Philippine American Friendship Day Celebration
Sunday, June 23 (10am-6pm) West Side Avenue and Lincoln Park in Jersey City
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VOL. 27 w
NO. 24 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
JUNE 21 - JUNE 27, 2013 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES TO ASSIST
FILIPINOS IN 7-11 EXPLOITATION CASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The
Philippine Embassy in
Wa s h i n g to n D. C . a n d t h e
Consulate General in New York
are in touch with concerned
United States authorities in
connection with the
investigation of the reported
exploitation of undocumented
Filipinos working in various 711 convenience stores in New
York and Virginia.
Acting on instructions of
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
Labor Attache Luzviminda
Padilla and Consul General
Mario De Leon contacted the
Department of Homeland
Security, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Nassau
County District Attorney's Office
and the Eastern District Court of
New York to inquire on the
status of the case.
“We also want to check the
condition of the Filipino
nationals involved in order to
determine the kind of assistance
that could be extended to them,”
Ambassador Cuisia said in a
statement issued from Kingston,
Jamaica, where he presented his
credentials as Manila's nonresident ambassador to the
Caribbean island-state.
Ambassador Cuisia said
consular and legal assistance
will be extended to the Filipino
nationals involved in the case,
including Filipino citizen Ramon
Nanas, 49, of Great River, New
York, who was among nine
persons indicted by authorities
in connection with the case.
Ambassador Cuisia said
that other than Nanas and the
eight others who were indicted,
US authorities have not released
the names of the more than 50
employees of various 7-11
stores in New York and Virginia
who included a still
u n d e te r m i n e d n u m b e r o f
Filipinos.
Consul General De Leon
said US authorities have also
made it clear that the employees
have not been arrested, detained
or charged for any offense and
a re c o n s i d e re d v i c t i m o f
exploitation. They will serve as
witnesses and will appear in a
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
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U.S. ICE CANCELS FILIPINA'S
“VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE”
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
BLUMENTRITT INTERCEPTOR – Construction of the Blumentritt Interceptor catchment
project in Blumentritt Street, Manila, is now ongoing, which the Department of Public
Works and Highways said could be one of the solutions of the perennial flooding in
Quezon City and Manila. (Ali Vicoy)
Aquino acts
on flood woes
By Madel Sabater-Namit
Manila – President
Benigno S. Aquino III has
directed the national
government to impose
sanctions on local government
units (LGUs) that allow
informal settlers to return to
their former settlement areas
that are among the major
waterways in Metro Manila.
P r e s i d e n t i a l
Communications and Strategic
Planning Secretary Ramon
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) - The
United States Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) has
exercised prosecutorial
discretion on the case of
undocumented Filipina Karla
Gaerlan by cancelling her
fo rm e rly i s s u e d o rd e r o f
voluntary departure.
This was the clarification
issued Thursday (June 13) by
Virginia Kice, U.S. ICE Western
Regional Communications
Director and Spokesperson, in a
phone call to this reporter.
When asked if Ms. Gaerlan
can stay in the U.S., Ms. Kice said,
Ms. Gaerlan is free what she
wants to do, as “she has no
pending legal action with us as
we already cancelled the
voluntary departure.”
Ms. Gaerlan, 28, signed a
“voluntary departure agreement
after she, her husband, (U.S.
Army Specialist Thad
Schmierer), and her mother-inlaw, met with ICE officers to
confer, in a professional and
respectful setting, options for
her situation.”
The ICE statement did not
elaborate. But news reports said
Ms. Gaerlan signed the
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Page 7
DOLE forms team to investigate alleged
“sex-for-fly” modus operandi in Kuwait
MANILA -- Labor and
The investigative team that immediately directed the POLO
E m p l o y m e n t S e c r e t a r y Baldoz ordered to investigate to submit a report.
Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has the allegation is composed of
“The DOLE does not
ordered the creation of an Atty. Leah Fortuna of the Office condone any inappropriate act
investigation team that will look of the Secretary and Atty. Cesar of any of its official and
into the alleged “sex-for-fly” Chavez of the Overseas Workers personnel, most especially if it
“It's the responsibility of
activities at the Philippine Welfare Administration.
involves the performance of
t h e LG U s n a ' d i n a s i l a
Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait.
The labor and employment their official duties. Integrity
makabalik dun [for the informal
"I am resolved to get into chief, who is in Geneva for the and sincerity in public service
settlers not to return to the
the bottom of any accusation of 1 0 2 I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a b o r are among the core values that
area] so we'll do everything we
wrongdoing against our people Conference, was alerted of we in the DOLE have sworn to
can,” Carandang said.
to uphold their credibility and newspaper reports about the u p h o l d a n d a b i d e b y i n
integrity, whether or not the alleged “sex-for-fly” activities at everything we do,” Baldoz said.
“It's the LGUs' job to
allegations are malicious or with the Philippine Overseas Labor
basis," Baldoz said.
Office in Kuwait and
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Carandang said yesterday the
P re s i d e n t h a d g ive n t h e
instructions during the Cabinet
meeting last Tuesday on Metro
Manila flooding.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Senator Cayetano pushes for full
investigation of OFWs exploitation
MANILA -- Senator Pia
Cayetano on Wednesday said
the government should leave
no stone unturned in its
investigation of the reported
sexual abuse of distressed
women overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) in Philippine
overseas offices.
At the same time, the
senator called on concerned
agencies to hold the alleged
perpetrators accountable for
the so-called "sex-forrepatriation" scheme.
“If in fact the allegation of
'sex for repatriation' is true,
then this is one of the worst
cases of exploitation that have
befallen our OFW women,” said
Cayetano, chairperson of the
Senate committee on youth,
women and family relations.
“When those who are
tasked to protect our women
are the very ones who
perpetuate such a ghastly and
disturbing act, then these
predators should be charged,
jailed and banned from holding
public office,” he added.
Cayetano said it is
incumbent upon concerned
government agencies,
primarily Department of
Foreign Affairs and
Department of Labor and
Employment, to take
immediate and decisive action
while observing due process of
law.
“They should unmask the
identities of these alleged
Senator Pia Cayetano
perpetrators within their
ranks, as well as their
accomplices. They should
also urge all victims to come
forward and provide them
assistance so that they would
be able to file charges in
court.”
She said the abuses
would be mitigated if
government could find ways
to hasten the repatriation of
OFWs staying in government
s h e l t e r s a b r o a d .“ T h e
government must step up its
efforts to hasten the
repatriation of distressed
OFWs in order to shield them
from hardship and further
abuse,” Cayetano said.
It was Akbayan Rep.
Walden Bello who exposed the
alleged exploitation of the
OFWs by some embassy
officials, particularly in Syria.
Malacanang calls on victims
of alleged 'sex-for-repatriation'
scandal to file complaints
M A N I L A - Malacanang is calling on
overseas Filipino workers
who have been victims of
an alleged “sex-forrepatriation” scam in the
Philippine Embassy in
Kuwait to come forward to
file appropriate complaints
in order for authorities to
get to the bottom of this
scandal.
In a press briefing in
Malacanang on Tuesday,
Deputy Presidential
Spokesperson Abigail Valte
said the Department of
Foreign Affairs has stepped
in and has already
instructed the Head of the
Embassy in Kuwait and act
on this.
“The DFA is already
looking into this. The Head
Abigail Valte
of the Embassy in Kuwait
has been instructed to act
on this,” Valte said.
“To this date, we have
not received any formal
complaint from the alleged
victims which is why we
are encouraging those with
information or those who
have been victimized by
these alleged practices to
come forward and to file
complaints because the
DFA is more than willing to
act on them,” she added.
Reports of the alleged
sex-for-repatriation
practice of officials and
personnel in the Philippine
Embassy in Kuwait
surfaced this week when
an unidentified female
OFW who was part of a
group of 46 housemaids
deported from the Kuwaiti
Deportation Center aired a
complaint that an
"embassy official"
allegedly demanded a
sexual favor to facilitate her
repatriation.
POLO official denies
running sex ring in Jordan
MANILA - A Philippine
official accused of allegedly
running a prostitution ring
u s i n g r u n away ove r s e a s
Filipino workers in Jordan
vehemently denied the
allegations against him.
Mario Antonio, the
officer-in-charge of the
Philippine Overseas Labor
Office (POLO), believes that the
alleged 'sex-for-fly" scheme is
the work of recruitment
agencies engaged in illegal
activities.
"Siguro po yan po ay
bunga po ng mga nasasagasaan
natin na mga ahensiya na
pinipilit na kinukuha ang mga
workers natin doon na
humihingi ng tulong para sila
ay tugunan," said Antonio.
Antonio said these illegal
agencies are out to destroy
people like him in Jordan.
"Sila po sigurado ang
gumagawa ng ganyang mga
balita sapagkat nasasagasaan
po ang kanilang modus
operandi pagpapapunta po ng
mga trafficked OFWs sa Jordan
na hanggang sa ngayon po ay
ilegal po ang pagpunta," he
said.
Akbayan Rep. Walden
Bello, the chairman of the
House Committee on Overseas
Workers Affairs, revealed
Antonio's name as one of the
officials who allegedly
operates a prostitution ring in
Jordan.
"Hindi pa po ako
nakakausap ni Congressman
Bello pero naiintindihan ko
naman po yung kanyang
hangarin. Syempre po vigilante
po yan, kapag may natanggap
yan na ganyang balita syempre
gusto po nyang imbistigahan,"
he said.
DOLE forms
team to ...
From page 1
The report on the alleged
“ s ex - fo r - f ly ” p ra c t i c e o f
officials and personnel in the
POLO in Kuwait surfaced when
an unidentified female OFW
who was part of a group of 46
HSWs deported from the
Kuwaiti Deportation Center
supposedly sought the help of
radio station DZRH and aired a
complaint that an "embassy
official" allegedly demanded a
sexual favor to facilitate her
repatriation.
Labor Attache to Kuwait
David Des Dicang reported
that when this report came out,
the Philippine Embassy,
through Consul General Raul
Dado created an investigation
team that included Dicang.
"After our investigation,
we found out that only one of
Aside from Antonio, Bello
also accused a foreign affairs
department employee in Syria
who was allegedly caught
having sex with a runaway
Filipina at the embassy
compound, and another
Philippine official in Kuwait
said to be pimping workers
under the embassy's custody.
On Tuesday, Bello said
that even the government of
Jordan has asked the
Philippine government to
recall its official in Jordan.
"Pinayuhan lang po ang
ating ambassador. Kasama po
yan sa pagtatanggol natin sa
mga OFWs kasi nga po minsan
nakipagpulong tayo sa
Ministry of Interior. Binanggit
po natin na bakit pinapayagan
yung mga workers na pumasok
sa Jordan eh meron tayong
existing ban. Una po itinanggi
nila na di nila natatanggap
yung ban na yan pero ipinakita
ko po yung kasulatan ng ating
embhaada, yung note verbale,
di na po sila kumibo," he said.
Antonio also clarified
that in all his 30 years of
government service, no case
has been filed against him. He
added that many recruitment
agencies were not happy with
how he managed POLO.
" D a h i l d i s i l a
nakakadiskarte sa kanilang
nais para sa mga workers
natin," he said.
Over 70 distressed OFWs
are still with the POLO, he said.
Many of them fled their
employers due to unpaid
salaries.
"A k o n a m a n p o a y
handang humarap para po
pabulaanan yung mga
akusasyong ibinabato laban po
sa akin," he said.
the 46 HSWs deported came
from the Filipino Workers
Resource Center. It would serve
the interest of justice if the
media names the complainant
and the officials complained
about," Dicang said.
Baldoz warned that she
will file charges against any
DOLE official or employee who
will be proven to have violated
their oath as public servants,
whether they are in the
Philippines or abroad.
"We take this kind of
allegations very seriously," she
said, adding that measures to
deal with allegations of
wrongdoing are wellestablished in the DOLE.
“We believe that for us to
be able to protect the rights and
welfare of every Filipino worker
here and abroad, it is a must that
we keep ourselves clean; that
we keep the Department graftand corruption-free,” she finally
said.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
French newspaper praises Meloto, Gawad Kalinga
MANILA -- The leading
French newspaper Le Figaro
recently lauded Gawad Kalinga
and its founder, Tony Meloto.
This, after Meloto
delivered a keynote speech at the
opening of the United Nations
Scientific and Cultural
O r g a n i z a t i o n ' s
Planetworkshops Global
Conference early this month.
In a column by Marielle
Court, Meloto was hailed for
building homes and villages for
the poor.
C o u r t c i t e d M e l o t o' s
famous quotes (translated into
English) such as “You build with
values, not only with money” and
“I prefer the freedom of serving
to the power of directing.”
Court said Meloto “spreads
these kinds of quotes in every
place he goes. And for those who
wouldn't be fully convinced yet,
he will add a few keywords:
honesty, sharing, simplicity,
work.”
Court said it was amazing
how Meloto, 63, could mix with
the world's most powerful
people, yet find his happiness
and reason to live among the
poorest of his country.
Court added that Meloto
manages to combine two words
that are often incompatible in
today's world: liberal and social.
But the columnist said it is
not surprising, given Meloto's
communicative energy and his
degree in economics.
C o u r t c i t e d M e l o t o' s
humble beginnings, having been
born to a poor family.
“Meloto was a good
student. After high school, he
was granted a one-year
scholarship in the US and, in
order to make some pocket
money, he worked as a model for
swimsuits,” Court wrote.
Meloto worked for seven
years for Procter and Gamble
before creating his own, the
column said.
Infiltrating Manila's big slums
Court cited how, at 35,
everything suddenly changed for
Meloto.
“He could no longer stand
the kind of life reserved for an
elite while millions of people are
left behind in extreme poverty
and violence. It no longer
matched his Christian values,
which had been deeply
inculcated in him,” Court said.
It was then that he decided
to drop everything.
“I became a Christian
missionary at first,” Meloto told
Court, before he decided to
tackle the transformation of
society. “I had to find some
humanist values in order to be
able to show humanity myself
toward the poor.”
Meloto told Court that in
his forties, he created his nongovernment organization called
Gawad Kalinga, which means to
give care.
He infiltrated Manila's big
slums where there was violence,
and dealt with gangs and
dealers.
“Some are interested in the
victims, the women and the
children. Me, I am targeting the
men, the ones responsible,” he
told Court.
Meloto said his goal was to
have the people change by giving
them back their dignity and this
begins with building houses and
villages with schools, health
centers and farms for them to
have livelihood.
These men who Meloto is
dealing with are the same people
who build the houses and
villages after signing a strict
commitment to rules of good
behavior.
Gawad Kalinga founder, Tony Meloto
Meloto admits that there
are some who fail around 20
percent.
“This means there are
around 80 percent who
succeed,” Meloto told Court.
“Even in the worse thugs there is
always something good. This is
what I target.”
Meloto added that
sometimes, disappointments
may come from the least
unexpected areas.
He said he was taken aback
on the day that several top
figures from the Church
denounced the campaign he was
carrying out against
tuberculosis because a
subsidiary of the large
pharmaceutical company which
was supporting him was selling
condoms.
“This issue caused much
comments. It made me very
popular,” said Meloto, who is also
a radical optimistic.
Source: The Philippine Star
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Nationwide doppler radar coverage
to enhance government's nowcasting
MANILA -- Government
is optimistic plans to have the
entire country covered by
doppler radars will enhance
its nowcasting -- area-specific
forecast for the period up to 12
hours ahead that is based on
very detailed observational
data.
"The plan will
increasingly help us predict
rainfall that's likely to happen
in the next few hours," said Dr.
A l f re d o M a h a r L a g m ay,
Executive Director of Project
N a t i o nw i d e O p e ra t i o n a l
A s s e s s m e n t o f H a z a rd s
(NOAH) under Department of
Science and Technology.
He noted rainfall
intensity in various areas as
well as other data generated
using the radars are needed so
people can be better warned
about possible forthcoming
inclement weather-induced
calamities.
Lagmay is bullish about
the future of Philippine
nowcasting, saying
government earlier planned
installing more doppler
radars in the country.
"Our target is to have the
country covered by 14 to 15
doppler radars next year," he
said.
State weather agency
Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration
(PAGASA) reported nine
doppler radars are already
operating nationwide.
Those radars are in
Baguio, Subic, Baler, Aparri,
Tagaytay and Virac in Luzon,
Cebu in the Visayas as well as
Hinatuan and Tampakan in
Mindanao, PAGASA noted.
The plan for nationwide
doppler radar coverage is in
line with Malacanang's
previous order for predicting
weather six hours in advance.
M a la c a n a n g ' s o rd e r
aims to give communities,
particularly vulnerable ones,
enough lead time to prepare
for possible weather-induced
calamities.
"We don't want to be
overtaken by events," said
Presidential Communication
Operations Office chief Sec.
Herminio Coloma.
Increasingly, timely and
better predictions are due as
PAGASA already projected
climate change to drive wetter
rainy seasons in the future.
Aside from nowcasts,
PAGASA regularly provides
forecasts which predict the
weather several days in
advance.
Launched in 2012,
Project NOAH's mission is to
conduct disaster science
research and development to
help boost government's
disaster prevention and
mitigation efforts.
P r o j e c t N OA H a l s o
promotes using cutting-edge
technologies and
re c o m m e n d s i n n ova t ive
information services for the
same purpose.
L a s t y e a r, PA G A S A
announced its plan to recruit
weather spotters who'll
volunteer to provide this
agency real-time information
on weather conditions in
respective communities.
PAGASA said such plan
seeks generating more
information that will help the
agency further enhance its
forecasting and early warning
services so communities
nationwide can better prepare
for onslaught of weather
disturbances.
Relocation areas for
8,000 settlers ready
MANILA -- Interior and
Local Government Secretary
Mar Roxas announced
Thursday relocation areas are
available for the first 8,000
informal settlers along
waterways.
This is part of efforts to
clean up esteros and ease the
flood problem in Metro Manila.
A total of 60,000 informal
settlers are set to be relocated
from priority waterways to
resettlement areas identified
by the National Housing
Authority.
Roxas said the
Department of Public Works
and Highways and the Metro
Manila Development
Authority are taking steps to
open a three-meter clearance
on either side of rivers for the
possible construction of a
medium-rise housing for
illegal settlers.
P r e s i d e n t i a l
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
Development and Strategic
Planning Office (PCDSPO)
Secretary Ricky Carandang
DILG Sec. Mar Roxas
earlier said relocation sites
would have access to
livelihood and basic services.
The government has
identified 8 major waterways
that have to be cleared of
residents before the year ends.
The Palace said a
relocation program will be
undertaken to move 19,440
families living along the San
Juan River, Tullahan River,
M a n g g a h a n f l o o d w a y,
Maricaban creek, Pasig River,
and Esteros Tripa de Gallina,
Sunog Apog, and Maypajo.
From page 1
pamahalaan ay para sa kanilang
kabutihan at kaligtaasan [Everything
that the government does is for their
own good and for their own safety]… It
will be done in a humane and just
manner,” Tolentino said.
prevent them from coming back. We
will make them accountable if they
come back,” he said.
Tolentino meanwhile said the
Master Plan for flood control in Metro
Manila does not happen overnight.
Carandang said while past
mistakes can no longer be sanctioned,
the government will be stricter in
imposing sanctions this time, noting
that living near waterways is against
the Urban Development and Housing
Act (UDHA) Law.
“Rather, it should be seen and felt
as a process,” he said.
Aquino acts on
flood woes ...
Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio
Singson said the government has
identified eight major waterways that
need to be cleared, including San Juan
River, Tullahan River, Manggahan
floodway, Pasig River and Estero de
Maypajo.
He said almost 20,000 informal
settler families would have to be moved
to resettlement sites.
The 20,000 informal settler
families in eight major waterways is
part of the 60,130 total of informal
settler families in 273 waterways in
Metro Manila.
“May timetable na to implement
dahil funding isalready there [We have
a timetable to implement because
there is already funding]. Funding is
not an issue,” Singson said.
“A pumping station is designed
for a specific waterway and machinery
for that cannot be bought over the
counter,” Tolentino added.
The Master Plan, which was
approved by the Aquino administration
last year, is designed to come up with a
permanent long term solution and
would cover 17 million in population.
The government had set aside a
total of P5-billion in high impact
projects alone under the Master Plan.
For his part, Interior and Local
Government Secretary Mar Roxas said
the government has allocated P40
billion to address the massive flooding
in Metro Manila that has been a major
cause of stress and anger for motorists
and commuters in the past few days.
Roxas said the fund allocation is
actually P10 billion every year that
started in 2012 and is set to be
completed when President Aquino
steps down in 2016.
He said efforts for the clearing of
waterways started before summer and
is expected to be finished by the end of
the year.
The bulk of the fund, according to
Roxas, will be allocated for the
relocation of some 60,000 families who
are currently living in more than 10
waterways in Metro Manila.
Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority (MMDA)
Chairman Francis Tolentino, for his
part, said relocation of informal settler
families includes obtaining their
biometrics to ensure that they will not
go back to the site or to other danger
areas.
“The safety of the people,
especially those living near the
waterways, is the priority of the Aquino
administration and this is the reason
why we have been continuously looking
for ways for them to have safe and
decent lives,” Roxas told reporters in a
chance interview at Camp Crame.
“Lahat ng gagawin ng
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Page 6
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
For $50,000 fine, Taiwanese
poachers can go free
MANILA - For a $50,000 (about
P2.16 million) administrative fine,
Taiwanese poachers caught fishing in
Philippine waters can go free if no case
is filed against them, the chairman of
the Manila Economic and Cultural
Office said Monday.
MECO Chairman Amadeo Perez
said Philippine authorities can still
arrest, without using force, Taiwanese
poachers who fish in the country's
territorial waters. He said the
agreement between Philippine and
Taiwanese governments is meant to
prevent a repeat of the shooting death
of a Taiwanese fisherman in Balintang
Channel.
“This was just an initial talk and
Taiwan asked for it. In principle, we
agreed that force or violence will not
be used in the apprehension of
fishermen in our territorial
boundaries and also with Taiwan,” he
said in an interview on
Mornings@ANC.
“We will not discontinue
arresting Taiwanese fishermen who
will encroach into our territorial
boundaries and in the same manner in
their boundaries,” he added.
He said that if poachers use
force in resisting arrest, then
authorities will have no choice but to
use force to impose the law.
Perez said the new agreement
states that Taiwan and the Philippines
must notify each other of any arrests
of fishermen in their territorial
waters.
He also said arrested fishermen
could pay an administrative fine of
50,000 US dollars (about P2.16
million) for their release.
“When arrested, they could also
pay the administrative fine of
US$50,000 in order to be able to
release the fishermen and the boat
that they use for poaching. That is an
administrative fine. If a case is filed in
court, then the fine is $100,000 to
$200,000,” he said.
He said most fishermen are
willing to pay the administrative fine
of 50,000 US dollars than face a court
case.
In a separate interview, Perez
said the $50,000 fine only applies to
poachers who are caught fishing and
are not carrying contraband goods in
their fishing vessels. He said the fine
will be paid to the Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources and that all fish
will be confiscated.
In case the fishermen are
caught with illegal drugs or
endangered animals, they will be
slapped with the appropriate charges
and a judge will determine if they will
be allowed to post bail.
Perez said Filipino and
Taiwanese authorities have set aside
for now the “ticklish” issue of
delineation of territorial waters. He
said Philippine authorities need to
consult the technical working group
including the National Mapping and
Resource Information Authority
(NAMRIA) and other agencies on how
to put up “demarcation lines on which
areas Taiwanese and Filipino
fishermen can be allowed to fish.“
Philippine investigators on
Thursday said they had
recommended that criminal charges
be filed against Coast Guard personnel
involved in the fatal shooting of 65year-old Hung Shih-cheng. The
fisherman died after his boat was fired
upon by the Philippine Coast Guard
while operating in waters near a
Philippine island that Taiwan also
claims as part of its economic zone.
The PCG has insisted the fishing
vessel had tried to ram the coastguard
boat and their personnel had fired in
self-defense.
The killing caused outrage in
Taiwan, with President Ma Ying-jeou
describing it as "cold-blooded
murder".
His government ordered a
freeze on the hiring of Filipinos to
work in Taiwan, issued a "red-alert"
warning tourists against travelling to
the Philippines and staged naval drills
near Philippine waters.
Philippine President Begnino
Aquino repeatedly apologized and
sent an envoy to Taiwan, but these
actions were rejected as insincere.
Following pressure from
Taiwan, the Philippines agreed to joint
investigations into the incident.
Taiwanese authorities were
allowed to visit the Philippines,
inspect the ship and interview the
coastguard personnel involved.
The Taiwan investigators
concluded that two guns were used in
the attack, including an M14 rifle that
fired the fatal shot.
Adding to the anger in Taiwan,
authorities said the fishing boat had
50 bullet holes and there were no
marks consistent with it ramming the
Coast Guard vessel.
Oto Melara. File photo of the 76mm Oto Melara canon, the main weapons system of the BRP
Ramon Alcaraz. The Italian-made rapid-fire cannon, which can shoot as many as 80 rounds per
minute, was successfully test-fired off the coast of Florida on Tuesday. (Philippine Embassy
Photo by Elmer G. Cato)
BRP Ramon Alcaraz successfully
testfires weapons system
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The
BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the newest
asset of the Philippine Navy,
successfully test-fired its main
weapons system off the coast of
F l o r i d a t h i s a f te r n o o n , t h e
Philippine Embassy said.
“We have successfully testfired our Oto Melara gun with a high
degree of accuracy,” the Embassy
quoted Capt. Ernesto Baldovino,
the commanding officer of the
Alcaraz as saying. “This weapons
system is very reliable.”
In his report to Capt. Elson
Aguilar, Defense and Naval Attache
at the Embassy, Captain Baldovino
reported that the Alcaraz's Italianmade Oto Melara, a rapid-fire
cannon that can shoot as many as
80 76-mm rounds per minute, fired
15 roundsthree to calibrate the
canon and 12 directed at floating
targets two to three miles away.
“Captain Baldovino was
more than satisfied with how the
Oto Melara performed,” Captain
Aguilar said, adding that the canon
did not misfire during the testfiring that was conducted from 2
p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
According to Captain Aguilar,
the test-firing of the Oto Melara
took place in the Atlantic Ocean,
three and a half hours after leaving
Mayport, Florida, where it arrived
early Tuesday to load ammunition.
Captain Aguilar said the
Alcaraz is now proceeding to the
Panama Canal, its next stop in its
almost two-month journey to the
Philippines.
The Alcaraz left Charleston,
South Carolina, on Monday, more
than a year after it was acquired
from the US Coast Guard. Aside
from Mayport and Panama, the
Alcaraz will also stop in San Diego,
Honolulu and Guam enroute to
Manila.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Inside the Ring: Summit shortcomings
By Bill Gertz
The Washington Times
Last weekend's
summit between President
Obama and Chinese
President Xi Jinping fell
short on three key
outcomes, according to U.S.
officials familiar with
o rga n i z a t i o n a l e f fo r t s
behind the meeting.
The White House and
State Department originally
hoped to produce a joint
statement or communique,
but the Chinese said no.
Additionally, White
House officials wanted a
joint press conference for
both leaders to showcase
progress toward what is
being billed as a new model
of relations between the
two powerful countries.
Also, officials wanted
Mr. Obama to host a farewell
luncheon for Mr. Xi on
Saturday at the luxurious
Sunnylands estate near
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Aquino acts on
flood woes ...
From page 4
So far, Roxas said some 5,000
housing units have already been
completed in the provinces
through off-site housing project
while another 5,000 units inside
Metro Manila are expected to be
completed by October this year.
The target, according to
Roxas, is to relocate 20,000
families every year until the entire
60,000 families living in danger
zones are relocated to safer
grounds.
In answering criticisms on
the delay of the housing project for
those living in danger zones in the
metropolis, Roxas explained that it
is because they have been making
sure that those will be moved out of
their houses will not just be
relocated but will be transferred in
a place where they could start and
have a decent living.
He added that the
government is also taking into
considerations the concerns of the
urban poor, including their request
that the relocation site should be
not that far from their work places.
This is the reason, he said,
why they included in the planning
the in-city relocation sites, with
affordable monthly amortization.
Roxas did not specify the
areas where the in-city relocation
site would be built but earlier
mentioned the cities of Pasig,
Manila and San Juan as having
families living in danger zones.
The official said another
factor that causes the delay in the
“Instead, Xi got on his
plane and flew back to
China,” said one official.
“The president then went
golfing with friends from
high school.”
The reasons why the
Chinese did not accept U.S.
officials' calls for the
statement, press
conference and final meal
are not known. A dinner
was held Saturday night,
but there was no lunch, no
statement and no joint
press conference.
Caitlin Hayden, a
National Security Council
spokeswoman, disputed the
officials' account. “That is
not what we wanted, nor
what we requested, of the
Chinese government,” she
said, and referred to a postsummit briefing by White
HouseNational Security
Adviser Thomas Donilon.
M r. D o n i l o n t o l d
reporters Saturday that the
White House wanted a
implementation is the
government's effort to look for as
many vacant lots that will be used
in in-city housing projects.
Roxas explained that the
relocation of thousands of families
occupying the waterways would be
a big help in easing the flooding
problem in Metro Manila. While
there are separate funds for the
anti-flood infrastructure projects
in the metropolis, Roxas said even
the experts admitted that these
infrastructure projects are not
enough to address the flooding.
“ N o m a t te r h o w m a ny
drainage and tunnels we construct
to lead the floodwater out of
Manila, we will continue to
experience the same problem until
we clear the waterways where
water naturally flow out of Metro
Manila,” said Roxas.
The official even cited the
current complaint of the
Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) that they could
not totally clean the waterways
because of the houses that were
built alongside and on top of the
waterways.
“So the big part of the plan of
the DPWH (Department of Public
Works and Highways) and the
MMDA is to clear these waterways
so that water will easily flow to the
Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay,”
said Roxas.
The good news, according to
Roxas, is that the P40 billion antiflood fund allocation does not need
foreign funding, noting that the
government has saved enough
money. (With reports from Aaron
Recuenco and Ben R. Rosario)
(Manila Bulletin)
meeting with Mr. Xi before a
S e p te m b e r s u m m i t o f
Group of 20 nations
because it would be “too
long of time the vacuum
would be too great.” The
meeting had “a specific goal
to build a personal
relationship between the
president and President Xi,”
he added.
However, Mr. Donilon
compared the informal
“shirtsleeves” summit to
the October 2002 meeting
in Texas between President
G e o r g e W. B u s h a n d
President Jiang Zemin. That
summit included a joint
press conference by the two
leaders.
Mr. Obama discussed
Chinese cyberattacks
during the last session
Saturday morning. The
contentious issue “we
believe needs to be at the
center of the economic
discussions that the United
S t a t e s a n d C h i n a a re
having,” Mr. Donilon said.
The Chinese also were
said to be upset that first
lady Michelle Obama
snubbed Mr. Xi's wife, Maj.
Gen. Peng Liyuan, by not
taking part in the summit.
Mrs. Obama later wrote to
Gen. Peng, offering regrets.
A second official said
one reason the U.S. side
agreed to Chinese demands
for the limited summit was
to avoid the appearance of a
snub by China. They wanted
to avoid having the world
s e e M r. X i v i s i t t h e
Caribbean and Mexico but
not the United States.
This official said Mr. Xi
and the current Chinese
communist leadership
would have been satisfied
to avoid the U.S. stop to
show that Beijing is less
interested in closer U.S. ties
now that China's power has
grown significantly in
recent years.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pinoys to hold global day of prayer
Aug. 21; global rallies vs China July 24
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) - Filipinos
will hold a global day of prayer on Aug.
21 and global rallies on July 24 in front
China Embassies in all major cities
where Filipino Diaspora live.
Filipino American Loida Nicolas
Lewis said the twin global actions are
aimed to blunt the aggressive quest of
China to occupy territories in the
Philippine Western Sea (South China
Sea) that are clearly part of the
Philippine domain.
Buoyed by a United States Senate
resolution, “reaffirming the strong
support of the U.S. for the peaceful
resolution of territorial, sovereignty,
and jurisdictional disputes in the AsiaPacific maritime domains,” the U.S.
Pinoys For Good Governance (USP4GG)
will also hold protest rallies at the
United Nations in New York, New York
and at China embassies on July 24.
Attorney Lewis said the protest
rallies on July 24 mark the first
anniversary of China's establishment
last year of the Sansha City Prefecture
that extends China's jurisdiction over
two million square kilometers of the
Philippine Western Sea that includes
those islands and reefs in the Spratlys
that are within the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.
Buoyed by a United States Senate
resolution, “reaffirming the strong
support of the U.S. for the peaceful
resolution of territorial, sovereignty,
and jurisdictional disputes in the AsiaPacific maritime domains,” the U.S.
Pinoys For Good Governance (USP4GG)
will hold protest rallies at the China
Embassy and consulates in U.S.
Lewis said the rallies will decry
China's threatened invasion of the
Philippines' Ayungin Reef, which is
located 105 nautical miles from
Palawan.
Under the UN Convention of the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the EEZ of a
U.S. ICE cancels
Filipina’s ...
From page 1
“voluntary departure,” which was set
at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Unlike deportation, where the
U.S. government spends for the
undocumented immigrant's
departure's transportation, in a
voluntary departure, it is the
undocumented immigrant, who will
spend for his/her own transportation
expenses back to their original
country extends from the edge of
territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles
(370 kilometers; 230 miles).
“China seized the Philippines'
Mischief Reef in 1994, then our
Scarborough Shoal last year,” according
to Lewis, the national chair of USP4GG
and former national chair of the
National Federation of Filipino
American Associations (NaFFAA).
“This year, China is set to invade and
occupy the Ayungin Reef. This is
unacceptable!”
The Philippine Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) protested the
creation of the Sansha prefecture when
it was formed after learning that its
jurisdiction covered the Kalayaan
Island Group in the Spratlys, which “is
an integral part of the Philippine
territory falling under the municipality
of Kalayaan in Palawan province.”
SANSHA CITY
“Sansha City has been a subject
of a Philippine protest as its
administrative jurisdiction
encompasses Philippine territory and
maritime zones in the West Philippine
Sea,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez
said.
Philippine Secretary of Foreign
Affairs Albert del Rosario said that the
creation of the Sansha prefecture was
in “gross violation” of the Declaration of
Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea (DOC), a 10-year-old document
that aims to deter use of force and
instead promote peace and selfrestraint among countries claiming
resource-rich territories in the South
China Sea, including China, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the
Philippines.
Beijing announced that
beginning January 1, 2013, Chinese
naval ships from the Sansha prefecture
would begin patrolling the waters in
the South China Sea under its
jurisdiction.
destination.
RESPONSE MAY BE IN ANY
PARTICULAR FORM
But one difference is that
someone deported may not be
allowed back to the U.S. soil while
someone with “voluntary departure”
may come back to the U.S. after three
or ten years.
Among the features of a
memorandum issued by ICE Director
John Morton says its agents may
exercise prosecutorial discretion
when “the person has a U.S. citizen or
permanent resident spouse, child or
parent.” This requirement applies to
PHILIPPINES FILES UNCLOS CLAIM
On January 22, 2013, the
Philippines formally filed its claim
against China before the United
Nations Arbitral Tribunal under Article
287 and Annex VII of the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS), of which both the
Philippines and China are signatories.
The Philippines asserted that China's
“nine-dash line” claim that
encompasses virtually the entire South
China Sea/West Philippine Sea is
contrary to UNCLOS and is thus
unlawful.
The Philippines also charged
that “within the maritime area
encompassed by the nine-dash line,
China has also laid claim on, occupied
and built structures on certain
submerged banks, reefs and low tide
elevations that do not qualify as islands
under UNCLOS, but are parts of the
Philippine continental shelf, or the
international seabed and has
interfered with the lawful exercise by
the Philippines of its rights within its
legitimate maritime zones, as well as to
the aforementioned features and their
surrounding waters.”
“We will not allow China to
establish a blockade to prevent the
Philippine Navy from replenishing the
Philippine marine base at Ayungin with
personnel and materials,” declared Ted
Laguatan, spokesman of the USP4GG.
“We support Philippine Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin's vow to
defend Ayungin to the last soldier
standing.”
The Ayungin Reef is considered
the gateway to the Recto Bank, which
the US Energy Information Agency
(EIA) estimates to contain 2.5 billion
barrels of oil and 25.5 trillion cubic feet
of natural gas. In his July 25, 2011 State
of the Nation Address (SONA), Pres.
Benigno S. Aquino III declared: “What is
ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank
is no different from setting foot on
Recto Avenue.”
CHINESE SHIPS IN AYUNGIN
On May 8, 2013, three Chinese
naval ships were spotted by Philippine
m a r i t i m e s u r ve i l l a n c e ve s s e l s
surrounding the Ayungin Reef (Second
Thomas Shoal), which is located just
105 nautical miles from Palawan, well
w i t h i n t h e 2 0 0 - m i l e exc l u s ive
economic zone of the Philippines. The
Ayungin Reef is guarded by a Philippine
marine detachment on board the BRP
Sierra Madre ship that is permanently
moored in the Ayungin Reef to protect
it. “There were five to eight Chinese
fishing vessels that entered our reef
conducting surveys inside our Ayungin
Reef. Our latest report is that the
Chinese were unloading big ropes and
planting metal structures on our reef,” a
Philippine Navy officer disclosed.
SENATE RESOLUTION 167
A resolution, S. Res. 167,
introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez
[D-NJ] and co-sponsored by Senators
Benjamin L. Cardin [D-MD], Bob Corker
[R-TN] and Marco Rubio [R-FL], says
the U.S. Senate reaffirms “the strong
support of the United States for the
peaceful resolution of territorial,
sovereignty, and jurisdictional disputes
in the Asia-Pacific maritime domains.
“Whereas the maritime domain
of the Asia-Pacific region includes
critical sea lines of communication and
commerce between the Pacific and
Indian oceans;
“Whereas the United States has a
national interest in freedom of
navigation and over flight in the AsiaPacific maritime domains, as provided
fo r by u n ive r s a l ly re c o g n i z e d
principles of international law;
“Whereas the United States has a
national interest in the maintenance of
peace and stability, open access by all to
maritime domains, respect for
universally recognized principles of
international law, prosperity and
economic growth, and unimpeded
Ms. Gaerlan, whose husband is a U.S.
citizen and they have a nine-monthold child, Christopher, who was born
in the U.S.
The memorandum says while
“ICE may be considering whether to
exercise discretion in the case, there
is no guarantee that the agency will
ultimately exercise discretion
favorably. Responsive information
from the alien or his or her
representative need not take any
particular form and can range from a
simple letter or e-mail message to a
memorandum with supporting
attachments.”
It was reported that ICE
exercised only its prosecutorial
discretion on Gaerlan after “(f)riends,
community supporters and her
husband, U.S. Army Specialist
Schmierer, (publicly) appealed to ICE
to stop her expulsion.”
Schmierer, who will be leaving
for training in a week, expressed his
concern to the media that when he
would be away from their home in
Stockton, “my family won't be there.”
Gaerlan's trouble started when
she had an argument with her then
boyfriend (Schmierer) as she
struggled with her severe postpartum depression and scratched
Schmierer. While Schmierer did not
lawful commerce;
“Whereas the United States has a
clear interest in encouraging and
supporting the nations of the region to
work collaboratively and
diplomatically to resolve disputes
without coercion, without
intimidation, without threats, and
without the use of force;
“Whereas the South China Sea
contains great natural resources, and
their stewardship and responsible use
offers immense potential benefit for
generations to come;
“Whereas, in recent years, there
have been numerous dangerous and
destabilizing incidents in this region,
including Chinese vessels cutting the
seismic survey cables of a Vietnamese
oil exploration ship in May 2011;
Chinese vessels barricading the
entrance to the Scarborough Reef
lagoon in April 2012; China issuing an
official map that newly defines the
contested `nine-dash line' as China's
national border; and, since May 8,
2013, Chinese naval and marine
surveillance ships maintaining a
regular presence in waters around the
Second Thomas Shoal, located
approximately 105 nautical miles
northwest of the Philippine island of
Palawan;
“Whereas the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has
promoted multilateral talks on
disputed areas without settling the
issue of sovereignty, and in 2002 joined
with China in signing a Declaration on
the Conduct of Parties in the South
China Sea that committed all parties to
those territorial disputes to `reaffirm
their respect for and commitment to
the freedom of navigation in and over
flight above the South China Sea as
provided for by the universally
recognized principles of international
law' and to `resolve their territorial and
jurisdictional disputes by peaceful
means, without resorting to the threat
or use of force.’ (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
bother to report her to the police as
the scratch was “light, it was a
concerned relative, who called the
police and arrested Gaerlan.
Police later notified ICE about
the arrest of Gaerlan under the
program, Secure Communities. ICE
placed her on an immigration “hold.”
It was reported that because
she was “falsely” told by ICE agents
that she could be back in the U.S. after
"two months” after her departure
from the U.S., she signed the
“voluntary departure.”
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Public hearings held for two FilVets Bills
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) -United States Sen. Dean Heller (RNV) told his colleagues before the
Senate Veterans Committee
Tuesday (June 12) that while he is
introducing S. 868, The Filipino
Veterans Promise Act, it will only
honor those Filipino World War II
“veterans who served and will not
provide benefits to any person
who did not.”
At the same time, Sen. Brian
Schatz (D-HI) also introduced
before the same committee The
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of
2013, S. 690, that will overturn the
1946 Rescission Acts and grant full
benefits to Filipino veterans.
S. 868 will to require the
Secretary of Defense to establish
whether individuals claiming
certain service in the Philippines
during World War II are eligible for
certain benefits despite not being
on the Missouri List. The bill is cosponsored by Sen. Maize Hirono
(D-HI).
Its counterpart bill in the
House of Representatives, H.R.
1855, was introduced by Rep.
Colleen W. Hanabusa (D-HI-1st)
and was referred to the
Subcommittee on Disability
Assistance and Memorial Affairs. It
has gained 18 cosponsors.
B e f o re h e o p e n e d h i s
sponsorship remarks, Mr. Heller
recognized the presence of
Filipino veteran Celestino Almeda,
96, who thanked him for
sponsoring the Filipino Veterans
Promise Act. “Mr. Almeda, thank
you for being here today. Thank
you for your service.” Mr. Almeda's
claim for benefits for the Filipino
Veterans Compensation Fund was
denied because his name was not
in the Missouri List but was found
in the U.S. Army List. He filed an
appeal.
Mr. Heller, a junior senator
from Nevada said, “this legislation
is bipartisan and bicameral. U.S.
should recognize every individual,
who served our nation. They
should be properly recognized for
their contribution to our nation.
FILVETS NO ACCESS TO
PERSONAL MILITARY FILES
“There is no doubt, they
served honorably in the
Commonwealth Army of the
Philippines, the Recognized
Guerillas and the New Philippine
Scouts alongside U.S. troops
during World War II. Today, many
(Filipino) veterans have no
verified service. The NPRC
(National Personnel Record
Center in St. Louis, Missouri) uses
only evidence approved by U.S.
Army. They (the Filipino veterans)
have no access to consolidated
personal military files for most
individuals, who served in
Philippine Army or Guerilla unit.”
The Act mandates the
Department of Defense to open the
Approved Reconstructed Guerilla
Roster of 1948, also known as
'Missouri List,' to give veterans
opportunity to prove their service.
He paid tribute to Rep.
Hanabusa, who, like him, feels the
Filipino veterans (more than
24,000) deserve better process to
adjudicate their claims, whose
recognition and benefits were
denied under the ARRA (American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act)
of 2009. “This calls for the U.S.
Army to verify service, which is an
added protection to ensure that
hard-earned benefits are going to
those who earned them. Any
person, who served our country in
battle and not receiving his
benefits should be an outrage.”
Mr. Heller said Las Vegas has
a large Filipino population and a
number of Filipino veterans
seeking recognition. They are a
respected part of the community
and deserve a fair and complete
examination of record.”
A related bill, H.R. 481,
introduced by Rep. Joseph Heck
(R-NV-3rd) with nine cosponsors
directs the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to accept certain
documents as proof of service in
determining the eligibility of an
individual to receive amounts
from the Filipino Veterans Equity
Compensation Fund of ARRA and
for other purposes.
Celestino Almeda (left), 96, thanked Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) for sponsoring the Filipino
Veterans Promise Act. Almeda presented an American flag tie to the Senator as a token of
appreciation. Almeda hoped the Senator could wear the flag on July 4th, which happens to be
Philippine American Friendship Day - the anniversary when the U.S. granted full independence to the
Philippines in 1946. (ACFV photo by Eric Lachica)
“These bills should address
the 24,812 denied claims and
4,525 appeals, like the case of Mr.
Celestino Almeda, 96, our
spokesman,” said Filipino veterans
advocate, Eric Lachica of the
American Coalition of Filipino
Veterans. “We deeply appreciate
your leadership and today's
committee's hearing and the mark
up in July of the Schatz and Heller
bills. We applaud you - our
champions and bipartisan cosponsors. We urge Congress to
pass this legislation to fix a
historical wrong by correcting an
PH authorities
to assist ...
From page 1
hearing scheduled on July 18 at
the Eastern District Court of
New York.
According to Consul
General De Leon, the US
Department of Justice said the
employees were exploited,
their wages stolen and were
required to live in unregulated
boarding houses.
Nanas and the eight
others, who have been
described as owners or
incomplete list of our heroes.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Schatz' S.
690, Filipino Veterans Fairness Act
of 2013, has attracted three
cosponsors in Senators Mark
Begich (D-AK), Maize Hirono (DHI), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
and its counterpart in the House
H.R. 1452 introduced by Rep.
Jackie Speier (D-CA-14) has
collected 35 cosponsors. H.R. 1452
has been referred to
Subcommittee on Disability
Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
managers of at least 14 7-11
stores in Long Island and
Norfolk, were indicted for
conspiracy to commit wire
fraud, stealing identities and
concealing and harboring
illegal immigrants.
The Eastern District
Court of New York had said the
investigation of the case is still
ongoing and may involve other
undocumented foreign
nationals working in other 711 stores in several states.
“We are closely
monitoring developments
r e l a t e d t o t h i s c a s e ,”
Ambassador Cuisia said.
TO ADVERTISE
PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pope Francis adds St. Joseph to Catholic Mass,
signals Church interest in 'Fatherly Care’
By Jaweed Kaleem
into an adult."
Pope Francis approved a
change in the Catholic Mass to
include prayers referencing St.
Joseph, the Vatican announced
Wednesday.
Merz said priests can
immediately start using the new
prayer, which is said near the end
of Mass before the Lord's Prayer
and communion. In addition to
English and Latin, the Vatican
released text for the new prayers
in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese,
French, German and Polish. There
are several prayers available,
though only one is said during
each Mass.
The additions, which in
English amount to five words
inserted after the Eucharistic
prayer, were issued by the
Vatican's Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments. The new words,
"with blessed Joseph, her spouse,"
follow a mention of Mary and are
included in three different
versions of the prayer.
The change, in the works
under former Pope Benedict XVI
before his retirement, reflect the
church's growing interest in
"fatherly care," said the Rev. Dan
Merz, associate director of the
Secretariat of Divine Worship for
the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
"It's emphasizing that St.
J o s e p h wa s s o m e o n e w h o
protected the Blessed Virgin and
who cared for Jesus. We call him
the foster father of Jesus, but we
have to think of that word in the
sense that he fostered the
humanity of Jesus," said Merz. "He
nurtured and helped Christ grow
"Back in 1962, just as
Vatican II was getting started,
Pope John XXIII had made the
decision to insert the name of St.
Joseph into Eucharistic Prayer I.
Then following Vatican II, when
additional Eucharistic prayers
were created -- whether
intentionally or because of all the
changes being made at the time -St. Joseph was not included in
additional Eucharistic prayers,"
said Merz.
"When Pope Benedict XVI
was pope, we received news that
he was getting requests from
people around the world asking to
have St. Joseph added. He did what
was necessary to get it done but
left it to Pope Francis to approve,"
Merz added. Francis hasn't shied
away from his own interest in the
saint. He chose March 19, the feast
of St. Joseph, as the date for his
inaugural Mass, and has a flower
on his coat-of-arms symbolizing
the saint.
"St. Joseph appears as a
strong and courageous man, a
working man, yet in his heart we
see great tenderness, which is not
the virtue of the weak, but rather a
sign of strength of spirit and a
capacity for concern, for
compassion, for genuine
openness to others, for love,"
Francis said at his inaugural Mass.
As pope, Benedict, whose birth
name is Joseph Ratzinger, also
spoke highly of the saint after
whom he was named.
The decree from the Vatican
about the new prayers is titled
"Fatherly Care," and describes St.
Joseph as "an exemplary model of
the kindness and humility that the
Christian faith raises to a great
destiny, and demonstrates the
ordinary and simple virtues
necessary for men to be good and
genuine followers of Christ."
The new prayers follow
major changes made in the last
two years to the Roman Missal, the
"call and response" that's part of
Catholic Mass. The changes also
come as Francis continues to
Pope Francis attends his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on June 19 in Vatican City.
broaden his profile on the world
stage, fashioning a more subdued
personal style than previous
popes, making headlines for
remarks on supporting a "culture
of encounter" with atheists and a
Vatican "gay lobby", and speaking
strongly against poverty and
m a t e r i a l i s m .
The USCCB provided The
Huffington Post with the text of
the new prayers, which are shown
below. Eucharistic Prayer I has not
been changed, since St. Joseph
was added to it in the 1960s. New
additions are bolded.
Eucharistic Prayer II
Have mercy on us all, we
pray, that with the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of God, with
blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
with the blessed Apostles, and all
the Saints
Eucharistic Prayer III
so that we may obtain an
inheritance with your elect,
especially with the most Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with
blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
with your blessed Apostles and
glorious Martyrs (with Saint N.:
the Saint of the day or Patron
Saint) and with all the Saints
Eucharistic Prayer IV
that we may enter into a
heavenly inheritance with the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of
God, with blessed Joseph, her
Spouse, and with your Apostles
and Saints in your kingdom.
Editorial & opinion
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Up in the air
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus says the Philippines will
be one of eight aviation megacities by the year 2012, with the
number of long-haul passengers exceeding 10,000 per day.
Anticipating higher growth in economies in the Asia
Pacific region, Airbus believes that one of its key markets, the
middle-income population, would be able to travel more.
Interaksyon.com reports that the number of domestic
passengers rose by 9.6 percent to 20.56 million last year
from 18.77 million in 2011.
International passengers, on the other hand, numbered
16.74 million in 2012an increase of 6.8 percent from 2011's
15.67 million.
The two leading airlines, Philippine Airlines and Cebu
Pacific, are reported to have placed orders for 171 Airbus
aircraft.
These are heartening words from Airbus, but its
officers may just be oblivious to the various difficulties now
faced by the Philippine aviation industry.
The Manila airport has, for instance, often been
criticized for having a single runway that gets congested and
causes delays. Fuel is wasted and passengers suffer
inconvenience.
Terminal 1 of the NAIA has been branded as one of the
worst airport terminals in the world by a Web site
maintained by frequent travelers.
And then, earlier this month, a Cebu Pacific plane
skidded off the Davao airport's runway. No one was killed or
injured, but the incident caused thousands of passengers to
be stranded as the plane remained where it crash landed far
longer than it should. The Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines has promised to release the results of its
investigation early next week. We hope the government
would not treat the errant parties with kid gloves.
Yet another plane from the same airline skidded to the
right of the Manila runway a few days later amid heavy rain.
In the thick of all these challenges, an audit team
composed of American and European experts is determining
whether the Philippines could be removed from the
European Union blacklist that prevents local airlines from
having long-haul flights.
This week, too, Philippine representatives are holding a
new round of talks with Australian officials for more flights
between the two countries.
An airport gives a traveler a first and lasting
impression of a country. It is good that the aircraft
manufacturer considers the possibility of the Philippines
being an aviation hub within the next ten years. Such an
eventuality would be good for long-term development in the
Philippines; it would elevate our status in the eyes of the
world's investors and travelers many times over.
All these, however, could just be hot air if the national
government does not set its priorities straight and act on
plans to improve our gatewaysnow, and not at any other time
in the future. (Manila Standard)
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
USCIS Requests for More
Evidence Raise Concern
There has been a recent
increase in the number of
Requests for Evidence (RFE)
issued by the USCIS particularly
in I-751 petitions and
employment-based I-485
applications.
Evidence which was
previously sufficient to meet the
applicable standard of proof for I751 petitions to remove
conditions seems no longer
adequate. The USCIS has become
more stringent and is requiring
more documents to prove good
faith marriage and continued
marital union.
In employment-based I-485
adjustment of status applications,
boilerplate RFEs have been
issued requiring documentation
of continuous employment
authorization from the date the
Form I-485 was filed to the date of
the RFE and verification of job
offer from the original or new
employer.
As a general rule, an RFE is
issued where there are missing or
incomplete information or
documentation or the
adjudications officer needs more
evidence to fully evaluate the
application or petition. The
request will indicate what
evidence is needed and the
deadline for the response.
The USCIS has the discretion
to issue an RFE or Notice of Intent
to Deny (NOID) in appropriate
circumstances. There are some
instances however where the
USCIS may issue an outright
denial without first issuing an
RFE or a NOID.
Last June 3, the USCIS issued
a policy memorandum to its
personnel clarifying the role of
RFEs and NOIDs in the
adjudication process. It
emphasized that RFEs should not
be avoided but should issue
where the facts and law warrant
it. The memorandum lists general
principles that an adjudication
officer should follow to
determine whether an RFE
should issue.
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Page 12
OTHER VIEWPOINTS
Sao Paulo State University
research showing that tree seeds
now are significantly smaller
(“Shriveled Seeds”) triggered
comments. Was this due to
unchecked hunting of fruiteating birds? The issue is
i n c r e a s i n g ly “ c o m m o n i n
tropical areas around the world.”
“More people should take
note” what Fr. Peter Walpole,
at Environmental Science for
Social Change , calls the "phoenix
forest" ( here), forester Patrick
Dugan emailed. “They're real.
"Phoenix forests" are all around
us. Everywhere. They're a
source of hope, within the grasp
of people.
“Nurturing these
"phoenixes" restores forest
cover faster, and at lower cost.
Tr a d i t i o n a l r e f o r e s t a t i o n
approaches report only 30
percent success rate. The flip
side to that is 70 percent failure.
“ F r. W a l p o l e o f f e r s
"Assisted Natural Regeneration".
“Forests restored via ANR are
made up of many species. (This)
avoids "monoculture" risks that
marred conventional
reforestation projects. ANR is a
practical way to restore biodiversity.”
“Few are aware the
Philippines received the
Edouard Souma award from FAO
for ANR accomplishments.
Danao, Bohol shows how well
can ANR work.” FAO hosted an
international workshop at
Danao last year that drew more
than 20 ASEAN participants.
Danao declared their town as the
country's first ANR municipality.
“When forests are gone,
we'll become the Haiti of Asia,
“emailed Walter Paul
Komarnicki from Cagayan de
Oro. .”We'd be unable to feed
ourselves or maintain security.
(That's) a failed state”. But
“Imonredneck” retorted: 'The
Philippines is already the Haiti of
Asia. Look at its geopolitics.”
From Canada, Josh Alexi
wrote: “Toronto went on a tree
planting mania 15 years back.,
Now our city is green,. We pay
tree cutters to trim branches and
clear power lines. Fly over 600
square kilometer city. Toronto is
u
Page 12
Page 11
June 21 - 27, 2013
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
OPINION Peace is key to growth, poverty alleviation
By Val G. Abelgas
For years, the Philippine
government has pursued peace
talks with both the communist
and Muslim rebels in the hope of
finally ending these decades-long
insurgencies and giving the
economy the breathing room it
needs to grow. Peace panels from
the time of President Ramos have
sat down with negotiators of the
National Democratic Front and
the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, but none have succeeded
in forging a lasting agreement
that would put an end to the two
separate rebellions.
President Aquino, who has
vowed to forge a peace
agreement with both rebel
groups as his administration's
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
I thought I was the only
one who could not connect the
glowing assessments of
multinational financial firms
and day- to- day realities.
I thought I and my friends
are the only ones who have not
b e e n s h owe re d w i t h t h e
financial blessings the
government is boasting of.
Then even as international
financial firms continue to hail
the Philippines as “s the
strongest performing economy
in Asia today, “reports came out
of a Triple whammy: Exports
and Foreign Direct Investments
down and unemployment up.
lasting legacy, has been able to
prevent major clashes between
the Armed Forces and the rebel
groups by pursuing peace talks
with the NDF and the MILF,
enabling the Philippine economy
to move forward and attain rapid
growth rates in his three years in
office.
It must be recalled that the
Philippine economy also grew by
leaps and bounds during the term
of President Ramos, who made it
among his first official acts to
grant amnesty to all rebels and to
sit down with rebel groups.
Just two months into
Ramos' term, the Philippine
government and the NDF signed
the Hague Joint Declaration that
set the framework of the peace
talks between the government
and the communist rebels. It laid
the foundation for the peace talks
which primarily aim “to resolve
the armed conflict” and “to attain
just and lasting peace.”
The Hague Declaration also
laid out the agenda of the formal
peace negotiations, which
include human rights and
international humanitarian law,
socio-economic reforms, political
and constitutional reforms, end
of hostilities and disposition of
forces.
The talks seemed to be
gaining ground during the first
three years of the Aquino
administration, but now appears
to have reached a tragic end
following the ambush of Gingoog
City Mayor Ruthie Guingona, the
mother of Sen. Teofisto Guingona
III, by NPA rebels in April.
Obviously angered by the
ambush of the mother of
Aquino's closest allies, Palace
spokesmen virtually shut the
door to the peace negotiation by
branding NPA rebels as bandits,
adding that as far as they were
concerned there was no ongoing
peace process.
Addressing the communist
rebels, he added: “You want to
challenge us? Go ahead, make our
day.”
The NPA apologized for the
incident after a few days, but the
government would have none of
it, with Presidential Adviser on
the Peace Process Teresita Deles
saying that “the Communist Party
of the Philippines/New People's
Army/National Democratic
Front (CPP/NPA/ NDF) has
designed the peace process to be
unending while taking advantage
of the Philippine government.”
Deles said “we have realized
that the tortuous and protracted
pace of the peace talks has been
designed by the CPP/NPA/NDF
precisely to make the process
protracted, and in fact, unending,
while, without conceding
anything to government, it
harvests for itself as many
concessions as it can in terms of
virtual international recognition
and the release of their detained
comrades.”
Deles had said that it was
the NDF, the political arm of the
CPP, which “killed” the talks
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Page 14
Economic figures catch up with reality
ABS-CBN's Coco Alcuaz
reported that “Unemployment
rose to a 3-year high as the total
number of employed persons
dropped, contrary to a
government claim that
employment is rising just not as
fast as the workforce. The
jobless rate rose to 7.5% in
April, the highest since April
2010.”
“At the same time, exports
fell again in April, as declines in
sales of chemicals and some
manufactured products….
offset a steadying in electronics.
The National Statistics Office
reports exports dropped almost
13% to $4 billion.
“A l s o , fo re i g n d i re c t
investment was negative in
March, meaning foreigners
pulled out more than they put
in. In March, they put in $56
million and withdrew $73
million, a net withdrawal of $17
million.”
This triple whammy I can
very well understand. My
pocket understands.
Results of the latest labor
force survey by the
government's NSO showed that
unemployment rate as of April
2013 was 7.5 percent , up from
6.9 April last year. How many
Filipinos are jobless at 7.5
percent unemployment rate?
NSO put the population of 15
years old and over at
64,028,000. Seven point five
percent equals 4,802,100
jobless Filipinos.
NSO said the increase in
the number of unemployed
were significant among two
groups: “ These were the
farmers, forestry workers and
fishermen whose number
decreased to approximately
4.960 million in April 2013 from
5.398 million in April 2012, or a
decrease of about 438 thousand
workers; and the laborers and
unskilled workers whose
number dropped by
approximately 384 thousand. “
These are numbers that
represent Filipinos who have to
eat three times a day, with
children who have to go to
school. God forbid if they get
sick. What happened then to the
upbeat credit ratings?
University of the
Philippines Former Budget
Secretary Benjamin Diokno said
the Aquino government is so
“obsessed with achieving credit
ratings upgrade at the expense
of real, jobs-generating growth.”
International credit
companies give the country
good credit ratings because it
has reduced its borrowings and
expenditures. No spending on
infrastructure like roads,
airports which should have
helped perk up the economy.
The lack of infrastructure
resulted in decrease in foreign
i nve s t m e n t s ( why wo u l d
foreigners invest in a country
where airports, roads,
transport are bad and
inefficient?). Lack of foreign
investment equals fewer jobs.
Less jobs means more poor
Filipinos.
But we have good credit
ra t i n g s , t h e g o ve r n m e n t
boasted. Makakain ba yan?
No floods by 2035
I t h i n k Ro b e r t B l a i r
Carabuena set his sights too low
when he roughed up a mere
traffic enforcer. These days, I
sincerely wish Carabuena would
visit the headquarters of the
Metro Manila Development
Authority and beat up the man
who calls himself its chairman.
Yes, that former mayor of a
o n e - s to p l i gh t c i t y i n t h e
mountains, where it never
floods, in his current incarnation
as the clueless and incompetent
chairman of the MMDA, had
what he thought was a brilliant
idea: Because afternoon rains
cause traffic, why not let
workers, students and everyone
else who is heading home after
work or school leave early?
I have a better idea, I think:
Why not send Chairman Francis
Tolentino back to Tagaytay,
where he can cool his heels and
await the arrival of tourists
every summer on his single
highway, instead of inflicting his
stupidity on the tired, trafficaddled and waterlogged
millions who brave the floods
and the gridlock in Metro Manila
every blessed day?
There was a time when
President Noynoy Aquino had
Tolentino's back, as they say.
When Metro Manila's residents
complained about the traffic,
Aquino gave his provinciano
MMDA chairman a free pass by
saying that the gridlock on Edsa
and other main roads was a good
thing because it was a sign of
increased economic activity.
But Aquino, who
appointed Tolentino as the first
non-Metro Manila resident to
head MMDA on the strength of
the recommendation of his
uncle, former Senator Agapito
“Butz” Aquino, seems to have
changed his mind, both about
the horrendous metropolitan
traffic and the work of the
former Tagaytay mayor. Last I
heard Aquino mention
Tolentino, the President was
chiding him in public because
Aquino had gotten stuck in
traffic and was late for an
appointment in Taguig.
That was just three weeks
ago, when traffic had not been
worsened by the lethal
combination of school opening
and the arrival of the rainy
season. Now that Malacañang
has also declared that flooding is
a local, not a national, problem
that requires the response of a
local government agency like
MMDA and not Malacañang
Palace, Tolentino has been cut
off by Aquino once again.
And so Tolentino is forced
to come up with “solutions” like
sending people home early from
work or school, as if this would
not make a serious dent on
productivity and education
during the months that rain falls
in earnest every day. Why
Tolentino can't come up with
real solutions like compelling
his traffic enforcers to stay on
their posts to direct traffic
during the rainsinstead of
disappearing because they can
no longer mulct from motorists
stuck in gridlockboggles the
mind.
Imagine, if you can, several
months in a year where workers
and students knock off early, like
t h e y d i d ye s t e rd ay w h e n ,
ironically, the rain didn't come
as predicted. Now, try to wrap
your mind around the losses in
productivity and the effect of the
lost school days on the students.
Then, imagine if MMDA
and the other government
agencies just did their jobs of
clearing esteros and rivers
before the rains came, directing
traffic flow when it floods,
deploying trucks to bring
stranded people home and
coming to the aid of those
trapped by flooding in low-lying
areas.
You'll quickly realize what
a fool Tolentino is. A barriotic
fool.
***
Oh, but I saved the best of
u
Page 14
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
The Nicaragua Canal:
China's Secret Motive
By Charles Sizemore, Editor
The Sizemore Investment Letter,
InvestorPlace
I first saw the Panama
Canal in action back in 2002.
Although it was nearly 90 years
old at the time (and now soon to
be 100 years old), it was an
impressive piece of engineering
to behold, even by modern
standards.
The Panama Canal is
something that would make any
red-blooded American proud. It
was started by the French who
eventually gave up on it due to
engineering difficulties and a
high mortality rate for their
workers. It took American
innovation and engineering
prowess to get the job done.
Now, a series of locks lifts ships
85 feet above sea level and then
lowers them again on the other
side all on some of the least
hospitable terrain on the planet.
You absolutely cannot
underestimate the importance
of the Panama Canal to the
modern global economy. The
existence of the canal has done
more to promote free trade and
globalization than all of the
i n te r n a t i o n a l s u m m i t s i n
history. It has massively reduced
costs and transit times and
allowed for much tighter
economic integration between
the countries of the Americas
and between the Americas and
the Old World.
it's difficult to understand the
Chinese motivation. Panama
nets about $1 billion per year in
tolls on its canal and has the
ability to undercut any potential
rival on price. The canal
expansion which, again, will
double capacity cost just $5.2
billion.
The canal currently
handles about 5% of all
worldwide shipping traffic and
it would be substantially higher
if the canal weren't already
running at maximum capacity,
pending the opening of a new,
wider lane set to open in 2014.
The new lane will accommodate
significantly larger ships and is
expected to double the canal's
current capacity.
Maybe China is betting
that world trade will be high
enough to justify two Central
American canals by the year
2025, but I believe its motivation
is less economic and more
geopolitical.
Yet recent moves by China
add a new wrinkle to this story.
Even while the capacity of the
Panama Canal is being doubled,
a Chinese company is in serious
discussions with the Nicaraguan
government to build a rival
canal.
The cost? $40 billion and
11 years of construction.
Based on economics alone,
The Panama Canal has
been under the control of the
Republic of Panama since 1999.
But under the original treaties
negotiated by the Carter
Administration ceding control
to Panama the United States
retained a permanent right to
defend the canal if its openness
and neutrality were ever at risk.
The canal might belong to
Panama, but the United States
still considers it a vital asset
necessary for national defense.
USCIS requests
for more ...
From page 10
The memo states that where
the essential elements for eligibility
are met using the applicable
standard of proof, the adjudications
officer shall approve the application
or petition without issuing an RFE.
The adjudications officer, on the
other hand, should issue an RFE if
the initial evidence submitted is
incomplete or additional evidence is
required to meet the applicable
standard of proof. If it is determined
however that no additional evidence
can cure the deficiency, the officer
shall issue a denial.
The issuance of a NOID in some
instances is required before denying
the immigration benefit requested.
Where the request for an
immigration benefit is made on Form
I-800A (relating to adoptions), Form
I-800, and Form I-485 (failure of a
physician to comply with the
conditions of his National Interest
Waiver), the issuance of a NOID is
required.
The USCIS also deems the
issuance of a NOID appropriate
where there is little or no evidence
submitted or where the individual
does not warrant the favorable
exercise of discretion even if he has
met the threshold eligibility
requirements. Also, where a
derogatory information is uncovered
and is not known to the individual,
the officer is required to issue a
NOID.
G e n e r a l l y, U S C I S w i l l
adjudicate the application or
petition based on the new evidence
submitted. However, it may issue
follow-up or additional RFEs where
the response opens up a new line of
inquiry. A NOID in some cases is
issued after the USCIS receives the
response to the RFE.
In the meantime, USCIS will
put the petition or application on
hold. If no response is received on the
set deadline, it will decide on the
basis of its records and the decision
will generally be unfavorable. It is
therefore important to timely file the
response with the requested
evidence to successfully overcome
the RFE.
(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.)
instead of looking outward.”
“See? The Pope focuses on is
what is essential, Virgo Yap writes..
Often, our prelates and followers are
entangled by the peripheral, such
From page 10
as the RH law. Go to the heart of .the
Gospel
message by helping the poor
green, clean and beautiful.”..
and the deprived. . But many times,
For more than 30 years, policy
this is what we evade”
makers introduced, various foreign
u
Page 14
Will the high and mighty will
species for reforestation,
again occupy the front seats, “Cato
Aspirin200 recalled. These included
the Younger” foresees. Will they
S o u t h A m e r i c a' s l a r g e l e a f
have some token poor in the soirees.
mahogany to Africa's gmelina
After the pageant, balik sa dating
aarbore.
gawi?.. “If the Pope is looking for a
None succeded. Why? Because
servant's heart among the princes of
they aimed solely at producing
his flock here, he'll be disappointed.”
revenue. When trees reached
The 53-year old beggar looks
merchantable height and diameter,
a haggard 80. Naty does not fret
they were clear cut mahogany for
about Senate presidencies. (
lumber to mollucan sau for pulp and
“Perennial
Irony / PDI May 25 )
paper. These shoved us back to
What matters is food scraps and
where we started 30 years ago.
anti-TB medicine. But what about
There was no effort to plant
other Natys? Almost 3.9 million
endemic dipterocarp and other
Filipinos experienced hunger this
premium species. Despite 30 years
March
of failure, DENR hews to the inutile
“Notice how chubby the kids
approach,.It even allows export of
of our politicians are?“ asks
raw or semi-finished reforestation
Moonworshipper. “They have
species.
drivers,
maids and bodyguards and
Focus on non-commercially
attend private schools. Do they
viable species. You won't need
notice the hungry at all? When they
battalions of forest guards. Except
grow up, they run inherit the
charcoal makers, none is interested
dynastic positions of their elders.
in mala bayabas to toog
Would they suddenly strive to end
(baringtonia), Hinterlands of Rizal,
hunger which they've never known
Laguna and Zambales could best
all their lives?
showcase this effort. In highly
“Those who produce the food
visible area, like North Luzon
are often the ones who suffer hunger
Expressway, plant highly sought
the most”,. Chloroform writes”
after narra to dao, almaciga,
"Traders/
middleman" cash in. Our
Like Cebu, “Makati has one of
laws thumb down direct buying
the lowest number of standing trees
from farmers” But “why single out a
Jojo Binay could start planting
few,?” retorts Tgm_Erick. “The
belatedly, Makati may emerge as
economy is booming --- only for
urban environmental renewal
those who engage in big businesses.
model. The "Ganito Kami sa Makati"
Increases in GNP hasn't trickled
boast would then be palatable.
down to the lowest stratum. And
Pope Francis flies to Cebu City
many politicians were not rich when
in January 2016, notes the column
they
began their careers.
“Beyond the Deadwood (PDI /June
Aside from emergency food
01) He'll attend the 51st
aid,
government
should offer an
International Eucharistic Congress.
uncultivated piece of land to poor
Francis' simple life style and
families so they can raise poultry,
emphasis on attention to the poor
plant fruits, vegetables, etc, corn or
are rippling out.
rice. .writes Tra6 Gpeche.
Pork
Over four million attended
barrels should be abolished.
Pope John Paul's Luneta mass in
Instead, these should help those
January 1995. Francis has similar
willing to learn farming other
drawing power His visit could help a
trades.”
church where some bishops “too
Other
viewpoints
often close in on [themselves]
(Email: juan_mercado77@yahoo.com)
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
China censors Winnie the Pooh, Tigger spoof of Xi Jinping, Obama
By JohnThomas Didymus
Digital Journal
China's Internet censors
have taken exception to an eagleeyed Chinese blogger noting an
uncanny resemblance between
the physique and walking strides
of Winnie the Pooh and Tiggers,
P re s i d e n t X i J i n p i n g a n d
President Barack Obama
respectively.
The images which emerged
following the recent summit in
California between President
Barack Obama and the Chinese
leader Xi Jinping, was posted to
the popular Chinese microblogging site Weibo. The images
paired Winnie the Pooh and
Tigger with an image of the
Chinese President Xi Jinping
walking with US President
Barack Obama through the
Sunnylands estate.
According to the Daily Mail,
the blogger, Nicaragua Rabbit,
posted the images to Weibo
micro-blogging site on Tuesday.
While some observers have
suggested that a comparison
between Xi Jinping and the
adorable children's favorite has
positive PR campaign potentials,
official Chinese sense of humor
thought otherwise. Censors
objected to the comparison
between the Chinese leader and
a podgy fictional bear from
Sussex's Ashdown Forest ,
addicted to honey.
The Daily Mail reports the
post was promptly
“harmonized,” that is, monitors
deleted the images and
comments posted to the blog.
The blogger “Nicaragua
Rabbit,” posted the censor's
message: “The post is
inappropriate to be published.”
The blogger responded: “Little
Secretary is stingy and lacks
sense of humor.”
But on second thought,
when it is recalled that the
beloved fictional bear, whose
best friend is a piglet, has been
described as having “very little
brain,” one may understand
Chinese censors' objection to the
comparison.
However, in spite of the
action, the images went viral,
with many criticizing the
censors as over-zealous and
lacking in sense of humor.
According to the Telegraph,
the Communist Party's Internet
censors are known to delete
posts to social media sites that
appear critical of the
government.
Censors reportedly deleted
a photoshopped version of the
Winnie the Pooh and Tiggers caricature of Xi Jinping and Barack Obama (Sina Weibo)
Tienanmen Square photo which
shows a protester confronting a
column of tanks. In the
photoshopped image, the tanks
were replaced with giant rubber
ducks. The image apparently
annoyed the Chinese authorities
who had it removed. The post
cause so much irritation that all
Internet searches related to
rubber duck bath toys were
blocked.
The Telegraph notes,
however, that a recent Harvard
study, based on an analysis of
millions of Chinese micro-blog
posts, found that posts “with
negative, even vitriolic, criticism
of the state, its leaders, and its
policies are not more likely to be
censored.” The study concluded
that censors' aim was to control
“collective action by silencing
comments that represent ,
re i n fo rc e , o r s p u r s o c i a l
mobilization.”
H oweve r, t h e f i n d i n g
makes it more difficult to
understand the reason for
censoring what appears a trivial
post. Were Winnie the Pooh and
Tigger plotting another
Tienanmen Square protest?
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Political incentives are hiding under the economics
No floods by
2035
From page 11
Tolentino for the last. The MMDA
chairman, in a statement that will
certainly haunt him until the end of
his life, promised a flood-free Metro
Manila in 2035.
“By 2035, we are still young,”
Tolentino said. “When the [flood
control] master plan was
c o n c e p t u a l i z e d , i t wa s n o t
envisioned to be completed this
year.”
Or in 20 years, apparently.
And just to emphasize that his
agency is not even involved in this
supposed master plan to end all
flooding, Tolentino said the
massive flood control project is
going to be implemented by the
Department of Public Works and
Highways, not MMDA.
No one knows yet what this
project will entail or what it will
cost or even how many of the
people who now suffer when
Panama Canal
Nicaragua Canal
The Nicaragua
Canal ...
new canal could double the
country's GDP per capita.
From page 12
And Nicaragua is not a
country known for being
friendly to the United States.
Could China have similar
motives in Nicaragua? I think so.
Will the canal happen?
Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.
In Nicaragua, China has the
potential to essentially bribe one
of the poorest countries in the
Western hemisphere into being
a loyal ally. By some estimates, a
But if it does, it should
benefit the world economy by
increasing capacity, speeding up
transit times, and presumably
forcing Panama to lower its
floodwater rises and the streets
become huge parking lots will still
be alive by 2035. All we have is
Tolentino's word that such a
project exists, probably in some
DPWH official's mind or in his
c o m p u te r, a s a Powe r Po i n t
presentation.
So, in the meantime,
according to this fool that Aquino
sent to buy some vinegar and who
ended up as MMDA chairman, we
will all just have to bear with the
floods. “[The flooding] will not end
until the project is completed and it
will result in what transpired last
night, but we hope to minimize the
adverse effects,” he said.
I f wh a t h a p p e n e d l a s t
Monday nightand what will
certainly happen yet again, because
the rainy season has only just
begunis To lentino's idea of
minimizing the effects of the
flooding, then we're really in
trouble. And we're in trouble now,
not in 2035.
Now, where's Carabuena
when you really, really need him to
knock some sense into Tolentino's
head?
tariffs to compete.
What exactly China will get
out of it is a little murkier.
Charles Lewis Sizemore,
CFA, is the editor of the
Sizemore Investment Letter,
and the chief investment officer
of investments firm Sizemore
Capital Management. Sign up
for a FREE copy of his new
special report: “Top 3 ETFs for
Dividend-Hungry Investors.”
Peace is key to
growth ...
From page 11
because of its insistence on
preconditions before the talks could
resume.
The CPP in a statement
blamed the Aquino administration
for the collapse of the talks.
“[President] Aquino is showing
great discourtesy and lack of
manners when it unilaterally
terminated the talks relentlessly
pursued over the past 20 years
through irresponsible statements
issued through the media,” it said.
CPP founder Joma Sison
claimed the Philippine government
wanted “nothing but the pacification
and capitulation of the
revolutionary forces of the Filipino
people through indefinite unilateral
ceasefires without the basic reforms
required by The Hague Joint
D e c l a ra t i o n a n d s u b s e q u e n t
agreements.”
Luis Jalandoni, head of the
NDF peace panel, said they were still
open to continuing peace talks with
the government but said the peace
negotiations “should address the
roots of the armed conflict through
fundamental economic, social and
political reforms which will pave the
way to a just and lasting peace.”
With both the government and
NDF exchanging blaming each other
on the collapse of the peace talks, it
seems the road to peace continues to
be long and bumpy.
Until recently, the peace talks
with the Muslim rebels seemed
headed to a positive conclusion, with
both the government and MILF
panels expressing optimism that a
peace agreement could be reached
within the year. But with the
government's attention distracted
by the Sabah standoff, the sea
disputes with China and Taiwan, and
the recently concluded national
elections, the MILF has expressed
disgust over the delay in the
conclusion of the peace talks.
MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal said formal talks
was deadlocked because the
government had flip-flopped on its
initial commitment on the annexes
on wealth sharing that both sides
initialed in February, which set
wealth-sharing at 75-25 for
Bangsamoro. But the government
h a s s i n c e s a i d i t wa n t e d a
compromise of 50-50.
The flip-flop has damaged the
credibility of the government
negotiators, who, in obvious rush to
forge a peace agreement before
Aquino's State of the Nation Address
next month, initialed the wealth
sharing draft without considering
how such a deal would be accepted
by the people or the Supreme Court.
It will take a lot of explaining
for the government negotiators to
convince the MILF leaders to take a
step backwards and accept its 50-50
compromise. If the MILF stands firm
on what was agreed upon in
February and the government
refuses to budge, it could cause a
repeat of the 2008 blunder when the
Supreme Court declared as
unconstitutional a Memorandum of
Agreement on Ancestral Domain
which was drafted and about to be
signed in Malaysia by both sides.
The SC decision angered the
MILF, which launched attacks in
which 60 people were killed and
more than 600,000 people were
displaced from their homes.
Presidential spokesperson Abigail
Va l t e s a i d t h e g o v e r n m e n t
reconsidered the draft on wealthsharing precisely to avoid a repeat of
t h a t i n c i d e n t . W hy d i d t h e
g ove r n m e n t n e g o t i a to r s n o t
consider that danger before
initialing the draft in February in the
first place?
If the Aquino government
really wants peace, and I presume it
does, it should tell its spokesmen
and peace negotiators to town down
their rhetoric and exert all efforts to
bring the government and NDF
panelists back to the negotiating
table. At the same time, they should
sack the government panelists for
initialing the wealth-sharing draft
without seriously considering its
consequences.
Both sides have to show
sincerity in pursuing peace, and the
government should exert all efforts
to reopen the door to negotiations.
The Aquino administration's lofty
goals of economic growth and
poverty alleviation depend a great
deal on securing peace throughout
the nation. (Valabelgas@aol.com)
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Amb. Mario De Leon
Honorary Adviser
Edwin Solano
PAFCOM Overall Chair 2013
Cora Reyes
PAFCOM Grand Marshal 2013
Mayor-elect Steve Fulop
Councilman R. Lavarro
Glaiza De Castro
Honorary Grand Marshal
Glaiza De Castro of GMA 7 is the special guest star
Philippine American Friendship Day Celebration in Jersey City
The annual celebration of
Philippine American
Friendship Day along West Side
Avenue and Lincoln Park in
Jersey City will be held on
Sunday, June 23. This event,
now on its 23 r d year, is
organized by the PhilippineAmerican Friendship
Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM)
with the support of the
Consulate General of the
Philippines in New York, the
City of Jersey City and the
County of Hudson.
“There is a sense of pride
in this event, when you look at
the history of the friendship
between the peoples of the
Philippines and the United
States and what we, Filipino
Americans, have contributed to
this country,” Edwin Solano,
PA F C O M 2 0 1 3 O v e r a l l
Chairperson said. “As in past
celebrations, we are
anticipating thousands of
Filipinos and Filipino
Americans who will again
certainly feel proud to have
participated and observed the
t i m e - h o n o re d f r i e n d s h i p
between the two countries. We
are expecting the participation
of officials from the Philippine
G ove r n m e n t , c o m m u n i t y
leaders from the tri-state area,
as well as government officials
from Jersey City and Hudson
County,” stated Cora Reyes,
PAFCOM 2013 Grand Marshal.
Among the notable Jersey
City officials joining the parade
are Rolando Lavarro, the first
Filipino American elected to
the Municipal Council of Jersey
City and Jersey City Mayorelect Steven Fulop who is this
year's Honorary Grand
Marshal.
This whole day event will
start with a Holy Mass,
followed by the Grand Parade,
showcasing the vibrant and
c u l t u ra l h e r i t a g e o f t h e
Philippines. The inaugural
opening at West Side Avenue
and Claremont Avenue will be
at 11:30 am. It will be
highlighted with colorful floats
some featuring Filipino
celebrities and artists,
marching bands, members of
various Fil-Am organizations,
and other civic and ethnic
groups. A cultural festival
showcasing Philippine culture
and tradition will be held at
Lincoln Park. On display at the
many exhibitors booths are
Philippine products, crafts and
businesses offering discounted
goods. There will also be food
booths hawking the distinctive
Filipino barbeque, pancit
(noodles) of all kinds, halo-
h a l o , u koy ( s h r i m p a n d
ve g e t a b l e t e m p u ra - s t yl e
f r i t te r s ) , t h e u b i q u i to u s
Filipino national dish adobo,
and many, many other truly
delicious Filipino delicacies.
The Cultural Festival will
feature not only talents and
performers, the five-hour (1
pm-6 pm) show will have many
highlights topped by the
performance of the beautiful
and talented GMA 7 celebrity
actress and singer Glaiza De
Castro.
Major sponsors of the
event are GMA Pinoy TV, GMA
Life TV and Hudson Toyota.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 16
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Mapa High School Alumni Association of the United States and Canada
th
15 International Biennial Reunion
By Victor C. Dulay, MD
Manila's MAPA HIGH
SCHOOL alumni across the
USA and Canada will follow
convergent travel trajectories
that will terminate at the
gates of Marriott's
Renaissance Hotel in
th
Elizabeth, NJ for their 15
Biennial Reunion and
Convention on June 21-23,
2013.
The East Coast Alumni
Chapter, host for the threeday event, planned and
executed the entire logistics
for nearly two years.
Chaired by Clem Sotto
Wong, the chapter assembled
a chain of activities and
anchored with a gala night
and a two-bus Atlantic City
trip.
More importantly, the
alumni have optimized their
health and minds when
opportunities open up for
them to connect and
reconnect with others.
As in past reunions, the
organizers expect a
substantial dose of
conviviality and congeniality
among the alumni, their
families, and guests.
Established n 1923 as
the Manila East High School,
the institution was renamed
in 1930 as the Victorino Mapa
High School to honor the late
Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Three other mega- high
schools were subsequently
renamed after former Chief
Justices: Arellano, Torres, and
Araullo.
Mapa High alumni
continue to enhance almost
all aspects of the Philippine
landscape.
Its alumni roster include
the late Senator Arturo
Tolentino, Civil Service
Commissioner Abelardo
Subido, and Solicitor-General
Arturo Alafriz. Artemio
Panganiban served as
Supreme Court Chief Justice
at the start of the new
millennium. Many grads have
been elevated as justices of
the SC and the Court of
Appeals such as Antonio
Barredo, Milagros German,
Efren Plana, Isagani Cruz, Jr.,
and Jose Melo. Justice Melo
later was chairman of the
COMELEC and his lasting
legacy to the Filipino people is
the computerization and
electronic transmission of
electoral returns.
Many more have made
their marks in several areas.
Washington Sycip and Alfredo
Velayo (both with summa
cum laude honors) founded
the giant accounting firm,
simply known as SGV.
Roberto Bruce, a PMA
N o . 2 g ra d a n d n av a l
commander, had converted
to Islam and married a
Muslim. Abdul Rakman H.
Bruce completed in 1982 his
monumental translation of
the Koran into almost pure
Tagalog. His older brother,
Romeo, also a Mapan, was
the top grad of his PMA class.
Close to a century of
existence, the school's widely
dispersed alumni continue to
be responsible citizens always
mindful of their Alma Mater's
mantra: Right is Might.
Alumni participating in
this year's event represent a
small collection of Mapa
High's realistic and living
crown jewels.
Preparations for the 16th
international reunion in
Toronto start right after the
announcement is made
during the gala night. The
event is only two winters
away.
Seated, L-R: Romy Poon, Clem S. Wong, Lito Gajilan Jr.
Standing,L-R: Rollie Ariola, Bert Villanueva, Tess Ariola, Letty A. Poon, Dorothy
S. de Castro ,Cleo F. Quinio, Aurora M. Asuncion, Lorna H. Acosta, Lourdes M.
Sajorda, Angie S. Gincel, Chris Tolentino.
Holding Banner- Nestor de Castro, Jose Manuel.
Victorino Mapa High School (formerly Manila East High School), situated in San Miguel, Manila, is one of the oldest
public high schools in the city. It has produced a list of successful graduates in various fields since its foundation in 1923.
Along with Manila Science High School, Ramon Magsaysay High School, Manuel Roxas High School, Arellano High School,
and Araullo High School, Victorino Mapa offers rigorous Special Science courses to selected top students. The institution
is considered as one of the top schools in Manila in terms of its performance in achievement tests and competitions. In
2007, VMHS was named one of the cleanest schools in Manila.
Victorino Mapa High School opened its first classes (Manila East High School) as one of the four schools in City of
Manila together with Torres High School (Manila South High School) and Arellano High School (Manila North High School)
in June 1923.
Mapa Has been under the administration of 14 principals since it was founded in June 1923. The three of these
were Americans namely, John Carl, Sarah M. England and James Burns. The first Filipino principal of the School was
Indolencio Madamba in 1951. In his term, the Parents-Teachers Association was organized and succession of principals
took over, after Madamba retired in May 1956.
Discipline, despite of the crowded rooms and economic status of the students, is well-maintained. The students,
because of the strict implementation of school policies and the presence of the Supreme Student Government, are
generally clean; and good attendance is still expected and even in days of suspension around the vicinity of rallies and
mass action.
VMHS once had a biggest student population of 11,481 with a faculty of 488. Victorino Mapa at present boasts of a
big and well-equipped auditorium (now know as "Bulwagang Velayo") and a more sprawling gymnasium, an elevator
and well-epuipped and updated science laboratories, thus is always the venue for many educational, civic, cultural and
social gatherings in the city of Manila.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Historic Town of Vigan
Established in the 16th
century, Vigan is the bestpreserved example of a planned
Spanish colonial town in Asia.
Its architecture reflects the
coming together of cultural
elements from elsewhere in the
Philippines, from China and
from Europe, resulting in a
culture and townscape that
have no parallel anywhere in
East and South-East Asia.
Vigan is an exceptionally
intact and well-preserved
example of a European trading
town in East and South-East
Asia. The architecture is truly
reflective of its roots in both
materials and design, in its
fusion of Asian building design
and construction with
European colonial architecture
and planning.
The traditional Spanish
chequerboard street plan opens
up into a main plaza, in two
parts. The Plaza Salcedo is the
longer arm of an L-shaped open
space, with the Plaza Burgos as
the shorter. The former is
dominated by the Municipal
Hall and the Provincial Capitol
and the latter by the cathedral.
The urban plan of the town
c l o s e ly c o n f o r m s t o t h e
Renaissance grid plan specified
in the Ley de las Indias for all
149 new towns in the Spanish
Empire. There is, however, a
noticeable difference between
Vi ga n a n d c o n te m p o ra ry
Spanish colonial towns in Latin
America in the Historic Core
(known as the Mestizo district),
where the Latin tradition is
tempered by strong Chinese,
Ilocano and Filipino influences.
The building materials
used in Vigan are terracotta,
wood, shells, stone and lime, all
obtained from the surrounding
area. The architecture of the
typical Vigan house is derived
from the traditional Filipino
dwelling, the bahay kubo, a
small one-room hut built from
light woven materials (wood,
bamboo, thatch), raised on stilts
for ventilation and as
protection against monsoon
flooding. Such structures are no
longer to be found in Vigan, but
their influence is discernible in
the much larger bahay na bato
(stone house), a much more
solid structure, with a stonebuilt lower storey surmounted
by a timber-framed upper
storey, and with a steeply
pitched tiled roof (reminiscent
of traditional Chinese
architecture). The exterior
walls of the upper storey are
enclosed by window panels of
kapis shells framed in wood
which can be slid back for better
ve n t i l a t i o n . T h e C h i n e s e
merchants and traders
conducted their business from
offices and warehouses on the
ground floors of their houses,
with the living quarters above.
This is characteristic of Chinese
society. Vigan also possesses a
number of significant public
buildings, which also show
multi-cultural influences. These
include the Cathedral of St Paul,
the Archbishop's Palace, St
Paul's College, the Catholic
Cemetery Chapel, and the
neoclassical early 20th-century
provincial Capitol.
Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC
CALLE CRISOLOGO. Kamestizoan District in Vigan is replete with ancestral houses with ancient
tile roofs, massive hardwood floorings, ballustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-MexicanChinese architectural styles. Calle Crisologo brings back the old Spanish atmosphere starting
with the cobblestone streets, the gorgeous backdrop of the old houses against the shadows of
each houses, and of course the the clacking noise of horse driven carriage, kalesa. This is the
most photographed site in the city. They say, you have never been to Vigan, unless you walked
through this street and posed for all the world to see.
CATHEDRAL OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL. The massive
structure was built by the Augustinians in the distinctive Ilocano
earthquake-baroque architecture. The cathedral is the setting of
many religious festivities.
BALUARTE. Come and play with the animals! Be one of them roaring and
whistling, indulging in the joys of the moment, you are in Baluarte, the
only one of its kind in the country. Not just a zoo, Baluarte is an interactive
wildlife sanctuary and facility, with the breathtaking view of its
dominating scenic boulders amidst trees and greens.
EXPRESSWEEK
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 18
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY COMMEMORATION
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. offers a toast during the Independence
Day Reception at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns deliver his
remarks during the Independence Day Reception at the
Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C.
(Philippine Embassy Photos by Elmer G. Cato)
Filipina-American Broadway artist Stephanie
Reese sings Bayan Ko during the Independence
Day Reception at the Hay Adams Hotel in
Washington, D.C.
Renowned pianist Golez, young soprano Maigue
grace Campbelltown's Kalayaan 2013 celebration
Campbelltown Arts Centre, is
part of the local community's
c e l e b ra t i o n o f t h e 1 1 5 t h
anniversary of the Proclamation
of Philippine Independence.
The musical collaboration
of Mr. Golez and Ms. Maigue was
the initiative of the Philippine
Embassy in Canberra and the
Philippine Consulate General in
Sydney through the National
Commission for Culture and the
Arts in Manila.
Consul General Anne Jalando-on
Louis and Campbelltown City Mayor
Sue Dobson after raising the
Australian and Philippine flags, June
15. [TFA]
Posted by TFA Staff / June 15
Already the home of the
world's third tallest Rizal statue
located at Rizal Park in
Campbelltown's suburb of
Rosemeadow, Campbelltown
City this morning reached
another milestone in FilipinoAustralian cultural relations.
The city council hosted the
Himig ng Kasarinlan (Hymn of
Independence) concert featuring
renowned pianist Rudolf Golez
and young soprano-songwriterrecording artist Lara Maigue.
The concert, staged at the
This morning's appearance
was the second performance of
the duo, their first having been
staged in Canberra under the
auspices of the Philippine
Embassy.
The visiting performing
artists will be flying back to the
Philippines next week for other
scheduled performances.
The guests who attended
this morning's concert could
only express admiration for the
talents of the two Filipino music
artists.
A n d e ve r yo n e i n t h e
Campbelltown Arts Centre this
morning could consider
themselves privileged.
“It is not everyday that the
community is treated with such
p e rfo rm a n c e ,” sa i d
Campbelltown City Mayor Sue
Dobson in her message
welcoming the two Filipino
music artists.
H i m i g n g Ka s a r i n l a n
included a repertoire selected to
commemorate the life and works
of the Philippine national hero Dr
Jose P. Rizal whose 152nd birth
anniversary will be observed on
June 19.
Aside from three solo piano
performances (Navarra by Isaac
Manuel Francisco Albeniz, Seven
Variations on God save the King in
C Major WoO 78 by Ludwig van
Beethoven, and Andante
Spianato and Grand Polonaise
Brillante Op. 22 by Friedrich
Chopin), Mr Golez collaborated
with Ms Maigue on popular
musical pieces to the delight of
the audience: Awit ng Gabi ni Sisa
(aria from Noli Me Tangere) by
Felipe de Leon, Kay Tamis ng
Buhay by Jose Rizal (words) and
Felipe Mendoza de Leon (music),
Alin Mang Lahi by Jose Rizal,
Recuerdo de Capiz by Julio Nakpil,
Sa Kabukiran by Manuel Velez,
and Light of a Million Mornings by
Claire Cloninger and Mark Hayes.
Praised for his keenness in
depth and subtlety, Rudolf was
the sole prize-winner at the First
ASEAN Chopin International
Competition held in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia in 2004.
He spent his high school
years at the Juilliard School of
Music Preparatory Division in
New York City under the tutelage
Pianist Rudolf Golez and Soprano Lara Maigue collaborating on Himig ng
Kasarinlan [TFA]
of world-renowned pianist
Seymour Lipkin.
He also holds a Masters
degree in Piano Performance
from the University of the
Philippines.
Mr Golez has performed in
concerts in the United States,
Europe and Asia, including an allMozart tour commemorating the
composer's 250th anniversary.
He has also worked with
respected local and foreign
conductors such as the great
composer/conductor Cristobal
Halffter of Madrid, and has
performed works from
composers Franz Liszt and
Gyorgi Ligeti.
Ms Maigue on the other
hand is a classical and jazz singer.
S h e w a s b o r n t o
composer/arranger Rayben
Maigue and soprano Nanette
Moscardon-Maigue, who later on
became her first classical
mentor.
Currently being trained by
soprano Fides Cuyugan-Asensio
at the University of the
Philippines College of Music
where she is majoring in Voice,
the young soprano's natural
talent and versatility have taken
her to different countries as a
performing artist.
She is also a member of the
Philippine Opera Company's
Opera Belles, winner of the 2011
Aliw Award for Best New Female
Group and the Golden Choice
Aw a r d s f o r B e s t O f f i c i a l
Soundtrack for their self-titled
a l b u m u n d e r S o ny M u s i c
Entertainment.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
June 19 a special non-working day
nd
in Laguna in celebration of the 152
birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal
MANILA -- President Benigno S.
Aquino III has declared June 19, which
falls on a Wednesday, as a special
(non-working day) in the province of
Laguna in celebration of the 152nd
birth anniversary of national hero Dr.
Jose P. Rizal.
The Chief Executive issued the
declaration through Proclamation No.
600 signed by Executive Secretary
Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on June 14 to give
the people of Laguna the full
o p p o r t u n i t y to c e l e b ra te a n d
participate in the occasion with
appropriate ceremonies.
Born on June 19, 1861, José
Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso
Realonda became the most prominent
Filipino nationalist for advocating
reforms through peaceful means
rather than by violent revolution in
the Philippines during the Spanish
colonial era.
Rizal was the seventh of eleven
children and belonged to a wealthy
family in the town of Calamba, Laguna.
He attended the Ateneo Municipal de
Manila and graduated Bachelor of
Arts. He took up medicine and
Philosophy and Letters at the
University of Santo Tomas.
Rizal traveled alone to Madrid,
Spain, where he continued his studies
at the Universidad Central de Madrid
and earned the degree of Licentiate in
Medicine. He also enrolled at the
University of Paris and earned a
second doctorate at the University of
Heidelberg.
Aside from being conversant in at
least 10 languages, Rizal was a poet,
essayist, diarist, correspondent, and
novelist. His most famous works were
his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
As a prominent political figure,
Rizal was the founder of La Liga
Filipina in 1892, a civic organization
t h a t s u b s e q u e n t ly l e d to t h e
organization of Kataastaasang,
Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga
Anak ng Bayan led by Andres
Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo.
Rizal's execution on December
30, 1896 made him a martyr of the
Philippine Revolution.
Filipino American Mural in Philadelphia, PA, by Eliseo Art Silva. Dedicated June 15, 2013 and the
keynote speaker was NY Consul General De Leon.
Knights of Rizal New Jersey Chapter wreath laying
at Plaza Rizal in Jersey City in commemoration of
the 152nd birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal
(L-R): Sir Fiorel Salvo, Sir
Dodie Cortez, Sir Jun
Florentino, Sir Ed Toloza,
Sir Atty. Victor Sison, Sir Lito
Gajilan (Area CommanderEastern USA-1), Sir Gali
Munar (Chapter
Commander), Sir Francis
Sison (Deputy Regional
Commander for USA), Sir
Rudy Casuga, Sir Butch
Los Banos, Sir George
Esguerra and Sir Walter
Romano
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Solaire to boost gaming
earnings to $2.5-B in '13
By Angela Celis
The Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp.
(PAGCOR) said the entire
gaming industry will be able to
generate gaming revenues of
$2.5 billion this year boosted by
the operations of Solaire Resort
& Casino beginning early this
year.
This is about 25 percent
higher than last year's $2 billion.
“We will have higher
revenues, but bulk of the
increase will basically be coming
from Solaire,” said Cristino
Naguiat, Jr., chairman and chief
executive officer of PAGCOR in
in a lunch briefing at the Hyatt
Hotel Manila yesterday.
In peso terms, the
industry's projected gaming
revenues for the year is around
P105 billion.
Since its opening at the
Entertainment City last March
16, Solaire has generated
gaming revenues of P1.3 billion
at the end of May or in just two
and a half months.
Andrew Tan, Henry Sy, and
Kazuo Okada.
Naguiat also said that
PAGCOR will be able to hit its
projected total gross revenues
for the year of P42 billion.
The said target is more
than a billion higher than the
P40.88 billion generated in
2012.
“ L a s t y e a r, w e ( t h e
industry) made $2 billion in
gaming revenues. This year,
Solaire will bring the increase in
revenues,” Naguiat said.
“We will be hitting our
targets,” Naguiat said.
Naguiat said that the gross
gaming revenues could hit $10
billion by 2017 or 2018, after all
proponents are up.
Of the total expected
revenues, P29.53 billion is seen
to come from PAGCOR's gaming
operations.
Three other casinos are
expected to be put up by tycoons
PAGCOR is also expecting
to earn from other gaming
activities such as from
commercial bingo, e-games or
internet gaming, poker
operations, and from licensed
casinos.
To m o n i to r i t s reve n u e s ,
PAGCOR will start laying out the
cabling system of its newly
acquired software beginning
next month, to be fully
implemented by the first quarter
of 2014. The software will be
installed for all PAGCOR-owned
casinos.
The collaboration will help
the Philippine Government
fulfill its initiative as a candidate
country to the Extractive
I n d u s t r i e s Tr a n s p a r e n c y
Initiative (EITI) by working
together with Bantay Kita, a civil
society representative in the PHEITI multi-stakeholder group
(MSG), with support from the
British Government.
Among the project's aims is
to develop the first Philippine
EITI Report, which is required of
each candidate country to
demonstrate that it fully
complies with the globally
developed standards that
promote revenue transparency
at the local level. It will also push
for legislation institutionalizing
EITI in the Philippines within
the 16th Congress. The project
will also mobilize civil society,
industry players and local
government to work on the
implementation of EITI both at
the national and sub-national
level.
A memorandum of
understanding was signed on
June 14 between the Philippine
Government and Bantay Kita,
which formalises the agreement
between the two parties to carry
out activities that will reinforce
the country's work plan to
increase accountability and
transparency in sectors such as
mining and oil and gas. To this
end, Bantay Kita has undertaken
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Philippine economy to grow
above 7 pct this year -- NEDA
MANILA -- The
Philippines is set to grow
above the government target
of 6-7 percent this year, the
National Economic and
Development Authority
(NEDA) said today.
On the sidelines of the
14th Global Development
Network Annual Conference,
NEDA Director-General and
Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio Balisacan
said the country's gross
domestic product (GDP)
growth may outperform the
target given that it has
already expanded at a rate of
7.8 percent in the first
quarter.
The second quarter
looks "good" as economic
fundamentals remain intact,
Baliscan said.
I n A p r i l a n d M ay,
inflation decelerated to 2.6
percent or lower than the 3-5
percent target for the year.
Manufacturing in April grew
10.3 percent.
Agriculture, however,
would remain a sore spot as
Arsenio Balisacan
climate change has shifted
the planting season,
dampening the April jobs
market.
"But for the full year, a
delay in the planting in one
quarter means a gain in the
f o l l o w i n g q u a r t e r s ,"
Balisacan said.
He said the growth
drivers for the rest of the
y e a r
w o u l d
b e
m a n u f a c t u r i n g ,
construction, investments,
and services, especially
tourism.
BI streamlines operations
to boost tourism
MANILA -- After the
applicants.”
recent introduction of new
With its security and
a r r iva l a n d d e p a r t u re
tracking features that cannot
stamps for international
be copied, the new visa
travelers to put an end to
sticker will prevent the
counterfeit stamps, the
proliferation of fake visa
Bureau of Immigration (BI)
extension stamps resulting
will launch next week the
in victimizing many
six-month, long-stay tourist
foreigners as well as revenue
visa for foreigners intending
shortfall for the government.
to stay longer in the country.
David reported
These twin moves
applications for tourist visa
aimed at boosting tourism
ex t e n s i o n ro s e by s i x
are in keeping with the
percent, representing a 16a separate agreement with the
policy reforms reached by
percent increase in income
British Embassy that will
the BI after a series of
from visa extension fees
provide funding for these
meetings with the
collected from international
activities through the British
Departments of Tourism and
travelers during the first five
Government's Prosperity
Foreign Affairs.
months of the year.
Programme.
BI Commissioner
This translates to a
Ricardo David Jr. said the
five-month collection of
President Benigno Aquino
Long Stay Visitor Visa
P342.8 million, which is
III recently announced its
Extension (LSVVE) was
P47.4 million higher than
commitment to join the
launched to spur tourist
last year's take of P295.4
Extractive Industries
arrivals in the country by
million
a combined
Transparency Initiative through
Executive Order (EO) No. 79 on
giving foreigners the
collection posted only by the
Institutionalizing and
privilege to prolong their
bureau's main building in
Implementing Reforms in the
stay here without the need to
Manila and its extension
Philippine Mining Sector. The
frequent the BI office.
offices in Makati and Pasay.
Philippines was accepted as an
The current practice is
It was also gathered
EITI candidate country at the
to grant foreign tourists a
that since David assumed
EITI's global meeting in Sydney
m a x i m u m s t ay o f t wo
the BI top post in March
on 22 May.
months every time they
2011, visa applications and
apply for visa extension.
revenues have risen by 48
Secretary Elisea 'Bebet'
“Through
this
long
stay
percent
and, subsequently,
Gozon, Presidential Adviser on
visa,” David said, “we expect
the BI was cited by the Civil
Climate Change, said, “We thank
lesser crowding in our
Service Commission (CSC)
the British Government for this
offices due to the decreased
for cutting bureaucratic red
volume of visa extension
tape.
u
Page 23
The system will track realtime the revenues from its
gaming operations. (Malaya)
Philippine, UK Gov'ts, NGO join
to boost mining transparency
The Philippine and British
Governments, along with nongovernmental organization
Bantay Kita, are embarking on a
partnership that will push the
Philippine agenda on
strengthening transparency and
accountability in extractive
industries.
June 21 - 27, 2013
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Aquino: Global Development Conference provide Goat farming gives fast returns
'specific, more effective, and more strategic' solutions
By Madelaine Cabrera
President Benigno S. Aquino
III said on Wednesday that the
holding of the Global Development
Networks' (GDN) Annual Global
Development Conference
provides policymakers with
“specific, more effective, and more
strategic” solutions to the global
problems of poverty, hunger,
unemployment, lack of education
and corruption.
Keynoting the GDN's 14th
Annual GDC held at the Asian
Development Bank main office in
Mandaluyong City, the President
said the GDC “puts more solidity to
the analysis of the problem,” and
has helped government provide
interventions where it matters
and do the most good.
“We have long heard that the
first step in solving a problem is
acknowledging there is a problem.
But perhaps we can build on that
idea: The first step to solving any
problem should be identifying the
correct problem, otherwise any
solution would be directionless,
and therefore ineffective,” the
President said.
“This conference helps us do
just that. It puts more solidity to
the analysis of the problem, which
will hopefully redound to more
specific, more effective, and more
strategic solutions,” he added.
He stressed that it was
incumbent of governments to
ensure inclusive growth for its
people in order to empower them
to maximize opportunities that
come their way.
“For most of the developing
world, the overarching problems
can be summed up in a few words:
Poverty, hunger, unemployment,
lack of education, corruption.
These are not unique to any one
country or peopleeach of us have
seen or experienced them and
their effects,” the President said.
“All these problems combine
to deprive people of hope,
initiative, and opportunities. And
while no one can guarantee
outcomes, I believe it is incumbent
upon government to provide
meaningful opportunities to
individuals, and an environment
conducive to empowering our
fellow citizens to seek out and
maximize opportunities that come
their way. We cannot have a
society where a few flourish, and
the rest must make do-with
crumbs. We must have inclusive
growth,” he said.
The President highlighted
t h e P h i l i p p i n e s ' e f fo r t s a t
achieving inclusive growth
through its social and
infrastructure programs such as
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) that provides
financial assistance to families
that keep their children in school
and consult with healthcare
personnel; and close the
classroom gap that will allow more
children to attend school.
He pointed out that the next
phase of “continued
interventions” include mass
housing, job creation, tourism and
agriculture.
“The next three years will
see continued interventions on the
poorest of the poor but also, a
focus on the vulnerable but
emerging sectors of society, all
made possible by prudent public
finance policies and honesty in
public administration: by
continuing efforts to build mass
housing on site and not in far-flung
areas; by creating durable jobs in
industry, tourism and agriculture,”
the President said.
“This is what our
government has chosen to do. The
difficulty is that while the
problems may be universal, the
solutions are not.
Each region, each country,
each city and town has its own
realityand the solutions we come
up with must be tailored fit to local
conditions. This means that our
solutions may not be the best for
your own communities, and we
must study their effects and how
to maximize positive
interventions in a specific and
thorough manner,” he concluded.
PH backs partnerships with middleincome countries for inclusive growth
MANILA -- Lessons and
best practices from other
middle-income countries
(MICs) can help the Philippines
improve its poverty reduction
and infrastructure programs
towards inclusive growth,
according to the National
Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA).
“The variety of
experiences of the MICs in
dealing with inequality offers a
rare opportunity for learning
lessons and sharing best
practices toward scaling up of
programs and activities that will
help achieve inclusive growth,
both nationally and globally,”
said Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan
during the High-Level
Conference of Middle-Income
Countries in San Jose, Costa Rica
on June 12, 2013.
He noted that in the past
t wo d e c a d e s , s u b s t a n t i a l
poverty reduction was achieved
in developing countries brought
about by the comparatively
rapid economic growth in MICs,
particularly in Asia.
“For inclusive growth and
prosperity, the MICs need to play
a more active and unified role in
forging a much improved
environment for international
trade, finance, and technology.
The improvement is particularly
crucial in the area of market
access, especially for exports of
developing countries, and
access to technology,” said
Balisacan.
However, he pointed out
that the connection between
growth and poverty reduction
va r i e s q u i t e e n o r m o u s l y
between regions of the world,
between countries within a
region, and between geographic
areas and population groups
within a country.
“This opportunity for
s y s t e m a t i c a l ly - e x p a n d i n g
knowledge and best practices
needs to be enhanced within the
MICs,” said Balisacan, who is also
NEDA Director-General.
He identified India's
recent experience with the use
of new technology to properly
identify the deserving poor from
the population, which reduced
the leakage of program benefits
to the non-poor.
“This shows that targeting
programs to the poor need not
be fiscally prohibitive,” the
Cabinet official said.
Similarly, he noted the
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT)
schemes pioneered in Latin
America, such as Brazil's Bolsa
Familia and Mexico's
Oportunidades, have helped
those countries virtually won
their war against acute poverty.
“In Southeast Asia,
informed by the Latin American
experiences, the Philippines has
embarked on a large-scale CCT
program to complement its
newly acquired status as one of
the fastest growing Asian
countries today. We hope to reap
the same benefits from this
program like what the Latin
American countries have done,”
said Balisacan.
Furthermore, he
identified public-private
partnerships (PPPs) of having
the potential of augmenting the
public sector's fiscal resources
and for efficiently managing
facilities that have traditionally
been reserved to the public
sector.
“If structured properly,
PPPs can be an effective
i n s t r u m e n t f o r i n c l u s ive
business. Here is an area where
the experiences of a number of
MICs, such as Malaysia, may
prove useful for designing the
policy and legal framework for
PPPs and up-scaling it in
resource-scarce developing
countries,” Balisacan explained.
Also, he stressed that he
potential for MICs to shape the
global environment for trade is
much stronger now than ever
before in the history of modern
commerce.
“But cooperation-andcollaboration is the name of the
game. There is much to be
gained, for instance, from the
deepening of South-South
partnerships in trade, finance,
and technology and
innovations,” said Balisacan.
The High-Level
Conference of MICs, held from
June 10 to 14, 2013, was hosted
by the Government of Costa Rica
and co-organized by the United
Nations Industrial Development
Organization.
Goats are not only a source of
protein for Filipinos, they also
provide profits in no time at all. Goat
farming, according to Manuel R.
Jarmin, Livestock Development
Council executive director, is turning
out to be one of the more successful
business ventures for entrepreneurs
with limited capital.
Jarmin said an entrepreneur
can start with a 20-square meter pen
stock requiring an initial
investments of P17,000. Jarmin said
that in 14 months, an investorfarmer can start counting returns on
his herd.
Harvesting is done after the
14th month, the ideal age to
slaughter the animal. Goats, he said,
require low maintenance needing
only tree leaves, weeds and grasses.
There is a ready market for
goat meat since it is a special delicacy
offered on birthdays, baptisms,
weddings and fiestas. Going a bit big
time, an investment of P240,000 is
enough for a stock of 24 female goats
and a male, housing, fencing and
pasture development of 1/2 hectare
land area.
“It is relatively easy to raise
goats, because you will not be
dependent on feeds, just plain grass.
The investment needed in goat
fa r m i n g i s m u c h s m a l l e r a s
compared to other livestock such as
sheep and cattle, and the profits that
could be obtained could be great,” he
said.
“The P240,000 investment is
for meat and you will be needing a
chiller and that could cost as much as
P1.5 million. Investing on goat meat
is profitable and easier,” he said. A
kilo of goat milk costs about P200.
Meanwhile, some indirect
p r o d u c t i o n c o s t s u c h l a b o r,
concentrate feeds, veterinary drugs
and supplies, urea-molasses mineral
block, forage and pasture
m a i n te n a n c e , t ra n s p o r t a t i o n ,
utilities, contingencies, will take as
low as P12,600.
“You do this on your own, it's a
personal investment. However, the
agency (Livestock Development
Council) can provide the technical
assistance, veterinarians, and many
more, but we must get a letter from
you first,” he said.
Data from the livestock council
indicated that a back-type goat will
cost P10,000, a native goat will cost
P5,000 while a pure-bred goat costs
P20,000.
The projected income
statement on the fifth year would
reach about P877,000 -- a net income
of P385,000 and return of
investment of 78.42 percent.
At present, Jarmin said, there
is an increase in demand for goats.
Although total goat inventory
in the country is steadily increasing
at 2 percent per year, still there is not
enough supply to meet current
demands. It is expected that this
increased demand will last to 2020,
the year when supply is projected to
meet demand.
Goat production is thus a
promising venture and anyone
interested to go into this business is
expected to reap positive rewards.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Mitsubishi Philippines posts
record monthly sales in May
MANILA -- The Philippine
u n i t o f J a p a n e s e c a r m a ke r
Mitsubishi posted its highest
monthly sales on record last May as
its Montero Sport became the topselling model that month.
Mitsubishi Motors
Philippines Corp (MMPC) sold
4,063 vehicles last month, up by
over a tenth from April's 3,658
units and over a third more than
the 3,005 sold in May last year.
End-May's sales of 17,737
vehicles were 25.6-percent higher
than the 14,126 units in the same
five-month period last year.
“Aside from the healthy
financial condition and with the
country's progressing economy,
the exciting promos and offers
which make it more affordable for
customers to purchase a brand
new vehicle highly contributed in
improving the sales of MMPC,” the
company said.
MMPC's sales growth during
the first five months was at almost
the same pace as the 23.3-percent
increase in combined sales of car
companies belonging to the
Chamber of Automotive
Manufacturers of the Philippines
Inc (Campi) and the Truck
Manufacturers Association (TMA).
Campi and TMA members
sold a total of 72,988 at end-May.
MMPC's sales so far were the
second highest after Toyota Motor
Philippines Corp.
“We are truly ecstatic for
achieving the highest monthly
sales last May…With our constant
growth and improvement on our
performance, we at MMPC are very
optimistic that we will be able to
reach or even surpass our business
targets for the year,” company
president and chief executive
Hikosaburo Shibata said in a
statement.
This year, MMPC aims to sell
about 40,000 vehicles and exceed
its record sales of 36,533 posted in
1996before the Asian financial
crisis struck and slowed domestic
auto sales. The company sold
34,915 units last year on the back
of strong orders for the Mirage,
which was launched last
November.
Last month, 1,511 Montero
Sport units were soldthe highest
ever since the model was launched
in 2008.
“The Montero Sport
continuously draws interest not
only in the SUV [sport utility
vehicle] segment but also in other
vehicle segments, because of its
superb handling, features and best
value for money,” MMPC said.
In the same month, 600 units
of the Adventure model were sold,
up 12 percent from April.
“The Adventure also remains
to be among MMPC's core and
bestselling models that
predominantly attract families as
well a s sm a ll a n d m ediu m
entrepreneurs with the need for a
practical, reliable, and very low
running cost vehicle,” the company
said.
The pickup model Strada saw
sales rise to 404 in May or 35percent more than April. As for the
Pajero, which will have a limited
edition model in commemoration
of its 30th anniversary, sales
zoomed up 136.6 percent from
April. Sales of the Lancer EX sedan
grew 15.7 percent, while the
Mirage hatchbackwhich recently
bagged a “car of the year”
awardsaw sales inch up by 1
percent last month.
“Aside from keeping our
models exciting through
introducing upgrades and recently
releasing limited edition to some of
our bestselling models like the
Montero Sport GTV, Strada GLX and
Pajero, we will maintain the
market's enthusiasm on the
Mitsubishi brand by bringing in
more world-class models in the
country… In addition to this,
continuous improvement on
dealership facilities and services
were also being implemented to
enhance more the customer
experience of every valued client,”
Shibata said.
MMPC sells the following
models: Adventure, ASX, Fuzion,
Lancer EX, L200, L300, Mirage,
Montero Sport, Pajero, Strada,
FUSO trucks and Rosa buses.
Palace not worried
with stock market dip
MANILA -- Despite
Thursday's dramatic drop in the
Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)
index, which came amid the Aquino
administration's pronouncements
of economic gains, the public has
nothing to fear as far as the
economy is concerned, a
Malacañang official said Friday.
“We believe that this does not
have any reflection on the
fundamentals of the economy,”
Communications Secretary Ricky
Carandang said at a briefing. “We
think that the fundamentals
remain intact based on the growth
that we've seen, the low-inflation
environment.”
Last month's inflation was at
2.6 percent, the lowest in 13
months.
On Thursday, the PSEi
plummeted by almost 7 percent as
foreign funds continued an exodus
f r o m e m e r g i n g m a r ke t s i n
Southeast Asia driven by woes over
an early tapering of US Federal
Reserve bond-buying stimulus.
Carandang said Thursday's
slump was an effect of external
factors, specifically the pulling out
of global fund managers.
“The fall in the market was
due to external factors, the fund
managers selling stocks across the
board,” he said, adding the
economy will right itself in time.
“We just need to ride out
what's happening in the global
markets. So it does not reflect the
fundamentals of the Philippine
economy,” he said.
Carandang expounded on the
external nature of the slump by
saying it was motivated by fear that
interest rates will climb.
“It means fund managers are
worried that interest rates will go
up. But interest rates go up, they
tend to sell stocks. They're
guessing, they speculated to some
extent and that has led them to sell
stocks around the world, including
the Philippines,” he said.
C a ra n d a n g ' s s t a t e m e n t
echoed the earlier pronouncement
of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
(BSP) that there is nothing to worry
about the recent slump in the
domestic equities as well as foreign
exchange markets.
According to Carandang, the
central bank “has not signaled
either way, and it's not so much
concerns about what our central
bank will do, but it concerns about
what the United States Federal
Reserve will do, and to some extent,
what the European Central Bank
will do.”
“If the Federal and European
Central Bank raise interest rates,
that will create pressure on smaller
central banks like ours to do the
same, and that's what stock
markets are worried about right
now,” he added.
“But there was a Monetary
Board meeting yesterday and they
did not signal either way so it's
really mostly external factors,”
Carandang said.
Carandang also attributed
part of the slump to existing fund
manager allocations.
“Fund managers have certain
allocations. For example, 50
percent for stocks, 50 percent for
bonds. If your stocks go up, and
your bonds go down, your 50-50
starts becoming 60-40 and you
have to start unloading in order to
rebalance your portfolio,” he said.
“For those reasons, rather
technical reasons, people began to
sell stocks around the world,
i n c l u d i n g t h e P h i l i p p i n e s ,”
Carandang added.
BIR May collections
fall short of target
MANILA -- The Bureau
of Internal Revenue (BIR)
failed to meet its collections
target in May, just a month
after it exceeded revenue
targets.
In a statement Monday,
the BIR said it collected
P111.9 billion in tax
revenues in May, 2.8 percent
less than the goal set for May
2013 of P115.12 billion.
The latest collections
data, however, is 18.35
percent more than
collections made in May
2012.
In May, collections
from BIR operations which
account for bulk of revenues
amounted to P109.51
billion.
This is 18.69 percent
more than collections made
in the same month last year,
but is 1.28 percent below
the goal set for May 2013 of
P110.93 billion.
Collections from nonBIR operations suffered a
blow last month and
amounted to only P2.39
billion, 42.9 percent less
than the goal set.
Regional Offices,
meanwhile, collected a total
P36.08 billion, while
collections by the Large
Ta x p a y e r s S e r v i c e
amounted to P73.42 billion.
The data came on the
heels of the BIR's exceeding
targets last April, the
deadline for income tax
filing.
Collections for April
and May now add to a little
over P260 billion against the
P 3 5 8 . 3 b i lli o n s e c o n d
quarter collections target.
In the first quarter, tax
revenues amounted to
P244.1 billion, up 6.56
percent year-on-year but
falling short of the P267.08
billion target for the first
three months of 2013.
The BIR is looking at
higher collections of
P306.87 billion in JulySeptember period and
P321.43 billion in OctoberNovember.
The tax agency is
expected to collect a record
P1.25 trillion for the whole
of 2013, up 18 percent from
actual collections of P1.057
trillion a year earlier.
Gov't: Report businesses
violating new receipt rule
MANILA -- As the
government prepares to
enforce a directive to
businesses to issue new
receipts by August,
Malacañang on Saturday
urged consumers to report
businesses still not issuing
receipts for their sales.
Deputy presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte
said the government is
taking all steps to ensure
tax collection and tax
compliance.
“Pwedeng i-report
natin 'yan, ang mga ganyan
pwedeng i-report kay
Commissioner Kim
Henares," she said on
government-run dzRB
radio.
Valte also brushed
aside the “dictator” tag on
Henares by some
businesses complaining
a b o u t t h e B u re a u o f
Internal Revenue's
upcoming enforcement of
a new receipts rule by
August.
The BIR had issued a
regulation requiring the
use of new receipts, though
it deferred the start of the
implementation from June
30 to Aug. 30.
With the regulation,
all businesses operating in
the country should issue
new receipts printed by
BIR-accredited printers
starting Aug. 31.
Violators face a fine of
up to P50,000 and/or
imprisonment of two to
four years.
“It's not that
Commissioner Henares is
targeting any... singling out
any particular group. It's
part of the steps she and
the bureau have been
t a k i n g t o m a ke s u re
tumaas tax collection and
tax compliance natin,"
Valte said.
She also said one
proof Henares is not
dictatorial is her response
to complaints and
comments by extending
the deadline.
“Kung dictatorial siya
hindi makikinig sa input at
kumento but the fact is inextend ang deadline," she
said.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 23
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Education sector begins drafting K-12 IRR
MANILA -- Agencies handling education
services begun at the Department of Education
(DepEd) Wednesday the drafting of the
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the
Enhanced Basic Education Act signed by the
President last May.
The program, which adds two more years of
senior high school among other enhancements, aims
to improve the quality of education to keep up with
international standards.
“According to the law we have 90 days (from
June 8) to finish this,” said DepEd Undersecretary
Alberto Muyot, drafting committee chair, adding
that the various subcommittees need to consult
other stakeholders as well.
The committee will also be conducting public
consultations, “We will go around Luzon, Visayas,
Mindanao, and NCR (National Capital Region)
sometime August and we will try to incorporate
Philippines, UK ...
From page 20
invaluable support which will go a long way in
institutionalizing and facilitating the EITI
implementation in the Philippines. This
funding will also support the activities that will
be undertaken in the sub-national
implementation of EITI and in the capacity
building of the different stakeholders which is
needed so that we can effectively implement
EITI in the country. This is all in line with our
President's “Daang Matuwid” commitment to
our people to promote good governance and
fight corruption.”
According to British Embassy Chargé d'
Affaires Trevor Lewis, the funding signifies the
British Government's continuing support for
the transparency and anti-corruption program
inputs from everyone involved,” Muyot said.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro reiterated
that the K-12 proponents' “desire to always seek
consensus and not to dismiss even our harshest
critics.”
The committee, which includes the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the
Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) as co-chairs, was split into
various sub-committees to focus on specific aspects
of the law such as curriculum, teacher training, and
career guidance, among others.
“It is auspicious that we are officially starting
on the IRR on Jose Rizal's birthday. He is the epitome
of someone who is fully Filipino yet a true citizen of
the world,” said Luistro, adding that students going
through the entire K-12 Program will experience a
rediscovery what it is to be Filipino.
The committee intends to finish the final IRR
before September 6, 2013.
of the Aquino administration.
“ I m p rov i n g t ra n s p a re n c y i n t h e
Extractive Industries is one of the UK's
priorities for our Presidency of the G8 this year
and it will be a subject of debate at the G8
Summit in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, next
week. We welcome the Philippines' candidacy
to EITI, which demonstrates President
Aquino's strong commitment to transparency
and matches one of our G8 priorities. Our Prime
Minister David Cameron explained recently
that the purpose of EITI is to remove the “veil of
secrecy” which surrounds the extractive
industries, build confidence and reduce
corruption. The Philippines has a wealth of
natural resources that, if managed properly, can
boost prosperity in the Philippines. This project
will help contribute to this goal and we're very
happy to play our part in supporting the
Philippines on this,” he said.
DepEd lauded for allotting
P100M for IP education
MANILA -- Senator Loren
Legarda on Monday lauded the
Department of Education (DepEd)
for allotting P100 million for
indigenous peoples' (IP)
education.
Legarda, chairperson of the
Senate committee on cultural
communities, also commended
the DepEd for its effort to conserve
heritage schools in the country.
“I am glad with these culture
and heritage related initiatives of
DepEd. I hope that the funds will
be effectively used not only for the
delivery of quality education to
our IPs but also for the
preservation and promotion of
their culture and heritage,” she
said.
The DepEd has allotted P100
million to be distributed to 100
school divisions nationwide to
fund education capacity-building
initiatives for IPs such as training
for implementers of IP Education
(IPEd) program, engaging in
partnership programs with
concerned organizations, and
creating an IP database.
She said the funding will
guarantee that IPs have access to
quality education to increase their
chances for employment and
make them competent and
competitive in the workplace.
Legarda said the DepEd's
Senator Loren Legarda
directive to make an inventory and
conserve the country's heritage
school buildings known as
Gabaldons, which were built
during the American period, is
significant to efforts to preserve
heritage and promote history.
“These Gabaldon schools,
like the heritage houses built
during the Spanish period, speak
much about our history,” Legarda
said.
Legarda said some of the
heritage structures are either in
poor condition or have been
abandoned already.
”I hope we can still revive all
these school buildings not just for
display but to be used for their
original purpose as places of
learning,” she said.
ENTERTAINMENT
A decade in, Maja Salvador
dedicates success to fans
MANILA -- Maja Salvador
is dedicating her decade-long
success in showbiz to fans who
continue to support her
through her career's highs and
lows.
The 24-year-old actress
joined showbiz in 2003 after
she became the subject of
headlines as a teen reunited
with a father she had never
met, former actor Ross Rival.
It didn't take long before
offers came in for Salvador to
try acting, with one landing her
a role in the primetime series
"It Might Be You," which
starred Bea Alonzo and John
Lloyd Cruz.
Since then, Salvador has
appeared in over 40 TV
projects and a dozen films, and
has even ventured into concert
performances.
Asked to whom she
dedicates her 10th year
anniversary in showbiz,
Salvador said, "Of course sa
fans, kasi siyempre very
Maja Salvador
grateful ako sa mga fans na
sumusuporta sa akin, talagang
simula umpisa hanggang
ngayon, kung anuman ang
nangyayari, andiyan parin
sila."
"Basta ang importante
nage-enjoy tayo sa trabaho
natin at nakakapagpasaya tayo
Pokwang's British
suitor gives up
Pokwang
MANILA -- It's all over
for comedienne Pokwang
and her British suitor.
Pokwang revealed
that her foreign suitor was
scheduled to visit her in
Manila last April but this
didn't happen.
"Hindi na (dumating),"
Pokwang said.
Asked if the guy gave
up because she's playing
hard to get, Pokwang
replied: "Malamang,
malamang."
L a s t M a r c h ,
c o m e d i e n n e exc i t e d ly
announced that her suitor
will return the country in
April, just a few months
after his last visit in January.
Pokwang, a single
parent, even said that her
British suitor already met
her daughter Mae.
Pokwang stressed that
she and the British guy are
only friends but also
admitted that he inspires
her.
Pokwang has never
named her suitor.
sa mga tao," she added.
To celebrate her first
d e c a d e i n t h e i n d u s t r y,
Salvador is touring in her own
concert series, titled "Maja
Unveils @ 10". The concert had
its maiden show June 15 at
Metro Gaisano Colon in Cebu
and will move to Palawan on
June 29 at NCCC Mall.
Having started her
concert series last April 28,
Salvador admitted that her
schedule has become more
hectic, but added that she
d ra w s i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m
bringing joy to her supporters.
"Kapag nagpe-perform ka
tapos nakikita mo 'yung mga
supporters mo na natutuwa sa
performance mo, 'di ba, sulit
'yung pagod," she said.
She added: "Mas naiinspire ka at namo-motivate
ka, 'yung determinasyon mo
mas guma-grabe, at dahil sa
kanila kung bakit ka
nagtatrabaho nang maigi."
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Andrea, Mikael, Christian in
GMA's new morning series
MANILA -- GMA
Network brings a wonderful
mix of humor, charm, and
romance via an all-original
morning program With A
Smile.
With A Smile is a light
and heartwarming family
drama that has all the
ingredients to delight the
hearts of television viewers,
young and old, with its
endearing characters and
romantic plotlines.
Following the success
of their first team-up in Sana
Ay Ikaw Na Nga, Andrea
Torres and Mikael Daez will
once again show their
chemistry on-screen as they
breathe to life the characters
that we will love.
Andrea plays the role of
Isay, a barrio lady who has a
passion for cooking and will
pursue her dreams for her
family while Mikael takes on
the role of Dean, a man who
believes that he's a
disappointment in the family
but will soon realize his
worth after meeting the girl
that will capture his heart.
Portraying an equally
important role in the series is
the newest Kapuso and
Asia's Romantic Balladeer
Christian Bautista as he
embarks on his first acting
project in GMA as Aston, an
independent, self-made
business man who gets into a
cat and dog fight with Isay
but will soon fall in-love with
her.
The Network's newest
offering is a great avenue for
Andrea, Mikael, and
Christian to show not only
their talents in drama but
also their funny side that will
surely bring a smile on
e v e r y o n e' s f a c e e v e r y
weekday morning.
Joining the ensemble
are talented artists Vince de
Jesus, Miggs Cuaderno, Rj
Padilla, Bryan Benedict,
Soliman Cruz, Marnie Lapuz,
Gilleth Sandico, Jak Roberto,
M i koy M o ra l e s , S h e l ly
Hipolito, and Kimpoy
Feliciano.
Under the direction of
Louie Ignacio, witness as
love and comedy blend in
With A Smile beginning June
17, 2013 before Unexpected
You on GMA's morning block.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Why KC Concepcion said
yes to supporting role
M A N I L A - - KC
Concepcion doesn't mind
being given a supporting role
in her latest TV project,
despite having previously
played lead in a primetime
series.
In fact, the 28-year-old
actress said she considers it an
"honor" to share a project with
Judy Ann Santos, who leads the
cast of the upcoming
Kapamilya series "Huwag Ka
Lang Mawawala."
The series, which will
start airing Monday during
ABS-CBN's Primetime Bida
block, is billed as the return of
Santos as the "Queen of Pinoy
Soap Opera."
"Si Miss Judy Ann Santos
po iyon," Concepcion said. "Of
course, had it been a different
actress, iba 'yung magiging
desisyon ko, pero it's Ms. Judy
Ann Santos."
Concepcion's last lead
role in a primetime series was
as Vivian in the 2009
Philippine remake of "Lovers
in Paris," where she was cast
opposite actor Piolo Pascual.
"If it's someone like Ate
Juday," Concpecion continued,
"it's an honor more than
anything. It's a huge, huge
opportunity to learn from her
din."
She added: "Hindi lang
naman 'yung nakikita ng mga
tao on-screen ['yung maaari
kong matutunan], kung 'di
'yung mga nagaganap din
behind-the-scenes 'yung
h a b o l m o r o o n ."
In "Huwag Ka Lang
M a wa wa l a ," C o n c e p c i o n
portrays Alexis, the woman
who comes between the
characters portrayed by
KC Concepcion
Santos and actor Sam Milby.
Describing her character,
which she considers a
" c h a l l e n g e" t o p o r t r a y,
Concepcion said, "Bulag na
bulag na bulag na talaga siya
[sa pag-ibig] na hindi niya
talaga maiwan si Eros (Milby),
hindi niya talaga maiwan 'yung
taong mahal niya."
"Siguro 'yun 'yung
pinagkaiba namin," she added.
"Bilang KC, masasabi ko talaga
na may mga ginagawa si Alexis
dito na hindi talaga dapat
tularan ng mga kababaihan!"
Asked whether she is
concerned that her public
image may be affected by her
"kontrabida" role, Concepcion
said she trusts that her
supporters will be discerning
of her "career move."
"Parang sa lahat ng
pinagdaanan ko sa publiko,
feeling ko naman, parang
mahal naman nila ako for who
I am," she said.
"This is also a career
choice for me, na gusto ko rin
ipakita sa mga tao na hindi
nagtatapos doon, na marami
pang pupuntahan," she said.
Directed by Jerry
Sineneng, Tots SanchezMariscal, and Malu Sevilla,
"Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala"
also stars John Estrada, Tirso
Cruz III, Coney Reyes, Susan
Africa, Mylene Dizon, Matet de
Leon, Empress, Bryan
Termulo, and Joseph Marco.
Comedians say 'comedy academy' not needed
MANILA - Two wellknown comedians are
apprehensive about the
suggestion of the Movie and
Te l e v i s i o n R e v i e w a n d
Classification Board (MTRCB)
to put up a “comedy academy”
in the country.
Vice Ganda, who recently
made headlines after
offending broadcast journalist
Jessica Soho over his jokes,
said he is not keen on the idea
of spearheading an institute
where comedians would have
to attend classes.
Vice Ganda, along with
other ABS-CBN executives,
recently met with MTRCB
Chairman Eugenio “Toto”
Villareal, for a discussion on
how to properly handly
“comedy bar humor.”
“Nag-suggest siya. Sabi
niya 'Magtayo ka ng school,
simulan mo?' Sabi ko parang
hindi ko pa naman kaya. Sabi
niya, 'Magtulungan tayo,' kasi
wala pa raw institute for
comedy sa Pilipinas. 'Simulan
mo na tutal bata ka pa pero
kino-consider ka ng icon sa
comedy. Marami ka namang
makakatulong diyan eh.' Sabi
ko nga ayaw kong magturo,”
Vice Ganda said.
“Mas maraming may mas
alam sa akin pagdating sa
ganyan. Siguro kailangan ko
rin humingi ng tulong sa
kanila,” he added.
Comedienne Giselle
Sanchez, for her part, said she
doesn't deem it necessary to
put up a “comedy academy.”
“Ang comedy po ay hindi
iyan eskwelahan na kailangan
turuan kami. Regalo po iyan sa
amin ng Diyos para ibigay sa
tao. Kung gusto niyong
limitahan ang aming
pagkokomedya, pwede niyo
naman siguro kami bigyan ng
warning,” she said.
Sanchez argued
comedians are intelligent
people who can practice selfcensorship.
“Halos lahat ng
komedyante matatalino. Kaya
naman namin ang selfcensorship. Hindi naman
siguro ako tatagal ng more
than 20 years sa comedy kung
hindi namin ine-exercise ang
self-censorship. Chairman
Toto, huwag niyo na ilagay ang
comedy school,” she pleaded.
This appeal was echoed
by actress Anne Curtis, who
has already worked with
numerous comedians in her
current and past projects.
“It's a gift to have that
kind of timing. But if it's like a
coming out workshop with the
MTRCB lang, eh 'di sige,” she
said.
Curtis is Vice Ganda's cohost in “It's Showtime.”
Luis Manzano speaks
up on political plans
MANILA --- Actor Luis
Manzano believes he has
"enough" qualifications to be a
public servant like his mother
Batangas governor Vilma Santos.
"Me? I am worth enough,"
Manzano said, adding that he is
open to the possibility of entering
politics in the future.
"If politics truly opens its
door para sa akin then that's when
I will start thinking. It shouldn't be
anytime I want it, he said,
stressing that politics is a "calling"
and a "vocation."
Manzano said he believes
politics shouldn't be a mere
" e s c a p e" p l a n f r o m s h o w
business.
"That's very unfair sa mga
magiging constituents," he
explained.
In a previous interview,
Santos said she will support his
son if ever he decides to do public
service.
Asked if he will support his
mom if ever she decides to run for
a higher position, Manzano said:
"Oo naman. Alam niyo even sa last
elections, ang daming nagsasabi
kay mommy na tumakbo ka for
this, for a higher seat. Pero ako
alam ko she wants to focus sa
Batangas."
Manzano explained that
Santos didn't enter politics with
the end-goal of holding a national
position.
"Hindi siya 'yung para
maging senador o presidente. Ang
ibang politiko, pagtakbo iniisip
Luis Manzano
agad nila 'yung mas mataas (na
posisyon). My mom wants to focus
specifically on Lipa. Napakaganda
ng iginanda ng Lipa," he said.
"Pero she never said yes to
politics to get to the highest
positions. She's perfectly happy sa
local. Kung aabot ba siya sa isang
national post, I have no idea. But
kung sakali man, I will be behind
her," he added.
In the interview, Manzano
also lauded Santos's first
independent movie, "Ekstra,"
which will be part of this year's
Cinemalaya Independent Film
Festival.
In the film directed by Jeffrey
Jeturian, Santos plays Loida, who
makes a living from playing bit
roles.
"Kakakita ko nga lang ng
trailer ng 'Ekstra,' na-excite ako.
Sobrang ganda ng trailer ng
'Ekstra' for Cinemalaya," he said.
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Sam Milby hopes he won't
disappoint Judy Ann Santos
MANILA -- The pressure is
on for Sam Milby, after being
personally chosen by Judy Ann
Santos to be her on-screen
partner and "kontrabida" in her
highly anticipated comeback
series.
The 29-year-old actor was
initially at a loss for words
during a press conference held
Tuesday for the upcoming series
"Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala,"
when asked for his reaction.
"Being hand-picked by the
queen, you can't help but just say,
' H o n o re d , p r iv i l e g e d a n d
thankful,'" said Milby, who is
teaming up with Santos for the
first time in the project.
"Huwag Ka Lang
Mawawala," which will start
airing Monday during ABSCBN's Primetime Bida block, is
billed as the return of Santos as
the "Queen of Pinoy Soap Opera."
"Sana lang hindi ko siya
madi-disappoint," Milby added,
"Si Juday (Santos), ang
management, everyone."
In the series, Milby
portrays Eros Diomedes, a rich
young man who develops an
aggressive temper from growing
Sam Milby
up surrounded by a domineering
family. He falls in love with
Anessa (Santos), a woman he
meets while on a business trip in
the province.
Admittedly, Milby had said
he finds it challenging to take on
emotionally charged scenes
opposite Santos, adding that he
still continues to work on being
Bamboo doesn't see
himself as an actor
MANILA -- Rocker Bamboo
Manalac dismissed suggestions to
venture into acting despite
receiving many offers for him to
star in TV projects.
“That will never happen with
me, sorry. I guess I know what I'm
g o o d a t , I k n o w wh a t I ' m
comfortable with. I'll never say
never but I'm almost 99.9% sure,"
Manalac said.
Although he did a film with
Rivermaya, he noted that they
merely sang in the movie and that
no acting was involved.
Several rockers have
branched out into acting while still
making music including Callalily
frontman Kean Cipriano, Marc
Abaya and even Manalac's former
Rivermaya bandmate Rico Blanco.
Instead of acting, Manalac
chose to become a coach in the
upcoming TV reality show "The
Voice of the Philippines," which
premieres on June 15.
Manalac said he and his
fellow coaches in "The Voice" aren't
acting at all.
"It's just me being me, all
genuine 100% and that's all I
expect for myself," he said of his
stint on "The Voice."
"But to be someone else, I
don't know. I have to have a
director I can trust for film. For TV, I
don't know, I can't handle the
hours. I enjoy what I do too much
which is singing, performing, and
songwriting. That's what I live and
breathe for and having my own
time,” he added.
Bamboo Manalac
Manalac admitted that there
have been offers to do acting
projects.
“Of course, there's been
offers. It's always been there but
I've always said no and I've even
gotten scripts for certain things
and I guess when the right thing
comes along and if I feel I'm mature
enough that I can handle it then,
why not? But right not now, today
99.9%, I doubt it because I love
what I do," he said.
"Ngayon pa lang I'm so
swamped. I'm doing so much
already so I can't imagine finding
time to do anything else. And when
I do something I want to be 100%
in. Ayokong daanan lang 'yan eh.
I'm not that kind of guy. I'm not that
kind of artist. I don't want a
paycheck. I want something that's
going to fulfill me so 'yun ang
importante sa akin,” he stressed.
Apart from "The Voice of The
Philippines," Bamboo is also set to
do a concert with Yeng Constantino
dubbed "By Request" at the
Araneta Coliseum in August.
fluent in speaking Filipino.
"I'm challenged by myself,
t h e m a n a g e m e n t , s a m ga
viewers, kay Juday," said the
actor, who grew up in Ohio in the
United States.
"I'm my own worst critic,
I'm very hard on myself, I'm a
perfectionist minsan...
Nakakahiya naman, eh, kasi kaeksena mo si Juday (Santos), si
Tito Pip (Tirso Cruz III), si Tita
Coney (Reyes)," he added,
referring to his other co-stars in
the series.
Being critical of his own
performances, Milby said, has
fortunately paid off.
"I'm just pressuring myself
to really improve, kasi gusto ko
talaga ipakita na I'm taking this
seriously, to improve improve on
my craft... Ngayon, nag-iimprove
na ako, and my confidence is
getting a lot better," he said.
Directed by Jerry Sineneng,
Tots Sanchez-Mariscal, and Malu
S e v i l l a , " H uwa g K a L a n g
Mawawala" also stars John
Estrada, Susan Africa, Mylene
Dizon, Matet de Leon, Empress,
Bryan Termulo and Joseph
Marco.
Dingdong Dantes hits
career 'crossroads’
MANILA -- Dingdong
Dantes said he is praying for
discernment in relation to his
next big career move, amid
speculations that he is set to
switch networks.
The 32-year-old actor, who
is a prized leading man of GMA-7,
said he is considering several
factors in deciding which path to
take as he faces a "crossroad" in
his career.
Dantes' contract as a talent
of his home network will expire
in December. Despite being
identified with GMA-7, he has
appeared in a number of ABSCBN projects, the most recent
being the 38th Metro Manila Film
Festival Best Picture, "One More
Try."
"In all my decisions naman,
I pray hard for them and consult
my family, so at the end of the day,
kung ano 'yung para sa akin, para
sa ikabubuti ko at ikabubuti ng
mga taong minamahal ko," he
said.
He added: "[We continue to
w o r k ] f o r u s t o i m p r o ve
ourselves and to improve other
people's lives."
Meanwhile, Dantes was
also asked for his reaction on the
recent exchange of pleasantries
between his current partner and
former girlfriend -- actress
Dingdong Dantes
Marian Rivera and singer Karylle,
respectively.
After three years of being a
couple, Dantes and Karylle broke
up in September 2008, amid
rumors linking the actor to
Rivera, his new leading lady at
the time.
"That's very good news,"
Dantes said of the chance
encounter between Rivera and
Karylle, who is now in a
relationship with singer Yael
Yuzon.
"Peace all the way, para sa
akin," the actor added. "To begin
with, wala namang problema.
Wala namang dapat i-celebrate
na hindi maganda, so let's always
celebrate happines, love and
peace."
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Jericho Rosales, Nora Aunor big
winners at the Gawad Urian
M A N I L A - - A f te r t h e
success of their films in the
international arena, actors
Jericho Rosales and Nora Aunor
received the top acting trophies
at the 36th Gawad Urian held at
the NBC Tent in Taguig City.
Rosales won the Best Actor
award for his movie "Alagwa"
while Aunor for "Thy Womb".
Directed by Ian Lorenzo,
"Alagwa" recently won at the
New Port Beach Film Festival.
Brillante Mendoza's "Thy
Womb" also competed in the
Venice Film Festival, and bagged
a number of awards at the 2012
Metro Manila Film Festival.
Aunor said it was an honor
to be given another Urian as the
award giving body gave her, her
first acting trophy for "Tatlong
Taong Walang Diyos" in 1976.
Here's the complete list of
winners at the 36th Gawad
Urian:
Best Film: "Ang Paglalakbay ng
mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim"
Best Director: Adolfo Alix
("Mater Dolorosa")
Best Actress: Nora Aunor ("Thy
Womb")
Best Actor: Jericho Rosales
("Alagwa")
Best Supporting Actress:
Jericho Rosales
Nora Aunor
Alessandra de Rossi ("Sta.
Niña")
Best Supporting Actor: Art
Acuna ("Posas")
B e s t i n C i n e m a t o g ra p hy :
Whammy Alcazaren and Sasha
Palomares ("Colossal")
Best in Screenplay: Mes de
Guzman ("Diablo")
Best Short Film: Remton Zuasola
("Ritmo")
Best Documentary: Benito
Bautista ("Harana")
Best Production Design:
B r i l l a n t e M e n d o z a ( " T hy
Womb")
Best Editing: Aleks Castañeda
("Kalayaan")
Best Sound: Willy Fernandez,
Bong Sungcang & Ferdinand
Marcos Sabarongis ("Florentina
Hubaldo")
Best Music: Diwa de Leon
("Baybayin")
Also during the awards
night, seasoned actress Mila Del
Sol was given the "Natatanging
Gawad Urian" title for her
contributions in the field of
cinema.
Del Sol top billed films like
"Giliw Ko," "Orasang Ginto,"
"Sawing Gantimpala," "Tatlong
Magdalena," and "Lupang
Pangako", among others.
The event was hosted by
Xian Lim, Iza Calzado, Richard
Gomez and Cheri Gil.
Melai, Jason back in
each other's arms
MANILA -- One year after
they broke up, comedienne
Melisa "Melai" Cantiveros is
back with former boyfriend
Jason Francisco.
" L a s t
m o n t h
( n a g k a b a l i k a n k a m i ) ,"
Cantiveros said.
Cantiveros and
Francisco, who met as
contestants on the reality
show "Pinoy Big Brother,"
broke up in February last year
due to misunderstandings.
While Francisco
eventually decided to woo her
back, Cantiveros entertained
suitors, which only made
Francisco even more hurt.
Fra n c i s c o wa s a l s o
involved in a "brawl" with
actor-dancer John Pratts over
what Francisco felt were
hurtful jokes about his thenformer girlfriend on the gag
show "Banana Split."
Cantiveros revealed that
Francisco is now planning to
work abroad after the
controversy but assured that
her on-again boyfriend is
doing fine.
"Hindi ko pa alam kung
ano ang (mangyayari). Pero
kapag nangyari 'yon siyempre
malalaman din ng tao na 'yon
ang plano niya sa buhay, na
mag-a-abroad siya o ano man
ang plano niya," she told
Aquino. "Pero depende pa. As
of now, wala pa."
Asked how Francisco
feels that his girlfriend is
Melai and Jason
earning more than him,
Cantiveros said: "Dati pa
naman parang nararamdaman
niya 'yon, sa start pa lang ng
relationship namin. Paglabas
pa lang namin sa 'PBB' parang
big winner ako, tapos siya
'yung susunod. Pero siya
mature siya pagdating doon at
saka kung ganon siyang lalaki
sana hindi na kami. Hindi isyu
sa kanya yon."
"Kaya nga sa amin kapag
nagdi-date kami ayaw niya
yong nagbabayad ako, ayaw
niya 'yon. Siya 'yung gusto na
magbabayad," she added.
Cantiveros stressed that
Francisco is doing everything
to earn his own money.
"Mayroon naman siyang raket,
raket kahit papaano," she said.
Aside from "Banana
Nite," Cantiveros is also part of
hit series "Apoy Sa Dagat" with
Angelica Panganiban, Piolo
Pascual and Diether Ocampo.
Ritz Azul top bills
'Misibis Bay’
MANILA -- YOUNG
actress Ritz Azul and model
hunk actor Daniel
Matsunaga will continue the
summer heat this month of
July as they top bill
upcoming primetime series
"Misibis Bay" on TV5.
Set in a private tropical
hideaway in Cagraray Island
in Albay, Misibis Bay is a sixweek mini-series that tells
the story of a girl who
dreams big and perseveres
amidst all the challenges just
to get the life she wanted.
Ritz will breathe life to
the character of Maita
Ramirez, a slum girl who
only dreams of providing a
comfortable life for her
ailing grandmother.
She will then meet rich
Andrew (Daniel), who is the
eldest son of Anthony Cadiz,
played by seasoned actor
Christopher de Leon.
This is the most mature
and sexy role taken by Ritz
on television. She made sure
to keep a healthy diet,
Ritz Azul
trained weekly and do muay
thai and zumba classes.
Before this series, Ritz
also starred in few
primetime dramas and
fantaserye such as "Mga
Nagbabagang Bulaklak,"
"Glamorosa" and "Kidlat"
opposite Derek Ramsay.
Joining Ritz and Daniel
in "Misibis Bay" are Victor
Silayan, Megan Young, Luke
Jickain, Vin Abrenica and
Malak So Shdifat.
SPORTS
June 21 - 27, 2013
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Odds favor Pacquiao vs Rios
By Nick Giongco
apparently confident
Pacquiao will have no trouble
getting back into winning
form in the scheduled 12round welterweight bout at
the CotaiArena, a 15,000-seat
venue within the sprawling
The Venetian Resort and
Casino.
Oddsmakers remain
somehow convinced that
Manny Pacquiao is far from
being damaged goods.
The odds for Pacquiao's
Nov. 24 comeback fight in
Macau against Brandon Rios
is out and the Filipino is listed
at -550, while his ultraaggressive American rival is
+350.
Pacquiao is still taking it
nice and easy and won't be
reporting for training camp
until September but Rios has
started doing preconditioning in Oxnard,
California, although he hasn't
done anything heavy. Rios'
devil-may-care attitude is one
reason why Pacquiao has
been installed as favorite and
it was for this that he was
In other words, a hefty
$550 bet on Pacquiao wins
only $100, while a mere $100
wager on Rios wins $350.
Pacquiao is coming off a
sixth-round knockout loss to
Juan Manuel Marquez of
Mexico and oddsmakers are
signed up to become
Pacquiao's dancing partner.
Pacquiao is in dire need
not only of a win but an
emphatic one at that as he
revs up to bring back his glory
days.
Before falling to
M a r q u e z i n D e c e m b e r,
Pacquiao was dealt a shocking
split decision defeat to Tim
B r a d l e y, m a k i n g h i s
showdown with Rios a mustwin.
Pacquiao plans to spend
six weeks in General Santos
City or Davao before heading
to Macau for the final two
weeks of his buildup. (Manila
Bulletin)
WWW.MMAMANIA.COM
Manny's days numbered
By Nick Giongco
there is still some juice left in
the tank for Pacquiao, citing
the cases of three
remarkable men who have
risen from the grave.
The Ring magazine,
widely acknowledged as The
Bible of Boxing, doesn't think
Manny Pacquiao is down and
out although there is a
feeling that the Filipino icon
is a fight or two away from
being counted out for good.
“Pacquiao's face-down
knockout loss to (Juan
Manuel) Marquez certainly
felt like a career changer,”
said The Ring in its latest
issue. “But many fighters,
i n c l u d i n g Ke n N o r to n ,
Roberto Duran and Emile
In the magazine's State
of the Game's July 2013
issue, the editors wrote that
Griffith, returned from
similar knockout losses and
had some great fight.”
“ C h a n c e s a re t h a t
Pacquiao can do the same.”
Pacquiao's next fight
will be on Nov. 24 in Macau
against Brandon Rios and
The Ring thinks that Top
Rank is embarking on a
farewell tour for its fading
cash cow. (Manila Bulletin)
WWW.MMAMANIA.COM
Celebs to grace
FDG badminton
A host of celebrities, led by
Regine Velasquez and Christian
Bautista, will jazz up the FDG Cup
Open and Invitational badminton
tournament which braces for its
10th staging on June 28-30 at the
Powersmash in Makati and
Robinsons Place Manila.
The event, widely regarded
as the premier badminton
doubles event in the country, has
drawn a full pack field headed by
the members of the national team
and pool along with the rising
stars from various badminton
clubs and schools in the country.
Meanwhile, the draw will be
held tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the
Opal Room of the Crowne Plaza
Hotel beside Robinsons Galleria,
according to the event's
organizers.
Page 28
The awards rites, on the
other hand, will be held in the
evening at the Century Seafood
Restaurant of the Century Park
Hotel with Velasquez and Bautista
gracing the night of fun and music
with Bianca Gonzalez as host.
Badminton enthusiasts
Carla Abellana and Iya Villana will
also be on hand during the
opening ceremonies of the event
held in honor of RLC president
Frederick D. Go, a long-time
supporter of the sport.
Also serving as the highlight
of the blue-ribbon event is the
participation of current world No.
1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and
former world top player
Denmark's Peter Gade, who will
play exhibition matches with FDG
a n d fo r m e r n a t i o n a l te a m
mainstay Kennevic Asuncion in
the final day.
On tap in the three-day
tournament are the centerpiece
men's, women's and mixed Open
doubles for the elite players along
with the Partners Cup, which
features employees and business
partners of the Robinsons Land
Corp.
Over 100 prizes will be
raffled off during awards rites,
including 10 smart phones, 10
tablet computers and 10 40-inch
TVs as part of the event's 10th
year celebrations.
While hostilities in different
categories will start June 28 at
Powersmash, the formal opening
ceremonies will be held at
Robinsons Place Manila on June
30 starting at 2 p.m. with Maja
Salvador and Erik Santos to
render special numbers.
The elims and the quarters
for the Open division will be
played at Powersmash on June 28
and 29, while the semifinals and
finals, along with the Invitational
event (Classes A, B, C, D, E and F),
will be held at Robinsons Place
Manila on June 30.
Manny Pacquiao
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Cuban embassy in Philippines closes Cobonpue, et al to
down due to financial difficulties
join team giving
NAIA a facelift
MANILA -- The Cuban
embassy here in the Philippines
is shutting down due to financial
difficulties brought about by the
global economic crisis and the
United States' blockade.
“The global economic crisis
affected us like everyone else,
but the continuing US blockade
has doubled the ill effects of the
c r i s i s ,” f o r m e r C u b a n
Ambassador to the Philippines
Jorge Rey Jimenez told a forum
organized by the PhilippineCuba Friendship Club late last
week.
“Closing the embassy was a
p a i n f u l d e c i s i o n ,” t h e
ambassador said.
Those who wish to transact
with Cuba will have to deal with
the Cuban embassy in Kuala
Lumpur, Jimenez said.
In the 1960s, after Fidel
Castro and his fellow
communists won the revolution
in Cuba, the United States
imposed a commercial,
economic, and financial
embargo. This was after Cuba
nationalized the properties of
American citizens and
corporations.
Dr. Francisco Nemenzo,
former president of the
University of the Philippines and
a member of the club, said Cuba
and the Philippines have a
shared history: both were
colonized by Spain for centuries,
gained independence from
Spanish rule in the late 1800s,
and sold to the Americans soon
after.
“We took separate roads
only in 1959 when Cuba took the
path to socialism while the
Philippines remained under
America's sphere of influence,”
said Nemenzo, who named his
eldest after Fidel Castro.
Corazon Fabros, another
member of the club, said Cuba
recognizes the close kinship
between the countries brought
by a shared history. “Cuba didn't
want to shut down their embassy
here but the Philippines shut
down its embassy in Havana [last
October] and that sort of decided
it for them,” she said.
Sonny Melencio, another
member of the club, regretted
the closure. “Which other
ambassador can we invite to a
forum like this to talk about
revolution?”
EXPRESS SUDOKU
HOW TO PLAY: Place a number from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so that each
row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the numbers from 1 to 9
Solution to Issue 23 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 23 Crossword
M A N I L A - - Wo r l d famous designer Kenneth
Cobonpue, architect Royal
Pineda and designer Budji
Layug are joining the group
working on the rehabilitation
of Ninoy Aquino International
Airport's (NAIA).
The trio, whose design
plan for the Manila airport
was shelved in 2011, will be
teaming up with Leandro V.
Locsin & Associates, the
architecture firm originally
appointed for the project.
" We m e t w i t h t h e
Cabinet secretaries and they
said they wanted to bring it
(the design) back," Cobonpue
said.
His group will focus on
the overhaul of NAIA Terminal
1, particularly the greeters'
area, Transportation
Secretary Joseph Emilio
Abaya said.
"It's about time na
gawan sila (the families and
friends of travelers) ng
ko m p o r t a b l e , m a ayo s a t
desenteng lugar. Ito yung
tinatawag na greeters' area,"
Abaya said.
He said he hopes the two
groups, despite going head to
head against each other in 2011
for the project, can work
together for the improvement
of the country's main
international gateway.
The government has set
aside P2.8 billion for the
rehabilitation of NAIA Terminal
1 and expects the works to be
finished in two years.
"Yung NAIA i-maximize pa
natin, dahil sinasabi nga ni
[Tourism] Secretary [Ramon]
Jimenez [Jr.] ang in-city airport
like NAIA is an asset for tourism
and for business and the
economy," Abaya said.
"So we'll max this out and
hopefully we'll come up with a
replacement to NAIA which is
as convenient as the NAIA now,"
he continued.
Search for RORO
sinking victims
shift to retrieval
MANILA -- Authorities on
Monday virtually gave up hope of
finding survivors from last Friday's
sinking of a roll-on roll-off vessel off
Masbate, as they shifted their search
efforts from search-and-rescue to
search-and-retrieval.
Office of Civil Defense Region 5
head Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV
said they decided on the matter before
noon, after search teams failed to find
at least seven people listed as missing.
"Effective ngayong araw nagshift ang ating operation from rescue
to retrieval. Ibig sabihin hindi na tayo
magkakaroon ng extensive search para
sa nananatili(ng nawawala)," he said.
He also noted the weather
conditions around Masbate had been
bad, though trips of large vessels
passing through the area had not been
suspended.
As of Monday, at least seven
remained missing from the sinking of
the MV Lady of Carmel.
"Naka-standby ang resources
natin. Kung may sighting sa towns or
coastal communities doon na lang tayo
gagalaw," Alejandro said.
Citing reports reaching him, he
said three of the seven are on the ship's
manifest while relatives of the other
four claimed they were aboard the illfated vessel.
Meanwhile, Alejandro said the
Coast Guard has assured them that
there is little threat from a possible oil
spill from the RORO vessel, which he
said was carrying 1,090 liters of diesel
when it sank.
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
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June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
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June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 31
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
June 21 - 27, 2013
Page 32
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS