SPOTTED: Women with BIG BUTTS are healthier and smarter

Women with larger butts are healthier and smarter; this was suggested in a recent review published by researchers at the University of Oxford and Churchill Hospital, as reported by ABC News. The team analyzed data from 16000 women.

 Photo Source: For Ladies By Ladies

The results showed that women with bigger-than-average butts tend to have lower levels of cholesterol and are more likely to produce sugar-metabolizing hormones, as said by Professor Konstantinos Manolopoulos who led the team at the University of Oxford.

Aside from that, these women tend to possess an excess of Omega 3 fats which are known to assist in brain development. There is also a presence of high leptin levels in them, a hormone responsible for weight regulation, and the dinopectina, an anti-inflammatory, vascular-protective and anti-diabetic assisting hormone.

The adipose tissue on the butt traps harmful fatty particles and prevents cardiovascular disease from occurring.

Similar studies conducted by universities in California and Pittsburgh have shown that women with bigger butts, wider hips and smaller waists may even live longer.

The study, however, did not include fake butts.

MONEY AND INVESTMENT: Online Stock Brokers in the Philippines

Here is a list of online stock brokers in the Philippines for potential and current stock traders out there (especially the OFWs, local businessmen, and working people).

Contained in the list are the necessary details on how to get in touch with any of the stock brokers mentioned. I haven't tried one yet, but I'm aiming to join the Philippine investment market either through COL Financial or BPI Trade.

AB Capital Securities, Inc.

Address: Units 1401-1403, 14th floor, Tower One & Exchange Plaza
Ayala Triangle, Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Metro Manila 1226

Telephone: (632) 898-7555
Email: customerservice@abcapital.com.ph
Site: AB Capital Online
Minimum Investment: PHP 50,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: Metrobank


Abacus Securities Corp.

Address: 2904-A East Tower, PSE Center
Exchange Road, Ortigas,
Pasig City, Metro Manila 1600

Telephone: (632) 667-8931
Email: customerservice@abacus-sec.com
Site: Abacus Online
Minimum Investment: PHP 10,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BDO, Metrobank, RCBC

Accord Capital Equities Corp.



Address: G/F Unit EC-05B East Tower
Philippine Stock Exchange Center
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City, Metro Manila 1605

Telephone: (632) 588-1900
Email: info@philstocks.ph
Site: Philstocks PH
Minimum Investment: PHP 5,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BDO, BPI

Angping & Associates Securities, Inc.



Address: 20/F The Peak
107 L.P. Leviste St. Salcedo Village
Makati City Metro Manila 1225

Telephone: (632) 848-2915
Email: angping.online@angping.com.ph
Site: Angping Online
Minimum Investment: PHP 5,000 (for students); PHP 15,000 (for professionals)
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: Metrobank

BPI Securities Corp.

Address: 8th Floor, BPI Bldg.
Ayala Avenue cor. Paseo de Roxas
Makati City, Philippines 1226

Telephone: (632) 89-100
Email: bpitrade@bpi.com.ph
Site: BPI Trade
Minimum Investment: No minimum, but account must be funded to trade
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BPI

COL Financial Group Inc.


Address: 2401B East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Centre
Exchange Rd. Ortigas Center
Pasig City, Philippines 1605

Telephone: (632) 651-5888
Email: helpdesk@colfinancial.com
Site: COL Financial
Minimum Investment: PHP 5,000 (COL Starter); PHP 25,000 (COL Plus); PHP 1 million (COL Premium)
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BDO, BPI, Metrobank

F. Yap Securties Inc.



Address: 17/F Lepanto Bldg.
8747 Paseo de Roxas
Makati City 1226 Philippines



Telephone: (632) 840-8331 / 923-3955 to 56
Email: info@2tradeasia.com
Site: 2 Trade Asia
Minimum Investment: PHP 25,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BDO, RCBC

First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp.


Address: 18/F PSBank Center
777 Paseo de Roxas cor. Sedeno St.,
Makati City 1226 Philippines

Telephone: (632) 859-0600 to 02
Email: icustomerservice@firstmetrosec.com.ph
Site: First Metro Sec
Minimum Investment: PHP 25,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: Metrobank

RCBC Securities Corp.



Address: RCBC Securities, Inc.
7/F Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Ave., Makati City, Philippines 0727


Telephone: (632) 889-6931 to 32; 34 to 36
Email: isaloricajr@rcbc.com
Site: RCBC Sec
Minimum Investment: TBD
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: RCBC

Wealth Securities Inc.



Address: 2103-A East Tower, PSE Center
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines

Telephone: (632) 634-5038
Email: office@wealthsec.com
Site: Wealth Sec
Minimum Investment: PHP 10,000
Broker’s Commission: 0.25%
Account for Funding: BDO, BPI, EastWest Bank, Metrobank, RCBC, Union Bank

Attorney Kapunan withdraws as legal counsel of Napoles

MAKATI, Philippines – Attorney Lorna Kapunan has withdrawn as Janet Napoles’ lawyer in the serious illegal detention case filed by PDAF scam whistle blower Benhur Luy against Napoles due to ‘differences in opinion’.

The bail hearing is being conducted at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 where Benhur Luy and other witnesses have testified.

It was reported that Kapunan did not participate in the court proceedings Wednesday; immediately, she reportedly resigned as Napoles’ counsel. She, however, still has yet to make an official statement on her withdrawal.

Janet Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam, is presently detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna.

SPOTTED: Priceless treasures of San Gennaro, to rival Britain's Crown Jewels

Here are some photos I saw online of one of the world's most invaluable collection of jewels - tribute to the patron saint of Naples - which is said to rival that of the UK's Crown Jewels and Russian czars in terms of worth.

All photos shown in this blog post are accredited to the BBC News and Reuters.

One of the most precious jewelry pieces in the world, the treasure of San Genarro, boasts of this intricate, detailed necklace containing thousands of gems donated by Europe's royal heads.

The Mitre of San Gennaro is one of the sought-after pieces in the collection of 70 jewels, statues and religious items.

This historical collection, kept away from the public view in a vault in a Naples cathedral, could have a value far greater than those of the former czars of Russia and other royal collections.

Found in this photo is a bust of Saint Januarius or San Gennaro - the saint protector of Naples.  He was martyred in the third century.

In dark times (famine, war, disease), the people of Naples pledged to build a chapel and keep the donated treasures there to earn the saint's favor and protection.

Secrets and tips on how to pass the Civil Service Exam in the Philippines

Last year, I took the Civil Service Exam out of boredom. At that time, I probably thought that passing the CSE will allow me entry to the public office one day - not now, but in the future (haha). To be honest, I wasn't quite sure if either public service or private employment was my thing.

So, I decided to apply to take the Civil Service Exam - the PH government's own way of screening its applicants for various job positions. And upon releasing of results, I got a humble 85.__! Passing (cut-off) grade for the Civil Service Exam, I think, was 80.

However, with all the confusion in trying to figure out what path to take after graduation, I ended up studying again instead of joining the workforce. 

To share some parts of my CSE experience, all I can say is that the Civil Service Exam tests your honed skills (analogy and logic, numerical reasoning, clerical), your language proficiency (both in English and Tagalog, correct grammar usage, verbal, paragraph organization, sentence construction, spell check, reading comprehension), and lastly, your knowledge (general info) about the Philippine Constitution (Code of Conduct, Ethical Standards, Roles of High Governing Bodies/Persons). 

I could still remember a few terms in which synonyms were being determined such as TINGE, SAGACIOUS, IMMUTABLE, DEXTERITY, ROBUST, MASASAL (Tagalog), DENOUEMENT, and PORTENT. These were the words the synonyms of which, in the given choices, were really a pain to find out.

Also, I messed up with the Constitution part (haha), but everything ended well I guess. The exam also asked about scenarios in the government, e.g. duties of the VP if in case something bad happens to the President (or maybe I was just day-dreaming hehe). Also, there was a question about the Philippine National Territory.

I just hope they're not recycling the same questions over and over again. :)) Now, back to the CSE - tips and tricks.

There are two categories, Sub-professional and Professional. It's up to you which one you can handle best. Both exams could either be taken through Paper and Pencil Test (PPT) or Computer-assisted Test (CAT) - depending on availability of schedule as announced by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

Here are eight (yes, 8) tips to help you in your CSE struggles towards getting that eligibility for government entry (civil service).

PH improves in ease of doing business! Check out the largest companies in the Philippines.

Recently, the Philippines was heralded by the World Bank as the most improved country in terms of Ease of Doing Business ranking. The Philippines jumped 30 spots from 138th to 108th this year. (Wow!)

This 30-spot jump was the biggest improvement for any country in the world this year. This could be accredited to gains in the following indicators: Resolving Insolvency indicator (where PH jumped from 165th to 100th), Getting Credit, Electricity, Paying Taxes, Cross-Border Trading, Dealing with Construction Permits, and Registering Property.

Seems like the PH is the up and coming roaring tiger cub economy of the century, to follow the lead of the Four Asian Tigers - Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. It's perhaps the best time to know which PH companies are creating this wave of sustained economic growth.

 

Would you know which companies are the largest in the Philippines? Well, according to a list made by Forbes in April 2013, eight (8) companies made it to the list of 2000 largest companies in the world.

 San Miguel Corporation leads the group of 8 major companies that would somehow drive the economic future of the Philippines. It's then followed by tycoon Henry Sy's SM Investments.

The list of largest companies in the Philippines are as follows:

1. San Miguel

Rank: 694

Sales: $16.6 B

Assets: $0.7 B

Profits: $25.1 B

Market Value: $7 B

2. SM Investments

Rank: 915

Sales: $5.3 B

Assets: $0.6 B

Profits: $13.6 B

Market Value: $16.6 B

3. PLDT

Rank: 1060

Sales: $4 B

Assets: $0.9 B

Profits: $9.9 B

Market Value: $15.1 B

4. BPI

Rank: 1142

Sales: $1.4 B

Assets: $0.4 B

Profits: $23.9 B

Market Value: $9.1 B

5. Manila Electric

Rank: 1308

Sales: $6.8 B

Assets: $0.4 B

Profits: $5.3 B

Market Value: $9.2 B

6. Aboitiz Equity Ventures

Rank: 1642

Sales: $1.6 B

Assets: $0.5 B

Profits: $4.6 B

Market Value: $7.8 B

7. Metropolitan Bank and Trust

Rank: 1666

Sales: $1.5 B

Assets: $0.3 B

Profits: $21.7 B

Market Value: $6 B

8. Ayala

Rank: 1784

Sales: $2.5 B

Assets: $0.3 B

Profits: $11.9 B

Market Value: $8.2 B

SPOTTED: Funny Michael V in Bubble Gang, Ikaw at ang Ina

I really can't help myself but laugh about the Ikaw at ang Ina episodes on GMA 7's Bubble Gang which features the ever funny comedian Michael V. Giggle with me in this collection of Ikaw at ang Ina episodes!

How could this not be funny at all? Haha, paki-explain! Labyu!

Video Courtesy: GMA 7, Bubble Gang

SPOTTED: How to Make DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is fast-approaching! And so, for girls out there (and boys as well), here are some easy tips to come up with a legit costume for your Halloween party! The video posted on youtube explains how once can become a scare crow girl/boy, a person in Where's Waldo? suit, a bloodied Carrie, among others.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel AndreasChoice 

Well, you may also buy costumes from National Bookstore or have it tailor-fitted for you. :)

Most popular car maker in the world: Toyota vs GM

This one's a pretty interesting topic especially for car owners out there. Which car maker sold the most cars? Which is the best-selling automaker in the world?

Image Stacked: MSN Money

Well, the verdict is finally revealed. Toyota outsold General Motors (GM) and every other car maker with 7.41 million car sales made worldwide. Toyota keeps its lead as the number 1 automaker in the world.

GM sold 7.25 million cars from January to September. Volkswagen came in at third with almost 5 percent increase in car sales.

Bad news to McDo fries fans, no more Heinz ketchup!

Looks like some die-hard fans of the McDonalds food chain will weep for a few minutes after finding out that McDo has dropped their ever-tasty Heinz ketchup - a great pair up to its french fries and McDo burgers.

Photo Courtesy: Isodaph Blog

In a statement  on Friday, McDonalds revealed it was dropping ketchup king Heinz as a hamburger condiment supplier, citing management changes at Heinz which brought the company closer to rival Burger King.

In February, 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway took over Heinz in a double-digit multi-billion dollar deal ($28 billion). 3G Capital also controls Burger King, hence, bringing Heinz and BK to sisterhood.

McDonald's said it was ending a more-than-40 year old relationship as it removed Heinz from its list of suppliers.

The company said they "are confident that there will be no impact to our business, our customers and our great tasting food at McDonald's."

Dates to Remember: 2013-2014 NBA Season

Here are some important dates to remember on this season's NBA.

2013

Oct 29: Season openers feat. Derrick Rose returning for Chicago vs NBA champions Miami

Dec 18: San Antonio and Minnesota square off in Mexico City, 1 of two regular-season games to be played outside Canada and US

Dec 19: Brooklyn Nets host New York Knicks in season’s first battle at the Big Apple

Dec 25: NBA celebrates Christmas with Miami at the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago at Brooklyn, Oklahoma City at the New York Knicks, Houston vs San Antonio, LA Clippers vs Golden State Warriors 

2014

Jan 16: Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks in London

Jan 20: Knicks vs Nets continue New York cross-town rivalry on Martin Luther King Jr. day

Jan 26: Heat vs Spurs meet for first time since Miami beat San Antonio in 2013 finals

Feb 14: NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans

Feb 19: Dwight Howard returns to LA to face Lakers for first time since leaving for Houston

Feb 20: Trade deadline

April 16: Regular season ends

April 19: NBA Playoffs start

May 20: NBA draft lottery

June 5: NBA Finals commence

June 26: NBA draft

Why a police clearance is important in PH employment

I don't know if there are people out there who are hesitant to look for a job because of too many requirements just to apply. The case of getting a police clearance, one of the requirements for employment, should be taken seriously.

Having a criminal record is a bad sign for employers who are seeking applicants that could best earn their trust and reputation. Although prejudice shouldn't be completely applied in picking up the best potentials, it is somehow one of the instinctive measures of job providers.

So, why is a police clearance important? A police clearance is essential when finding a job in the Philippines because employers need to look at your record in their locality's police precinct. They need to find out whether you have done something wrong against the laws imposed in society.

They need to be assured that once you're employed, you won't do anything bad that could cause suffering or bad reputation to the company, or worse, deal a large blow when you commit serious crimes against it (e.g. arsony, theft, murder).

The police clearance is important to help the human resource department stay away from trouble. Employers seek honest and reliable employees. Apart from that, they want to check how committed you are in getting that job.