Its More Fun In The philippines

Why Not in the Philippines?

2012-01-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

According to an Ibon research, an estimated 3,000 Filipinos leave the country everyday to find jobs abroad. The scarcity of jobs is already a sign that all is not well and that the economy lacks an internal dynamism that is able to productively harness and employ the Filipino workforce. Many talented Pinoys don't have a choice but to be attracted to the "greener pasteur" that major developed countries offer. Due to a higher exchange rate of foreign currencies against Philippine peso, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) have the most purchasing power to acquire properties and put their hard-earned money into a wise investment; something which will give them a higher financial gain.

Many foreigners believe that the Philippines is a great destination and a great place to retire. Filipinos are generally, polite and hospitable. Aside from this, transport is cheap, food is good and shopping is a delight, English is widely spoken so communication is great. According to Yahoo! Travel: "If you believe that the most important living environment and travel experience is to learn about people, make friends and be with great company, then the Philippines is your country."

No matter how many Filipinos leave their country, their values of closer family ties and being so regionalistic remain. They want to be intact and look after their elderlies at home. They buy properties mainly for the benefit of their families to enjoy a bit quality of life. This what makes these people unique compare to other cultures. They don't mind the hardships of life in a foreign land. It is their pleasure to see their loved ones proud of what they do and what they give.

Based on my experience, property investment, with commitment, discipline and preparation to take a bit of risk, will provide a higher return on investment. Housing is always a rewarding investment which gives someone a sense of pride and ownership. Property is tangible and you know it is there, you can see it and you can feel its value. Unlike other form of investments which is unseen and you need a lot of info to know the name of the game.

So why chose property? Why not invest in stocks and shares or start a business? The main reason is that property will not go out of fashion or become obsolete like services and products. Shelter is a basic necessity for survival of us all and the demand for it is always guaranteed.

In economics, if the demand is greater than supply, it dictates prices to go up. If there is a food and mouth disease on poultries, meat vendor will still sell (supply) meat but people won't buy (demand) it. Prices tend to go down due to a lower demand. Should the 'red tide' a sort of toxic in the sea that affect fish occurs, the demand for meat will then increase and so the price. All things are parallel. This is the case on property. Due to a rapid expanding population of Filipinos which estimated to hit the 100 million mark in 2010, fragmenting families, an increasingly mobile workforce and major infrastructure mandated by the government, the demand for properties will always be greater than supply. Property prices keep increasing which give investors something to smile about.

Philippines is still a sound investment to put your money into. It helps your family, our economy and increase your chance to enjoy life. When a property is set up properly, you just sit back and watch the money roll in.

Don Magsino MBA
Ateneo De Manila University
Professional School of Business

Why Outsource in the Philippines?

2012-01-07T08:03:00.001-08:00

The reason why the Philippines is an ideal location for business outsourcing is the fact that the Philippine culture has a lot to the west. Historically, the Philippines has been a Spanish, British and American colonies. Moreover, as Western companies tend to deal with the companies in the same principles, they prefer to work with the Philippine companies.
In addition, the Philippines is a multilingual country, taking into account that have been a colony of Spain, Japan, UK and U.S. relatively large number of people can speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Indian and English. Advantage of this language jumped the Philippines as one of the top Outsourcing destination.
Moreover, the low cost of living and availability of cheap property make the Philippines hard to resist. Since employees do not have to pay so much labor and overhead, Philippines offer an incredible savings in the cost of operations and a great return on any investment. Simply put, the Philippines remain a cheaper option. In some specific sectors, personnel costs in India have increased to approximately 60% of comparable costs in the U.S., the Philippines, only reached about 30% of these positions.
More importantly, the Philippine labor market got hundreds of technically qualified individuals who can deliver the expected results as well as its Western counterparts at the lowest possible cost. Over 80% of the Philippine labor market is literate, which is another reason why Western companies prefer to work with Philippine companies. With its cost-effectiveness and accessibility of talent and skill, the Philippines is becoming a world leader in the outsourcing industry. In fact, Philippines ranks first in terms of accessibility of knowledge-based jobs, according to the survey-based Meta Group.
For these reasons, the Philippines is obviously quite marketable. Despite its reputation as a third world country, the Philippines continue to take giant steps forward in the business outsourcing

Outsourcing in the Philippines

Neurotic History of the Philippines and the Filipinos

2012-01-04T02:16:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by re-inventing a Jungian idea: "If, for a moment, we regard the nation as one individual, we see that it is like a person carried away by unconscious powers; and likes to keep certain problems tucked away in separate drawers." There is of course an idea that rests within the heart of Philippine history-an idea so absurd that one may lead to believe that Jung was right when he said that "our world is, so to speak, dissociated like a neurotic". And the idea is this: change is cruel, so one must reject change for whatever comes from change is just a corruption of the original; for change too has become a problem in Philippine history that one must "tuck it away" in a "separate drawer" in order for the people to see what they only want to see.
Philippine history is filled with myths that are, in a manner of speaking, a step shorter from delusions and hallucinations. As an example, I give two myths and a consequence of these myths. The first myth is that of a Filipino Civilization before the coming of the Spaniards-or to be more accurate, before the coming of Islam. The second myth is that of the True Filipinos who dwell within such a civilization. The combination of both produces the first narrative of the neurotic history of the Filipino people. It appears now that in the beginning there was a civilization and the civilization was good; the early Filipinos (therefore, True Filipinos) were good maritime navigators, already have a form of religion, were able to produce songs, create wares, build small huts, cultivate lands and started agriculture, establish a government system called barangay, establish trade with other Southeast Asian neighbours, etc. etc. It was when the Spaniards came (the second and already expurgated narrative of the neurotic history of the Filipino people) that this civilization was enslaved, exploited, oppressed, raped and ripped to pieces, and of course enslaved, exploited, oppressed, raped and ripped to pieces. (Just read any Philippine history book.)
Here is what it really looked liked-maritime navigation that failed to establish a local folklore on sea adventures (mostly because these maritime experts were pirates and raiders), a religion so primitively pagan and animistic, songs that were never written because writing culture was not yet mainstream, wares that were somewhere between basic and elaborate, small huts and an architectural design that never went beyond primitive, lands cultivated by sticks, rice terraces without the storage facilities in the style of Mohenjo Daro, agriculture so primitive it never went beyond the realm of their minute political consciousness, with politics as minute as a boat, and an ego-centric trade (history tells of neighbours coming to the Philippines and trading with the Filipinos, but never the other way around when they were supposedly expert maritime navigators). If this is what it means to be civilization, then I'm beginning to wonder what civilization really meant the first time it was used. After all, Philippine historians-much more like Philippine politicians-are fond of redefining terms to satisfy their needs. One must reconsider the term "civilization" when we talk about pre-colonial Philippines inasmuch as one must also reconsider the terms "literature" and "history" because of the lack of a writing culture. Besides, those True Filipinos of the pre-colonial period-irony of ironies!-do not have a bit of a concept of what it takes to be Filipino, what is a Filipino, and that Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are island groupings considered as a single political unit called the Philippines.
One may wonder if one can call the Celts in primeval Britain the True English (horrendous!), or the Ainus of ancient Japan as the True Japanese (unbelievable!), or the Goths of early Iberia as the True Spaniards and the True Portuguese (intoxicating!). This will lead us to the consequence of our neurotic history: the idea of ancestral domain, that is the presumption that those who settled on the land first are its original owners. Is it not true that the Celts settled the British plain far too long than the Philippine indigenous peoples have settled wherever-they-were before? I wonder if the Japanese government will surrender the Yamato plain to the Ainus and move the Japanese capital far to the frozen north. Will the European Union give to the Italians-descendants of the Romans-the ancestral domain which was once under the jurisdiction of the Roman Senate? Pure folly that can only come from the Filipinos.
The neurotic history of the Filipino people can be summarized in this manner:
(1) they had civilization;

(2) the Spaniards came and arrested further developments of that civilization;

(3) the Americans came and also contributed to the destruction of whatever remained from that civilization;

(4) such that until now they are confused of what and who they are because they have lost so much of their former innocence;

(5) that they emerged as, and still are, Limited Filipinos of the contemporary world.
The changes that have occurred in the past 443 years (even more) are to be considered as a corruption of their pre-1521 culture. They criticize themselves for being fakes and having colonial mentality, and praise their distant past for their innocence-for being "original" (whatever that means).
So, if we-in Jungian terms-translate the nation as an individual, what do we have on the Filipinos is this:
(1) an innocent child filled with so much curiosity and freedom that what matters with him was only playing and eating;

(2) the first wave of changes came when his parents started pressuring him over many things and he started thinking that life is not as simple as before;

(3) the second wave came through peer pressure as he entered into a confusing age of adolescence and really started to bicker that being a child is much more fun;

(4) he emerged as a confused adult despising himself for having been corrupted by all the changes that happened to his life;

(5) fear of the present made him long for his innocent past-at this stage, the individual represses his own history as a history of pain and suffering, tucks it in a drawer, and creates substitute stories to cover the pain and suffering.
Nostalgia for the past is manifested in continuously summoning the past to appear critical of the present. To cover the hysteria produced by the very changes that occurred to him, he creates myths. Philippine history is neurotic so far.
But, in the Freudian, Adlerian, and Jungian way, these myths-this neurotic history of the Filipino people-cannot avoid to manifest what was tucked away in the subconscious. Thus, Philippine history so far is describable in the common neurotic symptoms of depression, anxiety, and the inability to adapt through the resulting changes of life and time. What we indeed have in Philippine history is the documentation of their own fears and tragedies and the longing to go back to a time when the Spaniards were not there yet to ruin everything. The product of such a history is a massive collective inferiority complex that can only feel pride in the punches of a Pacquiao, in the strokes of billiard players, on the top of Mt. Everest, on the passing of a bar exam, and on the little things that other nations find not so much of a significance but are in the Philippines considered big time. What their history is producing is not a historical people that can find something to be proud of in their history-for Philippine history is not a history of changes and accomplishments but of struggles and sacrifices-no, not a historical people; for as long as their history is like a Philippine tele-novela, just like its media counterpart, it is doomed to mean nothing. What it is producing are a hysterical people afraid and dissociated of its history-a neurotic race from its neurotic stories.

Alejandro Villanueva finished his Bachelor and Masters degree on History from the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology. He was also a former columnist of the Philippine Post and presently a contributor to the university textbooks on Philippine history. He is currently a History Instructor in the said university and specializes on the life and works of Jose Rizal, general Philippine history, Asian Civilization, Philosophy of History, and History of England.

On the Incumbency of the Philippine Fifth President - The Beginning of the World Catastrophe

2012-01-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

The End of the World

When I was still young I had a dream. As I was sleeping I tranced into a revealing vision. Initially, I didn't care about this revelation as I considered it as one of those ordinary nightmares, until such time that I was able to recall it anew and tried to evaluate the general essence of that message.

Sometime in 1972 in a Police Headquarters of one of Laguna's chartered cities, two police patrolmen were casually exchanging views as to who would be the next President of the Philippines after the term of Mr. Marcos. Both were anxious to know who could really beat Marcos should he ever allow the government to hold presidential election. The policeman who seemed to be a pro-Marcos believer insisted that Marcos shall remain forever, considering his enormous political power and martial law rules. In the middle of the discussion, an old man in the late 70's who was keeping an ear on the discussion politely cut in and delivered his dialogue: "It is imminent that President Marcos shall step down from the power comes few years ahead.

As a matter of fact, there would still be four more Philippine Presidents after him. To include the surname initial of Mr. Marcos, four more presidential initials would follow which shall compose the particular word "MARIA". The fifth initial which stands for "A" is a lady who would be the last president of the Republic. During the lady president's incumbency, the Philippines shall be the starting place of the world catastrophe which may eventually turn to the end of the world. But several more years prior to its catastrophic occurrence, the Philippines shall first soar into a great nation and shall be considered as one of the richest countries in the world. The fact is, there would still be three more presidents under the lady president's administration".

In my younger mind of 21 (now I'm over 50's), I was there wondering whether this old man was telling the truth or not considering that it was still Mr. Marcos' incumbency and nobody ever knew whether there would really be another election. There were also some lingering questions that I set aside at that time:

1. What does the abbreviation "M.A.R.I.A." stand for;?

2. How is it possible for the Philippines to become one of the richest countries in the world considering the present economic crisis;

3. Why should there be three more presidents under Ms. A's presidency?

4. And why of all countries should the small Philippines be the source of the world catastrophe which may eventually turn to the end of the world?

I have my own answers:

1. What does the abbreviation "M.A.R.I.A." stand for;?

Today in the year 2009, I now am able to analyze what are all those things meant. The word "MARIA" stands for "Marcos", "Aquino", "Ramos", "Estrada", "Arroyo". Why? Estrada does not have initial of "I". Well, the answer is simple, in the countryside the word that spells "MAREA" is spoken and sounded as "MARIA", that is self-explanatory.

2. How is it possible for the Philippines to become one of the richest countries in the world considering the present economic crisis;

The Philippines, as a small third country which is indulged in serious economic and political crisis, can still have a chance to prove that it can possibly be one of the richest countries in the world considering its great volumes of precious reserves and mineral deposits particularly, the so-called "Deuterium: The White Gold of the Philippines".

According to Major Tom/June 17, 2008, (Deuterium: The White Gold of the Philippines, The Economy Science and Technology), "the Philippines is identified to hold the greatest amount of deuterium deposit, somewhere in the area known as Mindanao Trench, the part of the Pacific Ocean just off the shores of Surigao. Deuterium is most prevalent in an area more widely known in the whole world as The Philipppine Deep. In the Freeman news article (dated August 2004), Dr. Anthony B. Halog, the Filipino scientist working at the Sustainable Technology Office of the Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, and the National Research Council of Canada described the Philippine deuterium wealth in this manner:

"A big deposit of 868 miles long, 52 miles at widest point, and 3 miles at deepest point, replenished by nature 24 hours a day after deuterium travels more than 12,000 kilometers from Central America to the Philippines through the span of the Pacific Ocean when Planet Earth turns on its axis from West to East in unending perpetual motion."

And it's potential in this breathe: "At 12 million barrels per day capacity priced at US$7.00 per barrel, this is US$84 million per day or US$30.66 billion per year, enough to wipe out all existing foreign debts of the Government in one year, revenue-wise in foreign exchange."

3. Why should there be three more presidents under Ms. A's presidency?

Under the present territorial setting, federalism issue and the conversion into state (just like in America) of the three major island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, is presently being raised for debate in the Philippine Congress/Senate? (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) What is Federalism by the way?

It is a system of government in which a written constitution divides the powers of government on a territorial basis. The division is made between a central, or national, government and several regional or local governments. Each level of government has its own area of powers. Neither level, acting alone, can change the basic division of powers the constitution makes between them. Each level operates through its own agencies and acts directly on the people through its own officials and laws. (Reference: http://firstclass.rfsd.k12.co.us/~mschneiter/Fad/legislative_1_federalism.htm)

Now we see picture. There can be three more presidents under one over-all president should there be a conversion of these three major island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao into the so-called state. As in the U.S., a state is headed by the Governor and as in the case of the Visayas island in the Philippines, it would be headed by the Visayas President, and so with Luzon and Mindanao for that matter.

4. And why of all countries should the small Philippines be the source of the world catastrophe?

Ever realized that the late movie actor Fernando Poe, Jr. did not make it to the Presidency despite his popularity? It may be a will of doom to let President Arroyo stay in power and experience the end of the world. Since the Philippines is set to become one of the richest countries in the world for its sky-rocketing deuterium production, there is an imminent danger of resentment among other countries, focusing enviously on the Philippine healthy economy while the others experience economic global crisis. Such perspective may eventually generate conflict among four big nations. With the use of modern and sophisticated military hardware, regardless of leveling themselves into an offensive-and-defensive position, but with one particular aspect - and that is to defend and destroy, this may become catastrophic situation and may eventually trigger to the end of the world. Just an opinion.

Author - Onofre Poonin

More than twenty years in the investigative jobs. Twelve years of which were spent as Consular Investigator of the U.S. Embassy's Anti-Fraud Unit, Philippines. The rest were spent as Security Investigator/Manager of different security agencies in Metro Manila. As a BS Criminologist, I spend my time between essay article writings and security management job. I have published my first five articles in different websites and I'm currently working on my sixth essay article.

I value my co-writers' thoughts, opinions, ideas, and their passion towards what they want to achieve. My philosophy revolves around the simple premise that I exist to turn my dreams into something real, and then shape that reality into an exceptional product, one which exceeds all of our expectations.

Philippine Airlines - A Story of Attitude and Determination

2012-01-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

The history of the Philippine Airlines often feels like something you would see in a movie. We're serious. PAL has amazing character. They've been operating for more than 60 years. During those (more than) sixty years, PAL has seen quite a lot of political unrest in its country and has had more than its share of difficult times. They lived through the Asian financial crisis and are still in business. Continue reading this article to learn more about just how remarkably resilient this company is.

So much has been going on for PAL this past year, 2010. In January they took ownership of their second Boeing 777-300ER airliner which is one of the most advanced airline aircraft in the world. To add to their already impressive number of international destinations, in March they announced more flights bringing the total to 26 flights abroad. Just last month, November, Philippine Airlines announced a seat selection system that is even more advanced than their previous system. This upgraded seat selection system is exclusively for those who decide to purchase tickets on the net.

Philippine Airlines, along with several other major airlines, offers a wide range of hotel and tour packages to their passengers. Great effort was invested in choosing programs and packages that will offer the greatest variety for PAL's customers. This helps PAL ensure that they can provide for your tastes regardless of your preferences. This works well with PAL's exclusive catering to corporate frequent fliers. A special department was created to provide custom business frequent flier packages. The end result is their corporate business customers will be totally accommodated.

In case you have never heard of Mabuhay Miles, that is the name for Philippine Airlines' frequent flyer program. Mabuhay Miles has existed since 2002 when PAL put all their various programs for frequent flyers under one umbrella. It was a good move for PAL because it helped consolidate certain departments within the company. They made that move because it helped to make their business a bit more efficient. The Asian crisis in the financial markets was a difficult time, but PAL survived even if they needed financial assistance. What is so unique about Philippine Airlines is it continues to operate with a social conscience which is important in their sphere of operations. Given the difficult social problems chronically extant within the Philippines, their overall attitude and stance is not surprising. The day to day business of Philippine Airlines seems to reflect their attunement with their country's problems. One such response by Philippine Airlines was to build a world class aviation training school and facility in their homeland. What that means is future opportunities for generations to come, plus it adds a much needed boost to the local economy.

Neil Rischall is a CPA who besides being a Top Author in many EzineArticles categories also has web sites with IRS W2 Form information at IRS W2, and sites that also deals with the IRS Form 1040 which is also called a IRS 1040 Form which is filed with the Internal Revenue Service. To find out more details about how, when and where must be filed and prepared please click on the links.

Philippine Airlines 1

2011-12-26T02:16:00.000-08:00

The Philippine airlines are one that is also known as PAL and does service worldwide destinations. The Philippine airline is one of the oldest airlines that remain after the global changes in fuel costs, and in the rising safety concerns. The Philippines airlines services over fifty different destinations, some internationally. Manila is the home of the Philippine airlines. Direct competitors for the Philippine airlines are those from Japan and from China. Thousands fly the Philippine airlines weekly, making this one of the larger competitors in the worldwide market when you are thinking about airline travel.

Philippine airlines has been servicing flying needs since the early 1940's making it Asia's oldest airlines and one of the oldest in the world as well. There was a group of businessmen who started this airline, to service their own business traveling needs, and then as the needs increased to make a profit, the Philippine airline opened transportation to the paying public.

The Philippine airlines continually services the public needs. In history, the Philippine airlines had faced interruptions and shut downs during World War II. The first planes that were used in the Philippine airline company where the Beech Model 18 and the Douglas DC 3's. These were some of the oldest airplanes, and are not used today. The Philippines airlines were the first to cross the Pacific. They did this by transporting a few Americans to California in the late 1940's. Philippine airlines was the first to transport people between Manila and San Francisco, which was a very big accomplishment in that time of history when flying was still young compared to what we have today.

During the late 1970's, the plane was redesigned and Philippines airlines expanded with the use of the Boeing 727, and the Boeing 747. The plane that was also known as the love bus was introduced into the fleet of the Philippine airlines, which was the Airbus A300. Airlines in Singapore always seemed to be just one step behind in attaining the planes and in expanding fleet services.

In the 1990's the Philippine airlines was moved and sold to a company. Previously the Philippine airlines were a company, an airline that was controlled by the government. In the later years of 1990's the first Airbus A340 was put into action in the Philippine airlines, and would expand that airlines ability in flying even further. During the early years of 2000, Philippine airlines had faced hard times, and were facing shut down. But, the company has rebounded, and continued to fly the skies every since as passengers were able to book flights online, and find tickets that were competitive on the Philippine airlines compared to other airlines that service the same areas.

During the early years of 2000, the Philippine airlines began servicing additional locations in the US, such as in Las Vegas. This allowed travelers additional choices in flying and making Philippine airlines one of the favorites, known more locally as PAL instead of the long name of Philippine airlines.

Written by Reidar Aas, webmaster and author of [http://www.airlinebest.biz] This article may be reproduced as long as a Live link back to [http://www.airlinebest.biz] is present.

Philippine Call Centers - The "Sunshine Industry"

2011-12-25T02:16:00.000-08:00

Call centers in the Philippines became the answer to the rising unemployment rate in the mid 1990's. Today, new graduates and other new entrants to the labor force are rushing to apply to various Philippine call center their is. Every week, Philippine Call Centers take in thousands under their wing to be trained and eventually be gainfully employed.

To answer the needs of the various call centers in the Philippines, some schools have upgraded their English and communications subjects up to the next level. There are even electives to study American geography and English proficiency to ensure that when they graduate they would get hired right away.

At this time more and more call center aspirants rush to file their applications and regardless of what course they have taken. Thousands of fresh and old graduates are being hired by Philippine Call Centers every week. Needless to say, call centers became an option of many Filipinos for a lucrative employment.

What made Philippines an attractive place for off shoring?

Indebtedness and the need to cut back on costs brought about by the troubled stock market, declining expenditure on Information and Technology and unstable economic conditions made off shoring very appealing to many U.S. companies. This prompted some U.S. companies to decentralize their operations, particularly the handling of outbound and inbound calls.

Years ago, The Philippines was an unknown country in the field of e-services in the world. Now, it has has an approximately 50 or more call centers listed by the Department of Trade and Industry and the numbers are still escalating.

Edge of the Filipinos

The call center industry caters to markets from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia which means that it requires a labor force proficient in the English language. What makes Philippines rise above the rest is the fact that we offer quality but cheaper office spaces and labor, better power and telecommunications infrastructure and a very supportive government. Being the third largest English speaking country in the world and with a high literacy rate, the Philippines is considered as one of the most competitive call center destinations in the world.

The basic pay for call center agents ranges from P12, 000 to P14, 000 a month (200 USD to 250 USD). In ICT Philippines, a call center that operates in the Philippines, agents enjoy a monthly P2, 500 food and transportation allowance and a performance appraisal bonus amounting to P4, 000. Often, they are also offered spiffs like appliances, cellular phone loads and gift checks to boost the sales per hour capacity of the employees. An agent who hits the target quota sales gets an additional P11, 500 commission plus a 30-50 percent night differential. All in all, a well-performing agent gets a gross monthly income of more than P31, 000. This, as opposed to the P8, 000-p9, 000 entry level salary generally offered in other sectors.

Call center agents receive benefits like SSS, health insurance, Pag-ibig and salary loans. It is not a dead-end job either. Agents get the chance to climb the corporate ladder in just a matter of three months. Some call centers offer perks like free shuttle rides, free meals and coffee and sleeping rooms and even karaoke rooms.

"Sunshine Industry"

The Philippine Call Center is regarded as the "sunshine industry" by the government because of its vast expansion that has generated thousands of employment. It is sprouting not only in Metro Manila but also in Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Pampanga. There are also other call center spots all throughout the country that can accommodate thousands of call center agents and numerous accounts and companies as well.

This prompted the Arroyo government to put the ICT in a huge pedestal in hopes of placing the Philippines in the call center map of the world. The government designated more than 96 special economic zones that offer tax breaks and other incentives to foreign investors and is improving the telecommunications and other basic infrastructure. This vision has already been laid out in her State of the Nation address and is presently in the works.

With the positive things that is in stored for the Philippine call centers, this industry is booming and is here to stay for awhile, keeping both the companies and the call center agents happy and satisfied.

Virginia Magallanes, 25, works as company writer for Call Center Philippines Unique Interaction

Philippine Geothermal - World's 2nd Biggest Geothermal Power Producer

2011-12-24T02:16:00.000-08:00

Perhaps to most Filipinos, geothermal is "alien", unheard of or maybe just "a not too exciting topic" to delve on. But what if the regular Filipino would know that geothermal is a cheaper form of generating energy in a sense that it does not require the purchase and use of fuel? And that his country is the second biggest producer in the world next only to United States of America? Will it interest him?
Geothermal comes from Greek words geo, meaning earth, and therme, meaning heat. Simply put, "Geothermal" can generally refer to any heat contained in the ground. It is an energy generated by heat stored in the earth, or the collection of absorbed heat derived from underground, in the atmosphere and oceans.
Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal generator on 4 July 1904, at the Larderello dry steam field in Italy.
The Geothermal Education Office and a 1980 article entitled "The Philippines geothermal success story" by Rudolph J. Birsic published in the journal Geothermal Energy (vol. 8, Aug.-Sept. 1980, p. 35-44) note the remarkable geothermal resources of the Philippines. During the World Geothermal Congress 2000 held in Beppu, Lita Prefecture of Japan (May-June 2000), it was reported that the Philippines is the largest consumer of electricity from geothermal sources and highlighted the potential role of geothermal energy in providing energy needs for developing countries.
From an economic viewpoint, geothermal energy is extremely price competitive in some areas and reduces reliance on fossil fuels and their inherent price unpredictability. It is no secret that fuel price is one of the most volatile of all commodities. It also offers a degree of scalability: a large geothermal plant can power entire cities while smaller power plants can supply more remote sites such as rural villages. This is highly advantageous to Philippines as there are a lot of remote areas especially in provinces.
Continuous research and development would lead to improved plants and geothermal operations. As of 2008, geothermal power supplies only less than 1% of the world's energy. Still very far compared to power generated by plants using natural gas and coal. In the Philippines however, geothermal energy already provides 27% of the country's total electricity production generated in power plants. Geothermal power plants are on the islands Luzon, Valencia, Negros Oriental, Mindanao and Tongonan, Leyte.
Leyte is one of the islands in the Philippines where the geothermic power plants were developed. Developments here started in 1977 by the company PNOC.
Many of the geothermic natural resources are still waiting to ' be harnessed for steam'.
If Philippines can continue to nurture the potential of the country's geothermal power, it could drastically lower its dependency to fuel. This would mean more savings from fuel expenses that are basically growing at an insanely fast pace. These cutbacks from the nation's annual budget could perhaps be used to some other noteworthy projects that would help propel Philippines to greater heights.
For us laymen, "geothermal" may sound foreign or strange. But the next time we hear about "Philippine geothermal", let us be thankful to God. Let us thank Him for providing us a country very rich in natural resources. Let us further pray though that our leaders would be proactive in properly utilizing these inherent supplies and be selfless in honestly serving the Filipino.

Reg

Philippine Independence Day - Facts You Should Know About the Philippine Independence Day

2011-12-23T02:16:00.000-08:00

It was yesterday when it brought to my attention about Philippine Independence Day. I was curious about where it started and who was behind this historical event. Here is what I found...

The most momentous achievement of Aguinaldo's Dictatorial Government was the proclamation of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898.

Apolinario Mabini's opposition

General Emilio Aguinaldo thought that it was necessary to declare the independence of the Philippines with a government in operation. Aguinaldo believed that doing this would inspire the people to fight more eagerly against the Spaniards and he also thought that it will lead the foreign countries to recognize the independence of the country. Apolinario Mabini, who was Aguinaldo's unofficial adviser at that time, objected. He based his opposition on the fact that it was more imperative to reorganize the government to convince the foreign powers of the competence and stability of the new government than to proclaim Philippine independence at such an early stage. Aguinaldo, on the other hand, stood his ground and won.

Presidential Proclamation No. 28

The United States recognized Philippines independence on July 4, 1946. But President Diosdado Macapagal, the Grandfather of the current president of the Philippines, signed the Presidential Proclamation No. 28, changing the official celebration to June 12, 1898. That was the day that Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippine's independence from Spain.

June 12, 1898: The Proclamation of Philippine Independence

Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 in Cavite at the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo. The event saw the unfolding of the National Flag of the Philippines and the performance of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo (Lupang Hinirang), as the Nation's National Anthem. The Act of the Declaration of Independence was written by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, who also read it. The Philippine Declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, one of them was an American army officer, L.M. Johnson, Colonel of Artillery, who witnessed the proclamation.

The Philippine flag was made in Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza. The Philippine National Anthem was composed by Julian Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon Marching band. This year is the 111th Philippine Independence Day celebration. It is being celebrated with traditional flag raising ceremony and occasional programs with lots of Philippine flags that can be seen everywhere from home to schools, government and private establishments and also in public places and transportation.

Real Andrews is a Certified Personal Trainer & Gym Owner. An actor by profession who is very passionate about the health and wellness industry, He is very passionate about making a difference in the State of health in our Country. Please visit his blog for more related articles. Real is an expert at helping people achieve their dreams & Goals. You might recognize him as Lt. Taggert from the ABC Show General Hospital.

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Philippine Women - How Their Intimate Relationship is Influenced by Their Filipino Culture

2011-12-22T02:16:00.000-08:00

Are you curious about Philippine women? Are you wondering why your neighbor got a Filipina wife? Or is it your friend who has a Filipina girlfriend who is about to be married to her? Are you in some way envious that they look happy together and that you also contemplate to find one for your self? Are you now in the stage of investigating about her and how you can win a girlfriend from the Philippines? If the answers to these questions are mostly yes, then you are reading the right piece.

Bluntly speaking, Filipino women who are looking for a lifetime partner across the globe are not desperate women who want to be redeemed from their present statuses. Most of these women have college degrees and have a good career. The main reason why they are searching for real love and are on the quest of finding the right man for them is that they prefer someone who is a foreigner too.

Although, there may be a few who probably have experienced failed relationships and are already traumatized to try again with another Filipino man. Sometimes broken relationships push Filipino ladies to find hope of real love from men who are not Filipinos.

So what does a Filipino woman want in a man? What are her standards for a man? When we talk about love, it is a universal feeling with a universal truth. The universal truth of love in a woman's point of view is that, she needs to be loved wholeheartedly. Though, how Filipino individuals deal and respond to an intimate relationship is in one way or another influenced by their Filipino culture.

For example, marital relationship is sacred in the Philippines. Divorce has no room in Philippine law. Legal separation and annulment is granted but the process of this in the Philippine court takes ages plus the fact that the grounds for the annulment are very limited and consist only of 6 reasons. Because of this, a Filipina woman is very careful in choosing a lifetime mate.

Under the Filipino culture, courtship is still observed. A man needs to woo her. Courtship takes time. A woman is expected to suspend her answer to the man's appeal for a longer period. Sometimes it takes only a week or even a month for her to say yes. Her "yes" does not indicate that she will marry you. That "yes" means you are officially her boyfriend and not a fiance yet.

This is what is called a "steady relationship" in the Philippines. It also means that the woman and the man are exclusively dating. If they decided to get marriage, then the engagement comes. This time the man has to propose not only to the woman but also to the woman's parents. The man's parents, especially his father, will ask the hand of the woman for marriage from the lady's father. If the permission is granted, then that is the time that the lovers would plan for their wedding.

These are just the basic information that you need to know. If you are really serious in getting a Filipina wife, then you have to exert effort in convincing her that your intention is good. You have to prove to her that you love her with all your heart. Because, that is what Philippine women want from a man.

Want to know more about Filipina women? Just go here: Philippine Women. View profiles of beautiful single Filipino ladies here: http://www.FilipinaKisses.com

Philippines Economy

2011-12-21T02:16:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that the Philippines were once the wealthiest country in Asia, after Japan, it has slowly become one of the poorest in the region since it gained independence in 1946. The economy further declined in the early 1980s on account of the reduced demand for Philippine products, the United States' pullout, and an increased rate of corruption. A projected 10% of the GNP was lost to corruption and capitalism during this period. The economic recovery since then has been noteworthy but slow in comparison to other East Asian nations. According to the GDP per capita, the Philippines at present ranks 118th out of 178 states.

The financial system of the Philippines particularly had trouble during the Asian monetary emergency of 1998. Increasing prices, inflation, and poor weather aggravated these poor economic conditions. Economic development fell from 5% in 1997 to 0.6% in 1998; however, it improved to about 3% in 1999 and 4% in 2000, and by 2004 it rose to above 6% per year. Budgetary provisions for servicing debt in the Philippines were higher than the budget for education and defense together.

Income disparity also remains a grave problem in the country. The Philippines continues to be a largely agricultural country; however, light industry and services have made noteworthy contributions. In the past few years, there have been noticeable developments in the Philippines as the number of business process outsourcing (BPO) industries has increased. With the introduction of the BPO industries, there have been considerable boosts in the rate of employment. This has given rise to various job opportunities for the Filipinos. There are approximately 500 companies in the Philippines that have improved the quality of service by providing jobs. The Philippines is among the many countries that house the leading BPO industries.

The Philippines is among the countries associated with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank. In the year 2005, the peso was known as Asia's best performing currency.

Philippines [http://www.z-Philippines.com] provides detailed information on Philippines, Philippines Tours, Language In The Philippines, Philippines Real Estate and more. Philippines is affiliated with Hong Kong Travel [http://www.HongKong-Web.com].

Philippines Surfing if You Want to Miss the Crowds

2011-12-20T02:16:00.000-08:00

Philippines surfing is not quite a destination that would conjure up images of brilliant surfing breaks. Truth be told surfing in the Philippines can be fickle, but if you are after an adventure, are willing to go off the beaten track and are not afraid to try something different, then surfing in the Philippines will not disappoint you.

With 7,107 islands, the roaring Pacific Ocean bordering the eastern coastline and the South China Sea on the western coastline and attracting more typhoons than most neighboring countries, Philippines surfing is alive and well. In fact the Philippines are not a new surfing destination, with surfers enjoying the waves here since at least the sixties, maybe even earlier. Let's face it who wouldn't want a perfect left or right hander all to yourself!

Philippines surfing can be both temperamental and seasonal, it is important to know when the best time to come is or you may be disappointed, nothing worse that a surfer without surf.
amihan, during November to April. On top of the monsoons throw in a typhoon or many and you can imagine that surfing in the Philippines can really pump. The typhoons usually come in from the east of Mindanao and head in a north westerly direction hitting the southern Luzon and the islands between Luzon and the Pacific.

The west coast of the Philippines is more inconsistent than the east coast, it relies on the winds through the Taiwan Straights during the north east monsoon. This wind created swell hits the west coast of Luzon. The swell can also be really good when the odd typhoon heads towards Hong Kong. The swell that hits Palawan can be hard to pick, but you are guaranteed to have fantastic waves if you leave your surf board at home, typically if you bring it the surf will be flat!

So when is the best time to go surfing in the Philippines? Well your best to try the east coast during the north east monsoon. But like everywhere surfing the Philippines is inconsistent, however on it's good day, totally unforgettable.

Where To Go Surfing

Brett Jankowiak is the owner of http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com, Philippines Travel Guide, his passion for the Philippines is reflected in his writings and articles on his information based website.

Planning For a Philippine Travel? What Will You Need?

2011-12-19T02:16:00.000-08:00

Like the Bahamas, the Philippine island is worth a valuable visit from anyone who wishes to witness the distinct sceneries each country island offers. A matter of this fact, there is a significant increase in the percentage rate of current tourist visits in the country.

Other than the scenic views, another factor that makes the country worth everyone's visit is the one-of-a-kind Filipino culture that is definitely deemed for its uniqueness. Spanish, Japanese and Americans -- these are three prominent races that have greatly influenced the Filipino culture.

As one of the most developing countries in Asia, the Philippines country guarantees every tourist with a wide variety of impeccable services and accommodations. This is with the inclusion of deluxe beach resorts, international golf courses, 5 star hotels and many exciting promising places.

If you are planning to travel to the Philippines, be sure to secure the following:

1. Major Philippine Travel Requirements

* Passport. This is the foremost essential requirement you need to secure prior to depart for a Philippine travel. The validity of your passport may vary depending on the purpose of your country visit. For further specific passport requirement details, you can contact any Consulate or Embassy, whichever is accessible nearby your location.

* Philippine Currency. This is not really that necessary, for as long as you have your own savings account. You can always go into any money changers available in the Philippine country. Or else, you can make use of other available faster resources such as electronic banks, to aid you with your financial needs, later on your visit.

So far, those are the only major requirements you would need to secure. Other than the abovementioned are optional but also recommended.

2. Minor Philippine Travel Requirements - What you would need other than passport, visa and currency is at least the basic idea about the following:

* Transportation. Manila --The capital of the Philippines can be reached via airlines from any the country across the globe. Available customary flights are made possible by the Philippine major airlines including SEAIR or Southeast Asian Airlines, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines.

Inside the country, there are accessible transportation means like LRTs, taxi, buses, jeepneys, and tricycles. If you prefer for a more private ride, you can go for car rentals available. You can always ask for assistance from any trustworthy road officials or individuals.

* Weather. Tropical country as it is called, you can only expect for two seasons in the Philippines -- the dry and rainy seasons.

Hot and dry seasons usually fall on the months of October to May. On the other hand, rainy seasons happen in June until September. Though, because of global warming effects, the dry and rainy months may be unpredictable anymore. But recently, rainy seasons usually occur in the months of June until October. Later than October would be all hot and cool dry seasons.

* Food. As for the food and beverages, you can always avail of any local dishes or international dishes served by different restaurants and fast foods spotted anywhere in the country, usually in big cities.

* Communication media. Just like other countries, the Philippines country is not really that behind in terms of technology. In fact, whatever is accessible in big countries like the U.S. are also available in the Philippines. This is made possible by the power of import-export treaties as handled by the Philippine government, particularly in the economic sections. From wired to wireless Internet, smart phones and cellular phones, whichever you would prefer.

* Language. Well, this too, is not really a big deal for majority of Filipinos are familiar and capable to communicate using the universal language -- English. But if you really need help with translations, then you can always appoint professional language translators to help you understand the language. There are a lot of available tourists' guides who have obtained degrees from studying different languages.

The next thing you'll need to do is to prepare your travel itineraries. Doing so would help you organize your destinations, thereby, avoiding potential hassles to arise in the future. After having known all of these things, you are then all set for your Philippine travel plan. The rest is up to your own discovery when you are already inside the Philippine country.

Easy Philippine Travel Tips:

Traveling into the Philippine country is not really that complicated. All you have to remember is your main goal to discover what is really inside the country that makes other tourists go back and forth to witness. If it is your first time and you are determined enough to visit Philippines, a little country research may be necessary for you to have at least the basic thought of what and how it is to be there.

Short History of Philippines Literature

2011-12-10T02:16:00.000-08:00

Philippine is an island country situated in Southeast Asia along the Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea and South China Sea. The language spoken by the people is known as Tagalog. The islands were a Spanish colony from the early 1500s. The US controlled the islands in the early 20th century. Philippines is the 11th most populated country of the world.

The Philippine islands have a rich oral history of legends, poetry and tales which is common with other aboriginal societies. Unfortunately, a lot is not known among urban inhabitants and the older generations have retained them in most cases who are the subject of an anxious project by universities and cultural awareness groups.

Legends were brought with the Taiwanese settlers, it was the first homeland from the Austronesian people. The old stories of heroes and gods are shared in many parts with the stories that are familiar for the people of Indonesia, Pacific islands, Madagascar and New Zealand. However, Philippines have been settled for a mot longer time that allowed home grown versions to develop. The story of monkey and turtle is a favorite tale with the Philippine children. The moral of the story was that one should always share everything with friends. This is a defining nature of Filipinos.

Written literature existed prior to the start of Spanish colonial period. Spain was however gripped by inquisition and the church passed a decree that the existing Philippines records should be destroyed including unique Philippine alphabets. They were all to be replaced by Catholic teachings in Spanish only.

Baybayin was the only surviving documents written in tagalong alphabets. The written form literature in Philippines is only known from times of the colonial period. Most of the works written in those periods were religious praising the Christianity to the population that was previously following polytheism.

Poems were energetically encouraged that could be read or used in church or local festivals. A poem written by Fernando Bagonbanta in 1605 contained many lyrics that could be sung. In 1705, Gaspar Aquino de Belen wrote quintillas in succession that were more serious as compared to Bagonbanta. Philippines still use them today.

Since the first half of 20th century, many poetry and literature of Philippines was written in Spanish. Tagalog was frowned as the base language not capable of great works. Francisco Balagtas was one of the greatest writers of Philippines. He was a man compared with William Shakespeare for his deep nature of works. Florante at Laura was his greatest work written in Tagalog. It is about a man and woman during the times of Greek Empire.

José Rizal was the Philippine national hero and is considered the father of native Philippine literature. His works were also published in Spanish language. José Rizal was not only revolutionary but he was also very intelligent. For him, Philippine independence was very important for survival of Tagalog language.

Jozé Rizal was a source of inspiration for many Filipinos. He was also a model for civilized living. He had also studied Philosophy and Medicine and he was awarded many degrees from several European universities. Rizal also spoke 22 languages. Unfortunately, his works on literature were limited to only two novels. The second one was a sequel owing to his execution by firing squad in 1896 at the age of 35 after being convicted of up roaring revolutionary ideas. Philippines came under US control after Rizal's death. It was later associated with the US as a Commonwealth. The chosen language of the early 20th century was Spanish.

English became the preferred language of literature by the start of World War II. There was a brief flirtation with writing Tagalog during the Japanese occupation as Japanese forces were suspicious that Philippine spies would use English for passing secret messages to US forces.

On the contrary, writing in English allowed Philippine authors to successfully expand their horizons having their writing published globally. Several awards are offered annually that recognize the excellence.

You might also be interested in learning history of Philippine Literature and also history of the U.S. Constitution.

The 7,107 Islands of Philippines Beckon You to Explore the Richness of Nature and Their Culture!

2011-12-09T02:16:00.000-08:00

Philippines History:

From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, the 7,107 islands of Philippines today has evolved as a unique blend of the east and the west, both in appearance and culture. Today regarded as the third largest English speaking country in the world, the country has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences.

The Filipinos had a rich culture and were trading with the Chinese and the Japanese before the landmark event, Spanish colonization in 1521 altered the destiny of the island country. The Spanish colonization being a strong denominator in the history of Philippines, it brought about the construction of Intramuros, a "Walled City" comprised of European buildings and churches, replicated in different parts of the archipelago. A series of political rebellions then continued for as long as 350 years, at the end of which in 1898, the Filipinos succeeded in winning their independence. It is worth mentioning over here that this independence of the nation was fuelled by leaders like Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo.

1898 became a landmark year in the history of Philippines as in this year; Philippines became the first and only colony of the United States. However, The U.S. refused to recognize any Philippine right to self-government. As a result, Aguinaldo declared war against the United States for denying them independence on February 4, 1899. Following the Philippine-American War, the United States brought widespread education to the islands. Filipinos fought alongside Americans during World War II, particularly at the famous battle of Bataan and Corregidor which delayed Japanese advance and saved Australia. They then waged a guerilla war against the Japanese from 1941 to 1945. However, the country was able to regain its independence in 1946. In this way, the freedom-loving Filipinos have waged two peaceful, bloodless revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt regimes, resulting in the vibrant democracy of today's Philippines. Today, there are as many as 12 English national newspapers, 7 national television stations, hundreds of cable TV stations, and 2,000 radio stations in Philippines, which ensures that democracy is restored to the country.

Philippines Economy:

Based on the agriculture industry, Philippines has gradually evolved today as one of the fastest growing economies in the whole of South East Asia. The service sector in Philippines is growing at a steady pace, keeping in tandem with the country's phenomenal productivity in agriculture and industry.

Pimarily an agricultural region producing copra, maize, hemp, rice, sugar, and tobacco, the land of Philippines was also notable for mining activities as researches have found out that the mountains of the islands contain substantial amounts of chrome, copper, gold, iron, lead, manganese, and silver. Fishing, centered in Manila Bay and the Sulu Archipelago, has been yet another significant occupation, especially for the tribesmen scattered across the archipelago. However, the prospects of fishing as an industry like that of the agricultural and mining industry in Philippines is quite bleak, due to expensive funds and equipments. Important sectors of the Philippine economy, apart from agriculture, mining and fishing, include food processing, textiles and garments, and electronics and automobile parts.

While most industries of Philippines are concentrated in the urban areas around metropolitan Manila, natural gas resources have been discovered in recent times off the islands of Palawan, which are sure to add to the country's substantial geothermal, hydro, and coal energy reserves.

Basically an agricultural economy with commerce, trade, and industry contributing to its growth and development, farming with the primary crops "palay" and "corn" and also minor crops like rootcrops, vegetables and fruits as well as cattle and swine raising are considered among the other major economic activities. Besides, the country's oranges and mangoes are now major crops being exported fresh to Asian countries.

Philippines was less severely affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1998 than its neighbouring south-east asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia etc. This was possible because there were the annual remittances of $7-8 billion from overseas workers. Besides, no sustained runup in asset prices or foreign borrowing happened over here, prior to the crisis. Therefore, from a 0.6% decline in 1998, GDP expanded by 2.4% in 1999, and 4.4% in 2000. By the end of 2001, however, the country showed an economic slump in face of a global economic slowdown, but it soon recovered in the successive years, as GDP growth accelerated to 4.3% in 2002, 4.7% in 2003, and about 6% in 2004, reflecting the continued resilience of the service sector, and a much improved exports and agricultural output.

Despite all these facts and figures, Philippines' high annual population growth rate and unequal distribution of income, its higher oil prices, higher interest rates on dollar borrowings, and higher inflation happen to be solid roadblocks to its consistent economic progress. Keeping these in mind, the government has to take a higher, sustained growth path to make appreciable progress of the economy.

Philippines Culture/Religion:

A true blend of culture where east synergizes with the west, Philippines has acquired a cultural character with a little bit of all the cultures put together. Divided geographically and culturally into regions, each regional group of the Filipinos is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects. The sturdy and frugal llocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalogs of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands, and the colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao, all speak distinct dialects of their own. In this way, Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups. Housing Indonesian Malay people as well as some Chinese and Spanish elements, the country has been famous for its "Bayanihan" or spirit of kinship and camaraderie and hospitality that the Filipinos are said to acquire from their forefathers. The influence of the Chinese has incorporated in them the concept of close family relations, while the characteristic piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Regarded amongst the English-proficient Oriental people, they have Pilipino as the official national language, while English is considered the country's unofficial one. As a matter-of-fact, Philippines is currently the third-largest English speaking country in the world.

An integral part of the culture of the Filipinos, the "fiesta" is quite a cultural denominator of Philippines. The culture of the Filipinos indicates that good times or bad times, come what may, the fiesta must go on. Each city and barrio having at least one local festival of its own, (usually celebrating the feast of its patron saint), there is always a fiesta going on somewhere in the country. The most pompous and elaborate among all these is Christmas, a season which the fun-loving Filipinos celebrate with all pomp and pageantry one can imagine.

Speaking about religion, the Filipinos have historically embraced two of the great religions of the world - Islam and Christianity. Introduced during the 14th century, shortly after the expansion of Arab commercial ventures in Southeast Asia, today Islam in Philippines is limited to the southern region of the country. On the other hand, Christianity, which was introduced in the 16th century with the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, remains a predominant religion in the country with a large chunk of Catholics (82.9%) and a small number of Protestants (5.4%). Protestantism was introduced to the Philippines history much later (1889) by the first Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries arriving with American soldiers in the country.

The churches of Philippines, with their unique towering architecture, are landmarks in almost all important towns, provincial capitals, and major cities. As an important fact, two of the much prominent Filipino independent churches were organized at the turn of the century, namely, the 'Aglipay Independent Church' (founded in 1902) and the Iglesia Ni Kristo' or 'Church of Christ' (founded in 1914). While the Aglipay has recently signed a covenant with the Anglican Church, the Iglesia ni Kristo has expanded its membership considerably.

Philippines Travel/Tourism:

With exotic beach destinations in Philippines like Boracay, Pagudpud, Mactan Island, Panglao, Camiguin and more, with a rare and exotic marine life adorned by flora and fauna, with an exciting range of water sports ranging from scuba-diving and snorkeling to sea kayaking and white water rafting, Philippines, along with its other neighbouring South-east Asian countries, happens to be a treasure trove for foreign tourists. As a matter-of-fact, the islands of the Philippines is said to be the most sought after wedding destination where traditional meets exotic, modern meets mythical and above all, east meets west.

Foreign tourists all over the globe vie with each other to experience the fabulous wedding packages at Shangri-la's Mactan Island resorts. The Pansukian Tropical Resorts, on the other hand, are sought after every year with their offerings of enchanting honeymoon packages. And why not, for 7,107 islands, a coastline twice the length of that of the United States, the warm crystal blue waters of both the China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the long, white sand beaches and a variety of marine life would be tempting enough for anyone in the world!

Philippines can also boast of a fascinating wildlife with a huge array of endangered endemic Philippine animals, including 108 African animals, man-eating Philippine crocodiles and the endangered "dugong", or sea cow. The country can also boast of a spectacular marine life as the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park of Philippines teems with coral species, coral genera, seagrass species, large marine life, dolphins, marine turtles; and seabirds. "The Bird Island of Central Philippines" is a critical stopover of up to 50,000 migrating water birds flying the East Asian migratory flyway yearly. Speaking of the distinctive beauty of the flora, there is the Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon Avenue, Philippines, that boasts of about 38 species of trees and shrubs, representing 2,443 trees commonly found in Philippine forests.

Besides, the idyllic settings of the Philippines' make it a remarkable golfing destination for the elite and up market crowd. Gifted with unique golfing enclaves, from lush valleys to mountaintops, seaside resorts, or just within the cityscapes, Philippines can boast of proud sites of some of the world's most prestigious international and local tournaments. These include the Johnnie Walker Classic, the World Amateur Golf Championships, the World Cup, The Asian PGA, and the Philippines Open. With all these attributes and much more, the country can very well be Asia's Beach Capital in the true sense of the term.

Lopa Bhattacharya (Banerjee) is a content writer/developer now based in Buffalo, New York, United States, working for various overseas corporate website projects, CD-Rom presentations, brochures, flyers and other communication materials). Has worked on numerous SEO copywriting projects on varied themes ranging from travel, hotel industry, photography, web design and software development to US-based clubs and network communities. Was previously an editorial associate for the news, culture and entertainment portal based on the life and times of Kolkata.

The Philippines As the First Choice in the Offshore & Outsourcing Biz

2011-12-08T02:16:00.000-08:00

What makes the Philippines effective in the offshoring and outsourcing destinations? They say that India is the first choice in the outsourcing. Probably that is correct but the trend changed easily in which the Philippines now emerged as the first choice and not as the second choice anymore.

The dynamic change in the Philippines infrastructures and facilities attract the locators to pick the former rather than other countries also promoting this industry. There are so many reasons to mention why the call centers in the Philippines is the best in the world. The campaign of the government and partnership with the education sectors are among the secrets of producing competent workers capable of speaking English. To outsource your business in the Philippines is a huge opportunity for your company to expand and grow rapidly. The hospitality and the values in keeping your business alive in the market is the mainstream you can get from the Filipino workers.

The national government is very supportive in partnering to the investors. The outstanding tandem of the business community and the political leaders convinced the investors to come to the Philippines and expand their business processing outsourcing companies. Win-win solution between the outsourcers and the government possess positive feedback in keeping the business alive.

Understanding the trend in the global outsourcing is important for your company to be on top of the competition. The Philippine government trained their people about the importance of the outsourcing industry. In just few years of marketing and designing effective promotional tools, the country today the first choice of destination among companies out there. BPO is regarded as the steadfast and lucrative growing industries in the world. The BPO and call center in the Philippines gained heavy recognition in 2000s due to the demand for offshore and outsourcing business. The positive report from the Information and Communications Technology division under the Board of Investment (BOI) revealed that the call center in the Philippines reported an outstanding growth rate of 70 percent in 2005. In 2006, the government estimated that contact centers and BPO companies employed as many of 130,000 workers. In further development, the government is expected to employ more than a million Filipinos in 2010.

This is the reason why the Philippines is tagged as a major player in the global outsourcing market. Filipinos can speak English fluently because the education system is pattered to that of the American educational system prior. As American colony for more than 50 years, this is the reason why the Filipinos can easily understands the American culture especially the accent and diction. The efficient and cheaper rate offered in the Philippines encourages the investors to do business effectively. The study made by the Swiss International Institute for Management Development in 2004 disclosed that found that among Asian countries, the Philippines were the number one in the availability of skilled labor.

Potential locators preferred to invest their money in the Philippines because of valuing work ethic, unique personality and friendly. Filipinos have the patience in their customers in supporting their concerns.

Roberto L. Bacasong, 27, works as Customer Interaction Associate in a biggest contact center in the Philippines.

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Miss a Visit to the Philippines

2011-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

This article provides facts on what beautiful things you can see in the Philippines that you haven't seen to any other Asian countries. The Philippines islands are an archipelago of over 7,000 islands lying about 805 km off the southeast coast of Asia. It is the world's second- largest archipelago.

These are the top 10 reasons why you should not miss to visit the Philippines.

The Philippines is very affordable to visit and have a vacation with family and friends by western standards.
The Philippines have the astonishing beauty of Banaue Rice Terraces which are hands-made of the Ifugao tribe.
The Philippines has the Asia's one of the best beaches in the world by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook, which is Boracay Island.
The Philippines have different Filipino Cuisines that the Filipino people can offer.
The Philippines has different sports and leisure to offer with accommodating services and places. Like diving, wake-boarding, etc., Anything that you wanted to do in the Philippines they have it all.
The Philippines has rich marine life and considered as the most biodiverse marine life.
You can enjoy the different colorful cultural events that draw tourists every year on a specified month.
You can visit the Philippines historic past which are preserved by the Filipino people in different areas in the Philippines.
The Philippines has good weather to visit especially when its summer in May.
The Filipino people are considered one of the happiest people of the world.
The Philippines have a very rich nature. If you are an environmental lover and wanted to stay in a very environmental place with soothing, romantic, cool and relaxing ambiance, you should try to visit the Philippines and feel the essence of being revived by its nature.

Click here to uncover the Beauty of the Philippines

Useful Information About The Philippines

2011-12-06T02:16:00.000-08:00

The Philippines, known as the Pearl of the Orient, is a 7,000-island archipelago located in Southeast Asia. It boasts several land and water wonders as well as shopping destinations. Apart from this, the country also has a rich cultural heritage that is shown in the ways of its people.

The islands of the Philippines are divided into three large groups named Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The archipelagic groups are further sub-divided into regions. The country's capital, Manila, is one of the busiest cities and is the second largest city, next to Quezon City.

Because the Philippines lies near the equator, its climate is described as hot and tropical. It goes through three major season changes ? the summer, rainy and cold seasons. Average yearly temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius.

The highest point of the country is Mount Apo that is located in Mindanao. It reaches a height of 9,690 feet. Other mountains of the country are covered in rainforests and are typically volcanic in origin. Among its active volcanoes are Mt. Mayon, Mt. Pinatubo and Mt. Taal.

The Philippines' population is relatively high and it has been ranked as the 12th most populous country in the world. As of 2005, the population reached more than 86 million. Two-thirds of this population can be found in Luzon. Meanwhile, literacy rate is 95.9 percent, and is one of the highest in Asia.

In terms of its economy, the Philippines is characterized as a developing country. Its businesses are largely agricultural in nature though other forms of services have already been developed. Economic downfall came during the Asian financial crisis in 1998, with the economic growth falling from 5 percent to a staggering 0.6 percent.

Today, major businesses lie in the call center and business process outsourcing industries. These businesses have generated thousands of jobs for the country. The companies that have chosen to invest in the country are mostly members of the Fortune 500 circle.