Philippine Finance Dept to Join Facebook, Twitter

To help go after tax cheats and smugglers, the Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) is looking to the public for assistance by signing up for social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.

On Thursday, Finance Sec. Cesar Purisima said the project is in cooperation with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.

Coming soon: Crowd sourcing leads

"We will be launching it very soon. It is being developed," Purisima said at a press briefing at the Department of Justice, where BIR Commissioner Kim Hacinto-Henares filed a tax evasion complaint against pawnshop chain owner William Villarica.

He said that on the upcoming Facebook page, the public can post photos of luxury cars, plush homes, and other properties of alleged tax evaders and smugglers.

"With their phones that have cameras, they can take photos of a nice car, a nice house, or a nice watch, so we can follow the lead... We will investigate then we'll deliver to the Department of Justice," said Purisima.

Social media and the government

The move comes in the wake of President Benigno Aquino III's announcement in a press briefing last week that his administration will use social media as "feedback mechanisms" to get information directly from the public.

The DOF is not the first Philippine government agency to set up an active social media presence. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court also launched its own Twiter account, @kortesuprema. The account is currently deactivated, however, court administrator and spokeperson Jose Midas Marquez said that it is being fixed. - TJD, GMANews.TV

SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV
07/15/2010 | 02:46 PM

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Catanduanes: Picture Perfect

The Philippines’ top landscape photographer, Edwin Martinez, was in town last week on a photo safari together with five of his colleagues and former students, one of whom was a vice president of a big bank.

Martinez’ group went on a shooting spree in Puraran in Baras, Maribina Falls, the old Bato overflow bridge and Bato church, Twin Rock beach resort in Igang, Batag beach resort, Cabcab and Barihay rocky beaches in San Andres and in Virac poblacion to photograph our sights in the unique way that landscape photographers render them.

Their work, as well as a promotional article on Catanduanes, will soon appear in Picture Perfect, a Tuesday feature of the Manila Bulletin for which Martinez is a contributor.

In behalf of Martinez and the Catanduanes Camera Club, this writer wishes to thank Governor Joseph Cua for the hospitality extended to the visitors during their four-day stay here.

Source: Inside Page by Fernan Gianan, Catanduanes Tribune - 13 July 2010

Please check the link for a 1000px treat, please view more details at this size.

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Corpulent People - BWO

"Try to spot that beautiful perfect cone," pilots of the Spanish galleons used to caution novice steersmen.

"That is Mayon Volcano. A little to the left as we sail in from the open sea is the Embocadero ["mouth"] between Samar and Sorsogon. Direct the boat through, then turn right to sail north to Cavite and Manila."

That used to be the directive for first-time navigators from Mexico. Of course, it did not always help. Once in 1576, the pilot could not find the perfect cone, for storm clouds had covered it. And mistaking the northern tip of Catanduanes Island for Cabo del Espiritu Santo at the mouth of the Embocadero in northern Samar, the galleon San Jeronimo ran aground. The natives massacred and ate all the hapless passengers and crew, except one who had lived in the Visayas, and knew the local dialect.

In 1588, the natives of Catanduanes had not yet received the Gospel message. There were not enough missionaries, although the island had already been divided into four encomiendas.

An encomendero reported that the people were "corpulent"; today we would perhaps say strong and healthy. Tattooed like the Visayans, the men wore only a loin cloth, while the women dressed like the Visayans, were "virile." They tilled and planted their crops, fished with nets they had woven.

Unprotected from the frequent typhoons blowing in from the Pacific, the island was rich in wax and honey, and there was gold in the rivers. The biggest of these was Catandungan, whence came the island’s name. The first Spaniards there counted about 2,000 households along its banks, most of whom earned their keep by building ships.

These boats never ceased to amaze observers. Built like the cargo ships of Belgium, they were ordinarily big, had no decks, no nails (the people had no iron), not even futtocks, or curving cross-beams that served as ribs on which the side planks were firmly tied. Inside this big vessel were smaller boats, which in turn contained even smaller boats, and so on. From the outside it looked like an ordinarily big boat, but once it reached ports, like Marinduque, Cebu, or Batangas, the smaller boats were lifted out and sold one by one. A missionary once reported that the big boat, with its smaller craft coming out, resembled a mother hen hatching her chicks.

Have the people of Catanduanes today preserved their traditional culture, and are still "corpulent"? There must have been enough food, otherwise, they would not be as healthy as when first discovered. And where is the gold that people placer-mined from the rivers? Does the island still boast thick forests for boat-building?

Except for the cannibalism that victimized the Spaniards shipwrecked in 1576, early Spanish documents seldom mention tribal fighting in the island. But outsiders, like Moros from the south attacked. But one hardly comes across stories of a datu fighting another datu. Peaceful coexistences characterized the islanders of Catanduanes.

One prays they remain that way.

Opinion
Posted on 09:02 PM, July 11, 2010
Roots -- By José S. Arcilla S.J.
Source: Business World Online

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The ASIA Foundation Revitalizing Educational Opportunities in Catanduanes

Virac, Catanduanes - Today, 13,600 new children’s books and high school texts and college reference materials were distributed in the picturesque but typhoon-prone province of Catanduanes. More than 280 public and private schools benefited from the books’ donation, which was made possible through the Books for Asia program of The Asia Foundation.


Those scheduled to attend include: Catanduanes Gov. Joseph C. Cua, Virac Mayor Jose U. Alberto II, Congressman Cesar V. Sarmiento, Philippine Judicial Academy Chancellor Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Hon. Lelu P. Contreras, Bishop of Diocese of Virac, Most Rev. Manolo A. de Los Santos, D.D., Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Artemio Rivera, and other officers of the city government. Mr. Ky Johnson, Deputy Country Representative of The Asia Foundation, and Mr. Efren N. Balajadia, Director of the Books for Asia Program will present the donated texts to representatives of elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.

“The Asia Foundation is proud to work with local leaders and citizens on long-term efforts to revitalize educational opportunities, which will in turn help recovery,” said The Asia Foundation’s Ky Johnson. “Through this donation of books, we hope to foster enthusiasm among students for reading, which can help them to greater achievements in school, even during difficult times.”

Mr. Balajadia, from The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program, said, “It is my hope that these books and materials can help schoolchildren to revive and sustain their love of reading, especially in the midst of severe and ongoing challenges.”

Gov. Joseph Cua supported that, “The Asia Foundation’s priceless gifts will go a long way towards improving a lot of our schools and our school children. We shall cherish those presents and we thank you for you for making this a worthwhile milestone. We can assure you that many parents and teachers will appreciate your generosity in providing learning materials to help elevate the literacy among our children and teachers as well. And we believe that as children have access to books and, they will be able to study more and have a better understanding and appreciation of the world we live in.”

Judge Lelu Contreras said, “Catanduanes is, indeed, very fortunate for being a recipient of the generosity of the Books for Asia Program of The Asia Foundation. With this donation, books are now within reach of the schoolchildren, who may find their future lying between the pages of a book.”

DepEd Division Superintendent Dr. Artemio Rivera added that, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

The donation and delivery was made in cooperation with local governments and private partners, and will enhance the schools and libraries of communities in Catanduanes as part of a wider effort throughout the Philippines. For 55 years, The Asia Foundation has supported local communities to improve education for students.

The Asia Foundation gratefully acknowledges the continued support of public and private partners in this endeavor, including the provincial government of Catanduanes and the Municipality of Virac for encouraging education and literacy; Aboitiz2Go for its help shipping the donated books; and American publishers such as the McGraw-Hill Companies and Pearson Education for their donations of brand new books ranging from elementary through university levels.



About Books for Asia
Books for Asia is The Asia Foundation’s longest running program and regularly distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels in over 18 countries. Since it was started in September 1954, The Books for Asia program has distributed nearly 45 million books and journals to more than 50,000 academic and non-academic institutions throughout Asia. The Philippines alone has been a recipient of 13 million books and journals to public and private institutions across the country. More than 95 percent of Books for Asia’s donations are new textbooks, donated by U.S. publishers.

The reading materials range from the elementary level to professional level, covering such fields as government, business, health, environment, information technology, social science, and international relations. Books for Asia has made a significant contribution to education in the Philippines, especially since resources for instruction tools and facilities are scarce. All educational levels have benefited from this program. Basic textbooks and supplementary reading materials have been donated to schools and libraries all over the country. NGOs are also recipients of valuable resource materials from Books for Asia.

For more information about the Books for Asia program in the Philippines, visit Books for Asia in the Philippines.

Source: The Asia Foundation - News 01 July 2010

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Palumbanes Island

Here is a satellite image of Palumbanes Island. You can click on the map to zoom-in. Take note of the white sand beaches that ringed the smaller island on the left.


Palumbanes is considered as the fishing paradise of the north. The nearest point going to the island is by motorized boat from Caramoran.

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