To protect the Apple iPad, Waterfield Designs, A manufacturer of bags and cases, submitted the protective line for the Apple iPad. There are four models available to meet different consumer preferences. continue reading

I launched several news websites already but I failed to maintain them. Now, I created again a new one. But this time it is already hosted on my existing blog. You can find it at http://selaplana.com/news/ and I called it SELaplana News.

I think, I will be successful on creating this new website because in the first place it shares the status of my SELaplana Make Money Online blog.

Please check the site.

The Philippines is outwardly patriarchal but inwardly matriarchal. While machismo is very evident, and there’s a lot to improve in how our society looks at women in general, and there are a lot of laws that still reek of chauvinism and double standard, our mothers, our wives and our women have power unlike women in other countries. Women in our society have always had informal power (in terms of influence and being “the power behind the throne”). But we’ve had women hold formal power as well. For example, while Hillary Clinton came close to the Presidency of the United States, we’ve had two women hold the post in our country.

Not bad for a “young” democracy.

During the Spanish period, women joined the underground resistance movement KATIPUNAN in the struggle against colonialism. They fought alongside the men and acquired significant political skills and know-how. Such struggle enabled women to go beyond the traditional roles (i.e of homemaker and caregiver) which the highly patriarchal Spanish regime had imposed upon them.

The list of prominent Filipino women in history include Gabriela Silang, Gregoria de Jesus, Agueda Kahabagan, Teresa Magbanua, Melchora Aquino, Trinidad Tecson among others. These women did not only attend to the sick and wounded or solicit food and money for the revolution; they also served in the more dangerous tasks of transmitting messages and hiding documents. A few actually fought and reached the rank of general in the revolutionary army.

CONTINUE READING The 10 Women That Changed Philippine History in angperegrino.com

This piece was inspired by The Art of Manliness article on The Greatest Self Made Men in American History.

I realized that this is such a great topic and very difficult to pass up.

While I have attempted some semblance of order in listing down the 10 men; I have found the list grow. There are other notables and men worthy of mention, but in the interest of whittling down the list to just ten men, I have decided to let go of some other really good candidates and focus on these instead. This is a “live” list and by mentioning these ten, I do not endorse them in any way (the ones alive and still in politics anyway). May this be the beginning of a discussion on who ought to be there and who should not be part of the list. Give me your comments below. I’m sure you have your own strong opinions about them.

I have also not listed them in order (i.e. #1 is not “better” or more “self made” than #10), but have tried to list them down to the best of my ability. So bear with the seeming randomness of the list.

10) President Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957)

Ramon Magsaysay is probably one of the most popular persons to hold the office of President of the Philippines. He held office from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957.

He was born in Iba, Zambales on August 31, 1907 to Exequiel Magsaysay, a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro, a schoolteacher. He entered the University of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at Jose Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a baccalaureate in commerce. He then worked as an automobile mechanic and shop superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine army.

When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For three years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill’s famed guerrilla outfit and saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese prior to the landing of American liberation forces together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops on Jan. 29, 1945.

In early August 1950 he offered then President Quirino a plan to fight the Communist guerillas, using his own experiences in guerrilla warfare during World War II. After some hesitation, Quirino realized that there was no alternative and appointed Magsaysay Secretary of National Defence on August 31, 1950. He intensified the campaign against the Hukbalahap guerillas, waging one of the most successful anti-guerrilla campaigns in modern history. This success was due in part to the unconventional methods he employed and developed alongside an American adviser, General Edward Lansdale. The counterinsurgency the two deployed utilized soldiers distributing relief goods and other forms of aid to outlying, provincial communities. Where before Magsaysay the rural folk looked on the Philippine Army if not in distrust, at least with general apathy, during his term as Defense Secretary Filipinos began to respect and admire their soldiers.

In the Election of 1953, Magsaysay was decisively elected president over Quirino. He was sworn into office wearing the Barong Tagalog, a first by a Philippine president.

Ramon Magsaysay commanded the admiration, respect and affection of people because he was a simple, humble man; because he cared for all people as individuals and believed in their dignity and importance; and because he had the courage of his convictions. His objective was to improve the lot of his fellow Filipinos and he approached the task with selfless devotion. He was convinced that government, to last and to be sound, must have integrity and reflect the will of the people.

On March 16, 1957 Magsaysay left Manila for Cebu City where he spoke at three educational institutions. That same night, at about 1 a.m., he boarded the presidential plane “Mt. Pinatubo”, a C-47, heading back to Manila. In the early morning hours of March 17, his plane was reported missing. It was late in the afternoon that day that newspapers reported that the airplane had crashed on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu and that 25 of the 26 passengers and crew aboard were killed. Only newspaperman Néstor Mata survived. Vice President Carlos P. García assumed the presidency to serve out the last eight months of Magsaysay’s term.

An estimated 2 million people attended Magsaysay’s burial on March 22, 1957, a testament to how well loved Magsaysay is by the people.

9) Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983)

Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was a former Philippine senator, governor, vice governor and mayor and a leader of the opposition to the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. He was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (now named the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor) upon returning home from exile in the United States. His death catapulted his widow, Corazon Aquino, to the limelight and subsequently to the presidency, replacing the 20-year-old Marcos regime.

He was no stranger to Philippine politics. He came from a family that had been involved with some of the country’s political heavyweights. His grandfather served under President Aguinaldo while his father held office under Presidents Manuel L. Quezon and Jose P. Laurel.

But Ninoy exceeded his predecessors. He became the youngest municipal mayor in the country at age 22, and the nation’s youngest vice-governor at 27. He became governor of Tarlac province in 1961 at age 29, then secretary-general of the Liberal Party in 1966. In 1967 he made history by becoming the youngest elected senator in the country’s history at age 34. He was the only member of the Liberal Party who made it to the senate despite the powerful Marcos political juggernaut. He was inevitably singled out by Marcos and his allies as their greatest threat. In 1968, during his first year in the Upper House, Aquino warned that Marcos was on the road to establishing “a garrison state” by “ballooning the armed forces budget”, saddling the defense establishment with “overstaying generals” and “militarizing our civilian government offices”–all these caveats were uttered barely four years before martial law.

In so many ways Aquino challenged the Marcos regime, chipping away at its monolithic facade. His most celebrated speech, insolently entitled “A Pantheon for Imelda”, was delivered on February 10, 1969, and assailed the first lady’s first extravagant project, the P50 million Cultural Center, which he dubbed “a monument to shame”. An outraged President Marcos called Aquino “a congenital liar”. The First Lady’s friends angrily accused Aquino of being “ungallant”. These so-called “fiscalization” tactics of Aquino quickly became his trademark in the senate. During his tenure as senator, he was selected by the Philippine Free Press magazine as one of the nation’s most outstanding senators. His achievements at such a young age earned him the moniker “Wonder Boy” of Philippine politics.

Surveys during those times showed that he was the number one choice for President after President Marcos since Marcos by law was prohibited to serve another term. It was not meant to be however, because Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972. Ninoy however continued his filibustering and continued speaking about the truth until he was imprisoned for treason.

Because of a heart ailment, he was allowed to go to the United States for a by-pass operation and eventually self exiled.

Deciding to return to Manila on August 21, 1983, he was assassinated as he descended from his plane at the former Manila International Airport, now named in his memory. About two million people attended the funeral of the late senator from Sto. Domingo Church to Manila Memorial Park.

The tide had turned. And freedom is at hand.

Continue reading The 10 Greatest Self-Made Men in Philippine History in angperegrino.com.

Some days I can’t help but think about politics.

Philippine Politics is dirty. There’s no argument in that. Philippine Politics is a circus – again no argument there.

One political ad caught my boyfriend’s attention and he said ” Sunud-sunod na ang administration- opposition cycle. Pag di gusto ng isang grupo ang administrasyon, oposisyon sila. Pag nanalo ang oposisyon, administrasyon na sila. Eh di ba ang administrasyon, oposisyon dati?”

READ ON…

The drop on prices of DLSRs made everyone wants to have one. Lately, I’ve noticed people carrying/ wearing their DLSRs around like a fashion accessory. You’d see people shooting inside malls, while dining and even while drinking coffee. Has the DSLR fad gone too much?

I had a couple of conversations with a friend about how people are so crazy with these cameras that they’d take it anywhere with them.

READ ON…

Online tabloid Pinoy Parazzi ran this controversial story by publishing a photo of lovers Angelica Panganiban and Derek Ramsay.

The controversial photo shows Angelica Panganiban Grabbing something inside the shorts of BF Derek Ramsay. continue reading

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Getting Beta Keys for Hon (Heroes of Newerth) BETA Keys) is easy. There’s quite a number of sites that’ll give away HoN Beta Keys and invites readily.

One such contest is Atma Xplorer’s Heroes of Newerth BETA Key giveaway!

All you need to do is post a comment on why you want to get the Heroes of Newerth Beta Key, and Subscribe to the feeds. It’s that EASY!

Read the full details:

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I haven’t been listening to music for a while ( haven’t been watching the TV too ). Tonight I reminisce the music I grew up with.

READ ON…