Archive for the ‘Community issues’ Category
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
We were all devastated when we learned of the tragedy that happened to MV Dona Paz in 1987. According to Wikipedia…
The official death toll on the ferry is 1,565 although some reports claim that the ferry was overcrowded and that the true death toll at least 4,341.[1] The ships would put the death toll at 4,375 although admitting that only 1,568 were on the manifest (still more than the licensed maximum of 1,518). The 21 (or 24) survivors from the ferry had to swim, as there was no time to launch lifeboats.
Sulpicio Lines owned the ill-fated MV Dona Paz. Two more tragedies befell two more of their ships i the following years after that. And then the MV Princess of the Stars capsized during the typhoon Frank. Just like with the MV Dona Paz, more people died but only a few were listed in the passenger manifest.
I was just wondering, when will Sulpicio Lines lose their license after all these tragedies? Or more precisely, when will this company be made accountable for all these blatant breaking of the law? Yes, the company didn’t want all the tragedies that happened but isn’t this just a little bit like history repeating itself, specifically with what happened to MV Princess of the Stars?
I do hope something will be done to this company soon.
Popularity: 34% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
For all my Filipino blogger-friends who are working as a corporate rat here in the Philippines, well, I have some good news for you. Ready? 
There will be no more tax deductions for minimum wage earners! Let us thank Mar Roxas for authoring Republic Act 9504. Yey!!!
The law was signed today declaring that for every minimum wage earner here in the Philippines, there will be no more tax deduction in your salaries. Now that is a big help for so many Filipinos earning minimum wage right now. Remember, when a tax law, ruling, regulation is changed within the year, it will become effective for the whole year. It means that for those people who are deducted with tax from their January to June 15th salaries, you can get a refund come December. For minimum wage earners only, okay?
Now, for those who are earning more than the minimum wage, there is a good news for you as well. The personal tax exemptions for single (Php20,000), head of the family (Php25,000) and married individuals (Php32,000) are now fixed to Php50,000! And an additional exemption for qualified dependents has been increased to Php25,000 per dependent from the previous Php8,000 per dependent.
To top it off, the senator added that all holiday, night differential, hazard, and overtime pay would also be tax-exempt.
Sweet!
That will reduce tax deductions by a significant amount. Expect tax refunds or lower tax deductions come November and December of this year people!
When I was still working as a corporate rat, my tax deduction could pay two assistants already. It was that painful to look at when I get my payslip. With this change in the tax table, I might be lured back to work as a corporate rat… Might is the operative word there hehe… If I will not go to work on Mondays, well, that will be a greater pull 
*More information on the new tax bill here.
Popularity: 53% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Rumors are everywhere about the tax bill GMA will be signing into law It is the Republic Act 9504 or the tax bill that will exempt minimum wage earners from being taxed. This will be a big help for us Filipinos. There are so many minimum wage earners here in the country. The factory workers for one. You know how big in number they are. This bill, authored by Senator Mar Roxas, will save some money for the minimum wage earners. That money that would have been deducted as tax can now go to food and other basic necessities of a family. Let’s wait and see if it will really be signed into law today.
Popularity: 100% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 1 Comment »
Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Have you noticed the strange weather the past few days? It still is extremely humid in Manila these days. It is supposed to be the rainy season already.
The past couple of days, there have been thunderstorms in the afternoon, around 5pm. But after less than an hour, it will stop. It just scares me how weird the weather is. After watching all those global warming tv specials, well, you can just imagine, what my mind conjures when I hear booming thunders and all.
What is this really happens? Frozen sea, frozen everything? Scary!
Popularity: 25% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
Tomorrow will be the Philippine’s Independence Day. It is supposed to be a holiday but due to GMA’s holiday economics, the holiday was moved to last Monday. Since last Monday was a holiday, it was a long weekend here in the Philippines. I am sure a lot of people went out and had fun.
Wait! Aren’t we supposed to celebrate Independence Day last Monday? Or will you just do it tomorrow?
Don’t forget to raise your flags and show everyone you are proud of our country.
Happy Independence Day to all the Filipinos out there!
Popularity: 19% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
I was tagged by the Genie Princess to…
help spread the awareness on the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ month of June. Please help convey the importance of regular examination and early detection of breast cancer in order to catch this disease when it first erupts, maximizing the chance of survival and recovery.
One of my aunts has breast cancer. She’s been battling the disease for a few years now and thank goodness she is strong enough to do it. With the help of modern medicine, the love and support of family and friends, she is successful in fighting the disease so far.
These are some facts I got from Cancer Research web site. How many people survive breast cancer?
- - More women are surviving breast cancer than ever before
- - Breast cancer survival rates have been improving for more than twenty years
- - In the 1970s around 5 out of 10 breast cancer patients survived beyond five years. Now it’s 8 out of 10
- - Breast cancer survival rates are significantly higher among women from the most affluent areas compared to women living in the most deprived areas
- - Breast cancer survival rates are better the earlier the cancer is diagnosed
- - Around 9 out of 10 of women diagnosed with stage I breast cancer survives beyond five years. This drops to around 1 out of 10 diagnosed with stage I
Prevention is better than cure, of course. In the case of my aunt, she felt there was a lump in her breast but due to so many things happening in her life that time, she ignored it and just thought it might go away in time. But well, as it turned out, had she made the decision to see a doctor right away, it would have been removed and that’s it. She waited a few years though before seeing a doctor. By that time, she was already in stage 1 cancer.
So I advise women out there to have their breasts checked if they feel something wrong with it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a false alarm, an unnecessary worry on your part. What is important is that you’re doing your part in preventing it.
Help spread awareness. You can help the lives of many women by spreading the word about The Breast Cancer Site. If The Breast Cancer Site receives 8 million clicks on the pink button in June, their premier sponsor -Bare Necessities- will donate $10,000 for more free mammograms. CLICK the pink button today!
Thank you, Mariuca for passing this tag along. Now, I would like to ask my friends to spread Breast Cancer awareness through their blogs: Mousey, Nona, Ate Ghee, Wendy, Angela, Maiylah, Joni, Vannie, Rachel, Teacher Julie.
P.S. I will also be putting the pink button on my sidebar so that when Entrecard droppers visit, they can also click the button as well.
Popularity: 76% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 13 Comments »
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
I have been watching Pinoy Big Brother, the local version of the popular reality tv franchise. I am just concerned over what the show imparts to the number of teens watching it thrice a day. My brother who is a 16-year-old teener watches it daily. He watches the noon time video streaming, the 5pm update Uber as well as the primetime show at 9pm. What alarms me is that the show has a verbally abusive father who shouts and curses at his son, Kevin, another housemate Josef and Josef’s aunt Anna. I have ranted about it here…
Have you seen the primetime show today? My goodness, if that is not a verbal abuse, I don’t know what is!
Another thing that alarmed me is the way another teen housemate, Ejay, cried just because he broke a glass. I believe it is totally bull to make a kid afraid because he broke a glass. The teener cried for crying out loud! It was just a glass. Yes, he needed to be reminded to be careful. But the poor guy thought he’s be punished because of the broken glass. I am not a psychologist but I do know there is an impact in the teen’s psychological well-being if he or she is being threatened with punishment just because he broke a glass or a plate or a vase. You can just feel Ejay’s concern over what he did.
Accidents happen. Next time, be careful.
Those should be the words uttered to the boy.
Umiinit talaga ang ulo ko sa Pinoy Big Brother na yan! Consider the following:
- The teens interact with each other like they are truly fond of one another. And then come nomination time, they’d release pent up sentiments over their housemates. After nomination, they’d hug each other like there’s nothing wrong.
Shouldn’t the correct way to address this kind of situation is to talk it over with the person you are having these sentiments over?
- It is good that you are part of a “love team” so that you will instantly get legions of fans just like previous PBB seasons.
I believe the main goal of the show is to showcase the Filipino trait, camaraderie, true emotions… and not to encourage nonstop flirting and showing of too much PDA on tv!
I sure do hope teens get something positive out of a show like this. And parents/guardians, please guide your kids when watching tv. You don’t know, a simple straight forward tv show can turn out to be a fountain of negative values for your kids.
Popularity: 66% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Today, April 15, is the last day of filing of your Income Tax Returns for 2007. Make sure you file it accordingly. There are designated official filing booths at various SM malls. If you don’t have any tax dues to pay, you can file it there.
Goodluck on beating the deadline!
Popularity: 57% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 4th, 2008
Yey! It will be another long weekend for all of us here in the Philippines.
Monday, April 7, has been declared as a regular non-working holiday in lieu of April 9 which is the exact date of Araw ng Kagitingan.
So the whole family is off to Baguio today until Monday night. See you on Tuesday everyone!
Happy (long) weekend! Have fun!
Popularity: 47% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 4 Comments »
Monday, March 24th, 2008
This is a very sad news. One of the historical figures of our freedom from the hands of a dictator is diagnosed with cancer. Former President Corazon Aquino has been diagnosed with colon cancer, according to her daughter, local celebrity Kris Aquino.
Kris Aquino, fighting tears, read a statement on live television that said her mother had gone in for tests after suffering from high blood pressure and difficulty breathing during the Christmas and New Year holidays, then a persistent cough and weight loss.
“The result showed our mother is suffering from cancer of the colon,” she said.
*A report from CNN.com
Let us all pray that she gets well or that she does not suffer that much.
Popularity: 72% [?]
Posted in Community issues | 5 Comments »
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I am an accountant, a CPA. I'd been working for 10 years as a corporate rat when I decided to quit. I am now working at home as a consultant and full time blogger.
