Total Lifetime Savings of Smoking Cessation

The Senate Committee Report on the Sin-Tax Bill has been labelled by its supporters as a more realistic version, especially when it comes to the assumed revenue projection (PhP 14.8 Billion). They expressed doubts on the much-hyped target of the executive agencies which pegged the collection to as much as PhP 60.0 Billion in revenues if the bill is passed in its original and unaltered form.

The only problem with the assumption of Senator Ralph Recto’s new version is that it valued everything in monetary terms when in fact, the bill was intended primarily to address health concerns before anything else, including the revenue collection. When you factor in non-monetary benefits and savings, the assumptions become more than just using financial analysis indicators. It has to consider economic benefits of not smoking.

Cover-up on Tampakan Massacre?

The 27th Infantry Battalion assigned in Sitio Datal-Alyong of Kimlawis village in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur claimed that Juvy Capion and her sons died during a clash with a band of armed tribesmen led by Juvy's husband, Daguil. Daguil, leader of the B'laan tribesmen, took up arms to oppose the mining project of Sagittarius Mines in the area.

Anybody with a sane mind would consider this explanation as one of the most flimsy excuses that a guilty conscience can concoct when pressured by several stakeholders and media groups. It raises a lot of questions and cast doubts on the military's strategy in dealing with armed groups when innocent civilians are present and on their commitment to equally protect the citizens of this country, whether they belong to a B'laan tribe or to a mining company.

DTI Identified Erring Freight Forwarders

Christmas season may be all about giving, but this does not mean that freight forwarders are free to take what is not given.

Freight forwarding enterprises are companies engaged in consolidation of small lots of less-than-truckoad freight from shippers. They have been part of the facilities of transportation available to users of freight all over the world for a century now.

No Reason to Hate Lucy Liu

When "Charlie’s Angels" actress Lucy Liu was asked by David Letterman if she likes running outdoors or indoors, the Hollywood actress said: "I run in a machine. It's easier for me. Also if I get really dark, I'll start to look a little Filipino', it wouldn't match. If I start getting darker, you know what I mean? I can get really dark if I’m in the sun too much."

The highlighted comment drew some very negative reaction from social media, but if we try to analyze the whole answer, it really makes sense taken as a whole and there is really no intention to downgrade being a Filipino. The whole point of Liu is that Filipinos have much darker skin tone on average compared to Chinese, Koreans or Japanese.

Benguet: Child-Rape Capital of Philippines

The "sleepy" Benguet province, has recorded the highest number of rape cases, especially on children.

Reports of incest, rape, theft and robbery being committed by children, said Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Juana Bannawe "is a hidden epidemic needing action."

A research in the province revealed that child abuse cases in Benguet have reached 117 from January 2011 to June 2012 alone. Only the two towns of Bokod and Bakun have no reported cases of abuse.