It is amazing what great PR work can do to a countries image. They can over hype the good things and make it appear better than it seems and in contrast, they will do a complete news black out to negative things to protect their image.

Perfect example is the country where I am now and our home, Philippines. Unfortunately, Philippines is not good in keeping our image on a positive light. Most westerners only think of Abu Sayyaff  when they hear of the name Philippines and terror comes with it. We have great natural resources like close to paradise beaches that are left unknown by the world. Most westerners and even other Asians think that the Philippines is a scary place.

Let me just put it this way. What you hear about this country Philippines is  what is really happening. Without any cover up, no nothing as PR is not one thing this country has invested on compared to this another Southeast Asian country where image is everything. Even the journalists/media is not allowed to go against the government. But I have to admit, all the cover up and great PR releases did this country good.

Sometimes I hate the hypocrisy but I understand why this is done by them. For the tourism. They have better government. I am so jealous for us and I hate that we have such very negative image in the world especially with the hostage taking situation recently which killed eight Hong Kong citizens.

It’s like two men, one is dressed in parish clothing, the other just let the world to see all it’s scars bruises and everything. In reality, they both have something to hide, it’s just the other knows how to handle himself better by wearing better clothes.

Please no hatred here. That could have happened anywhere. It happened in Canada before. It can happen anywhere. Please no judgment as we do not judge the whole Hong Kong for every Filipino who experience abuse in HK.

Watched this again. Just have to post this.

Sweating bullets for sure. *Bleh*

I love this.

I adore Kumareng Winnie. She’s a good cook. Perfectly “sauteed”– if you know what I mean. Hehe.

This is how much Senator Manny Villar has spent already for this election campaign and we’re only half way through…. It’s MONTHS AWAY before the May 2010 elections.

Just last December 2009 he spent Php 70,000,000 (70 Mil) alone. Whoah!

Just one question to all those running for public office. How do you guys expect to get back the money you spent RUNNING for public office? i.e. presidency?

Even the greatest math wizards will get crazy trying to analyze how you will get your ROI (Return of Investment). Yes, politics is one great business. And believe me, once they’re in that seat already, they will maximize it’s use and get back that investment.

Let’s just say for arguments’ sake that a presidentiable spent a total of 1 billion pesos for this election, (in reality it could be much, much more) they will triple that or who knows how many times they will multiply the investment money to get the profit they will pocket????

With that money, he could have already donated thousands of units of houses with his company Camella Homes. If and I mean IF he really and truly mean that. Wow I actually dare him to do that.

That’s why I’m not voting. My one vote is just too precious to be wasted to a wrong candidate. There’s no name I could write with full confidence. So not confident that I could trust them with our future.

Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?
Nag-Pasko ka na ba sa gitna ng kalsada?
Yan ang tanong namin…
Tunay ka bang isa sa amin?. Read the rest of this entry »

ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR!

Miriam Defensor Santiago was featured in Correspondents last week.

Maganda rin naman ang naidudulot ng pagiging prangka ni Senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Ayon kay Santiago , marami ang tumatak-bong Senador dahil sa laki ng budget na ibinibigay sa kanila kada buwan.

Lumalabas na P35,000 suweldo nila kada buwan ay pakitang-tao lang sa milyun-milyong budget ng bawat senador… Kada buwan ay may Fixed Monthly Budget ang bawat Senador ng humigit-kumulang P2 Milyon.

Sa opisina pa lang nila ay humigit-kumulang P500,000 ang budget nila sa Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental, Utilities, Supplies at Domestic Travels) at P500,000 para sa Staff at Personal expenses. Kaya para makatipid ang ibang Senador, kaunti lang ang staff na kinukuha nila. Nagtataka ka pa kung bakit mayroong mga Ghost Employee?

Bukod diyan, may P760,000 allowance pa sila kada buwan para naman sa Foreign Travel. At ang masakit pa nito, hindi na kailangan i-liquidate ang mga resibo ng mga gastusin ‘yan kundi Certification lang ang Requirement.

Heto pa, lahat sila ay Chairman ng mg Komite sa Senado. Ang Committee Chairman ay tumatanggap din ng budget na sinlaki ng tinatanggap ng mga Senador na humigit-kumulang P1 Milyon din! Hindi sila mawawalan ng Komite dahil 24 lang ang ating mga Senador at 37 naman ang Committee sa Senado. There’s food for everybody ‘ika nga! Lumalabas na doble ang kanilang benepesiyo at kita kapag sila ay nabiyayaan ng Committee Chairmanship.

Sa P200 milyon na Budget para sa Pork Barrel ng mga Senador bawat taon, awtomatikong may 10% na S.O.P. o kita ng Senador na P20 milyon< /B>. Ito ang porsiyento na ibinibigay ng mga kontratista sa mga Senador na nagbibigay sa kanila ng mga Infrastructure at Livelihood Project.

Bago matapos ang termino ng isang Senador, kumita na siya ng P100 milyon sa Pork Barrel pa lang. Yung ibang Senador mas gahaman, hindi lang 10% kundi 20 – 30% ang komisyon hinihingi sa mga kontratista.

Pansinin niyo na lang ang pagbabago ng buhay ng ilan sa ating mga Senador simula nang manungkulan sa puwesto. Kung dati ay simple lang ang kanilang pamumuhay ngayon ay nakatira na sila sa mga eksklusibong subdivision, maraming bahay sa Pilipinas at abroad at mahigit lima ang sasakyan.

Ngayon nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit gumagastos ng daan-daang milyong piso ang mga Senador sa kampanya para sa isang posisyon na P35,000 lang ang suweldo kada buwan? Bawing-bawi pala ang gastos kapag naupo na!

ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR! ! !

PLEASE FORWARD TO AS MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS AND LET THE WHOLE COUNTRY KNOW THAT ELECTION IS MORE OF PUTTING AMBITIOUS PEOPLE IN POSITION WHO ARE GREEDY IN POWER, WEALTH & PRESTIGE THAN OF PUBLIC SERVICE… ANG MASAKIT PA PERA NG BAYAN PARIN GAGAMITIN SA ELEKSYON MALUKLOK LANG SILA SA PWESTO!!

Here’s the 16 year old Laura and 13 year old Alba daughters of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero..

It’s not like there’s anything wrong with being goth….

It just happened they’re the first daughters of Spain…. and it’s not expected of them…

What’s expected of them to be like? Or Looking like?

Old-fashioned haircut/hairstyle. Barely there fresh make-up. Conservative Maryjanes. With stockings if possible heheh… BE princess like.

Teenagers go through different phases… They just fell in the goth category…

I fell into the chubby-lita(chubby) category heheheh….

Another issue here is that NOBODY IN SPAIN HAS SEEN THEM BEFORE. NO PHOTOS OF THEM HAS BEEN PUBLISHED.

There’s a law that prohibits the press to release their photos in public to protect their privacy.

Unfortunately when their father brought them along to a reception in New York’s MET hosted by President Barack Obama with his wife, they took a photo, all of them there. Then it was posted in the State Department’s Flickr page. They took it out after the Spanish government requested so.

Oh girls we feel you.

The conversation between  the President and a CNBC news reporter was suppose to be off the record.

But some ABC employees overheard President Obama’s remark and immediately used Tweeter to let everybody know.

It was deleted after an hour but is already too late. ABC apologized to the White House and CNBC anyway.

It was just an informal exchange of talk before the actual interview begins when someone asked the President what his daughter thinks of the “Kanye-West-butting-in-on-Taylor-Swift-on-stage” incident.

“I thought that was really inappropriate,” Obama says. “What are you butting in (for)? … The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What’s he doing up there?”

Then someone asked, “Why would he do it?”

“He’s a jackass.” The preesident replied. Then asked for the news people to cut him some slack as he’s got a lot going on, meaning more important matters.

Then  the rest was the tweetering thing.

I like him more because of this hehehheh…..

I mean he’s a really cool President. He’s real too.

I hate politics. It’s just undeniably dirty. Reason why I never want to talk about it. Why? Because I know nothing good could come out of it. I got nothing to say but negative things about it. I dont wanna complain anymore.

But then I was driving home last night. It was a few minutes before I took this photo, it was raining hard. I was worried. Why? Aside from the heavy rain, IT’S SO DARK! How come there’s no lights in Emilio Aguinaldo Highway? Too few lights in Coastal Road? (We’re paying for crying out loud!)

I hate it that we know for sure that the taxes we pay from our hard earned money aren’t going to good use most of the time. They  go straight to politicians’ pockets and their trips abroad! I cant seem to find one government project that people are contented with and no hocus pocus for sure was done with it. That they didnt try to use some low grade materials so the money they saved will go to their bank accounts.

These are things Filipinos know very well about. It’s so normal we just shrug it off.

It’s just that it’s already a big slap in the face that even something as simple as street lights they cannot provide! I hate it! We need them lights! It’s so dangerous! Driving itself is dangerous enough, add in darkness of night, heavy rain and iresponsible and reckless drivers and we are at great risks!

So many factors we cant control but the simplest we can fix is street lights! Cars are only relying on our own headlights and eventhough sometimes I get a little pissed when they get me “blinded” with their high beams but I can’t really blame them they might really need it….

I prefer not to compare but in Singapore from 1730H-1800H they already have lights on… On their homes/building/HDB corridors even, not just on streets! What more with their streets? It’s so bright I can go home at the latest of hours or at the break of dawn. There you know you’re taxes are being spent well, it’s in good use. So no use complaining, people are contented.

My dear Philippines, when can we see change?

P.S. I didnt even mention the streets here that are just carbon copies of the surface of the moon. You can’t have a smooth and relaxing drive here.