If you’re used to watching sad and bad news on primetime TV, here’s a whiff of fresh air that comes once in a blue moon and I’m glad to share this one with the rest of us here in blogsphere.

Jose Antonio Vargas, a 27-year-old Filipino American, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Virginia Tech massacre in the US.

Vargas, having worked as a journalist for the past 10 years, is a reporter for the Washington Post, which won six Pulitzer awards this year, including best breaking news reporting for its coverage of the April 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre, where South Korean student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people before committing suicide.

Vargas wrote two stories on America’s deadliest shooting incident which the Washington Post packaged together with seven others as their entry in the Pulitzer Prize.

“I was lucky enough to get an interview with one of the eyewitnesses,” Vargas recounted.

“I found this eyewitness on Facebook (an online social networking site). I got him on the phone, we talked for 25 minutes on the phone and he was the only eyewitness we had for the story so he was a critical part of it,” he said.

His second story revolved around how Virginia Tech students used the Internet to break through the cloud of confusion and console each other in the wake of the unprecedented campus carnage.

“Most of the students were connecting online through Facebook, websites to basically connect with each other. It was part of the healing process but also to know what was going on because everything was chaotic,” he said.

A brief background on Jose Antonio Vargas:
He was born and raised in the Philippines, grew up in Antipolo but spent his early childhood years in Pasig where he attended school in Pasig Catholic College.

He immigrated to the U.S. when he was only 12 years old. With his parents being separated, his grandparents – Leonila and Ted Salinas residing in Mountain View, California - decided to take him under their care and supervision.

There, he went to Mountain View High School where teachers and officials saw his potential and convinced Jim Strand, a venture capitalist, to provide the young Jose a scholarship at the San Francisco State University.

He went on to work initially at the Mountain View Voice and later at the San Francisco Chronicle, while pursuing his college degree, where he learned the tips and tricks of the journalistic trade.

In his senior year in college, he interned at the Washington Post which paved the way for his stint to permanently work for the newspaper when a vacancy opened in the Post’s lifestyle section, 2 days after his graduation.

His mom Emily, watching her being interviewed on the news, was overwhelmed with joy upon knowing of her son’s achievement. And although lola Leoning wanted her grandson to be a doctor, engineer or an accountant, watching him on TV receiving accolades and interviews made her real proud of her grandson’s prestigious award.

His name now stands with other elite group of Filipino Pulitzer Prize winners such as Carlos P. Romulo in 1941, Byron Acohido and Alex Tizon in 1997 and Cheryl Diaz Meyer in 2004.

Now, if we can hear more good stories of that kind everyday, it’ll all be worthwhile watching the news on primetime TV.

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved www.pilecentral.com
Fil-Am Jose Antonio Vargas Wins Pulitzer for Virginia Tech Massacre Report

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The second campaign to vote for the 7 new wonders of the world is now on the way! The campaign, organized by the non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, received some 200 nominations within the first few months of the campaign.

More than 100 million votes were cast during the very first campaign in 2007.

Nominations can be submitted for the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign until December 31, 2008.

As of this writing, April 3, 2008, two of the nominees coming from the Philippines rank 15 – Bohol’s Chocolate Hills and 18 – Tubbataha Reef in Palawan respectively.
Visit http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/ for real time updates.

Voting for nominees will continue through Dec. 31, 2008 then a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect theNew 7 Wonders of Nature.

The shortlist of 21 candidates will be announced on January 2009 and will go forward to the next stage of voting.

Voting for the new 7 wonders of nature will continue throughout 2009–2010. And in the summer of 2010, the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be officially declared.

I’d like to call on every Pinoy to do his part and unite for a common cause and make our country proud. If you can forward this post, e-mail, text or do what ever is necessary to spread the word to family, friends and associates and cast their vote, you’ve done your part to make this campaign a success. Just visit http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/ and make your vote count. Remember to click on the e-mail confirmation to be counted.

Here’s a background on Chocolate Hills and Tubbataha Reef

Chocolate Hills, Bohol
Bohol is about 700 kilometers directly south of Manila and is about 70 kilometers southeast of Mactan Island. The province must have been developed from the magmatic tectonic mechanism which resulted from the underthrusting of the southwest Philippine plate east of Samar and Surigao.

The province is fast becoming a tourist destination. It is graciously endowed with natural and historical attractions. Infrastructure projects have supplemented their investment potential.

The majority speak the native dialect, which is distinctively Boholano. Cebuano, Tagalog, and English are widely spoken and understood.

Topping Bohol’s natural tourism assets are the wondrous Chocolate Hills which have drawn thousands of foreign and domestic tourists. These perfectly cone-shaped hills that abound in Central Bohol are the only ones of their kind in the world.

Scenic Bohol casts an enigmatic charm drawn from the many archaic mementos spread throughout the oval-shaped island: from the Chocolate Hills and the tarsier to 16th century watchtowers and Jesuit Baroque mission churches.The Chocolate Hills, all of 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, are undoubtedly the most famous tourist attraction in the province. Among these hills that abound in Central Bohol, two have been developed into top-class resorts.One of the rare faunas found in the Philippine archipelago, the Tarsier is the smallest primate in the world. It is a nocturnal primate measuring from four to five inches, with a tail that is longer than its body. Those interested in tarsier watching are always welcomed by the Boholanos to see the famous primate in its natural abode up the hills in the town of Corella.

A tropical haven of natural beauty, the coastline of the province is skimmed by gentle coves and white sand beaches. You can find some of the country’s great dive sights here. Balicasag in Bohol is one of the very best and most popular dives in the Visayas.A black coral forest is among its main attractions but virtually anywhere you drop in is sure to be rewarding. Another major attraction, Cabilao is renowned for the hammerhead sharks that shoal around the clear waters. Large pelagics are very common here, and if you are really lucky, you can find yourself swimming with a passing school of dolphins.

Tubbattaha Reef
It is a marine sanctuary located in the Middle Central Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City. Declared a World Natural Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on December 1993, it is under protective management by the Department of National Defense (DND).

It is under technical supervision by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) & the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR).

It is located in Cagayancillo town, Palawan. Trips to Tubbattaha from mid-March to mid-June are all vessel-based and require planning for a minimum of six weeks prior to departure. To reach the place, take a 70-minute flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa City. From the airport, a shuttle bus takes you to the dive boat. Boat ride from Puerto Princesa City takes approximately 12 hours.

Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef located in the Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles (181 km) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the Philippines. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park.The reef is composed of two atolls, North and South Reefs. Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 km (5 miles) wide.

Over one thousand species can be found in the reef; many are already endangered species. Animal species found include manta rays, lionfish, pawikan or tortoise, clownfish, and sharks.

There are no permanent inhabitants of the islets or reefs. Fishermen visit the area seasonally, establishing shelters on the islets. The park is visited by tourists, particularly divers. Trips to Tubbattaha from mid-March to mid-June are all vessel-based; the park is about twelve hours by boat from Puerto Princesa City.Tubbataha is considered as the best dive site in the Philippines and the diving dedicated ships that opearte during the “Tubbataha Season” are usually booked years in advance especially during the Asian holidays of Easter and “Golden Week”

The word “tubbataha” is a combination of two Samal words which means “a long reef exposed at low tide”. This reef is made up of two coral atolls divided by an eight-kilometer (5 miles) wide channel. The South Atoll, the smaller of the two is five kilometers in length and three kilometers in width; while the North Atoll, the larger of the two is 16 kilometers (10 miles) long and five kilometers (3 miles) wide. (Knipp 22)

Vivid corals cover more than two-thirds of the area and the waters around the reef are places of refuge for numerous marine lives. The seemingly diverse ecosystem of this sanctuary rivals the Great Barrier Reef – having 300 coral species and 400 fish species. (Knipp 22, 24)

Tubbataha has become a popular site for seasoned sports divers because of its coral “walls” where the shallow coral reef abruptly ends giving way to great depths. These “walls” are not only wonderful diving spots but they are also wonderful habitats for many colonies of fish. There are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels living in the sanctuary. Tubbataha is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) which are endangered species. (Knipp 24)

Aside from being a marine sanctuary, Tubbataha is also renowned for being a bird sanctuary. A lighthouse islet, at the southern tip of the South Atoll, supports a large number of seabirds which nest there. Around the Tubbataha, there are tens of thousands of masked red-foot boobies, terns, and frigate birds resting during their annual migrations. To minimize any external intrusions, the Philippine Coast Guard maintains a small monitoring station on one of the many permanent sand bars. (Knipp 24)

So if you haven’t visited Chocolate Hills in Bohol or Tubbataha reef in Palawan, head on down to your nearest travel agent and arrange your island getaway far from the hustle and bustle of city life to your island paradise just waiting to give you lots of fun and adventure.

Resources:
http://www.new7wonders.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reef

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/data/popwin.asp?pic=191
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/place_details.asp?content=description&province=39
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/explore_phil/data/popwin.asp?pic=311
www.bohol.ph
www.bohol.com.ph
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1142436515000101585pTyCbs?vhost=travel
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1142349618000101585sVddCW?vhost=travel

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/558746250gddXDc
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2375653680098394197YerFqC?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2125283820098394197pQUnhr?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2864518740098394197PPKFVB?vhost=outdoors

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved www.PileCentral.com
New 7 Wonders - Vote for Chocolate Hills, Tubbataha Reef

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After the Easter break and all your fond memories of Boracay, Palawan or Puerto Galera start to fade away like a forgotten dream and you are taken back to your old crappy life called reality, I’d like to make this transition a little more bearable than the usual shock treatment the moment you arrive at the airport, realizing that you have to go back to work at the salt mines called office.

Well, to start things off, I’d like to make a fresh start and thought of deleting all of the messages in my celfon’s inbox when it dawned on me if the Philippines still holds the record of being the ‘text capital of the world’.

Well, one way to find out is by asking the gods at google if this still holds true.

Google google on my screen, tell me if the Philippines is still the ‘text capital of the world’? Hmmm….. and this is what I found out…..

Wiki…
Asia
In China, SMS is very popular, and has brought service providers significant profit (18 billion short messages were sent in 2001[4]). It is a very influential and powerful tool in the Philippines, where the average user sends 10-12 text messages a day.

The Philippines alone sends on the average 400 million text messages a day or approximately 142 billion text messages sent a year, more than the annual average SMS volume of the countries in Europe, and even China and India. SMS is hugely popular in India, where youngsters often exchange lots of text messages, and companies provide alerts, infotainment, news, cricket scores update, railway/airline booking, mobile billing, and banking services on SMS.

Philippines
The Philippines is known as the ‘text capital of the world’. ‘Presently each mobile phone user in the Philippines is sending out at least 10 text messages a day compared to about 3 text messages per user in the United Kingdom (Pertierra 2005a; cf. Ling 2004). About one Filipino in two is a subscriber to a mobile phone service.[10]

At the end of 2007 four of the top mobile phone service providers in the country stated there were 42.78 million mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines [11] One of the main reasons text messages became so popular in the Philippines is the affordabilty. In addition, text messaging was generally more reliable compared to a fixed phone line or relying on poor mobile phone coverage that included drop-outs.

Europe
Europe follows next behind Asia in terms of the popularity of the use of SMS. In 2003, an average of 16 billion messages were sent each month. Users in Spain sent a little more than fifty messages per month on average in 2003. In Italy, Germany and the United States.

US
In the United States, however, the appeal of SMS is more limited. Although an MS message usually costs only US$0.15 (many providers also offer monthly text messaging plans), only 13 messages were sent by the average user per month in 2003.

Note: The preceding info according to Wiki, needs to be updated. I continued to search other sites but still haven’t found anything that would contradict Wiki’s current findings.

So before, deleting all my messages, I’d like to share some of text messages sent to me by my good ol’ friend Danny Z. And before proceeding, please read the disclaimer notice.

Disclaimer Notice
The following messages are for information and reference only. Any similarities to actual individual(s), situation(s), character(s) being alluded to or anything contained therein shall not be attributed to be the author’s or site’s personal view, any alleged author, the sender, any of the sender’s friends, enemies or acquaintances or any other associated company in any city, county, state, province, or country nor shall any of the aforementioned parties be held responsible for any potential or actual loss, damage, litigation that may arise thereof.

That being said, read on folks….

<--ooOOoo-->
- A Lenten reflection –
One day, while a man n his ever nagging wife was visiting Jerusalem, the wife died. The undertaker asked the husband whether he would like her body shipped home for $5,000 or buried in the Holy Land for $500.

The man chose to have her shipped home. The undertaker asked, “Why would you spend so much trouble and money when it would be cheap and wonderful to be buried in the Holy Land?” the man replied, “Long ago, a man died here and rose back from the dead.”

<--ooOOoo-->
- Pulis at Driver –
Pulis: License mo?
Driver: Eto po… (may P100 naka ipit)
Pulis: Ah, ndi nko tumatanggap ng suhol. Religious na ako….
Driver: Kung ganon po, ticketan nyo na lng ko….
Pulis: Eto sobre at bolpen, isulat mo – LOVE OFFERING!

<--ooOOoo-->
Airforce: “No Guts, No Glory”
Marines: “No Retreat, No Surrender”
Army: “No Pain, No Gain”
Naks! Ayw patalo ng
Security Guards: “No I.D., No Entry!”

<--ooOOoo-->
Humarap s salamin si ngongo. Tiningnan nya kanyang image den he said:
“Left side view: Tom Clus.
Right side view: Blad Pit.
Front view: Insert Coin! Mwisit!”

<--ooOOoo-->
Mommy, do ANGELS fly?
Yes son they do fly.
Eh, bkit si yaya tawag ni dad “MY ANGEL” di nmn sya fly?
Son, ngayon din u will see ur yaya fly, ha, w8 lng……

<--ooOOoo-->
Pacman: Sweets honey…….Honey, buksan mo n ung sweets…..
Jinky: Nasaan honey? Lambing mo tlaga. Mwah!!
Pacman: Yung sweets ng ILAW. D kc ko maka kita. Ang dilim!!

<--ooOOoo-->
Paul: Pare lagyan mo nga ko ng tattoo.
Alvin: Bakit pare?
Paul: Pinagkakamalan kc kong bading…
Alvin: Cge, san mo gusto?
Paul: Sa kilay… para mag mukhang suplada!

<--ooOOoo-->
Wife: Pa, paki fix mo nmn ilaw s labas…
Husband: Hello?! Electrician ba ako?
Wife: E d gawin mo n lng hagdan natin….
Husband: Hello?! Karpentero ba ako?

Umalis si husband, pag balik, gawa na lahatng cra s bahay…. Tinanong c wife kung cno gumawa ng trabaho…..

Wife: Kc kanina a man saw me crying, sabi ko ang dami cra d2 s house… so he offered 2 help in exchange for either sex or bake ako ng cake.
Husband: So wat cake did u bake?
Wife: HELLO?! Baker ba ako? Ni wala nga tayo oven eh!!!

<--ooOOoo-->
Japanese archeologist digging 100m down found copper wire… says – “Very good! Our great ancestors of 1000 yrs already had telephone!”

Americans dug 200m and found optical cable… says – “OMG, this means our great forefathers already had broadband 2000 yrs ago!”

Pinoys dig 500m and found NOTHING… says – “Ang lupit ng mga ninuno natin! WIRELESS!!”

<--ooOOoo-->
Lasing(takot): May multo s banyo natin!
Wife: Ha? Bakit?
Lasing: Kc bumubukas ung ilaw pag papasok ako ng banyo eh!
Wife: Punyeta k! Ikaw pla UMIIHI sa REF!

<--ooOOoo-->
Mare1: Super ganda nmn ng anak mo eh panget nmn mr. mo?
Mare2: Naku mare, kung aasa k lng s mr. ko wlang mangyayari….. buti n lng andyan ang MR. MO!!!

<--ooOOoo-->
A man killed a DEER and cooked it but didn’t tell d kids what it was. He gives a clue…. “ung tawag skin ng mama nyo….”
One kid cries out – “wag nyo kainin… DEMONYO yan!!!”

<--ooOOoo-->
Census: Mrs, ilan po anak nyo?
Mrs: 24 ho!
Census: Ang dami pla! Hindi po ba kyo gumagamit ng condom, pills, rhythm o withdrawal?
Mrs: Ay hindi…. B***T lng talga!

<--ooOOoo-->
Boy: Dad ano gwa mo kay mommy?(nahuli nka patong)
Dad: Gawa isa p baby para may kalaro ka na at kuya p ittawag syo.
Boy: Dog-style n lng kyo dad, gusto ko TUTA eh!

<--ooOOoo-->
Sherap: Hello doc.. pupunta kami ng ospital ng daughter ko.. mukhang manganganak n sya…
Doc: Ok..calm down… is this her 1st baby?
Sherap: This is her FATHER GAGO!!!

Sherap(Galit n galit): “There have been a lot of allegations against me and I’d like to know who the ALLEGATORS are!!!”

<--ooOOoo-->
Mrs: Pinasuso mo n ba ang bata?
Yaya: Opo senyora.
Mrs. Eh ang senyorito mo, pinakain mo na ba?
Yaya: Ayaw po kumain, kya PINASUSO ko na lang din po!

<--ooOOoo-->
Confucious said: “If u have 1 wife, wife will fight with u. If u have 2 wives, wives will fight each other. Better to have 4 wives, so dat wives will just play MAHJONG…!!!”

<--ooOOoo-->
-After sex with a college girl-
Mayor: How much?
Girl: P200 lng!
Mayor: Wat? How can you live on P200 fee?
Girl: Sideline ko lng to…. BLACKMAIL tlga business ko…!!

<--ooOOoo-->
In one of the clubs in davao, a GRO had a tiny DURIAN tattooed right on her inner thigh. It’s amazing! If you look at it UP CLOSE, u can even smell the FRUIT!!

<--ooOOoo-->
A chinese caught his wife & driver in his car in 69 position. D Chinese poked a gun at d driver & said: “Kaya pla wla ako anak, ako lagay sperm, ikaw SIPSIP!!!”

<--ooOOoo-->
-How to pass bad news –
Berto: Hello Sir Bob, si Berto po to, ung katiwala nyo s bahay bakasyunan nyo.
Bob: Ikw pla, bat npatawag ka?
Berto: Aabisuhan ko lng po sna kyo na nmatay n ung alaga nyong parrot.
Bob: C pikoy ung alga ko, namatay n? Ung nanalo s bird show? Ang laki p nman ng nagastos ko dyan. Teka, bkit pla namatay?

Berto: Kumain po ng bulok n karne.
Bob: San galling ung bulok n karne?
Berto: Un pong thoroughbred horse nyo. Namatay sya s pagod kahihila ng kariton ng tubig.

Bob: Anong kariton ng tubig?
Berto: Un pong pinampatay nmin s sunog.
Bob: Ha? Diyos ko! Anong nasunog?

Berto: Un pong mansyon nyo. Tumumba po kc ung kandila kya nasunog ung kurtina at kumalat ang apoy.
Bob: My kuryente nmn dyn bkit may kandila p?
Berto: S burol po.
Bob: Ha? Kaninong burol?
Berto: S MISIS nyo po. Dumating po kc kagabi na walang kaabi-abiso, kala ko magnanakaw kya nabaril ko. Sensya n po. Bye….

Some commonly used acronyms on texting are:
• 2: To or Too
• 4: For
• brb: Be Right Back
• gtg or g2g: Got To Go
• ttyl: Talk To You Later
• idk: I Don’t Know
• idc: I Don’t Care
• lol: Laugh(ing) Out Loud
• rofl: Rolls On Floor Laugh(ing)
• stfu: Shut The Fuck Up
• omg: Oh My God (or Gosh)
• omfg: Oh My Fucking God
• wtf: What The Fuck
• lmao: Laugh(ing) My Ass Off
• k: Okay
• wth: What The Hell
• wtf: What the Fuck

Resource:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_messaging#Popularity

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved www.pilecentral.com
Is the Philippines still the Text Capital of the World?

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