Social media as top campaign tool

Apart from television advertisements, candidates for national positions in the 2016 elections have turned to social media as a powerful tool for both positive and negative campaigning.
They have hired full staff to promote various election propaganda in social network pages while others have a dedicated team to respond to comments or posts in social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like.
Facebook appears to be the most popular, with official staff or supporters, or both of candidates having special pages for the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senators Grace Poe, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
Candidates for vice president like Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Representative Leni Robredo likewise have their own Facebook pages that churn out official statements, provincial visits and other campaign-related activities, including family get-togethers to show their private side.
Those with savvy public relations experience try to win political bloggers to their side to help promote their candidates in a subtle way.
Supporters of some candidates have gone to the extent of initiating social media polls as a promotional campaign, with Defensor-Santiago emerging as the most “liked” on Facebook reaching at least 3.2 million at one point and “followed” by 2.21 million on Twitter among the contenders for president. The feisty Defensor-Santiago has popularized a Facebook craze about “pick-up” lines that are oftentimes humorous.
She has been on the tail-end of surveys for preferred candidate for president by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia surveys, but she has been topping random polls in universities.

Money pitfalls of Filipinos

In my years of teaching and learning, what has emerged as the top 3 financial challenges/pitfalls faced by a Filipino when it comes to money matters?
1) Over spending. There is nothing wrong with spending especially for needs or things that are necessary to keep us alive. Unfortunately, it's the "wants" or things that we don't really need that attract us when we go shopping. Ordinary needs like food are so commonplace and corny to buy that they often become second priority. Special expensive food can also be categorized as "wants." There is excitement in "wants" and unfortunately that excitement is what gets us into trouble. I cannot help but feel this started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They had everything they needed but they were attracted to the one thing they should not have. And we all know what happened after. The lesson is not to let any person or anything tempt you to spend for things you don't really need!
 2) Over borrowing. Again, there is nothing wrong with borrowing. The trouble is that all loans have to be repaid. We need to be sure we have the means to pay back the loans. The general rule is that we can borrow for as long as we use the loan to generate more income or reduce a regular expense to provide funds to pay back the loan. For example, when you borrow for your housing loan, you are replacing your rental expense with the amortization of your loan.
Even "high interest" may not really be high. For example, if you cannot get any loan from anyone because you do not have any collateral to offer, you may have to accept a higher than normal interest rate. However, you have to make sure that you can pay the amortization. Also, whatever it is you are using the loan money for, must bring you additional income or reduce your expense to cover the higher interest rate
 3) No "wealth or money" planning. Thus, no savings. When we are young, we cannot imagine we will grow old. Retirement is a long way off. Emergencies will not happen to us. We are young and strong to cope with "rainy days." But it only takes one  wrong move or an unfortunate act of nature to make people who think this way to  panic. At that point, it could be too late to reach your goals when it could have been so easy had you started to plan and save early. The earlier you start planning for your "old age", the easier it is to move in accumulating enough. It is a matter of mindset  and some maturity at an early age. It would be good for parents to understand what they are going through as their children mature and teach them the right values.
Wishing all of us a Merry Christmas and an Amazing and Healthy 2016!

Bagong pag-asa

Gaya ng nakaugalian, tayo ay humaharap sa bagong taon na umaasa sa mas magandang hinaharap. Likas ito sa Pilipino.
Halimbawa, sa isang survey ng Asia Pulse,89% ng mga Pilipino ang nakatingin sa 2016 na may pag-asang mas gaganda ang kabuhayan.
Sa survey naman ng Social Weather Stations noong Disyembre, lumalabas na 72% ang umaasang masaya ang kanilang Pasko, sa kabila ng mga nakaraang delubyo at bagyong tumama sa bansa.
Maraming bagay ang pinagmumulan ang ganitong pagtingin ng nakararami.
At ayon sa presidential spokesman na si Edwin Lacierda na sana, dahil sa positibong pagtingin na ito, ay magpursigi pa ang kanyang kasamahan sa pamahalaan na pagsilbihan ang bayan. Na inaasam din ng mga maka-administrasyon na makatulong sa kanilang kandidatura.
Ayon sa mga eksperto, mas magandang taon ito para sa Pilipinas kaysa sa 2015. Una sa pinagbabatayan ng kanilang konklusyong ito ay ang epekto ng eleksiyon sa ekonomiya.
Kagaya ng mga nagdaang taong may eleksiyon, ang paglaki ng ekonomiya ay tataas ng isa o dalawang persentahe (percentage points sa Ingles) dahil sa mga gastos ng mga kandidato sa kani-kanilang kampanya. Ang mga gastos na ito na bumubuhos sa TV commercial, libu-libong tauhan, ga-bundok na pulyeto at iba pang pampabango ng kanilang pangalan ay bilyon-bilyong piso ang halaga.
Isa pang kategorya sa ekonomia ay ang pagtaas ng ginagastos ng pamahalaan.
Sa pambansang budget ay pasok ang ilang malalaking proyekto na ngayon lang nakakuha ng pagsang-ayon mula sa iba’t ibang sangay ng gubyerno. Dagdag pa rito ang dagdag-suweldo sa mga empleyado ng gubyerno. Siyempre, hindi maiaalis ang hinala na ginagawa ito bilang pampabangi sa kandidato ng administrasyon.
Pero kahit saan galing ang perang ito, ito ay isa sa magandang epekto ng demokrasya   sa maraming mamamayan na naaambunan, kasama na ang mga mahihirap na nagsisikap kumita. Ang paglipat-lipat ng pera mula sa nagbabayad at binabayaran, ay dagdag na perang umiikot sa ekonomiya.
Sana nga lang, ang ganitong pagsigla ng ekonomiya sa 2016 ay maging normal at hindi nangyayari tuwing ikatlong taon lamang.

Fight for justice

Looking back to the year that just passed is a lot easier with technology. On your phone, you can easily see the highlights of the year with all the photos that you have taken of each event.
Thus, it's easy to see how well the year started with a Hong Kong court deciding in February to jail Erwiana's employer for six years because of the horrific injuries she inflicted on the hapless Indonesian maid.
It was a decision that was well applauded by many rights activists, with only a few complaining that the penalty was not as severe as it should have been, given that Erwiana was tortured for long eight months.
Unfortunately, the year ended with exactly the opposite of this. A Filipina domestic helper who had claimed to have been scalded on her back with a hot flat iron by her elderly employer, inexplicably decided to give up her case and go back home.
Many people angered by Rizza's case were left dumbfounded. After all, her claim appeared to have been substantially proven by photographs of her badly burned back with the unmistakable imprint of a flat iron on each side.
She did not lack for supporters, either. Among those who immediately offered help were the Consulate and the Mission for Migrant Workers, which both offered her shelter and help with her case. Even her sister Rona, who claimed that her employer, the son of Rizza's boss. had terminated her contract because of the case, received help outright.
So what was it that made Rizza decide to give up on a case that from a Consulate official's account, had caused even Hong Kong's labor officials to offer quick help?
One can only surmise, but what is clear is that justice, elusive as it has been for many of our domestic workers, has again slipped from grasp in Rizza's case.
This was not how it should have been, given the various actions we have taken over the past year to ensure members of our community always receive equal treatment.
In February, for example, hundreds of us again took to the streets to dance and show support for One Billion Rising, a worldwide campaign to end violence against women.
In April, we again showed Hong Kong that we would not tolerate any form of racism when we marched to the Central Government Offices in Tamar after Executive Councillor Regina Ip branded our migrant workers as "home wreckers". Ip herself moved to douse the fire by calling the protest organizers to a meeting to feebly apologize for what she had called a misunderstanding.
On the home front, we joined forces with more than a hundred other organizations to form a coalition against excessive fees charged by our government to departing workers. This coalition led a few protests in the next couple of months, mainly as a result of new levies being imposed, including the so-called tax on goodies in balikbayan boxes sent home by OFWs.
When a congressional delegation came to conduct a hearing, a big number of us turned out to talk about our long-held grievances and denounce the serious misconduct of a former labor official.
As a community, we also acted as one in taking steps to ensure the long queues for the OEC are eased. Likewise, we spoke with one voice when we showed indignation over the "laglag bala" scam at our airports which had led to one of our OFWs to lose her job.
Ours is a community of doers, one that believes that we can only achieve what is due us if we safeguard our rights, and fight for them when necessary. We should never quit on what is right and just, if only to ensure justice is always served, especially to the most vulnerable among us.

Mga Pinoy na online sellers

Ni Daisy CL Mandap

Kapag napadpad sa may exit A-B ng MTR Central station lalo na kapag araw ng Linggo, pansinin ang mga Pilipinang nag-uumpukan sa paligid. Malamang na makakakita ng isang may dalang maleta o malalaking bag, at pinagkakaguluhan ng mga kapwa Pilipina. Subukang lumapit, at tiyak na tatambad sa iyo ang isang online seller, o iyong naglalako ng mga paninda sa pamamagitan ng Facebook o iba pang social media sites sa internet.
Ang exit na ito sa Central station ang paboritong "meet-up place" o tagpuan ng mga nagtitinda at namimili ng mga iba-ibang klase ng produkto sa pamamagitan ng internet, lalo na yung mga Pilipina.
Kahit anong bagay ay maari na ngayong mabili sa internet, magmula sa make-up, bra, bedsheet, hanggang sa mga lumang sapatos, bag at damit. Malaki ang pagkakaiba ng presyo ng mga paninda dito, mula sa mga branded bag na nagkakalahaga ng ilang libong dolyar, hanggang sa maliliit na bagay katulad ng hair clip na $5 pataas ang presyo. Meron ding mga libreng gamit sa bahay na kailangan lang kunin ng mabilis dahil paalis na sa Hong Kong ang may-ari.
Nguni't hindi katulad ng mga ibang naglalako sa paligid, ang mga paninda nila ay "reserved" na, na ang ibig sabihin ay iaabot na lang dito kapalit ng bayad.
Kung medyo mahal ang paninda, na ang ibig sabihin ay mga $200 pataas, malamang na magtagal nang kaunti ang usapan dahil iinspeksyunin muna nang maigi ng bumibili ang paninda, para matiyak na katulad ito nung naka-post na litrato, o kung may mga sira o depekto na hindi ipinakita ng nagbebenta.
Kung hindi naman kamahalan, kadalasan na kaliwaan na lang ang nagiging transaksyon, na ang ibig sabihin ay bayad agad pagka-abot ng paninda.
Karamihan sa mga tinderang Pilipina ay hindi tunay na pangalan ang ginagamit sa Facebook, dahil malamang na sila ay mga domestic helper, kaya bawal ang pumasok sa ibang trabaho, katulad ng pagtitinda.
Kadalasan na ang ibenebenta nila ay mga bagong sapatos at damit mula sa China. Ayon sa ilan sa kanila katulad ni Jocelyn (hindi tunay na pangalan), patinda lang daw ito ng kanilang amo, at binibigyan lang siya ng mula $10 hanggang $20 sa bawat pirasong bra o bra set na maibenta niya. Pero mayroon din na sila mismo ang namumuhunan mula sa mga tinderang Intsik na kumukuha ng paninda diretso mula sa Shenzhen. Dahil may itinatayang pera, mas malaki ang kanilang ipinapatong. Bawat pirasong blouse o damit na maibenta nila ay may dagdag na mula $30 hanggang $50 kaya malaki rin ang kanilang kita, lalo na at mga siguradong order lang ang kanilang kinukuha. Ibig sabihin, sa isang Linggo na makapagpasa sila ang order na isang dosenang damit, may kita na sila agad na mula $300 hanggang $600. Sa dalawang dosena ay sambot na nila ang kita nila sa isang linggong pagkukuskos.
Mas marami naman sa mga Pilipina ang namimili at nagpapasa ng mga gamit o lumang damit at sapatos, katulad ni M.B.. Ayon sa kanya, karamihan ng ititinda niya ay kinukuha niya sa isang grupo ng Pakistani na namamakyaw ng mga hindi nabentang tinda ng isang nagsasarang tindahan ng sapatos o bag. Ang iba naman ay malamang na itinapon na at pilit pinapaganda ng mga nagbebenta para makakuha ng mataas na presyo. Nililinis ng mga Pakistani ang mga tindang sapatos, at kung minsan ay pinapalitan pa ng takong o dinidikitan ng tatak ng mamamahaling brand para mas mahal maibenta.
"Maliit lang ang tubo ko, mga $20 hanggang $30 lang bawat piraso, pero mas maigi na ito kaysa magtinda ng lumang dyaryo," sabi ni M.B, "Wala ka pang takot na masiumbong sa pulis ng mga matatandang Intsik na kakumpetensiya mo sa raket".
Ayon kay M.B. nabaon siya sa utang dahil sa mga pangangailangan ng kanyang pamilya kaya kahit alam niyang delikado ay pinasukan niya ang online selling.
Ang iba naman ay sadyang mahilig sa mga damit at sapatos kaya pinasok ang pagtitinda at nang makapamili ng kanilang gusto, at kumita na din.
Ayon kay May na pirming mga de-tatak ang ibinebenta, marami sa mga paninda niya ay "type" din niya, kaya lang ay lubhang marami na rin ang naipon niya para sa sarili kaya masakit man sa loob ay ibinebenta na niya ang ilan.
Kapag nakuha niya ng bagsak presyo ang isang bag na Burberry, halimbawa, tumutubo siya ng mahigit $100 kada piraso, kaya madali niyang mabawi ang pinupuhanan niya para sa sariling hilig.
Suwerte din siya dahil marami daw siyang mga suki na residente kaya madali niyang maipasa ang mga tinda niya sa presyong naglalaro sa $500 pataas.
Gayunpaman, katulad ni M.B. ay maingat si May sa pagpili ng titindahan dahil alam na bawal sa isang domestic helper katulad nila ang pumasok sa ibang trabaho sa Hong Kong.
Kamakailan lang ay kumalat ang balita tungkol sa dalawang Pilipina na kinasuhan ng HK Immigration ng illegal work matapos magbenta ng cream sa mukha sa mga customs agent na nagpanggap na buyer ng kanilang produkto na ibinibenta nila sa Facebook. Bagamat nabasura ang kaso sa kawalan ng sapat na ebidensya, nananatili pa rin ang takot sa marami.
Lalo pang nadagdagan ang kanilang agam-agam nang ang MTR naman ang magbabala noong Setyembre lang na mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pagtitinda sa loob ng mga istasyon nito. Ayon sa isang ipinaskel na babala, papatawan ng hanggang $5,000 multa ang sinumang mahuling lumalabag sa patakaran na ito. Dahil dito ay ilang linggo din na iniwasan ng mga nagtitinda ang pakikipagkita sa loob ng MTR ngunit hindi ito nagtagal dahil wala namang nababalita na may nahuli na sa mga nag-aabutan ng paninda doon.
Paboritong tagpuan ng mga nagnenegosyo, hindi lang mga Pilipino, ang mga istasyon ng MTR dahil maaaring mag-abutan ng paninda nang hindi kailangang lumabas at magbayad ng mas malaking pamasahe. Dahil sa ganitong kalakaran naman, nagsisikip ang mga lugar palabas sa mga istasyon, kaya naghigpit ang MTR laban sa mga nagtitinda. Idagdag pa dito na mas malaki sana ang kikitain ng kumpanya kung ang mga nagdadala ng paninda ay nagbabayad sa bawat istasyon na lalabasan nila.
Ang isa pang pinakaiiwasan ng mga nagtitinda ay ang mahuli na nagtitinda ng mga pekeng gamit. Hindi lingid sa kanilang kaalaman na lalong mahigpit ang mga awtoridad sa nagbebenta ng mga peke kaya pinakaiingatan nila na hindi sila maaresto at makulong ng dahil dito. Marami din naman sa mga nagbebenta sa FB ang agad na nagsasabing "good copy" lang ang kanilang itiitinda para hindi masira sa mga mamimili.
Matatagpuan ang marami sa mga Pilipino na online seller o reseller sa mga FB page katulad ng "HK Buy and Sell". "Buy, Swell, Swap", "Swap-it HK" at marami pang iba. May mangilan-ngilan din na nagbebenta sa pamamagitan ng libreng website ng AsiaXpat, geoexpat, alibaba, eBay at iba pang malalaking grupo na gumagamit ng internet para magbenta ng produkto at serbisyo.
Dahil walang binabayarang mahal na renta para sa tindahan, nagagawa ng maraming online seller na magpresyo ng higit na mababa kaysa sa mga shop. Halimbawa, ang 20 piraso na maninipis na balabal ay ibinebenta lang ni Cathy, isang Intsik na namimili ng pakyawan sa China, sa halagang $160, o $8 bawat piraso. Sa mga tindahan ay hindi bababa ang presyo ng mga ito sa $30 bawat isa. Dahil sa baba ng presyo niya, marami sa mga bumibili kay Cathy ay  mga Pilipina na ibinebenta rin sa iba ang binibili sa kanya.
Ang pagbebenta na hindi na idinaraan sa ahente o tindahan ang isa pa sa mga nakakatulong para maibaba ang presyo ng mga bilihin sa online.
Para naman sa isang mamimili, hindi na kailangan pang makipagsiksikan sa mall at umubos ng ilang oras para lang makita ang mga gusto o dapat bilhin. Menos gastos na, menos pagod pa rin.
Sa kabila nito, hindi pa rin maitatanggi na ang pagbebenta ng isang DH, sa online man o sa iba pang paraan, ay ipinagbabawal sa batas, kaya laging dobleng ingat sila dapat.
Kung hindi man, dapat ay itigil na lang nila ito, o kaya ay ipadala sa Pilipinas ang mga pinamili at doon ibenta.
Sa kahit ano mang trabaho o negosyo, isang malaking kaginhawaan ang malaman na walang patakaran o batas na nilalabag para lang kumita.

Ups and downs of a call center job

By Sol Banganan

Emeflor Ilagan doesn't worry about the traffic in Edsa. While most other people are on their way home from their offices, she's just starting her day. She travels from her hometown in Pampanga to her office in Tiendesitas, Pasig City, where she works as a Team Leader in a BPO (Business Products Outsourcing), or what is commonly known as a call center company.
A graduate of business programming and management, she once worked for the Manila Broadcasting Company as an executive secretary to the CEO, Fred Elizalde, who also owns DZRH, Love Radio, Yes FM, Star City, among other companies. She later worked as executive assistant to the company, Julio Macuja, before transferring to another high-flying job in Innodata EMCI. She resigned after three years when she had a miscarriage due to her hectic work load.
She then worked as an agent in a call center near her place called TP or Teleperformance for eight years, rising to the post of trainer, quality assurance officer, team leader, then operations manager. She resigned when their account was transferred to a different center.
That was how she ended in Transcom, first at its office in Ortigas, then to Tiendesitas after two years.
Though she sometimes has to wade through bumper-to-bumper traffic to get to her work, Emeflor doesn't mind, as she loves her job. She vows never to leave the industry unless she finally secures the immigrant visa to the United States which she been waiting for, for years.
Emeflor is one of the tens of thousands of Filipinos who now work in BPO, the fastest growing industry in the Philippines.
Many are driven to the job because of the higher starting pay, but not a few opt out eventually because of the odd work hours, or the unsavory reputation that some employees have acquired, rightly or wrongly.
One of the big bosses in a well- known BPO company does not deny that some workers in the industry indulge in too much partying and boozing, but said this is not the norm. "Reputation is what others think of you, character is what you are made of," he says, before adding, "A majority of the workers are young and still immature, add that to the high salary they are getting so they spend like there is no tomorrow."
He, however, took exception to the accusation that many call center agents are drug addicts, saying this is not likely because most companies require their employees to go through an annual physical examination, which includes drug tests.
When the call center industry started back in the new millennium, the companies only hired graduates from the so called top three universities to work as agents: the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila. But as the industry grew, companies were forced to accept graduates from other schools, or even undergraduates or former overseas Filipino workers and people with disability.
Many of these pioneers now occupy higher positions, as heads of business, operations or training, or as IT managers.
But with everyone who is recruited into the industry, the main requirement is that they should be fluent in English, the main language used by the overseas companies that outsource parts of their business, mainly customer service, to the Philippines and other third-world countries.
An example closer to home would be the outsourcing of the customer service for Hutchison 3, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications company. While the subscribers are in Hong Kong, the people answering their queries relating to their service are speaking to them from the Philippines.
To become agents, trainees are taught in a classroom-like environment by their company, which is hired by an overseas client. The client provides information on its services, while the call center company hires the staff that will service the client. The Philippine company also hires trainers to teach the agents, who take in the calls for the clients or "accounts".
Although the most known position in the industry is that of an agent and a TL or "team leader", there are a lot of other positions pertaining to a certain account and a line of business.
Since most accounts are located overseas, agents are expected not only to be knowledgeable in English and computer but to be able to adapt to the time difference as well. That's why call center people eat lunch at midnight and say goodnight in the morning.
There are also centers that cater to local clients like Maynilad, Meralco, Globe, Smart but the offer is a lot lower than their international counterpart. The only upside is that the agents have normal working hours unlike those who work on the international accounts.
Salaries in the BPO industry currently range from Php15,000 to Php35,000, depending on the company and the position, which are high by Philippine standards. However, the turnover is high because many workers are unable to stand the work hours, or the pressure that comes with the job.
Within the industry, it is a known fact that Americans seem to love to test an agent's patience, and cursing seems to come naturally to most of them. The British are generally nice but when it comes to giving good surveys, they are really stingy. Australians are widely regarded as the nicest ever. Another factor that cause many agents to leave is the inability to adjust to the time schedule. Even if they have time to rest during the day, they still feel sleep-deprived.
Some become unhappy being stuck in an agent position that they lose their drive. They resign but reapply when they can't find an alternative job, making them "hoppers". This is the term used for agents who can't stay in one company for a more than a few months. Although they can easily look for another center or "vendor" because of their knowledge, they usually have difficulty getting into the better companies since their work records will show that they had worked for several outfits within a span of a few months.
Since attrition is high, it is hard for agents to apply for a loan. Salary wise, it is like working overseas but the take-home pay is much lower because of the high 32% tax on their income.
Despite all that has been said about the downside of working in the industry, a lot more still try their luck and stay. With the high unemployment rate and the relatively low starting salary in most companies, call centers continue to attract many Filipinos looking for a job.
But getting in is not easy. A college degree is never a guarantee that one will be hired. Interviewers don't only judge communication skills, they also observe the behavior of the applicants. After all, this is one job where patience and having a pleasant personality matters a lot.
Once you become part of the industry, however, you will be well looked after. You will have benefits like a full medical insurance, which can be extended to your family members depending on how long you have been with your company.
But the best thing in the industry is that there is no discrimination. Old, young, professionals, undergrad-uates, people with disability, gay, rich, poor, black and white all work together without fear of being judged.
The industry is replete with examples of how people have made the job work best for them. They include Richard Watkins, a son of a former US military man who settled in Olongapo. Although he has worked in big US finance companies like JP Morgan and Chase, he says he prefers working with TP in the Philippines.
"(The) Philippines is a lot better than where I've been, no discriminations. At least, I still get to speak with Americans," he says.
But perhaps the most important opportunity offered by companies in this business is the chance for their workers to study while working.
Chester Regalado, who works as an agent in Quezon City, is enrolled at the Philippine Law School, and is grateful because his job pays for his tuition. "I still have two more years before I graduate and I am just grateful that I can finance my studies through my job," he says.
His future plans include starting a union for call center workers since not all companies offer good compensation.
Most of the people working in the industry start as agents, and many have remained at this level. In fact, they make up 80% of all those working in the industry, prompting many to say that, apart from a few exceptions, the career growth here is slow.
While it is not the best job, there is no doubt that the BPO industry has opened a lot of opportunities and lessened unemployment. Among the potential beneficiaries are OFWs who now have the option of returning home and watch their kids grow.
As with most jobs, this one offers both rewards and corresponding sacrifice. If you're happy, you may stay and be probably rewarded well. If not, it at least provides you an opportunity to earn while you pursue that job that your heart desires.

---
Our guest columnist for this month used to be a regular contributor for The SUN, while working as an OFW in Hong Kong. Since deciding to return home for good more than three years ago, Sol has worked in the call center industry. While the job has enabled her to keep a closer eye on her family, she still says that she does not endorse it "as I believe graduates should work for the course they burned their eyebrows for, for many years." Still, she says, she has no doubt the industry has helped the country a lot in fighting unemployment.- Ed

Halinang magpidal sa Shatin-Taipo Track

Ni Marites Palma

Ang pagbibisekleta ay isa sa mga paboritong libangan ng mga naninirahan sa Hong Kong, dahil maliban sa magandang epekto nito sa katawan ay nakakaaliw din ito. At isa sa pinakamadalas puntahan ng mga siklista ay ang Shatin-Taipo Cycling Track.
Maraming magagandang tanawin kasing masisilayan habang tinatalunton ng isang siklista ang kahabaan ng 16-kilometrong cycling trail na matatapos sa tatlong oras na pagpapadyak.
 Makikita sa daanang ito ang matatarik na kabundukan at magagandang aplaya sa New Territories, ang lugar na pinagmulan ni dating world cycling champion Wong Kam Po.
Maaaring mag-umpisa sa Tai Wai. Doon ay may arkilahan ng bisikleta sa tapat ng Exit A ng Tai Wai MTR station. Pagkatapos umupa ng bisikleta ay maaari nang tuntunin ang cycling track patungong Shing Mun River.
Makikita rito ang pinagandang ilog na iniakma sa pag-unlad ng distrito ng Shatin, na dati ay isang pamayanan ng naninirahan sa pampublikong kabahayan. Ngayon, ang lagusan ng ilog ay ang Tolo Harbour na ang magkabilang pampang ay siyang bumubuo sa isang recreational zone na may mga jogging trail at cycling track.
Sa Shing Mun River ginaganap ang taunang karera ng mga bangka tuwing sasapit ang Dragon Boat Festival. Mula sa Shing Mun River ay madaraanan ang Hong Kong Heritage Museum, kung saan tampok ang mga sinaunang kayamanang pangkultura ng China at ang pinakamalaking replica ni Bruce Lee. Ilang padyak mula roon, sa kabila ng ilog, ay tanaw ang Che Kung Temple.
May mga parke rin doon na ginagawang tambayan ng ilang mga Pilipino tuwing araw ng pahinga. May mga kainan din sa tabi ng museum na kadalasang kinakainan ng matatanda at mga nagku-kwentuhang mga Pilipina.
Nakatutuwa ring pagmasdan ang mga grupo ng matatandang namimingwit ng isda dahil nagpaparamihan sila ng nabibingwit at nagkakantiyawan. Maraming isda na karaniwa’y tilapia at banak sa Shing Mun River.
May apat na kilometro mula sa Tai Wai ay paahon na ang cycling track habang binabaybay ang timog na pampang ng Tolo Harbour. Doon ay makikita ang Hong Kong Science Park, isang kumpol ng magagara at makikinang na gusaling bakal at salamin.
Tinawag na state-of-the-art ang arkitektura ng Hong Kong Science Park, ang sentro ng pagtuklas sa agham at teknolohiya dito sa SAR. Kadalasang nagaganap ang pagtitipon at pagtatanghal ng mga bagong tuklas na kaalaman sa siyensiya at teknolohiya, gayundin ang mga bagong imbensiyon.
Makikita rin ang isang napakaganda ngunit artipisyal na lawa at mamamangha ka dahil hindi mo aakalaing ginawa lamang ng tao.
Maluwang na ang daan kapag nakarating ka na sa Pak Shek Kok.  Maaliwalas na rito at maaaring magpahinga sa mga upuang nakaharap sa Tolo Harbour. Mula sa kilalang trail na ito, mapapahanga ka sa ganda ng bundok ng Ma On Shan.
Isinunod ito sa malaupuang hugis ng tuktok ng bundok na namamasdan sa katapat na baybayin. Diretso ka pa at mararating mo ang maharlikang tanawin ng Pat Sin Leng, na literal na ipinangalan sa “Ridge of the Eight Immortals”. Kakaiba ito dahil ang walong taluktok ng bundok ay nakahilera.
Ilang saglit na lang at matatapos na ang pagpipidal ng bisikleta sa Tai Po Waterfront. Mula sa pinakamalaking liwasan sa lungsod ng Taipo ay sasalubong sa iyo ang halimuyak ng makukulay na bulaklak.
Dito ang perpektong lugar sa pagpapalipad ng saranggola. Matutunghayan din ang iba’t ibang klase ng insekto mula sa Insect House. Mayroong teatro sa labas malapit sa hugis-bangkang languyan.
Tanaw ang kagandahan ng Tolo Harbour kapag tumuntong ka sa 32 metro ang taas na Lookout Tower na parang higanteng kabibe and hugis.
Mula sa Tai Po harbour ay puwede nang maglakad papunta sa MTR Tai Po Market station. Dumaan sa Tai Po Tai Wo Road at Nam Wan Road. Maaari ring sumakay sa bus 275K sa Yuen Shun Roadpapuntang MTR Taipo Market station, ngunit ito ay tuwing Linggo at espesyal na holiday lamang

Grace Poe eyes ‘one-stop shop’ for OFWs Poe

Poe with The Sun's Grace Ordoa and Vir Lumicao

By Vir B. Lumicao

Senator Grace Poe wants the creation of a single agency that will act as a “one-stop shop” for processing documents of overseas Filipino workers, in place of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The presidential candidate told The SUN in an ambush interview in Central on Christmas Day that repatriation fees that OWWA requires overseas Filipino workers to pay should be lowered or scrapped altogether, and that members of the program who become senior citizens should not lose their benefits.
However. OWWA charges only membership, and not repatriation fees to OFWs. The cost of repatriation is borne either by the employer or the worker's employment agency,,
Poe arrived in Hong Kong on Dec 25 with her husband Neil Llamanzares and daughter Hanna and checked in at Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Poe, who was disqualified by the Commission on Elections from seeking the presidency in the national elections in May due to questions about her citizenship, said it is only the Supreme Court that can decide whether she is not legally fit to run.   “Sa ngayon po, meron po tayong recourse na Supreme Court so, hanggang ngayon ang aking pangalan ay nasa balota pa rin. Ang Supreme Court lang ang tanging makakapagdesisyon kung tanggal ba ako o hindi, kaya sa ngayon tuloy pa rin tayo,” she replied when asked whether she was still in the running for the presidency.
 (Right now, we have the recourse of going to the Supreme Court, so until now my name is still on ballot. Only the Supreme Court can decide whether I'm out or not, so we're still good to go")
Poe’s visit coincided with the Christmas event of Migrante International Hong Kong on Chater Road just a few steps away from the Mandarin Oriental. Poe's senatorial line-up includes Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna, which is in the Makabayan bloc like Migrante.
The candidate appeared in the "Pamaskong Handog ng Migrante Hong Kong” event but did not address the crowd of about 200 OFWs from various groups led by Migrante HK. She was whisked away by Bayan HK chair Eman Villanueva and Mission for Migrant Workers staff Norman Carnay when dozens of Filipinas began mobbing her for photographs.
Poe said friends such as senatorial candidate Susan “Toots” Ople, the Ople Foundation as well as Migrante were helping her craft her policies for the welfare of OFWs. “Unang-una, yung magkaroon ng one-stop shop dito sa mga permit processing. Di ba may POEA, may OWWA. Dapat may isa na lang ahensiya,” Poe said.
“Pangalawa, yung mga repatriation fees, dapat diyan babaan o tanggalin. Yung isa pa, yung benepisyo ng OWWA, sabi nila pag senior citizen daw hindi na puwedeng mag-contribute. Kung matagal na silang nagtatatrabaho sa ibang bansa, bakit tatanggalin yun mga benepisyo na iyon?” she asked.
OWWA benefits, however, constitute mainly of the Php100,000 death benefit and Php10,000 burial assistance extended to an OFW's family in case of death.
Poe also suggested that all Philippine consulates and embassies have a 24-hour hotline with staff available anytime to give assistance to OFWs in distress.
In Hong Kong, this is already. being done, with 24-hour hotlines for both the assistance to nationals section and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.
Poe said some 6,000 OFWs are in jails around the world, with 74 on death row, and they also need protection.
As for her economic platform, Poe said the plan is to attract foreign investors to the Philippines by lowering the country’s corporate income taxes. She compared the country’s 30% corporate income tax with Hong Kong’s 14%. “Kung ikaw ang namumuhunan, gusto mo bang magpunta sa bansa kung saan napakataas ng tax? Natural ay ayaw mo, so, kailangan nating babaan,” Poe said.
She also indicated moving against corruption at the Bureau of Customs and the agency’s move to tax balikbayan boxes. She said Senator Ralph Recto has a bill proposing to raise the value of tax-free goods that OFWs can put in a balikbayan box to P150,000.
Poe said she is thinking of more infrastructure projects such as airports and roads, which are vital to the economy
Manufacturing could be revived by using the country’s “agri to agri by-products,” with coconut as an example, Poe said. Many products could be manufactured from coconut, such as virgin coco oil, coco water, coco coir, and many more.
In the mining industry, miners extract minerals process them overseas instead of doing so in the Philippines because electricity is very expensive. Those mining companies should be allowed to set up their own power plants so they could process the metals locally and maximize the country’s earnings from the industry.
Poe said the Philipines is the fifth most mineralized country in the world. “Ang tingin ko sa minerals natin, pamana iyan sa atin, huwag nating lustayin, huwag nating sirain ang environment,” she said. (i look at our mineral (deposits) as a legacy. We should not  squander them, let's not wreck our environment).
“You should not consume your inheritance in just one sitting. And whatever earnings you make, you have to invest in something better. At the same time, dapat ay responsible mining,” Poe said.
Ultimately, the woman who wants to be president said it is her dream that all OFWs return home. “If the job is good in your country, who think of going abroad? We will achieve that goal gradually as more investors arrive in our country,” she said.
Told about how OFWs going home for good can hardly get a job in their country, Poe said she was aware of employers being very discriminatory. She said there are bills against age discrimination that she and Senator Pia Cayetano are supporting. — With a report from Gina N. Ordona

My mother’s recipes

By Daisy CL Mandap

Christmas time is when most Filipinos crave for the food they were served during their growing-up years in the Philippines. For most, these often include sweet ham, quezo de bola, hot soup, noodles (pancit or spaghetti with sweet meat sauce), roast chicken or pork barbecue, or maybe even lechon. Not to be forgotten are the desserts, from haleyang ube and leche flan, to the super sweet fruit salad.

In my family, these are what is often still served, and more. Coming from a purely Pampango family, our clan gatherings often take the form of mini-feasts, with members being served an array of dishes whose recipes have been handed down and perfected over several generations.

A key figure in all our family gatherings is my mother, Francisca Larin Mandap, who is turing 90 years old in about two months. Up until a mild stroke left her with numbed fingers and frail limbs about three years ago, my mother did all the cooking in the house, even while she worked full-time, and looked after nine children and a true-blue Pampango husband who was picky with food.

Her children, especially her seven daughters, now find themselves struggling to cook the way she did, but the task is formidable. One finds that beyond the recipes that are easily shared, is a special talent that only someone reared in the time-honored way of Filipino cooking could possibly possess.

But we could always try. Below are two of the family's favorite dishes, which our mother used to cook to perfection. The first, bringhe (sometimes referred to as arroz valenciana), is often served on special occasions like Christmas or New Year's eve gathering. The second, pochero, is a staple Pampango dish that often comes to mind when one thinks of what to cook when there's saging na saba in the kitchen.

The recipes here are part of a collection that the family is trying to put together with help from our mother's trusted helper, Zaldy Caro, who had the privilege of working with her in the kitchen for three years. A niece, Lesley Anne Lee, is collating the recipes and pictures of dishes in digital format.

Ima's Pochero

(Good for 4-6 persons)

Ingredients:

       1 kilo pork  or chicken

       4 tbsps achuete, mixed with 1                                                    cup water, then squeezed to get                                     the colored extract

       1 medium-sized cabbage, quartered

       ¼ kilo baguio beans, deveined

       4 pcs potatoes, cubed

       6 pcs saging na saba, sliced in half

       3 cloves of garlic, crushed

       1 pcs onion, small, sliced

       6 pcs tomatoes, chopped

       1 tbsp fish sauce

       2 tbsp soy sauce (if pork is used)

       4 tbsps cooking oil for sauteeing

       salt to taste

Preparation:

1.    Wash pork or chicken, then slice into bite size.

2. If pork is to be used, simmer in water with soy sauce until tender. If chicken, it can be sauteed raw.

3. Heat oil, then fry the crushed garlic until it turns brown. Add the sliced onion and then the chopped tomatoes.

4. Stir in the pork (or chicken), then add 1 cup of water. Add salt to taste. Stir, then cover until it comes to a boil.

5. Add the achuete extract and potatoes then let mixture simmer again.

6. When the potatoes become tender, add the saba and baguio beans. Cover until all the ingredients are cooked to desired tenderness.

7. Add the cabbage slices, stir then cover. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the stove. The dish is ready to be served.

Ima's Bringhe

(Serves 10-15 people)

Ingredients:

       ¾ kilo chicken meat

       ¾ kilo mussels

       ¾ kilo large shrimps

       2 pcs red bell pepper,

            sliced into strips

       a knob of yellow ginger

            (luyang dilaw), peeled

       5 garlic cloves, crushed

       2 pcs medium-sized onions, sliced

       8 cups of coconut milk

       5 cups of uncooked sticky rice

       cooking oil

       salt to taste

       fish sauce (optional)

Preparation:

1.    Saute garlic, onion and then the chicken meat. Stir for about 10 minutes, then set aside.

2. Pound ginger well, then squeeze in about 2 cups of warm water. Pass juice through a strainer, then set aside.

3. Mix ginger juice with the coconut milk, then boil for about 15 minutes. Season with salt before adding the uncooked sticky rice.

4. Wash shrimps and mussels, then add to the mixture as soon as it starts to boil.

5. Turn the fire down a bit, then continue to stir the mixture to make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom. The dish is ready when the rice is cooked.

* As is it is with most home-cooked recipes, the seasoning for this dish largely depends on the cook's palate. Season with salt and/or fish sauce according to taste.

Ex-DH jailed 31 months for multiple charges

An overstaying Filipino former domestic worker was sentenced to 31 months in prison by a District Court judge on Dec 22 after he pleaded guilty to 16 charges, including burglary, theft, and breach of Immigration rules

Danilo T. Cayanong admitted his guilt before Judge Tim Casewell. He earlier appeared before Judge A. Kwok on Dec 1 supposedly to admit his guilt, but the judge deferred the plea-taking to Dec 22.

Cayanong pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary committed from June 26 to Aug 12 in two villages along Clearwater Bay Road, Sai Kung; 12 charges of using a stolen HSBC bank card to withdraw $22,075 in cash between July 26 and Aug. 12, and a charge of breach of condition of stay for overstaying in Hong Kong since July 16, 2011

The prosecution said Cayanong trespassed into a house in Sun On Village, Saikung, owned by his wife’s expatriate employer Christian Taylor, to steal two keys that he used to enter a second house, in Tui Min Hoi New Village. There he stole $11,000, an HSBC bank card issued to Taylor, and an Octopus card.

On Aug 2, he began using the card, withdrawing $8,000 in four transactions. How he managed to do it was not made clear in court. The next day, he took $8,025 also in various amounts, then came back for $6,025 in three transactions on Aug 4 and a final $3,000 on Aug 6  Police were alerted when Taylor discovered the burglary. When Cayanong was apprehended on Aug 14, they found out he had overstayed.

Judge Casewell imposed a three-year sentence for each of the burglary cases to be served concurrently, two years each for the theft charges to be served consecutively starting from the fifth month of the burglary sentence, and one month for each of the four years he overstayed to be served consecutively with the theft sentence

The prosecution said Cayanong and his wife had previously worked for the same employer, but he was terminated in mid-June 2011. He reportedly decided to stay on because he wanted to be with his wife.

The report noted that despite his illegal stay in Hong Kong, he had not taken on any job and received support from his wife. - Vir B. Lumicao

DH in jail for $20k jewelry theft

A 50-year-old Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to six weeks in jail on Dec 14 after she pleaded guilty to stealing jewelry worth $20,000 from her employer.

Convicted of theft on her own admission was a woman surnamed Bayog, according to information supplied by the Hong Kong Police.

A duty officer at the Police Public Relations Bureau said in reply to an inquiry from The SUN that the woman was now in prison to serve out her sentence

“Police received a report on Dec 10 from a 38-year-old man surnamed Lam about his jewelry worth $20,000 stolen by his female domestic helper in a unit on Grampian Road  in Kowloon City,” the PPRB officer said over the telephone.

She said a police team went to the address to investigate and arrested the domestic helper on the same day

“The arrested woman was charged and she appeared in court on Dec 14.

She pleaded guilty and was sent to prison for six weeks,” the officer said.

Bayog’s case was not included in the daily court list as she pleaded guilty at her initial court appearance.

But The SUN got wind of the case through reliable sources, who gave her first name as Alien .

The PPRB gave no further detail of the case. — Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina jailed 6 months for overstaying

A Filipina tourist who had overstayed her visa for nine and a half years was jailed fir six months after pleaded guilty on Dec 24 to a charge of breach of condition before a magistrate in Shatin.

Luzviminda Lazaro admitted the charge as she faced Principal Magistrate Andrew Ma for a second time in 20 days.

The prosecution report read in court said Lazaro arrived in Hong Kong in mid-2005 as a tourist and did not leave the SAR before her visa expired. She worked illegally in local restaurants and was arrested on Dec 2.

On her first appearance before Magistrate Ma on Dec 4, Lazaro’s lawyer applied for bail, telling the court the defendant came to Hong Kong because there were threats on her life arising from a land dispute back home.

Ma, however, rejected Lazaro’s bail application and remanded her in custody because she could not present evidence to prove her claim.

The magistrate set nine months as starting point for his sentence on Lazaro, meaning one month for each year that she overstayed, then reduced it by one-third because the defendant pleaded guilty.

Lazaro is expected to pursue her application for asylum when has served out her sentence. She has filed an application under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Jennylyn at Jericho panalo sa MMFF

Nanalo sina Jennylyn Mercado at Jericho Rosales bilang best actress at best actor para sa kanilang pelikulang “Walang Forever” sa Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2015 awards night na ginanap noong December 27 sa Kia Theater. Napanalunan din ng naturang pelikula ang best picture, best story at best screenplay.

Naging emosyonal si Jennelyn sa pagtanggap ng kanyang award, at pinasalamatan niya ang kanyang producer at director ng kanyang peliku

la na siya ring gumawa ng “English Only, Please” noong nakaraang taon, na nagpanalo rin sa kanya bilang  best actress.

Ang baguhang aktres at TV star na si Maine Mendoza (kilala bilang Yaya Dub ng AlDub tandem) ay nanalo bilang best supporting actress sa kanyang unang pelikulang “My Bebe Love”, na inaasahang magiging top grosser sa MMFF.

Nanalo bilang best director si Erik Matti, best supporting actor si Tirso Cruz III, at si Krystal Brimmer naman ang best child performer, para sa pelikulang “Honor Thy Father”.

Bago ang awards night, napabalita na na-disqualify ang pelikulang pinagbibida-han ni John Lloyd Cruz para sa kategoryang best picture dahil nilabag daw nito ang patakaran ng MMFF na ang mga pelikulang kalahok ay kailangang hindi pa naipalabas sa mga sinehan bago ang festival. Hindi napasama sa walong kalahok na unang napili para sa MMFF ang "”Honor Thy Father” (o kilala rin sa titulong Conman), pero dahil umatras ang pelikulang “Hermano Pule” dahil sa kakulangan ng budget, ipinalit ito.

Napiling second best picture ang “Buy Now, Die Later”, at third best picture ang “My Bebe Love”.

Inihayag din ang apat na pelikulang nangunguna sa takilya sa unang tatlong araw ng festival: “My Bebe Love”, (Php 159 milyon), “Beauty and the Bestie” (Php 131 milyon), “Walang Forever”, (Php 36 milyon); at Haunted Mansion” (Php 29 milyon). Wala pa raw ibinigay na figures ang ibang pelikulang kalahok.

Ang iba pang nanalo:

Best Float: “Buy Now, Die Later”;                                                

FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: “Walang Forever”;                     

Gatpuno J. Villegas Cultural Award: “My Bebe Love”                                                      

Short Film Best Picture: “Mumu”

Best Animation Film: “Momento”

New Wave Animation Special Jury Prize: “Lights Lights”

New Wave Full-Feature Special Jury: “Toto”

New Wave Full-Length Best Supporting Actress: Bibeth Orteza (“Toto”)

New Wave Full-Length Best Actor: JM De Guzman (“Tandem”) & Francisco Quinto (“Ari”)

New Wave Full-Length Best Director: John Paul Su (“Toto”)

DGPI, UMALMA SA PAGKA-DISKUWALIPIKA NG HONOR THY FATHER

Kinondena ng Director’s Guild of the Philippines (DGPI) ang pagkaka-disqualify ng pelikulang “Honor Thy Father” para sa best picture category sa MMFF 2015. Sa isang pahayg na inilabas nila sa kanilang Facebook page, hindi raw malinaw ang naging desisyon ng MMFF executive commission.

“The MMFF gave a technical justification for the disqualification that begs the following questions: Since MMFF already knew of the opening film screening of Cinema One Originals, why wasn’t it disqualified early on? Or at least given notice that they could be disqualified from MMFF if they pursued the invitational screening? And why was the disqualification declared only a day before the awards night?”

The DGPI also considers the disqualification an “injustice,” calling on fellow film workers to “stand united and remain vigilant against all forms of injustice.”

“The DGPI stands against arbitrary and unfair practices in the MMFF; we demand fair play, we demand transparency, and we demand change.”

Samantala, ang producer ng pelikula na si Dondon Monteverde ay nagpasalamat sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa kanilang pelikula at nakiisa sa kanilang ipinaglalaban at dumulog sa Kongreso sa pamamagitan ni Cong. Dan Fernandez para imbestigahan ang mga pangyayari.

MAINE, SA  PANALO: BAKIT AKO?

Tinalo ni Maine Mendoza, a.k.a. Yaya Dub ang mga mas matatagal nang artistang sina  Iza Calzado (“Haunted Mansion”) at Nova Villa (“All You Need is Pag-Ibig”), para sa best supporting actress sa MMFF. Dahil hindi inaasahan, gulat na gulat daw si Maine nang matanggap niya ang balita habang nagbabakasyon sa Japan kasama ang kanyang pamilya.

Ang kanyang reaksyon: “Bago pa ako i-bash ng sambayanan, mauuna na ako. Bakit ako? Pero maraming salamat po! Magandang umaga sa lahat!”

Bukod sa kanyang award, namamayagpag sa takilya ang kanilang pelikulang “My Bebe Love” na muling nagpanumbalik sa pagiging box office king and queen nina Vic Sotto at Ai Ai delas Alas. Pero, kung tutuusin, ang tambalang AlDub nina Alden Richards at Maine ang dahilan kaya patuloy na dinudumog ng fans ang kanilang pelikula. Balitang walang sawang nanonood ng paulit-ulit ang kanilang fans dahil kilig na kilig sila sa dalawa.

MISS UNIVERSE: TAPUSIN NA ANG AWAY

Sa gitna ng kontrobersyang idinulot ng malaking pagkakamali ng host ng katatapos na Miss Universe 2015 napinanalunan ni Pia Wurtzbach ng Pilipinas, sari saring pambabatikos ang lumabas. Maraming mga Pinoy ang nagalit sa naging host ng pageant na si Steve Harvey dahil nauna niyang tinawag na Miss Universe si Ariadna Gutierrez ng Colombia, bago ito binawi makaraan ang ilang minuto, at  ito idineklarang ang Miss Philippines ang tunay na nanalo. Agad na humingi ng dispensa si Harvey, kasabay sa pagpapakita ng cue card kung saan makikita ang opisyal na resulta. Nadamay sa inis ng mga Pinoy ang ibang mga kandidata na nagpakita ng suporta kay Miss Colombia at kagaspangan ng ugali at pambabasatos kay Pia.

Sa gitna ng kaguluhan ay umani ng paghanga si Pia sa ipinakita niyang pagiging kalmado, at ngayon nga ay humihiling siyang tapusin na sana ang away.

“Arguing and sending hateful messages to each other defeats what the Miss Universe pageant stands for, which is about ‘uniting empowered women from all over the world.

Sa ngayon ay excited na raw siya na umpisahan ang kanyang mga tungkulin bilang Miss Universe. Ipinahatid rin niya kay Miss Colombia ang mensaheng ito: "You are an amazing woman and we are now bonded together forever by a unique experience.

Ang unang Pilipinang nanalo bilang Miss Universe (1969) na si Gloria Diaz, ay nagsabi na dapat daw na idinemanda si Harvey sa ginawa nitong gulo. Si Margie Moran, na pangalawang Miss Universe (1973) ng bansa, ay nagsabi naman na ninakaw kay Pia ang “glory of that moment.. It was unfortunate, but she won. That’s all that matters really.”

Ang higit na ikinahanga ng mga Pinoy kay Pia ay ang pagiging masigasig nito upang makamit ang kanyang gusto. Bata pa lang ay pinangarap na niya ang maging beauty queen, at talagang gumawa siya ng paraan upang matupad ito. Binuhos niya ang kanyang oras sa pagsasanay sa pagsagot ng mga posibleng tanong sa beauty contest, at sa pangangalaga ng kanyang katawan

Ipinakita rin niya kung gaano siya ka-positibo sa kanyang pananaw nang matalo sa boksing si Manny Pacquiao sa laban nila ni Floyd Mayweather, Junior, at sinabi niyang hindi bale daw, dahil babawi ang Pilipinas sa Miss Universe. Tatlong beses siyang sumali sa Bb. Pilipinas, at naging finalist/ runner up ng dalawang beses bago niya nakuha ang titulo, at nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na makasali sa Miss Universe

Samantala, sa nagiging kalakaran ngayon sa mga beauty contest, sinabi ni Gloria na noong kapanahunan niya ay hindi uso ang mga training o plastic surgery. Ni hindi nga raw niya ma-imagine sa sarili na siya ay isang beauty queen . Wala  raw botohan mula sa manonood, kundi simpleng you win or  you lose mula sa mga judges.

Ayon naman kay Margie, wala rin daw silang training noon. Siya raw ay model at nakasayaw na sa CCP at Meralco Theatre kaya marunong na siyang lumakad nang maayos at mag-project. Nag-work out at nagpa-tan daw siya bago tumulak papuntang Athens, Greece para sa Miss Universe. Nagbasa rin daw siya ng tungkol sa current events. Mas simple lang daw noon.

Man’s prayer

A married man's prayer:

Dear God, you gave me childhood, you took it away.

You  gave me youth, you took it away.

You  gave me a wife.  It’s been years now,  just reminding you.

Marital tales

Wife : Shall I prepare Curry or Soup today?

Husband : First make it, we will name it later !!!!!

-o-

A frustrated husband in tells his laptop: “Dear Google, please do not behave like my wife. Please allow me to complete my sentence before you start guessing and suggesting!

-o-

A man brings his best buddy home for dinner unannounced at 5:30 after work. His wife begins screaming at him and his friend just sits and listens in.

“My hair and makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I’m still in my pajamas and I can’t be bothered with cooking tonight! Why the hell did you bring him home for?”

Husband answers: “Because he’s thinking of getting married.”

-o-

Employee: Sir You are like a lion in the office! What about at home?

Boss: I am a lion at home too, But there we have a lion tamer!!!

-o-

A man gifted his wife a diamond necklace for their anniversary and wife didn't speak to him for 6 months.

Was the necklace FAKE?

No! That was the deal. :)

-o-

A couple was having dinner at a fancy restaurant. As the food was served, the husband said, “the food looks delicious, let’s eat.”

Wife: Honey, you say a prayer before eating at home.

Husband: That’s at home, sweetheart. Here, the chef knows how to cook.

-o-

Best Slogan on a man’s T-Shirt: “Please Do Not Disturb me, I am Married and already very Disturbed!”

Brainless

Husband: I found Aladdin’s lamp today.

Wife: wow, what did you ask for darling?

Husband: I asked him to increase your brain ten times.

Wife: Oh, darling...love you so much. Did he do that??

Husband: He laughed. He said multiplication doesn’t apply on zero.

Money

Money has many different names;                     

In temple or church, it’s called donation.

In school, it’s fee.

In marriage, it’s called dowry.

In divorce, it’s called alimony.

When you owe someone, it’s debt.

When you pay the government, it’s tax.

In court, it’s fines.

Civil servant retirees, it’s pension.

Employer to workers, it’s salary.

Master to subordinates, it’s wages.

To children, it’s allowance.

When you borrow it from a bank, it’s loan.

When you offer it after a good service. it’s tips.

To kidnappers, it’s ransom.

Illegally received in the name of service, it’s bribe.

The question is, When a husband gives to his wife, what do we call it?

The ANSWER: Money given to your wife is called DUTY, and every man has to do his duty because wives are not DUTY FREE.

For the period Jan 1-15, 2016

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96

Magandang kapalaran ang sasalubong sa iyo ngayong taon bagamat maraming oras ang kailangang ilaan sa trabaho. Gampanan nang maayos ang responsibilidad upang hindi masisi kung sakaling may problema. Huwag mag-alangan na humingi ng tulong dahil mas malaki ang tsansa ng tagumpay kung magtutulungan.. Malayo ang mararating ng kasalukuyang relasyon pero laging isipin na dadaan sa maraming pagsubok ang tunay na pag-ibig.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97

Ibaon na sa limot ang hindi kaaya-ayang nakaraan para mas maganda ang pasok ng bagong taon. Iwasan ang mga negatibong bagay upang hindi maapektuhan ang masayang disposisyon. Madaling matukso na gawin ang mga bagay na maaring magsanhi ng pagkalugi ng negosyo. Magkakaroon ng lamat ang relasyon sa mga malalapit na kaibigan. Huwag mag-alangang iparating ang nasa isip sa kinauukulan lalo na kung alam mong pinagsasamantalahan ka.

TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98

Apektado ang emosyon at kalusugan dahil sa hindi inaasahang pangangailangan sa pera. Pilitin ang sarili na gawin ang lahat ng makakaya upang makuha ang umento o promosyon na inaasam sa trabaho. Sa kabila ng pagiging abala, tiyakin na laging may sapat na oras para magpahinga. Mahirap pagsabayin ang responsibilidad sa pamilya at lipunan pero maaring kayanin kung matatag ang disposisyon.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87

Mabilis na lilipas ang mga araw. Sa wakas ay malulutas din ang gusot laban sa ilang kamag-anak at muling mangingibabaw ang pagkakaisa sa loob ng tahanan. Magkakaroon ng bagong kaibigan at maaring mauwi sa mas malalim na unawaan ang samahan. May ilang taong magpapakalat ng tsismis laban sa iyo pero huwag magpadala sa bugso ng damdamin para hindi masira ang iniingatang reputasyon.

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 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88

Dahil sa pagpupunyagi, maraming biyaya ang matatanggap at aani ng maraming papuri. Laging isaalang-alang ang sariling kakayanan kapag dumating ang pagkakataon na kailangang mamili. Huwag hahayaang mawalan ng oras sa pamilya dahil sa dami ng inaasikaso. Ingatan ang perang pinaghirapan at tiyakin na makapag-impok bilang paghahanda sa kinabukasan. Para sa mga walang asawa, lmararanasan ang “love at first sight”.

AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89

Sa wakas ay makakamit  ang tiwala ng ibang tao lalo na ang mga kasamahan sa trabaho. Harapin ng buong tapang ang mga taong nang-aapi sa iyo dahil kung malinis ang iyong intensyon ay tiyak na magtatagumpay. Huwag magbulag-bulagan at siguraduhing magtanong kung kinakailangan para matuklasan ang katotohanan. Magulo ang sitwasyon sa loob ng tahanan at maaring masaktan dahil sa daloy ng mga pangyayari pero huwag mag-alala dahil mabibigyang-linaw din ang lahat.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90

Maayos ang takbo ng negosyo kaya tiyak ang magandang pagpasok ng pera. Huwag aksayahin ang panahon sa mga bagay na maaring maging dahilan ng pagkasira ng relasyon sa pamilya. Laging isipin na kung bukal sa puso ang pagtulong ay kusang babalik ang mas malaking biyaya. Mag-ingat ng husto lalo na kung hindi maiwasang magmaneho sa gabi. Huwag mag-atubiling humingi ng tulong sa mga kasama para hindi malagay sa alanganin.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91

Lahat ng pagsisikap na ginagawa mo ngayon ay tiyak na pakikinabangan pagdating ng panahon. Huwag matakot na gumawa ng desisyon dahil sa ganitong paraan lamang maaring maisulong ang adhikain sa buhay. Panatilihin ang kababaang-loob at makibagay nang husto sa mga kasama para maiwasan ang gulo. Magkakaroon ng kumplikasyon ang problema sa atay kaya agad na kumunsulta sa doktor upang maagapan. 

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92

Matiwasay ang relasyon ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya kaya mas masaya ang pasok ng bagong taon. Huwag umurong sa responsibilidad o sa dami ng kailangang asikasuhin dahil marami ang nakahandang magbigay ng tulong. Maalwan ang pasok ng pera kaya maari ng bilhin ang bagay na matagal nang pinag-iipunan.

TANDANG. Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93

Mas mabuting umiwas muna sa mahahabang biyahe at pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga bagay na nangangailangan ng kagyat na atensyon upang hindi mabagot. Mag-ingat sa lahat ng ginagawa dahil maaring magkaroon ng aksidente. Abalahin ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng ehersisyo upang mawala sa isipan ang malungkot na mga pangyayari nitong mga nakaraang araw. Huwag lalaki ang ulo dahil sa tagumpay na matatamo sa trabaho. 

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94

Hindi magkandaugaga sa dami ng obligasyon kaya halos mawalan na ng oras para sa sarili. May hindi inaasahang problema na haharapin sa trabaho pero kayang-kaya itong lutasin sa tulong ng ilang mapagkakatiwalaang kasamahan. Ingatan ang kalusugan at iwasan ang mga bisyo na maaring magdulot ng malubhang karamdaman.

BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95

Ang sigalot sa pagitan ng minamahal ay hindi mawawala hangga’t hindi ito hinaharap.  Matindi ang tukso na gumastos sa mga bagay na hindi kailangan kaya kung hindi mag-iingat ay maaring maubos ang perang pinaghirapan. Huwag magpadala sa silakbo ng damdamin. May malaking problema sa loob ng tahanan ngunit kailangan mong magpakatatag dahil nasa iyo ang lakas ng buong pamilya.

Quiet day as only 304 voters show up on 3rd day

Voters get assistance.

Only 304 voters cast their ballots in Hong Kong yesterday, Apr 11, the third day of the overseas voting for the 2016 Philippine national elections.

This was not unusual for a weekday of voting, as most Filipinos working and living in Hong Kong keep regular work hours during the week.

The lean numbers spared the vote counting machines installed by the Commission on Elections from possible glitches, such as what happened on Day One, when one such machine conked out and spoiled one ballot.

“So far no problem, just the usual wrong spellings,” said Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the Consulate’s 2016 electoral committee that is conducting the overseas voting in Hong Kong.

Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town, where the electoral exercise is being held for a month until May 9, was quiet with few people walking around in the premises, in sharp contrast to the 3,723 who braved the inclement weather to vote last Sunday.

The Consulate announced on its Facebook site that so far 5,155 Hong Kong-based Filipinos had come out to elect their next president, vice-president, 12 senators and one partylist.

Vallespin said problems regarding the spelling of voters’ names can be easily remedied through electronic communication with the Comelec in Manila. A photocopy of the voter’s Hong Kong ID is sent to the Comelec as proof of the correct name and if the election body approves the application, the voter proceeds to the polling precincts.

He cited one case where the person’s surname on the consulate’s voters list was Arcenal while it was Arcena on the Hong Kong ID.

Voters whose names are not in the Comelec list also present another problem. In most cases, however, this is due to their registration having been deactivated because of their failure to vote in two consecutive elections. – Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina badly hurt in Admiralty stairs fall

By Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina gets emergency treatment

A Filipina domestic worker was taken on an ambulance to Queen Mary Hospital yesterday, Apr 11, after she slipped on a stairway at Admiralty Centre and could not move apparently due to a hip injury.

Officials of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office said they could not visit her in hospital because the employer could not remember the maid’s surname.

“We’ll wait until tomorrow, perhaps by then her employer would be able to give us her surname,” said Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.

“She is in great pain and can hardly talk,” De la Torre said.

The accident happened at about 3:20pm as the woman, who identified herself to POLO staff as Mary Jane, was on her way to Admiralty Centre Tower 1 clutching a plastic envelope of documents.

The SUN alerted Assistant Labor Attache Henry Tianero after the building’s management staff were seen assisting the woman lying in extreme pain on the steps of the stairway of the footbridge to United Centre. 

Tianero was at the scene in two minutes, followed by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration nurse Joshua Villa. The nurse asked for the victim’s name and phone number and Tianero called her employer.

The employer was reportedly shocked by the call and promised to confer with POLO officials immediately.

Mary Jane struggled to tell her name to Villa but she managed to say that she was descending the stairs when she felt dizzy and did not know what happened next. The OWWA nurse said the woman could have injured her hipbone.

The management staff immediately attended to her and called for an ambulance to take the Filipina to hospital.

Mary Jane could not move her left hip and leg and cried in pain each time the ambulance attendants tried to carry her onto a foldable wheelchair. She waited for a few more minutes until they returned with a stretcher.

Heavy rain fails to dampen 4,000 voters' enthusiasm

Heavy rain pelted Hong Kong yesterday, Apr 10, but that did not stop about 4,000 Filipinos from going to Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town to cast their votes for the 2016 Philippine national elections.

The voting went on smoothly even as only nine vote counting machines were operating after one of the 10 shipped by the Commission on Elections to  Hong Kong conked out on Day One of the vote. 

As a remedial measure, Consulate officials replaced the defective VCM in precinct No 6 with the unit in precinct No. 10, and directed voters of both precincts to cast their ballots in room No 6.

“VCM No.6 will be shipped to Manila and according to the Comelec, it would replace the machine by Monday (April 11) or Tuesday,” Vice Consul Alex Vallespin told The SUN.

Comelec Commissioner Arthur D. Lim, who was in Hong Kong for the final testing and sealing of the machines on Apr 8, would bring the defective machine back to Manila on Sunday afternoon, Vallespin said.

The Consulate announced on its Facebook page that a total of 3,723 people had cast their votes by the close of voting at 5 pm.

Hundreds of wet but eager voters lined up the stairs and were herded inside Bayanihan, then directed in batches to the upper floors of the center where the voting was being conducted.

By 3pm when the rain had let up, several hundred more voters arrived and the flow steadied until the final hour.  No glitches were reported this time, but some incidents in voters were caught taking or about to take pictures of their ballots with their cellphones in violation of Comelec rules.

The number could have easily exceeded 4,000 had it not been for the rain and the failure of at least 50 people to vote because their names were not on the voters list.

Consulate officials explained that the missing names were a result of the Commission on Elections’ delisting on Sept 21 of nearly 14,000 voters in Hong Kong allegedly for not voting in two consecutive national elections, as mandated by Section 13 of the Overseas Voting Act.

Comelec had originally ordered the de-listing on Sept. 21 and gave those who were purged only until the end of September to file a protest or to register all over again during the regular OVR that ended on Oct. 31. They were given a Dec 31 deadline to re-register.

Months before the delisting, the Consulate had turned away about 6,000 active voters who wanted to register in the OVR and they were overtaken by the purge, Vallespin said. Of this number, only around 1,000 had re-registered, he said.

Ten of these voters failed to cast their ballots on April 9 and about 50 more could not vote on Day Two, Vallespin said.

“The delisted voters are now blaming us for an act that wasn’t ours but the Comelec’s,” said Vallespin.