa para lamang sa isang proyekto sa Comm 3. Ngunit dahil sa dami ng taong nag-like ng page na ito ay naging isa itong aktibong komunidad na nagbibigay ng impormasyon tungkol sa UPCAT para matulungan ang mga susunod na magiging iskolar ng bayan,” the administrator posted.

More reactions from users

Still, Facebook users continued to vent.

Virgilio Enrico Del Castillo said of the post , “to who ever is managing this account, remember that you have 8000+ people who will see what you have posted. Please be educated on what you are sharing to people. please think of the repercussions of your actions. think before you click, right?”

Others appreciated how the fan page administrator quickly took down the post and admitted their mistake.

Aaron Bjorn Godfrey Ong said the post undermined the credibility of the USTET but added, “Nonetheless, I'm happy that the UPCAT FB fanpage Administrators quickly apologized. This shows how humble and sincere the Administrator.”

In an article in The Varsitarian, the official student publication of UST, admission officials said they are confident of the quality of USTET and saw no need to revise the test despite criticisms that it is less rigorous than the exams given by other leading universities.

'Stop the hate'

Meanwhile, another Facebook user, Rex Jonnard Villafuerte Aguilar, noted, “Ako naman, I studied in both Universities (UP and UST) so wala naman bearing kung pumasa ka ng UPCAT or ng USTET, at the end of the day, iisipin mo pa din na swerte ka pa din kasi nakapag-aral ka sa magagandang pamantasan and bigyan halaga mo na para saan at nakapag-aral ka.

“Nonsense naman kasi if we still keep on comparing and comparing yung level ng exams sa UP and sa UST. Tandaan: Wala sa pamantasan ang sukatan ng pagiging magaling, nasa mag-aaral pa din!” he added.

The administrators updated its status requesting Facebook users to refrain from posting negative comments on the fan page regarding the issue.

“The UPCAT page is trying its very best to let UST and its students know that we are very sorry of our actions. This will not go anywhere if we keep bashing each other, but will just make this issue even bigger. If you think that what you will say will further increase the aggravations of both sides, I humbly plead you to not post it here since it will just defer the intention of peace between both sides,” it said.

God bless everyone!

7.3 to 7.6 Magnitude Quake Strikes off Indonesia

2012-01-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

GOD bless us all. God bless the World. Thy Will Be Done.

Quake strikes off Western Indonesia

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck off the west coast of Indonesia's Northern Sumatra on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey reported.

A tsunami warning has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The quake, which had a depth of 29 kilometres, hit at 2:37 am (1837 GMT) around 261 miles southwest of Banda Aceh.

An official at Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said it also had put out a tsunami alert, but that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

"The quake was in the sea and a tsunami warning is in force, but so far we have no reports of casualties or damage," Suharjono, the agency's technical chief, told AFP.

The agency initially reported a 7.6-magnitude quake, but later downgraded that to magnitude 7.1.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of a widespread tsunami did not exist but added: "There is a very small possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometres from the earthquake epicentre."

In Banda Aceh, the ground shook for 30 seconds and terrified residents rushed out of their homes, but they returned indoors shortly after, an AFP reporter there said.

In December 2004, a giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the coast of Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that claimed 220,000 victims, with Indonesia accounting for three-quarters of the figure.

Source: Yahoo News - Link is HERE.

An earthquake measuring 7.3 in magnitude has struck off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, the US Geological Survey reports.

A tsunami warning has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The quake, which had a depth of 29 kilometres, hit at 2.37am (0537 AEDT) on Wednesday about 420 kilometres southwest of Banda Aceh.

An official at Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said it also had put out a tsunami alert, but that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

'The quake was in the sea and a tsunami warning is in force, but so far we have no reports of casualties or damage,' Suharjono, the agency's technical chief, told AFP.

In Banda Aceh, the ground shook for 30 seconds and terrified residents rushed out of their homes, but they returned indoors shortly after, an AFP reporter there said.

There is no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.

Source: SkyNews.Com. See Link Here.

Advantages of Campus Paper

2012-01-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just want to share this post from Gabi. Happy Reading!

Why is it important to have a school newspaper?

Well, because you, as students, will:

Gain awareness of the power of written communication by publishing work and receiving valuable feedback from readers.

Develop the skill of maturely handling interviews and staff business on a one-to-one basis with the adults whom you contact as student reporters.

Face the need to weigh and make decisions about ethics and values, and resolve conflicts between rights and responsibilities.

Acquire writing skills that in the future will prove assets in professional, technical and vocational fields, as well as those allied to journalism.

Accept the requirements of meeting deadlines and fulfilling assigned duties in order to succeed as part of a production team with clearly outlined goals.

Take over meaningful leadership roles as student editors, designers and managers.

Receive grounding in practical and professional applications of modern technology.

Have an outlet for expressing your creativity and communicating your ideas.

Make a positive contribution to your school and feel an integral part of the school community.

Become aware of the necessity of accepting responsibility for, and the consequences of, submitting your work to public judgment.

See this link: A fellow BLOGGER. Thanks, Gab.

Learning from You - Living a Lifetime with You

2011-12-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

What My Husband Has Taught Me

The sweetest “I love you” is felt. It’s even sweeter than the ones being heard.

All things happen for a reason - even if you have no idea what that reason is at the time. Tests of faith are indeed blessings from Him.

You can be better or bitter. Get that positive outlook at all times.

Life is a choice - as is how you handle the pitfalls along its bumpy road.

Always be happy so you can have the guts to make other people happy. You have to decide or choose to be happy.

Sometimes genuine happiness is found at home.

Learn how to say no and never feel guilty.

Accept what you cannot change.

I’ve just realized that I have learned a lot from him. I just hope he also has learned a lot from me.

And I know there is a lot more to come.

(December 16) Getting married for five years and so much in love more than nine years, hubby and I do not live a perfect married life. We have our own ups and downs, petty quarrels, arguments, misunderstandings, pillow fights, and the like. Though these circumstances do not happen often, we always manage to settle things out or just have it passed by without even saying sorry or anything.

On the brighter side, we believe that after each usual “tampuhan” between a husband and a wife, we tend to be more in love with each other.

And yes, I would always love to wake up each morning with him and our kid/s at my side. Nothing beats the kind of happiness I feel every time I see my loved ones – families, relatives and friends around me.

I will forever look forward to a new morning with you, Dad. As we grow old together, I pray that we live longer, happier and healthier to face each morning – side by side, holding hands.

This is indeed a lifetime for you and me. We’ll grow old together because the best is yet to come.

♥♥♥ Mommy Mai Raine ♥♥♥

My Very Beautiful Prayer on My 28th Birthday

2011-12-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Almighty Father,

I thank You for giving me another year of life, happiness, serenity and good health. I thank You for all the people who have remembered me today, for all the countless blessings you have given me all year round, the achievements, experiences, successes, memories, opportunities and strengths.

I sincerely thank You for the sunshine, for the laughter, and for the gifts of family and friends that remind me of Your loving presence everyday.

I thank You, my dear Savior for all those tests of faith, sorrow and pain that made me stronger and drove me closer to You – trusting You more, holding unto You at all times. These have made us realize how blessed we are and reminded us to always be trusting, grateful and hopeful.

I thank you for another year that has passed and another year blessed with Your kindness and love. Thank You too for touching my life and let me experience Your goodness everyday. The gift of love and life that I receive from You is the greatest blessing that I would be always grateful for.

Forgive me for the times that I have sinned against You and Your will and for the times of failure which indeed reminded me of my own weaknesses and of my strong need for you.

Help me start this special day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day; to still my mind so that I can hear from You. Lord, help me broaden my mind and faith that I can accept all things You have planned for me.

Bless me with Your wisdom and knowledge that I can share for Your glory. Let me not whine and whimper over things; please keep me safe, secured and pampered as always.

Be with me Lord to give the best response when I’m pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can’t pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will and continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me uplifted and inspired that I may have words of encouragement for others.

Lord, I also thank you for your wonderful gifts, my husband, Rainier, our little prince, Eieo and our families, loved ones and friends, and of course my dear students – they all remind me of Your grace and love.

Bless us greatly with Your love, divine wisdom and discernment. Keep us committed and bonded with Your great love; We love because You first loved us.

Bless also our loving families that Your grace and love may pour forth and overflow on them. Let our families be a testament of Your goodness and blessings.

With all that I am, and with all that I have ... I offer my everything, my life to You, my God.

This we pray through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

♥♥♥ Mommy Mai ♥♥♥

Jamich, the YouTube Love Team and Mr. JR Aquino

2011-12-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

By Chance (You and I) – JRA Song Lyrics

Hubby, Eieo and I were watching Gandang Gabi Vice when a segment on Jamich, Youtube Love Team, was then featured. We actually loved the song and the dance craze. So I decided to watch it on Youtube to see it myself.

Jamich videos are of good quality – pretty faces and cute short films. I browsed the comments and was surprised to read one that mentioned about JRA, copyright and other issues on originality, etc. And so I also did search JRA… I found out that it is JR Aquino. Great job! Thumbs up! Filipinos are indeed talented. Kudos!

JR Aquino (from his FB page) Visit or like him Here...

Basic Information:

Genre: Pop/R&B/Soul

Hometown: Anchorage, AK

About: http://twitter.com/jraquino http://jraquino.tumblr.com/

Biography

JR Aquino, also known as djkeeno (on Youtube), is from Anchorage Alaska. He has been singing since he was “knee-high.” He writes his own lyrics and melodies. He was on American Idol Season 4, and made it to the top 44.

Current Location: Anchorage, AK / New York, NY

General Manager: On G.P. Music

Website/s:

http://www.youtube.com/jraquinomusic

http://www.myspace.com/jkeeno

http://twitter.com/jraquino

http://jraquino.blogspot.com

http://jraquino.tumblr.com

Contact : jraquinomusic@gmail.com

Lyrics of By Chance (You and I) – JRA

Girl, you just caught my eye

thought I should give it a try

and get your name and your number

go grab some lunch and eat some cucumbers

WHY, DID I SAY THAT?

I don’t know why.

But you’re smilin’ and it’s something’ I like

on your face, yeah it suits you

Girl, we connect like we have bluetooth

I don’t know why

I’m drawn to you

Could you be the other one so we’d equal two?

And this is all based on a lucky chance

that you would rather add then subtract

You and I

could be like Sonny and Cher

honey and bears

You and I

could be like Aladdin and Jasmine

lets make it happen

La La’s

Hey

How’ve you been?

I know that it’s been awhile.

Are you tired ’cause you’ve been on my mind

runnin’ thousand and thousands of miles

Sorry, I know that line’s outta style

but you

you look so beautiful on that starry night

loving the way the moonlight catches your eyes and your smile

I’m captivated

your beauty is timeless never outdated

I don’t know why

I’m drawn to you

Could you be the other one so we’d equal two?

and this is all based on a lucky chance

that you would rather add then subtract

You and I

could be like Sonny and Cher

Honey and bears

you and i could be like Aladdin and Jasmine lets make it happen

la la la

Babe

It’s been 5 years since that special day

when I asked you on our first date

I guess it’s safe to say

You and I

are better than Sonny and Cher

Honey and bears

You and I

Are better than Aladdin and Jasmine

We’ve made it happen

lalalalalala

Let me say

You look so beautiful on our wedding day

On My Special Day

2011-12-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

I always think that I'm unworthy,

I sin, I lie, I commit mistakes and I sometimes fail to do well.

I frequently forget my Christian duties.

Yet, for unknown reasons, God always lets me feel that I'm being blessed.

I am loved, forgiven and being taken cared of.

I never asked for too much...

I beg for His guidance to make me a good family man.

I beg for His continuous care and mercy.

I beg for wealth that I may be a channel of charity.

I beg for His blessings to the Church, which He had instituted.

The Church where I gain wisdom and directions.

Above all,

I beg that I may not lose my faith in Him.

With all sincerity, I thank God.

I have a loving wife, Mai, and an adorable child, Eieo.

I have a family that I know I can always lean on.

I have a great circle of friends.

I have my mentors.

I have enough skills and knowledge to live and let others live.

I have the capacity to overcome trials and heartaches.

All of these, I have, because of His grace.

I do not know how to pay Him back,

For my life wouldn't be enough to get even with His love.

I am definitely happy and contented living a life like this.

For I know His caring hands will always suffice.

- Daddy Ren

Angelicopter - Radio DJ Magic 89.9

2011-11-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

Angelicopter? Who is she? - This question hit my mind when I saw the 'term' (now I knew that it was a name) trending at Yahoo News Philippines, Y! News.

Then I tried to search over the web some info and details to help me out and so that I can relate. Oh well, I am so surprised to read web pages about it and see her pics. Here are some things I have found: (Then please tell me your insights.) Happy reading!

Name: Angelika Schmeing-Cruz

Twitter: @a_schmeing

Height: 5'7 (no heels) Age: 26 Civil Status: Married (with a child)

Occupation: Head of Strategic Marketing, Land Rover Philippines.

College: University of Asia and Pacific (Political Economy/Int'l Relations)

Credits: Please visit this page. Click HERE.

More Info... I found HERE. Please hit a visit too.

Now, Mo twister invited a new girl named Angelika to the show to substitute for Grace. Angelika was an avid fan of the show and called the show months ago. On Monday, this girl called up and gracious Mo invited her to take ove Grace Lee’s place temporarily. Mo twister admitted to his blog that he has been receiving tons of emails if the new girl Angelika will replace Grace Lee.

Mo quickly clarified that there is no way Grace will be replaced. If there is a need for Angelika to stay in the show, it will be an addition to the group not to replace Grace. Angelika was also called " Angeli-copter." Wonder why? According to her, whenever her husband opens the car door for her, he’d definitely get the a helicopter move, an interesting position for a very sensitive subject. So this chic is a sucker for gentleman moves. A lot of guys think she’s a certified MILF!

The last info about about this hot momma will make guys sigh with disappointment. You better look for your own helicopter girl .

Want to read her personal blog? Oh well, please see her page HERE.

Thanks everyone.

God Gave Me You... And Forever I'd be so Grateful to Him

2011-11-18T22:35:00.000-08:00

It was on December 14, 2002 when we started our own love story, a romantic piece that should be treasured and cherished for a lifetime. We had our own ups and downs but we managed to keep a promise and stay together.

We've got the best love story to share ... a friendship turned into something special, a friendship bloomed into something sweeter, and a relationship that could spell out F-O-R-E-V-E-R.

True enough that there are no fairy tales but there can always be happy endings - because we tied a knot on December 16, 2006 (just right after our four-year engagement). It was a very wonderful experience, an awesome memento that I'd always look back.

Walking down the aisle, hearing you sing love songs intended for me, and seeing you standing there with our families, loved ones, relatives and friends, above all, so close to God, made me feel more tensed yet so overwhelmed and excited.

Then Eieo came in to make our love story better, happier and more exciting to share... such a blessing that we would forever be thankful for. Today I live a happy, simple life that I couldn't ask for more. I am fulfilled and blessed, enough to make me feel so inspired and overwhelmed.

Happy Anniversary, sweetie. Wishing us more years together as we keep our love burning. You are indeed a blessing.

I love you.

With all that, we will surely be each other's First and Last.

Cheers to a happier and a more blessed marriage.

♥♥♥ Mommy Mai ♥♥♥

God Gave Me You – Bryan White

For all the times I felt cheated, I complained

You know how I love to complain

For all the wrongs I repeated, though I was to blame

I still cursed that rain

I didn’t have a prayer, didn’t have a clue

Then out of the blue

God gave me you to show me what’s real

There’s more to life than just how I feel

And all that I’m worth is right before my eyes

And all that I live for though I didn’t know why

Now I do, ’cause God gave me you

For all the times I wore my self pity like a favorite shirt

All wrapped up in that hurt

For every glass I saw, I saw half empty

Now it overflows like a river through my soul

From every doubt I had, I’m finally free

I truly believe

God gave me you to show me what’s real

There’s more to life than just how I feel

And all that I’m worth is right before my eyes

And all that I live for though I didn’t know why

Now I do, ’cause God gave me you

In your arms I’m someone new

With ever tender kiss from you

Oh must confess

I’ve been blessed

God gave me you to show me what’s real

There’s more to life than just how I feel

And all that I’m worth is right before my eyes

And all that I live for though I didn’t know why (didn’t know why)

Now I do (I finally do), ’cause God gave me you (God gave me You)

God gave me you

World Toilet Day: November 19, 2011

2011-11-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

In 2001 WTO declared 19th November World Toilet Day (WTD). Today it is celebrated in over 19 countries with over 51 events being hosted by various water and sanitation advocates.

World Toilet Organization created WTD to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.6 billion face every day without access to proper, clean sanitation.WTD also brings to the forefront the health, emotional and psychological consequences the poor endure as a result of inadequate sanitation.

WTD's popularity is gaining momentum, and in 2010 there were 51 events spanning 19 countries. Our "Big Squat" campaign generated 24 "Big Squats" globally and in Singapore over 600 squatters joined the cause in six locations island-wide. WTO would love to see our day become "The" event that represents the sanitation crisis globally, and we strongly encourage our members, volunteers, the community, media and partners to get behind our cause and support our day.

World Toilet Day

Saturday, 19 November 2011

It's ten years since the first World Toilet Day and there are still 2.6 billion people with nowhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet.

Readers of the British Medical Journal voted sanitation the single greatest medical advance of the last 150 years – yet a lack of investment in basic facilities to prevent diarrhoeal diseases means scarce health resources are diverted to treat them; people suffering from these diseases currently fill half the hospital beds in developing countries.

And it's not just making people sick – it's killing them too; diarrhoea kills a child every 20 seconds. In fact, diarrhoea kills more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

It's a disgrace that this completely preventable crisis continues to blight the lives of billions worldwide. That's why, to mark World Toilet Day this year, Crisis Talks on water and sanitation will be taking place across the world.

Local people in the communities most affected by the crisis will be meeting their representatives to demand urgent action.

You can join them by visiting your own MP to highlight some of these important issues and how the UK Government can help.

If you'd like to help WaterAid push this urgent message up the political agenda by visiting your MP, please get in touch with Rebecca Owen at campaigns@wateraid.org for more details.

We believe the UK can be a great champion in addressing this crisis. But it's crucial that Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, has support from the rest of Parliament.

At a time when international aid is controversial, we have a very clear message:

Sanitation is the most cost-effective of any health intervention.

Poor water and sanitation costs Sub-Saharan Africa around 5% of its GDP each year, equivalent to the amount of aid the continent currently receives from western nations.

For every £1 invested in water and sanitation, £8 is returned in increased economic productivity.

World Toilet Organization

World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. WTO focuses on toilets instead of water, which receives more attention and resources under the common subject of sanitation.

Founded in 2001 with 15 members, it now has 151 member organizations in 53 countries working towards eliminating the toilet taboo and delivering sustainable sanitation.

WTO is also the organizer of the World Toilet Summits and World Toilet Expo and Forum.

Reynaldo Mondez and Romeo Doneza: Their Winning Photos are Exceptional

2011-11-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Congrats, Filipinos! You made every Filipino proud. Keep it up! Thanks for being one of the GOOD NEWS - You are an inspiration to everyone. GOD bless. More power!

Reynaldo Mondez and Romeo Doneza, thank you. Your successes are Ours too. Kudos! Cheers!

Thumbs up. Mommy Mai

Happy Reading!

Filipinos top Asia-Pacific photo contest

Showcasing exceptional talent and creativity, Filipino photographers topped the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) - sponsored photo contest, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement Thursday.

Reynaldo Mondez and Romeo Doneza bagged the first and second prizes with their entries “Solar Energy Panels” and “World Wide,” respectively. They stood out from the 204 photos submitted by 95 photographers from 17 APEC member-economies.

Wong Chi Keung from Hong Kong won the third prize for his entry “No-Boundary Network.”

“I am very happy and truly humbled by this experience,” Mondez said as quoted from a release from the APEC secretariat. Mondez is a retired photographer from the National Housing Authority and currently runs a small wedding photography business with his son in Manila.

Two other Filipino photographers, Ellen de Leon and Robert Anton Pimentel, made it to the top 10 with their respective entries “Winds of Change” and “Economic Harmony.”

The winners, which were announced Tuesday in Honolulu, were chosen by a panel of international judges based on the following criteria: quality of photograph, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.

Symbol of hope and sustainable future

The winning entries also best reflected APEC’s 2011 priorities of strengthening regional economic integration, advancing regulatory cooperation and promoting green growth.

“The photo is a symbol of hope for a sustainable future, even in the most remote parts of the Philippines,” Mondez said, explaining his winning photo of children playing basketball next to a hut and a solar energy panel, which was taken in a rural village in Rizal province.

He added that through his photo, he was hoping that he could convey the importance of making renewable energy more accessible by lowering the cost of the technology.

To solicit comments and votes, APEC posted the top 10 photos on its Facebook page. Mondez received over 4,600 “likes,” which also won him the APEC Popular Choice Award.

If you wish to see their winning photos, please click HERE.

Thanks.

Puerto Princesa Underground River - New 7 Wonders of Nature

2011-11-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

Every Filipino is praying and looking forward to the Puerto Princesa Underground River to be one of the official New 7 Wonders of Nature. And that I am keeping my fingers crossed. With that, I TGIF.

T.G.I.F. ---> Thank GOD I am a Filipino!

Provisional Winner

Puerto Princesa Underground River was chosen as one of the provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature. The voting calculation is now being checked, validated and independently verified, and the confirmed winners would be announced starting early 2012 during the Official Inauguration ceremonies. Congratulations to all Filipinos!

More Updates

The Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River, the Amazon rainforest, Vietnam's Halong Bay and Argentina's Iguazu Falls were named among the world's new seven wonders of nature, according to organizers of a global poll.

The other three crowned the world's natural wonders are South Korea's Jeju Island, Indonesia's Komodo, and South Africa's Table Mountain, said the New7Wonders foundation, citing provisional results.

Final results will be announced early 2012, said the Swiss foundation, warning however that there may yet be changes between the provisional winners and the final list.

Sites which have failed to make the cut include Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, the Dead Sea and the US Grand Canyon.

The poll organized by Swiss foundation New7Wonders has attracted great interest, mobilizing celebrities including Argentinian football star Lionel Messi calling on fans to pick his home country's Iguazu Falls.

The results came after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders.

More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77.

The group was then further cut to the 28 finalists by a panel of experts.

Anyone in the world was then able to vote for the final seven via telephone, text messages or Internet social networks.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

It is located about 50 kilometres (30 mi) north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The river also called Puerto Princesa Underground River. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. It is also known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Underground River. The entrance to the Subterranean River is a short hike from the town of Sabang.

PPUR

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) is one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas of the Philippines. It features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape that contains an 8.2 km long underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it flows directly into the sea, and the lower half portion of the river is brackish and subject to tidal influence. The area also represents significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. It contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem and protects forests, which are among the most significant in Asia.

The PPPSRNP is designated a core area for the Palawan Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere Program. In recognition of its globally significant natural properties, it was inscribed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s of (UNESCO) List of Natural World Heritage Sites. Inscription to the list confirms the exceptional and universal value of the Site that deserves to be protected for the benefit of all humanity.

The PPSRNP is managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa based on a program centered on environmental conservation and sustainable development. It has the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a Local Government Unit. It has been cited as an example of best practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is reputed to be the longest navigable underground river in the World. It is one of the few such rivers which the public can easily experience and appreciate. It is the official entry of the Philippines and is 1 of the 28 finalists to the Search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

It is a source of pride and a key element in the identity of the people of Puerto Princesa in particular, and of the Philippines as a whole.

New7Wonders

Founded in 2001 by filmmaker Bernard Weber in Zurich, the foundation New7Wonders is based on the same principle on which the seven ancient wonders of the world were established. That list of seven wonders was attributed to Philon of Byzantium in ancient Greece.

New7Wonders said its aim is to create a global memory by garnering participation worldwide. But even as the natural wonders poll came to a close, the New7Wonders foundation has set its eyes on a new survey -- the top seven cities of the world. Participating cities will be announced on January 1, 2012.

Mommy Mai

Regine and Ogie: Happy Parents of Baby Nathaniel James

2011-11-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

Congrats! I certainly know how they feel. :-)

Nathaniel James or Nate Velasquez-Alcasid

Ogie Alcasid has more good news for friends and followers.

His and wife Regine Velasquez’s first-born, Nathaniel James or Nate for short, is “latching on to mom (Regine) for breastfeeding so he can catch up with weight.”

The third-time dad reports that Baby Nathaniel weighed a light 4.4 pounds when he was born at 7:47 p.m. last Nov. 8 at the Makati Medical Center.

He told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! that this is because his son wasn’t due to come out yet at that time. Baby Nate was expected to be born on or around Nov. 22 yet.

“However, Dra. Lilibeth Genuino decided to do a Caesarean Section last night because Reg’s (Regine’s) amniotic fluid was low and sugar was quite high due to gestational diabetes.”

The proud dad can how heave a sigh of relief. His wife and son are doing well and he is thankful for the prayers they got from family and friends.

In a previous interview, Ogie said he and Regine chose the name Nathaniel for their baby because it means “gift from God."

Ogie has two other children, Leila and Sarah by former wife Michelle van Eimeren, who is now based in Australia with the two girls. With a report from Walden Martinez Belen

Campus Journalism: A Lift for Academic Freedom in Students

2011-11-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

(RA 7079) The Campus Journalism Act of 1991 is perhaps one of the strongest laws protecting the rights of the youth, particularly student journalists, and preserving the integrity of student publications.

However, in many cases, many institutions do not follow these rules, or balatantly disobeys the law. And we cannot blame them; being owners of the institutions editors belong to, they believe that they must have complete control over the publications, even if the law provides otherwise. I would want my opinion to be taken hypothetically.

There are many advantages to a free student publication: First, it trains the students on journalism and provides an avenue to concretely practice truth, fairness, and balance. These are values taught better by experience, and supplemented by the classroom.

Second, it provides check and balance for the administrators, the student councils, and the students. Campus journalists and publications become the students’ eyes in things that the institutions hide.

Third, it safeguards democracy in the campus level. Campus publications, being an independent entity, is accountable to nobody but its readers and protect democracy and freeedom of expression while encouraging the readers to do the same.

Campus journalism is important, for it safeguards the halls and the posts of democracy and provides the student readers a deeper perspective; things that happen under their noses. As journalists, let us help in protecting its existence by enforcing the law protecting it.

Now is the time.

Miss Philippines Wins 1st Runner-up in Miss World 2011

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

Miss Philippines is 1st Runner-up in Miss World 2011
The Miss Philippines World, Gwendoline Ruais, was crowned first runner up during the recently concluded Miss World 2011 pageant held in London on November 6, 2011.

Gwendoline Ruais is a French-Filipina who is a six-feet tall young lady from Muntinlupa City, Philippines.

Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais is 1st Runner-up of Miss World 2011

113 beautiful Candidates from all over the world graced the stage of Earls Court but 3 lovely candidates reach the top. Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais was named 1st Runner-up in the just concluded Miss World 2011 Pageant held last Sunday night at Earls Court in London. While Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Perez is the 2nd Runner-up and from the land of beautiful women Miss Venezuela, Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares, a human resources graduate was named Miss World 2011.

The top 7 are Miss England, Miss Korea, Miss Philippines, Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Scotland, Miss South Africa and Miss Venezuela.
While the pageant was going on, Feminists outside the venue are voicing out their protest against the beauty contest such as Miss World pageant.

Miss World 2011 1st Runner-up: Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais

Miss World 2011 2nd Runner-up: Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Perez

Gwendoline Ruais is Miss World first runner-up
by Rose Eclarinal, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

LONDON - Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais was named first runner-up during the Miss World beauty pageant's coronation night at Earls Court, London, Sunday.

Miss Venezuela Ivian Sarcos was crowned Miss World 2011 winner. Miss Puerto Rico Amanda Victoria Vilanova Perez came third.

Miss World Organization chairman and chief executive Julia Morley said there was only a small difference between the scores of Miss Venezuela and Miss Philippines in their fight for the crown.

Ruais was happy to have the support of her fellow Filipinos who flocked to Earl Court to watch the pageant. She said she was offering her crown to her parents and Filipino kababayan.

In an interview with Ruais after the coronation, she said her nervousness was gone and she only wanted a good night's sleep.

The beauty queen said she had only wanted to give honor to the Philippines. After placing first runner-up, Ruais expressed hope that Filipinos would be proud and happy for her achievement in this competition.

Miss World 2011 Winners - Miss Philippines Takes Pride

2011-11-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais will surely make her way to the top - bringing home the crown. With that, all Filipinos are with you in your prayers and desires of being our very first Miss World 2011. God bless you and may He grant your heart's desires.

Cheers, Mommy Mai

Miss World 2011 Info and Updates:

Miss World 2011, the 61st edition of the Miss World pageant is scheduled to take place at the Earls Court Two on November 6, 2011 in London. As part of the events, the contestants also traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland between October 23 and October 27. Alexandria Mills of the United States will crown her successor at the end of the event. Although over 120 delegates were expected to compete, problems regarding the timely acquisition of visas prevented several candidates from participating, thus reducing the final number to 113.

On Monday, November 7, GMA-7 airs the 2011 Miss World Pageant, which takes place at the Earls Court Exhibition Center, London, England.

Filipinos all over the world are excited to watch the country’s representative, Gwendoline Ruais, who was crowned as the first ever Miss World Philippines last September.

Gwen has been receiving praises and attracting attention for her outstanding performance in the international pageant. She has been short listed for the Fast Track or pre-pageant events –swimsuit, modeling and presentation of charities and causes.

If she manages to win any of the Fast Track events, Gwen will automatically qualify for the final round of the competition.

Support Gwen and join the prayers of the whole nation for her success! Watch the 2011 Miss World Pageant via satellite this Monday, 10 a.m., only on GMA-7.

Miss World 2011 - 3 Filipina beauties vie for the crown

Miss World 2011 is going to be exciting for the pageant-fanatic Filipinos. It is because among the 113 candidates of this year's pageant, three of them have Filipino blood, increasing the chance of a Pinay beauty to finally earn the most elusive international beauty title for the Philippines. They are Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais, Miss Canada Riza Santos and Miss Denmark Maya Olesen.

Pacquiao Wins Over Marquez : Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3

2011-11-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

On November 12/13, 2011, Pacquiao wins again over Marquez (for the third time) ... And yes, it was the hope and the prayer of most Filipinos - that Pacman for the Nth time will again give pride to our Motherland. God bless you. Cheers!

The Grand Finale.

Mommy Mai

Picture Acknowledgment... Kirby Loves Tacos (Thanks! Great pic! Awesome. Kudos!)

Manny Pacquiao will once again face his long term rival Juan Manuel Marquez in an awesome display of brawl this November. As both fighters fighting it off in their golden years, boxing is definitely in the hands of both fighters as they prove that boxing is not yet dead. This certainly a far cry as fans keeps on craving for Pacquiao to fight for Mayweather.

All eyes are on Manny Pacquiao as he is now in tip top shape.. with his power and speed are improving every now and then this makes Juan Manuel Marquez in danger because of the training preparation of his rival Manny Pacquiao. Many thoughts that this could be an end of all the criticisms and controversies put in their last two fights. Manny Pacquiao would simply perform into the highest level and will dispatch Juan Manuel Marquez come fight night on November 12, 2011 at LGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Pacquiao never been estimated every opponent he had and once its training time he see to it that projected goals will be hit and he will be in good condition. This is living proof to a fighter who has so much dedication on his career and never back down to any opponents being fitted against him. Pacquiao always brings big opportunity to every aspect in the business and once he fought everything are gaining. It is also a big leverage for his foe because they can earn from it is their biggest payday in their career. Juan Manuel Marquez knows what at stake on their 3rd fight that is why knows best what would be his preparation against Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao promises something for this Pacquiao-Marquez Trilogy that this could be a different result.. if his 2 previous fights against Juan Manuel Marquez turned out to be a controversy, the Pacquiao-Marquez 3 would be classic, explosive and brutal collision. Pacquiao assured that he will stop all the talking and he will let Juan Manuel Marquez feel that fighting Pacquiao is a hell.

Manny Pacquiao, 32, telling his friends and specially his camp that he doesn’t want his 3rd fight against Marquez to be decided by the judges opposite to their 2 previous fights. But many believe that Pacquiao is a clear winner but because Marquez fought extremely well, it was being criticized and marred with controversies. But with Manny Pacquiao supreme performance majority of the fight fans would say that Pacquiao really won that fight. Just to close this Pacquiao-Marquez Trilogy, somebody will go down.

Pacquiao-Marquez 3 will be the most anticipated fight of 2011 and this will break all the records in PPV buys for this year and it will save HBO from a lower sales this year. Pacquiao will prove something that all of his PPV sales are genuine and he can bring millions in the table every fight easily.

Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 knockouts) grinned his way through being questioned about his fervent effort to get ready for the 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez.

“I’m focusing on my strength and speed,” Pacquiao said. “They’re watching my body, so I don’t become too big. I control my training, step by step, until the time comes to fight. I want to be gradual in my training.”

Pacquiao-Marquez 3 on November 12, 2011 at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA!

Mary Blair On Her 100th Birthday

2011-10-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Early this morning I went online as part of my daily routines. And I was so surprised to see that GOOGLE has changed its icon to pay tribute to Miss Mary Blair - on her 100th Birthday today, October 21. I just love it so much that made me feel so inspired to blog about her. She has great art works and masterpieces - something I believe that my unico hijo would really love seeing and would have so much fun.

Mommy Mai

Wikipedia knows her so well. Laughs out Loud.

Mary Blair (October 21, 1911 - July 26, 1978), born Mary Robinson, was an American artist who was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs for enduring attractions such as Disneyland's It's a Small World, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, and an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort. Several of her illustrated children's books from the 1950s remain in print, such as I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss. Blair was honored as a Disney Legend in 1991.

Early life

Born on October 21, 1911, in McAlester, Oklahoma, Mary Browne Robinson moved to Eston while still a small child, and later to California around the age of seven. Having graduated from San Jose State College, Mary won a scholarship to the renowned Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where artists such as Pruett Carter, Morgan Russell and Lawrence Murphy were among the teachers. In 1934, she married another artist, Lee Everett Blair (October 1, 1911 – April 19, 1993). She was the sister-in-law of animator Preston Blair (1918–1994).

Career

Mary and Lee Blair both soon began to work in the animation industry, joining the Ub Iwerks studio. Lee went on to work at the Harman-Ising studios, before ultimately joining the Walt Disney studio, where he was joined by his wife in 1940. Mary Blair worked briefly on art for Dumbo, an early version of Lady and the Tramp, and a second version of Fantasia which was not released until the late 1990s.

After leaving the studio for a short time in 1941, Mary travelled to various South American countries with Walt and Lillian Disney and other artists on a research tour, as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy. During those trips, Mary and Lee worked on concept art for the animated feature films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, with Mary credited as art supervisor on those films.

After that, she worked on several package films, including Fun and Fancy Free, and on two partially animated features - Song of the South and So Dear to My Heart. The early 1950s were a busy time for the Disney studio, with an animated feature released nearly every year. Mary Blair was credited with color styling on Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953), and the artistic influence of her concept art is strongly felt in those films, as well as in several animated shorts she designed during that period.

After the completion of Peter Pan, Mary resigned from Disney and worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, creating advertising campaigns for companies such as Nabisco, Pepsodent, Maxwell House, Beatrice Foods and others. She also illustrated several Golden Books for publisher Simon & Schuster, some of which remain in print today, and designed Christmas and Easter sets for Radio City Music Hall.

At the request of Walt Disney, who highly regarded her innate sense of color styling, Mary began work on the attraction It's a Small World. The attraction was originally a Pepsi-Cola-sponsored pavilion benefiting UNICEF at the 1964 New York World's Fair, which moved to Disneyland after the Fair closed and was later replicated at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort, as well as Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.

In 1967, Mary created mural art for the Tomorrowland Promenade. Two similar tile murals flanked the entrance corridor. The one over Adventure Thru Inner Space was covered over in 1987 with the opening of Star Tours, while the other remained in place until 1998, when the Circle-Vision 360° was replaced with Rocket Rods and a new mural to convey the new theme of the area. In 1968, Blair was credited as color designer on the film version of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

Her design of a 90-foot-high (27 m) mural remains a focal point of the Disney's Contemporary Resort hotel at Walt Disney World, which was completed for the resort's opening in 1971.

Mary Blair died of a cerebral haemorrhage on July 26, 1978.

Legacy

While the fine art she created outside of her association with Disney and her work as an illustrator is not widely known to the public, Blair's bold and ground-breaking color design still serves as an inspiration to many of today's contemporary designers and animators.

Google paid homage to her on October 21, 2011 on the 100th anniversary of her birth with a doodle on their homepage.

Awards

In 1991, Mary was recognized with a posthumous Disney Legend award. Also posthumously, she received the Winsor McCay award from ASIFA-Hollywood in 1996.

Partial bibliography as illustrator

Baby's House (written by Gelolo McHugh) (1950)

I Can Fly (written by Ruth Krauss) (1951)

The Golden Book of Little Verses (1953)

The New Golden Song Book (1955)

Lloyd Lee - Boyfriend of Shamcey Supsup

2011-09-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Meeting Mister Lloyd Lee - Up Close and Personal

A Tribute to Philippine National Police

2011-09-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there! This post is something very unusual, very odd. I am not used to giving high praises and compliments to PNP. There is somehow a guilt in me that yes, true enough that I haven't thanked or appreciated these policemen regarding the goodness, sacrifices, patriotism, nationalism and service they have rendered the country and their fellowmen.

Oh well, I just want to share this video to my dear readers as I believe this could be a great way to help them spread the good news and boost the image of the police authority.

Yes, they deserve respect, consideration, trust and all. We need to give to them whatever is due to them. After all, we should always believe that there is always goodness in everyone.

I hope that in one way or another, you're able to be touched by this video and be willing to do your share. Thanks and hope you'll enjoy reading the texts in this video.

Sino Ako? Sino Ako PNP.

Shamcey Supsup Almost Made It - Miss Universe 2011

2011-09-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Miss Universe 2011 Winners

The Philippines almost made it to the Miss Universe 2011. Miss Shamcey Supsup had a great chance. We were all so proud, shouting and overwhelmed upon hearing her answer, seeing her walk like a queen, and watching her walk with much grace, pride, beauty and confidence.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Leila Lopes from Angola is crowned 2011 Miss Universe, beating out 88 competitors.

Miss Universe 2011, the 60th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, will be held at the Credicard Hall, in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. Ximena Navarrete of Mexico crowned her successor Leila Lopes at the end of the pageant. Contestants from 89 countries and territories are participating in this year's pageant, surpassing the previous record of 86 contestants in 2006.

Final results:

Miss Universe 2011 Angola – Leila Lopes

1st runner-up Ukraine – Olesya Stefanko

2nd runner-up Brazil – Priscila Machado

3rd runner-up Philippines – Shamcey Supsup

4th runner-up China – Zilin Luo

Top 10

Australia – Scherri-Lee Biggs

Costa Rica – Johanna Solano

France – Laury Thilleman

Portugal – Laura Gonçalves

Panama – Sheldry Sáez

Top 16

Kosovo – Afërdita Dreshaj

Colombia – Catalina Robayo

Puerto Rico – Viviana Ortiz

Netherlands – Kelly Weekers

USA – Alyssa Campanella

Venezuela – Vanessa Gonçalves

Special Awards

Miss Congeniality

Montenegro – Nikolina Lončar

Miss Photogenic

Sweden – Ronnia Fornstedt

Best National Costume

Panama – Sheldry Sáez

Links: Check this out for more info. Please click here.

It was the 60th anniversary of the world's biggest beauty pageant.

Lopes has taken the crown from Mexico's Ximena Navarrete.

The pageant aired live on NBC. More than 1 billion people were expected to have watched the event.

The Miss Universe contest started as a local bathing revue in Long Beach, California.

The contest to be the next Miss Universe was narrowed to 10 women Monday night, including surprise choice Miss Portugal, who only made the first cut because of winning an online fan vote.

Favorites Miss China and Miss Australia also made the top 10, along with home crowd contestant Miss Brazil. Miss USA and a host of Latin American candidates did not make the cut, with only Miss Costa Rica and Miss Panama advancing.

Contestants from 89 nations on six continents spent the past three weeks in Sao Paulo, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting impoverished children and kicking a football around for cameras as the globe's biggest beauty contest is held in Brazil for the first time.

The pageant started as a local bathing revue in Long Beach, California, organized by a swimwear company.

To all the lovely and witty women, thumbs up! You make me feel so proud and happy as a woman. This we should really be proud of. Cheers to all the women out there.

Indeed, it was an event of overflowing beauty, wit, talent and grace. Congrats, everyone!

Congrats, Shamcey Supsup.

Mommy Myraine

The Fierce Wife (ABS-CBN) - My Latest Addiction

2011-09-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Although I am a happily married wife and a certified loving mom to our greatest bundle of joy, I am surprised to see myself so addicted and very hooked to Asianovelas ... lately. Temptation of Wife and The Fierce Wife, from Korea and Taiwan respectively, are the recent reasons why I have become a couch and mouse potato. And I love them so. :-)

The Fierce Wife:

Wikipedia: Xie An Zhen was happily married with one daughter until her husband cheated on her with her cousin. And the ensuing divorce became a battle of love and wits.

ABS-CBN: A perfect wife will do everything for her family but when another woman threatens to take her man, the perfect wife becomes the fierce wife.

This Tuesday (Aug 8), get ready to witness an intense story about infidelity, betrayal, and lust as ABS-CBN premieres the talked about Taiwanese series “The Fierece Wife” in Kapamilya Gold.

Ever since they got married, Cristine has been nothing but a perfect wife to Louie.

Their lives will take a sudden twist when Me Ann, Cristine’s cousin from the United States, arrives and lives with them for a while. Little did they know that the charming and seemingly naïve Me Ann is starting to develop an attraction to Louie.

She then fearlessly seduced her cousin’s husband right at their very home.

Will Louie give in to the young temptress? How will Cristine face the fact that her very own cousin is the one destroying her family?

Don’t miss “The Fierce Wife,” weekday afternoons, in the intensifying Kapamilya Gold in the first and true home of Asianovelas, ABS-CBN.

Temptation of Wife:

Synopsis:

Goo Eun Jae (played by actress Jang Seo Hee) graduated as a make-up artist major at a university and began preparations to study abroad in France. Her dreams to study in France are halted by a pregnancy with Jung Gyo-Bin (played by actor Byun Woo-Min) after he took advantage of her when she was drunk. She decided to marry him and give up her dreams in order to be a responsible mother for her unborn child. Eun-Jae's pregnancy soon ended in tragic miscarriage. Eun-Jae was trying to protect her mother in law, Baek Mi-in, when she was pushed down the steps by a creditor of the said in-law. Eun-Jae fell and lost her baby. It took a long time until Eun-Jae became pregnant again.

At about the same time when Eun Jae found out about her second pregnancy, Shin Ae-Ri (played by actress Kim Seo Hyung) returns from her five-year long from France (where she studied about make-up).

Shin Ae-Ri grew up in the same household as Eun-Jae ever since she became an orphan when she was about 7–10 years old. Her family was on the way to the Goo Household in order to have dinner with them when Ae-Ri threw the clothes and doll her mother was supposed to give to

Eun-Jae as presents to her father who was driving. Also because her father was driving during a storm, they ended crashing the car. Both Ae-Ri's parents died and the Goo Family has then taken Ae-Ri in since and raised her for 20 years along with Eun-Jae, treating her as if she were their own daughter. Later on, Ae-Ri became the girlfriend of Eun-Jae's brother Goo Kang-Jae.

Then she left for France, revealing that someone was taking care of her tuitions for her.

After 7 years of living the Jung Family as Gyo-Bin's housewife (and also as the housekeeper to the Jung Family's mansion), Eun-Jae soon found out that her husband had been cheating on her with Ae-Ri. It turned out that he was the one giving out the said funds for Ae-Ri's travel to France. To add to this insult, Ae-Ri revealed that she had Gyo Bin’s child five years ago, named Jung Nino.

Eun-Jae moved back to her own family's house. Ae-Ri went to pay a visit to Eun-Jae, demanding her to get an abortion. Eun-Jae refused to do so in which Gyo-Bin dragged her to a gynecologist in Sokcho, forcing her into aborting their baby. Eun-Jae again refused. Gyo-Bin then drove her to Sokcho Beach, throwing her necklace, given by her father-in-law as a promise not to give up on Gyo-Bin, into the sea.

Eun-Jae's brother, Kang-Jae, gained knowledge about the situation, whereupon he set out in anger to assault Gyo-Bin. This event gave Gyo-Bin and his mother, Mi'in, reason to force Eun-Jae into signing up consent for a divorce. After the divorce, Gyo-Bin and Ae-Ri got married while

Eun-Jae tried to save the necklace, but not knowing how to swim, she soon found herself being dragged by the waves. Eun-Jae begged Gyo-Bin to save her baby but Gyo-Bin ignored Eun-Jae and abandoned her at sea to drown and die. Ae-Ri and Gyo-Bin decided to keep this all a secret, lying that Eun-Jae had committed suicide. Ae-Ri faked Eun-Jae's suicide note (or will) which she gave to the police and Gyo-Bin thereafter told everybody that he had not seen Eun-Jae the whole day.

In the midst of all this, Min Gun-Woo (played by actor Lee Jae Hwang), the adoptive son of Lady Min, was near Sokcho in a search for his missing stepsister, Min So-Hee.

Min So-Hee loved Gun-Woo and wanted to marry him. When her mother, Lady Min, refused, So-Hee told Gun-Woo to marry her secretly anyway. Gun-Woo had decided not to tell his mother what was happening, as So-Hee had ran away from home. Lady Min arranged for another girl to marry Gun Woo, hoping that So-Hee will give up and come back. So-Hee's arranged marriage to Gun Woo was on the same day as Lady Min's arranged marriage. Gun-Woo decided to follow his mother's orders and marry the other girl. So-Hee, devastated that he did not come, then walked into the sea to drown herself.

Gun-Woo, searching for So-Hee, found Eun-Jae's unconscious body instead. He then took her to a doctor who revealed that she had another miscarriage. Through the help of Gun-Woo and the doctor, Eun-Jae was allowed to live in the hospital for free where she worked at the same time to show gratitude.

Lady Min, thinking Eun-Jae's experience was similar to hers, introduced Eun-Jae to her home. Thereafter, Eun-Jae took on the identity of Min So-Hee, in order to sought out revenge against Gyo-Bin and Ae-Ri who destroyed her life and tried to kill her. Gun-Woo fell in love with Eun-Jae in the process and Eun-Jae with Gun-Woo, but Eun-Jae decided to hold her feelings back for him in order to fulfill her revenge.

Ae-Ri gets suspicious of the woman claiming to be Min So-Hee. One day the two women met and Heidi was positive that this So Hee was Eun Jae. Eun Jae acted well and said that Ae Ri was crazy. Ae Ri didn't want to lose her man, so she went to Lady Min's house and ruined everything. Gyo Bin divorces Ae Ri and married So Hee. Gyo Bin kicks Ae Ri out of her house, but keeps Nino, Ae Ri's son. Nino is rude to So Hee because of the stories his mother tells him about her.

Ae Ri gets even more suspicious and calls Gyo Bin when So Hee and Gun Woo embrace. So Hee re-assured that she loved Gyo Bin that's why she married him, ensuring him that Gun Woo and her are just close siblings. Gyo Bin wants to have sexual intercourse with So Hee, but she bought twin beds instead of one big bed, and refused his advances. Ae Ri begs for Gyo Bin and his family to give her son to her. Ae Ri gets Nino, but Nino gets injured and Ae Ri pities her son, for now she was poor and could not give him a comfortable life. She returns Nino to Gyo Bin's family.

So Hee soon became worried about her true identity to be revealed by Ae Ri, with the help of Lady Min they went to her parents and told the truth which helped to have her true identity still covered. In order to complete her revenge, she tricks Gyo Bin to give all his family assets to her and her "mother" Lady Min, his father's company, their house, his mother's house and land and causes their family to go bankrupt. Lady Min had a history with Jung Ha Jo, Gyo Bin's father.

They had a child together (they were not married) named Ha Neul (meaning Star). To Lady Min, Ha Jo supposedly killed Star due to a sickness that was never treated and killed Lady Min's father by stealing their land. Lady Min gets revenge by telling Ha Jo to give all his assets (including Cheonji Constructions) and selling his house because of items on properties that was created by Gyo Bin to Lady Min. Because of this, Ha Jo complied and gave them up. To humiliate Ha Jo's family further, Lady Min gets his family to switch houses with Eun Jae's family, or Ha Jo's large house will be auctioned and sold away. Gyo Bin's family is now poor while Eun Jae's family is now living more comfortably. Gyo Bin says that he now loves Eun Jae and tries to force her to stay with him, since they are still lawfully wedded but the disgusted Eun Jae hates him.

The real So Hee comes alive and she was suffering from serious depression. She gets mad at Eun Jae because Gun Woo fell in love with her and they planned a wedding. So Hee crashes the wedding. One day Eun Jae went to work and everyone was praising her because of her make-up artist skills. So Hee tells all the workers that she was the real daughter of Lady Min and she proclaims herself the owner of Min Beauty Shop. Ae Ri saw this and asks So Hee to cooperate with her to ruin Eun Jae's life. At first, this works out. Later, Ae Ri will be the reason why Gun Woo divorced So Hee, this collaboration ended.

So Hee persuaded her mother to tell Gun Woo to marry her. (Min So Hee is Lady Min's real daughter and Gun Woo was adopted) Lady Min told Gun Woo that he had two choices: marry So Hee and Eun Jae's alliance will be better than ever or marry Eun Jae and Lady Min will never talk to Gun Woo or Eun Jae again. Gun Woo married So Hee because he thought her depression would get better and So Hee won't ruin Eun Jae's life. So Hee does the complete opposite.

Eun Jae continued to become the best make up artist and lives now with her family. One day, Gun Woo went to work to sign a contract with Harrison. Ae Ri wants to be back with Gyo Bin and bring back the position he had before and also the construction company, so she told Gyo Bin to sign the contract. Meanwhile, So Hee ruins Eun Jae's artwork and rips a page out. While they fight, Ae Ri calls Gun Woo about how Eun Jae is getting terrified. Gun Woo turns the car and drives to the Beauty Shop. He sees So Hee ripping the page and tells her to divorce him. Gun Woo is now late for his meeting, so Ha Jo tells Gyo Bin to sign the contract instead. Gun Woo now decides to divorce So Hee no matter what.

Ae Ri comes back to the family. She makes Gyo Bin sleep with her, making her pregnant. While she is pregnant, she has an advanced stage of stomach cancer. Doctors tell her to get an abortion so she can have the cancer surgery, but she refused. She thinks the baby is the only way to keep Gyo Bin and her together.

Ae Ri and Eun Jae join a make up competition that has three stages. On the first stage, Ae Ri, another lady, and Eun Jae won and would be competing. In the second stage, Ae Ri and Eun Jae won and would be competing against each other. In the third stage, Ae Ri gets desperate so she bribes the judges. In the competition, there were different judges. Ae Ri tells Eun Jae's model that a French make-up artist would talk to her. Ae Ri gets Eun Jae another model, but she was allergic to natural make-up, which was about this competition. The judges ask Eun Jae why she kept erasing the model's make-up. Eun Jae admits about the model's problem and tells them that the model has a rash. She covered the rash with her concealer. The judges proclaim Ae Ri as the grand prize winner. The judges find out in time that Ae Ri bribed the judges, so they change the winner to Eun Jae. Ae Ri had a miscarriage but Ae Ri and Eun Jae became true friends again.

Eun Jae insists Ae Ri to get the cancer treatment surgery, but Ae Ri is scared that she will die.

In the last episode, Ha Neul (who is the real, living Star) becomes pregnant with her husband Kang Jae. Ae Ri and Gyo Bin went on vacation. During this vacation, Ae Ri made a sea shell necklace for Nino. Ae Ri makes two letters: one for Gyo Bin and one for Eun Jae. Ae Ri went to the sea to drowns herself but Gyo Bin tried to save her. Ae Ri was screaming for him to let go because he needed to take care of Nino and that she was going to die anyway. He said he wasn't going to let go and he was going to save her. They were so tired that they were talking in their minds. Ae Ri's mind said to take good care of Nino. Gyo Bin's mind told her that he let go of Eun Jae's hand once, and he didn't want to make the same mistake with her. In the end, the couple dies.

The entire family attended their funeral. Eun Jae gives Nino the sea shell necklace saying, "This is the last present your mother is giving you." Nino goes on the street and a car nearly crashes into him. He states his mother and father were on the other side of the street. Everybody assumed that they were protecting their son from danger. Ae Ri's letter to Eun Jae said to bury her ashes on the beach where Eun Jae almost died in.

So Hee and her mother decides to go to America together. Lady Min gives Ha Jo the papers to own Cheonji Constructions again. Gun Woo met Eun Jae while she was spreading the ashes. He said that he was very sorry for hurting her feelings and that he won't do it again. He feels that Eun Jae should be his wife. So Hee gave Eun Jae two rings and a note sayingI broke you two up. Here's the chance to get back together again." Gun Woo puts his arm around Eun Jae and looks at the sky with her. They were sure that they saw Ae Ri and Gyo Bin together. The whole drama ended by having the two couples smiling at each other. Ae Ri and Gyo Bin were wearing white, and looking back at their friends.

Hope you will also enjoy these series as you would surely learn something from it. Life's learning... through these series, you can appreciate and value your marriage and love your husband dearly so he won't be tempted to fall for another woman, get trapped, and be poisoned by her venom.

Love it! :-)

Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan 2011

2011-09-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am so proud that I am a Bulakenya.

I got some of these details over the web and I just want to share them all to you.

Here are some details for the Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan 2011:

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — Official candidates of the first-ever “Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan” showed their best on their pictorial and press presentation the other day at the Mini-Forest, Capitol Compound this city.

Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado said that the pageant is one of the highlights of the upcoming celebration of Singkaban Fiesta this September.

Each pair of contestants was selected from the 21 towns and three cities of the province. They will participate in workshops, familiarization tours, fashion and talent shows and pre-pageant presentation. (Freddie C. Velez)

PGB launches Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan

CITY OF MALOLOS – Bulakenyos will now have the chance to take a glimpse on the candidates of the first ever “Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan” on their pictorial and press presentation on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 9:00 am at the Mini-Forest, Capitol Compound this city.

Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado said that the pageant is one of the highlights of the upcoming celebration of Singkaban Fiesta this September.

Moreover, Provincial Youth Sports, Employment, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office head Elizabeth Alonzo said that the event aims to promote not only the beauty of the candidates but more importantly, the good qualities, values and moral character of Bulakenyo youths, making them ambassadors and role models that will help the provincial government in their advocacy in protecting the environment and also boost the eco-tourism programs in the province.

Each pair of contestants was selected from the 21 towns and three cities of the province.

Aside from the press presentation and pictorial, the candidates will also participate in several activities like workshops, familiarization tour, fashion show, talent show and pre-pageant presentation.

Newly crowned Hari at Reyna ng Bulacan will receive trophy, sash, crown and cash prize amounting to P20,000.

However, candidates who will be chosen as the Hari at Reyna ng Turismo at Hari at Reyna ng Kabataan will take home P10,000 each, plus trophy and sash.

Other awards to be given are Best in Swim Wear, Best in Bulacañana (costume), Best in Casual Wear, Mr. and Ms. Photogenic and Mr. and Ms. Friendship.

The said pageant is made possible in coordination with the Association of Tourism Officers of Bulacan (ATOB).

Indeed, I am proud to be Bulakenya! :-)

How to Lose Fats and Get Back into Shape

2011-08-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

How to Lose Weight - My Personal Diet Tips

These things I plan to embrace as I motivate myself to lose weight to get pregnant and bear our second bundle of joy. Hopefully, I can obey what my Ob-Gyne tells me.

I will drink lots of water - more fresh fruit juices, goodbye soda and other carbonated drinks.
I will say hello to fruits, vegetables, supplements and milk - bidding goodbye to crackers, chips and sweets.
I will lessen my cups of rice, from one and a half cup of rice to a cup. no more extra cup/s of rice.
I intend to use our little investments on exercycles - stationary bicycles, exercise pads, ropes and other available gym equipment at home on a regular basis.
I will exercise.

All these things I plan to observe and put into practice moderately. I have no plans to do this drastically, no need to be in a hurry. I won't overdo. I will take my time. I hope to enjoy this weight-loss program. Smile and pray hard. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Buy slimming products today and get back into shape.

For inquiries, questions and orders,please feel free to send an email at oursilverspoonshop@gmail.com

You may also text or call her at +63-922-588-2657.

See us at FaceBook.

Add us up and be amazed how affordable and reasonable our prices are.

Happy Shopping :-) With us, Beauty is Fun!

♥♥♥ Mai Raine ♥♥♥

Why Feel Disappointed?

2011-08-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Disappointment the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations to manifest. Similar to regret, it differs in that the individual feeling regret focuses primarily on the personal choices that contributed to a poor outcome, while the individual feeling disappointment focuses on the outcome itself.

It is a source of psychological stress. The study of disappointment— its causes, impact and the degree to which individual decisions are motivated by a desire to avoid it— is a focus in the field of decision analysis, as disappointment is one of two primary emotions involved in decision-making.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Suspense is worse than disappointment.” - Robert Burns

“The sudden disappointment of a hope leaves a scar which the ultimate fulfillment of that hope never entirely removes.” - Thomas Hardy

Happy Birthday, Eieo

2011-08-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Thanking GOD for the Gift of a Son

Three years ago, August 14, 2008, I gave birth to a wonderful child, our greatest bundle of joy, our little prince, Eieo. Today he celebrates his 3^rd birthday and He still gives us that joy and fulfillment only he can – something so pure, sincere and rewarding.

The challenges of responsible parenthood have been easy to manage as raising you is always fun. Your sweet and tender hugs and kisses are the best and the greatest ways to feel that we are always blessed and will forever be so thankful.

Life has been so fun, rewarding and indeed a blessing – all because you are here.

Daddy and I will always be here for you – You are indeed the love of our lives, the sweetest and the reddest apple of our eyes.

Thanks for being our so loving, adorable, smart and jolly son.

Continue to be a blessing to everyone. GOD bless you abundantly - Always!

You're more than a son.

And daddy and I love you so very much.

Then, Now and Always. Happy Birthday, Son!

Writers' and Journalists' Prayer

2011-07-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Writer's Prayer

Open my mind, Lord. Grant me the talent to write with clarity and style, so my words go down rich and smooth, like fine wine, and leave my reader thirsty for more.

Open my heart, Lord. Grant me the sensitivity to understand my characters--their hopes, their wants, their dreams--and help me to confer that empathy to my reader.

Open my soul, Lord, so I may be a channel to wisdom and creativity from beyond my Self. Stoke my imagination with vivid imagery and vibrant perception.

But most of all, Lord, help me to know the Truth, so my fiction is more honest than actuality and reaches the depths of my reader's soul.

Wrap these gifts with opportunity, perseverance, and the strength to resist those who insist it can't be done.

Amen.

Fireproof Your Marriage Forever

2011-06-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Fireproof Your Marriage, Watch Fireproof The MOVIE.

Hubby and I have a good marriage. I know that with GOD at the center of our relationship, I firmly believe that we can fireproof our marriage.

Yes, we love, trust and respect each other much but sometimes, those have not been enough and so we needed some time to patch things up and get back to our senses --- that we have our unico hijo, our bundle of joy, our lifetime commitment, our life together, and this 'great' marriage.

We enjoyed the movie very much. In my Facebook wall, I proudly posted this out:

I had a great late-at-night movie marathon with Hubby Rainier Policarpio - FireProof: Thumbs up! A must-see movie for couples. Very Inspiring, touching and so so True. :)

Spread the word. Encourage other couples to watch this heart-warming, touching and life-changing film. A must-see movie for couples, a perfect bonding time with your lifetime partner.

Fireproof Review ... Read what other couples have to say about this great film. See what they have in mind. Please Click HERE.

No to RH Bill and I Stand Firm

2011-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

(A Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)

Our Filipino Brothers and Sisters:

The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Art. II, Section 11). The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception (Art. II, Section 12).

Background

We begin by citing the Philippine Constitution. We do so because we intend to write you on the basis of the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people and not on the basis of specifically Catholic religious teachings.

We are at a crossroads as a nation. Before us are several versions of a proposed bill, the Reproductive Health bill or sanitized as a Responsible Parenthood bill. This proposed bill in all its versions calls us to make a moral choice: to choose life or to choose death.

At the outset we thank the government for affording us an opportunity to express our views in friendly dialogue. Sadly our dialogue has simply revealed how far apart our respective positions are. Therefore, instead of building false hopes, we wish at the present time to draw up clearly what we object to and what we stand for.

Moral Choices at the Crossroads -- at EDSA I and Now

Twenty five years ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. With this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA I and a window of political integrity.

Today we come to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice. Our President rallied the country with the election cry, “Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap.” As religious leaders we believe that there is a greater form of corruption, namely, moral corruption which is really the root of all corruption. On the present issue, it would be morally corrupt to disregard the moral implications of the RH bill.

This is our unanimous collective moral judgment: We strongly reject the RH bill.

Commonly Shared Human and Cultural Values – Two Fundamental Principles

Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial.

Simply stated the RH Bill does not respect moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures. It is the product of the spirit of this world, a secularist, materialistic spirit that considers morality as a set of teachings from which one can choose, according to the spirit of the age. Some it accepts, others it does not accept. Unfortunately, we see the subtle spread of this post-modern spirit in our own Filipino society.

Our position stands firmly on two of the core principles commonly shared by all who believe in God:

(1) Human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God, the author of life, endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life. In the light of the widespread influence of the post-modern spirit in our world, we consider this position as nothing less than prophetic. As religious leaders we must proclaim this truth fearlessly in season and out of season.

(2) It is parents, cooperating with God, who bring children into the world. It is also they who have the primary inalienable right and responsibility to nurture them, care for them, and educate them that they might grow as mature persons according to the will of the Creator.

What We Specifically Object to in the RH Bill

Advocates contend that the RH bill promotes reproductive health. The RH Bill certainly does not. It does not protect the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born. The very name “contraceptive” already reveals the anti-life nature of the means that the RH bill promotes. These artificial means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition or actually destroying it. Moreover, scientists have known for a long time that contraceptives may cause cancer. Contraceptives are hazardous to a woman’s health.

Advocates also say that the RH bill will reduce abortion rates. But many scientific analysts themselves wonder why prevalent contraceptive use sometimes raises the abortion rate. In truth, contraceptives provide a false sense of security that takes away the inhibition to sexual activity. Scientists have noted numerous cases of contraceptive failure. Abortion is resorted to, an act that all religious traditions would judge as sinful. “Safe sex” to diminish abortion rate is false propaganda.

Advocates moreover say that the RH bill will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. This goes against the grain of many available scientific data. In some countries where condom use is prevalent, HIV/ AIDS continues to spread. Condoms provide a false security that strongly entices individuals towards increased sexual activity, increasing likewise the incidence of HIV/AIDS. “Safe sex” to prevent HIV /AIDS is false propaganda.

Advocates also assert that the RH Bill empowers women with ownership of their own bodies. This is in line with the post-modern spirit declaring that women have power over their own bodies without the dictation of any religion. How misguided this so-called “new truth” is! For, indeed, as created by God our bodies are given to us to keep and nourish. We are stewards of our own bodies and we must follow God’s will on this matter according to an informed and right conscience. Such a conscience must certainly be enlightened and guided by religious and moral teachings provided by various religious and cultural traditions regarding the fundamental dignity and worth of human life.

Advocates also say that the RH bill is necessary to stop overpopulation and to escape from poverty. Our own government statistical office has concluded that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the over-concentration of population in a number of urban centers. Despite other findings to the contrary, we must also consider the findings of a significant group of renowned economic scholars, including economic Nobel laureates, who have found no direct correlation between population and poverty. In fact, many Filipino scholars have concluded that population is not the cause of our poverty. The causes of our poverty are: flawed philosophies of development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption, social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic and social services, poor infrastructures, etc. World organizations estimate that in our country more than P400 billion pesos are lost yearly to corruption. The conclusion is unavoidable: for our country to escape from poverty, we have to address the real causes of poverty and not population.

In the light of the above, we express our clear objections:

1. We object to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good.

2. We are against the anti-life, anti-natal and contraceptive mentality that is reflected in media and in some proposed legislative bills.
3. We object strongly to efforts at railroading the passage of the RH bill.

4. We denounce the over-all trajectory of the RH bill towards population control.

5. We denounce the use of public funds for contraceptives and sterilization.

6. We condemn compulsory sex education that would effectively let parents abdicate their primary role of educating their own children, especially in an area of life – sexuality – which is a sacred gift of God.

What We Stand For

On this matter of proposed RH bills, these are our firm convictions:

1. We are deeply concerned about the plight of the many poor, especially of suffering women, who are struggling for a better life and who must seek it outside of our country, or have recourse to a livelihood less than decent.

2. We are pro-life. We must defend human life from the moment of conception or fertilization up to its natural end.

3. We believe in the responsible and natural regulation of births through Natural Family Planning for which character building is necessary which involves sacrifice, discipline and respect for the dignity of the spouse.

4. We believe that we are only stewards of our own bodies. Responsibility over our own bodies must follow the will of God who speaks to us through conscience.

5. We hold that on the choices related to the RH bill, conscience must not only be informed but most of all rightly guided through the teachings of one’s faith.

6. We believe in the freedom of religion and the right of conscientious objection in matters that are contrary to one’s faith. The sanctions and penalties embodied in the proposed RH bill are one more reason for us to denounce it.

Our Calls

As religious leaders we have deeply and prayerfully reflected on this burning issue. We have unanimously made the moral judgment – to reject the RH agenda and to choose life.

1. We call for a fundamental transformation of our attitudes and behavior towards all human life especially the most defenseless, namely, human life being formed or being conceived. The cheapness with which many seem to consider human life is a great bane to our religious-oriented nation.

2. We call upon our legislators to consider the RH bill in the light of the God-given dignity and worth of human life and, therefore, to shelve it completely as contrary to our ideals and aspirations as a people. We thank our legislators who have filed bills to defend human life from the moment of conception and call upon all other legislators to join their ranks.

3. We thank the great multitude of lay people all over the country, and particularly the dedicated groups who made their presence felt in the halls of Congress, to defend and promote our position. We call upon other lay people and adherents of other religions to join the advocacy to defend and promote our commonly shared ideals and aspirations.

4. We call on our government to address effectively the real causes of poverty such as corruption, lack of social and economic services, lack of access to education and the benefits of development, social inequities.

5. We call for the establishment of more hospitals and clinics in the rural areas, the deployment of more health personnel to provide more access to health services, the building of more schools, the provision of more aid to the poor for education, and the building of more and better infrastructures necessary for development.

6. We echo the challenge we prophetically uttered 25 years ago at EDSA I and call upon all people of good will who share our conviction: “…let us pray together, reason together, decide together, act together, always to the end that the truth prevail” over the many threats to human life and to our shared human and cultural values.

We commend our efforts against the RH bill (or the Responsible Parenthood bill – its new name) to the blessing of our almighty and loving God, from whom all life comes and for whom it is destined.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.
Bishop of Tandag
President, CBCP
January 30, 2011

Source: http://cbcpnews.com/?q=node/14472

9 REASONS WHY I OPPOSE THE RH BILL (HB 5043): IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE
by Redentor A. de la Rosa

1. The RH bill promotes artificial contraceptives which are abortifacients, meaning, they cause abortion.

According to a unanimous response of medical experts (including doctors from Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic) at an eight day hearing of the US Senate, human life begins at fertilization, that is, when the sperm penetrates the egg.[1][2] Contraceptives, like pills[3] and IUD’[4] often work by ejecting a newly fertilized ovum or a newly formed human being.[5]

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA), the biggest organization of medical practitioners in the Philippines, through its specialty society the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society represented by its President Dr. Sylvia Carnero, pronounced during a consultative meeting with the CBCP that “life begins at fertilization”.[6]

Faculty of Medicine of the University of Santo Tomas, the Philippine Nurses Association (with at least 368,589 members), the Bioethics Society of the Philippines, Catholic Physicians’ Guild of the Philippines stated that “the antiabortion stance of the bill is contradicted by the promotion of contraceptive agents (IUD and hormonal contraceptives) which actually act after fertilization and are potentially abortifacient agents.”[7]

2. Contraceptives are dangerous to health.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2007 reported that the pill causes cancer, giving it the highest level of carcinogenicity, the same as cigarettes and asbestos.[8] It also causes stroke,[9] and significantly increases the risk of heart attacks.[10]

In 2005, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization concluded that oral contraceptives cause breast, liver and cervical cancer.[11]

3. The RH bill demands a share of budget from the government to purchase harmful and deadly contraceptive devices from American multi-national firms, hence, benefiting only the U.S. while cutting budgets for education, food, and many other high priority medical needs.

4. Experience from other countries show that promotion of contraceptives encourages and tolerates sexual promiscuity, which leads to destruction of families, increase HIV cases, increase illegitimate and fatherless children, youth deviancy, more single mothers, and increase teenage pregnancies leading to increase abortion.[12][13]
According to the studies of Nobel prize winner, George Akerlof, promotion of contraceptives bring about the downgrading of marriage, more extramarital sex, more fatherless children, and more single mothers.[14]

According to the “best evidence” in the world, concluded Harvard Director for AIDS Prevention, Edward C. Green. Availability of condoms makes people take wilder sexual risks, thus worsening the spread of the disease.[15]

Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, Director of AIDS-Free Philippines, said that in 1987, Thailand had 112 AIDS cases, more or less the same number as the Philippines (135). By the year 2003, there were around 750,000 cases in Thailand, where there was an intense campaign for the "100% Condom Use Program", while there were only 1,935 cases in the Philippines, whose population is around 30% greater than Thailand's.[16][17]

"The Guttmacher Institute's own study in 2003 showed simultaneous increases both abortion rates and contraceptive use in the United States, Cuba, Denmark, Netherlands, Singapore, and South Korea."[18]

5. The Bill wants to use taxpayers’ money to finance the selfish and immoral behavior of others. It wanted to allocate money to make artificial contraceptives available for the personal immoral practices of unmarried individuals including teenagers.[19] The government has the duty to provide for the necessary needs of the people but not for their inordinate sexual desires.

6. It wants mandatory sex education taught in elementary and secondary schools without parents’ consent. Sex education promoters themselves state that it has led to more teenage pregnancies and illegitimacy.[20] Experience from other countries show that sex education liberalizes teenagers’ behavior regarding sex, introducing them to a promiscuous lifestyle, which leads to more teenage pregnancies and teenage abortions. The New York Civil Liberties Union said: “Every scientific study that has been done shows that sex education is correlated to, nothing else but, systematically increased use of contraception.”[21]

7. There is an alternative way of slowing down population growth.
Artificial Family planning (AFP) is not the only solution to high population growth rate. Any congressman can craft a Reproductive Health Bill which will extensively promote Natural Family Planning (NFP) only nationwide. We have not yet tried this solution, why not do it? An RH Bill which advocates AFP will be very expensive for the government, but an RH Bill which will advocate NFP only will be cheaper.

The Population Growth Rate in the Philippines (PGR) is already steadily decreasing during the past two decades even without the RH bill. In 2009, the PGR is 1.96%.[22] Promotion of artificial contraceptives, based on the experience of other countries, actually is more than 100% effective in lowering population growth because they have lead to negative population growth.

However, we don’t need to achieve 100 percent success (PGR = 0% or TFR = 2) in curbing population growth. To have a stable and sustainable population we will be needing 50-60 percent success rate (PGR of 0.8% – 1%), and this level can easily be achieved through comprehensive promotion of natural family planning alone, that is, even without promoting artificial contraceptives. In fact, studies in the early 90s have shown that NFP could be effective up to 98 percent.[23][24][25]

An RH Bill promoting NFP alone will not prohibit those who choose to use artificial contraceptives. They are still free to purchase them from private pharmacies, but no further government fund will be used to make artificial contraceptives free or cheaper for them. Full government assistance will only be available through NFP services. Hospital based family planning, like IUD, vasectomy, ligation, may still be available in public hospitals, and people may avail them at the same lower price as compared to private hospitals but not for free.

Second, in achieving its purpose of lowering population growth, NFP will promote the moral values of love, respect, chastity, discipline, self control and cooperation, thus, making Philippines a better place to live in.

8. The RH bill ignores the root cause of poverty which is corruption, and, rather, diverts the blame to the poor who are, in fact, merely the victims. With the abundance of natural resources in the Philippines, correct governance and good economic policies are more than enough to solve poverty in the Philippines.

9. In opposing the RH bill, Catholics are not forcing anyone not to use artificial contraceptives. In fact, at present, without the RH bill, many people are freely using contraceptives. On the other hand, the RH bill, if passed, will force, under penalty of imprisonment or fines, all Catholic employers, medical practitioners, spouses, and parents to give contraceptives and contraceptive services to their employees, patients, and children, hence, suppressing legitimate religious freedom and spousal and parental consent.[26]

LET Reviewer Links - Licensure Examination for Teachers

2011-05-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

To the BSE graduates (AY 2010-11) of MQAPC - our future educators...

Click HERE. Visit the PAGE and have a good read.

Enjoy!

GOD bless you all and your endeavors. =)

Here are some tips for you. Happy reading!

I have listed below ten things you should do if you plan to review on your own to get a license for teaching.

1. Know your weak and strong subjects. Allot some time on reviewing the lessons of your strong subjects. And enjoy the review so you could easily remember what you are reading. But alot more time on your weak subjects. Well, at least if you are weak in math for example, make sure you didn’t miss reviewing the concepts of what is covered in the test for General Math.

2. Understand theories and concepts. Review the different methods of teaching. Imagine how these ideas would be applied in a real teaching environment. If you are already teaching then that is great, since you can easily imagine how the theories and concepts are applied in the real world.

3. In my opinion, the exam is more of your analytical skills, so strive hard to improve it. Once you have understood theories and concept, make sure you know how to differentiate them and explain them in your own words. At least by doing these, you can easily recall them when you are taking the exam.

4. Don’t take for granted subjects under General Education. Remember that you have to pass all three sets of tests including General Education. Don’t assume this test is easy since you took this up when you were in Elementary or High School. Remember that a lot of years had passed. So brush up your memory especially the basic mathematical equations and basic science concepts.

5. Prepare everything before the exam. Make sure you have read the test guidelines many times. Check your calculator. To be sure, check the allowed calculators in the PRC’s list. If you don’t want to buy a new one though, make sure you have a non-programmable calculator. But don’t take my word on this because I wasn’t sure if other proctors had allowed calculators not in the list, although my friend said she didn’t even check the list and just grab a basic calculator with her. Proctors check each calculator before the exam starts.

6. Take enough sleep before the exam. Make sure you don’t feel drowsy while taking the exam so you have enough time to answer them all. I think that’s the reason one of my friends fail.

7. Eat well and use the restroom before the exam. You are not allowed to go out while taking the exam.

8. Avoid erasures. In my alma mater, where I had my college years, we took some of our exams in Scantron. So, I was used to answering tests by shading the boxes or circles. I knew how erasures could make a bad score. So before you shade it, make sure you are shading the right answer, or at least it is your final answer. If you need to erase it, make sure it is clean. But I still don’t think it is a good idea.

9. Follow instructions. Listen to what the proctor is telling you during the exam. If it is not clear, ask the proctor.

10. Most of the time, you haven’t reviewed whatever appears on the real exam. What will help you answer the exam are your basic understanding of the Education topics and your analytic skills. Don’t overdo it though because you might miss the right answer. Other test takers define it as common sense.

Hope this helps. =)

My Thoughts on Maico Greg Buncio's Death

2011-05-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Philippines' Motorbike Champ Dies in Accident

Manila : Philippines | May 17, 2011

By glassshards

MANILA, Philippines- One of the country's best and fastest motorbike racers died in an accident last Sunday, May 15.

Maico Greg Buncio, 22, was participating in a time trials in Clark Speedway Racing Circuit in Clark Field, Pampanga, running at an estimate speed of 220 kph, when he was thrown off his bike and onto the protruding steel bar from the unfinished railing of the speedway. He suffered massive serious injuries and punctured internal organs.

He was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Mabalacat, Pampanga, and was later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas Hospital. But he expired later despite the doctors' efforts to save him. He was declared dead at 3:57 pm.

He was eyeing his fifth consecutive win when the accident occurred.

The organizers immediately cancelled all the racing events upon learning the news of Buncio's untimely demise, and participants and motorsports afficionados offered a minute of silence for the eternal repose of his soul.

The Philippine motorsports mourned the loss of one of their great racers. They said he was "so young to win so many championships, yet so young to reach his final lap."

His remains lie at the Loyola Memorial Chapels in Guadalupe, Makati City.

The Buncio family was considering filing a case against the operators of Clark Speedway Circuit for their negligence.

Buncio, who had started racing since age 3, was hailed for his immense contribution in the Philippine motorsports. He had won several achievements during the course of his career, among which was Golden Wheel Awards' "Driver of the Year" last March. He was also chosen last month by Team Suzuki Pilipinas to be among the representatives of the Philippines in the upcoming 2011 Asian Road Racing Championship.

_________________________

May you rest in peace. Our Prayers are with you, your family, loved ones and friends.

Nicole Santos: Do You Know Her?

2011-05-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Who – or what – is 'Nicole Santos'?
By Alexander Villafania

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA -- “Nicole Santos” recently became trending topic on Twitter.

But “Nicole Santos” is not a person. She is a malicious Trojan software that made her presence known on May 12 on Facebook. Facebook users receive numerous, profane, and accusatory messages from one “Nicole Santos.”

A shirt was made in her honor by an enterprising person from the buy-and-sell site Etsy. A comedian named Ethan Newberry made a music video parody about her.

The inflammatory messages also contain the statement “Vote for Nicole Santos,” which was used by the Etsy T-shirt maker. Later messages will contain a link that claims to be a solution that will stop the flow of more vulgar messages.

However, the link is actually the script that accesses the users’ Facebook accounts and also taps into the victims’ network to spread itself.

One variation of the “Nicole Santos” Facebook spam had legitimate-looking links, asking users to “VERIFY THE ACCOUNT” that actually lead users to spread the malware even more. As such those within the Facebook network of victims Facebook networks will also get flooded with spam.

Facebook officials have so far stalled the spread after numerous complaints from victims of their service

“Nicole Santos” is a variation of a remove-this-app worm that was previously spread through Facebook. There are several types of this worm such as the Palevo.AP, Netsky.AP

Attacks on Facebook users have been increasing lately as cybercriminals see more effective use of social engineering in the service. People tend to trust people more within their networks, which is what cybercriminals are hoping to target.

There are at least 500 million active Facebook users today, 70 percent of whom are outside the United States. The Philippines as at least 23 million Facebook users and continues to grow.

Software security firm Sophos has some tips that should remind people to protect their social network services from such attacks. These include adjust Facebook privacy settings to protect identity and content, carefully thinking who would be allowed to be part of one’s network, showing "limited friends" to cut-down versions of personal profile.

Other tips include avoiding clicking on suspicious links and reporting them to Facebook’s help desk, thinking first what to put in one’s Facebook Wall, and keeping PC security software up-to-date.

***

Rants over Manny Pacquiao, his team, his Convoy and the Media at Quaipo Church

2011-05-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

After breakfast at the hotel in Manila, Pacquiao, his team and his convoy proceeded to the Quiapo Church in Manila for a thanksgiving Mass... Hubby and I were both disappointed and dismayed by what PACMAN and his people did at Quaipo Church.

The Holy Mass was disturbed and destructed. Its solemnity, sanctity and holiness were extremely affected. He should have stayed in his vehicle until the mass ends so as not to disturb the Holy Eucharist and respect it. He is a Christian and shall live with it at all times, no exemptions. We were so upset that such acts were allowed by the "people" and the parish.

Regardless of his being a "Pambansang Kamao" or a world champion boxer, he should know his limitations. The sanctity of the Holy Eucharist is far more important than his arrival and his busy schedule.

We are so disappointed on how rude they can be - whether they are aware or not.

Discernment. Reflection. Prayer. Sensitivity. Respect.

A Proud Mommy and A Fulfilled Wife

2011-05-07T00:08:00.001-07:00

It's Mother's Day!
A Tribute to all Mothers out there.
Days before Mother's Day, I have been so excited to blog about it and let the world know how blessed mothers are.

A Prayer of a Mother and a Wife

Compassionate and loving God,
thank you for giving me the opportunity
and the challenge of being a mother.
I know that this is not an easy task - to rear children and build a home.

Please help me when life seems too difficult,
when I lose my patience, understanding and generosity
toward my husband and my children.

Grant me the spirit of love, peace and joy
so that when I'm doing my daily routine, though heavy they may be,
these virtues may give me the strength to lighten my day.

Help me to be always cheerful and serene
so that my children and husband may look forward
to coming home again after school and after the day's work.

Dear God, my constant prayer is my concern for my children,
that they may become successful in life,
able to serve their countrymen and women,
but more importantly that they may grow up to be
Your faithful children.
Amen.
____________________________

Yes, Nothing to worry. I have a loving GOD, a caring Hubby and an admirable Son. I am truly blessed and I couldn't ask for more. They are my bundles of joy! They are my ultimate happiness. And our home sweet home is our sanctuary.

I am a mother, a wife and a "daughter"... With that, I would always be grateful, proud and overwhelmed. Life's at its best. Perfect. :-)

Mommy Mai

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. You're a great mother. I am thankful to my one and only Lola and Lolo for raising you well. You are a blessing to many, an inspiration to us. With all our love and prayers, happy mom's day! We heart you so much.

To all those who have become a mom to me (in one way or another) ... I sincerely thank you all. Happy mom's day. I love you all. You are a blessing to me. I'd surely pass the good things on. Stay pretty and happy. GOD bless US All.

Pope John Paul II and His Big Heart - A Story of Sincere and Genuine Forgiveness

2011-04-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II - A True Christian

He is indeed our daily dose of inspiration. Hubby and I are so sure that our 'Pope' has lived his life to the fullest as he has been very worthy of the "life" GOD has given and entrusted to him.

Pope John Paul II & Mehmet ali Ağca, 1983

This photo is very touching. It amazingly reminds me of goodness, genuine forgiveness, humility, sincerity and purity.

The picture shows Pope John Paul II with Mehmet ali Ağca, who, on 13 May 1981, severely wounded John Paul during an attempt to assassinate him in Rome.

Following the shooting, John Paul asked the world to "Pray for my brother (Ağca), whom I have sincerely forgiven."

Two days after Christmas 1983, John Paul II visited the prison where his would-be assassin was being held. The two spoke privately for 20 minutes. John Paul II said, "What we talked about will have to remain a secret between him and me. I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust."

His words were amazing. He's so admirable.

We miss you so much, Pope John Paul II.
You will surely be in our hearts forever... sharing your life, legacy and faith to the next generation, our children and even to our children's children...
passing on the good news from one generation to another.
Your CHRISTian life and good works are all worth sharing to all.

We sincerely thank GOD for giving you to us. Thanks for being an inspiration, for touching our hearts and changing our lives.

A toast to your being a Saint! Cheers!

Pope John Paul II’s Beatification on May 1: ‘Be not afraid’ a lasting legacy

More Updates and Stories HERE. Please click the LINKS.

Beatification and canonization of Pope John Paul II

The future starts today, not tomorrow. - Pope John Paul II

"Forgiveness happens inside the person doing the forgiving. It heals our pain and resentment before it does anything for the person we forgive; they might never know about it."
(Lewis Smedes, author of The Art of Forgiving, Morrings, 1996)

Japan HOKKAIDO Slimming Pills - Authentic and Effective

2011-04-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

AUTHENTIC Japan HOKKAIDO Slimming Pills
Specifications
Japan Hokkaido Pill For Weight Reduction
400mg x 40 pill Reduce weight safely and in high speed

Beautify waist and thighs
Consolidate body figures
Leave your body light
Relieve and discharge night stool and constipation
Promote good digestion

Japanese Chinese Formula
Thousands of year ago, the medical value was officially approved in Japan. Based on the Chinese traditional composite formula developed the weight reduction formula for the eastern. It is verified by its medical features and practical demonstration that it can meet the demand for perfect body figure of ladies. The accuracy of its ingredients and their contents guarantee the perfect figure construction effect.

Pill for weight reduction / aimed at the waist, abdomen, hip, thighs and face where fat always accumulate. Its specific Fat Consumption Formula is aimed at the accumulation of fat, accelerates the decomposition and consumption of fat, promote the catabolism of fat, as well as promote discharge of night stool and fat, and reduce fat, for weight reduction without worry.

Dill extract:Intensively the functioning efficiency of the body, improve the catabolism of fat, and reduce the accumulation of fat

Chinese rose extract, trumpet creeper extract:improve metabolism and promote consumption of fat.

Evening primrose extract lotus:reduce the excessive absorption of fat, promote the discharge of night stool and fat, and reduce fat.

Function: Weight Reduction
Appropriate population: simple obesity, obesity
Inappropriate population: children, women in pregnancy or breast feeding.

Guaranteed Period: 2 weeks you'll see initial slimming result

Manufactured Date: See bottom of the box.Storage: Coll And Dry place

Administration and dosage:two pills a time, once daily,before breakfast with clear water.

Japan Hokkaido Cangye Pharmacy Co.,Ltd.

THE PRODUCT IS GUARANTEED AUTHENTIC.

You can check the packaging and see if the product is authentic.

For inquiries, questions and orders, please feel free to send oursilverspoonshop@gmail.com me an email at

See us at FaceBook. Add us up and be amazed how affordable and reasonable our prices are.

Happy Shopping :-)

♥♥♥ Mai Raine ♥♥♥

Ultimate Love for Photography

2011-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Photography is indeed an art, a passion to most people nowadays. Taking pictures and capturing moments are both rewarding experiences that can give you such feelings of joy, serenity and satisfaction.

And with that, I know a friend smiles as she has so much love over photography as well as the great feeling of self-fulfillment her creative bits and pieces always give her.

In this post, I intend to feature a dear friend, Ms. Celine Paola Abacan, a fellow Marian alumna @ SMCM.

She had her bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Science in Commerce Major in Economics) at University of Santo Tomas.

With her passion and love over a handful of crafts that indeed make her creative juices overflow, she spends much of her leisure time on music, photography, culinary arts and other church-community services.

Seeing her photos/albums in Facebook, I was amazed how she has taken her photos with much passion. Even without formal schooling, you can see how her masterpieces can be a reflection of what's within her heart and mind. With that, we would like to tap and motivate her (through our own little ways) to pursue doing something she loves as this could really make her so proud, happy and fulfilled.

So Celine, keep up the good work and stay happy.
Cheers! We heart you so much!

See more of her works in her facebook. Love 'em too.

We want to hear from you, too. Ping and be heard. :-)

Another blog featuring the "HOLY WEEK" in Meycauayan City, Bulacan. Visit them here. See great photos. :-)
Parish Commission on Youth Meycauayan. BLOG

♥♥♥ MaiRenEieo ♥♥♥

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized use, edit, copy, reproduction, publication, duplication, download and distribution of any image may result in severe legal and criminal penalties under the law. The above photos were taken by Ms. Celine Paola Abacan and so the intellectual property rights remain to her. Please do not use elsewhere without the owner’s permission. If so, kindly notify the blogger at least. :-) Many Thanks!

Pope John Paul II Beatification - A Step Closer to Being a Saint

2011-04-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II Towards to Being a Saint

Pope John Paul II - Our Inspiration
Indeed, Pope John Paul II will always be OUR ultimate icon of Selfless, Unconditional and Forgiving Love

We love you very much.

John Paul II to be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on the Feast of Divine Mercy

With millions of the faithful I prayed throughout those final days of his life before he entered the eternal communion of love. What a gift he was - and still is. He showed us how to live and how to love as Jesus, poured out for others. He showed us that suffering joined to the Savior is a sign and vehicle of God's mercy and an occasion of grace. Then, he showed us how to die, not with fear, but with faith.

This Polish Pope was so filled with the love of God it was contagious. A talented and gifted "man of letters", a playwright, a philosopher, an intellectual giant, a poet, and a genuine human being , he had a heart that embraced the whole world like the Heart of the One whom he represented on earth.

He traversed the globe, proclaiming freedom to the captives and truth to the victims of failed false ideologies that had ravaged the people of the twentieth century, the bloodiest in all of human history. He proclaimed the unchanging, Christian message with a prophetic urgency, profound clarity and contemporary relevance.

Many tried to label him but he demonstrated how shallow the labels can be. He was simply a Christian who stood on the shoulders of giants, rooted in the ancient rich tradition of the Church while proclaiming Jesus Christ as "forever young."

Communism, atheism, secularism, and false humanisms, were exposed because he had the courage to stand up to tyrants with the bold message of the God who came among us to make us all new! He taught that Jesus Christ is the path to authentic personal, social and universal freedom!

He authored more encyclical letters, apostolic exhortations, constitutions and letters than any Pope in the two thousand year history of the Christian Church. Once I started reading his writings as a young man I could not stop. I wanted to consume them, and I have done so, over and over.I also hoped to become them and offer them to others. On that front, I have a long way to go.

Over many years I have come to understand more deeply the meaning of living in the communion of the Church because Pope John Paul II taught about it and lived it with such beauty. I have tried to practice his version of authentic ecumenism. I have tried to pass on to others his message of authentic freedom. However, the older I get, the more I realize how little I have accomplished.

This giant whose voice changed history was barely able to speak during those final hours. The once physically robust Pope presided over the Church from a wheelchair as a prophetic sign of the dignity of every human life; the message he carried throughout his pontificate. Just before he died he spoke to a friend at his bedside "I am happy. You should be too. Let us pray together with joy." Then, on April 2, 2005 at 9:37 p.m. after asking, "Let me go to my Father's House", he died in peace. The world wept.

I remember his death like it was yesterday. Along with millions, my heart sunk as he was placed in the earth after such a long period of suffering. When the "transitus" (passing to eternal life) of this holy man was completed it seemed as though that earth stood still. History was changed by the witness of one man singularly conformed to the One whom he served, Jesus Christ.

Pope John Paul II became in both life and death a "living letter", as St Paul wrote to the Corinthians. (2 Cor.3) Also, like the master he loved he became a "grain of wheat" fallen to the ground in order to bear much fruit. (John 12: 24-26) Like countless others my life was forever changed by this prophet who occupied Peters' chair for such a brief time. I must admit, my heart still hurts when I think of him. I miss him.

Like millions, I am convinced that history will record him as "John Paul the Great." However, I am also convinced that his message still needs to be unpacked in order to be used as material for the work to be done in this new missionary age.

There is no doubt that we had a saint in our midst. A man so filled with Jesus Christ that, like the Apostle Paul, he no longer lived but "Christ lived in him." (Galatians 2) The sentiment of the faithful expressed on the day on which his body was processed through the streets of Rome, "Santo Subito" has echoed as the Church has discerned the cause of his canonization.

Now, he will be raised to the Altar on the Feast of Divine Mercy and the faithful will call him "Blessed John Paul II." There is little doubt that soon, we will also affirm what the miracles effected by his continued intercession confirm, John Paul II is a Saint.

Filipino Choir to sing on Pope John Paul II Beatification

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, 12:1 pm | Posted by Nicoli Millares

ROME - A group of Filipino singers is bestowed with a significant role during the beatification of Pope John Paul II, to happen on May 1st, at St. Peter’s Square Vatican City in Rome. This is after they have been chosen to sing during the commencing of the program. Prior to this actual day of celebrating the late Pope’s beatification, the Vicariato of Rome opted to call on the Pinoy choir basing in the said place to do the opening song on April 30, at Circo Massimo, St. Peter’s Basilica.

The beatification celebration of the pilgrim pope is set to last in three days, wherein various activities are expected to happen all in line with the good will and miracles performed by the Pope.

In line with this, Sentro Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome is now busy making preparations for the said occasion as thanksgiving of the Filipino community for the good will of the late Catholic Church leader for the Filipino nation and the whole world.

The beatification of Pope John Paul II is expected to earn high numbers of Pinoy pilgrims and tourists especially there will be no required passes to attend the occasion.

Pope John Paul II will be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Reliable Sources:
Catholic Dot Org
Philippine NEWS DAILY
USA TODAY

REPOSTING... Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — During Pope John Paul II's 2005 funeral, crowds at the Vatican shouted for him to be made a saint immediately. "Santo subito!" they chanted for one of the most important and beloved pontiffs in history.

His successor heard their call. On Friday, in the fastest process on record, Pope Benedict XVI set May 1 as the date for John Paul's beatification — a key step toward Catholicism's highest honor and a major morale boost for a church reeling from the clerical sex abuse scandal.

He set the date after declaring that a French nun's recovery from Parkinson's disease was the miracle needed for John Paul to be beatified. A second miracle is needed to be canonized a saint.

Benedict himself will preside at the May 1 ceremony, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome for a precedent-setting Mass: Never before has a pope beatified his immediate predecessor.

Although the numbers may not reach the 3 million who flocked here for John Paul's funeral, religious tour operators in his native Poland were already preparing to bus and fly in the faithful to celebrate a man many considered a saint while he was alive.

"We have waited a long time and this is a great day for us," said Mayor Ewa Filipiak of John Paul's hometown of Wadowice, where the faithful lit candles Friday and prayed at a chapel in the town church dedicated to John Paul.

The Rev. Pawel Danek, who runs a museum in John Paul's family home, said Benedict had listened to the prayers.

"The Holy Father has confirmed what we all felt somehow," he said. "For us, John Paul II's holiness is obvious."

Benedict put John Paul on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died, waiving the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin. But he insisted that the investigation into John Paul's life be thorough to avoid any doubts about his virtues.

The beatification will nevertheless be the fastest on record, coming a little more than six years after his death and beating out Mother Teresa's then-record beatification in 2003 by a few days.

It is not without controversy, however. While John Paul himself was never accused of improprieties, he has long been accused of responding slowly when the sex abuse scandal erupted in the United States in 2002. Many of the thousands of cases that emerged last year involved crimes and cover-ups during his 26-year papacy.

Critics have faulted John Paul's overriding concern with preserving the rights of accused priests, often at the expense of victims — a concern formed in part by his experiences in communist-controlled Poland, where priests were often accused of trumped-up charges.

The most damaging case linked to John Paul concerned the Rev. Marciel Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, a conservative order beloved by the late pope because of its orthodoxy, fundraising prowess and ability to attract priestly vocations.

Allegations that Maciel had raped young seminarians were brought by the victims to the Vatican in the 1990s, but under apparent orders from John Paul's No. 2, a canonical trial was shelved.

Only after Benedict became pope was Maciel sanctioned in 2006; Maciel died two years later.

Despite the Maciel case, Vatican officials have said there was nothing in John Paul's record that put his beatification into question. Vatican watchers noted on Friday that beatification isn't a "score card" on how John Paul administered the church but rather a recognition that he led a saintly life.

Carl Anderson, head of the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organizations, said John Paul's life was a model of "love, respect and forgiveness for all."

"We saw this in the way he reached out to the poor, the neglected, those of other faiths, even the man who shot him," Anderson said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "He did all of this despite being so personally affected by events of the bloodiest century in history."

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano described his saintliness in these terms Friday: "A passionate witness to Christ from his childhood to his last breath."

The last remaining hurdle before beatification concerned Benedict's approval that the cure of the French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, was a miracle due to the intercession of the late pope.

The nun has said she felt reborn when she woke up two months after John Paul died, cured of the disease that had made walking, writing and driving a car nearly impossible. She and her fellow sisters of the Congregation of Little Sisters of Catholic Maternity Wards had prayed to John Paul.

On Friday, Simon-Pierre said John Paul was and continues to be an inspiration to her because of his defense of the unborn and because they both suffered from Parkinson's.

John Paul "hasn't left me. He won't leave me until the end of my life," she told French Catholic TV station KTO and Italy's state-run RAI television.

Wearing a white habit and wire-rimmed glasses, she appeared in good health and showed no signs of tremors or slurred speech, common symptoms of Parkinson's.

"John Paul II did everything he could for life, to defend life," she said. "He was very close to the smallest and weakest. How many times did we see him approach a handicapped person, a sick person?"

Last year, there were some questions about whether the nun's original diagnosis was correct. But in a statement Friday, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints said Vatican-appointed doctors had "scrupulously" studied the case and determined that her cure had no scientific explanation.

Once he is beatified, John Paul will be given the title "blessed" and can be publicly venerated, or worshipped. Many people, especially in Poland, already venerate him privately, but the ceremony will allow Catholics to publicly worship him.

The Vatican said John Paul's entombed remains, currently in the grotto underneath St. Peter's Basilica, will be moved upstairs to a chapel just inside a main entrance for easier access by the public.

Visitors are expected in droves. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno had a previously scheduled audience with Benedict on Friday and said he had assured the pope that the city was up to the task.

Born as Karol Wojtyla in 1920, John Paul was the youngest pope in 125 years and the first non-Italian in 455 years when he was elected pontiff in 1978.

He brought a new vitality to the Vatican, and quickly became the most accessible modern pope, sitting down for meals with factory workers, skiing and wading into crowds to embrace the faithful.

His Polish roots nourished a doctrinal conservatism — opposition to contraception, euthanasia, abortion and female priests — that rankled liberal Catholics in the United States and Western Europe.

But his common touch also made him a crowd-pleasing, globe-trotting superstar whose papacy carried the Catholic Church into Christianity's third millennium and emboldened eastern Europeans to bring down the communist system.

He survived an assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square in 1981 — and promptly forgave the Turk who had shot him.

After suffering for years from the effects of Parkinson's, he died in his Vatican apartment on April 2, 2005. He was 84.

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's most trusted friend and aide who was at his bedside that night, gave thanks Friday from Krakow, where he is archbishop.

"We are happy that this process came to an end, that what people asked for — "Santo subito" — was fulfilled," Dziwisz said. "I express great joy on behalf of the entire diocese of Krakow — and I think I am also authorized to express this on behalf of all of Poland."

The selection of May 1 — the first Sunday after Easter — as the beatification date is significant. It's the Feast of Divine Mercy, which John Paul himself inaugurated in 2000 after canonizing Sister Faustina Kowalska, a 20th century Polish mystic to whom he was particularly devoted.

It's also May Day or labor day, what was once a major communist holiday. While there was some irony in the date, few in Poland noted it and Poles today celebrate May 1 as a welcome and uncontroversial holiday like the rest of Europe.

Ukay-Ukay Finds, Pre-Loved Items, VIntage Clothes Turned Ultimate Fashion GEMS in an Instant

2011-04-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ukay-ukay shops have been sprouting literally everywhere – from the hole in the wall store at the street corner to prolific online shops selling thrifted or so-called vintage clothes.

Why is ukay-ukay popular?

Ukay-ukay is the Filipino version of a “flea market”. The ukay-ukay phenomenon started about five to seven years ago and at that time, ukay stores selling cheap and fashionable items could only be found in Baguio. Bargain hunting is popular because going through racks of clothes to find the dress gets your adrenaline pumping, especially when you have to compete with fellow fashionistas who can’t pass up that perfect white summer dress, those lovely boots or that one-of-a-kind edgy graphic-printed skirt.

Ukay ukay may be considered a sport in some ways. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t. Some people even swear by their ‘ukay fairies' which help them find wonderful clothes at dirt-cheap prices.

Another reason why people frequent ukay-ukay stores is because everyone wants to have a little designer piece here and there without having to pay designer prices. Lucky shoppers sometimes discover a designer dress for only P200.00, which would normally set them back a couple of thousands, if not more. Yes, ukay-ukay can be a heaven for the avid shopper.

On a more eco-friendly note, thrift shops also pave the way for lessening one’s carbon footprint. Via reduced unnecessary spending and involving the reuse, recycle or re-style of a product, it saves the product from its terminal trip to the landfill.

What is the difference between a thrifted item and a vintage one? Most of the time ukay shops (both physical stores and online stores) interchange these two words which may prove to be confusing.

Defining Thrifting

When the word thrifted is used to describe clothes, it means the item was previously used by an individual and then later donated to a thrift store. Depending on the store, sometimes the money earned from selling these clothes is donated to charity, with a certain portion of it going to the store owner. Wikipedia defines thrifting as “the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price.” A thrifted item simply means it was purchased from a secondhand dealer, regardless of how old the actual item is.

Defining Vintage

Not just because an item is considered old, you can automatically call it “vintage”. Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or secondhand garments originating from a previous era. Just like fine wine, vintage clothes are aged. The more they age, the greater their value becomes.

Generally, clothing made before the 1920s are considered as antique, while clothing made during the 1920s to 1980s may be considered vintage. However, a vintage purist may tell you that anything made within the past 15 years is not vintage, but considered as contemporary. That said, one not only has to check the dates, but also the craftsmanship that goes along with vintage clothing to determine its authenticity.

Vintage clothing was designed to be worn for years, therefore they were made of robust quality and were meant to be passed down from one family member to the next. Garments usually have unusual buttons, hand finishing, hand embroidery, handmade lace, appliqué, beading and other techniques.

Some Tips on How to Identify Vintage Clothing

* Identify the fabric. Read garment labels, compare the fabric to identified fabrics in your closet, at the fabric store or conduct a burn test. If the fabric is synthetic, most likely the garment was produced after World War II. Nylon, the first synthetic fabric, was available to the public in 1940 in the form of hosiery. General garments made of nylon were not widely available until the 1950s.

* Examine the zipper as its location has changed throughout the decades. A zipper in the center of the back of the dress indicates the garment dates to the late 1950s or later. A zipper starting under the sleeve and ending at the waist or hem indicates the dress was created anywhere from the 1930s to the 1960s. Before the late 1930s, women wore dresses that were fastened or closed with buttons, ties or clasps.

* Observe the cut. Hemlines and sleeves have changed throughout the decades. Hems did not rise above the knee until the 1960s and armholes were very narrow in the 1950s throughout the 1970s. In ladies' wear, waist measurements of dresses were much smaller in proportion to hip and bust measurements in the 1940s and 1950s as compared to the succeeding and directly preceding decades.

Know Your Vintage Clothing Condition
Understandably, because vintage clothing is not new, it is important to determine its condition before purchasing. This is especially useful when buying clothes online as it will help you determine if the garment is worth investing in or not.

* Mint – the item is in pristine condition, as when it was originally made, showing no signs of wear
* Near Mint – showing the slightest signs of wear
* Excellent – showing typical signs of wear due to occasional use
* Very Good – the item is considered wearable but has some surface flaws (staining or soiling)
* Good – an item is wearable but cannot be returned to excellent condition even if repairs are made

Surprisingly, at the ukay-ukay shop there are also affluent-looking individuals and even fashionistas who also sweat their butts out looking for that perfect fashion find. But when you go shopping, look casual and discreet—most ukays are in dodgy locations so it’s best to blend with the crowd.

SO, GET THAT UKAY-UKAY FASHION NOW!

Looking for that PERFECT clothing in an ukay-ukay is a test of one’s patience. Some people might feel weird about the idea of wearing secondhand clothing, but there’s something timeless and ethereal about ukay-ukay. If you live in a style-conscious city, this guarantees that you won’t look like everybody else. Pretty much items found in ukay-ukay stores are one-of-a-kind pieces. Here is a list of the ukay-ukay stores I’ve visited:

• Baguio (there are a lot around the city, it is locally known as WAGWAGAN)
-Hilltop
-Baguio City Market
-Bayanihan
-Session Road

• Bambang, Sta. Cruz, Manila

• Cubao, QC (near Ali Mall)

• Makati Cinema Square

• Ortigas (across Robinson’s Galleria)

• Grand Central, Monumento LRT Station Exit

• Meycauayan City, Bulacan

• Marilao, Bulacan

• Balagtas, Bulacan

Yes, there is fun in ukay-ukay - such a journey that should be enjoyed in bits and pieces.

Ukay-ukay Philippines - my ultimate gems, fashion treasures in an instant. Love to visit this ukay-ukay stores in Manila, Bulacan, Baguio, Quezon City and all.

Okay sa ukay-ukay! Happy shopping!

AJ Perez and Rico Yan - Their Similarities

2011-04-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

I was checking the web for the newest and the hottest Trending Issue at Yahoo and Google when I came across this blog on the presentation of the "shocking similarities of AJ Perez and Rico Yan." Read on and let us hear from you, too. Thanks!

Below is a similar BLOG POST on this issue:

Some people had always noticed the resemblance of AJ Perez's features to that of Rico Yan's. Someone even took a photo of AJ Perez while posing beside the framed picture of Rico displayed in the halls of the ABS-CBN building. Check it out below:

AJ Perez posing beside Rico Yan's picture | Photo courtesy of Ogie Diaz

Acting-wise, it seemed like Star Magic head Johnny Manahan found AJ to follow Rico's footsteps. He reportedly said, “Given the chance, he can be another Rico Yan.”

However, nobody ever expected that AJ would have the same fate as Rico - to die at an early age in the peak of his career in showbiz. Also, people can't help to talk about these similarities:

*They were both ABS-CBN homegrown talents.
*They were among the few in showbiz to be known for their "baby face".
*They were both La Sallitas.
*They were young when they died.
*They both died in a Holy Week.
*They were both asleep when they died.
*Their wakes were both held at La Salle Greenhills.
*As Rico, AJ will also be laid to rest at Manila Memorial Park.

Rico Yan died of Acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis on March 29, 2002 in Palawan. He was 27.

Meanwhile, AJ Perez passed away at age 18 yesterday, April 17, 2011 in a vehicular accident.

AJ Perez is Dead. May You Rest in Peace.

2011-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Our Prayer for AJ Perez...

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May his soul together with all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace through the mercy of God. Amen.

Almighty Father, source of forgiveness and salvation, grant that his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, who have passed from this life may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the saints, come to share your Eternal happiness through Christ, our Lord. Amen
AJ Perez, 18, is dead.

AJ Perez, or Antonello Joseph Sarte Perez in real life, was pronounced dead at 12:20 a.m. The cause of his death, according to reports, is "multiple head injuries," which he sustained after his car got hit by a bus and a truck in Paniqui, Tarlac.

He just finished a show in Dagupan, Pangasinan, which celebrated its annual Bangus Festival. His last tweet—which was posted four hours ago, or around 11:00 p.m.—read, "On the way home already from Dagupan.Long drive ahead.. Thanks to everybody who watched..."

Darlasauler.com stated that the Star Magic talent was with his dad, a security personnel, and a driver, at the time the accident took place.

Reliable Source: Yahoo News

Actor AJ Perez killed in Tarlac highway accident

abs-cbn NEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Eighteen-year-old actor and model AJ Perez was killed in a highway accident in Tarlac early Sunday morning, according to a report by radio dzMM.

Police said Perez was with his father and 4 others aboard an ABS-CBN van that collided with a Partas provincial passenger bus along McArthur Highway in Barangay San Julian, Tarlac.

Police Officer 2 Michael Millante of the Moncada Police told dzMM that Perez was declared dead on arrival by a hospital in Paniqui shortly after the accident took place at 12:10 a.m.

Perez’s 5 other companions were reportedly also injured during the crash and were taken to the hospital for treatment. They are Gerardo Perez (father), driver Christopher Bautista, Christina Ferrer, Edwin Patelos and Dannilyn Nunga.

The group had just come from a show in Dagupan and were reportedly on their way back to Manila.

Millante said the van carrying the victims tried to overtake a trailer truck when it collided with the incoming Partas bus.

"Nung makarating sa may Barangay San Julian, allegedly itong van ng ABS-CBN, um-overtake ng isang trailer. 'Yung pagka-overtake n'ya po, in the process, nag-alangan po siya. Tinamaan po niya itong Partas na nagresulta sa pagkapinsala nung laman ng van," he said.

Earlier, showbiz reporter and columnist Ogie Diaz reported the incident through his Twitter account.

"Galing ng Dagupan, pauwi na. Tulog lahat sa van. Sa Tarlac, biglang bumangga sa trak. Bago pa nadala si AJ Perez sa ospital, wala nang buhay," Diaz posted on twitter.

Diaz said he has talked to the father of the Star Magic actor.

"Nasa isang clinic sa Paniqui, Tarlac ang mga labi ni AJ Perez. Kausap ko si Daddy kanina, iyak nang iyak. Ndi ako makakatulog nito," added Diaz.

Shortly before the accident, Perez was still able to post a twitter message thanking his fans who attended his show in Dagupan.

"On the way home already from Dagupan.Long drive ahead.. Thanks to everybody who watched, thanks to zui for the gifts.And hi again to jarred!" said Perez.

Messages of sympathy

ABS-CBN, meanwhile, issued a statement regarding the actor's death.

"ABS-CBN sympathizes with AJ's Family on his untimely demise and urges everyone to pray for the eternal repose of AJ's soul and for the family and love ones he left behind," the network said in a statement read by Corporate Communications manager Kathy Solis over dzMM.

Fans and co-workers took to the social media networks to express their shock about the news of Perez's sudden death. They also expressed messages of sympathy to the actor's family.

"Aj. You were like a brother to me. You'll always be in my heart. May you rest in peace.'," wrote young actress Lauren Young who was paired with Perez in the now-defunct youth-oriented television show "Abt Ur Luv."

"I'm going to miss you so much. My loveteam, my friend, my brother. All I know is you're in a better place now and I won't question that," she added.

"We are so saddened with the passing of AJ Perez (@ajperez17). Rest in peace brother. :( #fb," tweeted actor Enchong Dee.

":( condolences and prayers of comfort and strength to the family and love ones of aj perez... Such sad news.." beauty queen Lara Quigaman said in her Twitter account.

"I'm still in shock. My condolences to the family of AJ Perez. napakabait na bata," shared actress Angel Locsin.

Entertainment career

Perez, or Antonello Joseph Sarte Perez in real life, appeared in various commercials of companies and brands, Colgate, Pepsi, Sun Cellular, Ayala Land, and Globe Telecom. He popularized the phrase "ye-bah!" in the UFC Banana Ketchup ad.

ABS-CBN first spotted him in Milo commercial, where the 5'8"-tall La Salle Greenhils student showed off his basketball skills. He then underwent workshops and eventually became a member of ABS-CBN's circle of homegrown talents collectively known as Star Magic.

He was part of the cast of various movies, including "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo" and its sequel, "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo", BFF: Best Friends Forever, Ang Tanging Pamilya: A Marry Go Round," among others.

On TV, he was part of the teen-oriented program "Abt Ur Luv", and various television series, including "Lobo" and "Agua Bendita".

He played the main cast role in the recently concluded primetime drama, "Sabel".

On Sundays, he joined other ABS-CBN artists on the popular A.S.A.P. variety show where he is part of the boy group "Giggerboys."

Perez was born on February 17, 1993 to a Bicolana mother and Ilonggo father.

More Personal Details About AJ Perez
Antonello Joseph "AJ" Sarte Perez (February 17, 1993 – April 17, 2011) was a Filipino actor. He was a member of ABS-CBN's circle of homegrown talents collectively known as Star Magic in Batch 13. He portrayed one of the lead characters in the 2009 miniseries Your Song Presents: Underage.

Perez was born on Wednesday, February 17, 1993 to a Bicolana mother and Ilonggo father. He has attended high school at La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong City.

He landed his first commercial with Globe and was later cast in the UFC commercial, popularizing the phrase "ye-bah!". His Milo TV commercial showcased his basketball skills.

He attended self-enhancement workshops with Talent Center and became a member of Star Magic Batch 13. His appearances included ASAP, Abt Ur Luv and as a guest in some ABS-CBN shows.

He teamed-up with Lauren Young in the television series Lobo in the roles of Zoey and Yani Mendoza. He starred in a film for Star Cinema with Joseph Estrada, Ms. AiAi delas alas, Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga directed by Wen Deramas: Ang Tanging Pamilya.

Reliable Source: WikiPedia
Photo Credit: BLOGSPOT and ABS-CBN News

Laugh Out Loud - Some "Baduy" Jokes to Laugh at With Your Loved Ones

2011-04-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Laughter is the best medicine.
So let's laugh out loud, take a break and have some good laughs.

With much Love and Laughs,

Mommy Mai

Blogger's Note: Some may be "baduy" or corny;
Some may be so "green" too...
but some also made us laugh and smile.
Oh well, these are very simple things to enjoy... :)

PABADUYAN...

"Bakit ba pati ako, binibigyan nyo ng malisya? Ano ba ang kasalanan ko?!"

- Talong

"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo na ako'y sa iyo. Ayoko lang naman na sa harap ng maraming tao, ganun mo na lang ako itanggi!"

- Utot

"Hindi lahat ng malakas, super hero!"

- Putok

"Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako papatong sa iyo?"

- Lego

"Kahit papaano, gusto ko din ng exposure!"

- Singit

"Hindi lahat ng hinog ay matamis!"

- Pigsa

"Hindi lahat ng kulot, salot!"

- Goldilocks

"Hindi lahat ng bubuyog, kulay itim!"

- Jollibee

"Halika, bigyan mo pa ako ng init. Kailangan kong pumutok para ako'y iyong matikman at ika'y masarapan. Ayan na! Puputok na! Humanda ka!"

- Popcorn

"Kapag ang katawan mo'y nag-iinit, lagi na lang ako ang hinahanap mo. Maya't maya mo akong ginagamit at pinapagod. Hindi ka na naawa!"

- Aircon

"Pagod na akong humawak ng balls mo! Pagod narin ako sa pagbihis-hubad mo sa akin. Malapit na naman ulit! Ayoko na!!!"

- Christmas Tree

"I ikspik that it will be a long payt, a good payt, But you know, I didn't ikspik. Tinks por da God, you know, and tinks por ol da pelepeno pipo!"

- Manny Pacquiao

"You never even thank me for making you happy, then you throw me away just like that. I hate you for using me, for making my life full of shit!"

- Tissue

"Alam kong sa tingin mo, masaya ako! Pero bakit kayo ganyan?! Sa tuwing wala na kayong masabi, ako na lang ang ginagamit nyo! Pagod na pagod ako sa pagngiti!"

- Smiley

"You can cry all you want, you could always blame me. You said, it wasn't fair that you just want life to be better. But remember, it's all your fault! You stabbed me with a knife!"

- Sibuyas

"Isubo mo ang kahabaan ko. Dilaan. Sipsipin. Paglaruan sa bibig mo. Para lumabas ang katas ko na kinasabikan mo. Nagmamahal,"

- Ice Candy

"Bakit ayaw nyo pa rin sa akin kahit sosyal at maganda ako? Dahil ba mas sweet ang iba?"

- Fruitcake

"Pinapaikot mo lang ako! Nagsasawa na ako. Mabuti pang patayin mo na lang ako".

- Electric fan

"Hindi lahat na walang salawal ay bastos!"

- Winnie d' Pooh

"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad kundi ang mapalapit sa iyo. Pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo".

- Ipis

"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka! Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang habol mo."

- Hipon

"Ayoko na! Pag nagmamahal ako, lagi na lang maraming tao ang nagagalit! Wala ba akong karapatang magmahal?!"

- Gasolina

"Sawang-sawa na ako, palagi na lang akong pinagpapasa- pasahan, pagod na pagod na ako."

- Bola

"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka, mahirap ka ba talagang makontento sa isa? Bakit palipat-lipat ka?

- TV

"Hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin C"

- Kili-kili

"Pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay mo, babalik at babalik ako!

- Libag

"Anung kasalanan ko sa iyo, iniwan mo na ang akong duguan..."

- Sanitary Napkin

"Wag mo na akong bilugin."

- Kulangot

"Bwisit na buhay ito! Araw-araw na lang, itlog! Umaga, tanghali, gabi, itlog! Itlog! Itlog! Lagi na lang itlog!"

- Brief

"Sige, kalimutan mo ako para malaman ng iba ang baho mo!

- Deodorant

"Ako lang ang makakapagpadugo ng ilong ni Manny Pacquiao!"

- English

"Hindi totoong anak ko si Bakekang! At lalong hindi ko kapatid si Mike Enriquez! Kaya pwede ba, tigilan na ang tsismis na yan!"

- Shrek

Support UNICEF Philippines' Champions for Children

2011-04-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Just want to share this post to all my readers out there...

Support UNICEF Philippines' Champions for Children

Champions for Children is a community of individuals whose regular contributions enable a growing number of Filipino children to enjoy the right to education, healthcare and nutrition as well as protection from neglect, abuse and exploitation.

But does UNICEF—an international organization with government and corporate partners—really need the support of individual champions? Yes! When pooled together, the modest yet regular monthly donations made by individual donors like you add up to provide us with a steady and reliable source of funds.

This kind of committed funding is necessary for us to sustain ongoing projects and map out long-term strategies in the fight for children's rights. It also allows us to quickly respond when and where the need is greatest, such as providing emergency relief during calamities, times of conflict and other critical situations.

How can your monthly donation help?

To be a Champion for Children is to be a champion for change.

All funds raised will be used to help children in the Philippines. Here’s how:

Many children die before their 5th birthday, but your Php600 / month can help 6 children survive by providing life-saving medical treatments.
Most children don’t get to finish the 6th grade, but your Php 500 / month can help 5 children stay in school with books and basic supplies.

Php 20.00 per day = Php 600 per month
Php 16.67 per day = Php 500 per month

With your pledge…
YOU are helping change the future of Filipino children
YOU are a UNICEF partner in championing the rights of children

How can I sign up to be a Champion?

Interested donors can sign up to become a Champion for Children at UNICEF booths in selected malls across Manila. The most convenient way is to have this charged to your credit card as this is the most efficient way to process your donation and ensures that the most funds reach the children that need them.

But if you don’t have a credit card, you can call our donation hotline (632) 758-1000 / 758-1442 (Mon to Fri, 8 am to 5 pm) and discuss other ways to donate. Your donation will go directly to help children through UNICEF programs in education, health, nutrition and child protection in the Philippines.

Upon signing up, champions will receive a welcome SMS or call to confirm their participation. Once confirmed, they will receive a welcome letter from Gary Valenciano, UNICEF National Ambassador, and a donor guide booklet.

Members of this caring community will gain a better understanding of how their contribution has made a difference on children’s lives through regular updates from the children, the UNICEF country representative and program officers in the field and full reports on various UNICEF projects. They will also receive certificates of appreciation, specially designed tokens and their very own Champions for Children ID.

YOU CAN HELP. BE A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN TODAY!

To know more about UNICEF's Champions for Children Program:

Partner malls where you can sign up to be a Champion

Q&A with Gary Valenciano, UNICEF National Ambassador

"Why I'm A Champion for Children"

Yes, hubby and I would be CHAMPIONS for CHILDREN.
Let's do our share and spread the good news!
Indeed, the best time to make living very much worthy and overwhelming.
Making a child smile is a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. =)

Daddy Ren and Mommy Mai (Eieo)

Lara Quigaman's Gown in Binibining Pilipinas 2011

2011-04-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Such a Very Controversial Issue in the Showbiz Today

Read more and be in! Know her tweets and let me know your insights... regarding her feelings on her being a Beauty Queen.

Source and Photo Credit: Abante Tonite

Lara, Nagpasilip ng Underwear?!

Nag-host din nu’ng gabing ‘yon si Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman na in fairness ay nagustuhan namin ang dalawang gowns na sinuot.

Eksenadora ang pulang Michael Cinco gown ni Lara dahil nang hawiin niya ito ay lumabas ang kanyang sparkly underwear.

Katerno ng nasabing gown ang pang-ilalim na ‘yon at sadya ‘yung ipinakita ni Lara, kaya lang ay medyo naging iba ang dating no’n sa iba.

May nagsabing tila ‘unbecoming’ of a beauty queen ang ginawang ‘yon ni Lara.

Okey lang daw na gawin ni Lara ang gimik na ‘yon kung awards night at dinaluhan niya at hindi pormal na beauty pageant.

Kung may mga hindi nagkagusto ay meron ding mga nataypan ang drama ni Lara that night dahil naging playful lang siya at nakeri niya ito na hindi bastos ang kanyang dating.

Naaliw kami sa paandar na ‘yon ni Lara at bet din namin ang kanyang green Francis Libiran gown na kitang-kita ang kurbada ng kanyang katawan.

Medyo nag-buckle-buckle din ang nobya ni Marco Alcaraz sa paghu-host pero pasable na siya para sa amin.

Very proud si Marco sa kanyang beauty queen girlfriend at nandu’n ang hunky actor sa Araneta para sumuporta.

Tweet ni Lara after ng pageant, “Yes, nabuyoy (nabulol) po ako but that doesn’t make me stupid or you any better than me.”

Sabi niya pa sa Twitter, “Finally, sarap humiga, magtanggal ng false eyelashes, hair extensions, make up, mabigat na earrings, masikip na gowns.

“Ang sarap kumain after two days of just fruits and a few pieces of M&M’s. Mahirap maging beauty queen, so give us a little credit.”

Tweets of Ms. Lara Quigaman - parang HINDI siya. Kinda disappointing. :-)

McDonald Pulled Out Its Latest "BF-GF" Ad

2011-04-13T04:07:00.000-07:00

McDonald's Commercial Ads
Among the TV and print ads of McDonald's, Karen (Gina) and Lolo was our all-time favorite. It has touched many hearts and has moved the lives of its most, if not all, viewers.

I write this blog post because I can hardly keep my mouth shut as I sincerely worry that this Ad might mess up the integrity and legacy McDo has lived by all these years and inculcated among its consumers.

I am now so sure that most of us have viewed the latest commercial ad of McDonald on TV - the controversial "BF-GF commercial" right?

Well, at first, if you would look at the said ad, you'd likely love it - so cute to see the kids do the ad. They seemed to be so bibo, adorable and very charming - so talented. And how a child can look so innocent and sincere whenever he or she says a word, a line or anything. Children appears so sincere and meek without taking any effort. Yes, very effortless.

However, to our dismay, most viewers love the commercial ad - making it their most loved and favorite TV commercial as of the moment. Oopps, not us. Definitely NOT us. We totally dislike (if I may say so) the commercial ad as it doesn't portray such values we want our child to adopt and practice as he grows up.

I was even surprised to hear our unico hijo (2 years old) Eieo asked this question: "Mommy, holding hands sila?" At his very young age, I could see in his eyes and his facial expression that he was a bit amazed or confused... why such an ate and kuya would even hold each other's hands. :-)

I know this happens: Upon much realization and viewing the TV ad for several times, we would come to our senses and think of the values/principles being portrayed in the said commercial. Oh well, I was even so worried to see Facebook fan pages for this controversial McDo ad. Mind you, a lot of people LIKED the FB Fan Page... thousands of FB users from different walks of life and many of them are teens, teenagers, young adults. How does you feel?

Here's the latest news about this most recent McDo Ad:

McDonald's pulls out "BF-GF commercial" after CBCP called for them to stop airing ad.

The controversial "BF-GF commercial"

(SPOT.ph) McDonald's has pulled out its ad dubbed by some as the "BF-GF commercial," after the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad, reports Inquirer.net.

The giant fast food chain decided to pull out the 30-second ad from major television networks yesterday after some Catholic Church officials said it could send the wrong message to children. In the commercial, a little girl asks a boy if she was already his girlfriend. The boy says no, claiming girlfriends are too demanding. However, he seemingly changes his mind when the girl says all she wants is the P25 French fries at McDonald's.

McDonald's Philippines Vice President for Marketing Margot Torres told Radio Veritas that they have pulled out the ad because they respect the call of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. "So by (Wednesday), a different McDonald's ad should be seen on TV," Torres said.

In response, Iñiguez told Radio Veritas, "We are very happy that McDonald's listened to our plea, (and) that it agrees with the sentiment and the reflection of the church on the commercial spot."

Earlier, Fr. Melvin Castro said the commercial is "very shallow" and "cheapens human relationships," reports Inquirer.net. The executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said, "If the ad attempted to teach commitment, (it failed) because it was too superficial to point to a packet of French fries as the basis of a relationship."

Iñiguez also said earlier, "The two children are not even at the right age for this kind of relationship... It (the ad) might also pave the way for us to lose sight of the good ways of shaping the values of our children."

For more on this story, log on to Inquirer.net.

Kudos to McDonald's for pulling out the said ad so as not just to worsen the situation or magnify the issue or to merely grant the plea of CBCP but most of all, to continue its legacy and live by its integrity. Well, this goes to show that McDo is indeed determined of their company's values and principles. Most of all, it has only proven that it has the Big Heart to care for its clientele - today's and tomorrow's generation/s.

Cheers! McDo, what you did shall inspire other business entities to religiously screen and monitor their advertising campaigns and marketing strategies. It's indeed admirable. Thumbs up! :-)

♥♥♥ Mommy Mai Raine ♥♥♥

Office Work: High Risks on Your Health

2011-04-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Newest Health Hazard:
Working long hours a day at the office has again recently found out to be really dangerous and risky on our health. Upon reading this article from Yahoo News, I suddenly felt worried for me, hubby, families and friends. To emphasize, readers are advised to do the following tips and strategies to fight this work-related health risks.

That is why I really find an urgent need to share it with you. Read on, ponder and practice. I am so sure that just like me, you don't want to be sorry, right?

Many of us spend large chunks of our day sitting, especially when we're at work. If we're not glued to a computer screen or tethered to a phone, then we're stuck in seats around tables in meetings. And that's on top of the hours we spend sitting in cars, buses or trains getting to and from work.

All this sitting seems to increase your risk of death from heart disease and other causes, research has found. And surprisingly, this happens even if you exercise regularly.

Your chair is your enemy.

It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.

Here's what the Yahoo News article has to say:

The Most Dangerous Thing You'll Do All Day
By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men's Health
Mar 30, 2011
We stand around a lot here at Men’s Health. In fact, a few of us don’t even have office chairs. Instead, we write, edit, and answer e-mails—a lot of e-mails—while standing in front of our computers. All day long. Why?

It all started last summer, when Assistant Editor Maria Masters came across a shocking study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (one of dozens of research journals we comb each month as we put together the magazine). Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.

That’s right—I said 54 percent!

Masters immediately called the lead researcher at Pennington, a professor named Peter Katzmarzyk. Turns out, this wasn’t the first study to link sitting and heart disease. Similar research actually dates back to 1953, when British researchers found that (sitting) bus drivers were twice as likely to die of heart attacks as (standing) trolley operators.

Here’s the most surprising part: “We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t,” Katzmarzyk told Masters. “We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t. Sitting is an independent risk factor.”

In other words, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise or how well you eat. If you sit most of the day, your risk of leaving this world clutching your chest—whether you’re a man or women—as much as doubles.

This raised a rather obvious question: Why? Truth is, the researchers aren’t sure. But Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., one of Katzmarkzyk’s colleagues, suspects it has to do with an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which breaks down fat in the bloodstream and turns it into energy. Hamilton found that standing rats have ten times more of the stuff coursing through their bodies than laying rats. It doesn’t matter how fit the rats are; when they leave their feet, their LPL levels plummet. Hamilton believes the same happens in humans.

Still sitting? Then you should know that your office chair also:

1. Screws up your posture. The fascia, the tissue that connects individual muscles into a full-body network, begins to set when you stay in one position for too long, says Men’s Health

2. Makes you fatter. This happens for two reasons. First, you burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting. But more importantly, says Hartman, when you spend too much time sitting, your largest muscle group—the glutes (a.k.a. your butt)—become lazy and quit firing. This is called gluteal amnesia. And it means you burn fewer calories.

3. Causes lower back pain. Weak glutes push your pelvis forward, putting stress on the spine, says Hartman. Here’s the other unseemly thing that happens when your pelvis tilts forward: Your belly protrudes, making you look 5 months pregnant. advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist in Indianapolis. If you’re hunched over a keyboard all day, this eventually becomes your normal posture.

So what’s a desk-bound worker to do? First, Hamilton suggests you change how you think about fitness. We have a tendency to segment our lives—work, home, and downtime. Exercise falls into the last category, something we squeeze into our busy schedules when possible. But if you stop thinking about exercise as an activity, and instead think of it as a lifestyle, it’s easier to make healthy choices throughout the day.

In other words: Stop trying to be fit, and start trying to live fit.

Second, of course, is to stand more throughout the day. These strategies will get you up on your feet more often:

Strategy #1: Take two breaks an hour. Grab a drink from the water fountain. Pop over to the cube next door to say hi. Or simply stand and stretch for a minute. A European Heart Journal

Strategy #2: Stand during phone calls. It may seem like a small thing but, as Hamilton told Masters: “Small choices will help move you in the right direction. . . . It all adds up, and it all matters.”

Strategy #3: Don’t write long emails. If crafting an email will take longer than 15 minutes, go talk to the person instead. Or stand up and call them.

And if that’s not enough (and it may not be) . . .

Strategy #4: Ask HR for a standup desk. Australian researchers found that workers who log more than 6 hours of seat time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to be overweight. If you make the changes above and your waistline isn’t shrinking, a standup desk may be the answer. Make sure the screen is at arm’s length, and the top at eye level. Position the keyboard so your elbows are bent 90 degrees. Men’s Health Senior Editor Bill Stieg built his own. Check it out. study of 5,000 men and women found that the quarter who took the most breaks during the day were 1.6 inches thinner than the quarter who took the least.

__________________

Could Sitting Too Long At Work Be Dangerous? Yes, indeed.

My personal tips for you:

1. Do some frequent stretching. Make this a habit. It is proven to relive stress and rejuvenate, getting the "battery-recharge" that you need at work.

2. Get on your feet. Maximize your time in the office, grab chances where you can change position, do some walks and wear some good smile.

3. Believe in the power of your mind. As hubby says, Positive attitude gives positive results. So be positive and have a healthy mind and body at all times.

Fact: A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that sitting for long stretches, more than six hours a day, can make someone at least 18 percent more likely to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than three hours a day.

Technology Led To Sitting Culture
Doctors say the evolution of technology has impacted the way we use our bodies. Humans have moved from the active life of being hunter-gatherers to becoming agriculturalists. The Industrial Revolution moved us to factories and the technological revolution landed us behind desks and into the culture of sitting too much.

"Sitting has become the most common human behavior, literally, it outstrips the amount of time we spend sleeping," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that sitting has become a new form of smoking. Smoking was once so common that people were reluctant to see the health hazard it posed.

"If we can create a world where offices are doing better and the employees are becoming healthier, we've got a golden solution."

Oyayi - Pieta (Oyayi Sa Paanan Ni Hesus)

2011-04-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Pieta (Oyayi Sa Paanan Ni Hesus)

Music by: Paulo K Tirol
Lyrics by: MJ Francia

Arrangement: Paulo K Tirol
Soloist: Trin Panganiban-Custodio

Ave Maria, gratia plena
Sancta Maria, mater Dei

Kay lamig na ng hangin, lumalatag ang dilim.
‘Di maabot ng tingin itong lagim.
Narito ang ‘Yong ina, damhin Mong yakap-yakap Ka.
Sa kandungan ko, Sinta, mapanatag Ka, Sinta

Nais ko’y pagmasdan Ka sa ‘Yong pamamahinga.
Minsan pa’y iduyan Ka, awitan Ka.
‘Di ko man nababata, puso ko’y lumuluha.
Sa Iyong pag-iisa, sasamahan Ka.

At hihilumin ang brasong sugatan, papawiin mga luha Mong taglay.
Lilinisin, mukha Mong dinumhan, paagusin ang luha kong alay.
Madama ko man mga tinik, yayakapin Ka nang mahigpit, Giliw.
Ihehele’t iduduyan Ka; mahimbing na, tapos na.

Aking Ama! Ako’y nilisan Mo na ba?
Bigyang liwanag, alipin Mong aba.
Tinalikuran Mo na ba? Dinggin ang panalangin ko, Ama!
Sumasamong pagpalain Mo, nang minsan pa’y masabi ko sa ‘Yo:
“Ako’y alipin Mo; sundin ang loob Mo, Ama ko.”

Hihilumin ang brasong sugatan, papawiin ang luha Mong taglay.
Lilinisin, mukha Mong dinumhan, paagusin ang luha kong alay.
Madama ko man mga tinik, yayakapin Ka nang mahigpit, Giliw.
Ihehele’t iibigin Ka; tapos na, tapos na.

Sa pag-akap kay Hesus sa paanan ng Krus, ipinakita ni Maria ang tunay na pagtugon sa tawag ng pag-ibig.

Watch the videos and listen to this song. Hope you'd be amazingly touched by these audio-video presentations.

Acknowledgement:
Lyrics: Hangad Official Website. Visit them NOW.
Photo credit: google - see the link.
Youtube Video credit: shamazelizan and mikhailquijano

Shamcey Supsup - Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011

2011-04-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Shamcey Supsup truly deserves her Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011 beauty title. Beauty and brains, natural charm, crowd's favorite, in one great package - thumbs up!

Her Info: Miss Philippines-Universe 2011 (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011) June 2010 Architect Licensure Exam Topnotcher Finished BS Architecture with Latin honors (Magna Cum Laude) at University of the Philippines-Diliman.

More Basic Info from HER Official Facebook Fan Page:

Shamcey Supsup for Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011

Location: General Santos City, Philippines
Affiliation: BPCI Charities
Birthday: May 16, 1986

About HER
You've reached Shamcey Supsup's Official Fan Page where supporters unite together to bring out the best in everyone...

Description: The lady in red!
Architect Shamcey Gurrea Supsup is one of the 40 official candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2011

Shamcey Supsup is not just your typical beauty and brains but also has a superb catwalk and personality!

Awards
June 2010 Architect Licensure Exam Topnotcher

Finished BS Architecture with Latin honors (Magna Cum Laude)
at University of the Philippines-Diliman
High School Salutatorian from Makati High School

Personal Information:
Candidate #26 of Bb. Pilipinas 2011
Age: 24 years old
Height: 5'7 1/4"
Weight: 105 lbs
Vital Statistics: 32 1/2 - 23 1/2 - 33 1/2
Birth Place: Iligan City
Hometown: General Santos City
Profession: Architect

Personal Interests: Painting, Drawing, and Reading books.

Likes: General Santos City, University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines, Beach House Canteen - University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Binibining Pilipinas, Bb. Pilipinas (Official), Shamcey Supsup (Official Fan Page), ASAP XV (OFFICIAL FAN PAGE), Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire Jr., Maria Venus Raj

After many, many weeks of waiting and anticipating, the winners of Bb. Pilipinas 2011 were finally crowned last night in a dazzling pageant production at Araneta Coliseum that saw the country’s premiere beauty competition evolve with an uber-modern concept and over-all production courtesy of ABS-CBN.

Once again, congrats!

Cheers!

More News Updates on the Pageant:
Author: Erwin Santiago

Monday, April 11, 2011; 02:02 AM

Shamcey Supsup was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Universe at the coronation of Binibining Pilipinas 2011 held last night, April 10, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Shamcey, who was Binibini No. 26, bested 39 other contestants who competed in this year's pageant.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of the Philippines College of Architecture. She also topped the Architecture board exam in July 2010.

Shamcey will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.

Aside from winning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Shamcey also won three special awards: Best in Talent, Miss PAL, and Miss Cream Silk.

Shamcey, 24, was not the only title holder at last night's pageant.

Last year's 1st runner-up, Dianne Necio (No. 33), returned this year and won the Bb. Pilipinas-International title; while Isabella Manjon (No. 25) was adjudged Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism (a replacement to the Bb. Pilipinas-World title, which has its own franchise now).

Janine Tugonon (No. 27) finished as 1st runner-up and Mary Jean Lastimosa (No. 34) was 2nd runner-up.

The other candidates who made it in the Top 15 are: No. 6 Patricia Tumulak; No. 8 Ma. Kristina Marasigan; No. 11 Diana Arevalo; No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; No. 16 Sabrine Al-Tawil; No. 19 Wendy Lucas; No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; No. 30 Kathleen Subijano; No. 32 Jenn Roe Gubat; and No. 37 Sarah Nicole Clenci.

The Best in Swimsuit was Binibini No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; Best in Long Gown was Binibini No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; and Face of Bb. Pilipinas 2011 was Binibini No. 7 Angela Ong.

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 was hosted by Derek Ramsay and KC Concepcion together with past winners Miriam Quiambao (1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe) and Precious Lara Quigaman (2005 Miss International and Bb. Pilipinas-International).

Sam Milby and Matteo Guidicelli serenaded last year's winners: Maria Venus Raj (Miss Universe 4th runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe), Krista Kleiner (Bb. Pilipinas-International), and Czarina Gatbonton (Bb. Pilipinas-World).

Karylle, Sitti, Camille Velasco, and Marie Digby also performed.

Thanks to you and all.

Photo Credit: From Her FB fan page.

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Winners

2011-04-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Breaking News!

Bb. Pilipinas 2011 Winners Revealed

Shamcey Supsup - Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011
Dianne Necio as Bb. Pilipinas-International 2011
Isabella Manjon as Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism 2011

Congratulations, beautiful ladies.
I am a very proud Filipina - because we have these: Beauty, Elegance, Intelligence, Wisdom and a very BIG, Humble and Sincere Heart.

To GOD be the GLORY. GOD bless everyone.

Congrats!

Cheers!

Pageant Updates

Shamcey Supsup
Miss Universe Philippines 2011

Dianne Necio
Bb. Pilipinas - International 2011

Isabella Manjon
Bb. Pilipinas - Tourism 2011

Janine Tugonon
First Runner-up

Mary Jean Lastimosa
Second Runner-up

Special Awards:

Angelia Ong
People's Choice for the Face of Bb. Pilipinas 2011

Luzelle Felipe
Best in Long Gown

Queenierich Rehman
Best in Swimsuit

Elizabeth Clenci
Best in National Costume

Samantha Purvor
Miss Friendship

Shamcey Supsup
Miss Talent

Shamcey Supsup
Miss Philippine Airlines

Luzelle Felipe
Manila Bulletin Reader's Choice

Shamcey Supsup
Miss Creamsilk

Congratulations to the Bb. Pilipinas 2011 Winners!

Hosts: Derek Ramsey, Lara Quigaman, Miriam Quiambao, KC Concepcion

Kudos, Filipinos. :-)

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 02:13:00 04/11/2011

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The Binibining Pilipinas pageant crowned early Monday its newest beauty queens namely Shamcey Supsup as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Dianne Necio as Bb. Pilipinas-International and Isabella Manjon as Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism.

Supsup, a magna cum laude graduate from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, will be representing the country in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paolo, Brazil in September.

Meanwhile, Necio, who won as first runner-up in last year’s Binibining Pilipinas, will be representing the Philippines in the Miss International competition to be held in Chengdu, China later this year.

Also named during the awarding ceremonies held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City were Janine Tugonon, 1st runner-up, and Mary Jean Lastimosa, 2nd runner-up.

The coronation was hosted by actors KC Concepcion and Derek Ramsay together with former title holders Precious Lara Quigaman (2005 Miss International) and Miriam Quiambao (1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-up). It was aired over ABS-CBN channel 2.

Present during the coronation to relinquish their titles were Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 and Miss Universe 4th runner-up Venus Raj, Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010 Czarina Gatbonton and Bb. Pilipinas-International 2010 Krista Kleiner.

This year’s contest, which featured 40 candidates, marked the renewed partnership between ABS-CBN and the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc., organizer of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant.

More News Updates:

Bb. Pilipinas 2011 Official Candidates - Official List ---> Click it HERE.

Binibining Pilipinas 2011

Grand Coronation Night

April 10, 2011 • 7:00PM

Araneta Coliseum

About Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Incorporated (BPCI)

The annual Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant is a project of Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Incorporated (BPCI), a non-stock, non-profit organization founded by its chair, Stella Márquez Araneta. The pageant, BPCI's primary instrument as it pursues its mission of spreading peace and love across the nation, is a fund-raising activity for projects that would benefit orphans, indigent families and other less fortunate members of Philippine society. Apart from producing the country's best beauties as representatives for various international competitions, BPCI has been a key partner in nation-building for over four decades, providing skills training, educational workshops, mission work, and other relevant services for the marginalized sectors of the community.

Reliable source:

Official Website : http://www.bbpilipinas.com/

Willie Revillame: Willing-Willie on TV5 Takes a Break

2011-04-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Missed the most controversial April 8 episode of Willing-Willie on TV5?
Failed to learn what Mr. Willie Revillame announced to his audience?
Curious to know how he said his lines and explained his side?
Interested in finding out how he exposed the issue/s?

Well, watch it here. Watch it NOW. Here's the link: Click it Here.

Watch His Video NOW - April 8, 2011, Friday Episode of Willing-Willie.

Just Want to Share this Blog and Link to My Readers:

Found In MyKiRu IsYuSeRo's Blog Post:
Intriguing Issues, Scandals and Controversies... Plus the Hottest Celebrities, Hunks and Beauties
On Willing Willie 's episode tonight, April 8, host Willie Revillame made a big announcement concerning himself and his show.

Willie announced first during the early part of the show that Willing Willie won't go live or will have a pre-taped episode tomorrow, April 9.

He also announced that all of its advertisers will be placing ads in the show only until tomorrow.

Then on the later part of the program, at already 9:45PM, Willie Revillame made a big announcement, which was actually not a surprising one, that Willing Willie will go off air for 2 weeks starting this Monday, April 11.

But before that announcement, he first recalled all his sad experiences as a host, starting with the time he was a host on ABS-CBN's Wowowee.

He recalled the ULTRA Stampede, the Wilyonaryo Scandal and the Cory Aquino Funeral.

Then on the middle part, he explained about the "Jan-Jan" controversy on Willing Willie last March 12. He believes that the Youtube video of Jan-Jan was edited and a sliced version of the actual Willing Willie episode.

Willie also fired back against those celebs who said something against him on Twitter. He enumerated their names: Jim Paredes, Aiza Seguerra, Agot Isidro, Mylene Dizon, Lea Salonga, Bianca Gonzales, Tuesday Vargas, K Brosas and Lea Navarro.

(Thanks for the update/s. I admire your efforts in doing the video transcription. Kudos!)

Photo Credit: stariraymagazine.com

Happy Reading, Virtual Peeps! See you soon!

Mommy Mai ;-)