Hayden Kho Jr. indicted in sex video case
GMANews.TV
GMANews.TV - Friday, October 23
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Criminal charges were filed Thursday against cosmetic surgeon Hayden Kho Jr. in connection with his sex video with actress Katrina Halili that was uploaded on the Internet.
A charge sheet filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) before the Pasig regional trial court indicted Kho for violation of Republic Act 9262 (anti-violence against women and children act).
Kho can post bail, but if found guilty by the court, he could suffer a jail sentence of six to 12 years and a fine of not less than P100,000.
A team of DOJ probers led by Senior State Prosecutor Emilie Fe delos Santos, head of the Task Force on Women and Children Protection, found that Kho’s acts of recording his sexual exploits with Halili and other women without their consent “bespoke of his betrayal of their trust and lack of respect for women."
Citing lack of evidence, the panel dismissed the complaints against Dr. Vicky Belo, Kho’s now estranged girlfriend, and alleged co-conspirators Erick Johnston Chua, Mark Herbert Rosario and Princess Marie Velasco.
In his defense, Kho admitted videotaping his sex session with Halili but denied responsibility for uploading the footage on the Internet.
But according to the panel, the issue was not whether Kho was responsible for uploading the sex video on the Internet, but rather his act of stealthily videotaping his sexual encounter with the complainant.
“(Kho) cannot simply justify said act with a disclaimer that the videotaping was not meant to be shown to anyone. He should own up and be responsible for his actions particularly when it affects another person’s right and dignity," said a decision of the DOJ probers.
In the case of Belo, Chua, Rosario and Velasco, the panel said while they knew about Kho’s infidelity and the existence of the video tape containing his sexual exploits with other women, they were not involved in the recording of such tapes.
It said their failure to report the existence of such tape to Halili does not hold them accountable as accessories.
Belo and the three alleged co-conspirators, however, are still not off the hook.
In its recommendation, the panel asked the justice secretary to direct the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct further investigation to determine who was responsible for the uploading of the sex video on the Internet.
Halili said she was satisfied with the DOJ's findings, adding that she was looking forward to seeing case take its proper course.
The videotape became a sensation in May when word spread that it was available on the Web. Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla attacked Kho in a speech in the Senate, sparking an inquiry that almost turned into a soap opera.
Halili's tearful protestations as an innocent woman whose trust had been violated, Kho's claims that it was all about sex and drugs, and former police officer Abner Afuang's surprise appearance to splash a glass of water onto Kho's face all added drama to the case. - GMANews.TV
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Microsoft, Google integrating Twitter into search
Microsoft, Google integrating Twitter into search
AFP
AFP - Thursday, October 22
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[Microsoft has began serving up Facebook and Twitter status feeds in its Bing online search...] Microsoft has began serving up Facebook and Twitter status feeds in its Bing online search engine
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - – Microsoft began integrating Twitter messages into its new Internet search engine Bing and arch rival Google announced plans to do the same.
Microsoft unveiled its real-time Twitter search feature at a Web 2.0 Summit here and said it also planned to incorporate status updates from social network Facebook into Bing.
Within hours of the announcement by the US software giant, search leader Google said it too had reached an agreement with the popular microblogging service to include Twitter updates in search results.
The Twitter feature on Bing is already active and can be accessed at bing.com/twitter while Google said it would roll out its product "in the coming months."
"We have a deal with Twitter," Google vice president of search products Marissa Mayer said at the summit. "We will be featuring tweets in our search results as well as building a real-time search."
Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft's online services group, demonstrated a Bing Twitter search feature that went live Wednesday.
"We are going to get access to all of the public Twitter information in real time," Mehdi said, adding the Facebook status feed will be introduced at a later date.
"We are giving Bing a feed of data made open to everyone," Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said at the summit.
"No money exchanged hands. We are not trying to make money on data."
Neither Microsoft nor Facebook specified when Bing would begin delivering status updates from the Palo Alto, California-based social networking service.
"This is just a start," said Qi Lu, president of Microsoft's online services group. Google and Microsoft each declined to discuss financial terms of the deals.
Due to a freshly-inked deal with Microsoft, Yahoo! also expects to be able to deliver Twitter and Facebook updates on its Web pages, Yahoo! chief technology officer Aristotle Balogh told AFP at the summit.
"Whatever they get, we get," Balogh said, referring to Bing being relied on to deliver search results to Yahoo! websites.
Effectively searching real-time commentary has been "an elusive goal," Paul Yiu of the Bing social search team said in a blog post detailing the search engine's Twitter search feature.
"Twitter is producing millions of tweets every minute on every subject you can imagine," Yiu said. "Search needs to keep up."
Bing engineers began collaborating with Twitter shortly after Microsoft launched its new search engine about five months ago.
Bing's Twitter search delivers lists of "tweets" related to topics typed into a search box.
It ranks tweets by relevance, taking into account factors such as the author, content, and how many times comments are "re-tweeted" by others.
Bing searches can also be done by the "hashtags" used to group Twitter messages.
Protected or deleted tweets do not get presented in Bing search results, which will keep comments indexed for no more than seven days, according to Yiu.
Facebook status messages intended to be public -- instead of just viewed by friends -- are expected to be integrated into Bing.
Twitter and Facebook search features promise to be a boost for Bing, which has made steady if unspectacular progress in wresting a bigger share of the lucrative search and advertising market away from Google.
Not to be outdone, Mayer used the summit stage to demonstrate a "social search" feature to launch at its Labs website in "a couple of weeks."
The "beta," or test, service goes beyond Twitter feeds to incorporate in search results pictures, comments and other content from people's online social networks.
"We have inserted on the bottom of the page content by people in your social network," Mayer said while demonstrating.
To dabble with the social search feature people will have to "opt-in" at Google Labs.
Google remains the Internet search king, commanding approximately 65 percent of the US market.
AFP
AFP - Thursday, October 22
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[Microsoft has began serving up Facebook and Twitter status feeds in its Bing online search...] Microsoft has began serving up Facebook and Twitter status feeds in its Bing online search engine
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - – Microsoft began integrating Twitter messages into its new Internet search engine Bing and arch rival Google announced plans to do the same.
Microsoft unveiled its real-time Twitter search feature at a Web 2.0 Summit here and said it also planned to incorporate status updates from social network Facebook into Bing.
Within hours of the announcement by the US software giant, search leader Google said it too had reached an agreement with the popular microblogging service to include Twitter updates in search results.
The Twitter feature on Bing is already active and can be accessed at bing.com/twitter while Google said it would roll out its product "in the coming months."
"We have a deal with Twitter," Google vice president of search products Marissa Mayer said at the summit. "We will be featuring tweets in our search results as well as building a real-time search."
Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft's online services group, demonstrated a Bing Twitter search feature that went live Wednesday.
"We are going to get access to all of the public Twitter information in real time," Mehdi said, adding the Facebook status feed will be introduced at a later date.
"We are giving Bing a feed of data made open to everyone," Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said at the summit.
"No money exchanged hands. We are not trying to make money on data."
Neither Microsoft nor Facebook specified when Bing would begin delivering status updates from the Palo Alto, California-based social networking service.
"This is just a start," said Qi Lu, president of Microsoft's online services group. Google and Microsoft each declined to discuss financial terms of the deals.
Due to a freshly-inked deal with Microsoft, Yahoo! also expects to be able to deliver Twitter and Facebook updates on its Web pages, Yahoo! chief technology officer Aristotle Balogh told AFP at the summit.
"Whatever they get, we get," Balogh said, referring to Bing being relied on to deliver search results to Yahoo! websites.
Effectively searching real-time commentary has been "an elusive goal," Paul Yiu of the Bing social search team said in a blog post detailing the search engine's Twitter search feature.
"Twitter is producing millions of tweets every minute on every subject you can imagine," Yiu said. "Search needs to keep up."
Bing engineers began collaborating with Twitter shortly after Microsoft launched its new search engine about five months ago.
Bing's Twitter search delivers lists of "tweets" related to topics typed into a search box.
It ranks tweets by relevance, taking into account factors such as the author, content, and how many times comments are "re-tweeted" by others.
Bing searches can also be done by the "hashtags" used to group Twitter messages.
Protected or deleted tweets do not get presented in Bing search results, which will keep comments indexed for no more than seven days, according to Yiu.
Facebook status messages intended to be public -- instead of just viewed by friends -- are expected to be integrated into Bing.
Twitter and Facebook search features promise to be a boost for Bing, which has made steady if unspectacular progress in wresting a bigger share of the lucrative search and advertising market away from Google.
Not to be outdone, Mayer used the summit stage to demonstrate a "social search" feature to launch at its Labs website in "a couple of weeks."
The "beta," or test, service goes beyond Twitter feeds to incorporate in search results pictures, comments and other content from people's online social networks.
"We have inserted on the bottom of the page content by people in your social network," Mayer said while demonstrating.
To dabble with the social search feature people will have to "opt-in" at Google Labs.
Google remains the Internet search king, commanding approximately 65 percent of the US market.
Philippines' NFA to sell $107 mln 10-yr bonds
Philippines' NFA to sell $107 mln 10-yr bonds
Reuters
Reuters - Thursday, October 22
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MANILA, Oct 22 - The Philippines' state grain agency will sell 5 billion pesos worth of 10-year notes on Oct. 27, the Bureau of Treasury said on Thursday.
The National Food Authority , tasked with securing domestic rice supply and stabilising prices, had said earlier it wants to raise 27 billion pesos from the domestic debt market to fund operations and repay maturing obligations. It has said it may do so in several tranches.
The NFA has debt of around 100 billion pesos, most of which is falling due within a year. [ID:nMAN463388]
Reuters
Reuters - Thursday, October 22
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MANILA, Oct 22 - The Philippines' state grain agency will sell 5 billion pesos worth of 10-year notes on Oct. 27, the Bureau of Treasury said on Thursday.
The National Food Authority , tasked with securing domestic rice supply and stabilising prices, had said earlier it wants to raise 27 billion pesos from the domestic debt market to fund operations and repay maturing obligations. It has said it may do so in several tranches.
The NFA has debt of around 100 billion pesos, most of which is falling due within a year. [ID:nMAN463388]
Arroyo calls for prayers as ‘Ramil’ slows down and weakens
Arroyo calls for prayers as ‘Ramil’ slows down and weakens
GMANews.TV
GMANews.TV - Thursday, October 22
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Typhoon “Ramil" (Lupit) may have weakened on Thursday, but President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo just the same called on Filipinos to pray that the calamity-stricken Philippines be spared from further devastation.
"Bagamat maganda ang umaga ngayon, hayaan niyong manawagan na muna ako sa inyo para sa lahat na tayo ay magdasal para sa ating taongbayan sa buong Luzon. Unang una yuong mga nawalaan ng mga minamahal na tahanan at pag-aari, at para rin sa mga nawawalaan ng pag-asa sa kinabukasan dahil sa mga kalamidad ng kalikasan," President Arroyo said in her address before a tourism summit in Batangas City in Batangas province. (We may be enjoying good weather today, but allow me to ask you to pray for our countrymen in Luzon, especially those who have lost their homes and belongings, and those who were losing hope after these natural calamities.) In making her call for prayers, the President cited the latest weather report, which showed Ramil was weakening and slowing down. Ramil’s waning strength Based on its 11 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ramil continued to pack maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour, with gusts of 195 kph. On Wednesday, Ramil had winds of 175 kph, with gusts of 210 kph. Pagasa placed the following areas under signal No. 3 (where the strength of winds range from 101 kph-185 kph): Batanes, Cagayan, Calayan Island, Babuyan Islands, and Apayao. On the other hand, areas under signal No. 2 (60-100 kph winds) are: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Isabela, Abra, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Aurora. Those under signal No. 1 (30-60 kph winds) are Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Northern Quezon, and Polillo Islands. Moving slowly west-southwest, Ramil was estimated at 300 km east of Aparri in Cagayan as of 10 a.m. Thursday. It is forecast to be 190 km east of Aparri on Friday morning, 120 km east of Aparri on Saturday morning, and 70 km southeast of Aparri on Sunday morning, Pagasa said. Spare us altogether Earlier in the day, Pagasa chief Prisco Nilo said Ramil might delay its expected landfall and might strike on Monday next week. In Mrs. Arroyo’s speech, she said everyone should pray that Ramil would continue to weaken and even spare the country altogether. “Mas mahabang panahong paghahanda at magdasal tayo para tuluyang humina..., or maiwasan sana tayo (We have more time to prepare and let us pray that Ramil would weaken further or even spare us completely," she added.
Last Sunday, churches offered prayers that the storm will spare the Philippines, which is still reeling from deadly floods and landslides.
On Tuesday, the Roman Catholic Church published a full-page prayer for deliverance from typhoons in a national broadsheet. The prayer lamented that "global warming is upon us" and the asked God to spare Filipinos "from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made."
Last September 26, tropical storm “Ondoy" (ketsana) wreaked havoc in Metro Manila and other provinces in Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. While the victims were still reeling from the destruction, typhoon “Pepeng" (Parma) entered Philippine territory and dumped rains for one week. Ondoy and Pepeng caused massive flooding, landslides, and dam spills – resulting in the deaths of hundreds, the displacement of thousands of families, and destruction in infrastructure and agriculture amounting to billions. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
GMANews.TV
GMANews.TV - Thursday, October 22
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Typhoon “Ramil" (Lupit) may have weakened on Thursday, but President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo just the same called on Filipinos to pray that the calamity-stricken Philippines be spared from further devastation.
"Bagamat maganda ang umaga ngayon, hayaan niyong manawagan na muna ako sa inyo para sa lahat na tayo ay magdasal para sa ating taongbayan sa buong Luzon. Unang una yuong mga nawalaan ng mga minamahal na tahanan at pag-aari, at para rin sa mga nawawalaan ng pag-asa sa kinabukasan dahil sa mga kalamidad ng kalikasan," President Arroyo said in her address before a tourism summit in Batangas City in Batangas province. (We may be enjoying good weather today, but allow me to ask you to pray for our countrymen in Luzon, especially those who have lost their homes and belongings, and those who were losing hope after these natural calamities.) In making her call for prayers, the President cited the latest weather report, which showed Ramil was weakening and slowing down. Ramil’s waning strength Based on its 11 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ramil continued to pack maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour, with gusts of 195 kph. On Wednesday, Ramil had winds of 175 kph, with gusts of 210 kph. Pagasa placed the following areas under signal No. 3 (where the strength of winds range from 101 kph-185 kph): Batanes, Cagayan, Calayan Island, Babuyan Islands, and Apayao. On the other hand, areas under signal No. 2 (60-100 kph winds) are: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Isabela, Abra, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Aurora. Those under signal No. 1 (30-60 kph winds) are Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Northern Quezon, and Polillo Islands. Moving slowly west-southwest, Ramil was estimated at 300 km east of Aparri in Cagayan as of 10 a.m. Thursday. It is forecast to be 190 km east of Aparri on Friday morning, 120 km east of Aparri on Saturday morning, and 70 km southeast of Aparri on Sunday morning, Pagasa said. Spare us altogether Earlier in the day, Pagasa chief Prisco Nilo said Ramil might delay its expected landfall and might strike on Monday next week. In Mrs. Arroyo’s speech, she said everyone should pray that Ramil would continue to weaken and even spare the country altogether. “Mas mahabang panahong paghahanda at magdasal tayo para tuluyang humina..., or maiwasan sana tayo (We have more time to prepare and let us pray that Ramil would weaken further or even spare us completely," she added.
Last Sunday, churches offered prayers that the storm will spare the Philippines, which is still reeling from deadly floods and landslides.
On Tuesday, the Roman Catholic Church published a full-page prayer for deliverance from typhoons in a national broadsheet. The prayer lamented that "global warming is upon us" and the asked God to spare Filipinos "from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made."
Last September 26, tropical storm “Ondoy" (ketsana) wreaked havoc in Metro Manila and other provinces in Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. While the victims were still reeling from the destruction, typhoon “Pepeng" (Parma) entered Philippine territory and dumped rains for one week. Ondoy and Pepeng caused massive flooding, landslides, and dam spills – resulting in the deaths of hundreds, the displacement of thousands of families, and destruction in infrastructure and agriculture amounting to billions. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Erap embarks on last performance of his life
Erap embarks on last performance of his life Philstar.com - Thursday, October 22Send IM Story Print
Erap embarks on last performance of his life
Slideshow: elections_2010 Photos MANILA, Philippines - Seeking vindication after his ouster from the presidency and conviction for plunder, Joseph Estrada asked Filipinos yesterday to give him a second chance.
“This is the last performance of my life and I will not fail you,” the former president told a cheering crowd in Tondo, Manila, where he announced his plan to run in the 2010 elections, with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as his running mate.
Expecting legal challenges to his bid, Estrada said the voice of the people is the voice of God, and voters should be the final judge.
He also announced his tentative senatorial slate: his son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., ZTE scandal whistle-blower Joey de Venecia, detained rebel leader Danny Lim, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Ompong Plaza. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is a guest candidate.
At his presidential inaugural in 1998, Estrada, a former movie star, had promised to deliver “the greatest performance of my life.” He was ousted less than halfway into his term and replaced by his vice president and constitutional successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
With Binay, Estrada said, he could rest assured that his vice president would not be plotting behind his back to bring him down.
Estrada said Binay could help turn the country into another Makati, a city where the masses receive heavy social protection protection including free education, health care and even free admission in moviehouses for senior citizens.
In his speech, Estrada decried that he had been unjustly detained for six years and isolated from his family and supporters.
“I have followed the law and I have already forgotten all the lies and charges leveled against me. But you did not leave me,” he said referring to his supporters.
He said it’s his mission to deliver the country from poverty and culture of corruption under the Arroyo administration.
“This administration forgot about education. The budget for education did not even reach half of the country’s debt. We have P2 trillion debts at present and this will rise to P4 trillion by 2010,” he said.
“I took care of Mindanao to make it a food basket, but this administration, through the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain almost gave it up,” Estrada said.
He also vowed to be tougher in dealing with secessionists and terrorists in Mindanao.
“Mindanao will not progress if we will not finish all these kinds of terrorism. Corruption in government is rampant,” he said.
He said that under his administration, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF lost its camps in Mindanao.
He also took a swipe at the “elitists” whom he accused of having conspired to have him removed.
“Vox populi, vox dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God. But the elitists are not listening to voice of the people that is why we are here now,” he said. “Are we better off today than in 2001?”
Rivals are expected to challenge his candidacy before the Supreme Court and invoke a constitutional ban on a second term for any president.
Estrada’s camp has insisted he is not covered by the ban because he was “illegally” removed from power.
“I was demonized then unconstitutionally removed,” Estrada said.
Albert Lim of the Makati Business Club said Estrada’s poor record as president and his criminal conviction should be enough reasons for him not to run again.
“Going by his track record, why should anyone think that he’ll be a good president?” Lim asked. “He won’t be good for business.”
Despite his ouster, conviction and detention, Estrada steadfastly denied the charges of plundering government coffers through kickbacks and illegal gambling payoffs. He never parted with a visible symbol of his power – his trademark wristband.
“During the lowest point in my life, the poor did not abandon me,” he said.
Estrada rose to movie stardom in his early 20s, playing tough guys with a soft spot for the needy – roles that earned him the hearts of the masses that make up almost half of the population.
In the 1970s, he won five best actor awards in the Philippines’ version of the Oscars.
Estrada entered politics in 1969 with his election as mayor of Manila’s San Juan suburb, a post he kept for 17 years.
He was elected senator in 1987, then vice president in 1992 despite a life of boozing, gambling and womanizing – foibles that humanized and endeared him to ordinary Filipinos but disturbed the influential Roman Catholic Church and the business community.
He has acknowledged fathering children with several women other than his wife.
He banked on his macho, Filipino everyman charisma to win the presidency in 1998 with one of the largest margins in recent memory.
Legal basis
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and University of the East dean of the College of Law Amado Valdez said there is no legal impediment to Estrada’s joining the presidential race in 2010.
“Many legal luminaries, former Supreme Court justices, well-known lawyers have conducted a study on whether President Estrada can run or not. Is President Estrada running for reelection? No, he is not running for reelection. He is running for another election because he was not allowed to finish his term and he was unduly removed from the presidency,” Rodriguez said.
“The rich businessmen conspired with the disgruntled members of the military and hungry for power politicians to remove him. He relinquished his post to prevent bloodshed,” he said.
Rodriguez said that constitutional provision banning reelection of the president only applies to an incumbent president or one who has finished his six-year term.
“President Estrada is not the incumbent. The ban on reelection is intended to prevent an incumbent president to use the government machinery during his reelection bid,” he said.
“Even Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, in one of the rulings of the Supreme Court, said that the better policy approach is to let the people decide. He said the Supreme Court may err, but the sovereign people will not,” he said.
“The prohibition on reelection for president applies only to incumbent presidents and those who have finished six years term,” Valdez, for his part, said.
“That intention of the law is to prevent the incumbent from using the machinery of the government for his reelection bid,” he said.
No endorsement
Chief Justice Puno, meanwhile, said he is not endorsing Estrada.
Puno was reacting to newspaper ads from the Estrada camp that quoted him as saying that the people should decide who should be the next president.
“It is quite clear from the paid ad that the quote is from Chief Justice Puno’s opinion in the 2004 Tecson case which has peculiar facts as it involved the citizenship of FPJ. It is not an endorsement and should not be perceived or used as such by any candidate,” SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said.
Marquez also said Estrada’s camp did not even get Puno’s permission on the use of his photo and ruling.
He said Puno’s decision not to endorse any candidate in next year’s polls “is also in keeping with the nature of the Moral Force Movement convened by the Chief Justice to be non-partisan.”
Unfazed
Malacañang said Estrada’s announcement was nothing.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita noted that Estrada has been making these pronouncements about his political plans for 2010 since his release from house arrest.
“I think we have heard enough, we have read enough about the plans of former President Estrada. I don’t see why there should be any surprises about his (declaring) publicly what he plans to do,” Ermita said.
He said it is clear in the conditions of Estrada’s pardon that he cannot seek an elective post again.
Eventually, Ermita said the courts would have to rule on the matter.
“I believe that in the end, everything will have to be settled judicially. I’m sure there will be citizens who will come out in the open questioning his certificate of candidacy and therefore, they might bring this matter to court, maybe in the highest court,” Ermita said.
“What I’m only saying is that somehow there has got to be a judicial remedy to this to end any speculation as to whether it’s alright for him to run or not to run,” he added.
Irresponsible
In Koronadal City, the MILF assailed Estrada for his bellicose statement on dealing with insurgencies.
In a radio interview here, Gadzali Jaafar, vice-chairman for political affairs of the MILF, said Estrada’s “irresponsible statements” would only “aggravate” the situation in Mindanao.
“Palalain lang niya ang situation dito sa Mindanao. Hindi kami natatakot sa sinasabi niya (He will just make things worse here in Mindanao. We’re not afraid of his threats),” Jaafar said over Bombo Radyo Koronadal.
Jaafar and other MILF officials believe Estrada is using the Mindanao to attract votes.
He said the ousted leader should “shut up” and withdraw from the presidential race because, he said, “he has no chance of winning.”
No defection
Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza denied reports that he has jumped to Estrada’s camp.
A newspaper report (not The STAR) said Estrada was poised to announce his choice of Atienza as the United Opposition’s and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Manila mayoralty bet.
“Don’t believe it. It’s an enterprise story,” Atienza said. “I don’t want to totally deny but it is not true that I jumped ship. I don’t jump ship, you know that,” he said.
When asked about persistent rumors that he was planning to run again as Manila mayor he said he didn’t want to talk about politics. – With Marvin Sy, Edu Punay, Ramil Bajo, Katherine Adraneda, AP - By Jose Rodel Clapano (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
Erap embarks on last performance of his life
Slideshow: elections_2010 Photos MANILA, Philippines - Seeking vindication after his ouster from the presidency and conviction for plunder, Joseph Estrada asked Filipinos yesterday to give him a second chance.
“This is the last performance of my life and I will not fail you,” the former president told a cheering crowd in Tondo, Manila, where he announced his plan to run in the 2010 elections, with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as his running mate.
Expecting legal challenges to his bid, Estrada said the voice of the people is the voice of God, and voters should be the final judge.
He also announced his tentative senatorial slate: his son Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., ZTE scandal whistle-blower Joey de Venecia, detained rebel leader Danny Lim, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Ompong Plaza. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is a guest candidate.
At his presidential inaugural in 1998, Estrada, a former movie star, had promised to deliver “the greatest performance of my life.” He was ousted less than halfway into his term and replaced by his vice president and constitutional successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
With Binay, Estrada said, he could rest assured that his vice president would not be plotting behind his back to bring him down.
Estrada said Binay could help turn the country into another Makati, a city where the masses receive heavy social protection protection including free education, health care and even free admission in moviehouses for senior citizens.
In his speech, Estrada decried that he had been unjustly detained for six years and isolated from his family and supporters.
“I have followed the law and I have already forgotten all the lies and charges leveled against me. But you did not leave me,” he said referring to his supporters.
He said it’s his mission to deliver the country from poverty and culture of corruption under the Arroyo administration.
“This administration forgot about education. The budget for education did not even reach half of the country’s debt. We have P2 trillion debts at present and this will rise to P4 trillion by 2010,” he said.
“I took care of Mindanao to make it a food basket, but this administration, through the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain almost gave it up,” Estrada said.
He also vowed to be tougher in dealing with secessionists and terrorists in Mindanao.
“Mindanao will not progress if we will not finish all these kinds of terrorism. Corruption in government is rampant,” he said.
He said that under his administration, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF lost its camps in Mindanao.
He also took a swipe at the “elitists” whom he accused of having conspired to have him removed.
“Vox populi, vox dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God. But the elitists are not listening to voice of the people that is why we are here now,” he said. “Are we better off today than in 2001?”
Rivals are expected to challenge his candidacy before the Supreme Court and invoke a constitutional ban on a second term for any president.
Estrada’s camp has insisted he is not covered by the ban because he was “illegally” removed from power.
“I was demonized then unconstitutionally removed,” Estrada said.
Albert Lim of the Makati Business Club said Estrada’s poor record as president and his criminal conviction should be enough reasons for him not to run again.
“Going by his track record, why should anyone think that he’ll be a good president?” Lim asked. “He won’t be good for business.”
Despite his ouster, conviction and detention, Estrada steadfastly denied the charges of plundering government coffers through kickbacks and illegal gambling payoffs. He never parted with a visible symbol of his power – his trademark wristband.
“During the lowest point in my life, the poor did not abandon me,” he said.
Estrada rose to movie stardom in his early 20s, playing tough guys with a soft spot for the needy – roles that earned him the hearts of the masses that make up almost half of the population.
In the 1970s, he won five best actor awards in the Philippines’ version of the Oscars.
Estrada entered politics in 1969 with his election as mayor of Manila’s San Juan suburb, a post he kept for 17 years.
He was elected senator in 1987, then vice president in 1992 despite a life of boozing, gambling and womanizing – foibles that humanized and endeared him to ordinary Filipinos but disturbed the influential Roman Catholic Church and the business community.
He has acknowledged fathering children with several women other than his wife.
He banked on his macho, Filipino everyman charisma to win the presidency in 1998 with one of the largest margins in recent memory.
Legal basis
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and University of the East dean of the College of Law Amado Valdez said there is no legal impediment to Estrada’s joining the presidential race in 2010.
“Many legal luminaries, former Supreme Court justices, well-known lawyers have conducted a study on whether President Estrada can run or not. Is President Estrada running for reelection? No, he is not running for reelection. He is running for another election because he was not allowed to finish his term and he was unduly removed from the presidency,” Rodriguez said.
“The rich businessmen conspired with the disgruntled members of the military and hungry for power politicians to remove him. He relinquished his post to prevent bloodshed,” he said.
Rodriguez said that constitutional provision banning reelection of the president only applies to an incumbent president or one who has finished his six-year term.
“President Estrada is not the incumbent. The ban on reelection is intended to prevent an incumbent president to use the government machinery during his reelection bid,” he said.
“Even Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, in one of the rulings of the Supreme Court, said that the better policy approach is to let the people decide. He said the Supreme Court may err, but the sovereign people will not,” he said.
“The prohibition on reelection for president applies only to incumbent presidents and those who have finished six years term,” Valdez, for his part, said.
“That intention of the law is to prevent the incumbent from using the machinery of the government for his reelection bid,” he said.
No endorsement
Chief Justice Puno, meanwhile, said he is not endorsing Estrada.
Puno was reacting to newspaper ads from the Estrada camp that quoted him as saying that the people should decide who should be the next president.
“It is quite clear from the paid ad that the quote is from Chief Justice Puno’s opinion in the 2004 Tecson case which has peculiar facts as it involved the citizenship of FPJ. It is not an endorsement and should not be perceived or used as such by any candidate,” SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said.
Marquez also said Estrada’s camp did not even get Puno’s permission on the use of his photo and ruling.
He said Puno’s decision not to endorse any candidate in next year’s polls “is also in keeping with the nature of the Moral Force Movement convened by the Chief Justice to be non-partisan.”
Unfazed
Malacañang said Estrada’s announcement was nothing.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita noted that Estrada has been making these pronouncements about his political plans for 2010 since his release from house arrest.
“I think we have heard enough, we have read enough about the plans of former President Estrada. I don’t see why there should be any surprises about his (declaring) publicly what he plans to do,” Ermita said.
He said it is clear in the conditions of Estrada’s pardon that he cannot seek an elective post again.
Eventually, Ermita said the courts would have to rule on the matter.
“I believe that in the end, everything will have to be settled judicially. I’m sure there will be citizens who will come out in the open questioning his certificate of candidacy and therefore, they might bring this matter to court, maybe in the highest court,” Ermita said.
“What I’m only saying is that somehow there has got to be a judicial remedy to this to end any speculation as to whether it’s alright for him to run or not to run,” he added.
Irresponsible
In Koronadal City, the MILF assailed Estrada for his bellicose statement on dealing with insurgencies.
In a radio interview here, Gadzali Jaafar, vice-chairman for political affairs of the MILF, said Estrada’s “irresponsible statements” would only “aggravate” the situation in Mindanao.
“Palalain lang niya ang situation dito sa Mindanao. Hindi kami natatakot sa sinasabi niya (He will just make things worse here in Mindanao. We’re not afraid of his threats),” Jaafar said over Bombo Radyo Koronadal.
Jaafar and other MILF officials believe Estrada is using the Mindanao to attract votes.
He said the ousted leader should “shut up” and withdraw from the presidential race because, he said, “he has no chance of winning.”
No defection
Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza denied reports that he has jumped to Estrada’s camp.
A newspaper report (not The STAR) said Estrada was poised to announce his choice of Atienza as the United Opposition’s and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Manila mayoralty bet.
“Don’t believe it. It’s an enterprise story,” Atienza said. “I don’t want to totally deny but it is not true that I jumped ship. I don’t jump ship, you know that,” he said.
When asked about persistent rumors that he was planning to run again as Manila mayor he said he didn’t want to talk about politics. – With Marvin Sy, Edu Punay, Ramil Bajo, Katherine Adraneda, AP - By Jose Rodel Clapano (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Are you a Facebook addict?
Are you a Facebook addict?
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN - Tuesday, October 20
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[Are you a Facebook addict?] Are you a Facebook addict?
MANILA - Facebook users beware. Psychologists are now probing a new kind of addiction called Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD).
Psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel, who has published numerous writings on FAD online, describes it as a situation in which Facebook usage "overtakes" daily activities like waking up, getting dressed, using the telephone, or checking e-mail.
"The amazing thing is that, like cellphones, nobody seems to notice the vast amount of time and energy - at work, at home, and now while on the move - people are devoting to Facebook. It has become a given," Fenichel writes in an online post titled "Facebook Addiction Disorder- A New Challenge?"
FAD could be classified under the more broad "internet addiction disorder" or internet overuse.
Academic papers have already posed theories on internet addiction and social networking addiction, and even less, cellphone addiction.
"Like most activities, moderation and integration are key. Those that may seriously label and treat FAD as a behavioral addiction will clearly need to use context in determining if a behavior has become demonstrably harmful to overall social, work, or face-to-face interpersonal efficacy," Fenichel added.
You are a Facebook addict if...
According to Joanna Lipari, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was interviewed for a CNN report, here are some signs that you are addicted to Facebook:
1. You lose sleep over Facebook. When using Facebook becomes a compulsion and you spend entire nights logged on to the site, causing you to become tired the next day.
2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook. Lipari said it is difficult to define how much is too much when it comes to Facebook usage, but that an average person need only spend half an hour on the site.
3. You become obsessed with old loves or exes you reconnect with on Facebook.
4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook. This means you do not do your job in order to sneak time on Facebook.
5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in cold sweat. If you try going a day without Facebook and it causes you stress and anxiety, this means you need help.
According to the same report by Elizabeth Cohen, Senior CNN Medical Correspondent, Facebook addiction is not yet an actual medical diagnosis.
However, the report notes that several therapists in the United States have noticed a rise in the number of clients who get hooked on social networking, to the point of social dysfunction.
Facebook fun
Facebook, launched by the world's youngest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, has over 300 million users worldwide, half of whom log on to the site every day.
Further, about 2 billion photos and 14 million videos are uploaded on various Facebook pages a month and about 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day, worldwide.
According to Willis Wee, founder of the social media and marketing blog Penn-Olson.com, this is twice as much time that people spend on Google.
The global social networking website allows users to post and share content (like photos, links, videos, and notes), play casual games and applications, and interact with friends and family through messaging and chat. abs-cbnNEWS.com. With reports from CNN.com.
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN - Tuesday, October 20
* Send
* IM Story
[Are you a Facebook addict?] Are you a Facebook addict?
MANILA - Facebook users beware. Psychologists are now probing a new kind of addiction called Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD).
Psychologist Dr. Michael Fenichel, who has published numerous writings on FAD online, describes it as a situation in which Facebook usage "overtakes" daily activities like waking up, getting dressed, using the telephone, or checking e-mail.
"The amazing thing is that, like cellphones, nobody seems to notice the vast amount of time and energy - at work, at home, and now while on the move - people are devoting to Facebook. It has become a given," Fenichel writes in an online post titled "Facebook Addiction Disorder- A New Challenge?"
FAD could be classified under the more broad "internet addiction disorder" or internet overuse.
Academic papers have already posed theories on internet addiction and social networking addiction, and even less, cellphone addiction.
"Like most activities, moderation and integration are key. Those that may seriously label and treat FAD as a behavioral addiction will clearly need to use context in determining if a behavior has become demonstrably harmful to overall social, work, or face-to-face interpersonal efficacy," Fenichel added.
You are a Facebook addict if...
According to Joanna Lipari, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was interviewed for a CNN report, here are some signs that you are addicted to Facebook:
1. You lose sleep over Facebook. When using Facebook becomes a compulsion and you spend entire nights logged on to the site, causing you to become tired the next day.
2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook. Lipari said it is difficult to define how much is too much when it comes to Facebook usage, but that an average person need only spend half an hour on the site.
3. You become obsessed with old loves or exes you reconnect with on Facebook.
4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook. This means you do not do your job in order to sneak time on Facebook.
5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in cold sweat. If you try going a day without Facebook and it causes you stress and anxiety, this means you need help.
According to the same report by Elizabeth Cohen, Senior CNN Medical Correspondent, Facebook addiction is not yet an actual medical diagnosis.
However, the report notes that several therapists in the United States have noticed a rise in the number of clients who get hooked on social networking, to the point of social dysfunction.
Facebook fun
Facebook, launched by the world's youngest billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, has over 300 million users worldwide, half of whom log on to the site every day.
Further, about 2 billion photos and 14 million videos are uploaded on various Facebook pages a month and about 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day, worldwide.
According to Willis Wee, founder of the social media and marketing blog Penn-Olson.com, this is twice as much time that people spend on Google.
The global social networking website allows users to post and share content (like photos, links, videos, and notes), play casual games and applications, and interact with friends and family through messaging and chat. abs-cbnNEWS.com. With reports from CNN.com.
Brad Pitt's 'floating house' can work in RP
Brad Pitt's 'floating house' can work in RP
ABS-CBN - Monday, October 19SendIM StoryPrint.
Brad Pitt's 'floating house' can work in RP
A housing design prescribed by architects for post-Katrina New Orleans might suit flood prone areas in the Philippines
MANILA – After Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Southwestern coast of the United States in 2006, celebrity Brad Pitt and his Make It Right (MIR) Foundation set about building environmentally-friendly and sustainable housing for affected families in New Orleans.
Formed by Pitt after he saw the devastation to New Orleans's Lower 9th Ward, the MIR aims to build over 150 houses within 14 blocks using "green" design principles pitched by architectural firms all over the world.
This is supposed to fulfill the promise Pitt made residents in the area: that he would help them build a stronger and safer neighborhood. (Take a virtual tour of storm-resistant MIR homes here.)
Floating House
The Make It Right Foundation's "Floating House." It can rise up 12 feet on 2 guideposts like a raft. Photo from www.makeitrightnola.org.
According to the MIR website, each house the foundation will build will incorporate storm-resistant features like escape hatches on the rooftops, hurricane window fabric that protect interiors against the entry of water, and raised elevation, among others.
The houses will also use mostly eco-friendly materials.
One house that stood out among the rest, however, was a "floating house" that Pitt unveiled in early October.
The house, designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, can break away from its moorings and rise up to 12 feet on 2 guideposts - much like an anchored raft.
Though it will separate from its plumbing and electrical lines when it floats up, Mayne said in an interview with NPR.org that the house can provide enough battery power for 3 days so the family can survive until help comes.
It is buoyant because of its chassis made of polystyrene foam (not considered eco-friendly) and glass-reinforced concrete.
Morphosis Architects has not revealed how much the house costs, but various internet reports say building cost is low.
The house has not been tested in real flood conditions, but only in extensive computer simulations. "I mean, hopefully it never gets used. But when it gets used, it's important," Mayne said in a statement.
Disaster-ready housing
Can floating houses like these be feasible in the Philippine setting? Definitely, says Architect Jason Buensalido of Buensalido+Architects.
Founded in 2005, the firm is known for its contemporary designs and eco-friendly projects.
In fact, Buensalido's firm was about to draw a similar plan for a "Float House" when Brad Pitt's floating house was introduced in local newspapers and online news sites.
"It's just as simple as designing a raft. It's just as simple as putting a house on a raft. So you know, it's really possible," Buensalido said in a phone interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
Buensalido said they are looking for partner organizations who are open to building floating houses, like Gawad Kalinga and My Shelter Foundation (which works with disaster management networks). They are even considering pitching the idea to President Arroyo herself.
As a guide to their design, Buensalido cited existing floating houses in areas of the Netherlands like Maasbommel near the Meuse river, where floating houses are already a norm. These houses are anchored on vertical columns, so the houses basically move up and down.
The floating houses are built with hollow concrete cubes underneath for buoyancy, while electricity and water are pumped through flexible pipes. Each house costs about $310,000 (about P14.4 million).
As early as 2007, a Dutch company called Dura Vermeer built 37 such houses that can rise up to 13 feet. Buensalido, however, said RP’s floating houses can go higher to suit local conditions.
In Provident village, the village in Marikina City which was worst hit by floods brought on by Ondoy, waters reportedly rose as high as 30 feet.
"The question really is how to make it (a floating house) affordable to make. But we want to really make it possible," Buensalido said, adding that pre-fabricating materials and potential mass production could bring the building costs down.
"It's also a matter of material selection. They don't have to be ultra-expensive. It really boils down to economy because it has to answer to immediate needs. It might not be reachable to common people, so you have to make it cost-effective in the way we produce it," he said.
House on stilts
Buensalido's 'Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa' entry. The house has a second skin, like a sleeve, which can be customized according to the budget and aesthetic preferences of the buyer. The skin acts like a natural cooling system. Photo from METRO Home Magazine.
Disaster-resistant housing need not be as expensive as floating houses in the Netherlands, as an award-winning design by Buensalido and Associates proves.
Buensalido had come up with an eco-friendly and sustainable house design that won this year's "Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa" contest, launched by the University of the Philippines College of Architecture and Lafarge Cement Services, Inc.
Contest rules required that the house had to cost at least P750,000 (the median cost for a Pag-Ibig Housing loan), fit a family of 5, and it had to be flood and typhoon-resistant.
Buensalido's firm designed a customizable modular house, inspired by the traditional 'bahay-kubo', that "actually sits on stilts."
"The whole house is really on the second floor. On the ground floor, there's nothing but empty space, like a veranda. It's consistent with the idea of a bahay kubo which is an elevated house and the rest of the lot is used for social gathering. By raising the house, you're essentially safe in terms of floods and disasters," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
Eco-beam frames that support piles of sandbags inside the walls add to the house's flood-resistance, Buensalido said.
The house can go up several stories, depending on how high an area's flood waters can rise.
Indigenous ideas
The design of the stilt house incorporates a rainwater-harvesting system where a series of valve spouts on the roof direct rainwater either to an underground cistern or an ordinary steel drum.
If budget allows, the cistern can be fitted to a high-tech filtration system that can produce water for drinking or bathing. Drums, meanwhile, can collect water for plants and backyard vegetables.
This could ensure that a family has adequate stocks of water and food when floods or typhoons come. Buensalido said that architects can learn a lot from indigenous housing that were built to respond to their natural climate.
Tribes like the Badjao, for example, have learned to live with rising tides by building stilted houses and house boats.
"If you look at old architecture, like the bahay kubo and houses in Banawe, they all respond to the climate. They're site-specific and that's how architecture should be," he said.
Buensalido describes indigenous housing as "perfect for the Philippines" because they are well-ventilated and do not require artificial cooling, they make full use of natural lighting and do not use as much energy, and they are usually made of sustainable material like bamboo, coconut, nipa, or 'anahao.'
Buensalido said that modern houses need not look exactly like a 'bahay kubo', but can incorporate eco-friendly design principles.
Good urban planning
While low-cost floating or disaster-resistant houses could help people cope with oncoming disasters like typhoons, Buensalido said much of disaster prevention has to do with good urban planning.
"In the first place, urban planners should check the 100-year flood history of an area. And in the first place, they shouldn't build on a site that is flood-prone. In the macro-scale, the reason why we have this problem is because Manila isn't planned well," he said.
(Read: 'Gov't, private developers liable for flood damage')
Buensalido said the recent storms- Ondoy and Pepeng - served as an "eye-opener" for architects and developers, as well as the government.
"It should really be the government. All these urban planning - the government has the power to approve these things at the end of the day. But the government does not have the budget to prevent these things. Architects can only do a certain amount of work to help people respond to disasters," he said. Report by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of our series on “Disasters: Search for Solutions.” To contribute to this series, email editorial@abs-cbnnews.com.
ABS-CBN - Monday, October 19SendIM StoryPrint.
Brad Pitt's 'floating house' can work in RP
A housing design prescribed by architects for post-Katrina New Orleans might suit flood prone areas in the Philippines
MANILA – After Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Southwestern coast of the United States in 2006, celebrity Brad Pitt and his Make It Right (MIR) Foundation set about building environmentally-friendly and sustainable housing for affected families in New Orleans.
Formed by Pitt after he saw the devastation to New Orleans's Lower 9th Ward, the MIR aims to build over 150 houses within 14 blocks using "green" design principles pitched by architectural firms all over the world.
This is supposed to fulfill the promise Pitt made residents in the area: that he would help them build a stronger and safer neighborhood. (Take a virtual tour of storm-resistant MIR homes here.)
Floating House
The Make It Right Foundation's "Floating House." It can rise up 12 feet on 2 guideposts like a raft. Photo from www.makeitrightnola.org.
According to the MIR website, each house the foundation will build will incorporate storm-resistant features like escape hatches on the rooftops, hurricane window fabric that protect interiors against the entry of water, and raised elevation, among others.
The houses will also use mostly eco-friendly materials.
One house that stood out among the rest, however, was a "floating house" that Pitt unveiled in early October.
The house, designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, can break away from its moorings and rise up to 12 feet on 2 guideposts - much like an anchored raft.
Though it will separate from its plumbing and electrical lines when it floats up, Mayne said in an interview with NPR.org that the house can provide enough battery power for 3 days so the family can survive until help comes.
It is buoyant because of its chassis made of polystyrene foam (not considered eco-friendly) and glass-reinforced concrete.
Morphosis Architects has not revealed how much the house costs, but various internet reports say building cost is low.
The house has not been tested in real flood conditions, but only in extensive computer simulations. "I mean, hopefully it never gets used. But when it gets used, it's important," Mayne said in a statement.
Disaster-ready housing
Can floating houses like these be feasible in the Philippine setting? Definitely, says Architect Jason Buensalido of Buensalido+Architects.
Founded in 2005, the firm is known for its contemporary designs and eco-friendly projects.
In fact, Buensalido's firm was about to draw a similar plan for a "Float House" when Brad Pitt's floating house was introduced in local newspapers and online news sites.
"It's just as simple as designing a raft. It's just as simple as putting a house on a raft. So you know, it's really possible," Buensalido said in a phone interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
Buensalido said they are looking for partner organizations who are open to building floating houses, like Gawad Kalinga and My Shelter Foundation (which works with disaster management networks). They are even considering pitching the idea to President Arroyo herself.
As a guide to their design, Buensalido cited existing floating houses in areas of the Netherlands like Maasbommel near the Meuse river, where floating houses are already a norm. These houses are anchored on vertical columns, so the houses basically move up and down.
The floating houses are built with hollow concrete cubes underneath for buoyancy, while electricity and water are pumped through flexible pipes. Each house costs about $310,000 (about P14.4 million).
As early as 2007, a Dutch company called Dura Vermeer built 37 such houses that can rise up to 13 feet. Buensalido, however, said RP’s floating houses can go higher to suit local conditions.
In Provident village, the village in Marikina City which was worst hit by floods brought on by Ondoy, waters reportedly rose as high as 30 feet.
"The question really is how to make it (a floating house) affordable to make. But we want to really make it possible," Buensalido said, adding that pre-fabricating materials and potential mass production could bring the building costs down.
"It's also a matter of material selection. They don't have to be ultra-expensive. It really boils down to economy because it has to answer to immediate needs. It might not be reachable to common people, so you have to make it cost-effective in the way we produce it," he said.
House on stilts
Buensalido's 'Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa' entry. The house has a second skin, like a sleeve, which can be customized according to the budget and aesthetic preferences of the buyer. The skin acts like a natural cooling system. Photo from METRO Home Magazine.
Disaster-resistant housing need not be as expensive as floating houses in the Netherlands, as an award-winning design by Buensalido and Associates proves.
Buensalido had come up with an eco-friendly and sustainable house design that won this year's "Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa" contest, launched by the University of the Philippines College of Architecture and Lafarge Cement Services, Inc.
Contest rules required that the house had to cost at least P750,000 (the median cost for a Pag-Ibig Housing loan), fit a family of 5, and it had to be flood and typhoon-resistant.
Buensalido's firm designed a customizable modular house, inspired by the traditional 'bahay-kubo', that "actually sits on stilts."
"The whole house is really on the second floor. On the ground floor, there's nothing but empty space, like a veranda. It's consistent with the idea of a bahay kubo which is an elevated house and the rest of the lot is used for social gathering. By raising the house, you're essentially safe in terms of floods and disasters," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
Eco-beam frames that support piles of sandbags inside the walls add to the house's flood-resistance, Buensalido said.
The house can go up several stories, depending on how high an area's flood waters can rise.
Indigenous ideas
The design of the stilt house incorporates a rainwater-harvesting system where a series of valve spouts on the roof direct rainwater either to an underground cistern or an ordinary steel drum.
If budget allows, the cistern can be fitted to a high-tech filtration system that can produce water for drinking or bathing. Drums, meanwhile, can collect water for plants and backyard vegetables.
This could ensure that a family has adequate stocks of water and food when floods or typhoons come. Buensalido said that architects can learn a lot from indigenous housing that were built to respond to their natural climate.
Tribes like the Badjao, for example, have learned to live with rising tides by building stilted houses and house boats.
"If you look at old architecture, like the bahay kubo and houses in Banawe, they all respond to the climate. They're site-specific and that's how architecture should be," he said.
Buensalido describes indigenous housing as "perfect for the Philippines" because they are well-ventilated and do not require artificial cooling, they make full use of natural lighting and do not use as much energy, and they are usually made of sustainable material like bamboo, coconut, nipa, or 'anahao.'
Buensalido said that modern houses need not look exactly like a 'bahay kubo', but can incorporate eco-friendly design principles.
Good urban planning
While low-cost floating or disaster-resistant houses could help people cope with oncoming disasters like typhoons, Buensalido said much of disaster prevention has to do with good urban planning.
"In the first place, urban planners should check the 100-year flood history of an area. And in the first place, they shouldn't build on a site that is flood-prone. In the macro-scale, the reason why we have this problem is because Manila isn't planned well," he said.
(Read: 'Gov't, private developers liable for flood damage')
Buensalido said the recent storms- Ondoy and Pepeng - served as an "eye-opener" for architects and developers, as well as the government.
"It should really be the government. All these urban planning - the government has the power to approve these things at the end of the day. But the government does not have the budget to prevent these things. Architects can only do a certain amount of work to help people respond to disasters," he said. Report by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of our series on “Disasters: Search for Solutions.” To contribute to this series, email editorial@abs-cbnnews.com.
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