Freedom is an Illusion if We Don't Deserve It

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"There are just so many out there who play the victim and cry out for help even though they caused their problems themselves.

Informal settlers (previously called squatters) who occupy land illegally or without permission, yet demand a replacement property when the real owners want to use the land. They lived there for several years for free and still want to get paid for trespassing?

Tenants who refuse to pay rent because there's a law that protects them for a few months when delayed of payments. Landlords could only act after a certain time against non-payment, but already causes unwanted stress and anxiety to the owners. We would prefer an empty apartment rather than have pests living in it.

Media who could not accept that the government found out they broke the law, then cry for "press freedom being suppressed" when finally penalized for the act. It's a different scenario if there's more media being threatened, but that we are yet to see. Media does not only revolve within just one media outfit, right? So stop feeling special and just comply to what the law requires so you could get back to making our lives feel miserable.

Lol!"

Cusi Pushes Energy Resiliency

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of President Duterte’s directive to develop a resilient energy sector, the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi yesterday signed the Energy Resiliency Policy entitled “Adoption of Energy Resiliency in the Planning and Programming of the Energy Sector to Mitigate Potential Impacts of Disasters”.

Secretary Cusi said the Energy Resiliency Policy will aid industry partners to plan and address potential impacts of disasters since the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters.

The Energy Resiliency Policy revolves around four principles: (1) strengthen existing infrastructure facilities; (2) implement the Build Back Better principle in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitation; (3) improve existing operational, maintenance and practices to ensure continuous operations and energy supply; and (4) develop resiliency standards that will be used as basis in the future construction of energy facilities.

“These principles are geared towards mainstreaming disaster risk reduction to ensure energy resiliency as a priority to protect the people,” Cusi said.

One of the key features of the policy is the institutionalization of the Resiliency Compliance Plan, which provides engineering and non-engineering measures to ensure infrastructure and human resource disaster preparedness.

“Through this policy, we enjoin all the energy stakeholders to put upfront disaster risk reduction programs into their respective planning and investments,” Cusi pointed out.

To oversee the implementation of the policy, the DOE is strengthening the Inter-agency Task Force on Securing Energy Facilities through the creation of the Task Force on Energy Resiliency.

The Task Force is composed of representatives from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). The Task Force will continue its partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the other agencies under the Department of National Defense.

The Energy Resiliency Policy is anchored on President Duterte’s directive to improve the resiliency of the country.

Unity in Diversity: Mapua University's 93rd Foundation Week

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mapúa, the premiere engineering school in the country, will be having its 93^rd Foundation Week themed “Unity in Diversity” on January 22-27, 2018. This momentous week will feature various activities including the Parade of Excellence, Don Tomas Cup, activities from Student Organizations, exhibits, seminars, contests and the much-celebrated Mr. and Ms. Cardinals.

All the students and staff are invited to participate in the weeklong activities to usher in the new year of Discipline, Excellence, Commitment, Integrity, Relevance. It is indeed a celebration for all the success of Mapúa and a stepping stone towards world-class state of the art research, development and innovation."

 #MapúaUat93  #MMC2018

Find Our Purpose in Life

Wazzup Pilipinas!

At a media thanksgiving, we were once asked to write on a piece of paper one word that clearly defines us ... but it should also start with the first letter of our name.

I wrote "restless" since my name starts with an "R"

My real friends would know why and will agree that it is very appropriate.

No rest for the wicked! I keep saying to myself that I will rest only when I'm six feet under, or ashes in a jar.

That's why I always feel like I have all the energy to boost everything about me - including my confidence.

You could see me so confident that others perceive my aggressive behavior as arrogance. I can't blame them because not too many would dare declare themselves as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - even if it was originally intended as a joke.

However, having that title pushed me to exert extra effort towards a nationalistic goal so that I could leave this world a legacy worth remembering.

Our life is a continuous and never-ending story that only ends when we are finally laid to rest. While living, we do pause every now and then, but there should always be something bothering us which keeps us waking up very early to start our day.

What should bother us? When other people are not bothered by what's happening around us.

Sadly, when a considerable amount of time has passed and we still could never cure the problems we encounter, we give up and dismiss  them already as unsolvable and now common and natural occurences.

We often go with the mindset of the many no matter how mindlessly passive we become especially when it is now widely accepted as an everyday scene. We feel better if we go with the majority to avoid conflict even if it means suppresing our voices.

Not too many wishes to stand out as too weird or crazy in fear that others would ridicule us. Thus we avoid those who would seem to cause trouble for us, as we try to silently go with the flow, rarely against it.

In a nation that sees us as peculiar when we don't meet their standards or expectations, we are branded as nuisances to a systematically arranged existence they impose on the majority.

We should never follow the same path as we are all genuinely unique. We don't realize that we lose our real selves when we stray away from what we believe in.

Life becomes meaningless if we are living a life dictated by others.

Find ourselves again before it's too late! Find a reason to wake up early to give our existence a worthwhile purpose!

There are Bigger and More Significant Issues Out There

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Now that some bloggers have shown us that it's possible to get exposure from traditional media just by forming a group to campaign against a common but highly controversial cause, should we all band together as well for the other bigger and more significant issues, many of which also tackles foreign interventions?

Many of these #BloggersForFreedom also work or contribute for traditional media thus it is not surprising that their statement was carried, but also because the Rappler issue is a hot one at the moment.

Media people gobble up these kind of stories to attract readers because at the end of the day, media outfits still want to pamper their readers with the latest update, or gossip, and readership translates to earning a bigger profit.

Also, this news is just too good to miss, and an opportunity to counter an impending war against media outfits like Rappler.

But who are really the destabilizers in this story? Is it the government who strongly reacts against hateful news about them, or is it media who always never misses to highlight the  negatives and shortcomings of the government?

If we apply it in a bloggers community setting, everytime a blogger rants against fellow bloggers, the community suffers for people, unaware of all sides of the story, would think the blogging community is divided and chaotic. Thus any news about an erring blogger somehow affects the outlook of outsiders towards the community, and even fellow bloggers could get influenced, and some of the restless would join in on the bandwagon of hate.

Similarly, when media, or bloggers, keep on sharing news in a negative light without giving the original and real intention a chance, they ultimately cloud the vision of others towards the government where not everyone is as foul-mouthed and irrational as the President. These would eventually create nothing but a doubtful nation.

When people voted for their leaders, it is assumed they also gave their trust for them to act in accordance to what would serve the people better regardless if it is the most popular choice. They were authorized to manage the country for now, so it's hard to do their job if critics keep on pestering their every move even when it has not been implemented yet.

Needless to say, we've witnessed so many forms of corruption among givernment officials from top to bottom. But is it safe to also say that every administration had their own share of critics that were never satisfied of their actions. There would always be some group out there who would rally, oppose, and rant against the government no matter who sits as President.

Check out the link below for reference:

www.wazzuppilipinas.com/2018/01/bloggers-for-freedom-malacanang-now.html

Bloggers for Freedom? Malacanang Now Knows Who Are Against Them!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We came across a very vague statement from a group of bloggers led by personalities known to be critics in the political arena. They present a statement with no background details about the issues to guide those unaware of what's happening in the Philippines, particularly the conflict between an online publication and the government.

The online publication says their freedom is beibg suppressed by the malicious tactics of the current administration and even pinpoints President Duterte as their main oppressor.

Meanwhile, both the government agency and Malacanang denies they are conspiring to bring the online publication down.

Do you agree to what these bloggers say? They say they "stand against moves to silence and scare journalists, bloggers and media practitioners just because the President and his ardent supporters dislike their news and views."

But is the President really behind the move of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to shut down Rappler because of an unlawful clause in their PDR with Omidyar Network that supposedly violates the constitution?

Does it mean the people behind SEC are to be questioned as well for following the dictate of Malacanang? Or whoever asked them to check on Rappler?

Is the administration really aiming to shut down one by one the media outfits that are too critical of him?

Well, now Malacanang knows who are against them....but crying out for "the rights to free expression and to free speech" as their defense.

However, could Rappler just remove the controversial "clause" in their PDR with Omidyar Network so the SEC could let them function again? Is it that easy, or too complicated to comprehend so I should just shut up and let them cry all over social media.

Until now we do not even know who are the real owners of Rappler aside from Maria Ressa. Their statements on their site are equally vague and lacks the information we need to justify their counter against the accusations thrown at them.

After all, not even media, or bloggers, should be above the law, regardless of how they push their defense as free press with not influence by their investors, would you agree that foreigners should have control over our media outfits?

The drama unfolds. Is it better than our teleseryes?

I know most of the bloggers that signed up on the list, but there are a larger number of bloggers out there that are not among them. Most of them are indeed critics of the administration if you'll read their newsfeeds.

Well, I guess they do have the right to express themselves. But they should also not prevent or contradict others who also openly express their opinions, whether pro-admin or not. They should not try to badmouth other bloggers that do not belong to their group, or whom they believe is against their envisioned reality of how bloggers should act, talk, write or behave, so that everyone could indeed have the freedom they are fighting for.

Sadly, some of these bloggers are the ones who rant against their fellow bloggers for ulterior motives that are only beneficial to themselves and their group. They would even make fun of other bloggers who do not meet their expectations, and conspire to destroy them.

Praying that they be enlightened.

#BloggersForFreedom #DefendPressFreedom

————————————————————————

Statement: Bloggers for Freedom

We concerned Filipino bloggers stand for the rights to free expression and to free speech. And our first responsibility is to protect these rights.

We thus stand with Rappler, its right to exist, the rights of its working journalists and contributors, and the rights of its community of readers.

We stand against moves to silence and scare journalists, bloggers and media practitioners just because the President and his ardent supporters dislike their news and views.

Now is a time for making choices amid battles between truth and lies, debate and dissonance, democracy and dictatorship.

We sign our names here to tell everyone we have made a choice. We are bloggers for freedom.

Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Tonyo Cruz
Dale Bacar
Marcelle Fabie
Myk Mykapalaran Cruz
Rod Magaru
Ely Valendez
Alex Lapa
Tess Termulo
Zena Bernardo
Jover Laurio
James Romer V. Velina
Ramon Nocon
Flow Galindez
Helga Weber
Mc Richard Viana Paglicawan
Raymond Palatino
Loi Landicho
Saul de Jesus
Karlo Mongaya
Ricky Rivera
Mark Will Mayo Magallanes
Eyriche Cortez
Julius Mariveles
Yusuf Ledesma
RJ Barrete
Dino Manrique
Peachy Tan
Rhadem Camlian Morados
Julius Rocas
Jon Limjap
Markku Seguerra
Jam Ancheta
Estan Cabigas
Enrico Dee
Acee Vitangcol
Stefan Punongbayan
Jesus Falcis
Hancel Reyes
Czarina Maye Noche
JM Mariano
Reginald Agsalon
John Clifford Sibayan
Jane Uymatiao
Johnn Mendoza
Carlos Celdran
Christian Melanie
Jann Medina
Carlo Arvisu
Inday Espina Varona
Eugene Alvin Villar
Melo Villareal
Brian Ong
JM Tuazon
Fritz Tentativa
Fitz Villafuerte
Tina Antonio
Mykel Andrada
Reynaldo Pagsolingan Jr.
Renz Daniel de Vera

Published on January 19, 2018, Black Friday.

Have a Suite Retreat at Makati Diamond Residences

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Celebrate the season of hearts at Makati Diamond Residences. Stay at a 64sqm One Bedroom Suite for ₱8,500 net per night or at 41sqm Studio for ₱6,500 net per night. Both room packages include breakfast for two, complimentary mini bar, complimentary Wi-Fi and local city calls.

Access the health club amenities, including the 24-hour gym, daily TRX classes at the TRX studio, and an indoor lap pool.

Make your stay even more memorable by booking an in-room Swedish massage for 2 for an additional ₱3,000.

Get the privilege of a 20% discount on the Valentine’s Day Buffet at Alfred.

The Suite Retreat room package is available from February 1 to 28, 2018. This offer is exclusive to local residents and foreigners with ACR I-Card certification.

Book your stay today and call (02) 317-0999 or email reservations@makatidiamond.com.

The Wellness Center also offers a Couple’s Massage package for the Valentine’s season.

Visit www.makatidiamond.com for complete details and other hotel offers.

Makati Diamond Residences is located at 118 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City 1229.

For more information, contact +63 2 317 0999 or visit www.makatidiamond.com or email reservations@makatidiamond.com. Check facebook.com/MakatiDiamondResidences or follow @makatidiamondresidences on Instagram for more updates.

PPA Income Inch-Up 16% in 11 Months

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) posted a 16% hike in its net income in the January to November 2017 period despite starting the year on a conservative mood.

PPA was able to achieve the feat through its sound financial condition and strong Philippine economic status despite having some concerns with the Philippine peso the entire year.

Latest data from the PPA showed that net income for the period in review reached P8.310 billion or some 16% higher than the P7.164 billion posted a year earlier. 

The actual figure also eclipsed the forecasted net income of P5.983 billion for the period by P2.326 billion or 38.87%.

PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago is ecstatic about the prospect of ending the agency’s fiscal year way above the red line despite forecasting to at best flat growth for 2017 due to concerns clouting the mining industry and the volatile foreign exchange rates.

“The performance of the PPA is way above expectation as we were able to eclipse almost all forecasted levels of the financial facet of the agency,” Santiago said.

“We expect an even bigger margin when our December figures start to come in. Not only for December but for the entire 2017 considering that we overshoot our targets by at least 10% every month until the end of November,” Santiago explained.

Total revenues during the 11-month period, meanwhile, grew by 6.71% to P13.846 billion from P12.976 billion collected in the same period in 2016. Port revenue went up by 6.61% to P13.754 billion from P12.901 billion due primarily to increase in volume of traffic at the ports as well as the adjustment in foreign exchange rates. The top five revenue earners are NCR South, Batangas, Davao, Bataan/Aurora, and Surigao.

Fund Management Income (FMI), on the other hand, increased by 22.92% to P91.99 million from P74.84 million for the same period in 2016 anchored on the purchase of a P500 million Treasury Bills, which, in effect, increased the volume of investments funds of the PPA. This facilitated the revamp in earnings and counterweighed the fluctuations in prevailing interest rates on special and high-yield savings deposits and economic uncertainties.

Total expenditures for the period in review fell by 4.73% to P5.537 billion from P5.811 billion in 2016 wherein Operating Expenses  amounted to P5.398 billion, down 5% from P5.657 billion a year earlier. Non-operating expenses likewise went down by 9.9% to P139.02 million for the period in review from P154.30 million a year earlier.

“This performance exhibits an overall healthy financial condition with indications of strong ability to service obligations and long-term financial security,” Santiago stressed.

“The agency will continue to work harder in 2018 to improve its revenues that will eventually translate to better and efficient ports and services for the public in the short- and long-terms,” Santiago added.

Should You Outsource SEO Functions or Do it on Your Own?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

If you own an online business, you need to decide what service provider to choose for SEO work. The recent trend is about outsourcing SEO work to the offshore providers and all businesses are faced with the same question - whether to outsource or not.

It is beneficial to companies and businesses, although there are businesses that find it difficult to outsource SEO and feel a lack of confidence. The chief merit of outsourcing is high-quality work at cost-effective rates.

Read on to know more.

Much better SEO results with the help of knowledgeable experts

The SEO results that you are going to get with the help of knowledgeable experts will be outstanding. You will be able to tap into the expertise of SEO professionals and run your business in a better manner while experiencing great results.

On the other hand, the cost that will be incurred will be quite low. You may move to an overseas company to save further.

Overseas companies offer efficient services, yet charge less. Do not think that if the services are outsourced offshore, the results will be bad.

These service providers will give you much better results and help your website to rank higher.


No need to keep an in-house team of SEO providers

By outsourcing to a firm, such as SandCrestSEO, you are actually hiring someone who has the talent in it and is learned in the matter. The professional will get good results in a quick manner.

There is no need to have an in-house team of SEO providers for the SEO work. You simply have to focus on your business and need not bother about site optimization.

If you want to run your online business in a successful manner, you can hire a team of professionals and outsource the task.

A good service provider can help your website to make it to the top 5 on search engine result pages. The best part is that such outstanding results may be attained by expending just a few hundred dollars.
Who Should Outsource SEO?

Before you choose some company for outsourcing the site optimization task, you must ask yourself the following questions:

Do I wish for amazing SEO results?

Do I want my site to make it to the top at the earliest?

Do I wish for outstanding results at low prices?

If the answer to all the above questions is ‘yes’, you may opt for a professional company to outsource the service. Choose only an experienced company for site optimization work.

Businesses all across the globe want to outsource SEO, as it is convenient and hassle-free. Keeping your own in-house team of SEO providers is difficult, as you have to pay salary and train the experts from time-to-time. To avoid such things, you may outsource the work.


Author Bio:

Evans Walsh is a freelance content writer. He has written many good and informative articles on different categories such as technology, health, fashion, beauty, education, career, travel etc. He is very responsible towards his job. He loves to share his knowledge and experience with his friends and colleagues.

Get the Best Mattress within Your Budget - How Should You Proceed?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

When you are shopping for your new home, some of the elemental things have to be invested, and these are often one time investments. One such item is the mattress for your bed.

There are different types of mattresses which are available, and you can easily make a choice depending on several factors like your material preference, the budget, the size of the mattress and any health issues that you may have which can lead to trouble sleeping.

Here we are going to share some tips which would help you shop for a mattress and find the best and at the same time ensure that you can maintain a budget. Also, we suggest checking out Top Cheapest Mattresses (Affordable & Budget Friendly) guide to help you understand what to look for. But first, make sure you read our below tips!

Discount and vouchers

There are different discounts vouchers which are available online as well as at the stores. You can easily get them from the respective brands and at online websites which are mainly meant for such coupons and vouchers.

These vouchers make it easier to find the right product within your budget and get the perfect value for the money you pay. You can rest assured that you do not have to compromise on the quality that you are getting from the store.

There are different qualities of the mattresses, and you can easily make the right choice when your budget restraint is manageable.

Consider your health conditions

Some people have troubles with bone and postures which are triggered when you are sleeping in the wrong position, or the quality of the mattress is not good enough.

If you have any such health issues, the mattress must be chosen accordingly. The memory foam talk is the perfect mattress for addressing troubles with sleeping posture and bone and joint pain issues. The quality of this mattress is superior to most, and this is the ideal value for the money that you are paying for it.


Do your research

Before you go to the store for buying the mattress, make sure that you have done your own study well so that you have a fair idea about the price of the different kinds of mattresses. It will help you make your choice and take the right decisions wisely.

There are various types of mattresses, in different shapes, sizes and materials which different features and the prices vary accordingly. Make sure that you have a thorough idea about the standard price range for every type of mattress that is there and then goes to the store so that you can do your shopping without any hassle.

Making a choice is essential to ensure that your mattress is suitable enough for your health condition as well as for your home.

Author Bio:
Silvia Watson is a freelance content writer. She has written many good and informative articles on different categories such as technology, health, fashion, education, career, travel etc. She is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry and currently associated as a blogger with https://www.memoryfoamtalk.com/