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Monday, March 11, 2013

PHL now third fastest-growing destination for foreign tourists

LEGAZPI CITY—The Philippines now ranks third among countries where “visitor exports” or foreign tourism will grow fastest between 2013 and 2023.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, citing a recent report from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Travel and Tourism League, said the Philippines could pick up from its 6.6-percent growth in 2012, with tourism as flagship program.

The recent WTTC report forecasted the Philippines to grow 8.7 percent annually with robust foreign tourists arrival growth, together with Brazil and Venezuela with 14.4-percent and 9.1-percent growth rates, respectively.

A noted economist and former economic adviser to Philippine presidents, Salceda said the same WTTC report indicated the Philippines ranks fifth among countries where spending on business travel grew fastest in 2012, with a growth rate of 23.7 percent. It also ranks 10th among countries where travel and tourism directly contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP), a rather impressive figure considering the broad scope of global tourism destinations

The National Statistical Coordination Board reported that the country’s economy grew faster than expected in 2012 at 6.6 percent, way above the 5-percent to 6-percent official target for the year, and the actual 3.9 percent growth in 2011. The Philippines has so far been one of the best economic performers in Asia.

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The situation, Salceda said, offers huge opportunity for his province, Albay, which has single-mindedly focused on tourism as its flagship program. In 2012 it posted an all-time high tourism growth of 49 percent, making it the fastest-growing destinations in the country. The March 6-to-10 ITB-Berlin international tourism fair highlighted Albay as a global tourist destination, the first local government unit so far given such an exposure.

With its enlivened tourism, Albay has come up with a new marketing pitch: “Indulge Yourself in Warm Albay.” The province holds its month long Daragang Magayon Festival 2013 this coming April, topped with a trade fair.

As Bicol Regional Development Council chairman, Salceda recently spearheaded the formation of the Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon (Almasor) Tourism Alliance, a new global marketing strategy of bundling up the tourism potentials of these three southernmost provinces of the region.

The WTTC report, likewise, pointed out that travel and tourism contribute “more to the GDP than automotive manufacturing” anywhere in the world, adding that “with 98 million people directly employed in 2011, this industry directly employs six times more people than automotive manufacturing, five times more than chemical manufacturing, and four times more than mining.”

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Friday, March 8, 2013

The one certainty about next pope? He’ll wear Gammarelli

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TAILOR FIT TO THE POPE Lorenzo Gammarelli poses in front of Gammarelli ecclesiastical tailoring in Rome on Feb. 21, 2013. The tailors at Gammarelli ecclesiastical tailoring are expected to be already creating sumptuous vestments for the new pope in small, medium and large sizes so that whoever is chosen will fit right into the clothes. Six generations of Gammarelli’s have had the honor of serving thousands of priests, and hundreds of Bishops and Cardinals and Pontiffs. AFP PHOTO

ROME—Nobody knows what the measurements of the next pope will be so Gammarelli — tailors to the papacy since the 18th century — have produced vestments in small, medium and large just in case.

“We have prepared three vestments in white wool, a stole, red loafers, a skullcap, as well as a red velvet cape with a white fur border since it’s winter,” Lorenzo Gammarelli told AFP at the store in Rome.

The job presents some very particular challenges.

“We can always adapt the vestments and the skullcap doesn’t change but it’s tricky with the loafers. The next pope cannot wear shoes that are not his size so we will offer all sizes,” he said.

It’s a delicate mission that Gammarelli’s expert tailors have been long accustomed to — as shown by the framed images of all the popes they have worked for on the walls of the old-worldy shop.

Proudly displayed in the store on a side street near the Pantheon in central Rome are also certificates that say the tailor is an official supplier to the Vatican.

“The fabric for the cassocks is pure wool. There is no special wool for the Holy Father. It’s the usual fabric that we use for all our clients who want to wear white,” Gammarelli said.

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The shop appears like it has been unchanged for decades — from the old wooden counter to the stacks of rolls of fabric accessed by shopkeepers on wooden ladders.

A little spiral staircase leads up to the shop’s holy of holies — a workshop on the first floor where ordinary mortals are not allowed to go.

Gammarelli explained that between three and five tailors have worked on the papal vestments this time around — working in record time after Benedict XVI made the shock announcement on February 11 that he would step down.

“The conclave is an exceptional time,” he said.

“This time around it is even more so since we were not expecting at all. The resignation of the Holy Father really took us by surprise,” he said.

Benedict XVI, who now goes under the title of “pope emeritus”, stepped down as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics last Thursday.

“To be honest, when I first heard it, I couldn’t believe it. It seemed absurd,” Gammarelli said.

But the tailor did not add more on his views — a certain discretion is part and parcel of the job.

Asked how the delivery to the Vatican is made or who will put the finishing touches to the papal robes, Gammarelli offered only an enigmatic smile.

The conclave to elect popes is held in strictest secrecy in the Sistine Chapel. No date has been set but it is expected in the first half of March.

There is just one certainty: when the next pope emerges in front of the crowds in St Peter’s and with millions around the world watching, he will be dressed head to toe in Gammarelli.

Boracay No. 1 on online Asia’s best beaches list

By Jocelyn R. Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Boracay: TripAdvisor’s best beach in Asia in 2013. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Summer has not officially arrived yet but the Philippines, its white-sand beaches and hidden lagoons are already getting much attention from international travel guides.

TripAdvisor, one of the world’s popular online travel guides, placed the island of Boracay at No. 1 in its Travelers’ Choice-Best Beaches in Asia for this year.

In placing Boracay’s White Beach at the top of the list, besting 24 other beaches in Asia, TripAdvisor described the 7-kilometer stretch as a “stunningly beautiful white powder sand beach [with] crystal clear, warm water that you can laze on for days on end.”

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Also making it to the list of great beaches in Asia were El Nido, Palawan’s Secret Lagoon, which was placed at No. 9 and Boracay’s Yapak Beach, also known as Puka Shell Beach, at No. 10.

The scenic Secret Lagoon, located on a small island and nestled among towering limestone formations, was cited for its “wonderful view.”

Yapak Beach, a secluded area in the north of Boracay Island, was noted for the myriad of puka shells on the shore “giving one’s feet a rugged feel.”

On its website, TripAdvisor said the Travelers’ Choice Beaches Awards were based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches it has gathered over a 12-month period since the 2012 awards.

Value for money

TripAdvisor is a popular travel website that assists customers in collecting travel information, posting reviews of their latest getaway and engaging in interactive travel forums.

The Philippines also made it to the Lonely Planet Traveller’s Choice 2013, rating it as one of the top 10 popular destinations in the categories of “meeting locals” and “value for money.”

Lonely Planet, considered the largest travel-guide book publisher in the world, placed the Philippines, which is also known for its hospitable and friendly people, at No. 6 in the top 10 popular destinations to go to for meeting locals.

The country ranked eighth in the top 10 “value-for-money” destinations. “According to [Lonely Planet] travelers, Asia provides the best value for money, with seven out of the top 10 budget favorites coming from this continent alone,” Lonely Planet said on its website.

It also said the results were based on the ratings provided by 3,000 respondents on the places they traveled to using 16 criteria, which included adventure, food, cultural sights, nature, travel memories and safety.

“We asked our fans on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Thorn Tree to tell us where they have traveled and then we asked them to rate those destinations by 16 criteria (for example, which was the “best ‘value for money’ destination),” it said.

So thrilled

In a statement Wednesday, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the recent distinctions were proof that the country’s marketing efforts under the campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” were generating results.

“We are so thrilled that these accolades keep coming, proof positive that our marketing efforts are paying off, and more and more satisfied travelers are proudly spreading the word about their many fun experiences in our beautiful country,” Jimenez said.

He encouraged Filipinos to take good care of the country’s “jewels” to help boost tourism and enable the Philippines attain an attractive international image.

“In order for us to continue reaping the benefits of development and great publicity, we ought to seriously address the environment challenges. We call on all stakeholders to come as one in preserving our country’s jewels,” Jimenez said.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

7 Reasons to Go to Weekly Confession During Lent (Plus a Quote on the Matter from Bl John Paul 2)

Posted by Taylor Marshall

Confession weekly? That may sound like too often, but there are many benefits to it. For example, His Blessed John Paul II, who went to confession weekly, said:

"It would be an illusion to seek after holiness, according to the vocation one has received from God, without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and reconciliation. Those who go to Confession frequently, and do so with the desire to make progress, will notice the strides that they make in their spiritual lives."

So here are seven reasons to begin frequent confession this Lent (weekly or every other week):

1. Priestly absolution is a generous gift that Jesus gave us.

Christ gave us this Sacrament and wants us to enjoy His grace through it. He told His first priests, the Apostles:

Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins are forgiven (John 20:22).

Christ gave us this sacrament of grace and forgiveness because He loves us. It is a divine gift of mercy and love - not merely an obligation.

2. You are a sinner.

We are a sinners and we need to examine the sinful patterns of our hearts and have a priest give us absolution, counsel, and penance.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 Jn 1:8).

We are often not honest with our hearts and it takes an objective "physician of souls," to help diagnose us spiritually. If you injured your hand or back, you would consult a doctor. If you injured your soul through sin, shouldn't you see a priest?

3. Confession is a means of grace.

Confession shouldn't be terrifying. It is peaceful. We get excited over baptisms, weddings, and ordinations. Why not this remedy for our greatest Christian struggle? Why not be excited about Christ's forgiveness being declared by His appointed deputies - the priests of His Church.

4. You may have committed mortal sin.

There is a such thing as mortal sin:

If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal. (1 Jn 5:16)

Mortal sin is deadly and it separates our souls from the pure eternal life that exists within the Blessed Trinity. Contrition and priestly absolution restores our hearts to a position of love toward God and our neighbors. The absolution infuses our souls with grace. It ratifies our contrition.

5. Guilt is unpleasant.

Often Satan weighs us down with guilt. Guilt can be a good thing if we transform it into repentance. Of course, Satan hates this and God and the angels love it. So free yourself from guilt and hear a tangible person with priestly authority say, "I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

6. Confession unites you more fully to the Church.

When you make your confession to a priest, you acknowledge that you have sinned not only against God, but against every single other Christian because by your sin, you have weakened the universal witness of every single Christian. You have given the non-believer the excuse that "All Christians are hypocrites." When you go to Confession you acknowledge that you have caused every Christian to suffer by your sins.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Cor 12:26).

The priest, who represents both God and the Church by his ordination and office receives your repentance and you have the assurance of not only God's forgiveness, but also the implicit forgiveness of the entire Church.

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7. Receiving the Eucharist becomes even more powerful.

When you receive the Holy Eucharist you receive the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ our Redeemer. When you confess your sins in a sacramental way, you also have a stronger sacramental union with Christ in the Eucharist. Also, if you are living in mortal sin, you should NEVER receive the Eucharist because you blaspheme Christ and set yourself up for greater judgment and eternal damnation! Consequently, confession heals and deepens your devotion to Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Singapore At A Glance For The Untutored Traveller

By Sandy Atas Rubias

While tourists bemoan that there's little to do in Singapore, savvy travellers will tell you otherwise. Travelers, unlike tourists, get off the beaten track and discover for themselves Singapore's treasures that only locals who are in the know enjoy. Discover Singapore's secret hideaways and treasures through this guide.

Thrills and Treasures

Ride on the Flyer.

The world's largest observation wheel at 165 meters, it's Singapore's version of the London Eye. The best time to take a ride is at sunset for a scenic view of Singapore's skyscrapers.

Visit Pulau Ubin Island.

It's a rustic reminder of what Singapore looked like more than 100 years ago. Make sure you visit Chek Jawa, it's a marine sanctuary. Permits are issued to guests.

Tour the Chinatown Heritage Center.

Here you'll find complete sets of kitchens, living areas, bedrooms, and even street scenes of 19th and 20th century Singapore rendered with faithful mastery. It is an authentic cultural experience no traveler should pass up.

Don't forget to take a stroll through Haji Lane

Seated right in the heart of Singapore's Muslim quarter, Haji Lane provides well crafted wares when you're in need of some retail therapy. From home accessories to excellent house label clothing, indulge your senses in this small and colorful lane.

Head to Singapore's Botanic Garden to commune with nature.

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Travelling with a limited timeframe can urge you to cram every site to see, every experience to be found in a 24 hour day. Yes, travelling can be a source of stress. Give yourself some 'me' time to gather your thoughts and clear your mind. Slip into comfortable clothes and get ready to enjoy a walk through the lush greenery of Singapores virgin rainforest.

Master the basics

Accommodations
Stay at the marina bay sands or the Ritz Carlton for excellent service and professional pampering. Of course you can expect to pay premium prices but if you're travelling with a specific budget, no worries! Retail or chain hotels abound.

Transportation
You can go around Singapore using the Mass Rapid Transport or MRT. It's safe, convenient and cheap if you get the one day tourist pass. Cabs are available and metered and most cab drivers are honest.

Tipping
Tipping in restaurants, hotels, or cabs is not customary in Singapore but a 10% service charge is usually added to the bill.

Meet the locals
Singaporeans are generally reserved so don't be surprised when you get curious stares with your cheerful greetings.

Communication
Singaporeans speak in a variety of languages that include Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English. Expect to be greeted by a mixture of Singlish when conversing with locals. An expressive body language will also get your point across.If you don't mind a little kitschy souvenir, have your photo taken with the Merlion, Singapore's iconic water spewing statue. One thing's for certain, a passionate traveler will never be bored in Singapore.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Atas_Rubias

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

20 Tips - How To Top The 2013 Real Estate Brokers’ Licensure Exam

Ask guidance from God. Have good intentions and pray always. When you are at peace and confident, I truly believe you will perform better.
Follow PRC’s general instructions as written on the Program for the 2013 Real Estate Brokers Licensure Exam, which I have quoted below:

General Instructions

1. Your school/building assignment will be posted at the PRC premises two to three working days before the examination. Bring your NOTICE OF ADMISSION when you verify your School / building assignment. Visit your school/building assignment prior to the day of the examination.

2. Report to the schoollbuilding assignment before 6:30 a.m. on the first day of examination to verify your room and seat number. Be punctual, late examinees will not be admitted. Examination Fee of ABSENT examinees will be forfeited.

3. Examinees are required to wear the following attire every examination day:

Male Examinees – White polo shirts or t-shirts with collar, tucked-in
Female Examinees-White blouses or t-shirts with collar

4. Bring the following on examination day:

a. Notice of Admission
b. Official Receipt
c. One (1) piece metered-stamped Window Mailing Envelope
d. Two or more pencils (No.2)
e. Ballpen with BLACK INK ONLY
f. One (1) piece Long Brown Envelope
g. One (1) piece Long Transparent (non-colored) Plastic Envelope (for keeping your valuables and other allowed items)

5. The following are PROHIBITED inside the examination premises/rooms.

a. PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS (click here for PRC’s list of allowable calculators)
b. CELLULAR PHONES, beepers, portable computers or similar gadgets/devices.
c. Bags of any kinds (ladies bag and shoulder bags, attache case, backpacks, etc.)
d. Other examination aides not stated on this program.

NOTE: PRC WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROHIBITED ITEMS THAT WILL BE LOST.

6. Read carefully and follow the instructions on your Notice of Admission and Examinees Kit.
Aim for the top! Have confidence!
Know the exam coverage, subjects, level of difficulty. Please see below the exam coverage as written in the program, where I also added links to recommended reading:
Coverage of Examination

General/Fundamentals (25%); 8am to 10 am
- Fundamentals of Property Ownership
- Code of Ethics and Responsibilities
- Legal Requirements for Real Estate Service (RA 9646/ IRR)
- Real Estate Laws and Taxation (Agri Law, CARPER, RA 7160/ 8424, etc.)
*Take note that as you have limited time, be conscious of the number of questions per subject and budget your study time accordingly. You cannot read everything that comes your way as you will only get confused. As the exam date draws near, so many “tips” will come out and you will be tempted to photocopy all of them but you will end up not being able to read any. Select what you will read carefully.

Special and Technical Knowledge (25%); 11am to 1pm
- Subdivision Development (incl. PD 957, BP 220, RA 7279, etc.)
  - PD 957
  - PD 957 IRR
  - BP 220
  - BP 220 IRR
  - RA 7279
  - IRR Sec 18 of RA 7279
  - Etc.
- Condominium Concept and Other Types of Real Estate Holdings
  - RA 4726
  - RA 7899
- Legal Aspect of Sale, Mortgage, and Lease
  - Sales Outline by Atty. Cesar Villanueva
  - RA 6552 (Maceda Law)/Realty Installment Buyer Protection Act
- Documentation and Registration
Professional Practice (50%); 2 to 6 pm
- Real Estate Brokerage Practice
- Real Estate Finance and Economics
- Urban and Land Use
  - PD 1517 IRR
- Planning, Development, and Zoning
  - CLUP Guidebook
- Basic Principles of Ecology
  - Wikipedia page on Ecology
- Basic Appraisal for Real Estate Brokers
  - Presentation – Philippine Valuation Standards
For various laws and issuances, you may also check the HLURB website.

Note that the PRC and the Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate Service (PRB-RES) previously issued a Resolution which states the Table of Specifications which provides a breakdown of the number of questions per subject. Click here to access the said Table.

Focus on the subjects which carry greater weight, and also on those you are not very good at. Please refer to the table below which is also from PRC’s exam program:

DATE AND TIME: SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013

SUBJECTS

WEIGHT

7:00 A.M. – 7:45 A.M. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND FILLING UP OF FORMS

8:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. GENERAL/FUNDAMENTALS
25%

11:00 A.M – 1:00 P.M. SPECIAL AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
25%

2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
50%

100%

Have a good outline of topics to study based on the Program released by the PRC.
Pace yourself. It would be good to follow a calendar with the subjects you need to study for each day so you can be sure that you are able to read all topics at least thrice. (I got this style from the bar review at Ateneo Law School.)
Read the laws and regulations in their original form (full text). Make and study your own reviewers many times. If you are going to top the exam, you must know something that others do not. If you read the original, you will know some ideas which were not included in the reviewers, which most examinees rely on exclusively.
Practice answering sample real estate brokers exam questions. We suggest that you compile sample questions and then take a “practice exam” without looking at any of your notes, AFTER you have reviewed, to help you know what to expect, and also to gauge your preparedness for the exam. CPA exam takers call this the “pre-board exam” while bar examinees call this the “mock bar exam”. This helps take away some of the jitters. If you perform well, then you are ready. If your performance is in the average level, then double or triple your efforts.
Practice answering problems and time yourself while doing so. Strive to answer as fast (yet still as carefully) as you can.
This might come a bit late but you should have enrolled in a good review school, where the teachers are knowledgeable about real estate, and Do not hesitate to ask questions. (In case you want to know, my husband and I are products of Engr. Enrico Cruz’s Urban Institute).
Visit the exam room days before the exam. Check where the comfort room is located as well as the fire exits.
If you will be commuting, know the route and which vehicles to ride. If you will bring a car, know where the parking area is.
If you can, stay overnight at a place near the venue so you can walk and have no problem with traffic, much better (though you may have trouble sleeping if you are not used to the bed).
Prepare all the stuff you need early, like your exam documents, sharpened pencils, calculator (make sure you understand how to use it!), food and drinks (do not bring food that can cause stomachaches or farting!), clothes and sweater, etc. the day before the exam.
Have a good sleep the night before the exam. If you don’t have enough sleep, you will be sleepy during the exam. [True story: A friend of mine couldn’t sleep the night before our first bar exam day, so she slept during the exam (!). Don't worry, she passed.]
Wake up early and pray for guidance. A little bit of exercise would help “wake up” your muscles and brain.
Take a bath and eat a good breakfast. Never take a test on an empty stomach – you will be thinking of food instead of the right answer.
Arrive early at the test site. Have a big “allowance” for traffic. You will be so much more relaxed if you are just waiting for the test to begin at the exam room, compared to when you are running around like a headless chicken and thinking that you might not make it on time.
If you are guessing, choose the one that is not like the others, the one “sticking out” so to speak. Take note of the words “always”, “never”, or “except” – they can give you clues to the answer.

I hope these tips will help all of you who are taking the real estate brokers’ licensure exam on March 17, 2013. I wish you all the best and I pray that all of you shall become licensed real estate brokers soon!

Source: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com/2013/03/20-tips-how-to-top-real-estate-brokers-exam.html#ixzz2Mk20wm5I

Pope Prediction: 10 Reasons Cardinal Burke Will Be the Next Pope

Posted by Taylor Marshall

His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke

Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

I'm making a very bold and controversial claim: His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke will be the next Pope. I'm going to provide you with 10 solid reasons why the cardinals will rally to him in the conclave for the required 2/3 vote majority.

Let's be honest. Most people are claiming (or grumbling) that Cardinal Burke will never be elected as Pope. They say he's too heavy-handed, too ceremonial, too traditional, too political, and too serious to be papabile. If you're one of those people who think Burke is the best cardinal for the job, but look at your toes and sigh: "It'll never happen," then keep reading.

The problem is that the Burke naysayers are thinking like journalists and voters. (By the way, one of my favorite daily blogs: Rorate Coeli explains why the journalists get it wrong.)

When the doors of the conclave close, men who would usually vote one way, vote another. Under the staring eyes painted onto the ceiling of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, these cardinals know that history is being made. The Pope they elect will have a difficult vocation. The Pope they elect will change the lives of billions of people both now...and in the future.

I want to challenge you to think like a cardinal in 2013. The cardinals are worried. Most cardinals knew that Pope Benedict had considered abdication, but most of them never thought it could actually happen. Here we are 50 years after the Council, right in the middle of the Year of Faith, and then suddenly the Pope resigns.

Globally, the Catholic Church faces accusations.Here and there in local dioceses, there are spots of financial and sexual scandal (for example, in Los Angeles). The rumors in Rome surrounding Vatileaks, the Butler, and the Bank are still circulating. Cardinal O'Brien of Scotland just stepped down. The question of secular politicians and the Church is a concern. There is growing debate about liturgy and the Extraordinary Form. The SSPX dialogue fell flat. So in the middle of this storm, Pope Benedict abdicates. I think this is all part of the divine plan (Here's my post explain why I think the Blessed Virgin Mary asked Pope Benedict stepped down), but let's be honest. It's a traumatic time. Yet, whenever there is trauma, conservatism reigns.

The Cardinals will rally to a holy man who will prayerfully clean house and face down the evils, scandals, and rumors. There is only one cardinal who has vocalized a plan of attack for the political, liturgical, and canonical problems in the Church: his name isRaymond Cardinal Burke.

Cardinal Burke is the only one who has explicitly proclaimed a way forward in these times of trouble. As in the last papal conclave, the cardinals will turn to a man who operates on sound principles. A man whose virtue is known by all. A man of the Gospel.

With that being said, here are the 10 reasons why Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke will be elected Pope.

1. Burke is an open advocate for using canon law in defense of the sacraments and God's honor. He's a hardliner against pro-abortion Catholic politicians. He has openly spoken out against American and Irish Catholic politicians who advocate abortion, homosexual unions, etc. As Pope, he would back cardinals who have difficult decisions to make back home.

2. Burke thinks seriously. He is theologically orthodox and can spot dissent. If you thought Ratzinger was a Rottweiler, then just look out!Burke once forced the cancellation of a Sheryl Crowe concert at a Catholic hospital...because she's pro-abortion. He sacked a St Louis Catholic basketball coach for supporting abortion and embryonic destruction. Cardinal Burke isn't afraid to play ball.

3. His Eminence celebrates and promotes the Latin Mass and a reverent Novus Ordo. This is huge. Cardinal Schonborn's balloon Mass is not the way of the future of Catholicism. All the cardinals feel this. Pope Benedict moved us away from all that. Cardinal Burke will continue to carry Benedict's liturgical torch. Cardinal Burke brings noble dignity to the Holy Sacrifice of Mass.

4. ...which leads to the SSPX. As long as Benedict XVI is alive, it will be necessary for the next Pope to bring resolution to this traditionalist soap-opera. The reconciliation of the SSPX would be the greatest possible gift to Benedict's living legacy. To use baseball terminology, it would equate to a relief pitcher saving the game and earning a "win" for the starting pitcher who got behind in the run count.

5. Speaking of the Latin Mass, Cardinal Burke has traditional liturgical flare (for example, he wears the cappa magna without blinking an eye).With rumors and scandals floating everywhere, Catholics are desperate to see visual dignity restored to the Holy See.

For fun, here's Blessed John Paul II in his cappa magna:

And, yes historians, Cardinal Burke even wears the old Cardinals' galero:

If he's elected, will he wear the papal tiara?

6. Burke will help the cardinals and bishops do what they know they need to do: discipline dissenting Catholic politicians. Burke called the US Democratic party "the party of death" and accused Barack Obama of being "anti-life and anti-family." He's not afraid. The cardinals need a Pope standing behind them who speaks like this.

7. Cardinal Burke speaks the minimum languages necessary for a Supreme Pontiff: English, French, Latin and Italian.

8. Cardinal Burke is the perfect age: 64. Almost everyone is convinced that the cardinals will elect a cardinal in his mid to late 60s.

9. He is the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. This is a really big deal. The years to come require expertise in canon law, not just theology. Cardinal Burke is already a Vatican insider. He already has experience at the highest canonical authority, second only to the Supreme Pontiff himself.

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10. Most importantly, Cardinal Burke is extremely Marian. He has great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He continues the tradition beginning with Pope Pius IX and extending up to Bl John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. For me, Fatima is the key to everything going on in the Catholic Church. I think Cardinal Burke feels the same way. Moreover, he is close to the Friars of the Immaculate and he helped establish the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Please also read Cardinal Burke's piece on "Our Lady of America.

Let me add one more - an eleventh reason: nobody suspects Cardinal Burke to be elected. That is almost always a necessary feature of a papal candidate.

So there you have it: 10 reasons (plus one) why the cardinals will rally to Cardinal Burke in the conclave. You'll see Cardinal Burke in a white cassock before end of March...maybe even donning the old tiara!

Compliments of Photoshop

Question: Are you convinced that Cardinal Burke will be the next Pope? Please leave a comment explaining why I'm right or just plain nuts?

For those who think I'm nuts, just think about this: Last time around, everyone thought Ratzinger was way too conservative to be elected. Well...

DATE AND TIME: SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013	SUBJECTS	WEIGHT
7:00 A.M. – 7:45 A.M.	GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND FILLING UP OF FORMS
8:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.	GENERAL/FUNDAMENTALS	25%
11:00 A.M – 1:00 P.M.	SPECIAL AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE	25%
2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.	PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE	50%
100%

Monday, March 11, 2013

LEGAZPI CITY—The Philippines now ranks third among countries where “visitor exports” or foreign tourism will grow fastest between 2013 and 2023.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Coverage of Examination