What is the best programming language to learn today and why?

Suvish Viswanathan

Global Market/Sales Analyst

.NET and Java are the most widely used all over but all those depends on what kind of application you are looking for platform independent n flexibility is criterion then Java is good.

But if you are trying for microsoft technology environment programming then
.NET is the best and especially with the framework .NET takes the lead for easy programming.

 

Jason Hughes

President at Steel Penny Games, Inc.

Too broad. The question you haven't answered yet is, what is your objective? Are you wanting to just learn programming? Java is easiest. Are you wanting to write high performance code without learning about pointers? Scala. Are you looking to write high performance games? C/C++. Each of these languages have problems and advantages. There are many others that might be 'best' by some criteria. For example, you might really want to learn Perl if working on Asterisk/telecom servers is useful and interesting. Or PHP if useful is working on web server backends. Most genres of utility have a preferred language these days.

 

Kurt Evenepoel

Technical Lead at Wolters Kluwer

You're missing some of the more important criteria: community size to get help from and to participate in.

Generally i point people asking me that to the TIOBE programming index
http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html
then mention im biased towards .NET, and that it's worked well for me sofar. Found it easy to get more information on and its robust and in demand. Ofcourse Java people will say the same, and so will PHP people etc.

I would definately pick one of the top 10, if you pick from those you can't really go wrong.

Links:

• http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html

Sushmita Mukherjee

Technology Consultant at NIIT Technologies Limited

According to C and C++and in further extends VC++ is the best beacuse the scope is broad you can choose your own interest area and also troubleshooting is also interesting.

 

Marco Furlanetto

User Productivity Consultant at PLAUT IT Australia

I have about 6 years of professional software development experience, and I would say Java. Even if I start working with different platforms (like SAP) it keeps coming back and when I realize I'm programming Java again hehehe
Java isn't my favorite one thought,
Best Regards,
Marco

Rainbow Street

A new wave of youngsters will soon approach and knock your souls as these guys perform their original composition entitled "Taba"..

Online Wealth

Listen up folks, because making money online has never been easier.

I know what your thinking: nothing good, can be easy. Wrong! If you want to live a lifestyle that promises daily wealth for a small investment of your time, and money than this program is for you. I can't tell you how fortunate I am to have stumbled across this program, and if you take action today it will change your life forever! Please know that everyday people like you, and me are using this system to generate thousands of dollars every day online. This is not a new concept, and will not be fading out anytime soon. In fact you might be wondering, if this concept makes so much money why would I share it with you. The truth is that I could tell everyone I know, and it would never stop me from generating wealth.

Winner’s Creed

I want to share this powerful prayer called “Winners’ Creed” which I received thru a text message long time ago. It is an act of communication with God that guides us.

I know that prayer works as long as you coupled it with determination, will power and definitely ACTION. With God’s help, I believe that prayers can move mountains.

In Filipino, there’s a saying: “Nasa Diyos ang awa nasa tao ang gawa.”

Winners’ Creed
I am a winner.
I have faith in God.
I believe in myself and I know that everything works for good in the end.
Whatever I do, whether I eat, drink, talk and walk, I will win!
I am born to succeed
and I will not allow anybody or anything to stop me from achieving success in life.
With God’s help, I know I can do it because nothing is impossible with Him.
I will accept failure is just a part of winning and I must learn to overcome defeat and emerge as a real winner.
I know I will win because I choose to begin, so help me God.
Amen.

Winners vs. Losers

What are the qualities of a winner? What differentiates it as against a loser? Do you want to become a winner and avoid being a loser?
Here are some of the qualities of a winner vs. a loser:

A winner is always part of the answer.
A loser is always part of the problem.

Losers always complain and complain. They never stop. The reason their “issues” persist is that they can’t stop talking about it. Winners recognize problems but instead of complaining about them, in conversations, they talk about solutions. They talk about how to resolve the problem and they always think of ways to come up with a solution. A winner sees an answer to any problem while a loser sees a problem for any answer.

A winner always has a plan.
A loser always has an excuse.

A winner plans ahead of time. Winners set goals and targets and walk they way towards achieving it. However, losers always blame others and not themselves. They blame the lack of opportunity for their financial and economic status. They blame the traffic when they come late in the office. They can give any possible excuse that they can get.

A winner says: “It may be difficult but it’s possible”
A loser says: “It may be possible but it’s too difficult.”

Winners are strong to face the challenges that lies ahead when achieving their goals. They are positive minded. They are determined and confident to reach their goals. They usually have mentors who are successful and these mentors serve as inspiration for them. They say that if these people have achieved it, why can’t I? They always say: “I CAN DO IT!” However, losers are concentrated not on the possibility of reaching their goals but on the challenges and hindrance that they see in achieving these goals. They fail to acknowledge that discomfort and sacrifices are key ingredients to success. They say “It’s too difficult!” or “I can’t do it!” They are afraid of taking risks. And so they end up stale and not growing.

A winner says: “How can I afford it?”
A loser says: “I can’t afford it!”

Winners portray the attitude of Rich Dad of Robert Kiyosaki. It’s all about beliefs, attitudes and habitual language. When it comes to money, winners say that lack of money is the root of all evil. They say: “How can I afford it?” They open their minds and think of legal ways and means on how can they afford things that they like. On the other hand, losers say that money is the root of all evil. They say “I can’t afford it” and the list of excuses goes on again. They are closing their minds to opportunities.

In the end, winners are role models. They are hungry for growth and excellence. Their will power is so strong that they are so determined to reach their goals. They always put their best foot forward in every endeavor that they do. However, losers remain stale. They are not determined. They always blame others and give excuses. They don’t grow because they are afraid of risks.

Sometimes, we are winners but other times, we are losers. Which between the two qualities do you possess most of the time? Are you a winner or a loser?

Finally, I want to share a powerful prayer for winners - The Winners’ Creed

How to Set and Achieve Your Goals

Goals serve as a source of motivation. Everyone should start with their own individual goals. I started this blog with my own goals and as I have mentioned in one of my previous posts about setting a goal, one should consider having a SMART goal. That is S- Significant, M- Manageable, A- Achievable, R- Realistic, and T- Time Bound.

In order to set your goals in order to achieve them, you must first consider what motivates. From there, pick the ones you think would really give you the most benefit after you have achieved what you set out to do. Remember to write these goals with pen and paper so that you could refer back to them whenever you need to.

As I have mentioned above, make sure that whatever goals you write must be achievable. If your goals are realistic, then you could proceed to determining how long it would take to accomplisg each goal. Besides, putting it in writing is a way of clearly defining to yourself your aims, thereby emphasizing to you more what needs to be accomplished. However, as the need arises, make room for adjustments.

Certain distractions sidetrack us from our goals. One of the biggest distractions that you could encounter is the feeling of being overwhelmed by your own expectations from yourself. If this happens to you, you might have overplanned your goals. Pick up yourself and start all over. Remember to have a manageable goal as I mentioned above.

To help you in achieving the list of your goals, write down the steps you need to take. By simply crossing off step as you complete it, you will be able to see and gauge for yourself your own progress as you go along. The value of this process is that long-term goals could be easily tracked and adjusted whenever something unexpected happens.

Keep in mind that setting up and writing down your goals is a continuing process. You may easily fall into the trap of thinking that this is just a means to an end. If that happens, remind yourself to view your list of goals every once in a while to keep you focused and in line with what you want to achieve. As you do so, remain open to the fact that changes, either planned or unplanned, may occur in the execution of your plans whether you like it or not.

Unleash the Financial Potential Inside You!

One of the lessons I’ve learned in my pursuit of financial freedom is that each and everyone of us has the potential to achieve it. Now, if you don’t believe in this, then definitely you don’t have chances of becoming rich. However, if you beleive in it, then the next step is the question on how to unleash and release this potential in order to achieve your goals.

Here are some of the steps I believe that everyone should do in order to unleash the financial potential inside you:

Know the right people. One of the first initial steps that everyone should do is to know the right people. Knowing the right people and being known by them can open doors for you that can save you years of hard work. You can find business mentors through networking with the right people. The quality and quantity of your contacts and your relationships with them will have more to do with your success than perhaps any other factor.

Unlock your creativity. It takes only one great idea for you to start a fortune. Everyone has the ability to come up with creative ideas and solutions if they look for them. Start by pondering on various possibilities. Look for opportunities and think of ways on how to tap them. Look for problems and create ways on how to solve them. All great fortunes begin with an idea.

Develop discipline and good work habits. Disciplined and hard working people get results. Plan your work and work your plan. Learn to prioritize things. Good work habits will bring you to the attention of important people and certainly will be your passport in building reputation for strong and long-lasting business relationships.

Charice dreams to get first Grammy nomination

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/24/2010 11:39 AM | Updated as of 05/24/2010 11:47 AM

MANILA, Philippines – International singing sensation Charice flew to Japan Monday for the launching of her first international album in Tokyo.

Her self-titled album carries “Pyramid,” which ranked No. 1 on the Billboard dance/pop charts, and “Note to God.”

From Tokyo, the 18-year-old singer will proceed to New York City, Canada and Europe to promote her CD and do a series of shows in different cities.

Prior to her album tour abroad, the singer on Sunday night held a show in Makati City.

The 18-year-old Filipino pint-sized singer recently flew home for her and her youngest brother’s baptism and confirmation, an event attended by big local celebrities.

Oprah Winfrey and David Foster were also invited to their baptism, but sent their respective representatives instead.

Both Winfrey and Foster are involved in Charice’s international career.

Charice, who turned 18 on May 10, also had a post-birthday celebration with the less fortunate children.
As for her birthday wish, Charice said she hopes to receive her first nomination at the Grammy Awards.

Suspected victim of summary execution found inside sack in Sampaloc

Residents in Manila's Sampaloc district were startled early Monday to see the body of a suspected victim of summary execution.

The body, which was placed in a sack, was dumped near a village hall in the city's Sampaloc district, a report on radio dzXL said.

The victim's head was bloodied and wrapped in packaging tape, while his hands and feet were bound.

Initial investigation showed a village watchman stumbled on the body, thinking at first the sack contained garbage.

The report said the village watchmen also found a note from a so-called "Hukbong Samahan ng Timog-Katagalugan" that threatened to kill a certain Nelson, who it described as a local robber. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

Pacquiao relaxes blood test stance on Mayweather bout

MANILA - Manny Pacquiao would be willing to take a blood test 14 days prior to a bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr, local media reports said, edging the two men regarded as the world's best pound-for-pound boxers closer to a showdown.

Talks between the fighters' camps stalled earlier this year over Pacquiao's refusal to agree to Mayweather's demands for Olympic-style random drug testing, with the Filipino saying he did not want blood drawn from him too close to a fight.

"Fourteen days is okay with me, as long as isn't done on the day of the fight, and only the right amount of blood will be drawn from me," Pacquiao told Filipino media.

Pacquiao's compromise could bring the two camps back to the negotiating table for a fight many feel would have the potential to be the sport's richest ever.

Since talks broke down, Mayweather eased to a decisive points victory over fellow American Shane Mosley earlier this month in a welterweight non-title bout that drew 1.4 million pay-per-view buyers.

That followed Pacquiao's mauling of Ghana's Joshua Clottey in March. The seven-weight champion has since been elected to congress back home and will need to fit his training regime in with parliament sessions after being sworn in on June 30.

However, Pacquiao believes he is perfectly capable of being able to pursue both a boxing and political career.
"I will attend sessions in the morning until afternoon then I go to the gym around 4 or 5 p.m.," Pacquiao told the Manila Bulletin.

"I will stay in the country during training camp then with two weeks before the fight, I will fly to the U.S."

With Robin Padilla, Wowowee's ratings go up

ABS-CBN - Friday, May 21

 

MANILA, Philippines – Robin Padilla is happy that popular noontime show “Wowowee” continues to do well in terms of television ratings after he took over the show 5 days ago.

“Lahat po ng ginagawa ko dito para po sa inyo… medyo bago po sa atin ang [pagho-host] pero lahat ng ito [ay ginagawa natin para] tayo’y maging masaya,” Padilla said.

Padilla’s hosting stint on “Wowowee" ranked No. 5 on Twitter’s worldwide top trending topics when he was formally introduced as Revillame’s temporary replacement on May 15.

Based on the television ratings data released by global research specialist Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), “Wowowee’s” audience share jumped from 18.1% on May 14 to 20.5% on May 15. The show’s audience share on May 17 was at 20.5%.

“Wowowee” also continued to beat its rival, “Eat Bulaga,” according to the TNS national data. "Eat Bulaga's" audience share on May 14 was 12.2%; May 15, 13.6% ; and May 17, 11.4%, figures from TNS showed.
Padilla said he is happy to host the show while Revillame remains on indefinite leave. He also vowed to improve his hosting skill.

“Pasensya na po. Marami pa rin po akong pagkakamali. Kapag pinapanood kong mag-isa ang episode, nakikita ko po ang lahat ng pagkakamali ko,” he said.

“Hayaan ninyo po. Pinipilit ko po araw-araw na malagpasan pa kung ano ang nagawa ko noong nakaraang araw. Alam ninyo naman na ako ay [a] man of few words. Akalain mo, ngayon dapat ay maging madaldal [ako]. Iyan ay mahirap,” he added.

The action star also refused to be discouraged by criticisms thrown at him since he replaced Revillame.
He said: “Opinion ng tao 'yan na dapat i-respeto at hindi kontrahin. Dapat nating ligawan. Bilang nagpupumilit na host ng ‘Wowowee,’ dapat nating ligawan ang tao.”

Good friends

Padilla has captured the hearts not only the avid viewers of the show but also of his co-hosts Pokwang, Mariel Rodriguez, Valerie Concepcion, Carmen Soo, Kelly Misa, Isabelle Abiera and Jed Montero.

In particular, Padilla and Pokwang have become good friends. The guest host of “Wowowee” even surprised the comedienne during a guesting on KC Concepcion's new show, "Simply KC."

Padilla said Pokwang is dear to him, which is why he wants to support her the way she supports him when he's hosting "Wowowee."

“Siyempre ‘yong pinapakitang suporta ni Pokwang, Mariel at iba pang ‘Wowowee’ host, kailangan ko ding suklian ng suporta,” he said. -Reports from SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon and ANC

NBI raids 17 establishments, seizes P51-M worth of pirated software

Seventeen establishments were recently raided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after these were found to use and/or sell pirated software products.

An estimated P51 million worth of pirated software were seized by the NBI, agency director Nestor Mantaring said during a press briefing at its main offices in Manila.

The raids also seized 136 computers (desktops and laptops) and eight (8) CPUs (central processing units) loaded with unlicensed and pirated copies of different software applications.

Fourteen of companies raided were caught using computers that were reportedly loaded with unlicensed software.

These establishments operated "within some of the biggest business districts in Metro Manila, namely eight (8) in Makati City, three (3) in Quezon City, and three (3) in Pasig City," Mantaring said.

The remaining three were branches of a computer store that are located in Binangonan and Cainta, Rizal.

These seizures formed part of a campaign of the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT), a government-led initiative to curb software piracy.

The PAPT, whose members include the NBI, the Optical Media Board, and the Philippine National Police, recently launched a nationwide campaign to create software-piracy zones across the country.

Using and selling unlicensed software is a criminal offense, punishable by up to nine-years imprisonment and a P1.5 million fine.

“The NBI raids, and all the other activities of the PAPT, are not concentrated in limited areas," Mantaring said. "We at the NBI, along with our PAPT partners — the PNP and the OMB, will continue to be relentless in doing enforcement actions against software copyright infringers in more areas in the coming weeks," Mantaring said.

The offices raided by the NBI include:

• Rolando Mercado Design Associates/RMDA Architects Co. in Makati City;
  
• Buruoj Architectural & Interior Design Services in Makati City;
  
• Moanima Inc. at 11F Vicente Madrigal Bldg., 6783 Ayala Ave., Makati City;
  
• Mizuken Global Solutions Inc. at 1606 Antel 2000 Corporate Center, 121 Valero St., Makati City;
  
• Arlen P. De Guzman Designs Associates Co. at 1274 Captain Apolinario St., Bangkal Makati City;
  
• Gateway Network Solutions Inc. / GN Solutions Inc. at Unit 359 3F Mile Long bldg., Rufino Cor Amorsolo St., Makati;
  
• DQA Environmental Design Inc. at 3F Cacho Gonzales Bldg., 101 Aguirre cor. Trasierra St., Legaspi Village., Makati City;
  
• Tyger 828 at Rooms 201–204, AD Center Square, Evangelista Street corner Amang Rodriguez Avenue, Pasig City;
  
• X-Habit with an office at 1251 El Inventor Complex, Amang Rodriguez Avenue (formerly Manggahan), Pasig City;
  
• Avecs Corp. and/or Avecs Steelworks and Services Inc. with an office at #21 Don Gregorio St., Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City;
  
• Microsourcing Phils. Inc. at 9F Ecommerce Plaza Bldg., Eastwood Cyberpark, Bagong Bayan, Quezon City;
  
• Functionsmith Sales & Services and/or Functionsmith Inc. at 781 Acasio St., Octagon Industrial Estate Subdv., dela Paz, Pasig City;
  
• Hilmarcs Construction Corp., at 1835 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Cubao, Quezon City.

The raids also included three (3) branches of PC Republic Enterprises Cainta Branch in RDS CenterBuilding, Imelda Avenue (formerly F. P. Felix Ave.), Cainta, Rizal; Binangonan Branch in Lot 1, National Road, Binangonan, Rizal; and Junction Branch in San Buena Building, Junction, Cainta, Rizal. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

-------------------------------------

Sinabi na kasing bawal ang pirata eh...

Listahan ng mga ninong at ninang ni Charice Pempengco

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/19/2010 1:10 PM | Updated as of 05/19/2010 1:23 PM

MANILA, Philippines – International and local celebrity heavyweights, including American television host Oprah Winfrey, have been invited to become Charice and her younger brother’s godparents in their joint baptism and confirmation this week.

This was confirmed by Charice's mother, Raquel Pempengco.

Charice and Carl will be baptized as Catholics in an undisclosed location on Saturday.

Winfrey, who has been involved in Charice’s international career, and composer-producer David Foster are among the 24 pairs of godparents of Charice and Carl.

As of posting time, there is no word yet if Winfrey will personally attend the event.

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III and president Charo Santos-Concio, broadcaster Karen Davila, Boy Abunda, Kris Aquino, and entertainment journalists Ricky Lo and Jobert Sucaldito will also stand as their ninongs and ninangs.

In his column in The Philippine Star, Lo confirmed that he accepted Charice's invitation for him to be one of the godfathers.

Below is the complete list of Charice and Carl’s godparents.

1. Ms. Oprah Winfrey and Mr. David Foster

2. Ms. Lisa Erspamer and Mr. Marc Johnston

3. Mr. Gabby Lopez and Ms. Charo Santos

4.Mr. Boy Abunda and Ms.Kris Aquino-Yap

5. Mr. Raffy Lopez and Ms. Malou Santos

6. Atty. Ed Shapiro and Ms. Liz Rosenberg

7. Atty. Mr. and Mrs. Millie Gurfinkel

8. Mr. Ricky Lo and Ms. Karen Davila

9. Mr and Mrs Willam SY
10.Mrs. Marietta Lavin_ and Ms. Oledan
11.Mr.Robert Ybera and Ms.Cherry Arganda
12. Mr and Mrs Grace Mendoza
13.Mr. Julius and Ms.Tintin Babao
14.Mr. Bum Tenorio and Ms.Michelle Gankee
15. Mr.Jobert Sucaldito and Dra.Vicky Belo
16. Ms.Emmie Velarde and Mr.Pocholo Concepcion (PDI)
17. Mr.Peter Tiope (SueBee) and Ms.Lucy Ongkauko (Queso)
18. Mr.Roger and Ms.Helen Bartholomew (Inter-Ed)
19. Mr.Benson and Ms.Marlene Ong
20. Mr.Mike Sanchez and Ms.Cris Llamo (Senheisser and Wow)
21. Mr.David and Ms.Elsie Chua
22. Mr. and Mrs Ellen Tiamson
23. Mr.Joey Berroya and Ms.Cristina Perez
24. Mr.Conrad and Ms. Aida Dimapilis

CNN features Charice
CNN has recently interviewed the 18-year-old Filipino pint-sized singer in a feature titled "4'9" with a towering voice."

Charice sat down with reporter and host Shanon Cook to discuss her first self-titled global album and her life when she was still a struggling singer.

"When I was 4 years old she left me (mom) in our home and I sang. My first song was ‘My Heart Will Go On.’ Then my mom discovered me singing on top of the table," Charice said.
Charice, who is now busy promoting her album in the United States, told Cook that her CD reflects the “new me.”

She said: "This is my first time to sing a very light, danceable songs… I must say that this is really the new me, even the style and everything, the image. If you will see the album cover, I mean I can't believe that it is me."
When asked how she reacted when Winfrey described her as the most talented girl in the world, Charice said: "Sincerely I can't believe it until now, I'm shaking. I'm just so thankful to her, to all the people who helped me. To my idol Celine Dion, she told me that we have same things in common. To think that she said that, I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was just starting and she is a legendary singer."

Charice launched her album on “The Oprah Winfrey Show’ on May 11, a day after she celebrated her 18th birthday. She is set to hold a post-birthday party with the less fortunate children.

Priest says Noynoy shouldn't form 'recycled' Cabinet

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/19/2010 12:24 PM | Updated as of 05/19/2010 12:24 PM

 

MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic priest on Wednesday urged senior and former government officials surrounding Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to allow the leading presidential candidate to have a good start by appointing new faces in his Cabinet.

"Ang talagang gustong tumulong sa kanya ay sa kanila na magsimula ang move. Tanggihan nila at mag-recommend sila na sa tingin nila ay makakatulong. It's more, on my part, trying to make Noynoy have a good start," Father Joe Dizon, convenor of election watchdog Kontra Daya, told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.

(For those who really want to help and who don't want Noynoy, it must come from them. They should refuse if Noynoy offers them Cabinet posts and instead recommend other competent people who can help. It's more, on my part, trying to make Noynoy have a good start.)

Dizon echoed Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero's call to former government officials, who helped Aquino in his campaign, to turn down offers of Cabinet posts.

The priest said Aquino should realize that there are other people who are as competent and as credible as former government officials to help him carry out his reform agenda.

He said Aquino should start with a “clean slate” with people at least aged 35 to 50, and avoid appointing “recycled” officials.

Among the groups that helped in Aquino’s campaign is the Black and White Movement, whose members are former Cabinet appointees of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Arroyo’s former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, confirmed to ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda that she has been offered and has agreed to return to the same post if Aquino wins the presidency.

Soliman said that aside from former Cabinet officials of the Arroyo administration, other senior government officials from the administrations of former President Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, helped Aquino's presidential campaign.

She said the “selection committee” continues to search for competent people who can help Aquino if he is elected to Malacañang.

She added the committee is particularly searching for people who have good and honest track records.

Rep. Pacquiao's priority: Help RP win 1st Olympic gold

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/18/2010 10:12 PM | Updated as of 05/19/2010 2:58 AM

 

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has yet to take his seat in Congress as Sarangani province's lone district representative, but he already has in mind several projects he wants to pursue.

Foremost among his priorities is to help the country win its first Olympic medal.
“’Yan ang pangarap natin na makakuha tayo ng gold [sa Olympics],” said the congressman-elect.

Pacquiao said this goal will be one of his priorities in Congress, aside from providing livelihood to fishermen and farmers in Sarangani.

The Philippines has yet to win an Olympic gold medal since it joined the quadrennial event in 1924.
Pacquiao said it doesn’t matter which sport he will prioritize as long as it generates the elusive gold medal.
“Sa boxing, kahit ano, basta tutukan lang natin at kelangan lang ng suporta ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Pacquiao is also optimistic the party-list group Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), which he chairs, will eventually secure a seat in Congress.

He said PBA, which aims to represent amateur athletes in Congress, will help him realize the Filipino people's Olympic dreams.

The closest the Philippines has gotten to an Olympic gold medal was during the 1964 Tokyo and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Anthony Villanueva reached the gold medal round in the 1964 Olympics, but lost a controversial decision to Soviet Union's Stanislav Stepashkin in the featherweight division. He took home the silver medal.

Thirty-two years later, in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco took home a silver medal after also losing a controversial decision against Daniel Petrov of Bulgaria in the final round of the light flyweight division.

The Philippines has also won 7 bronze medals in the Olympics.

The Filipino Olympians who have won bronze medals are: Teofilo Yldefonso (2), Simeon Torribio (1), Miguel White (1), Jose "Cely Villanueva (1), Leopoldo Serrantes (1) and Roel Velasco (1). -- With a report by Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Manny Pacquiao meets with Noynoy Aquino

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/19/2010 12:25 PM | Updated as of 05/19/2010 12:55 PM

 

MANILA, Philippines – Sarangani Province Congressman-elect and 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao met with presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party on Tuesday.
The Filipino boxing icon paid a visit to the Aquino family residence along Times Street in West Triangle, Quezon City on Tuesday for around 2 hours.

This was confirmed by Aquino campaign spokesperson Atty. Edwin Lacierda. He said the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion was accompanied by his wife, Jinkee.

“Nag-usap kami mga 45 minutes… okay naman,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN's Dyan Castillejo in a telephone interview. “Kuwentuhan lang paano tutulungan ang bayan.”

On Tuesday, Pacquiao told reporters in Manila that he has several projects in mind for his province and the country. He said he wants to help the Philippines win its first Olympic gold medal. He also wants to provide livelihood programs to fishermen and farmers in Sarangani Province.

Pacquiao supported one of Aquino’s rivals, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Jr, for the May 10 polls.

This caused some friction in his friendship with Noynoy’s sister, actress and television host Kris Aquino.

But Kris announced Tuesday night that she has made up with the pound-for-pound king.

60 controversial PCOS machines now in Senate custody

 Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile accepted the 60 controversial precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines that were delivered to the Senate under heavy guard at 10:35 pm Tuesday after a one-hour trip from the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

The machines, earlier discovered in the house of a Smartmatic technician in Antipolo and believed to have been used in committing poll fraud, were transported in a truck with heavily armed police and military escorts, radio dzBB reported. About 100 cars and four buses, many of them loaded with supporters of various national and local candidates, joined the delivery convoy.

Enrile personally met the arriving convoy, which included presidential candidates Sen. Maria Anna Consuelo Madrigal, Olongapo Councilor John Carlos de los Reyes, and environmentalist Nicanor Perlas, who claim the PCOS machines may provide evidence about poll fraud.

The machines were brought to the Claro M. Recto Room on the Senate's second floor, where they were stacked, listed by serial number, and sealed for storage, according to the radio dzBB report.

Enrile and Senate Sgt.-at-arms Jose Balajadia, the three presidential bets, and Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials were present during the acceptance procedure.

In an earlier interview with reporters, Enrile said the Senate will be the custodian of the PCOS machines – used in the country’s first nationwide automated polls – “until the whole electoral issue is finished."

The Comelec had asked the Senate to act as custodian of the controversial machines, earlier erroneously reported as a total of 67 units, which were used in the country's first nationwide automated polls.

"We will take care of [the machines] and we’ll see to it that [these] are preserved and secured," the Senate leader said.

He said the machines will be stored in an area with security cameras “so that we will know who are approaching and who are entering or touching any of these materials."

Smartmatic technician Felipe de Leon last week brought the machines to his home, saying he was supposed to deliver them to the Antipolo Comelec office but were refused, so he brought them home to make sure these were safe.

The discovery of the machines in his possession sparked tension between high-strung supporters of rival mayoral candidates in Antipolo. [See: Discovery of 67 poll machines in Antipolo home triggers tension]

Smartmatic, the supplier of the voting machines, and the Comelec cleared De Leon saying he was just doing his job. [See: Comelec: Technician with 67 poll machines at home just doing his job]

The machines were then transferred to the Ynares Center, but supporters of losing mayoral candidate Angelito Gatlabayan and presidential candidates Madrigal, De los Reyes, and Perlas forcibly entered the storage room and asked their technicians to open the machines.

The Comelec deployed at least 400 soldiers and police to guard the machines.

As this developed, Smartmatic is thinking of filing criminal charges against Madrigal, Del los Reyes and Perlas for tampering with the machines without Comelec permission. [See: Smartmatic mulling case vs. three presidential candidates] —VS/JV GMANews.TV

DOH warns public vs dengue, flu as rainy season

With the rainy season due to arrive in two weeks, Philippine health authorities reminded the public Wednesday to take precautions against the killer disease dengue.

National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag made the reminder after noting a 50-percent rise in dengue cases compared to the same period last year.

"Magpapatuloy ito lalo mag-uumpisa ang tag-ulan, so kailangan makapaghanda (Dengue cases are likely to come once the rainy season starts, so we must take precautions)," Tayag said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

The World Health Organization says dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses.

Dengue virus infections are common in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Symptoms appear 3—14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults.

Dengue cases

Citing records from his office, Tayag said at least 4,000 dengue cases have been recorded as of April 2010. He said this was a 50-percent rise from the same period last year.

He noted the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had said that rains are likely to start in the last part of May.

On the other hand, Tayag cautioned against resorting to fogging operations, saying it is more important to keep surroundings clean and dry.

Tayag said surroundings should be kept free from stagnant water, where dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed.

"Pag sinabing dengue-proof, di ibig sabihin mag-fogging (When we ask people to make their surroundings dengue-proof we do not necessarily advocate fogging)," he said.

Lookout vs flu, too

Meanwhile, Tayag said his office will also be on the lookout for other diseases such as flu and A(H1N1).

"Pag balik iskwela, maaring tumaas ang influenza. Ito ang panahon ng influenza sa atin (When school resumes, there may be a rise in influenza cases. This is the time for the disease)," he said.

He also said the Department of Health already started administering vaccination on health workers who are deemed most at risk for A(H1N1). — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV

It’s the season for Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 05/18/2010 4:02 PM | Updated as of 05/18/2010 4:08 PM

MANILA, Philippines – It’s the month of May, and already, towns and cities across the Philippines are holding their version of the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) and Santacruzan (Festival of the Holy Cross).
Held in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Flores de Mayo was believed to have started in Malolos, Bulacan in 1865.
The Santacruzan, on the other hand, depicts the search for the Holy Cross by Queen Helena (Reyna Elena), mother of the emperor Constantine the Great. It is held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo in the month of May.

Bb. Pilipinas-International 2009 Melody Gersbach with consort, celebrity chef Tristan Encarnacion, in last year’s Grand Santacruzan at the Araneta Center. Credit: Araneta Center

Women dressed in terno act as “reynas” or “sagalas” and are escorted during the procession by men clad in barong Tagalog. They walk underneath elaborately decorated arches and are escorted by a band and men and women praying and holding lit candles.
Among the “reynas” are Reyna Esperanza (Queen Hope), Reyna Justicia (Queen Justice), and Reyna Abogada (Queen Lawyer), which represent the various characteristics of the Virgin Mary. However, the Reyna Elena (Queen Helena) role is usually given to the most beautiful girl in town.
The Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan are not just held in towns these days. Malls also mount the event.
As part of its grand celebration for its 50th year, Araneta Center will hold a Grand Santacruzan on Saturday, May 22.
This year’s Santacruzan at Araneta Center is said to be grander and more elaborate. The celebration, to kick off at the south gate of Araneta Coliseum, will start with a Holy Mass followed by the Santacruzan procession to be participated in by this year’s Binibining Pilipinas contestants as well as other beauty queens.
Aside from representing the characteristics of the Virgin Mary, the sagalas will also represent select Araneta Center establishments and some Quezon City barangays. There will also be participants depicting how Filipinos celebrate other fiestas such as Masskara, Sinulog, Ati-Atihan, Panagbenga, and many more. A magnificent fireworks display will follow.

Noynoy-Corona rift good for RP — Chiz

The apparent rift between newly appointed Chief Justice Renato Corona and leading presidential candidate Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is good for the government, an opposition senator said on Tuesday.

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero said the gap between Aquino and Corona would be good for the check and balance system observed among the three branches of the government or, in this case, the judiciary and the executive.

“Sa pamamagitan niyan siguro magkakaroon ng aktibong check and balance sa pagitan ng dalawang ahensiya ng gobyerno, ang judiciary at executive . . . Yung interplay ng mga departamento mas makikita natin ngayon," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

(I believe there will be a more active check and balance system between the two branches of government, the judiciary and executive. We will be able to see an active interplay among the different government agencies.)

He said there is nothing wrong with Aquino's decision not to take his oath before Corona, whose appointment by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been hounded by controversy.

Aquino earlier said Mrs. Arroyo should have waited for the next administration to name the replacement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who on Monday reached 70, the mandatory retirement age for justices.

Escudero said Aquino was "only being consistent with his proclamation and statements before the elections."

As for Corona, Escudero said he new head of the judiciary branch “does not need to seek recognition from anyone."

"(The fact) that they (Aquino and Corona) are not the best of friends might be good for the system. Pag hawak ng presidente ang chief justice gusto ba ninyo yun? Hawak niya ang legislative, walang kokontra, hindi rin naman tama yun," Escudero said.

(Can you imagine if the chief justice is controlled by the president? I don't think that's good.)

The opposition lawmaker said he believes the House of Representatives could be friendly to Aquino because historically congressmen gravitate toward the new administration while the Senate is usually controlled by the opposition.

Based on the partial and unofficial tally of GMA News as of 1:02 pm Tuesday Aquino is still leading the race with 13,842,049 votes followed by former President Joseph Estrada with 8,758,675 votes and Senator Manuel Villar Jr with 5,014,237 votes. - Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV

After years of doubt, South Africa is ready for World Cup

Reuters

Posted at 05/18/2010 3:34 PM | Updated as of 05/18/2010 3:34 PM

JOHANNESBURG – After years of doubt, soul searching and criticism, South Africa stands on the threshold of a unique World Cup that looks likely to confound the pessimists.

This country has had to endure acres of negative foreign news reports and plenty of self doubt in the six years since it won the right to host Africa's first World Cup.

With less than a month to kick-off, most of those reports are discredited and although there are still plenty of areas of concern to test the nerves of organizers, ranging from violent crime to transport, the omens look good.

For years media reported that FIFA had a "Plan B" to move the tournament if South Africa failed to be ready in time.

Instead, Africa's biggest economy has done better than many nations preparing for either the World Cup or Olympics.

The 10 stadiums were ready early and six of them -- five built from scratch and one extensively expanded and rebuilt -- are magnificent arenas standing comparison with any in the world.

From Johannesburg's 90,000-capacity Soccer City, Africa's biggest stadium, to Durban's arch-spanned arena and Cape Town's bath-shaped bowl -- both fronting the ocean -- the soccer fields are more than sports venues.

The grandiose projects affirm the confidence and ability of an often troubled country 16 years after the end of apartheid.

This event, more than in almost any other country, has huge symbolic importance for a nation torn by racial conflict for centuries which hopes the World Cup will unite still wary blacks and whites in patriotic fervor.

Hosting the world's most-watched sporting event also has the potential to give an enormous boost to South Africa's image and its ability to attract investment and millions of extra tourists to a country blessed with myriad attractions.

'New course'

Danny Jordaan, boss of the local organizing committee, says that after years of dire predictions that Africa would fail, the world will be "spellbound" on June 11.

The tournament would be a defining moment comparable to the end of apartheid. It would mark "the pinnacle of the strides we have made over the last 16 years and will chart a new course in our country's history," he told Reuters.

President Jacob Zuma said the World Cup "is the single greatest opportunity we have ever had to showcase our diversity and potential to the world. We must rise and tell the story of a continent which is alive with possibilities."

None of this means success is a foregone conclusion, and a big failure under the international spotlight could do deep damage to future tourism and investment.

One of the biggest worries has been South Africa's notorious crime -- it has 50 murders a day -- which has undoubtedly deterred some European fans, although the cost of this long-haul tournament during a world recession has probably put off more.

Estimates of foreign visitor numbers have recently dropped from 450,000 to 370,000 or fewer.
The murder of white supremacist Eugene Terre'blanche by two black farm workers fueled more alarmist reporting topped by the British tabloid Daily Star's bizarre assertion that machete-wielding gangs were roaming the streets.

Officials from Zuma and Jordaan down have recited a well-rehearsed mantra that South Africa has a long history of successfully hosting almost 150 international events and will create a cocoon for the fans with a $174-million security plan including 41,000 specially deployed police.

Most experts believe this is likely to work, unless fans stray from well-guarded areas into some of the frighteningly dangerous quarters of Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria. They also believe terrorism is unlikely, although it cannot entirely be discounted.

Foreign numbers

The drop in likely foreign visitors has deflated a long-running cause of concern -- lack of accommodation capacity -- but there are still worries that fans will not find enough transport to get between matches, particularly by road.

If the tournament is likely to be a big boost for South Africa, it is unlikely to do the same favor for FIFA's image in this country, damaged by what are seen as heavy-handed actions to enforce strict rights protection for its commercial partners and mistakes on ticketing.
FIFA has acknowledged its error in long ignoring advice that the internet sales system for tickets was unsuitable for Africa, where many fans do not have access to computers.

Over-the-counter sales were belatedly introduced a month ago, causing both a rush for seats and the long-hoped-for jump in excitement among fans. Some 200,000 of the 2.7 million tickets remained unsold at the last count and there are likely to be far fewer fans from other parts of Africa than once hoped.

Perhaps the biggest question over the World Cup will have to be answered after the final on July 11 -- was it worth spending more than $5 billion to stage it in a country which still has an army of poor and some of the biggest wealth disparities in the world?

Many domestic critics say no, including township dwellers involved in a series of violent protests recently against the delay in spreading the benefits of black rule more widely.

However, World Cup supporters say the tournament will not only boost foreign investment but leave a lasting legacy of roads and major infrastructure, while Jordaan passionately argues that Africa must not be deprived of its favorite sport.

"Football is a giver of hope and life and we must never argue that we must deny Africans the fundamental pleasure and joy that football generates...football is the one expression where Africans can compete equally with anyone in the world."

SMARTMATIC Memo to All PCOS Technicians, Supervisors and CCS Technicians

To clear out issues regarding unpaid salaries of Precinct Count Optical Scanner Technicians, PCOS Supervisors and Consolidation Canvassing System (CCS) Technicians who religiously served during the May 2010 elections, the SMARTMATIC-TIM company issued a Memorandum stating any unsettled amount will be rightfully paid, May 8.

Said memo has been circulated in response to the clamor of numerous PCOS Technicians who have posted their inquiry in some networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Friendster and the like of which case, called the attention of nation's top TV networks like GMA and ABS-CBN.

According to some PCOS Technicians, around 20% of the promised salary has been given to them and the remaining amount is still unsettled.

The Manila Resource Development Corporation, one among the contracted agencies of SMARTMATIC-TIM, verbally told Technicians as well as Supervisors during contract signing that the breakdown of salary/honoraria which they could receive will be as follows:

Primary PCOS Supervisor:      PHP8,900.00
Back-up PCOS Supervisor:    PHP3,500.00

Primary PCOS Technician:     PHP6,400.00
Back-up PCOS Technician:    PHP2,500.00

CCS Technician:                    PHP7,200.00

In the memorandum just circulated, it stated that a copy of the contract from agency concerned should be presented in claiming unsettled salaries, however, said agencies did not give any copy of the signed contract to Technicians as well as Supervisors.

Editor's Note: The Memo has been forwarded to me by Mam Myrna. - GMR

Cop dies after own gun accidentally fires

SUBIC, Philippines - A rookie policeman died after his gun accidentally fired while walking to a suspect's home in Subic town, Zambales province on Monday morning.
Police identified the fatality as Police Officer 1 Ronaldo Robles, 25, assistant warrant officer of the Subic Municipal Police Station.
Investigators said Robles was walking with another policeman and was about to serve an arrest warrant in Sitio Tahimik, Barangay Calapacuan, when he tripped himself over.
His personal gun, a .45 Glock, accidentally fired, piercing the policeman in his left abdomen. – report from Jeff Gallos, radio dzMM

Study on cell phone link to cancer inconclusive

GENEVA — If there's one lifestyle tool that's ubiquitous, from American cities to remote villages of the developing world, it's the mobile phone.

Can they also be deadly?

The frustratingly unresolved debate erupted again this week with the release of a $24 million UN study spanning a decade and covering 13 nations that suggests frequent cell phone use may increase the chances of developing rare but deadly form of brain cancer.

Worryingly, since glioma has a potential latency period of a quarter century — longer than cell phones have been in widespread use — even the study's authors say there is no way yet to tell how big the risk is, if there is one.

Experts were nearly unanimous in saying the results of the study are inconclusive. But the fact that it turned up even some evidence of a cancer risk may have profound consequences for a device that people have become accustomed to seeing as extensions of themselves.

From farmers in Africa who rely on cell phones to check crop reports to hedge fund traders obsessively checking Blackberries at trendy restaurants to suburban American kids spending hours calling their friends — people around the world have come to rely on mobile phones as never before.

Cell phones send out radioactive energy in a form that's similar to the one used in microwave ovens, but at very low levels. There is no accepted theory to explain how or if these weak radio waves can affect the body, beyond heating it to a very small degree.

All the same, US and European regulators already limit the energy cell phones can project into the body and today's digital phones radiate less power than the analog phones that dominated in the early '90s. Common advice for those concerned about the radiation is to use a Bluetooth headset, since these emit even less power.

The survey conducted from 2000 to 2010 of almost 13,000 participants — the biggest ever of its kind — found a 40 percent higher incidence of glioma among the top 10 percent of people who used their mobile phone most.

A lesser spike of 15 percent was observed with meningioma, a more common and frequently benign tumor.

Researchers ignored the time spend using handsfree devices, keeping the phone in a pocket or beside the bed at night because even a distance of 4 inches or 10 centimeters reduces the amount of radiation to the brain to almost zero.

But because cell phone use has boomed during the 10-year period studied, the researchers' definition of heavy use as 30 minutes of calls or more a day is now common.

"The users in the study were light users compared to today," said Prof. Elisabeth Cardis of World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, which organized the study.

The highest risk found was for tumors on the same side of the head as users held their phone, particularly for tumors in the temporal lobe closest to the ear, Cardis told reporters in Geneva on Monday. "This is the region of the head which receives the most exposure."

Despite this evidence pointing to a link between cell phone use and tumors, the 21 researchers involved in the study disagreed on the conclusion, in part because of flaws in the way the surveys were conducted.

For example, the study appeared to show that casual users had a lower risk of getting cancer than people who didn't use cell phones at all, a result the researchers described as "implausible" and blamed on methodological problems.

The message? The researchers refused to rule out that cell phone use causes brain cancer but wouldn't say it does either.

"We can't establish without any doubt that there is no link," said Prof. Anthony Swerdlow of Britain's Institute of Cancer Research, another of the study's authors. But he added that "it seems unlikely that there are large risks that happen soon."

Handset manufacturers and network providers, who paid for about a quarter of the study, have seized on such conclusions as evidence their products were safe.

"The overall conclusion of no increased risk is in accordance with the large body of existing research and many expert reviews that consistently conclude that there is no established health risk from radio signals that comply with international safety recommendations," said Jack Rowley, director of research for the telecoms companies' association GSMA.

The Mobile Manufacturers Forum likewise welcomed the study and insisted their industry "takes all questions regarding the safety of mobile phones seriously and has a strong commitment to supporting ongoing scientific research."

But Christopher Wild, director of IARC, cautioned that the results related to a time when cell phones were much less common than they are now. "This investigation is a victim of the changing patterns of mobile phone use over the years," he said.

Critics contend the study also ignored several important factors such as the slow growth rate of most brain tumors, which can take up to 25 years to develop.

"It is simply too early to detect anything," said Graham Philips of the Britain-based anti-radiation campaign group Power Watch.

Prof. Bernard Stewart, a scientific adviser to Cancer Council Australia, said the study "tells us little about any risk associated with mobile phone use over decades."

"In particular," he said, "insufficient time has passed since mobile phones were introduced to determine whether there is a risk in children."

Cardis acknowledged that with X-rays and atomic explosions the spike in tumors could take up to 30 years to show up, but said it was unclear whether cell phones have the same effect on the body as those forms of radiation.

Most of the estimated 4.6 billion cell phone subscribers around the world today appear prepared to take the risk even without firm assurances that it's safe.

In Copenhagen, student Michaela Vinter, 27, said she wasn't worried about "all the studies" about the use of cell phone and cancer.

"I have heard about this for all the years that I have had a cell phone and I have never heard anything firm about the risk," she said.

The scientists involved in the study plan to publish a comprehensive overview of available research within two years. Separately, researchers are also examining whether cell phone use increases the risk of tumors in the ear's acoustic nerve and the parotid gland, where saliva is produced. Another study will look into the effects of cell phone use on children, who are believed to be more susceptible to the effects of radiation.

"Until stronger conclusions can be drawn one way or another it may be reasonable to reduce one's exposure," said Cardis. One way to do this would be to make calls using a handsfree device.

"It can't hurt," she said.

The IARC study, which was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, was compiled by researchers in Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. Scientists interviewed 12,848 participants, of which 5,150 had either meningioma or glioma tumors.

There is no similar, large-scale study going on in the U.S., though here have been smaller studies which failed to show links between cell phone use and cancer. The federal government mandates that states collect data on benign brain tumors, at least partly in response to concerns about radiation. —AP

Comelec proclaims remaining 3 of 12 newly elected senators

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday morning proclaimed the winners of the last three of the 12 spots in the Senate – former senator Sergio Osmeña III, incumbent Senator Manuel Lapid, and Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III.

The Comelec – sitting as the NBOC – said Osmeña held on to 10th place with 11,583,854 votes (as of late Monday), while Lapid and Guingona remained at 11th and 12th place, with 10,971,045 and 10,200,293 votes respectively.

Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia “Risa" Hontiveros-Baraquel remained at 13th place with 9,041,494 votes. Behind Hontiveros are Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano “Ruffy" Biazon with 8,566,631 votes and Jose de Venecia III with 8,317,528 votes. They ranked 14th and 15th, respectively.

On Saturday afternoon, the poll body proclaimed nine of the 12 senators, namely:

• BONG REVILLA, Ramon (Lakas-Kampi) - 19,414,795 votes (as of Monday afternoon)
• ESTRADA, Jose (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) - 18,842,717 votes
• DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO, Miriam of the People's Reform Party (PRP) - 17,230,051 votes
• DRILON, Franklin of the Liberal Party (LP) - 15,764,639 votes
• ENRILE, Juan Ponce (PMP) - 15,577,837 votes
• CAYETANO, Pilar Juliana of Nacionalista Party (NP) - 13,583,810 votes
• MARCOS, Ferdinand Jr. (NP) - 13,098,254 votes
• RECTO, Ralph (LP) - 12,344,675 votes
• SOTTO, Vicente III of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) - 11,838,317 votes

Saturday's proclamation was based on 115 certificates of canvass (COC). There are a total of 274 COCs, 171 of which are from the overseas absentee voting. On the other hand, Tuesday's proclamation was based on 121 canvassed COCs or 37,685,706 votes or 75.2 percent of the 50,086,054 registered voters.

Comelec chairman Jose Melo, reading NBOC Resolution 10-004, said that only the provincial COCs for the province of Lanao del Sur and some areas with lowered canvassing thresholds have yet to be canvassed.

"The remaining votes that have not yet been received by the canvassing and consolidation system (CCS) of the NBOC will not materially affect the votes obtained by the 10th to the 12th ranking winning candidates for senator," he said.

Newcomers

Only Lapid and Guingona were present during the proclamation Tuesday. Osmeña's legal counsel Sixto Brillantes said that his client does not usually attend such events.

Guingona, for his part, was excited to attend the proclamation because it will be his first time to hold a seat in the Senate. Only he and Marcos are first-timers in the new slate of senators.

"I'd like to thank the automated system (because)... I'm the beneficiary of the 12. Imagine if this were manual, I wouldn't be here yet, I would have waited for a long time," he told reporters in Filipino.

He likewise denied that he "edged out" fellow LP senatorial bet Anakbayan Rep. Ana Theresia “Risa" Hontiveros-Baraquel in the senatorial race. "It's just unfortunate that hindi sila nasama but anyway tuloy naman ang laban namin (that she didn't make it, but our fight continues)," he said.

Hontiveros-Baraquel remained at 13th place with 9,041,494 votes. Behind Hontiveros are Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano “Ruffy" Biazon with 8,566,631 votes and Jose de Venecia III with 8,317,528 votes. They ranked 14th and 15th, respectively.

Guingona added that his victory in the senatorial race is not "the final step." "The final step is the proclamation of the new president before we can start the process of transformation and reform," he said.

The lawmaker was pertaining to LP standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III, who is slated to win the presidency based on official and unofficial tallies.

Lapid, who is from administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said that he will support Aquino should he become president. "Siyempre kailangan sumuporta para sa pagkakaisa (Of course we need to support unity)," he told reporters in an ambush interview.

He also said that he wishes to pursue legislation that would provide free medical assistance to the public once he is seated again. On the other hand, Guigona said he wishes to create laws on budget reform.

Vacancy

The new senators will join incumbents Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes, Manuel Villar Jr., and Juan Miguel Zubiri in the 15th Congress.

Aquino's term will also expire in 2013 but his impending rise to the presidency will leave a vacant seat in the Senate.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, however, said they cannot proclaim a 13th senator to fill the vacancy because technically there is no vacant seat yet. He said that the Congress can hold a special elections for the post – once it is vacated – if it wants to.

Melo, for his part, said that the proclamation of 12 senators-elect "vindicated" the Comelec.
"We have triumphantly cast-off the conventional wisdom that ordinary Filipinos will find it difficult to transition from the fully manual mode of voting; and we have overturned the dire conviction of some that we simply cannot do this," he said.

On the other hand, the poll body said that it may take about a week before they can proclaim the winners for the party-list race because they still have to factor the votes cast for the contest into the computation of the winners and the seats awarded to the groups.

Meanwhile, a joint session of Congress, sitting as the NBOC, will serve as the canvassing board for the position of president and vice president. — LBG, GMANews.TV

Corona sworn in as new Chief Justice

JOHANNA CAMILLE SISANTE, GMANews.TV

05/17/2010 | 01:33 PM

Despite the controversy surrounding his appointment, Renato Corona on Monday took his oath as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The ceremony, which was closed to the media, was headed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inside Malacañang this morning, a GMA Flash Report said.

Corona, who was named Supreme Court associate justice in April 2002, replaced retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Prior to his appointment to the country's highest court, Corona was President Arroyo's chief of staff, spokesman, and acting executive secretary.

His appointment as chief justice, which came less than two months before the end of President Arroyo's term, has drawn flak from legal groups such as the Philippine Bar Association and the Supreme Court Appointments Watch.

Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the prospective incoming president, earlier said he would rather be sworn into office by the chairman of his barangay in Tarlac City than by Corona.

Aquino opposed the Supreme Court's decision allowing President Arroyo to appoint Puno's successor.

In an interview over radio dwIZ, LP spokesman and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III said Aquino would take the needed steps to avert a constitutional crisis over his refusal to recognize Corona.

According to Tañada, Aquino is still studying the issue.

“Hindi pa final ang decision ni Sen. Aquino diyan. Pero what is clear under our Constitution, di necessarily Chief Justice ng Supreme Court ang mag-a-administer ng oath (Aquino has not made a final decision on who will administer his oath. But what is clear under our Constitution is that it is not necessarily the Chief Justice who should administer the oath)," Tañada said.

Aquino recognizes the Supreme Court even though he is questioning Corona's appointment as chief justice, said Tañada.

“Aquino has been clear on the matter, he will not promote a constitutional crisis," he added. —with field reports/VS, GMANews.TV

Arab-American from Michigan crowned 2010 Miss USA

 LAS VEGAS — A 24-year-old Arab American from Michigan beat out 50 other women to take the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday night, despite nearly stumbling in her evening gown.

Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Mich., won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health insurance should cover birth control pills.


When asked how she felt about winning the crown, she said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza."

Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant, told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths. She moved to the United States as a baby and was raised in New York, where she attended a Catholic school. Her family moved to Michigan in 2003.

Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, Calif.

Fakih told reporters she sold her car after graduating college in Michigan to help pay for her run in the Miss Michigan USA pageant.

She said she believed she had the title on Sunday after glancing at pageant owner Donald Trump as she awaited the results with the first runner-up, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard.

"That's the same look that he gives them when he says, 'You're hired,'" on Trump's reality show "The Apprentice," she said.

"She's a great girl," said Trump, who owns the pageant with NBC in a joint venture.

In a moment that was replayed during the broadcast, Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in her gown because of the length of its train. But she made it without a spill and went on to win.

"I did it here, I better not do it at Miss Universe," she said. "Modeling does help, after all."

Fakih replaces Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and won a spot representing the United States this summer in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. She also gets a one-year lease in a New York apartment with living expenses, an undisclosed salary, and various health, professional and beauty services.

During the interview portion, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should because it's costly.

"I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance," Fakih said.

Woolard handled the night's toughest question, about Arizona's new immigration law. Woolard said she supports the law, which requires police enforcing another law to verify a person's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally.

She said she's against illegal immigration but is also against racial profiling.

"I'm a huge believer in states' rights. I think that's what's so wonderful about America," Woolard said. "So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law."

"The Office" actor Oscar Nunez was booed as he asked the question and asked the audience to wait until he finished the question before they reacted. The panel of judges came up with the questions themselves.

Miss Virginia USA Samantha Evelyn Casey was the second runner-up, Miss Colorado USA Jessica Hartman was third runner-up, and Miss Maine USA Katherine Ashley Whittier was the fourth runner-up.

Most of the field of contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were eliminated just after the pageant began and the entire group danced onstage to "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha.

A panel of eight judges, including NBA star Carmelo Anthony, Treasure Island casino-hotel owner Phil Ruffin and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, were judging the girls throughout the night.

After 15 contestants strutted in swimsuits, five were eliminated. Another five were eliminated after the evening gown competition.

Miss Nebraska USA Belinda Renee Wright won the Miss Congeniality award, roughly one week after her father was killed in a farm accident. Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore won Miss Photogenic after an online fan vote.

The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales. —AP