10 Things From Your 20s You’ll Regret When You’re 40

Don’t get me wrong – being young and having fun is as important as anything in life. But assuming you live past the age of 28, there are a few things that you just can’t get away with, without reaping some serious consequences. Here are the top 10 things you do when you’re young that, when looking back, make you wonder how you could have been such a complete and total dumbass. (Image used courtesy of The Lizard Man)

10. Body Piercing Plugs
Believe me, I’ve been there. The piercing you either got at the mall or did in your friend Tim’s basement with a safety pin just wasn’t cool enough, so you switched to 16-gauge hoops, then to 14, and before you knew it, you’ve shoved the biggest g*ddamn thing that doesn’t look like it will give you herpes through your ear lobe like you’re from f**king Ethiopia. But beware: once you’ve finally decided to take out the massive disks in your ears, your lobes will be so stretched, you’ll have to have them sew-up to keep from looking like you have a shriveled butt hole on each ear.


9. Risque Internet Pics
For some reason, people these days just can’t help posting pictures of themselves and their friends doing stupid, drunken, naked things online. But despite the fact that everybody’s doing it, don’t be fooled: Sometime, sooner or later, those pictures are going to come back to haunt you. And when they do, it will start a sh!tstorm you can’t even imagine. And pretty soon that trip to Vegas when you were 23 will turn into the reason you are fired from your job, divorced from your wife and/or estranged from your children. Seriously.

8. Tattoos
These days, having a tattoo is practically like having a belly button – everybody’s got one. The only difference is, having a belly button isn’t going to make you want to punch yourself in the face for stupidity as soon as you’re out of your “Jack Daniels phase.” Of course plenty of tattoos won’t be constantly regrettable reminders that you were once a retard. That is, unless you got any on your face, neck, fingers or any other place where your boss is then forced to know how much you used to like naked Star Wars characters. Oh and ladies, just so you know, one day that lower back tattoo you all seem to have is going to be known as the “old lady tattoo.” Not so sexy, is it?

7. Choosing Your Best Friend’s Girlfriend Over Your Best Friend
She was hot. She was so smokingly hot, your F’ing crotch could’ve spontaneously combusted at any moment. And the fact that she was untouchable, lest you ruin the entire friendship you and your best buddy had built up since you were six, made her all the more desirable. But one day, they broke up. And all of a sudden, you were spending your days holding hands and helping her pick out duvet covers. You and “that asshole” Mr. Ex stopped talking. Time goes by. Then some afternoon you come home to find her blowing a guy from the laundromat. And the sad thing is, in the end, you are the douchebag, and that’s all there is to it.

6. Getting Married Too Young
This rotten son-of-a-bitch trap can swallow even the most farsighted individuals. And I get it: You meet the woman of your dreams. You spend all your time with her; she gets all your jokes. And pretty soon, she’s on the pill and you’re living under the same roof, picking out paint for the dining room, secretly wondering what the hell happened to your manhood. Before you know it, you’re d*ck deep in webcam girl bills and pleated khakis. Next up, divorce, which charmingly includes going into debt to pay for the lawyers. But the sick twist is, she never wanted any of that bullsh!t either.

5. Not Traveling (Enough)
It’s hard to realize when you’re 21, but the time for whisking off to foreign lands with nothing to worry about besides which awesome thing to see next quickly evaporates. (Just ask any older person, they’ll tell you all about it.) Before you know it, you’re still in the same place you were seven years before, but with too many responsibilities to get away with jetting off to India for six months, just for the hell of it. So the best bet is to get as much traveling in while you’re single, childless and can still afford to not be working on building up your 401K (as if those mattered much these days, anyway). So what are you waiting for?

4. Not Finishing School
One thing you quickly learn in college is that not having any money to spend sucks a hot cup of assholes. By your junior year, all you want to do is sit still for two f**king seconds and relax, instead of zipping around like a PCP addict. So you drop out, get an OK job, do OK stuff and have OK things. Cool, right? Maybe. But if you want to really do something interesting with your life, you’re going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that.

Not only should you finish school, but you should become passionate about something, study abroad and then go to grad school. Become an expert. You know, or you could knock up some chick, get a predatory loan and hope to God you never get fired for the rest of your life.

(NOTE: I know, this is not always the case. Some of the most successful people in the world dropped out of school. Fine – whenever you want to go invent something that changes the world, be my guest.)

3. Smoking
If you didn’t know smoking kills you by now, then you probably deserve whatever fate becomes you. Whatever. The thing the never-smokers don’t understand is, smoking is good for the soul, damnit! (Unfortunately, you only think that because you’re addicted to nicotine.) But unless you’re some type of endlessly-going genetic anomaly, THIS SH!T WILL KILL YOU. Seriously, so unless you want your kids to think you’re a total asswipe, quit right now. If you don’t want to have kids, fine. But that’s not going to make the chemo any less sucky, that’s all I’m sayin’…

2. Bad Credit
This one applies to everyone, since we Americans all seem to be addicted to f**king ourselves over in the long-run by getting greedy and buying a bunch of stupid crap every 10 seconds when we can’t afford it. Yep, I’ve been there, too. And for now, while your biggest commitment in life is playing Left4Dead, it might seem OK. But when you have a family to support and sending your kids to college is suddenly slopped on your plate, you’re going to be eating a giant sh!t sandwich. That is, unless you call saving for the future and holding-off on that new 50-inch plasma something other than a sh!t sandwich. Not that I have to tell you that anymore, since you don’t have a job. Hmmmm, I wonder how that happened…

1. Not Spending More Time With Your Parents
Mom and Dad might not be hip to your world or your life or even the Internet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t the two most important people you have. And believe it or not, they can be gone before you know it. (Other times they stick around so long, you could kill them yourself, but that’s another article.)

So whether you live miles away or blocks, make sure to spend time with them whenever you can. Call them, send them a card, do anything that lets them know that you’re not a complete f**k-up. They will thank you for it, whether you know so now or not. It’s not to say that, if you are still living on your parent’s couch, you’re going to be the most satisfied person on the planet. But if you only see the folks once a year, you’re going to have some therapy bills to pay for once they pass, guaranteed.

Honorable Mentions: not banging a MILF, heavy drug use, not learning a foreign language, beastiality.

Source: coedmagazine

Pinatay Dahil P...What?!?!?!

20 Stupid Expressions That Must Die Soon

1. “Ayt”— Because you’re not black, and you’re not a total idiot. And don’t think for one second you’re cute.

2. “Aylavet”— It’s like Kris Aquino— tolerable on the computer monitor and the cellphone screen but irritating when heard. This takes on a heightened level of annoyance when the speaker animates the expression by prolonging the last syllable. At which point I summon all my powers of restraint to stop strangling speaker with my bare hands. Especially when said speaker happens to be a red-blooded male.

3. “Meh ganun?” - Because the radio station Energy FM 91.5 is among the best reasons for avoiding public transport.

4. “Elow po”— With the optional “poh.” Indicates that the speaker is either a 14-year-old girl who has a pink-wallpapered Friendster account or just a complete dumbass.

5. “Chorva”— Because in 1574 God invented the dictionary. Two and a half months before that, God invented the human brain, which he intended for complex systems of operations like logic, reasoning, analysis, and language. Which means, God did not want all his creatures to speak like they worked the night shift at Reyes Haircutters. If he did, we’d all have naturally bleached, over-gelled hair. That, plus perennially raised collars.

6. “Nownah”— Which is “now na” pulled down to unfathomably moronic depths, but is actually persuasive in specific instances. E.g. “I will bludgeon you until you’re comatose, you stupid idiot. When? Nownah.”

7. “Ayuz”— The bigger schmuck, however, is that record company dork behind Ayuz: The Compilation.

8. “Haller” — God’s way of telling us we’re not reading enough books.

9. “Text-text”— Indicates several things:

a. A certain appointment/ person is not important enough to merit an exact time and place.

b. “We’re so dumb we can’t even make up our minds about which restaurant. You’ll be late? It’s okay. I’ll be late, too.”

c. “Let’s play it by ear. Maybe I’ll feel lazy and I won’t be in the mood to see you.”

d. The improvisational nature of the Filipino temperament. Which is probably explains why we’re the mightiest, most efficient nation on the planet.

10. “OMG” — Marks the completion of our descent from human beings into ants.

11. “Hello, mam-sir”—For the past few years, a visit to the mall always made you feel like a hermaphrodite.

12. “Bonggang-bongga”— The entire point of culture is to move forward. “Bonggang bongga” throws us back to the dark days of disco, polyester pants, and Annie Batumbakal.

13. “Weh”—To paraphrase the title of the first Devo album from 1978: Q: Are we not men? A: We are goats.

14. “Eyeball”—A word that originally meant that “round mass of the eye within its bony socket” or “to stare at somebody or something intently” has come to mean “to meet up in person after significant flirting online.” Now, it just means to meet up. An innocent noun transmogrified into an equally innocent verb. But to me its effect is akin to corrugated iron sheets being ripped apart.

15. “Wer na u, dito na me”— It sounded cute the first time. So did “Ligo na u, lapit na me.”

16. “Mocha frap”—There is a scene in Ishmael Bernal’s Pagdating sa Dulo where Eddie Garcia blows his top after someone casually addressed him as “direk.” His outburst goes, (or something to this effect): “Kaya hindi umaasenso ang pelikulang Pilipino—mahilig sa shortcut!” Similarly, civilization will head nowhere if it does not stop putting toweringly silly pompadours of whipped cream on top of coffee.

17. “Dude”—As in, “Dude, where’s my brain?” Even Keanu and Ashton—no postmodern literary theoriticians themselves– have refused to look back at their benighted past.

18. “Gud pm”— Cellular technology is both Vishnu and Shiva combined into one efficient package: Monumental creator of relations, great destroyer of literacy.

19. “Ask ko lang”—Now you’d think this one merely belongs to the realm of SMS, where brevity and expediency are of the essence. But when people actually use the dang phrase in actual conversation, it becomes truly troubling. What’s next, “Tell ko lang po sa inyo?” And then what? Wait, do you hear that? That’s the sound of Lope K. Santos turning in his grave.

20. “Ingatz”—The only demographic allowed to use this is the same one that watches Bratz.

Source: LourdDeVeyra

25 First-Date Dos and Don’ts

By Lindsey Unterberger

We asked some of our favorite relationship writers for their advice on what you should wear, where you should go and which first-date faux pas you really should avoid. No need to thank us when you score that second date.

DON’T get ahead of yourself.

It’s OK to get excited before you go out with someone new, but stay realistic. As pessimistic as this sounds, if your expectations are low, then a good date will be a welcome surprise and a bad date will be no biggie. —DearSugar

DO be open to unexpected date ideas.

A homemade meal, PBR and Guitar Hero might be a better way to get to know each other than the standard restaurant and a movie. Plus, are you really going to ask someone to take you out for filets, cocktails and the theater in this economy? —Tom Miller, Tango’s Daily Dish

DON’T go somewhere overflowing with eye candy.

A while ago I took a girl out to brunch at a restaurant that is always brimming with beautiful hipsters. Naturally, there was a Kate Hudson look-alike sitting behind my date, right in my line of vision. Even worse, she was wearing this crazy low-cut dress, and when she leaned forward I could see her entire breast—maintaining eye contact has never been more of a struggle. —Ryan Dodge, Single-ish

DO wear flats.

Although heels can be super sexy, you never know where a first date will lead you. I’ve been on first dates that ended with a lovely walk around town (hello, blisters!) or a visit to a neighborhood playground (tripping all over myself!). Flats will let you feel open to anything the night may bring. —Joanna Goddard, Smitten

DO wear sexy underwear.

Even if you don’t shed your clothes, your non-Hanes undies will give you confidence. Plus, if you do end up stripping down to your skivvies, you DON’T want to end up wearing granny panties a la Bridget Jones. —Daniel Holloway and Dorothy Robinson, authors of Dating Makes You Want to Die (But You Have to Do It Anyway)

DO bring dental supplies with you.

I once ordered a shredded beef burrito and there was a string of meat stuck in my teeth. I would’ve excused myself to the bathroom to fix it, but I hadn’t brought my floss with me. So I sat there, not listening to him and going crazy. Now I bring mints, gum, spray, floss—everything. Seriously. Besides, you never know if you’ll want to make out. —Erin Meanley, Single-ish

DO call a friend for a pep talk.

If you’re suffering from first-date jitters, ring a friend for a few words of encouragement before you meet the guy. Before my first dates, you’d always find me in a cab on the phone with my mom, with her telling me the guy would be crazy not to adore me. Even though she had to say that (she is my mom), a few positive words made me walk into my date with confidence. —Joanna Goddard, Smitten

DON’T wear anything too sexy over the underwear.

You are not going to a club on a first date—we hope! So don’t dress in a way that inspires him to grind against you to Rihanna’s newest song. —Daniel Holloway and Dorothy Robinson, authors of Dating Makes You Want to Die (But You Have to Do It Anyway)

DO Facebook him.

Try not to confuse what he tells you and what you read about him. If you run out of things to talk about, maybe mention a YouTube video that he has on his page. —Tom Miller, Tango’s Daily Dish

But DON’T let him know you’ve been Google-stalking him all week.

Look, we know that you’ve been investigating this guy online since you learned his last name. (We don’t blame you, and chances are he’s done the same to you.) But if you start in on his alma mater, favorite bands and how his hair looked in 2004 (that was found thanks to your mad skills at image searching), you are going to creep him out. Big-time. —Daniel Holloway and Dorothy Robinson, authors of Dating Makes You Want to Die (But You Have to Do It Anyway)

DON’T drink and date.

One glass of wine is fine. Two or more could lead to sudden, instant and otherwise immediate death of a potential relationship. My friend Katherine is a smart and beautiful girl, but whenever she has a few drinks, she starts swearing like a sailor. If she were not a little tipsy, she would never talk so trashy. Guys are instantly turned off by her behavior, and she often wonders why first dates never turn into seconds. —Jess McCann, author of You Lost Him at Hello

DO have a positive attitude.

I tried to plan a really neat first date—something different. So I pick her up, and it’s cold out, and the restaurant I was going to take her to is closed. We’re in an abandoned area, and it’s cold; I’m not looking so good right now. Finally we find a place to eat, except the menu is all in Korean. We point to something and what comes out tastes like rubber chicken. Then, when we get to the bowling alley, it seems like we’re the only non-gang members there. But it was an amazing date because she was cool. Her positive attitude dictated how the date would go. —Evan Marc Katz, dating coach and author of Why You’re Still Single

DO order a big-girl meal.

Do you really think a puny salad will hold you over all night? —The Frisky

DON’T question his height.

If he’s 5’10” on his driver’s license, and in his heart, suspend your disbelief. Feel free to store it for something to make fun of later. —Tom Miller, Tango’s Daily Dish

DO act interested in what he is saying.

No one wants to go on a first date with the human equivalent of a dead-fish handshake. If you don’t like where the date is headed, end it early. But if you are tired, hung over or depressed about the economic apocalypse, don’t let it affect your time together. Talk. Ask questions. Make eye contact. —Daniel Holloway and Dorothy Robinson, authors of Dating Makes You Want to Die (But You Have to Do It Anyway)

DON’T turn your dates into therapy sessions.


My friend Isabel just had the worst year of her life: She had foreclosed on her house and was in serious debt. Whenever she was out with a guy, she would unload all her frustrations right on his plate! No one wants to hear you ramble on about your sick cat, annoying boss or stalker ex-boyfriend. If she was hoping for a second date, Isabel should’ve asked more questions and done more listening than talking. —Jess McCann, author of You Lost Him at Hello

On that note, DON’T psychoanalyze your date.

A guy once got all Freud on me and asked me if I had trouble getting close to men because of my relationship with my father. Totally inappropriate, considering we’d just met. —The Frisky

But DON’T get too personal.

One woman on our message boards reminisced about a guy who asked her how many kids she wanted. “I’m hoping for at least one little girl,” he added. Sweet…yet a tad premature. Another woman wanted to know if it was normal that a guy asked her about her credit score and credit limit. Yeah, not normal. —Josey Miller, iVillage’s Sex on My Desk

DON’T talk about your ex.

No good can come of this! You’ll seem either bitter, heartless or still hung-up—and any one of these is a huge turnoff. —Em and Lo, Daily Bedpost

No, really, DON’T talk about your ex.

“Hypotheticals” that start with “would you” or “can you believe” are transparent and indicate that your head is somewhere else. So DON’T ask your date, “Would you ever, I mean ever, skip someone’s cousin’s wedding to go to some Final Four game?” —Tom Miller, Tango’s Daily Dish

DO discuss issues that are important to you.

Why wait to find out that the two of you don’t see eye to eye on something you feel passionately about? —The Frisky

DON’T talk about sex.

Unless you’re planning on having sex on the first date, in which case you should definitely talk about your sexual history. But if not, it’s nice to leave a little something to the imagination—and to save something for the second date. —Em and Lo, Daily Bedpost

DON’T let him take you to a second location if you don’t like him.

Too often, I politely follow the guy to another bar, and another, when really I just want to go home and read. It’s better for both of you if you just speak up. —Erin Meanley, Single-ish

DON’T try to add him as a Facebook friend after the first date.

It will just freak him out and make him feel like you’re trying to snoop on him (which of course you are…but that’s what Google is for!). —Em and Lo, Daily Bedpost

DO break the dating rules.

If you want to call him, call—he’ll appreciate it. If you want to make the first move, do it—why not! —DearSugar

How To Die

Here are 10 suggestions on how to die. You can file these away until you need them.

1. Get things in order. Things you don’t want people to see? Destroy them. Things you want people to have? Give them away. (“Let the season of giving be yours and not that of your inheritors” — Gibran, The Prophet.) Pay debts. Make notes of what you’ve done. Make it easy for whomever you choose to take care of things after.

2. Make a will. Of things that weren’t given away, decide who gets what. Put it in writing. Make it legal. Choose an executor. Do you want to be cremated or buried? Decide what kind of funeral — if any — you want. Bette Davis said, “I don’t want donations made to any charities
in my name. I want lots and lots of flowers!” If that’s how you feel about it, say so. In writing. And don’t forget to make it a “living will” if you don’t want extraordinary medical measures used to prolong your life.

3. Say goodbye. Goodbyes don’t all have to take place on your deathbed. You can say goodbye to people, and then see them every day for the next 50 years. Tell people what you would want them to know if you never saw them again. Give them the opportunity to do the same. Usually, it boils down to simply, “I love you.”

4. Don’t spend time with people you don’t want to spend time with. When people hear someone is dying, they all want to make a pilgrimage. Many of these people you haven’t seen in years and, if you lived another hundred years, would probably never see again. Say goodbye on the phone. Tell them you’re just not up to a visit. You don’t owe anyone anything.

5. Spend time alone. Reflect on your life. Make peace with it. Come to terms with it. Forgive yourself for everything. Learn what you can from what has happened, and let the rest go. Mourn the loss of your life. Come to a place of understanding and acceptance. You may be surprised how quickly you get there.

6. Enjoy yourself. Make a wish of all the movies you want to see or see again. Rent them. Watch them. Read the books you never got around to. Listen to your favorite music.

7. Relax. Sleep. Do nothing. Lie around. Recline. Goof off.

8. Pray. Listen. It is said people are closest to God at birth and at death. If you missed God the first time around, catch the deity on the return. Whatever inspirational or spiritual beliefs you hold dear, hold them even closer. You are being held close, too.

9. Enjoy each moment. Appreciate what is here and now. That is where eternity is found. You may only have a few here-and-now moments, but it’s a few more than most people will ever have.

10. When it’s time to go, go. Let go. Say one last goodbye and mean it. Say goodbye so completely that you’ll never want to come back, you’ll never even look back. All the good you take with you. The rest is goodbye and moving on.

Do most of these sound more like suggestions for living than for dying? That’s because they are. The best way to die is to live each moment fully. Then, when the time for death comes — be it next week or 50 years from now — it’s just another event in an already eventful life.

100 Greatest YouTube Hits in Under 4 Minutes

What I Learned from Ondoy

1. I do not need a big house. I just need a place where my family and I can stay and rest.

2. I do not need to be rich. My money can't save me.

3. I need friends who I can count on. They will save and help me when I am in need.

4. I do not need a lot of things. Basic necessities are enough. "One is enough."

5. I will only buy things I need - not want.

6. I won't waste time.

7. I will save money - just enough to help others in need.

8. I will always work for a company who helps their employees (and who looks for their employees when they are missing.)

9. I should be grateful with what I have now - it can be taken away from me at an instant.

10. Everybody should learn how to swim and how to save others.

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."--Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

Grabbed from Ms. Honey Zafra via Facebook

If your vehicle was submerged in water (An Open Letter)

Dear friends,

With the recent devastation that our countrymen suffered due to flood, we would like to give some practical tips to those whose vehicles have been submerged in water.


First, don't try to start your vehicle as this might short circuit the electrical connections and damage the computer module, if the vehicle is equipped with one. Let it stay and dry for a day or two. Disconnect the battery and have it towed to your nearest dealership/autoshop. You may call Caltex towing at 812-7878 or Malayan Camille at 687-8505 for company owned vehicles. For personally owned units, you may also have it serviced in your home if you have a trusted mechanic.


All consumables, meaning, fluids of the vehicle must be drained and changed upon inspection (engine oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, steering fluid, water in radiator/reservoir, etc.). All filters (oil, fuel, transmission etc.) and spark plugs must also be replaced or as maybe recommended by the dealership’s authorized technicians. Of course, your vehicle will need interior and engine detailing.


I hope this reminders will serve as your guide to prevent any further damage to your vehicles.

Thank you.

15 Storm Survival Tips

BEFORE THE STORM

1. Monitor the news or your local weather station for updates on the storm situation, when it will hit and how strong it will be.

2. Move to higher ground. Move away from creeks, streams, rivers, and strom drains. Flash floods can sweep over an area without warning, and you may only have minutes to get to safety. Note that flash floods can occur up to 12 hours after heavy rains. Move animals and livestock to higher ground, bring pets inside. Move your valuable and furniture to higher floors of your home, if possible. Check your gutters to make sure they are clear of leaves and debris. You may also opt to park your cars on higher ground. You can opt to leave some possessions with someone who is not at a flood-prone area.

3. Stock up on supplies. Fill up clean plastic bottles with clean water and store as much water as you can, especially if you live in a flood-prone area. Immediately charge all essential electronics like cellular phones, which you will have to use in case of emergencies. You should have a family emergency kit stocked with essential supplies that can last you a minimum of 3 days. Items include: flashlights, battery-operated radio, weather radio, water, canned food, can opener, first aid supplies, medicines. Prepare and emergency kit for your pets as well. If applicable, keep copies of your home or insurance papers inside sealed plastic bags.

4. Prepare your escape routes. Practice what you will do in case of flood. Map out safe routes where you can get from your office to your work. Coordinate with your neighbors, in case of extreme floods. Figure out how you can get from your location to safer ground. Decide on a meeting place away from your home where you and your family will gather if you need to leave your home and family members become separated. Prepare escape gear like floating devices, snorkels, swimming gear or inflatable rafts for worst-case scenarios.

5. Keep note of emergency hotlines in your area. Philippine hotlines are: 734-2118, 734-2120; 911-5061, 912-5668 (National Disaster Coordinating Council), 527-6136 (Coast Guard); Meralco (16210).

DURING THE STORM

1. Keep your radios tuned to a local radio station and follow all instructions. If you are told to evacuate, move out of the house or building to safe, high ground.

2. Turn off all electricity using your breaker box (main power switch) and turn off the main gas valve. Disconnect any equipment that uses water (like washing machines and dishwashers). Avoid burning candles for light, and never leave fires unattended.

3. Never walk or swim through swiftly moving water. Avoid flooded areas. Floodwaters that are above your knees are dangerous. Turn around and go back to higher ground. Never try to cross floodwaters standing or in a vehicle. Water that is 2 feet deep can carry away most cars, including Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). If you find floodwaters on the road, turn around and find an alternate route. Abandon your vehicle immediately if it becomes surrounded with water or the engine stalls. Seek higher ground immediately.

4. Try to stop water from entering your home by putting plugs in sinks and baths and weigh them down with a sandbag, pillowcase or a plastic bag filled with garden soil or a heavy object. Plug water inlet pipes with towels or cloths.

5. Attempt to keep contact with your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe and so that you can pool (and later ration) supplies when the situation calls for it.

6. If your car is swept into the water and submerged, do not panic. Stay calm, hold your breath, force your wait outside, and swim to the surface. If you are swept into fast-moving floodwater outside of your car, point your feet downstream. Always go over obstacles, never try to go under. Do not enter floodwater.

7. If you are stranded on something above floodwater, such as a tree or building, stay put and wait for rescue. Call for help if you are in danger.

AFTER THE STORM

1. Even if the storm is clear, keep listening to weather reports and only return to evacuated buildings if you are told it is safe to do so. Beware of sharp objects and pollution in flood water. Watch out for live electrical wires. Be sure the electrical current is turned off. Watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes that may have entered your home during the storm. Keep safe from loose plaster or ceilings that may have come loose.

2. Assess the damage. If you have evacuated from your home and wish to turn back, be sure the structure is not visibly damaged and in danger of collapsing before entering. Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet, because there are hazards of electric shock and fire.

3. Avoid water-borne diseases. Assume that any water in flooded or surrounding areas is not safe unless local authorities expressly declared it to be so. If there is no safe water supply for washing, use bottled water or disinfected water (by adding 5 drops of liquid household bleach and let sit for 30 minutes).

Before entering an area that has been flooded, try to don protective clothing to avoid contact with floodwater. Decrease the risk of mosquito or other insect bites by using insect repellants. Throw away all food (even canned ones) that have come in contact with flood water.

SOURCES: Fairfax County Office for Public Affairs, Direct.gov.uk, firstaid.about.com, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Noynoy Aquino for President in 2010 Election

Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III officially announced this morning, September 9, his decision to run for president in the 2010 elections.

The presidential scion delivered his announcement at the historic Kalayaan Hall in Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City, on the 40th day of the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino. Filipino tradition heralds the 40th day as the end of grieving period for relatives.

Like Cory Aquino, Noynoy also made the announcement as an answer to the overwhelming demand of the Filipino people for him to join the 2010 presidential race. If elected, Aquino will become the country's 15th President.

"Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan. Tinatanggap ko ang habilin at tagubilin ng aking mga magulang... Bayang Pilipinas, tatakbo ako sa pangpanguluhan sa 2010," Aquino said.

Noynoy, who will be the Liberal Party's standard bearer, also asked the president of the political party, Senator Mar Roxas, to be his running mate. Roxas still has not made any reply whether he would accept the offer or not.

Present in the announcement were Liberal Party members Senators Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, Francis Pangilinan, former Sen. Franklin Drilon, Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former congressmen Florencio “Butch” Abad, and Nereus Acosta, singer-composer Jim Paredes, former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement.

Noynoy’s four sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris, were also present.

Watch Noynoy's announcement below:





Video source: ABS-CBN 2

Mar Roxas Withdraws from His 2010 Presidential Bid in Favor of Noynoy Aquino

Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II formally announced his withdrawal from the 2010 presidential race to support his Liberal partymate, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

He said his decision to withdraw his 2010 bid was placing the interests of the country above his own.

Roxas said that he and Aquino share the same "outrage over the mess we are all in, the same way we share the solution--clean, honest, selfless public service."

Read below transcript of Senator Manuel Roxas' speech at Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan:

Country above self. Bayan bago ang sarili.

Iyan ang habilin ng aking lolo, President Manuel Roxas.

Our nation is in trouble. Leadership is bankrupt. Institutions are in disarray. People are hungry.

Noynoy Aquino and I share the same outrage over the mess we are all in, the same way we share the solution-clean, honest, selfless public service.

Marami at matindi ang mga problema ng bansa. Kailangan nating ayusin. Matindi ang kalaban. We need a determined force for good far stronger than the festering evil around us.

We need to fight just as our own fathers fought dictatorship, and just as both died believing that good will conquer evil.

Noynoy and I want to make a difference, but we also know that we need to unite to achieve what we want.

I am the President of the Liberal Party.

It is within my power to preside over a potentially divisive process or to make the party a bridge for the forces of change. I choose to lead unity, not division. Bilang pinuno ng aking Partido, magdedesisyon ako.

Mahal ko ang Partido Liberal. My grandfather founded it. My father led it during the most difficult times of Martial Law. Sa harap ng peligro, sa kabila ng napakaraming tukso-hindi siya sumuko.

He inspired me-to stay the course, to fight the good fight, to pass the test of true character. To believe.

Over the weekend, Noynoy and I had many long conversations... Masinsinang usapan. We agreed: Let us forget about ourselves for a moment. This is not about us, this is about our people and our country. This is about our common dream. The dream of our parents.

But let us not remain a country of dreamers. Tama na ang pangarap. Gawin na natin, ngayon.

Today, I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino for President in 2010.

Noy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership.

The passing of our beloved former President Aquino has reawakened a passion among us. I acknowledge this as fuel to bring us to the realization of our dream: Good will triumph over evil.

Ito na ang pinakamabigat na desisyon sa buhay ko. Maniwala man kayo o hindi, ginagawa ko ito para sa bayan, para sa inyo. I do this for unity in support of change. And if that means that somebody must make the sacrifice, it must be me. Ako na.

To you Noy, I say: I began the campaign to sow the seeds para sa pagbabago at reporma. You must now be the one to grow them in the arena of leadership.

Hindi kami maghihiwalay ni Noy. I will stand with him.

At sa aking mga kababayan, sa mga nagtiwala sa akin: Mahal na mahal ko po kayo. Mahal na mahal ko po ang ating bayan. Hindi rin tayo maghihiwalay. Itutuloy natin ang pagbabago sa ating bansa. Itutuloy natin ang laban para sa reporma!

Kay Noy, at sa aking mga kababayan: Country above self! Bayan bago sarili!

Hindi ko kayo pababayaan! Lalaban tayo!

Brother Eraño "Ka Erdie" Manalo Dies

Brother Eraño G. Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) has passed away.



Ka Erdie died of cardiopulmonary arrest (*failure of ventricles of the heart to contract, with the consequent absence of the heartbeat leading to lack of oxygen) on Monday at 3:53 pm. He was 84.

Ka is the son of Felix Manalo, Founder and first Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Ka Erdie took over the administration of the church after his father's death in 1963 and became the instrumental in the expansion of the church internationally.

The remains of Ka Erdie lies at the INC Central Temple located on Commonwealth Avenue, New Era, Quezon City.

*www.freedictionary.com

DFA Philippines Issues Machine Readable Passport (MRP) - DFA ePassport

The Philippines now belongs to the exclusive club of countries issuing ePassports, joining the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday said the Philippines has improved its standard one level above the machine readable passport with the issuance of the state-of-the-art electronic passports.

The ePassport has an embedded microchip containing data essential in verifying the passport holder’s identity, including personal data, biometrics and digital signature.

"This chip is interoperable, that is to say, it can be read by any standard passport machine reader in border controls worldwide," Romulo said.

The embedded microchip also contains a complex laminate that protects the datapage against tampering; customized invisible images on every page; and a hidden and coded technology that allows the encoding of the holder’s name and passport number on the passport photo.

"With the ePassport travel document, we join the exclusive club of countries issuing ePassports – among them Japan, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, Russia, the US, and other developed countries," he added.

Romulo said Filipinos were first given the world-class machine readable passport (MRP) when the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued 228,430 MRPs in 2007 and 2,097,383 MRPs in 2008.

From January to Aug. 9 this year, 1,500,402 MRPs had been issued and delivered. To date, the DFA has issued a total of 3,826,215 MRPs.

"The MRP has brought much benefit to our people. With a quick swipe of the MRP, immigration clearance is accomplished in less than 30 seconds," Romulo said.

The DFA said applications for the ePassport through the online appointment system will be accepted starting Wednesday.

The DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs advises interested applicants to set an appointment through the DFA website http://www.dfa.gov.ph.

Until the DFA’s ePassport system has achieved full capacity, only 100 ePassports will be issued daily on a first-come, first-served basis. From Aug. 26 to Sept. 30, only passport applications for renewal will be accepted.

Before submitting their online appointment application, applicants are requested to fill out the required fields on the online appointment page on the DFA website.

Otherwise, the online appointment process will not proceed. After internal verification, the DFA will inform the prospective applicant of his/her schedule via email.

Subsequently, the applicant will confirm his/her availability by sending a reply.

Personal appearance is required for prospective ePassport applicants. Until an announcement is made, all ePassport applications during this period shall be filed personally by the applicants.

An applicant may use the current MRP application form for this purpose, which is also available on the DFA website.

Current MRP holders are advised that their MRPs are compliant with global standards and remain valid.

Yam Laranas' Documentary "Asia’s Titanic" Premieres on August 25 at National Geographic Channel

"Asia’s Titanic", a 100% Filipino made documentary produced by Andrew Roque and directed by Yam Laranas will have its premiere on the National Geographic Channel across Asia on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 8:00pm with replays on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 4:00am and 9:00am.

The documentary which took three years in the making tells the story of MV Doña Paz sea tragedy and its survivors.


On December 20, 1987, just five days before Christmas, passenger ship MV Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker, MT Vector, off Mindoro Island in the Philippines. It is said that almost 5,000 passengers died in the tragedy and called the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.

Through dramatic first hand accounts from survivors and rescuers, transcripts from the Philippine congressional inquiry into the tragedy, archival footage and photos and a re-enactment of the collision, "Asia’s Titanic" would dissect how the Doña Paz tragedy unfolded.

Four Honor Guards Who Escorted Cory's Funeral Cortege Were Cited, Promoted

The four honor guards who escorted the remains of former President Corazon Aquino last Wednesday were proud to be part of the final journey of the late leader and icon of democracy.

From left, Navy Petty Officer 2 Edgardo Rodriguez, Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente and Airman 2nd Class Gener Laguindan salute during a press presentation at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday. The three servicemen, along with Police Officer 1 Danilo Malab Jr. (far right), served as honor guards during the funeral procession for former President Corazon Aquino.

Police Officer 1 Danilo Malab Jr., 25, said his experience during the nine-hour-long funeral procession for Mrs. Aquino was one of the most memorable in his life.

Malab and three other honor guards – Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan of the Air Force and Navy Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez – have been receiving praise for displaying exceptional discipline in the performance of their extraordinary task.

Throughout the entire procession along the 20-kilometer stretch from the Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque, the four honor guards remained standing at attention.

Malab, a member of the Philippine National Police-Headquarters Support Service (PNP-HSS), admitted that standing up straight on a moving truck for several hours was a difficult task but prayers for stamina, and determination to live up to the expectation of his superiors and a mourning nation kept him on his feet.

"Hindi ko na inisip yung matagal na oras ng pagtayo kasi ako yung tatayo para sa kapulisan, karangalan ko na lang yun bilang isang pulis mapagsilbihan si (I didn’t think about the long hours because I was standing for the police service, it was my honor as a policeman to serve) former President Aquino," said Malab who joined the PNP last June 1, 2008. "Dasal ako nang dasal para mabigyan ako ni God nang stamina (I kept prayig for stamina)."

Malab said he ate eggs and fried beef tapa for breakfast before they were deployed as early as 6 a.m. for the funeral procession.

PNP Promotes Honor Guard

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa announced the promotion Malab to the next rank of PO2 after due deliberation.

"We are proud and consider it an honor for the PNP (to be part of the last moments of the former leader)," according to Verzosa.

Aside from Malab, nine ranking police officials served as pallbearers of the former president at the Manila Cathedral.

Malab said regular physical fitness exercises helped him and the three other honor guards to endure the rain and wind during the funeral procession.

He admitted that he moved his toes, but they all ignored the coins that hit them when bystanders threw coins at the coffin as part of a Filipino tradition for the dead.

Senior Inspector Jesus Manalo, who was in charge of the police team assigned to the security of the cortege, admitted that he never expected the funeral procession to last more than four hours.

"But the procession took a lot longer because of the number of people. We were worried about Danny (Malab), but we knew he could do it and he did not let us down," Manalo said in Filipino.

Manalo said his first words to Malab as soon as he alighted from the truck carrying President Aquino’s casket when it reached the gate of the Manila Memorial Park was, "Are you okay? What do you want?"

Malab said he ran towards a portable toilet set up near the gate of the memorial park.

While he was standing up there, Malab said he thought his wife Joan, who is working in Canada, was watching television and was very proud of his contribution to the historic event.

Malab’s parents Danilo Sr., and Alice were also watching the funeral procession at their hometown in Isabela and were also proud of their son’s contribution to Mrs. Aquino’s funeral.

Manalo said the HSS is proud of Malab, who will be given a weeklong vacation, which he will spend with his parents.

Drank Rain Water

Petty Officer 3 Rodriguez said they ignored bystanders talking to them or offering food and water to be able to perform their solemn duty to give honor to their former commander-in-chief. "Karangalan ng bansa na ang nakataya dito (The country’s honor was at stake here)," he said.

He added that he could not believe their efforts would catch public attention, including that of his wife Marissa and their three children.

Rodriguez said when they were thirsty, they simply drank rain water dripping from their faces.

Rodriguez added that at times, when they were about to break down, all four of them simply drew strength from the privilege given them to be by the late former president’s side, as well as from the thousands of well-wishers and supporters who showed up along the way.

"We have to perform some finger and foot exercises without being noticed so our muscles would not lock. Aside from being hungry, we just could not go to the toilet," Rodriguez said.

"When I got off the truck, I went to the police who all pointed to the portalets," Rodriguez said, adding that after going to the restroom he proceeded to their service vehicle to eat packed food prepared for them.

When he returned to Navy headquarters Rodriguez said he was surprised to see his colleagues all cheering him and asking for his autograph.

Volunteer For Duty

Laguindam, 24, volunteered to represent the Air Force in the honor guards after two of his colleagues were found to be unfit to stand as honor guards.

He said the first soldier was not that tall while the other one had just been hospitalized, "so I volunteered."

Laguindam, a resident of Magalang, Pampanga, was very proud to perform his duty, especially for the former president.

"I am very proud, of course, because it was former President Aquino," said Laguindam, who is detailed at the Air Force’s Honor Escort Battalion, which usually performs parade honors at Villamor Airbase.

Cadiente, 23, detailed at the Army’s Security and Escort Battalion based in Fort Bonifacio, said the tens of thousands of people watching and joining the funeral procession gave them strength for their job.

Cadiente said they were proud because they served a former commander-in-chief.

Meanwhile, Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Pia Cayetano said they were in favor of the proposal to grant commendations to the four honor guards.

"I’d agree to that," Biazon said. "The best they can get is military commendation medal, non-combat, the highest military merit medal."

Biazon believes that a military commendation medal award is appropriate for them and that there is no need for a congressional resolution.

Cayetano said she would file a resolution for their commendation, citing further that they were role models of what a public servant should be.

"They did their job well and I will file a resolution commending them because it is symbolic of what people in public service should do. Whatever your job is, do it well," Cayetano said.

AFP Cites Honor Guard Brigade

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said a brigade of honor guards assembled to provide full military honors to Mrs. Aquino would be lauded by their respective mother units, the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Philippine Navy (PN).

"For a job well done, commensurate awards and commendation will be accorded to the troops."

Brawner said that while they are elated by the public response to Laguindam, Rodriguez and Cadiente, the AFP leadership will also commend all those who participated in the full military honors for the late president.

"The military leadership is not singling out our three personnel who stood as honor guards but all AFP participants during the honors rendered to former President Aquino. All of them will receive medals and commendations, commensurate to their duties," Brawner said.

Aside from Metro Manila, AFP Chief Gen. Victor Ibrado also ordered all key military commands in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to give the late president full military honors via a 21-gun salute.

Source: Cecile Suerte Felipe, The Philippine Star

Cory Aquino’s Funeral and Burial on August 5 is a Special Non-Working Holiday

Malacañang has declared Wednesday, August 5, 2009 the funeral and burial day of the remains of former Philippine President Corazon "Cory" Aquino as a special non-working holiday.

This will allow the nation to witness the moments before she is brought to her final resting place beside her late husband, Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. at the Manila Memorial Park.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared a 10-day period of national mourning from August 1 to August 10 over the death of Aquino through Proclamation No. 1850.

Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino Passes Away

Former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, an icon of democracy around the world and leader of people power in the Philippines, passed away at 3:18 a.m. Saturday.

According to her son, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the official cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest.

The 76-year-old former president was diagnosed with colon cancer in March of 2008 and was treated with chemotherapy. Last May, she underwent surgery to remove parts of her colon and was brought to the Makati Medical Center in June due to loss of appetite.

"She would have wanted us to thank each and everyone of you for all your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country," Senator Aquino said.

Watch Senator Noynoy talks about her mother's death:

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 2009 State of the Nation Address (SONA) Speech

Thank you, Speaker Nograles, Senate President Enrile, Senators, Representatives, Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors, friends:

The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. Financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world...

Tens of millions lost their jobs; billions across the globe have been hurt—the poor always harder than the rich. No one was spared...

It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact...

A few days ago, Moody’s has just announced the upgrade of our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics...

I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President. When my father left the Presidency, we were second to Japan. I want our Republic to be ready for the first world in 20 years...

Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat ang layunin ng ating mga patakaran ay tulungan ang masipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorest citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family...

Had we listened to the critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. It would take twice the effort just to get it back again on its feet—to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing. For standing with me and doing the right thing, thank you, Congress...

The strong, bitter and unpopular revenue measures of the past few years have spared our country the worst of the global financial shocks. They gave us the resources to stimulate the economy. Nabigyan nila ang pinakamalaking pagtaas ng IRA ng mga LGU na P40 billion itong taon, imparting strength throughout the country and at every level of government...

Compared to the past, we have built more and better infrastructure, including those started by others but left unfinished. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a prime example of building better roads. It creates wealth as the flagship of the Subic-Clark corridor.

We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the RORO system. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Authority Law...

Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work...

Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now...

Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT...

In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a $5 billion industry...
Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate...

They gave us the resources to do reforms para palawakin ang suportang panlipunan and enhance spending power....For helping e raise salaries through joint resolution, thank you Congress.

Cash handouts give the most immediate relief and produce the widest stimulating effect. Nakikinabang ang 700,000 na pinakamahihirap na pamilya sa programang Pantawid Pamilya.

Our preference is to invest in projects with the same stimulus effects but also with long-term contributions to national progress...

Sa pagpapamahagi ng milyun-milyong ektaryang lupa, 700,000 na katutubo at mahigit isang milyong benepisyaryo ng CARP ay taas-noong may-ari na ng sariling lupa. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na ipasa agad ang pagpapalawig ng CARP, at dapat ma-condone ang P42 billion na land reform liabilities dahil 18% lamang ang nabayaran mula 1972. Napapanahon dahil it will unfreeze the rural property market. Ang mahal kong ama ang nag-emancipate ng mga magsasaka. Ii-mancipate naman natin ngayon ang titulo...

Nakinabang ang pitong milyong entrepreneurs sa P165 billion na microfinance. Nakinabang ang 1,000 sa economic resiliency plan. Kasama natin ngayon ang isa sa kanila, si Gigi Gabiola. Dating household service worker sa Dubai, ngayon siya ay nagtatrabaho sa DOLE. Good luck, Gigi...

Nakinabang ang isang milyong pamilya sa programang pabahay at palupa, mula sa PAG-IBIG, NHA, community mortgage program, certificates of lot awards, at saka yung inyong Loan Condonation and Restructuring Act...

Our average inflation is the lowest since 1966. Last June, it dropped to 1.5%. Paano nakamit ito? Proper policies lowered interest rates, which lowered costs to business and consumers.

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating ibenta ang bigas NFA sa P18.25 per kilo kahit tumaas ang presyo sa labas mula P17.50 hanggang P30 dahil sa kakulangan ng supply sa mundo. Habang, sa unang pagkakataon, naitaas ang pamimili ng palay sa mga magsasaka, P17 mula sa P11...

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating mamuhunan sa pagkain—anticipating an unexpected global food crisis. Nakagawa tayo ng libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market roads at kasama ng pribadong sector, natubigan ang dalawang milyong ektarya. Mga Badjao gaya ni Tarnati Dannawi ay tinuruan ng modernong mariculture. Umabot na sa P180,000 ang kinita niya mula noong nakaraang taon. Congratulations, Tarnati. We will help more fisherfolk shift to fish farming with a budget of P1 billion...

Dahi dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan tayo ng bago sa Hunger Mitgation program na nakitang mabisa. Tulungan nito ako dito Kongreso...

Mula noong 2001, Nanawagan tayo ng mas murang gamot. Nagbebenta na tayo ng mga gamot na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine Law. I supported it over the weak version of my critics. The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressman Cua, Alvarez, Biron and Locsin...

Pursuant to law, I am placing other drugs under a maximum retail price. To those who want to be President, this advice: If you want something done, do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Just do it. Don't say bad words in public.

Sa health insurance, sakop na ang 86% ng ating populasyon...

Sa Rent Control Law ng 2005 hanggang 2008, hanggang sampung porsyento lang maaaring itaas taon-taon ang upa. Iyong kakapirma nating batas naglagay ng isang taong moratorium, tapos pitong porsyento lang ang maaaring itaas. Salamat, Kongreso....
Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-P500 ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Katas ng Pantawid Koryente para sa mga small electricity users...

Iyong power rates, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA dismantled monopoly. But minana natin iyong power purchase agreements under preceding administrations, so hindi pa natin makuha iyong buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang iyan. The next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA. Thank you...

Samantala, umabot na sa halos lahat ng barangay ang elektrisidad. We increased indigenous energy from 48% to 58%. Nakatipid tayo sa dollars tapos malaki pa ang na-reduce pa iyong oil consumption. The huge reduction in fossil fuel is the biggest proof of energy independence and environmental responsibility. Further reduction will come with the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act...and the Biofuels Act....again, thank you.

The next generation will also benefit from our lower public debt to GDP ratio. It declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008. We cut in half the debt of government corporations from 15% to 7. Likewise foreign debt from 73% to 32%. Kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kundi ang utang, iyong foreign debt. Past administrations conjured the demon of foreign debt. We exorcised it...

The market grows economies. A free market, not a free-for-all...

To that end, we improved our banking system to complement its inherent conservatism. The Bangko Sentral has been prudent. Thank you, Governor Tetangco, for being so effective. The BSP will be even more effective if Congress will amend its Charter....
We worked on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act, reducing non-performing loans from 18% to 4% and improving loan-deposit ratios...

Our new Securitization Law did not encourage the recklessness that brought down giant banks and insurance companies elsewhere and laid their economies to waste. In fact, it monitors and regulates the new-fangled financial schemes. Thank you, Congress...

We will work to increase tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth. Revenue enhancement must come from the Department of Finance plugging leaks and catching tax and customs cheats. I call on tax-paying citizens and tax-paying businesses: help the BIR and Customs spot those cheats...

Taxes should come from alcohol and tobacco and not from books. Tax hazards to lungs and livers, do not tax minds. Ang kita mula sa buwis sa alak at sigarilyo ay dapat pumunta sa kalusugan at edukasyon. Sa kalusugan, pondohan ang Philhealth premiums ng pinakamahihirap. Ponhodhan ang mas maraming classroom at computers...

Pardon my partiality for the teaching profession. I was a teacher...

Kaya namuhunan tayo ng malaki sa edukasyon at skills training...

Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas mabuting buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams...

Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng P1.5 billion para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. Isa sa pinakamahirap na Millennium Development Goals ay iyong Edukasyon para sa Lahat pagdating ng 2015, na nangunguhulugang lahat ng nasa edad ay nasa grade school. Halos walang bansang nakakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap tayo. Binaba natin ang gastos ng pagpasok. Nagtayo tayo ng mga eskwela sa higit isang libong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan, upang makatipid ng gastos ng pasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school.

Hindi na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public schools...

We assist financially half of all students in private high schools...

We have provided 600,000 college and post-graduate scholarships. One of them Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, finished Accounting at MSU-IIT, went to law school, and placed second in the last bar exams--the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher. Congratulations...

In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job.

The Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father Bienvenido Nebres has come out with the Main Education Highway towards a Knowledge-Based Economy. It envisions seamless education from basic to vocational school or college...

It seeks to mainstream early childhood development in basic education. Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind—and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job...

For college admission, the Task Force recommends mandatory Scholastic Aptitude Tests. It also recommends that private higher education institutions and state universities and colleges should be harmonized. It also recommends that CHED will oversee of local universities and colleges. For professions seeking international recognition—engineering, architecture, accountancy, pharmacy and physical therapy—it recommends radical reform: 10 years of basic education, two years of pre-university, three years of university...

Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way...

Sa hirap at ginhawa, ang ating overseas Filipinos ay pinapatatag ang ating bansa. Iyong padala nilang $16 billion noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa...

I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found—in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is very hard work...

Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha ng mga trabahong maganda ang bayad dito sa atin so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hardworking Filipino in search of a better life...

Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mga mas malakas na paraan upang proteksyonan at palawak ang halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang sweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for OFWs investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force...

Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong bayan at ang kanilang mga hosts sa buong mundo – mula Hapon...hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano matulungan sila n gating pamahalaan—-by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and restoring liberty...

Pagpunta ko sa Saudi, pinatawad ni Haring Abdullah ang pitong daang OFW na nasa preso. Pinuno nila ang isang buong eroplano at umuwi kasama ko...

Mula sa ating State Visit to Spain, it has become our biggest European donor. At si Haring Juan Carlos ay nakikipag-usap sa ibang mga bansa para sa ating mga namomoblemang OFW. Ganoon di si Sheikh Khalifa, ang Prime Minister ng Bahrain...

Pagpunta ko sa Kuwait, Emir al-Sabah commuted death sentences. For overseas workers, maraming salamat.

Our vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration.

Kasama ng ating mga Together with our OFWs, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso at naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaasng presyo. They upgraded our credit because our reserves grew by $3 billion while those of our peers have shrunk...

Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice. The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of America’s fiscal stimulus package...

I have accepted the invitation of President Obama to be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet him at the White House, this week...

That he sought us the Philippines testifies to our strong and deep ties...

High on our agenda will be peace and security issues. Terrorism: how to meet it, how to end it, how to address its roots in injustice and prejudice—and most and always how to protect lives...

We will also discuss nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines will chair the review of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation Treaty in New York in May 2010. The success of the talks will be a major diplomatic achievement for us...

There is a range of other issues we will discuss, including the global challenge of climate change, especially the threat to countries with long coastlines. And there is the global recession, its worse impact on poor people, and the options that can spare them from the worst.

In 2008 up to the first quarter of 2009 we stood among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink. Compare this in 2001, when some of my current critics were driven out by people power, Asia was then surging but our country was on the brink of bankruptcy...

Since then, our economy has posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters; more than doubled its size from $76 billion to $186 billion. The average GDP growth from 2001 to the first quarter of 2009 is the highest in 43 years.

Bumaba ang bilang ng nagsasabing mahihirap sila, mula 59% sa 47%. Kahit na lumaki ang ating populasyon, nabawasan ng dalawang milyon ang bilang ng mahihirap. GNP per capita rose from a Third World $967 to $2,051. Lumikha tayo ng walong milyong trabaho, an average of a million per year, much, much more than at any other time...

In sum:

1. We have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand political shocks.

2. We built new modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones.

3. The economy is more fair to the poor than ever before.

4. We are building a sound base for the next generation.

5. International authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters.

As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be as prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not….The mapping of flood- and landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga...

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe...

Patuloy naman iyong sa Camanava, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at mga river basin ng Mindanao...

The victims of typhoon Frank in Panay should receive their long-overdue assistance package. I ask Congress to pass the SNITS Law...

Namana natin ang pinakamatagal ng rebelyon ng Komunista sa buong mundo.

Si Leah de la Cruz isa sa labindalawang libong rebel returnee. Sixteen pa lang siya nang sumali sa NPA. Naging kasapi sa regional White Area Committee, napromote sa Leyte Party Committee Secretary. Nahuli noong 2006. She is now involved in an LGU-supported handicraft livelihood training of former rebels. We love you, Leah!
There is now a good prospect for peace talks both with both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the MILF, with whom we are now on ceasefire...

We inherited an age-old conflict in Mindanao, exacerbated by a politically popular but near-sighted policy of massive retaliation. This only provoked the other side to continue the war...

In these two internal conflicts, ang tanong ay hindi, "Sino ang mananalo?" kundi, bakit ba kailangang mag-away ang kapwa Pilipino tungkol sa mga isyu na alam ng dalawang panig over issues na malulutas naman sa paraang demokratiko.

There is nothing more that I would wish for than peace in Mindanao. It will be a blessing for all its people, Muslim, Christian and lumads. It will show other religiously divided communities that there can be common ground on which to live together in peace, harmony and cooperation that respects each other’s religious beliefs...

At sa lahat ng dako ng bansa, kailangan nating protektahan an gating mamamayan kontra sa krimen -- in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their communities.
How shall crime be fought? Through the five pillars of justice. We call on Congress to fund more policemen on the streets...

Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next, more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous, a people as content, as ours deserve to be...

The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it.
As the process of fundamental political reform begins, let us address the highest exercise of democracy...voting!

In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress...

At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage...but not from the Presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state—to the very last day...

A year is a long time. Patuloy ang pamumuhunan sa tinatawag na three E’s ng ekonomiya, environment at edukasyon. There are many perils that we must still guard against...

A man-made calamity is already upon us, global in scale. As I said earlier, so far we have been spared its worst effects but we cannot be complacent. We only know that we have generated more resources on which to draw, and thereby created options we could take. Thank God we did not let our critics stop us...

As the campaign unfolds and the candidates take to the airwaves, I ask them to talk more about how they will build up the nation rather than tear down their opponents. Our candidates must understand the complexities of our government and what it takes to move the country forward. Give the electorate real choices and not just sweet talk...

Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course I set in 2001...

Ang ating taong bayan ay masipag at maka-Diyos. These qualities are epitomized in someone like Manny Pacquiao....Manny trained tirelessly, by the book, with iron discipline, with the certain knowledge that he had to fight himself, his weaknesses first, before he could beat his opponent. That was the way to clinch his victories and his ultimate title: ang pinakadakilang boksingero sa kasaysayan..........Mabuhay ka, Manny!

However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch. A President must work with the problem as much as against it, and turn it into a solution if I can...

There isn’t a day I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in. Our people deserve-a-government that works just as hard as they do...
A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime...

Everything right can be undone by even a single wrong. Every step forward must be taken in the teeth of political pressures and economic constraints that could push you two steps back-if-you flinch and falter.. I have not flinched, I have not faltered. Hindi ako umaatras sa hamon...

And I have never done any of the things that have scared my worst critics so much. They are frightened by their own shadows...

In the face of attempted coups, I issued emergency proclamations just in case. But I was able to resolve these military crises with the ordinary powers of my office. My critics call it dictatorship. I call it determination.... We know it as strong government...

But I never declared martial law, though they are running scared as if I did. In truth, what they are really afraid of is their weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat...

I say to them: do not tell us what we all know, that democracy can be threatened. Tell us what you will do when it is attacked...

I know what to do:

I know what to do, as I have shown, I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order where it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all...

I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts...

I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it...

I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit. Many of those who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime...

We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves...

Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there...

Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it...

Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country.

From Bonifacio at Balintawak to Cory Aquino at EDSA and up to today, we have struggled to bring power to the people, and this country to the eminence it deserves...

Today the Philippines is weathering well the storm that is raging around the world. It is growing stronger with the challenge. When the weather clears, as it will, there is no telling how much farther forward it can go. Believe in it. I believe...

We can and we must-march-forward-with-hope, optimism and determination.

We must come together, work together and walk together toward the future.

Bagamat malaking hamon ang nasa ating harapan, nasa kamay natin ang malaking kakayahan. Halina’t pagtulungan nating tiyakin ang karapat-dapat na kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan...

And to the people of our good country, for allowing me to serve as your President, maraming salamat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.