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DONORS LIST FOR SENDONG VICTIMS

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today that messages of sympathy and offers of assistance from foreign governments and international organizations have been pouring in for the victims of Typhoon Sendong, which hit parts of Visayas and Mindanao last December 16.

Organizations

• International Organizations. Messages of sympathy were sent by World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director Shin Young-Soo and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General William Swing.
• The IOM also has an initial appeal of US$50,000, and that their Philippine office has a team who conducted needs assessment in Mindanao and is providing relief support.
• European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has sent a message of sympathy, and the Philippine Mission to the European Union in Brussels has been informed by the EU that the latter is in the process of requesting funds for relevant humanitarian operations to help those affected by the typhoon, which will be channeled through humanitarian agencies. Humanitarian experts are already on the ground conducting needs assessment, which will be the basis of the funding decision. The EU Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection is also considering giving in €3 million worth of assistance.
• Regional Organizations. League of Arab States Secretary General Nabil Elaraby has sent a message of sympathy.

ASEAN Countries

• Singaporean Acting President JY Pillay and Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean have sent messages of sympathy. It will send 50,000 Singaporean dollars (SGD) through the Red Cross, and Singapore NGO mercy will send 1,000 relief packs worth SGD27,800 through the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC).
• The Indonesian Government has offered a search and rescue and medical team to come in and help in rescue and relief operations. Indonesian Embassy in the Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission Sritomo Wirodijardko sent a message of sympathy, and has turned over a cash donation of US$10,000 and two boxes of goods to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis on December 21. The cash and goods donations was turned over by the DFA to the NDRMMC and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) today.
• Foreign Minister Dato' Sri Anifah Aman have also turned over a donation of US$100,000 to Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya in ceremonies held on December 21. The Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines have also pledged donations in cash and in kind.
• Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit have also sent messages of sympathy.

Asia Pacific

• China has offered US$1 million in assistance, with its Embassy in the Philippines already giving US$10,000 worth of assistance.
• Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has sent a message of sympathy. The Japanese government will provide emergency relief goods worth ¥25 million (PhP14 million) in the form of water tanks and generators, and has offered any necessary assistance.
• Republic of Korea (ROK) President Lee Myung-bak has conveyed his message of sympathy, through ROK Ambassador to the Philippines Hye Min Lee, and will provide US$500,000 worth of relief items.
• Australia will provide assistance worth A$1 million based on the needs assessment to be conducted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and in kind assistance of worth A$300,000.

Europe

• French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State Jeremy Brown have all sent messages of sympathy.
• Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, Acting President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Trinidad Jimenez Garcia-Herrera all sent messages of sympathy. The Spanish Cooperation Agency for Internation Development (AECID) has set aside €200,000 for humanitarian assistance, and AECID officials in Manila has joined the needs assessment team organized by the NDRMMC, the OCD and the UN Humanitarian Country Team. It will also channel humanitarian aid from Spanish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help typhoon victims.
• The German government, through the German Embassy in the Philippines, meanwhile pledged 500,000 euros (roughly P30 million) to help Sendong victims.
• The Swiss government has informed the Philippine Embassy in Berne that Swiss experts are in close contact with its Embassy in the Philippines as to how they can offer assistance.
• The Irish government has made available €100,000 to humanitarian agency Plan Ireland for relief efforts in Mindanao and it has also offered emergency supplies.

North America

• Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and Parlimentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Parliament for Mississauga-Erlindale have all sent messages of sympathy. The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa was also informed by Canadian Defense Forces Chief of Defense Staff General Walt Natynczyk that they will consider any request from Philippine defense officials for assistance, including military assets in the rescue and relief efforts.
• United States President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have sent messages of sympathy, and the U.S. government has offered assistance.

Middle East and Africa

• The Israeli Embassy in the Philippines and South African President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma sent message of sympathy.

As of the recent report by the NDRMMC, Sendong has claimed 1,010 lives, injured 1,603, 51 missing, and has damaged property worth P999,946,415.

UPDATE: 1,236 CONFIRMED DEAD AS OF DECEMBER 25, 2011

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GMA KAPUSO FOUNDATION'S STATEMENT REGARDING CABARO INCIDENT

Repost: GMA-7 KAPUSO FOUNDATION DISCRIMINATED MUSLIM SENDONG EVACUEES!

Today a bunch of "so called KAPUSO volunteers" went to Hinaplanon Cabaro.. supposed to be they are going to distribute relief goods to those people who were affected by the catastrophe of Bagyong Sendong, and when they got there and seen that most of the people lining up or lets just say waiting for the goods to be given or distributed are mostly Muslim people, they backed out!!!

opoh! taga iligan city aq na muslim tinamaan din kami sa baranggay hinaplanon nakita namin ang sasakyan ng GMA with a truck of relief goods nang makita nila puro muslim ng back out cla.. ang baranggay hinaplanon ang isa sa pnaka grabeng tinamaan ng baha.. ang baranggay pa naman namin ay kapuso certified talga kasi malakas ang station nila samin pero ngaun?never!!!!! ganyan pala ang kapuso! o karelihiyon lang?

The Official Statement of the GMA Kapuso Foundation

The GMA Kapuso Foundation wishes to state that no racial or religious discrimination took place in Cabaro. The GMAKF relief operations team wanted to prioritize giving to areas that haven’t or hardly received assistance. It so happened that the team that conducted a feeding activity in Cabaro is the same team that was to distribute relief goods in another affected area that lies at the farthest end of the town and has not been given any assistance whatsoever. We are deeply saddened that the decision of the team leader not to give relief goods in Cabaro resulted to the GMAKF being perceived as unsympathetic to the Muslims, something that is unacceptable to us given our long history of providing serbisyong totoo even in far-flung and conflict-ridden areas just to reach our Muslim brothers and sisters in need.

We would never do anything that would ruin the respect we have earned from our Muslim brothers and sisters all these years. This is evident as early as 2003 when we built several Kapuso classrooms across war-torn Pikit, North Cotabato. Since then and twice a year thereafter, our Kapuso teams are able to reach even the remotest communities to provide school supplies before the school year opens and again during Christmastime to distribute noche buena packages for both Muslim and Christian children. In fact, we are very careful in being culturally sensitive in that we see to it that the packages we distribute in Mindanao would only contain Jalal products.

Just to mention one more incident (and there are so many), in May this year, two of our staff nearly died when the truck that would bring school supplies to Muslim children in Basilan fell off a ravine. Bruised and shaken, this nearly fatal accident didn’t stop the Kapuso staff from looking for other means to go ahead with their mission. Back in Manila, these Kapuso staff tearfully recounted how they instantly forgot their traumatic experience upon seeing the smiles on the faces of the Muslim children who thankfully received our presents that were painstakingly brought through all means possible: plane, ship, truck, banca, borne by a horse or by our very backs—all these to prove that as Kapuso, we genuinely care and have consistently shown our concern for the Muslims and their plight.

Many of these experiences of our Kapuso staff and volunteers are not and will never be seen on TV but they remain etched in the hearts of countless Muslim brothers and sisters. This incident will not deter us from our mission to help. If anything, it has only intensified and renewed in us the commitment to be there for the Muslims whom we have always prioritized in serving.

For whatever hurt this recent incident that rose from miscommunication has caused anyone, the GMA Kapuso Foundation expresses its sincerest regret.

MY HOUSE HUSBAND:IKAW NA!

MY HOUSE HUSBAND:IKAW NA!

Octo Arts Films presents MY HOUSE HUSBAND:IKAW NA! casts to the bloggers in a grand bloggers conference held at Guily's in Tomas Morato, Q.C. last Saturday December 17, 2011.

Thank you so much Melai for the invitation!

The mood was light. The bloggers certainly love the humor of the whole cast.  We had fun asking questions to the cast members. I had a good laugh with Eugene Domingo's answers. We were laughing all throughout the conference.  I also find Ryan Agoncillo, Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Ellen Adarna and Roco Nasino very witty.

Q: Ryan would you accept a gay role?

Ryan: Why not? As long as the movie is great.

Q: What makes you trust Direk Joey? 

Ryan: He is a master of middle-class, he has integrity, has 65 films and awards. 

Judy Ann: We're so honored to be working with him. His stories are always real and everyone can relate.

Eugene said "The movie is timely and beautiful".  

She said she'll be riding on the Shake, Rattle and Roll float 'coz they lack artista there.  She asked for Juday ans Ryan's permission. Judy Ann said wala naman siyang magagawa. Ryan said that as long as they're all in it together regardless of the float, what is important is that the people would be there to see them.

Eugene can't stop gushing and praising Juday and Ryan's relationship. 

When asked what their favorite scenes in the movie were..

Ryan: Rod's encounter with the soccer moms
Judy Ann : All my scenes with Eugene. 

They were also asked to give advise to showbiz couples

Ryan: When things gets rough, go back to the reason why you became friends Judy Ann: Honesty is the best policy! It's important too that you can laugh at your mistakes.

Judy Ann : It's important for husbands and wives to respect each other and laugh at their mistakes. That there's nothing wrong with being a househusband as long as he's doing something relevant.  

Would you accept a 3rd party role?
Judy Ann: Yes as long as it's with Richard Gomez. Because idol ko sila Richard and Lucy Torres-Gomez.

A showbiz reporter threw the last question...

What is the difference between a presscon with bloggers and reporters? 

Judy Ann: Mas nakakakaba ang mga bloggers. At nakaka-tense dahil seryoso sila at alam mong gusto nila ng diretsong sagot sa mga tanong!

It's amazing how bloggers were praised by the stars and the reporters.They have a very high regard to bloggers.

The movie tackle the life of a married man and a stay at home dad Rod played by Ryan Agoncillo, a well known TV host, and one of the best ones in his generation. Rod is a man who is a bank manager one day then househusband the next.

“My Househusband: Ikaw Na!” is certainly Ryan’s movie more than any one else as he has the most number of scenes among the cast members. 

But more than that, his delineation of provider turned circumstantial housekeeper will have people laughing, thinking, understanding and, perhaps, more accepting of the fact that there is no one formula or set-up that makes a family work. 

More and more men are now becoming more involved in their children's lives, and because of that many men now have a better understanding of what life is like for their child growing up in the current times. 

Because fathers are immersed in their children's lives, many of the so-called "manly" things men do are pushed aside for their children. 

This allows children, especially male children, to grow up without a misogynistic outlook on life given to them by their fathers. 

These children are more compassionate because they have learned compassion and caring from their father.

These stay at home dads, however, should not be embarrassed about themselves for their roles. The society should be more accepting about the reversal of roles. It is very hard to do household chores and to take care of the children and his wife at the same time.

The house husband know that they are fulfilling their role as primary caregiver. 

Later in life the father will serve as a confidante of the teenager, and later, as the children become young adults and begin raising a family of their own the father will be not only a good grandparent but will be a good adviser as to how children should be raised. 

The plot follows the househusband’s journey toward enlightenment. In the end Rod learns that it is hard to be a housewife and more important, he learns to respect his wife not only as a mother, somebody to take care of the house, but as an individual who is capable of being a professional.

Comedienne Eugene Domingo has been winning awards left and right for five years in a row now. She is one of few actresses, if not the only one in the Philippines entertainment history to have participated in six films produced by eight different Filipino production companies within a year.

In “My Househusband: Ikaw Na!”, she plays Aida, a mistress who happens to be Rod and Mia’s neighbor. With Mia always away, Rod and Aida develop a friendship that even has Mia jealous at one point.

Although Eugene has done so many movies this year, she grabbed the opportunity to be included in the cast of “My Househusband: Ikaw Na!” in order to work anew with Ryan, Judy Ann and Direk Joey, and to essay a role that challenges her.

“I’ve never played a mistress before nor best friend to a straight guy. Even in real life, I have lots of girl and gay friends but very few straight guys so I am tackling my role here from a fresh point of view,” Eugene said 

Eugene who’s gusto in working on “My Househusband: Ikaw Na!” surely brought out the best in her again.

Guiding the actors in giving their best in “My Househusband: Ikaw Na!” is Direk Joey, who, himself, is no stranger to awards. Many of his works have also become modern classics some of which also feature Ryan, Judy Ann and Eugene. He has said in recent interviews that his latest film is important in his career in that he plans to redirect his career should he win Best Director yet again.

 “My Househusband: Ikaw Na” opens on Christmas Day.

Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJbHAz5kkOU&feature=player_embedded

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TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS: Christmas Decors

TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS: Christmas Decors

Not everyone had the privilege to dine and enter Tagaytay Highlands especially during Christmas!

 

I feel lucky to have seen the Christmas decors and experienced Christmas inside Tagaytay Highlands.

 

The place has simple Christmas decorations because they believe that Christmas is not about decors but about people and family's enjoying the season together.

Have a merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas is about peace, love and giving! For God so love the world that he sent his only begotten son to save the world.

 

Merry Christmas everyone! May God bless us all!

TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS: Vegetarian Restaurant

TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS: Vegetarian Restaurant

This is my dinner at the Vegetarian Restaurant in Tagaytay Highlands. A fresh, organically grown greens is basic for a healthy diet. In this vegetarian restaurant, you have the freedom to prepare your salad with different toppings and dressings. 

Yes, you can turn your salad into a healthy gourmet dish. The Seared Tuna Pomelo Arugula Salad is a wonderful treat that is sure to play with your taste buds with its spice and proteins. While the Swiss Pinoy Kamote Salad is rich in vitamins A, B and C, dietary fiber, potassium and iron, and excellent antioxidant properties present in sweet potatoes. Experts believe that the popular tuber is one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. 

The menu is based on the principles of healthy and organic nutrition, and on the philosophy of LOHAS, or Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, which is the same guiding concept used for the development of Plantation Hills in Tagaytay Highlands.

Its special formula complies with the Natural, Green and Fresh principle. The vegetables served in the dishes are freshly picked, straight from nearby Flowerside Farm and Plantation Hills in Tagaytay Highlands, both of which use organic composts. Fish, seafood and chicken are used as substitute sources of protein. The healthy fats and oils are well-chosen, as well as the first-class ingredients, condiments and healthy sweeteners. And for zesty beverages, there are healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies to quench your thirst. 

I so love the organically produced fresh fruits and vegetable in this lovely vegetarian restaurant. I don't exactly know our total bill because the family friend of my friend is the one who paid for our dinner because they don't accept cash, check or credit card inside Tagaytay Highlands. Only the owner/ members are allowed to charge purchases inside Tagaytay Highlands. Oh, it is very exclusive indeed, the owner/ member must accompany his/ her visitor/s at all times, so he/ she/ they can eat, lol.

 This is the lamp that guides you to the vegetarian restaurant.

The adorable facade of the vegetarian Restaurant in Tagaytay Highlands.

TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS SPORTS CENTER

We had an opportunity to tag along my friend's family to Tagaytay Highlands. It was an exciting trip. I can say that nature is at its best in Tagaytay Highlands.  The view is very beautiful.  The log cabin houses and condominiums are very nice.

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS is a one-stop-shop recreation center. It houses nearly every leisure activity imaginable, both for the young and the young at heart. 

The three-level Sports Center encourages an exciting sporting life with an indoor basketball court, billiards hall, 14-lane disco bowling center and indoor squash courts, among many others.

The Sports Center is open weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and holidays, from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight; and Sundays, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

                                   

Amenities:

• There are 96 lockers each for both male and female guests with steam sauna, hydrotherapy, combination Swedish & shiatsu massage, massage chairs, reflexology, and jacuzzis.
• Two indoor badminton courts with Italian rubber vinyl flooring
• NBA regulation wood-floored indoor basketball court billiards hall 
• 14-lane disco bowling center with computerized scoring system and specially-designed neon balls and pins 
• two indoor squash courts 
• heated indoor lap pool 
• indoor table tennis 
• three outdoor tennis courts with synthetic grass surface 
• skating rink  
• go-cart racing 
• horseback riding ring and a 2.8-km bridle path 
  

The second floor.

 Indoor swimming pool

Wii interactive

After an exhausting workout, you could have a treat at the Gourmet Avenue which showcases Toscana, offering a wide selection of pizzas and pastas, Chiang Mai, serving Thai’s best sellers and Akasaka, serving oriental Japanese cuisine, among others.

 Oh so romantic!

This view is so romantic. I wish I have a husband. We could walk hand in hand over the bridge there. Ha ha ha!