PRINT AND KEEP A COPY IN  YOUR CAR:

1. No window hours: Makati , Malabon and Las Pinas. Number Coding is in effect from 7am to 7pm!
2. No number coding: Taguig, Marikina and Paranaque . So, feel free to roam around these cities anytime.
3. Pasig City has window hours of 9am to 4pm (note the 1 hour additional to the normal 10-3pm window).
4. San Juan has window hours now according to MMDA website.
5. Pasay City is implementing Number Coding except on the following roads: Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road , Domestic Road , Portions of Airport Road , Sales Road , Tramo.
6. EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue , Roxas Blvd ( Pasay ) have window hours regardless of the city (meaning one can drive via EDSA in Makati any day).
7. For the rest of Metro Manila (Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, parts of Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, and Valenzuela) number coding is in effect (window hours of 10am-3pm is also observed).

TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS

I just reached my limit last weekend, and decided to take action against the abusive MMDA enforcers. I basically
called up the MMDA head office and inquired from the Personnel Officer, Antonio Pagulayan, to clarify their
policies. Here is what I got.

If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Antonio Pagulayan (Personnel Officer) has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at 0920 9389861 or 0920 9389875 and ask for an
Inspectorate. They will send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are
arguing out of your apprehension.

1.MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend.
They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only time they are allowed to work
together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)

2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where on
the road you do it. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as
shifting 2 or more lanes very quickly. So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro Base for help.

3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not
allowed to go out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They
are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He recommends actually receiving the ticket in some
instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.

5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their “mission order”, which is written by their supervisor.
If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they
will receive disciplinary action.

Just last year, we’ve come up with a plan of taking Benilde to Egypt. Paths we’ve took is not as straight as what we think it should be. There are barriers called challenges that pass through us. Admittedly, we’ve done our part and came up until Local Finals. Team have just cut short for a ticket to Eygpt. Only a strand of a hair behind our arch rival Ateneo, but our campaign for excellence doesn’t end, next generation of talented Benildeans makes its way to the World Finals this 2010 in Poland.

Here’s a video of their official entry to Microsoft Imagine Cup 2010. Looks promising isn’t it? Filipinos around the world, lets support Team Philippines my fellow Benildean in making its way to the World Finals. Lets vote for them to be the People’s choice award.

Children, I will teach you how to cheat on your exams.

Just check this out for details )

Few months ago my friend asked me to support Don Bosco Mandaluyong-Team Grigio for Shell Eco-Marathon Asia; a competition for high school and college students from around the world to design, build and test energy efficient vehicles. This will be held at Sepang International Circuit this coming July of 2010.
As I look for other teams which will be with Team Grigio, I found out that two of our colleagues in high school are leading another team. Mapua Institute of Technology Team Atalanta team leader Jericho Paolo Rivera and Richard Saul Turalba a member of the Engine group was part of Batch 2006 of Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati. Both of them are coming from Automotive Technology 1 class when they were in High school. From a humble beginning of being an Automotive Technician graduate they were now using what they have learned into this competition. Proud as a Bosconian, two different teams with bosconian spirit will represent the Philippines and be proud about what they can do. I will cheer neither for Don Bosco Mandaluyong nor Mapua but for Bosconians.

Not far from the limelight was another Bosconian breed from Makati who will be representing us Filipinos on another field which is Public Speaking. From a family of public servants, here comes Ervim Charles Orbase, an 18-year-old Multimedia Arts sophomore at Asia Pacific College in Makati City. Proudly I say he is the brother of my friend, Bert Orbase.

Here’s an excerpt from Philippine Star:

Orbase topped the national competition that drew 37 participants coming not just from the usual high schools, colleges, and universities within Metro Manila, but also from new schools in Bulacan, Dumaguete and Cebu. Participating schools included UP Diliman, UP Manila, UP Los Baños, FEU, UST, DLSU, STC, ADMU, LSGH, Philippine Science High School, St. Paul’s College, Letran, Claret, Bulacan State University, Siliman University, and Cebu Normal University.

The screening rounds were conducted on March 6 at UP Diliman’s School of Economics, in conjunction with the UP Debate Society’s hosting of college debate competitions. Nine finalists were selected and presented by UP Debate Society president Anna Arcellana to the ESU-Philippines board of judges for the Finals held later in the day: ESU-Phil chair Amb. Cesar Bautista, ESU-Phil president Dr. Marlu C. Vilches, and board members Howard Belton, Dr. Lourdes Montinola, Erlinda Panlilio, Dr. Butch Dalisay, and this writer.

Joining the judges’ panel was Gian Karlo Dapul, the IPSC grand prize winner in 2008, our second winning delegate after Patricia Evangelista’s breakthrough triumph in 2004.

Orbase’s draft speech that went no more than five minutes, on this year’s contest theme of “Speculations for the Future,” was curiously titled “The Optimism of a Highly Sinister 13-year-old Thief.” It certainly drew the appreciation of the judges, who gave Ervin plus marks for originality, humor, substance and structure, and dynamic delivery. His selection as our Philippine candidate was unanimous.

Wounding up in second place and thus the first alternate was another student from Asia Pacific College, Czarina Moresco Frias, while winning 3third place was Richard Estrella from UP Diliman.

Hail Don Bosco, Hail Bosconians we stand high and proud representing Don Bosco Philippines to the whole world.

Smokers, did you ever find yourself quitting from your smoking addiction? You need to understand fully what happens to the body when you do smoke. Here’s a timeline about some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how will it affect your body.

* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.