What Makes You Beautiful

You don't know you're beautiful, If only you saw what I can see, You'll understand why I want you so desperately, Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe, You don't know, Oh oh, You don't know you're beautiful, Oh oh, That's what makes you beautiful

Friday, July 31, 2009

MARIA CORAZON AQUINO (JANUARY 25, 1993 - AUGUST 1, 2009)



To the family of the late and former President of the Philippines, Maria Corazon Aquino, I would like to express my deepest condolences for your loss. The whole country griefs for the death of a mother, a friend, and a former president who once fought for democracy and freedom of our beloved country.

Let us all pray for her soul, and let us be at peace now that she is on the dwelling of our good God.

Live long the legacy of Cory!

Monday, July 27, 2009

2009 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

Yesterday, the last State of the Nation Address(SONA), was held. Although I want to watch and hear the whole speech, I wasn't able to do so because I have classes. So when i got the chance to read President Gloria Arroyo's speech, i took my time.

Not sure if it's good or not, frankly speaking, I was never interested in politics before, so i haven't read or thought of what they say in SONAs.


Here is the transcribed speech of the President on her last SONA.. For those who don't speak either of the languages used by Arroyo(English and Filipino), try google translate. :D







PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO’S
2009 STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS
DURING THE 3rd JOINT REGULAR SESSION OF THE
14th CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Session Hall, Batasan Pambansa complex
Batasan Hills, Quezon City
July 27, 2009
07272009A



(long applause) Thank you. Ladies and gentleman, good afternoon. Before I begin my report to the nation, please join me first in a moment of prayer for President Aquino. Thank you, Speaker Nograles. Senate President Enrile, Speaker Nograle, Senators, Representatives, Vice President De Castro, former President Ramos, Chief Justice Puno, Ambassadors, friends: The past twelve months have been a year for the history books. Financial meltdown in the West spread throughout the world. Tens of millions lost their jobs; billions across the globe have been hurt -- the poor always harder than the rich. No one was spared. It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance, and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and
with economic fundamentals intact. (applause)

A few days ago Moody’s upgraded our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. (applause) Good news for our people, bad news for our critics. (applause) I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and
preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President. (applause) When my father left the Presidency, we were second to Japan. I want our Republic to be ready for the first world in 20 years.

Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat, ang layunin ng ating patakaran ay tulungan ang masisipag na karaniwang Pilipino. (applause) New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorest citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, (applause) at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family. Had we listened to the critics of those policies, had we not braced ourselves for the crisis that came, had we taken the easy road much preferred by politicians eyeing elections, this country would be flat on its back. (applause)

It would take twice the effort just to get it back again on its feet -- to where we are now because we took the responsibility and paid the political price of doing the right thing. (applause) For standing with me and doing the right thing -- thank you, Congress. (applause)
The strong, bitter and unpopular revenue measures of the past few years have spared our country the worst of the global financial shocks. They gave us the resources to stimulate the economy. Nabigyan nila ang pinakamalaking pagtaas ng IRA ng mga LGU na 40 billion pesos itong taon, (applause) imparting strength throughout the country and at every level of government.

Compared to the past, we have built more and better infrastructure, including those started by others but left unfinished. The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a prime example of building better roads. (applause) It creates wealth as the flagship of the Subic-Clark Corridor. We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the Roll-on/Roll-off System. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Law. (applause)

Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work. (applause)
Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. (applause) We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now. (applause)
Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today, we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth.

Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of six billion dollars and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. (applause) Let us have a Department of ICT. (applause) In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a five billion-dollar industry. (applause)

Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate. (applause) They gave us the resources to extend welfare support and enhance spending power. For helping me raise government salaries through Joint Resolution No. 4 -- thank you, Congress. (applause) Cash handouts give the most immediate relief and produce the widest stimulating effect.

Nakikinabang ang 700,000 na pinakamahihirap na pamilya sa programang Pantawid Pamilya. (applause) We prioritize projects with the same stimulus effects plus long-term
contributions to progress. Sa pagpapamahagi ng milyun-milyong ektaryang lupa, 700,000 na katutubo at mahigit isang milyong benepisyaryo ng CARP ay taas-noong may-ari na ng
sariling lupa. (applause) Hinihiling ko sa Kongreso na ipasa agad ang pagpapalawig ng CARP, (applause) at dapat ma-condone ang 42 billion pesos na land reform liabilities dahil 18.0 percent lamang ang nabayaran mula 1972. (applause) Napapanahon because it will unfreeze the rural property market. Ang mahal kong ama ang nag-emancipate ng mga magsasaka. I-
emancipate naman natin ngayon ang titulo. (applause)

Nakinabang ang pitong milyong entrepreneur sa 165 billion pesos in microfinance loans.
Nakinabang ang sandaan libo sa emergency employment ng ating economic resiliency plan. Kasama natin ngayon ang isa sa kanila, si Gigi Gabiola. (applause) Dating household service worker sa Dubai, ngayon siya ay nagtatrabaho sa DOLE. Good luck! Gigi. (applause)
Nakinabang ang isang milyong pamilya sa programang pabahay at palupa, mula Pag-IBIG, NHA, community mortgage programs, certificates of lot award, at saka yung inyong Loan Condonation and Restructuring Act. Salamat. (applause)

Our average inflation is the lowest since 1966. Last June, it dropped to 1.5 percent. (applause) Paano? Proper policies lowered interest rates, which lowered costs to business and consumers.
Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating ibenta ang bigas NFA sa P18.25 per kilo kahit tumaas ang presyo sa labas mula P17.50 hanggang P30 dahil sa kakulangan sa supply sa mundo. Habang, sa unang pagkakataon, naitaas ang pamimili ng palay sa mga magsasaka -- 17 pesos mula sa 11 pesos. (applause)

Dahil sa ating mga reporma, nakaya nating mamuhunan sa pagkain -- anticipating an unexpected global food crisis. Nakagawa tayo ng libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market roads, at kasama ng pribadong sektor, natubigan ang dalawang milyong ektarya. (applause) Mga Badjao gaya ni Tarnati Dannawi (applause) ay tinuruan ng modernong mariculture. Umabot
na sa 180,000 pesos ang kinita niya mula noong nakaraang taon. Congratulations, Tarnati! (applause) We will help more fisherfolk shift to fish farming with a budget of one billion pesos. (applause) Dahil dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan
tayo ng panibago sa ating hunger mitigation program na sa nakaraan ay napatunayang mabisa. Tulungan niyo ako dito, Kongreso. (applause)

Mula pa noong 2001, nanawagan na tayo ng mas murang gamut. Nagbebenta tayo ng gamot na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine
Law, (applause) I supported it over the weak version of my critics. (applause) The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressmen Cua, Alvarez, Biron, Locsin. (applause) Pursuant to law, we are placing other drugs under a maximum retail price. To those who want to be President, this advice: If you really want something done, just do it. Do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Don't pander. And don’t say bad words in public. (applause)

Sa health insurance, sakop na ng 86.0 percent ang ating populasyon. Sa Rent Control Law ng 2005 hanggang 2008, di pwedeng lumampas ng 10.0 percent ang pagtaas ng upa taun-taon. Ayon sa kapipirma nating batas may isang taong moratorium, tapos hanggang 7.0 percent lamang ang maaaring pagtaas. Salamat, Kongreso. (applause) Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-500 pesos ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Pantawid Kuryente sa mga small electricity users. Yung presyo ng kuryente, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA
dismantled monopoly. Ngunit minana natin ang power purchase agreements, kaya hindi pa natin makakamtan yung buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang yan. And the next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA. Thank you. (applause)

Samantala, umabot na sa halos lahat ng barangay ang elektrisidad. We increased indigenous energy from 48.0 percent to 58.0 percent. Nakatipid tayo ng dollars tapos malaki pa ang na-reduce na oil consumption. The huge reduction in fossil fuel is the biggest proof of energy independence and environmental responsibility. (applause) Further reduction will come with the
implementation of the Renewable Energy Act and the Biofuels Act. Again, thank you. (applause)
The next generation will also benefit from our lower public debt to GDP ratio. It declined from 78.0 percent in 2000 to 55.0 percent in 2008. We cut in half the debt of government corporations from 15.0 percent to 7.0%. Likewise foreign debt from 73.0 percent to 32.0 percent. (applause) Kung meron man tayong malaking kaaway na tinalo, walang iba kung hind ang utang, yung foreign debt. Those in the past conjured the demon of foreign debt. We
exorcised it. (applause)

The market grows economies. A free market, not a free-for-all. To that end, we improved our banking system to complement its inherent conservatism. The Bangko Sentral has been prudent. Thank you, Governor Tetangco, (applause) for being so effective. The BSP will be even more effective if Congress will amend its Charter. (applause) We worked on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act, reducing non-performing loans from 18.0 percent to 4.0 percent and improving loan-deposit ratios.

Our new Securitization Law did not encourage the recklessness that brought down giant banks and insurance companies elsewhere and laid their economies to waste. In fact, it monitors and regulates the new-fangled financial schemes. Thank you, Congress. (applause) We will work to increase tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth. Revenue enhancement must come from the Department of Finance plugging leaks and catching tax and customs cheats. I call on taxpaying citizens and taxpaying businesses -- help the BIR and Customs spot those cheats. (applause)

Taxes should come from alcohol and tobacco, and not from books. Tax hazards to lungs and livers, do not tax minds. (applause) Ang kita mula sa buwis sa alak at sigarilyo ay dapat gamitin sa kalusugan at edukasyon. Pondohan ang Philhealth premiums ng pinakamahihirap. Pondohan ang mas maraming classrooms at computers. Pardon my partiality for the teaching profession. I was a teacher. (applause) Kaya namuhunan tayo ng malaki sa edukasyon at skills training. Ang
magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas magandang buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams.

Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng 1.5 billion pesos para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. (applause)
Isa sa pinakamahirap sa Millennium Development Goals ay yung ‘Education para sa Lahat’ pagdating ng 2015. Ibig sabihin, lahat ng nasa tamang edad ay dapat nasa primary school. Halos walang bansang makakatupad nito.

Ngunit nagsisikap pa rin tayo. Nagtayo tayo ng mga paaralan sa higit sanlibong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan upang makatipid ng gastos sa pamasahe ang mga bata. (applause) Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school. Hindi na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public school. In private high schools, we financed half of the students.
We have provided college and post-graduate education for over 600,000 scholars. One of them, Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, finished Accounting at MSU-IIT, (applause) then she went to law school, and placed second in the last bar exam -- (applause) the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher. (applause)

Congratulations! In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of
three previous administrations combined. (applause) Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng 18,000 pesos bawat buwan. Good job, Jennifer! (applause) The Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Jesuit educator Father
Bienvenido Nebres has come out with the Main Education Highway towards a Knowledge-Based Economy. It envisions seamless education from basic to vocational school or college.
It seeks to mainstream early childhood development in basic education. Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind, and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job. (applause)

For college admission, the Task Force recommends mandatory Scholastic Aptitude Tests. It also recomends that higher private education institutions and state universities and colleges should be harmonized, and also that CHED should oversee local universities and colleges. For professions seeking international recognition -- engineering, architecture, accountancy, pharmacy and physical therapy -- the Task Force recommends radical reform: 10 years
of basic education, two years of pre-university before three years of university.

Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way. (applause)
Sa hirap at ginhawa, pinapatatag ang ating bansa ng ating overseas Filipinos. Iyong padala nilang 16 billion dollars noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa. (applause) I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is hard work. Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha dito sa atin ng mga trabahong maganda ang sahod, so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hardworking Filipino. (applause)

Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mas epektibong proteksyon at pagpapalawak ng halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang sweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for overseas Filipinos investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force. (applause) Hindi ako nag-aatubiling bisitahin ang ating taong-bayan at kanilang mga host sa buong mundo mula Hapon hanggang Brazil, mula Europa at Middle East hanggang sa American Midwest, nakikinig sa kanilang mga problema at pangangailangan, inaalam kung paano sila matulungan ng ating pamahalaan -- by working out better policies on migrant labor, or by saving lives and
restoring liberty.

Pagpunta ko sa Saudi, pinatawad ni Haring Abdullah ang pitong daang OFW na nasa preso. (applause) Pinuno nila ang isang buong eroplano at umuwi kasama ko. (applause) Mula sa ating State Visit sa Espanya, it has become our biggest European donor. (applause) At si Haring Juan Carlos ay nakikipag-usap sa ibang mga bansa para sa ating mga namomoblemang OFW. Ganoon din si Sheikh Khalifa, ang Prime Minister ng Bahrain. (applause) Pagpunta ko sa Kuwait, Emir Al-Sabah commuted death sentences. (applause) We thank all our leaders, all the world leaders who have shown compassion for our overseas Filipino workers. Maraming salamat (applause)
Our vigorous international engagement has helped bring in foreign investment. Net foreign direct investments multiplied 15 times during our administration. Kasama ng ating mga OFW, they more than doubled our foreign exchange reserves. Pinalakas ang ating piso, naiwasan ang lubhang pagtaas ng presyo. They upgraded our credit because while the reserves of our peers have shrunk this past years, our reserves grew by three billion dollars. (applause)

Our international engagement has also corrected historical injustice. The day we visited Washington, Senator Daniel Inouye successfully sponsored benefits for our veterans as part of American’s stimulus package. I have accepted the invitation of President Obama to be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet him at the White House, later this week. (applause) That
he sought out the Philippines testifies to our strong and deep ties. High on our agenda will be peace and security issues. Terrorism: how to meet it, how to end it, how to address its roots in injustice and prejudice. And first and always how to protect lives.

We will discuss nuclear non-proliferation. The Philippines will chair the review of the Nuclear Weapons Non-proliferation Treaty in New York in May 2010. The success of the talks will be a major diplomatic achievement for us. (applause) There is a range of other issues we will discuss, including the global challenge of climate change, especially the threat to countries with long coastlines. And there is the global recession, its worse impact on poor people, and the options
that can spare them from the worst.

In 2008 up to the first quarter of 2009 we stood among only a few economies in Asia-Pacific that did not shrink. (applause) Compare this to 2001, when some of my current critics were driven out by people power. Asia was then surging but our country was on the brink of bankruptcy. (applause) Since then, our economy has posted uninterrupted growth for 33 quarters;
more than doubled its size from 76 billion dollars to a 186 billion dollars. The average GDP growth from 2001 to the first quarter of 2009 is the highest in 43 years. (applause)

Bumaba ang bilang ng mga nagsasabing mahirap sila sa 47.0 percent mula 59.0 percent. Maski lumaki ang ating populasyon, nabawasan ng dalawang milyon ang bilang ng mahihirap. (applause) GNP per capita rose from a Third World 967 dollars to 2,000 dollars. (applause) Lumikha tayo ng walong milyong trabaho, an average of a million a year, much, much more than at any other time. (applause) In sum: First, we have a strong economy in a strong fiscal position to withstand political shocks; second, we built new and modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones: third, the economy is more fair to the poor than ever before; (applause) fourth, we are building a sound base for the next generation; fifth, international authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters. (applause)
As a country in the path of typhoons and in the Pacific Rim of Fire, we must be prepared as the latest technology permits to anticipate natural calamities when that is possible; to extend immediate and effective relief when it is not; the mapping of flood-and-landslide-prone areas is almost complete. Early warning, forecasting and monitoring systems have been improved, with
weather-tracking facilities in Subic, Tagaytay, Mactan, Mindanao, Pampanga.

We have worked on flood control infrastructure like those for Pinatubo, Agno, Laoag, and Abucay, which will pump the run off waters from Quezon City and Tondo flooding Sampaloc. This will help relieve hundreds of hectares in this old city of its age-old woe. (applause) Patuloy naman yung sa CAMANAVA, dagdag sa Pinatubo, Iloilo, Pasig-Marikina, Bicol River Basin, at saka river basin ng Mindanao. (applause)

The victims of typhoon Frank in Panay should receive their long-overdue assistance package. I ask Congress to pass the SNITS Law. (applause) Namana natin ang pinakamatagal na rebelyon ng Komunista sa buong mundo. Si Leah de la Cruz isa sa labindalawang libong rebel returnee. Sixteen pa lang siya nang sumali sa NPA. Naging kasapi sa Regional White Area Committee, napromote sa Leyte Party Committee Secretary. Nahuli noong 2006. She is now involved in an LGU-supported handicraft livelihood training of former rebels. We love you, Leah! (applause)
There is now a good prospect for peace talks with both the Communist Party of the Philippines and the MILF, with whom we are now on ceasefire. (applause)

We inherited an age-old conflict in Mindanao, exacerbated by a politically popular but near-sighted policy of massive retaliation. This only provoked the other side to continue the war.
In these two internal conflicts, ang tanong ay hindi, “Sino ang mananalo?” kung hindi, “Bakit pa ba kailangang mag-laban ang kapwa Pilipino tungkol sa mga isyu na alam naman nating lahat na di malulutas sa dahas at mareresolba lang sa paraang demokratiko?” (applause)

There is nothing more that I would wish for than peace in Mindanao. (applause) It will be a blessing for all its people, Muslim, Christian and Lumads. It will show other religiously divided communities that there can be common ground on which to live together in peace, harmony and cooperation that respects each other’s religious beliefs. (applause)

At sa lahat ng dako ng bansa, kailangan nating protektahan ang ating mga mamamayan kontra sa krimen -- in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their communities. How shall crime be fought? With the five pillars of the justice system, including crime fighters. We call on Congress to fund more policemen on the streets. (applause)

Real government is about looking beyond the vested to the national interest, setting up the necessary conditions to enable the next more enabled and more empowered generation to achieve a country as prosperous a people as content as ours deserve to be. (applause) The noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-Cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it. (applause)

As the seeds of fundamental political reform are planted, let us address the highest exercise of democracy -- voting! In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress. (applause) At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage, but not from the Presidency. (applause) My term does not end until next year. (applause) Until
then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first. There is much to do as head of state to the very last day. (applause) A year is a long time. Patuloy ang pamumuhunan sa tinatawag na three E’s ng ekonomiya, environment at edukasyon. There are many perils that we
must still guard against.

A man-made calamity is already upon us, global in scale. As I said earlier, so far we have been spared its worst effects but we cannot be complacent. We only know that we have generated more resources on which to draw, and thereby created options we could take. Thank God we did not let our critics stop us. (applause)

As the campaign unfolds and the candidates take to the airwaves, I ask them to talk more about how they will build up the nation rather than tear down their opponents. (applause) Give the electorate real choices and not just sweet talk. (applause) Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course we set in 2001. Ang ating taong-bayan ay masipag at maka-Diyos. These qualities are epitomized in someone like Manny Pacquiao. (applause) Manny trained tirelessly, by the book, with iron discipline, with the certain knowledge that he had to fight himself, his weaknesses first, before he could beat his opponent. (applause) That was the way to clinch his victories and his ultimate title: ang pinakadakilang boksingero sa kasaysayan. (applause) Mabuhay ka, Manny!(applause)

However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch. A President must work with the problem as much as against it, turn it into a solution if she can. There isn’t a day I do not work at my job or a waking moment when I do not
think through a work-related problem. Even my critics cannot begrudge the long hours I put in. Our people deserve a government that works just as hard as they do. (applause) A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime.
Everything right can be undone by even a single wrong. Every step forward must be taken in the teeth of political pressures and economic constraints that could push you two steps back if you flinch and falter. I have not flinched, I have not faltered. Hindi ako umaatras sa hamon. (applause) And I have never done any of the things that scared my worst critics so much. They
are frightened by their own shadows. (applause)

In the face of attempted coups, I issued emergency proclamations just in case. But I was able to resolve these military crises with the ordinary powers of my office. My critics call it dictatorship. I call it determination. (applause) We know it as strong government. But I never declared martial law, (applause) though they are running scared as if I did. In truth, what they are really afraid of is their weakness in the face of this self-imagined threat. (applause)

I say to them: Do not tell us what we all know, that democracy can be threatened. Tell us what you will do when it is attacked. (applause) I know what to do: As I have shown, I will defend democracy with arms when it is threatened by violence; with firmness when it is weakened by division; with law and order when it is subverted by anarchy; and always, I will try to
sustain it by wise policies of economic progress, so that a democracy means not just an empty liberty but a full life for all. (applause) I have never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. (applause) Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts. (applause)

I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. (applause) And we did it. I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my position for personal profit. Many who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime. (applause) We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves. (applause)
Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there. (applause)

Our administration, with the highest average rate of growth, recording multiple increases in investments, with the largest job creation in history, and which gets a credit upgrade at the height of a world recession, must be doing something right, (applause) even if some of those cocooned in corporate privilege refuse to recognize it. (applause) Governance however is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country. (applause) From Bonifacio at Balintawak to Cory Aquino at EDSA and up to today, we have struggled to bring power to the people, and this country to the eminence it deserves.

Today the Philippines is weathering well the storm that is raging around the world. It is growing stronger with the challenge. When the weather clears, as it will, there is no telling how much farther forward it can go. Believe in it. I believe. (applause) We can and we must march forward with hope, optimism and determination. We must come together, work together and walk together toward the future. (applause)

Bagamat malaking hamon ang nasa ating harapan, nasa kamay natin ang malaking kakayahan. (applause) Halina’t pagtulungan nating tiyakin ang karapat-dapat na kinabukasan ng ating Inang Bayan. (applause) And to the people of our good country, for allowing me to serve as your
President, maraming salamat. (applause) Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! (applause)


*****

Source: Omiyageh

Thursday, July 23, 2009

PHILOSPHER STONED

After some time, i thought i should blog now.. Been a few days since i last blogged.. DX

Here is something interesting.. Please read it and try to reflect.. :D


*****

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem Science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.

Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God.. .

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat,

but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.

Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't.

If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.

Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.

To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.

With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & God is FAITH.

That is all that keeps things moving & alive..................



*****
Don't know whom should I credit the story, I read this while surfing the net a few years ago and during that time, no one has the copyright of the story(that is, from the site I saw it)..

Anyway, it's good right? I'm pretty sure this scenario did happen, or at least a part of it.. God bless!

BTW, if you've watched Full Metal Alchemist, then you must have though the title was funny.. XD

ciao!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

*spoiler alert*



Yesterday, my friends and i made an impromptu decision to watch "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince." We watched it at Cabanas, brought my Chef Tony's Popcorn I bought two days ago and drove our way there.

The movie was really good i think. I overheard other people talking, and said that the movie wasn't good enough. For those who haven't read the book, it can't be helped if they think the movie came short. Many people who watched the movie are looking forward for the realistic special effects and amazing stunts and fight scenes. And since the book itself is focused on the story and not of the earlier, it is inevitable that they get disappointed. I myself has not read the book yet, or any HP books. But naturally for me, i taught of the book immediately, and not brag how my money is a waste. :D.

It's off with a great start, and a truly emotional ending. Half-way through the movie, teen romance and other young love dilemmas are prioritize. I remember well how the trio, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grin, looked so young and innocent on the first installment of the movie.. But now, they are much grown up, capable of passionate kissing scenes on the corridors of Hogwarts. Those parts I think is a bit provocative, but I guess it's natural for their age.

Random things i saw in the movie..

*Tom Felton, on the movie as Draco Malfoy, looked too skinny now.. And yeah, superb acting from him I tell yah.

*Luna Lovegood, is officially, and extremely weird..

*There are parts where I thought Harry's glasses has no lens..

*Albus Dumbledore didn't fade like Sirius Black when casted off with "Avada Kedavra".

Overall, from my own personal view, the movie was great, or average maybe.. Still a must see for Harry Potter fans and for those who plan to see the 7th and 8th film.. For all you know, the next book, Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, will be a two-part film to be on theaters in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

ciao!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

KOREAN PERCUSSIONISTS

Yesterday, my friends and I decided to stay at school for a while after class. We say at the BulSU's renowned "Heroes Park". It is a good thing the we stayed for a bit, cause I got the chance to see a musical performance by the Koreans studying at the school. The instruments used are percussion instruments. It was fun watching them, and now I can say that I know a bit about their traditional music and instruments. And as a musician, it feels nostalgic that fate gave me a chance to hear music from another country. We don't usually stay too long at school after class.

From what i have researched, it is called Nong-ak.

I took some pictures. I wish a have a better camera. DX











And here is a vid of what they are playing.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

JOIN THE CHASE!



"FIRST REAL TIME ONLINE FIGHTING GAME
Grand Chase is the world’s first real time online fighting game that enables up to 6 players to engage in thrilling fights with each other.



ARCADE STYLE CONTROLS
Grand Chase offers simple, arcade-style control patterns that players can easily use to combine skills and perform combo attacks; meeting the expectations of fighting game enthusiasts who rely on accuracy and timing.



EYE-BLASTING SPECIAL ACTIONS
Grand Chase’s characters have their own special 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade abilities with breathtaking graphical effects that will draw players into the action. Players will enjoy upgrading their special abilities and tweaking their characters in Grand Chase.



FLEXIBLE FIGHT MODES
There are two different types of Fight modes. 3:3 Team Play allows players to battle each other in teams of three; Survival mode enables up to 6 players to play together. These modes encourage players to plan their attack strategies and to experiment with different character formations.



CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION
Grand Chase allows players to customize their own characters by increasing their character levels. However, they are also given access to more character customization options through a wide selection of cute and useful weapons, armor, and accessories that can dramatically change the look and abilities of characters.



JOB CHANGE SYSTEM: ADVANCED FIGHTING STYLE
Grand Chase’s characters can advance to First, Second and Third Jobs that offer enhanced fighting styles that will motivate players to develop their characters to the next level."

Grand Chase Ntreev

*NOTE

i do not own the pictures, and everything above is from Ntreev's Guide Section

*my own personal view

Grand Chase, as a real time online game, really put online gaming to the next level.. What seems impossible has been done. Imagine multiple players on a decent graphical environment playing together fighting each other on PVP battles and hunting mobs on dungeon runs. Neat huh?

I myself played the game, but due to certain circumstances, like losing internet connection frequently, prohibited me from playing. I kinda miss it, and i thought i really pwn with my Lire.. LOL.. The only problem i got on the game is frequent lagging.

Btw, ign is yondits. Add me up.


Monday, July 13, 2009

LA CORDA D'ORO SECONDO PASSO

what a shame! if not for a friend, i would not know that there is already a season 2 of La Corda d'Oro..

it's LCdO, Secondo Passo.. watch with me!.. =']





and yeah, chapter 455 of naruto manga is also out.. read with me.. =']



and also, DotA Allstars 6.61 map is out.. play with me.. =']

WALLET MISSING

yey! we got a new dog!

his name is toby.. he is kim's half-brother LOL..




kim is always jealous of him.. really funny watching them play together and piss each other off LOL..



last week's a bit toxic, i did exams on electronics, eng'g materials, and differential equations.. i think the exam on electronics was as hard as DE.. i wasn't able to review for the earlier it felt i'd fail.. DX..

just a while ago, my classmates and i are at another classmate's house.. we got four hours vacant time so we stayed there for a while.. it's where i did our homework, a half-wave rectifier,. it's just a prototype i guess, since our professor instructed us to use terminal strips instead of printed circuit boards..

and also, i was envious of classmate's upright piano.. it is a black kawai.. DX.. played there a bit, i grabbed the opportunity to play on a piano that isn't out tune like mine.. XD..

gotta go now.. ciao!..

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

QUICK POST: YOUTUBE QUICKIE

it's Thursday, it's only 9am, classes are at 12 noon, so i got time to spare.. XD.. i was browsing vids on youtube, and i thought of making a quick post of videos of my youtube idols here.. XD..

***note
i just saw them on youtube..

kEyb0arDfweAk.. my ultimate idol!.. weeee!.. looking forward to see him in person next year when he visits Philippines.. gazillion XD!



miniachilles..



gilmanalexander.. my violin hero.. XD



DutchHarpist.. she's like an angel playing her harp.. XD



vadrum.. hands down with this guy..




end of youtube episode LOL..

ciao!, got exam later.. engineering materials and electronics 1.. wish me luck!..

God bless!..

Monday, July 6, 2009

WHITE LIGHTS GOING TO WHERE?

it's Monday, so i have this Monday headache again.. school was sooooo uncool.. DX.. 'twas so hot, and the subjects are getting on my nerves.. really gave me a headache.. and did i mention how uncool is school? XD..

two days ago, some of friends and i went to SM Pampanga to watch a movie and hang-out a bit.. played some piano in Lyric, fooled around at the arcade, and watched Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen..



***WARNING! spoiler alert..***

love the movie, but there is just too many holes on the plot.. also noticed some mistakes like sudden appearances of characters in transitions.. and i also thought they spoiled the ending.. Optimus was too strong at the end, that he doesn't need anything but sheer power to win.. not as thrilling as his first fight with Megatron and Starscream, the one when he died.. and what i really hate is that they leave me no clue of where the hell did my favorite twin has gone too at the end.. DX..

_____________________________________________________________________________________

when i got home, my sis asked me if i can come with them to Cabanas to eat and have coffee.. i was not really in shape at that time, i was already exhausted and i still need to do my homework, so i declined.. but when her friend, Jen, did the asking, i could not resist.. XD.. she really means a lot to me, even now that she is taken.. ='[..

they ate at a coffe shop/restaurant, after meeting up with yet two of my sis' friends... or something like that.. dun remember the name of the resturant.. they're too many of it in there, and i dun have time to memorize them all.. XD.. only drank frap.. after they ate, we hanged-out a bit outside the chain of restaurants and bats.. we accidentally came across with an acquaintance so we overstayed there a bit, good thing we didn't scolded.. but thanks to him my sis realized she didn't paid part of our bill.. LOL.. pictures up next..



that was my sis and Jen..



now with Joy and Jeanne..



yours truly, with Jen.. XD..

Sunday, my siblings and i are supposed to go to my church together, for the first time ever.. but then, my mom said that we should stand by a bit and see if my other sis gives birth finally (she's been at the hospital for like, 4 or 5 days).. i was a bit pissed, but it went well, since my sis did gave birth that afternoon..



welcome to the world, baby Keira!.. =']

i dun remember blogging or even mentioning that we have a new dog.. she was given to us by one of a relatives, a cross breed of a poodle and japanese whatever-word-it-is.. i got a hold of my dad's laptop cause he asked me to fix it, so grab the opportunity to blog and take some pic with our dog... her name is Kim btw.. forgive my for my ugliness.. DX














and for the big finale..







brace yourselves..







it's gonna be tight..





there's gonna be extreme inhuman ugliness...







PRESTO!!! LOL LOL..




LOL LOL.. what the heck,.. i didn't realize i caught this ugly guy with his dog until i reviewed the pictures.. did something bit me? LOL..

ciao!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

WEEKLY RECAP

TGIF! why? cause i don't have classes on Fridays.. XD.. but i do have classes on Saturdays.. DX.. for two weeks now, our broadband net is not working, so i do blogging at our office LOL.. and i don't get much initiative to do a post when i'm here.. DX

anyway, it has been an amazing but stressful week.. my brain's overdoing it again.. DX.. one of our professors is really confusing me, and what he teaches violates my principles.. i might as well share it then? this is circuit analysis btw..

Problem:
The power absorbed by the element is P = 24e^-8t and the voltage across the element is V = 8e^-4t. Calculate:
a. Current(I) at t = 2.5s
b. Charge (q) at 0.5s <= t <= 2s

Given are:
Power(P) = 24e^-8t
Voltage(V) = 8e^-4t

seems easy.. here is how my professor solved it..

a.)
I = P/V d/dt(I) = d/dt(P/V)
I = d/dt(24e^-8t/8e^-4t)
I = d/dt(3e^-4t) I = -12e^-4t
I = -12e^-4(2.5) I = 5.448 x 10^-4 A

b.)
note: ~ is an integrand
q = It
q = ~It
q = ~(Pt/V) q = ~[(24e^-8t * t)/8e^-4t] |0.5 to 2
q = whatever the answer, i don't remember..

got no problem with the b.), but a.) did confused me.. after differentiation, the unit would be A/s ayt? and the unit of current is only A.. so i thought that if it should be differentiated, then it should be done parametrically.. in that case it would be:

I = d/dt(P) / d/dt (V)

dP/dt = d/dt(24e^-8t)
dP/dt = -192e^-8t

dV/dt = d/dt(8e^-4t)
dV/dt = -32e^-4t

I = dP/dt * dt/dV
I = -192e^-8t/-32e^-4t
I = -192e^-8(2.5)/-32e^-4(2.5)
I = 2.724 x 10^-4A

this time, i solved it through parametric differentiation, so that the dt would be cancelled, thus, no extra unit.. only A, and not A/s.. one of my classmate gave me the idea, and we didn't get the chance to ask our professor about it.. don't know which one to do when the exam comes.. DX.. if any of us is wrong, or if neither of us is correct, i'd appreciate it if you'd tell me..

btw, i got you a cool site you can have fun with.. it is..

AKINATOR!


image by Akinator

click the image for the site.. have fun wasting your time!.. =']

and yeah, thanks to Lloyd for the new banner..

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

KISS THE RAIN

i'm such a sucker for piano.. XD.. i've been quite busy so don't play much these days.. just printed another piano piece by Yiruma.. XD.. his compositions are emotionally enticing.. double XD..









this is Kiss the Rain by Yiruma.. judging by the piece, this is easier than River Flows in You, the one i played before.. i'll try to learn it once i get to play..





"Music is supposed to be enjoyable to everybody who hears it. Don't you want to be able to make music like that?"
- Lili, La Corda d'Oro Primo Passo



bye! have an exam later of electronics.. wish me luck!..