Splash Island's giant slides

THE SPEED.. THE MOTION.. THE SPLASH.. THE ADVENTURE.. THE EXPERIENCE.. THE HAPPINESS.. Everything only at SPLASH ISLAND..

Splash Island: The biggest water adventure park in the Philippines

NOT ALL PARKS ARE CREATED EQUAL. At Splash Island you can endow yourself with complete aquatic adventure and exciting activities. With the presence of its gigantic slides, plus the different activities and amenities inside the biggest water adventure park in the Philippines you can be assured of a 100% guaranteed satisfaction that worth your money.

Easter & dog gift baskets @ BisketBaskets.com

It’s been said that “It’s better to give than to receive.” For me I find both appealing. Of course it’s our nature to send gifts to our loved ones when there’s an occasion, but receiving gifts from my loved ones gives me an assurance that I am loved and remembered. But sending gifts is not just easy if you really want the recipient to feel so loved and special. It will take time and research to find the right stuff to give to that special person in our lives. In here the wide world of internet will be of great help and gift basket type approach is delightful and enticing.

Considering sending your loved ones with a special gift in a basket? Then BisketBaskets.com is the right place for you. It is a gourmet gift basket company that sells hand-created gift baskets in a variety of categories including wine gift baskets, new baby gift baskets, pet gift baskets, chocolate gift baskets, and more. They were the first company to sell pet gift baskets online, with a focus on dog gift baskets and they have been in business for over 13 years.

Way back in 1999, two sisters started the business with a love for animals designing gift baskets for pets packed with healthy products with a desire to provide only very high-end premium gifts. It was a humble start but that pet gift baskets were a huge hit. And speaking of pet, of course dog will be the common denominator among pet lovers. That is why they have different dog gift baskets you can choose from depending on the occasion or mood. Since Easter is coming, you can try their Easter gift baskets that comes in different presentation filled with mouthwatering products.

BisketBaskets.com not only provide gift baskets for pets and pets owner but they also have gift basket occasion for birthday, get well, sympathy, thank you and bridesmaid plus a list of gift basket type too you maybe in need of. The recipient of their gift baskets whether for pet, personal or corporate ones, will truly enjoy every part of the gift from presentation to contents that comes with sender’s personal message.

Need a gift to send? Choose BisketBaskets.com.

Kim walked out in a fight scene with Maja?

Did Kim Chiu really walked out after her fight scene with Maja Salvador in “Ina, Kapatid, Anak?” Kim denied the issue in an interview saying she left the set after the scene was done. The said cat fight left both of the actresses bruised. She denied also that its purely professional, just doing what’s on the script and nothing personal about it.

I saw this particular scene and I guess personal rift between actresses will be noticeable if the outcome was overacting. But having seen that part, I guess both of them are just really great and effective in making the scene believable without even considering whatever negative issue they are in to right now. Maybe that's the very reason why the said Friday episode featuring the 18th birthday of Celyn and Margaux earned 40.1% national TV ratings, based on data from Kanter Media.

2013 St. Matthew College GS graduation

Our beautiful daughter Ysabel Nicole is a graduating Grade 6 student of St. Matthew College. To meet the submission of Honors List to the Department of Education (DepEd), she took her final exam last February 18 and 19 together with the other sequentialists. She took care also of her extra curricular activities plus projects and other requirements to beat the deadline on February 20. Last week and this week were really tiring for both of us. We need to take care of everything needed to avoid technicalities because she is vying for valedictorian.

Aside from the issues of graduation, we are also taking care of the requirements of University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) where she will take an admission test on March 9 for incoming Grade 7. She already passed the admission process at Marikina Science High School (MariSci).

But trouble always arises. She needs to confirm her intention of enrolling in MariSci on or before March 15 and need to enroll by April 4. Problem is the admission test of UPIS will be posted by April 6. Don't know what to do but her papa wants her to take the admission test in UPIS and will just find way to know if she passes or not.

To our beloved Nicole, advance congratulations on your graduation.

2013 Philippine Elections: Positions Opened

The 2013 Philippine Elections to happen on May 13, 2013 will be a midterm election, and all elected officials will assume office on June 30, 2013. There will be 18,022 national and local positions opened as follows:

• Senators - 12 
• District Representatives – 229 
• Provincial Governors – 80 
• Provincial Vice Governors – 80 
• Provincial Legislature - 766 
• City Mayors – 138 
• City Vice Mayors – 138 
• City Council – 1,532 
• Municipal Mayors – 1,496 
• Municipal Vice Mayors – 1,496 
• Municipal Council – 11,972 
• ARMM – 1 regional governor, 1 regional vice governor & 24 regional assemblymen 
• Party-list Representatives 

Pope Benedict XVI announces resignation

POPE BENEDICT XVI will resign on February 28. The surprised announcement was made by him last Monday citing old age (85 years old) as the reason. In a speech delivered in Latin at a meeting of cardinals in the Vatican, the German-born leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics announced his resignation after just 8 years of his service.

Pope announces resignation in historic move 

There are no official candidates as of now but here are “papabili” (potential popes) in alphabetical order that were most frequently mentioned recently and will probably change until the conclave is held most likely in March:

- Joao Braz de Aviz (Brazil, 65) brought fresh air to the Vatican department for religious congregations when he took over in 2011. He supports the preference for the poor in Latin America's liberation theology, but not the excesses of its advocates. Possible drawbacks include his low profile.

- Timothy Dolan (USA, 62) became the voice of U.S. Catholicism after being named archbishop of New York in 2009. His humour and dynamism have impressed the Vatican, where both are often missing. But cardinals are wary of a "superpower pope" and his back-slapping style may be too American for some.

- Marc Ouellet (Canada, 68) is effectively the Vatican's top staff director as head of the Congregation for Bishops. He once said becoming pope "would be a nightmare." Though well connected within the Curia, the widespread secularism of his native Quebec could work against him.

- Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy, 70) has been Vatican culture minister since 2007 and represents the Church to the worlds of art, science, culture and even to atheists. This profile could hurt him if cardinals decide they need an experienced pastor rather than another professor as pope.

- Leonardo Sandri (Argentina, 69) is a "transatlantic" figure born in Buenos Aires to Italian parents. He held the third-highest Vatican post as its chief of staff in 2000-2007. But he has no pastoral experience and his job overseeing eastern churches is not a power position in Rome.

- Odilo Pedro Scherer (Brazilia, 63) ranks as Latin America's strongest candidate. Archbishop of Sao Paolo, largest diocese in the largest Catholic country, he is conservative in his country but would rank as a moderate elsewhere. The rapid growth of Protestant churches in Brazil could count against him.

- Christoph Schoenborn (Austria, 67) is a former student of Pope Benedict with a pastoral touch the pontiff lacks. The Vienna archbishop has ranked as papal material since editing the Church catechism in the 1990s. But some cautious reform stands and strong dissent by some Austrian priests could hurt him.

- Angelo Scola (Italy, 71) is archbishop of Milan, a springboard to the papacy, and is many Italians' bet to win. An expert on bioethics, he also knows Islam as head of a foundation to promote Muslim-Christian understanding. His dense oratory could put off cardinals seeking a charismatic communicator.

- Luis Tagle (Philippines, 55) has a charisma often compared to that of the late Pope John Paul. He is also close to Pope Benedict after working with him at the International Theological Commission. While he has many fans, he only became a cardinal in 2012 and conclaves are wary of young candidates.

- Peter Turkson (Ghana, 64) is the top African candidate. Head of the Vatican justice and peace bureau, he is spokesman for the Church's social conscience and backs world financial reform. He showed a video criticising Muslims at a recent Vatican synod, raising doubts about how he sees Islam.

Coco Martin escorts Julia Montes in her debut

"Walang Hanggan" lead stars Coco Martin and Julia Montes are back in each others arms for their first movie project "A Moment In Time." During the movie conference, Montes personally asked Martin to be his escort on her forthcoming debut. The latter happily accepted the request. Both artists admitted that currently they are building that strong foundation of their friendship and whatever happens after that at least the foundation is there and strong.

Balance Inquiry & Withdrawal charges of PH banks

Are you aware of the added charges of your bank? This has been an old issue that the Central Bank of the Philippines and other government agencies must take a look into. For ATM cardholders, if you are withdrawing or making a balance inquiry of your account outside your bank’s network you will be charged depending what bank you are using.

These charges must be removed because those transactions are typical transactions that an ATM cardholder will normally do, whether within their bank’s network or outside. These services formed part of their customer service so why charged your customers for that?

I just hope that CBP and other government agencies will regulate the amount, if charges are really necessary on the part of the bank.

Marikina Science High School admission process for Grade 7

My daughter Ysabel Nicole Taruc is currently a Grade 6 student at St. Matthew College in San Mateo, Rizal. We have plans of transferring her to another school where she will continue her studies. I think it was December last year when I got an application for her in Marikina Science High School. Other parents and guardians from different parts of Rizal where among those I met while filling the form.

It's been a common knowledge that many parents and students are aspiring to pass in a Science High School like one in Marikina. Ysabel took her written exam last January 19 together with hundreds of students from different public and private schools. There were 300 questions regarding Math, English, Araling Panlipunan and Science.

She was really nervous as we all awaits the result of that exam. Come January 30, all her hardships paid off. She passed the written exam and scheduled for an oral exam last February 2. That day she was told to read a passage or composition about "Dunes." Afterwards she seated in front of a teacher, answered 10 questions  about it and some personal questions as well.

She, together with other applicants, will all wait for the final announcement of who among them pass the admission process. February 15 will be a memorable day especially for those who will be able to make it. I hope and pray that my daughter Ysabel will be one of the lucky students to make it.

UP Integrated School admission for Grade 7

One of the schools my husband and I is considering of transferring our daughter who is an incoming Grade 7 is the University of the Philippines Integrated School in Katipunan. Next week I will be getting an application for her so that she can be able to take the entrance exam scheduled on March 9, Saturday.

For those interested, you can visit the school and personally get the application forms needed or download it here http://www.upis.upd.edu.ph/Grade7AdmissionTestForm2013_2014.pdf.