THE MANILA SUNSET HELICOPTER TOUR VIDEO

Seeing Manila by sunset via Airgurus' Ltd. Co.'s helicopter is a thrilling way to experience Manila! Airgurus operates 24/7 and tours are conducted 7 days a week from sunrise till sunset!


In the video below... taking off from a helipad in Makati City, Philippines via Airgurus' Chopper...I had a great view of the entire Metropolis over sunset before we went back to the hangar. It may be a short ride but it was great! Of course, a normal helicopter tour is longer and sometimes, it can be really romantic!


Airgurus Ltd. Co.  offers Helicopter Tours in Manila and anywhere in the Philippines. Visit the website www.airgurus.com or call Airgurus 24/7 Operations Center at +632 583 6337 / +632 854 4086 / +63 9052723022 / +63 920 955 0897 and +63 917 596 6288! Inquire now!

THE SAD PLIGHT: MAID IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Filipina women are known to be one of the most caring and loving creatures in the world. I am for one, a proud Filipina and yes... we are a very caring kind but not to the extent of carrying cocaine and heroin either in their luggage or swallowed or encased please! 

For decades, Philippines' top export commodity is "Maid in the Philippines" with millions of women from my country hired abroad as domestic workers. Now, my heart bleeds as these Filipinas are now known as "Mules in the Philippines". It saddens me that with the global recession and opportunities failing to be materialized here at home, a lot of my kind have resorted to something far more dangerous than being domestic workers to smuggling drugs.


Over the years, Philippines witnessed a dramatic increase in the numbers of our men and women... especially our poor women being used as drug mules. According to top officials in the country, there appears to be a specific targeting of our Filipina women by international drug syndicates often taking advantage of those who are in desperate situations to go back home to their families. Poverty... the need to pay back their debts, to buy clothes, medicine, food, provide schooling for their children drives these women to deep danger. 

 
I believe that the only answer is awareness. If our women were informed and helped in the first place, if there was more equality then the problem would be much smaller. The Philippine Government should launch a massive awareness to fight this social illness that hounds our people and our country. With the help of our Philippines embassies offshore, the drug law enforcement agencies, the bloggers, the media and civil society groups, we can make this stop. Poor awareness pushes Filipinas to do these dangerous risks. 

Awareness is the only way I can think of. I can't imagine how we will be able to directly stop having our women used as drug mules because then, we need to stop the demand and supply of the drugs. This brings me to ask... would the Aquino government help? These international drug dealers are ruthless, fearless and very rich..they corrupt the governments, police and other law enforcement agencies. And so it is a sad plight for drug mules when caught. A drug mule is a drug mule...whichever gender for it results to same sentences for drug smuggling...  same offense... same punishment offshore.

 
Drug trafficking will always be there but if we help educate or making our women aware about taking these risks, it can be stopped. These Filipina women are respected and loved in our country... I cannot imagine how they and their families endure this sad and horrifying experience of languishing jail time and severe punishments like death in foreign prisons. I can't imagine how their own children feels about these...

I don't believe that these women, who are already being exploited, should be jailed or punished in any way but... there are laws. However, I feel we should treat these women with a lot more compassion. Let's help bring back our women to their own rightly pedestals... these care-giving queens are no drug mules... let's help bring them home to our land and to their children... safe and happy.

Photos by: Jonel M. Candelaria (Big thanks for providing them specifically for my blog!)

JOHN00FLEMING: J00F EDITIONS LIVE AT TIME IN MANILA

Club TIME opens with a big bang as Frequency Manila presents: J00F EDITIONS - John '00' Fleming on February 25, 2011.  Backing up J00F are DJ's: Martin Lugtu (TIME), Ayee Taupa and Alinep (TIME)!

JOOF Editions, the brainchild of John 00 Fleming, has created an event which re-focuses the night on the musical experience to combat what he says is, “his frustration at the current commercialized state of dance music culture.”

“It’s apparent the scene needs to split into two again; to let the current road of commercialism take its co...urse while also allowing for the more specialist events/DJ/acts room to breathe.”

Not being able to sit back and watch the collapse of an industry he is so passionate about John decided to take action.

“J00F Editions is an event which lives to return the musical journey to the people; in events devoid of props, pyrotechnics and faux VIP’s, instead returning to a world where a DJ can musically breathe with extended sets and creative sounds,” he said.

“In what’s become an era of celebrity guest DJ culture, true music, its fans and new talent have been disconnected. J00F Editions lives to reconnect it and to re-ignite what drew clubbers in the very beginning.”

Starting in his hometown of Brighton, UK, J00F Editions will tour world wide with John 00 Fleming himself programming the entire night.

Other destinations so far include: San Francisco (USA), Manila (Philippines), Singapore and Mumbai (India).

J00F Editions will technically recreate the same essence delivered in John’s much lauded recent BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix.

J00F Editions will also introduce new talent, handpicked by John, to reinforce the event on the music, the night, and the journey.

These three elements will infuse into every venues setup, to synergistically match with John’s final artistic approval.

If you can remember a time when electronic music wasn’t diluted then J00F Editions is for you. If you have known nothing else but musical predictability then J00F Editions is for you.

Come and be part of a new movement.... A movement that returns the club to the clubbers!

Regular Tickets:- P1,000 with 2 Standard Drinks

Tables:- P16,000 - Good for 8 persons seated with 2 bottles + Mixers.

Cocktail Tables:- P10,000 Good for 6 persons Standing with 1 Bottle + Mixers.

For Table Reservations and Advance Bookings Please Call:-

May:- 0921 800 2528

www.frequencymanila.com
www.timeinmanila.com
www.drivenmanila.com

Next up after J00F for FREQUENCY MANILA @ TIME:-

SONNY WHARTON Fri 25th March (www.sonnywharton.com)
ROSIE ROMERO Fri 29th April (www.djrosieromero.com)

A PRAYER FOR ELLAH JOY PIQUE's JUSTICE

Dear Lord,

I pray that you would take the soul of little Ellah Joy Pique into your arms... comfort her and welcome her into your eternal kingdom. 

 
I pray that you give comfort and strength to her family and friends, and help them bear this tragic loss of an innocent beloved little angel. I pray for Ella Joy Pique's justice... that it be achieved soonest. I pray for her murderers be punished by what the government and the Filipino nation believes is apt.  

  
I pray for all the children that have been murdered and I pray for their families as well. I pray for all the parents of the young children that they may be given the wisdom to take appropriate steps to protect their children from those that might do them harm.


Lord, help me let go of the hatred I feel right now. Please give me the strength to not hate the Caucasian man and the Filipina woman who committed this terrible crime knowing that... difficult as it may be to understand, you still love him and that Jesus has commanded me to love them too. Lord, this is the hardest commandment that we have but we know that we can only even attempt it with your help. I pray that this man and woman and all those who have committed such crimes should come to repentance and receive your forgiveness. I pray that those who may be tempted to commit such crimes should realize how wrong their urges are and should seek help from others and most importantly, from you.


I pray, in Jesus name.
Amen.


Searched the net for Ellah Joy's images only to find Ellah Joy Pique on Facebook Page Justice For Ellah Joy Pique

THE SEARCH FOR ELLAH JOY PIQUE'S KILLERS

An abhorrent crime was committed in Cebu City, Philippines to an innocent six years old Filipina girl, Ellah Joy Pique last Tuesday, February 8, 2011 and my heart bleeds for her as it takes so long for this country to give justice to victims. 

Ellah Joy was about to go home at around 4pm of February 8, following 10 year old twins after school when a black SUV (Pajero with plate number 679) stopped in front of them. One of the twins saw the car's door opened with a Caucasian man on the driver's seat on board and a Filipina woman beside him on who latter asked Ellah her mother's name and offered to drive her home. Ellah boarded the car, sat on the woman's lap, smiled and waved at her friends goodbye. That was the last time her friends saw Ellah alive.

At 7:55am Thursday, February 10, Ellah's poor naked and lifeless body was found at the foot of a cliff along the national road in Baranggay Sayaw, Barili more than 40 kilometers away from home. She was wrapped in two cream-colored bedsheets and blankets with three rocks and gray cable wires snaked around her small frame.


Ellah Joy was the youngest child and only daughter of the Pique family.

The 1st grader's belongings were discovered in a baranggay next to Sayaw at around 9am that day. These included a pink checkered skirt, pink shorts, a sleeveless white blouse, her violet slippers, a lunch box and her school bag filled with notebooks. Two Fifty Pesos bills were also found which surprised Ellah's father who claimed he did not give her money nor a single peso since Ellah goes home to eat her lunch. The said money was used to trick or lure the Ellah to go with them.

Now, what kind of an animal could look into the eyes of an innocent child, purposefully hurt her, kill her and toss her lifeless body away like garbage?   Who are these sick people who prey on our children... our national treasures?  

Hereunder is a cartographic sketch of the Caucasian man and his Filipina companion released by the Cebu City crime investigators...

Ellah's autopsy findings showed that her hymen is intact but she had contusions and bruises on her arms and mouth. The medico legal officer Dr. Nestor Sator reported that Ellah Joy Pique's lower lip was also lacerated, a fracture on her skull and a wound on her back all indicating that the victim was struck by a hard object. The impact was said to have caused her brain to bleed.


As we pray for Ellah Joy's peace, please help find her killers... let's help her bring justice to the crime committed against her innocent life who was obviously meant to be sexually abused or for child trafficking purposes but that she put up a fight for her own life. 

As for our other children... our national treasures... please help protect them from child predators! Be supportive of THE CHILD-WISE TOURISM! Please read that blog and know what to do when you sense that something bad is bound to happen to children.

May our Filipino children be further spared from child killers and child predators.  


Updated News Source

HELICOPTER RESCUE OF TWO PINOYS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

January 31, 2011... a 3:15pm distress call from an oil tanker Ghawar Nassau to Airgurus Ltd. Co., the leading Air Ambulance Company in the Philippines, was received. 

The China-bound tanker's captain requested for the immediate airlift / medical evacuation of two (2) critically injured Filipinos. These men figured in an accident on board (one broken hip and one broken leg) and are requiring to be brought to the Metropolitan Hospital in Manila for immediate medical attention.

An hour before that distress call to Airgurus Ltd. Co., the ship's captain previously called the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) pnly to be advised that PCG can only pick the men up in 2 - 3 days. The good captain of the ship was so concerned about these Filipinos' conditions thus; he sought for help from the shipping company in Manila to contact anyone who could get these men some help fast as they head back closer to the Philippines.

 
The call was made to Capt. Harry Lero of Airgurus Ltd. Co. who, understanding the urgency of the call, immediately called for SkyAid's doctor and Aeromed medical staff to go with him to South China Sea and have 2 ground ambulances be on a standby at the hangar when they arrived. 

SkyAid is an air ambulance program by Airgurus Ltd. Co. and Aeromed providing access to medical air transport in the country.  

Airgurus Ltd. Co. with its' partnership with Aeromed... SkyAid is the best air ambulance solution if ever you're in a medical emergency or figured accident far away from adequate medical care anywhere in the Philippines.

For more information, call Airgurus Ltd. Co.'s 24/7 operations at +632 583 6337 / +632 854 4086 / +63 920 955 0897 / +63 917 596 6288 or click here to send us an email.

DEPECHE MODE DJ SET IN MANILA!

After Bob Sinclar at the World Trade Center, Republiq and Driven Manila bring you the DEPECHE MODE DJ Set featuring Andy Fletcher on February 24, 2011 at Republiq, Resorts World!!! 

Andy Fletcher has spent his recent downtime between DM albums touring extensively as a DJ.  He has played festivals (Creamfields, Pukkelpop, Sonar, Get Loaded) and club nights around the world particularly Spain, Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe as well as Greece, Istanbul, Russia & Israel.  He has also been on DJ tour in 5 countries in South America.  Andy is now very excited to be taking his DJ tour to Bucharest, Ukraine and Australia/Asia in early 2011.

"I really enjoy DJing, it's great to get eye contact in smaller venues again as I'm used to playing to tens of thousands of people with DM.  And it's great to be able to select tracks I like from any era and in any style."

 
"In general I don't tend to play any one style but my set is loosely based on my heritage with Depeche Mode - electro both old and new from the Human League to Alex Metric.  I'll be playing brand new DM mixes from respected producers such as Eric Prydz & Vince Clarke and classic old mixes such as Personal Jesus by Francois K.  You can expect some surprises as well as I've been working on a few things in the studio especially for this forthcoming DJ tour."

“It feels like a good time to be out DJing again, with a new DM remix album out in March 2011.  The last remix collection was hugely successful and this one is shaping up to be just as exciting – an interesting mix of favourite classic mixes and brand new future classic mixes.”

So there you go, folks! Didn't we say at Driven Manila that Bob Sinclar was just the beginning? ;-) For sponsorship, VIP and table reservations, see this... 

  
Fletch will surely rock Republiq!!! You absolutely can't afford to miss this!!!


2011 Best Gigs in Manila are brought to you by Driven Manila!

DAY-TRIP DIVING IN APO REEF, PHILIPPINES

Airgurus Ltd. Co., the leading Helicopter and Aircraft Charter and Air Ambulance company in the Philippines is offering diving enthusiasts one (1) day diving trips to Apo Reef, Mindoro with one of the countries' best dive masters as your guide to the world's second largest contiguous coral reef in the world and the largest one in the Philippines. 

Apo Reef is one of the best and most famous diving site in the Philippines and one of the most popular coral reefs in the world.  It is located 28 kilometers off the western coast of Mindoro Island, and it is 34 kilometers long... divided into two lagoon systems... north and south. It is a blissful experience for divers as it has spectacular drop offs and walls in best visibility. 

 
The shallow lagoon with a depth of 2 - 10 meters is surrounded by mangrove forest which serves as source of food, nursery and spawning ground for coastal and marine species of fauna and birds. Apo Reef's corals are so diverse... approximately 34 sq. kilometers of the reef nurtures magnificent species of invertebrates, marine mammals and fish. Apo Reef is every photographer's dream. 

A protected sanctuary and a declared National Park since 1996, Apo Reef is a unique natural phenomenon with its' exotic and enchanting marine life species!

Since Apo Reef is difficult to access and to spare local and foreign divers from spending too much time traveling, Airgurus Ltd. Co. is now offering day trips via helicopters with options of course for divers to extend their stay in the island.

The dive spots around Apo Reef like the Ego Wall, Alladin and Hunter's Rock offers tremendous coral drops with excellent overhangs where schools of turtles, white-tip reef sharks, snappers, gray sharks, great barracudas and so many more are common.  Visibility is often excellent in Apo Reef due to its' location which is very far out in the South China Sea. 

Schedule for the 1 day trip from Airgurus Hangar-Apo Reef-Airgurus Hangar

Departure from Manila: 6:00am 
Arrival in Apo Reef: 7:15am


Departure from Apo Reef: 4:30pm
Arrival in Manila: 5:45pm

To request for pricing which is inclusive of the dive master's fee and SkyAid Air Ambulance membership coverage for one (1) day, contact info@airgurus.ph. Yes, Airgurus Ltd. Co. is the only helicopter and aircraft charter company in the Philippines offering such service in the country... a must for all divers!

Should you request for an extension of a trip , that can be arranged as well but it has to be planned with Airgurus Ltd. Co., ahead of time!  

For serious inquiries only, contact +632 6248274 | +632 2749758 | +639 925 889 2987 | +63 917 885 7911or email them at info@airgurus.ph. For fast quotation, please visit the website www.airgurus.ph.

For Marketing, Events, Promotions Sponsorships, Heli-Sports, do email: Marketing

At Apo Reef, Airgurus Ltd. Co. promises you beautiful nature experiences and astounding diving without having the travel hassles and this comes with the assurance that there will be an air ambulance on a standby in case of any diving-related accidents.

Thanks to Jayvee Fernandez for sharing his diving experiences at Apo Reef, Mindoro, Philippines in full video!