Bourne Legacy producers admire Filipino hospitality

Hollywood producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley are all praises for the Pinoy hospitality accorded them while shooting their latest movie “The Bourne Legacy.”

“Nagpapasalamat ang dalawa sa pambihirang pakikisama ng mga Pinoy. Ang mainit na pagtanggap ng mga Pinoy ang dahilan kung bakit napili ang bansa bilang location shoot kaysa sa ibang bansa sa Asya,” Ginger Conejero reported on “TV Patrol,” Jan. 17.

“They’re having a great time. They’re very comfortable where we’re shooting. I always find it funny when we arrive in the morning and all the kids say, ‘Hi, Pat!’ This is the most production-friendly country that we have visited,” Marshall said.

Revenue collection highest in over a decade

MANILA, Philippines - Government revenues rose 13.1 percent to hit its highest level in over a decade as of November 2011 even without new taxes and big-ticket asset sales, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said yesterday.

The finance chief said this is higher than the P1.104 trillion raised in the same period in 2010.

Finance data showed the government raised P1.249 trillion as of end-November 2011 through its two major revenue agencies, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Lessons from Donsol: What other towns can learn about whale sharks

A whale shark in Oslob

By AMER R. AMOR, VERA Files

(First of two parts)

It was an image Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) Allan Amanse swears he will remember for the rest of his life.

A 28-year-old fisherman had joined him swim with a whale shark, the world's largest fish, off the waters of Pamilacan Island in Bohol. The fisherman saw how the whale shark, popularly called butanding, glided gently beside Amanse and marveled at the fascinating bond between them. The fisherman, recalling how he would join his father hunt for whale sharks when he was only seven, wept upon realizing there is a better way of coexisting with the gentle giants of the deep.

Philippines eyes stronger growth after tough 2011

The Philippine economy slowed sharply in 2011 as it was hit by global headwinds, but momentum will likely pick up this year on the back of stronger government spending, officials said.

The economy expanded just 3.7 percent last year, National Statistical Coordination Board chief Romulo Virola announced, describing the performance as "feeble" following growth of 7.6 percent in 2010.

However growth of 3.7 percent in the final three months of 2011 was up from 3.6 percent in the previous quarter, showing the economy was at least slightly accelerating and offering hope that state pump-priming efforts were kicking in.

Mountaineer Romi Garduce completes Seven Summits climb

Just like his past alpine climbs, his moment on top didn’t last long.

But that fleeting moment proved historic as Romeo “Romi” Garduce emerged as the first Filipino to complete the renowned “Seven Summits” after conquering Vinson Massif in Antarctica at 6:30 p.m. (Antarctica time) on Jan. 5.

“The summit day itself was the most difficult because that part of our climb was very steep,” Garduce said.

“It was a bit windy, so it was chilly, so we only had a few moments to appreciate the view.”

The remarkable feat made Garduce one of the few Asians—15 at the last count—to complete the “Seven Summits,” the collective reference to the highest mountains in the seven continents of the world.

Bad mood? Blame mild dehydration, study suggests

A new, small study of 25 women suggests that being mildly dehydrated can take a toll on women's mood and cognitive function.
In the study, published in the latest issue of The Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that dehydration was a prime factor in causing headaches, loss of focus, fatigue, and low mood while both exercising and resting.
US magazine TIME reported last week that the women in the study experienced the bad effects from only mild dehydration -- about one percent lower than optimal hydration levels.
The Huffington Post also cites a 2009 study conducted by Tufts University researchers in the US that found "that dehydration leads to fatigue, confusion, and a negative mood among young female athletes."

Why the Philippines is the World’s Top Call center country

In a nutshell, it’s all about the culture.

Historically, the Philippines has always been an occupied country. Spain ruled the islands for 333 years, followed by 45 years with the United States in 1898 with a brief period of occupation by the Japanese during World War II until it was liberated by the United States again. On July 4, 1946, the United States granted the Philippines its independence as a sovereign country. Since then, American culture has always taken a frontline in the lifestyle of the modern Filipino.

Siargao Island hailed as one of world’s best surfing spots

Siargao in Surigao del Norte is well known as “The Surfing Capital of the Philippines” and recently, CNN ranked Cloud Nine, Siargao Island, Philippines as the 8th best surfing spot in the world.

Cloud 9 has one of the best known surfing waves on Siargao known for its thick, hollow tubes. It is the only wave easily accessible without a boat.

CNNGO’s 50 best surf spots called out the famed Cloud 9 spot in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, as a “dramatic and powerful reef break” that should be experienced by daring surfers.

American football star to build hospital in Mindanao

One of America’s hottest new sports heroes is giving back to the Philippines, the country where he was born by funding the building of a children’s hospital in Mindanao.

Tim Tebow quarterback of National Football League team Denver Broncos was born in 1987 in Manila, where his Baptist parents were then serving as missionaries.

The $3-million, 30-bed facility will open in Davao City in mid-2013, the US-based charity CURE said on its website together with video message from the Denver Broncos quarterback.

“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the country in which I was born, and I’m very excited about this project,” Tebow said in the message as he appealed for the public to join him in donating to the hospital’s fund.

Fil-Am midwife Robin Lim is named CNN Hero of the Year

Robin Lim

Robin Lim, a Filipino-American midwife who helps poor women have healthy pregnancies and births in Indonesia, has been named 2011 CNN Hero of the Year.

In Sunday’s star-studded ceremony at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Lim received the CNN Hero of the Year 2011 award from Anderson Cooper.

“Today on our Earth, 981 mothers in the prime of their life will die — and tomorrow again and yesterday. And I’m asking you to help change that. We don’t even know how many babies are lost, but all of us can help change that,” a tearful Lim said, as she accepted the honor.