Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines is the New Wonder of Nature

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) is one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas of the Philippines. It features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape that contains an 8.2 km long underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it flows directly into the sea, and the lower half portion of the river is brackish and subject to tidal influence. The area also represents significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. It contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem and protects forests, which are among the most significant in Asia.

Now, the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now officially one of the New7Wonders of Nature, the founder of global campaign announced on Saturday.
Bernard Weber, founder-president of New7Wonders, congratulated the Filipinos as the 8.2-kilometer Palawan river joined the Amazon rainforest, Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Argentina’s Iguazu Falls as among the world’s new seven wonders of nature.

Video: Puerto Princesa Underground River

“When your very own President Aquino came out in support of the PPUR campaign, I knew that this country was taking the New7Wonders of Nature seriously,” said Weber. “Fans of PPUR all over the world responded to his call for action by voting in record numbers and today’s confirmation is the well-earned reward for this extraordinary display of enthusiasm.”

Aquino even sailed the river last year on board a paddleboat as he urged Filipinos to help push the Philippines’ bid for a spot in the New7Wonders of Nature.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn welcomed the news, saying it would help the country’s renewed campaign to boost tourism.

“This confirmation is wonderful news for Puerto Princesa, and a great example of how now it’s more fun to be in the Philippines,” said Hagedorn, in reference to the Department of Tourism’s “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan.

“World-wide exposure of our natural beauty on this level is critical both for tourism and for our image nationally and internationally,” he said.
The Puerto Princesa Underground River, about 50 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa City, consists of a limestone karst mountain landscape, several large chambers containing significant formations of stalactites and stalagmites.

This navigable underground river winds through a cave before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea. At the exit, a flawless lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge.

The campaign organized by Swiss foundation New7Wonders has attracted great interest, mobilizing celebrities including Argentinian football star Lionel Messi calling on fans to pick his home country’s Iguazu Falls.

Provisional results of the final seven were released last November 12 after a long consultation process lasting from December 2007 to July 2009, when world citizens were asked to put forward sites which they deemed were natural wonders.

More than a million votes were cast to trim the list of more than 440 contenders in over 220 countries down to a shortlist of 77.
The group was then further cut to 28 finalists by a panel of experts.

Anyone in the world was then able to vote for the final seven via telephone, text messages or Internet social networks.
Founded in 2001 by filmmaker Bernard Weber in Zurich, the foundation New7Wonders is based on the same principle on which the seven ancient wonders of the world were established. That list of seven wonders was attributed to Philon of Byzantium in ancient Greece.

New7Wonders said its aim is to create a global memory by garnering participation worldwide.

Official DFA List of Countries Filipinos Can Go To Without A Visa Requirement

The Philippine Government's DFA's Office of Consular Affairs released an official partial list of countries that Philippine citizens can visit that do not require a visa.


According to data compiled by the DFA's Office of Consular Affairs, the following countries fall in the visa-free category, followed by the length of allowable stay by Filipinos:

• Bolivia - 60 days
• Brazil - 90 days (for holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports, visa-free for (a) duration of tour of duty or (b) 180 days for official business or tourism)
• Brunei - 14 days
• Colombia
• Costa Rica - 30 days
• Ecuador - 90 days
• Hong Kong SAR - 14 days
• Indonesia - 30 days
• Laos - 30 days
• Malaysia - 30 days
• Palau - 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return/onward plane ticket)
• Peru - 60 days
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore - 30 days
• Suriname
• Thailand - 30 days
• Tuvalu - 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return /onward plane ticket)
• Vanuatu - 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return / onward plane ticket)
• Vietnam - 21 days
• Zambia - visa upon arrival; 3 months for tourism, 1 month for business

This is just a partial list and DFA will be updating this. There is a facebook post that lists 60 countries but that is not released by the DFA.

Luneta Park: One of the best parks in the Philippines

There's a real nice article about Luneta Park in the Inquirer today. It talks about the history of the park and other lesser known facts about it.

As a kid, I used to go there often with my brother to roam around. It is a huge place and always brought me memories of fun and good times. I even remember that then US President George W. Bush and wife paid a visit to the monument to lay a wreath there. Conspiracy theorists take note, Jose Rizal was known to be a freemason. hehe.

Anyway, here's an excerpt from the article:

How well do you know Rizal Park?

Here are 30 little-known facts about Rizal Park as culled from interviews with officials of the National Park Development Committee (NPDC), park attendants and guides, frequent visitors, history and architecture hobbyists, old news clippings, and other reports, both print and online.
Vatican City can fit inside Rizal Park. The Vatican has an area of 44 hectares compared with Rizal Park’s 58 hectares.

Valencia Circle, which surrounds the Lapu-Lapu statue, is Metro Manila’s biggest rotunda (defined as a circular road with no road inside). It has a diameter of 42 meters. The circle is named after Teodoro Valencia, the longtime head of the park who initiated and maintained the beautification reforms that put it in top shape.

Rizal Park was neglected for decades, feared and avoided by the public as criminals and prostitutes wandered the place. The NPDC was created in 1963 to clean up and develop the park.

The park’s other popular name, Luneta, was derived from the lunette or crescent-shaped outworks or minor fortifications surrounding Intramuros, the old walled city of Manila.

Another name for the park, Bagumbayan, literally “New Town,” was one of the towns surrounding Intramuros. Bagumbayan was torn down because British invaders mounted cannons on its buildings during the attack on Manila in 1763. A marker lies on the spot where the town’s San Juan Bautista church, which housed the Black Nazarene, used to be. The open area left was known as the Bagumbayan Field, which became the execution ground for criminals.
The Rizal Monument’s real name is “Motto Stella (Guiding Star),” the title of the entry submitted by its sculptor, Richard Kissling of Switzerland. However, Kissling’s obra was only the runner-up. Italian Carlo Nicoli’s entry, titled “Al Martir de Bagumbayan,” won the international design contest for the monument.

There is no single official explanation why the contract was awarded to Kissling. One account said Nicoli had failed to post the required performance bond, or that he had failed to show up at the contract signing. Another said Kissling’s entry was chosen because his quotation was lower than Nicoli’s.
There is also no official explanation of the meaning of the monument’s details. The monument depicts Rizal in overcoat holding a book. The obelisk is usually taken to mean Rizal’s masonic background while the three stars are said to stand for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The figures at the back of the monument, such as leaves and a pot, are said to symbolize the country’s natural resources.

The consensus is that the figures beside Rizal—a mother rearing her child and two young boys reading—signify family and education, said Federico Edos, NPDC cultural and public affairs division chief.

Source

What is PisoBid and how does it work?

PisoBid is the #1 entertainment shopping site in the Philippines and is the country’s fastest growing website with over 10 million page views, 75 million post views and 188,000 Facebook fans. Consumers can save over 99% on brand new and luxury items such as gadgets, television sets, game consoles, designer brand items, beauty and fitness products, vacation packages and more. With its Facebook fans growing by the hundreds every day, it continues to feature incredible deals where more than 2,300 members have already won.

Auctions at PisoBid can be found at the main page www.pisobid.com.

The price of the auction item starts at 1 peso ₱1.00.

For standard auctions, the price goes up by one centavo (₱0.01) for each bid. Some auctions may require 2 bids or more for each click. The second item below (iPhone 4S), for example, requires 2 bids, whereas the first one requires only 1 bid

• Products to be auctioned are loaded on the main page ahead of time and the countdown timer indicates when these auctions are about to end. In the example above, auction for both items are ending in 02:34:12 (hours: minutes: seconds).
• When the countdown timer reaches 00:00:00, bidding officially starts and the timer will now indicate the number of seconds that bidders must place their bids for the chance to become the last bidder and thus, the winner.
• In the above examples, auctions are set with 10-second timers. The timer varies with each item and may have 8 seconds, 12 seconds, 15 seconds, etc. This timer resets every time a user bids to allow other members to place their bids (as compared to a traditional offline auction where the host announces: “Going Once, Going Twice… Sold!”).
• If you’re the last bidder when the timer runs out, and nobody else places a bid after you, you win the auction!

Venting

My daughter was near death when out of the blue, I was blindsided.

It occurred to me that some people are just downright mean inside. And no matter how sincere the gesture is, it will always be wrapped up in darkness.

I always believed that everyone is good and all they need is just understanding and patience. I have friends who have at times taken advantage of me but when push comes to shove, they were there to help. And there are some I have no strength to understand or even be patient with but overall, I feel that they aren't that bad. Just misunderstood.

No one would deliberately hurt anyone without reason. But I was wrong. It's not everyone. There will always be some that are just plain bad and evil. Regardless.

I had to go through a real harrowing experience just to understand this. But as my hands are tied, I have to eat crow for a real misjudgment of character. My fault totally. No one to blame but me. I have to carry this cross until all is settled.

Still, I feel sorry for the person. A whole life to live to spread malice and pain is not one I would wish on anybody. Because as anyone would say, you get back ten times more than what you dish out.

What I cannot forgive is making me doubt my core belief about the goodness in everyone.

NASA eyes power in Tropical Storm Washi, warnings in the Philippines

NASA's TRMM satellite measured heavy rainfall and powerful towering thunderstorms as Tropical Depression 27W intensified into Tropical Storm Washi today. Now, warnings are up in areas of the Philippines as Washi heads in that direction.

Now that Tropical Depression 27W strengthened into a tropical storm, it has been given two names: Washi and Sendong. Tropical cyclones within each ocean basin are named in six year lists, but some countries will also assign their own names to a storm, so following a storm can get a little confusing. Low pressure areas that form into a depression are given a number and Washi's was 27W, for the twenty-seventh tropical depression in the western North Pacific this season. Once it strengthens into a tropical storm it gets a name.

Tropical Storm Washi, or Sendong as it is known in the Philippines has residents there on guard as it continues to strengthen upon its approach.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Weather Forecasting Section, Weather Division is responsible for forecasts of tropical cyclones affecting the Philippines. PAGASA noted in a bulletin today, December 15 at 5 p.m. local time (0900 UTC or 4 a.m. EST): "Tropical Storm 27W (called "Sendong" in the Philippines) is expected to make landfall over Surigao del Sur early tomorrow (Friday) afternoon and by Saturday afternoon, at 220 km East Northeast of Puerto Princesa City. By Sunday afternoon, it will be at 260 km West Northwest of Puerto Princesa City."

As a result of Washi's (Sendong) approach, PAGASA has posted warning signals. Signal One is in effect for Mindanao and Visayas. Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island of the Philippines. It is one of the three island groups in the country, the others being Luzon and the Visayas.

Included in the warning in Mindanao is the province of Surigao Del Norte including Siargao Island, Surigao Del, Sur and Dinagat Province, Agusan Provinces and Misamis Oriental. Included in the warning in Visayas are the provinces of Eastern Samar and Western Samar, Leyte Provinces, Camotes Island, and Bohol. Heavy rains and gusty winds are expected. Rainfall may cause flooding and mudslides.

On Dec. 15 at 0900 UTC, Tropical Storm Washi had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/65 kmh). It was about 140 nautical miles (161 miles/259 km) west of Palau near 7.7 North and 131.5 East. It was moving quickly to the west at 20 knots (23 mph/37 kmh).

When the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed over Washi early today, Dec. 15 at 0205 UTC (Dec. 14 at 9:05 a.m. EST) a "hot towering" thunderstorm was seen in the southwestern quadrant of the storm topping 10 miles (16 kilometers) high. Research done at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. has shown that tropical cyclones are likely to intensify within six hours of a "hot tower" being spotted in a tropical cyclone.

Multispectral satellite imagery showed the banding of thunderstorms wrapping into the center of circulation - another indication that the storm is strengthening. The storm is strengthening because the wind shear is light (only 10 knots/11 mph/18 kmh) and the sea surface temperatures are very warm at about 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 Celsius) which is about 8F warmer than the minimum temperature needed to maintain a tropical cyclone.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Washi to make landfall on Friday, Dec. 16 and then re-emerge over water in the Sulu Sea. In the meantime, residents of Minandao and Visayas need to prepare for Washi's arrival.

Source:NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Why do people defend unjust, inept, and corrupt systems?

Why do we stick up for a system or institution we live in—a government, company, or marriage—even when anyone else can see it is failing miserably? Why do we resist change even when the system is corrupt or unjust? A new article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, illuminates the conditions under which we're motivated to defend the status quo—a process called "system justification."

System justification isn't the same as acquiescence, explains Aaron C. Kay, a psychologist at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, who co-authored the paper with University of Waterloo graduate student Justin Friesen. "It's pro-active. When someone comes to justify the status quo, they also come to see it as what should be."

Reviewing laboratory and cross-national studies, the paper illuminates four situations that foster system justification: system threat, system dependence, system inescapability, and low personal control.

When we're threatened we defend ourselves—and our systems. Before 9/11, for instance, President George W. Bush was sinking in the polls. But as soon as the planes hit the World Trade Center, the president's approval ratings soared. So did support for Congress and the police. During Hurricane Katrina, America witnessed FEMA's spectacular failure to rescue the hurricane's victims. Yet many people blamed those victims for their fate rather than admitting the agency flunked and supporting ideas for fixing it. In times of crisis, say the authors, we want to believe the system works.

We also defend systems we rely on. In one experiment, students made to feel dependent on their university defended a school funding policy—but disapproved of the same policy if it came from the government, which they didn't perceive as affecting them closely. However, if they felt dependent on the government, they liked the policy originating from it, but not from the school.

When we feel we can't escape a system, we adapt. That includes feeling okay about things we might otherwise consider undesirable. The authors note one study in which participants were told that men's salaries in their country are 20% higher than women's. Rather than implicate an unfair system, those who felt they couldn't emigrate chalked up the wage gap to innate differences between the sexes. "You'd think that when people are stuck with a system, they'd want to change it more," says Kay. But in fact, the more stuck they are, the more likely are they to explain away its shortcomings. Finally, a related phenomenon: The less control people feel over their own lives, the more they endorse systems and leaders that offer a sense of order.

The research on system justification can enlighten those who are frustrated when people don't rise up in what would seem their own best interests. Says Kay: "If you want to understand how to get social change to happen, you need to understand the conditions that make people resist change and what makes them open to acknowledging that change might be a necessity.

SOURCE

Being Wrong

Kathryn Schulz is an expert on being wrong. The journalist and author of "Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margins of Error," says we make mistakes all the time. The trouble is that often times being wrong feels like being right. What's more, we're usually wrong about what it even means to make mistakes--and how it can lead to better ideas.

For some reason, I like this video. As my friends say, I'm always wrong.

This seems to be my tagline on my other site. "I could be wrong..". I think I should change it to, "Bad as it may sound, prove me wrong.". It sounds better I think.

Who is Epifanio Delos Santos?

If Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) were not named as such, it could have been named “Avenida 19 de Junio.”, “President Ramon Magsaysay Avenue.” Or “Gen. Douglas MacArthur Highway.”

The People Power Revolutions that restored democracy in 1986 (Edsa I), and ousted then President Joseph Estrada in 2001 (Edsa II) happened on that stretch of road.

That 10 lane expressway runs 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Caloocan City in the north to Pasay City in the south. Edsa is the Philippines’ most famous and historic highway.

So who is Epifanio delos Santos?

Born to a wealthy family in Malabon on April 7, 1871, De los Santos studied at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, where he acquired a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in March 1890. In 1891, he began studying jurisprudence at the Santo Tomas Law School and obtained his licentiate in law in 1898.

He was considered one of the best Filipino writers in Spanish, and was the first Filipino to become a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Language (a position that was denied Rizal), the Spanish Royal Academy of Literature, and the Spanish Royal Academy of History in Madrid.

But despite his love for the Spanish language, De los Santos was a fiery patriot who championed Philippine independence through journalism. He became associate editor of the influential revolutionary paper, La Independencia, in 1898, using the pen name G. Solon.
He cofounded the patriotic newspapers La Libertad, El Renacimiento, La Democracia and La Patria. Among his famous patriotic essays were titled “Filipinos y Filipinistas” and “Filipinas para los Filipinos.”

De los Santos also wrote extensively in Tagalog. He was a member of an eminent group of scholars called the Samahan ng mga Mananagalog, which was founded by Felipe Calderon in 1904.

His peers in this circle of great Tagalog writers were Lope K. Santos, Rosa Sevilla, Hermenigildo Cruz, Jaime de Veyra and Patricio Mariano.

Source: Inquirer

This trend of renaming streets after current heroes have got to stop.

Bohol Rep. Rene Lopez Relampagos filed a bill seeking to rename EDSA to Cory Aquino Avenue.

I remember what Isaac Newton said, " If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of giants...".

Relampagos best remember that we are where we are now because of giants like Epifanio Delos Santos. If we trivialize what our past heroes have done, we come out as an ungrateful nation.

Aquino assures Arroyo of due process

"Fresh from his trip to Indonesia, President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday night rallied the public behind his administration’s effort to prosecute former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for alleged electoral sabotage, while promising to accord her due process.
“She will have an equal opportunity to defend herself in court because that is the right of every Filipino,” he said in Filipino in his arrival statement at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City." Source: Inquirer

Hmm.. don't get me wrong. I'm all for prosecuting ex Philippine president Gloria Arroyo. She should really pay for all she did.

But for PNoy to say that she will get due process? After that Hold Departure - TRO stunt they pulled? He should really understand his platform that he ran on. Bending the law isn't really what we signed on for. Regardless if it's for the good or the bad.

The law is the law and he should know better.

And the World, Spins Madly On

This one is highly recommended. Touching, moving, yet simple.



Video: Thought of You
Music: “World Spins Madly On” by The Weepies – Courtesy of Nettwerk Music Group

Philippine Movies and its Archives

Who’s the greatest Filipino film director? No, it’s not Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Eddie Romero, or Brillante Mendoza. It’s Gerardo “Gerry” de Leon, himself a National Artist for Cinema like the first three, but the least known especially among younger Filipinos who have hardly heard of him, much less seen his movies. Alas, there’s little chance for young Filipinos to really get to know him. Save for a smattering, nearly all of his oeuvres have practically disappeared, victims to the corroding effects of time, the tropics, and the state’s fatal shortsightedness and notorious aversion to investing in culture and its conservation.

Many Filipino movies have been saved by film agencies abroad. Because Brocka was “discovered” by Cannes, his “Insiang” and “Bona” are in the Cinémathèque Française, as well as Manuel Conde’s “Genghis Khan.” Because Bernal was discovered by the Berlin International Film Festival, Bernal’s “Nunal sa Tubig” is archived there. Because he was also discovered by Berlin and because he lives in cool Baguio, Kidlat Tahimik’s post-colonial classic, “Mababangong Bangungot (Perfumed Nightmare),” an arthouse hit in the United States when it was released there in the late 1970s by Francis Ford Coppola, is safely archived in Berlin and Baguio. But sad to say, no copies of the key classics of Gerry de Leon, who has been compared by French critics to Eisenstein and Buñuel, have turned up for restoration and archiving. They appear to have been lost forever in the people’s cultural memory.
Source: Inquirer

Truth to tell, I've head of Gerry de Leon but not really seen any of his movies. It is sad that talented Philippine movie makers are few and far between. It seems everything is a romcom, romdrama, romrom, there's no action movies anymore. Why? Cause it's expensive. Basically, producers just make a love team and let them run off and make a movie. I wonder how they feel about the movies they make? I mean, it's all the producers discretion but do they even have a shade of artistic principles in them?

The most if not all of the current movies being made are more geared to make money and nothing else. Funny but that real good filipino movie worth watching more than once is an urban legend nowadays.

Until we find a producer who values art, artists who truly are talented and a mass audience who appreciate and support the movie industry, we will always be stuck with movies that are best thrown in the trash bin after viewing. It doesn't help that film snobs abound these days ready to slay a movie just to promote their style and sensibilities.

Sadly, I don't see us getting out of this in the near future.

That's not a house. It's a tomb!

Cemeteries in the Philippines are undergoing a change. From simple stone crosses and markers, we are now looking at house like structures that even have airconditioning.

Are the dead in the Philippines living like the umm.. living?

Even the colors are not somber, they're festive. From yellow to sky blue hues, white is out, vibrant is in.

Tourists from all over, specially Koreans, visit Pila Memorial Park to see the structures and learn about the Philippine culture of honoring the dead.

Bernardo Relova Jr., 61, owner of the 1.5-hectare cemetery, said families began to combine colors for the tombs when modern-type houses of vibrant hues became popular in recent years.
“It has become a fad to design tombs like houses,” Relova said.
The Pila Memorial Park that Relova opened in 1986 lies between two other cemeteries—the Old Pila Public Cemetery built in 1957 and St. Anthony Memorial Park, a private cemetery that opened about a decade ago.
Source: Inquirer

No matter how its done, the Philippines respects its dead. Even our freedom is built on the bodies of fallen heroes. This new fad is just another way of expressing how we, as a culture, honor our departed loved ones.

Headlines and Opinions 111028

Arroyo writes letter asking to leave, vows to come back

In a personal letter, former (Philippine) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appealed that she be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad on the promise that she would return...
Source: Inquirer

Remember when she promised that she wouldn't run for President in the Philippine presidential election in 2004 but she did anyway? So, how much is her promise worth?

Top bandit eludes troops

The enemies were gone by the time troops entered the Moro stronghold in Zamboanga Sibugay province... As the troops swept the enemy camp and cleared it of land mines and abandoned weapons, military officials declared victory in the operation which President Benigno Aquino III ordered on Monday against “lawless elements” after the October 18 massacre of 19 soldiers in Al-Barka, Basilan province.
“Yes (this is a victory) for us. It’s major because this is a big loss to them. Even if we are to say they are not completely decimated, they have broken up,” said Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., head of the AFP’s public affairs office.
Source: Inquirer

So, they elude the troops. They found an abandoned camp. And it's a victory? We got owned by the rebels a week ago and with nothing really concrete happening, we suddenly declare victory? Dude, PNoy must be delirious as he is confused. Grow some balls, will you? We should be ashamed on how we disgrace the Philippine Armed Forces

Tesda to offer free training for 1,000 BPO near-hires

About 1,000 nearly hired applicants or near-hires in Cebu will get free training to prepare them for jobs in call centers and other outsourcing companies.
The program is an offshoot of a P5 million grant to the Cebu Education Development Foundation for Information Technology (CEDF-IT), said its executive director Jun Sa-a on Tuesday.
The program is expected to start before the end of the year.
Source: Inquirer

This is great news! Hope they did the due diligence for this and really propagated the info. Now if we can expand this to the rest of the Philippines

Pyramids in the Philippines

Egypt may boast of its pyramids. But the Philippines may have one leg up its North African brother; The Chocolate Hills of Bohol. The Chocolate Hills of Bohol are a famous Philippine tourist attractions. 1,268 pyramid shaped hills, averaging 98 to 160 ft high (30 to 50 meters), dot the landscape covering around 20 square miles (50 kilometers). The tallest of the hills is 390 ft high or 120 meters.

The Philippines have 1268 pyramids in a cluster. All made by Mother Nature herself.

At the end of the dry season, the hills turns chocolate brown, hence the name.

Until now, experts have not agreed on how the hills were actually formed. Some say from volcanic rock. Others say that marine formations from ages ago helped shaped these natural beauties. Even UFO conspiracy theorists like David Icke has claimed that this are of extra terrestrial origin.

One thing that really baffles me is that up to now, people do not know the exact number of hills there are. The latest claim is 1268 hills. But others say that there are more, around 1776. It is pitiful that even the basic process of counting the hills has not been done properly. Hopefully, the latest count is accurate.

At one time, a faction of the communist rebel group, The New People's Army had a Chocolate Hills Command. They formed the group to fight for the land rights of the farmers in the area.

Also, there were reports that some of the hills have been levelled off due to mining and quarrying done by individuals and small scale miners.

Despite these, Bohol and the Philippines may have some good news:

On May 16, 2006, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) submitted the Chocolate Hills to the UNESCO World Heritage for inclusion in the list of Natural Monuments because of its outstanding universal value, falling under criteria vii – superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. The protection, management, authenticity and integrity of properties are also important considerations.
Source: Wikipedia

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Oh hey! I have a new website with focus on scientific and technological breakthroughs! Why not check out:

Quantum Day

. Check my latest post there on the sidebar on the left.
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The Calatagan Pot

In 1958 during an archeological dig in Calatagan, Batangas, Alfredo Evangelista discovered a clay pot with strange markings on them.

Since the discovery, this relic, its origin, translation, and even its purpose has been fiercely debated by experts. Philippine National Artist Guillermo Tolentino has even resorted to channeling ancient spirits thru a seance to discover the meanings behind the inscriptions. Tolentino is best known for his Oblation sculpture at the University of the Philippines.

There are some claims that the inscription is of Pangasinan origin. In a 2008 book by Dr. Eusebio Z. Dizon, Deciphered Secrets of Calatagan Pot Ancient Inscriptions, he notes that "..the Autronesian language by which the Calatagan pot scripts was written, was in a homogeneous and pure Pangasinan language same as what is spoken today, yet it was written in a 10th century Pangasinan.". The purpose of this Ancient Philippine relic is for a shaman or witch doctor to perform his/her rituals.

In the same year, Dr. Ramon Guillermo of UP, states that the pot's inscription is of tagalog origin and is used as a remembrance for a departed loved one.

Guillermo translates the inscription as:
Ina bisa kata -Sinikap sabihin ni ina
Guna kita payaba - Para sa iyo mahal kong anak
Dulang saya kau kain - Kumain ka sa aking dulang
Dada yang ‘ni manogi -Dibdib ko ‘tong mabango
Kita sana mabasah - Doon ika’y mabasa
Bagai ke bunga - Tulad ng bulaklak

In 2010, yet another expert has come up with a different theory. Myfel Paluga, head of the Social Sciences Department in UP Mindanao along with Dr. Guillermo (in a surprising turnaround from his 2008 theory) thinks that the pot is of Visayan origin. How and why it was discovered in Batangas cannot be explained thouroughly. According to them, the new translation may be a spell or a charm used by early babaylan or spiritual priestesses during a communal ritual.

Their translation:
Gana bisa kata - Makapangyarihan ang salita ni Gana
Duna kitay halabas -Mayroon tayong halabas
Yawa sala kakaga -Kasamaan, kahinaan, kasinungalingan
Yamyam la ni manugait - Bigkasin mo lamang ito (mga) babaylan
Kita sana magbasa - Basahin natin [itong mga senyas]
Barang kining banga -Kapangyarihan nitong banga!

Even dating the Philippine artifact is also as confusing. Carbon dating puts it at 2000 to 2500 BC (!). Despite this, experts do not accept this as fact and place the time at 10th Century for Dr. Dizon and 13th to 14th century for Dr. Guillermo. Why the carbon dating is not accepted is because the experts cannot explain how to align this with present knowledge hence they feel that the process was way off mark.

What we can be sure of, we have lots of ancient relics that point to a deeper origin of our culture than we can imagine. Why not enough research or interest is placed on these is the greatest mystery of all.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The Laguna Copperplate inscription (also shortened to LCI) is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by Alfredo E. Evangelista. in Laguna de Bay, in the metroplex of Manila, Philippines, the LCI has inscribed on it a date of Saka era 822, corresponding to April 21, 900 AD. It was written in the Kawi Script in a variety of Old Malay containing numerous loanwords from Sanskrit and a few non-Malay vocabulary elements whose origin is ambiguous between Old Javanese and Old Tagalog. The document releases its bearer, Namwaran, from a debt in gold amounting to 1 kati and 8 suwarnas (865 grams). The document mentions the places of Tondo, Pila and Pulilan in the area around Manila Bay and Mdan (or rather, the Javanese Kingdom of Medang), Indonesia. The discovery of the Inscription has highlighted the evidence found of cultural links present between the Tagalog-speaking people of this time and the various contemporary civilizations in Asia, most notably the Javanese Medang Kingdom, the Srivijaya empire, and the Middle kingdoms of India, a topic in Philippine history of which not much is presently known.
Source: Wikipedia

The LCI, however, leaves us with more questions than answers. The Saka-year given in the LCI correspond to the reign of King Balitung who ruled East and Central Java as well as Bali around 899-511 A.D. Is the LCI Javanese? Was it a souvenir picked up by a Filipino tourist in Java and brought back to Laguna? Are the words Tundun, Puliran, Pailah, Dewata or Mdang misspelled place names? Could these be Tondo, Pulilan or Pila? While the names on the LCI sound Javanese, the title pamgat used repeatedly is Philippine and could be the 16th century pamagat or title of an exalted person shortened to magat and later gat , hence the surname Gatbonton or honorifics like Gat Jose Rizal or Gat Andres Bonifacio.
Our first recorded writing is not a poem or a novel or a piece of literature. The first writing in the Philippines is a receipt!
Source: Inquirer

That we haven't really devoted time to this Philippine ancient relic is beyond me. I asked my kids about it and they don't know. Something like this definitely will rewrite Philippine history. Ok. So let's see:

1. The Ancient Philippine artifact is from 900AD. That's 600 odd years before Magellan arrived in the Philippines.
2. The calendar is based on the Sanskrit calendar. So it's pretty precise
3. The areas mentioned in this Philippine historical document can be attributed to present day places.
4. The historical artifact is determined to be authentic to be of Philippine origin by a consensus of experts.

This means:
1. We were already reading and writing long before the Spanish came
2. Names of places in Manila can be dated back hundreds of years ago hence the lack of etymology for some of the places
3. The Philippines in ancient times was in contact with civilizations in the main Asian continent.
4. That the Philippine historical artifact is a receipt, that we have a trade and economic system in place.


What does the inscription says? English translation as well as the native transliteration:

English translation

Long Live! Year of Syaka 822, month of Vaisakha, according to Jyotisha (Hindu astronomy). The fourth day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion, Lady Angkatan, and her brother whose name is Bukah, the children of the Honourable Namwaran, were awarded a document of complete pardon from the Commander in Chief of Tundun, represented by the Lord Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa.
By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable Namwaran has been forgiven of all and is released from his debts and arrears of 1 Katî and 8 Suwarna before the Honourable Lord Minister of Puliran Kasumuran by the authority of the Lord Minister of Pailah.
Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief, the Honourable and widely renowned Lord Minister of Binwangan recognized all the living relatives of Namwaran who were claimed by the Chief of Dewata, represented by the Chief of Medang.
Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable Namwaran are forgiven, indeed, of any and all debts of the Honourable Namwaran to the Chief of Dewata.
This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth that on some future day should there be a man who claims that no release from the debt of the Honourable...
Source: Wikipedia

The tansliteration of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription:

Swasti. Ṣaka warṣatita 822 Waisakha masa di(ng) Jyotiṣa. Caturthi Kriṣnapaksa Somawāra sana tatkala Dayang Angkatan lawan dengan nya sānak barngaran si Bukah anak da dang Hwan Namwaran di bari waradāna wi shuddhapattra ulih sang pamegat senāpati di Tundun barja(di) dang Hwan Nāyaka tuhan Pailah Jayadewa.
Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang kayastha shuddha nu di parlappas hutang da walenda Kati 1 Suwarna 8 di hadapan dang Huwan Nayaka tuhan Puliran Kasumuran.
dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah barjadi ganashakti. Dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadana sanak kapawaris ulih sang pamegat dewata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat Medang dari bhaktinda diparhulun sang pamegat. Ya makanya sadanya anak cucu dang Hwan Namwaran shuddha ya kapawaris dihutang da dang Hwan Namwaran di sang pamegat Dewata.
Ini gerang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas hutang da dang Hwa
Source: Wikipedia

Philippine Supreme Court Does a Double Step

In an unprecedented move denounced as a “travesty of justice,” the Supreme Court has recalled its “final” decision ordering the reinstatement of 1,400 Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight attendants purportedly because a wrong division issued the ruling.
In a two-page resolution dated October 4, the court en banc decided to handle the case after PAL lawyer Estelito Mendoza wrote the tribunal and questioned its Second Division ruling ordering the reinstatement of the members of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap).
“Pursuant to the … internal rules of the Supreme Court, the court en banc resolves to accept (the case) and to take cognizance thereof. The court en banc further resolves to recall the resolution dated Sept. 7, 2011, issued by the Second Division in this case,” the tribunal said.
Fasap president Bob Anduiza said it was “mind-boggling and deeply disturbing” how a mere letter from Mendoza had prompted the court to recall what it had declared as a decision reached “with finality” and that “no further plea shall be entertained.”
Source: Inquirer

I remember when we treat all Philippine Supreme Court rulings as final and decisive. What we seem to have is a mutated Supreme Court. One where they find a technicality AFTER issuing a ruling. This just throws the Supreme Court into amateur levels. Maybe its time to get rid of the staff there and replace them with more competent and eligible people.

Breakthrough in Stem Cell Research May Result in Personalized Treatment

Scientists at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory have reprogrammed an adult human egg cell to an embryonic state using cloning technology and created a self-reproducing line of embryonic stem cells from the developing embryo. In so doing, they have managed a feat that has at times been thought impossible, then inevitable, then completed, then incomplete and unfeasible. Their work is published today in Nature.

It is not the end-all experiment that scientists aiming to create embryonic stem cells have been hoping for — the embryos are not true clones, because the DNA of the stem-cell line does not match that of the patient who donated cells — but it is a step in that direction and addresses some of the problems that have flummoxed experiments.
Source: Nature

Although this doesn't mean that they can clone human beings. The goal of stem cell research is towards finding cures to present day diseases. It does share the same research path as cloning a human but again, that's not the end goal. If embryos can be cloned then we can see personalized stem cells. And we can manufacture personalized treatment of patients for diseases. We'll never know though, a clone might come out of the stem cell research by mistake. Or a killer virus might come out?

Sounds like a bad zombie movie.

US envoy Harry Thomas Jr. apologizes for sex remark

MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang now considers “a closed case” the controversy caused by US Ambassador Harry Thomas’ remarks that 4 out of 10 male tourists come to the Philippines to engage in sex tours.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the remarks after Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario disclosed that the ambassador has expressed his regret over the statement with an admission that it was without sufficient basis.
“We consider this a closed case but our fight against trafficking continues. We will continue to prosecute those who would take advantage of our people and our young ones,” Lacierda said on radio.
Source: Inquirer

Well, I do understand why the US Ambassador has to apologize for the remark.

But it is off putting that when we want an apology, we are adamant about it. We still haven't apologized for the Hong Kong hostage incident even if the HK gov't are demanding for it. Think about it, US Ambassador remarks that the Philippines is a destination for sex tourism we ask for an apology. Eight HK nationals killed by an enraged ex-police officer and we are tight lipped and nonchalant in issuing a public apology.

We really have to change our ways.