Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund and National
Federation of Filipino American Associations, Region One host despedida
Page 18
de honor for Deputy Consul General Tess Dizon-De Vega u
DCG Tess Dizon-De Vega
VOL. 27 w
NO. 27 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
JULY 12 - JULY 18, 2013 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
Debate centers on 'when life begins'
Justices challenge arguments vs RH
By Rey E. Requejo
Supporters and detractors. Supporters of the Reproductive Health Law (inset) gather outside
the Supreme Court on Tuesday to air their sides. At right, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza
walks past former Senator Francisco Tatad during the start of the oral arguments for and
against the controversial law. EY ACASIO
MANILA – Forces opposed
to the Reproductive Health Act
unleashed their most scathing
arguments against the law in
oral arguments Tuesday in the
hopes of convincing the
magistrates of the Supreme
Court to declare it
unconstitutional.
Former senator Francisco
Tatad described the law as “an
instrument of genocide” and
urged the justices to stop the
government from carrying it out.
Tatad said the RH law
suppressed the freedom of
choice as enshrined in the
Constitution because it
redefined the purpose of
marriage. Worse, he said, it
denied the basic right of married
couples to procreate as they saw
fit.
“They must practice birth
control or else suffer the
consequences. That is not
freedom of choice at all. That is
not protecting the family as
foundation of the nation,” Tatad
told the Court in his opening
statement.
“ T h a t i s n o t e q u a l ly
protecting the right of the
mother and right of the unborn
and this is simply putting the
family under state supervision
and control…Have we become a
democracy only to submit to
state supervision and control?”
said Tatad, one of the 15
petitioners who asked the Court
to nullify the RH law.
Tatad warned that the law
would “rewrite the mandate of
the Constitution by imposing
population control to statemandated contraception.”
He said that under the RH
law, couples are only given the
options of periodic continence
and contraception. “They cannot
choose not to choose between
the two methods. They must
practice birth control or suffer
the consequences,” the former
lawmaker said.
u
Page 4
Outdated programs to be phased put; high-performing programs
to receive additional resources and redeployed staff
Mayor Fulop Announces Desk Audit
of City Workers and Programs
AFP Relax - A Philippine Airlines (PAL) aircraft
European tourists
expected to pour in
By Kim Arveen Patria
Yahoo! Southeast Asia
Newsroom
More European tourists
are expected to visit the country
after the European Union (EU)
lifted a three-year ban on local
airlines, top officials said.
Tourism Secretary Ramon
Jimenez said he expects a
“significant increase” in tourist
arrivals from Europe, where
flag carrier Philippine Airlines
(PAL) may again fly.
European tourists, sans
PAL flights to Europe, have
already spiked by 8.5 percent to
213, 598 arrivals from January
to March 2013 from 196,754
visitors a year ago.
“The United Kingdom,
Germany and France are among
the key European markets with
stable influx to the country,”
Jimenez's statement on
Thursday read.
Once PAL flights to and
from Europe are made available
later this year, tourist influx will
likely “include those from
adjacent countries,” Jimenez
said.
“PAL will be able to
effectively augment the existing
services by foreign carriers that
cater to tourists in the region,”
he added, noting this will
contribute to the goal of 10
million tourists by 2016.
The European Union on
Wednesday dropped PAL from
its so-called air safety list,
which tags airlines banned from
Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop
JERSEY CITY – Mayor
Steven M. Fulop announced that
his administration has started a
desk audit of every management
and supervisory city employee
to determine the functions,
accomplishments over the last
y e a r, a n d a n y o u t s i d e
employment beyond the
employee's city hall
responsibilities for each
individual. A desk audit hasn't
been conducted in Jersey City in
nearly ten years and the goal is to
move towards a more
comprehensive employee
performance review system.
The purpose of the desk
audit which will be conducted
division by division, department
by department is to determine
each employee's job function,
the program's performance level
and the need for redeployment
of staff to better serve the
residents. Additionally, the audit
u
Page 9
Bohol Police trained
by New York's Finest
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi)
The Central Visayan Province
of Bohol in the Philippines is
adding its security forces as a
come-on for tourists and
investors, who want to sample
its tourist spots as the rolling
Chocolate Hills, the Sandugo
(blood compact) Festival and
other pristine beaches as they
conduct their business in the
home province of the
Philippines' eighth president
(Carlos P. Garcia) and the site of
the oldest Philippine Catholic
church of Our Lady of
Immaculate Conception in
Baclayon.
Bohol Gov. Edgar M.
Chatto told hundreds of
members and guests during
the induction of officers of the
Confederation of Boholanos in
U.S.A. and Canada (CONBUSAC)
led by Larry Galang of Carmen,
Bohol and New Jersey at the
Gala Night of the three-day
international biennial
convention Saturday (July 6) at
the Renaissance Hotel in
Chicago, Illinois that Boholano
u
Page 6
u
Page 6
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Binay bucks proposed 'hands
off' policy on PH drug mules
Source: The Daily Tribune
Vice President Jejomar
Binay yesterday said
government cannot turn its
back on Filipinos abroad in need
of help.
Binay emphasized that the
appeal for a Filipina drug mule
recently executed in China was
an appeal for compassion and
not an act of condonation.
“The Philippine
government cannot turn its
back on any Filipino in need of
help. This is our obligation to
our citizens,” Binay said.
Binay was reacting to
statements made by two
lawmakers that government
should not have appealed the
execution of the drug mule.
Binay said it was
erroneous to equate the appeal
with intervening in the affairs of
China and condoning drug
trafficking.
“We have made it clear
from the start that we do not
condone the action of drug
mules and that we respect the
laws of China. Drug smuggling is
a serious offense and we do
recognize that under Chinese
laws, the penalty is harsh. We do
not question the verdict. We
were appealing for
compassion,” he said.
Binay, the presidential
adviser on Overseas Filipino
Workers Concerns, said the
government is not tolerating the
crime, but doing what needs to
be done.
Binay said this is also the
reason why the government is
preventing this kind of scenario
by addressing poverty, which is
the root cause of the problem.
Earlier, administration
lawmakers urged Malacañang
to adopt what they called a
hands-off policy on cases
involving Filipinos convicted of
drug trafficking abroad
following the execution of a
Filipina drug mule in China
recently.
Western Samar Rep. Mel
Senen Sarmiento explained that
the failed bid of the government
for commutation of the death
sentence meted on the 35-yearold Filipina drug courier only
proved that it is useless to try to
intervene in another country's
judicial system.
“I think that it's time for us
to adopt a hands-off policy on
cases of Filipinos that involve
na rco-t ra ffick ing even in
countries that still implement
death penalty. It's time that we
stop unnecessarily placing our
government's war against drug
abuse in serious question,”
Sarmiento said.
while it is the obligation of
the government to extend help
to all distressed Filipinos
abroad, legal assistance for
those who are in trouble with
the law should only be extended
by the state during the trial
stage for cases related to drug
smuggling and trafficking, the
lawmaker said.
The government should
refrain from interceding for and
on their behalf upon conviction,
even if only to ask for the
commutation of their sentence,
he said.
“They are destroying the
future of our youth and they are
tearing families apart. We must
stop protecting those who are
behind this scourge even if they
are Filipinos. They are an
embarrassment to all of us and
they do not deserve any of our
sympathy,” Sarmiento said.
Likewise, Iloilo Rep. Jerry
Treñas said drug smuggling is “a
crime against humanity.
He said the government
should show no mercy even if it
involves a fellow Filipino.
http://www.tribune.net.p
h/index.php/headlines/item/1
6336-binay-bucks-proposedhands-off-policy-on-rp-drugmules
House to prioritize
passage of P2.268
trillion 2014 Budget
By Charissa M. Luci
The House of Representatives
will prioritize the immediate
passage of the Malacañang's
proposed P2.268-trillion budget for
2014.
Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali
Gonzales, who will likely be retained
as House Majority Leader, said the
passage of the proposed 2014
General Appropriations Act (GAA) is
the Lower Chamber's top priority.
“Of course, we will work for its
immediate passage. That is the very
first bill that will keep us busy,
considering that the NEP (National
Expenditure Program) will be
submitted to the House of
Representatives the day after the
SONA (State of the Nation Address),”
he said in an interview.
Gonzales gave the assurance
after President Benigno S. Aquino III,
in consultation with his Cabinet,
approved late Wednesday night the
proposed budget for next year but
subject to some minor adjustments.
Budget and Management
Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. is
scheduled to transmit the 2014 GAA,
which is 13.1 percent higher
compared to this year's P2.006
trillion, to the House of
Representatives on July 23, a day
following the President's SONA.
The increase in the budget for
the coming will be used to finance
additional vital infrastructure
projects, among others, needed to
attract more foreign investments
into the country. Marikina Rep. Miro
Quimbo, who served as Deputy
Majority Leader in the 15th
Congress, is confident that the House
could pass the GAA “ahead of the
deadline.”
“If the last three years will be
our basis, we will pass it way ahead
of the deadline. The Speaker has
always striven to keep his
commitment that our Congress will
be the one that facilitates the success
of the Executive, not its obstacle,” he
said. Under the 2014 GAA, gross
domestic product (GDP) is expected
to expand to a range of between 6.5
percent and 7.5 percent, inflation at
3-5 percent , and an average
exchange rate of P42-P45 to a US
dollar.
Revenue collections, on the
other hand, is projected at P2.025
trillion, up by 16.04 percent or P280
billion more than this year's P1.745
trillion target, while the budget
deficit is pegged at P266.2 billion or
two percent of GDP.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
VA will now accept PH Army docs for denied Veterans
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2013 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) -- An
official of the White House has
disclosed that if records of Filipino
World War II veterans could not be
located at the National Personnel
Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis,
Missouri, the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) “will obtain
copies of certain Philippine Army
documents from the Adjutant
General of the Philippines.”
At the same time, Rosye Cloud,
Director of Policy for Veterans,
Wounded Warriors and Military
Families at the White House, in an
easy circulated by the White House
press office, said “response time for
service determination requests”
before NARA (National Archives and
Records Administration), which is
the mother agency of NPRC, will be
whittled down to “10 days or less.”
Ms. Cloud, who appears to
have taken over the duties of Filipino
Veterans Equity Compensation Fund
Interagency Working Group (IWG)
Presidential Assistant Chris Lu, CoChair of the White House Initiative
on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders, said the new policy is
designed “increase transparency
and accelerate processing of claims
within the existing framework.” Mr.
Lu reportedly resigned over
frustrations for not getting the
cooperation of the VA and the U.S.
Army to help with the problems of
the Filipino veterans,
She said the “VA has created a
special team dedicated to FVEC
(Filipino Veterans Equity Claims)
appeals and will obtain copies of
certain Philippine Army documents
from the Adjutant General of the
Philippines.”
Director Cloud said although
the White House is pleased to report
that “over 18,000 claims have been
approved,” many Filipino veterans,
numbering in excess of 24,000,
“believe that their claims were
improperly denied, or that they did
not receive a satisfactory
explanation as to why their claims
were denied.”
The claims refer to the onetime payment of $15,000 for
veterans, who are U.S. citizens, and
$9,000 for non-U.S. citizens, under
the Filipino Veterans Equity
Compensation (FVEC) Fund that
formed part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 signed by President Obama.
RESPONSE TIME REDUCED TO 10
DAYS OR LESS
Director Cloud said, “The
United States Army remains
confident in the current process to
determine valid service. The Army
has developed more detailed
response letters for requests for
service determination that explain
why an application was denied.
These letters are already in use.”
She added, “NARA has
decreased the response time for
service determination requests to 10
days or less. Though the IWG's work
concludes here, we hope these
reports provide the transparency
needed to understand the service
verification process for Filipino
World War II veterans appealing
their claims. This is part of the
Obama Administration's ongoing
efforts to honor the contributions of
all veterans in their service to our
country.”
It took the last seven months
for the IWG to come up with the the
policy toward increased
transparency and a thorough
accounting of the process to verify
valid military service for Filipino
World War II veterans. This effort
culminates in the reports that follow
from each member of the IWG. This
effort represents the first time all
organizations involved in the
verification process were brought
together to examine the process
from start to finish, and publicly post
a collaborative report explaining
each organization's role in the
verification process.
In addition to clarifying the
claims process, the IWG digitized
and made available online for the
first time a report titled, “U.S. Army
Recognition Program of Philippine
Guerrillas .” This crucial report
explains how the recognition
process was developed at the close of
World War II. Most significantly, the
Army publicly states their careful
reasoning behind the current
policies on service verification.
SILENT ON BUNGLED U.S. ARMY
PH GUERILLA REPORT
The IWG was silent on the
report of the “U.S. Army Recognition
Program of Philippine Guerillas”
where the U.S. Army bungled the
hundreds of thousands personnel
records of the guerillas, who are
owed compensation for their war
services to the tune of U.S.$1-billion
dollars. This service compensation is
apart from the compensation for the
260,000 Philippine Commonwealth
Army soldiers, whose benefits “on
par with the United States veterans
for their service to the United States”
during World War II were taken
away from them retroactively,
instead of prospectively, when the
U.S. Congress passed the Rescission
Acts of 1946. These Acts were ex post
facto laws that violate the U.S.
Constitution.
Over the past year, the U.S.
Army has placed a priority on
requests for service determinations
received from the Department of
Veterans Affairs for Filipino
veterans. As a result, today over 90
percent of requests are serviced
within 10 days versus 43 percent a
year ago, and NPRC is current with
claims processing.
NARA also clarified that NPRC
does not have “in its holding s
specific holdings a specific
document titled the “Missouri List”
or the “St. Louis List,” nor does it have
a single, comprehensive roster
listing every Philippine Army
veteran and recognized guerrilla.
The NPRC does not hold a document
called the “Roster of Troops,” nor a
uniform “Discharge List.” NPRC
merely authenticates prior service
determinations by examining claim
folders, finding aids, and a variety of
rosters compiled by the Army during
its post-war recognition program.
Authentication does not require a
claimant to be listed on multiple
rosters.
NARA also clarified that except
Justices challenge
arguments vs RH
From page 1
Tatad also said the law does not
equally protect the lives of mothers
and their unborn children.
Maria Concepcion Noche,
counsel for the Alliance for the Family
Foundation Philippines, one of the 15
petitioners, said the RH law violated a
person's constitutional right to life
and right to health.
She said life starts during
conception, when a sperm cell meets
an egg cell and forms an ovum or
zygote.
“A fertilized ovum is alive. It has
life. This is a vital sign of life. Fertilized
ovum is human. There is human life on
conception,” Noche said.
Noche said oral contraceptives
and intra-uterine devices have
“abortive capacity” and can be used to
abort a fertilized ovum.
The lawyer said the unborn's
constitutional right to life, which is the
supreme right since it “gives birth” to
other rights, would be prejudiced if
the RH law were implemented.
Noche pleaded the justices to
declare the RH law unconstitutional
as it violated the provision mandating
the state to protect life during
conception.
“Let all the voices of the unborn
be heard in this supreme tribunal. Let
their voice be yours,” she said.
Noche charged that proponents
of the RH law in Congress “reengineered the meaning of
conception by making it synonymous
with implantation,” referring to the
very early stage of pregnancy at which
the embryo adheres to the wall of the
uterus.
However, Senior Associate
Justice Antonio Carpio asked how the
magistrates would be able to settle
Royse Cloud, Director of Policy for Veterans,
Wounded Warriors and Military Families at the
White House
for the records of (Old) Philippine
Scouts, Philippine Army and related
records were not stored among the
U.S. Army records when a
catastrophic 1973 fire at NPRC
destroyed 16-18-million military
service records pertaining to
veterans of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air
force.
VA h a s e x p e d i t i o u s l y
developed a Filipino Veterans Equity
Compensation (FVEC) Fund benefit
application, an adjudication process
for this benefit, and a payment and
accounting system to facilitate
timely and accurate FVEC payments.
VA's Manila Regional Office (RO) is
responsible for processing FVEC
claims. The law requires VA to
administer the benefit consistently
with applicable provisions of title 38,
U.S. Code. Applications requiring
further development were
processed under Veterans Claims
Assistance Act procedures, as with
claims for other VA benefits, and
notification of claim decisions and
appellate rights are provided in the
same manner as for other benefit
claims. RO decisions on FVEC claims
are appealable to the Board of
Veterans' Appeals and, ultimately, to
the Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims, in the usual manner.
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
this issue of conception, when the
medical community itself has not
conclusively resolved it.
“You're asking us to decide on
medical issue, on when conception
happens? If it's not settled in the
medical profession, how can you
expect us to settle this?” he said.
A s s o c i a te J u s t i c e M a r v i c
Leonen agreed.
“We are not a council of faith nor
medical doctors, we are only SC
justices. What we can only use as tools
are the law. You are giving us the
awesome responsibility to determine
the beginning of life,” he said.
In her riposte, Noche said: “It is
settled among health professionals
that life starts in fertilization.”
Citing scientific studies, the
lawyer said the fertilized ovum is
“alive with 46 chromosomes.”
Associate Justice Roberto Abad
sided with the petitioner on this point,
saying that the Court can decide on
this issue based on an “understanding
of when conception or life begins.”
“There's no need for medical
expertise,” he said.
Associate Justice Teresita
LeonardoDe Castro backed Abad's
position, and even disputed the
definition of “conception” used by the
authors of the RH law, which is
supported by the Department of
Health.
“ L i fe c a n n o t b e g i n f ro m
implantation because even if you
implant something that is not living, it
will not grow and develop,” she said.
Associate Justice Mariano del
Castillo conceded to the petitioner's
definition of conception: “Upon
meeting of egg and sperm, I think
there is already life there. I can see
that.”
However, Associate Justice
Diosdado Peralta believed that there
might be a need to “ask the people
who ratified the Constitution how
u
Page 6
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
CSI-like technology
coming soon to PNP
MANILA -- The European
Union (EU) is financing some
P570 million worth of projects for
reforms in the field of Philippine
justice and rule of law.
Interior and Local
Government Secretary Mar Roxas,
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
and EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux
led the signing of agreement
ceremony at Camp Crame in
Quezon City Thursday.
The event was also attended
by ambassadors from Czech
Republic, Italy, Netherlands,
Spain, United Kingdom, Belgium,
France and Germany, as well as
consuls from Bulgaria, Estonia,
Finland, Lithuania and Slovakia.
To be implemented over the
next four years, and with DILG as
the lead agency, the projects will
focus on access to justice of the
poor and disadvantaged people,
addressing impunity in major
crimes, in particular extra-legal
killings and enforced
disappearances.
The project will primarily
provide training on crime scene
examinations, forensic skills, and
investigation techniques as well
as assistance to design and
i m p l e m e n t n e w o p e ra t i n g
procedures.
It will also include
acquisition of investigative aids
and kits to boost scene of the
crime operations.
"Yung nakikita natin sa TV,
yung nakikita natin sa CSI,
mapapadala na dito sa ating mga
laboratoryo," Roxas said.
Roxas explained that many
convictions in the country can be
attributed to witnesses but not to
physical evidence.
"Karamihan nung mga
krimen natin nalulutas dahil may
witness na nagtuturo, bihira
nagkakaroon ng conviction dahil
sa ebidensya," he said.
The financed projects will
a l s o i n c l u d e c re a t i o n a n d
extensive training of legal
information officers. These offices
will be a one-stop shop where
people can get cost-free access to
any type of legal information.
Also included in the project
is acquisition of more efficient
case management systems and
affordable information
technology to ensure an easier
and faster disposition of cases.
Based on the study of EU,
2010 figures show that it takes an
average of more than five years for
a case of extra- judicial killing to
make its way through prosecution
and adjudication without
counting investigation.
"This compounds the
perennial problem of case
congestion affecting the courts
which up to now have to
continuously deal with a backlog
of well over 600,000 pending
criminal and civil cases," Ledoux
said.
Roxas, meanwhile, said they
are now in the process of changing
t h e sys te m o f h i r i n g n e w
policemen.
"Sa ngayon may mga
naghahari-harian sa probinsya na
siyang pumipili sa mga magiging
pulis. Pagkakataon ito para
makahingi ng suhol o magsimula
ang padrino," he said.
He explained that the
qualified applicants will now be
drafted, not by any police officer,
but through a lottery system using
a tambiolo.
"May three for one pa nga, 3
policemen for 1 million pesos.
Anong klaseng police force na
papasok ka pa lang ay nanunuhol
ka na."
Roxas emphasized that this
is just one of the many reforms
they are undertaking especially
after a recent transparency
international survey showed that
the Philippine National Police
(PNP) is perceived to be the most
corrupt institution in the country.
Verzosa snubs
arraignment,
remains at large
MANILA -- Former Philippine
National Police (PNP) Chief Jesus
Verzosa was a no-show in his
a rra ig n m en t a t t he
Sandiganbayan's 5th Division
Thursday morning.
Verzosa is facing graft
charges after being implicated in
the allegedly anomalous purchase
of second-hand helicopters which
were sold to the PNP as brand new
for P34.6 million in 2009.
The PNP purchased one
Robinson R44 Raven II chopper,
and two Robinson R44 Raven I
helicopters from a company called
MAPTRA. Two of the three
choppers purchased were passed
off as brand new.
MAPTRA sourced the
c h o p p e r s f ro m L i o n a i r, t h e
exclusive distributor of Robinson
choppers in the Philippines.
A top executive of Lionair
later testified before the Senate
Blue Ribbon committee that Jose
Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, husband of
former President Gloria Arroyo,
was allegedly the true owner of the
helicopters.
Mike Arroyo was arraigned
on graft charges last January. He
denied he owned the choppers.
A warrant of arrest was
issued last June by the anti-graft
court against Verzosa and several of
his subordinates and co-accused,
Herold Ubalde, Roman Loreto,
George Quinto Piano, Edgar Paatan
and Avensuel Go Dy.
A hold departure order
(HDO) was also issued against the
accused last June 8, 2012.
A r ra i g n m e n t , h o w e ve r,
proceeded only for Verzosa's coaccused: police generals PDir.
Romeo Hilomen, PDir. Jefferson
Soriano, PCSupt. Harold Ubalde and
PDir. George Piano.
They all pleaded not guilty for
violating the anti-graft law before
Sandiganbayan Justices Roland
Jurado, Alexander Gesmundo and
Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.
Another accused, former
Special Action Forces Chief Police
Dir. Leocadio Santiago Jr., did not
appear before the court due to his
pending motions for
reconsideration. Verzosa must be
present in his arraignment.
It was last year when the
Ombudsman filed the graft case
a g a i n s t Ve r z o s a , A r r o yo , a
businessman, and 19 retired and
active police officers during the
administration of Arroyo.
Ve r z o s a h a d s a i d a n y
procurement deal went through the
strict PNP bidding process, and due
diligence was conducted by various
committees before his approval.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
European tourists
expected to pour
in
From page 1
making flights to the bloc's 23
member states.
All Philippine carriers have
been included in the list in 2010,
after the International Civil
Aviation Authority highlighted
problems in complying with safety
policies.
Welcoming the development,
Palace spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda lauded the Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP), which EU cited for
competence.
Aside from boosting tourism,
Justices challenge
arguments vs RH
From page 4
they understood the term
'conception.'”
Like others who oppose
contraception, Noche said the RH Act
violated the right to life by
promoting abortion, claiming too
that intra-uterine devices and pills
promoted in the law are
abortifacients.
But Justice Del Castillo
questioned what appeared to be a
hasty generalization on the part of
petitioner on contraceptives being
espoused by the RH law especially
after Noche admitted that they do
not consider condoms as
abortifacient. “You keep saying these
are abortifacient, then let's prove it,
let's put them to test. Provide us a list
of these abortifacient drugs that you
are [talking about],” he said.
Noche also argued that pills do
not prevent contraception with 100
percent certainty and efficacy, citing
statistics of women who become
pregnant even after taking them.
Besides, the government
would not have control over the use
of contraceptives once they are
distributed, the lawyer said.
Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes
Sereno spoke academically of the
state's mandate to protect family life
as embodied in Article II Section 12
of the Constitution.
She also said women could
make a choice by simply pushing
their husbands away as a form of
natural family planning.
Former senator Aquilino
Pimentel Jr., who was scheduled to
argue that the law violates the
autonomy of local governments and
the equal protection clause under
the Constitution, chose instead to
submit a memorandum to make his
points. “Our argument can't be
covered within the 15-minute time
slot fixed by the Court, so I suggest
they pass the time allotted to me to
fellow lawyers among the
petitioners,” he said.
Not all the petitioners were
able to speak as the Court cut the
debate short and set another hearing
on July 23.
In the enxt hearing, lawyer
Luisito Liban is expected to argue
that the law violates the right to
religion, right to free speech,
academic freedom, and the
“proscription on involuntary
direct flights to Europe will also
“enhance competitiveness and
facilitate the entry of investments
from the Eurozone,” Lacierda said.
Transportation Secretary
Emilio Abaya, for his part, called
the easing “an assurance to the
public of the country's compliance
with international aviation safety
standards.”
While all other airlines in the
Philippines however remain
banned in EU member states,
Abaya said budget carrier Cebu
Pacific may be re-evaluated within
six months.
The Gokongwei-led airline
this year figured in at least two
airport mishaps: one of its planes
overshot the Davao airport runway
in June while another skidded at
the NAIA runway.
servitude,” while lawyer Luis Gana is
set to argue that the law violates the
Organic Act on the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The 15 consolidated petitions
were filed by couple James and
Lovely-Ann Imbong, the non-profit
group Alliance for the Family
Foundation Philippines Inc., Serve
Life Cagayan de Oro City, Task Force
for Family and Life Visayas Inc.,
lawyer Expedito Bugarin, Eduardo
Olaguer of the Catholic Xybrspace
Apostolate of the Philippines,
Philippine Alliance of ExSeminarians Inc., Reynaldo Echavez,
Tatad and his wife Ma.Fenny, a group
of doctors represented by lawyer
Howard Calleja, Millenium Saint
Foundation Inc., Pro-Life Philippines
Foundation Inc., a group of Catholic
students represented by the legal
office of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines,
Catholic lay group Couples For Christ
Foundation and Almarim Centi
Tillah and Abdul Hussein Kashim.
After all counsels for the
petitioners have spoken, the
respondents would be allowed to
argue why the law is constitutional.
Named respondents in the
petitions were Executive Secretary
Pacquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad, Education Secretary
Armin Luistro, Health Secretary
Enrique Ona, and Interior Secretary
Manuel Roxas II. The six intervenors
in the case would then present their
arguments in support of the RH law.
They are losing senatorial bet
and former Akbayan Rep. Ana
T h e re s i a H o n t ive ro s ; fo r m e r
secretaries of Health Esperanza
Cabral, Jamie GalvezTan and Alberto
Romualdez Jr.; the group of 2005 Bar
topnotcher Joan De Venecia; Sen. Pia
Cayetano, sponsor of the measure in
the Senate; the Catholics for
Reproductive Health and Interfaith
Partnership for the Promotion of
Responsible Parenthood Inc.; and
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, author of
the law in the House of
Representatives.
The Court issued last March 19
a 120-day status quo ante order
enjoining the government from
implementing the law. The order
lapses on July 17.
As the public hearing went on
inside the Supreme Court session
hall, supporters and detractors of the
RH law taunted each other with
chants before police made sure that
the demonstrations by the opposing
camps stayed peaceful. (Manila
Standard)
Bohol Police
trained by ...
From page 1
Dr. Ramie Cadag accompanied Joe
Gough and Joseph Gennusa of the
N e w Yo r k C i t y E m e r g e n c y
Management and Detectives
Donald Lasala and David Norman
of the NYPD-ESU (New York Police
Department Emergency Service
Unit) to Tagbilaran City to train
members of the City's local police
on how to respond to emergency
situations.
The program called
Telephone and Radio System
Integrated Response, whose
acronym TaRSIER conjures the
namesake of the fist-sized monkey,
the smallest in the world, which is
endemic in the province and the
neighboring islands of Samar,
Leyte and Mindanao, comes in
tandem with the training of the
City's SWAT (Special Weapons and
Tactics).
In TaRSIER in Tagbilaran,
which is equivalent to dialing an
emergency telephone Nos. 9-1-1 in
North America, the emergency
phone number to dial is 1-1-7.
TaRSIER is believed to be the first
emergency, first responders in the
Philippines.
Like dialing 9-1-1, dialing 11-7 should only be done for
emergency circumstances for
heart attack or stroke, house fire,
domestic violence, burglary or
theft in progress, car accidents,
suspicious activities or anything
else that seems like an emergency.
Nobody should dial 1-1-7 for
non-emergency situations or
prank calls as doing so could be a
crime.
“JAWS OF LIFE”
The 53-year-old newly reelected governor thanked
Conbusac members Port
Washington, New York-based
homereachfoundation.org led by
Dr. Cadag and co-chair Dr. Teofilo
(Pepe) R. Recitas for making
possible the six-day training of
TaRSIER in coordination with
Bohol provincial government that
included skills in advanced medical
c a r e , ve h i c u l a r e x t r a c t i o n ,
advanced water course,
underwater search-and-rescue
and public safety diving.
With 30 first responders,
TaRSIER was also provided with
equipment such as “jaws of life,”
power saws, rebar cutters, safety
goggles and gloves, SearchCams
donated by volunteers.
Although he considers Bohol
to be generally peaceful, Attorney
Chatto welcomed TaRSIER and
SWAT in the province with 1.2million population to make Bohol
truly “an ideal place to live in and
do business.”
Mr. Chatto also thanked
Conbusac for artificial
insemination program, which gives
away semen of carabaos and cattle
that provide income to smallearning families and the
introduction of M-R-I (magnetic
resonance imaging) to the Bohol
Medical Care Institute, a first in the
whole province.
“Thanks to TBTK,” Mr. Chatto
said, referring to Conbusac's
program's initial for “Tigum Bola n o n s a T i b u o k Ka l i b u t a n ”
(Gathering of Boholanos All Over
the World) held every two years.
Speaking extemporaneously
for 30 minutes, Mr. Chatto said, “We
anchor our programs on health,
e d u c a t i o n , a g r i c u l t u re a n d
tourism, information
communication technology, which
are job-creating sectors for BPO's
(business processing outsourcing)
and TPO's calling centers, (which
are) added sources of revenues as
well as jobs and livelihood of the
people dependent on good plans,
implementation and blessings
from the Almighty.”
He said the National
Statistical Coordinating Board of
the Philippines has reported a drop
in poverty incidence in Bohol by six
points equivalent to 16 percent
reduction from 2009 to 2013; rice
production in Bohol is highest in
region, a positive increase while
others in the region had negative
due to El Nino. Bohol used science
and technology as “we flew the
plane seeding the clouds,” saving
farmlands, with 2.7 growth
increase and positive growth of
region 7;
Bohol never reached
tonnage of 3.0 metric tons per
hectare of rice but in 2013 Bohol
made it to 3.08 MT of rice per
hectare in rice production,
surpassing past years. Farmers
should be praised for this positive
impact to the total community, a
comparative advantage in the
market in the region; investment in
2012 was recorded at 12.2-billion
pesos (US$290-M) by Bohol
Investment Promotions Center
with new hotels, new resorts and
new investments flowing into
province's micro investments, and
small businesses totaling 1.2billion pesos (US$28-M).
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
SC junks Cojuangco
plea with finality
MANILA -- The Supreme
Court, in its en banc session on
Tuesday, denied with finality
businessman Danding
Cojuangco's claims over shares
he held in the United Coconut
Planters Bank (UCPB).
The high court affirmed its
November 27, 2012 decision
which ruled that the said shares
belong to the state since it was
bought using coconut levy
funds.
Voting 14-0, the high court
junked Cojuangco's motion for
reconsideration (MR) and
ordered that an entry of
judgment be issued to close the
case.
In junking Cojuangco's MR,
the SC said the arguments raised
in the motion are a mere
re i te ra t i o n o f a rg u m e n t s
already passed upon in the Nov.
2012 decision. Only Associate
Justice Arturo Brion was unable
to vote; he is on sick leave.
No further pleadings shall
be entertained.
NOVEMBER 27 RULING
In a decision penned by
Associate Justice Presbitero
Velasco, Jr., dated Nov. 27, the
high court ruled that the subject
shares, paid by the Philippine
Coconut Authority (PCA) out of
the Coconut Consumers
Stabilization Fund (CCSF),
transferred to Cojuangco, are
"conclusively owned by the
Republic of the Philippines to be
used only for the benefit of all
coconut farmers and for the
development of the coconut
i n d u s t r y, a n d o r d e r e d
reconveyed to the government."
Out of the 72.2% UCPB
(formerly First United Bank)
shares of stocks purchased by
the PCA through the coconut
levy funds, 10%, or a total of
7 . 2 2 % f u l ly p a i d s h a r e s
amounting to P10.88 million,
was transferred to Cojuangco in
1975 as compensation. This was
paid with the use of coconut levy
funds.
"In effect , Cojuangco
received the aforementioned
asset as a result of the PCACojuangco Agreement, and
exclusively benefited himself by
owning property using solely
public funds.
"We, therefore, affirm, on
this ground, the decision of the
Sandiganbayan nullifying the
shares of stock transfer to
Cojuangco. Accordingly, the
UCPB shares of stock
representing the 7.22% fully
paid shares subject of the
instant petition, with all
dividends declared, paid or
issued thereon... shall be
reconveyed to the Government
of the Republic of the
Philippines, which as we
previously clarified, shall 'be
used only for the benefit of all
coconut farmers and for the
development of the coconut
industry,'" the decision read.
The high court said that
UCPB shares of stocks owned by
the "alleged fronts, nominees
and dummies" of Cojuangco
which form part of the 72.2%
shares of UCPB, also belong to
the state.
I n
2 0 0 3 ,
t h e
Sandiganbayan ruled that
coconut levy funds are special
public funds.
Philippines inches up in
list of competitive nations
for travel, tourism
Written by Reuters
The Philippines has been
rated as one of the rising starts in
tourism in a study done by World
Economic Forum's latest Travel
and Tourism Competitiveness
Report.
While the country ranked
very low it climbed from No. 94 to
No. 82, thanks to policy
improvements aimed at
supporting the tourism industry.
Despite an uncertain global
economic outlook and fragile
growth, tourism has proven to be
one of the most resilient industries
of our time. Increased globalization
and the rise of the middle class in
several developing economies have
made travel and tourism a critical
sector for economic development.
“The travel and tourism
industry has weathered the global
downturn and is now playing an
important role in helping tackle
serious global challenges,
including youth unemployment,
e c o n o m i c d eve l o p m e n t a n d
environmental sustainability,”
explained Thea Chiesa, director of
travel and tourism industries at the
World Economic Forum.
The Geneva-based
foundation's 2013 report focused
on the theme of “reducing barriers
to economic growth and job
creation,” and it ranked 140
countries using data compiled by
international travel and tourism
institutions and expert surveys.
Researchers measured each
nation's infrastructure, cultural
sites, facilities, staff, ability to
develop, and overall attractiveness,
among other features, and they
found that Switzerland, Germany
and Austria ranked the absolute
best for travel and tourism
competitiveness.
Despite its financial woes
and 26 percent unemployment
rate, Spain climbed four places in
the biannual survey to No. 4 thanks
to its numerous cultural resources,
abundance of international fairs
and exhibitions, and significant
sports stadium capacity. France,
meanwhile, fell four places to No. 7
due to some restrictive regulations
in its tourism sector. Sweden also
tumbled from No. 5 to No. 9.
Rounding out the top 10, the
UK climbed two places to No. 5, the
U.S. remained at No. 6, Canada
climbed one spot to No. 8 and
Singapore stayed at No. 10.
Emerging economies
reported mixed levels of progress.
Of the BRIC nations, for instance,
just Brazil and India moved up in
rankings, while Russia's corruption
and China's lack of infrastructure
saw them tumble downward.
(Malaya)
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Comelec annuls proclamation
of Marinduque representative
MANILA -- The Commission
on Elections (Comelec) has
annulled the proclamation of
Regina Ongsiako Reyes as the
winning representative of
Marinduque province in the May
13 midterm elections.
“The May 18 proclamation of
the respondent, Regina Ongsiako
Reyes, is declared null and void and
without any legal force and effect,”
said the 19-page resolution by the
Commission en banc.
With this, the poll body
ordered the Provincial Board of
Canvassers (PBOC) of Marinduque
to proclaim Lord Allan Jay Velasco
as the winning representative in
the province's lone district.
“Since petitioner remains the
only remaining candidate for the
position of representative, who
garnered 48,396 votes, then the
PBOC shall proclaim him as the
winning candidate,” said the en
banc, voting 5-2.
The order added that the
proclamation of Reyes should be
annulled since she lacked the oneyear residency requirement and
for being an American citizen.
Last March, the Comelec First
Division has cancelled the COC of
Reyes on the grounds that she is an
American citizen and did not meet
the one-year residency
requirement.
Comelec Chairman Sixto
Brillantes, Commissioners
Lucenito Tagle, Elias Yusoph, Grace
Padaca, and Luie Guia voted to
unseat Reyes.
F o r t h e i r p a r t ,
Commissioners Christian Lim and
Al Parreno dissented noting that
Comelec has no jurisdiction over
the case since Reyes has been
proclaimed by the PBOC.
However, the poll body said
that they still have jurisdiction of
the case since what is being
declared null is the action of the
PBOC, which is under the Comelec.
“Clearly, therefore, contrary
to the assertions of the Respondent
Reyes, the Commission retains
jurisdiction to determine the
validity and propriety of the acts of
the PBOC,” said the resolution.
On the other hand, Comelec
Chairman Sixto Brillantes
explained that the en banc is
merely continuing the Petition to
Deny Due Course on the Certificate
of Canvass (COC) of Reyes.
“Indeed, while the denial of
due course to and/or cancellation
of COC generally necessitates the
exercise of the Commission's
quasi-judicial functions, when the
grounds therefore are rendered
conclusive on account of final and
exe c u t o r y j u d g m e n t s , s u c h
exercise falls within the
Commission's administrative
jurisdiction to enforce and
administer all laws and regulations
which is definitely outside the
functions of the HRET,” he said in
his concurring opinion.
Erap allowed more time to
answer disqualification case
MANILA - The Supreme
Court has allowed former
President Joseph Estrada more
time to answer the allegations
against him in connection with
the bid for his disqualification
as the new mayor of Manila.
The high court granted
the 30-day extension he sought
to answer the plea filed by rival
and former Manila Mayor
Alfredo Lim. The extension will
end on August 6.
Estrada's counsel, George
Erwin Garcia, said he is
handling too many cases and
that he needed more time to
answer Lim's petition for
intervention.
Lim intervened in the case
filed by lawyer Alicia RisosVidal, who sought a reversal of
the decision of the Commission
on Elections (Comelec)
allowing Estrada to run for
mayor despite his previous
conviction for plunder.
Vidal is also allegedly
Lim's lawyer.
While Lim did not ask for
a halt order on Estrada's
assumption of the post, he
asked the high court to order
the Comelec to convene the
board of canvassers and
proclaim him the winner.
Flanagan Directed Largest WIC Program in NY State
Mayor Fulop Names Stacey Flanagan as
Health and Human Services Director
JERSEY CITY -- Mayor
Steven M. Fulop announced on
July 11 the appointment of Stacey
Lea Flanagan, MS, a Jersey City
resident and leading advocate in
public health and poverty
solutions as the new Director of
the Department of Health and
Human Services.
Ms. Flanagan's professional
career has been focused on
strengthening and increasing the
capacity of nonprofit and
government-funded programs
through management, training
and technical assistance. Ms.
F l a n a g a n j o i n s t h e Fu l o p
Administration from Public
Health Solutions, where she was
most recently the Director of the
largest supplemental nutrition
program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) in the State of NY
servicing more than 50,000
people.
“My goal has always been to
break from the status quo and
really assemble an all-star
leadership team to move Jersey
City forward. When I met Stacey
after she applied online in the
public resume drop, I was
immediately impressed with her
knowledge of public health and
the issues facing urban areas
such as Jersey City and her
distinguished background,” said
Mayor Fulop. “To have a leader
that ran the largest program in
NY State like this wanting to work
for our administration to help
build our Health and Human
Services Program into a worldclass model is really exciting.”
Ms. Flanagan applied for
the position of Health and Human
Services Director through the
online resume system put in
place during the transition
period, signaling a shift in how
senior cabinet and staff positions
are filled.
“We are reviewing the
resumes that have been
submitted, interviewing the most
qualified candidates, and
selecting the best people for the
job,” said Mayor Fulop. “We are
putting the best interest of the
city ahead of politics.”
In Flanagan's 20-year
career, she has worked with
several nonprofit organizations
dedicated to poverty alleviation
and result-oriented
programming, including
Abraham House, Big Brothers Big
Sisters of NYC, One Stop Senior
Services, Share Our Strength, The
Leader to Leader Institute, and
the U.S. Peace Corps. In addition,
Ms. Flanagan has been teaching
in the School of Public Policy at St
Peter's University in Jersey City
since 2006.
“Jersey City is where my
interest in public service started
nearly 24 years ago when I
volunteered at the York Street
Project with a group of friends
from high school,” said Ms.
Flanagan. “It is truly an honor to
be able to now lead the city's
Health Department under the
Fulop administration. I am
looking forward to developing
policy initiatives that have a real
impact on the lives of the people
in our city.”
In her spare time, Ms.
Flanagan is a member/owner of
the JC Food COOP, participates in
the Downtown Harvest
Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program, and
works on efforts to strengthen
the regional food system as a
member of the Governance
Committee of the Food Systems
Network of NYC.
Ms. Flanagan graduated
Michigan State University with a
BA in Political Science and holds
an MS in Nonprofit Management
from the New School for Social
Research.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Most Comprehensive Review Conducted During a Transition
in Jersey City; Roadmap Outlined for Moving City Forward
Mayor Fulop releases 155-page Transition Report
JERSEY CITY -- Mayor
Steven M. Fulop on July 10
released the 155-page report
issued by the Transition Team
that details the current state of
Jersey's City's municipal
government, identifies the
significant issues, and lays a
roadmap for correcting many of
the longstanding problems.
“The transition team spent four
weeks collecting and reviewing
information, as well as best
practices and models for
municipalities, to determine
what are the issues facing
Jersey City and what can guide
us as we develop long-overdue
solutions,” said Mayor Fulop. “I
hope the public takes an
opportunity to review these
findings as much time and
effort was invested and we view
this as a positive process
toward moving Jersey City
forward.”
The Transition Team was
c o m p r i s e d o f 1 1
subcommittees that were as
follows: Budget and Financial
Operations Review Team;
Departmental Operations
Re v i e w Te a m ; E xe c u t ive
R e c r u i t m e n t ; Wo r k f o r c e
Development, Training and
R e e n t r y ;
R e a l
Estate/Redevelopment/Busine
ss Climate-Outreach
C o m m i t te e ; I n d e p e n d e n t
Authorities; Cultural
Development and Tourism;
L e g a l
R e v i e w ;
Recreation/Education; and IT
Initiatives.
Amongst other topics, the
transition review highlighted
the shortfalls of the Healy
administration budget and
legacy structural deficit, but
a l s o
i d e n t i f i e d
recommendations for
generating recurring revenue
to provide long-term property
tax stability.
The report also details
operational reviews of city
departments and agencies and
presents numerous
recommendations to generate
efficiencies, create
accountability, and produce
cost savings. Examples include
modernizing the City's payroll
system, the implementation of
online purchasing and
procurement, and the
reestablishment of the City
Grants Office.
As part of the process,
Mayor Fulop held four
community meetings during
the transition period to also
hear directly from the public
about their concerns and goals
for the new administration.
Much of their sentiments were
echoed in the findings of the
report, including the need for
improved customer service in
City offices, a more efficient and
transparent Building
Department, and technology
improvements for the delivery
of city services.
The full report can be read at: http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/uploadedFiles/City_Government/Office_of_the_Mayor/Transition%20Report.pdf
Mayor Fulop
announces
desk audit ...
From page 1
serves to eliminate any
duplication of services.
“The taxpayers
deserve to have every
dollar they pay the city
work for them and
redundant services
eliminated,” said Mayor
Fulop. “We want to make
every employee and every
office accountable and
working to its fullest
potential for the residents
and business owners. To
do that , we need to
understand the human
resources we have in place
and utilize staff
appropriately.”
Mayor Fulop expects
to complete the internal
review over the next
several weeks and begin
restructuring programs
and departments.
Police: Jersey City DPW worker
picked up prostitute in city truck
By Terrence T. McDonald/The
Jersey Journal
A 47-year-old employee of
the Jersey City Department of
P u b l i c Wo r k s i s f a c i n g
prostitution and theft charges
after police say he solicited a
hooker while driving a city pickup truck.
George Reyes, of North
Arlington, was arrested
yesterday evening (July 10)
after police say he admitted
agreeing to pay Rose E. Doria,
48, of Jersey City, $15 to
perform oral sex on him in the
city car.
Reyes, who city records
say makes about $57,000
annually as a parks supervisor,
now faces termination from his
public job in addition to the
criminal charges.
Police say they were at a
red light at Danforth and Ocean
avenues yesterday at about 6
p.m. when they saw a “known
prostitute,” identified as Doria,
waving at passing vehicles,
according to a police report.
The two officers say Reyes,
driving a green Ford F150 with
white stickers on the side
identifying it as a DPW car, then
pulled over at the southwest
corner of Danforth Avenue, the
report says.
According to the report,
Doria hopped into the city car,
and Reyes drove to Cator
Avenue just east of Ocean
Avenue, which cops describe as
a “known area where
prostitutes bring their
customers, also known as
'Johns,' to perform sexual acts in
exchange for currency.”
Police tailed them and
pulled behind the city car when
it stopped, the report reads. As
officers approached the vehicle,
Doria exited and began to leave
the scene but was detained by
one of the officers, the report
says.
Reyes, meanwhile,
repeatedly told the other officer,
“I didn't give her any money,”
according to the report. Police
say he refused to shut off and
exit the car, but eventually
relented, the report says.
Doria told police Reyes
agreed to give her $15 in
exchange for oral sex, while
Reyes said he was planning to
negotiate with Doria but
changed his mind after the deal
was made, according to the
report.
When cops called the DPW
to ask them to tow its car from
the scene, DPW Director
Michael Razzoli told police
Reyes was not authorized to
have the city truck at that time.
Both Reyes and Doria were
charged with loitering to
engage in prostitution, while
Reye s h a s b e e n c h a rg e d
additionally with unlawful
taking by means of conveyance.
In a statement from the
city, Mayor Steve Fulop said he
has a “zero tolerance” policy for
Reyes' alleged conduct.
“This is the second time in
just one week that a city
employee has committed a
crime while using a city vehicle
without authorization, which
speaks to the pervasive culture
of abuse that has been allowed
to exist in Jersey City,” Fulop
said. “This is unacceptable and
we are going to root out this
type of behavior and put an end
to it. We will not tolerate this.”
The other incident Fulop
refers to involves William
Kallert, an off-duty cop who was
charged last week with drunk
driving and firing his gun in an
unmarked police car.
Editorial & opinion
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Deafening silence
at the Palace
It is truly ironic that one of the first acts of
President Benigno S. Aquino III in office was to
denounce the greed of top executives at the stateowned Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System.
In his first State-of-the-Nation Address in 2010,
Mr. Aquino excoriated the MWSS officials for granting
themselves hefty salaries and bonuses that cost
taxpayers P211.5 million a year, 76 percent of which
was in the form of add-on allowances and benefits.
“The average worker receives up to 13th month
pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they receive the
equivalent of over 30 months pay if you include all their
additional bonuses and allowances,” an outraged Mr.
Aquino said.
What is truly outrageous, however, is that today,
three years later, Mr. Aquino has chosen to remain
silent on the way two private concessionaires of the
MWSS, Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Systems,
have fleeced the public of P15 billion in the five years
since 2008, by passing on their income taxes and all
sorts of operating expenses to consumers by way of
inflated water rates.
This is avarice that far and away dwarfs the
undeserved bonuses that Mr. Aquino complained
about in 2010, yet he has not said a meaningful word to
right what is unequivocally a glaring injustice.
The math is as simple as the contrast is stark. Mr.
Aquino raised a stink three years ago over practices
that cost taxpayers P211.5 million a year, but has
chosen to remain silent today over a scam that has
already cost consumers P3 billion a year.
And the cost to consumers will be even higher, if
the two private concessionaires get MWSS approval to
raise their already inflated water rates.
When confronted with what has been described
as “grossly unjust and immoral” pass-on charges, Mr.
Aquino's spokesman could only offer a lame suggestion
that it would be premature to comment on the issue
before the MWSS had made up its mind about the
higher rates the concessionaires want to charge.
How can we explain the contrast between Mr.
Aquino's outrage in 2010 and his silence in 2013?
Do the private concessionaires live in a corporate
Nirvana blessed by the powers that be that exempt
them not only from income taxes but also rules that
normally regulate public utilities?
Do we really need to wait for the MWSS to decide
before denouncing a glaring injustice?
Speak up please, Mr. President. We can't hear you.
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
File Waiver If You Entered
Under Different Name
Fraud or willful
misrepresentation of a material
fact is a ground of inadmissibility
that prevents an alien from
getting a green card. The act of
entering the United States under
a different name is an example.
However, the alien may
apply for a waiver to forgive the
fraud. To be eligible for this
waiver, the alien must have a
qualifying relative. The law
considers only U.S. citizen or
lawful permanent resident
s p o u s e s o r p a re n t s to b e
qualifying relatives. Children are
not qualifying relatives for
purposes of the waiver.
The alien must demonstrate
extreme hardship to the
qualifying relative in case of a
finding of inadmissibility. Several
factors are relevant in
determining extreme hardship,
including the qualifying relative's
family ties in the United States;
political and economic conditions
in the country of relocation; the
financial impact of departure
from the U.S.; and health
conditions along with the
unavailability of suitable medical
care in the country of relocation.
Not only must these
eligibility requirements be met,
but the alien must also show that
his/her case warrants a grant of
wa ive r i n t h e exe rc i s e o f
discretion. The negative factors
must be balanced with the
equities or the social and humane
considerations in one's case.
Obtaining a waiver
therefore is not easy, but by no
means is it impossible. In a case
that our firm recently handled, we
were able to help a client get his
green card despite the
misrepresentation he committed
as he entered the U.S. with an
assumed name more than thirty
years ago.
Our client left the
Philippines in the early 1980s to
escape poverty and political
strife, entered the U.S. using a
passport and B-2 visa with a
different name, and remained
past his authorized period of stay.
Two years later, he met a
u
Page 14
SECOND HUNDRED DAYS
“I can't wait to see how the
rest of this story turns out, “ John
Carr of Georgetown University
w ro te . L a te J u n e , Fra n c i s
completed 100 days as 256th
pope after Peter. He shunned
robes, red handcrafted shoes and
offered a chair and sandwich to a
tired --- and startled --- Swiss
guard. “There's enough room for
300 here,” Francis said of the
Papal Apartments, then lodged at
the spartan Vatican hostel.
“Here's a pope who knows how to
pope,” wrote a Protestant.
From day one, Francis
began changing Vatican, not the
other way around. “( He ) is
adapting customs of the papacy
to his pastoral manner”: from
washing feet of prisoners to
naming a “gang of eight”: a
council of cardinals from all
regions who'd recast an
bureaucracy in the Curia. “In a
sacramental church, symbols are
substance” He's Our Francis,
To o” s ays t h e eva n g e l i c a l
publication “Christianity Today.”.
His call isn't heard in Myanmar
There, a Buddhist extremist
movement ravages minority
Muslims, notes the Times of
India.
“Marking the first 100 days
is an arbitrary measure” wrote
Alessandro Speciale The Catholic
Church is “a 2,000-year-old
i n s t i t u t i o n t h a t t h i n ks i n
c e n t u r i e s ”. B u t t h i s m o s t
unconventional of popes lifted
the gloom clamped by scandals.
Francis grappled with a scandal
at the start of his second 100
days, .
“Monsignor Cinquecento”
was how his home town of
Salermo dubbed Nunzio Scarano,,
the Economist reported. .. A
banker turned priest, he doled
out 500 euro notes by the fistful.
The Vatican suspended him early
June, saying he laundered
donations.. Scarano served in the
Institute for the Works of
Religion. Founded in 1942 by
Pope Pius XII,. IOR manages
assets for religious or charitable
works and Vatican employees'
pension system. It doesn't
perform key banking activities,
like loans.
“Neither St. Peter nor St.
u
Page 14
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 11
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
OPINION
Source: Vincenton Blog
Philippine President Noynoy
Aquino is the leader who's more
interested in statistics rather than
real, long-term economic growth
that could improve the people's
quality of life and well-being. No, I
don't doubt the President's
intention; however, I believe good
intention is never a virtue.
In my humble opinion, good
political leadership is about
getting the ideas right and
understanding the right principles.
In the real world, there are wrong
and right ideas as well as good and
evil ideas. There are universal
principles. But this is not to say
that modern-day government
leaders must be what Plato called
“Philosopher Kings”, for the
Platonian ideal calls for a
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
The Asian Center of the
University of the Philippines has
come out with a very useful
document: The West Philippine
Sea: Territorial and Maritime
Jurisdiction Disputes from a
Filipino Perspective.
It's available online:
http://philippinesintheworld.
org/?q=node/2227.
Prepared under the
direction of experts on the
subject (Dean Eduardo T.
Gonzalez of the Asian Center;
Aileen S. P. Baviera, professor,
Asian Center; and Jay
Batongbacal, director, Institute
A Tale of Two Leaders: Singapore's Lee Hsien
Loong Vs. P-Noy
communal system of government.
Plato's enlightened ruling elites
are what B.F. Skinner called
“technologists of behavior” or
“scientists” who must be rulers of
the latter's global community or
dictatorship.
I want political leaders who
are able to grasp the value of right
and proper ideas. That is, I want
modern-day Thomas Jeffersons,
George Washingtons, Benjamin
Franklins, John Adams, John Jays
and James Madisons. These early
political leaders who established
the first freest nation on earth
clearly understood that politics is
not about rulers and powers, but
more about universal principles
and reality-based ideas anchored
on the nature of man. These men,
who all fought a power-hungry
British monarch, knew that laws
are made and intended to protect
man's rights and freedom that any
political edict or decree that
violates man's inalienable right is
not a law or anti-law.
Today most leaders who are
obsessed with numbers and
statistics are political frauds who
should have no business at all
running people's lives.
The problem with President
Aquino is that did not just immerse
himself in trying to quantify his
alleged achievements and meet his
GDP target, which is perhaps an
attempt to prove he's doing the
right thing, but he also surrounded
himself with economic frauds or
bad economists.
A great economist in the past
(Austrian economist Ludwig von
Mises), who clearly understood
that economics is not about
statistics but about human action,
explained that statistics is simply a
“method for presentation of
historical facts concerning prices
and other relevant data of human
action.” Thus, statistics is “not
economics and cannot produce
economic theorems and theories.”
If it's indeed true that the
Philippine President's most touted
7.5 gross domestic product (GDP)
indicates a fast-growing economy,
then we should have better quality
of life, more employment and
opportunities, higher wages,
among others. Instead, the entire
country was hit with higher
unemployment rates, less exports,
and negative foreign direct
investment .
What we all know and feel is
that the Malacanang's statistics
and numbers contradict the
country's historical facts and
economic reality. Well, this is
because statistics, like any
numerical graphs and figures, can
be simply manipulated,
exaggerated, or embellished. Or,
perhaps it's because GDP growth
does not necessarily reflect a
healthy or robust economy. GDP
figures can be an effective
propaganda tool designed to fool
the masses and the gullible.
Ac c o rd i n g to t h i s I M F
(International Monetary Fund)
analysis, there are things that GDP
metrics cannot tell us.
u
Page 12
A guide to understanding the West
Philippine Sea dispute
for Maritime Affairs and Law of
the Sea of the UP College of Law),
the timing of the primer is
perfect as tension in the area
continues to simmer.
The authors have
succeeded in simplying the
complicated topic. It covers
history of the conflict and recent
events. Bajo de Masinloc, also
known as Panatag shoal and by
its international name
Scarborough Shoal (Chinese
name is Huangyan island) which
has been the area of conflict
since the standoff April last year
involving Chinese and the
Philippine ships, is well covered.
U n d e r s t a n d a b l y, n o t
extensively discussed is the
Ayungin Shoal issue which
started last month with China
complaining about the not
removal by the Philippine Navy
of the grounded BRP Sierra
Madre from the reef some 21
nautical miles away from the
Chinese occupied Mischief Reef.
Although as the title states,
the primer is from a “Filipino
perspective”, the presentation is
objective. It enlightens, it does
not agitate.
The General Introduction,
for example, differentiates West
Philippine Sea from South China
Sea. This is useful because many
journalists interchange the two
terms which is wrong.
The Primer says “The West
Philippine Sea refers to the part
of the South China Sea that is
closest, and ofvital interest, to
the Philippines…. It includes the
Luzon Sea, as well as the waters
around, within and adjacent to
the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG),
and Bajo de Masinloc also known
as Scarborough Shoal.”
The West Philippine Sea is
part of the South China Sea,
which the Primer says is “a much
broader expanse of water, often
described as a semi-enclosed
sea, bounded by China/Taiwan
in the north, by the Philippines in
the east, and by Vietnam,
Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,
and Brunei in the west and
south. The Gulf of Tonkin and
Gulf of Thailand also abut the
South China Sea. “
“Scattered over the South
China Sea are various
geographic features, the most
prominent of which are known
internationally as the Spratlys,
the Paracels, Macclesfield Bank
and Pratas Island. There are
overlapping claims by various
countries to these features and
to the waters and resources
surrounding them, including
parts of the West Philippine Sea,”
the primer says.
How about Kalayaan Island
Group which journalists also
often interchangeably use to
refer to Spratly islands?
The Primer says “The
Kalayaan Island Group (is a
group of over fifty features and
By then, of course, all the
noynoying will have cost the
jobs of a lot more Filipinos. And
so my advice for anyone with an
offended sense of Filipino pride
over the incident is to keep doing
what they're doingjust not in
front of someone who just lost
his job in Taiwan through no
fault of his own.
And for Aquino, the advice
is even simpler: Tick tock.
***
Next time Aquino goes
looking around for a
government agency to browbeat
and threaten, he may want to
look at the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Oh, I
know SEC is supposed to be an
independent bodybut that's
what Renato Corona thought the
Supreme Court was also.
SEC Chairman Teresita
Herbosa and her colleagues
recently ordered termination of
the rehabilitation proceedings
of the Uniwide Group of
Companies, the dissolution of its
various subsidiary corporations
and the liquidation of their
assets.
The SEC ruling comes at a
most inopportune time and is
apparently based on flawed
“facts,” according to Uniwide,
which says it is just about to get
out of corporate rehab after
nearly 14 years. SEC said in its
May 30 decision that Uniwide's
debts total over P10 billion,
while the former retail market
leader insists that its total
liabilities are now a mere P1.7
billion; the SEC en banc also
upheld the assessments of its
special hearing panel that
Uniwide's assets are only worth
u
Page 15
Tick tock
It's easy to wave the flag
and say: “Who needs jobs in
Taiwan, anyway?” Just don't say
that to 10,000 workers who have
already lost good-paying work
there in the past month.
It's true that 10,000 more
unemployed workers seem
small in number, compared to
the four million or so people
who are already unemployed in
t h i s c o u n t r y r i g h t n o w.
Especially when you compare
the repatriated Filipinos to their
10 million or so compatriots
toiling overseas, that's
practically just a drop in the
overseas workforce bucket.
But when it's your family
that lost a breadwinner because
of our last diplomatic row across
the strait in the north, I'm sure
you won't be as sanguine. After
all, 10,000 gainfully employed
workers means at least the same
number of families with income,
income that they now don't
have.
The 10,000 who lost their
jobs form the first big group of
Filipinos whose three-year
contracts were no longer
renewed, just like Taiwan said
they wouldn't be. The nonrenewal of employment
contracts for an estimated
87,000 Filipinos is part of a
series of retaliatory measures
ordered by the Taiwanese
government after the killing of a
fisherman by Philippine Coast
Guard personnel during an
alleged poaching incident in
local waters.
Taiwan has also made good
on a previous promise to stop
the issuance of visas for
Filipinos who wish to go to
Taiwan in the wake of the
incident. That means those who
are being sent back home after
their contracts expire are not
being replacedand probably
won't be replaced, until all
87,000 Filipinos working in
Taiwan are repatriated.
In the meantime, after
much official to-ing and fro-ing
in Manila, there is still no word
from investigators from the
Philippines led by Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima about
what the government intends to
d o a b o u t t h e c a s e , a f te r
supposed preliminary findings
that the PCG men were at fault.
M ay b e P re s i d e n t N oy n oy
Aquino, De Lima and the rest of
government are still waiting for
all 87,000 Filipinos is Taiwan to
be sent home before doing
something.
u
Page 12
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
A Tale of Two
Leaders ...
From page 11
GDP is not a measure of the
overall standard of living or wellbeing of a country. Although changes
in the output of goods and services
per person (GDP per capita) are
often used as a measure of whether
the average citizen in a country is
better or worse off, it does not
capture things that may be deemed
important to general well-being.
The Philippines' 7.5 or more
GDP growth might have been caused
by a number of factors that do not
necessarily reflect general wellbeing, such as high government
expenditure and increased OFW
remittances.
Like I said I don't doubt
President Aquino's intention. He still
deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Based on his public speeches,
the commander-in-chief really
wanted to see an improved economy
and to help the poor. The problem is,
his pro-poor approaches and
programs cannot guarantee longterm results and success. His welfare
policies, namely, the Conditional
Cash Transfer (CCT), RH programs
and universal healthcare system, are
just patch-up solutions to our
worsening poverty level caused by
less domestic and foreign direct
investment, high jobless rates,
massive regulations, red tape and
graft and corruption. In fact, the
President's temporary welfare
solutions could even lead us to more
debts, higher budget deficit,
bankruptcy and social and economic
crisis.
What this third-world, cashstrapped country needs is real
economic growth and realistic,
practical (not pragmatic) economic
model. It needs foreign participation
and cooperation. That is, we need
foreign investors and professionals
to join our Team.
Yet President Aquino rejected
calls for charter change to allow
foreign involvement, saying “[t]here
is no absolute certainty that if we lift
the restrictions in our Constitution,
there will be corresponding
economic gain.”
“Before we do Charter change,
I think there should be concrete
evidence that it would help our
country,” the President added.
I find it preposterous that this
economics graduate from Ateneo De
Manila University failed to see that
the best evidence is our more than
20-year experiment with his
mother's (former president Corazon
Aquino) higher level of
protectionism and Bigger
Government model.
When the President's mother
took over the presidency in 1986,
many Asian countries (e.g., China,
Singapore, South Korea, Japan and
Ta i w a n ) t u r n e d a w a y f r o m
protectionism and gradually opened
their economies to the outside
world. China started to break away
from Maoist communism in 1979 by
adopting what Deng Shaoping called
“second revolution” that betrayed or
compromised Mao Tse Tung's
communist revolution. (Here's a
study on China's economic growth
since 1979 , or since Beijing's
rejection of protectionism).
To d a y C h i n a , d e s p i t e
stubbornly preserving its socialist
political structure, is economically
freer than the Philippines, which
bans foreign ownership of lands and
imposes its protectionist 60-40 rule.
For instance, China's Wholly Foreign
Owned Enterprise (WFOE or WOFE)
allows foreign investors to fully
participate in its booming economy.
The Wholly Foreign Owned
Enterprise (WFOE or WOFE) is a
Limited liability company wholly
owned by the foreign investor(s). In
China, WFOEs were originally
conceived for encouraged
manufacturing activities that were
e i t h e r ex p o r t o r i e n t a t e d o r
introduced advanced technology.
However, after China's entried into
the WTO, these conditions were
gradually abolished and the WFOE is
increasingly being used for service
providers such as a variety of
consulting and management
services, software development and
trading as well. With that, any
Enterprise in China which is 100%
owned by a foreign company or
companies can be called as WFOE.
Despite being one of the
biggest economies in the world,
China has the humility to say: “We
need foreign investors and
participants boost our economy”. In
contrast, the Philippine leadership's
attitude toward foreign investment
is: “We need to see more proof that
foreign involvement would help our
economy”. I say the president's
response does not just exhibit
personal arrogance, but political
insanity as well.
According to this 2013 study
on China's quick economic rise (a
Congressional Research Service
report for the U.S. Congress), China's
free market reforms reversed the
country's poverty-perpetuating
policies during the Red Era.
Since opening up to foreign
trade and investment and
implementing free market reforms
in 1979, China has been among the
world's fastest-growing economies,
with real annual gross domestic
product (GDP) averaging nearly
10% through 2012. In recent years,
China has emerged as a major global
economic and trade power. It is
currently the world's second-largest
economy, largest merchandise
e x p o r t e r, s e c o n d - l a r g e s t
merchandise importer, secondlargest destination of foreign direct
investment (FDI), largest
manufacturer, largest holder of
foreign exchange reserves, and
largest creditor nation.
Seriously the President needs
to fire all his incompetent economic
Tick Tock
within the 15-year rehabilitation
plan that the SEC approved in 2002,
settling 80 percent of all its
obligations with the balance was
due for settlement over the second
half of the 15-year rehabilitation
plan, which would end by 2015. In
just eight years, the Uniwide Group
paid P6.16 billion of its P7.5 billion
debt to its secured creditors.
But SEC, its appointed
receivers and its special hearing
panel, whose assessment the
commission apparently did not
verify, don't appear to be interested
in getting Uniwide back on its feet.
At one point, SEC even gave its
blessing to a French “white knight”
that it said was going to buy into the
company, but which in fact wanted
to buy it at pennies to the dollar.
And now, just when the
pioneering retail is getting out of
the intensive care unit and back on
its feet, SEC wants it permanently
closed and sold off for no valid
reason. Of course, that's no valid
reason that anyone who wouldn't
benefit from selling off Uniwide can
see, if you catch my drift.
From page 11
P2.726 billion, even if the company
says that the appraised value of its
flagship Metromall property alone
is already in excess of P3 billion.
It's been a while since
Uniwide, which once raised P4
billion in a 1996 IPO and which led
the retail sector with P20 billion in
annual sales, has had good news.
After it nearly collapsed during the
1997 Asian currency crisis,
Uniwide applied for receivership
and rehabilitation, to allow it to get
back on its feet financially and to
preserve its assets. But since the
SEC-directed rehab started in
2002, the corporate watchdog has
not lifted a finger to stop the
dissolution of the company's
assets through one-sided dacion
en pago deals and hefty
commissions on these that nearly
drained the once-robust company.
Over the years, Uniwide
religiously paid down its debt
u
Page 14
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
We Are “Forced” to Have the Forces
By Erick San Juan
The recent talks on the revival of
the former US military bases in Subic
and Clark, possibly through a charter
change sent ripples throughout the
country creating divisions among pro
and anti Americans especially among
the netizens. But the truth of the
matter is the Americans never left and
this time around after they physically
left its military bases, they actually
turned the whole archipelago as their
military outpost in this part of the
world.
We are too valuable for the
American military that through some
people in our government who
became witting tools in circumventing
the law of the land and created the
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) via
the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). As I
have been saying for years now that
such treaties and other so-called
agreements are all one-sided, no
thanks to the pretenders in our
government. It is more for the benefit
of the other party than ours. And as of
this writing, the government is
concocting another 'access
agreement' with the US and other
countries where we have similar pact
with to allow the use of the military
bases.
Actually we don't need this b.s.
'access agreement', because of the
VFA, US forces are 'visiting' the
country in a regular rotational basis
and some (600 soldiers) are already
'more than visiting' particularly in the
south through the Joint Special
Operations Task Force Philippines.
Why the JSOTF-P and how long
is this task force operating in the
country?
In an excerpt from the book,
Shadow Wars by David Axe, he
explained that By 2001 Mindanao was
a haven for a shifting alliance of
Islamic groups dominated by the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf the
latter two Al Qaeda affiliates. In
December that year, Jemaah Islamiyah
plotted an attack on the U.S. embassy
in Singapore, but Singaporean
authorities intervened.
In January 2002, the Special
Operations Command deployed Joint
Task Force 510 to fight the Islamists
alongside the Philippine military. The
task force would soon change its name
into Joint Special Operations Task
Force-Philippines and grew to include
600 soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen
and civilians operating trucks, gunarmed speed boats, helicopters, C-12
cargo planes and U-28 spy planes.
Under the cover of a training
exercise in March 2002, Washington
sent Gnat drones the smaller, slower,
older brother of the Predator to the
Philippines. Comments by a military
spokesperson created the impression
that the Gnats were Pentagon assets,
but in fact the military didn't take
possession of its own Gnats until the
following year. The Gnats in the
Philippines were apparently CIA
models, purchased in parallel with the
agency's initial contingent of more
powerful Predators.
Special Operation Forces and
drones are not new in this country,
remember that right after the
September 11, 2001 'terror attack' on
the twin towers, George Bush's war on
terror was a success because nations
joined him in his synthetic global war
on terror (GWOT) including former
President GLoria Macapagal Arroyo
who dragged us into Bush's stupid war.
Have you forgotten how former
President Joseph Estrada's military
(successfuly) simultaneously attacked
and taken the 46 camps of the MILF
with the secret help of drones?
These forces are forced to good
to be part and parcel of such special
ops especially in the south because our
government leaders allowed Uncle
Sam to do so in his proxy war in this
region.
Although at present, Americans
have shown little appetite to support
another large-scale overseas military
effort and President Barack Obama
vowed in his State of the Union
message that America would not
occupy other nations during his watch.
So , the Pentagon is working “by, with
and through” allied and partner
nations to enhance global security, to
use the current catchphrase. (Military
Sees Broader Role for Special
Operations Forces, in Peace and War
by Thom Shanker)
The reason, however, that the
shift is of relevance (more broadly) is
that it signals the irresistible rise of the
special operations community in the
post-counterinsurgency era. More
than a year ago, in January 2012,
President Obama inaugurated the US
Defense Strategic Guidance. The
document was strategically significant
because it announced the “pivot to
Asia” alongside continued
commitments to the oil sheikhdoms of
the Persian Gulf.
Militarily, it clearly signaled the
end of large-scale invasion and
occupation of troublesome or
intransigent countries in favor of the
kind of operations in which the US
S p e c i a l O p e ra t i o n s C o m m a n d
(SOCOM) and its counterterrorism
component, the JSOC, excel. This
ascendancy is confirmed by the
planned expansion of the SOCOM by
around 7.5 percent by 2015, from
66,100 civilian and military personnel
in 2011 to 71,100 by 2015.
This expansion of the force, at a
time when most US government
departments including the Pentagon
itself are contemplating possible
sequestrations, speaks to the
increasing importance of a force which
can act in the shadows, leaving a “light
footprint”.
A recent report by the Center for
a New American Security describes
the light footprints as a “minimalist”
and “non-intrusive” approach to
asymmetric warfare combining “air
power, special operators, intelligence
agents, indigenous armed groups and
c o n t ra c t o r s , o f t e n l e ve ra g i n g
relationships with allies and enabling
partner militaries to take more active
ro l e s ”. U S S p e c i a l O p e ra t i o n s
Command is perfectly suited for such
tasks and is increasingly consolidating
its hold over the broad spectrum of
military tactics it entails. (The Tip of
the Spear: US Special Operations
Forces from Aljazeera)
With the “sequestration” in
effect, meaning budget cuts in military
spending, Uncle Sam will be using
more of the same, special forces and
drones. So, what else is new?
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
A Tale of Two
Leaders ...
From page 12
advisers and economic planners,
especially NEDA chief Arsenio
Balisacan.
Now I believe I need to
stress that all of today's Asian
tigers were formerly
protectionist economies.
Singapore, on the other
hand, is one of the freest, if not
the freest, economies in the
world. Unlike the Philippines
that massively limits foreign
investment, Singapore fully
allows and encourages foreign
investors. According to the latest
Doing Business Index, Singapore
is number one in the global
ranking in terms of ease of doing
business.
Like most tiger economies
in Asia, Singapore's quick
economic development was
fueled by FDI. The city-state
owes its industrialization and
rapid economic growth to
foreign involvement and its
openness to global trade.
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's
most revered founding father,
once said that his country's
liberal free market policies and
immigration were inspired by
the United States.
Consider what Lee Kuan
Yew (in his interview with
Charlie Rose) said about their
and America's openness to
foreign professionals and
investors:
Lee Kuan Yew: “It's not
just American talent that gets
you here. You're just 300 million
people and they [China] have
1,300 million and very many
more able people.
“But you are attracting all
the adventurous minds from all
over the world and embracing
them, and they become part of
your team.
“Now I don't see two
million Indians and half a million
other peoples, Japanese,
Koreans, and others, becoming
part of China. I mean, first the
language is so difficult. Secondly,
the culture is not embracing.
How do you fit in?”
C h a r l i e Ro s e : “ Ta k e
Singapore… It has to be a place
people want to invest in. It has to
be a place… go ahead.
Lee Kuan Yew: “It has to be
a place that's useful to the world.
Otherwise it wouldn't exist.
Charlie Rose: “And that's
what you've created since the
founding of the modern…”
Lee Kuan Yew:
“Absolutely. We have made
ourselves relevant to the
world…”
Charlie Rose: “And how
will you maintain your
relevancy?”
L e e K u a n Ye w : “ B y
keeping on changing. You cannot
keep your relevance by just
staying put. The world changes.
There are shifts in the geopolitics
and economics of the world.
We're gonna watch it and we're
gonna ride it.
“We are keeping our links
with America, with Japan, with
Europe. THEY BROUGHT US TO
WHERE WE ARE.”
Mr. Aquino needs to listen
to this great man. Even Deng
Xiaoping called him “mentor”.
But still, Mr. Aquino said he
needs more concrete evidence
that foreign participation would
improve the country's struggling
economy.
I seriously believe Mr.
Aquino must be living on a
different planet.
Now fortunately for the
Singaporeans, LKY's son, Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is
more interested in getting or
starting with the right politics,
which according to him, is “the
key to a sustainable economic
model”.
It appears that Mr. Lee is
simply continuing the legacy and
vision of his father to keep
Singapore relevant to the world.
If Mr. Aquino and his team,
composed of Keynesian
economists (like Balisacan,
National Statistical Coordination
Board Secretary General Jose
Ramon, among others), are more
obsessed with meeting their GDP
targets, Singapore's government
leaders believe in getting their
politics right to remain
economically progressive and
competitive over the next two
decades.
Lee Hsien Long explained
his thought process in the
following fashion:
“Because if your politics is
wrong, your economics is bound
to go wrong. And the reason why
so many countries cannot get
their economies right, it is
because their politics don't
work.”
File waiver if you
entered ...
From page 10
fellow recent immigrant who was
working as a nurse at a New York
hospital and would later get her
green card and then her U.S.
citizenship. They fell in love, had
children, and lived together as
husband and wife ever since.
For almost three decades, our
client kept secret his immigration
status from other people until he
neared retirement age. Unless he
becomes a lawful permanent
resident, all his hard work and
perseverance since he arrived in
the U.S. would be for naught. He had
to come to terms with his past and
decide whether to finally apply for a
green card.
Faced with the possibility of
being denied a green card if found
ineligible for a waiver and
eventually placed in deportation, he
sought our firm's assistance.
We showed the immigration
authorities that his U.S. citizen wife
would suffer extreme hardship
whether she remains in the United
States by herself or is forced to
relocate to the Philippines to be
with our client.
We submitted proof of her
health conditions, including
diabetes and hypertension, for
which she was receiving top-notch
medical care in the U.S., and
compared that with the high cost of
medicines and treatment in the
Philippines. We pointed out that the
wife has many family ties in the U.S.,
including her U.S. citizen children,
while she no longer has family in
the Philippines.
We a l s o a r g u e d t h a t
relocation would cause financial
hardship because she would lose
her job at the hospital in the U.S. but
most likely not get hired in the
Philippines because of her age and
the unfavorable labor market
conditions for nurses there.
Our waiver packet included
supporting affidavits and
documentation to evidence the
wife's extreme hardship as well as
our client's good moral character.
Fortunately, we were able to
convince the USCIS that the U.S.
citizen wife would face extreme
hardship if the waiver is denied and
that our client was deserving of a
favorable exercise of discretion.
(Editor's Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN
has been practicing law for over 30
years. Disclaimer: Prior results do not
guarantee a similar outcome. This
article is for informational purposes
only and does not constitute legal
advice. Please consult with an attorney
before relying upon this information.
For more information, you may log on
to Atty. Seguritan's website at
www.seguritan.com or call (212) 6955281.)
public life. He also flies to Latin
America for World Youth Day. Would
Pope Francis reveal, in this homecontinent
that the beatification
cause for Archbishop Oscar Romero
From
page
10
u
Page 29
will proceed?. The bishop of El
Salvador denounced government
Paul had any bank accounts”, Pope
death squads and was shot saying
Francis said in his June 11 homily .
Mass in March 1980.
“When St. Peter had to pay taxes, the
That'd ripple to the Philippines.
Lord sent him to the sea to catch fish
Para-military goons in North
and find the money in the fish, to pay,”
Cotabato, cut down 59-year old Fr.
Few took special notice until two
Fausto 'Pops' Tentorio, October 2011.
weeks later. Francis then set up a
For over 33 years Fr “Pops”
commission, with carte blanche
shepherded his lumads with the
powers, to probe the IOR. By then
sacraments and programs from child
Italian police had arrested Scarano
immunization to adult literacy. The
and two conspirators: a carabinieri
murderer hasn't been nailed.
officer and a broker. They were
Personnel is policy: Who
zapped for trying to smuggle 20
Francis chooses to lead key Vatican
million euros, from the family of
offices is decisive. Some focus on the
Neapolitan ship owners, to duck
next Secretary of State. More crucial is
taxes.
who will be named bishops around
“Pope Francis's new attempt
the world. Give me names of pastors
this week to impose transparency and
who will shepherd, not princes who
clarity on the Vatican's financial
demand to be served, Francis told a
dealings could not be more timely,”
meeting of papal nuncios. That
BBC noted. “Though awkward for the
resonates here where some bishops
Vatican, the latest case will strengthen
lost in a partisan campaign against
Pope Francis's arm as he sets about
Reproductive Health bill supporters. .
trying to reform one of the darkest
We “ we re n o t p l e a s e d ,” L i p a
corners of his domain”, the Economist
archbishop xxxx
Arguelles told
added
Inquirer/. Isn't this the “self“Creation of the commission
referential” syndrome Francis
suggests Francis has not been
denounced?
completely "reassured" by financial
'Sisters matter”. How Francis
watchdogs that Benedict XVI
deals with Leadership Conferences of
installed, Italian journalist Andrea
Women Religious is crucial. This
Tornielli wrote. The assignment
tension is not limited to the US. “In a
means Francis is saying " trust with
battle between the religious and
reluctance but verify deeply," What if
Curia,, most lay Catholics come down
the five-man commission
with “the sisters.” The signs are mixed.
recommends padlocking the bank?
This matter has taken on symbolic
Would the principle of tantum
meaning for many on how the church
quantuim by St Igantius of Loyola then
treats all women.
kick in?.. “Whatever brings you to God,
Who will Francis look to
use it.”, the founder of the Jesuits
actually lead the church? : Synods
taught. “Whatever leads you away,
became” frustrating forums for
avoid,” If this Jesuit pope concluded,
endless five-minute speeches, in the
after perusing the commission's
past. There's little genuine listening
report, that the IOR compromised the
and discussion on issues from clerical
Church, will he shut down the
sexual abuse to poverty. Who is
carnival? Our take is he would.
accountable to their flocks? Local
Beyond the Vatican Bank, two
churches or Vatican structures?
encyclicals are on the way. Francis is
“Look at the peacock;' Francis
completing Benedict's encyclical on
suggested. “It's beautiful if you look at
faith. And he's writing one his own
it from the front. But if you look at it
that focuses on the poor and
from behind, you discover the truth.”
challenges the silence on poverty in
Second Hundred
Days
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
A guide to
understanding the
West Philippine
Sea dispute
From page 11
their surrounding waters that
belong to the Philippines, located in
what is internationally known as
the Spratly Islands. The KIG is not
the same as the Spratlys, however,
as there are features in the Spratlys
that are not part of the KIG.”
The authors said the primer is
s intended to assist students,
researchers, media practitioners,
non-specialist members of the civil
service, as well as the general
public, in deepening their
u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e m a ny
different issues of the West
Philippine Sea disputes.
Add “Malacanang officials” to
the list who need to read the primer.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 16
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Popular Caves in the Philippines
Aside from beautiful white sand beaches and scenic diving spots, the
Philippines is also endowed with wonderful caves. There are hundreds of
caves in the Philippines. Peñablanca, Cagayan alone has already around
300 caves.
Spelunkers and non-spelunkers, here's a list of the most famous
caves in the country that can give you thrill and excitement. You will surely
love and enjoy them.
Excavating these caves will surely give you a thrill.
Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental
This cave is 8.9 km. long. Five entrances have been connected and the system
comprises a mix of large and small galleries with some active streamway. This
cave is the 6th deepest in the country.
Palawan Underground River or St. Paul Subterranean River Longest
Navigable Underground River in the World
This is the most famous cave in the Philippines. The longest underground river was
discovered a few years back in Mexico somewhere in the Yucatan. St. Paul
Underground River in Palawan, Philippines may not be the longest underground
river in the world anymore, but it is still the world's longest navigable underground
river. The navigable part of the river inside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul
Subterranean River stretches 15 kilometers in length (5 miles). St. Paul Cave is the
3rd deepest cave in the country.
Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province
In terms of vertical range it is the deepest reaching 163 meters from its mouth.
In terms of length, it is the fifth longest cave in the Philippines. Six entrances
lead to a complex mix of active and fossil cave remarkable for its large passages
and impressive gours. The system is partially accessible to tourists and a sump
connected to Lokohong Cave.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Odessa Tumbali Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan
At 12.6 kilometers, it is the third longest cave in the Philippines. It is active and
provides excellent wet sport caving. It has superb formations and passage shapes,
canals and lakes for swimming, photography and cave diving opportunities, and
varied fauna. Acknowledged to be a perfect cave system, it has five known entrances.
Jackpot Cave in Cagayan
On the fifth spot is the Jackpot Cave also in Peñablanca, Cagayan. It is the second
deepest cave in the Philippines at 115 meters. The cave has a walking size passage,
shafts and drops of varying depths that provide for a lot of rope works. Meandering
streams and pools of varying size abound inside the cave.
Callao Caves in Cagayan
Located within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape, the seven-chambered Callao
Caves boast of massive limestone and other rock formations, skylights, and a chapel.
The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the
deeper chambers. Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the
cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.
Tabon Caves in Palawan
The Tabon Caves are a set of caves in Quezon that lies in the southern part of Palawan. They
are famous for the found skull cap remains of the Tabon Man, which are 22,000 years old. Along
with the skull cap, remains of wild boar and deer with evidence of having been hunted for
consumption were also found in the cave, apparent proof of human inhabitation. The cave is
said to be half a million years old, and has been inhabited for almost 50,000 years. The Tabon
cave complex consists of 29 explored caves, but there are 200 caves known on Lipuun Point.
EXPRESSWEEK
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 18
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund and National Federation
of Filipino American Associations, Region One host despedida de honor of the
Filipino American Community for Deputy Consul General Tess Dizon-De Vega
July 10, 2013 at the Lovin’ Life Learning Center, New York City
FALDEF and NaFFAA Plaque for DCG Tess for her outstanding service to the
Filipino people. In photo (L-R), JT Mallonga, Esq., Patricia Astorga, Esq., DCG
Tess, Merit Salud, Esq. And Frank Celoza
Philippine-American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) with DCG Tess.
Front Row: Gani Puertollano, Helen Castillo, Cora Reyes, DCG Tess, Dr. Dolly
Rivera, Lumen Castañeda and Gerry Austria. Back Row: Lita Roxas, Luchie
Vivas, Mrs. Eleanor De Leon, Medy Taeza, Rex Hidalgo, Edwin Solano, Sonny
Austria and Elsa Olsen
The ever feisty lawyer Merit Salud,
Esq., NaFFAA Region 1 Chair, did the
introduction of DCG Tess
In her message, DCG Tess exhorted all the Filipino
American organizations to continue their respective
advocacies and at the same time work for a united
FilAm community
The always eloquent speaker Mayor
Robert Rivas, Esq., FALDEF Chair,
was the Master of Ceremony
DCG Tess with husband Ed De Vega, the Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations
MA. THERESA (TESS) DIZON-DE VEGA
Deputy Consul General and Manager, Philippine Center Management Board
postings include: Consul,
Philippine Consulate
General, Hong Kong SAR,
China and Second Secretary
and Consul, Philippine
Embassy, Mexico.
Ma. Theresa Dizon-De
Vega assumed her post as
Deputy Consul General,
Philippine Consulate
General, New York and
c o n c u r re n t ly M a n a g e r,
Philippine Center
Management Board (PCMB)
on 25 July 2011.
Her last designation
was as Minister and Consul
General, Philippine Embassy,
London, United Kingdom, a
post she was assigned to
from end October 2008 to 24
July 2011. Her other foreign
S h e s e r ve d i n t h e
following capacities in the
Department of Foreign
Affairs: Special Assistant,
Office of the Secretary of
Foreign Affairs and
concurrently Acting Head,
Department Legislative Unit
(DLLU) from 2005 - Oct
2008; Special Assistant to
the Undersecretary for
Administrationand
concurrently Acting Board
Secretary/Assistant Board
Secretary, Board of Foreign
Service Administration
( B F SA ) f ro m 1 9 9 6 - 9 9 ;
Acting Director, Office of
Legal Affairs in 1998; Acting
Director (concurrent
capacity), Office of American
Affairs in 1996; and
Principal Assistant, Office of
the Undersecretary for
Policy from 1995-96.
Foreign Service Officers
Examination and 3rd in the
Career Ministers
Examination in 1994 and
2008, respectively. She was
admitted to the Philippine
Bar in 2000.
She completed her
Bachelor of Arts in English
(Cum Laude) at the
University of the Philippines,
Diliman in 1989; Master of
Arts in English and Cultural
Studies at Queen's
University, Ontario, Canada
in 1991; Juris Doctor (JD) at
the Ateneo de Manila School
of Law in 1999; and a
Graduate Diploma in China
Business (DCBL - with
Distinction) at the University
of Hong Kong in 2005.
Prior to joining the
Foreign Service, she was a
faculty member of the
Department of English and
Comparative Literature, UP
Diliman, from 1989-1994.
She also taught Philippine
History at the Punlaan
Technical School in San Juan,
MM.
She placed 1st in the
She has received the
Order of Lakandula-Rank of
Pinuno, the Gawad Mabini
Rank of Dakilang Kasugo,
and a Medal of Civic Merit by
the Government of the
Kingdom of Spain.
She is a member of the
I n t e g ra t e d B a r o f t h e
Philippines, Federacion
Internacional de Abogadas,
UP Alumni Association
(UPAA), UPAA-Hong Kong,
U PA A - U K , At e n e o L aw
Alumni Association,
Management Association of
Hong Kong, Philippine
Association of Language
Teachers, and UP Faculty
Alumni Association.
M s . D i z o n - d e Ve ga
speaks Spanish and French
in addition to English,
Kapampangan and Filipino.
She is married to
Minister Eduardo de Vega of
the Philippine Mission to the
UN in NY. They have a young
daughter, Montserrat.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
It's time for your summer vacation. Follow these pool safety and beach tips to make it a fun and healthy one
Pool and Beach Tips: What to Know Before You Go
By Denise Mann
Medically reviewed by
Niya Jones, MD, MPH
needs to be a fence around the pool
that kids can't get through,” Best
says.
Whether you're taking a trip
to the beach or the lake, or traveling
to a spot where you can chill by the
pool, there's a lot to do before your
family's annual summer
vacation.
As everyone knows, a “day at
the beach” can be anything but if
you're unprepared, says Debra Best,
MD, an assistant professor of
pediatrics at Duke Medicine in
Durham, N.C. A little forethought
and preparation can go a long way
toward a safe and healthy summer
vacation on the water.
Swimming: Practicing Beach and
Pool Safety
Most kids can't wait to go for a
dip, Dr. Best says. Swimming is good
exercise and great fun as long as
your child is well supervised, she
adds. “Teach your child to swim, and
never leave a child alone by the
beach or the pool, not even for a
moment.” Floaties or other flotation
devices aren't substitutes for
swimming lessons or adult
supervision.
These other tips can help
keep your family safe near the
water:
Lifeguard on duty: “Swim at a
beach with a lifeguard,” advises B.
Chris Brewster, the president of the
United States Lifesaving
Association, based in San Diego,
Calif. Studies have shown that
people are much less likely to die in
a drowning-related incident if
there's a lifeguard on duty that's
the number-one pool safety and
beach tip.
Pool access: If you're renting a
house with a pool this summer,
make sure it's gated in. “There
Water currents: The greatest risk
at surf beaches or great lakes are rip
tides, currents, or channels. “If
you're caught in a rip tide, swim
parallel to the shore or tread water,”
Brewster advises. Whatever you do,
don't fight the current, he stresses.
Watch out for sea creatures as
well. A jellyfish or stingray can
certainly put a damper on a fun day.
The good news is they don't usually
cause serious injuries. However,
stings are painful, Brewster says.
Before you plunge into the sea, ask
the lifeguard on duty if there are any
unusual problems with jellyfish or
stingrays, he suggests.
Try the “Stingray shuffle” as
you go for a stroll by the surfside.
“Don't pick your feet up and down,”
he says. “Shuffle forward because
stingrays only sting when they are
stepped on.”
If you're stung by a jellyfish,
submerge the injured area in water
that's as hot as you can stand or use
a cold-pack to deaden the pain.
“Other approaches, like urinating
on the sting, haven't been proven to
be effective,” Brewster says.
Keeping Cool for Sun Safety
Overheating and dehydration
can happen quickly, especially for
kids in high heat and humidity, Best
says. “If kids are thirsty, they're not
well hydrated,” she adds. Avoid this
by making sure kids take a sip from
a water bottle every 15 to 20
minutes. “Wear light-colored
clothing, too,” she recommends.
Adults can also get dehydrated,
especially if you consume too much
alcohol.
Packing Healthy Snacks
Anyone who's ever visited a
boardwalk or pool snack shop
k n ows h e a l t hy f o o d s a n d
beverages can be hard to come by.
Most pool and beach vendors sell
fried dough, fried oysters, pizza, and
chicken fingers, and host ice cream
stands by the dozen. While these
might be treats for travelers,
packing healthier, more nutritious
snacks for your family makes better
sense, Best says. “Fruit is always
good because it's hydrating," she
explains. Other healthy snacks
include trail mix, granola bars,
pretzels, and low-fat cheese sticks.
Practicing Smart Sun Protection
Skin cancer rates are
increasing, and this includes
melanoma, the deadly form of skin
cancer, which is being seen in
increasing numbers in children and
teens. Protect skin by choosing a
sunscreen with a sun protection
factor (SPF) of 30 that has a physical
blocker such as zinc oxide or
titanium, advises Amy Forman
Taub, MD, a dermatologist in
Lincolnshire, Ill.
Yo u w a n t t o r e a p p l y
sunscreen every 90 minutes and, if
it's not water-resistant,
immediately after you go for a dip,
too. “Use the appropriate dose of
sunscreen,” Dr. Adigun says. Don't
be stingy. It takes about a shot glass
of sunscreen to cover an adult body.
Convenience aside, lotions
are better than sprays. “It's easier to
tell if you missed a spot with cream
or lotion," she says. “If you use a
spray, make sure it's sprayed close
to your skin and then rubbed in.”
When it comes to SPF, higher
isn't necessarily better, says Chris G.
Adigun, MD, an assistant professor
i n t h e Ro n a l d O. Pe re l m a n
department of dermatology at NYU
Langone Medical Center in New
York City. In fact, a higher SPF
product could give you a false sense
of security, meaning you won't
reapply it as frequently as you
should.
Even with sunscreen, it's
better to avoid the sun when it's
strongest and seek shade. “Hats
with wide brims and sun-protective
clothing can also keep your skin
safe,” Dr. Taub adds.
Taking Extra Precautions
Importantly, if you have kids
who have special health needs,
“touch base with your child's doctor
before leaving in order to know
what might make your trip more fun
and in the best interest of your
child's health,” Best says. This may
include packing extra medication,
including allergy medications. Be
sure to keep everyone's
prescription medication in your
carry-on bag when flying in case the
airline loses your luggage.
Following these water and
sun safety precautions, whether
you're at the lake, on the ocean, or
poolside, can help ensure that your
family enjoys a healthy vacation this
summer.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
BIMP-EAGA projects open 20,000
job opportunities for Filipinos
By James A. Loyola
Filipino workers are
e x p e c t e d t o b e n e f i t f ro m
employment opportunities
provided by four major projects
worth more than B$23 billion
geared towards enhancing and
complementing the
developmental goals of the
Brunei Darussalam BIMP-EAGA
Business Council (BDBEBC).
OYSTER. Imelda Apaga, displays fresh cultured oysters along the highway in
Dagupan City, Pangasinan. Photo by Liezle Basa Inigo
Gov't encourages
fishermen to try
oyster growing
DAGUPAN CITY -- The Bureau
of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
encouraged fisherfolk in this city,
especially the marginalized
fishermen, to go into oyster
growing as an alternative
livelihood that can be potentially as
lucrative as tending to the famous
bangus (milkfish).
Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of
the National Integrated Fisheries
and Technology Development
Center (NIFTDC) under BFAR, said
oy s t e r ( t a l a b a ) g ro w i n g i s
e nv i ro n m e n t - f r i e n d ly, a n d
requires minimal capital and is
easy to grow with little
supervision.
“In a tropical country like
ours, it only needs a while to grow
oysters,” Rosario said. Rosario also
said there is market for oysters
waiting to be accommodated,
hence more oyster growers are
needed.
To succeed, fishermen are
advised to be very careful in
growing oysters, making sure their
harvests will be free from the
bacteria e-coli that can cause
diarrhea. One way to make the
oysters safe is to adopt the netbamboo process. Leaving oysters in
a clean net connected to bamboos
for 10 days ensures that the
bacteria will disappear. Applying
science to the traditional way of
oyster culture will not only
eliminate bacteria but will also
help the river system recover and
provide additional income to
fishermen, Rosario said.
“The problem is, no one
adopts to this scheme. I hope a
policy will be enacted that
prohibits the sale of oysters if it did
not undergo the net-bamboo
process,” he said.
Over-extraction also poses a
threat to oyster production,
Rosario said. Oysters, which have
not yet reached maturity are
immediately harvested leaving no
room for growth and cycle. (Manila
Bulletin) (Liezle Basa Inigo)
Jones Lang LaSalle launches
RP Global Outsourcing Center
Singapore -- Jones Lang
LaSalle announced the opening of a
new shared services center in the
Philippine capital of Manila,
supporting the delivery of helpdesk
functions and vendor management
services for the firm's clients across
the world.
Based in the new W Fifth
Avenue Building at Bonifacio Global
City, the center has been launched
in response to a growing demand
from businesses for increased
productivity from their corporate
real estate portfolios.
Setting a new benchmark in
sophisticated multiple-service
centers for real estate, the centre is
expected to process over 700,000
work orders each year via phone
and online requests. These will
include requests for repairs and
maintenance, relocations, security,
incident management and
workplace services. The centre will
also support vendor management,
contract and major procurement
activities for Jones Lang LaSalle's
clients in Asia Pacific, US and
Europe.
The Philippines is already a
well-established hub for business
process outsourcing and the new
center will take advantage of the
country's strong infrastructure and
language capabilities coupled with
low operating costs, reflecting the
importance of business function
location in productivity and margin
improvement.
These projects were
selected and proposed by Bruneigovernment-supported
cooperative Koperasi
Bumiputera Bersatu Berhad
(KBBB) which was set up in 2006
as a cooperative of voluntary
associations with the main
objective of raising the
Bumiputera community's
economic well-being through
regional and international
partnerships.
“The four new projects in
Brunei pose exciting job
opportunities for our fellow
Filipino workers. The need for
around 20,000 workers in Brunei
will assist the government in its
job creation efforts,” said Jose
Silvestre Natividad, one of the
consultants of KBBB in these
mega projects in Brunei.
Natividad, who is also
president of local renewable
energy developer Sunwest Water
and Electric Co., noted that
“Filipinos have a competitive
edge because we are known
around the world as diligent and
hard workers.”
He added that project
proponents have expressed a big
preference in getting the services
of Filipino skilled workers,
c o n t ra c to r s , d e s i g n f i r m s ,
engineers and consultants.
The projects form part of
the memorandum of
understanding signed between
KBBB Chairperson Suharani binti
Haji Abd Ladi and Pengiran Haji
Mohd Yusof, the Executive
Chairman of the BDBEBC, held
last June 28, 2013 in Brunei
Darussalam.
These projects are aimed at
further developing growth in the
BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Indonesia
Malaysia Philippines East ASEAN
Growth Area) region.
The projects presented
includes a new transport system
for the Trans Borneo Railways
that will connect Bandar Seri
Begawan to main cities in Brunei,
Malaysia and Indonesia and will
be built at an estimated cost of
$20 billion.
Another project is the
setting up of the ASEAN Halal
Park, an integrated project that
will set up 1,000 Halal-certified
manufacturing companies. This
is envisioned to be the “Halal Hub
of the World” making it the
strongest manufacturing center
for premium Halal products for
distribution across the global
market.
There will also be new
buses and coaches for the TransBorneo Bus Services that will be
set-up at an estimated cost of $1
billion.; and the proposed $2
billion Darussalam Air that will
feature some of the best aviation
facilities which will be made
available through some of the
cheapest fares in the BIMP-EAGA
region.
With Brunei as the central
hub and stopover destination for
proposed routes, Darussalam Air
shall cater to travellers from the
Southern Philippines, Eastern
Indonesia, Indo-China and other
parts of China going on a
pilgrimage to the holy lands.
While the Trans-Borneo
Railway is geared towards cargo
transportation to these
destinations, the Trans-Borneo
Bus Services on the other hand
shall provide a complementary
bus services that will provide
transport for people in the BIMPEAGA region. (Manila Bulletin)
Philippine-Malaysia trade
prospers under AFTA
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
including Malaysia.
The Philippines and
Malaysia are enjoying the
benefits of trade with lower
tariffs through the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations or
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement
(AFTA) of which both are
signatories.
On May 21, 2013, the DTI
through its “Doing Business in
Free Trade Areas” outreach
program conducted an
information session at Hotel del
Rio in Iloilo City for 100
participants composed of small
and medium enterprises,
exporters and manufacturers,
local government officials,
officials of local government
agencies, and members of the
academe.
With the free trade
agreement (FTA), tariffs and
other requirements of commerce
that restrict trade between the
two countries are reduced or
eliminated.
To boost bilateral trade
between them, the two countries
have been conducting mutually
beneficial activities, including
trade meetings and information
sessions for local exporters on
both sides.
Anthony Ballesteros
Rivera, Marketing Manager of the
Malaysian Embassy, said that
Malaysia uses FTAs to boost its
export performance as well its
product interests, specific
customs rules and regulations,
packaging preferences, and trade
policies vis-à-vis its trading
partners.
appliances to Malaysia, while its
main imports from Malaysia are
p e t ro l e u m a n d p e t ro l e u m
products.
According to the National
Statistics Office, the Philippines
exported a total of US$1.017
billion worth of goods to Malaysia
in 2012, down by 7.38 percent
from 2011's $1.099 billion. To
date, electronics remains its top
export product.
In 2012 the Philippines
imported $2.503 billion worth of
goods from Malaysia, down by
5.17 percent from 2011's $2.64
billion. Petroleum products
remain its top import from
Malaysia.
The Philippines have seven
existing FTAs, namely AFTA,
Asean-China Free Trade
Agreement (ACFTA), AseanKorea Free Trade Agreement
(AKFTA), Asean-Australia-New
Zealand Free Trade Agreement
( A A N Z F TA ) , A s e a n - J a p a n
Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement
(AJCEPA), Asean-India Free
Trade Agreement (AIFTA) and
the Philippines-Japan Economic
Partnership Agreement as its
only bilateral agreement. (Manila
Bulletin)
J u s t r e c e n t l y, t h e
Philippines' Department of Trade
The exchange of goods
and Industry (DTI) in
between the two countries is
cooperation with the Malaysia
facilitated with mutually
External Trade Development
beneficial results from the
Corp. conducted an information
ASEAN Trade in Goods
session seeking to inform local
Agreement (ATIGA), a trade bloc
ex p o r t e r s , m a n u fa c t u re r s ,
agreement among ASEAN
Jordi Martin, Chair of the
government officials, members of
member countries. The
Integrated Facilities Management
the academe, and industry
Philippines exports
(IFM) Global Board for Jones Lang
groups, about the benefits they
semiconductor devices, electrical
LaSalle said, “Companies are
can derive from the Philippines'
and electronic machinery, and
free trade agreements with its
machinery
and mechanical
u
Page 22
preferred trading partners,
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Local food exporters urged
to take advantage of growing
Jewish food market
MANILA - Filipino food exporters
are encouraged to enter the kosher or
Jewish food businesses to further
increase their revenues because of the
growing kosher market.
In the Philippines, MSMEs account for 99.6 percent of our total
enterprises, employs 61 percent of our total employed
population, and contributes 32 percent to the GDP
Tetangco: “This is the first time that total
microfinance loan portfolio is exceeded by the
savings component.”
Microfinance loans, savings
breach P8-Billion mark
By Jimmy Calapati
The total value of
m i c ro f i n a n c e l o a n s a n d
savings have breached the P8billion mark as more lending
institutions see the
importance of addressing the
needs of the country's micro,
small and medium enterprises
(MSMEs).
A m a n d o Te t a n g c o ,
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Governor, yesterday said that
as of end-March 2013, there
were 186 banks with
microfinance operations
reaching out to more than 1
million clients.
Their combined savings
have reached P8.2 billion,
higher than the P8 billion they
have borrowed. In 2012, the
savings component of
microfinance loans totaled
only P6.4 billion while total
loans reached P8.4 billion.
“This is the first time that
to t a l m i c ro f i n a n c e l o a n
portfolio is exceeded by the
savings component. This
suggests that while
microfinance clients take out
loans, saving is sustained. For
microentrepreneurs, savings
help them survive through
emergencies or take
advantage of a business
o p p o r t u n i t y,” Te t a n g c o
yesterday said at the launch of
t h e
2 0 1 3
C i t i
Microentrepreneurship
Awards (CMA).
Tetangco said that the
development of the Philippine
microfinance industry “has
been phenomenal.” “Ten years
ago, microfinance was limited
to microcredit provided by
leading NGOs, cooperatives
and a handful of banks. Since
t hen , t here ha s b een a
significant increase and
diversification of
microfinance players,
products and services,as well
as
d e l ive r y c h a n n e l s ,”
Tetangco said.
He added that the BSP
provides leadership in the
development of the
microfinance sector through
appropriate policies,
regulations and programs.
Max's, the country's
successful fried chicken-based
casual dining restaurant, is
spreading its wings further in
foreign shores with nine new
stores in New York, Canada and
the Middle East countries.
Max's Restaurant
president Roberto F. Trota told
reporters in an interview that
these new outlets are being
undertaken by individual Filipino
franchisees in New York, Hawaii
and Alberta, Canada.
Fo r t h e M i d d l e E a s t
expansion, Max's has awarded a
master franchisee for Karama,
the first to open in that region,
Sharjia, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait
and Saudi Arabia.
This would bring Max's
total foreign outlets to 15 by end
this year. It has already nine
stores in the US with its flagship
store located in Las Vegas, its only
company-owned restaurant in
the US. Trota further said that the
company has started to offer
mainstream dishes in foreign
outlets
Locally, Trota said the latest
to open is Butuan City and
Eastwood in Quezon City to bring
its total local restaurants to 140
of which 65 are company-owned.
“ I nve s t m e n t s fo r a M a x ' s
franchise ranges from P12
million to P15 million, all in, with
an average return of investments
within five years,” Trota said.
Max's strategy is to own its
stores in the Metro Manila area
and the future expansion within
this area, but the provincial
expansions are franchisees.
Aside from Max's, Trota has
already acquired two master
franchises of Krispy Kreme, a
donut restaurant, and Jamba
Juice. The company has also
established 42 Krispy Kreme
outlets and 8 Jamba Juice.
For its fourth brand, Max's
Corner Bakery, Trota said they
have integrated this bakery
business segment into all of its
Max's franchisees in the past
couple of years.
The company is trying to
strengthen this business unit
with the intention of spinning it
off in less than two years. “We are
trying to spin it off a lot sooner
than two years,” he said. The
revenue contribution from this
bakery business is growing but it
is more of incidental expenses of
restaurant customers.
Max's is a company-owned
restaurant chain that gained its
popularity for serving delicious
home-cooked fried chicken to
Weinberg also identified local
food products that have huge potential
in the kosher market such as coconutbased products particularly the
coconut sap vinegar, dried fruits, fruit
jams and fish products.
This can be translated to a total of
.5 billion to .6 billion sales per year.
Filipino food exporters should
take advantage of producing tawilis in
the kosher market since this fish can
only be found in Taal Lake.
United States alone has 11.5
million kosher consumers with sales
reaching to .65 billion and comprises 30
percent of the total kosher market.
"Usage and production are low.
The Philippines has a lot of room to
grow and has a lot of opportunities," he
said.
Aside from US, large markets for
kosher products are from France,
United Kingdom, Russia and Israel.
Kosher products, like halal foods
(foods that Muslims are allowed to eat
under Islamic law) go through
inspections and needs certification to
ensure that it passed the Jewish rules.
Meanwhile, Joel Weinberg,
President of International Kosher
Inspector, said that even non-Jewish
consumes kosher food because of its
health and safety validation.
But Weinberg said that the cost of
being kosher is not significant since its
market is looking on products being a
kosher-certified.
Kosher standards consider
animal which chew the cud and has a
cloven hoof as ritually clean animal.
Cattle, sheep, goat, and deer meat
products are considered as kosher food
while horses, donkeys, camels and pigs
are non-kosher.
”It is hard to get into the market if
you have to introduce a product which
is not yet known. But if you make the
product kosher, it makes it interesting
to consumers who can afford to buy a
specialty product," he explained.
Kosher seafood includes sardine,
tuna, mackerel, carp, salmon, red
snapper (maya-maya), anchovy (dilis)
and herring (tawilis) among others
while chicken, duck, goose and turkey
He added that it is also favorable
for Filipino exporters to get into the
kosher market particularly in US since
there is already established trade
relation between the two countries.
“So far so good. In fact,
the Philippines has been cited
to have the best regulatory
framework for the
u
Page 22
Max's Restaurant expands further abroad
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
According to PS Kosher Food
Works Inc., global demand on koshercertified products is growing at 12 to 15
percent a year.
are some of kosher-approved poultries.
American soldiers stationed near
its original store in the Scout area
in Quezon City.
Meanwhile, Max's has
unveiled plans to ramp up its
strategic marketing initiatives in
an effort to further reach out to its
increasing number of patrons in
the country and all over the
world.
In a ceremony recently held
at Max's Forbestown branch in
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig,
Max's announced forging a
partnership with Carat, an
independent media planning and
buying specialist owned by
London-based media and digital
marketing communications
company Aegis Group, plc.
Max's Marketing Director
Edgar Allan Caper shared the
company's optimism with the
collaboration as Carat completes
Max's triumvirate of creative and
strategic partner agencies which
also includes multi-awarded
creative agency DM9 Jayme-Syfu
and fast-emerging PR
consultancy firm Bright Idea
Events Management.
Hailed as one of the “100
Best Companies to Work For” by
The Sunday Times, Carat also
boasts of a wide global network
with presence in over 70
countries. (Manila Bulletin)
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
PEZA admonishes
Pacquiao on project
The Philippine Economic Zone
Authority (PEZA) has given boxing
icon Manny Pacquiao the flexibility
to revise his proposed P1.2-billion
medical tourism facility into a
c o m b i n e d I T, m e d i c a l a n d
manufacturing zone and to complete
its requirements otherwise the
board would be forced to cancel its
registration.
PEZA Director General Lilia B.
De Lima told reporters at the sideline
of the ceremonial roll-off of the allnew Vios that the PEZA Board has
already approved the project of Rep.
Manny Pacquiao Heights
Development Corp. (MPHDC).
“We already approved the
project but they did not come back to
us to submit the other requirement
that they require like permits from
the local government, the
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, Department of
Agriculture and the unified survey
returns,” De Lima said.
Once these requirements are
completed, De Lima said they can
endorse the project to Malacanang
paving the way for President Aquino
to proclaim the 500-hectare
development as a new special
economic zone. The development is
located in the boxing icon's home
province in South Cotabato covering
the towns of Balsinang and Olympog
and the city of General Santos.
Under the PEZA rules, the
agency which administers tax
incentives to special economic zones,
has to cancel approved registration
but have pending requirements after
five years. De Lima, however, said
they have been flexible in
implementing such ruling, although
a project cancellation does not
preclude the applicant from filing
another application in the future.
According to De Lim, PEZA has
recommended to the camp of the
“People's Champ” to revise its
p r o p o s a l t o i n c l u d e I T,
manufacturing and partly medical
tourism because the property is
huge.
She explained that medical
tourism is such a huge undertaking
and has stringent requirements on
the part of the developer from the
Department of Health and
Department of Tourism.
In its application with the
PEZA, Pacquiao's company, Manny
Pacquaio Heights Development
Corp. (MPHDC) was planning to
develop 200 hectares of different
types: 30 hectares for medical
tourism park; 70 hectares for
Jones Lang ...
From page 20
increasingly seeking innovative
partners in corporate real estate
that can help them achieve their
strategic goals and deliver best
practice. In fact, this was one of the
most interesting findings from our
recent Global Corporate Real Estate
Trends 2013 report, showcasing the
ex te n t to wh i c h re a l e s t a te
outsourcing is increasing across
more diverse geographies, sectors
and functions.”
“By centralizing our helpdesk
services, we can meet our clients'
tourism ecozone; 40 hectares for
retirement ecozone and 65 hectares
for information technology park.
(BCM)
The 30-hectare medical
tourism zone to be called the
Philippine International Cancer
C e n te r i s t h e z o n e' s a n c h o r
infrastructure development.
It stated that MPHDC would be
spending P1.19 billion for the land
development on top of the P24. 26
million it has spent for the
acquisition of the property. Project
financing is 60 percent internally
generated funds and 40 percent bank
loans.
The project has a timetable to
start operation in the first quarter of
2010, subject to the final approval of
the master plan of the community.
(BCM)
MPHDC also said that it was
negotiating with two foreign
companies for the development of
the medical tourism facilities
including Bio City Development Co., a
healthcare infrastructure
development company based in New
York.
It has developed international
cancer centers in Dubai, Europe,
Vietnam, Hong Kong and New York.
The center will be equipped
with support amenities and
infrastructure such as medical
university, high-end accommodation
facilities for patients and visitors;
international medical convention
c e n t e r, o u t d o o r s p o r t s a n d
recreational park and retail and
commercial areas.
Toyota bares auto parts localization
program for 40% local content
By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Toyota Motor Philippines
Corp. (TMP) yesterday
announced a parts localization
program that would double its
local content for its best selling
model Vios to 40 percent in
2014 with over 300 locallysourced parts and substantially
improve the capacity utilization
of its highly underutilized press
plant.
TMP President Michinobu
Sugata revealed this at
yesterday's ceremonial roll-off
of the all-new Vios at its plant in
Santa Rosa, Laguna. The
Philippines is the second ASEAN
country to introduce the full
model change of Vios, the first
being Thailand in March this
year.
Sugata, who noted the
local workers' dedication in
close collaboration with the
Motomachi plant engineers in
Japan to come up with the lefthand drive Vios model for the
Philippine market, said that
Toyota will further enhance the
localization ratio of this third
generation Vios by utilizing
TMP's press plant to localize the
stamping of 15 auto parts by
July 2014. As of this month, Vios
has 265 local auto parts from
only 230 when it started
completely knocked down
assembly in 2007.
About 70 percent of the area
will be dedicated to facilities while
the rest will be buffer zones, open
spaces or common utility areas.
MPHDC is in process of
securing its registration with the
Securities and Exchange
Commission but the report said its
initial authorized capital is P5
million.
Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee is one
of the directors. Other directors are
Rogelio D. Pacquiao, Edilberto L.
Jamora, Helen DC Nocom and Yan V.
Amante.
De Lima welcomed Pacquiao's
investment as making a major
impact in South Cotabato, especially
on job generation.
Pacquiao, dubbed as the best
pound-for-pound fighter, was said to
have earned $12 million when he
defeated Ricky Hatton early this
month. (Manila Bulletin)
demands for a global support
system that is both consistent and
cost effective and, in turn, facilitate
improvements in productivity,” he
added.
David Leechiu, International
Director and Country Head of Jones
Lang LaSalle in the Philippines,
adds, “We welcome Jones Lang
LaSalle's first BPO office in the
country and are pleased to offer
these expanded services to our
clients across the globe. It is a
testament to the excellent talent that
the Philippines has to offer and
world-class real estate that is
available at a fraction of the cost in
other markets. (Manila Bulletin)
Microfinance
loans, savings
breach P8-B
mark ...
From page 21
development of microfinance for
four consecutive years now,”
Tetangco said. But Tetangco
believes more could be done.
An earlier survey on
Financial Access done by the
World Bank estimated that only
around 20 percent Philippinebased MSMEs are being service
by financial institutions.
This pales in comparison to
other countries in the region like
Malaysia where this figure is
around 60 percent.
In the Philippines, MSMEs
account for 99.6 percent of our
total enterprises, employs 61
percent of our total employed
population, and contributes 32
percent to the GDP.
Now on its 11th year, the
annual CMA awards program
continues to be successful in
i n c re a s i n g awa re n e s s fo r
microfinance and providing
i n c e n t i v e s
t o
microentrepreneurs in the
country.
Funded by Citi Foundation,
ROLL-OFF CEREMONY FOR THE ALL-NEW TOYOTA VIOS SEDAN Philippine
Economic Zone Authority Director General Lilia B. De Lima (left) and Toyota Motor
Philippines Vice Chairman Alfred V. Ty (right) lead the champagne pouring on the
first all-new Vios sedan that rolled off the TMP assembly line in Sta. Rosa City in
Laguna on July 8, 2013. With them are (from 2nd left) Toyota Motor Corporation
Executive General Manager Yoshihiro Uozumi, Japanese Ambassador to the
Philippines H.E. Toshinao Urabe, and TMP President Michinobu Sugata. (Photo by
Jacqueline Hernandez)
“This will bring improved
press technology into the
country and allow us to realize
our vision of invigorating
Philippine manufacturing,
which is very important in
terms of its great potential for
investments, employment and
technology,” Sugata said. The
parts local program is a
welcomed news as the country's
automotive leader is now selling
more completely built up
this nationwide search is a
partnership among BSP, Citi
Philippines and the Microfinance
Council of the Philippines, Inc.
(MCPI).
“These individuals are true
models of tenacity and a rich
source of inspiring life-long
lessons for everyone. To us at the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the
saga of our microentrepreneurs'
success is a constant reminder of
the empowering benefits of
gaining access to financial
services,” said Tetangco.
CMA was introduced in
2002 as Citi celebrated its
centennial in the Philippines and
in Asia. Since then, it has been
adopted as a global program and
introduced in 34 other countries.
Over the last decade, it has
recognized 86 Filipinos, a
number of whom have grown
their businesses significantly in
terms of profits and assets.
“Citi is privileged to
partner with BSP and MCPI in
d ra w i n g t h e s p o t l i g h t t o
m i c r o f i n a n c e a n d
entrepreneurship as sustainable
solutions to poverty,” said Bitara
Sianturi.
“Each year, we celebrate
the success of our individual
winners for their economic
heroism that play a big role in the
development of their
communities and the larger
m o d e l s t h a n c o m p l e te ly knocked down (CKD) models.
CBU sales account for 60
percent of its total sales while
CKD sales contribution has gone
down to 40 percent given the
fact that it has only two CKD
models Vios and Innova out of
its 18auto model line up being
sold locally.
u
Page 29
society,” Sianturi said.
In 2012, over 100
nominations were received from
28 microfinance institutions,
rural banks and cooperatives
f ro m L u z o n , V i s aya s a n d
Mindanao, and the organizers
expect to get the same support if
not more for this year.
Of the nominations
received, four winners will be
chosen. One will be named the
Citi Microentrepreneur of the
Year, while three others will be
hailed as regional winners for
Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The awards are open to
microenterprises with assets
worth P300,000 to P3 million.
There will also be a special award
for enterprises with assets below
P300,000 and another special
award on innovation. A special
award for sustainability is being
introduced this year, which will
recognize a past CMA winner
with a proven track record of
business growth.
The winner of the Citi
Microentrepreneur of the Year
Award will receive P200,000
while the three regional
awardees and special awardees
will each get P100,000. The loan
officers of each awardee are also
entitled to a cash incentive of
P10,000. (Malaya)
ENTERTAINMENT
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 23
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pilar back to work after
'Ina, Kapatid, Anak’
MANILA -- Veteran actress
Pilar Pilapil is pleasantly
surprised that she gets to work
again right after her last project,
"Ina, Kapatid, Anak," which
ended its run last June 14.
Pilapil serves as the
replacement of fellow veteran
actress Amalia Fuentes in the
upcoming ABS-CBN soap
"Muling Buksan ang Puso," after
the latter resigned from the
project.
Helen Gamboa signs
contract with GMA Network
Respected television and
movie actress Ms. Helen Gamboa
is now a Kapuso as she inked a
contract at the GMA Network
Center.
Present in the contract
signing were Shirley Kuan
(Helen's manager), GMA
Entertainment TV's OIC Lilybeth
G. Rasonable, Ms. Helen Gamboa,
GMA Chairman and CEO Atty.
Felipe L. Gozon, and GMA Vice
President for Drama Redgie
Acuña-Magno.
Ms. Gamboa, one of the
c o u n t r y ' s m o s t re s p e c te d
television actresses, is part of the
upcoming primetime drama,
Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas. She is very
honoured to be part of the
Kapuso family and is looking
forward working on her first
project in GMA.
“Honestly, I am deeply
honoured to be joining Channel 7.
I am so excited about this
wonderful project that they have
for me. I am sure I'm going to have
a very good working relationship
with all of you especially with the
production team. I'm really
looking forward to beautiful days
of tapings.”
Ms. Gamboa says her role in
Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas is a very
good acting piece where she will
play a villainess role, “Every
project that I do, every role that I
portray, I really feel challenged at
pinagbubuti ko to the best of my
ability. Siguro it will inspire me
more na as I go on, pagbubutihin
ko pa lalo yung pagganap sa
character na ipo-portray ko.
When you are an actress and
talagang dedicated ka sa craft
mo, you will do everything to give
a good performance.”
During the contract
signing, Atty. Gozon said that
Helen is a welcome addition to
GMA's roster of artists, “Tayo ay
both honoured and very happy
that Helen Gamboa is joining us.
She is not only a good singer but
also a very good actress. Sabi ko
nga kanina, parang yung itsura
niya ay hindi nagbabago.”
Rasonable, on the other
hand, says they are very happy
that Ms. Gamboa accepted the
role in Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas.“We
are very happy na tinanggap niya
yung offer namin na ito. We are
looking forward kasi we know she
is such an excellent actress. Ang
laki ng maibibigay niya sa soap na
ginagawa namin. Sana
masiyahan siya sa kaniyang
pagtatrabaho dito sa GMA as we
are happy to have her.
Akin Pa Rin ang Bukas is the
first soap directorial job of Ms.
Laurice Guillen. It will be top
billed by Kapuso Primera
Aktresa Lovi Poe, Rocco Nacino,
Solenn Heussaff, Charie Pineda,
Gary Estrada, and Mr. Cesar
Montano, among others. It will
air on GMA 7 soon.
Toni proud of being
part of Star Cinema
unang pelikula ko with direk Joyce
(Bernal), I just go the set, nagshushooting lang kami. Hindi ko talaga
naiintindihan,” she said.
Gonzaga added: “Hindi ko
alam na kailangan pala ang isang
artista, importanteng may pelikula
siya at pinapanood. Akala ko
gagawa ka lang.”
Toni Gonzaga
MANILA - Toni Gonzaga
admitted she only fully understood
what it means to be an actress after
Star Cinema, the film production
outfit of ABS-CBN, gave her first
starring role in a movie.
Gonzaga admitted that she
was naïve when she was just
starting out. “I just transferred [to
ABS-CBN] that year -- 2005 -- so ang
laki ng expectations. Hindi ko pa
talaga siya naiintindihan. Nung
The host-actress was
referring to the movie "D Anothers,"
starring comedian Vhong Navarro.
“ N a g k a ro o n n g v i c t o r y
(party), tapos sabi nila Vhong nag
P100 million yung 'D Anothers.'
Hindi ko pa naiintindihan. Akala ko
normal iyon sa Star Cinema na lahat
ng movies P100 million,” she said.
Gonzaga said being part of the Star
Cinema family humbles her,
especially when big projects are
entrusted to her. “Isang malaking
karangalan talaga maging part ng
Star Cinema kasi 'yung alaga, 'yung
pagmamahal, 'yung tiwala nakaka-
humble talaga. It makes you more
grateful kapag nabibigyan ka ng
proyekto sa Star Cinema,” she said.
She also lauded the movies Star
Cinema has produced.
“Yung mga pelikula ng Star
Cinema for almost 20 years now,
bihira lang 'yung fantasy. It's more
on sa mga real-life drama and
stories na sumasalamin sa buhay ng
pamilya ng bawat Pilipino. Malaki
po ang nabago sa buhay ko simula
noong naging bahagi ako ng Star
Cinema,” she said.
This year, the film outfit is
celebrating its 20th anniversary
and to kick off the year-long
celebration, the Cathy GarciaMolina-directed film "Four Sisters
and a Wedding" was released
nationwide on June 26.
The movie stars Gonzaga,
Angel Locsin, Bea Alonzo, Shaina
Magdayao and Enchong Dee.
"Muling Buksan ang Puso"
is topbilled by young stars Julia
M o n te s , E n r i q u e G i l a n d
Enchong Dee, who was also
included in the "Ina, Kapatid,
Anak" cast.
"Well, I was surprised
because I was supposed to rest
after 'Ina, Kapatid, Anak," said
Pilapil, referring to the toprating series starred by Kim
Chiu and Maja Salvador.
Joining Pilapil in "Muling
Buksan ang Puso" is another
veteran actress, Susan Roces.
Pilar Pilapil
Roces expressed her
excitement over working with
Pilapil for the first time. "Oh, this
is the first for Pilar and me. Sa
hinaba-haba ng pagiging artista
ko, ngayon ko lang makakasama
si Pilar," she said.
Also part of the cast are
Cherie Gil, Dante Rivero, Agot
Isidro, Dominic Ochoa and
Jestoni Alarcon.
Agot Isidro
Cherie Gil
Agot Isidro, Cherie Gil
return to ABS-CBN
MANILA - Actresses Agot
Isidro and Cherie Gil are happy
to be back to the network they
consider home.
Both Gil and Isidro said
they are elated to become
Kapamilyas again as they join
the cast of the upcoming series
“Muling Buksan Ang Puso.”
“It's always great to be
home. This teleserye is really
for everyone. Sino ba naman
ang hindi nagmahal? Sino ang
hindi nasaktan dahil sa
pagmamahal? Sino ang gustong
muling ibukas ang kanilang
mga puso?” Isidro said.
In the upcoming series,
Gil will play mom to young actor
Enchong Dee, while Isidro will
play the mother of Enrique Gil.
“Nakasama ko na sila
individually. Enchong, I worked
with him when he was 15.
Enrique, nakasama ko na rin
and Julia (Montes) recently in 'A
Moment In Time.' They are very
professional. They work hard,”
said Gil.
Isidro revealed that she
and Gil will also fight over a man
to be played by Jestoni Alarcon.
“Even for us masyado
naming dinadamdam ang mga
roles namin,” she said.
Directed by Manny Palo
("Sta. Niña," "A Moment in
Time") and Nuel Naval ("A
Secret Affair," "Magkaribal"),
the series centers on the
themes of forgiveness and
second chances. Boasting a
star-studded ensemble cast,
"Muling Buksang ang Puso" also
features showbiz veterans
Susan Roces, Dante Rivero and
Pila r Pila p il, a lon g w it h
Dominic Ochoa, Daniel
Fernando, Matt Evans, Malou
Crisologo, Pooh and Jane
Oineza.
“Muling Buksan Ang
Puso” is expected to be aired on
ABS-CBN's primetime block
this July.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
How Robin Padilla reconciled with BB
MANILA - After finding out
that her son was sick, Eva Cariño
saw the opportunity to heal a
family rift triggered by Rustom
Padilla's decision to become BB
Gandanghari.
“Isang araw last week,
tumawag siya sa akin,” Cariño said,
referring to Gandanghari. “Sabi
niya, 'Mama, may sakit ako.'
Tumawag ulit, halos hindi ko
marinig ang boses niya. Ang hinahina. 'Nanghihina na po ako, ang
taas ng lagnat ko.'”
After taking Gandanghari to
the hospital, she then called Robin
and the rest of his siblings to visit
their brother.
“Tinawagan ko ang mga
kapatid niya. Sina Robin, sina
Rommel, sina Royett …lahat .
Dumating, kumpleto,” she said.
“Pagdating ni Robin, 'O sister!
Kumusta ka na?' Iyon ang bati
namin sa kanya. Nangiti si BB,
tapos ang mga kapatid niyang
babae, ano rin, 'Ate! Sister!' Ibig
sabihin, tanggap na siya as BB.
Hanggang sa araw-araw naming
dinalaw,” Cariño said.
When Cariño went to
Gandanghari's condo unit after
getting the phone call, she recalled
that she was surprised by how sick
Gandanghari looked.
“Pagdating namin doon,
natulala ako. Hindi na ako
nakasalita dahil ang itsura niya
parang wala na. Gusto kong
umiyak, hindi ako maka-iyak. Gusto
k o n g s u m i g a w, h i n d i a k o
makasigaw. Natulala ako, hindi ko
alam na ganoon ang dadatnan ko,”
she said.
She added that Gandanghari
probably waited for several days,
and only called her when he was
too weak to move on his own and
felt as if he was on the brink of
death. Gandanghari was rushed to
the hospital, where doctors said he
was suffering from extreme
dehydration resulting in infections.
Cariño said Gandanghari's
illness had a lot to do with the
healing of his rift with his siblings.
“Okay naman sila, tanggap
naman siya, pero nararamdaman
niyang parang iba [pa rin ang
turing sa kanya],” Cariño said of
Gandanghari's relationship with
his brothers. “Iba iyong closeness
nila [na magkakapatid] noong
hindi pa siya ganyan. Iba-iba ang
opinion,” she added.
As a mother, she said while
she had difficulty accepting her
son's sexual preference, she could
not deny her child her love.
“Ako naman, anak ko iyon, e.
Hindi naman pwedeng itapon.
Anak is anak. Kung iisipin mo
talaga, masakit na naging ganoon
siya, 'di ba, pero ano ang magagawa
natin? Wala. Iyon ang gusto niya,
iyon ang nafe-feel niya. Sige na
lang,” she said.
His siblings' visit to the
hospital also led Gandanghari to
form a closer bond with his
nephew, Robin's son Ali, Cariño
said.
Angelica says Piolo has
become her confidant
MANILA - Actress Angelica
Panganiban is glad to have
developed a good friendship
with fellow “Apoy Sa Dagat” star
Piolo Pascual during the fivemonth run of their television
series.
Panganiban said Pascual
has become one of her
confidants with whom she can
share anything about her
personal life.
“Napakaswerte ko na sa
mga pinagdaanan ko habang
ginagawa 'yung show, nandiyan
si Papa P na talagang naging
kaibigan ko. Nagkaroon kami ng
magandang friendship, ng
magandang samahan.
Nakukuwento ko sa kanya lahat.
Sobra akong komportable sa
kanya, napaglalabasan ko siya ng
sama ng loob ko, naiiyakan ko
siya. Malaking bagay ho sa
trabaho na mayroon akong
outlet na ganun,” she said.
Panganiban, however, shared
that she has already learned how
to properly deal with intrigues to
prevent them from affecting her
work.
“Siguro kapag may intriga
or kapag may pinagdadaanan ka,
matagal na rin naman siguro
akong nag-aartista so alam ko na.
Napag-aralan ko kung paano
iwan sa bahay ang problema, ang
pinagdadaanan. Pero siyempre
may mga oras na mahirap,” she
said. Meanwhile, Panganiban
admitted that she has mixed
emotions as “Apoy Sa Dapat” is
now down to its final week.
Although she is sad that
their team would have to part
ways, Panganiban said she is also
happy because “Apoy Sa Dagat”
had a successful run.
“Gusto ko magpasalamat
sa mga taong sumuporta,
nanood ng 'Apoy Sa Dagat.' Hindi
ho siguro magtatagal sa ere at
hindi ho siguro kami mai-inspire
na magtrabaho kundi dahil sa
mga naririnig namin galing sa
inyo. Maraming salamat na
nakagawa na naman kami ng
karakter na tatatak sa inyo,” she
said.
The 26-year-old actress
also shared what she learned
from doing the series. “Para
siyang isang magandang kwento
ng pag-ibig na kahit anong
mangyari, pwede mo palang
gawin ang kahit ano. Masama or
mabuti, hindi na iyon
kinukwestiyon basta para sa
mga taong mahal mo,” she said.
Panganiban added: “Hindi
ko naman sinasabi na makapatay
ka or gumawa ka ng masama,
pero kapag nandun ka na sa
sitwasyon na iyon, ganun pala
ang pag-ibig. Hindi mo pwedeng
husgahan kung ano ang
ginagawa mo or ginagawa sa iyo
kapag nagmahal ka na.”
Directed by F.M. Reyes and
Nick Olanka, “Apoy Sa Dagat” will
aired its final episode last July 5.
Robin Padilla
BB Gandanghari
“'Di ba ang anak ni Robin kasi,
gusto raw maging boksingero? So
sinabi ni Robin, 'Alam mo si Tita BB
mo noong bata, magaling magboxing iyan.' So noong nasa ospital
si Ali, [nakikipag-boxing siya] kay
Rustom. Tuwang tuwa si Ali,
tuwang-tuwa rin si Robin. So
ngayon, 'Tita' na ang tawag sa
kanya ni Ali,” she said.
Robin posted a photo on
Instagram of his son boxing with
Gandanghari, who was still in his
hospital bed. In his post, he
referred to Gandanghari as his
“sister” for the first time in public.
“Masayang-masaya ako.
Halos hindi ako makapagsalita.
Mabuti naman na nagkasakit siya,
para nagkasundo na sila,” Cariño
s a i d . “A n o n a [ k a y o n g
magkakapatid], five girls, three
boys.”
She added that she is now
very happy that her children are
friends again.
"Robin, lahat kayong
magkakapatid, salamat sa
pagtanggap niyo kay BB. Napasaya
niyo ako. Matagal kong tiniis na
hindi kayo nagkakasundo. Ngayon,
masayang-masaya na ako," she
said.
Gandanghari was released
from the hospital on
Thursday, but is under doctor's
orders to observe strict bed rest. He
recently posted a photo of his
family on Twitter, with the caption
“A fa m i ly love t h a t h e a ls …
#Feelingbetter”. Carino said
Gandanghari should take care of
himself so he will get well.
"BB anak, alam kong
masayang-masaya ka, nakita ko sa
mukha mo, ganoon din kami.
Magpagaling ka, magpaganda ka,
nang lalo kaming matuwa sa iyo,"
she said. Robin, meanwhile,
declined to further comment on the
issue.
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Raymart Santiago a no-show at Details of Kris-James
Claudine's party for daughter compromise revealed
MANILA --- Claudine
Barretto was caught clueless
when asked on the
whereabouts of her husband
Raymart Santiago Saturday
afternoon, when the actress
held a birthday party for their
daughter.
Saturday actually had her
daughter's input. "Tinatanong
niya rin naman ako kung ano
'yung mga ideas ko, mga
concepts na maganda, so we're
very open naman sa isa't-isa.
Ngayon meron na siyang input
talaga, pero ever since naman
I'd really ask them, Santino and
Sabina," she said.
The 33-year-old actress
threw a belated celebration of
Sabina's birthday in Quezon
City on Saturday, two weeks
after her adopted daughter
turned 7 last June 21.
"Dapat 'yung party niya
was last Saturday, kaya lang
hindi natuloy kasi nga
nagkasakit ako, so 'yun,"
Barretto said.
Barretto has another
child, Santino, with Santiago.
With Sabina turning a
year older, the actress related
that they've found new ways to
bond as mother and daughter.
"Mag-wa-watch lang ng
movie habang nagpapa-foot
Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto
spa or habang nag-re-relax,
kasi dalaga-dalaga na rin."
The actress admitted she
isn't too thrilled with the idea
of her daughter being "dalaga,"
saying, "Huwag sanang
masyadong mabilis!"
Unlike in Sabina's
previous birthday
celebrations, Barretto shared
that the themed party held
Noticeably absent from
Saturday's party, however, was
the children's father, who, by
the admission of Barretto's
mother, no longer lives under
the same roof as the actress.
When asked about
Santiago's absence, Barretto
said she had informed her
husband and his other family
members of the occasion.
"Wala siya. Alam niyang
may party. Siguro naman alam
niya. Alam niya naman na
birthday ng anak niya.
Pinaalam ko sa kanya at saka sa
pamilya niya," she said.
Rica Peralejo is pregnant
MANILA -- Rica Peralejo is two months pregnant.
"Oo, two months [pregnant ako]!" the 33-year-old
actress said.
"Super saya. Siguro mga six months rin kaming
naghintay," said Peralejo, who is now three years
married to Joe Bonifacio, a Christian pastor.
"So talagang nag-anticipate ako na, 'Lord, kailan
kaya darating 'yung baby ko,' ganun... So, super happy
talaga n'ng nalaman ko. My God! Nag-positive ako!"
Peralejo said.
MANILA - Former celebrity
couple Kris Aquino and James Yap
have come to a compromise
regarding their son James "Bimby"
Yap Jr.
However, due to a court gag
order, both parties were not able to
give details on their agreement. It
was also not clear whether their
initial arrangement regarding Yap's
visitation schedule would be
implemented.
But an insider, who asked not to
be named, said that one vital part of
the former couple's agreement is
that Yap will be paying for their sixyear-old son's education.
The source said Aquino had
been paying for Bimby's tuition fees
in an international school, which
amounts to more or less P700,000
per year.
Two years earlier, Aquino and
Yap had agreed that the star
basketball player can visit their son
from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every
Wednesday and from 4:30 p.m. every
Friday until 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Aquino told reporters that she
and Yap were able to come to a
compromise.
“I am happy na may
compromise,” she said. “Any mother
would always want what would be
for the best para sa anak niya and I
think the decision of Judge Sulit
today and ang inayos niyang
agreement between both parties
would really benefit my son very
much and anything that will benefit
my son is always going to be my
priority.”
James Yap and Kris Aquino
Aquino and Yap conferred at
the Makati City Regional Trial Court
Branch 140 Monday last week.
“Sana mag-focus kami kung
paano namin papalakihin ang anak
naming ng maayos. Sana maging
successful kami bilang nanay at
tatay,” Yap said before the closeddoor meeting started.
“Move on na, move forward.
Basta ang iniisip ko lang talaga, ang
anak ko,” he added.
After the conference, which
lasted for almost two hours, the two
looked satisfied with Judge Christina
Sulit's decision.
Asked about the reaction of Bonifacio to her
confirmed pregnancy, the actress said, "Hay naku, akala
ko noong una parang wala lang sa kanya. Pero siguro
mga two days hindi siya nakatulog."
Peralejo said, more than ever, she is cautious about
her diet and fitness routine. She said she has started to
make adjustments in her lifestyle, and has even
approached her friends who are moms for advice.
The actress also shared she and Bonifacio are
hoping that their first child will be a boy.
Bianca Gonzalez: Marriage
first before children
MANILA --- TV host
Bianca Gonzalez said she sees
herself having children in five
years, but not before she gets
married via the "usual
traditional Pinoy" way.
The-30-year-old
Gonzalez said she has started
saving up "for the future,"
which includes settling down
and having a family.
"Siyempre 30 na ako, I
have to concretely think about
the future. Hindi na mura ang
mabuhay ngayon, and in the
future if ever, magpapatayo ka
ng bahay, magkakaroon ka ng
family, oo, kailangan pagipunan talaga."
"And yes, that includes
settling down. Hindi ko alam
kailan, but that includes
settling down," said Gonzalez,
who is in a relationship with
Barako Bull player JC Intal.
Asked if she feels
"pressured" to get married,
since she is now in her 30s,
Gonzalez said, "In fairness,
pressure hindi. I think more
than anything, I think 'yung
lalaki 'yung nape-pressure
talaga, eh.”
u
Page 26
Bianca Gonzalez
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Eugene Domingo, Jake
Cuenca top bill 'Tuhog’
Jasmine Curtis
Jasmine Curtis is troubled
teenager in indie film
MANILA -- Young actress Jasmine Curtis will appear in her second
independent film this year as a troubled teenager caught between the
clashing cultures of her heritage -- being both Filipino and Israeli.
After appearing in the CineFilipino Film Festival entry "Puti," the 19year-old actress joins another film festival in a project directed by Hannah
Espia and produced by Paulo Soriano.
Competing in the New Breed category of this year's Cinemalaya
Philippine Independent Film Festival, "Transit" tells the story of Israelbased Filipinos who find out that the country's government plans to deport
children of foreign workers.
Aside from Curtis, the film stars Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan,
Mercedes Cabral and child actor Marc Justine Alvarez.
Curtis said she considers the film a "big break."
"'Transit' was such a pleasure to work on. It's so deep, the storyline,
and also the preparation that we had to do for the film," said the young
actress, who was recently in Israel to shoot on location.
Explaining her role in the film, Curtis said, "Ako po 'yung anak ni Ms.
Irma Adlawan na lumaki sa Israel. Half-Filipina, half-Israeli, so there's a
battle between cultures for my role, na kung Filipina ba ako o Israeli ako."
For her part in the project, Curtis said she understands not being
given a "substantial fee."
"It's a whole different environment, so we can't apply what we do in
mainstream to the indie world," said the actress, who has starred in three
TV series so far, and has several product and brand endorsements to her
name.
"And that's fine, because at the end of the day, it's all about the
experience and learning more about this industry," she said.
Cinemalaya 2013 kicks off its 10-day run on July 26 in cinemas at the
Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City, Greenbelt 3 in Makati City,
and Trinoma in Quezon City.
Bianca ...
From page 25
"Pag babae, sitting pretty
ka lang, eh. Maghihintay ka lang
eh. Kung ayaw niya, 'di wag.
Kung gusto niya, edi pagisipan," she said.
The "Umagang Kay
Ganda" host related that she
has always had her mind set on
going about marriage the
traditional way, as seen in
Filipino customs.
"Ako, definitely before I
get pregnant and have kids,
dapat ikasal ako. The usual
traditional Pinoy. Ang concept
ko ng marriage, magpa-paalam
sa magulang ng isa't isa, bago
ma-engage, tapos may
preparation. May time para
mag-prepare, tapos 'yung
actual marriage," she said.
As to her preferred "time
frame" for settling down,
Gonzalez brought up the
practicality of conceiving a
child relative to a woman's age.
"Im 30 -- ano ba ang
[body] clock ng babae? -- gusto
ko magkaanak no later than 35,
so i-minus mo, somewhere
there in between," she said.
W h e n
a s k e d
hypothetically if she feels
" re a dy " t o g e t m a r r i e d ,
Gonzalez said, "I can't say I'm
ready. I think no girl can ever
fully say I'm ready na na
magpakasal.”
"But then, leap of faith din
pag nagse-say yes ang mga
babae pag tinatanong sila. But
I'll be very lucky if ever, because
he's a very good man," she said.
MANILA -- Actress Eugene
Domingo is set to return to big
screen as she takes the lead role
in the Skylight Film and ABSCBN Film Production's 20th
anniversary offering, "Tuhog."
The film is about the
connected lives of three
struggling people -- the cranky
bus barker Fiesta, played by
Eugene; Leo Martinez'
character Tonio, a confused
retired old man; and Caloy,
played by Enchong Dee, a young
man who preserves his
virginity for his girlfriend.
Their complicated lives
will be furthered screwed when
they figured in a bus accident,
driven by actor Jake Cuenca.
According to its director
Veronica Velasco, she's happy
with the project as they were
able to translate the script to
the big screen seamlessly given
that they only shot the movie
for 23 days.
"On a scale of 1 to 10 as
how proud I am about this film?
I can say na 12 kasi ang hiraphirap gawin ng pelikulang ito.
Actually, hanggang ngayon,
nagugulat pa rin ako na nagawa
namin siyang tapusin in 23 days
despite all the logistical
nightmares," said Velasco.
"Tuhog," Velasco added, is
inspired by a true story.
"Nasa isip ko na siya early
90's pa kasi I came across this
tabloid picture na may several
bus passengers na nasaktan
dahil sa isang freak road
accident. From the start, it was a
challenge to pitch, to produce,
and to write this movie. It's a
daring drama movie about
family na seryoso ang tema
pero mag-e-enjoy ka," she said.
On Jake's part, he said he's
happy to be a part of this
anniversary project of his
mother network and to be able
to work with seasoned actors
and actresses in the
entertainment industry.
His role as a bus driver
wasn't easy, he said. First, he
must learn how to drive a real
bus and second, he must drive it
cautiously as all his co-actors
and production team are
shooting inside it while on the
road.
"Iba talaga siya,
nakakatakot at mahirap. Pero
masasanay ka rin naman.
Bandang dulo medyo magaling
na akong magdrive. Marunong
na rin sa ilang oras naming
Eugene Domingo and Jake Cuenca
nagdrive ng bus. I just learn by
doing it and ingatan mo ang
mga co-actors mo. Hindi rin
madali kasi meron ring mga
cameras na sobrang mahal, so
kailangan mo talagang ingatan,"
he said.
Jake recalled that there
was one instance when Eugene
tumbled inside the bus while he
was driving it. The actor said
the comedienne was very
professional and said that it's all
part of the job.
" P i n u n t a h a n ko s iya
(Eugene) kasi tumilapon talaga
u
Page 27
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Shaina denies dating
Taguig congressman
MANILA -- Shaina
Magdayao shrugged off rumors
that she's dating director and
Taguig City Representative Lino
Cayetano.
to jump into a new relationship
at the moment. She wants to
give herself a break and focus on
her career.
"Nagpapasalamat lang ako
na gusto nila akong kilalanin.
When they show a little effort to
know you better, siyempre naappreciate ko din naman yun,
pero hanggang doon na lang
muna. Wala akong kinikilala in a
more deeper way," she said.
The two have worked
together in Shaina's afternoon
series "Kung Ako'y Iiwan Mo"
with then on-screen partner
Jake Cuenca.
According to her, the
director was very kind to her
but as far as she knows,
Cayetano is not courting her.
"Sobra naman niyang bait
sa akin as a director at
kinakaibigan din naman niya
ako. Pero right now hindi kami
nagkakasama. Actually ngayon
ko lang din ulit siya nakita," she
said.
Lino is the newest guy
being linked to the actress after
actors Sam Milby and Piolo
Pascual confirmed their
closeness with the "Four Sisters
and a Wedding" lead actress.
Shaina said she sometimes
feel uncomfortable when she is
being linked to several men.
"Sa mga lalake na nalink sa
Shaina Magdayao
akin, nakakahiya na kasi baka
nakikipag kaibigan lang yung
mga tao. And they know naman
na busy ako kaka-taping and
wala akong time doon," she said.
The actress added:
"Excited ang lahat na
magkaroon ako ng boyfriend,
ako nga hindi excited. Kumalma
na muna tayong lahat."
Shaina said she
appreciates the interest of some
people in her love life but
stressed that she's not ready yet
The actress added that
she's leaves everything to the
Lord and that she will wait for
the right time and the right
person to come.
"Andoon naman yung fear
and may doubt din. I'm just
praying for the right time and
the right person. Pag na-feel ko
naman na binigay na ni Lord sa
akin yun, I know na I'm ready to
fall in love again. Tatanggalin
niya siguro lahat ng self doubt
ko," she added.
It's been almost one year
after Shaina ended her romance
with ex-boyfriend John Lloyd
Cruz.
Empress Schuck
Empress Schuck surprised on her
inclusion in 'sexiest woman' list
MANILA -- Making it to the Top
10 spot of the FHM's 100 Sexiest
Woman in the Philippines came as a
surprise for young actress Empress
Schuck.
The 20-year-old actress said
she never rallied or asked her fans
for votes but she's thankful for the
support shown by everyone in this
year's sexiest list.
"Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat
ng mga bumoto sa akin kasi hindi ko
naman ini-expect na makakapasok
ako. Isa siyang karangalan para sa
akin," she said during the press
conference of her upcoming movie
"Tuhog."
She added: "Hindi ako
makapaniwala. Nagpost ako nung
nakapasok ako pero hindi ko naman
sinabi na magvote kasi nakakahiya.
Hindi naman ako nagpromote ng
masyado, yung ibang fans 'yung
nagcampaign talaga."
Marian Rivera returned to the
No. 1 spot as this year's sexiest
woman followed by Sam Pinto, Angel
Locsin, Jennylyn Mercado, Cristine
Reyes, Solenn Heussaff, Ellen
Adarna, Anne Curtis and Jackie Rice.
Empress, who was the
magazine's cover babe for the March
2013 issue, received 683,118 votes.
She said her FHM cover is her
way of telling everyone that she's
Eugene, Jake ...
From page 26
siya. Kinabahan ako. Again, Eugene
Domingo is a gamer. Okay lang raw
sa kanya iyon. Had it been another
actress, ewan ko ha. Si Miss Eugene
kasi walang kaarte-arte at all. Doing
the movie with her was one of the
best experiences for me," he added.
The actor said he's happy and
proud that he was able to work with
Eugene in one project. He praised
the comedienne for her superb
acting and professionalism.
ready for a more mature and
challenging roles both on television
and movies.
"Isa na iyon sa mga steps para
masabi ko na ito 'yung the new
Empress. The more mature and
willing nang umaccept ng mas
mature and challenging roles," she
added.
Aside from her daily stint in
"Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala"
opposite KC Concepcion, Sam Milby
and Judy Ann Santos, she's set to star
in comedy movie "Tuhog" with
Enchong Dee, Jake Cuenca and
comedienne Eugene Domingo.
She plays the role of Angel, a
young girl who preserves herself for
the man she loves.
Empress said moviegoers will
see a different side of her.
"Hindi ko naman masasabi na
nagpa-sexy ako. Siguro makikita
niyo sa pelikulang ito yung mga
nangyayari lang talaga sa totoong
buhay. Makikita rin dito yung
pinagdadaanan ng mga
magboyfriend-girlfriend. Hindi ko
masasabi na nagpasexy ako kasi
ginawa lang namin yung mga
talagang nangyayari in real life," she
added.
Produced by Skyligh Films,
"Tuhog" will grace the big screen
starting July 17.
"The thing about her, machachallenge ka kasi ang galing talaga
niya. Napakahusay niya. Dapat ichallenge mo rin siya para magenjoy rin siya sa eksena," Jake said.
As for the movie, Jake said it's
something new for the Filipino
audience.
" H i n d i s iya m i n o u n t a s
s l a p s t i c k . N a k a k a t uwa y u n g
situation pero iba yung approach.
Hindi kami nagpapatawa at all. May
drama and comedy rin yung movie,"
he added.
"Tuhog" opens July 17 in
theaters nationwide.
SPORTS
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 28
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Paras, 3 others get
Ironman 70.3
Hall
of
Fame
nod
slated in Cebu
Reigning champions Pete
Jacobs of Australia and Caroline
Steffen of Alaska Team TBB lead a
formidable cast that will compete
in the Cobra Energy Drink
Ironman 70.3 Philippines on Aug.
4 in Cebu.
Now on its fifth edition, the
event will be preceded by the
Alaska Ironkids Triathlon set on
Aug. 3.
Jacobs, who will be gunning
for his fourth straight win in the
race, will be joined by New
Zealand's Cameron Brown and
Alaska Team TBB's Mathieu
O'Halloran, among others.
Out to foil Steffen's titleretention bid are Bree Wee of the
United States, Alaska Team TBB's
Christie Sym and Great Britain's
Jacqui Slack.
The race serves as a
qualifier for the Ironman World
Championships Las Vegas set in
Henderson, Nevada on Sept. 8.
The 1.2-mile swim leg will
be held in open water at the beach
of the Shangri-La's Mactan Resort
and Spa; the 56-mile bike leg will
traverse in cities of Lapu-Lapu,
Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay; and
the 13.1-mile run leg will be at
Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City.
The Alaska Ironkids
Triathlon, meanwhile, will be
held at the Shangri-La's Mactan
Resort and Spa for triathletes age
6 to 14 years old. It is the local
junior version of the
international Ironkids triathlon
series. (Manila Bulletin)
Two-time MVP winner
Benjie Paras, point-guard Ronnie
Magsanoc, league pioneer star
Lim Eng Beng and four-time
champion coach Ed Ocampo
make up the fifth batch of
esteemed personalities that will
be inducted into the PBA Hall of
Fame.
Paras, Magsanoc, Lim and
Ocampo will be the latest
addition to the distinguished roll
as they drew the required
number of votes after the
thorough evaluation and review
of the eight-man Honors
Committee led by PBA
commissioner Chito Salud and
board chairman Robert Non.
The fifth PBA Hall of Fame
ceremony will be held during the
opening of the 2014 PBA season
or in a separate event prior to the
opening.
Immediate PBA past chair
Mert Mondragon, incoming chair
Ramon Segismundo and media
practitioners Bobby Barreiro,
Ding Marcelo, Joe Antonio and
Lorenzo Lomibao Jr. were the
other members of the Honors
Committee that screened the list
of candidates made by the
Smart Gilas Pilipinas arrives at Napier, New Zealand. Photo from head coach Chot
Reyes Twitter account.
Gilas Pilipinas arrives in New
Zealand for 10-day training camp
By Celest R. Flores
MANILA -- After a full day
of travel, the Philippine men's
basketball team finally arrived in
New Zealand on Wednesday
(Manila time) for its 10-day
training camp. The Nationals
departed on Tuesday, had a sixhour layover in Hong Kong, brief
stopover in Auckland before
reaching Napier through a quick
domestic flight. Head coach Chot
Reyes, in a tweet, described the
city of Napier, located at the
North Island of New Zealand, as
“chilly” at this time.
Smart Gilas Pilipinas is set
to undergo clinic sessions under
renowned coach Tab Baldwin
a n d s i x t u n e - u p m a tc h e s ,
including against the New
Zealand National team. The trip is
aimed at getting the national
squad ultimately ready for the
2013 Fiba Asia Championships,
which is barely a month from
now. (inquirer.net)
Selection Committee.
Each nominee needed a
minimum of five votes to hurdle
the strict guidelines of the Hall of
Fame procedure.
Thirty-six esteemed
individuals have been previously
inducted into the Hall of Fame, led
by initial honorees Robert
Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Atoy
Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs Adornado,
Francis Arnaiz, Baby Dalupan,
Leo Prieto, Emerson Coseteng,
Rudy Salud, Danny Floro and Joe
Cantada.
Making it to the “Hall” in the
three succeeding rites were Abet
Guidaben, Manny Paner, Danny
Florencio, Norman Black, Ron
Jacobs, Domingo Itchon, Danding
Cojuangco, Dante Silverio, Tony
Siddayao, Pinggoy Pengson,
Bobby Parks, Allan Caidic,
Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Ricky
Brown, Honeyboy Palanca, Jun
Bernardino, Alvin Patrimonio,
Billy Ray Bates, Freddie Hubalde,
Tommy Manotoc, Tito Eduque,
Mariano Yenko and Bobong Velez.
Paras is easily the top choice
in the 2013 batch with hisfabled
career started by his record
Rookie of the Year/MVP citation
Benjie Paras
in 1989. He would win another
MVP award 10 years later.
Magsanoc formed a deadly
one-two punch with Paras in their
Shell days in the late 80s to the
90s, handing the fuel company
four championships. He was
arguably the best playmaker in
his time, among the players
selected in the first all-pro Phl
team sent to international wars in
the 1990 Beijing Asiad.
Lim was among the league's
pioneer stars, a pillar in the
U/Text squad that twice stole a
crown at the height of the fabled
Crispa-Toyota rivalry.
Ocampo will be honored
posthumously. The late Atenean,
a marquee cager and footballer,
carved a niche in the pro league,
being one of only 10 coaches who
have won at least four PBA titles.
(Manila Bulletin)
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Toyota bares
auto parts
localization
program ...
From page 22
The parts localization
program was also made possible
with TMP's P1.757 billion
investments for the full model
c h a n g e o f V i o s t h a t wa s
approved by the Board of
Investments with income tax
incentives in July 2012.
TMP vice-president
Rommel Gutierrez told reporters
at the sidelines of the event that
they are looking at localizing
“bulky parts” to boost local value
added to 40 percent from the
current 20 percent. The
localization of the “bulky” auto
parts is aimed at reducing its
logistics cost since these parts
a re b e i n g i m p o r te d f ro m
Thailand and Indonesia.
This will also improve the
capacity utilization of its press
plant, which is now at a low of 30
percent. Gutierrez, however,
refused to say how much the
localization program would
improve the press plant's
capacity utilization and what are
these “bulky parts”.
In his speech, Sugata said
that these improvements would
result in a faster production line
as the company expects to
increase capacity from 30,500
units to 33,300 vehicles per year.
Sugata, however, said they
expect to sell more than that so
they actually plan to build
36,300 units of Vios and Innova
by the end of this year, which is
18 percent more than year last
year, by rendering overtime
work and holiday work. Under
this higher production target,
Sugata said Vios will account for
14,594 units to be built from July
to December. “We will take the
market by storm with this model.
We have already jump started
the motorization of the
Philippines. With the all-new
Vios which is proudly made by
Filipinos for Filipinos, we will
make the auto industry fire on all
cylinders. You can bet on it,”
Sugata said.
Gutierrez added that the
company may have to expand its
facility once they hit the 40,000
unit production capacity.
Meantime, the all-new Vios
will be sold at a price higher than
the second-generation model. It
is already available at P23,000
higher than the previous model.
TMP expects sales of the
all-new Vios to hit 2,000 units a
month from the current level of
1,400 units. Vios accounts for 60
percent of the company's total
CKD model sales, the remaining
40 percent is accounted for by its
other CKD model Innova, an
Asian utility vehicle.
The two CKD
models of TMP account for 40
percent of its total sales as the
country's leading car player has
given into more importation of
completely built-up models to
account for the bulk of 60
percent of total sales. The
company expects overall sales to
reach at least 70,000 units this
year from over 50,000 units last
year.
For his part, TMP vicechairman Alfred Ty expressed
optimism they will be able to set
new sales record with the new
Vios, which only started with less
than 500 units in monthly sales
in 2003 to 1,000 units in 2007,
this has expanded to 1,700 in
March this year.
“With the all-new Vios, we
are optimistic that this new
model will break new sales
record,” Ty said.
He further noted that
through the past 25 years, the
company has sold 816,396
vehicles and infused P35 billion
in investments and in the
process, remitted P136 billion
pesos in taxes and customs
duties since it began operations
in 1988. Through TMP's active
existence, we are able to
generate over 40,000 jobs in the
upstream and downstream
value-chain linkages. (Manila
Bulletin) (BCM)
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 26 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 26 Crossword
A Tale of Two
Leaders ...
From page 14
“I think that we have
got to be able to get the
fundamentals right and, so
far, we have been able to do
so,” said Mr Lee. “And we
can continue to get the
politics right and then I
think the economics can
work out,” he added.
Mr. Lee also believes in
getting the “fundamentals
right” and to “continue to
get the politics right” so
economics can work out.
Here's a report from
TodayOnline:
Said the Prime
Minister: “I cannot make
everybody a billionaire, but
I can make sure everybody
can earn a good living for
himself. I think that's
possible. But it takes effort
and you have to be
competitive.”
Mr. Lee cited the
Government's investments
in a slew of measures,
r a n g i n g
f r o m
infrastructure to providing
less well-off Singaporeans
with subsidies in
healthcare and education,
among other things. “I don't
think it will make us a
society where everybody is
absolutely equal,” he said.
“In fact, if I can get
another 10 billionaires to
move to Singapore and set
up their base here, my Gini
coefficient will get worse
but I think Singaporeans
will be better off, because
they will bring in business,
bring in opportunities,
open new doors and create
new jobs, and I think that is
the attitude with which we
must approach this
problem.”
That's exactly the kind
of leader the Philippines
needs. A leader who
understands fundamental
principles and proper
ideas. Mr. Lee knows that
political ideas and
principles must be
grounded in reality both
political and economic
reality for them to work in
the real world.
What more excuses
and proof do we need, Mr.
Aquino? Free the economy
and stop protecting
Filipino cronies and
oligarchs.
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACTION
CLASSIFIED
Rentals
Help Wanted
Jobs
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
u
u
u
Personal u
Services
HEALTH BASED
COMPANY
Part Time and Full
Time
Many Positions
Available
Flexible Hours
Will Train
UP TO $18 PER
HOUR
Call Vilma
973-748-5251 X304
River Oaks Estates
Toms River, NJ
5 new homes on private cul-desac, 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, full
basement.
Model home available.
Conveniently located to
Community Medical center,
Garden State Parkway, Route 9
and NJ Transit.
Asking $279,900.
732-793-0700
FOR SALE
Seeking NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER for
10 year old boy and executive mother.
Long term, live-in only in Morris County, NJ.
Must have valid DL, experience
and references.
COMPETITIVE SALARY
Email only to:
strategystyle@gmail.com
$40
a year for
52 issues.
For more information, please
call:
Ocean Ventures Realty
WANTED
The Filipino
Express
is only
Moringa/Malunggay
Leaf Powder Products.
Exceptional-Superior Quality,
Nicaraguan,
Retail and wholesale, grown on rich
volcanic plantation soil.
750-458-2151
Please visit:
Http://www.herbladyisintoday.
blogspot.com
Buy the highest quality Moringa Powder,
Moringa Seeds and Moringa
Supplements
CAREGIVER
WANTED
LIVE-IN CAREGIVER TO CARE
FOR ELDERLY PARENTS.
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.
COOK, BATHE, MEDICINE,
HOUSEKEEPING.
MUST DRIVE.
MUST HAVE PATIENCE.
FAX RESUME
TO 718-589-9940
Use the
Savings Coupon
Below
FOR CLASSIFIED ADS
CALL 201-434-1114
Only $30 for 25 words
(deadline is Wednesday noon)
NANNY WANTED
Looking for a nanny who
can work from 8am to
6pm Monday thru Friday
taking care of a newborn
baby as well as some
house chores in
Elmhurst, Queens.
$8 per hour in cash
Please call Ming Chao
@ 917-763-2533
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 31
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
July 12 - July 18, 2013
Page 32
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS