TOPICS FOR IMPROMPTU SPEECH

1
2 #Duterte: the cursing president
3
4 #Vacation or staycation? GMAIIIIIL
5
6 #Kate Spade

Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan (December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018), known
professionally as Kate Spade and Kate Valentine,[1][2][3] was an American fashion
designer and businesswoman. She was the founder and former co-owner of the designer
brand Kate Spade New York.

iconic designer Kate Spade built a multimillion-dollar brand by making

handbags fun.
A housekeeper found Spade dead in her Manhattan apartment on June 5, 2018. Her death
was ruled a suicide by hanging.[25] Police reported she had left a note addressed to her
daughter

Kate's unfortunate passing serves as a reminder that mental health

problems do not discriminate. Concerns can arise regardless of your
background, status, career, or gender and need to be taken seriously.
Specifically, regardless of your successes, you can still be susceptible
to mental health concerns. Further, money and fame will not buffer
serious mental health illnesses. Kate was not alone in her struggle,
and her loss sparks a much-needed conversation for mental health
awareness.

be there for someone before its too late

Depression doesn’t take into account gender, race, age, or social status because
depression can affect anyone from all walks of life. Pain and suffering is
ubiquitous. Symptoms of depression can lead to suicide, and it can happen to anyone.

Life is full of challenges and celebrations. If you’re unhappy, turn to your supports or seek
professional help because suicide is permanent and unhappiness is a temporary state of
being.
7 #traffic
Traffic Congestion in Metro Manila
One big problem that the Philippines faces aside from poverty and corruption is traffic
congestion. It is an expensive problem, especially in Metro Manila. Everyday, billions
of pesos are lost due to the traffic congestion which happens everyday. Not only
money is lost, but people who commute going to work lose time that could have been
used to earn money, and energy. When people get to work, they are already tired
which results to a less productive workforce. Public Utility Vehicles are said to be the
cause of traffic, but what really is causing congestion is the volume of vehicles in
Metro Manila and the lack of discipline of people. To solve the problem at hand,
Metro Manila needs a reliable mass transport system, disciplined people, and more
efficient laws and law enforcers.

The transportation system in the Philippines is inefficient and it is not enough to

accommodate the number of people commuting everyday. Buses, jeeps, and taxis
seem to ignore the traffic laws and regulations. Buses act like small cars and seem to
not mind other vehicles, jeeps load and unload anywhere, taxi drivers do not drive
safely and demand high prices whenever the traffic is heavy. Most of the drivers drive
recklessly, putting them and the passengers at risk. Last year, a number of problems
came up with the LRT/MRT, but that did not stop people from using it despite the
number of accidents that happened. The government did something about the
LRT/MRT, they increased the prices for better maintenance but nothing much has
been done about the jeeps, taxis, and buses. In progressive countries, a lot of people
commute, even rich people commute but that is because they have a reliable mass
transport system. In order for the Philippines to have a reliable system, it has to start
with the government. The government has to do something effective that will
accommodate the people and at the same time discipline the people.

Drivers in the Philippines are not very disciplined. Traffic is caused not only by the
volume of vehicles in Metro Manila, but also by drivers who load, unload, and park
anywhere and people who just do not seem to care. The traffic enforcers also do not
apprehend people who load and unload anywhere. The Philippines is said to be one of
the countries with the worst drivers and bad driving leads to less safety and order on
the road. People need to be disciplined so that the roads will be safer to drive on and
so that the system will be more orderly.

There are too many vehicles in Metro Manila and something is being done about it
but it seems to be ineffective. The color coding scheme is implemented but the
problem is, it does not stop a lot of people from going out. Other people use their
other cars, thus not making a big difference in the flow of traffic. Another contributor
to traffic is the people. Aside from the people not following the rules and regulations
are the traffic enforcers. Traffic enforcers are not strict with the laws, and sometimes
they let people get away if they are bribed. People wonder why the country does not
progress, however they too are a contributing factor as to why the country is the way
it is now but not to worry, traffic in Metro Manila can be solved. If other countries
 were able to do it, then the Philippines also has the ability to do it. The government
has to invest in improving the transportation system as it will help everyday people,
lessen air pollution, and lessen money loss everyday due to traffic congestion.

8 #Dengvaxia

Dengue is a viral infection found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide [1]. It
is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease [2]. During the past five
decades, the global incidence of dengue has risen 30-fold, with the disease now
endemic in more than 100 countries [1,2].

The Philippine Department of Health, in late November 2017, temporarily suspended

a school-based dengue vaccination program after French drug based vaccine maker
Sanofi Pasteur made a statement that its product poses higher risks to people without
prior dengue infection. Wikipedia

Sanofi, one of the biggest multinational pharmaceutical companies, developed the

world’s first dengue vaccine - Dengvaxia. The vaccine is now approved in 19 countries
and was used in vaccination campaigns in Philippines, involving more than 800 000
school children [4,5].

Dengue is a viral infection spread mainly by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito,
which is widespread around the Southern Hemisphere. Symptoms include fever,
headache, and pain in joints and muscles

ate last November 2017, Sanofi reported that post-marketing research had showed
something that a number of dengue experts had long feared: The vaccine appeared to
raise the risk of severe disease in children who were vaccinated before they’d had a
dengue infection.v

Doh suspended the vaccination program based in schools

its statement, pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur reported concerns that

Filipinos, mostly schoolchildren, could potentially be at risk of a more severe disease,
where the recipient of the vaccine had not had a previous dengue infection. On

The DOH's data as of September 2018 showed that 19 out of 154 children who died
after receiving at least one dose of Dengvaxia, had dengue despite the vaccination.
 Of these 154 deaths are "the first 62 deaths” examined by the University of the
Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Dengue Investigative Task Force (PGH-DITF)
expert panel. They found one was "consistent with causal association to
immunization," which means the patient's death occurred within 30 days and thus
could be related to the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Nevertheless, experts said the vaccine may only be “possibly related” and further
studies over the next few years will be needed to establish it.

THE Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas called on the public to still trust
other vaccines given by the government for free despite the Dengvaxia scare.

"We appealed to the parents not to create fear among themselves by still submitting
their children to the government's immunization program whether in health centers
or schools," Reyes told SunStar Bacolod, adding that aside from anti-dengue, "we still
have other existing vaccines that are proven to be effective and safe."

The government also provides vaccines, including those for polio, measles, tetanus
diphtheria, 5N1, and BCG for tuberculosis, among others.

Let us not generalize the Dengvaxia issue, not all vaccines are similar to that of anti-
dengue," she added.
9 #Marawi

Marawi is a beautiful area in Mindanao with the beautiful lake populated by

Maranao people, most of them Muslims.

The Battle of Marawi (Filipino: Labanan sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi
siege (Filipino: Pagkubkob sa Marawi)[42] and the Marawi crisis (Filipino: Krisis
sa Marawi),[43] was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Lanao del Sur,
that started on 23 May 2017, between Philippine government security
forcesand militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),
including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups.[44] The battle also
became the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.[31]
 The Battle for Marawi took a heavy toll on infrastructure and private property in
the city quarter where the battle was concentrated. At one point, over 200,000
of the civilian population evacuated to neighboring cities and towns such as
Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, and Lanao Norte coastal towns at the start of
hostilities.Mateo, Mateo

The battle left the city in ruins[210] with 95 percent of the structures within the 4
square kilometres (1.5 sq mi) of the main battle area to be heavily damaged or
completely collapsed. 3,152 buildings were completely destroyed and 2,145
buildings were partially to heavily damaged due to the five-month heavy
bombardment during the war.[

repeatedly gave honor to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation
of the city.

“Let us ensure that their heroisms are not in vain. Beyond our bravery, beyond
our honor, beyond our strength, we showed the world what our nation – united
in a common cause – is truly capable of. Now more than ever, we must
continue to stand firm and stand united” General Galvez said.

The AFP Chief said that the Filipino people should remain steadfast and united
in a common cause to root out all forms of violent extremism and terrorism.

"Let the heroes of Marawi inspire us all to achieve total victory over violent
extremism and terrorism. Let their sacrifices remind us of the true value of our
freedom. Let us never forget Marawi,” General Galvez concluded.
10
11
12 #Grab

How Grab became a major transport provider in Philippines

posted January 05, 2019 at 07:50 pm by Roderick T. dela Cruz
A Malaysian technology company which came to the Philippines in 2013 turned into
the largest transport service provider in the country in a span of five years.
Grab, which was established by young Malaysian businessman Anthony Tan as “My
Teksi” app, jolted the transport sector across Southeast Asia, generated thousands of
jobs and forced traditional taxi cabs to become more efficient.
From the transport sector, Grab is now expanding its reach to include food delivery,
logistics and payment solutions.

althou ight now grab company is faving a lot of issues regarding its saftiness
double rates or overcharing of fare, unjutifeid booking cancellations
13 #depression
14
15 #mass transport system

EVERY morning between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., thousands of commuters line a five-
kilometer stretch of the Aguinaldo Highway through the cities of Imus and Bacoor in
Cavite, waiting in vain for transportation to jobs, classes, or other activities in Metro
Manila.

Due to a critical lack of public transportation vehicles—buses, commuter vans,

jeepneys, and even taxis—some commuters wait up to two hours for a ride, and if
they’re lucky enough to find one, they are forced to endure two hours or more of
traffic congestion in cramped conditions, as the sheer number of passengers obliges
every driver to overload his vehicle.

That is just one location of doze

ublic transportation has been a complete mess in this country

for years, and contributes mightily to the bigger problem of
traffic congestion that chokes about P2 billion per day in lost
productivity out of the national economy. The reason for that
is so simple that one must question the competence of a
couple of generations of government officials for not
recognizing it: Transportation planning and policy in the
Philippines has always focused solely on the movement of
vehicles, not people.

Most often than not, many Filipinos would admit that public
transportation in the Philippines nowadays is ineffective in the
mission it wants to achieve.

In conclusion, transportation in the Philippines remains chaotic and

disorganized. There are needs for reforms and upgrades in light of the
numerous challenges to overcome which require serious consideratio
16 #Titas of Manila
17
18 #Ketogenic diet
19 #NFA rice
20
21 #Boracay
22 #Philippines: 3rd happiest country

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 2) — Filipinos can smile at this

survey result: the Philippines is the third happiest country in the world.
In the 41st global annual survey conducted by Gallup International, the
Philippines ranked third in the top ten happiest countries in 2017, with a net
happiness score of +84. This is five notches higher than the 2016 score,
which also put the country in third place.
At the top is Fiji (+92), followed by Colombia (+87).
The survey was done among 55 countries in October to December 2017.
It’s more fun in the Philippines because Filipinos often smile without any
reason and it’s contagious. They have the natural sense of happiness which
makes tourists love the Philippines and the people as well.”

23
24
25
26 #MRT7
The Metro Manila Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) promises a better
transportation system in the next years as it began its construction last April

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is

spearheading the project which shall start from North Avenue, Quezon City,
to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Are you excited for this? Here’s what the information you need to know
about the project:

MRT 7 Fast Facts

According to DOTC, the 22.8-kilometer MRT-7 shall be completed by August

2019. The new train can carry over 28,000 passengers an hour in each
direction, up to 36,000 passengers an hour. Every day, it can accommodate
up to 350, 000 passengers which can ease the cause of traffic along the
area, railway-technology.com said.
September 10, 2017

Things you need to know about the MRT-7

HOME

Tips & Guides

The Metro Manila Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) promises a better

transportation system in the next years as it began its construction last April

NO LONGER THE LAST STOP. Once completed, the MRT-7 will be linked to
the MRT-3. People will then be able to travel all the way to Bulacan by
rail./IMAGE Wikimedia Commons

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is

spearheading the project which shall start from North Avenue, Quezon City,
to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Are you excited for this? Here’s what the information you need to know
about the project:

MRT 7 Fast Facts

According to DOTC, the 22.8-kilometer MRT-7 shall be completed by August

2019. The new train can carry over 28,000 passengers an hour in each
direction, up to 36,000 passengers an hour. Every day, it can accommodate
up to 350, 000 passengers which can ease the cause of traffic along the
area, railway-technology.com said.

A budget of PhP 69.30 billion was allotted for the project, which will be built
by Universal LRT Corporation BVI (ULC), a subsidiary of San Miguel
Corporation (SMC).

Construction on the new line began in April 2016 and operations are
expected to begin by August 2019.

GRAPHIC FROM 2016. The Aquino administration expected the MRT-7 to be

up and running by 2020, but the current administration wants it done by
2019./IMAGE GOV.PH

The report also said that the construction of MRT 7 can benefit commuters
as travel time can be reduced by one hour. Commuters from Quezon City,
Caloocan City, and the Bulacan can have easier access to different places in
Metro Manila with MRT 7.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has officially started the

construction of the MRT-7project, which aims to connect Quezon City and
Bulacan through a rapid train system.

Around half of the project's construction will be along Commonwealth

Avenue, since stations will be located along this major thoroughfare.

But beyond its construction, the MRT-7 is expected to bring both problems
and solutions to Metro Manila’s traffic situation. Here are some key facts to
know about this project:

What is it?

The MRT-7 project is part of the government’s Public-Private Partnership

program, where the DOTr and the San Miguel Corp. have teamed up to
complete the 22-kilometer rapid transit line with a budget of P62.7 billion.

Where are the stations?

The MRT-7 will have the following 14 stations:

What is its capacity?

It will have a total of 36 train sets or 108 cars which can accommodate an
estimated 500,000 passengers per day.
MORE FROM FHM.COM.PH

When will it be completed?

According to DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, we can expect the MRT-7 to be

completed by the end of 2019. But as we all know, major infrastructure
projects like these tend to have delays here and there so it might go beyond
the target completion date.

How will it affect commuters?

Before it was officially started, commuters were already affected by certain

road closures, like in Regalado Avenue, which was turned into a one-way
street when groundwork for the MRT-7 was being prepared.

Now, two lanes along Commonwealth Avenue between University and

Central Avenues were closed. This will obviously cause heavy traffic to the
already congested roads. By now, it’s safe to say that we can expect more of
these road and lane closures as the project progresses.

How will it benefit us?

In general, the government expects the MRT-7 to decongest EDSA. “The

road component will divert northern provincial buses operation to San Jose
Del Monte, thereby decongesting EDSA,” the project description reads.

CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

Aside from this, the two-hour trip from Bulacan to Quezon City and vice
versa will be cut to just 30 minutes, which will be highly beneficial to
commuters who regularly use that route.
 An online post by a Facebook page currently circulating on social media
which claims that the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7) is a project of
President Rodrigo Duterte is misleading.

The MRT 7 is not a Duterte initiative.

While it is under the current administration's P9-trillion Build, Build, Build

program, which fast-tracks the approval and implementation of 75 big-ticket
infrastructure projects, the MRT-7 project began under former President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and carried over to the term of her successor
Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and now, Duterte.

An agreement to undertake the project was signed in June 2008 by the then-
Department of Transportation and Communication and Universal LRT Corp.
BVI Ltd. Problems in securing a government loan and a dispute about the
location of what would be the common station of the LRT-1, MRT-3 and
MRT-7 led to a long delay in the project’s implementation. Groundbreaking
of the project took place only in April 2016 and

Nov 18 2018 artcivle

27 #PAGASA
28
29 # re-imposition of the death penalty

#NoToDeathPenalty isn't tantamount to protecting criminals and absolving them of

their crimes. Considering how our justice system works (it doesn't)—how it unfairly
burdens the poor and heavily favors those in power, it's highly likely for false
accusations to happen.

There have been cases in which innocent people were put on death row. Bringing
back death penalty will do nothing but reduce our population. This can even further
encourage those in power to keep using the poor as if theyre disposable, using them
as pawns to forward their agenda.
Yes, we can say that thorough investigations can be conducted prior to conviction, but
then getting a lawyer and having someone represent you in court is a privilege only
the rich can afford. There are only so much lawyers who are willing to fight for those
with nothing to offer.

Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster." ―
Friedrich W. Nietzsche

Saying #NoToDeathPenalty isn't tantamount to protecting criminals and absolving

them of their crimes. Considering how the justice system works here in the Philippines
(newsflash: it doesn't)—how it unfairly burdens the poor and heavily favors those in
power, it's highly likely for false accusations to happen.

Do you remember watching Miracle in Cell No. 7 and bawling your eyes out? If you
think that's just some sad movie plot, then that's where you're wrong. Circumstances
like that have happened in real life and it can happen again should we bring back
death penalty. There have been multiple cases in which possibly innocent people
were put on death row. Feel free to browse through:
www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executed-possibly-innocent if you want to see actual
cases. Sure, it was touching how in the movie, the wrongfully convicted man's
daughter grew up to be a lawyer, who was able to clear his name later on. The thing
is, that's not how it goes in real life because most defense attorneys would rather
move on to other cases where clients' lives can still be saved.

Bringing back death penalty will do nothing but reduce our population bit by bit.
What's worse is that this can even further encourage those in power to keep using the
poor as if they're disposable. They will continue to use them as pawns to forward their
agenda. At this point, do you genuinely think they'll feel even the slightest bit of
remorse should these people bear the punishments brought about by their
wrongdoings? I don't think so.

Considering the political climate we're living in right now, it has become a lot easier to
implicate someone just so others can absolve themselves of their wrongdoings. Yes,
we can say that thorough investigations can be conducted prior to conviction, but
then again getting a lawyer and having someone represent you in court IS A PRIVILEGE
ONLY THE RICH CAN AFFORD. Unfortunately, there are only so much lawyers who are
willing to fight for those who have absolutely nothing to offer. And among those few
pro-poor lawyers who choose to side with the underprivileged are lives lost to
service—gunned down and assassinated under an authoritarian regime. It sounds
ugly, but what can we do? It's the truth.

LET'S HAVE A SHORT Q&A!!!

 Question: Let's say Death Penalty was brought back and implemented here in the
Philippines. What happens now if an innocent person, who happens to be dirt poor,
gets wrongfully accused just because someone pointed a finger at him?

Answer: He dies—plain and senseless. No one gets the real justice they long for and
deserve.

Now let that sink in. Tanungin natin ang ating mga sarili: ito nga ba ang klase ng
"hustisya" na gusto natin?

Balik tayo sa ngayon. Alam mo, kung iisipin, 'yung ating kapulisan nagkaroon na ng
sarili nilang death penalty ruling sa pamamagitan ng Oplan Tokhang.

Paano? "Turo mo, baril ko" system. Nilalagay nila sa mga kamay nila 'yung hustisyang
sa tingin nila nararapat sa tao. Pumapatay sila nang walang alinlangan, napatunayan
mang may sala 'yung tao o wala.

Eto ngayon ang tanong: did the crime rates, number of drug users and pushers go
down after Oplan Tokhang? Hindi. Bakit? Kasi hindi nasolusyunan 'yung pinaka ugat
ng problemang ito: kahirapan. Instead of addressing that, our government chose to
kill the very victims of poverty. Check out Rappler's article on how the number of
killings increased by 22.75% after Duterte's first year in office:
https://www.rappler.com/…/178494-crimes-killings-pnp-statis…

That is exactly what's going to happen if death penalty is to be implemented again.

Simply because it discounts the root cause of these crimes, which is poverty. I've said
this before and I'll say it again: death is too quick of a punishment—it's an escape.
Find and convict the right people. Put them in prison. Let them feed on stale food and
breathe until the stench numbs their noses. Let their crimes haunt them to no end.
Let them pay for the rest of their lives.

30
31
32
33 #LGBT
34
35 #memes

The internet: a place where Star Wars fans can unite, hipster-bashers can
freely hate, and total randomness is completely acceptable. In these recent
years, memes have flourished all over the internet. The word “meme” was first
used in a book called The Selfish Gene, written by Richard Dawkins in 1976.
He defined the word “meme” as “a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of
imitation”. The meaning of the word meme has changed in today’s world.
It has turned into a cultural phenomenon that gives people the freedom to
express their humor, creativity, and personal opinions publicly. However,
memes have also caused people to be more open in showing hatred towards
anything; be it celebrities, a certain subculture, a music genre, or a product

. Internet memes have become powerful in shaping pop culture, bringing fame
to a number of people, and even its usage as a new marketing tool. I was first
introduced to memes about three years ago, and now they have become my
main source for news updates. The popularity of memes through the recent
years shows that they have made a reflection in our society’s humor, sense of
connection, and political expression.

noticed that the most popular memes are about people’s “failures” and
unfortunate circumstances. “EPIC FAIL” has become one of the most widely
used internet slangs today. Is it a bad thing that today’s society finds
enjoyment in the adversity of others?

There are memes on just about anything: Student life, teenage life, working life,
videogames, and television shows.

What makes memes so fascinating is the fact that they have turned the internet
into a pool of inside jokes, where everybody and anybody has a chance to
belon

derps are now liberated to express hatred towards others. On the internet,
people are able to be creative and show their wit, but also be offensive. With all
the vulgarity on the internet, it almost seems as if our society has become
callous and insensitive about other people’s feelings. In an article, Rachel
Arandilla mentions

Memes as Essay: Basil

As society progresses, new changes inevitably usher in new ideas and

concepts. The mediums in which we communicate or exchange ideas and
information have been rapidly evolving as well.

new possible area of essays, are “memes”. A meme can be a picture of sorts
combined with text which is spread via the World Wide Web to communicate
jokes, ideas, satire, or feelin
 essence of problems or to vent frustration and irritation in a humorous way
35
36 #medical marijuana

I’m for the use (of marijuana) in medical use but not so for recreational use
because I think if people were to argue about “what about alcohol and
cigarettes?”, well everything is good but in moderation,”

Now this topic has its positives and negatives and it's quite debated.

I believe that in certain circumstances legalizing marijuana does have definite

benefits. It has been found to be really amazing in treating cancer and has
really, really helped those very, very sick, so in that circumstance, I definitely
do think yes, we should, but the government should definitely weigh both
options."

What if medical marijuana could save the life of one of your loved family
members but that being denied to you because it hasn’t been legalized in your
ReplyForward
37 #catcalling

Senate approves bill punishing catcalling, street harassment

Senate Bill 1326 seeks to penalize catcalling, wolf-whistling, cursing, leering,

groping, and stalking, among others

Camille Elemia

Published: 8:56 AM October 8, 2018

Updated: 8:56 AM October 8, 2018

Inorder to see change, we need to drill into the minds of men that what
they’re doing is wrong and would no longer be tolerated. We need to stand
up and speak out about this injustice. We should no longer pretend to be
okay when we’re disrespected. This scenario isn’t going to change by
keeping mum and taking precautionary measures because women are not
the problem – the men who catcall are.

BILL VS CATCALLING. The Senate approves on third and final reading a bill
that seeks to penalize catcalling, groping, stalking, and other forms of street
harassment.

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Monday, October 8, approved a bill

seeking to to protect women fromcatcalling and other forms of street
harassment. (READ: The streets that haunt Filipino women)

Senate Bill 1326 or the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act of 2017 seeks to
penalize catcalling, wolf-whistling, cursing, leering, groping, and persistent
requests for name and contact details after clear refusal, public
masturbation, and stalking, among others.

The measure is still far from becoming a law, as a counterpart bill remains
pending with the House committee on women and gender equality.

Under the bill, there are 3 kinds of violations: light, medium, and severe.

Light violations: These include cursing, wolf-whistling, catcalling, leering,

persistent requests for information, the use of ridicule words including
sexist, homophobic and transphobic slurs, or the persistent telling of sexual
jokes.

First offense would be punished by a fine of P1,000 and/or community

service of 8 hours inclusive of a Gender Sensitivity Seminar by the Philippine
National Police, local government unit, and the Philippine Commission on
Women.
Second offense would face 6 to 10 days imprisonment or a fine of P2,000.
Third time violators would be jailed for 11 to 30 days or a fine of P3,000.

Medium violations: These include offensive body gestures at someone,

exposing private parts meant to demean, harass, threaten, or intimidate the
offended party.

First offense would be punished by a fine of P3,000 and/or an 8-hour

community service and Gender Sensitivity Seminar; Second offense, 11 to 30
days of imprisonment or a fine of P4,000; and Third offense, 1 to 6 months
imprisonment or a fine of P5,000.

Severe violations: Stalking, acts previously mentioned that are accompanied

by touching, pinching or brushing against the body of a person; or any
touching, pinching, or brushing against the genitalia and other body parts of
the victim.

---
Nearly every Filipino woman has experienced street harassment – from
being stared at, to whistling, to cat-calling and to touching– and now the
government has finally taken a step as the city council of Manila passed an
ordinance penalizing catcalling in the city

The City of Manila will now — finally — punish those who catcall and
sexually harass women publicly.

Last week, City Ordinance No. 7857 authored by Manila District 4 Councilor
Krystle Bacani was passed on its third and final reading.

It “will penalize all forms of sexual harassment in public spaces such as

catcalling, wolf-whistling, leering, groping, and many others,” Bacani said.

Violations could result in imprisonment of between one to 15 days, or a fine

ranging from PHP200 (US$3.74) to PHP1,000 (US$18.70), or even both for
perpetrators.
For more serious violations like offensive body gestures and flashing private
body parts (Ew!), perpetrators may be put in jail for a span of one to three
months and may be fined from PHP1,000 (US$18.70) to PHP3,000 (US$56.09

Street harassment in public spaces has become a normal thing that women
only sweep under the rug just so they won’t be accused of “overreacting”
and getting blamed of “what they’re wearing and how they behave”.

The anti-catcalling ordinance is a big step to help reclaim the cities’ streets
to make them safe spaces for women, and this, hopefully, will not stop in
Quezon City and Manila.

A few weeks ago, I was walking through Baclaran when I noticed

a padyak driver looking at me, or rather my chest. As I walked past him, he
whistled and said “miss, laki naman nyan (miss, that’s so big).”

This isn’t the first time I was catcalled. Ever since I started high school, I have
experienced catcalling in many different forms – from co-students trying to
get my attention with “hi, crush” to drunkards at the sari-sari store whistling
and calling out “pst, sexy”. This also wasn’t the last – just yesterday I went
out to buy soy sauce, and a tambay (bum) winked at me and said “morning,
ganda.” However, this particular scenario at Baclaran was when I finally
realized the severity of the issue.

The driver looked at me like he was undressing me with his eyes, like I am a
piece of meat he would so willingly devour. I immediately looked at what I’m
wearing to check why I warranted this kind of reaction, but my get up was
conservative and unassuming. This wasn’t like any other catcall incidents I
have experienced. This time, I wasn’t just annoyed with the unwanted
attention, I actually shivered with fear. I felt disgusted and unsafe. I walked
faster in order to get away from his malicious eyes but confronting him
didn’t even cross my mind in fear that things might escalate.
 Sadly, this is an everyday occurrence here in the Philippines. According to an
SWS report, 88 percent of Filipinas aged 18 to 24 experienced different
forms of sexual harassment in the streets. Like me, 50 percent of the victims
do nothing about the incident while 20 percent are unable to respond due
to fear.

With such high numbers, you’d think that something would be done to stop
it, and yet every day men continue to whistle, shout and make sexist or
offensive comments, leer, and even grope women without receiving any
repercussions. They continue to catcall and objectify women whenever they
have the chance because their lewd actions are generally ignored and
dismissed as ‘boys being boys’. What’s worse is this kind of behavior isn’t
limited to the poor, the bums, the non-educated who don’t know any
better. Many of my male friends and even relatives who came from the best
schools and have respectable jobs still show their ‘appreciation’ by whistling
and catcalling women. They ogle and stare at the mall, they rate girls
according to physique, they nudge each other when a woman walks by and
follow her with their lingering stares.

This is the reality for every Filipina. Catcalling has been accepted as a
societal norm, and women are expected to adjust instead of addressing the
main root of the problem.
38
39 #mandatory ROTC
40 # HIV
41 # Samgyupsal

- Ached chilhod dream of lutututon

oreans love Korean pork belly BBQ (Samgyeopsal, 삼겹살, also known as three
layered pork). We or should I say “I” have to eat it on a regular basis, otherwise I go
crazy. 🙂

According to recent research (2016), average Koreans consume 21kg (46 pounds)
worth of pork belly meat annually and it accounts for more than 50% of total meat
consumption. What’s more, there’s even a Samgyeopsal day (삼겹살데이, March
3rd), which was created to encourage pork belly BBQ consumption in Korea.

The way you cook Korean pork belly is quite straight forward. You simply need to grill
the meat on a Korean BBQ grill plate until both sides of the meat are cooked (I prefer
golden crispy texture!) and serve them with fresh lettuce and a spicy dipping sauce. As
 the flavour from the meat is quite savoury (some people may call it ‘bland’) on its
own, you rely on the dipping sauce and/or other BBQ companion side dishes to add
extra zing flavour to some degree.

Korean style pork belly cut can be purchased from a Korean grocery store or Korean
butcher. However, you can also use the pork belly cuts from a regular butcher or
grocery store. Just make sure they are skinless and cut thin – 0.5 cm to 1 cm/ 0.2
inches to 0.4 inches – similar to thick bacon rashers.

Below I will share how I typically do Korean pork belly BBQ at home, so you can gather
some ideas for your next Korean pork belly BBQ party! Additionally, it might be
helpful to read my 30 Essential Korean cooking ingredients article so that you know
what to look for.

WHAT I DID BEFORE I START GRILLING THE PORK BELLY BBQ ON A BBQ GRILL PLATE
It is important to spread some oil by rubbing one piece of pork on the grill before you
add the rest of the meat. That way the meat doesn’t stick to the plate.

https://mykoreankitchen.com/pork-belly-bbq-samgyeopsal-gui/

42
43 # legalization of same sex marriage

hen Consti says no person shall be denied equal protection of the laws & the State
values the dignity of every human person,it requires that marriage includes couples,
straight or LGBT,who are similarly situated as a class that would serve as the
foundation of the family

Do you agree in implementing the same sex marriage here in the PH ging?
Based on an article that i have read about LGBTQs says that, The lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) people in the Philippines have a distinctive culture in society,
and also have limited legal rights. Gays and lesbians are generally tolerated (if not
accepted) in Filipino society, especially with the recent events that promote the rights,
general acceptance, and empowerment of the community, but discrimination
remains, and the same sex marriage is not legal here in the Philippines, it is highly
objected by the catholic church. But we are still human and as a human we have our
human rights. Lgbtq face violence and inequality and sometimes torture, even
execution- because of how they look, who they love, or who they are. LGBTQ
Community needs love, respect and acceptance. And i think all of us deserves that- to
love and to be loved, to respect and to be respected and to accept the things that we
 cannot accept. Therefore, i conclude that lgbtq families should be considered as
families in the Philippines. They are not a mistake. They are created in the image of
God. We are all sinners, but who you are is a gift from God
es, LGBTQ+ Filipinos are also citizens of the Philippines, and should receive the same
rights. It's about time to legalise same sex marriage in order for them to receive the
benefits of marriage e.g.joint ownership, health insurance savings, etc

"As a Christian, I do believe that marriage is between a man and a

woman. However, I do believe that everyone, every single person
in the world deserves to be with whoever they want. And if they
want to get married, that is fine."

Our Family Code does not allow same-sex marriage, but I believe that should be
changed. Article II, Section 11 of the Constitution provides that the State guarantees
full respect for human rights. Article III, Section 1 provides equal protection to
everyone. Article II, Section 14 recognizes the fundamental equality before the law of
men and women. There must be no discrimination as to who to love and who to not
love based on gender, and I believe that same-sex civil marriages must be allowed.

they are just people who found love w/ same gender because they understand better. love is
about acceptance and contentment, no one has the right to dictate what really love is and for
whom to find it.

love knowsno gender

everyo edersevre to be happy

Marriage is the union of man and woman" But,for me "Marriage is the union of two person
that love each other".We all know that same sex marriage is not allowed here in our
country.But,for me it is okay to have this because all of us has the right to love and to be
loved.

"love is love, whatever gender, whatever sex."

"everyone is entitled to love somebody.

"because love has no sex and sex has no soul."

44
45 # Pinoy food