Watch the event of Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 schedule of events

Watch the event of Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 schedule of events. The main highlights of Dinagyang Festivity, Jan. 23-24, 2010. The list of schedule of events . . . .

October 16, 2009

2:00 P.M. LOCAL LAUNCH Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Freedom Grandstand

December 10-15, 2009
NATIONAL LAUNCH Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Tiendiesitas, Greenhills Shopping Center and Malll of Asia

December 18, 2009 – (Friday)
2:00 P.M. PAMUKAW Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Assembly Area: Promenade passing Iznart, J.M. Basa to Freedom Grandstand

January 5, 2010
3:00 P.M. Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Presentation of Candidates SM City Iloilo, Event Center

January 6, 2010
3:00 P.M. Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Fashion Show “Elegance by Alta Moda” Robinson’s Place Iloilo

January 7, 2010
4:00 P.M. Ms. Iloilko Dinagyang Festival 2010 Swimsuit Competition, SM City Iloilo, Event Center

January 9, 2010
Ms. Dinagyang Festival 2010 Talent Competition, Robinson’s Place Iloilo

January 9-24, 2010
Dinagyang Tourist Assistance Center, SM City Iloilo

January 10, 2010
4:00 P.M. Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Headress & Casual Wear Competition, SM City Iloilo

January 11, 2010
4:00 P.M. Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang 2010 Newspaper Gown Competition & Talent Showcase SM City Iloilo

January 12, 2010
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Pre-Judging Iloilo Grand Hotel

January 13-23, 2010
Iloilo Dinagyang Festival Basketball Cup (tentative) University of San Agustin covered Gym

January 13-21, 2010
Masses San Jose Parish Church
5:30 P.M. Turning Over Ceremony for Incoming Hermano & Hermana Mayor, San Jose Parish Church

January 13-14, 2010
Ms. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Rehearsal

January 15, 2010 – (Friday)
2:30 p.m. Mass for opening Salvo of Tribe Dancers San Jose Parish Church
3:00 P.M. OPENING SALVO Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 Judging Area

January 16, 2010 – Sunday
7:00 P.M. Coronation Night, MS. ILOILO DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2010
Colegio de San Jose Auditorium

January 17, 2010 – (Sunday)
8:00 AM- 12:00 NN Medical Mission San Jose Parish Church
10:00 A.M. Dressing up Dagoy Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010, SM City Iloilo, Event Center

January 18, 2010
9:00 A.M. Healing Mass San Jose Parish Church
4:00 P.M. SM Department Store Dinagyang Show with Dingdong Dantes, SM City Iloilo

January 18-19, 2010 -( Monday & Tuesday)
Night Final Rehearsal, Dinagyang Ati Tribes 2010, Dinagyang Parade Route

January 19, 2010 – (Tuesday)
10:00 AM Lunch Date for the Elders around the Barangay San Jose Parish Church

January 20, 2010 – (Wednesday)
7:00 a.m. Arrival of Pilgrim Image of Señor Santo Niño from Cebu City Iloilo Port Terminal
4:00 P.M. Coronation of Queen Juana 2009 & Dinagyang Niño 2010 San Jose Parish Church
Night Final Rehearsal, Kasadyahan 2009 Dinagyang Parade Route

January 21-24, 2010 – (Thursday-Sunday)
2:00 P.M.-12 MN Iloilo Hotel Resort & Restaurant Association Food Festival(IHRRA) Delgado St., Iloilo City

January 22, 2010 – (Friday)
8:00 a.m. TAMBOR TRUMPA MARTSA MUSIKA Freedom Grandstand
10:00 A.M. GMA 7- Debate Grand Finals SM City Iloilo, Event Center
1:00 p.m. FLUVIAL PROCESSION from Fort San Pedro Drive Inn to disembark in front of Customs House and followed by Solemn Procession toSan Jose Church San Jose Parish Church
5:30 P.M. Santo Niño mass in English to be followed by blessings of children, pregnant mothers Santo Niño images San Jose Parish Church
6:00 PM GMA, Kapuso Night Freedom Grandstand
7:00 P.M. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2010 LUCES IN THE SKY SM City Iloilo

January 22-23, 2010
2nd ILOILO DINAGYANG 2010 AGE-GROUP SWIMFEST Iloilo Sports Complex

January 22-24, 2010
SM Street Party & Food Festival SM City around Mall

January 23, 2010 – Saturday 7:00 A.M. Mass for Kasadyahan San Jose Parish Churh
8:00 A.M. KASADYAHAN Competition Freedom Grandstand and other stages
SPONSORS MARDI GRAS, Freedom Grandstand & other stages
6:00 P.M. ABS-CBN, KAPAMILYA NIGHT SM City
7:00 PM LUCES IN THE SKY
7:00 PM Religious Sad-sad to Sr. Sto. Niño San Jose Parish Church

January 24, 2010 – (Sunday)
6:30 a.m Concelebrated high mass for devotees, Tribes, Gov’t. Officials, LOMAS in attendance San Jose Parish Church
8:00 A.M. DINAGYANG CONTEST Freedom Grandstand and other stages
5:00 P.M. Salvo of A Thousand Drums, Iloilo Sports Complex
7:00 P.M. Closing & Awarding with PAGCOR’s Wanders & Fireworks Iloilo Dinagyang Awarding Ceremonies Iloilo Sports Complex

January 25, 2010 – (Monday)
5:30 P.M. Thanksgiving Mass with all members of 2009 Iloilo Dinagyang Festival Working Committees San Jose Parish Church

Related Post: Watch the Iloilo Dinagyang 2010 Festival Live

Facts about the Sinulog Festival (with Photos)

Facts about the Sinulog Festival (with Photos). Sinulog One Beat One Dance One Vision. The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines with a very rich history. The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is essentially a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity.

• The Sinulog is a festival which is seen to honor and connect both of the Cebuanos' pagan past and Christian present.

• Historians have said that the festival has been celebrated by the natives even before the arrival of Christianity to the country to honor of their wooden idols and anitos.

• The Sto. Niño, the patron saint of Cebu City was a gift of Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon, who took a new name Queen Juana upon her baptismal on April 7, 1521.

• Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which means "like water current movement," which describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance to the beat of the drum.

• Sinulog dance steps originated from a story where Rajah Humabon's adviser, Baladhay was taken ill and was brought to a chapel where the Sto. Niño was enthroned. Baladhay was heard shouting shortly after. When asked to explain, he said he awoke to see the image of the Sto. Niño was on top of him trying to wake him up. He, however, could not explain why he was dancing as if mimicking the movement of the river, which became the traditional steps for the festival.

• Forty-four years after Magellan died in the shores of Mactan, a new set of explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi came to Cebu. A soldier names Juan Camus found the image of the Sto. Niño in a wooden box lying side by side with wooden idols.

• It is believed that the Sinulog was danced by the natives every year since the arrival of Magellan in 1521. However, the festival was held in honor of the Sto. Niño, and no longer of wooden idols.

• The Sinulog Festival is celebrated for nine days culminating with a grand street parade.

• A fluvial parade for the Sto. Niño is held the day before the parade from Mandaue to Cebu City. The procession ends at the Basilica where a reenactment of Christianizing of Cebu is held.

• Many smaller versions of the parade is held in various parts of the province prior to the grand festival.

Source:sinulog.ph

Philippines Mount Mayon sprayed volcanic ash

Philippines Mount Mayon sprayed volcanic ash. In Legaspi Philippines, Tuesday, over a wide terrain Mount Mayon sprayed volcanic ash, raising new health fears for thousands already braced for an eruption that Philippine scientists say could come any day.

The nation's most active volcano rumbled and emitted clouds of choking soot that left a layer of ash on villages near Mayon, about 330 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Manila, officials and witnesses said.

The fine particles are being produced as fragments of rock collapse in the volcano's lava flows, chief government volcanologist Renato Solidum said.

"It's not very thick, just a few millimetres of ash, but that is the most dangerous part because it is very fine ash," he said in a television interview.

Health officials warned the tiny particles could cause respiratory problems or skin diseases, and could affect the thousands of people crammed into evacuation centres beyond the eight-kilometre danger zone.

Witnesses reported ashfall a considerable distance from the restive volcano and civil defence officials said it was hard to predict where the ash would settle because of shifting winds.

Fine white powder drifted across Guinobatan village, some 14 kilometres from Mayon.

Vehicles driving along the village's roads kicked up clouds of volcanic dust as residents, some wearing face masks, complained of stinging eyes and said they could feel the particles irritating their skin.

The government's chief epidemiologist Eric Tayag said residents should stay indoors and keep windows closed if necessary to avoid exposure to the ash.

He said anyone who had to venture outside should wear long-sleeved clothes and cover their nose and mouth with a damp cloth.

Volcanic ash has proved deadly in the past. During Mayon's last eruption in 2006, the volcano oozed lava and vented steam and ash for two months.

No one was killed by the eruption itself, but three months later, a powerful typhoon dislodged tons of volcanic ash and debris that had collected on Mayon's slopes. The fast-moving avalanche of mud and boulders crushed entire villages, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.

Mayon, which has been spewing lava and ash for a week, remains at alert level four, meaning it could violently erupt any day.

The elevated risk has prompted authorities to evacuate more than 9,440 families at least 45,336 people -- from the danger zone.

Provincial governor Joey Salceda said there were only about 500 people still in the zone.

"We are doing all sorts of contortions just to bring them in," he told AFP, while adding he was reluctant to resort to force.

Salceda said "definitely (evacuated villagers) will spend Christmas and even New Year's Day in evacuation centres".

Government medical teams have been sent to the centres to guard against any outbreaks of infectious diseases or illnesses spawned by ashfall, Salceda said.

He expressed concern that bored evacuees may try to sneak out and return home so they can celebrate Christmas in familiar surroundings.

To avert this, various agencies are carrying out activities in the evacuation centres such as concerts, painting lessons and children's parties, the governor said.

The 2,460-metre (8,070-foot) volcano, which is famed for its near-perfect cone, has erupted 48 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa.

Philippines Mount Mayon volcano on danger zone

Philippines Mount Mayon volcano on danger zone. On Monday began to evacuate after officials threatened to force them out, more than 3,000 villagers remaining in a no-go zone around the Philippines' rumbling Mayon volcano .

Scientists warned that powerful booms emanating from the Southeast Asian country's most active volcano, located about 330 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Manila, indicated that a major eruption was imminent.

In Guinobatan village, lying on a dirt road in the foothills of Mayon, district officials and police went house to house, urging residents to board a truck and take shelter outside the danger zone, an AFP photographer saw.

Nearly all the villagers calmly boarded the hired truck, carrying their personal belongings in sacks and heading to evacuation centres set up by authorities outside an eight-kilometre radius zone.

But some of the menfolk refused to budge and were left alone to fend for themselves.

"There are still one or two men who don't want to go but their families have come down to the evacuation centres," village councillor Mulad Bucad told AFP.

"There are always a few who don't want to go. They say they are used to eruptions and they never get hurt anyway," he said.

The eerie glow of crimson lava could be seen oozing from the volcano overnight, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said seismic activity had "increased in number and size".

It said a total of 1,942 volcanic quakes were detected since Sunday, while sulphur dioxide emissions were "very high".

Albay provincial Governor Joey Salceda earlier Monday said authorities "will physically remove" those refusing to leave the danger zone after volcanologists raised the alert level to four on a five-point scale.

Level four means that an "explosive eruption is possible within hours or days", according to the institute.

There were still 729 families or more than 3,000 people staying put on the edges of the eight-kilometre danger zone that has been declared around Mayon, local disaster preparations chief Cedric Daep told AFP earlier.

Just over 9,200 families or nearly 44,400 people had already taken shelter in the evacuation centres since Mayon started belching ash, steam and lava last week.

If the alert level is raised to five, meaning that an eruption is in progress, another 16,000 villagers living beyond the danger zone would also have to be evacuated as a precautionary measure, Salceda said.

Scientists underlined the growing threat of ash and lava cascading down Mayon's slopes owing to the increasing frequency of booms from inside the volcano, audible as far as 12 kilometres away.

"We cannot say exactly when the hazardous eruption is likely to occur," chief government volcanologist Renato Solidum said in a television interview.

But he stressed: "The important thing is the distance from the volcano. That is why it is important that people not be inside the danger zone."

Mayon oozed lava and vented steam for two months when it last erupted in 2006. No one was killed by the eruption itself.

But three months later, a powerful typhoon dislodged tons of volcanic debris that had collected on Mayon's slopes. The avalanche of mud and boulders crushed entire villages, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.

The 2,460 metre (8,070 foot) volcano, which is famed for its near-perfect cone, has erupted 48 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa.

Mayon Volcano in Albay, continued to intensify, alert level at 3

Mayon Volcano in Albay, continued to intensify, alert level at 3. Mayon Volcano in Albay province at abnormal activity, continued to intensify Saturday, but state volcanologists kept the alert level there at 3 for the moment.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum Jr. said Mayon now spews lava to as far as 4 km downslope from the crater.

Less explosions were recorded in the last 24 hours, although these were more powerful, sending ash up to 2 km high, Solidum said in an interview with dzRH radio.

“Humina nang bahagya pero sustained ang pagka-abnormal (The explosions slightly weakened but the level of abnormal activity is sustained)," he added.

On Friday, Phivolcs had recorded 248 volcanic quakes and tremors that produced dark gray to dark brown ash columns that reached up to 1 km above the summit before drifting southwest.

The advancing lava flow as of Friday reached about 3 km downslope from the crater, while incandescent fragments from the lava pile rolled down along Bonga Gully reaching about 3-4 km downslope.

Solidum said it is “possible" an eruption by Mayon will be worse than the ejection of lava from the volcano in 2006.

But he said the provincial government of Albay has so far responded well with its forced evacuation of residents in the danger zone, as part of its “zero casualty" policy.

He also said Phivolcs is now guarding its instruments at strategic areas near the volcano, to prevent thieves from taking equipment and disrupting their observation activities.

“Sa ngayon, malakas ang transmission ng radyo sa gilid ng bulkan (For now, radio transmissions around the volcano remain strong)," he said.

Evacuee count nears 40,000

The number of evacuees from danger areas in Mayon neared 40,000 as of Saturday as local authorities continued implementing forced evacuations.

Radio dzRH reported that as of Friday night, some 8,264 families or 39,320 people from 30 villages within the danger zone around the volcano have been moved into 24 evacuation centers.

Mayon’s danger zone extends up to eight kilometers from the volcano.

Albay Governor Jose Salceda ordered the sustained rationing of five kilos of rice daily to each family.

Salceda also ordered local authorities to start packing up to 10,000 Noche Buena packs for families spending their Christmas in the evacuation centers, the report said.

Source: PNC, GMANewsTV

Baguio City at 11.2 degrees temperature

Baguio City at 11.2 degrees temperature. Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, Sunday registered a chilly 11.2 degrees Celsius temperature, and the state weather agency said the cold spell is just beginning.

The city, which is nestled at 1,500 meters above sea level, also registered an 11.2 degrees Celsius minimum air temperature last December 2, according to Bernie De Leon, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

On Saturday, Baguio City's temperature slightly warmed up at 12.8 degrees Celsius after registering an average of 12 degrees Celsius the past few days.

The temperature readings were taken between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to De Leon.

Based on reports, the coldest temperature reading in Baguio City this year was registered on Jan. 15, at 7.7 degrees Celsius.

In Metro Manila, lowest temperature readings recorded at the PAGASA Science Garden in Quezon City were 20.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday; 21.5 degrees Celsius Saturday; and 22 degrees Celsius Friday-warmer than the 19. 8 and 19.7 degrees Celsius registered, respectively, on Thursday and Wednesday.

It was learned that the lowest minimum temperature recorded at the PAGASA Science Garden this year was at 18.1 degree Celsius last January 16.

De Leon told Manila Bulletin over the phone that ''colder days are still ahead as the surge of the northeast monsoon, which brings cold and dry air from mainland China, has yet to peak.''

The northeast monsoon season starts during the ''ber'' months and ends in March or April, with the peak of the cold temperature from December to February, he explained.

Based on PAGASA records, the unsurpassed minimum temperature in Baguio City is 6.3 degrees Celsius, which was registered on January 18, 1961.

On the other hand, Metro Manila registered its lowest air temperature reading at 14.5 degrees Celsius on Janunary 11, 1914 at the Port Area in Manila.

Meanwhile, De Leon said the country will experience a good weather or partly cloudy to cloudy weather this week with some parts of Luzon and Visayas experiencing occasional rains caused by the northeast monsoon or locally known as ''hanging amihan.''

Source: ManilaBulletin

FVR leads criticism on martial law

FVR leads criticism on martial law; Nograles doubts House could stop declaration

Duda si House Speaker Prospero Nograles na makakukuha ang sapat na boto mula sa mababang kapulungan ng Kongreso para mabawi ang idiniklerang martial law sa Maguindanao. Umani naman ng batikos mula sa ilang personalidad sa pulitika ang proklamasyon ng Pangulo.

PAGASA Forecast: New storm (code name "Santi") may make landfall on Saturday

PAGASA Forecast: New storm (code name "Santi") may make landfall on Saturday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said (Tuesday) that new storm heading for the Philippines may make landfall on Saturday.

Pagasa head Prisco Nilo said the cyclone, to be code-named "Santi" once it enters Philippine territory, will make itself felt as early Friday night.

"Ito ay maaring tatama sa kalupaan mga bandang Saturday evening ... Nasa dagat pa ito, malayo pa sa lupa, malaki ang posibilidad nito na lalakas bago tumama ng kalupaan (It may make landfall Saturday evening. But it is still at sea and far from land. The chances are, it will gain strength before making landfall)," Nilo said in an interview on dzXL radio.

Citing data they have gathered so far, Nilo said the cyclone is due to enter Philippine territory Thursday evening, and bring rains and winds Friday evening.

But he admitted there is little chance the cyclone will go the way of "Ramil" (Lupit) that skipped the country.

In a separate interview, Pagasa forecaster Elvie Enriquez said the cyclone will likely affect Eastern Visayas.

"Kung magpapatuloy, sa Kabisayaan ang unang maapektuhan, Eastern Visayas, Samar, Leyte (Given its present heading, it will likely affect first Eastern Visayas, including Samar and Leyte)," she said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Enriquez also said that after "Santi," at least four more cyclones are expected to enter Philippine territory.

"Dalawa sa Nobyembre, isa na lang ngayon, isa sa Disyembre, so apat pa, base sa nakaraan (Based on weather patterns in the past years, we expect two cyclones to enter Philippine territory in November, one more in October, and one in December)," she said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in its 6 a.m. report, said the cyclone had been upgraded into a tropical storm and is moving toward Guam.

It said the cyclone was moving west-northwest at 17 mph (27.35 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64.37 kph).

Sources: GMANews

Related Post:

Typhoon "Santi" storm signals alert

Typhoon “Santi” storm signals

Two long weekends set for November

Two long weekends set for November. In Manila Philippines, President Arroyo declared non-working holidays for November.

The first is a three-day weekend from October 31 (Saturday) to November 2 (Monday).

November 1, All Saints' Day, and November 2, All Souls' Day, are special non-working holidays.

The second is a four-day weekend from November 27 (Friday) to November 30 (Monday).

November 27 and 28 have been declared non-working holidays in observance of Eid'l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, held by Muslims after the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. This is based on Proclamation 1808 signed in April.

November 30, a Monday, is a regular non-working holiday to commemorate Bonifacio Day.

Sources: ABS-CBN News

Dancing inmates of Cebu, dance "Nobody" Korean hit song

Dancing inmates of Cebu, dance "Nobody" Korean hit song. The famous "dancing inmates" of Cebu once again gained popularity after dancing to “Nobody," a hit song sung by the all-girl Korean pop group Wonder Girls.

A report on QTV’s Balitanghali showed the inmates from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) dancing to the song before Russian tourists.

The report said the tourists enjoyed the performance that some of them vowed to tell others of what they had seen.

The detainees perform every last Saturday of the month to almost 600 visitors for free.

The inmates had also danced to “Jai Ho," the theme song of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. The performance even included a role playing of a scene in the movie.

CPDRC’s 1,500 inmates made waves in 2007 after their performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller" was posted on video sharing site YouTube.

As of October 14, the "Thriller" (original upload) in YouTube already has more than 34 million views and has been chosen as a favorite video 86,861 times.

Byron Garcia, CPDRC’s provincial security consultant, earlier said the dance routines started after he noticed that the inmates were bored with the usual morning exercise.

Garcia then sought the help of a choreographer and adapted Jackson ’s iconic moves into a four-minute routine.

Typhoon "Pepeng" made landfall in the province of Cagayan

Typhoon "Pepeng" made landfall in the province of Cagayan. In Manila Philippines, in the province of Cagayan was in "chaos" due to violent winds and tremendous rains that hit the province after Typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) made landfall around 3 p.m. Saturday.

According to Aileen Torres, administrator of the Philippine National Red Cross in Cagayan, that 140 volunteers have sought shelter after reporting that several areas were "very hard to penetrate."

"Everything was in chaos. Branches all over area scattered in several places. Power supply was cut off," Torres told ANC as she described the situation in the province.

Chito Castro, head of the Office of Civil Defense in Cagayan Valley, said the typhoon was blowing "very, very strong winds" over the province.

Castro said several trees were being uprooted while ABS-CBN correspondent Jorge Cariño reported that several roofs have been torn off houses. Communication lines have also been cut off, reports added.

Torres said water have overwhelmed two bridges in Tuao town and Tuguegarao City and have been rendered impassable.

She said they were able to evacuate at least 50 families from four villages in Tuao and Sta. Ana towns before Pepeng made landfall in the province.

Based on the satellite image released by weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) at 3 p.m., Pepeng's circulation was already covering Cagayan Valley.

Other Cagayan Valley provinces, including Isabela, Batanes, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya have also been experiencing Pepeng's wrath.

The weather bureau had earlier expected Pepeng to make landfall early Saturday evening over Cagayan, but its speed suddenly accelerated around 1:00 p.m.

Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA' spokesman, said they expect Pepeng to make landfall at 3 p.m., four hours ahead of the weather bureau's earlier prediction.

The weather bureau said in its 1:30 p.m. report that the typhoon significantly accelerated from 17 kilometers per hour to 24 kph. It moved west northwest with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph and gusts of up to 210 kph.

The typhoon was expected to cross northern Luzon overnight and move 260 kilometers west of Basco Batanes or 270 kilometers northwest of Laoag City by Sunday morning.

PAGASA hoisted Signal No. 3 over Cagayan, Batanes Group of Island, Babuyan and Calayan islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and northern part of Isalea.

Signal No. 2 was raised over the rest of Isabela, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and La Union while the provinces of Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan were under Signal No. 1.

Rains over Metro Manila

Cruz said the concentration of rainfall from Pepeng will pour over the western side of northern and central Luzon, including Metro Manila.

He said more rains were expected to fall starting 8 p.m. Saturday and the downpour will continue until Monday night.

Cruz reiterated that the amount of rainfall of Pepeng will be lesser compared to that of dumped by tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana), which flooded a large part of Metro Manila on Saturday.

Susan Espinueva, head of PAGASA's hydrometeorological services, said only areas in Rizal, Laguna and Marikina are in danger of experiencing higher levels of floodwaters because of the spilling Laguna de Bay.

Espinueva, meanwhile, reported that they are not expecting floods in Isabela and Aurora provinces because the water level in Pantabangan Dam, which throws water to Cagayan River, has already normalized.

She said the release of waters from Angat, Ambuclao and Magat dams continued as of 10 a.m., but calmed fears of flashfloods in surrounding areas.

Preemptive evacuation

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday placed the country under a state of calamity as she ordered preemptive evacuations in areas expected to be hit by the typhoon.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported Saturday morning that thousdands of people living in critical areas in La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes, Quirino provinces have been evacuated.

More than 20,000 families or more than 100,000 people have also been evacuated in Bicol and a few hundred more were brought to evacuation centers in the Calabarzon area.

The government has also announced the allotment of a P100 million calamity fund for the continuing relief efforts for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy, which entered the country last week and left nearly 300 people dead and 42 more missing.

PAGASA head Frisco Nilo said coastal areas on the eastern seaboard of northern Luzon, including Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quezon and Catanduanes should still watch out for storm surge, which may be triggered by Pepeng’s strong winds.

Related Post:

Typhoon Pepeng Storm Signals

Metro Manila and 26 place areas in Luzon, under state of calamity

Metro Manila and 26 place areas in Luzon, under state of calamity. In Manila Philippines, the Arroyo government on Saturday placed 26 areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, under a state of calamity due to floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the provinces placed under a state of calamity were Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Bataan and Metro Manila.

At least nine people were reported dead or missing in massive floods as a tropical storm lashed the eastern side of the country on Saturday, radio reports said.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while four children drowned in a flood with three others were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, radio station DZMM said.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Sunday, moving west at 19 kph, the weather station said.

Flooding was reported in many districts and on roads reported with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

As many as 700 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the office said. However, local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

Huge traffic jams clogged the roads in the capital as floodwaters caused many vehicles to stall.

Local officials made appeals on air, asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over Metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

Teodoro said the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), with the help of police, military and local provincial units, is using all its rescue resources to assist affected people in the affected areas of the storm.

The defense chief also advised residents of Metro Manila to keep out of the streets for more efficient rescue operations.

"We ask our countrymen not to clog the streets and thoroughfares at this time... It does pose a clear and present danger to efficient rescue operations," he said, adding that stranded residents should instead take the Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit to get home.

Teodoro also asked people still stuck on their rooftops for patience and assured them that help will arrive at the soonest possible time.

"I understand the urgency of the situation and we are trying our level-best to respond as quickly as we can," he said.

Watch this video:

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Water detected on the surface of the moon

Superferry 9 sank in darkness

Superferry 9 sank in darkness. In Manila Philippines, five people were killed and dozens were left missing after a ferry carrying nearly 1,000 passengers sank in darkness off the southern Philippines on Sunday, officials said.

In the latest tragedy to hit the Philippines' notoriously dangerous maritime transport industry, survivors reported mass panic as the Superferry 9 began tilting sharply well before dawn.

"They told us to stay calm but we could see no sign of rescue. Not for two hours," survivor Manuel Malicsi told radio station RMN.

Nine hundred people on board were rescued but five were confirmed killed and by late Sunday afternoon 63 passengers or crew members remained unaccounted for, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.

"We are searching all possible areas (for the missing people)," coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said in a radio interview.

"Navy ships (and) airforce aircraft are still scouring the area."

Tamayo offered hope for the relatives of those still missing, saying some may have drifted away in life rafts or been picked up by private boats that took part in the rescue.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also said local officials were checking to see if any survivors had already reached shore.

The ferry issued a distress call around 3.30 am (1930 GMT Saturday), 11 kilometres (seven miles) off the coast of Zamboanga peninsula and some 19 hours into its journey from General Santos City.

Regional coastguard chief Commodore Rudy Isorena said the cause of the accident was not yet clear and the weather in the area had not been too bad.

"We cannot say yet as to the cause as the attention right now is being given to the search and rescue of passengers," he said.

However tropical storm Dujuan, off the Philippines' northeast coast, has heightened the seasonal southwest monsoon winds, bringing rough weather across the country, according to the weather bureau here.

Deadly ferry accidents are common in the Philippines, especially during the typhoon season.

Ferries, from large ones such as the Superferry 9 to small wooden dugouts with bamboo outriggers, form the backbone of mass transport in the archipelagic nation of 92 million people.

Aside from bad weather, poor maintenance, overcrowding of vessels and lax enforcement of regulations have also contributed to the disasters.

The coastguard report said the Superferry 9, a steel-hulled vessel made in Japan in 1986, had reported having 968 people on board, below its legal capacity of 1,120 passengers and crew.

Authorities and passengers said some people had jumped into the water in panic as the vessel began to tilt to the right, while others were able to get into life boats.

"The ship shifted suddenly and some people just panicked," Roger Sicharon, one of the passengers from the stricken vessel, earlier told DZMM radio by mobile phone as he waited to be transferred to another ship by life raft.

The coast guard said nearby fishing and other private boats, as well as those from the military, had all helped in the rescue operation.

The world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster occurred south of Manila in 1987 when a ferry laden with Christmas holidaymakers collided with a small oil tanker, killing more than 4,000 people.

In June 2008, a huge ferry, "Princess of the Stars" capsized during a typhoon off the central island of Sibuyan, leaving almost 800 dead.

In the most recent major incident, 12 people were killed after a small ferry sank in rough waters south of Manila in May.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), feature late former President Cory Aquino, new P500 bill design

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), feature late former President Cory Aquino, new P500 bill design. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday said they are now studying the possible design of a new P500 bill that would feature the late former president Corazon Aquino alongside her husband, the late former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

The BSP Numismatic and Concept Committee said Mrs. Aquino is already qualified to have her image put in a bill or coin. (Read: BSP mulling to put Cory on P500 bill)

For a person to have his or her image printed on a bill, the person should already be dead, has made a significant contribution to the country, and should embody something unique about the Filipino people.

"To recognize the contributions of President Aquino to the cause of democracy, to the cause of national unity, how do we do that? We intend to put her portrait in the P500 notes," BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Gunigundo said.

The BSP expects to have the lay-out ready by October, and once approved, the first batch of bills with Cory and Ninoy's images will be out early 2010.

Along with this possible new design, the BSP is preparing to include new technologies on the current bills to heighten security and to prevent fraud.

This idea first came out after a possible design of a new P500 bill, made by 22-year-old Reno Naval, came out on the internet.

"I posted [the design] as my first post on my website (www.peaceloveandrevolution.com). And then surprisingly, there were a lot of people who saw it, and when the website was [published] on [the newspapers], it spread out like wildfire," Naval said about the spread of his design on the internet.

"Kung ano man ang ma-finalize na konsepto, as long as magkasama sila, masaya silang dalawa (sa disenyo), for sure buong buhay ng mga Pilipino maaalala natin 'tong dalawang bayani na ito," he said.

Sources: ABS-CBN News

Millions of people joined the burial of the late former President Cory "Corazon" Aquino (with video)

Millions of people joined the burial of the late former President Cory "Corazon" Aquino (with video). Millions more people, including from the 8.7-million-strong overseas Filipino community, monitored the slow progress of the cortege on television and Internet streaming sites. Farewell to former president Corazon Aquino, whose "People Power" democracy movement ended decades of dictatorship.

Aquino, who died aged 76 after a long battle with cancer, was to be buried in a private ceremony after a long funeral procession skirting the Philippine capital's gleaming business towers and teeming shantytowns.

With a national holiday called as part of 10 days of official mourning, thousands of people surrounded her coffin as it left Manila Cathedral following a mass just before noon draped in the national flag.

By mid-afternoon, a police spokesman told reporters 150,000 people lined the 18-kilometre (11-mile) route from the cathedral to the cemetery where she was to be laid to rest.

It took over four hours for the vehicle to travel just one third of the route. Men and women standing at least 10-deep on both sides of the road openly wept as the truck crawled through the swelling crowd, while military helicopters circled overhead, showering them with yellow confetti.

People in buildings lining Manila's streets opened their windows, hung yellow banners and dropped confetti onto the sea of mourners below. A crowd of nuns, their blue habits wet from the rain, released white doves and yellow balloons yellow was Aquino's signature colour. Ships docked along Manila Bay sounded mournful horns. Aquino was to be laid to rest alongside her husband Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, who was gunned down at Manila airport in 1983 as he returned home to challenge the dictator Marcos.

President Gloria Arroyo, whom Aquino had turned against over accusations of corruption in the Arroyo administration, made a brief pre-dawn visit to the cathedral to pay her last respects.

She shook hands with the former leader's son, Senator Benigno Aquino, and prayed briefly over the casket.

Arroyo cut short a visit to the United States following the former leader's death on Saturday and was met by the Aquino family.

But she was pointedly excluded from the invitation-only mass that was also attended by two past presidents, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, and foreign diplomats.

The family had rejected Arroyo's offer to hold a state funeral, reflecting the icy relationship between the only two Filipino women to have led the fractious and impoverished Southeast Asian nation of 90 million people.

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Thousands of people pay last respects to late former President Corazon Aquino

Thousands of people pay last respects to late former President Corazon Aquino. Thousands of people continued to line up at the Manila Cathedral to pay their last respects to the late former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino on Tuesday morning.

A one-kilometer line, passing three streets leading to the cathedral, of supporters who woke up early to pay their last respects to the former president formed as soon as organizers reopened the public viewing of the Aquino's remains at 7 a.m. Police inspections were put up in Anda, Urdaneta and Real streets. Organizers estimate that more than 100,000 people have showed up at the cathedral since Mrs. Aquino was transferred there from the La Salle-Greenhills in San Juan City on Monday.

Superintendent Pablo Balagtas of the Manila Police District said they expect more people to troop to the cathedral as Mrs. Aquino's interment nears. The former president will be put next to her husband, national hero Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, at the Manila Memoral Park in Parañaque City on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the early supporters at the cathedral was former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., who flew straight from New York to pay his last respects to the former president. "Gratitude for the services she had rendered our country. She had a purity of heart, the sincerity of purpose... made perfect by her humility and deep spirituality," Davide said.

"In life she was with us. In death she should be more with us." Davide was one of the 50 members of the Constitutional Commission formed by Mrs. Aquino. The late president also appointed Davide as chairman of the Commission on Elections in 1989 and was also appointed head of a presidential fact-finding body to investigate the December 1989 coup. Not a picky eater Rorina Navales, Mrs. Aquino's cook for 8 years, told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda that she cannot imagine cooking for any other employer. She said Mrs. Aquino was the kindest employer she had.

"Wala po akong masasabi. Mabuti po siyang amo. Mabait po talaga si ma'am," Navales said as she tries to keep back her tears during the morning news program. She said whenever a household helper commits a mistake, Mrs. Aquino would just say, "Ay ikaw talaga." She said Mrs. Aquino's kitchen masterpiece was chicken liver pâté, which is also the late president's favorite. She said Mrs. Aquino would cook it during family get-togethers, as a gift to friends and for her own consumption. Navales said Mrs. Aquino starts her day with coffee and pandesal, and chicken liver pâté, if available.

After breakfast, she said the former president returns to her bedroom to read newspaper and pray the Rosary before preparing to go to work. She said Mrs. Aquino is not a picky eater and did not ask for her to cook a specific dish in the last 8 years.

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4. Former President Corazon Aquino: People power icon, passes away at 76
5. Thousands of people pay last respects to late former President Corazon Aquino
6. Millions of people joined the burial of the late former President Cory "Corazon" Aquino (with video)

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Former President Corazon Aquino: People power icon, passes away at 76

Former President Corazon Aquino: People power icon, passes away at 76. Corazon Aquino, the country’s first woman president, died yesterday at 3:18 a.m. at the Makati Medical Center after an 18-month battle with colon cancer. She was 76.

She had fulfilled her mission to lead her people from the oppression of a dictatorship toward democracy. She never let her guard down. The world honored – and continues to honor – her for this.

“Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m., Aug. 1, 2009, of cardio-respiratory arrest,” Mrs. Aquino’s only son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III announced from the lobby of the Makati Medical Center around 6 a.m. yesterday. Even as Senator Aquino spoke, thousands of yellow ribbons fluttered on the streets around the hospital, the avenues winding through the metropolis, the thoroughfares crisscrossing country. Yellow was the color of protest against the Marcos dictatorship and Mrs. Aquino ascended to the presidency clad in fighting yellow.

"Tita Cory" or Auntie Cory, President Corazon Aquino of the free Philippines, 1933-2009, Inspirational pro-Democracy People's Leader!

[reuters newsimage, 1997,]

An inspiration to countless people around the world, Corazon Aquino, the surprise People's Leader who toppled the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship of the Philippines, has died of cancer at 76 years.

She started a fire, one which saw the ouster of Marcos, the downing of the Berlin wall and so much more tremendous history of the victories over totalitarian dictatorships in the late 20th...

Thank you, Tita Cory... Rest well... you deserve it. BTW, "Laban!" means "Fight!"

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo: Push for charter change in SONA - Bayan

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo: Push for charter change in SONA - Bayan. In Manila Philippines, President Arroyo will pursue the controversial Charter change moves in tomorrow's State of the Nation Address, militant group Bayan today said.

"A pitch for Charter change will cement Arroyo’s legacy as the most power-obsessed president since Marcos. That is how she will be remembered. That's her legacy," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

A summary of the President's SONA was released to the media, which included political and constitutional reforms as part of Mrs. Arroyo's agenda in her last months in office.

Reyes said "political reforms" is just a pretext for the President to push for her so-called "Cha-cha" amid widespread public opposition. "The applause she will receive in that chamber will be meaningless for the thousands gathered outside Batasang Pambansa," he said.

Reyes said starting 6 a.m. tomorrow, protesters will be pouring in Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City to join the day-long demonstration against President Arroyo's last SONA.

At 9 a.m., Bayan will roll out a giant effigy of Mrs. Arroyo mounted on a bulldozer with the words "Gloria Forever" and "Charter change."

Some 15,000 people are expected to join the mass action in Commonwealth Ave. and thousands more are expected in protest actions in other parts of the country.

Afghanistan helicopter crash, killed 10 overseas Filipino workers

Afghanistan helicopter crash, killed 10 overseas Filipino workers. In Manila Philippines, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) confirmed yesterday the death of 10 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in a helicopter crash at a key NATO airbase in southern Afghanistan on Sunday.

OWWA chief Carmelita Dimzon said they have received verified information that 10 Filipinos were among the 16 who died in the air tragedy.

Dimzon declined to release the names of the dead.

“They were legally deployed three or five years ago but they were unable to return since we imposed a ban in Afghanistan,” Dimzon said.

The Philippine government imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Afghanistan due to prevailing hostilities there.

Dimzon gave assurances that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), OWWA and other agencies concerned will work for the immediate repatriation of the bodies of the 10 OFWs once these have been recovered.

“They may already be considered undocumented because of the deployment ban, but we will be giving them all the necessary assistance for Filipino workers,” Dimzon said.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque earlier said they were still verifying the reported deaths of OFWs in a helicopter crash.

Meantime, the nationalities of the six other helicopter crash victims were not immediately known, according to a report of the ABS-CBN news bureau in Dubai.

The report also said that five others were wounded and were treated at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military facility.

The ABS-CBN report said the families of the 10 Filipino fatalities have been informed of the incident.

All ten victims were workers of Fluor Co. which refused to give information on the crash, the report further said.

Minutes before take-off, which was bound for Spin Buldak, the helicopter suddenly burst into flames near the runway, according to the report.

The workers on board the helicopter were supposed to be brought to Spin Buldak, a border city between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Last week, 13 Filipino workers bound for Afghanistan were intercepted and offloaded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by authorities during an operation of the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (TFAIR).

Vice President and presidential adviser on OFWs Noli de Castro said the workers were offloaded from a plane before they could take the flight to Afghanistan.

De Castro, also TFAIR chair, said the 13 Filipino workers were recruited to work as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians in Kandahar airfield, a key NATO airbase in Afghanistan.

The workers were promised a monthly salary of $1,300.

The workers’ departure was prevented due to the deployment ban of the Philippines in five countries, including Afghanistan.

De Castro directed the TFAIR to conduct a thorough investigation on the recruiters of the 13 Filipino workers.

Based on its initial investigation, the TFAIR said travel documents of the workers were facilitated by a certain Faisal Ahmad Muhammad Alamri, who reportedly owns Sara Tourism and Cargo, a travel and tours firm in Dubai where the workers were supposed to land before proceeding to Kandahar airfield.

It was learned that once they reach Dubai, they would be met by their counterparts who will assist their entry into Afghanistan.

In March, an OFW who was working as a carpenter inside the Kandahar Air Base was killed in a rocket attack.

The DFA said Norbert Malana Hobayan died from wounds he suffered after being hit by rocket fire outside the Kandahar Air Base, the second biggest military installation in Afghanistan.

Recon International was reportedly Hobayan’s employer.

The DFA reiterated its advisory to the public not to travel to or seek employment in Afghanistan due to the unstable and volatile security situation in that country.

A Canadian government report said security in the southern Afghan region of Kandahar reportedly deteriorated in late 2008 as Taliban militants stepped up their attacks and crime spiked.

Expansion of infrastructure in Kandahar Air Base in Southern Afghanistan, which serves 13,000 troops from 17 countries, began last year at a cost of $780 million.

For years, the largest military facility in Afghanistan has been Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, the main hub for US forces concentrated in the mountainous eastern region where the Taliban insurgents are reportedly mixed with other extremists such as al-Qaeda fighters.

The balance of American power appears to be shifting south, toward the deserts and river valleys where the Taliban were born and a majority of the insurgents are local tribesmen.

Sources: With Pia Lee-Brago - By Mayen Jaymalin (Philstar News)