In a civilized society, the citizenry relies on laws to govern human behavior and to protect them from abuse by those in power. The evils of economic monopolies are checked by the existence of anti-trust or restraint of trade laws. READ FULL STORY
The perfect Christmas gift is always a nice vacation with family and friends. Since we also have to give dozens of godchildren gifts, we sometimes lack the funds to travel to expensive places. So here’s a list of the more affordable places to visit for the long Christmas to New Year break. READ FULL STORY
‘Tis the season for the merry Pinoy food! Here are 8 dishes that will most likely be on our checklist this Christmas. Ushering the start of simbang gabi or the traditional misa de gallo is the huff puffing of steam coming from the puto bumbong cylindrical bamboo steamers outside churches. READ FULL STORY
Metro Manila is all dressed up for the season. Here are snap shots of the 10 most popular holiday attractions that have become part of the Christmas scene in the metropolis. CLICK HERE
By Gaby Gloria At exactly 3:30 in the afternoon, with most of her household chores done, Nancy Surilla walks to the nearby barangay community center. There, other women from her barangay chat excitedly, sharing stories that range from daily experiences at home to the latest showbiz news. In one hand, each of these women hold golden instruments that are no larger than pencils, and no thicker than chopsticks, and in the other, long, colorful strips of plastic. As they chat, the women weave the golden instruments through the plastic strips, each creating a product that will eventually become a wallet or bag. Shortly after Nancy’s arrival, a young woman arrives and proceeds to teach them a new technique in the art of crochet. Nancy, like the other women in the center, is part of the non-profit organization called Invisible Sisters. Founded in 2009 by American artist Ann Wizer, the Invisible Institute was a simple solution to the complex problems of poverty and garbage. The Invisible Sisters crocheting clutch bags. INVISIBLE trains and employs Filipino women from depressed communities to make crocheted bags out of waste such as the common plastic sando bags normally used in wet markets and commercial establishments. Each week, these women attend a training session where an instructor introduces them to innovative techniques for preparing recycled plastic as raw material and executing various crocheting techniques. When they complete the 48-session program, INVISIBLE hires them to be part of the official production team that supplies sales outlets such Read More …
We’ll never again see the seemingly unstoppable whirlwind Manny Pacquiao of 2007 to 2011. That was the Manny Pacquiao who zoomed up the scales to win five of his world titles in a record eight weight classes. But this Pacquiao — the 34-year-old version coming off a gargantuan one-punch, sixth-round, face-first, go-to-sleep knockout against his great rival Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth encounter a year ago — is still pretty damn good. READ FULL STORY
After eight frustrating years, four controversial fights, 42 contentiously scored rounds, with over 500 punches landed from more than 1,800 thrown, after two grueling hours of opportunity under the spotlight, on Dec. 8, 2012, Juan Manuel Marquez finally landed the punch of a lifetime against Manny Pacquiao. READ FULL STORY
Counting the dead in the Philippines is grim, slow, and frustratingly inexact work. On November 19, the Philippine government put the count at just under 3,982, but no one seemed to believe it would stay there. The United Nations warned that crews have still not reached some remote islands. READ FULL STORY (See related story)
A survivor of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) describes their condition as “worse than hell.” These images from CNN and New York Times capture the suffering and devastation from the world’s most powerful typhoon ever. Click links to view photos. Warning: the photo galleries contain graphic images. CNN Photo Gallery NY TIMES Photo Gallery
For the third year in a row, the Philippines has been hit by a major storm claiming more than 1,000 lives, and the death toll from Haiyan, one of the worst on record, could climb to 10,000. With thousands of islands in the warm waters of the Pacific, the Philippines is destined to face the wrath of angry tropical storms year after year. READ FULL STORY