Vol 9 No 5.indd
Transcription
Vol 9 No 5.indd
www.punto.com.ph P 8.00 Punto! Luzon Central VOLUME 9 NUMBER 5 THU - SAT JULY 16 - 18, 2015 PANANAW NG MALAYANG PILIPINO! AC DAD DECLARES ‘Capilion site is ours’ BY ASHLEY MANABAT JUST ASKING. The question of the hour posed, aesthetically. PHOTO BY BONG LACSON ANGELES CITY – “It is ours!” This was how Councilor Max Sangil described the three-hectare location of the P7-billion Capilion Corp. Pte. Ltd. project accorded by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) at the former main gate of the Clark Freeport which is diametrically opposite SM City Clark. The site of Capilion is owned by the city government, Sangil stressed during the “Multi-Sectoral Consultative Meeting on Clark Issues” organized by the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) at the Grand Palazzo Royale here last Wednesday. Sangil accused the CDC of “revising the Clark master plan to suit the needs of Capilion,” a Singaporean compa- ny established in 2006 to act as an international private equity and corporate finance advisory firm. It is part of the Capilion Group of Companies, Capilion Financial Ltd. and Capilion RE Engineering Ltd. Sangil cited Republic Act (RA) 9400, which is an act amending RA 7227, or the Bases Conversion Development Act, which exempts 29.5 PAGE 6 PLEASE Election fever brews in AC, Pamintuan elbows out rival BY DING CERVANTES A NGELES CITY- The political air of the 2016 polls has permeated this city of at least 150,000 voters. Pamintuan Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has asserted that historically, only his administration has surpassed P1 billion annual revenues mostly raised from local sources, even as he elbowed aside criticisms over his plans for a Heritage Park fountain and a new public memorial park. In his regular monthly press conference last Wednesday, PamintuPAGE 6 PLEASE Women leaders reject Cabigting, Lapid LEADERS of Angeles City grassroots women’s organizations have rejected Senator Lito Lapid and Vice Mayor Ma. Vicenta Vega-Cabigting, both of whom are planning to run for mayor of this city, stating that “these politicians lack programs on the issue of women empowerment and they are not really known as advocates of women and children’s democratic rights and welfare.” “Mrs. Vega-Cabigting has done very little to upgrade the economic and democratic rights and welfare of women and chil- dren of Angeles City. In fact, the few projects she implemented were actually programs of the city mayor’s office,” said Elizabeth Palasigue, president of Northville 15 Women’s Group. “Lapid, on the other hand, is a politician who has no known track record relative to gender and development,” Palasigue added. Sherylee Biscocho, president of the Samahan ngKababaihan ng Sapalibutad, said that, “Vice Mayor Cabigting had several terms as city councilor and city vice mayor but has not truly proven anything, while Lapid is not from our city. He should run in his hometown if he really wants to serve.” “We do not want the return of traditional politics. Angeles City deserves a good chief executive and our present mayor is excellent and one of the best pro-development mayors in the world. He is after all the number 8 city mayor in the world,” said Jocelyn Catchin, president of the Sunset Nepo Women Empowerment. Iderlina Valentin, president of Salapungan Women’s Club, PAGE 6 PLEASE Lazatin as best AC mayor a lie, EdPam says ANGELES CITY – Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has disputed the claims of former councilor Willie Rivera that former Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin is the best mayor the city ever had giving him an aggregate score of 95 percent. During a press conference at the Museo ning Angeles here on Wednesday, Pamintuan said the claims of Rivera on Lazatin’s performance are “all lies.” Pamintuan said for the record, in the last year of Lazatin’s administration, as attested by the City Treasurer and the City Accountant, the figure is about P600 million (P553 million in 2006 and P562 million in 2007) and 70 percent of it is from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and 30 percent from local businesses. “That’s poor because 70 percent is IRA dependent,” the mayor said. Rivera, who has announced his plan to run for vice mayor, said it was during the time of Lazatin that the city revenue collection reached P1 billion from P300 million. But Pamintuan said it was during the last term of for- mer Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno that the city revenues reached P800 million. But Nepomuceno’s administration was still very much IRA dependent at 65 percent, he said. Pamintuan said it was PAGE 6 PLEASE New PRC facility validates Subic’s importance as logistics hub BY MALOU DUNGOG A military truck is parked across the village road to block vehicles delivering chairs and tables to protesting villagers. PHOTO BY ARMAND GALANG Tension grips NE farming village PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY BY ARMAND M. GALANG 2 PALAYAN CITY – Tension gripped a farming village in this city as farmers and their families engaged in a faceoff with soldiers in full battle gear who came with officials from the Regional Trial Court and the Office of Solicitor General to enforce a court’s eviction order in Barangay Caballero Wednesday amid the farmers’ pending petition before the Supreme Court. RTC Branch 40’s Rubentito Alomia declared the turnover of the parcels of land being cultivated by local farmers to the military officials, headed by Col. Emerito Pineda, camp commander of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division at about 10 a.m. resulting to a wave of commotion between the two camps. Alomia said the order of RTC Branch 40 Presiding Judge Evelyn Turla dated Dec. 9, 2014 which ordered 14 farmers to vacate the land they occupy at Sitio Mindoro, Barangay Caballero was final and executory. He said the order has been published as required by the court. But while the court order covered only 14 people, about two hundred poor farmers were also threatened of dislocation as even the sheriff could not pinpoint what particular parcel of lands are to be vacated, according to Barangay Chairperson Remedios Pascua, 63. Pascua noted that the court order did not carry any technical description of the land. “Paano sasabihin ng sheriff na yun ang ipinababakanteng lupa ay wala ngang technical description. Paano basata na lang nila paalisin kahit sino?” Pascua said. As non-uniformed men reportedly hired by the Army started clearing a space near the road, supposedly to start fencing off the properties, farmers started to flock to the place to show resistance. This increased the tension prompting armed personnel of the city police and the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office’s Special Weapons and Tactics to guard all over the place. Alomia and Senior State Solicitor General Ma. Lourdes Leones had been meeting with Pineda at an army detachment. The tension heightened when a military truck was parked across the village road to stop a private truck that delivers chairs and tables for the farmers, earning the ire of farmers. Pescua then challenged the Army to shoot her rather than violating the rights of her constituents. “Sige barilin niyo ako, pangha-harass ang ginagawa ninyo,” she said, even noting a soldier who takes her videos. Barangay officials, including local peacekeepers from at least ten other villages of this city, rushed to the place. “Gusto lang naming matiyak na walang magiging gulo,” an official said. Supt. Leandro Novilla, city police chief, proposed the creation of a crisis management team to thwart any untoward incident. “Nandito kami, nandito ang sundalo makabubuti kung magbuo tayo ng crisis management team,” he said. But to no avail. City Councilor Julius Bautista who is among the parties in the court case, said the Army should wait for the decision of the SC before implementing the order. “Nanalo kami sa MTC (Municipal Trial Court) at hindi namin sila pinaalis,” he said, referring to the establishment of a detachment within the contested property. He said they will continue in the area to prevent soldiers from installing wired fences. As of press time, there was a stand-off as both the farmers and soldiers held their ground. Last week, the farmers filed a 55-page petition for certiorari with application for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the RTC from carrying out its order. Yesterday’s incident came four days after the retirement of Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. who they sued along with Lieutenant Colonels Benito Doniego Jr. and Alfredo Patarata. Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas, who was abroad, expressed concern over the incident. She said she felt helpless because she was not around to intervene. Cuevas said she took pity on the farmers as it was their only source of livelihood and it was taken from them,” she said. The farmers said they have been tilling the lands since the time of their ancestors in the 1930s, with government even providing them irrigation support and a dam. They added that the city government, under Cuevas, even built a farm-to-market road in the site but the military took the farmlands from them. “They have been oppressing us when they are supposed to protect us, being the soldiers of the people,” Bautista said. The Supreme Court petition was filed by the farmers after the 12th Division of the Court of Appeals, in its June 16, 2015 Resolution, merely noted and did not take action on their petition for review of the Palayan RTC Branch 40’s decision reversing and setting aside the October 8, 2013 Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) order which ruled in their favor relative to the case of forcible entry they filed against Catapang, Doniego and Patarata. At the time the class suit was filed, Catapang was a major general of the Philippine Army and commanding general of the 7th Infantry Division stationed at the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation here. SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The establishment by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) of its logistics and training center in the Subic Bay Freeport has once again validated the importance of this freeport as a domestic and international logistics hub. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia pointed this out after the PRC formally inaugurated on Monday its logistics and training center at a 1.6-hectare property along the Corregidor Highway in the former Naval Magazine area here. “Accessibility is the main factor here, and of course there is also the security aspect to it. It is just a few hours away from Manila; it is accessible by land, sea and air, and the place is as secure as it can get. That’s why the Red Cross is here,” Garcia said. Garcia said the SBMA has allowed the PRC rent-free use of the property for 50 years. “It’s our humble contribution to the noble mission that the Philippine Red Cross has been doing remarkably well,” he added. PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon, who led the inauguration ceremony on Monday, said the PRC’s Subic facility will serve as a hub for logistics support in local and international disaster response, as well as a training facility and operations center. “We will preposition relief supplies here, both food and non-food items; also our equipment and our vehicles to facilitate prompt and efficient deployment in case of disasters, emergencies or mass casualty incidents,” Gordon said. “We also conduct different trainings here (because) in a country with a buffet of disasters like the Philippines, we should always be prepared,” he added. “(The facility) is also part of our tenet: Volunteers + Logistics + Information Technology = a Red Cross that is Always First, Always Ready, Always There,” Gordon also said. The PRC facility has two warehouses, a function room that also serves as convention center, two dormitory buildings, two classrooms, and a mess hall. It will soon have a hotel and trade school. The facility, which had its soft opening last March, has already produced its first batch of graduates for the Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Filed Hospital courses. During the inaugural rites, Gordon also presented Garcia a citation for the support that SBMA has extended to the PRC. He also presented a similar award to the seven-man contingent of fire and rescue volunteers led by SBMA Fire Chief Ranny Magno, which participated in a recent rescue and relief mission in earthquake-devastated Nepal. SBMA Chairman Roberto V. Garcia receives a citation from PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon in recognition of SBMA support in the establishment of the Philippine Red Cross Logistics and Training Center in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. PHOTO BY MALOU DUNGOG SBMA partners with private firms for mangrove reforestation BY MALOU DUNGOG Members of the SBMA Ecology Center’s mangrove restoration team harvest mangrove wildlings for transplanting at the Binictican-Malawaan mangrove forest in the Subic Bay Freeport. PHOTO BY MALOU DUNGOG SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has successfully harnessed the support of the private sector in implementing a project to restore mangrove forests here and increase public awareness on the importance of mangrove ecosystems. According to SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, five business locators here and two schools from as far as Manila and La Union, have already participated in the agency’s mangrove restoration program since it was launched by the SBMA Ecology Center early this year. The program has resulted in the planting of about 300 mangrove propagules, as well as a total of 130 nipa seedlings, with survival rates averaging at 70 percent in most planting areas in the Subic Bay Freeport. Garcia said the program has gained much support from local stakeholders and visitors because the reforestation project is complemented by an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign to help increase public appreciation of mangroves and their role in biodiversity. “Once people learn that mangroves are not just putrid swampy areas, but in fact serve as home and breeding places for a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp and shells, they volunteer their help in planting and cleaning the mangrove areas here,” Garcia said. “And because of the importance of mangroves not only in food production, but also in coastal protection and tourism, we hope to engage more and more companies and private groups in keeping the mangroves in Subic healthy and well,” the SBMA official added. “Since February this year, the SBMA Ecology Center has undertaken several mangrove planting, cleanups, IEC tours, and species identification projects in partnership with companies and schools,” said Rhea Jane Mallari, a senior forest management specialist of the SBMA Ecology Center. These include the International School of Manila, which planted “busain” and “piapi” species of mangrove; Subic Golf, which planted nipa seedlings for erosion control; Aikon Subic and Orica, which both undertook planting and IEC activities; Petron Corp. and Hitachi Mechatronics, both for planting and cleanup; and Don Mariano Marcos State University in La Union, which planted mangrove and helped in species identification and phenology. The participants also donated tools and equipment, and some seed bags used in the planting activities. Mallari said that most of the trees planted by the program participants had survived, although the Ecology Center and its partners “are still in the process of learning the best practices in mangrove restoration.” “There is so much to be done, and in this regard we are seeking more partners and supporters to help us establish and operate a mangrove nursery,” Mallari said. Lilia Alcazar, chief of the SBMA Ecology Center’s Protected Area Division, said the nursery project is important because nursery-raised mangrove seedlings have better-established root systems, and hence,higher survival rates. The Center is also hoping for assistance in patrolling the mangrove areas here to discourage encroachment and indiscriminate harvesting of mangrove forest products. Alcazar added that aside from raising public awareness on the importance of mangrove ecosystems, the Center’s Mangrove IEC and Restoration Program seeks to encourage stakeholders in joining the conduct of mangrove management strategies, the protection and maintenance of the integrity of mangrove forests, and the conduct of research and ecologically-sound activities in mangrove areas at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. BY ERNIE ESCONDE MARIVELES, Bataan- Mayor Jesse Concepcion on Monday ordered the temporary stoppage of the delivery of coal imported from other countries in a port facility here due to alleged health and environmental hazard. “While the Seafront Shipyard and Port Terminal Services Corp. have not yet undertaken mitigating measures to address the problem of villagers, I asked the port operations manager to temporarily cease the unloading of coal in their port,” the mayor said. Concepcion said he asked the shipyard in the seaside village of Lucanin to just consume the coal stock-piled in their wharf and build the proper infrastructures and proper storage facility before importing new products. He said villagers complained of coal dust particles in the area and the pollution of the sea. “The shipyard should build a warehouse where coal dusts will not be spreading in the community like what GN Power Plant did in having its own covered stockyard with wind breaker,” the mayor said. Concepcion said he will ask Seafront Shipyard to also construct two lagoons that in case of seepage, the coal leakage passes the lagoons first before going to the sea. “This is to prevent further negative environmental and health impact for the local residents,” the mayor said. Carlo Ignacio, VP for operations of the shipyard, said they will hire experts to build structures as asked by Concepcion: “The safety of the people is our main concern so we will do what will be best for them.” The staff in the shipyard said they also have regular medical missions for residents of Lucanin and nearby localities. GN Power that operates a 600-MGW coal-fired power plant in Barangay Alas-Asin has its own supply of coal. Coal from the Seafront Shipyard are delivered to coal-fired power plants reportedly in other parts of Bataan and in Bulacan. “Coal from the shipyard is supplied to power plants and stopping the delivery may cause brownout but if it is hazardous to the people, we have to stop it until proper safety measures are instituted,” Concepcion said. Some 100 placard-bearing rallyists asked the mayor to stop the delivery and stockpiling of coal in the shipyard. “We have cough and my grandchild suffers from asthma,” complained one of the rallyists. She said that coal dust particles darkened and dirtied their houses when coal is unloaded from ships, from stock- piles and loading in trucks for delivery to power plants. Ernesto Hatol, 68, claimed their fish catch dropped. “Ang katas ng coal tumatagas sa dagat kaya humina ang huli naming isda.” Pieces of coal apparently pushed by the waves were seen along the shore in the village. Anita Bacli, 41, said she knows of residents who have already left for other villag- es. “The owner of the house we are renting transferred to another village because their children suffer from coughs and fever. Even my two-year old son has asthma,” she said. CLN at SM City Clark Your favorite brand is back and better than ever! Colorful and fashionable shoes are back in the newly revamped CLN at SM City Clark. From comfortable flats to flattering wedges we definitely have everything you need to take your style to a whole new level this season. CLN offers a unique and exclusive selection of reasonably priced shoes, garments, bags and accessories that surely complements young and adult shoppers. Step in style this season and wear our newest collection of candy colored hues to brighten up your day. Pair your staple wardrobe with sweet and feminine shades for that fresh and effortless look perfect for any occasion. Visit CLN stores now and be the first to wear our latest statement pieces! CLN is located at the Ground Floor near the Event Centre 1 of SM City Clark. See you there. PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY Mayor stops delivery of imported coal in Bataan shipyard 3 O pinion Editorial EdPam says “I DON’T mind. I don’t care. I don’t give a damn.” So spake Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan dismissing the barrage of criticisms hurled at him by Vice Mayor Vicky VegaCabigting as “early politicking” and “propaganda of lies.” The Angeleño deserves the best, in life and in death. So goes Pamintuan’s defense of the P16-million fountain at the Heritage Park and the P110-million people’s memorial park his administration is committed to put up. And he would not allow anyone to deprive the Angeleño of what he rightfully deserves. PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY Vicky says 4 “I MIND. I care. I give a damn.” Where the interest of the Angeles City constituency is at stake, Vega-Cabigting said she would never be silent, she could never be silenced. “Exhorbitant. Indecent.” So she considered the funds allotted to the fountain and memorial park, saying the money could be put to better use in education, health, and livelihood. Of Pamintuan, she furthered: “Many are not satisfied with how things are going in the current administration.” Of her other rival, Sen. Lito Lapid: “Angeleños cannot accept someone who only bought a house in Angeles and believes he is already an Angeleño.” acaesar.blogspot.com ac Zona Libre Bong Z. Lacson The family that preys together IT DID not start with the B and most certainly would not end with it either. It is even far from exclusive to the B. “…(T)hat incurable disease endemic in the Philippine bureaucracy. That which is so deeply rooted and pervasive that not a few anthropologists hypothesized is an integral part of Filipino culture.” As appeared in the piece A culture of graft under Zona Libre, The Voice, September 6-12, 1998 issue . Read on: VALUES AND traditions define the culture of a nation. Where lies graft there? The family. The basic unit of Philippine society. The font of love and unity, the binding and bonding fabric of values. There is another facet to the family though. It can likewise serve as the breeding ground of all that is not true, not good, not beautiful. All in the family. It is often said and heard. Of the conjugal dictatorship of the Great Ferdinand and the Beautiful Imelda then. Of the wife behind – in front, at the side, and just about every which way of – dearest mayor, governor, or congressman. Or haven’t you heard of the wifey herself knocking at the doors of the jueteng lord’s manor at every month’s end? Or the mistress of the house talking trusses, divots and vibra-rollers with contractors? Of yet another madame counting her footprints in the quarried sands of time? And still another missus who comes fortnightly a-visiting her husband’s office to withdraw from “Treas” (that’s treasurer, dummy) – sans vouchers and supporting papers – the wages and allowances for the cook, the driver, the gardener, the maids, and above all, for herself and the kids? To be politically correct and gender sensitive, there is the case of the hubby too who skims the fat off the honorable wife’s barrel of lard and promptly forks it over to the oh-so-unwifelylooking pretty-pretty GROs. Starting ‘em young saves time. The kids have been initiated too. Oh, how they took to the game like young alligators to the swamp. One wife may have the jueteng fund but the son holds everything else, from the contractor’s 30 percent SOP, to the grease from the amusement tax. Uh-oh, there is another son – endowed with his own sandy kingdom transcending defined political boundaries. Then come the other relatives, from cousins to in-laws, for the remaining pittance. From the family, the culture of graft spreads to the circle of friends. “For the boys,” as euphemized. Whence rises cronyism. One compadre to handle all medical supplies. Another confederate for the most lucrative Q. A cohort for the small contracts. The friend of a friend for the office supplies. And hey, why not a long-time ka-kosa as corporate partner in the numbers game? Pakikisama (loosely translated to fellowship) is one strong, prevalent Filipino virtue. Taken to the extreme, it becomes redolent with pungent meanings. A UP lecturer on Filipino values says thus, “Mabuti ang pakikisama basta hindi ito nagiging pakiki-sama.” The stress in the last word is on the last syllable. Fellowship is good so long as it does not end in something evil. Very strong too among Filipinos is the padrino or godfather syndrome. This works with another value – utang na loob (debt of gratitude). Political mentors and contributors make the bulk of the public officials’ list of favors to return or to be paid back. While a Pac-man has yet to evolve on the local scene, a number of gobblers, past and present, have made their presence felt. Or have you forgotten the Voltes Five, the Pajero Gang, the Chinese connection that lorded it over Pampanga’s infrastructure scene? The first order of the day in any winning official’s agenda after each election is the repayment of all debts. Especially, those of gratitude. The primacy Philippine society puts on material things as the yardsticks of success further tightened the grip of graft among our local officials and their families, both immediate and extended. And with the grafters among local officials apparently making more the rule than the exception, graft in government has become the “normal” way. To which our people have fallen in resignation, in indifference. But for the local officials who may have felt alluded to here, who will raise a hoot over our thesis of a deeply imbedded and expansive culture of graft in the Philippines? Indeed, who gives a damn over this our damaged culture? TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY Source: www.kahimyang.info What says Lapid? WANAKOSEY. So what can be expected from the one dubbed as the chairman of the Senate Committee on silence? LLL Trimedia Coordinators, Inc. Publisher General Manager Editor Marketing Manager Layout Circulation Atty. Gener C. Endona Caesar “Bong” Lacson Joanna Niña V. Cordero Dondie B. Ventura Jojo Manalo/Lacson Macapagal Business & Editorial office at Unit B Essel Commercial Center, McArthur Highway, Telabastagan, City of San Fernando Tel. No. (45) 625•0244 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416 puntogitnangluzon@yahoo.com or marketing@punto.com.ph http://www.punto.com.ph An earthquake with epicenter near Cabanatuan City jolted Luzon ON JULY 16, 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake with epicenter located 10 kilometers southeast of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, jolted a wide area of Luzon at 4.26 pm, with its main shock lasting some 45 seconds, killing over 1,600 people and injuring hundreds of others. A state of calamity was declared in the cities of Cabanatuan, Baguio, Dagupan, San Carlos, Palayan and San Jose and in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Benguet and Pangasin- an. Baguio City was isolated for days after the major highways to the mountain resort collapsed, trapping thousands of people, including local and foreign tourists, within its confines. Nothing amuses me more than the easy manner with which everybody settles the abundance of those who have a great deal less than themselves. – Jane Austen The solution is to gradually become free of societal rewards and learn how to substitute for them rewards that are under one’s own powers. This is not to say that we should abandon every goal endorsed by society; rather, it means that, in addition to or instead of the goals others use to bribe us with, we develop a set of our own. – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi PORAC EXECS APPEAL TO TAPANG Felix M. Garcia Tapunan na lang ba tayo ng basura? KUNG NOON ay naging ika nga’y tambakan itong Pilipinas ng lumang sasakyan na galing sa bansang katulad ng Japan, d’yan kahit papano ay may pakinabang Sapagkat kumpara sa ‘brand new,’ di hamak na mura ang kotse’t mga right hand drive truck; Pero ngayon ang sa atin itinambak, (Na galing Canada), kakaiba sa lahat Na idineklara – as imported shipment at naglalaman ng umano’y assorted plastic scrap pero nang ito’y ma-inspect Ng BoC, DENR, ya’y pawang unwanted Na materials ang laman ng containers vans na kinalalagyan ng basurang iyan; (Kung kaya natengga nang mataga-tagal sa Custom nang di man lamang nabawasan?) Gayong tatlong taon itong naka-imbak sa pier bago yata ‘tinapon sa Tarlac; (Di gaya ng ibang ‘imported materials,’ na napakadaling sa Custom masikwat!) Subalit sanhi nga ng kadahilanang walang nag-claim hanggang sa inuod na yan, Ay itinapon na sa ating bakuran Nang di maibalik sa pinanggalingan. Ano’t tikom lang ang bibig ng Pangulo sa tila direkta ng pang-iinsulto nitong Canada sa mga Pilipino sa ginawa nila sa panahong ito Na hayan, kahit na halos tapakan na tayo riyan ng iba ( tulad nitong Tsina) Ay tila kampante lang din sa tuwina ang mga marapat kumilos kumbaga? Lulunukin na lang ba natin kabayan ang ginagawa sa atin ng mga yan, Na kahit mali ay todo pasa lamang sa nakararaming bulok na opisyal? Ano sa palagay n’yan sa Pilipinas? tapunan na lang ng basura at lahat? Komo sa akala nila’y walang lakas itong ating bansa gagawin at sukat Ang bawat naisin ng mga yan dito sanhi lamang nitong akala siguro ng Tsina’t Canada madaling maloko ang lahat-lahat ng mga Pilipino? Gabundok nga riyan ang ating basura, na sa araw-araw ay di makolekta, Ay itatapon pa rito ng Canada ang ‘toxic waste’ nila, pang-aabuso na! At pang-aargabya ng maituturing kung paulit-ulit pa nilang gagawin; Kung kaya sa puntong ya’y makabubuting ang bansang Canada’y dapat pagmultahin. Sapagkat ang pagka-tengga ng matagal sa pier ng limampung mga ‘container vans,’ Ay millions of pesos din ang halaga niyan na kinakailangang sa atin bayaran. Maliban sa pagka-tapon n’yan sa Tarlac na may kaukulan ding singil o bayad, ang pagkatapon ng basurang di hamak na hazardous compared with our waste products. At upang sila ay hindi pamarisan ng ibang wala na ring mapagtapunan, Lahat ng possible means para atasan silang magbayad ng danyos, ipairal!!! Set aside personal interests Gov’s projects in town derailed PORAC – Mayor Condralito “Carling” Dela Cruz and Vice Mayor Dexter David appealed to the members of the opposition in the town council, including Councilor and Board Member Mike Tapang, to set aside “much politicking and personal interests” for the benefit of their constituents. De La Cruz and David said Tapang and four other councilors – Regine Clarete, Remberto Lapid, Rafael Canlapan and Ronaldo Gamboa – are allegedly delaying the approval of the supplemental budget requested by the mayor for projects on health care service, peace and order and education. One of the projects derailed is the planned construction of a “bigger” local police office and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) building to be funded by Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, Dela Cruz disclosed. “We are appealing to Tapang and the four other councilors to approve the budget because the projects are for the people, especially the poor ones and deserving students. Besides, the municipal government has savings last year,” said Dela Cruz. “Let’s not sacrifice the people just to entertain our political ambitions.” Tapang earlier expressed his intention to run for mayor in 2016 and challenge the twoterm Porac mayor. His group could prevent the approval of the budgets requested by the mayor because they have the numbers or majority votes. “The governor is asking us to buy some 1,000 square meters of lot for the new police building. It’s the Porac officials’ counterpart for the facility pushed by Pineda to maintain peace and order in our town,” said Dela Cruz. Dela Cruz said he and David were supposed to recommend the buying of the some 2,000 square-meter-property near the district hospital in Barangay Babo Sacan. It will cost about P6 million at P3,000 per square meter. Dela Cruz said he and the vice mayor looked for other options to maximize public funds and begin their plan to “decongest” the municipal building in Barangay Poblacion. Dela Cruz said he had spoken to an owner of a property in Barangay Cangatba. He added that they will get some 10,000 square-meter-property near the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway for the same price of P6 million. ”I personally asked the owner to lower the price because it’s for Porac and its people. He readily agreed because he has love for his town,” said Dela Cruz, adding that they will get the property for at least P550 per square meter – or about 80 percent lower compared to the property in Babo Sacan. He said the property in Cangatba, which is also near the Ayala-owned Alviera township project, is being sold for at least P1,000 per square meter. Dela Cruz said they want a big property to allow them to transfer the municipal agriculture office, quick response team, engineering office and other offices from the municipal hall to the planned site in Cangatba. “Our area at the town hall is too crowded already. Sometimes, the fire truck would almost hit a parked car when it’s going out for an operation,” said Dela Cruz. “The property will also be an asset to the town considering its location and size.” Dela Cruz said the planned site is near the motor pool and Porac Manpower Training Center of the municipal government. Aside from P6 million requested by the mayor for the purchase of the land, Dela Cruz is also asking P1 million for the “Iskolar ng Bayan” and P6,380,000 million for the establishment of a dialysis center and an additional P1,670,000 for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of the same center. “It’s clear that the two of major priorities of the governor are health care service dedicated to help the majority and education for all,” said Dela Cruz. Dela Cruz said “poor but deserving” students would benefit from the scholarship program. He thanked David, Councilors Meynard Lapid, Ronie Mercado, Mark Valencia and Rudy Enriquez for supporting his “pro-people projects.” David said they an expert to come up with a feasibility study on the establishment of the dialysis center. He added that “we just don’t ask for budget without the necessary study.” David said they are waiting for the availability of the expert who is set to appear in the session of the council. He has yet to give the name of the expert who is reportedly connected with the Don Honorio Ventura Technical State University (DHVTSU) “We understand check and balance in government. But Tapang’s group is already delaying projects needed to render necessary and urgent basic services to the people,” said David. He added that “we have done everything to explain and justify the projects but it seems politics is lording over genuine public service.” “Tapang’s group would either not attend sessions or not approve the requested budget under strange circumstance and the use of irrational reasoning,” said David. David said the supplemental budget requested by the mayor was referred to the town council since early May. David said Tapang, Clarete, Canlapan, Gamboa and R. Lapid had not attended regular sessions on July 2 and special sessions on May 19, June 8 and 9 and there was no quorum on May 28 further derailing the approval of the supplemental budget. PROJECTS UNDER DILG The two-term vice mayor said Tapang’s group “finally approved” on June 25 the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB), which is under the implementation of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). He said school principals and teachers had insisted on attending the session last June 25 because they are adversely affected by the non-approval of the BUB. Last March, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas announced that a total of P240.3 million was allocated to Central Luzon for the anti-poverty program of the department under the BUB in 2015. David said the that funds to be given by the national government through the DILG is about P12.5 million. He added that the BuB is designed to finance “grassroots projects.” “The BuB project is already being implemented in many towns in Pampanga and the rest of the country. In Porac, it has just been approved,” said David. “The mayor and I are not the ones really hurt and affected but the people.” David said Tapang’s group earlier authorized the mayor to enter to an agreement with the DILG and other government agencies. He added they disallowed the mayor last June 18 to accept the funds for the same BuB program. “They disallowed the mayor last June 18 when they authorized him earlier to pursue the BUB. Then they approve the BUB after the teachers and principals were at the session the following week,” said David. He said a local representative of the DILG had earlier attended the council’s regular session to appeal to Tapang and the four other councilors to authorize the mayor to pursue the BuB program. “The modified supplemental budget and BuB are related and necessary to bring the government service down to the barangay level.” “It has been months since the mayor asked them to approve the budget. Public service is denied due to too much politics. I hope they finally agree for the benefit of the majority of the people in Porac,” said David. He said Tapang’s group recently approved the “counterpart” funds of P1.3 million for the P12.5 BUB funds from the DILG. – Porac Information Group PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY Napaguusapan Lang 5 Election fever brews in AC, Pamintuan elbows out rival FROM PAGE 1 an also cited a survey of 4,000 respondents showing him leading by a wide margin his potential challengers in the 2016 mayoral race. “It’s an 80-20 fight showing many peo- ple like what we’re doing,” he said. The survey which ended last week, allegedly indicated that while his percentage ratings “remained in double figures,” that of Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting, who will reportedly also run for mayor, plunged from 9 percent to only 2.9 percent. Pamintuan is slated to run for reelection in 2016 for his last mayoral term. “It will be a mopping up operations during my last term. We will build small roads and also seek ways to raise more revenues,” he said. VM statement Reached for her reaction, Vice Mayor Vega-Cabigting said: “First, my question to the Mayor. If according to ‘their survey’, I am at the lowest of low, how come they are attacking me on all sides. Ang kulelat po di na pinpansin. You do that to people who are a ‘threat’ to you. I already made my statement a few days ago, that even if I am the last woman standing for my pro-people cause, I will be at peace. I heard that they paid millions for the survey and yet they are not releasing the true results. They are threatened with the result of their own survey and are now in panic mode. A case of being frightened by the ghost they created.” ‘Capilion site is ours’ FROM PAGE 1 hectares from the Clark Freeport, including the Capilion area. But Sangil clarified that, “we are not against Capilion. We are against where it will be located because there are other areas in Clark where it can be located.” He said if the CDC insists on granting Capilion the controversial site which is a “buffer zone,” it will unfairly compete with the local businesses in the city because it will enjoy tax free importation and other tax privileges within their vicinity. Playing field Ruperto Cruz, PGKM chair, also stressed on “levelling the playing field” because the consultative meeting is about “the plight of our investments and businesses…” He said the promise of the national govern- ment for the full and immediate development of the Clark International Airport (CIA) remains to be seen even after more than two decades of the enactment of the law (RA 7227) to accelerate the sound and balanced conversion into alternative productive use of former baselands. “Clark airport remains a promise land after 24 years,” Cruz said adding that the Capilion project could be part of the sabotage against the full development of the Clark airport. Cruz also said the Capilion project is illegal because “it has no public consultation and no bidding.” He said the Capilion project is “a desperate attempt to show a semblance of accomplishment” for the CDC leadership whom he accused of having “bankrupt of ideas.” But Cruz said if Cap- ilion is a legitimate company, it won’t mind moving into the much ballyhooed Clark Green City in the Clark subzone, the Clark centennial, or at the former Clark hospital or at the Global Gateways Logistics City at the back of SM City Clark. Subtle Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting was subtle and said it is now time for CDC to clear the air. “I hope we can hear from CDC and Capilion soon,” she said. The vice mayor said she attended the consultative meeting because “I mind, I care and I give a damn to every issue affecting Angeleños.” On the sidelines, Cabigting said CDC and Capilion should seriously consider the “Traffic Impact Ordinance” of the city government before making any plan of putting up a seven-storey building on the contro- versial site. PCCI Earlier, Marc Nepomuceno, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he is also voicing his opposition to the Capilion project on its present site at the former main gate of Clark. He said local businesses will be greatly affected by the Capilion project and the city government will be burdened by its social costs. Hotel and restaurant owners led by ABC Hotel owner Gerard Heinan Jr. were present in the meeting as well as representatives from the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA), Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (Pamcham), Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (MACCII), and Korean business association. Women leaders reject Cabigting, Lapid PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY FROM PAGE 1 6 even criticized Cabigting, saying that, “Bakit niya nilalabanan ang Php110 Milyon na pampublikong senentoryo na mayroong crematorium, apat na chapels para pagburulan, maayos na kalsada, columbarium at mga nitso para sa namayapang kamag-anak ng mga mahihirap. Dahil ba mahihirap hindi na pwedeng maiburol at mailibing sa magandang memorial park? Pinapakita lamang niya ang kanyang tunay na kontra-mahihirap na karakter.” Valentin also scored Lapid, “Hindi nga niya mapasuko ang anak ng dati niyang provincial administrator na si Fidel Arcenas, na siyang pangunahing suspect sa pagpatay sa dati niyang asawa, paano siya magiging maka-mamamayan?” “Batay po sa kanyang ipinapakitang pagkontra sa aming mayor, masasabi po namin na hindi dapat na iboto si Vice Mayor Cabigting sa kahit anong posisyon, kahit pa mayor o konsehal. Pinapakita po niya ang kawalan ng prinsipyo,” said Vilma Manao, president of the Samahan ng mga Kababaihan ng Cutud. “ “Si Lapid naman po, di po ba may kaso siya sa fertilizer scam? Harapin po muna niya yun at doon po siya kumandidatong mayor sa bayan niya sa Porac. Hindi naman siya taga Angeles,” Manao added. Elvira Maglalang, president of the Cuayan Women’s Club, stated that, “Ang kailangan ngayon ng Lungsod ng Angeles ay ang ipagpatuloy ang mga nasimulan na ng kasalukuyang Mayor Ed Pamintuan. Hindi namin kailangan ang mga kandidatong gustong maging mayor na wala namang tunay na programa para sa mga kababaihan, mga bata, at mga mamamayan.” Julieta Nacu, president of the Samahan ng Anunas Women’s Group, said that, “Mrs Vega-Cabigting is not pro-people and pro-women, and she has no genuine and realizable program for women and children. Kung meron siyang programa, bakit wala pa siyang nagawa?” Cabigting is seeking to be the first woman mayor of Angeles City and has asserted that the city “is ready for a woman mayor.” However, the latest survey showed that only 2.7% or around 4,000 of the more or less 150,000 registered voters of Angeles City will vote for her if elections are held this month. “The latest survey showed that Cabigting and Lapid were rejected by majority of the voters of Angeles City,” the women NGO leaders said. In the same survey, Lapid trailed incumbent Mayor Pamintuan by a double digit margin or between 25,000 to 30,000 votes. –Press release Lazatin as best AC mayor a lie... FROM PAGE 1 during his time when it reached P1 billion and now P1.5 billion. He said his IRA is only 40 percent and 60 percent is generated from the local revenues at that time even before the implementation of the adjusted real property taxes. Bayani Ng Maralita award Pamintuan said he was a recipient, together with Mabalacat City Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales, of the Bayani Ng Maralita award in the aftermath of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption from the Presidential Urban Poor Commission which was two years ahead of Lazatin. Earlier, Rivera said “we were able to solve the urban poor issue from 1998 to 2007 where more or less 15,000 families were given houses and lots who were former squatters. This is unprecedented that is why Tarzan was an awardee of the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor for his ac- complishment on urban poor twice.” On the city hall Pamintuan said it was during his term as vice mayor when the new city hall was constructed. “I was the vice mayor then and I was the one who negotiated for the land,” Pamintuan said. “I was the one who built the third floor,” he added. Rivera said it was during the time Lazatin that the city government transferred to its present location. “But what has Lazatin done? He was always in the casino where he signed official documents for the city while his promises of benefits to city hall employees, who were already then rallying, were not given,” Pamintuan said. “We want a mayor who is focused and who delivers basic services and the needs of the people. That is the job of the mayor,” he said. “You should not allow your ilk to do the job for you,” he added. –Ashley Manabat PGKM’s Pert Cruz scores uneven playing field. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEO VILLACARLOS REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT THIRD JUDICIAL REGION ANGELES CITY SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM Mortgagee, -versus- FC CASE NO. 2015-1181 Extrajudicial Foreclosure of Real Estate Mortgage under Act 3135 as Amended by Act No. 4118 FEDERICO G. GERNAN married to LEILA B. GERNAN Mortgagor. x---------------------------------------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Upon extra judicial petition for sale under Act 3135 as amended, filed by the above-named Mortgagee against the Mortgagor FEDERICO G. GERNAN married to LEILA B. GERNAN, with residence and postal address at L27 B8 Fil-Homes Subd., Mabiga, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, to satisfy the mortgage debt which as of July 1, 2014, amounts to TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FOUR PESOS AND 59/100 (P2,785,604.59) Philippine Currency, including interest thereon, penalties and other charges, plus daily interest and expense thereafter, the undersigned Sheriff IV will sell at public auction on August 7, 2015 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Mabalacat, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, to the highest bidder, for cash or manager’s check and in Philippine Currency, the following parcel of land with all the improvements existing thereon, to wit; TCT NO. 218841-R “A parcel of land (Lot 27, Blk. 8, of the subd. plan, (LRC) Psd84450, being a portion of Lot 229-A, described on plan (LRC) Psd82150, LRC (GLRO) Cad. Rec. No. 132), situated in the Bo. of Mabiga, Municipality of Mabalacat, Province of Pampanga. Bounded on the NE and NW., pts. 2 to 4 by Rd. Lot 8; on the NE., pts. 4 to 5 by Rd. Lot 10; on the SE., pts. 5 to 1 by Lot 28; and on the SW., pts. 1 to 2 by Lot 26 both of Blk. 8, all of the subd. plan. x x x x x x x x. Containing an area of TWO HUNDRED ONE (201) SQUARE METERS, more or less x x x”. All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date. In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on August 14, 2015 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning without further notice. Angeles City, July 1, 2015. GLENN P. CARLOS Sheriff IV Copy furnished: ENGR. MYLENE NONNETTE M. ZAMORA DEO-HAMS SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM Macabulos Drive, San Vicente, Tarlac City FEDERICO G. GERNAN married to LEILA B. GERNAN L27, B*, Fil-Homes Subd., Mabiga, Mabalacat City Pampanga PUNTO! Central Luzon: July 10, 17 & 24, 2015 The Gossipmiller Cesar Pambid Dating Kuya lang, ngayon karomansa na JASMINE Curtis-Smith is paired with Derek Ramsay for the first time in “Wattpad Presents Unwanted Girlfriend”. “Nagkasama na kami before in the action series, ‘Undercover’, but not as love interest,” sabi ni Jasmine. “This time, kami talaga ang magkapareha.” “He plays Mikael, a top photographer who can’t get over the fact that he was dumped by his girlfriend, si Stephanie, played by Carla Humphries. Ako naman si Mica, a fashion model na maraming nanliligaw pero di ko pinapansin kasi si Derek lang ang gusto ko. I proposed to him na gawin niya akong pretend girlfriend para he can forget his devastating heartbreak with Carla. Pumayag naman siya, but he treats me like dirt. Lagi akong kino-compare sa ex niya, pati sa pagtimpla ko ng coffee for him, sa lahat. The story becomes complicated when it’s discovered that I have heart disease. Nagalit ang dad at brother ko, played by Toby Alejar and Justin Cuyugan, kay Derek, accusing him of exploiting me. But later on, silang makikiusap sa kanya to convince me na magpaopera ako para gumaling ako sa aking heart problem.” “Unwanted Girlfriend” is a special episode to celebrate the 4th season of “Wattpad Presents”. Instead of the usual one week, it will run for two weeks. “Mahaba kasi ‘yung book on which this was based,” says TV5 entertainment head Wilma Galvante. “We don’t want to compress the story kasi more than 8.9 million ang readers nito. So mapapanood nila ito ng buo for two weeks. We’re really happy with ‘Wattpad Presents’ kasi marami talagang sumusubaybay rito, even on other platforms. May regular advertisers kami na nagpapalagay pa ng product placements within the show kasi marami talagang followers ang aming kilig miniseries.” So how is it working with Derek in “Unwanted Girlfriend”? “It’s always fun to work with him kasi kahit pagod na kayo, madaling araw na, pero mataas pa rin ang energy niya, nagpapatawa pa rin siya. Maganda agad ang naging rapport namin kasi we’ve known each other for a long time na, since nung bata pa ko, friends na sila ng sister ko (Anne). That helped a lot para maging comfortable kami sa isa’t isa. Pero siyempre, noong una, medyo weird kasi nga I consider him my Kuya, tapos magkapareha na kami, but after a while, we were laughing about it na. We really have to thank our director, Ricky Rivero, for helping us to nail our roles and the material the way he wants us to.” What’s the reaction of her Ate Anne about it? “When she called me, I was in Tagaytay taping with Derek at nang sabihin ko ito sa kanya, sigaw siya nang sigaw ‘What? With Derek? That’s so weird.’ Kasi nga, napanood ko ‘yung movie nila with him even showing his butt. So the biggest challenge for me to overcome is ‘yung lumaki akong big brother ang tingin ko sa kanya. Tapos, baliw-baliwan ‘yung role ko, tanga sa pag-ibig, so challenging talaga. Pero sa tingin ko, naitawid naman namin.” Vilma-Angel movie sinimulan na Shaina Magdayao loveless LOVELESS pa rin hanggang ngayon ang nakababatang kapatid ni Vina Morales na si Shaina Magdayao magmula nang sila’y magkahiwalay ng nobyong si John Lloyd Cruz na nobyo naman ng kapwa niya Kapamilya actress na si Angelica Panganiban. There was a time na pilit na na-link sa isa’t isa sina Shaina at Piolo Pascual pero lumabas na hanggang sa pagikakaibigan lamang ang kanilang relasyon. May mga lumulutang namang balita na nagkakamabutihan daw sila ngayon ng exboyfriend ni Maja Salvador na si Gerald Anderson, bagay na itinatanggi ng young star. Very close si Shaina sa ex-boyfriend niyang si Rayver Cruz at barkada nitong si Gerald kaya minsan ay magkakasama silang nagha-hang out along with other friends. Pero kung totoo mang nagkakaigihan ngayon sina Shaina at Gerald, wala naman sigurong masama dahil pareho naman silang unattached ngayon. Maja, hindi nagmamadaling magka-BF muli LOVLESS pa rin ang magkaibigang Kapamilya actors na sina Gerald Anderson at Rayver Cruz na parehong na-link noon sa pop princess na si Sarah Geronimo. Huling nakarelasyon ni Rayver si Cristine Reyes habang si Maja Salvador naman ang last girlfriend ni Gerald. Bago kay Maja, naging karelasyon ni Gerlad si Kim Chiu na ex-best friend ng una. Kung tutuusin, hindi lamang sina Kim, Sarah at Maja ang na-link noon kay Gerald kundi sandali rin silang nagkaroon ng relasyon ni Bea Alonzo na nobya ngayon ni Zanjoe Marudo. Magkaibigang muli sina Kim at Maja pero hindi na naibalik ang kanilang pagiging mag-best friend. In good terms din si Sarah kina Kim at Maja at sinabi rin ng pop princess na okey na sila nina Rayver at Gerald. Hindi nagmamadali si Maja na magkaroon ng bagong karelasyon although may lumulutang na balita linking her sa kanyang co-actor sa “Bridges of Love” na si Paulo Avelino. Sa ngayon ay mas gusto muna ni Maja na mag-focus sa kanyang trabaho. Happy naman si Gerald para kay Sarah dahil alam niya kung gaano ito kasaya ngayon sa piling ni Matteo. Dahil sa liit ng mundo na kanilang ginagalawan, hindi talaga sila puwedeng mag-dedmahan forever. Maja Salvador PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY NGAYONG araw na ito ang first shooting day ni Governor Vilma Santos-Recto ng Star Cinema movie nila ni Angel Locsin. Dapat sana ay last week pa niya ito sinimulan. “Na-cancel last week dahil dumating si Sec. (Mar) Roxas sa Batangas,” rason ni Gov. Vi. Nasa Lipa City si Ate nu’ng aming tinext at papunta sa Rosario, Batangas. “Hataw rin sa trabaho sa Batangas para maka-shoot ako ng movie. Ganyan ang tayo ko muna ngayon,” sabi niya. Si Binibining Joyce Bernal ang director ng movie at dahil nakansela ito, lumagare muna siya sa GMA series niyang dinidirek, ang My Faithful Husband. 7 Widus signs MOA on responsible gaming BY ASHLEY MANABAT PUNTO! CENTRAL LUZON • JULY 16 - 18, 2015 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY CLARK FREEPORT – In a bid to instil responsible gaming to its clientele, Widus International Leisure, Inc., operator of Widus Casino, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Life Change Recovery Center (LCRC) at the hotel’s Prism Lounge on Wednesday. Agnes “Neki” Liwanag, Widus director for business development, said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has mandated all casinos to develop a program for responsible gaming. “We are not only promoting gambling but we also have to know the responsibility of the casino in helping our clientele,” Liwanag said during the signing of the MOA. “We have to be sensitive with the needs of our clients,” she added. Liwanag explained that LCRC will guide them to identify players who have problems and how to approach them because a lot of them are in denial. “They don’t want to acknowledge that they have a problem,” she said. LCRC is a counselling and training center, located at 105 Scout Rallo St., Timog, Quezon City, which caters to persons with psychological problems including addiction. Agnes Agbayani, LCRC executive director, said clients will first undergo assessment to determine what kind of intervention will be made. LCRC founder Dr. Randy Dellosa said there is individual and family counselling. “But what is really important is the rehabilitation which can change the mind,” he said. Dellosa said “it is always better to spend time inside the center because while outside, the temptation will always be there to play so they have to be taken away first.” He said in some cases medication is introduced because patients don’t sleep or eat well. “They become psychotic, depressed and even suicidal,” he said. The problem starts when the gaming becomes addictive and an obsession, he said. “So when these 8 Cebu Pacific Ad problems develop, patients have no disregard for the consequences anymore,” he added. “Wala na silang pakialam (They don’t care anymore) even if they lose everything including their wives,” Dellosa said. He said tips on how to prevent gambling addiction include setting your limits by sticking to the budget, make sure to monitor or watch the time while you’re playing or have somebody to remind you it’s time to go. Meanwhile, Liwanag said for Widus, they will start training their staff especially on how to spot and approach potential individuals with problems. THINK GREEN