by anyajulia | Feb 2, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) has vowed to help the government find new jobs for Filipino workers displaced by the current global economic crisis.
The FFCCCII and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have forge an agreement that the two parties would “cooperate in the placement of displaced workers.
FFCCCII, through its affiliate organizations , will accept for placement for workers referred to it by the DOLE, which will provide training of re-training of the displaced workers prior to their employment. The DOLE will also provide the chamber with the needed technical assistance in skills matching and work arrangements. (aee/PIA-Bohol)
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by anyajulia | Feb 2, 2009 | Features, Tech Talk
Acer plans to phase out the 8.9 version of the Acer Aspire One as it has already stopped shipping of these versions. It focuses now on its upcoming 10.1 inch version, that has yet to be released this February 2009. The new Aspire One will be unveiled at the computer show CES 2009.
Details are appearing regarding the new 10” Acer Aspire One netbook. Its specifications are the basically the same with the 8.9 version aside from some alterations made, which are:
* a 10.1” display screen(1024 x 600 resolution)
* removal of those pesky trackpad-flanking mouse buttons
* Intel Atom N280
* multi-card reader
* options for 3G and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* Windows XP OS
* No onboard memory
* a single 2 GB DIMM slot
* 6-cell battery
It is rumored to be priced around $399 or Php 18,880.68
Sources:
http://www.aspireoneuser.com/2009/01/03/new-acer-aspire-one-with-10-inch-display-to-be-unveiled-at-ces-2009/
http://www.slashgear.com/10-inch-acer-aspire-one-just-399-1430334/
http://macles.blogspot.com/2009/01/acer-aspire-one-101.html
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/03/more-10-inch-acer-aspire-one-rumors-trickle-out/
http://www.yugatech.com/blog/personal-computing/acer-aspire-one-goes-10/
by anyajulia | Feb 2, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, TBTK
Among the many positive traits of the Bolanon, none is more unique and endearing than his fabled attachment to his home province. Wherever the Bolanon casts his fate, no matter how long he’s away, he will always find the time to visit and a reason to revisit, timed usually during a fiesta celebration.
This homing instinct has been the subject of many Bolanon jokes, but far from embarrassing the Boholano into changing his ways, they have only reinforced his deep need to come back to his roots.
Tigum Bolanon sa Tibuok Kalibutan taps into this collective Boholano passion through a grand homecoming every three years. Under its current leadership, the TBTK has been celebrated twice and is gunning up for a grander third fete on July 14-26, this year. With the assurance of the province’ governor:Honorable Governor Erico B. Aumentado, you can be assured this will be the best ever in the history of Bohol.
The past two TBTKs under the leadership of chairman Betty Veloso-Garcia have been resounding successes, really coming into its own in 2003 when it gained notice in media and given a boost by the Department of Tourism. As a result, attendance more than doubled from the previous tigum, with Boholano immigrants coming in from as far as Africa and the Scandinavian countries to revel in the festivities.
One of the major components of the TBTK , Garcia had conceived in 2003 was the invitation of the schools and universities to hold a school reunion. Since then, alumni homecoming by Bohol’s institutions of learning are part of the celebration, so timed around to ensure maximum alumni presence.
TBTK ’09 is taking shape to become an even bigger and better tigum, thanks to the inspired leadership of tireless Betty Garcia, who, while steering TBTK, must also juggle a demanding job as a nurse in a New York hospital and mothering her family, to say nothing of her other commitments in various civic projects.
“If TBTK ’09 becomes a bigger success, it would largely be due to the good work put in by so many, like committed Bolanons Liklik Schroeder here in the US as over-all coordinator , Rose Soy who, despite leading busy lives, were only too willing to push TBTK,” BAMMI,Inc. , president Genju Lapez and chairman Bernie Calibo, and all the different country coordinators and most of all the different committees of the major events such as TOBAW ( The Outstanding Boholano Around The World) sponsored by FCB, Miss Bohol International – JCI –Chocolate Hills lady Jaycees, Mrs. Bohol International, Youth Activities by SK’s,etc. says Madame Chair.
What makes this year’s tigum grander in scope is the projected presence of Boholano immigrants from Europe, particularly Germany, which has a fairly big and vibrant Boholano community.
Betty combed two continents last year to sell TBTK and what she discovered only verified what’s been surmised all along: that in many nooks and corners of the world, even in its farthest reaches, there inhabits a homesick Bolanon.
“Most, if not all, of the Boholano expatriates she met in Europe pined for home. They welcomed the TBTK concept and promised to visit this year,” says Betty.
Those homesick paisanos, some of whom had been away for decades, are what will spell the difference in TBTK ’09.
A splash of European color and pageantry comes to this year’s tigum. A contingent from Bonn, Germany is readying an eye popping piece of entertainment to spice the festivities. What exactly it is, Rolf and Rosemarie (Marapao) Bruening, (Rosemarie- President of Boholano Community- Europe) the purveyors of this surprise under wraps, are not elaborating beyond saying that its called_”DREAMS”. Bohol’s VIP’s and officials will be part of this production so please save the date, July 22 at the Verdant Pavilion of the Panglao Island Resort in Bingag, Dauis Bohol.
Aspects of past tigums remain, such as the twin beauty tilts open to visiting balikbayans and locals who have what it takes to wield a scepter and crown. New York nurse Inday Sarabosing Parras, the reigning Mrs. Bohol International will be on hand to relinquish her title to a rightful successor , who will luxuriate in an overnight stay at the ultra exclusive Eskaya Resort as part of their winnings, courtesy of owner Richard and Phoebe Lim while homegrown Loida Tiza Lagonoy, Miss Bohol International ’06, will surrender cape, sash and crown to another Boholana beauty .
TBTK is unique in that its highlight actually takes place on the first day of the festivities which is, tadaaaaaa! a visit in Malacanang, hopefully to clink glasses with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In the 2006 tigum, the balikbayan callers failed to see the president who had to honor a previous commitment somewhere. Nevertheless, the visitors were given a tour of the palace which warmed the hearts of the Bolanons with the knowledge that one of their own – Carlos P. Garcia – had once lived in that great corridor of power by the Pasig. T hanks to Congressman Edgar Chatto , 1st District Representative who made the homecomers felt likeVIP’s. Congressman Jala and congressman Cajes collaborated in all festivities too.
The theme of TBTK ‘09 is Green Bohol in keeping with the global spirit of nature conservancy and awareness of the world’s threatened eco systems. Fittingly, the event will have Honorable Jose Lito Atienza, the secretary of the Department of Environment and natural resources, as honorary chairman and honorary vice chairman is another pride of Bohol- Lani Schoof.
Something new at the TBTK ’09 festivities is an eco tour of Bohol for the environmentally correct and curious that will provide a glimpse of how our province is doing its bit in conserving nature. Many will be impressed.
Also for eco crusaders and the fit and the able, a massive tree planting aimed to rejuvenate Bohol’s soon-to-be arboreally challenged countryside made victim by fast creeping urban sprawl.
Apart from the above, TBTK ’09 remains basically what it is: a perfect personal or family getaway, an occasion to nourish the bonds of families and relations, to reinvigorate, to reawaken wonderful memories and perhaps for some, to stoke their inner Boholano fire deadened by the dailiness of life abroad.
Otherwise, if nothing else, taking in the multiple delights of Bohol’s sun, sea, sand, air and great cordiality is reason enough to go.
So, Bolanons of the world, manguli gajud ‘tang tanan karong July 14-26 for TBTK ’09! Plan and book now.
The global economic meltdown? All the more reason to go. There should be no price tag on the joys to be derived at our big homecoming. The quiet affirmation of our relationsips with families and friends as we gather in boisterous reunions, the way we bask in the safety and warmth of our province and people, the general good time that awaits us, all these are inquantifiable and priceless. For everything else, there is of course, our Mastercards, speaking of which, do take comfort in the fact that the Philippines is one of the few remaining places in the world where you can still get a big bang out of your dollar, euro or yen.
Fretting won’t turn a weakened economy around. So go before it can get any, uh, worse and get happy at the TBTK!
by anyajulia | Feb 2, 2009 | Headlines, National News
ANEMIC with the budget that should sustain a health program across the country, renal disease specialists now eye partnerships with local government units to get partnership funds to get the campaign seeping to puroks.
Dr. Remedios de Belen-Uriarte told a conference in Cebu that the country’s Renal Disease Control Program (REDCOP) is funded by the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI).
According to Dr. Uriarte, REDCOP was launched in 1994. That time, they immediately put up trainings for volunteer advocates to cascade the information down.
However, a lot of things happened between 1994 to present, the group lost most of its trained coordinators in the regions.
In the same span too, renal disease has killed about 7,000, Philippine Renal Disease Registry data showed, making the disease the tenth most fatal in the country.
In fact, in the Central Visayas, renal disease may have climbed as the 6th killer disease, adds Dr. Jot Abellana, Central VIsayas REDCOP Coordinator.
Yet, despite the alarming increase in affectation, health authorities at the NKTI see the fact that if national governments do not have the luxury of funding such a program, then perhaps partnering with local governments may be the only option.
Always at the end of requests for assistance to financially aid patients undergoing treatment, local governments now want to put an end to the dole outs and face the problem of disease prevention squarely.
With local governments now running their respective preventive medicine programs in the grassroots, the REDCOP also hopes to hitch with a little cash infusions to make the local programs go the distance.
In the case of renal disease patients, the large sums spent to aid the patients may now be judiciously used to kepp the prevention side of the program running.
In the end, REDCOP hopes to persuade local governments to make the cheap urine analysis one of the free services.
Urinalysis especially when the physicians suspect kidney problems, is by far the most effective way of renal problem early detection.
An early detection of an acute glumerulonephritis allows experts to properly refer the patient to the right doctor to treat him, Dr Uriarte said.
This way, we do not necessarily have to go for the organ transplantation which is expensive, she ends. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Feb 2, 2009 | Headlines, National News
CEBU CITY. THE country’s program on the prevention of the spread of renal disease gets a new infusion: a new batch of 30 campaign advocates committed to bring down the alarm by getting information to communities.
Renal disease, now the tenth in the list of the country’s fatal diseases kills about 7,000 Filipinos annually, statistics from the Philippine Renal Disease Registry of the Department of Health.
A team from the country’s Renal Disease Control and Prevention Program (REDCOP) of the National Kidney Transplant Institute sat down to train trainers for renal disease prevention during a three day activity at the Cebu Grand Hotel January 28-30.
The graduates from the REDCOP Trainor’s Training for the Visayan regions are the new campaign advocates. They come from the Department of Health, Education, Philippine Information Agency provincial offices, the academe and well advocacy meaning groups.
Stepping up on the fight, the country’s program manager on renal disease control stressed that the best move against it is information and getting the right diagnosis at its early stage.
Renal or kidney diseases include kidney diabetic kidney disease, chronic glumerulonephritis, hypertensive kidney disease and chronic and repeated kidney infection or pyelonephritis. When not treated, these could lead to end stage renal disease which is fatal, according to a REDCOP brochure.
Dr. Remedios de Belen-Uriarte said if left unattended, the disease may degenerate into an irreversible end stage renal disease that does not come cheap.
Dr. Uriarte is the program manager for the country’s REDCOP based at the NKTI where the country’s kidney transplants are performed.
A kidney transplant, the only remedy to prolong the life of a patient now ranges between P500T to a million, and another remedy is hemodialysis which comes out thrice a week and costs P3,500 to P6T per session.
She added that maintenance drugs may also be a big drain in the pocket as a patient may need at least P20 a month.
In poverty plagued areas, renal specialists have shifted the campaign to the preventive side of the disease control while called for a healthy diet and early detection by regular check-ups with doctors and urine analysis.
It is in this aspect that the campaign needs to get down to the grassroots, Dr. Uriarte said. (rachiu/PIA)
