Katrina Halili confirms pregnancy; Kris Lawrence is the father!

Katrina Halili is allegedly leaving the GMA-7 soap “My Beloved” because of a believed pregnancy that is spreading through the gossip columns of the media. She is playing the antagonist in Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes’ love story but maybe not for much longer.

Not only a contraversal pregnancy but also badly timed affecting her current TV show’s filming. Katrina Halili is 3 months pregnant by R+B Singer Kris Lawrence.

"Tinanong ko ang sarili ko kung ready na ba ako na iba naman ang pagtuunan ko ng pansin, at okay naman po. Blessing po ito sa akin kaya masaya po ako," Katrina said

The speculation started from rumours of an actress in the Philippines TV circuit that is part of a primetime soap currently airing is pregnant with her longtime boyfriends child. They had been dating a long time before the video scandal came out yet they broke up because of it.

Is the rumours true or just a media circuit spin to get some free publicity? your guess is as good as mine.

Dialysis centers in 2 Pampanga towns from Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao

The three-termer vice governor also said that construction will start next month.

“We are looking at having the center in Magalang operational by May this year. After that, we will move on to Mabalacat for another dialysis center, he said.

Vice Governor Joseller “Yeng” Guiao said over the weekend that he and some private partners will build dialysis centers for the poorest of the poor in Magalang and Mabalacat towns.

“We will start with a building worth P1 million to P2 million at the Andres Luciano [formerly Balitucan District Hospital] Medical Center in Magalang. Then, we will replicate this in Mabalacat so patients from nearby towns like Arayat and Mexico could also avail of services in the dialysis centers,” he said.

Guiao stressed that the centers will have 10-bed capacities and would be fully equipped.

“Each building or center will have a capacity of at least 10 beds each. They would be completely and fully equipped. These are in support of Governor Lilia Pineda’s priority health agenda and in line with the administration’s public-private partnership thrusts,” he added.

Guiao recently donated 16 motorized hospital beds to the Andres Luciano Medical Center.

DMIA mas papatok ba kung ibabalik sa dati nitong pangalan na Clark International Airport?

RA 10086 - An Act Strengthening People's Nationalism through Philippine History by changing the nomenclature of the National Historical Institute of the Philippines, strengthening its powers and functions and for other purposes. Under this Act a revised guidelines were issued: I. Who may name of rename - all public... places (national properties) may be named or renamed by the Phil President through a proclamation or by through legislation III. Character of names - 1. Proposed names must have historical and cultural significance and must contribute to the positive development of national pride through the good example exhibited by the name being used IV. NAMING/RENAMING AFTER PERSONS 1. Street. plaza or any public place may be named or renamed to honor a person or family who contributed to the welfare of the Filipino People. 3. Public places such as the those already named after (Philippine) presidents, national heroes cannot be replaced with the names of people of lessed importance.

Both CIA and DMIA were not named in accordance with this guidelines. DMIA name was approved by the CDC board resolution of 2001, CIA name has no resolution. There is presumption of regularity in using the name DMIA on account of this resolution and two (2) Executive Orders (EOs 193 and 716) empowering Clark International Airport Corporation to manage and operate the Clark Civil Aviation Complex comprising 2,200 hectares and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

Who is Clark and Who is Diosdado Macapagal?

Clark is Major Harold Clark, and american pilot who perished in a seaplane crash in panama in 1917. During the early years of Phil-American of the last century, the american cavalry forces made a camp or fort north of Angeles, and by virtue of an EO of american president Theodore Roosevelt issued on Sept of 19003 named it as fort stotsenburg. later it became an airfield with the advent of the airplanes and named it as Clark Air Field and in 1949 as Clark Air Base. This name Clark is an imposition to us by our former colonial masters. Tanong ko po - and pag gamit ba ng pangalang clark ay naaayong sa itinatakda ng NHCP guidelines under article I section 1. and under article IV section 3 and 4? Ang paggamit ba ng pangalang Clark ay nakakadagdag sa ating pambansang dignidad? Ano ba ang magandang halimbawa na dapat tularan ng kabataang pilipino sa nagawa taong Clark sa ating bansa? Ano ba ang nagawa ni Clark para mag contribute sa "welfare of the filipino people? Ang gusto ng CIAC board ay ipangalan nalang kay Disodado Macapagal ang terminal at ang airport ay kay Clark - please read again sec 3, article IV of the guidelines - kapag naipangalan mo na sa isang presidente ng ating bansa and isang public place hindi na po ito pwedeng ipangalan sa isang tao na mas mababa and posisyon sa presidente. Presidente po si Disodado Macapagal tapos ang balak ng CIAC ay ipangalan nalang sa kanya ang terminal, at ang buong airport facilities at aviation comples ay ipangalan kay Clark, ang terminal ay isang bahagi lamang ng airport. Hindi po ba demotion ito under the guidelines?

Sino naman po si Diosdao Macapagal - siya po ay first kapampangan president of the philippines, he is the fahter of land reform law that "emancipipated" the farmers from the bondage of the soil they tilled. Galing pos siya sa mahirap na pamilya, Naigapang po niya and kanyang sarili sa pagaaral sa pagtulong ng mga kamaganak at mga mababait na pilantropo para makatapos ng kolehiyo, abugasya, naging congressman at naging presidente. Hindi nabahiran ng anumang anomalya ang kanyang administrayon. Noong pong presidente siya mula 1960-1964, Philippines is second in Asia after Japan in terms of economic develpment. Isa siyang magaling na manunulat at poetang kapampangan, artista sa entablado at marami pang iba. Huwaran po siy at dapat tularan ng mga kabataan dahil sa kanyang marangal na pagkatao. Isang mahirap o dukhang pilipino na nagsikap na magaral at naging presidente ng ating bansa. Kaya ang bansa po sa kanya ay "the poor boy from lubao, pampanga.

Tanong ko po ulit, sino and dapat tularan s Maj. Harold Clark ba na isang amerikano o si Diosdado Macapagal, isang maralitang pilipino na naging presidente ng pilipinas? Sino po ba sa kanila and nagdadagdag ng pambansang dignidad as ating bansa, sino ang nakatulong sa kanila para sa kagalingan ng mga pilipino? Basahin po natin ang guidelines and tanungin po natin ang ating sarili, pipiliin po ba natin ang ating kapwa pilipino o ang pangalang idinikta sa atin ng mga dating colonial masters natin.

Maraming salamat po.
- by: Alex Cauguiran

Bakit ang Pera, may Mukha? Bakit ang Mukha, walang Pera?

Filipinos are notorious for their short memories and this explains why the government erects and maintains monuments, markers, landmarks and shrines all over the archipelago to remind Filipinos of a glorious past. This also explains why we have a government agency responsible for history—the National Historical Commission of the Philippines—which was recently given the responsibility of overseeing memorials, commemorations and holidays.

Marami na ang naisulat tungkol sa pera. May kanta tulad ng naririnig niyo ngayon na gawa ng The Youth at ginawan ng rendition ng Parokya ni Edgar. Mayroong "Money, Money, Money" ng Abba at "Money for Nothing" ni Dire Straits. Sabi nila, "Money is the root of all evil". Sabi ng iba ay "Umiikot ang mundo sa pera". Kung ang sabi ni Kuya Kim ay "Ang buhay ay weather-weather lang", sa iba naman ay "Pera-pera lang 'yan!".

Just in time for the Yuletide, inilabas na ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ang mga bagong itsura ng pera ng mga Pinoy. Sa internet ko lang ulit ito nakita, courtsey of Yahoo! News. Sa aking opinyon, maganda ang naging disenyo ng mga bagong bayarin. Akma ang ginawa nilang gawing parang "business card" ng Pilipinas ang mga pera natin. Sa harapan ay naroon ang kasaysayan habang sa likuran naman ay naroon ang mga tourist spots na ipinagmamalaki natin sa buong mundo. Kung isa akong isang dayuhang mamamasyal sa Pinas, makakatulong ang pera sa aking itinerary.

Gusto ko lamang bigyang puna ang mga bagong pera natin.

BENTE. Sigurado akong isa ito sa pinakamaraming magiging laman ng mga sobreng ipamimigay sa mga bata bilang aginaldo ngayong Kapaskuhan. "Galing kay ninong at Ninang". Ang hirap gastusin kasi bago, mabango, at malutong. Pero huwag ka, mga ilang araw lang na ganun at mauubos rin naman. Hindi ko alam kung sa computer ko lang pero parang nag-iba ang kulay nito. Kaugnay kay Manuel Quezon ang lahat ng nasa harapan. Nandoon pa rin ang Palasyo ng Malakanyang. Makikita pa rin kaya 'yung anino ng taong nasa bintana na nakaimprenta sa lumang bente? Hindi ko alam kung bakit mula isang libo ay bumaba papuntang bente ang Banaue Rice Terraces.

TAPWE. Mukhang kulay pula pa rin naman. Kung sakaling magtatanong ka kung bakit 'yung landing ni McArthur sa Leyte ang kaugnay Late President Serge, ito ay dahil sa siya ang Vice President nang pumanaw si Quezon at noong patapos na ang WWII. Taal Volcano ang nasa likuran. Puwede na rin dahil isang natural wonder ito pero mas "wonderful" ang Banaue, 'di ba?

UBE. May halaga pa ba ang sandaan? President Roxas ang nag-author ng pagkakaroon ng isang central bank kaya kung maalala niyo, pektyur ng BSP ang nasa likod ng dating sandaang piso. Okay ang choice na Mayon Volcano at butanding. Kaso wala na ang security feature ng perang ito tulad ng nasa dating sandaan na may "bangkosentralngpilipinasbangkosentralngpilipinas..." sa mismong pektyur ng gusali.

ARROYO BILL. Dios ama. Dios anak. Diosdado Macapagal. Ito ang pinakapangit sa lahat ng designs. Parang walang theme. Connect the dots. Dahil siya ang nagpalit ng Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, nasa perang ito ang Aguinaldo Shrine at Barasoain Church na nasa dating lima at sampung pisong papel, respectively. Kita pa rin ba si muning sa bandang itaas ng simbahan? Chocolate Hills at tarsier, wala na ang tatalo pa kapag Bohol ang napag-usapan. Mas may value ito kaysa ipakita ang EDSA Dos. Okay na sana pero taena, ano 'yung nasa bandang kaliwa sa ibaba? May kutong-lupa? Ah hindi pala, nuno sa punso! Ang liit-liit na nga, pinaliit pa. Paksyet, bakit hindi nalang kasi binura?!

NINOY BILL.Mukhang suwerte na itong perang ito dahil hindi na nakasimangot si Ninoy at hindi na rin nakakulumbaba. Wala na ang treseng "500". Wala na ang treseng tao. Wla na 'yung ahas na nakapulupot. Wala na rin ang treseng bituin. Medyo nakakatuwang makita na after ilang years ay nagsama na rin sila ni Tita Cory. 'Yun nga lang, sa harap ng pera! May security feature ang parrot na nasa pera - nag-iiba ng kulay ang batok nito kapag inikot ng ninety degrees. Nagiging green mula red color.

TITO VIC AND JOEY. Hanggang ngayon ay 'di ko pa rin alam ang pagkokonek sa tatlong ito. Si Josefa Lllanes Escoda, alam kong siya ang founder ng Girls Scouts of the Philippines. Si Vicente Lim naman, ang alam ko lang sa kanya ay isa siyang kalye na binababaan ko noong pumapasok pa ako sa uste. Si Jose Abad Santos, kalye pa rin ang pagkakakilala ko sa kanya. Astig ang pagkakalagay ng Tubbataha Coral Reefs sa likuran! Pangarap kong makapunta dito kasama ang aking pamilya balang araw. Tulad ng limangdaan, may security feature din ang bill na ito. Nagiging gree from red ang kulay ng clam kapag inikot ng ninety degrees.

Okay ang ginawa ng BSP na ipakita ang mas batang itsura ng mga taong nasa harapan ng mga bagong pera. All in all, maganda talaga ang dating nila sa pagkakakita ko sa monitor ng laptop ko. Ewan ko lang sa actual. Hindi tulad ng pera sa ibang bansa na iisang tao lang ang nakalagay sa lahat ng pera at sa kulay lang nagkakatalo, ang sa atin ay may pagkakakilanlan. Kumpara sa ibang perang nahawakan ko na sa mga bansang napuntahan, may ibubuga ang gawang pinoy!

DMIA or CIA

Some favor the move for sentimental reasons and because the name "Clark" has been known since the Americans used it as one of their biggest overseas military bases.

“Gusto ko na palitan na, na gawing Clark International Airport,” said Ofelia Erum.

A plan to change the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport's name (DMIA) back to the original Clark International Airport has drawn mixed reactions from the public
Others said using "Clark" will avoid confusion.

“Sa abroad, hindi nila alam ang DMIA. Ang alam nila Clark International Airport o Clark Airbase,” said retired Lt. Cristobal Erum.

Clark International Airport was renamed Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in 2003 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Although the Clark airport was changed to Diosdado Macapagal in 2003, its international code remains CRK.

While there was a justification for Arroyo to name it after her father Diosdado—it’s in Pampanga province and he was its favorite son—Cony Romero, one of the workers at the Clark museum thinks the renaming was too political.

"Dapat alisin na ‘yung DMIA. ‘Yung Clark original na name niya ‘yun,” said Romero.

Others, however, believe that removing the name of the former president's father is also political.

“Siguro kung icha-change nila sa Clark International Airport, magiging pulitika din knowing the fact na nag-change na nga ng administration. For me it’s OK to use Diosdado Macapagal International Airport,” said Lorin Malonas, a call center agent.

The discussion has also hit social networking sites and is a popular topic among Kapampangans.

Nelson Mallari, an Aeta who has lived in Clark for most of his life, thinks changing names was never a good idea to begin with.

“Kung ano ‘yung dating traditional na katawagan, dapat ‘yun ang masusunod para hindi na masabi na nagiging biased sa pulitika,” he said.

Victor Luciano, president of Clark International Airport Corporation, has offered a compromise: the terminal building will remain Diosdado Macapagal but the airport will be Clark again.

Angeleños Favor 'DMIA' Over 'CIA'

"Angeleños favor the retention of the Clark airport name as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport or DMIA," said Pamintuan, who downplayed reasons given by proponents of the name change.

Through the sponsorship of Councilor Edu Pamintuan, the City Council passed on Tuesday two resolutions supporting the retention of the current name of the DMIA One resolution expresses disapproval to renaming the airport back to "Clark" while the other enjoins Congress to enact a law officially naming it as the "DMIA."

Pamintuan said that renaming the DMIA would be a disservice not only to the Kapampangans (people of Pampanga) but more so to the historical heritage of the country.

"Dropping DMIA in favor of 'Clark' is not justified by the claim that aviation players know the airport more to be 'Clark' than 'DMIA' and that the airport is tagged by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as 'CRK,' while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) retains its name when it is still referred to as 'Manila airport' or 'MNL' by IATA," Pamintuan said.

He said that international airports all over the world often have long and unfamiliar names and, altogether, a different IATA code as a "very acceptable practice."

Pamintuan cited the airports in Rome, Italy which was named after their national treasure - Leonardo da Vinci while in New York, USA, the airport was named after former President John F. Kennedy.

Here in Asia, he said Hong Kong which is known as Chek Lap Kok Airport has "HKG" as its IATA code while Singapore's Changi International Airport code is "SIN."

"The practice has been accepted widely and no foreign pilots seem bothered by it," the councilor said.

Pamintuan added: "Changing the name of DMIA to Clark International Airport shall have no significant bearing on the airport's current operation, capacity and potential as a premier international gateway airport."

Clark International Airport was renamed DMIA in 2001 during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

This was pursuant to Clark Development Corporation's (CDC's) Board Resolution 07-08 approved in July 2001, renaming the Clark airport as DMIA on the occasion of the 91st birth anniversary of the late former president, Diosdado Macapagal, on Sept. 28, 2001.

Although the Clark airport was changed to DMIA in 2003, its international code remains CRK.

Both resolutions stated that: "The basis of the name DMIA is important to the people of Pampanga as it honors one of its respected leaders, Diosdado Pangan Macapagal, who is the ninth President of the Philippines, the 'poor boy from Lubao, Pampanga' who became the first Kapampangan President, and 'Father of Land Reform' of the country."

Manila Central Post Office into a first-class hotel

In 1997, Sino Land (Hongkong) Co. Ltd., a sister company of Far East Organization, acquired the Fullerton Building from the Urban Redevelopment Authority, spending close to $300 million in converting it into a hotel and building the two-story commercial complex One Fullerton. The hotel was officially opened on Jan. 1, 2001.

The Singapore hotel was also originally a general post office building, also known as the Fullerton Building, before its redevelopment into a luxury five-star hotel located at the Central Business District near the mouth of the Singapore River.

The historic Fullerton Building was named in honor of Robert Fullerton, Singapore’s governor from 1826 to 1829, and was used as a post office and even a hospital during the Second World War.

Philpost postmaster general Josie Dela Cruz yesterday announced that there are plans to convert the historic Philpost building in a bid to boost the tourism in the area that would cover Intramuros, Philpost, and Metropolitan Theater;

Dela Cruz said that the Aquino administration is studying the possibility of transforming the five-floors of the Philpost central office into a posh hotel in a bid to boost tourism in the country.

At the center of these grand plans is the 86-year-old neoclassical architecture designed Philpost building. The office building would reportedly serve as the core or catalyst of transformation.

“There is an order that came from the Executive Secretary (Paquito Ochoa Jr.) that created a committee headed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima to study the possibility of converting this area, wherein the center is our office, into a tourism development project,” Dela Cruz said.

The group behind the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore is reportedly in talks with the Philippine government for the transformation of the Manila Central Post Office into a first-class hotel. Gemma Cruz Araneta, vice president of the city of Manila’s Historical and Heritage Commission, said the group is currently engaged in negotiations with the government represents the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore.

She said that if the project pushes through, the Philpost building would not be demolished since the investors would be interested to conserve the building. “It is a heritage building...The attraction here is its history. It would be in their (investors) interest to protect and preserve it.”

Apart from Purisima, the other members of the committee would come from the city government of Manila and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The committee has six months to submit their recommendations.

The planned tourism development does not only affect the Philpost but nearby historical landmarks as well such as Intramuros and the art-deco building Manila Metropolitan Theater.

There is also the possibility that the change would positively spill over to the Binondo area and Escolta.

Coincidentally, the architect for both the Manila Metropolitan Theater and the Philpost was Juan Arellano.

Dela Cruz admitted that she is supportive of the project to convert the historical landmark building into hotel for practical reasons. “The building is too big for us and the maintenance cost (is too much) so it is no longer economical for us.”

The Philpost, a government-run corporation, has been losing money for many years because it could not compete with the private couriers and advance communication such as emails sent through computers and cellular phone textmessaging.