Cashout Request is in the queue

At last I was able to click 500 ads in Gagabux, hehehe. I submitted a request to cash out my $5.11. I know I need to wait 5-7 business days. I'll make another post if the transfer to my paypal is successful. Neobux has instant money transfer but gagabux has more ads. Hmmm... I wonder which is better. So far Neobux is definitely not a scam and is on this business for many years. I hope Gagabux as a new PTC is good and will be on this business for a long time too.

Gab's 3rd Birthday

Last Saturday morning after my shift we went straight to Cuenca, Batangas. We need to commute because Kuya Dennis has a trip in Bicol using our van. Good thing we are able to carry all our things without a big of hassle. It was me and my husband, my two kids, my mom and Joanna (my sister in law) and her kid Josua. I think we have around 9 or ten bag plus a small baby crib. Hahaha! We met tito Joe in Alabang and he help us in carrying some bags when we stopped in Lipa. I can't really imagine how we were able to bring everything. The crib almost broke because the screw got losen and loose the plastic cap. Good thing it was still ok.

We stay at lola's house for the night and went to Endaya Cove the next morning. Last year Gab also celebrated his birthday there. Every one enjoyed the beautiful view, the food and of course the pool. My husband stay up to 2am swimming. He enjoys the company of my cousins. When evening comes we are visited by bats. I thought it was birds flying and soaring in the pool. It was the first time I saw a lots of bats flying around. One of them got caught in the pool. I'll post a picture later. It is really relaxing to be with nature and of course with your family. I was able to rest well and unwind after a week of stress at work. 

By the way, Gab is my tito Joe's 1st child. He turns 3yrs old and talks a lot. He is so cute and really love sswimming. On contrary my David, who is 5 (this coming June), is afraid of the pool. He just stays on the stairs where he can sit down and walk. I am looking forward to another family event on July, this time it is my lola's birthday.

To Gab Happy Birthday!

Equal Opportunity for Disabled

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

During the old days, people who are disabled are not given much attention. They do not have equal opportunities like those who are normal. It is good to hear that these days, disabled people are now coming out. You will be surprised what they can do. Some are even much better than those who are normal.

If you have a family member who is disabled and you wanted him to have easy transportation, NMEDA is here to help. NMEDA or National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists and other professionals dedicated to broadening the opportunities for people with disabilities to drive or be transported in vehicles modified with mobility equipment.

The advantage of buying from a NMEDA qualified dealer is they conduct on-site evaluation. Since all of us are unique they make sure that the vehicle is custom fit and specific to your needs.

NMEDA also has Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. QAP is a recognized accreditation program for the mobility equipment industry. The program was developed to promote quality, safety and reliability within the industry. 

This is not only helpful to those with disabilities but also to our elders. If you are a caregiver you could recommend this to your boss which definitely will make his life easier when it comes to transportation. Visit nmedia.org to find out if there is a dealer qualified in your area. Just click on dealers locator and put your zip code.

Pasta with Cheese Sauce

It is a cheesy Friday. Our team decided to bring any food with cheese and chow together. I experimented on a pasta that I saw online my own version. Check it out.

What you need:
500g of pasta (me I used penne)
1 can of evap milk
1 small box of cheddar cheese (grated)
1 tsp of butter
1 bell pepper (diced)
salt
basil leaves (you can buy  mccormick in a small bottle available in supermarkets)

How to Cook:

Cook pasta until tender, drain and set aside. In a very low heat put the evap milk and add grated cheese. Add butter and bell pepper. Continue mixing until cheese has melted. To make the sauce thicker you can mix a tsp of cornstarch and half glass of water and add it. Add salt to taste (which I forgot hehehe). Once all cheese has melted pour it on the pasta and mix. Add basil leaves as desire.

You can actually play around with these you can add other ingredients maybe mushroom or ground pork and use a different herb.

Byaheng Totoo - Maguindanao

Byaheng Totoo - Maguindanao (by: Michael Fajatin)

Maguindanao is part of the ARMM (Autonimous Region of Muslim Mindanao) which last year is very popular because of the Ampatuan massacre. 80% of the source of income there are from people working as an employee of the government. In ARMM, Maguindanao has the lowest literacy rate wherein 3 out of 10 citizens can neither read or write. Rich people in the said area are studying in different places in the country.

Michael visited a school there where in students commutes everyday by crossing a crocodile infested lake. The depth of the lake is more than 2 floors. Aside from that there are lots of rebels surrounding the area. These kids needs to go through this hazard every day just to study.

Students crossing a lake to reach their school

their school doesn't have roof before

Teacher Conchita with her students

Teacher Conchita is a very inspiring teacher. Instead of working in other places of the country or abroad she stays with these kids even she is only earning 1/4 of the salary compare to the teachers in Manila. Government doesn't supply their needs. Even for the chalk she needs to go to Cotobato to buy one (at her expense) and she uses rug as her eraser. She said most of her 60 students doesn't know how to read and write but they always have perfect attendance. These kids are thirsty for education. They uses one notebook for their 9 subjects, their school doesn't have roof before Michael came, no lights, there are grass growing on the floor of their school, no water and no bathroom. Lack of basic education facilities is really a huge problem in the area.

In some places affected by the rebel, students continue to study in the evacuation center. Michael saw a young boy, a 2nd year high school graduate, teaching the kids. The government is unable to provide classroom in Maguindanao. The ratio of teach to student there is 50:1. There was even a school that is near a river which is always in water ever since but they are still using it. Four children are asked what they want to be when they grow up they answered nurse, police, soldier and teacher. Michael says "luho ang mangarap" (it is a luxury to dream) for them. Teacher Conchita write on the notebook her request to the next president and some of the kids put their palm print using mud.

Byaheng Totoo - Zamboanga del Norte

Byaheng Totoo - Zamboanga del Norte (Kara David)

Zamboanga del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in region Mindanao. This is where Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, was exiled by the Spaniards. The Rizal Shrine in Dapitan is a tourist spot in Zamboanga. Also it is known for its beautiful resort Dakak.

Dakak Beach (first pic) ; Rizal Shrine (2nd pic)

Even though Zamboanga del Norte has good tourism there is other side of it, poverty. Three-fourths of the people there live on less than P6 pesos a day. Kara visited a family who lived in the highland of Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. To reach the place she needs to ride a tractor and cross a hanging bridge. There is no road going to that area. When she arrived at Mang Hinaros house, there she saw lots of corns whom the family eat everyday. They don't bring it to the town to sell because aside from few harvest the travel going down the town proper is very hard. The local government doesn't have enough budget to make and maintain roads. They can no longer produce a lot of crops due to the result of kaingin in the mountains. The family of Mang Hinaro haven't tasted rice, fish or meat.The government already forgets them just like how they forget that the government exist. Every day they just work to have something to eat. When Kara asked Mang Hinaro to write what he would like to ask about the next president he said he no longer have hope. Kara gave the notebook instead to Mang Hinaro's nephew who draw crops and animals with a P100 price on them. There is also a radio on the picture. To me it looks like he is dreaming of maybe selling their crops and be able to buy better food and at least have a radio. A very simple dream but looks like very impossible to reach. Its so hard to live without food, without good shelter and most of all without hope.

Byaheng Totoo - Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-Tawi (by: Sandra Aguinaldo)

Tawi-tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Even though it the 3rd largest producer of fish in the country most of the people here are still in poverty. One of the reason is the lack of electricity. Only 14% of the population here have electricity and to those who have they are experiencing brown outs very often. The price of the electricity is also more expensive compare to the price of electricity in Manila. Due to poverty here not every one can afford to pay for electricity, it is far more important to them to have food and shelter.

Since it is not safe for a reporter to travel in Tawi-tawi, Sandra, was accompanied by the soldiers there to avoid kidnapping. She visited Brgy. Karundong, a capitol of Bungao (Tawi-tawi's capital) and there she met a lola who never experience electricity all her life. When asked if she knew who is the country's president, she mention Marcos or Macapagal, who was a president a long time ago. Due to lack of electricity they are not getting news or updates of what is happening in the country. Lola said she love her grandchildren so much and hoping for a better future for them. One of her grand daughter, who is in 3rd year high school, studies at night using "gasera".

I can't imagine living all my life without electricity. A brownout of just an hour makes me impatient. Imagine living a life without television, radio, ref, internet, cellphone, lights, game console etc. Due to no electricity they are deprived of the good technology. They are still living similar to how our ancestors lived. Every time you switch a light on or use any modern gadget think of those people in the remote areas of tawi-tawi. They haven't experience living a life with electricity. To the next president of the country, I hope you will be able to develop the said area and give better employment to the people. I guess if they earn more they will be able to afford to pay for electricity.

Ten Poorest Provinces in the Philippines

Before the election 2010, I watched Byaheng Totoo of GMA 7. They featured the ten poorest provinces in the Philippines. (which are Tawi-tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, Maguindanao, Apayao, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Northern Samar, Masbate, Abra and Misamis Occidental.) As I watched the documentary, I realized how blessed I am. Even though I have financial problem my suffering is incomparable to them. As they visit each provinces they would ask someone to write on their notebook of what they would ask the next president of the Philippines. It looks like NoyNoy Aquino will be our new president and I hope he will be able to help those people. I'll make a post for each visit the report had.

First Automated Election

Last May 10 was the first automated election here in the Philippines. I am not that excited to vote though because as expected there is always a long queue. Supposedly me and my mom would vote at the same time but my dad told us not to bring the kids there. I told my mom to go first and I will vote when she is done. She said the queue was very long so she took a number for me. My number was 201 and when I arrived on my precinct they are calling number 203. I was able to vote right away, wew. The teacher did not ask for any ID or any identification. She just told me to sign and give me my ballot. Wow! it is very easy then to be a flying voter. They should work on this. I would say it is easier to shade rather than writing the name of the candidates. I am happy I was able to vote. God bless our country! I pray that whoever wins will be a good leader and not someone who will give more burden to the people.

LGBT

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Everybody should be treated equally no matter what gender we are. While browsing the web I saw this new blog called Darkq gay blog. This blog has many authors sharing about a variety of topics. The posts on the said blog are very informative and helpful. They can be useful to our everyday life. Some of the posts are tips for saving money, dirty talk and tips for killing loneliness and depression. I would say they really have great authors. If you have time try to visit it and have a good read. 

Mother's Day

Today is mother's day and I want to greet my mom, Luz Endaya Apuntar, Happy Mother's Day! Truly nothing can compare to a mother's love to his kids. I really appreciate every little things that she does. Now that I am a mother too, I understand her more and I also have that special kind of love to my kids. 

Later we will visit her again. Actually we sleep over there last night. We are planning to cook spaghetti and I am thinking of buying a cake. I hope I will not forget my camera to have some pictures. We will stay overnight since we are going to the same school tomorrow for the upcoming election.

 Red Ribbon Cake

Cookies on Cake

 Slicing the Cake

Coffee + Cake

Robin cooking spaghetti

Yummy Spaghetti

Doctorate Degree

They say education is a legacy that our parent can give us which nobody can take away. I am very thankful for my parents that I was able to graduate with a degree of Computer Engineering. It was a 5 year journey to be able to finish this course. I still remember those sleepless nights when we are making our thesis. Now that I am sending my little boy to school I realized how hard and expensive it is.

As far as I know Computer Engineering doesn't have a licensing exam unlike other engineering courses. But then you can still a get Computer Engineering Doctoral Degree. I am thinking if I will be able to spend time and money on this. It is not part of my dream but it would be something to be proud of if you are able to finish it. My brother is a graduate of Business Administration and I am not sure if he has a plan of getting Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). But for my sister in law, who is teaching I think for about 7 years now, I would recommend her to get Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). I believe this would be helpful on her teaching career. I was browsing online about different doctorate degree and I am wondering what is Master of Public Health (MPH).

Automated Election

Since this is the first time Philippines will use the automated machine for election I guess this list of things that we need to be aware of will be helpful. This info will help us so that our ballot will not be voided. I got this email from one of my office mate. Thanks to Charisma Bayot for forwarding this email.

Subject: On the May 10, 2010 ballot

>

> Some interesting information.

>  Just want to share with you some things I learned about the ballot for the coming automated elections. I hope the information below will help

> voters out there. I think that since this is the first automated elections the country is having, it's going to take some adjustment and adaptation

> on the part of voters, and extra knowledge/informati on is sure to help anyone heading to the polls on May 10, 2010.

>

> 1. Mr. Diaz said that the ballot is very, very sensitive to marks, ink, H20, stains, scratches, folds, sweat, etc. If, say, you have grime on your

> hands, or your hands are wet, or your sweat drips onto the ballot, the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) Unit will not read it. So, keep your hands

> very clean before voting. That is why the indelible ink will be put on your finger after you're done voting, and not before, and why you will be

> given your ballot in a folder, a "Ballot Secrecy Folder", so that you can lessen the actual handling of the ballot with your hands.

>

> 2. Shade the egg-shaped hole beside your chosen candidate fully(you will be provided with a marker). Don't check, line, X, dot, or half-shade it,

> because the PCOS Unit will not read it. Try not to go beyond the lines also (well, not too much).

>

> 3. Mr. Diaz said that there will be a bar code going around the ballot. If this is marked, even scratched, in any way, the ballot will be spoiled.

> He said that if anyone else handles the ballot, watch them well, in case they intentionally scratch the barcode with a fingernail to prevent your

> ballot from being counted. He used as an example that if you're obviously for a candidate that, say, an unscrupulous precinct official is against

> (hopefully, there's no such thing as an unscrupulous precinct official ;-P), that official may scratch your barcode to prevent your vote from being

> counted.

>

> 4. You will have four tries to put your ballot through the PCOS Unit. You can put it in forward, backward, front side up, back side up, whichever,

> but only four tries. If after the 4th try it doesn't read properly, goodbye ballot.

>

> 5. You will get one chance to have your ballot changed if you don't like it. That's when they first hand it to you. Inspect it right away. If you

> see any folds, scratches, or marks, you can ask for a change (which may lengthen your voting process, Mr. Diaz added).

>

> 6. Bring a list of your chosen candidates on a piece of paper so that you won't spend too much time filling out the ballot. If you make your

> decisions on the day itself without a list, you could spend a long time filling it up.

>

> 7. Watch the readout on the PCOS Unit when you insert your ballot into it. Mr. Diaz said that if successful, it'll read, "Congratulations! Your

> ballot has been scanned." If not, it'll say why (improper shading, etc.) Get that " Congratulations" message before leaving to make sure your vote

> is counted.

>

> 8. Bring an ID (Voter's ID is best, but if you don't have one, driver's license, passport, etc. any valid ID with your address and preferably a

> photo is all right) to present to the BEI (Board of Elections Inspector). If you can find out beforehand through your barangay, also get your

> Voter's ID number, precinct number, and your sequence number (the number beside your name in the voter's list). This'll speed up your voting

> process.

>

> 9. The ballot you are given will only be readable by one specific PCOS Unit. In other words, only one machine will be able to read your ballot,

> because it's pre-registered there, so when you're ready, line up at the proper machine. Don't line up at the wrong machine; your ballot won't be

> read, and it may spoil your vote.

>

> 10. Polls open on May 10, 2010, at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.

>

> 11. Mr. Diaz said that the Comelec told him that with the PCOS Units, we will know the winner of the elections in 5 days. Otherwise, the PCOS Units

> will allow for a manual count since all votes will be recorded inside the machines (let's hope it doesn't come to that, because it's going to take

> the usual weeks and weeks to finish the count).

>

> 12. The PCOS Units have internal batteries that can last 16 hours in case of power outages. Since the voting period only lasts 10 hours, there's a 6

> hour buffer. But still, let's hope for no brownouts on May 10, 2010.

>

> 13. The PCOS Unit will print out the vote count in what looks like a very long cash register receipt (whose print will last for 5 years, he said),

> which will be put into a sealed box that'll be sent to the Comelec for proper counting. Also, the PCOS Unit will count the number of voters who are

> voting based on the ballots inserted into it, so again, watch the screen on the machine to make sure of voter count, as well as other important

> messages.

>

> 14. Mr. Diaz said that you should vote only the exact number you should vote for. So, vote for only 1 president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, 1

> party list, 1 mayor, 1 vice mayor, 1 member of theHouse of Representatives, etc. (the limit will be there on your ballot as a "Vote for not more

> than ____"). If you vote for more than the stipulated number, that particular portion of the ballot is spoiled. You may, however, vote for less (as

> in, if you can't find 12 worthy senatoriables to vote for, it's all right to vote for less than 12).

>

> 15. Mr. Diaz stressed repeatedly that in voting this time, one should not make mistakes. It's asking a lot from us, but he said that over and over

> again. His words: "Don't make mistakes, otherwise, you'll spoil your ballot".

>

> 16. Of course, you'll also be asked to do the usual signing of forms and marking of thumbprints.

>

> Feel free to share this email. I wish I could take questions, but I only took notes as Mr. Diaz was speaking, so I doubt if I will know the answers.

>

> Any questions you have can be sent to your Barangay Captains, or to the Comelec.

>

> I hope this information helps!

House Turn Over

I've posted here on my blog the head ache and hassle that I had with both the broker and the developer of the house that we bought. We were told that probably this coming June our unit will be finished and filed to Pag-ibig. Then after a few months it will be turn over to us.

I need to prepare a lot of things, especially money. Our unit is bare so we need to fix it. I am actually looking on different designs on magazines and internet. I am not good in designing but I wanted a comfy environment and a bright room. Maybe a touch of cream or dirty white wall is what I will prefer. I am also thinking of using pastel colors. Oh, it is really hard to decide. Aside from fixing the house we also need to prepare for furniture. 

I would like to have a sala set like to the picture above. I wonder where I can find it or maybe something similar to it. Sleeping is one of my habits so I will also look for bedroom furniture. Since our place is prone to "anay" or termites I would get a metal bed instead. If you know a place where to get  cheap bedroom furniture please leave a comment. Definitely discount bedroom furniture will give me a lot of savings. It is really hot now a day so a good AC unit is included on my list. It really excites me to move to our own house. I hope will be able to save enough money to get what I want.

Search for your Precinct Number Online

5 more days and it is already election day. The day the politcians have been waiting for. If you are not sure of what is your precinct number you can check it on line. Click here Precinct Finder

I find it weird though because I think I already voted 2 times and I am not on their system. Well, I find out I was not able to update my info when I got married. When I searched for my maiden name  I was able to find it. I hope I would still be able to vote.

BDO vs Citibank

This comparison is just based on my experience.I had a Citibank Payroll before and currently a Citibank Credit Cards. I also currently have a BDO ATM Debit Card.

Online Registration:

Citibank: Everything is done online, no hassle.

BDO: After filling out a form online, you need to print out a copy and bring it to any BDO branch. Urgh! (And take note they don't have a form if you visit a BDO bank. You are require to fill out the form online submit it and then print out a copy and then go to the nearest BDO)

Password:

Citibank: Fix password which you can change anytime. They have 3 security questions which is asked randomly when you login.

BDO: Requires renewal of password every few months. I find this not good. Because of this my account got locked up and I was not able to reset it online. I need to call customer service and wait for a very very long queue.

Online Support:

Citibank: On your account when you login, you can send an email to their customer service for support. Since you are login they already know you account details.

BDO: The email on your account are just update from BDO. They have do have an email address for their customer service but is not built in to your account.

Phone Support:

Citibank. Shorter wait time compare to BDO. People are pleasant and nice to talk with.

BDO: Aside from the long queue, the customer rep sounds sleepy and not really willing to help.

What I like about BDO is their hours of operation and is accessible in all SM Malls.

With Citibank you can withdraw on any ATM with no charge.

With BDO if you made a deposit to your account on a different branch, they charge you P50.

Feel free to share your experience with these banks , either good or bad.

Bacoor Medical Center

In 2007 election, Mr. Strike Revilla, says that if he get elected his first act is to build Bacoor Medical Center for the poor. He is right, there is no government hospital in Bacoor, all of them are private which is quite expensive especially for the poor. What he said is music to our ears! Indeed he won the election and had a ground breaking in September of 2009. I hope the said hospital will not be a drawing and the P139M budget will not go to something else.... pockets of the greedy.

See links below:
http://balitangstrike.multiply.com/links/item/5
http://www.bacoor.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=179:pangarap-ng-tga-bacoor&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50