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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Last Monday October 26, I received an email from a certain Ally Lim who introduced herself as the Project Head of Run against the Elements. As I have read her email message, she is requesting bloggers to help promote a video through simultaneous online release.
This video was created as a project to stand up for climate change. Apparently, another email was included which came Illac Diaz. In case, you don't know him. He is a former local actor who now named as a Young Global Leader of 2008, by calling the world’s attention to Filipino vision sparked by brilliance and marked by compassion.
With this, I support their vision and I hope I can help in my own little way. Below is the video and the email messages.
Dear Blogger,
Ateneo’s Collegiate Society of Advertising (COSA) will be having its first-ever Fun Run on January 24, 2010 (Sunday) at the Ateneo campus grounds called, “RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010″ with our slogan: Stand Up to Climate Change. We have partnered with social entrepreneur, Illac Diaz, who started “Design Against the Elements.” This is an international design competition that responds to the call for social and climate adaptation by building sustainable homes. This was launched to international architects last June 16, 2009 at the Institute of International Education (IIE) at the United Nations Plaza in New York with the support of the IIE, the Philippine Consulate, Gov. Lray Villafuerte, Gawad Kalinga, United Architects of the Philippines and My Shelter Foundation.
We are going beyond the spirit of volunteerism. By choosing Design Against the Elements as the cause for our fun run, we will also be promoting its anthem, “Stand Up”, a collaboration of 50 of the Philippines’ finest artists like Kjwan, Cookie Chua, Karl Roy, Jett Pangan, Noel Cabangon, Barbie Almalbis, Migs Escueta, etc. We are asking for your help in the simultaneous online release of the video we (Ateneo COSA) are creating for the song. This unreleased single will be launched online via a video which will be sent to you on TUESDAY for posting on your blogs. TUESDAY (OCT 27) is the targeted date, so if you would like to help us promote this global campaign and fun run event, please do post this video on your blogs. Below is a forwarded message from Illac Diaz if you would like to know more details about the campaign.
We hope you help us in promoting ACTION against and not just mere AWARENESS regarding climate change. Climate change is here and now—we want to be able to properly handle another calamity like Ondoy next time. Don’t we?
We look forward to hearing from you.
Ally Lim Project Head RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS (Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010)
———- Forwarded message ———- From: Illac Diaz Date: Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 2:13 AM Subject: Philippine Bloggers Appeal Letter (Tuesday Video Launch)
Dear Blogger
These last month has been an incredible trial for the Philippines and its people. As the floodwater begins to receed, a new challenge will need to be met, which is rebuilding many areas that have been affected by the storm. This crisis may have an opportunity by allowing us to work with you and help you rebuild better. Specially since, the incident is not a singular occurence, but is going to be a pattern of challenges for the coming decades due to the changes in climate and a longer view must be implimanted.
We would like to ask you to help us with a mega-band campaign song to raise awareness on the need to move awareness to climate adaptability in the Philippines over mere carbon reduction as the country is not a significant emitter, but one of the world’s communities most vulnerable; and least able to adapt. We have united almost 50 of the top icons of music to sing the campaign song to arouse attention not only of the Philippines, but a global audience that we must move to greater awareness and policies for raising awareness to climate adaptability in the Philippines over mere carbon reduction as the country is not a significant emitter, but that we are also one of the world’s communities most vulnerable; and least able to adapt.
Like the Blog Action Day we shall be releasing a video simultaneously over the web that we are editing now. Here is a rough sample http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol2×22rFtBg
We ask you if you could help us with the simultaneous release.
…..
The projected impact of climate change in Philippines is extreme typhoons (top four in the world according to the Global Climate Index). This is due mainly to the high vulnerability of rural areas and very little capacity for adaptation (poverty and lack of awareness of the rising dangers) of the people at risk. These upcoming humanitarian disasters, and climate refugee mass migration, and will lead to a high state of conflict and insecurity for the poor below the poverty line.
This project, Design Against the Elements will focus on the climate displaced communities in Metro Manila, Philippines. Combined with research recently completed by the Manila Observatory on the future challenges of climate in the Naga region ( which is a sample of similar challenges in other areas of the Philippines), it contribute to design and build a redesigned low income community which will be the new blueprint of how people in the vulnerable coastal areas can successfully cope with impacts of climate variability. The knowledge generated from this study will facilitate the development of policies that address these humanitarian challenges.
The main objective of this competition is to contribute to rural adaptability to climate change impacts, in the form of architectural resiliency to strong typhoon winds and heavy rains. Capacity building in the present social networks such as community, non-government, and government organizations involved with these areas will allow a shift into post disaster mitigation to preparing ahead of the storm. The main hypothesis of this project is having a safer structures “ahead of time” will lead to less injury, number of climate refugees, and loss of life and property. The main partner and benificiary will be Gawad Kalinga who will recieve the winning designs of which the winner of the competition will have 100 houses built with the new design.
This competition will begin in November 2009. We are setting the land and the global partners.
The competition brief ( which is how the architects design the village based on the key points of climate change challenges, data on the site and province, ect) is still being done by the United Architects of the Philippines.Last 2008, it was for building safer schools for shelter (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/05.08/31-designs.html)
It will be from the top marketing using the United Architects of the Philippines writing to all architect associations in the world linked to them BUT the exciting one is the grassroots marketing of the global Gawad Kalinga members asking architects they can reach (inspire) to be involved. We expect 4000 entries.
The song is composed by Joey Ayala and Boogie Romero and is about to be finished by 50 of the top Filipino bands and personalities who are now finishing the “Stand Up” theme song for the campaign.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Illac Angelo Diaz Executive Director Global Designer Village Challenge
With this, I hope there will be more related projects in the future, and that bloggers like me will support them too.
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