I am posting here, articles/items, history about Christmas, basta lahat ng bagay na may kinalaman sa Pasko.
1. Christmas Tree - is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The Christmas tree is often brought into a home, but can also be used in the open, and can be decorated with Christmas lights (originally candles), ornaments, garlands and tinsel during the days around Christmas. An angel or star is often placed at the top of the tree, representing the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.
The ancient pagans, Druids, Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews celebrated the Winter Solstice, (Dec. 21st), the day of the year that the Sun begins its ascent in the sky, thereby ushering a fertile time of planting and bountiful harvests. Hence, the evergreen tree represented eternal life and the promise of replenishment during the cold winter months. Apples and other fruit were hung upon the tree to represent the plentiful food to come. Candles were lighted to symbolize the warmth and brightness of the sun. While the Christmas tree is generally associated with Christ, it predates this religious figure by many centuries.
Later in history Germans hung wafers on the tree along with the apples to represent the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In the Victorian era, the apples were replaced by red glass balls and candles and the representation signified both Adam and Eve along with the fire of life. Moreover, the Christmas tree was also used to scare away evil forces for the new year.
After the beginning of the New Year, January 1, the Pagans would take the chopped decorated Christmas tree down and burn the "Yule" log in remembrance of the past year. They would rejoice in song and dance for the goals that have been completed and in jubilation for the coming of the Spring and life. Furthermore, New Year's resolutions were constructed at a later date from the Pagans setting of the goals.
2. Of the Father's Love Begotten - written by Aurelius Prudentius may have been the first recorded Christmas carol.
3. History of the Nativity - About two thousand years ago, in the town of Nazareth, there lived a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter. One day an angel appeared before her and told her she had been chosen to have a special baby. The baby would be God's son and she must call him Jesus.
Soon after the angel's visit, Mary and Joseph were married. Mary was due to have her baby when they were told they had to go on a long journey to Bethlehem, which was where Joseph came from.This was because they had to pay a special tax. Mary had to ride on a donkey for a few days over the hills of Gallilee.
At last Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. It was crowded with other people who needed to pay their taxes. Mary was very tired and needed a place to stay. At each inn, the story was the same. There was no room for them. Eventually, one kind innkeeper said he had a stable where he kept his animals. They were welcome to stay there.
And so it was that a few hours later, Mary gave birth to her son in that stable. She wrapped Jesus in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger full of hay.
At the same time, on a hillside overlooking Bethlehem, some shepherds were watching over their sheep. A bright light appeared in the sky. They were very afraid. It was an angel sent by God. The angel told them not to be afraid, because he had some good news. He said the Son of God had been born and they would find Him in Bethlehem.
The shepherds wanted to go and see the baby. When they arrived at the stable, they were filled with joy at seeing Jesus lying in the manger. They knelt down and worshipped Him. They told Mary and Joseph how the angel had appeared in the sky and told them that Jesus was to be the Saviour of the world.
Far away in the East, three wise men named Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, saw a new star shining high in the sky. These men, who were kings, studied the stars and they knew this was a very special star. They studied their scrolls where it said that whenever a bright new star appeared it meant that a great ruler had been born.
The three wise men decided to find this new ruler. They went to Jerusalem to see King Herod, as they thought the baby would be in the palace. They asked to see the child that would be King of the Jews. The king was troubled. He thought this new king may take away his throne. He told them to return when they had found the baby so that he could worship the child himself.
The wise men set off to find the baby. They were guided by the star to the stable in Bethlehem. Here they knelt down and worshipped Jesus. They gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. That night, the three men had the same dream where an angel warned them that King Herod wanted to kill Jesus and told them not to go back to his palace.
The wise men went back to their own country without calling to see Herod. Soon after Joseph had a dream where an angel told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt as King Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. They left Bethlehem right away. When the wise men did not return, Herod ordered that baby boys in Bethlehem be killed. They did not find Jesus as he was safe.
3. Santa Claus - Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or simply "Santa", is a legendary figure who, in many Western cultures, brings gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24 or on his Feast Day, December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day. The legend may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek and Byzantine folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Flowerhorn Fish
The Flowerhorn fish is also known with the Chinese common name Hua Luo Han; this fish does not exist in nature but it is a hybrid result of various cross-breeding of South America cichlids, in fact it can be listed under the Cichlasoma genus, even if the starting breeders are unknown, the most of people think about Cichlasoma Trimaculatus, C. Festae, Red Parrot cichlid, Jingang and other fish.
Information about care:
Flowerhorn cichlid is a big fish with compact body, it can reach 30cm in length and sometimes can grow even bigger. Intensive breeding has created a very peculiar fish that is becoming really famous and relatively common in the last few years; moreover breeders keep on trying to improve the fish qualities focusing on bigger hump on the head, new and better colors, wider body and fins, more peculiar black marks on the body, without the employ of chemical and artificial factors. For the importance of appearance, a good Flowerhorn must follow a standard that defines various aspects of its body:
- General body: the fish body must be oval and thick, with full belly and stomach; some new variants have anyway a more rounded shape.
- Hump: the hump on the forehead should be big and well proportioned to the fish size.
- Black marks: it is important that the marks are thick and well defined, this is one of the principal characteristic of Flowerhorn, anyway some new varieties do not give too much importance to them.
- Overall Coloration: the most common Flowerhorn have a predominant red coloration, anyway every color should be bright and well defined.
- Scales: the entire body should be covered by light blue or green scales.
- Fins: both tails and fins should be widely spread the most of time.
Aquarium set-up information:
Due the big size they can reach, Flowerhorn need big aquarium with a lot of free space for swimming; a 200 litres tank is the minimum you can offer to an adult fish to let it live healthily. It is a really strong fish and can live in different water conditions without having problems, anyway it is important to provide a temperature between 25°C and 30°C; pH value is also important, because acid water can tone down fish colours and make it sick, the ideal condition is a light alkaline water, with a pH between 7 and 8. Moreover it is necessary to avoid sudden condition changes of temperature andchemical values, because they can make Flowerhorn being more sensible to sickness like bacteria attacks.
Water filtration is really important because this big fish produces lots of refuses that end increasing nitrite and nitrate levels in the water. You can choose both internal and external filtration, even if the second one is preferred to leave more free space to the fish. The biological part must work properly, so be sure to have a well activated aquarium before to house a Flowerhorn cichlid.
Take also a look to the water current, an excessively strong one can damage the fish, anyway it is important that a slow movement is present, because it oxygenates the water, and avoids that the water heats only near heater.
Tank decorations are important to make the fish feel quieter. Use a layer of fine gravel and be sure that rocks and woods are stable and do not risk to fall easily on the fish; be sure, as well, that all the decorations do not make the tank cleaning too much difficult. Live plants are important for filtration and oxygenation, anyway choose strong plants like big anubias, because any Flowerhorn cichlid use to dig a lot; you can also use plastic plants, even if they are not useful and you can risk that the fish accidentally eat them.
Being big and aggressive is better not to house it with other fish species, specially if they are smaller. While if you plan to house more than one Flowerhorn, provide a big tank and divide it with accessories to let fish divide the territory; to avoid fights it is recommended not to keep more than two or three fish together in the same tank.
Feeding:
Flowerhorn like similar sized fish, astronotus ocellatus for example, need a live food integration to be healthy and in shape. Their diet can consist of live food, frozen food, and standard dry fish food. The live food should be of good dimension, or the fish could not notice it, earth worms and big meal worms or wax worm are accepted; moreover you can give small fish, poecilia reticulata could be a good choice since the high number of fry they spare monthly. Remember to feed every live food you choose, and in case of live fish be sure they are healthy.
Frozen food is another good solution, especially when you do not have the live one. Young Flowerhorn usually eat chironomus, brine shrimps and other frozen fish foods, while older ones could not notice them; at their place you can offer frozen fish for human use, you have a great choice, anyway if possible get freshwater fish and avoid the sea ones.
Both live and frozen food can pollute the water, so be sure that Flowerhorn eats all the given food in 5 minutes maximum, in case of rests remove them fast; for this reason it is better to have an aquarium set up that allow you to clean fast without needing to move objects.
Dry standard fish food is a good complementary option, especially if it is of good quality. You can find special food produced for cichlids that usually consist of big pellets that Flowerhornlike.
A Flowerhorn cichlid should be fed two times a day, everyday, anyway be careful with the quantities and avoid to overfeed it, reducing the food amount specially if it is really rich of nutrients.
Breeding and care for the fry
Sexing Flowerhorn is quite easy, especially when they have reached the length of 10 cm – 12 cm. The anal pore of the fish has a V shape in case of males and a U shape in case of females. Moreover females tend to have a smaller hump when adults.
Being cichlids their reproduction can be similar to the cichlasoma one. The female lays eggs on a flat surface, like a rock or the aquarium glass and take care of them, while the male keeps other fish away. After 3 or 4 days the fry hatch and parents take care of them moving in more secure hiding places. You can feed them with just hatched brine shrimps and other specific food for fry.
Breeding is not so easy because female can be easily stressed or worried and ends up eating her eggs, anyway if the environment is quiet and the parents are healthy reproduction is possible.
Source: aqua-fish.net
Information about care:
Flowerhorn cichlid is a big fish with compact body, it can reach 30cm in length and sometimes can grow even bigger. Intensive breeding has created a very peculiar fish that is becoming really famous and relatively common in the last few years; moreover breeders keep on trying to improve the fish qualities focusing on bigger hump on the head, new and better colors, wider body and fins, more peculiar black marks on the body, without the employ of chemical and artificial factors. For the importance of appearance, a good Flowerhorn must follow a standard that defines various aspects of its body:
- General body: the fish body must be oval and thick, with full belly and stomach; some new variants have anyway a more rounded shape.
- Hump: the hump on the forehead should be big and well proportioned to the fish size.
- Black marks: it is important that the marks are thick and well defined, this is one of the principal characteristic of Flowerhorn, anyway some new varieties do not give too much importance to them.
- Overall Coloration: the most common Flowerhorn have a predominant red coloration, anyway every color should be bright and well defined.
- Scales: the entire body should be covered by light blue or green scales.
- Fins: both tails and fins should be widely spread the most of time.
Aquarium set-up information:
Due the big size they can reach, Flowerhorn need big aquarium with a lot of free space for swimming; a 200 litres tank is the minimum you can offer to an adult fish to let it live healthily. It is a really strong fish and can live in different water conditions without having problems, anyway it is important to provide a temperature between 25°C and 30°C; pH value is also important, because acid water can tone down fish colours and make it sick, the ideal condition is a light alkaline water, with a pH between 7 and 8. Moreover it is necessary to avoid sudden condition changes of temperature andchemical values, because they can make Flowerhorn being more sensible to sickness like bacteria attacks.
Water filtration is really important because this big fish produces lots of refuses that end increasing nitrite and nitrate levels in the water. You can choose both internal and external filtration, even if the second one is preferred to leave more free space to the fish. The biological part must work properly, so be sure to have a well activated aquarium before to house a Flowerhorn cichlid.
Take also a look to the water current, an excessively strong one can damage the fish, anyway it is important that a slow movement is present, because it oxygenates the water, and avoids that the water heats only near heater.
Tank decorations are important to make the fish feel quieter. Use a layer of fine gravel and be sure that rocks and woods are stable and do not risk to fall easily on the fish; be sure, as well, that all the decorations do not make the tank cleaning too much difficult. Live plants are important for filtration and oxygenation, anyway choose strong plants like big anubias, because any Flowerhorn cichlid use to dig a lot; you can also use plastic plants, even if they are not useful and you can risk that the fish accidentally eat them.
Being big and aggressive is better not to house it with other fish species, specially if they are smaller. While if you plan to house more than one Flowerhorn, provide a big tank and divide it with accessories to let fish divide the territory; to avoid fights it is recommended not to keep more than two or three fish together in the same tank.
Feeding:
Flowerhorn like similar sized fish, astronotus ocellatus for example, need a live food integration to be healthy and in shape. Their diet can consist of live food, frozen food, and standard dry fish food. The live food should be of good dimension, or the fish could not notice it, earth worms and big meal worms or wax worm are accepted; moreover you can give small fish, poecilia reticulata could be a good choice since the high number of fry they spare monthly. Remember to feed every live food you choose, and in case of live fish be sure they are healthy.
Frozen food is another good solution, especially when you do not have the live one. Young Flowerhorn usually eat chironomus, brine shrimps and other frozen fish foods, while older ones could not notice them; at their place you can offer frozen fish for human use, you have a great choice, anyway if possible get freshwater fish and avoid the sea ones.
Both live and frozen food can pollute the water, so be sure that Flowerhorn eats all the given food in 5 minutes maximum, in case of rests remove them fast; for this reason it is better to have an aquarium set up that allow you to clean fast without needing to move objects.
Dry standard fish food is a good complementary option, especially if it is of good quality. You can find special food produced for cichlids that usually consist of big pellets that Flowerhornlike.
A Flowerhorn cichlid should be fed two times a day, everyday, anyway be careful with the quantities and avoid to overfeed it, reducing the food amount specially if it is really rich of nutrients.
Breeding and care for the fry
Sexing Flowerhorn is quite easy, especially when they have reached the length of 10 cm – 12 cm. The anal pore of the fish has a V shape in case of males and a U shape in case of females. Moreover females tend to have a smaller hump when adults.
Being cichlids their reproduction can be similar to the cichlasoma one. The female lays eggs on a flat surface, like a rock or the aquarium glass and take care of them, while the male keeps other fish away. After 3 or 4 days the fry hatch and parents take care of them moving in more secure hiding places. You can feed them with just hatched brine shrimps and other specific food for fry.
Breeding is not so easy because female can be easily stressed or worried and ends up eating her eggs, anyway if the environment is quiet and the parents are healthy reproduction is possible.
Source: aqua-fish.net
Few Tips to Enjoy Life
1. Don't Smoke Too Much
2. You have to be a hard worker
3. Always drink good liquid
4. Smile
5. Don't look much at the mirror
6. Change your lifestyle
7. Take care of your appearance
8. Don't forget to brush your teeth every after meals
9. Make lovely jokes with your friends.
Happy Weekend...Thanks to Gwen for sharing this info...
2. You have to be a hard worker
3. Always drink good liquid
4. Smile
5. Don't look much at the mirror
6. Change your lifestyle
7. Take care of your appearance
8. Don't forget to brush your teeth every after meals
9. Make lovely jokes with your friends.
Happy Weekend...Thanks to Gwen for sharing this info...
Thursday, December 10, 2009
What it takes to be a "GOOD WIFE"?
What it takes to be a good wife???? Hmmmm nice question dba, i got this question from my officemate---Ms. JC, because she plan to get married next year and she's kind of confused how to be a good wife, weird hahahhaa.
I hope my answer will help Ms.JC's;
The big question thrown to all married women by their peers is ARE YOU A GOOD WIFE? There is something awkward about this question in the first decade of the 21st century. the word “wife” on its own sounds quaint enough, and “good wife” conjures up images of blissed-out 1950s housewives. Good wives are what women had to be before we fought for the right to be good at something else. In 2009, a woman wants to be good at her job, a good mother, a good friend, a good daughter, good for her age, good in bed, but a good wife? Do me a favor.
There are things you have to pay attention to in order that the other person feels, well, it’s worth being married.” Is it worth? hmmmmm i guess hehehehe.
1. Make him a priority
Even women who would never call themselves feminists have bought into the idea that men are bottom of the list after their personal fulfillment, fitness routine and, of course, the kids.
2. Have Sex
Almost every woman I spoke to about how to be a good wife mentioned the importance of sex. Sex plays a very crucial role in achieving a happy marriage. If you don't give your partner the best performance in bed, it will create a big gap once your partner fling with another girl, and he found the difference between you and the other girl, so for me, as a man, i prefer girl who is very active in sex and can satisfy my sexual needs. Satisfying your partners fantasy will be of great help so that your bond as husband and wife will be as strong as steel hehehee. Have sex with your partner without hesitations and limitation, explore, do research work, read mags about sex.
3. Beware resentment
Arndt’s theory, and Waldman’s, is that the No 1 reason for lack of sex in marriage isn’t tiredness, but female resentment. Resentment because women “have ended up, contrary to their expectations, living lives disturbingly similar to those of their mother”. Waldman recommends filling in a “who does what?” questionnaire, because it makes you both realize “how much there is to do and how really endless the tasks are”, but she makes the point that sharing the domestic burden, though crucial, is only a part of the solution. We have become socialized to think it’s all about us. Ask yourself, why did I marry this guy in the first place? But the other questions to ask are, why is he married to me? What’s he getting out of it?
4. Be kind and supportive
Support is not only a bonus in marriage, either. The researcher John Gottman, who can predict a couple’s chances of making it with 93% accuracy by observing their style of communication, rates kindness and being supportive as the two factors crucial to long-term happiness. Contempt, defensiveness, criticism and stonewalling are the four guaranteed destroyers.
5. Respect your partner's privacy
Marriage does not mean that you conquer your partner's privacy. You still have to value his privacy, give it to him and give him 99% of your trust. Most of all do not conquer his own identity. If you take it away from him, girl your relationship gonna be in trouble.
Have a nice weekend guys......god bless
I hope my answer will help Ms.JC's;
The big question thrown to all married women by their peers is ARE YOU A GOOD WIFE? There is something awkward about this question in the first decade of the 21st century. the word “wife” on its own sounds quaint enough, and “good wife” conjures up images of blissed-out 1950s housewives. Good wives are what women had to be before we fought for the right to be good at something else. In 2009, a woman wants to be good at her job, a good mother, a good friend, a good daughter, good for her age, good in bed, but a good wife? Do me a favor.
There are things you have to pay attention to in order that the other person feels, well, it’s worth being married.” Is it worth? hmmmmm i guess hehehehe.
1. Make him a priority
Even women who would never call themselves feminists have bought into the idea that men are bottom of the list after their personal fulfillment, fitness routine and, of course, the kids.
2. Have Sex
Almost every woman I spoke to about how to be a good wife mentioned the importance of sex. Sex plays a very crucial role in achieving a happy marriage. If you don't give your partner the best performance in bed, it will create a big gap once your partner fling with another girl, and he found the difference between you and the other girl, so for me, as a man, i prefer girl who is very active in sex and can satisfy my sexual needs. Satisfying your partners fantasy will be of great help so that your bond as husband and wife will be as strong as steel hehehee. Have sex with your partner without hesitations and limitation, explore, do research work, read mags about sex.
3. Beware resentment
Arndt’s theory, and Waldman’s, is that the No 1 reason for lack of sex in marriage isn’t tiredness, but female resentment. Resentment because women “have ended up, contrary to their expectations, living lives disturbingly similar to those of their mother”. Waldman recommends filling in a “who does what?” questionnaire, because it makes you both realize “how much there is to do and how really endless the tasks are”, but she makes the point that sharing the domestic burden, though crucial, is only a part of the solution. We have become socialized to think it’s all about us. Ask yourself, why did I marry this guy in the first place? But the other questions to ask are, why is he married to me? What’s he getting out of it?
4. Be kind and supportive
Support is not only a bonus in marriage, either. The researcher John Gottman, who can predict a couple’s chances of making it with 93% accuracy by observing their style of communication, rates kindness and being supportive as the two factors crucial to long-term happiness. Contempt, defensiveness, criticism and stonewalling are the four guaranteed destroyers.
5. Respect your partner's privacy
Marriage does not mean that you conquer your partner's privacy. You still have to value his privacy, give it to him and give him 99% of your trust. Most of all do not conquer his own identity. If you take it away from him, girl your relationship gonna be in trouble.
Have a nice weekend guys......god bless
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Slim your waist and flatten your tummy
Before u start an aerobic exercise program, ask your doctor for advice if you answer yes to two or more of the ff.
-you are over the age of 45
-you are less than 55 and past menopause and not taking estrogen-replacement therapy (w/c protect your heart)
-you smoke cigarettes
-you have or have ever had high-blood pressure or high cholesterol.
-you are sedentary
-you have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
INTENSITY
·Beginner: 1 set of 3 to 10 reps, 3 days per week
·Intermediate: 2 sets of 10 reps, 3 days per week
·Experienced: 3 or 4 sets of 10 reps, 3 or 4 days per week
* Maximum results w/ minimum effort- if you trying to regain muscle tone after pregnancy; you will probably want to focus more on the lower abs. As a rule, you should work the upper and lower abs and the oblique equally.
* Flex your knees- if you don’t, you’re likely to use your hip muscles, not your abs w/c will defeat the purpose of exercise.
* Flatten your back- you should flatten your back against the floor to protect your lower back muscles against strains.
* Start easy- 3-10 reps. Is the maximum for beginners.
* Use slow controlled movements- Use slow, steady movements and hold each position for a count of two. If you experience pain or discomfort when performing exercise, stop and substitute another version.
* Be consistent- next to performing the exercise correctly, exercising regularly is key.
* Combine at work w/ diet and aerobics- you can’t say, I want to take 3 inches off my waist, 500 ab exercises and nothing else, and expect it to work, it won’t. If you ignore aerobic exercises and a sensible diet your belly will show it.
* Combing aerobics w/ab workouts help in two ways- The combination burn calories, w/c help get rid of excess weight all over, including the abdomen, and it gives your abs a little boost.
* Be patient- don’t expect results overnight. If you’re a beginner, start at the beginner level. When working at one level become easy and effortless, more on the next.
30-DAY BEGINNER PROGRAM (10-20 minutes, 3 days a week)
Week I:
-leg extensions
- leg curls
-side lying straight leg raises
Week II:
-Inner leg raises
-Prone single-leg raises
-Leg extension
Week III:
-standing abductions
-pelvic lifts
-leg curls
Week IV:
-leg extensions
-inner leg raises
-pelvic lifts
30-DAY INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM (20-30 minutes, 3- 5 days this week)
Week I:
-lunges
-back leg extensions
-seated inner leg raises
Week II:
-standing abductions
-lunges
-bent leg extensions
Week III:
-butterfly leg raises
-lunges
-standing abductions
Week IV:
-Pelvic lifts
-butterfly leg raises
-squats
30-DAY EXPERIENCED PROGRAM (Minimum 20-30 minutes, 3-5 days this week)
Week I:
-squats
-bent leg extensions
-single leg pelvic lifts
Week II:
-side lying bent raises
-squats
-bent knee cross over
Week III:
-single leg pelvic lifts
- fire hydrants
-wall squats
Week IV:
-scissors
-bent knee cross over
-wall squats
Hope this will help and kindly post your before and after photos after trying this program.
-you are over the age of 45
-you are less than 55 and past menopause and not taking estrogen-replacement therapy (w/c protect your heart)
-you smoke cigarettes
-you have or have ever had high-blood pressure or high cholesterol.
-you are sedentary
-you have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
INTENSITY
·Beginner: 1 set of 3 to 10 reps, 3 days per week
·Intermediate: 2 sets of 10 reps, 3 days per week
·Experienced: 3 or 4 sets of 10 reps, 3 or 4 days per week
* Maximum results w/ minimum effort- if you trying to regain muscle tone after pregnancy; you will probably want to focus more on the lower abs. As a rule, you should work the upper and lower abs and the oblique equally.
* Flex your knees- if you don’t, you’re likely to use your hip muscles, not your abs w/c will defeat the purpose of exercise.
* Flatten your back- you should flatten your back against the floor to protect your lower back muscles against strains.
* Start easy- 3-10 reps. Is the maximum for beginners.
* Use slow controlled movements- Use slow, steady movements and hold each position for a count of two. If you experience pain or discomfort when performing exercise, stop and substitute another version.
* Be consistent- next to performing the exercise correctly, exercising regularly is key.
* Combine at work w/ diet and aerobics- you can’t say, I want to take 3 inches off my waist, 500 ab exercises and nothing else, and expect it to work, it won’t. If you ignore aerobic exercises and a sensible diet your belly will show it.
* Combing aerobics w/ab workouts help in two ways- The combination burn calories, w/c help get rid of excess weight all over, including the abdomen, and it gives your abs a little boost.
* Be patient- don’t expect results overnight. If you’re a beginner, start at the beginner level. When working at one level become easy and effortless, more on the next.
30-DAY BEGINNER PROGRAM (10-20 minutes, 3 days a week)
Week I:
-leg extensions
- leg curls
-side lying straight leg raises
Week II:
-Inner leg raises
-Prone single-leg raises
-Leg extension
Week III:
-standing abductions
-pelvic lifts
-leg curls
Week IV:
-leg extensions
-inner leg raises
-pelvic lifts
30-DAY INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM (20-30 minutes, 3- 5 days this week)
Week I:
-lunges
-back leg extensions
-seated inner leg raises
Week II:
-standing abductions
-lunges
-bent leg extensions
Week III:
-butterfly leg raises
-lunges
-standing abductions
Week IV:
-Pelvic lifts
-butterfly leg raises
-squats
30-DAY EXPERIENCED PROGRAM (Minimum 20-30 minutes, 3-5 days this week)
Week I:
-squats
-bent leg extensions
-single leg pelvic lifts
Week II:
-side lying bent raises
-squats
-bent knee cross over
Week III:
-single leg pelvic lifts
- fire hydrants
-wall squats
Week IV:
-scissors
-bent knee cross over
-wall squats
Hope this will help and kindly post your before and after photos after trying this program.
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Gibo Teodoro
Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo "Gilbert"/"Gibô" Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. (born June 14, 1964)[1] is the current Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, having assumed the post in August 2007. From 1998 to 2007 he was a member of the House of Representatives, representing the First District of Tarlac province. In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 elections.
He is the only child of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He is also the nephew of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of San Miguel Corporation. [2]
Gibo is also the cousin of Noynoy Aquino. While Teodoro's mother Mercedes Cojuangco is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since the 1960's. During the time of then strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Teodoro's father served as Social Security System administrator while Noynoy’s father, the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was a leading opposition leader. [3]
Secretary Teodoro, who holds distinct memberships in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, UP Alumni Association, UP Law Alumni Association, Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Law Alumni Association, is also a licensed commercial pilot and a Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve.
Education
Teodoro spent his Tarlac from 1980 to 1986.
Teodoro attained a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from De La Salle University in 1984. In 1989, he completed his law studies at the University of the Philippines, where he was awarded the Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence. In the same year, he topped the Philippine Bar exams.
For seven years, he honed his skills as a lawyer in the EP Mendoza Law firm. He went to the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for his Master of Laws and completed it in 1997. He was also admitted to the State Bar of New York during the same year.
Political career
[edit] Congressman
From 1998 to 2007 he was a house representative of the First District of Tarlac province. He assumed the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the 11th Congress and head of the Nationalist People's Coalition House members. He was also a member of the House contingent to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Following his three terms in office—the maximum number allowed by the constitution—he was succeeded by his wife, Monica Prieto-Teodoro.
[edit] Secretary of National Defense
Teodoro was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007 at the age of 43, the youngest person to ever hold the position.
[edit] 2010 presidential candidate
In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 election.[4] Months earlier, he quit his old party Nationalist People's Coalition to join the merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD and cast his name in the ruling party's contenders for the 2010 elections.
On September 16, 2009, voting 42-5 through secret balloting, the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi officially selected Teodoro as their party's presidential standard bearer for the May 2010 elections, edging out the other nominee, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. The announcement was made by Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio after a deliberation that lasted for approximately an hour.[5]
[edit] Head of Lakas-Kampi-CMD
On November 20, Macapagal-Arroyo announced that she had resigned her post as president of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD and handed over the presidency to Teodoro.
He is the only child of former Social Security System administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He is also the nephew of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., chairman of San Miguel Corporation. [2]
Gibo is also the cousin of Noynoy Aquino. While Teodoro's mother Mercedes Cojuangco is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since the 1960's. During the time of then strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Teodoro's father served as Social Security System administrator while Noynoy’s father, the late senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was a leading opposition leader. [3]
Secretary Teodoro, who holds distinct memberships in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, UP Alumni Association, UP Law Alumni Association, Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Law Alumni Association, is also a licensed commercial pilot and a Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve.
Education
Teodoro spent his Tarlac from 1980 to 1986.
Teodoro attained a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from De La Salle University in 1984. In 1989, he completed his law studies at the University of the Philippines, where he was awarded the Dean's Medal for Academic Excellence. In the same year, he topped the Philippine Bar exams.
For seven years, he honed his skills as a lawyer in the EP Mendoza Law firm. He went to the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts for his Master of Laws and completed it in 1997. He was also admitted to the State Bar of New York during the same year.
Political career
[edit] Congressman
From 1998 to 2007 he was a house representative of the First District of Tarlac province. He assumed the position of Assistant Majority Leader in the 11th Congress and head of the Nationalist People's Coalition House members. He was also a member of the House contingent to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Following his three terms in office—the maximum number allowed by the constitution—he was succeeded by his wife, Monica Prieto-Teodoro.
[edit] Secretary of National Defense
Teodoro was appointed Secretary of the Department of National Defense in August 2007 at the age of 43, the youngest person to ever hold the position.
[edit] 2010 presidential candidate
In March 2009 he announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the May 2010 election.[4] Months earlier, he quit his old party Nationalist People's Coalition to join the merged administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD and cast his name in the ruling party's contenders for the 2010 elections.
On September 16, 2009, voting 42-5 through secret balloting, the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi officially selected Teodoro as their party's presidential standard bearer for the May 2010 elections, edging out the other nominee, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. The announcement was made by Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio after a deliberation that lasted for approximately an hour.[5]
[edit] Head of Lakas-Kampi-CMD
On November 20, Macapagal-Arroyo announced that she had resigned her post as president of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD and handed over the presidency to Teodoro.
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Eddie Villanueva
Eduardo "Bro. Eddie" Villanueva (born October 6, 1946) is a religious and political leader in the Philippines. He is the founder and leader of the Jesus Is Lord Church. In 2004, he was a presidential candidate in the Philippine election. He lost the election to incumbent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and placed last in a field of five candidates, with 6.2% of the vote. On August 21, 2009, he announced that he will be running in the 2010 election.
He is the owner and chairman of ZOE Broadcasting Network, a commercial TV station currently operated by GMA Network through Quality TeleVision (QTV). He is also the owner and president of Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation Inc. (JILCF), a Christian school in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Brother Eduardo "Eddie" Villanueva, founder of Jesus Is Lord Church, was born in Bocaue, Bulacan, on October 6, 1946. He is married to Adoracion "Dory" Villanueva and they have four children. His eldest son, Eduardo "Jon-Jon" Villanueva, Jr., lost his campaign for mayor of Bocaue in 2004 but won in the May 2007 elections. His daughter, Joni Villanueva, is a Christian singer and TV host. His other son, Joel Villanueva, representing the CIBAC party list, is the fifth richest party-list congressman with a net worth of P18.3 million).[1]
In 1969, Villanueva graduated with a degree in commerce, majoring in economics, from the Philippine College of Commerce (PCC), since renamed the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He took up law at the University of the Philippines but "was sidelined by activism and never had time to take the bar [examination]."
He worked as a full-time faculty member in the Economics and Finance Department of PCC until 1972. He then worked as the export manager of Maran Export Industries in 1973 and from 1976 to 1977, he was the general manager of the Agape Trading Co. He returned to PCC, now renamed, in 1978 as a part-time professor.
In 1978, Villanueva founded the Jesus is Lord Church formerly named Jesus is Lord Fellowship, which started with just eight members. He claims that JIL now has some seven million members with branches in Asia, Europe and North America.
Brother Eddie received the Gintong Ama (Golden Father) award for Socio-Civic/Religious Sector from the Golden Mother and Father Foundation in June 1996. He was also voted Pastor of the Year in a 1998 worldwide search conducted by Dr. George Otis' High Adventure Ministries. The Ministries broadcasts the Voice of Hope program in 72 countries.
Villanueva was ordained Minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1979 by the California-based Victory in Christ Church|Victory in Christ Church and International Ministries. He has also been conferred the office of Episcopacy by the Sectarian Body of Christ in the Philippines in April 1996.
In February 2001, Brother Eddie received the EDSA People Power Freedom Award for ZOE TV 11 for its fair coverage of the People Power II movement. He founded and owns ZOE Broadcasting Network Inc. and operates Channel 11 on Filipino television. Bro. Eddie hosts three ZOE programs, Diyos at Bayan, PJM (Philippines for Jesus Movement) Forum and Jesus The Healer.
2004 Presidential Bid
Villanueva's campaign in the 2004 Philippine presidential election never went unnoticed because he was the only candidate with a very strong religious identity as he is, as noted above, the founder and senior bishop of the Jesus Is Lord International, an independent Pentecostal group that has branches in Asia, Europe, and America. He campaigns on the claim that he is the only moral candidate for president, and that he has a program to eradicate corruption and restore morality in government. His campaigns carried both religious and political colors with the "V" finger sign representing Dios at Bayan (God and Nation).
He was the only presidential candidate who was claimed to have gathered an audience of millions in one place, making his campaign subject to arguments as to just what was the exact number of person who attended. In his Quirino grandstand campaign, his supporters claimed that they reached 3 million, but the conservative estimates of the police and security forces was only 600 thousand. This was followed by another major political rally at Ayala Avenue in Makati City where his supporters claimed the crowd reached 100,000 but the policemen estimated it to be only 10,000. His last grand campaign was done four days before the election at the Luneta Park and they claimed they reached five million in the crowd, but the national television news programs covered the event saying the crowd reached million (without giving the exact unit).
Despite the polls done by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia showing him trailing among the four contenders[2], Villanueva was confident that he would win the elections saying that "this is why we do not believe in the surveys of the two companies that are usually commissioned by political parties here — because the more than three million human bodies (at my rally) can indicate the real results of the survey."[3]
He has also spoken out against bloc voting by religious groups in response to the reported endorsements by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and the Catholic charismatic El Shaddai movement of President Arroyo.
He was the only presidential candidate who did not spend much during his campaigns as most, if not all of the campaign materials, including television advertisements were donated by his followers. His campaigns called for an alternative leadership, which he called righteous leadership based on a certain Biblical passage that says, "Righteousness exalts a nation."
Because of his religious identity he was accused of running for the presidency because of his religious interest and detractors stated that if elected his main goal would be converting the nation to Pentecostalism, a charge unlikely to be ignored in the Philippines, the third-largest Roman Catholic country in the world. Stories of campaign sermons being made against Villanueva by prominent leaders of major religious groups like the Iglesia Ni Cristo, El Shaddai, and even the Roman Catholic Church were also spread at that time, although proof of the existence of such sermons occurring to any wide extent was never offered.
Villanueva's campaigns were marked with persuasion, praying, spontaneity of words, crowd singing (a carry over of the Pentecostals' Praise & Worship practice) and celebrity supporters. Among them were Connie Reyes, Karla Martinez, Piolo Pascual, Gary Valenciano, Donita Rose, Yoyoy Villame, Nonoy Zuniga, Jeremias Jangad, Christian Bautista, and many others.
These elements made his campaign distinct from the others, but certainly did not translate into much success at the ballot box.
A former supporter of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, he has turned into one of her most rabid critics after the election. Until now, he remains to be one of the visible figures of the opposition side, who calls for the resignation of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for alleged election fraud and corruption. He, along with his son Joel, a party list representative, are dubbed by some detractors to be using their followers for selfish interests. His solid supporters deny such accusation.
He is the owner and chairman of ZOE Broadcasting Network, a commercial TV station currently operated by GMA Network through Quality TeleVision (QTV). He is also the owner and president of Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation Inc. (JILCF), a Christian school in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Brother Eduardo "Eddie" Villanueva, founder of Jesus Is Lord Church, was born in Bocaue, Bulacan, on October 6, 1946. He is married to Adoracion "Dory" Villanueva and they have four children. His eldest son, Eduardo "Jon-Jon" Villanueva, Jr., lost his campaign for mayor of Bocaue in 2004 but won in the May 2007 elections. His daughter, Joni Villanueva, is a Christian singer and TV host. His other son, Joel Villanueva, representing the CIBAC party list, is the fifth richest party-list congressman with a net worth of P18.3 million).[1]
In 1969, Villanueva graduated with a degree in commerce, majoring in economics, from the Philippine College of Commerce (PCC), since renamed the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He took up law at the University of the Philippines but "was sidelined by activism and never had time to take the bar [examination]."
He worked as a full-time faculty member in the Economics and Finance Department of PCC until 1972. He then worked as the export manager of Maran Export Industries in 1973 and from 1976 to 1977, he was the general manager of the Agape Trading Co. He returned to PCC, now renamed, in 1978 as a part-time professor.
In 1978, Villanueva founded the Jesus is Lord Church formerly named Jesus is Lord Fellowship, which started with just eight members. He claims that JIL now has some seven million members with branches in Asia, Europe and North America.
Brother Eddie received the Gintong Ama (Golden Father) award for Socio-Civic/Religious Sector from the Golden Mother and Father Foundation in June 1996. He was also voted Pastor of the Year in a 1998 worldwide search conducted by Dr. George Otis' High Adventure Ministries. The Ministries broadcasts the Voice of Hope program in 72 countries.
Villanueva was ordained Minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1979 by the California-based Victory in Christ Church|Victory in Christ Church and International Ministries. He has also been conferred the office of Episcopacy by the Sectarian Body of Christ in the Philippines in April 1996.
In February 2001, Brother Eddie received the EDSA People Power Freedom Award for ZOE TV 11 for its fair coverage of the People Power II movement. He founded and owns ZOE Broadcasting Network Inc. and operates Channel 11 on Filipino television. Bro. Eddie hosts three ZOE programs, Diyos at Bayan, PJM (Philippines for Jesus Movement) Forum and Jesus The Healer.
2004 Presidential Bid
Villanueva's campaign in the 2004 Philippine presidential election never went unnoticed because he was the only candidate with a very strong religious identity as he is, as noted above, the founder and senior bishop of the Jesus Is Lord International, an independent Pentecostal group that has branches in Asia, Europe, and America. He campaigns on the claim that he is the only moral candidate for president, and that he has a program to eradicate corruption and restore morality in government. His campaigns carried both religious and political colors with the "V" finger sign representing Dios at Bayan (God and Nation).
He was the only presidential candidate who was claimed to have gathered an audience of millions in one place, making his campaign subject to arguments as to just what was the exact number of person who attended. In his Quirino grandstand campaign, his supporters claimed that they reached 3 million, but the conservative estimates of the police and security forces was only 600 thousand. This was followed by another major political rally at Ayala Avenue in Makati City where his supporters claimed the crowd reached 100,000 but the policemen estimated it to be only 10,000. His last grand campaign was done four days before the election at the Luneta Park and they claimed they reached five million in the crowd, but the national television news programs covered the event saying the crowd reached million (without giving the exact unit).
Despite the polls done by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia showing him trailing among the four contenders[2], Villanueva was confident that he would win the elections saying that "this is why we do not believe in the surveys of the two companies that are usually commissioned by political parties here — because the more than three million human bodies (at my rally) can indicate the real results of the survey."[3]
He has also spoken out against bloc voting by religious groups in response to the reported endorsements by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and the Catholic charismatic El Shaddai movement of President Arroyo.
He was the only presidential candidate who did not spend much during his campaigns as most, if not all of the campaign materials, including television advertisements were donated by his followers. His campaigns called for an alternative leadership, which he called righteous leadership based on a certain Biblical passage that says, "Righteousness exalts a nation."
Because of his religious identity he was accused of running for the presidency because of his religious interest and detractors stated that if elected his main goal would be converting the nation to Pentecostalism, a charge unlikely to be ignored in the Philippines, the third-largest Roman Catholic country in the world. Stories of campaign sermons being made against Villanueva by prominent leaders of major religious groups like the Iglesia Ni Cristo, El Shaddai, and even the Roman Catholic Church were also spread at that time, although proof of the existence of such sermons occurring to any wide extent was never offered.
Villanueva's campaigns were marked with persuasion, praying, spontaneity of words, crowd singing (a carry over of the Pentecostals' Praise & Worship practice) and celebrity supporters. Among them were Connie Reyes, Karla Martinez, Piolo Pascual, Gary Valenciano, Donita Rose, Yoyoy Villame, Nonoy Zuniga, Jeremias Jangad, Christian Bautista, and many others.
These elements made his campaign distinct from the others, but certainly did not translate into much success at the ballot box.
A former supporter of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, he has turned into one of her most rabid critics after the election. Until now, he remains to be one of the visible figures of the opposition side, who calls for the resignation of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for alleged election fraud and corruption. He, along with his son Joel, a party list representative, are dubbed by some detractors to be using their followers for selfish interests. His solid supporters deny such accusation.
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Richard Gordon
Richard "Dick" Juico Gordon is a Filipino politician, head of the Philippine National Red Cross, and senator of the Republic of the Philippines.
Early life and career
He was born on August 5, 1945 to James Leonard Tagle Gordon and Amelia Juico Gordon, (who were both mayors of Olongapo City). In 1954, he completed his elementary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and on 1962, he completed his secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila University. He stayed in Ateneo and completed his tertiary education, earning a degree of Bachelor of Arts, major in History and Government in 1966. He was a student leader having been consistently elected president of his class. On 1975, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines College of Law after taking a break in 1971 to run for the Constitutional Convention. Prior to that he topped the 1969 UP Student Council elections leading to the First Quarter Storm and joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi in 1968. From 1966 to 1967 he became a Brand Manager for Procter and Gamble Philippines. Towards the end of the 1960s, he helped his mother Amelia run the government of Olongapo after his father James Leonard Gordon was assassinated. With the declaration of Martial Law after finishing his law degree and passing the bar, he became an Associate of ACCRA Law Offices
Early political career
In 1971, while still a law student at UP, he was elected as a delegate of the constitutional convention that drafted the 1973 Constitution representing the first district of Zambales. He was the youngest delegate of the convention and swore former President Diosdado Macapagal into office as Chairman of the Convention. In 1980, he ran as mayor of Olongapo City. In 1983, Olongapo became a highly urbanized City. Having been a victim of crime with the assassination of his father then Mayor James Leonard T. Gordon in 1967, Gordon managed to transform Olongapo from a “sin city” to “model city” [1]with various innovations in local governance namely color coded transport system, public markets’ expansion, integrated solid waste management program, vendors’ cooperatives, community organizations and many other public and community development programs. In 1986, Gordon and Joseph Estrada became two of the local executives who refused to vacate their positions after the government reorganization by President Corazon Aquino. Gordon gave way for the Aquino appointed Officer-In-Charge after a formal written directive from the Executive Secretary representing Aquino was issued. In 1986 he joined Philippine Vice President Salvador Laurel in reorganizing the Nacionalista Party around the country. They campaigned for a "No" vote on the 1987 Constitution framed by the Aquino appointed constitutional convention. In 1988, he was elected as mayor with the help of the Nationalist People's Coalition a breakaway of the Nacionalista Party under Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco
U.S. Naval Base in Subic Bay
On September 1991, Gordon led a nationwide rally for the retention of the U.S. Bases in the Philippines. The U.S. naval base in Subic Bay was a major income generating client of Olongapo City. In the same year, Olongapo experienced the greatest volcanic cataclysm of the century when Mt. Pinatubo erupted and dumped 14 inches of wet ash on the City. However, the Philippine Senate voted 12-11 to reject the extension of a bases treaty[2]. Determined not to be defeated, Gordon and the citizens of Olongapo fully mobilized and lobbied for 3 months to include the free port concept into the Bases Conversion Act which hitherto had been hastily cobbled together without consulting the people directly affected. They succeeded in their first unusual act of self-empowerment and volunteerism when the special provisions for the establishment of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) were included in R.A. 7227 in March 1992. On November 24, 1992, the U.S. Navy completed its withdrawal from the facility and its conversion for civilian and commercial use began. Volunteerism and the high civic spirit of the host community marked the pioneering efforts at conversion.
SBMA & Subic Bay Freeport
In the 1992 local elections, Gordon won a landslide victory and was reelected as mayor of Olongapo City. 1993, a citizen questioned Gordon's dual duty as mayor of Olongapo City and as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The Supreme Court decided that Gordon must hold one position. Gordon decided to vacate his position as Mayor and assumed the position of SBMA chairman in full capacity. In the 1995 local elections, his wife Katherine, a three term Congresswoman, was elected mayor of Olongapo. In the 1996 APEC Summit, 18 world leaders were impressed with the facility and Subic became a new investment hub in Southeast Asia[4]. Bluechip companies like FedEx Express, Enron, Coastal Petroleum now El Paso Corporation, Taiwan computer giant Acer and France telecoms company Thomson SA invested US$2.1 Billion in the freeport reinvigorating the economy and creating 70,000 jobs replacing those lost during the US Navy withdrawal.
1998 forced removal
During the late 1990s, Gordon became one of Joseph Estrada's vocal critics over differences on the US Naval Base. After winning by a large margin during the 1998 presidential elections, President Estrada issued Administrative Order No. 1 removing Gordon as Chairman of SBMA. Estrada appointed Felicito Payumo, Gordon's critic and congressman of Bataan as new chairman. The removal process was not easy. Hundreds of volunteers barricated the gates of SBMA and Gordon locked himself inside the SBMA Administrative Office Building 229. The issue sparked the interest local and foreign press known as the Showdown at Subic. Gordon filed for a temporary restraining order before the local court. The local court of Olongapo granted Gordon's request but Payumo's party filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals. The CA reversed the local court's ruling and it was affirmed by the Supreme Court G.R. No. 134171. With the Supreme Court decision, Gordon called Payumo and turned over the reins of SBMA at the Subic Bay Yacht Club two months later on 3 September 1998. Together with the Subic volunteers, they cleaned up the facility.
Senate
In the 2004 national elections, Gordon ran as senator of the Philippines. In the initial public opinion survey, Filipinos were lukewarm on electing Gordon as senator. But with his very positive personality and achievements aired in TV and radio advertisements, public opinion changed and Gordon won and received the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate.
During the 13th Congress (2004–2007), as Chairman of the Senate Committee of Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, he upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at all times. Though he may not have voted for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, he took an oath to preserve and defend it. He insisted on the lawful process of Charter Change only according to the process set forth in the Constitution. He opposed the method of Constituent Assembly or "con-ass" initiated by President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., which was possible in the 1935 Constitution but unlawful in the current Constitution[5], as well as the dubious[6] Sigaw ng Bayan People's Initiative and was one of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.
He also preserved the separation of powers in government and asserted the Senate’s constitutional right and duty to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation against Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006, and Executive Order No. 1 in Sabio vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006.
He was also responsible for the passage of Republic Act No. 9369 — or the Automated Elections System to obviate cheating and post election controversies and protests that hound Philippine elections.
On April 9, 2008, Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor in Bataan, President Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9499- Gordon's Veterans Bill[7]. The Filipino World War II Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008 amends Sections 10 and 11 of Republic Act No. 6948, as amended, by removing the prohibition against our veterans receiving benefits from the United States government. Before the law was signed, the Philippine government benefits of veterans would be revoked once they were granted benefits by the United States government. Because of Gordon’s advocacy and persistence, this prohibition is now eliminated, and Filipino veterans will now be able to receive any form of benefit from any foreign government without losing the benefits given to them by the Philippine government.
He was the principal author of the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009 or Republic Act 9593[8], declaring a national policy for tourism as an engine of Investment and employment, growth and national development that was signed by President Arroyo in Cebu on May 12, 2009 and witnessed by the country's tourism private sector.
Potential presidential candidate
On August 6, 2007, Gordon announced that he was considering contesting the Presidential election scheduled for 2010. He also said that he would be organizing a new political coalition from among the parties that have emerged over the past decade, as, in his view, the two traditional parties, his own Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party, had "nothing to offer." [1] A CLSA Asia Pacific Markets Country report on the Philippines meanwhile expressed the opinion that Gordon "was believed to be a strong presidential material as early as 1992. His claim to fame was his work to turnaround [sic] Subic Base after Mount Pinatubo’s eruption… his stint as tourism secretary was equally spectacular… He was an energetic, combative administrator who delivered results… But in the Senate, he has failed to inspire because of ‘his way or the highway’ brand of management.
Early life and career
He was born on August 5, 1945 to James Leonard Tagle Gordon and Amelia Juico Gordon, (who were both mayors of Olongapo City). In 1954, he completed his elementary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and on 1962, he completed his secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila University. He stayed in Ateneo and completed his tertiary education, earning a degree of Bachelor of Arts, major in History and Government in 1966. He was a student leader having been consistently elected president of his class. On 1975, he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines College of Law after taking a break in 1971 to run for the Constitutional Convention. Prior to that he topped the 1969 UP Student Council elections leading to the First Quarter Storm and joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi in 1968. From 1966 to 1967 he became a Brand Manager for Procter and Gamble Philippines. Towards the end of the 1960s, he helped his mother Amelia run the government of Olongapo after his father James Leonard Gordon was assassinated. With the declaration of Martial Law after finishing his law degree and passing the bar, he became an Associate of ACCRA Law Offices
Early political career
In 1971, while still a law student at UP, he was elected as a delegate of the constitutional convention that drafted the 1973 Constitution representing the first district of Zambales. He was the youngest delegate of the convention and swore former President Diosdado Macapagal into office as Chairman of the Convention. In 1980, he ran as mayor of Olongapo City. In 1983, Olongapo became a highly urbanized City. Having been a victim of crime with the assassination of his father then Mayor James Leonard T. Gordon in 1967, Gordon managed to transform Olongapo from a “sin city” to “model city” [1]with various innovations in local governance namely color coded transport system, public markets’ expansion, integrated solid waste management program, vendors’ cooperatives, community organizations and many other public and community development programs. In 1986, Gordon and Joseph Estrada became two of the local executives who refused to vacate their positions after the government reorganization by President Corazon Aquino. Gordon gave way for the Aquino appointed Officer-In-Charge after a formal written directive from the Executive Secretary representing Aquino was issued. In 1986 he joined Philippine Vice President Salvador Laurel in reorganizing the Nacionalista Party around the country. They campaigned for a "No" vote on the 1987 Constitution framed by the Aquino appointed constitutional convention. In 1988, he was elected as mayor with the help of the Nationalist People's Coalition a breakaway of the Nacionalista Party under Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco
U.S. Naval Base in Subic Bay
On September 1991, Gordon led a nationwide rally for the retention of the U.S. Bases in the Philippines. The U.S. naval base in Subic Bay was a major income generating client of Olongapo City. In the same year, Olongapo experienced the greatest volcanic cataclysm of the century when Mt. Pinatubo erupted and dumped 14 inches of wet ash on the City. However, the Philippine Senate voted 12-11 to reject the extension of a bases treaty[2]. Determined not to be defeated, Gordon and the citizens of Olongapo fully mobilized and lobbied for 3 months to include the free port concept into the Bases Conversion Act which hitherto had been hastily cobbled together without consulting the people directly affected. They succeeded in their first unusual act of self-empowerment and volunteerism when the special provisions for the establishment of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) were included in R.A. 7227 in March 1992. On November 24, 1992, the U.S. Navy completed its withdrawal from the facility and its conversion for civilian and commercial use began. Volunteerism and the high civic spirit of the host community marked the pioneering efforts at conversion.
SBMA & Subic Bay Freeport
In the 1992 local elections, Gordon won a landslide victory and was reelected as mayor of Olongapo City. 1993, a citizen questioned Gordon's dual duty as mayor of Olongapo City and as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The Supreme Court decided that Gordon must hold one position. Gordon decided to vacate his position as Mayor and assumed the position of SBMA chairman in full capacity. In the 1995 local elections, his wife Katherine, a three term Congresswoman, was elected mayor of Olongapo. In the 1996 APEC Summit, 18 world leaders were impressed with the facility and Subic became a new investment hub in Southeast Asia[4]. Bluechip companies like FedEx Express, Enron, Coastal Petroleum now El Paso Corporation, Taiwan computer giant Acer and France telecoms company Thomson SA invested US$2.1 Billion in the freeport reinvigorating the economy and creating 70,000 jobs replacing those lost during the US Navy withdrawal.
1998 forced removal
During the late 1990s, Gordon became one of Joseph Estrada's vocal critics over differences on the US Naval Base. After winning by a large margin during the 1998 presidential elections, President Estrada issued Administrative Order No. 1 removing Gordon as Chairman of SBMA. Estrada appointed Felicito Payumo, Gordon's critic and congressman of Bataan as new chairman. The removal process was not easy. Hundreds of volunteers barricated the gates of SBMA and Gordon locked himself inside the SBMA Administrative Office Building 229. The issue sparked the interest local and foreign press known as the Showdown at Subic. Gordon filed for a temporary restraining order before the local court. The local court of Olongapo granted Gordon's request but Payumo's party filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals. The CA reversed the local court's ruling and it was affirmed by the Supreme Court G.R. No. 134171. With the Supreme Court decision, Gordon called Payumo and turned over the reins of SBMA at the Subic Bay Yacht Club two months later on 3 September 1998. Together with the Subic volunteers, they cleaned up the facility.
Senate
In the 2004 national elections, Gordon ran as senator of the Philippines. In the initial public opinion survey, Filipinos were lukewarm on electing Gordon as senator. But with his very positive personality and achievements aired in TV and radio advertisements, public opinion changed and Gordon won and received the fifth highest number of votes from the electorate.
During the 13th Congress (2004–2007), as Chairman of the Senate Committee of Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, he upheld the supremacy of the Constitution at all times. Though he may not have voted for the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, he took an oath to preserve and defend it. He insisted on the lawful process of Charter Change only according to the process set forth in the Constitution. He opposed the method of Constituent Assembly or "con-ass" initiated by President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., which was possible in the 1935 Constitution but unlawful in the current Constitution[5], as well as the dubious[6] Sigaw ng Bayan People's Initiative and was one of the triumphant parties in the case of Lambino and Aumentado vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 174153, October 25, 2006.
He also preserved the separation of powers in government and asserted the Senate’s constitutional right and duty to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation against Executive Order No. 464 in Senate, et al. vs. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006, and Executive Order No. 1 in Sabio vs. Gordon, et al., G.R. No. 174340, October 17, 2006.
He was also responsible for the passage of Republic Act No. 9369 — or the Automated Elections System to obviate cheating and post election controversies and protests that hound Philippine elections.
On April 9, 2008, Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor in Bataan, President Arroyo signed into law Republic Act No. 9499- Gordon's Veterans Bill[7]. The Filipino World War II Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008 amends Sections 10 and 11 of Republic Act No. 6948, as amended, by removing the prohibition against our veterans receiving benefits from the United States government. Before the law was signed, the Philippine government benefits of veterans would be revoked once they were granted benefits by the United States government. Because of Gordon’s advocacy and persistence, this prohibition is now eliminated, and Filipino veterans will now be able to receive any form of benefit from any foreign government without losing the benefits given to them by the Philippine government.
He was the principal author of the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009 or Republic Act 9593[8], declaring a national policy for tourism as an engine of Investment and employment, growth and national development that was signed by President Arroyo in Cebu on May 12, 2009 and witnessed by the country's tourism private sector.
Potential presidential candidate
On August 6, 2007, Gordon announced that he was considering contesting the Presidential election scheduled for 2010. He also said that he would be organizing a new political coalition from among the parties that have emerged over the past decade, as, in his view, the two traditional parties, his own Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party, had "nothing to offer." [1] A CLSA Asia Pacific Markets Country report on the Philippines meanwhile expressed the opinion that Gordon "was believed to be a strong presidential material as early as 1992. His claim to fame was his work to turnaround [sic] Subic Base after Mount Pinatubo’s eruption… his stint as tourism secretary was equally spectacular… He was an energetic, combative administrator who delivered results… But in the Senate, he has failed to inspire because of ‘his way or the highway’ brand of management.
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada (born Jose Marcelo Ejercito on April 19, 1937) was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until his ouster in the 2001 EDSA Revolution.
Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in an acting career spanning 33 years. He leveraged his popularity as an actor to make gains in politics, serving as mayor of San Juan for seventeen years, as Senator for one term, then as Vice President of the Philippines under the administration of President Fidel Ramos.
Estrada was elected President in 1998 with a wide margin of votes separating him from the other challengers, and was sworn into the presidency on June 30, 1998. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted. In 2007, he was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua, but was later granted a pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Early life and career
Joseph Marcelo Ejercito, popularly known as Erap, was born on April 19, 1937 in Tondo, the poorest district of Manila. He belonged to an upper middle class family, and was the eighth of ten children of Emilio Ejercito, a government engineer, and his wife Maria Marcelo.[1] He finished his primary studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, but was expelled in his sophomore year of high school for unruly behavior.[1] He went to Mapúa Institute of Technology to continue schooling with an engineering course, but dropped out from studies altogether two years later.
In his twenties, he began a career as a film actor. He adopted the screen name "Joseph Estrada", as his father objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit schooling.[1] He also acquired the nickname "Erap" (a play on the Tagalog word "pare", meaning buddy) from his good friend Fernando Poe, Jr..
Early Political Career
[edit] Mayor of San Juan
Estrada entered politics in 1967 when he ran for mayor of San Juan, a municipality of Metro Manila, in 1968 and ended up losing his bid for mayor. He was only proclaimed mayor in 1969, after winning an electoral protest against Dr. Braulio Sto. Domingo. As mayor of San Juan he turned it to one of Metro Manila's outstanding municipality (now a city). He built public schools both for elementary and high school and had children go to school for free. He also built parks, playgrounds, and modern police stations.[4] When Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, all officials of the local government suspected of malfeasance and anomalies were removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge. Estrada was then removed from his position as mayor.
[edit] Senator of the Philippines
The following year, he ran and won a seat in the Senate under the Grand Alliance for Democracy (GAD). He placed 16th place in the said elections (out of 24 winners). As senator he became chairman of the senate committee on cultural minorities and passed a bill on commission on ancestral domain. He also sponsored bills that were signed into law, namely, The Preservation of the Carabao (Republic Act no. 7307)[5] and The Construction of Irrigation Projects (Republic Act no. 6978)
Vice-Presidency
In 1992, Joseph Estrada ran for vice-president as the running mate of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. under the Nationalist People's Coalition party. Though the latter lost to former National Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos, Estrada won the vice-presidency garnering more votes than his closest opponent, Ramon Mitra, Jr.'s running mate, Marcelo Fernan.
As Vice-President, President Ramos appointed him as the chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). Estrada arrested criminal warlords and kidnapping syndicates[7]. He resigned as chairman of the PACC on 1997. In 1997 Vice-President Estrada, together with former President Corazon Aquino, Jaime Cardinal Sin, Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other political leaders, led an anti-charter change rally brought in an estimated half a million people to Rizal Park against the charter change moves by supporters of President Fidel Ramos.
1998 Presidential Elections
Estrada’s political strategists and financial backers were aware that a large share of the Philippine electorate, the "masa" (the poor and undereducated masses), were looking for a leadership they could relate to. Estrada’s financial backers designed a campaign strategy that reflected Estrada’s pro-poor image that he had built up throughout his movie career. Central in the campaign was Estrada’s campaign slogan "Erap para sa Mahirap" (Erap for the poor) that succeeded in inspiring the masses with the hope that Estrada would be the president of and for the masses. Estrada's running mate, Edgardo Angara, was defeated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the campaign, Estrada's political rivals tried but failed to discredit him while publicizing his womanizing, drinking and gambling.
Presidency
Estrada was inaugurated on June 30, 1998 in the historical town of Malolos in Bulacan province in paying tribute to the cradle of the First Philippine Republic. That afternoon the new president delivered his inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta. He assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis and with agricultural problems due to poor weather conditions, thereby slowing the economic growth to -0.6% in 1998 from a 5.2% in 1997.[9] The economy recovered by 3.4% in 1999 and 4% in 2000.[10] In 2000 he declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and captured it's headquarters and other camps[11][12]. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted.
Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in an acting career spanning 33 years. He leveraged his popularity as an actor to make gains in politics, serving as mayor of San Juan for seventeen years, as Senator for one term, then as Vice President of the Philippines under the administration of President Fidel Ramos.
Estrada was elected President in 1998 with a wide margin of votes separating him from the other challengers, and was sworn into the presidency on June 30, 1998. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted. In 2007, he was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua, but was later granted a pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Early life and career
Joseph Marcelo Ejercito, popularly known as Erap, was born on April 19, 1937 in Tondo, the poorest district of Manila. He belonged to an upper middle class family, and was the eighth of ten children of Emilio Ejercito, a government engineer, and his wife Maria Marcelo.[1] He finished his primary studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, but was expelled in his sophomore year of high school for unruly behavior.[1] He went to Mapúa Institute of Technology to continue schooling with an engineering course, but dropped out from studies altogether two years later.
In his twenties, he began a career as a film actor. He adopted the screen name "Joseph Estrada", as his father objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit schooling.[1] He also acquired the nickname "Erap" (a play on the Tagalog word "pare", meaning buddy) from his good friend Fernando Poe, Jr..
Early Political Career
[edit] Mayor of San Juan
Estrada entered politics in 1967 when he ran for mayor of San Juan, a municipality of Metro Manila, in 1968 and ended up losing his bid for mayor. He was only proclaimed mayor in 1969, after winning an electoral protest against Dr. Braulio Sto. Domingo. As mayor of San Juan he turned it to one of Metro Manila's outstanding municipality (now a city). He built public schools both for elementary and high school and had children go to school for free. He also built parks, playgrounds, and modern police stations.[4] When Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, all officials of the local government suspected of malfeasance and anomalies were removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge. Estrada was then removed from his position as mayor.
[edit] Senator of the Philippines
The following year, he ran and won a seat in the Senate under the Grand Alliance for Democracy (GAD). He placed 16th place in the said elections (out of 24 winners). As senator he became chairman of the senate committee on cultural minorities and passed a bill on commission on ancestral domain. He also sponsored bills that were signed into law, namely, The Preservation of the Carabao (Republic Act no. 7307)[5] and The Construction of Irrigation Projects (Republic Act no. 6978)
Vice-Presidency
In 1992, Joseph Estrada ran for vice-president as the running mate of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. under the Nationalist People's Coalition party. Though the latter lost to former National Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos, Estrada won the vice-presidency garnering more votes than his closest opponent, Ramon Mitra, Jr.'s running mate, Marcelo Fernan.
As Vice-President, President Ramos appointed him as the chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). Estrada arrested criminal warlords and kidnapping syndicates[7]. He resigned as chairman of the PACC on 1997. In 1997 Vice-President Estrada, together with former President Corazon Aquino, Jaime Cardinal Sin, Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other political leaders, led an anti-charter change rally brought in an estimated half a million people to Rizal Park against the charter change moves by supporters of President Fidel Ramos.
1998 Presidential Elections
Estrada’s political strategists and financial backers were aware that a large share of the Philippine electorate, the "masa" (the poor and undereducated masses), were looking for a leadership they could relate to. Estrada’s financial backers designed a campaign strategy that reflected Estrada’s pro-poor image that he had built up throughout his movie career. Central in the campaign was Estrada’s campaign slogan "Erap para sa Mahirap" (Erap for the poor) that succeeded in inspiring the masses with the hope that Estrada would be the president of and for the masses. Estrada's running mate, Edgardo Angara, was defeated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the campaign, Estrada's political rivals tried but failed to discredit him while publicizing his womanizing, drinking and gambling.
Presidency
Estrada was inaugurated on June 30, 1998 in the historical town of Malolos in Bulacan province in paying tribute to the cradle of the First Philippine Republic. That afternoon the new president delivered his inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta. He assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis and with agricultural problems due to poor weather conditions, thereby slowing the economic growth to -0.6% in 1998 from a 5.2% in 1997.[9] The economy recovered by 3.4% in 1999 and 4% in 2000.[10] In 2000 he declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and captured it's headquarters and other camps[11][12]. However, allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted from power after the trial was aborted.
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Manny Villar
Manuel "Manny" Bamba Villar, Jr. (born December 13, 1949) is a Filipino businessman and politician. He is the President of the Nacionalista Party and a member of the Senate of the Philippines.
Villar was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2000—in which capacity he presided over the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada—as well as President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008.He assumed the Senate presidency at the beginning of the Third Regular Session of the 13th Congress, as part of a power-sharing agreement with his predecessor Sen. Franklin Drilon. On November 17, 2008, he resigned his senate presidency due to lack of support in the Senate.
Villar is the wealthiest senator in the Philippines with a net worth of P1.04 billion (US$22 million) as of 2008
Early life
Manuel Villar Jr. was born on December 13, 1949 in Tondo, a densely populated district of Manila. He was the second of nine children of Manuel Villar Sr., a government employee, and Curita Bamba, a seafood dealer.[2] As a young boy, he helped his mother sell fish and shrimp in Divisoria to help earn money to pay for his education.[2]
Villar finished his elementary education at Holy Child Catholic School in 1962, and finished his high school education at Mapua Institute of Technology in 1966. He attended the University of the Philippines - Diliman and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1970. He returned to the same school to earn his master's degree in business administration in 1973.
Business career
In 1975, with an initial capital of P10,000, Villar purchased two reconditioned trucks and started a business dealing with sand and gravel.[2]
Villar expanded his business interests and pioneered the practice of selling house and lot packages, when the common practice at the time was to merely sell the land and leave the buyers to build the houses.[2] He eventually became a leader in the housing industry, having built and sold more than 100,000 homes.
Political career
[edit] House of Representatives
Villar entered politics in 1992, and was elected to the House of Representatives, representing the district of Las Piñas-Muntinlupa (and later the district of Las Piñas City).[4] In 1998, he was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives.[4] As speaker, he presided over the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada by the House of Representatives.
[edit] Senate
Villar was elected to the Senate in 2001. At the start of legislative sessions, he was chosen as Senate President Pro Tempore, a position he held until 2003.
Villar won reelection to the Senate in 2007. At the start of legislative sessions he was chosen Senate President, defeating Aquilino Pimentel by a vote of 15–7.[5] However, in November 2008, he resigned the position due to a lack of support in the Senate, and was succeeded by Juan Ponce Enrile
Villar was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2000—in which capacity he presided over the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada—as well as President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008.He assumed the Senate presidency at the beginning of the Third Regular Session of the 13th Congress, as part of a power-sharing agreement with his predecessor Sen. Franklin Drilon. On November 17, 2008, he resigned his senate presidency due to lack of support in the Senate.
Villar is the wealthiest senator in the Philippines with a net worth of P1.04 billion (US$22 million) as of 2008
Early life
Manuel Villar Jr. was born on December 13, 1949 in Tondo, a densely populated district of Manila. He was the second of nine children of Manuel Villar Sr., a government employee, and Curita Bamba, a seafood dealer.[2] As a young boy, he helped his mother sell fish and shrimp in Divisoria to help earn money to pay for his education.[2]
Villar finished his elementary education at Holy Child Catholic School in 1962, and finished his high school education at Mapua Institute of Technology in 1966. He attended the University of the Philippines - Diliman and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1970. He returned to the same school to earn his master's degree in business administration in 1973.
Business career
In 1975, with an initial capital of P10,000, Villar purchased two reconditioned trucks and started a business dealing with sand and gravel.[2]
Villar expanded his business interests and pioneered the practice of selling house and lot packages, when the common practice at the time was to merely sell the land and leave the buyers to build the houses.[2] He eventually became a leader in the housing industry, having built and sold more than 100,000 homes.
Political career
[edit] House of Representatives
Villar entered politics in 1992, and was elected to the House of Representatives, representing the district of Las Piñas-Muntinlupa (and later the district of Las Piñas City).[4] In 1998, he was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives.[4] As speaker, he presided over the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada by the House of Representatives.
[edit] Senate
Villar was elected to the Senate in 2001. At the start of legislative sessions, he was chosen as Senate President Pro Tempore, a position he held until 2003.
Villar won reelection to the Senate in 2007. At the start of legislative sessions he was chosen Senate President, defeating Aquilino Pimentel by a vote of 15–7.[5] However, in November 2008, he resigned the position due to a lack of support in the Senate, and was succeeded by Juan Ponce Enrile
2010 Presidentiable Biography/Resume - Noynoy Aquino
This is the opening salvo here in my blog. Since the very common issue now is the upcoming 2010 National Election, I am going to post here biography /resume of the candidate for 2010 Presidential Election. This will serve as guide to all Filipino voters who will cast their votes on May 10, 2010. Take time to read the articles and choose the best candidate and be ready to make a change.
Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Senator for the Philippines and a candidate for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election, intending to represent the Liberal Party.[1] He is best known for being the only son of former President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he was seriously wounded by rebel soldiers in a failed coup attempt during his mother's presidency. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province in the 11th Congress of the Philippines. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines.
He is also the brother of TV host and actress Kris Aquino. Noynoy is a cousin of presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro. While Teodoro's mother Mercedes Cojuangco is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since the 1960's.
Early life and education
Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960. He is the third of the of five children of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was then Vice Governor of Tarlac province, and Corazon Aquino. He has four sisters, Maria Elena ("Ballsy"), Aurora Corazon ("Pinky"), Victoria Eliza ("Viel"), and Kristina Bernadette ("Kris").
Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, high school, and college education, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After college, he joined his family in Boston in exile.
In 1983, shortly after the murder of his father, Noynoy had a short tenure as a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. From 1985 to 1986, he was retail sales supervisor and youth promotions assistant for Nike Philippines and later an assistant for advertising and promotion for Mondragon Philippines. In 1986, he joined Intra-Strata Assurance Corp. as vice-president of the family-owned corporation.
On August 28, 1987, eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino's mother, rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to siege Malacañang Palace. Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him. Aquino himself was hit by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck[3].
From 1986 to 1993, Aquino was vice president and treasurer for Best Security Agency Corporation, a firm owned by his uncle Antolin Oreta.[4] He went to work for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac in 1993, the sugar refinery owned by the Cojuangco clan. He started out as an executive assistant for administration, before becoming field services manager in 1996.
Political life
Aquino is a leading member of the Liberal Party. He currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party, having assumed the post on 17 March 2006. He was previously Secretary General of the party (1999-2002), Vice-President of the Luzon Liberal Party (2002-2004), and Secretary General of the party (2004-16 March 2006).[5]
Aquino is associated with a faction of the Liberal Party which opposes the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, citing alleged human rights violations.
House of Representatives
Aquino was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 2nd District of Tarlac. He won re-election in 2001 and 2004, and served until 2007.
Aquino served on numerous committees as a member of Congress: the Public Order and Security, Transportation and Communications, Agriculture, Banks &and Financial Intermediaries, Peoples’ Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Trade and Industry committees (11th Congress), the Civil, Political and Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order and Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy committees (12th Congress), and the Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order and Safety committees (13th Congress).
Aquino was also Deputy Speaker from November 8, 2004 to February 21, 2006.[5]
One of Aquino's key legislative initiatives was to make requiring the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricants requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be done by public bidding.
Senate
Barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as the Representative for the second district of Tarlac province, Aquino was elected to the Senate in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO), a coalition comprising a number of parties, including his own Liberal Party, seeking to curb attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the Constitution. In his political ads, he was endorsed by younger sister, TV host Kris Aquino, and mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he was endorsed by one of the largest Protestant churches in the Philippines, the Jesus is Lord.[8][9][10] With more than 14.3 million votes, Aquino's tally was the sixth highest of the 37 candidates for the 12 vacant seats elected from the nation at large. He assumed his new office on June 30, 2007.
During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former enemy, Senator Gregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. "I endorse Honasan's request for bail para parehas ang laban. I was hit by bullets from Honasan's men in the neck and hips but that's past now. The principle of my father was, ' Respect the rights even of your enemies.' Ito ang nagpatingkad ng demokrasya. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action," Aquino told Job Tabada of Cebu Daily News on 5 March 2007.[11] He was referring to two bloody coup attempts against his mother in 1987 and 1989, in the first of which Aquino was seriously injured.
2010 election plans
In the Liberal Party, Aquino has held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. He is currently the LP Vice-Chairman.
After the death of President Corazon Aquino, calls for him to run for higher office reached its highest and he has decided after the retreat that he would run as a candidate for the Presidency in the 2010 National Elections.
A group of lawyers and activists formed the NAPM — the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement — and a nationwide campaign led by the son of the late influential businessman, Chino Roces, began to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for President. In the last weekend of August, Senator Aquino and his fellow partymate in the Liberal Party, Senator Mar Roxas and an unnamed presidential aspirant commenced days of talks to decide what to do for next year's elections.
On September 1, 2009, in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Senator Roxas, a leading candidate for the Liberal Party nomination announced his withdrawal in the presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino's candidacy.[13] Sen. Aquino later stood side by side Sen. Roxas, but did not make a public statement on the said press conference.[1]
On September 9, 2009, 40 days after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced his bid for the Presidency in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, which also served as the site of his mother's Presidential Inauguration in February 1986. [5]
In light of his presidential bid, his critics claim that he cannot boast of any achievements other than those of his parents and some have raised concerns over his unremarkable performance prior to his rise to prominence after his mother's death[14]. In his defense, Noynoy's sister, Pinky, stated that he was merely shy.
Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Senator for the Philippines and a candidate for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election, intending to represent the Liberal Party.[1] He is best known for being the only son of former President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he was seriously wounded by rebel soldiers in a failed coup attempt during his mother's presidency. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province in the 11th Congress of the Philippines. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines.
He is also the brother of TV host and actress Kris Aquino. Noynoy is a cousin of presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro. While Teodoro's mother Mercedes Cojuangco is the first cousin of Aquino's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, both families have always been on different sides of the political fence since the 1960's.
Early life and education
Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960. He is the third of the of five children of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was then Vice Governor of Tarlac province, and Corazon Aquino. He has four sisters, Maria Elena ("Ballsy"), Aurora Corazon ("Pinky"), Victoria Eliza ("Viel"), and Kristina Bernadette ("Kris").
Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, high school, and college education, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After college, he joined his family in Boston in exile.
In 1983, shortly after the murder of his father, Noynoy had a short tenure as a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. From 1985 to 1986, he was retail sales supervisor and youth promotions assistant for Nike Philippines and later an assistant for advertising and promotion for Mondragon Philippines. In 1986, he joined Intra-Strata Assurance Corp. as vice-president of the family-owned corporation.
On August 28, 1987, eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino's mother, rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to siege Malacañang Palace. Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him. Aquino himself was hit by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck[3].
From 1986 to 1993, Aquino was vice president and treasurer for Best Security Agency Corporation, a firm owned by his uncle Antolin Oreta.[4] He went to work for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac in 1993, the sugar refinery owned by the Cojuangco clan. He started out as an executive assistant for administration, before becoming field services manager in 1996.
Political life
Aquino is a leading member of the Liberal Party. He currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party, having assumed the post on 17 March 2006. He was previously Secretary General of the party (1999-2002), Vice-President of the Luzon Liberal Party (2002-2004), and Secretary General of the party (2004-16 March 2006).[5]
Aquino is associated with a faction of the Liberal Party which opposes the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, citing alleged human rights violations.
House of Representatives
Aquino was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 2nd District of Tarlac. He won re-election in 2001 and 2004, and served until 2007.
Aquino served on numerous committees as a member of Congress: the Public Order and Security, Transportation and Communications, Agriculture, Banks &and Financial Intermediaries, Peoples’ Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Trade and Industry committees (11th Congress), the Civil, Political and Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order and Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy committees (12th Congress), and the Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order and Safety committees (13th Congress).
Aquino was also Deputy Speaker from November 8, 2004 to February 21, 2006.[5]
One of Aquino's key legislative initiatives was to make requiring the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricants requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be done by public bidding.
Senate
Barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as the Representative for the second district of Tarlac province, Aquino was elected to the Senate in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO), a coalition comprising a number of parties, including his own Liberal Party, seeking to curb attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the Constitution. In his political ads, he was endorsed by younger sister, TV host Kris Aquino, and mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he was endorsed by one of the largest Protestant churches in the Philippines, the Jesus is Lord.[8][9][10] With more than 14.3 million votes, Aquino's tally was the sixth highest of the 37 candidates for the 12 vacant seats elected from the nation at large. He assumed his new office on June 30, 2007.
During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former enemy, Senator Gregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. "I endorse Honasan's request for bail para parehas ang laban. I was hit by bullets from Honasan's men in the neck and hips but that's past now. The principle of my father was, ' Respect the rights even of your enemies.' Ito ang nagpatingkad ng demokrasya. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action," Aquino told Job Tabada of Cebu Daily News on 5 March 2007.[11] He was referring to two bloody coup attempts against his mother in 1987 and 1989, in the first of which Aquino was seriously injured.
2010 election plans
In the Liberal Party, Aquino has held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. He is currently the LP Vice-Chairman.
After the death of President Corazon Aquino, calls for him to run for higher office reached its highest and he has decided after the retreat that he would run as a candidate for the Presidency in the 2010 National Elections.
A group of lawyers and activists formed the NAPM — the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement — and a nationwide campaign led by the son of the late influential businessman, Chino Roces, began to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for President. In the last weekend of August, Senator Aquino and his fellow partymate in the Liberal Party, Senator Mar Roxas and an unnamed presidential aspirant commenced days of talks to decide what to do for next year's elections.
On September 1, 2009, in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Senator Roxas, a leading candidate for the Liberal Party nomination announced his withdrawal in the presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino's candidacy.[13] Sen. Aquino later stood side by side Sen. Roxas, but did not make a public statement on the said press conference.[1]
On September 9, 2009, 40 days after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced his bid for the Presidency in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, which also served as the site of his mother's Presidential Inauguration in February 1986. [5]
In light of his presidential bid, his critics claim that he cannot boast of any achievements other than those of his parents and some have raised concerns over his unremarkable performance prior to his rise to prominence after his mother's death[14]. In his defense, Noynoy's sister, Pinky, stated that he was merely shy.
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