Well, if you think that being the person to hold the highest posotion in the government have such prestige and luxury, there are those who do not really have much of i
Vice President Jejomar Binay points out that Philippine Vice Presidents are homeless, unlike, for example, U.S. Vice Presidents who are assigned a large Victorian home (”One Observatory Circle”) for entertaining or for actually living in when the Vice President has no Washington home and indeed, unlike some of our provincial governors, e.g., Batangas.
Probably all our Vice Presidents past and present had Metro Manila homes, but chances are a private house would have inadequate facilities to elegantly entertain large numbers. Even a five-star hotel does not have the same impact as an official residence.
High officialdom in the West receive visitors in style-Washington, D.C.’s State Department diplomatic reception rooms (with 18th and 19th century furnishings); London’s Lancaster House across Green Park from Buckingham Palace; Paris’ Quai d’Orsay salons; Rome’s 16th century Villa Madama (built by a Medici Cardinal).
The Coconut Palace, on Manila Bay behind the CCP, has been suggested as Vice Presidential residence. It’s very presentable and very large. It’s also one of Manila’s few truly beautiful domestic buildings and will be a loss to private individuals and organizations, including officialdom and diplomats, who use it for national day receptions, international conference and large socials.
Why not rescue one of Manila’s endangered heritage buildings. The purchase or perhaps a long-term lease of one such place would save part of our heritage while providing our Vice Presidents an official residence. Restored and hopefully furnished with top-grade art and antiques, it could be a showcase of Philippine culture.
As Makati Mayor, Vice President Binay had been working on a heritage district encompassing the 17th century San Pedro y San Pablo church, a park along the Pasig River, and an area of mostly post-war and a few 19th and pre-war homes. There’s a large house by the park that could be transformed into an official residence to be proud of.
Other heritage structures are begging for salvation.
A few remain along the Pasig at Sta. Ana. One of them, originally a mid-1800s mansion, was placed on the market last year. Enormous bahay-na-bato still stand on Quiapo’s R. Hidalgo Street near San Sebastian Church (a declared national historical landmark). The street is unsightly and congested but the restoration and official use of one of those homes could upgrade and save the entire area. A historic house on Peñafrancia Street (once belonging to a Spanish Governor General and to President Jose P. Laurel) was restored years back but is now empty.
The LRT line is a negative, but a few pre-war mansions remain on the Pasay City stretch of Taft Avenue. On Vito Cruz and New Manila are baronial 1930s homes, some with large gardens.
Government owns properties that could be restored into something special, e.g., an art deco mansion, formerly office of a small agency, by the foot of Ayala Bridge, or the pre-war City Courts building in Intramuros that is too small for Comelec, its present occupant.
How about giving a home to our Vice Presidents while preserving our architectural heritage?
Hmm…I believe that Vice Pres. Binay is the picture of a modest and humble official in the country nowadays. He do not need flamboyant home, just a a loving family and a a responsible citizen.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
How’s our Vice President anyway?
by admin, on Sun, Jul 18 2010 | No CommentsJob-hunting “STARTegies” and Tips
by admin, on Wed, Jun 30 2010 | No CommentsCareer coaches can drone on about resumes, networking and interviewing techniques. But how do real people get real jobs in a tight job market?
We interviewed a half dozen job seekers who landed positions in the last few months, and they told us some surprising things. Most received offers within three weeks of reaching out to a new company. Others found their jobs on Craigslist or TweetMyJobs, which career coaches rarely mention. Job seekers called, blogged and tweeted their way into new roles, proving that in this job market, tenacity and creativity go a long way.
One thing we heard is that you need to actively reach out to companies you admire. Amanda, an admissions officer and teacher in New York City, was gainfully employed when she started sending out feelers earlier this year. She had asked for a raise and gotten less than she requested, so she was ready for a change.
As an admissions officer, she works with many schools. At one school, Amanda thought the person who had the equivalent of her job might retire. So she sent a letter and attached a copy of her r�sum�. She wrote about how much she valued the programs and the students the school produced. The school invited her in for an interview, and she got an offer three weeks later.
“This might seem obvious, but if you feel an affinity toward an organization or company, reach out to them,” says Amanda. “Tell them what specifically interests you.”
Another nugget of advice: Focus on quality, not quantity. After Kym Lino graduated from college in May she blasted her r�sum� across the Internet. “I would sit on my couch for eight hours at a time and apply for every job that I qualified for, on every job site, and I didn’t get any feedback,” says Lino, 24. She used Careerbuilder, Monster.com, her alma mater’s job search website and regional career blogs like DCjobs.blogspot.com.
Eventually Lino saw a temp-to-hire PR position on Craigslist, and submitted exactly what the employer requested: a cover letter, resume and three writing samples. Six days later she heard back from the company, and within three weeks she landed an offer. “I wish I had focused less on volume and more on specific jobs that interested me,” she says now. “I got to the point where I sent out 100 r�sum� a day and just assumed that one of them had to come through. Then the one I paid a little more attention to actually worked out.”
Lino also suggests writing a blog to show off your expertise. When she applied to a public relations agency that maintains its own blog, one of her interviewers asked if she kept a blog and updated it at least several times a week. Lino produces three different blogs, and she says her side activity helped her to land an offer. “My blogs showed that I know how to self-edit,” she says. “I know the technology.”
Paul Gilmore found his job using a site few career coaches tout, Tweet MyJobs.com. After months searching job boards, making cold calls and even dropping off his r�sum� in person, Gilmore used TweetMyJobs to land a recruiter position at the Fort Lauderdale branch of Synerfac Technical Staffing. Gilmore says he checked TweetMyJobs two or three times a week, searching for his ZIP code. When he saw the Synerfac posting, he followed up online and was contacted by a branch manager. After two weeks and three interviews, Gilmore got an offer.
Twitter can be a good way to identify and learn about prospective employers and take part in conversations related to your field. If you admire a particular company, follow it or its employees on Twitter to get a sense of its culture.
The Vow of Viloria to Return to the Top
by admin, on Mon, Jun 21 2010 | No CommentsAmerican professional boxer of Filipino descent Brian Viloria, also the former WBC Light Flyweight champion and IBF Junior Flyweight champion returns to the ring in Manila this July 10 at SolarTV’s Boxing at the Bay 4: Unbreakable’.
“The Hawaiian Punch” after losing his previous fight, Viloria is on mission to win a third world title, this time at flyweight where he indicated he would be far more comfortable as the step up in weight would be better for his physical attributes. He is returning to the fray having collapsed, exhausted, after losing his IBF light-flyweight title to 
Carlos Tamara last January. The loss was among the worst in Viloria’s 29 fights as a pro.
For the second straight time, Viloria’s reign as a world champion proved to be a short one. But this time, the US Olympian expressed confidence that he “will be back again on the world stage holding up another world, my third one at that. Mark my word!” Throughout his (more…)
The Official List of Candidates For Senator (May 2010 Election)
by admin, on Sat, May 8 2010 | No CommentsThese are the official candidates for Senator in the upcoming May 10, 2010 election as certified by the Commission of Election. Hundreds of other senatorial aspirants who filed candidacy was deemed by Commission of Election as nuisance candidates.
1 Acosta, Jr. Nereus Olaivar (NERIC) LP
2 Albani, Shariff Ibrahim Hussien (SHARIFF) KBL
3 Alonto, Zafrullah Marohombsar (NOLDY) BP
4 Bautista, J.V. Larion (J.V. BAUTISTA) PMP
5 Bautista, Martin Donato( DR. BALIKBAYAN) IND.
6 Bello, Silvestre III Hernando (BEBOT) LKS-KAM
7 Biazon, Rozzano Rufino Bunoan (RUFFY) LP
8 Bong Revilla, Ramon, Jr. Bautista (KAP) LKS-KAM
9 Caunan, Henry Buenaventura (HENRY) PDP LABAN
10 Cayetano, Pilar Juliana Schramm (PIA) NP
11 David, Rizalito Yap (LITO) AKP
12 De Venecia, Jose III Perez (JOEY) PMP
13 Defensor Santiago, Miriam Palma (MIRIAM) PRP
14 Drilon, Franklin Magtunao (FRANK) LP
15 Enrile, Juan Ponce (JPE) PMP
16 Espinosa, Nanette Meliton (ATE NANETTE) KBL
17 Estrada, Jinggoy Ejercito (JINGGOY) PMP
18 Guico, Ramon, Jr. Naval (GETS KO) LKS-KAM
19 Guingona, Teofisto III De Lara (TG) LP
20 Hontiveros-Baraquel, Ana Theresia Hontiveros (RISA H.) LP (more…)
Ferdinand “bongbong” Marcos, Jr: The Profile
by admin, on Fri, May 7 2010 | 2 Comments
Birth Name: Ferdinand Emmanuel Romualdez Marcos, Jr.
Political Party: Nacionalista
Hometown: Batac, Ilocos Norte
Civil Status: Married
Gender: Male
Nationality: Filipino
Birthday: September 13, 1957
Religion: Roman Catholic
Personal Life:
Bong-Bong is the only son of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the former president of the Philippines and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos. He graduated at Georgetown Preparatory School in Rockville, Maryland for his secondary education and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Oxford University. He also obtained a Master of Business Administration from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to Liza Araneta-Marcos and he has three sons.
Political Career:
Bong-bong is the Vice Governor of Ilocos Nortein the year 1980-1983,Governor (1983-1986) When he was elected as governor, and he served in office until 1986. (more…)
