Friday, September 26, 2008

20-year-old Rabeh Al-Hussaini of the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles won this year’s Most Valuable Player award during the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP Season 71) men’s basketball awards at the Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-foot-6 Al-Hussaini, whose first name, Rabeh, means winner in Arabic ended the reign of 2007 winner and University of Santo Tomas (UST Growling Tigers) star Jervy Cruz. “I’ve been working really hard in practice,” said Al-Hussaini. “The award is just a bonus. I want the [championship] ring for everyone in the team.” he added. He also bagged the Appeton Most Improved Player award after tripling his scoring production from an average of only 5.9 points last year.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

At last the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit are all set for nest month and of course I don’t wanna miss this opportunity to be part of the biggest happening for bloggers in this part of Mindanao and the Philippines. This time the event will bwe held at the Tuna Capital of the Philippines, Gen. Santos City which is just an hour from where I live. I hope to meet more bloggers and meeting them in person.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Philippines has four entries in the top eleven of the New 7 Wonders in Nature. Please let us help our country a chance to be united in the goal of placing our dearest Republic to the list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The following entries are:

The Splendid Tubbataha Reef – A Sanctuary for numerous marine
species and an atoll coral reef in the Sulu Sea

The Distinguished Subterranean River - An 8.2 km underground
river featuring limestone and rock landscapes located in Puerto Princesa City

The Enthralling Chocolate Hills – An unsual formation of perfectly
cone-shaped hills found in Bohol

The Majestic Mayon Volcano – A still active volcano but havinga symmetric cone formed through lava flows found in Legazpi City

So please sign-up and log on to http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/index/.
Support and take part in this national aspiration.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Mobile street vendors are very common in the Philippines and there are lots of them selling anything, from food to clothes. Today’s image is “Mango Vendor on Wheels!“, he’s selling green mangoes by piece or you can buy it already sliced and you can choose from different dips to go with it, salt and vinegar, soy sauce or shrimp paste(Bagoong). I’m already salivating!

What is your choice of mango dip?

SM City Davao is sponsoring a seminar on Autism in order for the public to know and understand autism, a psychological disorder and how to cope with it. The seminar will be held in Cinema 1 on September 27 from 8 a.m -12 noon with the theme: “Triumph Over Autism”!

The internationally acclaimed lecturer and author Annabel Stehli, together with her daughter Georgiana Thomas, will share their experience in dealing with autism.

Stehli is the Director of the Georgiana Institute in Roxbury, CT, a non-profit organization founded in 1991 and dedicated to providing information on Auditory Integration Training (AIT).

Stehli who authored the book Sound of Miracle, a Child’s Triumph Over Autism, is also the editor of Dancing in the Rain, Stories of Exceptional Progress by Parents of Children with Special Needs and Sound of Falling Snow, Stories of Recovery from Autism and Related Conditions.

His daughter Georgiana Thomas was diagnosed as severely autistic at the age three.By defying the odds and the experts and stunning those who knew her and heard about her, Georgiana went from special education to straight A’s in a mainstream school after receiving AIT.

Although Georgiana had no speech at four, she is now fluent in six languages, including Arabic, spoken and written. Her story is detailed in her self-published autobiography, Overcoming Autism. Georgiana attributes her recovery to diving intervention, AIT, and parents who finally paid attention when they were led in the right direction.

The Davao seminar on Autism is organized by Beacon Learning Center in cooperation with SM Supermalls Committee on Disability Affairs and Sound Therapy Learning Center.

For registration and queries, call (082) 224-1174.

Rural Bank of Digos, Inc. was again chosen by the Land Bank of the Philippines as “Most Outstanding Rural Bank in Region 11 for 2007” and “Most Outstanding Rural Bank in National Level – 4th place for 2007.” RBDI also received the Regional Award for 2003, 2005, 2006 and now, for 2007. Last year, RBDI received its first National Award as 5th in the country.

RB Digos Vice President Genelyd D. Bautista and HR/Admin Manager Giovanni D. Gabriento personally received the awards at the Land Bank Plaza in Manila last August 29. Plaques and cash prizes were given for both awards.

The award was presented by Finance Secretary Gary B. Teves, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap; LBP President and CEO Gilda E. Pico and LBP EVP Wilfredo C. Maldia.

Also present were LBP First VP Head-Mindanao Branches Group Delia M. Ladao; LBP VP Region 11 Head Sam Butuan B. Abdul and LBP VP Region 12 Head Joselito P. Gutierrez.

RBDI was again chosen from among the 420 rural banks assisted by Land Bank. It bested the other rural banks in the region and in the county in the three criteria set by LBP – (1) organizational management, business operations and financial management, (2) pass on rate to small farmers and fishermen, and (3) partnership with LBP.

RB Digos was organized in December 1955 and was the first bank to operate in Digos and the southern part of the then empire province of Davao. That is why it earned the acronym “The Pioneer Bank.”It started its operations on February 17, 1956. It has grown to become one of the most financially stable and well managed rural banks in the country today.

Through the years, RB Digos has been in the forefront of helping micro, small and medium enterprises, farmers, businessmen and various types of entrepreneurs in Southern Mindanao specifically in Davao del Sur and North Cotabato. It has established strong financial partnerships with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Land Bank of the Philippines, Coconut Industry Investment Fund Finance Corporation, Micro-Enterprise Access to the Banking Sector in Mindanao, People’s Credit and Finance Corporation, Upland Development Program under Department of Agriculture and the European Union and Social Security System.

Its head office is located along Rizal Avenue, Digos City and has five branches: Digos (Main), Bansalan, Malita, Kidapawan, and Antipas. Among its services are acceptance of savings, time and current account deposits. It grants agricultural, commercial, industrial, microfinance, barangay, salary and pension loans. Other services include on-line deposits/withdrawals, Western Union transactions, SSS and Philhealth payments, electric and telephone bill payments.

The groundbreaking of the P5 billion Ayala Center Davao yesterday along JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City marked another milestone for a growing economy in the city.

The project that will rise within a 10-hectare property is a partnership between Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) and the Antonio Floirendo Corp. (Anflocor).

The project includes Abreeza, a 61,000 square meter mall with office buildings and 18,000 square meter business process outsourcing (BPO) center.

Operations of the first phase of the mall will start on the fourth quarter of 2010, while the second phase will start on the third quarter of 2011.

Operations of building 1 of the BPO center is targeted to operate on the fourth quarter of 2009 and building 2 on the fourth quarter of 2011.

ALI president Jaime Ayala at a press conference yesterday held at Pearl Farm Davao Marina said the project’s total cost is estimated at P4billion to P5 billion.

Anflocor director Maria Christina Brias said they are projecting to generate 11,000 jobs from Abreeza Mall and the BPO center.

But Ayala said they are optimistic the number will grow higher given the multiplier effect which the BPO center stands to create when it fully operates.

Based on the Abreeza fact sheet, ALI will own 67 percent of the development project while Anflogroup will own 33 percent.

Three hectares of the entire property will also be sold as lots for residential or commercial purposes.

He also said that both companies will step up marketing promotions to lure both local and international investors to locate in said huge business establishment.

Ayala identified the stable peace and order situation in Davao City and the positive performance of retail sales as among the economic indicators in Davao City that pushed ALI and Anflogroup to venture into such a gargantuan project

Source

Kung mayaman ka, meron kang ‘allergy’

Kung mahirap ka, ang tawag dyan ay ‘galis’ o ‘bakokang’

Sa mayaman, ‘nervous breakdown’ dahil sa ‘tension and stress’
Sa mahirap, ‘sira ang ulo’

Kung mayaman ka, ‘pneumonia’ raw ang sakit mo
Kung mahirap, ‘TB’ ’yon

Sa mayaman, ‘hyperacidity’
Kapag mahirap, ‘ulcer’ dahil walang laman ang tiyan

Sa mayamang ‘malikot ang kamay’, ang tawag ay ‘kleptomaniac’
Sa mahirap, ang tawag ay ‘magnanakaw’ o ‘kawatan’

Pag mayaman ka, you’re ‘eccentric’
Kung mahirap ka, ‘may toyo ka sa ulo’ o ‘may topak’ o ‘may sayad’

Kung mayaman ka at sumakit ang ulo mo, ikaw ay may ‘migraine’
Kung mahirap ka naman at sumakit ang ulo mo, ikaw ay ‘nalipasan ng gutom’

Kung mayaman ka, you are referred to as someone who is ‘scoliotic’
Pero kung mahirap ka, ikaw ay ‘kuba’

Kung ang señorita mo ay maitim, ang tawag ay ‘morena’ o ‘sun tanned’
Pero kung isa kang domestic na maitim, ikaw ay ‘ita’ o ‘negrita’ o ‘baluga’

Kung na sa high society ka at ikaw ay maliit, ang tawag sa iyo ay ‘petite’
Kung mahirap ka lang, ikaw ay ‘pandak’ o ‘bansot’

Kung socialite ka, ikaw ay ‘pleasingly plump’
Kapag mahirap ka, ika’y ‘tabatsoy’ o ‘lumba-lumba’ …pagminamalas ka, ‘baboy’ pa

Kapag mayaman, ‘fasting’ ang hindi kumain
Kung mahirap, ‘nagtitiis’

Kung well-off ka at date ka rito, date ka roon, ang tawag sa iyo ay ‘socialite’
Kung mahirap ka, ikaw ay ‘pakawala’ o ‘pok-pok’

Kung mayamang alembong ka, ang tawag sa iyo ay ‘liberated’
Pero kung isa kang dukha, ang tawag sa iyo ‘malandi’

Kapag mayaman, ‘misguided’ o ‘spoiled’ ka
Kung mahirap ka, ‘addict’ o ‘durugista’

Kung may pera ka, ang tawag sa iyo ‘single parent’
Pero kung wala kang trabaho, ang tawag sa iyo ‘disgrasyada’

Kapag mayaman at sexy, ‘fashionable’ raw
Kung mahirap, sigurado ‘GRO’ o ‘japayuki’ ka

Ang tawag sa mayayamang puro gulay ang kinakain, ‘vegetarian’
Habang kakaawa ang mahirap na ‘ kumakain ng damo.’

Sa exclusive school, ‘assertive’ ang mga batang sumasagot sa mga guro
Pero pag ang mga mahihirap na bata ang sumasagot sa mga guro, ang tawag sa kanila ay ‘bastos!’

Ang mayamang tumatanda, ‘are graduating gracefully into senior citizenhood’
Ang mga mahihirap ay ‘gumugurang’

Ang anak ng mayaman ay ‘slow learner’
Ang anak ng mahirap ay ‘bobo’ o ‘gung-gong’

Kung mayaman ka at marami kang kumain, you flatter your host who says,
‘masarap kang kumain and I like you, you do justice to my cooking’
Kung ghastly peasant ka eating the same amount in the same house, your host will say to himself na ikaw ay ‘patay-gutom’

Kung graduate ka ng exclusive school at sa ibang bansa ka nagtatrabaho, ang tawag sa iyo ‘expat’
Kung mahirap ka lang, ikaw ay ‘contract worker’