The Anti-Epal Bill of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

 Anti-Epal Bill, Senate Bill No.1967     formally titled as “An Act Prohibiting Public Officers From Claiming Credit Through Signage Announcing A Public Works Project” was created by none other than Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. This Bill aims at politicians or any government officials who claim credits from projects funded by tax payers, which has become almost a tradition for some. Senator Defensor said that politicians who are praising themselves instead of the government on public works project supports the almost traditional political patronage and corruption, and weakens the concept of maintaining good governance.

Sen. Santiago’s Anti-Epal Bill  is currently undergoing a committee deliberation, where senators decided to expand the content of the Bill to include politicians and public officials who displays their names and faces on donated police cars, ambulances and even fire trucks. Politicians or any government officials who  displays his or her name and/or face on any proposed or on going government projects means their guilty and may serve jail time from six months to one year and would permanently be banned from public office. On the other hand, the Bill only allows signs and billboards containing names, images or logos of the local or national government agency managing the project.

As soon as the Anti-Epal Bill is approved and becomes an official Law, the department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) in coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority(MMDA) will be assigned to remove all existing signage’s that violates the terms and conditions of the Bill for three months. Local government all over the country would also be required to follow the law as instructed.

ICI 4 DMA a web developer

The Truth about Fraternities

A fraternity is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members. The development of Fraternities has started in England where trade unions and guilds appeared.  These guilds were made to protect and care for their members who are in trouble and have problems. A lot of secret signs and handshakes were made to serve as confirmation of their membership.

In the Philippines, Spaniards and other colonizers have established several Philosophical and Fraternal Societies in our country as early as 1850′s but these groups are only limited for them and their allies.  The first brotherhood to be founded by Filipinos is the Katipunan, short for Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Supreme and Venerable Society of the Sons of the People) the main purpose of this group is to gain independence from Spaniards through revolution. As years goes by college fraternities began to form especially when American Education reached our shores. State Universities were the first to enjoy Fraternity Life, particularly in the University of the Philippines where the first Filipino Greek Letter Fraternity “Upsilon Sigma Phi” was established.

Being a member of a fraternity can also be a great advantage for they can have a large group of friends they can gain and a great networking potential. Members often develop long lasting friendships they continue until they become adults. College can be a frightening proposition for a shy freshman but fraternities could help you develop your communications skills, both oral and written and many members can learn how to be more at ease in social situations and others will gain valuable leadership skills. Members can also participate in charitable events, parties, academic dinners or just a simple bonding time with members. Fraternities can also give you Aid in desperate needs.

Anyone who wants to become a member of a fraternity must undergo an initiation or pledge, wherein they will have to do activities or challenges that are humiliating or physically challenging. On what type of activity or challenge you will do, would depend on what fraternity you’re joining. In fraternity pledges: pledgers will basically be a servant to a different brother every day, or will drink excessive amounts of alcohol or large volumes of water from a large barrel, or will be paddled in any part of the body and many more.

Unfortunately, for some pledgers, what was considered to be “safe” has ended unto death. There have been numerous deaths from initiation activities like excessive alcohol consumption, excessive forced water consumption, paddling (that causes  severe bodily injuries), etc. So before joining a fraternity you should decide if which one you will fit into best and which initiations or pledges you wont suffer much.

ICI 4 DMA a web developer

Chocolate, one of the best desserts worldwide

Fifteen hundred years ago in the Central American rain forests, where the tropical mix of high rain fall combined with high year round temperatures and humidity provide the ideal climate for cultivation of the plant from which chocolate is derived, the Cacao Tree. The Cacao Tree was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation who believed it to be of divine origin, Cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning “God Food”. Like the Mayan, the Aztecs were so fascinated with the bean that they attributed its creation to their god Quetzalcoatl who, as the legend goes descended from heaven on a beam of a morning star carrying a cacao tree stolen from paradise and since the cocoa bean is very precious to that they made it as their currency.

The Aztecs enjoyed Cacao as a beverage fermented from the raw beans and they called this drink as Xocolatl, the Spanish conquistadors found this almost impossible to pronounce and so they changed it to the easier ‘Chocolat’, the English further changed this to Chocolate. Hernando Cortez a Spanish conqueror who conquered Mexico for Spain was the first conqueror to be fascinated with the Aztec’s bitter, spicy beverage Xocolatl and was impressed to see cocoa beans as Aztec’s currency. When Cortez returned to Spain, he brought back some of the cocoa beans with him and gave it to his king, Charles V. The Spaniards then tried mixing the cocoa beans with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and then it became the drink of the nobilities in Spain. The Europeans then sweetened and fattened it by adding refined sugar and milk and labeled its use to sweets and desserts. The creation of the modern chocolate bar was then developed in the 19th century by Briton John Cadbury.

Toady, chocolate has become one of the most popular desserts worldwide, and it has also become a tradition for some to make molded chocolates on certain holidays like Valentine’s Day, New Year, Easter, Christmas, etc. Chocolate is a very delicious food that contains hundreds of naturally occuring chemicals like vitamins A1, B1, B2, C, and D, as well as iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium which helps the body produce serotonin – a chemical in the brain that is released after eating carbohydrates and is a neurotransmitter that communicates a feeling of calm to the brain and helps to stabilize moods.

Chocolate also contains theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine (PEA), and anandamide that have a deep effect on the brain and shows a specific phsycological effect on the body. The healthiest chocolate is the pure dark chocolate that contains antioxidants which destroys free radicals in the body. Free radicals are side effects of oxygen metabolism that can damage cells and are among the causes of many degenerative diseases, especially diseases associated with aging.

Chocolate is a delicious “feel good” food. However, chocolates that are low in cocoa offer no real benefits and should only be eaten as an occasional treat. Thus, if you really are very addicted on chocolates try eating dark chocolates instead, not only does it taste good, it is also good for you.

ICI 4 DMA a web developer

Top Anime novel of 2012: Sword Art Online

Sword Art Online(SAO), is an action, fantasy, sci-fi, and drama type of novel written by Mr. Reki Kawahara with a pen name “Kunori Fumio”. The story is about a “Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game” (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online. This novel now has an anime series and manga and is now the top anime to watch in 2012 according to “Fasttopten.com”.

The setting of this story is in the year 2022 where online gamers are so ecstatic to have a virtual-reality game to be released. With the release of the first VRMMORPG, a lot of game addicts who didn’t able to buy the game, lined up to be one of the lucky 1000 players to do the beta testing to be able to get an SAO game. On entering into the game they’re expecting to have a very cool experience on the first released virtual-reality game. But an unexpected event happened, Akihiko Kayaba, the creator of the game “Sword Art Online”, forbids the players to log out from the game. Akihiko offered them a challenge they can’t refuse, apparently they don’t really have any choice. If they want to be freed from the game and log out, they must first pass through 99 floors, and on the 100^th floor of the “Aincrad” they must defeat the final boss. On the other hand, if their game characters die in the game, they will also die in the real world.

Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya in the real world), the main character of the story. Decided to do solo for the thought of having comrades will only be a hindrance in fighting , but after 2 years in the game he then teamed up with Asuna, the sub-leader of the best guild in SAO, the “Knights of the Blood” also called as “KoB” together with some of their friends in the game whom they met along the way.

 ICI 4 DMA a web developer