This what I am today at work.. Darn!

Hunny's YM Display Image

This made me smile.. 

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

[Michael] 

Each Time The Wind Blows

I Hear Your Voice So

I Call Your Name

Whispers At Morning

Our Love Is Dawning

Heaven's Glad You Came

You Know How I Feel

This Thing Can't Go Wrong

I'm So Proud To Say I Love You

Your Love's Got Me High

I Long To Get By

This Time Is Forever

Love Is The Answer

I Hear Your Voice Now

You Are My Choice Now

The Love You Bring

Heaven's In My Heart

At Your Call I Hear Harps,

And Angels Sing

You Know How I Feel

This Thing Can't Go Wrong

I Can't Live My Life Without You

I Just Can't Hold On

I Feel We Belong

My Life Ain't Worth Living,

If I Can't Be With You

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

And If I Stop,

Then Tell Me Just What Will I Do

'Cause I Just Can't Stop Loving You

At Night When The Stars Shine

I Pray In You I'll Find

A Love So True

When Morning Awakes Me

Will You Come And Take Me

I'll Wait For You

You Know How I Feel

I Won't Stop Until

I Hear Your Voice Saying "I Do"

"I Do"

This Thing Can't Go Wrong

This Feeling's So Strong

Well, My Life Ain't Worth Living

If I Can't Be With You

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

And If I Stop,

Then Tell Me Just What

Will I Do

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

We Can Change All The World Tomorrow

We Can Sing Songs Of Yesterday

I Can Say, Hey Farewell To Sorrow

This Is My Life And I,

Want To See You For Always

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

No, Baby

Oh!

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

If I Can't Stop!

And If I Stop

No

Oh! Oh! Oh Oh

What Will I Do? Uh Ooh

(Then Tell Me, Just What Will I Do)

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Hee! Hee! Hee! Know I Do Girl!

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

You Know I Do

And If I Stop

Then Tell Me Just What Will I Do

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Orange Starbucks Mug

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal™:
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

Author Unknown

Never Giving Up

Out of patience and the anxiety I have been keeping all week, I emailed Wendy from Berkley to follow-up on my application as a Senior QA Analyst in Singapore. I had my initial interview with her last week and she told me that she will be contacting me again to schedule the client interview. 

I was jittery and excited. Kind of mixed emotions. I even started having plans on what I needed to do when I get accepted. I was so eager to leave my current job. Even before I received her email, I already had the intuition that I did not get it. Still, receiving the news made me so sad. I was really, really hoping I can get the job. And am already banking on being able to save!

I wanted to work there and live independently and save money and help my family. Oh well, I almost wanted to give up. But I won't. I did that before. And now, I am not making the same mistake again.

Aja! Fighting!

Mood for the day: Resigned

It has been a week since I received a call for a job offer for Singapore. And now I am waiting for another call for an interview.

And as of the moment, a ruffle of emotions move inside me. Excited.. anticipating what will happen next. Sad because Hunny had been so moody and that we have been having petty fights every now and then.

And now, I guess I am resigned. Well, for today at least. I just wanna go home and sleep. And hope that when I wake up, all will be fine.

I am trying to detach myself from the hope that getting the SG job will be the solution to the financial problems. I know it will help pay of the bills and at least save some. After all, I really wanted to settle down on 2011.

Oh well.

Would like to have this phone for my SG number

Controlled Chaos of Creativity

Berkley called!

Playful Kiss 장난스런 키스 Bears

 Episode 1

 

Episode 3

Bangkok Elephants

Mini-elephants from Twinkle's trip to Bangkok this week.

I requested for her to take home a nice pasalubong. Something that is not edible.

And she did!

Twas nice and cute. I even gave the yellow one to Hunny and he used it as a keychain for the car keys. 

Chad took the purple one and I hate him for that.
 

♥ cuppiecakes!

Oh how I adore these when I saw it. The design is so pretty that i regret eating it!

I gave one to Hunny and to Ting and Elle.

It feels good to share.

Meet the new iPod family. All new. Totally amazing.

Face Time

FaceTime on iPod touch lets you hang out, catch up and goof off with friends in an entirely new way. With just a tap, you can see what your friends are up to — literally. Witness a prank in action. Or watch your friend on the other side of the country crack up at your stories from last night — new iPod touch to new iPod touch or iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. And all you need to get started is an Apple ID and an email account. You can choose an email account you already have or, if you prefer, set up a new one. You’ll never see fun the same way again.


Retina display
The Retina display on iPod touch brings out the awesome in anything on it. That’s because it’s the highest-resolution iPod screen ever, with four times the pixel count of previous iPod models. In fact, there are so many pixels, the human eye can’t distinguish individual ones. Which makes graphics and images stunningly sharp and text amazingly crisp. Just like the printed page.

HD video recording and editing
“You should have seen it!” is a thing of the past. Because with iPod touch, you’ll always have a great HD video camera with you. Say you’re at a party and you see someone popping and locking. You’re ready to capture the moment in all its glory. In high-definition 720p video. You can record video in low-light settings, thanks to the advanced backside illumination sensor. You can even edit and create your own mini blockbuster right on iPod touch using the new iMovie app — with Apple-designed themes, titles and transitions. Coming soon to the App Store.

Game Center
It’s time to make a game plan. The new Game Center app on iPod touch lets you add more players to your gaming network. Invite friends to join. Then totally dominate them. Take a look at how your score ranks against your friends and other players of each game. Compare game achievements with your friends. Put together a select group of friends to play with. Or choose to automatically go up against people you don’t know in a multiplayer game. So get in the game. And get your friends in it, too.

The Party Has Landed: KATY PERRY REVENGE!

The Party Has Landed: KATY PERRY REVENGE!

Introducing KATY PERRY REVENGE, the smash new app from the makers of Tap Tap Revenge, the #1 most-downloaded music game for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Tap the targets flying down your touchscreen to the beats of her biggest hits, and soak in the gorgeous themes and graphics inspired by the albums, videos, fashion, and fun of Miss Katy herself!

Download KATY PERRY REVENGE NOW!
Includes playable versions of her hit songs:

    * I Kissed a Girl
    * Hot N Cold
    * California Gurls
    * Waking Up In Vegas
    * Teenage Dream
    * And more!

Me to Alec

Yo. I arrived home early this morning and found dad "cleaning" my room. The side where you have store those toys of yours (at the back of the door). I couldn't figure out what seemed to be missing though.. after he got out of the room.

I slept, then woke up and he asked me to check over the internet the price of silver. Then I tried sleeping again. It just dawned to me that one of the plastic storage.. (the green one) was missing. I asked him. and he made this f*cking stupid reason that he was unable to bring it back because I was inside the room. He even has the gall to ask me why I was looking for it. So I said you asked me to check on something. He brought it back and I have a strong feeling that your things are not as complete as they were before.

So this is the long story. I am outraged.
The short story? Don't make me say "I told ya so". To ensure ALL your things are safe.
You did not listen. Am not telling mom to ruin her day. She is supposed to be happy.
I bet you are pissed. But imagine how I am feeling.
Am actually trying my best to be calm. But that is not just me.

I will not seek reasons as to why he is like that. or why he is doing the things he is doing. Too much of a headache.
Part of me seeks solace in the fact that those are just material things. Which is bull. Of course.
Anyway, am off to work.

Stay safe. Love you.

My Purple iPod

Love the purple! Love the iPod!

Lone Star Sisters Series

Just done with these audiobooks. Read the first three ebooks and had waited for the fourth then totally forgot about it. So when I came across a great site of audiobooks.. (a whole lot of them!) I downloaded and listened from the first to the fourth.

Super nice. Way to go Susan Mallery!

Under Her Skin

(The first book in the Lone Star Sisters series)

Lexi Titan can just see the headlines. All of Titanville will be buzzing. Not that she has any other choice. Faced with exactly thirty days to come up with two million dollars, she is out of options. Marry Cruz Rodriguez or lose everything - the successful day spa she built herself, her tyrant of a father's respect. And the long-standing competition with her sisters for the family business. Cruz has money, success, smoldering good looks - everything but the blue blood needed to become a true member of Texas society. If Lexi agrees to be his fiance for six months, lending him her famous father's influence and connections, he'll hand her a check on the spot. And in six months they'll go their separate ways. But neither one is prepared for their long-ago shared passion to throw a wrench into what would seem to be the perfect deal..

Lip Service
(The second book in the Lone Star Sisters series)

Skye Titan's wealthy father thinks he can still dictate his daughter's choice in men. Now widowed and a single mother, Skye isn't the yes-girl she once was. Especially since the love of her life is back in Texas after eight long years. He won't like the answers to the questions he's asking. About why she left him at the altar. And about her eight-year-old daughter.

Former navy SEAL Mitch Cassidy comes home to find nearly everything different. His wounds from battle have changed the way people treat him. His cattle ranch is suddenly organic. But time hasn't touched his desire for Skye - or the sting of her betrayal. Forget lip service. He's asking that luscious mouth of hers to reveal the truth. But will Mitch be able to put the past aside to help Skye get out from under her father's thumb.and help himself recover from a broken heart?

Straight From the Hip
(The third book in the Lone Star Sisters series)

Izzy has always been the fearless Titan sister. But when an oil rig blows up, leaving her barely able to see, her sisters find themselves as concerned by her emotional withdrawal as by the possibility that the explosion was no accident. Are the mind games their long-lost brother Garth has been playing turning physical? Or is someone else out to get them?

When her sisters enroll her in a survivor training camp, Izzy is not happy. Nick, her instructor, is determined that she won't be left in the dark. In more ways than one. But if he tells her the terrible truth behind why he's helping her, he'll never see her again. Unless they're both willing to take the biggest risk of all.


Hot On Her Heels
(The fourth book in the Lone Star Sisters series)
Dana Birch vowed never to put herself at the mercy of a powerful man. She became a deputy so that she could take care of herself, and protect those she loved. Especially her best friends, the Titan sisters.

Twenty years ago, Garth Duncan swore revenge on Jed Titan for abandoning Garth and his mother. Now he s back to fulfill that promise, even if Jed s daughters get caught in the crosshairs. All that stands between him and his goal is Dana, her gun, and a growing passion that can t be denied...

Got my Mocking Jay Book

"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning again, they'll wash away
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you."

Friday Buddy

Since Elle is on Vacation Leave and Ting is on Sick Leave, my company on this Friday shift is my iPod and this food. 

Yummy! 

I Love Momo!

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

 

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as man can breath, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Fortune Cookie and Saturday Breakfast

Spent a drizzling Saturday morning breakfast with Hunny at Pan Americana.

No wi-fi. Plus super tipid sa food. Good for me I ordered the usual one I always order at their place.

Hunny was not even a bit satisfied with what he had.

Well, at least he smiled for the camera. :D

Oh how I miss Singapore!

 

It will be a month since we bid Adieu to Singapore on August 26. And I desperately would like to go back and work there. Live independently and experience a different environment. It is less than a week since the time I have set is up and until now.. I guess I just have to keep on praying and hoping.. Aja!

Whimsical Friday

I know, I am such a shopaholic. And that is the only reason that I am not be allowed to own a credit card. If I am going to try to rationalize, all ideas would just be feeble excuses for me making gastos.. and indulging myself to my whims.. Sigh!

Anyway, today - I brought three plain shirts from F&H. One for Hunny... a red one. I hope I got the size right.. The color is red - his newest favorite color these days. I got my sister a Starbucks Key Chain and myself (again), the paperback copy of Hunger Games. I would need to start re-acquainting myself with the story until Tuesday. The release of the last book of the Hunger Games Series.

Why the hell am I here?

This is one of the question I have been asking myself for almost a year now.

I thought I'd be able to settle down as time passes by.

But it seems like I am a working zombie.

Audiobooks

Amongst the things that keeps me sane and educated, reading is on the top of my list. 

And now that I have seldom time to sit and read, I succumb to the fancy of listening to audio books. For them, I have my iPod Nano.. one that Hunny gave me two years ago.

I am still loving it. Even bought purple earphones... in replacement to the Sennheiser ones that Hunny gave that got busted.

I love hunny for it. :)

Aprilynne Pike - Laurel Series Audiobooks

Laurel Series - Book 1 (Wings)
Aprilynne Pike

Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that’s not at all like those of peers.

One clear sign is a winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her that she is a faerie. She also learns it’s up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family.

This first novel is clearly designed to attract the Twilight set, though there’s less edge (and blood). There is, however, a familiar triangle. Will Laurel choose solid, steady David, or will she be unable to resist Tamani’s lure? Stay tuned. Fine escapist fare, this neatly mixes the everyday with the otherworldly.

Laurel Series - Book 2 (Spells)
Aprilynne Pike

"I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't ‘steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," Tamani said.

"And if I don't?" Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."

Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life—and especially her boyfriend, David—to return to the faerie world.

But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice—a choice that could break her heart.

How I Love my Audiobooks.. and my iPod!

The Wolves of Mercy Falls

My latest addition to my audio book collection:

The Wolves of Mercy Falls

When Grace falls in love with Sam, a boy who must become a wolf each winter, they must decide how much they're willing to risk in order to be together.

Shiver
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl.
Read all about Shiver here.

Linger
This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one. Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies... 

My Fave SG Trip picture

Here it is! Ta-da!

How I love this and the guy who is with me.

Twitter

How I love my twitter profile! Will never change it. Ever.

Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli, Inc. (株式会社スタジオジブリ, Kabushiki-kaisha Sutajio Jiburi?) is a Japanese animation film studio. The company's logo features the character Totoro (a large forest spirit) from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro. It has its headquarters in Koganei, Tokyo.

Several anime features created by Studio Ghibli have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award, including: Castle in the Sky, in 1986; My Neighbor Totoro, in 1988; and Kiki's Delivery Service, in 1989. In 2002, Spirited Away won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and it remains the only foreign anime film (but not the only foreign film) to have done so.

My favorite!

Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, Hauru no Ugoku Shiro?) is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and based on Diana Wynne Jones' novel of the same name. Mamoru Hosoda, director of one season and two movies from the Digimon  series, was originally selected to direct but abruptly left the project, leaving the then-retired Miyazaki to take up the director's role.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2004 and was released in Japanese theaters on November 20, 2004. It went on to gross $231,710,455 worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history. The film was subsequently dubbed into English by Pixar's Peter Docter and distributed in North America by Walt Disney Pictures. It received a limited release in the United States and Canada beginning June 10, 2005 and was released nationwide in Australia on September 22 and in the UK the following September.

Game Over?

The Hunger Games (2008) is a young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published in hardcover on September 14, 2008 by Scholastic.  It is the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy.It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic  world where a powerful government called the Capitol has risen up after several devastating disasters. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the ruthless and evil Capitol randomly selects one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts, who are then pitted against each other in a game of survival and forced to kill until only one remains.

Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. As the sequel to the 2008 bestseller The Hunger Games, it continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and the fictional, futuristic nation of Panem.

There are talks of a rebellion against the Capitol, one that Katniss and Peeta may have helped happen. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled a rebellion and what scares her more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Mockingjay is the upcoming third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is set for release on August 24, 2010 and will have an initial print run of 750,000 copies.

I am a bookworm

Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. Accordingly a bibliophile is an individual who loves books. More commonly referred to as a bookworm, the individual loves books for their content, or otherwise loves reading.

I think this is one of the best words that describes me and my personality. I am NOT a silent individual. With my zodiac comes an opinionated and a open-book attitude. I usually speak out and tell what is going inside my head.

One of the few many times that one can catch me pensive is when I am alone (though I sometimes talk to myself when needed), when I am mad (as in really really angry) or when I am reading a book.

The third will just show on how much passion I have for books. I guess it was developed during my early stage of life. Back when the time we still use lamp as a source of light on our house. The butterfly sleeves of my dress got burned, including my skin (which left a scar) because I was too close to the lamp -- reading.

Back when I was in primary school, that time when we were introduced to book reports - i loved everything about it though I can say that my classmates were not feeling the same.  From classics like Mark Twain, Don Quixite and Les Miserables.. to comics like Archie and Pugad Baboy.. to pocketbooks.. RL Stein, Sweet Valley and Christopher Pike.

I always find myself in a different kind of world when I am reading. More like, I am on it. A silent participant.. or maybe just an audience.. but I am inside it. I think Hunny was already resigned to the fact that I can even live inside a bookstore.

Though, with my love for books, I rarley buy them. Got tired of buying, reading, having someone to borrow it and not giving it back. So, I decided to collect ebooks.. and audiobooks.

I still buy paperback and hardbound titles, but only those which are worth collecting. Books that I would treasure and share to my kids someday.

Singapore Sojourn - The Plan

Back in 2004, before Hunny and I became a “we” he went to Singapore to visit his cousin for the second time. He promised me that he will bring me there someday. And twas fulfilled this year.

March 14, 2010 – I was browsing the Cebu Pacific website (a habit I got from Twinkle, one of my colleagues) on a Sunday afternoon and saw their promo fare for Singapore. Around 2,200 per person. I consulted Hunny and we decided to give it a go. Booked for July 19-23, 2010.

Twas  my first time booking online so I was naïve and too excited to check the departure date from SG to MLA. He was the one who noticed that I chose an earlier flight and commented that we should have booked until Sunday. It dawned to me that instead of being able to stay for 5 days, it would just be for four since on the fifth day, we need to head back home.

Then came the preparation for the trip. We talked to his cousin and she insisted that we stay at their house instead of renting a hotel. We were very hesitant since she has only been married for 3 years (?) and we don’t want to invade their privacy. She rationalized that booking for a hotel room will just add up to the gastos and it would really save us money if we take her offer.

I did all the research through the internet. Learned that we will be arriving on the last week of the Great Singapore Sale. I came across the Your Singapore site when browsing Boy Kuripot for freebies and contests. And this is one of the factors to whom I owe the success of our Singapore trip.

Read all the information I needed to know. From forums to the websites of Singapore must-see places (Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, Sentosa, Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, Underwater World and many more). I even checked the SMRT website and Changi Airport. I intended to be ready since we have four months to prepare.

Storm signal no. 2 up in Metro Manila

By Agence France Presse, Yahoo! Southeast Asia

(UPDATE 6) Storm signal number 2 is now up Metro Manila, with reported brownouts in different areas.

As of 11 p.m. (Manila time), the latest bulletin from Pagasa’s website showed that typhoon Basyang’s center is now at Infanta, Quezon and is expected to cross Central Luzon on Wednesday.

The Department of Education has also declared no classes in both private and public in pre-, primary up to high school levels in areas under storm signal number 2. These include Camarines Norte, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Lubang Island, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bulacan, and Metro Manila.

Storm signal number 1 has been declared in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, the rest of Quezon, Marinduque, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Ifugao, Benguet, and La Union.

The state weather bureau has lowered storm signal in the rest of the areas hit by the typhoon.

The Philippines braced for the first typhoon of the year as forecasters warned of floods and possible landslides across wide swathes of the country Tuesday.

In Manila, stormy weather ahead of typhoon Basyang (Conson) forced schools to close, international flights to divert, and ships to be barred from leaving port.

Basyang (Conson)  is expected to  hit land Tuesday night and will be between Aurora and Northern Quezon area.

“Areas that are in the direct path will experience heavy rains, even areas to the south of the typhoon will have strong rain,” chief state weather forecaster Prisco Nilo told reporters early Tuesday.

“It is possible that there will also be landslides or flooding.”

In a press conference late Tuesday, the state weather bureau said the typhoon will most likely be out of the country Thursday.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour near the center and gusting at up to 150 kilometres per hour, Basyang was bearing down on Catanduanes island on the country’s eastern seaboard.

It was expected to cut west after that, dumping up to 20 millimetres (0.8 inches) of rain an hour on Luzon before exiting into the South China Sea on Wednesday, Nilo said.

Storm alerts were hoisted across Metropolitan Manila and nearly 30 provinces on Luzon, home to about half of the country’s 92 million people, the state weather bureau said.

Afternoon classes in elementary schools in Manila were suspended, while aviation authorities diverted several incoming flights to Clark airport about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the capital.

“There was poor visibility because of the heavy rains. They could not see the runway,” said Connie Bungag, a spokeswoman for the airport authority.

Flights of several small domestic carriers were also cancelled, while the coast guard barred ships from setting sail from Manila pier.

Coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said ships already en route to Manila should take shelter at the nearest port of call.

The arrival of Basyang marks the start of this year’s typhoon season for the Philippines.

About 20 typhoons slam into the Philippines every year, causing widespread destruction and claiming many lives.

Millions of poor Filipinos live in slums alongside rivers and waterways, making them particularly vulnerable to floods.

More than 1,000 people died in September and October last year when two fierce storms ripped through Manila and other parts of Luzon.

Earlier, the state weather bureau said tropical storm Basyang has intensified into a typhoon, prompting Pagasa to raise storm signal number 1 in Metro Manila and other areas.