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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Aquino takes oath as 15th Philippine president

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Wednesday took his oath of office as the country's 15th president, marking the first peaceful transfer of power in the country in more than a decade.
"Matimtim kong pinanunumpaan [o pinatotohanan] na tutuparin ko nang buong katapatan at sigasig ang aking mga tungkulin bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, pangangalagaan at ipagtatanggol ang kanyang Konstitusyon, ipatutupad ang mga batas nito, magiging makatarungan sa bawat tao, at itatalaga ang aking sarili sa paglilingkod sa Bansa. Kasihan nawa ako ng Diyos."




Pres. Aquino, clad in barong Tagalog, pledged to bring a new era of good governance, reforms, and a bureaucracy that will be sensitive to the plight of the common folk.

The Inaugural Address of Benigno S. Aquino III
Videos
Part1


Part2


Part3



Remembering mom



Congresswoman Gloria
 
 

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Cabinet Members of the Philippines under President Noynoy Aquino

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - Here is a list of the members of the Cabinet of President-elect Benigno Aquino III, announced on June 29, 2010.
(source: http://www.gmanews.tv)


  • Department of Foreign Affairs - Alberto Romulo (incumbent DFA secretary)



  • Department of Finance - Cesar Purisima (former DOF secretary and a member of the Hyatt 10)



  • Department of Justice - Leila De Lima (erstwhile Commission on Human Rights chairperson)



  • Department of National Defense - Voltaire Gazmin (former Philippine Army chief and Presidential Security Group commander in Cory Aquino's administration)



  • Department of Education - Bro. Armin Luistro (former De La Salle University president)



  • Department of Budget and Management - Florencio "Butch" Abad (former DepEd secretary and one of the Hyatt 10)



  • National Economic and Development Authority - Cayetano Paderanga Jr. (who served the same position in Cory Aquino's administration)



  • Department of Agriculture - Quezon Rep. Proceso Alcala



  • Department of Environment and Natural Resources - DENR Undersecretary Ramon Paje



  • Department of Transportation and Communications - Jose "Ping" De Jesus (former DPWH secretary and current Meralco COO)



  • Department of Labor and Employment - Rosalinda Baldos (incumbent undersecretary of the department)



  • Department of Health - Enrique Ona (incumbent executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute)



  • Department of Tourism - Alberto Lim (executive director of the Makati Business Club)



  • Department of Trade and Industry - Greg Domingo (former DTI undersecretary)



  • Department of Social Welfare and Development - Corazon "Dinky" Soliman (former DSWD secretary and one of the Hyatt 10)



  • Department of Science and Technology - Mario Montejo



  • Department of Energy - Jose Rene Almendras (Manila Water Co. Inc. president)



  • Department of Public Works and Highways - Rogelio Singson (Maynilad president and CEO)



  • Department of Agrarian Reform - Virgilio de los Reyes (incumbent undersecretary of the department)



  • Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process - Teresita Deles (former peace adviser and one of the Hyatt 10)



  • Presidential Management Staff (PMS) head - Julia Abad (Aquino's Senate chief of staff)



  • Presidential spokesman - Edwin Lacierda (Aquino's campaign spokesman)



  • Presidential chief legal counsel - Eduardo de Mesa



  • Commission on Higher Education - Patricia Licuanan (Miriam College president)



  • Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner - Kim Jacinto-Henares (former BIR deputy commissioner)



  • Lawyer Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. is widely known as the Executive Secretary.

    Aquino did not yet name the head of the Department of Interior and Local Government, saying he is still choosing among three candidates.

    "Each has a particular set of pluses and minuses. We are also trying, some of them have multiple roles that they can fill," Aquino said. "It’s my fault, I still have to make a decision, I didn’t talk to them until after I got proclaimed. We’re still not that confident of choosing which of the three."

    Aquino said he will manage the DILG temporarily until he chooses someone to head the department. "As soon as I can relinquish it, I will relinquish it. Kung sa kamakalawa, I will do so," he said.

    It is not the first time that the president stood as the acting head of a department. In 1998, then President Joseph Estrada temporarily headed the DILG portfolio. Mrs. Arroyo also briefly held the DND portfolio early in her administration.

    Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay, who has earlier expressed his preference to take over the DILG, refused to accept any Cabinet post after reports surfaced that Aquino was not keen on placing him at the DILG.

    Binay later revealed that Aquino offered to make him the head of any of the following government agencies: Department of Agrarian Reform, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the commission that will be formed to probe corruption scandals in the Arroyo administration.

    Aquino maintained on Tuesday that Binay is not among the choices for the DILG post. "I did not offer the post to him. And he clarified he didn’t seek the post also. He was only asked if he had a choice, which would he have chosen," he said.

    Aquino also refused to confirm whether Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, whom he earlier eyed for the post, is still among the three choices.

    Surprise appointees

    Some of the appointments were expected, like the appointments of four Hyatt 10 members: Abad, Purisima, Soliman, and Deles. But others came as a surprise.

    Prior to the announcement, it was rumored that Aquino was choosing among former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez-Tan and incumbent Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral. But he chose Ona, who has not headed the DOH before.

    Paje's appointment also came as a surprise, as it was rumored that acting secretary Horacio Ramos will stay at his post and then defeated Liberal Party senatorial candidate Neric Acosta — who had authored several environmental laws as Bukidnon congressman — will replace him after the one-year ban on appointing losing candidates.

    Microfinance expert Jaime Aristotle Alip was rumored to be the next DA secretary, so Alcala's appointment was unforeseen by many.

    Aquino also named retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as the head of a "Truth Commission" that will investigate unresolved controversies in government, particularly those that occurred in the Arroyo administration.




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    Cervical Cancer Vaccine

    Let me share something about health this time. Most women out there probably have heard about the great news that cervical cancer can be prevented through a vaccine. I, for one, have been pushed by my husband to get this cervical cancer vaccine this coming July. Though a shot really costs a lot, (3 thousand per shot for a bivalent vaccine and you need to complete 3 doses) I think there is nothing expensive when it comes to health concerns. Even if I’m not so comfortable with needles and even if a vaccine may have reported minor side effects, I’m willing to give it a shot, especially if the vaccine has something to do with fighting cancer. Probably, this is how most people think too. Cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, especially if diagnosed early. Here’s a quick guide from Femalenetwork.com on the essential things you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones.

    WHAT CAUSES CERVICAL CANCER?

    Unlike other cancers whose origins or causes are unclear, the cause of cervical cancer (the cervix is the lower narrow part of the uterus or the womb) has been traced to the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV.

    According to Dr. Cecilia Llave, M.D., PhD, the program director of the Cancer Institute at the University of the Philippines-PGH, “It has been found that 99.7 percent of women with cervical cancer are also positive for HPV. For a woman to have cervical cancer, she must have been consistently and persistently infected by HPV, making HPV the necessary cause of cervical cancer.”

    Half of cervical cancer cases occur in women between the ages of 35 and 55.

    HOW MANY TYPES OF HPV ARE THERE?

    According to Dr. Efren Domingo, secretary general of the Asia Oceania Research Organization in Genital Infections and Neoplasia and the organization’s president in the Philippines, there are over 100 different types of HPV.

    “HPV is the one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. An estimated 50 percent of sexually-active people will get genital HPV infection in their lifetime. Most are relatively harmless and, in most cases, are spontaneously cleared by the body’s immune system.”

    WHICH HPVS ARE HIGH-RISK AND WHICH ARE LOW-RISK?

    There are, however, certain types of HPV that lead to cancer.

    Says Domingo: “HPV 6 and 11 are called ‘low-risk’ types. They cause abnormal cervical changes that show up in pap smear results and cause 90 percent of genital warts.

    HPV 16 and 18 are ‘high-risk’ types and cause cervical cancer and abnormal cervical changes that sometimes lead to cancer. Seventy percent of cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV 16 and 18.”

    It is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of women will acquire an HPV infection in their lifetime. Studies show that, of these, up to half will be infected with a high-risk HPV type.


    WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL CANCER?

    Common signs and symptoms of cervical cancer are:
    • vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause
    • watery or bloody vaginal discharge with a foul odor
    • pelvic pain during intercourse

    However, some cases of HPV are asymptomatic. It is best to have routine pap tests within three years of when you begin having sex or at age 21, whichever comes first.

    WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT MYSELF FROM BEING EXPOSED TO HIGH-RISK FACTORS?
    Here are some tips for reducing the likelihood of your contracting a high-risk HPV type.
    • Avoid smoking.

    The exact linkage between smoking and cervical cancer is not yet known, but smoking increases risk of precancerous changes we as well as cancer of the cervix.
    • Be faithful.

    The greater your number of sex partners, the more your partner’s number of sex partners, the greater your chance of acquiring HPV.
    • Practice safer sex.

    Use condoms correctly and consistently and for each type of sex: anal, oral, or vaginal.
    • Abstain from sex.

    Even better than sticking to one sexual partner or practicing safe sex is having none at all. So if you’re of two minds about entering a casual relationship, our advice is to just say no.
    • Delay first intercourse.

    Having sex before the age of 18 increases your risk of HPV. Immature cells are more susceptible to pre-cancerous changes that HPV can cause.

    HOW DO HPV VACCINES WORK?

    HPV vaccines cause the body to develop antibodies against HPV and protect it against infection. HPV vaccines have been seen to provide 70 to 80 percent protection against cervical cancers.

    Cervical cancer vaccines mostly work to protect against high-risk HPVs. Basically, there are two vaccines currently available: Cervarix and Gardasil. Cervarix provides protection against the high-risk HPVs 16 and 18 and is generally cheaper than Gardasil. However, Gardasil provides protection against HPVs 6 and 11 as well as 16 and 18. For more details, please see the comparison chart below:



    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CERVICAL CANCER VACCINES:

    Below are some common inquiries about getting yourself or your daughter vaccinated for cervical cancer:


    What if I miss my second or third dose?

    There is no need to restart the vaccine series due to missed doses. If you miss the second dose, you may get the shot as soon as you remember; you would then get your third dose after 12 weeks. If you miss the third dose, you may get the shot as soon as possible.

    It is important to get all three doses to ensure maximum effectiveness.


    Do we have to be screened prior to vaccination?

    There is no recommended screening method for HPV prior to vaccination at the moment.


    Should I still continue regular screening and testing even after I have been vaccinated?

    Yes. Cervical cancer screening should still continue for women, regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated.

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    Sunday, June 27, 2010

    Latest Scam on Facebook

    I got this message in Facebook a while ago:

    Sorry that I had to send this message. Since Facebook has recently become very popular, has become the many complaints that Facebook has become unacceptably slow. The report shows that the reason is that Facebook has a number of non-active members and, secondly, many new Facebook members. We want to send this message to see whether you're active members or not. If you're aktiviinen, can you send this message to at least 15 users. Use the "Copy - Cut and Paste" to show that you are still active. Those who do not send this message within 2 weeks in, will be removed in order to get more space. Send this message to your friends to show me that you are still active, and do not want to be removed.

    Facebook founder
    Mark Zuckerberg

    Of course it's not true, so don't believe it.:-)

    It is an attempt to overload the servers. It's based on a pyramid effect with a multiplier of fifteen so it is 15x15x15x15x15 so just working from this fifth level it would add up to you being responsible for more than three quarters of a million emails being sent in the last level only.

    Thursday, June 17, 2010

    June 30 declared a non-working holiday

    MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared June 30, the historic inaugural of President-elect Benigno Aquino III, as a special non-working holiday. This is to allow the people to attend the inaugural of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III at the Quirino Grandstand. Under the Constitution, outgoing President Arroyo and other elected officials in government will relinquish their respective offices on the noon of June 30. Palace officials will make the formal announcement today regarding the details of the declaration, the report added.

    Wednesday, June 9, 2010

    New Philippine President / Vice President


    Today marks the beginning of a new government as the congress proclaimes Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Cabauatan Binay as the duly elected president and vice president, respectively. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III becomes the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines. Aquino, who pulled away even on the last day of canvassing, posted 15,208,678 votes against his closest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, who garnered 9,487,837 votes. Aquino, an economics graduate, has said that fighting corruption, improving the economy and bridging the enormous wealth divide will be among his top priorities while Binay camp lobbies for DILG post. They will formally takes office on June 30. Let's just pray that they will prove their worth and show to the Filipino people that they voted the right person.
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    Wednesday, June 2, 2010

    2 Year Old Smoking Cigarettes Video

    I got this video from fb friend and was disgusted to see a two year old baby smoking. I really feel so sorry for that kid knowing that his parents are the one who taught him how to smoke. What kind of parents are they actually? I mean that is really ridiculous why his parents even let him do it just because he will throw a tantrum if he doesn't get a cigarette. They should never allow the baby to smoke because smoking is a bad habit. And now, he's really addicted to it and his parents are not doing anything to stop it. Seems they are not overly concerned with their son's smoking. It's so obvious that they are not a good parent. They should be counseled the right way on how to raise their children.