Not 60 but disabled parents are Philhealth members qualified dependents now

The parents of a Philhealth member in the Philippines who are not above 60 years old and are disable can be enrolled as their dependents now according to the new guidelines of Philhealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation).

These beneficiaries can now claim benefits from accredited health care institutions around the country based on Section 3.n of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10606 which is the National Health Insurance Act of 2013.

A detailed Medical Certificate issued by a physician detailing the diagnosis and disability plus the date of disability acquirement of the disabled parent intended to be added as additional dependent by the member, shall be included in a filled up PhilHealth Member Registration Form to be submitted to the PhilHealth office.

Alexander Padilla, president and CEO of PhilHealth. stated that law mandates a provision of
health insurance to all Filipinos and is extended to cover parents below 60 years old that are permanently disabled, as an approach to achieve universal coverage in health service by the government.

Parents below 60 years of age that are currently admitted to an accredited health care institution that resulted in permanent disability, can be immediately classified as dependent, and confinement would be covered instantly, but provided that prior to discharge, all the requirements required should have been submitted to PhilHealth.

Malampaya Field Timeline

Today the funds coming from this field is under scrutiny due to alleged misuse and connection to a big time scam amounting to less than a billion pesos. This has been dubbed the future of the Philippines when it comes to natural resources to address the rising problems in energy production within the country.

1970 - The Philippines began exploring west of Palawan for oil.

1976 - Gas was discovered in Reed Bank, a part of Spratly's Island. China complained which halted further exploration.

1989 - Camago, a natural gas well located in deep waters of northwest Palawan was discovered by Occidental Philippines under the Geophysical Survey and Exploration Contract No. 47.

1990 - Shell assumed the operation when assigned a 50% interest ni GSEC 47 by OXY. GSEC 47 was converted to a Service Contract No. 38 where Shell Philippines Exploration became the operator and OXY as the partner to deliver the service.

1991 - Shell Philippines discovered the Malampaya gas field.

1997 - National Power Corporation representing the Republic of the Philippines signed a Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement with Shell Philippines and OXY for the Ilijan Power Plant in Batangas.

1998 - The commercialization of the natural gas reserves in Camago-Malampaya and San Martin Gas Field was signed by the Department of Energy, Shell Philippines and OXY.

1999 - 45 percent of Shell's interest was sold to Texaco in agreement that a contribution will be made towards the construction cost  of upstream project that amounts to 2 US Billion Dollars.

2000 - Shell Philippines closed a ten percent farm in agreement with PNOC-EC (Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corporation, where Shell Philippines interest in the project was reduced to only forty-five percent, but still operates and develops the project.

2001 - Malampaya was officially inaugurated and commissioned.

2002 - Production of fuel to feed 2700 MW gas fired power plants in Batangas expected to last for 20 years.

2013 - Malampaya phase 2 by Shell Philippines was completed wherein two additional production wells were installed and operating.

The Malampaya Tragedy

The Malampaya field began its production in 2001 after 30 years of exploration at the western part of Palawan, giving the Philippines a hope for more cheaper energy and additional income for the government. It has at least three trillions of proven reserve and can produce at least four hundred cubic feet per day.

This field supplies gas to power plants at three locations in Batangas to produce 2700 MW of power for 20 years. In addition to this, The revenue of the field will be used in funding more energy related studies and projects and to be used in producing cheaper power for the citizens. There have been laws that were put in place for its use but it has been used inappropriately by unscrupulous government officials.

Tragedy befell the  funds and royalty through questionable disposition. Funds were used to finance projects that were easier for some public officials to prey on through contracts and SOP's. There have been allegations of ghost and overpriced projects, fixed bidding, and unaccounted government spending of the funds.

It is sad to think that these funds were meant to be spent on projects to lessen the burden of the Filipinos on expensive energy and projects to improve their lives. The funds that should benefit the entire country has only benefited so few.As always, the victim is the Filipino People.

The hard part is some of the people who will investigate this issue are sadly the ones responsible also. It will again fall into the poor memory of the citizens, forgotten in time because of the length to time it will take to uncover the truth. By then, another scam will come out and the focus will be on the new one.
 
What a pity, a tragedy it is.

See the Malampaya Field timeline here.

Pinoy Tagay (Alcohol Drinking) Ethiquette

If you are a Pinoy you may be very familiar with this one. If you see a Philippine movie, there is always a scene where there is "tagayan". There are unwritten rules about how someone should behave when they are in a drinking session, or when you happen to pass one, it is the alcohol courtesy.

1. Tagay muna. This is the most difficult and most dangerous part of the Filipino "tagay" culture. In the movies, if you are not courteous enough to oblige or turn down the offer, chances are that you will be in big trouble like being mugged or killed for it. It is "disrespect" in the eyes of the person who offered you the drink and he is very much offended. Don't be alarmed, in the real life, you can oblige and take a sip or by just saying thank you but no thanks in a very well mannered way, you will be spared the unforgiving wrath of the "sunog baga." Always use the respectful and endearing words "po" and "opo." Don't forget to take a little bit of the "pulutan" also. If by chance you were able to down at least four shots, try to buy one "bilog" (bottle of alcohol) as appreciation of their courtesy.

2. Shot glass. In a typical "inuman" (drinking session), the group only uses one glass for the alcohol drinks. Reasons vary on why it has come to that way. One reason is that, everyone has the equal opportunity to drink because the glass travels around the group. In some instances, there is one in the group whom they call "tangero" or "tangera" for the ladies - the one who places the drinks in the glass and sees to it that the glass travels around without missing a target for all to enjoy the session. It is an unwritten rule that the glass is clean even though it has passes already to everyone in the group. It is a sign of non-courtesy of bringing your own glass for a drink in this setup.

3. Empathy. Never laugh or crack a joke if someone cries in a drinking session because of problems. It is said that one of the reasons why there is "inuman" is because of problems of a drinking buddy to share his problems and let go of his/her emotions. Drink buddies are supposed to help him/her in his problem through moral support. The problematic will buy the drinks and pulutan while the others listen and drink with him/her till passing out and peeing/shitting the pants out.

4. Washing. This is for information only and it doesn't connote to washing clothes or anything else. If it were dining, it is the dessert. The main course involves the hard drinks whereas the "washing" part involves drinking beer to "wash" away the alcohol in the system. It is sometimes believed that this practice will avert the dreaded "hangover."

5. Pulutan (Food eaten while drinking). Pulutan is derived from the work "pulot" which means to pick. It is the means of picking food in the table while drinking. There are people that they call "pulutizer", the one who eats more from the "pulutan" and drink less from the "inumin" (alcohol). It is considered shameful if you only attend a drinking session just to eat "pulutan" and not to drink. Naturally, in a drinking session, pulutan is sacred and taken only in small quantities and very often, taken only after downing a drink. "Pulutizers" are not invited again in another drinking session.

So if there is a chance that you are invited to an "inuman", try and see for yourself.

Pinoy's Unusual Raw Food

Filipinos are sometimes famous with the foods that they eat, including the raw ones. Some find it disgusting, others find it entertaining and some find it odd. Raw foods for pinoys differ from each region and ethnicity. Here are some of the foods that sometimes are not for those people who are faint in heart, and yes, stomach.

1. This is the most common of all - Kilawin. The words translate directly to raw. Most of the kilawin delicacies are of meat. Some of the most famous kilawins are goat and dog meat. After killing and draining the poor animal with its blood, it is subjected to a blowtorch, mainly for the skin until it is dark brownish in color. The skin, together with some meat, are sliced to thin sizes and then mixed with local herbs, spices and vinegar. The most common recipe is made by mixing the sliced skin with minced ginger, onions, salt and vinegar. The other version is substituting vinegar with lemon juice. It is believed that the lemon or vinegar will cook the raw meat. The food is mainly used as a side dish or for "pulutan" (finger food while drinking alcohol). The dish originated from the Ilocanos of the Ilocos Region. It was introduced by these men to the tagalog provinces mainly Metro Manila.

2. Inbaliktad. Ilocanos are also responsible for this one. Sliced cow meat is doused with boiling water and afterwards is mixed with ginger, onions, salt and vinegar, just like kilawin. The only difference is it is mixed with a bitter juice that came from the digestive tract of the animal which is produced naturally by the cow - a mixture of digested grass and hot water. Only Ilocanos have the stomach to eat this one though.

3. Jumping Salad. No, this is not a moving salad of fruits or vegetables. It is fresh and live prawns in a bowl with vinegar, lemon, ginger, pepper and onions. It is enjoyed by Pinoys especially if the prawn still wiggles as they are eaten. It is a famous expensive pulutan, because it is fresh, not soiled by the fridge.

4. Yellow Fins and other fishes. This is a large fish like tuna. The only requirement is that it should be fresh from the sea. The skin and bones are removed then the meat is sliced into thin slices. Just like the kilawin, it is prepared by using the same method, by mixing with vinegar, ginger and onions. Fish like tuna, milkfish and tilapia also fall victims to these procedures.

5. Small Crabs. I saw someone, when I was a kid, who have the guts to eat one alive in the river. The man was "hand" catching some fish in the rocky river and caught one "alimango" (crab) and it went straight to his watery mouth and ate it. When he saw me, he flashed me with a bloody smile, wow. It seems that this practice was done by the elderly on their time. Just like the jumping salad, sometimes crabs also suffer the same fate.

6. Ant eggs. There are species of ants in the Philippines that they call "abuos". These ants are bigger than the normal sized ants that we see roaming the household. These ants live in tree tops and makes box houses out of the tree leaves and lay their eggs in it. Some daredevil Pinoys get these house boxes to get the eggs for, yes you guessed it, for food. These are mixed with vinegar and salt and safely deposited in their stomachs. Yummy.



There are also unlisted ones here but I have to dig more for information.

AFP Modernization Timeline

In the 70's, the Philippines has the most modern Armed Forces in Asia, dubbed the Golden Years. And like neglected swords, it rusts in time. The decay was felt when in 2005, the last of the fighter jets of Philippine Air Force was decommissioned and every military hardware the Philippines followed suit. Adding insult to the injury, we felt the need to clean and sharpen that old rusty sword again when we were unable to defend some parts of our waters from Chinese aggressive stance on its territorial claims. Better late than never as they say, the wake up call came when the 1995 modernization law expired in 2010 without having a fruitful outcome, and so it was extended into another 15 year revised program.

February 23, 1995 - Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act (Republic Act 7898) was signed into law by then President Fidel V. Ramos ushering the hope of a new and strong military for the country. 50 Billion pesos was the budget for the first 5 years of the 15 year program. A terrible blow to the AFP was dealt not by a strong enemy or army but by the Asian Financial Crisis which halted its funding and forgotten until 2010.

December 11, 2012 - Republic Act 10349 amended Republic Act 7898 as the new Revised AFP Modernization Act signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III. It is aimed to upgrade the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the country against internal and external threats.

December 14, 2011 - Under Foreign Assistance Act, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar was acquired by the Philippine Government where costs of its transfer and refurbishment amounted to P450 Million pesos through the funds of Department of Energy.

November 22, 2013 -  Just like its sister ship, BRP Gregoriod Del Pilar, it was acquired through Foreign Assistance Act with transfer and refurbishment amounted to P450 Million pesos with additional P300 Million for armaments.

February 21, 2014 - Department of National Defense Bids and Awards Committee approved Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for Fighter Jets.

March 28, 2014 - South Korea has signed a $240 Million contract to deliver 12 FA-50 Fighter Jets built by Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) to the Philippines through a government to government deal. Initial delivery of 2 planes will be on 2015 and all will be accounted for in the country in the year 2017.

This will be updated frequently. Check it out if you have time!

Battle of Tirad Pass Timeline

Gregorio Del Pilar commanded sixty man platoon against a three hundred strong American Soldier experiencing the greatest battle of his life, a culmination of his military career, full of courage and honor.

February 4, 1899 - Fighting between American and Filipino Forces started the three year war after the First Philippine Republic declared war against the United States of America. The Philippines was headed by General Emilio Aguinaldo and it was a fight for independence, while the Americans were fighting for control and stabilization. The first shots were fired by Pvt. Robert William Greyson, a guard at San Juan del Monte bridge in Manila.

March 29, 1899 - Emilio Aguinaldo arrived and proclaimed Nueva Ecija as Capital of the First Philippine Republic. It was later captured by Col. Frederick Funston, a cause of Aguinaldo's retreat to  Isabela through the mountains of Ilocos Region.

April 23, 1899 - First major engagement between Americans and Filipinos in Plaridel, Bulacan to cover Pampanga and Bulacan, a northward push for the Americans from Manila. The advance was stopped by the Filipinos under the command of General Gregorio Del Pilar, his first major victory. A second attempt by the American routed the Filipinos at the expense of losing Colonel J.M. Stotsenburg.

November 13, 1899 - The Filipinos shifted to guerrilla warfare under the orders of General Emilio Aguinaldo. More than half a thousand American casualties resulted from this tactic through ambushes and raids. The Americans even considered withdrawal from the country because of their loses.

November 15, 1899 -  Major Peyton March was tasked to pursue General Emilio Aguinaldo.

November 23, 1899 - Generals Aguinaldo and Del Pilar passed through Salcedo, Ilocos Sur en route to Palanan, Isabela and reached Tirad Pass, a strategic point in the mountains of Concepcion (Renamed in 1955 to Del Pilar in Del Pilar's honor), Ilocos Sur. Del Pilar handpicked 60 men from the remaining force of the late Antonio Luna and fortified the pass.

November 30, 1899 - General March and his men marched through Salcedo, Ilocos Sur after they found out that Aguinaldo and his men passed through this town a week ago.

December 1, 1899 - General March arrived in Conception and was informed that Filipino troops were at Tirad Pass. He had calculated the size of Filipino troops to be more than a hundred. General Del Pilar started preparing his soldiers for the battle after overlooking a battalion of American soldiers advancing from the steep pass. He wrote on his diary that it was a gloious day for him to die for his country.

December 2, 1899 - The Americans were met by a steady rain of fire from the Filipinos in the early morning of the assault. They stopped the assault in midday because of no advance due to the fact that the pass was well defended. March sent a search party for a path to outflank the Filipinos. A five hour battle ensued between the outflanked Filipinos and Americans thanks to the help of our dear Filipino friend Januario Galut who led the Americans to a narrow passage at the back of the fortified trenches on the mountainside of Tirad Pass. Out of the 60 men commanded by Del Pilar, 8 only survived and captured. The Americans lost 2 men with 9 wounded. Del Pilars effectiveness held of the Americans long enough for Aguinaldo to escape to Palanan. Del pilar was shot to the neck and fell from his horse. He was stripped bare, looted of his belongings and laid dead for three days before buried. He was given a military burial by Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan when he found him. He inscribed in Pilar's tombstone - "Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar, Died December 2, 1899, Commanding Aguinaldo's Rear Guard, An Office and a Gentleman."

Bilibid or Not Timeline

Things got a little bit awkward in the National Penitentiary when a raid was made by the Department of Justice that found a shocking surprise of their lives, well, that what they said. They found out that instead of prisoners living in a penitentiary and rehabilitation, they were in fact living like hotel guests in their own underground penthouses complete with cash, guns and drugs (This is a Maximum Security Compound). Mind you, we are talking about High Profile Criminals here, convicted drug lords and other crime lords. Welcome to the Lords of the Ring!

Start Date: December 15, 2014

12-15-2014, Monday - The Department of Justice, through their National Bureau of Investigation,  made a "surprise" inspection of the Bilibid Prison. They found strip bars, sex toys, jacuzzi in a marble lined bathroom floors and walls with hot showers, drugs, cash and guns in what looks like a luxury villa inside a prison. These "villas" have so many caches and vaults that contain large amount of cash in millions of pesos, drugs and even high power caliber rifles and pistols. Justice De Lima was quoted saying that instead of living a life of repentance, these "air conditioned villa" owners were living like kings. All confiscated materials and evidence were transported to the NBI by a number of trucks for further investigation and listing.

12-16-2014, Tuesday - Immediate suspension and investigation to several prison officials and guards were made. Investigations to previous prison officials were also undertaken. Cellphones and Computers have been theorized that these gadgets were used to communicate and do business outside of the prison. Vaults were still being opened and some inspections were still being done in the cells and found cash being horded by other inmates. The media and social site have started having a fiesta on the events that are unfolding. It was found out that a recording artist (who by the way is a convicted criminal) made his music and videos inside the penitentiary and also won music awards. There are already evidence found that the some of the inmates left the prison without permission to seek medical treatment, though medical bills and medical certificates. By the way, a court order is need to obtain that permission. Prison official have admitted that they receive death threats from these prisoners.

12-17-2014, Wednesday - Malacanang described the incident as "not acceptable" the extravagant and unrestrained treatment extended to the VIP (Very Important Prisoners). The Palace promised to "undertake all measures to ensure that these things would not happen again." BuCor Chief Bucayu's fate is still uncertain. By this time, the recording studio of Herbert Colangco have been measured to be 60-square feet in size completely adorned with recording equipment and air conditioning units.

12-18-2014, Thursday - The Department of Justice made public that a fact finding committee will be in charge of the investigation headed by under secretary Baraan. This will include investigations on teh unauthorized movements of convicts inside and "outside" of the facilities, connivance of prison officials and other related incidents inside the prison. The committee will determine administrative and criminal liabilities to the BuCor officials and personnel involved in the incident. They were given until the 18th of July to submit their report.

12-19-2014, Friday -Commandos and De Lima returned again to Bilibid Prison for another raid and found out other false wall and saw a private gym and a ceiling hiding air conditioning units. 19 convicted drug lords are given ultimatum until December 24, 2014 to surrender other items that they are hiding. The Justice Secretary believes that some jail guards are colluding with some of the inmates. Three BuCor Superintendents were sacked after the inspection, Celso Bravo, Roberto Rabo, and Venancio Tesoro. Actor Robin Padilla admitted that when he was in Bilibid, there was a Shabu Laboratory operating in the Maximum Security Compound. Another leader is also suspected of having a much larger and sophisticated music studio inside Bilibid and will be subjected to another inspection. Some of the guns have been identified to be owned by incumbent politicians.

12-20-2014, Saturday - New officials and Officer in Charge were appointed to oversee Bilibid Prison after suspension of former Jail Officials have been done. They are directed to enforce prison rules and regulations. These new officials will be starting on Monday, 22nd of December. Is is said that regular monitors will be done starting with the new supervisors and prison guards.


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