Where to Send Aid for Victims of Typhoon Yolanda

Filipino are resilient and will surely find a way to survive despite the challenges and hardship they face. However, those obstacles can be easily overcome once the 'bayanihan' spirit kicks in.

A day after Typhoon Yolanda, the most powerful storm recorded this year, flattened entire towns across part of the Southeast Asian archipelago and killed thousands of Filipinos in the Visayas region, relief and aid effort operations went into high gear. Both local and international sources started to chip in and sent whatever they can to help, especially after hearing about desperate survival tactics that created fresh horrors.

A 'Rude Awakening' at GMA's Unang Hirit

If you are already a veteran newscaster, does that give you that license to be rude to your guest?

It appears that GMA news anchor Arnold Clavio thinks that it is and that’s enough reason for him to become impolite while in the middle of the interview with Atty. Alfredo Villamor last 5 November 2013 during the morning show, Unang Hirit.

A Beauty Pageant for Muslim Women

A beauty contest for Muslim women? This was the first reaction I got when I asked my friend if he knows anything about the World Muslimah 2013. Unlike the more famous Miss World and Miss Universe, World Muslimah is ordinary beauty pageant. This contest was for Muslims only and the contestants wore headscarves and floor-sweeping gowns that covered their chests and shoulders.

Only on its third year, the pageant crowned Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria the Annual Award in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, 18 September 2013. Ajibola and the other top finalists shared their thoughts on the importance of motherhood, the dangers of the Internet, and the value of Islamic finance. They were vying for the "crown of modesty," a golden statue of a woman giving thanks to God and an all expenses paid trip to Mecca.

Unjustifiable Bonuses of SSS Commisioners (Last Part)

There are several questions that we were trying to answer yesterday regarding the bonuses accorded to several senior Social Security System (SSS) officials, but failed to find a justifiable good answer. We will try to do that again in this post.

Susie Bugante, SSS vice president for public affairs, keep on mentioning Executive Order No. 24 signed by President Benigno Aquino III to defend the large bonuses amounting to about PhP 10 million for Chairman Juan B. Santos, Chairman; SSS President and SSC vice chairman Emilio S. De Quiros, Jr.; Diana V. Pardo-Aguilar; Daniel L. Edralin; Eliza R. Antonino; Marianita O. Mendoza; Ibarra A. Malonzo, and Bienvenido E. Laguesma.

Unjustifiable Bonuses of SSS Commisioners (First Part)

Let's examine again the issues hounding the country's Social Security System (SSS) at this time by stating the following facts first:

• SSS has an unfunded liability of about PhP 1.07 Trillion as of December 2011.
• The unfunded liability of SSS is expected to increase by about 8 percent annually.
• SSS registered a double-digit growth in its net revenue in the first semester of 2012.
• SSS Investment Reserve Fund (IRF) now stands at close to PhP 390 billion from PhP 290 billion.