P1M for Batman's Killers?

Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? Thus goes the applicable adage to the P1M bounty that two bickering Davao politicians have offered for anyone who can point to broadcaster Ferdie Lintuan's killer/s. Offering an amount of money for the killing of a person does not absolve anyone from his sins, imaginary, accusatory or real. At the rate the justice system is going, the bounty money can only go two ways:

1.remain in the hands of the giver if the killer is not identified
2.awarded to the whistle blower who identified fall guys anyway

I am sure Batman would be happier if the amount is given to his sons. That P1 million cold cash (placed in a savings or trustee account) would go a long way to sustaining them now that their father is gone.

Get Paid To Blog With Smorty

I’ve been blogging professionally for quit sometime already but I did not know I can get paid to blog with Smorty. I have tried Smorty a month ago but got frustrated with the system since I could not quite get the links properly. It came to a point when I was already willing to give up since I already wrote a blog post which expired because it did not follow the links. Fortunately, I finally got it all right and what do you know---after a few weeks, I got a PayPal message saying I received my very first Smorty payment!

If I had known that I can get paid for blogging not only through blog advertising (which did not work for me!) but also through Smorty's blog for money program then I would have tried it months ago. I got burned with blog advertising ---I placed adsense in my blog but did not get anything from the sites advertised on my blog. Reminds me why I still have it here! How frustrating can that be?

Paid blogging with Smorty is really easy. You just need to register your blog and wait for their approval. After that, they will send you paid blogging assignments which you will have to write about and post in your site. You send Smorty the link and then once it is approved, just wait for the payment period. Your site has to do good with the ratings game though before it is finally approved by Smorty. Also make sure that your site has been existing for quite sometime before you apply for approval.

Smorty works both ways. It is ideal for advertisers who want to advertise on bogs and also for bloggers who want to get paid to blog. Blogging brings out some kind of fulfillment and it is doubly fulfilling because it also offers an opportunity to blog for money. One good thing about this blogging gig is that you can choose which asignments to accept. You only have three days to submit your post or it will expire. If you want to earn extra on the side then try to get paid to blog with Smorty!

The Adventures Of Batang Mandaya Comes To An End

How safe is the Davao media, or the Philippine media for that matter, from vengeful people who believe that the GUN is mightier than the pen?

The ambush of a good friend of mine, Ferdie "Batman" Lintuan last Monday right after his radio program at DXGO was an eye opener in the same manner that the killing of Gene Boyd Lumawag a few years ago was also an eye opener. But how many eye openers should the 4th estate get before we finally say TAMA NA!!!?

I got to know Batman when I was still a neophyte writer, aspiring to be called a journalist. He was already some kind of a legend then, having been able to escape his would-be killers who strafed the radio station where he worked before. He still had the bullets to show for that second lease on life and he was boasting about it when we were preparing to march to protest the death of Gene Boyd.

If you do not know Batman then you would not like him at first because he was so makulit and he would test your patience and wit. He used to tease me because I was sexy (that's when I was starting out he!he) and a few years later because I was siksik. I worked with him before when I was still with ABC 2 where he was union president (he also led the filing of charges against the management) and then again when I was senior reporter for Sunstar Davao. We have remained good friends and we would usually see each other at SM's coffee shop.

I remembered when I saw him right after his wife's death. I asked him how life was now that his beloved was gone and he said "Sus intawon INATAY gyud ko (that means ina and tatay) to his 4 kids, the eldest is 22 and the youngest is 11 years old.) We saw each other often after that and would talk a little about life and career.

Imagine how shocked I was when I learned he was ambushed morning of December 24. They finally got to him. The Adventures of Batman has come to an end.

We in the media are not paid much and we do not even have insurance. And except for a few who manage to become rich in their own way, most of us still live payday to payday. While not all of us in the media are honest and faithful about our craft, there are media people who are still the real thing and who have not been corrupted by the system. Maybe this is why I am proud not only of my chosen profession but my chosen vocation in life.

And as his family and friends grieve over his death, I hope the gunman will realize that he has killed not only a man but also a father of four. And I hope he mulls over that before he sleeps every night---if he still can.

Dateline Davao Goes To Dustland And Tuna Country

Merry Christmas everyone! Not doing regular blogging this time of the year since I am still in the land of Dust and the famous Tuna Capital of the Philippines. No thanks to Smart's Plan 799 which is apparently not financially practical and PLDT's WeRoam which is not just available ha!ha!ha!----I do not have 24-hour Internet with me and have content with Netopia's P23 per hour email charge at Gaisano Mall. If I can only bring my DSL connection....

It's good to note there are lots of establishments with wifi connection here in Gensan and one of my favorites is MacGregor Coffee Shop. Sometimes I also use East Asia Royal Hotel's connection but it's more expensive at P100 per hour at the business center and almost the same price at the cafe (plus you have to spend for food). I'm still trying to explore other wifi cafes and restos here though.

Smart’s Plan 799 Not So Smart After All

I got frustrated with PLDT”s We Roam (which provides wireless access to the Internet) after I was told that the local computer shops no longer sell the gadget and that if ever they have one, it won’t fit in my HP-Compaq laptop and it’s not compatible since I have a Vista operating system.

Imagine my glee when I chanced upon Smart’s 799 Plan which provides wireless coverage. This means I can just plus the gadget not my USB and then I’m on. Very convenient especially during the Holiday Season when I would be going out of town and would be living behind my DSL connection.

A quick visit to Smart’s SM City Davao office however proved frustrating since the Plan is not yet available (READ: Gadget not yet sent by Manila). Initial payment is P1,999. Furthermore, the P799 monthly fee is only good for 40 hours per month. Wow! That means around P20 per hour of surfing the Internet and you pay P10 for every 30 minute excess. How’s that for “harang?”

The rate would have been more acceptable if this was a monthly plan but lo! There is a 24-month lockin period so that would mean two monthly payments for my DSL and the wireless connection which is not ideal since I can hook up with wifi in any Davao or Gensan café’ anytime.

I considered Globe’s Visibility months ago. It has an initial fee of P2,000, guaranteed fast connection anywhere there’s a Globe signal and a monthly fee of only P2,000 with unlimited Internet use. However it also has a lockin condition.

Compared with Smart’s 799 Plan, Globe’s Visibility is a bargain! If you surf for 10 hours a day (which I usually do in my line of work) then that would mean P6 per hour of comfortable Internet service, anytime, anywhere, But there’s the lockin hitch again.

Well, I just need to call PLDT again if they have made their WeRoam compatible with newer laptop models already. In the meantime, it means surfing and drinking coffee while I'm on vacation. Suggestions, anyone?

MediSpa: A Wish Come True

Remember how I was wishing for a day at the Spa to refresh my cob-webbed mind from all the antics of Trillanes, the continued rise of the peso vs dollar (which is unfavorable to the outsourcing industry) amid the rise of fuel prices, erc. etc ---and then I won $12 from PMT but the cash was not enough for a refreshing Spa? Well, that wish finally came true today, thanks to MediSpa.

MediSpa, which is located at SM City Davao (side entrance just near the elevator), hosted a Spa Christmas Party for Davao's business writers. I got pampered with a foot massage while interviewing MediSpa owner Dr. Victoria Patiño-Guillano.Guillano is the only Dermatopathologist in Davao City (and perhaps one of the only two known practicing Dermatopathologist in Mindanao). This young and charismatic doctor, who seemed to be very passionate about what she does, is a Fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology and the Philippine Dermatologic Society.

MediSpa is not your ordinary Spa or derma clinic where you get your facials (although they offer that services as well) in the sense that the doctor is a Dermapathologist which means she is legally and medially armed to provide consultations on skin conditions and diseases like Leprosy and Psoriasis. She also conducts Biopsy of skin conditions that has been treated for weeks but has remained uncured. In fact, dermatologists and other skin clinics from as far as General Santos City and Butuan send patient samples to her for Biopsy since she is also head of the Dermatopathology Department of the Davao Medical Center.

Aside from various Spa Services, MediSpa also hosts Spa Themed Parties and they haev the facilities to provide several hours of spa-pleasure to the celebrant and the guests. The Spa room has an adjustable lighting fixture to suit the needs of the clients. Falling asleep while having a back massage would be nice (although I haven't tried that service yet!) but Dr. Guillano's assistant sure gave a very relaxing foot massage.

Dr. Guillano has a lot to say about other issues in her industry but that will be for the next blog.

Stretching Lastikman's Verbiage

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Lastikman has captured the hearts of both children and adults not only in Davao but in the whole country, what with his generosity and kindheartedness, not to mention his cinematic transformations on screen from an elastic man to a helicopter, insect, car, cellphone, etc. It is a simple TV series but with plenty of representations from where children can learn from including the villains who represent the 7 deadly sins (GREED-Agaddon, LUST-Mothra, ENVY-Byutiki, SLOTH-Alingasaw, GLUTTONY-Morphino, WRATH-Dr. Jared and PRIDE-Ayessa.)

But lately, the writers of Lastikman seems to be cashing in on the use of Taglish and text Englsh which is not good for children who are just learning the rudiments of the English language. If Lastikman airs longer and with those Taglish words being emphasized like "Ok ba you? Ok na me" or "Here na me"---willmost likely stick to the minds of children viewers, most of whom are already aping such expressions in their daily language use.

As a web content writer, I realized that one of the Filipinos' edge over other outsourcing countries including India is proper English usage. In fact, the ability to speak English properly seems to be an advantage used even by the Overseas Filipino Workers no matter what country they are in. I hope that the production staff of Lastikman will realize this and do something about it or we risk producing children with text or carabao English.

If this is not addressed soon, I may have to punch out Channel 4 from my remote...

Why Swimming At Woodridge Is Pocket-Friendly

Davao City has a lot of swimming pools but most of them charge too much. There is one swimming nook I discovered though which charges a reasonable fee for swimming as well as for the food they serve. Ironically enough, the pool is located in one of the most expensive and exlusive subdivisions in the city--Woodridge.

The subdivision-run clubhouse boasts of a tennis court (expensive at P200 per hour), function rooms for parties and two swimming pools (children and adult). Entrance to the pool is affordable at P70 considering that it is just located at the city center, Maa actually.

If you find yourself famished after swimming then there's no need to debate whether to order or not because the clubhouse restaurant serves a goid menu of SILOG, coffee and juice. Instant Coffee is priced at P15 while the various Silogs ar priced from P50 to P70. There are also sandwiches like club sandwich at P100 and their P45 burger is delicious and big too!

The restaurant is a nice place for those who want to work with their laptops while watching their kids swim. Bring extra batteries though and don't expect any wifi connection.

SM's Christmas Celebration For The SOS Children

SM City Davao had a mini Christmas Party for the over 150 children of the SOS Children's Village at the Entertainment Center yesterday afternoon. I saw SM's PR Tessa as well as the head of SM Foundation during the celebration and they said it is SM's way of bringing back their blessings to the community. The children were treated to a picture-taking session with Santa (a plywood Santa,that is, parlor games and snacks.

The SOS Children's Village is located at SOS Drive, Bajada this city. I was informed by their guardian that most of the children they have under their care are orphans while others have parents who could not take care of them. This foundation accepts donations from those who want to help the children.

Davao’s P71M “People’s Park” Draws Crowd, Various Reactions

The newly-inaugurated “People’s Park” attracted people from various walks of life while the choice of the park’s name drew adverse reactions from Dabawenyos and people from other places as well. The park, used to be known as the PTA, stands on a lot (along Legaspi corner Palma Gil Streets—back of Apo View Hotel) donated by the Monteverde family.

A total of 900 entries were received by the organizers for the “name the park” contest. The winning name, “People’s Park”, was given by Romeo Sardon, a 75-year old retired seaman and electrician. He won P50 thousand for the park’s name.

The Dabawenyos were clearly enthralled by the park which boasts of a fountain especially designed for the park, waterfalls, Green House Museum and Gallery, children’s playground, an all-Filipino music, security cameras and a rainbow-colored oval track.

So why People’s Park? Some people complained about the chosen name since it clearly did not depict Davao and its culture. There were other entries depicting Davao as a land of the natives but the names were not chosen by the judges for reasons known only to them.

Of course, a public park is intrinsically a people’s park, so no need to name the park as such. The park’s swollen budget would have been justified had the judges chosen a name that would remind tourists and Dabawenyos about the culture and the natural resources of the city. Instead, the judges chose a very simple and plain name---People’s Park.

Gaisano Mall Incident Raise Concerns Over Mall Security And Preparedness

Is Gaisano Mall prepared for emergency situations?

The death of a woman who fell down from an escalator on the 4th level of Gaisano Mall is a tragic "accident" which raised concerns about the safety of the different malls in Davao City. Dabawenyos may think that safety and security is equal to beign free from bomb scare and the likes. However, this incident should make Davao mall owners think twice about how safe the location of their escalators are. Another question which should be answered by the malls is if they have security provisions for such an eventuality.

Staff and employee preparedness in cases of emergency such as the fall of that woman from the 4th level is very crucial. There was one incident involving city councilor Rachel Zozobrado and her kids at Gaisano Mall. In a privilege speech delivered at the SP last November, Zozobrado recounted how the security personnel of Gaisano Mall refused to let her and her kids out (including other customers) despite a 20-minute brownout in the mall. She said she decided to get out as soon as possible since there were no emergency lights inside the mall and the children were already scared.

Perhaps the City Council should take a look at the security measures and preparations being done not only by Gaisano Mall but the other malls in town. Maybe the security guards should concentrate less on literally putting a check mark on the already paid purchases of their customers and look after the latter's safety first.

How To Win One Of The 3 Kia Picanto At Gaisano Citimal

Before SM City Davao and before NCCC Mall, there was the good old JS Gaisano. Any Dabawenyo who frequented the city's few shopping malls wayback in the 1990s (or was it late 1980's?) will always remember the large fairy-tale like staircase leading to JS Gaisano's second floor. But this was before the fire which gutted the mall. It became known as JS Gaisano Citimall under the management of John Y. Gaisano. Back then, JS Citimall was famous for its entertainment shows at the 5th Level. It's marketing people always came up with promos and shows to lure people to the shopping center. Well. how can they not when Sir John always kept them on their toes. He was a hands-on manager who knew what went on his store. of bigger malls like SM and NCCC, people began to outgrow JS Citimall. I am not sure anymore whose hands JS Gaisano is under but I think the store is beginning to wake up from slumber. Their foodstreet was transferred to the 5th and some seats were placed along the grocery area for those who want to take a quick bite.

They also launched a new promo "Cars & Cash" where they will be giving away 3 Picanto cars--these really cute cars and in my favorite color at that--RED! The promo runs from November 17, 2007 to March 15, 2008. I just hope they assign better staff to take care of the raffles since the woman who was supposedly in charge of counting the raffles was so rude and didn't have the basic skills in handling customers. She also had with her a defective calculator ---to think that she was supposed to be doing the math for the raffle stubs like one stub for every P200 purchase from the Department Store. I haven't had any negative experiences with the other sales people on the top floors; in fact the people at the toys section were very nice. Maybe that girl is just having a bad hair day, oh well. I hope the Citimall Management do something about this soon before they alienate their customers again.

Gaisano Citimall has also launched a ard membership promo much like the NCCC Shoppers Card and SM's Advantage Card. I think the free membership offer expired last November---well haven't submitted mine actually since I really do not shop much here but I'm looking forward to a more vibrant Gaisano Citimall. I used to be a PR consultant with JS Citimall and I know how John Gaisano worker hard to make Citimall one of the best shops in the city. Sad to see something that used to be good for the people of Davao go down the drain. So here's goodluck to the new management---keep it going!

Transport Strike Fails To Paralyze Davao City

Today's transport strike may have reminded Dabawenyos about the sky rocketing price of petrol (as the British calls it) despite the appreciation of the peso agaisnt the dollar but it has definitely failed to paralyze the city. There was lesser traffic of course but there were still plenty of public utility vehicles plying the streets even after 12 noon. Economic principles would say that since fuel is purchased in dollars. the Philippines would have lower gas prices by now because of the peso's appreciation. Oil capitalists however say the high fuel price is attributed to the continued inrease of oil in the world market. Does it make sense to you?

Marco Polo Davao's Teddy Bear X'mas Tree

Can you guess how many teddy bears are on this tree?

I would have counted from top to bottom except that my friend Prix is already tugging my sleeves so we can go up to Club 888's press conference and Christmas Party at the 4th floor of Marco Polo Hotel. Such creativity, you may say...

The Teddy Bear is a world-known stuffed toy but a lot of children clutch their teddy bears not knowing how it came to be. The original Teddy Bear was actually inspired by a political cartoon created by Clifford Berryman of Washington Star. The cartoon showed US President Theodore Roosevelt holding a rifle with a baby bear at his back. Roosevelt was supposed to go hunting while settling the Mississippi-Louisiana boundary dispute. The hunting trip turned out lousy as there were no good catch. To accommodate him, his staff captured a black bear cub but Roosevelt turned his back and refused to shoot the cub which was tied to a tree.
But that‘s not the end of the story. Toy maker and owner Morris Michtom saw the political cartoon, made a stuffed bear and displayed it on his window. He got so many orders that he sought the permission of Roosevelt for the use of his name. There goes your Teddy Bear!

Monetizing My Blog

A lot of my Dabawenyo friends have been asking me if I earn money for my blog/s. I've been working at home for the past 2 years to avoid the curse of the Bundy Clock and I maintain two legal blogs and a health blog plus several other sites. However, my personal blogs are solely for personal fulfillment. You know, just to satisfy that itch to cover events and write about them. Lately though I have noticed that there are ways to make money out of personal blogs and that is through paid blogging sites like Blogvertise and I am crossing my fingers that I can make something out of this. I have already submitted my blog for approval afterwhich I just have to wait for tasks or writing assignments (which I have to relate to my blog) then submit the link back to the site for approval. Voila!

Hard to live, hard to die

Many people complain about the hardships of living, particularly when it comes to getting food on the table. If you think that way, then try this. Yesterday's DXAB radio program anchored by Randy Cañedo had a woman guest. It turned out she was asking help for the burial of her husband who died 9 days ago. Apparently, they do not have money to get him even a decent burial. Surprise, Surpise. Even one of the most livable cities in Asia have this problem.

And while most Dabawenyos are still being carried away by their frenzied shopping for Christmas, here's a snap shot of a woman trying to earn money not for gifts but to put food on her table.

I won, I won!

Thanks to PinoyMoneyTalk for choosing Davao Dateline as the $12 winner in “PMT’s $25 Christmas Contest”. The two winners for the $25 posts are Sai and Lexan. Now that I have roughly P500 for my date with David Salon for that rebond session, time to look for another P2,000 to add up to the price list. If only anyone can tell me where to get that amount this Christmas...

Boost your business: avail of Ashop shopping cart software’s 10-day free trial

Gone are the days when Dabawenyos (and people from all over the world for that matter) need to put up a hefty capital to start a business, thanks to the World Wide Web. If you have an existing online business or are planning to start one then make sure you choose ecommerce software that will respond to your customers’ needs.

So why choose Ashop shopping cart software? Aside from ease of use, reasonable monthly fees and lots of customer and merchant friendly features, it is also web based and does not require installation. Plus, you can update your online store easily without having to get the services of an expert. The Ashop website has two demos stores so you can check the features out yourself.

A lot of online merchants have in fact opted for the Ashop shopping cart because of its many features. Take this: It allows merchants to customize their own sites, accept credit cards online, it has a built-in checkout security and it is works with banks and payment processors like PayPal.

So what are you waiting for?

Sleeping on the job?

Small entrepreneurs specializing on the assembly of unique Christmas lanterns and displays can well afford to sleep on the job with barely 15 days more to go before Christmas Day. And why not when they have already cashed in on the Dabawenyos' Christmas shopping frenzy. This worker, who is still wide awake and completing his last batch of flower lanterns for this season, said their customers from Davao and nearby provinces have purchased lanterns as early as November. Thus, interest on their lanterns have waned and they are only selling whatever lanterns they have left before they take a bow and go back to where they came from (some as far as PampangaThis lantern seller said they made a killing in sales as early as November. The ordinary round-shaped lanterns are being sold from P3,500 up while the really intriate lanterns like the big Santa with the reindeers and the big Snowman commands a hefty price of P7,000 up.

Even the Korean stores along Uyanguren seems to have run out of Christmas lights whih they sell at a very affordable price of P35 compared to the P70 price at the malls. The Department of Trade and Industry has cautioned Davawenyos from buying products from these stores allegedly because they have not passed the products standards quality. However, take a closer look at the lights being sold at the malls at a more expensive price and compare it with the Korean products---see if you can find any PS mark.

Mintal Comprehensive HS lass wins P10k during 1st Zozobrado Oratorical Contest

A student of the Mintal Comprehensive High School in Tugbok, Davao City won the coveted P10,000 has prize during the Grand Finals of the 1st Jesus Zozobrado Oratorical Contest held at the Mintal Gym last Friday, December 7, 2007.

"Sa dakong timog ng Mindanao, may isang lungsod na hinirang, and likas niyang kayamanan ay walang kapantay. Mga bundok, dagat, lupain, laging sagana sa pagkain, at ang magagandang tanawin, kadluan ng aliw" was the beginning statement of Beverlyn Benigno's winning oratorical piece. "What a beautiful and fitting description for Davao City," Benigno said.

Benigno, who bested several other students from selected schools in the 3rd District, mentioned the different attractions of Davao City including the Eden Nature Park, Philippine Eagle Center, Puentespina Orchid Garden Resort in Malagos and Pearl Farm in Samal

The theme for the Grand Finals: "Davao, A Land of Bounty and Progress, Today and Tomorrow". The judges: Stephen Manangan of ABS CBN, Jimmy Cerajoles of the Department of Education and Atty Rea Tiongson.

All Set For Mintal's Fiesta on Dec. 8

December 8,Saturday will definitely be an exciting day for residents of Mintal, Davao City as they celebrate their fiesta which coincides with the Immaculate Conception. As early as last week, a small carnival has already been set up near the market. This is far from the Disneyland Carnival known to those who have enough money to visit the place once or maybe more in their entire lifetime. Nonetheless, this simple carnival continues to give joy to the residents of the 3rd District particularly in Mintal.
Lots of ukay-ukay vendors have also filled the street making it harder for the vegetable vendors to look for a space suitable enough to sell their wares. But no one's compaining as the very affordable second hand (supposedly--snce not all are hand me downs especially the seleted ones)clothes are boon to market goers of Mintal.

Banco Davao depositors question BSP’s auction of foreclosed assets today

The over 30 thousand depositors of Banco Davao (which was taken over by All Asia Bank when it closed down) are questioning the sale by auction of the foreclosed assets of the bank amounting to P94 million.

The auction sale is expected to take place today at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas unless the depositors manage to get a temporary restraining order from the court.

Financial consultant Myrna Valdez said the foreclosure of the land, all of which are prime lands, is questionable considering that the landowners who used their properties as collateral were still paying the amortizations. If a total loan of P94 million were approved by the bank for these lands, Valdez said, it is safe to assume that the value of these properties could be triple that amount.

She said it is also highly questionable for Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation to sell these properties when they have not submitted their financial statements for the past years.

Drug delivery firm now in Davao; makes P400M in 2006

A Philippine company which has pioneered in the delivery of medications all over Metro Manila and Metro Cebu is now in Davao City.

MedExpress is like your ordinary drugstore but the main difference is that they do not sell their medicines physically. Instead, customers can just dial their 225-55-55 Hotline for Davao City and they will be immediately connected to the drugstore’s Call Center in Manila.

“There are at least three benefits one can get from the MedExpress Drug Store,” MedExpress business development manager Carlo Lorenzana told members of the media during the Davao Press Club Kapehan held at SM’s Cafe Rysus yesterday.

One of these benefits, he said, is convenience since customers can order their medicines through the Hotline number and then have their orders delivered for free provided the bill reaches P700 or above. For purchases below P700, the drugstore charges a delivery fee of P30, but with a P70 discount on the first delivery purchase.

The company, which has earned P400 million in revenues in 2006, boasts of having a call center that is operated by licensed Pharmacists. This allows them to provide medication counseling to their clients every time they purchase a prescription medicine. Aside from that, Lorenzana said, the drugstore also has a medication compliance program which reminds clients when they have to replenish their maintenance medication.

“We also keep a confidential medication history of our clients which means we keep a record of the medicines purchased from us which can be accessed by the customer when needed,” he said.

The delivery drugstore also accepts credit cards as their delivery personnel have wireless terminals for credit card verification. They also give the legally required discounts to senior citizens provided the patient submits a copy of their Senior Citizens ID for one-time verification.

MedExpress is the outsource pharmacy of PLDT and San Miguel so they are also planning to put up a drive through outlet for their Davao clients. It has seven branches in Metro Manila and one each in Cebu, Davao and Jakarta, which is franchised outlet.

If I had $25 for Christmas....

Dabawenyos, what would you do if you had an extra $25 or P1,000 for Christmas? PinoyMoneyTalk is giving away just that for Christmas and if you want that extra cash then just complete the sentence…

If I had an extra P1,000 ($25) this Christmas, I would…

There are two ways to win.

One is to complete the sentence and post the comment up to December 7, 2007. Winners will be announced the next day during the Christmas Party of PMT and will be posted on the site after the party.

Or, you can just write a post in your blog abut the contest, link to the PMT site and win $12 or P500.

Me, I would be selfish for once and spend it on myself! Maybe, go to the nearest salon and have my hair rebounded as I’ve been having bad hair days lately due to the antiques of Papa Trillanes, the oil price hike, bills to pay, etc. etc

City Gov't. Employees To Get Addt'l. Cash Gift

Christmas has come early for the employees of the Davao City government after city administrator confirmed last week that the cty is giving them an additional cash gift for the holidays.

Regular city government employees will get a P5,000 cash gift while contractual workers will get a P2,000 cash gift. Avisado said the cash gift will be released second week of December in time for the Christmas vacation.

So is this an addition to the P5,000 cash gift being given by PGMA to all government employees every year? Merry Christmas indeed!

Prices Of Vegetables In Davao Up

The prices of vegetables in Davao City have gone up since the third week of November and traders said they expect the price to continue to go up until the Christmas season is over. Traders also said the onslaught of typhoon Mina is also responsible for the rise in vegetables prices although the city is not affected by the typhoon. at all.

Lettuce, Brocolli and Cauliflower are among the highest priced vegetables with Lettuce being sold in Bankerohan market at P120 per kilo, Brocolli at P100 per kilo and Cauliflower at P90 per kilo. This is almost a P30 increase per kilo compared to the previous price of the three vegetable which played at P70-P80.


Ampalaya is now being sold at P35 per kilo, Luya or Ginger at P35 per kilo and Carrots at P30 per kilo. Onion is priced from P68 to P75 per kilo depending on the quality. The price of Tomato and Talong has remained quite low at P20 and P25 per kilo respetively. Kalabasa is more affordable at P10 per kilo.

These are the prevailing prices at the bagsakan area in Bankerohan so higher prices of vegetables sold in other markets (like in Mintal or Matina markets) can be expected.