METROPOLITAN
ILOILO
the first business newspaper in metro iloilo
TIMES
VOL. II ISSUE NO. 70
June 22 - 28, 2014 Php 12.00
developmental news | critical views www.iloilometropolitantimes.com
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her HISTORICAL EXCHANGE RATE Weekly MIDPOINT Rates - June 13-19 , 2014
USD/PHP
44.0000 43.9798 43.9500
43.9470
43.9000
43.8855 43.8850
43.8500
43.8790
43.8294 43.8000
43.7868
43.7500 Jun 13, 2014
Jun 15, 2014
Jun 17, 2014
Jun 19, 2014
DTI PRICE MONITORING Prime Commodities (April 2014) Prime Commodities (April 2014)
CANNED SARDINES Current Price INSTANT NOODLES Current Price
Paradiso (155g) Young’s Town Bonus (155g) Lucky 7 (155g)
12.15 Lucky Me! (55g) 13.25 Payless (50g) 13.75
PROCESSED MILK Current Price
7.10 6.30 Current Price
BREAD
Alaska Sweetened Filled 51.30 Milk - Condensed 300 mL Pinoy Tasty (400g) Alaska Filled Milk 37.00 Pinoy Pandesal Evaporated 370 mL Angel Filled Milk Evaporated 410 mL
37.00
(pack of 10 pieces) 22.50 36.80
DA PRICE MONITORING Processed and Manufactured Commodities (April 2014) Processed and Manufactured Commodities (April 2014)
Commercial Rice Regular Milled Well Milled Premium Special (Fancy) Sugar Refined Washed Brown Sugar Cooking Oil Lapad (bottle)
Current Price 38.00/kg 40.00/kg 42.00/kg 50.00/kg 46.00/kg 42.00/kg 40.00/kg
Meat & Poultry Pork Liempo Pigue (Ham) Beef Rump Brisket Chicken Fully Dressed Egg (Medium) Fish Bangus
Current Price
190.00/kg 180.00/kg
260.00/kg 200.00/kg 130.00/kg 4.50/pc
MIWD: PERSONALITY TEST OF LEADERS 27.00
Current Price 120.00/kg
St. John’s Day is a popular religious and cultural festivity celebrated nationwide in honor of St. John the Baptist. Especially among the coastal coast of Iloilo, it is a popular custom for people to douse water at each other, for it is believed that water at this day have magical healing powers. Photo by REUTERS
New malls to rise in Iloilo
BY REYMAR LATOZA
Two new community malls by the property developer DoubleDragon Properties Corp will soon rise in Metro Iloilo. DoubleDragon, owned by Mang Inasal founder Edgar “Injap” Sia II and Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong, disclosed that its unit, CityMall Commercial Centers Inc (CMCCI) is poised to build two CityMalls in Iloilo’s two prime lots. CMCCI, which is 66 percent owned by DoubleDragon and 34 percent owned by SM Investments Corp, has recently signed a 26-year lease agreement with Iloilo Commercial Development Corp (ICDC) owned by Iloilo-based Que family. Under the agreement, the community malls will be put up in Ungka, Pavia (1.19 hectares) and Tagbak, Jaro (0.8 hectares). Pavia site is near a transport terminal at the corner of the National Highway connecting the Iloilo Downtown, the Iloilo International Airport and the newly created access road leading to Jaro district. CityMall Jaro, meanwhile, is located across the Tagbak Bus Terminal. Que family in Iloilo owns Iloilo Supermart with seven branches within Iloilo city In a news release, DoubleDragon said they targeting to open 100 community malls by 2020 and hit P1 billion net income by 2016 and P4.8 billion in net income by 2020. IMT
BY ELYROSE S. NAORBE MONTESA GRIÑO CAOYONAN
The latest trouble between the bulk water suppliers and Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) has shown the kind of leaders in Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Iloilo City Lone District Representative Jerry P. Treñas. It has become a test of personalities among the local politicians of Iloilo. Defensor backs the reinstated board to resolve the debt issue of the water district with the bulk water supplier. The governor believes that the problems being faced by the current board were the making of the previous board. “We should give them [MIWD] chance to resolve the problems. The current board led by Dr Danilo Encarnacion only inherited the problems of the previous board,” Defensor said. He is open though with other options and possibilities if the issues are left unresolved in the coming days. While a stop-gap measure was
BIZ
pulse
reached between MIWD and the FLO Water upon close supervision of the Office of the Governor who has the appointing authority over the board of the water district, Mayor Mabilog and Rep. Treñas resorted to berating MIWD. “They are already obsolete. They already reached the end of the road. Why not dissolve their offices and turn over their responsibilities to the Local Government Units (LGUs),” Mabilog said. Mabilog stressed that he will look into the legal basis to close the MIWD. “There is no problem with water supplies. The only problem is the distribution of water to the consumers which MIWD failed to do so. We could not anymore bear having this kind of distribution,” he said. Rep. Treñas has expressed his support for the privatization of MIWD lamenting its failure in doing its responsibilities as a government agency. MIWD has P111 million and some P47 million arrears to Flo Water (supplies 5,000-cubic meter) and Prime Water Resources (supplies 10,000-cubic meter) respectively, MIWD /p11
Miracle Bless knocks at your heart
Baby Miracle Bless BY REYMAR LATOZA Her unborn baby is helpless and will no longer survive, a 23-yearold mother accepted. It was an unfortunate thing and painful reality she barely absorbed, not until…. The tale of Jasha Nicole Benjamin’s biggest struggle started when she and her husband Michael Moreño, 23, of Barangay Concepcion in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, found out that the baby she was being conceived has a
congenital defect. There’s a small chance the baby could endure her condition and live, according to the doctor. It almost was. Her baby’s heart was beating slowly and nearly stopped. Had the baby died in her womb, she might have also died. With her baby’s condition, her life was also at risk. The doctor advised her to undergo cesarean operation. It was 9th of May 2014 during her 8th month of pregnancy when a Miracle Bless /p11
Like Peter, Jay, also a clerk, stated the convenience of a supermarket that it is more favorable because it is more organized “with aisles, baskets and price checker for customers to use.” A lawyer expressed his preference in supermarkets through stating that prices there, though higher, are fixed compared to wet markets where vendors can dupe a person by giving out a much expensive price compared to the normal price. Jane, a sales account executive, noted that it is much cleaner in
supermarkets than in wet markets because it has been supervised or seen through. The other four, however, said their affirmation with wet markets because produce there are cheaper than that in a supermarket. Theresa, a receptionist said that fruits and vegetables there are much fresher. She remarked that one can see live crabs, shells and prawns in a wet market as well. She added that there’s should be no worrying in price because one can haggle to the vendors.IMT
6 out of 10 Ilonggos prefer supermarket over wet market
BY GLORIA CONCEPCION MORALIDAD Guessing where to purchase one’s main food items is a matter of choice - supermarkets and wet markets are two types of buying areas around here. While many Filipino families buy their food from wet markets, it showed in a poll by Iloilo Metropolitan Times that six out of 10 Ilonggos preferred to spend their moolah in a supermarket rather than that in the former despite the expensive prices. “It’s more convenient here in the supermarket because one or two rounds you can buy vegetables to meat, even to appliances! And it’s more cool with the air conditioning there, so you can shop leisurely,” said Peter, an office clerk.
business
IBC looks into work force development 3
NEWS
WHAT’S INSIDE SPORTS
DOH warns of fecal coliform 2
Illongo athlete establishes name in PHL basketball 11
OPINION
Water and Monopoly
6
METRO NEWS
2
METRO
on the road
DTI The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Guimaras Provincial Office encouraged all consumers to be vigilant by patronizing retail stores using calibrated weighing scales. They are also encouraged to be vigilant by exercising their rights and responsibilities at all times.Trade and Industry Development Specialist II Melecia U. Pait said that through this, consumers can get the best value for their money.
NRCO
Thirty overseas Filipino worker (OFW) returnees from Western Visayas are the latest beneficiaries of the P10,000 livelihood assistance from the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO).The NRCO Livelihood Assistance Program is available for OFW returnees who are displaced, distressed and undocumented and their families to help them start their micro-business or expand their existing business and become self–sustaining.
DENR The DENR Ecosystems Research and Development Service recently conducted various activities in its established clonal nurseries to ensure good production of quality planting materials for the National Greening Program (NGP). Regional Technical Director Dr. Alicia L. Lustica led the group of ERDS staff at the Regional Clonal Nursery in CENRO Btac. Nuevo in conducting sanitation pruning of scale insects infecting Dankalan seedlings at the nursery rearing beds, grading of Balete seedlings, preparation of Narra wildings and potting of 7,800 Narra seedlings, among others.
DFA Given the continuing normalization of the political situation in Thailand, including the lifting of the curfew nationwide last June 13, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. del Rosario lowered the crisis alert level from 2 to 1. Under alert level 1, Filipinos in Thailand are advised to take necessary precautions. The ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers, whether balik-manggagawa or newly-hired, will also be lifted.
June 22 - 28, 2014
DOH warns of fecal coliform BY MONTESA GRIŇO-CAOYONAN Many of us now are buying water from refilling stations. But how sure are we that these are good sources of safe water? The Department of Health (DOH) Region VI told the public to be more cautious on drinking bottled water being sold by unregistered water refilling stations in the region. “We should be careful of these bottled waters being sold along the streets. Some of them are unsafe for drinking,” DOH-6 Medical Specialist II Dr. Elvie Villalobos said. Based on the results of the study conducted by the DOH-6, 50 percent of the region’s underground water is contaminated with fecal coliform, a type of bacteria from feces of humans and warm-blooded animals.
DOH-6 said fecal coliform can cause skin allergies and waterborne diseases that can lead to intestinal illness. According to Villalobos, most of the water stores get their water from deep well, shallow tube-well and Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD). “If we are not sure of the water we take, we better boil it to prevent diarrhea and other water-borne diseases,” he stressed. Villalobos advised consumers to look for the sanitary and business permits of water stores to assure that their water had undergone laboratory tests from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). The primary cause of contamination, according Villalobos, are the septic tanks built less than 25 meters away from deep wells and water
DOT-6 readies for VPY 2015
BY GLORIA CONCEPCION MORALIDAD
Yes, 2015 is just six months away. The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region VI is beefing up for the events to come by the next year – Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, Visit Philippines Year (VPY) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration. “Everybody should work hard for it next year considering that it is just barely six months away. We have to double time with all aspects of our economy, human resources, technology, agriculture, accommodation and transportation. We still have many things to work on,” said DOT-6 Regional Director Atty. Helen J. Catalbas. Catalbas stressed that if everyone double-time and work hard, the region can be at par with the rest of the ASEAN countries. She also noted to upgrade facilities of existing hotels and skills of industry personnel, and more value orientation on tourism frontliners that include sellers, clerk, security guards and taxi drivers. Catalbas also mentioned that Iloilo will be one of the venues of
ministerial meetings and alongside is VPY 2015 and each region should come up with big promotional projects to attract more tourists particularly coming from the ASEAN countries VPY 2015 was declared by Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. during the 17th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, a part of activities in ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Sarawak, Malaysia, on January 16-24. VPY 2015 will also coincide with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meetings and Leaders’ Summit in 2015 and a preparation for the country’s hosting of ATF in 2016. In a national statement, “DOT is drawing up a calendar of events for VPY 2015 to include a mix of exceptional work of Filipinos in painting and graphic arts, cinema, performing arts such as dance, music, and theater, as well as unveil more historic treasures, national wonders, breathtaking adventures, exquisite products, and ecotourism activities, for visitors to come and enjoy the promise of ‘more fun in the Philippines.” IMT
DOH urges water refilling stations to secure sanitary permits pumps. In Iloilo City, there are around 200 water refilling stations operating but some of them have no sanitary permits. The city health office issues a sanitary permit to a water refilling
station after the submission of an operational permit issued by the DOH. Under the Sanitation Code, “no water supply source shall be operated for drinking purpose without an operational permit. IMT
Iloilo City traffic aides reassigned
BY MONTESA GRINO CAOYONAN
Some of the 280 traffic aides under the Transportation Management and Traffic Regulation Office (TMTRO) will be reassigned to other areas after the successful installation of four traffic lights along the major junctions here. Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said the installation of the new traffic lights does not mean that traffic aides are no longer needed, but they will be reassigned to other strategic areas that need additional augmentation. Mabilog said they still need the
services of these traffic aides because two more traffic lights at the corners of Infante and Molo plaza will be installed by July and another four before the year ends. Next year, eight more traffic lights will be installed which will bring a total of 20 traffic lights to be operational before the city will be hosting the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings in September and October next year. Mabilog said the city government has allocated a P15 million budget for the installation of traffic lights to help regulate traffic flow in the city. IMT
Dengue cases surge in Yolanda-hit provinces
P32/kg WMR in Iloilo
DSWD The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC) will sign today, Monday, June 16, the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9344 as amended by Republic Act No. 10630 also known as an “Act Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System in the Philippines, amending for the purpose Republic Act 9344, otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.”
DepEd As the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) announces the onset of the rainy season, the Department of Education (DepEd) reminds the public of the rules for class suspensions. The rules on automatic suspension of classes remain the same: Storm Signal No. 1 suspends classes in kindergarten; Signal No. 2 suspends classes in kindergarten, elementary, and high school; and Signal No. 3 suspends classes from kindergarten to college, including graduate schools and government offices.
BY MONTESA GRIŇO -CAOYONAN
NFA starts selling well-milled rice at P32.00 per kilogram BY REYMAR LATOZA The National Food Authority (NFA) Iloilo Provincial Office has started selling well-milled rice at P32.00 per kilogram, besides the regular-milled rice which is sold for P27 per kilo nationwide. NFA Iloilo Provincial Manager Marianito B. Bejemino, in a press release, said that this step is to further stabilize the price of well-milled rice in the market until the harvest season on September since the price of rice normally increases on lean
months, from June to August every year. He added that the food agency introduced middle-priced and wellmilled rice to provide the consuming public an option to buy affordable but of higher quality rice compared to commercial rice varieties that are currently sold in the market at a much higher price. The agency’s provincial monitoring team regularly checks the markets to ensure the availability of NFA rice to the public. IMT
Cases of dengue fever in the hardest hit provinces of Western Visayas have risen in first past 5 months of the year, the Department of Health 6 (DOH-6) reported. The region, however, posted lower total dengue cases in the same period. DOH Assistant Regional Director Ma. Paz Corrales said total dengue cases in the region reached 1,399 with 19 deaths from January 1-May 17 this year while 4,566 cases with six deaths were reported during the same period last year. Corrales said reported dengue cases in Aklan, which is one of the provinces hardest-hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda, surged to 251 cases compared to last year with only 158 cases. Also, Corrales said Capiz which ranked third in last year’s record, topped this year’s record with 417 reported dengue cases and one death. Other cases were recorded in Iloilo
with 282 and four deaths followed by Negros Occidental, 179; Iloilo City, 153; Bacolod City, 54; Antique, 42 and Guimaras, 13. Meanwhile, Corrales noted that dengue is already a year-round public health threat. She said to prevent dengue, the public is advised to always clean the surroundings and to properly dispose of tin cans, empty bottles, used tires and other containers so that these do not become mosquito-breeding places. “Each of us is encouraged to do the 4 o’clock habit - stop, look and listen to help bring down cases of the deadly dengue fever,” she said. The DOH-6 also reiterates its call on its 4-S campaign: Searching and destroying of possible breeding grounds of dengue-carrying mosquitoes; Selfprotection by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants for protection; Seeking treatment for fever that lasts two days or more and Saying no to indiscriminate fogging. IMT
June 22 - 28, 2014
METRO BUSINESS
3
IBC looks into work force development BY GLORIA CONCEPCION MORALIDAD The Iloilo Business Club (IBC) is keen on looking at the workforce development and human resource strategy of Iloilo.
“A huge part of the advocacy now of the club, together with the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, Inc.,( ILED) and our foundation with business groups, we are looking into
Prices stable, says DTI-6
human resource,” claimed by Ma. Lea Victoria E. Lara, Executive Director of IBC. Lara noted that it will be a huge campaign to undertake by the private sector and the city and province because they want to make sure that graduates will be able to find jobs in the coming years especially with the investments that are coming in, with Iloilo getting ready for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2015. “We can’t just tell our investors that we have 18,000 graduates, we have to make sure that their skills are what businesses are looking for,” she added. She remarked that it is one of the city’s immediate needs especially with businesses opening up by APEC.
“We have 6 hotels opening, we have a convention center, and restaurants. Our workforce may not be ready, so we have to come up with strategies to remedy and capture the skills of our graduates, so that companies here will not have a hard time looking through the hiring process,” Lara stated. Iloilo City is one of the venues of ministerial meetings when the Philippines hosts the APEC summit in 2015 In a press report, it showed that the Philippines will prioritize four areas of discussion – regional economic agenda with the end of drafting the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP); SME; human resources; and, building sustainable communities — by world leaders when it hosts APEC next year.IMT
PH needs PPPs to reach infra spending target
BY REYMAR LATOZA DTI guarantes its consumers of stable prices this month of June. BY GLORIA CONCEPCION MORALIDAD The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region VI affirmed that there’s no movement in the price and that it is stable this month of June. In a report handed by DTI-6 to Iloilo Metropolitan Times, suggested retail price (SRP) of the following ranges from thus-Basic Necessities Canned Sardines tomato sauce in 155g range from P12.50 to P13.75. Processed Milk – condensed milk in 300mL ranges from P51.30 to P63.20; evaporated milk in 370mL ranges from P34.15 to P50.50; and powdered milk in 150g ranges from P45.15 to P77. Bread in 250g and 450g ranges from P22.50 to P37 respectively. Instant noodles with chicken and beef flavor in 55g range from P6.30 to P7.10 Bottled water– distilled water in 325mL to 6L ranges from P6 to P81; purified water in 300mL to 1L ranges from P5 to P22; mineral water in 330mL to 1L ranges from P5 to P72. Detergent laundry soap in 380g to 420g ranges from P17.25 to P20.50. Prime Commodities Luncheon Meat in 165g ranges from P27.50 to P30.55.
Meat Loaf from 150g to 175g ranges from P15.25 to P18.60. Corned Beef from 150g to 175g ranges from P24.25 to P33.25. Beef loaf from 150g to 200g ranges from P15.25 to P24.90. Vinegar gin bottle in 350mL ranges from P10.40 to P13. Patis gin bottle in 350mL ranges from P17.35 to P20.05. Soy sauce gin bottle in 350mL ranges from P13.35 to P15. Toilet soap in 55g to 135g ranges from P12.95 to P38. Batteries – AA Pack of 2 ranges from P20 to P37; AA Pack of 4 ranges from P40 to P159; D Pack of 2 ranges from P45 to P59.
The number of employed individuals in Western Visayas (WV) ticked up to 92.9 percent at endApril this year from 92 percent in the same month in 2013, data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region VI showed. DOLE- 6 Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom attributed the increase of employment rate to the region’s strong economy. He cited the vigorous activities in the sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism which opened more job opportunities. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate went down to 7.1 percent from 8 percent. The underemployed individuals or those employed but still looking for more work decreased to 21.2 percent from 24 percent. A report from Philippine
providing infrastructure that will subsequently lower the costs of logistics, transportation, and doing business in general,” Balisacan said Under the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 Midterm Update, the country is pursuing comprehensive and long-term strategies to bolster the country’s investment climate and competitiveness which include increasing infrastructure spending targeted at 5.0 percent of the GDP by 2016. IMT
JobStart Philippines to resolve youth unemployment
Statistics Authority (PSA) also showed a downward trend in the country’s employment rate. The number of jobless Filipinos decreased to 7 percent as of end-April this year, from 7.6 percent of the same month last year. The drop, according to PSA, is equivalent to more or less 100,000 Filipinos. The employment rate went up 93 percent to 38.7 million Filipinos from 92.4 percent, the previous year. On the other hand, the underemployed workers decreased to 18.2 percent from 19.2 percent. “Those working in the service sector comprised 52.8 percent of the employed, improving from 52.7 percent, and those in the industry sector, 16.4 percent from 16.2 percent. Agriculture workers accounted for 30.7 percent, down from 31.2 percent,” PSA reported.IMT
BY REYMAR LATOZA With the free flow of goods, investments, services, capital, and skilled labor, Filipino consumers are expected to benefit significantly from the formation of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC) next year. About six months from now, 10-member countries of the ASEAN including the Philippines will merge into a single market and production base with a combine Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $2.3 trillion. According to Gilbert Llanto, president of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Filipinos and consumers will get an access to better quality of goods and services at lower prices, better jobs and standard of living. FREE FLOW OF GOODS Tariff barrier will be eliminated under tariff reduction program as well as quantity restrictions and non-tariff barriers. Only ASEAN’s products that are directly consigned within the region will qualify for benefits of ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) which has now been virtually established. FREE FLOW OF INVESTMENTS
SRPs are applied nationwide to both supermarkets and wet markets. Anyone found selling any basic necessity or prime commodity at a price grossly in excess of its true worth must present a show-cause statement. If found profiteering without a viable statement, penalties are set to an imprisonment of five to 15 years and fine of P5,000 to P2M. In violation of price ceilings, an imprisonment of one to 10 years and a fine of P5,000 to P1M. Consumers are advised to carefully check the weight and the price tag of products before purchase. IMT
Employment rate in WV up 92.9% in April
BY REYMAR LATOZA
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are vital for the Philippine government to attain its infrastructure spending target by 2016, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) NEDA Director-General Arsenio Balisacan said PPPs play the “crucial role” in the success of the infrastructure programs of the government. “The success of PPPs will ease the burden of the government
More Opportunities await Filipinos in 2015
Under the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA), extension of non-discriminatory treatments will be pushed and restrictions to entry of investments and restrictive investment measures and other impediments including performance requirements will be reduced and eliminated. The actions aim to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and increase intra-ASEAN investment. FREE FLOW OF SERVICES
DOLE is set to launch its JobStart Philippines program to increase employment rate in the country. BY ELYROSE S. NAORBE percent in April 2014–still accounts In order to address youth for almost half, or 49.8 percent, of the unemployment in the country, country’s total unemployed placed at the Department of Labor and 2.924 million. Employment (DOLE) prepares for According to the Philippine the implementation of the JobStart Statistical Authority’s Labor Force Philippines program this month. Survey, there are 1.456 million JobStart is a partnership program unemployed youth as of April 2014, of the DOLE, Asian Development accounting for 16 percent of the total Bank (ADB), and the Canadian youth labor force of 9.254 million. International Development Agency The youth belong to the 15-24 age (CIDA) which aims to increase brackets. the employability of the youth by “JobStart’s objective is to raise the providing them access to technical youth job placement rate to 80 percent and life skills training demanded by from the current 60-65 percent rate,” employers and by mentoring and Baldoz said. tooling them to improve their job The JobStart Program is a searches and outcomes. pivotal step in improving the youth Secretary of Labor and employment situation in the country Employment Rosalinda Dimapilis- through the effective delivery of Baldoz noted that youth current labor market information, unemployment, while it had decreased employment services, skills-jobs by 1.1 percent, or by 13,000–from matching mechanisms, and other job 16.8 percent in April 2013 to 15.7 search reforms. IMT
All restriction on trade in services will be removed. Mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) will be strengthened to underline profession qualifications. FREE FLOW OF CAPITAL The country’s withholding tax structure will be enhanced under the ASEAN capital market development and integration to promote the broadening of investor base in ASEAN debt issuance. Market driven efforts will be facilitated to establish exchange and debt market linkages. FREE FLOW OF SKILLED LABOR AEC will open lots of opportunities to many skilled Filipino workers, who can speak English language well, to work in other ASEAN countries Likewise, our country will also allow service providers from other Asean countries to send their skilled workers to the country.IMT
Republic of the Philippines Province of Antique TANGGAPAN NG SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN 5700 San Jose Antique PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO.090-2013 AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING THE COMPREHENSIVE DENGUE AND CHIKUNGUNYA CONTROL PROGRAM OF THE PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE Author: HON EGIDIO P. ELIO, M.D SP Member, North District WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines provides the “The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them”,
Chairperson -Municipal Mayor Co-Chairperson -Sangguniang Bayan -Committee on Health Chairperson Vice Chairperson -Municipal Health Officer Members -Liga ng mga Barangay President -DepEd District Supervisor -Chief of Police -Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer -Rural Sanitary Inspector d.) To inspect all inhabited and uninhabited places in the barangay, including residential homes, commercial establishments, schools, offices, churches and the like, for any items that could serve as a bleeding place for mosquitoes, and cause its disposal; e.) To promulgate other measures that could contribute to the prevention of dengue and chikungunya that do not contradict the provisions of this Ordinance; f.) To monitor all residents in the barangay for any signs and symptoms of dengue and chikungunya and immediately report such cases to the Municipal Health Office: 1.) Dengue should be suspected when a person has a fever for two (2) to seven (7) days accompanied by two (2) of the following symptoms: severe headache , pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea , vomiting, swollen glands, rash or porrl oral intake. 2.) Severe dengue should be suspected two (2) to three (3) days after the resolution of fever when the following symptoms appear: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, fatigue, restlessness, and signs of bleeding. Proper medical care is urgently needed to avoid further complication and death. 3.) Chikungunya should be suspected when high fever is accompanied by the following symptoms: severe joint pains at the lower back, ankle, knees, wrists or phalanges; joint swelling, rash, headaches, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting; g.) To require suspected and confirmed to be put into isolation such as keeping them under mosquito nets or in a screened room during the period of illness, to help stop the spread of the disease. h.) To request for appropriation of funds from the Sangguniang Barangay should the need arise.
WHEREAS, dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is the world’s fastest-spreading tropical disease. The dramatic .The dramatic increase in the rate of its transmission by its vectors, the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, has place over 40% of the world’s population at risk. Dengue has become a major international public health concern. In the Philippines, it is the leading cause of childhood hospitalizations; WHEREAS, chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted bybthe same vectors as that of dengue, shares some clinical manifestations with dengue, often misdiagnose in areas where dengue is common and can be eradicated by the same measure as those for dengue. While not as fatal as dengue due to the absence of hemmorrhagic complications, it is nevertheless causes debilitating joints pains; WHEREAS, this Ordinance provides impetus to the efforts control dengue and chikungunya in the Province of Antique as it calls for the active participation of community in eliminating potential habitats for mosquitoes- a critical step in reducing the risk of transmission of mosquito-borne diseases; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDRAINED by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Antique, in session duly assembled, That: Section 1. Title- This ordinance shall be known as “THE 2013 DENGUE AND CHIKUNGUNYA CONTROL ORDINANCE OF THE PROVINCE OF NTIQUE” Section 2. Defintion of Terms- As uses in this Ordinance, the terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to this in this Section. Any words or terms not defined shall be given their plain and customary meanings, unless the context requires otherwise, and shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the purpose and spirit of this Ordinance. A) “Aedes aegypti” refers to the primary vector of dengue as well as yellow fever, hence it is commonly called “yellow fever mosquito”. It is more closely related to human habitation and breeds mostly in indoor man-made containers. B) “Aedes albopictus” refers to the secondary vector of dengue which is also commonly called “Asian tiger mosquito” because of its black and white striped and legs. It thrives in natural containers and outdoor habitat and can survive in color temperate areas. C) “indiscriminate Fogging” refers to the delivery of an insecticide in very tiny articles which only drives away the mosquitoes to other places to find a new breeding grounds. D) “Kaya-Kulub” refers to the act of turning a water container upside down to drain its content. E) “Vector” refers to transmitters of disease-causing organism that carry the pathogens from one host to another. F) “4 O’çlock habit” refers to the elimination of breeding places of mosquitoes in houses, offices and environment by all government and private agencies and the citizenry at 4:00 P.M every day. Section 3. Provincial debgue and Chikungunya Control Council- There shall be created the provincial Dengue Chikungunya Control Council for the purpose of overseeing the implementation of this Ordinance. Section 4: Composition of the Council- The council shall be composed of the following: Chairperson: -Provincial Governor Co-Chairperson: -Sangguniang Panlalawigan -Committee on Health Chairperson Vice-Chairperson -Provincial Health Officer Members -Provincial Dengue Coordinator -League of Municipalities Presidents -Liga ng mga Barangay President -Schools Division Superintendent -Provincial Police Director -Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer -Antique Medical Society President -Philippine National Red Cross Representative -Representative of the Private sector and -Non-Government Organizations Provided, that the membership maybe increased by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan upon the recommendation of the Council. Section 5. Meeting and Quorum of the Council- The Chairperson of any (5) members of the Council may call a meeting. The Council shall meet at least once a month or as often as necessary as such a day and time as it may fix. The presence of at least a majority of its members shall constitute a quorum. Section 6. Power and Functions of the Council- The council shall have the following powers and functions: a.) To establishe and enforce the program and policy on the prevention and eradication of dengue and chikungunya in the Province b.) To regularly monitor and report the incidence or occurrence of dengue and chikungunya in the Province; c.) To order the immediate implementation of all the necessary measure to prevent the spread of dengue and chikungunya should a case be found to be positive in a particular area. d.) To request for appropriation of funds by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan should need arise. Section 7. Secretariat- The Council shall constitute a Secretariat to e headed by the Provincial Dengue Coordinator which shall keep, gather and update the relative to the Dengue and Chikungunya Control Program of the Province, submit reports to the Council, and perform such other functions and duties as maybe required by the Council. Section 8. Municipal and Chikungunya Control Coordinating Committee- There shall be created in every Municipality, the Municipal Dengue Chikungunya Control coordinating Committee which shall be composed of the following: Section 9. Powers and Functions of the Municipal Dengue and Chikungunya Control Coordinating Committee- The Committee shall have the powers and following functions: a.) To enforce the following programs and policies promulgated by the Provincial Dengue and Chikungunya Control Council, the Department of Health and the Provincila Health Office; b.) To coordinate the efforts of the Barabgay Dengue and Chikungunya Task force and School Dengue and Chikungunya Brigades within its jurisdiction; c.) To request for appropriation from the Sangguniang Bayan should the need to arise. Section 10. Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task force- There shall be created in every barangay the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task Force which shall be composed of the following: Chairperson - Punong Barangay Vice Chairperson - Kagawad Chairperson on Health Members -Any member to be designated -by the members of the Brigade Members -Barangay Officials -Barangay Health Workers -Barangay Tanods -Heads of Schools in the Barangay -Volunteers and Private sector Representative Ex-Officio Member -Rural Sanitary Inspector Section 11. Powers and Functions of the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task Force- The Task Force which shall be composed of the following: a.) To enforce within its territorial jurisdiction all programs and policies promulgated by the Provincial Dengue and Chikugunya Control Council, the Department of Health and the Provincial Health Office; b.) To conduct constant educational and information campaign of the prevention of the dengue and chikungunya with all the constituents in the barangay ,with emphasis on the 4S strategy: 1.) Search and destroy the possible breeding places of mosquitoes. 2.) Self-protection measures such as wearing long sleeves or long pants, insect repellent lotions, mosquito nets, coils, sprays and screens. 3.) Seek early consultations at the onset of signs and symptoms 4.) Say no to indiscriminate fogging unless in the presence of outbreaks and epidemics; c.) To urge all residents in the barangay to observe cleanliness and proper hygiene, like proper disposal of garbage, covering of water containers, elimination of stagnant water, “kaya-kulob” and the 4 o’clock daily habit of cleaning the surrounding.
Section 12. School Dengue and Chikungunya Brigade- There shall be created in every school, both public and private, the School Dengue and Chikungunya Brigade which shall be composed of the following: Chairperson -School Head Members -Class Advisers -School Health Personnel -Non-teaching Personnel -Class Officers -Student Council Officers -Studet Organization Officers Ex-Officio Member -Rural sanitary Inspector Section 13. Powers and Functions of the School Dengue and Chikungunya Brigade- The brigade shall exercise all the pertinent and applicable powers and functions of the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task Force, as enumerated in Section 11 herein, within its jurisdiction. Section 14. Prohibited Acts- The following shall be considered as prohibited acts: a.) Allowing water to collect or storing water in uncovered containers, thus making them breeding places for mosquitoes; b.) Failure by lot owners, caretakers or administrators to clear their properties including those that are unoccupied , of breeding places for mosquitoes; c.) Obstructing, hindering or opposing any officer, agent or member of the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task force or school Dengue and Chikungunya Brigade in the performance of his or her duty as such in this Ordinance; d.) Destroying any placard, notice or signage used in the enforcement of this Ordinance e.) Indiscriminate fogging Section 15. Penalties-A. for Violation of this Ordinance by an Individual. a.) On the first offence, a written warning from the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya task Force, receipt from which shall be duly acknowledge by the violator. b.) On the second offense, a fine of One thousand pesos (P 1,000) and/or imprisonment of not more than one(1) year, at the discretion of the court. On top of the aforementioned penalties, if the owner, caretaker or administrator fails or refuses to clear his or her property of breeding places of mosquitoes, the barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task Force shall implement the clean-up at the expense of the property owner; c.) On the third offense, a fine of Three Thousand Pesos (Php3,000) and/or imprisonment of not more than one(1)year , at the discretion of the court; B. For violation of this Ordinance by a group of persons and establishment. The following penalties shall be imposed on the president or the manager in case of a company, corporation or association; the owner, proprietor or operator in case of a single proprietorship; or the administrator in case of government property, office or building. a.) On the first offense, a written warning from the Barangay Dengue and Chikungunya Task force receipt of which shall duly acknowledge by the violator. b.) On the second offense, a fine of Three Thousand Pesos (Php3,000) and/or imprisonment of not more than one(1)year , at the discretion of the court; On top of the aforementioned penalties, if the officials of establishment fails or effuses to clear their property of breeding grounds of mosquitoes, The Barangay Dengue and chikungunya Task Force shall implement the clean-up at the expense of the establishment; c.) On the third offense a fine of Five Thousand pesos (Php5,000), imprisonment of not more than one (1) year and/or suspension or revocation of business permit and license to operate, at the discretion of the court; Section 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations- The Provincial dengue and Chikungunya Control Council shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Ordinance. Section 17. Budgetary Requirement- Funds necessary for the operation of the Council and the implementation of this Ordinance shall be initially charged against the appropriation of the Provincial Health Office under the Annual Executive Budget. Thereafter, such sums as maybe necessary for the continued implementation of this ordinance shall be appropriated according under the Annual executive Budget. Section 18. Separability Clause- If for any reason, any section of this Ordinance shall be unconstitutional or invalid, other sections which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. Section 19. Repealing Clause- All Ordinances, resolutions and issuances are part thereof, including those that were enacted by the municipal and barangay councils, that are inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Secition 20. Effectivity Clause-This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30)days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Antique. APPROVED ATTESTED:
CERTIFIED CORRECT: (SGD) RHODORA J. CADIAO Vice Governor/Presiding Officer
(SGD) J TURALBA GABIN Secretary to the SangguniangPanlalawigan APPROVED/DISAPPROVED:
(SGD) EXEQUIEL B. JAVIER Governor Cc. All concerned. Submitted: 20 Nov. 2013 Approved: 27 Dec 2013 Released: 27 Dec 2013
Republic of the Philippines Province of Antique TANGGAPAN NG SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN 5700 San Jose Antique Provincial Ordinance No. 2012-073 AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE LITTERING, DUMPING AND THROWING OF GARBAGE OR ANY KIND OF WASTE IN OPEN OR PUBLIC PLACES AND ESTABLISHMENTS AND IMPOSING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF Sponsor: Hon. Rosie A. Dimamay Vice Governor/Presiding Officer Hon. Victor Condez Board member
Prov’l Ord. No. 2012-073
Hon. J. Tobias M. Javier Board member
BE IT ORDAINED by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in a regular session assembled THAT: Section 1. Title. This Ordinance shall be known as Anti-Littering ordinance of the Province of Antique. Section 2. Policy- The Provincial Government of Antique shall protect and advance the right of the people to healthful, orderly and clean environment /surroundings in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. Towards this end, the Provincial Government shall endeavour to develop rules and regulations that will require establishments, either public or private, to maintain the cleanliness of their frontages and adopted areas to avoid dirty surroundings and clogging of canals and water ways. Section 3. Defintion of Terms- As used in this title the following shall be construed thus: a.) Litter- the act of scattering or intentionally departing oneself from any trash or paper forsaken of value of usefulness. b.) Dump- the act of unloading or deposit waste at the area not designated for garbage collection. c.) Throw- the act of tossing, flinging, hurling wastes or any of its kind to undesignated places. d.) Public places- any area that is owned by LGUs and commonly converging point of the general public such as market, plaza, cemetery, government owns structures and streets. e.) Private places- any property and establishments owned by a private person. f.) Business- the activity of buying and selling goods and other properties of value. g.) Business establishment- a business firm or company doing business operations in the Province of Antique. h.) Garbage- Worthless or objectionable materials, a compilation of trash or anything that creates anxiety to human senses. i.) Trash- an empty and unusable cellophane ,paper ,cartoon, bottle ,plastic remains of perishable goods, food wrapper, cigarette butt and the like. j.) LGUs-refers to the eighteen (18) municipalities in the Province of Antique. k.) Province- refers to the Provincial Government of Antique l.) Anti-Littering Police- means the authority deputized to carry the implementation of this Ordinance. m.) Official Violation Receipt (OVR)- the ticket or citation issued for violating the anti-littering ordinance with corresponding cost of fine and community service for those who cannot afford to pay the fine. n.) Receptacle and/or garbage bins/containers-refers to a set of receptacles exclusively for biodegradable, non-biodegradable and recyclable wastes. Section 4. Regulated Act- It is unlawful for any person, natural or juridical to litter, dump or throw garbage or any kind of waste in open or public places and establishments, except in places duly designated by the Provincial or Minicipal Government as garbage disposal area. Section 5. Rules and Regulations- the following shall be observed meticulously: a.) Persons wlking or strolling in public places such as plaza, parks ,sidewalks and alleys should throw their disposable wastes of any kind only to the designated garbage disposal area. If there is no receptacle provided, they should retain them or place it in their pockets for disposal at home; b.) All Local Government Units (LGUs) shallput garbage containers or receptacles, especially in the plaza or along the road so hat the passersby have a place to put their garbage; c.) Puclic utility operators must provide garbage container or receptacles inside their public utility vehicles; d.) Persons riding in public utility, or private vehicles should place or throe their wastes at the receptacle provided in the vehicle, and not to the window of the said vehicle; e.) All educational institutions, wheter private or public; all commercial and industrial establishments such as, but not limited to; hotls, restaurants, cinema or movie-houses, groceries, sari-sari stores, mini-marts and all other similar establishments, shall clean their estate, yards, immediate premises and frontage; f.) All garbage, debris and other wastes shall be placed inside a proper receptacle for collection of the garbage collector; g.) All business establishments and educational institutions operating within the Province or Municipality are hereby required to provide their own respective garbage container or receptacle which shall be placed in an appropriate place within the respective area; h.) Receptacles places at the designated area by the LGUs shall be collected regularly by the garbage collector duly assigned for purpose ;and i.) It shall be the sole responsibility of the Local Government Unit (LGU) concerned to the effectivity and efficiently implement the provisions of this Ordinance. Section 6. Each LGU shall deputized their chosen Anti-Littering Task force coming from the Philippine National Police (PNP) , Barangay Tanod or civic Association’s pool for the actual implementation of the Ordinance Section 7. The person caught by the deputized Anti-Littering Task Force violating this Ordinance shall be issued Official violation Receipt (OVR) with corresponding fine ranging P100.00 to P500.oo and to those who cannot afford to pay the administrative fine, a community service will be required of them in lieu of the fine. Section 8. Penalty Clause- any person who violates the provision of this Ordinance shall endure the penalty of: a.) 1st offense -fine of One Hundred Pesos (P100.00) b.) 2nd offense -fine of Two Hundred Pesos (P200.00) c.) 3rd Offense -fine of Five Hundred pesos (P500.00) However, for those violaters who cannot afford to pay the corresponding Administrative Fine ranging from one hundred pesos (P100.00) to five hundred pesos (P500.00), as imposed, community service will be required of them ranging from three hours to eight hours depending on the gravity of the offense or the frequency of the commission of the offense. The following are the range of penalty corresponding to the number of times the offense committed: a.) 1st Offense – three (3) hours of community service b.) 2nd Offense- five (5) hours of community service c.) 3rd Offense- eight (8) hours of community service The following are the forms of community service which shall be meted the violator at the discretion of the Local Chief executive: 1.) Cleaning the vicinity of the Municipal Hall or Baranagay Hall; 2.) Street sweeping within the vicity of the municipal plaza; and 3.) Coastal clean-up within the Municipality concerned. Section 9. The amount of money collected and erived from the implementation of this Ordinance shall accrue to the Trust Fund of the Local Government Unit concerned, duly opened for the purpose, which will be used for the efficient enforcement of this Ordinance, in the foerm of incentives of the Anti-Littering Police and all other related expenditure for the effective enforcement of this Ordinance. Section 10. An amount of Five Hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) shall be appropriated by the Provincial Government in the preparation of the next Annual budget FY 2012 and the succeeding years thereafter, which shall be utilized for the effective and efficient implementation of this Ordinance. Section 11. Separability Caluse- if for any reason any section or providion of this Ordinance, or any portion hereof, or the application of such section, provision or portion hereof to any person, group circumstance is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the reminder of this Ordinance which shall not be affected by such declaration, shall remain in force and effect. Section 12. Repealing Clause- All other Ordinances, administrative orders, rules and regulations or parts tereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Section 13. Effectivity. This ordinance shall take effect fifteen 9150 days after its publication in at least one (10 local newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Antique for at least three (3) consecutive weeks. Approved, on motion of vice governor Dimamay and duly seconded by Member Denosta with no objection coming from other Members. CERTIFIED CORRECT:
ATTESTED:
(SGD) PLARIDEL SANCHEZ VI SP Member/Minority Floor Leader Temporary Presiding Officer
(SGD) J TURALBA GABIN Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan APPROVED/DISAPPROVED: (SGD) EXEQUIEL B. JAVIER Governor Cc. All concerned.
Submitted: Jan 20 2012 Approved: Feb 22 2012 Released: Feb 28 2012
METRO OPINION
6 EDITORIAL
Water and Monopoly
T
he staggering debt problem of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is not a simple issue of money owed and when and how it will be paid. It is a complex issue of past leadership crisis, political meddling, personal interest and selfish business motives. A factual narrative of the prior statement is libel as it will entail the telling of a hurting truth and open the wounds that are being healed by the re-installation of the old board. After all, MIWD is the only corporate entity that has gone thru three sets of board in a very short period of time and two general managers working and functioning at the same time. To date, the problem with the organization continues and it has mutated because of the debt issues with FLO Water of Mr. Rogelio Florete. As the managers and minds behind MIWD are working to figure out an optimum collection and income to re-pay its debt, the bulk water supplier is firm in collecting a due based on a defective contract signed by suspect parties outside the Encarnacionboard. The city mayor and the lone district representative as if acting on cue of forces controlled by the bulk water supplier immediately called for the MIWD board to vacate their offices and subject it to privatization. Instead of sitting with the board and the governor of the province who recognized the urgency of an immediate solution, the two officials of Iloilo City played the game plan of a seasoned businessman in Mr. Florete. Once the call for privatization is realized, the Florete Group represented by the law firm of Rep. Jerry P. Treñas can easily put on a mask and benefit from it by way of monopoly. The end of the story is money in the form of profit. Oh wait, the people of Iloilo City and the consumers are left out here. Let’s say, that’s how money and monopoly work.
June 22 - 28, 2014
LESSONS FROM THE 3 IDIOTS A
s typical Filipinos, our fancy for foreign films and telenovelas push us to discover and appreciate these foreign language gems. Although I am not totally fond of Korean soaps in ‘tagalized’ versions, I developed a habit of checking Indian films with subtitles after I was introduced by, of all people, my nieces and nephews to the works of Aamir Khan. Khan is the main actor together with two others in the 2009 film “3 Idiots”. Previously, I was hooked on the works of Akiro Kurosawa despite the scarcity of the old films and of course the sub-titled Lupin III. The first ten minutes of the film (3 Idiots) will convert any doubter and will be hooked instantly. After more than two hours of watching most of the viewers will be mulling over the lessons from the film and recall the really funny scenes. I noticed that the most fun parts of the film were also where one can get the best lessons.
A simple internet search would generate the 12 lessons from the 3 Idiot Film but I will share this time what I personally learned from the idiots while they are battling the system, themselves and life.
All is well. The famous line ‘All is well’ is being repeated like a mantra for the followers of the film. Somewhat corny but the psychological effect is just right, with a little comedic twist in consoling one’s self. The lesson is – the best encouragement and assurance one can get during the lowest times is not from anybody but from one’s self. I am quite sure there is a principle in psychology for this. During the lowest times of your life, there is only you and your self and both of you will surely battle it out and no one else will be with you. Nice touch. Nice twist. Quite effective. Life is not a race. All of us, maybe with a few exceptions, were raised in the
principle that life is a race and we need to compete or we will be left behind. That old principle is a hard, brick wall that is seldom penetrated. The film clearly scaled that wall. According to Rancho (the main character), life is not a race and it is wrong to teach our children that concept. They miss the beauty of learning that way. They will only strive for grades and exert efforts to succeed and achieve without learning the real lesson along the way. Some might place themselves in the wrong path from what they really want. In the film, a really good photographer is being forced by his parents to become an engineer. Really, life is not a race to be competed but a journey to be experienced. The more downfalls one experiences, the stronger and more learned an individual becomes. Most of us measure our life’s race according to the competition, according to what the people around us has achieved, and not by our own terms. We live like racers, constantly measuring the miles and laps in our lives with that of our peers. If we stop that concept
and live life as a journey, we will arrive at our destination not as the first or last racer but as a contented, satisfied journeyman. Strive for excellence and success will follow. Since life is a race for most of us, we strive for success. Success that we always measure according to what others have achieved in their own race. The film emphasized that when targeting only success we will forget the values of achieving it. Rather than focus on attaining success one should strive for excellence in everything they do and certainly success will follow. A character in the film eventually wound up being rich, with a big house, latest car and children in exclusive schools. But a closer look on his life showed that he is still the same deceiving, ‘sipsip’, ‘nanlalamang’ student like he was during college. He never learned the lesson along his life because he kept on racing towards the common definition of success: big house, nice cars, wealth but bereft of values, happiness and excellence.
Jimmy de la Torre’s murder still a mystery after 24 years
“P
robably t h e toughest time in anyone’s life is when you have to murder a loved one because they’re the devil.” EMO PHILIPS Ilonggos were still talking about the 4-1 win of Detroit Pistons against Portland Trailblazers in the 1990 NBA finals when interrupted by news of the murder of Jimmy de la Torre, then the country’s marathon king, inside a movie house in Iloilo City on June 27, 1990. The Pistons versus Trailblazers best-of-seven series, by the way, was the first NBA finals since 1979 not to involve either the perennial finalists, Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics. Jimmy’s murder in the balcony of Crown Cinerama (now Allied Bank) on corner Ledesma-Quezon Streets, occurred at around past one o’clock in the afternoon, a rainy Tuesday. I witnessed it. I was seated five seats away from Jimmy, 27, and his wife Celia, 26. Some 20 minutes earlier, I bumped into Jimmy, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games marathon record holder, and Celia in the ground floor while on their way to the theater’s second floor. GREET We greeted each other briefly. It was our first meeting since I covered the Bombo Marathon in Pavia, Iloilo several months earlier. I was standing at the finish line when Jimmy breasted the tape, beating arch rival and fellow Ilonggo champion, Herman Suizo, by
the skin of the teeth. Jimmy was from Pototan, Iloilo while Suizo hailed from Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. They dominated marathon in the country the way Attila the Hun ruled the Hunnic Empire and the Balkans. “Jimmy, you broke the record (in the 20-K event),” I told him after the race. “Ha, na break ko? (oh yeah?),” he replied happily. “Ay salamat (thank you).” Jimmy was the first back-to-back Filipino champion (1981-1982) of the lung-busting 42.195-K National Milo Marathon. He also held the record of 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 16 seconds (Cresenciano Sabal currently holds the record at 2:21:33 he registered in the 29th edition in 2005), the fastest in the country and in the SEAG at that time. Future SEA Games gold medalist Suizo avenged the defeat at the Yakult Marathon, where I was one of the participants. I finished by the wayside--good for a certificate!
my eyes. I checked the surroundings from time to time. Some five to 10 minutes later, I saw Celia leave her seat and go outside. Jimmy stayed. Celia returned after about five minutes. Some 10 minutes later, a lone gunshot exploded followed by a loud scream by a woman. When I checked, I saw a fat guy throw a hard object on the floor and hurriedly walk to my right, passing at the back where I was seated, before going downstairs, mixing with fleeing moviegoers and exiting through the main door. As pandemonium broke loose, the lights switched on suddenly. I quickly grabbed my manual pocket camera and approached a man on the chair twitching in pain and shaking, blood oozing from his temple.
Budyong TV Patrol broadcasters Ibrahim Calanao and Ranie Jangayo arrived and interviewed me “live”. They then interviewed Celia, who was crying but didn’t do something--or at least embrace her husband--or plead to about four people present to bring Jimmy to the hospital. When Metropolitan Police District Command (Metrodiscom) chief, Col. Achilles Plagata, a future city councilor, and his team of investigators arrived, Celia became more hysterical. They recovered a .38 “paltik” revolver on the floor used in the killing.
INSIDE Inside the theater that fateful afternoon, I went up ahead of Jimmy and Celia. Only a handful of patrons were inside when I entered the balcony. We were watching a cartoon film. I occupied a seat in the middle row and noticed several vacancies on my left and right. I was seated a spit away from where the main lights that transmitted the film to the big screen were coming from. Minutes later, I saw the couple occupy their seats on my left. They didn’t notice me. I reclined and closed
FRONT I positioned myself in front of the victim and saw his eyes roll as if begging to save him. By the time I fired the first of my series of shots, I already realized the victim was Jimmy de la Torre. I couldn’t do anything to save a dying man as I was shocked and on the verge of tears myself. Jimmy was a pitiful sight. I couldn’t bear watching a sports hero, whose exploits I had covered as sportswriter on several occasions, gunned down in a treacherous manner, a senseless murder. My instinct as a cub reporter persuaded me not to leave the place until the smoke has been cleared, thus I observed the wife’s demeanor.
PHOTO I gave an exclusive photo of Jimmy, taken while he was gasping for his last breath, to then Visayan Tribune editor-in-chief, Herbert Vego, and it made a headline story. It was my second eye-witnessaccount exclusive crime photo. Five months earlier during the 1990 Dinagyang Festival in downtown, City Proper, I was “lucky” to be “at the right place at the right time” when an off-duty cop from Arevalo district was peppered with bullets while drinking in a sidewalk in the corner of Ledesma and Valeria Streets. Murder charges had been filed against the suspect in Jimmy’s murder, but were dismissed by then city prosecutor Efrain Baldago for “lack of evidence”. Some people closed to Jimmy, as well as some family members, believed the marathon king, who made waves in the Boston Marathon and made many Filipinos proud of him, was a victim of a love triangle. This theory has not been proven and his unsolved murder remains a mystery after 24 years.
2. Worry less about what other people think of you. Remember, you don’t owe anyone an explanation unless they will be directly affected by the choices you make in life. You don’t have to worry about what your neighbor will think when you make a choice that has nothing to do with her. Do what you want to make your dreams come true. You don’t need everyone’s approval nor should they know about the decisions you make. 3. Ignore what everyone else is doing and achieving. Break your own limits and don’t let anyone’s life be a gauge of your own. If a friend recently got promoted in her company, don’t fret. Just do your best in your chosen field and be the best you can be. Do not aim for something that is another person’s challenge for herself. 4. Put your heart into your work. Be hard working. Do your best, no matter what you do. If you are an employee, be the best employee ever. If you are the boss, be the best boss ever. Love what you are doing. 5. Make mistakes and look like a fool sometimes. You are not perfect, and your imperfections make
you who you are. Do not let your mistakes define you as a person. Do not let your past mistakes dictate the kind of life you should live now. Your mistakes made you the strong person that you are now. 6. Let go of yesterday’s struggles. One mistake in the past does not mean that you are already a failure. Turn to the next chapter of your life. Let go. Accept that yesterday’s mistakes belong there. Now is the time to get up and do things again with the goal of becoming a better you. 7. Fight hard for what you believe in. Sometimes, I make choices in life that others around me simply ignore and think that they can talk me out of it. If I had not been strong enough, I might have been swayed. But then again, I always have a choice whether to allow others to control me or be my own captain. Most of the time, I choose to believe in myself and I turn out well in the end. 8. Be patient. It pays to always practice the virtue of patience. Rushing into making decisions might lead to wrong choices and regrets in the end.
9. Take control of your thoughts before they take control of you. This is so true for me. I used to be such a negative thinker. “Everything will not work out. My decisions will be wrong. I will regret everything in the end.” These thoughts were always running around my mind. Before I knew it, I am living those decisions so I asked myself whether I will allow my thoughts to run my life or will I choose to take hold of the steering wheel of my thoughts and run it the way I want it? 10. You need to stand up for yourself. Some people will do anything for their own personal gain at the expense of others – cut in line, take money and property, bully and belittle, pass guilt, etc. Do not accept this behavior. Do not let people walk all over you. Most of these people know they’re doing the wrong thing and will back down and apologize surprisingly quickly when confronted. In most social settings people tend to keep quiet until one person speaks up, so SPEAK UP. Choose to be happy. Live life to the fullest. Be the captain of your life and don’t let anyone live it for you!
10 Things You Need to Do to Be Happy
H
appiness is relative. Some feel happy to be with children while some people abhor it. Some feel happy about being alone while some prefer to have company. A few weeks ago, I was so struck by an email sent by life coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff entitled 20 Hard Things You Need to Do to be Happy. The message of the article was so poignant because it seemed like they wrote it specifically for me. I was so moved by the message that I decided to choose the best 10 and share it with you. In the article, Marc and Angel remarked that to be happy we need to do the following: 1. Take small chances everyday. Each day is a new beginning. Each day presents a fresh start for each of us. We need to take small chances to be able to truly say we have lived. Who knows, the chance you took in order to come up with a decision was just what you have been waiting for to happen yet didn’t have the heart to take? To take small chances is the only thing you can do to face the day’s problems and challenges.
June 22 - 28, 2014
METRO OPINION
SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE (Part 1)
T
he collaborative research that I recently did with scientists from AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center (Taiwan); International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (India), and; Department of Science and International Cooperation, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences on “Safe and sustainable management of legume pests and diseases in Thailand and Vietnam: a situational analysis has just been published (International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 88-97, 2014). Let me share the highlights since these are very relevant to our food security efforts in Philippines. Legumes are important crops in Southeast Asia. Crops such as yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)and green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) account for a significant share of the total area for the cultivation of vegetables, and are important sources of plant proteins and micronutrients in the human diet. Since they are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, these leguminous crops also play an important role in managing soil fertility. Legumes, in particular vegetable legumes, are highly susceptible to a wide range of arthropod pests and diseases. Among the documented pests, the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) is considered one of the most serious pests in tropical Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. At present, farmers in Southeast Asia, as elsewhere, rely almost exclusively on the application of synthetic pesticides to manage pod borers and other arthropod pests and diseases. Previous studies have reported that Cambodian farmers sprayed major vegetables including yardlong bean up to 20 times/season with five
different pesticides/tank mixed together. Bean growers in Bangladesh have been reported to spray weekly or twice weekly to control pod borers. Pod borer moths and larvae are nocturnal. The larvae feed on floral buds, flowers and pods. Since they are exposed to leaves for just a short time after hatching, there is only a brief window of opportunity for the effective use of insecticides. Much of the spray, therefore, does not reach its target. We observed that farmers tend to respond by increasing their spraying frequency or resorting to more toxic products. The intensive and rapidly increasing use of pesticides is creating serious problems as it exposes farm workers, consumers and ecological systems to the risk of pesticide residue accumulation. In developing countries, such risks are difficult to manage because of a lack of public and policy awareness. Chronic problems related to the overuse and misuse of agricultural pesticides have been reported in many parts of South and Southeast Asia and China. In Vietnam, rapid growth in the use of pesticides started with economic liberalization in the mid-1980s when the private sector was allowed to import and distribute pesticides and when farmers were given rights for pesticide use over their agricultural land, allowing them to make independent farm management decisions. From 1991 to 2007, the volume of agricultural pesticides as formulated products (i.e. active ingredients as well as inert ingredients such as solvents, emulsifiers and adjuvants) increased from 20,000 to 77,000 tons. This suggested an average annual growth rate of 8.5% over a 16-year period. As a result, there have been very significant problems with the contamination of vegetables and ecosystems with pesticide residues,
particularly in the Red River Delta and also in mountainous areas. The contamination of food with pesticide residues also poses a serious problem in Thailand From 1987 to 2010, Thailand experienced a sixfold increase in the quantity of formulated pesticide products applied to each hectare of agricultural land. The government had been promoting the use of pesticides for decades to stimulate agricultural productivity, and has tried to promote more sustainable methods of pest management only since the late 1990. However, public investment in integrated pest management (IPM) is very limited. Previous studies have shown that the legume pod borer can be managed using sex pheromones to capture male moths and by using biopesticides such as various commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis. The pod borer also has a wide range of natural enemies and can be managed through biological control, but this method is incompatible with current spraying practices that rely on broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides. The pod borer is prone to developing resistance against such insecticides, as has been reported in several countries of Southeast Asia. This study was carried out as part of a research and development project aimed at improving the livelihoods and capacity for income generation of small-scale vegetable legume farmers in Southeast Asia (Thailand and Vietnam) and sub-Saharan Africa (Be´nin and Kenya) by developing a simple, economical and environmentally sound IPM strategy for the control of pod borers. The project seeks to accomplish this goal through refining existing IPM technologies based on sex pheromones, entomopathogens and botanicals, and combining these agents with species-
specific natural enemies of the pod borer for introduction and release throughout Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Against this backdrop, the objective of the study was to describe how farmers in Thailand and Vietnam presently manage their pest problems in vegetable legumes in order to identify suitable entry points for the introduction of IPM. This study uses the case of yardlong bean, one of the most important vegetable legumes in Southeast Asia, and consumed as a green vegetable, eaten raw or cooked in a variety of dishes. Farm-level survey data were collected from the main yard-long bean production areas in Thailand and Vietnam, as identified by local experts. In Thailand, data were collected in the central region; this region is suitable for the growth of various vegetable crops as it has a hot and humid climate and good access to water for irrigation and to markets for the sale of the produce. Apart from yard-long bean, commonly cultivated vegetables in this region are kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica), Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum), Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) and pak choi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis). Within the central region, the provinces of Ratchaburi, Pathum Thani and Kanchanaburi were selected for the survey, as these provinces have relatively large areas for growing this crop. In 2009, yard-long bean was planted on nearly 3786 ha in these three provinces, and Pathum Thani accounted for 60% of this area. In Vietnam, the study was conducted in the northern districts of Gia Lam, Dong Anh and Hoai Duc, as these are the three most important districts for yard-long bean production in the Hanoi area. Farms are generally small. In Dong Anh, the average area of an agricultural land/farm worker is only
7 0.051 ha. Farmers produce vegetables of various types as well as rice. Villages were selected based on information from local experts (district agricultural officers in Thailand and local scientists from the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences). Data were collected using a combination of qualitative and quantitative survey methods. The qualitative part used the tools and techniques of the Participatory Rural Appraisal, including focus group interviews and problem ranking. This approach was used to develop a general understanding of the situation, including the technologies used in cultivation, monthly price changes, area trends and marketing constraints. This method was followed by faceto-face interviews with growers of the crop to get more quantitative data on cultivation, pest and disease problems and other production constraints. In each selected village, all growers were selected for an interview. In Thailand, 20 villages were chosen and 120 farmers were interviewed. In Vietnam, the survey was made in seven villages and 120 farm managers were interviewed. The personal interviews used a structured questionnaire and were carried out from November 2010 to January in Thailand and from January to April 2011 in Vietnam. The questionnaire recorded general information about farms, arthropod pest problems and plant diseases, pest management methods, pesticide handling practices and costs and returns in producing this crop. Problems of arthropod pests and diseases were recorded by asking farm managers to list their problems, five major pests and five major diseases. They were then asked to rank these separately for pests and diseases. From these data, we calculated the percentage of farm managers who had listed a particular pest or disease problem and the average rank given.
THE HILIGAYNON REVOLUTION OF 2014 – Part I W
hat is the Hiligaynon Revolution of 2014? It is a call for a new system in the Hiligaynon language advocated by Peter Solis Nery to advance Hiligaynon for the third millennium and the 21st century, and to accommodate the demands of the globally aware generation. I published my manifesto on “The Hiligaynon for the New Millennium and the Globally Aware Generation” over the Internet on June 12, 2014.
What changes do you advocate? Let’s just start with two. First, the adoption of the 28-letter alphabet after the new Filipino alphabet of 1987. And second, the omission of the diacritics or stress marks. I believe that when we have adopted these two proposals, we can truly simplify Hiligaynon for the new and future generations. The 28-letter alphabet is liberally inclusive, and opens up the language to greater possibilities including new concepts and terminologies. The omission of stress marks, already the trend anyway, will prove to make Hiligaynon
even more user-friendly. There will be additional changes and guidelines, but at the moment, these two should be popularized with priority. These should be the landmark changes of my language revolution.
Why 28 letters? Why not? For Hiligaynon to survive in the third millennium, it needs to adapt, borrow foreign words, and maybe invent new words for concepts that we don’t already have. Globalization is a 1980’s idea that came with technological innovations including the Internet and shipping containers. I think we should call it “globalization” instead of “globalisasyon.” I also think we should call a “cellphone” a “cellphone” and not “selpon” or “silpun.” Hiligaynon users are not illiterate, so why should we dumb down our Hiligaynon spelling? To spell properly, we need the 28 letters. Why drop the stress marks? Because other than the French people, and other Europeans, nobody really uses them anymore. And if we use them in Filipino or Hiligaynon, we are using them
differently from what they are in their globally accepted use. We are not up to international standard. Look at the French stressed word “café” for coffeehouse, for example. It is correctly pronounced /kafey/. If you follow the Filipino reading of that stress mark on the letter ‘e’, you’ll read it as /kafeh/. Now, if I want Hiligaynon to be respected alongside other languages in the international community, I would really push for a Hiligaynon that an international community can understand in terms of common stress marks. If our accent marks, called diacritics, are confusing to the international users of the same marks, I just think that they should go, and make our lives simpler. What do you hope to gain with this revolution? Just for the Hiligaynon language to advance with dignity. I want our writers to accommodate global and modern ideas without dumbing down the spelling and concepts for our readers because I think that that is very insulting to Hiligaynon users. Why do you want to spell “seaman” as “siman,” or “autograph” as “awtograp”? Why do you want to perpetuate the joke
that Visayans cannot distinguish V’s and B’s, P’s and F’s so the Hiligaynon word for “fairy” is “peyri”? Why do you want to say, “pagpadala sang trabaho sa iban” for “outsourcing,” or “pagpakig-angut paagi sa mga plataporma sang pagtililipon” for “social networking”? I refuse to be insulted anymore. Hiligaynon users are smart people. They can spell correctly, and they can understand foreign words and technical jargons.
What are your credentials for starting this language revolution? Do I really need a credential to start a revolution? Admittedly, I do not have a degree in Linguistics. But what I have is something greater, and that is the love for Hiligaynon language, and my devotion to it. Just because I am not in the academe doesn’t mean that I can just be ignored. I speak, write, read, edit, publish, and disseminate Hiligaynon. I operate a Foundation dedicated to Hiligaynon literature. I am a Hiligaynon specialist certified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. I am working on a Hiligaynon dictionary project, which I foresee as my legacy. Even
if anybody questions my “right” to start this revolution, it will not mean anything to me. I will prevail. Why do you want to start a revolution now? Because no one did it before I did! The Filipino alphabet was expanded to 28 letters in 1987 --- that’s 27 years ago! For whatever reason, Hiligaynon remained forgotten or neglected. It remained stagnant and muddled with slang. The new writers are confused; the veteran writers, quiet or unconcerned. So, let it be put in record that before the Peter Solis Nery’s Hiligaynon Revolution of 2014, the language has suffered a poverty of words and concepts with its 20 letters, and parochial diacritics. After Peter Solis Nery, the language is now fortified to include “coiffeur” properly pronounced as /kwafer/, “immigrants,” “DH,” “OFW,” “calle real,” “años tiempos,” “cellphone,” “same-sex marriage,” “cafe” to mean coffeehouse, “cute,” “like,” “condom,” “eyeball,” “Facebook” not “pisbuk,” among others. Let it also be said that after Peter Solis Nery, Hiligaynon just became a world-class language, not just a regional language/dialect.
Who Are the Scholars of Hiligaynon Literature? (Part 2 of 4)
L
ast week I introduced Doreen GamboaFernandez+ in The Iloilo Zarzuela 1903-1930 (Ateneo Press, 1978). Today, let me present Lucila Hosillos in Hiligaynon Literature:Texts and Contexts (Aqualand Enterprises, 1992). This anthology declares to be born out of “anguish for ancestral roots and the desire to retrieve, reconstitute, preserve, and develop Hiligaynon literature and hence the Hiligaynon language.” But unlike Fernandez who wrote in the first person and whose discoveries in a historical journey was also that of a reader, Hosillos gives out a “messianic” air. She tells the reader who the Hiligaynons are and what they have, constantly referring to Hiligaynons in “their.” To quote: We hope that this anthology can contribute to the resurgence of writing in Hiligaynon by refracting reflexively
to the Hiligaynons their literary achievement, thereby inspiring them to artistic creativity and to develop their cultural life (v). It is significant to note that this was a Toyota Foundation-funded project and Hosillos earned her postgraduate studies in Comparative Literature from Indiana University. Her “anguish for ancestral roots” became her alienation and desire. She generalized and oversimplified: Hiligaynon as all of the people of Western Visayas. This book is for the “Other/s” out there: people outside the region and the country who can read and understand English, and for Hiligaynons like her who are in “anguish for ancestral roots” due to colonial education and social class. The book categorizes Western Visayas in the following: the land, the climate, the flora and fauna, the people. Though historical in approach, Hosillos critiques the method of presenting
the book into historical periods. Periodization for her fossilizes literature. She offers a theory and method known as “reflexive refraction.” For her, this treats texts as “constituent elements of Hiligaynon life, society, and history with which they exists in reflexive refraction” and the “predominant values and characteristics of these interrelationships provide bases for differentiating the literary texts and the timespace.” This timespace heads each chapter and comes in pair, functioning as opposites such as “resistance and cooptation” and “romanticism and realism” or as complementaries such as “reorientation and imitation,” “nationalism and social consciousness.” Thus, each chapter opens with an introductory essay on this “timespace” and proceeds to present sample texts in English translation. Chapter 1 is The Cultural Matrix (Prehistory to Circa 1570). It introduces the language and
literacy, education (bothoan), the arts (siday, balitaw, Hinilawod), socialeconomic-political organization like the barangay and samples of loa and excerpts of the epic Labaw Donggon and Pedro Monteclaro’s Maragtas. Chapter 2 is Reorientation and Imitation (1571-1885) that is about Spanish colonization and its corresponding literary influences like the corrido, balitaw and even proverbs and riddles that seem to belong to the earlier phase. Though Hosillos mentions that “old forms were also given Christian content and meanings,” she does not elaborate. Chapter 3 is Consciousness and Awakening (1886-1910). It deals with nationalist movements and antifriar writings and presents excerpts of the play “Ang Babae nga Huaran” by Cornelia Hilado translated as “Model Woman” and Angel Magahum’s first novel, Benjamin (1918), among others. Chapter 4 is Nationalism and Social Consciousness (1911-1930). It covers the
“Golden Age” of Hiligaynon literature prompted by the establishment of Rosendo Mejica’s Makinaugalingon, to the decline and erosion of Hiligaynon writing because of English, to the alienation of the succeeding generations to the cultural and literary traditions. Chapter 5 is Resistance and Cooptation (1931-1945). Hosillos champions the translation method she and her commissionedtranslators employed that is “literal parallelism/recreation-transcreation” done “simultaneously and/or by levels and stages.” Here, the original text is literally translated word for word, phrase for phrase, sentence for sentence to paragraph for paragraph. Then it is recreated-transcreated to “proximate in English the essence, values, and other qualities of the original.” Hosillos explains that due to space and budgetary constraints, she resorted to abridgments and excerpts.
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June 22 - 28, 2014
METRO TOURISM
Twenty one – derful reasons to come home to Antique…(3) By: Ronald V. Gayatin & Leah Marlie Pagunsan-Tambanillo Antique Provincial Tourism Office
It is also at Sibalom Natural Park where rafflesia speciosa, the biggest and most odorous flower in the world found its habitat. Sibalom also earn the title as the rice granary of Antique and the home to the best bolo maker (Brgy. Odiong) and the most adept potters (Brgy. Bari). If you want to have high-risk adventures in the highland, then come and visit SAN REMIGIO, the “little Baguio” of Antique. The rugged terrain of the town is ideal for trekking, biking, camping and cave exploration. It also boasts of different types of waterfalls and caves. Going further in the uplands of Brgy. Aningalan, one can find the choicest vegetables such as sayote, carrots, lettuce and cucumber, all grown the organic way, which means it is chemical-free. For this, San Remigio earns another nickname as the “vegetable bowl” of Panay. The mystic cave @ La Union, San Remigio BELISON, the youngest and the smallest town in Antique cannot be left behind when it comes to attractions. It is here where one can find Mt. Guinobatan, believed to be a mystical mountain that also serves as a “palngat” (daymark) for fisherfolks. It is also in Belison that Mayflower and Biray Festival is being celebrated to the hilt, what with fluvial parades where bancas carry the images of the Virgin Mary and a whole day frolicking in the sand, complete with food, fun and games and where the whole community gather in celebration of the bounties of nature. It is in PATNONGON that antiquity and modern lifestyle blend to a harmonious melody. The convento de San Agustin reflects the years that Spanish conquistadores controlled the Antiqueños while somewhere along the beach front of Brgy. Amparo stands the most modern beach/hotel structure, the LA Parola Orchid Resort. Patnongon is also famous for its sweet chocolate tableya made from cacao seeds and the century-old Salvani Muscovado sugar mill. VALDERRAMA is one of the three mountain municipalities (the other two are Sibalom and San Remigio) and it is in this town that serves as the home of the Iraynon/ Bukidnon people, an indigenous group that still retains the classic Karay-a culture. Its rugged terrain just like San Remigio, is ideal for mountain climbing and its forests are home to the most unique flora and fauna. Valderrama earns the nickname as the place “where the mountains meet the skies.” The most unique festival I ever witnessed is in BUGASONG, the town in the central part of the province. The festivity dubbed as “Bugas sa Lusong Festival” portrays the way Bugasongnons pounded palay into clean rice to be cooked for the entire family. It reflects how diligent and industrious Bugasongnons are. Likewise, do take notice how they weave their tapestry into fine patadyong. Lately, the patadyong And its by-products found its market in the Ayala-Zobel circle. Bugasong also takes pride in its unfailing faith in the Child Jesus as penned in its municipal theme song : Bugasongnon may ma bakod nga pagtoo Sa milagroso nga si Sr. Sto Nino Ang bukid kang Istaka kag Uruyan Saksi sa pag-angkon kang imo kahilwayan!
9 Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 6th Judicial Region BRANCH 37 Iloilo City SPL PROC NO. 14-12038 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF DAWN MARIE TURNER DAWN MARIE TURNER, Petitioner, -versusTAMMY MICHELLE TURNER, THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF ILOILO CITY and NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE Respondents x-----------------------------------x
The majestic Mt. Porras If you like sweet things such as butung-butung, bandi and yes, if you prefer to sweeten your coffee and other delicacies with muscovado, then LAUA-AN is the place to go. Every visitor that drops by the town particularly during its Pahinis Festival will surely get a treat of these confections and sweets. Laua-an is also a national hall of famer when Pahinis Festival bested all other festivals around the country. Go mountain climbing up the peak of the highest mountain in Panay, Mt. Nangtud, located in BARBAZA. At its foot is also found the habitat of rafflesia speciosa, locally known as “uruy”. The Batabat Reef is also in Barbaza, a great place for snorkelling and diving. Top products found in this town include the aromatic native coffee and Class A abaca. TIBIAO is dubbed as the adventure capital of Antique. It is here where the marvellous seven – tiered Bugtong Bato waterfalls is found and more adventures could be experienced in the great Tibiao River. Ride the kayak, take a bath in the kawa or old wok and feel the tingling sensation as cultured fish nibbled at your feet at the Tibiao Fish Spa. A two-hour banca ride will take you to Seco Island, an uninhabited white sand island covered with almost 3.5 hectares of corals. Personnel of the Bugtong Bato Waterfalls Inn preparing the kawa before the tourist plunged to enjoy a hot kawa bath. I also take pride to call Tibiao as my second hometown because my Mom was a native of this place, and I love to go back here again and again because it is only in Tibiao that I got a taste of “sampudyot nga langit” for really, it feels like heaven down here. Old folks will always remember the historic Mt. Banderahan, a little further up Brgy. Tuno because it was here where Filipino guerrillas held their last bastion and it was here where the Philippine flag was raised during the Liberation of Panay. The name “banderahan” alone suggests the event, right? T h e “maninihon” of Brgy. Bandoja, (Lupa-an) Tibiao
ORDER In a verified Amended Petition dated April 15, 2014 petitioner through counsel prays that, after due notice, publication and hearing in accordance with the Rules of Court, this Honorable Court rule that the erroneous entry as appearing in the Certificate of Live Birth of DAWN MARIE TURNER pertaining to the nationality of her mother Tammy Michelle Turner be cancelled and corrected from “American” to “Filipino”.
ion, San Remigio
The mystic cave @ La Un
Culture of Karay-anon
Kawa in Tibiao
of Laua-an Pahinis Festival
Finding the Amended Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby set for hearing on July 24, 2014 at 8:30 in the morning, before Branch 37, this Court, Chief Justice that any person having objection to the petition may personally appear or file his/her written opposition thereto on or before the afore-mentioned date of hearing Let this Order be forthwith published at the expense of the petitioner in Iloilo Metropolitan Times, a newspaper of general circulation in the City and Province of Iloilo at least once a week for three (3) successive weeks. Let a copy of this Order and the Amended Petition be furnished the Office of the Solicitor general at 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; the Local Civil Registrar of Iloilo City; the National Statistics Office and Tammy Michelle Turner. SO ORDERED Iloilo City May 15, 2014 (ORIGINAL SIGNED) MARIE YVETTE D. GO Presiding Judge
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IMT Fun Time
ARIES:
The first day of the week is the best day of the week for you. Enthusiasm, spontaneity and adventure figure strongly. You have such a natural high as Monday comes to an end that you fly through Tuesday and Wednesday, barely noticing how boring they are. And then, on Thursday, the pace picks up again. On Friday you’re forced to be stern with someone whose stubbornness is a roadblock to everyone else’s happiness. Saturday and Sunday, you have energy to spare, but unfortunately, a lot of it is consumed in family squabbles.
TAURUS:
LIBRA:
A certain relationship occupies your time on Monday. It might be romantic. It might be work-related. But it’s allconsuming. How things turn out between you two depends largely on you and the kind of energy you bring to the situation. Toward the middle of the week, beauty and delicious food figure strongly, and on Thursday, a random experience with someone you barely know turns out to be the most fun you’ve had in ages. Friday you have your fingers in a lot of pies. The future is bright. But Saturday and Sunday you have chores to do. If someone looks like they’re in the mood for a fight early in the week, walk the other way. You can work out your differences another day. Monday’s one of those slippery days when things could easily get out of hand, so nip problems in the bud. Conflict is still in the air on Tuesday and Wednesday; if someone’s impatient, go out of your way to let them cool down. You’re a Gandhi figure with lots of nonviolent solutions, but at the end of the week, your concentration switches to a contractual matter. The fine print needs your attention. Saturday and Sunday, take a long drive somewhere. Crank up the radio.
GEMINI:
SAGITTARIUS:
You may not be the only one in the group in the mood for a real discussion. Take the initiative to open up the floor to an intense conversation on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday, the skills you need are buried fairly deeply inside of you. Both focus and resolve -- despite the chatter of busybodies -- are necessary. The answers you crave may not be at your fingertips toward the end of the week, but dialogue (even between people who rarely talk) is flowing. Friday has the added benefit of a flirtatious encounter, but this weekend, for whatever reason, you’re singing the blues. Sing out. Sing loud.
Who’s up for a game of dodgeball? That’s the question on your lips at the start of the week. No more of this Scrabble business. You want an outside game, something to get your blood jumping. Tuesday and Wednesday you don’t have any time for games, with all the urgent yet mundane miscellaneous tasks on your plate. But Thursday and Friday are hardly boring -- there are too many things going on to keep track of. Saturday and Sunday are full of tea, pillows, feelings, deep pondering and awesome food.
Your reflexes couldn’t be faster, but on Monday, you don’t necessarily want to jump the moment someone says to. Take your time. Think things through before you say anything or even react. Tuesday and Wednesday are much more cut out for spontaneity -- at a dinner gathering, tell the wildest stories you know and you’ll be the life of the party. Then, Thursday and Friday, if you feel like being a daredevil, be a daredevil. Your heart is racing, and on Saturday, all eyes are on you. Wave to your audience. Sunday is a day of glorious new beginnings.
Some distant worry occupies part of your brain on Monday, but by Tuesday, it has dissolved. Children and trees figure into your day on Wednesday, and Thursday is a veritable symphony of cell phones ringing. People love to gab on Fridays, for some reason -- it must have something to do with the imminent weekend -- but this Friday, you won’t be much into extra chatter. You might even say to someone, ‘Get on with it.’ Try not to say it rudely. Saturday and Sunday, be an angel to someone you love.
Your ability to turn a ho-hum outing into the most glorious event anyone’s ever been involved with is unrivaled. On Monday, your friends are clutching their sides with laughter. If only you had the same effect on the people you work with. Finish whatever you’ve got to get done at work on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then fly out of there. Don’t expect kudos. You won’t be rewarded for your efforts until the time is right. Thursday and Friday are booked solid with social activities. That’s great, because you love social activities, but take some time for yourself this weekend. Mow the lawn. Make a pie. Sleep.
You see a pattern in the wallpaper you’ve never seen before -that’s what Monday is like. Nothing changes about the outside world, but you order its shapes differently in your mind. These discoveries you’re making are subtle; nevertheless, they persist. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the findings you uncover have to do with your family. Thursday brings a revelation in your love life -- it’s really something this week -- and Friday you get to plan a creative date. Unfortunately, the weekend is a letdown, mostly because of bills, chores, health issues and high emotions. Everything will be okay soon though.
LEO:
KU
SCORPIO:
You have an itch to buy something, but rushing out at the start of the week and plunking down cash on the first thing that catches your eye will lead to regret. You’ve been here before. Try to take your time this week. Tuesday and Wednesday, indulge in your social life -- you have loyal friends and great chemistry with a certain flirtatious someone. The best amusements in life are the simple ones. Thursday and Friday, you’re racing to get things done before the weekend. Saturday and Sunday you’re as content as a sheep in a field of bright grass.
CANCER:
S U DO
MEDIUM
Answer for June 15-21, 2014
The rule of the game are simple: You simply fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the 3x3 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9 without repeats or omissions.
CAPRICORN:
AQUARIUS:
Across 5 Severe scolding (11) 7 Abnormal blemish on the skin, caused by a virus (4) 8 Communists (8) VIRGO: PISCES: 9 Paint (7) Money issues are the most pressing things on your You appreciate the beauty of low-level clouds, but you 11 Pass out (5) list at the start of the week. Your spirits are high and your don’t appreciate being within one at the start of the week. How friends are better than ever, but this financial stuff is a drag. are you supposed to see where you’re going? This happens now 13 Hit — kiss — fishing boat — heroin Cash is just tight right now. Tuesday and Wednesday, take your mind and again in your life, these moments of blind bewilderment. Light candles (5) off such mundane matters by having a picnic in the forest, going for and make dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then read. Don’t commit to 14 Entrance (7) a bike ride or throwing a stargazing party on your roof. The end of social activities. You may end up spending Thursday and Friday around the 16 Set off (5,3) the week is all about fulfilling obligations, but Saturday and house as well -- puttering, watching DVDs, doing whatever occurs to you. Sunday, you get to do whatever you like. There are a lot of people who’d This weekend, your energy unexpectedly soars. Find an outdoor concert 17 Thwart — sword (4) like to see you. to attend. 18 Taint (11)
Answer for June 15-21, 2014 Down 1 Ain’t (4) 2 Complaint (7) 3 Frightening — like a bear? (5) 4 Armed conflict within one nation (5,3) 5 Charming (11) 6 Convert from private to government ownership (11) 10 Type of pasta (8) 12 A hole in the head (7) 15 Sudden short attack (5) 17 Fat (4)
METRO SPORTS
June 22 - 28, 2014
11
Ilonggo athlete establishes name in PHL basketball BY ELYROSE S. NAORBE An athlete is the one who knows how to play the game despite of limited resources and pressure along the way. A person who can handle the game with determination and believes that in order to play a game, one must endure a lot of pain for at the end of the day, whatever the results may be, he can accept it with pride through the essence of sportsmanship. There is no such thing as a perfect basketball player but for Clint Doliguez, 6”1, an Illongo newbie who is slowly making a name in the field of basketball, everything can be perfectly done if you practice well. Doliguez at the age of 20 is now playing for the Ateneo Blue Eagles Team in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) as a shooting guard and sometimes small forward. Before playing in the Ateneo Blue Eagles, Doliguez start his basketball career when he was still 14 years old. He graduated elementary at Oton Elementary School and secondary at Hope Christian
Clint Doliguez SG Ateneo Blue Eagles
MIWD...from page 1 according to Dr. Danilo Encarnacion, MIWD board chairman. The Iloilo City Council has also joined the call for the privatization of
MIWD to solve the problem on water distribution in the city. The City Council on Tuesday, June 17, approved four resolutions against MIWD.ERNaorbe/ MGCaoyonan/RLatoza/IMT
High School after transferring from Hua Siong College of Iloilo. Currently he is taking AB Interdisciplinary Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. “Basketball is my passion and every time I am playing basketball I feel very happy and overwhelming especially if there are people watching my games,” said Doliguez. In his five years of playing basketball, the best thing that happened and he considered the best was when he scored 46 points in their game against San Veda Red Clubs. His favorite basketball player is Kevin Durant from OKC Thunder. “My weakness is on the part of shooting but my favorite part in playing basketball is when it comes to five on five transition offense,” added Doliguez. Clint Doliguez is a pure Illongo who played together with two Illongo brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena in the Ateneo Team.IMT
Miracle Bless...from page 1 miracle came to her life. She gave birth to her first baby. It’s alive. Jasha considered her baby as a miracle and blessing as well so she named her Miracle Bless. Her angel is healthy but she has a cleft lip and a neurologic birth defect called OCCIPITAL MENINGOENCEPHALOCELE. In a case report published in an online health site, INTERNET SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS, Meningoencephalocele is hernial protrusion of part of meninges and neural elements in a sac. Children with this kind of condition are likely
Mixers vs Texters, Painters vs Aces in Governors’ Semis
BY ELYROSE S. NAORBE After a thrilling eliminations in the PBA Governors’ Cup 2014, SanMig Coffee Mixers, Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Alaska Aces are the top four teams remained as the strongest squads among the 10 hopeful lineups vying for the coveted championship this season. The four remaining teams will be facing their respective match-ups for the semifinals wherein both winners of different games will be battling out for the upcoming Governors’ Finals. But before placing their selves to semifinals, exciting games happened during the quarterfinals. The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers showcased their depth and outlasted the San Miguel Beermen, 97-90, advancing to the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals wherein they will clash
with Talk ‘N Text in a rematch of the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup finals. Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters heaved Barako Bull Energy out of the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, 99-84. The top-seeded Texters will face San Mig Coffee in the semis. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters rode a hot shooting night to knock off the Air21 Express in the quarterfinals, 111-90. The Elasto Painters will play over the Aces. The Alaska Aces dismissed Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in quarterfinals, 92-81, at the SmartAraneta Coliseum. The Aces advance to play the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their best-of-five semifinals series. The four teams in the semis have a twice to beat advantage over their opponents since they belong to the top four over-all standing of the Governors’ Cup.IMT
to have varying degrees of sensory and motor deficits. Associated congenital defects include club foot, hydrocephalous, extrophy of bladder, prolapsed uterus, KlippelFeil syndrome and congenital cardiac defects. Reported incidence is 1 in 5000 live births Miracle Bless is now 1 month old and advised to undergo surgical excision to remove the bump and repair the encephalocele, preferably before the baby turns 6 months old on November this year. Jasha decided to stop working to give her full time to her baby. Michael,
her husband, works as an inventory clerk in a supermarket. His monthly salary is not enough to sustain the medication and other needs of thier baby. Miracle Bless needs P 400,000.00 (approximately $9300) to prolong her life. Baby Bless’ family are knocking on your hearts to help them in raising funds for the surgery Should you be interested to help Baby Bless, please send a message to the contact person at her Facebook account. Her username is RJ Jurilla. You may also contact her at 09173131245. IMT
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METRO SPORTS
After disappointing loss to SA Spurs, what’s next for Miami Heat?
BY ELYROSE S. NAORBE After a series of eliminations, play-offs down to quarterfinals, semifinals and the battle between two conference champions for the coveted NBA finals, the San Antonio Spurs have won the 2014 NBA Finals with a 104-87 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5. Kawhi Leonard received the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award with his excellent two-way performance. The Spurs have now won five championships during the era of Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan, while winning for the first time since 2007. After a clinching victory over the heat, series of reactions and happenings arouse on the subject of the
concluding NBA Finals. James can become a free agent this summer by opting out of the final two years of a contract that pays $20.5 million next season and $22.1 million in 2015-16. It’s safe to assume that at the very least James will explore his options. Even with the power to hand-pick
his next NBA destination, LeBron James won’t find a better situation than his current post alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat. The Heat now approaches an uncertain future in an important summer. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can terminate their contracts and become free agents or they can remain in their current deals, which expire after 2015-16, and remain in Miami for at least one more season. No matter what happens, the Heat need more talent and they need to get younger. They have tried with various players to find that combination of youth and talent but have not been successful. The minutes and production from Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier, who said he is retiring after this season, dropped noticeably. Beasley is an offensive threat but struggles to play acceptable defense in
Miami’s system. Ray Allen had an effective postseason, remains an elite three-point shooter but also has his defensive struggles. Chris Andersen is a good fit and knows his role yet the front-court needs more, too. After a disappointing loss over San Antonio Spurs, the big questions that need to be answered are what will happen for Miami heat after the defeat? W i l l LeBron, W a d e , and Bosh, stick to stay for Miami H e a t this next N B A season? IMT