Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ms. Universe Margie Moran with more substance in her 50s

Ms. Universe 1972 Margarita Moran-Floirendo made the Philippines proud when she won the coveted crown several decades ago. But after more than 30 years, she continues to make her countrymen proud by proving that real beauty does not fade.

DatelineDavao made it to the former Ms. U's 57th birthday party at the Tadeco Clubhouse in Panabo last Saturday and realized how this stunning beauty has become more than a pretty face.

Moran-Floirendo still looks regal but has achieved more depth in her personality. With her as one of the executive directors of the Habitat for Humanity Philippines, they have built over 3o,oo0 houses for those who have less in life.

She however emphasized that they do no believe in dole-outs so the houses they built are not free. Aside from the equity paid by the homeowners which is as low as P5,000, the community also contributes their labor in house building.

One would expect a very big event when a celebrity like her celebrates her birthday. Instead, the party was very intimate with no more than 80 guests, all belonging to the people she works with in the community of Panabo and nearby municipalities.

"I prefer it this way so I can interact with everyone," she said. Moran-Floirendo said she is planning to establish more projects in Panabo and in Davao City which she considers her home. She may not have been born in Davao, she said, but she is a real Dabawenyos by heart.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Filariasis: another mosquito-borne disease

If you think that Dengue and Malaria are enough to terrorize you, then here's another mosquito-borne disease to watch out for especially in endemic areas like Mindanao and the Davao Region.

Remember those illnesses classified by villagers as caused by "buyag" or "usog" that results to thickened and swollen legs,arms, scrotum or even breasts? Medical professionals have warned Dabawenyos about the prevalence of Lymphatic Filariasis in the region.

The mosquitos that case Lymphatic Filariasis usually abound in banana plantations and in abaca farms.

"One of the symptoms of Filariasis is elephantiasis which is manifested in swollen arms, breasts, scrotum, and legs among other body parts," Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan said. Locals usually call this "malaking bayag".

While it is not as popular as Dengue or Malaria, he said, up to 25 million Filipinos are at risk of getting Lymphatic Filariasis.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

MinDA has new chair---Dureza out; Antonino in

After weeks of speculation whether Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Jesus Dureza will be replaced or will stay on, the people of Mindanao finally got an answer.

MinDA, which used to be known as the Mindanao Economic Development Council, was an offshoot of Republic Act 9996.

MinDA has a new chairperson after President Benigno Aquino III has accepted the resignation of Dureza, who would have been guaranteed a six-year term had he not resigned as MinDA chair.

Dureza handed in his resignation voluntarily to give Pnoy a chance to appoint a Chair of his own choice.

Former South Cotabato Representative Lualhati Antonino, mother of new General Santos Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, has been formally designated by Pnoy as the new MinDA head during the opening of the 12th National Tuna Congress last Friday. The appointment was announced by former Senator Manuel Roxas who delivered the keynote speech for the Congress.

During an earlier interview and prior to his resignation, Dureza revealed his plans to relocate the MinDA office somewhere in Maramag to make it easily accessible to the other Mindanao cities and provinces.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

One Stop Shop Business Registry to Cut Red Tape in RP


Live BLOGGING

Business registration will be easier and a lot faster once the Philippine Business Registry project is implemented.

Department of Trade and Industry-PBR Program Manager Whilmer Morales is now holding a press conference at the Philippine Information Agency, to report on the update of the project, which is expected to be implemented before end of the year.

The PBR is the Philippine government's response to the World Bank report stating that it takes 50 days and 11 processes to register a business in the Philippines.

"This will not only hasten the business registration process but will also lessen red tape in government," he said. The small and medium enterprises are expected to benefit from this program.

Once implemented, the business owner can register his business with the Department of Trade and Industry, which will act on the application in one day. DTI will then pass the documents to the different agencies concerned like the local government unit concerned, Philhealth, SSS, Pag-Ibig and Bureau of Internal Revenue among others.

Monday, August 16, 2010

SM kicks off Kadayawan





Barely a day before the official start of the 2010 Kadayawan sa Davao, SM City Davao is already abloom with everything Kadayawan starting from the weekend sale which ended yesterday.

August 16 is officially the start of Kadayawan sa Davao. SM's Entertainment Center was ready for the festival as it already gave shoppers a preview of the festivities through a pre-Kadayawan photo exhibit by the Camera Club of Davao. Some indigenous costumes were also already on display yesterday.

Halal-Certified Foodsite Up

For a long time, people who required Halal-certified products had to check out the supermarkets and other establishments for proper certification. Those days are finally over, with the launch of a website that features a list of Halal certified food.

Muslims in the Philippines and even all over the world consume only Halal certified products because to them these products are Halal or "legal" and "acceptable". It is considered by the Sharia or Islamic law as permissible.

Among the very first Halal-certified beverage is Tang Instant Drink Mix, which provides a lot of choices when it comes to flavors including pineapple, strawberry, ponkan, grape, mango and the combo flavors of pineapple-orange and orange-mangga. If you're lucky enough to see this in your local supermarkets, then there are also the limited edition Mangga Fiesta in 2009 and the Strawberry Burst in 2010.

Tang, which is produced by Kraft Foods Philippines, has been Halal-certified by two Halal certification bodies. It was first marketed in 1959 in the United States, and was launched in the Philippines only in 1973.

Tang is one of the top choices when it comes to powdered beverages in the Philippines, with a 41 percent value share based on a Nielsen retail audit. It is available in 1-Liter packs and big packs from 200 grams to 1200 grams.

As evident of Tang's popularity, it was used by NASA in 1965 during its Gemini Flights.

So if you want to avoid the hassle of individually checking products for Halal certification right in the department stores, just head on to this foodsite or Get updated on Halal certified food and products in Facebook.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sun Life Financial Offers More Affordable Insurance For The Common Tao



Are you insured for the future?

A lot of people would say "no" to this question primarily because they do not have extra money to pay for insurance. You just could not blame people for making insurance the least of their considering that there are more urgent financial concerns they should think about.

Sun Life Financial realized the need of the common tao,basically the middle class who cannot afford to pay at least P2.000 monthly for an insurance, so the company launched Sun StartUp, everyone's first step to financial security. And to make the pitch more convincing, they got Piolo Pascual to be their endorser.

"The Sun StartUp Insurance is primarily for those who do not have insurance plans yet," Sun Life Financial Philippines Institutional Marketing Manager Joub Miradora said.

The new insurance product offers affordable payment options and secures the future of your loved ones for less than P5,000 a month. The lowest monthly payment is actually only P384 for a 20-year old male and P365 for a 20-year old female for a coverage of P200,000. You also get a money back feature worth P20,570 and P19,510 after ten years, for the respective rates indicated.

Sun Life has also done away with one of the factors that turns off most people from getting an insurance coverage--paperworks! With the Sun StartUp, you get a simplified application process which only asks four questions from you.

Now, wouldn't you be willing to give up at least P500 a month to secure your family's future?

Araw ng Dabaw Tattoo Fest 2024 organizers eye tattoo industry as next tourist attraction

Tattoos have come a long way in the Philippines. From being frowned upon, tattoos are now considered art and a form of self-expression.   Da...