Get yourself ready for this coming fight of Manny Pacman Pacquiao and joshua “the Grandmaster” Clottey this coming March 13, 2010 at Dallas Cowboy Stadium, Arlington Texas, USA. This fight will surely be great. However the question is, who will win this fight? Will pacquiao be finally defeated by Clottey? To answer these questions, we need to get to know first who Joshua Clottey is.

Name: Joshua Clottey
Alias: The Grandmaster, The Hitter
Birth Date: March 16, 1977
Birth Place: Accra, Ghana
Residence: Bronx, New york, USA
Nationality: Ghana
Age: 33
Height: 5′ 9″
Reach: 70″
Stance or Style: Orthodox
Weight category: Welterweight
Trained by: Kwame Asante
Manager:
Global ID: 9300
US ID: 040806

Strengths:
- Has an aggressive style
- good skills and movement
- has good punching power
- He is big and strong at 147 pounds
- he pressures his opponents and wears them down…
- tough and determined
- experienced against top opposition

Regional and World Titles

* International Boxing Federation Welterweight Title (2008-09)
* IBF Intercontinental Welterweight Title (2006)
* WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight Title (2005)
* NABC Welterweight Title (2004)
* African Boxing Union Welterweight Title (2001)
* Ghanaian Light Welterweight Title (1995)

Amateur and Personal Background:
Clottey was born in Accra. He has three brothers and two sisters. He is the junior brother of Emmanuel Clottey. His father is working on the highway. He makes road and worked in construction. He was a soccer player and pushed all his sons into boxing. They started in Bukom. It’s the place in Accra where the fighters train. Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey, also started in Bukom.

Joshua Cottley started boxing when he was six years old. He was also a soccer player before he became a boxer.

Clottey said “I had 49 amateur fights, with four losses. I reached the quarter-finals in the Commonwealth Games.”

He is single, but has one daughter. She is nine years old and lives in Ghana. Clottey is a Muslim, so he gave her daughter a Muslim name, Zeenat Clottey.

Joshua is a member of Ghana’s “Ga” tribe, which includes Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Ben “Wonder” Tackie, and many of Ghana’s other top boxers…

Boxing News editor Claude Abrams visited Accra several years ago and reported: “Imagine an uneven, open concrete yard about 20 feet square, the floor crumbling in parts and enclosed on three sides, one by the outer wall of a house, the other two by a patched-together fence made of wood and corrugated iron sheets.

“When bare, there’s scant evidence that this is or has been the playground to generations of fighting men. There’s no roof to keep out the rain or hold back the sun, but how it comes alive when the warriors arrive. The floor becomes cluttered as boxers clamor for room, elbowing each other to throw their blows while children clamber onto the frail walls and perch wide-eyed, like pigeons on a rooftop. There are benches neatly arranged at the entrance, which are quickly filled to capacity. The village has arrived!

“This is Bukom, probably no greater than the area of three football pitches, situated a short drive from the Ghanian capital Accra, where the average life expectancy is around 50, the streets do not have names and the red and dusty roads are so uneven that car passengers would be advised to wear crash hats.

“Scores of young boys and girls in bare feet scramble and fill the dried, earthy streets. They, too, know how to shadow box, how to hold their hands high and to throw punches.

“Ike Quartey was once one of these smiling youngsters – skinny and half-clothed – before he became “The Bazooka”… [He was born] in a rickety structure of little consequence or value which hovers like a tree-house above a pathway on the way to the gym, but now it’s a landmark, a must for those perusing the “where to go and visit” guide of Bukom.

“This is a village so immersed in boxing that at any given time during the day there will be a fighter in training and the square will, for most ofthe year, be occupied by a ring.

“Ghanian fighters…essentially fight in the same patient, methodical manner, knowing when and how to strike. Emotionally, when competing, they appear cold, their eyes focused, their concentration unwavering, though their characters can be warm and almost gentle.

“It is a paradox of almost schizophrenic proportions, though Ghanians are, by nature, proud and polite and perform their tasks neatly, down to the woman in the street who will walk with perfect precision balancing a car battery on her head.

“Here lies an untapped fountain of boys and men who have declared a willingness to fight for survival…”

“Now you be the judge to who’s going to win this coming March 13, 2010. Better not miss the chance to watch them fight.”

Panagbenga Festival Location

Panagbenga Festival Schedule:
February Month

About Panagbenga Festival:

Panagbenga Festival has always been the most awaited festival in Baguio City (summer capital in the Philippines). A lot of tourists also visits this place to join their festival because of the cool weather and a lot of activities to enjoy. The Panagbenga Festival is celebrated for the whole month of February but the main event happens during the street parade and float parade that are decorated with flowers. On these days, crowd all over the city is pretty much expected.

Panagbenga came from a Malayo-Polynesian origin, that means “season of blooming”. The Festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the city’s flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

Some activities to be expected are paintball tournaments, airsoft tournaments, bazaar, PMA Homecoming, street dancing, landscaping contest, etc.

History

Formerly known as the Baguio Flower Festival, the Panagbenga Festival, was formed and organized last 1995 by brainchild of Attorney Damaso Bangaoet Jr. of the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation (JPDC) and Victor A. Lim of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA). Entries from the annual Camp John Hay art contest gave its official logo which is, a spray of sunflowers. The festival was set in February to boost tourism as it was considered as a month of inactivity between the busy days of Christmas season and the Holy Week and the summer season.

In 1996, archivist and curator Ike Picpican suggested that the festival be renamed as Panagbenga, a Kankanaey term that means “a season of blossoming, a time for flowering”.

Panagbenga Festival 2010 Schedule:

November 16 – Launch of Panagbenga 2010
February 1 – Opening Parade
February 13 – Chinese New Year
February 12-14 – Legarda Rocks
February 14 – Fluvial Parade
February 14 – Camelot on the Lake
February 20 – Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom
February 20-22 – PMA Homecoming 2010
February 27 – Grand Panagbenga Street Parade
February 28 – Grand Float Parade
February 26-28 – Abanao Nights
Feb 1 – Mar 7 – Market Encounter
March 1-7 – Session Road in Bloom
March 6 – Pony Boys Day

Manny Pacquiao is aiming of winning this fight and become the first boxer to become a champion in seven different divisions.

He’s training very hard for this fight, considering the fact that Miguel Cotto is a very strong and fast fighter.

On the other hand, Miguel Cotto’s training was said to be relaxed and a lot says that Miguel Cotto has a lot of bad habbits during training. But this don’t make Miguel Cotto a weak fighter.

Miguel Cotto has put-up a big name on his fighting division winning battles against strong and fast fighters like Mosley.

But Cotto has a disadvantage in this upcoming fight. He will need to trim down his weight to as low as 143lbs from his normal 150+lbs weight. This will surely drain out a lot of energies from Cotto but could as well make him move much faster than ever.

Manny is a very good fighter now and his right hand is now as good as his left hand. This will be Manny’s best weapon for this fight if he could go near Cotto and beat him up with very strong punches. Cotto is a very strong fighter though and could tolerate a lot of hits. Cotto is also much taller than Pacquiao which makes him much harder to take down.

Pacquiao needs to work his way for this fight and for sure, Freddie Roach has a good strategy for this fight.

Even journalists and boxing experts can’t say who will win this fight.

But considering Pacquiao’s speed and new boxing skills, Miguel Cotto will surely be in a very tight position and easy winning for both players won’t be possible.

PLAYERS STATISTICS:

Manny Pacquiao (PACMAN)

Country: Philippines
Age: 30
Height: 5″ 6.5′
Reach: 67′
Record: 49 wins – 3 Losses – 2 Draws
KOs: 37

Miguel Cotto (JUNITO)

Country: Puerto Rico
Age: 28
Height: 5″ 7′
Reach: 67′
Record: 34 Wins – 1 Loss – 0 Draws
KOs: 27

Real Name: Angelica David Panganiban
Birthday: November 4, 1986
Place where she grew up or Birth place: Caloocan City, Philippines
Profession: Actress, Dancer, model
Height: 5’ 6”
GrandFather’s Name: Alfredo Panganiban

Education:
- Finished elementary school at St. Vincent in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City in 1999.
- Finished High school at St. Vincent, West Avenue in 2003.
- She was the Junior-Senior Prom Princess in 2002 and Miss Junior and Senior Prom in 2003.
- She was also a cheer leader and also a feature editor in her school newspaper.
- Angelica had her college spent at Thames International Business School, majoring in Mass Communication but she had to stop during her sophomore year due to showbiz dedications.
- She is currently studying Culinary Arts at Global City Innovative College.

Everything about Angelica Panganiban:

When Angelica Panganiban was still 2 years old, her parents got separated. She has no memories of her father. In her childhood, Angelica had assumed that her grandfather, Alfredo Panganiban, was her real father.

Angelica is also a member of ABS-CBN’s elite circle of homegrown talents properly named Star Magic. She started her career in showbiz at age 6 with her first show Ang TV in ABS-CBN. She also starred in the 2007 movie A Love Story with Aga Muhlach and Maricel Soriano, produced by Star Cinema. Angelica was one of the lead stars of ABS-CBN’s Iisa Pa Lamang. Angelica Panganiban is currently a cast with Banana Split which is a comedy Program from ABS-CBN. She has an upcoming movie “RUBI”. Angelica Panganiban already has a lot of acting awards as well as awards to prove her beauty and sexiness.

Cory Aquino Burial

Madame Cory Aquino died at the age of 76  last August 1, 2009 at exactly 3:18A.M.  at the Makati Medical Center due to complications of colon cancer which led to cardiopulmonary arrest.

Filipinos trembled and cried for the loss of their democracy hero. She has been denoted as the mother of democracy by many Filipinos. She fought the Marcos dictatorial way of running the government in her own peaceful way and brought back to the Filipinos the democratic government it deserved.

She was diagnosed with colon cancer last March 24, 2008 and undergone Chemotherapy. Doctors said that her body responded positively to the treatment on May 13, 2008 according to the blood test they performed. However, to no avail, on July 2008 Cory Aquino was reported to be in a very serious condition and was confined in the Makati Medical Center because she lost her appetite.  She stayed in Makati Medical Center until the day of her death.

Prior to her burial, Madame Cory’s body was laid in the St. Benilde Gymnasium of La Salle Green Hills located in Mandaluyong for public wake and was then transferred last August 3rd to the Manila Cathedral. She was the first Catholic that is not a member of the clergy to have been permitted to have her wake at the cathedral. She was a very devoted Catholic and prayer was her ultimate weapon when she fought for our democracy.

She was buried in the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque. Her final mass was celebrated by Bishop Socrates Villegas at the cathedral. The blessing of the coffin was administered by Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales. During the funeral procession, hundreds of thousands of mourners attended, which was composed of several supporters, ordinary citizens, relatives, political alliance and even political enemies.

Filipinos around the globe watching her burial ceremonies even shed tears for her loss. She was indeed a lost treasure of the Filipino people.

Corazon Aquino was the 11th president and was the first female president of the Philippines. She’s one of the few presidents of the Philippines that was never accused of corruption during her term as a President of the Philippines.

May you rest in Peace and Glory with the Lord in heaven Madame Cory! We love you so much!

1 whole pig (about 20 kilos)
salt
black pepper
soy sauce For the stuffing:
5 to 10 bundles lemon grass (tanglad)
20 pcs. bananas (saba variety), peeled then halved or
20 pcs. taro (gabi), peeled

Filipino Lechon Recipe or Roasted Pig Ham or Pork Recipe Cooking Instructions:

1. Clean and prepare the pig by removing innards, washing and scraping innards, washing and scraping the body of bristles. Rinse and allow to drain a bit before stuffing.
2. Rub with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Rub soy sauce on the skin of the pig. This will make it nicely red when roasted.
4. Stuff the belly of the lechon with lemon grass along with saba and gabi. Sew to close.
5. Skewer the pig and split roast over live charcoal or traditionally, in some parts of Cebu, under live fire. Roast until crisp.
6. Lechon is not served with a sauce. But if a dipping sauce is requested, vinegar with scallions and pepper may be served along with it.

The Filipino Bulalo Recipe or Beef Bone Marrow Soup Recipe Ingredients

2 kg beef bone marrow, have your butcher chop it into small pieces
1 kg boneless beef shank or stewing beef
1 onion, peeled and sliced
3 liters water
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2-3 saba (plantain) bananas, each cut into two pieces
1 whole medium cabbage, quartered
3-4 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
Salt and pepper to taste

The Filipino Bulalo Recipe or Beef Bone Marrow Soup Recipe Cooking Instructions:

1. Lighten bone marrow and boneless beef shank or stewing beef in hot boiling water for a while and rinse in cold running tap water to remove foam and blood.
2. Put bone marrow and onion in a stockpot and pour in the 3 liters of water and bring to the boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.
4. Add the boneless beef shank or stewing beef and return to the boil.
5. When it boils, lower heat and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 to 1½ hours.
6. Add the potatoes and bananas.
7. Simmer until potatoes and bananas are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Add the cabbage and stir in fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Cook until cabbage is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
10. Serve with hot rice. It serves 6.

LOCATION AND ORIGIN OF PALAWAN NAME

Palawan is located between Mindoro Island and North Borneo. The Palawan name came from the Chinese people during the 9th century calling it PA-LAO-YU which means land of beautiful safe harbor. Some also believe that Palawan name came from the Indian word PALAWANS meaning territory. However, the most popular belief of Palawan’s origin of its name is from the Spanish word PARA AGUA which means the main island’s shape look likes a closed umbrella.

Palawan TOURIST SPOTS and DESTINATIONS in Palawan

1.    Palawan rainforests

2.    White sandy beaches

3.    Crystal clear water with colored fishes and corals – Seven lakes surrounded by rocky limestone cliffs attract hundreds of nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town of Coron. Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40 meters. This large range offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from beginner divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers. Dive operators offer PADI dive courses ranging from Discover Scuba to Assistant Instructor, Technical and Enriched Air Diving, as well as other specialty courses. Dive operators offer day diving, snorkeling trips, and overnight dive safaris. Live-aboard and charter boats also offer diving in the area. The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese warships off Coron Island are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best scuba sites in the world.

4.    Palawan historical and archeological treasures

5.    Variety of tropical fauna and flora, Palawan orchid species and Palawan cherry blossoms

6.   Palawan monkeys, Palawan Parrots, Palawan bear cats, Palawan metallic-colored peacock pheasant, mongoose, scaly anteater, porcupine and mouse deer, endangered sea turtles.

7.    Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary located at northern Calamianes islands – home to unusual and endemic species of animals that roam freely in its luxuriant hills and plains. A game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan. The reserve was established on August 31, 1976 by virtue of the Presidential Decree No.1578, this started in response to the appeal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd World Conference in Kenya. By virtue of the Republic Act 7611 (SEP), administrative jurisdiction of DENR was given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31, 1993. Management of the area is the responsibility of the Office of the Palawan Council of Sustainable Development (PCSD). It is located in Calauit Island in Busuanga.

8.    El Nido Marine Reserve located at the northern coastline – known for edible birds’ nests and limestone cliffs. The January 2008 issue of international magazine Travel + Leisure, published by the American Express Co. (which partnered with Conservation International) listed El Nido’s sister hotel resorts El Nido Lagen Island and El Nido Miniloc Island in Miniloc and Lagen Islands as “conservation-minded places on a mission to protect the local environment.” Travel + Leisure’s 20 Favorite Green Hotels scored El Nido Resort’s protection of Palawan’s giant clam gardens and the re-introduction of endangered Philippine cockatoos: “8. El Nido Resorts, Philippines: Guest cottages on stilts are set above the crystalline ocean. The resorts are active in both reef and island conservation.

9.    Tubbataha reefs located in the middle of the Sulu Sea – a pair of coral coral reefs newly named as a World Heritage Site for its highly distinct collection of fishes and other marine life. The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km², including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.

10.    The St. Paul Subterranean National Park located along the west coast – has old-growth forests, cathedral caves, white sand beaches, and one of the longest underground rivers in the world.

11.    Ursula Island located at the South - a sanctuary for migratory and resident birds.

12.    Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area – Located in the Municipality of Taytay, this important ecological and economic zone is a watershed and fishing ground, and the habitat of Bottle-nosed and Irrawaddy dolphins.

13.    UNESCO World Heritage Sites

14.    Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park – This park features a large limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river’s unique features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full ‘mountain-to-sea’ ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia.

15.    Ursula Island - This game asylum and bird sanctuary is located near the Municipality of Brooke’s Point in southern Palawan. The islet is a migratory and wintering ground for shorebirds and seabirds.

LANGUAGE

There are 52 languages and dialects in the province, with Tagalog being spoken by 28 percent of the people. Other languages are Cuyonon (26.27 percent), Palawano (11.08 percent), and Ilonggo (9.6 percent). English is also widely spoken.

CLIMATE

The east coast has 4 months of dry season with rain possibility during the other 8 months. In Palawan, November and December are the wettest months. The west coast has 6 months dry and 6 months wet season. The island of Palawan is mostly typhoon free, not including the northern part. The two most common winds are the softer northeast monsoon which blows from October to April and the stronger northwest monsoon which blows from June to September. Sea travel between the islands is best between April to June. Then the ocean is calm and flat as a mirror.

Palawan Highly-urbanized city

-    Puerto Princesa

Palawan Mainland Municipalities
-  Aborlan
- Bataraza
- Brooke’s Point
- Dumaran
- El Nido (Bacuit)
- Narra
- Quezon
- Rizal (Marcos)
- Roxas
-  San Vicente
- Sofronio Española
- Taytay

Palawan Island Municipalities
- Agutaya
- Araceli
- Balabac
- Busuanga
- Cagayancillo
- Coron
- Culion
- Cuyo
- Kalayaan
- Linapacan
- Magsaysay

Ancient superstition and modern commerce came together in a “once in a lifetime” opportunity which could end up being the most watched eclipse in history, due to its path over Earth’s most densely inhabited areas.
After forming over the sea west of India, the lunar shadow or “umbra” made landfall in India’s Gujarat state shortly before 6:30 am (0100 GMT) and quickly swallowed the city of Surat, the country’s diamond polishing centre.

By eclipse standards, this is “a monster,” NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak and University of Manitoba meteorologist Jay Anderson wrote in the US magazine Sky & Telescope. After an eight-minute journey across central India, it was to squeeze between northern Bangladesh and the eastern tip of Nepal and then slice through some of China’s biggest cities, including Chengdu, Chongqing and Wuhan, before arriving at Shanghai, a city of 20 million souls. The umbra then flits across the islands of southern Japan and goes around into the western Pacific, where at one point the length of totality — when the solar disc is completely covered will be six minutes, 39 seconds. If the clouds hold back, it could be the most watched eclipse in history, and we will have to wait until year 2132 before the totality duration is beaten.

The total journey will unclear the sun by 50 percent or more for an estimated two billion people, from the salt flat farmers of Gujarat to herdsmen in the foothills of the Tibetan Himalayas. Superstition has always haunted the moment when Earth, Moon and Sun are perfectly aligned. The daytime destruction of the Sun, the source of all life, is associated with war, famine, flood and the death or birth of rulers.

For further explanation, the ancient Chinese blamed a Sun-eating dragon. In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to “swallow” the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its light and causing food to become poisonous and water undrinkable. Ahead of Wednesday’s eclipse, some Indian astrologers had issued predictions loaded with gloom and apprehension, while superstition dictated that pregnant women should stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects. A gynecologist at a Delhi hospital said many expectant mothers scheduled for July 22 caesarian deliveries insisted on changing the date.

For others it was a promising date, with more than one million Hindu pilgrims gathering at the holy site of Kurukshetra in northern India, where bathing in the waters during a solar eclipse is believed to further the attainment of spiritual freedom. Those who could afford it grabbed seats on planes chartered by specialist travel agencies that promised extended views of the eclipse as they chased the shadow eastwards. Travel firm Cox and Kings charged 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a “sun-side” seat on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft before dawn from New Delhi for a three-hour flight.

Meteorologists said that thick cloud and heavy rain were likely to ruin the party for millions of people hoping to watch the solar blackout in Shanghai and other parts of eastern China. But the Hyatt hotel on Shanghai’s waterfront Bund said its eclipse breakfast event remained fully booked out regardless of the weather concerns. “People are just looking for a reason to get together,” hotel spokeswoman Meg Zhang said. “You can tell your boss: ‘It’s only once in 300 years’.”

The next total solar eclipse will be on July 11 2010, but will occur almost entirely over the South Pacific, where Easter Island, home of the legendary moai giant statues, will be one of the few landfalls.

Lovers in Paris is starred by KC Concepcion and Piolo Pascual. People believe KC has an advantage sincee her leading man is the utmost heartthrob Piolo Pascual. This Koreannovela remake is a big hit not only in the Philippines but across Asia as well.

Lover’s in Paris Philippines CASTS:
Piolo Pascual as Carlo
KC Concepcion as Vivian
Zanjoe Marudo as Martin
Maricar Reyes as Donna
Christopher De Leon as Assulto
Tonton Guttierrez as Leo
Mickey Ferriols as Nina
K Brosas as Michelle
John Wayne Sace

This will be the first time that Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes will not be together in a teleserye. It’s premier would be this coming August 10, 2009.  The Directors of the TV series are Dominic Zapata and Don Michael Perez

NARDA CASTS:

Marian Rivera as Narda / Darna
Iwa Moto as Valentina
Paolo Contis as Kobra
Mark Anthony Fernandez as Efren
Alfred Vargas as Tristan
Angel Aquino as Original Darna
Nadine Samonte as Babaeng Impakta
Ehra Madrigal as Babaeng Linta
Margaret Nales Wilson as Babaeng Lawin
Celia Rodriguez as Perfecta
Roxanne Barcelo as Friend of Narda
Robert Villar as Ding
Raymart Santiago
Jestoni Alarcon as Father of Narda
Rita Avila as Mother of Narda
Janice de Belen as Mother of Valentina
Bearwin Meilly
Gabby Eigenmann