Check SSS member contributions online, via SMS text
February 25, 2010
My father called me up yesterday asking for help regarding his Social Security System (SSS) member contributions. Apparently, his records were missing six years of supposed SSS payments and he wants me to check with SSS about this.
Of course, I did not immediately rush to the SSS main office in East Avenue, Quezon City, knowing that there’s always a long queue of people there checking and verifying their own member contributions or inquiring about the status of their loans or claims.
Here’s what I did to check my father’s SSS payments.
Wacky world of politics in the Philippines
February 19, 2010
I rarely talk about politics in this blog but I can’t help but write one whenever I hear outrageous / weird / wacky news about politics and politicians.
Just a week ago, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that in the recount of votes in the gubernatorial seat of Pampanga, losing candidate Lilia Pineda apparently won over proclaimed winner Ed Panlilio. The recount shows that Pineda received 190,729 votes while Panlilio got 188,718 votes.
What makes this more interesting, however, is that the number of votes of another losing candidate, third placer and then incumbent Mark Lapid, was 210,875 — which makes him the winner over the two! Mark Lapid, based on the number of votes, was the real winner! Surprise!
US MBA grads face high unemployment rate
November 10, 2009
In the past, graduates of MBA programs, especially in the US, are almost always assured of a job after graduation. The sad reality now, however, is that this is no longer true.
A BusinessWeek magazine article seems to show that it is a bad time to graduate now since job recruitment has slowed down for most US MBA graduates.
The list below compiles the results of a survey conducted among recent MBA graduates showing there is rising unemployment among MBA graduates.
It doesn’t matter if you got the degree from Harvard or Wharton. Very, very few MBA schools were spared from the brunt of the economic recession.
21% of Metro Manila residents are squatters
October 19, 2009
If the report of the Metro Manila Inter-Agency Committee on Informal Settlers (MMIAC) is to be believed, one out of every five residents in Metro Manila is a squatter.
The Inquirer quoted a report of the MMIAC saying that there are more than 544,609 households of informal settlers in Metro Manila, representing 21% of the total 2.6 million households population.
How to donate to Typhoon Ondoy victims
September 30, 2009
Here are several ways you can make a cash donation to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.
(Pics) Typhoon Ondoy in Provident Village, Marikina
September 30, 2009
Marikina City, Philippines — Provident Village is unfortunately now becoming famous for being one of the hardest-hit areas in Metro Manila by Typhoon Ondoy.
Here are some pictures of tropical storm Ondoy battering the village and its impact on the residents.
(Pics) Bagyong Ondoy lashes the Philippines
September 29, 2009
You’ve probably seen that moving video of a woman on the roof of her car during the flood in UERM, Sta. Mesa Manila (see video here).
Less-talked about, however, is the man on the same video hanging onto a coconut tree while the cars around him swirl and get drowned.
And there’s one gripping photo of what seems to be a dead body of a woman in Marikina still lying on the street a day after the typhoon hit their area.
These are just some of the unfortunate stories brought by Typhoon Ondoy which devastated parts of Metro Manila, particularly, Marikina, Pasig, and Rizal.
Some more photos of the Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) aftermath below.
Typhoon Ondoy: Pictures, videos
September 26, 2009
Manila, Philippines — Tropical storm Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana) hit Luzon and parts of Metro Manila on Saturday, September 26 and brought flood, jammed traffic, landslides, and deaths.
Waist-deep flood waters caused cars to stall in the middle of highways. People walked due to lack of public transport and impassable traffic. Residents were forced to stay on the rooftops of their houses due to submerged first- or second-floors. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported 240 deaths as of Tuesday, September 29. Many more are missing.
Here are some pics and videos we gathered online showing the impact of typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.
See also: Bagyong Ondoy lashes the Philippines (PICS)
Green Philippine passports valid until April 2010 only?
September 13, 2009
And we thought the green Philippine passport is valid until its expiration date.
In January 2009, we wrote that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the old, green passports can still be used by Filipinos until the validity date written on the passport. Read more
Manila Bulletin photo: “Coffin of Gloria Arroyo”
August 7, 2009
Joining ABS-CBN’s booboo on the death of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, err… former President Cory Aquino, the Manila Bulletin also had a similar mistake in its supplement issue released yesterday, August 6.
The caption on the photo published in the Manila Bulletin says:
With Utmost Care. Military honor guard carefully moves the coffin of President Arroyo out of the Manila cathedral.
The newspaper photo below.
