Sunday, January 31, 2016
Which Candidate Is the Expert about YOUR Life? #Pinas2016 #BeInformed
It’s just another election, so you thought. The thrill of selecting a candidate. Of being with your fellow supporters. Feels great to be whipped up in a frenzy right? Feel the adrenaline rage through your veins as you shout to the top of your voice? War against weather. War against each other. War against the environment. War against “drugs”. And you are the conscript in their war against whatever. Quite a thriller ain’t it?
After the rally is over, the adrenaline comes down – and you go back to daily “life”. A “life” of hardship, illness, death. You plod on hoping that someone will come along to save you, a pastor, a priest, a pope, a mullah, a mayor, a councilor, a senator. And yet, “life” stays the same.
As millions of Filipinos – whatever that means, are in a frenzy to vote in a fake election, here’s a question for each and every one of them.
How many of these candidates – know your dreams, aspirations, desires, your heart?
None?
Do you know that there is one candidate that is not on the ballot? The candidate that “they” don’t want you to know about. That’s why “they” have been busy flooding you with images that will keep you moving. Why? Because the moment you sit still – you might get a whiff of the candidate you have been looking for.
This candidate knows everything about you, what you have been though, your pains, your fears, your anger, your hurts.
This candidate knows everything about you, what makes you smile, what makes you laugh, what brings peace to your heart.
That candidate is not in the ballot. You don’t have to to a voting station to vote for this candidate who knows you – every inch of your waking, sleeping, and breathing.
And yet, you keep on voting for candidates who have no clue about you.
Isn’t it about time to vote for the candidate who has your best interests at heart.
You ask me, who is that candidate who knows you so much.
My friend, your candidate is staring at you in the mirror.
Go within.. or go without 
http://antipinoy.com/which-candidate-is-the-expert-about-your-life-pinas2016-beinformed/
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Can Chinese Filipinos Make the Philippines Great Again?
A mid-aged Japanese guy told me that when he was young, many products sold in his country back then were “Made in the Philippines.” Well, things have obviously changed. From being on the tipping point of becoming the next rising tiger cub of Asia ready to pounce and join the club of Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea, something happened. The Philippines slipped, then flopped, had “misencounters,” and now continues to goof up – resembling a bozo who makes “mistakes” on purpose just to feed on the hearty laughter of a well-entertained crowd.
As the laggard of Asia keeps dragging himself two steps forward only to take a step back with the relentless barrage of appalling displays of corruption and incompetence against the backdrop of poverty, rebellions, accidents and calamities, guess what – a gentle red dragon quietly grows, expands and dominates amidst all the “medieval” turmoil.
The Chinese Filipino (Chinoy) continues to make waves, slowly but surely transforming the Philippines into a modern economic powerhouse with the look and feel of the first world. Attesting to their success, the top billionaires in the country are now dominated by Chinese names like Sy, Gokongwei, Tan, Ty, Tan Caktiong, Co, Yap, Yao, and Ang. Not only in business, there is a long list of Chinoys who have become an integral part of Philippine history and success.
Just recently (Q4 2015), Henry Sy’s SM Prime Holdings opened its 55th Mall in the Philippines, a 30 billion peso complex that ranks in size as 3rd in the country and 8th in the world. SM Seaside City Cebu is the biggest in the Visayas and Mindanao, loaded with the cutting edge in entertainment and shopping amenities: 758-meter viewing tower, Olympic-size skating rink, chapel, sports arena, and 447 stores/services.
Meanwhile, in the tech space, Filipino mobile phone brands powered by Chinoy entrepreneurial drive and ingenuity, namely Cherry Mobile (Maynard Ngu) and MyPhone (David Lim), have risen to rival famous international brands like Nokia, iPhone, and Samsung in the local arena. If you question how nationalistic these brands are, all you need to do is look at MyPhone’s logo and you will see the Philippine flag – making any Pinoy beam with pride.
Jobs! Jobs! Filipinos Want Jobs!
While Pinoy political candidates cry out their usual rhetoric in promising the masses jobs to ensure each Pinoy can afford three square meals a day, the Chinoys have done much of the legwork with less of the talk to come up with solutions to unemployment. The answer is simple: Filipinos want jobs! Chinese enterprises need employees! A symbiotic relationship like that of a shark and remora allows the Chinoy-Pinoy partnership to work efficiently like a well-oiled engine.
I’ve heard insider information that SM plans to continue dominating the Philippine retailing market by building a mall every few kilometers. That means jobs (in construction, retail, food, services) not just in primary urban centers, but even in minor cities in remote provinces (country-side development).
Many Pinoys flock to Divisoria (general merchandise), Soler (construction), and Raon (electronics) near the heart of Manila’s port area for low-cost shopping. You will notice that almost every small store is Chinese owned. In one of my visits in the area, I got sidelined into visiting a showroom of the newest condominium being built near Manila Bay. The fast-talking guy who I admired for his sales-talk prowess was a tan-skinned Chinoy. As I viewed the model of the lofty skyscraper on display, it was obvious the project was yet another Chinese-driven venture.
In the days of President Fidel V. Ramos, the president was out surveying the showcase of accomplishments on display in the agricultural sector with some foreign dignitaries when a hand-held instrument called the SHEGA III Grain Moisture Meter caught his attention. He asked where it was made and the research agency representative said it was made in the Philippines. FVR then proudly told the group with him “Look, made in the Philippines!” Thanks to Alexan (Chinoy electronics company), the Philippines can now make world-class products even the highest official in the land can be proud of.
As I ply through the metropolis and see along EDSA all the vacant lots with the big signs “SMDC” (condominium building tentacle of Henry Sy’s empire), I can already see the future of this country. I won’t be surprised if I wake up one day with most of the country in Chinese Filipino hands, and with native Pinoys happily working for them.
Defeating the 60-40 Local-Foreign Ownership Rule
Enshrined in our 1987 Cory constitution (Art. 12, Sec. 2 & 11) is the 60-40 local-foreign ownership rule. It has been identified by many to be the culprit for our losing out against our ASEAN neighbors on tons of foreign direct investments, as it discourages foreigners with capital from coming in to start job-creating projects due to this oligarchy-protectionist policy.
But thanks to the Chinoys who are technically Filipinos (Chinese blood in Tagalog barongs), they are not covered by this restrictive 60-40 rule. They can borrow from their network of Chinese partners and relatives in the Bamboo network (pointed out by Onesimus Unbound) and invest as much as they wish in the Philippines without local Filipinos tying them down, effectively bypassing this outdated counter-progressive law.
The country has enormous potential to benefit greatly from its proximity to the China Circle (intense region of manufacturing and trade consisting of Hong Kong, Taiwan and coastal cities of PRC). It’s all a matter of Pinoy willingness to bring down the walls which our local politicians try to retain to protect their interests and the oligarchies supporting them. Who knows, Taiwan may soon set up a wafer fab through Chinoy connections in Ilocos owing to its proximity to the semiconductor heartland.
The Philippines is bound to become the next Singapore success story of Asia, but it will likely be Chinoys who will be credited for such a feat. Native Pinoys better shed off their dysfunctional Pinoy mentality fast if they want to stay in the game, unless of course they are simply content on bowing low polishing the shiny black shoes of Henry Sy.
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/01/can-chinese-filipinos-make-philippines-great/
You Can Eliminate The Bacteria That Causes Tooth Decay, Acne, Tuberculosis And Pneumonia
Tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and pneumonia are all caused by Gram positive bacteria. Luckily, one natural substance can effectively be used against these diseases. This amazing cure is cashew nut.
Cashew nut is actually a seed of a cashew apple. Cashew trees grow primarily in Brazil and India, but can also be found in parts of Africa and throughout Southeast Asia.
Cashews have been used as a folk medicine for centuries. It has been reported that indigenous people used cashew leaves and bark to treat toothaches.
The cashews have a lower fat content than the other nuts, about 82% of the fat is unsaturated fatty acids, and around 66% of the unsaturated fatty acid content are those heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, very similar to those that you can find it in the olive oil.
Many studies have shown that patients with diabetes consume this monounsaturated fat reduce the high level of triglyceride levels.
A lot of the studies originate in Japan, starting in the early 1990s. Two Japanese scientists, Masaki Himejima and Isao Kubo, confirmed that bacteria-fighting components found in cashews and juice destroy tooth decay and other infections, and could be used commercially. A report published in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, suggested that the cashew compounds could be safely included in toothpastes and mouth washes.
Antioxidant, antitumor and anti-Helicobacter pylori properties are also part of the liquid inside the cashew nut-shell and the anacardic acids.
Writing in Nature’s British Journal of Cancer, one group that made an analysis reported that the eating of nuts including the cashew nuts was discovered to be inversely connected with the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Many studies and data collected showed that women who eat minimum 1 ounce of cashew nuts every week lower the risk of developing gallstones.
Many studies and data collected showed that women who eat minimum 1 ounce of cashew nuts every week lower the risk of developing gallstones.
1 ounce of cashew nuts is just 28.6 nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter, and because it can prevent gallbladder disease, maybe it is great to eat cashews as an afternoon snack, or maybe tossing some cashews on your salad or oatmeal.
One recent study published in OBESITY journal shows that people who eat nuts minimum 2 per week has lower risk to gain weight.
One 28 month study that included 8,865 adult women and men in Spain discovered that those who ate nuts minimum 2 times per week, were 31 percent less likely to gain weight than those who never or rarely ate nuts. Among the study participants who gained weight, those who never or rarely ate nuts gained more weight than those who ate nuts minimum 2 times per week.
In addition to the article if you want to protect yourself from hart failure or gaining weight try to include some of this nuts in your diet.
http://www.lifehealthandfood.com/2016/01/10/you-can-eliminate-the-bacteria-that-causes-tooth-decay-acne-tuberculosis-and-pneumonia/
Friday, January 29, 2016
Donald Trump vs Megyn Kelly circus reveals underlying hypocrisy of Big Media
A controversial tweet from a fan of top contender for Republican Party presidential nomination Donald Trump depicting Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly in a meme and calling her a “bimbo” has gone viral. The meme features photos of Kelly posing provocatively in a small black dress and high heels. The meme included the captions “Criticizes Trump for objectifying women” and, below the photos, “Poses like this in GQ magazine.”
The meme spread soon after it was retweeted by Donald Trump himself and has since been retweeted and ‘hearted’ thousands of times.
Kelly had previously attracted the ire of Trump during the first GOP debate after she asked him pointed questions about his track record of making derogative remarks about women, their appearance, and their behaviour. Trump has recently refused to participate in the next Republican debate organised by Fox unless the network removes Kelly from the event…
Instead of attending the debate, “We’ll have an event here in Iowa, with potentially another network, to raise money for wounded warriors,” campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said. “And Fox will go from probably having 24 million viewers to about 2 million.”
Many observers are of the view that this threat may actually hold water considering the bonanza viewership Trump’s appearances have consistently delivered to the media in recent months.
The bigger discussion that seems to surround the fracas between Trump, the Fox network, and the bigger community of commentators who have become increasingly polarised by Trump’s unique and unprecedented manner with which he is bidding for the presidency of the mightiest nation on the planet is around the female “objectification” angle that has come centre stage as a result of this recent social media circus.
Did the Megyn Kelly meme provide the long-overdue real frame in this debate?
Specifically, the word hypocrisy seems to be the order of the day here. It is common knowledge that Fox News consistently hire babe-ish female reporters and television personalities who appear in Fox programmes caked in makeup and decked in attire not too different from Kelly’s GQ photoshoot wardrobe. Indeed, there is an underground cottage industry across social media exchanging images and screen caps of female Fox personalities doing what they do best.
Perhaps then this latest spectacle could be a seminal epiphany to the public on why Trump has become such a formidable figure in US politics. Trump’s increasing ability to thumb his nose at Big News Media and the “civil society” it (now even more-arguably) presumes to represent is, itself, an outcome of the industry’s own failure to live up to its own lofty journalistic ideals. Indeed, increasing competition — specifically now that the rise of the Net as a source of “news” is progressively crushing traditional media’s hundred-year-old business models — has forced traditional news outlets to rely more and more on lurid tabloid journalism to boost ratings.
An interesting space to watch, even, is how the venerable Huffington Post recently made an editorial decision to add a note to all Trump coverage calling him a ‘serial liar,’ ‘racist’…
“Note to our readers: Donald Trump is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, birther, and bully who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.,” the note says. It first appeared Wednesday night on an article about Trump’s feud with Fox News, Politico reports.A Huffington Post spokesperson told Politico that the note will be added to all coverage of Trump. “No other candidate has called for banning 1.6 billion people from the country! If any other candidate makes such a proposal, we’ll append a note under pieces about them,” the spokesperson explained.
But look past the pompous rhetoric of this text and it is easy to come out with a more jaded interpretation of this move on the part of the Huff’s editors. It really comes across as a measure of desperation — an online news outlet under pressure from shareholders to increase clicks that simply cannot not cover Trump but needing to resort to a denial caveat to justify its continued coverage of a subject its editors (so they say to their readership) find unsavory. That’s a fistful of words describing the Huff’s editors’ lame effort to tell us “We think Trump is a prick but we need him to keep our heads above water.”
The Philippines: A Nation Of Traitors And Sellouts
I was actually planning to write this article at some other time. In all honesty, I think many of you have had enough of the Mamasapano Massacre and everything it entails already. Indeed, I’m kinda sick of it myself. I ask, why can’t we just let their families grieve quietly now? Why can’t we give them a break and let them mourn the loss of their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons in peace? Why must we prolong their emotional anguish and psychological torment by showing the trial take place on TV on a regular basis? The answer is simple though: Because, unless we do, people will not only remember but they will also stop caring.
It’s sad really, and you know what, the SAF44 aren’t the only people to be treated this way. Look at what happened to the Yolanda survivors and how, to this very day, very few of the relief goods and relief funds sent to help them by foreign individuals and organizations have actually made it to them. Then there’s the Lumads who nobody seems to care about because, after all, they’re just another small tribe of savages down south anyway to a lot of you and don’t seem to deserve any of your attention. Indeed, for some of you here, the scripted antics of an alleged couple in the street or the jokes of a crass and disrespectful comedian are probably more important.
But then again, why am I even surprised? The Philippines after all has a long, sad history of treachery and backstabbing. What are forty-four dead cops, over a few thousand homeless typhoon victims and a tribe of primitives to a lot of you anyway, eh? What’s important to you is you get what you want so screw everybody else, correct? Better that others suffer than you, right?
But I digress. I’m sure a lot of you are going to be offended again and make all sorts of threats and insults against me and my family. Well, guess what? If you think your petty attempts at discouragement will deter me from showing you just what kind of people you are, you’re very much mistaken!
We Glorify Traitors
Okay, first and foremost, Emilio Aguinaldo betrayed Andres Bonifacio. Still, the man is remembered in history books as the first president of the Philippines. It’s like we don’t even care what happened to the real minds behind the revolution. All that really matters to a lot of us is that Aguinaldo was in command and should therefore be remembered as the first leader of the country. This despite the fact that he only stole the position from people who rightfully deserve it.
Then we have the Aquinos…
Benigno Aquino Sr. collaborated with Imperial Japan and handed the Philippines over to the Axis Powers during World War II. You can say that’s all history now but please note that in just about every country involved in that war, people hung their traitors. The Philippines was probably one of the few countries who didn’t go through with dealing with traitors the way traitors deserved. Indeed, we even allowed the Aquinos to run the country not once but twice.
In any other country, figures like Benedict Arnold (a traitor to George Washington during the American Revolutionary War), Philippe Petain (who betrayed France to the Nazis) and Wang Jingwei (the Chinese leader who also betrayed his own country for Imperial Japan), are looked upon with disdain and disgrace. The Philippines, on the other hand, either doesn’t seem to remember or care about what really happened. After all, for some of you, it doesn’t really matter that our very own leaders are probably selling us out even as we speak.
Everyone Is Out For Themselves
What else would you call the kind of selfishness that Filipinos have. At the end of the day, the basic Filipino couldn’t care less about the rest of the country. It always boils down to one’s family and friends and hardly anyone else.
In fact, when certain criminals like thieves and drug dealers are caught, their usual reasons amount to: “I did it for my family!” This despite the fact that their victims are all too often people with families of their own.
What’s really sick and sad at the same time is how we are all too ready to sacrifice our sense of decency and principles just to make our lives or the lives of our loved ones easier. It’s all too rare for us to even consider the people we are victimizing because we are so engrossed in our own victimhood. So what if other people get hurt, right? You’re a victim too, aren’t you?
So okay, maybe the rebels of the south have reasons for doing what they do. Maybe they’re only looking for a means to provide for their families. However, that does not justify their acts of terrorism.
At the end of the day, ladies and gentlemen, wrong is still wrong and evil is still evil no matter how necessary it may seem.
We Scoff At Actual Loyalty And Courage
What’s more painful is that there are those of us who are all too ready to make fun of our own heroes. When some Filipino soldier dies for his country, some of us even say: “Haha! He’s so stupid to risk his life like that! Serves him right for being such an idiotic soldier!”
Tying in with my first statement, what else would you call a people who look up to traitors and charlatans and ridicule people who actually show bravery and loyalty?
Instead of being inspired to become courageous ourselves, we look at the heroic acts of our fellows as if they are the ones with the problem and not us who all too often refuse to even lift a finger to help out others.
***
If this is all that we really are now as a people then I can only lament for the next generation of Filipinos…
And if you disagree with me, again, you’re welcome to prove me wrong…
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Don't Use Dryer Blowers in Public Toilets
Everyone in the cleaning industry has always been told that hand dryers in restrooms are not sanitary, they spread germs and bacteria around. I always thought that this just came from the paper companies because they are loosing sales to the hand dryers.
A couple of years ago, I was working with a rep, and I noticed that after he washed his hands and noticed that there were no paper towels, only a hand dryer he left the restroom with wet hands. I asked him about it.. He said that hand dryers blow a lot of germs and bacteria around. He also told me to take a look under the hand dryer next time I was in a restroom. There is a filter underneath the hand dryer that is supposed to be cleaned on a weekly basis... I looked at one and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It had layers and layers of caked on gunk (disgusting).
Additionally, most of the older hand dryers in use (and even some of the newer ones) have an internal screen that should be changed every 1-2 weeks. Unfortunately, most are lucky if they are changed every 1-2 years. This sad reality is not only is a waste of energy, but also keeps more bacteria, germs, and viruses trapped in the dust on the screens, which then is blown directly onto our hands when we dry them. Since then I will not use hand dryers in restrooms. Now this is where the story gets really interesting.
Every time you use an air dryer, the amount of bacteria on your hands increases by 254% and on the finger pads by 194%.
The schools and universities that have had the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak this year are being told by the health department that they have to take out all of their hand dryers and replace them with towel dispensers because the hand dryers are spreading disease.
**Please pass this along so everyone knows not to use hand dryers.
Mamasapano Hearing: President Noynoy Aquino broke chain of command with tragic results
If there is one thing the reopening of the investigation of the Mamasapano clash at the Senate highlighted, it is that Filipinos are being led by public servants and armed troops, which includes the members of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, who are better at bickering and pointing fingers at each other than protecting the lives of the people under their watch.
SAF commander Getulio Napenas: Unable to ignore BS Aquino’s buddy Alan Purisima
We now know that some members of the PNP and AFP are unwilling to risk their own lives to save compatriots and comrades in trouble and are not sorry for it. This was evident in the Power Point presentation of the AFP that basically pinned the tragedy solely on former Special Action Force Chief Getulio Napeñas. They even showed a photo of him smiling and seemingly uncaring while his men were being slaughtered. But how do we know if the photo of Napenas with a group of men was taken on another date and not on the tragic day of the 25th of January 2015? Or how do we know if the photo was taken earlier in the day? There was no context provided. It is becoming apparent that some people are hell-bent on destroying Napenas.
The AFP’s presentation is reminiscent of the Liberal Party’s style of throwing mud at their opponent just to paint the other party in a bad light. Since the Senate hearing was not a real trial, there was no judge who could strike out the accusation against Napenas. But they want the public to forget that Napenas was simply following the orders of former PNP Chief Alan Purisima who headed the operation even while he was suspended at the time.
A year after the tragic deaths of 44 Special Action Force troops in the hands of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, no one is willing to take accountability for the tragedy. Meanwhile, the killers are most likely laughing at the spectacle in the Senate. That is, if they actually bothered to watch the proceedings. I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t because they were not the ones being investigated.
No one among the senators or those being grilled by the senators bothered to point out that the men who slaughtered the SAF troopers, the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, are still at large and may never be brought to justice. This is thanks to the lack of motivation on the part of the Department of Justice to go after the perpetrators. This is seemingly in deference to the so-called peace agreement between the current Aquino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Seeking justice for 44 slain SAF troopers: Senator Juan Ponce Enrile
While the result of the recent hearing initiated by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile had very little new information to offer, it still presented, a good opportunity to emphasize that it was President Benigno Simeon Aquino III who gave the go signal to proceed with Oplan Exodus – the operation to capture the international bombing terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir a.k.a. Marwan inside enemy territory in Mamasapano, Maguidanao. Granted, we all know that Enrile has an axe to grind. But Filipinos should support Enrile’s efforts to hold BS Aquino and his friend Purisima accountable for the deaths of 44 SAF troopers.
BS Aquino’s allies did their best to shield him from any blame but that was as expected. Senator Franklin Drilon’s and Antonio Trillanes’s behavior were predictable. Just like in previous hearings on issues that could implicate the President, they both acted like BS Aquino’s attack dogs as usual. Trillanes showed his skill in asking pointless questions directed at respondent Napenas. He also showed his expertise in rude interruption by cutting him off even before he could start talking. Trillanes probably thinks he looks smart by doing that but somebody ought to tell him that he’s just making a fool of himself. Thank goodness he is going to lose the Vice Presidential race in the next election. We should say good riddance to the convicted mutineer.
President BS Aquino: More leadership less blaming needed
Enrile also showed how clueless former head of the Department of Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas was as the tragic events unfolded. Roxas claimed that after he received information that the SAF troopers were under attack, he relayed the message to the President whose only response was “thank you”. Meaning, it was obvious that BS Aquino was not interested in the details because, one, he knew about the operation and, two, he was probably getting updates about the incident from Purisima too.
The fact that BS Aquino used a suspended PNP Chief to plan and execute Oplan Exodus should be enough to hold him criminally liable for the deaths of the SAF troopers. He broke the chain of command. If the President gets away with neglectful behavior that resulted in tragedy and loss of lives, this will lead to low morale and eventually erosion of patriotism.
Lack of patriotism is already evident now. This could be why the members of the PNP and AFP do not trust each other with sensitive information. That was the reason why the PNP did not want to involve the AFP at the beginning of the operation. Napenas said several operations in the past were aborted because it was compromised once the AFP was involved. He was implying that there is an informant working for the rebel groups inside the AFP. Now that is tragic, indeed.
[Thumbnail photo courtesy PhilStar.]
Enrile’s Senate Mamasapano Hearing further highlighted Aquino’s inutile command structure
Apologists of the Aquino government are currently celebrating a false ‘achievement’ following today’s Mamasapano Senate hearing. They think that “proof” that Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III did not give a direct order to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stand down from providing support to the besieged Special Action Force (SAF) police officers in Mamasapano absolves the president of responsibility.
The point Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was essentially trying to make was a difficult one to bring across to a Filipino public accustomed to analysis-by-soundbyte — that President BS Aquino presided over a fragmented and inept government that failed to manage a preventable crisis. If there was anything further highlighted today, it was that the Philippine government under President BS Aquino was completely inutile when it came to maintaining a tight and effective command-and-control regime across its two main armed state services — the police and the military.
Indeed, Mamasapano is no more than just the most recent of catastrophic failures owing to the dysfunctional command structure of the Philippine government. The police operation snafu that led to the massacre of nine Hong Kong tourists in 2010 was the first of these tragic failures in which the manner with which President BS Aquino performed under stress came under scrutiny. The other was the appallingly incompetent Philippine government response to the Typhoon Haiyan disaster in 2013. In both disasters, the government of President BS Aquino were heavily-criticised for not getting on top of the situation at a pace befitting the gravity of the crises unfolding.
CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper reporting on the ground in Tacloban City in the days following the Haiyan calamity observed an astounding breakdown in leadership just when it was most needed. There was, he reported, “no real evidence of organized recovery or relief” effort coming from the Philippine government. An ABC News report also observed of the Philippine Airforce’s performance in those critical days…
Villeamor Airbase – home of the Philippine Air Force and the main staging area for relief flights to the disaster zone – seems to be operating at half-speed. There is no thrum of activity, no evidence that there’s a real sense of urgency among the Philippine troops here. Every once in a while a civilian car pulls up and unloads a few boxes of goods some neighbors have collected. They put them on the sidewalk and drive away. A little while later, some Filipino troops (or reporters) move them inside. No method. No organization. It’s as if an earthquake hit southern California and Vandenburg or Nellis AFB were quiet and half-populated.
The contrast with the way other emergency and armed services from other countries performed was stark…
The U.S. Marines have swung into action, certainly. But there are just 215 of them right now, and they must coordinate with the Philippine government. As one high-ranking officer told me here about the host government, “They’re paralyzed.”An Israeli Foreign Ministry official confirmed that impression privately to me. The Israeli team is here to assess what their country can contribute and where. Over the years, Israel has developed excellent field hospital capabilities that they’ve brought to disasters in Haiti and elsewhere.But the Israelis, too, need to coordinate with the Philippine government. “When we ask them what they need, they tell us to talk to the Americans,” the official said.
In all of the above cases as he now does today, Philippine President BS Aquino enjoyed an unembarrassed plausible deniability for responsibility for all this non-performance on display. This is thanks to a multitude of fall guys left hung out to dry while the President hid from the public eye. It is not that much different from the way he handled the Mamasapano crisis in which 44 elite SAF troopers were gunned down in cold blood by Moro Islamic Liberation Front bandits. This plausible deniability was, yet again, held up by Aquino’s minions in the Senate as a means to cover-up his inability to cobble together a high-performing team that could respond to crises efficiently. In a country that is exposed to extremely high risk of disasters due to weather disturbances and terrorist attack, this failure on the part of a sitting president is unacceptable and likely to be criminal in nature.
Even if President BS Aquino wins this battle to wash the blood of the 44 slain SAF troopers off his hands, the fact remains, he is ultimately responsible — responsible for negotiating with terrorists, responsible for colluding with a belligerent foreign government to carve out a resource-rich chunk of Mindanao, and, more importantly, responsible for overseeing a government that is a consistent source of embarrassment to its people.
If China — or Malaysia — were to decide to invade the Philippines, this is the sort of government and armed forces it will be up against. It’ll be like a stroll in the park.
[Photo courtesy Inquirer.net.]
The Napoles Story: So the entire Philippines will know
By Alfredo Masigan
Janet Lim Napoles has strong ties before with the late Emilia Boncodin, DBM Secretary. Emilia is the one that keep Janet in the loop whenever a budget or SARO is approved and to which senator or congressman.
Gringo Honasan is a dear friend of Janet’s husband, Jimmy Napoles. I was surprised when I read somewhere online when Honasan was interviewed and he said that he doesn’t know the Napoles family.
During the coup in Cory’s time, Jimmy Napoles was driving a tank on the way to Camp Crame when his tank was hit by a mortar. Jimmy was operating the .50 caliber machine gun and the soldier driving the tank died during the blast. Jimmy survived and was jailed along with Honasan. If you can get clear photos of Jimmy Napoles online, you will see that part of his face and his arms show burn marks.
Their wealth started to build up during the late 90’s when they engaged themselves with mayors based in Zamboanga to use them as a front for a Foundation that will implement projects or deliver farm materials. With connections at COA, they were able to arrange completed projects without delivering anything. They established JLN group of companies sometime in 2000 and they moved to their new office from AFPOVAI to Discovery Suites on the 25th floor.
Soon enough, they were able to develop deep connections with more legislators in Congress and numerous senators. What JLN Group Of Companies do and their sub-companie, Jo-Chris Trading (named after their eldest child, Jo-Christine “Neneng” Napoles) – they use their foundations as the implementing agency for the funds of congressmen or senators. You see, congressmen and senators have budget, PDAF or the pork barrel , but these politicians do not have direct access to their funds and they can never touch it. So what they do is the politicians will create a project (common one is fertilizer distribution to farmers) and will ask DBM to set the budget. Then, there will be a public bidding to be held by DAR. The outcome of the bidding is already fixed and it’s Napoles foundation wins. The fund or SARO will be released through Janet’s foundation and the congressmen/senators will ask 70% of the whole amount. So if the project is P10 million, Janet will give 70% of that. Usually Janet’s nephew, John Francisco Lim is the courier of the money, they will meet at Podium or at a parking lot. The money are stored in plastic bags or paper bags.
So, whatever is left from the budget, 30% goes to Janet. They usually cash-in the check they get from DBM at Landbank in Greenhills and the manager there is part of Janet’s payroll. Janet also need to pay the inspectors from COA and whoever is involved in DAR.
This is their workflow. This is what they do for more than a decade. This is how the senators and congressmen make money. This is why theses politicians have so much and working class Filipinos almost have nothing. This is not only Janet’s fault. The greediness of the senators and congressmen are the driving point that keeps this system operating. It is also amazing that if Janet’s family and her company goes into trial, the people who will try them judges, senators, congressmen, are also part of this. I fear for the life of Benhur and Merlina as whistleblowers. Soon enough they will die. The people of the Philippines should protect them. NBI or the witness protection program cannot do anything about it. Because they are keeping the whistleblowers alive for their own use only. Once Janet gives payments to the NBI and once Revilla, Honasan, Arroyo, Pichay, Ducut, Pineda, Lim, Estrada, Soto, Lapid, and almost all the congressmen who were in post for the past decade, step in – there’s nothing Benhur or Merlina can do. They are as good as dead by now.
Please post this on your social media and share it to the world. It is time to stop this madness and remove the pork barrel and protect Benhur and Merlina.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Drinking Water on Empty Stomach Immediately After Waking Up!
The consumption of water as soon as one wakes up is a popular ritual in Japan. It has been scientifically proven to be beneficial to our health. Namely, this routine is extremely helpful in the treatment of numerous diseases, including: meningitis, arthritis, headache, heart beating fast, diarrhea, vomiting, urine and kidney diseases, epilepsy, bronchitis asthma, diabetes, menstrual disorders, all eye diseases, obesity and many others.
Follow the rules below and feel the positive effects of this Japanese ritual:
- Drink 4 x 160 ml of water immediately after waking up, even before brushing teeth.
- Afterwards, you can brush your teeth, but wait for another 45 minutes before you eat anything.
- after those 45 minutes, you may eat normally.
- do not drink or eat anything after your meals for another 2 hours.
Individuals unable due to sickness or age to drink 4 glasses of water can gradually increase the content little by little each day.
If you start practicing this water habit regularly, it will cure all above mentioned diseases and you will enjoy all benefits of healthy life. In addition, we will provide a list of days it takes to practice this routine for curing certain kinds of diseases:
- Constipation – 10 days
- Gastric – 10 days
- High blood pressure – 30 days
- Diabetes – 30 days
- TB – 90 days
Patients with arthritis should practice this treatment only for 3 days the first week, and continue daily from next week. Undoubtedly, this water treatment has no side- effects, but you may need to urinate a few times more daily at the beginning of the treatment.
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