John Lloyd Cruz Cover. April 16-30 2013 Issue

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APRIL 16-30, 2013

APRIL 16-30, 2013

HITES will be a distinct visible minority in Metro Vancouver in less than two decades, according to a new report.

After being an overwhelming majority in Metro Vancouver up until the 1980s, whites will make up only two out of five residents by the year 2031, according to projections done for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

PLANET University of British Columbia geographer Daniel Hiebert also predicts that ethnic groups in Metro will increasingly concentrate in neighbourhood enclaves, creating a degree of racial segregation paralleled only by blacks and whites in major US cities The rate of immigration into Metro Vancouver will continue to be so rapid that, by 2031, only one out of four residents of the region will have grandparents who lived in Canada, the veteran social geographer writes in his research paper titled, A New Residential Order?

“There is no European city with anything like this demographic structure, nor will there be in 2031,” writes Hiebert, who,

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Whites to Become Minority in Metro Vancouver by 2031

as co-director of research and policy forum Metropolis BC, has travelled the world studying immigration patterns.

Hiebert’s analysis of census data forecasts the largest ethnic group in Metro Vancouver will be Chinese, followed by South Asians, Filipinos, Koreans and West Asians (such as Iranians).

Without declaring whether these demographic trends will be negative or positive for Metro, Hiebert nevertheless says the “scale of ethnographic change over (the next) period will be larger and more rapid than anything we have seen previously.”

The only major city that will match

Based on immigration and birthrates, a demographer predicts that by 2031 the number of visible minorities (or non-whites) in Metro Vancouver will rise by 1.150 million people; to 59 per cent of the population compared to 41 per cent in 2006.

The white population, meanwhile, will grow by only 150,000

Metro Vancouver in dramatic growth of ethnic populations will be Toronto, says Hiebert’s report, which can be found on the immigration department’s website (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/ research/residential.asp).

“Toronto and Vancouver are likely to

A parade in Vancouver’s Chinatown to mark the Chinese New Year.

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APRIL 16-30, 2013

Question: What river separates China and India?

Answer: The Fraser River (which separates Richmond and Surrey).

Filipinos in Vancouver hold a cultural festival. have a social geography that is entirely new to Canada.”

Calling it a “grand story” of demographic change, Hiebert predicts that Metro Vancouver’s so-called ethnic population will grow seven times faster than the combined white and aboriginal population.

Based on immigration and birthrates, Hiebert’s report predicts that by 2031 the number of visible minorities (or non-whites) in Metro Vancouver will rise by 1.150 million people; to 59 per cent of the population compared to 41 per cent in 2006.

The white population, meanwhile, will grow by only 150,000.

According to Hiebert’s model, Metro Toronto’s visible minority

population will mushroom by 3.3 million, with whites accounting for just 37 per cent of its residents by 2031.

The largest religion in Metro Vancouver in less than two decades will remain Christian, since many Asian immigrants either arrive as Christians or convert after they’re here.

The next largest religious group, according to Hiebert, will be Sikhs, followed by Muslims and Buddhists. Metro will continue to have a large proportion of people who will say they have “no religion,” in part because Chinese immigrants tend to fall into that category.

Hiebert arrived at his ethnic

and religious forecasts by using algorithms to extrapolate ethnographic trends of the recent decades up to 2031.

He acknowledges demographic developments could change unexpectedly, but sees no obvious indications that they will. Inventing a new term, Hiebert’s 32-page report says it’s clear Metro Vancouver and Toronto are rapidly becoming “majority-minority” cities, by which he means visible minorities (non-whites) are becoming the majority.

One of Hiebert’s most stark predictions for Metro Vancouver and Toronto regards the increasing rise of ethnic enclaves.

Indeed, Hiebert cites a popu-

lar standing joke to describe just how ethnically segregated Metro Vancouver has already become: “Question: What river separates China and India?

“Answer: the Fraser River (which separates Richmond and Surrey).”

Such sharp ethnic segregation in Metro’s suburbs is only expected to increase by 2031, according to Hiebert. He predicts the number of minority-group ethnic enclaves to more than double in Metro Vancouver.

His model forecasts that 800,000 ethnic Chinese in Metro Vancouver will live in “polarized” enclaves by 2031. At the same time, more than 500,000 South

Asians will inhabit their own ethnic enclaves.

However, Hiebert does not necessarily predict that the city’s fast-rising enclaves will be ripe with poverty or “strained social relations.”

Highly aware of riots that have occurred in ethnic enclaves in London, Paris and elsewhere based on a “sense of hopelessness among youth,” Hiebert acknowledges that members of many ethnic enclaves in Metro Vancouver have tended to be slightly more dependent on government support.

Nevertheless, Hiebert says the future of an ethnically segregated Metro Vancouver, as well as Toronto, could unfold in two sharply divergent ways.

If most members of ethnic groups maintain the solid levels of home ownership, access to the labour market and education that they do now, things should remain relatively robust in most Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods.

However, Hiebert suggested that ethnic enclaves could have a negative impact on the larger society if their inhabitants experience high unemployment, falter in the education system and fail to “integrate.” (Vancouver Sun) n

APRIL 16-30, 2013

By niki yarte

F only the country had freezing winters, the Philippines would have had the most diverse ecosystem in the world.

As they are now, the islands possess an eclectic mix of land, life, and water to support not just biodiversity but a range of activities for the daredevil adventurer.

Here now are the ten ultimate adventures to try to get the most out of a Philippine vacation. Even without a frigid climate, this list represents only a tip of the iceberg that is the Philippine experience where nature and culture converge to provide an exhilarating and memorable vacation.

1. Trek to Mount Pinatubo While the muddy lahar associ-

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Adventures in the Philippines ated with its 1991 eruption is a picture of more than 50 shade of gray, Mount Pinatubo now is a portrait of blue and green. The journey begins from nearby Capas town where visitors are required to register with the local tourism office before getting whisked away on offroad buggies to the jump-off site.

From there it’s an almost two-hour trek through a sprawling canyon lit-

With its untouched scenery, the idyllic Batanes islands in the extreme north of Luzon are every bit an escapist’s dream vacation. Colonization had not changed the local Ivatan people no more had urbanization any effect on the islands’ environment.

tered with majestic rock formations and the occasional ankle-deep raging stream. At the end of the trek is a pristine crater lake that is as imposing as it is serene – worlds away from the mouth of destruction it once was.

2. Hike Mount Pulag Mount Pulag in the Cordillera Region is the highest point of Luzon and is conveniently accessible from Manila, even more so from Baguio.

The proximity makes it a favorite destination of both tried mountaineers and trial hikers. Four trails lead toward the summit with Ambangeg reportedly the most manageable for first-timers. The hike itself takes about half a day through picturesque terrain replete with endemic plant species like dwarf bamboos.

Assaulting the summit commences a few hours before dawn in zero visibility and freezing temperature, so

At the end of the trek to Mt. Pinatubo is a pristine crater lake that is as imposing as it is serene

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there, two options are available: the calmer Ullalim Run ideal for beginners; and for the more daring, the Mataguan Run through narrow gorges and canyons. Experienced personnel are on-hand to provide instructions and rent out equipment.

The best time to try this activity is mid-year during rainy season.

Spelunking the rich limestone of the Sagada caves is the way to go for the more adventurous. preparing for these conditions before the trip is a must. The reward is a breathtaking daybreak at the summit above an ocean of clouds.

3. Enter the Sagada Caves One can simply gape at wonders like the hanging coffins and the rice terraces left behind by the indigenous tribes of Sagada in the Mountain Province; but for a more adventurous fare, spelunking the rich limestone caves is the way to go. The more challenging Lumiang Cave takes about four hours to go through. With steep descents, narrow passageways, rocky trails, and a moist environment, travelers are not allowed to enter the cave without a guide. The less-inclined may want to tackle the more manageable Sumaguing Cave, which only takes about a couple of hours, but hardcore adventurers may avail the Cave Connection package to explore both.

4. Ride the Ilocos Sand Dunes Sandwiched between the sea and the mountains along the northwestern coast of Luzon is a stretch of sand dunes just a short 15-minute ride from the provincial capital of Laoag. Half of the experience necessitates a bumpy ride on a 4x4 truck across rugged terrain with the other half cruising down the dunes on sand boards. Guides rent them out as well as give quick instructions on how to use them but avid snowboarders should have no problem navigating the sands. The ideal time for this activity is either early morning or late afternoon as the sun can make the experience uncomfortable.

5. Explore Batanes Islands With its untouched scenery, the idyllic Batanes islands in the extreme north of Luzon are every bit an escapist’s dream vacation. Colonization had not changed the local Ivatan people no more had urbanization any effect on the islands’ environment. Continuously battered by wind and water, the islands are a welcome challenge for any explorer. Common sights include rolling hills, verdant meadows, and ancestral stone houses built to weather the elements. Expect raging surfs while traveling across islands in vessels made by the Ivatans themselves. Only three of the ten islands comprising the province are inhabited and only Batan serves as the gateway to the islands via the Basco airport.

6. Dive the Verde Island Passage Consider the Verde Island Passage as an alternative to the Tub-

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9. Surf in Guiuan

The more daring Mataguan Run on Chico River through narrow gorges and canyons. bataha Reef, which takes at least a year lead time to secure a spot in during dive season. While the entire country is regarded the world’s “Center of Marine Biodiversity”, the strait is considered the “Center of the Center” with a high concentration of corals, sea turtles, giant clams, fish, and other exotic marine life. Breaching the coasts of Batangas and Mindoro, the strait is accessible from either Anilao or Puerto Galera with some resorts even offering packages for all three dives sites. Divers are advised to be extra

cautious though as strong currents are prevalent.

7. Wander the Agusan Marsh This expansive wetland in Mindanao is home to the Manobo tribe who built their floating houses to rise and fall with the tides and flow with the currents. As big as Metro Manila, the marshland is also home to exotic wildlife such as fish and reptile species like freshwater turtles and frogs and is on the route of migratory birds from as far away as Russia. Traveling is done by paddling on log boats through swamp forests and gardens of aquatic plants like lily pads. Visitors can also venture into crocodile territory depending on the arrangement with locals. Lolong, the world’s largest captive crocodile, was found here.

8. Conquer the Chico River Rapids

Only three of the ten islands comprising Batanes are inhabited.

For adventurers, Kalinga has become a prime spot for extreme white water rafting thanks to the Chico River. It is recommended to travel “top-load” or on the roof of jeepneys from nearby Tuguegarao City to get a better view of undisturbed mountains en route to the provincial capital of Tabuk. From

Waves off the beaches of Calicoan Island, south of mainland Guiuan at the southern tip of Eastern Samar in the Visayas, remain consistently high throughout the year, inviting surfers from other provinces and other countries like Australia and Japan. However, first-time surfers may want to take advantage of gentler waves during the summer months of April and May. Beyond surfing, visitors may also check out nearby Homonhon Island, significant for its place in history as the spot where Ferdinand Magellan first landed. Guiuan is a three-hour bus ride from nearby Tacloban City while Calicoan and Homonhon islands are only 30 minutes away from the mainland.

10. Visit Eco Parks

Eco parks like the one in La Mesa Watershed in Metro Manila are the results of environmentally conscious tourism programs where proceeds help maintain the natural surroundings. The parks lure tourists in with rides and activities like ziplines, skyrides, and rope-climbing, to name a few. These are ideal for thrill-seekers who may not have enough time to experience all the other exotic adventures. Outside of Manila, parks abound in Tagaytay, Subic, and Baguio. Other notable parks include the Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon with the longest dual line zipline in Asia and the Danao Aventure Park in Bohol with activities similar to the ones mentioned on this list like caving, off-roading, and kayaking. n

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Filipino Competitiveness is Not Good, It’s Great!

This country has amazing competitiveness. Yes, we can do more. We can continue to truly knock down barriers to free market competition, to level the playing field like was recently done in tobacco, to allow more companies to enter and invest.

Homegrown Jollibee lords it over global fast food giant McDonald’s in the country.

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I have worked for some of the biggest and most respected consumer goods companies: Procter and Gamble. Coca-Cola. And now BAT (British American Tobacco). And on five continents and over 40 countries.

In every country, there are indeed competitors — some local, but typically the ones concerned being other multinationals. Like when I was at Coke, my biggest worry was Pepsi most of the time, not the local cola brand.

There is, however, one nation that stands out. Where the local companies are so good, so well run, that they represent the big competitive risk. And that country is right here, the Philippines!

Winning market shares Let me give some examples.

P&G is the biggest laundry detergent company in the world. By far. And in normal cases, the key competitors are companies like Unilever, or Henkel, as examples.

But not here. In my time leading P&G, the leader of the laundry detergent bar segment, which was nearly half of the market, was a great brand called Champion from Peerless. A local company.

Well run. A very formidable competitor. They were winning market shares. And they deserved it, doing a better job of delivering real consumer value. I respected them. And they made me better.

You can see the same in many, if not most, consumer categories.

By james michael lafferty

WAS a panelist last month in the Euromoney Philippines Investment Forum along with many dignitaries, including President Benigno Aquino III and Secretary of Finance Cesar Purisima. One of those “standard” questions came up concerning, “What can the Philippines do to improve competitiveness?” I think many people were shocked at how bullish I am on the Philippines. And I am not saying there is nothing to improve upon. It is just that, from my vantage point of leading multinationals in this country, this nation is incredibly competitive! Let me tell a few stories to explain why.

C2 iced tea leads the industry dominated by Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Unilever, and Nestle.

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pines.” And I will never forget his answer.

“Oh, my gosh!

That’s neat! My hero is a Filipino.”

So I, of course, asked, “Who is that?”

His answer was, “Tony Tan, the founder of Jollibee.

And let me tell you why. I am today the biggest fast food chain in Nigeria. But we know McDonald’s is coming. And it is scary, all their money and might and PR. But we have hope. Because somewhere out there in this world, there is a local chain that has succeeded in beating McDonald’s, and keeping leadership. And that is Jollibee.”

Amazing competitiveness Hapee toothpaste is winning market share alongside global brands like Colgate, Close Up and Crest.

Diapers have EQ, a brilliant local brand. Toothpaste has Hapee.

And there are many more: Splash Corporation, Belo Skincare, Alaska Milk — all local Filipino companies that are well run, hypercompetitive, and winning market shares.

I have never seen a market like this. So competitive. So good at turning out world-class companies and talent.

My two favorite examples start with iced tea. I can only imagine if I was a consultant, and a local company came to me and asked, “Do you think we can win if we enter a category dominated by Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Unilever, and Nestle?” My answer would be, “Don’t be crazy, you are taking on four monsters. Go find something else to compete in!”

Impressive accomplishment Well, I am glad my friend Lance Gokongwei and his colleagues at URC never asked me.

Because what they did is extraordinary. They entered. They had

the unique name, flavors, and distribution strategy of C2. And in a few short years, they took the lead from the big boys. It’s about as impressive a story as there is.

In fact, it’s a lot more impressive in my view than the story of Bill Gates starting up in a garage!

Finally, when I retired from P&G and left the Philippines, sadly, for my new role in Nigeria as CEO of Coca-Cola, I met in my first week in Lagos with my top customer, an owner of the largest fast-food c h a i n c a l l e d Chicken Re p u b l i c.

We were chatting and he asked me w h e r e I came f r o m .

I answered, “The Philip-

I loved it. Even in the middle of Nigeria, the excellence of Filipino business is recognized and cheered.

Nine months later, upon the gracious invitation of Tony Tan and his team at Jollibee, I escorted my Nigerian customer and his team to Manila for a one-week visit with Jollibee to learn. It was a wonderful experience,

Champion from Peerless, a local company, beats Procter and Gamble and Unilever in the laundry detergent bar market.

and the entire group could not say enough good things about Jollibee, their leadership, and their commitment to excellence. It is a great, great company.

I could go on and on. This country has amazing competitiveness. Yes, we can do more. We can continue to truly knock down barriers to free market competition, to level the playing field like was recently done in tobacco, to allow more companies to enter and invest. We can continue to push for

APRIL 16-30, 2013

investment-grade ratings, to open up more capital markets to our businesses. We can upgrade more infrastructure. The administration is pushing all the right buttons. Anyone can see it.

And I tell you this: with the amazing base of talent, skill and competitiveness this nation has right now, if we fix these things, it will be downright exciting — and scary to some — how competitive this country’s businesses can be.

(The Philippine Star) n

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text and photos By karla pastores

Children enjoying playing with toys at the Toy Library.

T all started, as with many great ideas, with friendly banter among good friends.

“The idea for putting up a play area in Barangay Loyola Heights came to us when Harvey and I were talking about projects we can do for the community,” said Edsel Ramirez, an entrepreneur and father of two.

The “Harvey” in this story is Harvey Keh, founder and executive director of Acts of Hope for the Nation Foundation (AHON), a non-profit organization that helps rebuild and refurnish public elementary school libraries. Edsel, a fellow nation-builder, was one of Harvey’s goto guys for community projects. Naturally, the two men wound up tackling a community project for the children of Loyola Heights, where both are based.

“I learned from Carn [Abella, of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation] about this toy library that they built in Thailand,” Harvey recalled, “and it got me thinking, why not try it out here?”

Children playing in the streets is a common sight in the Philippines. The lack of good, safe, and clean parks in the metropolis forces youngsters to live out their childhood in the dangerous streets of Manila. While it is the adults’ responsibility to keep children away from the streets, we also cannot keep them from playing and being kids.

Thus began a communitybased initiative that would benefit young children. In 2011, the first toy library was opened to the kids of Loyola Heights. It was born out of the good-

will and teamwork of the community and the barangay officials.

Bringing people together

A Different Kind

of Library

Children playing in the streets is a common sight in the Philippines. The lack of good, safe, and clean parks in the metropolis forces youngsters to live out their childhood in the dangerous streets of Manila.

Harvey, who had ties with the local government, pitched the idea to Barangay Captain Caesar Marquez and urged him to provide space in the barangay hall that would serve as the toy library. Marquez found the idea appealing and set aside one of the barangay’s function rooms for that purpose.

Once Marquez gave them the green light for the project, Edsel started the hands on work. Using social media, the team -- now composed of Edsel, Edsel’s wife Jennifer, Harvey, and their friends Aika Robredo and Jules Falzado -- solicited donations of toys and supplies for the budding library. However, they did not want the project to be a “dole out” program.

As with AHON Foundation’s model, they believed community involvement was key to foster “coownership.” The toy library is theirs to use and theirs to sustain. Aika and Jules were tasked to set up a system of enrollment for the families and train the parents to serve as the volunteer librarians alongside +10

Edsel Ramirez poses with kids and donors at the Toy Library in Bgy. Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

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APRIL 16-30, 2013

Taste of the North

text and photos By amy a. uy

Ilocano Cuisine Beyond Bagnet and Pinakbet

F in search of good food, go north. This is my new mantra, fresh from an unforgettable three day trip to Ilocos while doing research for a book.

Heading toward Ilocos for the first time in my life, I came prepared with a list of must-eats. On top of it, the quintessential but deadly bagnet (deep-fried pork belly) followed by some standard Ilocano fare: orange-hued Batac empanadas, garlicky Vigan longganisas, authentic pinakbet with bagoong isda and without kalabasa, and the papaitan.

Why on earth is a grilled eggplant that is sautéed in lots of onions and tomatoes and then cooked with beaten eggs named “poqui-poqui?” Or sitaw adobo be christened “utong?” Well, trust the Ilocanos to titillate you even with just the names of their dishes.

Dishes with naughty names abound, like this poqui-poqui with bagnet pizza.

Little did I know that my list barely skimmed the surface of what Ilocandia had to offer. After stepping down in Laoag, I soon confirmed that Ilocos was a giant melting pot of great food, with traditional as well as nouvelle native cuisine.

Dishes with naughty names abound. Like this poqui-poqui with bagnet pizza at La Preciosa restaurant.

Dishes with naughty names Why on earth is a grilled eggplant that is sautéed in lots of onions and tomatoes and then cooked with beaten eggs named “poqui-poqui?” Or sitaw adobo be christened “utong?” The dishes look innocent enough but why name them after women’s private parts? Well, trust the Ilocanos to titillate you even with just the names of their dishes.

We had a serving of the poquipoqui at the famed Ilocano restaurant, La Preciosa, along Rizal Avenue in Laoag. You couldn’t even order the dish without snickering or blushing. I survived the ordeal by a slight twist in pronunciation, elongating my “o’s” and calling it “pokey-pokey” (as in hokey-pokey). The unmentionable dish was wonderfully surprising with its freshness, the smoky taste of grilled eggplants mingling with the sautéed ripe tomatoes, soft onions moistened with

the scrambled eggs.

We continued to sample La Preciosa’s authentic and exotic (not erotic) dishes: the gamet salad, with seaweed that tastes like Japanese nori and lots of ripe red tomatoes and onions. It was fresh, salty and tasty, good with lots of hot steamed rice. Our guide said this was quite a treat here and rare, thus it’s priced a little higher

than other meals.

A revelation here was the insarabasab – roasted pork liempo that’s sliced thinly and tossed with onions in a mixture of vinegar,

Nothing beats a classic – the crispy bagnet at Bistro candon.

calamansi juice, salt and pepper.

Ilocano versions of pizza This was the strangest among our discoveries. Ilocanos were so crazy over pizza that they put pinakbet, bagnet, poqui-poqui and even their crispy dinuguan (called dinardaraan) on them! And guess what? Despite the initial “eewws”, we loved these pizzas on first bite.

The pinakbet pizza at Saramsam

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(owned by Sam Blas who let us peek into his beautiful new branch at Balay da Blas) was our first encounter with the strange “Ilocanized” Italian staple. Slices of sibuyas, kamatis, talong, sitaw and ampalaya (the usual veggies in your pakbet) were daintily topped on the pizza.

Curiously, it looked just like any other vegetarian pizza in an Italian joint. But when drizzled with the bagoong isda, the vegetables came alive, as anchovies do on a pizza.

The Poqui-Poqui Pizza with Bagnet was a gourmet offering we had in Bistro Candon, a three-hour drive from Laoag. It tasted very Mediterranean with the grilled eggplants and tomatoes, onions and basil. The bagnet on top plus the moravia cheese made the pizza so indulgent. The bistro is owned by Chef Nic Rodriguez whose dishes are so refined, owing to his education at Les Roches in Switzerland and training at the Culinary Institute of America.

He let us try another Ilocano pizza creation, his Sunny Vigan Longganisa Pizza. He teased us and asked us to guess why it is

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called “sunny.” One look at the pizza and you see little bursts of sunshine on them, in the form of quail egg yolks. The pizza looked like it was topped with tiny smiley faces. The vigan longganisa gave it a garlicky taste and of course, you can’t miss the addition of peppers and other vegetables, the mark of a true Ilocano dish.

called siling duwag.

Perhaps because it does not have the ultra-spicy kick you expect from the regular kind? They’re the variety made for the faint of heart, hence the moniker.

Bring it on home

There’s also meat galore A number of dishes on the menu used pork and innards and less with chicken or fish. From the crunchy bagnet served with KBL (kamatis, bagoong and lasona or shallots) to the crispy dinuguan to the sinanglaw (a dish that uses innards, tripe and liver, simmered like papaitan, but without the bitter intestine juice).

Even their famous empanadas, which you can’t miss in their crispy bright orange pastry wrapper made of rice flour, was packed with crumbled longganisa and stuffed with a whole egg (or two), some papaya and mongo sprouts. We had this in Glomy’s in Batac (P35 for the special) from a family of empanada makers which has been making these iconic Ilocano delica-

Vancouver Edition

Pasuquin Bakery’s proprietors and their popular “soft biscochos.” cies since 1983.

And of course, in this pork-loving province, everything is happily sprinkled and topped with ba-

gnet and chicharon for a delightful crunch. The amazing green chilis we had were surprisingly not spicy, a special variety is grown here and

Want to bring home a taste of Ilocandia? Here are the recommended pasalubong stops.

Pasuquin Bakery: home of the famous “soft biscocho”, which you can smell a good couple of meters away because of the anise-laden breads. You can have both the soft and crispy, toasted biscochos that are unique to this province.

Laoag Public Market: has your haul of crunchy cornicks, butong pakwan, green peas and other kutkutin or snacks. While here, you can also try their garlic camote chips which is quite a treat.

Make the stop worthwhile by buying some colorful Ilocano woven blankets or inabel.

San Nicolas Public Market: is best for bagnet by the kilo which goes for only P360. Throw in some of their famous longganisas for P240 per kilo. (GMA News) n

A Different Kind of Library From page 8

the barangay’s day care teachers.

The response from social media and residents was overwhelming.

In a short span of time, they were able to collect materials, shelves, and lots of toys from more affluent families in the nearby communities.

Edsel’s own house served as a warehouse for the donations.

“Aside from asking the people in the house to oversee the painting of the room, we also sorted the toys at our house,” Edsel narrated, “then we shelved the toys and readied them for play.”

The toy library opened in June

2012. Throughout the first year of operation, Jennifer and the Ramirez daughters, Jessica and Justine, were frequent visitors to the barangay hall.

“The family regularly visits the place to check on operations,” Edsel said.

“They see what still needs to be done and give suggestions to Ate Gemma [of Barangay Loyola Heights].”

Loyola Heights’ toy library became so successful that, after a year, new partners started to express interest.

Mika Millar and Boom Enriquez, friends from the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF), were impressed with the library.

“They urged the family to make it into a national initiative,” said Edsel. “We told them we’d go for it as long as there will be a team to help us with the work. Sila ang second part ng story ng Toy Library.”

Sharing the love With the help of volunteers from NCAF, the Philippine Toy Library (PTL) nationwide initiative was launched.

To date, PTL has established community-based play areas in places such as Marikina, Pampanga, Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga. What were once drab and unused spaces are now filled with the laughter and imagination of young children, with toys provided generously by partners and the host communities.

Aside from play areas, PTL is now seeking to expand its programs to include various activities for parents and fami-

Philippine Toy Library has exported the model to other community areas across the Philippines. lies. Among the events they have planned are storytelling workshops, child trauma counseling through play therapy, disaster preparedness through children’s stories, and art workshops.

For Edsel and the team, all these are to give underprivileged children a chance at a memorable childhood -to experience the joy of play. “Gusto namin mapaglaruan ng mga kabataan sa neighborhood ‘yong mga laruang nakapagbigay saya sa aming anak.”

In the end, the whole community benefits, observed Edsel. “Most often, [the parents and community] are really excited and happy to help because the ones who benefit are closest to their hearts -- their children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren.

“I hear stories from the nanays

and the kids themselves: they are able to play with toys that they otherwise could not afford to buy.

They can play in a space much bigger than their own house. They have discovered and played with, for the first time, Lego toys. It is these stories that give us strength to pursue our mission to set up more play areas for more kids,” he said.

“We just want them to play. And if play and playing with playmates will help them be better persons, then so be it. Bonus na iyon.”

For those who want to help, donate or volunteer to help develop more Toy Libraries all over the country, you can get in touch with Edsel Ramirez at ramirez.edsel@gmail. com or you can also visit PTL’s Facebook page. (Rappler.com) n

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with Conchita Carpio-Morales “I admire your audacity on an issue with serious repercussions in the future. You symbolize hope and serve as a shining example for younger generations who wish to follow in your footsteps.” President Aquino wrote the Ombudsman.

Vancouver Edition

By marites dañguilan vitug

ONCHITA Carpio-Morales is an outspoken lady with a biting sense of humor. For almost nine years, only her colleagues at the Supreme Court–where she was one of the few lady justices – and friends knew this side of her.

In the usually staid institution, she stood out for her candor. During en banc sessions, when all of the 15 justices met, or during their weekly lunches, she was unafraid to ask direct questions without being offensive. She would also make lighthearted quips about some of her colleagues’ rumored unethical tendencies, and the concerned justices would simply let out a nervous laugh.

The public heard of her only through the decisions she penned, because the norm in the judiciary is to be silent and keep away from the media. The men and women in robes speak only through their written opinions.

It was only after Carpio-Morales retired from the Court in June 2011 that she spoke to the press, appeared in non-judiciary functions and let the country in on her work. This time, she spoke as the Ombuds-

man, the Philippines’ top graftbuster.

No sunset President Benigno Aquino III would not let her ride into the sunset. He asked her to be part of his centerpiece anti-corruption program and take on the post of Ombudsman. Aquino was taken by her courage and untainted 28-year stint in the judiciary where she started as a lower-court judge. She was often a dissenter in a high court dominated by appointees of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Already, Carpio-Morales has made history twice. She is the first lady justice to administer an oath to a president of the country. On the bright and sunny day of June 30, 2010, she swore in Aquino at the historic Quirino Grandstand. The new president chose her because she was the lone dissenter in a questionable decision that allowed Arroyo to appoint a chief justice during a period when appointments are banned.

In his letter inviting her to

She has created enemies because of her tenacity and courage to discharge her duty.

PLANET

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administer his oath, Aquino glowingly wrote: “Your position on the Supreme Court’s decision allowing Mrs. Arroyo to appoint the Chief Justice is a principled stand that is consistent with my beliefs. I admire your audacity on an issue with serious repercussions in the future.

You symbolize hope and serve as a shining example for younger generations who wish to follow in your footsteps.”

Momentous event Later, when she had left the Court, Carpio-Morales couldn’t hide her joy when asked in a TV interview about this momentous event. “Definitely, I was elated,” she smiled. She disclosed that one of her colleagues in the Court advised her to decline the incoming president’s invitation to give way to the chief justice, who is usually the other star in this ceremony. Of course, she didn’t pay heed.

And Carpio-Morales is the first Ombudsman to use a little-heardof clause in the assets statement of public officials to verify information with government agencies. She took this seriously, and this led to the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

During the impeachment trial of Corona last year, she asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which keeps track of single deposits above P500,000 ($12,265), to share with her office information on the chief justice’s bank deposits. The huge dollar deposits, way beyond a chief justice’s salary, turned out to be the most damning evidence against Corona. He was eventually convicted.

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Grenades and threats will not faze CarpioMorales, who has a tough job to do. her staff at a park during an anniversary celebration of her office.

It annoyed her that some made an issue of her age when she was being considered for Ombudsman.

Aniano Desierto, former Ombudsman, told reporters that CarpioMorales might not stand the rigors of the job, which he described as “ten times more [demanding] than that of a Supreme Court justice.”

One weekend before she was named Ombudsman, Carpio-Morales, by sheer chance, bumped into Desierto at a mall. She looked him straight in the eye, pointed to her face, and asked: “Is this the face of

Ombudsman Carpio-Morales: the country’s top graft-buster. a 70-year-old?”

Flustered, Desierto replied that he was misquoted by the media.

“Liar,” Carpio-Morales retorted and left him.

She later joked in a TV inter-

view, when asked what made her look young, “Thanks, Estee Lauder, even if you’re expensive.”

Courage What Desierto may have missed

APRIL 16-30, 2013

was one important qualification to be Ombudsman: courage. Enemies come with the territory.

Last year, a grenade was planted right outside the gate of her suburban home. It was inside a bag that bore her initials, CCM. When reporters asked how she and her family felt, she replied nonchalantly, “They’re cool. That’s part of the trade…” she continued, “If it’s your time, it’s your time. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m not trying to malign people.”

In a light moment, she described the “package”: “It’s a grenade alright, the pin was there. You have to pull it to make it blow up.”

Grenades and threats will not faze Carpio-Morales, who has a tough job to do. She has repeatedly called on Filipinos to join hands to rid the country of the “corrosive element of corruption…and sustain the momentum in the nationwide campaign to uphold integrity.” (Positively Filipino) n

Full schedule At 71, Carpio-Morales keeps a full schedule, starting her day in the office as early as 6:35 a.m. (she lives in the suburb of Muntinlupa, a long drive to the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City) to avoid Manila’s horrendous traffic.

Her Saturdays are spent at work, too. Once, reporters caught her in a jogging suit walking briskly with

Then Associate Justice Morales (left) swears in Benigno S. Aquino III as the fifteenth president of the Philippines.

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By melissa gibson

EMITTANCES continue to play a major role in the Philippine economic outlook, but behind the numbers is a growing awareness in civil society and government of the need to deliberately harness this social phenomenon as an engine of development.

Remittances are already a fixture of the Philippine economy, and the country remains a major labor-sending country -- with OFW deployment up 11 percent to over 1.4 million in 2012. Money transfers to the Philippines amounted to $21 billion in 2012, approximately 10 percent of GDP. Top sending countries include the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Japan, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The United States accounted for nearly 30 percent of incoming remittances or $6.4 billion. Seabased workers accounted for 23 percent or $4.8 billion.

Remittances contribute to the foreign exchange receipts of the national economy as well as current GDP growth rates–up 6.1 percent in 2012. Indeed, the present Philippine economic “window of opportunity” has been made possible in large part by the remittance phenomenon, a fact acknowledged in the “2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan.”

Direct but limited benefits First and foremost, cash transfers directly provide for basic needs and consumer goods of OFW families back home, contributing to the wellbeing of an estimated 10 percent of the population.

However, remittances do not necessarily lift all boats. According to the National Statistics Office, 85 percent of monetary and in-kind support from overseas benefits households in the two highestincome quintiles (i. e., families making P100,000 [$2,456]+ or P250,000 [$6,141]+ a year).

While this may reflect upward mobility among families of migrants, overall, poverty data over the last 25 years indicates that income inequality and relative poverty incidence remain virtually

the question of migration and development is, therefore, not simply a numbers game. The challenge is finding ways for migration to raise all boats by spurring productivity and innovation, rather than merely enabling consumption for a minority.

A host of third-party stakeholders also have an interest in remittances, including financial institutions, the private sector and the government. Twenty years ago, many banks were reluctant to serve the burgeoning overseas Filipino community. But today, according to the National Statistics Office, 72 percent of incoming remittances pass through bank channels rather than the informal padala (delivery through friends

Remittances In 2012, remittances to the Philippines reached $21 billion.

Should Be More Than a Numbers Game

unchanged. By some accounts, there were as many poor people as a percentage of the total population in 1985 as in 2005.

Thus, while migration may be

an economic game-changer for many families (albeit with social costs, i.e. children growing up without their parents, strained family and clan dynamics centered around money, etc.), for the nation, as a whole, migration may in fact widen disparities. For policymakers and migrant advocates,

Remittances do not necessarily lift all boats -- 85 percent of monetary and in-kind support from overseas benefits mainly families making P100,000 [$2,456]+ or P250,000 [$6,141]+ a year.

The challenge is finding ways for migration to raise all boats by spurring productivity and innovation, rather than merely enabling consumption for a minority.

Government and the private sector are looking into ways of tapping OFW remittances to benefit the whole country.

APRIL 16-30, 2013

and relatives) system. Top remittance players include I-Remit, LBC, Western Union, Xoom and Philippine National Bank. The multiplier effects of family remittances can be widely seen in the retail sector, on construction and real estate, and on private education.

A closer look At long last, the various stakeholders are taking a closer look at the long-term economic potentials of the remittance phenomenon.

The last few years have witnessed a remarkable convergence among government, the private sector and NGOs on the challenge. Begun in November 2011, the Remittance for Development Council (ReDC), co-convened by the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is one such example of convergence.

These quarterly meetings of remittance stakeholders recognize the importance of partnerships.

The Council recommends policy and regulatory changes to the remittance environment in order to harness remittances for development.

Local governments are also incorporating partnerships with migrant families into their regional planning. Ilocos Norte and Taguig City, for example, are introducing NGO-based models of migrant savings and alternative investment at the municipal and provincial levels. It’s an effort to scale up successful initiatives for the benefit of a wider locality.

The recently concluded Second Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora, hosted by the CFO, likewise tried to forge meaningful linkages for development among migrant families and other stakeholders. The two-day event held in Manila on February 24-26, 2013 featured plenaries and workshops on themes such as tourism, investment, entrepreneurship, balik-turo (return-to-teach), philanthropy, and arts and culture.

These events recognize that migrant communities are crucial players in Philippine development, not simply because of their remittance practice, but because of a wide range of skills, networks, insights and resources–the fruits of their overseas experience.

(Positively Filipino) (The author is the Philipp i n e d i r e c t o r o f t h e Tr a n s national Institute for Grassroots Research and Action (TIGRA).) n

PLANET

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By raoul j. chee kee

OR someone on top of his game, John Lloyd Cruz is unafraid of losing his status. This is because he has accepted the fact that stardom cannot last forever and that eventually, someone younger and more virile will replace him.

He said it was important for him to face this fact early on, as it now pushes him to work even harder so he can provide for his family and his future.

“Ayokong malaos na wala akong naipundar. I’m 29 but I see myself getting married and becoming a father in the next few years. It’s my dream to be a good provider,” he said.

With a string of top-grossing movies, long-running teleseryes and over a dozen existing endorsements under his belt, John Lloyd seems to be doing a good job at trying to secure his future. His boyish good looks have obviously helped, but his acting talent is truly remarkable.

Whoever he is teamed up with -be it Bea Alonzo, Sarah Geronimo, Angel Locsin or Toni Gonzaga – John Lloyd manages to make viewers believe he is truly, madly, deeply in love with each of them.

Asked whether he makes it a point to know his co-star before

they are paired, he said he doesn’t do that, preferring to get to know them while doing the project.

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John Lloyd Cruz

Making Hay While the Sun Shines Whoever he is teamed up with -- be it Bea Alonzo, Sarah Geronimo, Angel Locsin or Toni Gonzaga – John Lloyd manages to make viewers believe he is truly, madly, deeply in love with each of them.

John Lloyd’s third movie team-up with Sarah Geronimo in It Takes a Man and a Woman results in another box-office hit.

John Lloyd is determined to save up for the family he sees himself having in the next few years.

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Thrill of the new “I’ve known Bea for ten years, we were together in a number of teleseryes, but the others I only worked with recently. Maybe because it happened this way -- that we were not friends before we did the project -- probably helped the chemistry,” John Lloyd said.

“I can’t imagine having a successful tandem with someone I’m familiar with, like Jodi (Sta. Maria) who is a good friend, but then we’ve never been paired. Perhaps working with people I am unfamiliar with helps,” he added.

Like any actor, John Lloyd wants to develop his talent further, but he is not yet sold on method acting because it might not sit well with his producers, director and co-actors. Still, he admitted being amazed when he read how British actor Daniel Day-Lewis prepared for his Oscar-winning role in My Left Foot.

“At their first table reading, the actor entered the room in a wheelchair because his character, Christy Brown, had cerebral palsy.

Throughout the shoot, he remained in character. Method acting is more cerebral. I don’t think the people on the sets I work with will allow me to do that,” John Lloyd said.

He need not have worried.

Whether he’s wooing his co-star or weeping in front of her, John Lloyd makes it look real. “We can talk about all these different approaches when it comes to acting but what I can offer is sincerity -- to the material and to the character,” he said.

Turning into a foodie On his day off, John Lloyd either has a massage at home or checks out a new restaurant. “That has been my obsession for the past few years, trying out the new restaurants near my house in Pasig.

I think I’m turning into a foodie,” Cruz said.

He credits this interest to locally published books that list down restaurants that are worth trying. On a recent trip to Tokyo, John Lloyd recalls feasting on the freshest sushi and sashimi near the Tsukiji Market. He also admitted to being hooked on the current ramen craze, singling out those that offered a close approximation to the ramen he sampled in Tokyo.

“The restaurant scene in Manila is very much alive. Cooks who study abroad often put up their own restaurants once they get back.

That’s great for people like me who are always on the lookout for something new,” he said.

‘What I can offer is sincerity to the material and to the character.’

Longing for the familiar Despite his current penchant for Japanese food, John Lloyd says he still longs for familiar flavors like sinangag, tinapa and gatas ng kalabaw. When he visits his parents in their Marikina home, lunch always consists of favorites like nilagang baka and grilled fish.

“The funny thing is even if we’re in the middle of eating, somebody will ask what we’ll be having for our afternoon snack or for dinner.

That’s when I decide to give Luis a call.” Luis Velasco is the marketing director at Greenwich Pizza, one of John Lloyd’s long-time endorsement deals.

“I simply tell him that I want to impress my family, and Luis already knows what I mean,” John Lloyd said.

John Lloyd turns introspective when asked again about the fleeting quality of fame.

“Everything that’s happening to me now is good but I have to realize, that’s just for now. Every actor -- whether he is Aga Muhlach or Richard Gomez -- reaches the zenith of his career. But then when you’re there, there’s no other way to go but down,” he said.

John Lloyd has accepted it will happen to him eventually, but not now. Not in the near future.

“Tuloy-tuloy pa tayo, bata pa eh.”

(Philippine Daily Inquirer) n

John Lloyd and Bea Alonzo have appeared together in numerous television and movie projects.

SUDOKU RULES: Place a number from 1-9 in each empty cell. Each row, column and 3x3 block bounded by bold line (9 blocks) contains all the numbers from 1-9

Solution on page 35

APRIL 16-30, 2013

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CELEBR TY

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JOHN LLOYD CLARIFIES ‘EARLY RETIREMENT’ TALK JOHN Lloyd Cruz clarified that when he talked of his plans for “early retirement” in showbiz he did not mean he would completely turn his back on his career.

“Ideally, when I say early retirement, hindi naman totally wala ka na sa [entertainment scene],” he explained. “Hindi dahil may sinabi ka noon, yun na yun. Yun yung naramdaman ko at that moment.”

He continued: “Now if I were to explain ang konsepto ko ng early retirement, basically... hopefully, several years from now, within five to ten years, I’m thinking na more relaxed... Mas pili [ang projects], yung pacing... It’s more like having

the luxury of choice.

John Lloyd said he associates “early retirement” with “quality of life”.

“Yun lang naman ang ibig kong sabihin,” he said. “Because who wants to be toxic in life?”

The actor apologized to his fans who were surprised by his plan to retire early. “Pasensiya na po. Siyempre may mga sumusuporta, may mga na-disappoint.”

John Lloyd revealed that if he does opt for early retirement, this decision will be supported by his family.

He recalled a time when he was physically tired because of his

REPORT: AI AI WEDS JED IN LAS VEGAS AI AI de las Alas and her boyfriend, Jed Salang, tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 4, according to a report by the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP), quoting information form a source close to the comedienne/ TV host.

Ai Ai uploaded photos in her Instagram account showing her and Jed in formal attire in Las Vegas together with her ex-husband Miguel Vera and their four children, Sancho, Sean, Nicolo and Sophia.

The caption simply said, “FORMAL DINNER. . . happy day!”

ABS-CBN News reported that Ai Ai had refused to confirm or deny the supposed Las Vegas marriage.

The gossip show The Buzz tried to get Ai Ai’s side but she only said: “Next time na.”

The Buzz co-host Boy Abunda said Ai Ai would make an announce-

ment soon on the ABS-CBN entertainment talk show.

While both have remained silent about their supposed wedding, Jed was gracious enough to share about his girlfriend’s possible pregnancy.

“Hindi pa namin nako-confirm. This week magpa-pacheck siya.

Siyempre excited.

Kung bibigyan kami ni Lord ng chance na magkaroon pa ng baby, why not?

Blessing iyon eh,” he said.

workload. “Sabi nga ng daddy ko... sabi niya, ‘Gusto mo tumigil ka na?’

Noong panahon na kita niya akong hirap na hirap, pagod na pagod.

Sabi niya, ‘Anak, kung gusto mong tumigil na, okey lang.’”

MAJA SLOWLY OPENS UP ABOUT GERALD

IT seems that Maja Salvador is slowly opening up about her relationship with fellow Kapamilya star Gerald Anderson.

In her official Instragram account, Maja posted an underwater picture of her and the actor with the caption: “Hawak kamay di kita iiwan sa paglakbay.”

Just last month, Maja stressed that she and Gerald are not yet an item but didn’t deny that they are seeing each other. “Hindi pa [kami].

Agad agad? Ayoko pangunahan. Sa akin na lang muna. Siguro in time.

Huwag muna ngayon mag-share. Sinagot niya naman ’di ba? Sinabi naman niya na kinikilala namin isa’t-isa,” she said.

Maja admitted that she is happy with Gerald, who has been defending her against intrigues. “Aamin ko masaya naman ako. Pero hanggang dun muna. Ayoko muna magdetalye. Pero sobrang salamat sa kanya kasi nararamdaman ko na special ako talaga sa kanya at ipinagtatanggol niya ako kahit papaano,” she said.

For his part, Gerald had also said that he regards Maja as someone “special.”

“Like I said, wala po akong itatago sa inyo. She’s very special to me, yes. Pero kumbaga, sa akin na ‘yon. Sa akin na ‘yon,” he said.

DANIEL, KATHLYN SET TO DO NEW TV SERIES YOUNG stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla now have a hit television series and a successful movie under their belt in Princess and I and Must Be...

Love, respectively. But it doesn’t stop there.

Daniel has confirmed that he and Kathlyn are set to do a new television series. “Mayroon kaming serye ngayon.

Malapit na, maglo-look test na nga kami,” the young actor said during the launch of his newest product endorsement, Amigo Segurado pasta.

He is busy finishing Kuratong Baleleng,

his film with his uncle, action star Robin Padilla.

On April 30, Daniel will hold a birthday concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

In the interview, Daniel once again expressed his anger to those who are bashing Kathlyn, her mother Min, and his mother, former actress Karla Estrada. “‘Yung nanay ko dinadamay, pati nanay ni Kathryn, pati si Kathryn. Sobrang foul ang sinabi sa ermats ko sa Twitter. Sinagot ko nga eh,” he said.

He said he also did not like it when some bashers said he was gay. “Wala namang masama sa pagiging bading, pero sinasabi nila na bading ako, kung ano-ano ang sinasabi nila, ako pa ba?” he said.

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CELEBRITYFILES

NORA POSTPONES THROAT OPERATION NORA Aunor’s long-delayed throat surgery is again shelved. The Original Superstar said she would finish taping the teleserye Never Say Goodbye for TV5. She is also doing an indie film titled Ang Kwento ni Mabuti.

Nora decided to postpone the surgery after TV5 executives advised her to get a second opinion from doctors in Manila considering that the operation is a delicate and costly procedure.

“Ang pinapayo ko lang sa kanya

-- and she understood it naman -- kumuha tayo ng opinion ng mga doktor dito tapos kung meron man silang tanong, mag-usap sila bago kayo lumipad at magbayad ng malaking halaga for something na hindi ka sigurado,” said Perci Intalan, Creative and Entertainment head ng TV5.

He added: “I always tell her na kailangan, dapat nasa kanya muna lahat ng impormasyon bago ka magpagalaw ng kahit ano sa katawan mo. Kahit ordinaryong pasyente ganun ang gagawin, ikaw pa na ang daming nakataya. Kasi she wants to do a concert ulit.”

WHY KARYLLE FAILED ‘MISS SAIGON’ AUDITIONS NOW it can be told. The reason singer-actress Karylle did not make it to the final round of the Miss Saigon auditions had very little to do with her performance; it had a lot to do with her appearance. According to Miss Saigon Philippine representative Dong Alegre, Karylle was eyeing not the role of Miss Saigon lead Kim, but the hardened Vietnamese bar girl Gigi, who was originally portrayed

by Isay Alvarez when the musical was staged at the West End in London.

“Without pretension, she first sang ‘Movie (in My Mind)’ – perfectly . . . but halfway through, we were all fairly convinced that she was not physically ‘cut’ to play the role of a ‘tired, aging bar girl.’”

Alegre said in an interview. So they decided to consider Karylle for the role of Kim, originally played by Lea Salonga.

“As we needed to explore if she could possibly be a suitable Kim, she was asked to sing I’d Give My Life For You – which she also sang to perfection, until a dreaded ‘thank you’ was heard from the end of the panel table causing a heated discussion to ensue amongst us,” he added. In the end, Karylle was not accepted to take on the role of the Vietnamese prostitute Kim because she looked too “dignified,” said Alegre. At the close of the Manila auditions for Miss Saigon last November, only six female hopefuls, including recording artist Rachelle Ann Go, were asked to stay until the very end.

VICE WON’T IDENTIFY ‘BABY BOY’

KYLIE SAYS ALJUR IS A GOOD GUY

KYLIE Padilla admits her father, action star Robin Padilla, still does not approve of her relationship with boyfriend Aljur Abrenica in spite of all her efforts to “defend” it.

“I really want Papa to realize that my boyfriend is a good person,” the 20-year-old actress said.

Kylie says her father believes that a couple is not totally committed until they’re married. “That’s where my dad and I differ,” she says. “AJ and I are too young for marriage. We still have unrealized dreams. For now, we simply treat each other as an inspiration.”

But Kylie insists her father trusts her. “He just doesn’t want me to get hurt.” Aljur is “a very quiet guy” she adds, and would rather discuss his intentions for her with Robin than with the media.

She is very comfortable around his family, Kylie says, “but his parents seem afraid, too, that we may get too serious too soon.”

Aljur, 22, is her first boyfriend and Robin isn’t the only one opposed to the relationship. Fans of Aljur’s screen partner, Kris Bernal, are even more rabidly against it. But Kylie has learned to keep her cool despite the online bashing that she gets. “I never answer back,” she says.

VICE Ganda won’t be pressured into revealing the identity of his boyfriend, known only as “Baby Boy.” “Ayoko talaga siyang iexpose. Maraming haka-haka ang mga tao kung sino talaga siya,” said the TV host-comedian dubbed “The Phemonemal BoxOffice Star.”

He continued: “Pero, wala namang nagku-confirm talaga at hindi ko talaga iko-confirm. Di ba, yung mga ibang tao, masaya sila kapag proud sa kanila ang dyowa nila o kung kayang ilantad? Ako, mas gusto ko kasi na pangalagaan yung pribadong buhay ng tao kasi hindi naman showbiz yun.

“Personal na buhay ng tao, ang daming paghuhusga niyan na hindi ko naman ia-allow na mangyari sa kanya. Hindi naman kailangan ng mga tao kung kami ay nagmamahalan. Ang importante, alam namin na love namin ang isa’t isa.”

JOHN REFUTES JANICE’S ACCUSATION

JOHN Estrada is angered by the statement of his former wife, Janice de Belen, that he is allegedly not “supporting his children right.”

He cited a court order which requires him to render a specific amount for his children with Janice. “‘Yung sinasabi ni Janice na magiging okey kami if I support my kids right, korte na po ang nagsasabi -- kasi dinala niya ako sa korte na I didn’t contest -- ito dapat ang ibigay mo sa mga anak mo, ‘yun

talaga,” he said. “Ano pa bang hindi tama na korte na nagsabi na ito dapat ang ibibigay ko sa mga anak ko? And I give more.”

John went on to detail the forms of support he has given his children over the years. “I love my kids. Isa nag-graduate na ng college na mula naghiwalay kami [ni Janice], ako nagbabayad ng tuition, medical, dental. May monthly sila, may pakotse pa sila,” he said.

He admitted that there was a recent instance when he had been

late in giving financial support to his children with Janice. “Totoo ‘yon, may times talaga na hindi ako sa oras, pero na-compensate iyon. Hindi ibig sabihin hindi ako nagbibigay.”

John and Janice were married in 1992, but separated in 2001.

Their marriage was annulled in 2004. In February 2011, John married former Brazilian beauty queen Priscilla Meirelles, with whom he has a one-year-old baby girl.

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By purple romero

HE Supreme Court has ruled that the party list is not only for the marginalized sectors, debunking an argument that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) used in disqualifying 54 party-list groups for the May 13 elections.

Voting 10-2-1 on April 5, the SC said political parties do not have to represent the marginalized sector to participate in the party-list elections.

“National parties or organizations and regional parties or organizations do not need to organize along sectoral lines and do not need to represent ‘any marginalized and underrepresented’ sector,” the High Court said in a decision penned by Justice Antonio Carpio.

The ruling effectively upholds what the Constitution and the party list law intended the system to be: a system of proportional representation open to various kinds of groups and parties, and not an exercise exclusive to the so-called marginalized sectors.

It reverses the interpretation that the SC, under then Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, promulgated in 2001 that caused the retroactive disqualification of some of the groups that got the highest number of votes.

The SC also remanded all 54 petitions of disqualified party-list groups to the Comelec.

Applicable in 2016 Out of these 54, a total of 13 petitions are from party-list groups which were granted a status quo ante order but failed to get a manda-

High Court: Party List Not Only for ‘Marginalized Sectors’ The ruling effectively upholds what the Constitution and the party list law intended the system to be: a system of proportional representation open to various kinds of groups and parties, and not an exercise exclusive to the socalled marginalized sectors.

The high court ruled that political parties need not represent marginalized sectors like the jeepney drivers to participate in the party list elections. tory injunction from the SC. Their names therefore were excluded in the ballot for May. The Comelec previously explained that getting a status quo ante order allowed these groups to retain their status as new applicants for the party-list system, but that they still needed a mandatory injunction to stop their disqualification.

The SC said the Comelec in the future must decide whether the 13 groups are qualified to register under the party-list system based on the new parameters.

But it stressed they would not be able to participate in the coming elections.

Regarding the 41 other party-list groups which secured mandatory injunctions to have their names included in the ballot, the SC said the Comelec must decide whether these groups are qualified to register un+22 Militant party list groups slam former President Arroyo’s son, Mikey Arroyo, as party list congressman representing security guards and tricycle drivers.

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Experiment in the Dumpsite:

ERESITA Mabignay does her ironing using free electricity on the slope of a garbage dump, an unlikely beneficiary of efforts to turn the Philippines’ growing rubbish problems into a clean-energy windfall.

Mabignay lives at the base of one of Manila’s largest landfills, which was the first in the country to have its methane gas converted into power as part of a United Nations’ tors to make electricity.

For the past few years Mabigprogram aimed at tackling nay and other housewives from the climate change.

From Trash to Energy

Decomposing rubbish produces methane, which is one of the greenhouse gases that scientists blame for global warming, and turning it into electricity saves it from rising up into the atmosphere while reducing the need to burn fossil fuels.

The methane is captured with pipes that are dug into the landfill, similar to wells that extract gas from under the ground or ocean.

Methane is then sucked down to a power station at the bottom of the dumpsite and pumped into genera-

slum community at the bottom of the Payatas landfill have been given free access to the power at a hall built at the dumpsite.

“It really helps because it cuts down on our electricity bills... sometimes we use the savings to buy food,” said Mabignay, 50, whose husband earns the equivalent of about $200 a month working as a security guard at the dumpsite.

The company behind the project, Pangea Green Energy Philippines, could afford to be generous with its electricity as it was earning hundreds of thousands dollars to capture and convert the gas.

The amount of greenhouse gases that are now being saved at Payatas is the equivalent to taking 18,000 cars off Manila’s roads. The project has other environmental benefits, including less direct air pollution for people living close by.

APRIL 16-30, 2013

Under the UN program, industrialized countries can meet their Kyoto Protocol commitments to cut greenhouse gas output by funding projects that reduce emissions in developing nations such as the Philippines.

Companies in developing countries earn credits for reducing emissions, each equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. The credits are then sold to companies, institutions or governments in industrialized countries to offset their emissions.

Pangea president Jennifer Fernan Campos said the Payatas energy project was set up to take advantage of the UN scheme, with the first kilowatts generated in 2008.

“We are also very gratified to be helping the environment and the community. In our own little way we are mitigating greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.

Thousands of renewable energy projects in developing countries have been registered under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism since it began in 2005, including wind farms, solar stations and hydropower dams.

There have also been many waste-to-energy projects, with four others in the Philippines starting up after the pioneering Pangea operation, according to industry website www.cdmpipeline.org.

However the market price for each tonne of greenhouse gas that companies save started dropping sharply in 2010, partly because of

Housewives in a slum community do their ironing using power from methane gas.

Poor families literally live off garbage in order to survive every single day.

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the economic meltdown in Europe which was the biggest source of revenues.

“Our rate is a floating one so when the market collapsed, we suffered,” Fernan Campos said, explaining they made the mistake of not locking in a higher price when they had the chance.

Industry experts have warned the carbon trading scheme is in danger because of the collapse in prices, and many clean-energy projects face an uncertain future.

However Fernan Campos said the Payatas project had become commercially viable without the UN-channelled money.

She said Pangea this month expanded capacity from 200 kilowatts to one megawatt, and began selling directly onto Manila’s electricity grid.

Previously the electricity generated at Payatas had just been used to power operations at the landfill and for the nearby slum communities via the ironing project and neighborhood street lights.

The amount of greenhouse gases that are now being saved at

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The methane from decomposing rubbish is sucked down to a power station at the bottom of the dumpsite and pumped into generators to make electricity.

Payatas is the equivalent to taking 18,000 cars off Manila’s roads, according to Fernan Campos.

She said the project had a host of other environmental benefits, in-

cluding less direct air pollution for people living close by. The extracted methane gas could also no longer contaminate the water system.

Nevertheless, Greenpeace and

some other environment groups oppose waste-to-energy projects, arguing their green credentials are often exaggerated and that they create a financial incentive for more rubbish

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to be dumped.

“The only way to address the issue of methane generation from waste is to stop the rubbish going to the landfill in the first place,” Greenpeace Philippines program manager Beau Baconguis said.

“Having such projects in place encourages the generation of waste, rather than eliminating it, because you need waste to run the facility.”

Baconguis said there was no vision from the Philippine government to reduce waste, and that Manila’s roughly 12 million residents were producing between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of rubbish every day.

However Fernan Campos insisted Pangea was not lobbying for, or encouraging, more waste to be dumped at Payatas.

She said the local government had implemented recycling and other waste-reduction policies in recent years that had seen the amount of rubbish going into the landfill drop from 1,800 tonnes a day to 1,200.

“We are just clearing whatever is there, and helping the environment at the same time,” she said.

(Agence France-Presse) n

Party List Not Only for ‘Marginalized Sectors’

From page 20

der the party list and to participate in the 2013 elections.

The SC earlier defined the party-list system as one that caters to the poor sectors. In the 2001 case BagongBayani v. Comelec, then Justice Artemio Panganiban (he would later become Chief Justice) wrote that “the law crafted to address the peculiar disadvantages of Payatas hovel dwellers cannot be appropriated by the mansion owners of Forbes Park.”

Carpio in effect reversed Panganiban in the new ruling.

New guidelines The SC set new guidelines on the types of parties that may qualify for the party-list system: 1. National parties or organizations, regional parties or organizations, and sectoral parties or organizations could participate in the party-list elections.

2. National parties or organizations and regional parties or organizations do not need to organize along sectoral lines and do not need to represent “any marginalized and underrepresented” sector.

3. Political parties can participate in party-list elections provided they register under the party-list system and do not field candidates

The party-list system was earlier limited to the poor sectors.

in legislative district elections.

A political party, whether or not it fields candidates in legislative district election, can participate in party-list elections only through its sectoral wing that can separately register under the party-list system.

The sectoral wing is by itself an independent party, and is linked to a political party through a coalition.

4. Sectoral parties or organizations may either be “marginalized and underrepresented” or lacking in “well-defined political constituencies.” It is enough that their principal advocacy pertains to the special interest and concerns of the sector.

The sectors that are “marginalized and underrepresented” include labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, handicapped, veterans and overseas workers. The sectors that lack well-defined political constituencies include professionals, the elderly, women and the youth.

5. A majority of the members of sectoral parties or organization that

There are fears that the entry of big political parties in party list elections will further marginalize the underrepresented sectors such as the urban poor, the handicapped and ethnic cultural minorities. represent the “marginalized and un- not be disqualified if some of their derrepresented” must belong to the nominees are disqualified, providmarginalized and underrepresented ed that they have at least five other sector that they represent. Simi- nominees who remain qualified. larly, a majority of the members of sectoral parties or organization that What the Charter says When the Constitutional Comlack “well defined political constituencies” must belong to the sector mission crafted the party-list prothat they represent. The nominees vision in the 1987 Constitution, it of either sector must either belong did so with the goal of slowly buildto their respective sectors, or must ing “proportional representation” in the House of Representatives. have a track record of advocacy.

6. National, regional and sec- Simply put, this would allow polititoral parties or organizations shall cal parties unable to wage national

campaigns to take part in lawmaking, allotting them 20% of the seats in the lower chamber.

But the implementing law, Republic Act 7941, which took effect in 1998, took that a step further and limited the system to the marginalized and the political underclass.

Yet, it put a cap -- three seats -- on the maximum seats that one party could have and came up with percentages of votes that made it difficult, to this day, to fill up the 55 slots.

Then in June 2001, Panganiban made his own computations and declared that only one party deserved to have 3 seats. The rest could have one or two depending on a new round of percentages that the justice wrote down.

Called a form of judicial legislation, the Panganiban verdict reinforced the law’s bias for the marginalized sector, because it described the party-list system as “a social justice tool…to make the…underrepresented…active participants in the mainstream representative democracy.”

Lawyers disagreed with him then. The point of the Constitution is to give leeway to the marginalized sectors only for the first term but allow the other parties to join the fray subsequently, they said.

(Rappler.com) n

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VANCOUVER Impressions

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FADO – PORTUGUESE BLUES An added bonus is the wonderful soundtrack music provided by the vocal group Madredeus, featuring the haunting voice of Teresa Salgueiro. The music of the group is fado with a modern touch. Their songs will be appreciated by music lovers of world music. For more of Madredeus, check out their newer recordings, Antologia and Faluas Do Tejo.

Those craving for the more traditional fados, there will always be the classic recordings of Amalia Rodrigues and new fadistas like Cristina Branco, Ana Vinagre, Mariza,

By Mel Tobias

IN A PORTUGUESE STATE OF MIND IN VANCOUVER

I

n a previous column, we took you to the South of France on an armchair tour without leaving Vancouver. This time, we are taking you to Portugal, a favorite destination of Canadians who are not interested in going to Mexico, India, China and other places for backpackers.

We are bound for Lisbon, a delightfully laidback city (something like Vancouver) but the people are passionate about their lifestyle, just like the Brazilians. There are folk festivals, comfort food laden with olive oil, historic buildings, music that pulls the heart strings, colorful language and a sunny landscape covered by olive trees and vineyards.

Lisbon’s architecture is a time warp, from Moorish to art nouveau styles.

The common expression here is Tudo bem ( All is good). Portugal is a small country, about the size of the state of Indiana, USA, a meager 349 miles from north to south. But despite its size, it has rich historic past and has one of Europe’s most extraordinary and diverse culture and cuisine. The country has eleven historical provinces plus the islands of Madiera and Azores.

The Portuguese population in British Columbia is growing, judging from the number of Portuguese restaurants that opened in different parts of the province. Here are interesting facts and information to help us in our travel without buying a plane ticket.

PORTUGUESE CUISINE CHEFE DANIEL (FLAVORS OF PORTUGAL) 2268 Kingsway This is a relatively new restaurant but Georgia Straight newspaper named it three of the best Portuguese restaurants in Van-

ON THE SMALL SCREEN AND SOUND BITES

couver, along with Nando’s Chicken and the Portuguese Club of Vancouver. Also highly recommended are Senhor Rooster (850 Renfrew) and Casa Verde (3532 Commercial Drive).

Chef Daniel used to be the chef of Senhor Rooster, then he took over Cinco Estrellas, a popular venue known for authentic Portuguese cuisine for many years. The restaurant was given a facelift but the Lisbon ambiance of a traditional family-run rustic restaurant is intact. The service is polite and personalized.

Highly recommended is Caldo Verde (potato-onion soup swimming in slivers of green kale and slices of the distinctive Portuguese sausage). This beloved recipe is the national dish of Portugal. Another outstanding dish to order is Sardinas Asadas (charcoal grilled sardines) and Pasteis de Nata (Custard Tarts) for dessert. Chef Daniel can prepare Caldeiraba, a kind of Portuguese bouillabaisse if you order ahead. Portuguese cuisine is best with vinhos (wine) or Portuguese Port.

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LISBON STORY – A Mysterious Comedy in the City of Dreams Prolific independent filmmaker/documentarian Wim Wenders made a movie in 1955 called “Lisbon Story” considered a cult classic today is available on DVD at Videomatica (West Fourth) The storyline revolves around a German filmmaker who resides in Lisbon. He asked his sound recorder friend to join him in Portugal but when he arrives, the German can’t be found, leaving only a few cans of silent footage.

The friend wander aimlessly through the streets of Lisbon recording sounds of the old city to match the images left by the filmmaker. The end product of Wenders is a beautiful poetic meditation on sounds and images, taking the viewer through the streets of the old and new Lisbon. If there’s a movie about Lisbon that must be seen, then this is the movie.

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COMMUNITYNEWS Misia and Ana Moura who recently performed at the Capilano University’s Jazz Series.

Chanson is French, Kundiman is Filipino and Fado is Portuguese. Fado is the music of the soul, a longing,, a folk song born of suffering. It is a state of melancholy or melancholic chants and probably have their roots in troubador songs.

Also recommended is Fado Blues, featuring Catarina Cardeal and Mike Siracusa, in a Canadian recording. Their fado is jazz and blues oriented and is more mainstream. The duo has performed in Canadian concert halls and cafes for four years now and the album is the culmination of their music together.

Pinoys in the US can now send remittance to over 1,700 LBC and Palawan Pawnshop branches in the Philippines

F lowed by essential recipes (Petischo Plates, Starters and Soups, Main and Side Plates and the finale, Desserts and Cakes).

THE NEW PORTUGUESE TABLE – Exciting Flavors from Europe’s Western Coast David Liete – Clarkson Potten/Publishers Liete is an award-winning writer and publisher. He was raised in Fall River, Massaschusettes,, in one of the largest Portuguese communities in the United States. He became a citizen of Portugal in 2004.

CULINARY LITERARY ESCAPADES POSTCARDS FROM PORTUGAL – Memories and Recipes Teresa Kiros – Whitecap Books The author was born in London and at an early age set off to travel and learn all she could about the world’s cultures and traditions, and new ways of living and eating. Though she lives in Tuscany her love for Portuguese cuisine can be felt in this book.

Kiros embroiders the recipes of Portugal, known for its bay leaves, bacalhau, Chourico (Portuguese sausage) and piri piri with her own unique colors and threads.

Beautifully presented with superb photographs, the 256-page coffee table book is something that cannot be appreciated in e-book format. There is a very informative article about the Portuguese kitchen fol-

ilipinos in the United States who regularly send money remittances to families in the Visayas and Mindanao now have peace of mind that their padala can be conveniently received or picked-up when they send through LBC Express Inc, the largest global Filipino company that offers cargo & courier, money remittance and business solutions.

This is because LBC Express recently partnered with Palawan Pawnshop to further strengthen its reach in remittance services in the Visayas and Mindanao region.

The partnership, says Achilles Reyes, vice president for LBC Money, “is part of our commitment to the global Filipinos. We offer the fastest and more efficient way to send and receive remittances between OFW’s and their recipients, and ultimately contribute to the economic development of the Philippines.”

“Combining the resources of LBC Express and Palawan Pawnshop widen the network of these two companies in offering remittance services to both local and global Filipinos. This will add to LBC Express’ presence in the Visayas and Mindanao region because our Instant Pera Padala service will now be available to over 700 Palawan Pawnshop branches.” added Reyes.

With our strong presence in Visayas and Mindanao, we will be able to serve

more customers not just in the US and other countries abroad but to customers in Luzon and NCR who also avail of our remittance services to send money to relatives in the Southern Philippines. This partnership between LBC Express and Palawan Pawnshop will reach more Filipinos anytime and anywhere, locally and globally,” added Bobby Castro, President of Palawan Pawnshop.

Despite these two companies competing for the same market in remittance services, Reyes remarked, “Partnerships like these take money remittance services to the next level. We believe that connecting with partners and competitors will further enhance the quality of service that Filipinos enjoy.”

Filipinos all over the world can now easily take advantage of the wide coverage of LBC’s money remittance services and other offerings. For more information, please call the customer hotline at 1-800-338-5424 or visit www.lbcexpress.com. n

The author realized that Portugal’s rich, historic cuisine has long been overlooked in culinary literature so he did something about it. The book is a thrilling travelogue to Portuguese regional dishes and ingredients.

It is an enticing view of a country through the lens of its food.

The chapter on fish and shellfish is quite comprehensive. There are recipes on how to cook sea bass, trout, fresh cod, skate, clams, squid and also poultry dishes. n

Bob Rennie and Peter Fassbender at the BC Liberal Leader’s Dinner on Monday, April 8, 2013.

T

he Mayor of the City of Langley, Peter Fassbender, is the candidate for the provincial election in Surrey-Fleetwood. At a fundraiser Monday evening, he joined a line up of strong candidates who are standing for the May 14th election. When asked why he is running, Fassbender stresses that it is important for the riding to have a strong candidate who will be an asset to the community and who delivers results for constituents.

Mayor Fassbender has a proven record of working hard for citizens south of the Fraser in areas of transportation, health care and supporting small business. The BC Liberals are fielding a team that Peter Fassbender is proud to be a part of, that can continue British Columbia’s strong economy and a secure tomorrow.

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APRIL 16-30, 2013

VILLAR, JV SHRUG OFF ‘SECRET OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS’ S ENATOR Manuel Villar was smoothly dismissive while San Juan Rep. and senatorial candidate JV Ejercito cried “demolition job”.

Imee Marcos

PCGG TO LOOK INTO ‘SECRET’ MARCOS OFFSHORE TRUST THE Philippine government said it planned to investigate an allegation that the eldest daughter of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was the beneficiary of a secret offshore trust.

A report published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) alleged Imee Marcos, 57, now a provincial governor, had failed to declare the British Virgin Islands trust as legally required.

Andres Bautista, head of a presidential body tasked to recover the billions of dollars the Marcos family stole from government coffers during the patriarch’s 20-year rule, told Agence France-Presse his office would look into the allegations.

“We are duty bound to investigate and, depending upon informed preliminary findings, decide whether to pursue the matter,” Bautista said.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government, which Bautista heads, has recovered $4 billion in assets that the Marcos illegally acquired, including from Swiss bank accounts and US properties.

But Bautista told AFP in January that, with Imee, Imelda and Ferdinand Jr. having re-established political influence in the Philippines, the commission was considering giving up on the chase for the billions more believed to be hidden.

“It’s been 26 years and people you are after are back in power. At some point, you just have to say, ‘We’ve done our best’, and that’s that. It is really difficult,” he said.

The PCIJ said the work looking into the Marcos trust was a collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which includes major foreign media groups.

It said the research had uncovered “scores of documents” showing Imee Marcos was a financial advisor for, and beneficiary of the secret trust, although it was not known what assets it held. n

The two officials were reacting to a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) story that Villar and Ejercito owned secret offshore corporations in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a privacy and tax haven which is sometimes used to hide illicit wealth and income from corruption, tax evasion and dubious economic activities.

The PCIJ story was based on an investigation conducted for a year by the Washington, DC-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which came up with a partial list of “more than 500 mostly private Philippine residents with ties to offshore corporations”.

Villar and Ejercito did not report their ownership of these offshore corporations in their annual statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), the PCIJ said.

According to the ICIJ investigation, Villar is the beneficial owner of a BVI-registered corporation called Awesome Dragon Holdings Ltd. (ADHL).

It was incorporated in the BVI in July 2007 while Villar was serving as president of the Senate.

The ICIJ report said that Ejercito was a director of a BVI company called Ice Bell Properties Ltd. formed on July 8, 1999, when his father, deposed President and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada, was still president. Ejercito became the mayor of San Juan, Estrada’s

political bailiwick, two years later.

Imee Marcos Manotoc, the daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was also on the ICIJ list of secretive wealthy Filipinos, was the subject of an earlier PCIJ story.

In his letter in reply to the PCIJ, Villar said there was nothing awe-inspiring about a “1-dollar shell company” even if this was being maintained in a reputed tax haven.

He said he did not declare the company in his SALN because it is actually owned by one his companies, Fine Properties, Inc. (FPI).

“While having a BVI company may be abused by some, there is actually nothing sinister about owning one, especially this company that was never used and has a capital of only a single dollar. This is being done by big companies worldwide,” Villar said.

He said FPI has not made any investment in ADHL that would have required registration with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“If and when it will, I assure you that I will see to it that all applicable rules and regulations are complied with. In any case, Fine Properties has been identified in my SALN and listed appropriately,” Villar said.

Villar, the country’s richest lawmaker, explained that ADHL was put in place in 2007 to serve as ready corporate vehicle for any strategic

JV Ejercito

Manuel Villar multinational business opportunity that may become available.

“However, this particular shell company is dormant and so it has remained, up to now, a shell company without any asset and with no more than its original capital of one American dollar,” he said.

Villar said that his BVI company has yet to be used for any investment “because I decided to concentrate in the Philippines.”

However, the PCIJ said that contrary to Villar’s claim, ADHL remains active as shown by a check with the BVI Financial Services Commission’s Registry of Corporate Affairs.

Ejercito, whom the PCIJ described as “cocky at worst, cagey at best” in his reaction to the story, said the story was a “clumsy demolition job,” which he lumped together with supposed attacks against two other senatorial

candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), the coalition under which he is running.

“The timing of this so-called expose is highly suspicious considering I am one of the UNA candidates consistently in the winning list of monthly surveys by different polling organizations and recently barged in to the top 3 in SWS Survey,” he said.

“Since detractors cannot find anything anomalous, onerous or irregular in any contract or transactions during my stint as mayor and as congressman, there is a need to dig into the past,” he said in his Twitter account.

According to the PCIJ, Ejercito “did not squarely address” the question of why Ice Bell Properties Ltd. is not declared in his SALN in his reply to them.

“To the best of my knowledge, I have truthfully and accurately declared all my assets, liabilities, and net worth in my SALN since 2001 when I became mayor of San Juan and up to the present, that I am now a member of the House of Representatives (sic),” he told the PCIJ. n

LACSON BEING TAPPED TO FIGHT OIL SMUGGLING? MALACANANG has confirmed there have been talks between President Benigno Aquino III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson about a watchdog body to combat oil smuggling that the former national police chief might lead.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Mr. Aquino had taken a more aggressive role in fighting oil smuggling following reports of rampant fuel smuggling under the watch of Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon at the Bureau of Customs.

Media reports said the government loses P30 billion to P40 billion in tax revenue every year due to the smuggling of petroleum products into the country through major ports and special economic zones.

Former Sen. Jamby Madrigal proposed the establishment of an agen-

cy to combat oil smuggling and suggested that it be headed by Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police.

Valte said President Aquino and Lacson had begun talks, but she did not have information about the discussions.

Valte did not say whether Lacson was being considered as head of a new agency for fighting oil smugglers or as a replacement for Biazon at the customs bureau, but a top Palace official said Thursday that Mr. Aquino would deal with Biazon after the elections in May. “Wait after the elections for Cabinet movements,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

The official acknowledged, however, that left undealt with, the smuggling problem could affect the chances of the administration’s candidates making a sweep of the senatorial election next month.

“Perhaps that’s the pressure that the (Liberal Party) has to address too,” the official said.

Lacson, whose term in the Senate ends in June, has “in principle” accepted a job offered by the President.

But he does not see the necessity of setting up a new agency to help the customs bureau fight oil smuggling.

Biazon, he said, knows his job but he needs to be protected from politicians who use their influence to get their people appointed to the customs bureau.

Lacson said Biazon and the head

of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Kim Henares, had the competence to deal with oil smuggling.

“They only need to be insulated from the self-serving interests of abusive politicians who meddle in their dayto-day operations and, worse, even in the assignment of key personnel in the Bureau of Customs,” Lacson said.

Lacson said earlier that cracking down on smuggling should be quite easy.

“It is not rocket science actually.

It starts with an efficient collation of data and records of inventory, sales importation and tax payments, which are all available anyway, then make accountable all personnel who have been remiss in their duties regardless of oversight, inefficiency or deliberateness,” he said. n

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NEWSROUND-UP

PNOY’S SATISFACTION RATING IMPROVES PRESIDENT Aquino’s net satisfaction rating slightly improved in the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The SWS poll, conducted from March 19 to 22, found 74 percent of respondents satisfied and 15 percent dissatisfied with Aquino’s performance, giving him a net score of 59 (very good).

His latest score was higher than the 55 (72 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) he achieved last December.

However, his new rating was still eight points below his August 2012 grade of +67 (77 percent satisfied, 10 percent dissatisfied).

Aquino’s lowest rating to date is a “good” +42 recorded in May 2012, the SWS said.

According to the SWS, the doubledigit improvements in balance Luzon and Mindanao offset declines in the Visayas and Metro Manila.

Aquino’s satisfaction rating significantly increased to +67 in balance Luzon (up by 13 points from December).

The nationwide survey used faceto-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults. It has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage

points for national and plus or minus six points for area percentages.

It was also at +67 in Mindanao, up 10 points from December’s +57 (74 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied).

However, Aquino’s score dropped in the Visayas, from December’s “very good” +64 (77 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied) to a “good” +46 (67 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied).

Aquino also suffered a three-point drop in his satisfaction rating in Metro Manila but his score remained in “good” territory at +40 (63 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied).

In rural areas, satisfaction with Aquino improved to +67 (78 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) from +60 (75 percent satisfied, 14 percent dissatisfied).

In urban areas, it rose to a “very good” +53 (71 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) from a “good” +49 (69 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) previously.

SWS said the President gained in his scores in all socioeconomic and gender brackets that allowed him to retain “very good” ratings.

Among the class E, his net score rose to +65 (77 percent satisfied, 12

PNOY ORDERS PROBE INTO DISAPPEARANCE OF BURGOS PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has asked the Justice Department to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos in 2007, a Palace spokesperson said.

“Upon the [directive] of the President, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has instructed the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a focused, dedicated, and exhaustive investigation on the case of Jonas Burgos,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing.

Lacierda added that the President’s directive stems from his promise to Burgos’ mother Edita when he was elected into office.

“When the [then] president-elect met with Mrs. Edita Burgos, he already mentioned to her: ‘If you have new evidence, let us know, and we will investigate,’” Lacierda explained.

Aquino’s instructions came a week after the Court of Appeals’ ruled that the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police were accountable for Burgos’ disappearance.

Burgos, a political activist and son of the late press freedom fighter Jose Burgos, was abducted in a restaurant at the Ever Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on April 28, 2007.

Jonas was believed seized by the military because the license plate number of the vehicle used in his abduction was traced to another vehicle impounded in 2006 at the 56th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Bulacan.

Lacierda reiterated that the NBI probe will not be influenced by the AFP and the PNP, citing the recent Atimonan rubout as proof that the NBI is not easily influenced.

“Perhaps the template we have here is the Atimonan incident as well. We want to make sure that it’s going to be exhaustive as what we did in the Atimonan incident. So will the AFP cooperate? Will the police cooperate? Yes, they will cooperate with this investigation,” Lacierda said.

However, Lacierda noted that the NBI investigation is also independent of the CA ruling, adding that the government merely wants all bases covered.

Lacierda added that the President’s decision to focus on an independent investigation stems from Mrs Burgos’ claims that new pieces of evidence have been uncovered in her son’s disappearance. n

percent dissatisfied) from +56 (74 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) in December.

It rose by three points in class D or the masa to +57 (73 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied), and by two points among class ABC to +66 (78 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied).

It was up by five points to +60 (75 percent satisfied, 14 percent dis-

satisfied) among women, and by two points to +58 (74 percent satisfied, 15 percent dissatisfied) among men.

Malacañang is jubilant over the high satisfaction ratings of the President almost three years into his term and hopes the trend continues, especially with the upcoming elections.

Lacierda said “public support for President Aquino’s leadership remains at unprecedented highs”

as manifested by both the SWS and Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan surveys.

“All show positive gains from the most recent surveys conducted by the respective polling outfits. The results of these surveys reflect the Filipino people’s abiding confidence in the President, and their support for the reforms that he continues to institute throughout the country,” Lacierda said. n

The stern of the USS Guardian is transferred to another ship after being lifted out of the water at the Tubbataha Reef.

PH ASKING FOR $1.4M FROM U.S. FOR REEF DAMAGE THE Philippines will ask the United States to pay P58 million ($1.4 million) in compensation for damage caused by a US warship to the Tubbataha Reef, the manager of the protected reef said.

The amount is based on studies by Philippine agencies including the coast guard that found the USS Guardian damaged at least 2,345 square meters (25,240 square feet) of the reef, said park superintendent Angelique Songco. “[The fine of] $1.4 million is but a slap on the wrist, as the salvage operation has been estimated to cost close to $45 million,” she said.

Songco said a letter requesting compensation would be sent to the US embassy, stressing this is the amount required by a law passed to protect the reef, a Unesco World Heritage site in a remote area of the Sulu Sea. “We don’t want to be dishonest.

It is just a simple process: measure it correctly and then they pay. That is all.

It is very straightforward,” she said.

A team of divers and researchers from the TMO and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines just finished assessing the full damage of the January 17 grounding of the USS Guardian, which got stuck in the World Heritage Site located in middle of the Sulu Sea.

Salvors finished extricating the ship, which had to be dismantled piece by piece, on March 30.

According to the report of the assessment team, “results indicate the damaged area spans 2,345.67 square meters – smaller than the 4,000 square meters originally estimated by an American team,” WWFPhilippines said in a statement.

Under Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act of 2009, a fine of about $600 or P24,000 per square meter of damaged reef is mandatory.

“Further park rule violations boosted the final total to slightly less than P60 million, or roughly $1.4 million,” the organization said.

WWF-Philippines vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan said the fine to be paid to TMO should help it build “a significant endowment fund to sustain its operations through the years.”

“The basic issue here is not tourism. It is food security. This fresh infusion of funds will allow TMO to concentrate on putting the money to good use – from building a better Ranger Station to upgrading their capacity to manage the country’s most productive coral reef,” he said.

“Let us settle what must be settled, learn what must be learned, and move forward,” Tan said.

It took the salvage teams until March 29 to remove the last of the 223-foot (68-meter) USS Guardian, which had to be cut into pieces so it could be lifted clear without damaging the reef further.

The incident stirred nationalist anger with demands that the United States pay a large amount of compensation for damaging the reef, which is world renowned for its rich marine life.

But Songco said they would only ask for the required amount based on the affected area.

The United States has apologized for the mishap and said it would cooperate in addressing the damage.

The commanding officer and three crew of the USS Guardian were relieved of their duties over the grounding, the US Navy announced earlier this week.

The Tubbataha Reef Natural Park lies at the center of the Sulu Sea. It protects almost 100,000 hectares of high-quality marine habitats containing three atolls and a large area of deep sea.

Home to whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and Napoleon wrasse, the park supports more than 350 species of coral and almost 500 species of fish.

For this, it has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. n

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APRIL 16-30, 2013

NEWSROUND-UP

WHO BACKS GOVERNMENT STAND ON RH ISSUE THE World Health Organization (WHO) strongly supports the Philippine government’s position on the reproductive health law and is ready to help defend the measure before the Supreme Court (SC).

The WHO made the statement as it honored President Aquino with “Recognition for Outstanding Leadership in Health” for the enactment of the RH and sin tax laws under his administration.

“As far as the World Health Organization is concerned, we continue to support this position and we look forward to a favorable outcome from the Supreme Court,” WHO director Susan Mercado said in reference to the SC issuance of a 120-day temporary restraining order against the RH law.

“I think the go signal coming from the Supreme Court will quell all of the doubts about (the) constitutionality of the law… I think what we will see is an improvement in services, women will have more access. There will be more education on responsible parenthood and, overall, that will improve the health of women and children in this

country,” Mercado added.

She also bared that WHO provided technical support to the Philippine government in drafting the RH bill and during deliberations in Congress.

Meanwhile, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Shin Youngsoo said that the health organization is happy that Aquino carried on the advocacies of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

“President Aquino has courageously pursued health policies that will literally save millions of lives. He has been active on many fronts. He supported sin tax reform to generate revenue for universal health care and improve health facilities – a move that will benefit millions of Filipinos, especially the vulnerable,” Shin said.

Shin also noted the President’s support for the RH Law could mean fewer tragedies at childbirth and “children will be healthier and families will have the power to make their own family planning decisions.”

“These are tremendous accomplishments in the political landscape

National and local officials sign the Implementing Rules for the Reproductive Health Law sign in Baseco, Tondo, Manila. of the Philippines. President Aquino is not a medical doctor, nor is he a public health specialist. But what he has achieved is beyond what any doctor or public expert could have done. He has shown perseverance in pursuing better health for Filipinos – sometimes against formidable resistance,”

Shin added.

Aquino expressed deep gratitude to the WHO in accepting the award.

“I accept this honor with deep gratitude, knowing full well that it recognizes not the triumph of a single man against seemingly insurmountable odds, but the strength of a people

willing and eager and fervently working towards change,” Aquino said.

In explaining his support for the RH law, Aquino also cited the case of a 16-year-old mother from Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila whom he met during the campaign in 2010.

The President said he thought about how she could possibly raise her three children when the father could barely eke out a living as a pedicab driver.

“I believe that there is something inherently unjust when a child growing up in Baseco cannot enjoy the same opportunity to live a productive, healthy life as those of us here in this conference hall,” Aquino said.

“I believe that four out of 10 Filipinos who die without ever encountering a healthcare professional in their lifetime is a number that is simply too high. Proper nutrition, proper access to healthcare, and an opportunity to build a dignified life – these should not be reserved only for those who have the means to pay for it,” he added.

The President said his administration pushed the RH law and the Sin Tax Reform law to provide Filipinos equal access to health care and to increase the budget for health services. n

TEAM PNOY BETS CONTINUE TO LEAD

Viloria (left) absorbs a right from Estrada.

VILORIA LOSES VIA SPLIT DECISION

FILIPINO-American boxer Brian Viloria failed to retain his WBO and WBA flyweight crowns following a split decision loss to a younger and faster Juan Francisco Estrada in the main supporting bout of the “Fist of Gold” card in Macau on April 4.

Estrada, at 22 a decade younger than his Filipino-American opponent, was in front on two of the judges scorecards to claim a fully deserved win over the scheduled 12 rounds.

Two of the judges saw it 116-111 and 117-111 for Estrada. The other judge favored Viloria, 115-113.

Viloria tried to match Estrada’s pace in the early rounds, but the Mexican consistently unloaded body punches that wore down the defending champion.

The 22-year-old Estrada also controlled the match by using his longer reach, preventing “The Hawaiian Punch” from landing his power punches.

It was a sad loss for the 32-year-old Filipino-American who unified the WBO and WBA belts by stopping Hernan “Little Tyson” Marquez last November.

The defeat also ended his six-fight win streak since 2010.

The other Filipinos in the Fist of Gold card won their respective assignments.

Milan Melindo, who had been chasing Viloria for a WBO title shot, stopped Indon fighter Tommy Seran in the fourth round.

Penalosa siblings Dave and Dodie Boy Jr. also won against a pair of Thai fighters.

Dave scored a 2nd-round stoppage against Cheroenchai Sithsaithong, while Dodie Boy fought his way back from a first-round knockdown to halt Ngaotawan Sithsaithong in round 3. n

TEAM PNoy candidates continue to lead in the latest Pulse Asia survey, with 9 of its 12 candidates having a statistical chance of winning if elections were held last March 16 to 20.

Six of the 9 senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) also have a statistical chance of making it to the top 12.

According to Pulse Asia, the senatorial preferences of Filipino registered voters remained “generally constant” between February and March 2013.

Re-electionist Senator Loren Legarda remained on top, with 55.3% of the 1,800 respondents voting for her.

Another re-electionist senator, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, ranks first to third with 51.5%, the same level as in the last Pulse Asia survey in February.

Social Weather Stations (SWS), with a smaller sample size of 1,200 respondents, had Escudero dropping to third to fourth place from 2nd place in its March 15-17 survey.

Pulse Asia President Ronnie Holmes said Escudero’s much-publicized row with the parents of his girlfriend Heart Evangelista may or may not have affected his chances of getting reelected.

In second or third place in the Pulse Asia survey is re-electionist Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, with a preference rate of 48.7%.

Two candidates – former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chairperson Grace Poe (42.1%) and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III (41.7%) -- will place

4th to 10th if elections were held during the survey period.

Former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia Villar (40.8%) and UNA Deputy Secretary-General Nancy Binay (39.6%) are next and will end up 4th to 11th place.

On the other hand, there are three candidates who can land 4th to 12th place: • former National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Paolo Benigno Aquino IV (38.6%); • San Juan City Representative JV Ejercito Estrada (38.6%); and, • Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (37.7%).

Senator Gregorio Honasan is next and will end up 6th to 14th place.

Aurora Province Representative Juan Edgardo Angara (34.6%) will land from 8th to 15th place.

Completing the list of probable winners are:

• former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (32.5%, 11th to 16th places); • Cagayan Province Representative Juan Ponce Enrile, Jr. (32.4%, 11th to 16th places), and • former Senator Richard Gordon (30.7%, 12th to 17th places). n

SUDOKU ANSWER FROM PAGE 23

APRIL 16-30, 2013

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