Monthly Archives: April 2015

Government, Politics, Social Media

PRESIDENT AQUINO ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER BANNING FACEBOOK AMONG FILIPINO YOUTH

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Aquino's Facebook page (screen grab)
Aquino’s Facebook page (screen grab)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – In his most critical statement about Facebook and social media  to date, Philippines President NoyNoy Aquino urged Filipino studens to “Open books before opening Facebook.”

On Friday, April 17, at the turnover ceremony of two new 3-story school buildings at the Tarlac National High School, Aquino  told students the government is working hard to secure their future – and asked that the youth do their part.

“Embrace the opportunities presented to you with hard work. I’m sure you’ve heard this many times from your parents but this time it comes from the President of the Philippines: Study hard. All the support is there, but I cannot learn for you,” he said.

“ Finish your homework before the raid in Clash of Clans. Because like I said, you will be the one to continue all this,” Aquino said

Immediately after his speech, Aquino returned to Manila and signed an executive order authorizing the Philippines’ Telecommunications Agency (PTA) to block Facebook access by all Filipinos under the age of 21. The E.O. also deputizes the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police to ensure the strict implementation of the new law.

Aquino, however, said that his Facebook page is exempted from the order which means that Filipinos of all ages are free to access the presidential page.

To date, Aquino’s Facebook page has 4 Million followers. That’s a disappointing 4 % of the entire population of the Philippines which critics say is an accurate reflection the president’s very low performance rating.

Food, Human Interest, Politics

FILIPINO NEW YORKERS TO ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS: ‘LEAVE OUR BALUT ALONE!’

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Balut
Balusters

NEW YORK CITY, New York – An animal rights activist in New York claims even balut has animal rights, and wants it off the menu at a local restaurant.

Activist Gabrielle Hardy is urging Maharlika, a popular Filipino restaurant in New York, to stop serving the Filipino delicacy.

Balut is a popular food item in the Philippines and has been for generations. It is a boiled duck embryo that’s eaten directly off its shell. It is considered food for the masses although rich people secretly devour balut in the privacy of their mansions.

Hardy created the online petition two weeks ago saying that balut is disgusting and it should be taken off Maharlika’s menu. She said people should not eat the unborn duck fetus.

By Friday morning, the petition gained 4,659 signatures out of its goal of 5,000 signatures.

Immediately after the ban-the-balut petition was posted online, a group of Filipino New Yorkers created and posted a counter online petition asking the animal rights activist to shut up and leave their balut alone. “Why are they picking on balut when they should be protesting against hotels and restaurants for serving steaks and lobsters, or even asking the government to outlaw McDonald’s hamburger or Kentucky Fried Chicken?” they said.

The Filipinos also urged Maharlika Restaurant not only to keep balut on their menu but also to put a picture of the balut on the cover of their menu books.

By Saturday noon, more than 50,000 people, mostly Filipinos, had signed the counter petition.

New York City is home to some 80,000 Filipinos, the fourth largest Asian group in the city. In the entire U.S., the Filipino population currently stands at 3.4 Million.

Don’t mess with Filipinos in New York, or anywhere.  And leave their balut alone!

Government, Politics, Religion

CATHOLIC BISHOPS TO FILIPINO VOTERS: ‘CHOOSE HEAVEN OR HELL’

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Villegas (Photo source: www.ucanews.com)
Villegas (Photo source: http://www.ucanews.com)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) –  The Philippines can be heaven- or hell-bound, depending on how Filipinos cast their votes in the 2016 presidential elections.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas made this statement as he urged Filipino voters to make prayer and discernment the prerequisites in choosing their candidates.

“Make your vote a product of your prayer and discernment…Remember, your vote can bring heaven to the Philippines. Your vote can also bring hell to the Philippines,” Villegas said in a video presentation during Thursday’s launch of “One Good Vote,” the voter education campaign of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

Asked by reporters what he meant by the choice of heaven or hell, The archbishop said: ‘Very simple. Filipinos can vote for Vice President Jejomar Binay, or Senator Grace Poe.’

Anwering a follow-up question from The Adobo Chronicles about the possibility of Department of Interior and Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas running for president in 2016, Villegas said, ‘That would be Purgatory.’