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Quotable
Quotes |
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"Remember,
one legacy agenda [of Presidant Gloria Arroyo]
is healing the wounds of Edsa. And we thought
not celebrating [it] will be one of the steps
toward healing any hurt feelings brought about
by Edsa II.. So the least we talk about it,
the better, okay?"
- Executive Sevretary Eduardo Ermita
on why there was no commemoration on January
20 of the 7th anniversary of Edsa II (Philippine
Daily Inquirer) |
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“The
death of democracy must not be celebrated.”
— Pardoned former President Joseph Estrada
regarding the event that ushered his ouster
from power. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) |
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“I
will give my best. I hope this best and this
train hard to give a good fight.”
— Manny Paquiao during the January 15
press conference for his March 15, 2008 fight
against Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas. |
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“He
has no right to stay a minute longer in office.
How can a beneficiary of massive fraud cite
a so-called triumph of truth?”
— Senator Loren Legarda regarding Vice
President Noli de Castro’s reference to
the decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal
to junk Legarda’s electoral protest as
a “triumph of truth.” (Philippine
Star) |
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| De
Numero |
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70,000 |
Price
of the newly-released electric tricycle which
Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn helped
invent. |
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47.8 |
The
average “financial intelligence”
of Filipinos, according to Citibank based on
the Fin-Q survey, a study designed to measure
the financial intelligence of consumers aged
18-40 across Asia-Pacific. |
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90 |
Number
of countries out of 193 that the New York-based
Freedom House has tagged as “Free”
countries. |
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Partly
safe, partly free |
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Downgraded!
That’s what the whole week gave the Philippines
in terms of aviation safety and—tada!—democracy.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded
the Philippines’ rating from Category 1 to Category
2 to reflect their safety concerns about our aviation
standards. Among the concerns the FAA pointed out
are outdated aviation regulations, poor training programs
for safety inspectors, and sub-standard licensing
for air frame and engine inspectors.
This could greatly affect the country’s national
flag carrier, the Philippine Airlines, which is the
only local airline that flies to the United States.
The downgrade means that PAL cannot add any more additional
flights to its 33 flights a week to the US and cannot
change the type of aircraft it’s currently using.
At the same time, travel agencies are worried that
the downgrade may also affect the country’s
tourism. In response, the Philippine government has
ordered an air safety audit, sacked the Air Transportation
Office chief, and has promised to immediately answer
the deficiencies found by the FAA.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Freedom House has recently
released its report that counts the Philippines among
the countries that have showed a “significant
decline” in democratic rights for 2007 and that
we’re still in the “partly free”
list.
The report entitled “Freedom in Retreat: Is
the Tide Turning?” pointed out that “Developments
in three countries – the Philippines, Bangladesh
and Kenya – disqualified them from the electoral
democracy list.” It further says that, “The
decline of these countries is significant given their
size and the fact that two, the Philippines and Kenya,
were previously regarded as important additions to
the democratic world and models for Asia and Africa.”
In response, the Philippine government decided to
dismiss the report released by the international non-governmental
organization without even thinking of looking into
the report. And as a Human Rights commissioner has
pointed out, the government’s dismissal of the
Freedom House report is an even much greater shame
than the country being relegated to the “Partly
Free” list. Really, what a shame. |
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| Tierra
Maria Estates’ Meditation Garden refreshes the
spirit with Sounds-and-Light Display |
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Your
home is one of the most conducive places to reflect
and nurture your spirit. The developers behind Tierra
Maria endorse this concept and truly believe that
the home environment should offer amenities and features
that reflect this ideal.
With all the beautiful model houses and breathtaking
landscapes that a lot of real estate properties offer,
Tierra Maria Estates stands out by providing an expansive
space for a Meditation Garden, which is situated in
a landscaped area at the heart of the project. The
lush and spacious garden is replete with statues of
the Virgin Mary and the different saints, as well
as images of the Lord and the Holy Family. The latest
addition to the Meditation Garden is a light and sounds
display that will further make the park a delight
for the senses, lighted at night and with piped in
soothing music conducive for prayer and meditation.
The overall ambience of Tierra Maria Estates is a
welcome contrast to the cramped and polluted metropolis.
Its cool and healthy landscape is filled with colorful
flowers and a variety of fruit trees. Be inspired
to do a little soul searching or simply indulge in
a quiet afternoon walk amidst its orchard-like ambience.
Tierra Maria Estates is a 33-hectare farm lot subdivision
with exceptionally lush vegetation. The project area
is slightly rolling and has very fertile soil with
mature, fully-grown trees such as acacia, mahogany,
coffee and fruit trees (like coconut, langka, dalandan,
lanzones, etc.) and many varieties of flowers. Mary’s
Garden Realty, the developer, has ensured that these
precious natural topographical features are kept intact
and the innate charm of the area is maintained. It
is uncommon to find mature trees in other residential-farm
developments as most are cut down in the course of
construction. This preservation of the land’s
natural resources has also enabled Tierra Maria to
teem with various flora and fauna that ensure a healthy
and ecologically sound environment.
With only 320 lots in a 33-hectare development, Tierra
Maria assures an intimate community close to nature
and away from stressful city life.
It is situated close to schools, hospitals, churches
and malls, as well as spiritual havens such as the
Lipa Cathedral, the Carmelite Church and Monastery
and retreat houses. Other places of interest nearby
are 3 golf courses, the Spa at San Benito, Taal Lake,
Tagaytay Resorts, Hidden Valley and Villa Escudero
among others.
Only 1 ½ hours away from Metro Manila, Tierra
Maria Estates is easily accessible via the South Luzon
Expressway and Star Tollway.
For details and more info, please visit the website
or contact Tierra Maria Office at Tel. nos. 843-9015
to 17. |
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