Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	Printing in Manila	Was the 10 pesos quoted for a fully colored page? Usual printing rates in the Ermita & Malate areas are at 2-3 pesos per page. Since she's in the Gil Puyat corner Taft area, she can scout along Taft Ave for printing & photocopying shops. If she doesn't find any, tell her to go to De La Salle University area, along Vito Cruz corner Taft streets. There should be shops there. Good luck!	ivyanddan	Female	Japan	2012-06-14 12:08:00
Philippines	MGA BISAYA...ATO NI BAY......	nyemas natawa ko dun ah	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-03-30 12:21:00
Philippines	Filipinas in ALABAMA...anyone?	we were just there last thursday doing deliveries, boy it was a long trip, by the way, we're from Louisiana, =)	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-03-30 11:27:00
Philippines	Share Your Recipes!	QUOTE (alienlovechild @ Apr 6 2009, 10:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE my recipes we are trying to make video recipes everyday if we can Nice video. I like that country hash brown. I might try it for our breakfast. Looks yummy and maybe yummier when tasted. oh thank you, i hope it comes out good when you try it, and please let me know the outcome	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-04-06 10:52:00
Philippines	Share Your Recipes!	my recipes we are trying to make video recipes everyday if we can	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-04-06 08:57:00
Philippines	What's behind your display name?	QUOTE (charles! @ Oct 9 2008, 09:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> > What's behind your display name? uh me? yes you	mikeuday19	Female	0	2008-10-09 09:45:00
Philippines	What's behind your display name?	mikeuday19 = mike for my husband, uday for me, and 19 is the day he found me,	mikeuday19	Female	0	2008-10-09 05:02:00
Philippines	Filipino foods that my Kano fiance doesnt like	kinakain nya lahat wag lang bagoong at balot, e ansarap sarap kaya!	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-06-14 11:00:00
Philippines	where did you met your wife/husband/fiancee	la yata akong classmate dito, hehehe anyway, he found me on multiply, and then yun na www.udaysexy.multiply.com	mikeuday19	Female	0	2008-10-24 21:48:00
Philippines	Flying domestic in the US without green card	her passport will be enough, as it has the her visa, if she has a driver's license, then that's even better...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-04-21 08:21:00
Philippines	when to visit the philippines	You can travel on your 2yr GC. How much time before you need to ROC? If you within the 90 days - I would apply first, then get a stamp/letter to extend the GC for travel while you wait for the new one. Most airlines will stop you from flying if your past 34 weeks, some will question you if your "huge" at 28 weeks. If you have a note from the doctor saying it's safe, or the travel is urgent - you can usually go past that time frame - depends on the airline. (all though, your doctor may have a different opinion.) I still have a year and a half before ROC, and I am only 24 weeks, but thank you very much for your respond.	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-04-21 10:10:00
Philippines	when to visit the philippines	I only have my 2-year conditional GC, I wonder if its a good idea to visit the Philippines, or should I wait for the 10-year GC? And also, do they allow pregnant women to travel? Please help... Thanks! And also, dun sa mga umuwi na sa pinas, magkano budget nyo? And gano kayo katagal nag stay? Thanks ulit! Edited by mikeuday19, 21 April 2010 - 08:19 AM.	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-04-21 08:14:00
Philippines	USD-PHP Exchange Rate blues	I too always send USD. When I first started sending my wife money the rate was 56php = $1USD those were the good ol' days! wow P56 = $1! as of now, i don't see it happening again, so sad...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-04-21 08:12:00
Philippines	Sinigang and Sotanghon	I do have a video recipe for Sinigang. You might want to watch it. Just click the link.	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-06-05 21:26:00
Philippines	mga sis tulong naman oh..short courtship lng kami	no need to worry kung totoo ang relasyon nyo, kasi pag totoo ang relasyon nyo, kahit pagbali baligtarin pa ang mga tanong sa visa interview, e maipapasa at maipapasa mo yan, good luck!	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-06-05 21:17:00
Philippines	Para sa mga Pinay...	andok's lechon adobong manok sinigang na baboy laing binagoongan bicol express	mikeuday19	Female	0	2009-03-30 12:35:00
Philippines	to all of you with facebook accounts	my husband does not have a FB account but i do, it really doesn't bother me that he doesn't have an account, he is a very private person and i do understand that... if you can explain to her the risks of having an online profile, maybe she will understand...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-06-05 21:14:00
Philippines	Visiting the Philippines	Depende naman sa yo yun. Dapat ihanda mo ang family at relatives mo kung ano ang mae-expect nila kapag bumisita kayo ng husband mo...and that includes pasalubong, pasyal at kung ano pang gastusin...para walang sasama ang loob kung konti lang ang bitbit ninyo or wala kayong bitbit (na pasalubong). (Translation: That depends on you. Personally, you should manage the expectations of your family and relatives, especially when it comes to gifts, days/nights out, and other possible expenses...so that none of them feel bad if you visit with little or no gifts in tow...or if you are unable to treat them out). Not everyone has Php 500,000 to spend on a vacation You should be able to come home and visit as a balikbayan without fear of criticism or hurting anyone's feelings...I know my mom would be happy to see us even though we come visit empty-handed...she'd just want to see her apo(grandchildren)! ang nakakasama ng loob, ngayon pa nga lang may kamag-anak na akong nagsabing hindi daw nila maramdaman na nasa US ako, pano kasi hindi ako nagpapadala ng kung ano ano, e sa dami ng gastusin ko dito uunahin ko pa ba sila? kakapanganak ko lang, anlaki ng hospital bills ko, tama lang naman sigurong unahin ko sarili ko, pero yun na nga, hindi lahat ng relatives ko broad-minded, akala nila nagpunta ako dito para magpadala ng magpadala ng kung ano ano, buset nga eh...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-19 21:07:00
Philippines	Visiting the Philippines	at the bolded part. oh yeah, P0.5M, at sabi ko sa kanya wala kaming ganyang pera...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-19 21:05:00
Philippines	Visiting the Philippines	tinanong ko yung friend ko na may mga relatives sa canada kung ano ang nangyayari pag bumibisita sila sa pinas, sabi nya, as usual daw, sagot nung mga galing canada lahat ng gastos, sagot nila pati pang shopping ng lahat, which means ang minimum pocket money nila sa pinas e nasa P0.5M, grabe noh, nung sinabi nya sa akin yan, parang natakot akong umuwi,	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-17 22:54:00
Philippines	Learning my fiancee 's culture	man this is so funny! i actually had cramps, question: you don't have money for a movie? answer: yes nyahahahhahaah what's worse is this: question: you don't have money for a movie? answer: yes?	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-17 23:06:00
Philippines	ugali ng mga pinoy at pinay	Sorry to hear about that.. Just stay humble and nice.. You'll meet some good Filipino's out there too... oh yeah, pero sa ngayon, iwas muna siguro ako, para iwas din sa chismis, mahilig kasi sila dun e,	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-17 23:20:00
Philippines	ugali ng mga pinoy at pinay	I'm from South Bend, Indiana.. the Filipino's I had met arereally nice and friendly.. So glad to meet kababayan's out here... answerte mo kabayan, hindi lahat ng pinoy at pinay dito sa area namin e nice...	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-17 23:12:00
Philippines	ugali ng mga pinoy at pinay	anong mga ugali ng mga pinoy at pinay na nakakasalamuha nyo dito sa US ang nakikita nyo? naranasan nyo na bang madiscriminate ng kapwa mo filipino?	mikeuday19	Female	0	2010-09-17 22:49:00
Philippines	Pinay Ako!	Philippine Games AGAWAN BASE (Capture the Base) From: Pronounced as: a-ga-wan base Participants: As many as possible - the more the merrier. Participants are divided into two teams with equal number of team members. The object of the game is for one team to try & capture the base of the other by reaching the other's home base first & tagging a pre-decided item (e.g., a tree trunk, a rock, etc) symbolizing the opposite team - without getting tagged by the defending members of the opposite team. A safety line is drawn between the two teams. A member of an opposing team who crosses the safety line into the territory of the other team can be chased & tagged by the team that owns that base. If the attacker gets tagged before he/she manages to get back to his/her safety zone or home base, he/she becomes a prisoner (POW) of the opposite team. He/she can be rescued by his/her teammates if one of his/her teammates manage to get close to the base & tag the POW without getting tagged himself/herself by the guard or one of the defenders in the opposing team. The game ends when a member of an opposing team manages to tag the symbol of the other team or when all the members of one team are captured by the other leaving their homebase free for the opposite team to attack & capture. This game is similar to the Capture the Flag game which is the basis for the 90s adult game called Paintball Combat Game which has gained popularity over recent years. Tagging has been substituted for airpistols/guns with water-soluble paint as ammunitions for the guns. BANOG-BANOG (The Hawk & The Chicken) From: Pronounced as: bah-nog-bah-nog Participants: a. Banog or hawk, usually played by the biggest boy or girl in group b. Mother hen, usually played by a girl c. Chicks, played by any number of girls and boys This game is a favorite among children aged 6 to 12. It is an imitation game, imitating the antics of the hawk who preys on chicken to feed their young. Before the game starts, the group selects a boy to play the banog and a girl to play the mother hen whose duty is to protect the chicks from the hawk's attack. The rest play the chicks. When the game starts, the hawk and the mother hen face each other. The chicks stay in one line behind the mother hen, each holding on to the waist of the person in front of him/her. This line is not supposed to be broken. The chick who breaks out of the line opens him/herself up to the danger of being caught by the hawk. The game starts after an agreed count, then the hawk begins to crack down on the mother hen's defense to get to the chicks. He runs hither & thither, generally trying to confuse the hen and the chicks as to his area of attack. When he cannot catch any chick this way, he suddenly swoops down at the very end of the line to get to the last chick who is usually unprotected. The mother hen dashes down the line to save her chick but this results in making the chicks behind her break the line and fall, thus making them easy prey for the hawk. The game continues until the majority of the chicks are caught by the hawk. A variation of the game would be to allow the mother hen to get back her chicks. While the hawk is busy catching the other chicks, the mother hen will go to the hawk's camp & try to steal back her chicks. This makes the game take longer to finish & usually, the way it's ended is when everybody (especially the hawk & the mother hen) is too exhausted & everybody agrees to stop. BORDON Pronounced as: bor-don Bordon is a parlor game usually played after prayers for the dead or during wakes. Any number of players can play this game. The participants sit in a circle with both hands joined. A leader (IT) stays at the center. A ring is secretly passed around by a member as they sing the bordon (you can substitute a song of your own here if you don't know the bordon song). The leader tries to guess where the ring is. He continues guessing until he succeeds in pointing at the person who holds it. The holder of the ring guessed by the leader becomes the "it", and he takes the place of the leader. BUWAN-BUWAN or BAKUNAWA Number of Players: At least 8 - 6 for the circle & 1 to play the buwan (moon) & 1 to play the bakunawa (eclipse). All the players except the buwan and the bakunawa stand in a circle facing in and holding each other's hands. The buwan stands inside the circle while the bakunawa stands outside. The object of the game is for the bakunawa to tag the buwan. The rest of the players try to prevent the bakunawa from doing so by holding on to each other & running around the circle as fast as they & not letting go. For the bakunawa to get into the circle, the bakunawa asks one of the players, "What chain is this?" to which the player replies, "An iron chain!" An iron chain is supposed to be unbreakable so the bakunawa tries another player. A player who would like to let the bakunawa in could say, "This is an abaca chain" and lets go. This is done when the bakunawa is feeling tired from running around. Sometimes the bakunawa also tries to get in by going under the linked hands - if the player chosen as the bakunawa is fast & small enough, this can be easily accomplished. As soon as the bakunawa succeeds in getting in, the circle players will let the buwan out of the circle. The bakunawa then tries to break out of the linked hands again to try & get out to catch the buwan. When the bakunawa succeeds in catching the buwan, they exchange places or if both of them are too tired, another pair from the circle of players are chosen as the new bakunawa and buwan. CHATO From: Rick Nuqui Chato is played by digging a small hole on the ground and using 2 sticks - a short and a long one. Put the short stick on the hole with one end protruding out; hit that end with the long stick and while the short stick is in the air, try and hit it again as far as it can go. Then measure the distance using the long stick as the yardstick. The winner then gets to hit the short stick, starting from the hole, as many times as his winnings. The loser has to run from that distance back to the hole, all the while shouting "CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATO"! If he/she loses his breath while running, the winner hits the small stick again from that point, and the loser has to run and shout again. GAGAMBA Pronounced as: ga-gam-ba Played by two people, each having their own "champion spider". An arbiter will then conduct the spider match on a little stick. The victor will be the spider that eats-up the other one first. Similar to sabungan. HABULAN ESTATWA Pronounced as: ha-bu-lan es-tat-wa Translated literally to English as "Chase Statue". The game is played by any number of players. At least 4 players will be fun enough. Select the "it". Game is played by the "it" chasing everyone. Once the "it" tags someone, the person tagged must "freeze" or become a "statue" in the position he/she was tagged. If the "statue" moves (voluntarily or not), then he becomes the new "it". Everyone else (tagged or not) is free to run. If an untagged player manages to tag a "statue", then the statue can move and play again. Naturally, the "it" will defend his "catch". If the "it" manages to tag everyone, he will then wait for someone to move again. Once one of the "statues" move he becomes the new "it". Everyone else is free to move and run-away from the new "it". Play until all players are exhausted. HARANGANG TAGA or TUBIGAN English translation: Three Nights Number of Players: Six or More Best Place to Play: Outdoors with Plenty of Space This game is very similar to Patintero with just a slight variation in the number of squares that the two teams cover and it also has a slight variation in scoring. In certain regions of the Philippines though, harangang taga is the same as patintero. Some children also prefer playing this game on a dirt area and use water to make the lines. Thus it is usually played on a moonlit evening to prevent rapid evaporation of the water lines. The players are divided into two teams of equal numbers. The ground is marked off in a rectangle about five or six meters, divided into four equal parts. t1 to t4 = taggers 1-4 t1 _ ________|________ B = base (starting point) | | | | | | t2 --|-------+-------| | | | | | | t3 --|-------+-------| H = halfway point Winning the jack-en-poy or toss or "umpiang" entitles the players on that team to be runners. The taggers stand on lines 1, 2, and 3. Tagger 1 can go anywhere (that is, the inside & outside lines of the entire square whereas taggers 2 & 3 are only allowed within their horizontal lines) to tag the runners. The object of the runners is to get through all the lines: 1, 2, and 3 starting from the base across the halfway point & then back to the base without being tagged. Taggers 1, 2, 3 try to tag the runners as they cross the lines or as they get near them. As soon as one of the runners crosses line 3 & back to line 1 without being tagged, the runner calls out "tubig" (water). This means a "night" (point) is scored in favor of the runner's team. If a runner is tagged while crossing a line or while trying to cross a line, the teams exchange places and it becomes the turn of the taggers' team to run. The first team to earn three consecutive nights are the winners. Consequence: The losers carry the winners on their backs to and fro or the winners slaps the hands or make "pitik" (a process wherein one uses the middle finger to hit as hard as one can the knuckles of another person) of the losers for an agreed number of times. IRING-IRING English translation: Dropping the Handkerchief Any number of players form a circle. An IT is chosen via the Jack-en-poy or counting-rhyme method. The IT goes around the circle and drops the handkerchief slyly behind one of the players in the circle. If the person notices the handkerchief, the person picks up the handkerchief & chases the IT around the circle. The IT has to reach the vacant space left by the person chasing before IT is tagged, otherwise, the IT has to take back the handkerchief and repeat the process all over again. If the IT does succeed to claim the vacant space, then the person who used to occupy that vacant space (the person chasing the IT) becomes the new IT. If the IT succeeds in making one trip around the circle without the player in the circle noticing that the handkerchief was dropped behind him/her, that player becomes the new IT A variation that we used to do is not use a handkerchief at all since it is so easy to detect the handkerchief. Rather, we just use our hands to tap lightly the chosen "victim" in the circle. Also, sometimes to make it more interesting & lively, before the new IT starts choosing a new "victim", he/she is penalized by being asked to choose between doing "truth or consequence." The "truth" penalty would allow a member of the circle chosen by the person being penalized to ask him/her personal questions such as "Who is your crush?" or some silly question... The "consequence" penalty would include dancing or singing or reciting a poem, etc... The point to all these is to make the chasing more challenging since if one doesn't succeed in getting back to his/her place, one is surely going to get some kind of penalty. One has to be a good runner when one is playing this game JUEGO DE PRENDA English translation: Game of Penalty During a vigil for the dead, juego de prenda is played so that people will not fall asleep while watching the dead. Any number of players may play. The more the merrier. Players sit in a circle with the leader in the middle. Each player adopts a name of a tree or flower. The leader recounts the story of a lost bird that was owned by a king. He says, "The bird of the king was lost yesterday. Did you find it Ylang-Ylang?" The player who adopts the name of the Ylang-Ylang tree at once answers that she has not found it; so the leader continues to ask the other trees whether the bird has hidden in them. If a player cannot answer at once after the third count, he is made to deposit a thing he owns with the leader until the leader has many things gathered from the members. The penalty begins. Each one can only regain his belonging by reciting a prayer or a verse. Once a player has complied with the penalty, what he has deposited is returned to him. A variation of the penalty might be truth or consequence. PATINTERO Pronounced as: pah-tin-teh-roh This is played by an even number of people, at least 4 people, but a good number would be 6 or 8 (the more the merrier-but it gets more difficult to win). You must also have enough space to play this game--it is basically an outdoor game. Select a relatively flat area. Now, the example below is for 8 players. Divide these players into 2 teams. The position for the first 4 "(d)efenders" are designated below. The patotot [pah-toh-tot] or middle man (d4) is optional....but it's more fun to have one. d4 ________|________ | | | | B | B | B = home base/start d1 --|-------+-------|-- d1 for attackers. | | | | | | d2 --|-------+-------|-- d2 | | | | | | d3 --|-------+-------|-- d3 | H | H | | | | H = halfway zone ~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~ d4 All the defending players can ONLY move along their own lines (say, 15 ft in length). Each of the defending players (ie. d1-d3) MUST be spaced far enough from each other so that an incoming "(a)ttacking" player will not be TAGGED from the front or behind him while staying idle (resting) in the middle of 2 defending players (even 3 if the middle man is there). Depending on the agreed rules, defending players can only step on their lines and may or may not be allowed to step out to reach an attacking player. The defender must of course have at least one foot on his own line to reach out and tag an attacker. (something like a catcher in baseball should have at least one foot on the base). The basic GOAL of the game is: to get one OR as many as possible OR all of the attacking players until the Halfway area and back to Base. Once an attacking player is tagged by any of the defenders, he/she is out of the game. It is up to the players to decide what the definition of a score is. Also, if the attacking player goes out of bounds (outside the game area), he/she can be considered out as well. Attackers and defenders then change roles after a score OR a player is tagged-out, it depends on what is agreed upon before the start of the game. Variations of the game: Once you have mastered the idea of the game, simply change the rules to whatever you like... one variation is when a single attacking player is tagged, defenders and attackers switch roles (ie. strike out for the whole team). Score can be maintained for how many were able to return to Base, OR how many were tagged-out. Summary: Need large space (ie. field, garden) depending on how many playing. Mark defender's lines if possible. Define outside zone. Need equal number of players on each team. Decide the rules, what the definition of score is. Defenders must stay along their "lines" to tag incoming attackers. Attackers must get through to the half way zone and back to base in order to win or score, without getting tagged by any of the defenders or stepping on the outside zone. Once an attacker is tagged: a. Game over for that player AND/OR b. Teams change roles AND/OR c. Continue until all other players make it through AND/OR d. Continue until one player makes it through. Have fun. PIKO Pronounced as: pee-koh Is similar to hopscotch. SABUNGAN Pronounced as: sa-bu-ngan Also known as "#######-fighting". This is played usually by breeders and gamblers. Two champion roosters are matched against each other. They are usually armed with sharp steel blades on their legs. The battle is fought to the death. There are special arenas that hold sabungan matches. SIPA Pronounced as: see-pah Uses a coin-like object (washer) with colorful threads attached to it. This is then kicked (sipa) into the air by the player as many times as he can without the "sipa" falling on the floor. TAGUAN Pronounced as: tah-gu-ahn This is also known as hide-and-seek. As usual, an "it" is selected and while he counts out loud (ie. 1-30), eyes closed on a "home base", the rest of the players find a place to hide. Once the time is out, the "it" tries to find the other players. If one is spotted, the "it" shouts "boong ". The two ("it" and player) races to the home base to touch it (shouts: "save" upon touching home base). The first player that loses the race, becomes the next "it". The "it" can then continue to find the others, but a new "it" is already guaranteed to replace him. The other players, if they find out, can continue to challenge "race" the "it" to the base without getting spotted or just give themselves up. TAKIP SILIM From: Sonny Dionida Pronounced as: ta-keep see-leem First, remove the breakables (e.g. glass table, vase, art collection, etc.) There is no set limit to the number of players allowed. The more, the merrier, but the game is better played when the place is not overcrowded. Set the boundaries. No hiding in closets, bathroom, oven, refrigerators, etc. And to make it easier for the IT, you could limit the boundary to just one room like the living room. Close the windows, drapes or sun shades to make the room dark. Choose who will be IT or volunteer to be one. The IT will be blind folded and turned around 3 or 4 times and let go. Everybody will run around the room and the IT will try to catch somebody. When the IT catches someone, he/she will try to guess who the person is. If the guess is wrong, the IT will have to let that person go and try to catch another person and make another guess. Usually, the IT tries to cheat by lifting the blindfold so he/she can see where he/she is going or who's being chased. People who are being chased run around the room, stepping on couches, hiding under tables or behind the curtains, whatever to avoid being caught. The game ends when everybody becomes exhausted from all the running around. Variation: This can also be played outside preferably on level ground with no obstacles like trees or protruding roots on the ground, etc. Also, to make it easier for the IT and harder for the runners, the area of movement allowed the runners is limited to a drawn circle. If a runner steps out of the circle, the runner becomes the IT. Of course the IT won't know when runners are violating the rule since the IT is blindfolded so it is up to the other runners to be vigilant of each other & watch who is stepping out of the boundary. TUMBANG PRESO Pronounced as: tum-bahng preh-so This is a relatively simple game. At least 3 players are needed, although the more, the merrier. First, select the "it" or the defender. Next, find a can, or something that can be knocked over easily from a distance. Position this can in the center of the game area (this will be it's home plate or base). The game is played as follows. The "it" will defend the can from being knocked down. While it is in the upright position, the "it" can chase anyone and tag him/her. When a player is tagged, and the can is still in the upright position, that player becomes the new "it". The rest of the players must then see to it that the can is always knocked down. The "it" of course can always put it back in the upright position. The rest of the players usually use their slippers to knock the can from a distance. Or if one gets close enough to the can without getting tagged, he can kick it and pick-up the rest of the "weapons" or slippers used. Of course, it is usually up to the other players to get their own "weapons" or slippers. For fairness, it would be nice if the players had only two slippers to knock down the can, no more than that. Once all the players are out of slippers, this would be a major opportunity for the "it" to chase everyone before the can is kicked. The can has to be positioned in a particular area of responsibility.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-02-16 19:38:00
Philippines	Pinay Ako!	Philippine Culture This is the one thing that separates us from the rest of the world - our colorful and lively culture that makes us distinctly Filipino. This includes traditions, language, arts, etc. which are found in museums, churches and galleries, found within the heart of the key cities. Most provinces have their own identifying folk dances too wherein they showcase the elegance and beauty of the way we do things, the way we dress, the way we see things as shown in different paintings, as we have been influenced by events that happened in our history. That’s not all. When you have lived in the Philippines long enough, you’ll know that it’s not an exaggeration to say there is a town that’s celebrating its fiesta every single day.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-02-16 19:25:00
Philippines	Pinay Ako!	Philippine HistoryEarly History -The Negritos are believed to have migrated to the Philippines some 30,000 years ago from Borneo, Sumatra, and Malaya. The Malayans followed in successive waves. These people belonged to a primitive epoch of Malayan culture, which has apparently survived to this day among certain groups such as the Igorots. The Malayan tribes that came later had more highly developed material cultures. In the 14th cent. Arab traders from Malay and Borneo introduced Islam into the southern islands and extended their influence as far north as Luzon. The first Europeans to visit (1521) the Philippines were those in the Spanish expedition around the world led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Other Spanish expeditions followed, including one from New Spain (Mexico) under López de Villalobos, who in 1542 named the islands for the infante Philip, later Philip II. Spanish Control - The conquest of the Filipinos by Spain did not begin in earnest until 1564, when another expedition from New Spain, commanded by Miguel López de Legaspi, arrived. Spanish leadership was soon established over many small independent communities that previously had known no central rule. By 1571, when López de Legaspi established the Spanish city of Manila on the site of a Moro town he had conquered the year before, the Spanish foothold in the Philippines was secure, despite the opposition of the Portuguese, who were eager to maintain their monopoly on the trade of East Asia. Manila repulsed the attack of the Chinese pirate Limahong in 1574. For centuries before the Spanish arrived the Chinese had traded with the Filipinos, but evidently none had settled permanently in the islands until after the conquest. Chinese trade and labor were of great importance in the early development of the Spanish colony, but the Chinese came to be feared and hated because of their increasing numbers, and in 1603 the Spanish murdered thousands of them (later, there were lesser massacres of the Chinese). The Spanish governor, made a viceroy in 1589, ruled with the advice of the powerful royal audiencia. There were frequent uprisings by the Filipinos, who resented the encomienda system. By the end of the 16th cent. Manila had become a leading commercial center of East Asia, carrying on a flourishing trade with China, India, and the East Indies. The Philippines supplied some wealth (including gold) to Spain, and the richly laden galleons plying between the islands and New Spain were often attacked by English freebooters. There was also trouble from other quarters, and the period from 1600 to 1663 was marked by continual wars with the Dutch, who were laying the foundations of their rich empire in the East Indies, and with Moro pirates. One of the most difficult problems the Spanish faced was the subjugation of the Moros. Intermittent campaigns were conducted against them but without conclusive results until the middle of the 19th cent. As the power of the Spanish Empire waned, the Jesuit orders became more influential in the Philippines and acquired great amounts of property. Revolution, War, and U.S. Control - It was the opposition to the power of the clergy that in large measure brought about the rising sentiment for independence. Spanish injustices, bigotry, and economic oppressions fed the movement, which was greatly inspired by the brilliant writings of José Rizal. In 1896 revolution began in the province of Cavite, and after the execution of Rizal that December, it spread throughout the major islands. The Filipino leader, Emilio Aguinaldo, achieved considerable success before a peace was patched up with Spain. The peace was short-lived, however, for neither side honored its agreements, and a new revolution was brewing when the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898. After the U.S. naval victory in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey supplied Aguinaldo with arms and urged him to rally the Filipinos against the Spanish. By the time U.S. land forces had arrived, the Filipinos had taken the entire island of Luzon, except for the old walled city of Manila, which they were besieging. The Filipinos had also declared their independence and established a republic under the first democratic constitution ever known in Asia. Their dreams of independence were crushed when the Philippines were transferred from Spain to the United States in the Treaty of Paris (1898), which closed the Spanish-American War. In Feb., 1899, Aguinaldo led a new revolt, this time against U.S. rule. Defeated on the battlefield, the Filipinos turned to guerrilla warfare, and their subjugation became a mammoth project for the United States—one that cost far more money and took far more lives than the Spanish-American War. The insurrection was effectively ended with the capture (1901) of Aguinaldo by Gen. Frederick Funston, but the question of Philippine independence remained a burning issue in the politics of both the United States and the islands. The matter was complicated by the growing economic ties between the two countries. Although comparatively little American capital was invested in island industries, U.S. trade bulked larger and larger until the Philippines became almost entirely dependent upon the American market. Free trade, established by an act of 1909, was expanded in 1913. When the Democrats came into power in 1913, measures were taken to effect a smooth transition to self-rule. The Philippine assembly already had a popularly elected lower house, and the Jones Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1916, provided for a popularly elected upper house as well, with power to approve all appointments made by the governor-general. It also gave the islands their first definite pledge of independence, although no specific date was set. When the Republicans regained power in 1921, the trend toward bringing Filipinos into the government was reversed. Gen. Leonard Wood, who was appointed governor-general, largely supplanted Filipino activities with a semimilitary rule. However, the advent of the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s and the first aggressive moves by Japan in Asia (1931) shifted U.S. sentiment sharply toward the granting of immediate independence to the Philippines. The Commonwealth - The Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, passed by Congress in 1932, provided for complete independence of the islands in 1945 after 10 years of self-government under U.S. supervision. The bill had been drawn up with the aid of a commission from the Philippines, but Manuel L. Quezon, the leader of the dominant Nationalist party, opposed it, partially because of its threat of American tariffs against Philippine products but principally because of the provisions leaving naval bases in U.S. hands. Under his influence, the Philippine legislature rejected the bill. The Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act (1934) closely resembled the Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, but struck the provisions for American bases and carried a promise of further study to correct “imperfections or inequalities.” The Philippine legislature ratified the bill; a constitution, approved by President Roosevelt (Mar., 1935) was accepted by the Philippine people in a plebiscite (May); and Quezon was elected the first president (Sept.). When Quezon was inaugurated on Nov. 15, 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was formally established. Quezon was reelected in Nov., 1941. To develop defensive forces against possible aggression, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was brought to the islands as military adviser in 1935, and the following year he became field marshal of the Commonwealth army. World War II - War came suddenly to the Philippines on Dec. 8 (Dec. 7, U.S. time), 1941, when Japan attacked without warning. Japanese troops invaded the islands in many places and launched a pincer drive on Manila. MacArthur’s scattered defending forces (about 80,000 troops, four fifths of them Filipinos) were forced to withdraw to Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island, where they entrenched and tried to hold until the arrival of reinforcements, meanwhile guarding the entrance to Manila Bay and denying that important harbor to the Japanese. But no reinforcements were forthcoming. The Japanese occupied Manila on Jan. 2, 1942. MacArthur was ordered out by President Roosevelt and left for Australia on Mar. 11; Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright assumed command. The besieged U.S.-Filipino army on Bataan finally crumbled on Apr. 9, 1942. Wainwright fought on from Corregidor with a garrison of about 11,000 men; he was overwhelmed on May 6, 1942. After his capitulation, the Japanese forced the surrender of all remaining defending units in the islands by threatening to use the captured Bataan and Corregidor troops as hostages. Many individual soldiers refused to surrender, however, and guerrilla resistance, organized and coordinated by U.S. and Philippine army officers, continued throughout the Japanese occupation. Japan’s efforts to win Filipino loyalty found expression in the establishment (Oct. 14, 1943) of a “Philippine Republic,” with José P. Laurel, former supreme court justice, as president. But the people suffered greatly from Japanese brutality, and the puppet government gained little support. Meanwhile, President Quezon, who had escaped with other high officials before the country fell, set up a government-in-exile in Washington. When he died (Aug., 1944), Vice President Sergio Osmeña became president. Osmeña returned to the Philippines with the first liberation forces, which surprised the Japanese by landing (Oct. 20, 1944) at Leyte, in the heart of the islands, after months of U.S. air strikes against Mindanao. The Philippine government was established at Tacloban, Leyte, on Oct. 23. The landing was followed (Oct. 23–26) by the greatest naval engagement in history, called variously the battle of Leyte Gulf and the second battle of the Philippine Sea. A great U.S. victory, it effectively destroyed the Japanese fleet and opened the way for the recovery of all the islands. Luzon was invaded (Jan., 1945), and Manila was taken in February. On July 5, 1945, MacArthur announced “All the Philippines are now liberated.” The Japanese had suffered over 425,000 dead in the Philippines. The Philippine congress met on June 9, 1945, for the first time since its election in 1941. It faced enormous problems. The land was devastated by war, the economy destroyed, the country torn by political warfare and guerrilla violence. Osmeña’s leadership was challenged (Jan., 1946) when one wing (now the Liberal party) of the Nationalist party nominated for president Manuel Roxas, who defeated Osmeña in April. The Republic of the Philippines - Manuel Roxas became the first president of the Republic of the Philippines when independence was granted, as scheduled, on July 4, 1946. In Mar., 1947, the Philippines and the United States signed a military assistance pact (since renewed) and the Philippines gave the United States a 99-year lease on designated military, naval, and air bases (a later agreement reduced the period to 25 years beginning 1967). The sudden death of President Roxas in Apr., 1948, elevated the vice president, Elpidio Quirino, to the presidency, and in a bitterly contested election in Nov., 1949, Quirino defeated José Laurel to win a four-year term of his own. The enormous task of reconstructing the war-torn country was complicated by the activities in central Luzon of the Communist-dominated Hukbalahap guerrillas (Huks), who resorted to terror and violence in their efforts to achieve land reform and gain political power. They were finally brought under control (1954) after a vigorous attack launched by the minister of national defense, Ramón Magsaysay. By that time Magsaysay was president of the country, having defeated Quirino in Nov., 1953. He had promised sweeping economic changes, and he did make progress in land reform, opening new settlements outside crowded Luzon island. His death in an airplane crash in Mar., 1957, was a serious blow to national morale. Vice President Carlos P. García succeeded him and won a full term as president in the elections of Nov., 1957. In foreign affairs, the Philippines maintained a firm anti-Communist policy and joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in 1954. There were difficulties with the United States over American military installations in the islands, and, despite formal recognition (1956) of full Philippine sovereignty over these bases, tensions increased until some of the bases were dismantled (1959) and the 99-year lease period was reduced. The United States rejected Philippine financial claims and proposed trade revisions. Philippine opposition to García on issues of government corruption and anti-Americanism led, in June, 1959, to the union of the Liberal and Progressive parties, led by Vice President Diosdado Macapagal, the Liberal party leader, who succeeded García as president in the 1961 elections. Macapagal’s administration was marked by efforts to combat the mounting inflation that had plagued the republic since its birth; by attempted alliances with neighboring countries; and by a territorial dispute with Britain over North Borneo (later Sabah), which Macapagal claimed had been leased and not sold to the British North Borneo Company in 1878. Marcos and After - Ferdinand E. Marcos, who succeeded to the presidency after defeating Macapagal in the 1965 elections, inherited the territorial dispute over Sabah; in 1968 he approved a congressional bill annexing Sabah to the Philippines. Malaysia suspended diplomatic relations (Sabah had joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963), and the matter was referred to the United Nations. (The Philippines dropped its claim to Sabah in 1978.) The Philippines became one of the founding countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. The continuing need for land reform fostered a new Huk uprising in central Luzon, accompanied by mounting assassinations and acts of terror, and in 1969, Marcos began a major military campaign to subdue them. Civil war also threatened on Mindanao, where groups of Moros opposed Christian settlement. In Nov., 1969, Marcos won an unprecedented reelection, easily defeating Sergio Osmeña, Jr., but the election was accompanied by violence and charges of fraud, and Marcos’s second term began with increasing civil disorder. In Jan., 1970, some 2,000 demonstrators tried to storm Malacañang Palace, the presidential residence; riots erupted against the U.S. embassy. When Pope Paul VI visited Manila in Nov., 1970, an attempt was made on his life. In 1971, at a Liberal party rally, hand grenades were thrown at the speakers’ platform, and several people were killed. President Marcos declared martial law in Sept., 1972, charging that a Communist rebellion threatened. The 1935 constitution was replaced (1973) by a new one that provided the president with direct powers. A plebiscite (July, 1973) gave Marcos the right to remain in office beyond the expiration (Dec., 1973) of his term. Meanwhile the fighting on Mindanao had spread to the Sulu Archipelago. By 1973 some 3,000 people had been killed and hundreds of villages burned. Throughout the 1970s poverty and governmental corruption increased, and Imelda Marcos, Ferdinand’s wife, became more influential. Martial law remained in force until 1981, when Marcos was reelected, amid accusations of electoral fraud. On Aug. 21, 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino was assassinated at Manila airport, which incited a new, more powerful wave of anti-Marcos dissent. After the Feb., 1986, presidential election, both Marcos and his opponent, Corazon Aquino (the widow of Benigno), declared themselves the winner, and charges of massive fraud and violence were leveled against the Marcos faction. Marcos’s domestic and international support eroded, and he fled the country on Feb. 25, 1986, eventually obtaining asylum in the United States. Aquino’s government faced mounting problems, including coup attempts, significant economic difficulties, and pressure to rid the Philippines of the U.S. military presence (the last U.S. bases were evacuated in 1992). In 1990, in response to the demands of the Moros, a partially autonomous Muslim region was created in the far south. In 1992, Aquino declined to run for reelection and was succeeded by her former army chief of staff Fidel Ramos. He immediately launched an economic revitalization plan premised on three policies: government deregulation, increased private investment, and political solutions to the continuing insurgencies within the country. His political program was somewhat successful, opening dialogues with the Marxist and Muslim guerillas. However, Muslim discontent with partial rule persisted, and unrest and violence continued throughout the 1990s. In 1999, Marxist rebels and Muslim separatists formed an alliance to fight the government. Several natural disasters, including the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on Luzon and a succession of severe typhoons, slowed the country’s economic progress. However, the Philippines escaped much of the economic turmoil seen in other East Asian nations in 1997 and 1998, in part by following a slower pace of development imposed by the International Monetary Fund. Joseph Marcelo Estrada, a former movie actor, was elected president in 1998, pledging to help the poor and develop the country’s agricultural sector. In 1999 he announced plans to amend the constitution in order to remove protectionist provisions and attract more foreign investment. Late in 2000, Estrada’s presidency was buffeted by charges that he accepted millions of dollars in payoffs from illegal gambling operations. Although his support among the poor Filipino majority remained strong, many political, business, and church leaders called for him to resign. In Nov., 2000, Estrada was impeached by the house of representatives on charges of graft, but the senate, controlled by Estrada’s allies, provoked a crisis (Jan., 2001) when it rejected examining the president’s bank records. As demonstrations against Estrada mounted and members of his cabinet resigned, the supreme court stripped him of the presidency, and Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in as Estrada’s successor. Macapagal-Arroyo was elected president in her own right in May, 2004, but the balloting was marred by violence and irregularities as well as a tedious vote-counting process that was completed six weeks after the election.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-02-16 19:19:00
Philippines	Got a job..	QUOTE (cEzYcHiC @ Jul 28 2009, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congrats! Buti ka pa at nakapasok agad as caregiver. I'm having a hard time looking for a job even as a caregiver. They won't honor my RN license in PI and wants me to go back to school to be a CNA before they could hire me. May home health aide naman pero kelangan na marunong magdrive ang aplikante. Haay! Nakakaloka mghanap ng work! Hi! I wonder if you can just challenge the CNA test in your state. That's what i did over here in Missouri. I am also an RN in the Philippines but i did not do classes again to become a CNA. I know every states has it's own rules and procedures but it won't hurt to try calling your State Senior and Services office. Tell them that you are a licensed nurse back home, ask them if you can just challenge the CNA test. Now, i'm working on challenging the CMT test which is better than being a CNA, all i have to do is pass meds (doesn't include injectables). But i'm sure it would be nice to have our RN license over here, better job and pay of course. Right now i can't afford to do that...maybe soon! GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS!	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-07-28 20:10:00
Philippines	Former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino died at 76	MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a "people power" revolt and sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76. The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired nonviolent protests across the globe, including those that ended communist rule in eastern Europe. Aquino rose to power after the 1983 assassination of her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. She was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue chemotherapy. For the past month, supporters have been holding daily prayers for Aquino in churches. "She was headstrong and single-minded in one goal, and that was to remove all vestiges of an entrenched dictatorship," Raul C. Pangalangan, former dean of the College of Law at the University of the Philippines, said earlier this month. "We all owe her in a big way." But Aquino struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her own family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term. Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as "Tita (Auntie) Cory." Her son, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said she died at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (1918 GMT Friday). Requiem Masses were scheduled for later Saturday, and yellow ribbons were tied on trees around her neighborhood in Quezon city. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is on an official visit to the United States, remembered Aquino as a "national treasure" who helped lead "a revolution to restore democracy and the rule of law to our nation at a time of great peril. "She picked up the standard from the fallen warrior Ninoy and helped lead our nation to a brighter day," Arroyo said. The Philippines will observe 10 days of national mourning, she said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it would accord full military honors during Aquino's wake, including gun salutes and lowering flags to half-staff. TV stations on Saturday ran footage of Aquino's years in power together with prayers while her former aides and supporters offered condolences. "Today our country has lost a mother," said former President Joseph Estrada, calling Aquino "a woman of both strength and graciousness." Aquino's successor, Fidel Ramos, who was the military's vice chief of staff when he broke with Marcos and embraced Aquino, said the former leader "represented the best of the Filipino of the past and the future." Exiled Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, whom Aquino freed from jail in 1986, paid tribute from the Netherlands. President Barack Obama was deeply saddened by Aquino's death, said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. "Ms. Aquino played a crucial role in Philippines history, moving the country to democratic rule through her nonviolent 'people power' movement over 20 years ago," Obama said. "Her courage, determination, and moral leadership are an inspiration to us all and exemplify the best in the Filipino nation." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who wrote to Aquino last week, and Sen. Richard Lugar from Indiana also praised Aquino's courage. Lugar headed a team of American poll monitors who declared the February 1986 elections flawed, a significant turning point in Marcos' ouster. Aquino's unlikely rise began in 1983 after her husband was gunned down at Manila's international airport moments after soldiers escorted him from a plane on his arrival from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary. The killing enraged many Filipinos and unleashed a broad-based opposition movement that thrust Aquino into the role of national leader. "I don't know anything about the presidency," she declared in 1985, a year before she agreed to run against Marcos, uniting the fractious opposition, the business community, and later the armed forces to drive the dictator out. Maria Corazon Cojuangco was born on Jan. 25, 1933, into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Paniqui, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Manila. She attended private school in Manila and earned a degree in French from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York. In 1954 she married Ninoy Aquino, the fiercely ambitious scion of another political family. He rose from provincial governor to senator and finally opposition leader. Marcos, elected president in 1965, declared martial law in 1972 to avoid term limits. He abolished the Congress and jailed Aquino's husband and thousands of opponents, journalists and activists without charges. Aquino became her husband's political stand-in, confidant, message carrier and spokeswoman. A military tribunal sentenced her husband to death for alleged links to communist rebels but, under pressure from U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Marcos allowed him to leave in May 1980 for heart surgery in the U.S. It was the start of a three-year exile. With her husband at Harvard University holding court with fellow exiles, academics, journalists and visitors from Manila, Aquino was the quiet homemaker, raising their five children and serving tea. Away from the hurly-burly of Philippine politics, she described the period as the best of their marriage. The halcyon days ended when her husband decided to return to regroup the opposition. While she and the children remained in Boston, he flew to Manila, where he was shot as he descended the stairs from the plane. The government blamed a suspected communist rebel, but subsequent investigations pointed to a soldier who was escorting him from the plane on Aug. 21, 1983. Aquino heard of the assassination in a phone call from a Japanese journalist. She recalled gathering the children and, as a deeply religious woman, praying for strength. "During Ninoy's incarceration and before my presidency, I used to ask why it had always to be us to make the sacrifice," she said in a 2007 interview with The Philippine Star newspaper. "And then, when Ninoy died, I would say, 'Why does it have to be me now?' It seemed like we were always the sacrificial lamb." She returned to the Philippines three days later. One week after that, she led the largest funeral procession Manila had seen. Crowd estimates ranged as high as 2 million. With public opposition mounting against Marcos, he stunned the nation in November 1985 by calling a snap election in a bid to shore up his mandate. The opposition, including then Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, urged Aquino to run. After a fierce campaign, the vote was held on Feb. 7, 1986. The National Assembly declared Marcos the winner, but journalists, foreign observers and church leaders alleged massive fraud. With the result in dispute, a group of military officers mutinied against Marcos on Feb. 22 and holed up with a small force in a military camp in Manila. Over the following three days, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos responded to a call by the Roman Catholic Church to jam the broad highway in front of the camp to prevent an attack by Marcos forces. On the third day, against the advice of her security detail, Aquino appeared at the rally alongside the mutineers, led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramos. From a makeshift platform, she declared: "For the first time in the history of the world, a civilian population has been called to defend the military." The military chiefs pledged their loyalty to Aquino and charged that Marcos had won the election by fraud. U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a longtime supporter of Marcos, called on him to resign. "Attempts to prolong the life of the present regime by violence are futile," the White House said. American officials offered to fly Marcos out of the Philippines. On Feb. 25, Marcos and his family went to the U.S.-run Clark Air Base outside Manila and flew to Hawaii, where he died three years later. The same day, Aquino was sworn in as the Philippines' first female leader. Over time, the euphoria fizzled as the public became impatient and Aquino more defensive as she struggled to navigate treacherous political waters and build alliances to push her agenda. "People used to compare me to the ideal president, but he doesn't exist and never existed. He has never lived," she said in the 2007 Philippine Star interview. The right attacked her for making overtures to communist rebels and the left for protecting the interests of wealthy landowners. Aquino signed an agrarian reform bill that virtually exempted large plantations like her family's sugar plantation from being distributed to landless farmers. When farmers protested outside the Malacanang Presidential Palace on Jan. 22, 1987, troops opened fire, killing 13 and wounding 100. The bloodshed scuttled talks with communist rebels, who had galvanized opposition to Marcos but weren't satisfied with Aquino either. As recently as 2004, at least seven workers were killed in clashes with police and soldiers at the family's plantation, Hacienda Luisita, over its refusal to distribute its land. Aquino also attempted to negotiate with Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines, but made little progress. Behind the public image of the frail, vulnerable widow, Aquino was an iron-willed woman who dismissed criticism as the carping of jealous rivals. She knew she had to act tough to earn respect in the Philippines' macho culture. "When I am just with a few close friends, I tell them, 'OK, you don't like me? Look at the alternatives,' and that shuts them up," she told America's NBC television in a 1987 interview. Her term was punctuated by repeated coup attempts—most staged by the same clique of officers who had risen up against Marcos and felt they had been denied their fair share of power. The most serious attempt came in December 1989 when only a flyover by U.S. jets prevented mutinous troops from toppling her. Leery of damaging relations with the United States, Aquino tried in vain to block a historic Senate vote to force the U.S. out of its two major bases in the Philippines. In the end, the U.S. Air Force pulled out of Clark Air Base in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced its evacuation and left it heavily damaged. The last American vessel left Subic Bay Naval Base in November 1992. After stepping down in 1992, Aquino remained active in social and political causes. Until diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2008, she joined rallies calling for the resignation of President Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption. She kept her distance from another famous widow, flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, who was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991. Marcos has called Aquino a usurper and dictator, though she later led prayers for Aquino in July 2009 when the latter was hospitalized. The two never made peace. ___ Associated Press writers Jim Gomez and Oliver Teves contributed to this report.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-07-31 22:49:00
Philippines	XOOM Users Good News	Hi guys, i did figured it out how. I used REMITFAST and it worked, free of charge. Thanks anyway!	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-07-31 22:18:00
Philippines	XOOM Users Good News	Hey guys! I need help please. Can anyone tell me how to send money for free using Xoom. I'm trying to but i can't figure out how to do it. Anyone please? THANKS.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-07-31 21:56:00
Philippines	Festivals in the Philippines	Dinagyang festival Dinagyang Festival is the major festival in Iloilo, which every Ilongo is proud of. The Dinagyang Festival is celebrated every fourth weekend of January to honor the Christianization of the natives and to respect the Holy Child Jesus. On this day, streets of Iloilo City will once again come alive as the Ilonggos celebrate the annual festivity. It is a very colorful parade coupled with a dramatization in honor of the patron Saint Sto. Niño as the object of performs offerings and prayers amidst the cracking of drums and shouts of "Viva Señor Santo Niño." The thundering of "Hala Bira" by the tribe members makes the celebration a lively one. It is also a very popular tagline used by Ilonggos to express their warm participation during the "Dinagyang" celebration. A tribute in honor of Señor Sto. Niño whom Ilonggos believe was very miraculous in times of famine and drought. Dinagyang is an annual event, when the whole town rejoices, shouting their pride of being an Ilonggo and telling their culture. It is a wonderful looking back to the past. It is not just a celebration, it is a religious evangelization. Going back to Iloilo is more like a past fulfilled and a looking forward for future celebrations. It is our culture. The Aeta culture. That's why it is painting the town black. The Birth and Evolution of Dinagyang The root word is dagyang. In Ilonggo, it means to make happy. Dinagyang is the present progressive word of the Ilonggo word, meaning making merry or merry-making. A religious and cultural activity, it is a celebration of Ilonggos whose bodies are painted with black in effect to imitate the black, small and slender Negritos who are the aborigines of Panay. The warriors are dressed in fashionable and colorful Aeta costumes and dance artistically and rhythmically with complicated formations along with the loud thrashing and sound of drums. Before, Dinagyang was called Ati-atihan like that of the Kalibo festivity. History tells that it started when a replica of the image of Señor Sto. Niño was brought to the San Jose Parish Church in Iloilo from Cebu. The people of Iloilo honored the coming of the image and then became devotees. Until they made the day of the Image's arrival as his feast day which falls on the 4th Sunday of January. Since 1968, it was already considered a yearly celebration, culminated by a nine-day Novena, an Ati-ati contest and a fluvial procession on the last day. Recognized now to the annual, socio-cultural-religious festival of Iloilo City, the word Dinagyang was made up by an old-timer, Ilonggo writer and radio broadcaster, the late Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario, and first used to name the festival when it was launched in 1977, to make it unique from other Ati-atihan celebrations. Iloilo City's Dinagyang has its early beginnings in 1968, when a model of the image of Sr. Santo Ni¤o was brought from Cebu City to the San Jose Parish Church by Fr. Suplicio Ebderes, OSA with a delegation of Cofradia del Sto. Niño, Cebu members. The image and party were enthusiastically welcomed at Iloilo City by then parish priest of San Jose Church, Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, OSA, then Mayor Renerio Ticao, and the devotees of the Sto. Niño in Iloilo City. The image was brought to San Jose Parish Church and preserved there up to this time, where a novena in His honor is held every Friday. The climax of the nine-day novena was the Fluvial Procession. In the early morning light of dawn, the respected Santo Niño image is borne on a decorative banca in a fluvial procession, starting from the mouth of the Iloilo River at Fort San Pedro, winding all the way to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol which stands on the bank of the Iloilo River. If the festival had to be developed into a major tourist attraction, it would be so big in magnitude and the Confradia thought that it could no longer cope with the demands of a tourist come-on. The year 1976 also brought another feature of the festival. Street celebrations and audience participation were introduced and encouraged. At that point, the Santo Niño is met by the Hermano-Hermana Mayor devotees, and Ati-atihan tribes. With the Santo Niño leading, the foot procession starts, passing through the main streets of the city and ending up at San Jose Church, where a high mass is then celebrated. As years went by, the celebration continued to be highlighted by a mass at San Jose Parish at the break of the dawn; by a "Kasadyahan" which is the opening event of the celebration, also a merrymaking but is a dramatized dance presentation about the Aeta's survival, the landing of the 10 Bornean Datus in Panay and the colonization; and by dances and more merry making which have become a tourist attraction. As more and more tribes from the barangays, schools and nearby towns and provinces participate, the contest became more competitive in terms of costumes, choreography and sounds. The tribes compete for the following Special Awards: Best in Discipline, Best in Costume, Best in Performance, Best in Music and Best in Choreography. These are aside from the major awards for the champion, first runner-up, second runner-up, third runner-up and fourth runner-up. Participating tribes learn to design artistically and with originality in making use of Ilonggo native materials like dried anahaw leaves, buri or coconut palm leaves and husks and other barks of Philippine trees. Choreography was studied and practices were kept secret. Sounds were seen as an authentic medium that keeps the tribes going in uniform. They also include a brief dramatization of how Christianity was brought to Panay and the arrival of the 10 Bornean Datus telling about the exchange of the Aetas of their land for the Borneans' Golden Salakot (native hat) and a long pearl necklace which is also parallel with the Kasadyahan celebration. During the celebration, people participate with the Kasadyahan. Some dressed in Aeta costumes, some paint their faces with black paint, some put on colored artificial tattoos and wear other Aeta ornaments. At night, there is public dancing on selected areas. "Hala Bira Iloilo"	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-09-04 22:10:00
Philippines	Xoom Coupon Code	just send money few minutes ago, used bushstreet09 and it work. saved me few bucks.	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2009-11-20 18:41:00
Philippines	Did you buy your ticket before or after the interview?	i booked the tickets after i received the visas. i guess that's the best and practical idea. i purchased the tickets through travel agent in the philippines, much cheaper than doing online. GOD BLESS! ana	honeysweet	Female	Philippines	2008-01-24 00:32:00
Philippines	Hotels near St. Luke's?	Hi all! I've been searching the web for decent but not too expensive hotels near St. Luke's hospital. I've got a bad experience with just trusting the hotel pictures posted on it's website. Anyone out there have an idea? Tropical Mansion about a block from St. Luke's. 1,500 per day not cheap but nice and clean +63(2)5231724 /+63(2)5231756 1242 J. Bocobo Street Ermita 1000 Manila Metro Manila	PatRhea	Female	0	2011-04-08 08:03:00
Philippines	Which city and state are you?	Daly City, California	kennethandjoyce	Male	Philippines	2008-05-30 05:25:00
Philippines	No one denied lately?	sorry i'm very new here. what does AR and CRBA mean? sorry if that question sounds stupid >_<	gene and mai	Female	Philippines	2009-12-15 01:58:00
Philippines	Cenomar and NBI Clearance	ok here's what i think about the police clearance if you never left the philippines. if she has lived somewhere else, aside from the city where she is living now, after she turned 16, even if she never left the philippines, she needs a police clearance. for example, at 18, she lived in Cebu. but now, she lives in Manila. then she needs to get a police clearance in Cebu. that is just what i understood from the instructions tho. i could be wrong.	gene and mai	Female	Philippines	2010-02-01 18:38:00
Philippines	Shipping Items from Phil. to the USA	yeah. i suggest you use the postal service. i used it a couple of times to send some packages to my friends. it only costs 687 per kilo and 400+ for succeeding kilos. i don't remember the exact price. but they received it with no problems in 2 weeks more or less. hope that helps!	gene and mai	Female	Philippines	2010-02-01 15:47:00
Philippines	How did u present your pictures during the interview?	is it alright if the pictures are smaller? not small like you couldn't tell who was who but smaller than the standard 4x6 o 3x5?	gene and mai	Female	Philippines	2010-02-02 13:55:00