All,

To anyone who has read his story, http://retirephilippines.wetpaint.com/page/Agusan+del+Sur+-+A+Philippine+Journal will feel that they know 'Murf'. He came here to see out his last days in his piece of paradise.

That he has done & I am sorry to say that he died today

RIP. He will be missed but at least, not forgotten.

Keith & Dee.

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I have just read on another forum that Murf was on, that just a few days after he died, his wife Jen has no money, is not named on his bank account, so cannot withdraw funds and doesn't know how to claim (or even if indeed she can) his Army (Marine) pension. I find this totally unbelievable, that someone who knows he has a terminal illness & constantly proclaims his adoration for his wife, apparently, has made no plans for her financial well being after he has gone.

Am I the exception here? After all I hear so often that guys wont buy a house here because it wont be in their name. Like they don't trust their Asawa. I have made as many preparations as I can to ensure Dee will be ok after I have gone. Joint accounts here & back home. Named on my pension as next of kin etc.

There seems to be an attitude I cannot understand from some, of "I love her BUT I don't trust her with my money".

I hope time will show, I was wrong & Jen gets the financial support she has a right to but needing funds NOW to bury her husband is sad indeed. I hope all who visit this site do plan for the time that comes to us all & make sure that their loved ones a cared for in the short, medium & long terms.

Uzi

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85% of Filipinos satisfied with everyday freedoms

MANILA - Filipinos enjoy the best freedoms among the 20 Asian countries included in the recent 104-country study done by the London-based Legatum Institute in tandem with Gallup World Poll and other groups.

“Filipinos enjoy excellent freedom of movement, religion, and speech, and 85% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the freedoms afforded to them in their daily lives,” the poll found.

Japan was second and Taiwan third. In the bottom of the list was Pakistan.

“Freedom of movement, religion, and speech are strongly upheld in Japan,” according to the poll, “and fully 83% of respondents were satisfied with the freedoms afforded them in their daily lives.”

As for Taiwan, residents have many freedoms despite notable dissatisfaction with their daily affairs. Only 64% of respondents were satisfied with their personal freedoms.

Pakistan has the most restricted freedoms of all countries polled.

“In a setting of extreme political and regional instability, freedom of movement, religion, and speech are nearly non-existent in Pakistan,” the poll found.

Worldwide, Norwegians enjoy the best personal freedoms, followed by the Danes and the Canadians.

The freedom poll is part of the Legatum Prosperity Index 2009, which is a continuation of an annual ranking of 104 countries based on a number of prosperity-driving factors such as economic fundamentals, democratic institutions, governance, health, education, entrepreneurship and personal freedoms. (Newsbreak)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/04/09/rps-freedoms-best-asia-poll

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Is this the start of efforts to control the crazy bus operators & drivers we all live with here?


A day after a deadly bus accident in Isabela province, authorities ordered Thursday the grounding of the entire 100-plus-unit fleet of the bus firm involved.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Alberto Suansing said that in August, he already warned of grounding of buses of firms involved in accidents, after the deadly road smashup in Quezon province. In past instances, he noted bus firms have several franchises that allow their other units to continue operating if one franchise is suspended.

Also, he pointed out that he had already given enough warning about the possibility of grounding of entire fleets, if one of the units gets involved in deadly accident.

Suansing was referring to a bus accident last August, when at least eight passengers were killed after two buses figured in a head-on collision in Lucena City in Quezon province.

"I already gave a warning that if there is another accident like that, I will suspend not only the franchise but I will ground the entire fleet," he added.

He said the suspension is preventive and will last while the LTFRB investigates the incident. "We will see if that bus was authorized to travel along that route, and what the driver did," he said.

At least nine people were killed after a Dagupan Bus Lines unit with body number 168 collided head-on with a pickup truck and hit a second pickup truck in Cauayan City in Isabela before dawn Wednesday. The bus then fell into a ravine.

Suansing downplayed fears the suspension may lead to a shortage of buses plying northbound routes for the All Saints' weekend. "It will not cause a shortage of buses. There are other firms applying for special permits," he said.

GMANews.TV

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All,

Per's house in Naga, South of Cebu City is on the market for sale. See Per's contact details on the end of his video for more details.

http://retirephilippines.wetpaint.com/page/Per%27s+house+continued

Uzi.

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so can i set up a busness in the phil for say 20,000 au and will it return enough to live on..
also what type of bus is recommended?

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This is copied from another site & is written by a Pinoy. An interesting POV:

The difference between the poor countries and the rich ones is not the age of the country: This can be shown by countries like India & Egypt , that are more than 2000 years old, but are poor.

On the other hand, Canada , Australia & New Zealand , that 150 years ago were inexpressive, today are developed countries, and are rich.

The difference between poor & rich countries does not reside in the available natural resources.

Japan has a limited territory, 80% mountainous, inadequate for agriculture & cattle raising, but it is the second world economy. The country is like an immense floating factory, importing raw materials from the whole world and exporting manufactured products.

Another example is Switzerland, which does not plant cocoa but has the best chocolate in the world. In its little territory they raise animals and plant the soil during 4 months per year. Not enough, they produce dairy products of the best quality! It is a small country that transmits an image of security, order & labor, which made it the world's strongest, safest place.

Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference.

Race or skin color are also not important: immigrants labeled lazy in their countries of origin are the productive power in rich European countries.

What is the difference then? The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education & the culture & flawed tradition.

CONT>>>

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Hi All,

I don't do this often, but I've got my tin out collecting

I'm on the Board of Trustees for a large local NGO called the Guardians Brotherhood Inc.

Our roughly 500,000 members began in the AFP / PNP but we now have a large civilian contingent, including a handful of foreigners like me.

70% of the Armed Forces have their families living in squatter accomodation, a disgraceful scenario, and many of our members have been badly affected by the recent flood devastation caused by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. Our Operation Tulong is to provide urgent help to them

I'm looking for anything that can assist our members in need - cash of course, but also clean used clothing, food stuffs, blankets...

As I mentioned, I'm on the Board of this SEC Registered entity and can assure that every peso or item given will reach a needy family

You can view more info on "The Guardians" at http://www.guardians.ph

Please message me directly if you can help and I'll be in touch pronto

Thanks in advance

Steve

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At the weekend, PAGASA gave out a weather forecast of clear skies & sun for the next 4 days. Well here we are Wednesday, dark, heavy rain & windy. Well done guys :-(

Current forecast:

FORECAST: SOUTHERN LUZON, VISAYAS AND MINDANAO WILL EXPERIENCE CLOUDY SKIES WITH SCATTERED RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING WIDESPREAD RAINS OVER VISAYAS WHICH MAY TRIGGER FLASHFLOODS AND LANDSLIDES. THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WILL HAVE PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY SKIES WITH ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS MOSTLY IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS BLOWING FROM THE NORTHEAST AND NORTH WILL PREVAIL OVER LUZON AND VISAYAS AND COMING FROM THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST OVER THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGHOUT THE ARCHIPELAGO WILL BE SLIGHT TO MODERATE EXCEPT DURING THUNDERSTORMS.

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Hi Murf,

You have no idea how much I was laughing at your frustration as I read your story. Remember our phone call last Friday. Now you understand why, if I had a cat it would have been cowering under the table.

As I have found, you need a completely different approach to getting things done here. What you expect to be hard, so often shocks you with how easily it is resolved but omg how the easy can be turned into a hair pulling, teeth gnashing affair. Letting that frustration spill over into the conversations is so often self defeating & a calm logical approach gets the job done...eventually.

Another classic Murf story though & as ever an entertaining read.

Ingat

Uzi.

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