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LIFE IN THE NEW PHILIPPINES
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A reveller writes the "Dragon" in traditional Chinese characters and 2012 with fireworks
in Beijing on January 22, 2012 (courtesy AFP Photo / Liu Lin)

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Click on the above graphic to see the video of President Obama's 2012 State Of The Union Address on this page
or click here to watch it on YouTube.

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Support the stand of Wikipedia, US President Obama, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Boing Boing, Reddit, Flickr, Cheezburger network, and others against the draconian bid by computer-illiterate American lawmakers to destroy the international freedom of the internet. Voting on the offensive proposed bills has now been postponed pending further consultation, but to combat the continuous lobbying and bribing of congressmen and senators by lawless corporations we will need to maintain our global pressure. To find out more and
to stay updated on this issue just click anywhere on the above graphic. See also Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.

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If you are an American citizen, even if you are traveling outside the country on business or vacation and even if you are currently living overseas, you can help immediately by signing Google's petition to the US Congress. Please note the great urgency. Time is of the essence, because voting starts January 24, 2012.

Watch also the video below.


WHAT DOES A BILL LIKE PIPA/SOPA MEAN TO OUR SHAREABLE WORLD? Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume. He believes that new technologies enabling loose collaboration and taking advantage of "spare" brainpower - will change the way society works.
      Shirky's work focuses on the rising usefulness of decentralized technologies such as peer-to-peer, wireless networks, social software and open-source development. New technologies are enabling new kinds of cooperative structures to flourish as a way of getting things done in business, science, the arts and elsewhere, as an alternative to centralized and institutional structures, which he sees as self-limiting.
      In his writings and speeches he has argued that "a group is its own worst enemy". His clients have included Nokia, the Library of Congress and the BBC. Shirky is an adjunct professor in New York University's graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program, where he teaches a course named "Social Weather".
      He's the author of "Here Comes Everybody", about the power of crowds, and "Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age". WIRED magazine said about him: "Shirky is one of the handful of people with justifiable claim to the digerati moniker. He's become a consistently prescient voice on networks, social software, and technology's effects on society."
(Video and write-up courtesy of TED.)


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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO
THE PHILIPPINES FROM
AROUND THE WORLD!


LONDON'S MAGNIFICENTLY SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY along the historic River Thames didn't make London Bridge fall down again, but brought out thousands of people of all nationalities into the cold winter weather, at least 50% of whom would have tied for the beauty title of My Fair Lady 2012. After all the dramas of 2011, it was a display designed to boost morale and raise the spirits not only of Londoners but of all people everywhere - including us - for the New Year.
      Turn up your volume because the accompanying soundtrack is also good. Among other things you'll hear the chimes of Big Ben, Queen's "We Will Rock You", the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and an original recording of the famous World War 2 news signal "London Calling", which was the only voice of freedom left in Europe after German troops had occupied one country after another in Hitler's bid to conquer and oppress the world under his ruthless dictatorship.
      It was the UK and its then dominions Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and other smaller nations, later reinforced by the welcome powerful entry of the USA, and with immense help from brave resistance fighters in all the occupied countries, that fought Hitler's Nazis to the end and finally defeated them. The world would be very different now if we were all enslaved under a heartlessly cruel Nazi dic-tatorship, tortured and exterminated if we ever dared to express a word of dissent.
      Obviously London is now calling for visitors to this year's London Olympics, and it wins our vote for the best New Year 2012 Fireworks Display. Our vote is shared by millions of people around the world who have made this by far their most popular New Year's Eve download on YouTube. It was made by the BBC along with 5 others, each by a different but equally talented production crew, and all of which can be freely viewed on YouTube. Thanks London, thanks BBC, and thanks YouTube. Happy New Year to you all too!

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Support CNN's admirable worldwide Freedom Project and help to end modern-day slavery.


      Other New Year Fireworks Displays that stood out from the crowd included Sydney - always one of the best in the world but spread around the city over such a wide area that it could only be fully appreciated if viewed from a helicopter, and Hong Kong - also perennially popular but suffering from being reminiscent of the display that's staged every night for tourists.
      So our vote for second place (first runner-up) goes to Dubai, with its exceptionally clever and elegant display that was beautiful to watch but lacked the drama, emotion, and excitement of London's.


      And our surprise vote for third place (second runner-up) is to Kuala Lumpur. Although its display did not match the originality of London's or Dubai's, what won us over was the joyful exuberance and excitement of the crowds of onlookers. They were wonderful!
                                                                                                                                                                       - Angel Tugado


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Join IBM's search for the innovators and drivers of a better economy and a better world at: facebook.com/midmarketibm.

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The final score of Philippine Askals 1 and LA Galaxy 6 didn't reflect the closeness of this Friendly match. There were so many whisker-near misses from the Askals that would have produced a much closer result had they gone in. Our boys put on a good show and the game was still a win-win for Pinoys, because its global publicity was already a spectacular boost to Philippine football long before the kickoff and holders of the USA's 2011 Major League Soccer Cup and Championship were given a run for their money. The star-studded Los Angeles team included David Beckham (second from right), once a shy Londoner, whose soccer skills and work ethic has helped teams to win national league titles in England (Manchester United), Italy (AC Milan), Spain (Real Madrid) and now America (LA Galaxy). Along the way he also married a Spice Girl named Victoria Adams (Posh Spice), who now runs her own very successful fashion brand. Considering the LA Galaxy's advantage of massive financial backing and its strength in-depth of experienced multinational world-class players, we can be proud of the Philippine Askals who -- without such advantages -- are heroically raising the standard of football here.

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IF ONLY! The face of Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais, in second place,
says it all as Miss Venezuela acknowledges her title of Miss World 2011.

SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR...

IT NEVER COMES HARDER IN ANY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION THAN TO ACHIEVE 2ND PLACE, and it's an enormous credit to Filipina Gwendoline Ruais that she took it so well at the Final of Miss World 2011, held in London this month and watched by more than a billion (1000,000,000) viewers on live television worldwide.
      Like all hot-blooded Filipinos we thought our girl was the best and we wanted her to win, but competition judges voted her second to Miss Venezuela. It seemed so frustrating, and yet Gwendoline beat 111 out of the 113 contestants in a global competition that has run continuously for more than 60 years. This is not a failure but an incredible success. Let's celebrate it!       More...


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BEWARE!!! BEWARE!!! BEWARE!!!
THE "FUN TOUR" PROMOS
OF CEBU PACIFIC AIR

CEBU PACIFIC'S ONLINE CHEAP FLIGHT PROMOS ARE GENERALLY FINE BUT IF YOU BOOK A "FUN TOUR" PACKAGE TO INCLUDE A HOTEL STAY, YOUR TRIP CAN BECOME A NIGHTMARE.
      Some friends of mine booked a 5 day 4 night "Fun Tour" with Cebu Pacific and paid in full online 3 months in advance including the 4 night stay at a hotel chosen from the recommended list on the Cebu Pacific website.
      Before their trip, on searching for the hotel's website to print out a location map, they discovered to their astonishment that the hotel had closed down almost 2 weeks previously, yet no word of this had been communicated to them by Cebu Pacific.
      Then came the serious problem with CP's online bookings: contacting anyone about them is almost impossible. Their website gives no email address. Just "Hotline" telephone numbers in Manila and Cebu that are permanently busy.
      My friends spent nearly a whole day repeatedly dialling before at last getting through. But these "Hotlines" are not to Cebu Pacific. They are to a Call Center with the function of filtering, taking notes, and passing queries to a supervisor who decides whether or not to pass them on to Cebu Pacific. It's a slow, laborious, frustrating, inconvenient, costly (you're paying for phone call) process.
      In this case my friends' message was considered serious enough to pass on, and some hours later they received a call from Cebu Pacific saying they had contacted the destination hotel which informed them it had only been closed for a single day and there was no problem with it.
      My friends questioned this because it contradicted the notice on the hotel's own official website, and were asked to hold while Cebu Pacific double-checked. The caller, who gave no name or direct line for future contact, returned to say the hotel had confirmed it was open and there would be no problem. "Just go there." So they did.

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"Fun Tour" was Nightmare Trip for vacationers who booked Cebu Pacific online promo.

       Upon late night arrival at the destination airport and clearance through immigration and customs, they encountered another regular difficulty with "Fun Tour" promos. No transportation to hotel is included. After trying unsuccessfully to find a bus going in the right direction, they were finally forced to take a taxi, which cost them as much as a night at the hotel, which they reached at about 2am.
      When they got there, the door was open but the reception desk was unattended. Calling out and knocking on the counter a few times eventually resulted in the appearance of someone clearly irritated at being disturbed. She looked at the reservation details on the Cebu Pacific e-ticket, brought a man out from inside and told my friends to follow him.
      The man, whose manner was equally disinterested and offhand, made no attempt to help carry their baggage and walked out of the hotel into the street, where it had started to rain. Carrying their own baggage and struggling to keep up, my friends followed him in the rain through narrow dimly lit streets, then up some stairs, through an empty building, down the stairs on the other side and further along another dark and wet street to end up at a different hotel.
     This hotel was part of the same group of budget hotels, but it was not the one my friends had chosen and did not provide the same room facilities. The hotel receptionist was aggressively rude on being questioned about the one they had booked, confirming that it had permanently closed and adding that if my friends did not like this one they could get out and go somewhere else.
      They pointed out that they had paid for 4 nights in advance, had already lost half of the first night, and asked if they could get their money back. The receptionist replied that they had paid the owner, not him, and there would be no refund if they did not stay there. He then demanded a substantial deposit for the room key, although no such deposit was mentioned on the Cebu Pacific website.

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The Cebu Pacific e-ticket shows 4 nights' stay with checkout on Friday September 30.

      By then it was too late and my friends were too tired to search for another hotel, and without refund they did not have enough spare cash to pay another hotel for the same 4 nights they had already paid Cebu Pacific for. Reluctantly they paid the room key deposit and stayed there 4 nights.
      On the positive side, next morning their included American breakfast was fine, and the hotel's eatery staff were efficient and friendly. When they wandered out to walk around, they found that the location was in a tourist area largely frequented by backpackers so there was plenty of cheap local transportation for sightseeing and a pickup point nearby for the airport shuttle bus.
      However, my friends' "Fun Tour" package vacation nightmare was by no means over. The worst part was yet to come...


             - Edu Garcia (Story of Cebu Pacific customers' ongoing nightmare to be continued.) See also www.ThePhilippineWay.org

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SM Supermalls' Regional Operations Manager for South 2 Jason Terrenal (2nd from right) proudly holds the award for SM Prime Holdings Inc. as one of the recipients of the Most Outstanding Tax Payer Award given by Santa Rosa City during the awarding ceremony. Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas (center) presented the awards.

SM PRIME HOLDINGS RECEIVES AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT

THE MOST OUTSTANDING BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA were honored and recognized in a formal awarding ceremony held on July 29, 2011 at The Bellevue Hotel, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The said companies and corporations were also ranked according to the amount of tax paid for 2010 as recorded by the Office of the City Treasurer.
      There were 5 categories and the Top 20 businesses for each category received recognition for their contribution to the City’s revenue. Mayor Arlene Arcillas, along with City Assessor Mrs. Nelly Gomez and City Treasurer Laura Sy, presented the awards.
      SM Prime Holdings Inc. ranked 6th in the Top Tax Payer category, 11th in the Top 20 Payers of Business Tax and 6th in the Top 20 Taxpayers of Realty Tax for the year 2010.
      SM Supermalls’ affiliate stores also made it to the list of Top 20 Taxpayers of Business Tax with SM Department Store, SM Supermarket and SM Appliance ranking 7th, 9th and 19th places respectively.
      SM Supermalls Regional Operations Manager for South 2 Jason Terrenal received the award for SM Prime Holdings together with SM Santa Rosa’s Assistant Mall Manager Evelyn Verzola. SM Department Store’s Regional Manager Engr. Gerry Bacsid was also present together with SM Sta. Rosa Department Store Manager Georgie Malabanan and SM Supermarket Store Manager Ronnie Ragasa.

                                                                                          - Pamela Peters-Baun (photo courtesy of SM Prime Holdings)


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THE UNITED KINGDOM BACKS THE PHILIPPINES


ENGLAND IS THE HOME OF MODERN FOOTBALL (AKA SOCCER), AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR STEPHEN LILLIE, speaking from the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Manila, gives a strong thumbs up to doing business in the Philippines. To avoid confusion, England is part of Great Britain which is part of the United Kingdom which is part of the European Union.
      Therefore with reference to the 2011 Royal Wedding, Prince William and Princess Catherine are now second in line to be King and Queen of the United Kingdom - but not of the European Union, although millions of Europeans have publicly expressed the opinion that 'Will & Kate' also belong to them, as Will's ancestors came to Britain from from Germany and they have branches all over Europe.
      Stephen Lillie does not discuss this issue and states that the Philippine population of 92 million makes us the 3rd English-speaking country of the world. He goes on to praise the international success of Philippine call-centers, whose clients include British blue-chip companies such as Shell, HKBC, and the Financial Times.
      He says that our battle against corruption is being won, and the presence of more than 200 major British companies here signifies clearly that now is an excellent time for British and other European companies to invest in the Philippines.
      Enthusiastic about the developing popularity of Filipino football and the inspiring progress of the Philippine Askals, most Englishmen everywhere look forward to seeing them qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and they also hope that before then Filipino sports fans will join them in visiting the 2012 Olympics in London.


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We highly recommend that you frequently visit the two official Sta. Rosa City websites:
Santa Rosa City Government Official Website (above) and Santa Rosa City Council Official Website (below).
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F3 Filipino Feelgood Factor

F3 Filipino Feelgood Factor

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F3 Filipino Feelgood Factor

F3 Filipino Feelgood Factor

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Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

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Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine



F3 Filipino Feelgood Factor

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Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines - FREE downloadable e-magazine

Welcome to Santa Rosa Magazine - the accessible open e-magazine of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines. No payment, no registration, no login required.

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Forget the negative attitudes of stick-in-the-mud critics and do a Google search to see the
creativity of Filipinos who have posted on the internet their own versions of DOT's inspiring
new tourism slogan. Who cares what the Swiss did in 1951? They didn't invent the English
language and they didn't coin the "it's more fun" phrase. Positive-thinking Filipinos like the
new slogan and are having lots of fun proving the truth in it. DOT deserves congratulations!
(See Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.

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"Let us end the culture of negativism; let us uplift our fellow Filipinos at every opportunity. Why are there people who enjoy finding fault in our country, who find it so hard - as though it were a sin - to say something nice? Can we even remember the last time we praised a fellow Filipino?"

"Let us stop pulling our fellow man down. Let us put an end to our crab mentality. Let us make the effort to recognize the good that is being done."

"If you see something right, do not think twice - praise it. If you see a policeman directing traffic, coatless beneath the rain - go to him and say, "Thank you.""

"If you fall sick, and you see your nurse caring for you, when she could easily be treating foreigners for a higher salary - say, "Thank you.""

"Before you leave school for home, approach your teacher who chose to invest in your future - say, "Thank you.""

"If you chance upon your local leader on a road that was once riddled with holes, but is now smooth and sturdy - go to him and say, "Thank you, for the change you have brought.""

Thank you PNoy for winning against all robber politicians and giving our nation back to its lawful owners: the Filipino people.

"Do you want the corrupt held accountable? So do I. Do you want to see the end of wang-wang, both on the streets and in the sense of entitlement that has led to the abuse that we have lived with for so long? So do I. Do you want to give everyone a fair chance to improve their lot in life? So do I."

"I say to those who would lead us astray: if you will further disadvantage the poor, do not even think about it. If all you would do is to fill your own pockets, do not even think about it. If it is not for the benefit of the Filipino people, do not even think about it."

"If we ignore the crimes of the past, they will continue to haunt us. And if we do not hold people accountable, then they will do it again and again."

"To those of you who would turn back the tide of reform: you will not succeed."

(Read the full English translation of President Aquino's
July 2011 State Of the Nation Address)

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TAKE A TIP FROM THE EXPERT:
SUPER WATER MAN AQUABUZZ


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AQUABUZZ (AQUABEST'S SUPER WATER MAN) IS FAMOUS FOR WISDOM, ACTION, AND HIS LOVE OF OUR PLANET AND ITS PEOPLE. "Water is one of the most versatile substances known to man with more than a hundred uses," he says. "Among other things we we drink it, cook with it, wash with it, play with it, create art with it, and use it to produce innumerable substances of benefit to people. In fact it is so vital to humans in its own right that everyone, without exception, needs it."
      He continues: "However, Aquabest has managed not only to provide the best quality water it has also managed to improve on it by developing structured water."
      "Using an advanced process known as Grander Technology from Austria (where the hills are alive with the sound of music because Austrians are so happy with their good health), the water molecules are restructured by Aquabest to produce structured water."
      "To get an idea of how Grander technology works picture this. Imagine your cells are doors with the water molecules as people trying to get inside. With ordinary water, these people are disorganized making entry slow laborious and inefficient. With structured water, picture these people lining up in neat lines causing entry to be faster and more efficient. This allows structured water to offer superior hydration by penetrating each cell to its core. Being more efficient than ordinary water in hydrating the body, structured water is perfect for athletes who are looking for quick hydration on the go."
      According to Aquabest's mascot Aquabuzz, the super water man, structured water is more than just for drinking. It can not only do what normal water can, but can do it better. Also It can be used for other purposes. Among the many uses of Aquabest structured water are:

1) Food preparation: Due to its modified molecular structure, structured water brings out the full flavor of food and drinks by bringing out the subtle tastes and textures of food. The effects of structured water are particularly pronounced in food items that require good water quality like coffee and tea.

2) Grooming and personal care: Ordinary tap water often contains minerals and other residues that may affect your skin. Structured water on the other hand contains no impurities that can harm your skin. Also it penetrates deep down your pores to hydrate and maintain the youth of your skin.

3) Pet care: Your pets are very sensitive creatures can be adversely affected by poor water quality structured water will not only hydrate them it would also keep them healthy. This is particularly true for fishes that are highly dependent on water quality for their very survival.

4) Gardening: Plants are very sensitive with regards to water, more than just watering the plants the water used to water them is also very important. Structured water allows plants to better absorb nutrients into their system allowing them to thrive. Sprinkle structured water to your houseplants and watch them bloom.

Tips from AQUABUZZ, Aquabest’s Super Water Man, are brought to you by Almira Antiporda. LIKE Aquabest on Facebook and visit the Aquabest website.


Aquabest's 4th Annual Tree Planting Activity in partnership with Haribon and WQAP
took place in Nuvali, Santa Rosa. (More...)

                                                    - Almira Antiporda (Graphic and photo courtesy of Aquabest)


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CONGRATULATIONS TO GWENDOLINE RUAIS FROM MUNTINLUPA!
Her second place at the Miss World beauty pageant in London has only ever been achieved
once before by a Filipina. Read the story and see more photos on our Opinion page.

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Congratulations to Miss Universe 2011 above, Leila Lopes from Angola,
and to our own Shamcey Supsup, who was placed 3rd Runner Up,
one position higher than Venus Raj last year.
Editorial photo courtesy of Miss Universe Organization. (More...)

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SM takes a giant leap forward in women's fashion. See more on our
dedicated SM Feature Pages. (Photo courtesy of SM Supermalls.)

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THREE VIDEOS WITH CRITICALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGES
(Courtesy of TED here are three mind-expanding illustrated talks.)


CAN WOMEN CHANGE THE CULTURES THAT OPPRESS THEM? You bet they can! Kavita Ramdas is president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, a publicly supported grantmaking foundation that advances human rights by investing in women-led organizations worldwide. She tells horrific stories of how women are still badly treated in some parts of the world simply because they are women, but is heartened to discover that so many are devising their own methods to overcome oppression. She recalls one of them in this way: "A Filipina activist once said to me, 'How do you cook a rice cake? With heat from the bottom and heat from the top.'"


CAN CORRUPT OFFICIALS BE BEATEN AT THEIR OWN GAME? You bet they can! Indian social entrepreneur Shaffi Mather founded an emergency ambulance service in Mumbai and Kerala with a sliding scale payment system that revolutionized medical transport there. The Education Initiative, which he co-founded, involves e-learning and is creating schools across India. In addition, Mather is a lawyer focusing on litigation in public interest -- battling for transparency in governance and use of public funds, human rights, civil rights and primacy of constitution. It works because bribes and the officials demanding them are supposed to be secret not public, so it's effectively reducing corruption wherever it operates. We need public spirited social entrepreneurs like this in the Philippines.


CAN LEARNING ENGLISH CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WORLD? You bet it can! American inventor and entrepreneur Jay Walker calls it the latest world mania. To illustrate it he shows video clips of Chinese students learning English, and he quotes the amazing facts that by law Chinese kids must start learning English in the third grade, and that China will this year become the world's largest English-speaking country. He concludes: "So is English mania good or bad? Is English a tsunami, washing away other languages? Not likely. English is the world's second language. Your native language is your life. But with English you can become part of a wider conversation. A global conversation about global problems. Like climate change or poverty. Or hunger or disease. The world has other universal languages. Mathematics is the language of science. Music is the language of emotions. And now English is becoming the language of problem solving. Not because America is pushing it. But because the world is pulling it. So English mania is a turning point. Like the harnessing of electricity in our cities, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, English represents hope for a better future. A future where the world has a common language to solve its common problems."

(See also our monthly Big 3 Videos)

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VIDEO GAMES ARE
GOOD FOR YOU

(AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD)

"This is my daughter. She's playing a computer game. She's only two years old, and
she's having a blast. So she's really the driving force behind the development of graphics
processing units. As long as kids are playing computer games, graphics is getting better
and better and better. So please go back home, tell your kids to play more games, because
that's what I need." - Professor Anders Ynnerman, Ph.D., Linköping University, Sweden

Far from their earlier image of fantasies that wasted kids' time and parents' money,
video games are now acknowledged as a powerful force for improving the
real world we live in. Here's a selection of innovative thinkers and
doers who will open your minds to amazing new possibilities.
Click here to read more and see the videos

HOW SCIENCE IS TRANSFORMING NATIONS AND PEOPLE FASTER THAN SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS COULD EVER HAVE PREDICTED

"Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children... All our dreams can come true
if we have the courage to pursue them... The way to get started is to quit talking and begin
doing... It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
- Walt Disney

"What is an airplane after all but a circling of reality, an approach to gravity which says: Look, with my magic machine I defy you. Gravity, be gone. Distance, stand aside. Time, stand still, or reverse, as I finally outrace the sun around the world in, by God! look! plane/jet/rocket--80 minutes!"
- Ray Bradbury, award-winning author of bestselling SF novels including 'Fahrenheit 451' and 'Dandelion Wine', several of which were produced as Hollywood box office blockbuster hit movies.

We all know that airplanes, submarines, space travel, cell phones, holograms, transplants, cloning, foods in tablet form and many other things were described in science fiction long before they became reality. Even present day security cameras and television's Big Brother show were spawned by the SF novel "1984" written by George Orwell and first published in 1949. New ideas and discoveries are now communicated so widely and rapidly in what is often dubbed the Information Age that scientific developments are overtaking fiction in the current real-life race to create a modern real-world utopian society.
Click here to read more and see the videos

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WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR
WORLD CHAMPION NEIGHBOR
AND WISH HIM FURTHER SUCCESS IN 2011!


There has never in history been a boxer like him. Beating Antonio Margarito so conclusively in Texas, by the unanimous decision of 3 judges, brought Pacman the WBC World Super Welterweight title, and nobody has ever before been the World Champion in eight different weight divisions. What a phenomenal athlete, and what a tremendous inspiration he is to Filipinos around the globe. Pacquiao's sportsmanship was such that in the final two rounds of the match he clearly eased up to avoid handing out excessive punishment to the bigger Mexican-American fighter, who was tough and brave but totally outclassed. We are proud that Manny and his family have a home in one of our local premier subdivisions. In his three careers of boxer, congressman, and entertainer, we wish him further successes in 2011!
(See lots of great stuff for Pacman fans on the Pacland website)
And yet ... and yet ... now there's another great Filipino boxer also raised in General Santos and who even attended the same school as Pacman! Already World Champion in 3 weight divisions, Nonito Donaire is exciting boxing fans like no other - aside from Manny Pacquiao himself. Following Donaire's explosive 2nd Round win on February 19, Ring magazine has just upped his rating to #3 pound for pound boxer behind only the longer extablished greats Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. So will the Filipino Flash go on to equal or beat Pacman's seemingly unbeatable record? And if Filipinos can do it as individuals in boxing, why not in other sports and why not as teams? Wouldn't it be fantastic to have world champions (men and women) in basketball, badminton, athletics, soccer, rugby, tennis? What a boost this would give to everyone's morale in every part of the Philippines, and most of all to OFWs.
Take a look at Nonito Donaire's official website)
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Oprah Winfrey
"the most influential woman in the world"

WOMEN INSPIRING THE WORLD
Inspirational women from all over the planet are making a big difference to the whole world
and taking lead roles in finding ways to make it a better place for everyone.
PART 1:
(Videos of Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates, Zainab Salbi, Sunitha Krishnan, Liza Donnelly, Lea Salonga, Charity Tillemann-Dick, Jehane Noujaim, Jody Williams, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Sheryl Wudunn, Kiran Bedi, Hanna Rosin, Elizabeth Lesser, Sheryl Sandberg, Halla Tomasdottir, Johanna Blakley, Jane McGonigal, Amber Case, Kiran Bir Sethi, Jane Chen.)
PART 2:
(Videos of Brene Brown, Ali Carr-Chellman, Lesley Hazleton, Majora Carter, Jacqueline Novogratz, Arianna Huffington, Diana Laufenberg, Deborah Rhodes, Kristina Gjerde, Nalini Nadkarni, Dee Boersma, Emily Pilloton, Amy Smith, Kim Gorgens, Amy Tan, Laurie Santos, Karen Armstrong, Carmen Agra Deedy, JK Rowling, Miwa Matreyek, Tony Porter.)

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Media And Other Links

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From Surplus Shop at SM: sand blast wash-distressed skinny jeans worn with a white
tank top. See feature on our Premier Subdivisions page.

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Globe continues to lead the way in Sta. Rosa with its innovative customizable broadband plans.

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See our Home Page to find out how the new "I Am Involved" SM Eco Bag
helps to conserve Philippine forests

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© 2012 Santa Rosa Magazine