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Mom has been forwarding to me some emails about having passive income and investment opportunities. She even keeps on encouraging me to attend seminars on investment and other ventures. Oh well, with my busy schedule and limited budget, I am quite apprehensive about it. Anyway, I do plan to attend the seminars and trainings when time permits.
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My friend T’s hubby is now assigned in Davao. He is a senior accountant of one of the top corporations in the country, and he goes around the company’s branches in connection with his work. This makes his family a sort of “traveling family”, as other times they stay also in Manila, in a condominium provided by the company. Interesting lifestyle they have, isn’t it?
I remember he was about to leave the company for another one, with lesser position (and also for a lesser pay?), but when he was called by management for a heart-to-heart talk what really was his reason for leaving the company, it came out that it was the stress which goes together with his top position in a department that made him decide to quit while he was still young and physically fit, while he still need not worry about medical treatment, diet programs or apidexin scams.
With understanding, and a not-ready-to-give-him-up stand, the company transferred him to another responsibility, less stressful but still needs his kind of a VIE, in his case, Very Indispensable Employee, a “relative” of VIP, Very Important Person!
This entry is then a salute to our friend A, may your tribe increase! And congratulations to our friend T for having a responsible hubby, not only as a father and husband, but also as a model employee as well.
With our upcoming high school alumni, my Facebook friends have increased and it’s fun to see how my high school classmates look now as more sophisticated ladies and dashing gentlemen. It’s really a big improvement from the innocent and messy teen look they once had. Well, you can’t deny some of them look like they need some wrinkle lotion though. I guess that’s the cause of too much stress and being overworked.
A friend recently had a hair rebond session at one of the top salons in the mall. Her hair looks straight and very much behaved now, but I almost choked at the price when she told me. Oh well, beauty services really cost a lot especially when you get it from prestigious salons.
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Don’t tell me I need one of those quick weight loss diets please. With my siblings here for vacation, the dining table is always filled up with food and the refrigerator is all crammed up. Yup, coz my bros and sisses from abroad miss the home-cooked meals and recipes here, as well as the native delicacies. Thus, they want to eat the foods they missed. So, it’s forgetting about diets for now and just enjoying some delicious longed for dishes in the company of loved ones.
With my siblings here for a vacation, I’m blessed with lots of “pasalubongs” or gifts from abroad, from cotton top blouses to refrigerator magnets, to my favorite cocoa powder and chocolate bars and what-nots. I really am blessed to have such generous bros and sisses, hehehe… simple gifts that show their thoughtfulness are what counts most. No problem if they can’t afford to buy gold online for me, their gifts are not that expensive but they’re very much appreciated.
Selling of confidential information is not just an illegal act, it is totally unscrupulous and a glaring work of dishonesty in business. This is why when TransUnion was involved in giving out important and confidential credit information to some marketing companies, they were guilty of direct violation of Federal Credit Reporting Act. It’s just too sad that many Americans were affected with their dishonesty.
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I really don’t know what’s eating up my little 2-year old niece ever since they arrived here for vacation. She’s always saying “NO” and pushes you away, with that sulky stare like she’s looking at some of those eczema pictures. I miss her cute sweet smile when she was still with us here last year. Huhuhu… it seems like she already forgot her Auntie. Well, at times she would let me carry her or sometimes she would let me hold her hand, but most of the time she really is not in the mood. Anyway, we’re just giving her time. Maybe she’s still adjusting herself to the new environment and the new faces around her.
Ok, I meant everybody’s here… my big sis and her three kids, cutie sis with her hubby and two kids, my bro and his wifey, and yes you can guess that the little ones are making a mess all over the house. Anyway, no complaints, not even with me having to always clean the toilets after some “accidents”. I’m just glad everybody’s here for a vacation, and we’re making the most out of it.
Planning for one’s future is important especially if you have a family to raise. Most household breadwinners would think of ensuring the future of their kids, such as providing them an educational or insurance plan. Other options are investing in stocks and real estate aside from having a savings account in the bank.
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My cousin has a music website hosted free on WordPress.org. The blog is still few months old but he’s thinking of advertising options for it. Too bad, it’s not allowed on free WordPress.org blogs. Now he’s asking me about my travel blog and how I started to monetize it with Google Adsense and other ads. I told him my blog is on paid hosting. He realizes now his mistake about not shelling out for paid hosting before. Now he’s got no choice but to move his blog to a reliable webhosting company.
I know there are many others like my cousin who started out blogging on free hosting platforms without considering incorporating their sites with online ventures. Later on they realize they can also earn some passive income in the future with affiliates and advertisers. Oh well. Another lesson learned for a newbie, just like how I also started out in the blogosphere.
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My siblings from Europe will be here for a vacation soon and we’re all getting excited about it. This time, they’re visiting us here. Few years ago, we were the ones who went to Europe to spend the summer there. It was an unforgettable vacation, so much like a dream come true. The only problem was my skin adjusting to the weather.
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Nowadays, we have a lot of design choices for our homes - from bed sheets, kitchen accessories, bathroom fixtures, to all sorts of furniture and decors. With the many options available, designers are just glad to have many choices given them to spur their creativity. Of course, the best would be having customized design, which means some furnishings and accessories are manufactured according to a designer’s theme. Custom-made designs are quite expensive though, and the designer should have reliable contractors that could carry out the design specifications as accurate as possible.
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So many people, when they have the financial resources, would like to invest for the future, be it for their own old age retirement, or to spend with their grandchildren. Speaking of investments, to invest in gold is a good option. Gold is not just a beauty – for others, a reason already enough in itself – but better still, it helps maintain one’s purchasing power, it’s not affected by inflation which eats up the value of money deposited in a bank.
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With so many webhosting companies today offering low monthly rates with unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, free domain registration for life and other attractive features, one can easily get dizzy with all the choices. This is why it is important to do your homework if you’re planning to get your own website hosting and domain name. Don’t just buy a webhosting package that sounds too good to be true, do a thorough research of the top webhosting sites first before you take the plunge.
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Well, it’s not a surprise anymore when I read a recent article about computers being a time-wasting appliance for some students.
Sure, we know students need to have computers to be more efficient in school, and they need to keep up with technology and work on their computer skills. But the article also revealed that some households, especially the lower-income ones, tend to have students not focusing on studying when using the computers, instead they spent a lot of time with, what else but, playing games.
Thus, parental supervision is really important for kids using the computers. The Internet can be a big help when it comes to doing research, but it also provides so much temptation for time-wasting activities with its limitless offering of multimedia, social networking and gaming resources that can easily distract even the most conscientious student in class.
My mom was into life insurance before, in fact she was made a district manager right away even if she wasn’t an underwriter yet (she did a lot of catching up of course, in fact she received recognition for coping up with her first quota fast!), just because she had a group, a sales force of friends who were into books – a known brand of encyclopedias. She went into this just so that we, the children, could have our own sets (yeah not just one or two!) of different types of books. However, after sometime, she left these two lines for as she said, she’s a civil engineer and she loves to be in practice of her profession.
My cousin is a bubbly sports lover and gym enthusiast. It was in one of the popular gyms patronized by the upper level class where she met her now hubby who was attracted to her at first sight. He happened to be a part-owner of the gym, being a sports and gym enthusiast himself. It’s nice to know that they both share the same interest in keeping fit and living an active lifestyle.
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If the title sounds weird to you, it also does to me. I don’t even know how to pronounce it or say it properly.
Baveuse is actually the name of the font that I currently use for my tech blog’s header image, and I find the font really cool. I used to have it installed on my previous laptop (which died of a black screen defect) that ran on a Windows Vista OS.
Now with the Windows 7 Starter on my netbook, the Baveuse font is not installed, thus I had to do a search online. So glad it is freeware! Thanks to the font author Ray Larabie for sharing it to the public. FYI, font designer Larabie has already created about 383 free fonts from 1996-2001 before designing fonts for commercial use.
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Having unwanted zits on my face used to be a high school nightmare. But last week, a big pimple grew on my chin and to my dismay it grew bigger! Ugh, just when I thought I won’t be getting any more of those high school pimples. Now it’s healed but unfortunately a big ugly scar remains. Looking at it makes me think of acne scar removal treatment. Maybe I’ll just apply cocoa butter on it as others recommend this as a home remedy for removing scars.
The diet program I’ve been used to makes one lose weight naturally due to food intake which is controlled, but with guidance from a doctor who has been studying the effects of a low carbohydrate diet. One though doesn’t have to starve himself as he can have his fill of protein from meat, poultry and from vegetables and fruits. I’ve heard of natural weight loss supplement but I’ve not tried it. Who knows I might one of these days, especially if there is a presentation convincing enough for me to try it.
I’ve been so busy these days, trying to catch up with deadlines, and trying to update my work load. So going back to doing exercise was brought to mind. But it’s one thing to plan and plan, and a different thing to fulfill it. So many things come up when about to execute what one wants to do. I’m consoled on the other hand I’ve really implemented a diet program without much resistance on my part, but that it seems my whole being have coordinated for its fulfillment. Did I need a diet supplement in doing it? Not at all, though of course there’s a constant tug-of-war with big temptation.
Days can now be counted within the month, and my siblings with their families will be home once again. Would we not have again happy, boisterous gatherings, what with all the children/grandchildren together! Schedules are already planned for particular activities, such as road trips to various tourist spots not yet visited.
We still have not decided on whether to use our own van or to rent one. Should we decide on the former, we need to prepare the van to be well-maintained for long trips as we have not registered with any roadside assistance club yet. Renting a van would ensure the easiest and most comfortable trip for us but this would cost more.
Anyway, another highlight of the vacation will be much-awaited Mt. Apo climb for the guys. Of course, there are birthdays and other important events to be celebrated too during this family gathering.
When I hear news about friends moving to another state or country, I remember when our family decided to move back home, from the city where we spent our college years and beyond, to our residence in the province where we siblings were born. After staying temporarily for 18 years in a place away from our real home, we had accumulated many things, though some of our appliances and furniture, we had disposed of.
So many details come up when a family moves to another place, especially as we would like our things to be preserved and not damaged when we reach our destination. Moving then was a challenge, and we could have appreciated if there was a professional moving company to help us out.
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Aside from President Noynoy’s speech, one of the highlights of the inauguration of the new Philippine president was the singing of the National Anthem “Lupang Hinirang”… why, because so many singers already did their own version of the song but didn’t get the National Historical Institute’s nod, in fact they got lots of criticism from the institute’s officers.
We’ve heard Martin Nievera, Arnel Pineda and the others who sung in Manny Pacquaio’s boxing events, and their versions were not approved by the NHI. So, when it was time for the National Anthem to be sung, my heart skipped a beat as Charice started to sing. I heaved a sigh of relief as she sang it in the correct tempo, i.e. marching tempo, her voice came out beautifully even if she didn’t do some voice acrobatics or belting out in the last part.
Lesson for future singers of the National Anthem: Just sing it with all your heart, in the correct marching tempo, no need to add some extras to the song. Finally, NHI is happy and pleased. And of course, everybody’s happy about her touching rendition of the anthem, she really nailed it.
In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Teddy Atienza, chief of NHI’s Heraldry Section, applauded Charice’s rendition of “Lupang Hinirang” during the inauguration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at the Quirino Grandstand Wednesday morning.
“Okay na okay na. Tama lang ‘yon. At hindi nahirapan kumanta pati ang mga sumabay at pati ang audience,” Atienza noted.
To show the institute’s appreciation, the NHI official said he would send an e-mail to Charice and her mom, Raquel Pempengco, to congratulate them for a job well done.
“Ngayon, magpapasalamat kami sa mother niya at sa kanya. At personally mag-e-e-mail kami,” Atienza said.
Aside from Charice, Atienza also praised well-known singer-composer Ryan Cayabyab, who was the conductor. Atienza divulged that Cayabyab is a strong advocate of singing “Lupang Hinirang” in its original composition.
“Mabuti nga at nandoon si Mr. Ryan Cayabyab. Siya ang nagsusulong na ma-preserve ang national anthem natin sa original na composition,” Atienza added.
In a separate interview, Charice said she’s happy that the NHI gave a thumbs-up to her rendition.
“Sobrang, sobrang happy ako. Thank you sa NHI , perfect yes! Thank you din po kay sir Ryan Cayabyab. Siya ang nagturo ng tempo. Maraming salamat po at sobrang tuwa ko po,” Charice said.
She added: “I will make sure na tama ang tempo. Mas okay, mas mabilis. Masarap kapag nagawa mo ang original.”
Violators
The NHI has publicly denounced the incorrect rendition of “Lupang Hinirang” by local artists in various occasions, notably during Manny Pacquiao’s fights abroad.
Charice was one of the stars reprimanded by the NHI for her reported incorrect rendition of the national anthem during the “Myx Mo” concert in 2008.
Aside from Charice, the institute also called the attention of Jennifer Bautista, Christian Bautista, Martin Nievera and Journey’s vocalist Arnel Pineda, who sang the anthem slowly as opposed to its original march tempo during the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight in Dallas, Texas.
According to Section 37 of Republic Act 8491, the rendition of the national anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe.
Section 20 of the law also states: “The rendition of the flag ceremony in official or civic gatherings shall be simple and dignified and shall include the playing or singing of the anthem in its original Filipino lyrics and march tempo.”
RA 8491 prescribes that any person who will violate its provisions may be punished by a fine of at least P20,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year.
We were supposed to go to the mall to buy some important items for our condo project but got glued to the TV instead to watch a historical event this morning, the inauguration of a new Philippine president. For those who would like to read the full transcript of P.Noy’s speech, here it is. By the way, P.Noy or PNOY is the new catchy nickname or shortcut for President Noynoy which also equates to “pinoy” or “pinay”, a slang term for a Filipino or a Philippine citizen. I dunno where or who coined the term PNOY but it surely makes the President more endearing to the masses.
The following is the full transcript of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s inaugural speech delivered after taking his oath as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on June 30, 2010.
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His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, members of the diplomatic corps, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, former President Fidel V. Ramos, former President Joseph E. Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and other members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and other members of the House of Representatives, members of the Supreme Court, local government officials, distinguished guests, mga minamahal kong kababayan. Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo.
Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan. Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan. Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawat isa. Namuhunan na kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kakailanganin.
Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol. Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.Katulad ninyo ako.
Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa – nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din – talaga bang hindi na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?
Ngayon, sa araw na ito, dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat. Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon. Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago—isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan. Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago—isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan.
Sigaw natin noong kampanya: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hindi lamang ito pang slogan o pang poster—ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon. Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan. Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan. Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya.
Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga “midnight appointments.” Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami. Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon.
Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan. Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga kakulangan sa imprastraktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon, hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila.
Bubuhayin natin ang programang “emergency employment” ng dating pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga lokal na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating buong ekonomiya. Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo.
Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng: · dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo; · serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng PhilHealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon; · tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.
Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, ngunit para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan. Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nananatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa.
Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari. Inaatasan natin ang papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili - lalaktawan na natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili.
Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan. Layunin nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailanganin ang mangibang-bansa para makahanap ng trabaho. Ngunit habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating mga overseas Filipino workers.
Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan.Sisikapin naming isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na kinikilala ang karapatan ng mamamayan na magkaroon ng kaalaman ukol sa mga pampublikong alintana. Binuhay natin ang diwa ng people power noong kampanya. Ipagpatuloy natin ito tungo sa tuwid at tapat na pamamahala. Ang naniniwala sa people power ay nakatuon sa kapwa at hindi sa sarili.
Sa mga nang-api sa akin, kaya ko kayong patawarin, at pinapatawad ko na kayo. Sa mga nang-api sa sambayanan, wala akong karapatan na limutin ang inyong mga kasalanan. To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. Sa paglimot ng pagkakasala, sinisigurado mong mauulit muli ang mga pagkakasalang ito. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all. Ikinagagalak din naming ibahagi sa inyo ang pagtanggap ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide sa hamon ng pagtatatag at pamumuno sa isang Truth Commission na magbibigay-linaw sa maraming kahinahinalang isyu na hanggang ngayon ay walang kasagutan at resolusyon. Ang sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya. Hindi maaaring patuloy ang kalakaran ng walang pananagutan at tuloy na pang-aapi.
My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts, inclusive of the interests of all—may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian. We shalI defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable governance leading to a better life. Sa tamang pamamahala gaganda ang buhay ng lahat, at sa buhay na maganda, sino pa ang gugustuhing bumalik sa panahon ng pang-aapi? Kung kasama ko kayo, maitataguyod natin ang isang bayan kung saan pantay-pantay ang pagkakataon, dahil pantay-pantay nating ginagampanan ang ating mga pananagutan.
Kamakailan lamang, ang bawat isa sa atin ay nanindigan sa presinto. Bumoto tayo ayon sa ating karapatan at konsensiya. Hindi tayo umatras sa tungkulin nating ipaglaban ang karapatang ito. Pagkatapos ng bilangan, pinatunayan ninyo na ang tao ang tunay na lakas ng bayan. Ito ang kahalagahan ng ating demokrasya. Ito ang pundasyon ng ating pagkakaisa. Nangampanya tayo para sa pagbabago. Dahil dito taas-noo muli ang Pilipino. Tayong lahat ay kabilang sa isang bansa kung saan maaari nang mangarap muli.
To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities. We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, “it all works.”
Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, walang maiiwan. Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtalikod sa mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon. Walang lamangan, walang padrino, at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa. Nandito tayo ngayon dahil sama-sama tayong nanindigan at nagtiwala na may pag-asa.
The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. Sa inyong mga nag-iisip pa kung tutulong kayo sa pagpasan ng ating krus, isa lang ang aking tanong—kung kailan tayo nanalo, saka pa ba kayo susuko? Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations. Kayo ang nagdala sa akin sa puntong ito—ang ating mga volunteers—matanda, bata, celebrity, ordinaryong tao, na umikot sa Pilipinas para ikampanya ang pagbabago; ang aking mga kasambahay, na nag-asikaso ng lahat ng aking mga personal na pangangailangan; ang aking pamilya, kaibigan at katrabaho, na dumamay, nag-alaga at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin; ang ating mga abogado, na nagpuyat para bantayan ang ating mga boto at siguraduhing mabibilang ang bawat isa; ang aking mga kapartido at kaalyado na kasama kong nangahas mangarap; at ang milyun-milyong Pilipinong nagkaisa, nagtiwala at hindi nawalan ng pag-asa—nasa inyo ang aking taus-pusong pasasalamat. Hindi ko makakayang harapin ang aking mga magulang, at kayong mga nagdala sa akin sa yugto ng buhay kong ito, kung hindi ko maisasakatuparan ang aking mga binitawang salita sa araw na ito.
My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward. Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng laban na ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na landas. Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!
“You have not gone to Negros Occidental, if you have not gone to Mambukal!” That would always be Mom’s way of convincing newcomers to visit this mountain resort. We’ve been to this resort many times already and each visit would always bring some new discoveries.
The latest visit we had was last month when we had some guests from Manila. What surprised us was the crowd, we were not used to seeing so many people in the resort that time and there were so many vehicles in the parking areas. According to the canteen owner, Mambukal is usually crowded during summer. Oh well. Another thing that surprised us was the new route going to the seven waterfalls. The boys who acted as our tour guides informed us that a recent storm caused a landslide which made the original route impassable.
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I love my new digicam, it’s a Canon Powershot SX120 IS. Yes it is one of those “point and shoot” digital cameras but a bit advanced since it has manual focus although I still have to play around with the settings. I still have to read the manual and learn more about the advanced settings so I can maximize the camera’s many features. For now I just take photos using the “Auto” settings. 
Before, I didn’t know that there are different kinds of gold coins until I attended a seminar about it. Though I can’t quite remember the details well, I’ll share it here generally anyway.
Gold coins are of two kinds, the bullion gold coins and the numismatic gold coins. However, be it bullion or numismatic, it is advisable to buy gold coins for a solid value of your money. It is even better than putting money in the bank which is subject to inflation.
The first one or the bullion gold coins are usually the ones used by governments to secure their paper notes issued which are mass produced where the die or mold used in minting the coins are not changed for every so many hundreds. The numismatic coins however are valuable in that people buy them to be kept for collection or to be sold out later a much higher price. The number of pieces is limited, thus these are rare coins. After production, the die used in minting numismatic coins is destroyed and not used again.
One time I came home, I saw a letter stuck at our gate. It was beginning to drizzle so I hurriedly got it before it would get wet. It was our phone bill. I then realized the urgency of our plan to have a mailbox into which the mailman can just put our letters in. Mailboxes protect our letters from both vandals and outside elements like rain.
I came across a website for mailboxes with a wide variety of both designs and prices to choose from, with many materials to suit one’s needs - brass, copper, steel, aluminum, powder coated, acid-washed, and more. I clicked at the architectural mailboxes; I might find one for our home. We need a mailbox which has the best warranty and be assured also that it’s a quality buy.
