Super Sawsaw

HDB Rental Rate is Sky Rocketing!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:50:00 +0000

So, it's that time again when we need to negotiate for renewal of contract or find another roof over our heads. I've been here in Singapore for four years and every other year (we get 2 year contracts), we create a new contract for the flat we are renting. And the past two years have seen the stratospheric rise of rental rates. It just show how crazy the rental rates here in Singapore can get. It all started at the end of 2007 and went on with its meteoric rise.
I still consider myself lucky because other people experience this every year. We do this every other year as we go for two-year contract although that means you also have to frontload payments. For those who do not know, getting a two-year contract means you will have to shell out 2 months of security deposit, 1 month of advance and 1 month of agent fee. For a rental rate of 2000 (our rate from 2010), that means me and my friends have to shell out $8000. That's not a chump change. But still, I was able to hold off the yearly increase. And I guess now, there's no escaping from it.

It is for this reason that I'm revisiting our long-term plan here in Singapore. The more the landlords become greedy, the higher the rental costs will be. And since this is a purely private matter, the government is not expected to lift a finger. Though the government's JTC has the Scheme for Housing for Foreign Talents (ShiFT) program where they rent our flats to foreigners and singapore PRs, there are always no available units. As far as I know, that's what most the Singapore government can do to alleviate the plight of its millions of foreign talents/workers. But the waitllist for JTC units is long and it is understandable because the number of units is too limited.

Some of my friends already downgraded to HDB from condo and yet they are still paying $3400 for a 4+1 flat. Not only that, they're expecting another increase this coming May. Ridiculous! I just felt lucky when I heard that until my landlord catch up with the greediness. He's now asking for 30% increase. The top-up is just too much that it is no longer sustainable. The flat rental is the one big factor why I have to revisit our priorities. It's already eating up too much of our income and there's no sight of it easing in the near future.

Buying a flat is just out of the question. It's too damn expensive and I simply don't have the means to to shell out at least $100k. So for the meak like us, there's no other choice for now but to bite the bullet. It will have big impact especially for those with families here (and only one working). But it's a price to pay. As I have said, in the we need to revisit plans for the long term.

And with the continous flock of Filipinos trying to find work in Singapore, as well as those coming from the neighboring countries, we can just expect the rents to go higher. There's a joke here going around that the Filipinos are too eager to come to Singapore that some of them are even willing to live in Singpore prison.

Maybe I'll just go back to the Philippines. I heard Camella Homes are offering good discounts to OFWs, I might consider. Added bonus will be an easy and quick getaway to Bohol Hotels and Cebu. It's really a big consideration now.

In the end, the Singaporeans will get what they want when foreign talents start to leave. Actually, I have a few friends leaving in the second half of the year going to Australia and Canada.

Disecting '20 Reasons Why I Dislike The Philippines' Video

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 04:27:00 +0000

We, Filipinos, have big chips on our shoulders. We can easily criticize someone but we don't want ourselves to be criticized. We are "pusong mamon". We get easily hurt by harsh comments and reacts in a negative way instead of taking things lightly and take them in a constructive ways. We fire back at the person who "insulted" us instead of taking actions. And the makers of "20 Reasons I Dislike The Philippines" know that fully well and their video became viral.
But does he really complain about? Here's the list of the things he dislike about our beloved country.

Manholes - they're everywhere in Manila. And it's even worse in Cebu. It shows how ineffective our local officials are. It can't be blamed to the national government, it
's purely a local issue. That's why we fucking have the Local Government Code.

Hawkers selling Cialis - they are now like takatak boys, only peddling sex performance enhancement pills... or something like that. Over all, the issue is not about the cialis themselves but the issue is the plethora of people trying to peddle you anything and everything everywhere you go.

Street foods - for the uninitiated, it's gross and it really is. But we, Filipinos, love it. Any talk about sanitation would shoot the price over the roof. We can do better, though. We just don't want to do it.

Terrorists - MILF, NPA, Abu Sayyaf. Who doesn't want to get rid of these people? Oh, some of us do. That's the reason why these people are still around. There are still some people in the university who thinks that they are God's gift to the Filipinos that they want to take the matters on their own hands not thinking that they themselves are just used by the same kind of power they are trying to topple.

Unfinished Construction - In Jimmy's own words, 'It's so fucking annoying". Of course, construction means more jobs and more opportunity and whatnots! But in the Philippines, safety of the lives of the workers and people living in the vicinity of construction sites is the least of the priorities.

Skin Whiteners - For a foreigner, it's really annoying. White people are moving heaven and earth to get the perfect tan that are natural to us, brown people. And yet we are obsessed with looking as white as possible. No issue here.

Pollution - Again, it's a product of multidude of failures in all levels of government.

Plastic Packaging - Something is really wrong with it. There's a lot of trash.

Shitty Drivers - In a land where everybody can drive without even knowing the basic of traffic rules, it is bound to happen.

Toilet - The only decent place to find a comfortable toilet is in a mall. And not all malls have clean toilets, at that. We certainly can do better in this regard. And yeah, they are uncomfortable and therefore not suited to be called "Comfort Room"

Security Guards everywhere - only in the Philippines. It's a necessary thing for us but I guess a stricter rules and training must be implemented to make the guards more professional.

Pissing Everywhere - one of the old habits. It has no place in the city.

Frisking -

Beeping - For Filipinos, there are several types of beeping. The type of beep we hear in the video can mean d... The long beeps on some parts of the video is different, though. There's one segment there that a driver is definitely pushing someone to move.
But what he said is true. Here in Singapore, you hardly hear beeps to the point that you can get hit already and no one beeps.

Small Tissue Papers - A small thing and non-issue. What he didn't know is that those people cutting the papers are just killing time while waiting for customers.

Beggars/Street Urchin - we all hate them. They are victims of criminals and some of them are part of the crime.

Rooster - again, habits from the provinces are brought to the city.

Loud Music - Something must be done with it. Near our house in Makati, there's a street where there's a videoke for each and every occasion.

Cockroach Everywhere - Again, we need to think about sanitation more.

Parking Boys - we don't need them. Really.

Obnoxious Koreans - there's plenty of them and they come in droves. And since beers are so cheap in the Philippines, they drink like a fish. When drunk, they try to kill each other.

Motorcycles - They are loud and will wake the hell out of you for some of the models

And the Warm Beer? There must be a joke there, somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05aA27VkLrA

What the video showed are the things normal people see. And all these are true. The most sane thing to do is to accept this criticisms. This guy lives in Cebu, Philippines for the past 3.5 years. He certainly know what shit he is talking about.

And from their own words, his group actually loves the Philippines despite its shortcomings. Actually, they created another video details what they love about the Philippines. You can view the video here. But I think everyone will agree that the "hate" video has a lot more swag.

And one more thing, they are promoting channelfix. I commend the guys for doing a great job in generating awareness of their brand and tons of traffic to their site. They even pulled the video from YouTube so that you'll be forced to visit their site and see the video. A clever tactic.

At the end of the day, this group just like to have some traffic to their website. Look, nobody bothered to view their "What I Love about Philippines" video. Creating some kind of controversy guarantees a video to become viral. There's clearly nothing new about it. For all we know, majority of the tourists are aware of these problems. As I have said, let's work to fix these problems.

Alliance Global is not Affliated with Alliance in Motion

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:19:00 +0000

On my last visit to the Philippines, some people asked me if I know Alliance Global. I know that it is one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines with businesses in different industries like real estate, gaming and tourism, food and beverages and fast food. Some of their companies include MegaWorld, Traders Hotel, Golden Arches (McDonalds Philippines), NewPort City, among others. So I wasn't really surprised when I was told that they are now selling some kind of supplement. I just said that I didn't know that they are also into pharmaceutical industry.

And then came the revelation as it turns out that the introduction is actually about the multi-level marketing under the supposed 'Alliance Global'. Though I stopped my friend in trying to pull me in that nonsense, I ask him what's the product they carry. Remember, I have a mentality that if a company relies on MLM to sell their wares, the company is a sham. Reluctantly because he feels that he's just wasting his time to persuade me to join, he showed me the product. And here's what I found.

The company name is "Alliance in motion Global", a totally different company from AGI.

The words "in motion" is written in smaller fonts in their logo that from afar, you'll just read "Alliance Global". Just look at the photo one the left.

They are selling supplements that have no clinically proven benefits. Admittedlly, they are not the only one doing this.

c247 is claimed to be a product of Nature's Way. However, I cannot find such product in Nature Way's website. C247 is supposed to be an anti-oxidant but in the link below, it is not listed.
http://www.naturesway.com/Products/Antioxidants.aspx?page=1

Try to google C247 or Alliance in motion Global and you'll find the results 90% coming from the Philippine-based websites selling C247. All of them promising huge earning from networking.

It's so sad that until now, multi-level marketing is still thriving in the Philippines. And what's more sad about this? Alliance in motion Global is being run by the same people who ran MLM for ForeverLiving, AmWay, FirstQuadrant, Leonardo's, among others.These same people made a lot of money during the hay days of MLM. And despite almost all the networking already went under and its members sucked of their hard-earned money, they simpy start a new MLM company from scratch again.

Let's wake up. It's a scam, nothing more.

Edwadson Base Sex video Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:31:00 +0000

Here's a man dumped by his girlfriend for a supposedly better man. He had a good time. Captured the sexy time in video. Introducing.....***drum rolls*****.....Edwadson Base. And then the inevitable happened. He got dumped!

To get back at his ex, he posted their sexy time video in the girl's wall page. What happenned next? Someone, presumably his ex, filed a complaint and Mr. Base is now caressing the tattooed back of his inmates. For the uninitiated like me, the law he broke is Republic Act 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 otherwise known as Hayden Kho 'Hayden Kho Act' (the law, not the action).

Unfortunately, I can't find a copy of their sex video in the interwebs. But looking at the photo of Edwadson, it's not really hard to understand why he was dumped. It's really just a matter of time before his girlfriend will find the guts and wisdom to realize that he's not really worth it. And since the girl is only 20 years old now and they've been a couple for 4 years, there's a good chance Edwadson shagged the girl when she was still underaged. I don't know what it's called but I smell another criminal case waiting for him. If I remember correctly, that's called 'seduction of a minor' and 'sex with a minor' or something like that.

If any of you find his video in the interwebs, just let me know in the comments. Likewise, I'll update the post once I find it. I still can't find them in the usual sites I go to. Honestly, I'm not finding hard because with the looks of Edwadson, I think I have to lower my expectation on the how the girl looks. Just saying.

Pacquiao-Marquez III Live Streaming

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:51:00 +0000

It's that time again. Manny will fight another boxer and people are scrambling to find a Live Streaming of the fight. For those living in Singapore like me, we have a choice. Its main Cable TV operator, StarHub, will be showing the fight live on SuperSports Channel 202. Yes, only StarHub cable subscribers are lucky enough to watch it for free and LIVE!

We'll watch it on my friend's 55in LED TV together with our lunch buddies. I don't want to subscribe again on SuperSports 202 because the last time I did that, I got a very boring fight. And then I forgot to cancel the Sports Group subscription that I was charged for it for two months. Not a big deal but that's a equivalent to a week's lunch money. Again, that's peanuts compared to what our friends in the U.S. pay for it.

I'm expecting a good fight. Hopefully Manny wins again.

Barangay Japan at TFC Just Sucks Big Time

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

I can't understand why TFC decided to schedule Barangay Japan at primetime Sunday. I haave few gripes on this as follows:

It's obviously for Japan only. Why the hell people in Singapore, Australia and other Asian countries have to watch this?
Though the hosts are Filipinos, there are portions where there are Japanese being interviewed. We don't understand a thing.
Speaking of hosts, the show looked like a high school presentation.
A complete waste of airtime and since most TFC subscribers only watch TFC, our time is wasted too.

What's next? Barangay Singapore?

Korean Celebrities and Models Scandal Videos

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:38:00 +0000

Here I was last week, at home and in no mood to go out when I got a message from a friend to check out a link. When I checked it out, I found a folder full of high quality videos of Korean models and celebrities being bonked by some middle-aged men, one of which is uncircumcised. I thought the best thing to do is to "review and investigate" them so I downloaded the videos.

One thing to note that is that this high-profile prostitution in Korea seems to be normal. Models and movie/tv celebrities are being peddled to politicians, CEOs, entertainment executives by their managers. As a matter of fact, several actors and actresses committed suicide. Jang Ja-yeon, part of the wildly popular KBS television drama series Boys Over Flowers, killed herself and left a seven-page suicide note claiming that she was coerced into having sex with directors and media executives.

Actually, it reminds me of Ynes Veneracion when she was videoed peddling herself to an abs-cbn correspondent. Yeah, that's more than a decade ago.:) Alas, I don't know anyone from the videos. Okay, the women there are beautiful, sexy and flawless but that's normal in Korea. I'm trying to find out who these people are. There's a good chance that they are just normal prostitutes. I don't know.

Maybe somebody from the readers know? Just hit the comments if you know someone from the videos. I'll try to confirm. *wink* *wink*

By the way, a lot of Koreans are visiting the country especially up north. One of their favorites is the Pagudpud, the Boracay of the North.

Binay is so Hungry of Media Mileage

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:23:00 +0000

I'm really irked with people who seems to jump on every opportunity be on the media regardless of circumstances. There's a lot of them especially in Philippine politics. And among them, there's no more opportunistic that our current vice president, Jejomar Binay.

Look at him, right now. He wants to re-write the history by recognizing General Miguel Malvar. Doesn't he have any more important things to think about? Is there anybody there other than his minios willing to give a fuck on whether Malvar became a president after Aguinaldo was captured? I don't think there is. And rightly so because there are more pressing issues that needs to be addressed. There are far more important things that require immediate attention.What he is doing is no different from the legislations banning Angry Birds and Planking.

He's also the kind of person who's going to take populist stance no matter how impractical and ridiculous it is. As long as the "masa" will love it, he'll love it. Just look at his comments on the Al-Barka incident. He's calling for the all-out war against the MILF. That's because a few outspoken people supports the war, you need to go for it. It's as if he is not really thinking. Or does he? Well, do not underestimate the sinister ways of this man. He is actually calling of an all-out-war because he know fully well that the president will not go for it. He does not necessarily want or believe that we need to start another Erap-style war. He just want to voice whatever the vocal small minority is clamoring for. It's a celver exploitation of the situation. And he's putting the president in a very awkward situation.

Now I know why P'noy is not giving him more responsibilities in the government. The president know fully well that the position will only be used for grandstanding. It may be even used as a platform from where Binay will attack Noynoy.

p.s.
By the way, did you receive a text message praising him for his effort to postpone the execution of the three drug mules in China? I did. But I did not receive any when the three were eventually executed. P.

When Did Steve Jobs Really Die?

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:15:00 +0000

It's sad that one of the icons of technology died at the peak of his career. I guess some of you are grieving in front of an iThing. At the same time, I also know that some of you just couldn't absorb any new tribute for him. It's been almost a week and the outpouring just keeps coming.

But when did he actually die? Was it really October 5? The morning after the unveiling of Apple's new creation? There were rumors that he actually died as early as the second week of September. I think that's totally untrue because there are people who actually saw him as lately as two weeks before his supposed death. That's about a week or so before end of September. But beyond that, there's really no more news. I guess he's too frail already by that time.

You see, some skeptics really have a point. No one really confirmed his death besides the announcement of Apple. Yes, the same company who had just announced a new iteration of iPhone the day before. Second is that there's no mention of what was the real reason. Was it Pancreatic Cancer or was it due to his liver problem or some complications due to either or both? You have to admire Jobs and Apple's grip on information. They managed to keep this secret and even TMZ can't provide any proof of his death. On the contrary, they got documents of Michael Jackson's death on every step.

Steve Jobs is one of my heroes despite not owning an iDevice. It would be hard to find a person who is good at inventing things time and again. His success is not based on luck or on being at the right place at the right time. Because one after the another, he kept on blowing our minds with his company's inventions. Some may argue that he's a control and perfectionist freak. I totally agree, but that's his receipe for success... even to the point of delaying the announcement of his own death.

My guess is between September 30 and October 5 is his actual date of passing.

Semper Fi!

UPDATE:
Okay, I take all this theory back. The death certificate of Steve Jobs is already released by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. He died at 3pm, 5 Oct 2011 due to "respiratory arrest" with "metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor" as the underlying condition that caused the respiratory problem.

You can't really dispute public records, eh. I thought I waited long enough to jump the gun...apparently, I was still too early. :)

Greedy Recuitment Agencies In Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:15:00 +0000

It's an open secret that the majority of the Filipino 'tourists' at working age going to Singapore are actually job seekers. The number of 'tourists' trying their luck in the city state exploded at the end of 2007. I was actually one of them though I already have an employer waiting when I moved here. But then again I travelled as a tourist. That trend did not stop even with the measures put in place by Singapore and by the Philippine immigration. See Invitation Letters for more details.

What it means for recruitment agencies in Singapore is a steady stream of desperate jobseekers who are going to pay anything and everything to get a job. These jobseekers are very vulnerable especially those with expiring social visit pass. It opens a gate for opportunistic recruiters to charge exhorbitant fees in exchange for a chance to get a job. Until last week, I thought the rumors of recruiters charging $300 per interview is just a hoax. That's until a friend who stayed in our apartment experienced it. And apparently, this system is the normal procedure and the sad fact is that these recruitment agencies are owned by Filipinos, too.

So what's the going rate? In order to get a job, you have to pay the following:

Registration fee of $50
Interview fee of $300
Job placement fee of the equivalent of two month's salary

Take note that the interview fee is for each interview you will take. So you better pass the first interview if you don't want you hard earned $300 put to waste. If you get a job that pays $1200 a month, you'll have pay $2750 from your supposed deep pockets. If you are luckier to get a better paying job that gives at least $2,000 monthly, then you need to shell out $4350. Just to put that into perspective of those who are still in the Philippines, $4,350 is PHP144,855 at the current exchange rate of PHP33.30 = $1. Take note that it is only for the agency fee, you still have to pay for your airfare. If you don't have family or friends here to stay, you still have to pay for your accommodation and food. And what if you are from the provinces like in Bacolod City or Bohol? You'll need to fly to Manila or Cebu. All these can add up and you can end up with about $6000 in expenses for one whole month. That could easily equal a year's salary of average worker. It's really a big gamble.

So how do these recruiters able to sleep know fully well that they are exploiting our fellow Filipinos? I don't know. But maybe for them, it's a case of dogs-eat-dogs.

Smart UNLI 25 Text All Net + 25MB Surf

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:41:00 +0000

I was in Manila last week and got a chance to use Smart's text all net with free 25MB data and 10 minutes Smart to Smart calls. This is good for 24 hours. To register, just send ULT25 to 2266. I would say it offers very good value for money. Twenty five megabytes may not be enough for heavy users but for casual users, this is more than enough. The good thing about it is that you can be online for the whole day without paying an arm and a leg. You can also monitor your usage by sending ?LU to 2266. That's because if you go beyond the 25MB free allocation, you'll be charged the normal rate of PHP10.00 per 30 min. Signal Reception I tried to stay away from Smart because of poor reception ( always EDGE or GPRS) and slow connection that your 30 minutes us already up and your page isn't loaded yet. I know it depends on your location but I live in Makati City.I'm just about 1.2km away from Smart Tower in Ayala. That's how terrible their service was. However, it looks like Smart made good on its promise to improve its coverage and internet connection. Indeed, I can now connect on 3G and HSPA with usable speed. It's not blazing fast but at least, it's usable. I can't say the same for Sun Cellular but their service was quite reliable the last time I was around. Sun's signal is will not drop but you'll never get 3G or HSPA signal. So now, I'm back with Smart.

Authenticated Invitation Letter Now Required For Filipinos Visiting Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:43:00 +0000

There's a lot of chatter and frustrations going on about the new requirement on Filipino tourists flying out of the country. Actually, blogs and forums are awashed with discussions regarding the issue. It is because the immigration officers are now asking for Authenticated Invitation Letters coming from the sponsors in the destination country. That is required if you plan to stay on your friend/relative's house. For package tours, I think this is not required. Authenticated means you have to get a notarized letter from the Philippine embassy. For people bound for Singapore, the resident/OFW/expat would have to go to the embassy in Nassim road. But since the embassy is open only from Sunday to Thursday wuth office Hours at 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-5pm, the sponsor would have to take a leave just to get it. One leave to pass the requirement and another to get the sealed envelop with the the authenticated letter inside. In short, it's a big hassle and expensive. Before we proceed, here are the requirements when trying to get an authenticate invitation letter.

IC or EPASS or SPASS
Your Passport
Photocopy of Passport (the page with ID)
Copy of Passport of visitor
Pen
Filled out invitation letter form (available at the embassy)

But do we really need it? Here's what the Vice Consul in Singapore has to say.

Please be informed that the Affidavit of Invitation, or the invitation letter, may be required by the Immigration officer at the airport in the Philippines to verify the traveler's status as a bonafide tourist. This requirement was reinstituted as a preventive measure against illegal recruitment and human trafficking, which has recently risen in incidence. The sponsor or host in Singapore will need to execute the Affidavit of Invitation at the Embassy for the person in the Philippines being invited. This Affidavit, in the original, may be requested by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration upon the departure of the invitee from the Philippines. This Affidavit of Invitation is not a guarantee that the invitee will be allowed to travel and enter Singapore

Okay, we got the point -- trafficking and illegal recruitment. But you have to prove that you are a bonafide tourist? Would the letter prove that you are not recruited illegally? If people are hired direcyly by companies here in Singapore, is that illegal recruitment? What about our right to travel? All the while, I thought all we need is a valid passport with at least 6 months validity and visa issued by the destination country if required. But what happens here is that you need a visa to be able to travel outside the country and it's your own country that's requiring you to have one on top phe passport. And this stupidity is costing a lot of money to our poor breathrens. Case in point, a friend had to go here in Singapore in a short notice to inspect the medical chest of a ship that will pass by Singapore. The ship will only anchor for six hours to resupply so she had to fly immediately. But our good immigration officers thought that she's not telling the truth and she's just going here to find a job. She almost missed her flight when she was interrogated in a room in the immigration area. Luckily, she was allowed to leave. She's back there in the Philippines now but her employer is worried that she won't be able to inspect their client ships later. It's a big hassle for them and it will cost a lot of money. Potentially, they'll lose the client. A more unfortunate case is when the cousin of my officemate wasn't allowed to board the plane. She's only coming here for a short visit (4days) and to go to Universal Studios Singapore (they got tickets and all). She was supposed to board on the same flight as my officemate and also plans to stay in her flat. But she was also sent to the interrogation room (including my friend who is an employment pass holder here) and was treated harshly. They were saying that they felt like they are criminals and terrorists. In the end, her friend was not allowed to board. Goodbye 10,000 ticket, goodbye terminal fee and goodbye travel tax. There's a lot of similar cases (wasted tickets) that you can read in PinoySG. Now my officemate is worried that her sister will not be allowed to visit her this September. She bought the tickets months ago. So already submitted the invitation letter, she'll get it next Monday. But do you know how painful it is to get that stupid authenticated invitation letter? Below are some of the gripes.

The price of authentication is $42 and then you'll have to send it via LBC/DHL for another $15+. That's about $70. In comparison, you can buy a return ticket for $150. That's about $75 per one way.
You have to go the Philippine embassy twice, first to submit the invitation letter and the second to get it after three days.
The Philippine embassy opens at 9am, that means you have to be there before that. That also mean you have to take a leave at least once.
At 8am, even on a Tuesday, there is a line snaking in the Philippine embassy. Now, imagine if you go there on a Sunday. It's even worse, you have to line up just to get in the embassy premises and the queue again when you get in.
The 'grilling' process is particularly harsh for women
You're already paying the travel tax plus the terminal fee and then this one, another kind of travel tax

And then there's another twist. If you are a 'conio', you won't encounter this problem. It's a subtle discrimination if you will. If you look like a rich kid, then chances are you'll be able to pass immigration without trouble. But what about the people with money who just didn't look like a 'mayaman'? Ultimately, this rule is subject to abuse... and then there's one who shared an experience.

and then upon completing the application form Mr.T asked me if i have an invitation letter, so i gave him an invitation from my friend, attached in there is my friend's NRIC ID and passport copy. He asked me for my company ID so i show him my ID, He asked me where is my leave form, i show him my leave form... haayyysss... and after that i was still denied... i already think that this might happen to me because i have a friend working in the immigration told me to bring all those requirements because those are the possible requirements the IO may ask from me.. if i cannot present any of them i might be denied.. and they are doing this for a "LAGAY" and that is P1500.. this is the dirty business in the immigration... As much as possible i don't want to asked help to my friend inside the immigration

Read the whole comment from the link below. I cannot vouch for the comments in this blog, though. http://jel-sg-life.blogspot.com/2010/05/invitation-letter-for-singapore.html?showComment=1284314687061#c6814697751701919975 And this is not limited for people going to Singapore. The link below shows the frustrations that some of our kababayans went through. http://www.filipinouk.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/27522-Very-angry-and-very-frustrated!! There's a lot of similar stories in Pinoysg.com forum. And hat tip to Jel of jel-sg- life.blogspot.com for answering the queries posted by his readers. More than the post, read the comments. Link below. http://jel-sg-life.blogspot.com/2010/05/invitation-letter-for-singapore.html

Alvarez Sacked by Pnoy, Magsaysay Grinning Ear-to-Ear

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:03:00 +0000

Poor Lito Alvarez. He has stepped on some very big fishes and his head is now on the chop board. But I think the guy is good. He is only getting warmed up and he's now getting the boot. I hope the person who will replace him will as good or even better.

Look, I never saw so much Custom people getting relieved and so many cases being filed before he took the job. He was the one who found out about those 2000 containers missing. He initiated investigations of transactions in the past. And this is what he gets? Ridiculous to say the least. Is P'noy giving in to the pressure?

I pity Alvarez because he had to handle pressure from all sides. One from the numerous people wanting his post especially from the allies of Pinoy, another from the corrupt employees from Bureau of Customs, third from the people like Mitos Magsaysay who would pounce on every opportunity to crush the person (her minions and businesses may have been affected) and last but not the least, the businessmen who are affected by the crackdown. On top of that, P'noy is also putting pressure on him.

But he is brave. He stood his ground and continue to do his job. But P'noy has other things in mind. Sad, sad day. He may have some faults but he doesn't deserve this treatment. And the way the sacking was handled is so unprofessional. How come it wasn't informed personally or at least someone phoned him to tell him that he will be replaced. He's the last to know!

At any rate, here's a link love for Avida Towers Sucat.

When in Foreign Country, STFU!

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:59:00 +0000

I pity our fellow Pinoy here in Singapore, Rachelle Ann Beguia. She is being scorned for her comments on MP Penny Low's (Minister of Parliament, like Congressman in PH) Facebook page. She was actually defending Penny Low on another issue (glancing at her smartphone during national anthem) but in doing so, she berated the commenter and left racist remarks. It's a monumental mistake on her part to actually leave racist comments on that page. She broke one of the most important rules as a foreign national in Singapore. If you're on a foreign country -- shut the fuck up. You're not in the Philippines where you can simply lambast online to your heart's content the corrupt Philippine government officials. Here in Singapore, let the Singaporeans criticize their own. Again, shut the fuck up.

Her actions are truly regrettable but is it really her who left those comments? In another development, her Singaporean husband, Mr Gay Chao Hui, is taking the blame. He's saying, on one of his postings on Penny Low's page that it was actually him who left the comments using his wife's account. Singapore netizens are wary and Temasek Review also think it may be a desperate attempt to save Rachelle from all the online rants. However they also think that it is plausible given that Mr Gay has left comments on pinoysg, a Filipino online forum. The way I see it, the comments were left by the couple and the husband is now trying to cover for his wife.

Regardless of who actually left the comments, the damage has been done. We're not even talking about whether what was said was true or not. Regardless, there are things that should be left unsaid. It may not sound right, but as they say, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"

Aside from the monumental mistake of leaving a scathing and racist comment on a public forum, the bigger problem is that they used their actual names and with all their details open to the public. Ok yeah, they might be brave enough to own up but it's just about that. Some of these netizens are tech savvy and some are good enough to dig everything about you. So, another lesson -- KEEP YOUR PROFILES PRIVATE! We don't really care where you work or how successful you are. Heck, with all the details they provided in facebook, someone might be able to access their bank accounts.

But you know what, the majority of the Singaporeans just don't give a damn. Most are too busy to care, actually. So who are these people ranting on the net? Go figure.

Here's the link of the Temasek Review article.

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/08/13/gay-chao-hui-in-pinoy-forum-i-am-very-embarrassed-to-be-singaporean/

Gooch Bar Strip Tease Video

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Sometimes, I love XXX - Eksklusibong Explosibong Expose. Just like the other day, they reported on the Gooch Bar in Malolos that features 'student' strip teases almost daily. Their informant, Emille, showed them a video of strip teasing girls. In that video, a supposedly drank girl removed her blouse with only the bra and skirt left.

However, I'll bet my neighbor's car that these girls are not students. Hell, at least one of the dancers can pass as mothers of the supposed students.

Pre-Nup at Libingan ng mga Bayani Ruckus

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 02:08:00 +0000

The pre-wedding pictorial of a couple in the Libingan ng mga Bayani is now in the spotlight because of the supposed desecration of the graves of our brave men and women. The cemetery is quite popular for pre-nuptial shoots. For the longest time, the American cemetery and our own Libingan ng mga Bayani have been listed as two of the most popular pre-nup areas because of its calmness, tranquility and expansive green areas with almost no one around. Couples pay to do a pre-nup there.

It got this kind of attention when some soldiers/former soldiers/soldiers wannabes coupled with some trolls in a Philippine defense forum made a fuss about it and even created a Facebook page denouncing the shoot. Honestly, I can't get the . It's a non-issue. If there's anything wrong here, it's the fact that the output of East Digital is boring at best, garbage at worst. It's definitely not their best photo shoot.

Actually, it's just a copycat of the Black Wedding Pre-nup of Kamikaze frontman Jay Contreras with wife Sarah Abad. It's a poor second-rate trying hard copycat, if I may add. So what are they going to say to Jay Contreras, then? Is it okay for Kamikaze to do that because they did it on the half-buried American cemetery in Clark?

I can't really say that the couple desecrated the niches of the buried soldiers there. It is never the intention and it isn't.

Can I say overreaction? I pity the couple. They became victims of an online lynch mob. They don't deserve to be crucified like this. I hope their wedding push through as planned. Hopefully they won't get affected by the cubicle wannabe soldiers who have nothing to do with their lives.

The Honorable Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:57:00 +0000

In the Philippines, it is customary that elected officials are called "honorable". It doesn't matter if that elected official deserves to be called honorable or not, as a matter of courtesy they are called as such. You'll always see "Hon." prefix for their name. So your mayor should be called Hon. Juan Buwaya Dela Cruz.

But that is always true only on official functions and usually only when the elected official is in his constituency area. When it comes to facebook, it is a major fail if you still insist to have that prefix on your name. So if you have a name "Honorable Maria Palmer" plastered on your facebook, you must be narcissistic at the very least.

But I don't really expect people adding honorable on their name inside facebook. Alas, my expectation is different from reality.... presenting... Honorable...

Again, as a matter of courtesy, I blocked some parts of the screenshot. But the initial of this official is J.A. The surname is the surname of some very very influential family in the country.

Pacman - Mosley Private Stream

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:33:00 +0000

It is not exactly private but not a lot of people know about this stream. Hopefully it stays that way.

And more than that, I hope we see a lot of action. And yeah, PACQUIAO FOR THE WIN!

Live Broadcast by Ustream.TV

I have high respect for Shane Mosley and I must admit that this fight can go either way. Whatever the outcome is, we should be proud of these two gentlemen.

By the way, drop your comments on the chat below.

How Come Binay Is The Most Trusted Official?

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:09:00 +0000

In a lunchtime discussion a month ago, my friends and I have touched on the obvious maneuvering by Binay and his grin is ear-to-ear when the execution of the Filipino drug mules was postponed after his visit. And now, Pulse Asia released the results of the survey saying Binay is the most trusted government official. I say what?!?!!!?!

Well played, Jojo. Very well played. So here's what we think happened. There are three Filipinos on the death row in China scheduled for execution. The topic is hotly debated in the news especially the sorry fate of one of the three. Sympathy is pouring in and public emotion is high. It's a perfect time to strike. Binay got the job to go to China. China, for some reason, granted a postponement of the execution. He comes back to Manila proud of what he did. His machinery then acted fast to commission a survey. And we now have the results.

So here's the main stories during that time.
1. the diplomatic row between the Philippines and Taiwan over the deportation of 14 Taiwanese nationals to China
2. Government efforts to save three Filipinos facing execution in China for drug trafficking
3. the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution
4. the evacuation of Filipinos in Libya amidst the ongoing civil unrest in the country.

Of the four developing stories when the survey was made, Binay was "successful" (if you call it that) item #2. He is also active in item #3 and got his face plastered all over the idiot box during this time. And also this time, Mar Roxas is somewhat unsuccessful on this trip to Taiwan. It's like Binay trumping Mar once again. The last, Libyan crisis, has very little effect (if there's any) in the survey because he did not handle it and is probably late in the survey period.

But what did he actually accomplished? None. The Chinese will still execute the three convicted drug mules next week. By the end of the month, they will be dead. I don't know if you can call that an excellent job.

As for the Taiwan problem? The Taiwanese representative already came back to Manila. The extra requirements for Taiwanese visa were dropped last week. Roxas did not take credit for it and the media did not actually pay too much attention on it since the topic is no longer sensational.

But you have to give it to Binay's machinery for doing an excellent(if not shady) job. His PR machines is just so effective.

UPDATE 1: The three were just executed. Let's pray for them.

UPDATE 2: A friend is fuming mad when told me he got a spam text frim Binay camp. The spam text is supposedly congratulating Binay for his successful trip to China. It was about the same time when the survey was conducted. My friend is apolitical so it's something if he comments about politics.

Donaire Jr. vs Chino Trinidad on Twitter War

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:55:00 +0000

We are not yet done with the little war started by Angelica Panganiban and here we are getting warmed up by the latest twitter war between the Donaires and several sports columnists/commentators. To be specific, the names of Chino Trinidad, Manny Piñol and Granville Ampong are all mentioned.

The issue here is that the journalists are insinuating that Donaire, Jr. and wife, Rachel, reconciled with the elder Donaire just to save their own asses. Apparently, Donaire, Sr. is bent on suing the couple for libel and defamation. What irked JunJun is that the rift is supposedly been settled already. On top of that, the columnists are pointing the fingers solely to Rachel as the reason why the father and son had a falling out.

Ok, I'm not a big fan of Donaire, Jr. but I admire his skills and I'm proud of him not just because he's a fellow Filipino but because he's really good. Likewise, I hate Rachel and sees her as a social climber. However, I don't think the couple deserve all the tirades of Chino and company.

Too bad, Chino has stopped his tirades already. Let's see what happens next. Tomorrow is another day. There may be more tweets to come.

Mrs. Ligot, Please Don't Die

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:40:00 +0000

The wife of former AFP Comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot, Erlinda Y. Ligot, was excused from the hearing because of high blood pressure she is experiencing just before the senators started asking her questions.

If she dies, some important links and details will be gone. Although the paper trails are already incriminating, she should still be tried in a court of justice(which I believe she is, she and her husband have pending cases in the Sandigan Bayan). At any rate, I hope she does not die soon. Her cell is waiting for her and the money they got from the people should be recovered. For sure, the Filipino people don't deserve another dead witness/accused!

Three Men in SG Used Fake Money Printed on InkJet

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:02:00 +0000

I just read the news today here in Singapore wherein three men were sentenced to 8 years in jail for printing and using fake Singapore notes. And so you thought it only happens in the Philippines.

What's funny about it is that the guys printed the notes on their printer. The main suspect, Narindran Sangara Banoi, scanned the paper notes and then printed it on the inkjet printer. He then distributed it to his accomplices. Of course, they are all in jail now.

I don't know what came to their mind but in texture and color alone, the printed money is already different. It can be easily spotted. On top of that, there are other security features in the notes. Oh well, they had it coming. I pity them because they did this due to financial difficulties.

Here's the complete article --> http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/02/12/three-men-jailed-for-using-counterfeit-currency/

Trillanes Should Join Reyes in the Grave

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:28:00 +0000

I don't know if it's just me but what Trillanes did in that forgettable hearing decimating the character of Reyes is plain and simple "Power Trip". Maybe he didn't listen when Spiderman said that power comes with responsibility.The sadder news about it is that Trillanes even thinks that he did not do anything wrong. That's contrary to what happened to Captain Gambala and company who admitted that what they did was wrong and they felt "used". Oh right, maybe Trillanes became honorable when he connived with the communists to topple the Arroyo government.

Trillanes is just as crook as the people he is criticizing. He is a power tripping soldier with Messiah Complex. Someone who thinks he's better than others, know-it-all man and more powerful than anybody else. And he is not shy on showing it.

But his circus did not do any good to the country. It actually caused more harm. That's because instead getting the truth, he pushed Reyes over the edge. Now, the man is dead and one more piece of the puzzle is missing. And that's why I said he better join the man in the grave. Again, as I have said, I don't like Gen. Reyes. But to disrespect a man, regardless of whatever he did, is just unacceptable and unbecoming of a senator. He is a senator and he should act like one.

In the end, I think the hearing is not really about the corruption but simply to get back at General Reyes. Trillanes and Jinggoy has been waiting for this very moment. Alex Magno explained it beautifully.

If we want to know the meaning of character assassination, simply replay the video clip of this moment. If words could kill, Trillanes would be the defendant.

If we need an icon for the arrogance of power, this moment was it. If we need to personify impertinence, Trillanes would be the man.

Angelo Reyes, who prided himself in his ample record of achievement in the public service was so cruelly humiliated by one whose only claim to fame was a funny mutiny. It was a moment of such unjust cruelty. It visibly broke Reyes’ heart long before a bullet did.

You can read the complete article at http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=656023&publicationSubCategoryId=64

Yes, I agree. Trillanes is a traitor and the new Icon for Arrogance of Power aggravated by his affliction of the "messiah complex".

So Long, Soldier Angelo Reyes

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:40:00 +0000

ABS-CBN is reporting the Former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes has died of apparent suicide. He shot himself in the chest in front of his mother's tomb at the Loyola Memorial Gardens. He expired at the Quezon City Memorial Hospital where he was brought by his family.

It's a sad news, indeed. And it is not just that he died but also the fact that there's an ongoing investigation on the supposed 'pabaon' system in the Armed Forces of the Philippines where he served as Chief of Staff. With his death, there will be important details that will no longer be investigated. He can neither clear his name nor defend himself of accusations thrown at him. Depending on where you stand, one can say that he is either guilty or not.

So Long, Soldier. May you rest in peace.

------------
On a side note, if I can remember correctly, Loyola is also where Mr. Borlongan of Urban Bank killed himself. And in related news, abs-cbnnews.com keeps on crashing due to deluge of visitors.

MMDA: Bus Explosion Along Edsa-Buendia Photos (25-Jan-2011)

noreply@blogger.com (SuperSawsaw) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:44:00 +0000

A Newman Goldliner bus exploded in the northbound lane of EDSA near Buendia-MRT loading bay. Here's some photos by @mmda. Apparently, there's one dead and multiple injured. Suffice to say, traffic in EDSA northbound is heavy.

According to MMDA, the transmission of the bus exploded. But of course, investigation is still on-going. Reports say that a bomb may have caused the explosion.

All images shared by MMDA via twitpic

Here's a tweet from MMDA.
URGENT ADVSRY:EDSA N/B closed indefinitely from Ayala to Buendia. Affected vehicles, take McKinley or Buendia f/o or C5 or SLEX#mmda

P.S.
You have to credit MMDA for creating that twitter account. It's quite useful.