Huli Ka!

If I had a hundred peso reward for every private-yellow-license-plate-bearing-taxi I get on camera then I say that's a great alternative to being a problogger because it would provide me a regular source of income on a daily basis.

That one way of saying that there are SOOOOO MANYYY taxicabs in the city bearing a green license plate which should only be used by private vehicles. Turns out that the Land Transportation Office is so inept its personnel couldn't see these taxicabs even if the cabs run pass their noses everyday.

Keith Bacongco himself spotted a Mabuhay Taxi bearing a green license plate. I caught this one, I think it’s an Alleyaa (did I get the spelling right?) on this photo last Tuesday and that’s not even the whole story. A few minutes after passing that taxi, I saw two taxis parked along the side of the Matina highway---bearing green license plates. And then another one in Juna after 5 minutes. I did not bother getting their photos anymore. It's tiring, you know especially when its the people at the LTO who are getting paid for the job I was doing.

Wednesday Movie Guide

Alvin and Chipmunks is finally here! We've (the other part of we being "B") been waiting for this movie since Christmas last year. I was wondering why the cinemas kept on postponing the showing of the movie during the Holiday season when it was very fitting with the times. It was even shown in Manila theaters ahead.

We have had Alvin and the Chipmunks playing in our CD for several years already it would be nice to finally meet the gang that made us laugh even just in audio.

Well, I hope Alvin and the Chipmunks is well worth the wait.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (G)
SM Cinema 2 11:50/13:40/15:30/17:20
NCCC CInema 2 12:00/2:00/4:00/6:00

John Rambo (R13)
SM Cinema 6 11:20/13:1515:1017:05
NCCC Cinema 3 12:25/2:20/4:15/6:10

I Could Never Be Your Woman (PG13)
SM Cinema 3 12:10/13:55/15:40/17:25
NCCC Cinema 4 12:00/2:00/4:00/6:00

Alien vs Predator is on an extended run at both SM and NCCC Cinemas.

US-based Group Spends $20M For Davao Medical Mission

No less than $20 million was spent by over 220 volunteers from the Philippine Medical Mission Society of Northern California to help Dabawenyos with various medical conditions.

Members of the PMSNC, who conducted a 4-day medical mission in the city from January 21 to 25, 2007, shouldered their own airfare and accommodation, brought their own hospital equipment and rendered free services to almost 10 thousand Dabawenyos during the mission.

Among the medical services provided by the group are dental, medical and eye check up as well as minor and major operations including an open heart surgery (which would normally cost P500,000) and pacemaker insertion (which costs P300,000). The group also gave away free eyeglasses for those with eye problems.

Now, this is what I call giving back a portion of your blessings. The Philippines need more of these people. A lot of Filipinos who have made it big in the United States have shared their blessings to their fellow Filipinos in terms of school building and facilities, medical mission, scholarships and monetary aid.

Those who have made it big in the Philippines should follow suit.

The Need For Prescription Glasses

I have always been a voracious reader since I was a kid. Add to that my passion for watching movies. These factors may be the reasons why I have defective vision. I could not see things several feet away from me. This has been my problem in school so I was always the student who preferred the front rows.

I used to wear correction glasses but my eye doctor said its no longer enough for my requirements. Contacts doesn't work for me primarily because my eyes wouldn't accept them---don't know why but I they just wouldn't go in. So here I am scouting for a nice pair of prescription glasses so I wouldn't have to squint anymore when updating this blog.

Luckily, Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!. The trendy prescription glasses I found at ZenniOptical lifted my spirits since I did not want to use glasses that would make me older than my real age. Most prescription glasses can make you look really old and witch-like and that does not appeal to me. What would Hilary Clinton look like if she did not have access to those killer prescription glasses she wears during the US primary?

The variety of frames available at ZenniOptical amazed me. I also want to check out their sunsensor or photochromic lenses which darkens when exposed to sunlight and lightens when you are back indoors. I am a heavy computer uses so this might also help me.

What makes ZenniOptical ideal for me aside form the wide selection of frames and lenses is the amazingly low prices since they manufacture the frames they sell so no additional price at all. I'll check this out before talk of politics and daily issues blur my vision.

Huli Ka!

The Land Transportation Office seems to be slacking it out. A Mabuhay Taxi with green license plates has been caught on camera several weeks ago. Another taxi unit, this time owned by Holiday, has been caught on cam again just last Saturday, along Central Bank at Quirino Avenue.

From hereon, DatelineDavao will be spying on private and public utility vehicles violating the LTO law as well as other environmental laws, try to catch them on cam and post such violations here, with the hope that the LTO will finally catch up with these people.

How To Make Buying Convenient For Website Clients

I've been surfing the net lately for a few kitchen gadgets that will help me with my cake and catering business. Most of the sites I visited had very functional kitchen gadgets which made me salivate but sad to say, I encountered several difficulties like the absence of a shopping cart which would have made purchasing a breeze.

Funny how some sites forget the importance of getting a shopping cart software like the one being offered by Ashop Commerce. Online selling and buying for that matter, would be easier and more convenient if merchants prioritize the shopping cart feature so that buyers like me can just click on the shopping cart image or link without having to click on different pages just to get my order in.

I also have plans of setting up an online store and you bet my first priority would be to get a shopping cart software to encourage buyers to just click and buy. No sweat.

SC Take On Libel Unconstitutional?

How many members of the 4th Estate have spent sleepless nights in and out of jail thinking about their existing libel case, their libel conviction or their libel cases just sleeping in court?

Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynaldo Puno issued a circular yesterday reminding judges of the higher court's preference for the imposition of fines in libel cases instead of imprisonment. However, chief legal counsel Sergio Apostol said it is unconstitutional as the circular would in effect amend the libel law. Under the separation of powers principle, it is Congress that has the authority to amend laws unless it refers to the Rules of Court which falls under the jurisdiction of the SC.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales however said it is not illegal because the SC did not impinge on Congress' rights to amend the Revised Penal Code as the circular did not change the provision of Article 355 (Crime of Libel) of the RPC.

But whether the circular is constitutional or not, who would declare it unconstitutional? Only the SC has the final say and from what I learned in Law School, it will never declare its own circular unconstitutional.

There are pending bills in Congress that seeks to decriminalize libel. In fact, this was one of the concerns of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when he was still 1st District Congressman.

While the executive and the judicial branches of the government argue their points, the media is left with their palms empty and their long-time request of decriminalizing libel still gathering dust in Congress.