Written on 7:42 AM by yahoo
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What is this about?It is a fun-filled outdoor class for learning the basics of group riding.
Who should attend this activity?
Bikers who are participating in the Tour of the Fireflies for the first time. You may also bring along your family and friends who have never joined the Tour of the Fireflies.
When will this be held?
It will be this coming Saturday, March 27. The Bike Clinic will start at 8 AM and is expected to finish by noon.
Where is this Bike Clinic happening?In the Stage Area of Tiendesitas, Ortigas, Pasig City.
What do participants need to bring?
Participants should bring their bike, helmet, personal snacks and lots of water. Bring a notepad and pen too.
Do participants need to register?
Yes, there is a registration for this activity but it is free. There will also be a Special Registration for the Tour of the Fireflies where you can get your souvenir Tour shirts or jerseys.
Note: Children who are riding during the Bike Clinic are expected to be guided by their adult companion.
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Written on 7:32 PM by yahoo
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Former President Corazon Aquino, people power icon, passes away
Tumultuous presidency
Adopting a policy of national reconciliation, Mrs. Aquino freed more than 500 political prisoners, including some of the top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines, when she became president.
She oversaw the writing of a new constitution through a commission that hammered out a new charter. The 1987 constitution replaced the Martial Law-era 1973 Constitution and restored democratic institutions such as free elections, the bicameral congress and an independent Supreme Court that were absent during Marcos’ rule. To prevent a reprise of Marcos’ one-man rule, the new charter set term limits on elected officials, including six years for the presidency.
The economy started to recover from the slump when she assumed office, with the gross domestic product rising progressively and reaching 6.7 percent two years later. However, the contraction of the US economy in 1991, along with a series of coup attempts against her and 10-12 hours of blackouts during her last few years, crippled the Philippine economy.
Critics have also claimed that she fell short of the promise of social and economic reforms, refusing to write off the country’s massive foreign debt which many of her supporters hoped would follow the ouster of Marcos.
But supporters point out that Mrs. Aquino also pushed for labor-intensive projects and started the trend of setting targets for the reduction of poverty and unemployment in the country.
MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, icon of people power in the Philippines and around the world, passed away at 3:18 a.m. Saturday, her son, Senator Benigno Aquino III, said. The official cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest.
The 76-year-old Aquino was diagnosed with colon cancer in March of last year and was treated with chemotherapy. Last May, she underwent surgery to remove parts of her colon and was brought to the Makati Medical Center in June due to loss of appetite. She never left the hospital, as her declining condition sparked a wave of emotion in the country and prompted the widespread appearance of yellow ribbons - on trees, car antennas, and even the Web.
“She would have wanted us to thank each and everyone of you for all your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country," Senator Aquino said. "Hinihiling ng aming pamilya ng kaunting panahon para makasama ang aming ina."
He added that other details will be announced later in the day.
Dressed in her signature yellow, Mrs. Aquino rallied the middle class in a series of protests culminating in the 1986 people power revolt that toppled the 20-year regime of strongman Ferdinand Marcos and swept her to the presidency.
She blamed the Marcos government for the assassination of her husband, opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was gunned down at the Manila airport upon returning from exile in 1983.
The former housewife reluctantly took over as Marcos’ main challenger, becoming an international icon of democracy after her victory sparked a wave of pro-democracy movements around the world. Time Magazine named Mrs. Aquino its Woman of the Year in 1986.
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Former presidents Corazon Aquino, center, Fidel Ramos, left, and Joseph Estrada, right, release doves on Feb. 22, 1999 in Quezon City to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the ‘People Power’ revolution that ousted the 20-year-rule of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. AP-Bullit Marquez
Solita Collas Monsod, who served as Socioeconomic Planning Secretary during Mrs. Aquino’s term, said that although the former president was landed, one of her landmark programs was the passage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The first three years of her administration were tumultuous, with restive soldiers and Marcos loyalists mounting a series of violent coup attempts against her. Mrs. Aquino survived all of them, holding office until 1992. She then campaigned for Fidel Ramos, a key figure in the People Power Revolution, whose presidential victory is widely credited to Aquino’s endorsement.
In an article commemorating the 20th anniversary of the people power revolt on the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism website, Aquino was quoted as saying, “I don't know how they will judge [my
presidency], but I just hope that they will realize that it was not an easy thing restoring democracy after a dictatorship. Also being the first woman president certainly had its problems and then we were dealing with a very strong military that were spoiled during the Marcos dictatorship."
Influential figure
After her presidency, Mrs. Aquino retired to private life. She took an active interest in painting, with flowers and women as subjects, and joined various art exhibits to raise funds for her advocacies: the Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Foundation, PinoyMe, ASA Foundation, and People Power People.
But she remained an influential figure in Philippine politics, lending her presence to political causes that needed her iconic stature.
In January 2001, she participated in the second EDSA Revolution that brought down the popularly elected President Joseph Estrada, who was accused of plunder, and installing his vice president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into power.
In 2005, Mrs. Aquino supported the group of cabinet secretaries that resigned in the wake of the “Hello Garci" wire-tapping scandal, and joined opposition figures in calling for the resignation of Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging in the 2004 presidential elections.
She remained active in social and political causes in recent years, publicly supporting Marine Col. Ariel Querubin during a stand-off at the Marine headquarters in 2006 and NBN-ZTE whistleblower Jun Lozada last year.
Mrs. Aquino has expressed regrets for supporting EDSA II due to the controversies hounding the Arroyo administration, and apologized publicly to Estrada.
In an interview last year for Newsmakers on GMA7, Mrs. Aquino said about her illness: “I used to think all of us have certain quotas for suffering and I felt I had filled up my quota, e hindi pala ganun e (it's not like that).
"Of course who wants to get sick? But if that’s my fate, so be it... I don’t want to live for such a long time. Sabi ko nga, 75 na ako, tama na iyon (I have said, I'm 75, that's enough)." - With reports from Sophia Dedace, Andreo Calonzo, Aie Balagtas See, Ruby Anne M. Rubio and Cheryl M. Arcibal GMANews.TV
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Written on 6:03 PM by yahoo
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MANILA - Former President Corazon Aquino has been moved out of the intensive care unit of the Makati Medical Center, according to a staff of Mrs. Aquino's son, Senator Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino. The staff told ABS-CBN News Thursday morning that Mrs. Aquino was transferred to a regular room and was able to watch television. No medical bulletin has been released by doctors and the Aquino family, but Deedee Sytangco, Mrs. Aquino's spokesperson, disclosed that the former president has decided to forgo further chemotherapy or any other medical treatment. "The country's icon of democracy is fighting the hardest battle of her life," spokeswoman Deedee Siytangco wrote in an article published in the Manila Bulletin's Thursday edition. "She is no longer receiving any chemotherapy or any other medical interventions," she said, quoting a family member. "The members of her family beg everyone's understanding of their need for solitude and privacy at this delicate time," a statement on Aquino's official website said. "Let us all pray that God grant her good health and spare her from pain and suffering," added the statement. Visitors start trickling in Former Ombudsman Aniano Desierto and former Senator Sergio Osmeña went to the hospital on Thursday. Desierto said Mrs. Aquino's condition was improving. Osmeña prayed for Mrs. Aquino at the chapel of Makati Medical Center. Mrs. Aquino's youngest daughter, Kris, entered the hospital a little past midnight, but she did not give any comment on the condition of her mother. There is no word as to how long the former president will be in the hospital, where her children have not left her side. Only members of her family have been allowed inside her room. The media are not allowed near the lobby of the hospital. Prayers for speedy recovery Meantime, friends and relatives of Mrs. Aquino continue to offer prayers for her speedy recovery as she pursues her battle against colon cancer. On Thursday, at the Greenbelt Chapel in Makati City, some of her close friends and supporters, including former President Joseph Estrada, his wife Loi Ejercito and son Senator Jinggoy Estrada attended a healing mass and novena and appealed to the public to pray for her immediate recovery. Mrs. Aquino's former classmates and schoolmates at St. Scholastica's College have also begun a vigil for her speedy recovery. Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra has also called for prayers for former President Aquino. He said the former president has done a lot of good things for the country. Navarra urged all Negrenses to pray for her quick recovery, saying Mrs. Aquino is still needed by the country and the Filipino people. Even former First Lady Imelda Marcos offered her prayers. "I asked all these people to offer prayers to her. I have peace in my heart and am comfortable with the truth. I am praying for her safe recovery," Marcos said, as she handed out bags of rice at a northern Manila slum to celebrate her 80th birthday Thursday. Only family members Sytangco, in a phone interview with ABS-CBN News on Wednesday, said that only family members can visit Mrs. Aquino at the hospital. Sytangco said the family members stayed with Mrs. Aquino in the hospital and did not attend the novena. Mrs. Aquino has been confined in a hospital since Tuesday last week due to poor appetite. In a statement issued Wednesday, Mrs. Aquino's only son, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said that she is still in the hospital for loss of appetite. "I wish to thank everyone who attended the novena mass today and those who continue to pray for my mother's healing," Sen. Aquino said. Mrs. Aquino's condition is "serious but [she is] conscious," Sytangco later told ABS-CBN News. Already in ICU Also on Wednesday Jiggy Aquino-Cruz, a grandson of the former president, confirmed with ABS-CBN News that she was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) where doctors closely monitored her condition. The transfer to the ICU also meant only a limited number of people could visit her at a time, Cruz said. Despite being a news story closely monitored by both local and international media, the administration of Makati Medical City is not releasing any medical bulletin about the former leader's condition. Aquino has largely remained out of the public eye in recent months, with doctors fearing she may contract infections in her fragile state. She had been undergoing chemotherapy and was previously hospitalized from March to May. With reports from ANC; Atom Araullo, Yasmin Pascual-Dormido, Lynda Jumilla, Niña Corpuz, Jenny Reyes, and Gretchen Malalad, ABS-CBN News; and the Agence France-Presse
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