Pala-isip

The latest talk of the town is the new girl that President Noynoy Aquino is courting. The girl is Grace Lee. Grace Lee (born Lee Kyung Hee) is a Korean television host and radio disc jockey working in the Philippines. She is the third Korean expatriate to appear prominently in Philippine television, after Sandara Park, Ryan Bang and her fellow DJs Sam Oh and Jinri Park.[1] She can speak Tagalog and English in addition to her native Korean. From the Manila Bulletin Following President Noynoy Aquino’s admission that they are dating, TV and radio personality Grace Lee has become more open in disclosing some details about their burgeoning bond. Despite holding the highest post in the country, PNoy’s courtship style remains “normal,” according to the Philippines-based Korean. “I don’t know about calling everyday, I don’t wanna divulge too much details, pero yes very normal, like any normal guy,” Grace said in an interview on “24 Oras,” Feb. 2. She has also received “a couple of ...

Full videos of President Noynoy Aquino's State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2011.

I am deeply saddened by what happened on Monday with the hostage crisis. It was a tragic event that did not have to happen. It could have been easily prevented had the people in charged been more careful and did their homework. The Philippines now has a black eye caused by the incident and the international community has pretty much condemned the country for its tragic mistake. It's not just one, but several tragic mistakes. The first one being President Noynoy Aquino being incommunicado during all of this. Hong Kong Administrator Donald Tsang tried to contact President Noynoy Aquino but was unable to reach him. Hong Kong residents and officials are mad because of Manila's failure to update them of the situation as it was happening. Where was the President during all of this? According to reports, he was in the Palace administering the oath of office to the sister of one of his most powerful backers, the sister of Gabby Lopez of ABS-CBN. He only did a pre-dawn press briefing a ...

Here is the full transcript of President Noynoy Aquino's 2010 SONA. ===================== State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines to the Congress of the Philippines Session Hall of the House of Representatives July 26, 2010, Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government; Mga minamahal kong kababayan: Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan. Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan. Sa kabilang banda...

Well this is a first. The SUV bearing President Benigno Aquino III, along with the PSG vehicles, stops on a red light at the intersection of Quezon Boulevard and Araneta Avenue in Quezon City on its way to Malacañang on Tuesday. If President Noynoy Aquino has no other achievement other than stopping at red lights and now abusing his authority for the rest of his term. Then he's got my respect. Yes, I'm easy to please considering how every government official no matter how lowly they are abuses their authority. Meanwhile... MANILA, Philippines—All eyes seemed to be on the country’s No. 2 man ever since President Benigno Aquino III, as part of his inaugural pledge to lead by example, ordered his escorts to strictly obey traffic rules. And so Vice President Jejomar Binay apologized to the public Tuesday after a TV footage showed his security convoy beating the red light in Quezon City the previous day. “The Vice President apologized to all motorists who may have been inconvenien...

Here's a video of the inaugural speech of President Benigno C. Aquino III.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ====================== His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan. Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan. Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan. Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aki...

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . MANILA, Philippines—It’s official. It’s final. As widely expected, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party won the presidential election by a landslide, results of the final tabulation by Congress show. (See tally) Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay of PDP-Laban defeated Sen. Manuel Roxas II, ending the cliffhanger in the vice presidential race. Aquino and Binay are scheduled to be proclaimed Wednesday at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City. A 50-year-old bachelor and economics graduate, Aquino will officially become the country’s 15th president on June 30. He will replace President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who ran and won a House seat after a turbulent nine-year rule. Aquino’s victory reflected the public’s longing to fill a moral vacuum in a country plagued by corruption, poverty and violence. For many voters, it’s been nearly a quarter century of disappointment since his mother President Cory Aquino helped restore democracy in the ...

Here's an interesting piece on Sen. Richard Gordon from the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ====================== During a debate on the Manila campus of De La Salle University , Sen. Richard Gordon waves a thin black and white contraption roughly the size of a notebook. “Kindle,” he shouts. “Here’s a little computer where you can put the entire school curriculum, from Grade 1 to high school to college. Every kid in public school should have one because he who reads, leads,” Gordon exclaimed. Gordon talked about providing the country’s 17 million public school students with the Amazon.com product and raising the quality of education in the process. “The government purchases textbooks for public schools. Oftentimes, these books are full of errors. That’s why we have book scams left and right. Why not get a Kindle for every student, download the accurate, factual books needed for the year, do the same every year. So every school year, we just buy new Kindles for the incoming Grade 1,” h...

Philstar has done an interview of each candidates. They include personal information about the candidates, including declared assets and liabilities, as well as family, friendship and business ties that could affect policy making in the next administration. Here are the list so far and will add to them as PhilStar publishes them. Click on the candidate's name to be directed to the written excerpts of the inteview. Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar Jr. Joseph "Erap" Estrada/Jose Marcelo Ejercito Gilberto "Gibo" Eduardo Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. Noynoy Aquino

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer. =================== MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Benigno Aquino III on Friday gave a preview of what Malacañang would be like if he became president—a Palace where his running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas would be an active partner in running the government and “pork barrel” would be shared with friend and foe alike, including President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who’s running for a seat in Congress. To jump-start his antigraft drive, he would pursue a "personal ambition" to catch a smuggler or a corrupt official responsible for a substandard infrastructure project within the first two weeks of his presidency. Interviewed on dzBB radio by news anchor Mike Enriquez, the Liberal Party standard-bearer said his personal goal would be to kick his smoking habit. He also said he had not decided on an altar date with his girlfriend, Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad. (See related story on Page A6.) To his big business supporters, Aquino’s mess...

Just read this article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Korina Sanchez lashing out at critics of Sen. Mar Roxas . She got angry at Conrado de Quiros for saying some candidates are " atat na atat " and she took it personally. She also got angry at Sen. Francisco " Kiko " Pangilinan for asking Sen. Mar Roxas to give way to Noynoy Aquino who she said owed her big time. Conrado de Quiros said that he wasn't referring to anybody in particular when he said some candiates are " atat na atat ". He also said that Korina Sanchez's behavior is part of her personality. Conrado de Quiroes said that if spouses and fiancees of candidates wants to make their presence felt, they should "make it positive". Don’t be intrusive because it ruins things. If you are going to be more assertive, might as well do it in a positive side.” Korina Sanchez said that now that Sen. Mar Roxas has given up on his presidential aspiration, they can now c...

About that thing where people called US Presidents Nazis. This photo says it all.

Just read this news on the Philippine Daily Inquirer that 3 men of God are running for President of the Philippines. They are Eduardo “Brother Eddie” Villanueva of the born-again Jesus is Lord Movement; self-styled El Shaddai born-again evangelist Mariano “Brother Mike” Velarde; and a Catholic priest-turned-politician, Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio. ............................................________ ....................................,.-‘”...................``~., .............................,.-”...................................“-., .........................,/...............................................”:, .....................,?......................................................\, .................../...........................................................,} ................./......................................................,:`^`..} .............../...................................................,:”........./ ..............?.....__...........................

In 2005, when former President Cory Aquino called for GMA to step down. The Arroyo administration dismissed Mel and Cris, the military bodyguards assigned to President Aquino. Now, Malacanang is saying sorry to the Aquinos for the pullout. The AFP gave the reason that the tour of duty of the two bodyguards has come to an end. The dismissal apparently hurt the Aquino family so much that they rejected a State Funeral offered by the GMA administration. Kris Aquino said, “Now you want to honor my mom? When you had taken away what was due her as a former President? She also said that her mother needed no State honors since the real tribute would come from the people themselves. All I can say in the words of Michael Kelso from "That 70's Show" is...BURN!!! In Tagalog term...BARADO!!!

16. Put up a study to see how best to discourage use of large vehicles when less than 4 people are using it as the country's street are not built for large vehicles. It is more similar to the streets of Italy so smaller vehicles would make more sense. 17. Encourage the use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution. Fuel efficient vehicles like newer diesel engines, ethanol or other alternative fuels will get a tax break either through no tax on the purchase of these fuels or lower tax on the vehicles. 18. Encourage the use of newer cars by giving tax break or a rebate on people who will turn in their old cars to buy a new car. 19. Put up pollution testing centers to test vehicles older than 10 years. Every vehicle older than 10 years will have to pass an emissions test. Those that do not pass, will not get a registration. PUVs will have to go through an annual inspection as they are more susceptible to polluting because of heavy use. 20. Convert all PUVs to alternative fuels like na...

6. I will set up a more professional police force. Put all patrolmen in shorts and set up bicycle and motorbike police force to do the rounds. They will of course be properly trained in traffic safety as well as setting an example to every motorist from pedicab drivers to PUV drivers. Instead of putting patrol cars, bicycles will be a more healthier and eco-friendly option. Not to mention the savings we'll get from not buying gas. Patrol cars are only for detectives and a small percentage of the patrols. Bicycles and motorcycles are easier to get through to traffic. 7. Complete revamp of LTO with regards to driver licensing. Everybody applying for a license must take a proper exam, computerized of course so no cheating. Everyone must also pass a road test and not just bribe the examiner to get a pass. PUV drivers must take a more extensive exam as well as a more extensive road test. This goes for jeepney drivers and bus drivers where they will have to go through a one week live dri...

Reading all these stories about GMA just infuriates me. She has totally no delicadeza and she is so thick skinned that nothing gets to her anymore. After "Hello Garci" and surviving it, she and all the other politicians just got more brazen in what they do that they don't even care to hide what corruptions they do anymore. I'm sure if and that's the big IF GMA were to step down after 2010, the next President would be no different. So it made me think, what would I do if I was the President of the Philippines? What programs and changes would I implement to fix the country? Here is what I think (obviously these will be implemented if I had no opposition to the programs I want to implement). Let's start with the most basic problem, graft and corruption. 1. I will set up an anti-graft task force consisting of former police officers, NBI agents and supreme court judges (trustworthy of course). Who after rigorous interviews and background checks would will investiga...