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MALAYSIAN PM THANKS PHL FOR SUPPORT AMID MH370 TRAGEDY

MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday thanked the Philippines for its support while his country continues to search for the ill-fated flight MH370.

In his speech during the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Malacañang, Razak said the loss of 239 onboard flight MH370 has been “devastating” but that their “belief in cooperation across borders has been strengthened” by the tragedy.

“Malaysia is grateful for the support of our friends and neighbors, including the Philippines, in the continuing search effort. At this difficult time, we draw strength from the compassionate response of our fellow nations,” he said.

In his toast during the Merienda Cena, President Benigno Aquino III said he is “filled with sincere appreciation” for Najib’s presence during the CAB signing despite the MH370 tragedy.

“Such a tragedy understandably led to an outpouring of emotion—of uncertainty, anxiety, and anger— and you, as head of government, were thrust into a position where you were asked to immediately answer questions to which the full answers were not available. I

No more war: Govt, MILF ink historic peace deal

AFTER 17 years of on-and-off battles both on the negotiating table and in the field, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday signed a comprehensive peace agreement seen to end the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.

During the ceremony attended by more than 1,000 guests at the Malacañang grounds, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal inked the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro (CAB), with Malaysian Third Party Facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed signing as witness.

The CAB will serve as the basis for the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will formalize the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

In her speech, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles said the signing of the CAB signals the end of war in Mindanao.

Continue to page 4

President Benigno Aquino III talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (left) before the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Malacañang on Thursday, March 27. Photo by Benhur Arcayan.

empathize with you fully,” he said.

“The sadness of this event weighs heavily on all people of goodwill around the world, and in this spirit, the Filipino people and myself reiterate our offer of any and all forms of assistance that we can possibly render,” Aquino added.

In his speech at the wellattended signing ceremony, Aquino said the Filipino people “will forever be indebted to Malaysia” for its role in the peace process.

Malaysia had served as the

third party facilitator in negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“The role that Malaysia played in forging this agreement is especially significant, given that the Bangsamoro forms the nexus of bloodlines that links Malaysia and the Philippines,” Aquino said.

“And as we looked to the shared history of the Malay people for kinship and inspiration, so too will we forge a future of shared stability,

prosperity, and inclusiveness through our bonds of shared success,” he added.

Najib, for his part, said Malaysia will “continue to assist” with the development of the Philippines.

“We are willing to help build institutions, strengthen education, improve agriculture. This promise stands for as long as it is needed.

Malaysia remains a partner for peace and for development,” he said. ■ Kimberly Jane Tan / KBK, GMA News / March 27, 2014 / 7:27 PM

President Benigno Aquino III and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak witness the historic signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the MILF in Malacañang on Thursday, March 27.

The agreement was signed by MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal and GPH peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, with Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed of Malaysia as witness. Photo by Kara David.

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NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Ka Roger Rosal’s daughter arrested in Caloocan

Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late NPA spokesperson Gregorio ‘Ka Roger’ Rosal, was arrested in Caloocan City on Thursday, March 27.

An alleged NPA leader in the Southern Tagalog region, Andrea was eight months pregnant when arrested. Photo by John Consulta

AUTHORITIES on Thursday arrested another suspected communist leader — Andrea Rosal, daughter of the late rebel spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal.

The eight-month-pregnant Rosal was arrested together with several others in a house in Barangay 169 in Caloocan City, a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras” said.

In a statement, military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said arrested with Rosal were her security escort identified only as Che, and barangay chairman Ruben Gatchalian, the alleged owner the house where Rosal’s group was staying.

Rosal and her companions were arrested by the combined forces of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Organized

Crime Division (NBI-AOCD) around 7 a.m. on Thursday.

The military said Rosal, who allegedly uses the aliases “Naiya” and “Liam,” was arrested by virtue of warrants of arrest issued in Mauban, Quezon, for cases of kidnapping and murder. The military said Rosal was also implicated in an attempted homicide case filed in Luisiana-Cavinti court in Laguna.

Baseless accusations. Rosal denied committing any crime.

“Hindi ko nga po alam kung saan galing yung accusation nila na yun. Wala naman akong kini-kidnap, wala naman akong pinapatay. Masasabi ko po yan ng harap-harapan sa kanila,” Rosal said in an interview with “24 Oras.”

Asked if she is a member of the

Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), Rosal replied, “Sabi nila.”

The military said Rosal is a ranking leader of the CPP-NPA Southern Tagalog Region, and is believed to be the secretary of the Komite Larangan Guerilla Sub Regional Military Area -Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee.

The ISAFP and NBI-AOCD first conducted a surveillance operation on Rosal and her companions, which led to their arrest after dining in a local restaurant, the “24 Oras” report said.

The NBI and ISAFP are set to give full details on Rosal’s arrest as well as information on her alleged illegal activities in Metro Manila on Friday, according to “24 Oras.”

The military, meanwhile, assured that

Rosal and her companions will be treated well.

“Extensive attention was given by her arresting officers as Andrea is pregnant and due for delivery within this month,” Zagala said.

Communist leaders. Last Saturday, couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, chairman and secretary general, respectively, of the CPP-NPA, were arrested by authorities in Cebu.

Rosal’s father, Ka Roger, died in 2011 and was believed to be behind the communist attacks in Southern Tagalog region during the 1980’s and 1990’s, the “24 Oras” report said.

Military estimates show the strength of the CPP-NPA at 4,347 members, down from more than 26,000 in the late 1980s. ■ Elizabeth

Marcelo / KBK, GMA News / March 27, 2014 / 8:52 PM

Tax perks eat up 10 pct of gov’t revenues — report

MANILA - The government would have collected 10 percent more revenues had it not given out various tax perks to investors, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

In a report, the DOF said tax incentives in 2011 reached P144 billion, or 10.6 percent of government revenues. Alternatively, the amount given out as perks was equivalent to 9.3 percent of government expenditures or 1.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said the figures are conservative as the Tax Expenditure Report covers a mere 29 percent of companies registered with investment promotions agencies (IPAs).

The country’s biggest IPAs include the Board of Investments (BOI), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Clark Development Corp (CDC) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SMBA).

IPAs provide tax incentives to investors that register their investments. These perks include income tax holidays, duty-free import of capital equipment, net operating loss carryover, among others.

According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the government gave up P61.331 billion in 2011 because of income tax holidays and the reduced tax rate on gross income. Tax expenditures arising from imports amounted to P82.97 billion.

Tax expenditures pertain to foregone

■ Rain Castro / InterAksyon.com / March 26, 2014 /

Taxpayers filing returns at BIR

47 former OFWs received P47,000 cash grant from govt FORTY-SEVEN former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Mindanao have received P10,000 each from the government as livelihood assistance.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Friday said most of the recipients were female OFWs who have decided to stay in the country for good.

Thirty-one beneficiaries were from Zamboanga City, four were from Isabela City in Basilan, two from Zamboanga Sibugay, five from Zamboanga del Sur, and five from Zamboanga del Norte.

Baldoz said the livelihood grant aims to help the erstwhile overseas workers “jumpstart or expand their small livelihood businesses,” and is part of her department’s two-pronged approach of giving livelihood and protecting former migrant workers.

“The protection of OFWs is a major mandate of the Department of Labor and

revenues brought about by the provision of tax privileges, such as reduced tax rates, special deductions, or tax credits or allowances, to promote or assist specific economic activities or groups of taxpayers.

“With the current tax incentives system that has been largely unaccounted and uncoordinated, the government loses billions of pesos in revenues every year which could have helped improve our fiscal position,” Purisima said.

The DOF has been pushing for legislation meant to streamline these tax perks, namely the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act and the Fiscal Incentives Rationalization Act. The first bill would provide tools that allow the government to track incentives and measure their impact on socioeconomic goals, while the second aims to centralize the grant of such perks.

“Tax incentives distort the tax structure of the Philippine economy. Through these fiscal incentives reform measures, in the long term the government will enhance the country’s fiscal capacity to continue to build on its macroeconomic fundamentals, level the playing field and improve competitiveness and investment opportunities,” Purisima said.

“Accounting for tax incentives needs to be transparent, and these tax incentives need to be granted properly,” he added.

Employment,” Baldoz noted.

She added the DOLE “protects and promotes the rights and welfare of OFWs and their families through the provision of social, economic, and legal programs and services, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity.”

This was in line with Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr.’s statement earlier this week regarding programs of the Aquino administration aimed at creating more jobs for Filipinos so that seeking employment abroad would be unnecessary.

According to Coloma, DOLE is implementing a P2-billion national reintegration program administered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which has already created 4,000 jobs for returning OFWs since 2011. ■ KBK, GMA News / March 21, 2014 / 4:43 PM

3:39 PM

Meralco stake sale offsets forex losses, boosts San Miguel’s profit in 2013 MANILA – San Miguel Corp (SMC) saw earnings last year surging by nearly half, getting a lift from the sale of its shares in Meralco.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the diversified conglomerate said its consolidated net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company grew 42 percent to P38.1 billion in 2013 from P26.8 billion in the prior year.

Boosting earnings was the P40-billion gain from the sale of the San Miguel Group’s entire stake in Manila Electric Co, making up for the unrealized foreign exchange losses of P15.6 billion in the second half of the year brought about by the strengthening US dollar.

Excluding the impact of forex losses, SMC’s net income more than tripled to P53.6 billion from P17.3 billion in 2012.

Consolidated revenues rose seven percent to P748 billion from P699.4 billion

over the same period. New businesses contributed 70 percent to total revenues, improving nine percent from the previous year.

The core beverage, food, and packaging businesses expanded at a slower pace of two percent.

Consolidated operating income climbed seven percent to P55.1 billion from P51.4 billion in 2012 because of the margin improvements in the beer and power businesses and the sustained performance of its oil retailing and food companies.

SMC has interests in food and beverage, packaging, power generation, oil refining and retailing, mining, telecommunications, property development, air transportation and infrastructure.

InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5, which like Meralco is chaired

by Manuel V. Pangilinan. ■ Krista Angela M.

Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 6:13 PM

LTFRB suspends permits of 15 Nova Auto Transport buses after QC accident

MANILA - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has barred 15 buses of Nova Auto Transport from operating for a month after one of its units was involved in an accident in Quezon City last Saturday.

In a text message, LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said the agency issued an order placing 15 buses of Nova Auto under preventive suspension for 30 days.

Nova Auto has 66 bus units. Data from LTFRB show that Nova Auto is among the bus firms with the most number of fatal accidents in the recent past.

At least 44 people were hurt in a three bus smash-up along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City involving units of Nova Auto, Safeway Bus and Marikina Autoline Bus. Ginez said the LTFRB enforcement team

today will confiscate the for hire and yellow plates of Nova Auto’s 15 buses at its garage in Novaliches, Quezon City.

A random audit by the LTFRB last month showed that Nova Auto, a sister-company of Don Mariano Transport Corp, has been operating a number of unregistered buses, also called ‘colorum’ units.

LTFRB similarly suspended Don Mariano after one of its buses crashed through the railing of the Skyway and fell on a delivery truck below, killing 21 people and injuring 24 others.

Early this month, the LTFRB cancelled GV Florida Transport Inc’s franchise for 10 of its bus units plying the Manila-Sagada-Bontoc route following the February 7 fatal crash of one of its vehicles in Mt. Province, killing 15 people including comedian Arvin Jimenez a.k.a. Tado.

LTFRB also cancelled the certificate of public convenience given to Elena Liner and MGP Trans. Both bus operators figured in a fatal accident along Edsa in Pasay City last year. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / March 26, 2014 / 2:04 PM

Photo by Bernard Testa

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NEWS

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

No more war: Govt, MILF ink historic peace deal Continuation from page 1 “No more war, no more children scampering for safety, no more evacuees, no more lost school days or school months, no more injustice, no more misgovernance, no more poverty, no more fear.Tama na, we are all tired of it,” she said.

“A new dawn has come, the dawn for books not bullets, for paintbrushes not knives, for whole communities not evacuation centers, and for rewarding toil not endless strife,” she added.

ARMM. Aquino has called ARMM— established in 1989 through Republic Act 6734—a “failed experiment” because it supposedly “alienated” people and forced them to resort to violence. He said his administration wants to change what happened in the past with the new pact.

In 2001, RA 9054 was passed to amend RA 6734 and expand ARMM’s territory, as part of the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which in turn traces its roots to the 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the government and the Nur Misuari-led MNLF. A faction of the MNLF loyal to Misuari, who founded the group, had opposed the peace deal between the government and the MILF, saying it effectively abrogated the 1996 agreement.

The MILF is a splinter group of the MNLF. But new MNLF chairman Datu HJ. Abul

Khayr Alonto, who attended Thursday’s event, threw his support behind the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity.

Under the agreement, the Bangsamoro political entity’s territory will cover the ARMM’s present geographical area, along with Cotabato City, Isabela City, and the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal in Lanao del Norte.

A number of barangays from Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigkawayan, Pikit and Midsayap towns in Cotabato whose residents agreed to be part of ARMM during a plebiscite in 2001 will also be part of Bangsamoro based on the framework agreement.

The deal also states that adjacent areas can choose to form part of Bangsamoro’s territory via a resolution from their local governments, or a petition of at least 10 percent of all qualified voters in the area submitted two months before the ratification of the law creating the new political entity.

In his speech on Thursday, MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim called the CAB the “crowning glory” of their struggle.

But he said the MILF also “recognizes as a milestone” the 1996 FPA, although saying the FPA must not hinder them from securing a “far better” negotiated political settlement.

He added that the Bangsamoro will “not be a government of the MILF but a

government of the Bangsamoro.”

“After all, the CAB is not only for the MILF, it is for the MNLF as well as much as it is for all the Muslim ethnic tribes, the Christian settlers and the indigenous peoples in the prospective Bangsamoro territories,” he said.

“I would like to impress upon all of you that the MILF does not and will never claim sole ownership of the CAB,” he added.?

Annexes. Aside from creating the Bangsamoro, the peace deal also dictates terms on wealth sharing, power sharing, normalization, and transitional arrangements through its Annexes.

Under the agreement, the ministerial Bangsamoro government will have at least 58 exclusive powers including the power over ancestral domain and natural resources within its jurisdiction.

The government has also agreed to more favorable wealth-sharing terms for the Bangsamoro, with 75 percent of taxes collected in the territory and 75 percent of income from metallic minerals going to the Muslim-governed region.

The deal also outlines the steps for the return to civilian life of the armed wing of the MILF, and the disbandment of private armies in the proposed Bangsamoro area.

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the peace deal is expected to bring lasting peace and progress in areas of

Mindanao affected by the armed conflict.

“It will be fair to say that after three and a half years, this must be one of the most outstanding accomplishments of this administration. But it is not for us to claim credit because the administration simply served as the guide or facilitator,” he said during a press conference on Thursday, hours before the signing of the agreement.

Warning. But even though they are “momentarily overwhelmed” by “profound happiness,” Murad said they are aware that the agreement will not implement itself.

“It requires the actions of both parties to give concrete forms to the intents and contents of the [CAB]. Only then would the agreement become credible and acceptable to all,” he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose government served as a third-party facilitator in negotiations, asked both parties to work alongside each other to ensure the implementation of the pact.

“It is our hope that the people of the Bangsamoro will work alongside the government of the Philippines and the MILF to ensure its success. This commitment to peace is binding. It must be honored and protected. All parties must stand by the spirit and letter of the agreement,” he said in his speech during the event.

In his speech, President Benigno Aquino III said he empathizes with Bangsamoro people and even warned those who “wish

to derail our path to a final, lasting peace, those who wish to sow divisiveness for selfinterest, and those who continue to wield arms to pursue their own agendas.”

“So many people have suffered for so long, so many of our stakeholders have worked so hard to arrive at this point. I will not let peace be snatched from my people again,” he said.

“Not now, when we have already undertaken the most difficult and most significant steps to achieve it. Those who want to test the resolve of the state will be met with a firm response based on righteousness and justice—as we demonstrated in Zamboanga City,” he added.

In the same manner, the President asked Congress for its cooperation and said that his administration “will go all out to forge a principled consensus for enduring security and prosperity.”

“I expect the deliberations in Congress to be characterized by a sincere desire to improve on the Bangsamoro Basic Law—and not by self-interest that only aims to perpetuate an untenable status quo,” he said.

“If we sustain the momentum for peace, by 2016, the MILF will have shed its identity as a military force, and transformed itself into a political entity, casting its stake in democracy by vying for seats in the Bangsamoro elections,” he added. ■

Kimberly Jane Tan / KBK/YA/JDS, GMA News / March 27, 2014 / 5:29 PM

Another salvo at doctors?: BIR sues Phil Medical Association head for tax evasion

MANILA - The government on Thursday sued the president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) for tax evasion, in a case likely to further fan recent tensions between the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the professional medical industry.

In a statement, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it has filed a criminal complaint against lawyer Leo Obias Olarte, M.D., for several counts of “willful attempt” to evade income tax and value added tax (VAT) payments.

The lawyer-doctor was also taken to task for “deliberate failure” to file his annual income tax returns (ITRs) and VAT returns for taxable years 2006-2012. These are violations of Sections 254 and 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code.

Olarte, speaking for the PMA, earlier this month had criticized the BIR for a public shame campaign against tax evaders. A

print ad run by the agency had used doctors as examples of professionals that take a free ride on lower-earning salary earners and taxpayers. The PMA said the ad was unfair, as it allegedly generalized the medical professionals as filthy rich and irresponsible citizens.

Olarte said it was unfair that BIR gave a general impression that doctors are “tax cheats” because their association has been coordinating with the bureau concerning the tax remittances of physicians.

“We at the PMA, as productive members of the Filipino society, have been working hand in hand with the BIR towards the achievement of this goal. The newspaper advertisement came as a surprise to us mainly because it was not discussed in our various consultations and joint information campaign activities with the BIR,” he said.

BIR chief Kim Henares said the ad did not

single out any individual, and was meant only to speak for a general message on citizenship and tax responsibilities.

On Monday, however, less than three weeks ahead of the annual deadline for income tax filings, the BIR served notice that it had looked specifically into Olarte’s tax obligations.

Olarte teaches legal medicine at the FEU-NMRF Institute of Medicine and teaches torts and damages at eh FEU Institute of Law and UE College of Law. The Philippine Medical Association is the professional organization of doctors in the country.

According to its investigation, the BIR said Olarte earns compensation income from at least two employers, as well as from the exercise of his profession in the last seven years.

The BIR said Olarte also resorted to the “end-dating” scheme “to avoid detection

of his non-filing of income tax return and the non-payment of income tax and thus, precluding the computer system from generating open cases against him.”

Consequently, Olarte owes the

government P2.93 million in income taxes and VAT. The case against him is the 228th filed under the Run After Tax Evaders Program of the BIR. ■ InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 12:07 PM

Why the delay in fund releases for Yolanda rehab? Leyte governor has an answer

TACLOBAN CITY, – The pork barrel scam has made the national government more careful in the release of Yolanda rehabilitation funds, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla said Tuesday.

The good news, he has been told, is that the funds will be “downloaded within the next seven to ten days.”

“I think there has been slow downloading of funds because of the (scandals involving alleged scam mastermind Janet) Napoles and the bunkhouses,” he told reporters here outside the donors’ forum organized by the German international development assistance agency GIZ. The bunkhouses, built as temporary shelters for Yolanda survivors, had been found to be substandard.

“There is that tendency because they

don’t want those things to happen again,” Petilla said.

Matching needs and resources.

Aside from a more cautious national government, another problem has been the coordination of efforts of those involved:

national government agencies, local government units, foreign governments, international humanitarian agencies, and nongovernmental organizations and private donors.

The ongoing three-day forum seeks to

Inside the Tacloban airport more than four months after super typhoon Yolanda.

Photo by Veronica Uy ©InterAksyon.com.

match the needs of 19 Yolanda-affected local governments in Leyte and Samar with the available resources of various donor agencies.

Among the donor agencies that participated in the forum were Red Cross, Unicef, Oxfam, World Food Organization, UN Development Program, Save the Children, and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

GIZ, which co-sponsored the event with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Reconstruction, and the Leyte provincial government, provided technical support for the LGUs’ rehabilitation plans presented at the forum.

“The donor’s forum is meant to speed up the recovery of the affected local

governments,” said Dr. Andreas Lange, chief adviser and team leader for the GIZ reconstruction assistance.

In particular, GIZ, which has an ongoing environment and rural development program in Leyte since 2005, helped LGUs reformulate their Comprehensive Land Use Plan into a more holistic one (ridge-to-reef approach), taking into consideration not only the post-disaster needs assessments and hazards mapping, but also disaster risk management and climate change adaptive strategies.

The GIZ technical assistance to the LGUs’ rehabilitation plans was made possible by the 3-million-euro fund from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. ■ Veronica Uy / InterAksyon.

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

PH real estate market a bright spot in Asia, says Savills local affiliate Kong and Sydney.

Tokyo topped the list followed by Shanghai and Jakarta.

“The growth in the business process outsourcing sector, the entrance of global players into the local economy, and strong private consumption continue to make the Philippines’ real estate market one of the most attractive in Asia,” Michael McCullough, KMC MAG Group managing director said.

“With the country’s continued economic growth, low interest rates, and capital costs, we expect the local real estate sector to continue performing well,” he added.

The Philippine economy grew by 7.2 percent last year from 6.8 percent in 2012.

For this year, the government is aiming for growth of 6.5-7.5 percent.

Employee retirement plan sells Petron stake in $120M deal

MANILA – One of the biggest shareholders of Petron Corp has sold its stake in the country’s largest oil refiner in a $120 million private placement.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Petron said the Petron Corp Employees Retirement Plan (PCERP) sold 470,000,000 common shares at P11.50 each. This was a discount from Petron’s closing price of P13.50 a share yesterday.

The sale was coursed through the PSE for settlement on April 1, “pursuant to a placement agreement dated March 26, 2014.”

PCERP tapped Maybank Kim Eng Securities Pte Ltd, Merrill Lynch (Singapore)

Pte Ltd, Standard Chartered Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd and UBS AG as placement agents for the transaction.

As of end-September last year, PCERP had a 14.79 percent stake in Petron, next to SEA Refinery Corp’s 50.1 percent and San Miguel Corp’s 18.16 percent. ■ Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 1:00 PM

KMC MAG Group said the current outsourcing trend in developed economies is expected to bring in additional foreign investments to the Philippines, with the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry looking to create up to 124,000 jobs this year.

In the leasing market, KMC MAG Group noted that employment generated by the IT-BPO sector will push annual take up to 400,000 square meters.

However, there is only an additional 320,000 square meters of office space available this year. This shortage is expected to translate to an increase in rentals, with the growth driving current rental prices to pre-financial crisis levels.

The growth in the IT-BPO sector will also remain a major influence in the serviced office market, with at least three new serviced office centers opening to keep up with the demand for space.

“We expect more IT-BPO companies to come in and invest in the country, due to its young, educated, English-speaking labor force, affordable labor costs, and taxation benefits for investors,” McCullough said.

“The consistent growth in the IT-BPO industry has driven demand to the extent that developers are confident in building without pre-committed tenants,” he added.

Another potential high-growth industry, tourism, is driving investments in the hotel sector. With the Department of Tourism targeting 10 million arrivals by 2016, real estate giants such as the International Hotel Group and the SM Group have made plans

to strengthen their brands and open new rooms, with around 8,000 new rooms to be introduced in Metro Manila by 2015.

Meanwhile, strong private consumption, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of the domestic economy, continues to fuel the growth in the residential and retail markets. The growth in Filipinos’ purchasing power has driven demand for subdivisions, townhouses, and condominiums, and has also attracted global retailers looking to gain a foothold in the country.

“Local developers have noticed the increase in purchasing power, particularly among the middle class, and are now responding to this growth by expanding their portfolios and partnering with international investors for new developments,” McCullough said.

In Metro Manila, the three top business districts continue to experience activity in both residential and office sectors. Makati and Bonifacio Global City continue to attract multinational corporations, IT-BPO companies, and entrepreneurs, as well as

the high-end and luxury residential sector, with Bonifacio Global City having the highest take-up in 2013.

“In Makati, vacancy rate in the office sector is temporarily high, but the demand created by shortage in prime office space can absorb the vacancy,” McCullough said.

“Meanwhile, in Bonifacio Global City, the vacancy rate is expected to lower due to the strong demand, despite the continued expansion in its inventory,” he said.

Ortigas is shaping up to be a potential BPO hub, given its accessibility to labor from nearby areas such as Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Marikina.

“Ortigas has the lowest vacancy rate among all of the business districts; however, we expect this to change because of the new supply. Among the business districts in Metro Manila, Ortigas also has the lowest average rate for Grade A office space, which can make it an attractive location for IT-BPO companies looking to invest in the Philippines,” McCullough said. ■ Darwin G. Amojelar / InterAksyon.com / March 26, 2014 / 7:24 PM

ORIGINAL CREATION & COPYRIGHT RESERVED BY © HELLO PHILIPPINES 2013

MANILA - The Philippines’ real estate market would continue to be one of the most attractive in Asia given the country’s robust economic growth and business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, according to the local affiliate of London-listed Savills.

In a briefing today, KMC MAG Group vice president Yves Luethi said Manila is “very attractive “ to investors because of its “sweet spot” demographics, talented labor pool, continuously growing BPO and tourism sectors, strong domestic consumption and higher government spending.

He said Manila still has a relatively low price level within the region.

According to a Urban Land Institute report, Manila ranked as the fourth most preferred city in Asia Pacific for real estate investors, outperforming Singapore, Hong

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

World’s ‘longest-serving’ death row inmate freed for Japan retrial A man believed to be the world’s longest-serving death row inmate walked free from jail Thursday after decades in solitary confinement, in a rare about-face for Japan’s rigid justice system.

A slightly unsteady-looking Iwao Hakamada, 78, emerged from the Tokyo prison with his campaigning sister after Shizuoka District Court in central Japan ordered a fresh trial over the grisly 1966 murder of his boss and the man’s family.

Presiding judge Hiroaki Murayama said he was concerned that investigators could have planted evidence to win a conviction almost half a century ago as they sought to bring closure to a crime that had shocked the country.

“There is a possibility that (key pieces of) evidence have been fabricated by investigative bodies,” Murayama said in his ruling.

Shizuoka prosecutors, who have three days to appeal the decision, told Japanese media that the court’s decision was “unexpected”.

Apart from the United States, Japan is the only major industrialised democracy to carry out capital punishment, a practice that has led to repeated protests from European governments and human rights groups, who say the justice system is heavily skewed in prosecutors’ favour.

Hakamada is the sixth person since the

Former boxer Iwao Hakamada (C), 78, who has been on death row in Japan for 48 years, is released from a Tokyo detention center on March 27, 2014

end of World War II to receive a retrial after having a death sentence confirmed, and his case will bolster opponents of capital punishment.

Of the past five former death-row inmates who received retrials in Japan, four were subsequently cleared. Higher courts threw out a retrial motion for the fifth prisoner, although his lawyers have submitted a fresh request for a retrial with new evidence.

After his arrest, Hakamada initially denied accusations that he robbed and killed his boss, the man’s wife and their two children before setting their house ablaze.

But the former boxer, who worked for a bean-paste maker, later confessed following what he subsequently claimed was a brutal police interrogation that included beatings.

He retracted his confession, but to no avail, and the supreme court confirmed his death sentence in 1980.

Doubts over evidence. Prosecutors and courts had used blood-stained clothes, which only emerged a year after the crime and his arrest, as key evidence to convict Hakamada.

The clothes did not fit him, his supporters said. The blood stains appeared too vivid for evidence that was discovered so long after the crime. Later DNA tests found no link between Hakamada, the clothes and the blood stains, his supporters said.

But the now-frail Hakamada remained in solitary confinement on death row, regardless.

His supporters and some lawyers, including the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, have loudly voiced their doubts about the evidence, the police investigations and the judicial logic that led to the conviction.

Even one of the judges who originally sentenced Hakamada to death in 1968 has said he was never convinced of the man’s guilt, but could not sway his judicial colleagues who out-voted him.

Japan has a conviction rate of around 99 percent and claims of heavy-handed police interrogations persist under a longheld belief that a confession is the gold standard of guilt.

The decision to grant Hakamada a retrial came as Amnesty International issued its annual review of reported executions

worldwide, which showed Japan killed eight inmates in 2013, the ninth-largest national tally in the world.

Hakamada’s sister Hideko, 81, who has passionately campaigned for a retrial for decades, thanked dozens of supporters who gathered in front of the court house.

“Everyone, really, really thank you,” she said through a loud speaker in front of hordes of journalists and supporters. “This happened thanks to all of you who helped us. I am just so happy.”

Hakamada seems to have developed psychological illnesses after decades in solitary confinement, Hideko told AFP in an interview last year.

“What I am worried about most is Iwao’s health. If you put someone in jail for 47 years, it’s too much to expect them to stay sane,” Hideko said in the interview.

Amnesty, which has championed Hakamada’s cause and says he is the world’s longest-serving death row detainee, called on prosecutors to respect the court’s decision.

“It would be most callous and unfair of prosecutors to appeal the court’s decision,” said Roseann Rife, the organisation’s East Asia research director.

“Time is running out for Hakamada to receive the fair trial he was denied more than four decades ago,” she said. ■ Hiroshi

Hiyama / AFP News

Putin eyes Russia credit card system after Western sanctions PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia should create its own national payment settlement system, in a bid to reduce economic dependence on the West amid the controversy over Moscow’s seizure of Crimea.

“In countries such as Japan and China these systems work, and work very well,” Putin told lawmakers in televised remarks.

“Initially, they started out solely as national systems limited to their own markets, their own territory, their own population but they are becoming more popular right now.”

“Why should we not do it? We should definitely do it and we will do it,” he said, noting that Russia’s Central Bank and the government have been looking into the matter.

Last week the United States hit more than 20 Russian officials, including some of Putin’s closest allies, with sanctions over Moscow’s takeover of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine. A lender described as a “crony bank” for the Russian

elites, Bank Rossiya, was also blacklisted.

As a result of punitive measures, several banks last week saw their customers barred from using Visa and MasterCard credit cards, prompting talk among officials and lawmakers that Russia should create its own operational network.

“It’s a great shame that some companies have taken a decision on certain restrictions,” Putin said.

“I think it will simply lead to a loss of certain segments of the market for them, and a rather profitable market at that.”

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday that the government had no plans so far to jettison Visa and MasterCard.

“But at the same time we are beginning to pay more attention to the creation of our own payment settlement system,” he said in televised remarks.

Own rating agency needed. US President Barack Obama has threatened to target the broader Russian economy if Moscow moves into eastern Ukraine after its takeover of Crimea.

This week, Washington and its partners in the G8 club of leading industrialised countries cancelled an upcoming summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in a bid to punish Russia further.

Putin has shrugged off the sanctions, insisting Moscow will conduct an independent foreign policy and would not take orders from the West.

Ratings agencies Standard and Poor’s and Fitch last week revised Russia’s outlook to negative from stable, citing the direct and anticipated impact from the sanctions and the country’s increasing isolation.

Some Russia officials dismissed the revision, claiming the move was politically motivated.

The speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper house, Valentina Matviyenko, suggested at the meeting with Putin that foreign ratings agencies—which have put Russia on negative outlooks amid the crisis—are driven by an agenda dictated by foreign governments.

“I believe it’s necessary to finally think

about the creation of our own rating agencies,” said Matviyenko, one of the officials targeted by US sanctions.

Many analysts say Putin, the country’s paramount leader for the past 14 years, is consciously pushing Russia towards the path of self-insulation in a bid to preserve his hold on power.

Economists fear the confrontation with the West will see the Kremlin undo many of the reforms pushed through after Russia embraced capitalism and opened up to the outside world following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

But many ordinary Russians say a greater degree of self-autonomy would be a boon for the country that would allow it to finally wean the economy off oil and gas and cut reliance on imports.

Vedomosti business daily said in an editorial Thursday that the government was facing the daunting two-pronged task of supporting the stagnating economy and finding “the least painful ways of partial isolation.”

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, on March 26, 2014

Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev warned Thursday that the country risked growth of just 0.6 percent this year with capital flight expected to reach $100 billion.

Igor Nikolayev, director of the FBK Institute of Strategic Analysis, said creating Russia’s own credit card system could take one or two years but it will unlikely be recognised outside the country. ■ Anna Smolchenko / AFP News

S. Korea fires warning shots, seizes N. Korea fishing boat A South Korean naval ship fired warning shots Thursday and seized a North Korean fishing boat intruding across the disputed Yellow Sea border, military officials said.

The vessel sailed a nautical mile south of the sea boundary at 5:26 pm (0826 GMT), prompting a South Korean patrol ship to take action, the South’s defence ministry said.

“Our side fired warning shots as the North Korean vessel ignored repeated warnings to retreat,” a ministry spokesman told AFP. The vessel with three people aboard was captured about two hours later as it failed to sail back into northern waters probably due to foggy weather and strong currents, A fishing boat sails past a South Korean warship he said. close to Yeonpyeong island near the disputed The vessel’s crew will be investigated to waters of the Yellow Sea, on June 11, 2009

see whether the incursion was accidental, he said.

The spokesman said a tough response from South Korea was inevitable given the high tensions along the disputed sea boundary.

The South Korean naval ship radioed a message to a North Korea military vessel staying near the sea boundary that the seizure was aimed at ensuring the safety of the crew, he said.

The maritime border, which Pyongyang does not officially recognise, was the scene of brief but bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and 2009.

North Korean incursions over the maritime border are not unusual. AFP A North Korean patrol boat violated the sea boundary on February 25 at the start of South Korea-US military drills, and retreated after warnings from the South Korean navy.

Thursday’s incursion came after nearly 15,000 South Korean and US troops kicked off a 12-day amphibious landing drill, the largest for two decades.

The joint military exercise is taking place off the country’s southeast coast. It will last until April 7 and involve around 10,000 US troops.

North Korea views such exercises as provocative rehearsals for invasion and

there is a risk they could further fuel already simmering military tensions.

Pyongyang has carried out a series of rocket and short-range missile launches in recent weeks, sparking condemnation from Seoul and Washington.

On Wednesday, it upped the ante by test-firing two mid-range ballistic missiles capable of striking Japan.

United Nations resolutions prohibit North Korea from conducting ballistic missile tests and the UN Security Council was set to hold closed-door consultations Thursday to discuss a possible condemnation of the latest missile launches. ■

IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

www.hello-philippines.com

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POEA ordered to ensure safety of Pinoy seafarers involved in search for missing Malaysian plane LABOR Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to work with the employer of the 20 Filipino seafarers involved in the search for the missing Malaysian passenger plane to ensure their safety.

Baldoz gave the order as she lauded the 20 seafarers on board the Norwegian ship Höegh St. Petersburg.

“We are heartened that our overseas Filipino seafarers are contributing to the international effort to locate the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370,” Baldoz said in a statement Wednesday.

“I am confident our seafarers onboard the Höegh St. Petersburg will perform what is expected of them,” she added, describing

PHL seeks labor pact with Haiti THE Philippines is seeking a bilateral labour agreement with Haiti to ensure that Filipinos working in the Caribbean nation would enjoy adequate protection.

In a statement, the Philippine Embassy said Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. discussed the bilateral labor agreement when he presented his credentials to President Michael Joseph Martelly as Manila’s non-resident envoy to Haiti on March 14.

“The Philippine Government has a strong desire for a bilateral labor agreement to be concluded at the earliest possible time to enable more of our nationals to help in building Haiti’s economy under the protection of the law,”

said Cuisia in his meeting with Martelly.

While in Haiti, Cuisia also met with leaders of the more than 350 Filipinos there, most of whom hold supervisory or managerial positions, and visited the headquarters of the 17th Philippine Contingent that is serving as the Force Headquarters Support Unit for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The 157-strong unit made up of officers and sailors from the Philippine Navy is headed by Capt. Luzviminda Camacho, the first woman to command a national peacekeeping contingent.

In his remarks, Cuisia commended the Philippine Contingent for helping keep the

peace in Haiti since it was first deployed there in 2005.

“The sacrifices of Filipino peacekeepers represent the enduring commitment of the Philippines to work with key actors to ensure peace and stability in the international community,” he added.

Four Filipino peacekeepers have already lost their lives while serving in Haiti. The first, Sgt. Antonio Batomalaque of the 1st Philippine Contingent, was killed in a gunbattle with gang members in 2005, while three members of the 10th Philippine Contingent died in the earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince in 2010. ■ Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News / March 21,

2014 / 7:00 PM

the 20 as “competent, very professional, and knowledgeable.”

Baldoz ordered the POEA to work closely with Höegh Fleet Services Phils., Inc. in monitoring the ship and ensuring the welfare of the Filipino seafarers on board the vessel.

The MH 370 vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China on March 8, 2014 with some 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.

Höegh St. Petersburg, under the auspices of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), is presently engaged in the search for debris supposed to belong to the ill-fated passenger plane off Perth, Australia in the southern Indian Ocean.

It was reported that the vessel was the first ship in the location where Australian aircraft spotted what were supposed to be the missing plane’s debris.

The ship was on its way from South Africa to Australia when it diverted its course to the area after the AMSA requested its assistance.

It immediately conducted search operation after it arrived in the area on March 20.

Baldoz also hailed Höegh Fleet Services Phils., Inc. (HFSP), a subsidiary of Höegh Fleet Services of Norway and the ship’s owner, for its preference for overseas Filipino seafarers.

There are 1,500 Filipinos presently employed in the company, according to the Department of Labor and Employment. ■ KBK, GMA News / March 26, 2014 / 1:52 PM

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IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

25th Bataan Memorial Death March in US draws more than 6,000 attendees THE Bataan Memorial Death March celebrated its 25th anniversary last March 22 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico (NM).

Begun more than 70 years after the original Bataan Death March, the event—which serves to commemorate the survivors and victims—drew in more

than 6,200 participants, according to news site Carlsbad Current-Argus. Among the attendees were 13 Bataan survivors, almost all of them in their 90’s.

“There was nothing to eat and nothing to drink, and you had to keep marching,” Eugene Schmitz, a 96-year-old survivor, told El Paso Times.

He added, “Many fell by the wayside on that march. You couldn’t help them; you just kept going, wondering if you were going to be next.”

In 1989, ROTC cadet Ray Pickering suggested a memorial event commemorating World War II to his instructor at New Mexico State University.

Alamogordo Daily News reported that the memorial marathon was opened to civilians in 1993.

Military officers and ROTC candidates were placed in a separate category apart from civilians, but both trekked 26.2 miles of sand for the course. Those who could not go through the full marathon instead settled for the Bataan Honorary March, which only covered 14.2 miles.

Filipino and American forces were forced to march from Bataan to Tarlac in April 1942, after the Japanese Army beat the allied forces at the battle of Bataan. The US Army website states that civilians and prisoners alike were slaughtered during the 65 mile walk, though the exact number is still unknown. ■ Rie Takumi/VC, GMA News / March 25, 2014 / 6:04 PM

UAE-bound Pinoys warned vs carrying illegal drugs FILIPINOS bound for the United Arab Emirates were sternly reminded not to bring illegal drugs lest they end up in trouble there.

The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai issued an advisory that cited cases of Filipinos arrested in Dubai and other emirates for drug possession, UAE news site Gulf News said.

“All Filipinos in Dubai and the northern emirates are advised to exercise caution and refrain from any activity prohibited by UAE law, especially those related to the smuggling, sale and use of illicit drugs,” it quoted the consulate general as saying in its advisory.

“They think they can get away with it

because it’s a small amount. It’s not about the quantity of the substance. It’s about the fact that the substance was found in their possession,” added Consul-General Frank Cimafranca.

Earlier this month, a Filipina nurse was accused of hiding 0.53 gram of methamphetamine in her underwear.

Her Filipino friend was also charged with possession of 0.46 gram of methamphetamine.

Last March 2, a Filipina waitress and a Filipino student were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for providing methamphetamine and amphetamine at a birthday party in October 2013.

While Cimafranca said the number

of new cases of Filipinos involved in drug cases is not alarming, it is still a matter of concern.

Meanwhile, cautioned Filipinos heading for Kish Island to ensure their personal safety and not become involved in illegal activities that could get them in trouble once they reach Dubai. ■ LBG, GMA News / March 23, 2014 / 1:24 PM

Palace dismisses calls to sack MARINA chief MALACAÑANG on Wednesday defended Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) head Maximo Mejia, who is being asked to resign due to alleged incompetence.

“That’s not true. We disagree with that,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press conference.

He was reacting to the statement of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) saying Mejia should resign or be replaced for his alleged failure to address the problems of the seafaring industry.

Lacierda, however, said MARINA has been instituting a lot of reforms lately. He

did not elaborate.

In a March 20 statement, UFS president Ramon Ramirez said long lines, long processing times, and a subpar replacement of an international standard foreshadows a “bleak future” for the shipping industry under Mejia’s administration.

“The Filipino seafarers are disgusted... over the lack of foresight of MARINA to confront problems and provide solutions and worried that if such incompetence continues, we will end up with no jobs,” he said. ■ Kimberly Jane Tan / KBK, GMA News

/ March 26, 2014 / 3:49 PM

PHL, Indonesia intensify drive vs. human trafficking PHILIPPINE and Indonesian officials have agreed to strengthen cooperation and intensify joint efforts to crackdown on human trafficking between the two countries.

The agreement was reached during a meeting last week between Philippine Immigration commissioner Siegfred Mison and a visiting Indonesian delegation.

During the conference, both parties agreed to tackle the serious plight of refugees and asylum seekers of other nationalities entering their borders.

The authorities noted that most victims of human trafficking are Filipinos desperately seeking jobs abroad using tourist visas falsified by syndicates.

Mison, for his part, cited the need for stronger cooperation and tighter measures.

He said considering that millions of people come and go through the ports each year, detecting human trafficking victims is like trying to find a needle in the hay.

The visiting Indonesian group was

composed of officials and members of the “Desk of People Smuggling, Refugee and Asylum Seeker of the Coordinating Ministry of Political, Legal and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.”

The Bureau of Immigration recently got flak for its stricter policy on departing Filipinos, particularly its move to require Filipinos who want to travel abroad to show proof of their financial capability to do so.

Under the standing policy, the BI will allow Filipinos to leave the country as long as they can show travel documents including a passport, visa, and a round-trip ticket.

However, travelers bound for countries that have a high incidence of human trafficking will be subject to a secondary assessment.

According to the guidelines, which the BI said it has been implementing since 2012, the secondary inspection is “for the purpose of protecting vulnerable victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment and other related offenses.” ■ KBK, GMA News

/ March 24, 2014 / 3:36 PM

OFW in Jeddah dies while on the phone with wife CARDIAC arrest claimed the life of a Filipino overseas worker in Jeddah on March 8 while he was on the phone with his wife, a Saudi news report said.

Arnel Casilie, a cook for a restaurant on Tahliya Street for the last 17 years, collapsed and died in a convenience store before his co-workers were able to bring him to a hospital, reported Saudi Gazette on Sunday.

“I could not believe seeing somebody died in front of me and the worst is he was talking to his wife on an overseas call at that time,” Alex, who witnessed Casilie’s death during his shift at the convenience store, told Filipino Times Sunday.

According to Saudi Gazette, Casilie’s co-workers had advised him to take a leave from work and get a check-up days before the incident happened because Caslie had complained of body pains. Ronald Luna, one of his co-workers, said Casilie was

diabetic and had high blood pressure.

Philippine Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay urged Filipinos to “remember our families back home” and take better care of their health.

“Life is precious. We should take good care of it. A regular medical check-up is very important, exercise regularly and eat healthy food,” Saudi Gazette quoted Garibay as saying. ■ BM, GMA News / March 25, 2014 / 6:33 PM

9 Pinoy students now in US to help shape ‘positive picture’ of PHL

NINE public school students from Olongapo City are now in Virginia Beach, United States for an exchange program set to show a “positive picture” of the Philippines to other countries.

Students from the Regional Science High School (RSHS) and Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS) are set to attend two weeks of classes at Tallwood High School before moving to other states, according to a news release from the Department of

Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday.

The DFA said in addition to attending classes, the students will also present cultural songs, dances, and short lectures on Philippine history and culture.

The exchange students from RSHS and OCNHS are: • Thea Ysobel Cortez • Frezniel Bien Salinas • Jonas Exequiel Soriano • John Daniel Mendoza

• Ethan Arcelao • Keana McCoy • Via Ronquillo • Juliana Mendoza • Dainty Jewel Manuel The Filipino students were quick to note the differences between the Philippine and US school system, with some describing the experience as “once in a lifetime” and “rewarding.”

“We were able to experience classes we don’t have in the Philippines, like French,”

said John Daniel Mendoza, a ninth grader from OCNHS. Keana McCoy, a ninth-grader from RSHS, said, “In the Philippines, students stay put while teachers go around to different classrooms. Here in the US, teachers move from classroom to classroom.”

For his part, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose L. Cuisia congratulated the students for “this milestone in your young academic lives.”

“I hope youth exchanges like these help build friendships between students, families, schools, and cities as well as renew and reinvigorate our bilateral ties with the United States,” he said.

All students are currently staying with foster families. Meanwhile, 10 students from Tallwood will arrive at Olongapo in June as part of the exchange program, the DFA said. ■ Rie Takumi / KBK, GMA News / March 26, 2014 / 5:38 PM

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CHARITY AT WORK

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

All Hands Volunteers families. At our base in Ormoc City, we share the space with relief goods that have been donated to the Larrazabal family, owners of the hotel where we have established a staging area. The Larrazabal family has been extremely gracious in allowing us to establish a temporary base of operations in a multi-purpose area of their hotel – and assisting with the food distribution is one way we can give a little bit back to them, while at the same time helping communities in need around Ormoc City.

Thank you Larrazabal family!

Particularly significant was the debris clean-up in Ormoc District Hospital (ODH) and the San Isidro Barangay, where we focused the majority of our deconstruction and debris clearing efforts during the initial phase of Project Leyte. Due to damage from the typhoon, the Ormoc District Hospital staff have been delivering an average of 16 new-borns a day in Emergency Response Unit (ERU) tents under sweltering heat, often topping out at temperatures of 35 C/95 F. Over the course of three days, our volunteers successfully cleared debris and sanitised two wards in the hospital so that they could once again receive and care for mothers and new-borns.

One of our teams met Lolita and her family in the barangay of San Isidro. During our initial assessments we found Lolita living under a makeshift shelter of reclaimed tin sheets with her husband who was unwell.

Because we were new to Ormoc City, she was initially wary of our recovery efforts and our outreach to her. However, due to our on-going presence in San Isidro, Lolita eventually came to trust us and, thanks to the efforts of team leader Alex Theran and other volunteers, we were able to safely deconstruct and remove debris from her home. We soon returned with another team

ON behalf of every family we helped on our projects on Leyte and Bohol, All Hands Volunteers would like to thank YOU, the kind Hello Philippines readers that have supported us by making a donation following our appeal in December.

I have just had a catch up with our teams in Leyte and Bohol, who reported that the stream of families asking for help doesn’t end. Four months after Typhoon Haiyan and five months after the Bohol Earthquake, the need for support is just as great.

With over 1 million homes destroyed, there is a lot of work to be done. And it will take a long time.

Your generous contributions so far have enabled us to support more families in the Philippines.

Please continue to support our work in the Philippines!

Here’s what you helped us do so far…

Project Leyte. In Leyte, we have deployed 259 volunteers from 31 different countries thus far, focusing on the debris clean up and deconstruction phases in Ormoc City and the surrounding barangays.

The need is great and there is much work yet to be done; but to-date our dedicated volunteers have donated 3,456 days of labour and assisted roughly 11,567 individuals (2,172 families) in 28 barangays. Our dedicated volunteer have logged countless hours deconstructing, clearing debris from and “safe-ing” 150 homes, clearing 22 trees, and working in 10 schools, 4 chapels, 2 hospitals, and even a morgue.

Food relief distribution has also been a cornerstone of our work on Leyte. When relief supplies like food and water arrive in Leyte, usually in large pallets, they need to be separated into smaller units and then repackaged for distribution to individual

of volunteers and assisted Lolita in building a much larger, safer and sturdier shelter from reclaimed building supplies.

With some more funding, we would be able to assist Lolita in building a new home. If you would like to help Lolita, please donate at www.justgiving.com/ allhandsvolunteerstrust Project Bohol. As you know, we are entering the rainy season in the Philippines and our Project Bohol volunteers have been returning to base at the end of the day soaked from head to toe. But even with the rains, the work of our volunteers continues to be amazingly quick and efficient.

You have helped us safely and successfully deconstruct 163 homes, 8 chapels and churches, 10 schools and 1 barangay multipurpose building. All of this was completed thanks to the 3,750 days of donated labour by 287 volunteers from 30 countries around the world and YOUR KIND DONATIONS. Thank you!

Highlights of our work include a large church in the middle of the Maribojoc Barangay. The process of deconstructing the church took an entire week and, among the debris we cleared, our volunteers recovered a life-size, intact statue of Jesus – which is extremely important to the community in this predominately Catholic country.

I am deeply touched by the way the communities of Bohol have embraced us.

Our work teams often receive coconuts and sweets – and sometimes entire meals – during breaks, and local children scream with excitement when the jeepneys packed with All Hands’ volunteers pass by.

The work queue continues to grow and the need is still great on the island of Bohol.

If you would like to support our efforts on Bohol and Leyte, please donate to www. justgiving.com/allhandsvolunteerstrust ■

Shovelling debris

Icy and Nate explaning the procedure of bringing his unsafe structure down for rebuild to a local father

Dan salvaging tin roof

Locals helping our volunteers with deconstruction

Young girl watching our volunteers work

Canal debris removal 2 in Leyte

Moving fallen tree branches One of our volunteers sledging a wall to create space for rebuild

Katie our project director sledging walls to bring an unsafe structure down

Noted Filipino composer Cecile Azarcon

SUPPORT THE

Food distribution 1 in Ormoc

Moving Fallen Columns out of living space in Bohol Kids watching our volunteers working hard

PHILIPPINES

www.justgiving.com/allhandsvolunteerstrust

alex@hands.org UK Registered Charity No 1139938

Sitting among the rubble of his house in Bohol

Saving scrap metal for a schoolwoner to sell

Team photo on site with locals

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If you or someone you know has suffered a serious accident or injury contact us now, our nationwide presence means that we can visit you at your home and our database of specialist experts are at hand to provide key reports to assist your claim and ultimate recovery. We recover millions of pounds in compensation each year for our clients.

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NEWS

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Massive anti-mosquito drive starts in vulnerable Metro Manila areas MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday started a massive mosquito elimination action, targeting construction areas and stagnant canals and waterways all over Metro Manila.

“Eliminating mosquitoes is everyone’s business! We cannot do it alone and we need to synchronize our efforts and act effectively and collectively to be able to successfully get rid of the increasing population of culex mosquitoes in the region,” said DOH Undersecretary Ted Herbosa.

In recent weeks, the DOH got reports of sudden increase in mosquitoes in some parts of Metro Manila.

Common household mosquitoes.

According to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine’s Department of Entomology, the growing numbers of mosquitoes were identified as culex quinquefasciatus, also known as the common household mosquito.

“Since these are considered as household mosquitoes, we must start our clean-up actions in our homes and double our efforts in seeking and destroying their breeding sites such as stagnant waters in canals and waterways in our community,”Herbosa added.

These mosquitoes thrive and lay eggs in polluted and stagnant waters like open

canals, drains, and inside septic tanks.

They are usually found resting on walls, dark corners, under chairs and tables inside houses or under shaded areas outdoors during daytime in dark areas of the house.

The females are vicious night biters of both humans and animals from sunset to dawn.

Fighting back. Herbosa strongly advised the public to use protective measures such as repellents, containing DEET (chemical name: N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and picaridin as these are effective in eliminating this type of mosquito.

He also recommended residents to wear bright-colored long sleeves and pants when going out of the house, especially during early morning and late in the afternoon.

“The use of mosquito nets when sleeping is also a very effective way to prevent mosquito bites. Although the culex quienquefasciatus does not serve as a vector for diseases and does not pose as a health threat, it is still considered a “nuisance” mosquito because of its ability to cause painful and irritating bites,” he explained.

“Let us all act responsibly and do our share in this mosquito clean-up drive. Our inability to act accordingly will only lead to the increase of mosquito population in our community. Our health and welfare is

Foggin operation at Barangay 841 Zone 92 District VI in Manila, 27 March 2014. W.C. CLAMOR ©InterAksyon.com

our own personal duty to safeguard and protect. And we can start by eliminating these mosquitoes through a united and cooperative effort starting in our own homes and in the community,” he said.

The massive clean-up drive is being done in coordination with various government agencies and includes the clean-up of abandoned/on-going construction areas with stagnant waters and covering of potholes by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); de-clogging of canals and waterways by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA); searching and destroying of mosquito breeding places in the community; and using ultralow volume (ULV) space spraying and larviciding in identified mosquito areas by the DOH-NCRO and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through the various local government units.

■ Jet Villa / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 8:18 AM

Meet the half-Pinoy crooner in UAE who is a ‘Prince’ AL AIN, United Arab Emirates — Filipinos here who had seen him perform probably wondered: Who is this foreigner singing OPM songs?

Indeed, for half-Filipino, half-Persian singer Prince Uma, having a “foreigner’s face” is an asset, as it helps create a buzz about him.

“My nationality does contribute a lot in my singing career for sure,” said Prince Uma, a Syrian passport holder. “It is an additional point.”

A big Martin Nievera fan, the 31-year-old financial advisor in Ajman Bank said he likes singing OPM songs and can speak Tagalog fluently.

Apart from the famous Pinoy balladeer, Prince Uma also listens to Canadian crooner Michael Bublé, and his favored musical genres include heavy rock, jazz and love songs.

“Most of the time, the crowd listening to me singing a love song would cry. Other times, they would shout out loud when I sing fast songs,” he shared via email.

For charity. Prince Uma said his talent is not only for singing contests — he also supports charity events.

“I’ve participated in many competitions here in Dubai. I’ve also done many charity concerts in Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai,” he said.

And although he is “very happy and content” at his current job, Prince Uma said he still sings and performs for the fun of it.

“Singing is a passion,” he said. “I enjoy every single moment onstage.”

Achievements. For the last three years, Uma would get recognized as the “Star of the Night” and the “Best Fashion Male” in the singing competitions he joined in.

He was also warded with the Best Stage Performance, Most Applauded Performance, Best in Audience Impact, and Best Song.

“But the most memorable recognition that I have received was when I was a special quest with Allan K and Eugene Domingo during the New Year comedy show here in Dubai,” he beamed.

Hosting job. Prince Uma started as a TV host for the program “Tawa Rama,” a segment at Pinoy Atin ‘to (PATV) in 2009 to 2010.

“Being a TV host did help a lot in

my career. There are a few challenges especially when it reaches to level of pleasing the crowd. Only experience can help you at that level; how can you reach to their hearts and how do you make them smile?”

He is also part of the first batch of the Vocal Guild Group, a group launched at the Comedy Junction-Dubai that trains the voice quality of its members.

Still, Prince Uma would practice his craft even though he is already a veteran at it.

“I always practice singing at home, while driving, and walking in the streets. It didn’t ever affect my business schedule, hectic as it often is,” he said.

“I will never get tired of singing. If a day passed without me being on stage, I feel that my day is incomplete,” Prince Uma added. ■ Lucky Mae F. Quilao / KBK, GMA News / March 27, 2014 / 8:27 PM

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Kapag Wala Na Akong Pera…

GOOD day sa mga kababayan kong Pilipino sa UK!! This is Coach Pia Acevedo, a Life Coach with a specialization in Life Transitions…

Buwan-buwan tayong nagpapadala ng pera para sa enrollment, school supplies at tuloy-tuloy na allowance ng mga bata… so what now? Tuloy-tuloy ang gastos so we have to be creative in how to be a good parent.

For this summer season, magandang talakayin ang iba’t-ibang options nating mga magulang: How do we stay connected to our children, kahit na wala tayong maiaabot na pera?

Here are some basic tips ☺ 1. Share some values…Halimbawa: Teach them how to recycle – let them know that hindi lang makakatipid ang pag-rerecycle ng mga school materials.

Makakatulong pa ito sa pag-alaga natin kay Mother Earth. Turuan natin sila na magkaroon ng malasakit para sa ating kalikasan. And when we discuss such values to our children, we set a good example for them, nagkakaroon sila ng pagpapahalaga sa kanilang pamilya. Family values allow children to develop a sense of pride. Mabuti ito para sa development ng kanilang selfesteem (pagpapahalaga sa kanilang sarili) 2. Ibang klaseng kwentuhan…Talk about your own childhood – children feel connected to their parents when they hear stories about them. I-share ninyo sa mga bata ang inyong mga karanasan nung kayo’y nasa edad nila. Kapag ginawa ninyo ito, mas kapani-paniwala ang inyong ibibigay na payo sa kanila dahil alam nilang dinaanan ninyo ang kanilang pinagdaraanan.

3. Magkaroon ng interest sa kanilang kinahihiligan… Whatever it is na alam ninyong pinagkaka-abalahan ng inyong anak, kahit hindi ninyo type ito… unawain, i-research at tutunan ninyong pag-intresan.

Halimbawa: Mahilig ang anak ninyo sa musika ng isang sikat na pop singer. Alamin ang hit songs at latest album ng singer na ito, pakinggan ang musika at i-kwento ninyo sa inyong anak na maganda ang kanyang “taste in music”.

4. Always make time to talk to them, kung text, facebook, email or skype man, basta make time. Giving them your time especially since you are far away makes

Coach Pia Acevedo

them feel special. And if you give them your time, hindi ka magi-guilty na sabihing wala kang budget sa hinihingi nilang mga pabili… kasi you are present to them and you give them your precious time ☺ You might be tempted to think: “Naku ang mahal ng babayaran ko kapag mahaba ang pag-uusap namin sa telelpono!” Pero malaki ang maitutulong sa inyo ng GLOBE DUO UK! No need to rush calls to the Philippines!

Patibayin ang inyong parenting from afar by keeping in touch with your loved ones without worrying about long distance costs.

For only £17 for 30days, enjoy a “local” calling experience which is cheaper than standard IDD call rates to the Philippines.

Register on: duouk.globe.com.ph/ Ngayon maari na kayong makipagkwentuhan sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay ng mas matagal at mas madalas. Show your support through frequent and meaningful communication para kahit minsan ay kulang ang abot ninyong pera, hindinghindi ka magkukulang sa pagmamahal para sa kanila.

Nais naming patuloy kayong tulungan!

Anu-ano pa ang mga gusto ninyong matutunan mula sa amin?

Like Coach Pia Acevedo on Facebook and send us a message to ask for quick advice on making Better Life Decsions.

Coach Pia Acevedo is a top Performance Management Expert, Life Coach and author of the bestselling book, Born To Be A Hero.

She is also the CEO of The OneCORE- a global organization supporting individuals in making Better Life Decisions. Visit www. theonecore.com ■

DOJ finds probable cause to charge Tiamzon couple for illegal possession of firearms MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to charge Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew People’s Army (CPP-NPA) leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and six other suspected rebels for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

In a nine-page inquest resolution, the DOJ said there is enough evidence to charge the respondents with violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and R.A. 9561 or the Illegal Possession of Explosives Law. The DOJ gave weight to the statements of the arresting officers that the Tiamzons and their companions had in their possessions a .45-caliber pistol, a revolver, two 9-millimeter pistols, grenade, and ammunition when they were arrested.

“When required to show their authority

to possess said confiscated firearms, ammunitions and explosives, the Tiamzons failed to provide the arresting officers with their authority,” the inquest resolution said.

Through the resolution, the DOJ ordered the Philippine National Police through its Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City “to take custody of the said respondents until there is a lawful order coming from the proper courts in the province of Cebu.”

The six other individuals who were caught with the Tiamzons in Cebu on March 22 and are facing charges are Joel Enano, Rex Villaflor, Nona Castillo, Jeosi Nepa, Arlene Panea, and Jose Villaflor. They are also recommended to be charged with obstruction of justice after they allegedly tried to prevent the arrest of the Tiamzons.

Benito and Wilma are also facing multiple murder charges.

File photos of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

A warrant was issued for their arrest in connection to the discovery of a mass grave in Inopacan, Leyte by the military in 2006 containing the remains of 15 civilians, who were killed allegedly upon Benito’s order in 1985 while he was the secretary general of the CPP’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. ■ Brian Maglungsod / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 6:40 PM

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EVENTS DIARY UK & EUROPE

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VENUE

ORGANISER

2 to 4 April 2014 10:00am to 5:00pm

DATE / TIME

Maria Farrar: An Exhibition of Paintings

EVENT

Philippine Embassy, 10 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG

4 April 2014 Friday, 8:00pm 4, 5 and 6 April 2014 Friday, Saturday and Sunday 5 April 2014 Saturday, 7:00pm onwards 27 April 2014 Sunday 12:00pm – 4:00pm 2 May 2014 Friday, 5:00pm

Eraserheads

Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9QH The Dome, London / Epic, Norwich / Britannia Theatre, Chatham, Kent St. Margaret Church Centre, 22 Bolton Lane, IP4 2BT, Ipswich, UK St Mary Abbots Centre Vicarage Gate London W8 4HN Adelaides Auditorium 209 Bath Street Glasgow G2 4HZ

An exhibition of paintings by Filipino-British artist Maria Farrar. The paintings explore, among others, the paradox of realism by hiding or revealing cryptic motifs of biblical or scenes of ordinary life.

Finest Workers UK

3 May to 25 October 2014

Miss Saigon

4 May 2014 Sunday, 5:00pm - onwards 2, 10, 11, 16 & 18 May 2014 Saturday 5pm 17 May 2014 Saturday 17 May 2014 Saturday 4:00pm - onwards 7 and 8 June 2014 Saturday and Sunday 14 June 2014 Saturday 9:00am to 6:00pm 14 June 2014 Saturday, 7:00pm to 11:00pm 14 June 2014 Saturday, 9:00am to 6:00pm 15 June 2014 Sunday, 9:30am – 5:30pm 15 June 2014 Sunday 2:00pm – 11:00pm 18 June to 2 July 2014 10:00am – 5:00pm

1st Anniversary Dinner & Dance Party Ikaw at Ako naman Kim Idol & Ate Gay UK Tour 2014

21 and 22 June 2014 Saturday and Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm 24 June 2014 Saturday 6:00pm – 1:00am 28 June 2014 Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm 28 June 2014 Saturday, 08.00am to 6:00pm

Barrio Fiesta in Bristol 2014

Eastville Park, Muller Road, Eastville, Bristol BS5 6XA

FWA UK 26th Philippine National Day (PND) Dinner & Dance

The 70's Superband The OPM Hitmakers Laff Laugh Fun & Kaokrayan sa Ipswich Filipino Women’s Association (FWA) UK Salo-Salo 2014 Ikaw at ako naman!

Ate Gay and Kim Idol Live in Scotland

Side Projects Productions in association with Simply C PR & Events Mudak and Borak Filipino Women’s Association (FWA)

KMF, Edinburgh, Filipino Community in Scotland

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition CONTACTS / REMARKS Maria Farrar – maria.c.farrar@gmail.com

For tickets and inquiries: 07784 881 850 / sales@finestworkers.com Tickets and General Information: 07903 547 676 / www.sideprojects.biz For Inquiries please call: Pacific Oriental Store 0147320804 Nene Martin: 020 8997 2146 Imee Pinto: 020 8265 8368 Eleanor Templeman: 07738 873 565 Alex Pullan: 07566 585 592 / Greg Fernandez: 07449 095 895 Nimo Oliveros: 07411 643 352 / Mikee Devlin: 07411 795 337 Melba Lawrie: 07889 874 970

Prince Edward Theatre Old Compton Street London W1D 4HS Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum Hotel, 97 Cromwell Road, London SW7 4DN Scotland – May 2 / Manchester – May 10 / London – May 11 / Brighton – May 16 / Newcastle – May 18 Baden Powell House, 65 – 67 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JS St Augustine’s CE High School, Oxford Road, Kilburn, London NW6 5SN

Featuring Fil-Am Eva Noblezada as Kim and Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi

Tickets are available now from the Delfont Mackintosh Theatres

Albayanon-UK

Ticket: £28.00 – Adel Duenas 07854 114 330

KMF Events Ltd

For more details or sponsorship packages: 0787 933 1814 or 0777 544 139

Aguman Kapampangan UK

Zanie Del Mundo 07886 881 432 / zendel22@hotmail.co.uk

Camarines Sur Filipino Community UK (CSFCUK)

Morden Park, Morden, Surrey SM4 5DX

Bayanihan UK

Ticket: £12.00 including food – Arthur 07947 344 422 / Elizabeth 07584 411 180 / Kim 07980 557 467 / Rose 07712 234 984 Tess Juco 020 3417 5038 / 07956 593 236

Blaydon Rugby Club (Carboot Area), Hexham Road, Swalwell, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE16 3BN The Chartroom Restaurant / Bar, Inverkip PA16 0AS The Kassam Stadium, Grenoble Road, Oxford OX4 4XP Selby Road Leeds LS15 0AD West Wing Arts Centre Art Centre Stoke Road, Slough SL2 5AX Philippine Embassy 10 Suffolk Street London SW1Y 4HG

Filipino Community of Newcastle Upon Tyne (FILCAN)

Sally Sellars 07886 742 417 / Program: Eva Bartolome 07542 026 296 / Santacruzan: Haidee Atienza 07814 425 547

Phil-Scot Trust

Nally Carroll 01294 461 709 / Marilyn Kaarits 07805 562 450

Filipino Community of Oxfordshire

Ariel Lanada – joarielan@yahoo.com

Filipino Leeds Association (FLA-UK Limited)

Marjorie Horner: 07787 510 277

An art exhibition of multi-media installations, sculpture, paintings, founds objects by Mr Noel De Leon. It will be organized as part of the London Biennale 2014 and will be curated

by Mr. David Medalla, founder and director of The London Biennale Filipino Community in Bristol

Noel De Leon: 020 8581 3623 / 07504 999 374 Deleon.noeled@yahoo.com Website: http://www.1fmediaproject.net/2014/05/01/londonbiennale-2014/ Wil Manuel 07900 485 194 / Honeylyn 07783 343 848 / Clarence 07500 896 239 / Hilda 07909 724 653

Palace Suite, Royal Garden 2-24 Kensington High Street, London W8 4PT

Filipino Women’s Association (FWA)

Clarita Richardson (Chairman): 020 8767 0180 or 07505 91 468

1st Southampton Barrio Fiesta

Hoglands Park Southampton

Southampton Barrio Fiesta

Barrio Fiesta in Hertfordshire

King George V Park, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 3TB

29 June 2014 Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00pm 29 June 2014 Sunday

Bradford Barrio Fiesta

Lady Hill Park, Allerton, Bradford BD15 7AA

Independent Team

Nelson 07823 338 947 / Nina 07780 076 256

Barrio Fiesta Northern Ireland 2014

Hydebank Parks and Playing Fields, 19 Newtownbreda Road, Belfast BT8 6BQ

Northern Ireland Filipino Community

Roy 07412 625 738 / Malou 07850 151 678

5 and 6 July 2014 Saturday and Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm

HELLO PHILIPPINES proudly presents Hounslow Summer Festival 2014

Lampton Park, Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 4DN

HELLO PHILIPPINES

12 and 13 July 2014 Saturday and Sunday 9 August 2014 Saturday, 9:00am 17 August 2014 Sunday, 10:00am – 5:00pm 30 and 31 August 2014 Saturday and Sunday 20 September 2014 Saturday

Birmingham Barrio Fiesta 2014

Woodgate Valley County Park, Clapgate Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham, B32 3DS Queens Park Recreation Ground, 520 Langside Road, Glasgow G42 7JQ Hamilton Park Racecourse, Bothwell Road, Hamilton, Lanarkshire ML3 0DW Heaton Park, Middleton Road, Manchester M25 2SW Baden Powell House, 65 – 67 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JS

Filipino Association of Birmingham

Roselle Collado – 07577 813 104 Mike McCarthy – 07538 201 870 Email: events@hello-philippines.com Tickets & General Enquiries: 020 3004 9268 Rozen Malonzo 07985 159 203 / Marlo Quilang 07531 022 269 / Noel Azuro 07861 805 260 Alex Pullan: 07505 117 889 / 07456 658 592

Summer Disco 1 Anniversary and Search for Mr & Miss CSFCUK 2014 st

Philippine Independence Day sa Morden Independence Day sa Newcastle Celebrating 2014 – 116th Philippine Independence Party Philippine Independence Day Celebrations in Oxfordshire Barrio Fiesta in Leeds 116th Philippine Independence Day Celebration 2014 – Piyesta Ng Kalayaan London Biennale 2014: Token of a Times Gone By Reanimating History as Art in the Work of Noel De Leon

Pistahan Sa Nayon!

Barrio Fiesta in Scotland 2014 Scotland Barrio Fiesta 2014 Barrio Fiesta Manchester 2014 Mrs Philippines UK

Filipino Community in Scotland

Jane Gibbs (PND Coordinator): 01483 714 383 Kerima Harris (Deputy PND): 07795 903 419 For stalls, sponsorship and other enquiries: Paul Maspinas 07894 227 754 / Jimmy Cabotaje 07878 852 153 / Nora Zuniga 023 8023 4412 For more info contact: Joseph: 07534 711 757 / Ivy: 07428 184 063

Erik 07795 068 798 Aurora 07748 252 530 / aurobb0203@gmail.com Aguman Kapampangan UK

Zanie Del Mundo 07886 881 432 / zendel22@hotmail.co.uk

FREE LISTING of your events on the HELLO PHILIPPINES newspaper and if you know of any Events please contact us and submit your event via email to the following at INFO@HELLO-PHILIPPINES.COM DISCLAIMER: The Events Diary Listing does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Hello Philippines newspaper. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Hello Philippines newspaper. This is merely an Events Diary Listing of what is happening within the Filipino Communities in Europe. This is for general information only.

1st Sunday

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MONTHLY FILIPINO COMMUNITY MASSES IN GREATER LONDON

Five Precious Wounds Parish, Brentfield Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 8ER Mervic Monocillo – 07894 636 140 Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Friary Road, Peckham, London SE15 1RH Allen Abeleda – 07713 625 888 St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 103 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6EF Moises Espanola – 07894 648 639 English Martyrs Church, Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 9EW Becky Sarinas – 07949 857 699 / 07425 761 519 / Lina B – 07579 418 510 St Dominic Catholic Church, 243 Violet Lane, Waddon, Croydon CR0 4HN Merlie Mirto – 07722 216 462 St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, 70 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JA Feliciano Ramirez – 07733 680 748 Sacred Heart of Jesus, New Priory, Quex Road, Kilburn, London NW6 4PS Sheidrick de Leon – 07738 210 202 Blessed Sacrament Parish, 157 Copenhagen Street, Islington N1 0SR Christy Sangalang – 07709 119 969 Our Lady of Dolours, Servite Parish Church, 264 Fulham Road, London SW10 4EL Fr Allan Satur – 020 7352 6965 / fulhamroad@rcdow.org.uk Roland Adap – r_adap@hotmail.com St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 218 Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4LE Rafael Santiago – 07795 254 451 Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 20 Brixton Road, Oval, London SW9 6BU Ben Ortiz – 07723 318 486 Filipino Mass and Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit House Chapel), access on 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AY Josie Ramos – 07723 024 591

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

E-cigarettes to be regulated as medicines ELECTRONIC cigarettes are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016, it has been announced.

E-cigarettes – battery-operated devices that mimic cigarettes – are to be classed as ‘medicines’, which means they will face stringent checks by medicine regulator the MHRA and doctors will be able to prescribe them to smokers to help them cut down or quit.

This move has been widely welcomed by medical experts and officials, as tighter regulation will ensure the products are safe and effective.

Until this happens, e-cigarettes are only covered by general product safety legislation, meaning they can legally be promoted and sold to children, and we cannot be sure of their ingredients or how much nicotine they contain. The MHRA will not ban the products entirely during this interim period, but will encourage e-cigarette manufacturers to apply for a medicine licence.

Are e-cigarettes safe? We don’t really know until they have been thoroughly assessed and monitored in a large population over time. However, compared with regular cigarettes, they are certainly the lesser of two evils.

First, e-cigarettes don’t contain any tobacco – only nicotine, which is highly addictive but much less dangerous. For this reason, smoking e-cigarettes (known as ‘vaping’) is generally regarded a safer alternative to smoking for those unable or unwilling to stop using nicotine.

Also, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the liquid and vapour to contain traces of toxins, including cancer-causing chemicals nitrosamines and formaldehyde, the level of these toxins is about one thousandth of that in cigarette smoke.

We cannot be certain that these traces of toxins are harmless, but tests on animals and a small study of 40 smokers are reassuring, providing some evidence that e-cigarettes are well tolerated and only associated with mild adverse effects (slight mouth or throat irritation, a dry cough).

Public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is cautiously optimistic, concluding in its January 2013 briefing that ‘there is little evidence of harmful effects from repeated exposure to propylene glycol, the chemical in which nicotine is suspended.’

Others are more wary. Some health professionals do not recommend them because they believe the potential for harm is significant. It is worth bearing in mind that

nicotine is not altogether harmless – for example, it has been linked to anxiety – and research suggests nicotine plays a direct role in the development of blood vessel disease.

E-cigarettes are banned by other countries and by some UK schools concerned about their influence on adolescents.

What do e-cigarettes contain, and how do they work? Most e-cigarettes contain a battery, an atomiser and a replaceable cartridge. The cartridge contains nicotine in a solution of either propylene glycol or glycerine and water, and sometimes also flavourings.

When you suck on the device, a sensor detects the air flow and starts a process to heat the liquid inside the cartridge, so it evaporates to form water vapour. Inhaling this vapour delivers a hit of nicotine straight to your lungs.

Will they help me quit smoking?

We don’t yet know. The evidence so far is promising, but not strong enough to draw any firm conclusions.

A 2011 study and a 2013 survey found that e-cigarettes decreased the number of cigarettes consumed by smokers, and the survey also suggested they reduce cigarette cravings – although participants were recruited from websites of e-cigarette manufacturers, so results may not be representative.

It’s not certain whether e-cigarettes deliver as much nicotine as forms of nicotine replacement therapy such as patches, so they may not be as effective at curbing nicotine cravings.

However, they do have the advantage of looking and feeling like cigarettes: they satisfy the same hand-to-mouth action, give out a smoke-like vapour, and some even have an LED light that resembles the burning tip of a cigarette. This could be why a 2010 study found that even placebo e-cigarettes (with no nicotine) relieved the desire to smoke within the first 10 minutes of use.

If you want to try a safer alternative to cigarettes but are concerned about the uncertainties surrounding e-cigarettes, you may wish to consider a nicotine inhalator.

This licensed quit smoking aid, available on the NHS, consists of just a mouthpiece and a plastic cartridge. It’s proven to be safe, but the nicotine vapour only reaches the mouth rather than the lungs, so you don’t get the quick hit of nicotine that comes with e-cigarettes (see box below, which compares e-cigarettes with inhalators).

E-cigarettes vs nicotine inhalators

Is there any risk to others from e-cigarette vapour?

It’s not clear until more studies are done.

Research to date has not shown the vapour to be harmful – it largely consists of water.

According to ASH: “Any health risks of secondhand exposure to propylene glycol vapour are likely to be limited to irritation of the throat.” To support this, it cites a 1947 study that exposed animals to propylene glycol for 12-18 months at doses 50 to 700 times the level the animal could absorb through inhalation. Compared to animals living in a normal room atmosphere, no irritation was found, and the kidney, liver, spleen and bone marrow were all found to be normal.

What are the other concerns?

Because e-cigarettes can be smoked in public places such as bars, restaurants and public transport, some people feel they may be normalising what has come to be seen as an unacceptable activity.

Also, some argue that e-cigarettes (with their flavourings and clever marketing) are a ‘gateway to smoking’ for children and teenagers, encouraging them to smoke when they wouldn’t otherwise take up the habit.

If they’re not a gateway to smoking, they are at least a gateway to nicotine addiction.

Cancer Research UK asks whether smokers who may have otherwise successfully conquered their nicotine addiction may be more likely to stay on e-cigarettes (and thus

be addicted to nicotine) long term, if they start using them.

However, these are just theories and questions, which need to be properly researched before we can jump to any conclusions, and their potential influence on children will hopefully not be an issue when e-cigarettes are tightly regulated as a medicine.

Where do I buy e-cigarettes, and how much do they cost? E-cigarettes are widely available online and from newsagents, supermarkets and even some pharmacies.

They are currently not available on the NHS. A single disposable e-cigarette costs about £6. A starter kit costs anything from £17 to £90 (many retail at around £35£45). For this, you typically get a battery, a charger and two or more replaceable cartridges containing nicotine. When the cartridges run out, a four-pack of refills will cost you £10-£17. In all, they are estimated to be 20% cheaper than cigarettes (this may be an underestimate).

How long do they last? E-cigarette manufacturers say that a refill cartridge is equivalent to anything from seven to 25 regular cigarettes, depending on its nicotine content – but these may be overestimates, and its duration obviously depends on how heavily you use the device. The battery is said to last between two and five hours. ■ NHS Choices

DIY vaping Some vapers build their own e-cigarettes—known as ‘rebuildables’ or ‘personal vapourisers’ (PVs). These can be from components ordered online and many vapers even make their own cartdrige fluid (‘juice’).

The same safety issues apply to this form of vaping, but it generally works out to be cheaper than buying the sophisticated kits and disposable devices that closely mimic cigarettes (‘cig-a-likes’).

Effect of an electronic nicotine delivery device (e-Cigarette)on smoking reduction and cessation: a prospective 6-month pilot study ABSTRACT Background. Cigarette smoking is a tough addiction to break. Therefore, improved approaches to smoking cessation are necessary. The electronic-cigarette (e-Cigarette), a battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery device (ENDD) resembling a cigarette, may help smokers to remain abstinent during their quit attempt or to reduce cigarette consumption. Efficacy and safety of these devices in long-term smoking cessation and/or smoking reduction studies have never been investigated.

Methods. In this prospective proofof-concept study we monitored possible modifications in smoking habits of 40 regular smokers (unwilling to quit) experimenting the ‘Categoria’ e-Cigarette with a focus on smoking reduction and

smoking abstinence. Study participants were invited to attend a total of five study visits: at baseline, week-4, week-8, week12 and week-24. Product use, number of cigarettes smoked, and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels were measured at each visit. Smoking reduction and abstinence rates were calculated. Adverse events and product preferences were also reviewed.

Results. Sustained 50% reduction in the number of cig/day at week-24 was shown in 13/40(32.5%) participants; their median of 25 cigs/day decreasing to 6 cigs/day (p < 0.001). Sustained 80% reduction was shown in 5/40(12.5%) participants; their median of 30 cigs/day decreasing to 3 cigs/day (p = 0.043). Sustained smoking abstinence at week-24 was observed in

9/40(22.5%) participants, with 6/9 still using the e-Cigarette by the end of the study. Combined sustained 50% reduction and smoking abstinence was shown in 22/40 (55%) participants, with an overall 88% fall in cigs/day. Mouth (20.6%) and throat (32.4%) irritation, and dry cough (32.4%) were common, but diminished substantially by week-24. Overall, 2 to 3 cartridges/day were used throughout the study. Participants’ perception and acceptance of the product was good.

Conclusion. The use of e-Cigarette substantially decreased cigarette consumption without causing significant side effects in smokers not intending to quit.

■ Riccardo Polosa, Pasquale Caponnetto, Jaymin B

Morjaria, Gabriella Papale, Davide Campagna and Cristina Russo

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HEALTH and Lifestyle

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

to as ‘vaping’. The market for e-cigarettes has been increasing every year since their introduction in 2004, with 3.5 million sold in 2012.

There is currently said to be a lack of trial data on e-cigarettes, though three published studies have suggested they can provide moderate relief of craving and withdrawal symptoms.

Much more research is also said to be needed on the nature of e-cigarette use, including: • who uses them • how effective they are for quitting/ harm reduction • how safe they are • how addictive they are The current study is a cross sectional survey which aims to characterise the use of e-cigarettes and their effects in a sample of users of the Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) and Totally Wicked E-Liquid (TWEL) brands. These two brands are widely used in the UK. The survey recruited participants via the brands’ websites and was hosted on the University of East London’s website.

As a cross sectional sample of a specific population group, this study is a start for research into these products, but can only tell us the experiences of people, who chose to take part in the survey, at one point in time.

It cannot reliably tell us how effective e-cigarettes are in helping smokers to quit nicotine or smoking, or whether e-cigarettes are a better alternative to ‘traditional’ nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) such as patches or gum.

What did the research involve?

People were recruited from the TECC and TWEL websites and online survey data was collected between September 2011 and May 2012. The questionnaires were completed by 1,347 people from 33 countries (72% European). They had an average age of 43 years, 70% were male and 96% were of white ethnic origin.

The questionnaire was described as taking 15-20 minutes and covered six areas: Demographic details • age • gender • ethnicity • education • country Current smoking status • current smoker • ex-smoker • never-smoker (fewer than 20 cigarettes in your lifetime) Pattern of tobacco smoking. This was assessed using a validated ‘checklist’, designed to assess levels of cigarette dependence, known as the Fagerström Test of Cigarette Dependence (FTCD).

This involves questions such as “How soon after waking do you/did you smoke your first cigarette?” and “Do you find it difficult to refrain from smoking in places where it is forbidden?”

Similar adapted questions were used for ex-smokers, who were also asked about the length of time since stopping.

Pattern of e-cigarette use Including: • length of use

some aspects, such as type of e-cigarettes used (for example, women preferring chocolate/sweet flavours), there were no differences in their responses on reasons for use or the effects.

Fewer than 16% of all participants reported any adverse effect of e-cigarettes.

The most common was throat irritation.

How did the researchers interpret the results? The researchers conclude that e-cigarettes are used primarily as an alternative to smoking and that most found that e-cigarette use has helped reduce their craving and substantially reduce their tobacco use. Most users also found them satisfying to use and believe them to be safer and healthier than smoking.

Conclusion. This cross sectional survey of 1,347 people who were recruited via the Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) and Totally Wicked E-Liquid (TWEL) brands’ websites – the two brands most widely used in the UK – finds an overall positive experience on the use of e-cigarettes.

The majority of the sample had started using the e-cigarette as an alternative to smoking, a smaller number used them to help them quit smoking.

Three-quarters of the sample said that it had been several weeks to months since their last cigarette, 91% said that use of the e-cigarette had ‘substantially decreased’ their craving for tobacco cigarettes, and 70% didn’t have as much of an urge to smoke.

These are positive results for the marketers of e-cigarettes, but the most important thing to remember is that this is a cross sectional sample that can only tell us the experiences of a specific population group – people who were recruited from two e-cigarette brand websites.

As they were already using e-cigarettes and chose to take part in the survey it is possible that this sample is overrepresentative of people who have found e-cigarettes to be beneficial.

We do not know what the experiences and effectiveness would be in a wider sample of smokers from the general population who tried e-cigarettes.

Overall, the study reports on the positive experiences of a large sample of users but no conclusions on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in helping smokers to quit can be made from this study. This is not to say that e-cigarettes are ineffective, but rather, the study in question cannot provide a definitive answer one way or the other.

The best way to evaluate the effectiveness of e-cigarettes would be to conduct a randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of e-cigarettes with a sham alternative. However, it is likely to be difficult to blind such a trial, meaning that people would be aware whether they were using the e-cigarette or not which would be a limitation of such a trial.

An alternative that would help to shed more light on this issue would be a carefully conducted cohort study which followed people using the e-cigarette over time to see how many of them were successfully able to quit, and what other things were associated with success (such as number or prior quit attempts, duration of past smoking habit, etc). ■ NHS Choices

E-cigarette ‘vapers’ using them to quit smoking “ELECTRONIC cigarettes have helped almost nine out of ten smokers quit tobacco completely” the Metro reports. The claim is based on the results of an online survey on e-cigarette use and their effects on tobacco consumption.

The survey’s participants were mainly recruited via the websites of two leading manufactures of e-cigarettes.

The survey responses report an overall positive experience of e-cigarettes, for example: • 75% of the sample said it had been several weeks or months since their last cigarette • 91% said that use of the e-cigarette had ‘substantially decreased’ their craving for tobacco cigarettes • 70% didn’t have as much of an urge to smoke A significant limitation to the study is that the survey was self-selecting; people using the brand’s websites chose to take part.

It could be the case that people with a positive experience of using e-cigarettes were more likely to take part than people with negative experiences. So the results may not be representative. Also, the study did not assess whether these people actually quit smoking as a result of e-cigarette use.

This means the results cannot be compared to the effectiveness of stopsmoking treatments that have been properly tested and does not prove that e-cigarettes are an effective method of helping people to quit smoking.

Further research comparing e-cigarettes with other forms of ‘quitting tools’ (such as nicotine patches) in the form of a large randomised controlled trial or cohort study is required.

Where did the story come from? The study was a cross-sectional survey carried out by researchers from the University of East London and was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Addiction.

The study received no sources of financial support.

The Metro’s headline that ‘Electronic cigarettes ‘help nine out of ten smokers quit tobacco completely’ appears to have been wrongly interpreted from the results of the survey.

While 91% of respondents said that use of the e-cigarette had ‘substantially decreased’ their craving for tobacco, a reduction in craving, while helpful, does not necessarily mean a person has successfully stopped smoking.

The Metro also failed to highlight the inherent limitation of the study (which the researchers flagged up in their conclusion). That is, a cross sectional selfselecting survey, such as this, is unable to provide evidence on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for helping smokers to quit.

What kind of research was this?

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that deliver variable quantities of nicotine via inhaled vapour. The process of smoking an e-cigarette mimics smoking a tobacco cigarette and is sometimes referred

• product and cartridge type • strength and preferred flavours • amount used (in ml and puffs; where participants indicated a range, maximum daily use was used) • reasons for use (such as a complete or partial alternative to smoking) • dependence on the e-cigarette and attempts to cut down use Personal experience of e-cigarette use Including: • satisfaction and ‘hit’ • acceptability by others • taste • effects on craving • impact on smoking behaviour • respiratory effects • whether a person experienced any side effects when using an e-cigarette Results were analysed separately for the full sample (which included four never-smokers who used the e-cigarette), and separately for ex-smokers (1,123) and current smokers (218), and for males (897) and females (390).

What were the basic results? A total of 1,347 participants (98% of the sample) had filled in enough survey data to be used in the analysis. Average duration of e-cigarette use was 10 months.

Most people heard about the e-cigarette from the internet, followed by personal contacts. Almost half the respondents (49%) used the e-cigarette within six to 30 minutes of waking and 23% used within five minutes of waking. Ex-smokers reported using the e-cigarette sooner after waking than current smokers, used higher amounts daily, and had also been using the e-cigarette for longer.

Over half of all respondents (56%) replied ‘yes’ to the question ‘Do you use the e-cigarette in the same manner as cigarettes?’. Seventy-six percent of the whole sample reported that they had started using the e-cigarette as a complete alternative to smoking, and 22% stated ‘other reasons’, which included to quit smoking and for health reasons.

Three-quarters of the whole sample said that they had not smoked for several weeks to months since using the e-cigarette and 14% said their cigarette use had dramatically decreased (with ex-smokers answering more affirmatively to these questions). The majority (91%) said that use of the e-cigarette had ‘substantially decreased’ their craving for tobacco cigarettes. Seventy percent said they don’t have the urge to smoke so much anymore.

Overall satisfaction with the product was high, with the majority of the sample reporting that e-cigarette use feels healthier to them and has helped their breathing.

Though males and females differed in

24

www.hello-philippines.com

HEALTH and Lifestyle food

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Is sugar causing the obesity ‘epidemic’ SUGAR hit the headlines last week when the Daily Mail and The Independent led with the quote “Sugar is the new tobacco”. Many news outlets focused on a reported link between high sugar consumption and the rise in obesity and diabetes.

The reports stem from the newly formed campaign group Action on Sugar, whose well-timed press release coincides with New Year’s resolutions and January diet crazes.

Action on Sugar warns that as well as being “a major cause of obesity”, there is “increasing evidence that added sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver”.

In a separate story, several newspapers also highlighted an expert’s perhaps surprising opinion that fruit juice contains so much sugar that it should no longer count as one of the 5 A DAY portions of fruit and vegetables.

“I would support taking it out of the 5 A DAY guidance,” Professor Susan Jebb is quoted as saying.

“Fruit juice isn’t the same as intact fruit and it has got as much sugar as many classical sugar drinks,” she said.

What is Action on Sugar? Action on Sugar is a group of specialists concerned with sugar and its effects on health. It says it is working to reach a consensus with the food industry and the government over: • the harmful effects of a high-sugar diet

• reducing the amount of sugar in processed foods It stresses the importance of protecting children from this “public health hazard” and calls for the food industry to “immediately reduce the amount of sugar that they are adding, particularly to children’s foods, and stop targeting children with massive advertising for high-calorie snacks and soft drinks”.

Action on Sugar is supported by 18 expert advisers. Its chairman is Professor Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Wolfson Institute, Queen Mary University of London. Professor MacGregor also chairs Consensus Action on Salt and Health.

What is Action on Sugar calling for?

Action on Sugar believes the link between calories and obesity is caused in part by high sugar consumption, and that not enough is being done to tackle what they call “the obesity and diabetes epidemic”.

It says that the right approach is to “target the huge and unnecessary amounts of sugar that are currently being added to our food and soft drinks”. It highlights the work that is already being carried out by food manufacturers to reduce the amount of salt that is added to processed foods.

Salt intake is estimated to have fallen in the UK by 15% (between 2001-2011) and the salt contained in most products in the supermarkets has been reduced by

“Sugar is the new tobacco.

Everywhere, sugary drinks and junk foods are now pressed on unsuspecting parents and children by a cynical industry focused on profit not health.”

—Professor Capewell

20-40%. This is calculated to have led to at least 6,000 fewer strokes and heart attack deaths a year, and a reported healthcare saving cost of £1.5billion, according to Action on Sugar.

Action on Sugar says that a similar programme can be developed to gradually reduce the amount of added sugar in food and soft drinks (with no substitution for alternative sweeteners or sugars) by setting targets for foods and soft drinks.

Action on Sugar has calculated that a 2030% reduction in sugar added by the food industry over the next three to five years is “easily achievable”. This, they say, would result in a reduction in calorie intake of approximately 100kcal (420kilojoules) a day for everyone and more in those people who are particularly prone to obesity.

Professor Graham MacGregor said: “We must start a coherent and structured plan to slowly reduce the amount of calories people consume by slowly taking out added sugar from foods and soft drinks. This is a simple plan which gives a level playing field to the food industry, and must be adopted by the Department of Health to reduce the completely unnecessary and very large amounts of sugar the food and soft drink industry is currently adding to our foods.”

How did critics receive Action on Sugar’s claims? The organisation Sugar Nutrition UK has rejected Action on Sugar’s claims, saying that they “are not supported by the consensus of scientific evidence”.

Sugar Nutrition UK cites a review on sugar and obesity published in 2013 and funded by the World Health Organization, which they say concluded that “any link to body weight was due to overconsumption of calories and was not specific to sugars”.

Sugar Nutrition UK, which is largely funded by sugar manufacturers, also disagrees that reducing the amount of sugar in foods will always result in a reduction of calories. “In most cases the sugar will need to be replaced by another ingredient and the reformulated recipes can contain more calories than the original,” it says.

It also argues that, “the balance of available evidence does not implicate sugar in any of the so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’, such as diabetes”.

Is sugar really “as harmful as tobacco”? The headlines comparing sugar to tobacco were prompted by a quote from Simon Capewell, professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, in Action on Sugar’s press release.

Professor Capewell said: “Sugar is the new tobacco. Everywhere, sugary drinks and junk foods are now pressed on unsuspecting parents and children by a cynical industry focused on profit not health.”

The Times subsequently quoted Tam Fry, a spokesman for the National Obesity Forum and a non-medical adviser to Action on Sugar, as saying that while tobacco was still a bigger danger it was now a “close-run thing” and that Britain was falling behind the US in improving diets.

However, there is more than one factor associated with Britain’s obesity problem, so the comparison to tobacco is not particularly helpful. Unlike tobacco, it is possible to consume moderate amounts of

There are as many as seven cubes of sugar in a can of cola

sugar within a healthy balanced diet.

Most people in the UK eat too much sugar, and much of this sugar is hidden in the foods we eat. According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), added sugar is not necessary for a healthy diet. Many foods that contain added sugars also contain lots of calories, but often have few other nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. Eating too many of these foods often can contribute to you becoming overweight.

Being overweight can increase your risk of health conditions such as: • heart disease • type 2 diabetes However, the BDA also states that “there does not seem to be any evidence that sugar itself causes type 2 diabetes at present”.

How much sugar can we safely eat?

Sugar is added to many foods such as sweets, chocolate, cakes and some fizzy and juice drinks, often in surprisingly large quantities (sometimes this added sugar is in the form of honey or fruit juice). For example, a can of cola drink has as much as 35g of added sugar in it (the equivalent of about seven sugar cubes).

The government recommends that added sugars shouldn’t make up more than 10% of the energy (calorie intake) you get from food and drink each day. This is a maximum of around 70g for men and 50g for women but it varies depending on your size, your age and how active you are.

Food labels will give you the total amount of sugars in the food. This includes naturally occurring sugar found in foods such as milk and fruit, which form part of a healthy balanced diet. Sometimes the food label may say “No added sugar”, but otherwise you can tell if the food contains lots of added sugars by checking the ingredients list on the food label. Types of sugar to look out for include glucose, sucrose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and honey.

According to the BDA, small amounts of sugar used to sweeten foods are “quite harmless” if limited to mealtimes only. It’s the overall amount of sugar and the number of times sweet foods are eaten and drunk that counts.

The government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently

reviewing advice on sugar intake as part of a wider review of carbohydrates and health.

Is fruit juice too sugary to count as one of your 5 A DAY? Although some brands of fruit juice do contain added sugar, the current government advice is that one glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice counts as one of your 5 A DAY due to the vitamins and minerals it provides.

However, juice only ever counts as a maximum of one portion a day, even if you drink more than one glass. This is mainly because it contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it’s a good idea to limit the amount of fruit juice you drink. Ideally, your 5 A DAY target should be made up of a balanced variety of fruit and vegetables.

The BDA advises that if you want to drink fruit juice, it is best to have this at mealtimes only. It’s fine to eat fresh fruit as a snack between meals it says, but the ‘free’ acid and sugars in pure fruit juices can damage teeth. Water or milk is the best choice of drink between meals.

What is the government doing currently to tackle obesity? In 2011, the Department of Health published a report on obesity in England that emphasised the importance of reducing calorie consumption, alongside increased levels of physical activity. It included a calorie reduction challenge with the aim of cutting our national energy intake by 5 billion calories (kcal) a day.

Since then the government has encouraged food manufacturers to sign up to a range of pledges as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal. As well as the afore-mentioned reduction in salt targets, there is also a pledge to reduce the number of calories in food. The work to cut down calories in food involves: • reformulating products and menus • reviewing portion sizes • educating the public about calories • marketing lower-calorie options This led to brands such as Lucozade and Ribena pledging to cut the calories and sugar in their drinks by up to 10 per cent.

Public Health England’s Change4Life campaign has recently launched its national Smart Swaps campaign to encourage the public to cut excess calories, fat and sugar from their diets. ■ NHS Choices

26

www.hello-philippines.com

CELEBRITY, SHOWBIZ & ENTERTAINMENT SCOOP

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Bachelor’s degree for Kapuso Prime Bachelor THE long wait is over for Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes as his hard work has finally paid off upon receiving his college diploma with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Marketing from the West Negros University in Bacolod City, Philippines last Sunday (March 23).

Dingdong also received a special citation for being their batch’s Ambassador of Goodwill. Despite his busy schedule in showbiz, Dingdong still managed to give priority to his studies. The momentous event of his life was witnessed by his parents Sixto Z. Dantes and Ma. Angelita G. Dantes, his uncles Col. Edgar Dantes and Commodore

Herby Escutin, his bestfriend Harvey Camposano, and his girlfriend and Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera.

“Alam mo, you really need to manage your time well. When you’re given assignments, kailangan matuto ka ring mag-sacrifice at mag-balanse kung alin ang dapat i-prioritize. Education is the solution. It is not enough to know what your goal is, you must know how to chase it – and chase it real damn well,” said Dingdong.

After his graduation, Dingdong plans to pursue the “One Chair, One Child” project of his Yes Pinoy Foundation and Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc. This aims to provide chairs to all students of a school

in Iloilo City that was greatly affected by Typhoon Yolanda last year.

Aside from his Yes Pinoy project, the Kapuso Primetime King also gears up for his return on Primetime TV via Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real with Diamond Star Maricel Soriano and Kapuso Premier Drama Actress Lovi Poe soon. Ang Dalawang Ms. Real can be seen worldwide on GMA’s flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV. “It is a dream come true for me to finally work with the Diamond Star and the opportunity to work with an award-winning actress like Lovi Poe on television. The combination of these two women makes my job more engaging as an actor,” he noted. ■

GMA Kapuso Foundation turns over 60 houses to Sendong victims in Iligan

GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF), in collaboration with the city government of Iligan, completed the second phase of its Kapuso Village in Purok Tubaran, Barangay Mandulog, Iligan City as it turned over 60 composite type row houses to displaced victims of typhoon Sendong.

The turnover ceremony for phase II was conducted last February 21 and led by GMAKF Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Mel C. Tiangco, along with Barangay Mandulog Punong Barangay Abungal P. Cauntongan, Al Haj, and Iligan City Mayor Celso G. Regencia.

GMA Kapuso Foundation EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangco hands over the certificates of award to the beneficiaries of the second phase of GMAKF’s Kapuso Village housing project in Iligan City.

Beneficiaries of the project were also present to witness the ceremony.

Chosen by the Kapuso Village Housing Committee composed of representatives from GMAKF, the City Social Welfare and Development, Housing and Resettlement office, City Mayor’s Office, and barangay

GMAKF EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangco (center) leads the ribbon-cutting at the turnover ceremony for the Kapuso Village Phase II in Iligan City, flanked by Iligan City Mayor Hon. Celso G. Regencia (left) and Barangay Mandulog Punong Barangay Abungal P. Cauntongan, Al Haj (right).

council, the beneficiaries are primarily those whose houses were completely destroyed by the typhoon.

The turnover marks the completion of the 180-unit housing project in the city.

Phase I of the project, composed of 120 units in Purok 17, Barangay Mandulog was turned over last April 2013.

Each unit is typically designed with a fiber-cement board ceiling, a paved front deck, toilet and bath, a paved laundry area, and provisions for bedroom, living, dining and kitchen facilities. The units were also supplied with home appliances donated by Hanabishi.

A community tree-planting was also held on the same day, with staff and volunteers from GMAKF, Phase 1 and Phase 2 beneficiaries, and members of the barangay council planting 350 seedlings along the riverbank near the resettlement area.

GMAKF has had numerous rehabilitation projects in the city to

address the devastation left by typhoon Sendong. Among these are the construction of a 10-classroom school building in Mandulog Elementary School, and the drilling and installation of a deepwell water facility in Sitio Cabaro, and a Jet-matic handpump in Purok 6, both in Barangay Upper Hinaplanon.

Another 2-classroom structure was also erected in the Deus Caritas Village Phase II in Barangay Upper Tominobo, Iligan City.

For details on GMA Kapuso Foundation programs, projects and donation procedures, visit the website www. gmanetwork.com/kapusofoundation. Catch the latest updates on Kapuso programs, events and artists through the website www. gmanetwork.com/international, Facebook pages www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, www.facebook.com/gmalifetv, and www. facebook.com/gmanewsinternational, and Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV and @GMA_ LifeTV. ■

It was also her training in college that developed her desire to be a pilot, a dream she’s temporarily putting on hold for her showbiz career.

Asked about what will the viewers remember and like about her, she said that it’s her honesty, both to the audiences and herself. “I think if magiging totoo lang kami sa sarili namin, mas magugustuhan kami ng mga tao,” she said.

Aside from her involvement with Artist Center, Arianne is also in the process of putting up her own restaurant, which will open next month.

James Wright: The balladeer heartthrob. Unlike the four previous artists who are more focused on acting, James leans more towards the musical side. A newbie in the industry, he was blessed with the project of singing Ikaw Lang, the theme song of the GMA Telebabad show Carmela.

Born in Australia and raised in Hong Kong, this balladeer shared that he composed his first song when he was 3 years old, and he also started playing the guitar at a young age even if he had the chords all wrong.

He’s also willing to explore the acting side of showbiz... eventually, when he gets a grip of the Filipino language.

“Obviously, I’m really white and I don’t look Filipino at all,” he said. However, he said that he’s willing to learn and is very adjustable.

“I am so willing, and ‘yung passion and yung desire to be the best is there,” he said. He uses the Kapuso tagline ‘Puso ang Una,’ as a guide to the new career he’s taking on. “That’s what we’ll give you guys—our hearts and our minds,” he added. ■ Meryl Ligunas and Elisa Aquino /

Getting to know the new faces of GMA Artist Center SHOW business is not the easiest industry to be part of, and the new faces of GMA Artist Center can testify to that this early. With their first few exposures as stars, their biggest challenge is to be remembered so that they can eventually make their mark.

The task is turning out to be more fun, rather than strenuous for Stephanie, Kenneth, Nicole, Arianne and James.

Coming from different backgrounds and hailing from different parts of the world, they brave their way into showbiz with the hope of making their dreams come true.

Stephanie Sol: The athletic philanthropist. This mountain-climbing enthusiast admits that her body structure isn’t the typical type you see among today’s stars. However, she embraces her being sporty and says that this adds to her uniqueness, a quality that can set her apart from all the other new stars of today.

“Showbiz ‘di ba, [has a] stereotype na kailangan sexy or payat. I want to deviate from that [and show that] you can look athletic and at the same time, feminine,” she said.

For Steph, showbiz can help her reach her goal of being a philanthropist. “I want to use this blessing for a better cause,” she noted. She lauded how Primetime King and Queen Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera used their successful careers in putting up a foundation and helping as many people as they could.

Little by little, Steph does her share in whatever extent she is capable of. During her birthdays, she has advocacy projects like going to a reading center or spearheading a fashion show that showcases clothes made from recyclable materials.

Kenneth Paul Cruz: The bubbly boynext-door. The funny boy from Pateros was first seen by most in a fast food commercial.

As he joins the pool of talents of GMA, he remains to be the boy-next-door no one is intimidated by or hesitant to approach.

He loves eating and is naturally hilarious, according to his Artist Center batch mates.

His friends also said that appearing on television hasn’t changed him one bit. “[Sabi nila], ‘uy, hanggang ngayon, laman ka pa rin ng kalsada kahit ganyan ka na,’” he shared. Kenneth Paul still enjoys hanging out with his friends and strolling around his area. “Palagi lang kami [nagha-hangout]…

Lahat ng tao sa paligid ko, sobrang kaibigan ko talaga,” he added.

This fun image, though, is complemented with a serious side as he expressed his commitment to prove that he deserves the break given to him. “Nachachallenge kami na mapantayan [‘yung ibang stars]. So syempre kami, bago lang kami so ipapakilala talaga namin ang sarili namin,” he said.

Nicole Donesa: The balikbayan beauty queen. Nineteen-year-old Nicole, although a pure Filipina, grew up in San Francisco.

She flew home to Manila in 2012 for college where she started doing VTR auditions.

This also paved the way for her to meet the person who encouraged her to apply for Bb. Pilipinas, where she got to be part of the golden batch.

Although she didn’t bring home the crown, it was there where she got discovered by a talent scout of GMA Artist Center.

Nicole still wants to pursue her dreams of being a beauty queen, but meanwhile, she’s focusing on her other dream of being an actress.

For Nicole, her dreams are starting to come true and she won’t waste this opportunity given to her. “I [am] motivated and determined [in] improving myself even more, and to mold more of my talents pagdating sa pagkanta, pag-arte, pagsayaw. Gusto ko talaga mag-aral para magustuhan ako ng mga tao at mahalin nila ako,” she declared.

Arianne Bautista: The smart sweetheart. Arianne is no stranger to the spotlight as she has already modeled for several events and has done quite a number of commercials. She balanced those with her studies, which she made sure she took well care of.

She was even active in school activities as she joined the student council during her younger years. Her efforts were not in vain as she graduated with a degree in BS Tourism in the University of Santo Tomas.

GMANetwork.com / March 26, 2014 / 7:14 PM

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Pauleen Luna: ‘I just nurture what I have’ WE love her at noon, but get annoyed by her later in the day. We see two sides of Pauleen Luna everyday, as she is one of the hosts of the longest-running noontime show Eat Bulaga and plays the much-hated Tessa in The Borrowed Wife on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Pauleen is thankful to be part of Eat Bulaga because it’s where people see her wacky and joyful side.

“Nakikita nila yung totoong personality ko dun, na hindi naman talaga ako mataray kaya siguro hindi nila ako mahate full-on… I’m very thankful [sa] Eat Bulaga kasi para siyang ice breaker eh.

Hindi nila nakikita na nagtataray lang ako sa teleserye, nakikita din nila yung totoo kong personality,” she said.

The actress has also familiarized herself with the nature of being a kontrabida. She has trained herself to release the strict and mean vibe that the roles entail so it wouldn’t affect her mood when the cameras stop rolling.

“Sa dalas ko na ring mag-kontrabida, natuto na rin ako to let go of it right away kasi kung hindi, ang hirap. [Baka] nasa bahay na ako, nagtataray pa rin ako,” she shared, laughing.

The 25-year-old actress/host is given kontrabida roles every so often. Does she want to play the lead role, for a change?

“Lahat naman siguro ng artista… gusto nilang mag-bida, [but] of course

I’m very blessed na dire-diretso ‘yung trabaho ko bilang isang kontrabida and I just nurture what I have, and ginagalingan ko na lang kung ano ‘yung ibinibigay sa akin because it’s not every day we’re given a chance na mabigyan ng ganitong klaseng trabaho,” she declared.

She described her current project, The Borrowed Wife, as a breeze because of the work ethic of her co-stars Rafael Rosell, TJ Trinidad and Camille Prats. “They’re very laid back. Mababait sila… Kaya sa taping, masaya lang kami. Nagchichikahan lang kami palagi. At saka ang pinakamaganda sa amin, walang may attitude so mabilis ang trabaho” she said.

Catch Pauleen as the cunning and jealous Tessa in The Borrowed Wife, weekdays on GMA Afternoon Prime. ■ Meryl Ligunas and Bochic Estrada / GMANetwork.com / March 26, 2014 / 3:57 PM

‘Frozen’ hits sales high note, holds throne on top of Billboard

Idina Menzel performs ‘Let it Go’, the Oscar-winning theme song from ‘Frozen’, at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014.

LOS ANGELES – The soundtrack to Disney’s “Frozen” showed no signs of slowing down four months after its release, as sales for the album hit a high note and held the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday.

“Frozen,” which features the Oscarwinning song “Let It Go,” sold 202,000 copies last week according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, its biggest sales week since its November 25 release.

“Frozen,” the Oscar-winning animated tale of two Nordic princess sisters who must save their kingdom from an eternal winter, has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide at the film box office. The spike in sales of its soundtrack was spurred by the release of the film on DVD. Six new debuts entered the top ten

of the Billboard 200 chart this week, led by rapper YG’s “My Krazy Life” at No. 2 with sales of 61,000. Alt-rockers Foster the People debuted its latest record “Supermodel” at No. 3, electronic music DJ Skrillex came in at No. 4 with “Recess” and grunge rockers The Pretty Reckless notched No. 5 with “Going to Hell.”

Latin pop crooner Enrique Iglesias’ latest studio album “Sex and Love” clocked in at No. 8 in its opening week, while rockers Taking Back Sunday rounded out the top ten with “Happiness Is.” For the week ending March 23, overall album sales totaled 4.7 million, Billboard said, down 22 percent from the comparable sales week in 2013. ■ Piya Sinha-Roy / March 27, 2014 / 8:58 AM

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Give Me Five: Phytos Ramirez, gustong mag-ala-Robin Padilla A new love team called “PhyJoy” has emerged when new Kapuso actor Phytos Ramirez was paired with Joyce Ching in Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw. A newbie in the Kapuso network, Phytos went through several auditions and screen tests to get his first role as Brix in the Telebabad show.

Aside from his current love team Joyce and the cast of Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw, who else does Phytos want to work with in the future?

Find out his answers and more in this edition of “Give Me Five.”

GIVE ME FIVE travel destinations.

Czech Republic, Cyprus, USA, Italy, Hong Kong.

GIVE ME FIVE things you do before you sleep. Kain ng dinner, shower, toothbrush,

chika, and then pray.

GIVE ME FIVE actors you want to work with: Dingdong Dantes, Lorna Tolentino, Sarah Lahbati, Kris Bernal, and Marian Rivera.

GIVE ME FIVE roles you want to portray.

Batang ama, hero, gusto ko ‘yung may multiple personalities, gusto ko ‘yung heavy drama, and action mala-Robin Padilla.

GIVE ME FIVE things we don’t know about you. I do CrossFit. Sobrang mahilig akong mag-joke kahit walang kuwenta na joke. Basta may maisip akong joke, ijo-joke ko siya kahit kanino. Isa sa pinaka-weird yung tititigan lang kita then I’m trying to read your mind. Isa pa yung bigla-bigla na lang akong mag-e-emote. Siguro ‘yung pinaka-

weird talagang ginawa ko [ay noong] kasama ko yung friend ko [at] nagsigawan kami sa mall. Tapos nakaturo lang ako sa taas then may mga guard na lumapit tapos nang tumingin sila sa taas at saka kami tumakbo.

Catch Phytos Ramirez in Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw, weekdays after GMA Sinebabad on GMA Telebabad. ■ March 26, 2014 / 3:10 PM

Kris Aquino declines indie project with Derek Ramsay KRIS Aquino has turned down an offer to star in an independent film opposite TV5 hunk Derek Ramsay due to a conflict of schedule, the ABS-CBN actress and host revealed on Instagram on Tuesday.

She passed on the project with regrets because she considered it “a worthwhile challenge” and thought “the script was superb”.

“I was offered a beautiful, moving and powerful material for an indie film slated to join the Barcelona Film Festival,” Kris said of “Maratabat”, to be directed by veteran broadcast journalist Arlyn de la Cruz.

“Over the weekend,@ramsayderek11 called me because he had spoken with Ms Arlyn, and he loved her pitch and wanted to connect us…,” she added in the post which came with a photo of the screenplay’s cover page.

Kris said she and her manager, fellow ABS-CBN host Boy Abunda, met with Arlyn Monday night.

“Unfortunately the movie’s production timing is immediate, and there’s no way to juggle my schedule to make shooting possible… I am extremely grateful to have been considered, and it would have been memorable to share the screen with Derek… Hopefully another opportunity will come. Best of luck to Maratabat!” she said.

Last year, Kris seriously considered an offer from director Jun Lana to star in his independent film “Barber’s Tales” (Kuwentong Barbero). She declined because “it required me to shave my head”.

The role went to Eugene Domingo, who won Best Actress at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival for her performance.

Last Friday, Kris raised many eyebrows when she posted on Instagram a picture of herself and Derek having drinks at a restaurant.

Kris Aquino and Derek Ramsay.

Derek — a persona non grata at ABS-CBNafter leaving the network in 2012 against management’s wishes — retweeted the post, which had been captioned thus: “You are the funniest.

Nice catching up with you.”

Both Kris and Derek have since deleted the post on their respective Instagram feeds.

Maja Salvador bares bikini body on magazine cover

FOR the first time in her career, Maja Salvador has posed in a bikini for a magazine cover. And she chose to do it for a men’s magazine that normally features a male model on the cover — Men’s Health Philippines.

The 25-year-old actress graces the magazine’s April 2014 issue wearing a blue bikini that offers a peek of her cleavage despite an attempt to cloak her top with a white button-down shirt.

The same issue has an alternate cover with actor JC de Vera posing half-naked.

On Monday, Maja launched her first music album called “Maja Believe”. She got the media and her fans buzzing when she told reporters she was optimistic about a reconciliation with her former close friend Kim Chiu.

Kim, however, responded with a dismissive tweet, which she immediately deleted.

The two ABS-CBN actresses had a falling out last year after Maja started dating Kim’s ex-boyfriend, actor Gerald Anderson. ■ InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 1:44 PM

According to a blog post on Muslim royal culture by Princess Maleiha Bajunaid Candao, “Maratabat is a Maguindanaon or a Maranao term that means ‘family honor’ or ‘family pride’. It is the core of all family value systems in the Muslimdominated provinces of Mindanao.” ■ InterAksyon.com / March 25, 2014 / 11:24 AM

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April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Third-time contestant from North Cotabato crowned Miss Universe-Philippines 2014

AS clichéd as it sounds, the third time turned out to be a charm for Mary Jean Lastimosa.

The 26-year-old native of Tulunan, North Cotabato finally won the Miss PhilippinesUniverse crown that she has coveted since she first joined the pageant in 2011 and finished as second runner-up.

After making it as far as the semifinals in her second attempt in 2012, Lastimosa traveled to Brazil to gain more training in

modeling and beauty pageants before returning to the country to give the Bb. Pilipinas pageant another shot. This time, she was more than ready.

“I’m releasing everything, all the past experiences that I’ve had and I’m treating this pageant as a totally new experience for me to show the new MJ,” she told InterAksyon in a pre-pageant interview.

The new MJ looks like she’s ready to face the world and win the third Miss Universe

The Binibining Pilipinas 2014 winners: (From left) Bb Pilipinas-Tourism Parul Shah, Bb. PilipinasIntecontinental Kris Tiffany Janson, Miss Universe-Philippines Mary Jean Lastimosa, Bb. PilipinasInternational Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti and Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago.

Photo by Rhoy Cobilla ©InterAksyon.

crown that has eluded the Philippines since Margie Moran-Floreindo last won it in 1973.

She had the most applauded answer in the Q&A portion when Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler asked her, “What is the greatest advantage of a woman?”’

“The greatest advantage of being a woman is being able to compose ourselves.

Like here, we are not sure if you will support us or you will boo us. We keep our emotions to celebrate beauty,” was the winning reply

Mary Jean ‘MJ’ Lastimosa in a publicity photo.

of the entrepreneur who also operates a slimming center in Davao.

A computer engineering major, Lastimosa also told InterAksyon that if she wins any of the Bb. Pilipinas titles, she will give the international pageant she will compete in her “1,000 percent to maintain the victory that all the title holders have brought to our country”.

Aside from Miss Universe-Philippines and the People’s Choice Award that automatically comes with it, Lastimosa was also named as the new brand ambassador for PLDT Home and won the Lactacyd’s Bb. Best in Swimsuit special award.

Other winners of the pageant’s grand coronation night held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum are Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti from Taguig (Bb. Pilipinas-International), Kris Tiffany Janson from Cebu (Bb. PilipinasIntecontinental), Yvethe Marie Santiago from Albay (Bb. Pilipinas-Supranational) and Parul Shah from Pangasinan (Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism).

Laura Lehmann and Hannah Ruth Sison, both from Makati, won first and second runner-up respectively.

With their wins, Guidotti and Santiago are given the tough tasks of duplicating the remarkable feats of their respective predecessors, Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago and Miss Supranational 2013 Mutya Johanna Datul.

Like Lastimosa, Janson and Santiago were also considered as heavy favorites to win any of the five crowns up for grabs.

Guidotti and Shah also figured in some fearless forecasts.

However, the loss of another heavily favored contestant, Pia Wurtzbach came as a shock to many. The former Star Magic talent who finished 1st runner-up last year seemed to have done everything right, including answering a Tagalog question by judge Senator Sonny Angara in the same language.

Still, it wasn’t enough to land her in the winners circle. Wurtzbach nonetheless won two special awards, Miss Philippine Airlines and the She’s So Jag award of Jag Jeans.

Janson also won Bb. Best in National Costume and Face of Bb. Pilipinas Bb. Photogenic while Santiago also won the Bb. Avon and Miss Cream Silk special awards.

Other special awardees are Racquel Kabigting (Bb. Friendship), Gabrielle Erika Tilokani (Bb. Talent) and Ladylyn Riva (Bb. Manila Bulletin Readers Choice Award).

All three failed to make the top 15 semifinalists, which also included Julian Aurine Flores, Joana Angelica Romero, Nichole Marie Manalo, Zahara Mae Soriano, Emma Mary Tiglao, Kenneth Santiago and Mae Liezel Ramos. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / March 31, 2014 / 7:48 AM

Meet Julia Abueva and Tanya Manalang, the other Kims of ‘Miss Saigon’

‘MISS Saigon’ Kim understudies Tanya Manalang (left) and Julia Abueva (right) flank Rachelle Ann Go in this photo taken during rehearsals for ‘Miss Saigon’ in London. (Photo from Rachelle Ann’s Instagram) Rachelle Ann Go is not the only Filipino cast member of “Miss Saigon” currently having the time of her life at the daily rehearsals for the upcoming West End revival of the celebrated musical.

Among the other Filipinos in the cast who are having a ball in London are the two theater actresses who have been chosen as alternates for the role of Kim clinched by FilAm singer Eva Noblezada.

There’s 18-year-old Julia Abueva, who alternated last year with Karylle and Justine Peña for the lead role in Resorts World Manila’s production of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”.

Born in the Philippines and raised in

Singapore, Julia has been performing since the age of 7 when she sang “Tomorrow” from Annie and “Where is Love” from Oliver as a guest of popular Singaporean singer Cat Ong in the latter’s concert at the Esplanade by the Bay there.

“After being discovered ten years ago by local singer Cat Ong, Julia has performed in front of Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong and other foreign heads of state, including US President Obama,” according to her profile posted in TimeOutSingapore.com.

Complementing Julia’s beautiful voice and onstage charisma is a pretty face that often invites comparisons to Monique Wilson, who along with Lea Salonga originally played Kim in the original production of “Miss Saigon”.

No less than Lea herself speaks highly of Julia in an interview with InterAksyon early this year.

“She was 9 when I first met her and now

she’s 18. She’s a musical theater kid pretty much her entire life,” Lea recalled. “Now she’s fresh out of high school and she’s already a seasoned performer who’s going to make her dream come true in London, no less. When I saw her after she was taken, she told me, ‘This is the one show that I wanted to do’ and I’m like, ‘Yes, and it’s on the West End and it’s a huge deal!’ I’m excited for her.”

Then, there’s also Tanya Manalang, one of the seven girls originally announced as shortlisted for the musical at the conclusion of the Manila auditions personally supervised by producer Cameron Mackintosh.

Besting Frencheska Farr, Mary Joy Solomon, Apple Chiu, Emerald Bañares and Aicelle Santos (the star of PETA’s “Rak of Aegis”) who all made it to the final callback, Tanya’s chances were most likely boosted by her own theater experience.

She played Liesl in “The Sound of Music” and Tuptim in “The King and I”. Both were lavishly staged musicals produced by Resorts World Manila and enjoyed extended runs at the Newport Performing Arts Theater there.

“Tanya Manalang’s Liesl radiates grace and innocence, prominent during “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” in which she engages in a memorable frolic with Marvin Ong’s Rolfe,” wrote the award-winning blogger simply known as Will in his review of “The Sound of Music” posted in melikesart.com.

BroadwayWorld.com also reported that Tanya took theater classes in London making her some sort of “advanced party” in the area prior to the arrival of her fellow Pinoy cast members.

Since arriving in London early this month for the “Miss Saigon” rehearsals, Rachelle Ann Go has been posting photos of her bonding with members of the cast,

including a snapshot with both Tanya and Julia.

“So proud to be with these ladies, Tanya and Julia!!!,” Rachelle said in the photo’s accompanying caption.

When “Miss Saigon” opens in the London West End this May, Eva Noblezada will perform as Kim four times a week while Julia and Tanya will alternately headline the rest of the performances. ■ Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 8:46 AM

Zsa Zsa Padilla happy to be friends again with ex-husband after Karylle wedding AN overjoyed Zsa Zsa Padilla revealed that she and former husband, dentist Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari, are friends again after the two accompanied daughter Karylle

Zsa Zsa Padilla and Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari flank daughter Karylle together with her mother Kating Perez-Padilla and her daughters Zia and Nicole Quizon.

to the altar as Karylle wed Yael Yuzon last Friday.

On Instagram, the 49-year old singeractress posted a photo from the wedding that showed her, her mother Kating PerezPadilla, Dr. Tatlonghari and her daughters Zia and Nicole Quizon flanking the happy bride.

Zsa Zsa posted this message to caption the photo: “We are an unconventional family. But these days, conventional can be a rarity.

These were precious moments taken before Karylle walked down the aisle and became Mrs Yuzon. I thank God for having a hand in giving us the grace of forgiveness and love on this precious day. It’s as if a heavy burden has finally been lifted. I can finally say that I am friends with my ex husband. As they say, everything happens in God’s time.

I am grateful to God for the greatest gift he has bestowed upon us- our precious baby girl, Ana Karylle Padilla Tatlonghari- Yuzon.

I am overjoyed beyond words. God bless us all in our journey through life. May love, blessings and peace abound!”

Zsa Zsa got married to Dr. Tatlonghari in 1980 when she was only 16 and he was already 35. The union resulted in their only offspring, Karylle.

The couple got separated in 1987, the same year Zsa Zsa met Dolphy when they co-starred in her first film, “Mga Anak ni Facifica Falayfay”.

In 1989, Dolphy and Zsa Zsa started a longterm domestic relationship that ended when the late, great comedian passed away in 2012. They had one daughter, Zia and adopted Nicole.

In a 2011 interview with Philippine Star

columnist Ricky Lo, Zsa Zsa said Karylle had requested her to wait until she finishes college before filing for annulment of her marriage to Dr. Tatlonghari in 2001.

After 11 years, the court finally granted Zsa Zsa’s annulment petition in 2011.

Zsa Zsa and Dolphy, whose health was already declining by then, were supposed to get married in 2012. But negative public reactions towards Zsa Zsa prompted her to shelve her own wedding plans.

A year after the Comedy King’s demise, Zsa Zsa admitted in an interview with InterAksyon and other entertainment media that she was still grieving and cringes at the idea of entertaining suitors.

“Sa ngayon, it’s like, ‘kadiri’. May ganoong factor pa, siguro because of my age na rin. May nagsasabing pwede pa naman daw, pero I’m not in that stage of

my life…I’ll probably go crazy if I don’t keep myself busy so yes, the new projects helped me heal,” she said during the launch of her 30th anniversary album, “Palagi” last year.

Zsa Zsa admits that she’s just happy playing the role of doting mother to Karylle, Zia and Nicole.

“For the first time in my life, I’m by myself, I’m independent and I concentrate on my children and my career. They are what I’m focusing on and I’m enjoying it.”

Reuniting with her ex-husband, at least for one special occasion was certainly another source of joy for her and Karylle.

The two were all smiles during the wedding and even danced with each other in the reception that followed, much to the cheers of the newlyweds and their 150 guests. ■

Edwin P. Sallan / InterAksyon.com / March 24, 2014 / 1:02 PM

Ima Castro

Miss Saigon in 2001

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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Spanish Foreign Minister Concludes Visit, Promises to Return to the Philippines SPANISH Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo and his delegation completed their two-day visit which highlighted the dynamism of PhilippinesSpain bilateral relations founded on strong historical and cultural ties and robust trade and investments.

Minister Margallo was accompanied by a sizable group of officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Spanish International Cooperation Agency, Spanish Economic Ministry and representatives of major Spanish business conglomerates. Minister Margallo met with Philippine captains of industries and members of the Makati Business Club where he presented the MarcaEspaña initiative of the Spanish Government and various potential areas of business cooperation.

While in Manila, the Minister called on President Benigno S.Aquino III and Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo. Minister Margallo also headed the Spanish delegation to the high-level

political consultations which discussed the whole range of Philippines-Spain bilateral relations.

Minister Margallo visited the Bangkal High School in Makati which implements a Spanish language program in partnership with the Embassy of Spain and Instituto Cervantes. He then proceeded toTacloban City and Tolosa. While in Tacloban, the Minister visited a regional hospital, checked the status of relief and rehabilitation efforts initiated by Spain, and made a donation of 400 boats to fisher folks from Sta. Rita, Samar. Minister Margallo also visited an aid distribution center of the Department of Social Welfare and Development

which is supported by Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) and the World Food Program. Spain donated more than US$ 4.8 million in humanitarian assistance to hard-hit areas in Central Visayas.

After Tacloban, the Spanish delegation flew to Pampanga to inaugurate the Humanitarian Assistance Emergency Warehouse at Clark Airbase. The warehouse is the first of several facilities planned by the Office of Civil Defense-National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and designed for quick response to national emergencies. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / March 26, 2014

Visit of German Minister of State Demonstrates Deepening Philippines-Germany Cooperation GERMAN Minister of State Maria Böhmer called on Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario today, as part of the Minister’s three-day visit to the Philippines.

Taking place from March 26 to 28, this is Minister Böhmer’s first visit to the Philippines. The Philippines is the third country she is visiting since assuming the position of Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office last December.

The visit takes place as the Philippines and Germany prepare to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations and as the Philippines commemorates the historic signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Germany has

supported the peace process through assistance in development projects.

Minister Böhmer will witness the historic signing of the CAB. Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Böhmer noted with satisfaction the burgeoning bilateral political and economic relations between their two countries. Germany is the Philippines’ eighth top trading partner in the world and the number one in Europe with US$ 4.5 billion or PhP 203 billion in total trade in 2013.

The two officials also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to bilateral engagement and cooperation not only in

the political field but also in areas such as labor, people-to-people exchanges, investments, and the maritime sector.

Germany controls more than 40% of the world market in container shipping, over 50% of which is manned by Filipino seafarers. Germany has been supportive of the Philippines’ efforts to comply with the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.

Secretary Del Rosario likewise expressed gratitude to Germany for its humanitarian assistance of over 176 million euros (close to PhP 11 billion), noting that 144 million euros (PhP 8.7 billion) was sourced from private donations.

On labor cooperation, both sides agreed to promote the smooth implementation of the Agreement on the Deployment of Philippine Healthcare Professionals.

On the West Philippine Sea Issue, Minister Böhmer echoed the statements made by former Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on his visit to the Philippines in February 2013, reiterating Germany’s support for a rules-based approach and underscoring the importance of peaceful resolution of the disputes.

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany were formally established on 8 October 1954. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / March 27, 2014

PHL Consulate General in Hong Kong Sar Holds Forum On Menopause Secretary Del Rosario Welcomes UNDP And Cardiovascular Diseases Affecting Women And Andropause Administrator, Phl and UNDP Vow to Strengthen Ties IN celebration of International Women’s Day, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong SAR conducted a Forum on Menopause and Cardiovascular Diseases affecting Women and Andropause on March 23 at the Consulate Public Area.

Dr. Michael Manio, a Filipino member of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of Hong Kong University and graduate of the University of the Philippines-College of Medicine, was the forum’s guest speaker.

Dr. Manio discussed the symptoms and hormonal changes during perimenopause (or pre-menopause stage) and menopause, as well as the risks of cardiovascular diseases on women undergoing these stages. He also delved on the treatment and remedies on health complications during perimenopause and menopause.

For the benefit of the male Filipino Community members who joined in the celebration of International Women’s Day, Dr. Manio also gave a presentation on andropause or widely regarded as “male menopause”.

The forum was well-received by the Filipino Community who shared their individual experiences on menopause and cardiovascular diseases during the question and answer portion. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / March 26, 2014

Dr. Michael Manio discussiing menaopause, cardiovascular diseases affecting women and andropause during the Forum.

(Left photo) Dr. Manio answering a query from Filipino Community member.

(Right photo) Dr. Manio during the presentation of his certificate of appreciation by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) personnel (from left) Ms. Gloria Celis-PCG’s Cultural Assistant and Attaché, Ms. Elizabeth Alberto-PCG’s Cultural Officer, Acting Head of Consular Post Rosanna Villamor Voogel and Vice Consul Fatima Guzman.

Due to their keen interest in topic of the Forum, Filipino Community members approached Dr. Manio for advice on menopause and cardiovascular diseases after the event.

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario welcomed United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark today at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ms. Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, is in Manila from March 25 to 27 to strengthen UNDP’s partnership and cooperation with the Philippine government and to witness the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro. She will visit Tacloban today to meet with local officials and get an overview of the recovery efforts postYolanda.

Secretary Del Rosario expressed gratitude and appreciation for the continued support of the United Nations, its member-states and the UN Country Team, saying that, “the UNDP’s immediate relief assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda was crucial.”

“UNDP played a vital role in postYolanda recovery and rehabilitation efforts,” the Secretary noted.

Secretary Del Rosario sought the organization’s continued engagement in sourcing additional funding assistance from bilateral and multilateral partners for the typhoon-affected areas.

Ms. Clark commended the Philippines for its resiliency in the face of numerous

natural calamities. She said that “the Philippines is able to build back better,” adding that “the country can assume a leadership role in raising awareness for disaster risk reduction, especially in the light of climate change.”

The Secretary also thanked UNDP for its support and assistance in the Bangsamoro peace process.

The Secretary and Ms. Clark likewise discussed the Philippines’ progress in meeting the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Secretary said that “The Philippines is confident that it will meet its targets.”

For her part, Ms. Clark assured Secretary Del Rosario that the UNDP will continue to support the Philippines in order to meet these goals. ■ Philippine Embassy Philippines / March 26, 2014

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April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Budget deficit nearly doubles in January on higher spending MANILA – The government’s budget deficit nearly doubled at the start of this year, as the Aquino administration ramped up spending for the reconstruction of areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

In a statement, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the deficit widened to P34.2 billion last January, a 75 percent increase from the P19.5 billion in the same month of last year.

Excluding interest payments on the government’s debt, the deficit turns into a primary surplus of P22.2 billion.

A deficit ensues whenever tax collections fall short of government expenditures. To make up for the shortfall, the government borrows money, thus inflating the country’s debt, which taxpayers ultimately pay for.

Last January, tax and other revenues reached P148.8 billion, an eight percent increase from a year ago. Tax collections alone made up 91 percent of government revenues and increased 12 percent yearon-year.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), whose tax collections account for 70 percent of total revenues, raised P104.2 billion last January, a 10 percent increase from a year ago.

The Bureau of Customs, which contributed a fifth of total revenues,

collected P29.8 billion from duties on imports and other levies, a 21 percent improvement from last year.

Despite the double-digit increase in revenues, expenditures increased a faster 16 percent year-on-year to P183 billion at the start of the year. Interest payments alone reached P56.5 billion for almost a third of total government spending for the month.

Normalcy. “The Philippines’ fiscal performance figures in recent years are a manifestation of restored normalcy in meeting the expectations of the Development Budget Coordination Committee,” Finance Secretary Purisima said.

“Through even more aggressive and prudent efforts in stamping out corruption, widening our tax base, and managing our liabilities, I believe this newfound confidence in the Philippines’ fiscal performance is something that we can sustain,” he added.

Purisima said the government’s revenue effort has improved, citing the 1.7 percent shortfall last year as against the 9.4 percent on the year before President Benigno Aquino III assumed office.

As a result, the fiscal deficits have stayed below the ceilings set by the Development and Budget Coordinating Committee

(DBCC), Purisima said. Last year, the deficit amounted to 1.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), or lower than the ceiling of two percent and the 3.9 percent on the year before Aquino assumed office.

Purisima said the reduction in the deficit has led to the narrowing of the national government debt as compared to GDP: from 50-70 percent during the previous administration to 49.2 percent last year. In a similar fashion, the general government debt -- which includes the liabilities of staterun firms and local government units -- has shrunk from 44.3 percent of GDP five years ago to 39.7 percent last year. ■ InterAksyon.

com / March 27, 2014 / 9:36 AM

People filing income tax returns at BIR

DTI smells collusion, begins probe into truck delivery fee increase MANILA - The government is investigating the simultaneous increase in delivery fees imposed by truck operators to determine whether they are liable for anticompetitive behavior.

On the sidelines of the Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said the Department

Trade chief Gregory L. Domingo

of Trade and Industry (DTI) began its investigation after receiving complaints from manufacturers. The agency aims to complete its inquiry in a month.

“It seems there is collusion.

Sabay-sabay nagtaas. Bawal iyon.

Walangcompetition. The DTI will get factual data to serve as basis for our request to the DOJ to look into it,” Domingo said, referring to the Department of Justice.

The DTI will forward its finding to the DOJ, which under Executive Order No. 45 is tasked to enforce competition and consumer laws.

The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines recently raised delivery fees by 50 percent. In hiking their rates, the group cited the higher costs

incurred after the Manila City government imposed a truck ban, forcing them to extend operating hours.

“A five to 10 percent increase is reasonable but a 50 percent increase is unreasonable,” Domingo said.

Under the Price Act, truck delivery fees are not regulated, but any adjustment ultimately would have an impact on prices of consumer goods.

Besides prices, the increase in delivery fees would also discourage business, Domingo said.

“This is counterproductive. There are investors that want to locate here. If they see this, they might not want to do business here,” he said. ■ Chelsea Cruz / InterAksyon.com / March 26, 2014 / 7:53 PM

Monetary Board hikes banks’ reserve requirement, cuts inflation forecast

Montealegre / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 /

Inflation forecast cut. Despite the hike in reserve requirements, the BSP sees inflation to stay within the target range of 3-5 percent this year and 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent next year.

“Inflation expectations also remain broadly aligned with the target over the policy horizon. At the same time, the Monetary Board noted that the balance of risks to the inflation outlook continues to be skewed to the upside, with potential price pressures emanating from pending petitions for adjustments in utility rates and from the possible increases in food and oil prices,” Tetangco said.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Gunigundo said the central bank cut its 2014 inflation forecast to 4.2 percent from the earlier estimate of 4.3 percent. For next year, inflation is seen at 3.2 percent, also down from the earlier forecast of 3.3 percent.

“The adjustment can be very well absorbed by the economy,” Guinigundo said, adding that economic growth would settle within the government’s target range of 6.5-7.5 percent for this year.

According to the Monetary Board, buoyant domestic growth prospects allow some scope for a measured adjustment in the BSP’s policy instruments amid the ongoing normalization of monetary policy overseas.

Tetangco said the BSP will continue to monitor emerging price and output conditions and will consider further adjustments in its monetary policy tools as necessary to safeguard price and financial stability. ■ Maricel E. Burgonio / InterAksyon.com /

11:22 AM

March 27, 2014 / 5:54 PM

Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada

Japanese gaming tycoon scraps casino resort deal with Century Properties

MANILA - Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada has scrapped its partnership with Century Properties Group Inc for the development of the $2-billion Manila Bay Resorts in state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp’s (Pagcor) Entertainment City.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Century Properties said it received yesterday a notice of termination of the investment agreement from Jose Lis Leagogo of Eagle I Landholdings Inc, Eagle II Holdco Inc and Brontia Limited.

Eagle 1, which holds the land on which Manila Bay Resorts would rise, is owned

by Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Corp, one of Pagcor’s four licensees for the Entertainment City. Tiger Resorts in turn is a unit of Japan-based Universal Entertainment Corp, which Okada owns.

“CPG is of the strong legal position that the notice of termination is not only premature, but also is unfounded as it lacks legal and contractual basis,” Century Properties said. CPG is the ticker symbol of the real estate developer.

Century Properties sent a notice of dispute to Eagle 1, Eagle II and Brontia on March 21, triggering a mandatory 21-day discussion period.

In November last year, Century Properties inked a memorandum agreement with Eagle 1 to develop luxury residential and

retail properties on a five-hectare property within the 44-hectare Manila Bay Resorts project.

Aside from property development, Century Properties also inked a deal that will give the property firm 36 percent of Eagle 1’s pro forma capital stock following the latter’s issuance of 432 million preferred shares to the listed Philippine firm.

Eagle 1 issued another 288 million preferred shares to First Paramount Holdings 888 Inc, enabling the two local firms to own more than 60 percent of the Tiger Resorts unit.

The Okada group has long been in search for a local partner to partly address issues on foreign ownership of land. It earlier engaged Robinsons Land Corp (RLC) for the gaming and retail operations of the Manila Bay Resorts, but negotiations collapsed in May last year.

The project suffered a setback after the Okada group was tagged in a $40-million case on allegations that his company paid grease money to Rodolfo Soriano, a consultant of former Pagcor head Efraim Genuino.

In August, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority cleared the Okada group from any form of corruption in relation to its casino venture in the country. ■ Krista Angela M.

MANILA - Monetary authorities today decided to keep policy rates but hiked reserve requirements of banks to temper strong liquidity growth and rapid credit growth.

In a press briefing, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said its policy-making Monetary Board kept the at overnight borrowing or reverse repurchase (RRP) facility at 3.50 percent and overnight lending or repurchase (RP) facility at 5.50 percent -- both at record lows since October 2012.

The interest rates on term RRPs and RPs as well as special deposit accounts (SDAs) were also kept steady.

The Monetary Board however decided to increase the reserve requirement by a percentage point effective April 4, 2014.

The one percentage point hike in reserve requirement would mop up P60 billion of excess liquidity in the financial system.

The reserve requirement for universal and commercial banks will increase to 19 percent, while those for thrift banks and rural lenders would climb to seven percent and five percent, respectively. The BSP last adjusted its reserve ratios in April 2012, cutting them by three percentage points to 18 percent.

“The Monetary Board’s decision to raise the reserve requirement is intended to guard against potential risks to financial stability that could arise from continued strong liquidity growth and rapid credit expansion,” Tetangco said.

“We wanted to make sure if some of the risks materialized, 100 basis points in reserve requirement would provide a cushion,” he said.

Money supply has been expanding at a record pace upwards of 30 percent, especially after the BSP ordered banks to pull out their funds from its SDAs. Central bank officials however assured that domestic liquidity growth would normalize soon after the withdrawals from SDAs. Domestic liquidity or M3 is seen to grow slower at 15-17 percent in the middle of the year from the record high of 38.6 percent last January while credit expansion would be tempered. Last January’s M3 growth broke the earlier record of 36.5 percent in November last year, which coincided with the deadline for banks to pull out their money from the SDAs. Bank lending grew by 17.1 percent in January, also faster than the 16.4 percent in December.

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APPEAL FOR ATHLETES FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN UNITED KINGDOM AND EUROPE Greetings!

I am from the Ateneo de Manila University a top rank school in the Philippines.

This is our website for you to browse, www.ateneo.edu. I am also head of the University’s Track and Field program. To bolster our college track and field team, I am in search of eight exceptional student-athletes (four men, four women) entering university, preferably 17-19 years old, to be enrolled by May for the first semester and September for the second semester. The preferred events are distance, throws, sprints jumps, hurdles and race walk where distance runners are the most preferred. Preferably, they should be of Filipino heritage. One or both of the parents should have been a Filipino citizen or immigrant at the time of the athlete’s birth. The preference for mixed heritage for Filipino heritage athletes is due to the fact that one year residency is required in our league. This is unless both parents are documented Overseas Filipino Workers. We accept foreign athletes but they will have to sit out a two year residency rule. It will also be preferable that athletes interested at enrolling under our athletic scholarship program already have taken the Standard Aptitude Test (SAT) or equivalent. This way, they will not have to take the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET).

I hope your club has such athletes with caliber and status. It would be appreciated very much to hear from you soon. Thank you!

Coach Misael B. Perez Program Head, Ateneo Track and Field Office Landline: (+632) 426 1201 / (+632) 426-6001 – Local 4191-4197

36

NEWS

www.hello-philippines.com

P130-million forfeiture case filed against Corona couple THE Sandiganbayan on Thursday confirmed that a P130-million forfeiture case has been filed against ex-chief justice Renato Corona and his wife.

The case for the couple’s ill-gotten wealth will be raffled off in the second week of April, the Sandiganbayan said, after the court comes back from a team-building session.

The case was filed a day after the Office of the Ombudsman denied Corona’s motion for reconsideration on the forfeiture case, and ordered the immediate filing of criminal and civil charges against the Coronas before the Sandiganbayan.

The Coronas earlier filed a resolution

for reconsideration of the Ombudsman’s decision to indict the couple over their alleged ill-gotten wealth.

But during an investigation, the special panel of investigators determined that from 2001 to 2011, the couple earned a total income of P30,369,120.13, of which P27,145,472.68 was earned by Renato Corona, and another P3,223,647.45 was earned by Cristina.

“The Office of the Ombudsman determined that the Coronas’ unexplained wealth is at least P130,336,212.88,” the Ombudsman’s office said, adding the amount is a “conservative estimate” as it does not include their cost of living

allowance and expenses entailed during travels abroad.

Meanwhile, Corona on Thursday claimed that the slew of cases being hurled against him is an attempt by the government to divert public attention from the recent series of multibillion-peso fund anomalies.

“I know that this charade is just a diversionary propaganda to take away public attention from the indefensible illegal use of public funds which has destroyed the last remaining fabric of morality in public service and any semblance of whatever remains of the Rule of Law,” Corona said.

■ Patricia Denise Chiu / JDS, GMA News / March 27,

2014 / 5:11 PM

Tao nga di mailipat, airport pa? Tacloban mayor rebuffs gov’s proposal to transfer aiport MANILA – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Mayor Alfred Romualdez aren’t seeing eye to eye when it comes to solving the lingering problems in typhoon-ravaged Tacloban such as the city’s still malfunctioning airport.

The governor said that since Tacloban is vulnerable to typhoon-induced storm surges, it would be safer to transfer the airport to another area in Leyte such as in the municipality of Santa Fe or in Palo town where Petilla’s mother, Remedios L. Petilla, is the current mayor.

“Nauuso ang ganitong mga surge. What if it hits again the Tacloban airport? (And) after the surge may dalawa, tatlong barko sa runway [Surges like these are becoming more frequent. What if a surge hits again the Tacloban airport? And after the surge, there would be two or three ships on the runway]?” said Liberal Party’s Petilla, the younger brother of Department of Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla.

But Nacionalista Party’s Romualdez dismissed Petilla’s proposal as “unrealistic”.

“Alam n’yo, huwag na tayong managinip ng ililipat, ililipat…Eh kung sariling tao di na nga mailipat, sa danger zone airport pa [Let’s not dream of transferring…How can the airport be moved out of the danger zone when we could not even relocate our own people]? said Romualdez.

The Tacloban airport remains without walls and floor tiles more than four months after the city was battered by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The airport’s conveyor system is also not functioning up to now.

Moreover, there are still 14,000 families in the city who need permanent relocations.

Schools and offices remain dilapidated despite the government’s reconstruction efforts.

InterAksyon file photo of the Yolanda-ravaged Tacloban airport.

Romualdez claimed that Tacloban couldn’t immediately rise from the rut because of the national government’s seeming lack of trust in the capability of local officials to address the problems caused by the typhoon.

Last December, a month after Yolanda hit the Visayas, Romualdez accused Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and President Benigno Aquino III of “politicking” instead of heeding his request to help typhoon victims in Tacloban.

According to Romualdez, the DILG chief asked him to write a letter stating that he could no longer function as a mayor. But Romualdez said he did not give any letter to Roxas after consulting his lawyer, who advised him not to write one as “you may be deemed as resigning.”

But according to Roxas, he asked Romualdez to write a letter that the city needed the help of the national government

because Aquino was being careful so that others would not wrongly interpret that the chief executive had an axe to grind with the relatives of the Marcoses.

Romualdez is a nephew of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, whose husband Ferdinand placed the country under Martial Law in 1972 and went on to rule as a dictator for 14 years.

In 1983, Aquino’s father, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who had been imprisoned in the early years of the dictatorship, returned to the country from exile but was assassinated immediately after his plane touched down at the then Manila International Airport, since named after him.

The elder Aquino’s death helped spark the popular movement that would eventually oust Marcos in 1986 and replaced him with Ninoy’s widow, Corazon, mother of the incumbent president. ■ Ina Zara / News5 / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 11:28 PM

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Refusing to ‘shut up’, netizen takes complaint vs rude immigration officer to cyberspace MANILA - Despite allegedly being ordered to “shut up,” a foreigner’s Filipino wife has taken her complaint to cyberspace to make sure that an immigration officer’s supposed ill treatment of her and her husband is not silenced.

Teacher Roselle Carreon wrote a post titled “What should you do when a public servant asks you to “SHUT UP”: SPEAK UP!” on her Facebook page Tuesday, recounting that she and her husband went to the Bureau of Immigration’s Makati extension office Monday to settle her husband’s ACR I (Alien Certificate of Registration Identity) card.

In her post, she related that her husband had “properly” asked a certain Carlo Salazar, who she assumed was the office supervisor, if she could claim the ID in his behalf as he would be out of the country by the time it would be released.

Carreon said Salazar stood up and told her, “Shut up! Kailangan paulit-ulit ang tanong. ‘Di ba, in-explain ko na (Why do I have to keep repeating myself? Didn’t I already explain)! Why didn’t you tell your husband?”

She said everyone in the room heard him, and that even his coworkers were surprised by his outburst. “…but they just looked at me and then looked down.

Nobody wanted to stop his temper,” she wrote.

Appalled at his rudeness, Carreon said they told him “his behavior was inappropriate, and that he shouldn’t say that to his clients.”

She said he answered thus: “I can say shut up to anybody if I want to!”

Carreon said her husband then asked for Salazar’s name, and was brushed aside. Instead, she said Salazar asked for her husband’s passport and went to the photocopier to make copies.

Carreon said that Salazar was unable to accomplish this and asked someone else to do it for him. Because he still refused to give his name, she asked another employee instead, all the while being allegedly “humiliate(ed) in Tagalog” by Salazar.

Carreon said that a furious Salazar said the following to her twice: “Paulit-ulit ang tanong. ‘Di ba nasagot na? Bakit ‘di mo inexplain sa asawa mo? Kailangan ba paulitulit (You keep repeating your questions.

Didn’t I answer them already? Why didn’t you explain it to your husband? Do I have to keep repeating myself)?”

“I was so shocked. This is how the

Rumble sa Mendiola: Pro-peace pact Moros clash with pro-NDF activists MANILA – Muslim groups supporting today’s signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro clashed with some 50 young leftist activists who staged a lightning rally outside Malacanang Palace in time for the 45th anniversary of the New People’s Army.

The Muslims thought the leftists were against their peaceful demonstration, trying to foment trouble.

The Muslim group was midway into a prayer rite at the Mendiola Peace Bridge when a group of young protesters claiming to belong to the “Kabataang Makabayan RTCU-NDFP” arrived at the scene, waving placards and unfurling streamers calling on

people to celebrate the NPA’s anniversary.

As the leftist activists, mostly wearing red shirts, started shouting their slogans, a group of Bangsamoro supporters wearing “MORO AKO” yellow shirts shouted invectives at them.

Leaders of the Muslim groups tried to pacify the yellow shirts but when traffic stopped, they ran up to the red shirts and gave chase.

The CPP-NPA-NDFP supporters were caught by surprise and scampered for safety, but the Bangsamoro group caught up with some of them and roughed them up.

One red shirt was hit by the pole he was

carrying, and as he fell down the pavement, he was punched and kicked.

The timely intervention of police and Moro elders and women stopped the melee.

Later, Col. Marcelino Pedroso told a radio reporter at least one from the leftists’ side was beaten up. He said that based on the placards seized by police, the youth group was enticing people to “join the CPP-NPA.” The leftist activists shouted slogans seeking the release of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, high-ranking officers of the CPP who were recently arrested.

Police arrested some of the pro-NDF demonstrators. ■ Bernard Testa / InterAksyon.com

/ March 27, 2014 / 10:39 AM

Moros clash with NDF supporters on Mendiola Bridge, 27 March 2014. Photo by Bernard Testa ©InterAksyon.com.

Facade of the Bureau of Immigration.

government, specifically a Bureau of Immigration official, treats the people, both foreign and local,” Carreon wrote. “Imagine the disgrace this government employee is bringing, not only to his department, but to our country.”

She said they left the immigration office “with his name written on a page of a photocopied list of rules that we must follow in claiming that ID.” They then tried to file a complaint before a higher authority and were “shocked again” to find out that he was the office supervisor.

She then tried to contact the Civil Service Commission, who supposedly gave her “a bunch of numbers which (were) never answered.” Finally she was directed to the website www.contactcenterngbayan.gov. ph, where she filed a complaint.

Carreon told InterAksyon.com through an exchange of Facebook messages that

by Wednesday, she had received a reply saying her complaint was noted and a report made. Contact Center ng Bayan also said that they would forward the report to the concerned agency. They gave her a case reference number and promised to give feedback within a week.

“I just want to do the right thing,” she told InterAksyon.com in explanation for her post and her complaint. “I am a citizen of this country and I know my rights. I believe that speaking up is the best thing for us to do when we are faced with situations like this. I am sure I am not the only one in this country who has experienced this rudeness from a public servant. After I wrote an article about this, my foreign students, friends, relatives also shared the same thing. This means that it is happening to both foreign and local clients.”

As a mother and a teacher, Carreon said she wants her child and her students to stand up for themselves when they are right.

Bullying did not just happen in schools, but in government offices too.

She added that respect must be given to every person, no matter who he or she was.

This was something that Filipinos should expect from their public servants.

“As long as there are people like (Salazar) who do not serve sincerely and respectfully then the title ‘public servant’ will have no meaning,” she wrote in her post.

When asked for his response via phone call, Salazar told InterAksyon.com that he did not wish to comment on the allegation.

■ Tricia Aquino / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 /

6:27 AM

Media Partner:

38

SPORTS

www.hello-philippines.com

April 2014 – No. 7 • UK & Europe Edition

Manny Pacquiao fired up after taunts from Timothy Bradley LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao is taking extra motivation from taunts by unbeaten Tim Bradley that the Filipino boxing icon has lost the hunger and killer instinct he once displayed with great passion.

“The more he says that, the more he inspires me to show the hunger and killer instinct he’s talking about,” Pacquiao said Tuesday. “It’s good for me but not for him I think.”

Pacquiao, 55-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts, will fight Bradley, 31-0 with 12 knockouts, for the American’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title in Las Vegas on April 12.

The fight will be a rematch of a controversial Bradley victory by split decision in June of 2012 in which all three judges scored the fight 115-113, two of them

for Bradley in what was seen as a robbery from Pacquaio.

“You don’t get mad. It’s part of life,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquaio’s trainer.

“Revenge is great. That’s what we have a chance to do here. If everything goes right we will knock this guy out.”

Bradley has noted how Pacquiao has not stopped a foe since Miguel Cotto in 2009 and has not won a fight inside 12 rounds since dropping Ricky Hatton nearly five years ago, helping rekindle the fires inside the 35-year-old Asian southpaw.

“I’m not angry or disappointed at what he told me. I’m happy he told me that,” Pacquiao said. “It inspired me to train harder and focus on the fight. It will benefit me.

“I have not lost the hunger. Sometimes we knock the guy out and sometimes not.”

Pacquiao said he sees no more need for a knockout than usual even after the controversial loss to Bradley in their first meeting.

“We’re not focusing on the knockout,” Pacquiao said. “The focus is on being more aggressive, throwing more punches. If that outcome comes, it’s fine. I just want to prove that I can have the killer instinct.”

We’ll be able to stop him. Roach says Pacquiao relaxed late in the prior fight after dominating early rounds, he thought, on the judges’ scorecards. This time, there will be no coasting as the 12-round fight goes on.

“It was so easy for him in the early rounds,” Roach said. “In the later rounds he wasn’t throwing combinations. He was throwing single punches because he had done so well in the earlier rounds.

“We need to be a little more aggressive in this fight. I think if we fight at an aggressive pace in this fight I think we will be able to stop him somewhere along the way. Whatever Bradley brings to the table we’ll be ready.”

But, Roach cautions, that does not mean seeking a knockout to appease taunts by Bradley and forget strategy and planning.

“We don’t go into fights looking for knockouts. If they come they come,” Roach said. “We’re planning to beat him every round. If you try to knock the guy out you will be waiting all night.”

Pacquiao said he does not feel angry at the judges from the first fight.

“No one is perfect in this world.

Sometimes they make mistakes,” said Pacquiao. “I wasn’t bothered after that

fight when I went home. The reaction of the people was not negative. It was positive.

They thought I won the fight.

“I’m not thinking about the judges. What I want to do is focus on the ring about the strategy and techniques that we work on in the gym.”

Pacquiao also said that his US and Filipino tax issues and political life would not be distractions.

“There’s nothing I have to worry about,” said Pacquiao of tax cases against him. “I didn’t hide anything. I’m not worried about that.”

As for his role as a lawmaker in the Philippines, Pacquiao said, “Politics is really about the nation, the small people. You cannot compare politics to boxing.” ■ Agence France-Presse / March 26, 2014 / 4:35 PM

UFL on AksyonTV: Loyola tries to get back on top vs Stallion; Green Archers face Team Socceroo THE Loyola Meralco Sparks aim to regain the top spot in the team standings when they take on defending champion Stallion Gilligan’s in United Football League action Thursday at Emperador Stadium.

Loyola battles Stallion at 7:30 p.m. after the opening match between Green Archers

United Globe and Team Socceroo at 5 p.m.

Both matches will be aired live on AksyonTV. After being at the helm for most of the season, Loyola (32 points) slipped to second place after rival Global FC overtook them with 34 points with a win over Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr last Tuesday.

Looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Green Archers last Saturday, Loyola is seeking to boost its record of 10 wins, two draws and two losses to make its return to the top of the table.

Currently at fourth place with 22 points, Stallion is targeting to inch closer to table leaders to have a shot of defending its crown. The reigning titlist sports a 6-4-4 win-draw-loss record.

In the first match, Green Archers gun for its third straight victory at the expense of Team Socceroo.

Playing without injured star winger Chieffy Caligdong, Green Archers has been able to keep its campaign afloat. The squad is now at fifth place with a 4-4-5 slate for 16 points.

Sitting at eighth place with nine points, Team Socceroo hopes to improve its 2-3-8 card to stay away from the relegation zone.

■ Karl Decena / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 /

Photo by Roy Afable ©Sports5

12:44 AM

PBA requiring P100-M franchise fee plus deposit for expansion team applicants THREE teams are knocking on the door of the PBA, but joining the Philippines’ most elite sporting competition would cost a pretty penny.

The PBA has set the franchise fee for new applicants Metro Pacific, Columbian Autocar Corporation, and Ever Bilena at P100 million.

The league is also requiring the companies to put up “a strict performance bond to guarantee five years continuous playing,” according to commissioner Chito Salud.

The companies would have to go to a third-party insurance company to assess the value of the bond, which could cost as much as the franchise itself.

All in all, a PBA expansion club could shell out as much as P200 million just to join the league.

Salud said the PBA Board of Governors are set to meet the new applicants on April 10. The commissioner said he had already met with representatives of the three companies last Monday to brief them about the process and to secure more information from the companies.

Metro Pacific, which bankrolls perennial champion NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA D-League, is part of the MVP Group of

Companies, which already owns PBA teams Meralco and Talk ‘N Text.

Ever Bilena is the company behind the Blackwater Elite team in the D-League.

Owner Dioceldo Sy is a former chairman of the Philippine Basketball League and a longtime patron of sports in the country.

Columbian Autocar Corporation is the exclusive distributor of Korean car maker Kia in the Philippines. In the past, the company has sponsored various sports in the Philippines including the Azkals, while Kia has been a global sponsor of major sporting events such as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the NBA All-Star Game. ■ InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 5:11 PM

Photo by Pranz Kaeno Billones ©Sports5

Photo by Paul Mata ©Sports5

Marcus Douthit raring to play for Gilas Pilipinas in showdown with PBA stars NATURALIZED center Marcus Douthit has been out of action since leading the Philippines to the gold medal in last year’s Southeast Asian Games.

Which is why the 6-foot-10 center is itching to get back into action when the Gilas Pilipinas national team takes on a selection of PBA players in this year’s AllStar Game.

“Last year, I sat out in the All-Star game, this time I’m going to play. I’m kinda thirsty to play. I’ve not been in active competition for the past six months, so I’m eager to play,” Douthit told InterAksyon.com.

The long layoff has allowed Douthit to rest his body, as he took some time off to recuperate in the United States.

“I worked on my conditioning while I was resting in the US for two months,” he added.

“All the injuries that I had, I feel 100 percent, no aches, no pains.”

Upon his return to the Philippines, Douthit worked his way back into shape by joining the practices of Meralco and Talk ‘N Text.

“My trainer in the States came here and worked with me but had to go back to the States for the NCAA tournament. I feel good now and kinda eager to play,” he said.

The national team has since begun practicing every Monday night, and Douthit says progress has been steady.

“We’re doing good, we’re just having repetition of the stuff that we know. It’s doing good. Slowly but surely we’re rolling in. It’s hard because it’s the middle of the season,” said Douthit.

Gilas is scheduled to represent the country in the FIBA Asia Cup, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the Asian Games basketball tournament. For Douthit, who has been part of the Gilas program since 2010, the opportunity to stay on is a blessing.

“From Day One, when I first signed the contract, the expectations are very high. The program was new. A lot have been changed.

Now, we got veteran players, older players.

We got a whole new coaching staff. I’m still glad I’m still part of the situation,” he said. ■ Rey Joble / InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014 / 7:33 PM

No Gilas in Governors’ Cup, national team to use FIBA Asia Cup as prep tourney instead THE PBA will compress its schedule even further to allow the Philippine national men’s basketball team to train for a pair of international competitions this year.

The league earlier adjusted its slate to allow Gilas Pilipinas time to train for and compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in August and the Asian Games basketball tournament in September.

The PBA Board of Governors met on Thursday and agreed to explore ways to

pare down the schedule for the seasonending Governors’ Cup even further to allow the team to compete in the FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China from July 11 to 19.

“We’re continuing to explore ways of further compressing our third conference in view of allowing our Gilas team to participate in the FIBA tourney in july,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

“We’re looking at a three-day break between the second and the third conference.

“We wanted to make sure that Gilas could leave by the 10th of July. The board is fully supportive of the idea of giving Gilas the chance to participate in that tourney in Wuhan, China as a prep tournament.

This means that an earlier proposal to include Gilas as a guest team in the Governors’ Cup would no longer push through. “(Gilas) coach Chot (Reyes) stressed that the competition the team will get in Wuhan

is more suitable compared to participating in the third conference, where he will be playing teams lacking key players,” said Salud.

The PBA, however, will still have to sort out the logistics of the new changes in schedule.

“Playing 10 games a week, you have to consider a lot of things. Yung back-to-back, yung venue, yung TV, will they be able to show us live?” ■ InterAksyon.com / March 27, 2014

/ 4:50 PM

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