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A Unanimous Victory for the People’s Champ Cements His Reign

Sunday, July 2, 2006 - Manila, Philippines
The feverish chants of “Manny! Manny!” from the frenzied crowd filled the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. It was a wake up call of sorts as the country’s most prized fighter appeared to be winded as he staggered from a barrage of punches thrown by Oscar Larios in the third round of the fight. Seemingly emboldened by the crowd’s mantra-like shouts, Manny Pacquiao began to come back from his stupor and control the pace of the contest from then on. Capped off by two knock downs, one in the 7th and the other in the 12th, the fight seemed one-sided, aside from the 3rd round surprising flurry of combinations the Mexican threw at the Pac Man.

There were some doubts, on the build up to the fight, that the Mexican may have the upper hand on conditioning and preparedness. As Oscar Larios had been training longer for the match on Sunday than Pacquiao, especially if you think about what was at stake – the title for the WBC Super Featherweight Champion of the World. Coupled with the fact that Pacquiao seemed “sick and drained” hours before the scheduled bout, it seemed that the defending champ may be in a dog fight after all.

The Pacquiao camp has promised a quick resolution to the fight, maybe even a knock out in the 6th round. With all the fuss about the champion’s conditioning and status, Freddie Roach (Pacquiao’s trainer) felt it would be better to “go for the kill” early and not let the Mexican have his chance by going the full 12 rounds. But Pacquiao seemed unperturbed and decided that playing it defensively would be the more prudent approach saying “I knew I was in control of the match, leading on points, and I did not want to risk being too aggressive because he might catch me with a lucky punch.”

When the fight ended there was no question who won. With the scorecards touting 117-110, 118-108 and 120-106 results – all in favor of Pacquiao – the Coliseum was rocked with cheers for the People’s Champion. Pacquiao, once again proving himself the better of the contenders, praised his opponent for a well-fought bout and dedicated his victory to the Filipino people who have willed him to Superstardom.

  

Small Accomplishments

In just five minutes, you can accomplish something. You can decide on a small goal, work on it with focus and diligence, and in less than five minutes it will be done.
Anyone can choose a small accomplishment and have it done in just a few minutes. And though it may not seem like much, it can be everything.

For the biggest, most impressive and imposing achievements are made up of small accomplishments. Those small accomplishments are open and freely available to anyone who decides to make them happen.

Sometimes it can be comforting to think that the path to success is a closely guarded secret, and that the lucky few who know the secret are the ones who succeed. But there really is no secret.

Success comes to those who choose to make it happen. Success comes to those who string together the small accomplishments, one after another after another.

Instead of searching or hoping or waiting for a secret that does not even exist, get busy working on what you know must be done. Take every opportunity to bring about a small accomplishment.

And before long, those small accomplishments will add up to something truly grand.

-- Ralph Marston

Bukidnon - Pineapple Capital Of The World

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Bukidnon is a highland paradise in the heart of Mindanao. It is home to the world's biggest pineapple plantation boasting a classic golf course dating back to 1928. It is the biggest cattle-producing province in the region. It is well endowed with natural attractions like the Kitanglad Ranges that includes Dulang Dulang, the second highest peak in the country. And it has been identified as one of the country’s richest in biodiversity and endemic species of flora and fauna.

Bukidnon is in the heartland of Mindanao, linking Davao to the south and Misamis Oriental to the north of the island.

GEOGRAPHY
Bukidnon, a rich tableland, is a landlocked province in Northern Mindanao. It occupies the extensive plateau that is bounded on the north and the northeast by Misamis Oriental; on the east by Agusan; on the south and southeast by Davao; and on the southwest and west by Lanao and Cotabato. It lies between the parrallels 7'25' and 8'38' north latitude and meridians 124'16' east longtitude.

Topography is predominantly a rolling tableland of grass with an average elevation of 915 meters. Low plains alternating with rolling uplands, deep canyons and valleys characterize the terrain.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
The province has a total of 464 barangays distributed among 21 municipalities and one component city. Malaybalay is the capital town. The province is grouped into 3 congressional districts.

POPULATION
Total population is 1,060,275.

LANGUAGE/DIALECT
The province has different dialects brought by the immigration of lowlanders that come from the different islands of the archipelago. Cebuano is spoken by 77.9% of the population; Binukid, by 8.9%; and English, by 0.05%.

CLIMATE
Bukidnon is relatively cool and moist throughout the year. There are two prevailing types of climate variations: the northern part has no pronounced maximum rain period, with a short dry season lasting only for one to three months, while the southern part has no pronounced maximum rain period and no dry season.

The province is outside the the typhoon belt. The mean annual temperature is 24.04°C with maximum and minimum temperature of 29.6°C and 18.5°C, respectively. The annual average rainfall is 2,581.84m.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Bukidnon is an agricultural economy. It is a major producer of rice, corn, sugar coffee, rubber, pineapple, tomato, flowers, cassava, and other fruits and vegetables. It is also a major producer of chicken, hogs, and cattle.

Among its major corporations, Del Monte Phils Inc. is engaged in pineapple production and cattle fattening while Bukidnon Sugar Milling Corp. and Crystal Sugar Milling are into sugar milling and refining.

Zamboanga City - The Philippines' Little Spain

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Quetal Ustedes? From the moment you hear those lifting words, you realize it’s true. Here indeed is a quaint pocket of history torn from mainland Spain. A place unlike any other in the Philippines.

While Spain’s three-century reign left its indelible imprint on the country, nowhere was its legacy perhaps so concentrated and embedded than in Zamboanga, which took for its native tongue, Chabacano, the delightful mix of 60% Español and 40% native words.

There is more to Zamboanga than this. As far back as the 13th and 14th centuries, it was already a trading center with a vibrant culture of its own, emblazoned against the horizon in the vivid colors of the native vinta sails that fluttered gaily off its shores. And when the Castillan flag of Spain first appeared in the horizon off Caldera Bay (now Recodo) in 1593, Zamboanga opened another epoch in its colorful heritage, one that would leave a legacy so rooted that from it would spring much of the city’s romance and allure.

The best recuerdo of la presencia de España in Zamboanga was and remains to be Fort Pilar, the coastal fort built in 1635 around which the city first grew. In time, it became a shrine to Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, especially after miracles that are now part of legends and Zamboanga folklore.

It was in Zamboanga that Christianity gained a foothold in Mindanao. The Archdiocese of Zamboanga covered all of Mindanao, except Sulu where Islam and the Tausug culture proved every bit as dynamic as Spain’s influence.

GEOGRAPHY
Zamboanga City is located on the tip of the Zamboanga peninsula that juts out of the bottom of Mindanao island in Southern Philippines. It has about 142,000 hectares of sloping terrain from a surrounding shoreline of coral beaches to mineral-rich mountains in the center of the peninsula.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
Zamboanga City has at least 25 island communities and 98 barangays.

POPULATION
Zamboanga’s population as of the 2000 census is 601,794.

LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Chabacano is the dominant language in Zamboanga City. Other dialects like Bisaya and the Muslim vernaculars are also spoken in certain communities in the city.

CLIMATE
Zamboanga City enjoys a location that is free from the typhoon belt area. March to May is hot and dry, with temperature at 22 degrees Celsius. June to October is rainy. November to February is cool, with temperatures ranging from 22 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius. Average humidity year-round is 77%.

INDUSTRIES
Zamboanga City is the center of Western Mindanao for commerce and trade, government and finance, transportation and communication. It has an international airport, a huge port area, and the Zamboanga Freeport and Economic Zone Authority.

It is known as the Sardine Capital of the Philippines because most of the sardine and canning factories are situated in Zamboanga City. It has been involved in the export of marine/aquaculture products, fruits, processed food, furniture/wood products, and many more.

Zamboanga Del Sur - The Colors Of Ethnic Zamboanga

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The province of Zamboanga del Sur is bounded on the north by the province of Zamboanga del Norte; on the south by the Moro Gulf; on the southwest by Zamboanga Sibugay; and on the east and northeast by Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Panguil Bay.

The original inhabitants of the Zamboanga peninsula were the Subanons, who settled along the riverbanks. The next group of settlers to arrive were Muslim migrants from the neighboring provinces. The Maguindanaoans and Kalibugans were farmers; the Tausugs, Samals, and Badjaos were fishermen; and the Maranaos were traders and artisans. The Muslim settlers also looked on mat weaving as its major occupation.

Then came an exodus of migrants from nearby provinces. Historians say that majority of them came from the Visayas, Cebu, Bohol, Negros, and Siquijor. Together with the original settlers, these pioneers helped develop Zamboanga del Sur into the abundant and culturally diverse province that it is.

Today the province comprises two congressional districts with 26 municipalities and one component city. Pagadian City, its capital, with a total of 681 barangays, has been declared as the new regional seat of Region IX.

Geography
Zamboanga del Sur occupies the southern section of the Zamboanga peninsula that forms the western part of the Island of Mindanao. It is located within a longitude of 122º 30"" and latitude of 7º 15"" north. It has a total land area of 473, 491hectares or 4,734.91 sq. m.

Stretching northward from Sibugay in the southwest and running along the northern boundary to Salug Valley in the east is the province’s mountainous countryside. The coastal plains are extending regularly from south to west then spreading into wide flat lands when reaching the coastal plains of the Baganian peninsula in the southeast.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
Zamboanga del Sur consists of two congressional districts with 26 municipalities and one city, with a total of 681 barangays.

LANGUAGE / DIALECT
The major dialect is Cebuano, spoken by 61.31% of the population. Also spoken are Tagalog, Subanon, Chavacano, Ilonggo, Maguindanao, Tausug, Boholano, and Ilocano.

POPULATION
As of the year 2000 census, Zamboanga del Sur had reached a population of 836, 147.

CLIMATE
The province has a relatively high mean annual rainfall that varies from 1,599 millimeters in drier areas to 3,500 millimeters in the wettest portion. Temperature is relatively warm and constant throughout the year ranging from the minimum temperature of 22 to 35 degrees Celsius.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Agri-based manufacture of coco oil, livestock feed milling, rice/ corn milling, including the processing of fruits; gifts and housewares made from indigenous materials like handmade paper, roots, rattan, buri, and bamboo; wood-based manufacture of furniture and furniture components from wood, rattan, and bamboo; marine and aquaculture including support services; construction services and manufacture of marble, concrete, and wooden construction materials.

Zamboanga Del Norte - From Orchid City To Shrine City

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Dubbed as the “Twin-City Province,” Zamboanga del Norte has been made famous by the beauty and charm of the Orchid City of Dipolog and the historical, rustic quaintness of the Shrine City of Dapitan.

Decrying Spanish authority over his beloved country, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Philippine National Hero, lived in exile in faraway Dapitan City, then only a sleepy town in Mindanao. Here, he spent fruitfully his last four years in exile, from 1892 to 1896, to practice medicine, pursue scientific studies, keep with his artistic and literary endeavors, and widen his knowledge of languages. In Dapitan, Dr. Rizal found a school and a hospital, and became a farmer to prove to the people that farming is as good a profession as medicine.

The original estate of Dr. Rizal in Dapitan has been declared a national shrine and is being administered by the National Historical Institute. Hence, the city monicker, “Shrine City of the Philippines.” By the year 2020, Dapitan is poised to become the Dr. Jose Rizal Heritage Center of the Philippines, owing to the wealth of Rizal memorabilia and memorable places associated with the country’s beloved hero.

Zamboanga del Norte today is equally famous for Dakak Beach, the province’s foremost natural attraction. The very popular Dakak Beach is most known for its beautfiully shaped cove and powdery white sand, and as a diving mecca in Mindanao. Pristine blue waters, excellent dive sites with an abundance of coral reefs, and a magnificent sunset horizon characterize this tropical eden. Dakak Park and Beach Resort boasts 15 hectares of wooded land, a natural reservoir for native plants and animals, and a 750-meter private white-sand beach.

GEOGRAPHY
Zamboanga del Norte is situated in Northern Mindanao. It is bounded on the north and west by the Sulu Sea, on the east by Misamis Occidental, and on the south by Zamboanga del Sur.

The province occupies a total land area of 6,618 square kilometers. It has an average elevation of 243.8 meters, with Mt. Dabiak in Katipunan as the highest peak at 2,600 meters. Other parts, near the coastlines, are plains. The province’s irregular coastline runs 400 kilometers from north to south.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
The province has 25 towns, which are clustered into three districts.

CLIMATE
Zamboanga del Norte has a mild and moderate climate due to evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. Its southern portion has a longer dry season.

LANGUAGES/DIALECTS
The main dialect is Cebuano/Visayan. English and Filipino (Tagalog) are also spoken, indicative of a high level of literacy. The original and native Subanen dialect lives on, especially in the highlands.

POPULATION
As of 1995’s census count, the province of Zamboanga del Norte had a total population of 616,923, the second largest in the region, after Zamboanga del Sur.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES
About half of the province’s land area is devoted to agriculture. Corn, coconut, and rice are major crops. The province being rich in marine and mineral sources, its fish production has accelerated through the development of fishponds. Commercial fishing has likewise steadily increased through the years, with the yellow fin tuna as the primary species.

Biliran - Paradise Undiscovered

Brief Description
The Philippine archipelago is dotted with numerous tiny islands, some of which remain largely undiscovered by travelers due to distance or lack of information. Several of these beautiful but little known islands can be found in the Visayas. Biliran Island, a young province, lies between Northern Leyte and Eastern Samar.

Biliran comprises eight towns: Kawayan, Almeria, Naval, Biliran, Culaba, Caibiran, Cabucgayan, and Maripipi, with Naval as the capital town. The province thrives mainly on the fishing and seaport industry. Most of its towns like Naval and Biliran are considered as excellent ports and are often the gateway to further destinations within the Visayas and even the Mindanao region.

Geography
Biliran is bounded on the north by the Samar Sea; on the east by Western Samar; on the west by Visayan Sea ; and on the south by Carigara Bay. It occupies a land area of 555.42 sq. km.

Biliran’s topography ranges from slightly flat to gently rolling terrain. It has coastal lowlands with a mountainous interior except for the municipalities of Naval and Caibiran. Mountain ranges occupy the major portion of the island municipality of Maripipi.

Political Subdivision
The province is composed of eight towns. Capital is Naval.

Climate
Biliran Island does not experience a prolonged dry season. It has very pronounced rainfall during December, which subsides in January, and minimum rainfall in April.

Population
As of the May 2000 census, the provincial population was 140,274.

Language / Dialect
Cebuano and Waray-waray are the major dialects spoken.

Major Industries
Fashion bags, Romblon bags, shellcrafts, placemats, hotpads, baskets, coasters and trays.

Adrift
by: Adam Khan, Self-Help Stuff That Works

In 1982 Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the shipping lanes and floating in a life raft, alone. His supplies were few. His chances were small. Yet when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later (the longest anyone has survived a shipwreck on a life raft alone), he was alive -- much skinnier than he was when he started, but alive.

His account of how he survived is fascinating. His ingenuity -- how he managed to catch fish, how he fixed his solar still (evaporates sea water to make fresh) -- is very interesting.

But the thing that caught my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air and wearing him out to keep pumping it up. He was starved. He was desperately dehydrated. He was thoroughly exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sane option.

When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in similarly desperate circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the guts to carry on in spite of overwhelming odds.

"I tell myself I can handle it," wrote Callahan in his narrative. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude...."

I wrote that down after I read it. It struck me as something important. And I've told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed far off or when my problems seemed too overwhelming. And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my senses.

The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through much worse. I've read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies. It's a sane thought and worth thinking.

So here, coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, are words that can give us strength. Whatever you're going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have been through, you're fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the rough spots with a little more fortitude.

Blonde, Redhead and a Brunette in a Firing Squad

Three women are about to be executed for crimes. One's a brunette, one's a redhead, and one's a blonde.
Two guards brings the brunette forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ."

Suddenly the brunette yells, "Earthquake!!" Everyone is startled and looks around. She manages to escape.

The angry guards then bring the redhead forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ."

The redhead then screams, "Tornado!!" Yet again, everyone is startled and looks around. She too escapes execution.

By this point, the blonde had figured out what the others did. The guards bring her forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests. She also says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ."

The blonde shouts, "Fire!!"