Tuesday, May 31, 2011

DID YOU KNOW THAT ? PINATUBO MONSTERS: (PHILIPPINE ISLANDS)

In 2002 a school of large serpentine creatures terrorized scores of Philippine fishermen and their families, and nearly pushed their once quiet village to the brink of starvation.
One of the more interesting aquatic phenomenons to hit the world stage hails from the Zambales region of the Philippine island of Luzon, where as many as five large creatures have been reported swimming in the Tikis River, near the former mining village of Buhawen.
Dubbed by the local Aeta tribesmen as “Pinatubo Monsters,” these animals have sent ripples of terror throughout the fishing villages located in Tikis river basin. Described as huge, black, serpentine creatures — much like Florida’s MUCK MONSTER — the Aetas claim that these animals are unlike any eel, fish or snake that they are familiar with.
The first accounts of these animals date back to November 5, 2002, when an Aleta boy apparently mistook one of the animals for a floating log, only to become consumed with terror when the beast moved. The second major encounter occurred on January 12, 2003, when a cadre of eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a seven-foot long, three-foot wide, black animal undulating silently down the river.
Although there are no accounts of malicious river monsters in any Aeta lore — unlike the voracious, brain sucking MAMLAMBO or prehistoric MAHAMBA, which are said to inhabit African rivers – the tribal leaders have taken drastic actions in order to avoid any civilian casualties.
In the small village of Labuan, children are no longer allowed to bathe or play in the river and men and women have ceased fishing altogether, forcing the members of their community to subsist on a diet whose sole source of protein consists of captured frogs.
In an article written in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on January 14, of the same year, village councilmen Joel Serrano and Alfredo Banos, implored the Philippine government to send assistance in the form of “biasang tau” (scientists) in order to help illuminate this mystery.
The call of the councilmen was answered by the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director, Remedios Ongtangco. Ongtangco chose 43 year-old Nelson Bien — who had already rescued the residents of Luzon’s Nueva Ecija province from an extraordinary 12-foot long eel — for the job.
Bien, who served as the chief of the fisheries resources management division of the BFAR in Central Luzon, arrived in Labuan less than a week later. Upon his arrival, the community’s tribal leaders immediately escorted the scientist to the Tikis River.
After a cursory glance through a pair of binoculars, through which, according to most reports, he saw nothing, Bien wasted no time in concluding that — based soley upon the Aetas’ accounts — the phenomenon in question was most likely not a group of large AQUATIC ENIGMAS, as had been described, but a school of the relatively common fish known as tilapia, who had probably congregated in groups of 500 or more.
The accounts all seem to end on this note, giving skeptics yet another excuse to practice their patented condescending smirk, but only a blithering fool would assume that an entire community — who have for generations lived on the banks of the Tikis and whose primary sources of nourishment came from the River — would confuse a school of relatively small (not to mention well known) pan fish for a quintet of 7-foot long, 3-feet wide, inky black, serpentine creatures.

Some researchers have suggested that the creatures may be a mutation spawned by the massive mercury levels said to be in the river. Whatever the origin of these beasts actually turns out to be, the fact remains that the Aeta villagers continue to fear the serpentine monsters of the Tikis River.

News Update Binay to seek CJ Corona’s advice on cases vs illegal recruiters

Vice President Jejomar Binay is planning to talk to Chief Justice Renato Corona to make sure charges are filed against recruiters of overseas Filipino workers who are apprehended and offloaded.

Binay disclosed the plan as he convened the Presidential Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (PFTAIR) at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for its first official meeting Monday.

“The offloaded OFWs are sent back to their respective provinces, but we seldom see cases filed against their recruiters... We must always have ready evidence for the prosecution to present in court to ensure that these illegal recruiters are convicted," Binay said in a news release posted on the OVP website.

President Benigno Aquino III reactivated the PFTAIR when he issued Executive Order No. 41 last April 29 to strengthen government’s campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

Binay, as the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns, is the task force chairman.

The Vice President is also Chairman Emeritus of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the government body mandated by law to coordinate and monitor the implementation of Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

He also discussed aligning the PTFAIR’s Operations Center with the IACAT, as well as the formation of the PTFAIR’s executive committee.

Present at Monday's meeting were Justice Secretary Leila de Lima as PTFAIR vice chair along with Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula, and Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) head Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr.

The NBI and the PNP-CIDG serve as the operational and law enforcement arms of the PTFAIR.

Also present at the meeting were Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz, Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.

Meanwhile, Binay ordered the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency to provide a list of expenditures based on the PTFAIR’s original two-year run as basis for the task force’s budget plan.

The PTFAIR’s budget comes from the budget of all member-agencies, although the President may also allocate additional funds for the PTFAIR using his discretionary funds under the national budget.

The Task Force is set to reconvene on June 20, with regular meetings to be held every third Monday of the month. — MRT/VS,

News Update Pilipinas Tara Na!' tourism campaign rolled out

MANILA, Philippines - The "Pilipinas, Tara Na!" domestic travel campaign has been rolled out by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The campaign, is being undertaken with help from Smart Communications, Inc.
The program aims to encourage Filipinos to travel to within the country.
The DOT and Smart agreed to jointly produce print and TV advertisements and billboards.
The TV ads, which are currently running nationwide, focus on culture, history, ecotourism, nature, and adventure.
The DOT also joined hands with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) and Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) for programs to support the campaign.
To finance a remake of the "Biyahe Tayo" music video, Smart will also co-fund the multimedia promotions campaign and produce and distribute sim cards depicting various tourist destinations.
"Domestic tourism redistrisbutes income to the countryside where there is higher incidence of poverty which is why it is at the top of our agenda, and thus this campaign," DOT Secretary Alberto Lim said.
"According to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, 23 million Filipinos travelled within the country in 2009, 7.8 million of whom travelled for leisure or vacation. These iniatives will help stimulate further growth of the domestic base," he added.
The DOT has also endorsed Johnson & Johnson Philippines' domestic tourism advocacy campaign "Basta Pinas," launched last March.
The campaign involves public relations and new media efforts towards getting the public to explore the Philippines with fresh perspective.

News Update Tourism chief looks to build intl airports, destinations

Just as the country bids goodbye to the summer season, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said during his first press briefing on Monday key infrastructure projects such as building international airports and developing new destinations will help fix the country’s bad tourism image.
Lim, who has been in the position for over a year now, admitted that the Philippines had “a lot of catching up to do" in order to be at par with other Southeast Asian countries.
The country is marred by the three Ds of negative branding — dirty, dangerous and disorderly, according to the Tourism Department. So far, the Philippines has only addressed the “dangerous" tag by deploying over 1,000 Philippine National Police officers to guard key tourism spots in Metro Manila, Boracay, Palawan, Cebu and Davao.
The Philippines ranks sixth among seven countries in terms of the number of foreign tourists in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Malaysia ranks first with 23 million foreign tourists in 2009 while the Philippines only had 3 million.
Under the new National Tourism Development Plan, the country aims to double foreign tourist arrivals to 6.3 million while domestic travel is expected to hit 32 million by 2016.
Improving market access and connectivity by establishing airports is one of the three key strategies, the tourism chief said.
The government is set to hold the bidding for public-private partnership (PPP) projects to establish international airports in Panglao in Bohol, Daraga in Albay, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Cagayan de Oro city.
“There has been a mismatch in the implementation of tourism management plans," he said, citing the international airport in Iloilo which until now does not have any international flights.
“We also need to address the safety concerns raised by the Civil Aviation Authority," he added.
Philippine tourism’s saving grace, he said, was domestic travel being boosted by the low fares of local airlines.
The department is also looking to develop competitive tourist destinations and products and improve tourism institutional governance and human resources. — BC/VS,

News Update Millions of pesos lost in Batangas fishkill

BATANGAS, Philippines - Fishermen in Batangas province have lost millions of pesos following a massive fishkill in the waters of Taal Lake.
In Talisay alone, the town's agriculture office said around P33 million worth of fish have died.
This equates to around 355 tons of fish, or food for around 335,000 families.
"Dami na, mga tatlong daang sako na mahigit," said a fishpen worker Ariel Tabagan.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said the fish died due to oxygen depletion.
The fishkill has forced some residents to harvest the surviving fish even if the fish are small.
"Kaysa sa ha-harvest ka ng hibay, na lalong mas bagsak ang presyo. Walang pakinabang, tapon pa ang iba," said bangus fishpen owner Roger Maala.
Some fishpens that had tilapia were not affected.
In Batangas' public markets, meanwhile, the price of fish remained steady despite the Taal fishkill.
Large bangus sell for P110 per piece in the province, while small bangus go for P40.
Vendors said consumers should not worry about the quality of the fish they sell.
"Hindi po iyan apektado yang paninda dito. Yun lang pong nagpi-fishkill dun lang po sa barrio ng Sampoc, Leviste, papuntang Laurel po," said fish vendor Melanie de Ocampo.
Talisay Mayor Zenaida Mendoza is now calling on the national government to help them dispose of the dead fish. - Report from Jorge Cariño,

News Update Cruz says divorce bill 'anti-Filipino'

MANILA, Philippines - Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz on Monday said the proposed divorce bill is "anti-Filipino," and blamed the Aquino administration for renewed calls to tackle the issue in Congress.
In an interview, Cruz said the Philippines should not follow the Catholic Mediterranean state of Malta, which voted in a referendum to legalize divorce. This leaves the Philippines as the only nation that does not have a divorce law.
"Salamat sa Diyos dahil ang Pilipinas wala pang divorce. Ang ating kultura at ugali ay makapamilya. Hindi pa kasama dito ang relihiyon. Nakapakimportane sa ating mga Pilipino ang pamilya," Cruz told abs-cbnNEWS.com.
The Catholic prelate said he wants to ask supporters of the bill how divorce could help preserve marriages and families.
"Gusto kong tanungin ang mga nagsusulong sa divorce bill - Ilang asawa ang pwede kong iwanan? Ilang tahanan ang pwede kong sirain? At ilang anak ang pwede kong iwanan? Tandaan na ang unang biktima ng divorce ay ang mga bata," he said.
Cruz said spouses who are in abusive relationships could readily seek annulment to terminate the marriage.
The prelate blamed the Aquino administration for renewed calls to pass the divorce bill especially after President Benigno Aquino III aired support for a responsible parenthood bill. Critics said the measure is a thinly veiled version of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, which endorses both natural and artificial forms of contraception.
Asked if he believes that Aquino endorses divorce, he said: "The RH, divorce and same sex bills are all connected. Whether he endorses it or not, it is in his program. It's his people in Congress. Sana mali ako. Ang hirap paniwalaan ang presidente kasi for 1 month, ang sinasabi at ginagawa hindi magkadugtong. Iba ang ginagawa sa sinasabi."
He added: "Itong gobyerno ito ay gustong pasukin ang kwarto ng asawa, sirain ang tahanan at pati kalikasan. Kahit 1,000 beses man ang ikasal lalaki sa kapwa lalaki hindi ito legal at hindi dapat mangyari."
President Aquino earlier said he is against divorce for fundamental reasons, but acknowledges that marriage is not for everyone.
“I do recognize that there have been unions that were wrong, that no matter what interventions are done, no matter what counseling is done, they really cannot stay together. There is danger to either one or both parties in the marriage especially the children. Divorce is a no-no. But in legal separation, you can assert that there really are irreconcilable differences,” Aquino said.
Divorce justifies search for 'perfect spouse'
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said legalizing divorce would lead to more broken marriages in the country.
Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, said legalizing divorce gives couples an easy way out instead of solving their problems.
"They divorce their first, second, third spouses because they have this image of the ideal spouse. If the marriage falls short of that image, they will separate," he said.
He noted: "If a court proves that there is psychological incapacity, the marriage is annulled. But then why should they be allowed to marry again? We just pass on the problem to the next marriage. Ang pinakamaganda - couples must know each other better before marriage."
The CBCP said the Malta referendum makes Filipino Catholic Church officials even more determined to ensure that divorce is not legalized in the Philippines.
"It is very unfortunate what happened in Malta but it also makes us even more resolved to protect the institution of marriage," he said

Monday, May 30, 2011

News Update Philippine hostage-taker killed in bus

MANILA - POLICE say a knife-wielding man who took two children hostage in a bus in the northern Philippines has been shot dead.

Chief Supt Edgardo Ladao says the children aged two and four suffered minor injuries.

He says a police officer who was a passenger on the bus in Pampanga province tried to intervene on Monday but was knifed by the hostage-taker. The officer later found an opportunity to fatally shoot the man.

The motive for the hostage taking was not immediately clear.

Last August, a dismissed police officer seeking reinstatement seized a bus full of Hong Kong tourists at a Manila park for 11 tense hours.

A police team killed the hostage-taker, but eight tourists also died, straining Philippine-Hong Kong ties. -- AP

News Update Philippine prison official quits over escape

MANILA - PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has accepted the resignation of the Philippines's top prison official after an ex-governor convicted of killing an aide walked out of prison undetected.

Mr Aquino said on Monday the resignation of Ernesto Diokno as director of the Department of Justice's Bureau of Corrections would initiate wide-ranging reforms in Philippine prisons - notorious for jailbreaks, congestion and corruption among guards.

Former provincial governor Antonio Leviste was arrested on May 18 near his office in the Makati financial district in the capital. Leviste said he left prison without permission to see a dentist.

Mr Diokno and other prison officials may face administrative and criminal complaints. -- AP

News Update Philippines calls for Asean action on biodiversity

MANILA - SOUTHEAST Asian countries must act now to protect the region's biodiversity in the face of those who want to plunder its resources for a quick profit, the Philippine president said on Monday.

As an example of the threat, President Benigno Aquino cited the discovery this month of a huge shipment of illegally harvested corals and preserved sea turtles, seized at Manila's port before they could be smuggled abroad.

'This single act of environmental pillage is only symptomatic of a larger problem,' Mr Aquino said at an event for the launch of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.

'Our region is on the brink of losing a significant number of endangered species due to multiple cases of deforestation, wildlife hunting, climate change, pollution and population growth,' the president said.

Mr Aquino said the region's biodiversity should be considered a competitive advantage that can be sustainably exploited.

'Unfortunately, there are those who still see the environment as nothing more than a means to make an easy and quick profit without regard for the long-term consequences,' he said. -- AFP

News Update Household helpers demand minimum wage, education benefits

At age nine, Winelyn Amida worked as a babysitter of a child only four years younger than her. Amida, whose father died and whose mother abandoned her earlier in life, took home around P50 a day for this “stay-out" job.

“Mahirap po siya dahil bata ako no’n. Imbis na nag-aaral ako, nagtratrabaho ako," Amida told GMA News Online.

That was in 2000.

Eleven years and around eight employers later, Amida – who has received scholarship assistance and training from the non-government organization Visayan Forum Foundation – fights for the rights of household helpers or kasambahays as an organizer for the advocacy group Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas (SUMAPI).

At the “Grand Day-Off" organized by the Visayan Forum and SUMAPI on Sunday, Amida and other kasambahays clamored for a wider set of rights covering more equitable salaries and education benefits, among other things.

Petitions

In particular, SUMAPI relayed an eight-point list of petitions that the group handed to the Philippine delegation to the 100th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland this month.

For this conference sponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the group is pushing for an international convention that will set labor standards for domestic workers worldwide.

In its appeal, SUMAPI lobbied for the possible setting of salaries based on the minimum wage, as well as for other incentives such as an overtime rate. The group also petitioned for mandatory social security, health insurance, and maternity benefits.

“Hindi kami makina na kayang magtrabaho nang tuluy-tuloy kaya’t nais namin na malinaw ang pagkakaroon ng day-off at lingguhang pahinga, at maitakda ang normal na oras ng trabaho ng mga kasambahay," the group said.

SUMAPI also pushed for the rights of kasambahays, especially the minors among them, to go to school and engage in enrichment activities. “Para sa mga batang nagtratrabaho bilang kasambahay, nararapat lamang na matamasa din nila ang karapatang nauukol sa bata," the group said.

SUMAPI also said the employment of kasambahays must be bound by a contract, written in the prospective employee’s local dialect and signed at his or her place of origin.

Unscrupulous recruiters must be made accountable as well, the group said. “Sana ay maisama sa usapan na marami sa amin ang naging biktima ng human trafficking at forced labor – at marami pa sa amin ang maaaring maging biktima pa," SUMAPI said.

During the event, Meneleo Carlos Jr., national co-chairperson of the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development, said it has been his practice to send his household helpers to school. Recounting the progress of his former kasambahays after he sent them to school, Carlos described the endeavor as rewarding for any employer.

“Walang sukat ‘yung pagmamahal na tatanggapin nila kung sila ay tumulong sa mga kasambahay," he said.

Magna Carta for Domestic Workers

Carlos meanwhile called for the passage of the Magna Carta for Domestic Workers, now pending in Congress, which establishes standards for the welfare of kasambahays.

Approved on third and final reading in December last year, a Senate bill requires employers to pay their kasambahays at least P2,500 if employed within Metro Manila, at least P2,000 if in chartered cities and first-class municipalities, and at least P1,500 if in third-class municipalities.
“This pro-poor bill will benefit two million domestic workers," said Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who introduced the bill.

Carlos said the bill will also promote the rights of Filipino domestic workers in other parts of the globe. “Paano gagalangin ang ating mga kasambahay sa ibang parte ng mundo kung hindi natin sila gagalangin dito?" he said.

Household helpers in the Philippines frequently complain of being unpaid and enduring physical abuse, according to GMA News TV’s public service program “On Call."

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In an interview with “On Call" anchors Ivan Mayrina and Connie Sison, lawyer Jasmin Rodriguez gave suggestions for the equitable treatment of kasambahays, but noted a limitation.

“Sa ngayon, wala pa kasing batas na naipapasa para sa mga kasambahay lang," Rodriguez said. “Hindi yata siya kasama sa mga prioritized na bill para ipasa sa Kongreso."

Global perspective

Domestic workers in Asia, including those in the Philippines, make up the largest chunk of domestic workers worldwide, says the ILO in its 2010 data. The organization estimates that 41 percent of the world’s domestic workers come from Asia.

The second largest concentration is in Latin America and the Carribean, followed by Africa, then selected “advanced" countries, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

All over the world, 83 percent of domestic workers are female, adds the ILO. — KBK

News Update Palace: Customs chief will stay

MANILA, Philippines – The Palace reiterated today the Bureau of Customs chief Angelito Alvarez will “remain in service at the pleasure of the President.”
This after reports circulated that the BOC chief may lose his post for his failure in curbing smuggling activities especially in the entry of smuggled vehicles in Mindanao.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda pointed out that any changes within the President’s official family will be announced by the President Benigno Aquino III himself at the proper time.
He noted that the President recognized the earnestness of his Cabinet’s efforts in curbing corruption and alleviating poverty.
“At this point, he is giving his appointees the space and trust to fulfill their mandate with integrity and competence,” the Palace official pointed out. - By Jun Pasaylo

News Update Major NPA camp in Mindanao overran

MANILA, Philippines –Elite Scout Ranger soldiers overran a large camp the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao Oriental, a military official said.
Lt. Col. Gilbert Saret, Commanding Officer of the 25th Infantry Battalion, said a 40-man Scout Ranger unit stumbled upon a large enemy encampment in the hinterlands of Cateel town in Davao Oriental yesterday.
“The rangers attacked a well-fortified camp of rebels under its Southern Regional Command. Crawling stealthily up to about 30-meters behind the enemy bunkers, our soldiers initiated the firefight which commenced at 1:30pm,”said Saret.
“The NPA rebels withdrew in complete disarray with their numerous casualties,” he said while adding that the rebels left behind five high-powered firearms including a Cal 5.56mm M4 Rifle, two Cal 5.56mm M16 assault rifles, and two Cal 7.62mm M14 assault rifles.
The firefight ended around 5:00 p.m. with three soldiers wounded.
Saret said due to the heavy forest canopy, the rescue choppers failed to pick the wounded soldiers immediately. As of 11:00 a.m. today, the wounded are being evacuated to a safer area where a landing site is prepared.
“I have ordered massive pursuit operations employing other companies from my unit. My soldiers are in the hot trail for the fleeing rebels whose traces are highly visible in the dense forests,” he added. - By Jun Pasaylo

News Update Philippine capital to enforce smoking ban

Authorities in the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday announced a drive to strictly enforce a smoking ban in public places across the sprawling metropolis.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said that from Monday it would deploy policemen and specially trained enforcers across the city of 12 million people to round up violators.
The Philippines has a law banning smoking in public places dating from 2003, but it has largely been ignored in a country where according to surveys 28 percent of Filipinos aged 15 years and over, or 17.3 million people, are smokers.
"We must be very strict in implementing our anti-smoking regulation," agency chairman Francis Tolentino said in a statement.
"We should transform Metro Manila into a smoke-free community."
Those caught are to be fined 500 pesos ($11), which is more than the daily minimum wage in the impoverished country, and those who cannot pay the fine will be made to do community service.
Health advocates have also repeatedly called on the chain-smoking President Benigno Aquino to lead the campaign and quit.
Maricar Limpin, executive director of the anti-smoking lobby Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, lauded the intensified campaign.
Limpin said the government should go beyond its campaign and prod congress to pass legislation to raise taxes on tobacco

Sunday, May 29, 2011

News Update Aquino's aunt to run for Armm post sans Palace support

MARGARITA "Tingting" Cojuangco, the President's aunt-in-law and candidate for vice governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), is determined to run even if she isn't Malacañang's candidate.

There is no Malacañang candidate because President Benigno Aquino III wants the Armm elections moved to 2013 to give the government time to implement political reforms in the region.

When Cojuangco announced her candidacy, Aquino said it would be illogical for him and his Liberal Party to call for poll postponement and then back her as a candidate.

At a breakfast forum of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP-Laban) on Friday, Cojuangco said she and running mate former Sultan Kudarat governor Pax Mangudadatu are determined to run even without Malacañang's blessing.

News Update Housing chief to check Cebu City’s use of P28-million fund

CEBU CITY -- The National Housing Authority (NHA) in Central Visayas has asked the Cebu City Government to recover the P28.5 million it gave to the City from 2001-2009.

NHA Central Visayas project director Gavino Figuracion said the amount was part of the P30-million budget for the City to buy lots for relocation sites.

Figuracion said that since it is seed money, the City Government should recover it so that the fund will also be used for future housing projects.

He said NHA paid P10,000 for every beneficiary as counterpart in every lot acquired by the City for socialized housing projects since 2001.

DID YOU KNOW THAT IN PHILIPPINE ? The Oldest Tree in the Philippines



There has been one too many strange tales about the 1,328 year old Balete Tree (known as Lunok in the Visayan dialect and Dalakit in Cebuano) that stands amid the rice and coffee plantations of OISCA Farm in Lumabao, Canlaon City. The oldest recorded tree in the province and perhaps even in the country, this tree has been a lone witness to Canlaon City’s progress and evolution

News Update Almost 30 percent of adult Pinoys are smokers - survey

As many as 17.3 million Filipinos are smokers, according to the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) done in the country.

The 2009 GATS pegged the number of Filipino adult smokers, those 15 years old and older, at 28.3 percent of the whole population. Meanwhile, the estimated number of Filipinos exposed to second-hand smoke number around 6.1 million.

The study also learned that more than half of Filipino adults, 55 percent, said they get exposed to second-hand smoke in public transportation.

Starting May 30, eve of World No Tobacco Day, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will enforce the country’s laws and regulations on tobacco use. Among the regulations are those of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) banning smoking in commuter vehicles and along major and secondary roads.

Metro Manilans spend over P4B yearly on tobacco

Metro Manilans alone spend at least P4.02 billion every year on tobacco products. This, according to the latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) of the National Statistics Office done in 2009 and released only last year.

The 2009 FIES got responses from 18.45 million Filipino families nationwide. These households said that they bought P27 billion worth of tobacco products. Residents of Southern Tagalog (Calabarzon) provinces, Metro Manila, and Central Luzon turned out to be the heaviest smokers:

Southern Tagalog: P4.192 billion (15.57%)

Metro Manila: P4.020 billion (14.93%)

Central Luzon: P4.016 billion (14.92%)

The more members there are in the family, the higher the expenditure on tobacco products, according to the study. Filipino households with ‘less than 4 persons’ spent only P5.306 billion while those with to 4 to 6 persons bought P14.195 billion worth of cigarettes and cigars. Households with more than 6 family members disbursed P7.421 billion.


Misplaced priorities

The NSO also discovered, through the 2009 FIES, that the poorest 30 percent of Filipino households shelled out more for cigarettes than they did for tuition and other education expenses. That is 1.6 percent on tobacco products versus only 1.2 percent on education.

The better-off, the upper 70 percent, had an opposite sense of priorities. They spent only 0.7 percent on tobacco while budgeting 4.6 percent for education. — TJD

News Upadate Sta. Rosa eyes own 'environment code' to address garbage woes

By Anna Valmero

SANTA ROSA CITY, LAGUNA—To achieve sustainable development, Sta. Rosa City mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno is urging the passage of an “Environment Code” to address concerns on the sustainable use of natural resources.

“I hope that this (Environment) Code will be the embodiment of how Santa Rosa is—a city that promotes sustainable development through sustainable resources,” said Arcillas-Nazareno.

The city will partner with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines for the formulation of the environment code.

A study by WWF Philippines said that Sta. Rosa's fast-paced industrialization and urbanization “may lead to environmental degradation and abuse, with irreversible impacts such as lower groundwater levels due to high demands of the growing population and industrial sites, poor air quality from motor vehicles and contaminated water from discharge of untreated sewage.”

An environment code contains a comprehensive program on environmental protection and management that seeks to establish policies for environment quality standards.

It is similar to Presidential Decree No. 1152 or the Philippine Environment Code but is catered specifically to the needs of Sta. Rosa.

“The environment code will address the gaps in existing ordinances, creating new legislation if needed, such as garbage collection fees and penalties for improper garbage segregation,” said Maria Amor Salandanan, supervising environment management specialist of the city environment and natural resources office.

Moreover, application for development permits should allocate areas for green projects, Salandanan said.

The city council aims to release and approve the environment code by June.

To formulate the recommendations for groundwater management for the Santa Rosa Watershed, the city government and WWF Philippines will use the results of a five-year study funded by Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc.

The watershed project covers the cities of Santa Rosa and Biñan, and the municipalities of Cabuyao and Silang. Components include the assessment of water quality of the city wells in potable drinking water and formulation of the Environment Code.

Meanwhile, the city government will also earmark P10 million for a project on flood control and drainage master plan as part of the city’s disaster risk management strategy, said Arcillas-Nazareno .

The Aplaya Waterfront Development Project, designed to take care of the lakeshore communities in the City, is another project aimed to generate additional income for the city.

An advocate of participatory governance, the city mayor reiterated that all stakeholders should take part in environment conservation.

News Update Cebu City mayor shuts KTV bar down

CEBU CITY -- Mayor Michael Rama revoked the permit and ordered the closure of Jaguar KTV Bar on St. Michael Street in Barangay Kasambagan.

He issued the closure order in keeping with Section 11 of City Ordinance 2163, which cancels the business permits and licenses of establishments involved in trafficking.

The order came seven weeks after the Regional Intelligence Division Central Visayas, Regional Anti-Trafficking Force, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Department of Justice raided the bar and rescued 146 girls.

The raid was conducted after authorities received reports that some minors worked in the establishment owned by Vinson D. Young, who remained at large since the April 9 operation.

Jocelyn B. Hinayon, Mary Jane P. Seno and Judith Q. Amancio, all employees of the bar, were arrested during the raid and were charged with violating Republic Act 9208, or the law against trafficking in persons.

Rama said it was the Cebu City Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, represented by its vice chairperson Councilor Leah Japson, who recommended Jaguar's closure.

News Update 4 banana farms ordered closed

DAVAO CITY -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the closure of four banana plantations in Digos City for operating without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

The four banana plantations are Musahamat Farms Incorporated, Highland Agri-Ventures Incorporated, Panuda Banana Plantation, and ABCDR Corporation, all located at Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City.

Kapatagan is located at the foothills of Mt. Apo, a national park, which therefore requires strict compliance to environmental conditions preset for specific activities.

The DENR's Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau in Diliman, Quezon City issued the closure orders on January 12.

News Update WD TV Live Hub: All-in-one storage device for multimedia freaks

By Alexander Villafania

MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA - Western Digital (WD) has been in the multimedia business of late. After going into the mobile hard disk market, the company then got into the multimedia player with its WD TV series, a concept that isn't entirely new but held a lot of promise for the multimedia enthusiast.

Now, WD has about five models, including the original WD TV. Its latest is the WD TV Live Hub, its top-of-the-line model that incorporates media player and network attached storage (NAS) capabilities. It is also the biggest of all the WD TV series though it is still definitely smaller than most DVD players.

As media player, it has an internal 1 terabyte drive capable of playing just about any type of video, audio and images. In front of the device is a single USB 2.0 port that can connect to up to a 2 Tb external drive. It can already connect to a device with the more updated USB 3.0 standard.

The back of the device has the standard video component ports (YPbrPr), composite port s, and stereo ports for legacy TVs. Thankfully, the device has been integrated with an HDMI port for wide screen TVs, as well as an optical S/PDIF audio port for old or new audio/video receivers.

Just like its predecessor, the WD TV Live HD can play most of the latest video file formats. Just about anything between AVI to XVID are playable. It could even play full high definition MKV videos with sizes of around 4 gigabytes (one of the biggest files that could be played is an 11 gigabyte download of the film “Avatar” though an available hard disk to hold the video was unavailable at the time of the test).

For those who use subtitles, the Live Hub could also play subtitles in SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, and SMI formats. These do not necessarily have to be in the same folder of the corresponding video but it does reduce the need of having to search for the right subtitles.

All of the popular audio formats can be played such as MP3, WAV, PCM, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, and even OGG. As for photos, all formats can be viewed, from JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, and PNG.

The TV interface of the Live Hub also follows the same ease-of-use of the previous WD TV models. However, it has been integrated with a much cleaner layout, with the main menus located at the bottom part of the screen a la taskbar in a Windows or MacOS.

When new files are moved to the hard disk, the interface would allow for automatic scanning, then consolidation to the right file categories (video, music, photos).

Other than the sizeable hard disk space, the Live Hub also boasts of an integrated media server storage function that can be accessible via wired and wireless connections. It uses an Ethernet port for the wired connection while the wireless network can be accessed only through a WiFi-enabled antenna (sold separately), which is plugged in either the USB port in front or the secondary port at the back.

The Live Hub does come with compatibility issues with the WiFi USB antennas though WD has a list of those that can with this device.

Once setup, the device can be used as it is intended for: a hub for multimedia content. Instead of having multiple removable hard disk drives to transfer files from one device to another, users can just have all their files in a single device.

The Live Hub incorporates DLNA (digital living network alliance) standards and UPnP (universal plug and play) allowing multiple users to have direct access to its contents. The files can be streamed to any user within the house and does not require direct line-of-sight for uninterrupted stream.

The Live Hub can also access limited online services. It can access services such as Facebook and Flickr. Uploading videos and photos is also enabled in Facebook while others are only for viewing. This is unfortunate as the Live Hub also has a YouTube client, which does not offer video uploading.

While the WD TV Live Hub is not without its few glitches, it is still a functional device that can do more than just being a multimedia player. The integrated multimedia player and network-attached technology that it uses is already present in a few branded device manufacturers but the WD TV Live Hub is among the very few ones that incorporates both technologies in a single device.

That said, the WD Live Hub should be a good indicator of what the future would be for networked multimedia storage devices.

News Update UN project aims to protect schools, hospitals in war-torn areas

y Marjorie Gorospe

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA--The United Nations (UN) has initiated a project to protect schools and health care facilities affected by armed conflicts in the Philippines.

Through the project “Protect My School,” launched by the German Permanent Representative to the UN, the public can help the organization to prevent violence committed against educational and health facilities especially in war-torn areas around the world and in the country.

News Update Bill seeks annual inspection of public, private schools

By Marjorie Gorospe

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA-A bill filed in Congress seeks to require the government to conduct annual inspection of public and private school buildings to ensure stability during disasters and natural calamities.

House Bill 4605, authored by former President and now Pampanga District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, further mandates the government to conduct the inspection at the beginning of every school year.

The inspection will find out whether the structural integrity of the school building has the capacity to withstand earthquakes and typhoons and other similar natural occurrences will be taken into account.

Aside from the structure, proper ventilation, lighting and the availability of the comfort rooms that can accommodate the number of students attending the classes, will also be included in the inspection.

According to Arroyo, the inspection would serve as a preventive measure to minimize, if not to totally avoid accidents in the future. She added that the inspection does not have to be additional expenses because the government can use existing local government resources.

The bill, co-authored by Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado Arroyo, further mandates the city or municipal engineer and building officials to submit a comprehensive report disclosing their findings and recommendations.

The mandatory inspection will be conducted at least 45 days prior to the start of every school year.

Any designated or concerned official who refuse to act on the report or recommendation will get a jail term of 6 months to 2 years and a fine ranging from P10,000 to P100,000 or both. The official will also be disqualified from holding public office.

A report released by the Department of Education earlier this year citedstructural defects in over 80 percent of schools from the inspection conducted in May to April 2010. The report revealed that 588 buildings were found to have structural defects, which vary from damage to walls and ceilings to even instability of building foundations from the 685 schools inspected nationwide.

It also revealed that 671 school buildings had structural defects from the total of 799 school buildings inspected.

News Upate Palace: Report school supply profiteers to DTI

As the rush to buy school supplies for the start of school on June 6 continues, Malacañang on Saturday reminded parents to report profiteers to the proper authorities.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had specified that price hikes in school supplies can only go as high as five percent.

“Pag in demand ang school supplies, five percent ang reasonable na pagtaas. Kung umakyat doon at naramdaman ninyong sobra na ang presyo, ini-encourage namin kayo na mag-report sa DTI," Valte said on government dzRB radio.

The DTI’s hotline is 7513330, she said.

Moreover, she said parents on a tight budget can wait for the government’s “Diskwento Caravan" that offers basic goods and school supplies at prices lower than those given by commercial distributors.

She added that other government agencies are doing their part, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) checking school supplies for possible toxic substances.

Earlier, the FDA said it has systems in place to ensure the safety of toys and school supplies such as crayons and pencils.

In Advisory 2011-005, the FDA reminded business establishments that their products should have the Trade Department's Philippine National Standard for Safety of Toys, and a Certificate of Conformity for shipment of toys.

Toys will be tested for chemical and physical properties; flammability; and migration of certain elements.

But FDA acting director Suzette Lazo also advised parents to help ensure safety by: Checking labels on the packaging and observing precautions on the labels;
Ensuring the child's toys are suited for his/her age under adult supervision;
Dispose of plastic packaging accordingly; and
Not to buy the following toys for children under age 3:- Balls with a diameter of 1.75 inches or less
- Toys that easily break into small parts (glass or brittle plastics)
- Toys with small detachable parts or pieces that can become lodged in the throat
- Toys with sharp points and edges
- Toys with electrical parts that can pinch or entrap fingers, toes or hair
- Toys with parts put together by straight pins, sharp wires or nails that are exposed and easily detached.For more details, the public may call the Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health and Research at 6517800 local 3408.

Security for school

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started coordinating with government agencies to ensure the security of students.

The PNP said it will concentrate security coverage at airports, seaports, transport terminals, business establishments and areas of convergence.

"Police Assistance Desks will also be established near major school campuses and clustered schools nationwide in coordination with school authorities and their security forces, and barangay force multipliers," it said in a news release on its website.

It added it is coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Local Government Units and other concerned agencies for security coverage and public safety services.

The PNP noted a huge volume of students will converge in school campuses and universities, particularly in Metro Manila and other urban centers, for the School Year 2011-2012.

It said police stations will conduct mobile and foot patrols along major routes, highways and within immediate vicinities of school premises to ensure public safety.

But the PNP advised the public, especially students, to be more vigilant while going to and returning from schools, particularly on public utility jeepneys, buses, and trains where criminals could take advantage of them.

"Commuters should be mindful and secure their belongings at all times. In addition, parents should always keep their eyes on their children while going and leaving school premises. If unnecessary actions or suspicious person or group are observed, they must immediately report or go to the nearest Police Assistance Desks or Police Stations," it said. — LBG

News Update Traffic slowdown on EDSA from Guadalupe to Santolan

Traffic slowed to a crawl along the inner northbound lanes of EDSA on Saturday evening, May 28, along the stretch of Guadalupe, Makati, to the Santolan, Quezon City, EDSA MRT station.

A taxi stalled in the middle of EDSA just right after Guadalupe bridge, near the Boni Serrano MRT station. The taxi was without its driver.

But the road ahead was still slow-moving because a car and a gas tanker collided in front of Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. The tanker was on a lane going to the Cubao underpass while the car came from the tanker's right side, from EDSA's outer lanes.

Only after Santolan Road did the traffic flow become lighter. — TJD

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Kopi Talk Governor Vilma Santos airs her opinion on blossoming romance between son Luis Manzano and Jennylyn Mercado

Mainit na pinag-uusapan ngayon ang namumuong relasyon sa pagitan ng Kapamilya TV host-actor na si Luis Manzano at ng Kapuso actress-singer na si Jennylyn Mercado.
Although may dalawang buwan pa lang silang magkakilala at lumalabas, may mga naghuhusga na at merong lantarang inaayawan ang sinasabing pagkakaroon ng relasyon nina Luis at Jennylyn.
May nagsasabi na hindi bagay ang dalawa, lalo pa't may anak sa pagkadalaga si Jennylyn at kabi-break lang nito sa dati niyang boyfriend na si Dennis Trillo.
Matapos magsalita ang dalawa sa magkahiwalay na pagkakataon, marami naman ang naghihintay sa pahayag ng ina ni Luis—ang Star for All Seasons at Batangs governor na si Vilma Santos.
Personal na nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Governor Vi kahapon, May 25, sa governor's mansion sa Batangas.
Dito ay isiniwalat niya ang kanyang damdamin sa pagkakamabutihan ng kanyang panganay na anak at ni Jennylyn.
"Alam n'yo, mahirap tayong manghusga," umpisa niya.
"In the first place, nagiging isyu lang ito at napapalaki kasi may kanya-kanya nang interpretasyon.
"Pero sa totoo lang, bago pa lang naman ito.
"Siguro mga dalawang buwan pa lang nagkakakilala at nagdi-date ang anak ko at si Jennylyn.
"Hindi ako nagsasalita ngayon to meddle, nanay lang ako," paglilinaw ng actress-politician.
"Buhay ng anak ko 'yan, mature na si Lucky [palayaw ni Luis] to do and decide sa dapat niyang gawin.
"Ako, bilang nanay niya, naka-guide lang.
"Isa lang ang sinasabi ko sa anak ko at gusto kong ipaalam sa kanya.
"Sabi ko, 'As long anak na wala kang iniisahan, wala kang tinatapakan, at wala kang inaapi, then go on with your life.'
"Unang-una, single si Lucky.
"Pangalawa, sa pagkakaalam ko, wala namang commitment si Jen ngayon.
"So, they're just having a nice time together, so sana pabayaan na lang natin siyang masaya.
"Yun lang naman ako, e.
"But again," patuloy ng Star for All Seasons, "at the end of the day, wala siyang sinasaktan, wala siyang inaapakan, wala siyang sinisiraan, gusto lang niyang lumigaya, then let it be."
THE COMPARISON. May mga paliwanag si Luis sa hiwalay na interview, kunsaan ikinumpara niya si Jennylyn sa kanyang ina pagdating sa pagkakaroon ng anak at pagdating ng bagong pag-ibig. (CLICK HERE to read related story.)
Umani ito ng batikos sa ilang nagmamalasakit kay Governor Vi. Ayon kasi sa mga ito, iba raw naman ang estado ng ina ni Luis kaysa kay Jennylyn.
Ano ang komento ni Ate Vi tungkol dito?
"Pero who are we to judge?" sambit niya.
"In the first place, kung nasabi 'yan ng anak ko, nagpakatotoo lang.
"Siya kasi siya ang involve dun.
"Kasi yung bata dun na sinasabing may anak na, siya yung anak.
"Nagkataon lang sa akin, na nagkaroon ako ng mga biyenan na hindi mapanghusga.
"Kasi when I got married [again], I had a baby already."
Ang tinutukoy ni Ate Vi rito ay si Luis nga na anak niya sa kanyang first husband na si Edu Manzano.
Dagdag niya, "Masuwerte ako sa biyenan ko at hindi ako hinusgahan.
"At ngayon nga, magtu-25 years na ang relasyon namin ni Ralph [Recto].
"So, it doesn't matter kung may anak ka—yun ang gusto niyang [Luis] sabihin.
"Kaya ako ang ibinigay niyang ehemplo, kasi siya yung bata.
"And look at him... Now, he is a happy boy, he is a productive boy.
"Hindi apektado para sabihin, 'Sino 'yan? May anak 'yan.'
"Siya kasi yun at binigyan niya ng ehemplo ang sarili niya.
"Nagtatrabaho lang naman ang anak ko, at wala siyang sinasaktan.
"Gusto lang niyang sumaya at masaya siya ngayon, so let it be."
Sabi pa ni Ate Vi, "Sa totoo lang, nagsalita lang ako sa inyo tungkol dito, hindi naman sa ako ang nakialam.
"Dahil hindi naman talaga ako nakikialam sa lovelife ng anak ko. I am just here to guide
"But then, ang huli nito, desisyon ng anak ko. Kasi nasa edad na si Lucky para magdesisyon para sa kanyang sarili."
Humihingi pa rin ba ng advice sa kanya si Luis?
"Oo naman, pero bibihira," sagot ng Batangas governor.
"Basta ang concern ko lang sa kanya na, 'Anak, masaya ka, happy ka, anything to do about that, may mga pabor at meron din talagang hindi. Anak, sanay ka ba?'
"Sabi niya sa akin, 'I can carry at kaya ko naman, Mom.' Kaya tahimik na ako rin.'"
MEETING JENNYLYN. Although hindi pa raw niya ganun kakilala si Jennylyn, pawang mga magagandang salita ang masasabi ni Governor Vi tungkol sa Kapuso star.
Kailan niya unang na-meet si Jennylyn?
"Yun naman, e, birthday ng anak ko. Nagkataong Holy Week.
"So, si Lucky, sa Batangas, sa Punta Fuego gumawa ng kanyang birthday party with his friends.
"So, inimbitahan niya si Jen.
"And that was the time I met Jen. She was very pleasant."
"Tita Vi" raw ang tawag sa kanya nito.
"Maganda at mabait siya," sabi pa ni Ate Vi tungkol kay Jennylyn.
"Bago lang nga ito, e. Kasi pag pinag-usapan, parang anim o isang taon na.
"Si Jen came from a relationship, nagne-nurse pa kanyang puso.
"Yung anak ko naman, e, single, gusto rin maging masaya.
"Wala namang commitment pareho ang dalawa, so huwag na nating husgahan.
"Alam n'yo, ang buhay namin, bukas sa madla.
"Hindi tayo pwedeng magsabi kung sinong tama o sino ang hindi.
"So, public property kami, may mga taong maglalabas ng kanilang opinion. So, okey lang.
"Basta malinis ang intensiyon at walang sinisiraan, then go ahead, okey lang sa akin yun.
"Basta uulitin ko, ang importante lang, masaya ang anak ko."
Pinasalamatan naman ni Ate Vi si Jennylyn dahil sa magagandang sinabi raw nito tungkol kay Luis. (CLICK HERE to read related story.)
"I thank Jen sa magandang adjectives na sinabi niya sa anak ko—'very gentleman' at iba pang tunay nga namang nakakataba ng puso. Salamat sa kanya.
"Siyempre lahat ng magagandang sinabi niya sa anak ko, doble ang saya ko.
"Lahat ng gagawin nila sa anak ko, doble ang epekto sa akin nun being the mother," sabi ni Ate Vi.
HIGH-PROFILE RELATIONSHIP. Sa previous relationships ni Luis ay walang masyadong ingay.
Nakailang karelasyon na rin naman si Luis, pero ang sa kanila ni Jennylyn ngayon ang tila pinagpipiyestahan nang husto.
Ano ang masasabi ni Governor Vi tungkol dito?
"E, kasi, may mga nagsasabi kasi na hindi bagay, naggagamitan, parang kesyo wala sa tono...
"Pero hindi nila buhay 'to, buhay ng anak ko ito.
"Masaya siya, e.
"Sabi ko, wala namang naaapakan.
"Pero ang gusto ko, masaya ang anak ko.
"Hindi naman puwedeng ako ang kausapin, o kausapin ko si Lucky.
"Ganun talaga, tanggap ko na 'yan. Being a public property, pag-uusapan talaga.
"At saka merong pabor at hindi.
"At matitigil lang naman siguro 'yan kung magdesisyon na ang anak ko na mag-asawa.
"Binata pa ang anak ko, hayaan na lang muna natin siyang maging masaya," pakiusap pa ng Star for All Seasons.

News Update 4 vie to be ARMM governor, 16 for vice governors

When the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) closed on Friday the period of filing certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the August 8 Autonomous Region in Muslim in Mindanao (ARMM) polls, there were 14 aspirants for the gubernatorial post and 16 for the vice gubernatorial post.

But Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said that the number of candidates could still be reduced as the poll body still has to screen their COCs.

The candidates include incumbent and former governors of the ARMM and of provinces not only in Mindanao but also one from Luzon; a former party-list representative; and a former police director.

The 14 candidates seeking to get elected ARMM governor are:Ashmaira Mayasa Abdullah
Mamintal Alonto Adiong (incumbent Lanao del Sur governor)
Saad Ibrahim Amate
Pangalian Macaorao Balindong
Ephraim Baldomero Defino
Mujiv Sabbihi Hataman (former Anak Mindanaw party-list representative)
Alvarez Silal Isnaji (former OIC ARMM governor)
Ansaroden Magangcong Sani Banuas Luman Moner
Pax Pakung Sandigan Mangudadatu (former Sultan Kudarat governor and representative)
Kadra Asani Masihul
Datu Habib Sarifuddin Samanodi Maulana
Elsie New Orejudos
Saidamen Balt Pangarungan (former Lanao del Sur OIC governor)
Sahiron Dulah Salim (former police director)For Vice Governor, 16 candidates have filed their COCs:Acting ARMM governor Ansaruddin Abdul Malik Alonto Adiong,
Mikunug Pangcatan Ampao
Arab Dimasimpun Ampasao
Shariffa Ziola Anding Bago
Datu Pelaez Alo Carudin
Margarita “Tingting" Delos Reyes Cojuangco (former Tarlac governor)
Bobby Mana-ngaran Datimbang
Alikhan Awar Dimaro
Gani Usman Gaddung
Abdulbasit Ampaso Hadjinor
Omar Tani Hassiman
Fatani Sultan Abdul Malik
Basher Dimalaang Manalao (former Lanao del Sur governor)
Kano Pasandalan Nor
Marconi Curso Paiso Al Haj
Abdusakur II Abubakar TanIncumbent ARMM assemblyman Khadafy Mangudadatu, the brother of Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu, had earlier filed a COC for vice governor but then chose instead to run for re-election in the ARMM Regional Assembly.

The campaign period for the 2011 ARMM elections is set for June 24 to August 6. Election day is August 8.

On Friday, PDP-Laban introduced Mangudadatu and Cojuangco as the party’s official candidates for the regional polls. — MRT/VS,

News Update DOJ eyes overhaul of BuCor, NBP systems

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice will recommend an “overhaul of the systems in place” at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) amid the brouhaha caused by the caper of former Batangas Governor Jose Antonio Leviste.
In a press conference, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan said an idea cropped up suggesting the deployment of soldiers from the Philippine Army to serve as guards to augment temporarily the security in the compound.
He said the panel tasked to investigate Leviste’s antics may recommend the replacement of NBP guards, who will be reassigned to other jail facilities under the BuCor.
He also revealed he is now preparing a memorandum for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in connection with the “living out” policy for minimum security inmates. He suggested, among others, that the privilege should only be given to those serving one year or less.
Transfer of NBP
Baraan also said 2 officials of the Department of Justice are now being considered to head the NBP. De Lima earlier said Baraan may become acting BuCor chief in the wake of the leave of Ernesto Diokno.
He said proposals are now under way to reorganize the prison facilities in the country. One is the transfer of NBP to Tanay and another is to regionalize the system across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Baraan is also of the opinion to have all prison facilities under one bureau to make operations more organized.
There are facilities under the BuCor, which is under the DoJ. On the other hand, there are facilities under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which is under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). – from a report by Ina Reformina,

News Update After state visit, PNoy buckles down to work

President Benigno Aquino III buckled down to work right upon returning to the country Friday evening after his two-day state visit to Thailand.

Aquino arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 6:15 pm on board PR 371.

The President met with government officials, particularly Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, to get updates on the incidents at the National Bilibid Prison and Bureau of Jail Management.

He wanted to get briefed on the probe conducted on the unauthorized ‘vacation’ of homicide convict and former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste, and the supposed special treatment given to Maguindanao massacre prime suspect former Maguinadano governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.

In his arrival speech, Aquino expressed satisfaction with the readiness of the country to face typhoon Chedeng and asked the public to pray for the two casualties in Bicol region.

“Ang inireport sa atin ay kakaunti ang napahamak at sana nga ay wala na pero me dalawang binawian ng buhay. Hinihiling ko pong ipagdasal natin," he said.

The President also reiterated the result of his meetings with Thai investors who want to expand their businesses in the country.

He added the Philippines and Thailand Joint Commission on Bilateral Relations has agreed to meet in August after the elections in Thailand to follow through with the agreements discussed. — MRT/TJD

News Update Ilocos Sur solon disputes DOH on tobacco control

Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson Jr. has challenged the authority of the Department of Health (DOH) to implement the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

In a letter to DOH Secretary Enrique T. Ona dated May 2, Singson raised his concern over communication sent by National Center for Health Promotion director Dr. Asuncion Anden. The letter was obtained on Friday by GMA News Online.
The congressman claimed Anden was “demanding that the Department of Agriculture submit itself to an evaluation on their capacity to regulate the tobacco industry."

Singson argued that the FCTC “is not self-executory," and needs legislation to implement in the Philippines. However, the FCTC Alliance Philippines (FCAP) said the FCTC is an international treaty to which the country is a signatory. The Senate ratified it on June 5, 2005 and the FCTC entered into force on Sept. 4 that same year.
The World Health Organization has said the convention is the response of the international community to the global tobacco epidemic.

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has a charter, Executive Order No. 245, which “gives the NTA general and specific regulatory powers over tobacco," Singson said in his letter to Ona.
But the DOH implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the Tobacco Regulatory Act of 2003 provides that, “Nothing in the FDA Act of 2009 shall be deemed to modify the jurisdiction of other specialized agencies and special laws only insofar as the acts covered by these specialized agencies and laws except the health aspects of such products." The IRR was issued on March 22, 2011.

Singson claims the IRR “caused confusion" in the tobacco industry because it gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jurisdiction over tobacco.
Article III, Section 2 of the IRR of RA 9211 states, “The DOH, tasked with protecting the public's health against the injurious effects arising from the use of tobacco and tobacco products, has the responsibility of regulating tobacco and tobacco products through the FDA."

The Ilocos Sur congressman said he was informed by FDA Director Suzette Lazo that “the DOH will issue a clarificatory… on FDA’s coverage over tobacco." — With Earl Rosero/VS

News Update Cigarette health warnings push smokers to quit: study

Warnings on cigarette packets about the dangers of tobacco push smokers to kick the habit, and graphic images depicting human suffering are the most effective, a study released Thursday shows.
Nearly all adult smokers in countries where a World Health Organization (WHO) convention requires health warnings on tobacco products noticed the warnings, and more than half of smokers in six of 14 countries in the study said the warnings made them think about quitting, says the study.
In the remaining eight countries, with the exception of Poland, more than one in four poll respondents said the warning labels prompted them to consider kicking the habit, the study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
For the study, researchers analyzed data collected between 2008 and 2010 for smokers in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Vietnam for a poll called the the Global Adult Tobacco Survey.
They found that warnings that are most likely to get someone to consider quitting stand out prominently on the package and use pictures or graphics to describe the harmful effects of smoking.
Graphic warnings not only reach smokers who either cannot read or do not read text-only warnings, but could also be better at evoking an emotional response from a smoker and motivating them to quit, the CDC study says.
Brazil and Thailand both had "numerous prominent and graphic pictorial warnings in rotation" and also had some of the highest rates of smokers thinking about quitting because of the warnings, the study says.
But for reasons that are unclear, thinking about quitting was also high in Bangladesh and Vietnam, where warnings cover less of the package and were text-only, it says.
The CDC wants to see further research to try to find out how many smokers who think about quitting because of a warning on a packet actually do, and to determine what other factors come into play in getting someone to stop smoking.
According to the WHO, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, and is estimated to kill more than five million people a year worldwide, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
Health warnings on tobacco product packages are considered by the WHO to be a key tool in combating the global tobacco epidemic, along with price hikes, smoke-free policies, and advertising and sponsorship bans.

News Update Gov’t offers P500M performance incentive for LGUs

By Anna Valmero
PASIG CITY, METRO MANILA— Local chief executives of municipalities, cities and provinces who will provide transparency mechanisms and effective governance will receive part of the P500 million “performance challenge fund” from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The performance challenge fund will be awarded to local government units that will follow the full disclosure mechanisms ordered by the agency, said DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero.
“The incentives are geared to increase the compliance for full disclosure of important documents to their constituents. Since last year, 40 percent of these 1,600 LGUs have complied with the directive of the DILG to post a copy of their bid and budget documents in bulletin boards,” Panadero said. (This is a sample memorandum issued by DILG to executives in Mindanao.)
Posting documents of LGU deals is stipulated in the Local Government Code but there were few complying LGUs until the memorandum from DILG last year, Panadero said.
To avail of the performance challenge fund, municipalities, cities and provinces with effective transparency measures will be awarded P1 million, P3 million and P7 million, respectively, to augment their annual development projects, Panadero said.
Panadero said he hoped local executives would their part to complement the administration’s drive to improve governance by working with their constituents.
The executive added that with the challenge, they are also expecting LGUs to actually send 20 percent of their internal revenue allotments (IRA) for development projects. The development fund is dubbed as the “most abused” of LGU funds.
“We eye fourth to sixth class municipalities to be active in their participation because an additional P1 million in their budget would mean a lot and could be used for additional projects,” Panadero said.
Most lower-income municipalities spend bulk or about 90 percent of their budget for salaries alone, leaving development projects at the backseat.
From one document, LGUs will be required to submit 12 different documents and post them in their bulletin boards, a print daily of national circulation and on the LGU's website. For LGUs without their own website, the documents can be submitted for publication on the DILG website.
Mayor Bentham Dela Cruz of Amlan, a fifth-class municipality in Negros Oriental, was awarded the DILG’s seal of good housekeeping without even knowing about the performance challenge fund. He was commended for his transparency in governance, effective use of resources and abiding by the audit rules.
Dela Cruz said he will use the performance challenge fund to build a technical-vocational-agricultural school, which the local school board identified as a crucial need in Amlan.
This week, DILG, together with World Bank and civil society and nonprofit organizations has started crafting the criteria for benchmarking performance of LGUs to earn the DILG's seal of good housekeeping, which is needed to avail of the fund.
Panadero encouraged civic organizations to publish their own independent monitoring of LGU performance to serve as “checks-and-balance” for DILG's own monitoring report.
World Bank country director Bert Hofman noted that civil society organizations, especially in the Philippines, would be effective partners in spreading good governance practices
Hofman added that the seal of good housekeeping for high-performance LGUs will also lead to “better access” to grants from international funding agencies such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank, among others.
***
loQal.ph is a website owned and operated by Filquest Media Concepts, Inc. It works under the principle of giving voice to the voiceless, empowering Filipinos and uplifting the image of the Philippines by highlighting its unique culture. To do this, the loQal.ph team produces stories, video, photos and other multimedia content types to inspire and celebrate Filipino achievements, ideas, products and places.

News Update PHL may import only 400,000 MT rice by 2012 – Agri Dept.

The Philippines may import only 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons of rice next if the harvest for 2011 exceeds the 17.4-million MT target, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said Friday.

“It is likely that we may produce more than our self-imposed target of 17.4 million metric tons for 2011," he told reporters in a forum in Quezon City.

Under the National Food Authority’s importation program, the 860,000 MT of rice to be imported this year is a third of the total importation in 2011
Under present conditions, with palay output expected at 19.2 million MT, government plans to import no more than 500, 000 MT as buffer stock for 2012.

In 2010, total palay output reached 15.77 million MT.
The Agriculture Department expects palay production to hit 8 million MT in the first semester of 2011 up, 20.8 percent from 6.62 million MT a year earlier.
Government also expects the third quarter palay output to expand by 32 percent with areas planted with palay and better weather conditions.
Area harvested may increase by 10.2 percent from last year’s record of 1.82 million hectares. Yield per hectare may improve from 3.64 MT in 2010 to 3.80 MT in 2011.

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, palay output from July to October this year will expand by 32 percent to 3.49 million MT from 2.65 million MT during the same 2010 period.

Once the country achieves the target volume of 21.12 million MT by 2013, this will give the Philippines more than enough to cover its domestic consumption and rice reserves.
By then, Alcala said that the country may even export organic, fancy rice varieties to the US and Europe. — AY/VS

News Update Aquino brags about Philippines' improved weather forecasting facilities

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III boasted to members of the Filipino community here on Friday about changes in the performance of the country's weather bureau under his administration.

In a speech to a group of overseas Filipino workers, Aquino related how he personally checked on the reported shortage of equipment and other financial problems besetting the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) shortly after he was sworn into office last year.

From giving out several erroneous predictions on weather disturbances in the past, Aquino said, Pagasa has slowly improved its performance in warning the public about oncoming typhoons.

The President also informed Filipino workers here about his administration's efforts to curb corruption, improve the delivery of basic services and spur economic development though infrastructure development and improving the basic education.

"Magbabago ang Pilipinas at nababago na natin (The Philippines will change and we are starting to change it)," the President said.

News Update NBP inmate found buried in prison compound

Found buried under a hut inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) compound, after being missing for two days, was the body of New Bilibid Prison inmate Brian Peña.

Peña's remains were discovered at 3 p.m. Thursday and the initial probe revealed the cause of death was a stab wound made with a balisong or buttefly knife.

Investigators said a fellow inmate and member of the Sputnik gang readily admitted to killing the victim.

The suspect, whose identity has been withheld, allegedly stabbed Peña for stealing some personal belongings.

In a TV interview with Saksi’s James Velasquez, NBP officer-in-charge PG3 Eduardo Gogorza said, “Siya po’y naniniwalang ‘yung namatay, nagpupunta sa kaniyang kubol at nagnanakaw ng kaniyang gamit. Nawawala kasi ang kaniyang alkansya." — AY/ELR/VS

News Update Coloma takes responsibility for inverted PHL flag incident

A Malacañang official on Friday took responsibility for the inverted photo of the Philippine flag posted on the official website of the Office of the President, even as he said the OP now adopts strict measures to ensure the accuracy of pictures and articles they post.

Ako na lang ang magte-take ng responsibility kasi ayoko rin naman na maapektuhan masyado ‘yung employee concerned ‘di ba? Bata pa yung empleyado. Kailangan din naman ma-encourage pa rin," Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters Friday.

Coloma is the head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office which is in charge of the OP website.

He said the concerned employee immediately reported to his superiors the incident after he realized the mistake and took down the inverted flag.

Unfortunately, the mistake was screen grabbed by GMA News Online.

“I’m satisfied with the explanation. It was an honest mistake that was committed in good faith. Wala namang willful intent," Coloma said.

To prevent similar incident from happening, he said they decided to tighten their editing procedures.

“Kasi ang maaring nangyari d’yan, even if it was removed, may mga nagmo-monitor — kasi ‘pag nagmo-monitor ka, unless you refresh it makikita mo pa rin ‘yung dati. So ganun lang ‘yon: immediately noticed, immediately rectified, immediately removed, immediately reported," Coloma said.

The incident happened even as the OP website encouraged Filipinos to display the Philippine flag from May 28 to June 12, the Philippine Independence Day. But the site displayed the Philippine flag upside down, inadvertently indicating that the Philippines is at war. — LBG

Friday, May 27, 2011

News Update So: The Azkals in Cebu

ARE the Azkals a national treasure that they need to have security all throughout their stay in Cebu such that guests who enter the resort where they are staying are screened?
From the way the team’s administrative manager is said to have instructed the resort staff, yes, they are. And the team is using human resources whose services the public is paying for to secure the players.
I’m talking about the local police who, in all likelihood, can’t even match the names of the Azkals to their faces. I can’t either. I recognize only the German coach, Hans Weiss (heart sign here).
For the Azkals to ask for privacy during their downtime is understandable, but for legitimate journalists to be barred from entering the resort on say-so of the Azkals’ administrative manager is inappropriate.
The Azkals, who arrived in Cebu yesterday without the crushes ng bayan Phil and James Younghusband and Anton del Rosario, are here for five days for various commitments.

News Update BSP business confidence index drops for 2nd straight quarter

Business confidence in the local market fell for the second straight quarter on the back of higher operating costs and delayed government disbursements, a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey showed Thursday.
The BSP's Business Expectation Survey showed that for the second quarter of the year, the business confidence index dropped to 31.8 percent, down 33 percent from its first-quarter figures.
The confidence index is computed as the percentage of firms that answered positively, subtracted by the percentage of those that answered negatively in terms of certain given indicators.
Rosabel Guerrero, BSP Department of Economic Statistics director, said a number of factors went into play to influence the weak business sentiment for the second quarter.
"They cited some domestic constraints to the business environment that contributed to their weaker sentiment, namely, higher operational costs as well as slow business procedures and fund disbursements for government construction projects," Guerrero said.
Rising global oil and commodity prices, as well as the ongoing conflicts in Middle Eastern countries, also played a role in the weak business outlook, she added.
BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, however, quickly dismissed speculations that the somber results of the survey could mean businessmen are getting impatient with the Aquino administration.
"There is no basis for that," Guinigundo stressed.
Perceived economic slowdown
For the next quarter, Guerrero said the confidence index similarly declined to 33 percent due to the perceived economic slowdown this year.
"The second quarter and third quarter 2011 outlook suggests that the Philippine growth trend could be sustained, but a slowdown is possible after the reported growth of 7.6 percent in 2010," she said.
Industry-wise, the survey revealed that business outlook index likewise eased as it settled at 31.9 percent in the second quarter, from 48.1 percent in the previous quarter.
Business confidence index of the construction sector, meanwhile, fell to 41.9 percent despite being the most optimistic among all sectors.
Guerrero said the respondents' views were weighed down by the government's slow disbursements of funds for infrastructure projects under the PPP scheme, the increasing costs of building materials and the cost-cutting efforts of the government.
Index of the services and the wholesale and retail industries likewise plummeted to 39.3 percent and 23.9 percent, respectively, in light of the recent Japan disasters and the elevated prices of oil and commodity in the world market.
The Q2 2011 Business Expectation Survey was conducted from April 1 to May 10 and covered 1,625 firms nationwide.
Aside from confidence in doing local business, the survey also revealed that firms see inflation and interest rates rising and the peso appreciating further against the US dollar. — JMT/VS

News Update Thai investors express readiness to expand in PHL

Thai investors on Thursday expressed readiness to expand their businesses to the Philippines in separate meetings with President Aquino III, who is in Thailand for a state visit.

Communications Strategy Secretary Ricky Carandang, who is with the President in Thailand, said the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group wants to expand its agribusiness to the Philippines because the foot-and-mouth disease is not prevalent in the country.

Aquino met with Dhanin Chearavanont, CP chairman and CEO; Adirek Sripratak, president and CEO of CP Foods PLC; and Pinij Kungvankij, senior vice president of CP Foods PLC.

Siam Cement Group, which owns Mariwasa tiles, also expressed interest in expanding its business. Siam Cement is also looking at investing in the Philippine power sector, Carandang said.

Aquino conferred with SCG president and CEO Kan Trakulhoon, SCG vice president for finance and investment Chaovalit Ekabut, SCG vice president for corporate administration Aree Chavalitcheewingul, SCG Paper president Roongrote Rangsiyopash, SCG Building Materials president Pichit Maipoom, and corporate planning director Bunn Ksemsup.

PTT Public Company Limited, on the other hand, expressed interest in liquefied petroleum gas, Carandang said.

Aquino meanwhile invited PTT president Prasert Bunsumpun, executive vice president Chavalit Punthong, and senior vice president Sarun Rungkasiri to consider putting up terminals for compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations for CNG–run businesses in the country.

Carandang said PTT did not make any commitment but said the company will consider the offer.
Bilateral talks

Aside from the meeting with the top Thai businessmen, President Aquino will be holding bilateral talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

They are expected to discuss issues and programs on agriculture, drug trafficking, regional ties, and participation in international forums which would strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The two leaders will convene a joint news conference and then attend an official dinner.

While in Thailand, Aquino will be conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree in economics by the Kasetsart University, one of Thailand’s leading public universities.

President Aquino will also be meeting with the Filipino community in Thailand.

At least 14,910 Filipinos live and work in Thailand as English teachers, musicians, corporate executives, and administrative and technical staff of the United Nations agencies and other international organizations. — PE/VS

News Update DENR: Overpopulation main cause of Metro flooding

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has tagged overpopulation as the primary cause of flooding in Metro Manila.

The DENR Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said man-made structures built to meet the housing needs of the growing metropolis are blocking the natural flow of rivers and streams.

In a interview with Maki Pulido of GMA News’ “24 Oras," DENR MGB director Leo Jazareno said that natural waterways can cope with the volume of heavy rainfall but the draining of floodwaters is impeded.
“Ang pinaka-kalaban natin ay population. Habang dumadami ang population, nag-e-encroach sa waterways. Inagawan natin yung tubig ng pupuntahan niya. Tapos ‘pag may namatay na tao, sisihin natin yung ulan," he said.
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Jasareno explained the Pasig river — clogged and in need of dredging — is unable to serve its function as the outlet of excess water from the Laguna Lake to Manila Bay. During heavy rains, the river’s floodwaters rise and overflow into Pasig City, Marikina, Pateros, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Parañaque.

“Kasi ang Marikina River, pupunta ng Laguna Lake. And then yung Laguna Lake, pupunta ng Pasig River. So, kung barado ang Pasig River, tataas ang tubig sa Laguna Lake. ‘Yung Marikina River, tataas din," Jasareno said.

Nazareno suggests that aside from dredging another effective solution is the relocation of squatters who populate areas at and near Pasig river and other major waterways. —AY/ELR/VS

News Update Warden denies special treatment for Ampatuans

The warden of the Quezon City Jail Annex in Taguig City on Thursday maintained that the suspects and the accused in the Maguindanao massacre case are not receiving special treatment while in detention.
Chief Inspector Glennford Valdepeñas made the assurance after Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, whose wife and sisters were among the massacre victims, showed to the media photographs showing Andal Ampatuan Sr., a prime suspect in the case, being able to stay outside his detention cell.
Some of the photographs, which Mangudadatu claimed came from a reliable source, showed what he said were Ampatuan Sr.’s wife, masseuse, and cook. He said the pictures showed that at least 13 people were visiting Andal Sr. in a day, way beyond the allowable three visitors per day.
Maguindanao Gov. Toto Mangudadatu shows photos alleging massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr. is getting special treatment in jail. Mark MerueñasAlso detained in connection with the gruesome crime are Ampatuan Sr.'s three sons: Andal Jr., Zaldy and Sajid.
Valdepenas refused to comment on the photos, saying he has yet to see them. However, he assured the public that the pictures and the supposed "special treatment" did not happen under his tenure.
Unfair
"It's really unfair na iparatang sa akin ang ganyang mga akusasyon ," he said.
Valdepeñas said he assumed the jail warden post last April 7 and challenged Mangudadatu to divulge the dates when the photographs were taken. Mangudadatu said the photos were taken this year, although he could not say the exact date.
During a break in Thursday's proceedings, tension gripped the jail facility as relatives of the massacre victims insisted on conducting a surprise visit to the detention cells of Andal Sr. and the other accused individuals to ensure that they were still behind bars and are not receiving special treatment.
Jail officials prevented everyone from going up to the upper floor of the four-storey jail facility, where the accused and the suspects are locked up. Jail authorities said they would only allow one lawyer each from the defense and the prosecution.
The relatives did not take the condition lightly and demanded that even the relatives be allowed to join the inspection. The relatives ended up not being able to push through with the inspection.
Valdepeñas later told reporters that he was only following the "rules and procedures for security reasons."
The warden said as much as possible complainants are not allowed to see the accused men to prevent possible confrontation between the two parties.
"May mga napukpok na dati. Iyon pala complainant kasi iyong bumisita," Valdepeñas said.
Just the same, the jail warden assured the families of the victims that the suspects are still inside their facility, saying no less than officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology made a personal inspection of the cells and found nothing wrong in them.
No special treatment
For his part, defense lawyer Gregorio Narvasa echoed Valdepeñas and said his client is not receiving any special treatment, adding that Andal Sr. in fact is still suffering from a swollen left foot.
Reacting to Mangudadatu's especial treatment claims, Narvasa said: "It's really hard if we base our accusations on say-so's."
He said he was not against a surprise inspection so long as "the rights of privacy of the accused [are] not violated."
Victims' kin seeks P16M in damages
During the continuation of the trial, the prosecution presented Ma. Cipriana Gatchalian to testify on the civil aspect of the multiple murder case.
Gatchalian, wife of slain journalist Santos Gatchalian, told the court that her family is demanding from the suspects a total of P16 million in damages.
The breakdown of the amount is as follows: P10 million in moral damages, P5 million in actual damages, and P112,000 in exemplary damages. She also said her husband would have earned at least P1 million if he were still living today. — KBK

News Update Smuggling case filed vs car dealer

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Motorcycle dealer Lynard Allan Bigcas is facing smuggling charges filed against him by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The case, filed Monday before the City Prosecutor's Office, was in violation of a provision of the country's Tariff and Customs Code (Republic Act 1937) and Executive Order 156, Series of 2002 against smuggling, said City Prosecutor Fidel Macauyag.
He said the charges were based on the 14 motorbikes that were confiscated in Barangay Kauswagan during a raid inside Bigcas's rented warehouse last May 3.
The NBI and Federal Bureau of Investigation, which conducted verification of the vehicles, earlier confirmed that 11 of the luxury cars were considered stolen based on United States laws.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

News Update Invest in natural gas pipelines, says Shell exec

If the Philippines wants its natural gas program for the transport sector to work, the country will have to invest in gas pipelines, Shell country chairman Edgar Chua said on Thursday.

The realization was the result of a seven-year pilot test on the mother-daughter compressed natural gas (CNG) program between the Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and the Department of Energy (DOE).

"The purpose of that pilot is to determine the feasibility of putting in a mother and daughter station without a pipeline. Our experience showed that it's very difficult. This is the learning of the pilot," he said.

In 2003, Shell and the DOE signed an agreement on the seven-year Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Pubic Transport (NGVPPT) that would eventually benefit over 200 buses. The Shell group also operates the Malampaya gas field in Northwest Palawan.

However, it was only in late 2007 that the project was realized with the CNG refilling station in Mamplasan, Laguna, which serviced 22 buses and sold CNG at P14.75 per liter. Once the station goes into commercial operations, it is expected to sell CNG at P25 per liter.

Supply problems encountered

"Right now, the original memorandum of understanding, which was a tripartite agreement with bus companies, DOE and Shell, was for one mother and daughter station. We have met our commitment, although we have encountered problems in keeping steady supply because of the infrastructure," Chua said.

At the end of the testing period, the company might still opt to join NGVPPT.

"Even with a pipeline and if that time comes, we can always come back and set up the downstream infrastructure, if we want to participate. When the infrastructure is there, then it's an easier decision, we can just say we want to come back and build a network of CNG refilling stations," he said.

Earlier, the DOE had plans of taking over the Mamplasan project from Shell to cushion the impact of higher oil prices on the transport sector and ensure the smooth distribution of natural gas for public transport.

Shell had also expressed plans of backing out of the deal which involved creating additional CNG mother-daughter stations as part of the project’s second phase.

The government has yet to determine the program beyond the pilot phase due to a lack of gas source. The current program uses Galileo technology from Argentina but there are plans to get technology from New Zealand.

“Over the long-term, we will also not rely on natural gas from Malampaya. We will utilize imported liquefied natural gas [to fuel the buses]," said Energy Undersecretary Jay Layug.

Layug said that with the new plans, they are keen on raising the number of CNG buses to 1,000. Only 35 buses are currently running on CNG because of the CNG supply shortage. — BC/VS

News Update Thousands evacuate as typhoon skirts Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of people along the eastern Philippine coastline were moving to temporary shelters Thursday as a powerful typhoon packing strong winds and plenty of rain roared toward the country's northeast.
Typhoon Songda was not expected to make landfall but will skirt along shores with winds of up to 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour and rainfall of 1.2 inches (30 millimeters), the government weather bureau said.
"It has a big radius, so it can affect many areas even if it does not make landfall," said forecaster Mario Palafox.
About 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, killing hundreds of people and destroying crops despite government efforts to minimize casualties and damage by ordering early evacuations.
In central Albay province, Gov. Joey Salceda sent military trucks to begin moving 250,000 residents from coastal and landslide-prone villages and areas in the path of debris from the Mayon volcano. He also offered 11 pounds (five kilograms) of rice as an incentive for each family that evacuates.
Government offices in the region were closed and flights canceled. More than 7,000 people were stranded in ports after the coast guard barred sea travel in areas with typhoon warnings.
In other provinces leading up to the northwest, officials have collected rubber boats and food supplies and put rescuers on standby.
"Local government officials have enough time to prepare, so we hope we have" no casualties, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
President Benigno Aquino III left on a visit to Thailand on Thursday but instructed officials to send him regular updates.

News Update NBI sending more agents to FBI training

MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now sending more agents to train with experts from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“We are sending more NBI agents to the training conferences and in the years to come. More initiatives will be given to use,” said NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula, during an interview with reporters at the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) 14th Asia-Pacific Training Conference 2011, held at the Sofitel Hotel, Pasay City.
Gatdula is the president of the FBINAA Asia Pacific Chapter.
He said they will have more openness in their request for trainings for the NBI agents and Philippines National Police officers.
The NBI director believed this will lead to more cooperation as he cited the need for it.
Gatdula said partnership is the key for security so that all our communities will be secured, our families, and our governments.
Participants to the 6-day FBINAA 14th Asia Pacific Chapter, which opened Monday, came from 23 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timore Leste and the United States of America.
Gatdula noted that the country’s law enforcers are always on alert and have been sharing information with our neighboring countries, particularly with Indonesia and Malaysia.
“We have been doing so many things. Thanks to the information given by our counterparts from the United States. The basic thing to do is sharing of information. We will have some communications with them. Plus with the formal ones we are doing with our embassies,” he said.
Gatdula said the NBI is continuously exchanging information with the FBI because combating terrorism is not a one day affair, and it is a long process.
He said the NBI is also continuously training and sending people to the different areas.
“We really intend to curb this menace. But you know, we really need more support and more access to information,” he said.
Through the training conference, Gatdula said participants hope to achieve the common shared advocacy of achieving global peace and security.
He pointed out that enforcing the rule of law, eradicating the threats to human security and promoting regional harmony calls for a collective responsibility of all law enforcement agencies.
He said the training conference convene year after year because of the need to heed the call for a new consensus to achieve for everyone the freedom from fear.
“Despite progress in many places, we continue to absorb the toll of transnational fears, such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, transnational crime, trafficking of women and children, drug trafficking, organized crime empowered by new technologies and the fragility of stakes. The security challenge now transcends international war,” Gatdula said.
He said the retrainers enabled the participants not only to be better acquainted but also to share our views and to voice concerns to develop strategies for cooperation.
- By Sandy Araneta

News Update Carjack-slay suspect back in govt custody after ‘escape’

An accused in the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista who reportedly escaped from his custodians has already turned himself in to authorities, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Wednesday.
De Lima said that Alfred Mendiola escaped from his custodians in Quezon City last Tuesday, but turned himself in at the Bulacan Provincial Jail the next day.
Mendiola has been placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program as he was being considered as a state witness against Raymond and Roger Dominguez, the alleged leaders of the Dominguez car theft syndicate.
The group is supposedly behind Evangelista's killing last January.
Despite being covered by the WPP, Mendiola is still included among the accused in the Evangelista murder case because the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 has yet to remove him from the charge sheet.
Strict rules
De Lima said Mendiola had been complaining that he no longer wanted to stay in the safehouse given to him by the WPP because of the strict rules imposed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which supervises the program. She said Mendiola wanted easy access from his visitors.
At a court hearing on Tuesday, Mendoza’s camp requested that he be transferred to the Bulacan jail. The Quezon City court did not grant his request.
After the hearing, Mendiola told his custodians that he will use the rest room at a fast-food restaurant. But instead of returning to the vehicle, Mendiola reportedly “created a scene and escaped," De Lima said.
De Lima said she found out about Mendiola’s surrender after she contacted Mendiola’s lawyer on Wednesday morning. “He (Mendiola) does not want to return to our safehouse anymore," she said.
De Lima: Mendiola remains under WPP
De Lima said she will consult with the prosecutors handling the Evangelista murder case regarding the possible revocation of the WPP’s coverage on Mendiola.
“Strictly speaking, he violated WPP rules. His escape is already a violation. So strictly speaking, that is a ground for revocation. But I cannot just revoke the coverage. I still have to consult with the prosecutors, because this might jeopardize the case," she said.
De Lima also said they could not grant Mendiola’s request. “We cannot do that because of security concerns. Remember, we are up against a syndicate! We cannot let these dictate us. Hindi pwedeng lahat ng luho nila ay automatically binibigay sa kanila. May rules and limitations."
She added that Mendiola cannot stay at the Bulacan jail because it is not under the jurisdiction of the QC Regional Trial Court, which is handling the murder case against him and other members of the Dominguez car theft syndicate.
De Lima likewise said that it is the QC court that will ultimately decide whether Mendiola can stay at the Bulacan jail. — KBK