Indonesia hits 6.5 Magnitude Quake

A magnitude-6.5 undersea earthquake shook the western shore of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, causing panic but no casualties or damage, an official said.

The quake struck late at night 74 miles (119 kilometers) southeast of Pagai Selatan, an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency official Gian Ginanjar said.

The quake struck 6 miles (10 kilometers) beneath the Indian Ocean bed. There was no tsunami potential, he said.

Edi Firmanto, a resident of the Sumatra coastal town of Bengkulu, said people fled their homes and rushed to higher ground.

"I woke up when I heard my wife screaming in panic and got out with our two children and headed up a hill," Firmanto said.

They went home when a village chief announced that the quake had no tsunami potential.

Indonesia rests on a series of fault lines that make the sprawling archipelago nation one of the most earthquake-prone.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Read More

Bishop complains against Obli Run

Catholic university chaplain has barred students in Malabon from re-staging their annual naked "freedom run" around the campus to mark their fraternity’s anniversary.

Father Salvador Curutchet of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (Instituto del Verbo Encarnado, or IVE) has banned students of De La Salle Araneta University (DLSU-Araneta) in Malabon City from conducting a nude run as part of their fraternity's traditional anniversary celebrations.

The traditional nude run of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity is most closely associated with the organization's University of the Philippines chapter and is popularly known as the "Oblation Run."

'It does not show our Christian values'

"I do not feel that students from a Catholic school should be running around the streets naked. It does not show our Christian values in the community," he told the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN).

An article on the UCAN website said that the run was scheduled for Tuesday and had the approval of the Malabon City Hall.

The Argentinean Curutchet, who has been the school's chaplain for five years, said he felt that it was not appropriate behavior for students from a Catholic university.

Permit granted by City Hall

Members of the APO international students’ fraternity staged a similar Oblation Run two years ago.

Randell Tupaz of the student affairs Office at DLSU-Araneta said that APO had a freedom run in 2008, marking the 50th year since the school charter recognized the fraternity.

"Just as they did in 2008, APO members went to the City Hall and applied for a permit to run naked around the streets outside the campus. The permit was granted by city officials again this year," he said.

He said that the run was canceled after Father Curuchet wrote a letter to the school administration advising them to stop it.

Luncheon instead

Tupaz said that the APO members did not fight the ban and pushed on with the 60th anniversary celebration by instead hosting a luncheon for its members and alumni. 

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Read More

Francis M’s last blog entry swells with condolences from fans

Francis Magalona was bald but smiling in the last three photos in his last Web log (blog) entry.

He was then very optimistic he would win his bout with cancer.

“Good evening people. I am getting prepared for my 4th Chemotherapy cycle, and I will be admitted tonight at The Medical City. I will be doing some tests tomorrow, wish me luck," Magalona wrote in his blog dated Jan. 14, 2009

The “Master Rapper" was wearing his signature “3 stars and a Sun" t-shirt in the pictures.

When Vic Sotto broke the news live on “Eat Bulaga" that Magalona passed away on March 6, 2009, Friday noon, the singer-songwriter’s website was suddenly flooded with words of condolences from fans.

“We will miss you Francis M.... May you Rest in Peace!" wrote “ysel3", the first blogger who sent her condolences to Magalona’s website.

“We'll pray for you and thanks for being such a wonderful and great example for everyone of us. See you!!! We don't really expect that you will leave us all soon man," Ysel added.

As of 3 p.m. Friday, Magalona’s last blog entry got 700 comments, with at least 30 bloggers posting their condolences every minute.

Aside from the usual text comments, other online users posted pictures of the Master Rapper.

“Wartoys" posted his undated photo with Magalona saying: “Sir salamat dito sa ala-ala na yan. Miss you sir [Thank you for this memory. Miss you sir]. "

“Cr4y0n1", on the other hand, embedded an MP3 of Magalona’s “Super Proxy," which the singer sang with Pupil frontman and friend Ely Buendia.

“God bless sir Kiko... [As the song] super proxy [says] there’s no substitute for the real," cr4y0n1 wrote.

Meanwhile, “ceefive" of San Pedro, Laguna, was more poetic with her message, “At noon today you've bid goodbye, God is good, He's heard your cry; He knows what's best for everybody, May comfort be with your family." - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

Goodbye Francis Magalona

For those of us who were able to enjoy the Bagets movie days, one will always remember Francis Magalona. Especially for those those of us who were so "ga-ga" over Aga Mulach and got cured by it when Francis Magalona came along.

Francis eversince then has re-invented himself from a dancer, rapper, singer, husband, father, among others. You will hardly hear any bad word or rumor being said about the guy. So you can say that he has lived his life well.

Knowing that he passed away with leukemia at age 44 (at Medical City in Mandaluyong) is quite sad. He is so young. What he went through is also a good reminder for us not to take our life for granted, despite what we perceive as far-fetch as we are still in our "youth" years.

(http://francismagalona.multiply.com)

Through social networks, Francis Magalona kept his fans & friends posted with his treatment. One of his latest entries even showed his photos as he went through his 4th chemo cycle then with supporters giving encouragement & prayers.

(http://happybattle.multiply.com)

There is also another blog, Happy Battle, that gets regularly updated by his wife, Pia, that gave progress as well on his treatment.

It can be fairly said that Francis is the 1st celebrity who used social networks to reach out and kept in touch with people, including friends and fans, that cared for him during the biggest battle of his life. Hoping that in the process, it will also bring courage to others who may be going through the same situation.


Rest in peace Francis Magalona.














David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Read More