NESHS '58 Worldwide Alumni Community |
- P.I. Bishop Bans Church Wedding For Pregnant Brides (Posted: Feb. 28, 2003)  
..... (Source: BBC News)
- Filipino Docs Shifts To Nursing (Posted: Feb. 28, 2003)  
..... for better pay (Source: The Strait Times)
- U.S. Troops Going Back To RP For Combat (Posted: Feb. 21, 2003)
..... will join hunt for Abu Sayyaf; RP government "No comment".
..... (Source: Newsday, MSNBC News, SkyNews)
- Controlling Population With A Necklace (Posted: Feb. 19,2003)
..... (Source: MSNBC News)
- OFW's Absentee Voting Law Passed (Posted: Feb. 142003)
..... qualifies 4.5M OFWs to vote in 2004. Disqualified: former-now-foreign citizens,
..... the insane & "incompetents". (Source: ABS-CBN News)
- RP's City With The Worst Air Pollution (Posted: Feb. 7, 2003)
..... it's not Manila (which ranks No. 2). (Source: World Bank & Philippine Star)
- Evac Plans For Filipino OFWs (Posted: Feb. 4, 2003)
..... 80 in Iraq; 60,000 in Kuwait. (Source: Inq7.net)
- English Back As RP Schools' Main Language (Posted: Feb. 4, 2002)
..... but first, teachers needs to be tested.
..... (Source: Manila Times & Inq7.net)
- Novel Idea For Home Trash's Disposal (Posted: Jan. 21, 2002)
..... flush kitchen trash down the toilet. (Source: Teheran Times)
- A Reversal: Cockfighting Rooster Kills Handler (Posted: Jan. 17, 2002)
..... (Source: State.com)
- Bomb Blasts Face Of Marcos Bust (Posted: Jan. 3, 2003)
..... NPA claims credit. Blasted bust becoming a tourist draw.
..... (Source: BBC & Philippine Star)
- Philippines Has Guinness World Record (Posted: Dec. 26, 2002)
..... Marikina has world's biggest pair of shoes. (Source: Manila Times)
- RP Among World's Most Populated (Posted: Dec. 17, 2002)
..... ranked 13th; current 80 million projected to be 150 million by 2005.
..... (Source: Today On The Net)
- How To Solve Graft In A Government Agency? (Posted: Dec. 7, 2002)
..... abolish the agency. (Source: Manila Times)
- Australian & Canadian Embassies Close Shop In Manila (Posted: Dec. 3, 2002)
..... due to terrorists threats (Source: Manila Times)
- World Demand For Filipino Health Care Pros Up (Posted: Nov. 27, 2002)
..... (Source: Inq7.net)
- Manila's World "Famous" Traffic Problem. (Posted: Nov. 20, 2002)
..... Daily Costs P100 Billion! Cause is not the roads, rather it's institutional gridlock.
..... There is a glimmer of hope in the Singapore Traffic Management model.
..... (Source: Manila Times)
- Philippines Promoted As Retirees' Haven (Posted: Nov. 6, 2002)
..... to Japanese seniors (Source: Inq7.net)
- Philippines Losing Its Cultural Treasures (Posted: Oct. 31, 2002)
..... (Source: Gulf News)
- World Boxing Champ From The Philippines (Posted: Oct. 28, 2002)
..... IBP superbantamweight champ Manny Pacquiao (Source: Manila Times)
- Marikina Claims World's Biggest Shoe Record (Posted: Oct. 22, 2002)
..... shooting for Guinness Book's World record. 18 feet long & 7 feet wide.
..... (Source: AssociatedPress & Inq7.net
- Talking About Dogs: The Police's K-9s (Posted: Oct. 16, 2002)
..... underperforming police dogs. (Source: PhilippineStar)
- Dogs Saved In Baguio City (Posted: Oct. 15, 2002)
..... from becoming pulutan. (Source: PhilippineStar)
- Madame President Still Getting Plenty Of "It" (Posted: Oct. 10, 2002)
..... (Source: Inq7.net)
- The Chinese Are Coming (Posted: Oct. 3, 2002)
..... tourists mostly and their favorite is Cebu. (Source: Asia Times Online)
- A First - 28 Park Benches Stolen (Posted: Oct. 2, 2002)
..... along Roxas Blvd. Manila Mayor fuming. (Source: PhilippineStar)
- "Coming Home" (Posted: Oct. 1, 2002)
..... the government's Balik Scientist Program (Source: Newsbreak)
- "A Consensus Of One (Posted: Sep. 16, 2002)
..... a man's thoughts on the Philippine condition (Source: New California Media)
- 118 Filipino Workers In Iraq Ordered To Evacuate (Posted: Sep. 13, 2002)
..... signs of "things" to come. 1st batch arrives in Jordan.(Source: Manila Times)
- Shoe Check Upsets P.I. Senate Pres. At The San Francisco Airport (Posted: Sep. 5, 2002)
..... banged shoe on table & wants diplomatic exemption.(Source: Inq7.net)
- Imelda's Shoes You've Heard Or Seen. How About The Jewelries? (Posted: Aug. 28, 2002)
..... an amazing collection; more "rocks"; plus some more; even new pieces; a side story (Source: djl.net)
- Court Acts, Estradas Multi-million Peso Bank Assets Frozen (Posted: Aug. 27, 2002)
..... and puts attachment on the ousted President's properties
The following was written by INTEL General Manager Robin Martin about the Philippines:
Filipinos (including the press, business people and myself) tend to dwell too much on the negative side and this affects the perception of foreigners, even the ones who have lived here for a while.
The negative perception of the Philippines is way disproportionate to reality when compared to countries like Columbia, Egypt, Middle East, Africa, etc.
Let us all help our country by balancing the negative with the positive especially when we talk to foreigners, whether based here or abroad.
Looking back and comparing the Philippines today and 1995 (the year I came back), I was struck by how much our country has progressed physically.
Consider the following:
1. The great telecom infrastructure that we have now did not exist in 1995. 1995 was the year the telecom industry was deregulated. Since then billions of dollars have been invested in both fixed line and cellular networks producing a system with over 5,000 kms of fiber optic backbone at a world competitive cost. From a fixed line capacity of about 900,000 in 1995 we now have over 7 million. Cellular phones practically did not exist in 1995; now we have over 11 million line capacity.
2. The MRT, many of the EDSA flyovers (including the Ayala Avenue flyover), the SKYWAY, Rockwell and Glorietta 4, the Fort, NAIA terminal 2 and most of the new skyscrapers were not yet built in 1995.
3. If you drive to the provinces, you will notice that national roads are now of good quality (international quality asphalt roads). I just went to Iba, Zambales last week and I was impressed that even a not so frequently travelled road was of very good quality.
4. Philippine exports have increased by 600% over the past eight years. There are many, many more examples of progress over the last eight years. Philippine mangoes are now exported to the US and Europe.
Additional tidbits to make our people prouder:
1. INTEL has been in the Philippines for 28 years. The Philippines plant is where Intel's most advanced products are launched, including the Pentium IV. By the end of 2002, Philippine operations are expected to be Intel's biggest assembly and testing operations worldwide.
2. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS has been operating in Baguio for over 20 years. The Baguio plant is the largest producer of DSP chips in the world. DSP chips are the brains behind cellphones. TI's Baguio plant produces the chip that powers 100% of all NOKIA cellphones and 80% of Erickson cellphones in the world.
3. TOSHIBA laptops are produced in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
4. If you drive a BENZ, BMW, or a VOLVO, there is a good chance that the ABS system in your car was made in the Philippines.
5. TREND-MICRO, makers of one of the top anti virus software PC-Cillin (I may have mispelled this) develops its "cures" for viruses right here in Eastwood Libis, Quezon City. When a virus breaks in any computer system in the world, they try to find a solution within 45 minutes of finding the virus.
6. By the end of this year, it is expected that a majority of the top ten U.S. Call Center firms in the U.S. will have set up operations in the Philippines. This is one area in which I believe we are the best in the world in terms of value for money.
7. America Online (AOL) has 1,000 people in Clark answering 90% of AOL's global e-mail inquiries.
8. PROCTOR & GAMBLE has over 400 people right here in Makati (average age 23 years) doing back-up office work to their Asian operations including finance accounting, Human Resources and payments processing.
9. Among many other things it does for its regional operations network in the Asia-Pacific region here in Manila, CITIBANK also does its global ATM programming locally.
10. This is the first year ever that the Philippines will be exporting cars in quantity courtesy of FORD Philippines.
11. The government is shedding off graft and corruption slowly but surely. This is the first time in our histroy that a former president is in jail and facing charges of plunder. Despite all odds, we are still pursuing the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos now enjoyed by his unrepentant heirs.
Next time you travel abroad and meet business associates tell them the good news. A big part of our problem is perception and one of the biggest battles can be won simply by believing and by making others believe.
This message is shared by good citizens of the Philippines who persevere to hope and work for our country.