Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight.

Oh but you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
And the way you look tonight.

With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart...
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
It touches my foolish heart.

Lovely ... Never, ever change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ?
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.

Mm, Mm, Mm, Mm,
Just the way you look to-night.

the last time

The first time I fell in love was long ago.
I didn't know how to give my love at all.
The next time I settled for what felt so close.
But without romance, you're never gonna fall.
After everything I've learned;
Now it's finally my turn.
This is the last time I'll fall... in love.

The first time we walked under that starry sky,
there was a moment when everything was clear.
I didn't need to ask or even wonder why, because each question is answered when your near.
and I'm wise enough to know when a miracle unfolds, this is the last time i'll fall in love.

Now don't hold back, just let me know.
Could i be moving much too fast or way too slow.
'Cause all of my life, I've waited for this day.
To find that once in a lifetime, this is it, I'll never be the same.
You'll never know what it's taken me to say these words.
And now that I've said them, they could never be enough.
As far as I can see, there's only you and only me.

This is the last time I'll fall in love.
Last time i'll fall in love.
The last time i'll fall... in love.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Mar, Korina tie the knot


MANILA - Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II and broadcaster Korina Sanchez on Tuesday afternoon exchanged "I do's" at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City. The ceremony started at 4 p.m. Tuesday as thousands of guests and well-wishers arrived to witness the union.

Crowds outside the church cheered and shouted "Korina!" as Sanchez, wearing a Filipiniana gown, stepped out of the bridal car. A white sheet held up by several ushers prevented people from seeing Sanchez until the start of her bridal march.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers sang “Ave Maria” as the entourage marched toward the altar.

As she was walking down the aisle with his brother, Sanchez shed tears of joy while Ray An Fuentes' “Umagang Kay Ganda” was being played in the background. Roxas, who was waiting at the altar, was also seen wiping away tears.

In his homily, Fr. Tito Caluag reminded the couple to love and serve one another throughout their married lives. "I believe that giving one's self to love brings blessing to one's self and to society," he said.

A veritable who’s who of the Philippine society attended the wedding ceremony. Political and show business personalities as well as representatives from various political organizations and non-government organizations have been invited to the event.

Among those spotted at the church were Randy David, Rey Langit, Pitoy Moreno, Paeng Nepomuceno, Vehnee Saturno, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Basil Valdez, Wilson Tieng of Solar Films, ABS-CBN President Charo Santos-Concio, former Senator Letty Ramos Shahani,Ralph Recto, Lily Monteverde, Teodoro Locsin, former President Joseph Estrada, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and his wife, US Ambassador Kristie Anne Kenney;

Broadcasters Bernadette Sembrano, Ina Reformina, Willard Cheng, Alex Santos, Ted Failon, Joey Villarama, Julius and Christine Babao, and Doris Bigornia, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Congressmen Teofisto Guingona III, Antonio Cuenco and Neptali Gonzales, Lopez family patriarch Oscar Lopez. Fernando Zobel, Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III and wife;

Jacqui Aquino, Maurice Arcache, Viel Aquino, Joselito Payumo, Joey Lina, Lauren Dyogi, Greggy Araneta and wife Irene Marcos-Araneta, Cesar Purisima, Karina David, Renato Constantino, Sister Mary John Mananzan, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Fr. Tito Caluag and Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada.

White roses and sampaguita, Sanchez's favorite flowers, adorned the church. Sponsors and guests wore Filipiniana attires.

Fans and supporters of the couple also gathered in church ground to get a glimpse of the bride and groom.

The principal sponsors are Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former Senate President Jovito Salonga, Eugenio Lopez III, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, Jorge Araneta, Ms. Rosa Rosal, Helen Costales, Ruby Roxas, Cecilia Lazaro, and Maria Fores.

Roxas’ 16-year old son, Paolo Zaldarriaga, stood as the senator’s best man, while Dang Cecilio-Palance was the matron of honor.

The ring bearer is Kris Aquino’s son, James Yap Jr., while Miguel Sanchez and Matthew Garcia are the coin and Bible bearers.

In their earlier interviews on radio dzMM, both Sanchez and Roxas could not contain their excitement. "Hindi na yata mapipigilan ito," Sanchez said.

"Parang bungee jumping. Para siyang isang malalim na malalim na talon tapos hindi mo talaga matitiyak kung ano ang kala-landingan mo. Pero dahil mahigpit ang pagkakatali sa iyong binti ng lubid ng pagmamahal, alam mong ligtas ka na la-landing…. it's really a very exciting adventure," Sanchez added.

The senator, for his part, said he felt both tense and excited after waking up on Tuesday, knowing that he would be a married man at the end of the day.

"Ang unang agenda sa abot kaya ng panahon at tuhod ko ay magkaroon ng mga anak...Ang sarap isipin na sana may mga chikiting kami at nakaupo kami sa sofa. Nai-imagine ko ‘yong Sunday lunch na magkasama kami at mga anak namin at mga apo sana. Komportableng-komportable ‘yong imahe sa puso ko at sa kaisipan ko. Kaya dumating na 'This is it!'" he said.

There will be no grand reception after the ceremony. The senator from Capiz and the veteran broadcast anchor decided to donate the money to 6 charity organizations providing assistance to victims of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

After the ceremony, the couple is set to meet with their guests in the courtyard where food and refreshments will be served.

Reports said more than 200 police have been deployed in the area to maintain peace and order. With reports from Reyma Buan-Deveza and Boy Villasanta, abs-cbnNEWS.com, and ANC

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Arroyo reveals 2nd reason for nationwide state of calamity

Aside from allowing local governments to access their calamity funds, President Arroyo bared a second reason Saturday for placing the entire country under a state of calamity: to go after profiteers.

Fears have been raised that the government was taking advantage of the crisis caused by tropical storm “Ondoy" to raise funds for next year’s general election.

Critics wondered why other provinces not affected by Ondoy were also being allowed to tap emergency funds when they are not really suffering from a state of calamity.

But Mrs. Arroyo explained that the nationwide state of calamity will allow government to run after traders who will go to areas not under a state of calamity to sell their products at higher prices.

“What was observed was that when there was price control imposed in a given area some supplies were diverted. So (this was also) for purposes of price control," she said at a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

On the other hand, she said one of the shortcomings of the present Price Law is that the local government can use the calamity funds in an actual state of calamity and not for risk reduction.

Earlier, Favila admitted the decision stemmed from the executive session of the NDCC in Cainta, Rizal, where they discussed the matter.

“There are unscrupulous traders who go to nearby areas not under a state of calamity, then sell at higher prices. We discussed it in the NDCC meeting’s executive session," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He said the nationwide state of calamity was a recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council. - GMANews.TV

Friday, October 2, 2009

Rizal farm admits crocs escaped

But all were recaptured, says farm OIC

MANILA - Environment and local government officals conducted an investigation into the origins of a crocodile that was seen swimming in Cainta floodwaters after tropical Storm Ondoy hit Luzon last Saturday.

Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) personnel went to the Coral Agri Venture Crocodile Farm in Teresa municipality in Rizal province on Wednesday. Earlier reports indicated this was where the crocodile escaped from.

Brian Sibongga, officer-in-charge (OIC) at the farm, admitted that 5 crocodiles escaped from their holding pens at the height of the storm on the evening of September 25, but that the reptiles were immediately recaptured along the farm's perimeter fences.

"Maswerte po tayo at meron po tayong perimeter fence. So narecover po natin ang ating buwaya. Imposible po na nakapunta po sa area ng Cainta yung buwaya kasi kung makikita niyo po talagang walang access," Sibongga told ABS-CBN News.

(We are lucky that we have perimeter fences. So we recovered the crocodiles. It is impossible that a crocodile escaped to Cainta becase there is no access [out of the farm]).

The Coral Agri Venture farm harvests crocodile meat, an "exotic food," and crocodile skin for belts and handbags.

Though all 9,000 crocodiles at the 3-hectare farm were accounted for, CENRO officials warned farm administrators about lapses in their security.

"Bakit naglagay kayo ng perimeter fence...at papano sila nakalabas? (Why did you put a perimeter fence... and how did they escape?)" said CENRO officer Antonio Diwa.

Diwa said the farm should report incidents like escaping crocodiles and damaged holding pens to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Teresa Municipal Mayor Rodel de la Cruz assured alarmed residents within the area that no crocodiles went loose from the Coral Agri Venture Crocodile Farm. He said the area looked "properly secured."

Earlier, residents of Greenpark Subdivision in Cainta reported seeing a 5-foot crocodile, initially said to have escaped from the Pasig Rainforest Park.

Cainta Police Supt. Nereo Torrecampo said this was immediately recaptured. Police are unsure, however, whether a crocodile is still on the loose.

CENRO, meanwhile, is continuing investigations as to where the crocodile that was sighted in Cainta could have escaped from. Officials will reportedly inspect a neighboring crocodile hatchery in Teresa, Rizal. Report by Gus Abelgas, ABS-CBN News.

here are some other photo's from the typhoon last week....

hope the new typhoon, typhoon pepeng will not be as strong as typhoon ondoy



















Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Craig David : Insomnia Lyrics

I never thought that I'd fall in love, love, love, love
But it grew from a simple crush, crush, crush, crush
Being without you girl, I was all messed up, up, up, up
When you walked out, said that you'd had enough-nough-nough-nough

Been a fool, girl I know
Didn't expect this is how things would go
Maybe in time, you'll change your mind
Now looking back i wish i could rewind

Because i can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more
Oh i stay up til you're next to me
Til this house feels like it did before
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

Remember telling my boys that I'd never fall in love, love, love, love
You used to think I'd never find a girl I could trust, trust, trust, trust
And then you walked into my life and it was all about us, us, us, us
But now I'm sitting here thinking I messed the whole thing up, up, up, up

Been a fool (fool), girl I know (know)
Didn't expect this is how things would go
Maybe in time (time), you'll change your mind (mind)
Now looking back i wish i could rewind

Because i can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more (without you no more)
Oh i stay up til you're next to me (to me)
Til this house feels like it did before (Because it)
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah (Ah), Feels like insomnia ah ah

Ah, i just can't go to sleep
Cause it feels like I've fallen for you
It's getting way too deep
And i know that it's love because

I can't sleep til you're next to me
No i can't live without you no more (without you no more)
Oh i stay up til you're next to me (to me)
Til this house feels like it did before
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah
Feels like insomnia ah ah, Feels like insomnia ah ah

Craig David - Insomnia Acoustic HQ

MMDA chief on floods: Blame me


MANILA - Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando on Monday shouldered the blame for the massive flooding that hit the National Capital Region over the weekend but said he will not resign from his post.

In an interview, Fernando said the responsibility of enhancing Metro Manila's flood control system falls on his shoulders as MMDA chief. "Blame it on me kaysa sisihin pa natin ang Diyos. It's up to them what they want to do with me but I will not resign as MMDA chairman," he told ABS-CBN.

The MMDA chief said government officials in areas affected by the floods should also take part of the blame since they did not ensure the safety of their constituents. He said the increase in infrastructure in every city takes a toll on the environment.

Fernando, who is mulling a possible presidential bid next year, said last Saturday's massive flood could happen again if no solution is found. "It's a 100-year cycle. It will keep repeating itself unless someone with political will will lead the country," he said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council earlier said at least seven people in Metro Manila have died due to floods brought on by tropical storm Ondoy last Saturday.

On Monday, Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando appealed for more food, water and blankets for residents staying in evacuation centers. She also appealed for more volunteers to help in the task of clearing the roads of debris and retrieving bodies in various parts of the city.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque visited Malanday Elementary School in the city, which has served as a makeshift evacuation center for 100 families. Duque said the department will provide medicine and vaccines to many of the evacuees who are experiencing cough, colds, flu and stomach ache.

Senior Superintendent Robert Po of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also confirmed that oil from Noah's Paper Mills near SM Marikina is seeping from the firm's storage tank and into the Marikina River.

Po said the oil pipe connected to the 65,000-liter storage tank and into the plant was either ruptured or disconnected after floodwaters moved the tank slightly from its cement base. He said bunker oil then spilled from the plant to SM Marikina and into the river.

THE GREAT FLOOD (by ONDOY)

last weekend, we experienced a very terrible storm, Typhoon Ondoy, the rain was pouring for 24 hours straight, a lot of cities and most especially families were greatly affected. We don't have electricity, and water.... it was a total disaster!

I have friends who were affected by the storm Ondoy and lost almost every material things that they have, good thing they were able to evacuate before its too late....

yesterday i received a forwarded email from one of my co-worker in the office, she e-mailed us the aftermath of the storm, here is the e-mail with pictures that she sent us.


People are stranded in Cainta, province of Rizal , eastern Manila

Aida De Leon grieves in Pasig City , east of Manila .

An aerial view aboard a Philippine Air Force chopper shows devastation brought by Tropical Storm Ketsana in Cainta, province of Rizal , eastern Manila.

residents are evacuated by police boats during flooding in Cainta Rizal, east of Manila .

A Philippine Air Force aerial shot shows damaged houses in Marikina City , Metro Manila. More than 70 people were killed, Manila was blacked out and airline flights were suspended as a powerful tropical storm battered the main Philippines island of Luzon

Residents wait to be evacuated from a partially submerged house during flooding in Bocaue, north of Manila .

Thousands of people in the Philippine capital and nearby towns were marooned by flash floods after a strong tropical storm hit the main island of Luzon , disaster officials said.

Residents cross a flooded street with the use of a rope in Quezon City .

A boy is lifted onto the roof of a building to escape the flooding in the Quezon City suburban of Manila . Nearly a month's worth of rain fell in just six hours Saturday, triggering the worst flooding in the Philippine capital in 42 years, which stranded thousands on rooftops in the city and elsewhere.

Residents clamber on electric wires to stay out of floodwaters while others wade neck-deep in Cainta Rizal, east of Manila .

A victim of floodings is rescued in Pasig City , east of Manila . Authorities rushed rescue and relief to thousands of people who spent the night on the roofs of their submerged houses in Manila and surrounding provinces.

Commuters wade through waist-deep floodwaters after heavy rains dumped by Tropical Storm Ketsana (locally known as Ondoy) on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Manila , Philippines .

Saturday, September 26, 2009

(UPDATE) 'Ondoy' lashes Central Luzon; 30 areas affected


MANILA - More than 30 areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, were placed under storm alerts as tropical storm "Ondoy" accelerated further and moved closer to Central Luzon on Saturday morning.

Weather bureau PAGASA said Ondoy was cruising west northwest at 19 kilometers per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kph and gustiness of up to 100 kph.

It was located 130 kilometers southeast of Baler town, Aurora province or 90 kilometers east northeast of Infanta, Quezon as of 5 a.m.

Public storm warning signal No. 2 was hoisted over La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bulacan, northern part of Quezon, Polillo Island, Camarines Norte and Rizal.

Signal No. 1 was raised over Isabela, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Ilocos Sur, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Marinduque, Mindoro provinces, Lubang Island, southern part of Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay, Burias Island, and Metro Manila.

PAGASA said the storm is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over the central and southern parts of Luzon, as well as the Visayas regions.

Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA's chief weather forecaster, said they expect Ondoy to cross Luzon while on its way to South China Sea.

Cruz said Ondoy may make landfall in Aurora province on Saturday morning and touch Pangasinan at night time before heading back to the sea.

"Inaasahan ho nating dumaan ito sa Luzon sa buong maghapon," the weather forecaster told radio dzMM.

The weather bureau has also advised the Philippine Coast Guard to stop fishing boats and other small seacrafts from sailing in the affected areas.

The advisory has left more than 1,000 passengers stranded in southern Luzon and Bicol ports.

PAGASA has also alerted the National Disaster Coordinating Council for possible flashfloods and landslides in the affected areas, partcularly in Laguna, Quezon, Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan provinces.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority said 13 flights of Zest Air SeaAir and PAL Express to Caticlan, Basco town in Batanes, San Jose town in Mindoro and Tablas in Romblon have been cancelled due to bad weather.

Kris names other celebrities for Noynoy

MANILA - Actress-host Kris Aquino thanked all the celebrities who have volunteered to help the candidacy of her only brother, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" III, in the May 2010 presidential elections.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Wednesday, Kris admitted that she has already received calls and text messages from stars who are willing to help campaign for her brother.

The Queen of Talk said she's really overwhelmed and touched by the expressions of support from her friends in showbiz.

"Naiyak ako talaga kasi pinadala ni Ogie Alcasid 'yung song na he wrote for Noy. Regine sang it, they recorded it," Kris said.

She also shared that Concert King Martin Nievera will be composing a song for Noynoy. The song will be performed by Nievera and Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla.

"Mayroon siyang kinompose naman na awitin niya with Zsa Za," she said.

To show their gratitude--and for the stars to personally meet her brother--the Aquino family will host a dinner for them on October 4, Sunday.

"I'm really overwhelmed kasi with so many stars, it just took a text or a call, and [now] we are having dinner with a lot of them [on] October 4, kasi we want them to meet Noynoy. Its ‘getting to know you’ kasi it's important na 'yong taong susuportahan mo makilala mo at makausap mo," she said.

Kris also said there are 16 stars who confirmed have their attendance to the dinner.

Among the celebrities expected to come are Mariel Rodriguez, Claudine Barretto, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis and Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson. They have offered to help Noynoy.

"Si Jodi Sta. Maria-Lacson, we worked together and we are very good friends. And I told her 'I didn't ask you because I didn't want any political color and I didn't want to put you on the spot.' And she said, 'But Kris, I love you and your family and that's why I'm texting you, you have my support, and whatever materials I can give you, it's my personal donation to you,'" Kris said.

Kris also said she cried when she learned about Pokwang's decision to support her brother instead of another presidential candidate.

"Kay Pokwang, naiyak ako don talaga kasi malaking bagay 'yon. Sabi ko, 'Hindi namin kayang tapatan kung ano ang ino-offer sa iyo.' Sabi niya, 'Ano ka ba? Mahal kita at mahal ko si Noy.' Yon, so many people, instead na kumita pa sa kampyang, ito nag-aabono pa for us," she said.

While Pokwang's support made Kris cry, she laughed after reading Queen of Comedy Ai-Ai delas Alas's text message.

"I just wanted to say na thank you also talaga to Ai-Ai. Ang cute, kasi kasi sabi niya, 'Friendship, huwag mo lang ako ipapadala kung saan ako makikidnap kasi alam ko wala kang pantubos sa akin.' So gusto kong mag-thank you sa kanilang lahat,” Kris said.

'No politics in hosting'

To avoid being accused of bias, Kris said that she has decided not to tackle politics in her shows, "The Buzz" and “SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon."

"It's just that ayaw kong may kulay and ayaw kong sabihan kami na I use my shows for Noy. I just really want to be careful about that. So, whenever there's...may politics involved or may mga news involved, I really try na si Boy ang nag-[ho-host or nagi-spiel noon]. And of course, if I have to answer anything on behalf of the family, I do," she said.

Kris said that she really wants to help and support her brother’s candidacy, but she stressed that she will now be doing it outside of her programs.

"Natural lang naman na gusto mong suportahan mo ang kapatid mo, pero mas maganda naman na magawa ko ito outside my work. Tutal naman ang kinikita ko sa work ko sa kanya na," Kris said.

'Real score with Korina'

After revealing in public that she and popular broadcaster Korina Sanchez have reestablished communications and are now “united” again in support of the Liberal Party tandem, Kris admitted that she has not had a chance to personally talk to Sanchez..

"Kasi mahirap naman na loving-loving na kami. We haven't seen each other, hindi pa kami nagkakausap. Naiintindihan ko na she's busy with her wedding," the host said.

Sanchez will be marrying Senator Mar Roxas, the erstwhile Liberal Party standard-bearer, on October 27. Roxas gave up his presidential bid in favor of Noynoy Aquino.

Kris said she's hoping that she and Korina will be able to find time to talk and bond again, but stressed that what is important now is their support for the men they love.

"Ang importante, si Noy at Mar ay nagkakasundo. Support lang naman kami dito, hindi kami bida. For once in our lives, kami ang nasa likod lang, so dapat kung naasan sila, doon kami," she said.

On Wednesday, September 23, Kris with her sisters Pinky, Viel and Ballsy, recorded rosary songs for Star Records. According to Kris, the CD is their birhday gift for their mom, the late President Corazon Aquino, who was known for her devotion to The Holy Rosary.

September Function Activity

last sunday, sept 20 we celebrated the birthday of Mama Mary, even though it was 2 weeks late and the time is very limited because there is a Senior Curia Meeting in the afternoon, the event was still a success, many participated. Here are some of our pictures from last sunday's event, courtesy of the digicam if Auwee.










Saturday, September 12, 2009

World's oldest person dies in Los Angeles at 115


LOS ANGELES – Although she liked her bacon crispy and her chicken fried, she never drank, smoked or fooled around, Gertrude Baines once said, describing a life that lasted an astonishing 115 years and earned her the title of oldest person on the planet.

It was a title Baines quietly relinquished Friday when she died in her sleep at Western Convalescent Hospital, her home since she gave up living alone at age 107 after breaking a hip.

She likely suffered a heart attack, said her longtime physician, Dr. Charles Witt, although an autopsy was scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

"I saw her two days ago, and she was just doing fine," Witt told The Associated Press on Friday. "She was in excellent shape. She was mentally alert. She smiled frequently."

Baines was born in Shellman, Ga., on April 6, 1894, when Grover Cleveland was in the White House, radio communication was just being developed and television was still more than a half-century from becoming a ubiquitous household presence.

She was 4 years old when the Spanish-American War broke out and 9 when the first World Series was played. She had already reached middle age by the time the U.S. entered World War II in 1941.

Throughout it all, Baines said last year, it was a life she thoroughly enjoyed.

"I'm glad I'm here. I don't care if I live a hundred more," she said with a hearty laugh after casting her vote for Barack Obama for president. "I enjoy nothing but eating and sleeping."

Her vote for Obama, she added, had helped fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing a black man elected president.

"We all the same, only our skin is dark and theirs is white," said Baines, who was black.

The centenarian, who worked as a maid at Ohio State University dormitories until her retirement, had outlived all of her family members. Her only daughter died of typhoid at age 18.

In her final years, she passed her days watching her favorite TV program, "The Jerry Springer Show," and consuming her favorite foods: bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. She complained often, however, that the bacon served to her was too soft.

"Two days ago, when I saw her, she was talking about the fact that the bacon wasn't crisp enough, that it was soggy," Witt said.

She became the world's oldest person in January when Maria de Jesus died in Portugal at 115.

The title brought with it a spotlight of attention, and Baines was asked frequently about the secret to a long life. She shrugged off such questions, telling people to ask God instead.

"She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord, that she never did drink, she never did smoke and she never did fool around," Witt said at a party marking her 115th birthday.

At the party, Baines sat quietly, paying little attention as nursing home staffers and residents sang "Happy Birthday" and presented congratulatory notices from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and others. But she laughed when told the Los Angeles Dodgers had given her a cooler filled with hot dogs.

With Baines' death, 114-year-old Kama Chinen of Japan becomes the world's oldest person, said Dr. L. Stephen Coles of the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks claims of extreme old age. Chinen was born May 10, 1895.

The oldest person who ever lived, Coles said, was Jeanne-Louise Calment, who was 122 when she died Aug. 4, 1997, in Arles, France.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

for younger skin

You need:

1 tsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider
1 tsp extra virgin coconut oil

mix well and drink once or twice a day.

see results on your skin and digestion after a week!

you'll make it a habit!.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

FVR: ‘Aquino represented past, future of Filipinos’

Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Friday expressed grief over the death of his predecessor, former President Corazon Aquino, saying her demise was a loss not only for Filipinos but for the whole world. In a phone-patch interview with GMA News, Ramos, who took over the presidency when Mrs. Aquino bowed out of office in 1992, paid tribute to the role that the democracy icon had played in shaping the Philippines after coming out of martial rule under strongman Ferdinand Marcos. "Not only the entire Filipino nation grieves, but the whole world. Cory Aquino represented the past and the future of our people and led in the direction of a better future for our people," Ramos said. “Dito sa aming lahat sa aking pamilya ay nakikiramay sa pamilya at sa lahat ng mahal sa buhay ni Cory Aquino," said Ramos, who only learned about Mrs. Aquino’s death on radio.

This page requires a higher version browser Ramos, together with then defense chief Juan Ponce Enrile, led a military uprising in February 1986 that sparked the EDSA “People Power Revolution," toppled the Marcos regime and propelled Mrs. Aquino to power.

One of Mrs. Aquino's first appointees was then Lieutenant General Ramos, then Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief of staff, whom she named chief of staff and promoted to four-star rank.

As military chief of staff and later secretary of defense, Ramos stood by Mrs. Aquino in the most difficult times of her presidency, helping quell coup attempts mounted mostly by military officers who helped topple Marcos.

During the 1992 presidential elections, Mrs. Aquino threw her support behind Ramos, discarding then House Speaker Ramon Mitra, who was the choice of the ruling Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) - the party formed by her political allies to back her presidency.

Because of Mrs. Aquino's support, Ramos managed to emerge as winner, albeit by a slim margin, in a field of seven candidates that included Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago; businessman Eduardo "Danding Cojuangco, Mrs. Aquino's cousin; then Vice President Salvador Laurel, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and former First Lady Mrs. Imelda Marcos. - GMANews.TV

Corazon Aquino, Philippines president, dead at 76


Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a "people power" revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76.

The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired nonviolent protests across the globe, including those that ended Communist rule in eastern Europe.

But she struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her own family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term.

Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as "Tita (Auntie) Cory."

"She was headstrong and single-minded in one goal, and that was to remove all vestiges of an entrenched dictatorship," Raul C. Pangalangan, former dean of the Law School at the University of the Philippines, said earlier this month. "We all owe her in a big way."

Her son, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said his mother died at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (1918 GMT Friday).

Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue her chemotherapy.

Supporters have been holding daily prayers for Aquino in churches in Manila and throughout the country for a month. Masses were scheduled for later Saturday, and yellow ribbons were tied on trees around her neighborhood in Quezon city.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is on an official visit to the United States, said in a statement that "the entire nation is mourning" Aquino's demise. Arroyo declared a period of national mourning and announced a state funeral would be held for the late president.

TV stations on Saturday were running footage of Aquino's years together with prayers while her former aides and supporters offered condolences.

"Today our country has lost a mother," said former President Joseph Estrada, calling Aquino "a woman of both strength and graciousness."

Even the exiled Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, whom Aquino freed from jail in 1986, paid tribute from the Netherlands.

Aquino's unlikely rise began in 1983 when her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila's international airport as he returned from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary.

The killing enraged many Filipinos and unleashed a broad-based opposition movement that thrust Aquino into the role of national leader.

"I don't know anything about the presidency," she declared in 1985, a year before she agreed to run against Marcos, uniting the fractious opposition, the business community, and later the armed forces to drive the dictator out.

Maria Corazon Cojuangco was born on Jan. 25, 1933, into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Paniqui, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Manila.

She attended private school in Manila and earned a degree in French from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York. In 1954 she married Ninoy Aquino, the fiercely ambitious scion of another political family. He rose from provincial governor to senator and finally opposition leader.

Marcos, elected president in 1965, declared martial law in 1972 to avoid term limits. He abolished the Congress and jailed Aquino's husband and thousands of opponents, journalists and activists without charges. Aquino became her husband's political stand-in, confidant, message carrier and spokeswoman.

A military tribunal sentenced her husband to death for alleged links to communist rebels but, under pressure from U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Marcos allowed him to leave in May 1980 for heart surgery in the U.S.

It was the start of a three-year exile. With her husband at Harvard University holding court with fellow exiles, academics, journalists and visitors from Manila, Aquino was the quiet homemaker, raising their five children and serving tea. Away from the hurly-burly of Philippine politics, she described the period as the best of their marriage.

The halcyon days ended when her husband decided to return to regroup the opposition. While she and the children remained in Boston, he flew to Manila, where he was shot as he descended the stairs from the plane.

The government blamed a suspected communist rebel, but subsequent investigations pointed to a soldier who was escorting him from the plane on Aug. 21, 1983.

Aquino heard of the assassination in a phone call from a Japanese journalist. She recalled gathering the children and, as a deeply religious woman, praying for strength.

"During Ninoy's incarceration and before my presidency, I used to ask why it had always to be us to make the sacrifice," she said in a 2007 interview with The Philippine Star newspaper. "And then, when Ninoy died, I would say, 'Why does it have to be me now?' It seemed like we were always the sacrificial lamb."

She returned to the Philippines three days later. One week after that, she led the largest funeral procession Manila had seen. Crowd estimates ranged as high as 2 million.

With public opposition mounting against Marcos, he stunned the nation in November 1985 by calling a snap election in a bid to shore up his mandate. The opposition, including then Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, urged Aquino to run.

After a fierce campaign, the vote was held on Feb. 7, 1986. The National Assembly declared Marcos the winner, but journalists, foreign observers and church leaders alleged massive fraud.

With the result in dispute, a group of military officers mutinied against Marcos on Feb. 22 and holed up with a small force in a military camp in Manila.

Over the following three days, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos responded to a call by the Roman Catholic Church to jam the broad highway in front of the camp to prevent an attack by Marcos forces.

On the third day, against the advice of her security detail, Aquino appeared at the rally alongside the mutineers, led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, the military vice chief of staff and Marcos' cousin.

From a makeshift platform, she declared: "For the first time in the history of the world, a civilian population has been called to defend the military."

The military chiefs pledged their loyalty to Aquino and charged that Marcos had won the election by fraud.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a longtime supporter of Marcos, called on him to resign. "Attempts to prolong the life of the present regime by violence are futile," the White House said. American officials offered to fly Marcos out of the Philippines.

On Feb. 25, Marcos and his family went to the U.S.-run Clark Air Base outside Manila and flew to Hawaii, where he died three years later.

The same day, Aquino was sworn in as the Philippines' first female leader.

Over time, the euphoria fizzled as the public became impatient and Aquino more defensive as she struggled to navigate treacherous political waters and build alliances to push her agenda.

"People used to compare me to the ideal president, but he doesn't exist and never existed. He has never lived," she said in the 2007 Philippine Star interview.

The right attacked her for making overtures to communist rebels and the left, for protecting the interests of wealthy landowners.

Aquino signed an agrarian reform bill that virtually exempted large plantations like her family's sugar plantation from being distributed to landless farmers.

When farmers protested outside the Malacanang Presidential Palace on Jan. 22, 1987, troops opened fire, killing 13 and wounding 100.

The bloodshed scuttled talks with communist rebels, who had galvanized opposition to Marcos but weren't satisfied with Aquino either.

As recently as 2004, at least seven workers were killed in clashes with police and soldiers at the family's plantation, Hacienda Luisita, over its refusal to distribute its land.

Aquino also attempted to negotiate with Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines, but made little progress.

Behind the public image of the frail, vulnerable widow, Aquino was an iron-willed woman who dismissed criticism as the carping of jealous rivals. She knew she had to act tough to earn respect in the Philippines' macho culture.

"When I am just with a few close friends, I tell them, 'OK, you don't like me? Look at the alternatives,' and that shuts them up," she told America's NBC television in a 1987 interview.

Her term was punctuated by repeated coup attempts — most staged by the same clique of officers who had risen up against Marcos and felt they had been denied their fair share of power. The most serious attempt came in December 1989 when only a flyover by U.S. jets prevented mutinous troops from toppling her.

Leery of damaging relations with the United States, Aquino tried in vain to block a historic Senate vote to force the U.S. out of its two major bases in the Philippines.

In the end, the U.S. Air Force pulled out of Clark Air Base in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced its evacuation and left it heavily damaged. The last American vessel left Subic Bay Naval Base in November 1992.

After stepping down in 1992, Aquino remained active in social and political causes.

Until diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2008, she joined rallies calling for the resignation of President Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption.

She kept her distance from another famous widow, flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, who was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991.

Marcos has called Aquino a usurper and dictator, though she later led prayers for Aquino in July 2009 when the latter was hospitalized. The two never made peace.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

50 Ways to love your partner

1. Love yourself first
2. Start each day with hug
3. Serve breakfast in bed
4. Say “I love you” every time you part ways
5. Compliment freely and often
6. Appreciate – and celebrate – your differences
7. Live each day as if it’s your last
8. Write unexpected love letters
9. Plant a seed together and nurture it to maturity
10. Go on a date once every week
11. Send flowers for no reason
12. Accept and love each other’s family and friends
13. Make little signs that say “i love you” and post them all over the house
14. Stop and smell the roses
15. Kiss unexpectedly
16. Seek out beautiful sunset together
17. Apologize sincerely
18. Be forgiving
19. Remember the day you fell in love
20. Hold hands
21. Say “i love you” with your eyes
22. Let her cry in your arms
23. Tell him you understand
24. Drink toasts of love and commitment
25. Do something arousing
26. Let her give you directions when you are lost
27. Laugh at his jokes
28. Appreciate her inner beauty
29. Do the other person’s chores for a day
30. Encourage wonderful dreams
31. Commit a public display of attention
32. Give loving messages with no string attached
33. Start love journal and record your special moments
34. Calm each other’s fears
35. Walk barefoot on the beach together
36. Ask her to marry you again
37. Say yes
38. Respect each other
39. Be your partner’s biggest fan
40. Give the love your partner wants to receive
41. Give the love you want to receive
42. Show interest in the other’s work
43. Work on a project together
44. Build a fort with blankets
45. Swing as high as you can on a swing set by moonlight
46. Have picnic indoors on a rainy day
47. Never go to bed mad
48. Put your partner first in your prayers
49. Kiss each other goodnight
50. Sleep like spoons

By Mark and Chrissy Donnelly
From Chicken soup for the couple’s soul

Saturday, July 11, 2009

2 Faced Baby Born in India

A very special girl was born last March in a small suburb of Delhi, India.

2face girl 2 Faced Baby Born in India picture

She was born with 4 eyes, 2 noses, 2 mouths, 2 ears, and 1 dimple on a shared cheek.

Similar to Lakshmi Tatma, a 2 year-old girl born with four arms and four legs, she is reverred as a reincarnated god by her local villagers, who sing and dance regularly for her.

2faces 2 Faced Baby Born in India picture

“I had never seen something like this in my life so naturally I was a little scared when I first saw her,” her father was quoted as saying.

The young girl and her mother are both healthy and the family has no intentions of seeking surgery to correct the deformities.

“The doctor said everything is normal when she was born. So where’s the need to get medical help?” said the child’s father. “She’s fed through one mouth and sucks her thumb with the other. We use whichever mouth is free to feed her.”

Yet To Come

The song that best describe the new chapter of my life! 💜