Philippines. Its main attraction is a 25-meter long, 220 degree curved acrylic walkway tunnel. Aside from the Oceanarium itself, the marine park has also boutique mall, restaurant row, and function facilities. It is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Group Ltd (COG); a company that specializes in the investment, building, and operation of public aquarium/oceanarium attractions.
The Oceanarium journey is divided into six sections and each section will carry a Filipino name: “Agos”; “Bahura”; “Buhay na Karagatan”; “Pating”; “Ang Kailaliman”; and “Laot”. It replicates the water flow from a fresh water source that eventually leads to the open ocean, creating a model of interconnectedness between land and sea. It then takes one through the different depths of the sea showcasing each area’s beautiful and natural inhabitants.
Manila Ocean Park president Lim Chee Yong proudly said that the marine park would be among the most advanced ocean parks in Asia.
It could also well be one of the biggest in Asia with an area larger than the famous Sentosa oceanarium in Singapore. “Sentosa is 6,000 square meters while this one is 8,000 square meters,” Lim said. He also compared the Manila Ocean Park with Hong Kong Ocean Park adding that although it has lots of fun rides, “the Hong Kong Ocean Park showcases a smaller oceanarium.”
The ocean park project has an approximately cost of 1 billion pesos that would contain 12,000 cubic meters of seawater featuring 300 marine species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Manila Ocean Park was first opened to the public last March 1, 2008. Until then, the Manila Ocean Park is open everyday from 10:00AM to 9:00PM. Admission fee is Php 400.00 for adults and Php 350.00 for kids.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
News Update Lessons from floods
With hundreds of people still missing in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, flashfloods have again struck, this time inundating parts of Bukidnon and Surigao in up to three feet of water. This is not supposed to be typhoon or flood season, but many things are being upended in the age of climate change.
At least the latest floods did not claim lives and did not have the force of the rampaging waters that devastated Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. The confirmed death toll in the two cities has breached 1,000 and the final count could be over a thousand more.
The flashfloods could happen again, and improving the government’s response should be given priority in the coming year. While the floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were unusual, they were not entirely unexpected. Environmental groups have pointed out that detailed warnings were issued several years ago but were ignored by disaster mitigation officials and local government executives. Obviously the warnings had been completely forgotten by the time tropical storm “Sendong” swelled rivers and spawned torrential flooding in many low-lying areas of Mindanao.
Authorities must take a closer look at the capability of the weather bureau to predict the amount of rainfall. Sendong was not even classified as a typhoon and the worst-hit areas were placed merely under storm warning signal No. 2. The government must also review evacuation protocols and facilities. People typically refuse to heed evacuation warnings because of the inadequacy of evacuation resources and fears of losing their belongings to looters if homes are abandoned.
This country is in the path of tropical cyclones and lies in the so-called Ring of Fire, making it prone to powerful earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. It’s time for the government to develop decent evacuation facilities. It’s time to improve its overall preparedness for dealing with natural calamities.
At least the latest floods did not claim lives and did not have the force of the rampaging waters that devastated Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. The confirmed death toll in the two cities has breached 1,000 and the final count could be over a thousand more.
The flashfloods could happen again, and improving the government’s response should be given priority in the coming year. While the floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were unusual, they were not entirely unexpected. Environmental groups have pointed out that detailed warnings were issued several years ago but were ignored by disaster mitigation officials and local government executives. Obviously the warnings had been completely forgotten by the time tropical storm “Sendong” swelled rivers and spawned torrential flooding in many low-lying areas of Mindanao.
Authorities must take a closer look at the capability of the weather bureau to predict the amount of rainfall. Sendong was not even classified as a typhoon and the worst-hit areas were placed merely under storm warning signal No. 2. The government must also review evacuation protocols and facilities. People typically refuse to heed evacuation warnings because of the inadequacy of evacuation resources and fears of losing their belongings to looters if homes are abandoned.
This country is in the path of tropical cyclones and lies in the so-called Ring of Fire, making it prone to powerful earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. It’s time for the government to develop decent evacuation facilities. It’s time to improve its overall preparedness for dealing with natural calamities.
kopi talk Philippines' most anticipated projects of 2012
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - With 2012 just one more day away, perhaps, it's time to raise our champagne glasses and offer a toast to all the wonderful new structures as well as residential developments we will be anticipating in the coming months.
These are no ordinary projects as they are set to become iconic if not meaningful for a country that seeks solutions to sustainability challenges as well as international acclamation.
While there are several grand projects that will see completion or turnover in 2012, these four are perhaps worthy of our attention.
1 Philippines' most eco-responsible high-rise building. The bamboo-and-flowing-water-inspired Zuellig building located at the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati City is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
Within this 33-storey building lie several innovative technologies that enabled it to become the country's first to be precertified as Gold level under the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design Core and Shell (LEED-CS) program of the United States Green Building Council.
Upon completion, the Zuellig building is even aiming for the LEED Platinum certification, the highest level granted by the USGBC.
Compared to other conventional Prime and Grade A buildings in the country, tenants of the Zuellig building are set to enjoy cost savings of at least 15 percent in energy consumption or a minimum of 4.3-million kilowatt hours saved per year.
Productivity of employees working in "green" buildings may increase by up to 18 percent, considering that in the case of Zuellig, 90 percent of the tenants' interior spaces will use natural daylight and that the structure will employ carbon dioxide monitoring system (pump fresh, conditioned air whenever necessary) that could ensure occupants' health and safety.
As a result, tenants are set to gain from a boost in their image and branding, which may even contribute to stronger business in the long run.
2 The country's tallest building. Towering near the intersection of Makati Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue is the newly crowned tallest building in the Philippines.
Launched in 2007, The Gramercy Residences at Century City rises 73 stories or 302 meters beating the previous title holder, the 52-storey- and 259-meter Philippine Bank of Communications Tower on Ayala Avenue.
The Gramercy Residences at Century City, which is the first residential tower to rise at the 3.4-hectare mixed-use Century City, is set to be completed and turned over to its residents in 2012.
John Victor Antonio, COO of the building's developer, Century Properties, is specially proud of the structure considering that the topping off of Gramercy Residences at Century City early in January 2011 coincided with the company's 25th anniversary.
Aside from the prestige that the building offers its future residents, Gramercy Residences at Century City will feature three floors of hyper-amenities called the Skypark.
Located 36 stories above the ground and traversing the entire width of the building, the breathtaking Skypark will feature waterfalls, infinity pools, a designer restaurant, health club and more.
3 Philippines' latest international caliber indoor arena. With a full house capacity of 20,000, the SM Mall of Asia Arena is 5,000 more than the current benchmark in sports and concert venues, the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Set to open in May 2012, the SM MOA Arena is set to become the new home of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The MOA Arena in Pasay City features world-class standards of operations and premium facilities-considering that it even plans to invite teams of the National Basketball Association to hold its games here-including seats that feature cup holders and those that could be retracted.
The MOA Arena also offers 40-room corporate suites that could accommodate 20 persons (each room has its own mini-bar, couches, restroom and viewing area).
It is connected to a 2,000-capacity car park.
4 The country's most exclusive yet affordable enclave. For a minimum of just 2.3 million pesos and with payment terms of up to 48 months, The Grove by Rockwell is perhaps the best offer that emerging professionals, newlyweds and starting families may be able to enjoy as they aspire for the most luxurious and most exclusive life.
Located on E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C5) near the corner of Ortigas avenue in Pasig City, The Grove by Rockwell is the first foray in the upper middle-income market of high-end real estate developer Rockwell Land Corp.
Early buyers must be celebrating as Rockwell Land is set to turn over the two of the six 24-storey towers in June 2012. These two towers will feature units made up of a mix of garden units, flats, lofts and Z-lofts.
Designed to bring the Rockwell lifestyle to Ortigas, The Grove by Rockwell is designed for those who demand luxury and comfort.
Seventy-five percent of 5.4 hectare property was devoted to open space and landscaped greenery. Rockwell Land Corp. even partnered with Dallas-based architect Don Wilder and world-class landscape artist Karl Princic to create secluded pocket gardens, winding trails and landscapes that will give its residents the feeling of being far away from the city (despite the fact that the place is just right across shopping mecca, the Tiendesitas.
These are no ordinary projects as they are set to become iconic if not meaningful for a country that seeks solutions to sustainability challenges as well as international acclamation.
While there are several grand projects that will see completion or turnover in 2012, these four are perhaps worthy of our attention.
1 Philippines' most eco-responsible high-rise building. The bamboo-and-flowing-water-inspired Zuellig building located at the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati City is scheduled to be completed in 2011.
Within this 33-storey building lie several innovative technologies that enabled it to become the country's first to be precertified as Gold level under the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design Core and Shell (LEED-CS) program of the United States Green Building Council.
Upon completion, the Zuellig building is even aiming for the LEED Platinum certification, the highest level granted by the USGBC.
Compared to other conventional Prime and Grade A buildings in the country, tenants of the Zuellig building are set to enjoy cost savings of at least 15 percent in energy consumption or a minimum of 4.3-million kilowatt hours saved per year.
Productivity of employees working in "green" buildings may increase by up to 18 percent, considering that in the case of Zuellig, 90 percent of the tenants' interior spaces will use natural daylight and that the structure will employ carbon dioxide monitoring system (pump fresh, conditioned air whenever necessary) that could ensure occupants' health and safety.
As a result, tenants are set to gain from a boost in their image and branding, which may even contribute to stronger business in the long run.
2 The country's tallest building. Towering near the intersection of Makati Avenue and Kalayaan Avenue is the newly crowned tallest building in the Philippines.
Launched in 2007, The Gramercy Residences at Century City rises 73 stories or 302 meters beating the previous title holder, the 52-storey- and 259-meter Philippine Bank of Communications Tower on Ayala Avenue.
The Gramercy Residences at Century City, which is the first residential tower to rise at the 3.4-hectare mixed-use Century City, is set to be completed and turned over to its residents in 2012.
John Victor Antonio, COO of the building's developer, Century Properties, is specially proud of the structure considering that the topping off of Gramercy Residences at Century City early in January 2011 coincided with the company's 25th anniversary.
Aside from the prestige that the building offers its future residents, Gramercy Residences at Century City will feature three floors of hyper-amenities called the Skypark.
Located 36 stories above the ground and traversing the entire width of the building, the breathtaking Skypark will feature waterfalls, infinity pools, a designer restaurant, health club and more.
3 Philippines' latest international caliber indoor arena. With a full house capacity of 20,000, the SM Mall of Asia Arena is 5,000 more than the current benchmark in sports and concert venues, the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Set to open in May 2012, the SM MOA Arena is set to become the new home of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The MOA Arena in Pasay City features world-class standards of operations and premium facilities-considering that it even plans to invite teams of the National Basketball Association to hold its games here-including seats that feature cup holders and those that could be retracted.
The MOA Arena also offers 40-room corporate suites that could accommodate 20 persons (each room has its own mini-bar, couches, restroom and viewing area).
It is connected to a 2,000-capacity car park.
4 The country's most exclusive yet affordable enclave. For a minimum of just 2.3 million pesos and with payment terms of up to 48 months, The Grove by Rockwell is perhaps the best offer that emerging professionals, newlyweds and starting families may be able to enjoy as they aspire for the most luxurious and most exclusive life.
Located on E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C5) near the corner of Ortigas avenue in Pasig City, The Grove by Rockwell is the first foray in the upper middle-income market of high-end real estate developer Rockwell Land Corp.
Early buyers must be celebrating as Rockwell Land is set to turn over the two of the six 24-storey towers in June 2012. These two towers will feature units made up of a mix of garden units, flats, lofts and Z-lofts.
Designed to bring the Rockwell lifestyle to Ortigas, The Grove by Rockwell is designed for those who demand luxury and comfort.
Seventy-five percent of 5.4 hectare property was devoted to open space and landscaped greenery. Rockwell Land Corp. even partnered with Dallas-based architect Don Wilder and world-class landscape artist Karl Princic to create secluded pocket gardens, winding trails and landscapes that will give its residents the feeling of being far away from the city (despite the fact that the place is just right across shopping mecca, the Tiendesitas.
News Update Deadly Philippine typhoon's flash floods likened to tsunami
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Like a rampaging tsunami, but with more destructive debris that tore up everything in its path.
This was how a University of the Philippines geologist described the flash floods that hit Iligan City at the height of Tropical Storm 'Sendong' which left more than 400 dead in the city alone.
Alfredo Mahar Lagmay explained that the rushing waters which came from the upstream part of the Mandulog River were so strong that they swept away everything in their path-from rocks, mud, to whole trees.
"It was like a tsunami, but with more debris that made it even more erosive," Lagmay said, as he described the extent of the "hyperconcentrated" flash flood's strength.
And while illegal logging in the mountains above the city may have been a factor in the destruction, Lagmay said the primary cause of the flash floods was the heavy rains.
"Logging-may it be legal or illegal-may have aggravated the floods, but the primary reason for this was the extreme rainfall brought about by Sendong," he told a press briefing yesterday (December 30).
UP sends a team
Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, was part of a team that the university had sent to Iligan City after the flash floods which swept away entire homes and communities.
The storm dumped 350 millimetres of rain on northwestern Mindanao on the night of December 16 up to the early hours of December 17, causing the flash floods that crept in while people slept soundly in their homes.
This was less than the 455 mm of rainfall that Tropical Storm 'Ondoy' dumped on Metro Manila in 2009, but just as severe, Lagmay noted.
As of December 28, 456 were reported to have died and 466 still missing in Iligan City alone, with 863 injured, Lagmay said.
The UP team focused its efforts on Iligan City through a partnership with Sen. Koko Pimentel.
Worse than Guinsaugon
"We think the destruction in Iligan City is worse than that of Cagayan de Oro... even worse than what happened in 2006 in Guinsaugon (Southern Leyte)," Lagmay said.
Describing the flash floods which rampaged through Iligan City, the geologist said the floods were of a high velocity and highly erosive because of the debris that the waters took with them from the upstream Mandulog River.
According to the geologist, the flood plain-the area of flat land beside a river that is frequently flooded when a river becomes too full-is a natural part of the river system during events of extreme rainfall.
The Mandulog River runs for 50 kilometres, with the barangays of Santiago, Hinaplanon and Upper Hinaplanon in Iligan City far downstream.
These areas were among the worst hit by the floods, although Lagmay said the number of deaths may have been underreported because in some cases, entire communities were wiped out.
None left to report missing
"There was no one to report the missing because communities were wiped out," he explained.
Lagmay described the flood coming from upstream as not just water but filled with rocks, sediments, logs and everything it encountered in its path-making it more destructive.
"It's a little similar to lahar but not quite because lahar is volcanic in nature," he said.
In some areas of the Mandulog River, the floods wiped out everything from 300 meters up to a kilometer away from the river bank.
"I even saw some areas on the riverbanks where trees were uprooted and fallen," said UP vice president for public affairs Prospero de Vera.
Lagmay said the damage along the riverbank stretched for some 35 km.
Flattened subdivision
He also showed reporters a photo of Orchid Homes Subdivision in Santiago town, which used to be a village with concrete houses.
After Sendong's wrath, the stone-and-concrete subdivision had been flattened into debris and mud.
Lagmay recalled tearing up while taking aerial shots of the damage in Iligan City.
"It was the first time that I tore up while taking photos of the damage. I was so moved," he said.
The 22-person team was composed of four subteams-a medical mission team, a public health team, Lagmay's team of geologists and a forensics team.
UP president Alfredo Pascual said this was part of the university's mandate to provide services to the country as required in the new UP charter.
No man's land
While the geological team has yet to finalize its recommendations, one thing is clear: Lagmay said the town of Santiago should not be occupied again.
"If the same thing were to happen 10 years from now, the damage will be much greater," he warned.
The city government has proposed a resettlement area in Sta. Elena, which Lagmay said "appears to be all right".
Lying south of Iligan City, Sta. Elena was left undamaged by the floods.
The geologist, however, stressed the need for communities and individuals to be informed of the existing geohazard maps so that they know now to react in case of such calamities.
"If they don't know there's a geohazard map, then [they should] ask for one from the barangay, the officials. This must be a cooperative effort of everybody, including individuals," he added.
Missing persons list
Forensic expert Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria called for a more comprehensive missing persons list to be able to identify both the dead and the living.
She recalled that during their stay in Iligan City, she encountered medical professionals and community workers who were ready to help from day one but were not fully utilized as first responders.
"The local government and the community must be empowered to address the situation since they are the ones who are there, not the National Bureau of Investigation profilers," said De Ungria.
This was how a University of the Philippines geologist described the flash floods that hit Iligan City at the height of Tropical Storm 'Sendong' which left more than 400 dead in the city alone.
Alfredo Mahar Lagmay explained that the rushing waters which came from the upstream part of the Mandulog River were so strong that they swept away everything in their path-from rocks, mud, to whole trees.
"It was like a tsunami, but with more debris that made it even more erosive," Lagmay said, as he described the extent of the "hyperconcentrated" flash flood's strength.
And while illegal logging in the mountains above the city may have been a factor in the destruction, Lagmay said the primary cause of the flash floods was the heavy rains.
"Logging-may it be legal or illegal-may have aggravated the floods, but the primary reason for this was the extreme rainfall brought about by Sendong," he told a press briefing yesterday (December 30).
UP sends a team
Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, was part of a team that the university had sent to Iligan City after the flash floods which swept away entire homes and communities.
The storm dumped 350 millimetres of rain on northwestern Mindanao on the night of December 16 up to the early hours of December 17, causing the flash floods that crept in while people slept soundly in their homes.
This was less than the 455 mm of rainfall that Tropical Storm 'Ondoy' dumped on Metro Manila in 2009, but just as severe, Lagmay noted.
As of December 28, 456 were reported to have died and 466 still missing in Iligan City alone, with 863 injured, Lagmay said.
The UP team focused its efforts on Iligan City through a partnership with Sen. Koko Pimentel.
Worse than Guinsaugon
"We think the destruction in Iligan City is worse than that of Cagayan de Oro... even worse than what happened in 2006 in Guinsaugon (Southern Leyte)," Lagmay said.
Describing the flash floods which rampaged through Iligan City, the geologist said the floods were of a high velocity and highly erosive because of the debris that the waters took with them from the upstream Mandulog River.
According to the geologist, the flood plain-the area of flat land beside a river that is frequently flooded when a river becomes too full-is a natural part of the river system during events of extreme rainfall.
The Mandulog River runs for 50 kilometres, with the barangays of Santiago, Hinaplanon and Upper Hinaplanon in Iligan City far downstream.
These areas were among the worst hit by the floods, although Lagmay said the number of deaths may have been underreported because in some cases, entire communities were wiped out.
None left to report missing
"There was no one to report the missing because communities were wiped out," he explained.
Lagmay described the flood coming from upstream as not just water but filled with rocks, sediments, logs and everything it encountered in its path-making it more destructive.
"It's a little similar to lahar but not quite because lahar is volcanic in nature," he said.
In some areas of the Mandulog River, the floods wiped out everything from 300 meters up to a kilometer away from the river bank.
"I even saw some areas on the riverbanks where trees were uprooted and fallen," said UP vice president for public affairs Prospero de Vera.
Lagmay said the damage along the riverbank stretched for some 35 km.
Flattened subdivision
He also showed reporters a photo of Orchid Homes Subdivision in Santiago town, which used to be a village with concrete houses.
After Sendong's wrath, the stone-and-concrete subdivision had been flattened into debris and mud.
Lagmay recalled tearing up while taking aerial shots of the damage in Iligan City.
"It was the first time that I tore up while taking photos of the damage. I was so moved," he said.
The 22-person team was composed of four subteams-a medical mission team, a public health team, Lagmay's team of geologists and a forensics team.
UP president Alfredo Pascual said this was part of the university's mandate to provide services to the country as required in the new UP charter.
No man's land
While the geological team has yet to finalize its recommendations, one thing is clear: Lagmay said the town of Santiago should not be occupied again.
"If the same thing were to happen 10 years from now, the damage will be much greater," he warned.
The city government has proposed a resettlement area in Sta. Elena, which Lagmay said "appears to be all right".
Lying south of Iligan City, Sta. Elena was left undamaged by the floods.
The geologist, however, stressed the need for communities and individuals to be informed of the existing geohazard maps so that they know now to react in case of such calamities.
"If they don't know there's a geohazard map, then [they should] ask for one from the barangay, the officials. This must be a cooperative effort of everybody, including individuals," he added.
Missing persons list
Forensic expert Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria called for a more comprehensive missing persons list to be able to identify both the dead and the living.
She recalled that during their stay in Iligan City, she encountered medical professionals and community workers who were ready to help from day one but were not fully utilized as first responders.
"The local government and the community must be empowered to address the situation since they are the ones who are there, not the National Bureau of Investigation profilers," said De Ungria.
News Update Philippine FM steps up Syria repatriation efforts
The Philippine foreign minister will fly to Syria to help speed up the repatriation of Filipinos from the strife-torn country, a statement said Saturday.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario will depart on a Qatar Airways flight to Damascus late Saturday to make sure that the repatriation of Filipinos "can be made as secure as possible", the ministry said in a statement.
"During this visit to Syria, we will seek the cooperation and assistance of Syrian officials in ensuring the safety of our people there," del Rosario was quoted as saying in the statement.
"We will also meet with Filipino community leaders to effect the widest dissemination of repatriation (plans), visit exit points and assess the security situation and contingency plans," he added.
Earlier this month, the foreign department offered to fly back all of the 5,000 Filipinos working in Syria as it called for "mandatory repatriation" in the face of the deadly protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
About 56 Filipinos, responding to this warning, are due to arrive from Syria later Saturday, the ministry said.
Since as early as April, Manila has been urging its nationals in Syria -- most of them domestic helpers -- to leave due to the worsening political violence. While some heeded the warning, others have insisted on staying on.
The Philippines is a major labour-exporting country, with about 10 percent of its 94 million population working abroad, many as maids, seamen, construction workers and labourers.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario will depart on a Qatar Airways flight to Damascus late Saturday to make sure that the repatriation of Filipinos "can be made as secure as possible", the ministry said in a statement.
"During this visit to Syria, we will seek the cooperation and assistance of Syrian officials in ensuring the safety of our people there," del Rosario was quoted as saying in the statement.
"We will also meet with Filipino community leaders to effect the widest dissemination of repatriation (plans), visit exit points and assess the security situation and contingency plans," he added.
Earlier this month, the foreign department offered to fly back all of the 5,000 Filipinos working in Syria as it called for "mandatory repatriation" in the face of the deadly protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
About 56 Filipinos, responding to this warning, are due to arrive from Syria later Saturday, the ministry said.
Since as early as April, Manila has been urging its nationals in Syria -- most of them domestic helpers -- to leave due to the worsening political violence. While some heeded the warning, others have insisted on staying on.
The Philippines is a major labour-exporting country, with about 10 percent of its 94 million population working abroad, many as maids, seamen, construction workers and labourers.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
News Update Listed firms raise record P107.5 billion
MANILA, Philippines - Listed firms raised from the equities market a record P107.5 billion in 2011, up 26.6 percent from the 2010 level and 19.3 percent higher than the previous record posted in 2007, data form the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) showed.
Of the total, P9.04 billion was raised from the initial public offerings (IPOs) of Megawide Construction Corp., Puregold Price Club, Cirtek Holdings Philippines, Calapan Ventures and Touch Solutions.
Another P42.85 billion was raised from private placements, P40.61 billion through stock rights offerings, and P15 billion from follow-on offerings.
Total value turnover registered an all-time high of P1.42 trillion, 17.8 percent more than the P1.21 billion recorded a year earlier.
The PSE extended its trading hours to 1 p.m. last October as part of efforts to boost market liquidity. Beginning Jan. 2, 2012, trading hours will further be extended up to 3:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the combined market capitalization of companies listed on the PSE reached P8.7 trillion, helped by the five percent improvement in domestic market capitalization, which capped the year at its highest recorded level of P7.24 trillion.
Preliminary figures also show that foreign investors went into net buying territory in 2011 in the amount of P56.52 billion, 59 percent higher than the year-ago figure of P35.62 billion.
In terms of sectoral indices, the mining and oil index emerged as the best performer in 2011, surging 68.5 percent. This was followed by the holding firms index which went up 3.4 percent.
“The index has been a top performer throughout the year compared with its peers in the region. In fact, the PSEi soared to record highs seven times this year alone,” said PSE president and chief executive officer Hans Sicat.
The 30-company PSEi ended the year on a positive note, advancing 35.33 points or 0.8 percent on Dec. 29, 2011 to close at 4,371.96. It was likewise, up 170.82 points or 4.1 percent from the closing level of 4,201.14 a year before.
“We are glad to report that despite the uncertainties in the global market that hounded us throughout the year, the local stock market has closed 2011 with yet another set of significant milestones,” Sicat said. - By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Of the total, P9.04 billion was raised from the initial public offerings (IPOs) of Megawide Construction Corp., Puregold Price Club, Cirtek Holdings Philippines, Calapan Ventures and Touch Solutions.
Another P42.85 billion was raised from private placements, P40.61 billion through stock rights offerings, and P15 billion from follow-on offerings.
Total value turnover registered an all-time high of P1.42 trillion, 17.8 percent more than the P1.21 billion recorded a year earlier.
The PSE extended its trading hours to 1 p.m. last October as part of efforts to boost market liquidity. Beginning Jan. 2, 2012, trading hours will further be extended up to 3:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the combined market capitalization of companies listed on the PSE reached P8.7 trillion, helped by the five percent improvement in domestic market capitalization, which capped the year at its highest recorded level of P7.24 trillion.
Preliminary figures also show that foreign investors went into net buying territory in 2011 in the amount of P56.52 billion, 59 percent higher than the year-ago figure of P35.62 billion.
In terms of sectoral indices, the mining and oil index emerged as the best performer in 2011, surging 68.5 percent. This was followed by the holding firms index which went up 3.4 percent.
“The index has been a top performer throughout the year compared with its peers in the region. In fact, the PSEi soared to record highs seven times this year alone,” said PSE president and chief executive officer Hans Sicat.
The 30-company PSEi ended the year on a positive note, advancing 35.33 points or 0.8 percent on Dec. 29, 2011 to close at 4,371.96. It was likewise, up 170.82 points or 4.1 percent from the closing level of 4,201.14 a year before.
“We are glad to report that despite the uncertainties in the global market that hounded us throughout the year, the local stock market has closed 2011 with yet another set of significant milestones,” Sicat said. - By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
kopi talk A very worthy Christmas plant
MANILA, Philippines - A popular plant during Christmas is the Pomegranate. Locally known as the Granada, it's got beautiful bright red flowers and fruits. Scientifically, it's called the Punica granatum, a small fruit-bearing deciduous woody shrub or tree that can grow up to eight meters tall.
The name "pomegranate" is derived from the medieval Latin word pomum, meaning "apple" and granatum, meaning "seeded." The species epithet granatum came from the old French word grenat, meaning "garnet," which comes from the medieval Latin word granatum. The latter is an adjective, meaning "having deep, red color." This best describes the color of the plant's arils or seed casings.
The Pomegranate is native to Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times. It was then introduced to Asia and has been cultivated in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, the drier areas of Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and tropical Africa. It was also introduced to Latin America and California by Spanish settlers.
The plant is valued for its fruits, medicinal properties and as an ornamental or garden plant. In Asian countries, it is used as a material for bonsai.
Its flowers are bright red, about three centimeters in diameter, with four to five petals. The edible fruit is a berry and is about five to 12 centimeters in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape and thick reddish skin. There are about 200 to 1,400 seeds in each fruit, with each seed surrounded by a water-laden pulp, also known as the edible aril. It comes in white, deep red or purple. The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy, astringent pulp.
The Pomegranate is easy to grow. It can survive droughts and warm tropical climates. It thrives under full sunlight and would grow optimally if provided with sufficient irrigation, fertilization and planted in fertile soil. In wetter areas, it can be prone to root decay caused by fungal diseases. The plant can also tolerate frost or temperatures as low −10 °C (14 °F). It's prone to attacks by insect pests like the butterfly Virachola isocrates and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus.
The arils are edible and the fruit can be made into juice, sweets or syrup. It's also used as a spice for Pakistani and Indian cuisine. The arils are also used in salads and as an ingredient in various meals. The plant's medicinal properties are sourced from a lot of its parts. For instance, the rind of its fruit, as well as its bark, are used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins, flavonoids, and a good source of dietary fiber.
Since the fruit contains so many seeds, the Pomegranate symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Thus it plays a pivotal role in some cultures during Christmas and the New Year
The name "pomegranate" is derived from the medieval Latin word pomum, meaning "apple" and granatum, meaning "seeded." The species epithet granatum came from the old French word grenat, meaning "garnet," which comes from the medieval Latin word granatum. The latter is an adjective, meaning "having deep, red color." This best describes the color of the plant's arils or seed casings.
The Pomegranate is native to Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times. It was then introduced to Asia and has been cultivated in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, the drier areas of Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and tropical Africa. It was also introduced to Latin America and California by Spanish settlers.
The plant is valued for its fruits, medicinal properties and as an ornamental or garden plant. In Asian countries, it is used as a material for bonsai.
Its flowers are bright red, about three centimeters in diameter, with four to five petals. The edible fruit is a berry and is about five to 12 centimeters in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape and thick reddish skin. There are about 200 to 1,400 seeds in each fruit, with each seed surrounded by a water-laden pulp, also known as the edible aril. It comes in white, deep red or purple. The seeds are embedded in a white, spongy, astringent pulp.
The Pomegranate is easy to grow. It can survive droughts and warm tropical climates. It thrives under full sunlight and would grow optimally if provided with sufficient irrigation, fertilization and planted in fertile soil. In wetter areas, it can be prone to root decay caused by fungal diseases. The plant can also tolerate frost or temperatures as low −10 °C (14 °F). It's prone to attacks by insect pests like the butterfly Virachola isocrates and the leaf-footed bug Leptoglossus zonatus.
The arils are edible and the fruit can be made into juice, sweets or syrup. It's also used as a spice for Pakistani and Indian cuisine. The arils are also used in salads and as an ingredient in various meals. The plant's medicinal properties are sourced from a lot of its parts. For instance, the rind of its fruit, as well as its bark, are used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins, flavonoids, and a good source of dietary fiber.
Since the fruit contains so many seeds, the Pomegranate symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Thus it plays a pivotal role in some cultures during Christmas and the New Year
News Update Geologist warns other cities can suffer the same fate as Iligan, Cagayan de Oro
A geologist on Friday warned that other Philippine cities can suffer the same fate as devastated Iligan and Cagayan de Oro because of similarities in their topography. These include Vigan, Laoag, Alaminos (Pangasinan) and General Santos, which may be vulnerable to disastrous floods similar to those brought by Tropical Storms Sendong and Ondoy, according to the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS). These cities sit on river deltas that flow out to sea. The web site Nababaha.com, maintained by UP-NIGS, contains flood hazard maps for these coastal zones that have rivers flowing right through them and are down slope from mountains and hills. For example, the inundation map for Vigan and the neighboring locales of Bantay, San Ildefonso and Santo Domingo shows many areas that could experience floods over 1.5 meters deep, according to UP Professor and NIGS director Mahar Lagmay told GMA News Online. Laoag City and neighboring Bacarra and Vintar have two waterways — Bislak and Padsan rivers — slicing through their terrain. Simulated inundation hazard map of Laoag City and environs from www.nababaha.comHistorically, those cities Lagmay mentioned are not prone to tropical storms and flooding as they are not in the usual typhoon path from the eastern side of the Philippines. Thus, like Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, these cities with little experience with storms don't have the preparedness mentality of residents in Albay, for example, who live in the shadow of the active Mayon Volcano in addition to the path of regular typhoons. Sendong is the wake-up call for vulnerable but complacent cities. Lagmay said these population centers at risk must adopt smart urban development plans to keep their residents out of harm’s way while allowing room for economic development. “Ngayon lang nare-realize ng local governments that we have to be smarter in dealing with the environment. Places like Iligan and other cities we have identified in nababaha.com must stop development in flood areas and implement proper zoning,” said Lagmay. The destructive force of Sendong is reflected by these before and after images of a housing subdivision in Iligan City." Source: UP-NIGS Other cities on the website are either along known paths of storms like those of Bicol and Eastern Visayas, or major rivers in Central Luzon and the Calabarzon provinces. Simulated inundation maps Its flood hazard maps, according to nababaha.com, “are the products of flood simulations using Flo2d, a Federal Emergency Management Agency -approved flood routing application software. The inundation maps were simulated using rainfall delivered by tropical storm Ondoy on 26 September 2009…” “These hazard maps are indicative inundation maps for large flood events and useful only for knowing where not to be during extremely heavy rainfall,” the website noted. It urged local governments to use its hazard maps to determine evacuation and access routes, road closures, location of key rescue facilities, and for urban planning. “Tsunamis with more debris” Tropical Storm Sendong that devastated part of Northern Mindano on Dec. 16 could have dumped the same amount of rainfall as “Ondoy” two years earlier, but the floods it triggered were definitely more massive and destructive. At a press conference Friday in Quezon City, Lagmay likened the Sendong-induced flashfloods to "tsunamis but with more debris." The UP-NIGS presented the progress report on the UP Pandayon’s Disaster Rescue Program — a survey of the disaster situation with a view to forging long-term solutions for storm-ravaged areas. "Mas widespread at mas high-velocity talaga ang tumama sa Iligan. Iba ang dating," Lagmay said. That trees were uprooted and entire communities were swept away reflect the devastating floods of “Sendong,” he said. "Kapag tumayo ka doon, akala mo flatland lang, pero may barangay pala dati doon.” His observations were based on aerial and on-site inspections of Iligan City early this week. “The impact of this one was very heavy," Lagmay noted. “Hyper-concentrated floods” The death toll from Ondoy wasmore than 400. Floods spawned by Sendong have killed more than 1,400 so far, with almost 400 of those killed coming from Iligan City. Ondoy's deluge in September 2009 brought record-level floods in Marikina City, Pasig City, and Rizal province. "Ang sa Ondoy, umapaw lang ang tubig. Pero hindi mo makikita ang bahay na nagtutumbahan. Doon sa Iligan, kapag nilagay mo ang isang subdivision... wiped out lahat iyon," he said. The geologist said that debris that came along with the rainfall contributed to speeding up the rush of the "hyper-concentrated floods" that hit Iligan City. "Hindi lang siya tubig na rumaragasa. It contains a lot of sediments. Kung may laman iyang sediments, then it's flowing when it comes in contact with anything it erodes it, and picks up more — kasama na ang land, sediments, gravel and it becomes more masive," Lagmay said. "Nagdo-double ang volume niya, sometimes one-is-to-two ang ratio... Habang bumababa, it incorporates more materials and sediments," he added. — VS/HS
News Update GMA, Abalos face graft raps over ZTE
MANILA, Philippines - Graft cases have been filed with the Sandiganbayan against Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and two former officials in connection with the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal between her administration and ZTE Corp. of China.
Facing charges with the Arroyos are former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and former transportation and communications secretary Leandro Mendoza.
But the Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the case, found no probable cause to indict the four for plunder. Unlike plunder, violation of the anti-graft law is a bailable offense.
Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest, without bail, for electoral sabotage. Party-list group Bayan Muna filed the plunder case against the Arroyos.
“That contract was abrogated so there’s no damage done,” Mr. Arroyo told The STAR, referring to the NBN contract.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the recommendations of a special panel of investigators indicting the former first couple and the two former officials for violating Sections 3(g) and 3(i) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. She said the four should be held accountable for entering into a contract that was “grossly disadvantageous” to the government. Based on the report of the special panel, the cost of the cancelled NBN project should have only been $130 million.
Carpio-Morales also filed a third criminal case for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against the former president.
“GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), despite knowledge of the irregularities, authorized Mr. Mendoza to sign the contract in her behalf. By affixing his signature in the contract, Mr. Mendoza was put on notice of those irregularities that led to its signing, given that it was DOTC, of which he was then Secretary, which approved the recommendations of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee),” the special panel of investigators said in its report.
“The signatories to the NBN-ZTE contract are criminally culpable. The moment a public official signs a grossly disadvantageous contract, he incurs criminal liability even if the contract has been cancelled,” the report read.
Explaining the inclusion of the former first gentleman in the list of respondents, investigators noted his “unusual interest in the transaction, as gathered from his acts of playing golf and having lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China, and initiating a reconciliatory meeting between (Jose) De Venecia III and Mr. Abalos” who had different proposals in mind on how the NBN project should be carried out. De Venecia, a son and namesake of a former speaker, is a businessman engaged in telecoms development. “His (Mr. Arroyo) active intervention, as reflected earlier, in the transaction makes him a conspirator in the approval of the ZTE’s proposal and the eventual signing of the contract,” according to the Ombudsman investigators.
The investigators also noted that a day before the signing of the contract on April 20, 2007, “GMA was already fully aware of all the irregularities attendant thereto” but still “fast-tracked the conclusion of the contract.”
“That GMA gave her imprimatur to the irregular and grossly disadvantageous contract should dissipate any doubt about her personal interest therein,” their resolution read.
In indicting the former president, the Ombudsman also cited her having played golf and had lunch with ZTE Corp. officials in China.
“Indeed, it cannot be gainsaid that GMA’s acceptance of the invitation for a round of golf and lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China during the pendency of the negotiations towards the consideration of the grant of the ZTE proposal constitutes a violation of Section 7(d),” the special panel of investigators said.
Photographs of Arroyo playing golf in China came out shortly after the NBN-ZTE transaction was exposed in 2007. This further fueled speculations that the Arroyos were directly involved in the transaction.
Presiding Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. set the raffling of the case on Monday next week after New Year’s Day.
No proof of plunder
In the same resolution, the investigators said that based on testimonies of three witnesses, there is not enough basis to indict the Arroyos and former administration officials for plunder.
The complainants led by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and former Gabriela representative Liza Maza had claimed that the Arroyos along with other individuals including former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri received $35 million in commissions and kickbacks from ZTE Corp. in exchange for the approval of the NBN deal. Aside from De Venecia, the other witnesses were Dante Madriaga and Leo San Miguel, a consultant to ZTE. The witnesses presented their testimonies before the Senate then hearing the NBN controversy. But the testimonies of the three, according to the Ombudsman, “cannot tend to prove that money changed hands.”
“We can, of course, draw inference from them that, among other things, Mr. Abalos was the one who lobbied and pushed for the ZTE proposal, and the one who received the alleged kickback,” the resolution read.
“GMA may appear to have used her position to fast-track the ZTE contract, but there is no sufficient evidence to link her to the receipt of the alleged payment of commissions (and or) kickbacks,” it said.
Reacting to the filing of the cases, Mr. Arroyo said they cannot be held liable because the NBN deal didn’t push through. “Also why was she (Mrs. Arroyo) charged, when she did not sign it (contract). There is no contract so there is no corpus delicti,” Mr. Arroyo said.
He said he and his wife would likely be surprised by the filing of the cases. The former leader has been banned from using mobile phones and laptop computers while under detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Mr. Arroyo said they would have to consult with their lawyers in January to study their next move.
Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed yesterday the filing of criminal charges against former president Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the allegedly overpriced NBN deal.
“The Filipino people have long been waiting for closure and this is the process by which we as a people can get closure,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing.
Valte said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to explain the cases it decided to press against Arroyo.
Asked whether the arrest and detention of Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage could be considered as the administration’s biggest achievement in the fight against corruption, Valte said not necessarily because a lot of efforts had been exerted to cleanse the government.
No hearing
Meanwhile, lawyers of Mrs. Arroyo yesterday arrived at the Pasay court for a hearing on their petition for bail only to find out that Judge Jesus Mupas is on leave until Jan. 6.
“We really do not begrudge the judge for going on leave but when one is handling a case where the accused are detained, he should have given it a priority,” Arroyo’s lead lawyer Jose Flamiano told The STAR.
But Flaminiano’s team, through co-counsel Laurence Arroyo, had been informed by the court last Monday that Mupas was already on leave and could no longer tackle their motion for bail. He will report back to work on Jan. 9, 2012. Flaminiano said given the urgency of their pleadings, Mupas should have cut short his leave or gone to work on a half day just to hear the petitions.
“Something could have had Mupas arrive. Say, he could have set the hearing for the first working day next year,” said Flaminiano.
Flaminiano added that he suggested to clerk of court Joel Pelicano for Mupas’s substitute judge or the executive judge to preside over the hearing yesterday “but both of them were not around also.”
Flaminiano said he is appealing to Mupas to cut short his vacation so they can tackle their motion for bail on Jan.2.
“We cannot really compel him but we hope he shortens his leave so we can tackle the motion for bail,” said Flaminiano.
Electoral sabotage is a nonbailable offense but an accused can seek bail proceedings.
Mupas earlier turned down Arroyo’s request for furlough from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 for security reasons.
“Besides, this would avoid possible unnecessary security problems and complaints of residents of La Vista who would be subjected to security restrictions once Arroyo is allowed to stay at the exclusive subdivision for the holidays,” he explained. – With Aie Balagtas See, Aurea Calica - By Michael Punongbayan
Facing charges with the Arroyos are former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and former transportation and communications secretary Leandro Mendoza.
But the Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the case, found no probable cause to indict the four for plunder. Unlike plunder, violation of the anti-graft law is a bailable offense.
Mrs. Arroyo is under hospital arrest, without bail, for electoral sabotage. Party-list group Bayan Muna filed the plunder case against the Arroyos.
“That contract was abrogated so there’s no damage done,” Mr. Arroyo told The STAR, referring to the NBN contract.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the recommendations of a special panel of investigators indicting the former first couple and the two former officials for violating Sections 3(g) and 3(i) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. She said the four should be held accountable for entering into a contract that was “grossly disadvantageous” to the government. Based on the report of the special panel, the cost of the cancelled NBN project should have only been $130 million.
Carpio-Morales also filed a third criminal case for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against the former president.
“GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), despite knowledge of the irregularities, authorized Mr. Mendoza to sign the contract in her behalf. By affixing his signature in the contract, Mr. Mendoza was put on notice of those irregularities that led to its signing, given that it was DOTC, of which he was then Secretary, which approved the recommendations of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee),” the special panel of investigators said in its report.
“The signatories to the NBN-ZTE contract are criminally culpable. The moment a public official signs a grossly disadvantageous contract, he incurs criminal liability even if the contract has been cancelled,” the report read.
Explaining the inclusion of the former first gentleman in the list of respondents, investigators noted his “unusual interest in the transaction, as gathered from his acts of playing golf and having lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China, and initiating a reconciliatory meeting between (Jose) De Venecia III and Mr. Abalos” who had different proposals in mind on how the NBN project should be carried out. De Venecia, a son and namesake of a former speaker, is a businessman engaged in telecoms development. “His (Mr. Arroyo) active intervention, as reflected earlier, in the transaction makes him a conspirator in the approval of the ZTE’s proposal and the eventual signing of the contract,” according to the Ombudsman investigators.
The investigators also noted that a day before the signing of the contract on April 20, 2007, “GMA was already fully aware of all the irregularities attendant thereto” but still “fast-tracked the conclusion of the contract.”
“That GMA gave her imprimatur to the irregular and grossly disadvantageous contract should dissipate any doubt about her personal interest therein,” their resolution read.
In indicting the former president, the Ombudsman also cited her having played golf and had lunch with ZTE Corp. officials in China.
“Indeed, it cannot be gainsaid that GMA’s acceptance of the invitation for a round of golf and lunch with ZTE officials in Shenzhen, China during the pendency of the negotiations towards the consideration of the grant of the ZTE proposal constitutes a violation of Section 7(d),” the special panel of investigators said.
Photographs of Arroyo playing golf in China came out shortly after the NBN-ZTE transaction was exposed in 2007. This further fueled speculations that the Arroyos were directly involved in the transaction.
Presiding Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. set the raffling of the case on Monday next week after New Year’s Day.
No proof of plunder
In the same resolution, the investigators said that based on testimonies of three witnesses, there is not enough basis to indict the Arroyos and former administration officials for plunder.
The complainants led by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and former Gabriela representative Liza Maza had claimed that the Arroyos along with other individuals including former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri received $35 million in commissions and kickbacks from ZTE Corp. in exchange for the approval of the NBN deal. Aside from De Venecia, the other witnesses were Dante Madriaga and Leo San Miguel, a consultant to ZTE. The witnesses presented their testimonies before the Senate then hearing the NBN controversy. But the testimonies of the three, according to the Ombudsman, “cannot tend to prove that money changed hands.”
“We can, of course, draw inference from them that, among other things, Mr. Abalos was the one who lobbied and pushed for the ZTE proposal, and the one who received the alleged kickback,” the resolution read.
“GMA may appear to have used her position to fast-track the ZTE contract, but there is no sufficient evidence to link her to the receipt of the alleged payment of commissions (and or) kickbacks,” it said.
Reacting to the filing of the cases, Mr. Arroyo said they cannot be held liable because the NBN deal didn’t push through. “Also why was she (Mrs. Arroyo) charged, when she did not sign it (contract). There is no contract so there is no corpus delicti,” Mr. Arroyo said.
He said he and his wife would likely be surprised by the filing of the cases. The former leader has been banned from using mobile phones and laptop computers while under detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Mr. Arroyo said they would have to consult with their lawyers in January to study their next move.
Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed yesterday the filing of criminal charges against former president Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the allegedly overpriced NBN deal.
“The Filipino people have long been waiting for closure and this is the process by which we as a people can get closure,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing.
Valte said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to explain the cases it decided to press against Arroyo.
Asked whether the arrest and detention of Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage could be considered as the administration’s biggest achievement in the fight against corruption, Valte said not necessarily because a lot of efforts had been exerted to cleanse the government.
No hearing
Meanwhile, lawyers of Mrs. Arroyo yesterday arrived at the Pasay court for a hearing on their petition for bail only to find out that Judge Jesus Mupas is on leave until Jan. 6.
“We really do not begrudge the judge for going on leave but when one is handling a case where the accused are detained, he should have given it a priority,” Arroyo’s lead lawyer Jose Flamiano told The STAR.
But Flaminiano’s team, through co-counsel Laurence Arroyo, had been informed by the court last Monday that Mupas was already on leave and could no longer tackle their motion for bail. He will report back to work on Jan. 9, 2012. Flaminiano said given the urgency of their pleadings, Mupas should have cut short his leave or gone to work on a half day just to hear the petitions.
“Something could have had Mupas arrive. Say, he could have set the hearing for the first working day next year,” said Flaminiano.
Flaminiano added that he suggested to clerk of court Joel Pelicano for Mupas’s substitute judge or the executive judge to preside over the hearing yesterday “but both of them were not around also.”
Flaminiano said he is appealing to Mupas to cut short his vacation so they can tackle their motion for bail on Jan.2.
“We cannot really compel him but we hope he shortens his leave so we can tackle the motion for bail,” said Flaminiano.
Electoral sabotage is a nonbailable offense but an accused can seek bail proceedings.
Mupas earlier turned down Arroyo’s request for furlough from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 for security reasons.
“Besides, this would avoid possible unnecessary security problems and complaints of residents of La Vista who would be subjected to security restrictions once Arroyo is allowed to stay at the exclusive subdivision for the holidays,” he explained. – With Aie Balagtas See, Aurea Calica - By Michael Punongbayan
Friday, December 30, 2011
News Update World Bank releases $651m for Philippine flood
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The World Bank said late Thursday it released US$500 million (S$651 million) to help the Philippine government's recovery and reconstruction efforts after Tropical Storm Washi tore through the country, killing more than 1,200 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
'In natural disasters, it is the poor, including many women and children, who are particularly vulnerable,' said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda.
'We hope the funds will give the Philippine government flexibility to help families and communities recover, reconstruct vital infrastructure, and restore basic social services, as well as enhance the country's preparedness for natural disasters in the future,' she said.
Tropical Storm Washi brought heavy rains, overflowing rivers and flash floods to the southern Philippines from Dec 16 to 18, sweeping away whole villages built on sandbars and riverbanks.
'In natural disasters, it is the poor, including many women and children, who are particularly vulnerable,' said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda.
'We hope the funds will give the Philippine government flexibility to help families and communities recover, reconstruct vital infrastructure, and restore basic social services, as well as enhance the country's preparedness for natural disasters in the future,' she said.
Tropical Storm Washi brought heavy rains, overflowing rivers and flash floods to the southern Philippines from Dec 16 to 18, sweeping away whole villages built on sandbars and riverbanks.
News Update Philippine police rescue dogs, raid slaughterhouse
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Police rescued dozens of dogs that were bound up and crammed into a van for a suspected illegal sale to a slaughterhouse in the northern Philippines, officials said on Friday.
After a tip from animal advocates, police officers seized the van in the northern province of Pangasinan and found 60 surviving dogs along with 12 that had suffocated, police superintendent Ronald Gayo said. The dogs had their snouts and feet bound with plastic cords.
The van's driver and his assistant were arrested and escorted to their destination - a slaughterhouse inside a sprawling pig and poultry farm in San Carlos township in northern Pangasinan province, Supt Gayo said. The slaughterhouse's owner and workers managed to flee when police arrived on Wednesday.
Killing dogs for the meat trade is illegal, but dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the Philippines.
After a tip from animal advocates, police officers seized the van in the northern province of Pangasinan and found 60 surviving dogs along with 12 that had suffocated, police superintendent Ronald Gayo said. The dogs had their snouts and feet bound with plastic cords.
The van's driver and his assistant were arrested and escorted to their destination - a slaughterhouse inside a sprawling pig and poultry farm in San Carlos township in northern Pangasinan province, Supt Gayo said. The slaughterhouse's owner and workers managed to flee when police arrived on Wednesday.
Killing dogs for the meat trade is illegal, but dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the Philippines.
News Update PHL authorities on alert for weaknesses in banking system
The fragile economies of Europe and the US is keeping Philippine monetary authorities on alert for potential weaknesses in the country’s banking system, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. "Instead of targeting absolute numbers then, our focus has been on monitoring potential systemic weaknesses in maintaining a healthy balance between inputs and outputs as well as between market innovation and risk-taking," said BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. He noted the importance of having a good perspective — on the part of regulators — on the distribution of exposures. "It is not just the growth number of the total exposure but also getting a sense of which sectors are receiving new loans," Tetangco said. By 2012, the central bank chief expects the economy to get a boost from the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) program, which he also expects to take off next year. "We have previously suggested that the economy can benefit from further fiscal spending as this relates to the build-up in productive capacity," he said. There is enough money in the system, Tetangco noted, but that there is an accompanying need to channel the money in viable projects. "Given liquidity levels, having a viable outlet is important. Having these outlets build capacity for future needs is even better," he added. Domestic liquidity or M3 totaled P4.305 trillion as of end-October, up P279 billion from P4.026 trillion a year earlier but down P51 billion from P4.356 trillion end-September after the central bank's Monetary Board raised the reserve requirement ratio for banks to 21 percent from 19 percent. — VS
News Update Attempt by ex-ARMM education execs to withdraw P77.5 million foiled
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge Gov. Mujiv Hataman yesterday foiled an attempt by former regional education officials to withdraw P77.5 million in unspent funds.
Hataman told reporters that the amount was labeled as “differentials” for the 2011 maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) in the records of the Department of Education of the ARMM (DepEd-ARMM).
The P77.5 million was to be distributed to the different division offices in the ARMM provinces, Hataman said.
The attempt to release the funds was made despite Hataman’s order for the suspension of any disbursements, except for salaries of personnel and payment of statutory obligations, pending evaluation by representatives of the Commission on Audit and the cashiers in each of the offices and devolved agencies under the ARMM governor’s office.
“Surprisingly, the P77.5 million was not disbursed from January this year up to the day I assumed office if it was indeed ‘MOOE differential’ intended for the year 2011,” Hataman said.
Hataman said he thought of returning the amount to the national government, but was advised by the central office of the Department of Budget and Management to keep it instead in the governor’s bank account and use it for the construction or rehabilitation of school buildings and feeding programs for school children in impoverished communities.
Hataman said he wanted to have all the statutory obligations of the DepEd-ARMM settled immediately, but its cashier’s office surprisingly “ran out” of checks after he took over the regional government last week.
Hataman issued last week a memorandum to all heads of offices in the autonomous region to conduct an immediate inventory of all funds in their official bank accounts and the manpower complement in each of their agencies and support offices.
Lawyer Anwar Malang, Hataman’s newly appointed executive secretary, said they are still in the process of determining the administrative and fiscal issues besetting each of the line agencies and support offices under the governor’s office before they can introduce reforms in the regional bureaucracy.
Malang and Hataman have been presiding over dialogues with personnel in the different ARMM offices since last week. - By John Unson (
Hataman told reporters that the amount was labeled as “differentials” for the 2011 maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) in the records of the Department of Education of the ARMM (DepEd-ARMM).
The P77.5 million was to be distributed to the different division offices in the ARMM provinces, Hataman said.
The attempt to release the funds was made despite Hataman’s order for the suspension of any disbursements, except for salaries of personnel and payment of statutory obligations, pending evaluation by representatives of the Commission on Audit and the cashiers in each of the offices and devolved agencies under the ARMM governor’s office.
“Surprisingly, the P77.5 million was not disbursed from January this year up to the day I assumed office if it was indeed ‘MOOE differential’ intended for the year 2011,” Hataman said.
Hataman said he thought of returning the amount to the national government, but was advised by the central office of the Department of Budget and Management to keep it instead in the governor’s bank account and use it for the construction or rehabilitation of school buildings and feeding programs for school children in impoverished communities.
Hataman said he wanted to have all the statutory obligations of the DepEd-ARMM settled immediately, but its cashier’s office surprisingly “ran out” of checks after he took over the regional government last week.
Hataman issued last week a memorandum to all heads of offices in the autonomous region to conduct an immediate inventory of all funds in their official bank accounts and the manpower complement in each of their agencies and support offices.
Lawyer Anwar Malang, Hataman’s newly appointed executive secretary, said they are still in the process of determining the administrative and fiscal issues besetting each of the line agencies and support offices under the governor’s office before they can introduce reforms in the regional bureaucracy.
Malang and Hataman have been presiding over dialogues with personnel in the different ARMM offices since last week. - By John Unson (
News Update Petron ready for title run
MANILA, Philippines - After slamming Talk n Text’s grand slam aspiration the last time, the Petron Blaze Boosters are now aiming at duplicating the Tropang Texters’ back-to-back championships.
“If they’re able to win back-to-back, we feel we can do the same. That’s our motivation,” said Petron main man Arwind Santos.
Personally, Santos believes they can go all the way to win the championship if they’re able to hurdle the Tropang Texters in their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown beginning Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Rain or Shine and Powerade start their own semis confrontation Wednesday in the same venue.
“I really feel we can go all the way if we’re able to get past Talk n Text,” said Santos in Filipino.
The Boosters are confident of their chance despite bowing to the Texters in their two faceoffs in the elimination round.
“Same thing happened last conference. They beat us twice in the elims but we pulled through in the finals,” said Santos, the leading contender for the Best Player of the Conference award.
The wiry forward, however, stressed they’re in for a tough test against the Texters whom he considers the team with the deeper bench.
“They’re more solid with their players having recovered from injuries. On our side, Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot are not yet fully healed,” said Santos.
Santos said the key for them is to match the Tropang Texters’ energy.
“They keep on running. We have to keep up with them if not slow down the tempo,” said Santos.
“Good thing for us is that everyone is committed to play defense. If we’re able to improve our individual defense, team defense will follow,” Santos added.
The Tropang Texters scored their second win in the tourney against the Boosters on Dec. 6, a 80-78 decision that assured TnT a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The Texters stunned the Boosters and practically everyone at the Smart Araneta Coliseum by coming up with four points in the last 3.7 seconds to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Japeth Aguilar returned to the floor in those dying seconds to grab a crucial offensive rebound and make a three-point play as the Texters salvaged the game that guaranteed them of second spot in the elimination phase.
“We’ve put that behind us. This is a new ball game,” said Santos. - By Nelson Beltran
“If they’re able to win back-to-back, we feel we can do the same. That’s our motivation,” said Petron main man Arwind Santos.
Personally, Santos believes they can go all the way to win the championship if they’re able to hurdle the Tropang Texters in their PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown beginning Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Rain or Shine and Powerade start their own semis confrontation Wednesday in the same venue.
“I really feel we can go all the way if we’re able to get past Talk n Text,” said Santos in Filipino.
The Boosters are confident of their chance despite bowing to the Texters in their two faceoffs in the elimination round.
“Same thing happened last conference. They beat us twice in the elims but we pulled through in the finals,” said Santos, the leading contender for the Best Player of the Conference award.
The wiry forward, however, stressed they’re in for a tough test against the Texters whom he considers the team with the deeper bench.
“They’re more solid with their players having recovered from injuries. On our side, Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot are not yet fully healed,” said Santos.
Santos said the key for them is to match the Tropang Texters’ energy.
“They keep on running. We have to keep up with them if not slow down the tempo,” said Santos.
“Good thing for us is that everyone is committed to play defense. If we’re able to improve our individual defense, team defense will follow,” Santos added.
The Tropang Texters scored their second win in the tourney against the Boosters on Dec. 6, a 80-78 decision that assured TnT a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The Texters stunned the Boosters and practically everyone at the Smart Araneta Coliseum by coming up with four points in the last 3.7 seconds to pull off the come-from-behind win.
Japeth Aguilar returned to the floor in those dying seconds to grab a crucial offensive rebound and make a three-point play as the Texters salvaged the game that guaranteed them of second spot in the elimination phase.
“We’ve put that behind us. This is a new ball game,” said Santos. - By Nelson Beltran
News Update endong was a 'weak' storm ranked among most destructive in PHL history
Tropical Storm Sendong was a bizarre weather creature — a "weak" storm by the standards of PAGASA yet it claimed more lives than any typhoon in more than a decade. Its destructiveness came from the rare and "very extreme" amount of rainfall dumped on northern Mindanao on Dec. 16. According to a new analysis of the storm by the scientific institution Manila Observatory, the 180 millimeters (mm) of rain that fell in Cagayan de Oro on that day far exceeded the previous record of 142mm in 1999. Rainfall has been measured in the Lumbia weather station in Cagayan de Oro since 1977. The same study by the Manila Observatory cited historical evidence that storms rarely make landfall in Mindanao. That fact has been used to explain why local officials and the public didn't show much of a response to warnings about Sendong's pending arrival. The Manila Observatory noted that in the last 15 years, only six tropical cyclones crossed Mindanao, and only one in 10 years in December. None of the previous Mindanao storms had this kind of impact. The Manila Observatory noted that Sendong ranked among the most destructive tropical cyclones in Philippine recorded history, including Uring (1991, Ormoc), Pepeng (2009, Northern Luzon), Juaning (2011, Bicol) and Ondoy (2009, Metro Manila). Yet all of them were classified as "weak", suggesting that PAGASA's current storm warning system, which takes into account only a storm's wind speed, is inadequate for indicating the potential danger of a coming storm. The rainfall-tracking Doppler radar systems that PAGASA recently acquired were supposed to remedy this deficiency, but weather forecasters pointed out after Sendong that only one was placed in Mindanao, where its effectiveness could be hampered by mountain ranges. But there are other ways of predicting rainfall. Just before Sendong made landfall in Mindanao, the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had its Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite pass over the storm for a detailed scan. The resulting rainfall analysis showed that “Washi (Sendong) was much better organized with very heavy rainfall of over 50mm/hr (~2 inches) revealed by TRMM PR within bands spiraling into the center of the storm." NASA forecast severe flood potential over many cities and towns in Mindanao. Sendong became a perfect storm of extreme rainfall pouring on areas of high vulnerability. The enormous volume of water interacted with denuded watersheds with piles of cut logs draining into narrow and densely populated flood-prone coastal lowlands. Residents still reeling from the effects of the storm cannot even take comfort in the notion that storms of this magnitude will continue to be rare. As the Manila Observatory concludes, "The scientific consensus is that extreme weather events are going to be more likely and frequent with climate change." — Howie Severino/VS
News Update Banks, clients in ‘Sendong’-stricken Mindanao get regulatory relief
Banks and their clients may seek regulatory relief from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ease their financial burdens in areas ravaged by Tropical Storm “Sendong.” The BSP’s policy body, the Monetary Board, approved on Tuesday an initial set of nine temporary relief measures to enable banks in parts of Northern and Western Mindanao to weather the impact of Sendong on the local economy there, the central bank said in a statement Thursday. Among the relief measures for the banks in disaster stricken areas are: Exclusion of existing loans of borrowers from the computation of past due ratios provided these are restructured or given relief; Reducing from 5 percent the general loan loss provision to 1 percent for restructured loans of borrowers; Non-imposition of penalties on legal reserves deficiencies with head office and/or branches; Moratorium on monthly payments due to BSP for banks with ongoing rehabilitation programs. Also approved by the MB are: Non-imposition of monetary penalties for delays in the submission of supervisory reports; Allowing banks to provide financial assistance to their officers and employees who were affected by the calamity including assistance that may not be within the scope of the existing BSP-approved Fringe Benefit Program; A 60-day grace period to settle the outstanding rediscounting obligations as of 15 December 2011 with the BSP of all rediscounting banks; Subject to BSP approval, booking of allowance for probable losses on a staggered basis over five (5) years for all types of credit extended to individual and businesses directly affected by the calamity; Allowing banks to restructure with the BSP, on case-to-case basis, the outstanding rediscounted loans of borrowers affected by the calamity.The BSP did not indicate in its statement the duration of the effectivity of the relief measures, but it did say it will issue “additional and specific conditions.” — With Earl Victor Rosero/VS,
News Update Actor Tyron Perez found dead
Young actor Tyron Perez, who rose to fame in the GMA-7 reality-based talent show "Star Struck" and has since transferred to ABS-CBN as a Star Magic talent was found dead Thursday night, December 29, in Valenzuela City. He was 26.
Star Magic, which co-manages Tyron with director Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Tyron. Let's pray for the eternal repose of his soul."
Circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated as of posting time.
Valenzuela City Police told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! that Tyron's lifeless body was found at the passenger backseat of his black Toyota Altis parked at the South Service Road of the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City. SPO2 Richard Bautista of the Valenzuela City Police investigations unit said that initial SOCO findings reveal a fatal gunshot wound on Tyron's right temple, with a .22-calibre firearm beside the body. Police investigation, which includes determining if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, is still ongoing.
Tyron was last seen at the Star Magic Ball earlier this year. According to Star Magic, they haven't been in communication with Tyron since the event.
His last television appearance was in the remake of "Mula Sa Puso" this year. He also starred in another ABS-CBN drama, "Momay" in 2010.
Tyron is survived by his wife Liv Espino, a flight attendant he married in 2009. With Karen Valeza
Star Magic, which co-manages Tyron with director Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, said in a statement: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Tyron. Let's pray for the eternal repose of his soul."
Circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated as of posting time.
Valenzuela City Police told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! that Tyron's lifeless body was found at the passenger backseat of his black Toyota Altis parked at the South Service Road of the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City. SPO2 Richard Bautista of the Valenzuela City Police investigations unit said that initial SOCO findings reveal a fatal gunshot wound on Tyron's right temple, with a .22-calibre firearm beside the body. Police investigation, which includes determining if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, is still ongoing.
Tyron was last seen at the Star Magic Ball earlier this year. According to Star Magic, they haven't been in communication with Tyron since the event.
His last television appearance was in the remake of "Mula Sa Puso" this year. He also starred in another ABS-CBN drama, "Momay" in 2010.
Tyron is survived by his wife Liv Espino, a flight attendant he married in 2009. With Karen Valeza
Thursday, December 29, 2011
News Update Ex-Philippine president faces 2nd criminal case
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Prosecutors on Thursday filed a second criminal case against former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, this time over an overpriced deal with a Chinese telecommunications giant that allegedly involved huge kickbacks.
Arroyo — who is under arrest on separate electoral fraud charges — has previously denied wrongdoing in the latest case. But under public pressure in 2008, she canceled a flagship $330 million Philippine government deal with China's ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network.
The cases are part of efforts of Arroyo's successor, President Benigno Aquino III, to root out high-level corruption that is endemic in the Philippines. Aquino blames Arroyo, who stepped down last year, of presiding over a decade of corrupt practices that eroded public trust in government and held back foreign investors.
She has accused him of using "black propaganda" to damage her image.
Arroyo's husband and a former elections chief have denied accusations in a Senate hearing of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for Arroyo's approval of the broadband deal. But the issue was never properly investigated because Arroyo had barred top officials from disclosing details.
Anti-graft prosecutors filed a case against Arroyo, husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, former Elections Commissioner Benjamin Abalos and ex-Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza over the botched contract.
Court spokesman Renato Bocar said Arroyo was charged "for being interested for personal gain in the approval of the ... project despite knowledge of the irregularities and anomalies that attended its approval."
The complaint is based on Senate testimonies in 2008 of ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga, who said that the deal was originally priced at $130 million, but that the cost ballooned to accommodate the kickbacks.
Former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri had testified that Abalos offered him a bribe to approve the contract, and another witness, Jose de Venecia III, said the ex-president's husband was promised a $70 million commission.
After being blocked at the Manila airport from seeking medical treatment abroad, Arroyo, 64, was arrested last month for allegedly ordering the rigging of 2007 congressional elections. She was moved to a military-run veterans' hospital, where she remains in detention. Abalos was arrested Dec. 13.
Aquino said in an interview with ABS-CBN television aired this week that he would consider pardoning Arroyo if she were convicted only if she showed remorse.
Aquino was elected in a landslide on a promise to stamp out corruption. Sixteen months later, he still enjoys high ratings, with a recent poll finding that seven out of 10 Filipinos approve of his policies.
The poll, conducted Dec. 3-7 by independent Social Weather Stations, also found that 69 percent of 1,200 respondents believe the government was treating Arroyo fairly. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.
Arroyo — who is under arrest on separate electoral fraud charges — has previously denied wrongdoing in the latest case. But under public pressure in 2008, she canceled a flagship $330 million Philippine government deal with China's ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network.
The cases are part of efforts of Arroyo's successor, President Benigno Aquino III, to root out high-level corruption that is endemic in the Philippines. Aquino blames Arroyo, who stepped down last year, of presiding over a decade of corrupt practices that eroded public trust in government and held back foreign investors.
She has accused him of using "black propaganda" to damage her image.
Arroyo's husband and a former elections chief have denied accusations in a Senate hearing of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks for Arroyo's approval of the broadband deal. But the issue was never properly investigated because Arroyo had barred top officials from disclosing details.
Anti-graft prosecutors filed a case against Arroyo, husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, former Elections Commissioner Benjamin Abalos and ex-Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza over the botched contract.
Court spokesman Renato Bocar said Arroyo was charged "for being interested for personal gain in the approval of the ... project despite knowledge of the irregularities and anomalies that attended its approval."
The complaint is based on Senate testimonies in 2008 of ZTE consultant Dante Madriaga, who said that the deal was originally priced at $130 million, but that the cost ballooned to accommodate the kickbacks.
Former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri had testified that Abalos offered him a bribe to approve the contract, and another witness, Jose de Venecia III, said the ex-president's husband was promised a $70 million commission.
After being blocked at the Manila airport from seeking medical treatment abroad, Arroyo, 64, was arrested last month for allegedly ordering the rigging of 2007 congressional elections. She was moved to a military-run veterans' hospital, where she remains in detention. Abalos was arrested Dec. 13.
Aquino said in an interview with ABS-CBN television aired this week that he would consider pardoning Arroyo if she were convicted only if she showed remorse.
Aquino was elected in a landslide on a promise to stamp out corruption. Sixteen months later, he still enjoys high ratings, with a recent poll finding that seven out of 10 Filipinos approve of his policies.
The poll, conducted Dec. 3-7 by independent Social Weather Stations, also found that 69 percent of 1,200 respondents believe the government was treating Arroyo fairly. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Teresa Cerojano contributed to this report.
News Update Foreign aid for Sendong-hit Mindanao flow in trickles as donors go on holiday
Response has been slow to the United Nation’s appeal for $28.6 million (P1.243 billion) in disaster aid for victims of the Dec. 16 Tropical Storm Sendong. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) said the donations are trickling in because the storm and their appeal came just before Christmas and most offices of donor agencies are on vacation. “Even though this is one of the country’s worst natural disasters in two decades, it happened a few days before Christmas when many donors are on holidays and offices are closed,” according to the UNOCHA, citing Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, the acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines. So far, P195.7 million or $4.5 million has come in, of which $3 million was from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $1.5 million from Japan, said Kirsten Mildren, UNOCHA Public Information and Advocacy Officer in a telephone interview with GMA News Online. “We’re doing everything that we can,” she said, sharing that the agency is actively approaching donors and agencies, and issuing press releases to generate more interest in the matter. However, “it is not really a good week to be asking for donations,” said Mildren. Dr. Soe Nyunt-U noted that the CERF pledge was instrumental in starting urgent UN interventions. While Japan is the only country donor so far, Mildren said that they are expecting to get a response from Australia and Spain. “[The fund] is for three months, and will cover the needs of 471,000 people. It will cover the critical things like water and sanitation, health, food, nutritional support and shelter,” Mildren said. “At the moment, shelter is the most critical need we have,” she added. The amount from CERF was distributed in three equal portions to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, and the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, P15,395,460 ($354,000) of the total fund will be allotted for the reconstruction of educational facilities and replacement of damaged learning materials, according to a statement from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said on Wednesday that, “In times of emergency, communities are likely to prioritize needs related to people’s immediate survival and will not have the resources to address the basic need of affected school children and teachers.” “For this reason, forward planning to preserve a child’s right to education is one of the most valuable actions a government can take, before disasters strike,” she added. The UNICEF has already pledged to provide children with continued access to safe learning environments in the storm-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The government also gave Iligan City P241-million to build a core shelter on a 10-hectare relocation site. The shelter will house 3,549 families. According to the latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 54,473 people are living in 53 evacuation centers in northern Mindanao’s Sendong-hit areas. — ELR/VS/KG
News Update Arrest made in killing of Italian priest in Philippines
Philippine police have arrested a suspect in the murder of an Italian priest who had spent decades working with tribal communities in the violence-torn southern island of Mindanao.
The Philippine man in custody, Jimmy Ato, was arrested in Kulaman Valley in Mindanao province, regional police director Felicisimo Khu said.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, was shot dead in October in Mindanao, where government forces have long been battling Islamist and communist insurgencies.
"The arrested person was allegedly involved in the killing of Father Tentorio," Khu said, adding that his arrest came from a witness tip-off, but declining to give further details.
Tentorio was shot eight times by a lone attacker inside his parish compound, according to police.
Tentorio's colleagues and supporters believe the motive for the killing could have been the priest's work in helping disadvantaged local tribespeople in his parish to fight for their ancestral lands and basic human rights.
The missionary was the third member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions to have been killed since 1985 on Mindanao.
The Philippine man in custody, Jimmy Ato, was arrested in Kulaman Valley in Mindanao province, regional police director Felicisimo Khu said.
Father Fausto Tentorio, 59, was shot dead in October in Mindanao, where government forces have long been battling Islamist and communist insurgencies.
"The arrested person was allegedly involved in the killing of Father Tentorio," Khu said, adding that his arrest came from a witness tip-off, but declining to give further details.
Tentorio was shot eight times by a lone attacker inside his parish compound, according to police.
Tentorio's colleagues and supporters believe the motive for the killing could have been the priest's work in helping disadvantaged local tribespeople in his parish to fight for their ancestral lands and basic human rights.
The missionary was the third member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions to have been killed since 1985 on Mindanao.
News Update Foreign aid for Sendong-hit Mindanao flow in trickles as donors go on holiday
Response has been slow to the United Nation’s appeal for $28.6 million (P1.243 billion) in disaster aid for victims of the Dec. 16 Tropical Storm Sendong. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) said the donations are trickling in because the storm and their appeal came just before Christmas and most offices of donor agencies are on vacation. “Even though this is one of the country’s worst natural disasters in two decades, it happened a few days before Christmas when many donors are on holidays and offices are closed,” according to the UNOCHA, citing Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, the acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines. So far, P195.7 million or $4.5 million has come in, of which $3 million was from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $1.5 million from Japan, said Kirsten Mildren, UNOCHA Public Information and Advocacy Officer in a telephone interview with GMA News Online. “We’re doing everything that we can,” she said, sharing that the agency is actively approaching donors and agencies, and issuing press releases to generate more interest in the matter. However, “it is not really a good week to be asking for donations,” said Mildren. Dr. Soe Nyunt-U noted that the CERF pledge was instrumental in starting urgent UN interventions. While Japan is the only country donor so far, Mildren said that they are expecting to get a response from Australia and Spain. “[The fund] is for three months, and will cover the needs of 471,000 people. It will cover the critical things like water and sanitation, health, food, nutritional support and shelter,” Mildren said. “At the moment, shelter is the most critical need we have,” she added. The amount from CERF was distributed in three equal portions to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, and the International Organization for Migration. Meanwhile, P15,395,460 ($354,000) of the total fund will be allotted for the reconstruction of educational facilities and replacement of damaged learning materials, according to a statement from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said on Wednesday that, “In times of emergency, communities are likely to prioritize needs related to people’s immediate survival and will not have the resources to address the basic need of affected school children and teachers.” “For this reason, forward planning to preserve a child’s right to education is one of the most valuable actions a government can take, before disasters strike,” she added. The UNICEF has already pledged to provide children with continued access to safe learning environments in the storm-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The government also gave Iligan City P241-million to build a core shelter on a 10-hectare relocation site. The shelter will house 3,549 families. According to the latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 54,473 people are living in 53 evacuation centers in northern Mindanao’s Sendong-hit areas. — ELR/VS/KG,
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