Saturday, July 31, 2010

Top 10 Entrecard Droppers for July 2010

Another month has ended and as usual I want to pay tribute to all the amazing people who never failed to visit and drop their Entrecards on this blog for the last month. Thank you very much for the continued support!

I am also grateful to fellow Entrecard members who may not be on the list but who continue to visit this blog. Many thanks to all of you!

Here are the top Entrecard droppers for May. If you have a minute or two, please visit each of these great blogs.




Urban art, fashion, music, movies and events.


Teen Suicide and depression is such a huge problem in our society today. I'm trying to raise awareness and make resources available to anyone facing this huge dilema.


Artshout.net provides a showcase for top artists, free arts advertising and urban art blog.


All the latest and greatest t-shirt designers, brands and shirts reviewed by a team of t-shirt experts.


Vote on the latest and greatest t-shirt designs in the indie tee market!


Sarcasm, stories and lots of BS


WDW's showcase and directory features the best in web design, programming, web development, seo, application design and programming


Just $30 For a Graphic Header + Free 125 pixel banner by established professional UK designer.


Tons of Tips and Tricks to help you advertise online. From lists of free traffic resources to advice on keyword placement and linkbuilding.


My personal blog

Special thanks go to the two blogs that provided the most clicks via adverts that I ran on their widgets:




And to all EC advertisers, thank you very much!!!


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Friday, July 30, 2010

MYX Daily Top 10 – July 30, 2010 Featuring "Magkaibang Mundo" by Hale


"Somebody To Love" by Justin Bieber f/ Usher is back at the top of the MYX Daily Top 10 after two days at the number 2 spot. Erstwhile number 1 "No Other" by Korean band Super Junior dropped to number 2.

"Kung Wala Na Nga" by 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino are the top OPM act in the countdown at number 3 while "Magkaibang Mundo" by Hale and "Afraid For Love To Fade" by Christian Bautista are on the number 5 and 6 respectively.


MYX Daily Top 10 – July 30, 2010

10. Love Ya - SS501
09. Alejandro - Lady Gaga Love Ya - SS501
08. California Gurls - Katy Perry f/ Snoop Dogg
07. Airplanes - B.o.B f/ Hayley Williams
06. Afraid For Love To Fade - Christian Bautista
05. Magkaibang Mundo - Hale
04. If I Had You - Adam Lambert
03. Kung Wala Na Nga - 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino
02. No Other - Super Junior
01. Somebody To Love - Justin Bieber f/ Usher

Below is the video of the number 5 song "Magkaibang Mundo" by Pinoy band Hale:




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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Free Online Classified

Gone are the days when we turn to newspapers and other forms of printed media for our advertising needs. Classified advertising has expanded to include similar advertising on radio, TV and it has also found its way to the internet. In fact, internet classified ads are becoming more and more popular which is not surprising at all considering the many advantages of online advertising.

Online classifieds can reach a wider scope of audience compared to the printed media which normally cater to the local audience. Since most online classifieds do not use per-line pricing models, ads can be created longer. Best of all, internet classifieds are readily searchable so you don’t have to waste time flipping through pages looking for the specific category.

One of the better online classifieds that is becoming more popular online is List Here. The site prides itself of doing classified advertising a little bit better. And they are just doing great. They provide free classified ads to the general public but they also have premium business accounts at reasonable prices. With List Here, you don’t need to repost your ad over and over. They also offer additional reporting of premium accounts where you can find who is searching for your services or clicking your ads.

Can you possibly beat a site that offers free services? Visit List Here now and experience a kick-ass online classified advertising!



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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

MYX Daily Top 10 – July 28, 2010 Featuring "Somebody To Love" by Justin Bieber f/ Usher


K-Pop is again dominating the MYX Daily Top 10 after Super Junior grabbed the top spot with their latest hit "No Other" from yesterday's number one "Somebody To Love" by Justin Bieber f/ Usher which now had to settle for the number 2 spot.

"Kung Wala Na Nga" by 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino are the top OPM act in the countdown at number 3 while "Magkaibang Mundo" by Hale and "Afraid For Love To Fade" by Christian Bautista are on the number 6 and 7 respectively.


MYX Daily Top 10 – July 28, 2010

10. California Gurls - Katy Perry f/ Snoop Dogg
09. Love Ya - SS501
08. Airplanes - B.o.B f/ Hayley Williams
07. Afraid For Love To Fade - Christian Bautista
06. Magkaibang Mundo - Hale
05. Alejandro - Lady Gaga
04. If I Had You - Adam Lambert
03. Kung Wala Na Nga - 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino
02. Somebody To Love - Justin Bieber f/ Usher
01. No Other - Super Junior

Below is the video of the number 2 song "Somebody To Love" by Justin Bieber featuring Usher which now has over 30 million views on YouTube:




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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Music Inspires Art

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of goviral. All opinions are 100% mine.


Music is an art which uses sound as its medium. Music inspires art and art inspires music. But it’s not everyday that we see music performed with so much artistry and creativity. We are normally contented with the usual mix of sounds from various musical instruments. So when we see a mix of music which uses cutting edge technology and a lot of creativity, it is surely a great treat.

Take for example the innovative audio/visual performance of spinner DJ Cheeba at the celebration of Beck’s Vier Music Inspires Art program. He performed a great mix using Beck’s Vier rigged beer taps to trigger audio samples and lighting effects across a grid of 600 LED-lit Beck’s bottles. He certainly took mixing and music to a new artistic horizon and the result is simply amazing!

If you want to see more cutting edge bands and DJs, they can be found on the official Becks Vier Facebook page.

Watch this amazing video below:




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Monday, July 26, 2010

Transcript of President Aquino's State of the Nation Address


Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; at pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.


Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Sa unang tatlong linggo ng aming panunungkulan, marami po kaming natuklasan. Nais ko pong ipahayag sa inyo ang iilan lamang sa mga namana nating suliranin at ang ginagawa naming hakbang para lutasin ang mga ito.

Sulyap lamang po ito; hindi pa ito ang lahat ng problemang haharapin natin. Inilihim at sadyang iniligaw ang sambayanan sa totoong kalagayan ng ating bansa.

Sa unang anim na buwan ng taon, mas malaki ang ginastos ng gobyerno kaysa sa pumasok na kita. Lalong lumaki ang deficit natin, na umakyat na sa 196.7 billion pesos. Sa target na kuleksyon, kinapos tayo ng 23.8 billion pesos; ang tinataya namang gastos, nalagpasan lang natin ng 45.1 billion pesos.

Ang budget po sa 2010 ay 1.54 trillion pesos.

Nasa isandaang bilyong piso o anim at kalahating porsyento na lang ng kabuuan ang malaya nating magagamit para sa nalalabing anim na buwan ng taong ito.

Halos isang porsyento na lang po ng kabuuang budget ang natitira para sa bawat buwan.

Saan naman po dinala ang pera?

Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento (70%) na ang nagastos.

Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang.

Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso (P5M) lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

Ibinigay po ang pondo ng Pampanga sa buwan ng eleksyon, pitong buwan pagkatapos ng Ondoy at Pepeng. Paano kung bumagyo bukas? Inubos na ang pondo nito para sa bagyong nangyari noong isang taon pa. Pagbabayaran ng kinabukasan ang kasakiman ng nakaraan.

Ganyan din po ang nangyari sa pondo ng MWSS. Kamakailan lamang, pumipila ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng tubig. Sa kabila nito, minabuti pa ng liderato ng MWSS na magbigay ng gantimpala sa sarili kahit hindi pa nababayaran ang pensyon ng mga retiradong empleyado.

Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos.

Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon.

Beinte-kuwatro porsyento (24%) lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta'y sais porsyento ang dagdag.

Ang karaniwang manggagawa hanggang 13th month pay plus cash gift lang ang nakukuha.

Sa MWSS, aabot sa katumbas ng mahigit sa tatlumpung buwan ang sahod kasama na ang lahat ng mga bonuses at allowances na nakuha nila.

Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Tingnan po natin ang mga allowances na tinatanggap nila:

Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta'y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.

Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta'y otso mil.

Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa't kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees.

Pati po ang La Mesa Watershed ay hindi nila pinatawad. Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan.

Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS.

Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo.

Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira - sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto.

Pag-usapan naman po natin ang pondo para sa imprastruktura. Tumukoy ang DPWH ng dalawandaan apatnapu't anim na priority safety projects na popondohan ng Motor Vehicle Users Charge. Mangangailangan po ito ng budget na 425 million pesos.

Ang pinondohan po, dalawampu't walong proyekto lang. Kinalimutan po ang dalawandaan at labing walong proyekto at pinalitan ng pitumpung proyekto na wala naman sa plano. Ang hininging 425 million pesos, naging 480 million pesos pa, lumaki lalo dahil sa mga proyektong sa piling-piling mga benepisyaryo lang napunta.

Mga proyekto po itong walang saysay, hindi pinag-aralan at hindi pinaghandaan, kaya parang kabuteng sumusulpot.

Tapos na po ang panahon para dito. Sa administrasyon po natin, walang kota-kota, walang tongpats, ang pera ng taumbayan ay gagastusin para sa taumbayan lamang.

Meron pa po tayong natuklasan. Limang araw bago matapos ang termino ng nakaraang administrasyon, nagpautos silang maglabas ng 3.5 billion pesos para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nasalanta nina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Walumpu't anim na proyekto ang paglalaanan dapat nito na hindi na sana idadaan sa public bidding. Labingsiyam sa mga ito na nagkakahalaga ng 981 million pesos ang muntik nang makalusot. Hindi pa nailalabas ang Special Allotment Release Order ay pirmado na ang mga kontrata.

Buti na lang po ay natuklasan at pinigilan ito ni Secretary Rogelio Singson ng DPWH. Ngayon po ay dadaan na ang kabuuan ng 3.5 billion pesos sa tapat na bidding, at magagamit na ang pondo na ito sa pagbibigay ng lingap sa mga nawalan ng tahanan dahil kina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Pag-usapan naman natin ang nangyari sa NAPOCOR. Noong 2001 hanggang 2004, pinilit ng gobyerno ang NAPOCOR na magbenta ng kuryente nang palugi para hindi tumaas ang presyo. Tila ang dahilan: pinaghahandaan na nila ang eleksyon.

Dahil dito, noong 2004, sumagad ang pagkakabaon sa utang ng NAPOCOR. Napilitan ang pambansang gobyerno na sagutin ang dalawandaang bilyong pisong utang nito.

Ang inakala ng taumbayan na natipid nila sa kuryente ay binabayaran din natin mula sa kaban ng bayan. May gastos na tayo sa kuryente, binabayaran pa natin ang dagdag na pagkakautang ng gobyerno.

Kung naging matino ang pag-utang, sana'y nadagdagan ang ating kasiguruhan sa supply ng kuryente. Pero ang desisyon ay ibinatay sa maling pulitika, at hindi sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan. Ang taumbayan, matapos pinagsakripisyo ay lalo pang pinahihirapan.

Ganito rin po ang nangyari sa MRT. Sinubukan na namang bilhin ang ating pagmamahal. Pinilit ang operator na panatilihing mababa ang pamasahe.

Hindi tuloy nagampanan ang garantiyang ibinigay sa operator na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan. Dahil dito, inutusan ang Landbank at Development Bank of the Philippines na bilhin ang MRT.

Ang pera ng taumbayan, ipinagpalit sa isang naluluging operasyon.

Dumako naman po tayo sa pondo ng NFA.

Noong 2004: 117,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply ng Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 900,000 metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit pitong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra pa rin ang binili nila.

Noong 2007: 589,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply sa Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 1.827 million metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit tatlong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra na naman ang binili nila.

Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008.

Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?

Ang resulta nito, umabot na sa 171.6 billion pesos ang utang ng NFA noong Mayo ng taong ito.

Ang tinapon na ito, halos puwede na sanang pondohan ang mga sumusunod:

Ang budget ng buong Hudikatura, na 12.7 billion pesos sa taong ito.

Ang Conditional Cash Transfers para sa susunod na taon, na nagkakahalaga ng 29.6 billion pesos.

Ang lahat ng classroom na kailangan ng ating bansa, na nagkakahalaga ng 130 billion pesos.

Kasuklam-suklam ang kalakarang ito. Pera na, naging bato pa.

Narinig po ninyo kung paano nilustay ang kaban ng bayan. Ang malinaw po sa ngayon: ang anumang pagbabago ay magmumula sa pagsiguro natin na magwawakas na ang pagiging maluho at pagwawaldas.

Kaya nga po mula ngayon: ititigil na natin ang paglulustay sa salapi ng bayan.

Tatanggalin natin ang mga proyektong mali.

Ito po ang punto ng tinatawag nating zero-based approach sa ating budget. Ang naging kalakaran po, taun-taon ay inuulit lamang ang budget na puno ng tagas. Dadagdagan lang nang konti, puwede na.

Sa susunod na buwan ay maghahain tayo ng budget na kumikilala nang tama sa mga problema, at magtutuon din ng pansin sa tamang solusyon.

Ilan lang ito sa mga natuklasan nating problema. Heto naman po ang ilang halimbawa ng mga hakbang na ginagawa natin.

Nandiyan po ang kaso ng isang may-ari ng sanglaan. Bumili siya ng sasakyang tinatayang nasa dalawampu't anim na milyong piso ang halaga.

Kung kaya mong bumili ng Lamborghini, bakit hindi mo kayang magbayad ng buwis?

Nasampahan na po ito ng kaso. Sa pangunguna nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares at Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, bawat linggo po ay may bago tayong kasong isinasampa kontra sa mga smuggler at sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo.

Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings na nangyari sa maikling taon ng ating panunungkulan ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon.

Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan.

Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno.

Nagsimula nang mabuo ang ating Truth Commission, sa pangunguna ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Hahanapin natin ang katotohanan sa mga nangyari diumanong katiwalian noong nakaraang siyam na taon.

Sa loob ng linggong ito, pipirmahan ko ang kauna-unahang Executive Order na nagtatalaga sa pagbuo nitong Truth Commission.

Kung ang sagot sa kawalan ng katarungan ay pananagutan, ang sagot naman sa kakulangan natin sa pondo ay mga makabago at malikhaing paraan para tugunan ang mga pagkatagal-tagal nang problema.

Napakarami po ng ating pangangailangan: mula sa edukasyon, imprastruktura, pangkalusugan, pangangailangan ng militar at kapulisan, at marami pang iba. Hindi kakasya ang pondo para mapunan ang lahat ng ito.

Kahit gaano po kalaki ang kakulangan para mapunuan ang mga listahan ng ating pangangailangan, ganado pa rin ako dahil marami nang nagpakita ng panibagong interes at kumpyansa sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang magiging solusyon: mga Public-Private Partnerships. Kahit wala pa pong pirmahang nangyayari dito, masasabi kong maganda ang magiging bunga ng maraming usapin (ukol ditto).

May mga nagpakita na po ng interes, gustong magtayo ng expressway na mula Maynila, tatahak ng Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, hanggang sa dulo ng Cagayan Valley nang hindi gugugol ang estado kahit na po piso.

Sa larangan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas:

Mayroon po tayong 36,000 nautical miles na baybayin. Ang mayroon lamang tayo: tatlumpu't dalawang barko. Itong mga barkong ito, panahon pa ni General MacArthur.

May nagmungkahi sa atin, ito ang proposisyon: uupahan po nila ang headquarters ng Navy sa Roxas Boulevard at ang Naval Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Sagot po nila ang paglipat ng Navy Headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo. Agaran, bibigyan tayo ng isandaang milyong dolyar. At dagdag pa sa lahat nang iyan, magsusubi pa sila sa atin ng kita mula sa mga negosyong itatayo nila sa uupahan nilang lupa.

Sa madali pong sabi: Makukuha natin ang kailangan natin, hindi tatayo gagastos, kikita pa tayo.

Marami na pong nag-alok at nagmungkahi sa atin, mula lokal hanggang dayuhang negosyante, na magpuno ng iba't ibang pangangailangan.

Mula sa mga public-private partnerships na ito, lalago ang ating ekonomiya, at bawat Pilipino makikinabang. Napakaraming sektor na matutulungan nito.

Maipapatayo na po ang imprastrukturang kailangan natin para palaguin ang turismo.

Sa agrikultura, makapagtatayo na tayo ng mga grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, maayos na road networks at post-harvest facilities.

Kung maisasaayos natin ang ating food supply chain sa tulong ng pribadong sektor, sa halip na mag-angkat tayo ay maari na sana tayong mangarap na mag-supply sa pandaigdigang merkado.

Kung maitatayo ang minumungkahi sa ating mga railway system, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin. Mas mura, mas mabilis, mas maginhawa, at makakaiwas pa sa kotong cops at mga kumokotong na rebelde ang mga bumibiyahe.

Paalala lang po: una sa ating plataporma ang paglikha ng mga trabaho, at nanggagaling ang trabaho sa paglago ng industriya. Lalago lamang ang industriya kung gagawin nating mas malinis, mas mabilis, at mas maginhawa ang proseso para sa mga gustong magnegosyo.

Pabibilisin natin ang proseso ng mga proyektong sumasailalim sa Build-Operate-Transfer. Sa tulong ng lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan, pabababain natin sa anim na buwan ang proseso na noon ay inaabot ng taon kung hindi dekada.

May mga hakbang na rin pong sinisimulan ang DTI, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Gregory Domingo:

Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto.

Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu't anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina.

Nananawagan ako sa ating mga LGUs. Habang naghahanap tayo ng paraan para gawing mas mabilis ang pagbubukas ng mga negosyo, pag-aralan din sana nila ang kanilang mga proseso. Kailangan itong gawing mas mabilis, at kailangan itong itugma sa mga sinisumulan nating reporma.

Negosyante, sundalo, rebelde, at karaniwang Pilipino, lahat po makikinabang dito. Basta po hindi dehado ang Pilipino, papasukin po natin lahat iyan.

Kailangan na po nating simulan ang pagtutulungan para makamit ito. Huwag nating pahirapan ang isa't isa.

Parating na po ang panahon na hindi na natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng seguridad ng ating mamamayan o sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak.

Oras na maipatupad ang public-private partnerships na ito, mapopondohan ang mga serbisyong panlipunan, alinsunod sa ating plataporma.

Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon.

Mapapalawak natin ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global standard na labindalawang taon.

Madadagdagan natin ang mga classroom. Mapopondohan natin ang service contracting sa ilalim ng GASTPE.

Pati ang conditional cash transfers, na magbabawas ng pabigat sa bulsa ng mga pamilya, madadagdan na rin ng pondo.

Maipapatupad ang plano natin sa PhilHealth.

Una, tutukuyin natin ang tunay na bilang ng mga nangangailangan nito. Sa ngayon, hindi magkakatugma ang datos. Sabi ng PhilHealth sa isang bibig, walumpu't pitong porsyento na raw ang merong coverage. Sa kabilang bibig naman, singkuwenta'y tres porsyento. Ayon naman sa National Statistics Office, tatlumpu't walong porsyento ang may coverage.

Ngayon pa lang, kumikilos na si Secretary Dinky Soliman at ang DSWD upang ipatupad ang National Household Targetting System, na magtutukoy sa mga pamilyang higit na nagangailangan ng tulong. Tinatayang siyam na bilyon ang kailangan para mabigyan ng PhilHealth ang limang milyong pinakamaralitang pamilyang Pilipino.

Napakaganda po ng hinaharap natin. Kasama na po natin ang pribadong sektor, at kasama na rin natin ang League of Provinces, sa pangunguna nina Governor Alfonso Umali kasama sina Governor L-Ray Villafuerte at Governor Icot Petilla. Handa na pong makipagtulungan para makibahagi sa pagtustos ng mga gastusin. Alam ko rin pong hindi magpapahuli ang League of Cities sa pangunguna ni Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.

Kung ang mga gobyernong lokal ay nakikiramay na sa ating mga adhikain, ang Kongreso namang pinanggalingan ko, siguro naman maasahan ko din.

Nagpakitang-gilas na po ang gabinete sa pagtukoy ng ating mga problema at sa paglulunsad ng mga solusyon sa loob lamang ng tatlong linggo.

Nang bagyo pong Basyang, ang sabi sa atin ng mga may prangkisa sa kuryente, apat na araw na walang kuryente. Dahil sa mabilis na pagkilos ni Secretary Rene Almendras at ng Department of Energy, naibalik ang kuryente sa halos lahat sa loob lamang ng beinte-kwatro oras.

Ito pong sinasabing kakulangan sa tubig sa Metro Manila, kinilusan agad ni Secretary Rogelio Singson at ng DPWH. Hindi na siya naghintay ng utos, kaya nabawasan ang perwisyo.

Nakita na rin natin ang gilas ng mga hinirang nating makatulong sa Gabinete. Makatuwiran naman po sigurong umasa na hindi na sila padadaanin sa butas ng karayom para makumpirma ng Commission on Appointments. Kung mangyayari po ito, marami pa sa mga mahuhusay na Pilipino ang maeengganyong magsilbi sa gobyerno.

Sa lalong madaling panahon po, uupo na tayo sa LEDAC at pag-uusapan ang mga mahahalagang batas na kailangan nating ipasa. Makakaasa kayo na mananatiling bukas ang aking isipan, at ang ating ugnayan ay mananatiling tapat.

Isinusulong po natin ang Fiscal Responsibility Bill, kung saan hindi tayo magpapasa ng batas na mangangailangan ng pondo kung hindi pa natukoy ang panggagalingan nito. May 104.1 billion pesos tayong kailangan para pondohan ang mga batas na naipasa na, ngunit hindi maipatupad.

Kailangan din nating isaayos ang mga insentibong piskal na ibinigay noong nakaraan. Ngayong naghihigpit tayo ng sinturon, kailangang balikan kung alin sa mga ito ang dapat manatili at kung ano ang dapat nang itigil.

Huwag po tayong pumayag na magkaroon ng isa pang NBN-ZTE. Sa lokal man o dayuhan manggagaling ang pondo, dapat dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ninyo upang amiyendahan ang ating Procurement Law.

Ayon po sa Saligang Batas, tungkulin ng estado ang siguruhing walang lamangan sa merkado. Bawal ang monopolya, bawal ang mga cartel na sasakal sa kumpetisyon. Kailangan po natin ng isang Anti-Trust Law na magbibigay-buhay sa mga prinsipyong ito. Ito ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises na makilahok at tumulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya.

Ipasa na po natin ang National Land Use Bill.

Una rin pong naging batas ng Commonwealth ang National Defense Act, na ipinasa noon pang 1935. Kailangan nang palitan ito ng batas na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng pambansang seguridad sa kasalukuyan.

Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower's Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.

Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.
Kailangang repasuhin ang ating mga batas. Nanawagan po akong umpisahan na ang rekodipikasyon ng ating mga batas, upang siguruhing magkakatugma sila at hindi salu-salungat.

Ito pong mga batas na ito ang batayan ng kaayusan, ngunit ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ginagawa natin ay ang prinsipyong wala tayong mararating kung walang kapayapaan at katahimikan.

Dalawa ang hinaharap nating suliranin sa usapin ng kapayapaan: ang situwasyon sa Mindanao, at ang patuloy na pag-aaklas ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

Tungkol sa situwasyon sa Mindanao: Hindi po nagbabago ang ating pananaw. Mararating lamang ang kapayapaan at katahimikan kung mag-uusap ang lahat ng apektado: Moro, Lumad, at Kristiyano. Inatasan na natin si Dean Marvic Leonen na mangasiwa sa ginagawa nating pakikipag-usap sa MILF.

Iiwasan natin ang mga pagkakamaling nangyari sa nakaraang administrasyon, kung saan binulaga na lang ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa mga dudang may kulay ng pulitika ang proseso, at hindi ang kapakanan ng taumbayan ang tanging interes.

Kinikilala natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng MILF sa pamamagitan ng pagdidisplina sa kanilang hanay. Inaasahan natin na muling magsisimula ang negosasyon pagkatapos ng Ramadan.

Tungkol naman po sa CPP-NPA-NDF: handa na ba kayong maglaan ng kongkretong mungkahi, sa halip na pawang batikos lamang?

Kung kapayapaan din ang hangad ninyo, handa po kami sa malawakang tigil-putukan. Kayo po ba ay handa na din? Mag-usap tayo.

Mahirap magsimula ang usapan habang mayroon pang amoy ng pulbura sa hangin. Nananawagan ako: huwag po natin hayaang masayang ang napakagandang pagkakataong ito upang magtipon sa ilalim ng iisang adhikain.

Kapayapaan at katahimikan po ang pundasyon ng kaunlaran. Habang nagpapatuloy ang barilan, patuloy din ang pagkakagapos natin sa kahirapan.

Dapat din po nating mabatid: ito ay panahon ng sakripisyo. At ang sakripisyong ito ay magiging puhunan para sa ating kinabukasan. Kaakibat ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan ay ang tungkulin natin sa kapwa at sa bayan.

Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay.

Mabigyang-buhay sana ang mga batayang prinsipyo ng inyong bokasyon: ang magbigay-linaw sa mahahalagang isyu; ang maging patas at makatotohanan, at ang itaas ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso.

Tungkulin po ng bawat Pilipino na tutukan ang mga pinunong tayo rin naman ang nagluklok sa puwesto. Humakbang mula sa pakikialam tungo sa pakikilahok. Dahil ang nakikialam, walang-hanggan ang reklamo.

Ang nakikilahok, nakikibahagi sa solusyon.

Napakatagal na pong namamayani ang pananaw na ang susi sa asenso ay ang intindihin ang sarili kaysa intindihin ang kapwa. Malinaw po sa akin: paano tayo aasenso habang nilalamangan ang kapwa?

Ang hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, paanong makakakuha ng trabaho? Kung walang trabaho, paanong magiging konsumer? Paanong mag-iimpok sa bangko?

Ngunit kung babaliktarin natin ang pananaw-kung iisipin nating "Dadagdagan ko ang kakayahan ng aking kapwa"-magbubunga po ito, at ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon.

Maganda na po ang nasimulan natin. At mas lalong maganda po ang mararating natin. Ngunit huwag nating kalimutan na mayroong mga nagnanasang hindi tayo magtagumpay. Dahil kapag hindi tayo
nagtagumpay, makakabalik na naman sila sa kapangyarihan, at sa pagsasamantala sa taumbayan.

Akin pong paniwala na Diyos at taumbayan ang nagdala sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Habang nakatutok tayo sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa, bendisyon at patnubay ay tiyak na maaasahan natin sa Poong Maykapal. At kapag nanalig tayo na ang kasangga natin ay ang Diyos, mayroon ba tayong hindi kakayanin?

Ang mandato nating nakuha sa huling eleksyon ay patunay na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago. Iba na talaga ang situwasyon. Puwede na muling mangarap. Tayo nang tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pinangarap.

Maraming salamat po.


State of the Nation Address of His Excellency
Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives
July 26, 2010
[Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City]

(Transcribed by abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Photo Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com

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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Like an echo

A once famous composer and pianist said “I have found that if you love life, life will love you back,” and he could never have said it any better. Life treats us the same way we treat life. How can we expect a life full of joy and happiness when our lives are buried in sadness and grief? If we want other people to treat us fairly then let’s start to treat people nicely.

Here is another good old tale taken from Fr. Frank Mihalic’s compilation of stories:

A little boy came running excitedly to his mother saying, “Mom, there is a boy out there in the woods who is mocking me. Everything I say, he says after me. If I say, ‘Hello,’ he says, ‘Hello.’


When I say, ‘Who are you?’ he says, ‘Who are you?’ I say, ‘What is your name?’ and he also says, ‘What is your name?’

“So I got mad and jumped over the fence and went into the woods to find him. But he wasn’t anywhere. So I yelled, ‘I’ll punch you in the nose.’ And he said the very same thing, exactly as I had said it.’

The boy’s mother told him, “That is only an echo answering you, son. If you had said, ‘I love you,’ it would have said the same to you.”

There is a similar story about a dog that went into a room full of mirrors. He eventually died of exhaustion trying to fight his mirrored “enemies.” If he had only wagged his tail once, he would have had all of them wagging their tails in friendship.

Life is like an echo or a mirror: we get out of it what we put in.


So let's love life so it will love us back.

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Refrigerator magnets for collectors and business owners.

These items are just ornaments which are used to post shopping lists, birthday cards, pictures or reminders on a refrigerator. They come in different shapes and sizes, from a tiny plastic sculpture of your child’s favorite cartoon character to shapes of letters, fruits or animals. You may have one or two in your refrigerator. Yes, I’m talking about refrigerator magnets or fridge magnets.

But do you know that refrigerator magnets are a relatively popular object of collectors? Louise J. Greenfarb of Henderson, Nevada, has over 32,000 different refrigerator magnets. The Guinness Book of World Records declared her collection as the world's largest. She is now appropriately dubbed as “The Magnet Lady."

More than the decorative purpose, some businesses saw the potential of refrigerator magnets for advertising their products and services. And why not? According to an advertising company, more than 80% of all households in developed countries have magnets on their refrigerators. It also promises a quite lengthy lifespan as it typically last for 5-10 years. They also said that a fridge door is viewed 40 times in an average by a regular household. This means that if your business name and contact information is imprinted on a refrigerator magnet, you’ll get an approximately 14,600 impressions per year! Surely, this is a foolproof way to promote your business.

No wonder, many people are now giving magnets for refrigerator as a souvenir, invitation, and save-the-date for any special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries and for any other purposes. You can now order these online in different designs and in full-color. You can even use your own photo and have it imprinted on a refrigerator magnet. Certainly, it is a unique way to promote your business, add to a collection or celebrate a special occasion.


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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

No Smoking in Public Places

The Tobacco Regulation Act or Republic Act 9211 was passed into law last 2003 but we have yet to see a strict implementation of some of its provisions. The law prohibits the “smoking in public places like hospitals and clinics, schools, elevators and stairwells, public facilities including airports and train stations, and food preparation areas." It also prohibits the sale of tobacco to minors, to buy tobacco products from a minor and for minors to smoke cigarettes and tobacco products. The law’s main thrust is to promote a healthful environment and educate the public about the health risks associated with cigarette smoking and tobacco use.

It was good to know that the government is now taking concrete actions to implement this law as it strengthened its anti-smoking campaign due to the escalating cases of smoking-related health problems in the country. Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development in Metro Manila has intensified its campaign by launching the first-ever smoke-free reporting package which will provide a venue for the public to report violations of the anti-smoking campaign.


According to the Department of Health website, anybody can now report tobacco violations by texting “NOSI” to 2256, by calling 661-3747 from 9:00am-5:00pm from Mondays to Fridays, or by logging on to http://www.nosi.com.ph. The mobile service is open to Globe, Smart and Sun network subscribers. You will be asked for information about the incident, such as: - the name of the establishment or the license plate of the public transport - date and time the incident happened, and - address of the establishment or the route of the public transport.

The NOSI (No to Yosi) campaign is a project of the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development in Metro Manila.

This should be taken seriously and should be supported by the general public if we want the government to succeed in providing us with a healthy environment. I respect the choice of other people if they want to smoke but they should also respect the rights of other people who choose not to. Even non-smokers are at risk when exposed to second hand smoke as studies have shown that inhaling second hand smoke is just as harmful as smoking itself. The law gives provision for smoking areas but some establishments are not taking this seriously.

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MYX Daily Top 10 - July 21, 2010 Featuring "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga


It's been over two weeks since I last updated this blog with the latest in the MYX countdown but we're now back as usual. I will try to come up with a MYX countdown post at least once a week.

For today's countdown, an Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is on the top of the chart. "Kung Wala Na Nga" which is a collaboration of 6cyclemind featuring DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano and Yeng Constantino is back at number 1 while international hits "If I had You" by American Idol's Adam Lambert and The Karate Kid soundtrack "Never Say Never" by Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith are in the second and third spots respectively.

Three other OPM acts are in the countdown with "Magkaibang Mundo" by Hale band at number 6, Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo's "Love Will Keep Us Together" at number 8 and Christian Bautista's revival of "Afraid For Love To Fade" at number 7.


MYX Daily Top 10 – July 21, 2010

10. Somebody To Love - Justin Bieber f/ Usher
09. Airplanes - B.o.B f/ Hayley Williams
08. Love Will Keep Us Together - Sarah Geronimo
07. Afraid For Love To Fade - Christian Bautista
06. Magkaibang Mundo - Hale
05. No Other - Super Junior
04. Alejandro - Lady Gaga
03. Never Say Never - Justin Bieber f/ Jaden Smith
02. If I Had You - Adam Lambert
01. Kung Wala Na Nga - 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino

Below is the video of the number 4 song "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga which now has over 50 million views on YouTube:




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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Two days of brownout, five days without an internet!

Just when I was prepared to spend more time online last week, typhoon Basyang (International name: Conson) struck the country to spoil my plans. The result: two days of blackout, five days without an internet connection and a blog without an update for a week! It was a resounding reminder that even if we like to think that we are always in charge of our lives, the truth is, we are not.

Since I promised to update my blog on a more regular basis, my initial plan was to wake up an hour earlier every day to write my blog post and drop Entrecards before I go to the office. I only slept for a few hours last Tuesday night as the typhoon wrought havoc. The wind is too strong as it kept on pounding roofs and anything in its path. I was anxious as this was the first typhoon that we encountered in this new house. Thank God, the house was still intact when I woke up the next day. But everything was in total darkness, there was a blackout. On my way to the office, I saw small trees uprooted along the main roads, branches scattered and some streets were flooded. Most parts of Luzon were affected by the blackout; there were even no traffic lights on that Wednesday morning.

It was only last Friday when the electricity was restored. But then we were disappointed when we discovered that we also don’t have an internet connection. We tried calling Smartbro, our ISP, but that was a complete waste of time. After countless times of dialing their technical support number, all we were able to reach was their IVR saying that our antenna was inaccessible. We tried calling during the day, morning, afternoon and even during midnight but we never got to speak with a live person. We tried holding for a couple of minutes up to an hour until we ended giving up. Great service, indeed!

Thanks to the makers of “Plants vs. Zombies”, I was able to survive the weekend without an internet connection.

It was only yesterday morning when I discovered that we finally have an internet connection. Hallelujah!

It could have been worse. Some families were left homeless by the typhoon. In fact it left some people dead. I can only be thankful that we were not severely affected by the typhoon.



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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Are you working for God?

According to the bible, man is created in God’s image and likeness. It not only means that we are like God in form but we also have spiritual capacity and can exhibit godly character. We can show compassion and God’s goodness through our daily lives. Let us be good Samaritans and be a blessing to other people.

Here is a story taken from Fr. Frank Mihalic’s compilation of stories:

Joe had always been a helpful neighbor and so a lady next door asked him if he could drive her little son to the hospital. Actually, Joe had other plans but he did not know how to say no. So he sat the little boy into the car seat, fastened his seat belt, and started off on the 50-mile trip to the hospital.

As they were driving along, the little boy slowly turned to Joe and asked, “Are you God?”

Startled, Joe said, “No.”

The boy continued, “I heard my mom asking God for some way to get me to a doctor. If you are not God, do you work for him?”

Joe replied, “I guess so – sometimes. And now that you ask, I will be doing it a lot more.”



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Saturday, July 10, 2010

On time and changes

There's not much activity on this blog for the last few weeks. Blame it on my erratic work schedule and inefficient time-management. It's really hard to cram all the things that need to be done with very limited time. Ever since I moved to our new house in Bulacan, 4-5 hours of my time are spent on the road going to and from the office. That's the same hours that I used to spend blogging. I hope my fellow bloggers can forgive me if I am not able to reciprocate their comments on my blog posts. I am trying my best to drop Entrecards but there were days when I just don't have the energy left to work on my computer after spending 9 hours at the office and another 4-5 hours traveling.

I guess it's not just me; many people want to do a lot of things with their limited time. We set priorities. We weigh which things are more important and which things have less value. But whatever we do, our day will always have the same 24 hours just like anybody else.


I am not complaining. I love what I am doing and I appreciate all the blessings that I'm receiving. I don't have the right to complain when many people don't even have a job to provide for their basic needs. I have a stable job, a happy family and I have the luxury of blogging when time permits. I am indeed thankful.

If you think that I'm giving up on blogging then you're mistaken. I have a lot of plans for my two blogs and you will see many changes on this blog in the next few weeks. I am even thinking of putting up another one. I guess, I am still in the adjustment period, trying to cope with this new schedule. But I know that with a more efficient time-management, I will have ample time to work on my blogs. In fact, I am thinking of posting on a more regular basis and on diverse topics. I may also do a little housekeeping on this blog in the next few days. I will be removing a few widgets and I will revisit my blog list of blogs that are no longer active.

By the way, if you want to exchange links with me, feel free to leave your comment on this post and leave your blog's URL.

Thank you for your continued support! Have a great weekend!

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Saturday, July 3, 2010

Top Ten Entrecard Droppers for June 2010

It's better late than miss the opportunity to pay tribute to all the amazing people who never failed to visit and drop their Entrecards on this blog for the last month. Thank you very much for the continued support!

I am also grateful to fellow Entrecard members who may not be on the list but who continue to visit this blog. Many thanks to all of you!

Here are the top Entrecard droppers for May. If you have a minute or two, please visit each of these great blogs.




Tons of Tips and Tricks to help you advertise online. From lists of free traffic resources to advice on keyword placement and linkbuilding.


Sarcasm, stories and lots of BS


Free Symbian GPS, VoIP, text reader software, free themes and games


Teen Suicide and depression is such a huge problem in our society today. I'm trying to raise awareness and make resources available to anyone facing this huge dilema.


WDW's showcase and directory features the best in web design, programming, web development, seo, application design and programming


All the latest and greatest t-shirt designers, brands and shirts reviewed by a team of t-shirt experts.


If you are a visual artist come join us and promote your work! A co-operative of artists helping artists towards success.


Artshout.net provides a showcase for top artists, free arts advertising and urban art blog.


A Mom with four daughters living a crazy, hectic life.


Urban art, fashion, music, movies and events.

Thank you very much!


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Friday, July 2, 2010

MYX Daily Top 10 - July 2, 2010 Featuring "California Gurls" by Katy Perry Ft. Snoopdog


“Kung Wala Na Nga” by 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino is back on the number 1 spot while Super Junior’s “Bonamana” settled for the number 2 spot. Two other OPM acts are on the number 3 and 4 spots: “Gabay” by Callalily remains at number 3 while “Di Lang Ikaw” by Juris is still at number 4.

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry Ft. Snoopdog is at number 7 while a new song "Love Will Keep Us Together" from Sarah Geronimo is at 9.


MYX Daily Top 10 – July 2, 2010

10. Billionaire - Travie McCoy f/ Bruno Mars
09. Love Will Keep Us Together - Sarah Geronimo
08. Pyramid - Charice f/ Iyaz Never Let You Go - Justin Bieber
07. California Gurls - Katy Perry Ft. Snoopdog
06. Afraid For Love To Fade - Christian Bautista
05. Never Say Never - Justin Bieber f/ Jaden Smith
04. Di Lang Ikaw - Juris
03. Gabay - Callalily
02. Bonamana - Super Junior
01. Kung Wala Na Nga - 6cyclemind f/ DJ Coki, Kean Cipriano & Yeng Constantino





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Acne Problems

Pimples, spots, zits or simply acne is a skin disease which commonly affects teenagers or adolescents. They said that this is because acne is usually caused by an increase in male sex hormones which accrue during puberty. It develops because of the blockages of follicles. Acne normally forms in the face, the upper part of the chest and the back.

I also had those when I was a teenager but it diminishes over time until it finally disappeared. However, I know people who are well into their thirties or forties who still have this disease so there’s really no way to predict how long it will take for this to disappear.

One of my nephews had lost count of the number of pimples on his face and tends to complain when we would send him to do errands outside the house. Worse than scarring, the acne’s main effects are psychological in nature. This condition can result to reduced self-esteem especially for teenagers and their social life may be greatly affected.

I also heard or read theories or studies that acne runs in the family and that there’s a connection between acne and stress. If it runs in our genes then there’s really not much that we can do about it. Managing stress is also not an easy thing to do. However, there are now various medications and treatments available in the market to control acne. I haven’t tried any of those but what I can suggest is for one to consult a dermatologist first before taking any of these medications. If you haven’t heard about it, there’s an action lawsuit that was filed by someone who claimed that he suffered from inflammatory bowel disease as a result of using an acne medication.

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