Posts Tagged ‘in the Philippines’

Drive Green Drive

If you are living in a fully urbanized community whether in the Philippines or not, the fast and the furious modern lifestyle will cover your nostrils with smogs and smokes everywhere due to largely by continuing combusting of carbon dioxide of motorized vehicles, like your BMW, Ford, Honda or whatever you drive along the road. And due to this, the motor association of the Philippines has set a drive to drive green.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. ( CAMPI) is the one who set a green carpet to this green drive to promote and advocate clean and green driving in the Philippines through using alternative fuels for vehicles, like electricity, diesel, hybrid combination of recycled and bio materials that burns cleanly on the vehicle engines; fuel-efficiency that cut off extra cost for refueling your vehicles; and eco-driving tips like : 1.) regular car maintenance that use right specification of oil engine for one’s type of vehicle. 2.) Making a necessary adjustments for your driving needs, that is if your vehicle is not designed for heavy load driving, don’t stuff it with much unnecessary load because the additional weight could flat your wheels; and other adjustments like mapping ahead your road plans to avoid unnecessary stop-over. 3.) Don’t drive fast and reckless.4.) Know one’s limits. 5. Minimize the air-conditioning of your car and vehicle.

Actually the Chamber of Automotive Manufactures of the Philippine Inc (CAMPI) has set a 3^rd Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) having the motto: Drive the Green Road.

If you are interested in their advocates and wanted to know more you can get a copy of their “Green Motoring Guide” guide book at their office, since the motor show, I think, already ended.

Top Phenomenal Franchise Reality Show That Hits

Reality Shows have also creep into the Philippine television wherein back then there was none, and if there is, it is not that such a big hit and it is an imported foreign show, like the Wheel of Fortune, If the Price is Right, etc, which is of course yes a Game show; a game show is categorized as a reality show then, but now on our modern times, the working definition of reality show is quite different. It refers now to the actual human activity or human reactions that are not scripted however caught secretly on cameras; or it an extreme game show that showcases real-life stunts, exhibitions, flops, and even angst and anger of the participants. The most recent reality show which showcase extreme games as I mentioned, is the Philippine Franchise  foreign reality show “Survivor” which becomes a phenomenal hit on the Philippine television during its first season, likewise also the Philippine Franchise foreign reality show “Big Brother” when it airs its very first season in the Philippines.

These top two phenomenal franchise reality shows that hits the Philippine television is given a Pinoy touch in order Filipinos could relate to the foreign show, with Filipinos are the main contestant of the show. Though the two top phenomenal franchise reality shows are already familiar in other countries, the Philippines top TV networks took a risk to adopt it on the Pinoy television. Of course, if these reality shows clicks abroad, it could also click on Filipinos, thus giving profits for the TV stations.

Night Shift Stores and Food Chains in the Philippines

If you happen to visit the Philippines and a night life lover, then you should have this list of 24/7 and Night shift stores and food chains in the Philippines in order to enjoy your night life in the Philippines.

1. 7 Eleven store – anywhere in the Philippines, this mini mart is always dependable whenever you need something at any hours and at any day. It is a 24/7 store.

2. Mini Stop – it is quite similar to 7 Eleven but is just a small one. It is also 24/7 store.

3. Jollibee – a Pinoy food chain which is open 24/7 on selected places.

4. McDonald –an International food chain which is open 24/7 on selected areas.

5. Wendy’s – also an international food chain which is open 24/7 on selected areas.

6. Shakey’s Pizza – a 24/7 Pizza chain on selected location in the Philippines, like Katipunan and Makati Avenue.

7. Uncle Moe’s – a 24/7 restaurant on Metro Manila Philippines.

8. Whistestop – it is a 24/7 restaurant.

9.  Burger Machine – it is 24/7 burger chain on selected places in the Philippines.

10. Yellow Cab – it is also a 24/7 pizza chain like Shakey’s Pizza.

11. Bugsy’s Bar and Bistro – it is also a restaurant but only opens between 11 a.m. and 5 a.m.

12. Route 196 – a resto music bar for those who want to chill with soothing and rock musics. It opens from 6 p.m. until 3 a. m.

There are still stores, chains and other establishments in the Philippines which is open either 24/7 or night shift only which I no longer include in my handful list because of some change of schedules.

Issue on Private Roads

Not all highways and expressways in the Philippines are owned wholly by the Philippine government just like not all facilities and establishments erected were owned by the Philippine government though these were on the Philippine ground and utilize within the Philippine domains. Thus, for this reason, a tax exist on those private own properties in payment for using the privileges and land property of the Philippine government they use and access. This relationship does not only exist in the Philippines but also on every countries of the world. But sometimes, it does not go well on this kind of relationship because of conflict of interests of both parties wherein the innocent customers/people are the ones who suffers a lot.

Take for example, if the Philippine government tax greatly a private company, like the private roads in the Philippines (North Luzon Expressway[NLEx],South Luzon Expressway[SLEx],Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Coastal Road, and the Skyway) which the present administration (the Aquino Administration) have planned to do but was blocked by the Supreme Court of the Philippines – the private owners will transfer the burden of the government tax to the innocent civilian Filipinos by increasing the cost of their service, like the toll rates on private roads. Thus, the civilian Filipinos are the always innocent victims.

It seems, the Aquino administration have made mistake again in their plans to levied a 12 % VAT (value added tax) on private roads because it was blocked by the Supreme Court and some Filipino people wants the TRO (temporary restraining order) to be permanent, else the innocent motorists will suffer the increase toll rates.

The Reason For the Quake

Every country in the world is not being spare by earthquakes including the Philippines. Like no other countries the Philippines has been struck and rock by both minor and major earth tremors or earthquakes, but recently, the southern part of the Philippines is struck again by another earthquake but this time it has a very interesting reason for the quake.

The southern part of the Philippines that has been struck by an earthquake is the part that is near the Kawio Islands, wherein the suspected culprit for the quake is an undersea volcano much taller than Philippines’s mt. Apo (the tallest mountain in the Philippines) and mt. Mayon and Indonesia’s taller mountains which lies beneath the Sulawesi Islands. The Sulawesi islands is said to be less than 500 kilometers away from Sarangani province in the Philippines, thus, affecting the southern part of the Philippines an earth tremors or earthquakes.

So what is this undersea volcano had to do with the earthquake? As it was reported, this undersea volcano is slowly rising up thus affecting the continents or land mass surrounding it which causes an earthquake on the land surface. This is really very interesting and mysterious natural phenomenon – a rising undersea volcano?

Conflicts on Sex Issue

The increasing rate of young HIV-positive diagnosed people in the Philippines at the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, have compelled the Department of Health and the Department of Education to held a campaign to use condoms during a sexual acts and to include sex education on the curriculums of public elementary schools in the Philippines, respectively to avoid future outbreaks of AIDS among young Filipinos in the Philippines.

However, these plans of the two major government departments of the Philippines has been again sharply opposed by the great hypocritical meddler and charlatan of the Philippine Republic – the CBCP (Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines; the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines) –wherein the republic of the Philippines cannot meddle in their affairs vice versa because they excuse that they are “servants of God” and the republic of the Philippines will be guilty of instigating a “servant of God”. Actually, the roman Catholic Church have no any right to dictate on the affairs of the state since it is just a mere religion like the other religions in the Philippines, and should not act as if she is the only one who knows what is right and wrong for a state or country.

Anyway, sex education or teaching the basic of sex and its complications and consequences when done early in life to young minds, scientifically and not vulgarly of course, is not harmful and will not let them go maniac toward sex contrary to the malicious minds of the CBCP that according to them, it will only lead young Filipinos to engage more maniacally on sex, which is of course not true because the CBCP was ignorant to the fact that sex education is being push through on the curriculums of the public elementary school in the Philippines because the young Filipinos are engaged maniacally on sex already without any right education about it, that is why there is an increase of young Filipinos being infected by HIV or sexually transmitted disease due to lack of knowledge regarding the consequences of it.

Moreover, of course the Department of Health and the Department of Education will not teach sex education in a more vulgar way contrary to the narrow-minded Catholic Bishops of the CBCP who are thinking malicious thoughts regarding the plan for sex education.

TV Networks Rivalry in the Philippines

TV viewing in the Philippines is never free of corruption and moral hypocrisy creeping into the unsuspecting minds of ordinary Pilipino viewers. Media is really a powerful medium that could either give right information or false information to the viewing public, thus because of this capability, the two giant TV networks in the Philippines took advantage and exploit this medium when they incessantly maligning each other through their respective networks ad their fight to be the number One TV network in the Philippines; it just only mellow this year 2010.These two giant TV networks in the Philippines that dominates the percentage of TV viewership in the Philippines are ABS-CBN Channel 2 (the so-called “Kapamilya Network” and GMA Channel 7 ( the so-called “Kapuso Network”).

Their more recent fight as I remember it is somewhere 2004-2009 (early 2009).These years were their intense fight. Of course, because at year 2004,GMA Channel 7 has finally or have snatched the No.1 slot on TV ratings from decades of  ABS-CBN Channel 2 on the No.1 slot; when GMA Channel  7 “copies” the so-called “fantaseryes” or mini-fantasy drama series of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

Both TV networks then accused one another of cheating the TV ratings by inserting an electronic gadget on every household when both do promotional caravans that influence the viewership on a specific house. Moreover, both also accused one another of bribing money in their respective promotional caravans to influence the people in specific barangay to change the channel they are watching.

Furthermore, they also file lawsuits against one another, yet they hypocritically promote brotherly love and what they so-called “of the Truth, for the Truth” in their respective TV shows and programs.

Continual Religious Hegemony in the Philippines

Religion in the Philippines become like a bread and butter in terms of morality. However, is the predominant religion in the Philippines which is Catholicism/Christianity a homegrown belief system in the Philippines?

Any Pilipino historian would say, it is Not, as well as the Philippines’ National heroes like Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio who have a non-catholic/non-Christian religion will utterly deny that Catholicism/ Christianity is the homegrown religion of the Philippines.

Actually, Philippine’s National heroes –Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio- fought against the hegemonic rule of Catholicism/Christianity during the Spanish times. Moreover, the Catholics/Christians during the Spanish times even snatch without mercy the native lands of the “Pilipino Katutubos” at that time. Just like what the Spanish priest missionaries were doing on remote areas in the world not only in the Philippines during the Middle times.

Up until now, the Spanish religion still has hegemony over the majority of the Pilipinos and trying to meddle again on the moral and political affairs of the Philippines. The most recent is the use of condom to prevent sexually transmitted disease which the Catholic Church have opposed and trying to impose her own power over it.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines or the CBCP is the seat of the continuing proof of religious hegemony in the Philippines that tries to intervene and meddle in the Philippine affairs.

Is the Philippine Movie Industry Slowly Dying?

Despite of some recent movies that hits really the box-office, still filmmakers complain of a dying movie industry in the Philippines, for according to them movie entertainment industry in the Philippines, especially original Pinoy movies produced every year have reportedly dropped almost 70% these recent years. It was said, before, a movie producer produces almost 100 movies per year but now it drops tremendously into only 30 movies per year.

The Philippine entertainment industry has blamed this sudden decline to movie piracy. Yes, Pilipinos themselves cheat their own fellow Pilipinos when they pirated original movie DVDs produced by original film makers. The reason for their pirating activity is of course, poverty. Majority of most Pilipinos do not have jobs that could augment their respective live, thus some resort to this cheating act.

Original film makers cannot blame some Pilipinos patronizing pirated movie version of their films because most pirated copies are very cheap and affordable than the original ones. Moreover, you can watch in advance movies which are soon to show on movie theaters through pirated copy of it. Thus, the piracy industry cannot be totally be stop and abolish by the original film makers though there are chances they caught some who are involved in movie piracy and destroyed lots of pirated movie DVDs.

First in the Philippines

Changes in a country are inevitable because of a demand for improvement and economic progress, and this change is what we called “firsts”.

So what’s new in the Philippines this 21^st century that marks first? I can say so far there are three, namely:

1. The First Automated National Election. In the history of Philippine National election, the election 2010 is the very first Philippine National Election to use a high technology that automatically canvass votes and transmit results from an election precinct into Philippines’ National Board of Canvassers, electronically.

This high-tech automated machine is what is called the PCOS Machine or Precinct Count Optical Scan machine produced by Smartmatic. Inc which has won the bidding among other bidders to provide a high-tech automated machine for Philippines’ 2010 National Election.

The Philippines’ first automated national election was held successfully though there are handfuls of electoral protests that complain electronic cheating.

2. The First Nine year-term Philippine President. Who will know that former 14^th Philippine President Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will spend a nine year term in her presidency successfully though there are many attempts to disempower her and destabilized her administration? In addition to that, she is a woman and not a man, is that inspiring for women out there? Who says boys are the only ones who can beat the hardest odds?

She too exemplifies woman power aside from late ex-Philippine president Corazon Aquino.

3. The First Pilipino boxer to be recognized as the World’s Boxing Champ. Who says a poor Pilipino underdog boxer could not arise beyond the rings of boxing arena and idolized by many in the world as the “world’s boxing champ” and become instant multi-millionaire?

Yes, who is the one today who doesn’t know Manny Pacquio?

Truly, this is the first time the Philippines have been put into pedestal in the name of boxing sports.

In the Philippines