Philippines

MANILA, Philippines -- Pepsi's advertisements, splashed for weeks all over Philippine newspapers, radio and TV, were hardly subtle: "Today, you could be a millionaire!"From her tin-roofed shack in one of Manila's more squalid slums, Victoria Angelo couldn't resist. The unemployed mother of five and her husband, Juanito, who pedals people in a three-wheeled cab for about $4 a day, began drinking Pepsi with every meal and snack. Each morning, the family prayed for a specially marked bottle cap.And then, a miracle!

Dr. Christopher Dela Rosa has been appointed as chief information officer at Harford Community College. In this position, Dela Rosa will continue to provide leadership to staff and manage the day-to-day operations of Computing and Technology Services. Dela Rosa had been serving as interim vice president for information technology at Harford Community College since January. He served previously as associate vice president for information technology, director for information technology operations and manager of technology operations at Harford Community College.

The relatively peaceful conduct of the Philippines election was a tribute to the six-year rule of Corazon Aquino. One elected president is about to be succeeded by another.But the new leader will face the same challenge Mrs. Aquino did, trying to win acceptance for the mandate. In this, the Philippines constitution is not, in the present circumstance, helpful.Counting won't be complete for days for the 17,280 offices from president down to local council. But since there are seven candidates for president, and the one with the most votes takes office, a powerful presidency may be given to a winner who obtained as little as 20 percent of the votes.

We've made it to the finale already; it seems like the season has gone quickly, but then again, if I have to hear Lisa say "I know what I have to do to win, but it goes against everything I believe in ... " I may stab myself in the ear with an ice pick. Unsurprisingly, she is my last choice to win. My order of preference is Malcolm, Denise, Mike, and then Lisa. And really, Malcolm and Denise are interchangeable. First off, we recap the entire season of 'Survivor Philippines,' but since I've already done that, I'm not going to do it again.

The United States and the Philippines should find common ground in negotiating new U.S. leases on bases in the Philippines.President Corazon Aquino called for the "orderly withdrawal" of some 17,000 U.S. service personnel from six bases. U.S. chief negotiator Richard Armitage talked of a gradual phasing out. The 1947 treaty that gives U.S. control of six facilities ends next September 16. The Philippines constitution of 1987 forbids foreign troops or bases after then unless allowed by treaty ratified by the Philippines senate or electorate.

MANILA, Philippines -- Pepsi's advertisements, splashed for weeks all over Philippine newspapers, radio and TV, were hardly subtle: "Today, you could be a millionaire!"From her tin-roofed shack in one of Manila's more squalid slums, Victoria Angelo couldn't resist. The unemployed mother of five and her husband, Juanito, who pedals people about in his three-wheeled cab for about $4 a day, began drinking Pepsi with every meal and snack. Each morning, the family prayed for a specially marked bottle cap. And each night, they and their neighbors flocked around a small television to see if their prayers were answered.

ANGELES, Philippines -- Hundreds of thousands of people fled in terror yesterday from the combined wrath of an angry volcano, numerous earthquakes and a fierce typhoon that washed out bridges, destroyed homes, flooded villages and scattered thick ash for hundreds of miles.In an awesome display of nature's power, day turned as black as midnight by midafternoon across central Luzon island and as far south as Manila as a relentless, hard rain of golf-ball-sized pumice, pebbles and ash poured down.

MANILA, Philippines -- Kept on the move and guarded by Muslim bandits on a remote island in the southern Philippines, Ellicott City native Tracy Rectanus said she was confused but rarely felt in danger during her eight days as a hostage.The missionary teacher was released unharmed with three other hostages March 25 following negotiations brokered by the Muslim separatist Moro National Liberation Front.Ms. Rectanus is a speech therapist at Faith Academy, a missionary school in Manila.Sitting on the porch of a friend's house on the outskirts of Manila yesterday, Ms. Rectanus, 34, spoke of constant confusion and fatigue.

A 39-year-old Towson man was among 32 people injured during a weekend grenade attack on a Christian missionary group that was touring in the Philippines.Joseph Parker, who ran a Towson delicatessen before signing on with the missionaries in 1988, received wounds to his arm and shoulder Saturday when he was hit by shrapnel from a grenade that exploded in Zamboanga, Philippines, according to his family.Mr. Parker was visiting the country as one of 250 church-sponsored crew members aboard a ship on a world tour sponsored by Operation Mobilization, an evangelical Christian group, said Michael Stachura,director of the group's U.S. headquarters in Peachtree City, Ga.Mr.

MANILA, Philippines -- The embalmed body of Ferdinand E. Marcos will come home Tuesday to the country he ruled for 20 years -- a country fearful that the return of his corpse could resurrect his spiritual legacy.Many Filipinos believe that President Fidel V. Ramos is walking a political tightrope by allowing Marcos to be buried in his hometown of Batac in Ilocos Norte province.Hundreds of thousands of Marcos loyalists, some of them hired for the occasion, are expected during a four-day wake that cynics view as more an attempt to revive political fortunes than to bury a dictator.

Back from Tribal Council, it's now clear to Abi that Mike, Lisa, Malcolm, and Denise are in an alliance, most likely because Jonathan flat out said so at the last Tribal Council. She's also a really bad liar, because she can't stop talking about the Idol that she doesn't actually have in a really goofy voice. And now Lisa is realizing that she probably won't win against either Malcolm or Denise in the final three, and is regretting allying herself with them, since it goes against her values to betray once she's given her word.

Pretty please can Abbi go home tonight? Hopefully, but first we have to listen to her for the entire episode. The morning after Tribal Council, Abbi is still reeling from hearing what people actually think about her. She has to be one of the least self-aware people I have ever seen. She's not mean, she's just fiery! And she can be mean, but no one can be mean to her! Bleh. Denise and Jonathan (arguably two of the smartest people in this game) feel the same way I do. Malcolm and Abbi go to get Treemail, and it looks like letters from home, which makes Abbi cry. Malcolm provides a sympathetic shoulder to cry on, and while I don't doubt that he's empathic towards her (although he also calls her out on not being self-aware)

Back from Tribal Council, Jonathan is feeling a little betrayed, which is justified. Jeff is also realizing that he's not in the strongest position with Tangdang. Mike councils Jonathan to not freak out, and to wait for a crack in Tangdang. And with all of Abbi's Crazy, it's going to happen sooner or later. Lisa, Jonathan, and Abbi go fishing. In a confessional, Lisa reveals her plan to get rid of the remaining returning players, Jonathan and Mike, and then get rid of "the people no one likes," also known as Artis, Pete, and Abbi.

This week starts with Kalabaw coming back from Tribal Council, and Denise realizes she has been to every Tribal Council this season. And Katie's vote for Jonathan has made Jonathan realize that he's not the only one lying in this game. Which, duh, it's "Survivor. " At Tangdang, Mike points out that this day is the same point in the game in "Survivor Australia" that he fell in the fire. I'm sure most of his team is thinking that it might be a good day for him to go home for this season as well.