Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2011

Podcast Episode 13 (The Araw ng Kagitingan Edition)


Subong nga Semana amo ni amon gin istoryahan:

May Nagbukas nga balaligya-an kag kapehan
Aliwan Festival
Pamati sa amon tisting eksplekar sang Araw ng Kagitingan
LPG Powered Motorcycle

Salamat gid!

Pic from Wiki Commons

Palihog Comment kag Share

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Sunday, April 03, 2011

Podcast Episode 12 (The 20 Billion Peso Edition)


Topics:

- Pag tinlo sang suba sa Iloilo
- Pag bisita ni P-Noy sa Siyudad
- Mga plano para sa luma nga airport
- Fiesta ni San Vicente!!!

Please comment and share :)

Pic courtesy of Wiki Commons

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Salamat gid :)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Podcast Episode 11 (The Batchoy Edition)


Subong nga semana, nag istoryahanay kami sang isa sa pinaka memorable nga pagkaon sa Iloilo. Ang Batchoy!!!

Another epic pic from Wiki commons

Please share the link and comment :) Salamat gid.

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Podcast Episode 10 (Liberation of Panay Edition)


A Special Episode on the Liberation of Panay plus a special announcement :)

Links:

http://www.iloiloviews.com/liberation-of-panay-and-romblon.html

http://capiznon.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/64th-anniversary-of-the-liberation-of-panay-and-romblon/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigbauan,_Iloilo

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Sunday, March 06, 2011

Podcast Episode 8 (Swimming Pool Edition)


Topics:

  • Kuryente!
  • Fire Power! (Bata sa Antique)
  • Swimming Pool sa Iloilo
  • Gagmay nga Negosyo sa Iloilo
  • Quote Unquote halin sa PMA
Please share and comment :) Salamat.

Again, amazing photo from Wiki commons

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Podcast Episode 7 (The Terminal Podcast)


Topics:

  • Prom!
  • RAT (Regional Achievement Test) Expose
  • EDSA 1
  • Iloilo City Civil Registry Office
  • Terminal
Small Sub Topics
- Dugangan Tuig sang Klase
- New Zealand
- Online Nga Bulig
- Istorya nila sa EDSA 1

Pic came from Wiki Commons ;)

Palihog comment :) Salamat gid sa tanan nga gapamati....

Episode 7 Podcast

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Podcast Episode 6 (The BBQ Podcast)


Hi Guys :)

Here's our latest episode and we talked about:

  • Paraw Regatta
  • Iloilo Radio Stations Online
  • Secret Barbeque Ground
  • Earl Nite
  • Nursing! Results
  • Where to Buy made in China Stuff
  • Bike for a Cause
The amazing pic came from Wiki Commons
Just push play!

Please leave comments :) and donate.

Episode 6 Podcast

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Podcast Episode 5 (The Burger Episode)


Another riveting episode parti sa Iloilo. Amazing intro. Hehehe.

Topics:

  • Egypt Shoutout
  • General Angie Reyes
  • Azkals Win!
  • PBA on Studio 23
  • Paraw Regatta
  • City Hall Building Updates
  • Taxi and Jeepney Fare
  • Top 3 Burgers in Iloilo City (In my opinion. Hehehe)

Please comment. Thanks.

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The Fifth Episode

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 4)

Hi Everyone :) Here's another edition for our podcast.

Topics:

* Jaro Fiesta
* Chinese New Year
* Kidnapping with a Twist
* Facebook "Complicated" Status
* Amigo Rejuvenated


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The 4th Episode

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 3)


Hi Everyone :) Here's another edition for our podcast.

Topics this week

* Ibahay incident
* Manila bombing and Makati accident
* Dinagyang aftermath news
* Plazuela de Iloilo Spotlight
* Taxi - mahal na! Sus!
* Appeal for the School :)

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The 3rd Episode


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 2)


Ikaduha namon nga podcast :)

Ginistoryahan namon ang (we talked about)....

* Dinagyang (of course)
* Noynoy's Porsche
* Iloilo City Motorcylce
* Job Fair
* Ms. Dinagyang

Please comment :) Thank you. Hala Bira Iloilo! Viva Señor Santo Niño!

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The Second Episode

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Iloilo Podcast (Episode 1)

Hi Guys :)

We've finally done it! Here's our 2nd, first podcast about Iloilo. Made by Ilonggo, for the Ilonggos. Enjoy and don't forget to comment.

Topics:

* Fiesta Villa
* Dinagyang Preview

Just push play :)

The First Episode

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Elections – 2 Days After




Our country just went through one historic election – we’re going digital! Instead of waiting for days before realizing the real front runner in the elections, names started to pop-out after 24 hours. What’s even impressive is that online results are available. Check out http://electionresults.comelec.gov.ph/ and you’ll be taken to a site where you can see the results of your precinct! I was really blown away by the technology.

Unfortunately, there are some missteps the COMELEC made in the election. I thought about it for two days and have made these conclusions:

• COMELEC relied too much on technology – 1,000 voters per precinct is not and will never be a good idea. The voting process is still relatively slow to deal with 1000 voters. Even if the precinct will start at exactly 7am, it will still have a hard time dealing with the rush of voters. Because they relied too much on technology these things happened:

o Too many lines
o Confusion on the voter’s side
o Less support from the BEI
o It’s just too damn hot!

• The ballot voting is flawed – I read in the instructions that the PCOS will only disregard your votes for that particular group if you vote for one candidate more than allowed. For example, you voted for 13 senators instead of 12 so the PCOS machine will disregard your vote for senators but will count the others. Unfortunately, this is not true.
• It’s still a vote buying process – no candidate is saying about this but everyone knows that vote buying is already a “black tradition” in our country. Many people use their voter’s ID to accept money from the candidate. It’s sickening to hear those who claim they “earned” during the elections but I have to respect their decision if their thinking process is based on what they can earn. After all, that’s also the thinking of most of our politicians.

It’s a great day to be a Filipino. I just wish COMELEC will allow more PCOS machine the next election.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

My Learning Experience in Philhealth


As I’ve said in my previous blog post, I’ll be providing some thoughts on what I learned while my better half is in the hospital. In this blog, I’ll be tackling Philhealth which is our insurance system.

I always thought that when it comes to national healthcare, we’re a bit better compared to Americans until their national healthcare system was pushed through their congress a few months ago. Through Philhealth, we’ll be able to have some discounts in medicine, hospitalization and even in doctors. Almost every hospital in the country is accredited by Philhealth which means I can easily walk to every hospital and ask for some assistance thinking that the Philhealth will help me with the bills.

While staying in the hospital, I often find myself going back and forth to the Philhealth liaison to check if my drug I’m about to purchase is covered by Philhealth. Imagine my grin when they stamp “Ok” on some prescriptions. It has saved me more than 2 thousand pesos just on medicine. When I checked out, I also asked for a couple of deductions in the room which was gladly provided by Philhealth. There are also prescriptions that I personally bought during the stay in the hospital that I gave to Philhealth. They told me to wait for 3 months for a reimbursement. Sounds great right?

But along the way, I have realized why many are complaining about Philhealth. I was a bit frustrated running around just trying to confirm my wife’s Philhealth membership. Luckily, I was able to get what I need and saved some money in the process. Yes, I’m still broke but not too broke.

Here are the things I learned about Philhealth:

• Better go on individual paying member rather than employed member – when you are employed, the documentations required by Philhealth is very difficult to access especially when you’re dealing with a big company. An added difficulty comes in when the person in the hospital is the person employed and you have to be there as a representative. But an individual paying member only needs to show the receipts of their payment to Philhealth.

• Look for a doctor accredited by Philhealth – I know there’s a doctor that is a proud member of Philhealth but I didn’t seem to find one in the hospital. I could have saved more in the process.

• If employed, double check with Philhealth every six months – I don’t know how you can do this but you have to double check with Philhealth to make sure the contribution is actually forwarded to Philhealth.

• Be paranoid on names – Philhealth is very, very strict in names. Double check the name, last name and middle name of the person so that you’ll get confirmed immediately.

• Look for the Philhealth office immediately and get the required documents. Complete the documents early so that you don’t need to run after documents when you’re getting out of the hospital.

Stay tuned for more articles regarding my hospital experience.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I Missed Blogging and Learned Many Things


For one week I was not able to write anything in this website and I'm sorry about that. But there is always a valid reason why I have to leave my responsibility (yes, this is my responsibility) a bit. Luckily, I also learned a couple of things why I missed my posts.

You see, a week ago (almost 1am Thursday) I took my wife to the hospital. She was suffering from fever for more than 2 days and after some medication and visit from the popular "manog-hilot" nothing happened. At the emergency room, she was given some tests on her blood.

Alas, she has to stay in the hospital...for 4 days. So I was stuck in the hospital from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon. It was very humbling experience because I was left with nothing to do. Screw the money - I can sell everything just to buy the medicine or yank someone to take a look at my wife. Have you ever felt helpless while your love one just laid there suffering? It's really bad - I've seen this stuff in the movies and it actually freaked me out.

Well enough for my feelings. My better half is better than ever. My proof? She made me Jellp before she went to sleep. Ah..good times.

Looking back, I learned a lot of things and I'll share them in this blog. It's semi-political so it should still be relevant.

Here are some hints: Philhealth and Insurance, Hospitals, Student Nurses and Public Hospitals in Iloilo City.

Stay tuned. It's going to be a better week.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

10 Tips for Manny Pacquiao for the Upcoming Election

I always wanted to write about Manny Pacquiao. But since I focus on politics, I never had that chance…until now. Now Manny is also in politics, he could be part of my blog.

Manny Pacquiao is THE best boxer that came out of Philippines. With that said, I’ll never tell him what to do with his career in boxing. I wish I could provide him a tip or two on his singing and acting career (don’t do it), but that’s for other bloggers.

Sir, welcome to the world of politics. I know you’ve been beaten once but you’re back again for another round. This time you’re in Sarangani and you still want the same position. By this time, you already learned a lot about politics and ready to take on the position if you win.

Before you do, here are some tips that you might use. Take note other candidates because you might need these as well.

1. Stay in Sarangani for your campaign – while you’ve been persuaded by Senator Villar, you don’t have to go out and go on a campaign trail with him. Shake hands in your district which will really matter.
2. Don’t spend too much – yes, I know you’re a billionaire but that doesn’t mean you have to spend them all in an election. If you spend more than 20 million (that’s already generous), you have just been fooled by your constituents.
3. Spend your money on sports not posters – people already know who you are so posters are not that good. What people might need there are boxing gloves, uniforms for sports and even dart boards. This might be electioneering but hey, who doesn’t?
4. NEVER use vans that will blare your songs – your songs are pretty ok but that doesn’t mean everyone in your district should hear it everyday until the end of election period.
5. There are only 7 Towns so go on a tour – Sarangani Province only has 7 towns which very, very, very (I could not stress this enough) small.
6. Forget about the Party List PBA (Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta) – they should have started a non-profit organization instead of seeking a seat in congress.
7. In case you lose, do it like before – you bowed out in the election without any complaints which is a sign of a great warrior.
8. In case you win, seek help from your opponent – the Chiongbians are probably the most powerful and wealthy family in Saranggani. No need to fight someone who already knows the game.
9. Seek help from your “friends” – yes, “friends” celebrities that appreciates the way you handle your boxing career. If they are really your friends, they will spend money on plane tickets and go there to endorse you.
10. Don’t buy votes – this will only ruin your reputation permanently. It’s like buying a boxer to drop on a certain round. You don’t do that right?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Unfortunate but True: Advertising is the Name of the Game


There are many ways to get your product promoted and patronized. You can either have a really good product and let word-of-mouth advertising improve your business or you can have massive advertising so that people will notice you exist and try your product. You can do both or you can focus on the latter if you want to save money on quality.

One of the hottest news today is about another text message that was claimed to be forwarded a few times (I didn't receive anything). The text message seemed to insult Dolphy for accepting a "bribe" for a whopping 30-million just to endorse Manny Villar. The text message also seemed to have insulted the actor's sons, daughters and grand kids. Atty. Adel Tamano, an NP candidate for senator released a statement condemning the supposed text message.

Honestly, I feel insulted writing about the reaction to this text message. Here are my reasons:

1. A candidate reacting to a measly text message is a sign that some of our candidates are not mature enough to deal with bickering. Politics is not a walk in the park and everyone will try to find holes to debase everyone. Again these are just text messages and they are directed to an actor who didn't seem to care about the messages.

2. Getting actors as endorsements simply means our candidates have become another product. As already said in my introduction, people will spend a lot on their product to be noticed and patronized. It's also a bit insulting to us Filipinos since they are thinking "if Dolphy comes out recommending this candidate, everyone else will do". I think Dolphy would vote for Manny Villar but I don't care...so should everyone else.

Candidates, please do something about your advertisements. Instead of going the easy way by getting actors and actresses to do a commercial about you, spend that money to lay out what you are planning for the country. For God's sake you write too many things in your websites so why don't you read them in a commercial? Not everyone can access the internet so read some of the things you're planning to do on TV. It's even cheaper since you don't need an actor to read the message.

Here's an idea: go to the Pasig River and speak in front of the camera how you will change the place into it's former glory. You can also go to the dumpsters, squatters, red light districts or any place that speaks "poverty and desperation" at first glance. Tell us a very, very specific plan how you will implement these changes. This is a good way to show to the people your plans and aspirations to the country. I don't care if your commercial shows people holding hands.

Yes, your commercial could be boring but believe me - there are millions of voters who will listen to what you will say. Advertising is not just endorsement, it's also getting the right message out.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Now What? NAMFREL Out - PPCRV Ouch


A few days ago Comelec has officially denied the petition of NAMFREL to be part of the election. The reason? There seems to be a vested interested based on the background of the election watch dog. Jose Cuisia Jr. and Jose Concepcion have been doubted because of their "political leanings". Fortunately, PPCRV is still on the loop in the upcoming elections.

Based on the latest news (resources in the end of the article), NAMFREL is trying to get acreddited through tie-up with CBCP-Nassa which naturally creates PPCRV (Parish Pastroral Council for Responsible Voting). But the Comelec questioned the authority of Cuisia to make such bold decisions such as establishing a tie-up with PPCRV. Hence their application for accreditation is not approved.

This is a sad and bad news for election watch dogs. Back in the days, NAMFREL is regarded is often the basis on who will win in the upcoming election. Think of them as the spoilers - since they don't have to go through strict regulations of the COMELEC, they can conduct a quick count and reveal the results weeks before the proclamation.

So now that the NAMFREL is gone the burden is on PPCRV to ensure an honest and clean elections. But this is a tall order for the church based-group. I have been a volunteer of PPCRV once and it's a grueling task to ensure that the election doesn't stall. You're practically the right arm of the poor teachers who are having trouble controlling the elections. And it's set to get worst because poll automation requires a lot of mumbo-jumbo in technology.

The pressure is now on PPCRV. We just hope they would provide concrete actions and inform the public in advance on what they will do on the upcoming elections. The void left by NAMFREL is not an easy to fill.

Source 1: It's final: No Namfrel role in polls

Source 2: No more Namfrel quick count in 2010

Thursday, February 04, 2010

No Show on the Last day of Session


According to the twitter post of ANC, the following senators were absent on the last day of the senate session:

Angara,
Arroyo,
2 Cayetanos,
Lacson,
Lapid,
Legarda,
Pimentel,
Revilla,
Santiago,
Villar

The following are obviously there:

Biazon,
Honasan,
Gordon,
Roxas,
Enrile,
Aquino,
Madrigal,
Estrada,
Zubiri,
Pangilinan,
Escudero

There was one guy missing. Trillanes is still in prison.

This just shows that our lawmakers can simply skip on anything for any reason. Senator Lacson was out because someone or something is after him. Senator Villar doesn't want to face these guys because they will just grill him with insertions (Pimentel joke again). Others simply didn't show up.

I always remember my last regular day at school. You're cramming on the final exams but you're anticipating two months of fun in the sun and dust. I don't care if I fail or pass the exam - I'll just face the music in June. For now, I'll finish this as soon as possible and brag to my friends that I was the first one to get out of the shackles of my teachers.

The senators are taking their vacation up a notch. They woke up and said to themselves "Screw the last day of work - I'm going on vacation right now". And they texted other Senator friends to avoid being singled out.

This reminds me of the latest bill introduced by Congressman Zubiri. Here's the link:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/239095/zubiri-files-bill-seeking-no-work-no-pay-congressmen

I wish this would be passed. But I think this will not happen soon or ever. Asking the lawmakers that they will be paid if they work is like asking the students if its ok to be failed if they don't show up at school. Of course, they will not be ok with it because they are doing themselves some disservice but placing themselves at disservice means we are paying them to stay at home and watch noon time television.

For that, I want to be a senator or congressman too...until they approve Zubiri's bill.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Software Developers, Please Help Our Country!


One of the best things about technology is that it can be our staunchest ally…if we play the cards right. Applications, websites and online games are always part of our lives. The mere fact you are reading this right now is a testimony that technology works. The OS, the code behind this blog, and the systems administrators that keeps the servers running are only some of the technologies involved so that you can read this small blog. Even the unique and sometimes weird official websites of our candidates happen because of technology.

But come Election Day, technology will be at the center stage. In fact, technology will dictate our nation's future. Forget about who you will vote first. What we should be thinking is this: will the technology work in our favor? Maybe there's a way to do that.

Last year, the COMELEC released a statement on opening the source code of the application that will run the automated poll. The exact date of the press release was August 26, 2009 which means there are no software yet as they are still on a bidding war. But the press release promises that before the end of February 2010, the customized code for the 2010 Philippine Election will be ready for scrutiny.

Everyone is invited to review the source code. Of course, you have to be qualified to do that. For that reason - AMA, STI, UP, La Salle, ADMU and all those software developers working for some obscure company, please come out and ask to read the source code.

Why you should do it? Here's a small snippet I found online: Renato Garcia who works for Ateneo and also a consultant for 2010 Election is asking some international certification agencies about the application. So far so good but here's what he said. (Quote taken from Inquirer.net)

"One of the five international software certification bodies, have already expressed interest to do the formal review of the customized automation software. This body, we found out, has been conducting a software review for Canadian-based Dominion, the software provider for Smartmatic's poll machines,”

The only one interested so far is the company who works for Smartmatic. This simply means they will review their peer's source code.

So step up to the plate guys. I know the ILOVEYOU virus is not just some random act of a genius. My flash drive is often destroyed because of the local KULOT virus so please use your skills for something even better :)

Sources:
COMELEC: http://www.comelec.gov.ph/modernization/2010_natl_local/press_releases/request_for_copy_source_code.html

Inquirer.net:
http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090824-221835/Comelec-to-open-up-automation-source-code