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List of Passers: March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME), CPM board exam results

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Those awaiting results of March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME) and Certified Plant Mechanics (CPM) board exam can find here the complete list of passers, topnotchers (top 10), top performing schools and performance of schools as the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board of Mechanical Engineering released results in few working days after the exam.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3JLYxRftuEVg23Y5f0OSOJc8HNki16U3qHEPBE9wmc9GwYdixXo6-gH1C6_b9s-AIg2-Pr_yMF9jobpGAAmP8KhwxrQ4yxp4lcx4XhOl2Hr0Aabjwu4A-MnbRSvtyWIPBieomx4FME60/s1600/me-board-exam-results-march-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME), CPM board exam results" border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3JLYxRftuEVg23Y5f0OSOJc8HNki16U3qHEPBE9wmc9GwYdixXo6-gH1C6_b9s-AIg2-Pr_yMF9jobpGAAmP8KhwxrQ4yxp4lcx4XhOl2Hr0Aabjwu4A-MnbRSvtyWIPBieomx4FME60/s640/me-board-exam-results-march-2016.jpg" title="March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME), CPM board exam results" width="560" /></a></div><br />PRC has conducted the first mechanical engineering licensure exams this year on March 30 and 31 in the cities of Manila, Baguio and Cebu.<br /><br />The members of the Board of Mechanical Engineering who gave the licensure examinations are Engr. Jesus M. Redelosa, Chairman; Engr. Fernando S. Guevara and Engr. Mirardo C. Malazarte, Jr., Members.<br /><br /><b>Roll of Successful Examinees in the</b><br /><b>MECHANICAL ENGINEER LICENSURE EXAMINATION</b><br />Held on MARCH 30 & 31, 2016<br />Released on APRIL  2016 <br /><br /><i>Updating for the list of passers...</i><br /><br /><b>Roll of Successful Examinees in the</b><br /><b>CERTIFIED PLANT MECHANIC LICENSURE EXAMINATION</b><br />Held on MARCH 30 & 31, 2016<br />Released on APRIL 2016<br /><br /><i>Updating for the list of passers...</i><br /><br />Examinations for ME board exam covered the following subjects: industrial and power plant engineering (Day 1); mathematics, engineering economics and basic engineering services, machine design, materials and shop practice (Day 2).<br /><br />CPM exams covered the folloing: elements of power plant machinery, shop machinery practice (Day 1) and elements of industrial plant machinery (Day 2).<br /><br />According to PRC, the <a rel='nofollow' href="http://www.prcboardnews.com/2016/03/prc-releases-march-2016-mechanical-engineering-me-cpm-board-exam-results.html" target="_blank">target release date of Mechanical Engineer board exam results </a>is on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 or in 3 working days after the exam.<br /><br />In September 2015 exam, results were announced online after 7 working days. 2,136 out of 3,866 passed the Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination and 24 out of 51 passed the Certified Plant Mechanic Licensure Examination.<br /><br />In the same period last year, PRC released results after 3 working days. 739 out of 1,247 passed the exam for ME and 19 out of 28 hurdled CPM exams.<br /><br />Aside from the complete results, the registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be announced. Those who will register are required to bring the following: duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 1 piece passport size picture (colored with white background and complete nametag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2016-2019 for MECHANICAL ENGINEER; Initial Registration Fee of P450 and Annual Registration Fee of P420 for 2016-2019 for CERTIFIED PLANT MECHANIC. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.<br /><br />The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examinations WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.<br /><br />The Summit Express will update this page for the list of passers, topnotchers and performance of schools. Like Us on Facebook, Follow Us on Twitter to receive relevant real-time updates. </div>

List of Passers: March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME), CPM board exam results

Those awaiting results of March 2016 Mechanical Engineer (ME) and Certified Plant Mechanics (CPM) board exam can find here the complete list of passers, topnotchers (top 10), top performing schools an…

31 Mar 2016

'Courageous Caitie', girl with rare disease passes away

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines – “I will not bury my son! My son will bury me!” These are the most striking lines uttered by John Archibald portrayed by Denzel Washington in his “John Q” movie as he was fighting for his ailing son’s life.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aOshSr_inNNuL0UBMJaAL680XpOyc2fOoecAsQLIZVEHNO28Do9qyQtfTo3Gq8ii6skTsRuh2V3ZFHbpnHDwentIOZ24qn2H7JlrV75DvMi-iJQTt2yM5qvqVnDnwZKMLTa9i00E8rjz/s1600/courageous-caitie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="'Courageous Caitie' girl with rare disease passes away" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aOshSr_inNNuL0UBMJaAL680XpOyc2fOoecAsQLIZVEHNO28Do9qyQtfTo3Gq8ii6skTsRuh2V3ZFHbpnHDwentIOZ24qn2H7JlrV75DvMi-iJQTt2yM5qvqVnDnwZKMLTa9i00E8rjz/s640/courageous-caitie.jpg" title="'Courageous Caitie' girl with rare disease passes away" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />Our country had a real life John Q in the character of JayJay Lucas along with his wife Feliz who both joined their daughter’s journey and battle against a rare form of leukemia. Sadly, Caitie, the couple’s lovely angel passed away.<br /><br />It started late last year when Feliz recognized small insect bites in Caitie’s skin that eventually turned into bruises. Her parents had brought her into several skin specialists but all of them ruled her case as skin infections. <br /><br />Days gone by and the insect bites-turned bruises spread and got bigger. JayJay and Feliz were so worried and had decided to bring Little Caitie to well-known and arguably the best hospitals in the country to seek for further medical opinions. Caitie had been transferred from one hospital to another as the teams of doctors who were attending on her medical needs continued to dig in deep in search for the root cause of her ill condition. But even the best physicians in the archipelago had no clue and answer in the 3-year-old’s case.<br /><br />With almost couple of months of stay in the popular hospitals and with millions of pesos spent on bills and medicines, Mr. and Mrs. Lucas finally settled to fly their little miss to Singapore and hoping to see some light on their princess’ mystery disease.<br /><br />At last, with the use of better and more modern facilities in the hospital that they checked in, the Singaporean group of doctors had found what was wrong with Caitie. The little girl’s sickness is called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), a very rare form of leukemia where only one person out of a million acquires it. JMML commonly attacks infants and children.<br /><br />Upon knowing the diagnosis of Catie’s condition, friends of her family joined efforts to cheer them up and give encouragements especially to the adorable toddler. Thus, the moniker “Courageous Caitie” was born as a tribute to the Little Warrior’s unbelievable display of faith and hope despite of innumerable blood extractions, punctures, surgeries and tubes and wires attached all over her body.<br /><br />Even though seriously ill, Courageous Caitie defied all the troubles and pain. She even managed to play toys and paint in the hospital which delighted many Filipinos and foreigners.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXN0LH67MVccSyiek_1JnufV475QKkjvUUyqpR4L4bm9RbtvvBIPe4biuDCAdlJbZ6XrsLVbcAiiSmSBDePP-BA7Vie5gYnZ3idIRFbLOf_SUXKwac3XV7ISg1O72DDIm9Lf1SKTAH8LY/s1600/courageous-caitie-paints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Courageous Catie enjoys painting with her brother." border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXN0LH67MVccSyiek_1JnufV475QKkjvUUyqpR4L4bm9RbtvvBIPe4biuDCAdlJbZ6XrsLVbcAiiSmSBDePP-BA7Vie5gYnZ3idIRFbLOf_SUXKwac3XV7ISg1O72DDIm9Lf1SKTAH8LY/s640/courageous-caitie-paints.jpg" title="Courageous Catie enjoys painting with her brother." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Courageous Catie enjoys painting with her brother. Courageous Caitie’s Facebook page</td></tr></tbody></table>Treating this rare type of leukemia is not an easy task to do and accomplish. There are plenty of tests and procedures that the patient must endure and aside from those things, money is really an issue. The friends of Caitie’s family initiated various kinds of fund raisers to support her mounting medical bills.<br /><br />But morning of March 31st, her condition became critical and her oxygen level depleted. By noon time, her parents posted on Facebook with the caption: “Today our daughter has gone to Jesus already.”<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquSN3oCf0jAMIF9zDqxeGlH5FoehayUUlNHzWuA9lkq66BDl1lZ7Jbeld0VbeG4uisaYpBXslyANJNZtH9hOQP2clyx-s39rpkaAbdB1xGJi31y5tXl9U82AGV792YB4au45yjslxWxnN/s1600/courageous-caitie-with-her-dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The heartbreaking photo of Courageous Caitie and her Dad." border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquSN3oCf0jAMIF9zDqxeGlH5FoehayUUlNHzWuA9lkq66BDl1lZ7Jbeld0VbeG4uisaYpBXslyANJNZtH9hOQP2clyx-s39rpkaAbdB1xGJi31y5tXl9U82AGV792YB4au45yjslxWxnN/s640/courageous-caitie-with-her-dad.jpg" title="The heartbreaking photo of Courageous Caitie and her Dad." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">The heartbreaking photo of Courageous Caitie and her Dad. Courageous Caitie’s Facebook page.</td></tr></tbody></table>It is undeniable that Courageous Caitie inspired and touched plenty of lives here in Philippines and abroad. Keep on fighting. Keep on believing. Keep on praying are the lessons that we have learned from our young hero. Prayers and words of encouragement overwhelmed Courageous Catie’s Facebook page which only means that she was loved and admired by everyone.<br /><br />Caitie’s body will be flown back to Philippines on Friday night for her funeral. Her wake will be at Arlington Memorial Chapel starting on Saturday and cremation will be on Sunday.<br /><br />On behalf of The Summit Express, our thoughts and prayers go to the Lucas family.<br /><br /><b>-Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

'Courageous Caitie', girl with rare disease passes away

MANILA, Philippines – “I will not bury my son! My son will bury me!” These are the most striking lines uttered by John Archibald portrayed by Denzel Washington in his “John Q” movie as he was fighting…

31 Mar 2016

"Suntukan sa Ace Hardware" puzzles netizens, who's going?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines – For the past couple of days, the Philippine Facebook community scrambled and bewildered by a sudden event entitled: “Suntukan sa Ace Hardware” which is scheduled to happen on April 15, 2016 at Ace Hardware SM Lucena City created and organized by a certain “Mr. Balagbag: Tuberong kulay green” (His displayed name on Facebook is NSFW).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq2nAR8KKTqVtTtsMfqRf_7XrBLO1lEDSEtoyUXfEANQuDi_WALvYQzyjYwlDstL_X-mf9LNWwqpRQ3S2BusoZc-dTid_FOhXQXrxC70aM-GFsGyppAb003Sqq0o_sDUnTpsP_4vxKVOC/s1600/suntukan-ace-hardware.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Suntukan sa Ace Hardware" Facebook" border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq2nAR8KKTqVtTtsMfqRf_7XrBLO1lEDSEtoyUXfEANQuDi_WALvYQzyjYwlDstL_X-mf9LNWwqpRQ3S2BusoZc-dTid_FOhXQXrxC70aM-GFsGyppAb003Sqq0o_sDUnTpsP_4vxKVOC/s640/suntukan-ace-hardware.JPG" title=""Suntukan sa Ace Hardware" Facebook" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thousands of netizens are really looking forward to the fight of the year.</td></tr></tbody></table>Almost all Filipino yuppies saw the event and got curious. Various assumptions arose. Some guessed that it is one of the gimmicks of the well-known hardware to gain social media engagement. But many say that it is a total non-sense.<br /><br />We approached “Tokis,” a youth influencer from down South of the Metro who’s a caretaker in a computer shop and tuned in Facebook for almost 24 hours a day for a living to ask what he knows about the hyped event. <i>“Wala yun kuya, trip trip lang yun”</i>, said Tokis combined with a boisterous laugh.<br /><br />We checked the event page and to our surprise, the event garnered over 35,000 confirmed attendees! Must be a real blockbuster event!<br /><br />Mr. Balagbag, which is obviously a fictitious name, also manages a fan page full of humorous and viral posts. Interestingly, one of Balagbag’s most engaging page-participants is a parody account of actor Baron Geisler who eventually will be the acting referee of the boxing match that got the netizens pumped-up and excited.<br /><br />As we were browsing the event page and back-read the comments to look for relevant details such as: the combatants involved and the reason for the brawl, we were almost convinced by what Tokis had said that the event is a total non-sense and a waste of time. But there are tons of funny posts that even few personalities joined the “bandwagon” like Moonstar88 Band:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLazlUtsnsSVFkJmTXlMaRzGK1hPUfmPPJGh81yAeeSYUd5KO2bTmQURceJ_4SvxEviVuj7tBBum4G6ZTX2sFJ8YU6A85QDWO9Vp9OOlR32WpoGi7qZSdR4BGiTPhA9_czbYvV3_R1pMO/s1600/moonstar88-suntukan-sa-ace-hardware.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Moonstar88 Band Suntukan sa Ace hardware" border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLazlUtsnsSVFkJmTXlMaRzGK1hPUfmPPJGh81yAeeSYUd5KO2bTmQURceJ_4SvxEviVuj7tBBum4G6ZTX2sFJ8YU6A85QDWO9Vp9OOlR32WpoGi7qZSdR4BGiTPhA9_czbYvV3_R1pMO/s640/moonstar88-suntukan-sa-ace-hardware.png" title="Moonstar88 Band Suntukan sa Ace hardware" width="560" /></a></div><br />The popular OPM band didn’t directly mentioned the event but evidently pertaining to Mr.Balagbag’s event that delighted its followers on Twitter.<br /><br />Finally, someone had the guts to ask Ace Hardware on Facebook. And to clear everything out, the widely-known hardware released their statement via a post denying the event for the benefit of confused and wondered netizens.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHQIRGSyFUuoTAS1_0TUesMt_UdYnvL9opz0R2CRae2q2GNXPa-7PjFPmR41VoYra00qb3FyLEd_tnMmjMTb9XE966DV6skgMJesdE4DkHII0LNoFyp_Y1Qm0vZwinkeRRf2UFd5nz3cU/s1600/ace-hardware-statement-suntukan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ace Hardware on Facebook statement" border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHQIRGSyFUuoTAS1_0TUesMt_UdYnvL9opz0R2CRae2q2GNXPa-7PjFPmR41VoYra00qb3FyLEd_tnMmjMTb9XE966DV6skgMJesdE4DkHII0LNoFyp_Y1Qm0vZwinkeRRf2UFd5nz3cU/s640/ace-hardware-statement-suntukan.png" title="Ace Hardware on Facebook statement" width="560" /></a></div><br />Aside from the clarification and as of press time, Ace Hardware has no intentions to investigate, track-down and file some legal actions to the real persons behind the false event.<br /><br />Our hunch is, the people behind this fake event might be youngsters who just ended the school year for summer vacation.<br /><br />To sum this up, and to reiterate Ace Hardware’s words, there’s no such event as “Suntukan sa Ace Hardware”. It is purely fictional.<br /><br />Case closed. - <b>Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

"Suntukan sa Ace Hardware" puzzles netizens, who's going?

MANILA, Philippines – For the past couple of days, the Philippine Facebook community scrambled and bewildered by a sudden event entitled: “Suntukan sa Ace Hardware” which is scheduled to happen on Apr…

30 Mar 2016

Megaworld, Lamudi Philippines tie-up for 'next big thing in Makati'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Real estate giant Megaworld has partnered with the online property portal Lamudi Philippines for the new big project in Makati Central Business District targetted for the tech-savvy millennials.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjpXTdYdav2SjBekIzDfThyUKfisGr7iwXcFG8gqt6tzSUzeomJy1dZLoLICICTvkxfdOxSt3de5ixXYszTJZjbBhAhiWMKiIPMb17dd8kQlB4agi_vFFL5Njo621tKwYJA81T4o4VRth/s1600/megaworld-lamudi-partnership.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lamudi PH CEO Jacqueline van den Ende" border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjpXTdYdav2SjBekIzDfThyUKfisGr7iwXcFG8gqt6tzSUzeomJy1dZLoLICICTvkxfdOxSt3de5ixXYszTJZjbBhAhiWMKiIPMb17dd8kQlB4agi_vFFL5Njo621tKwYJA81T4o4VRth/s640/megaworld-lamudi-partnership.png" title="Lamudi PH CEO Jacqueline van den Ende" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamudi PH CEO Jacqueline van den Ende talked about digital trend that will strengthen partnership with Megaworld.</td></tr></tbody></table>In an event on Tuesday night at Resorts World Manila, Eugene Em Lozano, Megaworld vice president for sales and marketing for Makati CBD, announced its online marketing campaign for its San Antonio Residence project.<br /><br />“San Antonio Residence is Megaworld’s 20th residential masterwork in the Makati central business district designed as the ideal home for millennials. Its location and amenities complement the fast-paced lifestyle of the millennials, enabling them to make the most of their time, whether it’s moving up the career ladder or being with their loved ones,”  Lozano said.<br /><br />Taking advantage of Lamudi’s premier listings, recently upgraded mobile app and expert market data, Megaworld will up the game in real estate online advertising. “Now that digital is the way to go in real estate, we believe that Lamudi’s online expertise can help us reach our target market,” Lozano added.<br /><br />"Philippines has a massive market of millenials and they are mostly online," Jacqueline Van den Ende, managing director of both Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty.ph said.<br /><br />"Mobile is next big thing for us. We have 46 percent Internet penetration. Lamudi gets 40 percent of traffic from mobile," Van den Ende added.<br /><br />She noted that about 70 percent of the country’s top developers have already partnered with them.<br /><br />Lamudi Philippines, together with MyProperty.ph (which the former acquired in 2015), is now the dominant real estate listings portal in the Philippines. And in effort to make itself the go-to place for everything related to real estate, the company also released its <a rel='nofollow' href="http://www.lamudi.com.ph/research/whitepaper-2015/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Real Estate Market Report for 2015</a>.<br /><br />Scheduled to be completed in 2020, San Antonio Residence is equipped with amenities such as the very first B.O.N.D. (Begin, Open, Nurture, Discover) area, a Street Fitness Park and a two-story mall. This residential condo project is located along Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., near all landmarks of the Makati CBD.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORIES</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2015/11/top-10-most-popular-cities-for-filipino-homebuyers.html">Top 10 Most Popular Cities for Filipino Homebuyers</a></li><li><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2015/11/live-work-play-14-top-townships-to-watch-out-2016.html">Live-Work-Play: 14 Top Townships to watch out for in 2016</a></li><li><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/02/more-pinoys-plan-to-buy-homes-in-near-future-research.html">More Pinoys plan to buy homes in the near future - research</a></li></ul></div>

Megaworld, Lamudi Philippines tie-up for 'next big thing in Makati'

MANILA, Philippines - Real estate giant Megaworld has partnered with the online property portal Lamudi Philippines for the new big project in Makati Central Business District targetted for the tech-sa…

30 Mar 2016

Netizen explains why Korina Sanchez shouldn’t be used against Mar Roxas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Over the past years, veteran broadcaster and Mar Roxas’s wife Korina Sanchez has consistently been plagued by criticisms and had been turned into an issue against the presidential candidacy of her husband.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2lDTnTALC8WYlNHG98SU7aTSL4miVgS5MEVIQtFPstqwgzcQ-DfGPp_AiCe_s8a-AkDvBr2netaNBkHmP3Qvf-5CUgvIs80YZir9aOf9AsbJRLwCYZYMfwub8SAFAQyzEdzjthmfT8Yp/s1600/korina-mar-roxas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Korina Sanchez and Mar Roxas" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2lDTnTALC8WYlNHG98SU7aTSL4miVgS5MEVIQtFPstqwgzcQ-DfGPp_AiCe_s8a-AkDvBr2netaNBkHmP3Qvf-5CUgvIs80YZir9aOf9AsbJRLwCYZYMfwub8SAFAQyzEdzjthmfT8Yp/s400/korina-mar-roxas.jpg" title="Korina Sanchez and Mar Roxas" width="367" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Compared to the spouses of other presidential candidates, Sanchez is more acceptable, <br />according to a certain netizen. PHOTO CREDIT: PhilStar</td></tr></tbody></table>While many netizens claim that they will not vote for the former DILG secretary because of Sanchez, a certain netizen has expressed her thoughts as to why the 51-year-old broadcaster shouldn’t be used as a reason not to vote for the Liberal Party standard bearer.<br /><br />Through a lengthy Facebook post, netizen Lisa Araneta questioned why Sanchez had become an issue against her husband. Although not a fan of Sanchez, Araneta said that Roxas should “not be made to hide her.”<br /><br />In her post, she wrote: ”Mar is okay," people say, "but I do not like his wife." My retort always is, "So you prefer Elenita Binay?" Then they laugh and say, "No." Sometimes I add, "Which of Duterte's mistresses do you want in Malacanan?" or "Would you rather the American, Mr. Llamanzares, the one who says he will become Filipino only if his wife wins, be the First Gentleman?”<br /><br />Moreover, Araneta emphasized that Sanchez is far more acceptable compared to the spouses of other presidential candidates including Elenita Binay, the mistresses of Duterte, as well as Mr. Llamanzares.<br /><br />According to Araneta, Roxas supporters shouldn’t be neutralized by his opponents since Sanchez has advantage with the CDEFG crowd.<br /><br />“It's only the AB who are eyeewed by her but the decent people will vote anyway for the Roxas-Robredo tandem,” she wrote.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://web.facebook.com/lisa.araneta/posts/1180546408636136" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://web.facebook.com/lisa.araneta/posts/1180546408636136">ON KORINA SANCHEZ. I am very "permissive" or "supportive" when it comes to whom one chooses to love and/or marry. I...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3208975531108139265#" role="button">Lisa Araneta</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/lisa.araneta/posts/1180546408636136">Monday, March 28, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br />Meanwhile, a certain GR Rodis shared through one of the comments a supposed reply of Sanchez to Araneta’s post.<br /><br />Sanchez thanked Araneta for the said post and reportedly said: “I've long made peace with the narrow minded judgments of some people in the AB. I don't really care much about them as I embrace my universe of CDE with passion. I love the poor. The rich constantly disappoint. So, goodbye to them haha.”<br /><br />Here’s a screenshot of the full reply. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Lisa Araneta<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKNQK0LnqHQ84qroi0DFoEqdn55W7Dy4rDmUBcq-GIViuPLBcAfhKTIFWezcJZwlpJuWlKwHxsdBLrJt62aWqXZugx6Qxv98uxNPj5M96ontOtpJsGQvoGLBbPQV_3qXYZNJ05IZ-_nOc/s1600/korina-sanchez-mar-roxas1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="GR Rodis Korina Sanchez and Mar Roxas" border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKNQK0LnqHQ84qroi0DFoEqdn55W7Dy4rDmUBcq-GIViuPLBcAfhKTIFWezcJZwlpJuWlKwHxsdBLrJt62aWqXZugx6Qxv98uxNPj5M96ontOtpJsGQvoGLBbPQV_3qXYZNJ05IZ-_nOc/s640/korina-sanchez-mar-roxas1.jpg" title="GR Rodis Korina Sanchez and Mar Roxas" width="560" /></a></div><br /><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Netizen explains why Korina Sanchez shouldn’t be used against Mar Roxas

MANILA, Philippines - Over the past years, veteran broadcaster and Mar Roxas’s wife Korina Sanchez has consistently been plagued by criticisms and had been turned into an issue against the presidentia…

30 Mar 2016

Netizen explains why Korina Sanchez shouldn’t be used against Mar Roxas

Netizen explains why Korina Sanchez shouldn’t be used against Mar Roxas

30 Mar 2016

Passenger takes “best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Unlike the terrified passengers of the hijacked EgyptAir, a 26-year-old British man had the guts to take a selfie with the plane’s hijacker.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VigkS-xCBZ8_jCAtQHYBvS0A4khYcA1obh4TImOk1ROf9ahYkdNb1h47VA3pU0pAW4vwOuqNpORNBDhpZDA-2yDFIzyBDyMzuRHHUtPpXQL2uwk2HWRlTNFLss3UNOvdFDErQjiIyqNd/s1600/selfie-hijacker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="This man had the guts to ask for a selfie with a hijacker." border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VigkS-xCBZ8_jCAtQHYBvS0A4khYcA1obh4TImOk1ROf9ahYkdNb1h47VA3pU0pAW4vwOuqNpORNBDhpZDA-2yDFIzyBDyMzuRHHUtPpXQL2uwk2HWRlTNFLss3UNOvdFDErQjiIyqNd/s640/selfie-hijacker.jpg" title="This man had the guts to ask for a selfie with a hijacker." width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">This man had the guts to ask for a selfie with a hijacker.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ben Innes, a health and safety officer, was among the passengers of EgyptAir flight MS181. The flight bound for Cairo carrying 62 passengers was hijacked by Egyptian national Mustafa on Tuesday, March 29. Mustafa, who was wearing a suicide belt which turned out to be fake, forced the plane to reroute to Cyprus. <br /><br />Instead of panicking during the hostage crisis, Innes courageously approached Mustafa and asked him for a selfie. Surprisingly, Mustafa “shrugged ok” after the cabin crew translated Innes’ request. <br /><br />Innes then sent “the best selfie ever” to a couple of his friends saying: “You know your boy doesn't f*** about. Turn on the news lad!!!”<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt06xJVxm_LO103U5LgGsrTKAEJW2V4xBkITFAuS1azP9VdKsTqMGlBV-1o3cfoBCVtHARpWMDva03qvDW__uaDXaT5RGniKUCrp2UpjF8gzNDfWfMJ9gaWB2CNvJp61Ewq_QUFZvC_SHt/s1600/selfie-hijacker2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="“best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt06xJVxm_LO103U5LgGsrTKAEJW2V4xBkITFAuS1azP9VdKsTqMGlBV-1o3cfoBCVtHARpWMDva03qvDW__uaDXaT5RGniKUCrp2UpjF8gzNDfWfMJ9gaWB2CNvJp61Ewq_QUFZvC_SHt/s400/selfie-hijacker2.jpg" title="“best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker" width="340" /></a></div><br />According to news reports, Mustafa hijacked the plane shortly after if left Alexandria early in the morning. Aside from asking the plane to re-route to Cairo, he also demanded to see his Cypriot ex-wife. Mustafa also made a series of bizarre requests including demanding to meet with the European Union representatives.<br /><br />Majority of the hostages except for the crew and four foreign passengers including Innes were released following negotiations with the hijacker. Six hours later, the crew and the rest of the passengers were released. Mustafa turned himself in just moments later.<br /><br />Based on the investigation, the hijacker appeared to be mentally unstable. Although his motives remain unclear, authorities believe that the incident was not related to terrorism.  Moreover, Cypriot authorities were able to verify that Mustafa’s suicide belt resembling a bomb was fake.<br /><br />In a statement, EgyptAir said: “According to security sources received from Cyprus Authorities at Larnaca International Airport, which stated that the explosive belt that the hijacker allegedly said that he was wearing, is fake.” <b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Passenger takes “best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker

Unlike the terrified passengers of the hijacked EgyptAir, a 26-year-old British man had the guts to take a selfie with the plane’s hijacker.This man had the guts to ask for a selfie with a hijacker.Be…

30 Mar 2016

Passenger takes “best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker

Passenger takes “best selfie ever” with EgyptAir hijacker

30 Mar 2016

Actor Ian de Leon becomes a real-life hero for helping kid hit by a motorcycle

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- Actor Ian de Leon has recently made headlines for his random act of kindness.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CpBDfohLLmcfNqfEf0P7PGXD2d0Q2qaEp4RE0lnvQR-bnMTumVUkn-9GKBT2cG54_UVsHF0I8rhmLcabi9yfMjMMwKE6kDN4y2hBMGUZdIcmSiER2CWHgSxtxVy12BgPONrHK4ji2zLe/s1600/Ian+de+leon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Actor Ian De Leon" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CpBDfohLLmcfNqfEf0P7PGXD2d0Q2qaEp4RE0lnvQR-bnMTumVUkn-9GKBT2cG54_UVsHF0I8rhmLcabi9yfMjMMwKE6kDN4y2hBMGUZdIcmSiER2CWHgSxtxVy12BgPONrHK4ji2zLe/s640/Ian+de+leon.jpg" title="Actor Ian De Leon" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Ian de Leon has become a real-life hero after helping a 10-year-old kid hit by a motorcycle.</td></tr></tbody></table>In a viral Facebook post, netizen Kristine Madrigal Sarmiento expressed her gratitude to De Leon for rushing her 10-year-old son, who was hit by an overspeeding motorcycle, to a hospital. According to Sarmiento, the actor, despite not knowing her son, was the only one who came to the rescue of her son. While bypassers just looked at her lone, helpless son, de Leon carried the boy to his car and drove him to the Las Pinas Doctor’s hospital.<br /><br />A report by GMA News also revealed that de Leon was able to go after the motorist who hit her son and had him held at Robinsons Place Las Pinas before leaving the scene of accident. De Leon also stayed with her son until family members arrived at the hospital. <br /><br />Initially, Sarmiento had no idea that it was de Leon who helped her son. <br /><br />“Kahit naman hindi sikat na tao, malaking ang tinulong sa anak ko. Imagine, he helped my son and even used his car. Ang daming dugo noon. My son also told me na kinakausap siya ni Ian de Leon papuntang hospital—he was treated very well,” Sarmiento said.<br /><br />(Even if the person is not popular, he was a big help to our son. Imagine, he helped my son and even used his car. That’s a lot of blood. My son also told me that Ian de Leon talked to him while they were on their way to the hospital- he was treated very well.)<br /><br />Sarmiento also said that she had already forgiven the Makati call center security guard who hit her son. She will not be filing a case against him.<br /><br />As of press time, Sarmiento’s son is under observation and is his on his way to recovery after a major surgery.<br /><br />Although she has already contacted De Leon, Sarmiento wants to meet him privately to thank him personally for his good deed. <br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://web.facebook.com/kristine.m.sarmiento/posts/10154115371607578" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://web.facebook.com/kristine.m.sarmiento/posts/10154115371607578">DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH IAN DE LEON, THE ACTOR AND SON OF NORA AUNOR AND CHRISTOPHER DE LEON? I WOULD...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/kristine.m.sarmiento">Kristine Madrigal Sarmiento</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/kristine.m.sarmiento/posts/10154115371607578">Sunday, March 27, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><b><br /></b> <b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Actor Ian de Leon becomes a real-life hero for helping kid hit by a motorcycle

MANILA, Philippines- Actor Ian de Leon has recently made headlines for his random act of kindness.Ian de Leon has become a real-life hero after helping a 10-year-old kid hit by a motorcycle.In a viral…

29 Mar 2016

Toddler decapitated in front of her mother in Taiwan street

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A four-year-old girl was beheaded in front of her mother during a random knife attack in Taiwan on Monday, March 28.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrALLecnOpf8NvxMesLWLGwcCKkUtU8Nh193dCZYDH1AiWpfGZWa9JiHY74Xm1C4Xf-riuKygBYd5fIRk-8cjgafsHMGInxeIQMwd3xyojsDhfKb17A92u-QIhMGvz4nT2MNu3_DafFbW/s1600/toddler-beheaded-taiwan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="toddler beheaded in Taiwan" border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrALLecnOpf8NvxMesLWLGwcCKkUtU8Nh193dCZYDH1AiWpfGZWa9JiHY74Xm1C4Xf-riuKygBYd5fIRk-8cjgafsHMGInxeIQMwd3xyojsDhfKb17A92u-QIhMGvz4nT2MNu3_DafFbW/s640/toddler-beheaded-taiwan.jpg" title="toddler beheaded in Taiwan" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">A toddler died on the spot after an attacker beheaded her in front of her mother in Taiwan. <br />PHOTO CREDIT: Express.co.uk</td></tr></tbody></table>According to Taiwan local media, the young girl was cycling her pedal-less training bike outside an underground rail station in Taipei when the attack carried out by a 33-year-old mentally unstable man occurred. <br /><br />The child was apparently cycling about a meter away from her mother when her bicycle became stuck. The mother saw the man approaching her daughter and initially thought that he was going to help her.<br /><br />To her horror, the man suddenly drew his knife and decapitated the young girl in front of her. She attempted to fight the attacker but he was too strong. Sadly, the child died on the spot.<br /><br />"I saw the suspect slashing my daughter with a cleaver. I immediately grabbed him but I could not pull him away,” the mother told CNN News.<br /><br />“I never thought that society could be so unsafe,” she added.<br /><br />The attacker surnamed Wang is now under the custody of the police. News outlets claimed that the man had a history of drug-related crimes and had received treatment at a psychiatric hospital in 2014.<br /><br />Based on police investigation, Wang waited near the rail station after reportedly buying a knife at a supermarket earlier that day. Meanwhile, the mother and the daughter were on their way to meet the girl’s grandfather, sister, and brother. <br /><br />A large angry mob gathered in front of the police station where Wang is detained. Although officers tried to escort Wang, who still had blood splashed across his face, the suspect was forced back into the building by the angry crowd. <b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Toddler decapitated in front of her mother in Taiwan street

A four-year-old girl was beheaded in front of her mother during a random knife attack in Taiwan on Monday, March 28.A toddler died on the spot after an attacker beheaded her in front of her mother in …

29 Mar 2016

Carlos Palanca Foundation now accepting entries for 2016 awards

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature known as the Palanca Awards, the country’s longest-running literary contest, is calling all writers looking to showcase their literary genius.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej_I87d6PVyq9ctPrnIQTeHFvygu4jECp8jN7MRX9Z29-UTBfpsX1QY_82230XjKnz6Py-oG6fQmrxqseClHgFLpkt_HkfLMU1FHhyx8PNYDMmE_qqy0B1Wz2RI9UfF7oeFgP6KATxUl6/s1600/carlos-palanca-awards-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Carlos Palanca Awards 2016" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej_I87d6PVyq9ctPrnIQTeHFvygu4jECp8jN7MRX9Z29-UTBfpsX1QY_82230XjKnz6Py-oG6fQmrxqseClHgFLpkt_HkfLMU1FHhyx8PNYDMmE_qqy0B1Wz2RI9UfF7oeFgP6KATxUl6/s400/carlos-palanca-awards-logo.jpg" title="Carlos Palanca Awards 2016" width="386" /></a></div><br />Now on its 66th year, its organizer and sponsor, the Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. (Palanca Foundation), officially announced that it is now accepting entries for the Awards’ categories, which are as follows:<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>English Division</b> – Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act Play, and Full-length Play;</li><li><b>Filipino Division</b> – Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula;</li><li><b>Regional Languages Division</b> – Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano.</li></ul><br />Likewise, the Kabataan Division, a special division dedicated solely for young writers 17 years old and below is also now open for entries with the following theme:<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Kabataan Essay</b> – How do social media affect the formation of self-identity in the youth?</li><li><b>Kabataan Sanaysay</b> – Paano makaaapekto ang “social media” sa paghubog ng sariling pagkakakilanlan sa mga kabataan?</li></ul><br /><br />The Novel and Nobela categories will not be opened this year since these are only open every two years.<br /><br />Contestants may submit only one entry per category. Published/produced works which were first published or first produced between 01 May 2015 and 30 April 2016 and/or unpublished or unproduced works may be entered in the contest. Participants are encouraged to submit their entries ahead of the deadline, which is on April 30, 2016.<br /><br />The Palanca Awards is open to all Filipino citizens, or former Filipino citizens, of all ages except current officers and employees of Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc.. Official contest rules and forms are available at the Palanca Foundation offices at Unit 603, 6th Floor Park Trade Centre Bldg., 1716 Investment Drive, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City or at Unit 3G, OPL Bldg., 100 C. Palanca St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, or may be downloaded from the CPMA website at www.palancaawards.com.ph.<br /><br />For inquiries and other concerns, participants may contact the CPMA Administrator Ms. Leslie Layoso through email at cpawards@palancaawards.com.ph or at (632) 511-0003; +639253887103.</div>

Carlos Palanca Foundation now accepting entries for 2016 awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature known as the Palanca Awards, the country’s longest-running literary contest, is calling all writers looking to showcase their li…

28 Mar 2016

Youth groups hold ‘black graduation rites’ in front of DOLE

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - YOUTH activists gathered in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to protest the increasing prevalence of contractual employment among newly-graduates.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLllgTmvz9PL3fwLp-XyAW4s3zqWPpbTE8kSde5xHKx09-Qq8VtawmSfLwJIsMEbeoiAJIs1wQNvrvD8RdMwGcfxKjOJSYEdCIsB-7XEUyEjGe7-qRc-Am-yBEXDJC27jJ7_qhDXM_yO0v/s1600/rally-contractual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Workers turn ‘Endo’ into demand to end contractualization. " border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLllgTmvz9PL3fwLp-XyAW4s3zqWPpbTE8kSde5xHKx09-Qq8VtawmSfLwJIsMEbeoiAJIs1wQNvrvD8RdMwGcfxKjOJSYEdCIsB-7XEUyEjGe7-qRc-Am-yBEXDJC27jJ7_qhDXM_yO0v/s640/rally-contractual.jpg" title="Workers turn ‘Endo’ into demand to end contractualization. " width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workers turn ‘Endo’ into demand to end contractualization. Photo Credit: bulatlat.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Student-leaders from SPARK – Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan, slammed DOLE for facilitating the dependence of new members of the workforce on “unjust jobs,” which offer low salaries, unfair working conditions and deny employees security of tenure.<br /><br />“Unfortunately for the youth, the government’s neglect for their welfare does not end with their graduation,” said SPARK National Coordinator Arvin Buenaagua. “Out of the estimated 1.3 million applicants who applied in nearly 4,000 job fairs facilitated by DOLE, almost only 400,000 were able to get jobs, with a majority of them relying on contractual work in BPOs,” he added.<br /><br />DOLE had recently said in a statement that 1.19 million jobs will come from the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, claiming to provide adequate jobs for more than 1 million newly-graduates who are likely to face unemployment.<br /><br />“This reliance on contractual work does not address the mismatch of skill and work experienced by young workers,” said Buenaagua. “Without the promotion of a people-oriented industrialization across the nation, we will continue to rely on low-paying jobs responding to the needs of rich countries while people from our own country are tied to a life of poverty.”<br /><br />Buenaagua criticized DOLE for facilitating the prevalence of contractualization, which creates low-paying jobs and diempowered workers, who are bound by contract not to organize or renegotiate for better working conditions. “While contractualization makes us more palatable to foreign investors looking to cheapen their labor costs, it binds employees to low wages, unfair work hours and hazardous working environments, as well as insecurities about their source of livelihood every three to six months.”<br /><br />SPARK was joined by KAISA UP, a political organization based in the University of the Philippines, and speakers from Sanlakas partylist.<br /><br />“What we need in the next administration is a pro-people agenda which contains policies which respect the rights and dignity of the youth and the working class while honoring their potential and contribution to the country’s development,” said Leody de Guzman, Sanlakas Partylist’s first nominee. “This involves removing the DOLE Department Order A, which provides loopholes for companies to exploit workers by binding them to the level of contractual employess,” he continued.<br /><br />De Guzman also added that the minimum wage has yet to be raised to a level where it will serve as a sustainable income source. “We need to ensure that all workers and employees get living wages, sustenance enough for them to cope with the increasing burden of survival”.<br /><br />Joanne Lim of KAISA UP emphasized the role of contractualization in limiting the prospects for advancement in the youth sector, which is even harder especially given the current state of education system.<br /><br />“A great number of us enter and work to excel in college, enduring the high cost of tertiary education, in order to provide for our families and ourselves a better life,” said Lim. “Contractualization renders all our work to build a better future for ourselves and our families futile, considering that to some of us, it is a matter of life and death." - SPARK, The Summit Express</div>

Youth groups hold ‘black graduation rites’ in front of DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - YOUTH activists gathered in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to protest the increasing prevalence of contractual employment among newly-graduates.Workers tu…

28 Mar 2016

Honest airport janitor to next PH president: “Never get anything that is not yours"

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Since becoming a janitor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 2012, Ronald Gadayan has passed up on several opportunities that would have made him instantly rich.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEL2hNteaRiQT-rJJ_Db4hq6MU1Nt62fashkY5bAu10aetoScG1rsXhoRZUS2-MjM-Nm5qX1E6Sgm30KOT7xIVR8hUHCp0UZAOdfAeLk7XjfE0brR4YqZ_zlDSoks9lEfgboVv-hMT25f-/s1600/honest-janitor-naia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ronald Gadayan honest janitor" border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEL2hNteaRiQT-rJJ_Db4hq6MU1Nt62fashkY5bAu10aetoScG1rsXhoRZUS2-MjM-Nm5qX1E6Sgm30KOT7xIVR8hUHCp0UZAOdfAeLk7XjfE0brR4YqZ_zlDSoks9lEfgboVv-hMT25f-/s640/honest-janitor-naia.JPG" title="Ronald Gadayan honest janitor" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronald Gadayan, the "honest janitor." Screengrab from CNN Philippines video</td></tr></tbody></table>Over the past years, the 39-year-old janitor from Norzagaray, Bulacan had willingly returned lost items he found at the airport. <br /><br />From gadgets to a pouch with jewellery and cash amounting to P2.4 million left by passengers at NAIA, Gadayan didn’t second guess himself in doing what is right.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulO-_5BOS30t2FGihX54UttlK59WhgVPCaR3OmcG8FdkiwIVFHs8nNSuts5Hc0AgU8LvC9yBV8rtL_tILhAuucFYGbTqhIrg4S4IFn8RHUGjtW_oys_Yd9GL5ubobtc0yK8MuV2G_5jPc/s1600/ronald-gadayan-honest-naia-janitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulO-_5BOS30t2FGihX54UttlK59WhgVPCaR3OmcG8FdkiwIVFHs8nNSuts5Hc0AgU8LvC9yBV8rtL_tILhAuucFYGbTqhIrg4S4IFn8RHUGjtW_oys_Yd9GL5ubobtc0yK8MuV2G_5jPc/s640/ronald-gadayan-honest-naia-janitor.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Various groups had recognized Gadayan for his honesty. PHOTO CREDIT: Inquirer</td></tr></tbody></table>Indeed, some of his friends had started calling him “bayaning tanga” or foolish hero for letting go of such “opportunities.” Even when two of his three children were hospitalized due to dengue in 2010, Gadayan chose to return the iPhone he found, which could have been “heaven’s answer” to his ordeal. Instead of selling the expensive smartphone to pay for the hospital bills, Gadayan borrowed money from a lender to whom he pawned his ATM card.<br /><br />In his interview with Inquirer, Gadayan revealed that he is not a religious person and doesn’t often go to church. But for him, being fair and honest, particularly to God, is enough.<br /><br />“If you are honest to God, everything will follow through.You may not be rewarded, but God sees you. And it shall bear fruit at the proper time,” he said.<br /><br />His good deeds had been recognized  by several groups including Manila Jaycee Senate Inc. in San Juan City which hailed him “Kahanga-hangang Pinoy”. He was also named Spirit of Edsa awardee in 2013, outstanding alumnus of Caloocan High School, and outstanding citizen by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in 2012. Recently, the Rotary Club of Pasay-Sinagtala (District 3810) recognized him for his good deeds. <br /><br />Check out some of the awards Gadayan has accumulated over the past years through this <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/ronald.gadayan.94/media_set?set=a.1452844854955639.1073741830.100006904153468&type=3&pnref=story" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">link</a>. <br /><br />Believing that the country lacks honest leaders, Gadayan hopes that the next president will do what his parents used to tell him when they were still alive.<br /><br />“‘Never get anything that is not yours.’ I hope our next President knows and does that, too,” Gadayan said. <br /><br />Watch the video report below.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XMsmEnlHNCw" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Honest airport janitor to next PH president: “Never get anything that is not yours"

MANILA, Philippines - Since becoming a janitor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 2012, Ronald Gadayan has passed up on several opportunities that would have made him instantly rich.R…

28 Mar 2016

LOOK: Mar Roxas depicted as Yolanda’s hero in comic book “Sa Gitna ng Unos”

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Administration presidential bet and former DILG chief Manuel “Mar” Roxas II came under fire after he was portrayed as a hero in a comic book titled “Sa Gitna ng Unos.”<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMCBuFVj8W14ONdj_8vC52K6srhVkVWZA3G7VYgfP9TZVPPLUE-AWSDsI4_-ngHwcK-yJwf1Krfify3LV_2SHYFSoq_o2xfZuA_vwKz6hznTewb5deUvUProT6rwMhyphenhyphen8EozdKguwLAqj1/s1600/mar-roxas-sa-gitna-ng-unos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Roxas: A superhero during typhoon Yolanda?" border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMCBuFVj8W14ONdj_8vC52K6srhVkVWZA3G7VYgfP9TZVPPLUE-AWSDsI4_-ngHwcK-yJwf1Krfify3LV_2SHYFSoq_o2xfZuA_vwKz6hznTewb5deUvUProT6rwMhyphenhyphen8EozdKguwLAqj1/s640/mar-roxas-sa-gitna-ng-unos.jpg" title="Roxas: A superhero during typhoon Yolanda?" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Roxas: A superhero during typhoon Yolanda?</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The cover page of the comic book shows Roxas saving victims of the super typhoon Yolanda. <br /><br />A photo of the comic book is making rounds online after author and blogger Katrina Stuart Santiago shared it on her Facebook account. The post quickly became a hot topic on social media with over 2,000 shares as of this writing.<br /><br />In her post, Santiago pointed out that the said comic book failed to mention how Roxas and the government “messed up rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in Samar and Leyte. <br /><br />Santiago wrote: “I don’t know where the gall and temerity, the kabastusan (rudeness) of this matuwid-na-daan comes from, but apparently none of the things we know about Typhoon Haiyan, none of the stories of those who survived, none of the reports that talked about the inefficiency and insensitivity and lack of compassion of this government, none of that matters.”<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/radikalchick/posts/10209224820996244" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/radikalchick/posts/10209224820996244">I don't know where the gall and temerity, the kabastusan of this matuwid-na-daan comes from, but apparently none of the...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3208975531108139265#" role="button">Katrina Stuart Santiago</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/radikalchick/posts/10209224820996244">Sunday, March 27, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br />Netizen Dale Gozar also aired his negative sentiments towards the comic book depicting Roxas as a hero in the tragedy that claimed almost 10,000 lives in the country in 2013. Gozar even enumerated the failures of Roxas before, during and in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda.<br /><br />According to Gozar, the natural calamity caused panic, chaos, looting and 10,000 casualties due to poor knowledge/ research, poor planning/preparation, poor communication, poor/slow response, and poor organization. Gozar also alleged that there were misused emergency funds and pocketed donations for the victims.<br /><br />“Mar must have thought his presence alone can make things better. And conducting meetings in Tacloban is not risking your life or maybe your life wasn't worth anything Mar Roxas Because you accomplished NOTHING,” Gozar wrote in his post.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/djgozar/posts/989981447748624" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/djgozar/posts/989981447748624">Thousands of People died and Mar Roxas think he's a real Super Hero... What is wrong with you? Why boast during debate...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/djgozar">Dale Gozar</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.facebook.com/djgozar/posts/989981447748624">Sunday, March 27, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><b><br /></b><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

LOOK: Mar Roxas depicted as Yolanda’s hero in comic book “Sa Gitna ng Unos”

MANILA, Philippines - Administration presidential bet and former DILG chief Manuel “Mar” Roxas II came under fire after he was portrayed as a hero in a comic book titled “Sa Gitna ng Unos.”Roxas: A su…

28 Mar 2016

LIST: PGT Season 5 judges pick 36 semi-finalists

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The Judges Cull round of “Pilipinas Got Talent” (PGT) Season 5 begins on Sunday, March 27 as the judges pick the 32 acts who will advance to the semi-finals of the talent competition.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1MVZcTtIq0Mopn1q210HKhQJa9KcKa4R_RcOo9qtJeAl4S9wK1nSNqToBVEkFKKH4FqGbdP80CsJAFNp9xWN8fLcTkz_FtnwRCAFqjmewx_wAE7R5SVd-GGyCMyvezRVVyMMLTTMPRQM/s1600/PGT-debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PGT Season 5 judges pick 36 semi-finalists" border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1MVZcTtIq0Mopn1q210HKhQJa9KcKa4R_RcOo9qtJeAl4S9wK1nSNqToBVEkFKKH4FqGbdP80CsJAFNp9xWN8fLcTkz_FtnwRCAFqjmewx_wAE7R5SVd-GGyCMyvezRVVyMMLTTMPRQM/s640/PGT-debate.jpg" title="PGT Season 5 judges pick 36 semi-finalists" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />After the auditions legs held in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, judges Freddie “FMG” Garcia, Angel Locsin, Robin Padilla, and Vice Ganda need to name the semi-finalists out of 132 hopefuls.<br /><br />Four out of the 36 semi-finals slots have already been filled by Golden Buzzer acts, which include contemporary dancers Power Duo, flair bartending couple Liquid Concepts, dance group Power Impact Dancers, and body contortionist Mark Dune Basmayor.<br /><br />Apparently, the Judges Cull was filled with tention among the judges due to heated arguments. FMG even stood up and called for a break to ease the conflict. Vice, meanwhile, seemed to be displeased by the debate.<br /><br /><b>Here's the list of semi-finalists of "Pilipinas Got Talent" Season 5:</b><br /><br />1. Power Duo - contemporary dancers, Golden Buzzer<br />2. Liquid Concepts - flair bartending couple, Golden Buzzer<br />3. Power Impact Dancers - dance group, Golden Buzzer<br />4. Mark Dune Basmayor - body contortionist, Golden Buzzer<br />5-36. TBA<br /><br /><i>Updating for the list...</i><br /><br />Who among the hopefuls will make the cut? Who will be sent home?<br /><br />Don’t miss “Pilipinas Got Talent” every Saturday right after “MMK,” and every Sunday after “Rated K” on ABS-CBN. <br /><br />Like Us on Facebook, follow Us on Twitter and subscribe to our email list to receive more updates.</div>

LIST: PGT Season 5 judges pick 36 semi-finalists

MANILA, Philippines - The Judges Cull round of “Pilipinas Got Talent” (PGT) Season 5 begins on Sunday, March 27 as the judges pick the 32 acts who will advance to the semi-finals of the talent competi…

27 Mar 2016

'Funny One' winner Ryan Rems Sarita stars in Cinemo's "Funny Ka Pare Ko"

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - It’s Showtime’s Funny One grand winner, Ryan Rem Sarita, popularly known with his catch phrase “Rakenrol to the world” topbilled the newest sitcom "Funny Ka Pare Ko," the  first locally produced content exclusively on ABS-CBN TVplus Cinemo channel.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkoTJkkpsTL1d7Ij9g_tnEUB2ejTD8sw4EJ_qjNHIb8mWnx3c7LGxKz6SZ9Hp60jM8VxkXtc8pk7MdHDwmTvbALJmOv-kFYLrZMqx-vA9-s9nZW9WS7TWBUy_mMWuLR342AWAUgk3BDkQ/s1600/Ryan-Rems-sarita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'Funny One' winner Ryan Rems Sarita stars in Cinemo's "Funny Ka Pare Ko"" border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkoTJkkpsTL1d7Ij9g_tnEUB2ejTD8sw4EJ_qjNHIb8mWnx3c7LGxKz6SZ9Hp60jM8VxkXtc8pk7MdHDwmTvbALJmOv-kFYLrZMqx-vA9-s9nZW9WS7TWBUy_mMWuLR342AWAUgk3BDkQ/s640/Ryan-Rems-sarita.jpg" title="'Funny One' winner Ryan Rems Sarita stars in Cinemo's "Funny Ka Pare Ko"" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Rems Sarita in "Funny Ka Pare Ko" Cinemo sitcom. Photo: Facebook/ABS-CBN TV Plus</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The new series which is set to premiere this coming April 2016 also includes Bayani Agbayani, Karla Estrada, and Jayson Gainza with It’s Showtime’s Funny One finalists Nonong Ballinan, No Direction (Steven, Sadam and Bangkay), Crazy Duo (Diego and Gedent).<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="es"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABSCBNTVplus?src=hash">#ABSCBNTVplus</a> <a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cinemo?src=hash">#Cinemo</a> <a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Funnykapareko?src=hash">#Funnykapareko</a>. Sa April 3, 7PM na. <a rel='nofollow' href="https://t.co/EC8Fi1dq5p">pic.twitter.com/EC8Fi1dq5p</a></div>— Ryan Rems Sarita (@alamatryanrems) <a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/alamatryanrems/status/712719884413571072">March 23, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Now taping for Funny Ka Pare Ko. <a rel='nofollow' href="https://t.co/knYPHiYYX8">pic.twitter.com/knYPHiYYX8</a></div>— Ryan Rems Sarita (@alamatryanrems) <a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/alamatryanrems/status/691457328348987392">January 25, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Cinemo was introduced exclusively on ABS-CBN TVplus “mahiwagang black box.” Its newest sitcom will be shown alongside all the other movie offers of wide range of action, comedy and horror movies, both local and foreign.<br /><br />To enjoy more of Cinemo and other ABS-CBN TVplus’ exclusive channels, avail the “mahiwagang black box” on different selling branches like SM Appliance Center, 2Go Express, Abenson, Puregold branches, PC Express, Silicon Valley Outlets, and other stores around Metro Manila and Luzon. <br /><br />You may also order ABS-CBN TVplus at the ease of your own home! You may order online through the website www.abs-cbnstore.com and you may also text through 23661 or call 488-8888.</div>

'Funny One' winner Ryan Rems Sarita stars in Cinemo's "Funny Ka Pare Ko"

MANILA, Philippines - It’s Showtime’s Funny One grand winner, Ryan Rem Sarita, popularly known with his catch phrase “Rakenrol to the world” topbilled the newest sitcom "Funny Ka Pare Ko," the first …

26 Mar 2016

Mindanao has 11 of 20 Poorest Provinces in the Philippines

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The top 11 of 20 poorest provinces in the country are in Mindanao, with Lanao del Sur leading the way with a 74.3 percent poverty incidence according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report on the country’s <a rel='nofollow' href="https://psa.gov.ph/content/poverty-incidence-among-filipinos-registered-263-first-semester-2015-psa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">official poverty statistics</a> for the first semester of 2015.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ-6Q829e71mZOTfLjnm8Vwe1Pq1-AzVyG_Vle5QxdgCEEJcoyo2Arv_K6TNxR0tvbcxTXd-lCNALmzKoBI6C_wz1Ah6mAA5IgHm2PfCQ5hthIUijRDzy9Ij9PyVX0cHldqFThaDjHpst/s1600/mindanao-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mindanao region" border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZ-6Q829e71mZOTfLjnm8Vwe1Pq1-AzVyG_Vle5QxdgCEEJcoyo2Arv_K6TNxR0tvbcxTXd-lCNALmzKoBI6C_wz1Ah6mAA5IgHm2PfCQ5hthIUijRDzy9Ij9PyVX0cHldqFThaDjHpst/s640/mindanao-map.jpg" title="Mindanao region" width="560" /></a></div><br />Lanao del Sur's poverty incidence or the proportion of people below the poverty line to the total population in 2015 is up by 7 percent from 67.3 in 2014.<br /><br />Meanwhile, PSA on Friday, March 18, added that poverty incidence among Filipinos in 2015 was estimated at 26.3 percent.  During the same period in 2012, poverty incidence among Filipinos was recorded at 27.9 percent. <br /><br />On the other hand, subsistence incidence among Filipinos, or the proportion of Filipinos whose incomes fall below the food threshold, was estimated at 12.1 percent in the first semester of 2015. In the first half of 2012, the subsistence incidence among Filipinos is at 13.4 percent.  Subsistence incidence among Filipinos is often referred to as the proportion of Filipinos in extreme or subsistence poverty.<br /><br />Other provinces in Mindanao included in the list were Sulu, Sarangani, Maguindanao, Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and Zamboanga Sibugay.<br /><br />Meanwhile, six were in Visayas, namely Northern Samar, Siquijor, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte and Negros Oriental.<br /><br />The three provinces in Luzon were Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Mt. Province.<br /><br /><b>The 20 poorest provinces in the country in the first semester of 2015:</b><br /><br />1. Lanao del Sur (ARMM) - 74.3%<br />2. Sulu (ARMM) - 65.7%<br />3. Sarangani (Region 12) - 61.7%<br />4. Northern Samar (Region 8) - 61.6%<br />5. Maguindanao (ARMM) - 59.4%<br />6. Bukidnon (Region 10) - 58.7%<br />7. Sultan Kudarat (Region 12) - 56.2%<br />8. Zamboanga del Norte (Region 9) - 56.1%<br />9. Siquijor (Region 7) - 55.2%<br />10. Agusan del Sur (Caraga) - 54.8%<br />12/11. Eastern Samar (Region 8) - 50.0%<br />12/11. Lanao del Norte (Region 10) - 50.0%<br />13. Mt. Province (CAR) - 49.9%<br />14. Western Samar (Region 8) - 49.5%<br />15. North Cotabato (Region 12) - 48.9%<br />16. Catanduanes (Region 5) - 47.8%<br />17. Leyte (Region 8) - 46.7%<br />18. Negros Oriental (Region 7) - 46.6%<br />19. Zamboanga Sibugay (Region 9) - 44.9%<br />20. Sorsogon (Region 5) - 44.8%<br /><br />The problem exists despite Mindanao's vast natural resources, which remained untapped until now due to the decades-long conflict in the region and the alleged deprivation of budget allocation for the infrastructures.<br /><br />In 2014, Senator Bam Aquino said that things will turn for the better for Mindanao with the imminent passage of the Bangsamoro political entity and the ASEAN Integration.<br /><br />During the first presidential debate held in February 21 in Cagayan de Oro, the presidentiables tackled issues of poverty and peace and order agenda  in Mindanao. Duterte also highlighted that there was disproportionate funding for Mindanao compared to Manila.  </div>

Mindanao has 11 of 20 Poorest Provinces in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - The top 11 of 20 poorest provinces in the country are in Mindanao, with Lanao del Sur leading the way with a 74.3 percent poverty incidence according to the Philippine Statistics…

24 Mar 2016

House of Cards Season 4: Shakespeare’s influence on series revealed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The airing of House of Cards Season Four could not have mirrored a more appropriate time as the Philippines and the United States elect their future leaders this year. As Election Day comes closer, the unfolding political drama in these countries grows more and more intense.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycLMiMAwCJarDMUMWwZZaZxcvwg1KlR8QcP0DFFxCE1hwW94bM-jV2gnRTAcFS24qAono0uBgP2o15qiluuGJCMjUyaO-jLV9gHL9gYtBbNHWfjkM4sBp0nB1saSFviuBvwcKVE__yNY0/s1600/house-of-cards-season4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="House of Cards Season 4: Shakespeare’s influence on series revealed" border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycLMiMAwCJarDMUMWwZZaZxcvwg1KlR8QcP0DFFxCE1hwW94bM-jV2gnRTAcFS24qAono0uBgP2o15qiluuGJCMjUyaO-jLV9gHL9gYtBbNHWfjkM4sBp0nB1saSFviuBvwcKVE__yNY0/s640/house-of-cards-season4.jpg" title="House of Cards Season 4: Shakespeare’s influence on series revealed" width="560" /></a></div><br />But did you know that House of Cards is largely influenced by works of the greatest English dramatist? As artists and scholars all over the world look forward to William Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary in April, shows like House of Cards and characters like Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey) remind audiences of the enduring influence of the Bard’s works.<br /><br /><b>Here are some facts on Shakespeare’s influence on the series.</b><br /><br />1. Richard III is a major basis of Frank Underwood’s character<br /><br />The original House of Cards is based on a novel by Michael Dobbs, a British Conservative politician. Dobbs’ novel was adapted into a series that aired in 1990 in the United Kingdom. A major basis of the novel’s central character was Shakespeare’s Richard III, a play about an English king who earned a reputation as an ambitious and murderous villain.<br /><br />Like Frank Underwood, the title character in Richard III did not hesitate to get rid of the people who thwarted his ambition. Richard III killed one character after another, including his brother, wife, and two young nephews. After a brief reign, the notorious character met a bloody end on a battlefield in the hands of traitors.<br /><br />2. Kevin Spacey played Richard III<br /><br />In playing the ruthless Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey seems to be getting in touch with a character he has played before. In 2014, Spacey played the title role in Sam Mendes’ production of Richard III, which went on an international tour for ten months. For this production, Kevin Spacey’s look was inspired by the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi who was killed by rebel forces in 2011.<br /><br />3. Frank Underwood’s “asides” are often used in Shakespeare’s plays<br /><br />There are moments in House of Cards when Frank Underwood would talk to the viewer and reveal his intentions. In the British series, the lead character also talks to the audience in this manner called an “aside.”An aside is a dramatic device where a character shares his thoughts to the audience. Asides are usually not heard by other characters on stage, but they allow the audience to understand what’s going on in the speaker’s mind.<br /><br />4. Claire and Frank Underwood’s marriage mirror the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth<br /><br />Frank Underwood’s wife Claire is supportive of her husband’s schemes and ambitions, and they both share a taste for power. At first, their relationship is very similar to that of Shakespeare’s ultimate power-hungry couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.<br />But readers of the Scottish play would notice that at the beginning of the story, Macbeth is full of doubt, while his wife was more certain in their pursuit of power. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth becomes a murderous tyrant, and Lady Macbeth is driven to madness by her guilt.<br /><br />The outcome of Macbeth and his wife resembles Claire and Frank’s relationship in the latest episodes of House of Cards. While they used to be supportive of each other, their marriage—along with their political partnership—now seems to have broken down.<br /><br />Considering that House of Cards is based on Shakespeare’s tragedies, a curious question could now be: Will the series end the same way a Shakespearean tragedy would? House of Cards Season Four airs every Tuesday, 9:55pm (8:55pm JKT/BKK), first and exclusive on RTL CBS Entertainment HD.</div>

House of Cards Season 4: Shakespeare’s influence on series revealed

MANILA, Philippines - The airing of House of Cards Season Four could not have mirrored a more appropriate time as the Philippines and the United States elect their future leaders this year. As Electio…

24 Mar 2016

Get crafty and creative this Holy Week with this 7 DIY YouTube videos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - For Filipinos, it's a tradition to go on an out-of-town trip or commit to Visita Iglesia (church visitation) during the Holy Week or Lenten Season. But, there are some who choose to stay at home to enjoy the peace that a ‘staycation’ brings.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QxTsEviApTi5oiC7gwcTL-fG5a_BdYW6wEX2eyB-Lp3t2ED-OVOGg6nNYFkVjpduCgrgJA7yr-2m954JkmHz9jQhy05WJsBCAnbU-tqWhVUil-qculWxDZyT-Rrl9ynbZfGCUQ8TBINg/s1600/DIY-Youtuve-videos.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Holy Week with this 7 DIY YouTube videos" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QxTsEviApTi5oiC7gwcTL-fG5a_BdYW6wEX2eyB-Lp3t2ED-OVOGg6nNYFkVjpduCgrgJA7yr-2m954JkmHz9jQhy05WJsBCAnbU-tqWhVUil-qculWxDZyT-Rrl9ynbZfGCUQ8TBINg/s640/DIY-Youtuve-videos.png" title="Holy Week with this 7 DIY YouTube videos" width="560" /></a></div><br />Good thing there’s YouTube to keep you company. YouTube has become a source of inspiration for those who want to make the most out of their time. From home-improvement, beauty and cooking videos, to makeup tutorials, there is a large number of how-to and DIY videos to choose from, making it easy to turn a Holy Week break to a more fun and productive long weekend.<br /><br />Get ready to create something this Holy Week with a roundup of some how-to and DIY YouTube videos:<br /><br /><b>1. Eggs and Banana Healthy Pancakes by The Fat Kid Inside</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/reYK2J4Wn4E" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Don your apron and start whisking ingredients to create pancakes this Holy Week season. Erwann Heussaff gives us healthy pancake recipes that will surely be a good company over the weekend. Pair it with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee and you’re good to go. If you want to try a variety of healthy dishes, Erwann’s YouTube channel is worth a visit.<br /><br /><b>2. How to: Braided Bun </b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-bk37pcRRt4" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Master your hair game while on a Holy Week break and try to recreate lifestyle blogger Kryz Uy’s braided bun. This newfound skill will surely come in handy when you go back to work or meet a friend. If you want some variety, the no-tie bun or big curls can also save the day.<br /><br /><b>3. Triple Take Episode 4 - Belle's Home Workout</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQiLuzngILU" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Sweating it out and getting active is also a great diversion for a staycation. Isabelle Daza’s video shows us how to workout at home and be fit while on a holiday. Get ready to do some marches and pull off some squats and push-ups. Isabelle’s YouTube channel also features travel journals and even videos of her fellow celebrities.<br /><br /><b>4. How to make a lampshade, lanterns, and yarn globes</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IUkbcSyinIo" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Creativity can spring from long weekend breaks so why not try making cool lamp decorations for your home? It can add a little spice to your living room, kitchen, or even bedroom and can be a great bonding experience for your family too! MADE Everyday YouTube channel offers different DIY tips using everyday items. From making lampshades to sewing pillowcases, you’re sure to be covered this Holy Week!<br /><br /><b>5. Paint Your Nails Perfectly!</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Ozq-QXgBiw" width="560"></iframe></center><br />For girls wanting to achieve that perfectly-polished nails, this video tutorial may just be what will strengthen your nail game. Turn this short vacation into a little me-time and show your nails some love by trying out these tips and tricks for manicure at home. Cutepolish features variety of nail art designs you can recreate at home.<br /><br /><b>6. 10 DIY Ideas For Your Room You NEVER Thought of!</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vV2nvjykqIs" width="560"></iframe></center><br />This long weekend may  be all that you need to finally declutter your room and turn it into an actual space you can be proud of. This video tutorial gives you ideas on what new items to put in your room and how to have fun and be more creative about it.<br /><br /><b>7. 5 Easy Microwave Desserts You Need To Try</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2jG2c_ENQ4?list=PLnvT_7ZyrvIz02Hrb6c4cYm8HTIoH9Xju" width="560"></iframe></center><br />For those who decided not to give up sweets this Lenten season, try these five easy-to-make microwave desserts and enjoy it with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Dodge your oven for now and put your whisking and mixing skills to a test. Aside from featuring funny videos, BuzzfeedVideo also has a variety of DIY dishes and desserts.</div>

Get crafty and creative this Holy Week with this 7 DIY YouTube videos

MANILA, Philippines - For Filipinos, it's a tradition to go on an out-of-town trip or commit to Visita Iglesia (church visitation) during the Holy Week or Lenten Season. But, there are some who choose…

24 Mar 2016

US firm to open BPO-call center in MOA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Harte Hanks is consolidating its Manila operations and adding room for hundreds of new employees with the opening of the company’s BPO-call center at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, in Pasay City on April 21.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7m48ZJ7lo-MZgB0pwOQaCZvqzCpsSvAiJl4Y_YcRRAa731tpNC8R8CKkOaGEx8XFIaqvUm258HW-MHNsTxBGIdAVulOkBvuH1rYamyj8kc_raSlB7SqgCsSBvqbfXtnunMqZ86-8Y5rF/s1600/Five-ECom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Five E-Com center" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7m48ZJ7lo-MZgB0pwOQaCZvqzCpsSvAiJl4Y_YcRRAa731tpNC8R8CKkOaGEx8XFIaqvUm258HW-MHNsTxBGIdAVulOkBvuH1rYamyj8kc_raSlB7SqgCsSBvqbfXtnunMqZ86-8Y5rF/s640/Five-ECom.jpg" title="Five E-Com center" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />Harte Hanks Philippines, a subsidiary of the US-based marketing company currently employs about 2,000 people in its main and secondary locations in Metro Manila.<br /><br />The move allows the company, which has established its presence in Asia-Pacific with the launching of its call center in the Philippines over a decade ago, to integrate the secondary locations with the Pasay facility.<br /><br />“We have been always impressed by the skill and dedication of our employees in Manila and look forward to sustaining our growth here,” said Jonathan Bondoc Harte Hanks Manila-based Site Director, in a statement.<br /><br />Among Harte Hanks’ clients are companies known worldwide in information technology, computer software, sports media, banking, mobile phone and health insurance industries.<br /><br />Besides the Asia-Pacific, Harte Hanks has offices spread across North America, Europe and Latin America.<br /><br />“The Philippines’ consistent support of innovative business models such as buy-operate-transfer model and investment in dependable infrastructure priorities are just two of the reasons we are expanding our investment here,” added Ben Chacko, head of operational planning and strategy for Harte Hanks.<br /><br />The American outfit, whose call center business focuses on North American clients, started doing business in the Philippines with a buy-operate-transfer partnership in 2001.</div>

US firm to open BPO-call center in MOA

MANILA, Philippines - Harte Hanks is consolidating its Manila operations and adding room for hundreds of new employees with the opening of the company’s BPO-call center at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Compl…

24 Mar 2016

Banking Hours Schedule Holy Week 2016 announced

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Major banks in the country announced the banking hours schedule in observance of the Lenten Season or Holy Week this 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNRM0ReQlSyGls9Xhu-HmYY280P4U9mPcT7BI8um_5lt2vsAGZEQaFuBlV009jmpvFJ_RIZrfs_rGDEXDlzDxeYXHfIkMWc_NIfoUq9gXLxFuOGCLuLbBNODWOoPVDXa48KrDpxnn3Id8/s1600/bank-schedule-holy-week-2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banking Hours Schedule Holy Week 2016 announced" border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNRM0ReQlSyGls9Xhu-HmYY280P4U9mPcT7BI8um_5lt2vsAGZEQaFuBlV009jmpvFJ_RIZrfs_rGDEXDlzDxeYXHfIkMWc_NIfoUq9gXLxFuOGCLuLbBNODWOoPVDXa48KrDpxnn3Id8/s640/bank-schedule-holy-week-2016.png" title="Banking Hours Schedule Holy Week 2016 announced" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />Most of the banks will be closed from Maundy Thursday (March 24) to Easter Sunday (March 27).<br /><br /><b>Banco de Oro (BDO) Bank Schedule</b><br /><br />BDO announced that all branches will be open to service the banking needs of the clients and the general public until Wednesday, March 23.<br /><br />All branches will be closed during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, March 24 and 25.<br /><br />The following branches will be open to serve you on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, March 26 and 27:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlGJ19KEA6k3zkJppJgWZ5ZCJ71-HA45GsBfQC_g_JPXGOw5BnkFtq0rkiIF6mb9YHoSEXJqihsreSQQMnV_OdZ8edoPAV-zsvCIXqrjvCrlStKAWNUpx2GyKecpTR3mkdgYvHxuSPJwW/s1600/bank-bdo-schedule.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banco de Oro (BDO) Bank Schedule" border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlGJ19KEA6k3zkJppJgWZ5ZCJ71-HA45GsBfQC_g_JPXGOw5BnkFtq0rkiIF6mb9YHoSEXJqihsreSQQMnV_OdZ8edoPAV-zsvCIXqrjvCrlStKAWNUpx2GyKecpTR3mkdgYvHxuSPJwW/s640/bank-bdo-schedule.JPG" title="Banco de Oro (BDO) Bank Schedule" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />The Bank's ATM network and online channels are ready to handle transactions and other banking services during the Lenten break. The regular banking operations will resume Monday, March 28.<br /><br /><br /><b>Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Bank Schedule</b><br /><br />On its Twitter post, BPI said said all branches and kiosks of BPI and BPI Family Savings Bank will be closed Thursday, March 24, to Sunday, March 27. Regular banking operations will resume on Monday, March 28.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Banking Advisory: In observance of the Holy Week, our branches/kiosks will be closed from March 24-27 and will resume on Monday, March 28.</div>— BPI (@TalktoBPI) <a rel='nofollow' href="https://twitter.com/TalktoBPI/status/712563355286900736">March 23, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />"For credit card payments, clients may pay their bills on or before March 23, 2016 to ensure posting of their payments before the long weekend. Please note that payments made from March 24 to 27 will be posted to their accounts on Tuesday, March 29, 2016," BPI said.<br /><br />BPI will also perform a systems maintenance from 9 p.m. of Thursday, March 24, to 9 p.m. of Friday, March 25.<br /><br />"BPI’s 24/7 banking channels such as online, mobile and phone banking (89-100) will be unavailable during this time. Transactions via BPI’s ATMs and cash deposit machines will be available," the bank said.<br /><br /><br /><b>Metrobank Schedule</b><br /><br />Metrobank said that selected branches will be open from March 24 to 27. Check out their <a rel='nofollow' href="https://www.metrobank.com.ph/announcementitem.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">holy week advisory here</a>.<br /><br />Payments received after 23 March 2016 (Wednesday) shall be processed on 28 March 2016 (Monday), the bank said.<br /><br />All E-Channels (MetrobankDirect Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Metrophone, ATMs) will be available 24/7, it added.<br /><br /><br /><b>Philippine National Bank (PNB) Bank Schedule</b><br /><br />On its Facebook post, PNB said that select branches will be open to serve during Holy Week. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9v84fB-3P8RyOldgsPyhUME5VMGfGINhBhp4zzIYY1HyMGDhU3ifBBnZyiPqkoJHpM7c-3u_X2jpKBmN1Q1GW7xjCzn4bN09HfzW8tg7wUkLK_mbC5njh3F2WZpbMUOAzk9oCQ_m8g2Z/s1600/bank-pnb-schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Philippine National Bank (PNB) Bank Schedule" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9v84fB-3P8RyOldgsPyhUME5VMGfGINhBhp4zzIYY1HyMGDhU3ifBBnZyiPqkoJHpM7c-3u_X2jpKBmN1Q1GW7xjCzn4bN09HfzW8tg7wUkLK_mbC5njh3F2WZpbMUOAzk9oCQ_m8g2Z/s1600/bank-pnb-schedule.jpg" title="Philippine National Bank (PNB) Bank Schedule" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b> <b>China Bank Schedule</b><br /><br />China Bank on its website announced that all branches will be closed from March 24-26. The regular banking will resume on Monday, March 28.<br /><br />"For banking needs, China Bank ATMs are available 24/7 nationwide. You may do real time transactions via China Bank online www.chinabankonline.ph, thru the Telephone 88-55-888 and thru the China Bank mobile App," the bank said.<br /><br /><br /><b>Security Bank</b><br /><br />Security Bank branches will be closed from March 24 to 27 except for NAIA and NAIA Terminal 3 which will be open on March 26 and 27. For inquiries and concerns, you may their customer contact center at 88-791-88.<br /><br /><br /><b>Maybank Schedule</b><br /><br />Maybank announced that all branches will be closed from March 24 to 27. Regular banking hours will resume on March 28 except for Resorts World branches that will open at 7:30 in the morning.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA40AmKyTEQNxEh6DKQyLEs4UIygCXXKQtNFFRKJj7raYMCoCMeiuuRbw_zuVN94RuqExfDtUHfS10oI0DX3XxbvKOmn2TvN1ccFGWCLiDkmCfk6rNzJTVBZMmFDnbzMhg4ebQynyMwLw/s1600/bank-maybank-holyweek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maybank Schedule Holy Week" border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCA40AmKyTEQNxEh6DKQyLEs4UIygCXXKQtNFFRKJj7raYMCoCMeiuuRbw_zuVN94RuqExfDtUHfS10oI0DX3XxbvKOmn2TvN1ccFGWCLiDkmCfk6rNzJTVBZMmFDnbzMhg4ebQynyMwLw/s640/bank-maybank-holyweek.jpg" title="Maybank Schedule Holy Week" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>PSBank</b><br /><br />Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), meanwhile, said all its branches nationwide will be closed on Thursday, March 24, and Friday, March 25.<br /><br />Its ATMs, PSBank Mobile and PSBank Online will be available for banking transactions.<br /><br /><br /><b>EastWest Bank</b><br /><br />All branches will be closed on March 24 to 25.<br /><br />Selected mall-based branches open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 26 to 27.<br /><br />From March 24 to 27, EastWest Online, ATMs and customer service hotline available.<br /><br /><b>United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB)</b><br /><br />From March 24 to 26, all branches will be closed. Meanwhile, e-banking channels are available.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORIES</b><br /><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/03/lrt-mrt-and-pnr-schedule-for-holy-week.html">LRT, MRT and PNR schedule for Holy Week 2016 released</a><br /><a rel='nofollow' href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/03/sm-other-major-malls-holy-week-2016-schedule.html">SM, other major malls Holy Week 2016 schedule released</a></div>

Banking Hours Schedule Holy Week 2016 announced

MANILA, Philippines - Major banks in the country announced the banking hours schedule in observance of the Lenten Season or Holy Week this 2016.Most of the banks will be closed from Maundy Thursday (M…

23 Mar 2016

Hardworking boy selling coin banks earns praises from netizens

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A 16-year-old boy from Cebu has become an inspiration for many netizens after his touching story circulated on Facebook.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh736WsxNh2_rbeROc449wKzoFl6zeFzJ6HngRyU8_Md0Sqscyh25BJDyH-9BzS7CtkCixXyoUCHmDlN8betiAh6fr5oNWsqTyO-axRMP3xMs5PjGxTBnpOV0dA6PX4f2yXTQnWg_6X6pg0/s1600/coin-bank-seller-cebu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Netizen Rayamel Racoma shared his fateful encounter with the young coin bank vendor" border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh736WsxNh2_rbeROc449wKzoFl6zeFzJ6HngRyU8_Md0Sqscyh25BJDyH-9BzS7CtkCixXyoUCHmDlN8betiAh6fr5oNWsqTyO-axRMP3xMs5PjGxTBnpOV0dA6PX4f2yXTQnWg_6X6pg0/s640/coin-bank-seller-cebu.jpg" title="Netizen Rayamel Racoma shared his fateful encounter with the young coin bank vendor" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Netizen Rayamel Racoma shared his fateful encounter with the young coin bank vendor. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Rayamel Racoma</td></tr></tbody></table>One of his customers, Rayamel Racoma, decided to share his fateful encounter with the hardworking boy through a lengthy post on Facebook.<br /><br />The young working student earns around P5 to P10 for each coin bank that he resells for P60 each. Despite the meagre income he gets from reselling, Escunde is grateful for the opportunity as he gets a kilogram of rice every time he purchases several pieces of coin banks to resell. At a young age, Escunde is able to support his family in his own little way.<br /><br />From their conversation, Racoma also learned that the young vendor spends the night in the city particularly on Fridays and Saturdays to spare himself from cycling all the way back to his home. <br /><br />When Racoma learned that the young vendor hasn’t taken his dinner yet, he offered to buy him a hotdog sandwich meal from a nearby convenience store. To Racoma’s surprise, Escunde only ate the hotdog. When asked why he didn’t consume the rest of the meal, Escunde revealed that he was saving it for breakfast the following day. <br /><br />In his post, Racuma said he intends to fill the coin bank he bought from Escunde with donations from netizens and later give it to him for his needs. He also encouraged other netizens to  help the boy by buying coin banks from him.<br /><br />In his post he wrote: “Please help me change his LIFE by buying his COINBANK or in any kind of HELP that can put SMILE in his FACE.I would like to have the COINBANK i bought from him to FILL it 10 peso coin and all of the PROCEEDS will be personally handed to him in a kind of buying things that he needs. e.g clothes, school supplies and groceries for his family.”<br /><br />Here’s the full story.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://web.facebook.com/rayamel.racoma/posts/10205458546046407" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://web.facebook.com/rayamel.racoma/posts/10205458546046407">PLEASE READ UNTIL THE END... The guy in the picture is Tonyo Escunde, a 16 years old. A grade 4 pupil of Dakit...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/rayamel.racoma">Rayamel Racoma</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/rayamel.racoma/posts/10205458546046407">Friday, March 18, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><b><br /></b><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Hardworking boy selling coin banks earns praises from netizens

A 16-year-old boy from Cebu has become an inspiration for many netizens after his touching story circulated on Facebook.Netizen Rayamel Racoma shared his fateful encounter with the young coin bank ven…

23 Mar 2016

Street boys caught using “pamalo” to extort money from drivers in Quezon Avenue

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- A group of young men were caught threatening drivers along a busy road in Quezon City using long metal poles to extort money. The young men were reportedly “high” on solvent during the incident.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a rel='nofollow' href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3_jsNJmuodGCNAXhVF4YN5v6XL93MJiiatgKkdChDvg9PZY6wBz86UGTgC02-clMKsNNYScWDVtGfMJ3VkW57xY2MAxqffT0hobHH0uKDf7GYt063DZ9g1SBc5IaOSR_uJ9estRGnl2G/s1600/street-boys-extort-money-quezon-avenue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Street boys caught using “pamalo” to extort money from drivers in Quezon Avenue. " border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3_jsNJmuodGCNAXhVF4YN5v6XL93MJiiatgKkdChDvg9PZY6wBz86UGTgC02-clMKsNNYScWDVtGfMJ3VkW57xY2MAxqffT0hobHH0uKDf7GYt063DZ9g1SBc5IaOSR_uJ9estRGnl2G/s640/street-boys-extort-money-quezon-avenue.jpg" title="Street boys caught using “pamalo” to extort money from drivers in Quezon Avenue. " width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Street boys caught using “pamalo” to extort money from drivers in Quezon Avenue. <br />Photo Credit: Gidget Cuisia</td></tr></tbody></table>Concerned netizen Gidget Cuisia was able to take snaps of the incident from the window of her office on Tuesday, March 22 at around 2pm. Armed with metal rods, the street boys were seen threatening to strike public and private vehicles of drivers who refuse to give anything. According to Cuisia, no law enforcers were present during the incident. <br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://web.facebook.com/gidget.cuisia/posts/10209203856278373" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://web.facebook.com/gidget.cuisia/posts/10209203856278373">Motorists beware!!! Right now, 3 young men extorting money from private and public vehicles along Quezon Avenue corner...<br />Posted by <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/gidget.cuisia">Gidget Cuisia</a> on <a rel='nofollow' href="https://web.facebook.com/gidget.cuisia/posts/10209203856278373">Monday, March 21, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br />In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Cuisia revealed that one of young men stopped a jeepney and a private vehicle. <br /><br />Cuisia told ABS-CBN News: "It became apparent that he was threatening to hit the vehicles with the rod if the driver/passenger don't give anything.” <br /><br />Moreover, Cuisia also told ABS-CBN News that it was her first time to notice such incident in the location.<br /><br />Cuisia’s post quickly spread like wildfire on social media with over 10,000 shares as of press time. <br /><br />Early this month, reports revealed that a young girl loitering at Katipunan road threatened to smash a car window after a driver refused to give her money. The unidentified girl was around 12 to 13 years old.<br /><br />On October 3, 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed into a law a measure that aims to protect youth offenders and amend the Juvenile Justice System and Welfare Act of 2006.<br /><br />Still, the new law retained 15 as the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Under this law, a child who is 15 years old or under at the time of the commission of the offense will remain exempt from criminal liability. Instead, the offender must undergo an intervention program of the government.<br /><br />Due to the alarming rise of crimes involving juveniles, some sectors have urged the Congress to change the provisions on the minimum age of liability. However, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) pointed pointed that children in conflict with the law are also victims.<br /><br /><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Street boys caught using “pamalo” to extort money from drivers in Quezon Avenue

MANILA, Philippines- A group of young men were caught threatening drivers along a busy road in Quezon City using long metal poles to extort money. The young men were reportedly “high” on solvent durin…

23 Mar 2016

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