World Toilet Day: November 19, 2011

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.

Willie Revillame On Spotlight Once Again

Early today, I saw a video on my Facebook wall, and so I watched it. To my dismay, I know there is again something wrong, very alarming. And that shouldn't be tolerated... After seeing the video, I want to give Jan-Jan a big hug. I cannot imagine myself and even hubby, allowing that incident to happen to our "precious little one!"

Read the Latest News from Yahoo! OMG! Philippines...

DSWD protests ‘Willing Willie’ over dancing 6-year-old

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman wrote on Monday, March 28, a letter of protest to TV5 management, headed by its chairman Manny Pangilinan, over another controversy involving "Willing Willie" host Willie Revillame.

Soliman had appealed to the network not to allow children to endure ridicule and embarrassment on national television after its early evening program allowed a six-year-old boy named Jan-Jan Suan to perform dance moves akin to male erotic dancing. During the routine, Jan-Jan was crying amid laughs from the audience and strikingly from Revillame himself.

In an e-mail to Yahoo! OMG! Philippines, Soliman said: "I will write a letter of protest to Channel 5 (and) to Mr. Manny Pangilinan regarding the case and we should all write him and demand that children should not be part of the show. They should not be used as instrument for enjoyment and to be laughed at. I will send the communication today."

At one point during Jan-Jan's performance, Revillame said: "Umiiyak pa yan…Ngayon pa sa hirap ng buhay ng tao…si Jan Jan siyempre sasayaw bilang macho dancer sa edad na yan para sa kanyang mahal na pamilya…pinahanga mo ako Jan Jan."

"Lumuluha yan…parang sa pelikulang 'Burlesk Queen'…umiiyak na ganoon…ginagawa para sa pamilya. Masama ang loob pero kailangan kong gawin para sa mahal sa buhay," he added.

The show's spinner then repeated the song the child had danced to five times after, apparently forcing the sobbing child to repeat his "macho dancing," even in his final appearance on a rising platform on stage.

DSWD statement

A few hours after her e-mail, Soliman sent the protest letter to TV5 which was addressed to Pangilinan. In this regard, the DSWD sent Yahoo! OMG! Philippines its official statement:

"The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) condemns the emotional abuse and humiliation bestowed on a six-year-old child contestant, during the March 12, 2011 episode of the Willing Willie show aired on TV5.

The sequence shows the boy gyrating in a distasteful manner with the audience, including the host (Willie Revillame), manifesting no evidence of concern or alarm for the child. This incident is clearly a violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and a blatant manifestation of child abuse. The term “child abuse” includes the following acts: “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment,” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child as a human being.”

Putting pressure on children to do acts such as mimicking adult sexy dances, in exchange for a certain amount of money, and at the expense of being laughed at and ridiculed by hundreds of people, clearly traumatizes the child. This is a clear form of child abuse and will not be tolerated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Department has already communicated to ABC Development Communication Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan asking that children should not be allowed to appear in TV shows like Willing Willie, especially those capitalizing on poverty as a source of immediate entertainment. In the formal communication with Mr. Pangilinan, the Department has also rebuked the insensitive actions and remarks of Mr. Revillame.

On a final note, the Department is also conducting its own investigation on the said incident and if warranted under the circumstances, legal action will be taken against the TV 5 management and other concerned parties in violation of RA 7610. The necessary counseling will also be awarded to the child and his parents, to prevent further trauma and abuse due to the media hype brought about by this saddening incident."

MTRCB action

For its part, the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has begun to act on complaints regarding the "Willing Willie" episode. In a brief published on its website, the MTRCB said, "The Board received numerous complaints about the 12 March 2011 episode of “Willing Willie” aired over Kapatid Network TV5 where a six-year old boy contestant was shown to be gyrating and impersonating the body movements of a macho dancer.

In accordance with the Board’s duty to enforce the Constitutional mandate that the State shall defend the rights of children from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development, the Board has referred the matter to the Hearing and Adjudication Committee for appropriate disposition.

The Board further emphasizes that whenever children are featured in television programs, producers are mandated to observe legal standards stipulated in R.A. 7160 to avoid “psychological abuse xxx cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment” and “any act by deeds and words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child.”

Meanwhile, TV5 Head of Creative and TV Entertainment Perci Intalan told Yahoo! OMG! Philippines that the network and "Willing Willie" producer Wil Productions are aware of the issue and the comments of the public regarding the matter and are currently in discussions on appropriate action.

Go Negosyo and GMA-7: Supporting Women's Month

Babae Kapuso Ka ng Bayan: 3rd Annual Women Entrepreneurship Summit 2011

Hubby and I would surely attend this series of events for biz-minded individuals, business enthusiasts and newbies in the industry. Investing in our own business and online shop/s, we therefore believe that we still need some formal training on how to effectively run the business - targeting our goals at our own pace.

We've been wanting to inquire and register since January 28; however, we still cannot contact the organizers - phones are always busy. If not, nobody's answering. For some reason, we already tried many ways to contact the Go Negosyo Team: blog commenting, sending an inquiry on their site, sending them SMS - many times beyond making lots of long distance calls.

But we will never say "NO" - we won't stop until I get the slot reservations, until we are officially registered to attend the summit and expo. We still look forward to being a part of the business gig and be able to meet great people and fellow business enthusiasts - fresh and new ideas simply excite us more.

This opportunity is indeed a good reward and fulfilling treat for many women out there. So, let's grab this chance, get into new business ventures, and succeed all our biz endeavors. Thanks to the Organizers. Kudos!

See you there! :)

♥♥♥ Rainier and Myraine ♥♥♥

Visit Go Negosyo now. Click it HERE.

More Details from the Organizers:

Join us as we celebrate the International Women’s Month by recognizing inspiring women, educating aspiring and practicing entrepreneurs, and showcasing possible business opportunities for women (and men, too!).

FORUMS, BOOTHS, AND EXHIBITS ON BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND IDEAS

Visit over 300 booths and exhibits that showcase business ideas and opportunities in health & wellness, beauty & cosmetics, fashion & accessories, food & culinary business, technology, direct-selling, franchising, and so much more!

FREE SEMINARS ON STARTING A BUSINESS AND WOMEN’S ISSUES

Attend free seminars on the how-to’s of starting your own business: from knowing your strengths and your ambitions, to finding business opportunities, to marketing your products and finding capital. Plus, talks on women’s health, education, good governance, and other issues and concerns facing women today.

GO NEGOSYO FILIPINA STARPRENEURSAWARD

Get to know the Filipinas who have not only excelled in entrepreneurship but who also embody admirable traits of passion, with compassion, perseverance, integrity, concern for others and care for community.

PRESENTATION OF THE LATEST GO NEGOSYO BOOK “8 SIMPLE SECRETS TO RAISING ENTREPRENEURS”

Be the first few to get hold of our future bestseller (written by Dr. Joy Abaquin, educator, parent and entrepreneur, and one of the Angelpreneurs of Go Negosyo) that teaches parents and Go Negosyo advocates how to raise children (of all ages!) with entrepreneurial mindset and positive attitude.

Plus, freebies, giveaways, games, and exciting performers and guests await!

FREE ADMISSION!
(for students, teachers and professors) Present School ID

Facebook Bids Farewell in March 2011

Facebook Closes on March 15, 2011: HOAX***

The topic of Facebook shutting its doors to the social networking users has been doing the rounds on Google and Twitter for the past few days and has led to the users becoming increasingly nervous about the future of their favorite interactive Website. The controversial rumor was first started by WeeklyWorldNews which was responsible for setting out the rumor of Michelle Obama becoming pregnant.

The report by CNN indicating that according to Goldman Sach’s investigation into Facebook, it could be the beginning of an end, has further added fuel to the fire and hence the rumor is getting more and more popular by the minute. So is Facebook really closing down on the 15th of March 2011 or is it a just another one of those internet hoax? The truth is that no such thing has been confirmed by the founder Mark Zuckerberg up to now. Until any word or confirmation gets released from the horse’s mouth, it is difficult to say whether Facebook is closing down or not.

Click here for more details or read here.

MANILA, Philippines – Is Facebook really shutting down on March 15?
For the US $50-billion company, it’s highly unlikely.

A hoax is claiming that Facebook chief executive officer and president Mark Zuckerberg is planning to shut down the social networking site.

The rumor has gone viral, with ABS-CBN News’ Twitter account getting peppered with questions regarding the rumor’s veracity.

The hoax, perpetrated by the website of American supermarket tabloid Weekly World News, claims that Zuckerberg held a press conference outside his Palo Alto office to announce Facebook’s closure.

“Facebook has gotten out of control and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness,” Time magazine’s person of the year awardee allegedly said.

WWN, which runs stories often based on aliens, paranormal phenomena, the supernatural, and weird creatures, also claimed that Facebook users need to remove their photos from the site.

WWN ran the Facebook story on its website alongside an article claiming that alien spaceships will attack the Earth in 2011.

On October 25 last year, anchors at the Fox News national morning news show "Fox and Friends" in the United States fell for a WWN satirical story claiming that the Los Angeles Angeles Police Department planned to buy 10,000 jetpacks for police officers at a cost of around US $1 billion.

"Fox and Friends" hosts later retracted the story after realizing the hoax, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Zuckerberg has yet to comment on the WWN hoax.

Facebook earned about US $500 million last year on sales of nearly US $2 billion, according to a memo distributed to potential investors in Facebook shares sold by Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.

The social networking site is expected to launch an initial public offering in the US stock market next year. – With a report from Reuters.

***A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment,or rumors and urban legends that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.

Facebook shall not bid goodbye; Facebook shall reign and live forever... as this social networking site has been a great medium of communication to most of us. It even opens new horizons of opportunities and other new sets of activities to global users... and that includes me, my families, loved ones and friends.

Facebook rocks! Facebook lives on... generation to generations. =)

♥♥♥ Mai Raine ♥♥♥

Welcoming 2011 with a Big Bang

We will surely be a blessing to all as we try to see the goodness in everyone. I personally have always believed in the power of my THREE F's - Families, Friends and most of all, Faith.

Yes, GOD is always with us and we strongly believe that HE loves us so much! Overflowing love and blessings from HIM are all enough to live another year with much optimism, love, care and kindness to everyone.

Celebrating 2011 at its best!
As always, my hubby and I together with our families, loved ones and fiends do live LIFE to the fullest as we also celebrate each blessing, experience and adventure at the fullest.

Thanking OUR dearest Creator and Savior with all the graces and blessings we have had, we always try our best to be those “people” GOD designs US to be – making ourselves worthy of the Life HE unconditionally gives and entrusts to all of us. We live, experience and celebrate life to the fullest. We count and share our blessings. We laugh, have fun and enjoy together. Therefore, we can always make it through. With God’s grace, mercy and Love, we will survive this bumpy and challenging road called Life.

On my personal Facebook account, I just posted and shouted out loud that I am truly blessed as I live a very happy and fulfilling life with my loving hubby, smart, sweet and cute little son, Eieo and the rest of our families, loved ones and friends.

Truly, Mai Raine Carluen – Policarpio simply loves what she has, sees, touches, feels and experiences right now.

May this year, 2011, be OUR year! Indeed. God bless everyone.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

♥♥♥ Mai Raine ♥♥♥