The Filipino Express v27 Issue 42

VOL. 27 w
NO. 42 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
OCTOBER 25 - 31, 2013 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
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Earthquake damage in
Bohol placed at P2.5B
By Carmel Loise Matus
SULU SULTAN DEAD BUT NOT SABAH CLAIM. Relatives and supporters pray before
the remains of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III (right) at the Blue Mosque in Maharlika
Village, Taguig City. Kiram died Sunday, Oct. 20 at the age of 75. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Sultan of Sulu dies;
Sabah claim lives on
By Marlon Ramos
The ownership claim of the
sultanate of Sulu and North
Borneo to Sabah will not be
buried with Sultan Jamalul
Kiram III.
Kiram made this clear to his
family before he died at the
Philippine Heart Center in
Quezon City early Sunday, Oct.
20, according to Abraham
Idjirani, the sultanate's secretary
general and spokesman.
The 75-year-old sultan, the
33rd crowned ruler of one of the
oldest sultanates in Southeast
Asia, died from multiple organ
failure due to complications of
diabetes at 4:42 a.m.
Malacañang offered its
condolences to the family of
Kiram, who tried to force the
government to press his clan's
claim to Sabah through an armed
intrusion into the oil-rich
territory in North Borneo in
TAGBILARAN CITY -- The
damage caused by the 7.2magnitude earthquake in Bohol
province on Oct. 15 has been
estimated to reach P2.5 billion,
Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto said on
Monday.
The damage to heritage
churches is estimated at P1.1
billion, although the amount is
based on the cost of restoring the
centuries-old structures, Chatto
said.
He said the damage to
infrastructure reached P830
million; to the municipal hall, P106
million; to hospitals, P92 million;
and to the province's economy, P52
million.
Chocolate Hills, one of the country's popular tourist destinations, in Sagbayan town in
The first district of Bohol
Bohol province have been disfigured following the Oct. 15 powerful earthquake that
sustained the biggest damage, he
struck Central Visayas. This aerial shot was taken by Inquirer photo correspondent John
added.
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Chua.
Ghost U.S. university hires
dozens of Filipino nurses
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By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) If it's too good to be
true, check it out.
This age-old red flag slipped from the
attention of the eager beaver job-hunting Filipino
nurses, who fell on the scheme of two Americans,
who bilked them of thousands of dollars online
House of Representatives. AP FILE PHOTO
after promising them non-existing jobs in Denver,
Colorado.
Fortunately for the more than 25 Filipino
victims, Kizzy Kalu of Highlands Ranch, Colorado,
and his conspirator, Philip Langerman, who listed
By Leila B. Salaverria
night, ostensibly with no
their non-existing Adam University in Denver,
pork barrel or Priority
were stopped cold on their tracks after they were
T h e H o u s e o f Development Assistance
charged before the U.S. District Court of Colorado
Representatives approved Fund (PDAF) lump sum
in Denver with forced labor, mail fraud, visa fraud
the P2.268-trillion 2014 appropriation in it, but
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and other violations.
national budget Tuesday
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House passes P2.268 Trillion
budget; pork funds intact
David Gibson (left) and Rich Kiamco ( right) of Jersey City display their marriage
license, which they obtained during a rally on the lawn in front of Garden State
Equality Oct. 18, 2013, in Montclair, N.J. The state Supreme Court ruled that
same sex marriages can be officiated starting Oct. 21. AP
slate.com photo
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Napoles 'sent millions of
dollars to US
in suitcases'
By Nancy C. Carvajal
Janet Lim-Napoles amassed
millions of dollars from two local
money changers and sent them to the
United States, without central bank
approval, either through bank-tobank transfers or hand-carried in
suitcases that were cleared through
US airports by Filipino contacts there,
the Inquirer has learned.
The dollars were acquired to
purchase properties in the United
States, supply the needs of lawmakers
traveling abroad, and provide
allowances for Napoles' family on
their frequent trips overseas,
according to Stephen Cascolan,
counsel for a group of whistleblowers who were former employees
of the businesswoman.
Cascolan said Napoles, the alleged
brains of a P10-billion racket that
turned allocations from the
congressional Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork
barrel, into ghost projects and
kickbacks, had “millions of dollars
abroad to purchase prime properties.”
The government has asked the US
Embassy in Manila to freeze assets of
Napoles in the United States and turn
these over if proven to have been
illegally obtained.
Cascolan said the method
Anti-pork protesters fight 'kapre',
'tikbalang', 'manananggal' in gov't
By Julliane Love De Jesus
MANILA -- The anti-pork
barrel protesters took to the
streets Wednesday afternoon
the “three monsters of the
government.”
In a pre-halloween parade
dubbed as KataKURAKOTan,
various groups have come
Janet Lim-Napoles. Inquirer photo
together to create a
“Manananggal,” “Tikbalang,”
purportedly employed by Napoles to
a
n d “ K a p re ,” ve r s i o n o f
remit money abroad in violation of
President Benigno Aquino III
Philippine laws penalizing the salting
and his men Budget Secretary
of foreign exchange abroad would
Florencio
Abad and Executive
form part of the evidence to be
Secretary Francis Ochoa.
submitted to Washington to recover
Cultural group Ugat Lahi
in Pasay where they were
Lacierda, Abigail Valte and
her illegally acquired properties in the
member
Cris
de
Leon
told
stopped
by
security.
Ricky
Carandang are the
United States.
INQUIRER.net that these
De Leon explained that as a
“Smoking Kapre” and tiyanaks.
Napoles is facing plunder charges,
monsters were symbolical of
“manananggal,” Abad sucked
A kapre is a huge terrifying
along with Senators Juan Ponce
the faces behind the Priority
F i l i p i n o f u n d s d r y. A
beast that lives on large trees
Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong
Development Assistance Fund
“manananggal” is a beautiful
or abandoned houses and is
Revilla, and 34 other people.
(
P
D
A
F
)
o
r
p
o
r
k
b
a
r
r
e
l
female
during
the
day
that
depicted
as smoking a cigar
Affidavits executed by the whistlecontroversy.
turns into a half-bodied, flying
that never burns out while a
blowers and submitted to the
Since the pork barrel scam
creature with wild, flaming
“Tiyanak” is an evil creature
National Bureau of Investigation said
e
r
u
p
t
e
d
w
i
t
h
d
e
t
a
i
n
e
d
eyes
and
sharp
teeth
that
preys
that
begins its monstrous life
Napoles bought dollars from money
businesswoman Janet Limon humans and eats their heart
as an aborted or dead fetus that
changers identified as Hector Ang and
Napoles as the alleged
and liver
wasn't baptized before the
Michael Ty.
mastermind,
a
series
of
Ochoa
is
the
“Tikbalang”,
a
burial
and eats its victims'
“Transactions of dollar
protests were staged to
character from Philippine
inner organs and drinks their
conversions and purchases from them
pressure the administration to
folklore that is half-human and
blood.
were paid through their accounts in
abolish the pork barrel system
half-horse and supposedly
Neil Doloricon, one of the
Metrobank with the equivalent peso
and other discretionary funds.
leads its victims away from
convenors of the Artista Kontra
value,” said Marina Sula, a former
Donning “blood-soaked”
their paths, for “always
Korupsyon (AKKSYON), said,
Napoles employee.
costumes, the protesters, who
deviating from the pork barrel
however, that the issue of
In his affidavit, Benhur Luy, a
were estimated to be at least
issue,” according to the artist.
corruption was “quite real and
former Napoles aide who was
500,
began
their
march
from
Lastly,
Aquino
and
his
three
causing
havoc and carnage on
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Roxas Boulevard to the Senate
spokespersons
Edwin
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October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Residents queue up under the rain to receive relief supplies at quake-hit Sagbayan
town, Bohol province. AP FILE PHOTO
Earthquake ...
From page 1
Roads have been opened to
traffic, including the shorter routes
going to the eastern part of Bohol, the
governor told a briefing.
He said provincial officials were
looking for alternate routes to cross
the isolated towns of Maribojoc and
Loon from Cortes town.
Big rocks that block the road
from San Isidro to Antequera will be
blasted, Chatto said.
Power restoration
Despite the national
government's promise to restore
electricity in the province within
three days, 18,308 homes remained
without power a week after the
quake.
Chatto said the Bohol Electric
Cooperative still had to inspect the
homes before reinstalling power.
Relief has reached 29
municipalities in the province, with
15 still to get help.
With the reopening of more
roads, however, the movement of
relief goods is expected to pick up
speed.
Chatto said municipal disaster
councils were running the relief
operations to ensure that there
would be no gaps in distribution.
Eastern Visayas helps
Archbishop John Du of Palo in
Leyte province has urged people to
help victims of the earthquake.
Fr. Amadeo Alvero, a spokesman
for the archdiocese, said Du
launched a fund drive for the
earthquake victims on Sunday.
While Eastern Visayas felt the
earthquake, it did not cause damage
to any part of the region.
The Archdiocese of Palo covers
the provinces of Leyte, Biliran and
the three Samar provinces (Samar,
Eastern Samar and Northern
Samar).
Southern Leyte is part of the
Cebu archdiocese.
The Leyte provincial
government also plans to provide
financial assistance to Bohol.
Leyte Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto said
he and other officials of the province
would travel to Bohol to turn over
the financial aid as well as relief
goods. Inquirer.net
Left photo shows water gushing from the Maputi Spring in Agusan del Sur before the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Central Visayas on
Oct. 15, 2013. The second shows a dried up well after the earthquake. The spring is a main source of water for residents in Rosario town, Agusan
del Sur. CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN/INQUIRER
Agusan town loses water supply
after October 15 earthquake
By Chris V. Panganiban
ROSARIO, Agusan del Sur -- The
spring that supplied practically the
entire municipality of Rosario with
drinking water dried up following
Tuesday's 7.2 magnitude
earthquake that shook Bohol and
other parts of the Visayas as well as
Mindanao, killing up to 180 people.
The drying up of the Maputi
Spring, where a World Bankfunded P47-million water system
was being installed, has puzzled
residents of eight of the
m u n i c i p a l i t y ' s 1 1 b a ra n gay
(villages) who found themselves
waterless the day after the
earthquake, which was felt here at
Intensity 3.
Even local officials were at a
loss as to why the spring dried up so
suddenly when it was flowing
abundantly hours before the
tremor struck.
Vice Mayor Julie Chua said he
suspected that the earthquake
triggered major movements in the
earth's plates underneath this
town, which in turn blocked the
flow of water from the
underground aquifer.
He said the municipal
government has asked the Mines
and Geosciences Bureau to look
into the matter and explain the
phenomenon to the townsfolk.
Chua said local officials wanted
to know if there was a possibility
water would flow again on its own
or if something could be done to
bring the spring back to life.
Otherwise, the multimillion-peso
water system being installed would
be a total loss.
Joselito Serrano, a member of
the staff at the Municipal Planning
and Development Office, said the
water supply project was begun in
July last year by the Mindanao Rural
Development Program.
Even if it was just about 80
percent completed, it had started
supplying drinking water to
thousands of residents of the town
center and seven adjoining villages,
Serrano said.
He said Maputi Spring had the
potential to supply potable water to
the nearly 40,000 residents of this
second-class municipality. While
officials here suspected that
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October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
The challenging task
of rebuilding heritage
By Trizer D. Mansueto
RED CROSS ORDERED TO LEAVE. A father carrying his daughter receives aid from the
Philippine Red Cross in Maribojoc, Bohol. The mayor later asked the Red Cross to leave the
town, claiming the group had disrupted Maribojoc's aid distribution system. But the Red
Cross said the local authorities had asked it to hand over aid to them but it refused.
ALANAH TORRALBA
Bohol mayor drives
out Red Cross team
'Don't set condition in doling out relief’
By Carmel Loise Matus, Tina G.
Santos
MARIBOJOC, Bohol –- Insisting
that the municipality should handle
the distribution of relief to
earthquake survivors, Mayor
Leoncio Evasco Jr. has told
volunteers of the Philippine Red
Cross to leave after they refused to
hand over their items.
Evasco said he was slighted by
the “arrogance” of their
representative who, he claimed,
demanded a list of beneficiaries so
they could distribute the relief. “If
they want to help, then give,” he said.
“Don't give any conditions.”
Local officials have demanded
that relief brought by
nongovernment groups for the
survivors be handed over to them
for distribution in line with the
municipality's centralized
distribution system, two sources
told the Inquirer in separate
interviews.
Others would “help” in the
distribution of the goods only to
claim credit later, the sources said.
They asked not to be identified for
fear of reprisals from the officials.
In Manila, Red Cross secretary
general Gwen Pang on Tuesday
confirmed that Mayor Evasco had
stopped the organization's relief
distribution because he wanted the
stocks turned over to the local
government.
“The local government knew the
team was going there. In fact, we
were there since Wednesday to
Agusan town
loses water ...
From page 3
movement in the earth's crust
caused the spring to dry up, some
residents said they believed that
unabated illegal small-scale mining
near the Maputi Spring watershed
was to blame.
They said the illegal mining
activities might have disturbed the
assess the situation in the area, to
identify who will be given the goods
since our priority are those who are
really in dire need,” Pang told the
Inquirer.
“The people had lined up
already when Mayor Evasco asked
our people to stop. He told one of
our personnel, 'I'm very
d i s a p p o i n t e d w i t h yo u . I ' m
disappointed with the Red Cross.
What I wanted was for you to
endorse the goods to us and let us
distribute the goods,'” Pang quoted
the mayor as saying.
“He said that if we insist on
doing it our way, we better stop and
get out of the place,” she added.
Evasco, a former chief of staff of
the tough-talking Davao City Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte, said he also
confronted Red Cross chair Richard
Gordon who went to Maribojoc on
Friday.
“I'm not the one who is using an
organization to promote his own
political agenda,” Evasco told the
Inquirer.
“Don't turn us into puppies who
follow you around because you have
relief items,” he added.
Pang said the Red Cross could
not endorse relief to politicians. She
explained that the agency was
following strict criteria in selecting
beneficiaries because it did not have
enough for all residents.
Moreover, it is accountable to
their donors, she said. “Our system
has been globally accepted, that is
the same reason we get funds from
our donors.”
For a stone church to rise
during the Spanish era,
construction took from several
years to many decades to be
completed, depending on the
availability of funds, construction
materials and laborers.
Fo r i n s t a n c e , wo r k o n
Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu
City began in 1730, but it took a
decade to finish it. The image of
t h e H o ly C h i l d , a g i f t o f
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan to Queen Juana of Cebu
province in 1521, was then
enthroned.
Bugged by the frequent
shortage of funds, the church
project was only completed with
the help of the parishes of Opon
and San Nicolas towns, whose
residents contributed coral
stones. Those from Talisay town
contributed manpower.
The parish church of Our
Lady of the Assumption in Dauis
town, Bohol province, was
erected in 1863 by Fr. Jose
Saldana, but it was completed in
1923 because of the many
difficulties faced by the builders.
Bishop Juan Gorordo of Cebu
came to consecrate it.
Work on Cebu Metropolitan
Cathedral, the seat of what was
LOBOC Church in Bohol before (inset) and after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the
province. Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ and NHCP
then the biggest diocese in the
Philippines, began in 1866 but
was left unfinished before the
expulsion of the Spaniards in
1898.
Community work
Church construction in the
past was literally a community
a c t i v i t y. I t w a s n o t t h e
responsibility only of the parish
priest but of the people as well.
On Tuesday, a 7.2-magnitude
earthquake destroyed or
d a m a g e d s eve ra l h e r i t a g e
churches in Bohol province. Four
collapsed in Inabanga, Loon,
Loboc and Maribojoc towns,
while 20 others were disfigured,
according to the provincial
police.
The government's culture
agency dispatched experts to
Bohol to assess the extent of
damage, as well as identify
properties that need to be
secured and draw a list of
priorities for potential
restoration.
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Page 13
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n a t u ra l f l o w o f wa te r f ro m
underground.
Chua said MGB geologists might
be able to explain what actually
happened as little is known about
the spring. Before the World Bankbacked water system was
undertaken, no geological analysis
had ever been conducted at the site,
he said.
Meanwhile, residents were
getting water from neighbors with
deep wells, which apparently had
not been affected. Inquirer.net
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October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Bohol mayor drives ...
From page 4
Probe ordered
“But the mayor (Evasco) insisted that the
barangay (village) captains can just receive the relief
and sign on behalf of the affected families,” Pang
said.
In Manila, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas directed
the Philippine National Police to look into reports
that some unscrupulous local government officials
were arbitrarily keeping relief stocks in Bohol.
“There's no reason to delay the delivery of relief
to the victims of the earthquake. The government is
ensuring that there will be enough supplies for the
people,” Roxas said in a statement.
“It's wrong to keep relief provided by the
national and provincial governments inside their
offices. If the reports are true, those responsible
should be held accountable for relief hoarding,” he
said.
Aquino returns
President Aquino will return to Bohol on
Wednesday, ostensibly to bring a sense of order to
the distribution of relief on the ground.
As many survivors have complained of receiving
too little aid from the government a week after the
earthquake, the President ordered national
government agencies in charge of relief operations
in the Visayas to implement an efficient system of
distributing relief stocks, according to Secretary
Herminio Coloma.
Aquino will personally check the progress of the
relief efforts in at least three townsLoon, Sagbayan
and Tubigon.
He ordered national government agencies led by
the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) to intensify their coordination with local
government officials, said Coloma, head of the
Presidential Communications Operations Office.
Centralized scheme
In an interview, Evasco said he imposed the
centralized system of distribution to ensure that all
27 villages would receive relief.
He said the local disaster council and the
barangay captains had agreed that all relief be
coursed through the municipal government while
they would identify the victims who would receive
the items.
The mayor said he told the barangay officials to
set aside politics at this time and focus on bringing
help to the villages.
The public market has been converted into a
repacking center where each barangay has a
representative, Evasco said. The village chiefs would
then pick up the relief for their constituents.
To ensure that the intended recipient would
receive it, Evasco said the chapel leaders would
monitor the distribution.
One of the Inquirer sources expressed fears that
t h e n o n g ove r m e n t o r g a n i z a t i o n' s re l i e f
packsintended for a family of six and good for five
dayswould be given by the barangay officials in
smaller quantities to reach more families.
He said it would be useless to provide packs
good for a day because the survivors would need
another round the next day.
Barangay polls
“The danger is that they might use it in the
campaign. That was my impression,” the source said,
referring to the barangay elections scheduled on
Oct. 28.
The barangay chair of Aliswag stopped
volunteers from distributing the goods in the
evacuation center on Monday, claiming that any
donation should be coursed through the municipal
government, another source said. The source,
however, said she failed to get the name of the
official.
At first, the source said, the local leader told the
volunteers that he had yet to discuss the matter with
his councilors. Later, he told them that he was
following orders from Mayor Evasco.
“We stood our ground. We told him that there is
no law that stops us from distributing,” she told the
Inquirer. “At least, they didn't tell us to pack up like
what happened to the Red Cross.”
“Proper authorities should know about this so
something can be done. A lot of people want to help
but they cannot trust the LGUs (local government
units),” she added.
A totally collapsed Our Lady of Light church at Loon, Bohol
Bohol, C. Visayas quake
affected 3 million people
By Frances Mangosing
MANILA -- More than 3 million
people were affected by the
powerful earthquake that hit
Central Visayas last October 15, the
National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council said on
Thursday.
The NDRRMC said there were
3,158,009 persons affected in 1,494
villages in six provinces of Western
and Central Visayas.
More than 300,000 persons
were displaced, with 78,897 in
evacuation centers.
Death toll remained at 198,
while the number of injured reached
668 and 11 persons were listed
missing.
Houses damaged increased to
5 4 , 6 4 6 , w i t h 1 2 , 6 5 5 to t a l ly
destroyed.
Damage to infrastructure also
rose to P1.4 billion, NDRRMC said.
There are enough relief goods
for evacuees in quake-hit Bohol,
N D R R M C E xe c u t ive D i re c to r
Eduardo del Rosario said.
“Maraming relief goods na
dumadating sa Bohol on a daily
basis, continuing basis yung
assistance. Ang problema lang
namin ay how to bring the relief
goods from Manila and other cities
to Tagbilaran dahil maraming
gustong magbigay,” he said.
Del Rosario said they have
utilized military assets to distribute
the goods.
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
P150M in DAR funds went to NGOs picked by Honasan, Estrada
By Gil C. Cabacungan
Two years after the plunder of
the Malampaya Fund, the
Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) continued to be the
clearinghouse of lawmakers' pork
barrel funds channeled to bogus
nongovernment organizations
(NGOs).
Documents obtained by the
Inquirer showed that P230 million
from the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) went to 16
dubious NGOs in 2011 through
agreements to distribute
agricultural livelihood packages
forged between local government
units (LGUs) and DAR
Undersecretaries Narciso Nieto,
Jerry Pacturan and Perry Felix
Villanueva.
The DAR releases included
funding initiatives made by
Senators Gregorio Honasan II
Anti-pork
protesters ...
From page 2
the people's lives unlike the
creatures of Filipino folklore.”
First of its kind
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
spokesperson Renato Reyes Jr. said
the costume protests that the
artists and anti-pork groups
established was a first of its kind.
“We timed the protest just
before the halloween because the
pork barrel was a big monstrosity.
The participants here are
composed of either monsters,
victims of monsters and ordinary
citizens who demand for the
abolition of pork,” Reyes said.
On Tuesday, the House of
Representatives approved the
P2.268-trillion 2014 national
budget, eliminating the PDAF. But
Reyes said that “beyond doubt that
we cannot expect anything from the
Congress or the Aquino
administration when it comes to
abolishing the pork barrel system.”
“While the PDAF has been
removed, the new itemized pork
will continue the tradition of
patronage politics that has made
our system so corrupt. Presidential
pork will also continue to exist as
lump sum appropriations,” he
maintained.
“Still, they would want to
maintain the pork barrel system
even under a different name.”
(P100 million) and Jinggoy Estrada
(P50 million) approved by Senate
President Franklin Drilon (who
was then chair of the Senate
finance committee that served as
the gatekeeper of PDAF releases of
its members).
The documents did not contain
the identities of the lawmakers
behind the remaining P80 million.
In a phone interview, Agrarian
Reform Secretary Virgilio de los
Reyes said the fund releases were
under investigation by
Undersecretary Anthony
Parungao.
On Oct. 3, the National Bureau
of Investigation filed plunder
charges in the Office of the
Ombudsman against former
President Gloria MacapagalArroyo, three of her Cabinet
secretaries and 20 others for
allegedly stealing P900 million
from the Malampaya Fund coursed
Wisdom
The militant group
spokesperson said he believes in
the wisdom of former Chief Justice
Reynato Puno when he proposed
the people's initiative to completely
abolish pork.
In the people's initiative law,
signatures of at least 10 percent of
the total number of registered
voters must be gathered
nationwide.
“The required number of
signatures is too many but we do
not see ordinary citizens in favor of
pork that's why I have my full trust
to the people, that we can make this
happen,” he said.
As the people's initiative was
supported by most groups, Reyes
hopes that preparations for it will
be made within this year.
These preparations include an
educational campaign to make the
people more knowledgeable on the
cons of maintaining the
discretionary funds in the national
budget. “If the administration
thinks that the protests are over,
they're wrong. They'll see us again
in the streets on Novembers 7 and
November 19.”
On November 7, the center of
the billions-worth pork barrel scam
Janet Lim-Napoles will face the
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as it
resumes the probe into the
misuseof public funds.
Meanwhile, the oral arguments
on the Disbursement Acceleration
Program and the Presidential
Social Fund will continue in the
Supreme Court on November 19.
Inquirer.net
through the DAR for victims of
Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and
“Pepeng” in 2009.
The Ombudsman is also poised
to file a separate case of graft in
connection with the diversion of
P200 million in DAR funds meant to
benefit beneficiaries of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP).
In both the Malampaya and
CARP raids, Janet Lim-Napoles is a
principal respondent. Napoles is
also facing plunder charges for
allegedly masterminding the P10billion pork barrel scam.
Dubious NGOs probed
De los Reyes said the probe into
the P230-million racket would
determine how these NGOs with
dubious background and tainted
record during the past
administration were able to access
funds on his watch. “We want to
know who are the persons
responsible for these releases. We
also want to know where these
funds were sourced,” he said.
Nieto, who resigned in October
last year, signed some of the
agreements on behalf of De los
Reyes while other contracts were
signed by Pacturan. Both Pacturan
and Villanueva (who handled the
agency's bidding and awards
committee and finance division)
oversaw the release of the checks
to the NGOs.
Based on the documents,
Drilon approved the requests of
Honasan and Estrada to release
P150 million of their pork
allocations to the DAR's livelihood
projects upon the request of local
governments.
Honasan requested De los
Reyes that P100 million of his PDAF
allocation be granted to 10
townsBenito Soliven and San Pablo
in Isabela; Samal, Bagac, and
Mariveles in Bataan; Porac,
Pampanga; Malolos, San Ildefenso,
Paombong in Bulacan; and Carasi,
Ilocos Norte. Each town was given
P10 million.
Estrada requested P50 million
of his pork be released to 10
townsDinalupihan and Pilar in
Bataan; General Nakar and Infanta
in Quezon; San Nicolas, Batangas;
Umingan, Rosales, Calasiao and San
Nicolas in Pangasinan; and Sta.
Maria, Bulacan. Each town was
given P5 million.
Honasan said he would verify
the authenticity of the funds
released under his name. “I want to
stress that I have no discretion in
choosing the recipient NGOs. I only
endorsed the local government
unit receiving the fund,” Honasan
said in a text message.
u
Page 12
De Lima asks DFA: Cancel passports of Enrile et al.
By Jerome Aning
Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima on Thursday said she had
asked the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) to cancel the
passports of Senators Juan
Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada
and Ramon Revilla Jr. and 35
others charged with plunder in
the Office of the Ombudsman in
connection with the alleged P10billion pork barrel racket.
In her letter to Foreign
Undersecretary Rafael Seguis on
Wednesday, De Lima said there
was “sufficient basis in fact and
law to cancel the passports.”
She cited the Philippine
Passport Act of 1996, which
states that “in the interest of
national security, public safety
and public health, the secretary
or any of the authorized consular
officers may, after due hearing
and in their proper discretion,
refuse to issue a passport, or
restrict its use or withdraw or
cancel a passport.”
The government considers
graft and corruption a national
security policy “because it saps
public resources, undermines
the morale of the civil service
and affects the delivery of basic
services,” De Lima said.
The crime, she added,
“breeds sociopolitical instability
u
Page 14
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Napoles ‘sent
millions ...
From page 2
bid to prevent him from revealing the
scam, said Napoles would give orders
to him and other employees to
contact either Ang or Ty and purchase
dollars from them.
Chinatown
“Before they would give us the
dollars, the equivalent peso amount
should have already been deposited
into the accounts of Ty or Ang,
inclusive of bank charges,” said Luy,
who has filed charges of serious
illegal detention against Napoles, for
which she is now under detention.
Deposits were made in the name
of Hector AngSA No. 073300931776-7, MBTC (Metrobank),
Magdalena branch; and Michael TySA
No. 600-3600-02018-9, MBTC,
Dasmariñas branch, both in Manila.
The whistle-blowers said
Napoles also engaged Esquire
International Financing Corp. and
Edzen Enterprises to remit US
currency abroad.
Sula said the dollars were either
deposited in various bank accounts
abroad or personally brought out
when she and her family went on
extended vacations abroad. She said
that Napoles and her family usually
took a three-month vacation and
brought “lots of cash when they
leave.”
She said that Napoles and her
family sometimes brought with them
dollars packed in their suitcases on
their trips to the United States, where
they were met by her brother, a US
citizen.
“The money is not detected
because Reynald Luy Lim has
contacts, who are Filipinos, in the
airport of destinations where the
suitcase with their cash easily clears
customs,” Sula said.
Sula added that Ty and Ang would
bring their available currency to one
of the houses of Napoles, at No. 9
Narra St. Forbes Park, Makati City.
She said that Napoles also would
order her employees to buy dollars
upon request of lawmakers for their
trips abroad.
House passes
P2.268 T budget ...
From page 1
with the lawmakers' proposed
infrastructure projects for funding
firmly in place.
The House voted 219 to 22 to
approve the bill on third and final
reading.
The approved budget contained
the various proposed infrastructure
projects of majority of the 289
members of the House, but with a
specific provision that
n o n g ove r n m e n t o rga n i z a t i o n s
(NGOs) could not be involved in
implementing the projects.
The legislators' chosen projects,
consisting of local roads and bridges,
school buildings, multipurpose
buildings and water supply systems,
were placed under the budget of the
Department of Public Works and
Highways, which was one of the
agencies that received a portion of the
realigned P25-billion PDAF allotment.
The House decided to cut out the
P25-billion lump sum pork barrel
funds from the budget amid the public
outrage over reports that P10 billion
in pork barrel funds were allegedly
Remittances
Based on the records provided by
the whistle-blowers, dollars were
remitted to Jo Christine Lim Napoles
at Wells Fargo Bank, 3951 Portila,
Parkman, Irvine, California, Check
Account No. 9200265958; Reynald L.
Lim, Bank of America, Ranchos
Peñasquitos branch, 13205 Black
Mountain Road, San Diego, California,
Account No. 1216143383; Jose
Emmanuel Lim, Wells FargoPasadena Lake, 82S Lake Avenue,
Pasadeña, California, Account No.
802-228-0062; Western Investment
Corp. DBA Days Inn. Wells Fargo
Bank, North Tustin Avenue, Orange,
California, Check Account No. 881148-4107.
The whistle-blowers' records
showed that monies were also
remitted to the bank accounts of
Western Venture Management,
Western Investment and Jeane
Catherine L. Napoles' account in
Union Bank Manhattan Village.
Among the identified Napoles
properties in the United States were
the Anaheim Express Inn registered
under the Western Investment, with
address at 620 W Orangewood
Ave n u e , A n a h e i m , C a l i fo r n i a .
Western Investment is purportedly
owned by Napoles' brother Reynald
Lim and children James Christopher
and Jo Christine.
Also in the list were a property at
No. 32 Wedgewood, Canyon View,
Irvine, California, registered under
Lim and his wife, Ana Marie
Dulguime; a two-bedroom apartment
in the swank Ritz-Carlton at 900
Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles,
California, registered in the name of
another Napoles daughter, Catherine
Jeane; a Covina County commercial
property in Los Angeles, West Covina,
registered under the Western
Ventures Management Inc. at 19545
E. Cienega Avenue.
Western Venture's two other
addresses are Covina CA 91724 and
620 W Orangewood Ave. Anaheim CA
92802.
Petitions to stop the sale or
transfer of at least P5 billion worth of
properties supposedly owned by
Napoles have been filed in the Land
Registration Authority and the
Securities and Exchange Commission
by the whistle-blowers. Inquirer.net
diverted to private pockets via fake
NGOs and ghost projects from 2007
to 2009.
The P25-billion PDAF allotment
wa s a p p o r t i o n e d a m o n g s i x
departments aside from the DPWH,
the Department of Education,
Commission on Higher Education,
Department of Labor and
Employment, Department of Health
and Department of Social Welfare
and Development.
Aside from ostensibly losing
their pork barrel entitlements in the
2014 budget, the lawmakers can
supposedly no longer fund
scholarship programs and medical
assistance for their constituents but
they can make referrals to the line
departments concerned.
However, House members will
still retain the power to propose
infrastructure projects although
they will have to identify them this
early in the budgeting process so
they can be included in the linebudgeting.
This was not acceptable to
militant party-list House members
who said that the fact that lawmakers
could still recommend infrastructure
projects meant that the pork barrel
system was firmly in place even if the
lump sum PDAF was removed.
Huffington Post admits 'incorrect'
Jeane Napoles photo
By Julliane Love de Jesus
MANILA -- The Huffington
Post has taken down its story
on Jeane Napoles and her tax
evasion charge that had spread
on social media due to a photo
it posted alongside its article of
a woman bathing in money.
Three days after an
INQUIRER.net report was
released on October 12, the
American online news
aggregator posted an erratum
to clarify that its initial report
was “incorrect” and that the
image was a “stock photo” on
the Internet.
On October 15, Huffpost
replaced the entire article with
a two-paragraph statement
with a headline “Image Of
Woman Bathing In Cash Is A
Stock Photo, Does Not Depict
J e a n e
N a p o l e s
[CORRECTION].”
Huffpost said:
“Editor's Note: An earlier
version of this post incorrectly
stated that Jeane Napoles, a 23year-old Filipino woman, had
posted a photo to her social
media accounts, depicting
herself in a bathtub full of
money.
That photo, which was
shared from a Facebook
accounts listed under the
name Jeane Lim Napoles, does
not depict Napoles but is in
fact a commercially available
stock photo.
Jeane Catherine LimNapoles is the daughter of
detained businesswoman
Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged
mastermind of the
multibillion-peso pork barrel
scam involving lawmakers and
government officials.
The younger Napoles was
sued for tax evasion by the
Bureau of Internal Revenue
(BIR) for allegedly failing to
declare her multimillion-peso
properties.
The US-based news
website linked the correction
to cutcaster.com, an online
database of free images where
the HuffPost had taken the
“Napoles photo”.
The same image was
originally posted in the
Facebook page Jeane LimNapoles.
Other international news
website that used the photo
news.com.au and
dailymail.co.uk have not
made similar posts.
Inquirer.net
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pinay murdered in West Virginia
ten years ago to be finally reunited
with family in Legazpi
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 22 -A Filipina immigrant who
disappeared in West Virginia
more than 10 years ago and who
was later found to have been
murdered will soon be reunited
with her loved ones in the
Philippines.
The Philippine Embassy said
today the cremated remains of
Karen Santillan Tait, a 23-yearold mother of one, are expected
to arrive in Manila this week and
turned over to her family in
Legazpi City.
The Embassy, at the same
time, expressed its appreciation
to authorities in Waynesboro,
West Virginia, for solving the
case and putting Santillan-Tait's
husband, Thomas Neal Tait, 52,
behind bars.
“If not for their efforts, our
kababayan would most likely
remain nameless and her killer
would still be on the loose,”
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
said as he cited in particular the
efforts of Prosecuting Attorney
James L. Camblos, III of the Office
of the Commonwealth Attorney
and case officer Corporal Alyssa
Campbell of the Waynesboro
Police Department.
“We thank them and the good
people of Waynesboro for going
out of their way to make sure that
Karen can finally rest in peace
with her loved ones in the
Philippines,” Ambassador Cuisia
said. He added that authorities
and citizens of Waynesboro
raised the necessary funds to
cover the cost of the cremation,
repatriation and burial of
Santillan-Tait's remains and
other related expenses.
Consul General Ariel
Peñaranda said the Embassy had
been coordinating with
Waynesboro authorities since
October last year after they
identified the remains that have
been in the custody of the West
Virginia Medical Examiner's
Office since 2002 as Santillan-
Tait's.
According to news reports,
authorities stumbled upon
Santillan-Tait's disappearance
only last year after her husband
failed to account for her
whereabouts while he was being
investigated over unrelated
charges.
Authorities then officially
declared Santillan-Tait a missing
person until a few months later
when DNA samples collected
from her family in the
Philippines and daughter here in
the United States matched those
of the remains of an Asian
woman that were recovered at
the Greenbrier State Forest in
2002.
As a result, Santillan's
husband pleaded guilty to
second-degree murder and is
now serving a 30-year prison
term in West Virginia. - Elmer G.
Cato, First Secretary & Consul,
Embassy of the Republic of the
Philippines, Washington, D.C.
The Filipino Express is only
$40 a year for 52 issues
72-year-old Fil-Am hunter
rescued after getting lost in
forest for 19 days
SAN FRANCISCO –- FilipinoAmerican Gene Penaflor, who went
missing on a hunting trip in the
Mendocino National Forest, has
survived his ordeal and been
rescued.
Penaflor, 72, a resident of
Bernal Heights, was found last
October 12 after he had been
missing for 19 days. He was
separated from his deer-hunting
companion.
He said he bumped his head and
lost consciousness. He got
disoriented when he regained
consciousness and could not find
his way back to their starting point.
Penaflor ate lizards, frogs and
squirrels to survive and kept warm
by sleeping under fallen trees when
temperatures dropped to 25
degrees Fahrenheit on some nights.
Then help came from a group of
hunters who heard his shouts. They
fa s h i o n e d a s t re tc h e r f ro m
branches and their jackets to bring
Penaflor to safety.
He made it to a hospital in
nearby Ukiah where doctors
treated him. Now he is back home.
Inquirer.net
Ghost U.S.
university ...
company, Foreign Health Care
Professionals Group, $35 per hour
for one of the nurses. Kalu then
pocketed almost half the wage and
paid the nurse $20 an hour.
When the scheme began to
unravel, Kalu and Langerman told
nursing homes to pay the nurses
directly but required the nursing
home to pay Kalu $1,200 a month.
If the facilities did not pay him,
Kalu would notify the Department of
Homeland Security and the nurses
would lose their visas.
From page 1
Kalu was found guilty of 89
counts of fraud violations after more
than a day of deliberation by a jury
last July and is awaiting sentencing
on Dec. 10, 2013. Langerman, 78 of
Georgia, had pleaded guilty in the
conspiracy and still waiting for the
date of his sentence.
Kalu is facing 20 years of
sentence while Langerman, less than
five.
Kalu, 48, promised the nurses
jobs as nurse instructors
/supervisors at a nonexistent
university. But when they arrived in
Denver, they were sent to work as
nurses in long-term care facilities.
If you were a nurse but had no
advanced degree as master's or
doctorate degree and were offered
the job of instructor of a university, it
should already give a clue that
something was amiss with the offer.
Kalu told the nurses they would
earn about $72,000 a year working at
Adam University in Denver, which
had no physical facilities. Langerman
came into play by listing Adam
University as incorporated in
Colorado and holds a PhD and one of
the directors, located at campus of
Teiko Loretto Heights University,
3001 South Federal Boulevard,
Denver, Colorado.
LABOR SHORTAGE CLAIMED
In his come-on posted on the
website of Advanced Education and
Training for Foreign Healthcare
Professionals Group (AETFHPG),
Kalu told job-seekers he would
provide H-1B visas for workers,
saying that Adam University faced a
labor shortage and needed foreign
labor to serve as nursing
instructors/supervisors.
Kalu arranged with the
Departments of Labor and Homeland
Security to obtain them
H-1B visas, which allow
businesses to temporarily employ
foreign workers in specialty
occupations. If the employee quits or
is fired, he needs government
approval to stay under another type
of visa, must find another sponsoring
employer, or has to leave the U.S.
When the nurses arrived in
Denver, they were told Adam
University “had no students, no
professors or teachers and no bona
fide curriculum.” They were instead
sent to work in nursing homes. The
nursing homes, in turn, paid Kalu's
PAID AVERAGE OF $5,000
SPONSORSHIP H-1B VISA
The fraud finally came into the
open when one nurse stopped
making payments when Kalu
notified immigration officials that
she no longer worked for Adam
University, and her visa was revoked.
When visas of other nurses were
revoked, Kalu and Langerman were
later investigated and charged with
132 counts of various criminal
violations, including
commercial carrier/mail fraud,
visa fraud, forced labor, attempted
forced labor,
trafficking in forced labor,
money laundering, aiding and
abetting and criminal forfeiture.
Although there were more than
25 nurses, who applied, the 49-page
indictment listed victims “Count
102” and “Count 132” financial
transactions, showing that each
victim paid Kalu and Langerman an
average of $5,000 to process the
victims' H-1B that is supposed to be
shouldered by the petitioning
employer, not the beneficiary.
In H1-B Visa processing, the
petitioning employer is obligated to
pay $1,500 (with more than 25 fulltime employees) or $750 (with no
more than 25 full-time employees)
as an employer sponsorship fee
under the American
Competitiveness and Workforce
Improvement Act of 1998. In some
circumstances, the $750 or $1,500
may be exempted, when “the
employer is an institution of higher
education.”
Under Public Law 111 signed by
President Obama, the petitioner
employer is obligated to pay $2,000
if the employer has more than 50
employees and more than 50%
employees that are on H-1B or L1
Visa status.”
The Filipino nurses victims
started sending their H-1B
sponsorship fees to Kalu and
Langerman in the early part of 2008.
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Fulop Administration Announces
$600-M Three-Tower Residential
Project in Journal Square
SULTAN OF SULU'S LAST FLIGHT. The remains of Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III are carried on board a turboprop plane at a private hangar
in Pasay City on the night of October 20, 2013. The plane was to fly the sultan to Sulu for burial. (Michael Varcas) Manila Bulletin
Sultan of Sulu
dies ...
From page 1
February, an adventure that left
dozens of Filipinos and
Malaysians dead.
But the death of Kiram does
not mean the end of the Philippine
government's claim to Sabah,
deputy presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
She said the government's
study of the claim that President
Aquino ordered in March was still
going on.
Kiram's wife, Fatima Celia,
said her husband died in her arms
at the hospital. She said that
before he died, he ordered his
family and followers to keep alive
the historic territorial claim to
Sabah.
Sabah intrusion
Although largely forgotten
and dismissed as a vestige from a
bygone era, Kiram's sultanate,
based in Sulu in southern
Philippines, stirred up a security
crisis in Malaysia when Kiram's
younger brother, Agbimuddin
Kiram, and about 200 followers,
dozens of them armed, barged
into Sabah's coastal village of
Lahad Datu.
Stunned, Malaysia responded
by laying siege on Lahad Datu and
trying to convince Agbimuddin to
leave and take up his family's
claim to Sabah with the
government in Kuala Lumpur.
I n l a t e F e b r u a r y, t h e
negotiations erupted into violence.
Malaysia responded to the death of
two policemen by sending in
ground troops and launching air
strikes on Agbimuddin's position.
Agbimuddin lost more than 60
followers in weeks of sporadic
fighting with Malaysian security
forces, who lost 10 of their own.
The fighting eased off in late
April with Agbimuddin
disappearing and his followers
being intercepted by Philippine
authorities in the Sulu Sea as they
tried to reenter.
Charges filed
The Department of Justice has
brought charges against the
arrested followers of Agbimuddin
in a court in Sulu.
Agbimuddin has not been seen
since. He is believed to be moving
from island to island in Sulu to
avoid capture.
Malaysia has governed
resource-rich Sabah as its secondlargest federal state since the
1960s.
The Sulu sultanate, which
emerged in the 1400s, built a
legend for its wide influence at the
time and its feared Tausug
warriors. Chinese and European
leaders once sent vassals to pay
homage to their powerful
forebears, Idjirani said.
The Sulu sultanate preceded
both the Philippine Republic and
Malaysia by centuries.
But overrun by history, the
Kirams now carry royal titles and
nothing much else.
“I'm the poorest sultan in the
world,” an ailing Kiram said in an
interview in March at his rundown
residence in Manila.
Malaysian lease
The Kirams claim Sabah has
belonged to their sultanate for
centuries and is only leased by
Malaysia, which they say pays
them a paltry annual rent.
Malaysian officials contend
the payments are part of an
arrangement under which the
sultanate has ceded the 74,000square-kilometer territory to
their country.
Philippine leaders have
relegated the volatile feud to the
back burner despite efforts by the
Kirams to put it on the national
agenda. President Aquino did not
order a review of the claim until
Agbimuddin and his small band of
followers were already fighting a
running gun battle with Malaysian
forces in Sabah in March.
Idjirani said Kiram had told his
family that he wanted to be buried
in Maimbung town, Sulu province,
regarded as the original capital of
the Sulu sultanate.
“The family has submitted
themselves to the will of Allah. We
know that we cannot do anything
if Allah decides to take us,” Idjirani
said in a mobile phone interview.
JERSEY CITY, Oct. 22 -M ayo r S teve n M . Fu l o p
announced today the
administration's plans to
bring redevelopment to
Journal Square, with a $600
million, three-tower
residential project near the
PATH station.
The project , by KRE
Developers, will see three
residential towers rise behind
the Journal Square PATH
station - on Summit Avenue
between Pavonia and
Magnolia Avenues. The threephase project, called Journal
Squared, will result in 1,840
market-rate units, as well as
36,000 square feet of retail
space. Approximately 700
construction jobs will be
created during each of the
three phases, with ground
expected to be broken later
this year on the first phase.
"Jersey City residents have
waited years, in fact, decades,
for the revitalization of
Journal Square," said Mayor
Fulop. "With this project, we
will finally see real progress in
Journal Square with a major
residential development. We
made a commitment that the
success of development along
our Hudson River waterfront
would extend throughout the
city, into areas like Journal
Square and Bergen-Lafayette,
and this project is the first
example of how we are doing
that. "
Mayor Fulop also cited the
development as being the first
significant new project that
a d h e r e s
t o
t h e
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n' s n e w l y
unveiled tax abatement policy.
The new policy provides
greater incentives to build
outside downtown and
targets areas such as Journal
Square by offering more
favorable terms than those the
City will provide to projects
along the downtown
waterfront.
"When the City provides
incentives to develop, it
should be in those areas that
need it most," added Mayor
Fulop.
Additionally, the project is
the first in Jersey City to utilize
Redevelopment Area Bonds
(RABs) for financing
infrastructure improvements.
In this case, $10 million of
RABs will be utilized at nocost to the city to finance
improvements including
Magnolia Avenue street
renovations, upgrades to part
of the JSQ PATH plaza, the
construction of public
parking, and utilities
improvements.
"Past administrations
would allow developers to
build projects without
considering the impact on
infrastructure," said Mayor
F u l o p . "A s p a r t o f o u r
development approach, we
are instituting ways for
development to improve the
quality of life in our city, while
having the least impact and
cost to the taxpayer."
A s p a r t o f i t s
redevelopment agreement
with the City, the developer
will also contribute $2.5
million toward the restoration
of the historic Loew's Theatre,
a centerpiece of the
revitalization of Journal
Square.
"We believe the Loew's
Theatre is the lynchpin to a
vibrant cultural scene and
nightlife in Journal Square,"
said Mayor Fulop. "Journal
Square is already a
transportation hub and
employment hub. This project
will restore Journal Square to
its rightful place as a
residential and cultural center
in the heart of the city. We
want to make Journal Square a
true destination for
entertainment and culture."
u
Page 14
vgslaw@gmail.com
Editorial & opinion
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
True partnership
It is the declared policy of the State to recognize the
indispensable role of the private sector as the main engine for
national growth and development and provide the most
appropriate incentives to mobilize private resources for the
purpose of financing the construction, operation and maintenance
of infrastructure and development projects normally financed and
undertaken by the Government. Such incentives, aside from
financial incentives as provided by law, shall include providing a
climate of minimum government regulations and procedures and
specific government undertakings in support of the private sector.”
Thus reads the Declaration of Policy of Republic Act No. 7718, or
the Amended Build-Operate-Transfer Law enacted in the early
1990s, when the country's development was nearly crippled by the
lack of new infrastructure due to the economic blight and shortsighted policies of the 1980s.
RA 7718 remains in effect and is the conceptual basis of the
Aquino administration's economic centerpiece, the Public-Private
Partnership program. But developments on the ground indicate
that policymakers have strayed far from the philosophy of the
private sector as a partner. If anything, recent bumbling attempts to
roll out PPP projects for key pieces of infrastructure have turned the
relationship between the state and private investors into this: the
state as taskmaster, and the private corporation as beast of burden.
Take, for example, the government's most recent essay into the
PPP scheme the extension of Line 1 of the Light Rail Transit system.
On paper, the project looks straightforward: A private investor will
shell out P60 billion to build an 11-kilometer southward extension
of LRT-1 (Southeast Asia's oldest light rail system) in exchange for
the right to profit from its operations over a period of three decades.
But the government tucked into the proposed contract a number of
“deal-breakers” that scared off even the bravest of investors.
Specifically, the government wanted the bid winner to shoulder
the estimated P2 billion in annual real property taxes (a real
problem, considering that the investor will have to deal with fickleminded local government units). It also imposed limits on the rate at
which the investor could raise train fares (in itself a politically
charged issue). And it turned a deaf ear to pleas from prospective
bidders for these prohibitive rules to be eased. The result was
predictable: All but one conglomerate pulled out of the bidding (and
submitted a “conditional bid”).
Of course, private investors remain keenly interested in helping
fund the country's most important infrastructure elements, like
airports, toll roads and mass transit systems. Recently the brothers
Jaime Augusto and Fernando Zobel de Ayala descended from their
gleaming office tower to ride the LRT-1 along with the rush-hour
crowd. Their verdict: It's a project worth their time, effort and
money … but under the right regulatory environment and a more
acceptable level of returns on their capital.
Some businessmen are known to love their country, but we
cannot count solely on their altruism. They are, after all, tasked with
making their money grow. They have a responsibility to their
stakeholders to generate an acceptable return on investment in
relation to the risks involved.
To be sure, policy makers smarting from the embarrassment of
the LRT-1 project's failed bidding have revised the terms to take into
account the private sector's earlier concerns. But the same shift a
return to the mind-set of true partnership must happen for the
entire PPP program.
We need trains that are not packed like sardine cans, that run on
time, that do not break down every other day. We need airports that
can serve the booming number of tourists and Filipino travelers. We
need highways that can accommodate the huge number of private
and public vehicles, and ease traffic congestion in the cities. And we
need them fast.
Green Card for Ministers
and Religious Workers
Religious workers may qualify
for permanent residence as a
special immigrant. They can apply
within the United States through
adjustment of status, or from
abroad by obtaining an immigrant
visa at the U.S. consulate. Typically
but not always, the religious
worker is already in the U.S. on R-1
or temporary religious worker
status.
The beneficiary of the special
immigrant worker (I-360) petition
may be a minister or a religious
worker. A minister is fully
authorized and fully trained
according to a religious
denomination's standards to
conduct religious activities, such as
a priest, minister, rabbi or imam.
The minister must be able to
provide a certificate of ordination
or similar documents, and
JGL
Eye
By Joseph G. Lariosa
Founded in 1986
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
Juan L. Mercado, Jonathan Suarez, Joel Baclit
Correspondent: Contessa Bourbon
The opinions expressed by columnists are their
own and do not reflect the opinion of the paper
nor that of the publisher
Contact us:
Email: filexpress@aol.com
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
The Philippine senators should
not feel bad if Janet Napoles would
like to keep her mouth shut if and
when she finally shows up before
the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Even if the reigning Queen of
Pork Barrel would be accused of
cover-up, opening her wide mouth
should not compel her either to
give up her right against selfincrimination.
The right of an accused against
self-incrimination is enshrined
under the 1987 Philippine
Constitution under Sec. 17, Art. III,
which says, “No person shall be
compelled to be a witness against
himself.”
documents reflecting acceptance
of the beneficiary's qualifications
as well as evidence of completion
of theological education in an
accredited institution.
Religious workers, on the other
hand, are those who are working in
a religious vocation or occupation
and are authorized to perform
traditional religious duties. These
include religious instructors,
religious counsellors, and
missionaries.
The beneficiary must have
been a member of the
denomination for at least two
years immediately preceding the
filing of the petition. He also must
have been working as a minister or
religious worker, either abroad or
lawfully in the U.S., for at least two
years immediately before the filing
of the petition.
The job offered must be full
time or at least 35 hours per week.
The petitioner must show proof of
how it intends to compensate the
beneficiary, such as financial
statements, bank statements,
budget showing sums sets aside
for salary. Other types of evidence
that can be submitted include W2
forms of the beneficiary if already
employed by petitioner, tax
returns, and documents showing
that a car or room and board will be
provided
Submitting sufficient
documentation is important. In
one case where the petitioner only
submitted pay records of a
missionary's salary for one out of
the minimum 2 years, the USCIS
found that the pay records did not
show beneficiary's continuous,
full-time employment.
The petitioning organization
must make several attestations in
the petition. For example, it must
establish that it is a non-profit
organization by providing
u
Page 12
Chaos Courts prophets
of doom in PH
While many senators, who
were linked to the P10-billion
(US$238-M) scam pulled by
Napoles, may hate the guts of
Napoles for remaining silent, they
could not do anything about it.
Napoles is merely exercising a right
available to everybody, including
the senator's.
And nobody can blame her.
Although senators and
ordinary people may invoke Sec. 7,
Art. III's “right of the people to
information on matters of public
concern” to compel Napoles to
waive her right not to testify, this
civil right plays second fiddle to
Napoles' civil right, Sec. 14 (1) of
Art. III, which says, “No person
shall be held to answer for a
criminal offense without due
process of law.”
In a landmark case reviewed by
the U.S. Supreme Court in Sheppard
v. Maxwell, the Court held that
Sheppard's conviction was the
result of a trial in which he was
denied due process.
The decision noted, among
other factors, that a "carnival
atmosphere" had permeated the
trial, and that trial judge Edward J.
Blythin, had refused to sequester
the jury, had not ordered the jury to
ignore and disregard media
reports of the case, and when
speaking to newspaper columnist
Dorothy Kilgallen shortly before
the trial started said, "Well, he's
guilty as hell. There's no question
about it.”
There is time for everything
u
Page 12
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 11
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Opinion The greatest mission
By Fr. Shay Cullen
Malala Yousafzai, the 16 yearold Pakistani girl who defied the
Taliban's ban on girls' education
and was shot in the head but
survived, has been granted the
European Human Rights Award.
Many thought she would be
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Instead, it went to the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW). Malala wanted
to change the world as she knew it
in Pakistan Taliban-controlled
areas and beyond.
She has been campaigning for
education for girls. She has a
mission and is pursuing it with
great success since she was ten
years old. She has a mission in life
and that gives her the strength to
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
One week after the 7.2
magnitude tremblor that shook
Bohol, Cebu and other parts of
Central Visayas, many are still
unaccounted for.
Heart rending is the report
about the missing five children
playing by the waterfall, which has
also been obliterated by landslides
that followed the quake.
There may still be areas,
isolated by the destruction of
roads and bridges that are still to
be reached by rescuers and people
who are bringing assistance.
Speaking of assistance, it is
good to know that China has set
aside the strain in diplomatic
relations and condoled with the
Filipino people in this moment of
take risks and live with death
threats at a very young age and
become an inspiration to many
thousands of young girl students all
over the world.
Young people like Malala give us
hope and encouragement so that
we too want to help to make this a
better, happier, and more just world
but just don't know how. Around
the world, there are millions of
people working for justice, peace,
human rights, the dignity of women
and children, and work to end drug
proliferation, human trafficking,
and sex slavery. We can help them
by supporting their work and be
part of their mission. They are
serving humanity. Never think
there is only misery and evil. There
is abundant good everywhere, we
just have to look and see and join in.
These agents of change look
upon the world and see human
suffering and misery, oppression
a n d e x p l o i t a t i o n , a p a t h y,
indifference, greed, corruption and
injustice and with deep
compassion and care for others
they say, “I will try and change it, if I
could save even one child, one
person, I have done great good. My
life will be worth a human life.
Thousands of people have become
missionaries and volunteers to be
an agent of change for others.
Some want to change the
people doing evil or doing nothing
at all. They promote spiritual
transformation. Others attempt to
change the political systems that in
some nations condone, allow and
actually do evil, violate human
rights, as in cruel oppressive
dictatorships or corrupt political
systems devoid of morality and
compassion and that harm the
common good.
Others strive to change one
aspect or other of society like
Malala believing that if you bring
Fr. Shay Cullen on one of his long-term missions to release young kids from overcrowded
jails and away from the adult abusers and give them new life at the Preda Homes for
Boys and Girls.Most are innocent. “When you do it to the poorest of these you do it to
u
Page 14 me” said Jesus of Nazareth.
Using calamity an excuse for another calamity
tragedy. Beijing sent through the
Red Cross $80,000 assistance.
Taiwan, with whom the
Philippines recently patched up
relations after the unfortunate
killing by a member of the
Philippine Coast Guard of a
Taiwanese fisherman in the
disputed waters in Balintang
Channel gave $100,000. The
Taiwan Economic and Cultural
Office in Manila said more
humanitarian assistance for the
quake victims is being organized.
The United States donated
$50,000 for relief operations for
Bohol quake victims.
Legal aspects of these
donations are covered by the
declaration of the earthquakestricken areas under the State of
Calamity.
Republic Act 10121 provides
that “The President's declaration
m ay wa r ra n t i n t e r n a t i o n a l
humanitarian assistance as
deemed necessary.”
VERA Files. Yvonne Chua,
wrote a piece about her
conversation with Eddie, a driver
in Guadalupe, Cebu whose house
was damaged by the earthquake
on how the President's declaration
of a State of Calamity can benefit
him.
Chua wrote:”The President can
declare a state of calamity in 'a
condition involving mass casualty
and/or major damages to
property, disruption of means of
livelihoods, roads and normal way
of life of people in the affected
areas as a result of the occurrence
of natural or human-induced
hazard.'”
“The presidential declaration
paves the way for the release of
calamity funds, a price freeze for
basic necessities of 60 days unless
lifted, and the granting of no-
Aquino inspecting damage in Bohol. Malacañang photo.
u
Page 14
Napoles' mentor?
So, the now-insanely famous
Janet Lim Napoles is about to
testify in the Senate about how,
b a s i c a l ly, s h e g o t r i c h b y
converting money intended for
government projects into cash to
line her and her favored
lawmakers' pockets. Well, the head
of that Senate these days was two
decades ahead of Napoles in the
game even if he won't even admit
his friendship with “Ma'am Jenny.”
Apparently, the illegal practice
of the large-scale diversion of
government funds intended for
supposedly salutary projects
wasn't invented by Napoles. If a
highly reliable source is to be
believed, one early instance of
Napoles' scheme went into
operation more than 20 years ago,
under the administration of
another Aquino.
When, in a surprise move,
President Corazon Aquino decided
to support the bid of Fidel V. Ramos
to succeed her in Malacañang
Palace in the 1992 elections, she
didn't only stab House Speaker
Ramon Mitra in the back. Cory and
her pro-Ramos loyalists also
discovered that they had to find a
lot of money double-quick to fund
FVR's presidential campaign,
according to one former top
official of the Aquino I
government.
Mitra had earlier won the
ruling Laban ng Demokratikong
Pilipino convention, which was
held to select the administration
candidate for the first post-Cory
presidential elections. But Mrs.
Aquino didn't want the bearded
Mitra, her late husband's bosom
buddy, to replace her, preferring
instead to go against the entire
LDP's decision by backing her loyal
subordinate from the military,
“Steady Eddie.”
Ramos, despite his ambitions,
didn't have any money to fund his
own campaign, either. So, Mrs.
Aquino turned to her executive
secretary, Franklin Drilon, and
Presidential Management Staff
chief Leonora “Lenny” de Jesus to
get the job of raising an initial P200
million to fund FVR's bid for the
highest post in the land, said the
former Cory official.
Drilon and De Jesus hit upon a
plan that would, whether or not
Napoles knew it, would become
the template for the conversion of
funding for “soft” government
projects into cash. Funding for
fictitious seminars, training
programs and conventions, among
other hard-to-trace expenditures,
was quickly released, with a
corresponding paper trail of
government money spent using
Cory's large and largely unaudited
discretionary funds, or
presidential pork, established.
The source of this information
said Cory knew about the DrilonDe Jesus fund-raising effort and
tacitly gave her approval for it. In
fact, officials who attempted to
caution Mrs. Aquino about the
widespread conversion of soft
project funding into campaign
funds after discovering the bogus
documents used to legitimize the
operation were ignored by the
President.
And that is how Cory and her
administration jump-started the
Ramos campaign, using the same
methods that would later be
perfected, allegedly, by Napoles.
Who knows perhaps Drilon even
mentored Napoles, his close
friend, when she was just
beginning to learn her unusual and
unusually profitable trade.
***
You've heard about traders
attempting to profit from food
shortages and local officials
seizing relief goods to make
political capital in the quake-hit
areas. The nation's highest official
is as opportunistic as any of these
lowlifes, apparently.
Like a vulture that seeks to
benefit from death, the Aquino
administration has announced
that it plans to use the muchreviled pork barrel fund it created
now known as the Disbursement
Acceleration Program to pay for
the relief and rehabilitation effort
in the aftermath of the devastating
earthquake in the Central Visayas
region. This ghoulish proposal
came from President Noynoy
Aquino himself, who said that
current funds set aside by
u
Page 12
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
self-preservation instinct that
charity begins at home. Before
Napoles could help the conniving
senators, she would have first to take
From page 10
care of clearing herself from
wrongdoing. If she could not even
By choosing to be silent, Napoles
extricate herself from the massive
is imploring the Biblical message of
theft of public funds, how could she
Eccleiastes 3:1-15 that “There is an
clear her worried senators?
appointed time for everything. And
Any violation of one's civil and
there is a time for every event under
human rights could lead to the
heaven.”
erosion of some of our basic
I would have supported the
independent institutions, like the
senators' power to compel Napoles
judiciary, that could only result in
to testify if she has not yet been
chaos. The murder of Sen. Ninoy
charged before a prosecuting body
Aquino, who was a victim of human
like the Ombudsman. But the
rights violation, sparked the EDSA I
senators would now have to defer to
Revolution.
the Ombudsman and give it the
Even corruption could also spark
benefit to find probable cause against
a revolution. Remember my friend,
her.
former President and now Manila
If Napoles would not object, I
Mayor Joseph Estrada, was charged
suggest that the senators may initiate
with plunder before the outbreak of
a move to urge the Sandiganbayan to
the EDSA II Revolution?
televise the proceedings in the same
This time, a birdie told me the
way that the impeachment of Chief
unfolding corruption trial involving
Justice Renato Corona turned out to
senators and congressmen is another
be a daily telenovela.
harbinger of a possible bloody EDSA
But if Napoles would object, then,
III Revolution. He argued in his essay
any
attempt
to
have
her
trial
live
on
(http://tinyurl.com/ox29u3x)
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III speaks during a luncheon hosted by four
television and on other media outlets
when calamities, including typhoons
presidents of South Korea's economic organizations in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct.
18, 2013. AP
will be dead in the water.
and earthquake, visit the Philippines,
In preventing the Maguindanao
these hand writings on the wall have
massacre trial from having live media
been likened to “Biblical Scriptures:
(procurement) … is to maintain
Last fighter jet
broadcast coverage, the Philippine
"The second incident which Jesus
our ability to fly jets, at least for
Mr. Aquino noted that the
Supreme Court held that “allowing
addressed was a natural disaster, a
the Air Force to fly jets,” Mr.
last jet fighter the Air Force had,
the public trial will deprive him
tower in Jerusalem which
Aquino told the Philippine
the US-made light fighter
(defendant Andal Ampatuan) of his
unexpectedly collapsed, killing 18
media covering his visit.
aircraft F-5, last flew in 2005.
rights to due process, equal
people. The Jews often associated
“We're handling this as a G“While we have (fixed-gear)
protection, presumption of
such calamities and disasters as a
to-G (government-toaircraft, those are just
innocence, and to be shielded from
consequence of sin. Scripture does
government) procurement,” he
propeller-types. So you slowly
degrading psychological
warn that sin can result in calamity!
said. “The Air Force looked at
lose your expertise to fly jets,”
punishment.
Though the righteous fall seven
several models and after all of
he said. The KAI website
“While this court recognizes the
times, and rise again; the wicked are
the negotiations, this is their
describes the FA-50 as a combat
freedom of the press and the right to
overthrown by calamity." (Proverbs
u
Page 13
preference.”
public information, which by the way
24:16).
are rights that belong to non-direct
But I am telling this naysayer that
parties to the case, the rights of the
as long as the senators would let the
direct parties should not be
system of checks and balances hold
i m p l e m e n t e d b y S o c i a l DAR under then Secretary
forgotten.
In a clash among these
the three branches of government
Development Program for Nasser Pangandaman and Nieto.
competing interests and in terms of
together and the separation of
Farmers Foundation Inc. to
In 2011, Napoles had fierce
t
h
e
v
a
l
u
e
s
t
h
e
C
o
n
s
t
i
t
u
t
i
o
n
powers
take hold, any talk of a bloody
manage the execution of the competition for DAR funds from
recognizes, jurisprudence makes it
EDSA III Revolution by disgruntled
project.” The NGO is one of the rival NGOs that were also
clear that the balance should always
Philippine junior military officers is
fake foundations linked to believed to be fake: Workphil
be weighed in favour of the accused.”
premature and mere figment of
Napoles, who is detained for the Foundation Inc. (P60 million);
imagination! (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal)
alleged illegal detention of a Divine Grace Enhancement
Bloody
EDSA
III
revolution?
whistle-blower in the scam.
Foundation Inc. (P40 million);
I'm sure Napoles is guided by her
Although Napoles accounted Samahan sa Magsasaka sa
Combat planes to help defend Manila's claim to Spratly isles
Philippines buying South
Korean fighter jets
By Marlon Ramos
SEOUL –- Move over. The big
boys are coming.
President Benigno Aquino
III said the Philippines was close
to finalizing a deal with a stateowned Korean aerospace firm
to buy a squadron of FA-50
fighter jets worth P18.9 billiona
move seen to bolster the
country's aerial power and
defend its territory in the
disputed West Philippine Sea
(South China Sea).
M r. A q u i n o s a i d h e
discussed the procurement of
12 brand-new multirole combat
aircraft from the Korea
Aerospace Industries Inc. (KAI)
when he met with South Korean
President Park Geun-hye at the
Blue House, South Korea's seat
of power.
He said it was part of the
commitment of both countries
to improve their military
cooperation, in line with a
m e m o r a n d u m
o f
understanding they entered
into on Thursday.
“(These are) Korean lead-in
fighters. The purpose of this
P150 M DAR
funds ...
From page 6
Request to Estrada
I n a p h o n e i n te r v i e w,
Estrada said he would check his
records whether he actually
endorsed the release of the
funds. Estrada, however, noted
that he only endorsed the LGU as
recipients to the implementing
agency and that the mayors were
left to pick the implementing
NGOs.
In a letter to Estrada on
March 16, 2011, requesting P5
million for financial assistance
to her constituents, Infanta
Mayor Filipina Grace R. America
wrote, “I wish to request that the
above funding support be
Napoles’
mentor?
From page 11
government for calamities may
not be enough to completely
come to the aid of the stricken
people of Cebu and Bohol.
What is it about DAP that
Aquino cannot keep his hands
off it? And why would he use the
opportunity of the earthquake
relief effort to once again justify
the use of the questionable fund
he created, despite widespread
public clamor against all pork
allocations?
Aquino's people cannot
even answer questions about
for 10 of the 15 NGOs in the DAR
pork barrel scam during the
“daang matuwid” era, her group
accounted for only 28 percent, or
P65 million, of the P230 million
released by the DAR to fake
NGOs in 2011.
These are the same NGOs
allegedly used by Napoles to
divert into her pocket P900
million from the Malampaya
Fund in 2009 and P200 million
from agrarian reform funds in
2007, both coursed through the
Kapatagan at Kabundukan
Foundation Inc. (P50 million);
Focus on Development Goals
Foundation Inc. or FDGFI (P10
million); and Gintong
Pangkabuhayan Foundation Inc.
(P5 million).
In 2011, Workphil and
FDGFI also received P50 million
and P140 million, respectively, in
pork through Philippine Forest
Corp. with the endorsement of
Honasan.
where the P130 billion or so in
missing payments to the socalled Malampaya fund, and yet
he's already looking to tap into
DAP to lend it an air of
respectability and legitimacy in
these times of suffering. What
Malacañang lowlife dreamed up
the too-obvious propaganda
effort to use the devastation in
the Visayas to gyp people into
thinking, as Aquino has
repeatedly said, that pork and
all other discretionary funds are
good?
The least Aquino can do is to
use whatever funding his
administration has for calamity
spending at present around P1
billion, according to him right
now before tapping into DAP
and other pork funds. If he
persists in using his pork, he will
only come off as insensitivelike
when he left for South Korea
when his people were crying for
government aid in the
earthquake-hit areas.
No, Mr. President. You still
can't justify using DAP and other
pork funds for even the most
altruistic purposes, especially
since the Supreme Court still
hasn't ruled on their legality and
with the threat of a people's
initiative to pass a law banning
pork over your balding head.
In case you haven't noticed,
you just come off looking like a
pork-addicted, opportunistic
ghoul. Really.
Chaos Courts
prophets ...
Green Card for
Ministers ....
From page 10
documentation of its tax exempt
status from the Internal Revenue
Service.
The petitioner must also state
how many members there are in the
denomination, how many petitions
have been filed in the past 5 years,
and how many employees are
currently employed on religious
worker status.
Several years ago, a study
concluded that 33% of visas granted
in the religious worker program
were based on fraudulent
information. Because of this, the
USCIS now requires an on-site
inspection of the petitioning
organization before it will approve
the I-360 petition. The site visit
allows the USCIS to verify the
existence of the petitioner's
organization. The site visits allow
the USCIS to deter fraud by checking
the existence of the organization,
inspecting the records and
interviewing personnel.
The religious worker visa
program for non-ministers has been
extended through September 30,
2015. Ministers are not affected by
this sunset date.
Non-minister religious workers
are subject to an annual cap of 5,000
but there is no cap for those entering
the U.S. solely for the purpose of
carrying on the vocation of a
minister.
(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) 6955281.)
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
Only $30 for 25 words (deadline is Wednesday noon)
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Philippines
buying ...
The challenging
task ...
From page 12
From page 4
aircraft capable of carrying up
to 4.5 tons of weapons, such as
air-to-air and air-to-surface
missiles, machine guns and
precision guided bombers,
among others.
The aircraft is also equipped
with a night vision imaging
system with day and night
capability.
Pa r i s h i o n e r s a n d c h u r c h heritage workers alike are in a
quandary if it is still possible to
rebuild fallen churches or restore
some of its damaged parts.
As national cultural treasures, a
declaration that could allow the use
of government funds, some churches
may be reconstructed or restored,
according to the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA).
While rebuilding a church using
original materials is possible and may
cost millions or even billions of pesos,
i t c a n a l s o b e h a m p e re d by
nonavailability of materials.
Stone churches in Central Visayas
are made of coral stones mined from
the sea. As most church construction
activities were made during the
Spanish era, coral stones may not be
readily available today.
Lumber, which was used for
trusses, floors, pews and retablos, is
another problem. In the past, an
entire forest had to be cut down to
build a single church.
Having all materials doesn't make
a church stand.
The coral stones had to be hewn
into blocks. As instructed by the
“maestrillo de la obra” (master
carpenter), the cut stones, known as
“tablilla,” were put in place using
“argamasa”a mixture of lime, sand
and egg whites.
The lumber used, usually of
“balayong” or “tugas,” had to be sawn
'Now we can fight'
Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin, who signed the
agreement, said the Philippines
and South Korea would sign the
contract for the purchase of the
fighter jets within the year.
He noted that the Koreanmade military aircraft were
more affordable than the fighter
jets made in other countries and
that their maintenance would
be easier as the spare parts for
them were readily available.
Asked how the FA-50s
would fare with Chinese fighter
jets which fly by the West
Philippine Sea, Gazmin said:
“Pwede na nating labanan
siguro yun (We probably can
now fight them).”
Gazmin said the hefty price
tag would also include the
training of Filipino pilots who
would fly them.
No delivery date yet
He expressed confidence
GIVING FORCE TO PHILIPPINE AIR. This is the kind of fighter jet called the FA-50the
Philippines hopes to acquire from South Korea following President Aquino's two-day
visit to Seoul. This combat aircraft can carry an array of weaponry, such as air-to-air and
air-to-surface missiles, and precision-guided bombers, and is equipped with a night
vision imaging system. PHOTO FROM WWW.KOREAAERO.COM
that the purchase of FA-50s
would help the Air Force
resuscitate its fighter jet
program, which took a nosedive
when the military decided to
focus on buying helicopters and
smaller jets for its
counterinsurgency campaign
and domestic security program.
Mr. Aquino said there was as
yet no definite delivery date for
the military aircraft but that
both Korea and the Philippines
had pledged to expedite the
process of procurement.
“We're just finishing some
things both in their laws and our
laws regarding the
procurement,” Mr. Aquino said.
“The bottom line is that both
sides agreed to expedite the
arms purchase and the delivery
of these planes.”
Defense cooperation
Included in the agreement
both countries signed were
cooperation in the defense
industry, exchanges in military
t e c h n o l o g y, e x c h a n g e o f
defense-related experience and
information, and exchange of
visits by military personnel and
experts.
They also agreed to share
experiences in military
education and training;
research and development;
logistics and maintenance;
humanitarian assistance and
international peacekeeping
off manually and put into place with
wooden pegs.
Bishop Lito Cortes, Catholic
Bishops' Conference of the
Philippines chair on church heritage
and incoming prelate of Dumaguete
City in Negros Oriental province, said
a composite team from the NCCA,
National Museum and the National
Historical Commission of the
Philippines was in Bohol to assess
the damage brought by the temblor.
But the team couldn't come up
with a complete assessment as yet
due to intermittent aftershocks.
Basilica del Santo Niño, whose
belfry fell, already has a team from
Escuela Taller, a conservation firm
based in Intramuros, Manila, to check
on the extent of damage, according to
Cortes.
The belfry may be restored to its
original, but it would have to tap
modern technology to strengthen it.
An architect involved in heritage
work, who refused to be named, said
that for any of the fallen churches to
rise again, adaptive reuse of the
original materials might be
recommended. If certain parts of the
church are still intact and structurally
sound, it can still be used.
A portion of a collapsed wall, for
instance, may be filled with core
pilings to strengthen it and the
damaged portions may be filled with
reinforced concrete.
Cladding
Churches reduced to rubble, like
those in Maribojoc and Loon towns,
pose a greater problem. Rebuilding to
their original form is close to
impossible, the architect said.
u
Page 14
u
Page 14
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Philippines
buying ...
Armed Forces had focused on
internal security and domestic
security program.”
From page 13
Territorial claims
Mr. Aquino also said he
relayed to Park the Philippine
concern about the security of
50,000 Filipinos living and
working in South Korea every
t i m e t h e re i s a m i l i t a r y
confrontation between North
and South Korea.
He also thanked Park for
South Korea's support for a
peaceful settlement of the
conflicting claims over oil-rich
isles in the West Philippine Sea
“consistent with international
law.”
“They can choose to stay
quiet but expressed their
interest being a very large
trading country. I thanked them
for the promotion of stability
and the easing of tensions in
these disputed waters,” Mr.
Aquino said. Inquirer.net
activities; military sports and
cultural activities; and military
medicine and health services.
Col. Miguel Okol, Air Force
spokesperson, said that at
present the military only has
four S211 military trainer jets.
They saw action during military
o p e ra t i o n s a g a i n s t M o ro
National Liberation Front
(MNLF) rebels who attacked
Zamboanga City.
Okol said the Air Force also
flies three C-130 military
transport aircraft, 18 basic
trainer airplanes, a fleet of UH1H and MG-520 attack
helicopters and eight Polishmade Sokol combat choppers.
“This is a welcome
development because we can
start our fighter jet program for
our territorial defense,” Okol
said. “For the past 11 years, the
From page 9
3 decrees
Before his death, Kiram issued
three decrees to his family and the
members of the sultanate, Idjirani
said.
First , Kiram ordered his
brothers “to love one another and
all the members of the Kiram clan.”
Second, he wanted his family “to
be always united.”
“Lastly, Sultan Kiram said the
fight to repossess Sabah from
Malaysia must continue for the
entire Filipino people,” Idjirani said.
As of Sunday afternoon, Kiram's
body was in the Blue Mosque,
located just across the sultan's
Using calamity
an excuse ...
From page 11
De Lima asks
DFA: Cancel ...
who is under police detention,
and her brother Reynald Lim
were earlier canceled by the DFA.
From page 6
Enrile aide gone
De Lima noted that four of
the 37 had already left the
country: Enrile's former chief of
staff Gigi Reyes, Ruby Chan
Tuason, Rodolfo Plaza and
Antonio Ortiz.
In the complaint, Tuason was
identified as a representative of
Enrile and Estrada. She is the
widow of the late cousin of
former First Gentleman Mike
Arroyo.
Plaza is a former Agusan del
Sur representative. Ortiz is a
former director general of the
Technology Resource Center.
“Are we just going to wait so
more of those we charged will
leave the country?” De Lima
replied when asked why she
wanted to cancel the passports of
people who have not yet been
charged in court.
She described the
respondents in the plunder case
as “flight risks” who have the
“capacity and the resources” to
flee the country.
She also pointed out that the
four who had already left did so a
few days before the NBI filed the
first batch of PDAF cases in Office
of the Ombudsman.
The justice secretary said in
the case of the legislators, she
hoped Congress and its leaders
would understand the DOJ was
just performing its mandate.
“We're doing this to keep
them within the reach of the
lawful processes, whether it's the
Ombudsman or the
Sandiganbayan, so that there will
be no delays and that the
proceedings will go
unhampered,” she said.
as scandals degenerates into
crisis situations that undermine
the credibility and effectiveness
of the government.”
Asked about the
Department of Justice (DOJ)
request, DFA spokesman Raul
Hernandez said: “We have yet to
receive a request from the DOJ
on this issue. When we receive
one, we will assess [it] and
proceed from there.”
Hernandez said the DFA
would have to “see what are the
justifications” of the DOJ for the
cancellation request.
“Let them do what they
want. Let the DFA decide. We
can't do anything,” Estrada said
on the phone.
“They have already filed
their report to the Ombudsman,
and by that, they have no
authority any longer to declare
those they charge as 'national
security risks,'” said Joel
Bodegon, Revilla's lawyer. He
a l s o s a i d h i s c l i e n t wa s
“wrongfully charged.”
E n r i l e' s s t a f f h a d n o
immediate comment.
On Sept. 16, the National
Bureau of Investigation filed a
complaint in the Office of the
Ombudsman against Janet LimNapoles, the alleged brains
behind the P10-billion pork
barrel scam that ran for 10
years, channeling allocations
from the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ghost
projects and kickbacks.
Charged with Napoles were
the three senators and 34 other
people.
The passports of Napoles,
Sultan of Sulu
dies ...
The challenging task ... From page 13
The best way is to use reinforced concrete and utilize the wreck's
coral stone blocks for cladding.
He estimated that the structure alone could cost about P15,000
per square meter. If it includes cladding or low-relief sculptures like
those found in facades, it could mean another P15,000 or more.
The NCCA leaves it to the people of the communities to decide
what to dorestore their church or build a new one. Inquirer.net
interest loans, as well as
international humanitarian
assistance.
“Under the Local Government
Code, local government units in
areas declared to be in a state of
calamity may draw from their
calamity funds, a lump-sum
appropriation generated from the 5
percent of the estimated revenue
from regular sources. The funds are
to be used for the repair and
upgrading of public infrastructures
and facilities, among others.
“On top of that, local
government units may enact a
supplemental budget to buy
supplies and materials or pay for
services to prevent danger to or loss
of life or property.
“The importation of rice and
payment of hazard allowance to
public health workers and science
and technological personnel may
also be authorized during a state of
calamity.”
Chua said it is the grant of nointerest loans by government
financing or lending institutions
The greatest
mission
From page 11
change in one vital sector of
society, it will impact on all others
and that will make a better world.
Many see the suffering in the world
a n d h u r r y to b e t h e g o o d
Samaritan to heal, help and protect
the victims, the orphans, and the
abused.
Others become partners in a
mission and do good providing the
resources, support, and logistics to
make these missions possible;
each work according to their
abilities and at the level of their
enlightenment and inner
goodness.
Those with a mission have
convictions in the value and
dignity of the human person. For
many, they are inspired and
motivated by that “man with a
mission” who wanted to turn the
world upside down and change it
forever the man from Nazareth.
Jesus is the unschooled son of a
carpenter turned prophet, teacher,
healer, reformer, spiritual prodigy
and leader, a washer of feet, a social
revolutionary, a man of peace and a
modest home in Maharlika Village,
Taguig City.
Idjirani said the family was
arranging a flight to take Kiram's
body to Jolo, Sulu, so they could bury
him within 24 hours after his death
i n a c c o rd a n c e w i t h M u s l i m
tradition. From Jolo, he said the
body would be immediately
transported and buried in a
cemetery in Maimbung, 6
kilometers from Sulu's capital town.
Idjirani said Esmail Kiram II,
being Kiram's oldest surviving
brother, will be crowned next leader
of the sultanate, which does not
enjoy any political power over its
“territory” in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,
unlike existing sultanates in Brunei
and Malaysia.
Kiram talked to brod
Idjirani said Kiram talked to
Agbimuddin on Saturday. He did not
say how or where Agbimuddin was.
But he made it understood that
Agbimuddin was in Sabah by saying
that Agbimuddin decided not to
return to Sulu for Kiram's burial to
secure the areas controlled by the
sultanate's forces.
“ [ A gb i m u d d i n ] k n ows h e
cannot do anything to undo what
has happened. He was happy that
they were able to talk,” Idjirani said.
Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao offered his condolences
to Kiram's family. “We pray that
Allah's mercy be upon him,”
Hataman said.
Sulu Vice Gov. Abdusakur Tan
said he went to Kiram's house on
Sunday to pay his last respects to the
sultan “as a Tausug leader and a
relative.” Inquirer.net
that interests Eddie especially
those for home repairs.
Chua related that Eddie was
told to take pictures of his damaged
house and attach them to his loan
application with the Social Security
System.
Chua further wrote that, “The
SSS on Wednesday approved a
calamity relief package for SSS
members and pensioners in Central
Visayas, especially Cebu and Bohol,
who were affected by the
earthquake. The package includes
early renewal of salary loans,
relaxed loan terms for home repairs
and advance release of three
months' worth of pensions.
“The SSS said it has relaxed its
terms for the House Repair and
Improvement Loan Program for
members living in the declared
calamity areas like Eddie. House
re p a i r b o r ro we r s c a n ava i l
themselves of reduced interest
rates, to be fixed at 6 percent a year
instead of the existing 9 percent.
The regular application fee of up to
P3,000 will also be waived.
“The SSS is allowing members
one year to apply for house repair
loans to give them time to prepare
t h e r e q u i r e d d o c u m e n t s .”
The 2013 budget has allotted P7.50
billion for calamities and P1 billion
for contingencies. The two funds
are part of the P957.77 billion
special purpose fund which some
describe as the President's pork
barrel.
Aquino last week said there's
only P1.37 billion in the calamity
fund. The unspoken message, of
course, is this is not enough, we will
have to tap “savings” which is the
c o n t rove r s i a l D i s b u r s e m e n t
Acceleration Program.
Many saw through the
deodorant ploy.
Not to be outdone, members of
the Senate, which has been shaken
by the Janet Napoles pork barrel
scandal, are suggesting re-aligning
their unused PDAF (Priority
development Assistance Fund) to
the Calamity Fund.
Lawyer Harry Roque said:” This
cannot be done. Budget is a law. A
(Senate) resolution can't amend a
law! Only an amendatory or
repealing law can do that. In any
case, the Senate president can only
realign items from savings in its
own budget. They can't do that to
budget of executive and vice versa.”
Doing that would make
calamity an excuse for another
calamity.
friend to all.
His mission was to save the
world and everyone from the
effects of evil, sin, poverty,
oppression, exclusion of all kinds,
and much more. He challenged the
world of his day with great social
life changing truths and values and
teachings that are still relevant
today.
They were unthinkable and
unacceptable to the rulers,
authorities, the theocracy and the
landowning elders of society in his
time. They are universal values of
unselfish concern and love of
others. To serve others without
reward is unacceptable for most
people and it never really caught
on. The great values and the Man, a
true son of God, and his mission
was turned into an ideal to be
worshiped in religious rites and
rituals. Not a way of life for all to be
imitated and widely practiced.
Most people want to pursue
comfort, prosperity and find
happiness that way but seldom do.
He taught that all human
beings are equal in dignity, rights
and status in the world and before
God, his spiritual father. He
offended the religious elite by
calling God Abba, meaning Papa.
He put the most impoverished
and unrecognized of all as the
model for all a child. A child or a
woman had practically no status,
rights, position or value in society
at that time but he gave them status
and position.
Yet when asked who is the
greatest in society and religion, he
called out for a child, unless we
become as morally clean and as
innocent as a child we can't be
intimate with the man from
Nazareth, Jesus and his heavenly
Father. The status and rights of the
child was elevated that day but
never recognized until recent
times.
The innocent children are
re p re s e n t a t ive s o f J e s u s o f
Nazareth himself. “Whoever
welcome one such as this child,
welcomes me”, he told them. That's
a profound teaching. Its
implications were and are far
reaching. It directly challenged the
ruling class and the authorities. His
spiritual mission was to change
everything and that eventually led
to his execution. But his mission
never ends, we are challenged to
carry it on just as he lives on us and
children like Malala.
[shaycullen@preda.org, www.preda.org]
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
'Family Day' to honor
Fil-Am Olympic hero
SAN FRANCISCO -- A free “Family Day” event organized by West Bay Pilipino MultiService www.westbaycenter.org will celebrate Filipino American History Month and
the unveiling of a plaque in honor of the first Fil-Am woman to win Olympic gold
medals.
The event featuring Filipino cultural presentations, food, sports and other family
friendly activities will be from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, at the Victoria Manalo
Draves Park, South of Market, Folsom & 6th St., San Francisco. It is open to the public.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and District Supervisor Jane Kim will join the
celebration as keynote speakers during the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate
Filipino American and San Francisco native Victoria Manalo-Draves' achievements in
the 1948 Olympics.
Manalo-Draves was a competitive diver and made history as the first Filipino
American woman to win Olympic gold medals for the United States. West Bay Pilipino
Multi-Service is honoring Manalo-Draves to encourage young Filipino Americans to
reach for higher goals, and raise the profile of Filipino American community.
AARP is proud to support and join the celebration of Filipino American History
Month. West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service expressed gratitude for the support of its
presenting sponsor AARP www.aarp.org/aapi
For more information, contact Rudy Asercion at West Bay Pilipino Multi Service at
(415) 431.6266 or westbaycenter@gmail.com. Inquirer.net
FilAm Reporters Honored
at PAPC Plaridel Rites
By Ronnie M. Estrada
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
COLMA, California
(FAXX/jGLi) -- An immigration
story written by Joseph G.
L a r i o s a o f F i l A m E x t ra
Exchange carried by San Bruno,
Ca.-based weekly Philippines
Today and a labor story written
by Harvey Barkin of Inquirer.net
shared the best Plaridel Awards
for Investigative In-Depth
Reporting at the second edition
of the awards ceremony of the
Bay Area-based Philippine
American Press Club U.S.A.
(PAPC) held Saturday night
(Oct. 19) at Rene's Fine Dining
at Lucky Chances Casino at
1700 Hillside Blvd. at San
Francisco's suburb of Colma,
California.
Lariosa's piece, “FilAms lead
thousands of DREAMers for
'deferred action,” published on
Aug. 22, 2012 and posted online
(http://tinyurl.com/lwau7q6)
that highlights a little-used
exercise of an executive fiat to
enforce an immigration reform
program that has always been
the prerogative of the U.S
Congress, was one of the three
finalists in the investigative indepth reporting category for the
awards for excellence in
journalism named after Filipino
exiled journalist and publisher
Marcelo H. Del Pilar, whose pen
name is an anagram of his last
name, Plaridel.
Barkin's “Calif. City puts off
naming school for Fil-Am
heroes,” that came out on March
22, 2012, tells of the 13-year
struggle of the Filipino
American community to have
the names of their own labor
leaders Larry Itliong and Philip
Vera Cruz etched in place of
Alvarado Middle School in
Union City, California. Juan
Alvarado was a former
California governor, whose
Amb. Mario L. De Leon, Jr.
Judge Lorna Schofield
Ruben Nepales
De Leon, Schofield and Nepales
to Keynote Third Annual TOFA-NY
Awards on October 26
New York, October 18, 2013 -outstanding in their respective fields: Sibyl
Philippine Consul General to New York
Santiago (arts and culture), Jaena Valles
Mario L. De Leon, Jr., United States District
(business and entrepreneurship), Maya
Judge for the Southern District of New York
Rowencak (community service and
Honorable Judge Lorna Schofield, and
advocacy), Jen Furer (courage of
MS. KING ACCEPTS AWARDS FOR JOSEPH G. LARIOSA. San Bruno, Ca.-based weekly
Former Chairman of the Board for the
conviction), Marietta Geraldino
Philippines Today Vice President for Marketing Marilyn King delivers a brief remark as
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
(education, research, and technology),
she accepts the award on behalf of Joseph G. Lariosa (inset, top right) of Chicago-based
Ruben Nepales will keynote the third
Christine Sienicki (entertainment),
Fil Am Extra Exchange, a news agency, whose banner story, “FilAms lead thousands of
annual The Outstanding Filipino
Guenevere Rodriguez (fashion and style),
DREAMers for 'deferred action,” carried by Philippines Today on Aug. 22, 2012, shared
Americans in New York (TOFA-NY)
Aris Tuazon (food and restaurants),
the best Plaridel Awards for Investigative In-Depth Reporting at the second edition of
Awards on Saturday night, October 26, at
Menchu Sanchez (health care), Irma Bajar
the awards ceremony hosted by Bay Area-based Philippine American Press Club U.S.A.
Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, the
(LGBT advocacy), Katherine Creag (media
(PAPC) for excellence in Filipino American Journalism. The co-winner for the category
official venue of the TOFA-NY Awards
and publishing)who will also emcee the
was Harvey Barkin of Inquirer.net for his piece on, “Calif. City puts off naming school for
ceremonies for the past three years.
TOFA-NY Awards, Atty. Rio Guerrero
Fil-Am heroes,” posted on March 22, 2012. Looking on from left are PAPC President
Organized by founder and N.Y.-based
(public service and politics), and
Esther M. Chavez, VP for Sales/ Regional Director for North America of Inquirer.net,
Joseph Peralta, Vice President and General Manager of Northern California for CA Asian
journalist Elton Lugay, the third annual
Esperanza Garcia (youth and sports) will
Journal and Thelma Cruz, VP for promotions and operations of Philippines Today,
TOFA-NY Awards, whose ceremonies are
also be feted by the guests and attendees at
escorting Ms. King to receive the award. The ceremony, which also coincided with the
slated during the Filipino-American
the formal affair in Carnegie Hall, together
25th anniversary of the Fil Am press club, was held last Saturday night (Oct. 19) at Rene's
History Month in October, recognize and
with virtually thousands of online
Fine Dining at Lucky Chances Casino at 1700 Hillside Blvd. in San Francisco's suburb of
celebrate the achievements of individuals
supporters who believe in these
Colma, California. (FAXX/jGLi Photo courtesy of Gary de Guzman of Manila Mail.)
and organizations that have raised the
outstanding Filipino-Americans'
profile of the emerging leaders in the
passionate professional and/or advocacy
Filipino-American community in the New
work. “For three years now, and using
name is already engraved in a
published in the Asian Journal
York Tri-State area.
primarily social media, the organizers and
nearby Elementary school.
on Feb. 28, 2013.
Joining the ranks of previous Heritage
the volunteers of TOFA-NY have been
Honorable mention for the
Filipino American lawyer
Award winners Lea Salonga, multidedicated and tireless in their efforts to
category was the story written
Rodel Rodis won the top prize
awarded actress and singer; Philippine
search and give recognition to our
American Chamber of Commerce; The
community's achievers. I extend my
by FilAm veteran mainstream
for International reporting with
Filipino Reporter, one of the oldest
appreciation to them,” said Ambassador
journalist and Philippine Daily
his piece, “Philippine: A Jewish
newspapers serving the FilipinoDe Leon.
I n q u i re r c o l u m n i s t , E m i l
Refuge from Holocaust”
American community; The Association of
Besides Lugay, health care expert Sally
“Amok” Guillermo, “Ronald
published in the Inquirer.net on
Fil-Am Teachers in America; and Ma-Yi
Nunez, award-winning multimedia
Ebens the man who killed
April 13, 2013. Rodel also
Theatre Company, an ardent advocate for
journalist Cristina DC Pastor, multi-award
Vincent Chin apologizes
accepted an award on behalf of
new works by Asian-American
winning marketer Grace Labaguis, and
30years later,” which was
Filipino Pulitzer-prize winner
playwrights; among others, are Joe Bataan,
public relations consultant and Broadway
published by Philippine News
and journalist-turned
Filipino-African Latin soul musician;
news editor Oliver Oliveros also make up
Filipino American Legal Defense and
this year's TOFA-NY board of directors.
on Feb. 22, 2012.
i m m i g ra t i o n a dvo c a t e o f
Education Fund, a national organization
Jared Martin, Christine Joyce Lam,
In the Plaridel Commentary
define.american, Jose Antonio
that primarily provides pro bono legal
John Pio, Kirby Asunto, PCSNJ Youth
Editorial Essay, Randy Gener of
Vargas. Getting honorable
services; Foundation for Filipino Artists
Group, Heritage Award winner Joe Bataan,
The FilAm, was the winner for
m e n t i o n h o n o r s fo r t h i s
Inc., co-producers of the New York stage
and Las Vegas' Siren of the Strip Lani
the essay, “A song for my
category was Arnold Pedrigal
debut of Felipe Padilla De Leon and
Misalucha will perform.
mother,” published on May 24,
for his “Project PEARLS and the
Guillermo Tolentino's opera “Noli Me
For last-minute tickets ($60-$100),
2013. Honorable mention went
Children of Ulingan” published
Tangere”; and Monique Lhuillier, leading
p u r c h a s e
a t
to Dy Calica-La Putt's “The Fight
on Jan. 302013 in Manila Mail.
couture bridal and ready-to-wear
http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2
designer.
013/10/26/0800/PM/CelebratingContinues for Filipino Vets”
u
Page 18
Vo t e d o n F a c e b o o k a s m o s t
Filipino-American-History-Month/.
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 16
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Maculabo Island in Paracale
Wondrous
waterworld
Kiteboarding in Bagasbas by Chito Vecina
Two-thirds of Planet Earth is
said to be composed of water,
representing the world's oceans
and other bodies of water. So
when World Tourism Day was
recently observed, its theme
could be no other than this
precious natural resource and
element of tourism.
The Philippines has the
unique distinction of being
surrounded by bodies of water
on all frontiers. An archipelago
of about 7,107 islands, the
country is endowed with a lush
water worldfine beaches, rich
seas with lush marine life,
enchanting waterfalls,
meandering rivers, soothing
springs and placid lakes.
One place which takes pride
in its rich water resources is
Camarines Norte, and whose
bounty is reflected in its culture
and way of life. Situated in
Bicol's Pacific seaboard, the
province boasts of one of the
country's richest fishing
grounds and the finest getaways.
Fondly called CamNorte, it
recently hugged the limelight
when its famed 17-island
chainCalaguas, was named the
top Tourism Gem in a survey
conducted by Isla Lipana & Co.
Located off the mainland of
Vinzons town, the core of this
mini-archipelago is Tinaga
Island which is reputed for its
mile-long powdery sand and
crystalline water, reminiscent of
Boracay 30 years ago.
Bereft of any tourist
amenities, Calaguas Islands has
been a not-so-secret getaway in
previous years, and appears in
the bucket list of many beach
u
Page 17
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Wondrous waterworld
From page 16
bums. Its back-to-the-basics allure of
sleeping under the stars is its main comeon even to seasoned travelers.
“Being named as among the country's
new tourist gems brings great pride and joy
to the people of CamNorte,” says Governor
Edgar Tallado who has pushed tourism
promotion since 2010.
He added that aside from this nowiconic beachscape, the province is blessed
with other aquatic attractions such as
sandbars, rivers, waterfalls and springs.
On the other side of the Pacific
coastline is the fishport town of Mercedes,
home of Siete Pecados, a cluster of seven
islands 30-minutes away from the
mainland. Its core is the twin islands of
Apuao Grande and Apuao Pequeña which
are bridged by a sandbar at low tide.
With their proximity to one another,
Siete Pecados is ideal for kayak islandhopping. In previous years, a 15-kilometer
race has been held to promote the town as
a kayaking haven.
Back at the town proper, there is
Baybay beach where one can literally get
his feet wet on this addicting water sport.
The beach, which shares the same
shoreline as the Bagasbas Beach surfing
site, is gaining popularity as a kayak surfing
spot. Four-foot waves will test the mettle
even of paddlers in getting past the waves
without capsizing. But the fun part of it is
actually falling off your boat and living to
tell the tale.
The bounty of the sea is celebrated in
Mercedes' Kadagatan Festival which
depicts the town's coastal lifestyle in
colorful costumes and marine-inspired
floats.
Another vital water resource which
CamNorte values the most is its rivers
which have been an integral part of its
ancient history as they provided a steady
source of food, potable water and served as a
mode of transportation.
Busig-on River, the longest in the
province, links the lush forests of Mt. Labo
National Park and the Pacific Ocean. It is the
main tributary of Labo River which offers
banak and palos, the town's most-sought
after fish variety.
For the townsfolk of Labo, this river
reflects their identity that a contemporary
epic titled “Ang Epiko ni Busig-on” as penned
by Dr. Carlos Galvez to retrace the town's
cultural heritage.
This epic is the basis of the annual Busigon Festival which relives the beginnings of
the riverine village which evolved into one of
the biggest towns of the Spanish-era Ambos
Camarines province. The festivity, which
coincides with the municipal founding day, is
punctuated with river races on dug-out
wooden canoes and a street dance tilt which
portrays episodes of the Busig-on myth.
According to Gov. Tallado, the province
will be undertaking further study on his
hometown's legend and develop it into one
of the country's major epics.
The town's other waterworld elements
are Maligaya Falls which is widely-sought for
its rejuvenating waters and the Malatap
River which creates a cascading effect.
Elsewhere, CamNorte is a virtual
waterworld with Bagasbas Beach in Daet
which is noted for surfing and very recently,
kiteboarding and paragliding because of its
strong Pacific breeze. Meanwhile, those who
want to get a relaxing hydromassage can dip
at Mampurog River Resort in San Lorenzo
Ruiz town whose icy waters can relieve sore
muscles.
Tallado concluded that with the
province's long coastline and mountains still
being charted, it won't be long before its
best-kept waterworld secrets are unraveled
and become the Philippines' new tourism
gems. Manila Bulletin
Kayak surfing at Baybay Beach
Kadagatan Festival of Mercedes town
Canoe race at Busig-on River
Bagasbas Beach in Daet
EXPRESSWEEK
Yonkers, New York (Oct. 19, 2013) -- The
Junior Chamber International (JCI) New York
State Second Trimester Convention was held in
Yonkers, New York on October 18-19, 2013.
The convention was packed with leadership
and professional trainings, fun camaraderie
with Jaycees from across the state, and state
recognition to local chapters for an
outstanding second trimester of 2013.
Now on its 50th year, JCI Philippine-New
York received a total of 11 awards- the most
number of awards given to a local JCI New York
State chapter: Outstanding Executive Vice
President Zultan Bermudez; Outstanding
Individual Development (ID) Vice President
Loren San Diego; Outstanding Community
Development (CD) Vice President Mel
Rodriguez; Outstanding International Affairs
(IA) Vice President Stevenson Van Derodar;
Outstanding Membership Services (MS) Vice
President Ria Serrano; Outstanding State Vice
President Brandon Schumacher; Outstanding
ID Project "5K Fun Run + Yoga"; Outstanding
MS Project "Flashmob at the Santacruzan";
Outstanding Management Project "Lifetimers'
Dinner"; Outstanding Public Relations Project
"Letters to Oklahoma" and; Outstanding
Website "www.philnyjaycees.org."
For the first eight months of 2013, JCI
Philippine-New York had implemented a total
of 43 exciting projects through its five
leadership areas (Management, Community
Development, Membership, International
Affairs and Individual Development) to further
the mission of JCI in creating positive change!
Chapter President Bel Molina adds, “The
chapter's team of alumni, advisers, officers and
members have worked collaboratively for a
successful second trimester! We greatly
appreciate everyone's efforts, dedication and
passion, which capture our 2013 theme of "50
Years Onward: A Tradition of Excellence.”
JCI Philippine-New York (Jaycees), Inc. is a
group of young men and women whose
mission is to develop leaders who will create
positive change in the local and global
community and their own lives through
training and networking opportunities.
The Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a
membership-based nonprofit organization
of 200,000 young people ages 18 to 40 in
5,000 communities and more than 100
countries around the world. Although
"Philippine" is part of our chapter name, we
are not solely a group of Filipinos. Rather,
we are an international chapter where
everyone is welcome to join. This is our
chapter's 50th year anniversary and we
invite you to make a difference in your
community, your nation, and your world!
For more information, please visit:
www.philnyjaycees.org
October 25 - 31, 2013
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
JCI Philippine-New York
Wins Most Awards
JCI Philippine-New York Team (L-R): MSVP Ria Serrano, EVP Zultan Bermudez, President Bel Molina,
IDVP Loren San Diego and IAVP Stevenson Van Derodar. Photo credit: Loren San Diego.
and Philippines Today columnist
Ted Laguatan for his account on
“Did Drugs nearly kill Pacquiao”
published
in Inquirer.net on Jan.
From page 15
21, 2013.
Elizabeth Ann Quirino of
Only entries in 11 categories
Positively Filipino won top honors
published between June 1, 2012
for Plaridel food story on “A
and May 31, 2013 in the U.S. were
hundred Mangoes in a bottle”
accepted in this year's contest
Performance by Stephen Decker, Third Streaming
published on May 8, 2013 while
that acknowledges and celebrates
10 Greene Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013 (between Grand and Canal Streets)
Dennis Clemente got honorable
the “contribution of outstanding
Open 4-10PM, reception at 7PM
mention for his “Jollibee in
writers and publishers in the
Queens, Max's in Jersey City”
Filipino American community as
published on April 4, 2013 in
they chronicle the lives and times
Inquirer.net.
of our kababayans
Lawrence C. Ochoa of The
(countrymates), promote our
FilAm/LA won Plaridel Youth
ethnicity, champion our causes
Voice for his “A teenager attends
and provide a venue for our
his first “Kalayaan” that came out
people to voice out their concerns,
on June 22, 2013 while Alex
and ideas or the betterment of our
Drechssler collected honorable
society and the community at
mention honors for his “New
large.”
Travel Deal hopes to attract
Professor Oscar Penaranda,
Voluntourists” posted May 29,
poet and fiction writer and
2013 in Inquirer.net.
alumnus of San Francisco State
The winner for Plaridel Photo
University, in a keynote address,
Journalism award went to Sidney
stressed the “sacred role of the
Snoek (pronounced “Snuk”), a
press to speak to power and not to
European socio-photojournalist,
be spokesperson or cheerleader
for his “Project Pears: Ulingan
of power.” He said the “fourth
(charcoal) Children” photo taken
estate completes the balance of
in Tondo, Manila, Philippines for a
power, not tipped in favor of the
Stephen Decker
Nancy A. Bulalacao-Leung
non-profit feeding and educating
powerful and status quo in this
center founded by Mesilla Villa.
super-sophisticated electronic
Francis Calpotura of
manipulation grave and
explore the ways in which that
The earliest documented
Positively Filipino was cited as
irreplaceable role.”
work intersects with broader
arrival of Filipinos dates to 1587
Plaridel Tourism Feature/Photo
He toasted the journalists for
audiences. The goal is to frame
in California. Filipinos make up
on “It's More Meaningful and Yes,
paying
a
heavy
price
for
telling
the
this conversation by asking
t h e s e c o n d l a rg e s t A s i a n
fun in the Philippines” published
truth while fighting ignorance and
questions and letting the
American population,
on May 1, 2013.
misinformation.
answers lead the exploration.
numbering at 3.4 million
Robert Henry was also cited
California State Sen. Leland
FAM is focused on bringing these
nationwide. Today, Filipinos
as best in Broadcast Radio for his
Yee, columnist of Philippines
stories to a general audience and
make their home in all corners of
“EastWest Radio Show” for
Today, was represented at the
capitalizing on the diversity of its
the United States.
outstanding radio programming,
event by Dan Lieberman and
founding committee.
FAM's founding committee is
including podcast.”
Melissa Apuya.
“Filipinos in America have
comprised of professionals and
A team of producers lead by
Other winners were Lotis Key
been impacting US culture for
individuals from the worlds of
New
York city-based Don Tagala
for “Going Home” that came out in
captured best Plaridel award for
centuries,” according to Nancy
the visual arts and museums,
Positively Filipino on May 20,
TV Community Reporting
Bulalacao, a founding member of
fashion, design and film. The
2013 for Plaridel Entertainment
broadcast on TFC (The Filipino
FAM. “The community is diverse,
advisory board is made up of
Story while Carlos Zialcita (also of
Channel)/Balitang America
passionate, and distinguishes
prominent Asian American
Positively Filipino) for “Joe
ofABS-CBN International for
itself in mainstream culture in
cultural leaders that provide
Bataan, Ordinary Guy with … “
“Casting Call: The Story of Sam
posted Jan. 15, 2013 was given
ways that I think are not often
guidance and support to the
M i l b y.” A n o t h e r A B S - C B N
honorable mention for the
recognized. FAM intends to
founding committee. Advisors
International entry cited as
category.
capture these stories and weave
include author and historian
honorable mention for “7 Mile
Emil
Guillermo
also
won
as
a narrative that acknowledges
Luis Francia, actor Ching ValdesHouse” was given to Adobo Nation
Plaridel awardee for sports story
the past, present, and future
Aran, and Museum of Chinese in
led by Troy Espera “Sari-Sari Etc.”
for
his
“In
Major
League
Baseball,
contributions of Filipino
America co-founders Charles Lai
broadcast on March 3, 2013 while
Tim Lincecum” published in the
Americans in this country.”
and John Kuo Wei Tchen.
Ricky de los Reyes and Arnold
Inquirer.net on April 18, 2013.
u
Page 19
Pedrigal of Power ng Pinoy were
Honorable mention for this
Filipino American Museum (FAM) presents
its inaugural program in New York City on
October 29
New York City, Oct. 21 -- The
Filipino American Museum
( FA M ) , t h e f i r s t c u l t u ra l
organization focused on
examining the connection
between contemporary Filipino
American arts and the roots and
traditions of the Philippine
diaspora will have its debut in
New York City on October 29,
2013. A start-up committed to
presenting museum programs in
stimulating and unprecedented
ways, FAM is dedicated to
seeking out what it is to be
Filipino in America. In the spirit
of a disparate people, FAM's
roving programs serve as a fluid,
user-generated, questioning
space. A new American story,
FAM presents its findings
through live performances,
exhibits, installations,
community forums, online
content and otherwise.
To kick off the founding of
FAM, the public is invited to
participate in a one-night event:
a new sound and light
performance by Queens-based,
Filipino American artist Stephen
Decker.
While FAM will focus initially
on New York City, it intends to
grow the audience slowly and
into other local communities. It
aims to capture this national
voice by serving a broader
audience through original
programming online.
FAM contextualizes its work
within a broader Asian American
perspective. In seeking new and
exciting work in the Filipino
American community, FAM will
Page 18
FilAm reporters
honored ...
category went to Fil Am lawyer
u
Page 19
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
FAM presents ...
From page 18
Members of the board of judges of the Plaridel Awards. From left: Rick Rocamora, Rene
Ciria-Cruz, Gemma Nemenzo, Odette Keeley, Wennie Conedy and Prof. Oscar Penaranda.
(FAXX/jGLi Photo courtesy of Gary de Guzman of Manila Mail.)
FilAm reporters
honored ...
From page 18
given recognition for their “Project
Pearls Power ng Pinoy at the
Oscars” broadcast on Jan. 30,
2013.
Lariosa, who was among those
who did not make it to the awards
ceremony, said it was Deputy
Consul General of Northern
California Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon,
who texted/emailed him in his
Chicago home to break the news of
his award. Mr. Ascalon also
presented the honorable mention
award to Dennis Clemente for the
food story, “Jollibee in Queens,
Max's in Jersey City.” He also
represented Consul General
Marciano Paynor, Jr., whose wife,
Teresita Paynor, was also around
to deliver Mr. Paynor's message.
In brief remarks read for him
by Mesdames Marilyn King and
Thelma Cruz of Philippines Today,
Lariosa thanked PAPC, the Plaridel
Awards Committee and Ms.
Chavez for getting him engaged in
the awards event this year. He said,
“Doing Investigative & In-Depth
Reporting not only takes time but
also pushes a reporter to leave his
friendly confines and follow the
paper trail.”
Publisher-editor Jun Ilagan of
California's Fil-Am Star, one of
FAXX's subscribers, also gave brief
remarks during the ceremony
emceed by Joey Guila and Fresca
Eriarte. Intermission numbers
were provided by Mitch Franco
and Kundiman Serenaders and
dance music by Willie Santa
Maria's Standard Time Band and
Dr. Michael Coroza with his
folksongs and declamation
(balagtasan).
Last year's top prize-winners
won crystal engraved trophies and
cash.
According to Pew Project for
Excellence in Journalism, in 2010,
Asian Americans make up only
about 4% of the American
population, quoting the 2008 U.S.
Census Bureau. But Asians have a
larger median household income
than that of the average American
household, which translates into a
strong buying power.
Filipinos make up the secondlargest Asian population in the
U.S., with 3.05 million as of 2007
and mostly speak English, one of
the two official languages in the
Philippines, including Filipino,
which is mostly based on Tagalog.
The awards ceremony was
captured on live streaming video
a n d c a n b e v i e we d
www.ustream.tv/channel/papcus
a.(FAXX/jGLi)
About the Inaugural Event by
Stephen Decker
Stephen Decker's Salvaging the
Aether, a one-night sound and light
p i e c e w i l l t ra n s fo r m T h i rd
Streaming, an alternative art space
in SoHo, into a conduit for
interpenetrating sound signals.
From street intercom
transmissions to long distance
radio frequencies, these amoebic
presences will inhabit the space
inside the gallery, making audible
what is already in the air. Decker's
live orchestration of found and
constructed sound will be built
around noise-making objects like a
short wave radio transmitting
Morse code, wind chimes attached
to a disco ball motor, and a subwoofer interacting intimately with
baoding balls.
Filipino Americans have made
i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s to
alternative music, especially in the
development of West Coast hip hop.
Beginning in the 1990s, DJ Q-Bert
and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz crew
were at the forefront of creating scifi themed tracks composed of fastspeed record scratching. Their repurposing of existing material
echoes techniques deployed by
Decker, and that is common in
other Filipino cultural forms like
craft arts and building
construction, where appropriation
is the product of both convenience
and expression.
Stephen Decker (b.1987) is an
artist currently based in New York.
While in attendance at Yale's MFA
sculpture program he initiated a
number of sound works for radio
broadcast on pirate frequencies.
Most recently his work has been
performed for Listening Room at
the Studio Museum Harlem and
Crypsis at Distillery Gallery in
Boston.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
BSP further eases forex
Aquino seen to bring home rules for foreigners
$1.7 Billion in investments
By Marlon Ramos
SEOUL, Oct. 18 -- President
Benigno Aquino III is expected to
bring home at least $1.7 billion in
investments from Korean firms as a
result of his state visit to South
Korea.
At a meeting with Korean
businessmen on Friday, Mr. Aquino
also took a jab at the previous
Arroyo administration, stressing
that corruption during the Arroyo
presidency was to blame for
Philippine economic problems.
Mr. Aquino capped his visit by
meeting with executives of Hanjin
Heavy Industries and Construction
Co. Ltd., Korea Electric Power Corp.
(Kepco), National Pension Service,
Hyundai Group and Hotel Lotte.
Lotte affirmed its commitment
to build a 350-room hotel and set up
other investments in retail, real
estate and food worth $1 billion,
Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma said.
“President Aquino urged Lotte
to look into the feasibility of
investing in new tourist facilities in
Palawan,” Coloma told Filipino
reporters.
He said Kepco also pledged to
put up two 150-megawatt power
plants in Bataan province and two
200-megawatt plants in Bislig,
Surigao del Sur province, and Cadiz,
Negros Occidental province, worth
$700 million.
Stamp out corruption
Mr. Aquino encouraged Korean
businessmen to invest in his
country.
Addressing the members of the
Ko re a I n te r n a t i o n a l Tra d e
Association, Mr. Aquino said his
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n' s e f f o r t s t o
eliminate corruption and red tape
had made it possible for the
Philippines to attain outstanding
economic growth.
“The causality between good
governance and good economics is
President Benigno Aquino III, front left, receives a plaque of appreciation posthumously
presented to his father, Sen. Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., from Hong Won-ki, president of the
Korea Journalists Society, at Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Friday,
Oct. 18, 2013. AP/Ahn Young-joon
precisely what we have taken to
heart and practiced these past three
years,” he told officials of big Korean
business conglomerates.
“Our country is now benefiting
from the new face of government:
One that puts the Filipino front and
center on its agenda.”
Ride the wave
“There is a rising tide in the
Philippines, fueled by a growing
segment of the population that has
the skills to drive businesses and
the spending power to spur profits,”
Mr. Aquino said.
“Today, we invite you to ride this
wave: To invest in the Philippines
and become part of our country's
continued success.”
Mr. Aquino said the reforms
introduced by his administration
had made the Philippines the “New
Asian Tiger or Asia's Bright Spot,”
instead of being labeled as the “Sick
Man of Asia.”
“This drastic transformation is
anchored on a simple idea: … If we
eliminate corruption, we can end
poverty,” he pointed out.
Mr. Aquino said: “Successful
businesses are adept at managing
c om m erc i a l ri sk … For (a n
economy) to reach its fullest
potential, the uncertainties that
become avenues for corruption
must be eliminated. We see
reducing red tape and fixing a
cumbersome bureaucracy as the
embodiment of this belief.”
Rotting rice
Explaining the economic
upturn, Mr. Aquino narrated how
the policy on rice importation
implemented during the term of
former President and now
Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo had burdened the National
Food Authority (NFA) with P177
billion in debts.
Before Arroyo came to power,
he said the NFA's debt was about
P12 billion. “How did this happen?
My predecessor had us believe that
By Paolo G. Montecillo
The Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) has further
r e l a xe d f o r e i g n e xc h a n g e
regulations to allow more
nonresidents to participate in the
local stock market.
The new memorandum
c i rc u l a r a p p rove d by t h e
Monetary Board (MB), the BSP's
policymaking body, would
facilitate the entry and exit of
foreign investors in the country
ahead of the Southeast Asian
region's economic integration in
2015.
“The new FX liberalization
policy aims to facilitate crossborder investment transactions
consistent with our
commitments under the Asean
Economic Blueprint 2015,” BSP
Deputy Governor Diwa C.
Guinigundo said Tuesday.
Under the new set of rules,
custodian banks of foreign
investments may register in
shares of foreign companies to be
listed on the Philippine Stock
Exchange (PSE).
The BSP also approved the
conversion to foreign currencies
of money made by foreign
investors from the sale of locally
listed shares.
These changes will pave the
way for foreign investors to
invest in foreign companies that
are listed on the PSE.
“The listing and trading of
nonresident securities in the
domestic market can promote
greater confidence in the
economy and its capital market,”
Guinigundo said.
The BSP said these
investments by foreigners in
foreign companies listed on the
PSE would have to be registered
with the central bank, which
tracks the movement of foreign
capital in the country.
Registering these
investments will allow foreign
investors to buy dollars or other
currencies from local banks,
allowing them to remit their
profits from investments in the
Philippines to their respective
home countries.
Last July, the BSP said it
would allow the prepayment of
BSP-registered short-term loans.
“This will facilitate access to
the banking system for the
legitimate transactions requiring
payment in foreign exchange,”
the BSP said.
Prepayment of short-term
loans, or those that mature one
year or less, was previously not
allowed.
The new rules also simplify
and reduce the reporting burden
on banks. This is through the
waiver of reportorial
requirements for import
transactions, provided that
banks maintain adequate
records that the BSP can verify if
needed. Inquirer.net
Filipino, China oil firms
eye deal in disputed sea
Associated Press
MANILA -- A Filipino-British
company has begun talks with
China's state-owned offshore oil
producer for a deal to jointly
explore for oil and gas in the
Reed Bank a vast offshore area
u
Page 22
disputed between China and the
Philippines, a Filipino official
said Wednesday.
Energy Secretary Jericho
Petilla said the talks between
London-based Forum Energy
plc and China National Offshore Philippine Energy Secretary Jericho
Oil Corporation, or CNOOC, were Petilla talks to foreign correspondents
based in Manila during a forum with
at a preliminary stage. He added Pre s i d e nt B e n i g n o A q u i n o I I I
a commercial agreement could Wednesday Oct. 23, 2013 in Manila.
hopefully be reached despite the Petilla said a partly-Filipino owned
rating on negative watch, indicating
long-raging disputes over the energy company has begun talks with
a potential downgrade in the next
China's state-run oil company on a
Reed Bank.
possible commercial agreement to
few months.
The talks were being held jointly explore and extract oil and gas at
The short-term deal reached by
abroad, mostly recently in Hong the Reed Bank. (AP Photo/Bullit
the US Congress last Oct. 16 would
Marquez)
Kong, he said.
enable the government to borrow
The alternative to not
until February next year.
e n te r i n g i n to a b u s i n e s s
In a statement last week, BSP
partnership “is not to drill,
find a way to tap its potentially
Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr.
probably forever.” Petilla said.
huge oil and gas deposits to
said the longer term consideration
President Benigno Aquino
meet his country's growing
was, “when and in what form a
III said any such deal with China
energy demand. Natural gas
more durable solution would be
would have to conform to
deposits at a nearby offshore
reached.” Tetangco said the ability
Philippine laws. The Reed Bank
field called Malampaya are
of the US Congress to come up with
northwest of the Philippine
expected to run out in 2024, he
a long-term solution was also
province of Palawan lies clearly
said, adding it takes about a
questionable.
within his country's exclusive
decade to develop such a gas
Markets must keep an eye “on
economic zone, Aquino said.
field.
forthcoming negotiations and,
The territorial conflict has
China and the Philippines,
depending on how these will
hampered oil exploration in the
along with Brunei, Malaysia,
evolve, confidence can either
offshore area, Petilla said, but
Taiwan and Vietnam, have been
improve or remain low,” he
added the Philippines needed to
u
Page 22
explained.
US dollar may soon be
replaced as world currency
By Paolo G. Montecillo
Playing a game of
brinkmanship, the United States
government may just end up
hurting itself as other countries
start to plot out long-term
strategies to find replacements to
the greenback as the world's de
facto currency.
A senior official of the
Philippines' central bank said that
the US government risks losing its
“exorbitant privilege”being the
issuer of the world's most used
currencyif its polarized Congress
were to continue flirting with
disaster by waiting to resolve a
potential crisis at the eleventh hour.
“In economics, it's called the
game of chicken. The first one who
blinks loses. The problem is, if
n o b o dy b l i n k s , yo u ' l l h ave
catastrophe,” said Felipe Medalla, a
member of the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board.
Medalla said last week's debt
ceiling talks in the United States,
which was resolved by Congress
just hours before the United States
were to default on its debts,
revealed that there was a real need
to find alternatives to the US dollar
as the world's international reserve
currency.
The US government nearly
reached its legal borrowing limit,
also known as the debt ceiling, last
Oct. 17. If it failed to beat the
deadline, the United States would
have defaulted on maturing US
treasuries which, until recently,
were considered a risk-free
instrument.
Last week, Fitch Ratings put the
US government's sovereign credit
u
Page 21
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Dubai-based Kampac
investing $5B 'Energy City’
By Bernie Magkilat
President Benigno S. Aquino III deliver his message during 12th CEO Forum and 114th
General Membership Meeting of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the
Philippines held at Solaire Resort and Casino Manila in Paranaque City on Monday
(October 21). Also in Photo are DILG Secretary Mar Roxas II and SEIPI President Danilo
Lachica. (MNS photo)
PH electronics exports to
decline 10-12% this year
Philippine electronics exports
will likely contract this year to 1012 percent, contrary to what the
sector previously thought on
lackluster performance in the first
three quarters as prices fell
despite growing volumes of
exports, but the industry is
expected to modestly recover in
2014, an electronics industry
group said Monday.
The Semiconductor and
Electronics Industries in the
Philippines (SEIPI) now forecasts
that electronics exports will
decline 10-12 percent this year,
compared with its earlier forecast
of 5-6 percent growth, Dan
Lachica, president of SEIPI said.
“Volumes are growing but
prices are dropping. In fact, many
companies plan to operate during
the holidays to meet the volumes,”
Lachica said in a press briefing on
the sidelines of SEIPI's CEO Forum
and 114th general membership
meeting at Solaire resort Hotel on
October 21.
While double digit growth is
seen in the automotive and
consumer electronics sectors,
weakness in semiconductors,
which comprise 76 percent of the
industry's exports, drove the
expected contraction, SEIPI said in
a statement. Next year will be
better, supported by strength of
a u t o m o t ive a n d c o n s u m e r
electronics markets, the group
said.
Lachica expects electronics,
the country's number one dollar
earner, to recover in 2012 with a 5
percent growth, on the back of a
continuing strength in the
a u t o m o t ive a n d c o n s u m e r
electronics market as well as the
infusion of new investments.
Lachica cited the country's
strong presence in the automotive
and consumer electronics
manufacturing firms for smart
phones and other gadgets like
desktop computers and laptops as
these products continue a robust
demand.
There are also some
opportunities for companies
relocating here from Thailand and
China. Investors in China are
looking for alternative sites like
the Philippines because China is
increasingly becoming expensive.
H o w e v e r, p r o j e c t e d
investment inflows have not really
materialized. As of the first
semester this year, investments in
the first half stood at $256 million.
Electronics firm ON Semi
committed to invest additional $8
million for high-end automotive
electronics testing in its plant in
Cavite. One major investment,
which requires 30-hectare lot, is
still on its planning stage.
Japanese printer companies
Canon, Brother and Murata are
also expected to bring in 20-30
supplier investors.
“The industry is looking to
other areas within the electronics
industry to be able to meet its
objectives to becoming a $112billion export industry by 2030,”
Lachica added. Manila Bulletin
US Dollar ...
reserves.
“The only way to punish the
US is over the long term, as the
world tries to find an alternative
currency. But for now, the options
are limited,” Medalla said.
One possible alternative is
the euro, he said. But the euro
zone's economy remains weak,
undermining the currency's
stability.
Another potential
replacement to the greenback is
the Chinese yuan, the currency
used by the world's second
largest economy.
But Medalla said that, unless
China allows its currency to move
with the marketinstead of
pegging its value to the US
dollarthe yuan may not be
considered a serious alternative.
“We're stuck, and we hope
that people are reasonable and
rational. The much dreaded
catastrophe will not happen,” he
said. Inquirer.net
From page 20
Medalla, a former
Socioeconomic Planning
secretary, said it was unlikely that
the Democrats in the US Senate
and the House Republicans would
allow the world's largest economy
to default on its loans, which could
trigger a crisis worse than the
global financial meltdown of
2008.
“The thing to do is to expect
that cooler heads will prevail….
It's not in their interest to [default
on loans],” Medalla said.
And even if the United States
were to default on its loans, he
said, most of the US treasury notes
held by the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas would mature over the
medium term. This means that the
non-payment of the United States
will not directly affect the
country's foreign exchange
Dubai-based Kampac
International PLC yesterday
announced plans to invest $5
billion in the country for the
establishment of an ambitious
“ E n e rg y C i t y ” t h a t wo u l d
transform the Philippines as one
of the world's largest energy
hubs.
Charles Ampofo, chairman of
Kampac Internationa PLC,
revealed this in a speech at the
39th Philippine Business
Conference in Manila Hotel that
the investment program which
will take five years to complete
should start by early next year.
According to Ampofo, the
project would include a LNG
(liquefied natural gas) plant, a
petrochemical facility, one water
company among others that
would boost energy supply in the
country.
Ampofo said a country such
as the Philippines which is prone
to natural disasters needs
strategic reserves for fuel.
The planned energy city
would employ between 8,000
and 10,000 people including
personnel from 20 countries
upon completion.
“One of the main reasons to
deciding to invest in the
Philippines is its democratic
economy. In the Asian region, it is
known for its people's power.
Good governance is important
and gives (investors)
confidence,” Ampofo said in his
speech.
“The Philippines has become
a hotcake today, because of the
growth of the economy , increase
in tax collection, investment
grade, all this is good,” Ampofo
said. He also cited the
u
Page 22
Ayala Land Inc. to rival SM's
Pasay City reclamation project
By Doris C. Dumlao
MANILA -- Property giant
Aya l a L a n d I n c . ( A L I ) h a s
expressed interest to bid for Pasay
City's 300-hectare land
reclamation project, potentially
giving formidable competition to
the unsolicited proposal earlier
submitted by rival SM group.
But ALI is seeking more time
to officially submit a counterproposal to reclaim 300 hectares
of land.
In a press statement issued on
We d n e s d ay, A L I s a i d i t i s
interested in the 300-hectare
reclamation project but asked the
Pasay city government for 60
more working days to study and
submit a competing bid.
In a letter to Pasay Mayor
Antonino Calixto, ALI said it
learned of the “unsolicited
proposal from SM Land” only last
week when it was published as
required to notify the public.
Challengers have only until
November 4 to submit its counterproposal, which ALI said was too
short to develop a master plan,
study its financial and
environmental impact, and how to
maximize the benefits to Pasay,
The famed Manila Bay sunset. Photo by DON LEJANO/INQUIRER.net
the national government, and the
public at large, among other
things.
In its letter, ALI said “This will
confirm our interest to submit a
counter-proposal…We are the
Philippines' leading real estate
developer and we are committed
to be a strong partner in nation
building.”
Aside from the 19 days given
(October 15 being the last day of
publication) till November 4, the
published notice to the public also
required competing bidders to
have a minimum net worth of P50
billion. They also must have
“undertaken and completed a
similar reclamation project with
an area of not less than 120
hectares preferably within the
Manila Bay area.” Inquirer.net
$70-M biomass plant soon to rise in Mindanao
By Riza T. Olchondra
The Eastern Petroleum Group
is wrapping up preparations for a
$70-million biomass power plant
project in energy-starved
Mindanao, company chair
Fernando L. Martinez said in an
interview.
“End of November we're done
with full engineering and ECC
( e nv i ro n m e n t a l c o m p l i a n c e
certificate application)
submission. Horizontal
development (or civil works)
completion is in the first quarter of
2016,” Martinez said.
The 20-megawatt plant in
Butuan City and the associated
feedstock plantation will be
implemented by Eastern
Petroleum subsidiary, Caraga
Renewable Power Corp. (CARE
Corp.).
The initial development will
have power generating capacity of
20 MW but Martinez said the
company was looking forward to
expanding the project as electricity
demand rises in the areas around
it.
Wood chips from an industrial
plantation of fast-growing trees in
Agusan del Norte and Agusan del
Sur will be used as feedstock for the
plant.
Planting starts next month. The
tree plantation will be managed by
a separate company under the joint
venture of CARE Corp. and the
Manobo council Wawa Tribal
community in Agusan del Sur.
Eastern Petroleum is
conducting soil boring and other
tests at the proposed site. The
group is also working on getting a
service contract for biomass power
production.
Data from the Department of
Energy show that about half of fuel
inputs for power generation in the
Philippines comes from renewable
energy, mostly from hydropower.
Yet the country wants to triple
its RE capacity by 2030 to curb its
dependence on traditional energy
sources such as coal.
The Eastern Petroleum Group
is diversifying its product line with
a new LPG brand called “EC Gas”
and seeks to manufacture the
product in the Philippines in time
for the integration of membernations of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations in 2015.
Inquirer.net
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Aquino gov't to bow out
with five PPPs done
J U ST F I V E p u b l i c - p r iva te
partnership (PPP) projects are
expected to be completed by the end
of Aquino administration's term, an
official yesterday said, but the
i n f ra s t r u c t u re p ro g ra m w i l l
continue after 2016 given the
groundwork that is being laid. We
will finish Daang Hari. We will finish
the two school projects. We will
finish the hospital. We will finish the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
(NAIA) expressway ... So we have five
projects that will be finished in the
remaining term of President
[Benigno S. C.] Aquino [III],” PPP
Center Executive Director Cosette V.
Canilao yesterday told a capital
markets forum.
“[The year] 2015 will be the
height of construction for the
projects that will be rolled out in the
next few months, and what's more
important to us is to leave a very
successful program to the next
administration...,” Ms. Canilao
added.
Just four PPP projects have been
awarded by the Aquino
administration since it rolled out its
centerpiece infrastructure program
in late 2010. The P1.96-billion
Daang Hari-South Luzon
expressway project was the first,
going to Ayala Corp. in 2011. The
second, the P16.42-billion first
phase of the PPP School
Infrastructure Program (PSIP), was
granted to two consortiums last
year, while the P15.68-billion NAIA
expressway and phase two of the
PSIP were awarded this year.
The government is still
reviewing the sole bid submitted for
the P5.70-billion Philippine
Orthopedic Center project.
Ronald L. Arambulo, executive
d i re c to r o f t h e I n fo r m a t i o n
Technology and Business Process
Association of the Philippines, said
continuity was important to ensure
the PPP program's success.
“When ... you leave, you have to
make sure that the next batch won't
start from zero again,” Mr. Arambulo
said.
Transportation Undersecretary
Rene K. Limcaoco admitted that the
government “could have gone
faster” in the implementation of
some projects, but said the process
involved a “learning curve.”
“We were starting off from
scratch. When we came in, we had an
empty cupboard and we basically
had to start everything from
scratch,” he said.
But Ms. Canilao said: “We're
done already with setting the
framework and the processes,
although we're still improving it ...
We already have a lot of learnings
from the private sector and the
government so for the remaining
term, hopefully, it will be faster.”
The Aquino government has
come under fire over the delays that
have hit the PPP program. It has
claimed that extensive reviews were
needed to make projects foolproof,
although recently prospective
investors have complained of
onerous contract terms. Business
World
Aquino seen to
bring ...
businessmen had to submit piles of
documents to start their
businesses, exposing them to
“unscrupulous individuals.”
To improve the bureaucratic
process, he said the government
established the Philippine
Business Registry, a one-stop shop
for important business
documents. The move significantly
reduced the time needed for
investors to start their businesses
and the risks of falling victims to
corrupt officials.
Philippines has become the fifth
largest shipbuilding country in the
world.”
“It's not just more fun in the
Philippines; it is also more
profitable.”
As Mr. Aquino ended his visit, a
Filipino migrants' group in South
Korea urged the government to
look into an agreement between
the two countries' state pension
agencies that they said could
burden overseas Filipino workers.
The Katipunan ng mga
Samahan ng Migranteng
Manggagawa sa Korea
(Kasammako) expressed
disappointment that the
agreement, opposed by most of the
42,000 OFWs in Korea, was not
tackled during Mr. Aquino's visit.
Kasammako chair Robin
Lavarrias said the accord would
force OFWs to pay contribution
p ay m e n t s t o b o t h p e n s i o n
agencies. The agreement has yet to
be fully implemented. Inquirer.net
From page 20
million metric tons of rice every
year,” Mr. Aquino said.
He said that in 2010 alone,
“they actually imported two
million metric tonsgrossly in
excess of what was needed,
overpriced, and finally with many
sacks of rice ending up rotting
unconsumed in warehouses.”
The President said his
administration gave importance to
reinvigorating the agriculture
sector, adding the Philippines was
now “almost 100 percent rice self
sufficient.”
He said the government
financed needed infrastructure
while public funds were channeled
into projects with positive impact.
Mr. Aquino also said that
during the Arroyo administration,
Filipino workers
Mr. Aquino cited the successes
of Korean companies, including
Hanjin Heavy Industries and
Construction Corp., SKY-KR
Consortium, Posco Engineering
a n d t h e Ko re a n Tra n s p o r t
Institute.
He said Korean companies
could vouch for the industry and
talent of the Filipino workforce,
“one of the major reasons why the
Dubai-based
Kampac ...
From page 21
Philippines' investments code and
the opening up of the economy
making it more investmentfriendly.
Another major edge of the
Philippines, Ampofo said, is it is
strategically located in the middle
of other growing economies in the
region.
Given all these positive
factors, Ampofo said, “You do not
need an economist (to realize)
that if you want to invest in a place
which has potential, the
Philippines presents a better
location.”
He said that sustainability on
the provision of energy and others
from water to fuel must be
addressed as the economy grows.
LNG, which is one of the areas
of Kampac's LNG regasification
plant, is the cheapest form of
energy and the cleanest, he said.
While development can be
expensive, he also stressed that
every economy has to take a long
shot.
“LNG regasification for power
generation is cheaper, cleaner and
more efficient,” he said.
Also, he said, a country needs a
strong petrochemical industry.
The Philippines has no upstream
petrochemical operation, but
mostly mid-stream. The
Gokongwei Group's plan for a
naphtha cracker plant is still
under construction.
“I can guarantee that investors
would locate here because the raw
materials are here,” Ampofo said.
Earlier, Atty. Miguel B. Varela,
president of the Philippine
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry said that Kampac had
meetings with President Aquino
and Vice President Jejomar Binay
about his huge investment plan in
the country. Ampofo even signed a
memorandum of agreement with
the Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry for a
possible participation in the
project.
“This company which has $3.4
billion in annual revenue would be
spending billions of dollars for
this huge project,” Varela said.
According to Varela, the
company was exploring an area
somewhere in Laguna where the
oil depot can be constructed.
A report by Biofuels Digest
also stated that Kampac Oil was
negotiating plans to conduct a
feasibility study to turn 125
hectares in Bataan into an
industrial and energy hub. The
land is currently owned by PNOC
Alternative Fuels Corp. who is
now seeking investors for the
industrial park that will help the
country meet its biofuels
mandate.
T h i s wa s c o n f i r m e d by
Kampac itself in its website which
reported that it had signed a
memorandum of agreement with
Authority of the Freeport Area of
Bataan (AFAB) in July 2011 to
pursue the development of a
super oil storage tank farm facility
at the Freeport, among others.
The signing of the MOA is tied
with the AFAB's commitment to
providing its stakeholders,
specially its locators, abundant
supply of energy. In support of the
state policy, AFAB ensures that
this will be achieved through
integrated and intensive
exploration, production,
management and development of
indigenous resources, without
sacrificing ecological concerns.
It requires 100 hectares of
land in the Freeport Area of
Bataan (FAB) for the super oil
storage tank farm facility.
The MOA guarantees the
partnership's significant
economic and social benefits to
the FAB in terms of investment,
infrastructure development and
employment generation, the
website stated.
Kampac International PLC is
the holding company of Kampac
Oil which has diversified activities
such as Kampac Properties,
Kampac Resources, Kampac Flora,
Kampac Telecom and Kampac
T r a v e l & To u r s . K a m p a c
International PLC is listed on
Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The
company was established in 1988.
The Kampac Group was
established in 1988. From its
modest beginning, the group has
seen a steady growth over the last
decade and now has 17 offices in
13 countries around the globe.
Kampac Oil Middle East's
principal activities include
exploration, trading, refining,
distribution, oil iInfrastructure
development, equipment supplies
and oil services, with a global
presence in over 13 countries. It
said that its oil trading delivery is
executed with accuracy and speed
and that distinguishes us from its
peers. Manila Bulletin
Filipino, China oil firms ... From page 20
contesting ownership of the clusters of mostly barren islands, islets,
reefs and surrounding waters in the South China Sea for years.
There have been fears that the disputes could spark Asia's next
major armed conflict and block free passage in the busy sea lanes,
where the bulk of the oil and cargo that fuel Asia's bustling
economies are transported.
Chinese ships tried to drive away a Philippine exploration vessel
at the Reed Bank in March 2011. A Philippine general deployed two
air force planes but the Chinese patrol ships have left by the time the
aircraft reached the contested area. Inquirer.net
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 23
October 25 - 31, 2013
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Slapshock to celebrate
PH culture in the US
CROWD cheered the loudest when Coco Martin (right) tried to steal a kiss from
Erich Gonzalez. Marinel Cruz
'Juande
de la
'Juan
laCruz'
Cruz'
makes formal farewell
By Marinel R. Cruz
About 1,000 supporters of the
phenomenally popular fantasyadventure series “Juan de la Cruz”
trooped to Trinoma on Saturday to
see their television idols for one last
time.
The ABS-CBN program will air
its final episode on Friday, Oct. 25.
Children dressed in Juan's
famous red-and-brown costume
brought toy swords, spears and
bows and arrows for the meeting
with lead star Coco Martin, who
sang and danced and gave them
goodie bags during the hourlong
Grand Juan Fun Day at Trinoma
Activity Center in Quezon City.
The Trinoma show started
around 5:30 p.m. with Juana Cosme
singing “Ibong Ligaw,” a cut from the
second volume of “Juan de la Cruz:
O f f i c i a l S o u n d t r a c k .” R o e l
Manlangit, grand champion of the
recent season of “Pilipinas Got
Talent,” then performed “Basta't
Maghintay Ka Lamang.”
“Pinoy Dream Academy” finalist
Liezel Garcia serenaded the
audience with “Kaibigan Lang Pala,”
then Jovit Baldivino, “Pilipinas Got
Talent” 2010 champ, did his version
of the popular novelty song “Pusong
Bato.” Angeline Quinto, grand
winner of “Star Power” in 2011,
performed “Sana'y Kapiling Ka.”
Cast members of the Engkanto
World were then introduced. Actors
Shaina Magdayao, who plays
Prinsesa Mirathea; Lara Quigaman,
as Reyna Nerea; Martin del Rosario,
as Bagno, and Marlann Flores, as
Liway, came on stage in full
costume.
They were followed by
characters from the Aswang World:
Diana Zubiri (Peru-ha), John Regala
(Agor) and Ron Morales (Abdul).
Albert Martinez, who portrays
Samuel or Haring Aswang, was a noshow. Zsa Zsa Padilla, who plays
Samuel's wife Laura, was
supposedly part of the segment but
went up the stage only during the
finale.
Erich Gonzalez, as Juan's
girlfriend Rosario, then led the
Kapatiran cast members in greeting
By Benedict S. Bartolome
Local rock band Slapshock is
embarking on an exciting new
venture abroad.
Collaborating with apl.de.ap
of the Black Eyed Peas, the group
will be recording a new album in
Los Angeles. All five members
will be staying in Burbank,
California, as they craft new
songs for international release.
This project has the group
excited, hopeful that it will open
the door for other Filipino bands.
There would definitely be
collaborations in the album, the
members said during a recent
press conference at Consulado
Bar in Quezon City.
Lead vocalist Jamir Garcia is
not at liberty to identify the
collaborating band yet, but he is
looking forward to working with
the mystery group. He counts it
among his childhood heroes and
was influential in Slapshock's
formation.
On the six to seven songs
they were set to record, Garcia
said this would involve
experimentation.
“We're trying to infuse a new
sound for Slapshock and we're
looking forward to making it
sound good,” he revealed.
While the band's distinctly
“heavy” sound will remain, the
members will embrace
evolution. Bass guitarist Lee
Nadela said the fans would
appreciate the progression of the
band.
PHOTO COURTESY OF Gorgy Rula
Slapshock would not play it
safe. “You have to take the risk,”
Nadela explained.
There is no title for the album
yet but the songs will have
distinct Filipino themes. The
new tracks will have English
lyrics, but there may be Filipino
words in the background.
Proud Pinoy
Slapshock has been around
for 16 years, a testament to its
hard work and dedication.
“I'm proud to be a Filipino,”
Garcia declared. “I want to
celebrate it. I want to talk about
my heroes… what we're made of
… tough, progressive.”
Luis-Jennylyn romance no more
Angelica bids John Lloyd
goodbye during killer quake
Almost a week after
experiencing first-hand the
magnitude 7.2 quake that hit
Bohol, Angelica Panganiban still
has a clear picture of her neardeath episode.
“Talagang tinatapon kami sa
loob ng bus,” Angelica narrated in
an interview with “Buzz Ng Bayan”
over the weekend.
She continued, “Pagbaba
namin, pa-recover pa lang kami,
tapos biglang may lalaking
tumatakbo sa likod namin galing
ng beach tapos sabi niya nawala
'yung tubig.”
Angelica and the “Banana Split”
cast and crew were in the province
for a scheduled out-of-town taping
on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the day the
earthquake struck.
The comedy gag show was
taping for an episode that would
have been part of their fifth
anniversary celebration this
month.
T h e 2 6 - ye a r - o l d a c t re s s
recalled being so scared, thinking
u
Page 24
u
Page 27
By Pau Aguilera
By Pau Aguilera
Apl.de.ap helps a lot. “He
knows our music well and he
trusts us on what stuff we want
to do. [Most importantly], he's
actually helping bands, like us, to
go there (US) and promote and
record,” he added.
The opportunity would not
be wasted, Garcia said. “We're
going to the United States to give
you the best-sounding Slapshock
album and to make you proud…
We're a band with a lot of
charisma so we'll [bring] Filipino
t ra dit ion s a n d cu lt u re to
America… It's a new beginning
for us.”
Slapshock will live in the
she might die, that she immediately
got in touch with her mom and her
boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz. She
supposedly not only informed
them of what was happening but
also said her frantic goodbyes.
“Nung nagkakatakbuhan na,
tumawag ako kay Lloydie, tapos
parang nagpapaalam na ako, sabi
ko 'Mamamatay na kami,
mamamatay na ako. Lumilindol
dito mamamatay na kami,'”
Angelica said.
“Akala mo talaga katapusan mo
na. Nagpapasalamat lang ako na sa
pinagdaanan namin, kumpleto
kaming nakauwi,” she said in
retrospect.
The “Banana Split” crew
temporarily stayed in an open area
in front of the Tagbilaran City Hall.
They were later picked up by a
chopper that brought them to city
proper before flying back to
Manila.
After the team reportedly
underwent stress briefing, they
finally resumed taping last
Thursday. Manila Bulletin
Luis and Jen in happier times
After being a couple for
almost two years, Luis Manzano
and Jennylyn Mercado have
called it quits.
ABS-CBN News reported
that Luis confirmed this to them
via text message. In a “TV
Patrol” report, he asked for
privacy.
Rumors about the fallingout started as a blind item. Luis
had consistently denied it,
although in a previous
Kapamilya interview last
month, he said, “Ang relasyon
naman ay dalawa lang 'yan
either magkakatuluyan kayo or
maghihiwalay kayo.” Manila
Bulletin
Anne Curtis reveals her big secrets
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
Notwithstanding the fact that
she's not actually a singer, Anne
Curtis has filled up the Smart
Araneta Coliseum to the rafters
when she mounted her first ever
major concert billed
“Annebisyosa.” And now the first
secret: Her second major concert
is already set for early next year.
Another secret the star host
of ABS-CBN's “Showtime”
recently revealed is that she will
have a sophomore album under
Viva Records, which comes on
the heels of her hit CD
“Annebisyosa.”
The working title of the new
album is “AnneKapal” (but they
say they're changing the title to a
more pleasing one). “It will be
composed of 10 original songs,
two of them by Billy Crawford
and Christian Bautista,” Anne
said.
Yet another secret the
actress-singer disclosed is in
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h L a c t a c yd
Revitalize, a feminine wash she
endorses that's enhanced with
antioxidants Vitamin E and
Collagen.
“I like to look good top to toe,”
Anne said. “But my fast-paced
lifestyle can make my skin age
faster. Good thing there is
Lactacyd Revitalize to make my
skin soft and supple.” Manila
Bulletin
Anne Curtis
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Best actress at 15
Only 11 when she played a child prostitute, Sandy Talag wins an international award 4 years later
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Sandy Talag was getting
dressed for school when she first
heard the good news.
Eunice de Asis, local
producer of Jacco Groen's “Lilet
Never Happened,” called up to
congratulate her one fine day. “I
said, 'thank you,' thinking all the
while that it was for the award
(audience prize) 'Lilet' had won
earlier in the Buster film fest in
Denmark,” Sandy recalled. “But
Tita Eunice said the trophy was
for me.”
Befuddled, Sandy started
“ j u m p i n g , s c re a m i n g a n d
crying.”
“It was a different kind of
excitement,” she recounted.
DUTCH actress Johanna Ter Steege, right, taught Sandy how to act with her eyes.
“Maybe that's what people call
tears of joy.”
Sandy, a 15-year-old junior
high school student, won best
actress at the Oaxaca
International Film Festival held
in Mexico recently.
Belated reward
The honor is a belated
u
Page 26
Filipino filmmakers honored at the IFFM 2013
By Michael Joe T. Delizo
Several Filipino filmmakers
received top plums at the 2013
International Film Festival
Manhattan (IFFM) in New York,
USA.
Conferred Best Short Film is
“Not Fade Away,” written and
directed by Rodney Reyes, a
New York-based Pinoy director
who has already done
numerous films.
Starring American actors
Samantha Glovin, Jonathan
Weirich and Gretchen Von
Koenig, “'Not Fade Away' is
about a loving couple who need
to do with extreme
circumstances at the end of the
world,” said Reyes in an
interview with IFFM.
Meanwhile, “Will You Marry
Me” of New York Film Academy
student Jameelah Rose del
Prado Lineses was named Best
Student Film.
“Mga Liham Mula Sa Alaska
(Letters From Alaska)” by FilAm director Roberto Reyes Ang
was among the Honorable
Mention Short Films, along with
four others.
Pupil's mind tripping music
video of “20/20,” directed by
Jason Tan, was honored Best
Music Video. Released in 2011,
the video showed the empty
Ariella Arida, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe, left for Moscow last Oct. 21 to
compete in the Miss Universe beauty pageant. She is reportedly among
u
Page 26
the favorites to win the crown. Rodel Rotoni, Inquirer.net
'Brigada,' Finalist
At 2013 Japan Prize
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
“Brigada,” GMA News TV's news
magazine program is a finalist at the
prestigious Japan Prize, an
international contest for educational
media. Anchored by awarded
broadcast journalist Jessica Soho,
“Brigada” is the only Philippine
nominee this year across all
categories. “Brigada” airs every
Monday at 8 p.m.
“Brigada's” entry is composed of
two documentaries on child labor.
Reporter Micaela Papa's moving
report titled “Gintong Krudo” (“Black
Gold”) tells the stories of
impoverished children who swim
through the dirty waters of the
Navotas Fish Port to collect and sell
spilled petroleum oil. Armed only
with foam, pails, and a makeshift
boat, they are exposed everyday to
the dangers of drowning in a sea of
trash and harmful chemicals.
Steve Dailisan's “Sipa ng PagAsa” (“Kicks of Hope”) is an inspiring
story on the lives of young garbage
collectors in Payatas who dream to
rise from poverty using their talent
Jessica Soho
in football. They may not be the best
football players out there, but their
unwavering determination and pure
heart for the game give their
impoverished community a sense of
pride and hope.
“Brigada” will be competing with
programs from Canada, Colombia,
Czech Republic, Germany, Israel,
Japan, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.
The awarding ceremony will be
held on Oct. 24 in Tokyo, Japan.
Manila Bulletin
Slapshock to celebrate ... From page 23
United States for about a month to work on its music. But the members plan to
keep four days free to celebrate Halloween in Las Vegas.
They will return to the Philippines to handle their other commitments for
the rest of the year. The first single will be released before the end of 2013 and
the complete album will be available within the first quarter of 2014.
Inquirer.net
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Rob Schneider live in Manila Oct. 28
From left: Bobby Poynton, Donovan Tea and Tony Butala of The Lettermen
One more magical time
with the Lettermen at RWM
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
The Lettermen is coming back
for four magical evenings of great
hits from the '60s during another
nostalgia tour that will open on Nov.
11 at the Newport Performing Arts
Theater in Resorts World Manila.
The four-night , four-city
musical presentation from Ovation
Productions dubbed as “The
Lettermen Philippine Tour 2013”
will also be highlighted by
performances at The Manila Hotel
Tent on Nov. 12, Dottie's Place,
Butuan City on Nov. 15, and Rose
Memorial Hall, Central Philippine
University, Iloilo City on Nov. 16.
The legendary band is
returning to Manila more than
three years after its last visit and
they will treat concert-goers to a
fabulous repertoire including
“When I Fall In Love,” “The Way You
Look Tonight,” “Theme From A
Summer Place,” “Goin' Out Of My
Head,” “Love Is A Many-Splendored
Thing,” and many more. They will
also perform some Tagalog songs
like “Dahil Sa Iyo” and “Sapagkat
Kami Ay Tao Lamang.”
The original Lettermen, formed
more than 50 years ago, is
composed of Tony Butala, Jim Pike
and Bob Engemann, made its
auspicious concert debut in Las
Vegas in 1958, followed by the
successful launching in 1960 of its
recording career with its debut
single, “The Way You Look Tonight,”
which vaulted to No. 13 on the
Billboard charts.
(“The Lettermen Philippine
Tour 2013” is presented by Ovation
Productions in association with
Air21, 2nd Avenue, Diva Universal,
Jack TV and Sixt Rent A Car. It is also
supported by the Manila Bulletin
and Optima Sign Solutions.) Manila
Bulletin
Mr. Bean's 'behind'
shocks MTRCB
MANILA -- After sold out
shows across the US, Australia
and Singapore 2011 FilipinoAmerican and 2011 Emmynominated actor Rob Schneider,
well known for his trademark
blend of character and comedic
acting, will be coming to perform
his first stand up comedy show in
Philippines for one night only.
Schneider began writing
jokes as a teenager, appearing at
local venues. After opening for
comedians such as Jay Leno and
Jerry Seinfeld, he made his major
network television debut in 1987
on “The David Letterman Show”.
In 1990 Lorne Michaels saw
Schneider's appearance on HBO's
“13th Annual Young Comedians
Special” and hired him to be a
regular on “Saturday Night Live”.
During his four seasons at “SNL”,
Schneider was nominated for
three Emmys and a Peabody
Award.
A f te r a 2 0 - ye a r b re a k ,
Schneider returned to standup
comedy in 2011 with a world tour
receiving rave reviews. “I never
felt like I ever got stand up to
where I had a monster hour,
Grown Ups co-star Chris Rock
kind of challenged me to do it”.
Rob said he found his “stage
legs” while crafting a stand up set
that he describes as two parts
person and one part topical. He
has been able to be more nakedly
honest a b out himself a nd
discusses the joys and challenges
with being a new father later in
life. Schneider does not fashion
himself a political comedian but
he does think there are some
topics and events that are too
good not to joke about.
He has also released a comedy
album Registered Offender. The
album features 16 tracks of
sketch comedy with Rob
performing every voice! “I
wanted to wait until there was no
money in the music biz!” Rob
commented.
Schneider is well known for
his longtime relationship with
Adam Sandler and Sandler's
production company, Happy
Madison. Schneider has starred in
several Happy Madison projects,
including Bedtime Stories, You
Don't Mess With The Zohan, The
Benchwarmers, 50 First Dates,
The Longest Yard, Eight Crazy
Nights, Little Nicky and Mr. Deeds.
Also for Happy Madison,
Schneider co-wrote and starred
in Deuce Bigalow: European
Gigolo, Deuce Bigalow: Male
Gigolo, The Hot Chick and The
Animal. Other film credits include
Shark Bait, The Waterboy, and Big
Daddy.
“I'm not the person I was ten
years ago I couldn't make another
Deuce Bigalow if I wanted to” he
said.
“I think people will enjoy the
stand up. It's still funny. It's a
different part of the same tree.”
S c h n e i d e r i s a n a c t ive
supporter of several charities. He
founded “The Rob Schneider
Music Foundation” which helps
provide music education for
middle school and high school
students.
Schneider was born and
raised in San Francisco. He lives in
the Los Angeles area. Inquirer.net
Playboy Playmates
By Julliane Love de Jesus
MANILA -- The Movie and
Te l e v i s i o n R e v i e w a n d
Classification Board called
Tuesday the attention of a
television network after it aired on
daytime a show that exposed the
main character's behind. MTRCB
chairman Eugenio “Toto” Villareal
said in an interview with Radyo
Inquirer 990 AM that they were
“shocked” as the board's
monitoring and inspection unit
saw a nude Mr. Bean running in a
corridor in its Monday morning
episode that was shown on ABSCBN.
What alarmed the MTRCB was
the situation comedy “Mr. Bean”
starring British actor Rowan
Atkinson, was aired in the
daytime.“We were shocked by the
scene where Mr. Bean came
running through a corridor only
using a signage [board] to cover
his private parts. Few minutes
Mr. Bean AFP FILE PHOTO
later, he exposed his behind,” he
said.
Villareal said the butt
exposure stayed “quite long” on
air.
“We have always reminded the
networks that the television hours
6 a.m to 9 p.m. are safe harbor
periods for child viewers,” he
explained.
According to the United States'
Fe d e ra l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
Commission (FCC), safe harbor
refers to the hours during which
television stations may not
GATHERING OF PLAYBOY PLAYMATES International candidates for the 2013 Playboy Philippines
Playmate of the Year answer questions from the media at the Eclipse Bar of the Solaire Resort and
Casino in Parañaque City last October 20. (Linus G. Escandor II, Manila Bulletin)
u
Page 26
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Freddie Aguilar courts controversy
with 16-year-old girlfriend
By Totel V. de Jesus
MANILA -- The news on
music icon Freddie Aguilar
giving the thought of marrying
his 16-year-old girlfriend drew
mixed reactions from netizens.
One jokingly said Aguilar's
favourite musical note
progression nowadays
revolves on the variations of “A
minor”. Others said his most
famous song, “Anak”, could be
dedicated to his current object
of affection.
Most comments border on
the negative, saying Aguilar
could be sued for seduction or
child abuse.
In a report by Ervin
Santiago, INQUIRER Bandera
entertainment editor, on
Thursday, the 60-year-old
Aguilar admitted he is dating
someone 44 years younger
than him.
The news started when he
was seen with the girl while
attending the 5th Star Awards
for Music on Sunday at Solaire
Resort and Casino in Pasay
City, wherein he was given a
special recognition
for his contribution to local &
international music.
Ely Buendia in '20/20’
Filipino ... From page 24
streets of the typically busy EDSA.
The band filmed during Holy Week,
closing portions of the
superhighway minutes at a time to
get the proper shots.
Dutch-Filipino film “Lilet Never
Happened” by Jacco Groen is the
biggest winner, bagging Mount
Hope Project Award: Achievement
in Filmmaking and Social Advocacy,
Best Director Global Feature and
Best Ensemble Cast Feature.
The film stars Filipina teenager
Sandy Talag, who was recently
honored by an Outstanding
Achievement in Acting award at the
Oaxaca International Film Festival
in Mexico.
Set in the Philippines, “Lilet
Never Happened” is a real life story
of a Filipina child prostitute that
Groen had met in a mental hospital.
Other Filipino entries at the
festival were ”Nilda” by Joy Aquino,
”Pohaku Falls” by Carrie Juntilla
and ”Barya (Coins)” by Emir Khan
Bautista. Manila Bulletin
FREDDIE Aguilar. Inquirer photo
He admitted to the media
present that indeed, the girl is
his girlfriend.
Aguilar had a disclaimer
that he didn't know the age of
the girl when he courted her. It
was too late because he
already fell in love with her
when he learned of her actual
age.
He requested the media
not to mention the name of the
girl.
But Aguilar said there's
nothing to worry about since
the parents of the girl have
approved of the relationship,
only with a warning that she
should be careful because
Aguilar is known to be a ladies'
man.
Aguilar said he doesn't
mind the negative criticisms
like those describing him a
“cradle snatcher” or he ages
backwards, among others.
He said he's been used to
being thrown with lots of
sarcastic remarks from
friends. He added he is ready to
marry the girl once she reaches
legal age.
Since the news came out,
t h e re we re a l s o p h o to s
circulating online of Aguilar
and his girlfriend kissing each
other, drawing more negative
reactions. Inquirer.net
Best actress at
15 ... From page 24
reward for the former “StarStruck
Kids” discovery.
She was only 11 and a graduate
of wholesome GMA 7 shows like
“Mahiwagang Baul” and “Majika,”
when she auditioned for the risqué
part of Lileta child prostitute in the
slums of Manila.
“My mom was hesitant at first,”
she related. “During the audition,
my mom told me not to give 100
percent.” Still, she handily aced the
tryout.
Although the director and the
producers tried to convince her
reluctant mom, she remained
unmoved until Sandy stepped up to
the plate. “I explained to my mom
that this movie was a once-in-alifetime opportunity.” Needless to
say, the role of a flesh peddler can
be difficult for a girl of any age
much more for the then 11-yearold.
“I couldn't do research and visit
nightclubs. I couldn't read the
script. I couldn't ask questions,” she
said. “So how did I prepare? I
simply used my imagination. I kept
reminding myself that I wasn't
shooting a movie; that it was real
life.”
A psychologist was constantly
on call to guide Sandy on the set.
“The psychologist helped me
understand the situation of the
characters in the film. They really
didn't want to be in that position.
But they didn't have a choice.
Prostitution was their only way out
of poverty.” Luckily, the mood on
the set was always cheerful, in spite
of the film's grim subject matter.
“Direk Jacco made sure that the
atmosphere on the set was light,
not depressing. He was fun to be
with … a real genius,” she quipped.
As a bonus, she got to interact with
the best Filipino actors in today's
indie scene: John Arcilla, Marife
Necesito, Timothy Mabalot, Angeli
Bayani, among others.
Another award
The entire cast won a best
ensemble honor at the
I n te r n a t i o n a l F i l m Fe s t iva l
Manhattan recently.
“It was an honor to work with
them,” Sandy said. “They were not
only great actors; they were also
kind.”
She likewise considered
herself fortunate that she got to
share the screen with Johanna Ter
Steege, an award-winning Dutch
actress. “I know that she's famous
in Europe. On the set, she taught me
how to act with my eyes, to make
our scenes realistic.”
The international award came
at the right time, she said. “I'm 15,
what industry people call the
'awkward stage.' Producers don't
know what kind of roles to give me,
whether [for] a kid or a teenager.”
The victory is sweet
vindication for her. “Until now I
couldn't believe that I was able to
portray such a demanding role. I
waited for a role like this for a long
time … I always thought that I was
not able to prove my versatility in
my previous show biz projects.”
Apprehensive
Since she's currently enrolled
in a Catholic school, she was
initially apprehensive about letting
her teachers and classmates know
about her rather daring role in the
international film.
“After finding out that I had
won abroad, they watched the
film's trailer online and told me
that they were proud of me.
They've been very supportive
since,” she noted.
That is precisely what she loves
about acting. “It allows me to live
the life of a different person, to
explore emotions that I otherwise
wouldn't get to feel,” she remarked.
“It's also heart-warming that I am
able to inspire other young people.”
In the future, she would like to
portray more complex characters.
“I want to be a contravida or a
superhero. I always cry and do
heavy drama roles. I want
something different … something
more challenging than Lilet.”
Inquirer.net
(E-mail: bayanisandiegojr@gmail.com)
Mr. Bean’s ‘behind’ ... From page 25
transmit material deemed indecent for children.
In compliance with the Children's Television Act of 1997 establishing
the National Council for Children's Television, networks are required to air
programs appropriate for children within the safe harbor hours.
Mandatory conference
The MTRCB, on Twitter, asked ABS-CBN to “explain buttocks exposure
scene in Mr. Bean daytime episode yesterday.”
Villareal said they have communicated with the television network.
The MTRCB arranged the mandatory conference with ABS-CBN on
November 5, it said over Twitter. Inquirer.net
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
The bane of broken homes: Celebs
on how this affects the kids
By Marjorie S. Duran
Entertainment news and talk
show “Buzz Ng Bayan,” formerly
“The Buzz,” aired its pilot episode
on Sunday featuring three main
s e g m e n t s t h a t a l l o we d fo r
audience engagement.
One of the segments was a
panel discussion facilitated by Boy
Abunda with co-hosts Janice de
Belen and Carmina Villaroel
talking to guest resource persons
and audience members.For this,
the show based the topic on the
current marital issue besetting
Raymart Santiago and Claudine
Barretto, using it mainly as a
springboard for a discourse on
how children in general can be
affected by their parents'
separation.
Here's what their celebrity
guests had to say:
Dina Bonnevie
After two annulled marriages,
Dina offered this sound advice:
“'Pag naghihiwalay ang mga
parents, palaging apektado ang
mga bata at ang epekto nito,
hanggang sa pagtanda… someone
(should explain) to them what
happened (so) they will
understand. It's important for
children to voice out what they
feel.”
Recounting her own
counselor's advice, she added, “It's
better for you to separate than to
live in a home which is not really a
home and nakikita ng mga bata na
mali 'yung values. It's better that
you part ways.”
Amy Perez
Separated from her husband
when their child was only three
months old, Amy noted the split
seemingly had little effect on her
kid but only because “wala pa
(siyang) kamalay-malay (noon).”
However, the 44-year-old
noted that, “Ang tatay na ang dapat
na nagtuturo ng pagmamahal sa
anak.”
Ruffa Gutierrez
The actress-beauty queen's
marriage to Turkish husband
Yilmaz Bektas was less than ideal.
She said she left him for her own
sake so that she could eventually
take care of her kids.
She related, “Bago ko isipin
'yung mga anak ko, kailangan
isipin ko muna ang sarili ko… kung
hindi naman ako healthy, kung
hindi ako physically capable of
taking care of my kids, hindi rin
magiging maganda 'yung future
nila. I left them there (in Istanbul)
kasi sabi ko, paano ko naman sila
mauuwi kung hindi muna ako
makakaalis?”
Citing that “communication is
the key,” Ruffa said it was a matter
of letting her children understand
the cause of their separation.
“Marami din naman na hiwalay ang
magulang and their children excel.
It's all about expressing yourselves
to your children,” she quipped.
Rosanna Roces
Without going into the nitty
gritty of her own relationships,
Rosanna Roces just shared how
she molded her daughter Grace to
be a good mother despite her
having grown up with separated
parents.
Proud of how her daughter is
now hands-on with her own kids,
Osang noted, “(Dapat) pagbutuhin
ang pagiging ina at asawa kasi
career 'yan.”
***
On the other end of the
spectrum are the kids themselves.
Celebrity personalities Daniel
Padilla and Jessy Mendiola have a
thing or two to say about the topic.
Jessy Mendiola
In a taped interview aired
during the segment, Jessy tearfully
admitted longing for her father,
who is based in Dubai. The “Maria
Mercedes” star last saw her dad
when she was only six.
“Napaka-sarap ng feeling ng
may daddy ka, and kunyari may
Sarah G to return to
'Voice PH' season 2
Sarah Geronimo
MANILA -- Singer Sarah
Geronimo will still be part of
the second season of the hit
talent show "The Voice of the
Philippines."
Geronimo said she already
said "yes" for the second
season of "The Voice" despite
her initial hesitation.
"Yes, opo. Nag-yes na po
mananakit sa inyo andiyan si
daddy, pero wala eh,” she said.
Daniel Padilla
Despite growing up with
separated parents, Daniel
nevertheless has a level-headed
understanding of their situation.
‘Juan de la Cruz’
makes ... From page 23
the fans. Eddie Garcia (Lolo Juls),
Gina Pareño (Loley), Neil Coleta
(Asiong), John Medina (Agustin),
Slater Young (Tony), David Chua
(Bruce), William Lorenzo (Ben) and
Izzy Canillo (young Juan) comprised
the group.
Proud
Martin's talent manager and
Dreamscape adprom head Biboy
Arboleda said he was especially
proud of the “Juan de la Cruz” team,
consisting of almost 500 people,
who worked hard on the program
for almost a year.
“We faced all the challenges
together,” he told the Philippine
Daily Inquirer on Monday. “I will
always cherish the experience we
had. I pray that the brand would
expand into a movie and perhaps
another TV series.”
He added, “Juan de la Cruz, the
character, was created to inspire the
hero in every Filipino. I believe it has
succeeded in its goal. What's unique
about it was that it also promoted
nationalism and inspired people to
continue nurturing the spirit of
bayanihan.”
Originally for the big screen
“Juan de la Cruz,” a creation of
Rondel Lindayag and Dindo Perez,
first aired on the Kapamilya channel
on February 4. It was originally
conceived as a movie for the 2012
Metro Manila Film Festival. In
August 2012, ABS-CBN business
unit and Dreamscape head Deo
Endrinal announced it would be
seria lized, w it h Ma rt in a nd
Gonzalez in the lead; Malou Sevilla
kami for the second season.
Noong una, ayaw ko kasi
traumang-trauma na ako. Pero
sabi ko, si Ms. Lea (Salonga),
nag-yes na rin.
"Masarap sa pakiramdam
na nagiging bahagi ka ng
pagtupad ng pangarap ng
ibang tao, ng aspiring singers
and, in a way, nakakatulong ka
na rin kung anuman 'yung
naibigay mo, naisha-share mo
sa mga tao. So, masarap. So sabi
k o , y e s , o p o ," s h e t o l d
reporters.Geronimo went on to
say that she is happy for the
first winner of "The Voice,"
Mitoy Yonting, although she is
also proud of her bet to the
finals, Klarisse de Guzman.
The country's "Pop Star
Princess" is now gearing up for
her 10th anniversary concert
dubbed as "Perfect 10" next
month.
In a separate taped interview
together with his dad, Rommel
Padilla, Daniel declared, “Hindi na
importante kung ano 'yung
nangyari dati, ang importante,
'yung nangyayari ngayon.” Manila
Bulletin
would be at the helm.
Martin plays Juan, an orphan
brought up by a priest who
nurtured his faith in God. Unknown
to Juan, he is the son of King
Aswang and is prophesied to lead
his minions and eventually take
over the world.
As an adult, he becomes the
leader of the Kapatiran, a group
seeking to destroy the Aswang
colony, after he discovers that his
biological mother is one of the
Guardians, a group of human
defenders against evil forces.
The show culminates in an epic
battle between good and evil, with
Juan attempting to defy the
prophecy.
After only three weeks of
airing, “Juan de la Cruz” became
one of the most successful local
fantasy dramas. In a survey
released by Kantar Media in
February, it registered a high of
42.6-percent viewership.
Endrinal attributed the
program's success to the effort of
its creative team to make sure it
“catered to audiences of all ages.”
He said, “While the creatives
made sure it talked to 5-year-old
kids while writing the script, they
likewise saw to it that the show
appealed to older viewers.
Beneath the tale of the Tagabantay
battling the Aswang lies a
compelling family story, peppered
with romance and adventure.”
Endrinal added, “Through the
show, we tried to showcase the
values inherent in everyday
Filipino heroes courage, sense of
justice, wisdom, faith and
fortitude. As we aptly put it in our
finale script, we're all heroes
because every Filipino is a Juan de
l a C r u z , a n g Ta g a b a n t a y.”
Inquirer.net
SPORTS
Senate to grill
sports chiefs
By Nick Giongco
The country's sports leaders will go under the
microscope today when they face the Senate committee
on Games, Amusement and Sports.
The leadership of the Philippine Sports Commission
(PSC) and even the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)
will be represented in the hearing with the Senate
expecting to see a detailed account of the country's
preparation for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in
Myanmar.
The SEAG is scheduled Dec. 11 to 22 although
competitions in football will kick off as early as Dec. 1,
followed by the opening of basketball and boxing
matches a week later.
Chairman Richie Garcia will lead the PSC cast, while
former Tarlac congressman Jose 'Peping' Cojuangco,
uncle of President Noynoy Aquino, is also expected to
attend the hearing along with other high-ranking officials
from POC. Manila Bulletin
NGAP's grassroots
program starts
Lipa City -- More than 60 young
golfers showed up last Saturday to
form the first batch of beneficiaries
of the National Golf Association of
t h e P h i l i p p i n e s ' g ra s s ro o t s
program.
At least a hundred more have
signed up for another session in
Bacolod City next month, as the
NGAP, in partnership with the
Royal & Ancient of Scotland, kicked
off the program whose aim is to
bring more youngsters to play the
game and ultimately discover
future international stars.
“We want to start them young,
and we want even the lessprivileged to be able to avail the
privilege of being handled by the
best coaches in the land,” Gigi
Montinola, the former top bank
executive and NGAP director of
grassroots development, said.
The first part of the program
kicked off last Saturday at Mount
Malarayat with former world
junior champions Carito
Villaroman and Ramon Brobio and
Philippine Team standout Boyet
Zaragosa as coaches. Kids 13 and
below coming from cross sections
of the society are the targets of the
program, which got a boost from
the R&A early this year which
donated 20,000 pounds (about
P14 million).
Montinola then matched the
R&A contribution with his own
money and is also personally
supervising the progress of the
kids together with NGAP vicepresident Caloy Coscoluella.
“This should have been done
years ago,” NGAP president Tommy
Manotoc said. “And with the R&A
and Mr. Montinola coming in, we
now have the resources to make up
for lost time. These kids are the
future of Philippine golf.”
Under t he program, the
coaches will initially teach the kids
the basics of the game before
gradually turning them into elite
players depending on the rates of
their progress.
Local coaches have also been
tapped to assist Villaroman, Brobio
and Zaragosa and the trio will
monitor the development of the
kids on a consistent basis. Manila
Bulletin
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 28
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Santos reminded of rags-to-riches story
as he accepts first MVP award in PBA
By Celest R. Flores
MANILA -- For Arwind
Santos, the long overdue Most
Valuable Player award added
more color to his inspiring ragsto-riches tale.
After a fine seven-year
career in the PBA which saw him
bag two Best Player of the
Conference citations and a finals
MVP plum, Santos cemented his
legacy with his first MVP award.
“Maraming salamat po sa
award. Nabigyan po ng kulang
ang buhay ko [Thank you so
much for this. This gave color to
my life],” said Santos in his
acceptance speech.
Santos nipped Ginebra
guard LA Tenorio by just 21
points in a collated tally of
statistical points, votes from
media, players and PBA office.
He also stretched his record
of making the mythical first
team and all-defensive team for
the sixth straight year, according
to the PBA head statistician Fidel
Mangonon.
As he stepped off the stage at
the Mall of Asia Arena, Santos
knelt on the court and lifted the
trophy and pointed up to the sky.
He said he was reminded of
how he turned from selling
scraps (bakal bote), working at
c a r wa s h a n d d r iv i n g t h e
Arwind Santos kneels as he accepts his awards during the PBA Governors'
Cup Finals Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. Photo by Nuki Sabio/PBA
pedicab, among others, for a
l iv i n g i n Pa m p a n g a to a
successful basketball player.
“Lahat po dinanas ko. Lahat
po ginawa ko para mabuhay po
kaming pamilya nung oras na
yun [I experienced everything
and did everything for my
family],” said Santos.
And the award, Santos said,
was a testament of how hard
work and opportunities through
basketball could change one's
life.
“Ito po ang nagsasabi na
kahit mahirap may chance po
makuha ang award na to. Sana
po naispire ko kayo. [This proves
that even if you're poor, you have
a chance. I hope I inspired you].”
Inquirer.net
October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pacquiao no longer
fearsome, says Rios
By Nick Giongco
Brandon Rios says Manny Pacquiao no
longer gives him the creeps.
Unlike in the past when Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38
KOs) was bringing down his foes with the
coolness of a hired gun, Rios (31-1-1, 23 KOs)
said the Filipino icon is no longer the fearsome
puncher he was a couple of years back.
”When I was a lightweight champ, and when
he was dominating, I'll admit it right now, I said at
that time if we ever fought, Pacquiao would f_ck
me up,” Rios told hustleboss in a story that
appeared yesterday in the runup to their Nov. 24
encounter in Macau.
As Pacquiao logged more mileage through
the years, the 27-year-old Rios was able to sense
his decline. “At that time I said that. I think he's
getting older. I'm young and I got more
experience, more knowledge now. I think it's the
opposite now. I think I can take him out.”
Rios, who has been training like hell under
the watchful eyes of Robert Garcia and
conditioning coach Alex Ariza in Oxnard,
California, is leaving for Macau on Nov. 11 so he
can get used not only to the local weather and the
change in time zone as well.
But Rios is going to give the media a sneakpeek into his buildup when he conducts an open
workout on Oct. 31. Rios will be coming in as the
heavy underdog in the scheduled 12-round
welterweight war before an expected capacity
crowd of 15,000 at the CotaiArena.
By the time Pacquiao answers the bell, he
would be three weeks shy of his 35th birthday
and almost a year removed from his last ring
appareance. And this one of the reasons why Rios
feels he can get the job done.
“Just because he has a big name, that don't
mean sh..t to me.”
National Geographic’s ‘Pinoy Hoops’
explores PH basketball obsession
MANILA -- A new series on
the National Geographic
Channel will delve into the
Philippines' undying love for
the sport of basketball. Pinoy
Hoops is presented by Rafe
Bartholomew, author of the
best-selling book Pacific Rims,
who will guide viewers on a
journey to the very heart of a
basketball-obsessed nation to
uncover why the sport has
b e e n
e m b r a c e d
wholeheartedly by Filipinos
from all walks of life.
Pinoy Hoops is
Bartholomew's docu-diary as
h e t rave l s t h r o u g h t h e
Philippines searching for the
root of why its people love
basketball so much. In a
country where makeshift
courts are set up in every
barangay, it's not hard to
imagine the lengths that
Filipinos will go to experience
or play a game of basketball,
nor why the country is
considered Asia's Basketball
Mecca. Filipinos live and
breathe this game, and
Bartholomew leaves no stone
unturned in finding out why.
In this three-part series,
Bartholomew exposes both
the public and secret worlds of
basketball. He visits back-alley
courts in the roughest
EXPRESS SUDOKU
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Rafe Bartholomew
neighborhoods as well as the
most remote mountainsides,
and he witnesses a
professional basketball game
both courtside and behind the
scenes. While on his travels, he
meets some unique
individuals to whom
basketball is not just a sport
but a way of lifeand this is
what gives viewers a clue to
discovering why the game is so
important to many Filipinos.
Although an American,
Bartholomew provides great
insight into basketball in the
Philippines, knowing more
about the Filipino's
relationship with the sport
than most locals. His book
Kids playing basketball in a back-alley court
Pacific Rims was written while
h e wa s o n a F u l b r i g h t
scholarship in the country, on
which he embarked in
November 2005. For three
years, he learned the language,
immersed himself in local
communities, and researched
on the role of basketball in
P h i l i p p i n e s o c i e t y.
Bartholomew's sociable
research methods and
obvious love for the sport
helped him delve deeper into
the psyche of basketballloving Filipinos despite his
default setback as an outsider.
Bartholomew was
featured twice on the Best
American Sports Writing
Series, has received multiple
awards from the Society of
Professional Journalists, and
now serves as Senior Editor at
Grantland, an ESPN sports and
pop-culture website.
Pinoy Hoops took two
years to make and offers an
authentic, un-sanitized look at
Philippine basketball curated
by an expert who took great
care to get to know Filipinos
and their deep relationship
with the sport.
Pinoy Hoops premiered on
October 21 on National
Geographic Channel.
Inquirer.net
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October 25 - 31, 2013
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
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October 25 - 31, 2013
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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS