Change...

So what's new with these banknotes?

* More realistic portraits of former Philippine presidents and heroes
* Tourist destinations and notable animals found in the country on the reverse
* New BSP logo and Republic of the Philippines Seal
* New euro-like design with large numbers for easy identification.
* Security features are spruced most noticeably the serial numbers which some might find weird and the security thread which is wider. A foil-like optically variable device is found in the new 500 and 1,000 peso bills.
The paper used is "hygienically treated" or has anti-bacterial properties.

What's the same?

* Color schemes were maintained except for the 20 peso bill which I think has a different tone of orange.
* The size of all banknotes appear to have been maintained.
* The same paper made of abaca-cotton. The BSP considered plastic/polymer before but they might have foreseen some problems with that especially with the way Filipinos crumple, fold, crease, and roll money.

Expect the new 20 and 50 peso bills next week in time for the Christmas! The rest will probably follow next year. Don't worry, the old designs will still be valid for the next three years.

HOLIDAY ROAD TRIP, HERE WE COME!

My family does things traditionally and that applies to all aspects. This year, for the holidays, we decided to skip tradition, for a change. First came Christmas. Instead of going to Mass, heading home and having Noche Buena there, we jazzed things up a bit. We made our way to the historic city of Cebu on the 23rd of December. We had to get up really early to catch the first boat of the journey (Dumangas-Bacolod). The next part required a 2-hour drive to San Carlos to catch the boat to Toledo, a town in Cebu. Both boat rides took about an hour and a half each to reach the destination. From there, another 2-hour drive was needed to reach the Cebu City itself. Of course, dear old Dad was the designated driver. The land trips were amazing since there was such exquisite scenery to behold. It made one appreciate the beauty of nature and thus be awed by the work of God.

We heard Christmas Eve Mass at the Cebu Country Club. It was solemn and one could truly feel the spirit of the season. A friend of Dad’s from college lives in Cebu and he asked us to join his family for Noche Buena in their home in Ma. Luisa Hills. The view from the home was breathtaking, the air cool and refreshing, the dinner superb, and most importantly, the company enjoyable and entertaining.
The following day, we went to Mactan, Punta Engaño and Plantation Bay, with Dad’s friend Tom acting as our tour guide. The sights were remarkable, what with the clear waters and the white sand. We capped it off with a hearty lunch at Plantation Bay.

Our New Year celebration for this year was also done a little differently. We had a sumptuous dinner at Amalfi and went over to Plazuela to check things out over there. From 11:00 PM onwards, we watched in fascination as fireworks from various vantage points erupted in bursts of amazing colors and heights. It was the greatest sight and the greatest view one could ask for, and the perfect start to the year. I am so happy that I have my family to have shared it with.

The holiday season is a time for giving, reflecting & caring for God’s creation. As we were passing the beautiful views through the mountains and hills, I was reminded of how blessed we are because we still get to see these places. One of the beatitudes states, “Blessed are they who show mercy: mercy shall be theirs”. There will always be people who will want to ruin beautiful sceneries, maybe because of money or power - who knows what their motive is? It is up to those who love the environment, or at least care enough to see it thrive, to convince and educate the aforementioned persons that what we have left of this earth is not to be tampered with. We have so little natural resources compared to before, and we must do all we can to preserve this – better yet, to grow more of these resources for the future generations.

It is also a season for reaching out to others, just like what my father’s friend did – he and his family opened our home to us and made us feel truly welcome. We should also follow this attitude in dealing with others, especially to our unfortunate brothers & sisters, since we are all children of God. I can be a good disciple of Jesus by appreciating & not taking for granted the things I see around me, by doing everything in my capacity to make this earth a place of glory for God. I can also do little deeds that will make an impact on the lives of others. These little deeds can make a difference in society.

Another beatitude says, “Blessed are they who hunger & thirst for holiness: they shall have their fill”. I also realized at that time that we have to experience & give importance to our country. We have to explore our own country first before we start going to other countries and promoting their wonders. By doing this, we are not only being nationalistic, but also improving our tourism and thus our economy. We have to think of the welfare of our people because we are all children of God. I can be a good disciple of Jesus by being proud that I live in my country, that wherever I go, nothing can compare to my beloved Philippines.

Little Red Riding Hood Once More...

In "Red Riding Hood," Seyfried plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast--one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect...and bait.

*This is definitely something to look forward to because it is not the typical Little Red Riding Hood story that our parents used to tell us before we go to sleep, it has a certain twist to it.. Let us see what Catherine Hardwicke, the director of twilight,has up in her sleeves in this movie.

I never really knew when this obsession started but one thing I’m sure about is it was love at first sight. Elmo Joseph Magalona, ever since the day I laid my eyes on you in that episode in Eat Bulaga where you performed with your late father, Francis Magalona. The moment I heard your melodic voice, I knew that was going to be the start of a wonderful relationship or shall I say obsessed fan- artist relationship. Now, you finally went into showbizness because you wanted to continue your father’s legacy and for that I continue to love you even more. Elmo you make the girls go wild over you especially me, your number 1 fan.

What More can I say about you my beloved, well here are some of things I admire most about you and I think some of these qualities we have in common, that is why we are meant for each other.
*Your witty and cool ( Just like me
* You’re a great dancer and singer (I’m not that over- confident)
*You love music, acting and Awww your family ( Me too I love my family and your family as well
* You love going online especially on twitter ( I hope one day you would also reply to my tweets @ SuperElmo)
You are someone who everybody looks up to not only because of your good looks but because you have a good heart. I will forever be your number 1 supporter but I could also be a stalker sometimes, joke If you get the chance to read this you will see that I am Truly 100% your number 1 fan.

I will never forget the day that you came to Iloilo because it was the day that another thing was added to the list of dreams I want to achieve, To meet & hug Elmo Magalona. I waited for 4 long straight hours to see your gorgeous face, I didn’t care that my butt was already aching because of sitting down for too long, it was all because of you. The emcee kept announcing “ Remember ladies & gentlemen, there will be a meet & greet so stay tune” when I heard those words, I felt as if an angel was sent from heaven. Fate brought us together. It was time for the show, when they said “ Now, let us welcome Elmo Magalona”, I couldn’t believe my eyes, you were stunning in that Red Striped Polo Shirt. I was mesmerized by your voice, well of course I couldn’t concentrate because of my constant screaming. The 2nd song that you sung was really true, “ It’s been cold summer nights since you left me Elmo, cold summer nights since we drifted part”. As usual when you are too excited for something such as the meet & greet, it could leave you disappointed which what happened to me. Due to the great number of people, they weren’t able to have the meet & greet, WHY O WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

I know Elmo one day we are going to officially meet but for now a simple illusion is one of the reasons why my day gets better & better. Remember that no matter what, we’ll stand by your side!
ElmoNatics

Another Justin Bieber? Say What?

Justin Bieber Finally Finds Fame... At Age 35!?

Here are some fun facts you didn't know about Justin Bieber: His biggest musical influence is Devo, and he's even been known to wear the red dome hat. Also, he's rocking a goatee these days. His wife has been surprisingly tolerant of the crazed young female fans clamoring to get his attention. And he doesn't seem at all bitter about not becoming famous till he was 35.

As you may have guessed by now, we're talking about a Justin Bieber whose voice has changed. This would be the Justin E. Bieber of Jacksonville, Florida, who has come out of the closet—the one where he was hiding from the phone, which rings day and night—to embrace his celebrity as the name-only doppelganger of the 16-year-old pop sensation.

What brought the nearly middle-aged Bieber out of hiding? It was the fact that Facebook deleted his account, without any warning, on the basis that he was using a fake name. Anyone who has ever had an account canceled or suspended by Facebook knows that you have a better chance of getting a personal meeting with the President than tracking down a human employee of Mark Zuckerberg who'll listen to your lament. As he told a Florida TV station, "I guess their policy is ban first, ask questions never." So Bieber took the only route available to him and publicized his plight with the press. It worked; Facebook contacted him after reading news accounts and apologetically conceded that he is a real person.

This Bieber constantly fields phone calls not just from giggling or screaming girls but people wanting to work with him. "Artists say, 'I am going to be working with you this weekend'," he told Florida's First Coast News. "I say, 'No, you're not. You don't want to sing with me.'"

Here's the weird thing in all of this: If you do a search on "Justin Bieber" on Facebook and click just on people employing that as their user name, you get more than 500 results. So how as it that all these Justin Bieber posers stay in the good graces of Facebook while a real Justin Bieber gets unceremoniously kicked off?

There's probably a good answer to that, even if Facebook won't discuss the issue. Nearly all of those other Justin Bieber accounts on Facebook are accompanied by pictures of the pop star—which is to say, obvious fan pages, presumably established by kids, even if they are incorrectly categorize under "people" and not "pages." But some overcautious Facebook flunky probably came across the photo of a demonstrably aged Justin Bieber and automatically thought: Child predator.

But the happily married Florida Bieber has no designs on anything more sinister than telling the world that there is one more JB out there, improbable as that name duplication might seem. In fact, searches of other social and business network sites turn up several adult Justin Biebers around the country, though none of them responded to our queries, perhaps wary of being dragged in to sing "Never Say Never" against their will on their own local Top 40 stations.

Although it took the interference of the press to get Jacksonville Justin restored to Facebook, he had an easier time convincing iTunes' new networking service, Ping to reinstate him after they also blocked his account.

On his Ping page, Bieber is wearing one of Devo's old trademark yellow Haz-mat-style suits. Maybe this is his chance to record his own iTunes anthem: "Q: Are We Not Boy Singers? A: We Are Beib-o!"

So far, despite a dilemma that some of us might imagine to be a living hell, the 35-year-old Bieber has refrained from knocking his 16-year-old counterpart. Maybe he's enjoying this sweet moment of fame; David Letterman's office has even contacted him about reading a Top 10 list on the show. But it would be interesting to know if before now Bieber has held onto his name with the same fierce justification as the "Michael Bolton" character in the classic comedy Office Space.

As you may recall, the Bolton in that movie opines that "there was nothing wrong with [that name], until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent [blankedy-blank] became famous and started winning Grammys." The Samir character asks. "Why don't you just go by Mike instead of Michael?" The anwswer: "No way! Why should I change? He's the one who sucks."

The day this Bieber says something along those lines is probably the day he not only changes his name but becomes eligible for the witness protection program.

* Just some piece of advice, when you are looking for Justin Bieber on your phonebook, just make sure he is the " Real" Justin Bieber, the one discovered in youtube by Usher not the Justin Bieber that's from Jacksonville, Florida, 35 & married. You might be disappointed!

I love you Ian Somerhalder!

Here is a little trivia about my love, Ian Somerhalder:

Began modeling at age 10, modeled for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabanna, Gucci, Versace and Guess

Modeled for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabanna,and Gucci. However, he doesn't like to talk about his modeling career because of the impressions people might get of him as being just another pretty face.

Played varsity soccer and baseball.

Ironically, the first actor to be cast as one of the survivors in "Lost" (2004).

In 2005, he bulked up, adding about 20 to 30 pounds of muscle to his slim frame, so he would be considered for more leading-man-type roles.

Has said in an interview he was planning to buy a home in Hawaii when filming the hit show "Lost" but couldn't after his character was killed off in the show.

He has a brother, Robert (Bob), and a sister. Their parents divorced when he was thirteen.

His father, Robert Somerhalder, was a building contractor of French and English descent, and his mother, Edna, who is of Irish and Choctaw descent, grew up on a pig farm in Mississippi.

Grew up with his mother, whom he has described as being "very spiritual".

Attended Catholic school.

The surname "Somerhalder" originates from his adoptive great-grandfather. His biological great-grandfather, a wealthy English landowner, got one of his mistresses pregnant and paid an immigrant worker of his to marry this woman and give the baby a name, which was Somerhalder. The biological great-grandfather's name was Hull.

Was compared to looking like "a young Rob Lowe" by Rosie O'Donnell on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

His personal biography:

The son of a massage therapist and a building contractor, Somerhalder was born and raised in the small southern town of Covington, LA. Boating, swimming, fishing and training horses filled much of his recreational time growing up, as did the school drama club and performing with the local theater group. With his mother's encouragement, at age 10 he began a modeling career that took him to New York each summer. By junior high, he opted to put modeling on the back burner and focus more on sports and school. A few years later, when the opportunity to model in Europe arose, Somerhalder grabbed it, embarking on an enriching path of work, travel and study that took him to cities including Paris, Milan and London. At 17, he began studying acting in New York, and by 19 had committed himself to the craft, working with preeminent acting coach William Esper. His fate was sealed while working as an extra in a club scene in the feature film _Black & White(1999)_. A talent manager visiting a client on the set spotted Somerhalder in a crowd scene of 400 and immediately signed him for representation. Happy to be anchored in New York, Somerhalder spends much of his time studying acting, writing and practicing yoga. His recreational interests include water and snow skiing and horseback riding.

Quotes from Ian himself:

[On his reasons for becoming an actor] "To explore different parts of yourself and different emotional lives....not to hide from who you are but to actually explore who you are".

I have a million acquaintances but just two or three true friends. I can't hide anything from them.

"I kind of think too much, I try do too many things at once." [On his biggest weakness]

"This program teaches people that it only takes a single unlucky moment to lead to tragedy, if you come into contact with one really messed up person, they can truly take your life away." [In regards to the Matthew Shepard killing and MTV's Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination campaign]

[About his co-star Maggie Grace] "She's hateable in Lost, but really she's the sweetest, most adorable thing on the planet."

His is now playing the hot Damon Salvatore in the hit television series Vampire Diaries so tune in every tuesday, 8 pm in ETC.

Ian, you take my breath away!

Bullying.. a worldwide epidemic..

Nine teenagers charged for bullying classmate who later committed suicide

Nine teenagers were charged on Monday, March 29 for the “unrelenting” bullying of a 15-year-old girl from Ireland who ended up killing herself after being raped and tormented for months in Northampton, Mass.

Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said that the teen, Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, had been stalked and tormented both in person and on-line since she had started school in September. Prince committed suicide on January 14.

"The investigation revealed relentless activities directed toward Phoebe to make it impossible for her to stay at school. The bullying for her was intolerable," Scheibel said.

There are six teens (four girls, two boys) who are facing charges including statutory rape, assault, criminal harassment, violation of civil rights resulting in injury and stalking. The other three who were charged in Prince’s case are younger teenage girls who will now face charges of delinquency.

Even though Phoebe Prince’s school officials were aware of the bullying none of them will face any charges. Scheibel also stated that, "The actions of these students were primarily conducted on school grounds during school hours and while school was in session."

District Attorney Scheibel said that Phoebe’s family has since moved away from the area in western Massachusetts and spoke on their behalf.

"The Prince family has asked that the public refrain from vigilantism in favor of allowing the judicial system an opportunity to provide a measure of justice for Phoebe," according to Sheibel.



Bullies often bully students who are lonely. They do it over and over, but the students usually don't tell anybody they are being bullied because they are afraid of the bullies.

These students don't know how to stop the bullies and are very unhappy. Some don't see a solution and don't want to be bullied any more, so they decide to commit suicide.

A 14-year-old girl in Canada was bullied all the time by three girls in her class. The girls even called her on the telephone to bully her. She was afraid to stand up to them and never told anyone about the situation. She was miserable and didn't want to be bullied again, so she killed herself.

A 14-year-old boy in Canada was also bullied a lot. He was miserable, but he did not talk to anyone either. Finally, he wrote a note to his parents. He told them that he was scared of the bullies and didn't know what to do. Then he jumped off a bridge.

In England, a 13-year-old girl was bullied because she was very tall. She was scared of the bullies, but she also never told anybody what the bullies was doing. She was so unhappy that she committed suicide.

These young students were lonely and unhappy. They did not know how to stop the bullies, so they killed themselves. We need to notice when students are victims and desperate. Then we can help them before they decide to commit suicide.


DESIRE' NICOLE DREYER

Cheer Angel 2006
Born April 3, 1989 / Died January 18, 2006
by Suicide / Depression
Reflections by Donna Dreyer, Desire's mom:

"My daughter, Desire' Dreyer attended Glen Este High School in Amelia, Ohio. She was a varsity cheerleader, had a personality that we all only wish we could possess, had a smile that would take your breath away, had a heart of gold and had more friends than any of us will ever have in this lifetime. But on a cold wintery day, January 18, 2006 she took her own life, the day I died inside. She was being bullied by a group of girls from her school. When we moved to Amelia Ohio four years ago, my daughter had a few issues with the move, but she seemed to have adjusted when she started making new friends, made the cheerleading squad and met a young man, the boyfriend of her dreams.

But there were a few girls that just could not leave well enough alone.

My daughter had a few health issues, sometimes her and her boyfriend fought, sometimes we fought about the usual teenage stuff, (her staying out to late, keeping her grades up), the bullies teased her about these things, they even harassed her about having it all, (meaning she had a loving family, nice home, was a varsity cheerleader and a handsome boyfriend, (a running back for the varsity football team). These girls threw things at her in classrooms (while the teachers turned their heads and walked out of the classroom), chased her into the girl’s restrooms at school and told her if "it" didn't happen inside of school it would outside of school. There were other incidents of a group of girls that followed her home from Homecoming in 2005 and threatened her in front of our house. The bullies even went as far as to be waiting on her one night when the school bus she was on (the cheerleaders had to ride the bus to away football games) arrived back at her High School. They followed her to a local restaurant and surrounded her car. My daughter called the police from her cell phone.

This is the kind of bullying my daughter had to endure. While I knew of some of these issues, I did not know the extent of the bullying. I was told by the small school principal that the problem was taken care of, only to find out the group of girls did not stop. My daughter did not want to go to school, her grades dropped drastically, she became severely depressed. I did not know that the bullying was the cause; if only I had known then what I know now, if only I had known that all the signs she portrayed were signs of being bullied, which lead her to depression, which in turn led her to suicide.

The school has tried to brush this under the rug since the day she took her life. They told the students at the school they were not allowed to take the day off for her funeral. They told the students they could show no signs that my daughter even existed. (For example, some students had written Desire's name on the back window of their cars, had dog tags made up with her picture and name on them - the students were told that if they had her name on their car windows they would not be allowed to park in the school parking lot. They were told to remove the dog tags). The school will not even allow us to place a bench on school property in Desire’s memory, but there are other benches, trees, shadow boxes, etc at the school for all other students that have passed away.

The only time we have spoken with any of the school personnel is when my husband and I approached the Board of Education. They never once approached us regarding any of the bullying that was going on at the school. We feel as if they just want to brush the whole bullying issue under the rug and move on. They don’t have the decency to admit to the public that they should have taken appropriate action against the bullies, instead they gave them a slap on their hands and sent them back to class with my daughter, the same classes my daughter begged them to remove her from but they would not.

The West Clermont School District has initiated a program called the Olweus Bullying Program. The program is geared towards training school personnel and students how to handle bullying situations. Although, I strongly believe that this program will not work if school personnel, students and parents do not play a major role.

I just wish for a half of a second the school administration and the bullies could see how it feels to be in my shoes, to make yourself get out of bed everyday by the grace of God and go into Desire’s bed room just to hope that maybe, just maybe this has all been a bad dream, but then only to see that she is not there. Our house is so empty, her laughter that was once is no more, quite often I find I cannot take the silence. There is a heavy weight that is a constant on my shoulders. I die inside over and over everyday. I see her and think about her in everything I say and do. There is no rhyme or reasoning left in my life. Things that mattered before don't even have a place in my life anymore. The only thing that keeps me going at this point is I know that some day I will see her again".

* I could share a lot more stories about teenagers who committed suicide because of bullying but I think you get the point. This has become a worldwide epidemic but my only question is when will this ever end? How many kids still have to die until the school or even the government makes a move. WHEN? WHEN? I hope the answer will be... NOW!