Jan 31, 2010

Happy Birthday Pehpot!

Happy Birthday to one of the most brilliant minds here, Pehpot of Make or Break.
May this year be your best ever.

I hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true.

Not just a year older, but a year better.

Here's to another year of experience.

A simple celebration, a gathering of friends; here is wishing you great happiness, a joy that never ends.

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy it!




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Jan 29, 2010

Random WAHM Thoughts

The other half of the brilliant mind on the biggest contest that is giving away $500 on their blogversary contest is Kaye of Random WAHM Thoughts. I was familiar with her through Niko and Pehpot, they all belong to the Marce Club. Sometimes Pehpot's status message on her YM is "Nasan na si Kaye?". Just like her friends in Marce Club, she has a pleasant and very neat 3 column layout. What really caught my attention was the total earnings she got from her sponsors and oh, am I so envious!

Maybe Kaye wouldn’t mind sharing some tips with us how she earned lots of moolah and her success story too.

To be more exciting, Kaye and Pehpot is giving away additional $50 for the first 10 participants who will get qualified, sort of early bird reward. I did comply early so I wish I was among the early bird lucky winner.

You've got to read her entry this week on Girl's Talk: First Boyfriend. Marco is really handsome, I can feel even though we are thousand miles apart, Kaye still has a special feeling with Marco. Why not? He's so papable! I hope he still is.

I want to know the author better so I would gladly add her link and follow her blog too. As much as my schedule will allow me to, I would visit her blog more often.



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Jan 28, 2010

TV Options

After the failed negotiations between the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, it’s now Pacquiao vs Clottey. 32 year old Joshua Clottey alias Grand Master has an existing Welterweight Title. Their match dubbed as “The Event” was scheduled on March 13, 2010 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Where else do you think is the best way to watch this exciting fight? Better watch it on High Definition through Direct Satellite TV.


Did you know that Direct TV also offers programming in different languages? They offer it on Arabic, Portugese, Chinese, Korean, Greek, Italian, Russian, Japanese and tons of other languages. They even have programming specially customized for South Asian, Middle Eastern and Carribean markets.

Aside from the much awaited fight of Pacquiao and Clottey, my kids will surely love watching their favorite cartoon shows on Disney Channel and Cartoon Network on Satellite Directv.

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Jan 26, 2010

Cebu Inmates on "This Is It!"

This is worth sharing.......
The Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It" only showed the King of Pop dancing to "They Don’t Care About Us" with a computer-generated army for his backdrop. But with the help of the famous inmates in Cebu, that army comes to life. Some 1,500 inmates from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center performed the number with Travis Payne, Jackson’s long-time choreographer.

This Is It was created from more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage shot between March and June this year while Michael Jackson rehearsed for his 50 sold-out concerts in London. He died on June 25 before he could perform in these concerts, which were slated for kick-off on July 8.The number was called "The Drill," the last choreography Payne and Jackson collaborated on before the King of Pop died in June 2009.

The performance was uploaded on the video-sharing site YouTube last January 22. Accessed on the morning of January 26, the video clip had already been viewed 417,610 times. The number also showed the inmates forming a huge peace sign, possibly in remembrance of Jackson, who advocated world peace. Dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid also joined the inmates, who wore black "This Is It" shirts. Payne visited the Cebu penitentiary last week to teach the inmates "The Drill," which will be part of the Blu-Ray and DVD copies of "This Is It." Following the visit, a newspaper report quoted Payne as saying that “it is a wonderful partnership in just spreading love and peace. I think that with Jackson at the center of everything. It is really a blessing to be here."

The Cebu inmates gained fame in 2007 after their performance of Jackson’s “Thriller" landed on cyberspace. When Jackson died, the inmates staged another tribute to the King of Pop, where they danced to a Michael Jackson medley.



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Jan 25, 2010

Make or Break

The ever lovable and helpful blogger was in for another treat for us! Imagine giving away $500 on their amazing contest here in blogosphere. I think Pehpot has many superlative traits: very helpful, very generous, very humorous, very intelligent and very artistic, I hope she doesn’t get beri-beri (LOL!). She never stops thinking new ideas and creative thoughts, whenever she has great things in mind, she’s never selfish to share it with her blogger friends, I just wish that I get even half of her amazing talents. She’s a good conversationalist too, read some of her posts and you would feel that the author is very candid and real (natural!), ayan puro beri-beri na naman!

It was a fabulous meet up last July that she set-up, actually I almost back out from Bloggers day off because being a neophyte here I was afraid that other bloggers that will attend are pa-sosyal! Fortunately I was wrong, I am looking forward to meet them again soon! Pehpot made the effort to bring some wigs and did some photo session too.

I missed attending Sati's baptism because of the same scheduled baptism of my youngest nephew. Grabe ang handa she can even share it with her neighbors, but thanks to Fedhz, she never forget to give me my favorite polvoron.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! to join Kaye & Pehpot's Blogversary Contest! You would'n want to miss the moolah! The contest runs until February 28, 2010.

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Ice Cream can help you get pregnant

I heard from the morning news that .......
f you want to stay thin, go low-fat. But if you want to get pregnant, ice cream might be a better choice than that fat-free yogurt. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the type of dairy foods a woman eats can have a big impact on her fertility.

Researchers looked at more than 18,000 women ages 24 to 42, and found that those who ate at least one serving per week of high-fat dairy foods were 27 percent less likely to have ovulation-related fertility problems than those eating one serving or less. Those who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy, on the other hand, were 85 percent more likely to have trouble with ovulation.

“This was an unexpected finding and there is not an obvious explanation to this,” says Jorge E. Chavarro, M.D., a research fellow in the school’s department of nutrition. “It is possible that dairy fat or something traveling along dairy fat, such as the naturally occurring sex hormones of pregnant cows, may be enhancing ovulation, but this needs to be studied further.”

Up to 25 percent of women experiencing infertility are having problems with ovulation, so until researchers figure it out, it appears that a dairy swap is worth a try. But because of the extra calories and saturated fat involved, Chavarro suggests going about it carefully. “Simply swapping all low-fat for high-fat dairy will lead to weight gain and greater saturated fat intake, which are not good for fertility or overall health,” he says. So if you’re adding high-fat dairy, try to cut calories and saturated fat in other parts of your diet.

Also keep in mind that you don’t need to shift all of your dairy to high-fat to get its benefits. “Most of the apparently beneficial effect of high-fat dairy was due to whole milk, and significant associations with improved fertility were observed at intakes as low as one glass per day,” Chavarro says. “So there’s really no need to go crazy on high-fat dairy.”

But do enjoy that ice cream while you can, because once you’re pregnant, a switch back to low-fat is recommended.

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Prayer for the day

Peace at Work
Loving and ever-living God, You are the provider of all that we need. Bless those who are starting a new work week. May they know peace at work, as well as at home. Provide a safe and enjoyable environment for them and may their labors bring them rich reward. Bless all those who seek employment with new opportunities and protect them from self doubt. You have blessed each of us with many gifts. Allow us to share them in ways that honor you. For in You, we find our peace. Amen.
-John T. Mudd-

Joke of the day:
Guy 1 - Pare ang galing ng insurance ko, binayaran lahat ng nawalang gamit sa bahay ko!
Guy 2 - Ganun ba pare, mas maganda ang insurance ko, pag nawala ang asawa ko....hindi na ibabalik sa akin!

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Jan 24, 2010

Go! Badminton

Here's the additional levelling sessions, please join the fun! Many celebrities will join too.


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Anak ni Kulapo

What is Kulapo? It means fish coming from its origin Tongan. Who is Kulapo? He is the famous author of Anak ni Kulapo. His blog is clearly different, written in Tagalog and like the movie Avatar, it is PG13. I really like his layout, talagang eye catching and Pinoy na Pinoy ang kanyang musika. His badges are well organized on his three column layout.

Obviously the author is very humorous, better read his post of a lab letter tungkol sa mahiwagang tool ni andoy. Ako ay matagal na ring hindi nakakabasa ng ganitong liham kaya ako ay labis na natuwa na meron palang ganitong mga post sa isang kakaibang blog.
Ako ay labis na bilib sa mga blogger na nagsusulat ng Tagalog, dahil sa aking pagkakaalam ay isang malaking bagay sa mga advertisers na English post dapat. Pero dahil si Kulapo ay nakakabilib at kakaiba ako ay lubhang nahawa sa kanya.

If you want to read 10 cute New Year's resolutions, as usual kakaibang resolution ito na ang author ay sigurado at lubhang na adik na rin sa farmville at mafia wars ng facebook. At dahil 2010 na, panahon na para tayo naman ay magbasa ng mga nakakatuwang post katulad ng mga sinusulat ng Anak ni Kulapo para kahit paminsan minsan man lang ay maibsan ang mga kalungkutan sa ating buhay buhay, bow!

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Jan 23, 2010

Mom Conversations

If you're a new mother or even an anticipating mom, this new blog is the best place to visit, Mom Conversations. Her layout was very simple and elegant. Though this blog was new, the author was not, she was well loved too by so many bloggers because of her genuine generosity. Her newest post was very interesting, throwing away of their unsold items instead of donating it to charities by the two biggest retails stores Wal-mart & H&M. This was so disgusting because a lot of people out there needs basic things like clothes. I just hope since this was already published, they won't do it again. They must consider of being charitable especially now because its too obvious that many people are waiting for our help especially in the third world countries.

One more post that discuss very useful tips especially for new moms was getting rid of stretchmarks. Are there really creams that can buy over the counter that can really get rid of those unwanted stretchmarks? You may even discover some things about stretch mark that we are not aware of. I guess Umma knows it all being a mom herself. Go visit her wonderful blog and be informed about pregnancy, health & fitness, babies and other current categories.

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Jan 21, 2010

He is Buraot

I am not familiar with Buraot. The first time I laid my eyes on his site is to see first his layout, badges and then I was stunned when I saw his Page Rank! It was very rare to see a PR 4 here, next I peek on his personal details, who is Buraot? Honestly I am expecting that the author was a female. From his wordings, I knew that this author has great things in mind, imagine studying Psychology, Philosophy and Law (hmmm…is it all at the same time?). He might even pass for poetry too.

Being a pro here, I guess I have to asked for a few tips from him. Because of my very tight schedule at work, there are really times that I want to explore more but failed to do so. I already made an attempt before, reading some success stories how they earn much online. Being a major sponsor on Kaye and Pehpot’s contest, I knew Mr. Buraot will be kind enough to share some tips so just like him, I can increase my page rank and traffic too.

Actually, his layout was really manly, very precise and very simple. When I read some of his posts, I was fascinated by the words he used, oh that’s how lawyers talk. I was very saddened on his story about his 4 best friends who were already dead, but I know Buraot will find or has found many real friends out there.

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Seiko's Diary

I heard that this famous blogger was very generous with her friends here in blogosphere. I failed to attend Sati’s baptism but I heard of her surprise blowout, and I was even surprised too for her too much generosity. I also saw the flowers she sent for Niko on her birthday, and so much more many good feedback about her (of course courtesy of Niko). Curious about her, I do hop on her blog from time to time and I can sense her good spirit and her posts are well written too.

Like mine, her layout too was taken from Ipiet Templates and her header was in good taste too (I loved how the family picture was designed ). It is readable and eye catching too, I also noticed that she also helped promote her friend’s website and her badges are well organized too. She was a great follower of Couple’s Corner, Girl Talk, Food Trip Friday and many more.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention her name, she is Seiko of Seiko’s Diary. I wish she would recognize me and include me among her tons of friends here. Do visit her blog and you would also be mesmerized by her dalagas and of course, with the author too.

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Jan 19, 2010

Kaye & Pehpot Blogversary Contest

For the first time, this blog will be sponsoring a much awaited major contest! This was really a well organized challenge and from the very genius minds of Pehpot and Kaye. The mechanics are well explained and the sponsors got a “fair billing”, so I would expect that there will be no issues on billing and this will surely be a box office hit, unless some protests from the media will surface (LOL!).

To qualify, just blog about this contest (including the badge and the banner) and review the major sponsors with 3 back links. Of course we all want to claim the first prize so let’s start the ball rolling and begin writing the reviews to get a front load points before the deadline ends on Feb 28, 2010.

The contest you have been waiting for is finally here! This is a POINT SYSTEM, gain points and be our winners. You only need to BLOG ABOUT THE CONTEST and REVIEW OUR MAJOR SPONSORS to be qualified. Just click the banner to see the full details of the contest.



OPTIONAL: GAIN MORE POINTS!
CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!

Level 1 Sponsors:

Level 2 Sponsors:
Azumi : Fab Momma : Mara's Personal Bubble : Mara's Appetite : The Pinay Blogger @ Home : Diva Fabulosa : Best vacation Places : Momma Wannabee : Advising Writers :United World Poets : A Mom's Life and Loves : Travelin' With Marie : Happy Thoughts : Stalking Mind : Living Life To The Fullest : Online Mommy's Corner : Her And History : Careless Whisper : In My Psyche : My Quality Day : Just Throw Money : My Journey To Life : Cotton Candy Buzz : The Mommy Journey : Super Gulaman : Pen, Paper and Pan : Niko's Blog : Lover's Mushroom : Yena's World : Girls Rule! : Trendy And Heartily Yours : Husband of A Blogger : Glitter Page : Here Comes The Bride : Heart Random : Novice On Blogging (Noob) : At Home Here : Sexy Blogging : My Camerasexy : Dishes By Pehpot : Wonder Wifey : Coffee, Anyone? : Clarisse After Dark : Jena Isle's Random Thoughts : Where The Moon Shines : Crossroads.. Where Ideas Meet : Simple Pero Rock : it's not always about me... : Pinay Mommy Online : How I Earn Money Online :
A Woman Remembers : Beng's Entertainment Spree : My Thoughts, My Heart, My Turf : Yashiro : The Blogger Hub : Embrace Life


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Jan 18, 2010

Campaign Ad

After the star studded campaign ad of Noy Aquino, another political campaign ad that has a strong catch to the kids was that of Manny Villar ( Nikko and Makoy has already memorized its lyrics but they still requested me to post this campaign ad). I am still undecided who will I vote in this coming May elections, will I exercise my right?

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Reunited

Me and my 2 good friends (high school classmates) reunite again after several years of very seldom communication. And how time really changed our looks! LOL!

Before
After (18 years)
We spent until 2am exchanging our stories for the past years, sino ang bangka? The one who has the sweetest smile!



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Jan 17, 2010

Kris Aquino's Official Statement

If you failed to watch The Buzz this afternoon regarding the official statement of Kris Aquino regarding James Yap and his reported fan and the cause of his current rift with Kris, Mayen Austria watch this:




As a wife I understand Kris, its really hard when your husband is fooling around or they pretend they are not just to protect their ass.
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A Mother's Prayer

O Lord,
I need your help today.
I want to care
for those you've sent into my life,
to help them develop the special gifts
you've given them.

But I also want to free them
to follow their own paths
and to bring their loving wisdom
to the world.

Help me
to embrace them without clutching,
to support them without suffocating,
to correct them without crushing.

And help me
to live joyfully and playfully, myself,
so they can see your life in me
and find their way to you.
Amen.
It's really hard to become a mother and a wife especially when you feel that you failed your duties. I just want to trust you O Lord that despite the difficulties and trials, I will surpass all these...Amen.

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Jan 16, 2010

Feast of Sto. Nino

The Santo Niño was considered to be the patron saint of Cebu. However, the Santo Niño is a representation of Jesus Christ as a child. The Catholic Church in the Philippines sets the Holy Child as an example of humility, and as a celebration of the Incarnation. Many Cebuanos do not consider the Christmas season over until the Feast of the Santo Niño.

In 2002, the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, declared Jesus' mother Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe as the official patron saint of Cebu. This upset some of the Santo Niño followers, who felt that the declaration demoted the Holy Child. However, the declaration is consistent with Catholic thought requiring a patron saint be a human saint who has gone to his or her heavenly reward and who prays to God on behalf of the living, rather than a divine being himself.

Since the Holy Child is a representation of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, he cannot, as God, be considered a patron. In that sense, Cardinal Vidal's move was to actually install a patron saint for Cebu, when before there was none. He did not, however, abolish the feast or the traditional mardigras parade.

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Jan 15, 2010

Are We Prepared for a Big Earthquake?

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti a few days ago can happen in Metro Manila, according to seismologists and geologists.

The question is: Are we prepared?

It appears that we are not. Experts said preparations should begin in earnest to minimize damage to be caused by the big one.

A 7.2- predicted to hit Metro Manila could kill up to 33,000 people and injure 114,000 others if no adequate preparations were made, a study conducted from 2002 to 2004 showed.

“The big earthquake is certainly coming. The question is when. No one can tell. It can happen today, tomorrow, or next year. But certainly there will be an earthquake,” Emmanuel de Guzman, advisor for Asia Pacific of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, said last year.

The Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study, undertaken by the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, also estimated that the earthquake could destroy 175,000 of the more than 1.3 million buildings in Metro Manila, cause 500 simultaneous fires, and force three million residents to flee.

In a 2008 interview, Director Renato Solidum Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said structures, especially residential and medium-size buildings, should be repaired and reinforced to prevent such a scenario.

Solidum said these types of structures were perceived to be less strongly built than high-rise buildings. Director Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said “a strong earthquake can happen” in Metro Manila or anywhere in the country.

He noted that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Luzon in 1990 and a 7.1-magnitude quake shook Mindoro in 1994. “It can happen again,” Solidum said.

Ismael Narag, officer in charge of the Phivolcs seismology department, also said a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hitting Metro Manila was possible because it is transected by the West Valley Fault.

“So a movement of the fault causing a 7.0-magnitude earthquake is realistic,” he said.

Both Solidum and Narag referred to the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Phivolcs said the West Valley Fault, located in the Marikina Valley, could generate a 7.2-magnitude quake.

Extensive damage

A 7.2-magnitude quake could damage 38 percent of residential buildings, 38 percent of buildings between 10 and 30 stories, 14 percent of buildings between 30 and 60 stories, and 30 to 35 percent of all public buildings.

The study also said the earthquake could cause 33,500 deaths, an additional 18,000 deaths from fire, and 114,000 injuries.

In addition, the temblor could damage nine bridges, cut 30 kilometers of electrical cables and 95 kilometers of communication cables.

Carlos Arcilla, director of the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), said earthquakes in Metro Manila could come from three main generators: the West Marikina Valley Fault, the Manila Trench that caused the Jan. 12 earthquake near Olongapo City, and the Philippine Fault System that caused the Luzon earthquake of 1990.

Arcilla said he knew of two private hospitals in the city built on top of a fault line.

“Some builders and owners don’t want to pay a geologist. But they would pay a feng shui expert,” he quipped.

Mahar Lagmay, also of the NIGS and an expert on faults, said the West Marikina Valley Fault had moved four times in the last 1,200 years in intervals of 200 to 400 years.

Due for a big one

The last movement of the fault was recorded at around 200 to 300 years ago.

“I think we are due for a big one. The strain on the fault is building up. So the probability of the fault moving and generating an earthquake is big,” Lagmay said.

As for being prepared for a big earthquake, Adelfo Briones of the Ateneo School of Government, said that the floods brought by Tropical Depression “Ondoy” was the perfect example of how bad local government units (LGUs) responded to a disaster.

“Because of Ondoy, there is some focus on LGU response and really it is more reactive than proactive. The focus is not mitigation. In Metro Manila, LGUs should look at the lay of the land and look at the geological characteristics of their locale,” he said.

Briones is working on a project on the natural disaster preparedness of LGUs.

Ill-equipped to respond

An audit-survey conducted in February 2009 found that a majority of LGUs were not ready to deal with earthquakes and other natural disasters, he said.

“We found that a majority of LGUs are ill-equipped to respond to disasters. There are some good policies and projects, but these are just islands. I’m not saying there are no efforts to mitigate, but the reality on the ground is different. We are a disaster-prone country, so we need to focus on this,” Briones told the Inquirer.

The survey included the skills and training of the LGU disaster-response staff, equipment and even advocacy or information dissemination.

Structural audit

For earthquake mitigation, Briones advocated taking a look at the buildings in a locale.

“How have the laws related to building structure been implemented? That is the big question,” he said.

New buildings have been structurally reinforced, according to Narag. “But I don’t know about the older buildings and some residential houses not built by real estate developers. All the earthquake drills will be useless if the building isn’t stable.”

Architect and urban planner Felino “Jun” Palafox has called for the conduct of a “structural audit” of all private and public buildings to determine their structural integrity.

“New high-rises should be safer because of the strict building permits. I am more concerned with government buildings like public schools and hospitals where shortcuts to getting permits are common due to corruption,” Palafox said.

Building codes

Arcilla said current building codes were “fairly good, if you follow them.”

“Let’s just hope there were no shortcuts taken, and hope for the best,” he said.

Arcilla added that tall buildings built after 1968 “have not been tested by a strong earthquake.”

He pushed for a review of building codes just to be sure but added that the “issue is implementation.”

Binondo, reclaimed areas

Arcilla said tall buildings in the Binondo area could be in danger because of its clay bedrock. “It was swampy before and the bedrock could be prone to liquefaction.”

Tall buildings in reclaimed areas may also be in danger because “the filling can amplify seismic waves more than solid bedrock,” he said.

Solidum said the best earthquake mitigation was “sound engineering practices. When there is a rupture in the ground, don’t build on top of it.”

Earthquake preparedness

At the same time, Solidum said the Phivolcs was active in promoting earthquake preparedness to the public, including making guidelines, providing engineers with data on faults, hazard-mapping, and lectures to schools and other institutions.

“Of course we cannot be 100-percent prepared. Hazard assessments have not changed since the 2004 study. But risk assessment can change since there could be more people coming into areas previously identified as hazardous. This is a continuing issue,” he said.
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The Buzz on Kris Aquino

Show biz celebrity Kris Aquino confronted a female fan of her husband, basketball star James Yap, shouting insults at the woman and her mother just outside their upscale Pasig City residence late Wednesday, the Inquirer learned Thursday. The popular TV host and movie actress spent about 10 minutes at the gate of the Valle Verde 2 home of Mayen Austria, 35, according to Austria’s uncle, Gabby Lopez (no relation to the ABS-CBN chair).
Lopez said he was at the Austria residence and that the family was entertaining guests—including Legazpi City Bishop Joel Baylon—when Aquino arrived.
Reached on the phone Thursday night, Baylon confirmed he was at the Austria residence when Aquino arrived, but “I only knew about it when Mayen, between sobs, related to us the incident immediately after Kris left.”
Baylon said he didn’t see the actual encounter since he was inside the house with another guest, a nun based in Spain.
The bishop said Mayen and her mother Minna—whose family had been his friends for more than 20 years—were “obviously distressed” by what happened.
Lopez refused to elaborate on the incident, saying he didn’t want to add to the “trauma” suffered by his niece. “All I can say is God sides with who is right and tells the truth,” he said in a phone interview.
Pressed for details, Lopez replied: “I don’t want to answer that, but I now know who I will not vote for.”
Kris is a daughter of the late President Corazon Aquino and youngest sibling of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the Liberal Party standard-bearer in the May presidential elections.
Boy Abunda version
But according to TV host and Aquino’s best friend Boy Abunda, she was “very cool and polite” during her encounter with Austria, Yap’s rumored girlfriend. It would, therefore, be “unfair” to say that Aquino quarreled with a girl over James. Abunda explained: “Kris was bothered when she heard James talking on the phone with a girl who was crying. She learned from James that the girl was heartbroken and was confiding in him.”
“Kris said that since she was in the neighborhood, she might as well introduce herself to the girl and the girl’s family,” he said. Aquino also lives in Valle Verde 2 but has reportedly sold her house and is said to be moving out at the end of the month. Aquino showed up at the gate of the Austria residence at around 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the family was hosting visitors in their living room, according to another source who declined to be named. “Mayen went out and saw Aquino, who immediately threw invectives at her,” the source said. Mayen’s mother heard the commotion from inside the house and went out to see her daughter already in tears.
“(Aquino) also shouted at her (Minna): Anong klaseng nanay ka? Anong klase ang palaki mo sa anak mo? (What kind of mother are you? What kind of upbringing did you give your child?)” the source said.
Mother and daughter did not answer back, until Aquino left, the source said.
But in Abunda’s version of the incident, Aquino first spoke with Austria’s mom about what has been going on in her relationship with Yap.
“She said they almost split up in December and that they were separated for weeks. Kris also told [Austria’s mom] that she is fighting hard for their marriage. She said she really wanted their marriage to work. In the middle of their conversation, (Mayen) arrived and said there was nothing going on between her and James and that they’re just friends,” Abunda said.
‘Just a basketball fan’
Abunda insisted that Aquino “spoke in a very low voice” during her conversation with the Austrias.
He also said Mayen was not Yap’s girlfriend but a fan of his professional basketball team, Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.
“In all fairness to James, he did not hide from Kris that he was talking with the girl. I think he even used his phone in front of Kris,” Abunda stressed.
“I understood why Kris did it. I would’ve done the same thing. It was unfair to say that Kris quarreled with the girl. She spoke with caution and temperance. It’s just that with what’s happening between them, she thought that if there was a problem, hindi na n’ya palalakihin pa (she won’t blow out it of proportion). She would like to nip it in the bud.”
In 2007, Yap was rumored to have had romantic liaisons with Hope Centeno, then a receptionist at the Belo Medical Clinic, which Aquino used to endorse. Yap denied the rumors. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nancy Carvajal/Marinel Cruz)


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Jan 13, 2010

Go! Badminton

You are all invited to join Eastern Telecom's Go! Badminton2 Tournament on February 27 & 28. About 800 players are expected to see action in the second edition of Go! Badminton Tournament to be held at Powersmash Badminton courts in Makati. ETPI will have installed IP camera in the courts to pave the way for matches to be shown in the internet. Sponsors are: Shakey's, PAGCOR, Accel, Outlast Battery, San Miguel, Magnolia, Rebisco. Will update my post tomorrow for the leveling schedules. source:Inquirer
There will be a scheduled leveling on January 25 6pm at The Zone.


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Jan 7, 2010

2010 Movie Preview

2010 surely promises new great movies so get ready for it! Take a peek on this year's movie line up.....
Iron Man2, Robinhood, Little Fockers, The Expendables


Harry Potter, Rapunzel, The Twilight Saga:Eclipse, The Last Airbender

Salt, Toy Story 3, The Lightning Thief, Shutter Island

Prince of Persia, The Karate Kid, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans

Shrek Forever After, Sex and the City 2


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Beware of PAL- Centennial Airport in Manila!

My mom arrived here in Manila last Dec 1 boarding PAL PR103 flight. Upon arrival she put her luggage in a cart not noticing something peculiar in her things. I was waiting for her outside, when I saw her I asked our service to wait for us the at the arrival area of Centennial Airport, the airport employees helped us put her luggage inside the car. Upon reaching the house, she found out that the lock and zipper of her luggage was damaged. Unfortunately she cannot complaint anymore because she saw it after leaving the airport.

Last Monday my sister ended her 2 week vacation here and boarded PAL PR116 going to Vancouver Canada. When she arrived at Vancouver her luggage were missing and cannot be traced by airport employees. After more than 5 hours of searching she was told to take her flight to Calgary and if she still cannot find her luggage she can declared it as lost, I even coached her to declare $5k as the cost of her things (including the hassle of course!).
Fortunately she found her luggage in Calgary. But! The lock of her luggage was also destroyed! Because of her tiredness in searching for her luggage for hours she only noticed it when she was already at her apartment.

Next week, my mom will be returning to US via Philippine Airlines again. Precautionary measures? She won’t use a lock that has a combination but instead a padlock or a simple wire will do.

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Amazing Filipina Pilot is back!

Remember my post about the amazing Filipina pilot, Jessica Cox? She was here in the Philippines! Fil-American Jessica Macabare Cox, the first woman pilot in aviation history to fly with her feet, arrives at the NAIA with her parents two days ago.
Some 10,000 feet up in the air, she navigates the skies using only her feet. Meet 26-year-old Filipino-American Jessica Macabare Cox, who was born without arms in Tucson, Arizona and holds the distinction of being the first woman pilot in aviation history to fly with her feet.
Cox has inspired people worldwide with her story of strength, courage and determination to rise above her disability.
Cox is in town with her parents, Filipina mother Inez and father William, and brother Jayson for her mother’s college reunion.
Her mother, who hails from Bobon, Samar, is a registered nurse.
“It’s great to be here again. I had been to the Philippines when I was 8 years old, when I was 14, one time when I was in college and in 2004,” said Cox in an interview yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“I have always had that desire to go back to the Philippines,” Cox said.
While her mother attends the reunion, she said she’ll take time off to go shopping with family and relatives.
“I love everything, anything in Manila. I love to have a pedicure here,” she said.
“I love Filipino food and my mom cooks it all the time. My favorite is pancit,” she said, adding she’ll stay for two weeks.
Cox said her family has always been supportive of her and never made her feel inadequate.
“Growing up my dad never thought of me as a victim of my condition. Rather he treated me just like he treated my brother and sister. Therefore as I grew up, I never once saw myself as a victim of a birth defect. Rather, I learned different ways of accomplishing all that I needed to in order to be an independent person. My mother, who is from Samar, always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do,” she said.
As a child, she said her mother always put toys by her feet for her to play with and enrolled her in gymnastics and dance classes when she noticed that she loved to tap her feet.
It isn’t any wonder that Cox is a super-achiever despite having no arms.
Everyday she lives life to the fullest - she cooks, eats, washes dishes, curls her own hair and writes and types with her feet. She also loves to swim, skate and drive a car.
Cox has a degree in psychology from the University of Arizona. One of her greatest achievements is to fly a plane. Cox said she fell in love with flying the first time she tried it.
“I didn’t always like flying. In fact it was my greatest fear. However, the first time I flew in an airplane, I was hooked and I haven’t stopped since,” she said.
With one foot manning the controls and the other delicately guiding the steering column of Ercoupe, Cox trained and through sheer determination, got a Sport Pilot Certificate which qualified her to fly a light sport aircraft to an altitude of 10,000 feet.
Ercoupe is a low-wing monoplane and one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals, Cox used her feet as hands.
“It wasn’t easy. I was a little nervous at first, but then I remembered my favorite words of wisdom, never let fear get in the way of your opportunity,” she said.
Cox also took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft license, had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying.
To all the challenges that she surpassed in her life, she credits her supportive family and strong faith in God.
“God is everything in my life and is always there throughout my challenges. His presence is even more apparent through the toughest of challenges,” she said. For people who feel they can’t achieve their dreams, Cox has this to say.
“The advice I would give to people with disabilities and anyone is to not allow your limitations to stand in the way of achievement. Approach your own challenges with creativity, persistence, and fearlessness. With them, the world of possibilities will open up to you,” Cox said. source


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Jan 4, 2010

Cousins

Nikko and Makoy were very fond of their new two month old cousin, Mark Rowie. Nikko loves to carry him but Mark is already a 7 kilo baby (heavy for a 2 mos old baby). Their balikbayan Lola was here for a vacation that's why they often see their 3 cousins.


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