PHILIPPINES

....Pearl of the Orient....

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Philippines Top 10 Daytime and Primetime TV shows

The Philippines Top 10 TV shows for daytime and primetime programming from November 29 to December 2, 2007 according to AGB Nielsen Philippines conducted among Mega Manila households:

November 29 (Thursday)Daytime:1. ABS-CBN News Patrol (ABS-CBN) - 27.1%2. GMA News (GMA-7) - 26.5%3. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 25.3%4. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 22.1%5. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 22%6. SiS (GMA-7) - 14.1%7. Boy &Kris (ABS-CBN) - 13.4 %

Primetime:1. Marimar (GMA-7) - 40.8%2. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 37.3%3. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 35.6%4. Zaido (GMA-7) - 35.1%5. Pangarap Na Bituin (ABS-CBN) - 26%6. Princess Sarah (ABS-CBN) - 25.5%7. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition (ABS-CBN) - 25.4%8. La Vendetta (GMA-7) - 24.7%9. Lastikman (ABS-CBN) - 22.1%10. Hwang Jini (GMA-7) - 18.1%

November 30 (Friday)Daytime:1. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 21.2%2. Whammy! Push Your Luck (GMA-7) - 19.1%3. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 18.9%4. Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig (GMA-7) - 17.6%5. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 16.7%6. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 16.5%7. Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal (ABS-CBN) - 16.2%8. Takeshi’s Castle (GMA-7) - 15.5%9. My Only Love (GMA-7) - 15.3%10. Couple or Trouble (GMA-7) - 13.9%

Primetime:1. Marimar (GMA-7) - 43.2%2. Kamandag (GMA-7) - 39.2%3. Zaido (GMA-7) - 36.5%4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 31.6%5. La Vendetta (GMA-7) - 27.9%6. Pangarap Na Bituin (ABS-CBN) - 25.3%7. Princess Sarah (ABS-CBN) - 22.9%8. Lastikman (ABS-CBN) - 22.1%9. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition (ABS-CBN) - 22%10. Hwang Jini (GMA-7) - 20.3%

December 1 (Saturday)Daytime:1. Kapuso Sine: Enteng Kabisote 3 (GMA-7) - 27.5%2. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 23.6%3. FPJ Cinema: Da King on ABS-CBN (ABS-CBN) - 16.9%4. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) / Super Inggo 1.5 (ABS-CBN) - 16.7%5. Wish Ko Lang (GMA-7) - 16%6. StarTalk (GMA-7) - 13%7. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 11.4%8. Takeshi’s Castle (GMA-7) - 11%9. Entertainment Live (ABS-CBN) - 10.2%

Primetime:1. Bitoy’s Funniest Video’s (GMA-7) - 33.7%2. Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA-7) - 31.7%3. Kakasa Ka Ba Sa Grade 5? (GMA-7) - 30.2%4. Imbestigador (GMA-7) - 23.3%5. 1 vs. 100 (ABS-CBN) - 22.3%6. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition (ABS-CBN) - 21.9%7. XXX (ABS-CBN) - 19.3%8. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 17.5%9. Nuts Entertainment (GMA-7) - 13.7%10. Pinoy Mano Mano (ABS-CBN) - 7.5%

December 2 (Sunday)Daytime:1. Affirmation: Donaire vs. Maldonado (GMA-7) - 17.7%2. Kay Susan Tayo (GMA-7) - 14%3. ASAP ‘07 (ABS-CBN) - 12.6%4. Showbiz Central (GMA-7) - 12.3%5. The Buzz (ABS-CBN) - 11.6%6. SOP (GMA-7) - 11.1%7. Your Song (ABS-CBN) - 10.6%8. Love Spell Presents Cindy-Rella (ABS-CBN) - 10.1%9. Ka Pete Na! Totally Outrageous Behavior (ABS-CBN) - 7.4%10. Pinoy Mano Mano (ABS-CBN) - 5.4%

Primetime:1. Tok! Tok! Tok! Isang Milyon Pasok (GMA-7) - 25.1%2. Kap’s Amazing Stories (GMA-7) - 24.7%3. Mel & Joey (GMA-7) - 23.2%4. Rated K (ABS-CBN) - 21.6%5. Goin’ Bulilit (ABS-CBN) - 21.4%6. All Star K (GMA-7) - 19.7%7. Sharon (ABS-CBN) - 17.8%8. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 17.3%9. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition (ABS-CBN) - 16.1%10. That’s My Doc (ABS-CBN) - 14.9%Source: Bong Godinez of Philippine Entertainment Portal
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Thursday, December 6, 2007

Pinoy Christmas



Simbang Gabi: Christmas is the longest and most celebrated holiday in the Philippines. On December 16, the festivities start with a daily pre-dawn Mass, called Simbang Gabi or Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses), and culminate in the Misa de Gallo on Christmas eve. The Misas de Aguinaldo originated in Mexico and were held at four in the morning to accommodate the farmers who had to be in the fields by dawn during harvest season. This tradition continues to the present day. At 3 o' clock in the morning, the church bells ring to summon the people to the service. In some rural areas a band might play a medley of Christmas tunes to awaken the town. After the lively service, churchgoers will filter out into the churchyard. In the early morning light they will stop by food stalls made of nipa that line the perimeter of the church.Like homes all over the Philippines at Christmastime, these tiny huts are decorated with some parol fashioned from bamboo sticks and cellophane. These lanterns represent the star of Bethlehem, the guiding light that led the three wise men to the infant Child. This emblem of Philippine Christmas embodies the spirit of hospitality that prevails during the season.The early risers will have warm bibingka (rice cakes made from rice flour topped with carabao cheese and grated coconut) for breakfast. Puto bumbong (purple glutinous rice cakes steamed in bamboo cylinders and sprinkled with grated coconut and brown sugar) will be offered along with invigorating cups of salabat (ginger tea). The festive air will continue until Christmas eve.

Panuluyan: In the provinces, the Mexican posada (inn) has survived but is known as the panuluyan (looking for lodgings). This Christmas tradition dates back to St. Ignatius of Loyola, who suggested a Christmas novena to commemorate the Holy Family's journey to Bethlehem; in 1580, St. John of the Cross prepared a more elaborate version of the travel; seven years later, Spanish missionaries introduced it in Mexico.The panuluyan is held on Christmas Eve. To the tune of Paul Lincke's "Glowworm", the images of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary are wheeled out of from the churh courtyard in the company of two singers who will vocalize their parts. They stop at three or four homes that represent the inns and in each sing their plight and request for lodgings. The innkeepers represented by a choir inform them that the inns are already filled to capacity. In the end, the Holy Couple are wheeled into the church for Nativity.

Aguinaldo: (Gift Giving)Christmas in the Philippines is the day for presents, for obeisances to godparents, and for visits to friends and relatives. In general, members of the family exchange gifts following a traditional Christmas eve dinner (called noche buena). Godchildren visit their godparents on Christmas day to ask for their blessings and, in turn, godparents traditionally hand over gifts to their godchildren. It is also during Christmas day that big family reunions are held with a feast of good food, singing, and dancing.

Caroling: Philippine Christmas is not complete without music, and the season is celebrated by Filipinos through caroling. In most urban centers and rural areas in the Philippines, a group of carolers visit houses to sing Christmas songs. Some of these carolers raise funds for less fortunate families through caroling, while others are simply doing it for the joy of singing. Some carolers may be a group of friends, or belong to the same community or civic organization. Others may be family relatives who have made it a tradition to sing together as a family.In the neighborhood, a group of kids may form together as amateur carolers and visit houses every night. They will be more than happy to receive coins or candies as reward for singing Christmas songs. They sing even out of tune, and are creative in using tin cans, plastic containers, and bamboos as their musical instruments. It is the fun of doing it that mattters, out of tune or not!

Monday, November 26, 2007

KARAOKE




Pinoys love singing sossy or cowboy alike. And thanks to karaoke, we have a way to release our urge to sing.
Famous karaoke bars are Redbox,Music 21,Center Stage for the high tech facilities.But you need not spend that much to enjoy singing.You may do it with your love ones at the confines of your home, and I suggest you do.
You will find out a lot about your family. You will know them more,you’ll know their feelings from the songs that they sing at that moment. And sometimes, you will have a topic to talk based from a particular song. This definitely is a way to release stress, which is really true as advised by doctors and nurses.
I remember my uncles. Singing is their usual past time or bonding time. Specially when there is an occasion. Even if they’re singing old songs, I couldn’t help but sing with them. And I found out the song they like to sing.
I have another uncle, a German, and he too loves to sing. In fact he bought a portable karaoke (programs and songs are installed in a mike), and he brought it in Germany, He always brings that karaoke when he visits the Philippines.
One time I saw his son singing Filipino songs and it amazed me and the whole family.Man it brought the house down to party…

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Street Calamares




We have a lot of street foods.Fishballs,isaw,kwekwek and a lot more. And the newest of them all is Calamares.
I have already eaten a lot of this fried squid because I like the smell of it and the site..Yummy... very apetizing.I always buy when I see them.But have you wonder where these squids came from, and why are they soo cheap?

Well, I watched a show last weekend and I found out a lot of facts about this famous street food.
Contrary to the popular belief, the squid does not contain formaldehyde.However, it contains much more than that!

Mike enriquez's program,"Imbestigador" tackled Calamares. The program found the site where this squids are mass distributed. He said, the squid are imported from China and Spain. It's sold at 3-4 pesos per ring which is very cheap.

The prize of frozen squid is 60 pesos per kilo, very low compared to the prize of fresh squid which is 200 per kilo.

It's preserved with a certain "bacteria" that cannot be killed even if the squid is boiled or fried. It remains in the human
body.

After watching this episode and knowing these facts, I am not attracted to the smell and site of Calamares alongthe streets anymore.

Let me ask you this...."How many rings of Calamares have you already eaten?".

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Happy Horse





To those who love drinking, there’s a brand which is famous in the Philippines because of its unique taste and it being extra strong - Red Horse.
Many are avid consumers of this product. They need not buy lots of it to feel the effect. Hence they do not spend that much.
Do you know a secret about it? It’s the Happy Horse.
It’s Red Horse in which the logo is smiling. That’s why it’s called Happy Horse. There is one Happy Horse in every case. It’s not easy to find this in regular stores, and you are considered lucky if you do find one. Some say its C-O-O-H content is much higher that the usual. And I think they are right.
So to all drinkers out there, may you all find that Happy Horse.
Cheers!

Puerto Galera Going Private








Puerto Galera is that part of Oriental Mindoro wherein a lot of people visit – whether they are pinoys or foreigners to enjoy its natural beauty which includes beaches, falls, forest, coral reefs, to name a few. Others go to Puerto Galera for work and businesses, like foreigners who establish diving shops, bars, hotels, and resorts. Some settle in Puerto to work as GRO’s and entertainers and probably hoping to marry foreigners who stay there as well.

I was born and raised in Puerto and, my grandfather was its first mayor. During his time, there were only a few who visited the place. However nowadays, Puerto is very crowded that you will not anymore enjoy or explore the place that much because of too many people.

When I went back last week, my aunt informed me that its current mayor decided to make Puerto private. All residents of Puerto, including me, will get an ID for proof. All tourists – local or foreign will now be asked to pay a fee.

Personally, I think this project will provide a lot of benefits for the residents. The funds to be collected can then be used to further improve the place. The downside of it though is that, this time not all can afford to go to the place and hence it’s not open to the public anymore.

The big question here is, will collected fees and funds be properly and wisely used? We really hope it will.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

*Do you have 25 pesos to spare?


I was on my way home when a boy in uniform holding a thick book in one hand approached me. “Do you have 25 pesos?” he said. “Please, I need fare to go home.” Now this boy is not the usual beggar that we see in the streets. In fact he looks decent, although he was all sweaty and he really looked as if he was afraid and lost and desperate to go home.

Being used to beggars, my initial impression of the boy is that, he’s a fake. And so I just ignored him. I did not give the 25 pesos that he was asking. So I continued to walk. And then it got me thinking, what if that boy was actually telling the truth? What if, it took all his guts to approach a stranger like me to ask fare money? What if he’s a victim of hold up and somebody took all his possessions away and he desperately just wanted to go back to his family?

Suddenly I felt pity for the boy. I wanted to help him and give him money but he was nowhere in sight anymore. At that time thoughts flooded into my mind. What if, this same situation happens to my youngest brother who’s also a student. In fact, what if this happens to me personally? And I asked myself, why did I initially ignore that boy? So I thought, maybe that is because I see children who beg for money everyday in the streets. I also figured that this scenario has become a normal setting in the Philippines.

Honestly, I do not have an idea on who’s to blame for this – the government, or the parents of these children. How about you – do you have an answer for this?

*Why Smoke?

One day as I was walking along Quezon Avenue, I saw this group of young girls in school uniforms. They were about 14 years of age. And, they were holding cigarettes. I was a bit shocked and I wondered why they were doing this. As I recall during my time, I haven’t seen girls at that age who smoke. How come this has become a practice even amongst the youngsters? What is really the reason why people start to smoke?

According to the people I’ve met who smoke, one reason why they started doing it is, out of curiosity. They want to find out for themselves what it feels like to smoke. As soon as that curiosity is satisfied, then they can either decide if it’s for them or not. Most of the time though, that one trial time is the start of a habit that’s hard to break. They may start to get curious as early as during elementary school days, especially among boys. Others start to try it out in college amidst their exams to pass, requirements to finish or celebrations to enjoy. The age when people start to smoke is actually varied and is a case to case basis.

Another reason why we see yosi people is, for a cool image. When going out on gimiks or when spending time with friends, some think of themselves as cool when they smoke, to show off to their friends that they can carry on with smoking, in style. Media plays a big role in this by indirectly promoting it through movies, ads and the likes.

Others smoke to release stress. After long hours spent at work, some must have yosi breaks, in order to have a change of setting and a fresh mind to start or continue the tasks at hand.
And just after eating, some prefer to smoke. This is done out of habit. It’s as if it is a need to smoke after a heavy meal. Just like the need to drink water or eat dessert after eating.

And so as I glanced back at those teens in school uniforms, I hope our government does something to prevent minors from smoking. We’re warned that cigarette smoking is dangerous to our health, and we all know it will eventually lead to lung cancer and other diseases. I wonder if minors are well informed about this effect on them.

Friday, October 26, 2007

*Harmful Effects Of Smoking


DepEd to teach students hazards of cigarette smoking
MANILA, Philippines -- Information about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking will be integrated into the basic education curriculum, the Department of Education (DepEd) has announced.
DepEd Order 62 tasks the department to include the environmental and economic implications of smoking in the elementary and high school curricula.
"The entry points in the existing curriculum in both levels shall be identified by the Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education to ensure integration into the different subjects," the DepEd order said.
It directs the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Special Projects to monitor strict compliance with the order.
Undersecretary Teodosio Sangil Jr. said the move was in line with government policy to "inform the public about the health risks of smoking and protect the youth from being initiated to cigarette smoking and use of other tobacco products."

Harmful Effects Of Smoking

Effects of Tobacco Smoke

*Smoking KILLS

*Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking.

*One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

*Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

*The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

*This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs amputated.

*Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

*Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

*Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

*Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain put on your body by smoking often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

*Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

*Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.
*Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

*Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

*In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

*Filipino - A Dynamic Language


Filipino has indeed evolved into a dynamic language. Well, it has always been dynamic and colorful anyway. We Pinoys take pride in being inventive. We adapt to foreign words and customize them to make our own. Spanish words has a big contribution to our vocabulary. Dialects from different regions provide us with our rich our culture has become.

*WISDOM

Music is a big part of Pinoy Culture. We usually express ouselves with the songs we listen to. Though we have an evolving music industy in the country, we can't help but think of great influencers that shape our taste of good music. One of these icons composed the following song...



WISDOM


The lips of the righteous teach many,But fools die for want of wisdom.The rich man wealth is in his city;Do you hear, do you hear, can you understa-and?!Destruction of the poor, is poverty;Destruction of the soul, is vanity.The righteous' wealth is in his Holy Pla-ace.do you hear?Those who have eyes, to see will see![ Lyrics provided by
http://www.mp3lyrics.org/ ]/break/The rich man wealth is in his city;do you hear, do you believe, do you understand?!Destruction of the poor is poverty.Destruction of the soul is vanity,well hear me children!The righteous' wealth is in his Holy Pla-ace!

By: Bob Marley

Monday, September 24, 2007

*Filipino Foods

If we are stressed, we eat.
If we are too happy with work, we celebrate and we eat.
If it's raining, we stay at home and we eat.
If we're bored, we eat.
After a tiring work-out in the gym, we eat.
I don't know about you, but for me, here's the top 10 pinoy food:
1. Sinigang na Hipon
2. Bicol Express!
3. Tapsilog
4. Adobo at Adobong Kangkong
5. Leche Flan
6. Crispy Pata
7. Laing
8. Kare-kare
9. Steamed Crabs
10.
Boneless Bangus
Now this is making me hungry. So, what's your favorite?

Thursday, September 20, 2007

*Be Rich and Help the Poor

Pinoy kids playing


Well, if you are busy, young, or a professional from the middle class, poverty comes to mind usually when a community activity has been conducted in the slums, or when it is reported on TV - along the squatters’ areas, or in a far off barrio in the province. It’s a social concern. And yes, it is indeed a problem that has to be resolved. But again, as a member of the middle-class, what can be done from our end?

Nowadays, people in the work force are usually concerned in climbing up the corporate ladder, in getting the benefits their companies promised them, and in living a stress-free life with all the comforts money can buy.

Here’s something to think about – the Philippines was once a rich country, second to Japan even. Gone were the days when the $ is equivalent to 2 pesos. What happened? Well, changes in the government caused too many problems. Also, our sources of income which are our natural resources are now depleted, plus, our graduates prefer to serve other countries. Thus, instead of these young minds helping the economy, a lot would rather pursue their careers elsewhere. How sad.

Personally, I think we just have to deal with this problem, one small step at a time. It’s not enough that we feel for the poor. In this day and age when all are fast-paced and instant, we also need to step back, take time to reflect, and look at poverty in a different light. Join an organization, go and teach in public schools, visit prisons, help build barangay halls and do just about anything in your scope of power to at least make a difference. I will not live with the fact that Pinoys are poor. It’s not too late yet. So let’s act, NOW
Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

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