MANILA, Philippines - Listed firms raised from the equities market a record P107.5 billion in 2011, up 26.6 percent from the 2010 level and 19.3 percent higher than the previous record posted in 2007, data form the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) showed.
Of the total, P9.04 billion was raised from the initial public offerings (IPOs) of Megawide Construction Corp., Puregold Price Club, Cirtek Holdings Philippines, Calapan Ventures and Touch Solutions.
Another P42.85 billion was raised from private placements, P40.61 billion through stock rights offerings, and P15 billion from follow-on offerings.
Total value turnover registered an all-time high of P1.42 trillion, 17.8 percent more than the P1.21 billion recorded a year earlier.
The PSE extended its trading hours to 1 p.m. last October as part of efforts to boost market liquidity. Beginning Jan. 2, 2012, trading hours will further be extended up to 3:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the combined market capitalization of companies listed on the PSE reached P8.7 trillion, helped by the five percent improvement in domestic market capitalization, which capped the year at its highest recorded level of P7.24 trillion.
Preliminary figures also show that foreign investors went into net buying territory in 2011 in the amount of P56.52 billion, 59 percent higher than the year-ago figure of P35.62 billion.
In terms of sectoral indices, the mining and oil index emerged as the best performer in 2011, surging 68.5 percent. This was followed by the holding firms index which went up 3.4 percent.
“The index has been a top performer throughout the year compared with its peers in the region. In fact, the PSEi soared to record highs seven times this year alone,” said PSE president and chief executive officer Hans Sicat.
The 30-company PSEi ended the year on a positive note, advancing 35.33 points or 0.8 percent on Dec. 29, 2011 to close at 4,371.96. It was likewise, up 170.82 points or 4.1 percent from the closing level of 4,201.14 a year before.
“We are glad to report that despite the uncertainties in the global market that hounded us throughout the year, the local stock market has closed 2011 with yet another set of significant milestones,” Sicat said. - By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Saturday, December 31, 2011
kopi talk A very worthy Christmas plant
MANILA, Philippines - A popular plant during Christmas is the Pomegranate. Locally known as the Granada, it's got beautiful bright red flowers and fruits. Scientifically, it's called the Punica granatum, a small fruit-bearing deciduous woody shrub or tree that can grow up to eight meters tall.
The name "pomegranate" is derived from the medieval Latin word pomum, meaning "apple" and granatum, meaning "seeded." The species epithet granatum came from the old French word grenat, meaning "garnet," which comes from the medieval Latin word granatum. The latter is an adjective, meaning "having deep, red color." This best describes the color of the plant's arils or seed casings.
The Pomegranate is native to Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times. It was then introduced to Asia and has been cultivated in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, the drier areas of Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and tropical Africa. It was also introduced to Latin America and California by Spanish settlers.
The plant is valued for its fruits, medicinal properties and as an ornamental or garden plant. In Asian countries, it is used as a material for bonsai.
Its flowers are bright red, about three centimeters in diameter, with four to five petals. The edible fruit is a berry and is about five to 12 centimeters in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape and thick reddish skin. There are about 200 to 1,400 seeds in each fruit, with each seed surrounded by a water-laden pulp, also known as the edible aril. It comes in white, deep red or purple. The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy, astringent pulp.
The Pomegranate is easy to grow. It can survive droughts and warm tropical climates. It thrives under full sunlight and would grow optimally if provided with sufficient irrigation, fertilization and planted in fertile soil. In wetter areas, it can be prone to root decay caused by fungal diseases. The plant can also tolerate frost or temperatures as low −10 °C (14 °F). It's prone to attacks by insect pests like the butterfly Virachola isocrates and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus.
The arils are edible and the fruit can be made into juice, sweets or syrup. It's also used as a spice for Pakistani and Indian cuisine. The arils are also used in salads and as an ingredient in various meals. The plant's medicinal properties are sourced from a lot of its parts. For instance, the rind of its fruit, as well as its bark, are used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins, flavonoids, and a good source of dietary fiber.
Since the fruit contains so many seeds, the Pomegranate symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Thus it plays a pivotal role in some cultures during Christmas and the New Year
The name "pomegranate" is derived from the medieval Latin word pomum, meaning "apple" and granatum, meaning "seeded." The species epithet granatum came from the old French word grenat, meaning "garnet," which comes from the medieval Latin word granatum. The latter is an adjective, meaning "having deep, red color." This best describes the color of the plant's arils or seed casings.
The Pomegranate is native to Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times. It was then introduced to Asia and has been cultivated in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, the drier areas of Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and tropical Africa. It was also introduced to Latin America and California by Spanish settlers.
The plant is valued for its fruits, medicinal properties and as an ornamental or garden plant. In Asian countries, it is used as a material for bonsai.
Its flowers are bright red, about three centimeters in diameter, with four to five petals. The edible fruit is a berry and is about five to 12 centimeters in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape and thick reddish skin. There are about 200 to 1,400 seeds in each fruit, with each seed surrounded by a water-laden pulp, also known as the edible aril. It comes in white, deep red or purple. The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy, astringent pulp.
The Pomegranate is easy to grow. It can survive droughts and warm tropical climates. It thrives under full sunlight and would grow optimally if provided with sufficient irrigation, fertilization and planted in fertile soil. In wetter areas, it can be prone to root decay caused by fungal diseases. The plant can also tolerate frost or temperatures as low −10 °C (14 °F). It's prone to attacks by insect pests like the butterfly Virachola isocrates and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus.
The arils are edible and the fruit can be made into juice, sweets or syrup. It's also used as a spice for Pakistani and Indian cuisine. The arils are also used in salads and as an ingredient in various meals. The plant's medicinal properties are sourced from a lot of its parts. For instance, the rind of its fruit, as well as its bark, are used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins, flavonoids, and a good source of dietary fiber.
Since the fruit contains so many seeds, the Pomegranate symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Thus it plays a pivotal role in some cultures during Christmas and the New Year
News Update Geologist warns other cities can suffer the same fate as Iligan, Cagayan de Oro
A geologist on Friday warned that other Philippine cities can suffer the same fate as devastated Iligan and Cagayan de Oro because of similarities in their topography. These include Vigan, Laoag, Alaminos (Pangasinan) and General Santos, which may be vulnerable to disastrous floods similar to those brought by Tropical Storms Sendong and Ondoy, according to the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS). These cities sit on river deltas that flow out to sea. The web site Nababaha.com, maintained by UP-NIGS, contains flood hazard maps for these coastal zones that have rivers flowing right through them and are down slope from mountains and hills. For example, the inundation map for Vigan and the neighboring locales of Bantay, San Ildefonso and Santo Domingo shows many areas that could experience floods over 1.5 meters deep, according to UP Professor and NIGS director Mahar Lagmay told GMA News Online. Laoag City and neighboring Bacarra and Vintar have two waterways — Bislak and Padsan rivers — slicing through their terrain. Simulated inundation hazard map of Laoag City and environs from www.nababaha.comHistorically, those cities Lagmay mentioned are not prone to tropical storms and flooding as they are not in the usual typhoon path from the eastern side of the Philippines. Thus, like Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, these cities with little experience with storms don't have the preparedness mentality of residents in Albay, for example, who live in the shadow of the active Mayon Volcano in addition to the path of regular typhoons. Sendong is the wake-up call for vulnerable but complacent cities. Lagmay said these population centers at risk must adopt smart urban development plans to keep their residents out of harm’s way while allowing room for economic development. “Ngayon lang nare-realize ng local governments that we have to be smarter in dealing with the environment. Places like Iligan and other cities we have identified in nababaha.com must stop development in flood areas and implement proper zoning,” said Lagmay. The destructive force of Sendong is reflected by these before and after images of a housing subdivision in Iligan City." Source: UP-NIGS Other cities on the website are either along known paths of storms like those of Bicol and Eastern Visayas, or major rivers in Central Luzon and the Calabarzon provinces. Simulated inundation maps Its flood hazard maps, according to nababaha.com, “are the products of flood simulations using Flo2d, a Federal Emergency Management Agency -approved flood routing application software. The inundation maps were simulated using rainfall delivered by tropical storm Ondoy on 26 September 2009…” “These hazard maps are indicative inundation maps for large flood events and useful only for knowing where not to be during extremely heavy rainfall,” the website noted. It urged local governments to use its hazard maps to determine evacuation and access routes, road closures, location of key rescue facilities, and for urban planning. “Tsunamis with more debris” Tropical Storm Sendong that devastated part of Northern Mindano on Dec. 16 could have dumped the same amount of rainfall as “Ondoy” two years earlier, but the floods it triggered were definitely more massive and destructive. At a press conference Friday in Quezon City, Lagmay likened the Sendong-induced flashfloods to "tsunamis but with more debris." The UP-NIGS presented the progress report on the UP Pandayon’s Disaster Rescue Program — a survey of the disaster situation with a view to forging long-term solutions for storm-ravaged areas. "Mas widespread at mas high-velocity talaga ang tumama sa Iligan. Iba ang dating," Lagmay said. That trees were uprooted and entire communities were swept away reflect the devastating floods of “Sendong,” he said. "Kapag tumayo ka doon, akala mo flatland lang, pero may barangay pala dati doon.” His observations were based on aerial and on-site inspections of Iligan City early this week. “The impact of this one was very heavy," Lagmay noted. “Hyper-concentrated floods” The death toll from Ondoy wasmore than 400. Floods spawned by Sendong have killed more than 1,400 so far, with almost 400 of those killed coming from Iligan City. Ondoy's deluge in September 2009 brought record-level floods in Marikina City, Pasig City, and Rizal province. "Ang sa Ondoy, umapaw lang ang tubig. Pero hindi mo makikita ang bahay na nagtutumbahan. Doon sa Iligan, kapag nilagay mo ang isang subdivision... wiped out lahat iyon," he said. The geologist said that debris that came along with the rainfall contributed to speeding up the rush of the "hyper-concentrated floods" that hit Iligan City. "Hindi lang siya tubig na rumaragasa. It contains a lot of sediments. Kung may laman iyang sediments, then it's flowing when it comes in contact with anything it erodes it, and picks up more — kasama na ang land, sediments, gravel and it becomes more masive," Lagmay said. "Nagdo-double ang volume niya, sometimes one-is-to-two ang ratio... Habang bumababa, it incorporates more materials and sediments," he added. — VS/HS
News Update GMA, Abalos face graft raps over ZTE
MANILA, Philippines - Graft cases have been filed with the Sandiganbayan against Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and two former officials in connection with the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal between her administration and ZTE Corp. of China.
Facing charges with the Arroyos are former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and former transportation and communications secretary Leandro Mendoza.
But the Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the case, found no probable cause to indict the four for plunder. Unlike plunder, violation of the anti-graft law is a bailable offense.
Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest, without bail, for electoral sabotage. Party-list group Bayan Muna filed the plunder case against the Arroyos.
“That contract was abrogated so there’s no damage done,” Mr. Arroyo told The STAR, referring to the NBN contract.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the recommendations of a special panel of investigators indicting the former first couple and the two former officials for violating Sections 3(g) and 3(i) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. She said the four should be held accountable for entering into a contract that was “grossly disadvantageous” to the government. Based on the report of the special panel, the cost of the cancelled NBN project should have only been $130 million.
Carpio-Morales also filed a third criminal case for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against the former president.
“GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), despite knowledge of the irregularities, authorized Mr. Mendoza to sign the contract in her behalf. By affixing his signature in the contract, Mr. Mendoza was put on notice of those irregularities that led to its signing, given that it was DOTC, of which he was then Secretary, which approved the recommendations of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee),” the special panel of investigators said in its report.
“The signatories to the NBN-ZTE contract are criminally culpable. The moment a public official signs a grossly disadvantageous contract, he incurs criminal liability even if the contract has been cancelled,” the report read.
Explaining the inclusion of the former first gentleman in the list of respondents, investigators noted his “unusual interest in the transaction, as gathered from his acts of playing golf and having lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China, and initiating a reconciliatory meeting between (Jose) De Venecia III and Mr. Abalos” who had different proposals in mind on how the NBN project should be carried out. De Venecia, a son and namesake of a former speaker, is a businessman engaged in telecoms development. “His (Mr. Arroyo) active intervention, as reflected earlier, in the transaction makes him a conspirator in the approval of the ZTE’s proposal and the eventual signing of the contract,” according to the Ombudsman investigators.
The investigators also noted that a day before the signing of the contract on April 20, 2007, “GMA was already fully aware of all the irregularities attendant thereto” but still “fast-tracked the conclusion of the contract.”
“That GMA gave her imprimatur to the irregular and grossly disadvantageous contract should dissipate any doubt about her personal interest therein,” their resolution read.
In indicting the former president, the Ombudsman also cited her having played golf and had lunch with ZTE Corp. officials in China.
“Indeed, it cannot be gainsaid that GMA’s acceptance of the invitation for a round of golf and lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China during the pendency of the negotiations towards the consideration of the grant of the ZTE proposal constitutes a violation of Section 7(d),” the special panel of investigators said.
Photographs of Arroyo playing golf in China came out shortly after the NBN-ZTE transaction was exposed in 2007. This further fueled speculations that the Arroyos were directly involved in the transaction.
Presiding Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. set the raffling of the case on Monday next week after New Year’s Day.
No proof of plunder
In the same resolution, the investigators said that based on testimonies of three witnesses, there is not enough basis to indict the Arroyos and former administration officials for plunder.
The complainants led by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and former Gabriela representative Liza Maza had claimed that the Arroyos along with other individuals including former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri received $35 million in commissions and kickbacks from ZTE Corp. in exchange for the approval of the NBN deal. Aside from De Venecia, the other witnesses were Dante Madriaga and Leo San Miguel, a consultant to ZTE. The witnesses presented their testimonies before the Senate then hearing the NBN controversy. But the testimonies of the three, according to the Ombudsman, “cannot tend to prove that money changed hands.”
“We can, of course, draw inference from them that, among other things, Mr. Abalos was the one who lobbied and pushed for the ZTE proposal, and the one who received the alleged kickback,” the resolution read.
“GMA may appear to have used her position to fast-track the ZTE contract, but there is no sufficient evidence to link her to the receipt of the alleged payment of commissions (and or) kickbacks,” it said.
Reacting to the filing of the cases, Mr. Arroyo said they cannot be held liable because the NBN deal didn’t push through. “Also why was she (Mrs. Arroyo) charged, when she did not sign it (contract). There is no contract so there is no corpus delicti,” Mr. Arroyo said.
He said he and his wife would likely be surprised by the filing of the cases. The former leader has been banned from using mobile phones and laptop computers while under detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Mr. Arroyo said they would have to consult with their lawyers in January to study their next move.
Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed yesterday the filing of criminal charges against former president Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the allegedly overpriced NBN deal.
“The Filipino people have long been waiting for closure and this is the process by which we as a people can get closure,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing.
Valte said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to explain the cases it decided to press against Arroyo.
Asked whether the arrest and detention of Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage could be considered as the administration’s biggest achievement in the fight against corruption, Valte said not necessarily because a lot of efforts had been exerted to cleanse the government.
No hearing
Meanwhile, lawyers of Mrs. Arroyo yesterday arrived at the Pasay court for a hearing on their petition for bail only to find out that Judge Jesus Mupas is on leave until Jan. 6.
“We really do not begrudge the judge for going on leave but when one is handling a case where the accused are detained, he should have given it a priority,” Arroyo’s lead lawyer Jose Flamiano told The STAR.
But Flaminiano’s team, through co-counsel Laurence Arroyo, had been informed by the court last Monday that Mupas was already on leave and could no longer tackle their motion for bail. He will report back to work on Jan. 9, 2012. Flaminiano said given the urgency of their pleadings, Mupas should have cut short his leave or gone to work on a half day just to hear the petitions.
“Something could have had Mupas arrive. Say, he could have set the hearing for the first working day next year,” said Flaminiano.
Flaminiano added that he suggested to clerk of court Joel Pelicano for Mupas’s substitute judge or the executive judge to preside over the hearing yesterday “but both of them were not around also.”
Flaminiano said he is appealing to Mupas to cut short his vacation so they can tackle their motion for bail on Jan.2.
“We cannot really compel him but we hope he shortens his leave so we can tackle the motion for bail,” said Flaminiano.
Electoral sabotage is a nonbailable offense but an accused can seek bail proceedings.
Mupas earlier turned down Arroyo’s request for furlough from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 for security reasons.
“Besides, this would avoid possible unnecessary security problems and complaints of residents of La Vista who would be subjected to security restrictions once Arroyo is allowed to stay at the exclusive subdivision for the holidays,” he explained. – With Aie Balagtas See, Aurea Calica - By Michael Punongbayan
Facing charges with the Arroyos are former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and former transportation and communications secretary Leandro Mendoza.
But the Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the case, found no probable cause to indict the four for plunder. Unlike plunder, violation of the anti-graft law is a bailable offense.
Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest, without bail, for electoral sabotage. Party-list group Bayan Muna filed the plunder case against the Arroyos.
“That contract was abrogated so there’s no damage done,” Mr. Arroyo told The STAR, referring to the NBN contract.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the recommendations of a special panel of investigators indicting the former first couple and the two former officials for violating Sections 3(g) and 3(i) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. She said the four should be held accountable for entering into a contract that was “grossly disadvantageous” to the government. Based on the report of the special panel, the cost of the cancelled NBN project should have only been $130 million.
Carpio-Morales also filed a third criminal case for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against the former president.
“GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), despite knowledge of the irregularities, authorized Mr. Mendoza to sign the contract in her behalf. By affixing his signature in the contract, Mr. Mendoza was put on notice of those irregularities that led to its signing, given that it was DOTC, of which he was then Secretary, which approved the recommendations of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee),” the special panel of investigators said in its report.
“The signatories to the NBN-ZTE contract are criminally culpable. The moment a public official signs a grossly disadvantageous contract, he incurs criminal liability even if the contract has been cancelled,” the report read.
Explaining the inclusion of the former first gentleman in the list of respondents, investigators noted his “unusual interest in the transaction, as gathered from his acts of playing golf and having lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China, and initiating a reconciliatory meeting between (Jose) De Venecia III and Mr. Abalos” who had different proposals in mind on how the NBN project should be carried out. De Venecia, a son and namesake of a former speaker, is a businessman engaged in telecoms development. “His (Mr. Arroyo) active intervention, as reflected earlier, in the transaction makes him a conspirator in the approval of the ZTE’s proposal and the eventual signing of the contract,” according to the Ombudsman investigators.
The investigators also noted that a day before the signing of the contract on April 20, 2007, “GMA was already fully aware of all the irregularities attendant thereto” but still “fast-tracked the conclusion of the contract.”
“That GMA gave her imprimatur to the irregular and grossly disadvantageous contract should dissipate any doubt about her personal interest therein,” their resolution read.
In indicting the former president, the Ombudsman also cited her having played golf and had lunch with ZTE Corp. officials in China.
“Indeed, it cannot be gainsaid that GMA’s acceptance of the invitation for a round of golf and lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China during the pendency of the negotiations towards the consideration of the grant of the ZTE proposal constitutes a violation of Section 7(d),” the special panel of investigators said.
Photographs of Arroyo playing golf in China came out shortly after the NBN-ZTE transaction was exposed in 2007. This further fueled speculations that the Arroyos were directly involved in the transaction.
Presiding Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. set the raffling of the case on Monday next week after New Year’s Day.
No proof of plunder
In the same resolution, the investigators said that based on testimonies of three witnesses, there is not enough basis to indict the Arroyos and former administration officials for plunder.
The complainants led by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and former Gabriela representative Liza Maza had claimed that the Arroyos along with other individuals including former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri received $35 million in commissions and kickbacks from ZTE Corp. in exchange for the approval of the NBN deal. Aside from De Venecia, the other witnesses were Dante Madriaga and Leo San Miguel, a consultant to ZTE. The witnesses presented their testimonies before the Senate then hearing the NBN controversy. But the testimonies of the three, according to the Ombudsman, “cannot tend to prove that money changed hands.”
“We can, of course, draw inference from them that, among other things, Mr. Abalos was the one who lobbied and pushed for the ZTE proposal, and the one who received the alleged kickback,” the resolution read.
“GMA may appear to have used her position to fast-track the ZTE contract, but there is no sufficient evidence to link her to the receipt of the alleged payment of commissions (and or) kickbacks,” it said.
Reacting to the filing of the cases, Mr. Arroyo said they cannot be held liable because the NBN deal didn’t push through. “Also why was she (Mrs. Arroyo) charged, when she did not sign it (contract). There is no contract so there is no corpus delicti,” Mr. Arroyo said.
He said he and his wife would likely be surprised by the filing of the cases. The former leader has been banned from using mobile phones and laptop computers while under detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Mr. Arroyo said they would have to consult with their lawyers in January to study their next move.
Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed yesterday the filing of criminal charges against former president Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the allegedly overpriced NBN deal.
“The Filipino people have long been waiting for closure and this is the process by which we as a people can get closure,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing.
Valte said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to explain the cases it decided to press against Arroyo.
Asked whether the arrest and detention of Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage could be considered as the administration’s biggest achievement in the fight against corruption, Valte said not necessarily because a lot of efforts had been exerted to cleanse the government.
No hearing
Meanwhile, lawyers of Mrs. Arroyo yesterday arrived at the Pasay court for a hearing on their petition for bail only to find out that Judge Jesus Mupas is on leave until Jan. 6.
“We really do not begrudge the judge for going on leave but when one is handling a case where the accused are detained, he should have given it a priority,” Arroyo’s lead lawyer Jose Flamiano told The STAR.
But Flaminiano’s team, through co-counsel Laurence Arroyo, had been informed by the court last Monday that Mupas was already on leave and could no longer tackle their motion for bail. He will report back to work on Jan. 9, 2012. Flaminiano said given the urgency of their pleadings, Mupas should have cut short his leave or gone to work on a half day just to hear the petitions.
“Something could have had Mupas arrive. Say, he could have set the hearing for the first working day next year,” said Flaminiano.
Flaminiano added that he suggested to clerk of court Joel Pelicano for Mupas’s substitute judge or the executive judge to preside over the hearing yesterday “but both of them were not around also.”
Flaminiano said he is appealing to Mupas to cut short his vacation so they can tackle their motion for bail on Jan.2.
“We cannot really compel him but we hope he shortens his leave so we can tackle the motion for bail,” said Flaminiano.
Electoral sabotage is a nonbailable offense but an accused can seek bail proceedings.
Mupas earlier turned down Arroyo’s request for furlough from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 for security reasons.
“Besides, this would avoid possible unnecessary security problems and complaints of residents of La Vista who would be subjected to security restrictions once Arroyo is allowed to stay at the exclusive subdivision for the holidays,” he explained. – With Aie Balagtas See, Aurea Calica - By Michael Punongbayan
Friday, December 30, 2011
News Update World Bank releases $651m for Philippine flood
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The World Bank said late Thursday it released US$500 million (S$651 million) to help the Philippine government's recovery and reconstruction efforts after Tropical Storm Washi tore through the country, killing more than 1,200 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
'In natural disasters, it is the poor, including many women and children, who are particularly vulnerable,' said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda.
'We hope the funds will give the Philippine government flexibility to help families and communities recover, reconstruct vital infrastructure, and restore basic social services, as well as enhance the country's preparedness for natural disasters in the future,' she said.
Tropical Storm Washi brought heavy rains, overflowing rivers and flash floods to the southern Philippines from Dec 16 to 18, sweeping away whole villages built on sandbars and riverbanks.
'In natural disasters, it is the poor, including many women and children, who are particularly vulnerable,' said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda.
'We hope the funds will give the Philippine government flexibility to help families and communities recover, reconstruct vital infrastructure, and restore basic social services, as well as enhance the country's preparedness for natural disasters in the future,' she said.
Tropical Storm Washi brought heavy rains, overflowing rivers and flash floods to the southern Philippines from Dec 16 to 18, sweeping away whole villages built on sandbars and riverbanks.
News Update Philippine police rescue dogs, raid slaughterhouse
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Police rescued dozens of dogs that were bound up and crammed into a van for a suspected illegal sale to a slaughterhouse in the northern Philippines, officials said on Friday.
After a tip from animal advocates, police officers seized the van in the northern province of Pangasinan and found 60 surviving dogs along with 12 that had suffocated, police superintendent Ronald Gayo said. The dogs had their snouts and feet bound with plastic cords.
The van's driver and his assistant were arrested and escorted to their destination - a slaughterhouse inside a sprawling pig and poultry farm in San Carlos township in northern Pangasinan province, Supt Gayo said. The slaughterhouse's owner and workers managed to flee when police arrived on Wednesday.
Killing dogs for the meat trade is illegal, but dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the Philippines.
After a tip from animal advocates, police officers seized the van in the northern province of Pangasinan and found 60 surviving dogs along with 12 that had suffocated, police superintendent Ronald Gayo said. The dogs had their snouts and feet bound with plastic cords.
The van's driver and his assistant were arrested and escorted to their destination - a slaughterhouse inside a sprawling pig and poultry farm in San Carlos township in northern Pangasinan province, Supt Gayo said. The slaughterhouse's owner and workers managed to flee when police arrived on Wednesday.
Killing dogs for the meat trade is illegal, but dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the Philippines.
News Update PHL authorities on alert for weaknesses in banking system
The fragile economies of Europe and the US is keeping Philippine monetary authorities on alert for potential weaknesses in the country’s banking system, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. "Instead of targeting absolute numbers then, our focus has been on monitoring potential systemic weaknesses in maintaining a healthy balance between inputs and outputs as well as between market innovation and risk-taking," said BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. He noted the importance of having a good perspective — on the part of regulators — on the distribution of exposures. "It is not just the growth number of the total exposure but also getting a sense of which sectors are receiving new loans," Tetangco said. By 2012, the central bank chief expects the economy to get a boost from the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) program, which he also expects to take off next year. "We have previously suggested that the economy can benefit from further fiscal spending as this relates to the build-up in productive capacity," he said. There is enough money in the system, Tetangco noted, but that there is an accompanying need to channel the money in viable projects. "Given liquidity levels, having a viable outlet is important. Having these outlets build capacity for future needs is even better," he added. Domestic liquidity or M3 totaled P4.305 trillion as of end-October, up P279 billion from P4.026 trillion a year earlier but down P51 billion from P4.356 trillion end-September after the central bank's Monetary Board raised the reserve requirement ratio for banks to 21 percent from 19 percent. — VS
News Update Attempt by ex-ARMM education execs to withdraw P77.5 million foiled
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge Gov. Mujiv Hataman yesterday foiled an attempt by former regional education officials to withdraw P77.5 million in unspent funds.
Hataman told reporters that the amount was labeled as “differentials” for the 2011 maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) in the records of the Department of Education of the ARMM (DepEd-ARMM).
The P77.5 million was to be distributed to the different division offices in the ARMM provinces, Hataman said.
The attempt to release the funds was made despite Hataman’s order for the suspension of any disbursements, except for salaries of personnel and payment of statutory obligations, pending evaluation by representatives of the Commission on Audit and the cashiers in each of the offices and devolved agencies under the ARMM governor’s office.
“Surprisingly, the P77.5 million was not disbursed from January this year up to the day I assumed office if it was indeed ‘MOOE differential’ intended for the year 2011,” Hataman said.
Hataman said he thought of returning the amount to the national government, but was advised by the central office of the Department of Budget and Management to keep it instead in the governor’s bank account and use it for the construction or rehabilitation of school buildings and feeding programs for school children in impoverished communities.
Hataman said he wanted to have all the statutory obligations of the DepEd-ARMM settled immediately, but its cashier’s office surprisingly “ran out” of checks after he took over the regional government last week.
Hataman issued last week a memorandum to all heads of offices in the autonomous region to conduct an immediate inventory of all funds in their official bank accounts and the manpower complement in each of their agencies and support offices.
Lawyer Anwar Malang, Hataman’s newly appointed executive secretary, said they are still in the process of determining the administrative and fiscal issues besetting each of the line agencies and support offices under the governor’s office before they can introduce reforms in the regional bureaucracy.
Malang and Hataman have been presiding over dialogues with personnel in the different ARMM offices since last week. - By John Unson (
Hataman told reporters that the amount was labeled as “differentials” for the 2011 maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) in the records of the Department of Education of the ARMM (DepEd-ARMM).
The P77.5 million was to be distributed to the different division offices in the ARMM provinces, Hataman said.
The attempt to release the funds was made despite Hataman’s order for the suspension of any disbursements, except for salaries of personnel and payment of statutory obligations, pending evaluation by representatives of the Commission on Audit and the cashiers in each of the offices and devolved agencies under the ARMM governor’s office.
“Surprisingly, the P77.5 million was not disbursed from January this year up to the day I assumed office if it was indeed ‘MOOE differential’ intended for the year 2011,” Hataman said.
Hataman said he thought of returning the amount to the national government, but was advised by the central office of the Department of Budget and Management to keep it instead in the governor’s bank account and use it for the construction or rehabilitation of school buildings and feeding programs for school children in impoverished communities.
Hataman said he wanted to have all the statutory obligations of the DepEd-ARMM settled immediately, but its cashier’s office surprisingly “ran out” of checks after he took over the regional government last week.
Hataman issued last week a memorandum to all heads of offices in the autonomous region to conduct an immediate inventory of all funds in their official bank accounts and the manpower complement in each of their agencies and support offices.
Lawyer Anwar Malang, Hataman’s newly appointed executive secretary, said they are still in the process of determining the administrative and fiscal issues besetting each of the line agencies and support offices under the governor’s office before they can introduce reforms in the regional bureaucracy.
Malang and Hataman have been presiding over dialogues with personnel in the different ARMM offices since last week. - By John Unson (
News Update Petron ready for title run
MANILA, Philippines - After slamming Talk n Text’s grand slam aspiration the last time, the Petron Blaze Boosters are now aiming at duplicating the Tropang Texters’ back-to-back championships.
“If they’re able to win back-to-back, we feel we can do the same. That’s our motivation,” said Petron main man Arwind Santos.
Personally, Santos believes they can go all the way to win the championship if they’re able to hurdle the Tropang Texters in their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown beginning Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Rain or Shine and Powerade start their own semis confrontation Wednesday in the same venue.
“I really feel we can go all the way if we’re able to get past Talk n Text,” said Santos in Filipino.
The Boosters are confident of their chance despite bowing to the Texters in their two faceoffs in the elimination round.
“Same thing happened last conference. They beat us twice in the elims but we pulled through in the finals,” said Santos, the leading contender for the Best Player of the Conference award.
The wiry forward, however, stressed they’re in for a tough test against the Texters whom he considers the team with the deeper bench.
“They’re more solid with their players having recovered from injuries. On our side, Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot are not yet fully healed,” said Santos.
Santos said the key for them is to match the Tropang Texters’ energy.
“They keep on running. We have to keep up with them if not slow down the tempo,” said Santos.
“Good thing for us is that everyone is committed to play defense. If we’re able to improve our individual defense, team defense will follow,” Santos added.
The Tropang Texters scored their second win in the tourney against the Boosters on Dec. 6, a 80-78 decision that assured TnT a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The Texters stunned the Boosters and practically everyone at the Smart Araneta Coliseum by coming up with four points in the last 3.7 seconds to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Japeth Aguilar returned to the floor in those dying seconds to grab a crucial offensive rebound and make a three-point play as the Texters salvaged the game that guaranteed them of second spot in the elimination phase.
“We’ve put that behind us. This is a new ball game,” said Santos. - By Nelson Beltran
“If they’re able to win back-to-back, we feel we can do the same. That’s our motivation,” said Petron main man Arwind Santos.
Personally, Santos believes they can go all the way to win the championship if they’re able to hurdle the Tropang Texters in their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown beginning Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Rain or Shine and Powerade start their own semis confrontation Wednesday in the same venue.
“I really feel we can go all the way if we’re able to get past Talk n Text,” said Santos in Filipino.
The Boosters are confident of their chance despite bowing to the Texters in their two faceoffs in the elimination round.
“Same thing happened last conference. They beat us twice in the elims but we pulled through in the finals,” said Santos, the leading contender for the Best Player of the Conference award.
The wiry forward, however, stressed they’re in for a tough test against the Texters whom he considers the team with the deeper bench.
“They’re more solid with their players having recovered from injuries. On our side, Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot are not yet fully healed,” said Santos.
Santos said the key for them is to match the Tropang Texters’ energy.
“They keep on running. We have to keep up with them if not slow down the tempo,” said Santos.
“Good thing for us is that everyone is committed to play defense. If we’re able to improve our individual defense, team defense will follow,” Santos added.
The Tropang Texters scored their second win in the tourney against the Boosters on Dec. 6, a 80-78 decision that assured TnT a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The Texters stunned the Boosters and practically everyone at the Smart Araneta Coliseum by coming up with four points in the last 3.7 seconds to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Japeth Aguilar returned to the floor in those dying seconds to grab a crucial offensive rebound and make a three-point play as the Texters salvaged the game that guaranteed them of second spot in the elimination phase.
“We’ve put that behind us. This is a new ball game,” said Santos. - By Nelson Beltran
News Update endong was a 'weak' storm ranked among most destructive in PHL history
Tropical Storm Sendong was a bizarre weather creature — a "weak" storm by the standards of PAGASA yet it claimed more lives than any typhoon in more than a decade. Its destructiveness came from the rare and "very extreme" amount of rainfall dumped on northern Mindanao on Dec. 16. According to a new analysis of the storm by the scientific institution Manila Observatory, the 180 millimeters (mm) of rain that fell in Cagayan de Oro on that day far exceeded the previous record of 142mm in 1999. Rainfall has been measured in the Lumbia weather station in Cagayan de Oro since 1977. The same study by the Manila Observatory cited historical evidence that storms rarely make landfall in Mindanao. That fact has been used to explain why local officials and the public didn't show much of a response to warnings about Sendong's pending arrival. The Manila Observatory noted that in the last 15 years, only six tropical cyclones crossed Mindanao, and only one in 10 years in December. None of the previous Mindanao storms had this kind of impact. The Manila Observatory noted that Sendong ranked among the most destructive tropical cyclones in Philippine recorded history, including Uring (1991, Ormoc), Pepeng (2009, Northern Luzon), Juaning (2011, Bicol) and Ondoy (2009, Metro Manila). Yet all of them were classified as "weak", suggesting that PAGASA's current storm warning system, which takes into account only a storm's wind speed, is inadequate for indicating the potential danger of a coming storm. The rainfall-tracking Doppler radar systems that PAGASA recently acquired were supposed to remedy this deficiency, but weather forecasters pointed out after Sendong that only one was placed in Mindanao, where its effectiveness could be hampered by mountain ranges. But there are other ways of predicting rainfall. Just before Sendong made landfall in Mindanao, the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had its Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite pass over the storm for a detailed scan. The resulting rainfall analysis showed that “Washi (Sendong) was much better organized with very heavy rainfall of over 50mm/hr (~2 inches) revealed by TRMM PR within bands spiraling into the center of the storm." NASA forecast severe flood potential over many cities and towns in Mindanao. Sendong became a perfect storm of extreme rainfall pouring on areas of high vulnerability. The enormous volume of water interacted with denuded watersheds with piles of cut logs draining into narrow and densely populated flood-prone coastal lowlands. Residents still reeling from the effects of the storm cannot even take comfort in the notion that storms of this magnitude will continue to be rare. As the Manila Observatory concludes, "The scientific consensus is that extreme weather events are going to be more likely and frequent with climate change." — Howie Severino/VS
News Update Banks, clients in ‘Sendong’-stricken Mindanao get regulatory relief
Banks and their clients may seek regulatory relief from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ease their financial burdens in areas ravaged by Tropical Storm “Sendong.” The BSP’s policy body, the Monetary Board, approved on Tuesday an initial set of nine temporary relief measures to enable banks in parts of Northern and Western Mindanao to weather the impact of Sendong on the local economy there, the central bank said in a statement Thursday. Among the relief measures for the banks in disaster stricken areas are: Exclusion of existing loans of borrowers from the computation of past due ratios provided these are restructured or given relief; Reducing from 5 percent the general loan loss provision to 1 percent for restructured loans of borrowers; Non-imposition of penalties on legal reserves deficiencies with head office and/or branches; Moratorium on monthly payments due to BSP for banks with ongoing rehabilitation programs. Also approved by the MB are: Non-imposition of monetary penalties for delays in the submission of supervisory reports; Allowing banks to provide financial assistance to their officers and employees who were affected by the calamity including assistance that may not be within the scope of the existing BSP-approved Fringe Benefit Program; A 60-day grace period to settle the outstanding rediscounting obligations as of 15 December 2011 with the BSP of all rediscounting banks; Subject to BSP approval, booking of allowance for probable losses on a staggered basis over five (5) years for all types of credit extended to individual and businesses directly affected by the calamity; Allowing banks to restructure with the BSP, on case-to-case basis, the outstanding rediscounted loans of borrowers affected by the calamity.The BSP did not indicate in its statement the duration of the effectivity of the relief measures, but it did say it will issue “additional and specific conditions.” — With Earl Victor Rosero/VS,
News Update Actor Tyron Perez found dead
Young actor Tyron Perez, who rose to fame in the GMA-7 reality-based talent show "Star Struck" and has since transferred to ABS-CBN as a Star Magic talent was found dead Thursday night, December 29, in Valenzuela City. He was 26.
Star Magic, which co-manages Tyron with director Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Tyron. Let's pray for the eternal repose of his soul."
Circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated as of posting time.
Valenzuela City Police told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! that Tyron's lifeless body was found at the passenger backseat of his black Toyota Altis parked at the South Service Road of the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City. SPO2 Richard Bautista of the Valenzuela City Police investigations unit said that initial SOCO findings reveal a fatal gunshot wound on Tyron's right temple, with a .22-calibre firearm beside the body. Police investigation, which includes determining if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, is still ongoing.
Tyron was last seen at the Star Magic Ball earlier this year. According to Star Magic, they haven't been in communication with Tyron since the event.
His last television appearance was in the remake of "Mula Sa Puso" this year. He also starred in another ABS-CBN drama, "Momay" in 2010.
Tyron is survived by his wife Liv Espino, a flight attendant he married in 2009. With Karen Valeza
Star Magic, which co-manages Tyron with director Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Tyron. Let's pray for the eternal repose of his soul."
Circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated as of posting time.
Valenzuela City Police told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! that Tyron's lifeless body was found at the passenger backseat of his black Toyota Altis parked at the South Service Road of the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City. SPO2 Richard Bautista of the Valenzuela City Police investigations unit said that initial SOCO findings reveal a fatal gunshot wound on Tyron's right temple, with a .22-calibre firearm beside the body. Police investigation, which includes determining if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, is still ongoing.
Tyron was last seen at the Star Magic Ball earlier this year. According to Star Magic, they haven't been in communication with Tyron since the event.
His last television appearance was in the remake of "Mula Sa Puso" this year. He also starred in another ABS-CBN drama, "Momay" in 2010.
Tyron is survived by his wife Liv Espino, a flight attendant he married in 2009. With Karen Valeza
Thursday, December 29, 2011
News Update Ex-Philippine president faces 2nd criminal case
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Prosecutors on Thursday filed a second criminal case against former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, this time over an overpriced deal with a Chinese telecommunications giant that allegedly involved huge kickbacks.
Arroyo — who is under arrest on separate electoral fraud charges — has previously denied wrongdoing in the latest case. But under public pressure in 2008, she canceled a flagship $330 million Philippine government deal with China's ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network.
The cases are part of efforts of Arroyo's successor, President Benigno Aquino III, to root out high-level corruption that is endemic in the Philippines. Aquino blames Arroyo, who stepped down last year, of presiding over a decade of corrupt practices that eroded public trust in government and held back foreign investors.
She has accused him of using "black propaganda" to damage her image.
Arroyo's husband and a former elections chief have denied accusations in a Senate hearing of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for Arroyo's approval of the broadband deal. But the issue was never properly investigated because Arroyo had barred top officials from disclosing details.
Anti-graft prosecutors filed a case against Arroyo, husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, former Elections Commissioner Benjamin Abalos and ex-Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza over the botched contract.
Court spokesman Renato Bocar said Arroyo was charged "for being interested for personal gain in the approval of the ... project despite knowledge of the irregularities and anomalies that attended its approval."
The complaint is based on Senate testimonies in 2008 of ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga, who said that the deal was originally priced at $130 million, but that the cost ballooned to accommodate the kickbacks.
Former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri had testified that Abalos offered him a bribe to approve the contract, and another witness, Jose de Venecia III, said the ex-president's husband was promised a $70 million commission.
After being blocked at the Manila airport from seeking medical treatment abroad, Arroyo, 64, was arrested last month for allegedly ordering the rigging of 2007 congressional elections. She was moved to a military-run veterans' hospital, where she remains in detention. Abalos was arrested Dec. 13.
Aquino said in an interview with ABS-CBN television aired this week that he would consider pardoning Arroyo if she were convicted only if she showed remorse.
Aquino was elected in a landslide on a promise to stamp out corruption. Sixteen months later, he still enjoys high ratings, with a recent poll finding that seven out of 10 Filipinos approve of his policies.
The poll, conducted Dec. 3-7 by independent Social Weather Stations, also found that 69 percent of 1,200 respondents believe the government was treating Arroyo fairly. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.
Arroyo — who is under arrest on separate electoral fraud charges — has previously denied wrongdoing in the latest case. But under public pressure in 2008, she canceled a flagship $330 million Philippine government deal with China's ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network.
The cases are part of efforts of Arroyo's successor, President Benigno Aquino III, to root out high-level corruption that is endemic in the Philippines. Aquino blames Arroyo, who stepped down last year, of presiding over a decade of corrupt practices that eroded public trust in government and held back foreign investors.
She has accused him of using "black propaganda" to damage her image.
Arroyo's husband and a former elections chief have denied accusations in a Senate hearing of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for Arroyo's approval of the broadband deal. But the issue was never properly investigated because Arroyo had barred top officials from disclosing details.
Anti-graft prosecutors filed a case against Arroyo, husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, former Elections Commissioner Benjamin Abalos and ex-Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza over the botched contract.
Court spokesman Renato Bocar said Arroyo was charged "for being interested for personal gain in the approval of the ... project despite knowledge of the irregularities and anomalies that attended its approval."
The complaint is based on Senate testimonies in 2008 of ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga, who said that the deal was originally priced at $130 million, but that the cost ballooned to accommodate the kickbacks.
Former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri had testified that Abalos offered him a bribe to approve the contract, and another witness, Jose de Venecia III, said the ex-president's husband was promised a $70 million commission.
After being blocked at the Manila airport from seeking medical treatment abroad, Arroyo, 64, was arrested last month for allegedly ordering the rigging of 2007 congressional elections. She was moved to a military-run veterans' hospital, where she remains in detention. Abalos was arrested Dec. 13.
Aquino said in an interview with ABS-CBN television aired this week that he would consider pardoning Arroyo if she were convicted only if she showed remorse.
Aquino was elected in a landslide on a promise to stamp out corruption. Sixteen months later, he still enjoys high ratings, with a recent poll finding that seven out of 10 Filipinos approve of his policies.
The poll, conducted Dec. 3-7 by independent Social Weather Stations, also found that 69 percent of 1,200 respondents believe the government was treating Arroyo fairly. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.
News Update Foreign aid for Sendong-hit Mindanao flow in trickles as donors go on holiday
Response has been slow to the United Nation’s appeal for $28.6 million (P1.243 billion) in disaster aid for victims of the Dec. 16 Tropical Storm Sendong. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) said the donations are trickling in because the storm and their appeal came just before Christmas and most offices of donor agencies are on vacation. “Even though this is one of the country’s worst natural disasters in two decades, it happened a few days before Christmas when many donors are on holidays and offices are closed,” according to the UNOCHA, citing Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, the acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines. So far, P195.7 million or $4.5 million has come in, of which $3 million was from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $1.5 million from Japan, said Kirsten Mildren, UNOCHA Public Information and Advocacy Officer in a telephone interview with GMA News Online. “We’re doing everything that we can,” she said, sharing that the agency is actively approaching donors and agencies, and issuing press releases to generate more interest in the matter. However, “it is not really a good week to be asking for donations,” said Mildren. Dr. Soe Nyunt-U noted that the CERF pledge was instrumental in starting urgent UN interventions. While Japan is the only country donor so far, Mildren said that they are expecting to get a response from Australia and Spain. “[The fund] is for three months, and will cover the needs of 471,000 people. It will cover the critical things like water and sanitation, health, food, nutritional support and shelter,” Mildren said. “At the moment, shelter is the most critical need we have,” she added. The amount from CERF was distributed in three equal portions to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, and the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, P15,395,460 ($354,000) of the total fund will be allotted for the reconstruction of educational facilities and replacement of damaged learning materials, according to a statement from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said on Wednesday that, “In times of emergency, communities are likely to prioritize needs related to people’s immediate survival and will not have the resources to address the basic need of affected school children and teachers.” “For this reason, forward planning to preserve a child’s right to education is one of the most valuable actions a government can take, before disasters strike,” she added. The UNICEF has already pledged to provide children with continued access to safe learning environments in the storm-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The government also gave Iligan City P241-million to build a core shelter on a 10-hectare relocation site. The shelter will house 3,549 families. According to the latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 54,473 people are living in 53 evacuation centers in northern Mindanao’s Sendong-hit areas. — ELR/VS/KG
News Update Arrest made in killing of Italian priest in Philippines
Philippine police have arrested a suspect in the murder of an Italian priest who had spent decades working with tribal communities in the violence-torn southern island of Mindanao.
The Philippine man in custody, Jimmy Ato, was arrested in Kulaman Valley in Mindanao province, regional police director Felicisimo Khu said.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, was shot dead in October in Mindanao, where government forces have long been battling Islamist and communist insurgencies.
"The arrested person was allegedly involved in the killing of Father Tentorio," Khu said, adding that his arrest came from a witness tip-off, but declining to give further details.
Tentorio was shot eight times by a lone attacker inside his parish compound, according to police.
Tentorio's colleagues and supporters believe the motive for the killing could have been the priest's work in helping disadvantaged local tribespeople in his parish to fight for their ancestral lands and basic human rights.
The missionary was the third member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions to have been killed since 1985 on Mindanao.
The Philippine man in custody, Jimmy Ato, was arrested in Kulaman Valley in Mindanao province, regional police director Felicisimo Khu said.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, was shot dead in October in Mindanao, where government forces have long been battling Islamist and communist insurgencies.
"The arrested person was allegedly involved in the killing of Father Tentorio," Khu said, adding that his arrest came from a witness tip-off, but declining to give further details.
Tentorio was shot eight times by a lone attacker inside his parish compound, according to police.
Tentorio's colleagues and supporters believe the motive for the killing could have been the priest's work in helping disadvantaged local tribespeople in his parish to fight for their ancestral lands and basic human rights.
The missionary was the third member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions to have been killed since 1985 on Mindanao.
News Update Foreign aid for Sendong-hit Mindanao flow in trickles as donors go on holiday
Response has been slow to the United Nation’s appeal for $28.6 million (P1.243 billion) in disaster aid for victims of the Dec. 16 Tropical Storm Sendong. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) said the donations are trickling in because the storm and their appeal came just before Christmas and most offices of donor agencies are on vacation. “Even though this is one of the country’s worst natural disasters in two decades, it happened a few days before Christmas when many donors are on holidays and offices are closed,” according to the UNOCHA, citing Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, the acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines. So far, P195.7 million or $4.5 million has come in, of which $3 million was from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $1.5 million from Japan, said Kirsten Mildren, UNOCHA Public Information and Advocacy Officer in a telephone interview with GMA News Online. “We’re doing everything that we can,” she said, sharing that the agency is actively approaching donors and agencies, and issuing press releases to generate more interest in the matter. However, “it is not really a good week to be asking for donations,” said Mildren. Dr. Soe Nyunt-U noted that the CERF pledge was instrumental in starting urgent UN interventions. While Japan is the only country donor so far, Mildren said that they are expecting to get a response from Australia and Spain. “[The fund] is for three months, and will cover the needs of 471,000 people. It will cover the critical things like water and sanitation, health, food, nutritional support and shelter,” Mildren said. “At the moment, shelter is the most critical need we have,” she added. The amount from CERF was distributed in three equal portions to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, and the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, P15,395,460 ($354,000) of the total fund will be allotted for the reconstruction of educational facilities and replacement of damaged learning materials, according to a statement from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said on Wednesday that, “In times of emergency, communities are likely to prioritize needs related to people’s immediate survival and will not have the resources to address the basic need of affected school children and teachers.” “For this reason, forward planning to preserve a child’s right to education is one of the most valuable actions a government can take, before disasters strike,” she added. The UNICEF has already pledged to provide children with continued access to safe learning environments in the storm-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The government also gave Iligan City P241-million to build a core shelter on a 10-hectare relocation site. The shelter will house 3,549 families. According to the latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 54,473 people are living in 53 evacuation centers in northern Mindanao’s Sendong-hit areas. — ELR/VS/KG,
News Update PHL data show rich people better at saving money than govt
Filipino households — mostly the affluent — have been better at tucking away money in their banks than the government, based on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 2008-2010 data on the flow of funds in the country’s economy. The BSP said on Wednesday that Pinoy households had total accumulated savings in 2010 of P841.5 billion, which was “a modest improvement of 6.4 percent” from the 2009 level. In contrast, government and local government units had combined savings of only P70.3 billion last year. Another set of data, from the National Statistics Office (NSO) 2009 Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES), tends to show that most of the savings the BSP data indicate may be those of the richest Filipinos. The 2009 FIES (the latest data available) had the richest 10 percent with 62 percent or P356 billion of the gross savings of P574 billion while the upper 7th, 8th and 9th percentile groups — the upper middle class — had P183 billion in savings. Mired in P9 billion deficit and debts were the poorest 30 percent of Pinoy households, the 2009 FIES also showed. Businesses also saved more According to the 2010 BSP data, the business sector also outdid the government at setting aside savings. The non-financial firms’ savings jumped 14.6 percent to P692.9 billion “underpinned by strong net income that was observed in all industries, notably in food and beverage, real estate, transport, and wholesale trade.” The non-financial corporates were much better than the financial firms were at saving. Banks and other financials set aside P106.1 billion, which was 6.8 percent more than their 2009 savings. All sectors of the economy generated P1.71 trillion in savings, an improvement of P140 billion or 8.9 percent from P1.57 trillion , according to BSP data. — With Earl Victor Rosero/VS/KG
News Update BPOs, private groups do a ‘digital bayanihan’ for typhoon-hit Iligan
Emily Pascua, an executive of a fast food chain office in Iligan City, was one of the lucky residents spared by floods spawned by tropical storm “Sendong” in northern Mindanao last week. When she heard that thousands of families were displaced and brought to evacuation centers due to the calamity, she and her colleagues immediately offered cooked rice to feed the evacuees. While helping out in relief efforts, she noticed the disorderly way donations were being distributed to evacuees. She also saw how social workers were having a hard time manually organizing information on affected families. “While we saw that help was coming in, magulo ang distribution. Walang sistema. ‘Yung iba nakakadoble-doble ang tanggap. ‘Yung iba hindi nakakakuha,” she said in a phone interview. Because of this, Pascua and some United Nations (UN) volunteers tried to figure out a way to bring order to the relief operations. They wanted all affected families to benefit from the help reaching their area. The solution they came up with was simple: organize the data being gathered by local social workers so that they will have a clear idea on the exact number of evacuees and their specific needs. “The lack of a system prompted us to do the other side. We decided na we will be in charge of organizing this data. Tago lang ito na effort, so while people are sending in some help, we will be able to have information kung sino at saan ba talaga kailangan ito,” she said. This was how a “digital bayanihan” began. Pascua got in touch with information technology graduates from the Mindanao State University, who helped them create a program by which they can organize data. People from Pascua’s office, as well as her colleagues from the Iligan Chamber of Commerce, also volunteered to help scan data sheets from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which served as the first step in converting information into soft copies. BPOs heed call for help The modern form of “bayanihan,” however, did not stop in Iligan. Gigi Virata, president of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Association of the Philippines, was also told of efforts to organize data on evacuees in Lanao del Norte’s capital city. She heeded calls for help. “I asked our partner associations if they can help, and they very quickly signed up for it. Some individuals in some companies even volunteered to do whatever they can to help,” she said in a separate interview. Virata added that several Manila-based encoding and medical transcription companies agreed to do what they do best: encode scanned data sheets into spreadsheets to better organize and process the information. “We did this so that we can keep track of the evacuees and to know their needs. We can even help people looking for each other,” she said. What’s best is that the companies agreed to accept the encoding job without asking for any monetary returns. “The companies offered their services to organize the data pro bono. This is our way of helping those in need in Mindanao, even though we’re in Manila,” she said. Thanks to technology Pascua said that she plans to present an initial copy of the database from over 6,000 data sheets to local officials on Wednesday afternoon. The database contains aggregated basic information on the evacuees, such as age and sex, so local government can figure out their immediate needs. “If there are grants and other forms of assistance that are coming in, for sure hihingi ang donors ng data on the damage. These are all captured in the database. If you have data, you can use this data for the good of the people,” she said. She added that she was overwhelmed by how quickly the task was accomplished, citing her gratefulness for technology. “If we are not in the age of information technology, for sure hirap tayo rito. Ngayon, in a span of hours, we already have data,” she said. More than technology, however, Pascua said the willingness of Filipinos to help others in need made their project a success. “This is very surprising and amazing. Grabe ‘yung assistance from other associations. At least, we managed to help the government kahit sa maliit na paraan lang,” she said. — VS
News Update BPOs, private groups do a ‘digital bayanihan’ for typhoon-hit Iligan
Emily Pascua, an executive of a fast food chain office in Iligan City, was one of the lucky residents spared by floods spawned by tropical storm “Sendong” in northern Mindanao last week. When she heard that thousands of families were displaced and brought to evacuation centers due to the calamity, she and her colleagues immediately offered cooked rice to feed the evacuees. While helping out in relief efforts, she noticed the disorderly way donations were being distributed to evacuees. She also saw how social workers were having a hard time manually organizing information on affected families. “While we saw that help was coming in, magulo ang distribution. Walang sistema. ‘Yung iba nakakadoble-doble ang tanggap. ‘Yung iba hindi nakakakuha,” she said in a phone interview. Because of this, Pascua and some United Nations (UN) volunteers tried to figure out a way to bring order to the relief operations. They wanted all affected families to benefit from the help reaching their area. The solution they came up with was simple: organize the data being gathered by local social workers so that they will have a clear idea on the exact number of evacuees and their specific needs. “The lack of a system prompted us to do the other side. We decided na we will be in charge of organizing this data. Tago lang ito na effort, so while people are sending in some help, we will be able to have information kung sino at saan ba talaga kailangan ito,” she said. This was how a “digital bayanihan” began. Pascua got in touch with information technology graduates from the Mindanao State University, who helped them create a program by which they can organize data. People from Pascua’s office, as well as her colleagues from the Iligan Chamber of Commerce, also volunteered to help scan data sheets from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which served as the first step in converting information into soft copies. BPOs heed call for help The modern form of “bayanihan,” however, did not stop in Iligan. Gigi Virata, president of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Association of the Philippines, was also told of efforts to organize data on evacuees in Lanao del Norte’s capital city. She heeded calls for help. “I asked our partner associations if they can help, and they very quickly signed up for it. Some individuals in some companies even volunteered to do whatever they can to help,” she said in a separate interview. Virata added that several Manila-based encoding and medical transcription companies agreed to do what they do best: encode scanned data sheets into spreadsheets to better organize and process the information. “We did this so that we can keep track of the evacuees and to know their needs. We can even help people looking for each other,” she said. What’s best is that the companies agreed to accept the encoding job without asking for any monetary returns. “The companies offered their services to organize the data pro bono. This is our way of helping those in need in Mindanao, even though we’re in Manila,” she said. Thanks to technology Pascua said that she plans to present an initial copy of the database from over 6,000 data sheets to local officials on Wednesday afternoon. The database contains aggregated basic information on the evacuees, such as age and sex, so local government can figure out their immediate needs. “If there are grants and other forms of assistance that are coming in, for sure hihingi ang donors ng data on the damage. These are all captured in the database. If you have data, you can use this data for the good of the people,” she said. She added that she was overwhelmed by how quickly the task was accomplished, citing her gratefulness for technology. “If we are not in the age of information technology, for sure hirap tayo rito. Ngayon, in a span of hours, we already have data,” she said. More than technology, however, Pascua said the willingness of Filipinos to help others in need made their project a success. “This is very surprising and amazing. Grabe ‘yung assistance from other associations. At least, we managed to help the government kahit sa maliit na paraan lang,” she said. — VS
News Update Philippine rebels earn millions from extortion
Philippine communist rebels waging one of Asia's longest running insurgencies earned millions of extortion dollars from businesses this year, the military said Wednesday.
Reports compiled by the armed forces from its various field units estimate that New People's Army (NPA) got at least 300 million pesos ($6.9 million) from "revolutionary taxes" imposed on establishments in areas where they operate.
Those who failed to fork out money were typically targeted with attacks that destroyed their businesses, the military said in a statement.
The most significant attack this year took place on the southern island of Mindanao in October, when NPA rebels raided three mine sites, destroying property and forcing the temporary closure of the country's biggest nickel producer.
The rebels had also kidnapped a town mayor, two soldiers and four jail guards in separate instances, who they later freed after weeks in captivity.
"We are concerned with the direction (in which) they are heading now. Resorting to criminal activities for funding and attacking civilians to command obedience are signs of desperation," military chief Lieutenant General Jessie Dellosa said.
"The NPA is losing mass base support, thus they have resorted to force and intimidation to coerce people."
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a rebellion since 1969.
Peace talks with the communists have reached an impasse after Manila in November rejected rebel demands to free 18 jailed guerrillas the NPA said were consultants to its negotiating team.
Reports compiled by the armed forces from its various field units estimate that New People's Army (NPA) got at least 300 million pesos ($6.9 million) from "revolutionary taxes" imposed on establishments in areas where they operate.
Those who failed to fork out money were typically targeted with attacks that destroyed their businesses, the military said in a statement.
The most significant attack this year took place on the southern island of Mindanao in October, when NPA rebels raided three mine sites, destroying property and forcing the temporary closure of the country's biggest nickel producer.
The rebels had also kidnapped a town mayor, two soldiers and four jail guards in separate instances, who they later freed after weeks in captivity.
"We are concerned with the direction (in which) they are heading now. Resorting to criminal activities for funding and attacking civilians to command obedience are signs of desperation," military chief Lieutenant General Jessie Dellosa said.
"The NPA is losing mass base support, thus they have resorted to force and intimidation to coerce people."
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a rebellion since 1969.
Peace talks with the communists have reached an impasse after Manila in November rejected rebel demands to free 18 jailed guerrillas the NPA said were consultants to its negotiating team.
News Update SWS: 95% of Pinoys enter 2012 with hope
MANILA, Philippines - Despite gloomy global economic forecasts and a string of natural calamities that hit the country this year, nine out of 10 Filipinos still face the New Year with hope, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.
The Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey, conducted from Dec. 3 to 7, showed that 95 percent of Filipino adults said they would welcome 2012 with hope while only four percent would face the New Year with fear.
The new figure matches the all-time high of 95 percent recorded in 2002 who were hopeful of entering 2003, the SWS said.
It is also two points higher than the 93 percent who entered 2011 with hope.
SWS said hope in the coming year has customarily been at high levels, starting at 87 percent when SWS first polled about the issue in December 2000 and 88 percent in December 2001.
New Year hope reached its record high 95 percent in December 2002 and 90 percent in December 2003 before it declined to 81 percent in December 2004 and 85 percent in December 2005.
It rebounded and remained steady at 91 percent to 92 percent from 2006 to 2008 before it declined to 89 percent in 2009.
It recovered to 93 percent in December 2010 and again reached record-high 95 percent in December 2011.
Hope in the coming year is widespread in all areas, with record highs in Mindanao and Metro Manila, SWS said.
Compared to 2010, New Year hope increased by five points in Mindanao, from 89 percent to 94 percent, a record-high for that area that was first reached in 2002.
It stayed at record-high 96 percent in Metro Manila.
It hardly changed in the Visayas, from a record-high 97 percent in 2010 to 96 percent in 2011, and in balance Luzon, from 94 percent to 95 percent.
New Year hope is also high in all socio-economic classes, with a new record-high set among class E.
Compared to 2010, New Year hope rose by four points among the very poor class E, from 89 percent to a new record-high 93 percent. This surpassed the previous record-high of 91 percent in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007.
New Year hope stayed at record high 97 percent among the middle to upper classes ABC.
It hardly changed among the masses class D, from 95 percent to 96 percent.
New Year hope is higher among those who expected a happy 2011 Christmas than among those who expected a sad Christmas.
Of the 64 percent who were looking forward to a happy 2011 Christmas, almost all (97 percent) also look forward to 2012 with hope.
On the other hand, of the 11 percent expecting a sad Christmas, 89 percent are hopeful of 2012.
The survey question was patterned after polls conducted annually by the Allensbach Institute of Demoskopy in Germany, the SWS said.
It used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six points for area percentages. - By Helen Flores
The Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey, conducted from Dec. 3 to 7, showed that 95 percent of Filipino adults said they would welcome 2012 with hope while only four percent would face the New Year with fear.
The new figure matches the all-time high of 95 percent recorded in 2002 who were hopeful of entering 2003, the SWS said.
It is also two points higher than the 93 percent who entered 2011 with hope.
SWS said hope in the coming year has customarily been at high levels, starting at 87 percent when SWS first polled about the issue in December 2000 and 88 percent in December 2001.
New Year hope reached its record high 95 percent in December 2002 and 90 percent in December 2003 before it declined to 81 percent in December 2004 and 85 percent in December 2005.
It rebounded and remained steady at 91 percent to 92 percent from 2006 to 2008 before it declined to 89 percent in 2009.
It recovered to 93 percent in December 2010 and again reached record-high 95 percent in December 2011.
Hope in the coming year is widespread in all areas, with record highs in Mindanao and Metro Manila, SWS said.
Compared to 2010, New Year hope increased by five points in Mindanao, from 89 percent to 94 percent, a record-high for that area that was first reached in 2002.
It stayed at record-high 96 percent in Metro Manila.
It hardly changed in the Visayas, from a record-high 97 percent in 2010 to 96 percent in 2011, and in balance Luzon, from 94 percent to 95 percent.
New Year hope is also high in all socio-economic classes, with a new record-high set among class E.
Compared to 2010, New Year hope rose by four points among the very poor class E, from 89 percent to a new record-high 93 percent. This surpassed the previous record-high of 91 percent in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007.
New Year hope stayed at record high 97 percent among the middle to upper classes ABC.
It hardly changed among the masses class D, from 95 percent to 96 percent.
New Year hope is higher among those who expected a happy 2011 Christmas than among those who expected a sad Christmas.
Of the 64 percent who were looking forward to a happy 2011 Christmas, almost all (97 percent) also look forward to 2012 with hope.
On the other hand, of the 11 percent expecting a sad Christmas, 89 percent are hopeful of 2012.
The survey question was patterned after polls conducted annually by the Allensbach Institute of Demoskopy in Germany, the SWS said.
It used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages and plus or minus six points for area percentages. - By Helen Flores
News Update Cops name Ninoy tomb vandal as P-Noy 'stalker'
MANILA, Philippines - The man who allegedly defaced the tomb of slain senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. is the same person accosted by the Presidential Security Group on Oct. 31 for trying to go near President Aquino.
Police identified the man as Mariano Peralta Alganion from Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
“This person created a small commotion in the area when he tried to enter the cordoned area claiming that he needs to hand over some documents to the President,” a report by Parañaque City police chief Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran read. The report, obtained by The STAR, was dated Dec. 26.
According to the report, Alganion’s picture with his name on it was found together with handwritten and computerized notes left on Ninoy’s tomb at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Christmas Day.
Police are also eyeing Alganion as the one responsible for spilling used engine oil on Ninoy’s tomb, and the carving found on it.
Beltran, in another report dated Dec. 27, described these incidents as “well orchestrated.”
According to Beltran, the carving on Ninoy’s tomb was relayed to the President on Dec. 25, when he and his sisters visited the burial site on Christmas Day about 4 p.m.
The President asked the police to investigate the incident before he left at 4:55 p.m.
“After the departure of the President, the suspect again feloniously spilled (used engine oil on) the tomb of the former senator,” Beltran said.
Police believe the second incident took place at about 6 p.m., after the guard posted at the burial site left. When the guard returned 20 minutes later, he discovered the spilled oil and three pieces of paper posted on the tomb with adhesive tape.
Police are searching for Alganion. Beltran said the suspect can be charged with malicious mischief. - By Aie Balagtas See
Police identified the man as Mariano Peralta Alganion from Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
“This person created a small commotion in the area when he tried to enter the cordoned area claiming that he needs to hand over some documents to the President,” a report by Parañaque City police chief Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran read. The report, obtained by The STAR, was dated Dec. 26.
According to the report, Alganion’s picture with his name on it was found together with handwritten and computerized notes left on Ninoy’s tomb at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Christmas Day.
Police are also eyeing Alganion as the one responsible for spilling used engine oil on Ninoy’s tomb, and the carving found on it.
Beltran, in another report dated Dec. 27, described these incidents as “well orchestrated.”
According to Beltran, the carving on Ninoy’s tomb was relayed to the President on Dec. 25, when he and his sisters visited the burial site on Christmas Day about 4 p.m.
The President asked the police to investigate the incident before he left at 4:55 p.m.
“After the departure of the President, the suspect again feloniously spilled (used engine oil on) the tomb of the former senator,” Beltran said.
Police believe the second incident took place at about 6 p.m., after the guard posted at the burial site left. When the guard returned 20 minutes later, he discovered the spilled oil and three pieces of paper posted on the tomb with adhesive tape.
Police are searching for Alganion. Beltran said the suspect can be charged with malicious mischief. - By Aie Balagtas See
News Update Phl to get credit ratings upgrade soon - P-Noy
MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino believes the Philippines will soon receive a credit ratings upgrade.
In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Lynda Jumilla, Aquino highlighted how much the government has saved by scrutinizing contracts and importing less rice.
“As of end September, we saved P42 billion, of that P6 billion from public works... Noong araw, grabe ang realignment (of funds). Napaka-topsy turvy. Just tightening the procedures, resulted in P6 billion in savings... We saved some P7.7 billion by importing less rice,” Aquino was quoted as saying in an abs-cbnNEWS.com story.
He also cited savings from falling interest rates, due to increased investor confidence in the country’s finances.
“We’re inching closer and closer to investment grade pero it has impacted already on how much we have to pay for the loans we have. We have been able to replace the ones with high interest rate with the cheaper interest rates,” Aquino said.
The Philippines’ credit ratings were upgraded under the Aquino administration, which has helped reduce the cost of borrowing. In June, Fitch Ratings raised the Philippines’ credit rating to one notch below investment grade.
This month, Standard & Poor’s raised its outlook for the Philippines to positive from stable, indicating that a rating upgrade is likely soon. S&P said the revised rating outlook was supported by the Philippines’ strong external liquidity and improving fiscal position.
Meanwhile, Aquino said he is excited about a new tourism campaign that will be launched early next year.
The President is confident the campaign plus spending on airports and other infrastructure will help triple the number of tourists by the end of his term.
“Each tourist that comes in brings us $1,000 and the Secretary of Tourism has set a new target by 2016 of 10 million from the current three million. We’re already up by 12 percent as of September. Once the infrastructure is in place and after the campaign is implemented, there is a substantial investment but it pales in comparison to the effect on the economy of all these new tourists,” he said.
In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Lynda Jumilla, Aquino highlighted how much the government has saved by scrutinizing contracts and importing less rice.
“As of end September, we saved P42 billion, of that P6 billion from public works... Noong araw, grabe ang realignment (of funds). Napaka-topsy turvy. Just tightening the procedures, resulted in P6 billion in savings... We saved some P7.7 billion by importing less rice,” Aquino was quoted as saying in an abs-cbnNEWS.com story.
He also cited savings from falling interest rates, due to increased investor confidence in the country’s finances.
“We’re inching closer and closer to investment grade pero it has impacted already on how much we have to pay for the loans we have. We have been able to replace the ones with high interest rate with the cheaper interest rates,” Aquino said.
The Philippines’ credit ratings were upgraded under the Aquino administration, which has helped reduce the cost of borrowing. In June, Fitch Ratings raised the Philippines’ credit rating to one notch below investment grade.
This month, Standard & Poor’s raised its outlook for the Philippines to positive from stable, indicating that a rating upgrade is likely soon. S&P said the revised rating outlook was supported by the Philippines’ strong external liquidity and improving fiscal position.
Meanwhile, Aquino said he is excited about a new tourism campaign that will be launched early next year.
The President is confident the campaign plus spending on airports and other infrastructure will help triple the number of tourists by the end of his term.
“Each tourist that comes in brings us $1,000 and the Secretary of Tourism has set a new target by 2016 of 10 million from the current three million. We’re already up by 12 percent as of September. Once the infrastructure is in place and after the campaign is implemented, there is a substantial investment but it pales in comparison to the effect on the economy of all these new tourists,” he said.
News Update Text messages on Bukidnon dam 'collapse' trigger panic
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Text messages announcing the “collapse” of a multimillion-peso irrigation dam in Bukidnon due to rampaging floods the other day triggered panic in villages along the banks of the Rio Grande de Mindanao that traverse low-lying areas in Maguindanao before draining into the nearby Moro Gulf.
The text messages even prompted the newly appointed executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim, lawyer Anwar Malang, to convene Tuesday night the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to iron out an emergency action plan meant to mitigate the impact of the possible swelling of the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao and the Rio Grande River due to the reported destruction of the government-run irrigation facility in Valencia City in Bukidnon.
Retired Gen. Loreto Rirao, director of the RDRRMC, however, refuted the text warnings after having confirmed from military sources in Bukidnon that floodwaters have indeed overflowed from the dam, but its walls have not collapsed, contrary to reports.
The dam retains more than 50 million cubic meters of water. Its supposedly controlled downstream flow connects to the Pulangi River which straddles through the direction of Carmen and Kabacan towns, both in North Cotabato, and Maguindanao’s adjoining Pagalungan and Montawal towns.
About 80 percent of the rivers that spring from forested areas in Bukidnon fuse with the Pulangui River, flowing down into Central Mindanao via the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh which drains into the Rio Grande de Mindanao that traverses the first district of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and parts of Cotabato City.
“We had terrible floods in 2008 and from May to July this year so we cannot take chances this time. We can stop flashfloods but we can mitigate its effects on people who dwell in flood-prone areas,” Malang said.
The ARMM’s social welfare secretary, Pombaen Karon Kader, who was also in the emergency meeting, said residents in Pagalungan and Montawal towns, which are both in the second district of Maguindanao, were alarmed by the text messages about the dam’s supposed collapse.
“Nonetheless we are prepared to mobilize our people in case such kind of disaster happens,” Kader said. - By John Unson
The text messages even prompted the newly appointed executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim, lawyer Anwar Malang, to convene Tuesday night the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to iron out an emergency action plan meant to mitigate the impact of the possible swelling of the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao and the Rio Grande River due to the reported destruction of the government-run irrigation facility in Valencia City in Bukidnon.
Retired Gen. Loreto Rirao, director of the RDRRMC, however, refuted the text warnings after having confirmed from military sources in Bukidnon that floodwaters have indeed overflowed from the dam, but its walls have not collapsed, contrary to reports.
The dam retains more than 50 million cubic meters of water. Its supposedly controlled downstream flow connects to the Pulangi River which straddles through the direction of Carmen and Kabacan towns, both in North Cotabato, and Maguindanao’s adjoining Pagalungan and Montawal towns.
About 80 percent of the rivers that spring from forested areas in Bukidnon fuse with the Pulangui River, flowing down into Central Mindanao via the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh which drains into the Rio Grande de Mindanao that traverses the first district of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and parts of Cotabato City.
“We had terrible floods in 2008 and from May to July this year so we cannot take chances this time. We can stop flashfloods but we can mitigate its effects on people who dwell in flood-prone areas,” Malang said.
The ARMM’s social welfare secretary, Pombaen Karon Kader, who was also in the emergency meeting, said residents in Pagalungan and Montawal towns, which are both in the second district of Maguindanao, were alarmed by the text messages about the dam’s supposed collapse.
“Nonetheless we are prepared to mobilize our people in case such kind of disaster happens,” Kader said. - By John Unson
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
News Update Filipino firm to buy into Asia's oldest airline
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Philippines' Lucio Tan group of companies is hatching a deal to sell a controlling stake in flag carrier Philippine Airlines to a group led by San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang.
Industry sources said Ang's group and key representatives from the Tan family had a "meeting of minds" where the former would buy into Asia's oldest airline. The two parties were said to be in the thick of discussions before Christmas.
Another source familiar with the matter said Ang's group had presented a very good offer that was accepted "in principle" by the Tan group, but the value under consideration was not revealed.
Other sources said Tan was willing to let a new investor come in for at least US$1 billion. For that amount, the investor will gain controlling equity while shouldering part of re-fleeting costs.
The sources said some preliminary paperwork had been drawn up last Friday in the presence of Harry Tan, the tycoon's brother. The next step is a due diligence audit to finalise the terms of the acquisition.
The Lucio Tan group's holding firm for the airline business, PAL Holdings Inc., surged by 15.78 per cent to close at 6.97 pesos ($.15) a share at the local stock market Tuesday. This gave the company a market capitalisation of 32.63 billion pesos ($744.4 million).
It is not known whether the potential buy-in deal will involve Ang in his personal capacity, or if San Miguel itself will eventually be part of the transaction. The airline business, however, is in line with the conglomerate's diversification thrust in infrastructure.
San Miguel is investing about $300 million to modernise and set up new tourism amenities at the Godofredo P. Ramos airport in Caticlan, the main gateway to Boracay Island, a top tourist draw.
The conglomerate has also expressed interest in public-private partnership airport contracts for Palawan, Bohol and Caraga (Agusan).
Ang, himself a pilot, has been interested in acquiring PAL over the last few years. His business rival, First Pacific Co. Ltd. executive director Manuel V. Pangilinan, was likewise looking at PAL and was earlier reported to be the front-runner in the race to acquire PAL.
Pangilinan had earlier offered $700 million to take over the airline, industry sources said.
Pangilinan and Ang had also considered joining forces to invest in PAL, but that deal fell through.
Earlier, PAL secured Malaca?ang's approval to spin off its catering, ground handling and call-center reservations units. The move is seen as a prelude for the airline to attract a new investor.
The spin-off plan is meant to stabilise PAL's finances, which took a beating from the recent global financial crisis.
When asked about the deal being hatched, PAL president Jaime Bautista told the Inquirer that, as far as management was concerned, no one was aware of any plan to sell a controlling stake in the flag carrier.
And in any event, management was not included in the shareholders' discussions, Bautista said.
Also, Ang did not comment on the reported deal. But market sources said he was overheard telling associates that the planned acquisition would be "for the good of the country."
Other sources from the Lucio Tan group said the taipan had long set several conditions for the entry of a new investor, including a prohibition for the prospective buyer to sell to another taipan.
Another tycoon, John Gokongwei Jr., controls rival airline Cebu Pacific.
Tan's group likewise sought security of tenure for its roster of young executives.
It was earlier reported that PAL would end the year in the red due to its labor woes and high fuel prices.
The strike by PAL Employees' Association late September forced the airline to scale down flights for several weeks. PAL workers were protesting the company's plan to retrench 2,600 employees.
PAL booked a net loss of $39.4 million in the third quarter-a reversal from the profit of $27.6 million it reported a year ago.
Industry sources said Ang's group and key representatives from the Tan family had a "meeting of minds" where the former would buy into Asia's oldest airline. The two parties were said to be in the thick of discussions before Christmas.
Another source familiar with the matter said Ang's group had presented a very good offer that was accepted "in principle" by the Tan group, but the value under consideration was not revealed.
Other sources said Tan was willing to let a new investor come in for at least US$1 billion. For that amount, the investor will gain controlling equity while shouldering part of re-fleeting costs.
The sources said some preliminary paperwork had been drawn up last Friday in the presence of Harry Tan, the tycoon's brother. The next step is a due diligence audit to finalise the terms of the acquisition.
The Lucio Tan group's holding firm for the airline business, PAL Holdings Inc., surged by 15.78 per cent to close at 6.97 pesos ($.15) a share at the local stock market Tuesday. This gave the company a market capitalisation of 32.63 billion pesos ($744.4 million).
It is not known whether the potential buy-in deal will involve Ang in his personal capacity, or if San Miguel itself will eventually be part of the transaction. The airline business, however, is in line with the conglomerate's diversification thrust in infrastructure.
San Miguel is investing about $300 million to modernise and set up new tourism amenities at the Godofredo P. Ramos airport in Caticlan, the main gateway to Boracay Island, a top tourist draw.
The conglomerate has also expressed interest in public-private partnership airport contracts for Palawan, Bohol and Caraga (Agusan).
Ang, himself a pilot, has been interested in acquiring PAL over the last few years. His business rival, First Pacific Co. Ltd. executive director Manuel V. Pangilinan, was likewise looking at PAL and was earlier reported to be the front-runner in the race to acquire PAL.
Pangilinan had earlier offered $700 million to take over the airline, industry sources said.
Pangilinan and Ang had also considered joining forces to invest in PAL, but that deal fell through.
Earlier, PAL secured Malaca?ang's approval to spin off its catering, ground handling and call-center reservations units. The move is seen as a prelude for the airline to attract a new investor.
The spin-off plan is meant to stabilise PAL's finances, which took a beating from the recent global financial crisis.
When asked about the deal being hatched, PAL president Jaime Bautista told the Inquirer that, as far as management was concerned, no one was aware of any plan to sell a controlling stake in the flag carrier.
And in any event, management was not included in the shareholders' discussions, Bautista said.
Also, Ang did not comment on the reported deal. But market sources said he was overheard telling associates that the planned acquisition would be "for the good of the country."
Other sources from the Lucio Tan group said the taipan had long set several conditions for the entry of a new investor, including a prohibition for the prospective buyer to sell to another taipan.
Another tycoon, John Gokongwei Jr., controls rival airline Cebu Pacific.
Tan's group likewise sought security of tenure for its roster of young executives.
It was earlier reported that PAL would end the year in the red due to its labor woes and high fuel prices.
The strike by PAL Employees' Association late September forced the airline to scale down flights for several weeks. PAL workers were protesting the company's plan to retrench 2,600 employees.
PAL booked a net loss of $39.4 million in the third quarter-a reversal from the profit of $27.6 million it reported a year ago.
News Update Philippines sees grimmer weather in next 10 years
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippines hasn't seen the last of extreme weather events.
Climate projections for 2020 and 2050 by the weather bureau are even grimmer: The dry season would be drier and the wet season would be wetter, and the damage to crops and water sources would be far-reaching.
Mary Ann Lucille Sering, vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission headed by President Benigno Aquino III, said that worst-case projections were for 2020.
"But the weather is changing now," Sering said in an interview in the aftermath of the destruction wrought by Tropical Storm "Sendong" in Northern Mindanao (south Philippines).
"If we say we are racing against time, then technically, we can say that," she added.
In fact, the country is in the midst of an environmental turmoil and politicians should address this with urgency, said Rosa Perez, a climate scientist at the Manila Observatory.
"They think it is a future problem, but it is happening now," said Perez, lead author of a UN report on climate change adaptation and sustainability.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, reacting to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report that Cabinet officials had failed to heed warnings of an environmental catastrophe, said that the administration in its early days was "doing a lot of clearing of the land mines," referring to allegations of corruption against the previous administration.
"The situation right now has made it emphatic for us...as well as for the local government units to seriously look into the hazard areas," Lacierda said.
During the 2020-2050 period, there would be less rainfall during summer, "making the usually dry season drier," the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 2011 report, "Climate Change in the Philippines".
Rainfall, however, is likely to increase during the rainy season from June to August, and then from September to November, "making these seasons wetter," according to the report released this month.
'Water stress'
Hence, these areas would be hit by droughts and floods, Pagasa said.
Regions or provinces, where rainfall drop is projected, would experience "water stress" which would adversely impact on agriculture, livelihood, health and human settlement.
"Large decreases in rainfall and longer drier periods will affect the amount of water in watersheds and dams which provide irrigation services to farmers, especially those in rain-fed areas, thereby limiting agricultural production," Pagasa said.
Decreased rainfall would also impact on energy power produced by dams, and as a whole, affect the country's energy sufficiency program.
That's why there's a need to revisit the design of dams to allow them to adapt to the projected longer drier periods, the weather bureau said.
In areas where rainfall is projected to intensify during wet periods, flooding could occur and pose danger to homes and infrastructure in geologically weak areas.
Pagasa projected that rainfall would decrease in most parts of the country during summer.
Rainfall, however, would increase in most areas of Luzon and Visayas during the southwest monsoon in the months of June, July and August until September, October and November, and during the northeast monsoon in December, January and February, it said.
"Heavy daily rainfall will continue to become more frequent, extreme rainfall is projected to increase in Luzon and Visayas only, but the number of dry days is expected to increase in all parts of the country in 2020 and 2050," the bureau said.
Temperature spike
Pagasa projected that in 2020 and 2050, it would get warmer in the entire archipelago and more intensely in the summer months.
The bureau said that annual mean temperatures were expected to rise by .9 degrees Celsius to 1.1 degrees in 2020 and by 1.8 degrees to 2.2 degrees in 2050.
The highest temperature spike is projected to occur during summer from March to April to May. The number of days with maximum temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius would increase in 2020 and 2050, it said.
"Hot temperatures will continue to become more frequent in the future," the weather bureau said in the Millennium Development Goal Fund-financed report.
The report will be helpful to local government units because it includes data on seasonal temperature increases, seasonal rainfall change and total frequency of extreme events in 2020 and 2050 for all regions and provinces.
To adapt to this, Pagasa proposed a wide range of measures for local government, including rational management of water, upgrade or rehabilitation of dams, changes in cropping patterns, setting up rainwater collection facilities and early warning systems.
The report was prepared by Flaviana Hilario, Thelma Cinco, Rosalina de Guzman and Emma Ares, all Pagasa climatologists.
Awareness campaign
The climate change projections were based on climate models. To generate projections of rainfall change and temperature increase in 2020 and 2050, the team used the regional climate model (RCM) of the Precis (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies).
The RCM was developed by the UK Met Hadley Center to facilitate the impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments in developing countries.
Two laws pertaining to the environment were recently enacted-the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and the 18-year National Climate Change Action Plan, which President Aquino signed last month.
But Sering said the budget for the programs only came this year.
She also said that the programs had yet to be communicated to the majority of officials at the front line. For example, some local officials who have received geohazard maps do not understand how to use these, Sering said.
"It's very technical for them. There should be a massive reorientation," she said. "All of these would be solved if there is political will." With a report from Norman Bordadora
Climate projections for 2020 and 2050 by the weather bureau are even grimmer: The dry season would be drier and the wet season would be wetter, and the damage to crops and water sources would be far-reaching.
Mary Ann Lucille Sering, vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission headed by President Benigno Aquino III, said that worst-case projections were for 2020.
"But the weather is changing now," Sering said in an interview in the aftermath of the destruction wrought by Tropical Storm "Sendong" in Northern Mindanao (south Philippines).
"If we say we are racing against time, then technically, we can say that," she added.
In fact, the country is in the midst of an environmental turmoil and politicians should address this with urgency, said Rosa Perez, a climate scientist at the Manila Observatory.
"They think it is a future problem, but it is happening now," said Perez, lead author of a UN report on climate change adaptation and sustainability.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, reacting to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report that Cabinet officials had failed to heed warnings of an environmental catastrophe, said that the administration in its early days was "doing a lot of clearing of the land mines," referring to allegations of corruption against the previous administration.
"The situation right now has made it emphatic for us...as well as for the local government units to seriously look into the hazard areas," Lacierda said.
During the 2020-2050 period, there would be less rainfall during summer, "making the usually dry season drier," the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 2011 report, "Climate Change in the Philippines".
Rainfall, however, is likely to increase during the rainy season from June to August, and then from September to November, "making these seasons wetter," according to the report released this month.
'Water stress'
Hence, these areas would be hit by droughts and floods, Pagasa said.
Regions or provinces, where rainfall drop is projected, would experience "water stress" which would adversely impact on agriculture, livelihood, health and human settlement.
"Large decreases in rainfall and longer drier periods will affect the amount of water in watersheds and dams which provide irrigation services to farmers, especially those in rain-fed areas, thereby limiting agricultural production," Pagasa said.
Decreased rainfall would also impact on energy power produced by dams, and as a whole, affect the country's energy sufficiency program.
That's why there's a need to revisit the design of dams to allow them to adapt to the projected longer drier periods, the weather bureau said.
In areas where rainfall is projected to intensify during wet periods, flooding could occur and pose danger to homes and infrastructure in geologically weak areas.
Pagasa projected that rainfall would decrease in most parts of the country during summer.
Rainfall, however, would increase in most areas of Luzon and Visayas during the southwest monsoon in the months of June, July and August until September, October and November, and during the northeast monsoon in December, January and February, it said.
"Heavy daily rainfall will continue to become more frequent, extreme rainfall is projected to increase in Luzon and Visayas only, but the number of dry days is expected to increase in all parts of the country in 2020 and 2050," the bureau said.
Temperature spike
Pagasa projected that in 2020 and 2050, it would get warmer in the entire archipelago and more intensely in the summer months.
The bureau said that annual mean temperatures were expected to rise by .9 degrees Celsius to 1.1 degrees in 2020 and by 1.8 degrees to 2.2 degrees in 2050.
The highest temperature spike is projected to occur during summer from March to April to May. The number of days with maximum temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius would increase in 2020 and 2050, it said.
"Hot temperatures will continue to become more frequent in the future," the weather bureau said in the Millennium Development Goal Fund-financed report.
The report will be helpful to local government units because it includes data on seasonal temperature increases, seasonal rainfall change and total frequency of extreme events in 2020 and 2050 for all regions and provinces.
To adapt to this, Pagasa proposed a wide range of measures for local government, including rational management of water, upgrade or rehabilitation of dams, changes in cropping patterns, setting up rainwater collection facilities and early warning systems.
The report was prepared by Flaviana Hilario, Thelma Cinco, Rosalina de Guzman and Emma Ares, all Pagasa climatologists.
Awareness campaign
The climate change projections were based on climate models. To generate projections of rainfall change and temperature increase in 2020 and 2050, the team used the regional climate model (RCM) of the Precis (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies).
The RCM was developed by the UK Met Hadley Center to facilitate the impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments in developing countries.
Two laws pertaining to the environment were recently enacted-the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and the 18-year National Climate Change Action Plan, which President Aquino signed last month.
But Sering said the budget for the programs only came this year.
She also said that the programs had yet to be communicated to the majority of officials at the front line. For example, some local officials who have received geohazard maps do not understand how to use these, Sering said.
"It's very technical for them. There should be a massive reorientation," she said. "All of these would be solved if there is political will." With a report from Norman Bordadora
Kopi Talk Hope for Cagayan de Oro
MANILA, Philippines - A disaster can be an opportunity to open the door for a change for the better. This is how I feel about the tragedy that struck my hometown, Cagayan de Oro City. Typhoon Sendong left the city in ruins just days before Christmas.
Typhoon Sendong's devastation strengthened the resolve of our President to exercise political will to make government officials do what is necessary to mitigate the effects of disasters hitting the country every year. Officials found to have been responsible for the loss of lives in the flash floods will have to face the consequences. If the President can follow this through, real change will finally prevail. Rehabilitation and rebuilding begins with a strong political will!
A gift of volunteerism
The best gift I gave this Christmas was the assistance I gave to the victims of Sendong. I worked as a volunteer for World Vision, which gave me this chance to help others. Thank you to my best friend Karen Davila who sits on the board of trustees at World Vision. She asked me to be directly involved in the relief aid distribution at evacuation centers and in assessing the situation. I also traveled to the remote areas hit by Sendong.
On my first day as a volunteer, my heart broke when I went to the landfill that served as the dumpsite for the dead victims. The smell was unbearable; the sight was to me beyond description. Family members with photos in their hands and hopes in their hearts were arriving in search of their missing relatives.
In Iligan City, ABS-CBN broadcast journalist Ces Drilon was so shocked to see me in a remote town. She went by helicopter. We got there by car and on foot. "You are something else Melo!" Ces said.
At a nearby village, only 20 houses remain intact. This place used to be the site of 300 homes. So many residents are still missing. On my second day as a volunteer, amidst the environment of despair and uncertainty that surrounds the evacuation centers, I still saw hope. A baby girl was born at the height of the wrath of Sendong. It had been a struggle for her young mother to go through labor and keep her two other children safe.
I was confronted with another story of triumph when I met Nelia, a 51 year old mother of four, who was believed to be dead when she broke away from her son's grip as the raging waters washed away their home. Two days later she emerged bruised and traumatized but very much alive after she was rescued at another town. The reunion of the entire family on Christmas Day is a testament that miracles do happen.
The World Vision was already monitoring the trail of Typhoon Sendong two days before it hit our shores. Immediately, World Vision staff in Cagayan de Oro were mobilized to do impact assessment on the affected areas to determine the needs of the displaced families.
World Vision's assistance to the victims of Sendong is definitely beyond hand-to-mouth. They stay for months until rehabilitation is in place. My friend Joanne Andrada of Philippine National Red Cross was happy to learn I was a volunteer. She said, "The Philippine National Red Cross and World Vision are two organizations that are continuously extending humanitarian aid to the people of Cagayan de Oro. Together we shall overcome!"
I salute everyone who took time and effort to help in rebuilding the lives of the victims. The act of helping does not stop in giving a sack of rice or a bottle of water. We shall continue to be vigilant and involved until Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities are cleared of mud and of corrupt officials who refuse to advocate real change and progress.
For anyone who wishes to extend donations for the victims of Sendong thru World Vision, you may deposit directly to the following bank account details - BPI: 4251-0024-15; BDO: 000-2700-4341-1; Metrobank: 060-7060-5186-41; PSBank: 038-33200013-8. Please fax deposit slip to (02) 374-7660 or email scanned deposit slip to wv_phil@wvi.org. For online donations, visit www.worldvision.org.ph.
Have a meaningful Christmas and a blessed 2012!
Typhoon Sendong's devastation strengthened the resolve of our President to exercise political will to make government officials do what is necessary to mitigate the effects of disasters hitting the country every year. Officials found to have been responsible for the loss of lives in the flash floods will have to face the consequences. If the President can follow this through, real change will finally prevail. Rehabilitation and rebuilding begins with a strong political will!
A gift of volunteerism
The best gift I gave this Christmas was the assistance I gave to the victims of Sendong. I worked as a volunteer for World Vision, which gave me this chance to help others. Thank you to my best friend Karen Davila who sits on the board of trustees at World Vision. She asked me to be directly involved in the relief aid distribution at evacuation centers and in assessing the situation. I also traveled to the remote areas hit by Sendong.
On my first day as a volunteer, my heart broke when I went to the landfill that served as the dumpsite for the dead victims. The smell was unbearable; the sight was to me beyond description. Family members with photos in their hands and hopes in their hearts were arriving in search of their missing relatives.
In Iligan City, ABS-CBN broadcast journalist Ces Drilon was so shocked to see me in a remote town. She went by helicopter. We got there by car and on foot. "You are something else Melo!" Ces said.
At a nearby village, only 20 houses remain intact. This place used to be the site of 300 homes. So many residents are still missing. On my second day as a volunteer, amidst the environment of despair and uncertainty that surrounds the evacuation centers, I still saw hope. A baby girl was born at the height of the wrath of Sendong. It had been a struggle for her young mother to go through labor and keep her two other children safe.
I was confronted with another story of triumph when I met Nelia, a 51 year old mother of four, who was believed to be dead when she broke away from her son's grip as the raging waters washed away their home. Two days later she emerged bruised and traumatized but very much alive after she was rescued at another town. The reunion of the entire family on Christmas Day is a testament that miracles do happen.
The World Vision was already monitoring the trail of Typhoon Sendong two days before it hit our shores. Immediately, World Vision staff in Cagayan de Oro were mobilized to do impact assessment on the affected areas to determine the needs of the displaced families.
World Vision's assistance to the victims of Sendong is definitely beyond hand-to-mouth. They stay for months until rehabilitation is in place. My friend Joanne Andrada of Philippine National Red Cross was happy to learn I was a volunteer. She said, "The Philippine National Red Cross and World Vision are two organizations that are continuously extending humanitarian aid to the people of Cagayan de Oro. Together we shall overcome!"
I salute everyone who took time and effort to help in rebuilding the lives of the victims. The act of helping does not stop in giving a sack of rice or a bottle of water. We shall continue to be vigilant and involved until Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities are cleared of mud and of corrupt officials who refuse to advocate real change and progress.
For anyone who wishes to extend donations for the victims of Sendong thru World Vision, you may deposit directly to the following bank account details - BPI: 4251-0024-15; BDO: 000-2700-4341-1; Metrobank: 060-7060-5186-41; PSBank: 038-33200013-8. Please fax deposit slip to (02) 374-7660 or email scanned deposit slip to wv_phil@wvi.org. For online donations, visit www.worldvision.org.ph.
Have a meaningful Christmas and a blessed 2012!
Kopi Talk Home for the New Year
MANILA, Philippines-If there's one gift that you can give yourself for the next year, nothing could be perhaps sweeter than owning a home. Given the economic uncertainties that have underpinned this year (which may possibly spill into 2012), having your own home, invariably the most serious investment one can make in a lifetime, would mean that you will not be saddled by undue expenses, such as killer rent. You have that peace of mind that no matter what happens; you have secured the roof over your head and those of the people you love.
According to Engr. Edna Sutter, executive vice president and chief operating officer of DDC Land Inc., there are three important things you should consider before procuring your own home: it should be located within a safe, orderly and stress-free community; it should be affordable; and it should be at once durable and beautiful.
A well-appointed community, durable structure and beautiful design are sold as a premium by developers. How then will these features harmoniously tie-up with affordability? DDC Land, known for its Sta. Rosa Garden Villas project in Laguna, has addressed this issue by getting their own equipment and situating a batching plant in the project site which will then churn the building materials that will be used for the houses. By doing so, they cut the middleman supplier and do away with transport cost; the savings are then reverted to homeowners as discounts for the units.
A typical duplex or quadruplex unit in a DDC Land community costs around P950, 000-an attractive offer since similar unit cuts easily run up to a million pesos. "As people came to know about the good points about Sta. Rosa Garden Villas, even those who could afford to pay as much as P2.5 million for a unit are coming to us, saying, 'if we can buy something of this quality in a good community for less than a million, why pay P2.5 million?"'
One of the fears of a prospective homeowner looking into purchasing a unit in a community that triumphs its affordability is that it may become vulnerable to safety issues and rapid disintegration as soon as the residents are comfortably ensconced in their houses. It's just a matter of instilling discipline among the residents, mentions Engr. Sutter.
"Among the earlier batches of residents, discipline has become a way of life," she says. "It has become easy for them to comply with village rules and guidelines as these were set specifically for their benefit. Of course, there was initial resistance to the village guidelines, but when the homeowners realized that these were for their benefit, they began to appreciate them and there was improved compliance."
A sense of orderliness characterizes Sta. Rosa Garden Villas, now on its sixth phase of development. Sitting on 70 hectares, the project is home to 8,000 homeowners, a number which is expected to balloon as soon as Garden Plaza-a mall with a Save More supermarket, food chains, retail shops, among others-gets completed by next year. Now, homeowners don't even have to motor outside their community for their shopping and leisure.
Asked why DDC Land has drummed up their projects just now, Engr. Sutter says that their communities have, for the long time, done the talking for them. "We've kept quiet for so long," she says. "We just kept on putting into action some of our concepts for the benefit of the Garden Villas residents, including the legacy we'd like to leave especially to family start-ups: quality home."
Call DDC Land at 551-8888 or visit their office at Unit 101 Marbella I Condominium, 2223 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City for details.
According to Engr. Edna Sutter, executive vice president and chief operating officer of DDC Land Inc., there are three important things you should consider before procuring your own home: it should be located within a safe, orderly and stress-free community; it should be affordable; and it should be at once durable and beautiful.
A well-appointed community, durable structure and beautiful design are sold as a premium by developers. How then will these features harmoniously tie-up with affordability? DDC Land, known for its Sta. Rosa Garden Villas project in Laguna, has addressed this issue by getting their own equipment and situating a batching plant in the project site which will then churn the building materials that will be used for the houses. By doing so, they cut the middleman supplier and do away with transport cost; the savings are then reverted to homeowners as discounts for the units.
A typical duplex or quadruplex unit in a DDC Land community costs around P950, 000-an attractive offer since similar unit cuts easily run up to a million pesos. "As people came to know about the good points about Sta. Rosa Garden Villas, even those who could afford to pay as much as P2.5 million for a unit are coming to us, saying, 'if we can buy something of this quality in a good community for less than a million, why pay P2.5 million?"'
One of the fears of a prospective homeowner looking into purchasing a unit in a community that triumphs its affordability is that it may become vulnerable to safety issues and rapid disintegration as soon as the residents are comfortably ensconced in their houses. It's just a matter of instilling discipline among the residents, mentions Engr. Sutter.
"Among the earlier batches of residents, discipline has become a way of life," she says. "It has become easy for them to comply with village rules and guidelines as these were set specifically for their benefit. Of course, there was initial resistance to the village guidelines, but when the homeowners realized that these were for their benefit, they began to appreciate them and there was improved compliance."
A sense of orderliness characterizes Sta. Rosa Garden Villas, now on its sixth phase of development. Sitting on 70 hectares, the project is home to 8,000 homeowners, a number which is expected to balloon as soon as Garden Plaza-a mall with a Save More supermarket, food chains, retail shops, among others-gets completed by next year. Now, homeowners don't even have to motor outside their community for their shopping and leisure.
Asked why DDC Land has drummed up their projects just now, Engr. Sutter says that their communities have, for the long time, done the talking for them. "We've kept quiet for so long," she says. "We just kept on putting into action some of our concepts for the benefit of the Garden Villas residents, including the legacy we'd like to leave especially to family start-ups: quality home."
Call DDC Land at 551-8888 or visit their office at Unit 101 Marbella I Condominium, 2223 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City for details.
News Update Peterson gets into Manny equation
MANILA, Philippines - Lamont Peterson is falling in line for a crack at Manny Pacquiao in 2012.
Pacquiao had wanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. for May 5 or May 26 fight, but the American being sentenced to jail had completely changed the scenario.
The fighting congressman from Sarangani had said he’s now looking at Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto and Tim Bradley as his next foe.
And yet Peterson, who recently dethroned Amir Khan as the IBF and WBA junior welterweight champion, is being thrown into the picture.
Pacquiao has the option to face Marquez for a fourth time, and risk it all, or take on Cotto in a rematch of their lopsided bout in November 2009.
Then there’s Bradley, who wasn’t too impressive in his knockout win over the aging Joel Casamayor in the undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez Part 3.
Of the three, Marquez is still the most dangerous while a rematch with Cotto may provide the same result.
A Team Pacquiao insider said there’s no need for Pacquiao to face Marquez, the greatest counter-puncher of this generation, a fourth time.
“The law of averages might catch up on us,” he said, considering that all three bouts between Pacquiao and Marquez could have gone either way.
“Subukan natin yung iba (Let’s try the others),” he added.
Bradley may not pose too much of a danger for Pacquiao, and perhaps Peterson as well. They can choose between these two, and hope that the Mayweather fight comes next.
Bob Arum hasn’t lost hope that Pacquiao vs Mayweather will take place in 2012, despite a 90-day jail sentence on the undefeated American.
Arum said the super fight could happen in November. For the meantime, the Top Rank chief is waiting to sit down with Pacquiao after the holidays.
Yet, there’s talk that Peterson already has a ticket to the Pacquiao lottery.
“I think that Lamont Peterson is a great opponent for Manny Pacquiao,” trainer Freddie Roach told www.ringtv.com recently.
Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, also spoke to the online version of Ring Magazine, the Bible of boxing, regarding Peterson.
“I’m aware of the options that we have, and then, also, Lamont Peterson is another option also. We’ve had some preliminary discussions, but we’ve not sat down, Manny and I, to discuss that in depth,” he said. - By Abac Cordero
Pacquiao had wanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. for May 5 or May 26 fight, but the American being sentenced to jail had completely changed the scenario.
The fighting congressman from Sarangani had said he’s now looking at Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto and Tim Bradley as his next foe.
And yet Peterson, who recently dethroned Amir Khan as the IBF and WBA junior welterweight champion, is being thrown into the picture.
Pacquiao has the option to face Marquez for a fourth time, and risk it all, or take on Cotto in a rematch of their lopsided bout in November 2009.
Then there’s Bradley, who wasn’t too impressive in his knockout win over the aging Joel Casamayor in the undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez Part 3.
Of the three, Marquez is still the most dangerous while a rematch with Cotto may provide the same result.
A Team Pacquiao insider said there’s no need for Pacquiao to face Marquez, the greatest counter-puncher of this generation, a fourth time.
“The law of averages might catch up on us,” he said, considering that all three bouts between Pacquiao and Marquez could have gone either way.
“Subukan natin yung iba (Let’s try the others),” he added.
Bradley may not pose too much of a danger for Pacquiao, and perhaps Peterson as well. They can choose between these two, and hope that the Mayweather fight comes next.
Bob Arum hasn’t lost hope that Pacquiao vs Mayweather will take place in 2012, despite a 90-day jail sentence on the undefeated American.
Arum said the super fight could happen in November. For the meantime, the Top Rank chief is waiting to sit down with Pacquiao after the holidays.
Yet, there’s talk that Peterson already has a ticket to the Pacquiao lottery.
“I think that Lamont Peterson is a great opponent for Manny Pacquiao,” trainer Freddie Roach told www.ringtv.com recently.
Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, also spoke to the online version of Ring Magazine, the Bible of boxing, regarding Peterson.
“I’m aware of the options that we have, and then, also, Lamont Peterson is another option also. We’ve had some preliminary discussions, but we’ve not sat down, Manny and I, to discuss that in depth,” he said. - By Abac Cordero
News Update M&As made rural banks lean and meaner, says industry chief
The mergers and acquisitions (M&As) among rural banks made the industry more competitive and better equipped even against larger commercial banks that have forayed into the countryside. "Coupled with our drive to innovate and the entry of a younger generation of rural bankers, the industry will be able to match the other loan products and services of commercial banks in rural areas," Eric Pama, president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP), said Tuesday. Rural banks are now leaner and meaner, according to the RBAP chief. "After all the mergers and acquisitions that transpired in the rural banking sector over the last few months, rural banks as a whole are now more competitive than ever and even better equipped to compete with commercial banks that have expanded into the countryside — the erstwhile sole territory of rural banks," Pama noted. The association has envisioned that M&As would enhance its members’ capabilities in servicing the microfinance sorely needed by farmers, fisherfolk, and small enterprises. “Our members are upbeat about the strong performance generated by the industry and I believe that this has been partly due to the consolidation process” Among the new members of RBAP are the Bangko Rural ng Pasacao Inc., First Community Coop. Bank of Misamis Occidental, Banco Maximo Inc., Banco de Arevalo Inc., Finman Bank, Far Eastern Bank, North Pacific Banking Corp., New Covenant Bank, Vizcaya Bank Inc., Advantage Bank Corp., and Banco Cooperativa De Zamboanga. “The association has been infused with more professionalism and competitiveness with the entry of new members. I expect more vibrancy for the entire rural banking sector entering the New Year,” said Pama. RBAP data showed that more than 32 percent or P35 billion of rural banks’ loan portfolio went to the agriculture sector. "Loans to the agriculture sectors have been exceeding 30 percent of the total loan portfolio of rural banks for the past several years," said Pama, noting that 18 percent of the loan portfolio went to the agrarian reform sector. Higher loan portfolios ensure the availability of financial assistance to small and medium enterprises and micro-entrepreneurs nationwide. "Currently, more than 50 percent of rural banks’ total loans are invested in the agri-agra sector," Pama noted. — VS, GMA
News Update UN warns 87,500 ‘Sendong’ children at risk of abuse, trafficking
Disaster relief workers of the United Nations on Tuesday said it is urgent that measures be put in place to protect thousands of orphaned and unaccompanied children from abuse, neglect and human trafficking syndicates in areas ravaged by Tropical Storm Sendong. “Around 87,500 children require registration and camp coordination to protect them from abuse, exploitation and trafficking in evacuation centers,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday in a situation report on the impact of Sendong. “There is a lack of protection mechanisms for vulnerable sub-groups, such as pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), female heads of households, single women, people with disabilities and the elderly,” the report also noted. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is leading its partners in the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) to work with local government to address the lack of protection against trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. UNICEF’s Edward Lacanilao, co-lead of the child protection cluster in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, told GMA News Online in a telephone interview that the agency is currently coordinating with local partners to determine the exact number of children, and to trace those missing, both in and out of the evacuation centers. “Isa sa plans is to not only raise awareness, but also to capacitate the guardians and caregivers so they can guard children against abuse,” he added. Focus and attention should be trained also in areas outside Cagayan de Oro and Iligan — the two cities hardest hit by Sendong on Dec. 16 — particularly in Lanao del Sur and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), especially when it comes to the needs and delivery of assistance, according to the report “More than 14,000 families in the 53 evacuation centers require urgent water, sanitation and hygiene support including safe drinking water, sanitation/bathing facilities and hygiene promotion,” said the agency, noting that another 50,159 families living outside evacuation centers are also in dire need of assistance. —ELR/VS
News Update Man jailed in Sweden for child rape in Philippines
A Swedish court on Tuesday sentenced a man to five years prison for a series of sex crimes against children including a rape in the Philippines and possession of more than 500,000 pornographic pictures featuring children.
The Kristianstad district court, in southern Sweden, found 45-year-old Patrick Johnsson guilty of raping a young child, planning further child rapes, aggravated child pornography, sexually assaulting children, and making children pose for sexually explicit pictures.
Johnsson, who according to the TT news agency is only the third person to ever be sentenced in Sweden for sex crimes committed against children abroad, was arrested in February.
At the time, he was in possession of 514,216 pornographic pictures of children and 10,230 video films, including ones portraying sexual assaults and rapes on young children and even infants, and was found to have spread the material widely, according to the court documents.
Among the pictures were a number documenting his own assaults on children, and the Kristianstand court said that at least one case, involving a girl in the Philippines aged four or five, should be considered rape.
When he was arrested, Johnsson had already purchased a new ticket to the Philippines, and a chat conversation over the Internet indicated he and an accomplice intended to sexually assault more children during that trip, according to the court documents.
The prosecutor in the case, Maans Bjoerklund, had demanded eight years behind bars for Johnsson and told TT Tuesday he was considering appealing the verdict.
Helena Karlen, who heads the Swedish branch of the global anti-child prostitution network Ecpat, meanwhile said she was pleased with the verdict and especially the message it sent.
"It is important that the public opens its eyes to these crimes and realises that assaults, even committed on the other side of the planet, can be prosecuted at home in Sweden," she told TT.
The Kristianstad district court, in southern Sweden, found 45-year-old Patrick Johnsson guilty of raping a young child, planning further child rapes, aggravated child pornography, sexually assaulting children, and making children pose for sexually explicit pictures.
Johnsson, who according to the TT news agency is only the third person to ever be sentenced in Sweden for sex crimes committed against children abroad, was arrested in February.
At the time, he was in possession of 514,216 pornographic pictures of children and 10,230 video films, including ones portraying sexual assaults and rapes on young children and even infants, and was found to have spread the material widely, according to the court documents.
Among the pictures were a number documenting his own assaults on children, and the Kristianstand court said that at least one case, involving a girl in the Philippines aged four or five, should be considered rape.
When he was arrested, Johnsson had already purchased a new ticket to the Philippines, and a chat conversation over the Internet indicated he and an accomplice intended to sexually assault more children during that trip, according to the court documents.
The prosecutor in the case, Maans Bjoerklund, had demanded eight years behind bars for Johnsson and told TT Tuesday he was considering appealing the verdict.
Helena Karlen, who heads the Swedish branch of the global anti-child prostitution network Ecpat, meanwhile said she was pleased with the verdict and especially the message it sent.
"It is important that the public opens its eyes to these crimes and realises that assaults, even committed on the other side of the planet, can be prosecuted at home in Sweden," she told TT.
News Update Batangas mayor loses post
MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has unseated Renato Federico and declared Osmundo Maligaya as the duly elected mayor of Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
In a 25-page decision, the Comelec annulled the proclamation of Federico and ordered the Special Municipal Board of Canvassers to convene and proclaim Maligaya as mayor of Sto. Tomas.
“Maligaya being the only valid mayoralty candidate in the municipality of Sto. Tomas, during the first automated elections should now be proclaimed and take the reins as mayor of the place,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec said Maligaya turned out to be the only legitimate mayoralty candidate in the municipality of Sto. Tomas during the May 2010 elections since Federico’s candidacy was invalid.
“With the invalid substitution of Edna Sanchez by Federico and the illegality of the proceedings of the Municipal Board of Canvassers of Sto. Tomas, Batangas in generating the second certification of canvass of votes and proclamation, the annulment of the proclamation of Federico is in order,” the Comelec said.
Several days before the May 2010 elections, Batangas gubernatorial candidate Armando Sanchez succumbed to a heart attack prompting his wife, Edna, to withdrew her mayoralty bid in Sto. Tomas to seek the gubernatorial seat.
Federico then filed his candidacy as replacement for Edna.
Maligaya, however, filed an electoral protest questioning the validity of Federico as substitute candidate for Edna. - By Mayen Jaymalin
In a 25-page decision, the Comelec annulled the proclamation of Federico and ordered the Special Municipal Board of Canvassers to convene and proclaim Maligaya as mayor of Sto. Tomas.
“Maligaya being the only valid mayoralty candidate in the municipality of Sto. Tomas, during the first automated elections should now be proclaimed and take the reins as mayor of the place,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec said Maligaya turned out to be the only legitimate mayoralty candidate in the municipality of Sto. Tomas during the May 2010 elections since Federico’s candidacy was invalid.
“With the invalid substitution of Edna Sanchez by Federico and the illegality of the proceedings of the Municipal Board of Canvassers of Sto. Tomas, Batangas in generating the second certification of canvass of votes and proclamation, the annulment of the proclamation of Federico is in order,” the Comelec said.
Several days before the May 2010 elections, Batangas gubernatorial candidate Armando Sanchez succumbed to a heart attack prompting his wife, Edna, to withdrew her mayoralty bid in Sto. Tomas to seek the gubernatorial seat.
Federico then filed his candidacy as replacement for Edna.
Maligaya, however, filed an electoral protest questioning the validity of Federico as substitute candidate for Edna. - By Mayen Jaymalin
News Update Korean fugitive escapes from BI escorts
MANILA, Philippines - Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. recently ordered agents to launch a manhunt for a South Korean who was arrested but reportedly escaped from his two jail guards on Christmas Eve while he was confined at a private hospital in Taguig City.
David said 54-year-old Kim Taedong escaped from the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Kim had been confined at the hospital since Aug. 26 after he complained of hypertension, diabetes and abdominal pain.
Agents of the BI Fugitive Search Unit arrested the Korean last July 5 in Pasig City on the strength of a mission order that David issued at the request of the Korean embassy.
Kim allegedly tried to bribe the arresting agents but they turned down his offer.
The Korean embassy said Kim, along with nine other suspects, is reportedly wanted for cheating in a baccarat game on three instances at a casino in Seoul, South Korea in 2010.
The Dongbu District Court in Seoul reportedly issued a warrant of arrest against the suspects but Kim eluded arrest by fleeing to Manila last April 8.
BI Intelligence Division acting chief Ma. Antonette Bucasas-Mangrobang also sought the public’s assistance in locating the whereabouts of the foreign fugitive.
To intensify the manhunt operations, the BI had coordinated with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and National Capital Region Police Office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The BI is also conducting a probe to determine if criminal and administrative charges should be filed against two BI escorts, who were guarding Kim at the time of his escape.
Mangrobang added that the jail guards, both from the BI Detention Facility in Bicutan have been placed under preventive suspension.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the CIDG to assist in the investigation of the escape of the Korean detainee. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rudy Santos - By Evelyn Macairan
David said 54-year-old Kim Taedong escaped from the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Kim had been confined at the hospital since Aug. 26 after he complained of hypertension, diabetes and abdominal pain.
Agents of the BI Fugitive Search Unit arrested the Korean last July 5 in Pasig City on the strength of a mission order that David issued at the request of the Korean embassy.
Kim allegedly tried to bribe the arresting agents but they turned down his offer.
The Korean embassy said Kim, along with nine other suspects, is reportedly wanted for cheating in a baccarat game on three instances at a casino in Seoul, South Korea in 2010.
The Dongbu District Court in Seoul reportedly issued a warrant of arrest against the suspects but Kim eluded arrest by fleeing to Manila last April 8.
BI Intelligence Division acting chief Ma. Antonette Bucasas-Mangrobang also sought the public’s assistance in locating the whereabouts of the foreign fugitive.
To intensify the manhunt operations, the BI had coordinated with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and National Capital Region Police Office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The BI is also conducting a probe to determine if criminal and administrative charges should be filed against two BI escorts, who were guarding Kim at the time of his escape.
Mangrobang added that the jail guards, both from the BI Detention Facility in Bicutan have been placed under preventive suspension.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the CIDG to assist in the investigation of the escape of the Korean detainee. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rudy Santos - By Evelyn Macairan
News Update 'San Miguel eyeing investment in PAL
MANILA, Philippines - Food-to-infrastructure conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has reportedly firmed up talks with the group of tycoon Lucio Tan for a possible investment in flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), a local news network said yesterday.
A report by abs-cbnNEWS.com quoted multiple sources confirming negotiations between SMC and PAL, going as far as saying that SMC officials inked a memorandum of understanding with PAL last Friday to do “due diligence” work on the flag carrier until Jan 31.
Although rumors about the sale of the struggling airline have been persistent this year, both PAL and SMC officials have denied these reports.
PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier downplayed reports that the flag carrier is up for sale, while SMC president Ramon S. Ang denied rumors that the company would acquire PAL.
There have also been reports that telecom magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan has sent feelers for PAL.
Ang, in an earlier report, said he was merely discussing with Tan, a close friend, ideas to help PAL in its current predicament.
“We often talk about PAL, so whatever way I can do to help him, I’m going to do it... There are no talks of acquisition. Right now, I am talking to Tan about PAL – brainstorming for ideas on how to help him, that’s it. By the way, Lucio Tan is a tycoon, he’s super-rich and he does not really need anybody’s money,” Ang said.
As part of its restructuring program, the airline has been streamlining its operations in recent years but was met by stiff opposition from its employees’ labor unions.
PAL implemented an outsourcing program last Oct. 1, affecting some 2,300 airline workers involved in its airport services, catering and call center reservations. PALEA, the association of ground and service crew, has continued its protest against the outsourcing program.
PAL, however, admitted it does need fresh equity from investors, if it wants to expand and grow in the future.
Asked if the airline would welcome new investors, Bautista said: “PAL management would welcome that. PAL really needs equity for us to grow.”
The 70-year-old airline, majority owned by Tan, had incurred losses of roughly $300 million from 2008 to 2010.
For its first quarter of 2011 (April to June), PAL reported a total comprehensive loss of $10.6 million, compared to $31.6 million comprehensive income for the same period in 2010.
A report by abs-cbnNEWS.com quoted multiple sources confirming negotiations between SMC and PAL, going as far as saying that SMC officials inked a memorandum of understanding with PAL last Friday to do “due diligence” work on the flag carrier until Jan 31.
Although rumors about the sale of the struggling airline have been persistent this year, both PAL and SMC officials have denied these reports.
PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier downplayed reports that the flag carrier is up for sale, while SMC president Ramon S. Ang denied rumors that the company would acquire PAL.
There have also been reports that telecom magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan has sent feelers for PAL.
Ang, in an earlier report, said he was merely discussing with Tan, a close friend, ideas to help PAL in its current predicament.
“We often talk about PAL, so whatever way I can do to help him, I’m going to do it... There are no talks of acquisition. Right now, I am talking to Tan about PAL – brainstorming for ideas on how to help him, that’s it. By the way, Lucio Tan is a tycoon, he’s super-rich and he does not really need anybody’s money,” Ang said.
As part of its restructuring program, the airline has been streamlining its operations in recent years but was met by stiff opposition from its employees’ labor unions.
PAL implemented an outsourcing program last Oct. 1, affecting some 2,300 airline workers involved in its airport services, catering and call center reservations. PALEA, the association of ground and service crew, has continued its protest against the outsourcing program.
PAL, however, admitted it does need fresh equity from investors, if it wants to expand and grow in the future.
Asked if the airline would welcome new investors, Bautista said: “PAL management would welcome that. PAL really needs equity for us to grow.”
The 70-year-old airline, majority owned by Tan, had incurred losses of roughly $300 million from 2008 to 2010.
For its first quarter of 2011 (April to June), PAL reported a total comprehensive loss of $10.6 million, compared to $31.6 million comprehensive income for the same period in 2010.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
News Update S’pore mosques help raise funds for Philippine flood victims
SINGAPORE: The Malay—Muslim community, with the help of the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Mosque Committee, is organising a special fund raising effort for victims of the recent floods in southern Philippines.
More than 1,000 people were reported dead or missing in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines.
The majority of those who died were women and children who drowned in flash floods triggered by Typhoon Washi.
Donation boxes will be placed at all 69 mosques starting this Friday, December 30 to January 5, 2012.
The main collection will be during the Friday prayers at all mosques on December 30.
The boxes will be marked "Singapore Muslim Community’s Special Collection For Humanitarian Relief Effort in Southern Philippines".
The proceeds from the collection will be donated to Mercy Relief which is delivering help on the ground to the affected victims.
Those who wish to contribute to the special fund can also offer donations in cash or by cheque to MUIS.
More than 1,000 people were reported dead or missing in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines.
The majority of those who died were women and children who drowned in flash floods triggered by Typhoon Washi.
Donation boxes will be placed at all 69 mosques starting this Friday, December 30 to January 5, 2012.
The main collection will be during the Friday prayers at all mosques on December 30.
The boxes will be marked "Singapore Muslim Community’s Special Collection For Humanitarian Relief Effort in Southern Philippines".
The proceeds from the collection will be donated to Mercy Relief which is delivering help on the ground to the affected victims.
Those who wish to contribute to the special fund can also offer donations in cash or by cheque to MUIS.
News Update List of fireworks and firecrackers prohibited in the PHL
Under Republic Act (RA) 7183 or the law on pyrotechnic devices, persons caught manufacturing, selling, distributing and purchasing these items may be imprisoned from six months to a year, and may be slapped with a fine from P20,000 to P30,000. Below is a list of the firecrackers prohibited for sale and manufacture in the country by the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry. Watusi or the “dancing firecracker.” It was initially allowed for sale and manufacture under RA 7183, but was eventually banned because it causes poisoning when ingested, especially among children. Piccolo – This firecracker has been the leading cause of firecracker-related injuries since 2007. The Department of Health banned it in 2007 because it can explode on the hands, and may cause death when ingested. Super Lolo and Atomic Big Triangulo – two firecrackers specifically mentioned in RA 7183. Mother Rockets – firecracker with a stick designed as a propellant upon lighting the wick. Lolo Thunder – a powerful firecracker twice the size of a Five Star. Pillbox – a firecracker that causes a series of sparks when lit. Boga – traditional canon made from PVC pipe using denatured alcohol as explosive ingredient. Big Judah’s belt – a string of firecrackers consisting of smaller firecrackers that number up to a hundred, and culminating in a larger and more powerful firecracker. Big Bawang – a firecracker packed in cardboard tied around with abaca strings, giving it the shape of a large garlic. Kwiton – aerial firecracker which explodes several times when lit. Goodbye Philippines – giant triangle-shaped firecracker which packs a powerful explosion. Kabasi – a triangle-sized explosive twice the size of a Pla-pla. Other banned firecrackers include the “Atomic Bomb,” Five Star, Pla-pla, Og, Giant Whistle Bomb, and unlabelled firecrackers. Meanwhile, RA 7183 allows the following firecrackers and fireworks to be sold in the country: Baby Rocket — Assembled with a stick that helps propels the contraption to fly a few meters before exploding. The firecracker is about 1-½ inches long by 3/8 inch in diameter with the stick about a foot in length. Bawang — Larger than a Triangulo and with 1/3 teaspoon of powder packed in cardboard, it is tied with abaca string and wrapped in the shape of garlic. Small Triangulo — Triangle shaped with powder less than the Bawang and usually wrapped in brown paper measuring ¾ inch at its longest side. Pulling of strings — An inch-long less than ¼ of an inch in diameter with strings on each end that when pulled cause the firecracker to explode. Paper caps — Minute amounts of black powder spread in thin strips of paper on a small sheet and used in children's toy guns. El Diablo or Labintador — Tubular shaped, about 1-¼ inches long and less than ¼ inch in diameter with a wick. Judah's Belt — A string of either Diablos or small Triangulos numbering up to a hundred or so and culminating in a large firecracker — usually a Bawang. Sky Rocket or Kwitis — A large Baby Rocket designed to fly up to 40 to 50 feet in the air before it explodes. Sparklers — Black powder coated on a piece of wire or wrapped in a paper tube designed to light up and glow after igniting. Luces — Any of several kinds of Sparklers. Fountain — Cone-shaped sparkler, which is lighted on the ground and designed to create, sparks of various colors and intermittent lights when ignited. Jumbo regular and special — Similar to a "Fountain" but bigger in size. Mabuhay — A bundle usually of a dozen Sparklers. Roman Candle — A kind of Sparkler also similar to a "Fountain" but shaped like a big candle. Trompillo — A pyrotechnic device usually fastened at the center and designed to spin first clockwise and then counter-clockwise and gives off various light colors when ignited. Airwolf — A kind of Sky Rocket shaped like an airplane with a propeller to rise about 40 or 50 feet and emits various lights while in the air. Whistle Bomb — Any firecracker or pyrotechnic designed to emit a whistle-like sound before exploding. Others are designed simply to whistle without exploding. Butterfly — A light emitting butterfly-shaped pyrotechnic that floats above the ground. — Andreo Calonzo with GMA News Research/VS
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