The D Spot

The public is fascinated with our new president P-Noy. People can’t get enough of any personal tidbits and ondits about him. His father is a national hero. His mother is a former president and one of the most beloved Filipinos in modern history. His sister is a famous television personality. He is the only son of his illustrious parents. He is one of the heirs to Hacienda Luisita and the Cojuanco fortune. He won the presidency of the country in an unusual grass roots movement that took momentum soon after his mother’s funeral and never lost steam till the May 2010 elections.

Continue reading "Will we see a Malacanang wedding?" »

Three days ago, on July 26, 2010, President Noynoy Aquino delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). After dispensing with the formalities, he went ahead and revealed what was probably the first true state of the nation—a country riddled with anomalies in the Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System (MWSS), National Food Authority (NFA), National Power Corportaion (Napocor), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT). Aside from this, we enter the second half of the year with only a little over 6% left on the national budget to spend for the remaining five months of the year.

Finally! The highest ranking person in government telling and confirming to us what we’ve known all along! Listening to the SONA, you can’t help but yell out “I knew it!” or “Oh my ghad! Sabi ko na nga ba!”

Now what?

Continue reading "After the SONA—now what?" »

Former Tagaytay mayor and new MMDA chief Atty. Francis Tolentino is bent serious! He was installed as MMDA chief only last Tuesday (27 July) where he said, “I have accepted the position with great hope of attaining a better quality of life in Metro Manila and making MMDA a model agency.”

He already has a long list of things to do, beginning with looking into Metro Manila’s traffic problems. He has made ineffective the coding exemptions issued by the former MMDA administration beginning on Monday (2 August), totalling around 4,000 private cars owned by government offices and officials. The law allows only very few exemptions from number coding like media and medical practitioners.

Continue reading "SCOOP! MMDA is serious–Names bus companies that give “kotong”" »

If you watched the State of the Nation Address (SONA), it’s interesting to note the similarities between Pres. Aquino and his mother, former Pres. Cory. One can’t help but feel nostalgic as he walked up the steps of the Batasan to deliver his first State of the Nation Address.

They both start the same way. “Mga minamahal kong kababayan” (My beloved countrymen) is both their opening salvo. One can’t help but feel endeared to both Noynoy and Cory when addressing the nation in such a personal manner. Cory delivered most of her speeches in English, while Noynoy gave his first SONA in Filipino.

They both lambast the corruption of the previous presidency. Noynoy has GMA, while Cory had Marcos to thank for the mountainous debt and issues they both inherited. They both painted a realistic picture of the nation given how it was mishandled and how government coffers were utilized for personal gain.

Continue reading "P-Noy and Cory compared when delivering a speech" »

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is the one time in the year when all lawmakers from around the country come together. Even former presidents, congressmen and senators no longer in office are present to welcome the President. Political wives come in all their finery, and even ambassadors and other members of the Diplomatic Corps are present. As the must be seen in political social climbing event of the year, a seat at this SONA is a highly coveted seat.

It then becomes glaringly obvious when the most recent president, Gloria Arroyo is absent for the very first SONA of her successor, President Noynoy Aquino. As a former President and current congresswoman of her district in Pampanga, Mrs. Arroyo’s presence should have been mandatory.

Continue reading "GMA’s Absence in P-Noy’s First SONA" »

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps;

My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

Continue reading "English Translation of President Aquino’s First State of the Nation Address (SONA 2010)" »

July 26, 2010
[Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City]

“Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.

Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Continue reading "Full Transcript of President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA 2010)" »

July 24, Sat – Araneta Coliseum
12:00 nn UE vs NU
4:00 pm DLSU vs ADMU

The games will be aired live in Studio 23 and Balls HD. Replays of the games will be aired in Balls Channel 34.

Expect traffic to stand still today and the LRT2 and MRT packed to capacity, as Ateneo and La Salle meet for the first time this season. Spectators and fans have learned their lessons well–the MRT and LRT have been the vehicles of choice the past few years. Instead of crazily looking for that hard to get parking slot in the Cubao area, the best way now is to leave the cars at home or in school (Ateneo is just a few hundred meters away from LRT2 station in Katipunan) and take the smooth ride to Araneta Center.

Continue reading "UAAP Season 73: Ateneo-La Salle Game at 4 pm today at the Araneta Coliseum" »

Although henna is temporary, unlike a real tattoo, it stays visible for quite a long time. Long after you got that tattoo from your beach holiday, a school fair or wherever, you still have that faded tattoo. Usually, the best way to get rid of it is just to wait for it to fade naturally. You’ll find it hard, if not impossible, to remove your henna in a flash. But if you really need to remove it for some reason, don’t fret. There are some easy remedies that can help speed up the fading of your henna. Here’s what you can do.

Salt water soak. Immerse the part of your body with the henna stain in hot water with salt for about 15 minutes. Another variation is soaking the stained area in a hot tub or chlorinated pool. Do this as often as needed, until you can see the stain lighten and ultimately fade away.

Use hydrogen peroxide. Put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball. Rub the cotton ball on the stained area. Apply hydrogen peroxide as often as needed. The stain should lighten after some time.