Another earthquake has hit the country this year. It is a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The epicenter is at 139 kilometer east of Sulangan, Samar. Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued in the provinces that faces the Pacific ocean and some countries that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Earthquakes are either caused by explosive volcanic eruptions or can be triggered by tectonic activity associated with plate margin and faults. Earthquake causes shaking or ground ruptures, landslides and avalanches, fires, tsunami, floods and casualties such as injury, loss of life and property damage.
Since earthquakes are not predictable, it is best that everyone should know how to respond to this situation for safety. Here is an earthquake safety tip from Geology.com:
Earthquake Safety Tips How to Survive an Earthquake
A little knowledge and a few precautionary measures can enormously increase your chances of surviving an earthquake - or any other type of hazard. The keys are education and preparing in advance. The earthquake safety tips below will not make you an expert. However, they could make a life-saving difference if you find yourself in an earthquake situation. Invest in your personal safety by studying below.
Before the Earthquake:
Learn how to survive during the ground motion. This is described in the "During the Earthquake" section below. The earthquake safety tips there will prepare you for the fast action needed - most earthquakes are over in seconds so knowing what to do instinctively is very important.
Teach all members of your family about earthquake safety. This includes: 1) the actions you should take when an earthquake occurs, 2) the safe places in a room such as under a strong desk, along interior walls, and 3) places to avoid such as near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture and fireplaces.
Stock up on emergency supplies. These include: battery operated radio (and extra batteries), flashlights (and extra batteries), first aid kit, bottled water, two weeks food and medical supplies, blankets, cooking fuel, tools needed to turn off your gas, water and electric utilities.
Arrange your home for safety: Store heavy objects on lower shelves and store breakable objects in cabnents with latched doors. Don't hang heavy mirrors or pictures above where people frequently sit or sleep.
Anchor heavy appliances and furniture such as water heaters, refrigerators and bookcases.
Store flamable liquids away from potential ignition sources such as water heaters, stoves and furnaces.
Get Educated. Learn what to do during an earthquake (see below). Then you will be ready for the fast action needed. Make sure that all members of your family have this important education.
Learn where the main turn-offs are for your water, gas and electricity. Know how to turn them off and the location of any needed tools.
During the Earthquake:
If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and be located near the structural strong points of the room. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture, heavy appliances or fireplaces.
If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.
If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you. Move away from buildings, powerlines and trees.
If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. Avoid stopping on or under bridges and overpasses, or under power lines, trees and large signs. Stay in your car.
After the Earthquake:
Check for injuries, attend to injuries if needed, help ensure the safety of people around you.
Check for damage. If your building is badly damaged you should leave it until it has been inspected by a safety professional.
If you smell or hear a gas leak, get everyone outside and open windows and doors. If you can do it safely, turn off the gas at the meter. Report the leak to the gas company and fire department. Do not use any electrical appliances because a tiny spark could ignite the gas.
If the power is out, unplug major appliances to prevent possible damage when the power is turned back on. If you see sparks, frayed wires, or smell hot insulation turn off electricity at the main fuse box or breaker. If you will have to step in water to turn off the electricity you should call a professional to turn it off for you.
Here is another earthquake safety tip, "DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON". The method encourages people not to run outside during an earthquake, but rather DROP down onto the hands and knees, COVER the head and neck and HOLD ON to the shelter.
(Here are questions taken from PAG MAY BAGYO COLLEGE LANG ANG MAY PASOK, ANONG TINGIN NIYO SA AMIN WATERPROOF)
Teacher: Please get a 1 whole sheet of paper. Answer briefly. No cheating. If caught, automatic zero.
1. Nasaan ang corn sa Corned Beef? 2. Kailan matatapos ang Walang Hanggan? 3. Ilan ang butas ng Skyflakes? 4. Kelan gumraduate si Graduated Cylinder? 5. Convert Instagram to Kilogram. Show your Solution. 6. Where did Rachelle Ann Go? 7. Kaano-ano ni PNoy si Kim Balot? 8. Bakit wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska? 9. Ano ang Sikreto ni Victoria? Patunayan. 10. Would you dare to step-out without makeup? 11. What is the World's second anti-dandruff shampoo? 12. Why does Jennifer Love Hewitt? 13. Why is Chris Brown? 14. Where does Sandara Park? 15. Anong meron sa cobra na kung meron ka nito wala kang talo? 16. Kaanu-ano ni Dora the Explorer ang Internet Explorer?
Teacher: Submit your papers! Finish or not finish!
Aside from hero/heroine which is the main character of the story and his or her love interest, of course, one of the most important and unforgettable element of a series or movie, is the villain, antagonist or kontrabidas. Whether in koreanovelas, telenovelas, movies and your favorite Pinoy soap operas, kontrabidas are equally important as the hero/heroine. They make the life of the hero/heroine miserable with their treacherous plots, their characters and eventually, screen presence. Audiences usually love to hate these kontrabidas and at the same time, will be more pitiful to the hero/heroine. As one blogger quotes, (hope this is not plagiarizing) "A good villain can save a bad movie. A great villain can elevate a weak film. A great villain in a great movie is matchless cinema history."
There are lots of good names in both Philippine cinemas and television that usually played as kontrabida. Some of them, in males, were Pacquito Diaz , John Regala and Johnny Delgado. In females, there is Bella Flores, Gladys Reyes, Jean Garcia, Cherie Gil and lot more.
Kontrabidas are characters that usually treats the hero/heroine miserably. They do it because the hero/heroine gets in the way of what they want i.e. love interest, wealth and family fortune, fame, power or a simple misunderstanding. They also do it out of revenge against the family of the hero/heroine or to the hero/heroine. The bottom line is that these characters also has a back story and they do things also with a purpose.
So what are the criteria to be a good kontrabida?
1. Must show anger and jealousy
2. Must be wiser than the hero/heroine
3. Or also, must be richer than the hero/heroine
4. Usually, must be spoil brat, arrogant etc. born with silver platter and also "maarte" to be convincing
5. Must be ready to do treacherous plots from simple things to humiliate the main character to planting bombs.Must know how to slap (with precision and proper technique), even know how to use a gun
6. Must have a rich vocabulary to give the best unforgettable quote in the end, and must be in English. But if in action films, must be in Tagalog.
Watch this video from Benchingko on how to be an effective kontrabida:
As usual, in the end, kontrabidas will reap what they sow. Oftentimes, they will meet the consequences of their actions in a tragic way. Audiences will just love it. There are some though that would ask forgiveness to the hero/heroine and will live a new life by either staying or going out of the country (usually going to the US).
Cinemas and movies may not be good if there is no kontrabida in the film. Without villains, there is no hero/heroine and there is no conflict.
Yesterday, we had a journey to what a place called Simala. It is a shrine dedicated to Our Lady who made a miracle a few years ago. This is my second time going there with family, and the first time happened four years ago.
The first time I came here, there was only a church. But now, they built an extension (the one with the towers). The shrine looks like a castle from afar.
As you are going to the shrine, there is big statue of Our Lady that stood facing the church. There is also an arch with a crown atop as you are going there.
Going to the church needs a stair which is on the right one. The one with a straight path is for some pilgrims who are unable to walk. On the other hand, the left stairs is for exit.
We head to the right stair and go to an area where candles are lit up and a small space for writing our letters, petitions and thanksgiving.
Different candle colors with different stories
We write some letters and drop it on a box. We also lit up some candles. The candles are tall and there are different colors with different purpose/petitions, for example, the red one is for Love, the green one is for exams or financial business, or gold for good health.
The candle area and the petition area is just beside the church.
The church altar
Anyway, as we go to an area where we could see the Miraculous image, there are cabinets where there are testimonials came from people who had visited the place. Some are successful in their studies while some are healed. Before going to see the statue, it is a need to take off the shoes and slippers.
That day, there are only a few people visited the shrine. The queue is not that long as well. After seeing the image, we headed to an area or gallery where there are different images of Mother Mary in all parts of the world.
There is also a display of some things that are significant during the miracle of the Miraculous Mother Mary. We go downstairs later on and go back to where we left our shoes and slippers.
(Before I begin, this is only an opinion post or my point of view.)
On social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, netizens slammed a man named Robert Blair Carabuena. Carabuena caught on tape mauls an MMDA officer, Mang Saturnino Fabros. The said bullying rooted from what is just a simple traffic violation made by Carabuena after he refused to stop his vehicle in an intersection.
There is no doubt that it is entirely Carabuena's fault. He made the traffic violation and the MMDA officer did only what his job - to direct and to ease traffic situation in that area. It could still be tolerable to the public. However, the way that man behaves and assaulting the MMDA officer could never be tolerable. While Carabuena insults and slams him, the poor MMDA officer, of 47 years old, keep his temper, thinking about his family.
Image is not owned by me
What then?
Carabuena show some of the ugly images of the society - not following the law and disrespecting the traffic officer. True or not, people don't follow the law or ordinances. Even simple things such as segregation, not throwing trash anywhere and even NO STOPPING ANYTIME (for PUJ), we just ignore it. We just don't take it seriously and continue to violate it because we think it is tolerable and the government don't take that violation seriously. In a country where discipline were not as much as like Singapore, it is no wonder. The assaulting and mauling incidence like in Carabuena and some cases listed by MMDA proves only that the local police and traffic enforcers that are not respected as public institution and keeper of peach and order . How bad! Those people get only less salary than an executive and their work are far more dangerous than being in the office.
The incidence shows that some rich people thinks that they are more superior than those are lesser in them, when in fact, it is not and never it is. Even though they have all the power and wealth but still there is no right for someone to bully, spunk and humiliate someone. No one should be above the law or the right to step someone's right.
Anyway, what the netizens are talks about him and commenting against him to the point of saying insulting words through social media is just way below the belt. Yes, he is wrong and should punish for him to learn and others not to do the same but no, he doesn't deserve to be called as such. He is still and should be respected as a person with dignity as same as that officer and all other other people. Bullying him couldn't do a good thing even in cyber space. It makes no difference to what he did.
In the end, the incidence could reflect our own society. The society were some rich dominates, some people don't follow law, some people don't respect others and some people has the freedom of expression yet never used it for the good of others nor used it moderately. It is not then, he should tagged but others should as "Wild Barney".
