3 "What Happened" News

For the past few days, we recived some startling news about the country. Yes, they are not election related but they certainly would have some impact. So read on and learn.

* Villar Defends…Sparingly

Finally, Senator Villar appeared in the senate to defend the accusations against him regarding the C-5 insertions (Some Pimentel Jokes Here). But he did it in one of the most annoying methods. Instead of taking any questions, he just made his statement and walked away. He could have shouted "I'm not guilty! I did not do anything wrong!" for one full hour and left and it did not made any difference. I think it would have been better if he did just that because it's going to be a great news.

* Lacson Flees…Immediately

Talking about storming out of something, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson has left the country to avoid what he calls as "harassment" from DOJ. This regards to possible criminal charges on Dacer-Corbito murder case.

I would like to think he chickened-out of the country. But this has got me thinking: if the DOJ can go after one of the most powerful persons in the country, what can a poor man can do against the DOJ. I did not thought about it further because I already know the answer: none.

* More Nurses…Barely

A few days ago, the 2009 Nursing Board Exam is now available online. But the results mark something very stark. There were 94,462 examinees but only 37,527 passed the exam. This means only 39.727086% passed the exam. Based on what I read, this is the lowest percentage for a nursing exam in the country. What's even sadder is that the number of students who took the exam increased. Even the increase is in just a single digit, it's still a sign that something is deteriorating in our school system. Maybe the current students are getting dumber but I don't think anyone's slacking.

So, what happened?

Track Record and Integrity

By: Nick

Erap as mayor was good. His performance as senator was very poor. As Vice President, he did his assignment as Anti-Organized Crime Czar was almost all for publicity. As President, he relied on his midnight cabinet and People Power II as well as his imprisonment for plunder gave him historical notes.

Gibo as congressman was just like other congressmen who join the amen hallelujah chorus for Malacañang. As Defense Secretary he performed well during natural disasters. Topping the Bar Exam gives him some points.

Flash Gordon has made several notable achievements as Olongapo Mayor, SBMA Chairman and Red Cross Chairman. As administration senator he performed his task as expected and showed some independence.

Manny Villar made a name for himself as a man who rose from rags to riches. As Congressman and Speaker of the house he also left a mark because of his impeachment speech. As Senator and Senate President the Sword of Damocles kept hanging over his head because of the C-5 controversy.

Noynoy Aquino as Congressman and Senator did nothing wrong. But it seems he also did nothing else. He becomes good when his parents are mentioned. Did not know he’d run for President and realized he has a mission to fulfill. He wants to do well and look this time. Kris Aquino would see to it that he does.

Eddie Villanueva preaches well. He is straightforward and persuasive. He knows how many sheep follows him. His moral crusade is changing the government.

The other presidentiables have yet to make themselves known.

Ranking the Presidential Candidate's Official Websites

Prepare for a relatively long article.

A candidate without a website is like a candidate that doesn't have a mobile phone that contains contacts to millions worldwide. This is where the candidate can express his or her thoughts on certain issues and really boost his profile among the younger generation.

But not all websites are the same. Some are very impressive while others are not that updated. Mr. Vetellano Acosta - Sir, I suggest you set-up a website fast to prove your worth to the Filipinos. I'm sure you know someone who knows someone who can set-up a good looking site for you.

The websites will be evaluated in three categories (Information, Interaction and Aesthetics) and they will be ranked 1 to 5. 1 will be the worst and 5 would be best. Please note that this is my personal evaluation and these ranks are based on what I see on the site and not on who I support. (I still don't know who to vote for by the way).
So we start…hold on tight.

Erap Estrada

Website: http://www.erap.ph

• Information: 5 - Almost everything is placed in this website. Check out his speeches that go way back to 2007.

• Interaction: 2 - There are two ways you can interact with the site. Write Erap and Forums. Unfortunately forums don’t seem to work in my browser.

• Aesthetics: 3 - there are still things this site can do to make it better.

Erap's website is definitely full of information and can be easily improved.

Noynoy Aquino

Website: http://www.noynoy.ph

• Information: 5 - this website is at par with the former President's data. There's a sub-menu every time you click the main menu which provides detailed information on who he is, what he has done and what are his stands.

• Interaction: 4 - virtually everything you need to know if you want to help the candidate is here. There are blogs, twitter updates from followers, links to fan page in Facebook and even a poll to determine who wins the election.

• Aesthetics: 3 - I have to be honest, the website is a bit too long for me. I felt it's a blog (like this one) only with very interactive features.

Another great site. I can see updates while I browse and I should be able to see a lot of activities in the future.

John Carlos "JC" de los Reyes

Website: http://www.angkapatiranparty.com/

• Information: 1 - the official website of Kapatiran is also the official website of their candidate. There is little information about the candidates and for some reason; the president's photo is not showing up.

• Interaction: 2 - if you look closely, there is the "Ang Kapatiran Blog" which offers links of blogs of some of the candidates. Unfortunately, Councilor de los Reyes do not have a blog.

• Aesthetics: 1 - is it just me or the flash on the homepage not working? I can't really recognize the other links and the GoDaddy.com says the page is hosted for free which means it has ads.

Get to work guys. You can do better than this.

Jamby Madrigal

Website: http://www.jambymadrigal.com/

• Information: 2 - Senator Madrigal has not updated her site. The latest press statement was dated December 1, 2009. The Profile is not that that extensive either. The only saving factor is the addition of statements, bills and resolutions.

• Interaction: 1 - there is only one interesting link I found in the site: free reflexology training but the last date filed was February 27, 2009.

• Aesthetics: 3 - I am reminded of the websites of Erap and Noynoy. They use a lot of border instead of exploring the entire area. But it looks good enough and the links are quite clear.

Someone should help Senator Madrigal on her site. A volunteer who can update the site would be nice.

Gibo Teodoro

Website: http://www.gibo.ph

• Information: 3 - my rate is mediocre because the information I was looking for is not that satisfying. I mean, where's the beef? I see the profile which is good but I notice that no additional information aside from a single page data about his past.

• Interaction: 5 - if you want interaction, you'll get interaction from this site. If I'm not mistaken, he is the only candidate who has a link in MySpace! The "My Views" and "Strategy" is also impressive as it provides detailed information on what he wants to do and issues on certain subjects.

• Aesthetics: 3 - What's with the large border people? Nearly 1/3 of the site is the green border.
A great site that was really planned out. Just wish the borders were reduced. We know you're green so no need to splash it.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

Website: http://broeddie.ph

• Information: 4 - the website offers a lot of information not just about the well known Pastor but also on his vision. You just have to dig deeper and click on the links to find out more.

• Interaction: 4 - raise your hand if you want to download Gloc 9's song for free. This is actually a great strategy for Bro. Eddie. There's also a toolbar at the bottom of the page which will allow you to translate and share. Twitter updates, videos from Youtube are added. Unfortunately, the Twitter was last updated 2 days ago and the Calendar link is a bit confusing because it doesn't contain any dates or schedule.

• Aesthetics: 3 - the border is no longer that wide but it's still there. I was enthusiastic about the site at first but the Calendar link discouraged me. The photos direct to Flickr page.

Great website but it can be better without being too flashy. Free downloads of Bro. Eddie's prayers and the official jingle is actually interesting.

(update: as pointed out by our readers, the link for prayer is actually a PDF type of flyer that provides info about Bro. Eddie. )

Manny Villar

Website: http://www.mannyvillar.com.ph

• Information: 5 - the Senator's site is full of everything. Videos, Audio (his jingle plus minus one and lyrics) and articles can be found in this site. While there are some pages that lack the needed information, it's compensated by other parts of the page.

• Interaction: 4 - if there's a thing called too much interaction, it's this site. There's always the sign-up page and I don't know what's the reason you have to sign-up because it's never explained. Links to various interviews are added so there's a lot to watch in this site.

• Aesthetics: 4 - website gets too crowded that instead of providing some additional information on the site, it's just another link that will lead you to his ad or speech.
Sen. Villar's site is really impressive but I think the data has to be sorted a bit so that the information can be user friendly.

Richard Gordon

Website: http://www.dickgordon2010.com

• Information: 3 - I was expecting a lot of laws and bills since he is in the senate for sometime now but I only found two which is a bit weird. His vision and profile is also a bit short and it doesn't deal with very specific actions.

• Interaction: 3 - The basics are there: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The interesting part is the blogger which leads to another website and there's a part where he proposes Kindle to schools! Cool! But other than that, nothing else got my attention.

• Aesthetics: 4 - I particularly like the streaming photos of the Senator and it's not too intrusive or pushy with data.

Sen. Gordon's page is great. But I think his blogspot is a lot more interesting. Go with the Kindle thing Senator!

Nicanor Perlas

Website: http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/

• Information: 5 - everything you need to know about Nicanor Perlas is in his official site. Period. Although the writings only provide the titles, you will have a feel on the guy's advocacy and education.

• Interaction: 4 - there's a specific part of the page dedicated to the 2010 election and it comes with tons of information that you need to know about his plans for the country.

• Aesthetics: 4 - The website is clearly all about information on what he has done and what he can do for the country. But it has become a virtual list with no real message.

I could be mistaken but Nicanor Perlas' site is actually the most informative site compared to other candidates.

So what do you think? Who do you think has the best site and why. Again for Mr. Acosta - Tick, Tock Sir. Let the people know who you are online.

Facebook, Twitter and the 2010 Presidential Candidates

Thank God for social networking sites. I don't have to watch TV or read newspapers just to be updated with related news and activities of the candidates. All I need to do is to "become a fan" and I'll get the latest updates of these guys.

That is why I'm a fan of them all - except those who do not have groups.

The following are Facebook groups that have very strong activity. Believe me that their page is updated almost 24 hours. Please take note that some of these pages were created by supporters and not sanctioned of official candidates. Click on the names to be directed to their Facebook pages.

Jamby Madrigal

Somebody should step up to the plate for Jamby Madrigal. Her fan page does not contain any information except for the latest updates. She only has 317 fans as of this writing and she only had 2 twitter posts. The first post was on January 6 (I'm on twitter now… Happy New Year) and her 2nd post was January 19 which is just a reTweet (RT @inquirerdotnet: Plunder raps set vs Villar at Ombudsman http://bit.ly/4P7kLp)

JC De Los Reyes

NONE - Their website is under maintenance for some reason. Please post on comments if you find something.

Richard Gordon

Gordon now has 5K supporters as of this writing. I don't know if this is a verified account on Twitter but it has a very vigorous activity as it has at least three posts in one day. I think someone is doing it for him which is a good thing. Wall posts on Facebook are constantly updated by people supporting him.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

It's no secret that Bro. Eddie's supporters are some of the biggest users of social networking sites. Since they can't spend billions in advertising, they just use the internet to spread the message. As of this writing, he already has more than 16k supporters. His twitter page is a lot more active as it has constant updates on the news related to the candidate.

Erap Estrada

The former president has more than 4k fans in his Facebook page and the twitter account posted on the info has 594 followers. But even with the small number of supporters, the posts are all pledges of support. The activities are not as vigorous compared to previous candidates discussed.

Gibo Teodoro

We're entering the hot seat now…starting with Gibo Teodoro. Updates on the wall posted by supporters are coming fast. Almost every minute you'll see posts on the wall saying the full support to the candidate. As of this writing, he has more than 53,000 fans. His twitter post is relatively active but it's done by his supporters which reTweets some information and posts some links to latest news.

Noynoy Aquino

Noynoy already has 410,000 fans - and that's a lot. My favorite show (The IT Crowd) only has 190,000 fans and that's worldwide. The posts on the wall are even crazier compared to Mr. Teodoro. His official twitter account though needs some serious work. His last official Tweet? January 1st. Get someone to post some statements Mr. Aquino and fast.

Manny Villar

Manny Villar has the most advertisements not only in television but also online. I've seen his Google ad links many times today and his Facebook ad could have stayed there if I said didn't say no more. He already has 350,000 fans and like the most of candidates, continues to increase. My only beef to their Facebook page is that no one can post in the wall. Everyone can just comment. C'mon, we need to place something there that's original. His Twitter is not as vigorous but constantly updated.

Note: the two new candidates (Perlas and Acosta) will have detailed posts later.

8 Videos Related to Presidential Candidates

I could not help but look for their commercials on YouTube. So these are the videos I found. Many of them are pretty interesting - especially the JC De Los Reyes and Eddie Villanueva (Gloc 9 Rocks!). But I'm not endorsing anything. Feel free to have fun on these vids.

By the way, for some reason, the video of Noynoy is bigger and I have no idea why.

Noynoy Aquino Commercials - of course, he has the backing of celebrities :)



Manny Villar - he has been poor once so we should vote for him?



Erap Estrada - Can't find anything good in YouTube so here's the Arthro Commercial



Gibo Teodoro - pushing for social services is good but there's something not there -



Richard Gordon - dwell in the past to prove your future



Jamby Madrigal - unfortunately, I can't find any ad about her presidential bid so here's her speech declaring her plans:



Eddie Villanueva - yep, that's THE Gloc 9 :)



John Carlos de los Reyes - can't find anything for this guy so here's the interview on GMA



So? Will you vote for any of these based on what you so? Me? I wish they would come to my home and explain to me why the country is in the ***tters. Those who can give a good explanation in 5 minutes, gets my vote.

5 Things from 2009 and 5 Things from 2010

2010 is here and we're back. It's been a while since the last post but I want to start strong so here you go...

We look back in 2009 and look forward in 2010. These are the things that haunted, entertained and inspired us in the past. Hopefully, everything will be entertainment and inspiration in the future.

5 Things from 2009

* Manny Pacquiao - the guy is practically everywhere: Beating up Hatton and Cotto, joining politics, movies and a little brush up with controversy. I don't think the news will have a vacation on this guy anytime soon.

* The Ampatuans - thinking about them simply makes us think twice about the value of human life. Is it worth to kill a person so that you can stay in the office for only three years? Their utter disregarded for life is just sickening.

* MV Baleno-9 and Catalyn-B - twin sea tragedies...I don't think I'll be in the waters for now.

* Efren Peñaflorida - Hero of the Year. I don't know what this guy did until I heard in the new but it's just astounding.

* Online Connectivity - this is not necessarily news outside the Philippines but personally, I'm just too happy about this because almost everyone can connect to the internet.

5 Things in 2010

* The 2010 Election - this event scares and gives us hope at the same. The hopeful part is that we might be able to change the country one vote at a time. The worst part is that the people we hope to change are the same people who are slowly destroying the country.

* World Cup - Yes, Philippines is not in the world cup but a small portion of Filipinos is crazy about this game.

* Call Center in the Provinces - I live in Iloilo and call centers are growing like mushrooms here and I've seen some aggressive expansions in other cities so I'm pretty psyched about this possibility.

* Worsening Weather - I personally don't care if you believe in global warming or not. But the storms are getting a lot fiercer in the 2nd half of the year.

* Improved Blog! - hey, I get to have one wish :) Please stay tuned to this blog and learn everyday.