Philippine Earthquake survivors still under search and operation

Rescuers in the Philippines dug through rubble with shovels and their bare hands Tuesday after a powerful earthquake triggered landslides, collapsed homes and killed dozens of people.

The 6.8-magnitude quake hit a narrow strait between the heavily populated islands of Negros and Cebu around lunchtime Monday with more than 200 aftershocks, some nearly as strong, causing further panic throughout the day.

Local military chiefs said 43 people were confirmed killed, but officials warned the death toll may rise. Dozens of others are feared injured or missing with landslides having blocked roads for rescuers in mountainous areas.

"Heavy equipment we've requested from the provincial government has not arrived yet, because the roads and bridges are impassable," said Senior Inspector Alvin Futalan, police chief of Guihulngan town on Negros that was among the most heavily damaged.

"We are using our hands and shovels to search in the rubble," he told AFP.

Thirty-nine people were reported killed in Guihulngan, a coastal city of 100,000 people flanked by mountains that was close to the quake's epicentre.

The city's public market, court house and private homes in the area had collapsed or were damaged, while landslides buried some houses completely, according to Fatulan.

He said the city's overwhelmed 42-man police rescue squad had been joined by hundreds of army troops and volunteers in clearing debris as they raced against time to find people still believed missing.

"The army (troops) had to walk about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the last stop reachable by vehicle to reach us," Fatulan said.

Guihulngan is about 90 kilometres to the north of Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental province that covers the southeastern edge of Negros where the worst impacts of the quake were felt.

With rescuers still to reach remote hinterland communities, Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo said he feared there could be more unreported casualties.

"Sadly, we expect the death could still rise," Degamo told AFP.

Degamo said telephone communications in some parts were also cut off, leaving information from remote regions unobtainable.

He said the public was still in a state of shock and fearful of returning to their homes after dozens of aftershocks.

"We've also had to stop our search efforts from time to time and run to safety because of the aftershocks," he said.

Cebu, the Philippines' second biggest city with 2.3 million residents and a popular tourist destination, was 50 kilometres from the epicentre and shook violently during the initial tremor but no deaths were reported there.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" -- a belt around the Pacific Ocean where friction between shifting tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Balanga eyes P500-M scholarship fund

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — In another laudable step towards boosting its education program for the poor, Mayor Joet S. Garcia has revealed that his administration will raise P500-million for the Balanga City University Foundation.

The new revelation on scholarship program of Mayor Garcia drew applause from the jampacked Lou-is restaurant where the employees of the provincial capitol were celebrating their Christmas program.

This is the first time an education program for poor but deserving students was launched in Balanga and comes at a time when tuition fees and other school expenditures are rising uncontrollably.

An information technology expert and former professor before joining local politics, Garcia pointed out that they will target to raise the P500 million in the next five years even as he appealed to Good Samaritans, business sectors and other individuals to help them raise the amount for the sake of the poor students of Bataan.

The young mayor is a son of Gov. Enrique “Tet” Garcia and younger brother of Bataan 2nd district Rep. Abet S. Garcia who have expressed all-out support for the scholarship program.

So far, Mayor Garcia said Balanga spends at least P12-million yearly for its scholarship program while the provincial government and Representative Garcia also provide P72-million yearly for the program.

Under the scheme, Mayor Garcia pointed out the amount raised for the foundation and the scholarship program will be invested in a trust fund to enable it to earn more for the benefit of more scholars.

“We are expecting that the fund will earn more or less P50 million a year, then the amount borrowed from sponsors will in turn be also returned to them after 10 years,” said Mayor Garcia.

“Maraming generous individual at businessmen na gustong tumulong sa ating scholarship program dahil alam rin nila na para ito sa mga mahihirap na gustong mag-aral na bata,” said Garcia.

Mayor Garcia was also the architect for the successful establishment of the recently opened Galeria Victoria Mall, the biggest commercial establishment put up in Balanga.

The Mall was put up by businessman and construction magnate Jerry Acuzar, a native of this city, through the Public Private Partnership program of the government.

Mayor Garcia said the city spent nothing on the Mall but will earn millions of pesos in rentals.

Meanwhile, when Governor Enrique “Tet” Garcia started initiating various improvements and upgrading efforts in the once neglected Bataan General Hospital (BGH), critics started looking for loopholes in the initiatives.

However, this did not prevent Governor Garcia from pursuing the improvements of BGH in the interest of the public service.

“The problem with our political opponents is that every time I introduced upgrading and other forms of improvement in the BGH in our bid to further serve the patients, our critics will always hit us back simply because this (efforts of mine) will further add to our political stock while their (political foes) will also certainly wane,” said Garcia.

Garcia said he will continue to seek improvements for the BGH in the face of criticism to help the public, particularly badly sick patients.

During a recent meeting between the governor and the personnel of the government-owned BGH, it was agreed that the head of BGH, Dr. Ria Baltazar, is incorruptible and a determined worker when it comes to helping patients, but is severely hampered by the deeply divided politics of its employees.

BGH doctors, nurses, and office staff have all signified to work for unity and the interest of hospital patients and the general public..

“We have to wake up not for our own interest but for the public good,” Garcia told the personnel.

The governor’s remarks came after a doctor was accused of allegedly “pirating” patients here and forcibly bringing them to her own private hospital where she can charge them with exorbitant professional fees, among others.

“Sinasabi nila, politika lang daw pag may nagagawa tayong mabuti. Natural lalakas ang political stock natin, samantalang ang mga kalaban natin ay wala; nasasagasaan at insecured nga sila,” said Garcia whose speech was several times disrupted by applause from the personnel. (Mar T. Supnad)

Couple get laid! Lust or Last?

To witness this kind of scenario over the train is not new to me. Once again, just recently a new eye popping Filipino couple are kissing intimately onboard at SMRT. I was so pissed and being destructed to see people making out in public.

Ok let's give them a break! let say you can't take it anymore but where the heck on earth you can see such things that couple are doing this in public transport. OMG! Asan na ang sinasabing Maria Clara? I believe that they are not couple they are more likely to me a lovers! A lovers that has their own family wayback in the Philippines!

Come'n You are not teenager to do that intimacy in public! For god sake give yourself a damn face...

I have no idea what are on their mind, are they really in love with each other or it is just a leisure and lust!

I don't give any care to what this guys are doing but hello! There are CHILDREN or underage on board, be a role model pls!

It is not good to hear from other races na pinagtatawanan nila ang ibang Pinoy here in abroad, pero paano natin masisisi kung ganyan ang ipinapakita natin in public!

From the way i look at them, they are not couple! What's your POV guys.... wanna share some thoughts?

Batang Balanga Headline News : Genesis get into another accident

Another tragic incident happened on 18 of April 2011 when a Genesis public transport collided with a tricycle along Roman Super Highway.

The incident happened around 2' o'clock in the afternoon and people are all shocked with the incident that attract and call the attention of all the people passing by.

According to witnesses, the tricycle are taking a U-turn and didn't notice the incoming public bus and hit the tricycle badly.

There are 4 people confirmed dead during the incident and investigation are still on going.

I personally saw this incident that day and all of us are shocked from what we've seen. A man crashed under the Genesis Bus are totally wrecked. And on the other side of the road is the tricycle with a 2 man turned upside down. Far the distance is a beheaded little kid.

I personally feel pity to all those people in the accident!

A walk to remember - Ang luma kong tsinelas

Malayo man daw ang marating, babalik at babalik ka rin!


Mahaba haba na rin ang serbisyo sa akin ng kasangga ko na to. More or less 3 years na rin nya akong hinatid sa mga destinasyon ng aking buhay.

Kahit sa huling sandali ng kanyang serbisyo sa akin sinigurado nya parin na makararating ako ng maayos sa aking pupuntahan. Mahaba habang biyahe ang aming nilakbay. Sakay, lakad, sakay at lakad yan ang aming naging routine sa tuwing kami'y magkasama.

Tandang tanda ko pa nung unang lumapat ang aking mga paa sa kanyang apakan at kahit medyo may kaluwagan ng kaunti naramdaman kong komportable ako sa kanyang lambot at tibay. Ilang bagyo na rin ang aming nalampasan, at ilang matinding takbuhan at lakaran na rin ang aming pinagdaanan.

Nanatiling matibay at matatag ang aking kasangga, kaya naman sa tuwing may pagkakataon hinahayaan ko lang syang magpahinga.

Salamat kasangga ko, sa tatlong taong paninilbihan bilang panlaban ko sa init ng lupa at basang lansangan. Sa bawat araw na suot kita sa aking mga paa alam kong ako'y nasa mabuting daan.

Ngayong ako'y iniwan mo na mananatili kang magandang alaala sa akin salamat sa matapat mong serbisyo sa akin.

Travelling back

After a 3 days overseas work in Malaysia, finally my bags are all packed and waiting for my flight to Singapore.

Taking a flight AK0715 of Air Asia your dear blogger will be seated at 15C respectively. A short journey will take me to Singapore with a positive result of my work. Within my stay in Malaysia i can say that there's a lot of new things that we need to learn from. And new experience and exposure will gives you an additional growth within our personality.

Working under the heat of the sun, i personally experience how difficult it is. Now i know that those people working in a construction site, laborer and work alike should not be judged according to their type of work.

I can say that my trip to Malaysia is such a good experience; not only for my personal working experience but the additional growth that it gives on my personality.

Dealing with other people is one of the most important thing that i learned. Not limited from communicating to those people that i don't even know their names up to speaking their local dialects just to get along with them.

One more important thing that i learned from that trip is additional confidence; A confidence that i acquired during my stay away from my homeland and working ground.

I can say that this is one of the memorable experience to me, not just because i learned a lot of new things but because this is the first time i work overseas alone.

I am going back to Singapore with a positive result and i am proud to say that my overseas trip is consider as a JOB WELL DONE!

Tortugas Bridge Finally done, but still....

Yes, the title says it all! Tortugas bridge was finally done and open for public after an almost a year of re-construction! And of course it will not be happen without the help of the local government of the City of Balanga.

The inauguration of the said bridge was held on 25th of September 2010 lead by the Governor of Bataan Hon. Tet Garcia and Mayor Joet Garcia together with the City Councilor of Balanga.

It is such a big help to all the residents of Barangay Tortugas especially to all those "Biyaheros" - the person who delivers "Bagoong" to other places and to those who used this bridge as a main source of transportation to cross over to the other barrio and to those who used this bridge for their businesses.

But there's one thing that I've observe on that bridge. The fact that this bridge is too slope for the motorist and i have a doubt that not all motorist will easily drive through this bridge, and i proved it correct!

Motorists are struggling to drive up to the bridge, especially those who drive an old motorcycles and those who are riding a bicycles like the one in the picture. Imagine how the lady struggle to drive to that bridge? And she still needs to go down and push her bicycle instead.

I hope that the city government of balanga and the local government of tortugas do something to eliminate or even ease or lessen the difficulties of the driver who used that bridge as a main source of transportation.

Nevertheless, this step by the local and city government shows that they are willing to help the people of the city and the people living in the barrios by providing them a service that will benefits the residents and the people going to Barangay Tortugas. Since the bridge was already open, expect the visitors of Tortugas Baypark to boom and to increased as per normal.

I know that in the end of the day, if the city government tried to re-construct the bridge and make it slightly lower from the main road it would be better for all the travelers who wants to travel in and out from the beautiful barrio of Tortugas.