BLOGGED PHILIPPINES

                                 Image via Wikipedia The Malacañang Palace via Procalamation No. . 276 declares November 7, 2011 (Monday) as a regular non-working holiday throughout the Philippines. This is for the observance of a Muslim event EIDUL ADHA (FEAST OF SACRIFICE). Eidul Adha is one of the two greatest Muslim feast celebrated annually. All those who will be required by their employers to work on that day should receive extra compensation according to Labor Code. Source:  http://www.gov.ph/2011/10/20/proclamation-no-276-s-2011/

Yesterday, I tried to book a ticket on Philippine Airlines (PAL). I used my HSBC MasterCard as usual but an unexpected thing happened. I reached the payment part where I was redirected to HSBC SecurePay page. Then, I entered my personal information. When I pressed confirm, I received an error message saying that the transaction is denied because I failed to identify myself correctly. At first, I thought maybe, I committed an error like misspelling when I was filling the web form. So I did it again from the very start. And guess what? The transaction is denied again for the same reason. I tried once more but with no success. I started suspecting that there’s something wrong in the system. I already booked several tickets in the past but I have never encountered this error before. I reasoned that if it is a problem in my card, then I couldn’t have used it in the past.

Image via Wikipedia This afternoon I received a call from a woman who introduced herself as a representative of a local Philippine Bank. She first asked me if I already had a credit card and when I answered "yes", she immediately invited me to their current so-called promo: "they are offering a credit card without requirements ". I know she meant that no physical documents and papers are to be submitted. Also, she mentioned that they are the lowest interest-paying credit card bank in the Philippines . At first it sounded very interesting to me but my mind changed as soon as she asked me some information that, in my opinion, is VERY CONFIDENTIAL and divulging them to someone who just called you on the phone may pose some security threat. Here's what she asked me.

Image via Wikipedia Tropical depression Ramon is threatening to swipe the entire Visayas region based on the latest forecast from DOST-PAGASA as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). As of 11 AM today, Ramon is located 245 KM East of Hinatuan, Surigao de Sur and continues to threaten Northeastern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas regions . Ramon has a sustained wind velocity of 55 kph near the center. Public Storm Warning Signal Number 1 has already been raised in the following areas: Eastern Samar  Western Samar  Leyte Provinces  Bohol  Biliran  Camotes Island  Northern Cebu  Northern Negros  Northern Iloilo  Capiz  Masbate  Ticao Island Surigao Del Norte  Siargao Island  Surigao Del Sur  Dinagat Group of Islands  Agusan Del Norte  Camiguin Island  Agusan Del Sur  Residents of low-lying and mountainous areas under the public are advised to alert for possible flash-floods and landslides.

The news of Steve Jobs' death shocked the entire tech world. Many tech titans including his own "frenemy" Bill Gates , Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin hailed Jobs for his contribution to technology and making life easier. Also, along with the sadness expressed during that period, one thing keeps trending on searches, " Steve Jobs' quotes ". Steve Jobs has been a source of famous quotes and thoughts made many people think deeper. Below are some of the famous Steve Jobs' quotes. When asked what market research went into the iPad, Mr. Jobs replied: “None. It’s not the consumers’ job to know what they want.” "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow y