Yahoo Answers Philippines HIGHLIGHTS of 2009

For those of you who have been contributors of Y!A Philippines, here is the blog of Jonas De los Reyes, Lead Community Manager, Yahoo Southeast Asia.

Y!Answers Philippines

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

60th Anniversary of China

Here are pictures taken during the 60th Anniversary of the founding of The People's Republic of China on October 1, 2009 in Beijing, China. 

COMELEC Registration Forms

Better download these forms before coming to COMELEC office.
Some COMELEC office runout of forms. So accomplish a form now so when you come to the line you have it all ready completed.

'Ondoy' victims can renew passport FREE+expedited!

Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines – People whose passports were lost or damaged because of the recent floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy can apply for a new one free of charge, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Applicants can avail of an “affidavit of loss or damage” free of charge at DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs (OCA), according to foreign affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis.

Requirements for lost passports include: birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO), ID or other supporting documents indicating the date and place of birth of the applicant, three passport size pictures and duly accomplished passport application form (which can be downloaded at www.dfa.gov.ph).

UPDATE:
To get the form and print it directly, download it HERE
It is also expedited so it would be less than the usual 15 days.

If you lost your passport:

1. Personal appearance

2. NSO Authenticated Birth Certificate

3. Valid ID

4. accomplished Application form

5. (3) passport size photo

If the passport is damaged/torn apart:

1. Personal appearance

2. Valid ID

3. No need for NSO Authenticated Birth Certificate but bring the damaged passport.

4. accomplished Application form

5. (3) passport size photo

CNN Heroes

Wow! Efren Penaflorida is nominated for CNN Heroes.Who is he? He is not a celebrity or in politics whatsoever but he is just one ordinary Filipino who does extra ordinary things for our country. Everyday heroes that deserve to be called hero. Not by a paid ad or humongous billboard in EDSA. So what he did? Read CNN's article about Efren:

Pushcart classes help break gang chain

Let's vote for him online through CNN website: VOTE HERE

Weather Satellite

Weather satellite. For the latest on the approaching weather disturbances that may affect the country.

Pepeng, please vanish from the sea!

Dear God,

Please save us.

100 Viral to make you smile- and laugh!

Something to smile about...:)

Donations/Volunteer for Ondoy Victims by Area

Please click on the area where you find it most convenient to drop-off your clothes, food, drink, or even cash donations.
Take note that all listed here made possible by private and public sectors who posted the details. These are legitimate sectors, beware of giving your donations online especially those who are using Paypal. Give your donations to proper sectors.


BACOLOD
BAGUIO
BATANGAS
CALOOCAN CITY
CAPIZ
CAVITE
CEBU
DAVAO
MAKATI
GREENHILLS/SAN JUAN
MANDALUYONG
MANILA
MARIKINA
MUNTINLUPA/ALABANG
NATIONWIDE
NATIONAL MOBILE (TEXT DONATIONS)
PAMPANGA
NUEVA ECIJA
PASAY
PASIG
QUEZON CITY
INTERNATIONAL/ONLINE
PARANAQUE
TAGUIG 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
VALENZUELA
OTHER AREA

UPDATE:

KAPUSO FOUNDATION (GMA CHANNEL 7 AFFILIATE)
GMA Kapuso Foundation calls for donations for families affected by Typhoon “Ondoy”

The following donations are needed:
Monetary Donation
Rice
Canned Goods
Noodles
Clothing

you may drop your donations at:
GMA KAPUSO FOUNDATION, INC.
2nd Floor GMA Kapuso Center
GMA Network Drive cor. Samar Streets
Diliman, Quezon City 1103
Philippines

Telephone Nos.: (632) 982.7777 loc. 9901  & 9905
Telefax: (632) 928.9351 / 928.4299

SAGIP KAPAMILYA (ABS-CBN 2 AFFILIATE)
ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya
413-2667 / 416-0387
No 13 Examiner Street, Quezon City, Look for Ms Girlie Aragon

SAGIP KAPAMILYA
Bank: Banco de Oro, Mother Ignacia branch
Acct name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Acct no.: 5630020111
Routing code for international cash donations
BNORPHMM ABS-CBN Branch
Drop off center for in kind donations:
13 Examiner Street or Scout Bayoran, in front of Rembrandt Hotel on Tomas Morato, QC and beside Half Moon Cafe, also on Tomas Morato.

ABS-CBN HOTLINE  416-36-41
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. toll free number: 1-800-527-2820 (for inquiries on how send donations from overseas)

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
1. National Resource Operations Center, Chapel Road, Pasay City
Contact: Mrs. Francon Favian
2. Quezon City Area Disaster Resource Operations Monitoring and Info Center (DROMIC) DSWD Central Office
Contact Rey Martija or Imee Rose Castillo, Tel Nos. 951-7119, 951-2435 or Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera Tel No. 0918-934-5625
3. Manila Area (DSWD-NCR)
San Rafael corner Legarda Streets, Quiapo, Manila
Contact: Dir. Thelsa P. Biolna, Dir. Delia Bauan Tel Nos. 734-8622, 734-8642


CREDITS:  http://sites.google.com/site/ondoymanila/

Typhoon Ondoy Related Videos

Philippine Red Cross Ways to Donate Information

Monetary Donations           

1.  CASH or CHECK
Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross.  We can also arrange for donation pick-up.

2.  BANK DEPOSIT
Account Name:  The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross

    METROBANK
    Port Area Branch
    Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
    Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
    Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
    Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

    BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
    Port Area Branch
    Peso Acct.:  4991-0010-99
    Type of Account: CURRENT

    BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
    UN Branch
    Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
    Type of Account: SAVINGS
    Swift Code:  BOPI PH MM
   
For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.



Credit Card               

Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575:

Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone & mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be donated.

For online donations you may also visit our website at www.redcross.org.ph  .



In-Kind Donations           

LOCAL
Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila.  We could also arrange for donation pick-up.

INTERNATIONAL

1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC
2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor
3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.
   

The PNRC does not accept rotten, damaged, expired or decayed goods.  Though we appreciate your generosity, the PNRC also discourages donations of old clothes as we have more than enough to go around.



SMS and G-CASH (Globe)       

SMS
text REDAMOUNT  to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

G-CASH
text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882


Most urgent needs

Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water

Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases

Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap

Rehabilitation Programs: Shelter materials for house repair



Call Hotline 143 or 527.0000

THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS       
Bonifacio Drive, Port Area,           
Manila 2803, Philippines

3 drop-off areas designated for Ondoy victims' donations - Nation - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

3 drop-off areas designated for Ondoy victims' donations - Nation - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

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EMERGENCY NUMBERS

We are reposting emergency numbers for those who need help in connection with Typhoon Ondoy.

National Disaster Coordinating Committee
911-1406
911-1873
911-1906
911-5061
912-0984
912-2665
912-3046
912-5296
912-5668

Help hotlines:
734-2118
734-2120

Bureau of Fire Protection, National Capital Region
729-5166
410-6254
413-8859
407-1230

Bureau of Fire Protection, Region III (Central Luzon)
Hotline (045) 9634376

Philippine Coast Guard
527-6136

Red Cross
143
911-1876
527-0000

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
136
896-6000

Taguig emergency hotline
1623

Meralco
16220
0917-5592824
0920-9292824

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. emergency hotlines
for dumptrucks going to flooded areas for rescue of stranded people:
0917 4226800
0917 2414864
0927 6751981

Sen. Dick Gordon (Philippine National Red Cross)
Please send address of stranded friends/family to
09178997898
0938444BOYS

Ondoy Typhoon @ Twitter

CLICK HERE FOR THE FEED

New Philippine ePassport launched

The Department of Foreign Affairs launches new ePassport.

P50,000 - P156M in 16 years!

This is a blog of Raissa Robles regarding the fantastic financial climb of Mikey Arroyo. Worth the read!

The Afghan war for sexual reform

The Afghan war for sexual reform

Shared via AddThis

A Testimony by Ninoy

(This is the entire statement as it appears (all-caps, italicized quote, and all) in “A Testimony by Ninoy,” a pamphlet published on September 1, 1983 by the Human Development Research and Documentation office of the La Ignaciana Apostolic Center as Human Society No. 21)

I have returned on my free will to join the ranks of those struggling to restore our rights and freedoms through nonviolence.

I seek no confrontation. I only pray and will strive for a genuine national reconciliation founded on justice.

I am prepared for the worst, and have decided against the advice of my mother, my spiritual adviser, many of my tested friends and a few of my most valued political mentors.

A death sentence awaits me. Two more subversion charges, both calling for death penalties, have been filed since I left three years ago and are now pending with the courts.

I could have opted to seek political asylum in America, but I feel it is my duty, as it is the duty of every Filipino, to suffer with his people especially in time of crisis.

I never sought nor have I been given assurances or promise of leniency by the regime. I return voluntarily armed only with a clear conscience and fortified in the faith that in the end justice will emerge triumphant.

According to Gandhi, the WILLING sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful answer to insolent tyranny that has yet been conceived by God and man.

Three years ago when I left for an emergency heart bypass operation, I hoped and prayed that the rights and freedoms of our people would soon be restored, that living conditions would improve and that blood-letting would stop.

Rather than move forward, we have moved backward. The killings have increased, the economy has taken a turn for the worse and the human rights situation has deteriorated.

During the martial law period, the Supreme Court heard petitions for Habeas Corpus. It is most ironic, after martial law has allegedly been lifted, that the Supreme Court last April ruled it can no longer entertain petitions for Habeas Corpus for persons detained under a Presidential Commitment Order, which covers all so-called national security cases and which under present circumstances can cover almost anything.

The country is far advanced in her times of trouble. Economic, social and political problems bedevil the Filipino. These problems may be surmounted if we are united. But we can be united only if all the rights and freedoms enjoyed before September 21, 1972 are fully restored.

The Filipino asks for nothing more, but will surely accept nothing less, than all the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the 1935 Constitution — the most sacred legacies from the Founding Fathers.

Yes, the Filipino is patient, but there is a limit to his patience. Must we wait until that patience snaps?

The nation-wide rebellion is escalating and threatens to explode into a bloody revolution. There is a growing cadre of young Filipinos who have finally come to realize that freedom is never granted, it is taken. Must we relive the agonies and the blood-letting of the past that brought forth our Republic or can we sit down as brothers and sisters and discuss our differences with reason and goodwill?

I have often wondered how many disputes could have been settled easily had the disputants only dared to define their terms.

So as to leave no room for misunderstanding, I shall define my terms:

1. Six years ago, I was sentenced to die before a firing squad by a Military Tribunal whose jurisdiction I steadfastly refused to recognize. It is now time for the regime to decide. Order my IMMEDIATE EXECUTION OR SET ME FREE.

I was sentenced to die for allegedly being the leading communist leader. I am not a communist, never was and never will be.

2. National reconciliation and unity can be achieved but only with justice, including justice for our Muslim and Ifugao brothers. There can be no deal with a Dictator. No compromise with Dictatorship.

3. In a revolution there can really be no victors, only victims. We do not have to destroy in order to build.

4. Subversion stems from economic, social and political causes and will not be solved by purely military solutions; it can be curbed not with ever increasing repression but with a more equitable distribution of wealth, more democracy and more freedom, and

5. For the economy to get going once again, the workingman must be given his just and rightful share of his labor, and to the owners and managers must be restored the hope where there is so much uncertainty if not despair.

On one of the long corridors of Harvard University are carved in granite the words of Archibald Macleish:

“How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always, and in the final act, by determination and faith.”

I return from exile and to an uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer — faith in our people and faith in God.

Source: Yahoo Philippines

A Filipino is worth dining for

Quote from Ms. Bianca Gonzalez of Y speak, she said from her twitter page: "dear #pgma, if luli, mikey, and dato were starving, would you eat a feast in front of them? diba hindi? well, that's what you just did."

Very well said Super Bianca.

Macalintal diverts all the blame to media? Tsk. Tsk.

So who was laid to rest?

Say that again? Did they suddenly switch the contents? Is this a subconscious yearning to get rid of the incumbent before her time? Talk to me people!

HANDOG NG PILIPINO SA MUNDO

Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo

Composed by: Jim Paredes

Di na 'ko papayag mawala ka muli.
'Di na 'ko papayag na muli mabawi,
Ating kalayaan kay tagal natin mithi.
'Di na papayagang mabawi muli.

Magkakapit-bisig libo-libong tao.
Kay sarap palang maging Pilipino.
Sama-sama iisa ang adhikain.
Kelan man 'di na paalipin.

Ref:

Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo,
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat.

Masdan ang nagaganap sa aming bayan.
Nagkasama ng mahirap at mayaman.
Kapit-bisig madre, pari, at sundalo.
Naging Langit itong bahagi ng mundo.

Huwag muling payagang umiral ang dilim.
Tinig ng bawat tao'y bigyan ng pansin.
Magkakapatid lahat sa Panginoon.
Ito'y lagi nating tatandaan.
(repeat refrain two times)

Coda:
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan.
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat!

The Daily Pleasure Count

To begin appreciating life, pinpoint some things you are extremely grateful for and count them every morning for one month - e.g. your eyes, your hands, your children, your cat.

Set a time each day to contemplate these pleasures. Feel gratitude for them. This exercise can change the mood of even the most miserable amongst us.

For instance, the next time you visit your aunt (the one who loves to complain), tell her very respectfully:

"Auntie, I came here to suffer with you today. But before we suffer, it's only fair that you also share with me five pleasures that you had today."

"I had no pleasures."

"Auntie, did you have coffee for breakfast?"

"Yes."

Don't let her off the hook with this perfunctory answer. Make her share the pleasure. "Was it sweet? Warm? Did the aroma linger? Did it give you energy?" (She'll comply because she wants her turn to complain...)

"Okay, it was sweet. And nice."

"Great Auntie! Now four more!"

"I didn't have any more."

"Did you wash your face? Was it pleasant? Warm? Refreshing?"

Relive it with her. Then another one. After she describes five pleasures, her complaints won't be nearly as bad.

To really work at this, sit down with your spouse (or roommate) every evening and discuss one pleasure that each of you had that day. At the very least, you'll have a happier spouse or roommate!

Incorporate this into your family routine so your children also learn to appreciate their daily pleasures.

SONA 2009- Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Thank you, Speaker Nograles, Senate President Enrile, Senators, Representatives, Vice President de Castro, President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors, friends:

The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. Financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world…

Tens of millions lost their jobs; billions across the globe have been hurt—the poor always harder than the rich. No one was spared….
It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact…

A few days ago, Moody’s has just announced the upgrade of our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics…

I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President. When my father left the Presidency, we were second to Japan. I want our Republic to be ready for the first world in 20 years…

Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat ang layunin ng ating mga patakaran ay tulungan ang masipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorest citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family….

Had we listened to the critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. It would take twice the effort just to get it back again on its feet—to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing. For standing with me and doing the right thing, thank you, Congress…

The strong, bitter and unpopular revenue measures of the past few years have spared our country the worst of the global financial shocks. They gave us the resources to stimulate the economy. Nabigyan nila ang pinakamalaking pagtaas ng IRA ng mga LGU na P40 billion itong taon, imparting strength throughout the country and at every level of government…

Compared to the past, we have built more and better infrastructure, including those started by others but left unfinished. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a prime example of building better roads. It creates wealth as the flagship of the Subic-Clark corridor.

We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the RORO system. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Authority Law….

Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work….

Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now….

Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT….

In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a $5 billion industry…

Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate….

They gave us the resources to do reforms para palawakin ang suportang panlipunan and enhance spending power….For helping e raise salaries through joint resolution, thank you Congress.

Cash handouts give the most immediate relief and produce the widest stimulating effect. Nakikinabang ang 700,000 na pinakamahihirap na pamilya sa programang Pantawid Pamilya.

Our preference is to invest in projects with the same stimulus effects but also with long-term contributions to national progress….

Sa pagpapamahagi ng milyun-milyong ektaryang lupa, 700,000 na katutubo at mahigit isang milyong benepisyaryo ng CARP ay taas-noong may-ari na ng sariling lupa. Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na ipasa agad ang pagpapalawig ng CARP, at dapat ma-condone ang P42 billion na land reform liabilities dahil 18% lamang ang nabayaran mula 1972. Napapanahon dahil it will unfreeze the rural property market. Ang mahal kong ama ang nag-emancipate ng mga magsasaka. Ii-mancipate naman natin ngayon ang titulo….

Nakinabang ang pitong milyong entrepreneurs sa P165 billion na microfinance. Nakinabang ang 1,000 sa economic resiliency plan. Kasama natin ngayon ang isa sa kanila, si Gigi Gabiola. Dating household service worker sa Dubai, ngayon siya ay nagtatrabaho sa DOLE. Good luck, Gigi…
Nakinabang ang isang milyong pamilya sa programang pabahay at palupa, mula sa PAG-IBIG, NHA, community mortgage program, certificates of lot awards, at saka yung inyong Loan Condonation and Restructuring Act….

Our average inflation is the lowest since 1966. Last June, it dropped to 1.5%. Paano nakamit ito? Proper policies lowered interest rates, which lowered costs to business and consumers.

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating ibenta ang bigas NFA sa P18.25 per kilo kahit tumaas ang presyo sa labas mula P17.50 hanggang P30 dahil sa kakulangan ng supply sa mundo. Habang, sa unang pagkakataon, naitaas ang pamimili ng palay sa mga magsasaka, P17 mula sa P11…

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating mamuhunan sa pagkain—anticipating an unexpected global food crisis. Nakagawa tayo ng libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market roads at kasama ng pribadong sector, natubigan ang dalawang milyong ektarya. Mga Badjao gaya ni Tarnati Dannawi ay tinuruan ng modernong mariculture. Umabot na sa P180,000 ang kinita niya mula noong nakaraang taon. Congratulations, Tarnati. We will help more fisherfolk shift to fish farming with a budget of P1 billion…

Dahi dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan tayo ng bago sa Hunger Mitgation program na nakitang mabisa. Tulungan nito ako dito Kongreso…

Mula noong 2001, Nanawagan tayo ng mas murang gamot. Nagbebenta na tayo ng mga gamot na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine Law. I supported it over the weak version of my critics. The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressman Cua, Alvarez, Biron and Locsin….

Pursuant to law, I am placing other drugs under a maximum retail price. To those who want to be President, this advice: If you want something done, do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Just do it. Don’t say bad words in public.

Sa health insurance, sakop na ang 86% ng ating populasyon…

Sa Rent Control Law ng 2005 hanggang 2008, hanggang sampung porsyento lang maaaring itaas taon-taon ang upa. Iyong kakapirma nating batas naglagay ng isang taong moratorium, tapos pitong porsyento lang ang maaaring itaas. Salamat, Kongreso….

Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-P500 ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Katas ng Pantawid Koryente para sa mga small electricity users….
Iyong power rates, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA dismantled monopoly. But minana natin iyong power purchase agreements under preceding administrations, so hindi pa natin makuha iyong buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang iyan. The next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA. Thank you…

Samantala, umabot na sa halos lahat ng barangay ang elektrisidad. We increased indigenous energy from 48% to 58%. Nakatipid tayo sa dollars tapos malaki pa ang na-reduce pa iyong oil consumption. The huge reduction in fossil fuel is the biggest proof of energy independence and environmental responsibility. Further reduction will come with the implementation of the Renewable Energy Act…and the Biofuels Act….again, thank you.

The next generation will also benefit from our lower public debt to GDP ratio. It declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008. We cut in half the debt of government corporations from 15% to 7. Likewise foreign debt from 73% to 32%. Kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kundi ang utang, iyong foreign debt. Past administrations conjured the demon of foreign debt. We exorcised it….

The market grows economies. A free market, not a free-for-all…

To that end, we improved our banking system to complement its inherent conservatism. The Bangko Sentral has been prudent. Thank you, Governor Tetangco, for being so effective. The BSP will be even more effective if Congress will amend its Charter….

We worked on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act, reducing non-performing loans from 18% to 4% and improving loan-deposit ratios….

Our new Securitization Law did not encourage the recklessness that brought down giant banks and insurance companies elsewhere and laid their economies to waste. In fact, it monitors and regulates the new-fangled financial schemes. Thank you, Congress….

We will work to increase tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth. Revenue enhancement must come from the Department of Finance plugging leaks and catching tax and customs cheats. I call on tax-paying citizens and tax-paying businesses: help the BIR and Customs spot those cheats…

Taxes should come from alcohol and tobacco and not from books. Tax hazards to lungs and livers, do not tax minds. Ang kita mula sa buwis sa alak at sigarilyo ay dapat pumunta sa kalusugan at edukasyon. Sa kalusugan, pondohan ang Philhealth premiums ng pinakamahihirap. Ponhodhan ang mas maraming classroom at computers…..

Pardon my partiality for the teaching profession. I was a teacher….

Kaya namuhunan tayo ng malaki sa edukasyon at skills training….

Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas mabuting buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams…
Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng P1.5 billion para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. Isa sa pinakamahirap na Millennium Development Goals ay iyong Edukasyon para sa Lahat pagdating ng 2015, na nangunguhulugang lahat ng nasa edad ay nasa grade school. Halos walang bansang nakakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap tayo. Binaba natin ang gastos ng pagpasok. Nagtayo tayo ng mga eskwela sa higit isang libong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan, upang makatipid ng gastos ng pasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school.

Hindi na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public schools…

We assist financially half of all students in private high schools….

We have provided 600,000 college and post-graduate scholarships. One of them Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, finished Accounting at MSU-IIT, went to law school, and placed second in the last bar exams–the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher. Congratulations…

In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job.

The Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father Bienvenido Nebres has come out with the Main Education Highway towards a Knowledge-Based Economy. It envisions seamless education from basic to vocational school or college….

It seeks to mainstream early childhood development in basic education. Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind—and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job….

For college admission, the Task Force recommends mandatory Scholastic Aptitude Tests. It also recommends that private higher education institutions and state universities and colleges should be harmonized. It also recommends that CHED will oversee of local universities and colleges. For professions seeking international recognition—engineering, architecture, accountancy, pharmacy and physical therapy—it recommends radical reform: 10 years of basic education, two years of pre-university, three years of university…

Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way….

Sa hirap at ginhawa, ang ating overseas Filipinos ay pinapatatag ang ating bansa. Iyong padala nilang $16 billion noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa….

I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found—in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is very hard work….

Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha ng mga trabahong maganda ang bayad dito sa atin so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hardworking Filipino in search of a better life…

Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mga mas malakas na paraan upang proteksyonan at palawak ang halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang sweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for OFWs investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force….

Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong bayan at ang kanilang mga hosts sa buong mundo – mula Hapon…hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano matulungan sila n gating pamahalaan—-by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and restoring liberty….

Pagpunta ko sa Saudi, pinatawad ni Haring Abdullah ang pitong daang OFW na nasa preso. Pinuno nila ang isang buong eroplano at umuwi kasama ko….
Mula sa ating State Visit to Spain, it has become our biggest European donor. At si Haring Juan Carlos ay nakikipag-usap sa ibang mga bansa para sa ating mga namomoblemang OFW. Ganoon di si Sheikh Khalifa, ang Prime Minister ng Bahrain….

Pagpunta ko sa Kuwait, Emir al-Sabah commuted death sentences. For overseas workers, maraming salamat.

Our vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration.
Kasama ng ating mga Together with our OFWs, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso at naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaasng presyo. They upgraded our credit because our reserves grew by $3 billion while those of our peers have shrunk…..

Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice. The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of America’s fiscal stimulus package…

I have accepted the invitation of President Obama to be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet him at the White House, this week….
That he sought us the Philippines testifies to our strong and deep ties….

High on our agenda will be peace and security issues. Terrorism: how to meet it, how to end it, how to address its roots in injustice and prejudice—and most and always how to protect lives….

We will also discuss nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines will chair the review of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation Treaty in New York in May 2010. The success of the talks will be a major diplomatic achievement for us….

There is a range of other issues we will discuss, including the global challenge of climate change, especially the threat to countries with long coastlines. And there is the global recession, its worse impact on poor people, and the options that can spare them from the worst.

In 2008 up to the first quarter of 2009 we stood among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink. Compare this in 2001, when some of my current critics were driven out by people power, Asia was then surging but our country was on the brink of bankruptcy….

Since then, our economy has posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters; more than doubled its size from $76 billion to $186 billion. The average GDP growth from 2001 to the first quarter of 2009 is the highest in 43 years.

Bumaba ang bilang ng nagsasabing mahihirap sila, mula 59% sa 47%. Kahit na lumaki ang ating populasyon, nabawasan ng dalawang milyon ang bilang ng mahihirap. GNP per capita rose from a Third World $967 to $2,051. Lumikha tayo ng walong milyong trabaho, an average of a million per year, much, much more than at any other time….

In sum:

1. We have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand political shocks….

2. We built new modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones.

3. The economy is more fair to the poor than ever before….

4. We are building a sound base for the next generation….

5. International authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters….

As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be as prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not….The mapping of flood- and landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with weather tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga….

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe….

Patuloy naman iyong sa Camanava, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at mga river basin ng Mindanao….

The victims of typhoon Frank in Panay should receive their long-overdue assistance package. I ask Congress to pass the SNITS Law….

Namana natin ang pinakamatagal ng rebelyon ng Komunista sa buong mundo.

Si Leah de la Cruz isa sa labindalawang libong rebel returnee. Sixteen pa lang siya nang sumali sa NPA. Naging kasapi sa regional White Area Committee, napromote sa Leyte Party Committee Secretary. Nahuli noong 2006. She is now involved in an LGU-supported handicraft livelihood training of former rebels. We love you, Leah!

There is now a good prospect for peace talks both with both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the MILF, with whom we are now on ceasefire….

We inherited an age-old conflict in Mindanao, exacerbated by a politically popular but near-sighted policy of massive retaliation. This only provoked the other side to continue the war….

In these two internal conflicts, ang tanong ay hindi, “Sino ang mananalo?” kundi, bakit ba kailangang mag-away ang kapwa Pilipino tungkol sa mga isyu na alam ng dalawang panig over issues na malulutas naman sa paraang demokratiko.

There is nothing more that I would wish for than peace in Mindanao. It will be a blessing for all its people, Muslim, Christian and lumads. It will show other religiously divided communities that there can be common ground on which to live together in peace, harmony and cooperation that respects each other’s religious beliefs….

At sa lahat ng dako ng bansa, kailangan nating protektahan an gating mamamayan kontra sa krimen — in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their communities.

How shall crime be fought? Through the five pillars of justice. We call on Congress to fund more policemen on the streets….

Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next, more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous, a people as content, as ours deserve to be….

The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it.

As the process of fundamental political reform begins, let us address the highest exercise of democracy…voting!
In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress….

At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage…but not from the Presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state—to the very last day….

A year is a long time. Patuloy ang pamumuhunan sa tinatawag na three E’s ng ekonomiya, environment at edukasyon. There are many perils that we must still guard against….

A man-made calamity is already upon us, global in scale. As I said earlier, so far we have been spared its worst effects but we cannot be complacent. We only know that we have generated more resources on which to draw, and thereby created options we could take. Thank God we did not let our critics stop us….

As the campaign unfolds and the candidates take to the airwaves, I ask them to talk more about how they will build up the nation rather than tear down their opponents. Our candidates must understand the complexities of our government and what it takes to move the country forward. Give the electorate real choices and not just sweet talk….

Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course I set in 2001….
Ang ating taong bayan ay masipag at maka-Diyos. These qualities are epitomized in someone like Manny Pacquiao….Manny trained tirelessly, by the book, with iron discipline, with the certain knowledge that he had to fight himself, his weaknesses first, before he could beat his opponent. That was the way to clinch his victories and his ultimate title: ang pinakadakilang boksingero sa kasaysayan……….Mabuhay ka, Manny!

However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch. A President must work with the problem as much as against it, and turn it into a solution if I can…

There isn’t a day I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in. Our people deserve-a-government that works just as hard as they do…
A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime….

Everything right can be undone by even a single wrong. Every step forward must be taken in the teeth of political pressures and economic constraints that could push you two steps back-if-you flinch and falter.. I have not flinched, I have not faltered. Hindi ako umaatras sa hamon….

And I have never done any of the things that have scared my worst critics so much. They are frightened by their own shadows….

In the face of attempted coups, I issued emergency proclamations just in case. But I was able to resolve these military crises with the ordinary powers of my office. My critics call it dictatorship. I call it determination…. We know it as strong government….

But I never declared martial law, though they are running scared as if I did. In truth, what they are really afraid of is their weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat….

I say to them: do not tell us what we all know, that democracy can be threatened. Tell us what you will do when it is attacked….

I know what to do:

I know what to do, as I have shown, I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order where it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all….

I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts….

I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it….

I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit. Many of those who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime….

We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves….

Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there….

Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it….

Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country.

From Bonifacio at Balintawak to Cory Aquino at EDSA and up to today, we have struggled to bring power to the people, and this country to the eminence it deserves….

Today the Philippines is weathering well the storm that is raging around the world. It is growing stronger with the challenge. When the weather clears, as it will, there is no telling how much farther forward it can go. Believe in it. I believe…

We can and we must-march-forward-with-hope, optimism and determination.

We must come together, work together and walk together toward the future.

Bagamat malaking hamon ang nasa ating harapan, nasa kamay natin ang malaking kakayahan. Halina’t pagtulungan nating tiyakin ang karapat-dapat na kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan….

And to the people of our good country, for allowing me to serve as your President, maraming salamat. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

K-1 FIANCE VISA- STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Before you start, please download, print and fill-up the following form:

G-325A (Biographic Information)
I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiance)

Helpful terms:
Petioner= the US citizen
Alien Fiance= the US citizen's fiance

Timeline (approx)	Step	Information	Notes
Varies	1.	U.S. Petitioner gathers various documents U.S. Petitioner gathers various documents (birth certificate etc) to send with I-129F	* Start ASAP
N/A	2.	I-129f Package sent U.S. Petitioner sends compiled I-129F package to Service Center (CSC or VSC)	* Triple check everything. Double check all forms with examples available online. Send postage with an return receipt requiring signature when it arrives at service Center (not necessary but highly advisable for peace of mind). Make a complete copy of the entire package.
2-3 Weeks	3.	1st Notice of Action (NOA) U.S. Petitioner Receives first Notice of Action (NOA) acknowledging K-1 petition has been opened	*Typical wait time is 2-3 weeks after the Service Center receives the I-129F.
See Processing Times	4.	2nd Notice of Action (NOA) U.S. Petitioner Receives second Notice of Action (NOA) acknowledging K-1 petition has been approved	* Start gathering documents needed by beneficiary (Fiance(e)) - See K-1 Guide. *Beneficiary can research and prepare forms required by embassy.
2 Weeks	5.	Case Forwarded by your Service Center to the National Visa Center (NVC) Case Forwarded by your Service Center to the National Visa Center	*Two weeks after you receive the NOA2 you can contact the NVC to see if they have received your approved I-129F. You can contact them at 603 334-0700. Their homepage is here. Welcome to the US Department of State! Things move much faster now :).
1-4 Weeks	6.	Case Forwarded by NVC to U.S. Embassy in your fiance(e)'s country Case Forwarded to U.S. Embassy as specified in the I-129F.	*NVC uses DHL to send the package, which typically delivers a package worldwide within 3-5 business days.
1 week	7.	Case received by Embassy from NVC Embassy receives package and processes it. They will then prepare a letter to be sent to the foreign fiance(e).	*5-7 business days after the NVC sends the package to the embassy, you can begin contacting the embassy to see if they have received it.
1 week	8.	Forms and Checklist sent to Beneficiary Forms and Checklist sent to foreign Beneficiary (Fiance/e).	*This will be sent out within a week (typically less) from when the embassy processes the received petition. This package will include a checklist of items and paperwork that must be collected. Some will be sent back asap, and others will be sent back later or brought to the interview.
Varies	9.	Foreign Beneficiary compiles required forms Beneficiary fills in Forms and assembles various documents	*The downloads section for K-1 Visa's has a list of some forms the fiance(e) will need. You can practice with these forms.
N/A	10.	Completed Forms sent to Consulate Beneficiary sends completed Forms to U.S. Embassy
N/A	11.	Fiance(e) must attend medical interview prior to interview Attend medical appointment.	*Some embassies require the medical the same day as the interview. Most require the interview to be done ahead of time and have the results sent to the embassy directly from the doctor. *This may occur after an interview date is given.
1 week to issue date	12.	U.S. Embassy issues Beneficiary with Interview date U.S. Embassy issues Beneficiary with Interview date	*This may occur before your have your medical. You will need to get the medical done before the interview as instructed by the embassy.
1 Month to interview	13.	Beneficiary has Interview at U.S. Embassy Beneficiary has interview at U.S. Embassy for K-1 visa. All being well case is approved.	*K-1 visa will be issued either the same day or within the next week depending on the embassy with some exceptions.
N/A	14.	Beneficiary travels to and enters the U.S. Beneficiary travels from their country to be with the U.S. Petitioner (Fiance(e)) in the US.	*Must enter the US within (typically) 6 months of the K-1 being issued.
5-20 minutes	15.	Point of Entry (POE) in U.S. Beneficiary arrives at Point of Entry (POE) in U.S. and shows K-1 to the immigration officer.	* Depending on which U.S. airport you fly into (NY JFK) some will issue a temporary 90 day work authorization if asked for. If issued, the employment authorization ends on the day the K-1 expires. You will have to file for an EAD when (or after) you file for AOS. If you do not receive your EAD before your K-1 expires you must stop working until it is received.
1 hour (early morning)	16.	Apply for Social Security Number Apply for Social Security Number (SSN)	*See the SSN step-by-step guide for more info. This will allow you to open a bank account and do other things (many states require this for a drivers licence, etc).
1 hour	17.	Apply for marriage certificate Apply for marriage certificate. Must marry within 90 days of entering the U.S. on a K-1 visa.
VARIES!	18.	Get married Get married. and give each other a pat on the back. You've both earned it!
1 hour (early morning)	19.	Change name on SSN Go back to the SSA office and bring your SSN Card and marriage certificate. Change your name.
N/A (File as soon as possible once you marry)	20.	Apply for Adjustment of Status (AOS), EAD, AP Apply for Adjustment of Status (AOS). You should file as soon as possible. If you have not filed for AOS and your K-1 expires, you will be considered out-of-status until you file. Make all attempts to file before you become out-of-status. You may also file for your EAD and AP at this time.	*EAD allows your to work (will need to reapply every year until your AOS application is approved). AP allows you to leave the country on a vacation / trip while your AOS application is being processed. Please read this regarding when to file for AOS and not becoming out-of-status.
See Processing Times	21.	Receive EAD / AP Receive your EAD and AP via US Mail. You will have a biometrics appointment prior to being issued the EAD.
See Processing Times	22.	Interview for AOS (I-485 approval) Interview appointment for AOS. When approved you will receive an I-551 stamp in your passport indicating you have been approved for AOS and will also receive your green card in the mail later.	*If your interview (and specifically the approval) occurs within 2 years of your marriage you will be granted a conditional permanent residency (2 year validity). If this happens you will have to apply to lift conditions 90 days prior to your 2 year green card expiring. If you are 'adjusted' greater than 2 years after you were married you should receive a normal 10 year green card.

Source: www.visajourney.com