117th Philippine Independence Day Celebration and Vin D'Honneur

The 117th Philippine Independence Day celebration took place all over the Philippines on June 12 and Filipino communities around the world on different dates with President Benigno S. Aquino III leading the rites on the morning of June 12 for the flag-raising ceremony held at the front of the Santa Barbara Church and Convent in the town of Santa Barbara, Iloilo. President Aquino along with National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chair Serena Diokno and AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Catapang then proceed for a wreath laying ceremony at the monument of General Martin Teofilo Delgado who raised the Philippine flag at the Santa Barbara convent in front of the jubilant Filipinos the first outside Luzon on November 17, 1898 to formally declare independence from Spain. He later became the first governor of Iloilo under the American regime in 1901. The President then deliver his speech in front of the Santa Barbara church following the speech of the Governor of Iloilo Arthur Defensor Sr. then recovering from his illness and Senate President Franklin M. Drilon.

After the ceremony in Santa Barbara and short tour and inspection of the newly restored Santa Barbara church and convent, the traditional Vin D'Honneur (Wine of Honor) or wine toasting followed minutes later at the newly renovated Casa Real or the Old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo building. High ranking government officials, cabinet secretaries, congressmen, governors, prominent and influential personalities and seventy-five (75) members of the diplomatic corps which consists of ambassadors representing different countries of the world and international organizations representatives based in the Philippines headed by the dean of the diplomatic corps, Apostolic Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Pinto attended the celebration and the glittering vin d'honneur event at the old capitol.

Here are the countries which are represented by their ambassadors and the international organizations based in the Philippines with their representatives which attended the event in Iloilo:


1. Papua New Guinea
2. Brunei Darussalam
3. Bahrain
4. United Arab Emirates
5. Morocco
6. Lesotho
7. Iran
8. Australia
9. Qatar
10. Nigeria
11. France
12. Bangladesh
13. Malaysia
14. Italy
15. Egypt
16. Gabon
17. Uruguay
18. Mexico
19. Belgium
20. Vietnam
21. Canada
22. United States
23. India
24. Oman
25. Turkey
26. China
27. Indonesia
28. Germany
29. Uganda
30. Armenia
31. Spain
32. Chile
33. Israel
34. Norway
35. Japan
36. Argentina
37. Panama
38. Netherlands
39. South Africa
40. New Zealand
41. Laos
42. Saudi Arabia
43. Thailand
44. Greece
45. Singapore
46. Russia
47. Korea
48. Tunisia
49. Palestine
50. Colombia
51. Trinidad and Tobago
52. Ghana
53. Luxembourg
54. Georgia
55. Malta
56. Angola
57. Cambodia
58. Czech Republic
59. Libya
60. Romania
61. Switzerland
62. Timor Leste
63. Venezuela
64. EU - European Union
65. UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund
66. UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
67. WFP - World Food Programme
68. UNRefugees - United Nations Refugees
69. UN FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
70. WHO - World Health Organization
71. World Bank
72. International Finance Corp
73. Migration
74. UN Population 
75. Apostolic Papal Nuncio - Dean of the Diplomatic Corps



To watch the 117th Philippine Independence Day celebration in Santa Barbara, Iloilo click on the following link to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgdtkCLXiPw 

To watch the Vin D'Honneur event at the Casa Real or the Old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo, click on the following link to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKES0yVy-rg 




Photo Source:

USP Philippines 

Finest Philippine Leaders Filipinos Overlooked Or Ignored Part II

 Pink Footbridge painted to look clean and decent by Bayani Fernando as Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman

Bayani Fernando Accomplishments

As Mayor of Marikina City

    

-          Ran and elected into office in 1992.

-          Transformed Marikina City from being a 4^th Class Municipality into a model city accorded with 55 citations and distinctions. His administration as mayor transformed the former municipality into one of the best-managed cities and a paradigm of responsive and effective governance.

-          He led with great political will, with focus & determination and never waivered on his principles that he was able to help more than 30 thousand families who were squatters and at the same time get rid of the squatters problem in Marikina’s public places & near the edges of waters.

-          He implemented programs and reforms so that relocation was not the end goal, but providing means so that families could be self-sustaining was the ultimate goal. He has indeed succeeded in being able to turn around Marikina during his terms in office as mayor.

-          In his incumbency, he made Marikina one of the cleanest, friendliest and disciplined city in the country and says there is zero crime rate in Marikina at one time during his term.

As Secretary of Public Works and Highways Department

-          In his short term as a secretary of Public Works, he has shaped policy directions to ensure efficiency in the department.

As Chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority

-          Appointed as Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman in 2002 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

-          As Chairman, Metropolitan Manila has undergone dramatic change into becoming a livable metropolis. With his exceptional administrative skills and leadership qualities that have now become the yardstick of performance, he continues to prove himself as an agent of positive change. This earned him the moniker “Mr. Governance”.

-          Fernando has been able to implement and utilize traffic programs, urban transportation programs, traffic engineering, and the Urban Transport Integration Project. All of which focus on the transportation sector.

-          Another key focus that should also be highlighted, and probably not even downplayed as MMDA chairman is his leadership in bringing programs that deals with flood control and drainage management. Again, Fernando’s ability to get to the actual problems, and dealing with them squarely is yet another sign of his management style.

-          Cleared the major streets of Baclaran, Quiapo and other Metro Manila areas of illegal vendors, peddlers, objects and structures thus leaving huge spaces and room for people to walk and free the places with dirty and unsightly visuals.

-          Installed pink urinals along the busy thoroughfares and other areas in the metropolis that are meant to discourage men from taking a leak against the walls though they have become the subject of criticism – the urinals have become smelly due to lack of maintenance.

-          For Fernando, instilling discipline while earning a living even for the humblest vendors is a way to elevate the decency and dignity of people from walks of life.

Achievements and Distinctions:

•         Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa, Ateneo de Cagayan

•         The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award for Government Service

•         H.R Reyes Academic Medallion of Honor, Central Colleges of the Philippines

•         Doctor of the Public Administration, Honoris Causa by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines

 Bayani is a man of few words but his actions are undeniable while Gordon is a workaholic working aggressively round the clock while being vocal to what he thinks is right or wrong and always upholding the truth, justice and the Constitution. The duo is one of the strangest ideal pair in Philippine politics that is worth a chance to be elected to the highest positions and serve the country and lead it in the right way. In 2016 Philippine National Elections also called as Presidential Elections we will see the maturity and level of thinking of the people in the National Capital Region or Metro Manila and some parts of the country. Metro Manila have a huge turnout in votes that would really determine who is going to win.

The people in the provinces or in other parts of the country outside Metro Manila and Luzon are always watching over and on the lookout on what is happening in the elections and just waiting for the perfect timing to gain advantage and seek opportunities that would benefit their respective region, provinces, cities and town.

Richard Gordon and Bayani Fernando are some of the finest leaders of the country that the Philippines never had the chance to receive their service that Filipinos missed that Filipinos had overlooked or ignored. It is time for them to make some noise, be heard and be visible to the remote places in the country rather than the “popular and the influential ones” who stole and continue to steal billions of pesos from Filipino taxpayer's money and until now make some noise with unprecedented controversies and humiliating scandals that the nation does not deserve for such beating but instead nation building through character building instilling discipline and other exceptional holistic virtues a public servant must possess to serve and lead. This is the country’s chance to take try their exceptional and selfless leadership and management style.

If these two will not run for the position and/or win the highest position in the country, we the people invite them to be our local advisors in Western Visayas region, Iloilo and Panay with regards to socio-economic policies of the region that will serve as guidelines or blueprint for immediate action and realization. Else we will push for full autonomy or federal form of government in the Philippines.

Source:
 

Bayani-Fernando.blogspot.com
Rappler
Wikipedia

Photo Sources:
ianmediavilla.blogspot.com
balita.ph

Another World Record For World Peace Through Inner Peace

56, 860 candles were initially lit to break the previous world record set by Pakistan in 2009 

Few minutes later, the rest of the candles were lit bringing the total number of candles being lit to 100,000 

Another Guinness World Record has been broken and created in the Queen City of the South, Iloilo in the town of Oton last night Monday, April 14, 2014. The initial lighted candles of 56,680 is enough to set a new world record of largest flaming image using candles previously set by Pakistan on December 10, 2009 with 35,478 candles however minutes later, the rest of the candles were lighted bringing the total number of candles lit to 100,000. This world breaking event is about prayer and meditation spreading the message "World Peace Through Inner Peace" uniting different religious groups - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, government organizations, non-profit organizations, institutions and most especially the youth. Last year, Iloilo flown 15,185 to set a new world record for the most number of sky lanterns flown previously set by Romania in June 2012 with 12,470 sky lanterns flown. 


Photo Sources: 

Batusay SSC, Iloilo Metropolitan Times thru Batusay SSC 
James Dee Images, Discover Panay Island by Hawili Hurom

World's Most Peaceful Countries

World's Most Peaceful Country 

1.  Denmark
2.  Norway
3.  Singapore
4.  Slovenia
5.  Sweden
6.  Iceland
7.  Belgium
8.  Czech Republic
9.  Switzerland
10. Japan
11. Ireland
12. Finland
13. New Zealand
14. Canada
15. Austria
16. Bhutan
17. Australia
18. Portugal
19. Qatar
20. Mauritius

Rest In Peace, Nelson Mandela

Rest In Peace Nelson Mandela. God Bless You! 

          We are deeply saddened by the passing of an icon and a legend whose legacy for humanity still lives on and continued to be exemplified by selfless men and women. His long battle and suffering with lung complication has come to an end.The vanguard of humanity who changed the world and make a difference has finally rested peacefully with the lord. We are so blessed to have a man who stand up against discrimination, segregation and oppression not only for his beloved South Africa but also served as a great inspiration to all nations in the world. One of the best man that walked the earth showed kindness, unconditional love and selfless service whose only noble desire is equality, justice and fairness among all men with no regards to color or background. What really draws deep in my heart is that after being imprisoned for 27 harrowing and depressing years he showed no trace of bitterness and anger in his heart and even granted sincere forgiveness to those who wrong him - what a kind and gentle soul. May we continue to learn from him, from his legacy and serve him as an inspiration in today's world that in our own little ways we could make a difference in the world. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to Madiba family, relatives and friends of Mr. Nelson Mandela and also to the entire nation, South Africa. Our prayers are with you. God bless you, Mr. Nelson Mandela. Rest in Peace.

2013 New Year Celebrations Around The World Part I

These are the images of 2013 New Year celebrations around the world. Mostly fireworks display and in festive mood. Hope the rest of the year and the future will be fulfilling and happy! 

Athens, Greece 

Sydney, Australia 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Beijing, China 

Berlin, Germany 

Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Yangon, Burma (now Myanmar) 

Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong