In a recorded interview aired over the station, Arroyo said: "Gaya ng alam ninyo, hiniling rin ako ng mga mamayan ng aking tahanang distrito sa Pampanga na manatili sa buhay publiko (As you all know, the residents of Pampanga's second district have urged me to remain in public service)."
"After much soul-searching, I have decided to respond affirmatively to their call. To that end, I will file my (certificate of) candidacy for Congress in order to serve the hardworking people of my home province," she said.
Political aspirants have until Tuesday midnight to file their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). According to her official political spokesperson Romulo Macalintal, President Arroyo's duly-authorized representative will file her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) this tuesdayy in San Fernando, Pampanga, The representative will be accompanied by Pampanga mayors who support her congressional bid.
The critics of the administration allegedly accused the president that once she is elected into office, her colleagues in Congress would push for a shift into a parliamentary system of government and subsequently elect her as prime minister.
Answering a question from a government broadcaster about the issue, Mrs. Arroyo said: "The situation is so hypothetical. I won’t even bother to speculate about it."
The incumbent Pampanga second district Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo who is also the son of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, told GMANews.TV in an earlier phone interview that he will give way to his mother if she decides to run.
Meanwhile, Sociology professor and civil society leader Randy David, who had earlier expressed that he might consider running against Mrs. Arroyo if she runs for the post, said that he has decided to heed the request of his family for him not to go into politics.
David said it was difficult to contest Mrs. Arroyo in Pampanga, saying, "Ang kalaban mo rito higante, eh. Ito yung amo ng lahat ng mga warlord (You will be going against a giant; the boss of warlords)."
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As the whole world is closely monitoring the development of the Maguindanao Massacre, me and my family are offering prayers for the immediate service of justice to all the victims. This is an act of evil that should never be tolerated, and should not happen again.
Although the government though the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now trying to solve this , I believe that this is also a call to all presidential candidates as this is just one of the difficult problems they will inherit when they get elected.
While we still have to wait for the official statement from the authorities after their investigation, it is obvious that this is an election-related violence since the group were to file the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Buluan vice mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who is running for provincial governor in election 2010.
The Ampatuans on the other hand, has the most elected officials and considered as the political nemesis of the Mangudadatus.
History tells us that Maguindanao is only one of the hottest spots during the election period but it seems that we never learn. This is why we should not also be surprise if the place has among the poorest towns in the Philippines.
First of all, is there really a need for huge private armies? Why not send more soldier troops to protect the entire Maguindanao instead of allowing powerful politicians only?
Let us also not forget there are more than 20 media people included in the list of victims? Are they just a sort of what we call collateral damage?
If we want to have peace, we should have justice. But then, we really cannot have peace while holding a gun. Therefore, I believe that we should now consider total gun ban very seriously especially during election period.
With this, I would like to hear the comment from all the presidential candidates. What will you do to make sure that this will not happen again?
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Maguindanao Massacre is now considered as the worst Philippine election related violence, and was condemned by the United Nations and the European Union.
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the barbaric killing on 23 November 2009 of innocent civilians, including women, journalists and lawyers, who were preparing to participate in the electoral process in the Philippines," said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations.
As of this moment, the death toll already reached 57 and Armed Forces public information chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said the retrieved bodies belonged to 22 females and 35 males.
The victims, more than 20 of them are journalists, were in a convoy traveling to Shariff Aguak town when kidnapped and later executed by armed men. The group was about to file the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Buluan vice mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who is running for provincial governor in election 2010.
Genalyn Tiamzon-Mangudadatu, who is Toto's wife, and her sisters were among those killed.
Right now, the possible suspects of the gruesome killings were the powerful Ampatuan clan, a political rival of the Mangudadatus and a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Meanwhile, after the "arrest" of some suspects, Malacañang reminded concerned parties not to take the law into their hands. This call from Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita came hours after the Philippine National Police announced the arrest of some civilian volunteers linked to the crime. Ermita said they want to avoid a "rido" (blood feud) situation in Mindanao.
Ampatuan clan kicked out of Lakas-Kampi party
The administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party last night kicked out three members of the powerful Ampatuan clan from its roster over their alleged involvement in the grisly Maguindanao massacre.
Ousted from the party were Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.; his brother, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan; and their father, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
The Ampatuans were expelled "for their failure to uphold party ideals and principles in their area of jurisdiction, specifically relating to the peaceful, legal, and democratic pursuit and exercise of political power," said party chairman and presidential bet, Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Among the evidence investigators are looking into that could possibly link the Ampatuans to the massacre are the backhoe retrieved from the massacre site, on which the name Gov. Andal Ampatuan is printed; the phone call of Toto's wife, Genalyn, to her husband shortly before she was killed; and the statements of four witnesses in the custody of the Mangundadatus.
For more news and photos about Maguindanao Massacre, you can visit GMA News.TV
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Political Affairs Undersecretary Oscar Inocentes is the new MMDA interim chief. This was announced yesterday by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, as Bayani Fernando resigned from his post last Friday to pursue his run for President in Election 2010 under an Independent party. Earlier, Fernando left the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr was selected as its standard bearer for 2010.
He lamented that no one spoke to him, not even President Arroyo. According to him, he is no longer interested in a party that does not value loyalty.
“There is no more reason to stay in a political party from which one cannot expect anything,” the former MMDA chief said. “Noon pa, ako ay interesado lang sa pagkapangulo. Di ko maitutulak ang aking advocacy sa ibang position (From the beginning I have been interested only in the presidency. I cannot pursue my advocacy from a lower post),” he added.
As of this moment, there are still on going talks as who will be his running mate.
“Maraming pakikipag-usap, iba’t ibang source sa ibang kandidato. (Pero) wala pang maihahayag ngayon, wala pang interesting na bagay (Talks are ongoing with camps of other candidates. But I have nothing interesting to report yet),” he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
Meanwhile, Inocentes is a former Quezon City judge and later served as a member of the GSIS board of trustees.
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After more than 2.75 million votes casted, Efren Peñaflorida was chosen as the CNN Hero of the year 2009, and he is proud to be a Filipino. Efren, at the age of 16 started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership.
As of 1997, an estimated 10,000 members have helped teach more than 1,500 children living in the slums. The organization supports its efforts by making and selling crafts and collecting items to recycle.
"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry," Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. "Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.
"So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."
The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000 at the Kodak Theater, premieres on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the global networks of CNN. The broadcast, which honors the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009, features performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis.
Peñaflorida who will receive $100,000 vows to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, while each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000.
As a fellow Filipino, I am so happy that Efren made it as I am really expecting him to win. I know he deserve it, and he can be able to reach out to more children who are in need.
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The Philippine election 2010 is fast approaching, and it will be the first fully automated election for us all Filipinos. Tomorrow, November 20 is the start of candidates to file their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) and we can expect most of them to file early.
Meanwhile, only a few of us already know how to use the voting machines. Although we are expecting Comelec later to release an Instruction Guide, below is a Quick Guide to the Automated Elections video that will at least give us an idea.
Most presidential candidates have also released their info ads, although it is obvious that they are already campaigning. Some of them has also chosen their running mate or vice president. As of this moment, we are even seeing some politicians transferring from one political party to another and I assume there will be more of them as time goes by.
With this, I hope all of us will exercise our right to vote and watch very strictly. Observe who among these candidates are truly capable of leading our country, and with a very strong political will in the real sense of the term.
Together, let us all be responsible enough to vote wisely since it will not only for us but also for the future generation.
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Loren Legarda will run for Vice President. She will tandem with Manny Villar, as announced by Villar himself which was held at a press briefing yesterday held at his residence along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.
The Nacionalista Party standard bearer said his choice of Legarda, a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), was not motivated by politics "but by a common vision for the country."
"Mga kababayan, karangalan kong ipakilala sa inyo ang bagong magtatanggol sa mahihirap at magtatangol sa kalikasan, si Senator Loren Legarda," Villar said.
(My countrymen, it is my honor to introduce to you a candidate who will work for the poor and the environment, Senator Loren Legarda.)
Legarda, wearing her signature white polo and jeans, took the opportunity to formally declare her vice presidential bid in next year's elections.
"Today I officially declare my candidacy as vice president in the May 2010 elections. I am running in tandem with the Nacionalista Party's Senator Manny Villar as presidential standard bearer," Loren Legarda said in her acceptance speech.
Exactly a year ago, Sen. Manny Villar Jr. resigned as Senate president amid rumors that his colleagues were intending to oust him. After he resigned, 14 of his colleagues voted to install Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to the position. Loren Legarda was among the senators who voted for Enrile.
In the impeachment trial against former President Joseph Estrada in the Senate in January 2001, Legarda was among those in favor of opening the controversial “second envelope" containing supposed evidence that former President Estrada held a secret P3.3 billion bank account under the name “Jose Velarde."
However, in 2004, Legarda shifted her loyalty to the opposition and became the running mate of actor Fernando Poe Jr. in the national elections. The tandem lost to administration bets President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then Senator Noli de Castro.
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Ralph Recto now joins former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Congressmen Rufino Biazon, Teofisto Guingona III, Nereus Acosta and Riza Hontiveros, former Senator Sergio Osmeña III, detained Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Sonia Roco in the LP senatorial line-up.
Meanwhile, Vilma Santos will seek reelection as governor of Batangas province. For her part, Santos was among those considered for vice president of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party in which her fellow movie star and former husband Edu Manzano was recently chosen.
Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio said Santos and Recto informed the party beforehand that the couple were planning to join other parties, but he did not expect them to join LP because Recto was reportedly being considered by Senator Manuel Villar Nacionalista Party for its senatorial slate.
In addition, Lakas-Kampi vice president Prospero Pichay said he was expecting more members to bolt the party aside from the couple, especially those candidates that would not be supported by the Lakas leadership. He added that while the departure of the Recto couple was a loss to the party, the effect was small because Recto was not included in their senatorial line-up.
“It's a loss if actually they were supporting me from the start, but I really don’t know whether that's true or not," he said, adding that it would be unlikely for him to get a solid vote from his former colleagues in the Cabinet.
Instead of worrying, Lakas standard bearer Gibo Teodoro said the best thing that the party could do was to “get our teams together" in anticipating the negative impact that defections may inflict on the party.
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Yesterday, millions of boxing fans around the world watched the Pacquiao Cotto fight as Manny Pacquiao dominated the whole fight and beat Miguel Cotto with flying colors. Pacman has brought another honor to the Philippines when he set a new boxing record by being the first boxer to win seven titles from different divisions. This also proves that Pacquiao really deserves the title pound-for-pound king and one of the great boxers of all time.
While almost all of us were watching the fight, there were those who really need to work and was not able to watch. With all the glory and victory the Filipinos enjoy now, there are some who took advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, the Pacquiao Cotto fight is now on pirated DVD.
I realized this while a GMA 7 field reporter went to place where she saw a pirated copy, and interviewed a certain buyer. Take note that this is only a few hours after the said fight, and I am sure that there are also other places where pirated copies of the Pacquiao Cotto fight are available.
Actually, I already expected this but not this early. It seems that this disease is worst than H1 N1 and Dengue fever, which is really hard to cure. Obviously, the buyer could not show his face in front of the camera since this is really a shameful act. But what surprised me more is his claim that "all of us has the right to watch it". What a stupid answer!
While all of us are complaining about the corruption in the government and throwing stones to public officials, these sellers and buyers of pirated DVDs are exactly doing the same. We all know that piracy is one of the major reasons why our economy is getting worst, and I don't need to explain how. This is not only killing the entertainment industry, but also a great loss for artists, producers, and the staff.
With this, I just hope the next president will add more focus on this problem. But then, this is only NOT his responsibility but also to all of us. If we really want to help our economy grow, we should help to stop piracy.
And the best way to stop it is by not patronizing them. No matter how strict the law will be, there will always be piracy not unless we stop buying them.
If we really love our country, we should start now. To me, it only needs a political will.
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Local TV host and actor Edu Manzano is running run for Vice President. He will be the running mate of Gilbert Teodoro in the Philippine election this 2010, as announced today by Lakas-Kampi-CMD party vice chairman and Interior and Local Governments secretary Ronaldo Puno.
"Ako po ay tuwang-tuwa, nagagalak na tinanggap ng aking katambalan ang indikasyon ng inyong lingkod sa pamamagitan ni Secretary Ronnie Puno (I'm very glad that he accepted it through Secretary Puno)," said Teodoro at a press conference at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.
Manzano's decision to join the ruling party surprised politicians. It was earlier reported that he would run as senator under the LP, instead of vice president.
"I have to tell everyone that Secretary Puno played a very big role on convincing me. I have on many occasions expressed my respect for Secretary Teodoro, and I believe that he possesses all qualities to move this country forward," Edu Manzano said.
The 54-year-old Manzano, was born in the US but sees no legal hindrance in his candidacy. Earlier, the Supreme Court has already dismissed a petition questioning his qualification to run for public office because of his citizenship.
It took a while before the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party was able to pick its vice presidential bet. Edu was among the four individuals being considered by the administration to become the running mate of Teodoro.
The other three were Sen. Loren Legarda, vice presidential bet of the Nationalist People's Coalition, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, and senator-actor Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.
Meanwhile, Manzano led in public service when he was still a vice mayor. Likewise, he was able to continue his fight for unity and has a strong advocacy for the youth. He was very concerned about the moral rectitude of the youth when he was OMB chair.
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Nokia announced recently that they offer a free charger exchange program, but for a limited customers only.
According to them, they learned that the plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate. This will cause the exposure of the charger’s internal components and potentially posing an electric shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket.
As a as a precautionary measure, they are willing to exchange the affected charger models with free of charge.
The affected chargers are those manufactured by BYD between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009 and with the following model types:
AC-3U AC-3E
Also, those manufactured by BYD between April 13, 2009 and October 25, 2009 and with the following model type AC-4U.
Therefore, your charger is not affected if you purchased it before June 15, 2009 and April 13, 2009 with the models AC-3U and AC-3E, and AC-4U respectively.
For more information, on your left is a sample of a Nokia charger label.
So if you think your charger is affected, I strongly suggest that you immediately ask for a replacement through their website at Nokia Free Charger Exchange.
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Last Sunday, former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes "Jun" Ebdane announced finally his intention to run for president in 2010 and hopes to get endorsement from former president Fidel V. Ramos.
Ebdane, who was also proclaimed as the national chairman of PLPP (Philippine Labor and Peasant Party) or formerly known as Lapiang Manggagawa , said his priorities for the country include peace and order, national security, defense, and public works.
“I hope and pray that he (Ramos) will endorse me, he is credible," he told reporters at the sidelines of the party’s 46th founding anniversary. “And with accumulated experience and know-how, I believe I stand as the candidate with the first-hand working knowledge of how government really works and the track record to get things done," he added.
Apparently, Ebdane is a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1970 and has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) from the Mapúa Institute of Technology. He was the 10th PNP chief, serving from July 2002 to August 2004.
He was named as National Security Adviser from August 2004 to February 2005. He later served as secretary of the Department of National Defense. He was re-appointed to the DPWH in February 2007 but resigned last month to prepare for the 2010 presidential election.
In related news, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando is another cabinet member who previously announced that he will also run for president in 2010.
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Recently, I was watching GMA 7 News 24 Oras and I was really amazed as Mel Tiangco shares a very inspiring story. It was a story about a deaf student who has just graduated from college as Magna cum Laude at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
Ana Cristina Arce, who was born deaf encountered a lot of difficulties especially in college where she joins students who are able to hear. But apparently, she was able to transfer to DLS-CSB’s School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies through the effort of her mother.
Interestingly, she was also the class valedictorian in her grade school batch and finishd high school with academic honors.
Below is the news video and an actual copy of her speech delivered last October 17, 2009 and interpreted by Nicky Templo-Perez.
Brother President Victor Franco FSC, Vice Chancellors, Assistant Vice Chancellors, Deans, Administrators, Faculty, Parents, Sign Language Interpreters, Guests, fellow graduates, and the Benildean Community, Good Morning.
Let me begin my speech with this passage from the Holy Scriptures, found in Jeremiah 18, and I quote …”And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it”. In pottery, the potter places a mold of clay on a table and the potter turns it around carefully. Using his hands, the potter will repeat the process several times until he gets the perfect shape. As hands are important to a potter, hands are also important to us, Deaf persons. Our main source of communication is through the use of our hands, we talk and express ourselves through them. And just like the potter whose hands make the perfect creation, we also hope to get the best if not the perfect performance for ourselves using our hands. With our hands, we can go places, change lives and make a difference.
I was born Deaf, and when my parents discovered this, like most hearing parents of Deaf children, they felt that the only way for me to survive was if I learned to speak and so they enrolled me in different oral schools where I had to wear hearing aids and learn how to lip read. I was enrolled in four different oral schools and we tried to find something workable that would fit. I tried my best in these schools but still it wasn’t easy for me to adjust. And then my parents thought of trying it out in a school for the Deaf and they enrolled me at the Philippine School for the Deaf where sign language is used as the medium of communication. I quickly adjusted and started doing well in my academics, and received several awards in grade school and I was also the class valedictorian of my batch. I was also an achiever all throughout high school and even if I transferred to a Deaf private school during my senior year I still managed to finish with academic honors.
And then came College, during my first year I was enrolled in another college where Deaf and hearing college students were together in class. I found the experience to be more saddening than exciting. I often cried because my hearing classmates would exclude me in meetings and group projects, maybe because they thought I will not be able to understand them and communicate with them. I struggled to adjust and tried to show my hearing peers what I can do but they never gave me a chance to prove myself to them. Do you want to feel useless? I’m sure you don’t and neither do I or any other Deaf person for that matter. I tried to think that maybe my classmates were doing this because they have big hearts and are trying to understand me and make things easier for me, but I ended up frustrated and I was the one left trying to understand them. Before the end of the first semester, I had set my mind to move to another school, this time, one that offers a program for Deaf students.
And so it was through the efforts of my mother that we found DLS-CSB’s School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies. At DLS-CSB, SDEAS especially, not only did I find an academic institution, but I also found an environment where teachers and other members of the community welcomed us. I felt loved and cared for, and I felt that the school was like a family. I learned that I am a Deaf person; the word, Deaf, being spelled with a capital D, which means that I am identified, not merely as a person who cannot hear, but as someone who is part of the Deaf community, partaking in its unique culture and natural sign language. And with that, I believe that one of the best fruits of education is our ability to understand and change people’s attitude about the Deaf and other Persons with Disabilities, and that is what SDEAS’s education has given me. Our Benildean education has developed us Deaf persons into persons of dignity, integrity, and with a deep sense of spirituality, and we are now being given the chance to become productive members of society.
If you go around the different high schools for the Deaf I am sure that all of the students there will say that they all wish to go to college. However, very few schools offer quality education and those that do, are expensive schools, and most of the Deaf cannot afford to pay the high cost of tuition and fees. And aside from that most people, sad to say even some parents of Deaf students, assume that because we are Deaf we cannot succeed in college so better not send us to school. For students like us, going to school is no walk in the park. We often need to rely on kind-hearted teachers and interpreters to understand the lessons. Getting an education is a big challenge for us.
And so I am thankful to DLS-CSB for opening its doors and welcoming the Deaf regardless of our disability. We have learned so much from this school and we can now proudly say that we are complete Deaf persons and we now embody the teachings of Saint Benilde Romançon.
I especially wish to thank Br. Vic for his utmost concern for the Deaf and his big heart by increasing the number of slots for Deaf scholars from 30 to 60 students starting the school year of 2008-2009. My sincere thanks and appreciation to all of you hearing students for your willingness to interact with us and for making us feel that we are not an isolated group and that we can also be active participants in school activities and be a useful bunch of interesting students. That we, the Deaf students, are your peers…your equals.
At this point, allow me to make an appeal to all the hearing students and guests of this occasion. We may be Deaf persons but we can also do anything you can do, except hear. Communicating with our hands should not make a difference. We live in one country, one world. That means we also long for respect, inclusion in accessibility, and acceptance with dignity. We are not a different breed because of our disability. We also want to live in a society where people will not stare or frown at us or treat us differently. We are also human beings and we are similar regardless of our disability. Please allow us to show you what we can do; please, believe in us too. Let us prove to you that yes, the DEAF CAN. Dear fellow graduates, I hope that when you have established yourselves in the companies you are working for, or if you have successfully put up your own business, please remember the Deaf Benildeans who may need your help in advocating our skills and capabilities, remember us and other Deaf graduates who may have the talents and potentials to be a part of your companies and contribute to its growth.
To all our teachers, you are part of this achievement we are reaping today. You painstakingly taught us all the tools we would need to make us productive individuals and showed us the way towards academic independence. You instilled in us the core values of upright citizens and we will forever treasure our years with you in our hearts. To our parents, thank you for your patience and perseverance, for your selfless understanding of our endless needs, and your unconditional love and care that carried us through our countless years of struggle to get the degree that we received today. My utmost gratitude go to my own parents, Ramon and Vilma Arce, who loved, cared, and gave me all the support that enables me to stand before all of you today. We, the Deaf students, also wish to offer our sincerest thanks to all our interpreters with generous hearts, who are willing to serve the Deaf in assisting us in our communication needs.
I would like to enjoin my fellow graduates, especially my hearing batchmates, to always keep the Benildean Core Values in our hearts. Guided by these values, we can definitely scale to great heights. Let us never forget the people who made our presence here possible. Let us always remember the values of sharing and selflessness so that when we look back, we can proudly say that we lived a meaningful life and we made a difference in the lives of other people.
Graduation is not the end. It’s only the beginning of another journey towards a higher level of learning. Don’t be afraid to dream, for it can be the first step to achieving our goals. Always remember that with patience and hard work, success will be within our reach. The biggest challenge for all of us is to overcome our fears and uncertainty.
For those of you who still have doubts about your potentials, let me and my Deaf batch mates be the living testament of what we can all become despite our limitations. In previous years, only a handful of Deaf students would graduate every year. Today, 25 of my Deaf batch mates received our diploma, the biggest number so far, and this is a testament of our four years of struggle to attain our academic degree. I am probably the first Deaf Filipino Magna Cum Laude graduate, and I am not saying this to brag about my achievement. I am humbly sharing this with you to thank God, my potter, for molding me, His clay, into a wonderful human being. I believe we can reach our maximum potentials no matter what challenges we face in life, because God is our potter and we are his clay.
To all my fellow graduates, Congratulations and Good Luck! Remember to always be Proud To Be Benildeans and to always live Jesus in our hearts.
Thank you and good day.
Ana Kristina M. Arce deaf.advocate.arce@gmail.com
Incidentally, I found this copy of Ana Cristina's speech at Blackboard and I would like to thank Simon Francis Blaise for blogging about this.
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The Firepower Pacquiao vs Cotto fight is getting closer, as Manny Pacquiao aims to be the first boxer to win seven boxing titles, which will happen on November 18, 2009 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Nevertheless, the current pound-for-pound king took time to guest at Jimmy Kimmel Live! recently. During the interview, he shared his life story in his hometown, Philippines. He also talked about his movies, album,his popularity, and others. But I think the highlight is when Manny Pacquiao sang Sometimes When We Touch, in which you can see the video below.
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Sen Noynoy Aquino, the only son of the late President Cory Aquino and Sen Ninoy Aquino has been a popular presidential candidate this coming 2010 election lately.
Recently, his music video ads below was started to be seen on Philippine TV. It was sang by Asia’s Songbird Regine Velazquez and composed by one of the great composers of today and Regine's real life partner, Ogie Alcasid.
As one can see, it is an all star cast music video combining talent artists from both GMA 7 and ABS CBN. This for sure will be very appealing to the masses, and will be a very strong campaign material for Noynoy.
Among the popular artists included were Sharon Cuneta, Kris Aquino, Boy Abunda , Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Bea Alonzo, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Aiai delas alas, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzales, Eric Santos , James Yap and some PBA Players and a lot more.
As Noynoy said, “The reason why I am on this path is because I believe the public will support and help me in the campaign.” and added that “I want to make democracy work not just for the rich and the well-connected, but for everybody.”
But as of this moment, Noynoy has not yet officially announced his plans on how to make the lives of the Filipinos if ever he will win.
Meanwhile, Bonbong Marcos who will be a guest senatorial candidate to Erap advised the former president to match Noynoy Ads music video.
Ironically, Aiai delas Alas who joined the Noynoy Ads music video is the leading lady of Erap in the movie “Ang Tanging Pamilya: A Merry-Go-Round,” which will hit theaters this month.
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Michael Jackson This It Movie pulled in $101 million around the world in its first five days, and distributor Sony expands the film beyond his farewell performance less than two weeks away.
"He's just loved everywhere on the planet," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It doesn't matter if it's Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, South America. Every continent in the world loved him and his music."
In Britain, where Jackson had planned a series of 50 concerts in London from July, the film has earned £ 4.6m. In the United States, where it is number 1 at the box office, it took $ 32.5 million. The film has 10.4 million U.S. dollars in Japan, U.S. $ 6.3 million in Germany and 5.8 million in France.
This Is It captures Jackson backstage performances in the weeks before his death in June, as he felt for his performances in London. The studio paid $60 million for film rights for the video.
The film was scheduled for a theatrical journey of two weeks, but the studio has extended this week a little 'more in the United States and a country by country, however, with most of the territories, possibly starting one to three weeks of the time extra game, Bruer said.
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