Aquino won’t sign waiver

President Benigno Aquino III is not waiving his right under the laws to keep his bank accounts confidential even after Renato Corona’s removal as Chief Justice for untruthful declaration of wealth.
Speaking at a news conference in Malacañang Thursday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed that Mr. Aquino declared during the presidential campaign in 2010 that he would waive his privilege of secrecy under the country’s banking laws if elected President.
Valte said, however, that Mr. Aquino wouldn’t sign any such waiver at this time.
“Let’s go back to the context,” Valte said. “It was the accused [Corona] who issued the challenge to every Tom, Dick and Harry who was willing to take on his dare. Is it fair to put the President, who has not been accused of graft, who has not been accused of dishonesty, in the same category as the man who was just removed from his post?”
Valte was answering questions raised by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for a new standard in his explanation for his vote to convict Corona on Tuesday.
Corona submitted a waiver to the Senate impeachment court on May 25—too late and useless, as he had already admitted keeping $2.4 million and P80 million in bank accounts that he did not report in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
“I ask the President to instruct his Cabinet to sign the waivers or resign and leave the government,” Cayetano said. “Lead by following, or get out of the way.”
Cayetano proposed waivers for all executive officials, members of Congress and the judiciary.
Not accused
But Valte insisted that the President was not issuing a waiver.
“You have to remember that this all came about because one man was on the stand, was being accused of something,” Valte said. “Do we put other people in the same situation even when they are not being accused of hiding anything?”
The President and the members of his Cabinet have all declared their assets, Valte said. Their SALNs have been available to the public since they were sworn into office, she said.
No dollar accounts
Valte added that President Aquino had no foreign-currency bank account.
“No one is saying that his disclosures in his SALN are incomplete or are inaccurate and the same goes for members of his Cabinet,” Valte said. “Just like Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said [Corona’s] waiver was for theatrics,” she added.
The SALN, Valte said, contains a waiver that authorizes the Ombudsman to look into the officials’ finances with help from all governmental agencies.
And there’s the bank secrecy law, which, Valte said,  provides for exceptions and these could trigger the opening of public officials’ bank accounts.
‘Lead by example’
But Cayetano said President Aquino should “lead by example,” though he was willing to give Mr. Aquino time until a system that would prevent abuse could be introduced.
In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday, Cayetano acknowledged “concerns” that Mr. Aquino and other government officials might have if they followed Corona’s lead.
Cayetano called for a system that would not use waivers other than to weed out corrupt officials and employees.
“I am in favor of giving him time to sign and put these things in place,” Cayetano said.
“His presidency and programs are worth supporting so I encourage him to find ways to address (the) concerns then sign (his own waiver) and get his Cabinet to sign waivers,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano was glad about the Supreme Court’s decision to release the SALNs of all its justices.
Lesson in honesty
Speaking at a news forum Thursday, Cayetano said Corona’s impeachment should serve as a lesson in honesty and transparency in public service.
In the case of the executive branch, he said, the President could order all officials and employees to submit waivers.
“The President can say, ‘If you don’t want to sign, resign,’” Cayetano said.
Cayetano acknowledged that waivers could be used against public officials, especially with midterm elections to be held next year.
He said the waiver could also be used to producing  “fake” bank accounts to accuse officials of corruption.
But he considered the waiver a “new paradigm” in transparency and accountability, and he observed that more public officials are following Corona’s example.
Others follow
Several members of the House of Representatives have signed waivers, and the leader of the Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai, Mike Velarde, is calling on other government officials to follow suit.
“If they are not hiding anything [they should sign]. Besides, the purpose of this SALN is for the public to know what they have,” Velarde told reporters during the 6th National Catholic Charismatic Congress in Pasay City Thursday.

Credits : Local News in the Philippines

Rainy school opening seen

While the wet season hasn’t officially kicked in yet, monsoon rains are expected to affect the opening of classes next week.
Monsoon rains induced by an active low pressure area (LPA) east off Samar would become more frequent over southern Luzon, including Metro Manila and the Visayas next week, weather forecasters said Thursday.
Southern Luzon, the Visayas and western and northeastern Mindanao would start experiencing isolated to widespread rain showers this weekend, said forecaster Nikos Peñaranda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
“We should watch out for these possible monsoon rains. Next week will be critical. It’s likely that we’ll be experiencing monsoon rains as well by next week because of the enhancement of the southwest monsoon,’’ Peñaranda said in an interview.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the LPA was over the Philippine Sea 330 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.
While far from the archipelago, the LPA would induce the southwest monsoon, or winds blowing southwest, to bring rain over some sections as early as Friday, Peñaranda said.
The LPA would likely develop into a tropical depression Saturday, and when it does, the monsoon rain would intensify, he said. Once a tropical depression, it will be called “Ambo.’’

Credits : Philippines Weather, Weather Philippines

In The Know: Selecting the next Chief Justice

Section 7, Article VIII, of the Constitution requires that a Supreme Court justice be a natural-born Filipino, at least 40 years old and must have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the country for at least 15 years.
The Constitution also requires that a member of the judiciary “must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence.”
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has the primary function of recommending appointees to the judiciary, as required under Section 8, Article VIII, of the Constitution.
The JBC is composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio chairman, the secretary of justice, and a representative of the Congress as ex officio members, a representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, a professor of law, a retired justice of the Supreme Court and a representative of the private sector.
In fulfillment of its function, the JBC submits to the President a list of at least three nominees for every vacancy in the judiciary. From this list, the President makes his choice.
A vacancy on the Supreme Court must be filled within 90 days from its occurrence.
The selection process for nominees for judicial offices, including that of Chief Justice, is specific:
The JBC first announces the vacancy, and an active, nationwide search for candidates follows. Applications and recommendations are submitted to the JBC secretariat.
The applicants are evaluated based on their qualifications and background. They also undergo physical and psychological examinations.
A notice about the candidates is published by the JBC secretary in two newspapers. The notice informs the public that any complaint against a candidate may be filed with the secretary within 10 days.
The candidates concerned have five days from receipt of the complaints to file their comments.
Those who pass the initial screening are interviewed by the JBC.
The council subsequently meets for the final deliberation to choose the  candidates to be recommended to the President.
To be considered a nominee, a candidate must obtain the affirmative votes of the majority of the JBC members. On the question of integrity, a candidate is automatically disqualified on the negative vote of even just one JBC member.

Credits : Current Events in Philippines

Cooking as a Popular Activity for Children

Doing activities with our children is the best way for us to spend time with them. Not only would this be recreational, but also teaches them of a number of importance of family-time. One popular activity that many parents have done with their children today is cooking.

Cooking: A Trending Way of Spending Time with Our Children According to modern Parenting Philippines, cooking and baking are not just for grownups anymore. With the popularity of “Junior Masterchef” and the reality TV shows with real-life chefs, children are curious to don a chef’s jacket and play with food.

But, how do you know if your child is ready for a summer culinary arts program? “If you see your children hanging around in the kitchen, especially when you are preparing meals, most likely they are interested in cooking,” says Dorothy Ferreria, a long-time culinary instructor who gives regular kiddie classes.

“Kids as young as six can help out in the kitchen. Tasks such as holding the mixing bowl for mom or handing out ingredients are enough to make them feel good about themselves. Their participation, no matter how minor, is a good start, because constant exposure can motivate them to help often.”

In addition to Ferreria’s statement, Vicky Veloso-Barrera, owner of Tiny Kitchen and also an author of a number of cookbooks and children’s book as well as a culinary instructor, had also said that children are far easier to teach than grownups. According to her, “they are more trusting, honest and creative.”

However, according to modern Philippines Lifestyle, since kids have short attention spans, most recipes taught them are simple and quick to prepare. “Supervision is the key to cooking with kids,” says Rory Subida, instructor and manager of The Maya Kitchen. “Kids of different ages develop cooking skills at different levels.”

The Mistake of Coercing Them Though cooking might be a popular trend among many children today, not all children are interested in this activity. Because of this, many parents have made the mistake of coercing them even if their children didn’t like the idea.

Jenny Peña of InterContinental Hotel, which gives monthly kiddie culinary classes, says kids should not be coerced into taking up something they don’t feel like doing.

“There was one time a boy was wearing a long face throughout the session,” recounts Peña. “The kid was unhappy because the parents just forced the son to join the cooking class. We don’t screen these kids; it’s the parents who bring them to us.”

According to her, summer culinary classes are not only designed for children with a knack for tasting good food and preparing delicious meals, but are also meant to develop their personality and teach them discipline.

A New Perspective on Autism and How a Parents Can Help

Autism, according to many experts, is commonly used too broadly. In a cruel turn, the term autism is now commonly used as a cruel gesture, which “other” families are dealing with, and where doctors and scientists must “fix”. However, autism is not a disease to be healed or “fixed.” And autism is not only autism.

According to Bunny Joaquin, founder and directress of Shine Intervention in the Philippines, autism is more commonly considered as a spectrum, which is why autism is now called as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD.

Basically, she explains how a person with autism can be anywhere within this spectrum. “You can be anywhere with really high (Asperger’s) or really low levels of function (Kanner’s), or you can be somewhere in the middle.”

According to her, ASD is not a disease to be treated or to be contained, but it is a type of neurological disorder. It is characterized by “social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Parts of the Spectrum As early as 18 months, parents may already notice a baby’s delayed speech, lack of interest and response in activities, peers and eye contact. Conversely, they may also show an intense fascination for one object or practice for an extended period of time.
According to new Parenting Philippines news, communication problems may be both verbal and nonverbal. Some have complete difficulty with speech. Others may be able to converse, but speech may be strained as some are unable to recognize speech patterns, expressions and non-literal meanings.
However, some people are able to successfully work around communication problems by turning to other mediums, such as text and sign language.

With this, social interaction is usually affected due to the fact the autism has its own culture and way of seeing the world. Some display a lack of empathy, which also hinders them from developing relationships with others. The key is for everyone to extend the necessary understanding to get things rolling for the children.

According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, intervention is an important part of helping our children develops the deficits that ADS may cause. When she talks about her students who have “graduated” and integrated successfully into regular schools, she gives much credit to the individual person’s will.

However, when it comes to treating symptoms, she says the biggest and most important factor is the willingness of parents to first accept the situation. After that, it is vital that they learn to accept what their child does and can do, and that they remain motivated to continue supporting their children. Support must be consistent at home, not only in intervention and therapy centers.

Health Talk from Different Health Gurus

The 4th HSBC Coffee Talk was held at Makati Shangri-La had invited a mix of different health gurus which shared their experiences in staying fit and healthy, as well as their experiences in shaving a lot of weight and how to do this properly.

According to latest Wellness Philippines news, one of those invited in the event was the co-owner of the all-natural just fast Juju Cleanse where she imparted a quote she loves which goes, “Work Hard, Party Hard, Cleanse, and repeat”.

Health Talk from Different Health Gurus Born out of the idea that good conversation and coffee are inseparable, the HSBC Coffee Talk this year invited an interesting mix of guests.

There’s the advocate of the traditional diet-and-exercise regimen, “Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” runner-up Art Mendoza and CrossFit devotee Lala Agregado; writer/columnist Jessica Zafra; fad dieter JL Martinez, who has already lost 120 lbs on the HCG diet; “big spender” Rescina Bhagwani, whose big investment in the Cohen diet program (more than P50,000) is already giving her huge returns (lost 65 lbs so far, and counting); and the no-nonsense straight talk from the Juju Cleanse guru Azanza.

The Best way of Losing Weight “If you have a craving, you have to have it,” said Martinez, who endured 40 days on a highly restrictive, 500-calorie-a-day diet of the controversial HCG diet.

According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, Martinez said the trick is in the portion size. You want chips, you’ll get chips—but not the entire bag, please. The first mouthful, he said, is to tell your brain you’re eating all right; the second is to satisfy the taste buds. Succeeding servings after will merely be stored, useless calories.

Mendoza, who lost 129 lbs during the “Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” reality show competition, is now a staunch devotee of exercise. While he was able to put in hours of exercise while on the show (up to six hours a day, he confessed), returning to the daily grind of the real world does not allow him that luxury. That’s how the intense CrossFit training came into the picture.

Keeping the Fire Burning “Metabolism is like a fire. If you keep on putting small twigs the fire will keep on burning and even gets larger and larger. But if you throw in large logs, you will put out the fire,” Mendoza said. Keep the fires burning, he continued, by consuming leafy greens and veggies and good sources of protein like fish.
Since we live in a world where giving in to temptation is inevitable, and even essential for you to control your cravings, cleansing has become a regular part of some people’s health regimen.

“You need to find that balance. It’s like tuning up your car. Make it a part of your regimen,” said Azanza.
A Juju Cleanse is a doctor-approved detoxification process. Each drink is packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function. Cleansing your digestive system takes only three to five days.

Different Reasons for Neglecting our Wellness

Healthy living is not only about the food we eat, but also about our lifestyle, of how we often neglect our wellness to provide ourselves satisfaction in the many aspects of our lives. Here are some of the few things of how we neglect our wellness absent-mindedly:

Workaholics and Partyphiles While workaholics champion this crusade in order to get the job done, partyphiles will probably party more, sleep less.

According to the latest Wellness Philippines news, many companies pride themselves in a work ethic of being on call 24/7. Though some may consider this admirable, but enlightened business leaders advocate wellness in the workplace. This calls for the “don’t bring your work home” policy.

This is a practice where employees are encouraged to leave what they do in their workplaces and bring only themselves at home. Although many slave-driving bosses expect their employees be at their beck and call even at odd hours of the night, this usually depends on their employee. One could just as easily turn off their mobile phones to provide them the relaxation they require to tackle tomorrow's workload. However, this is a different case among call center agents whose world have become upside-down.

Bingeing partygoers are another story. Partying nightly from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. seems to be the fad. And if you are a non-alcoholic, you will be missing out on the fun, say the heavy drinkers.

Alcohol is a much-abused substance, just like caffeine. And both could be misused by driven individuals to stay awake or to relax. While alcohol is considered a party drink, it is a depressant. And mixing it with drugs can only cause health complications, maybe even death.

Being Miserable In addition to workaholics and partyphiles, there is also the feeling of misery that can greatly affect our wellness. This, however, can be easily solved by splashing cold water to slap you back to reality. There is also exercising and keeping busy so as to avoid wallowing on our misery.

Take the case of Annie, a once-married woman whose husband abandoned her and their two kids. Penniless after he withdrew support, she was forced to get a job. She could have kept herself paralyzed with bitterness. Instead, she took her life in her own hands. Today she has a flourishing business in insurance.

Grumpiness Being grumpy at a daily basis can also affect our wellbeing, as well as our social life, and one popular solution that many of us have used to relieve ourselves of being grumpy is by treating ourselves to some pleasurable activities, such as eating gallons of ice cream or shopping.

This practice, however, is not advisable. According to latest Philippines Lifestyle news, eating gallons of ice cream will not make you any happier. In fact, the result could be indigestion and high blood sugar.

As for shopping, like many women usually do when grumpy, they usually end up pilling up bills and maxing out their credit limit which in a month can cause them to get grumpy again.

The best way to solve grumpiness is to just turn you to an agreeable mood. You will feel lighter, and what is more important, others will respond to you in a more positive way.