Grand welcome awaits Pacquiao

A ticker tape parade in the city of Manila, a grand welcome in Mindanao and a possible unprecedented military promotion await newly crowned International Boxing Organization (IBO) junior welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao upon his return to the country on Friday.
Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City is also busy preparing a reception upon his arrival there despite his having switched his place of origin to Sarangani province.

The city of Manila, scene of countless ticker tape parades in Pacquiao’s previous winning campaigns, is again expected to play a major role in the Filipino boxing icon’s welcome celebration.

President Arroyo, speaking before members of the Filipino community in Damascus, Syria, had announced that she would declare a national day of celebration for Pacquiao’s victory.

“I join the entire nation in jubilation and in giving thanks to God for the spectacular second-round knockout victory of Manny over Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton in Las Vegas, Nevada,” the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo said Pacquiao’s victory “should inspire all of us Filipinos to have resiliency and dedication to triumph against all odds.”

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said the details of the day of celebration were still being finalized and would most likely be announced tomorrow along with the presidential proclamation for this purpose.

She said the appointments office of Malacañang is working out the details.

Philippines tops global Earth Hour participation

The Philippines topped the Earth Hour global register for cities, towns and districts taking part in Asia, with more than 650 communities taking part.

The event started with the darkening of the Rizal Shrine, a major Manila landmark honouring Filipino national hero Dr. José Rizal. The massive Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the world’s fourth largest mall, also went dark in a ceremony that drew several hundred people.

The ceremony was broadcast live to homes around the country by Studio 23, one of the largest television networks in the Philippines.

The Philippines is one of the half dozen countries that share the Coral Triangle – a world centre of marine biodiversity - home to six of the seven marine turtle species, more than 3,000 species of fish, the heaviest bony fish of the deep (the 1,000 kg mola) and the coelacanth, a species thought until recently to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.

But more than 18 per cent of the region's coral reefs were damaged or destroyed in a bleaching event linked to rising sea temperatures in 1998-99, underlining the immense risks climate change poses to the environment, food security and the economies of coastal and island countries and communities.

EARTH HOUR PHILIPPINES

Manila,CEBU, BACOLOD and many other Philippine cities are gearing up for Earth Hour 2009. Last year in the Philippines, millions of people switched off their lights to signal their support of this global warming action. Manila, being the largest city, will be a big focus this year and Earth Hour continues to spread its positive message about the importance of energy saving. The Department of Energy in the Philippines is a supporter of the Earth Hour campaign.
Local businesses in Manila are contributing to Earth Hour and will be switching off their lights on the night. Thousands of people, around the Philippines, will be coming together to light a candle in support of this global warming awareness initiative.
An estimated 50 to 100 million people around the world switched off their lights for Earth Hour in 2008, and global landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Rome’s Colosseum, the Coke billboard in Times Square and Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai darkened for one hour.
In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach 1 billion people around the world in more than 1000 cities involving business, government and the community in the world’s largest global action on climate change on 28 March 2009.
In 2009, millions of people from all walks of life will join together for Earth Hour and show the world that it’s possible to take action on global warming.
Come on Philippines, join us for Earth Hour 2009, turn off your lights at 8.30pm Saturday 28 March and sign-up here at earthhour.org.

FRANCIS MAGALONA IS DEAD MARCH 6,2009

it was announced by vic sotto in EAT BULAGA
will keep you posted later!

UPDATES! Rapper, actor and TV host Francis Magalona, diagnosed with leukemia last year, died Friday at 12:20 pm at the Medical City hospital in Pasig City. He was 44.

He battled cancer for almost eight months before finally passing away. The immediate cause of Magalona's death was heart failure. He received his last sacraments before noon.

Last August, Magalona informed the noontime show "Eat Bulaga" via text message that he was suffering from leukemia.

The rapper even requested for blood donations to replace the blood he was using at the Medical City hospital in Ortigas Avenue where he was being treated.

"I have been diagnosed with leukemia and I am preparing for my treatment. Sa tulong ng Panginoon, kakayanin ko po ito," he said. "Abangan nyo ang aking pagbabalik. 'Di ko lang kayo 'miss'... LOVE KO kayong lahat."

Magalona was a regular host of the noon time show "Eat Bulaga."

Host Vic Sotto announced Magalona's demise during the show Friday and asked the people to pray for Francis.

We will surely miss him, pati na ang buong industriya. We request everyone to pause for a moment of prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of Francis. Our condolences to the family. Kiko, we love you, Sotto said.

The stars of the popular noontime show broke into tears as they prayed for the soul of Magalona.

The 44-year-old Magalona was the son of 1950's legendary actors and celebrity couple Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran.

Launched as a teen star in the 1980s, Magalona's career boomed with his hit rap song "Mga Kababayan," which was included in his album "Yo!" released in 1990.

He was also the voice behind the hits "Ito ang Gusto Ko," "Meron Akong Ano," "Mga Praning," and "Kaleidoscope World."

Francis M left behind is wife Pia Arroyo and their eight children--Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Isabella, Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actress Maxene Magalona.

Complete List of Oscar Winners 2009

Complete List of Oscar Winners 2009
The 81st Academy Awards or Oscar Awards 2009 was held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California and was hosted by Hugh Jackman.

Here is the complete list of winners of the Oscars:

Supporting Actress - Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Original Screenplay - Dustin Lance Black - Milk

Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

Animated Feature - Wall-E

Art Direction - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Cinematography - Anthony Dod Mantle - Slumdog Millionaire

Animated Short - La Maison en Petits Cubes

Costume Design - The Duchess

Makeup - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Live-Action Short - Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Documentary Feature - Man on Wire

Documentary Short - Smile Pinki

Visual Effects - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Sound Editing - The Dark Knight

Sound Mixing - Slumdog Millionaire

Film Editing - Slumdog Millionaire

Jean Hersholt Award to Jerry Lewis

Original score - Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman

Original song - “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film - Departures (Japan)

Best Director - Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actress - Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Actor - Sean Penn, Milk

Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire

KOREAN SCANDAL

I hope this video will serve as an awareness and a reminder to those people who are using public toilets ex. restaurants, hotels, motels, beach, movie house,bars, resorts etc. or might be in your house so.Beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JESSICA SIMPSON FORGOT herLYRICS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A bizarre 38-minute set by opening act Jessica Simpson inadvertently stole the spotlight from headliner Rascal Flatts in a show at the Van Andel Arena. The Grand Rapids Press said Simpson forgot her lyrics, struggled with her ear monitors, mumbled through songs and fought back tears during Thursday night's performance.

At one point, the 28-year-old singer-actress asked her backing band to start over on one song, and she forgot the words to another.

"Jessica had an off night," Cindi Berger, a representative for Simpson, said Friday. "She's a perfectionist, and wanted to start some of the songs over. She always wants to give her best performance to her fans."

Simpson apologized to the supportive audience of about 9,000 by mouthing the word "sorry" on two large video screens.

While introducing her last song, Simpson said she sometimes feels like quitting. She appeared to be wiping away tears after finishing the song and walking off the stage.

30th MASSKARA FESTIVAL, BACOLOD CITY

The annual MassKara Festival held in Bacolod City every October is a celebration which has earned for Bacolod the title "City of Smiles".

It was born 30 years ago at a time of crisis, when sugar prices were crashing. It was also a time of tragedy; in April of that year, the vessel Don Juan carrying many Negrenses, including
those belonging to prominent families in Bacolod, sank.
In this dark and tragic time, Bacolod artists as well as the local government and civic groups decided to hold a festival of smiles, because the city at that time was also known as the City of Smiles. hey also thought a festival was a good opportunity to pull everybody out of the gloom and doom.
In effect, the festival was a declaration of the people that no matter how tough and bad the times are, Bacolod is going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph.

MassKara is a festival for local and international tourism. It is intended to provide a venue for the activities and cultural expression.

The word "MassKara" was coined by the late AAB president Ely Santiago from the two words "mass" which means "many or a multitude of the people" and the Spanish "kara" meaning "face". The mask worned by the participants during the parade are always smiling. MassKara thus means a multitude of smiling faces.

Since its inception, the MassKara Festival is held every third weekend of October nearest the Charter Anniversary. It features a MassKara Street Dance competition where people from all walks of life troops to the streets to see colorful masked dancers gyrate to the infectious rhythm to the Latin musical beat in a stunning display of mastery, gaiety, coordination and stamina. Major activities are the beauty pageant, carnivals, drum and bugle corps competitions, food festivals, sports events, musical concert, agri-trade fair, garden show, to name few.The new concept of merry making by night is the Electric Masskara. Check out the video below.


COME AND WITNESS LIVE!! THIS OCTOBER 1-19,2009,AS WE CELEBRATE ITS 30th YEAR.
"KARI SA BACOLOD DALA MASSKARA"

please visit the website: www.bacolodmasskarafestival.com , www.bacolodcity.gov.ph ,www.experiencenegros.com, www.byahilo.com , www.bacolodlive.com

THE PHILIPPINES PRIDE

Discover the fascinating variety of the 7,107 Philippine islands. Gorgeous bays, dazzling white beaches, azure seas, towering mountain ranges, cool cloud forests and a vast underwater cosmos will enchant you.

Welcome to the country of extraordinary nature, adventure and culture.
One step into the Philippines and immediately you will find yourself in an experience beyond the usual. Its an archipelago of unique and delightful discoveries. Every island has the ability to transform ordinary perceptions into sheer wonder.

The country is an open secret waiting to be discovered. Seven thousand one hundred seven is a big number, start with one and find yourself smiling to the fact that indeed, there is more where that came from.

Obama Inaugural Speech Video and text Replay

Obama Inaugural Speech Text


obama-inaugurationMy fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

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