Puerto Princesa more than just the underground river

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan - Puerto Princesa is just an hour's flight away from Manila, and with 21 daily flights, there's no excuse why Filipinos shouldn't head to the so-called City in a Forest.

With the underground river now officially one of the 7 New Wonders of Nature, tourists have been flocking to Puerto Princesa this summer.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is undeniably one of the main attractions of the city, but its popularity means that it's getting harder to get a slot on the tour. Only a certain number of boats are allowed to enter the underground river at a time, so slots are limited.

But there's more to Puerto Princesa than just the underground river. A great way to spend the day is to go island-hopping at Honda Bay in the mideastern coast of the city.

Before hopping on the banca, make sure to bring or rent snorkel gear because there's a lot of opportunities to go snorkeling. If you want to take pictures while snorkeling, you can even rent underwater camera cases.

The first stop on the tour is Pambato Reef, a coral reef which has been called a "mini-Tubbataha."

You can't miss Pambato Reef because the floating platform has a roof shaped like a hawksbill turtle. Here, you can put on your goggles, hop in the water (with your lifevest, of course) and be amazed by the beautiful corals and different kinds of fish swimming around. It was particularly memorable to see bright blue corals that seemed to glow in the water.

Next stop was Isla Pandan, where pandan leaves abound, hence the name. Cottages and tables are available, as well as shower rooms and restaurants.

Spelunking and firefliesWith the hot sun beating down, the crystal-clear water looked quite inviting. Dozens of people, clad in bright orange life vests, could be spotted snorkeling in the deep waters, just a few meters away from the shore. Here you can see more schools of brightly colored fish, and even some squid, if you're lucky.

Relaxing at the beach can be a fine way to spend a day in Puerto Princesa, but the city offers various attractions for eco-adventurers.

If you like spelunking, there are tours to Ugong Rock, a limestone rock formation located about an hour from the city. After reaching the top, you can take a 330-meter zipline to go down in just 21 seconds.

For more thrills, you can try the longest zipline in Asia at the Irawan Eco Park. The zipline, which is 1.3 kilometers long, takes you above the forest canopy and offers great views of the forest.

There are also dolphin-watching tours in Puerto Princesa Bay, and firefly-watching tours at night in Iwahig Bay.

City tour

A quick tour around the city and you'll soon notice just how clean it is. Our tour guide reminded us that littering is strictly prohibited in the city. First offense is a P300 fine, and if you're caught a third time, you would have to pay P1,000 and face two months' imprisonment - not exactly the kind of Puerto Princesa vacation anyone would want.

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the city's main church, and its surroundings are buzzing with activity. A statue of Jose Rizal in an overcoat stands in front of a blue-painted cathedral.

Across the street is Plaza Cuartel, a small park with flowers and shady trees. There's a grim history behind Plaza Cuartel. A bronze marker in the park lists the names of 11 American prisoners of war that escaped a brutal massacre by the Japanese soldiers in the dungeon during World War II. The Japanese soldiers apparently put some 150 POWs in a dungeon and set it on fire, but the survivors managed to escape by swimming out to sea to Iwahig.

No trip would be complete without some souvenir shopping. Everyone recommends Tiangge Tiangge for souvenirs, especially pearls. The price of the pearls depends on the quality -- tiny pearls are P10 and South Sea pearls start at P3,000.

Philippine business leaders 4th most upbeat in the world

The Philippines ranked fourth in the latest global survey on business confidence, according to UK-based auditing and advisory firm Grant Thornton International.

Survey results released by audit, tax and advisory firm Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A) showed 82 percent of Filipino respondents were upbeat on the economy for the next 12 months. P&A is Grant Thornton’s local member firm.

The same survey showed the top three countries in terms of business optimism were Peru (90 percent), Brazil (86 percent), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 84 percent.

Following the Philippines were Georgia (78 percent), India (74 percent), Chile (68 percent), Germany, (64 percent), Mexico, (62 percent) and Turkey (60 percent).

The International Business Report (IBR), a worldwide survey of business sentiment, started doing quarterly polls of economic confidence during the last quarter of 2010.

While the level of confidence in the Philippines has been fluctuating, it has consistently outpaced optimism globally and in the ASEAN region, it said.

In an earlier IBR survey, the Philippines ranked third overall with 87 percent in the optimism rating after Chile (95 percent) and India (93 percent).

P&A managing partner and chief executive officer Marivic Españo said the Philippines has managed to remain resilient despite the global uncertainties.

“Now that the global mood has also picked up, particularly among more mature economies, and the government seems determined to make up for its under-spending last year, I think we’re on track to maintaining this upbeat outlook,” she added.

Forty-five percent of Filipino businessmen said they expect an improvement in the local economy.

Filipino business leaders said they have seen improvement in regulations and reduction of red tape, which was considered roadblocks to their business growth.

Regulations/red tape in the past had consistently emerged as the top obstacle for Filipino business leaders, but now has become less of a hindrance this quarter: 22 percent of local respondents reported it as a business constraint, compared to 32 percent last quarter.

“Bureaucracy has long been a cause for concern for businesses in the Philippines. So while it’s good to note that fewer respondents are hampered by it, it bears to mention that it still emerged as the top constraint, along with information and telecommunications infrastructure,” Españo said.

She said businesses are feeling the effects of the government’s drive to improve the ease of doing business in the country.

The Philippine Business Registration workstation of the Department of Trade and Industry is a good start.

Since the Philippines started participating in 2004, optimism among local business leaders has always tracked an upward trend until 2009, when optimism dropped from a high of 95 percent to 63 percent in reaction to the global financial crisis.

The following year, confidence level marginally improved to 68 percent as business leaders cautiously looked forward to a rebound.

15 Things You Didn’t Know About Death [infographic]

Don’t worry this infographic isn’t as depressing as you might think. Today’s infographic 15 Things you didn’t Know About Death shares with us some interesting things that happen when we die. For example contrary to popular belief, suicide rates during the holiday season are actually lower than the rest of the year. Another interesting factoid in the infographic is Angel Lust: the erection a male may experience post-mortem; happens more with execution in particular hangings.

Enjoy and don’t forget to share! [via]

Click here to enlarge

How Men Die [infographic]

Source: dailyinfographic.com

Sorry ladies that there isn’t a graphic on how y’all die. Maybe you’re happy about that. Maybe you’re happy you get to read about how men die. [Via]

Jessica soars with Vandross hit, gets weak praise for 'Rhapsody'

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Filipino-Mexican-American contestant Jessica Sanchez earned restrained praise for singing the Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody” but bounced back with a stunning performance of Luther Vandross' “Dance With My Father” Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Manila).

The “American Idol” judges gave high praises to the 16-year-old singer for her second song choice.

Jennifer Lopez thought Sanchez's rendition of “Dance With My Father” may be the most beautiful she's ever heard.

“We’ve heard a lot of people sing that song. You can imagine over the past 2 years, it’s such a beautiful song... but the tenderness, the feeling, your vocal ability. The feeling for me more than anything is what makes me say that it’s the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard it,” she said.

Sanchez dedicated the song to her father, who is a soldier. Her father will be deployed to Singapore soon.

'Comparable to Whitney'

Steven Tyler said Sanchez can never sing a song bad, adding that her voice is comparable to Whitney Houston's. He also said it is an honor and a joy to watch the 16-year-old singer perform week after week.

“I’ve heard your performances but your voice is different than anybody else’s. It kinda touches on Whitney but then you got your own thing going on,” he said.

Randy Jackson was amazed at Sanchez's natural talent, saying she was able to establish that inner connection this time.

“You are truly amazing to me because you’re so natural... Now you got that feeling in there, you’re making that connection. Every time you get up and sing, you know what’s wrong with it? Absolutely nothing,” said Jackson.

Sanchez, meantime, received mixed reviews when she sang “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of Queen's most popular hits.

Tyler said Freddie Mercury, Queen's lead vocalist, would have been proud to hear Sanchez's rendition.

Lopez thought Sanchez was vocally great but “it needed a bit more of that rock performance.”

TV critics agree

Jackson said Sanchez altered her usual approach to a song and can sing actually anything. “I loved it. You sang no runs,” he said. He, however, told Sanchez to channel Tina Turner when performing such songs in the future.

Some TV critics also agreed with the judges’ comments.

Newsday said Sanchez’s “Dance with My Father” was an emotional performance. “Her tone is perfect. She's playing with all the possibilities of the lyrics, not going too fast. It was a little too smooth, too polished maybe, but still effective."

For its part, USA Today said: “Sanchez struggled to connect with Bohemian Rhapsody but came back strong with a rendition of Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father that she dedicated to her own father.”

Zap2it, meantime, said Sanchez’s second song “was a marked step up from her earlier performance and got her back on track to the type of songs that are more in her lane as an artist.”

Even American singer-songwriter Richard Marx, who originally produced and wrote “Dance With My Father” praised Sanchez.

“Hey @JSanchezAI11 Just watched you sing "Dance With My Father" online. Killer job! You did Luther and me proud. Good luck,” he tweeted.

Other contestants who got good reviews from the judges were Joshua Ledet, Skylar Laine, Phillip Phillips and Hollie Cavanagh.

Ledet received a standing ovation anew for his rendition of India Arie's “Ready For Love” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” with the judges commenting on his “unbelievable” talent.

Laine sang “The Show Must Go On” and Jason Aldean's “Tattoos On This Town.” The judges said she looked very comfortable performing the songs she picked.

Phillips picked “Fat-Bottomed Girls” and Dave Matthews' “The Stone.” The judges thought Phillips "did it again," showing his own "colors" while always adding a different flavor.

Cavanagh also got a standing ovation for her version of Miley Cyrus' "The Climb." She got flat reviews for her "Save Me," however.

Elise Testone, meantime, took on “I Want It All” and Jimi Hendrix's “Bold As Love.”

Currently, Dial Idol ranks Sanchez at number 4 with a score of 8.182. Cavanagh leads the pack with a score of 12.602.

Dial Idol, which estimates who has the most number of phone votes, says that Sanchez "may be voted off or be saved and it's just too close to call," based on its margin of error.

US study: High salt intake linked to higher stroke risk

Older adults with salty diets may have an increased risk of suffering a stroke, according to a US study of more than 2,000 people.

Though it is well known that as people's sodium intake rises, their blood pressure is likely to increase as well, it is less clear whether a salty diet may ultimately mean higher risks of stroke and heart attack down the road.

But researchers whose findings were published in the journal Stroke said that of the close to 2,700 older, mostly minority adults they studied, those who got well above the recommended sodium intake were nearly three times as likely to suffer a stroke over 10 years as people who met guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association.

"High sodium intake was prevalent and associated with an increased risk of stroke independent of vascular risk factors," wrote Hannah Gardener, a researcher at the University of Miami School of Medicine, who led the study.

Unlike blood pressure, which changes quickly, stroke and heart disease are long-range complications, so studying the relationship between people's sodium intake and their risk of heart problems and stroke is more difficult.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that people limit their sodium intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day. That's a bit more strict than some other recommendations. The World Health organization, for example, advises a limit of 2,000 milligrams.

But people in the new study, mainly black and Hispanic New Yorkers, typically consumed well above those recommendations, averaging 3,031 milligrams of sodium per day.

The results are based on 2,657 adults who were interviewed about their health and lifestyle, and completed dietary questionnaires. They were 69-years-old, on average, at the study's start.

Over the next 10 years, there were 235 strokes in the group. People who had downed at least 4,000 milligrams of sodium each day at the outset were almost three times more likely to suffer a stroke as those who'd kept their daily sodium below 1,500 milligrams.

Among the 558 people whose sodium intake topped 4,000 milligrams a day, there were 66 strokes. That compared with 24 strokes among the 320 people who met the AHA guidelines.

Gardener cautioned that they couldn't definitively draw conclusions about cause-and-effect, since people who keep their salt intake in check may be healthier in other ways too.

But she and her colleagues accounted for smoking habits, exercise, education and other health conditions that can contribute to strokes, and there was still a strong correlation between sodium and stroke risk.

Very few people in the United states may be meeting the sodium consumption goals. It's estimated that the typical US man gets 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day, while women typically get 2,800 milligrams - most of it from prepared foods or those eaten in restaurants.

"Certainly the foods popular with Americans are laden with sodium," Gardener said, suggesting that people read food labels carefully and stick to "whole foods" such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as much as possible.

But steps must be taken by the industry and public health officials as well, such as cutting sodium in prepared and restaurant food. —  Reuters

Fil-Mexican Jessica Sanchez rocks 'American Idol' with 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

Incredible. That's how "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson called the latest performance of Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez, one of the six remaining contestants on the reality singing competition.

According to a report of the news site Examiner on Thursday (Wednesday in Manila), Sanchez "set out to win Queen week" on American Idol.
 
"Her weapon of choice was the British band's anthem called 'Bohemian Rhapsody,'" the Examiner said.

"American Idol" contestants this week had to perform songs by Queen, a British rock band formed in London in the 1970s.

The Examiners said "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler, was thrilled with the performance of Sanchez, saying that the late Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury "would have been proud" to her her sing.

The third judge, singer Jennifer Lopez, said she felt every word that Sanchez sang.

All three judges had opted to save Sanchez when she was almost eliminated from the competition after getting the lowest number of votes from the audience.

The judges used their one and only "save" for the season to keep Sanchez from being booted out of the competition.

Support from kababayans

Sanchez, 16, born in the United States, is the daughter of Editha Bugay Sanchez, a Filipina married to a Mexican.  

As Editha hails from Bataan, people from the province have been rooting for Sanchez to win.

Bataan is the home of her grandparents from her mother’s side — retired US Navy man Eddie and Virgie Bugay — of Samal and Orani towns.

Just last Monday, during a program celebrating "Araw ng Balanga," emcees Melody Ortiguerra and Jonel Llanes of a program celebrating “Araw ng Balanga” last Monday night.
 
To drum up support for Sanchez, Llanes said: “Palakpakan para kay Jessica Sanchez! Kung kayo ay may kamag-anak sa Amerika, sabihan sila na suportahan ang one of the best singers in America.”
 
Ortiguerra added: “Magaling talaga, congratulations Miss Jessica Sanchez! We are proud of her na kababayan natin sa Bataan.”
 
Second best achievement so far

So far, among the contestants with Filipino blood, Sanchez has the second best achievement so far.

Filipino-American Jasmine Trias who bagged the Top 3 rank in American Idol’s third season. 
 
Before Sanchez, latest "Idol" contestant of Filipino descent was Thia Megia who finished in the Top 11 of last year's competition.

Before Megia came Ramiele Malubay who placed 9th in the seventh season.