Official Program for the Inauguration of Benigno S. Aquino III and Jejomar C. Binay as President and Vice President of the Philippines, June 30, 2010, Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines

Official Program Aquino Inaugural (Excerpts)

Feb. 22, 2010, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Fightnews.com quoted the challenger Joshua Clottey: “I’ve worked hard for weeks in Florida,” he said. “When I win don’t call it an upset. We have a game plan which will give Pacquiao a lot of problems. No one is unbeatable including him. I personally know he’s worried about me, how big and strong I will be in the ring that night.” Clottey also added that he is in top condition for his upcoming title fight against Manny Pacquiao on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Schedule of Activities 2010

Source: dinagyangsailoilo.com

Jian's I.S.A. Recognition Day

Grade-3 Most Outstanding & Special Award in Math, March 2009

Jian Kyle Tiampong, Kathleen Therese Tilos, Luke  Kenneth Gurrea, Nicole Cassey Lao, Paul Bryan Buni, Kevinn Friedrich Chan, Jan Jemi Gerwayne Tiu, Krisha Wee, and Karl Francis Chan.

Nine amazing kids that made Ilonggos very proud of them in the Australian Mathematics Competition. They are part of the fifty-six other students also won top honors in the AMC, held simultaneously last August in Australia and 35-plus other countries worldwide, including the Philippines

Over 2,000 Filipino elementary and high school students took part in the AMC, administered by AMT representatives, Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Philippines (MTG) and the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology:

Jian Kyle Tiampong - Distinction Awardee

Distinction Awards are given to students with percentile ranking between the 85 and 98 percentile

Kathleen Therese Tilos – Credit Awardee

Luke  Kenneth Gurrea – Credit Awardee

Nicole Cassey Lao – Credit Awardee

Paul Bryan Buni – Credit Awardee

Kevinn Friedrich Chan – Credit Awardee

Jan Jemi Gerwayne Tiu – Credit Awardee

Krisha Wee – Credit Awardee

Karl Francis Chan – Credit Awardee

Credit Awards are given to students with percentile ranking between the 50 and 85 percentile.

The Australian Mathematics Competition:

The first AMC was held in 1976, was open to students within the Australian Capital Territory, and attracted 1200 entries.

The, in 2004, the competition was expanded to allow two more divisions, one for year five and six students, and another for year three and four students. And in 2005, students from 38 different countries entered the competition.

The AMC test paper consists questions on topics that include arithmetic, number theory, combinatorics, geometry, measurement, algebra and probability and thank goodness, no calculus! Students have 75 minutes to read and answer 30 questions, which are ordered in increasing difficulty.  Of the 30 questions, 25 in multiple-choice  and 5 questions with an integer answer between 0-999. 

Some of the AMC winners will also represent the country in the Philippine International Math Competitions which is scheduled from 28th November to 2nd December 2009 in Iloilo City.

So, Congratulations kids! We are very proud of you!!

Lastly, I know there are different levels in the competition, but just for fun, I grabbed one problem from a student preparing for the test. He posted it  in a blogsite, physicsforums.com, soliciting some answers. You can try your math talent on the question below:

Four singers take part in a musical round of 4 equal lines, each finishing after singing the line through three times.

The second singer begins when the first singer begins the second line, the third singer begins when the first singer begins the third line, the fourth singer begins when the first singer begins the fourth line. The fraction of the total singing time that all four are singing at the same time is:

A. 3/4
B. 3/5
C. 2/3
D. 5/6
E. 8/15

Check all the answers here

Sources: facebook.com, carillon.up.edu.ph, en.wikipedia.org

The Philippines has a PR problem. While it harbors as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet, the nation sees only a fraction of the visitors of nearby Thailand. Even travel companies, it seems, have bought the bad rap: Other than the occasional sea kayaking trip, U.S. guides have largely avoided the archipelago.

But Wilderness Travel has finally gotten wise. This May (2010) the outfit will lead clients high into the 4,000-foot Cordillera Central, then deep into the world’s most biodiverse marine environment. The trip begins in Banaue, where travelers spend days hiking into terraced mountains and nights back at the town’s namesake hotel (pine cabins, private balconies, killer views). Then it’s down to the island of Cabilao, trading butterflies for fish species of them.

For the next five days, you’ll bob around reefs, scanning the area’s 350 varieties of coral (including table coral that’s a whopping nine feet wide). But don’t forget: The best snorkeling starts at dusk. “It’s like being in a train station during commuting hours,” says Barbara Banks, Wilderness Travel’s director of new trip development. “The day fish are moving out and the night creatures like octopuses and eels are moving in.”

Outfitter:Wilderness Travel; wildernesstravel.com
Price: $3,300 ($$)
Length: 12 days
Departs: May

The Wilderness Travel chose a great itinerary. But we know Philippines has a lot more to offer. The Iloilo province alone lists 64 festivals a year, an average of more than 5 festivals a month.

The PR problem, however, is not because of the lack of information about Philippines but because of the “bad” publicity about it. When I searched some trusted travel websites (like the National Geographic, etc.) about Philippines, I found articles like corruption, flood and dengue fever, and especially kidnapping, affecting the image of the Philippines abroad and scaring foreign visitors away.

On the other hand, tourism in the Philippines is not totally dependent on foriegn tourists. Despite the influx recently of Korean and Japanese tourists, local and balikbayan travelers make a significant contribution into the tourism industry. Thus the DOT’s video clip ‘Biyahe Tayo’ and a slogan years ago ‘H’wag  maging dayuhan sa Sariling Bayan” targeting local tourists.

For Filipinos, it is a matter of promoting this local travel especially with their balikbayan relatives. Staying in your hometown is okay but moving around and visiting other places is better. Witness the different town fiestas and the colorful festivals; visit historic places, churches, fortresses; and do nature adventure activities, etc.. If you don’t have any family or friends to visit, dont worry, most of the celebration starts with a food festival. It is cheaper than traveling abroad like Singapore or Hong Kong, it’s few hours away, it doesn’t have a security issues of national or international interest (like kidnapping of foreigners) and it helps a lot the local tourism industry. But nevertheless, being included in the National Geographic’s “25 Best New Trips for 2010″ is a big boast in Philippine’s image as a foreign tourist destination.

source: nationalgeographic.com

photo by en.wikipedia.org

a.k.a. Pac-Man
Fighting Pride of the Philippines
The Mexicutioner
Pambansang Kamao

The only boxer to win the lineal championship (”the man who beat the man who beat the man”) in four different weight classes.

The first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions.

WBO welterweight world champion

Ring Magazine light welterweight

WBC lightweight world champion,

WBC super featherweight world champion

IBF super bantamweight world champion 

WBC flyweight world champion

Ring Magazine featherweight

His name: Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao

Date of birth: December 17, 1978

Nationality: Filipino ….and proud to be one!

“If I win it’s boxing history – seven titles in seven different weight divisions. I would be so proud – being a Filipino who captured titles in seven weight divisions.”- Manny Pacquiao

What more could I say? But others have a lot to say, especially this man….Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I’m in a no-win situation and when I beat him no one is going to be surprised because he’s been beaten before; whatever I do to Pacquiao has been done before – he’s been beaten on three occasions. And if I knock him out I don’t want the world shouting because he’s been knocked out twice before.”-Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Click here to watch the Full Interview video of Floyd Mayweather Jr. after the Pacquiao-Cotto fight.

video source: pacquiaovideo.com

Congatulations to Wizmic Philippine Team especially to silver medalist Leo Emmanuel Sombiro of Solomon Integrated School de Iloilo, Iloilo City.

Wizards at Mathematics International Competition  (Wizmic) 2009 is a series of competitions in mathematics that calls for the participation of school children from around the world. The aim of the series is to unfold a platform for mathematical interaction at elementary level, to provide an opportunity for students to showcase their mathematical talents and to develop consciousness in the schools around the world to brush up their elementary mathematics programs

In this year’s competition, Indonesia topped, winning 24 medals, including eight golds. Thailand came in third with 20, Bulgaria was fourth with nine while host India was fifth with 33 medals, mostly bronze.

Math teams from South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Taiwan didn’t participate due to what a contest official called the “H1N1 (virus) scare.”

As the Philippine team celebrates it’s 2nd place, 25-medal victory in the 2009 Wizmic in India, Iloilo is getting ready to host the next big international mathematics contest.

Dr. Simon Chua, president and cofounder of the  Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG), led the Philippine delegation in Lucknow, about 516 kilometers southeast of the New Delhi, India.

Dr. Chua said that the competition “provides another opportunity for young Math wizards worldwide to gather and display their remarkable mathematical skills.” He also invited the Wizmic participants to the 2009 Philippine International Mathematics Competitions (PIMC 2009) which will be held in Iloilo City from 28th November to 2nd December 2009,

This international event in Iloilo will be hosted by the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG)-Philippines, a nonprofit group that aims to promote excellence in Math Education in the Philippines. The same group who trained the Philippine Wizmic participants.

The competition is composed of the 2009 Asia Inter-Cities Teenagers Mathematics Olympiad (AITMO)- Lower Secondary level and 2009 Philippine Elementary Mathematics International Contest (PEMIC)- Primary(or Elementary) level, conducted simultaneously and will be dubbed as a single event, the PIMC 2009

This competition is expected to be participated by over 100 teams from 30 countries and territories in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia and if fully recognized, endorsed and supported by the Department of Education and Department of Science and Technology.

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary, Hon. Jesli A. Lapus made the govenrment support clear and official by issuing the DepEd Memo No. 338 (s. 2009) issued  to bureau directors, regional directors, schools division superintendents, heads of public and private elementary and secondary schools.

Secretary Lapus pointed out that regional and national mathematics contests based on international rules will be conducted for math-gifted local private and private school students who have never experienced joining international mathematics competitions. He also stressed that this approach will further enhance the mathematical skills of Filipino students vis-à-vis their international counterparts.

Sources: PDI, PIMC

Don’t have extra cash to donate? Donate your time! Call your local Red Cross Chapter, your local church organization like the Catholic Relief Services, your local relief organization like the Salvation Army, etc., for any help that you can extend. They may need an extra helping hands more than cash, cans of sardines or used clothing!

If you think relief operations are for trained personnel only, your dead wrong! There are more than 1,001 ways to help others through your Red Cross and other relief organizations.

Help in the kitchen: help cook food for distribution to evacuation centers, food for canteen services of the rescuers, police officers, firemen, etc and of the volunteers and staff that are working tirelessly 24/7. bring extra disposable plates, spoons. forks and cups if you can.

Help in the office: help receive goods, accommodate visitors, guide volunteers, file reports, answer phone, operate the 2-way radio, clean office, organizer clutter, etc. Bring your 2-way radio if you have, your celphone and its charger. Bring flashlight if you can.

Help in errands: drive transport unit, buy supplies, pick up donations, pick up/drop off personnel and volunteers, etc. Bring your car, motocycle, or bicycle if you can.

Help in relief operations:  load and unload supplies, sort out relief goods, drive supply trucks, distribute goods, gather field information, etc., bring working gloves, masks, hard hat, rubber or military boots, pocho or raincoat, extra clothing, jacket, sleeping bag if you can.

Help in the rescue operations: If you have a military background or have skills in outdoor sports, a trained rescuer, if you have medical backgroud, a nurse, a doctor, a midwife, a first aider, a life guard or if you have knowledge in logistical operations, you will be a very valuable rescue team personnel. If you own a boat, a generator set, rapelling ropes and accessories, binoculars, spot lights, etc. call the organization’s operations center.

These are just a few examples of what you can do and a few examples of opportunities that you can meet  people and good friends.

Lastly, please remember them, the tens of thousands, victims of typhoon Onday, that desperately need your help!

If you want to help through monetary donation:

Philippine National Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx

Catholic Relief Services: https://crs.org/donate/

Salvation Army: https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&t=PH_PHL

(Photo Source: AP)

Philippine Maritime Industry plus Philippine Politics is a deadly mix.

Last June 21, 2008, at the height of typhoon Frank (International name- typhoon Fengsen) the MV Princess of the Stars of Sulpicio Lines sunk near Subuyan Island in Romblon. Sulpicio Lines reported that of 825 listed passengers only 52 survived the tragedy.

Now, here comes the SuperFerry 9, within just about a year. AGAIN? What the!!!….

If you could still remember that the Philippine Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI), after the well publicized investigation, concluded that Sulpicio Lines and its captain were liable for the capsizing of MV Princess of the Stars. 773 human beings were lost!

BMI also reported the  lapses of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the MARINA, and also of PAG-ASA. It also listed immediate recommendations and courses of actions to the Professional Regulations Commission, MARINA, the shipping companies, the PCG, PAG-ASA, PPA, and local governments.

And the most important to me, the BMI pushed for the passage of a new Merchant Shipping Act to replace the current and quite obsolete laws. Several of our law makers tried but failed to answer this call. The Inquirer.net quoted Sen. Rodolfo Biazon:

The horrible frequency of maritime disasters in our country, where the ferry system is the major means of transportation between our 7,100 islands, is an indictment of our entire maritime industry and the government regulators and lawmakers.

He blames his own branch of government for having failed all these decades to pass strict laws to reform the maritime industry.

I remember a special report of the Manila TImes last July 06, 2008: Why are bills to reform the maritime industry not being attended to?

The article summarized several bills that were filed with several committees. There were 7 bills filed. But we never heard of them since and here is what the special report says:

The lone local bill among the seven bills on maritime industry, Rep. Thelma Almario’s HB 4357 which was filed June 11, 2008, two days before Congress adjourned sine die on June 13, is still pending for first reading.

The big question is why the bills on the maritime industry are moving at a very slow pace and are almost static.

Is it because some members of the House of Representatives are owners of shipping lines and the measure might affect their business?

This is the 64-million-dollar question that needs to be addressed soonest.

With the sinking of the Super Ferry 9, I really don’t know what else is needed for our elected officials to reform the Philippine maritime industry. And with that multi-million-dollar campaign capabilities, I really don’t know if we, as a Filipino Nation, are still capable of electing the right leaders.

This coming election, please remember what the few hundred bills inside an envelope may cost us in the future.

(Article Sources: Inquirer.net, manilatimes.net, wikipedia.org, ufs.ph)

(Photo Sources: AP, Rueters, AFP)

Let’s HANGOUT in Iloilo City and join the Annual International Coastal Cleanup!

The Ocean Conservancy is inviting everyone to join the Annual International Coastal Cleanup held on 2nd or 3rd weekend of September. This is a global effort to clean-up the coastline, rivers and lakes of trash and recording them for future references and studies.

The 2008 International Coastal Cleanup campaign gathered 400,000 volunteers from around the world and collected 6.8 million pounds of trash. The Philippines has been actively participating since 1994 in this annual global effort with 2,625,284 volunteers throughout the country.

There is no specific data about the clean-up activities in Iloilo city and province. But to give us some idea, here is the 2007 Ocean Conservancy Summary Report for the Philippines by ICC Coordinator Geronimo P. Reyes and Samuel Umandap:

In Philippines, 50,526 volunteers participated in the ICC, removing 250,973.9 pounds of trash and debris from 217.2 miles of shoreline. In addition, 721 volunteer divers participated in underwater cleanups, removing 6,999.8 pounds of debris from 31.5 miles of seafloor. 65.9 percent of the debris found in Philippines came from land-based activities like picnics, festivals, sporting events, and beach outings. Litter washed from streets, parking lots, and storm drains also contributed to this category.

Ocean and water-based activities offshore such as boating and fishing accounted for 17.9 percent of Philippines’s debris. Globally, 6.3 percent of collected debris came from ocean and waterway-based activities

Smoking-related products (cigarette filters, cigar tips, and tobacco packaging) accounted for 13.6 percent of the debris found in Philippines. Worldwide, these items comprised 33.6 percent of the six million pounds of debris collected.

Plastic bags top the list of debris collected.

To illustrate further some coastal area conditions in our country, here is a couple of pictures I grabbed from my friend’s facebook. These were taken during a bird population census last January of 2007.

photo source: kaakbay

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup has thousands of volunteers and supporters. HANGOUT in Iloilo and  help clean-up Iloilo River and Coastal areas! 
To register: http://www.oceanconservancy.org

Areas already identified for clean-up in Iloilo and nearby provinces:

Parola-Quirino Bridge, Fort San Pedro-Ortiz, Sto. Nino Sur in Arevalo,

Nogas Island, Boracay Island

Brgy. Sampirit in Negros, Punta Ballo also in Negros

(Article and photo sources: oceanconservancy.org, apps.facebook.com)