News Update Philippine troops seize militant camp

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine troops overran a jungle camp used by al-Qaida-linked militants in recent deadly attacks in a two-day battle that killed one soldier and possibly up to five guerrillas, the military said Friday.

The Abu Sayyaf encampment on southern Basilan Island, where 14 people were killed in a militant attack early this month, yielded homemade explosives and paraphernalia, grenades and mortar rounds, said military spokeswoman Lt. Steffani Cacho.

One soldier was killed and seven wounded when elite army troops attacked the camp on the outskirts of Sumisip township Tuesday and Wednesday, she said. There were unconfirmed reports that five militants died and two were hurt, Cacho said.

In one of the more spectacular attacks, about a dozen Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by notorious commander Puruji Indama sneaked into the provincial capital of Isabela on April 13 disguised as police commandos, authorities said.

The assailants detonated two bombs and fired on troops and civilians before security forces repelled them. Fourteen people were killed.

A small but violent group, the Abu Sayyaf is blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization following two decades of deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. The militants are suspected of having received training and funds from al-Qaida.

At least three other Muslim groups have been fighting for decades for a separate homeland in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south. The Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have about 400 fighters despite many battle losses.

News Update Great place to live, work, play

Many more also find Singapore to be a vibrant and exciting city with its own distinctive character. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
SINGAPORE is a great place to live, work and play in.
Nearly 84 per cent of 4,000 residents here gave the thumbs up to the city state in a lifestyle survey carried out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) from August 2009 to March this year - a 10.2 per cent jump from the survey carried out in 2006.

Many more - 78 per cent - also find Singapore to be a vibrant and exciting city with its own distinctive character, an increase of 11.4 per cent from 2006.

Specifically, more than 90 per cent the respondents said that they were satisfied with the living environment, over 85 per cent were satisfied with the working environment and over 80 per cent were satisfied with the leisure offerings in Singapore.

The remaking of Singapore has also not gone unnoticed by foreigners. Over 85 per cent felt that Singapore was a great place to live, work and play in, and 81 per cent of them agreed that it has its own distinctive character.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan highlighted these key survey findings when he spoke at the URA corporate plan seminar on Friday morning.

Describing the survey results as 'encouraging', Mr Mah said what heartened him more is that Singaporeans identify more with the country.

He noted that close to 90 per cent of the respondents say that Singapore is their home and where they belong. - 20 per cent more from the last survey. And more than 70 per cent want to retire in Singapore. Similarly, over 70 per cent of them hope that their future generations will be based in Singapore.

Mr Mah said the survey showed that the remaking of Singapore efforts are showing a positive trend - that Singaporeans love their city more.

He told the seminar: 'With more Singaporeans travelling round the world and working across borders, Singapore must still mean something special, as home, to our people. A house is not a home. Simply having a good living environment and first world infrastructure will not create an endearing home.

'The character of a city, what makes it stand out among many new cities, goes beyond new buildings or iconic structures. Take Times Square, New York and West End, London for example. Their claim to fame is not based on the latest or best infrastructure, but they are distinctive in character and have established a personality of their own in peoples' minds.

'Therefore, while we congratulate ourselves for our achievements, we need also to remind ourselves that the work does not stop here. More needs to be done. With our new hardware in place, we need to look beyond the physical, to search for the 'soul' of our city, and work towards enhancing it. '

Just ask - Interest article about fish farm can Philippine export fish to Singapore what is the regulation ??

Hi Jaypaun in Singapore they allow  any country to export fish products it can be any of the varieties marine, brackish water or fresh water fishes, crustacea, aquatic mollusca, marine sponges, trepang and any other form of aquatic life and their young and eggs. However , the Fish products here do not include the ornamental varieties. It can be also in chilled, frozen, processed or canned forms.However. like any food items they must meet meet Singapore strict requirements.

Although the government allowed live oysters to be imported from countries which meet AVA's requirements for a shellfish sanitation programme. The countries currently approved for such exports are Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom and USA. As for the import of chilled shucked raw oyster, chilled cockle meat, chilled cooked prawn/shrimp and chilled crab meat is prohibited for food safety reasons.

Like any wholesale exporter and importers they are required to apply for the AVA Licence for Import/Export and Transshipment of Meat Products and Fish Products for for every consignment of fish products.

Each consignment of live/frozen oysters, frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns or frozen raw/cooked crab meat, must be accompanied by a Health Certificate issued by the relevant authority of the exporting country, certifying that Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements have been complied with. ampling for laboratory analysis may be required. Some consignments may be placed on "hold and test" pending the outcome of the laboratory analysis.

Import of the following fish species, including their parts or derivatives must be accompanied by a CITES permit from the importing and exporting countries because these species are listed under CITES.
Sturgeon (Acipenseriformes species)
Whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
Basking Shark (Cetorrhinus maximus)
Seahorses (Hippocampus species)
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulates)
Mediterranean date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga)
"Rock Sea Cucumber" (sotichopus fuscus) from Ecuador.

If you need more information on CITES, please contact AVA Tel: 62270670.
The applicant must apply for an AVA import permit by declaring the import through TradeNet.

To Know more you can contact Quarantine Inspection Department
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
5 Maxwell Road, #02-03, Tower Block, MND Complex
Singapore 069110
Fax: 63257648 / 50

News Update More S'pore farmed fish

Growing demand from customers hooked on freshness of local fish

By Jessica Lim

CUTTING UNCERTAINTY

Foreign supply is full of uncertainty. If there is...a shortage of fish, they (other countries) will cater to domestic demand first. It is best we support our local production, so we are less dependent.'

Mr Chong Wee Cheong, chief executive of the Prime supermarket chain

Locally farmed fish on sale at a Prime supermarket in Jurong West. Singapore farms together produced 5,689 tonnes of fish last year. -- ST PHOTO: BENJAMIN NG

MORE than ever, the catch of the day is now coming from a local farm.
As consumers get hooked on local seafood produce, supermarket chains like Sheng Siong and FairPrice are buying more fish stocks from local breeders.
Sheng Siong now sells 400kg of live local fish a day, up from 100kg two years ago.

Improving Farmed Fish Quality and Safety

News Update Palace: Washington Post report a wake-up call for local pols

Malacañang said today that a harsh critique of the Philippines by a leading US newspaper should be taken as a wake-up call for politicians.

In a stinging rebuke, one of America's most respected newspapers reported that “politicians who win elections in this former US colony have one of the worst records in Southeast Asia for stiffing the poor, coddling the rich and indulging themselves."

In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said the report must be taken as a challenge to politicians and the next president to fulfill their election campaign promises.

“It [report] must be taken into consideration. This is a challenge addressed to the candidates and even to the next president to deliver their platforms," Saludo said.

The article titled “In Philippines, pre-vote largess doesn't translate into post-vote progress," has deemed pre-election scenario in the country as a politician’s showcase of talent, while the aftermath, a source of disappointment.

“Pre-election good times are almost always followed by post-election betrayal," the article authored by Blaine Harden read.

The article also cited bad governance, political killings, rising crime rate, Filipino immigrants, and the presence of terrorist groups, as reasons why the Philippines remains a “poor" country.

However, Saludo said the article was not even as offensive as some of the local articles about Philippine politics, and that the Washington Post article was not for Filipinos.

“I think it does not affect the public perception in the Philippines. I believe that there are more offending articles in the local media than foreign," Saludo said.

Meanwhile, Saludo made an appeal to the public to focus on making the elections work, instead of criticizing the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“So far, we have been receiving good reports from the Comelec regarding the delivery and production of election materials. This is not the time for throwing criticisms, we should help each other to ensure the integrity of the coming elections," Saludo said, adding that problems should always be expected, particularly when a new policy is being adopted.

"This is our first time to hold an automated election. Whenever you try something new, normally, there will be concerns," Saludo said. — LBG/HGS

News Update Comelec junks parallel count

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will only conduct a random manual audit of votes in the coming polls and not a full parallel manual count as demanded by some groups.

The decision sparked calls from various groups, including lawyers and business organizations, for street protests.

In a seven-page resolution, the Comelec denied for lack of legal basis the proposal to conduct a parallel manual count in all precincts for the positions of president, vice president, congressmen, governor and mayor.

“After having taken into consideration all the submissions of the various proponents, and after having considered the opinions of those who stand opposed, the Commission concludes that it cannot conduct a full parallel manual count,” the Comelec said.

“The attendant risks to the stability of the electoral system are too grave to be outweighed by the promised benefit of parallel manual count,” the Comelec said.

“Conducting a hand count of the ballots will open up the possibility of errors in tallying, as well as provide an excellent opportunity for the perpetration of fraudulent acts,” the poll body added.

Various groups have been calling on the Comelec to allow a parallel manual count to validate the results of the first automated elections in the country.

“The language employed by the proponents of a full parallel manual count indicates that a mere difference between the results of the hand count and electronic count will be enough to trigger a full manual count of all candidates virtually scrapping the automated election system,” the Comelec said.

The Comelec pointed out candidates might demand the scrapping of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) count and a shift to manual counting and canvassing once a discrepancy is raised.

It added that a full parallel manual count would be extremely vulnerable to error as well as to dagdag-bawas (vote padding-shaving).

James Jimenez, Comelec spokesman, said a mere discrepancy of 10 votes could trigger manual recount and a scrapping of the electronic results of the elections.

“This discrepancy can also be done by anybody by simply smudging the ballots,” Jimenez said.

“More than any consideration of cost and effort, is what makes the commission extremely wary of accepting the proposal for a full parallel manual count,” the Comelec said.

The random manual audit would cover a smaller number or precincts compared to the parallel manual count, which was being planned for 76,340 precincts nationwide.

“The fact that random manual audit takes place in such a relatively small subset means that efforts to safeguard the process from errors and the introduction of fraud will be more effective,” the Comelec said.

At Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said “we agree with the Comelec’s decision.”

“We will expect full and appropriate compliance with it by all parties concerned, and we continue to urge our countrymen to support Comelec and vote based only on what their conscience tells them—the two conditions for a successful and credible election,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said the decision would allow everyone to focus “on getting the automated counting to work.”

“Everybody now can focus on their respective works to see to it that we are well prepared and ready for the first automated election,” deputy presidential spokesman Rogelio Peyuan said.

Bagumbayan presidential bet Sen. Richard Gordon also welcomed the Comelec ruling and lashed out at the Makati Business Club for floating a failure of elections scenario if a parallel manual counting is not carried out.

Protests

“We will join if there will be any protest actions,” Vitalliano Nañagas, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) vice chair on the national issues committee said in a telephone interview.

“Since the PCOS machines have not been pilot-tested before in an actual election as mandated by law, the risk of the machine making mistakes at the rate higher than that provided for (one mistake out of 20,000), is quite high,” a MAP statement read.

“We are gravely concerned that without such verification of the accuracy of these machines, the election may not be accepted by the people as the true reflection of their will,” it added.

“We are not going to take this sitting down,” MBC executive director Alberto Lim said in a separate interview. “I cannot tell you our next move yet.”

The Alyansa Agrikultura and the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) also appealed to the public to protest the ruling.

“I will protest in the streets. The Comelec is useless,” PBA president Simeon Marcelo said. “They removed the number one safeguard when they eliminated the system that gives the voter a slip of paper confirming who they voted for.”

“They can elevate the matter to the Supreme Court. I will join them if they do that,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said. – With Ma. Elisa Osorio, Paolo Romero, Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica, Rainier Allan Ronda, Sheila Crisostomo, Helen Flores, Mike Frialde - By Mayen Jaymalin

Making Votes Count (Democratic Audit Paper)
Power to the Back Benches? Restoring the Balance Between Government and Parliament (Democratic Audit Paper)

News Update Philippines' Aquino set for landslide presidential win

MANILA (AFP) - – The son of late Philippine democracy heroine Corazon Aquino appears headed for a landslide victory in next month's presidential election, according to a survey released Thursday.

Thirty-nine percent of the respondents said they would vote for Benigno Aquino, two percentage points higher than the previous survey in early April, independent pollster Pulse Asia Inc. said.

"With almost four in 10 Filipino registered voters supporting his presidential bid, Senator Aquino remains the leading presidential contender in the May 2010 elections," Pulse Asia said.

Tied at second place were millionaire property developer Manuel Villar and ex-president Joseph Estrada with support of 20 percent each.

Villar, who had been regarded as Aquino's chief rival, saw his support fall five percentage points, while Estrada gained two points.

Villar's campaign spokesman, Gilbert Remulla, alleged Pulse Asia surveys have always been skewed against his candidate.

But he conceded that bad press in the past few weeks had caused some of Villar's supporters to waver.

"Our voters have shifted to the undecided and we are doing all that we can to win them back," Remulla told AFP.

"We believe there is enough time in the remaining days of the campaign for this."

Estrada enjoyed the most emphatic win in Philippine electoral history in 1998 when he secured 39 percent of the vote. But his presidency ended abruptly in 2001 amid allegations of corruption and mass street rallies.

The latest survey by Pulse Asia, whose polling is widely quoted in the Philippine media, interviewed 1,800 registered voters from April 23 to 25. It said the poll was its final one before the election.

Aquino tapped into a massive outpouring of sympathy over his mother's death late last year as a springboard for his campaign, despite questions over his meagre record as a legislator.

Corazon Aquino led the "people power" revolution that overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, then served as the nation's president for six years.

Fifty million voters are set to go to the polls on May 10 to choose a replacement for President Gloria Arroyo, who is required by constitutional term limits to step down on June 30.

Support for Arroyo's chosen successor and representative of the ruling coalition, ex-defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro, remained at just seven percent, according to Pulse Asia.

Corazon Aquino: The Miracle of a President : A Biography

Corazon Aquino: Leader of the Philippines (Contemporary Women Series)

Corazon Aquino: President of the Philippines (Picture-Story Biographies (Paperback))

News Update Comelec to DND chief Gonzales: Show proof of bribery

Show proof.

This was the challenge given by Commission on Election (Comelec) officials to Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales who said some candidates have been trying to bribe poll officials to manipulate the result of the upcoming elections.

"We hope that the secretary can give us proof of what he's saying and we will act on it swiftly," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in an interview Thursday.

Gonzales, during the Bishops-Ulama Conference in Davao City on Wednesday night, said aside from Comelec officials, military and police personnel are also being bribed to allegedly participate in the rigging of the elections.

He, however, said that based on information reaching him, no Comelec official had accepted the money. He also did not identify the candidates allegedly giving the bribe.

Jimenez, nevertheless, said Gonzales’ statement had “maligned" the Comelec.

"Please, can we ask him to be very circumspect? He maligned Comelec officials, he maligned the entire Commission," he said.

Jimenez said government officials should be careful with their statements especially if it could affect the credibility of the elections. "We caution and we hope that people will be more circumspect in what they say. Let's be very careful," he said.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III likewise scored Gonzales for allegedly treating all critics of the Arroyo administration as destabilizers.

“Si Secretary Gonzales naman kasi with all due respect given his age ang daming beses na pag tumaligsa sa [administration], destabilizer. So lahat kami destabilizers sa pananaw niya," he said.

(With all due respect, Gonzales looks at all critics of government as destabilizers. So as far as he is concerned, all of us are destabilizers.)

He denied that their camp is involved in the alleged bribery, saying LP has no money for it. “Di siguro kami nanunuhol. Kami binibigyan ng pera ng supporter naming (We don’t resort to bribery. It is us who receive money from our supporters)." - KBK
The American Revolution: George III - Mad or Maligned?

News Update Gain respect, win trust

By Kor Kian Beng

Mr Mah recounted this first-hand experience and other anedcotes to drive home a point: to win trust, one has to gain respect first. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

TO UNDERSTAND the difficulties drivers face in reverse-parking a bus, Mr Mah Bow Tan went behind the steering wheel and learnt how to drive the vehicle.
Mr Mah, a Hainanese, also learnt how to swear in Hokkien. The Minister of National Development did it back in the 1970s when he was a boss at then-Singapore Bus Service (SBS), the predecessor of SBS Transit.
On Thursday, the 61-year-old recounted this first-hand experience and other anedcotes to drive home a point: to win trust, one has to gain respect first. It is crucial and the swift economic rebound recently bears testimony to its sustained importance, he told about 1,800 workers, union leaders and employers at this year's May Day dinner to laud model employers and workers as well as long-time supporters of labour work in advancing the cause of workers.
Indeed, the deep level of mutual trust and understanding among the tripartite partners were the 'most fundamental and abiding' reason for the recovery from from last year's recession, he said. 'If anyone thinks that was easy, just look at the situation in many other countries, where government, employers and unions were locked in conflict, unable to take difficult decisions because they simply did not trust one another,' he added.
The dinner was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong, and Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua. Mr Lim Swee Say, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, gave out awards to a record 88 individuals and companies.
Topping the list are former labour minister of state Goh Chee Wee, 63, and veteran lawyer David Wong Chin Huat, 61. Both received the Distinguished Service (Star) awards, conferred only on four others since 2001.

News Update I wasn't criticising S'pore

By Jeremy Au Yong

The 45-year-old former state senator of Georgia said his statement was simply an expression of his pride in the American system. It was not a specific comment about Singapore. -- PHOTO: DAVID ADELMAN

COMMENTS he made about Singapore's political freedom two months ago annoyed many in Singapore.
So Mr David Adelman, on his first day on the job as United States Ambassador to Singapore, spent much of his first meeting with the Singapore media mending fences.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, he stressed repeatedly that his earlier remarks - on how he would use public diplomacy to promote political freedom in Singapore - were not an attempt to interfere in local politics.
He had earlier presented his credentials to President SR Nathan at the Istana.
The 45-year-old former state senator of Georgia said his statement was simply an expression of his pride in the American system. It was not a specific comment about Singapore.
He said: 'My comment is a comment that could be made by any ambassadorial nominee to virtually any post across the world, which is, we value the United States, our press freedoms, our freedoms of assembly and our multi-party democracy and we believe it's a great example of a working democracy that has been ... a constructive force around the world.'

News Update Villar eyes zero corruption under his administration

Under a Manny Villar presidency, all government transactions will be open for public scrutiny, and all public biddings televised.

Villar, the standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party (NP), made the promise when he took the hot seat in GMA News’ special election program “Kandidato" that was aired Wednesday night.

“Dapat televised lahat ng bidding, iimbitahin lahat ng media, lahat ng gustong mag-imbestiga, tumingin ng mga kontrata, open yan. (We will televise all the biddings, invite the media and all those who want to investigate and look at the contracts)," he said.

Facing veteran journalists Howie Severino, Arnold Clavio and Malou Mangahas, Villar, a senator, said his first action as president would be to establish that his administration will not be involved in any corruption.

He said a televised bidding would assure foreign investors that all transactions in the country are aboveboard.

All are invited

“Lahat ng investors iimbitahin, walang hihingi sa inyo at open ang television come bidding para talagang maliwanag na transparent, walang gumagawa ng pera para sa ganun unang 100 days ma-establish kaagad na hindi uubra ang corruption sa ating administrasyon," Villar said.

(We will invite all investors and the television will be open come bidding time so that everything will be transparent in order to establish the first 100 days in office that there will be no corruption in my government.)

Villar himself was accused of committing corrupt practices by his political opponents, the very recent of which was his alleged use of influence to earn billions from an illegal stock deal in 2007. He was also slapped with an ethics complaint in the Senate for allegedly earning from a government road extension project in southern Metro Manila in 2008.

Villar, a self-made billionaire, said he had answered all the allegations against him.

Stop corruption

During the “Kandidato" interview, Villar boasted he is the only presidential candidate who can stop corruption in the government.

“Hindi sapat na sasabihin mong gusto mong itigil ang corruption, ang aking tanong may kakayahan ka ba? May naipakita ka na ba nung nakaraang panahon na kaya mong gawin yan?" he said.

(It is not enough for one to say that he or she can stop corruption. My question is, can you do it? What have you done in the past that makes you think you can curb corruption?)

He also said he would not be involved with his real estate business once he becomes president. He said he will leave his businesses to his children.

“One hundred percent yan, hindi ka na pwedeng hati dyan. Pag ikaw ay naging pangulo, pangulo ka na lang hindi pwede yung may kahati pa (When you become president, you should have 100% concentration on your job)," Villar said.

Villar’s sons Manuel Paolo Aguilar Villar, 34, and Mark Aguilar Villar, 32, are among the seven board directors of Vista Land. Manuel is also treasurer of Vista land. Fine Properties and Adelfa Properties are majority shareholders of Vista Land. - KBK, 

News Update 30% wired up Expect faster, cheaper access on new national network

By Chua Hian Hou

How to get network cables installed in home

HOME owners keen to find out when OpenNet crews will be coming to wire up their properties can visit its website at rollout.opennet.com.sg
Those who sign up during the firm's initial rollout will have installation fees waived up to 15m from the front door of their homes.
This means that it will be free except for those living in larger apartments or landed properties.
Home owners who turn down this offer will have to pay between $220 and $450 if they change their minds and want the fibre-optic network cables installed at a later date.
The installation 'will take no more than four hours on average... As far as possible, OpenNet's contractors will try to use existing points of entry, existing conduits and surface trunking to minimise any drilling or hacking', the company said.
An OpenNet spokesman added that the company, which had met with some resistance from house-proud Singaporeans, will 'continue to work with the Infocomm Development Authority on increasing the awareness of the potential benefits of the services to home owners and what they can expect during installations'.
Some home owners had rejected its offer to wire up their homes for free because surface trunking, which leaves the wires on the surface of the walls, is used.
The fibre-optic cables will eventually terminate in a device the size of two mobile phones.
Networking cables can be connected directly to this box for Internet access, doing away with the bulkier modems used by existing Internet service providers like SingTel and StarHub currently.
While cabling your home is now merely an investment for the future, broadband users need not wait too long to be able to access the new service.
With many retail players keen on offering this service, analysts expect that cheaper and faster broadband is just a year away.

More than half of Singapore's homes and offices should have access to faster and cheaper broadband by the end of the year. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

MORE than half of Singapore's homes and offices should have access to faster and cheaper broadband by the end of the year.
OpenNet, which has been tasked with laying the cables for a national ultra-fast broadband network, announced yesterday that it has wired up 30 per cent of the island - and is on track to having 60 per cent hooked up by this year.
The firm had been awarded a government tender in September 2008 to lay the cables for the $4 billion fibre-optic network that will allow broadband speeds between 10 and 100 times faster than what is currently available.
Work on the network, which will put Singapore on a par with other wired-up markets like Hong Kong, began last September.
OpenNet's chief executive officer, Mrs Tan Kah Rhu, also announced that OpenNet will start selling broadband bandwidth on a wholesale basis from today.
So far, one company, Nucleus Connect, has already bought in.
Google to build ultra-fast broadband networks.(NETWORK): An article from: Submarine Fiber Optic CommunicationsGoogle to build ultra-fast broadband networks.: An article from: IPTV Newsletter

News Update No dorms of doom for old American elder-care entrepreneur believes retirement communities are a better alternative to nursing homes

By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent

News that Singapore plans to build several nursing homes to cater to its rapidly ageing population draws sputters of outrage from American eldercare entrepreneur Paul Klaassen. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

NEWS that Singapore plans to build several nursing homes to cater to its rapidly ageing population draws sputters of outrage from American eldercare entrepreneur Paul Klaassen.
Despite an ageing population, the United States as well as countries like Sweden and Norway have reduced the number of beds in nursing homes, which he says commits 'medically stable' folk into 'dreary' health-care environments.
Countries such as Australia, meanwhile, have faced declining occupancy rates as people use nursing homes only for very complex care.
In their place, retirement communities have mushroomed, which he maintains are a more humane, attractive and efficient way to care for people as they age.
But one might argue that the 53-year-old has quite a vested interest. He is the founder of Sunrise Senior Living, one of the largest retirement living providers in the world, and was in town recently to address an ageing conference.
With an annual turnover of US$1.5 billion (S$2.1 billion), Sunrise is among the biggest companies worldwide serving those in their sunset years. It has nearly 40,000 clients in close to 400 communities in the US, Canada, Britain and Germany. It has no Asian presence yet - though it has done some consultancy and training in Japan - and has no plans to set up here.

Kopi Talk - Philippines' coco-diesel emerges as top diesel additive

Hi John Grafilo thanks for the article Philippine is definitely very active in this area.

Posted By John
Manila - Jun Ang Lao could not hide his excitement over the prospects for Philippine coco-diesel, which is slowly emerging as the world's most preferred diesel additive.
Lao, operations manager of Chemrez Inc., the sole manufacturer of coco-diesel in the Philippines, said his company was in the process of signing deals with several foreign firms interested in buying Bioactiv, its brand of coco-diesel.
'The positive results of tests from reputable laboratories in the United States, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and Australia, have boosted the international marketability of our Bioactiv,' he said.
Chemrez was the government's partner in a research study on the commercial viability and chemical qualities of coco-diesel or coconut methyl ester (CME), which started five years ago when there was a glut of coconut oil in the country.
The research was carried out in anticipation of the full implementation of the country's 1999 Clean Air Act, which requires the use of cleaner gasoline and diesel fuels.
'Various tests in reputable foreign laboratories showed that coco-diesel is the almost perfect diesel with 91 per cent carbon saturation, compared to palm bio diesel with 49 per cent, jatropha with 22 per cent, soybeans with 16 per cent and rapeseed with 6 per cent,' Lao told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in an interview.
The higher the percentage of carbon saturation of a biofuel, the more stable it is from oxidation and the better are its combustion characteristics.
'Saturated carbon means it is not prone to oxidation and not prone to bacterial growth,' Rafael Diaz, petroleum technologist of the Asian Institute of Petroleum Studies, explained. 'Saturated carbon has excellent anti-corrosion properties and resistance to polymerization and gumming.'
Lao, whose family owns Chemrez, said most of the company's 15-million-litre annual production of Bioactiv is shipped to Europe, including Germany.
'Bioactiv exceeded the European standards on biofuels, which (are) the strictest in the world,' he said. 'Our new manufacturing plant will start full operation in June and we intend to boost our production by 50 million litres (per year) on top of the output from our old plant.'
Lao said the German firm Lurgi's Life Sciences provided the state-of-the-art technology for the production of Bioactiv.
While only a negligible amount of Chemrez' output is consumed domestically, Lao said he expects demand for Bioactiv to pick up when Congress approves a proposed law that would require petroleum companies to blend a certain percentage of ethanol and coco-diesel into their current fuel products. A similar law will be implemented in January in Thailand.
'Within two years from the effectiveness of the Bio fuels Act, the bio fuel board will mandate a 2-per-cent blend of bio diesel by volume,' said Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, head of the Senate's energy committee.
Santiago said the proposed law 'orders immediate compulsory use because the two fuel blends require no engine modifications for either diesel or gasoline engines.'
But a major downside to Bioactiv is the price, which is much higher than that of other bio fuels. Lao said Bioactiv costs were some 0.15 dollars higher compared to palm oil, which is currently the cheapest in the world market.
In the Philippines, a litre of Bioactiv is sold at 80 pesos (1.52 dollars) compared to a litre of diesel, which costs an average of 34.50 pesos.
'Actually, the higher price slowed down our push in the international market,' he said. 'Many of our prospective buyers ask us to lower our price to the level of palm oil.'
Lao said that a blend of 1 per cent coco-diesel to the total volume of fuel is all it takes to enjoy the full benefits of the additive, which include increased mileage, cleaner emissions and cleaner engines.
With more and more governments passing clean air laws and with the continued rise in oil prices, Lao insisted he was confident that Bioactiv would continue to break through new markets despite its higher price.

Kopi talk - The vote count and Body count in Philippine

One thing I had to admit that in Philippine election the count of vote matter and also body count. However, some of my Philippine business associate and friends rather optimistic about this years elections, comment that situation had vastly improved that is the body count in the ongoing campaign is still relatively quite low : 27 people killed and 37 wounded in confirmed election-related attacks from Jan. 10 to April 25. The death toll does not include the 57 who were massacred in Maguindanao on Nov. 23 last year, over a month before the official start of the campaign period. The figure also does not include 61 other incidents since the start of the campaign, which investigators believe were not election-related. They tole me they had seen far worst during the the 2004 general elections, 189 people were killed, 41 of them candidates, in 249 election-related attacks. In the 2007 mid term elections, 229 poll-related violent incidents were recorded, with 128 fatalities including 37 candidates. Compared to those figures — the typical death toll in every electoral exercise in this country — 27 is low. Like it or not ? the change is for the better and government agency like Comelec have certainly step up their duty in their effort to confiscation loose firearms and dismantling of politicians’ private armies. Since Jan. 10, authorities have seized 1,998 firearms, 261 explosive devices, and 819 air guns and gun replicas from 2,288 violators of the election gun ban, including 215 government personnel. Some of the members of private armies are exempted from the gun ban, being members of the police, military and civilian militia which can be a cause of concern. It can a lapse in the process as failing to confiscate all the loose firearms or dismantle private armed groups, authorities can still discourage election violence by catching the perpetrators of the attacks. As in any crime, failure of the state to catch and punish perpetrators breeds impunity. Security officials cannot congratulate themselves for a relatively low death toll in the elections. Even a single murder is one death too many — especially if the killer gets away with the crime. Another grey area is hired gun in elections it have often been marred by violence with some politicians using hired gunmen and private armies to intimidate rivals and voters. In the worst incident, 57 people were massacred in the southern province of Maguindanao on November 23. The son of the then-governor of Maguindanao has been charged over the killings, which authorities allege he organised to prevent a rival challenging him for a provincial post. In some past incident after the campaign,the violence continues even after the votes have been cast. In one incident in Batangas, a schoolhouse where votes were being tallied by public school teachers and poll personnel was torched by a group that included policemen, allegedly acting on orders of a local politician. Comparing Philippine politics to Singapore the latter seems like child plays. Sometimes we need to stand back and look at the whole system to understand how things work through the eye of Fillipiano that poltical career is no child play survival the fittest and the ruthless in almost every election campaign. Moreover, There is a lot of misinformation out there that is causing more harm to this country and the tourism industry than any concentrated campaign by the NPA, MILF, Abu Sayyaf or any body else for that matter. Yes, there are places in this fascinating country that are just plain lethal for foreigners or even Filipino to visit; but you can’t get there! Not without a pass from the authorities and a military escort. Yes, there has been kidnap gangs snatching people off the streets but they don’t randomly target foreign tourists. This is a business and these ‘businessmen’ target people they know have rich relatives to pay the ransoms, most often Chinese-Filipino families who are least likely to involve the police, sames goes for people in the politics and you can be ensure that to embark in the career of Politics it is no child play in Philippine!

Some of the data source  from Manila News, Comelec Website

News Update Aquino, Roxas to chase tax cheaters and smugglers

MANILA, Philippines - An Aquino-Roxas administration will chase big tax cheaters and smugglers to raise the government's coffers, instead of imposing new taxes, leading vice-presidential candiate Mar Roxas said.

Roxas, who emerged in the latest Social Weather Station survey as the frontrunner in the vice-presidential race, also vowed to resist pressures to increase the current 3% value added tax, saying a VAT hike will be unbearable for most people.

The Aquino-led government, he said, will prioritize the prosecution of tax evaders, especially big companies, and apprehend erring and corrupt government tax officials nationwide. He said the government's main tax collection agencies, the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, will be closely watched to ensure they improve tax collection efforts.

“Kung titigil ang pangungurakot ng mga tiwaling opisyal at tuwid at tapat ang pangongolekta at paggamit ng buwis, hindi na kailangang magdagdag pa ng pabigat na bayarin sa karaniwang Pilipino,” Roxas said. ("If officials stop their corrupt practices and taxes are properly used, there is no need to raise taxes that are burdensome for ordinary Filipinos.")

Roxas said part of the Aquino government's tax collection program would be to earnestly go after those involved in tax evasion and smuggling.

“Sa ilalim ng administrasyong Aquino at Roxas gagawin namin ang aming makakaya upang resolbahin ang tunay na dahilan, at ‘yan ay ang mga corrupt sa BIR at sa Customs at ang mga nagnanakaw ng budget para sa mga proyekto ng gobyerno, pati na ang mga intelligence funds." ("Under the Aquino-Roxas administration, we will do what we can to resolve the real reason (for low tax collection), and that is - corrupt BIR and Customs people, those that steal budgets intended for goverment programs, including intelligence funds.")

Roxas said he is confident that if tax collection is increased to 15% from the current 12.8%, the government will be able to raise additional revenues of not less than P160 billion. He said this will help to significantly reduce the government's budget shortfall.

An estimated P280 billion in revenue was lost in 2009 due to the failure by authorities to curb illegal practices by tax collection agencies and officials.

News UpdatePhilippines raises $500 mln from retail bond offer

MANILA, April 27 - The Philippines raised $500 million from the sale of retail, multi-currency bonds to small investors and institutional buyers, National Treasurer Roberto Tan said on Tuesday.

"We've completed the total tender of $500 million," Tan said, adding the information was based on preliminary information he had received.

He said there were no plans to cancel more Treasury debt auctions after the bond offer. Manila had scrapped Tuesday's sale of 8.5 billion pesos worth of 5-year bonds following the retail bond issue.

The government had raised nearly $350 million from an auction of the foreign currency bonds on April 21. The rest of the amount was sold during the public offer which ended on Tuesday.

The government sold $200 million worth of 3-year U.S. dollar bonds at a coupon rate of 2.875 percent at an auction on April 21. It also sold 5-year U.S. dollar bonds at a coupon rate of 4.125 percent to raise $98 million. 

Manila also auctioned 5-year and 3-year Euro bonds worth $4 million Euros and 35 million Euros, respectively. 

News Update Atienza accuses Lim of poll fraud plot

MANILA, Philippines - Mayoralty candidate Lito Atienza yesterday presented a witness claiming there is an alleged plot to rig the elections in Manila, a claim that Mayor Alfredo Lim denied.

Atienza presented computer operator Ronilda Reluya as a witness to an alleged plot to cheat by the Manila City Hall electronic data processing (EDP) department.

Atienza said they will file before the Comelec a complaint against Lim and ask the poll body to disqualify the mayor from the May 10, 2010 elections.

They claimed that Lim’s camp prepared a fabricated consolidated results of the 2010 elections for all positions in clustered precincts at the Amado V. Hernandez Elementary School, purportedly counted by PCOS 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105. The said fabricated election results are appended to Reluya’s affidavit.

In a statement issued after Atienza’s press conference, Secretary to the Mayor Rafaelito Garayblas said Reluya is a “paid hack,” and had been employed at the city hall through Atienza’s influence.

During the press conference held at the Atienza headquarters in San Andres, Manila, Reluya admitted that she was hired and assigned by Atienza at the EDP 10 years ago.

Lawyer Renato de la Cruz, chief of the city government’s legal office, also denied that there was poll fraud being planned by Lim’s camp.

De la Cruz said what Reluya saw were copies of printouts of a website being created by city hall to be used for counting the votes during the May 10 polls.

He said the EDP personnel were only conducting a “mock election” to test the program being made for the website, and no fraud was being planned.

When asked as why Lim and his camp appeared as winners in the elections, De la Cruz said, “Why not? And why would we make it appear that Atienza won here?”

Reluya also said her “loyalty” remains with Atienza. She said she plans to resign because she cannot go back to her office at the city hall and she fears for her life and her family.

Reluya also signed an affidavit during the press conference, before a notary public, regarding the alleged poll fraud being planned.

When asked as to what he would do if he wins, Atienza said he would appoint Reluya again to the Manila City Hall due to her help in revealing the alleged anomaly.

EDP head Edgardo Tan clarified that the computer system at city hall does not have the capability to alter the results of the automated elections.

The most that the EDP can do, he said, is to monitor the situation in remote areas.

Garayblas said that as far as Lim is concerned, he has faith in the system and believes that the Commission on Elections is capable of carrying out a foolproof election in May.

Tan stressed that the nature of Reluya’s job is confined to receiving calls for assistance should any computer at any city hall office bog down and require repairs.

Razon: End personal attacks

Retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino “Sonny” Razon appealed yesterday to his rivals, Lim and Atienza, to stop their personal attacks on each other and instead focus on issues concerning governance.

Razon said the squabble between Lim and Atienza is adding more tension to the already heated election campaign for the city government’s top post.

“There is very little time left before election day and I am certain that the voters are more interested in our respective platforms instead of personal attacks. It is also incumbent upon us candidates for public office to be models of civility and respect,” said Razon in a statement.

Razon said he has “very high regard” for Lim and Atienza, whom he served during his two terms as director of the Manila Police District (MPD).

“That is why I am saddened that they are hurling accusations against each other that are very personal in nature,” said Razon.

He was referring to a heated exchange between Lim and Atienza during a debate at the Manila Polo Club last April 22.

In response to a question regarding how to address the problem of illegal drugs, Atienza claimed Lim would not be effective in addressing the problem as the latter’s son, Manny Lim, is allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

Reacting to Atienza’s accusation, Lim admitted that his son was a user but was never engaged in the sale of illegal drugs.

He then retaliated by accusing Atienza’s son, Ali, who was present during the forum, of being a drug user who was allegedly confined at the Makati Medical Center for treatment.

The younger Atienza, a gold medalist at the 1994 Asian taekwondo championship held in Manila, said that he has been an athlete all his life and that he has never used illegal drugs. He filed a libel suit against Lim before the Makati prosecutor’s office the next day. - By Sandy Araneta and Non Alquitran
Alfredo Lim: Batas Ng Maynila. [ In TAGALOG and FILIPINO Language ]
Panorama. (notas variadas; agosto 1997)(TA: varied notes; August, 1997): An article from: Epoca
May langit din ang mahirap

News Update PNP to raise alert level in 10 regions for Labor Day rallies

he Philippine National Police (PNP) will be on heightened alert in 10 regions, including Metro Manila, starting Wednesday in anticipation of massive Labor Day protests on Saturday.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the alert status of Regions 1 to 8, the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) and the National Capital Region (NCR) will be upgraded from normal to heightened effective 8 a.m. on April 28.

Police in Regions 9 to 13 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), however, will be on full alert status. The PNP's Special Action Force nationwide will likewise be on full alert.

Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno earlier said more than 50,000 would gather on the streets of Metro Manila to present their labor-related agenda to national candidates and assessment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s nine-year rule.

"The nationwide workers actions on Labor Day will also serve as our farewell to Mrs. Arroyo," KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said in a statement. "We have had enough of her and we will frustrate all her efforts to remain in power beyond June 30, 2010."

He said workers would converge early Saturday morning at the assembly areas in University of Sto Tomas in España; Taft Ave. cor. Quirino Ave.; Blumentritt cor. Sta. Cruz, Manila; and Plaza Moriones in Tondo.

He said from these points, workers would march to Liwasang Bonifacio where a main program would be held at 2 p.m.

Regional protest actions would likewise take place in Baguio City, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Davao City, Cebu City, Bicol and in the CARAGA region, Labog said.

Espina said the entire PNP would be put on full alert status five days before the May 10 elections. — Amita Legaspi/KBK/RSJ