13 bits of Local News – Thursday Thirteen #16

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All these news items are from (Philippine Daily) Inquirer.net:

1 – Senate ratifies JPEPA –

This one’s hot off the press as the senators just finished their long discussions and the voting for this very controversial piece of legislation. JPEPA or the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement has been ratified by the Philippine Senate just this evening. It has been drafted, discussed, disputed, and defended by all sides for a very long time. One of the biggest concerns of those against this agreement is how prone it is to being abused, with the Philippines being on the losing end.

Since I don’t have comprehensive information on this issue, I will reserve my comments for a later time.

2 – Milk product positive for melamine–DoH – 

A third product has been added to the list of milk that has been found tainted with melamine. Apparently, it is not at all unusual for traces of melamine to seep into food products but there is an allowable limit. JollyCow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk has been found to have about 7 times more than the allowable amount of 0.5 parts per million (ppm).

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, a 50-kg person can take only as much as 25mL of melamine a day. Babies in China have become ill because they are small and all they have is milk all day, their bodies are no longer able to fend off the toxicity of melamine. 

3 – BBC producers defiant over racist slur –
Filipino expats in the UK were outraged by a recent episode of the comedy series “Harry and Paul” for depicting Filipina maids in a bad light. Though the Philippine Government has yet to issue a formal complaint against the BBC and the producers of the show, our ambassador to the UK has already released a statement regarding the issue.

Although the production house that makes the show maintains that the scene was in no way intended to demean or upset any viewer – it has offended many Filipinos.

During the sketch, Enfield’s character urges his neighbor to have sex with another neighbor’s Filipina maid, saying he is trying to see if “we could mate their Filipina maid with our Northerner, but he’s not having any of it”.

He then says, “Come on Clyde, mount her” and addressing the maid, says: “You, you, present your rear.”

4 –  Teehankee release hit –

Claudio Teehankee Jr’s father and namesake was a former Supreme Court Chief Justice. His brother is currently the Philippine Representative to the World Trade Organization, and a known ally of the President. 

In 1992, he was sentenced to life imprisonment (and two more lesser sentences) for the brutal killing (shooting) of 16-year-old Maureen Hultman and her friend. Another person was also seriously injured.

Last Friday, just before midnight, he was released from the New Bilibid Prisons – having been granted an executive clemency. He is now back under public scrutiny.

Seems that due process was not followed for his pardon. The family, and the prosecutor who put him in jail were unaware that he had even applied for amnesty.

5 – Hultmans ‘shocked’ at Teehankee release – I’d say the whole country’s in shock.

6 – No proof Teehankee reformed – Right, how can there be restorative justice when there’s no real rehabilitation/treatment plan for convicted felons? 


 

7 – Ayala, GSIS interested in Philamlife – 

They say there may be up to ten corporations interested in buying. I hope it goes not just to the highest bidder, but also to the company that will be most able to take care of our interests. Hmp. 

The Yuchengco Group of Companies has also expressed interest. But many may not feel safe with their term life insurance in the hands of the company that still has pending complaints after the fall of their previous pre-need plans venture. Already, former policy owners from a Yuchengco subsidiary are making noise against any move for this company to take over PhilamLife. 

8 – Philamlife’s suitors – In a way, knowing that many corporations are interested in acquiring PhilAm makes it easier to be confident that our savings are safe.

9 – NBI raids suspected cybersex den – Ugh. Disgusting.

10 – UP employees to get salary hike – The UP workers are among the lowest paid University workers, the deserved a pay increase. 

11 – Cough syrup not for use in kids under 4 – The article doesn’t specifically say why though.

12 – Hundreds join walk vs. breast cancer (Cebu) – Which reminds me, to click daily for Breast Cancer research (thebreastcancersite.com)

13 – ‘Lean, mean’ budget pushed in House – Hmm. I’m not sure they’re going about it the right way. Scrutinized the budget, there may be more double entries there.

What’s happening in your city/country?

**Checkout my previous TT’s here and here. Also don’t forget to sign Mr Linky, and leave a comment so I can go visit you too.

the Art & Soul of Baking

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I registered at the Fully Booked website at the height of my search for paper back editions of the Twilight Saga. Last night, I received their first ever e-zine containing some of their new releases. 

This is what caught my attention:

The image is linked to a review of the cookbook.

I really want to grab a copy. Along with the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (which, I realized just today, was the big thick marked down cookbook I saw at NBS, SM Otis when we were there three weeks ago!). If I can’t enroll for a baking class, then these top-rated cookbooks have got to teach me what I need to know. Haha.

I really want a new oven. I want it bad. *Sniff*


Oh, and because I was over at the Fully Booked site again, I remembered how I’d love to get their Discount Card which entitles holders to 10% off your purchases. The thing is, you need to accumulate 10k’s worth of receipts (all spent within a year) to receive a free one, or you could buy one for 700 pesos. If only someone would get me one. Haha. 🙂

Seeing Home

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I belong to a Yahoogroup of mostly women who spend a lot of their time on their computer – both on- and offline. A lot of them create tags using PaintShop Pro; they would then offer those tags up and group members can have their name put on them, for free. Like this one:

I am in three groups now. One is a group owned by a tagger, and I am just there to snag. The other is a sharing group where I get most of my freebie fonts and other graphics files. I joined that one so I can have something to share in this third group. Group number three is open to both taggers and snaggers, but tags aren’t the only things shared. There are sub-groups or committees in T4S, much like an organization. There are groups for people wanting to learn PSP, and a support group for those who want to lose weight, a recipe sharing circle, among others.

The first group I ever joined some three or four years ago was Friend2Friend. F2F was not just about the graphics files, it was really a community of women from all over the world. To this day, I’m not much of a forum person because I got so used to just logging on to my email and seeing all the chatter from women of all ages and from all over. 

Although most of the women in the group were much older in years, and led very different lives from mine, I felt that I truly belonged there. That I had found friends. For the past three years, I always receive a lot of interesting Christmas cards posted from the other side of the world. I only resigned from the group because I didn’t have time to perform “duties” as a leader of one of its committees, and eventually I couldn’t be an active member. Perhaps it’s time to think about rejoining. 

Anyway, it was through F2F that I first learned about PaintShop Pro. I signed up for the PSP Workshop and went through tutorials that taught me the basics of the software. There was always someone available to help you out with a software question, specially when you were dealing with the weekly assignment. 

Whew, I had no intentions to reminisce about F2F. What I really wanted to share was this photo that I recently received from one of the groups. It reminded me of Auntie Nellie’s house in Bangaan (in Sagada, Mt.Province):

I seriously don’t know why I don’t have a picture of her house that shows her lovely front yard that’s as filled with color as this artwork is. Maybe I do but I’ll have to search for it.

I’m not sure that I ever had a picture in my mind of the house that I’d like to grow old in. But I think it pretty much looks like this.  Mind you, I have no green thumb, so I have no idea how I could get a lovely garden. But since I am dreaming, it’s not impossible.

I’d always thought that the sala or living room would be the central part of my house, just as it is in my parents’ house. We are a family who spend their time at night gathered around the TV. We don’t hie off to our rooms until bedtime. Lately though, when Alfred and I discussed future homes, we kinda agreed that the kitchen would probably eat up a lot of the space. He would cook, I would bake. So maybe the kitchen will be the central space in this, our house. I can’t wait to map it out how it will look, and to pick the many appliances we’ll be needing. 🙂

When we were building this house at 19th street, where we all still live, everyone was involved in choosing the furnishings. There were times that we’d go to the builder’s depot as a family, just to pick out the bathroom faucets, kitchen sink, tiles and even paint. I actually enjoyed those times. I didn’t mind at all. If we do decide to move in to the condo instead of renting it out, I know I will have fun fixing it up. Unless the cost frustrates me, that is.

PhilAm Life to change ownership

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Until today, I hadn’t really felt any direct impact of the fall of financial institutions in the US. I heard on the news today that PhilAm Life, possibly the biggest insurance company in the country, is being sold to new owners. Read the story here.

I knew that AIG had business in the Philippines, but somehow it had escaped my mind that that business included PhilAm Life. I have an insurance policy with PhilAm, so does my brother. My dad has two. Our relatives also have policies with them. Our agent is a family friend.

PhilAm Life is currently assuring policy holders of the company’s stability. No one less than their President and CEO Jose Cuisia, Jr. has come out for media interviews. He is up there confidently telling anyone and everyone that the company has a strong and stable portfolio, and that even if there is a change in ownership, they’re procedures and practices won’t change.

Well I sure hope so.

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Visiting Baclayon Church

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Be sure you’ve read my previous Bohol posts before continuing with this one 🙂 Read Parts one, two, and three.


From the Loboc River Cruise, there was only stop left for us in the tour – the oldest church in the island and the second oldest in the country: Baclayon Church.

I didn’t get a very good picture of the church because it started to drizzle when we got there. But the Church faces the sea and the view from the museum’s windows were so picturesque. The breeze was refreshing too. I understand that the Parish school is right beside the church. It must be difficult to concentrate on school work when you’ve got such a lovely view just outside. 🙂

For lack of a beautiful picture by yours truly, I turned to my trusty search engine and found these lovely photos:

Don’t you just love those colors? Here’s another photo, too bad the uploaded photo is quite small. 

It would have been nice to explore the interior of the Church, but they had a seminar ongoing at the time, so we didn’t get to walk around that much. I remember having gone there the first time I was in town in 1999 or 2000. But I didn’t get any photos. Old Catholic churches are interesting even just for all the history you can find in its furnishings. The fact that it was already raining outside, and the sun was hiding, added to my frustration at only having my camera phone for pictures. 

They have a museum here that charges a 20 peso entrance fee. I could have skipped that, but Alfred was interested so we walked up. There’s a souvenir shop in the vicinity too. 

The Jesuit-built church at Baclayon is also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. You can read about it here.

By the time we were ready to go out, the rain was pouring. They weren’t allowing vehicles to enter the parking area so our car was outside by the road. Like a boy scout, an umbrella’d Janny came to us toting two additional umbrellas – one for each of us.

The next time I visit Baclayon, I hope there’ll be more sun and we better be equipped with a better camera too. I am sure there was much to see inside the Church itself. 

On the way back to the city, we had one more stop – a souvenir shop that allegedly gave discounts. It was a bit more pricey and even with the discounts, you’re better off buying elsewhere. We did buy some of their bead bracelets and necklaces. Those were reasonably priced and they had some good designs too.

This concludes our countryside tour of Bohol. Next post will finally be on our Panglao Island experience – the beach! 🙂

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