OC SKYcable now also available for Cebu subscribers

Wondered why your favorite Skycable channels seem to be missing in their usual number assignments? Well it's not really a bad thing according to SKYcable officials because now the reassignment of channel designations is for a greater good.  It's like a new library classification. This actually started December 3 and was formally launched December 11 at Ipar's Restaurant in Ramos St., Cebu City.

Channels are arranged by genre and in increments of 100 so that the intention is for you to have a better idea where your fave channels are and it will be easier to look for them or better, memorize them. This is what SKYcable calls Organized Channels (OC) which is now also available in Cebu with the intention of implementing it nationwide so that the channels are the same in all places served by SKYcable.

• Channels 1-100 is for local channels. It is where you can find ABS CBN (2), TV5 (4), GMA (5), RC TV (34), Cebu Tourist Channel (35), etc.
• 101-200 is for Kids like Disney Channel (101), Cartoon Network (104) and Nickelodeon (105).
• 201-300 is for Education and Learning with channels like National Geographic.
• 301-400 goes to Sports. Basketball TV (302) for example can be found here.
• 401-500 is for Movie channels like HBO and Cinema One.
• 501-600 is for News.
• 601-700 is for Entertainment and Lifestyle.
• 701-800 is where High definition channels are assigned.
• 801-900 is for International channels.
• 901-999 is for Religious channels.

The Organized Channels also is believed to make the adding of channel subscriptions easier without affecting the current channel assignments.

Together with the OC launch, SKYcable HD also added six new HD channels (CNN HD, Food Network HD, Sundance HD, Cinemaworld HD, HBO Signature HD and HBO Family HD) for a total of 22 full HD channels, said to be the most number of HD channels offered by a digital cable provider today.

For more information, visit www.mysky.com.ph or call their customer service hotline at 345-2278.

International Justice Mission: Ensuring Public Justice Especially for the Poor

You see it every day in the news...exploited children, human trafficking, young women or even girls exploited in the commercial sex industry...often they are poor, seemingly helpless without anyone to turn to for help.

But I learned that there is actually a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of sexual exploitation, slavery and other forms of violent oppression. This agency is the International Justice Mission (IJM) and they have people in Cebu also. IJM people work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, prosecution of perpetrators and the promotion of functioning public justice systems.

They have already rescued hundreds of trafficking victims and charged more than a hundred suspected traffickers in Metro Cebu. Talking of IJM Philippines nationwide, convictions number to about 42.

As a result of their Project Lantern, there was an increase in law enforcement activity in sex trafficking cases and an increase in the commitment to resolving such cases. There was also an increase in support services such as sheltering, career training and counseling for the victims.

But IJM still needs our help especially with supporting the victims. For example you can help send a client of theirs to school or you can help by providing start-up capital for business to help the client integrated back to the society to start anew and get him or her going.

IJM is also looking for student advocates who share the same passion as them towards this advocacy. They welcome students who plan to start a justice advocates students organization in school.

You may contact IJM Cebu in this number: 256-2866 or email them at cebu@ijm.org. You can follow them at twitter where they are using the handle @IJMHQ

Island Rescue Organization, where animals always have a home

You may have heard about Kenneth, a young dog who apparently had his snout hacked by a cruel owner or person. Somehow there are still some people who are cruel to animals, particularly dogs when in fact, they are so loyal that they are considered man's best friend.

Cebu and dogs here in Cebu are very lucky to have IRO or Island Rescue Organization who has among its mission to promote responsible pet ownership, the humane treatment of all animals and the rescue of abandoned, neglected and tortured animals.

IRO has established the first no kill sanctuary in Cebu having a rescue center in Danao for aspins (Asong Pinoys) and another one in the "bukid" for pitbull fighting syndicate survivors. All of these dogs were once emaciated, malnourished and sick and now they are all happier and relatively healthier dogs. So far they have 48 aspin rescues and 51 pitbull rescues -- all for the love of animals.

Now dogs and even cats have a reliable ally. With IRO, maltreated dogs like Kenneth will always have a home. And indeed Kenneth was able to get help through IRO. Now Kenneth is looking good with his snout already reattached.

IRO has really helped a lot already. But IRO cannot do it alone. They need our help with the needs of the rescued dogs like medicine, food and checkups.

You can help through several means:

• Donate thru paypal using helpiro@gmail.com or through their website which has a Paypal button.
• Adopt. Pictures of the animals are in their facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IslandRescueOrganization
• You can also participate in their activities like Petshows, pet vaccinations, etc.
• You can help introduce IRO to other people using your blogs.
• You can call IRO if you see abandoned dogs in the streets

You may also read some of the stories of their rescued dogs here in an article I wrote for Yahoo Cebu Kini blog.

Worldblogathon is brought to you by Cebu Bloggers Society, Smart and Andy Hotel.

Wish for Santa: New HTC One X+ and HTC Windows Phone 8X

December...Christmas is in the air...We are free to dream right? So I have one request for Santa being a good boy this year. Can I have one of these two HTC phones?

Looking at the best lists for cellphones in various websites, there is always an HTC smartphone included. So you could just examine how much excitement I felt knowing there's a new set of HTC phones to be launched here in Cebu, Philippines.

Introducing....HTC One X+ which runs the HTC sense on the Android Jelly Bean. If HTC One is already amazing, wait till you get your hands on this upgrade. In summary, this new model offers super fast browsing, an even better camera and very immersive nice studio quality sounds due to BeatsAudio.

The processor: 1.7 GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 AP37 processor. The battery: 2100 mAh battery which offers extended performance. Internal storage: 64GB plus 25 GB Dropbox storage free for 2 years. These are just some of the important features of this cellphone. Imagine owning the HTC One X+ below...

The HTC One X+ is available in the Philippines in Stealth Black and Polar White with a suggested retail price of Php 32,800.

Let us go to the next equally awesome phone --- HTC's first signature Windows Phone in the Philippines, the HTC Windows Phone X. (Refer to pic of phone below).

This phone is available in California Blue and Graphite Black in a premium matte finish. With its features, this Windows phone's look can be customized according to your personal preference making it perhaps the most personal phone you may have. It has Live Tiles and Live Apps. The apps have certification assuring security.

Some of the nice things about this phone?

• You can push notifications without the need of opening the app.
• It has a Kid's Corner so you won't fear having your confidential files and emails being deleted unintentionally by your children as they borrow your phone and will play with it.
• It has Rooms wherein you can share things with your friends or contacts for collaboration. Calendars can even be shared to coordinate the family members' schedule. 
• I has People Hub, a modern contact list to enable the user to look at one stream, eliminating the need to go to a particular app.
• It has Skydrive for storage.
• There is an Office hub wherein Word files, Powerpoint, Excel, OneNote can be obtained, access, edit and share for free -- the perfect companion to Windows 8 computers or laptops.
• It enables you to use your Xbox live profile which will follow you anywhere not just in your Xbox console.
• Itunes can be played here.
• The pics taken are incredible even those taken with a front cam because it does not just capture your face but also the background.
• There is a Flashlight app for brownouts.
• It adapts -- when in the pocket, the ringtone may become louder.
• The sound is incredible with BeatsAudio
• The screen is a 4.3" HD-resolution LCD2 screen with lightweight Gorilla Glass 2 with an optical lamination that reduces reflections and glare.

Need I say more? There are other features which makes this phone quietly brilliant indeed. So hurry buy one now for me at a suggested retail price of Php 28,800.