The House Of Puroy Enterprises

We’ve seen the news on TV (for those who were lucky to have electricity), we’ve seen it on the net and read a lot of blog post about it.

I’m sure many who were spared from the wrath of Onyo, and our kababayans who are outside the country would like to send help to the victims of typhoon Onyo.

Here’s a list of how we can send our help:
Through Philippine National Red Cross, you can also check your local Red Cross chapters

Government set-up drop off points:
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) center at the Batasan complex in Quezon City, telephone nos. +632951-7119 and +63918-421-9780;
- DSWD National Capital Region (NCR) office in Quiapo, Manila, tel. nos. +632-734-8634 to 25 and +63915-291-3722; and the
- DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, tel. nos. +632852-8081 and +632-734-8622

Donations through Paypal via TXTPower

Through your local parishes and universities

Check also MLQ3’s post on How to help for more information

Send prayers too, most important.

More posts where to send help:
Tonyo Cruz: Call for action: Help typhoon, flood victims in the Philippines
bury me in this dress: Where to send donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy
Mag kwento ni Sam Juan: Mga paraan kung papanao makakatulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Ondoy

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has postponed the opening of classes in colleges and universities to June 15.

The suspension of classes was announced by CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles, citing the threat of A(H1N1) as the main reason.

Angeles said that there are many foreign students and students who came from countries that are exposed to swine flu, the one-week period will give enough time for self-quarantine for students who came from abroad.

It could be recalled that De La Salle University earlier suspended classes after its students were tested positive for A (H1N1). Some universities have also postponed classes prior to the CHED announcement.

The inclement weather these past few days was also cited by Angeles as the second reason for the postponement.

Text from Inquirer.net Breaking News on CHED decision:

Classes in public and private colleges and universities throughout the country will start on June 15 and not June 8 as originally scheduled.

Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), announced the postponement on Saturday, saying the delay will give time for students who traveled abroad to do self-quarantine against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus

I hope this answers the questions of some readers if their province is included in the announcement.

As for the elementary and high school, let’s hope that the DepEd will also come out with a decision until tomorrow, because these younger students are in fact more vulnerable to the disease.

This couldn’t come at a more appropriate time, an increased in benefits of PhiliHealth members. Come April 5, 2009, members will enjoy a 35% increased in benefits, in almost all possible benefits a member can avail of.

Although, reading from the PIA website, the motivation for 35% increase for members is President Arroyo’s birthday (sounds political, if you ask me). Anyway, for whatever reason as long as we, members, get to avail of these benefits without hassle and prejudice.
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Not that he has special skills, talents or an extra-ordinary qualification, but Arthur Principe, 35, deaf-mute, being hired by country’s highest court sets a milestone not only for himself, but also for the whole country, and sends a message that they can work side and co-exist with other people.

Supreme Court hiring it’s first deaf-mute employee in the person of Arthur Principe, I believe should be congratulated. For they have set a precedent that others can emulate - and should emulate!

We’ve been hearing talks and advocacies left and right, about giving our ‘handicapped’ brothers equal opportunity in our society. Yet few really follow and practice such advocacy.
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The math seems good… the theory that is. But would Juan dela Cruz really benefit from a higher tax rate?

Increasing the VAT from 12 percent to 15 percent and decreasing the corporate tax from 30 percent to 25 percent, while giving fixed wage earners 3% tax credit from their income is what former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno calls as “rewarding hard work and penalizing too much consumption.”

Let’s see, let’s say I worked hard and I earn - overtime pay, salaries, commissions, etc. I will benefit from the tax credit. But I would avoid the 15 percent VAT, which will definitely be passed on by traders to consumers, if I don’t consume… err, I don’t buy.

Diokno, together with his fellow economists from the University of the Philippines Schoold of Economics Dante Canlas and Felipe made the proposal for higher tax rates and warned that revenue shortfalls and slowing economic growth could re-ignite fiscal woes that could force the next government to cut spending for infrastructure projects and social services.

We can all flood the simple mind of Juan dela Cruz with economic rhetoric and other technical stuffs. But at the end of the day, he only sees corrupt government officials pocketing every penny they can lay their hands on, with only so little amount, if ever there are any being trickled down to him.

Math is good… if only they could be “honestly” applied in real life.

With only a few days left, there won’t be too much of a reminder that can be made to signify how important Earth Hour is.

And this is just a short post to remind everybody that Earth Hour 2009 will be on Saturday, March 28.

Turn off your lights for just an hour, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, a simple act that shows you are voting for Mother Earth and helping create awareness about the impending Global Warming (if it isn’t upon us yet).

Remember, March 28, 2009, 8:30 to 9:30 PM, just one hour of your time.

An hour to be in dark, to contemplate. Better be in the dark for an hour than be in it for eternity.

It’s a small gesture, but it can help create a lot of impact.

Vote for Mother Earth. Participate in the Earth Hour 2009.

First, it was Claudio Teehankee, Jr., then the first batch of suspects in the Aquino-Galman double murder case, and just recently the final batch of 10 suspected convicts for the Aquino-Galman case… now it’s former congressman and convicted rapist Romeo Jalosjos who will be freed!

By Thursday, Jalosjos will be free man. Thanks to the release order signed by Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Oscar Calderon.

Where is the country’s justice going to?

Calderon to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Jalosjos’ request for the colonist status. Lo and behold, it was approved!
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Since the day he was declared the winner, our president Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo has made countless attemps to get in touch with the US president Barack Obama. As we all know, those were all in vain. Of course, with a lot of detractors, those attempts did not look good on her image.

However, last Saturday morning, President Arroyo was finally able to talk to President Obama, and for the record, as Palace official’s would like to point out, it was Obama who sought after Arroyo.

Obama made the surprised telephone call early Saturday morning (Friday evening in the United States). The two presidents reaffirmed each other’s support for the long-standing relationship between the two countries.

Also mentioned in the conversation was the controversial Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which has been the focus of lots of protest rallies lately, to which the two leaders affirmed commitment to.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde reported the surprised call in a recent radio interview.

Yesterday, I heard in the news that 4 (I think) NPA (New Peoples Army) who have surrendered were given P50,000 cash each by no less than President Arroyo herself to help them start with their new life.

I don’t get it.

All my life I have been a law abiding citizen of this country, to the extent of looking for a pedestrian lane just to cross the streets. At the prime of my life, I was a consistent taxpayer. I was employed then and every tax were deducted automatically from my salary.

Yet, when I became unemployed, I received nothing for all those contributions.
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After freeing 2 convicted killers last February and taking EDSA Revolution for granted, the administration has put another blow on the Aquino’s as 10 more convicts in the Aquino-Galman case are freed!

It is definitely a sign the opportunity for truth to come out will go down the drain.

Yes, I agree with most people, the convicted soldiers have already suffered. I believe it was their choice. They took part in the crime, and worst they choose to remain in silence… keeping all the truth behind the act all to themselves.

Former President Corazon Aquino may have already forgiven them, but it doesn’t mean there is no need to find out the truth.

Will the truth ever come out?