myPH

your Philippines web magazine

The babies keep coming
Despite a high birth rate and fears of over-population, many experts believe that Catholic church anti-contraception policies are not the real problem. In fact, most Filipinos want smaller families so access to family planning information is the key, says social economist Solita Monsod. "Give them what they want and then the population problem will take care of itself," Monsod says.  [myPH Community]

myPH recommendations
myPH partners in the Philippine online community are known for their good products and services. We commend them to you for easy, cost-friendly, safe online shopping. Advertisements linking to their websites are included in the appropriate sections of myPH – and each week we feature some special recommendations here on Page One:

myPH Adpost Classifieds
Looking for a job, selling a car, buying furniture or renting an apartment? myPH Adpost Classifieds may have exactly what you’re looking for. It’s the Philippine edition of the world’s top online classified ads service. Standard ads are free while upgraded ads cost little.  [myPH Adpost Classifieds]

Farm-fresh roses in the Philippines 
Island Rose grows its own high quality varieties of European roses south of Manila, and delivers to most parts of the Philippines at competitive prices.  The company is known for its professionalism, reliability, quality and caring customer service. [Island Rose]

World travel with Travelocity
Travelocity.com is the world’s top website for online travel bookings and information. Travelocity offers the best prices, comparative travel data, fast online bookings, customer service and an uncompromising quality guarantee for its flights, hotel bookings, cruises and other vacations.  [Travelocity.com]

Tips from travelers who've been there
TripAdvisor gives you a wealth of tips, free advice and  reviews about places to visit, where to stay, how to get there, what to see, where to eat out and have fun – and where it's not much fun – as assessed by travelers who have been there.  TripAdvisor covers both popular and less-known places across the Philippines (and around the world). And when you decide where to stay, the website offers you great hotel deals.  [TripAdvisor]

Up-market options in Bohol
To Bohol's ever-popular Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, scuba diving and eco-tourism, now add a new dimension – upmarket resorts to widen the attractions from the previously modest facilities and amenities.
Also in myPH Explorer this week:
•   In Boracay anything goes. The hottest white sand beach in the Philippines is home to endless pampering and partying. Chill out on the beach all afternoon then hit the bars and discos until dawn.
•   Our myPH Explorer travel experts roam around Manila, looking at good hotels, how to get to the best places for sightseeing and shopping, and where to go and what to do after dark.   [myPH Explorer]

Why Filipinos are happy
“One thing you will notice in the Philippines is that you can be yourself and still be treated well and most people will just accept you as you are and treat you as a human being," says a new myPH Community Forum member. "I am not afraid to go to casinos there, bars and restaurants and that I will feel out of place or see cocky people around swaggering or puffing up their chests."
•   "Does anybody know about online gambling in the Philippines? Is it legal? Are there any good websites?" asks a myPH Happenings Forum member.
•   "My favorite Tagaytay restaurants are Antonio's and Sonia's Garden. Both have special locations, beautiful gardens, great food."  [myPH Forum]

Pahiyas harvest festival
One of the Philippines’ most popular fiestas, the Pahiyas Festival, is being celebrated next week in Quezon province where townsfolk lavishly decorate their houses amidst a street party atmosphere.
Also in myPH Happenings this week:
•   A queue of popular foreign entertainers have upcoming shows in the Philippines – including Neil Sedaka, James Blunt, Click Five, Steve Tyrell, Air Supply and the Osmonds.
•   Childless couples wanting babies as well as single women and men wanting husbands and wives converge in Obando town, Bulacan, soon to dance and pray for heavenly help.  [myPH Happenings]

San Francisco's cool alley cats
Cast an eye down pretty much any alley near San Francisco's Union Square shopping district and you’ll find a different national cuisine, including French (Café Claude, Anjou), bar-top bar food (Azul), Vietnamese (Le Colonial) or Irish (the Irish Bank).
Also in myPH Traveler this week:
•    Santa Barbara is home to the rich and famous with deep pockets. But college students, fixed-income retirees and regular working stiffs live there, too. How do they do it? [myPH Traveler]

Big Brother Web's watching you
A famous New Yorker cartoon from 1993 showed two dogs at a computer, with one saying to the other, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” That may no longer be true.
Also in myPH Traveler this week:
•   Airlines in the United States have shunned the use of cellphones in flight – mainly because their passengers have argued for keeping one last cellphone-free sanctuary – but European and Mideast carriers are preparing to offer the service soon.
•   Yahoo has launched a site for women between ages 25 and 54, calling it a key demographic underserved by Yahoo.  [myPH Online]

Selling their kidneys for cash
The men living in the tough Baseco dockside shantytown on Manila Bay carry one of two badges to prove they belong – tattoos for the gang members and surgical scars for the kidney sellers.
Also in the myPH Community news this week:
•   Silkworm cocoons harvested to produce raw silk may soon be a profitable alternative to illicit marijuana and thus turn the Cordillera region from “Marijuana Country” into “Silk Capital" of the Philippines.”
•   The United States Senate has approved a measure that would expand benefits to the dwindling ranks of Filipino veterans of World War 2 who fought alongside American troops. [myPH Community]

US military health fraud
The United States military's health insurance program has been swindled out of more than US$100 million over the past decade in the Philippines.
Also in myPH Business this week:
•   She helped turn many of the world's prawn farmers into millionaires, but Jurgenne Primavera now worries that her life's work might have indirectly accelerated the destruction of fish nurseries.
•   The Philippines recorded a shortfall in the first quarter of 51.6 billion, below the projection of a deficit of 60.2 billion pesos, and should end 2008 with a balanced budget.  [myPH Business]