Imelda Marcos now second richest politician in the Philippines

A report from AFP News reveals that Imelda Marcos has declared her net worth at $22 million, with parliament records backing up. As of the moment, the lavish wife of late President Ferdinand Marcos is struggling against the government with the control over her assets more than 20 years after the end of her dictator husband's reign.

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

According to records released late Thursday, the widow of the overthrown dictator declared her wealth at 932.8 million pesos in 2011. This puts her second behind boxing champ and congressman Manny Pacquiao in the list of the Philippines' richest politicians in 2012.

Elected officials in the Philippines are compelled to declare their wealth (SALNS) each year. The amount declared by Marcos was almost 50 percent higher than that of 2010, some which were attributed to new assets surrendered to the government by the dictator's cronies, but counted as "overlooked".

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How on Earth did Imelda amass and keep such large fortune?

I thought that she's now living a simple, penniless life, but it seems to me that she's hiding something somewhere. It's possible that she might have been successful in hiding large dollar accounts offshore and opened it soon as her cases have been absolved. Not that I'm being rude to her, nor pointing fingers, but I suggest that these be placed under investigation.

In fact it won't damage her reputation. If all she says is true, it would even save and vindicate her of all criticisms and unfair judgment thrown at her my her bitter political rivals and of course, a big portion of the Filipino populace.

Source: Yahoo! Philippines News

What to Do in the Philippines: Sites, Attractions and Activities

There are really a lot of attractions and fun sites in the Philippines; one just has to do a little bit of research. So voila! While certainly there are numerous things that one can do upon staying in the country, here are top 35 aims that I will have done before I reach 60 or to be blunt, before getting old. Haha.

1. Relax all day long with the soothing breeze and the refreshing tides of Anawangin and Capones in Zambales. 
2. Take a crazy road trip with my friends from Manila to Vigan, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Aparri and Isabela! I would want to take a look at Ilocos’s windmills and know how these operate! 
3. Surf and ride the waves of Camarines Sur, La Union, Real (Quezon), Zambales, and Siargao Island! 
4. Visit Batanes and its wonderful seascapes. 
5. Conduct a shoot of the rice terraces in Ifugao and meet the people there! I don’t know where, but there are some places in the Philippines where beads are still being used as currency for trading, instead of money. I would really want to try that! 
6. Taste Davao’s delicacies (durian candy, suha, etc.).
7. Scuba dive under the vast marine-rich sea of Anilao, Batangas. 
8. Hike Mt. Mayon; I’ve seen it up from an airplane’s window and the cone’s view really captivated me. 
9. Snorkel and interact with the whale sharks of Donsol, Sorsogon. Enjoy Cagayan de Oro’s whitewater rafting adventure. 
10. Go island-hopping in the Visayas region! And roam my car around Mindanao’s vast landmass! 
11. Visit Laguna’s Enchanted Kingdom and Siquijor’s magical island! 
12. Munch on personally picked strawberries at the strawberry fields in La Trinidad, Benguet. 
13. Join the Rizalista’s walk and patronage along the mystical caves of Mt. Banahaw. 
14. Reach the clouds at Mt. Pulag. I want to fly a kite there! 
15. Check out the dark caves and hanging coffins that Sagada in Mountain Province boasts. Seriously, I want to see these!
16. Explore and delight at the beauty of Palawan’s underground river. I really want to snorkel at the Tubbataha Reef! 
17. Enjoy Cebu’s food specialties especially lechon! Gosh, this makes me crave! 
18. Eat melons in Oton’s farms in Iloilo! And see the amazing marnine museum of Fish World in SEAFDEC-ADQ. Aside from that, I will also look out for the famous food there like La Paz batchoy and pancit molo! Yum! 
19. Cross the vibrating Marcos-era San Juanico Bridge that links Leyte and Samar. 
20. Get away from the summer heat by stopping at Tagaytay and Baguio, the cities of the highlands! 
21. Drool and feed on Pampanga’s best sisig! 
22. Know the deep secrets of Malate, Old Manila. The night life in that area is bustling! 
23. Do some cool stuff: wakeboarding in Pili, Camarines Sur, kitesurfing in Lake Caliraya or in Taal Lake, and kayaking and canoeing at the St. Paul Subterranean Cave in Palawan. 
24. Be amazed of Mt. Pinatubo (Tuguegarao, Cagayan province) and Mt. Canlaon’s (Oriental Negros) breath-taking craters. 
25. Shop at the world’s biggest malls, Mall of Asia (MOA) and SM North Edsa, and get some good bargains at “tiangges” or flea markets in Divisoria, Manila. 
26. Ride to the Cultural Center of the Philippines to watch performances by the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Bayanihan Dance Troupe, and the Ballet Philippines! Oh, to know these means to enrich Filipino pride! 
27. Enjoy a soft “hilot” or massage spa at The Farm in San Benito, Batangas. 
28. Splash with the cool waters and white sands of Boracay, and party all night long. 
29. Travel to Malapascua (Cebu) and be mesmerized with its pristine beaches. 
30. Know a bit of Philippine history; jump off to Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Intramuros in the capital Manila. 
31. Be wowed with Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, the tarsier, and the Loboc River floating restaurant. 
32. I swear this one’s really great! I’ve been to the Chocolate Hills and what intrigues me is how these came out in huge numbers. And the tarsiers are really small; the area where they were kept overlooks the Loboc River but I wasn’t able to ride the floating restaurant. Dive and feel the marine world in Apo Reef National Park (Occidental Mindoro). 
33. Document different festivities of the Philippines such as Ati-atihan, Pintados, Dinagyang, Masskara, Sinulog, Higantes, Panagbenga and more. I would want to post my pictures and videos here in my blog. 
34. Buy some stocks in the extremely vibrant Philippine Stock Exchange. Put up some food businesses in the country's populous cities and create a branded chain to compete with Jollibee (famous for its crispy fried chickenjoy) and Mang Inasal (barbecue masters and unlimited rice servers).
35. Sponsor the education of poor yet highly determined students in the Philippines, and propel the country forward to a brighter future.

Call the Philippines from the United States (US)

Are you an OFW in the US wanting to call your family in the Philippines? Are you an American wanting to catch up with your old Filipino buddies? Are you a businessman planning to venture and invest in the Philippines?

Call the Philippines now just by simply following the procedures below:

1. Dial the US exit code, 011, in order for you to make international calls.
2. Dial the country code, in this case, 63 for the Philippines.
3. Enter the area code of the locality/city of the person you are calling. Here’s a list of the area codes in the Philippines.

4. Enter the digits of the telephone or mobile phone number.

1. For telephone numbers, there are 7 digits
2. For mobile phone numbers, there are 10 digits and it should always start with the digit 9. 

5. Shortcuts: