Archive for June, 2007

The Battle For Taal Is On

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

A Korean firm is constructing a spa hotel and resort around the perimeter of an active volcano for crying out loud. Will they provide tourists with asbestos swimsuits?

A few years ago, I was invited to cross Taal Lake and climb the peak of Taal Volcano. It was about an hour trip to reach the top. I nearly passed out during that 30-minute horseback ride wearing skirt and pants I borrowed from a local resident. But the view from up there was magnificent - below was a lake of volcanic water considered therapeutic by some. Taal Volcano, a crater within an island within a lake, is considered the world’s smallest volcano.

taal
Taal Volcano Photo

Taal residents earn their livelihood through peddling of  goods to tourists, renting out boats and horses and guiding visitors on their way to the volcano. These are considered additional income for people whose main occupation includes agriculture and fishing. While neighboring Tagaytay is flourishing with stable growth of eco-tourism, Taal folks are limited by the volcano’s erratic seismic activity.

But just this week, Taal Volcano exploded on the frontpages of major dailies. Department of Tourism has endorsed a plan to construct a spa hotel and resort around the volcano. The municipality of Talisay allowed the construction after DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 4-A had issued an Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) in November 2005 to a Korean firm, Jung Ang Interventure, Inc. Local farmers and residents went on an uproar as this project would not only occupy six hectares of farmlands and fishing grounds but would threaten the lives of its soon-to-be occupants. Construction on site started last May but was temporarily halted due to widespread protests.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum issued the agency’s statement against the building of any permanent structure within the volcano’s perimeter. Taal Volcano remains to be an active volcano showing off signs of activity since 2005. Previous eruptions of the volcano sent hundreds of people to their graves. Its last eruption was in 1977.

Senate’s chair for environmental committee, Senator Pia Cayetano, has more exploding questions. “I believe the bigger issue here is how come private individuals were able to acquire land titles to the volcano which should be public land? This has allowed commercial interests to encroach on Taal which is classified as a protected area under our laws.”

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Liz Claiborne Passes Away At 78

Thursday, June 28th, 2007

Founder of billion dollar fashion empire, Liz Claiborne, died of cancer last Tuesday, June 26, at New York Presbyterian Hospital. She was 78.

claiborne

Liz Claiborne was known for her chic yet affordable fashion apparel for career women. Her company, Liz Claiborne, Inc., is now a multi-brand company that bears her name – from socks, sportswear, career clothes to perfumery. Many people consider the world renown designer a fashion icon with a unique sense of style.

Elisabeth Claiborne was born in Brussels, Belgium in March 31, 1929 and moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1939 with her parents, Omer V. Claiborne and Louise Fenner Claiborne. She started her fashion career at age 21 when her design for a woman’s coat won a design competition. For 30 years, she worked as designer with various clothing companies, until she decided to go solo and establish her own label in 1976 with the help of her second husband, Arthur Ortenberg, a clothing manufacturer.

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Quotes from Sex And The City

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

Got this from a friend. Turns out that the TV show isn’t really about crap and getting laid at all. I guess these apply to both men and women. Proceed with caution though. Talking about issues with your partners is still highly recommended.

1. If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay.

2. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.

3. If you have ANY doubt in your mind about a man’s character, leave him alone.

4. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

5. Stop changing yourself for a relationship

6. Don’t force an attraction.

7. Slower is better.

8. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

9. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no you can’t “be friends.” A friend wouldn’t mistreat a friend.

10. Have faith in God regarding your relationship, but don’t let faith make you stupid. God does things decent and in order.

11. Don’t settle.

12. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.

13. If he keeps changing his mind about the relationship–take that as a BIG sign that he is unstable. Do you really want to be with a man like that?

14. Don’t stay because you think “it will get better.” You’ll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.

15. Honorable men take care of their business and aren’t involved in a whole lot of mess.

16. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

17. There’s only one ‘reason’ a man dumps you; he doesn’t want you.

18. Avoid men who’ve got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn’t marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?

19. You really have to kiss a few frogs before finding your prince

20. Always put yourself and your happiness first.

21. Always have your own set of friends separate from his.

22. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you , speak up.

23. If he doesn’t call, he just isn’t that interested.

24. Be honest and upfront.

25. Know when to cut the cord, don’t be strung along.

26. Don’t fall for the “I’m confused role”. Remove yourself from the situation to let him figure things out (but don’t wait for him, move on)

27. If you want to have a clue as to how he will treat you, watch how he treats the WOMEN in his family (not just mom).

28. There’s more than physical abuse, there’s emotional and mental abuse. If he causes any of them…flee.

29. You cannot change a man’s behaviors. Change comes from within.

30. Don’t let him place rules on you that he is not willing to follow himself — double-standard.

31. Don’t EVER make him feel he is more important than you are…even if he has more
education or in a better job.

32. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.

33. Demand respect and if he can’t give it, he can’t have you!

34. Don’t compete with other woman, but be aware that men are attracted to what they see

35. If you think he is cheating, he probably is. Confront him right away and if you feel he’s lying, let him go.

36. Actions speak louder than words.

37. Never let a man define who you are.

38. Never rely on a man for compliments, look to yourself for that.

39. Never borrow someone else’s man.

40. If he cheated with you, he’ll cheat on you.

41. Just because he says he loves you, doesn’t mean that he won’t hurt you and it doesn’t mean that you are meant to be with him.

42. To use painful hard-won wisdom — ‘get it right’ the next time.

43. Know that you deserve to be the number one person in the life of the #1 person in your life.

44. Love is a verb …

45. Learn to give up your lifelong task of trying to make someone unavailable-available, someone ungiving-giving, and someone unloving-loving.

46. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.

47. All men are NOT dogs.

48. You should not be the one doing all the bending…compromise is a two way street.

49. If you don’t love self…you can’t love anyone else.

50. You cannot mend someone else’s broken heart.

51. You need time to heal between relationships…there is nothing cute about baggage …deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.

52. You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you…a relationship consists of two
WHOLE individuals…look for someone complementary…not supplementary.

53. Dating is fun…even if he doesn’t turn out to be Mr. Right.

54. NEVER give more in a relationship than you are getting out of it.

55. Never become your man’s “therapist”.

56. When actions and words conflict, believe the actions. Respond to the actions.

57. A real healthy relationship requires two people. One person can end it – but it takes two to make it work.

58. Don’t fall for the “I’m not the loving type”…when a man loves you there is nothing in this world (WITHIN REASON) that he wouldn’t do for you

59. Make him miss you sometimes…when a man always know where you are, and you’re always readily available to him he takes it for granted.

60. Give him his space…let him go out with his boys, don’t pressure him to spend time with you, you cant force a man to hang out with you.

61. If you wouldn’t allow your daughter to be with him you shouldn’t.

62. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.

63. Never move into his mother’s house.

64. Provide financially for yourself and don’t depend on anyone.

65. Ne ver co-sign for a man.

66. Never believe you have the perfect guy and he is so innocent.

67. Never spoil your man; let him spoil you.

68. Never let a man mess up your credit.

69. When it’s time to let go; let go.

70. Good men should be treated like good men.

71. Don’t play games.

72. Don’t fully commit to a man who doesn’t give you everything that you need.

73. Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

74. Compatibility in terms of educational attainment, values, beliefs, personal and career
goals, and socioeconomic status, are important.

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