Visa-Free Countries for Philippine Passport Holders

ASIA
Brunei - Not Required for stay up to 14 days
Cambodia - Not Required for stay up to 21 days
Hong Kong - Not Required for stay up to 14 days
Indonesia - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Israel - Not Required for stay up to 90 days
Laos - Visa can be obtained upon arrival up to 30 days
Macau - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Malaysia - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Maldives - Visa can be obtained upon arrival up to 30 days
Myanmar - Visa can be obtained upon arrival with pre-approval letter required
Nepal - Visa can be obtained upon arrival up to 150 days
Palestine - Not Required for undefined number of days
Singapore - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Sri Lanka - Visa can be obtained upon arrival up to 30 days
Thailand - Not Required for stay up to 30 days
Timor Leste - Visa can be obtained upon arrival up-to 30 days
Vietnam - Not Required for stay up to 21 days

September 2012 Results of PRC Licensure Exam for Teachers 2012 Elementary and Secondary

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT) announces that 25,136 elementary teachers out of 50,997 examinees (49.29%) and 20,834 secondary teachers out of 47,892 examinees (43.50%) successfully passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (L.E.T.) given last September 30, 2012 in 22 testing centers all over the Philippines.

The Board for Professional Teachers is composed of Dr. Faith M. Bachiller, Chairman; Dr. Reynaldo T. Peña and Dr. Jesus L. Nieves, Members.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE RESULTS

Superstorm Sandy triggers massive blackout, flooding

Let's all pray for our brothers and sisters in the US as Superstorm Sandy is now moving in the Northeast with strong winds and heavy rain that have triggered massive blackout and flooding in affected areas.

Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds Monday night and hurled an unprecedented 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, flooding its tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street. At least 16 U.S. deaths were blamed on the storm, which brought the presidential campaign to a halt a week before Election Day.

For New York City at least, Sandy was not the dayslong onslaught many had feared, and the wind and rain that sent water sloshing into Manhattan from three sides began dying down within hours.

Hotel News Asia

We have created a new website that features the latest hotel, resorts, and airline news in Asia and around the world. Please visit www.hotelnewsasia.com for hotel updates, discounts, promos as well as airline fare discounts and more.

Please check out our new sister site HotelNewsAsia.com

Site features:

Asia Hotel News
World Hotel News
Airline News
Hotel Appointments
Travel and Tourism Stories

March 2012 Medical Technologist PRC Board Exam Results

The Medical Technologist Board Exam Results also known as the Medical Technologist Licensure Examination Results for March 2012 has been released. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 533 out of 804 passed the Medical Technologist Licensure Examination given by the Board of Medical Technology in the cities of Manila, Baguio and Cebu this March 2012.


List of Passers:

1 ABACO, GENEVIEVE BANTA
2 ABAIGAR, RANDY ROSALES
3 ABALAJON, MERRY ROSE ENAGUAS
4 ABALAJON, MICHELLE DALDE
5 ABARQUEZ, LUCILLE MAE GONZALES
6 ABDULHAKIM, SURHANA SANAANI
7 ABELLERA, ANNA KRISTINE GALVEZ
8 ABIERA, JENNEY LYN PELICANO
9 ABILLE, TAYLOR ASHLEY TAVORA
10 ABLAO, ESTEPHANIE APLACADOR

Pit Señor - Cebu's Sinulog Festival

Cebu has been on a festive mood since last week as the entire Cebuano population gears up for the annual Sinulog Mardi Gras, a festival that celebrates the feast of the miraculous Sto. Niño de Cebu every third Sunday of January. This year, Sinulog falls on January 15 and everyone is ready for the celebration.

The police will be fielding 30,000 personnel to secure the Sinulog as authorities expect more than 3 million people to troop to the main Sinulog parade route this Sunday. Pagasa has already warned of a rainy Sinulog but I don't think that will prevent people from witnessing the festival.

Fuente Osmeña also been transformed into a plaza of shops and stores where people can munch on just about anything or buy stuff they can bring home. Head up a few meters and you will see that the front side of the Abellana National School is also occupied with stalls selling almost anything you can imagine.

Here's hoping that this year's Sinulog festival will be peaceful and orderly just like the previous celebrations. Afterall, the festival celebrates the feast of Sto. Niño and I don't think the Child Jesus will ever allow any negative events to take place during that day.

Viva Pit Señor!

It's More Fun in the Philippines

Too early to say but I can sense that the Department of Tourism has finally found the right slogan that will surely capture the interest of tourists. "It's More Fun in the Philippines", a catchy slogan formulated under the leadership of DOT's director Ramon Jimenez, the same marketing guy who instilled chicken joy into the minds of our children.

First off, I am actually against the move to change the DOT slogan "Wow Philippines", which was formulated during the time of then Sec. Richard Gordon. It was catchy and effective. Two words that have successfully drawn the Philippines into the world tourism map. And what an intelligent move then Secretary Ace Durano made when he retained "Wow Philippines" during his administration.

"Wow Philippines" successfully competed with "Malaysia, Truly Asia", "Amazing Thailand", and "Uniquely Singapore" until one man, just for the heck of introducing a new slogan, changed it to the controversial "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda!", which sounded like the title of an early morning TV show and whose graphics became even more controversial because it was found out to have been copied from a Polish tourism brochure.

But "Wow Philippines" is dead and "Pilipinas, Kay Ganda" suffered a heart attack even before it was officially printed in our tourism brochures. And because we can't revive "Wow Philippines", I am slowly becoming a fan of "It's More Fun in the Philippines". An honest and truthful answer to the question "Why should we go to the Philippines?". It's more fun here - the people are smiling, the beaches boast of pristine waters and white sandy shores, and there are plenty of fun activities to do in the 7,100 islands that comprise the entire country.

The DOT can advertise the new slogan over CNN or BBC, costly but proven-effective, just like what the other countries are doing, but I hope the country's tourism advertisements will not be followed by news of bombings, kidnappings, and beheading in Mindanao, which are not the kind of "fun" that we are trying to sell to international tourists.

Thanks, Steve Jobs

I never got the chance to see Apple's Founder Steve Jobs in person. Well, I really never dreamed of meeting him in person because I know it was not going to happen. I'm just an ordinary journalist in the Philippines, a lover of gadgets sold in stores here (these gadgets are years behind compared to what are being sold in the US), and an ordinary man whom Steve Jobs will never be interested in meeting.

But I have been reading about him - his works, his extremely private life, and his genius that is now the heart and soul of Apple. I never got the chance to own an iPad, an iPhone, or even an iMac. Not even a second hand of these units. I don't have regrets though because I am a person who doesn't really spend beyond what my pockets will allow. And yet, I admire the gadgets that came from Apple although most of the time, these gadgets I admired were owned by friends and colleagues.

Thinning Hair Women : Treatment

Are you having problems with hair fall or thinning hair? Have you seen some signs that you will be getting bald real soon? It's in the genes and if you know someone from within your family who is also having hair problems, then there is a big chance that you will have one soon.

In the US, millions of women are having problems with thinning hair. While baldness has long been associated with men, recent studies showed that women have also been having similar concerns - falling hair, thinning hair, receding hairline, baldness.

If you are having hair problems and would want to know more about thinning hair women and hair fall treatment, I suggest you click this link >>>Thinning Hair Women 

Finally, US triumphs over Bin Laden

US President Barack Obama announced that US troops killed terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in an operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The US President said the operation came after several months of intelligence gathering and he ordered the attack a week ago after seeing enough reasons to finally launch a firefight to get Bin Laden dead or alive.


Will this be the end to terrorist activities around the world?

May 1, Labor Day

No matter how long the street march will be and no matter how loud the speakers will sound, there won't be any wage increase announcement today, May 1, Labor Day. That was what government spokesmen announced as thousands of laborers troop to the streets today for the annual Labor Day rally.

First of all, the wage board tasked to determine the supervening events that will lead to a wage increase has not come up with a decision on whether or not there is really a need to increase the salaries even if it is clear that our minimum wage earners are struggling to provide for their families what with the series of fuel price hike and the increasing prices of basic goods.

Tostado Festival of Santander, Cebu

I love travelling especially in the countryside to escape the daily grind of the city life. So when the Provincial Government of Cebu invited me to witness the Tostados Festival in the town of Santander, I immediately nodded without hesitation.

Santander is located on the southern most tip of Cebu. It's a quiet, laidback town blessed with several natural wonders, white-sandy shores, and warm, hospitable people. The town is a three-hour ride from the City but then I always love long road trips because I get to see the beauty of nature along the road - rice fields, old houses, century-old Acacia trees, and the greeneries in general.

Tostado is a local delicacy in the town. It's a home-baked cookie with delicious taste and the procedures and secret ingredients in making a really delicious tostado have been handed down from generations to generations.

Another round of tuition increase

At least 10 universities in the Visayas have filed a petition for an average of 10 percent tuition increase for SY 2011-2012. An official of the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd) said they cannot stop any university from implementing an increase in tuition for as long as the said university has complied with all the requirements set forth by ChEd.

Clearly, this is another burden on the parts of parents who are shedding blood, sweat, and tears just to send their children to school in the hope of giving them a brighter future in a country that has a dusty scene as a future. By next school year, more students will be forced to stop their education because their parents can no longer afford the rise in tuition.

Cebu's sand, sea, and sun

It's summer officially, despite the torrential rains and reports about landslides and floods in other areas around the country. And when we mention summer, images of white sand beaches will surely conjure in the mind - the sands of Boracay, the waters off Dakak, the beaches of Cebu, and a lot more. The Philippines, being a tropical nation, offers more than just a plate of fun things to do, see, and experience this summer season.

And yes, I am still bias for Cebu when we start talking about beaches. And I don't mean just the beach resorts you will find in Mactan. Recently, I was able to tour around the entire province and witnessed the naturally beautiful white sand beaches that surround the entire island. Yes, these are beaches untainted by commercialism and are open for the public to enjoy.

Online Jobs in the Philippines

Went back to my webmaster mood the past days so I updated Jobs in the Philippines and CebuJobsportal.com. Also my travel blog site TravelGuide.ph. Please take time to check out my new sites and tell me what you think.

Small Business Idea : Italy Silver 925

My wife and I decided to venture into another small business that require small capital. I'm talking about opening a small shop selling authentic Italy 92.5 Silver jewelries - rings, necklace, bracelet, earrings, bangles, anklets and more. I also created a blog for this business at Silver925Philippines (click the link to go to the site)

92.5 Silver refers to the highest grade for silver jewelries. It's only 92.5 and not 100 percent silver because a grade of more than 92.5 will be so soft that it cannot be molded to create jewelries. Silver with 92.5 percent grade also do not stain, rust, or fade. It remains shiny with proper care.

We are looking for subdealers too. Our subdealers get 20% off the price of all our items. just go to
silver925philippines.blogspot.com for more information. More pictures of our items will be posted in that site.

Taking the Philippines hostage

Stakeholders in the tourism industry have been shedding blood and tears to promote the country as a perfect getaway for tourists who want to enjoy tropical paradise and experience the combination of sun, sea, and sand that the Philippines offers. It seems that the efforts of the tourism players are paying off as the number of tourists to the country increase after they managed to ward off the bad news that is happening in Mindanao.

Suddenly, a former police officer, who was stripped of his badge and income, is staging a hostage drama that will surely hit the tourism industry straight in the eye. At least 20 Hong Kong nationals, who after reading the the travel brochures about the Philippines decided to come here for fun and leisure, are now being held hostage by the policeman inside the tourist bus infront of the Quirino Grandstand.

Cebu Travel Blog

Thought I'd veer away from my usual routine and create another blog about the place where I grew up and live. I am in Cebu City, the heart of the Philippines. Cebu City is a tropical paradise frequented by Europeans and Americans who want to scape winter and be in a place that offers sun, sea, and sand and can be accessed from their country in just a few hours.

I've launched today CebuTravelBlog, my personal travel blog that will chronicle my daily travels and experience in this little paradise of mine. It will feature the top beach resorts, the various hotels, the restaurants that offer delicious dishes, and a lot more.

If you are planning to visit the Philippines in the near future, try dropping by Cebu. Visit my new blog. Click this link >>> CebuTravelBlog

All our vessels are sinking...

Waiting for loved ones to arrive at the pier can sometimes be a daunting experience most especially when the vessel gets delayed for hours. But the time wasted in waiting can immediately be replaced by joy and excitement at the sight of a friend, a loved one, or a relative disembarking from the boat.

But what would it feel if your waiting takes several hours, even days only to find out that the boat your friend, loved one, or relative boarded has sank in the midst of the sea?

Reading about sea tragedies in newspapers is heart-breaking. Most especially if the tragedy has taken place just a few days before or after Christmas. In just a span of three days, two vessels sank in the country's sea water. The first one was caused by man's arrogance while the other was caused by man's negligence.

Arrogance because the collision between MB Catalyn B and a steel-hulled fishing boat in the waters off Cavite could have been prevented had one of the two captains veered away from the other. "Kung sino ang matigas sya ang panalo" was the attitude. But in the end, no one really won in the "pagmamatigas" of the captains. They could have just steered away from the other. But they stayed "matigas" and so the collision took place.

I joined PGMA in ordering the revokation of the licenses of the two captains. The two have no business maneuvering our sea vessels. Not even in operating an outrigger banca. They should be punished for their attitude and be given licenses only to operate a tricycle.

On Saturday night, a roll on-roll off (RORO) passenger vessel capsized off Verde Island in Batangas, killing six persons. At least 22 remained missing as of press time, 63 passengers and crew members have been rescued.

The roro allegedly sailed faster than what it was allowed and met its fate when huge waves started pounding on the its dilapidated structure and water sipped in. The vessel sank in just a few minutes.

Looking at the picture of the roro before it sank, I can say that the vessel was way old to sail. An old man cannot brave huge wave, much more swim in turbulent sea waters. It is just like a vessel. Why force an old boat to sail even if we know it could sink with huge waves? I remember reading a newspaper columnist who described our sea vessels as floating coffins. I so agree and I thank our airline moguls for introducing cheap fares, giving me reason not to travel via boat.

Maybe it's about time we transfer the offices of Coast Guard or Marina or other agencies involved in issuing permits to vessels to any of the sailing vessels in the country. Let their offices be in one of those dilapited boats and give our officials a hands-on experience with the turbulent seas. Maybe this will give them reasons to be stricter in their inspection of our sea vessels and cancel the permits of those that are no longer sea-worthy.

I don't know if these officials have boarded any of those vessels in one of their trips.

Mayweather is a chicken...

Boxing is a physical sports. It involves two players punching each other inside the square ring until one of them kisses the canvass, pass out, and sleep longer than the ref's 10 counts. So when Floyd Mayweather (the senior and the junior) started talking trash and accused Manny Pacquiao of doping, I started to think that Floyd (the junior) is really feeling chicken about fighting the Filipino boxing icon.

The Mayweather camp is just making up stories to discredit Pacquiao and blame the dope if in case Floyd kisses the canvass during their fight. The Mayweather camp is really not keen on slugging it out with the Filipino boxer and are making up stories so they will have reasons not to fight Pacquiao.

A great boxer lets his punches do the talking and Mayweather seems to be otherwise. What are they scared of? Why do they have to do all those accuses against the pound-for-pound king instead of just leveling it up on the boxing ring? A chicken does create noise when it is scared. Mayweather is the best example.

Fighting the devil named Global.exe

Okay. If you are one of those who have internet access at home or in your office, you probably have encountered Global.exe, much more if you have not updated your anti-virus software.

Global.exe is one of the most demonic spyware ever built. So far, no effective antidote is available for the said virus other than installing the latest anti-virus or reformatting your computer. The more that we try to delete, the more it stays in the system.

Global.exe is like a jilted lover. We don't want to have something to do with it. We want it out of our lives. We throw it out to the junks and yet they will continue to haunt us. Popping up folders or notifications while we are busy with our daily internet tasks. It changes the dates on our pc, denies us administrative access, etc.

What should we do?

What I did was reformat my pc and install the current version of Norton Internet Security. Other than formatting my pc, I was not able to find any antidote that will keep Global.exe away from the systems.

My take at golf...

I'm not a golfer. I don't play the game. But i know the sports - in and out. That's why i created http://www.asiagolfonline.com for golf enthusiasts and professionals.

The site features the latest golf news around asia, results of the latest tournament, and the best golf courses in the region.

If you are an avid golfer who is looking for the best source of anything golf in asia, visit www.asiagolfonline.com now!

Merry Christmas in Advance

This is not to remind you of the gifts you didn't send last Christmas nor is this a memorandum that you should send one for me this year. I just want to tell you Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart. No other purpose. I don't even expect you to return the greetings.

Seldom do I get presents for Christmas. There were even times that I didn't get one at all. Perhaps my heart has grown numb and my mind has conditioned its on that it will not be receiving gifts for Christmas.

The spirit of Christmas, however, is not in the receiving but in the giving. That's how I see it now. Sourgraping, you might say, but I always end up the giver during the season. I give to my "inaanaks", I give to my parents, siblings, loved ones, neighbors, friends. And I never asked them to give me something in return.

But on the second thought, it is in giving that I find the real gifts for Christmas - my "inaanaks" give me reasons to be a good god father, my parents' gift has long been given since i was conceived, my siblings (despite the fights) gave me the gift of being a responsible brother, my loved ones the gift of love, my neighbors the gift of nightly laughters and guitar jammings, my friends the gift of friendship.

I may not have received gifts that can be bought but, with the things I mentioned above, I realize that i have been receiving gifts that come from the heart, gifts that cannot be measured by its mere price. Gifts that last a lifetime.

I bet my 50cents for Barrack Obama

I received an invitation from the Press Office of the US Embassy the other day to join them in monitoring the US Presidential Elections on Nov. 5 (Nov. 4 in the US) with other media personalities and dignitaries.

Since I started working in the media, there never was a Presidential election that caught my interest except this fight between Democrat Barrack Obama and Republican John MacCain. I can't help but stick my butt on the couch every night watching CNN or BBC for the latest updates on the US Presidential Election.

While the two are up against each other, in heated debates or in the press, their being civil with each other remains evident - something that is not common between politicians here in the Philippines. But let's not talk about Philippine Politics. There's just too much reality shows on air other than those acted by politicos.

Obama has been leading in surveys but observers believed the trend could change come election day (although some states have already conducted advance voting). An expert said surveys do not really reflect the choice of the voter. Obama is black and, undeniably, there are Americans who are not ready to have a black President for the first time.

But I am betting my 50 cents for Obama. While I only knew of the person when he expressed his desire for a party nomination several months back, I can see that Obama has the making of a much better President compared to MacCain. Let's face it, MacCain is old and he will be succeeded by a controversy-laden Vice President. Now America must choose - a first Black President or a First Woman President.

It will be Obama. I might not be a seer, but I can feel the wind blowing on the face of that Black American Senator.

MySpace Music for US users only

Good and bad news for techies.

The good news: The new MySpace Music will be launched today, with its deep catalog of new music being added to the site from all the major labels.

The bad news: Only U.S. users will be able to access and listen to the music of MySpace Music.

MySpace has tens of millions of users outside the U.S. and they (we) won't be able to access it. I hope Friendster or FaceBook will launch their own version of MySpace Music and make it available to worldwide users.

Interpol's laudable efforts

Interpol's effort in identifying the bodies of the victims of Typhoon Frank, mostly passengers and crew of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars, is more than laudable. It should be considered heroic.

Shouldering all the expenses in putting up a P10-million mobile morgue and the cost of DNA testing for each retrieved body is a noble deed for a huge, international police organization. So far, the Interpol - Disaster Victims Identification team has already identified 164 bodies, 122 of which through the high-tech and much dependable DNA testing.

And their works have just begun, said Nimal Mahagamage, Interpol Incident Response Team Leader. "We will not stop until the last retrieved body is identified and sent to the family," he said.

A really laudable act although there a few who are questioning the motive of Interpol.



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Crimes of passion...

A fit of jealousy can really turn a sane man into a criminal. That's what I learned after writing today's news. Two men from different areas in Cebu killed their wives after they learned that their wives have affairs with other men. (Read story at cebuonlinenews.com)

I must admit I used to be a jealous type of man. But that was before I got married. I had reasons to be jealous with my girlfriends before because I've had experience with unfaithful ones. When I got married, I decided to keep the trust in my heart and do away with jealousy.

I don't think it was jealousy that drove those two men to kill their wives. Maybe it was what we call man's pride. A man's pride is precious to him so that whoever comes to touch it will surely suffer a great blow.

iPhone-Codes.com.. a new blog for iPhones

Recently launched iPhone-Codes.com, a blog intended to provide the latest news, buzz, and updates for iPhone owners. The blog is still new but I hope you will continue to check on the posts everyday so that you will know the different updates and upgrades for your iPhones.

Visit iPhone-Codes.com now!


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iPhone clone from China

Asians who are eager to get their hands on Apple's iPhone should be extra careful when deciding to buy one. A lot of China-made iPhone clones are now flooding the stores in most Asian countries.

Click here to read an interesting post about iPhone Clones.


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Grand Theft Auto IV this Spring

This is good news for those who have been replaying Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar, the controversial video game publisher, will release the long-awaited fourth installment of its best-known, and most popular, video game, "Grand Theft Auto IV" on April 29.

"We are so excited to be releasing 'Grand Theft Auto IV,'" Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games, said in a statement. "We've pushed ourselves very hard to make something incredible, and hope the game sets a new benchmark for interactive entertainment."

The game will be available on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3, and Amazon.com is already accepting pre-orders. The rating for the latest "Grand Theft Auto" game is still being determined, according to Rockstar's Web site.