Favored classmates

By Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:46:00 05/14/2011

Filed Under: Benigno Aquino III, Judiciary (system of justice), Management Changes, Schools
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THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) website lists all the incumbent members of the judiciary, from those in the Supreme Court to the Municipal Trial Courts, to the Sharia District and Circuit Courts. I glanced through the 57 pages of names and sure enough, every single one of them, including the ombudsman and deputy ombudsmen had been appointed after the JBC’s creation, and were therefore subjected to its vetting process. Given the scandals and controversies plaguing the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman, one has every right to view the quality of the JBC’s work with trepidation, as well as the probability of success of the Aquino administration’s fight against corruption and injustice.

Let’s face it: We are saddled with a Supreme Court that doesn’t seem to know the definition of “final and executory,” or which acts on motions without first doing its homework (as in the Merceditas Gutierrez impeachment case), or which cannot even prevent leaks from occurring. We have a Court of Appeals where justices were accusing each other of corruption and fighting over cases; a Sandiganbayan which cannot even consolidate cases against the same government official and farms them out to different divisions, whose appreciation of the same evidence may be different; an Ombudsman acting in what can at the kindest be described as an arbitrary and capricious manner; and so on down the line, with the horror stories to illustrate.

All these sins of omission and commission perpetrated by persons vetted by the JBC, whose articulated vision is to be “A JBC that is independent, efficient and a proactive sentinel of judicial service, guided only by the principles of integrity, excellence and competence; unfettered by the shackles of friendship, relationship, or other considerations, thus vesting the cloak of Magistracy on those who will best dispense justice for all.” The JBC’s mission, among other things, is “to recommend appointees to the judiciary only persons of proper competence, integrity, probity and independence” and to “insulate the nomination process from undue influence of any kind.” It is supposed to short-list only those with a “proven high sense of morality and probity.”

Such nobility of vision and mission. And such a disconnect from reality, as exemplified by the current performance of the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman, where the heavy hand of political considerations is so evident.

How did things come to such a pass as this? One can list some contributing factors. For one, the composition of the JBC, as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, was designed to ensure that members with political affiliations would be outnumbered by non-partisan appointees: The SC chief justice as ex-officio chair, a representative from Congress and the justice secretary as ex-officio members, and then four “regular” members, supposedly representing the top of the legal profession in the Philippines: one representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, one representing the legal academe; one representing the “private sector” and one retired SC justice. Note: three ex-officio and four regular members. And of the three ex officio, only two can be considered partisan.

But something happened on the way to the forum, as the saying goes. The representative from Congress turned out to be two (one from the Senate, one from the House), and while in the beginning, the two were only entitled to half a vote each (to observe the constitutional amenities), that practice soon went out of the window. From seven members, the JBC now has eight members (without benefit of constitutional amendment), because the senator and congressman were given one vote each. The bottom line is that the “regular” members, the professionals, no longer have the clear majority, which means political considerations gain the upper hand.

A second contributing factor is that the “regulars,” who must pass through the Commission on Appointments, have no term limit, i.e., they can be reappointed (one of them is on his third four-year term). Innocuous as that may sound, it can be used to keep a supposedly apolitical member in line—to do what the President says, or he doesn’t get reappointed. While the money involved (at least P700,000 a year) may be peanuts for a top lawyer, the power is something else again.

Which is why I am concerned about President Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of Jose V. Mejia as representative of academe to replace former justice secretary, CA associate justice and UE Law dean Artemio Tuquero, who had been appointed late last year to the JBC, but whose confirmation was not acted upon by the Commission on Appointments. The grapevine has it that Tuquero, an Iglesia ni Cristo stalwart, was not reappointed to signal the administration’s displeasure over the INC’s support for Merci Gutierrez.

The least President Aquino should have done was to appoint someone with at least as good a set of credentials as Tuquero. But he appointed Mejia, who is not even a law dean. Mejia’s outstanding qualification seems to be that he is the law classmate of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa. Just as Merci Gutierrez was the law classmate of then First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. What’s the difference?

The JBC is facing a very important challenge. If our fight against corruption is to succeed, a necessary condition (although not sufficient) would be having an ombudsman who is not only a competent lawyer but a competent administrator/manager, as well, with no political baggage.

Will it ensure that honesty and probity trump political connections? It better.

Pope's Exchange With Space Station Astronauts

Introduction

Dear astronauts,

I am very happy to have this extraordinary opportunity to converse with you
during your mission. I am especially grateful to be able to speak to so many of
you, as both crews are present on the Space Station at this time.
Humanity is experiencing a period of extremely rapid progress in the fields of
scientific knowledge and technical applications. In a sense, you are our
representatives – spear-heading humanity’s exploration of new spaces and
possibilities for our future, going beyond the limitations of our everyday
existence.

We all admire your courage, as well as the discipline and commitment with which
you prepared yourselves for this mission. We are convinced you are inspired by
noble ideals and that you intend placing the results of your research and
endeavours at the disposal of all humanity and for the common good.
This conversation gives me the chance to express my own admiration and
appreciation to you and to all those who collaborate in making your mission
possible, and to add my heartfelt encouragement to bring it to a safe and
successful conclusion.

But this is a conversation, so I must not be the only one doing the talking. I
am very curious to hear you tell me about your experiences and your
reflections. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions…

First Question
From the Space Station you have a very different view of the Earth. You fly
over different continents and nations several times a day. I think it must be
obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth and how absurd it is that
we fight and kill each other. I know that Mark Kelly’s wife was a victim of a
serious attack and I hope her health continues to improve. When you are
contemplating the Earth from up there, do you ever wonder about the way nations
and people live together down here, or about how science can contribute to the
cause of peace?

Mark Kelly, USA
Well, thank you for the kind words, Your Holiness, and thank you for mentioning
my wife Gabby. It’s a very good question: we fly over most of the world and you
don’t see borders, but at the same time we realize that people fight with each
other and there is a lot of violence in this world and it’s really an
unfortunate thing. Usually, people fight over many different things. As we’ve
seen in the Middle East right now: it’s somewhat for democracy in certain
areas, but usually people fight for resources. And it’s interesting in space …
on Earth, people often fight for energy; in space we use solar power and we
have fuel cells on the Space Station. You know, the science and the technology
that we put into the Space Station to develop a solar power capability, gives
us pretty much an unlimited amount of energy. And if those technologies could
be adapted more on Earth, we could possibly reduce some of that violence.

Second Question
One of the themes I often return to in my discourses concerns the
responsibility we all have towards the future of our planet. I recall the
serious risks facing the environment and the survival of future generations.
Scientists tell us we have to be careful and from an ethical point of view we
must develop our consciences as well.
From your extraordinary observation point, how do you see the situation on
Earth?

Do you see signs or phenomena to which we need to be more attentive?

Ron Garan, USA
Well, Your Holiness, it’s a great honour to speak with you and you’re right: it
really is an extraordinary vantage point we have up here. On the one hand, we
can see how indescribably beautiful the planet that we have been given is; but
on the other hand, we can really clearly see how fragile it is. Just the
atmosphere, for instance: the atmosphere when viewed from space is paper-thin,
and to think that this paper-thin layer is all that separates every living
thing from the vacuum of space and is all that protects us, is really a
sobering thought.

You know, it seems to us that it’s just incredible to view
the Earth hanging in the blackness of space and to think that we are all on
this together, riding through this beautiful fragile oasis through the
universe, it really fills us with a lot of hope to think that all of us on
board this incredible orbiting Space Station that was built by the many nations
of our international partnership, to accomplish this tremendous feat in orbit,
I think … you know, that just shows that by working together and by cooperating
we can overcome many of the problems that face our planet, we could solve many
of the challenges that face the inhabitants of our planet … it really is a
wonderful place to live and work, and it’s a wonderful place to view our
beautiful Earth.

Third Question
The experience you are having right now is both extraordinary and very
important – even if you must eventually come back down to Earth like all the
rest of us.
When you do return, you will be much admired and treated like heroes who speak
and act with authority. You will be asked to talk about your experiences. What
will be the most important messages you would like to convey – to young people
especially – who will live in a world strongly influenced by your experiences
and discoveries?

Mike Finchke, USA
Your Holiness, as my colleagues have indicated, we can look down and see our
beautiful planet Earth that God has made, and it is the most beautiful planet
in the whole Solar System. However, if we look up, we can see the rest of the
universe, and the rest of the Universe is out there for us to go explore. And
the International Space Station is just one symbol, one example of what human
beings can do when we work together constructively. So our message, I think -
one of our many messages, but I think one of our most important messages – is
to let the children of the planet know, the young people know that there is a
whole universe for us to go explore. And when we do it together, there is
nothing that we cannot accomplish.

Fourth Question
Space exploration is a fascinating scientific adventure. I know that you have
been installing new equipment to further scientific research and the study of
radiation coming from outer space. But I think it is also an adventure of the
human spirit, a powerful stimulus to reflect on the origins and on the destiny
of the universe and humanity. Believers often look up at the limitless heavens
and, meditating on the Creator of it all, they are struck by the mystery of His
greatness. That is why the medal I gave Robert (Vittori) as a sign of my own
participation in your mission, represents the Creation of Man – as painted by
Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In the midst of your intense work
and research, do you ever stop and reflect like this – perhaps even to say a
prayer to the Creator? Or will it be easier for you to think about these things
once you have returned to Earth?

Roberto Vittori, Italia
Your Holiness, to live on board of the International Space Station, to work as
an astronaut on the shuttle Soyuz of the Station, is extremely intense. But we
all have an opportunity, when the nights come, to look down on Earth: our
planet, the blue planet, is beautiful. Blue is the colour of our planet, blue
is the colour of the sky, blue is also the colour of the Italian Air Force, the
organization that gave me the opportunity to then join the Italian Space Agency
and the European Space Agency. When we have a moment to look down, beauty which
is the three-dimensional effect of the beauty of the planet is capturing our
heart, is capturing my heart. And I do pray: I do pray for me, for our
families, for our future. I took with me the coin and I allow this coin to
float in front of me to demonstrate lack of gravity. I shall thank you very
much for this opportunity and I’d like to allow this coin to float to my friend
and colleague Paolo: he will make return to Earth on the Soyuz. I brought it
with me to space and he will take it down to Earth to then give it back to you.

Fifth Question – in Italian – for Paolo Nespoli
La mia ultima domanda è per Paolo. Caro Paolo, so che nei giorni scorsi la tua
mamma ti ha lasciato e quando fra pochi giorni tornerai a casa non la troverai
più ad aspettarti. Tutti ti siamo stati vicini, anche io ho pregato per
lei…Come hai vissuto questo tempo di dolore? Nella vostra Stazione vi sentite
lontani e isolati e soffrite un senso di separazione, o vi sentite uniti fra
voi e inseriti in una comunità che vi accompagna con attenzione e affetto?

Paolo Nespoli, Italia
Santo Padre, ho sentito le sue preghiere, le vostre preghiere arrivare fino qua
su: è vero, siamo fuori da questo mondo, orbitiamo intorno alla Terra ed
abbiamo un punto di vantaggio per guardare la Terra e per sentire tutto quello
che ci sta attorno. I miei colleghi qui, a bordo della Stazione – Dimitri,
Kelly, Ron, Alexander e Andrei – mi sono stati vicini in questo momento
importante per me, molto intenso, così come i miei fratelli, le mie sorelle, le
mie zie, i miei cugini, i miei parenti sono stati vicini a mia madre negli
ultimi momenti. Sono grato di tutto questo. Mi sono sentito lontano ma anche
molto vicino, e sicuramente il pensiero di sentire tutti voi vicino a me, uniti
in questo momento, è stato di estremo sollievo. Ringrazio anche l’Agenzia
spaziale europea e l’Agenzia spaziale americana che hanno messo a disposizione
le risorse affinché io abbia potuto parlare con lei negli ultimi momenti.

Final greeting

Dear astronauts,
I thank you warmly for this wonderful opportunity to meet and dialogue with
you. You have helped me and many other people to reflect together on important
issues that regard the future of humanity. I wish you the very best for your
work and for the success of your great mission at the service of science,
international collaboration, authentic progress, and for peace in the world. I
will continue to follow you in my thoughts and prayers and I willingly impart
my Apostolic Blessing.

Filed under benedict xvi, nasa, space station

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Shrek, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Lopez

Shrek, Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt were all having lunch together.

Shrek said, 'I have always thought that I'm the strongest man in the World, but how can I be sure?

Brad Pitt said, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the hottest man alive but I've Never had it confirmed..'

Jennifer Lopez agreed. 'I'm told I'm the sexiest of them all, but sometimes I wonder.'

They all decided that the best way to find out if their beliefs were true was to approach the wicked Queen's mirror to confirm for them whether Shrek was the strongest, Brad Pitt was the hottest and Jennifer Lopez was the sexiest.

They agreed to meet again the next day for lunch to discuss their findings.

The next day Shrek walked up with a smile. 'Well, it's true. The mirror told me that I am the strongest man in the world!'

Jennifer Lopez followed and boasted it is true, it has been confirmed that I am the sexiest!!

Brad Pitt walked in, head bent, tears in his eyes and asked, Who the hell is GENE POGI???"

I LOVE this Doctor!

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.
Beer also made of grain. Bottom up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No pain...good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food are fried these day in vegetable oil. In fact, they permeated by it. How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me..

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!
Well... I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Debt Ceiling

May 2, 2011
The Honorable John A. Boehner
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Further to my letters of January 6 and April 4, 2011, I am writing again to Members of Congress regarding the importance of protecting America’s creditworthiness by enacting an increase in the statutory debt limit. This letter is to inform you of the extraordinary measures the Treasury Department will begin taking this week in anticipation of the date the debt limit will be reached, and to provide an updated estimate of the Department’s ability to use these measures to preserve lawful borrowing authority without exceeding the debt limit. In my last letter, I described
in detail the set of extraordinary measures Treasury is prepared to take in
order to extend temporarily our ability to meet the Nation’s obligations if
an increase is not enacted by May 16, when we estimate the limit will be
reached. Because it appears that Congress will not act by May 16, it will
be necessary for the Treasury to begin implementing these extraordinary
measures this week.

*On Friday, May 6, Treasury will suspend until further notice the issuance
of State and Local Government Series (SLGS) Treasury securities*. SLGS are
special-purpose Treasury securities issued to states and municipalities to
help them conform to tax rules that restrict the investment of proceeds from
the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. These bonds are used to fund a variety of
expenditures, including infrastructure improvements across the country.
When Treasury issues SLGS, they count against the debt limit. Because the
United States is very close to reaching the debt limit, Treasury must take
this action now. However, it is not without costs; *it will deprive state
and local governments of an important tool to manage their outstanding debt
expenses. *

*If Congress does not increase the debt limit by May 16*, the Treasury
Department will be forced to employ further extraordinary measures on that
date to provide headroom under the limit. Therefore, on May 16, I will (1)
declare a “debt issuance suspension period” under the statute governing the
Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, permitting us to redeem
existing Treasury securities held by that fund as investments, and to
suspend issuance of new Treasury securities to that fund as investments and
(2) suspend the daily reinvestment of Treasury securities held as
investments by the Government Securities Investment Fund of the Federal
Employees’ Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan. (Under the law, Federal
employees are protected by a requirement that both funds be made whole after
a debt limit increase is enacted.)

In addition, it may become necessary, at a time to be determined, to suspend
the daily reinvestment of Treasury securities held as investments by the
Exchange Stabilization Fund.

Largely as a result of stronger than expected tax receipts, we now estimate
that these extraordinary measures would allow the Treasury to extend
borrowing authority until about August 2, 2011, approximately three weeks
later than was forecast last month. This is a projection and is subject to
change based on government receipts and other factors during the next three
months. While this updated estimate in theory gives Congress additional
time to complete work on increasing the debt limit, I caution strongly
against delaying action. The economy is still in the early stages of
recovery, and financial markets here and around the world are watching the
United States closely. Delaying action risks a loss of confidence and
accompanying negative economic effects.

As I have written previously, *default by the United States on its
obligations would have a catastrophic economic impact that would be felt by
every American*. *A broad range of government payments would have to be
stopped, limited or delayed, including military salaries, Social Security
and Medicare payments, interest on debt, unemployment benefits and tax
refunds. A default on the Nation’s legal obligations would lead to sharply
higher interest rates and borrowing costs, declining home values and reduced
retirement savings for Americans. Default would cause a financial crisis
potentially more severe than the crisis from which we are only now starting
to recover*.

I want to emphasize that, contrary to a common misperception, the debt limit
has never served as a constraint on future spending, nor would refusing to
increase the debt limit reduce the obligations the country has already
incurred. Increasing the debt limit merely permits payment of obligations
Congress has already approved to citizens, servicemen and women, businesses
and investors. In order to honor those obligations, increasing the debt
limit is unavoidable. In fact, under both the President’s budget and the
House-passed Republican budget, the debt limit would need to be raised by
roughly the same amount in order to fund the government through the end of
FY2012.

Protecting America’s creditworthiness and our economic leadership position
in the world is a duty to our country that is shared by policymakers in both
parties, in the Legislative Branch as well as the Executive Branch.
Therefore any attempt by either party to use the full faith and credit of
the United States as a bargaining chip to advance partisan policy agendas
would be irresponsible.

President Obama is strongly committed to restoring fiscal responsibility to
our government, and he has put forward a specific framework and set in
motion a process to work with both parties to accomplish this critically
important objective. As that process moves forward, I again urge Congress
to act to protect America’s economic interests by approving an increase in
the debt limit as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Timothy F. Geithner

Recent Pacquiao fight

If you are going to watch the Pacquiao fight please keep in mind that a lot of people die from heart attack. Very likely it is the tension and excitement that caused these heart attacks. My brother-in-law died in the middle of the previous Pacquiao fight. Cause of death point toward heart attack. The symptoms where difficulty of breathing and dizzyness. He went out when he felt he could not breath. When he came back into the house, he said he felt better. Then he clutched his chest and died before the emergency technicians arrived.

I suggest if you have history of heart problems please take valium to calm yourself.

------------------------------------------------------

Pacquiao just finished recording a new CD with Dan Hill, the song writer of "Sometimes When We Touch", his favorite song.

Here are the 20 facts about the “oldest” in the Philippines

*Oldest Steel Church*
Despite the discrepancies in the dates of its founding, the San Sebastian
Church is the only steel church in Asia built in the late 18th century. It
should have celebrated its centennial around 1991. Yet, it seems that not
even the Catholic administration paid any interest in its historical
significance or in the fact that it was *Alexander Gustave Eiffel* who
designed it.

*Oldest Restaurant*
New *Toho *Food Center (1888, 422 Tomas Pinpin Street, Binondo, Manila)
Five Chinese friends set this up in Binondo, Manila, where the restaurant
still stands, in a newer structure also on Tomas Pinpin (formerly *San
Jacinto*) Street which was built after a fire razed the wooden building back
in 1984. That explains the slight change in the name. It used to be called
the *Toho Antigua Panciteria.*

*Oldest Province*
*Aklan*, originally known as *Minuro it Akean, *is considered as the oldest
province in the country and believed to have been established as early as
1213 by settlers from Borneo. Its first ruler was *Datu Dinagandan.* In
1399,*Datu* *Kalantiaw* grabbed the throne. In 1433, *Kalantiaw III *formulated
a set of laws that is known today as the *Code of Kalantiaw.*
* *

*Oldest Town*
*Unisan, Quezon* could be the oldest town in the Philippines. The people of
*Unisan* claimed that their town is now 481 years old, having been
established in 1521, the same year that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the
Philippines. All other towns in the country were established not earlier
than 1565, when Spain formally occupied the Philippines as a colony.

A *Malayan queen *named *Ladya* reportedly founded *Calilayan,* the old
name of the town. In 1876, *Calilayan* was renamed *Unisan* which was
derived from the Latin word *uni-sancti*, meaning *"holy saint"*.
(Source: *Philippine
Daily Inquirer*)

*Oldest City*
Cebu City is considered as the oldest city in the country, as this was the
site of the earliest European settlement established by Spanish
conqueror *Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi* in 1565.

*Oldest Fort*
The first Spanish settlement in the country, *Villa del Santisimo Nombre de
Jesus*, was located inside *Fort San Pedro* in Cebu City. The fort’s
construction began in 1565.

*Oldest Street*
*Calle Colon* in *Cebu City* is considered as the oldest street in the
country. Named after explorer *Christopher Columbus, Calle Colon* was first
constructed in 1565 by men of *Miguel Lopez De Legazpi.*



*Oldest Stone Church*
The *Baclayon Church* in *Boho*l is considered as the oldest stone church
in the Philippines. But some historians disagree, claiming that San Agustin
Church in Manila deserves the title.
* Baclayon Church*

* *
*San Agustin Church*
Church historians claim that the cornerstones of San Agustin Church were
laid as early as 1571, 25 years before *Baclayon Church* was built in 1596.
But most people believe the title should be kept by the latter, since it is
situated in the island first occupied by the troops of *Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi,* the country’s first Spanish governor general.
*Bohol* was where a friendship was sealed with blood between *Chieftain
Rajah Sikatuna* and *Legazpi*. The event is known today as *”The Blood
Compact.” *

*Oldest Hospital*
The *San Lazaro Hospital* could be the oldest hospital in the country.
According to Pampango historian *Zoilo Galang*, *the San Lazaro
hospital*was established in 1578;
*Enfermeria de Naga*, 1583; and *Hospital de San Juan de Dios*, 1596.

*Oldest Church Bell*
The oldest church bell in the country is said to be the one found in
Camalaniugan, Cagayan. That bell was reportedly forged in 1595.

*Oldest Bridge*
The *Jones Bridge*, formerly known as *Puente de Espana*, was first built
in 1701. It was rebuilt by the Americans in 1916 and renamed after *Atkinson
Jones.*

*Oldest University*
The *University of San Carlos *(U.S.C.) in Cebu City is considered as the
oldest school in the country and in Asia. Formerly known as the *Colegio de
San Ildefonso*, it was founded by the Spanish Jesuits on August 1, 1595.
This makes the Cebu-based university older than the *University of Santo
Tomas* (1611) in Manila and* Harvard University* (1636) in the United
States.

*The old Semenario-Colegio de San Carlos de Cebu in Martires St. (now M.J.
Cuenco Avenue) near Plaza Independencia*

* San Carlos University*

University of Santo Tomas
The *University of Santo Tomas*, however, contests this title. Formerly
known as the *Colegio de Nuestra Señora Del Rosario,* U.S.T. was the first
school, which got a university status in 1645. U.S.C. became a university in
1948. UST also claimed that the original U.S.C. was closed in 1769 as a
result of the expulsion of the Jesuits. It reopened in 1783 under a new name
and ownership. But the USC officials stick to their claim. The university
observed its 400th foundation day on August 21, 1995. (I was in third year
high school at U.S.T. Education High School)

*Oldest Vocational School*
The *Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades* (DHVCAT) in*Bacolor,
Pampanga* is said to be the oldest vocational school in Asia. *Augustinian
Friar Juan Zita* and civic leader *Don Felino Gil *established the
vocational school on November 4, 1861.

*Oldest Company*
Ayala Corp., one of the largest conglomerates in the country, is also the
oldest existing company around. It was established in 1834 by sugar
barons *Domingo
Roxas* and *Antonio de Ayala.* It was later renamed as *Casa Ayala*, then as
*Ayala y Compania* and recently as Ayala Corp.

*Oldest Bank*
In 1881, *Domingo Roxas*, an ancestor of the *Ayala* family, became one of
the first directors of *Banco Español-Filipino De Isabel II,* which was
founded by virtue of a royal decree issued by *Queen Isabel II.* The bank
issued the country’s first currency notes the following year. Considered as
the first private commercial bank in the country, the bank came to be known
as the Bank of Philippine Islands in 1912. The oldest savings bank was *Monte
de Piedad*, which was established in 1882.

*Oldest Military Supply Shop*
The oldest military supply shop in the country was said to be *Alfredo
Roensch and Co.*

*Oldest Rizal Monument*
What can be considered as the oldest* * in the country is a 20-foot metal
structure standing at a park in *Daet, Camarines Norte*. Its construction
reportedly began on December 30, 1898 and was finished in February 1899. In
comparison, the *Rizal *monument at the former *Luneta *Park was built in
1912.

*Oldest Vice*
The earliest vice among native Filipinos, according to historians, was the
chewing of betel nut or *"nganga"*. It was said that Filipinos had been
chewing betel nut for 3,000 years.
Image Credit *Nganga (Betel Nut)*

*Oldest Insurance Firm*
Insular Life Insurance Company was established on November 26, 1910,
becoming the oldest insurance agency in the country.
Image Credit *Insular Life Insurance*

*Oldest Epics*
In a 1962 study, *E. Arsenio Manuel *said the country had at least 19
epics, which were passed to the present generation from our early ancestors
through oral chanting. Among these so-called ethno epics were 13 epics among
*pagan Filipinos*, 2 among *Christian Filipinos*, and 4 among *Muslim
Filipinos*. These included the *Ilocano epic Lam-ang, Manuvu’s Tuwaang,
Sulod’s Hinilawod and Maranaw’s Bantugan.*
SOURCE: Main sources of information include Zoilo Galang’s Encyclopedia of
the Philippines and Julio Silverio’s *Diksyunaryo ng mga Unang Pinoy.*

Vote Ron Paul

Ron Paul is on the right path questioning what is in the bag of goodies. Those are your foreclosed houses abandoned by owners because the market value is a lot less than the mortgage.

They are waiting for the economy to rebound so the Ass-ets will regain their market value.

There is a chance that will happen because there is a growing swell of foreign investors gobbling up US real estate because of the Dollar exchange rate going down.

The US of A still has a strong military so any investment based in US soil is looked
at by foreigners as a secure investment. Think Lib-ya, Syria, Etc. You Petro Dollars would be safest in US investments! Same as the Taiwanese, Koreans and (Rich) Pinoys too!

Soon, Manny P will own a mansion in Hawayah!

Not good for Americans because we will end up "Renters" instead of "Homeowners".

That is a very good simple, straightforward video of the economy in a nutshell.

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Ron Paul is surging in the lead. He is in the 'exploratory phase' to see if
he'll run again. From all the repub contenders, some experts think he has a
chance to beat O.

Investments in Canada (most likely from US moneybags) are in the upswing.
The most prominent is Bill Gates dumping $3.2B buying 10.04% of Canadian
National Railway. It's a safe bet. The company has been consistently earning
billions every year. Remember, Canada is also considered "offshore" and many
US companies sit here for safety.

**
*Better to light a candle than curse the darkness* *- ancient Chinese
proverb*


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How about some Petroleum stocks too. If I had Billions I will buy Canadian Oil! OPEC is cutting production. The Saudi excuse is that there is an abundant supply but the prices are rising because of speculators so they are reducing production.

The law of supply and demand does not seem to work for the Petroleum industry. There is an abundant supply. There is a big drop in consumption because the winter heating demand is gone and drivers are cutting back in travel. Where are they storing all the oil? The hoarders will
eventually run out of storage space.

They Saudis will not tell the truth which is, they need more money to buy their people so they will not rebel. That Egyptian situation unraveled a lot of shit so all these dictators and Emirs are scrambling to calm their people. Some say the Saudi King is pissed USA did not listen to them about pushing Mu-barack out! Now we end up paying to buy their peoples loyalty.

We cannot win whatever we do. We should just leave that area. Now they have "sleepers" killing our guys point blank.

Is it the Pampango version of Ari Muna (O'jo Kaluguran Daka) or the original version?

I do not know much about Ron Paul. I will need to do research on him. I am still looking into Michelle Bachman. Got to prioritize. And she is a better looker!