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FEBRUARY 1-15, 2013
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By cherie del rio
N 2010, Hollywood heartthrob Ahston Kutcher wrote a compelling essay answering the question, “Has Texting Killed Romance?” He gave legitimate examples of scenarios where romance has seemingly taken a backseat because the Internet age has given so much importance to the modern forms of communication that we have consequently degraded the value of old fashioned correspondence. Kutcher concluded his discourse by saying, “We haven’t lost romance in the digital age, but we may be neglecting it.” Kutcher is right. The root of any human bond is interaction -- physical interaction, or at least that’s how it should be. There can be a lot of interaction happening online: chemistry brewed over Skype or Yahoo Messenger, sparks flying over Facebook and Twitter, kilig spewed forth over comments and likes on Instagram. But these cyber interactions are nothing but small specks in what is supposed to be a grandiose universe of romance, of a lasting relationship, of true love.
Love
in the time of social networking Love is found so easily over the Internet that real romance, the slow courtship and getting-to-knowyou stage that cultures passion steadily, dissolves into the background -- neglected and oftentimes forgotten. Real romance is suddenly upstaged by the convenience of Internet courtship and cyber romance. Human progress is often closely associated with technological advancements. The more advance technology is, the more advanced human beings are getting. It seems, however, that the advancements in information technology and social media are more of a setback than of an element of progress. Human beings appear to be taking steps backward in the aspect of life and relationship with every step forward into the future of social networking and the Internet. As more
and more social media platform enhancements are made, people become exceedingly caught up in such developments that they stray farther and farther away from what used to be a necessary interaction “in person”. A conversation is now conducted not with the mouth and voice but with fingers -- words typed quickly on a keyboard and sent over the World Wide Web. This situation is rampant in the Philippines as well. In an article entitled, “In Keep-
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A survey found that 90 percent of Filipinos with Internet access have Facebook accounts. ing in Touch, Pinoy Families Dump Phones for Facebook”, J.M. Tuazon wrote: “Lending further proof that the Philippines is indeed the ‘social networking capital of the world’, a recent study by software giant Microsoft revealed that Filipino families prefer to communicate with their loved ones here and abroad through social networking sites over voice calls or text messages.” At least 34 percent of Filipino respondents in MSN’s “Families and Technology 2011” survey said that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are their top choice for communicating with family, trumping SMS and voice calls, which dominated other countries in Southeast Asia. Statistics from various research agencies have shown that of the 30 million Filipinos with Internet access, more than 26 million have Facebook accounts, or a high 90 percent penetration rate. These statistics only prove that Filipinos have joined the bandwagon when it comes to having their lives massively influenced by social networking. Communications with families and friends are not the only aspects affected by the use of Internet. Romantic relationships also top that list. Love is found so easily over the Internet that real romance, the slow courtship and getting-toknow-you stage that cultures passion steadily, dissolves into the background -- neglected and oftentimes forgotten. Real romance is suddenly
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nections. After all, a smiley emoticon is really nothing compared to the bright, toothy grin a girl can give a boy. Smiley icons don’t have twinkles in their eyes. People can start hiding behind these emoticons -- their true feelings are concealed behind keyboard characters that will never quite capture real human emotions nor reveal them as effectively as a real human, facial expression will. Even after the online courtship had ended successfully, even during the relationship itself, the Internet still plays a major role. Couples communicate via text messaging, or the popular applications of Viber, Tango, WhatsApp, and many more. Almost gone are the days when a lover will go out of his way to visit his beloved and check up on her, bring her flowers maybe. Today, good intentions
are laid out on the pages of a Facebook message or a comment on an Instagram photo. A few lines are exchanged through these social media networks and just like that, the bond is sealed albeit weakly. Missing someone no longer entails the feat of having to exert efforts in letting the other party know of one’s yearning. “MISS U” is how it is done, sent alongside many other emails and text messages of the day, buried and later on forgotten -- so much unlike the bouquet of fresh flowers or the warmth of a kiss left on the cheek. The world is witness to these relationships developing from mere acquaintance to full blown romance: a relationship status change in Facebook is always one of the top news items on users’ feeds. Juan dela Cruz went from “single” to “in a relationship”. And just like that, this generation has done away with the old-fashioned ligaw. A lot can be seen and deduced from social network interaction and oftentimes, couples fall prey to jealousy and doubt. Trust issues arise from likes and comments left by potential third parties, tagged photos reveal lies told and secrets held. And so when it does not work out, when the relationship gets messy, there are two routes: account deactivation and/or “unfriending”. Just like that, the bond is severed -- digitally as well. Love has become digital and it seems that there’s no more turning back. If only the backspace and delete buttons would likewise be sufficient and convenient enough to undo the pains of Internet-based relationships gone wrong. n
“ WE DESIRE TO SERVE ALL YOUR NEEDS” A conversation is now conducted not with the mouth and voice but with fingers -- words typed quickly on a keyboard and sent over the World Wide Web. upstaged by the convenience of Internet courtship and cyber romance. While these relationships that have blossomed out of online interaction actually have a chance at lasting for long periods or perhaps even a lifetime (as there are a number of great love stories out there crafted by the hands of social media), it cannot be denied that these romances are vulnerable. Their foundation is considerably weaker compared to relationships that have sprung from friendship, from office interaction, from blind dates -- unions born out of real, physical, and personal con-
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By siegfrid 0. alegado
ETRO Manila these days is marked by crane-topped cities rising as the property market booms albeit alongside slums – poverty-stricken households whose hungry members marvel at multimillion-peso-per unit high rises amid a much-vaunted strong economy and fiscal position.
Poverty amid a booming economy
Inclusive growth – meaning spreading the fruits of growth to all sectors – should be the ultimate goal of development.
Rosy prospects for the Philippines, backed by fiscal, monetary and political reforms, have prompted consecutive upgrades in its growth outlook for 2012 and beyond, capped by innuendos of a possible credit rating upgrade to the coveted investment grade by global debt watchers.
Growth will only trickle down to the grassroots if it is coupled with a strong manufacturing sector that employs Filipinos, says an economist. The country’s strong growth But these developments mean will not address little for the poor, which comprise more than a quarter of the nearly poverty if quality 100 million population, unless employment is not structural changes in the manufacgenerated. turing sector take place. Philippine “growth will continue, but with no significant poverty reduction,” Norio Usui, Manilabased economist at Asian Development Bank, said in an e-mail correspondence with GMA News Online. “I call this problem as growth without development.”
Inclusive growth While the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee targets a 6 to 7 percent growth next year and 6.5 to 7.5 percent in 2014, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan admits achieving “inclusive growth” will take a little longer. “Achieving rapid economic growth is one thing, and inclusive growth is clearly another,” Balisacan said. Usui has described what ails the Philippines: “The current growth model that depends heavily on consumption (backed by remittances from overseas Filipinos) and services sector cannot do it.” The 6.5 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first three quarters – the fastest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – was fueled by consumer spending as well as a slight uptick
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in public expenditure, the National Statistics Office reported. In a separate interview, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) economist Victor Abola said growth will only trickle down to the grassroots if it is coupled with a strong manufacturing sector that employs Filipinos. “The country’s strong growth will not address poverty if quality employment is not generated,” he said. “Growth would mean more if local industries are strengthened, translating to more domestic employment.” Despite the pace of growth, the Philippines recorded a 6.8 percent jobless rate in October from 6.4 percent a year earlier, according to the latest Labor Force Survey. “Generating employment and ensuring that these are of good quality remain our greatest challenge,” Balisacan said, noting the latest employment data.
Manufacturing jobs Citing an already strong services sector on the back of a booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, ADB’s Usui noted the importance of strengthening manufacturing in order to generate more jobs. “Compared with regional peers, the Philippines does not have a strong industrial base that can create productive jobs for the wider segments of Filipino workers – both skilled and unskilled workers,” Usui added. Historical data shows that the share of manufacturing to GDP peaked at around 40 percent in the 1980s, but has since plummeted to a little over 20 percent in the third quarter in 2012. Foreign firms looking for an ideal relocation site provide an opportunity to revive the sector. But developing industries and attracting more investments is not a walk in the park. “The government needs to address the long-term challenges such as deficient infrastructure and poor governance (business and investment climate),” Usui said. “On top of these traditional constraints, the authorities should realize that there exist huge business opportunities at the product level,” he added. UA&P’s Abola noted, “Better local industries could be achieved if the government hones local resources and tempers volatility in the exchange rate to support small manufacturers.” For the government, Balisacan
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To sustain the growth of the economy, the manufacturing sector must be strengthened.
curb foreign exchange volatility, he said.
A tiger on two legs
said the Aquino administration is boosting efforts to shore up more investments and reduce the cost of doing business. He said the “institutional reforms that we have started are undeniably pushing the frontiers of our economy and accelerating the confidence in the market “We hope to institute more reforms, and it is our earnest desire
that these reforms in the bureaucracy should fully cascade in all the departments and local government units,” Balisacan added. The official said the government is also finding ways to mitigate the “appreciation of our currency that is threatening to erode our competitiveness.” The policy-setting Monetary Board has been looking at ways to
Big-ticket infrastructure projects under the flagship publicprivate partnership (PPP) program are also seen addressing the infrastructure gap. The government has targeted to roll-out eight PPP projects this year, seven of which are already in advanced bidding stages. Delays, however, marred the program, with government claiming that delays were due to stringent review process. So far, only two PPP projects
– the P1.96-billion Daang HariSouth Luzon Expressway Link Road project and the P16.5-billion School Infrastructure Project Phase I – have been awarded since the flagship program was unveiled with much fanfare in late 2010. But with good fundamentals and an economy hurtling forward, both Abola and Usui share the view that the gates of change are still open for
the Philippines. The country is just treading a long, arduous road into losing the title “Asia’s laggard,” said Abola. “When the Philippine economy can start walking on two legs – on industry and services (BPOs) – the country can be a new tiger even it will be a latecomer,” Usui noted. (GMA News Online) n
AVTAR BAINS SEEKS TO SERVE SURREY TYNEHEAD I
NDP nomination for MLA Candidate Avtar Bains at far right with his family at son’s graduation ceremony.
Avtar said, “For over the past four decades I have lived in this riding, studied, grown and helped to build this community. Having seen the changes, I know what our community needs. Positive change that not only elevates ourselves, but also those around us. I believe in the good people of Surrey - Tynehead. It would be an absolute honour and privilege to represent the citizens of this riding and the NDP.” Born in India, Avtar along with his mother moved to the Philippines, to join his father who had
have lost hope in our leadership and in their future. Just look at the crime rate and the kids involved in gangs.” “I was like that new kid on the block, but I worked hard and I was able to engage in a lucrative career (as a process server), provided my family with a home, and education for my children. I will take on programs, provincial and riding-wise, that will motivate our youth to be more proactive in their environment.” Other community and provincial issues Avtar would like to bring about are: positive change with sustainable growth, advocate for better healthcare, efficient transportation infrastructure, and
older brother. He and his wife Sheila have been giving financial help and emotional support to families with a child stricken with cancer. Avtar is also a volunteer board member of the Surrey Memorial Pediatrics Oncology Funding Allocation Committee. Through their family business, Ricky’s All Day Grill, the Bains have annually supported the Variety Children’s Charity Telethon. And within Ricky’s restaurant, Avtar has seen to it that his staff are trained to succeed inside and outside the food service industry. In fact former employees include now graduates post-baccalaureate, a scholar in the University of Illinois, and law students, to name a few. “I have always put our people ahead of profits. I believe by investing back in our people, you will reap the rewards ten-fold.” said Avtar. Will Avtar be truly a man of and for the people if they have questions, concerns or suggestions? Avtar replied, “I don’t know all the answers, nor can I solve all the issues facing our riding. I promise you I will always listen. Together we will come up with solutions for a better neighborhood. A neighborhood comprised of people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, but joined together in a common goal, of a better life for our families and a great legacy we can leave for our children. I can be reached at Tel: 604-240-2043, e-mail avtarbains@shaw.ca and at Twitter and Facebook, voteavtarbains.” n
f there is one word that would describe Avtar Bains, it is “sewa”. Sewa is a Punjabi word which means giving back or being of service to the community. Avtar said it is the value of sewa instilled in him by his parents and grandparents which has led him to serve his community of Surrey - Tynehead for most of his adult life. Now, Avtar would like to do a bigger sewa and is running for the NDP nomination as provincial MLA (Members of the Legislative Assembly) for the riding of Surrey - Tynehead. emigrated earlier. After nearly 3 years of living in Manila, the Bains family once again moved and settled in Surrey, British Columbia. Avtar, who turns 50 this year, said his immigrant background as a youngster has helped him understand the issues facing our youth. He said, “We must inspire our youth, for they are part of the solution. In Canada, we have the choice and the opportunity. We can encourage our youth to be more involved and be more proactive. A number of our children
policies that will encourage acculturation of new immigrants with mainstream Canada. A life fraught with challenges - a loss of an older brother, who died in a tragic industrial accident at the young age of 26 - and later his daughter Suneeta lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 15. Asked how he got through all those heartrending losses, Avtar reflectively answered, “I learned everything will pass, including pain and heartache. I live in every moment, in that moment, not for the moment, but simply in that moment. ” For the past 26 years, every year, on his own volition, Avtar has been giving scholarship grants to North Surrey Secondary in honor of his
From a slum in Manila emerges an unlikely
FEBRUARY 1-15, 2013
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Jessa outside her cramped home at a place called Aroma in Tondo, Manila, Philippines.
ballerina
The 14-year-old Jessa’s unlikely success is as much a celebration of a unique effort by the Philippines’ most famous prima ballerina, Lisa Macuja, to help slum kids of Manila by providing them a scholarship and classical ballet training for six to seven years.
Jessa rehearses during a class at Ballet Manila. As an apprentice, she makes around 7,000 pesos ($170) a month, sometimes double that, from stipend and performance fees.
By teresa cerojano
HE ghetto called Aroma reeks of putrefying trash collected by its residents for recycling. Half-naked children with grimy faces play on muddy dirt roads lined by crumbling shanties of tarpaulin walls, cracked tin roofs and communal toilets. From this Manila slum of garbage collectors emerged an unlikely Cinderella: ballerina Jessa Balote who at the age of 10 was plucked out of her grubby life by a ballet school to prepare her for a life on stage. In four years since her audition in 2008, Jessa has performed in various productions, including Swan Lake, Pinocchio, Don Quixote and a local version of Cinderella. She rode a plane for the first time in August to compete in
the 2012 Asian Grand Prix ballet competition for students and young dancers in Hong Kong, where she was a finalist. The 14-year-old Jessa’s unlikely success is as much a celebration of a unique effort by the Philippines’ most
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famous prima ballerina, Lisa Macuja, to help slum kids of Manila by providing them a scholarship and classical ballet training for six to seven years. More than a quarter of the Southeast Asian nation’s 94 million people live in abject poverty, many in sprawling and unsanitary shanty towns like Aroma in the capital city. Despite a recent economic upturn, there are not enough full-time jobs. Education skills are lacking and incomes are low. At least 3,000 Filipinos leave their families behind every day to seek employment abroad. Jessa, who would have likely followed her family to a life of garbage picking, had not much of a future to look forward to. “I used to tag along with my father and mother when they collected garbage in the evening,” Jessa said in her home about the size of a shipping container with a small attic. Her family would gather trash from houses in the nearby Quiapo district or rummage for scrap metal in the huge garbage dump not far from home. That was until her successful audition for the Project Ballet Futures dance scholarship established by Macuja, founder and artistic director of Ballet Manila who is married to business tycoon Fred Elizalde. The outreach program of Ballet Manila — which runs a dance company and a school by the same name — initially accepted 40 students from Jessa’s charity-run school in Manila’s Tondo district dump site. Some dropped out, but new batches have been accepted. Today, the program has 55 scholars, aged 9 to 18, from five partner public schools such as Jessa’s. They train daily after school along with 60 paying students. “I can help my parents more with what I do now. I earn money from ballet,” said Jessa, sitting on a plastic bench in her shorts and t-shirt, her long hair loose. The slim teenager, perhaps so used to dancing on her toes, would often have her toes pointed at the wooden floor even while sitting during the interview. Behind her, the plywood wall of the family shack was adorned with pictures of her in gossamer tutu on stage. Sharing the space were frames of ballet certificates and a newspaper clipping about the garbage picker-turned-ballerina. A pair of satin pointe shoes lay on top of a gym bag, a few meters from sacks of used plastic bottles and other garbage piled up outside the door of her cramped home. Jessa and other kids are trained
accessible to common people. The dance company has held performances in malls, schools, town halls and remote villages of the archipelago. She set up the scholarship program in 2008 as a way of paying back for her good fortunes. For Jessa and the other slum children, it opened a whole new world. Literally so, when she flew to Hong Kong for the ballet competition. Her glee while on a roller coaster in Disneyland was captured in a photo in her humble home. During the competition in Hong Kong, she said she often felt nervous and shy to be dancing among well-off peers. But she overcame her fear, remembering Macuja’s advice “to persist despite the odds and to not let poverty hinder me.” As a company apprentice she makes around 7,000 pesos ($170) a month, sometimes more, from stipend and performance fees. The money is not enough to lift her family from poverty, but ballet has given her a choice in life. Her father, Gorgonio, works part-time as a construction worker besides collecting garbage. His meager pay is insufficient to feed his large family of six children and two grandchildren. One son works in a factory while another daughter collects garbage. Jessa’s childhood dream is to become a school teacher. But she also wants to dance as a professional ballerina. She says she is challenged by the feisty acting and
From scavenger to ballerina.
Lisa Macuja founded Ballet Manila in 1994 to make the high art of classical ballet more accessible to common people. in the rigorous Russian Vaganova ballet and are required to keep up with their academics in school. They are provided a monthly stipend of 1,200 pesos to 3,000 pesos ($30 to $73) depending on their ballet level, as well as meals, milk and ballet outfits. They also receive fees of 400 pesos to 1,500 pesos ($10 to $37) for each performance. Pointe shoes alone cost $50 to $80 a pair — a fortune for someone eking a living on $2 a day — and wear out within weeks or days, said Macuja. The daughter of a former senior trade official, Macuja was 18 years old when she received a two-year scholarship at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute (now the Academy of Russian Ballet) in Saint Petersburg in 1982, where she graduated with honors. She was the first foreign principal ballerina for the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg before returning to the Philippines, where she worked as artist-in-residence at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a principal dancer at the Philippine Ballet Theatre. Macuja, 48, founded Ballet Manila in 1994 with the aim of making the high art of classical ballet more
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difficult dance turns of the Black Swan character in Swan Lake and aspires for that role. For Jamil Montebon, another Project Ballet’s beneficiary, the scholarship was a life saver. The troubled 18-year-old has left his broken family in a violent slum community not far from Aroma. He became a ballet scholar at 13 but then dropped out of high school and ballet last year after a fight with his mother. During his time off from ballet and school, he collected garbage and worked in a junk shop.
FEBRUARY 1-15, 2013
At night he would go drinking with other kids who often clashed with rival gangs, then sleep in a church where he got one free meal a week. He was later accepted back into the program, which demands that children keep good grades and stay out of trouble. After shaping up, he moved into Ballet Manila’s dormitory. “I think that the key really is that these kids have been given hope, and that hope will transform their lives,” Macuja said. (Associated Press) n
RH Law
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PHILIPPINES Rosalie Cabenan (second from left) with her husband Danilo and some of their children at their home in a massive slum in Manila.
came too late for mother with 22 kids A devout Catholic who still goes to mass twice a week, the mother with 22 children nevertheless regrets following the church dogma so strictly and said she welcomed the Responsible Parenthood Law that officially took effect on Jan. 17.
By jason gutierrez
HISTORIC birth control law that took effect in the Philippines last Jan. 17 after years of opposition from the Catholic Church came too late for Rosalie Cabenan, a housewife who has given birth 22 times. Frail, with a leathery face streaked with wrinkles, 48-year-old Cabenan suffers from untreated gall stones and constant fatigue because her body has never had the time to properly recover from her successive pregnancies.
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“We only wanted three children. But they kept coming and coming,” Cabenan told AFP at her ramshackle home in Baseco, a massive slum in Manila where more than 60,000 people compete for space. “I was always pregnant and there was no time to take care of myself because I had to keep working to help my husband feed the children. I have tried everything, a stevedore (dock worker), a laundry woman, fish monger and a vegetable seller.” Cabenan had her first child when she was just 14. When she nearly died giving birth to her youngest, who is now six, she finally abandoned the demands of the Catholic Church to not use contraceptives. A devout Catholic who still goes to mass twice a week, Cabenan nevertheless regrets following the church dogma so strictly and said she welcomed the Responsible Parenthood Law that officially took effect on Jan. 17. “I tell women now, please do not be like me. I have too many children, and sometimes I do not know what to do and just cry, especially when they fight,” she said. The law requires government health centres to hand out free condoms and birth control pills,
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benefiting tens of millions of the country’s poor who would not otherwise be able to afford or have access to them. It also mandates that sex education be taught in schools and public health workers receive family planning training, while post-abortion medical care has been made legal for the first time. Proponents say the law will slow the country’s rapid population growth, cut widespread poverty and reduce the number of mothers dying at child birth. “This is a triumph for poor women and girls who would otherwise have no access to these things,” the United Nations Population Fund’s country representative, Ugochi Daniels, told AFP. While the plight of Cabenan is extreme, it is common in the Philippines to see very large families, particularly among the poor masses. One of Cabenan’s neighbours has given birth to 16 children. The Philippines has one of the highest birth rates in the world -- 3.1 for every woman -- and the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the AsiaPacific, according to the medical charity group Merlin. The Catholic Church, which counts 80 percent of the country’s
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A health worker shows mothers in a slum area how to use 100 million people as its followers, of Cabenan, one had for more than a decade suc- of the groups that cessfully lobbied and intimidated filed a petition politicians into blocking pro-birth with Supreme Court to strike control acts in parliament. However President Benigno down the law Aquino, a bachelor who is one of said her 22 chilshould the most popular leaders in the dren country’s history, used his political be a cause for capital to defy the church and help celebration and not steer the Reproductive Health Act regret. “Children are through parliament last year. The church has continued to never a liability. In resist, warning pro-life politicians fact, in the provincthey will be targetted in mid-term es, the more children you have, the elections this year and backing vari- more it is considered a gift,” Serve ous groups’ legal challenges to the Life spokesman Anthony Lanicao told AFP. law. He also said couples with so Asked to comment on the plight
many unwanted children were “partly at fault” because they should have checked their sexual urges. For Cabenan, however, church leaders are partly to blame. “They tell you to go forth and multiply, but now when you ask for help, they just pass you by,” she said. She said n o b o d y taught her proper family planning methods and there was no easy access to free contraceptives in Baseco. Cabenan met her husband, Danilo, when she was in high school, and he, a struggling teenage docker in Manila’s tough port area. She soon dropped out of school to be with Danilo, now 50, in a union that quickly resulted in successive births that dashed her ambition of one day becoming a teacher. “It is very difficult to have many children... many times we sleep without eating,” she said.
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Cabenan also mixes up her children’s names and birthdays. But she said the most difficult and painful part was failing to provide basic medical care to her children. Of the 22, five died young due to diarrhea, a treatable disease that constantly plagues the slums, because they had no money to buy medicines or take them to hospital. Six of the surviving 17 children are males, while the rest are females. Six of the eldest are either married or have children out of wedlock -- and nearly all of them squeeze in a house cobbled together from bricks, drift wood and tarpaulin that is the size of a small garage. Cabenan said most of her children were delivered at home by midwives, although one was born on a bus and another by a roadside with the help of passers-by. Her husband has no permanent job and finds construction work anywhere he can. Only three of the children are studying. None of the older ones were able to finish high school. “If we had this law in the past, maybe we would have had a better life today,” she said. (Agence FrancePresse) n
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By david pilling and roel landingin Financial Times
HE Philippines is finally picking up economic momentum, but this rapid growth has passed over the vast majority of the poor For years, the Philippines has been the economic laggard of southeast Asia. Blessed with a large English-speaking population of 100 million, abundant natural resources and the trappings of a functional democracy, it has nevertheless managed to fall further and further behind more successful neighbours. Today, in purchasing power parity terms, the Philippines has an income per capita roughly a quarter that of Malaysia and half of Thailand. Outside its glitzy business dis-
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delayed take-off Much of the credit for the starkly improved performance of the economy goes to Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, a fourth-generation politician whose election to the presidency in May 2010 has proved a watershed. Mr Aquino has put his administration’s weight behind combating corruption, perhaps the country’s biggest failing.
By 2015, half the Philippine population – with an average age of 22 -- will be of working age, a phase when many Asian tigers took off. trict, the traffic-clogged capital of Manila is full of slums. Rural poverty and corruption are rife. At long last, though, the tide is turning. Just as many of the world’s best-performing countries of recent years – including Brazil, India and even China – are sagging, the Philippines is stirring into life. Last quar-
The Philippines, together with Indonesia, is one of two countries beating expectations in the region, says the chief economist of the Asian Development Bank.
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ter, its economy again surprised on the upside, growing 7.1 per cent and notching up its 55th straight quarter of growth. It now seems to be growing at a steady 5-6 per cent, despite an adverse external environment, against a lowly 3 per cent in the 1990s. The finance ministry believes the potential growth rate can be lifted to 6-7 per cent and eventually to 7-8 per cent. The fiscal position has altered beyond recognition. The Philippines has gone from being a country constantly on the verge of a balance of payments crisis to one with manageable external debt and a fiscal deficit of just 2 per cent of output. Such has been the improvement that rating agencies have nudged its sovereign debt to within a whisker of investment grade, a status it is likely to achieve in the next year or so. As a result, money is pouring in. The stock market, one of the world’s best-performing in 2011, is up 32.5 per cent in the year to date in peso terms. That makes it the world’s fifth-best performing index. The peso itself has strengthened 7 per cent against the dollar. There is even talk of new investor interest in manufacturing. Japanese companies, looking for an alternative to China, have been nosing around. Philippine exports, not as important to the economy as for
PLANET PHILIPPINES is a newsmagazine for overseas Filipinos published and circulated in various cities and countries all over the world. Launched in 2002, the paper carries news features written by professional and experienced writers from Manila covering a wide range of topics – lifestyle, entertainment, celebrities, current affairs, OFW-related issues, travel, sports, politics and business. Each edition of Planet Philippines is managed and run by an independent area publisher under an exclusive licensing arrangement. We pioneered a unique business model that simplifies operations and cuts cost while ensuring high editorial standard. For US$500 we provide the editorial content (stories and photos), design and layout for each issue. The area publisher solicits advertisements and keeps all the advertising revenue. For inquiries on how to become a publisher of Planet Philippines, email us at planetphilippines@gmail.com or visit us at www.planetphilippines.com.
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many Asian countries, have held up well in spite of falling demand for electronics, suggesting a degree of diversification. Underlying the story, though, is strong consumption, which makes up early 70 per cent of gross domestic product. Remittances from overseas workers have nearly tripled to $20 billion since 2004, defying expectations that they would wilt after the 2008 financial crisis. Notwithstanding the inflow of money, inflation has been kept below 3 per cent thanks to prudent fiscal and monetary policy. Adding to this year’s growth impetus, the government – confident that the fiscal situation is under control – has begun to loosen its purse strings, spending more on much-needed infrastructure and social welfare. Spending on education has risen by a third and on health by two-thirds, it says. “The Philippines, together with Indonesia, is one of two countries beating expectations in this region,” says Changyong Rhee, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank. “Now, all of a sudden, foreign investors have high expectations of this country.” Much of the credit for the starkly improved performance goes to Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, a fourth-generation politician whose election to the presidency in May 2010 has proved a watershed. Mr Aquino has put his administration’s weight behind combating corruption, perhaps the country’s biggest failing. He has led a battle against tax evasion, pursuing several highprofile cases even among the elite – of which he is a part – normally able to evade the law. Tax collection has risen by 2 per cent of GDP without new taxes. The treasury believes it can still squeeze out another 2-3 per cent. In the political sphere, Mr Aquino’s war on the corrosive politicsas-usual has resulted in the ousting of the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the former president, whose administration is considered one of the most corrupt in years, has been brought to trial. Both moves have won Mr Aquino popular acclaim as has his strong stance on territorial disputes with China. His clean image has kept his popularity rating well above 60 per Contributing greatly to the economic strides is President Aquino’s war on the corrosive politics-as-usual that has resulted in the ousting of the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the prosecution of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
cent, unheard of for a president, especially one already nearly halfway through his six-year term. “He’s set a tone that the rule of law is to be respected,” says Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, head of the country’s oldest (and one of its largest) conglomerates. “People trust him. He’s very black and white about what he thinks is right.” Mr Aquino has stuck his neck out in other ways. His administration has reached a deal with Muslim rebels in the southern island of Mindanao, ending four decades of conflict. Agriculturally rich Mindanao could yet prove a big boon to the economy. The president has also taken on the Philippine Catholic Church – no light undertaking – by championing a law that would require government hospitals to provide free contraceptives. Economists say this could help reduce the birth rate from 3.1 to 2.1 births born per women, enabling the country to make more of its demographic dividend. As Cesar Purisima, the finance secretary, points out, the Philippines, with an average age of 22 – the lowest in Asia – is about to hit its “demographic sweetspot”. By 2015, half the population will be of working age, a phase when many Asian tigers took off. “The president wants to transform the entire country,” says Mr Purisima. “All his moves are to show that good governance is a must and that this is something he is going to demand of all sections of government.” Mr Ayala says he has rarely felt more confident about the country. His group’s Globe Telecom is investing $800 million over two years in overhauling its mobile network, while the property arm is building swanky new shopping malls in second-tier cities such as Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Olongapo. His Bank of the Philippine Islands is also expanding to capture business from what he expects to be a swelling middle class. Overall, the Ayala Group, which has tripled capital expenditure since 2010, is investing more than
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President Aquino’s clean image has kept his popularity rating well above 60 per cent, unheard of for a president, especially one already nearly halfway through his six-year term. $2 billion at home this year, helping to counter criticism that big businesses send most of their money abroad. “We are a proxy for many other things that are happening. The country is refreshing itself,” he says. “It’s been a long time coming.” Several new sectors have been added to the economy. In recent years, the outsourcing industry has grown to such an extent that the Philippines now outpunches India in call-centre revenue. The backoffice business already contributes nearly $11 billion and 600,000 jobs. There are hopes it will be a $25-billion n industry by 2016, One manager of an outsourcing centre in Makati, Manila’s flashy business district, says his main problem is staff retention and escalating rents. There are also greater ambitions for tourism after an agreement allowing foreign airlines to fly direct to resorts. Mining could open up if laws are passed clarifying land rights and environmental codes. Mr Ayala also defends the country’s old mainstay, the overseas workers whose existence is often seen as proof of structural weakness. Some 8 million Filipinos work abroad. “Why is it that when the finance industry or the manufacturing industry goes global it’s seen as a positive?” he asks. “But when it comes to people it is seen as a negative?” Philippine workers are no longer just maids or construction workers, he says.
They have now taken skilled jobs in shipping, healthcare and telecoms. Yet the inability to create jobs at home does reflect a fundamental economic weakness, say many economists. Despite the improvement in governance and in growth rates, academics and charity workers say there is scant evidence that the benefits are reaching the vast majority of the poor. Some 40 per cent of Filipinos still live on less than $2 a day. “Today we talk of high economic growth, but if I go to the countryside, this growth is not felt by the people,” says Juan Ponce Enrile, a one-time protégé of Ferdinand Marcos who later turned against the dictator. “Wealth remains among a very thin layer of elite.” F. Sionil José, an author who has chronicled the Philippines’ struggle
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with both Spanish and US colonialism, says the ruling elite lacks the sense of national mission that galvanised the economic take-off in South Korea and Japan. “You can see where the interests of the elites lie – in their malls, condominiums, golf courses and beach resorts – not in factories, not in agribusiness,” he says. Mr Enrile blames skewed power relations for the failure to create jobs at home. He wants constitutional amendments making it easier for foreign investors to take on the country’s vested interests and increase competition. Currently foreigners cannot own land and are restricted, in most industries, to 40 per cent ownership. “These limitations have hampered the growth and advancement of this country to the detriment of the common people,” he says. The Aquino administration has shown more interest in making the current system more honest and efficient than in radical reform. Once Mr Aquino leaves office in 2016, the fear is that everything may slide back. Without structural and institutional changes, the danger is that the usual clique of politicians will again manipulate the system. “Even if he had a vision and all the dedication in the world, he only has six years,” says Mr Sionil José of Mr Aquino. “And you cannot make a nation in six years.” Mr Aquino’s supporters argue that the president can change the Philippines’ fortune by example. “Maybe the next guy will think, ‘Hey, if you do the right thing, good things will happen,’” says one close associate. Mr Purisima concedes that “building a nation is more difficult than building a house”. But he argues that Mr Aquino can nevertheless institute irreversible change. Having seen what one leader can achieve, voters will demand nothing less of the next president, he says. “His six years are crucial to building the foundations and the institutions that will give his successor no choice but to continue.” n
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By boo chanco
HE thing I like about PNoy is how he delivers results by a singleminded focus on an issue. This is often called political will. Most politicians hem and haw and put political expediency ahead of national good. Not P-Noy. From the impeachment of former Chief Justice Corona to the passage of the Reproductive Health bill and the Sin Tax measure, PNoy has demonstrated he is made of a different stuff from our runof-the-mill politicians. Now, I have two issues which I hope he would take on. How he handles these issues could also be a good test of his determination to make good governance a hallmark of his watch. The first issue is Boracay. We have a gem of an island that is internationally acclaimed as a leisure paradise. It is our tourism industry’s main attraction. But it is under serious threat from reckless and over development. Some people are just focused on what they can get from it now and do not care about the future. I just read a report about how Boracay’s formerly pristine white sandy beach is now turning brown. I have also heard reports that during summer, some parts of the beach turn green. Contamination with human waste is a foregone conclusion even if connection to a waste treatment plant has been made mandatory. A serious E. coli contamination is an event waiting to happen. If it does, that will kill the precious tourism goose laying all those golden eggs. If that happens, it may be enough to set back our tourism development efforts by years.
Environmental disaster It is good to know that the government is not waiting for some environmental catastrophe to happen in the island. Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez was reported to have said at least 80 establishments on Boracay island face demolition by the end of March this year for building too close to the water line. According to an abs-cbnnews. com report, Jimenez said a government task force, composed of the tourism, environment, health, justice and interior and local government departments, has already ordered the establishments to self-demolish.
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Testing P-noy’s political will
On the matter of EDSA traffic, our officials are merely dancing around the problem. One very clear course of action is to reduce the number of buses on EDSA. There are just too many of them as is obvious to anyone with eyes to see.
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buses to as high as 12,000. If that is so, how do you fit some 12,000 buses into two lanes on Edsa that can only accommodate 1,600? A study made by researchers from the UP College of Engineering has concluded that there is an oversupply of buses on the EDSA route of about 60 percent. The study also concluded that this oversupply situation leads to a low load factor which suggests a minimal profit for the operators along EDSA and a prolonged travel time for the passengers. “This is the reality we are facing today. This will not change unless we do something about it,” MMDA chair Francis Tolentino said. The onus is on the LTFRB to cut the number of franchises it had issued and strictly police the practice of using one franchise for a number of buses… the “kabit” system.
Too many buses President Aquino’s political will be put to test o two issues: the looming environmental disaster on Boracay and the traffic gridlock on Edsa. None have complied so far. A stakeholders group welcomed the government demolition order. Boracay Foundation Inc. director and beach front resort owner Nenette Graf welcomed the government order saying it will help restore the beauty of Boracay’s beaches. The order will re-establish the easement portion area of the four-kilometer white sand beach in Boracay. “This is a welcome move from our side, the stakeholders. I think it is about time that we protect our
A number of business establishments have mushroomed too close to the shores of Boracay, posing serious threat to the pristine island. white beach, to preserve it. At this point in time, we are really at a panic because our beach... is becoming brown already,” she said. Graf admitted that some resort owners deliberately violated the rules after seeing other establishments do the same thing. “Now, it’s payback time,” she said. It is too bad the local government is inept. Now the national
government must step in. Everyone is watching to see if government can carry out its order or if it is all just press releases as is usual in the past leaderships.
EDSA gridlock Then there is the matter of EDSA traffic. Right now, our officials are merely dancing around the problem. One very clear course of action is to reduce the number of buses on EDSA. There are just too many of them as is obvious to anyone with eyes to see. There are supposed to be a number of JICA studies that concluded only 1,600 buses are needed to ply the EDSA route. But at the time of the latest study, the number of is 3,700. I have actually seen reports that estimated the actual number of
For so long the traffic gridlock on Edsa has evaded a rational and long-term solution. Will P-Noy act on it this time?
If the LTFRB is doing its job, it would see to it that not only should the routes be adequately served but that the operators make a reasonable return on investment. That is why the LTFRB must continually do market surveys where they measure demand for bus seats on particular routes and must match the need with the supply. The fact that there is an excess of bus units on EDSA means the LTFRB had been remiss in its duties all these years. Peg the bus fares to the MRT fares. Lower the bus fares now and let economic concerns do the job of trimming the number of buses running in that route. Cutting down the number of buses on EDSA won’t necessarily make the drivers and conductors jobless. The operators culled out of EDSA can be re-deployed in other underserved routes in the metro area and the rest of the country. Just look at all those commuters hanging out of jeepneys during rush hours and see the need for a more effective transport mode. So, there we have it. Two burning issues that demand the exercise of political will for making the tough decisions needed. I am sure if P-Noy gets involved in managing these issues, the tough decisions will be made. The right things to do are so obvious in both the Boracay and the EDSA cases. People are tired of seeing no real action through the years. I hope P-Noy makes the right moves as a no nonsense president would. If he depended on the bureaucrats, it would just be more of the same and all to the detriment of public interest. (Philippine Star) n
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COMMUNITYNEWS
Heart Evangelista, Geoff Eigenmann, and Ms. Gloria Romero banner GMA Pinoy TV’s FOREVER
G
MA Pinoy TV presents a riveting drama featuring some of the biggest Kapuso stars with FOREVER, which will air starting January 24.
Forever promises to steal the viewers’ hearts as it follows a captivating storyline that explores the enduring power of love between two individuals who will let fate determine if they are meant to be together despite time, distance, and obstacles. This original offering features the dramatic talents of prime Kapuso leading man Geoff Eigenmann as Ramon/Patrick, multi-award winning actress Heart Evangelista as Adora and the original Queen of Philippine Movies Ms Gloria Romero as Adora . Forever begins with the story of Adora, the sole heir to a wealthy sugar plantation in the 1950s. De-
spite her social status, Adora falls in love with the poor and passionate Ramon, a farmer who works in their farm. Her domineering father Don Jamie strongly disapproves of Adora’s relationship with Ramon but the young lovers pledge to stay together regardless of Don Jamie’s objection. This forbidden romance eventually leads to Ramon’s death who vows to return to be with his one true love Adora. Adora is devastated with Ramon’s passing and she realizes her life is now empty and meaningless without him. But she gets a second chance to be reunited with Ramon after an old woman gives her an antique pocket watch that could bring
back her youth. Fast forward to the present time, Adora will be reunited anew with Ramon but this time in the persona of Patrick, a painter who will form an unusual romantic connection with Adora. Will the promise of Adora and Ramon to rekindle their romance transcends time no matter where or when their paths cross? Can the ill-fated lovers fulfill their destiny to once and for all be together even in the next lifetime? Can anything or anyone still come between the two lovers? Adding star power to this classic tale of undying love are Isabel Oli as Monique , Saab Magalona as Leila, Gian Magdangal as Rico, and Candy Pangilinan as Susie. The special guests of Forever include Marc Abaya as Federico and Ronnie Henares as Don Jaime.
Forever, which is created by the GMA Entertainment TV Group, is another first in the television industry for its refreshing concept and production value. Directed by acclaimed actor and TV director Ricky Davao , Forever is supervised by Lilybeth G. Rasonable as Over-all in charge of Production, Redgie Acuña Magno as Supervising Producer, Hazel F. Abonita as Program Manager, and Executive Producer Kaye Cadsawan.
The creative team is headed by Creative Director and concept creator of Forever Jun Lana. It is composed of Roy Iglesias, Creative Consultant Des Garbes - Severino, Headwriter Kit Villanueva-Langit, writers Ma. Christina Samson-Velasco and Angeli Delgado, and Brainstormers Reynaldo Leoncito, Jessie Villabrille, and Luningning Ribay. The theme song, Together Forever, is interpreted by the King of Soul, Janno Gibbs. n
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ports that.” Immediately after the launch, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites were buzzing with new memes the public had generated. “Climbing stairs. More fun in the Philippines” showed people walking up the Banaue Rice Terraces. “Commuting. More fun in the Philippines” had a lone kayaker in the middle of the turquoise waters of El Nido, paddling towards massive limestone cliffs. Even the party favorite lechon was not spared, and made an appearance in “Planking. More fun in the Philippines.”
By ma. stella f. arnaldo
S it really “more fun in the Philippines”? Well, the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller magazine certainly thinks so. In fact, it even proclaims its infatuation for the country, dubbing it its “new flame,” and accords the Philippines a top spot in its list of “hot destinations to watch” in 2013. The acclaim thrills Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. no end. He believes the London-based magazine noticed the Philippines because the country has gained the confidence needed in pushing its brand. “We’d like to think it is as a result of what we have painted. We’re no longer insecure in terms of promoting ourselves. For instance, when we entered the World Travel Market in London, we entered in a big way.” Coinciding with the official visit of President Aquino to the UK last November, posters of the Puerto Princesa Underground River with the tag, “The underground. More Fun in the Philippines”, were put up along the walls of the London Underground subway network. The ubiquitous London black taxi cabs were also painted with scenes of a sun-kissed white beach with the word “Paradise,” and the promise that it could be reached only two hours from Hong Kong. The “sunny beaches” theme was carried over at the country’s pavilion at the Travel Market with shots from Boracay and Palawan posted all over. In London where the sun shines only five months in a year, and temperatures drop to an average of 9º C despite the sun, the vacation choice seems quite clear. Launched in January last year, the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” capitalized on the Filipinos’ innate ability to make guests feel at home wherever they may be in the country. “The Filipino more than the Philippines has always scored higher than the rest of the world,” Jimenez explains, as he gives a quick assessment of the brand campaign one year later. “When you say ‘Philippines,’ you probably get a more checkered reaction. But when you say ‘Filipino,’ people have wonderful things to say about him, his brand rating is much, much higher. And now we have a campaign that sup-
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Measures of success
One year later, is it still fun?
The tourism slogan made a big splash in London during President Aquino’s visit last year.
‘When you say ‘Philippines,’ you probably get a more checkered reaction. But when you say ‘Filipino,’ people have wonderful things to say about him, his brand rating is much, much higher. And now we have a campaign that supports that.’
Immediately after the launch, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites were buzzing with new memes the public had generated.
The success of the campaign cannot be denied. And the numbers reflect this. From January to November 2012, total visitor arrivals increased by 8.74 percent to 3.83 million, an all-time-high for the country. Koreans accounted for the largest arrivals at 922,083, or 24 percent of the total. (This statistic has since been surpassed, with the DOT having welcomed the 1 millionth Korean visitor last December 27.) After Korea, visitors from the United States were in second place at 586,965, representing 15.32 percent of total arrivals; Japan at 375,248 (9.8 percent share); China 233,174 (6.09 percent); Taiwan 203,418 (5.31 percent); Australia 163,270 (4.26 percent); Singapore 134,164 (3.5 percent); Hong Kong 108,115 (2.82 percent); Canada 106,987 (2.79 percent); Malaysia 103,237 (2.69 percent); United Kingdom 99,348 (2.59 percent); and Germany 59,028 (1.54 percent). Jimenez says he is confident that cumulative tourist arrivals by December 2012 had reached 4.3 million. He admits the numbers could have probably been higher if it were not for the diplomatic row between the Philippines and China, leading to the latter’s unofficial travel ban on group tours to the Philippines. And before the diplomatic spat, there was the still-unresolved matter of families of Hong Kong tourists seeking justice for their deaths in the botched hostage rescue at Luneta Park on August 23, 2010. Meanwhile, Jimenez has always stressed, that “as long as we cross the 4-million mark, we’re on track to meet the 10-million visitor arrivals target by 2016.” The DOT chief is even more optimistic that with the return of the group charters from China, 5.3 million tourists will be arriving in the country this year. Since
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November, AirPhil Express and Zest Airways planes have been chartered from Shanghai and Beijing, bringing enthusiastic Chinese tourists straight to Kalibo to enjoy the sun-drenched pleasures of Boracay. “It has been successful as an entire campaign along with the National Tourism Development Plan. One cannot exist without the other,” comments Aileen Clemente, president of Rajah Travel Corp., and incumbent president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association. In May 2012, the DOT launched the NTDP, a P265billion national strategy that seeks to address the key challenges in developing the tourism sector, in a bid to increase the sector’s share in the country’s total economic output.
Rude awakening The biggest realization from the implementation of the “fun” campaign, says Jimenez, is “they (foreign markets) love us pala. We’re not as bad as we thought. The rude awakening is we’re not as famous as we thought we were. ‘Kala natin we’re famous for being a horrible place to visit. It’s not
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PHILIPPINES ity but as an honest-to-goodness industry. It’s now being taken seriously as an industry. The private sector, as a result of that, is now finally in on it as well.” Proof of the latter is found in the massive investments pouring into new hotels and resorts in key tourist destinations of Boracay, Palawan, Davao, even Metro Manila, Quezon, and Aurora. “For 2013 alone, we will have 12,500 rooms additionally nationwide. About 6,000 of those rooms will be in Manila already by the end of this year,” Jimenez points out. But with the rising number
The campaign showed that Filipinos are viewed positively by foreign visitors, contrary to what some of us thought of ourselves. exactly what came out, we were simply not famous.” He adds that along with the shift in the mindset of Filipinos, that is, now they are eager promoters of the country; and in a way, even the bureaucratic mindset has turned as well.“The government now believes more in its ability to run tourism not just another activThe success of the tourism campaign is reflected in the growing number of foreign tourists.
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of tourists, the old problems that beset the industry have come under renewed microscopic focus. Delays in flights, inadequate airport facilities or infrastructure to key tourist destinations, limited air connections, and poor baggage handling are just some of the complaints that have been raised anew by travelers. Cebu-based tourism investor Jay Aldeguer is all praises for the “fun” campaign, but raises a valid point. “I think it is a good campaign. The strategy to go viral was also very strategic and cost-efficient. But just like any campaign, the hard part is to sustain it; not only through advertising and PR (public relations), but making sure the product delivers. This is where we, the stakeholders, and government have to step up urgently. Momentum is on our side, the image of the Philippines abroad has improved tremendously. But if we do not address basic infrastructure problems and we do not fix our attractions and packages, we will not be able to optimize the potential tourism could bring us in the next few years.” (Excerpts from an article in InterAksyon.com) n
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S‘KILIG’ HOWBIZ
COUPLES
Anne and Erwan
By cherie del rio
HE Philippine showbiz industry is home to a multitude of intrigues, rumors, and all things buzz- worthy. Oftentimes, however, there are more stories about breakups than celebrations of love and relationships. A showbiz couple’s separation is far too often celebrated and glorified. And so, when the showbiz news timelines are finally filled with beautiful love stories, one must take a moment to relish the value of these celebrity couple narratives. Here are the top 10 showbiz kilig couples (in no particular order): Dingdong Dantes and Marian fully for the talented TV-host acRivera -- The DongYan love team tress. She seemed to have found her may have had a rough start. Dingdong’s breakup with singer Karylle was fodder for gossip and speculation that the lovely GMA-7 actress Marian has stolen the heartthrob from his then girlfriend. But when the issues and rumors have died down, DongYan emerged as one of the most admired, not to mention best looking, showbiz couples to date. In a recent interview with Marian as she posed as the cover for a health magazine, she spoke lovingly about how Dingdong has been a positive influence on her life. The two Kapuso stars continue to head top shows in their network and their pairing remains unparalleled.
Anne Curtis and Erwan Heussaff -- Kapamilya’s sweetheart Dingdong and Marian
Anne Curtis has had her share of showbiz boyfriends -- and these relationships have ended quite pain-
true love, however, with boyfriend Erwan Heussaff, a food connoisseur of Filipino-French descent who is incidentally the brother of GMA talent Solenn Heussaff. In an interview late last year, Anne admitted that she considered her relationship with Erwan her first ever mature relationship.
Luis Manzano and Jennylyn Mercado -- Both coming from
high-profile relationships and messy breakups, (Luis with Angel Locsin and Jennylyn with Patrick Garcia), these two were an unlikely match. They worked for rival networks, too! But that did not stop Luis and Jennylyn from making beautiful romance. Although the couple seems to be growing strong, Jennylyn admitted that they still have no plans of tying the knot anytime soon. “Napag-uusapan siyempre pero wala pa talagang
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Bea and Zanjoe Angelica and John Lloyd Paul and Toni Jennylyn and Luis plano. Hindi pa ako handa at bata pa ako,” Jennylyn said. “Marami pa akong dapat asikasuhin at dapat gawin. Ini-enjoy muna namin ang isa’t-isa.”
Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati -- One of the hottest
celebrity couples from the Kapuso Network, Richard and Sarah are now under the spotlight for controversies involving work and a rumored pregnancy. Sarah has recently tweeted very strong statements about her decision to leave GMA, feeling that she was not getting the stardom that she was promised. Rumors have sprouted, however, that the real reason for Sarah’s return to Switzerland is that she is pregnant with Richard’s baby. Richard was quick to deny these allegations and further claims that although he is on Sarah’s side, he is likewise torn and conflicted because he loves the GMA Network.
Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano -- Toni and Paul have been to-
gether for five years already, which is past the normal lifespan of showbiz unions. Toni has always been quite conservative and it seems that Paul has blended well into Toni’s world of being a good role model and poster girl for family and Godoriented values. The film director says he is ready to propose to Toni but the TV host-actress is biding her time and waiting for “God’s signal” when she should settle down.
John Lloyd Cruz and Angelica Panganiban -- Although their
love story was also surrounded by controversy and intrigue, the handsome and lovable couple has transcended above the default showbiz dirty speculations and came out as a good pair, admired by today’s audiences. Angelica seems to be glowing, inspired by the positive influence that John Lloyd
Sarah and Richard
has brought into her life. Both have beautifully moved on from their past relationships.
Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo -- Having been friends pri-
or to being lovers, Zanjoe was said to have pretended to be Bea’s boyfriend in an attempt to shoo away a persistent stranger in a gathering where they were both in attendance. Later on, Zanjoe went from being pretend boyfriend to real-life lover.
Geoff and Carla
The timing was perfect as the actormodel was smarting from his breakup with Mariel Rodriguez and Bea was waiting for Mr. Right.
Geoff Eigenmann and Carla Abellana – Geoff and Carla have
been together for three years and a lot of people are wondering if the two will be settling down soon. To this, the brainy actress has replied: “Not yet… Maybe we have to plan first before we talk about that. It seems like we have to go through a lot. We still have to do a lot of things in order for us to be individually secure, so we have to work on those first before we talk about getting married.”
Heart and Chiz Heart Evangelista and Chiz Escudero -- They seem like an un-
likely couple what with the 16-yearage gap and with Heart coming from showbiz and Chiz from politics. It took a while before the two admitted their love affair despite being spotted together on dates several times. When they came out, supporters of the pair oohed and aahed at the seemingly great chemistry between the young actress and the politician. Heart’s Instagram account is filled with photos of her and Chiz, each snapshot revealing just how happy and in love the two are.
Angel Locsin and Phil Younghusband -- Their
love story has been followed by both showbiz and sports enthusiasts alike and people cannot help but gush at how this beautiful pair looks so good together. Phil is head over heels in love with the stunning Kapamilya actress. “Lagi kaming masaya, we’re happy together and enjoying each other’s company,” said the FilBrit soccer player. The secret to their relationship, according to the Azkals heartthrob, is communication. In one of Phil’s interviews, he said Angel is already The One and he looks forward to settling down with her. “Alam ko, I want to settle down, but I don’t know yet the exact time,” he said. “Pero alam ko, I want it, gusto ko mag-settle down with Angel.” n
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CELEBR TY GERALD BENT ON PURSUING MAJA
DESPITE the intrigue and controversy that followed reports that Gerald Anderson and Maja Salvador are dating, the Fil-Am actor is bent on pursuing his romantic intentions on the young actress. “Yeah I would love to [court her] kung bibigyan niya ako ng chance. I’d love to get to know her better, para mas makilala namin ang isa’t isa,” Gerald replied when asked if he would continue his plans to court Maja after all the brouhaha. Gerald finally broke his silence about his true feeling for Maja after photos of him and the actress vacationing in Albay made their rounds in the Internet. In an exclusive interview with The Buzz, Gerald reiterated that his photos with Maja in Misibis Bay making the rounds online are real. However, he stressed that he was vacationing in Albay with his family and friends, while Maja was
attending a bridal shower of her cousin at the posh Misibis Bay. Saying they were never really close before, Gerald admitted that it was only in Albay that he saw Maja “on a different level.” “During sa mga activities namin, parang nakita ko sa kanya na wow, parang masaya siyang kasama, very charming, mabait. Nag-e-enjoy akong kasama siya. So when we came back, being single -- matagal na rin po akong single and siya rin single siya at that time -- parang anong masama kung yayain ko siyang lumabas? Anong masama kung puwede kami magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makilala namin ang isa’t isa?” he told The Buzz host Boy Abunda. However, the 23-year-old actor said it is unfortunate that things already got blown out of proportion even before he has done anything.
SARAH APOLOGIZES FOR ‘WOMANIZER’ REMARKS
SARAH Geronimo has apologized over her loaded remarks last Jan. 13 during her Sarah G Live! show after performing Britney Spears’ Womanizer. After performing her song, Sarah urged the audience not to fall in love with womanizers. She then asked co-host Robi Domingo if he was a womanizer as the studio audience went wild. “Hindi ka womanizer, promise ha,” she told Robi, who then asked the crowd, “Sino ba dito ang womanizer?” “I think alam na nila ‘yon, sorry. Itaas natin ang bandera ng mga babaeng nagmamahal ng totoo at mga babaeng sinasaktan, joke lang... okey, control emotion na,” Sarah said.. Before her show ended, Sarah sang Take A Bow, which is about saying goodbye to a boyfriend, who has taken his relationships for granted. Many observers believed that the singeractress was referring to Gerald Anderson, with whom she had a failed romance. “’Yun kasi ang outlet ko talaga hindi ko po idi-deny ‘yon. Pero ‘yon tapos na. Nagapologize ako ng closing... mali, mali po ‘yung inasal ko,” Sarah said in an interview. “Nawalan lang ako ng kontrol sa emotion ko kasi nadala ako sa audience at sa songs na kinanta ko ina-admit ko na personal choice ko po ang mga songs na ‘yon, medyo lumagpas lang ako, pasensiya na,” she added. She said what she did only shows that she was just being true not only to herself but to the public. “’Yun po ang sinabi sa akin ng staff at bago pa magsimula ang show na ito, just be yourself at ipakita mo kung sino ka talaga at ‘yun lang po ang binibigay ko sa mga tao, yun.” She denied that she still can’t move on and is bitter over her failed romance with Gerald.
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RAYVER, CRISTINE CONFIRM BREAKUP RAYVER Cruz and Cristine Reyes finally admitted that they have already called it quits, ending months of media speculation about their relationship. In an interview with The Buzz, Rayver and Cristine faced the cameras together to announce their breakup. The actor said he and Cristine went their separate ways last year but have remained good friends.
STORM BREWING IN SUNSHINE’S MARRIAGE FIVE years since she first sought to annul her marriage to Cesar Montano, Sunshine Cruz is again seeking legal counsel on a possible split from her husband of 12 years. Atty. Bonifacio Alentajan, Sunshine’s lawyer, confirmed with ABS-CBN News that the actress is “exploring her legal options” in connection with a recent controversy involving her husband and starlet Krista Miller. Krista is appearing in a film directed by and starring the actor, The Turning Cradle: The Untold Story of Alfredo Lim. The rift between the showbiz couple stemmed from pictures posted by Krista on Instagram. In a series of posts, which have since been deleted, Krista shared photos of an Abercombie and Fitch shirt for men, a pack of chocolates and an iPhone 5. The items, according to Sunshine in her comments on the photos, were gifts from her to Cesar. Referring to the images, Sunshine said, also via Instagram: “I bought that shirt, and it is a guy’s shirt for heaven’s sake! The chocolate is from my [sister]-
in-law and that is my iPhone 5. [Hindi] mo na dapat pinagmalaki sa social networking.” Another photo post of Krista had this caption, “I hope one day, I’ll be your first priority.” Sunshine responded: “You might soon be his first priority. Pagdasal mo.”
According to Alfie Lorenzo, Sunshine’s talent manager and close friend, Cesar left their conjugal house on Jan. 18 and is staying in a hotel. This isn’t the first time Cesar has been linked to another woman since his marriage with Sunshine. In 2008, Sunshine planned to file for the annulment of their marriage after the actor was romantically linked to a teen Brazilian model named Mariana del Rio. The couple eventually reconciled. They have three daughters.
“Oo [hiwalay na kami]. Ang maganda dito, okey kami dahil magkaibigan kami. Matagal na kaming naghiwalay, last year pa. We gave our best dito sa relationship namin. Ganun siguro talaga. Hindi naman halos lahat ng relationships nagwo-work ‘di ba?” he said. Stressing that there was no third party in their relationship, Cristine said they just decided to focus on their respective careers first. “Siguro kasi bata pa kami pareho. Gusto namin mag-focus sa work. Gusto namin mag-focus sa sarili namin. Walang third party,” she said. Asked why they kept their breakup from the public, Rayver said: “Dinecide namin na nung naghiwalay kami, discreet na lang, huwag na lang maingay. Huwag na lang sabihin in public kasi nag-start ang relationship namin na sobrang daming naapektuhan. So sa tingin namin ganoon ang tama.” Cristine also addressed rumors romantically linking her to Derek Ramsay. “Siguro kasi nakikita niya po kami sa labas. Para sa akin wala naman masama doon kasi ever since, kahit nung sila pa ni Angelica (Panganiban), pumupunta kami sa house nila. Nagha-hangout kami doon,” she said.
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CELEBRITYFILES
TONI WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME
Buzz, Paul said he is ready to propose to Toni after being in relationship with the TV host since 2008. While she awaits for that time to come, Toni said she will focus her time and attention to her work this 2013. She said she is looking forward to doing two movies under Star Cinema this year. “Kanina I just came from Star Cinema. We discussed two movies that I will be doing this year. One is a very big project and the next one is going back to my roots – romantic comedy with a new love team,” she said.
TV host and actress Toni Gonzaga says she has been praying for the right time to settle down. In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Toni said she always includes her relationship with director Paul Soriano in her daily prayers. “I’ve always been praying for the right time for me to settle down. When God tells me to slow down, settle down, that’s it for me. So far, wala pa naman. Sabi Niya go pa,” she said. Toni and Paul have been a couple for five years now. In a separate interview with The
MARICEL OUT OF TV SERIES AFTER OUTBURST FOLLOWING the reported outburst of Maricel Soriano on the set of her upcoming series, the veteran actress’ camp appealed for understanding as she continues to undergo personal challenges. Her friends appealed for understanding, given the passing of her mother in 2009. They said the actress can also benefit from undergoing anger management to resolve personal conflicts. Reports said Maricel had an outburst on Jan. 21 on the set of the upcoming drama series Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin. The 47-year-old actress allegedly lost her temper over co-star Gerald Anderson’s numerous takes in filming a scene. Maricel’s manager and ABSCBN, which produces the TV series, have decided to exclude the Diamond Star from the cast. Sources said Dawn Zulueta is being considered to replace Maricel. Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent management arm, however, backed Gerald’s “unassailable personal character and professional behavior,” following the alleged
HEART-CHIZ RELATIONSHIP ‘VERY SERIOUS’
incident. Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin, which also stars Cristine Reyes and Rayver Cruz, was seen as the comeback project of Maricel as a Kapamilya after she signed anew with ABS-CBN in November last year. In 2011, Soriano was embroiled in a controversy after allegedly maltreating her former housemaids, who took to court their complaints against the actress. The two camps have since reportedly reconciled.
FAMILIAR NAMES TOP ABSENTEE SOLONS REPRESENTATIVES Jules Ledesma of Negros Occidental, Manny Pacquiao of Sarangani, Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr. of Cagayan, and Juan Miguel Arroyo of the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy are among the top absentee congressmen. Ledesma, the husband of former actress Assunta de Rossi, is on top of the list. He is a perennial topnotcher in the absentee list. Between July 27, 2010, when Congress convened, up to mid-November 2012, the House of Representatives held 125 sessions Ledesma attended only 13 sessions, while Arroyo was present in 36, Enrile in 44, and Pacquiao in 47. Only one congressman, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., scored perfect attendance.
The other top absentees and the number of days they attended session are: Augusto Syjuco Jr. of Iloilo, 31; Jeffrey Ferrer of Negros Occidental, 34; Anna York Bondoc of Pampanga, 39; Ferjenel Biron of Iloilo, 43; Valentina Plaza of Agusan del Sur, 44; and Seth Jalosjos of Zamboanga del Norte, 48. They are followed by Benjamin Asilo of Manila, 53; Anthony del Rosario of Davao del Norte, 53; Narciso Bravo Jr. of Masbate, 54; Evita Arago of Laguna, 54; Patrick Antonio of Agbiag Timpuyog Ilokano, 54; Jesus Celeste of Pangasinan, 56; Raymond Mendoza of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, 58; Mary Mitzi Cajayon of Caloocan, 58; Vincent Crisologo of Quezon City, 58; and Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, 59.
“IF it (marriage to Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero) comes, I’ll embrace it,” declares Heart Evangelista. “I don’t have expectations. That’s what makes [this relationship] better than my past ones. I’m just enjoying the moment.” The actress acknowledges that what she and her politician-boyfriend have “is a very serious relationship.” But she hastens to add that marriage is not yet in sight. “I used to have a deadline for myself,” Heart said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “I now refuse to feel pressured by it.” Heart says the lawmaker is a good influence. “I think differently now because of him. He is all about being simple. He also teaches me how to handle different situations. I can be tactless sometimes, so he tells me to be careful not to hurt other people’s feelings.” “He has never made me feel that he’s a senator. He’s not so different from the rest of us,” says Heart of her 43-year-old boyfriend of eight months. The 27-year-old actress further describes Chiz as “humble, not flashy and… isn’t too keen on buying expensive stuff for himself. When he caught me shopping one time, he asked, ‘Don’t you feel bad when you spend too much on something?’ I said, ‘Sometimes.’” Heart’s parents are known to be very vocal about their disapproval of their daughter’s past romances. However, the actress is thankful that on her current affair, “they’ve learned to keep their opinions private.”
KRIS SEES 3-5 MORE ‘EXCELLENT’ YEARS IN SHOWBIZ KRIS Aquino, fresh from the huge success of her movie Sisterakas, sees three to five more “excellent” years ahead for her in the entertainment industry. In an interview with The Buzz, Kris refused to discuss her plans once her contract with the Kapamilya network expires at the end of the year. “Matagal pa ‘yon kasi October pa naman pinaguusapan ‘yon. It’s 90 days before expiration, doon niyo pinaguusapan kung saan papunta,” she said when asked if she will renew her contract with ABS-CBN. It was her mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, she said, who advised her to quit while she’s still ahead. “The one thing my mom said to me when I was signing that five-year contact with ABS – at wala pa siyang sakit noong time na yon. She said, ‘Krissy, I always pray that you will go when you are still on top.’ I’m trying my
very best not to overstay,” the youngest daughter of the late president said. “Sana, God-willing, I have three to five more excellent years left,” she said. Kris explained that she is also working to ensure a secure future for her sons. “Sana din talaga, enough ‘yung na-set aside -- not for Bimby kasi alam ko naman na kaya niyang alagaan ang sarili niya in the future -- but really for Josh,” she said of her eldest son with actor Philip Salvador. “So I just want to make sure na secure na secure ‘yung future ni Josh, na hindi siya maging burden kay Bimb paglaki niya at wala na ako dito,” she added. Meanwhile, Kris stressed that there is nothing going on between her and Brazilian actor-model Daniel Matsunaga, despite the constant teasing of her good friend, Vice Ganda. “Inaasar lang niya ako dahil alam niyang napipikon na ako,” she said. “Kaya talagang sinasabi ko, ‘Stop it kasi nagagalit na si Bimb.’”
AGA HURDLES POLL CHALLENGES
IT’S all systems go for Aga Muhlach’s bid to become the congressman of the fourth district of Camarines Sur. The actor scored two legal victories in January. First, he was granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by the Court of Appeals, which directed the Election Registration Board of San Jose, Camarines Sur “to immediately reinstate and reactivate” his name and his wife’s Charlene in the voters’ list. Had the couple’s names been delisted from the voters’ list, Aga
would have been disqualified from voting and running in the May elections.. Next, the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) declared Aga “a natural-born Filipino citizen and is therefore eligible to enjoy full civil and political rights, including the right to seek elective public office.” This was the Comelec’s response to a petition filed by a voter, who alleged that Aga is a Spanish citizen who “abandoned his Philippine citizenship” when he was issued a Spanish passport. The case was dismissed for “lack of merit.” Despite the trials, Aga said he remained hopeful. “Whenever I go around the province, I hear people saying they want change.” He reported that his team financed three poll surveys, which, he said, showed him leading his opponent, a scion of the influential Fuentebella clan. He said he has learned a lot about politics this early in the race. “’Pag malinis ka, ‘di ka matatakot sagutin ang anumang tanong,” he said. “My opponents have a lot of money at their disposal, while my team has nothing but I’m not threatened by them.”
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AGT system in UP Diliman
looking up for the project but the more remarkable achievement isn’t as obvious as the sleeker design of the tracks and the coaches. The country is (finally) utilizing its resources. The development and construction of the AGT is about the fifth of the current cost, specifically because it is being built here. More than that, the greater benefit that we will all enjoy from this project is the enhancement of the local knowledge on transportation technology. The two years that it took for the test run to happen might seem like a long time for some but taking our time to invest in actual research is a true hallmark of progress.
EDSA’s Vertical Garden
New things to love about Manila Parking meters! Yes, indeed, it would be nice to see places where there are parking meters as they are the clearest indication that it is not illegal to park in that space. Bribing a parking meter will also prove to be a very difficult task. Binondo is the “training ground” for this new venture but if all goes well, we’ll also be seeing parking meters in Luneta, Ermita, and Malate.
EDSA Vertical Gardens
H Metro Manila, there are days when it it’s just so hard to see where our relationship is going. But then you surprise us with these gifts that just make us swoon. Everyone has had a love/hate feeling about Metro Manila but the years have proven that there’s plenty of great places, great food, and great people to love to enjoy in this fine collection of cities. We’ve had some setbacks and maybe we’re taking our time getting to our destination, but here is a list of changes that are happening and will be happening that makes us feel like someone is holding our hand and telling us, “Hey, it’s alright. We’ll work through this.”
Late last year, steel frames were installed along the tunnel walls of P. Tuason, Shaw Boulevard and Ayala. This was, apparently, in preparation for the Re-greening Project under MMDA Resolution No. 11-01. It’s very hard to be against plants because let’s face it, plants are nice. MMDA’s efforts to make the streets a little more pleasant to look at aren’t always been met with appreciation but how can anyone not like plants? According to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, this is only the start. The Re-greening Project also includes repairing sidewalks and installing plant boxes in 900 lamp posts along EDSA. It’s been proven in other cities, most notably in New York, that urban aesthetics has a huge effect on how people treat their environment. A clean environment encourages clean behavior.
Filipino-Developed AGT System On December 2010, the plan for an Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) System in the University of the Philippines Diliman was revealed. The response to it has been, and continues to be, mixed, with people wondering if the location was optimal or the effect it would have on the trademark Ikot and Toki jeepneys. The team has clarified that the train is not for the UP Diliman campus and the site acts primarily as a development ground for the AGT, which will be constructed in areas where it will be most efficient. The team is still working the details out but while that’s being studied, a successful test run was conducted last December 2012. Things are
MRT Directional Arrows
MRT’s Directional Arrows This could be the best possible addition to urban train experience if people follow it. The floor of the platform of every station now has very simple indicators where people should stand. Much as it’s nice to believe in the good we all have deep in our hearts, rush hour devolves people into brutish, space-hungry entities made of elbows and leather bags. It’s initially amusing to watch people yell and bicker but having to
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Circuit Makati
claw your way out of the car with adrenalin pumping in your blood because you might miss your stop isn’t exactly the best way to start your day. The change is very simple and subtle, and on good days the sight of people organized in neat lines will make your heart skip a beat. Humans are designed to find symmetry and order attractive. This is a fact. Unfortunately, it is so simple that some people can’t be bothered to understand that the arrow pointing towards the train is where they should be standing. Still, we’re hopeful that the act of lining up in an organized fashion without blocking the door for the alighting passengers will catch on and develop into a habit.
been just as stubborn in resisting this new scheme but for once, the fault lies in the passengers because following the scheme would greatly affect the flow of traffic in EDSA. Separating the stops for A and B buses minimizes the unfriendly competition for passengers and regulates the places where people can get off. The obvious finally hit the right people in the face and with a little more time to get used to the scheme, this looks like a proper a solution to the congestion problem. It also works for people who need to get to a specific place, without having to make unnecessary stops on the long stretch that is EDSA. The bril-
Bus Segregation Scheme Initially causing a lot of confusion, MMDA’s Bus Segregation Scheme is the most unappreciated given to us during the holidays. We the people are now free! We are no longer slaves to the whims of chance! Gone are the days when the bus conveniently stops anywhere and everywhere like an oversized cab. Well, almost gone. MMDA has been remarkably strict about the designated stops for buses. Some drivers and passengers have
Binondo Parking Meters
liant thing is that MMDA assigned “C” buses, which still covers the entire avenue for people who need a long, dramatic ride. There’s a spark of optimism that perhaps, the next move would be buses following a schedule. For now though, there is great joy to be had in the injection of order in the chaos.
Binondo Parking Meters Parking meters! Yes, indeed, it would be nice to see places where there are parking meters as they are the clearest indication that it is not illegal to park in that space. This addresses double parking problems and would, hopefully, make the flow of traffic smoother. Bribing a parking meter will also prove to be
a very difficult task. Binondo is the “training ground” for this new venture but if all goes well, we’ll also be seeing parking meters in Luneta, Ermita, and Malate.
Circuit Makati Put your fancy pants on because we’re all going to Broadway! Ayala Land is rebuilding the Santa Ana racetrack and transforming it into Circuit Makati, which yes, features a Broadwaytype space called Circuit Theatre, an interactive walk in the form of Circuit Lane, and a two-hectare open grounds area that can accommodate 20,000 people. It’s a new district to explore which will offer new places to check out, new food to eat, and new events to go to. Who says nothing is happening here in the metro? Circuit officially launched January 15, and though the space is still “under construction,” it’s nice to see spots and hubs for entertainment and leisure being developed. (SPOT.ph) n
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Tubbataha Reef is UNESCO World Heritage Site, a RAMSAR Site, and a priority conservation site of WWF. (Photo by Claus and Lene Topp/WWF)
The endangered green sea turtle Chelonia mydas is among the wildlife wonders beneath Tubbataha’s waters. (Photo by Lory Tan/WWF) By sophia dedace
Tubbataha: PH’s crown jewel
AWN has broken at the Tubbataha Reef and the morning light streams through the windows of the M/Y Navorca, our home and bunk for four days. Surrounding us are turquoise waters, so clear ing a mound of jewels. In less than fishermen and poachers. and pristine you can see cor- an hour, we find ourselves gliding At 4 a.m., Thursday, January als and fish 30 feet below. along with sea turtles, swimming 17, the rangers monitored on its
in danger
The Navorca is the research vessel of the organization I work for, the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines). Spanning 80 feet and displacing 70 gross tons, the Navorca provides transportation services for WWF conservation initiatives in the Sulu Sea. For almost two decades now, WWF-Philippines has been working with the people of Palawan, through the Tubbataha Management Office, to protect Tubbataha’s rich biological resources. Seeing Tubbataha for the first time is like parting a curtain and see-
with manta rays, spotting white-tip reef sharks, and chasing a pod of spinner dolphins. This is my memory of my first visit to Tubbataha in April 2012, but there are constant reminders that this UNESCO World Heritage Site remains a fragile world.
Grounded minesweeper Sitting on a thin strip of sand is the Tubbataha Ranger Station, which houses a composite team of military and civilians working on two-month shifts to protect the 97,000-hectare Tubbataha Reef Natural Marine Park from illegal
radar a ship that rammed into the northern tip of Tubbataha’s South Atoll. The vessel, later identified as the USS Guardian, ran aground about two hours earlier. As of this writing, about twothirds of the ship remains stuck on the reef and the vessel has turned broadside. Monsoon winds have aggravated efforts to dislodge the US naval minesweeper swiftly and properly. The US Navy, in a statement on January 19, indicated that navigational charts that misplaced Tubbataha’s location may have caused the grounding.
Tubbataha is home to about 600 species of fish; 360 species of corals, approximately half of all coral species in the world; 14 species of sharks; and 12 species of dolphins and whales, a nesting population of endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles.
Several sanctions could be imposed on the ship for committing the following violations of the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park Act of 2009: • Unauthorized entry (Section 19); • Damages to the reef (Section 20); • Non-payment of conservation fees (Section 21); • Destroying and disturbing resources (Section 26); and • Obstructing law enforcement (Section 30)
Food, economic powerhouse Plowing into a reef in Tubbataha does not only spell environmental damage. Human development and food security are also at stake. This is why it is imperative to extricate the vessel and all its fuel, oil, and hazardous materials immediately
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to avoid a marine disaster. Tubbataha is not your ordinary coral reef complex. It is the country’s very own marine Serengeti. It is the standard against which all Philippine reef ecosystems and marine parks are judged. The reefs’ isolation from the mainland is its greatest protection. Located at the heart of the Sulu Sea, 160 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Tubbataha is accessible from the Palawan capital via a 10-hour boat ride. Divers schedule their trips during the short window of calmer seas from April to June. Just how abundant is the marine life here? Tubbataha is home to about 600 species of fish; 360 species of corals, approximately half of all coral species in the world; 14 species of sharks; and 12 species of dolphins and whales, a nesting population of endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles. But Tubbataha, also a Ramsar site, boasts of a full range of biodiversity and its treasures are not just confined beneath its waters. Thousands of sea birds breed and find their home on one of Tubbataha’s two small islets. Tubbataha has often been
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This year marks the 25th year since the Philippine government declared Tubbataha a marine protected area. (Photo by Claus and Lene Topp/WWF)
Tubbataha Reef is the food factory of the Sulu Sea. (Photo by Jurgen Freund/ WWF dubbed as a Mecca of Philippine The waters of Tubbataha are diving, but it goes beyond being also the seeding and growth area a spectacular underwater world. of the fish stocks of Palawan and Considering that only 5% of the the Visayas. Without this protected country’s coral reefs are in excel- area, fish would not have the oplent condition, protecting Tubba- portunity to grow to maturity and taha contributes to food security for repopulate other areas. millions who depend on Philippine seas for food and livelihood. 25 years of conservation A no-take zone, Tubbataha proThe conservation history of duces at least 200 tons of seafood Tubbataha spans 25 years. It per square kilometer. This is five became the country’s first matimes greater than the productivity rine protected area in 1988 and of an ordinary healthy reef. a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1993. And in 2009, the landmark Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act was enacted to provide more permanent management structures, fiscal autonomy, and steeper penalties for violations of Park rules. Today, a 224-foot US naval minesweeper is stuck on Tubbataha’s South Atoll, posing a hazard to the fragile ecosystems there. Something of value has been damaged; questions must be answered and penalties must be imposed. Throughout its 25-year conservation history, Tubbataha has been resilient to many challenges: crown-of-thorn outbreaks, illegal
fishing and seaweed farming operations, marine pollution, and the widespread coral bleaching due to the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. Coupled with proper management, this resilience gives us hope that Tubbataha – the country’s very own cradle of marine life, the crown jewel of Philippine seas – will ride out the challenge it is facing today. (Rappler.com) (Sophia Dedace is the Communications Officer of WWFPhilippines. She is a former journalist and a neophyte open water diver who considers Tubbataha the most beautiful place in the country.) n
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BEAUTIFUL PHILIPPINE
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The island resort of Dedon on the surfing haven of Siargao in Mindanao.
Philippines is among ‘Hottest Destinations’
HE Philippines is at it again. After the successful “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism campaign, which observed its first anniversary on Jan. 13, two more respected international publications have included the country on their list of the top destinations in the world for 2013. New York-based Travel+Leisure Magazine, the rival of Condé Nast Traveler, named the Philippines as one of the 13 “Hottest Travel Destinations of 2013” in its January issue. On Jan. 11 The New York Times also placed the country at number 17 on its list of “46 Places to Go in 2013,” ahead of Bangkok, Paris and Casablanca. “A surfing and beach destination goes luxe … Idyllic white sand beaches, secluded, little-known surf towns and pristine reefs are among the natural draws of this country
‘For travelers willing to go the extra thousand miles for a deserted beach, the Philippines has around 7,000 of the most heavenly islands in the world. It’s still not the most obvious beach-holiday destination, but it soon will be’ -- Condé Nast Traveller.
The private island resort of El Nido Pangulasian in Palawan, right by some of the world’s most pristine diving spots, notes The New York Times.
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PHILIPPINESthe BEAUTIFUL made up of over 7,000 tropical islands,” The New York Times said. “Now in addition to the more upscale choices cropping up in former backpacking enclaves like Boracay, there is a new generation of luxury hotels opening even further afield,” it added. The paper noted the new Dedon Island resort on Siargao, adding that it was “close to one of the world’s best surf breaks, Cloud 9, (of which famous American surfer Kelly Slater is a fan), and has an outdoor cinema along with spa and paddle board classes.” “And the private island resort of El Nido Pangulasian opens this month in the Unesco biosphere of Palawan, right by some of the world’s most pristine diving spots,” it added. The New York Times said that while the Philippines has been subject to travel advisories in the past, “they mostly focus on Mindanao in the south.” “For extra security, outfitters like Asian expert Remote Lands organize private transfers and local guides,” the paper said. Travel+Leisure Magazine, which has 4.8 million readers, noted that while there were safety concerns before about the Philippines, it was now “safe to visit once again.” “Two countries written off in recent years -- Zambia and the Philippines -- are safe to visit once again, and thriving with new safari camps and island thatched-roof villas,” Travel+Leisure said. “The archipelago of Palawan, a Unesco biosphere reserve in the Philippines, just added a resort with a scuba center; hop a two-hour flight from Hong Kong, and you’ll soon be diving with the sea turtles,” it added. The magazine particularly mentioned El Nido Pangulasian Island and the 125-acre private island of Ariara in Palawan, and the Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa in Panglao, Bohol. “Boracay hogs the spotlight, but there are thousands of other islands to lure beach lovers,” Travel+Leisure added.
Serious player Tourism Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said endorsement from these top publications showed that the Philippines was now “a serious player” in global tourism. “This is a very good development for our country. It is a very
Travel+Leisure magazine rates the Discovery Shores Hotel in Boracay as the 5th Best Hotel in the World. concrete proof that foreigners now have a high awareness and appreciation of the great travel potentials of the Philippines,” Bengzon said. “It shows that we are now a serious player,” he added. Bengzon said the awareness of foreigners about the country was heightened by the launching of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign in January last year. “We’ve advertised and conducted our marketing campaign in all our major markets like Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, India, Korea and China. And in 2013, we will be even more aggressive,” he Boracay hogs the spotlight, but there are thousands of other islands to lure said. Bengzon said the Department beach lovers,” says Travel+Leisure added of Tourism (DOT) expected the for being the softest in the world,” Philippines as one of the top 10 number of tourist arrivals for 2012 the magazine said. hottest new travel destinations for to reach 4.2 million to 4.3 million. It said that Discovery Shores’ 88 2013. This is higher than the 3.9 mil- spacious suites all have large glass “For travelers willing to go the lion registered in 2011 but is lower walls that look toward a scenic rock extra thousand miles for a deserted than the 4.5-million target that the garden, “but chances are you’ll beach, the Philippines has around DOT set in 2012. spend more time by the water.” 7,000 of the most heavenly islands “There was a slowdown from “Take a dip in the infinity pool, in the world. It’s still not the most our Chinese market but this is or jet-ski on the crystalline sea. obvious beach-holiday destination, against picking. For 2013, we are For people-watching, head to The but it soon will be,” Condé Nast Travtargeting 5.5 million and we are Sandbar, where they stir up deli- eller said. very positive that we can reach cious mojitos, infused with local that,” Bengzon said. flavors like lychee and mango,” Sorry, Maldives Travel+Leisure said. “Sorry, Maldives… We love World’s 5th Best Hotel “Once you’re sufficiently refu- you, but we’ve got a new flame,” it In the same issue, the magazine eled, karaoke your heart out, with added. also named the Discovery Shores over 1,000 songs (mostly in EngThe magazine said the PhilipHotel in Boracay as the 5th Best lish) to choose from at the resort’s pines was becoming particularly Hotel in the World. recreation lounge,” it added. popular among serious divers, who “Barefoot elegance is undoubtThe endorsement from visit for “the incredible underwaedly the vibe on this tiny island, Travel+Leisure came as the UK edi- ter life, unspoilt coral gardens with where the 2 1/2-mile stretch known tion of its competitor, Condé Nast rainbow-bright fish, green sea turas White Beach is often singled out Traveller Magazine, also named the tles and dugongs.”
“In Bicol you can swim with the biggest fish in the world, the whale shark. While fish-fans of a different nature can go deep-sea fishing in one of the deepest trenches in the oceans, not far from the littleknown island of Siargao,” the magazine said. “The archipelago of Palawan ticks all the boxes: palm-fringed white-powder beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, natural lagoons for wild swimming on Miniloc Island -- all of it protected by Unesco,” it added. Condé Nast said Bacuit Bay in Palawan was something like Halong Bay in Vietnam, “only without all the tourists -- for the time being, at least.” “There are just a handful of resorts, which are tasteful and deliberately low-key. Two of the newest are Ariara Island and El Nido Pangulasian Island, a private-island resort with palm-thatched villas, a spa, its own dive center and sea views to melt the heart,” the magazine said.
Palawan in top 10
“Another super-stylish new opening is Dedon Island, on Siargao; it’s owned and designed by contemporary furniture brand Dedon. And a perennial favorite is Amanpulo, yet another high-design private-island hotel on Pamalican Island,” it added. In October, Lonely Planet, reputedly the largest travel guidebook and digital media publisher in the world, also named Palawan among the top 10 best regions to visit in the world for 2013. Lonely Planet said Palawan was “the ultimate archipelago for adventurers” and best for being “off the beaten track,” adventure and culture. “Palawan incorporates thousands of sparkling, rugged islands and is fringed by 2000 km of pristine coastline. So far, Palawan’s natural marvels have only been sampled by plucky backpackers. Not for much longer,” Lonely Planet said. “The trail these pioneers have blazed is set to explode, with regional airlines waking up to Palawan’s potential and clambering to schedule direct flights to the capital,” it said. “Throw in the mushrooming growth of style-conscious boutique hotels normally found in places like Ko Samui or Bali, and you can feel that Palawan is ready to hit the bigtime in 2013,” Lonely Planet added. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n
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AQUINO TO INVESTORS:
PLACE BET ON ‘NEW’ PHILIPPINES D
AVOS—President Benigno Aquino III has pitched to the international investor community the Philippine story of transformatin from being a “sick man of Asia” into one dynamic country bucking a global economic downturn. “What we offer you today is a Philippines where change has set in. That, perhaps, is the single most compelling reason to come in and invest in our country,” Aquino said in a roundtable meeting with global business executives at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 25. The President invited investors to participate in three rapidly growing sectors in the country—agriculture, tourism and infrastructure. “Those who have already bet on the Philippines have not been disappointed; they have seen the sincerity of our commitment to restoring integrity and leveling the playing field. “This is a commitment we intend to keep with all who want to conduct honest, fair business in the Philippines,” he said in the business forum organized by Credit Suisse. Mr. Aquino told prospective investors he couldn’t promise a completely risk-free environment, noting that any worthwhile endeavor was not without its risks. Nevertheless, he said the “sick man of Asia is now revitalized, more dynamic than it ever was in its history, marching toward equitable progress.” Contrasting his administration from that of his predecessor’s, when he said decisions were based on political factors—mainly, on the desire to stay in power—he said the government was now earnestly refocusing efforts toward leveling the playing field, minimizing regulatory risks and investing in people. He said the government was empowering the Filipino through health, education and conditional cash transfer programs that would aid their transition from being below subsistence living toward gainful employment. “We already know that, given the right environment, the Filipino is able to thrive; how many of you have ridden cruise ships or stayed in hotels manned by Filipinos? How many have been awed by the creativity, loyalty and professionalism of our workers
in the business process outsourcing industry?” “In a world increasingly dominated by uncertainty and pessimism, is it not refreshing to witness a country full of optimism, experiencing positive, meaningful change and inviting everyone in to ride its momentum?” The President again referred to his administration’s thrust of eliminating corruption as a means to drastically reduce poverty and open opportunities for both the Filipino people and business, thereby allowing the Philippines to achieve inclusive growth. On efforts to level the playing field, the President said that when contracts are no longer awarded arbitrarily, and when the rule of law applies to all, a sense of justice and fairness naturally takes over. “Among investors, in particular, this instils confidence: That the Philippines is worth the price of admission,” he said. In the first three quarters of 2012, the domestic economy has grown by an average of 6.5 percent, much faster than the 4.9-percent trend growth during the nine-year Macapagal-Arroyo administration. The stock market has trebled in the last four years to record highs. On the priority areas for investment, Mr. Aquino said tourism and agriculture were crucial because they play into the key strengths of our country—an abundance of natural resources—and because they tend to spur growth all over the archipelago, not merely in urbanized areas. On tourism, the President mentioned the Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign and noted favorable tourism reviews from publications like Conde Nast Traveller, the New York Times, and Travel + Leisure Magazine. In 2012, he said there were 4.3 million tourists that visited the country, a little short of the 4.6 million target which he said was a consequence of some political tension in the region, referring to the territorial dispute be-
President Aquino invites investors at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland tween the Philippines and China. The hotels that have been sprouting up around the Philippines in the
past two years are proof positive of the tourism boom, Aquino said, noting that an additional 1,599 rooms have
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been built in Boracay. “So, whether you want to come to the Philippines for business or for leisure, we will gladly accommodate you,” he said. Infrastructure is also seen as a priority in attracting investments. The President acknowledged that this was the key to further growth and development in tourism and agriculture, among other sectors. Aquino cited the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report which showed that the Philippines was lagging behind Southeast Asian neighbors in terms of quality infrastructure, including the quality of roads. “This presents an opportunity, because we are committed to closing this gap and increasing our competitiveness,” he said. Last year, Aquino said disbursements for infrastructure reached $4.9 billion and another $5.7 billion is allotted for this in 2013. The President added that the country was seeking to boost connectivity all around our country through the following: train systems in Metro Manila; expressways that cut across the National Capital Region and reduce travel time drastically; the construction improvement of both domestic and international airports, as well as the exploration of a new nautical highway that could cut travel time between Luzon to Mindanao, from three days to 15 hours. n
NBI INSISTS THERE WAS NO SHOOTOUT
WHATEVER the military’s witness says will not affect the National Bureau of Investigation’s finding that the killings of 13 people in Atimonan, Quezon province, on Jan. 6 were not the results of a shootout between government security forces and alleged criminals, an NBI official said last Jan. 19. Crisanto Buela, a lawyer for the Army soldiers who, along with police officers from Southern Luzon, are facing investigation for the killings, told reporters on Friday that the military has a witness who will prove that what happened was a shootout. But Vicente de Guzman, NBI deputy director for Metro Manila, said on Saturday that whatever the military’s witness says will not change the NBI’s finding that whatever it was that happened in Atimonan, it was not a shootout. De Guzman said the government’s two witnesses who described to NBI investigators the events of Jan. 6 were “very credible and their statements were corroborated” by other evidence. “The witnesses came forward, were credible and had no reason to lie,” De Guzman said.
He added that the reenactment on of the supposed gun battle in Atimonan validated the witnesses’ statements and recollection of the event. The Department of Justice has placed the two men on the government’s witness protection program. De Guzman said the investigators were just waiting for the completion of the results of ballistic tests on the firearms submitted by the soldiers and policemen involved in the killings of the 13 alleged criminals, including Victor “Vic” Siman, alleged operator of the numbers racket “jueteng” in provinces south of Manila. After the ballistic tests, the NBI should be ready to submit a report to President Aquino, who had ordered the bureau to find out what really happened in Atimonan because of accusations from the relatives of those killed that the victims had been summarily executed. On Jan. 17, after a reenactment of the events of Jan. 6, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that what happened was “definitely not a shootout.” De Lima arrived at the conclusion after personally visiting the crime site and hearing from witnesses. “[It was] anything but a shootout... Not a
shootout, definitely,” said De Lima told reporters. De Lima and agents of NBI — the sole government agency tasked to investigate the case — visited the site last Jan. 17 to observe a re-enactment of the incident. The police involved said the checkpoint was part of a case operation plan to neutralize alleged members of a gun-for-hire group. However, witnesses said that a phalanx of armed men shot at the two SUVs stopped at a checkpoint without provocation. All 13 passengers were killed, including environmentalist Jun Lontok who came out with his hands up. “The witnesses saw the entire incident. They are very vital,” de Lima said. She said witnesses claimed seeing men in uniform approach the victims’ vehicles and tell them to get out of the cars. When the victims refused to come out, the uniformed men stepped back and a man in civilian clothing said, “Fire!”, prompting his companions to shoot at the vehicles for about “seven to eight seconds.” De Lima insisted the witnesses are reliable. n
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PH CHALLENGES CHINA IN U.N. THE Philippines has taken China to a United Nations arbitration tribunal to challenge Beijing’s claim to most of the South China Sea (which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea) and compel it to respect the Philippines’ right to its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and stop Chinese incursions into areas in the disputed waters claimed by the Philippines. The Philippines initiated the compulsory proceedings against China as provided for under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), and asked the UN to declare the Chinese “nine-dash line” outlining its claim to most of the South China Sea, including waters and islands close to its neighbors, as invalid and illegal.
It demands that China “desist from unlawful activities that violate the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines under the 1982 Unclos.” “The Philippines has taken the step of bringing China before the Arbitral Tribunal… in order to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the dispute over the West Philippine Sea,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told a press briefing on Jan. 22. “The Philippines has exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful negotiated settlement of its maritime dispute with China… we hope that the arbitral proceedings shall bring this dispute to a durable solution,” he said. The DFA said the move was a deci-
sion of the Philippines alone. It said its major allies, the United States and Japan, had nothing to do with the legal action. It said the action was “in defense of our national territory and maritime domain.” In a “notification and statement of claim” filed before the UN, the Philippine government said the arbitration was not seeking to declare who owns which islands in the disputed waters. “The Philippines does not seek in this arbitration a determination of which party enjoys sovereignty over the islands claimed by both of them. Nor does it request a delimitation of any maritime boundaries,” the government said.
AQUINO APPROVES P147-B INFRA PROJECTS PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Jan. 18 approved five big-ticket infrastructure projects that will cost a whopping P146.9 billion. Two of the projects are designed to decongest traffic and cut travel time in the National Capital Region and outlying provinces. The infrastructure projects will be funded through a combination of official development assistance (ODA) loans and government equity. Most of these projects will be implemented from 2013 to 2018 and will not be completed until after Mr. Aquino’s term ends in 2016. “All these projects are meant to promote inclusive and rapid growth,” Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, told reporters following a Palace meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) board, which approved the projects. The President chairs the Neda board. The biggest of these projects are the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, or Calax (P35.57 billion), and the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEx-SLEx) connector road project (P25.55 billion). The latter two are on the Aquino administration’s priority public-private partnership (PPP) list. The NLEx-SLEx connector road project was an unsolicited proposal from the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. that was approved and awarded last December. Three rural infrastructure projects are: the construction of water impounding facilities, or Pasa Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Isabela City (P1.29 billion); phase 2 of the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management Project (P2.94 billion); and the continuation of Kalahi-CIDSS National Community Driven Development Project (P89.1 billion). Kalahi-CIDSS, which stands for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan– Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Service, is a community-driven development project being implemented by the Department of Social
In its submission, the Philippines asked the UN to compel China to respect the Philippines’ rights to exclusively explore and exploit resources within its EEZ and continental shelf as declared under Unclos, citing recent Chinese actions that constituted an excessive exercise of sovereignty over disputed territories. It asked the UN to declare that the Philippines is entitled, as provided for by Unclos, to “12 nautical miles of territorial sea, 200 nautical miles of EEZ and established boundaries of its continental shelf from the baselines.” The Philippines ratified the 1982 convention in 1984 and China in 1996, but the two countries have conflicting interpretations of its provisions, especially on the scope of exclusive economic zones. “China’s nine-dash line claim encompasses practically the entire West Philippine Sea. We must challenge the unlawful claim of China… in order to protect our national territory and maritime domain,” the DFA said in a statement. “We hope that the arbitral tribunal will issue an award in accordance with international law that will direct China to respect our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over our EEZ, continental shelf, contiguous zone and territorial sea over the West Philippine Sea, and to desist from undertaking unlawful acts that violate our rights,” it said. Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing was summoned to the DFA on Jan. 22 where she was handed a note verbale furnishing China with a copy of the
Philippines’ “notification and statement of claim” before the UN. The Chinese Embassy in Manila promptly restated Beijing’s claim to the contested waters and insisted on its position that claimants settle the dispute through negotiations. In a statement, it said that Ma, on receiving the note verbale, had “reiterated the principled position of the Chinese side, and stressed that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in South China Sea and its adjacent waters,” the embassy said in a statement. “The Chinese side strongly holds the disputes on South China Sea should be settled by parties concerned through negotiations,” it said. China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea overlap those of the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. Over the past two years, the Philippines and Vietnam have complained at China’s increasing assertiveness in enforcing those claims, particularly around areas believed to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves. The Philippines earlier protested a string of incidents involving China in the West Philippine Sea, including sea patrols, oil exploration, military exercises and the establishment of a Chinese administrative unit to govern all of the disputed Spratly Islands. It has filed at least 15 protests against China for incursions into the disputed waters, Del Rosario has said. n
CANADIAN DEAD AFTER KILLING 2 IN CEBU A P25.55-bilion project seeks to connect the North and South Luzon expressways. Welfare and Development (DSWD). It is widely viewed as an anti-insurgency program since it is aimed at providing comprehensive livelihood and social services to the countryside. According to the DSWD, the program trains communities and their local government units “to choose, design and implement subprojects that address their most pressing needs.” The program is assured of funding until 2018. On the Calax, a four-lane, 47.02km highway, Carandang said the total cost of the project was brought down to P35.5 billion, from P43.4 billion, due to “minor revisions in the scope.” The NLEx-SLEx connector road will be a 13.4-km, four-lane, mostly elevated expressway that will be constructed over the existing Philippine
National Railway right of way. When completed in 2016, it will run from Caloocan City to Buendia in Makati City. Among the PPP programs presented to investors in 2010, the Aquino administration has already awarded to Ayala Corp. the P1.956-billion Daanghari-Southern Luzon Expressway Link Road, the first PPP project of the Aquino administration to be awarded, and two school building contracts awarded to BF Corp. and Citicore-Megawide consortium for a combined cost of P16.5 billion. Carandang said the water impounding facility project in Isabela would address climate change. “The benefit of this is it will prevent flooding and reroute water for greater irrigation [of agricultural lands],” resulting in higher crop yields, he said. n
A Canadian national opened fire inside the Cebu City court building last Jan. 22, killing a doctor who had filed charges against him and the complainant’s lawyer and wounding an assistant city fiscal before he himself was shot. John Pope, described as a retired journalist, died at the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital around 10:50 a.m. after turning his gun on himself at the Marcelo Fernan Hall of Justice. Senior Superintendent Mariano Natuel said Police Officer 1 Oriel Hagupit had also shot at Pope after the Canadiangunned down Dr. Rene Rafols, who had filed a case for five counts of malicious mischief against the foreigner, and Rafols’ lawyer, Giovanni Achas; and wounded assistant city fiscal Ma. Theresa Casino. Casino remains in critical condition at a hospital. Initial reports said Pope drew a .38 caliber “paltik” (improvised) pistol as he entered Branch 6 of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, where his case was being heard, and shot Rafols and Achas. He then went to Branch 1 and shot Casino. Pope had been arrested earlier near the clinic of Rafols at a Cebu hospital but posted P80,000 bail on the charges of illegal possession of a firearm filed against him. Natuel said they also received reports that Pope earned the ire of his neighbors, prompting them to file an eviction case against the Canadian. Meanwhile, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has directed Court Administrator Midas Marquez to go to Cebu and personally look into the incident. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima aid “immediate action is needed to ensure the safety and security of personnel working in the front lines of the rule of law.” n
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NEWSROUND-UP
PNOY: WHAT WAS U.S. SHIP DOING IN HERITAGE SITE?
The USS Guardian, a US Navy minesweeper, is still stuck after running aground Tubbataha Reefs, a Unesco World Heritage Site in Sulu Sea, in this Jan. 17 photo released by the AFP.
8 PINOYS CONFIRMED DEAD IN ALGERIA SIEGE
AN 8th person from the Philippines has been confirmed killed in last week’s siege by Islamic militants of a remote natural gas plant in Algeria, the government said on January 25. The 8th Philippine fatality is a male, said Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, without naming the victim. “His body was positively identified by our team in Algeria. We still have one unaccounted for,” Hernandez said. The Philippine government has said 12 other Filipino workers survived the 72-hour hostage drama in the north African desert, including 4 still recovering from their wounds at an Algiers hospital. Earlier, the DFA had confirmed that seven Filipinos died in the hostage crisis in Algeria and four others are still missing. In a press conference on Jan. 21, Hernandez made the announcement but declined to give details on the identities of the male fatalities. Hernandez said that based on reports received from the Philippine government’s team in Algeria and the country’s embassy in London, 26 Filipinos worked at the In Amenas gas plant that was attacked by al-Qaida-linked gunmen last week. The list was confirmed by Algerian Foreign Ministry and the employers of Filipino workers there, he said. He said that 12 Filipinos were accounted for and confirmed alive. He said that of the 12, four were being treated in Al Azhar hospital in Algiers, four were in Mercure Hotel awaiting repatriation, and four have been repatriated or were on their way home. “The DFA is in the process of notifying the kin of the six confirmed dead and coordinating the shipment of their remains and we are
also locating the whereabouts of the four unaccounted for,” Hernandez said. Hernandez, however, could not clearly state the circumstances of how the six Filipinos died but said that “it was the direct result of the hostage taking incident in the area and mostly by gunshot wounds and the effects of the explosion.” When pressed by reporters whether the deaths of the Filipinos were caused by the execution from the Islamists or the result of the military action, Hernandez said that they did not have specific information but “the information is they died in the facility.” He said he could not also give the specific number but most of the Filipino workers were employed by the Japanese engineering firm JGC Corporation. He added that the director general of the Asia Pacific Affairs of the Algerian ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed on behalf of the Algerian government its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the Philippine government. “He also emphasized to our Charge d’ Affaires that his government took the military action and did everything possible to prevent the further loss of life and when it was confirmed that the terrorists had started executing some of the foreign hostages,” Hernandez said. Hernandez noted that the four Filipinos wounded and being treated in the hospital were generally in stable condition. “One was in serious condition because he was suffering from wounds in the neck and spine,” he said. He said that the DFA was coordinating with Algerian authorities for the repatriation of the bodies of the fatalities and the repatriation of the Filipinos who were accounted for. n
PRESIDENT Aquino said the United States has to explain how and why its ship had run aground in a protected area like the Tubbataha Reefs but the “first priority” was to remove the USS Guardian and contain the damage it made in the world heritage site. “After they do that and we’re finished with the immediate issue, then they have to answer so many things. What are you doing in an environmentally protected area?” Mr. Aquino told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview. Mr. Aquino noted that US Navy ships had “some of the most sophisticated navigational equipment.” “And when you assess liabilities and culpabilities, exactly what are the mechanisms or what do they have to pay us? Fines? What are the sanctions? But that has to be secondary to removing the ship,” he said. Mr. Aquino said that in removing the USS Guardian from the reef, “we want to ensure that there would not be more damage created.” “The first priority is stop the damage being made,” he said. Mr. Aquino noted that the Coast
Guard is already in the area with oil booms to ensure that it could immediately contain any leak from the ship. Meanwhile, the Philippines has fined the US Navy for “unauthorized entry.” The Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board, of which WWFPhilippines is a member, was poised to send out the Notice of Violation informing the US government of its transgressions, including penalties, said Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, WWFPhilippines vice chairman and chief executive officer. “The Notice of Violation basically includes the standard penalties,” including the P25,000 fine for each square meter of affected coral provided for under the law, Tan said. Earlier, Tubbataha park superintendent Angelique Songco said the US government would also face administrative fines from P100,000 to P300,000 for its unauthorized entry to the protected area. Songco said the US crew had not asked for permission from park managers to enter the marine sanctuary, as mandated under Republic Act No. 10067, or the Tubbataha Reefs Natu-
ral Park Act of 2009. On top of that, she said the US government might be asked to pay between P300,000 and P1 million in “reparations” to the government for lost income from the impact of the accident on fish density. But Tan said it would only be possible to arrive at an estimate of the damage until after the USS Guardian had been extricated from the reef. Even so, officials formally informed the US Navy about the specific violations it committed. The commander of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, Vice Admiral Scott Swift, apologized for the incident in a statement from Japan. Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the US government was liable for damages. “Apologies are not enough. The damage has been done. Every day the USS Guardian sits on top of our protected reefs is a day too late as far as the damage being done is concerned. We have laws that explicitly express accountability on persons or entities found to have caused damage to the Tubbataha reef,” he said in a statement. n
PH MAY START EXPORTING RICE THIS YEAR
Rice self-sufficiency by end of the year. PRESIDENT Aquino sees the Philippines, which used to be the world’s biggest importer of rice, attaining full self-sufficiency and even turning into an exporter before the year is over. That assumes that the country will enjoy good weather this year, Aquino said last Jan. 24 in a private session tackling anti-corruption initiatives at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum here. “From importing almost two and a half million metric tons of rice in 2010, now, if the weather permits, we are looking at full rice self-sufficiency—and even the possibility of exporting it—by the end of this year,” the President said. The long-time quest for rice selfsufficiency was mentioned by the President in the context of reforms pursued by his administration in the operations of the National Food Au-
thority, the government agency tasked to ensure rice self-sufficiency. Aquino said his predecessor had allowed the NFA’s debt to balloon to $4.4 billion from $300 million over the course of the former president’s nine-year term, insisting on importing more rice than was needed to feed the people. “So you had a staggering amount of debt, and rice that no one would eat, rotting in warehouses that the government, of course, had to pay rent for. Any sane and reasonable person would not have done this, but it was done, and that was the reality we had to deal with. This insanity was justified by convincing our people that we were not capable of feeding ourselves through tilling our own land, hence the necessity of importing rice,” he said. Since his administration assumed
office, Aquino said more funds were plowed into irrigation, arterial roads, research into higher-yielding varieties and other technologies, making the goal of self-sufficiency viable. In a research on the Philippine rice situation last year by Asian Development Bank consultants, it was noted that the Philippines continued to grapple with significant food insecurity. “Years of preoccupation with rice selfsufficiency and rice supply and price stabilization have not made a dent on the problem,” the research said. Some of the food insecurity stemmed from rice supply issues and high domestic prices. Some of these might not be apparent in recent years but the research said current trade policies did not augur well for longterm supply and price stability. The ADB research dated January 2012 noted that in the early 1990s, the government was importing too little and consumers generally paid high prices for rice. In 1995, it said the government imported too late, initially restricting imports but only to see domestic prices spike up, consumers getting alarmed and the government eventually scrambling to restore stability in the market. “Thereafter, the government has imported aggressively and domestic prices have moved considerably closer to international prices in the last three years. But the supply stability achieved had cost too much, bloating the NFA’s losses and borrowings and drawing attention to the fact that the strategy is unsustainable,” the research said. n
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