The Filipino Express v27 Issue 33

Transcription

totalprosports.com
VOL. 27 w
NO. 33 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
AUGUST 23 - 29, 2013 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
More than one million Pinoys
affected by monsoon rain, floods
Filipinos wade through a flooded street at the financial district of Makati, south of Manila on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. Some of
the Philippines' heaviest rains on record fell for a second day Tuesday, turning the capital's roads into rivers and trapping tens
of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response.
MANILA -- The number of
people affected by heavy
monsoon rain and floods since last
weekend breached the onemillion mark Wednesday, the
National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council said.
In its 6 a.m. update, the
NDRRMC said the affected include
223,991 families or 1,060,094
people in 1,028 villages in 80
towns and 35 cities in Ilocos,
Central and Southern Luzon,
Metro Manila, and Cordillera.
Of these, 29,041 families or
132,969 people are staying in 425
evacuation centers.
The death toll remained at
eight, with 41 injured and four
missing.
At least 513 areas in 78 towns
and cities were reported flooded.
Damage was estimated at
P66,763,939, including P56.582
million in infrastructure and
P10.181 million in agriculture.
At least 19 houses were
destroyed and 17 damaged.
Power and transportation
The NDRRMC said at least 88
roads in Ilocos, Central and
Southern Luzon, Metro Manila
and Cordillera are still
impassable.
At least 18 power
interruptions were reported in
Southern Luzon.
The Philippine National
Railways suspended operations
Tuesday due to heavy rain and
floods but announced Wednesday
it is resuming operations.
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Mayor Fulop appoints Carlo Abad Chief
Municipal Court Judge of Jersey City
JERSEY CITY, Aug 22 -Mayor Steven M. Fulop
announced the appointment of
Jersey City's first FilipinoAmerican Chief Municipal Court
Judge, Carlo Abad, and new fulltime Judge Mark Curtis. With
the new appointments, Mayor
Fulop also outlined the process
for presenting court
appointments to the City
Council for confirmation.
Volunteers search near the damaged cargo ship Sulpicio Express Siete a day after
it collided with a passenger ferry off the waters of Talisay City, Cebu province in
central Philippines (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Ship carrying 700
passengers collides
with cargo vessel
By Bullit Marquez, AP
CEBU -- Divers combed
t h ro u g h a s u n ke n fe r r y
Saturday, August 17 t h to
retrieve the bodies of more
than 200 people missing from
an overnight collision with a
cargo vessel near the central
Philippine port of Cebu that
sent passengers jumping into
the ocean and leaving many
others trapped. At least 28
were confirmed dead and
hundreds rescued.
The captain of the ferry MV
Thomas Aquinas, which was
approaching the port late
Friday, ordered the ship
abandoned when it began
listing and then sank just
minutes after collision with the
MV Sulpicio Express, coast
guard deputy chief Rear Adm.
Luis Tuason said.
The ferry carried 752
passengers, including children
and infants, and 118 crew. The
number is higher than the 841
earlier reported by ferry owner
2Go, Tuason said.
He said that 213 are still
missing, some of them possibly
“Both Carlo Abad and Mark
Curtis have outstanding records
and we are confident in their
ability to serve our Municipal
Court, which is one of the
busiest in the state,” said Mayor
F u l o p . “A d d i t i o n a l l y, w e
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Judge Carlo Abad (Jersey Journal file photo)
Limo fire an accident; limo owner still expects lawsuit
By Joseph G. Lariosa
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) – “We
need help. Car is burning on San
Mateo Bridge. Hindi ako makaalis (I'm stuck). Narito ako sa
likod (I'm here at the back). Oh,
My God. Hold on. I cannot open
the door!”
These were the muffled cries
of one of the nine Filipino
passengers, who called a 9-1-1
Photo of the four fatalities posted by seattlepi.com from left Michelle Estrera,
emergency number, while a
Jennifer Balon, Neriza P. Fojas and Anna Alcantara before they perished in the
bridal
limousine fire was on fire
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limousine they were riding that caught fire on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge last
May 4. (Photo courtesy of the Balon family)
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August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 3
Seoul mayor suggests subways
as traffic fix for Metro Manila
By Niña P. Calleja
MANILA -- The mayor of Seoul
a human rights activist and lawyer
who earned the prestigious
Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2006
met with Metro Manila officials on
Tuesday to foster long-term
partnerships in addressing urban
development issues.
M a y o r P a r k Wo n S o o n
received a warm welcome from
several Metro Manila mayors and
Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority Chairman
Francis Tolentino at the MMDA
headquarters in Makati City, in
arrival rites complete with a brass
band and MMDA employees
waving the South Korean flag.
In a two-hour meeting with
the mayors, Park offered his
government's help to Metro
Manila, inviting Philippine
officials to come to Seoul for them
to learn in detail how the
Philippine capital could handle
common problems facing
megacities, such as traffic jams
and flooding.
Among the best practices and
projects he cited were Seoul's
modern transport solutions,
including a 115-kilometer bus
transit system, a 327-kilometer
urban railway system, and
EDSA. Inquirer photo
Government efforts to make mass
transport not only efficient but
also environment friendly.
Asked what he could
recommend for Metro Manila's
perennial traffic mess, Park
proposed an interconnected
metro system and the
construction of a subway.
“The subway is the most
efficient (mode of) transportation
from the outskirts of Seoul to
downtown. I recommend that you
have consultations with
international traffic experts for
the establishment of a metro
system,” Park said. “The cost may
be very high but it will be very
efficient in the long run.”
Metro Manila is currently
serviced by four train lines, three
of them mostly using overhead
railways, with some stations built
below street level.
Park noted that commuters
living outside Seoul rely heavily
on this mass transport system and
can reach their destination within
the South Korean capital in less
than an hour.
The city's private sector
helped the government shoulder
the cost of these infrastructure
projects. “In constructing the
subway, we can't cover all the
expenses. That's why we invited
the private sector to do it.”
Among the mayors in
attendance were Jejomar Erwin
Binay of Makati City, Del de
Guzman of Marikina, Guia Gomez
of San Juan, Oscar Malapitan of
Caloocan, Jaime Medina of
Pateros, John Rey Tiangco of
Navotas and Maribel Eusebio of
Pasig.
Park, 58, is in town for the
55th anniversary celebration of
the Ramon Magsaysay Award
Foundation, which in 2006
recognized his role in the
anticorruption movement in
South Korea since his university
days, when he was jailed for
several months.
He was elected mayor of Seoul
in 2011.
Mayor Joseph Estrada and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno have come up with what they
envision to be the solution to vehicular and pedestrian traffic in Manila's premier
shopping Mecca, Divisoria. Their plan? Ban vendors from the streets during the
day but let them occupy Claro M. Recto Street from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in what they
envision to be a night market just like the type popular in Hong Kong.
Divisoria traffic
By Sol Jose Vanzi
To st ress t heir
seriousness, the Manila City
H a l l d u o eve n we n t to
Divisoria themselves to
present their plan to the
vendors and shoppers. They
explained that the Night
Market for vendors of dry
goods like clothes, house
wares, school supplies and
textile could occupy Recto
Street all the way from Juan
Luna Street to Asuncion, a
stretch of seven long blocks.
D
L
O
S
So serious is the local
government about its plan
that I saw Vice Mayor Moreno
making the rounds at 6 a.m.
two days ago supervising the
clean-up of C.M. Recto Avenue.
He appeared surprised to see
the entire street converted
into a wet market, and
demanded that the fresh food
vendors pack up and vacate
the street.
There's only one problem:
That designated area has
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T
U
O
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 4
President Aquino assures government
presence to help victims of flooding
BINAN, Laguna -- President Benigno S.
Aquino III assured Filipinos that the government
was 100 percent primed and ready to extend any
form of assistance to the victims of widespread
flooding spawned by monsoon rains enhanced
by typhoon Maring the past three days.
The President gave the assurance in a short
message during his visit to the De La Paz
elementary school here on Wednesday.
The school was transformed into an
evacuation center to accommodate 328 families
or some 6,334 individuals who were adversely
affected by the floods.
"Ready po ang inyong gobyerno dito sa
kalamidad na ito at huwag tayo magaalala,
marami tayong resources pa na magagamit para
maibalik tayo sa maayos sa lalong madaling
panahon," the President said.
He pointed out that the reason for his visit
was to personally check on the situation of the
people and to see if there was anything more to
do.
"Nandito nga kami lahat para tumulong, para
makita kung ano --- kung may kakulangan pa,"
the President said.
The President then personally handed out
food packs to the victims.
The food packs consisted of rice, noodles,
coffee, can of sardines and corned beef, as well as
mattresses and blankets.
According to Social Welfare Secretary
Corazon "Dinky" Soliman who briefed the
President on the relief efforts in the province,
eight municipalities consisting of 38 barangays,
3,300 families or 15,950 individuals have been
relocated to 47 evacuation centers.
No Remulla or Revilla as PNoy visits Cavite
IMUS, Cavite -- President Aquino visited flood
victims in Cavite Thursday. But noticeably, he was
not joined by the incumbent governor, Johnvic
Remulla nor by Vice Governor Jolo Revilla.
Aquino was instead welcomed by partymate
and former Governor Ayong Maliksi who lost to
Remulla in the last elections.
The President also campaigned against
Revilla.
Speaking before evacuees at Tinabunan
Elementary School, Aquino assured flood victims
of government support.
"Gusto lang nating masigurado na nasa ayos
ho kayong lahat. Alam ninyo, malapit kayo sa puso
natin pagkatagal-tagal na, at hindi kayo dapat
mapabayaan, at sinisigurado kong hindi nga kayo
pinapabayaan," he said.
Office workers cross a flooded street using makeshift floats during heavy rain at the
financial district of Makati, south of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013.
Flooding caused by some of the Philippines' heaviest rains on record submerged more
than half the capital Tuesday, turning roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of
people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and
disaster response for a second day.
He added that the government plans to
acquire a 50-hectare land where a flood retarding
basin would be placed.
"May lupa hong pribado, magkakaroon ng
tinatawag na retarding basin. Mga singkwentang
ektarya po ang kakailanganing lupa dito, naidentify na, para madagdagan ho 'yung kayang
sapuhin na tubig. Hindi na kaya nung Bacoor at
saka 'yung Imus na ilog, kunin sabay-sabay. So
'pag nakuha ho natin itong lupang ito, at
nakikipag-negotiation na tayo ngayon, tinataya
hong between one year to one year and a half, e
talagang malaki ang matatanggal na sitwasyon ng
pagbaha dito sa atin." Aquino said.
The President also went to Kawit to visit
evacuees at Binakayan National High School.
Vehicles are parked along a flooded area at the financial district of Makati, south of
Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. Some of the Philippines' heaviest rains
on record fell for a second day Tuesday, turning the capital's roads into rivers and
trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government
suspended all work except rescues and disaster response.
More than one
million ...
From page 1
The heavy rains damaged a
portion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac
Expressway (SCTEx) Tuesday,
prompting authorities to close the
affected part to traffic.
SCTEx project manager Engineer
Joshua Bingcang said they will wait
for the weather to improve before
they fully assess the damage to the
structure.
State of calamity
Many areas were placed under a
state of calamity Tuesday.
As of 12:58 a.m. of Wednesday,
August 21, the following areas are
still under a state of calamity:
Laguna Province; Bataan Province;
Cavite Province; Muntinlupa City;
Pateros; Parañaque City; Malabon.
Taytay, Rizal; San Mateo, Rizal;
G u a g u a , Pa m p a n ga ; M i n a l i n ,
Pampanga; San Fernando City,
Pampanga; Sta. Barbara,
Pangasinan; and Narvacan, Ilocos
Sur .
Under Republic Act 10121, the
“Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Act of 2010,” a
price freeze for 60 days will be
implemented for basic necessities in
areas under a state of calamity.
The Department of Trade and
Industry advised the public to report
any instances of profiteering.
Dams, dike
At least two major dams in Luzon
kept their gates open Wednesday
amid heavy rain brought by the
southwest monsoon enhanced by
Tropical Storm Maring.
PAGASA said as of 6 a.m.
Ambuklao and Binga Dams in
Benguet had two gates open each,
even as La Mesa Dam in Quezon City
was still overflowing. Ipo Dam, on
the other hand, closed its gates at
3:10 a.m.
In Pampanga, on the other hand,
some areas are expected to be
flooded after a tail dike in Barangay
Sta. Rita in Minalin was breached by
rising water Tuesday night, Minalin
Mayor Edgar Flores said.
Flores said the barangays
expected to be affected in Minalin
are Sta. Rita, San Pedro, Sto. Rosario,
San Nicolas, San Francisco 1 and 2,
and Sta. Catalina.
Disaster response
Ample supplies of medicines
against the water-borne disease
leptospirosis were made available to
evacuees and disaster response
teams exposed to flood waters, the
Department of Health said on
Tuesday, August 20.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 5
De Lima: Napoles still in PHL, but NBI
Senator Escudero files
wants her on INTERPOL Red Notice List resolution to scrap pork
MANILA -- Janet Lim-Napoles,
the fugitive businesswoman at
the center of the P10-billion pork
barrel scam, and her brother
Reynald Lim are still in the
Philippines, Justice Secretary
Leila de Lima said Thursday,
allaying fears that the two have
already fled the country.
But just the same, De Lima
said the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI), the agency at
the forefront of the manhunt
operations, is already
coordinating with the
Inernational Criminal Police so
the two could be placed on the
INTERPOL Red Notice List.
"There's no indication na
nakalalabas na sila (ng bansa).
Mahihirapan na iyan lalo na nacancel na iyong passport. The NBI
is also working on the Interpol
Red Notice List lalo na na-cancel
na iyong passport," De Lima said.
By placing the two on the list,
the INTERPOL and its membercountries can now assist
Philippine authorities in locating
their whereabouts and possibly
arresting them.
The Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) last week cancelled
Napoles and Lim's passports
upon the request of the
Department of Justice (DOJ). The
Court of Appeals has also frozen
over 400 bank accounts
belonging to Napoles, her
employees and foundations
linked to her.
Napoles and Lim have been
ordered arrested in connection
with the alleged illegal detention
of Benhur Luy, the whistleblower
in the pork barrel scam.
Bounty
De Lima, meanwhile, said the
government has yet to decide if it
would put a bounty on Napoles
given her vast resources. "The
NBI continues to debate on that
from within. Hindi pa kami
makapagbigay ng categorical
recommendation," she said.
"Karamihan sa kanila sinasabi
nila na hindi na daw kailangan.
Kasi kung P1 million o P2 million,
peanuts lang 'yan doon if we think
of the resources of the subject,"
De Lima added.
De Lima cited the case of the
so-called Big Five fugitives, who
each has a P2-million bounty for
his arrest. "Look at the five
fugitives, P2 million sila, wala pa
rin," she said.
In August last year, President
Benigno Aquino IIIl issued a
directive raising the reward for
the five to P2 million each, after
Rolito Go, a convicted murderer,
disappeared from his jail cell. Go
later claimed that he was
kidnapped by people who
identified themselves as NBI
agents.
On the Big Five list are former
Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and
his brother, Coron Mayor Mario
Reyes, who are counted as one;
former general Jovito Palparan;
Globe Asiatique developer Delfin
Lee; former Dinagat Rep. Ruben
Ecleo; and New People's Army
leaders Benito Tiamzon and Jorge
Madlos.
De Lima appealed anew to the
public to help authorities in
tracking down Napoles and Lim.
She also revealed that the 12
NBI teams earlier deployed for a
nationwide manhunt are already
pursuing "leads which they think
are more or less credible at hindi
prank."
The DOJ has requested the
Makati court handling the case to
issue a hold departure order
against the two, although De Lima
said the arrest warrant could still
prevent the two from leaving the
country.
Both the Bureau of
Immigration and the Civil
Av i a t i o n Au t h o r i t y o f t h e
Philippines have already been
alerted on possible attempts by
Napoles to go abroad.
MANILA -- Senator Francis
Escudero filed a resolution on
Thursday urging the Senate to
“express its sense to abolish the
pork barrel."
Another administration ally,
Senate Majority Leader Alan
Peter Cayetano, is expected to
follow suit later in the day.
The resolutions of the two
senators go well beyond the
notion of Senate President
Franklin Drilon that members of
the majority hold off on using
their Priority Development
Assistance Fund until stricture
guidelines governing the use of
the pork barrel are drawn up.
Meanwhile, Senate President
Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said
former senator Joker Arroyo
should be part of the
independent body tasked to
investigation the alleged P10billion pork barrel scam, which
Cayetano had earlier suggested
should be led by another former
members of the chamber, Panfilo
Lacson.
“The PDAF should now be
abolished in general,” Escudero's
Senate Resolution No. 193 said.
“The people have spoken and
it is necessary to draw the line
further between public
accountability and patronage
politics by being truthful to the
constitutional allocation of
powers and prerogatives,” it said.
It also acknowledged that the
p o r k b a r re l “ h a s a l re a dy
mutated into a multi-billion
racket allegedly perpetrated by
syndicates in both the public and
private sectors.”
“Despite proper use and
disbursement by well-meaning
public officials and despite its
statutory laudable purpose, the
misconception that the pork
barrel has become a form of
'horse trading' and a major
source of corruption in the
government is apparently
starting to become real in the
eyes of the Filipino people,” it
added.
Earlier, Escudero, who chairs
the Senate finance committee,
became the first member of the
chamber to call for a probe of the
alleged scam, which supposedly
saw lawmakers hand over
billions of pesos for non-existent
projects proposed by bogus
nongovernmental organizations
allegedly set up by
businesswoman Janet LimNapoles.
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August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 6
Oil spill reaches Mactan shoreline
By Carine Asutilla
CEBU CITY -- Authorities have
reported that the oil spill believed
to have come from sunken vessel
MV St. Thomas Aquinas reached
Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town
on Mactan Island, Cebu.
Cebu Coast Guard Station
commander Weniel Ascuna told a
press briefing that the leak
reached the shoreline of LapuLapu City.
He, however, added that they
were not sure yet about the
location of the affected areas but
had deployed personnel to check
o n t h e re p o r t s a n d a p p ly
contigency measures to prevent
any damage.
The Office of Representative
Luigi Quisumbing of Cebu's 6th
district released photos on social
networking site FaceBook that
showed oil slick reaching the
shores of Cordova town on
Mactan Island.
Cordova, which is part of
Cebu's 6th district, is fronting
Talisay City where MV St. Thomas
Aquinas collided with cargo
vessel MV Sulcon Express Seven
and later sank Friday night.
When sought for comment,
Ascuna said he would check on
the report.
The initial report received by
Oil slick believed to have come from the sunken vessel, MV St Thomas Aquinas, reaches
the shores of Cordova town on Mactan Island, Cebu. The municipality is located in front
to Talisay City where the vessel sank. Photo from the Office of Cebu Rep. Luigi
Quisumbing
the Philippine Coast Guard
showed that the sunken ship was
carrying 20 tons of diesel oil and
120 tons of bunker oil.
The PCG said that it was
monitoring the vessel of 2Go to
make sure that these oil would
not leak.
But 2Go, which owned the
sunken vessel, engaged the
services of Malayan Towage, an
expert in oil spill. Oil spill
equipment such as islander tug
had been dispatched in
coordination with the Philippine
Coast Guard.
Azcuna said that their Marine
Environmental Protection Unit of
PCG is handling the operation to
stop any oil spill in the area.
T h e y a l r e a dy d e p l o ye d
personnel at the site who sprayed
oil dispersants and chemicals to
control any spill.
Oil spill boom of Coastguard
has been set-up already to protect
the environment. (Inquirer.net)
A boy (bottom left) holds two oil-coated bagasi, salt water eels, which thrives in Cordova
town, Mactan Island Cebu. Oil spill is seen in the waters near the shore of Mactan Isldan.
Photo from the Office of Cebu Rep. Luigi Quisumbing
Ship carrying 700
passengers ...
From page 1
trapped inside the vessel that
sank in waters about 33 meters
(100 feet) deep off Talisay city in
Cebu province, about 570
kilometers (350 miles) south of
Manila.
Twenty-eight people,
including children, were
confirmed dead and 629
passengers and crew had been
rescued.
Tuason said that navy divers
recovered at least four more
bodies from the underwater
wreck early Saturday. Reporters
at the site, about two kilometers
(1.25 miles) from shore, saw the
bodies coated with fuel and oil
that spilled from the ferry.
"There could be more bodies
there, but there were ropes inside
t ha t ou r divers c ou ld g et
entangled in," Tuason said.
He said that the coast guard
will send more divers with deepwater equipment to help retrieve
bodies.
In a statement, 2Go said the
ferry "was reportedly hit" by the
cargo vessel "resulting in major
damage that led to its sinking." An
investigation will begin after the
rescue operation, the coast guard
said.
Danny Palmero, a former
fisherman, said he was with
friends who responded to the
ferry's distress call and rescued
seven people on their motorized
outrigger canoe.
"I saw many flares being shot,"
he said by telephone. "As a former
nautical student, I knew it was a
distress signal."
He said a fisherman arrived at
the shore with three survivors
and told the crowd gathered that
there was a collision and that
there were many people in the
water.
"We just picked up the
survivors and left the dead in the
water," he said. "I heard screams
and crying."
The crewmen of the cargo
ship were throwing life jackets to
the people who jumped into the
dark waters, he said.
He said there is a large gash at
the front of the cargo vessel. "It
now has a mouth," he said,
describing the ship's bow.
Hundreds of passengers
jumped into the ocean as the ship
started to sink, according to
survivors. Many of the passengers
were asleep and others struggled
to find their way in the dark.
Jerwin Agudong said he and
other passengers jumped
overboard in front of the cargo
vessel after the ferry began taking
on water and the crew distributed
life jackets.
He told radio station DZBB
that some people were trapped
and he saw bodies in the water.
"It seems some were not able
to get out. I pity the children. We
saw dead bodies on the side, and
some being rescued," he said.
He said the ferry was entering
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Page 8
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 7
Marina: Cebu ship
collision likely due
to human error
MANILA -- The Maritime
Industry Authority
(MARINA) on Thursday said
t h e c o l l i s i o n b e t we e n
passenger vessel M/V St.
Thomas Aquinas of 2GO
Group Inc. and cargo ship
Sulpicio Express Siete in
Cebu last August 16 was
likely due to human error.
MARINA Administrator
Maximo Mejia said the
passenger ship deviated
from its lane before colliding
with the cargo ship.
Mejia said the ships
collided when they were just
outside the Cebu port's
entrance, at a time when the
weather was calm.
MARINA is now
gathering the testimonies of
crews of other ships in the
area, given conflicting
reports from the captains of
the two ships.
"There is accurate
information on the 2GO
track. If you look at the track,
it's not coming into the lane
it's supposed to, so it
deviated? That's only one
part of the story. The
question is where is the
Sulpicio ship, did it also
deviate? " Mejia said.
"There seems to have
been a disconnect between
the ships. That's what's
coming out in the
investigation."
Meanwhile, Mejia said a
new system should be put in
place to prevent future sea
accidents.
Mejia said one of the
solutions is the setting up of
"Vessel Traffic Management
Service", the maritime
counterpart of an air traffic
control system.
Sen. Escudero
files resolution ...
From page 5
Napoles and her brother
Reynald Lim have gone into hiding
after a warrant for their arrest was
issued for serious illegal detention
charges filed by a former associate
who blew the whistle on the pork
barrel scam.
Although the Senate initially
set aside the notion of mounting an
inquiry into the scam to allow the
Department of Justice and the
National Bureau of Investigation to
complete their own investigation,
last week Senate Blue Ribbon
committee chairman Teofisto
Guingona III said he would initiate
the probe after the Commission on
Audit went public with a report on
the apparently massive misuse of
the PDAF and other funds made
available to lawmakers.
Escudero also said he supports
the “Million People March” for the
abolition of the pork barrel that
has been called for August 26 but
said he would be staying away to
avoid politicizing what is being
billed as a “non-partisan” event to
voice people's outrage against
corruption.
Explaining why he wanted
Arroyo included in the body to
probe the scam, Recto said he had
never touched his pork barrel
throughout the nine years he
served as representative of Makati
City and 12 years as senator.
Neither, he added, has Arroyo
been linked to any anomaly in
governance.
After Guingona announced the
start of the inquiry into the pork
b a r re l s c a m , C aye t a n o , o n
Wednesday, said the “Blue Ribbon
Committee needs an independent
and credible special investigator
who can assist the panel to ferret
out the truth, pursue leads and find
evidence so that the guilty can be
charged and the innocent can clear
their names, while maintaining its
credibility and impartiality.”
He said that Lacson's
investigation would run parallel to
that of the Blue Ribbon committee
and be funded by the Senate.
President Aquino leads the distribution of relief goods in an evacuation center in San Pedro, Laguna
D
L
O
S
T
U
O
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 8
Limo fire an
accident ...
From page 1
last May 4, killing five Filipino
nurses, on top of the San MateoHayward Bridge in Redwood City,
California.
The hysterical and frantic
female caller was unable to connect
to the 9-1-1 emergency phone
operator, who kept saying, “hello,”
“hello,” “hello.” When she was cut
off from the line, it delayed a
response by fire and CHP
responders by a few seconds. The
caller was replaced by more than a
dozen callers, who were able to tell
the operator the exact location of
the fire.
The compact disk (CD)
containing the audio of the 9-1-1
calls to the California Highway
Patrol was made public during a
televised press conference Monday
(Aug. 19) at the CHP Redwood City
Area Office at 355 Convention Way,
Redwood City, California. A copy of
the 15:23-minute long CD
recording was sent to this reporter
by Sgt. Diana McDermott,
spokesperson of the Golden Gate
Division of the California Highway
Patrol.
At the press conference, where
the 19-page press release and
investigation report was
distributed to the media, CHP
Commander Mike Maskarich of
Redwood City explained why rear
doors of the 1999 Towncar
limousine could not be opened.
“The left rear passenger door
did have child safety mechanism
latched; therefore, it would have
been unable to be opened from
inside of the vehicle. The (rear)
right side door was burned beyond
our ability to determine if that
locking mechanism (the child
safety mechanism) was in effect.
However, our video at the San
Francisco Airport hours earlier
showed that (that right, rear) door
was being opened by a passenger
seated from the inside in the right
rear of the vehicle. There are no
requirements to preclude those to
be set any particular way,” Captain
Maskarich said.
“It would not be uncommon to
have a mechanism in a manner set
that will prevent passengers seated
in the left from exiting the vehicle
into an approaching traffic.
“I can only imagine the
psychological impact that this
tragedy that left upon them that
they will carry with them for the
rest of their lives.
DRIVE SHAFT CAUSE OF HEAT
THAT IGNITED THE FIRE
“No indication that failure of
suspension system caused vehicle
to rub into the ground as earlier
reported in June. The suspension
system components certainly did
not adequately keep that vehicle at
a level that prevented that drive
shaft from coming into contact
with floor pen (floorboard). The
contact of the drive shaft from the
floor pen was the direct cause of
the heat that led to the fire in the
rear passenger compartment.”
A Filipino American
businessman, Manny Figueroa, of
San Jose, California, who owns a
private limousine, a 1997 Towncar,
still believes that the driver of the
ill-fated limousine, Orville Frank
Brown, 46, might have been
negligent for not looking at his
limo's dashboard. Mr. Figueroa
said, “If there is failure of
suspension system of the
limousine, Mr. Brown should be
able to notice a suspension failure
indicator on the limousine
dashboard, which would have
prompted him to safely pull over
and notice the fire (much earlier).”
The limousine was on fire and
traveled for 6.6 miles before it
stopped.
Mr. Figueroa added that when
Mr. Brown loaded the limousine
two passengers too many, he
should have called first the
limousine owner, Mr. Kultar Singh,
CEO of Limo Stop, Inc., if Mr. Singh
would allow it so the overloading
violation would be assigned to both
Messrs. Brown and Kultar.
According to the investigation
report, the limousine was only
authorized to carry eight
passengers, including the driver.
The limousine had ten passengers,
including the driver, during the fire.
The report also said when the
air was introduced thru the
partition once the front doors were
opened, additional oxygen levels
likely exacerbated the spread of
fire. It said there were no devices or
systems required by state or
federal in place to break the
windows to aid in emergency exit.
(San Mateo) Bridge toll plaza video
indicated its moon roof was closed;
and the small size of the partition
(9.25-inch height by 28-inch
width) prevented the passengers
from escaping.
San Mateo County District
Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the
media that he is supporting the
thorough three-month
investigation conducted by the
C H P, t h e Fo s t e r C i t y F i r e
Department headed by Chief
Michael Keefe and San Mateo
Coroner Robert Foucrault that
“some tragedies are crimes. Some
are not. This one is not. No criminal
charges (will be filed). We looked
for all aspects, if we could
prosecute manslaughter, both
vehicular and involuntary, criminal
negligence and carrying nine out of
seven passengers, our conclusion,
elements of these crime are not
there. Not present if vehicle
running low to the ground for
weeks on ends; photos from
airport at 1 o'clock or (San Mateo
Bridge) toll plaza few minutes
ahead of the tragedy. Same thing
with the phone, if the driver was on
the phone at the time at some
fashion, we explored those
possibilities. No criminal charges;
none of these existed. (It's a)
horrific tragedy that changed life
forever. But it is not a case for
criminal court that goes to that
building over there. I extend our
deep sympathy to the families of
the victims and extend gratitude to
investigation agencies for high
quality work that they did.”
THE FILIPINO NURSES WHO
DIED
Those who died were Neriza
Fojas, the bride, who invited other
victims to the bridal party;
Felomina Geronga, Anna Alcantara,
Jennifer Balon, and Michelle
Estrera. Those who survived were
Grace Guardiano, Nelia Arellano,
Jasmin Deguia and Amalia Loyola,
all nurses; and Orville “Ricky”
B ro w n , t h e d r ive r.
Mr. Brown was not blamed for the
fire.
Fire Chief Keefe said, “We are
unable to determine if the cracks
were present before or after the
fire. The heat alone from drive shaft
rubbing against floor board was
the cause that ignited the carpeting
material to start the fire.”
The investigation report also
found out that the fuel tank was
intact and still contained gasoline
(half tank); Catastrophic failure of
the air ride suspension system; The
body and floorboard made contact
with the driveshaft; Friction
generated heat and scarred the
driveshaft; The cracked floorboard
exposed the interior carpet and
upholstery; It was indeterminate
when the cracks in the floorboard
were created. An air compressor
supply line was found detached
from a fitting. (It is unknown when
this fitting failed). And the
compressed rear axle bumpers did
not prohibit the floor board from
contacting the driveshaft.”
Foucrault determined all the
five victims died of “smoke
inhalation associated with fire.
Tests on accelerant gasoline none
was found. Death is accidental.” He
condoled with the victims' families.
Brig. Gen. (CA) Emory J. Hagan,
III, of California Public Utilities
u
Page 9
Ship carrying ...
From page 6
the pier when the cargo vessel,
which was on the way out,
suddenly collided with it.
"One of the persons who
jumped with us hit his head on
metal. He is shaking and he is
bloodied," Agudong said.
The 138-meter (455-foot) long ferry sank in about 30
minutes, he said.
The youngest among those
rescued was an 11-month baby,
news reports said.
The ferry came from Nasipit
in Agusan del Sur province in the
southern Philippines on a
daylong journey, Agudong said.
Accidents at sea are common
in the Philippine archipelago
because of frequent storms, badly
maintained boats and weak
enforcement of safety
regulations.
In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz
sank after colliding with a fuel
tanker in the Philippines, killing
more than 4,341 people in the
world's worst peacetime
maritime disaster.
In 2008, the ferry MV Princess
of the Stars capsized during a
typhoon in the central
Philippines, killing nearly 800
people. (Associated Press writers
Oliver Teves, Teresa Cerojano and
Hrvoje Hranjski in Manila
contributed to this report.)
Divisoria traffic
From page 3
been, since the early 1900s, the traditional wholesale market for
vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood daily from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. It is the
area where restaurant owners, vendors from other markets, caterers,
food suppliers and housewives procure their fresh food supplies
overnight, until almost dawn.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 9
Mayor Fulop and Council President Lavarro Launch Jersey City
Minority Police Recruitment Drive; Partner with local non-profits
for registration aid & FREE test preparatory courses
JERSEY CITY -- Mayor Steven
M. Fulop and Council President
Rolando Lavarro, Jr., with the
support of several Jersey City nonprofits, are launching a Jersey City
Minority Police Recruitment
Drive, which will kick off at a
public information session at 6:30
p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, in
City Hall Council Chambers, 280
Grove Street.
Non-profit partners include
PACO, the Asian American Law
Enforcement Association
(AALEA), the Philippine
American Friendship Committee
(PAFCOM), Urban League, the
Hispanic Law Enforcement
Association (HALEA), and the
Inter-Minority Police Action
Council (IMPAC).
Acting Public Safety Director
James Shea and other senior
Police Department officials, as
well as police officers, will be on
hand to discuss the application
process and answer questions
about the profession. The
requirements for the police test
are a high school diploma, Jersey
Limo fire an
accident ...
From page 8
Commission, said the Limo
Stop will be fined $7,500 “for
failure to operate safely” when
it allowed “two more
passengers in their
compartment than their seat
belts." He said PUC “uncovered
several technical errors,
defects with license and
general citation.” He said the
“no real cause can be
attributed to anything that
could have been done ahead of
the time to prevent” (the
tragedy). Legislators are
looking at fire extinguisher,
safety knockout device to seat
C i t y r e s i d e n c y, a n d U . S .
citizenship.
“We have made a commitment
to expanding and enhancing our
Jersey City Police Department and
that involves having a department
that reflects the community it
serves,” said Mayor Fulop.
“Jersey City is one of the most
diverse cities in the nation and we
want our Police Department to be
just as diverse. To achieve this, we
are working with the community
to make the testing more
a c c e s s i b l e a n d to p rov i d e
preparatory courses free of
charge for qualified applicants.”
“I am deeply committed to
realizing the untapped potential
of Jersey City's great diversity,
including the diversification of
our police force,” said Council
President Lavarro.
“I'm very excited that City Hall
is taking actions consistent with
such a commitment and look
forward to working with our
community partners in this
recruitment effort.”
Once an applicant's candidacy
b e l t p a s s e n g e r w i n d o w,
emergency exit with
emergency window that pops
out” that could be allowed in
the future to prevent repeat of
the tragedy.
Reached for comment, Mr.
Singh's lawyer, Douglas A.
Sears said, “Your questions to
my client are totally
objectionable, inflammatory
and frankly, none of your
business. So, in answer to your
question: Any comment? The
answer is no, none. Now that
the CHP investigation has been
completed, civil litigation will
undoubtedly soon be filed and
perhaps your question will
then be answered.” (Ronnie M.
Estrada of San Jose, California
contributed to this report)
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
has been approved by the State,
the Jersey City Minority Police
Recruitment Drive will offer a
series of police test preparatory
courses, which is a $500 savings.
To file directly online for the
police officer test, visit
www.state.nj.us/csc
For more information, please
c o n t a c t C o u n c i l P re s i d e n t
Lavarro's office at 201-547-5268.
The filing deadline for the
current police officer test with the
New Jersey Civil Service
Commission is Wednesday, Sept.
4th, 2013 and per mandate of the
State of New Jersey, interested
applicants are required to file
online.
To assist Jersey City residents
interested in applying for the
police test, especially those who
do not have internet or computer
access at home, the Jersey City
Minority Police Recruitment
Drive includes four locations
where applicants can gain access
to the internet and a staff member
to assist them in the filing process.
Mayor Fulop
appoints Carlo
Abad ...
From page 1
recognize the value of having
leadership in our court and
throughout city government that
represents our city's great
diversity.”
Just prior to the municipal
election in May, the prior
administration attempted to
appoint Mr. Abad and former
council candidate Ray Velazquez
as the Chief Municipal Judge and
full-time Judge respectively,
however, the City Council voted
against that appointment citing a
lack of a proper process for
vetting candidates for such a
critical role.
A comparison between 2010 U.S. Census data
and the demographics of sworn personnel in the
Jersey City Police Department breaks down as
follows:
White
Hispanic or Latino
Black or African American
Asian
American Indian & Alaska Native
Jersey City
Population
JCPD
34.10%
28.84%
27.04%
24.76%
0.54%
62.56%
24.75%
9.72%
2.46%
0.49%
Office hours will be available at the following locations
for residents to apply online until the state filing
deadline of September 4th:
· Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Resident Response Center, City Hall, 280 Grove Street
· Mondays & Wednesdays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Immunization Clinic, The HUB, 360 MLK Drive
· Monday - Thursday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Urban League, 253 MLK Drive
· Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PACO, 390 Manila Avenue
Under the new protocol
e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e Fu l o p
administration, the appointment
of judges to the Municipal Court
will begin with the
administration notifying the
Council of their candidate and
providing a resume and letter to
the Council with the candidate's
full background and credentials.
The City Council will be given
ample time, ideally a month or
greater, to review the candidate's
resume before a vote on the
confirmation. In the case of Mr.
Abad and Mr. Curtis, the Council
was provided a month and a half
to review their credentials.
“The prior administration
had no process or protocol in
p l a c e fo r s u c h i m p o r t a n t
appointments to our Court and
municipal boards,” said Mayor
Fulop. “Instead, they would
expect the City Council to make
immediate decisions on a
candidate without a full or
p r o p e r r e v i e w. T h i s i s
something we pledged to change
and we have.”
Carlo Abad, a Filipino
American, has been serving as
Acting Chief Municipal Court
Judge and has been serving on
the bench in Jersey City since
2008. Prior to that, Mr. Abad
served in the Newark
Prosecutor's Office, the Jersey
City Prosecutor's Office, the
Essex County Prosecutor's
Office, and the U.S. Attorney's
Office, as well as working in
several private law firms.
Mr. Curtis, a graduate of
Seton Hall University Law
School, has served as a Jersey
City municipal prosecutor and
long-time attorney practicing in
Jersey City and Hudson County.
Editorial & opinion
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 10
Tragedies
In Greek myth, a tragedy is misfortune that cannot be
avoided; it is fate becoming real. In contemporary reality,
however, the word means the complete opposite: It is a crisis, a
calamity, a catastrophe, that did not have to happen.
The collision of two ships in waters off Talisay City in Cebu
last Friday is tragic precisely in this second sense. It resulted in a
terrible loss of life (at this writing, 71 persons have been
confirmed dead) and has led to an ecological calamity with
economic consequences: Oil from one of the ships, the ferry M/V
Thomas Aquinas, has reached some 12 coastal barangays in
Mactan Island and threatens the livelihood of hundreds of
fishermen. The worst part: All of this could have been avoided.
We mean this in a literal sense; according to both ship
captains, who were among the 700-plus persons rescued from
the site, each saw the other ship coming. Each said he had tried to
contact the other ship; both said they did not receive a response.
As reported by Cebu Daily News, the captain of the cargo
vessel M/V Sulpicio Express 7 reported the following sequence in
the “marine protest” form he filed: “There was no response from
sighted inbound vessel. I instructed to call the inbound vessel
again, and still there was no response from the other inbound
vessel.”
The captain of the Aquinas reported the following in his own
marine protest form: “Despite several attempts on our part to call
her attention that she was not following the traffic separation
scheme she did not alter course to vacate the inbound lane which
created the collision.”
It remains for the authorities to determine which ship was at
fault, or whether they were both to blame. But the image of two
ships about to collide, but unable to communicate with each
other, is a haunting symbol of the Philippine maritime industry's
inadequate sense of safety consciousness.
How is it possible for such a complete communications
breakdown to happen? Requiring seagoing vessels, especially a
passenger ferry, to carry a backup communications system
should not be prohibitively expensive. Requiring major sea
vessels to hire only appropriately trained and regularly trained
crew should not be seen as an unnecessary condition but a
necessary investment in safety. And yet tragedies like last
Friday's collision continue to happen.
Blame the culture of “puwede na” the frustrating habit of
making do and muddling through, reinforced by a strange
fatalistic notion that bad things happen to other people.
Consider the ship captains' marine protests (both accessible
on the Cebu Daily News website) again: There is no mention of
slowing down something even ordinary drivers are supposed to
do when they realize they are on a collision course with another
vehicle. There is no mention of alerting either ship's crew, or of
ordering a higher level of preparedness. Even more unfortunate,
there is no mention of any attempt to alert passengers about
possible danger ahead; until the investigation is complete, we
cannot know how many lives would have been saved if all
passengers had been instructed to wear life vests and ordered to
move out of potential death traps.
The disturbing images we've seen on TV, of Navy divers
looking for bodies trapped inside the Aquinas and then of the
recovered bodies floating slowly pop to the surface: They make
us wonder what else could have been done, to save the lives of
those who pay good money just to put themselves at risk.
Documenting I-751 Petition To
Remove Green Card Condition
An alien who receives a green
card through marriage that is less
than two years is granted a
conditional residence status. The
conditional residence status
expires two years after it is
granted. The petition to remove
conditions on residence is made
on Form I-751.
It is imperative that the
petition is filed as failure to do so
will result in the automatic
termination of the conditional
LPR status of the alien spouse.
Once terminated, the case may be
processed for issuance of a notice
to appear in removal
proceedings.
If the petition is jointly-filed
by the spouses, it must be filed
within 90 days before the
conditional residence status
expires. The USCIS will process a
late petition only if the delay is
caused by extraordinary
circumstances beyond the
applicant's control. If the
marriage has been terminated
through a final divorce or
annulment, the alien spouse may
file the petition with a request for
waiver of joint filing. This is also
made on Form I-751 and may be
filed any time after the
conditional residence status is
granted but before removal from
the U.S.
Evidence showing a bona fide
marriage and continued marital
union must be submitted to
establish eligibility. The same is
true for the alien spouse
requesting a waiver of joint filing.
He must submit evidence
proving that the marriage was
entered into in good faith and
was not made for the purpose of
obtaining residency.
Recently, the USCIS reviews I751 petitions with more scrutiny.
Evidence which the USCIS used to
consider adequate is no longer
sufficient to meet the standard of
p ro o f . M o re Re q u e s t s fo r
Evidence (RFEs) have been
issued requiring more
documents to prove good faith
marriage and continued marital
union.
Evidence include proof of
common residence and shared
u
Page 12
'IOUs' against tomorrow
urban aquifers, warned the DPS.
The World Health
Wells in mountain barangays are
Organization sets a 10mg/l safety
u
Page 12
“not sustainable.” Once pumped
cap on nitrate content in drinking
dry, they'll be difficult to
water. A 2013 survey monitored
replenish. In summer, over
124 wells in Metro Cebu and
42,000 residents must truck
found a 36-percent tainting
water in.
surge, compared to 2012, Dr. Fe
“Make failure your tutor, not
Walag
of the WRC reports. The
The “saline edge” seeped
y o u r u n d e r t a k e r.” T h e
“saline edge” is now seven
inland up to 150 meters a year,
Philippines' 142 cities watch a
kilometers inland, shattering
University of San Carlos
t u to r i a l u n fo l d o n C e b u ' s
aquifers
in 12 cities and towns.
hydrologist Herman van Engelen
spreading shortages of an
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
discovered in 1975. “Stanch it,”
Babies and migrants have
irreplaceable resource: water.
the SVD priest urged City Hall
tripled Cebu's population in 40
Diseases surge when taps run dry.
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
then, “or your children will never
years. They use 94 million cubic
Juan L. Mercado, Jonathan Suarez, Joel Baclit
Quit drilling artesian wells,
drink
from
those
aquifers
again.”
meters
yearly. Demand will surge
Correspondent: Contessa Bourbon
the Department of Public
to
210
mcm/yr
in 2030. By then,
Just 50 liters of seawater can
Services (DPS) urged Cebu this
the
population
would have
The opinions expressed by columnists are their
taint 1,000 liters of fresh water,
week. The city's 1,345 wells is an
t
o
p
p
e
d
4
.
3
million.
own and do not reflect the opinion of the paper
cautioned the Water Resources
undercount. Kampsax-Krüeger
nor that of the publisher
Center (WRC). “It'd take three
I n 2 0 0 5 , Wa t e r R e m i n d
Lahmeyer International earlier
centuries to flush the salt.” From
p u b l i s h e d “ Wa t e r f o r a l l
estimated
that parched residents
Contact us:
Delft University to the World
Cebuanos.” This consolidated
had dug up to 5,000 wells. Most
Bank and Asian Development
earlier studies and calculated
Email: filexpress@aol.com
were hand pumps sans permits.
Bank urged reforms. The call fell
costs for a supply of safe drinking
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
Salt irreversibly taints many
on deaf ears.
Founded in 1986
u
Page 14
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 11
OPINION Ground swell in August
By Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
Something about August.
Many of us who are August-born
have not failed to notice that the
many fateful and earthshaking
events in this country's historical
timeline happened in this month.
It is a month when we remember
guns, bombs, blood, fire and
water tearing through our
nation's lifethe Plaza Miranda
bombing, the assassination of
Ninoy Aquino, etc. So lifechanging were these August
events that when we look back
through the veil of mist we can't
help but be overcome by the
memories.
Ye s t e r d a y w a s N i n o y
Aquino's 30th death anniversary
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
As part of its hearts and
minds campaign, the Philippine
panel negotiating with the United
States on increased access of
American military in the country
has come out with answers to
frequently asked questions.
Both panels have agreed that
the agreement they are
negotiating will be titled
“Increased Rotational Presence
(IRP) Framework Agreement.
Their answers, however, lead
to more questions because they
are fond of using big words that
make you wonder whether they
are referring to a thing or a
creature or whatever. They also
give incomplete information
and I couldn't help but remember
where I was, what I was, and how
I was at that time. I do remember
being among the first few to go to
his home on Times Street in
Quezon City when there was yet
no jostling throng and before
Cory and the Aquino children
arrived from the United States
and his body was transferred to
Santo Domingo Church where
People Power would have its
beginnings.
There he was, without a seethrough glass over him. And
there I was just staring down at
him, at his bruised face and
bloody shirt. I could have
touched him. I had no inkling
then that a ground swell of
protest would soon be shaking
the seat of power and roaring
through the streets for three
years until the evil regime
crashed to the ground.
I have before me right now
the Sept. 2, 1983, issue of Mr. and
Ms. Magazine Special Edition on
the Aquino funeral. It cost P2. On
the cover is the photo of the
millions that joined the funeral
procession and a photo inset of
the dead Ninoy. Also on the cover
are Ninoy's words: “The Filipino
is worth dying for.”
I look at the photos, read the
wire news dispatches, Jaime
Cardinal Sin's homily, Cory
Aquino's response and Kris'
goodbye to her dad, and I am
there all over again.
Words from future President
Cory after the funeral Mass: “If
my children and I appear to be
brave during this, the most
difficult period yet of our lives, it
is because we know that this is
what Ninoy would have expected
of us. It is also because of our faith
in God, and the belief that he is
now helping us in this, our
greatest need.
“And so today, I wish to thank
all the Filipino men and women,
young and old, who have
demonstrated to me, to my
children, to Ninoy's mother and
to his family, that Ninoy did not
die in vain. Ninoy who loved you,
the Filipino people, is now loved
in return.”
Noynoy Aquino now
President of the Republic is
shown among those carrying the
coffin of his father.
Aug. 31, the day of the funeral,
I joined the funeral procession
from Santo Domingo Church to
Roxas Boulevard. I walked with
the throng. Rain poured when we
were somewhere near Quiapo
Bridge. We were all drenched. I
went home in the afternoon.
Radio and TV reports said the
procession reached Manila
Memorial Park at nightfall.
On Monday, Aug. 26, a million
or more Filipinos (or so it is
hoped) are expected to join
simultaneous protest marches
and rallies nationwide to register
outrage at the misuse of public
funds and call for the scrapping
of the pork barrel system.
Suddenly, the outcry 30 years
ago“Sobra na, tama na!”is so new
in my mind. It's been 30 years
from there to here.
With Ninoy's own son now
President, after his widow Cory
became president three years
after his death, and with
u
Page 15
What the FAQs do not answer
which does not make for a
truthful answer.
Examples:
First question is what is IRP.
Answer: “Increased Rotational
Presence is the policy which
increases the presence of
United States (US) forces on a
rotational basis in Philippine
territory towards the
development of a minimum
credible defense posture.
With this answer, the public is
given the idea of a revolving
arrangement. Something like the
300 American soldiers who
would be in the Philippines in
January would leave February to
be replaced by another batch.
That means, whatever batch they
are, there will always be
American soldiers in the
Philippines. American presence
will be a fixture then in the
Philippines. Something like a
permanent presence.
Isn't that circumventing the
Constitutional prohibition which
states: “After the expiration in
1991 of the Agreement between
the Republic of the Philippines
and the United States of America
concerning Military Bases,
foreign military bases, troops, or
facilities shall not be allowed in
the Philippines except under a
treaty duly concurred in by the
Senate….”
There is no answer in the FAQ
to that question.
In explaining what IRP is, the
phrase “minimum credible
defense posture” is mentioned.
They explained “minimum
credible defense posture” as
“intended to enhance maritime
domain awareness and develop a
deterrence capability. This can be
accomplished through highimpact and high-value joint
DFA Asst. Secretary Carlos Sorreta and DND Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino
exercises which promote
interoperability and capacity
building that will also bolster
humanitarian assistance and
disaster response.” Big words:
maritime domain awareness,
deterrence capability, high-value
joint exercises.
Who was the smart guy man
who said that if you want to hide
something, use words that are
difficult to understand. That's the
feeling we have reading these
phrases.
We asked a member of the
joining the mass action. These
include the Makati Business Club
and several cause-oriented
groups led by the party-list group
Akbayan, which has, incidentally,
been tagged as the recipient of P4
billion in pork barrel funds.
MBC, which has always been
supportive of everything Aquino,
has already declared its full
support for the rally. Meanwhile,
Akbayan leader and defeated
s e n a to r i a l c a n d i d a te R i s a
Hontiveros has long been known
to be close to Llamas.
I am not surprised that
Malacanang's spin masters have
decided to cynically use the
Monday protest, which has been
likened to the Middle Eastern
“Arab Spring” mass actions, to
prevent the public's anger from
leading to Aquino himself. After
all, since the Napoles scandal
broke, the strategy of the Palace
(with the enthusiastic help of its
“media partners”) has always
been to limit the fallout to the
o p p o s i t i o n a n d , l a t e r, t o
demonize Napoles after she fled
ahead of the issuance of a
warrant for her arrest on of all
things charges of kidnapping.
You may think that this
containment strategy is
laughable, since the systematic
rape of the PDAF monies, to
anyone with half a brain, would
obviously not have been possible
without the wholehearted
support of Aquino, his officials
and his agencies. As far as tarring
and feathering only the
opposition is concerned, the
Palace spinners are counting on
the supposed popularity of
Aquino to take out any stains of
pork on congressional allies not
an easy task, considering the
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Page 14
Hijacker alert
One day, the undergarments
of all those Palace spokesmen
will spontaneously combust,
their penalty for never telling the
truth. Yes, Edwin Lacierda and
Abigail Valte have once again
declared that President Noynoy
Aquino didn't go missing last
Tuesday but only kept a low
profile so as not to divert
attention to himself while rescue
and relief operations were going
on.
Nobody asked me, but if
Aquino doesn't want to work,
Lacierda and Valte don't always
need to lie about it on his behalf.
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
***
If the Palace Machiavelli has
his way, the Philippine version of
the “Arab Spring” will end up
merely as an extended and
fruitless winter of discontent.
The rally on Monday, Aug. 26
at Manila's Rizal Park is supposed
to be a non-partisan mass action
against the massive theft of
taxpayers' money through
Congress' despicable Priority
Development Assistance Fund,
more commonly known as the
pork barrel. But this early, I've
been told that pro-Malacanang
elements are planning to hijack
the protest, in a bid to shield
President Noynoy Aquino, his
Executive officials and even
lawmakers friendly with the
administration from the public's
righteous anger.
According to several sources,
presidential adviser on political
affairs Ronald Llamas is
orchestrating the move to
convert the spontaneous
outpouring of public disgust
through the rally into a palacesupportive shindig that will
ultimately exonerate Aquino and
his allies. Instead of getting mad
at Aquino, his officials and
Congress minions, Llamas and
his crew want the public to direct
(and misdirect) its ire on
businesswoman Janet Lim
Napoles and the political
opposition, whom they will
portray as the ones solely
responsible for the outrageous
robbery perpetrated through the
discretionary funds given to
lawmakers.
Llamas and the Palace's
propaganda machinery, to
include its various media
operatives, reportedly intend to
transform Monday's rally into a
Palace-friendly affair “on the
ground” through the usual allies
that have expressed interest in
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Page 14
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 12
No bad blood: ER Ejercito
welcomes PNoy in Laguna
SAN PEDRO, Laguna -- President
Aquino and Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito
set aside their differences on
Wednesday to help hundreds of
families affected by massive
flooding in the province.
Ejercito welcomed Aquino
during the latter's visit to Dela Paz
Elementary School in Biñan, Laguna
Wednesday morning. Some 328
families or 1,334 evacuees are
staying in the school, which serves
as a temporary evacuation center.
In a short message, Aquino
urged affected residents to get in
touch with Ejercito, Biñan Mayor
Len Alonte and Congressman Dan
Fernandez for help.
"Nakipag-ugnayan po tayo kila
mayor, kay gov pati si Congressman
Dan para siguraduhin na mailagay
kayo sa maayos sa lalong madaling
panahon.
He said he is thankful that
tropical storm Maring is now out of
the Philippine area of responsibility
and could mean lesser rainfall.
The President said the
administration plans to put up a
dike along Laguna de Bay to help
block flood waters. However, he was
Documenting
I-751 Petition ...
From page 10
responsibility, such as lease
agreement naming both spouses as
tenants, deeds and mortgages in
both names; combined financial
resources and joint responsibility
for liabilities, such as joint checking
and savings account statements,
insurance policies showing the
other spouse as beneficiary, joint
federal and state tax returns and
joint utility bills.
Note that proof of the existence
of a joint account is no longer
sufficient as USCIS requires account
statements showing deposits or
withdrawals for the period of
marriage. Also, joint tax forms are
no longer adequate as the USCIS
requires proof of filing with the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Affidavits of persons who have
personal knowledge of the marital
relationship may also be submitted.
quick to admit it will take years to
complete the project.
Aquino led the distribution of
relief packs, consisting of canned
goods, coffee, blanket, mat, rice and
noodles to the evacuees. He is set to
visit evacuees in Mandaluyong
Elementary school and in Landayan
covered court in San Pedro, Laguna.
Last April, the President chided
Ejercito for being hours late in a
meeting held at the Palace to discuss
f l o o d m i t i ga t i o n e f fo r t s fo r
provinces around the Laguna Lake.
He did not name names but
Aquino alluded to Ejercito's other
job as an actor while endorsing the
Liberal Party's candidate for
governor, Edgar San Luis.
"Kung tunay na pagmamalasakit
sa bayan at kapwa ang pag-uusapan
sa totoong buhay po at hindi sa mga
pelikula lamang buong-buo po ang
tiwala ko sa susunod ninyong
Gobernador: si Egay San Luis,"
Aquino said in his speech at a
campaign rally in the town plaza.
Despite Aquino's endorsement,
Luis still lost to Ejercito in the May
elections.
Documentation of family vacations
and photographs may also be
included. Although these are not
concrete evidence of bona fide
marriage, the USCIS considers
these helpful in adjudicating I-751
petitions.
If the director of the regional
service finds the evidence
sufficient, he may waive the
interview and approve the petition.
If not, the petition will be
forwarded to a district director
having jurisdiction and will assign
an immigration officer who will
conduct the interview.
Where the evidence is
insufficient, it will deny the I-751
petition and the conditional
residence status is terminated as of
the date of the decision. There is no
appeal from the decision.
Proceedings for removal will be
initiated and the alien may seek
review of the decision in removal
proceedings.
(Editor's Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has
been practicing law for over 30 years. For
more information, you may log on to his
website at www.seguritan.com or call (212)
695-5281.)
Tragedies
From page 10
Almost three decades since the worst non-wartime sea disaster in
history, the Philippine shipping industry continues to suffer from terrible,
avoidable accidents. And unless something drastic is done, those accidents
will continue. After the media attention will have moved to other news,
some if not most shipping companies will return to normal practice. They
will allow the overloading of vessels again; they will stop ensuring that the
ratio of life vest to passenger is one-to-one again; they will discontinue
checking on communications and other shipboard systems again; they will
make do and muddle through, again.
Like the Fates of Greek myth, they will have our lives in their hands again.
(Inquirer.net)
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 13
Days of Shame: August 21, 1971 and 1983
By Rigoberto Tiglao
August 21 is the most
significant date in our post-war
history, when two historic,
connected events happened, the
consequences of which make up
our messy present.
First: The Plaza Miranda
bombing on August 21, 1971.
Four grenades were hurled at
the stage of the Liberal Party'
grand miting de avance, killing
nine and wounding 95 others.
Many of the Party's leaders and
senatorial candidates were
seriously injured.
The bombing was blamed on
President Ferdinand Marcos,
and public opinion believed so.
As a result, most of his senatorial
and congressional candidates
lost in the elections that year,
drastically weakening his
political strength.
Kept secret for decades, but
now believed to be true by most
in the Communist Party, the
bombing was ordered by its
chairman then, Jose Ma. Sison,
and executed by his most inner
c i rc l e , c a l l e d t h e p a r t y ' s
Executive Committee of the
Political Bureau (See, among
other accounts, Gregg Jones'
“Red Revolution: Inside the
Philippine Guerrilla Movement”
and the more recent “Secrets of
the Eighteen Mansions by Mario
Miclat”).
The motive: In the words
used by communist party
documents at that time, “to
intensify the split within the
ruling class” in order to create
another “revolutionary flow.” In
ordinary language, the bombing
would push the opposition
Liberal Party and their rulingclass supporters to strike back,
even violently, at Marcos. The
country would plunge into civil
war in which the communist
party as a very organized and
armed force could take
advantage of to capture power.
Few believed the most
commonsensical question then:
Why would Marcos, whom even
his enemies credited as a
brilliant strategist, undertake
such an attack which obviously
would be blamed on him?
Second, the assassination of
opposition leader Benigno
Aquino, Jr. on August 21, 1983.
The political instability
triggered by that event
combined with the economic
downturn at that time, due to the
global debt crisis, led to the
country's worst recession ever.
August 21: Left in 1971, right before the grenade attack; right in 1983, right after a soldier shot Ninoy point -blank in the head.
With GDP contracting by
seven percent each for 1984 and
1985, Marcos' political death in
1986 became well neigh
inevitable, although it was
obviously the aborted coup
attempt against him and the
massing of a hundreds of
thousands of Filipinos at EDSA to
defend the military rebels that
plunged the dagger into the
regime's heart.
One event on August 21,
1971 triggered events that led to
the imposition of martial law
and the start of Marcos 13-year
dictatorship. Another, on the
same date twelve years later in
1983 triggered events that led to
the fall of that dictatorship.
Why did the Plaza Miranda
bombing lead to martial law?
Marcos believed that Aquino
himself planned or at least was
involved, in conspiracy with the
communists, in the Plaza
Miranda attack. With such a
brazen use of violence, Marcos
could but conclude that he
would be killed, outrightly or
through a death sentence by a
court for that alleged deed, when
he steps down from power in
1973. Imposing martial law and
becoming a dictator, was his
survival plan with the perks of
course of absolute power and
unlimited wealth.
Marcos had good reasons to
suspect Aquino. The opposition
leader Aquino had supported the
then rag-tag New People's Arm,
by giving them refuge and
supplies in the vast Hacienda
Luisita owned by this wife's
family.
Most importantly, Aquino the
unrivaled star of the Liberal
Partywasn't at Plaza Miranda
when it was attacked. He claimed
later, according to one report
that he was with the Laurels in a
nearby restaurant who were
having a birthday celebration.
He said he was delayed in going
to Plaza Miranda since he was
waiting for Cocoy Laurel's
singing number to end.
There have been rumors
though that NPA Commander
Pusa, a Tarlac-based hit man
known to be close to Aquino,
warned him to delay his arrival
at Plaza Miranda for reasons the
guerilla however did not
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Page 15
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 14
Hijacker alert
What the FAQs
do not answer
From page 11
From page 11
Philippine panel, Foreign Affairs
Assistant Secretary Carlos
Sorreta to explain to us those big
words and his reply, by text: “
For Maritime Domain
Awareness, we use the generally
accepted definition adopted by
the International Maritime
Organization which is the
effective understanding of
anything associated with
maritime domain that could
impact the security, economy, or
environment.”
What, again?
We also asked Soreta for an
explanation to another of their
favorite buzzwords: maritime
security.
Here's Soreta's explanation:
“The definition of maritime
s e c u r i t y a n d t h e t h re a t s
involved is in
EO 57 dated 6 Sept.2011
establishing the National Coast
Guard Watch System and can be
found in www.pcoo.gov.ph
issuances/issuances-eo/EO57.pdf.” E.O 57 states that NCWS
would be dealing with threats
such as terrorism, transnational
crimes, drug and firearms
trafficking, smuggling, human
trafficking, climate change,
illegal fishing, marine
environment degradation and
other security concerns.”
We are having nosebleed.
We hope in the next FAQs, they
break them down to simple,
non-threatening sentences.
Another question: How is the
proposed IRP Framework
Agreement different from the
existing MDT with the US and
the VFA?
MDT is the 1951 RP-US
Mutual Defense Treaty while
VFA is the 1998 RP-US Visiting
Forces Agreement.
Answer: The IRP Framework
Agreement is already within
the ambit of the existing MDT
and VFA. By this IRP
Framework Agreement, we
are merely institutionalizing
a fuller and more effective
implementation of the MDT
and VFA.
We have serious doubts
about this in the context of the
non extension of the Military
Bases Agreement in 1991 and
the lack of transparency on the
exact nature of the increased
American presence in the
country.
Another question: Will the
US come to the defense of the
Philippines when attacked?
Answer: The US has, time and
again, stated that it will
honor its commitments under
the MDT.
The FAQs do not say that the
MDT states that “Each Party
recognizes that an armed attack
in the Pacific area on either of
the Parties would be dangerous
to its own peace and safety and
declares that it would act to
meet the common dangers in
accordance with its
constitutional processes.”
It is doubtful if future FAQs
will explain that particular
provision of the MDT and what
“constitutional processes”
means. Which is, heaven forbid,
if the Philippines is attacked the
President of the United States
will ask US Congress how they
would respond. In a democracy,
the process could take months.
That means while the U.S. go
through their “constitutional
processes” the Philippines
would be left alone to fend for
itself.
Those FAQs should be
checked against reality.
multi-partisan nature of the
“services” offered by Napoles and
her ilk to members of Congress for
the longest time.
But the biggest handicap of
those who would want to limit the
damage of the Napoles case to the
opposition in Congress and to the
woman herself is certainly the
refusal of Aquino to do anything to
abolish or even reduce the PDAF
allocations. Even Llamas himself
knows that the hardest part about
defending Aquino from charges of
involvement in the pork mess is the
President's insistence that PDAF is
good for everyone, including, yes,
the citizenry.
***
That said, am I asking people
not to join Monday's anti-pork
rally? Of course not.
On the contrary, I am urging
everyone genuinely disgusted by
the wide-scale thievery involving
the Palace, its agencies that served
‘IOUs’ against
tomorrow
From page 10
water for some 1.5 million people in
Greater Cebu. That study was
ignored.
Cebu instead drew “IOUs against
tomorrow.” It pumped double what
aquifers recharged. This deficit
caused water tables to slump twice
as deep in a decade. Slum dwellers
pay ambulant peddlers thrice the
cost of piped water from a Metro
Cebu Water District that serves less
than six out of 10 homes. Industries
are saddled with hefty bills for
inadequate water.
The P136 million-plus city
legislative building boasts of plush
councilor seats. But it lacks a
catchment to save rain, although
Republic Act 6716 requires all to do
so. In contrast, Singapore collects
every drop of rain for funneling into
17 reservoirs.
How can 142 cities avoid similar
water-policy bankruptcy?
Don't ask ex-mayor-excongressman Tomas Osmeña. From
Day One of his three terms as mayor,
he insisted: “We don't have a water
problem.” Amen, chorused a stamppad city council.
Delusion doesn't alter reality.
The sustainable capacity of aquifers
was “already exceeded 3.6 times” in
the late 1990s, an Ayala Land study
found. “If no reforms are adopted,
groundwater will turn undrinkable.
It'd no longer be a question of supply
but include the politically volatile
issue of quality.”
Before his election defeat,
Osmeña hired “water diviner”
Soledad Legaspi, 83, to locate wells.
“She is 100-percent accurate.” But
despite “Aling Choleng,” brackish
water still spews forth from taps.
Cebu's only escape hatch was to
tap surface water from outside the
city. The World Bank, Ayala and
several firms proposed to pump
surface water from Carmen town 40
kilometers away. Osmeña and his
councilors torpedoed the ideaand
didn't propose alternatives. This
blindness necklaced Osmeña with a
legacy of aquifers wrecked for
centuries. It gutted a resource that
as conduits of the stolen pork,
Congress (all members who took
part in the feasting on pork through
the years) and enterprising
“businessmen” like Napoles to join
the rally and show their displeasure
at Rizal Park. And for those who
can't come to Manila, I recommend
that they go on their favorite social
media sites and find out where
similar rallies will be held in major
cities in the provinces.
My decision to support
Monday's rally was easy to make.
That's because even if Llamas and
his well-funded cohort have set into
motion plans to hijack the protest, I
believe that the original sentiment
that led to its conception is still
legitimate and true to its roots, in
the displeasure and frustration first
voiced on Facebook, Twitter and
what-have-you.
Let the Palace spinners and
their media minions try to steal the
rally from the people, just like their
leaders ran off with the taxes that
went into the black hole that is
PDAF. We're not going to let that
happen, now, are we?
makes disintegration the heritage
for future generations.
“We will not be trapped into
similar inaction,” then Cebu Gov.
Gwendolyn Garcia pledged on
signing the province's first-ever
P702-million agreement with the
Manila Water Consortium.
This will funnel 35,000 cubic
meters daily to Cebu towns,
including the city, by 2016. Still short
of the demand by 18 percent, it'd
ease the pressure on aquifers.
Cebu's fiasco should prod 142
cities to look at Cambodia's success.
In 1992, the Phnom Penh Water
Supply Authority gurgled murky
water for 10 hours daily to only 20
percent of the residents. Water theft
topped 72 percent.
Reforms instituted over 14 years
resulted in today's 24-hour service
to nine out of 10 customers. Illegal
connections were whittled down to
6 percent.
The firm won the 2004 Asian
Development Bank Water Prize, the
2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Government Service, and the 2010
Stockholm Industry Water Award.
What unlocked this turnaround?
“Leadership, professionalism and
integrity,” said Director Ek Sonn
Chan. Add to that “community
participation and information
sharing,” plus transparency and
accountability.
Leaders of our 142 other cities
must see water for what it is: a Godgiven, limited and irreplaceable
resource, not a political bludgeon.
Some cities are more endowed than
others. But there is a common
denominator: No one can afford to
waste a drop.
Involve citizens in crafting water
supply plans. Start by assessing the
resource realistically. Tap expertise
from agencies and universities to
develop multiple approaches. That'd
end reliance on a single source.
T h e n , c o n s e r ve ra i n a n d
rehabilitate watersheds. Penalize
waste and reward conservation.
Price water realistically.
And remember to stash that
water-diviner mumbo jumbo. “Make
failure your tutor.” Otherwise, it will
be “your undertaker.”
E-mail: juan_mercado77@yahoo.com
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 15
Days of Shame ...
From page 13
disclose. A leftist leader at that
time, now US-based Fluellen
Ortigas, reportedly was with
Aquino just before the attack. He
allegedly had told his close
friends that he always wondered
why Aquino seemed to be dallydallying on the way to the most
important political event of the
year.
It was Plaza Miranda that
prodded Marcos to declare the
suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus a month after the attack.
It was the timid response of the
elite to this suspension of civil
liberties that convinced Marcos
that he could pull off martial law
a year later.
Sison calculated that the
Plaza Miranda bombing blamed
on Marcos would intensify the
split within the ruling class and
therefore bring about a
r e v o l u t i o n a r y f l o w. H e
miscalculated. The attack helped
Marcos to set up his dictatorship,
which would nearly decimate
the NPA and the party in the mid70s that Sison himself was
captured in 1977 to be released
by Corazon Aquino in 1986.
Except for a tiny faction of the
elite that Marcos cleverly limited
his attack on, mainly the politicoeconomic elite clan of the
Lopezes, the Philippine ruling
class either believed that the
Plaza Miranda bombing was the
communists and Aquino's plot,
or that whoever was
responsible, it created an
unstable political situation that
risked a communist take-over.
Who wouldn't fear a
communist take-over at that
time when right after the
grenade attack the communists
tried to smuggle into the Isabela
h i n te rl a n d s 2 , 0 0 0 M - 1 4 s ,
courtesy of Mao Tse Tsung
h i m s e l f ? Fo r m e r ra n k i n g
communists would later claim
that the two events were
connected. Sison estimated that
without the “revolutionary flow”
the bombing would create, there
wouldn't be enough activists to
recruit into the NPA to use those
rifles.
Why wouldn't the ruling
class support Marcos'
dictatorship? In 1973, right after
martial was declared, GDP
surged to 8.9 percent, the
highest growth rate ever
recorded for our country, and
from 1972 to 1979, it averaged a
high 6 percent yearly.
But August 21, 1971 is a day
of the shame for the party
supposedly of the poor.
Because of the Plaza Miranda
bombing its leadership ordered,
the communist party had lost its
moral grounding, exposed to be
as ruthless and Machiavellian as
Stalinist and Maoist parties are
all over the world. It fooled
thousands of our idealistic
young men and women to devote
and even sacrifice their lives to
fight a dictatorship which the
communist leadership in effect
helped install by bombing Plaza
Miranda.
August 21, 1971 is a day of
shame for one party of the ruling
class. The Liberal Party, the
target of the attack,
opportunistically joined the
frenzy of communist-led
propaganda that it was Marcos
who was its brainsjust to win the
1971 elections.
Even after the dictator's fall,
the Liberal Party didn't bother to
f i n d o u t w h o re a l ly wa s
responsible for the single most
important event in its history.
Shamelessly, it even distanced
itself from the conviction of
Jovito Salonga, one of its revered
leaders whose wounds from the
attack disfigured his face and
severely weakened his health:
that it wasn't Marcos who
ordered the attack but the
communists under Sison.
With the suspicion that
Aquino was part of the Plaza
Miranda plot, or at least didn't
warn his colleagues of the attack,
his wife President Corazon
Aquino and his family with their
vast power and wealth could
have left no stone unturned to
settle who was responsible for
this key event in our history.
They didn't bother, since that
would weaken the image they
wanted of Marcosevil
personified.
A similar nonchalance also
makes August 21, 1983 a day of
shame for our nation.
Despite their vast political
and economic powers, especially
when Corazon Aquino was
president 1986 to 1992, the
Aquinos and Cojuangcos didn't
bother to unmask the murder's
brains. Some 16 officers and
soldiers were convicted by the
Sandiganbayan for the murder
and given life sentences in 1990.
All of the assassination's details
have been uncovered, except
who the mastermind was. (The
full text of the decision posted at
manilatimes.net.)
Ground swell
in August
From page 11
everything else in between a
convicted plundering
president and another one
accused of the same, among
them where are we now?
Flood waters are still deep
in Metro Manila and
neighboring provinces and we
are again playing catch-up
with climate change.
Last night I watched on TV
wh a t h a s b e e n d o n e i n
Rotterdam to ease the flooding
in this below-sea-level city.
The government built some
kind of underground lake or
reservoir that would take in
the excess rainwater, which
can then be used for many
other purposes.
In the live TV broadcast on
the massive flooding in Metro
Manila, Lagusnilad in front of
Manila's City Hall was shown
filled with water. Oh, I thought,
that's very much like
Rotterdam's, only Lagusnilad
is not an underground
receptacle but an underpass
for vehicles. More out-of-thebox thinking is needed to solve
problems that perennially visit
this country. What happened
to the bright idea of making
rainwater catchments in rural
areas that can be sources of
water for farmers during the
dry season?
I couldn't help thinking
about the P10-billion pork
Why didn't then President
Cory Aquino offer them pardon
and maybe even money to live in
security abroad in exchange for
identifying the brains of the
murder that shaped our history?
There is another question
that bothers me a lot. Was it just
sheer coincidence that two
historic events occurred on the
same date?
I wonder. In what would be
his death voyage, Aquino arrived
in Taipei August 19, 1983. But he
booked his flight to Manila
August 21. Was the date of his
return to the country a secret
message to the dictator, one that
only he and Marcos would
understand? The Manila Times
barrel scam that is the reason
for this Monday's massive
protest action. All, if not some,
of that money, our money, that
was stolen by the very greedy
few could have been used to
mitigate the worsening effects
of climate change and to help
victims rebuild their lives.
Let this August display of
People Power ram through the
hardened hearts of those who
keep robbing us blind, those
who keep stuffing themselves
with what does not belong to
them. The culture of
corruption is alive and well
that even non-government
organizations have not been
spared. It is bad enough that
well-respected NGOs founded
to serve the marginalized
despite limited budgets have
their share of sticky fingers.
Now we are even more
shocked that the term “NGO”
has been tarnished because
unscrupulous persons have
created so-called NGOs into
which they could funnel their
loot. And the so-called
watchdogs in government, if
there are any, were caught
napping. In journalistic
parlance, natutulog sa
pansitan. Or they weren't
napping, after all, they were
busy counting money in their
bathtubs at home.
We are just so fed up. Sobra
na, tama na. Palitan na ang
sistema! President Noynoy
Aquino should heed the
people's cry roaring above the
floods.
(Send feedback to cerespd@gmail.com
or www.ceresdoyo.com)
Page 16
August 23 - 29, 2013
Top 10 things to do in Cotabato
It's just a week before the Kalivungan Festival and the 99th
Foundation Anniversary of the Province of Cotabato on September
1st . But for those who are coming to the province days before the
week-long festival, here are some thing you can do while in our
province.
1) Explore the majestic Asik-asik falls in the town of Alamada. This
140-meter curtain-like waterfall is now one of the top destinations in
Mindanao. Enjoy the scenic views of the rural communities along the
road going to this farming town of Alamada.
2) Ride the Asia's longest zipline, with a total length of 2.3
kilometers, in Barangay New Israel, Makilala. This village that sits
1,600 feet above sea level is located at the foot of the country's highest
peak Mt. Apo.
While at the village, mingle with the tamed Macaque Monkeys who
have been living with community for over three decades already.
3) Conquer the country's highest peak Mt. Apo. For a quick climb,
you can reach the top of the Philippines for a day trek via
Mandarangan Trail in Brgy. Ilomavis, Kidapawan City. Then spend a
day at the mountain, stay for another night before heading home.
4) From Mt. Apo, don't miss to take a dip at Lake Agco in Barangay
Ilomavis. It is also known as Mahomanoy Mountain Resort, where you
can soak in the pool of sulfuric spring water after your backpacking
adventure.
5) Discover the Pisan Caves in Kabacan town. Situated at least 10
kilometers from the town proper, these caves are one just one of the
hidden treasures of this rice-producing town. The cave has a natural
underground with giant stalactites and stalagmites having a freeflowing natural swimming pool.
Explore the majestic Asik-asik falls in the town of Alamada. This 140-meter curtain-like waterfall
is now one of the top destinations in Mindanao. Enjoy the scenic views of the rural communities
along the road going to this farming town of Alamada
6) Relive the rich history of the province as you stand on the historical
military fortification in Fort Pikit, which was built by Spanish
colonizers in 1893. This fort is just one of the series of military
fortification in Mindanao. The National Historical Commission of the
Philippine had declared Fort Pikit as a National Historical Landmark
in March 2012.
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Page 17
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 17
Top 10 things to do in
Cotabato
From page 16.
7) Try the crunchy Tinagtag, which is a traditional delicacy made by
the Maguindanaons in Pikit. This delicacy, which is usually served
during special occasions, is made of rice and best paired with coffee.
Tinagtag is available in Pikit overland terminal.
8) Enjoy the rejuvenating Tausuvan Falls in Barangay Bongolanon,
Magpet. This crystal clear 30-meter waterfalls with a naturallyformed tranquil pool is situated in Tawsuvan Eco-Tourism Zone and
Resort. The place is a perfect getaway for backpackers.
9) For thrill-seekers, enjoy the rapid-river water tubing adventure in
Alamada-Libungan rivers.
Pisan Caves in Kabacan town
10) After your adventure, grab some tropical fruits such as durian,
pineapple, watermelon, chico, banana, rambutan, mangosteen,
marang, mangoes and guavas along the national highway in Barangay
Malasila, Makilala. These tropical fruits are grown by the local
farmers. (Manila Bulletin)
The crunchy Tinagtag, which is a traditional delicacy made
by the Maguindanaons in Pikit
Tausuvan Falls in Barangay
Bongolanon, Magpet
Mount Apo
EXPRESSWEEK
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 18
th
Fiesta In America's 15 edition a hit among
star-struck and eager-to-buy consumers
F i e s t a I n A m e r i c a' s 1 5 t h
Anniversary edition (August 17 &
18 at the Meadowlands Expo Center
in Secaucus, NJ) exceeded all
expectations in terms of attendance
and audience reaction to the trade,
c u l t u ra l a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t
offerings. According to Len
Manansala, Vice President for
Marketing and Communications,
“Our gate receipts showed that
Fiesta In America 2013 (the event
was known as Philippine Fiesta
from 1998 to 2012) surpassed
previous editions with regards to
the number of booth exhibitors, the
diversity of products and services
presented, and total visitor count at
well above 20,000 over two days.
Just as important, the gradual
transition from a purely Filipino
motif to a Filipino plus Asian and
Latino features fulfilled our vision
of a more diverse and cross-cultural
Fiesta.”
High-energy performances
from multi-talented heartthrob
Piolo Pascual and singer Angeline
Quinto, a nostalgic best-of-Florante
hits from the folk-rock OPM
pioneer, and pulsating numbers
from Chinese singer Eric Xie
blended well with throbbing songs
from reggaeton artists Anayka, En
Alta, Jay Alva and Tailon, crowning
the two-day Fiesta In America's
cultural program with multicultural
entertainment. Impressive
p e r f o r m a n c e s f r o m
PIMA/Eskrimador's arnis masters
featuring Grandmaster Dong
Cuesta and a variety of
contemporary songs by rising
Filipino sensations Tiffany Viray,
Alyssa Shoemaker, Gail Banawis,
Maureen Javier, Regene Odon
complimented classical numbers
from the Times Art Group Chinese
dance ensemble and the Korean
Hong Dance and Music Company.
As a departure from previous
Fiestas, TV chef Fr. Leo Patalinghug
of EWTN's Savoring Our Faith
wowed the Saturday audience with
his virtuoso juggling of microphone
and chef's knife as he prepared a
special fusion fajita dish while
discoursing animatedly on the
value of families dining together. Fr.
Leo is the face and voice of the Grace
Before Meals movement.
Nonprofit Fiesta In America's
marquee offering, its two-day trade
expo, proudly showed off exotic
products from the Philippines not
available in U.S. stores, plus a
dizzying range of financial, telecom,
insurance, media and educational
services tailored for immigrant
Filipino families. More than 100
exhibitors packed the trade expo
section, including major companies
that are either deeply entrenched or
breaking into the lucrative FilipinoAmerican market. These include
telecom giants Vonage and GTIGlobe, cable TV leaders The Filipino
Channel (TFC) and Dish Network,
remittance services provider Xoom,
auto dealerships Hudson Toyota
and Nutley Kia, large real estate
firms Megaworld and Sta. Lucia
Realty, Hershey's Chocolates, Sigue
Remittance, Montclair University,
1st and 2nd Mortgage, Microsoft and
other brands already well-known to
Filipino consumers.
A newcomer to Fiesta, China
Eastern Airlines, the Shanghaibased number two airline in China,
introduced its new and
competitively priced U.S.-Manila
routes. Other newcomers include
Wonton Food and Cibao Meats,
Chinese and Latino firms that saw
the importance of catering to FilAms' taste. The Hackensack
University Medical Center, named
by US News and World Report as the
Number One Hospital in New
Jersey, was a prominent event
sponsor.
As part of the Philippine
government's “It's more fun in the
Philippines” campaign, the
Department Of Tourism was ably
represented by Ms. Mitchelle Dy
(the officer-in-charge of the DOT's
New York office), Paul Cornejo and
Emily Blaza. The DOT's wellreceived booth got an added boost
from the recent selection of
Palawan and Boracay by Travel &
Leisure Magazine as the World's
Numbers One and Two Islands,
respectively.
Local government officials and
community leaders such as New
Jersey Senator Robert Gordon,
Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli,
Mayor Carlos Aguasvivas of
Bergenfield, NJ; Philippine
Ambassador to the United States
Jose Cuisia, Jr., Consul General Mario
De Leon, Jr., and TLC CEO and
philanthropist Loida Nicholas
Lewis were among the luminaries
who graced the cultural and trade
festival. In the words of
Ambassador Cuisia as well as
Consul General De Leon, Fiesta In
America is an important platform to
bring Filipino Americans together
in one setting, and a valuable tool to
link mainstream businesses with
their Fil-Am counterparts.
The Fiesta's companion event,
the fifth annual People's Ball that
was held on August 16 at the
Doubletree by Hilton at Newark
Liberty International Airport,
presaged the following two days'
festivities. Traditionally held as a
dinner dance in recognition of the
Fiesta's corporate and public sector
supporters, the People's Ball was
enlivened by a colorful Rigodon de
Honor as well as a surprise
appearance by TFC's Piolo Pascua,
Angeline Quinto and singersongwriter Florante.
For information about Fiesta In
A m e r i c a 2 0 1 4 a n d a dva n c e
sponsorship/exhibitor bookings,
please call 212-682-6610 or email:
sepmgzn@yahoo.com Visit
www.philippinefiesta.com or
www.fiestainamerica.com. “Like”
the event on Facebook.
The official ribbon cutting of the 2013 Fiesta in America. (L-R) Ms. Eleanor
De Leon, Philippine Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr., Fernando Mendez,
Fiesta in America president, Piolo Pascual, Angeline Quinto, Mayor Michael J.
Gonnelli of Secaucus, Senator Bob Gordon of New Jersey, Consul Zaldy B.
Patron, Ms. Milly Silva, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
(Photo by Arman David & Joyce Andes-David)
Fernando Mendez, Fiesta in America president, is at right
PAPC launch 2nd Plaridel Awards
(Left to right) Clariss Dorothy Enjambre, Miss Philippine Fiesta Visayas 2013; Jessical
Chanliecco Videña - Miss Philippine Fiesta Luzon 2013; Jellyn Anne Echon, Miss Philippine
Fiesta 2013; Rosanne Armie Manalo - Miss Philippine Fiesta East Coast 2013; and
Stephanie Reyes, Miss Philippine Fiesta Mindanao 2013. (Photo by John Militar)
Miss Philippine Fiesta
2013 pageant showcased
talent as much as beauty
Finalists in the 2013 Fiesta in America Miss Philippine Fiesta pageant
combined scholastic, athletic and role-model community service
achievements on top of the expected shapely stats, charm and physical
allure. Crowned Miss Philippine Fiesta 2013, Jellyn Anne Echon has
won the Pop Star Kids USA Grand Championship and has set her sights
on a business administration college degree. Versatile and ambitious,
other pageant finalists are either members of their high school varsity
teams or on the Dean's List, the honor society or on martial arts teams.
San Francisco, CA --- The
Philippine American Press Club,
U. S . A . ( PA P C ) o n i t s 2 5 t h
anniversary announced the
second annual Plaridel Awards
that acknowledge and celebrate
the contribution of outstanding
writers and publishers in the
Filipino American community, as
they chronicle the lives and
times of their compatriots,
promote and share their culture
and history, champion their
causes and provide a venue
where readers/listeners can
voice their concerns, and ideas
for the betterment of the
community and society at large.
PAPC is calling out to all
FilAm journalists to submit their
entries which saw print or
broadcast through a Filipino
American based media
anywhere in the U.S. between
June 1, 2012 thru May 31, 2013.
Deadline for submission is
August 30, 2013.
Awards will be given to the
best news report or feature that
provide unique perspective on
the issues and concerns of
Filipino Americans. Categories
for print and online articles
include Investigative/In-Depth
Story; Commentary or Editorial
Essay; International Reporting;
Entertainment Story; Sports
Story; and Youth Voice. For
Broadcast TV and Radio it will
for the best in Community
Reporting. Last but not least,
there is a category for
P h o to j o u r n a l i s m . P l a r i d e l
Awardees will receive a trophy
and cash in recognition for their
outstanding journalism. This
year's awards will be held on
October 19 in San Francisco.
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Page 19
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 19
PAPC launch ...
From page 18
The name Plaridel was
chosen in honor of Marcelo H.
Del Pilar, a Filipino patriot,
journalist and publisher who
brought his craft and zeal as an
expat in Europe in late 1800s.
He was a prolific writer who
kept his constituents abreast
with the goings on in their
expat community as well as in
their homeland. In him PAPC
has found a hero a person to
emulate and an inspiration to
Filipino-American writers and
publishers everywhere who
continue in their journalistic
aspirations and in service to
their constituents in the new
land they now call home.
Winners of the First
Plaridel Awards last year came
from journalists from New
York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles
and San Francisco. The winners
were Michael Santos and
Joseph Pimentel of Asian
Journal for Outstanding
Reportage Awards; Cristina
Pastor of The FilAm was runner
up. Dennis Clement of
Inquirer.net won the
Outstanding Commentary
Category with Ted Laguatan
also of Inquirer.net as runner
up; Laurel Fantauzzo of The
FilAm won first prize in the
Youth Voice while Elizabeth
Horner came second. Janet
Nepales of Philippine News won
the Outstanding Outstanding
Entertainment Category while
Dennis Clemente was runner
up. Outstanding International
Reporting Category's top honor
went to Philippine News'
Cherie Querol Moreno. While
Asian Journal's Las Vegas
editor, Dymphna Calica-La Putt,
won honorable mention.
For the Broadcast
Category's Community
Reporting in Television, Jannell
So of Kababayan LA which is
seen daily on KSCI-TV LA18
won first prize. Runner up was
Arnold Pedrigal of “Power ng
Pinoy” a weekly show that
appears on GMA TV. Photojournalism's honorable
mention went to Michael
Santos of Asian Journal while
the Tourism Feature Story
Category winner went to Ruben
Nepales of Balikbayan
Magazine.
The PhilAm media has
been providing news and
information to the
community for more than 50
years. At present, total
monthly circulation of the
c o m b i n e d m a j o r
publications on print/online
and broadcast is
approximately 2-Million
nationwide.
For more information on the
Plaridel Awards please email
esther.chavez@inquirerinc.net or
Jojo.peralta@asianjournalinc.com.
UPAA New Jersey, Inc. Sponsors “Triumph of Philippine Art”
Participating Artists
Leo Abaya; Benedicto "BenCab" Cabrera; Buen Calubayan; Ernest Concepcion; Medeo Cruz
Imelda Cajipe-Endaya; Brenda Fajardo; Karen Ocampo Flores; Michael Rodriguez Gomez;
Gregory Raymond Halili; Mark Orozco Justiniani; Julie Lluch; Athena Santos Magcase-Lopez;
Racquel De Loyola; Renan Ortiz; Christina Quisumbing Ramilo; Mark Salvatus; Pablo Baen
Calendar of Events:
Sunday, September 15: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: All U.P. Alumni and friends are invited to join the UP Alumni
Association, New Jersey's POT LUCK PICNIC from 11 .M. TO 4 P.M. at the Liberty State Park, Freedom Field
Pavilion Site: B-NJ; 20 Theodore Conrad Drive, Jersey City; contact: Diane at d.vlnc@yahoo.com telephone:
(732) 317-3364 or Madelyn at upaanjpres1314@gmail.com, telephone: (201) 247-3437.
September 21 through December 15: “Triumph of Philippine Art” Exhibit and Lecture Series at the Segal
Gallery, Montclair State University (MSU), showcasing contemporary works of art by Filipino and FilipinoAmerican visual artists, reflecting socio-political and economic struggles from the Martial Law period
(1972-1986) through the 21st century. Free Admission. Sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the
Arts, the McMullen Family Foundation and the UP Alumni Association, New Jersey. MSU is located at 1
Normal Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey; Segal Gallery is on the 4th Floor level of the Red Hawk Parking
Deck, near the Alexander Kasser Theater. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday:10 am - 5 pm; Thursday:
12:30 pm 7:30 pm; Contact: UPAANJ: Flor at pinaysanj@yahoo.com; telephone: (862) 397-3338 or Ed at
ed.pajarillo@gmail.com; Telephone: (718) 544-5191. http://www.montclair.edu/arts/university-artgalleries-george-segal-gallery/
With one of its missions being to
collaborate with the community in
supporting intellectual and cultural
endeavors, the University of the
Philippines Alumni Association, New
Jersey Chapter (“UPAANJ”, established
1979) is a sponsor of “Triumph of
Philippine Art', to be held at The Segal
Gallery of Montclair State University
(“MSU”) from September 21, 2013
through December 15, 2013.
This exhibit will showcase works
by Filipino and Filipino-American
visual artists of contemporary
Philippine Art inspired by the
Philippines' socio-political and
economic struggles during the Martial
Law period (1972 - 1986) to the
successful one-of-a-kind bloodless
p e o p l e' s re b e l l i o n re c o g n i z e d
worldwide as People Power of 1986,
and into the changing imagery of a free
and confident art leading into the 21st
century. Every visitor to the exhibit
will catch a unique perspective of how
these historical periods influenced
each artist's work of art.
Exhibition curator and Segal
Gallery Director, Teresa Rodriguez,
states that “the arts of these periods in
effect documented a country with a
long history of national identity issues
stemming from centuries of foreign
colonial rule, the challenges of
democratic principles, and relevancy
to the present democratic and
globalized world.”
UPAANJ's sponsorship specifically
supports the exhibit's series of
lectures, exhibition tours, and
workshops for children and adults.
Eleven of the eighteen featured artists
are UP alumni. The exhibit is supported
by the New Jersey State Council on the
Arts and the McMullen Family
Foundation.
As sponsor, UPAANJ aims to
increase public awareness and
appreciation of the richness, variety
and strength of the continuing evolving
work of the talented Filipino and
Filipino American artists. In doing so,
this event will help promote not only
the image of Filipinos and FilipinoAmericans but also instill among the
Filipino-American youth pride in their
identity and rich cultural heritage. In a
similar way, under Ms. Rodriguez'
stewardship, the Segal Gallery has
cultivated mainstream audience and
established art critics' interests with its
shows regularly featured in the New
York Times.
Admission to the Gallery is free.
Montclair State University is located at
1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, New
Jersey 07043. The Segal Gallery is
located at the 4th Floor level of the Red
H awk Pa r k i n g D e c k , n e a r t h e
Alexander Kasser Theater. Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 am - 5
pm; Thursday 12:30 pm 7:30 pm
For further information,
http://www.montclair.edu/arts/unive
rsity-art-galleries-george-segalgallery/
C o n t a c t :
F l o r
a t
pinaysanj@yahoo.com; telephone:
(862) 397-3338 or Ed at
ed.pajarillo@gmail.com Telephone:
(718) 544-5191.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 20
Backyard sweets producer capitalizes
on Filipinos' sweet tooth
COUPLE Edwin and Rowena Bancod says
whatever success they achieved started
from the bottom. Photo by Yolanda
Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon
By Yolanda Sotelo
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -While delivering sweets to a
market stall in Baguio City
recently, Rowena Bancod saw a
woman asking a vendor if the
product she was looking for was
available. The woman showed
the vendor a wrapper and told
her that it came from a relative
abroad who asked her to buy
several packs.
“It turned out that the
product was Valleden's, our
product. By then I felt that our
small business had 'arrived,'”
Bancod says.
Valleden's products include
tarts, polvoron, uraro, banana
chips, yema, ube halaya and
other sweets produced in
Barangay Quibaol in this capital
town.
There is no signboard on the
tree-lined pathway from a
village road in Quibaol here.
There is nothing at all to suggest
that the pathway leads to the
production area of Valleden's, a
flourishing business enterprise
that capitalizes on the Filipinos'
sweet tooth.
Valleden's products have
been marketed in different
provinces in Northern Luzon
and are available at the Magic
chain of supermarkets.
Its owners, couple Edwin
a n d Rowe n a B a n c o d , a re
regulars in trade fairs and their
products have become hits as
giveaways and pasalubong.
But unknown to many,
whatever sweet life now being
enjoyed by Rowena, 44, and
Edwin, 47, was a product of
“hard work, with lots of tears.”
Valleden's started in 1997
when the Bancods were forced
to shut down their chicken
growing business after the
facility housing their stock was
damaged by Typhoon “Gading.”
With a bank loan still to be
paid, the couple felt their world
had crumbled. It was the last
blow to their livelihood, which
had been hit hard by big players
and contract growers who
dictated the prices of chicken,
with which backyard growers
could not compete.
“We were already losing our
capital and we were ready to
close shop when Gading blew
away the roof of the chicken
house,” Edwin, a civil engineer,
says.
But they believed that they
would recover. “When God
closes a door, a window opens,
but we should do our part,” says
Edwin.
Opportunity beckoned when
Rowena's brother, who is
married to a Bicolana, came
home to teach another brother
how to make tarts.
T h e w i fe o f Ro we n a' s
brother had a flourishing tart-
making business and they
brought tart-making tools to
Lingayen during their visit.
Their younger brother, however,
was not interested and it was
Rowena who ended up learning
how to produce tarts and other
products.
“My brother encouraged us
to start a tart-making business.
The first production of tarts cost
P200, mostly the cost of three
tins of condensed milk,” Rowena
says.
Next they produced
polvoron, then yema, then other
confection products which they
sold in schools in the town. They
named their products
Valleden's, after their daughter
Valleden, a play on the words
Valley of Eden. The couple's
other children are Brandon,
G r a n d e u r, V e r d a n t a n d
Forsythia.
It was a sweet turn of events
for the financially drained
couple, with their production
always failing to meet the
demand.
“Whatever we delivered was
not enough,” Rowena says.
Soon their products caught
the attention of government
agencies involved in product
development and marketing the Department of Trade and
Industry, the Department of
Science and Technology, the
provincial government and the
Department of Tourism.
The biggest break came in
2000 when the DTI provincial
office and Pangasinan
government teamed up for
'Unending fun'
in PHITEX 2013
Just exactly how much fun
possibilities of fun' because that
can foreign tourists enjoy in the
simply is what PHITEX 2013 is
Philippines?
designed to prove -- the reality
This question is precisely
of fun and how much fun there
what the forthcoming
really is to our tagline 'It's more
Philippine Travel Exchange
fun in the Philippines,'” Enerio
(PHITEX) 2013 will answer
pointed out.
wh e n t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f
“Now that kind of fun, in all
Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism
of its multitude of activities and
Promotions Board (TPB) make
dimensions, will be echoed to
the world's wholesale travel
the rest of the world by the
agents come face to face with the
foreign buyers when they return
country's tourism industry
home from PHITEX 2013,”
players.
Enerio stressed.
“And there will be some 150
Slated at the SMX
foreign buyers coming to
Convention Center Manila, the
PHITEX 2013 to find that out,”
PHITEX 2013 will be held on
said Mr. Domingo Ramon Enerio
Sept. 4 to 6, with the Travel
III, the Chief Operating Officer of
Exchange (TRAVEX) serving as
the Tourism Promotions Board,
the centerpiece of the 3-day
the DOT's marketing and
event.
promotions arm.
The TRAVEX, scheduled on
Enerio said this 12th
Sept. 5, is a full day of business
PHITEX would provide the
transactions between the
global travel trade sector with
foreign buyers and the local
the kind of brand experience
sellers meeting on a one-on-one
needed to help them market the
scheduled appointment.
Philippines as a unique
“ B u t b e fo re a n d a f te r
destination with the right type
TRAVEX, the foreign buyers will
of fun for every tourist.
have pre- and post-event tours
“It isn't just about declaring
to key Philippine attractions and
a 'brand promise' to foreign
destinations, where they will get
buyers, but making them
to know what we mean when we
experience the brand itself in
say 'It's more fun in the
fulfilling its promise of fun in
Philippines,'” Enerio added.
more ways than a tourist can
The targeted foreign buyers
imagine,” Enerio explained.
“So we call it 'unending
u
Page 22
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Page 22
What can make Filipinos globally competitive
By Amy R. Remo
What can make Filipinos
globally competitive?
For Simon Culhane, chief
executive of the London-based
Chartered Institute for Securities
and Investment (CISI), it is the
skill level of the Filipino
workforce that can set the
difference, enable sustained
investments and help an
emerging country like the
Philippines become more
competitive.
“The No. 1 factor to become a
financial center is to have a large
pool of skilled people. If you
haven't got skilled people, the
jobs won't come, and while you
can compete in terms of the cost
[of labor] alone for a period,
unless you can add value to the
skills, those jobs will eventually
move along like a commodity,”
Culhane says in a recent exclusive
interview with SundayBiz.
It is therefore crucial for an
emerging country like the
Philippines to raise the skill level
of its workforce to ensure that it
can lock those much needed
investments that can generate
high-value jobs over a long-term
period.
And this is the reason why,
according to Culhane, that CISI
has decided to come to the
Philippines.
“We have been looking at the
Philippines, thinking that this is a
place that's going somewhere
and we'd like to help it raise the
skill base,” Culhane says in a
recent trip to Manila.
The Philippines, he further
stresses, is a growing area with a
large, young population and an
emerging economy. Some of their
clients, which are multinational
banks and are already here in the
Philippines, are reportedly
asking CISI to provide the
Philippines with this chance to
have “qualifications” at par with
the global standards, thereby
Simon Culhane
raising the skill levels of its
workforce.
CISI, formed as not-for-profit
organization by members of the
London Stock Exchange in 1992,
offers a broad range of over 50
globally recognized vocational
benchmark qualifications and
country-specific regulatory
exams, mainly catering to those
involved in financial institutions.
These exams, which are
internationally recognized, cover
all areas of securities and
investments including wealth
management, compliance,
derivatives, risk management,
investment management,
derivatives, among others.
When one is able to pass these
exams, he or she can gain a
competitive working advantage
not only here in the Philippines,
but abroad as well since these are
recognized globally. These exams
certify that one has at least the
fundamental knowledge and
skills in a specific field in the
banking and finance industry.
So far, close to 40,000 CISI
e xa m s h ave a l re a dy b e e n
administered in nearly 90
countries, according to Culhane.
Such exams are used by
organizations to help
“benchmark staff to global best
practice standards and achieve
critical strategic goals.” Those
who pass these qualifying exams
can also become a member of
CISI, which will give them
continued access to various
professional and personal
benefits including an e-learning
system that can test one's
knowledge on over 45 industry
topics; online securities and
investment reviews; the CISI TV
and the CISI app that can be
downloaded on one's
smartphone.
The London-based Culhane
was in the country to help
introduce these “qualifications”
to the local banking and finance
institutions as well as to
multinational firms and
universities. Culhane is likewise
hoping that Philippine regulators
would also recognize and
approve their exams, which are
likewise accredited by regulators
in 20 other countries.
“I'm sure the Philippine
workforce is ready for this. But it
needed to be encouraged. So what
we need is to get recognition at
the high levels because people
u
Page 21
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 21
Making sustainable tourism a community way of life in Palawan
A keen understanding of why
Palawan has remained
untouched by pollution and
overdevelopment, and what can
be done to keep it stunningly
photogenic is at the heart of El
Nido Resorts' (ENR) education
program. This program is
targeted primarily towards its
employees and the residents of
the municipalities that host the
resorts. Entitled “Be GREEN
(Guard, Respect, Educate El
Nido),” the program requires the
attendance of all resort staff and
is updated periodically. It is also
rolled out to the local elementary
and high schools by ENR's
environmental officers every
quarter.
Visitors to El Nido Resorts,
located in the municipality that
hosts three of the four ENR
properties named after the
islands they are in (Lagen,
Miniloc and Pangulasian; the
fourth, Apulit, is in the next door
municipality of Taytay), likewise
get a healthy dose of
environmental education
through Be GREEN videos
strategically positioned in
waiting areas, in newsletters,
and even from dive guides.
“Once the respect for El
Nido's natural environment is
there, guarding this precious
resource becomes an honor, not
What can make
Filipinos ...
From page 20
would hear [ranking officials]
saying that this is a good exam.
This is part of our challenge now,
to get credibility as we have
successfully done in so many
other countries,” Culhane says.
“I say we have a very positive
and encouraging response. We've
yet to get there and quite
naturally, people would want to
do due diligence with us. That's
what is happening. We have
future discussions to continue.
an obligation,” says Mariglo
L a r i r i t , E N R d i re c to r fo r
sustainability. “Here at El Nido,
we do our utmost to preserve the
beauty that remains in our little
part of the world,” she adds.
Efforts to preserve the
natural beauty of El Nido Resorts
has paid off. Just recently, “Travel
+ Leisure”, one of the world's
most influential travel
magazines, featured ENR on the
August cover of its World's Best
I've come here to show my
commitment to the Philippines,”
he says of his visit to the country.
Robert Cronin, director for
Asia Pacific at CISI, notes that
interested individuals can simply
check out their CISI website and
book online to take the exams.
They have already set up a testing
center in Makati City, where a
handful of individuals have
already taken exams last year.
This year, they expect to do
roughly 200 exams.
“We expect exponential
growth of about 400-600 exams
by 2014, and then maybe a
thousand or more in the next year
or so. We're seeing great interest
Awards issue. It was also a
Tourism for Tomorrow awardee
in April for its community
efforts. Prior to this, “The Wall
Street Journal Magazine” named
ENR the “Philippines' best-kept
travel secret”, while CNN and
“The New York Times” singled
out El Nido Resorts from among
other world destinations for its
unmatched natural beauty.
ENR's strong focus on the
environment since its founding
in the '80s has paved the way for
the growth of tourism in
Northern Palawan. This thrust
has been further supported by
the company's policy to hire and
purchase supplies from as many
locals as possible. Currently, 90
percent of all employees are
from Palawan. Many of them
were able to send their children
to school and some even to
university because of their
gainful employment at ENR,
according to Laririt.
In addition, ENR supports
locals by buying as much as 58
percent of its ingredients like
bananas, mangos and pork from
them. Thatch roof experts have
likewise trained locals to braid
the grass that serve as roofing for
most of the El Nido Resorts
cottages.
Federations of local women
weave the bags from palm leaves
that are given away to guests.
Other women were organized to
serenade arriving guests with
songs in the local dialect at the El
Nido airport.
These initiatives are further
s u p p o r t e d by c o m m u n i t y
projects spearheaded by ENR
and its NGO partners, such as the
installation of mooring buoys in
common dive sites. The buoys
prevent reefs in the area from
being damaged by the anchors of
individual boats.
Laurent Lamasuta, president
of Ten Knots Development
Corporation, explains in
business terms the company's
commitment to environmental
protection:
“We safeguard the vital
resources upon which our
business is founded. In so doing,
we create long-term value for
our host communities and our
shareholders.” (Manila Bulletin)
in corporate clients and student
m a r ke t p l a c e . We' re i n
discussions with universities
here to integrate this into their
curriculum,” Cronin explains.
“People are very excited
actually. There is a hunger on the
part of the Filipinos to take on
globally recognized
qualifications.
They want to be the best just
like everyone. A lot of
aspirational students wanted to
get these qualifications when
they plan to work overseas,
because these are something
globally recognized,” Cronin
concludes. (Inquirer.net)
ALVEO LAND CORP., an AYALA
LAND CO., presentation on owning
property in the Philippines
Have you been thinking of
o w n i n g o r i nve s t i n g i n
property in up-and-coming
developments in the
Philippines and want to make
it a reality? If you answered
yes, join Bernadette "Berny"
Sison, Senior Area Sales
Director of Philippine-based
Alveo Land Corp., an Ayala
Land Co., who will be
conducting a presentation on
their High Street South, Verve
Residences, and other projects
on Monday, August 26, 5pm at
Topnotch Realty located at 508
West Side Avenue, 2nd Floor,
Jersey City, New Jersey.
Bernadette "Berny" Sison
To RSVP, please call Vic Lontoc
at 201-4921523 or email him
at victoriolontoc@yahoo.com.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 22
ADB notes PH 'slow progress' on poverty, hunger
By Angela Celis
The Philippines will likely
miss the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) on
eradicating extreme poverty and
hunger by 2015, unless efforts are
intensified to reduce poverty and
malnourishment, the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) said in
a new study.
In the Key Indicators for Asia
and the Pacific 2013, the Manilabased agency said that the
Philippines has “slow progress” in
achieving the goals of halving the
percentage of the population
living in extreme poverty and the
proportion of people who suffer
from hunger.
According to Manila-based
ADB, about 800 million Asians
survived on less than $1.25-a-day,
and about 1.7 billion lived on less
than $2-a-day, making the Asia
and Pacific region home to about
two-thirds of the world's poor.
“Strong and sustained
economic growth has contributed
to pulling hundreds of millions of
people out of poverty; 17 of 22
economies with data have
attained the goal of halving the
percentage of the population
living on less than $1.25-a-day.
Based on current trends, the Lao
People's Democratic Republic will
also meet the target by 2015,”
ADB said.
“However, three economies
Bangladesh, India, and the
Philippines are making only slow
progress and could fall short of
the target unless they intensify
efforts to reduce extreme
poverty,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the ADB study
said the proportion of the
population living on less than $2a-day declined for all economies,
except for Georgia. However, it
said that reductions in those
living below the $2-a-day line
were not as substantial as those in
the $1.25-a-day measure.
“While the ratios fell in
Bangladesh, India, and the
Philippines, the number of poor
living on less than $2 a day in
these economies increased by a
total of 82 million people, because
their population growth
outpaced poverty reduction
measured at the $2-a-day poverty
line,” the ADB said.
In particular, data used in the
report showed that the number of
people living below the $2-a-day
poverty line increased by 2.45
million in the Philippines
between 1994 and 2009.
Those in Bangladesh went up
by nearly 11.22 million between
1996 and 2010, while in India the
number increased by 68.09
million in India between 1994
and 2010.
Under the first MDG, the
Philippines has to halve its
poverty incidence from the 1991
level of 33.1 percent, to 16.6
percent by 2015.
The latest data shows that the
poverty picture in the first half of
2012 remained practically
unchanged from the same time in
2009 and 2006.
The National Statistical
Coordination Board said that the
country's poverty incidence in the
first semester of 2012 was 27.9
percent, nearly the same as the
2006 and 2009 first semester
figures estimated at 28.8 percent
and 28.6 percent, respectively.
In the first half of 2012, a
Filipino family of five needed
P5,458 per month to buy their
basic food needs. The same family
needed P7,821 in monthly
income to support both basic food
and non-food needs, such as
clothing, housing, transportation,
and health and education
expenses.
Meanwhile, the Philippines is
also making slow progress in
meeting the hunger target of
halving the percentage of children
under five who are underweight.
“Seven economies (in Asia
and the Pacific) achieved the
target and six others are expected
to meet it by 2015.
Discouragingly, 11 economies are
making only slow progress and
will likely miss the target unless
Globe wins 4 Stevie Awards
Telecommunications company
Globe Telecom announced yesterday
it won four major awards in the
10thAnnual International Business
Awards (IBA), widely known as the
S t e v i e Awa r d s w h i c h h o n o r
achievements and positive
contributions of organizations and
individuals worldwide.
There were a total of 3,300
nominations globally from over 50
countries. Globe received two Gold
Awards, one for GCASH American
Express Virtual Pay launch campaign
‘Unending fun’ ...
From page 20
are coming from Korea, Japan,
C h i n a , H o n g Ko n g , Ta i w a n ,
Australia, North America, Canada,
Europe, Russia, the Middle East,
India and the ASEAN countries of
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
For the local sellers, there will
be educational seminars on the
current market situation on the
international front, thus enabling
them to adapt their product
for easy and secure online shopping
under the New Product or Service
Introduction of the Year, and another
for Tattoo Broadband's Marked for
Greatness drive which won the
Marketing Campaign of the Year for
Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s t h ro u gh
Harrison Communications, Inc.
The annual Tatts Awards which
recognizes individuals and groups
who use social media to make
positive change in their community,
bagged the Silver Stevie for Best
Public Relations Event. On the other
hand, the Globe My Fair Share
Program grabbed the Bronze Stevie
for Corporate Social Responsibility
Program of the Year in Asia,
Australia, and New Zealand. My Fair
Share empowers the communities
being aided by Globe through
livelihood opportunities and market
access.
“We are deeply honored to be
recognized for our marketing and
communication efforts by such a
highly-respected organization. Once
again, we have shown that Globe is a
development efforts to global
demand trends.
Now a globally known
international event, PHITEX is held
yearly to entice foreign buyers to
have the Philippines in their tour
programs or include it in
e x p a n d i n g t h e i r m a r ke t i n g
portfolios, maximize the country's
exposure to both niche and
mainstream markets.
With PHITEX, the country's
tourism firms need not go on their
own around the world seeking out
partner agents. Instead, the foreign
agents come and do business with
game changer and truly world class.
Globe continues to drive innovation
in the Philippines with its product
offerings and services, consistently
building a trusted global brand,
which our employees, subscribers,
and various stakeholders, are proud
of,” said Yoly C. Crisanto, Head of
Globe Corporate Communications.
Winners were determined
through two months of preliminary
judging and two weeks of final
judging. In the preliminary stage,
judging was conducted by over 300
professionals worldwide. Their
scores decided the entries eligible
for final judging of members of the
specialized committees which, on
the other hand, determined the Gold,
Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award
placements.
The Stevie Awards, derived from
the Greek word “crowned,” will be
celebrated and the winners will be
honored for their achievement at a
gala banquet at the W Hotel in
Barcelona, Spain on October 14,
2013. (Manila Bulletin)
each of them one after another.
Targeted to constitute the local
sellers are airlines, hotels and
resorts, tour operators, convention
facilities, and congress and
incentive travel organizers, among
many others.
More information on the event
can be obtained from the PHITEX
2013 Secretariat (tel: 5257320,
5259318 loc. 263 and 240; fax:
5 2 5 7 3 2 0 ;
e m a i l :
secretariat@phitex.ph or
sellers@phitex.ph or visit
www.phitex.ph). (Manila Bulletin)
they ramp up efforts to reduce
malnourishment , including
heavily populated India,
Indonesia, and Pakistan as well as
Myanmar and the Philippines.
Three economies are making no
progress or are regressing,” the
ADB said.
The prevalence of
underweight children under five
years of age in the Philippines was
29.9 percent in 1990. But the
latest data available shows that in
2008, it is still 20.7 percent.
ADB said that the Philippines
will also likely miss the MDG of 95
percent primary school
enrollment, as its progress in
achieving the said target is
regressing.
The country has also been
making slow progress in
achieving the goal of keeping
children in primary school
through the final year.
“Sixteen economies have
reached or are expected to meet
the 95 percent target. However,
18 have not been making enough
progress to achieve the goal,
including India, Indonesia,
Myanmar, Pakistan, and the
Philippines,” the report said.
The Philippines also has slow
progress in hitting the targets for
under-5 mortality rate and the
infant mortality rate. (Malaya
Business)
PH urged to focus
on manufacturing
By Amy R. Remo
The manufacturing sector
remains critical for Asian countries
like the Philippines to prosper and
avoid the middle income trap,
according to a report of the Asian
Development Bank.
In one chapter of Key
Indicators for Asia and the Pacific
2013, the ADB's flagship annual
statistical publication, the
multilateral lender noted that a
progressive manufacturing sector
was key to highly productive
service sector, technological
innovations and in modernizing
agriculture in Asian countries.
“Historically, no economy has
reached high-income status
without reaching at least 18
percent share of manufacturing in
output and employment for a
sustained period,” ADB chief
economist Changyong Rhee said in
a statement issued Wednesday.
“Right now, as services boom in
the region, it's tempting to shun
industrialization, but it will be a
serious mistake if a country wants
to be prosperous,” Rhee added.
The report noted that several
economies rapidly industrialized
to become high-income countries.
These included Hong Kong, China;
Japan; Republic of Korea;
Singapore and Taipei.
O t h e r d e ve l o p i n g A s i a n
nations such as Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan and the Philippines are
changing even more slowly, have
created fewer manufacturing jobs
and are shifting from agriculture to
services.
Backyard sweets
producer ...
From page 20
Panangidayew 2000, a trade fair
at the SM Megamall.
“We were hesitant to join
because we did not have a vehicle
with which to bring the products.
But then, we decided to go. We
ordered craft paper bags to
package the sweets and we hired
a van. On the first day, we sold
P5,000 worth of products. We
were really very excited,”
Rowena says.
The business started to pick
up. The couple clinched a
contract to supply products to
Magic Supermarket, with the
first order worth P3,000.
“ We a l s o j o i n e d o t h e r
exhibits in other provinces with
the help of the DTI. In 2001, we
joined an exhibit at the Festival
Mall in Alabang and we really hit
it big there,” Edwin says, adding
that every year they join about
five events.
Rowena says they used to
pack the sweets in iced candy
plastic bags.
“Whenever I saw products in
supermarkets in beautiful
packaging, I would caress them,
wishing my products would also
have nice, eye-catching
packaging,” she says.
Her wish came true when the
DOST offered to finance the
design and production cost of the
first set of packages.
When the designs and boxes
arrived, the couple thought that
VALLEDEN'S ube halaya. Photo by Yolanda
Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon
these looked expensive and
feared that their customers
would avoid the products
thinking that their prices went.
Their fears, however, were
unfounded as the products still
sold fast in schools,
supermarkets and trade fairs.
The Bancods have added a
product to their sweet line,
which seemed to be odd. Edwin
has been gathering the sap from
nipa trees around their
production area and ferments
this into an all-natural, organic
vinegar.
Today, Edwin and Rowena
maintain their relationships with
clients as they continue to
personally deliver their products
to their outlets.
Edwin says communication is
important to keep the business
going.
“You also have to consult your
family members and employees
when there is a decision to be
made. But you have to make the
decision yourself, based on what
you deem is best,” he says.
(Inquirer.net)
ENTERTAINMENT
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 23
Int'l celebs pray
for PH, Filipinos
By Jecelyn V. Macahindog
Filipinos were not alone in
praying for the country,
especially with large parts of
Luzon and Visayas still
submerged in deep floods
caused by Typhoon Maring
and the heavy monsoon rains.
Even foreign personalities
rallied the embattled nation
through Twitter, expressing
their love and concern, as well
as offering prayers for the
Philippines and its people.
L.A. Lakers player Pau
Gasol (@paugasol) used the
h
a
s
h
t
a
g
#PrayForThePhilippines and
said: "All my support to all the
families affected by the floods
in the Philippines. Be safe and
stay strong!"
Black Eyed Peas member
and proud Fil-Am apl.de.ap
(@apldeap), on the other
hand, posted a photo that says
" P R AY F O R T H E
PHILIPPINES."
YouTube sensation and
Fil-Canadian Maria Lourdes
Aragon (@mariiiaofficial)
wrote: "I hope that everyone
in Manila is staying safe and
taking extra precautions at
this time. Keep your hearts up,
we are praying for you."
Charlene Gonzales
Jang Keun Suk (Photo from Jang Keun Suk PH's Twitter)
American pop singer
Camryn (@camrynrocks)
hoped that "all my friends in
the Philippines are doing ok
right now. Everyone please
#PrayForThePhilippines."
American pop rock band
G i n
B l o s s o m s
(@ginblossoms) also
t w e e t e d :
"#PrayForThePhilippines."
Meanwhile, Philippine
fans of Korean singer-actor
J a n g
K e u n
S u k
(@AsiaPrince_JKS) shared,
via the Twitter account
(@JangKeunSukPH), a photo
of their idol holding a placard
that says: "Don't give up
Philippines. Be safe."
Among local celebrities
that also took to social media
to alert their numerous
followers of relief and rescue
information were: Divine Lee,
Angel Locsin, Sharon Cuneta,
Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay
and Paolo Bediones. (Manila
Bulletin)
Present, past, future?: Matteo
on Sarah, Jessy and Andi
Matteo Guidicelli
By NR Ramos
Matteo Guidicelli has
denied, for the nth time,
speculations alluding to a
supposed brewing romance
between him and actresssinger Sarah Geronimo.
The recent wave of talks
surface following reports
that he was among the guests
at Geronimo's recent
birthday party.
Although he admitted to
attending the bash,
according to Guidicelli, his
visit was just a "friendly,"
insisting that he dropped by
with some mutual friends.
Asked if they still
communicate, Guidicelli
quipped: "I guess when we
see each other, we still say hi,
we will talk."
"Sabay-sabay kami dun,
we celebrated her birthday.
Grupo kaming nag-celebrate
ng birthday niya. Wala
namang masamang
intention or anything. It's
outside of work, it's outside
of showbiz," he told PEP.
If anything, the actor is
more than excited talking
about his new soap with Andi
Eigenmann.
Guidicelli went on to
clarify, “Hindi, we're just
friends.”
The duo worked together
some three years ago as a
love team on "Agua Bendita."
He admits he was quite
"close" to the controversial
actress at the time.
Where he is candid
t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e Po p
Princess, the Cebuano is
seemingly uncomfortable
talking about Jessy Mendiola,
to whom he has been linked
prior to Geronimo.
"We were very open to
each other, lahat ng sikreto
(ng isa't isa) alam namin,
kaso after three years,
marami kaming dinanas sa
buhay. I guess now we're still
the same people but we
matured in a way..."
"...I'm very happy for her,
she has 'Maria Mercedes.'
She really wants it, she's
worked hard for it...so I'm
very happy for her," he said.
He added, "I'm very
excited to work with her
again. Kumbaga, it's a new
Andi, it's a new me, so
exciting." (Manila Bulletin)
Charlene Gonzalez
laments alleged
mishandling of PDAF
By Michael Joe T. Delizo
Beauty queen turned TV hostactress Charlene Gonzalez has a
thing or two to say about the
recent headlines detailing the
alleged brazen misuse of the
Priority Development Assistance
Fund (PDAF) more popularly
known as pork barrel.
The wife of actor Aga Muhlach
who lost in his congressional bid
in Camarines Sur in the recent
elections aired her bitterness on
Instagram, posting a collage of
modern and clean public facilities.
“This is where we want our
taxes to go.. I truly pray.. That one
day our country will receive the
best and what all of us, as citizens
truly deserve,” she said in the
caption, referring to city
monorails, expressways, modern
airport, rescue service, modern
police, low cost housing, clean city,
parks and affordable education.
She expressed compassion
“for some who may be less
fortunate or for some who maybe
experiencing suffering” due to the
supposed mishandled public
funds.
“After reading all the articles
about the mis-spent PDAFs.. I just
can't help but feel bad & have a
pain in my heart.. How I wish that
our taxes was spent towards the
greater good of the people and for
our country,” the TV host added.
Charlene also prayed for
President Noynoy Aquino in his
continued battle against
corruption. She vowed to support
the administration “towards a
greater and better Philippines.”
“As Pnoy takes the road less
traveled to fight corruption, I pray
that he is given the continuous
courage & strength to fight for the
people and this noble cause,” she
posted.
As a closing statement, she
noted, “Pagod NA Ang lahat.. And I
hope the cleansing of our country
will be followed through until the
very end... God Bless all of us, 'Our
Nation' and lets all be strong
during a possible turning point for
our nation.” (Manila Bulletin)
Geneva Cruz is engaged again
MANILA -- If at first you don't
succeed, try and try again. For
singer Geneva Cruz, this cliche
applies to love as well, as she
announced her engagement to her
non-showbiz boyfriend Lee
Paulsen.
Cruz, who shot to fame as one
of the members of Smokey
Mountain, confirmed the happy
news on her official Twitter
account and Facebook accounts.
"He proposed to me, so I said...
'YES,'" Cruz wrote in the caption of
a photo of her and Paulson kissing,
which she uploaded on Facebook.
"Tonight is one of the happiest
days of my life," she tweeted.
Among those who commented
on her Facebook photo was her
cousin, actress Sunshine Cruz.
"You deserve to be happy!!
Yahooo!! I love you gen!" Cruz
wrote.
Geneva Cruz
Cruz was last married to TV
host KC Montero, with whom she
separated in 2010.
The singer also has a teenaged
son, Heaven, with her first
husband, former Introvoyz
vocalist Paco Arespacochaga.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 24
Gary V scores a hit in
'Tuesdays With Gary’
By Crispina Martinez-Belen
In line with his 30th
anniversary in showbiz, Gary
Valenciano stages a new series
titled “Tuesdays with Gary,”
which is now on its third run at
Teatrino. The hit series kicked
off last Aug. 6.
“Tuesdays with Gary” is
inspired by Gary's early years
as a performer when he used to
have gigs at the popular
entertainment venue of the
'80s, Tavern On The Square.
He will likewise have two
full sets with Awit Awards'
Best New Female/Best Female
Recording Artist for 2008 and
Philpop third placer Julianne
doing a mid-set performance.
“It's been quite a while
since I did a series of shows in a
very small venue,” says Gary.
“I'm excited to sing numbers
that I used to perform 30 years
ago. Of course, I will also sing
my own OPM songs.”
The music icon, who just
renewed his contract with
ABS-CBN continued, “I love
ASAP. I don't always get to sing
the songs I have been
preparing for the series. In
'Tuesdays with Gary,' we'll
TV host-actress Megan Lynne Young
Gary Valenciano
have a night to remember
every week.”
Opening the show is the
A.K.A. JAM, one of top ten
finalists of “The X Factor
Philippines,” a group Gary
himself mentored for nearly
two months.
Succeeding runs of
“Tuesdays With Gary” will be
on Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, 10, 17,
and 24.
“Tuesdays with Gary” is a
production of Manila Genesis
Entertainment & Management,
Inc. and GVPI for the benefit of
Shining Light Foundation.
(Manila Bulletin)
Megan Lynne Young
named Miss World
Philippines 2013
By Jecelyn V. Macahindog
TV host-actress Megan Lynne
Young proved that she can bounce
higher after winning the crown at
the Miss World Philippines 2013
held last August 18 at the Solaire
Resort and Casino in Pasay City.
The 23-year-old Fil-American
beauty, who was unable to join
another beauty pageant earlier, is
one million pesos richer
(management contract/sponsors)
and will represent the country in
the international version of the tilt,
Miss World 2013. The 63rd edition
of that pageant will be held in
Jakarta, Indonesia in September.
The coronation night of Miss
World Philippines 2013, televised
via GMA-7, saw fan-favorite Young
(No. 20) winning way past
runners-up Janicel Lubina (No.
10), MWP 2013 1st Princess;
Zahra Bianca Saldua (No. 5), MWP
2013 2nd Princess; Ma. Paula
Bianca Paz (No. 19), MWP 2013
3rd Princess; and Omarie Linn
Osuna (No. 18), MWP 2013 4th
Princess. The rest of the finalists
are: Jennifer Hammond (No. 17),
Karla Patricia Alas (No. 6),
Angelica Lopez (No. 12), Maria
Paula Estenso (No. 13), Samantha
Mae Bernardo (No. 7), Zandra
Flores (No. 24), Mercegrace
Raquel (No. 11), and Patricia Lae
Ejercitado (No. 22).
A number of special awards
were also given to Young: Best in
Fashion Runway, Miss Sports by
Fila, Miss Reducin, Miss Olay, Miss
Laguna World, Miss Bold and
Glamorous by Revlon, Miss Figlia
and Miss Bench Body.
Young, who was discovered on
GMA-7's "StarStruck" reality
search, moved to ABS-CBN where
she was cast in several shows
including "Pinoy Big Brother
Celebrity Edition 2" "Precious
Hearts Romances," "Betty La Fea,"
"ASAP," among others. She has an
ongoing series on TV5, "Misibis
Bay."
Just a month away from the
Miss World 2013, Young is being
primed to become the first Filipina
to win the international title. The
Philippines almost took the crown
with 2011 bet Gwendoline Ruais
finishing as Miss World First
Princess. In 2012, Queenierich
Rehman made it as a Top 15
contender. (Manaila Bulletin)
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 25
George Benson
Inspiration Tour
at the Big Dome
Music fans will be captivated
by the smooth, light sound of an
exhilarating array of jazz, swing,
bop, R&B and pop tunes from one
of the world's greatest jazz
guitarists and singers when
George Benson performs on
September 5 at the Araneta
Coliseum.
Benson will take the spotlight
in the Big Dome opener of the twonight concert series titled “George
Benson Inspiration Tour!” that will
end with a show on Sept. 6 at the
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and
Casino.
To be featured as very special
guest at the Smart Araneta
Coliseum concert is Grammy
Award-winning R&B and jazz
singer Patti Austin.
The musical event, produced
by Ovation Productions, is part of
Benson's ongoing world tour to
p ro m o t e h i s l a t e s t a l b u m ,
“Inspiration: A Tribute To Nat King
Cole,” which was released last June
4.
Patti Austin will perform as the
main act in another set of concerts
scheduled on Sept. 7 at the Crowne
Plaza Ballroom (dinner show) in
JEEPNEY RIDER “Fast and Furious 6” star Vin Diesel. PHOTO FROM VIN DIESEL'S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
George Benson
Mandaluyong City for the benefit
of Boys Town and on Sept. 9 at the
SMX Convention Center in Davao
City.
Appearing as special guest in
the two shows is Joe Pizzulo,
former lead vocalist of the Sergio
Mendes band.
Visit www.ticketnet.com.ph
for details. For the Waterfront
Cebu City Hotel & Casino show, call
(032) 232-6888/0917-622-8705.
For the Crowne Plaza Ballroom
show, contact 6337222. For the
SMX Convention-Davao show, call
0932-6376185 or 0917-7007088.
(Malaya)
Shaina shoots movie
love scenes for first time
Shaina Magdayao
MANILA -- Fans of Shaina
Magdayao will see a "bolder"
version of the young actress in
the upcoming movie "On The
Job" with Piolo Pascual and
Gerald Anderson.
In the acclaimed movie
directed by Erik Matti, Magdayao
plays the role of Pascual's wife.
"The project itself is very
bold, it's very daring, risky.
Medyo iba talaga siya sa
napapanood natin," Magdayao
said.
Magdayao said she had no
problem doing love scenes with
Pascual, who is being
romantically linked with her.
"Gumagawa naman tayo ng
intimate scenes kapag kailangan
sa telebisyon pero it's the first
time sa film na mature 'yung role
ko. This is very different," she
explained.
"Pero sabi ko naman siguro
sa tagal ko dito sa industriya, as
long as kailangan ng eksena,
maipalabas ang gusto naming
ipalabas at, most importantly,
kung pinagkakatiwalaan ko ang
leading man ko at direktor ay
gagawin naman natin 'yan," she
added.
In the interview, Magdayao
also took the chance to thank
Pascual for giving her the chance
to be part of the film.
"Thank you sa good words at
thank you at na-appreciate mo
ako and 'yung trabaho na
nagawa natin. Siyempre it's an
honor na makatambal ang isa sa
pinakamagagaling nating artista
dito sa industriya," she said.
Asked to confirm the real
status of her relationship with
Pascual, Magdayao replied: "Isa
po siyang mabuting kaibigan
talaga. Hindi ko alam kung bakit
naa-appreciate niya ako. Even
before 'yung lumalabas (na isyu
sa amin) isa na po talaga siyang
mabuting kaibigan sa akin, from
'Lobo' pa. Doon pa lang inilagaan
niya na ako and ngayon it's a
privilege to work with him."
"On the Job" will hit cinemas
nationwide on August 28.
Vin Diesel to shoot
next 'xXx' film in PH
By Ruben V. Nepales
LOS ANGELES -- Now, it can
be told: Vin Diesel plans to
shoot “xXx: The Return of
Xander Cage” partially in the
Philippines. Last Friday, we
reported that Vin shared a
“secret” with us when we
chatted with him briefly at the
recent grants and installation
luncheon of the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association
(HFPA) at the Beverly Hilton.
Well, after the event, we sat
down with the actor for an
interview, and he decided it
should no longer be kept a
secretthe next “xXx” movie will
begin with his title character
staying in the Philippines.
Vin, dressed casually in a
white shirt and jeans, enthused
about the Philippines, which he
visited last May: “I had never
been there until I went for the
release of 'Fast & Furious 6.' It
was probably the biggest
premiere I have ever seen in my
life. I felt so good about the
Philippines that when I came
back to California, I was
thinking about what film I
could do there. Because they
were like, 'Shoot a movie here.'
I met with Joe Roth, who is
producing 'xXx: The Return of
Xander Cage.' We had a very
long conversation about the
fact that Xander was left in
Bora Bora (in the first 'xXx'
movie). If you looked really
hard for him, you could
probably find him in some
tropical setting like the
Philippines.”
Breaking into a smile, Vin
added, “I like the warmth of the
people in the Philippines. I
don't know [how to] describe
it…if you go there, you will
know what I mean.”
He exclaimed, “I love the
Philippines! My sister-in-law
(Grace Blanco) is from there.”
Asked about his photo
aboard a jeepney that went
viral in the social media, Vin
answered, “I put up that
picture because I was really
traveling around in a jeepney. If
you don't know what a jeepney
is, it's like a very small open air
bus that is indigenous to the
Philippines. It's kind of a
trademark of the Philippines.”
'Coolest ride'
He talked some more about
the colorful, iconic vehicle that
Filipinos created from surplus
military jeeps left by the US
forces at the end of World War
II. “So many people wrote on
my Facebook page, 'Oh my God,
I can't believe you're not in a
limo.' 'I can't believe you are
not in a helicopter.' 'You are in a
j e e p n e y a p u b l i c
transportation?' I thought to
myself, if they only knew that
the jeepney is like a Central
Park horse-drawn carriage
ride to me. I grew up in a
subway. So the difference
between a horrible, dirty
subway and a beautiful chariot
like a jeepney is night and day.”
He continued: “So everyone
was acting like I was doing
something 'common folks-y.'
They don't realize
that…anyone who grew [up] in
N e w Yo r k w o u l d h a v e
[considered] the jeepney the
coolest ride in the world. So for
me, being in a jeepney was a
step up.”
Vinwho stars in “Riddick,”
the third installment of the scifi franchisewill play Kojak in
the film adaptation of the hit
TV series that featured the late
Telly Savalas.
He said, “We are waiting for
the script from (Neal) Purvis
and (Robert) Wade. For me, the
most powerful thing was that
Universal was very clever to
get the two guys who did the
origin story for James Bond,
the writers of 'Casino Royale'
and 'Skyfall,' to also pen the
origin story of Kojak. Hopefully,
w e a r e s h o o t i n g s o o n .”
(Inquirer.net)
Maja urges fans to ignore her bashers
MANILA -- Actress Maja
Salvador urged her followers
to just ignore her bashers who
continuously post critical
comments about her online.
In a post in her Instagram
account, Salvador said: “To all
my fans and supporters, thank
you sa lahat ng pagtatanggol.
Salamat po at na-appreciate ko
yun.”
She added: “Pero mas
pipiliin kong tahimik na lang
po tayo sana at maging deadma
sa mga bashers at haters.”
Instead of engaging with
her bashers, Salvador told her
fans to stay positive at all times.
“Positive na lang po tayo
lagi. Yun ang i-share and
spread natin sa lahat! Thank
you so much. Let's choose to be
the better person,” she said.
In her recent interview
with the July 2013 issue of
Cosmopolitan magazine,
Salvador for the first time
addressed her bashers who
continue to call her names in
various social networking
sites.
Salvador earned some
haters when actor Gerald
Anderson admitted that they
are in a relationship.
“Ang daming puwedeng
sabihin, pero ayaw ko nang idefend ang sarili ko o iklaro
kung ano ang tingin ng tao sa
akin. Majarot? Ahas? Isipin na
lang nila 'yon. Pero sa akin,
never akong naapektuhan
dahil unang una, wala akong
inagawan, at wala akong
inagaw,” she said.
Anderson is the former
boyfriend of actress Kim Chiu,
Salvador's erstwhile best
friend.
Salvador said her bashers
can say what they want but she
will not waste time worrying
over what others think of her.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 26
Rocco Nacino to play
San Pedro Calungsod
MANILA -- Actor Rocco
Nacino is set to embark on his
most challenging role on the big
screen, portraying the life and
martyrdom of Filipino saint, San
Pedro Calungsod of Cebu.
The actor was officially
introduced as the lead actor in
"San Pedro Calungsod, Batang
Martir," an official entry in this
year's Metro Manila Film Festival
(MMFF).
Rocco said he's flattered to be
given an opportunity to play
someone who touched so many
lives in such a young age.
"It's very humbling and I feel
so honored to be part of this. I'm
just one of the many actors out
there and yet ako pa rin ang naconsider nila to play the role. I
keep on saying thank you to direk
and the production crew," he
said.
The movie, which is directed
by Francis Villacorta, aims to
raise awareness on the life of the
young Filipino saint who was
martyred in the name of the
Christian faith.
The film won't entirely be just
about Calungsod's martyrdom as
it will also tackle the role he
played in the San Diego Mission
at the Marianas Islands (Guam)
led by Father Diego de San
Vitores between 1668 and 1672.
It will show what virtues he
practiced to serve the
propagation of Christianity at a
time of paganism, doubt and
disbelief.
Rocco Nacino
The role was initially given to
JM de Guzman, but a few months
back, the latter's father decided
to pull the Kapamilya actor from
the movie because of personal
reasons.
Rocco doesn't have any
qualms being the second choice
for the movie. He believes the
production staff saw something
in him which could help in
spreading the kind of life led by
Calungsod.
"I think they see potential in
me na kaya ko naman i-deliver
yung character. Nag promise ako
sa kanila na I will dedicate my
MANILA -- Actress Jodi Sta.
Maria appreciates Jolo
Revilla's efforts to spend time
with her despite his hectic
schedule as the vice governor
of Cavite.
Sta. Maria admitted that
they rarely see each other as
she and Revilla are both busy
with their respective careers.
“We are so busy with work,
sa mga kanya kanya naming
buhay. Dapat lang talaga magspend ng time kasi kung hindi,
MANILA -- ABS-CBN has
offered a new project to Judy
Ann Santos, an executive of the
Kapamilya network said, as the
primetime series starring the
actress nears its conclusion.
Director Laurenti Dyogi,
ABS-CBN's TV Production
Head, shared the news early
this week in a series of posts on
micro-blogging site Twitter,
amid speculations about
Santos' ongoing series "Huwag
Ka Lang Mawawala."
Addressing concerns
brought up by Santos' fans on
the social networking site,
Dyogi explained that the soap's
relatively short run reflects the
"actual length of the story."
"It was as planned by the
creators of the soap. Short but
powerful story... What the
creators don't want to happen
is to extend the story
unnecessarily. ['Huwag Ka Lang
Mawawala'] is one of the best
crafted soaps of [ABS-CBN]," he
said.
Directed by Malu Sevilla,
Jerry Lopez Sineneng and Tots
Mariscal, "Huwag Ka Lang
Mawawala" premiered on ABSCBN's Primetime Bida block on
Judy Ann Santos
June 17. It will run for two more
weeks, according to Santos,
before airing its final episode
on August 23.
Dyogi said Santos has
already been offered a new
Kapamilya project, which he
said will be "new" for the
actress dubbed the "Queen of
Pinoy Soap Opera."
"Hopefully Judai (Santos)
accepts the new project we
offered her. Bago na [naman]
for her... Judai is well-loved!
Thanks for giving her your full
support," the director said,
addressing a follower on
Twitter.
On her own Twitter page,
the 35-year-old Santos said
early this week she is
"processing things," when
asked if she is considering
switching networks after
"Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala"
ends.
Dyogi, in another tweet on
Wednesday, likewise addressed
a follower who brought up
Santos' possible move to
another station. "I think she will
stay. Will pray for that," he said.
Finale nears
Santos, meantime,
expressed her excitement over
u
Page 27
u
Page 27
Jodi lauds Jolo's efforts
to spend time with her
Jodi Sta. Maria and Jolo Revilla
Judy Ann Santos has
new Kapamilya project
hindi na kami magkikita,” she
said.
Sta. Maria added: “Yung tao
namang 'yun, basta wala
siyang ginagawa, tina-try
niyang dumaan. Ume-effort
naman siya ng bongga. Dapat
we should always spend time.”
While Sta. Maria was all
praises for Revilla's efforts, she
noted that their relationship is
always a two-way street.
“Basta we support each
o t h e r s a m ga b a gay n a
ginagawa namin. Nirerespeto
niya ang ginagawa ko, at
nirerespeto ko ang ginagawa
niya,” she said.
Responding to insistent
questions, the actress also
reiterated that a wedding will
not happen soon.
“Wala pa. Agad agad? We
are just taking things slow. We
are not in a rush naman sa
kahit anong bagay,” she said.
On the day of the interview,
Sta. Maria had a commitment
with a new endorsement. It
was noticeable that Revilla was
in the audience to supporting
the actress.
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 27
Kaye Abad says she has no sex video with Chito
Kaye Abad
MANILA -- Actress Kaye
Abad finally reacted on the sex
video of her former boyfriend,
Parokya ni Edgar frontman
Chito Miranda, which was
leaked on the Internet early this
month.
Abad said she has no sex
video with Miranda when they
were still together.
"Confident ako [na] wala,"
she said.
Abad came clean to appease
her fans, saying she has nothing
to fear.
The actress said she still
respects Miranda, who has
already brought up the case of
his private video to the National
Bureau of Investigation.
Miranda and Abad broke up
in 2009 after years of being a
couple. Abad is now in a
relationship with singer-actor
Guji Lorenzana.
Meanwhile, Abad said she is
happy with the high ratings of
her series, "Annaliza," which
airs before "TV Patrol.”
Last Monday, August 12, the
program hit its new all-time
high national TV rating of
25.4% vs its rival with only
15.4%.
Daniel tells Kathryn: Don't talk to other boys
MANILA -- While they have
yet to admit that they are
officially a couple, it seems that
on-screen tandem Daniel Padilla
and Kathryn Bernardo are now
exclusively seeing each other.
Padilla said he does not want
Bernardo to talk to other boys,
especially now that she has
returned to school. Bernardo is
taking up a business course at
Enderun Colleges.
"Mayroon [akong do's and
don'ts para kay Kathryn]. Do's,
mag-aral ka lang. Don'ts,
kumausap ng lalaki. 'Yun lang,"
Padilla said.
To which Bernardo replied:
"Kung hindi naman ako
kakausapin, hindi ko sila
kakausapin."
Still, Padilla stressed: "Kapag
gusto mong makipag-usap,
bawal pa din. Hindi pwede kasi
magagalit ako."
Bernardo, however, is not as
strict as Padilla, saying that the
actor can still talk to other girls.
"Basta trust lang talaga.
'Yung hindi siya pwedeng
makipag-usap sa iba, eh pwede
naman," she said. "Depende
naman sa tao kung paano mo
iha-handle ang imi-meet mo,
depende kung pwede kang
makipag-usap o ma-attach sa
kanya.”
In a previous interview,
Padilla and Bernardo described
their "relationship" as "MU,"
Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo
which is short for "mutual
understanding."
The two are busy preparing
for their upcoming series on
ABS-CBN titled "Got to Believe."
Piolo focused on
shooting movie
with Toni Gonzaga
MANILA -- Actor Piolo Pascual
revealed he is happy to be “very
busy” working on his upcoming
movie with TV host-actress Toni
Gonzaga.
Pascual said it has been a while
since he and Gonzaga expressed
their desire to work together in a
project.
“ I ' m j u s t re a l ly exc i te d .
Nandoon ang attention ko ngayon.
Finally nakagawa kami ng pelikula
ni Toni and nakatrabaho ko ulit si
Inang (director Olivia Lamasan) so
I'm just really excited for the
project,” he said.
Talks about a movie with
Gonzaga and Pascual first surfaced
in late 2011.
Gonzaga's last movie was the
box-office hit “Four Sisters and A
Wedding,” while Pascual's latest
film is the acclaimed “On The Job,”
which opens in theaters later this
month.
Pascual said his movie with
Gonzaga is also another
opportunity for him to learn from
the veteran director.
Meanwhile, Pascual shared that
he is similarly looking forward to
his a reunion movie with former
Judy Ann Santos
has new ...
From page 26
the unfolding of the story of "Huwag
Ka Lang Mawawala" as it
approaches its conclusion.
Her character, Anessa, has
resurfaced as Angela Balaguer on a
quest for revenge on her abusive
husband, Eros (Sam Milby), and his
family for keeping her apart from
her son.
"Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala,"
which airs after "Muling Buksan ang
Puso," maintained its lead in
Rocco Nacino to
play ...
From page 26
time and I will learn Spanish, Latin
and Bisaya, I will do my research
and study the role."
He added, "There's more
pressure on me but when I thinking
about it, I don't really want to be
bothered (by that idea). I will just do
my best, make sure to deliver what's
expected of me and give a good
performance. It doesn't matter
kung second choice ako."
The Kapuso star accepted the
role as he's looking forward to new
learning and an opportunity to play
someone who is special in the lives
of many Filipinos. Rocco said no one
in their right mind will turn down
this kind of project.
On the prospect of competing in
the MMFF with big show biz names,
like Vic Sotto, Richard Yap, Jodi Sta.
Maria, Daniel Padilla, Kathryn
Piolo Pascual
love team partner Claudine
Barretto.
"Clau will always be one of the
closest friends in showbiz na
talagang tumulong sa akin," the 36year-old said, adding that he is
more than willing to co-star with
Barretto again.
"Depende sa schedule namin,
depende sa schedule niya, depende
kay Tita Malou (Santos of Star
Cinema). But yeah, of course sabi
ko kay Tita Malou, 'Oo naman,'" he
said.
national TV ratings over its rival
shows aired on GMA-7 and TV5 in
the first week of August.
According to the latest TV
ratings data of multi-national
market research group Kantar
Media, the Kapamilya series
continued its winning streak in
nationwide ratings against GMA-7's
"My Husband's Lover" on August 2
(28.1% vs 14.4%), August 5 (26.1%
vs 15%), August 6 (24.9% vs 14.1%),
and August 7 (24.9% vs 14.4%).
Kantar Media uses a nationwide
panel size of 2,609 urban and rural
homes, representing 100% of the
to t a l P h i l i p p i n e T V v i e w i n g
population.
Bernardo, Vice Ganda, Eugene
Domingo and Diamond Star Maricel
Soriano, Rocco said he's nervous on
what will happen on December, but
prayers can move mountains.
"Kinakabahan na ako. Basta I'll
do my best and be optimistic lang.
Pantay-pantay naman kami dito
(MMFF)," Nacino said.
Rocco counts the movie as one
big miracle of his career.
"I can consider it as a miracle.
San Pedro Calungsod is looking
after me. Through this project mas
naging God fearing ako, I appreciate
my family more and I'm optimistic,”
shared Nacino.
Also part of the movie are
Christian Vazquez, Jestoni Alarcon,
Ryan Eigenmann, RObert Correa,
Carlo Gonzalez, Arthur Solinap,
Victor Basa, Ruby Ruiz and
Mercedes Cabral.
"San Pedro Calungsod, Batang
Martis" is produced by HPI Synergy
Group in association with Wings
Entertainment.
SPORTS
Football legends spice
up Clear Dream Match
Football legends Fabio
Cannavaro and Dennis Wise
will spice up the action when
the battle for Clear Supremacy
between brothers Phil and
James Younghusband kicks off
Saturday, August 24, at the
University of Makati.
Cannavaro, skipper of the
Italian team that ruled the 2006
FIFA World Cup, and Wise,
owner of several titles during
his stint with Chelsea, will
reinforce the teams assembled
by Filipino stars Phil and James
for the Clear Dream Match II,
the biggest football all-star
game put up by Clear, the
number one men's shampoo
brand.
Cannavaro will beef up
Team James, which is out to
avenge its setback to Team Phil
in the inaugural edition last
year.
Wise will lend his expertise
with the side of the younger
Younghusband. “Last year's
match was one-sided, this year I
want to help James even the
score,” Cannavaro.
“Like Phil I love to win and I
always love to score goals, and
that's the type of team I want to
be associated with,” Wise said
for his part.
The legends' addition will
surely raise the level of
competition in the Clear Dream
Match II, sponsored by Smart,
G re e nw i c h , S e d a H o t e l s ,
Adidas, Gatorade, Rappler and
TechnoMarine.
Naples-born Cannavaro is
considered one of the greatest
defenders of his generation,
earning the nickname “Muro di
Berlino” (The Berlin Wall) for
his defensive exploits
throughout Italy's triumphant
campaign in the 2006 World
Cup, especially in the final
against France in Berlin. He was
named Fifa World Player of the
Year in the same year.
A central midfielder known
for his aggressive style, Wise
captained the Chelsea teams
that won the FA Cup in 1997
and 2000, the League Cup in
1998 and the UEFA Winner's
Cup in 1998.
Cup hopefuls
By Kristel Satumbaga
Fil-Americans Treat Huey
and Ruben Gonzales are likely to
banner the Philippine Davis Cup
team again when it meets New
Zealand in the Asia Oceania
Zone Group II final round tie on
Sept. 13-15 at the Plantation
Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu
Lapu City.
Also being considered are
former junior No. 1 netters
Francis Casey Alcantara and
Jeson Patrombon, Patrick John
Tierro, Johnny Arcilla, Elbert
Anasta and Marc Reyes.
(Manila Bulletin)
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August 23 - 29, 2013
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Pacquiao blew it,
says Mayweather
Boxing fans still dreaming
of an epic showdown between
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and
Manny Pacquiao had their
hopes further diminished on
Saturday, the Bleacher Report,
a sports website, said
Saturday.
David Mayo of MLive.com
interviewed Mayweather
while he was preparing for his
Sept. 14 fight against Saul
“Canelo” Alvarez. The star
fighter said he would never
fight Pacquiao, contradicting
an earlier interview with
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, in
which he said he would
consider the bout if Pacquiao
fought under the Mayweather
Promotions umbrella.
H e re' s M ay w e a t h e r ' s
statement: “That's probably
how I was feeling at that
particular time. I'm only
human. Floyd Mayweather
does contradict himself. I'm
only human. I'm not perfect. I
mean, I think we all do.
“How are things today?
He's not going to get a chance
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
to fight me. I was feeling that
way weeks ago. Now, I'm
feeling like I wouldn't even
give him a chance. He had a
chance, he blew it, so that's
what it is.”
The 36-year-old
Mayweather claimed that
Pacquiao had an opportunity
to square off in the past but
didn't take advantage.
Evidently, Mayweather is
finished waiting around, likely
denying what would be one of
the most hyped bouts in
boxing history.
Mayweather revealed
before his May fight with
Robert Guerrero that
retirement is a possibility
after his deal with Showtime
expires (via Dan Rafael of
ESPN). The contract calls for
up to six fights over a 30month span.
Mayweather boasts a
perfect 44-0 career record
with 26 knockouts, and had
previously told the Huffington
Post that Pacquiao isn't worth
fighting, because the
hypothetical clash “no longer
holds weight.”
It's at least a marginally
g o o d p o i n t f r o m
Mayweather's perspective,
because Pacquiao has lost his
past two decisionsthe most
recent of which was to
archrival Juan Manuel
Marquez, who knocked him
out . (Bleacher Report)
(Manila Bulletin)
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 29
The secret to this hit adobong alimango and
its finger-licking sauce
By Vangie Baga-Reyes
In cooking Adobong Alimango,
Mila Aquende Banzon shares the
secret of its finger-licking
saucegarlic, lots and lots of garlic.
She uses about six to seven
bulbs of garlic for every two to
three large pieces of crabs.
The heady aroma and taste of
sweet garlic, plus the salty-thansour flavor of her adobo, seep
nicely into the tender crab meat.
The marinated aligue (crab fat)
makes the adobo extra-luscious.
Banzon's version contains no
vinegar, pepper or bay leaf, only
calamansi juice and fish sauce
(patis) to seal the deal.
“This adobo is so easy to cook,”
says Banzon, 62. “You're done in
15 minutes or less.”
Adobong Alimango, one of
Banzon's kitchen specialties, has
never failed to stimulate her
family's appetite. They enjoy their
adobo with mounds of rice gently
smothered with adobo sauce. No
need for butter to add richness to
the dish. The sharp sourness of the
calamansi juice and the saltiness
of fish sauce in the adobo are
enough.
The aligue is extracted from
the crab then marinated for a few
minutes in calamansi juice and fish
sauce. The rest of the crab is
sautéed in garlic.
MILA Banzon. Photo by Marc Anthony Reyes
She says it's best to get mud
crabs, still alive right up to when
they're cooked. Pick those that feel
heavy. Crabs should smell briny
fresh; they should look bright and
clean.
Cooking for the family
Banzon has been serving
Adobong Alimango for years now,
even passing on the recipe to the
house help.
“I learned the recipe from a
good friend,” she says. “Every time
we have special occasions in the
house, I would prepare it. These
days, it's my long-time
kasambahay Saling who cooks it
for the family.”
Banzon hails from Albay, but
she's one Bicolano who's not into
spicy food. She doesn't like dishes
with gata (coconut milk) as well.
“My friends and relatives
would tease me about it, but I just
prefer simple home-cooked Pinoy
meals like sinigang for my family,”
she explains.
She used to attend baking and
cooking classes, where she
learned more Filipino and Chinese
dishes.
“I enjoyed those things
because I enjoyed the company of
friends,” Banzon recalls.
Apart from her crabs, the
family likes her potato salad and
grilled seafood and meat dishes.
Busy woman
These days, Banzon is busy as a
bee running the family businesses
in Bataan. She used to run a
pawnshop before joining her
husband, Oscar, in the family
construction business (Abesco),
and is now running the family's
own hotel, Crown Royale Hotel
(Capitol Drive, San Jose, Balanga,
Bataan), and resort, La Vista
Balanga Inland Resort (Barangay
Central Roman Superhighway,
Balanga, Bataan).
They also recently acquired
the franchise for a Chinese
restaurant, a spa and a salon.
Banzon shares her recipe for
Adobong Alimango and Bataan's
version of Chicken Pork Adobo,
which is a bit sweeter than usual.
(Inquirer.net)
EXPRESS SUDOKU
HOW TO PLAY: Place a number from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so that each
row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the numbers from 1 to 9
Solution to Issue 32 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 32 Crossword
Adobong Alimango (Stewed Mud Crabs)
3 pc large crabs (mud crabs)
6 bulbs of garlic, chopped
1/3 c calamansi juice
½ c fish sauce, 1 c water, ½ c oil
Clean crabs thoroughly. Cut crabs in
half. Remove the crab fat (aligue) and
set aside. Marinate fat in calamansi juice
and fish sauce. Meanwhile heat oil in a
pan and sauté the garlic until brown.
Remove the garlic from pan and set
aside. Add crabs to the same pan and
cook until almost reddish in color. Set
aside.
Quickly sauté the reserved crab fat
with calamansi juice and water. Blend in
the fried crabs. Season with salt and
pepper. Simmer over medium heat until
crabs are fully cooked. Garnish with
fried garlic. Serve with garlic rice.
½ k pork liempo, ½ k chicken
100 g onion, 6 bulbs of garlic
½ c soy sauce, ½ c vinegar
2 tbsp sugar, ground pepper
5 leaves laurel, 2 tbsp cornstarch
sliced onions, ¼ c oil, ½ c water
Bataan Chicken Pork Adobo
Sauté garlic and onion in cooking
oil. Add chicken, pork and soy sauce.
Add vinegar and water. Allow to boil.
Add sugar and ground pepper. Add
laurel leaves. Simmer and season to
taste. Add cornstarch to thicken the
sauce. Garnish with sliced onions.
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August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 30
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Applicants will be required to meet 55+ age requirement, income, and
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Page 31
August 23 - 29, 2013
Page 32

The Filipino Express v27 Issue 33

Transcription

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